Cao - . . .

Alex - Well?

Cao - . . .I have nothing to say. . .

Shin - You said it.

Alex - What the—?! Out!

Shin - No way, Lex! (grins and tackles Alex into a hug)

Alex - Yamero, baka inu!

Cao - XD (Happier now) Moving on!

oOoOoOo

Chapter Thirty-Six– Truths Revealed

Alex woke up after god-knows-how-long, his eleven-year-old body completely and utterly sore and hurting and just terrible. No words of an eleven-year-old could describe it. He wasn't even sure if everything after finding Shin's dead body was real or not.

He really, sincerely hoped not.

The boy rolled over onto his front slowly, pushing himself up onto his hands and knees shakily before he just collapsed there on whatever he was laying on; a bed, probably, judging by the blanket-type thing covering him. Though where, he had no idea. It took him a moment longer to realize that he could see and another moment to realize that he could get up out of bed. But as soon as he even tried, he had one hand clapping over his mouth and another on his stomach, doing his very, very best to fight down that horrendous urge to throw up. But it felt like he was fighting a losing battle.

"Don't try to get up!"

Alex didn't know who it was or what happened, but it was impossible now, anyway, for him to even try to get up. He was almost positive that his legs would give up on him if he tried. Yet despite that, he still seemed to have the strength to move. He could barely fight down his own stomach, but the next thing he knew, he'd gotten out of bed, dashed to the nearest bathroom (which, he didn't know how he found, exactly) and emptied his stomach out into the sink. He wasn't sure if he should be thankful that it was over or ashamed that it had even gotten out of control like that. He may appear to get deathly sick, but never to this point.

He shuddered again, realizing now that he was panting and also that there was a hand rubbing circles on his back. He felt awful. Really, really, really awful, so he was glad for a little support. He had to blink once or twice when his vision blurred slightly, then chanced a glance over to who was currently comforting him. Tear, it looked like.

"Feel better?" she asked gently, and he nodded slowly. Hands much stronger than him lifted him up off the ground for a moment then deposited him in a far corner of the room, away from the mess. It obviously wasn't Tear, because Alex watched her stand up, look away from the sink, and shuddered while she reached over and turned on the water to clean away the mess. The child felt way too exhausted to put much effort into figuring out who had carried him, though he did see Guy come into his vision with a rag and cleaned him up.

Normally, Alex would have struggled. He kind of did, but barely enough, and thus, he was cleaned up in no time. Front included. He didn't register anymore voices after that, seeing Tear speaking to Guy before heading out of the bathroom, leaving the two servants there alone. It didn't take long before the blond took him into his arms, and he just lay there comfortably against his chest.

Then. . .

"Where's. . .Luke?"

An awkward silence, though not one Alex could detect in his weakened state. But he felt Guy stiffen and tighten his hold a little bit.

"He's. . .outside. With Mieu."

And that was the last thing he heard.

oOo

"Master," Mieu squeaked, trying to keep up with Guy.

The group arrived in Yulia City, with Jade in the front and Anise holding Ion's hand and leading him along right behind the Colonel. Guy and Tear hung near the back, with the former carrying a sick blue-haired child on his back and the latter careful to keep her distance while trying to sum up all that was wrong. Bringing up the rear of the group was Luke, the redhead's clothes dirty and emerald eyes looking downcast.

Then he stopped walking. Everyone else kept walking.

"Tch. You really are pathetic!"

Luke's eyes widened slightly as he spun around and turned to come face-to-face with none-other-than Asch the Bloody.

"You. . ."

"You stupid dreck!" Asch practically shouted, his hand curling around his sword's hilt and pulling it out slowly. "Why didn't you think before using your hyperresonance?! How could you so blindly trust Van?!" The redhead swore, slashing his blade once in the air until it rested at his right side firmly, though he glared at the ground. "If only I realized what he was planning sooner. . ."

"S-So," Luke began, his voice sounding somewhat desperate - and he was; he was desperate for answers, "so, Master Van really. . .he really wanted me to. . .?"

"What are you, stupid? Of course he wanted you to! And you fell for it!"

"So you're saying it's my fault, too?!"

"Of course it is! Don't even try to deny it!" Asch glared at Luke for a moment before turning away, his gaze elsewhere. "Damn it, are all replica brains this defective?"

"Replica. . .?"

"What the hell. . .you can't even figure it out for yourself?!"

"What are you—!" Luke began to question the God General again, but was shut up as Asch's blade was swung down in front of him. The noble froze, so sure he'd been hit, and yet not feeling pain at all. No. . .that attack had been a threat. It hadn't been intended to hit.

"Fine. Then I'll tell you, 'Luke'," Asch sneered, straightening his posture again while the other redhead simply scrambled backwards, though he was obviously stopped by the fact that he'd reached the edge of the platform.

"Stop it!"

Running as fast as his sick body would allow towards the two redheaded teens was Alex, obviously exhausted yet somehow still moving. Coming in close behind him, but barely able to keep up with him, were Guy and Tear. The blue-haired child ran right up to Luke, standing in front of him and facing Asch, arms spread out at either side of him. He was panting heavily, his breathing uneven, and he was even flushed and a bit sweaty. But that didn't seem to stop him.

"Move, brat," Asch spat, raising his sword again.

"No! You can't—! He's not ready!" Alex managed to shout back.

Luke was stunned.

"I don't give a damn! It's high-time he figured out that his existence is a fucking mistake!"

"You're wrong! It's n-ot!" Alex coughed, squeezing his eyes shut. His arms dropped to wrap around himself, the boy shaking with the obvious effort to keep standing up.

Luke didn't get it. Why is he protecting me? he questioned in his mind, unable to speak it out loud. I. . .I've been nothing but horrible to him!

Guy suddenly came up and grabbed Alex, supporting the boy that looked like he was about to collapse. Tear moved to stand between the blond and the God General, her staff raised in defense as she narrowed her eyes, focused on the target.

"Asch, what are you doing here? What have you told him?" she demanded. The redheaded God General merely made a noise of annoyance.

"I told him nothing. . .yet."

'Hey, Dreck. Can you hear me?'

No one figured out how it happened. All Luke knew was that one minute, a head-splitting pain crashed over him, and in the next, he was kneeling on the ground, fisting his hair and gritting his teeth, doing everything in his power not to scream. Asch smirked while Guy let out a startled noise, which in turn made Tear glance behind her at Luke.

'Looks like you can. Well then, seeing how I can't be interrupted this way, I'll tell you just about everything.'

"Get. . .out of. . .my head!" Luke grunted, squeezing his eyes shut and bowing his head lower, his hold on his hair tightening to the point where he could feel his fingers against his palms through the red locks.

'It's weird, don't you think? How you and I look exactly alike? Why do you think that is?'

"Shut. . .up. . .!"

'I'm a noble from Baticul. Of the House of Fabre. Seven years ago, I was kidnapped by a villain named Van. I was tormented daily. I couldn't even keep track of time anymore! The only thing that stays firm in my head is something the scientists shouted. 'We've done it. We've created the perfect replica.' Now, who do you think that was?'

"It's a lie," Luke whispered, lifting his head up enough to look at Asch. "You're. . .lying!"

"You think I like it? To think that dreck like you is my replica," Asch spat out loud. Luke, realizing the pain was gone, lowered his hands and pushed himself up into until he was standing, though a little wobbly. The God General sneered. "What? Have something to say?"

"It's not true," the broken noble whispered, "it's not. It. . .it can't be true. You're a liar!"

Luke drew out his sword, gripping it in his left hand and glaring at Asch as much as one in his situation could at that moment.

"Oh? You want to fight, replica?"

"Shut up!"

Luke dashed forward, oblivious to the cries of his three companions. Asch scoffed, using his own Maestro sword to block the noble's one with ease. Then, in a split second, the God General knocked the blade away, though not enough to knock it out of its owner's hands.

The two redheads fought, with Luke slashing wildly at Asch, trying to get some sort of hit. The God General only blocked each and every strike, shooting out a strike arte or two of his own whenever the young noble did, and the result was the two of them unleashing the exact artes at the exact same time, ultimately dealing no damage to either of them.

But Luke's attacks became wilder, clumsier, leaving more openings for Asch to get in and strike the other redhead, not that the young noble seemed to notice.

"Get out of my way, replica."

Asch did it. He snuck into Luke's guard and smacked away the dull sword, the thing flying and skidding to a halt some distance away.

"Asch, stop it!" Tear called out, finally heard by the two redheads. But the God General did not stop, taking the offensive and trying to cut up his redhead twin, who could only manage to dodge and keep going back, until finally, he tripped over his feet and fell backwards onto the ground, landing hard on his backside. He quickly tried to get up, but Asch's sword was pointed at his head, and he froze.

"It's not true," Luke whispered, shivering, trembling, his eyes wide with fear and disbelief as he stared at the ground. "There's no way it can be true, I—!" His vision was starting to get clouded by a bright white light, starting at the edge of his vision and growing.

The last thing he got a glimpse of was Asch the Bloody, looking like he'd just won a major fight.

oOoOoOo

BR/N: Aha! Yes! Finally! We have the truth out! I personally loved this chapter a lot. And now, readers, leave a nice review!