I'm back!! Yeah... So you know updates won't be that frequent seeing as I have a lot of other stories up and all that. Oh well. Here's Chapter 2!!

Disclaimer: I don't own Tales of the Abyss

Chapter 2

"So the replica's finally left Eldrant," The girl with purple hair commented, staring at the group at the bottom of the cliff. She had light purple hair that was in a high ponytail, the end of it hanging just below her shoulder blades and her eyes were a piercing light blue. She wore a white tank top, and a light blue skirt that came halfway down her thighs. She had light blue sandals on, and she had white gloves that reached her elbows. She looked to be about 16, maybe 17 years old. "Took him long enough."

"Aw come on Runo!" One of the brunettes retaliated. "It wasn't that long!" The brunette had light tan hair that was wrapped in a braid that came down to a little above the middle of her back. Her eyes were a sparkling jade green but some unidentified emotion was hidden behind their sparking velocity. She was wearing a yellow T-shirt and a rustic orange skirt that came past her knees. She had white sandals that strapped around her feet. She seemed about 17, maybe 18 years old, but something about her persona made her seem younger than she looked.

"It was three years Lacey!" The purplette, Runo, snarled at the brunette. The brunette, Lacey, retaliated by turning her head and sticking her tongue out at Runo from where she was kneeling near the edge of the cliff. As Runo made to retaliate back, the greenette- the only boy of the group –spoke up.

"Stop fighting you two," He snapped. "We have a job to do- remember?" The boy had spiky light green hair, and his bangs fell over his eyes, obscuring them from view. He was wearing a black T-shirt and black pants. He had black shoes on, and he seemed about 15, maybe 16 years old.

"Trace is right," The second brunette commented. "We have a job to do, and the longer we stay here the more chance we have of being caught by the enemy." This girl looked exactly like the first brunette, with the exception of the color of her outfit, and her jade green eyes seemed a bit brighter than Lacey's, but they still hid an unidentified emotion. She wore a red T-Shirt and a black skirt that came down to her knees. Her sandals were that of the same style of Lacey's except they were red and not white. She seemed about the same age as Lacey- 17 or 18 years old.

"Gotcha Stacey," Lacey replied, standing up and walking next to the second brunette- Stacey. Runo 'Hmphed' but just turned away from the cliff and took the lead.

"Then let's go." She said and headed down the cliff towards Eldrant.

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"You're back!" Guy exclaimed, seeing his thought lost friend.

"Yeah, I am," Luke answered, not helping the smile that was appearing on his face.

"As much as I'm enjoying this heartwarming reunion," Jade interrupted before anything more could be said, "Like I said earlier, the valley's dangerous at night and we should go."

"Come on!" Anise said, grabbing Luke's hand. "Your parents will be so happy to see that you're alive!" And with that Anise proceeded to drag Luke towards the Albiore. He sent a pleading look at Tear for help, but she simply giggled at the 16 year olds antics and followed Anise with Natalia.

"You coming Jade?" Guy asked the former, as he made to follow the girls. "You are the one who said we should leave, you know." Jade averted his gaze from the top of the cliff from where he had been staring since he made the comment about leaving to Guy.

"Oh alright," He said with a shrug and a smirk before he followed Guy from the Valley after the girls' towards the Albiore.

Yet, he couldn't get rid of the feeling that they had been being watched.

And he was sure he was right that they had been.

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"I think we're getting close!"

"To what?"

"What else? The fomicry equipment we were supposed to check the status of Runo, duh!" Runo fumed as Lacey giggled childishly.

"I can't believe you're related to her Stacey," Runo commented to Stacey as Lacey balanced on a handrail in one of the long, white hallways on Eldrant. They were behind Trace, who was in front of them, behind Lacey who had taken the lead, balancing on the railing.

"Why not?" Stacey asked. "I mean, she's my Mom's sister's daughter, so she is my family."

"I mean with how she acts," Runo rephrased. "You act… Sad, but Lacey acts as if she doesn't have a care in the world." Stacey shook her head as they turned a corner, making Lacey jump off the railing. Instead of taking the lead again, she decided to trot next to Trace.

"That's just how she copes with it." Stacey answered with a sad smile, her sadness being reflected in her eyes.

"She's acted like that for three years and not once did she shed a single tear!" Runo snapped. "How is that natural?!" Stacey sighed and walked ahead of Runo and towards Lacey.

"None of us were unlucky enough to lose our family like you did Runo, remember that," Stacey said as she made to stand next to her sister in front of a door she and trace had stopped in front of.

"I feel… an immense amount of seventh fonons emitting from this room," Lacey murmured. Trace nodded in an agreement.

"I think this is the room with the Fomicry equipment!" Lacey said excitedly, turning to face Runo and Stacey.

"If your thinking, then we'd better watch out," Runo snorted, walking up to the door. She studied it for a moment. "It might be, but I'm not sure. We'd better be careful until we know for sure."

"I'm opening the door," Lacey stated as she pushed all her weight against the doorknob-less door in hopes of opening it.

They were greeted by…

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See? I toldja they'd get longer! this one is like, 400 more words longer! (Impressive, right? XD) Well, Read and Review for a Happy Authoress! And, I know this is, like, a day late, but Happy Independence Day!! XD

-Scarpaw signing out-