Part 21 The Battle Against Dist, Part II

Lina, who was currently sitting on a seat, facing an old woman, sighed.

"So, Anastasia's alright?" She asked. Lina smiled.

"Yes, she's okay. She's been a researcher for a while. You may visit her if you like." Lina said, slicing a piece of humble pie (figure of speech!). Guy was standing outside, like he was instructed to, playing around with a fon machine. They were just on the outskirts of Grand Chokmah, near a small cottage, which Lina herself built.

"No, no. She doesn't need me in her life anymore. I wonder why she isn't married, though. I'd like a grandchild or two." She said, sighing. Lina stared at the woman, not reacting at all. Basically, she froze for a second and then… spoke.

"I wonder myself, too. I thought she would've married by now." She said, as she stood up.

"Are you leaving?"

"Yes."

"Oh, well then, bye." She said, waving from her seat.

"Goodbye, Mrs. Callaware." And she felt something suck her up. She ran outside, where she pulled Guy's sleeve and disappeared.

Lina found herself thrown out of a portal, with her mace in her hands. She also found herself enunciating a spell.

"STARLIGHT EXPLOSION!" A rather strange spell, even she didn't know of. A few stars started to circle him and I think we all know what happens next. Forget about Tempest's Fury, this was her NEW Mystic Arte.

"What happened?" Guy said, from right behind her. The group watched the scene in front of them.

"….damn… I was so clo-" But he didn't get another chance to speak as Lina walked right up to his figure, which he was twitching on the ground.

"My, my, Saphir. Nice try." She spat out, as she looked at his scared form.

"………" No one dared to even join her, or stop her, as they were all too scared, Jade included. He could feel the dark aura around her.

"Seriously. How low do you go? Reviving the dead isn't going to do you any good. She's gone. No matter how much you miss her. Now go. If I find you one more time trying, don't expect to breathe anymore." She spat, though this time, through gritted teeth. He scrambled up to his chair and flew away. Lina looked at that form, instantly smacking herself in the face.

"What the hell was I doing? I should've killed him!" She exclaimed. But then she managed to calm herself down, the dark aura disappearing.

"You alright, Lina?" Natalia and Ion asked. She sighed.

"Yeah." She said, smiling. She had placed her mace back into its respectful place and smiled.

"Well, that took care of that." And then she lost her sanity again, after hearing the words out of Jade's mouth.

"My, my. You're going soft. Old age, huh?"

The group managed to find themselves at the castle, having to drag Jade along, since he was definitely in no condition to walk.

The two 'friends' stared at each other.

Peony broke a smile.

And then he laughed himself, even to the point where his stomach started to hurt.

Even Nephry was chuckling.

"Sorry about that, Jade…" Lina said all red. Jade was basically, dead.

"I went way too far." And, yet again, being herself, she ran off. Luke knew she was going to do that and followed her. The rest of them were still dealing with Jade, Peony laughing himself to another world, basically to hysterics, and Nephry, who was in the middle, concerned for her brother, but watching the funny scene in front of her, in which her best friend did the damage.

Strangely enough, Asch was in Grand Chokmah, and he somehow started an argument with Lina, not Luke.

"Why do you act as if you're the best in the world?" Asch exclaimed. Lina was standing there, all calm.

"You talking to me? How about yourself, Mr. I-Think-I'm-Better-An-Everyone-Else?" Lina retorted back, calmly.

"I don't!"

"Yes you do. Now go back to Headquarters, where you should be." She said, yet again calmly.

"You're saying that because you don't have a future! You're basically a replica!" He exclaimed before running off. Honestly, he didn't regret a word he said. Lina stood there, shocked at the boy's retort, looking at the retreating figure. Luke didn't dare move a finger, since he didn't want to lose one.

And then Lina started to tear up. She pushed Luke away and ran off. He could see the tears on the ground, where there were splotches of tears. She ran off into the direction of the port, where she sat down, and burst into tears.

Luke walked back to the palace, where he found Jade actually standing up.

"Oh, Luke. Where's Lina?" Natalia asked, concerned. He paled.

"…uhh…ummm…errr…" He didn't dare give an exact answer as he saw the face expression that she had. The one of fear and sadness.

"Where is she, Luke?" Peony asked.

"…at the port…" He mumbled. The whole group wondered the same thing. Why was she there? Until someone was brave enough to ask.

"Luke. What happened?" Jade asked. He looked at the Colonel right in the eye.

"We bumped into Asch, and he shouted that she had no future. And was basically a replica." And everyone turned red. With anger. Apart from Natalia that is.

"And I think she was about to slash him down." Luke added, as encouragement, though that was a complete lie.

"…Asch. That idiot. Lina's touchy subject that to be breached. I would leave her alone. She won't talk to anyone. I don't even think she'll do anything until she gets her revenge." Nephry explained. Natalia instantly cried out loud. Probably an instinct.

"No! She won't kill Asch!" Jade laughed.

"Of course she won't kill him. She's not that stupid to kill someone who actually is quite important. She'll probably will inflict pain on him, the exact same that he had when calling her a 'replica'. She doesn't like anyone to think that she doesn't have a future. Just because she was destined to die, didn't mean that she didn't wanted to keep her hopes up." He explained, as he started to walk outside of the audience hall.

"That was low, Asch." Guy muttered.

Lina stared at the harbour. That's all she did. She didn't want to speak to anyone. She didn't want to see anyone. All she wanted to do was cry. He was right. She didn't have a future. While he was fortunate enough to have one. Her hair spilled out, as it rained upon her. Her tears were mixed with the rain. You couldn't tell the difference. And then she heard footsteps. Though, this time she was prepared, and knew who it was.

"Jade. Nephry. Peony." She said. The three standing behind her smiled.

"Come on, Lina." Peony said, as he chuckled. She didn't say anything else. She didn't move.

"Lina?" Nephry asked. This time, she moved slightly. To her left.

"Lady Lina." Jade said. She did a little more this time. She actually spoke.

"Why didn't I die? Why didn't the Score play out correctly?" She whispered as she looked up.

"Dying might have been the best choice at the time, but not now. We need you, Lina." Nephry pleaded. She got up and held her mace. You couldn't really tell she was crying. Or maybe I was exaggerating. Her eyes were all red. She took off her disguise and sighed.

"Maybe… I should go back." She muttered as she walked towards the exit of Grand Chokmah. But there was one voice that made her change.

"Where are you doing, Optimistic Lina?" Instantly, Lina's mood changed. From sadness to anger.

"And what the HELL are you doing here again!" She growled as she saw the man, who she desperately wanted to kill.

"To kill you!" He said, as he threw the fon slot seal.

"Lina!" Nephry and Peony exclaimed.

"Watch out!" Jade shouted, calmly, which I find theoretically impossible, but whatever. But she didn't move. Dist laughed as it made contact. But…

"INDIGNATION!" She shouted. It actually worked. He was yet on the ground, twitching. She laughed.

"Sorry, Saphir. But, you need to research more. Fon slot seals don't work on me." She said, quite coldly, basically the way she played it out. And she didn't give him mercy, like he mentally wished for. She immediately changed back to her angry self.

"I ask thee, the stars to utilise and cause undesirable pain. I stand under them, and command them to destroy those who threaten. STARLIGHT EXPLOSION!" She added a random word at the end of the spell, since she felt like it. And a few stars circled him. Then they multiplied, until the completely obscured his vision, since they were… rainbow. And then they exploded, sending him and his chair into the sea.

"Go do something worthwhile next time." She spat as she walked away. Nephry started to laugh.

"Well, she isn't feeling sad anymore."

"That's the only thing I'll ever give Saphir credit for in my life." Peony added as they walked away.

"Where is she?" Everyone exclaimed as they searched the town for her, in the rain. That everyone did include the two renewed royals. And that made Peony remember something.

"You know Jade, you do know that you are now my brother-in-law." She said, chuckling. Jade smirked somewhat evilly.

"I was quite aware of that the moment we got the invitations." He said, as they entered House Feldesca, their only hope of knowledge. They were of course greeted by none other than her sister.

"Emperor! What brings you here today?" She asked, as she walked to the door.

"Do you know where your sister maybe?" She laughed, which made everyone else confused. And then they heard a familiar sound. The Albiore.

"That would be your answer." She said, when Noelle ran out to them.

"Noelle! Where did you go?" Luke exclaimed. She got off.

"Yulia City. Lina wanted me to take her there and come back. She said she needed some time to herself." And this is why Jade chuckled. He took out a fon machine, which somewhat looked like a transmitter.

"And this is why I place these-" And Realai laughed.

"What's the matter?" Jade asked, in a pretty provoke voice.

"I recall she took it out and gave it to me."

And everyone laughed at Jade's stupidity to hide something in her bag.

Lina was standing in the office in Yulia City. Actually, it wasn't really the office. But I like to call it that. It was a meeting room, the one near the Yulia Road (I think). She was currently walking to Teodoro.

"So, are you sure that you've found them?" Lina asked. He nodded.

"It wasn't written in the Score, but our sources have discovered them." Lina was grinning from ear to ear. And then she turned around to face the people she had been waiting for.

"Hello, Duke Fabre, King Ingobert." And she bowed. The two looked at her curiously.

"Who are you?" The Duke asked. Anime fall! She took off her disguise and smiled.

"I am Duchess Lina Feldesca of Malkuth. Nice to meet you again, Duke." And he sighed.

"So, living proof that the Score has been over-turned." She chuckled.

"Duchess-"

"Please, your Majesty, no need for the formals yet. Lina is just fine."

"Lina, I thought you were with Luke and the others." She scowled slightly, but it went unnoticed.

"I was. I came early because I had a let me just say, preferably unwanted meeting with Asch." They knew who Asch was. They knew that he was Luke.

"Lina." And she turned around. And jumped.

"Y-yes?" She choked out. There, right in front of her was the whole group.

"You have some explaining to do." Nephry said, smiling. She frowned instantly.

"Sorry. But, can we get this meeting started? I see that everyone is here, and quite present. I would like to check on my sister right after this." And the King gave her a concerning look.

"Realai? She should be here." Lina laughed.

"You see, my sister is good with paperwork, but not these big meetings. Though if you need her, use Jade's transmitter and she should speak."

Me: I'm finally bothered to get to the story line, and get Dist destroyed.

Jade: Good job.

Me: Thanks.

Lina: Problem is, what's the next chapter?

Me: I dunno. I'm not writing that one. My sis wanted to. She wouldn't stop nagging me. Though I only let her type a little bit.

Tear: She doesn't own ToA. Review please?

Luke: Finally, an appearance of Asch where I don't get scolded.

Lina: T_T