Another World

Summary : A man found himself in another world. Can he survive and go back to his world?

Rating : T

Genre: Adventure/Comedy

Disclaimer: I don't have Ar Tonelico series, its characters, anything, duh.

Chapter 25 = Love

"Talks"

'Thoughts'

*Sound Effects*

13:00 Croix's House

Gilbert awoke after he felt the ground shaking. The quake was quick and not too strong, but strong enough to drive away any thoughts of sleep. He quickly checked on the girls, they were okay, but it seemed that Lady Cloche was also awakened.

"Lady Cloche, you okay?" He asked. She nodded.

"Gilbert, you feel that quake too, right?" She asked, and Gilbert confirmed it. She then tried to get up from the bed.

"Lady Cloche, please go back to-" Gilbert tried to convince her to go back to sleep, but was cut by Lady Cloche, who insisted to get up. He didn't stop her; instead he assisted her in walking downstairs.

13:30

"Gilbert, may I pose to you a question?" She said.

"Sure. What do you want to ask?" He said.

"Why do you help us? You don't even come from this land, but you do everything that you can to help us. Even after you got hurt severely, you still lend your hand to us. Why?" She asked.

Gilbert took a deep breath, then answered her question.

"Well…First, like I told Croix before, by traveling with you, maybe I can stumble on a technology that can send me back to my own world."

"But there is no guarantee that you will. Many of the technologies that you see here are from a long lost era, no one knows how to build many of them anymore."

"Yes, it is, but it was more than that reason. You do remember how I first got into this world, don't you? I was hungry, chased by monsters. I couldn't even speak your language, but then you all helped me. I'm still alive because of you guys, I can speak your language because of that. I help all of you to show my gratitude after everything." He paused a bit.

"But even more than that…It's because I consider you all my friends. I am not a very social man, I only have few friends, but I really value them. I will help my friends with all I can do if they are in trouble, and I can rely on them when I need help. After all the things that we have gone through together, I don't regret what I have done, even though I got badly injured, because I know that you guys will helped me in hard situations. That's my reason to help."

"I see…Thanks for your aid up to now now, Gilbert." She smiled.

"No problem." he said.

Not long after that, someone stepped into the house. Gilbert quickly aimed his sub-machine gun until he found that it was Croix and others. He lowered his weapon.

"Sorry Croix, didn't know it was you," He apologized.

The Knight waved it off and turned to Lady Cloche, thinking that she wasn't supposed to awake just yet.

"Lady Cloche, should you be awake?" He said.

"Yes. I'm fine. More importantly, how was your duel with Targana?" She directed the discussion in another direction.

"We still haven't settled it, but we're allowed to sing the Song." He brought the good news.

"I'm glad… Let us go then, to the Hill of Metafalica," She said.

Gilbert followed them, thinking, 'All this hecticness will be over after this…or maybe not. The quake earlier is not a good sign. There will definitely be new problems after this. Will all this trouble ever end…' He sighed.

14:00 Strike Hall

The party were now at the top part of the Grand Bell. Frelia and Shun were also there.

"I'm glad you're here, Shun," Croix said.

"Eh, this is nothing. I still owe you guys for saving Frelia," The robot-dog said.

"But this goes against Her plan. Is it really okay?"

"I'm not the ruler of the heavens or anything. I'm just Frelia's guardian; if She's safe, everything else is a trivial matter to me." Shun explained.

Croix nodded in understanding.

"Well now, do as you did earlier," the guardian added.

"Alright." Croix replied, and then he said something that Gilbert couldn't understand. There were some lights or special effects surrounding Lady Cloche. He thought that maybe it was from Croix's chanting.

"Wow, it's so pretty." Luca commented.

"The Song... It's flowing from me. I've never felt this way before. Thank you... I'll sing my very best," Lady Cloche commented.

"Are you okay...?" Croix asked.

"Yes, I'm fine. I can still sing."

"I think it's hard enough that you're singing with that body right now…" Luca was obviously worried about her.

"No Luca, people have duties. They have tasks. The reason I exist here, the meaning of my life. Croix…Luca…You both have one, too. The reason you exist... The world needs you," Lady Cloche said, before proceeding to sing the Implant.

Gilbert could feel something happening as he heard the song. Some lights covered the area. He felt relaxed. After a while, Lady Cloche collapsed, but with a different look on her face. She was now truly filled with energy.

"Lady Cloche! Are you okay?" Croix asked her, worried.

"I'm fine! I feel so much better than before. I can keep going! Croix... Luca... I... want to save this world. So I want to return to the Grand Bell and take leadership...But, I'm really scared. I don't have the courage to do that right now…"

"Lady Cloche…" Luca said slowly.

Croix wanted to go back to his house an check on Cocona. Lady Cloche saw this and allowed him leave before going back to singing. The others followed him.

14:20 Croix's House

When Cocona heard the footstep of people, she went downstairs; it was her brother and the others.

"Cro!" She said before running to him and hugging him. Gilbert can see some tears in the eyes of both of them.

"Cocona, I'm so glad you're okay…" He said.

"Cro... Thanks. Anyway, something is wrong with Laura…" She said.

The party went upstairs with Cocona. Up there was Laura, lying on the bed. She was awake, but looked not only weak, but also half-dead.

"Laura, what's wrong with you?" Gilbert asked.

"It's almost the time…I need life extending agent…" She said.

"Just as I thought…I'll get the life extending agent." Leglius said, and then he left.

Laura thought about the situation and decided that she wanted to use this moment to get close to Gilbert.

"Gilbert…Please do it for me…" She pleaded.

Gilbert took a deep breath.

"Alright…I've never done this before though, don't really know what to do…" Gilbert said.

"I believe in you Gilbert…I believe that you'll treat me right…" Laura said.

Not long after, Leglius came back, with a crystal object, much like what he saw back in Coal Lodge, when Croix inserted it into Lady Cloche. He had not seen the insertion though, since Leglius told him and others to give them some privacy.

"Let's go back to Grand Bell. Gilbert, we'll back here later, okay?" Croix asked.

Gilbert nodded, and then Croix and others exited, leaving Gilbert and Laura alone.

"So…Where's your port?"Gilbert asked.

"Uhm…Well…It's…"Laura mumbled, face turning beet red.

"Yes?" Gilbert tried to hear her.

Laura took a deep breath and tried to throw all the shame she has inside her into oblivion.

"It's on my butt…" she finally managed to say.

Gilbert's face also turned red now, thinking of what he woulde have to do to insert the life extending agent.

"So I…take off your clothes…and insert it…" Gilbert said.

"Uhm, yes…If you don't want to do it, its okay, I'll…" Laura tried to say something.

"No, I already said that I'll do it. I won't do otherwise." Gilbert said. He tried to think of a way to do it in a less...awkward manner. After a thinking for while, he got an idea.

"Well, turn around Laura." Gilbert said to her.

She followed his instruction and was lying face down on the bed. He started to shift away the clothes that covered her lower body.

'Focus…Don't think anything stupid…or dirty…' Gilbert keeps his mind in check. After a while, he can see something like a tattoo. Maybe this is the port. He doesn't see any hole though.

"Um…Laura, I just push this through the port?"

"Yes, but please be gentle…"

Gilbert wants to proceed with the insertion, but she took one of his hands. "Gilbert…"

"Hm?"

"Please hold my hand and look at me…It feels more comfortable…"

Gilbert nodded, he held the crystal with one hand and positioned it over the port, while his other hand held hers.

"Ready?" He asked.

She slowly nodded.

He started to put the crystal in.

"Ngh!" She grunted and tightened her grip on his hand.

"You okay?" Gilbert asked.

"Its fine…Please continue…" Laura said. He continued the insertion. There was more grunting, and to him it was like she was really hurting from this.

'If somebody at the first floor hears us, we'll be causing a gigantic misunderstanding…' Gilbert thought. After a while, he could feel that the the crystal was gone and from what he could tell by the feeling of her soft skin, the crystal was fully inserted.

"There you go. It's all in." He said. She corrected her clothing and went to sit at the side of the bed, while Gilbert stood up.

"Thanks Gilbert…"

"Well, I only do what I can."

Gilbert started to go downstairs, but before he could, Laura held his hand.

"Wait Gilbert! There's something that I want to tell you…" Laura said, thinking that this is her chance, now or never. "…I…I love you! I love you since that day you saved me; I love you so much that I want to follow you anywhere you go! I…I…" She said her confession. Her face got even redder and she looked down.

"Laura…" Gilbert said slowly.

"I…I want to be with you…So…" She said, before she was cut off by a hug, from the man she loves. She was a bit surprised, but then she returned the hug.

"Laura…Are you sure? I mean, I doubt that I am a good man for you…I am not very social person, I'm not that strong, my looks are not good, even made worse by these scars and my eyes…" He said before she interrupted him.

"Gilbert…It's more than that, even with your scars, and other flaws that you said, you will still be my beloved…I love you just as you are…" She said. They both stared at each other.

Their lips slowly got closer and closer, until finally they kissed.

00000

"This is so…Well… I don't know how to explain what I feel about this…" Billy said.

"Warm and fuzzy feeling inside?" Karen guessed.

"Yeah, that. I almost cried." He said.

"Well, it's about time I guess they tied the loose ends. I want to see how their relationship turns out," Hans said.

"Oh well, I guess this must be celebrated. Want a pizza guys?" Billy said.

"You bet. A celebration for a new couple," Josh said.

END OF CHAPTER 25