Well guys, we've come a long way with this story. We're up to chapter 14, making it the longest and most updated story I've ever written on Fanfiction. Also, with the last chapter, we cracked one-thousand views. Which means there are roughly one thousand people out there reading this as we speak. So I would just like to say thank you to everyone who took the time to sit and read this story of mine. It means so much more to me than you all think.

Thank you to all who have ever reviewed this story and given me advice. You guys motivate me and inspire me to keep working hard, and you all have helped make me a better writer.

And thank you to all those readers who have kept silent and enjoyed this story from the sidelines. I know you guys are out there, and you all mean something to me as well.

Thank you to everyone out there reading this right now. Without you guys, I wouldn't be sitting here typing this. Without you guys, we wouldn't have made it this far into the story. Without you guys, Kuro would have no home, and I would continue to hide my writing from the world and never get better. I never could've made it this far without the support and confidence you have all given me.

Thank you, from the bottom of my heart.

DISCLAIMER: I do not own any charcters, places, or lines taken from Tales of the Abyss. I only claim ownership of Kuro.

Chapter 14

Hurt

As soon as they took off on the Albiore, Anise disappeared into one of the rooms in the back. Kuro and Tear followed after, leaving Natalia, Jade, Guy, and Luke alone up front.

Luke had, once again, taken a seat by the windows, fingering the tear in Asch's glove as Guy and Jade talked with Noelle up in the cockpit. His head wasn't exploding with thoughts this time, though. In fact, he felt relatively calm. None of the others had really commented on the switch since Yulia City, but he knew he was going to have to explain eventually. Guy's look of betrayal may have disappeared, but the others' still remained. He still had some work to do.

"I can fix that, if you'd like." Luke turned his head to see Kimlasca's princess standing behind him, a small kit in her hands. He glanced down at the torn garment covering his hand.

"Uh...yeah. That'd be great, actually."

Nodding, Natalia moved closer, taking a seat beside him as she opened the box, which Luke realized was a first-aid kit. She pulled out a needle and some thread, normally used for stitching up wounds but would work under the given circumstances.

Rolling the glove off, Luke handed it over to the princess. "I didn't know you could sew."

"I know the basics. I'm not very good, anyway..."

"Eh, better than having a ripped glove. He probably would've killed me had he found out about it." Natalia cracked a smile as she went to work.

"Does it...make you feel different?" Luke shrugged.

"I can't look in a mirror without shocking myself a little, but other than that I feel fine." The blond girl nodded. Luke eyed her carefully.

"What about you?" he asked slowly. "Are you okay?"

"...Yes," Natalia stated. "I'm fine."

"It's okay to be upset, you know."

"I know... But, really, I'm alright." The way she focused so intently on her task and didn't meet his eyes led Luke to believe she was probably lying. Carefully, he reached out and touched her shoulder. She started at the contact.

"You're not alright," he said, and her hands stopped moving. "It's okay to not be, though. This adventure has tested all of us."

"...He was our enemy," Natalia said quietly.

"He was your father. You have every right to feel upset."

"No, I don't," she protested, voice still quiet. "What right do I have? You didn't brood back when we thought Van was dead. Neither did Tear or Guy. So what gives me the right to do so?"

"You're over-thinking this, Natalia," Luke chided softly. "None of us are going to think any less of you. We've all been through it. It just affects everyone differently." Natalia turned her olive green eyed on him.

"That... I... I've never heard you talk like that before..." He grinned.

"It's 'cause I don't. I'm quoting Kuro." Surprising both herself and Luke, Natalia laughed.

"That makes a bit more sense," the princess said, going back to her task of mending Asch's glove. Luke nodded, still grinning.

"You... you and Kuro are close, right?" the blond girl asked hesitantly. Luke's grin wavered as he nodded.

"Yeah. We...were...? I'm not entirely sure where I stand with her right now." Natalia nodded empathetically, but didn't comment further.

"...Why?" Luke prompted. "Did something happen?"

"She...told me something..." Luke leaned forward, balancing his elbows on his knees as he stared at the blond. Natalia took the time to slowly and carefully finish pulling the needle through the fabric before speaking again.

"She told me her parents died." Luke nodded, his eyes falling down to his lap.

"Oh."

"...Did she tell you that?"

"...Yeah." That was a day Luke remembered all too well.

Natalia pulled the needle through one final time, breaking the string of thread and tying it.

"It must have been awful. Losing both her parents like that, and at such a young age, too..."

'Tch. You don't even know the half of it...'

"She's a tough cookie," Luke said lightly, slipping an arm around Natalia's shoulders. "You don't need to worry about her."

Hypocrite. You do nothing but worry about her...

Damn conscience.

When the princess didn't move, Luke eyed her again. Then he realized what he'd done. He'd put his arm around her...

Asch's arm.

Damn it.

"I-I'm sorry!" Luke exclaimed, ripping his arm away. "This is... That was probably really weird for you...!"

"No," Natalia assured him with a smile, and Luke blinked. "It's... it's fine."

It was gone. That look of hurt in her eyes from the library was gone.

Luke had thought Natalia would be one of the harder people to crack. Harder than Kuro, even. But he'd barely done anything. He hadn't done anything to show his remorse. Not yet, at least.

"You're not mad?" he blurted, and further surprising him, she smiled.

"No, I'm not. I admit, I was a little hurt, but... I think I understand why you did it."

"I'm so sorry, Natalia. I really am."

"I know. It's okay. I forgive you."

She leaned over the armrest on her chair and wrapped her arms around his neck in a hug.

"I don't want to lose you too, Luke..." He smiled and returned her gesture.

He knew that Natalia had trouble distinguishing him and Asch in her mind. He knew that sometimes they mixed together as one person in her eyes. He knew that, if she had to, she'd probably choose Asch over him. But none of that mattered. Not right now. Because right now, it was just her and him, two friends comforting each other. Just like it should be.

"You aren't going to lose me."

'I'm not going to leave.'

xxx

The Radiation Gate was awesome.

While the place was practically just a bunch of marble ruins with plants and bones filling the cracks, it had an old, mystical vibe that Kuro drank up. She took care to hug Anise close and latch a death grip on Guy's hand, really not wanting a repeat of the Absorption Gate. While this gate was more of a dilapidated canyon, not a maze of walkways like it's other, the young brunette still didn't fancy dangling over the edge of the cliff face they were walking along.

But the view was to die for.

Soon, a bit too soon for Kuro's liking, they reached the heart of the Radiation Gate, the Passage Ring looming before them.

"So there was a Passage Ring here too?" Anise inquired as she gazed upwards. Jade nodded.

"Of course. We had planned to come here, after all."

"So this is where Asch helped us," Kuro stated, and behind her, Luke nodded.

"Yeah... Seems like I can't do anything without his help." Kuro blinked, turning to stare at the redhead over her shoulder. Where had that come from?

"Of course," she said, and he looked at her.

"Huh?"

"The two of you lowered the Outer Lands together. Asch wouldn't have been able to do it by himself either."

"She's right," Guy chimed in. "A single person only has so much power."

"But," Jade pointed out, "a single person can easily destroy a country." Everyone turned looks of shock, and in one case, anger, at the colonel, who merely shrugged and fiddled with his glasses.

"Both are true. There are two sides to the power people hold. To use that power properly, one must recognize both."

"Jade! What the hell?!" Kuro snapped, and probably would've said more if Luke hadn't stepped in.

"It's okay, Kuro," he assured, his hand now on her shoulder. "I get what Jade is trying to say. My power is just like that."

"You know both sides of power, Luke," Tear said. "Don't fear it, but don't let it go to your head."

"Yeah, I know... Thanks."

Luke started forward again, signaling the end to the conversation. Kuro followed, once again tucking Anise into her side and pointedly ignoring the others.

What the hell was up with that? Luke had revealed how nervous and scared he was, and all they could do was point out his mistakes and make him feel crappy?

You did the same thing.

She shook her head. No, no she hadn't. She never brought up Akzeriuth, no matter how pissed she at Luke. Besides, he was clearly at fault for what he'd done. He'd lied to her!

You lied to him, too.

That was different. She eventually told him. If she hadn't figured it out, he never would've told her about it. She had a right to be angry with him. They all did.

But that right didn't come with a bonus pack. They couldn't just tramp all over him like that. That wasn't a level of anger she was willing to stoop to.

Anise clutched tighter to her jacket as they headed down an inclined path. She took care to make sure the younger girl's feet were safely distanced from the edge. Thankfully, the path wasn't extremely long, and they were soon standing before the glyph of the Radiation Gate.

"Hey, what's that sound?" Anise asked, and the others tuned in, also hearing the strange whirring noise.

"Is it an enemy?" Kuro inquired.

"Damn it!" Luke cursed. "We need to get this Gate closed, fast!"

"We're not going to make it in time!" Anise cried. Luke rushed forward, standing in the center of the glyph and raising his hand. A glow filled the area around him as the glyph reacted.

"Did we do it?!" Luke called behind him.

"Luke!" Kuro called suddenly. "Above you!"

The redhead looked up and jumped back in time to avoid being hit by a monster Mohs.

The former maestro spoke, but his sentences were choppy and his voice extremely shaky, making his words almost incoherent. Kuro managed to pick out "protect" and "Score."

"He still has his mind," Tear pointed out. Mohs cackled maniacally.

"As a watcher," he stuttered out, "I will lead the world to prosperity!" Kuro eyed Tear.

"He's not going to for long, I bet."

"I..." Anise started, and Kuro turned back to her. "I know he killed Ion, but... I feel kind of sorry for him."

She blinked. "...What?"

"Grand Maestro Mohs, please!" Tear called, stepping forward. "Return to your senses!" Mohs simply lunged at her, and Tear stumbled back. Luke caught her by the elbow to help her keep her balance.

"Traitor!" the former maestro screeched, the word barely decipherable. "I won't... let...the world be...destroyed!"

"Can we just get this over with?" Kuro called as she stepped up beside Luke, a hand falling to the hilt of her sword.

"Yeah, let's end it," Luke agreed. "Even he doesn't deserve this!"

"Right! I-" The young girl cut herself off once the redhead's words really sunk in. "...Wait, what?"

The monster before them laughed, the sound laced with insanity. Luke reached out and grabbed her shoulder, drawing her closer to him. Mohs screamed again, and she managed to decipher "die" before the first attack was launched.

She, Luke, and Tear jumped back, the younger two drawing their blades.

"This isn't a sympathy fight, is it?" she asked suddenly. "Because there's nothing sympathetic about this situation! He totally had this coming!"

"Now is not the time, Kuro!"

"But I'm just saying-"

"Burning Havoc!"

Kuro huffed in annoyance as Luke once again pushed her to the back of the battlefield. Was he serious?!

She hung back, waiting for an opening before jumping in with an arte of her own.

"Icicle Rain!" Luke spared her a glance when she somehow ended up beside him again. She shot him a cocky smirk.

Don't think you can leave me behind. Whether we like it or not, we fight together.

Then he nodded, as if he knew what she was thinking. He lifted his hand, and she mirrored the position as another attack from Mohs charged in. Together, their hands glowed blue. Together, they released the arte.

And together, they watched their enemy fall.

xxx

"The Score..." a strangled, gasping voice prayed. "Yulia...bring prosperity...to this world!"

They watched as the monster before them fizzled and changed shape before spilling onto the ground and disappearing.

Mohs was gone.

Luke heaved a sigh of relief and exhaustion, raking a hand through the crimson locks on his head. He glanced over at a panting Kuro, who seemed as nonchalant as ever, sword still clenched in her hand and the other on her hip as she tried to even out her breathing.

"Well..." she mumbled between gasps. "That happened..."

"It's horrible..." Anise breathed, and Luke turned around to face the group behind him.

"Mohs clung to the Score until the very end. Even after becoming a monster, it was all about the Score."

"He truly believed that as long as we had Yulia's Score, the world would be saved. He was trying to save the world, in his own way." Luke nodded slowly, understanding Guy and Tear's statements.

"That was what protecting the Score meant to him," he agreed. It was silent again.

"...Let's go to Eldrant," Luke spoke finally. "If Master Van completes his replica world, then this will all have been for nothing." He stepped forward. "Let's prove that Mohs was wrong."

"Hey, wait a sec-"

"Better yet, let's stop Master Van and free Lorelei, so we can build our own future."

"Guys-"

"I think that's a great idea," Guy said, and Luke shot him a grateful smile.

"Then let's-"

"Whoa whoa whoa! Back up the truck here!" Everyone turned to see the second youngest member of the group standing behind them, not looking very happy. "What the hell are you guys saying?"

Luke blinked. "Kuro?"

"In case it slipped your minds, that douche bag just tried to kill us! Several time, actually, not just this! And you're all just standing around throwing a pity party because he's dead? Why the hell are you defending him?!"

Kuro blowing up and acting like this was no surprise. She had no problem whatsoever with speaking her say in anything. She spoke her mind with no shame, and it'd gotten her into trouble more times than he could count. But he couldn't remember her ever just suddenly snapping like this.

This journey has tested all of us.

'Is Kuro reaching her breaking point?'

"Hey, come on, Kuro," he called out to her. "Not even Mohs deserved to suffer like that!"

"That's an opinion, whether or not he deserved it!" Kuro spat. "And if you ask me, that bastard deserves to rot in hell!"

With that, Kuro barreled past them all and dashed back up the pathway, heading back to the entrance.

"Kuro, wait!"

And a second later, Luke was gone too.

xxx

He didn't catch up with her until they reached the Albiore. Before she got the chance to step inside the aircraft, he grabbed her arm and pulled her down, off the ramp leading in and up against the side of it. She struggled in his grip, clawing at his arm and even bringing a foot up to try and kick him away. But Luke didn't budge.

"Let me go!" she spat finally, and he shook his head.

"No. Not until you explain!"

"Explain what?!"

"What that outburst was all about! How could you be so insensitive?!"

"Insensitive?!" she repeated angrily. "Are you kidding me?! I'm probably the most sensitive person here!"

They were shouting now, their voices echoing in the empty area around them. But the two barely noticed.

Her kicking started back up again as she spoke, and she managed to force him to loosen his grip enough for her to wiggle up in his arms and get up in his face.

"I was the one who sat and cried with Anise when Ion died! I was the one who talked to Tear when you told her you were disappearing! I was the one who comforted Natalia after she killed Largo, and it was me who stood by you no matter what the world threw at us! And you've got some nerve, thinking you're somebody, thinking you have some right to spew that kind of bullshit!"

"I do have a right over you!" Luke protested, and her glare intensified.

"Oh, is that so? Well then by all means, enlighten me!" He leaned closer to her, their faces so close their noses were almost touching. He dropped his voice when he spoke.

"How many people know who you really are? How many people know where you're really from? How many people know you the way I know you-"

It was out of his mouth before he could stop it.

"-Shinozaki?"

Kuro's left hand wasn't as strong as her right. He knew that. But the slap she delivered with it wouldn't have proved that. He stumbled back, his grip weakened and she broke free, shoving him to the ground.

"Don't you dare," she hissed, chocolate orbs shimmering. Luke felt himself deflate. What was he doing? They shouldn't be fighting over this! But he needed her to understand.

"You trusted me when you told me about that," he said, reaching up and rubbing his aching cheek. "You gave me that right-"

"Then I'm taking it back," she cut in, and he blinked at her. "Because only Luke gets to have it. And you're not Luke!"

His eyes widened.

"I don't know who you are anymore, but I do know one thing..."

No. Please Lorelei, no!

"I hate you!"

Then she was gone, turning and disappearing inside the Albiore.

You're just like everyone else.

No.

Then I'm taking it back!

NO.

You're not Luke!

No, damn it, no!

I hate you!

Luke fell backwards, his head slamming against the ground. The sky above him was darkening, and he could feel it, building up inside him, bubbling in his throat.

He needed to let it out.

Luke raised Asch's hands, tangled them in Asch's hair, and opened Asch's mouth.

The scream that left his voicebox, however, was completely and utterly him.

Well, the intial shock of how popular this story has gotten has worn off, and I am back to my unserious self! :D See see? I can be serious when I wanna be! I just choose to not be xD

Anyway! Yep, that happened. Kuro said the forbidden h word! Oooooooh...lol xD Just in case anyone is confused about the outburst she gave, all that happened was that Kuro snapped a bit under all the pressure she was feeling. Kuro gets frustrated easily, but what she does is bottle it all inside until she reaches her breaking point. When that happens, she kinda goes nuts, as you have seen. So that's why she lost it after the battle.

Also, the whole part about Kuro not agreeing that Mohs didn't deserve what happened to him are actually my real thoughts on the whole ordeal. I was screaming at my T.V when that part came up xD I was all "STOP DEFENDING THE DOUCHE DAMMIT!" and...yeah xD

Anyway, please review, favorite, and follow! Thank you all again for the amazing support, it means so much more than you think! Granted, this story is not as popular as other ToTa stories on the site, but roughly one thousand readers? I will take it! :D

See you all next week!

Valerie(SonicGirl2002)