Tales of the Abyss: The Shadow People Chapter 4

Middi: Chapter 4 ppl! I've been super busy with homework nowadays so I haven't been able to update regularly. So ya. Don't own TotA.

Anise: Middi! I was barely in that chapter! How could you? I mean you could have least introduced Tokunaga and that new evil people that are comin-

Middi: *attacks Anise* Rawrrrrr

Anise: AHHHHHH!!! Gomen Middi-kun!

"Luke…"

For as long as I've lived I've never been this speechless, happy, confused, and another emotion I can't explain. It feels as though my heart stopped, and the pain that was so heart wrenching just a few seconds ago was never there.

It felt like my body was on autopilot, I had to muster up everything I had to stop.

"Why are…you here?" Whatever answer he gave me was the only thing keeping me from running straight at him, or running as far away form this forsaken valley, never to return here. Ever.

"This place has…a nice view of Hod. And I promised someone."

She threw her arms around him, and was intending to never let go. She wanted to bury her hands in those crimson locks, feel her body feel as small as a mouse compared to just his muscled chest, and gaze into his emerald eyes for all eternity. She wanted him to hold her and never let go. Speak sweet nothings into her ear to make her shiver, and then continue because it would make her feel alive, alive and truly loved by her Luke. If she could have her way, nothing would ever stand in the way of Luke holding her waist, face buried in her hair, and him inhaling her sweet floral scent.

"Anise, Natalia, Guy? Could you please come over here for a moment? I believe that one of us has dropped something in the river. All of you must come fish it out. Quickly now, I'm trying to do it myself, but my back is aching something that is too hard to explain." We could hear the lie and sarcasm in Jade's voice.

"Boo- that's no fair! I wanted to see Luke and Tear make out!" Anise cried out. But both Luke and I were blushing tomatoes.

"Anise! What a rude thing to say. Tear has missed Luke for a long time now, leave them be." Natalia was always a romantic, but I didn't think she would do this for me.

She loved Luke, but like a brother. And she had been waiting for Asch to come home. As much as she loved Luke, he wasn't the man she was dying for to come back. A pang of sympathy wept through me as I saw her expression, it was almost close to a dead feeling inside. Her eyes conveyed the message of emptiness, which was what my eyes must've looked like for the past year.

Her eyes told me a message in them 'Love him. Keep him forever in your heart, because I have lost mine, you should at least deserve happiness…"

"Yeesh Tear. Now, I have to tell you something important." his tone was dead serious. "I heard the last words you spoke to me before you left me on Eldrant."

I froze. Was he going to tell me that he didn't feel the same way? Was he going to tell me he had feelings for Natalia? Anise? Guy?

I didn't realize he was getting closer to my face until I could feel his soft lips on mine.

His kiss was passionate.

That was all there was to describe it. It was my first kiss, and it felt incredibly good! His left hand lightly cupped my face while his right hand slowly drifted down my side from my face to my waist, making me shiver, but not doing anything inappropriate…yet. There was nothing but happiness in his beautiful jade eyes, until we both heard a deafening crunch into the ground close to the edge of the cliff. We both jumped apart, me getting my staff and knives while his hand went to the holster on the small of his back. But when I looked to see what had ruined, quite possibly, the best part of Luke's return, nothing was there.

But for some reason, Luke looked frightened, and very angry.

The others came running up the path to the selenias to hear Luke swear violently.

"Shit they're here!"

"Luke, who's here?" I asked urgently.

He didn't seem to have heard me. Or he was ignoring my comment. What was so important to him that he would not talk to me? It had to be something over the top because Luke looked angry an annoyed. But what could it be? I can't see what he would be mad about.

"Luke! Tear! Are you alright?" Guy yelled.

"Yeah." Luke growled. And I actually then looked scared.

Me, Mystearica Grants, toughest soldier next to Colonel Jade Curtiss, Jade the Necromancer, was looking at a usual everyday viscount scared. Something very, very bad was occurring, and Luke looked furious. He took out his sword, the Key of Lorelei, threw it around in his hands, getting the feel for it. He then looked to the sky, what was he doing? Seeing how dark it was? The selenias's glow makes up for the fact that moonlight only shines in the clearing on cloudless nights.

He shook his head and glanced back at me and the rest of the group. And then I heard something suspiciously resembling the engine on the Albiore 2. But it was faint, and I saw Luke recoiled from something. He could hear it too!

"Luke." I said urgently. "What is that noise?"

His head shot to me, mentally going over my question probably, and emerald eyes wide with shock. He bit his lip and looked back to the cliff. His hand tightened around the Sword of Lorelei and his face looked resolute and determined not to tell me. Whatever it was really had him spooked, and that was what scared me. Luke, even though he was scared of disappearing, always made an effort to continue the journey we started. And that was what made me admire him, his determination and bravery.

I was about to ask him again when he got knocked from the side and into the rock.

"Luke!"

I looked to the dust cloud to see if he was okay, and then looked to where Luke had been. Nothing. I couldn't see any person or monster that could have done that without being noticed and defeated. This wasn't an ordinary attack that was happening on us. Then, I heard a woman's voice, or, more than one, floating all around us.

"Eh, Lukie. I fear for you now that we've found you!" An angelic voice spat.

"Yulee, refrain from that if you would." A wise voice cautioned.

I looked back to Luke; now that the dust cloud was gone I could see him. His hair was all over the place, and he was breathing heavily. I looked at his frame and I didn't see any blood, or the beginning of a bruise. I breathed a sigh of relief and looked around. But then I looked back at Luke and gave him double take.

Luke was supposed to be bleeding, and heavily too. But there wasn't even a scratch on him. I squinted my eyes, thinking I saw what I wanted to see but Luke was, in actuality, bleeding, but nothing. This wasn't right. I looked around again, and then looked to Jade, to see if he was coming up with any ideas. He looked like he was analyzing the situation too, by now everyone had their weapons out and could be used at a moments notice. I looked back to Luke and saw him crack his knuckles.

"Y'know, Yulee, I thought you would have been dying to kill me by now. So," he smirked. "Why aren't you?"

One of the voices screeched.

"You sly little bastard! If it weren't for you and my Lady being perfect isofo-"

"Yulee! Enough!" The wiser voice commanded. "Now, Lukie, are we going to have trouble getting you back on the ship? And do these…people, know what happened?"

I frowned.

I could hear every word they said! I hated being talked about as if I wasn't there whatsoever. It wasn't proper.

"Luke." I warned, my patience waning. "Who. Are. These. People? And, why are they so hell-bent on taking you wherever? Because, you aren't going anywhere." I asked with my teeth gritted together.

He just stared at me, his face etched into a hard stone mask, contemplating his answer. Then he stared at the air beside me, closed his eyes and scrutinized his face

"Lukie, if you dare tell them…" Both voices responded immediately.

"Y'know I have to you two. C'mon, I may be an idiot sometimes but I'm not stupid. I know the prophecy just as well if not more." He explained.

I heard 'them' gasp.

"No way Luke Fon Fabre! If you do, I will personally kill these living pieces of trash!"

"I'll kill you myself before I let that happen!" Luke growled.

Then, a strange resonating sound, coupled with a bright gold and red light shine forth from the clearing.

Then I saw them.