To Be With You Once Again Chapter 7: Verse 7: Hesitation, a tales of the abyss fanfic

Tales of the Abyss

Seventh chapter! Sorry for the drag!

Okay, let me MAKE this very clear. I know that my fic is quite similar to a certain Japanese artist's work. But I swear that I didn't copy her idea! Her artwork is gorgeous, I like it, but I really did not copy her idea! Sigh…

Well…Go on with the story!

'I will, Luke…I will save them. They are my children as well…'

To Be With You Once Again

By kiralacusforever

Stirring at the sunlight that is shine on his face, Lexuk cracks his sleepy eyes open.

"So…you are finally awake."

The replica jerks up and looks at Asch, who is sitting up on his bed while leaning on the frame behind and smirking at him. "W..What! Are you a pervert or something? Looking at people when they are sleeping!"

Asch crocks an eyebrow before moving his glance to his hand, which Lexuk notices that he is grabbing hold onto Asch's hand. The replica blushes hard and pulls his hand to himself, as he rises from the chair with his back facing the Fabre master. Asch chuckles at the reaction as Lexuk turns around and glares at him, slight redness can still be seen on his cheek.

"Y..You can just pull your hand away or wake me up!"

Asch steps out from the bed and swings his hand in front of Lexuk, which he notices that hand marks are on it. "Your death grip is so tight that I thought my hand is going to lose its circulation of blood fonons. And besides…" He walks towards his hanger to grab his outer cloak, turning around and smirks. "You look cuter when you are sleeping."

Right now, Lexuk's face colour is having a competition with Asch's hair colour and it's a tie. Asch chuckles again as he steps out of his room, leaving the embarrassed replica still stunned at the red-haired's comment. He walks over to the bed and fells flat on it on his back. Lexuk raises his hand that is holding onto Asch's earlier, he blushes a little and chuckles.

"What am I thinking……Stupid…"

Verse 7:

Hesitation

Asch walks into the drawing room to see the whole group except Anise, having breakfast. Natalia places her utensil down and looks up at Asch, who takes a seat. "Asch, are you feeling alright? You really gave us a scare."

"I'm alright. Did anything happen when I was away? Any clues on Dist? Or the key?"

Guy looks at him. "No, after you fallen unconscious, we brought you back. Nothing happen since then, no information on Dist and the key either."

Asch frowns at this while Jade turns to him. "Asch, do you know why you fell unconscious?"

"Luke…" Everyone stops their eating at the mention of the name. "I saw him in my dream after I fallen unconscious. He told me that I just past out due to absorbing a certain amount of seventh fonons into my body."

"What else did he said?"

Asch starts to tell them all the things Luke told him. Jade rubs his chin. "So…Dist have created a bunch of Luke's replica and the 'Key', as what Luke said, is with the replicas, who are trying to rebel."

"Does this mean we must find the replicas?"

Asch is about to say something when Lexuk slams the door in. "One of the soldiers just received information from the brat in Daath!"

"Brat? You mean Anise?" Guy sweatdrop at the nick.

"I was coming here when one of your soldiers came and told me that she want us to heard to Daath right away."

"Why?"

Lexuk looks over to Asch. "The replicas and the 'Key of Lorelei' are at Daath."

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Anise lets out a deep breath as she looks at the replica of Luke, she had been trying to heal them with her artes but their condition remains the same. She stands up to look at the other replicas, some are lying on the ground, some are leaning against the wall, all of them are panting hard. Once in a while, they will have the same attack as the replica they saw at Grand Chokmah.

She was shock at first when the Oracle Knights told her that they found the replicas were at the place, where the 'Key of Lorelei' was kept initially. She ordered the knights to bring all of them back and settled them in the chapel.

"Anise!"

The Fon Master looks towards Florian, who is kneeling beside one of the replica, and rushes over. She feels strong fonons increasing in every steps she took, she almost can't stand against it when she reaches Florian and the replica.

"What's…with this fonons flowing?"

"It's the key." Florian looks from her to the 'Key of Lorelei' which the replica is hugging. "It's crying out…crying out for someone…"

"Could it be Asch or Lexuk? Or it might be…" Anise looks at the key when they heard the door to the chapel opens. She turns around to see the group rushing in, all of them gasps at the scene before them. She is about to go to them when she feels the fonons vibration from the key is getting stronger. "Asch! Lexuk! Come over here!!"

Feeling the familiar vibration, Asch and Lexuk rush over to Anise as they look at the 'Key of Lorelei'. Abruptly, the vibration stops when the two of them arrive as Asch kneels down in front of the replica, who looks up at him. With shaky hand, he hands the 'key' to Asch. "Please…help our origin…Luke…"

"I will."

The replica smiles as his eyes slowly close while his body starts to disappear in a soft gold glow. The group gasps when they notice the other replicas are reacting the same. Asch prepares as the seventh fonons flows into his body, he groans as the pain is worse than the one back in Grand Chokmah. The 'key' drops from his grip as he fells onto his knees and groans in agony.

The others are about to rush to Asch, when they see Lexuk picks up the 'key' and points at the kneeling redhead. Asch crocks his head to look up at the replica, who is staring down at him. "So…it seems like…you have some intention after all."

"Remember when I asked you back in Keterburg? You told me that even if it means to give your life to bring him back, you will do it. I'm planning to do so now." Guy is placing his hand on the hilt of his sword until Lexuk's glance turns to him. "Don't you dare move, my sword swings faster than yours."

Guy snorts and places his hand back to his sides. Lexuk turns back to Asch, who stands up weakly and faces him. "What will you accomplish by killing me?"

"Luke will be free." Everyone gasps, especially Asch. "Along with the Grand Fonic Hymn, Luke will be free if I kill you with this key."

"But the only one who knows the Grand Fonic Hymn is Tear…" Natalia looks at Tear, beside her.

Tue rei ze croa riou tue ze

Everyone, except Lexuk looks around as the Grand Fonic Hymn sounds through the chapel.

"Ahh!" They turn towards Asch who's body is glowing golden-orange in colour. He groans. "What's happening…My body is reacting to the hymn…!"

"Look!" Anise shouts as they notice a dark-purple shadow starts to form behind Lexuk, as it slowly turns into Yulia dressed in a black dress. She stops singing the hymn as she smirks down at Lexuk.

"Good work, Lexuk. Now, finish him." Lexuk tightens his grip on the key as he places the blade at Asch's neck. "Why are you hesitating, do it."

"I…" Lexuk looks straight into similar emerald orbs as Asch looks back. "I WON'T DO IT!!" The replica swings around with the key to strike Yulia when a dark barrier blocks the assault.

"Foolish thing."

The golden robe around her wraps itself around Lexuk's neck, choking him. She grabs the key from his loosen grip while giving a swing of her hand, that toss Lexuk across the chapel, smashing into the wall.

"Lexuk!" Asch looks towards the replica as he chokes out blood.

"You should be worry about yourself instead of that infuriate thing. Asch Fon Fabre." Asch prepares to bring his blade out when Yulia sings the hymn again, making him groans as the fonons in his body reacts to it.

"Asch!!" All of the others are going to help when shadows appears behind each of them. The shadows form into the replicated God-Generals, as they hold the group back.

"Good work, my children." Yulia looks from the God-Generals to Asch who is kneeling now. She raises the key. "Now, release him."

The girls shut their eyes as Yulia brings down her sword, in Asch's eyes, everything seem to be in slow motion. Suddenly a flash of orange and black come into view, as Lexuk had rushed between Asch and the key that is still striking down.

"STOP IT!!"

Bright golden-orange light shines through the whole chapel, as the whole group gasp when the light dissipates and forms a blurry figure. Asch and Lexuk both look at the figure in shock, while Yulia smirks. "So, you finally show yourself."

Luke, whose body is glowing, looks at Yulia. "Stop using Yulia's appearance, you are not her." His voice is like echo as it sounds through the place. "You shouldn't even be here."

The fake Yulia laughs and smirks at him. "That's right, I do not have a fixed appearance, thus I use Yulia's." She swings her dress around playfully before glaring. "Shouldn't be here? What? Then where should I be? Trapped in that fon belt again?! Back with Lorelei?"

"Luke…" Luke turns his glance to Asch, who is behind him staggering. "Are you really Luke? What are you two talking about?"

"Oh, looks like your friends do not know about it."

"Asch I…" Luke's words break off when the fake Yulia stabs him with the key. She sings the Grand Fonic Hymn again as Luke shouts out in pain.

"LUKE!" Asch and Lexuk dash forth to land their blows but is block by the barriers again. The robe around her stretches out and wraps around them. She continues to sing the hymn as Luke fells into conscious, while his body starts to change into small light particles. Asch and Lexuk watch in horror as the key absorbs the light particles. "Luke!! Luke!! What did you do to him?!" Asch shouts out in anger.

"Do not need to worry, he is not dead. Or you can say, he can't die. After he gave his life to you, Asch Fon Fabre, he returns to the fon belt along with Lorelei. But, Lorelei fears that Auldrant might fall into the hands of evil again, hence, he ask Luke to look over Auldrant for him instead."

"But why is he inside…" Natalia looks at Asch, her cheeks are stained by her tears.

"His memories. That is why Lorelei gave you Luke's memories, in order to let Luke to see Auldrant through you, Asch." Asch looks at her in shock.

"And who are you?! Why are you doing to this?!" Guy too, shouts in anger after seeing what happened to his old friend.

"My name is Ark, the flame that is forgotten through the flow of time. You can also refer me as the darkness of Lorelei. I have escaped from the fon belt to destroy this world that he creates! In order to do so, I will use this power of his to go against him." Ark holds out the 'Key of Lorelei' in front of her, as its glow changes from golden-orange to black-purple. She smirks to the group. "I shall bid all of you farewell now." With that, she disappears in black-purple flame, follow by the God-Generals.

Tear and the others rush towards Asch who bangs his fist against the ground. "Darn it! He's taken from me again…!"

"It's my fault…" The group looks towards Lexuk, who has his back towards them. Asch notices that a blood is coming from his right arm as he moves towards the replica. Before he can grab his arm, Lexuk disappears in a glow of golden light.

"How did he…?!" Anise squeaks as he looks at Asch.

"Hyperresonance. I'll go find him. His condition needs to be healed; I'll be borrowing the Albiore."

"But do you know where he is?" Guy shouts as Asch rushes out.

"There's only one place he will go…"

Gripping onto his damaged arm, Lexuk sits on the large rock as he watches the selenia petals flowing along with the wind.

"Shouldn't you get your hand treat? It will get worse if you leave it like that." Lexuk did not look up to see Asch walking to his side. Asch sighs and places his hand on the replica's shoulder. "Come on, let's go back."

The boy did not answer. Asch looks at him for a while before walking away.

"Why are you not angry with me?"

Asch halts in his steps and sighs. "It's not your fault. You just care about Luke, you just want to save him." He hears no respond from the other. "What is it? It's not like I'm angry with you or anything, you can still come with us…" He is about to turn around to check on the boy when Lexuk entwines his arms around his waist. Burying his face into Asch's chest, causing the young Fabre to blush. "Wha…Lexuk?"

"Just let me…stay like this for a while…"

Feeling the wetness on his chest area and the trembling of the figure in his arms, Asch's eyes soften as he circles his arm around the weeping teen.

"Thank you…Asch."

The End

That's all for this chapter!! I drew the last scene and posted it in deviantART, you guys can go see it!

I want more than 40 reviews, if you want the next chapter!! Kukukukuku evil grins