Chapter 12: Two Halves
Tear slowly walked along the deck of the ship, allowing her hand to softly graze the railing. The cool ocean breeze felt nice and blew her long hair out behind her. Though it was now closer to mid-day, the light still danced across the water and Tear happily watched it. It put her mind at ease.
Her brother's continued absence worried her. Everyone knew Van was onboard, but they had yet to see him. He knew of the tirade of questions and accusations that he would face the second any of them had his attention for any length of time; of that Tear had no doubt. Nor did she doubt that this was the reason behind his mysterious absence.
She didn't trust her brother any further than she could throw him. Which was probably a good thing, as the thought of throwing him overboard was rather appealing at this point in time, if only to relieve the tension that his presence had brought over them all. Tear recalled all too well the shouting match that had gone on after they'd left the cabin earlier. She may not have been able to make out what had been said, but there was no mistaking the emotions behind the words. A painful reminder of what such tensions could do to even the closest of people.
It was Luke's presence on the port side of the ship that eventually stopped Tear's aimless wandering. He was slumped down against the railing and staring aimlessly out at the water, devoid of the cheer she'd so often associated with him. It was strange to see him like that, if nothing else Luke had always been energetic, but watching him stare at the horizon, he just looked sad. It didn't take the familiar golden trinket he fiddled unconsciously with to tell Tear why Luke seemed so upset, but Tear didn't know nearly enough about their situation to risk trying to talk to him about it.
"So I hear this is your first time on a boat," Tear said as she joined him against the railing. "Are you enjoying yourself?" Stupid! Tear silently berated herself. That was the last question she should have asked.
"Who told you that?" Luke asked, his voice quietly confirming his solemn mood.
"Um...Guy did," Tear responded hesitantly, unsure how to reply without digging the hole she was in any deeper.
"Oh," Luke sighed, turning around to lean back against the railing. Trying to shake off the gloom, Luke's voice gained an edge of concern. "How's he doing?"
"He was upset, but he seems fine now. Come to think of it, I haven't seen him around in awhile. Maybe he went back to his room." Tear shrugged.
"That's good." Luke smiled, but it wasn't his usual cheerful smile, there was still an underlying sorrow Tear couldn't quite reach. Taking one last look at his locket, Luke scoffed angrily and stuffed the charm back into hi pocket.
"Wait!" Tear reached out, and then retreated a bit when she realized what she had done. Luke looked up at her curiously, his hand still half in his pocket. "Umm…" she hesitantly continued, unsure how to proceed tactfully with her request. "Well if you don't mind… I mean… if it's okay with you… do you think I could see it?" Tear finally got out, she could feel her face flushing. Honestly what was with her? There was no reason for her to mettle in his personal affairs.
"Sure." Luke smiled a bit more, amused at her embarrassment. He removed the locket from his pocket and passed it to Tear.
The small golden locket sparkled in the afternoon sun. It was old; even Tear, who had little experience with such things, could tell that much. The closer you looked, the more you could tell that it had lost its lustre, and that it was covered in scratches. Despite its wear, it was still beautiful. On the back was a flame, set using bronze and silver that burned against the gold in which it was laid.
Tear flipped the locket over, and took a closer look at the picture on the other side. The picture was almost as worn as the locket, and was starting to fade around the edges. It was strange, the picture she had so easily mistaken for Luke in the Cheagle Woods, now so very obviously wasn't. The boy in the picture was probably about 12 and had crimson red hair that fell just past his shoulders. He was looking directly at whoever had taken the picture, but he had a gentle smile. Not the bright, cheerful, somewhat carefree grin that often graced Luke's face, but still the smile of a boy who was happy, despite the many other troubles he may have.
"So, this is a picture of Asch?" Tear asked softly. Stupid! She berated herself for the second time in the past five minutes. Why didn't she stop and think before asking questions?
"Yeah," Luke replied, glancing over her shoulder as she continued to look at his treasure.
"What happened here?" Tear gently fingered a rough spot along the edge of the frame where the hinge should be.
"That locket used to belong to Mother," Luke explained, leaning back to stare at the sky. "She loved that picture of the two of us; she took it with her everywhere. Then one day, it broke in half while she was playing with us. Instead of being upset, she just took the two pieces and gave us both the half with the other in it. She said to hold onto it tightly, because it was our greatest treasure," Luke chuckled. "I don't understand what she meant, but I've been hanging onto it ever since. It used to be embarrassing to carry it around, but… the way she had treasured it so much, I just could never bring myself not to, you know?"
"I can understand that." Tear held the locket a bit closer. "I once had something very precious to me."
"Really? What was it?" Luke inquired curiously. "I mean… if you don't mind telling me."
"Not at all," Tear smiled softly. "It was a pendant that belonged to my mother. I never knew my parents; they died when I was really young. It's always been just Van and me. I still loved that pendant; it was the only piece of them that I had."
"What ever happened to it?" Luke asked, pausing uncomfortably when Tear didn't answer. Luke thought on it a moment, he remembered Tear having a pendant, but…
"Hey, it wasn't the one you gave that coachman back in Tataroo Valley was it?" No answer; Luke didn't like the implications of her silence. "Why would you do that?"
"Because there wasn't any other way," she responded solemnly.
"Of course there was another way! We could have walked, we could have negotiated or something!" Luke's outrage quieted instantly. "We could...we could have done something. You shouldn't have had to sacrifice something so precious, and for me, who you barely even knew."
"It was my responsibility," Tear answered simply.
"Then I'll get it back for you. Someday we'll find that coachman and get your pendant back." Luke decided.
Tear bit her lip to the point where she could almost taste blood. Luke was so upset and so worried for her sake, over the loss of her treasure. The harsh words she had spoken to him in the Cheagle Woods echoed in her mind and just how thoughtless she had been downright disgusted her. She had been so petty and shallow, over something so important to him. She carefully handed the locket back to him, no longer able to look him in the eye.
She began to walk away, but stopped. She turned around and bowed deeply. "I'm sorry Luke," Tear muttered before running off to attend to something- anything else, leaving a somewhat confused Luke in her wake.
Luke stood dumbfounded for a moment his locket in hand, looking at the spot in which Tear had been standing just a moment ago. What had gotten into her all of a sudden? Oh well, Luke returned to slumping against the railing and staring out at the sea, placing his locket back in his pocket.
Luke let out a frustrated sigh. This was pointless, and it wasn't helping his mood. Not that he expected anything to improve his deteriorating mood, but speaking with Tear had done a surprisingly good job of it. Now, with her abrupt departure, whatever good cheer she had brought also left. Luke stood up and followed the railing all the way to the bow of the ship, allowing himself to sulk the entire way. It helped a little, but Luke still had tons of pent up frustration and absolutely no way to vent it.
Just relax.
What?
"Just relax, and focus. You can feel them can't you?" Asch calmly coached Luke for the seventh time that night.
"I still don't get what you're talking about." Luke cracked an eye open to see what his elder sibling was up to. Asch was standing a few feet away, watching him with his arms crossed.
"Look. For a hyperresonance to occur, you need a large number of Seventh Fonons. You're never going to be able to pull it off unless you first learn how to properly gather those fonons."
"Well I know that, but-"
"Focus! You've seen firsthand just how powerful the Seventh Fonon can be if not properly controlled. If you really want to learn how to control a hyperresonance, then you need to learn to focus. Otherwise you're just a danger to yourself and everyone around you!"
Luke took a deep breath, calmed himself down, and tried again.
Great, why of all things did that particular memory have to pop up? Why did Luke have to think about him? He'd barely dismissed the thought and he could already feel his mood souring. Leave it to Asch to be a total prick and ruin a perfectly good boat trip. After all the time they had spent working on his hyperresonance together too! Every night since their discussion after the Tartarus, once they were sure even Jade was asleep, they'd sneak off into the woods and get some practice in. Sometimes it was for a few hours, other times it was only 20 minutes or so, but it had become routine, and Luke had enjoyed it. Even their free day in Akzerieuth had been wasted away training, until a group of local kids had stumbled upon them, and they decided to call it a day. Stupid jerk. Obviously all of that meant absolutely nothing to him. Luke kicked a rock in frustration, watching it bounce across the deck before plummeting into the water.
Then again, maybe it wasn't such a bad idea after all. Practicing his hyperressonance always did do a good job of calming him down, and it wasn't like there was anyone else around to see him. At the very least it could distract him from the echoes of their argument that were still resonating within him. What had been said…hurt, and Luke was tired of dwelling on it.
Luke closed his eyes. He'd been getting better at sensing Seventh Fonons. There wasn't an abundance of them around this time, but that wasn't to say they were scarce either. There was an area on the other end of the ship where they were gathering readily, Tear perhaps, or even Asch. He had always noticed a stronger concentration of Seventh Fonons where his brother was concerned. Then again, every time he had bothered to look, there had always been some around him too. Maybe they were the same in that regard as well.
No! Luke immediately rejected the realization he'd stumbled upon. They weren't the same. He wasn't the same as Asch. Without even trying, the closest Seventh Fonons began to gather. Luke didn't want to be the same as him! He wasn't that mean or hurtful or completely selfish. More fonons gathered. He wasn't that way, he didn't want to be that way, he would never be that way! It was always about him, never anyone else. Asch didn't care. Asch never cared. He-
Suddenly, like a floodgate opening, Seventh Fonons flocked to him, far more than had ever answered his call. Far more than he was capable of handling. They swarmed him; drowning him in a mass of fonons that, no matter how hard he struggled, he couldn't fight his way out of. Then he found himself engulfed in a sea of gold, and a far too familiar head-splitting pain.
My child. I have reached you at last.
"What the-? Who the hell are you? What are you doing to me?" Luke could no longer move.
You have found it. You have reached it. The power that is twin to my own.
"What are you-?" Luke choked out before even his voice was no longer his own.
Now show it to me.
No- He couldn't. He couldn't unleash a hyperresonance here. That wasn't what he was trying to do! Half the boat would go with him, and whatever didn't blow up would sink! Luke slowly raised his arms, but it was no longer him that was doing it.
"Luke," a deep voice whispered in his ear, breaking the hold that this golden aura had on him. "Calm down Luke. There that's it." Luke could feel the fonons slowly start to dissipate. "Now, focus. Focus it all into the tips of your fingers." Luke did as he was instructed, and the sea of gold retreated, leaving darkness in its wake.
"Are you alright Luke?" Luke opened his eyes to see his sword instructor standing over him.
"Master Van!" Luke almost jumped up, having to stop to keep from falling over again due to the sudden rush of blood to his head.
"Luke, what happened?" Van inquired seriously.
"I- I don't know," Luke admitted sheepishly. "I was upset and then, it sort of happened." Luke didn't like lying to Master Van of all people, but he wouldn't even trust Tear with the truth of what he had been doing. At least what he said hadn't technically been a lie. "What was that?" Luke inquired, hoping that would detour Master Van from any further questioning.
Van eyed Luke for a moment before deciding that Luke seemed confused and worried enough about what had just happened to dismiss his initial concerns that it had all been intentional. Skills like that could be troublesome, if not downright dangerous. It seemed to be merely a fluke, no matter how much of a nuisance it might pose.
"I'm not certain, but perhaps it would be best for you to try to remain calm for the next little while." Van finally replied. The less the boy knew, the better. "If you don't mind my asking, what had you so worked up?"
"Asch," Luke spat with a frustrated sigh.
"Did you two have another argument?"
"No, just Asch being a total jerk, as usual."
"Is he treating you like you're inferior again?"
"Yes! Wait… what do you mean again?"
"You might think no one else notices, but I've seen the way he always treats you like you're not as important as he is."
"Really?"
"Of course. The way he acts isn't fair to you. Just because you're younger, doesn't mean you deserve any less respect."
"Yeah," Luke avidly agreed, "But...it's not like I can do anything about being the younger one."
"True," Van chuckled, "but there is still something you can do."
"There is? What?"
"This war," Van answered simply. "If you can help stop it from happening, then you can prove that you're just as important as Asch. Then you can earn their respect. You can gain the recognition you deserve, rather than let all the effort you've put into this get lost in Asch's shadow."
"You're right! I mean, I've put in my share of work into this journey too."
"Exactly. You are more than worthy of being his equal, and yet, he keeps you beneath him. Do you know why?"
"No...why?" Luke inquired.
"Because he can see your potential, and he's afraid of it. He knows that you could surpass him someday. You know what's going to happen as soon as you get back to Baticul-"
"Yes I know," Luke angrily cut Van off. Did everybody think he didn't have eyes? Because that was the only way he could not know what would happen when they got back to Baticul.
"Then, all the more, you need to prove yourself and surpass Asch, so that everyone can see you too. As Luke fon Fabre, not simply an extension of Asch."
"Thank you, Master Van."
"You're more than welcome Luke."
"Master Van? Can I ask you a question?"
"What is it?"
"Well, where have you been all this time? You've been on board since we left, but this is the first I've seen you."
"I've been personally guarding Arietta's cell to ensure she doesn't try anything."
"Why? I've seen lots of other soldiers onboard. Besides, I think the others wanted to talk to you about something."
"Thank you Luke, but I want to do this as a way to apologize for the trouble my men have caused you. They may not think it necessary, but it's something I'd like to do to try and make amends. It's the least I can do."
"Okay, I won't tell the others then."
"Thank you, until we reach Chesedonia, try to enjoy the rest of your trip. It's your first time on a boat after all."
"I'll try." Luke waved as Van returned below deck.
Luke stopped waving once Master Van was out of sight. There wasn't much chance of that happening, but he still appreciated the sentiment. At the very least Luke took some consolation in that had a plan to get himself out of Asch's shadow. Until that actually happened though, he didn't expect to enjoy much of anything... especially considering who he had to deal with for the rest of the trip.
More than having to put up with his sibling for the rest of the trip, Luke was worried about what had just happened to him. Why had his hyperresonance failed like that? Sure he hadn't always gathered the necessary fonons, but nothing even remotely close to that had ever happened. What was so different this time?
Let me try synching our fon slots. At the very least, it could help with our headaches.
So in the end it really did come back to Asch.
"Aren't you ever scared?"
"Hm?" Asch looked down at Luke who was sitting down, resting against a cliff.
"Like, aren't you scared that you'll lose control and hurt someone?"
"A little, I guess. As long as you do everything like I explained it, the hyperresonance will never go further than you make it go."
"Are you sure?" Luke asked hesitantly. Asch kneeled down and looked Luke right in the eyes.
"It's a dangerous power. There's a very good reason it's not used in battle, it could easily wipe out a country in a matter of days. That's not the kind of weapon you want to be carelessly flinging around. As long as you stay calm, and think everything through carefully, nothing bad will ever happen. You just need to believe in yourself. You can do this. I know that this is something you can master."
Luke smiled.
"Thanks."
Yeah right. Asch didn't want him to master it. Of course he didn't, it seemed so obvious now. Asch never wanted Luke to become as good or as talented as he was. Asch must have been getting worried, since Luke had been progressing in the training so well. So he went and synched their fon slots, throwing Luke completely off and putting him back at square one. He must have been getting desperate. Asch had to do something, or Luke might get better than he was, and in Asch's mind that couldn't be right.
After all, Luke was just his replica.
