Chapter 10: On the Run

The next morning, while having breakfast with her father, Natalia learned some disturbing news.

"Are you quite sure, Father?"

"Indeed. Crops are failing everywhere in the immediate area, and the farmers are not able to meet the demand for food." King Ingobert's eyes surveyed the table as they ate. "Soon, the city will begin to suffer from food shortage."

"Is there anything we can do about it? We can't just let the people starve!" Natalia exclaimed.

"Of course not. We'll just have to arrange to have more food imported from Malkuth. I haven't heard that the farms around Engave are failing."

Natalia was a little confused by this. "What's wrong with the farms here, then?"

The king shook his head. "No one knows for certain yet. I summoned some specialists from Belkend to analyze the soil and try to figure out what is causing the problem. Hopefully it can be remedied."

Sighing, Natalia stirred her spoon around her bowl of oatmeal. "As if we didn't have enough to worry about these days..."

"I know. But that's only part of the responsibility that comes from ruling a country, Natalia," her father replied. "There will always be hardships, but we must stand strong and lead the people through them as best we can."

"Yes Father, I'll do my best," Natalia smiled.

"This is not going to be easy..." Tear grumbled as she looked up the river. It had been necessary for her to travel to the bridge that spanned the river between Rotelro Bridge and St. Binah before she headed in the direction of Mushroom Road. At the bridge, she'd found a small engine-powered boat tied at a dock with some other simple boats, and now she was preparing to row herself up the river until she reached the lake that led to her destination.

However, this would take quite a while, seeing as she'd have to go against the current. Even with an engine, it would be slower. But there was no other way to get to Mushroom Road.

No sense putting it off... I have to get out of here, Tear told herself. At least I won't be looked for on the river. Stepping into the boat, she started up the engine and began to slowly make her way up the river toward her only chance of escape from arrest.

Luke, meanwhile, was having his own problems.

As he walked aimlessly around the lower levels of Baticul late that afternoon, he noticed a crowd of people around some of the food stalls. They were pushing and shoving each other, and creating quite a ruckus.

What the hell? he thought as he went closer to try and find out what was going on.

Everyone in the crowd was rushing to buy food.

"Hey, what's the big deal here?" Luke asked a young man trying to get through the crowd, and received a shove in return.

"Outta my way! I was here first!" the man yelled at him, and went back to shoving people out of the way.

Luke just stared. Why was everyone trying to buy so much food, and in such a hurry?

"I'd better tell Father and Uncle about this," he muttered to himself, and ran back toward the elevator that led to the top levels.

When King Ingobert, Natalia, Duke Fabre, and the nobles of Baticul had gathered in the audience hall of the palace, Luke proceeded to explain to them what he saw. "The whole crowd looked like they went crazy, just trying to buy all the food they could get their hands on!" he concluded.

The king looked grave, and he exchanged a worried glance with his daughter. "I was afraid this would happen, though I wasn't expecting it nearly as soon as this," he mused. "The citizens must have heard about the crop failures, and are trying to stock up on food now."

"But didn't you put in a request for more food to be imported here from Engave?" asked Duke Fabre.

"Yes, I did, but I'm sure the people know that when that food comes in, it will be more expensive and some of them may not be able to afford it."

"You mean you'd have to raise the prices of the food? That's not fair, especially if it's going to be hard for everyone to get food!" Luke protested.

"Luke, that's precisely why we have to do it," Natalia informed him. "It costs more money to import the food all the way from Engave, so of course it would cost even more to get more, and if there's a shortage of supplies, merchants will charge more money because it's hard for them to get the supplies."

"I know all that! I'm just saying it's not fair!" retorted Luke.

King Ingobert held up his hand. "The point is, we might have a real problem now. If the people keep up this notion of buying now while they still can, the city will run short of food sooner than expected. Riots might break out, and some citizens could be hurt. We have to take action and try to slow the reactions."

"Why don't you start rationing the food the merchants are allowed to sell? People won't be able to buy all they want if it's not there," suggested the Duke.

"That's a good idea," Natalia nodded. "The food we have will last longer that way."

Luke looked doubtful. "Some of the people might start fights if there's no food for them to buy, right? Are you sure this is a good idea?"

"No one said it was a perfect idea, but right now it's the best one we have. We'll just have to do what we can, watch what happens, and hope it works out for the greater good," answered the king.

The other nobles broke out into a discussion of how the food rationing should be carried out, and while the duke and king listened attentively, Luke quietly took his departure. He didn't think anyone noticed; however, Natalia's eyes followed him curiously as he left the hall.

I wouldn't understand half of what they're talking about now, anyway, he told himself. Whatever happens, I just hope the replicas don't get mixed up in it.

Night was falling as Tear finally steered her boat near the shore, then got out and pulled it up onto dry land. Her legs were half numb from sitting in one position for so long, and her arms ached from steering the boat against the current all day. Wincing, she dropped to the ground beside the boat and leaned against the side. "Remind me to never pilot boats for a living," she said under her breath as she gazed out on the darkening sky.

She stayed in that position for a while, resting her aching limbs and watching the sky and river, before she gathered enough energy to dig through her bag for something to eat. Her hand fell on a small loaf of bread and some chicken and lettuce, and Tear pulled them out, thanking Lorelei for the invention of sandwiches.

Sandwiches...

Suddenly, Tear remembered the night a few days ago, when Luke had been making sandwiches and eating them all. She remembered how she had thought it was ridiculous for him to eat so many.

She remembered... how he looked... and sounded...

And... she remembered that night...

Without warning, Tear began to cry, not even noticing that she was crying. The sandwich was forgotten, the bread dropped out of her hand, and she rubbed her eyes furiously as she tried in vain to stop thinking about Luke.

She was a soldier. Or... she was supposed to be. This was certainly no time to be emotional.

Nevertheless, she couldn't help sitting there for a few minutes, trying to let some of her sadness out.

It felt good to feel sorry for yourself once in a while, after all.

Soon enough, she shook her head, dried her eyes, and continued making her sandwich. No sense in starving yourself now when there's still a chance to get out of this, she told herself.

After eating, Tear started up her fontop, knowing there wasn't much hope that she'd get a signal out here, but she wanted to at least try. But no luck. The river was too far off from main roads.

So instead, she got out her map and tried to work out where she was. Studying her surroundings carefully, and judging how fast she could travel against the current, Tear concluded that she was about level with Engave. If she started early in the morning, she could make it to Mushroom Road by tomorrow night.

Three days would be up by then. Tear could only hope she'd be able to access the message room by then, or everyone would find out she was missing.

Her grandfather would discover that she wasn't at Choral Castle, and have people start inquiring after her.

Her friends would get worried and most likely organize a search for her.

And Luke...

"No!" she exclaimed, banging her fist against the ground. Don't think about him now!

Suddenly, she heard a rustling in the nearby bushes, and a few chirpees bounded out. Oh, great. Annoying little creatures, now they'd attack her because she disturbed them. Sighing, Tear got to her feet, grabbing her staff. It was time for those chirpees to be silenced.

Luke lay on his bed after leaving dinner early. He hadn't felt like eating much, especially after the debate earlier about what to do with the food issue. It had been agreed to try and control how much food the merchants were allowed to sell on any given day, but Luke still wasn't too happy with the plan.

Then again, he wasn't really happy about anything these days.

Without being sure why, Luke felt that something was wrong. And it wasn't just the stuff about the food or the replicas either.

He felt like something was wrong with Tear.

Even with all the work she'd been doing lately, Tear had still managed to come to the message room every night and talk to everyone... even if he himself hadn't really been in the mood for talking much.

But last night, she wasn't there. And he had just checked his fontop- she wasn't there now either.

Luke just lay there for a while, trying to think what might have happened, until he started visualizing the bad things. Then he sat up and went to his desk, trying not to freak out and run outside to look for her.

Some of his friends had gathered in the message room, and he asked them if any of them had heard from Tear. Guy mentioned seeing her in Grand Chokmah two days ago, taking a break from her assignments. Asked if she'd said where she was going after that, Guy replied that he didn't know.

Since Jade was also in Grand Chokmah, Luke would have asked him, but he wasn't in the message room that night either.

"Man... am I always going to be worrying about her now?" he wondered aloud as he pushed his chair back and leaned back in it. "Why does there have to be so much going on at once?" He prepared to sit up as long as he could, to see if Jade or Tear would arrive.

They didn't. Well, he wasn't going to be sleeping very well that night, obviously.

"Tear! Wait!"

"I'm sorry...I just couldn't..."

"What's wrong?"

"I...I never thought that I'd have to leave, after finally learning my true feelings...and yours... I don't want to leave..."

"I know... But, we're not apart."

"Our feelings aren't. But that's not...not the same thing. I'm serious, Luke. I never know where I'll be from one day to the next."

"Then let me come with you!"

"Grandfather will never allow it. Anything he sends me to do is top secret to the Order."

"Then you tell me where you go and I'll find you there! We can do this!"

"I told you, I never know! By the time I could get word to you and you get there, I'd be gone already!"

"Oh..."

"I never should have done this..."

"Yes you should..."

"But...it's just not fair..."

"I know it isn't..."

"It's like in books...when there aren't any happy endings... You only get a few hours of happiness...and then it's snatched away..."

"No it's not. Because it hasn't ended, stupid."

"It feels like an ending to me."

"It's not."

"Well, for me it is. It'll feel like an ending until we meet again...which will be another beginning."

"No... It's never ended. And it doesn't have to, Tear."

"You don't understand what I meant. Nothing will happen for me until I meet you again."

"And me neither!"

"So...an ending and a beginning."

"Huh?"

"Never mind. The point is...I guess...I'll be lonely without you."

"So will I."

"So...I wish...I didn't have to leave..."

"Me too, Tear...me too..."

"I...I'll have to leave in the morning..."

"Then... maybe we should say goodbye now."

"Yes...that may be best."

"You'll keep in touch, right?"

"Of course, as much as I can. You'd better do your share, too."

"Don't worry, I will... Tear?"

"Yes?"

"...No matter how long it is until we see each other again, I'll never stop loving you."

"I won't either. I... I love you, Luke..."

Tear awoke with a start, at first surprised to find herself lying on the ground next to a river in the middle of the night. Oh... right, Mushroom Road...

The dream floated back to her... those last few precious moments with Luke. As much as she'd wanted to drive them out of her mind, she couldn't keep them out of her dreams. With moonlight the only thing watching over her, she reached into her bag for the cheagle plushie Luke had given her at the Festival of Lorelei, and hugged it as tightly as she could, doing her best to will back the tears that were smarting in her eyes.

I miss you more than I want to admit, Luke. Please... Lorelei... let me see him again soon...

Tear hugged that little stuffed cheagle for a long time, until she finally fell into an uneasy sleep. Little did she know that the person in her thoughts wasn't sleeping any better than she was.

Ok, that was a fun chapter! I wish it was a little longer, but I was a little distracted by stuff at home while writing it. And yay for flashbacks! That scene from Tear's dream would have happened a few hours after this story's prequel, Confessions, Confessions takes place. Aww, love. It hurts sometimes, hm? Anyway, thank you for all the kind reviews, I appreciate them all! (That means keep sending them!)