This is kinda my first fic here, so you know, don't flame me or anything. Okay?? The title doesn't really have anything to do with the story, I just didn't want to leave it as 'Untitled' or something.

This takes place just before your fight with Dist in the Tower of Rem. My memory is a tad fuzzy in that area of the game, so I tried to match it up the best I could. I now realize though that Dist appears the first visit to the tower, not the second. The original idea was that Dist had found a rather 'interesting' new arte, and was 'just dying' to try it. He became aware of Guy's phobia, and aimed for him but...Well let's say that our lovable Gailardia doesn't have to stand near our...not-so-lovable Colonel anymore...

Hey, Merry Christmas to you guys too!

Disclaimer: In no way do I own Tales of the Abyss. It's the best game ever, and I think we all dream that we own it.

It would take two days from Daath to reach the Tower of Rem. Two days until Luke would send himself to his death in Asch's place. Well, try to at least. Both red-heads didn't seem to want to give into the other so easily. The night before was the worst yet, in Anise's opinion. Everyone was restless, and worried about the fact that someone was going to die tomorrow. One of them, Luke or Asch. Who ever it was, no one could stop either of them from making their final decision.

The ceiling of the inn was cold, and gave no reassurance to any of them. Anise had stayed awake long after sun down, just staring ahead at the plain white paint, tinted purple by the miasma. This was her fault. She'd spied on them since she became a Fon Master Guardian. The God-Generals had been able to track their movements because of her, Mohs had been able to make hundreds of replicas, and now not only was Ion dead, Luke and Asch were going to die too.

Tear laid across from the former guardian. She opted for the window before the ceiling, but the small pin-pricks of light that were the stars poking through the purple gas held no answers for her either. She was going to lose Luke tomorrow. She was sure that he would never let Asch take his place among the hundreds of replicas also awaiting death's hand. But he was only seven years old! Why does he have to act like the big hero? How could he just let himself disappear, when she... But if she was worried, it was probably nothing compared to what Natalia felt.

The Kimlascan princess rolled from side to side occasionally, but her eyes were never closed. She'd finally run into a choice she just couldn't make. Asch, the original she'd known for the first seven years, loved, and been engaged to. Or Luke, the replica who she'd grown up with since she was eleven, who had nothing but suddenly had the weight of the world on his shoulders. She loved them both, she wanted them both alive and at her side. How was she supposed to decide between them, to stop them when words weren't enough? Why were words never enough...?

The room in which the men slept was no different. There was someone staring at the ceiling, someone staring out the window, someone rolling from side to side, and someone staring at nothing but the endless oblivion that was the back of their mind, searching for answers. Guy ignored the little jab of pain as he finally moved his unblinking eyes away from the ceiling. Luke was still moving around in the bed, making the blankets a tangled mess around his ankles. His eyes were closed tight. Guy knew that the seventeen/seven year old was thinking, or trying not to, think about tomorrows events. Asch was laying next to him, glaring out the window. Guy didn't see the point of it, all that was out there was the miasma flooding the city and the earth. But Asch will be Asch, he decided. It was very likely that the original and the replica were thinking about the same thing.

Jade looked to be asleep, but Guy couldn't tell. Was he sleeping, or just keeping his eyes closed while he thought? In truth, the Colonel was digging through old memories buried years ago. He had created fomicry, which lead Van to create Luke. Did that mean that this was his fault? The score going off track, and this war? Was it just because he didn't want to buy his little sister a new doll? Well, Jade would bet that nobody else(maybe Van) would quite agree with him. If he hadn't done it, Luke wouldn't have been born, the score wouldn't have strayed farther away, hell Asch wouldn't even be here. Luke thanked him for that one. He didn't think that Luke would thank him for the hundreds of replicas made by Mohs though.

So wasn't it a good thing that the thing that he'd invented threw the Score off track? He couldn't see the point in dwelling on it though. Jade dismissed his thoughts as sleep, which had been calling for the last hour or so, finally started screaming at him, and he fell into a dreamless sleep.

That would be another day. Nobody could predict the future now, not even Lorelei himself...

This was the last thing he wanted, but the first thing Luke expected. Asch had woken up even before Jade and made his escape to the Tower of Rem via the Albiore III. This lead to a mad rush after the arrogant red head, and a near permanent frown on Luke's face. For two days the boy sat in his chair tapping his foot impatiently, until Guy told him to knock it off, and Jade said he might just need a leg for his experiments. That was worse than supposedly poisoning his food...

"He's not here." Luke looked around the interior of the ancient structure, the faint hum of the Dawn Age machinery found his ears, a sound which only Guy would be able to appreciate. Not only could he hear the fon machines, but also the collective breathing of the few replicas that had yet to reach the top.

"Maybe he hasn't arrived yet..." Natalia tried to stand on her toes to see above and around the multiple heads left crowded at the elevator, hoping to Yulia that she could be right.

Jade shook his head. "No, the Albiore III was just outside when we arrived. He's here. We should hurry."

"Right." Luke nodded, and as the elevator reached the bottom again, they jumped on with the replicas. Said replicas didn't pay them any attention, just staring ahead as the elevator brought them to the top of the tower.

There were hundreds of replicas at the top of the tower, each had dead, emotionless eyes. Luke looked around again, but his original was no where to be seen. "I...guess he isn't here. I don't see him anywhere."

Mary was sitting on the ground, holding another injured replica in her arms. Tear ran over to where she was trying to calm her. "What happened?"

"She was chased out of the city, and treated like a slave before coming here. Like many of us." Mary answered. She lifted her head, turning her attention to Luke. "Why are you here? Are you the one that will walk the path of death with us?"

"You intent to give up your life to get rid of the miasma?" Natalia stepped forward.

"We decided it was the best thing to do. No," Mary shook her head and rephrased. "It is what we must do."

"You're being persecuted by the originals, just like he is." Guy said, referring to Luke. "Yet you still want to give your life for them?"

"This is not for the originals. It is for our many brethren who have yet to make it here." Mary corrected him. "So they may find a place to live."she was about to speak again, but another, high and annoying voice spoke first.

"Well it's too bad for you, that day will never come!" The sound of gunfire filled the air, and multiple replicas suddenly fell to the ground. A large robot landed in the space they left. Dist sat in his floating chair atop it. "You're all going to die right now!"

"Dist! What are you doing here?!" Anise glared at the laughing man in the chair.

"I'm here to get rid of all these useless things!"

"Not if we can help it!" Luke unsheathed his sword, as did Guy. Natalia hurried to move the replicas away from Dist while Jade and Tear prepared fonic artes. Anise merely jumped onto Tokunaga as the doll grew.

"Hey Guy!" Dist grinned after he avoided a swipe from Luke's sword. His robot then drew the attention of Luke, Anise and Natalia away while he face Guy.

"That was the creepiest thing I've ver heard." Guy shuddered and glared at the silver haired man. "What do you wnat Dist?"

"It just so happens that I've come across an interesting little fact. About a little 'phobia' of yours." he grinned.

"What does that have to do with anything?" Guy lunged at Dist, but he flew away again. "Are you going to magically turn into a girl or something? Because I think you could break more than a million mirrors like that." Now being out of range for any blade, Jade began to charge an arte to hit the ex-God-General.

Dist looked insulted at Guy's comment for a moment, but dismissed it. His grin spread as he stated to charge an arte. "I just happened to find a rather interesting new arte, and I've been just dying to test it!" As he spoke, he flung the arte in Guy's direction. It was fast, but Guy managed to jump out of the way and the ball of light just missed his toe. But instead of hitting the ground and sizzling away, the arte made contact with another body. A white light blinded everyone for a split second, and it was silent for another.

"Jade!" The Malkuth Colonel hadn't been able to dodge the incoming arte due to charging his own. He was sent to the ground on contact. He laid on his back, appearing to have suffered no injuries, but Tear ran to check just in case.

"Oh! You're going down now Dost!" Anise glared at the robot that she was fighting. "Get out of my way!" she glowed white fore a moment before Tokunaga started punching the robot repeatedly. "Oh ravaging tragedy! Final Fury!!" Anise yelled, and the doll punch the robot once more. "Not done yet!" A gold glyph glowed beneath Tokunaga's feet, and it jumped up, it's landing causing the robot to daze, then threw it in a heavy uppercut. "Dying Moon!"

At that moment, Dist came flying to the ground, into the remains of his prcious robot, due to an attack from Natalia and Guy together. "Damn you! Damn all of you!" he tried to stand, but Luke ran forward for another attack.

"I don't think so! Raging Blast!" his attack sent Dist and the robot flying into the sky, and he watched as said chunk of metal exploded, taking Dist with it. "He's gone. Is Jade okay?" They turned to Tear, who nodded.

"He doesn't seem to be hurt in anyway, he's just unconscious."

Luke nodded, then turned to the mass of replicas. Before he could speak, Asch finally appeared.

"What are youdoing here? I thought I said that I would do it!" he glared at his replica, then turned to Mary and her comrades. "Replicas! I am the one who will die with you! Come!"

The replicas obeyed Asch command, and came into the center of the platform.

"Asch, stop this foolishness!" Natalia commanded.

"Listen to her Asch! Stop!" Luke said.

"Stop trying to tell me what to do! You're a replica too, if you stay here you're going to get caught up in the reaction! Who's going to free Lorelei if you do?" Asch yelled.

"You can do it! I'm going to do this!"

"You want to die that badly?!"

Luke paused. "No, I 'm the same as you! I don't want to die, but I'm a replica! I'm weaker, I couldn't even get the Jewel of Lorelei. It needs you. The one who's unneeded should die here, me!"

"Shut up! I did not get my life taken away from some one 'unneeded'!" He turned to face the replicas again, but Luke ran and tried to take the Sword of Lorelei from his hand. "What are you doing? Let go of me!"

"No, I won't let you die!" Luke refused to let go, instead he tried to push the other red-head the sword began to glow. Asch stared at it.

"What? The Jewel must be close by, the sword is glowing..." Luke took this to his advantage, and pushed Asch away, taking the sword in his hands. Asch tried to stand and run back, but Guy grabbed his arms, holding him back.

"I don't ant anyone to die, but I guess I have to agree with Luke." Guy said. "If we have to choose one, it should be the original."

Luke held the sword above his head, ready to plunge it into the ground. Tear stood at the side, shaking her head. "Luke, stop!"

"Every one, give me your lives." Luke said. "I'm going with you!" he brought the sword down. Tear tried to stop him, but Natalia ran forward to hold her back. "Everyone...thanks..."

"You bastard..." Guy said, still holding Asch hands.

The Tower glowed. No, the replicas glowed, and one by one, they started to disappear. Luke fell to his hands and knees, breathing deeply. It seemed like something inside him glowed as well, but then it was gone.

"Damn it! The seventh fonons are dispersing. It's the Jewel, that idiot didn't even know he had it the whole time!" he ran forward, grabbing the sword an holding it with Luke.

"Asch?!" Luke gasped.

"Don't worry, I have no intention of dying with you. I'm just giving your hyperresonance some power."

"...Thanks, Asch."

Everything glowed white, it was too intense to look at and everyone shielded their eyes. Moments later, the heavy feeling left by the miasma was gone. Anise opened her eye and gasped as she looked around. "The miasma is gone!"

"Luke!"

"Asch!"

Both Luke and Asch were, amazingly, still there, lying side by side on the ground. They were unconscious, and still held the Sword of Lorelei in their hands. One replica still stood, Mary. "Remember your promise." she said. "Give the remaining replicas a place to live." then she disappeared.

Luke woke up, and sat on his knees. "I'm...alive?!"

"Th-thank goodness! I thought you were going to disappear..." Tear said, breathing a sigh of relief and smiling. Luke turned to face her, smiling too. Then something else flashed white again, and he suddenly held a violet jewel in his hands.

"W-what's this?"

"The Jewel of Lorelei." Asch answered.

"Really? I though you couldn't find it anywhere!" Anise said.

"That idiot got it from Lorelei just fine. He just absorbed the fonons that composed it into his body." Asch sneered like usual. "He was so stupid that he didn't realize it until he began disintegrating." He stepped onto the elevator.

"Asch! Where are you going?" Natalia asked. "We have the Key! We can go together!"

"If we go together the God-Generals would come after us. I'll act on my own until we're ready to release Lorelei and defeat Van." Then he disappeared as the elevator took him to the bottom.

"Luke." Guy approached his friend. "Asch said you should have died there. I'm really concerned, maybe you should see a doctor in Belkend."

Luke smiled. "Right, thanks Guy."

"I also want to get Jade checked on..." Guy trailed off, turning to where Tear and Natalia were checking on the still-unconscious Colonel. "He's still out. I'm worried about him too."

"Yeah, me too. I was actually surprised when he got hit by that arte." he wondered to the still form on the ground. He stared at his face, but couldn't look away. For some reason, something seemed...off. Just less 'Jade', in a sense...