Plot bunnies gnawing at my head yet again. Unlike the time when I wrote "Another Replica?" I've actually played Tales of the Abyss and beat it.
Long story short, this is simply a sequel to the one-shot I just mentioned. I highly recommend reading "Another Replica?" first before reading this one, otherwise it just won't make sense to you.
Tales of the Abyss belongs to Namco. All I did is write this story.
I always seems to get creative whenever I'm feeling down. I wonder why?
Eh, no matter. Have fun reading.
The sounds the Albiore VI's engines helped distract his thoughts a little, but this doesn't mean that he enjoyed it.
"Wow! Mother, Father, look! You can see the whole ocean from here!"
The father looked up slightly to see his son's excited face. How long has it been he saw his son so happy? He couldn't help but smile slightly. Even though his son is now at the fine age of seventeen, he still had that childish exterior, just like him.
"Sweetie, be careful, you could fall down," the mother chuckled as she walked up to her son.
"Huh? But you can't fall from the window," their son looked at his mother in a quizzical manner.
"I know, but you can't be too careful," she kissed her son's forehead, "We wouldn't want to worry your Auntie and Uncle now, do we?"
"No, Mother," he smiled a little, showing nothing but happiness and excitement for the arrival of their trip to Grand Chokmah.
The father watched his wife leave their son to his thoughts.
"My my, it's been a while, Asch."
"Can it, old man," he snapped quietly.
"Why, I'm hurt."
"Yeah right."
Asch briefly glanced at the Colonel, or more specifically, the Brigadier General, of the Malkuthian army. While Jade was satisfied with being a colonel at first, as the years passed, Jade had to go up the ranks in order to make sure that the soldiers do not do anything stupid. Oddly, even at his age of fifty-four years, Jade made no complaints of it being hard on his "fragile old self."
Turning his attention back to the path ahead of him, Asch saw his son and Natalia browsing through the marketed goods of the shops strewn about. He saw Luke pick up a book of some sort and showing it to Natalia, who nodded in response before taking out a small pouch containing their Gald.
"He's very diligent in his studies," Jade offhandedly commented.
"I suppose," Asch continued to watch his family look around and having fun.
"When was the last time he left Baticul?"
"Three years ago, when we went to visit the others."
"I'm sure Guy and Tear will be happy to see their darling nephew again."
"They're not related to us," Asch snapped.
"Ah, but Tear would've been," Jade said, leaving Asch to take in the last of the message.
The redhead looked down at the ground bitterly. Even after twenty years, not everyone is ready to accept him. It was bad enough that he couldn't come back despite his promise, and that he had come back instead. While Natalia was overjoyed to have her beloved back, it still didn't stop the ever flowing grief at the loss of him, and almost everyone that knew him had mourned, with a handful of them still mourning even to this day.
And even more so after Luke was born...
"Leave him out of this," he warned.
The Necromancer pushed his glasses up a little, "Which one are we talking about now?"
"You know who I mean!" Asch gritted his teeth.
"Ah, but I don't," the older man smirked.
Just when Asch was about to make a retort, someone else beat him to it.
"Father!"
Asch turned to his son, who held the book he and Natalia had purchased just earlier.
"Get a load of this!" the younger redhead held up the book showing the title, "We were finally able to get the next volume of the Abyssmen Chronicles! I've always wanted to know the epic conclusion of what will happen during the epic battle between the Abyssmen and the evil Doije! Who would've thought that Doije is actually Abyssman Blue turned evil? Oh man, I can't wait to read this!"
"Easy, Luke, you can read it after we visit your aunt and uncle," Natalia laughed, her blonde hair flowing a little in the wind, while patting her son's shoulder.
"Oh yeah, how is Auntie, anyway? I heard that she's been sick lately..."
"Tue Rei Ze Croa Riou Tue Ze
Croa Riou Ze Tue Riou Rei Neu Riou Ze
"Come home!"
Va Rei Ze Tue Neu Tue Riou Tue Croa
Riou Rei Croa Riou Ze Rei Va Ze Rei
"You have to come home! You have to!"
Va Neu Va Rei Va Neu Va Ze Rei
Croa Riou Croa Neu Tue Rei Croa Riou Ze Rei Va
"I'll be waiting for you..."
Rei Va Neu Croa Tue Rei Rei"
"...always."
The sound of her mournful voice rang through the manor of Gardios, with the feeling of sadness lingering inside the bedroom.
A song full of twenty years worth of mourning.
She was about to sing again, but then her coughing had to interrupt. She loathed being sick with a cold, especially if it keeps her from singing her song. Whenever she could sing, she would sing her song to give herself the illusion of having him beside her, like it should have been years and years ago. But instead the wrong Luke had to come back.
A knocking sound snapped her out of her thoughts.
"Tear? Are you awake?" Another knock, "Tear?"
Instead of answering, Tear coughed.
"Tear, we're coming in."
The door leading outside of her bedroom had opened, revealing the blond-haired Count Gardios.
"Look who's here," Gailardia, or more simply, Guy, said as he gestured to the royal family of three.
"Auntie Tear," the younger redhead, with a worried expression on his face, walked up to the bedridden woman with a bouquet of white flowers, "We heard you were sick, and I wanted to see how you were doing."
Selenia flowers.
"Luke... Thank you..." Tear smiled slightly, with the name "Luke" sounding foreign to her, and gestured to the empty vase on the nightstand next to her bed, "Could you... place them in that vase?"
"Of course!" Luke didn't waste any time to do Tear's request, "Oh yeah, guess what? Mother and I found the next volume of the Abyssmen Chronicles!"
"Really?" Tear coughed as she listened.
"Yeah. I can read it to you if you want," he said as sat down on the side of Tear's bed, "You like the Abyssmen, too, don't you?"
While Luke was rambling to Tear some of life stories, Guy turned to Asch and Natalia.
"Are you sure this is a good idea?"
"Gailardia, we better take this somewhere else," Natalia turned to her son, "Luke, we'll be in the dining chambers if you need us."
"Okay, Mother."
With some reluctance, the three of them left Luke II to keep Tear company while they talked.
"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Guy asked when they were out of ear's reach, "He's not Luke, you know."
"Of course he is Luke!" Natalia, offended, snapped back as she held her husband's hand, "He's our son!"
"But he's not our Luke," Guy shook his head, "Look, I'm not saying that it was a bad idea to name him Luke when he was born, but even so, he is not Luke."
"And exactly what are you trying to say?"
Guy looked to the side slightly, then sighed, "He may be Luke, but... Luke will never come home... will he?" The last past sounded more like a statement than a question, "He hasn't come home in twenty years."
Asch knew that he hated to be the one saying it.
"'When someone of the royal family goes missing, if said member does not return after twenty years, they are considered to be deceased. Whoever is behind him or her shall take his or her rightful place.'" he quoted, "In other words, since Luke has not returned in twenty years, that means he is dead."
"And Luke will be the one taking his place," Guy finishes while crossing his arms while glaring at the former God-General.
"...Do you still hate him?" Asch looked up at Guy.
"What?" Guy blinked, caught off guard at the sudden question.
"Do you still hate my son just because of his name?" He narrowed his eyes slightly with a tense look, "We may have named Luke after him, but..." He shook his head, "I won't make the same mistake my father did." Nor will I make the mistake I did... "Of course, it doesn't help that he takes after my appearance," Asch shrugged slightly, his demeanor quiet as he sighed.
"I-I'm not faulting Luke for that!" Guy sternly said before turning to the direction leading to Tear's room, "However, Luke should not look like him."
"It's not Luke's fault that he looks almost exactly like Asch and Luke!" Natalia spoke, "He has absolutely nothing to do with this!"
"And that's exactly why," Guy glared at her.
"I'm sorry...?"
"It's because Luke looks so much like him that he's causing pain wherever he goes," he turned back to Tear's chambers, "How would you feel, seeing someone you've been waiting for for so long, only to realize that person is not the one you've been waiting for?"
Natalia bit her lip as she realized the severity of the subject. She looked down slightly, but kept Guy in her sight, "Even so, Luke has nothing to do with this. Stop comparing Luke to him."
"I'm not," Guy raised a brow, "But many others are, including Tear." He turned back to the direction leading to Tear's chambers yet again, "Not everyone is willing to accept that your son and Luke are two completely different people."
"They're just being delusional," Asch scoffed, irritated, "They just can't accept that Luke died, and they're using our son as a false hope into thinking that he's still alive. Unlike him, Luke is not my replica."
"Asch!" Natalia turned to him, "It doesn't matter whether he was your replica or not, he was still his own person!"
"I know," he turned to her, "But unlike Luke, our son is not such. He's himself, and no one else. But like Gailardia has said, not everyone is willing to accept that. Why do you think I hired completely new staff after Luke was born? Some of the other servants since before our marriage tried to kill him simply for not being Luke!"
Both Guy and Natalia were silenced by that.
"...Was it really that bad?" Guy asked with reluctance, "Does... Does Luke know about this?"
"There's no point in comparing him to a dead man, Gailardia," Asch shook his head, "I want Luke to live a life for himself. To be honest, I don't know if I even want him to be following my steps. But, in the end," he looked at Guy with a determined look, "I won't let my son suffer like Luke did, that I promise you. And no," he shook his head again, "I've...no, we've been doing our best to keep Luke away from all of that."
Guy remained silent for a moment, and suddenly smiled."I hope so," he started to walk back to Tear's chambers, "I need to go check on Tear. Are you guys staying tonight? There's plenty of rooms to spare."
"That would be lovely," Natalia bowed slightly, "Thank you for your hospitality."
"Good, I'll show you a room I think you might like," he pointed to the direction to the opposite of Tear's chambers, "If you want, I can show you the-"
"Excuse me, Uncle Guy?" The three of them turned to see Luke walking up towards them. The younger redhead turned to the count, "Aunt Tear wanted me to get you."
Asch couldn't help but observe his son. Was it just him, or was something... wrong with Luke?
"All right, I'll be there in a little bit," Guy turned to Asch and Natalia, "The room I'm talking about is four doors to your left. If you reach the left turn, then you've gone too far. Oh yeah! I almost forgot, I've invited Anise and Jade over to dinner with us. Emperor Peony might come as well, but I'm not sure."
"Very well," Asch nodded slightly, "Thank you."
"I need to tend to Tear now, so I'll be seeing you later." With that, Guy went his way back to Tear's chambers.
"We better get ourselves settled in for the night," Natalia proposed, "I am getting rather tired after today's flight."
"I second that statement," Asch nodded before turning to his son, "Luke, you come, too."
"Yes, Father," Luke beamed his usual smile. However, to Asch, something... just wasn't right about it this time...
Later in the night, after a very hearty dinner and some conversations to catch up with Guy and the others they had traveled with in the past, the family of three had retired into their room for the night. The room had two beds, so there was one bed for Asch and Natalia to use, and another for Luke, who fell asleep as soon as he plopped himself to bed.
When Asch recalled the events just an hour earlier, he couldn't help but be bothered about how the others may have viewed his son. While Luke was happily ignorant of the situation, Asch still couldn't help but be concerned.
Anise, who had grown into a fine woman, would sometimes give Luke a longing look, as if searching for him, the one who had comforted her so many years ago after the death of Fon Master Ion. While she has yet to marry someone, Anise did eventually become the first female Fon Master at the age of nineteen after six years of training. After getting the title, Anise completely reformed the Order of Lorelei as something that will help protect the people who are now free of the Score, just like Ion wanted.
Florian, the only surviving replica of the original Ion, wasn't as close to him as Anise and the others were, but he seemed to be the only one who wasn't bothered by Asch's son being there. He may be a replica of the original Fon Master Ion, but instead of going as Fon Master, Florian had decided to become Anise's Fon Master Guardian instead just so he could stay beside Anise. He loved Anise as a big sister more than anything, and that was enough for them.
Jade, while he was subtle with his movements, Asch did notice the slight glances the Brigadier General would shoot at Luke. After he had disappeared in Eldrant, Jade had taken up the subject on fomicry again in order to help the other replicas that were out throughout Auldrant, and even went so far as to asking Emperor Peony into making New Akzeriuth a place for replicas to live once the new mining town had been built. One time during dinner, Jade had let slip about one event he recalled him doing in Keterburg one time, but Natalia had quickly changed the subject to keep her son away from it.
Guy, who had long been aware of he and Luke being two completely different people, knew when to speak up to keep things from becoming too uncomfortable. Any events of the past he would recall, he made sure it didn't involve him. To be honest, Asch didn't know whether to feel grateful for it or not.
Tear... was difficult for Asch to read. She would either eat in silence, listening to the conversations going around, or she would stare at Luke longingly, as if she wanted to hold onto him and never, ever, let him go. Asch made sure that Tear was away from his son as a result.
As expected, Emperor Peony did visit during the dinner hour, but only for a little while. He simply came to give his greetings to Asch and his family, along with the others, before taking his leave and a piece of the giant turkey from the dinner table.
Right now, Asch is more concerned about sleep, for he hated to sleep aboard the Albiore. Natalia had already fallen into the world of dreams about half an hour ago, and Asch wanted to do the same thing. He quietly made himself comfortable in the bed, with Natalia by his side, and went to sleep.
For some reason, Asch woke up.
He looked to his left and saw that Natalia is still sleeping beside him, and seemed completely at peace. If nothing is wrong with Natalia then...
His heart leapt when he saw the other bed, with the sheets showing signs that someone had been sleeping in it, empty.
Luke is gone.
Getting out of bed as quickly as he could without waking Natalia, Asch put on a robe over his night clothes and moved towards Luke's bed. He placed a hand on where Luke could have slept.
Still warm, which means that Luke left the bed not too long ago.
Guy's manor tends to be very quiet at night, since the count didn't see any need into hiring that many guards when he himself is a very good swordsman. In other words, Luke could be anywhere. Because he did not want to waste any more time, Asch grabbed his boots and left the room as quietly as he could, leaving Natalia alone to her world of dreams. Once in the hallway, he put on his boots and continued on to search for his son.
Normally, Asch did not have to worry about this. Although Luke had a wonderfully innocent exterior even at his seventeen years of age, he rarely misbehaved, did his studies diligently well except for some bits that heavily involved the long-abolished Score, and even had a good hand in the sword thanks to Asch personally tutoring him. To Asch, his son meant more to him than anything else in the world of Auldrant, even more so than Natalia, as much as he hated to admit.
And it was all because Asch had no idea how important he was to him until he was gone for good...
If only he hadn't been such a coward. If only he hadn't been such a fool. If only he didn't have such foolish pride. If only he considered taking his offer of joining him and his friends so many years ago.
Would the outcome have been different?
"I wish I knew," he murmured to himself.
He realized that he had sidetracked his thoughts, and so he shook them out of his head and went on to find his son. Just where is he, anyway? The manor isn't that big, but it can still make someone get lost if he or she doesn't know the way around the place. Although Luke doesn't come here often, the last time being just three years ago, he probably knew his way around the manor by now. Asch hoped that Luke hadn't left the manor at all.
Just when Asch was about to pass through the lounging room where the manor's largest fireplace is located, he saw someone with red hair curled up on a sofa with a blanket wrapped around him.
Luke.
With his son's back facing him, Asch quietly walked over to him. When he was about to reach his down down to Luke's shoulders...
"Father."
Asch stopped midway.
"Am I..." he turned his head to face his father, "...not Luke?"
Asch blinked as he tried to keep his composure, "What do you mean? Of course, you're Luke. That's the name your mother gave you."
"Auntie... Tear said that I'm not Luke," he turned his head back down and grasped the blanket a little more tightly, "She... she kept saying 'Why isn't Luke here?'"
Asch sat down beside his son and placed a hand on the boy's head, "You were named after a family member of ours. Your... uncle, to be more specific."
Luke looked up, "You mean your younger brother, Luke fon Fabre, who became the Light of Lanvaldear at age seventeen? I heard from Grandmother that he disappeared a few months later."
"Yes, him," Asch looked up at the ceiling in thought, "And no... since it's been twenty years since we've last heard from him, he's already been declared dead by many."
"It's not twenty-three years?" Luke asked, noticing the slight math discrepancy.
"No, it's been twenty," Asch shook his head, "Shortly before I came home after the war in Eldrant, I... heard him tell me something. That was the last time I ever heard from him."
"What did he say?"
Asch remained silent for a moment as he debated whether he should tell his son or not. After all, if he did tell, then that would mean that he had been lying to everyone all along.
That Asch had known from the very beginning that Luke fon Fabre will not ever be returning.
"Asch."
The peaceful void that housed the two of them for nearly three years began to fade from his vision. It could only mean one thing: Asch's time here is up.
"Replica! What are you doing?!" he yelled out furiously, "I'm the one who died! You need to go back home!"
Luke sadly smiled, "I'm sorry, but... I can't keep my promise. Can you tell Tear that I'm sorry?"
"Idiot! Tell her yourself!" He couldn't help but curse at the void that continued to fade, and it was becoming harder to hear Luke's words.
"I'm sorry, but... I have to... ke... ...elei's... ...place..."
I have to take Lorelei's place.
Asch's eyes widened when he realized what Luke had said, "No! Damn it, Replica! I'll take Lorelei's place! Leave right now!"
"...'m so...y, but I... asked... Lore... giv... ...u... ...nd... ...nce at... ...li.. ...xcha... … ...ine..."
I asked Lorelei to give you a second chance at life in exchange for mine.
"Wait! I...!"
Tears welled up in Luke's eyes as he faded away, "Good bye... Asch... My brother... I..."
Before Asch knew it, he found himself within the ruins of Eldrant. Moss covered much of the surroundings, and everything else had been abandoned. In his stupor, he looked at his hands, and realized that they were shaking. He fell onto his knees when he realized what had just happened.
Although Asch had died in Eldrant, Luke had freed Lorelei, and in exchange for letting Asch live again, he agreed to take the dying Lorelei's place as the aggregate sentience of the Seventh Fonon. Meaning that he is forever bound to the seventh fon belt up in the sky.
Luke fon Fabre will not step foot onto the surface of Auldrant ever again.
It crashed down on him all at once.
"No... No..." he shook his head in denial.
Luke fon Fabre will not be coming home.
"L... Lu... LUUUUUKE!"
"...Father."
Luke's voice snapped Asch out of the memory, and he turned to him, "What is it?"
The boy grasped the collar of his night shirt, "I don't think we should visit Aunt Tear anymore."
"What do you mean?" Asch felt like he missed something, "Did something happen?"
Luke sat up from the sofa with the blanket still covering him, and after a moment of reluctance, let the blanket fall down from his shoulders to expose his neck, and it has the marks of someone trying to strangle him with their own two hands.
"What happened?" Asch, horrified at what had happened, examined the injuries on his son's neck before remembering what Luke said just moments ago, "Did... did Tear do this?" His son slowly nodded in response, and Asch had to know, "When?"
"About ten minutes after you and Mother went to talk with Uncle Guy," Luke slowly answered, "I don't know what happened, I was just reading the next volume of the Abyssmen Chronicles, and when I got to the part when Silver came to help save the other Abyssmen out of his love for Green, Aunt Tear just suddenly..."
"You don't need to say anything more," Asch wrapped his arms around him in hopes of comforting him, "It's not your fault that you're so much like your uncle, being all innocent and carefree. Because your uncle and I look alike, and that you take after me, you also look so much like him."
Luke didn't say anything else as he quietly cried onto his father's shoulder.
The next morning came hours later, and Asch wasted no time into ushering his wife and son back into the Albiore VI for the ride home. After what had happened to his son, he did not want to risk anyone harming him like that ever again.
To spare Luke and his feelings, he agreed to not tell Natalia of what happened last night. While Asch could not gather a reason as to why someone would want to harm Luke, but he knew that Tear is dangerous to be around.
With the Melodist's progressing illness, it'll be a matter of time before she passes. As much as Asch hated to admit it to himself, he knew that he shouldn't let Luke go to Grand Chokmah ever again until Tear joins her beloved in the Fon Belt.
With Natalia talking to the blonde-haired woman who pilots the Albiore VI, Luke turned to his father.
"I had a dream."
"Really?" Asch turned to his son in turn.
"I saw someone who looked just like you," he sighed, "He seemed... sad and... heartbroken. I don't know why, but I think he... doesn't love her anymore." He paused, wondering at what he had just said.
Placing a hand on his son's shoulder, Asch gave a small smile.
"Don't worry about it. In the end, it's only a dream." His smiled widened a little, "Let's go home, Luke."
"...Yeah," Luke nodded as the Albiore VI took off, taking them home.
End
Unless you've been skimming through this, this takes place seven years after the prequel. In other words, since Luke II is seventeen, Asch is thirty-nine.
On another note, the Abyssman (or was it Abyssmen for plural?) is actually a franchise of sorts that exists in the game. It's essentially Auldrant's equivalent to that of the Power Rangers. Bonus points for those who get the joke regarding "Doije," because if you don't, then you need to find out more about the Abyss Rangers, which is its Japanese name.
Also, in case anyone is curious, I wrote down the ages of some of the characters below, even though some of them haven't appeared at all in the story. I just put them there for fun.
Luke II = 17
Asch = 39
Guy = 43
Tear = 37~38
Natalia = 41
Jade = 54
Nephry = 50
Peony = 55
Anise = 32
Susanne = 63
Duke Fabre = Deceased
King Ingobert = Deceased
Luke = ?
And now, I must go.
Thank you for reading.