:: 9 ::

:: Fallen ::

( Constructive criticisms and reviews only, no flames. )

EDIT: VeiledDarkness, my beta-reader for this story, isn't replying to my emails containing the latest chapters, so I had to re-read my work and remove as much errors as possible. I typed this chapter a year ago, just to point out, and the plot I thought of has changed completely. But let's see where this goes. You all know the rules and what not. Read and review and no flames. Don't like it? Don't read it.

The air around them was dense; the stench of mud and dirt was finally catching up. In a land filled with disaster, more oil was added to the flame and destiny had finally reached its true starting point. It was the time to decide which one would grasp their true colors first, and which one will back down and leave to the darkness: man or manifestation, mirror or reflection.

From the very looks of things, any person, may he be normal or not, could tell that things were going to be difficult. It seemed like everything in that area took a turn for the worst. We finally reached Akzeriuth, in hopes to help the sick masses from the miasma surrounding the small mining town, but even I could not hold my expression; my deep shock at the gravity we face.

I was silent, as was everyone else. My eyes quickly scanned the area, in hopes of finding at least one light in the dark-filled town. Nothing.

I could not find the heart to say something about Akzeriuth. Purple smoke penetrated every inch and every crevice I could see. More than a handful of people were on the ground, lying desperately for help. The echoes of coughing and wheezing surrounded us; this was truly a terrible state.

Lifting my glasses off of the bridge of my nose, I sighed and reached down to wipe the lens, gently. Returning them back on my nose, I re-opened my eyes and was…a tad bit surprised with the sight that I saw next.

Of course, I already expected Natalia to be one of the most worried among us all. Why, it just never occurred to me that she would already be helping them after taking one step inside the town. (I don't mind at all really. Just wanted to point out my deep surprise. No, really.)

I hadn't listened on their conversations as much as I was supposed to (My, I say that like it's my duty.) but, I should have guessed it. A certain somebody made a little not so rude side comment again.

As Natalia came to help one of the fallen (That sounds a little morbid, my apologies.) citizen near the entrance of the city, our much loved ambassador spoke his…very narrow minded mind.

"Natalia, what are you doing? He's dirty, get away from him before you catch something!"

Oh dear me…this might prove to be interesting. I suppressed a deep, very long sigh and decided to watch her reaction. I wasn't at all surprised with that one, though.

I watched her face twist into a deep frown, her brows practically becoming one as they met on her forehead.

"What's dirty? What am I going to catch? Don't say such stupid things!"

That alone was enough to tell us things weren't going to go smoothly. We met up with the chief of the mines shortly after a brief introduction and report has it that Van and the rescue teams are already deep within the mines. (I'm sure one of us is jumping for joy.)

We couldn't leave the vicinity of the town now, since helping the people of the mines is on our top priority, so after an interesting discussion between Tear, Natalia, Luke and some scolding from Anise as well, we headed off to help anyone we had come across. (I see even a thirteen year old can outmaneuver Luke.)

"Hey, aren't you coming?"

We stopped moving, and I saw Tear turn to my cherished fiancée. (I'm not joking, do believe me.) She stood there, still as a rock, her mouth slightly agape. I frowned slightly, before politely coughing. She didn't seem to notice, though. Guy stepped a little ways in front of her and smiled.

"You okay? You look like you've seen a ghost!" he started.

She continued to stand there, unwavering eyes staring at the ground beneath her. My, was she affected as well? I wasn't as concerned as the others, but still. It's a tad bit interesting, and more so over swells your curiosity.

Anise ran up to her and grinned widely. She leaned down and peeked at Sophia's face.

"Um, Sophia? We really should go now! Stop daydreaming about the colonel and let's get a packing!"

As much as I would love to protest against that comment, I stayed silent as it seemed to have worked, snapping her back into reality.

She jolted forward and gasped, more like a mouse, before shaking her head a little and smiling back at the Fon Master Guardian.

"W-What? What was it, Anise? I'm sorry, I-I didn't hear you, I'm afraid."

"I said," she repeated, in a rather, sing-song voice. I shook my head before I heard her continue.

"Stop daydreaming about the colonel," with emphasis on my status, might I point out. "And come on!"

I'm glad Anise tugged on her arm, preventing her from replying to that, quite drastic statement. Well, as long as it gets things done, I suppose I have no comments to make. I did get a little worried, just a little, when she droned out again while walking, as silent as ever, and accidentally bumped into a wooden post. (My, my, aren't we the vigilant one today.)

Tear shouted to her so luckily, she stopped before hitting it. (That would have hurt, may I add.) I gave a nod to Tear and she nodded back. It seemed like my responsibility to somehow, how should I say it…take care of Sophia. After all, if it wasn't for me coming here, she also, would not be here as well.

"When did that pole get there? I'm sorry. I should have been more careful." Sophia apologized moments after and resumed her droning out.

I already had a vague idea of what she was so worried about, and why she was so deep into thought.

"Um…since forever? Are you sure you're okay, Sophia? You seem a little…distracted." The brunette heaved Tokunaga, shifting it upwards on her back as she eyed Sophia with a frown.

"Hello? Anyone home?"

"Ah, leave her alone Anise. It's probably Akzeriuth, or maybe even Legretta. Remember, back at Deo Pass when Legretta suddenly talked to her? That was kinda confusing. Maybe something came up and she needs to think for a little while. Let's just keep going and help her out."

I wasn't surprised with how Guy expressed his thoughts. He may be terrified of women, but he does care for their well-being; A very deserving gesture, indeed. Anise agreed with him and so did Natalia.

"Yes, Guy is right. It did not look to me as if Sophia knew who or what Legretta was talking about, so probably she's thinking about it. We were all very confused back then as well…"

It was oblivious to Sophia that they were all talking about her as we continued to circle the area. She seemed to have stopped, as Anise put it, daydreaming when Tear and Natalia healed an injured man.

Then, everything suddenly linked in my mind. Even as I listened to Luke's incisive criticisms about touching things in the town, and his very enjoyable ranting about catching up with Master Van, I seemed to have gotten a very clear picture of things. I know I shouldn't be thinking about it right now, and focus on the task at hand, but I couldn't help myself. I tend to overanalyze things when given the opportune moment.

"Well now, are you two finished?" I asked Tear, as she nodded gravely.

"Yes but…I'm afraid the man we just healed won't recover as we had hoped…"

Natalia sighed, and looked away sharply. "He won't live past a few days! This is madness!" she screeched.

"Let's not worry about the things that have already happened. Let's move on and see if we can prevent this from happening again, shall we?" I replied as calmly as I could.

She didn't put up much of a fight from that, and we soon found ourselves walking away from the small shack and into another.

"Things are really rough here…I haven't seen something this disastrous since…" I heard Guy trail away and afterwards, he sighed. "I can't believe the miasma did all of this."

Her voice was…listless. Lethargic even. Like she was losing the energy to talk…no…she was losing the morale to speak. But she said something nonetheless, and it took me some time to actually figure out what she was talking about. I smiled to myself, but it felt more like a grimace.

"They said that he was not going to make it because of the miasma provoking the injury in his lungs, making it harder for him to breathe."

A whisper escaped her lips; so she saw what Tear and Natalia did.

"Man, I feel sorry for him!" Anise replied.

"Ion, isn't there anything else we can do for these people?" The Fon Master gave an exasperated sigh, and his reply was as grim as the situation we were facing.

"Unfortunately, we can't. Unless there was some way to stop the miasma from coming out, I'm afraid the only thing we can do here is to…help heal their wounds."

"And then what?"

She spoke again, but her voice was still a whisper, barely audible if one did not listen closely. I took a step forward to hear her better. She was very surprising today, wasn't she? I haven't seen this side of her yet, I guess it's time I did.

"You know, you should really start speaking a lot louder! No one can hear you if you keep whispering like that. And…why the hell do you sound so…sad?"

Oh, my. This will really prove to be fascinating. I planned on asking her if this made her feel uncomfortable, but I suppose she'll have to speak for herself.

"And while I'm at it, man! You are so annoying! You're always saying thank you all the time, even though you're not supposed to, and why the heck can't you fight? It just slows us down!" A hand casually waved in the air, as Luke continued to talk.

"You should just stop all that stupid chit-chat with yourself and help us find Master Van!"

"Luke! That's far enough! Stop it—!" Tear growled, trying to stop the red-head's verbal assault. But a voice stopped her from continuing, and Sophia finally looked up at him, a scowl on her face.

"A man is dying inside that shack…and you ask me what is so sad?"

"This isn't gonna end up good…" Anise whispered.

The Kimlasacan princess sighed and frowned back at Anise.

"I am also certain of that, but why did Luke have to say those things? They were not called for!"

"I'm sure Luke thought otherwise." The colonel continued to listen, a gloved finger atop the bridge of his glasses. They weren't falling off, but it became a habit of his to touch it when things…had gotten intriguing.

"You of all people…the ambassador of peace…should know better than anyone else in this entire town what in Lorelei's name is so sad! Ever since we came here, all you have ever thought about is coming after the Commandant and even now, as we're faced with this crisis, you ignore it? You ignore not only the gravity of the situation, but you ignore the cries of pain these people are wailing!"

With each word that left her mouth, her tone of voice became louder and louder, demanding him to listen to her. And with each point that she had made against him, Luke scowled deeper and deeper, once again, refusing to care about anything else but finding the Commandant.

"Jeez! You make everything sound a lot worse! What the heck is your problem anyway? You just said it yourself, aren't I the ambassador? What I say goes, alright? Man, you are way too serious. Can we just get going? You don't even know the man in there! Why should you be worrying?"

"You've crossed the line, Luke! C'mon, what she said was right. You should stop thinking about Van for a little while and focus on helping these people!" Guy told him, arching a brow waiting for his response. He only waved it off.

"Fine! Whatever! I'm not touching these people, that's for sure! Let's just get going inside the mines and look for Master Van, alright?"

"Luke…you really are an idiot aren't you?" Tear sighed, and went ahead. She glanced at Sophia, as she lowered her chin back against her chest again, and went off.

"A bigger idiot than what I thought of you before."

"Goodness, Luke! One day you're going to regret what you're saying!" Natalia retreated away, following Tear's example. Anise sighed and pulled Ion along with her.

"He didn't even think about anything but Van in that conversation, I'm sure of it!"

As they all left, every one of them took a last look at Sophia's face; emotionless and, instead of a frown gracing her smooth features, a straight line took its place. Luke scratched his head and followed.

"What, so I'm the bad guy here? C'mon! You were all thinking that too, weren't you? Hey! I'm the ambassador, wait for me!"

Silence followed, as Guy and Jade were left behind. Sophia stood still, looking at the ground once again. Guy finally came up to her, with a small distance separating them, and sighed.

"I'm sorry about what Luke said to you, Sophia." Sophia broke out of her daze.

"I'm sure he didn't mean it." He added.

She shook her head and shifted her gaze to look at the previous shack behind them, where the man Tear and Natalia healed lived.

"I'm saying this because, well, it's partially my fault…the other being…Natalia's. He was raised in the manor for way too long. I guess we kind of spoiled him ever since the Choral Castle incident."

She didn't answer.

Guy's eyes never left her, even as he retreated to leave, stopping only to touch Jade gently on the shoulder.

"This is more of your area right now, Jade. Talk to her, alright? We'll be at the mines." Afterwards, Guy quickly left.

Jade and Sophia were left alone, the echoes of broken fon machines still being forced to work sounding in the background. Numerous medical assistance staff members raced ahead of them, rushing inside the shack Sophia had been eyeing ever since Guy had left. After a few minutes, they came out and a stretcher was carrying a man outside.

Jade blinked, and decided to approach her in a slow stride. He came as close as he could muster, and Sophia gently looked away in sadness and pity. She finally realized that that was the man Tear and Natalia had healed a while back.

"He…he didn't even last a day…they said…he would…" she stammered.

"I don't mean to sound insulting, but the people who told you that probably lied to keep our spirits up, knowing who we were." Jade looked away leisurely, eyeing the debris that was evident in the area around them, with particular interest. It sparked again, the one concept he could never understand. Even as he reallocated his eyes to look towards different places, his mind stayed completely focused on why he couldn't understand this sadness like Sophia did.

Silence greeted them once again, and before Jade could tell her they should probably be going, Sophia beat him to his words.

"I…I don't know…I…just feel…" He saw her fists tremble, and he knew all too well that feeling she was experiencing right now. He suddenly remembered her and what had happened on that faithful day…Shaking his thoughts together, he tried as best as he could to keep things under cool.

"You feel horrible, don't you?" he answered for her, a dark look glistening in his eyes, his voice dropping a significant level in volume and treble. She listened to him, although, silently.

"You feel as though you wished you could do something, something to help these people. But even though you have the Seventh Fonon in you…" he suppressed a sarcastic chuckle, and continued to speak.

"It still doesn't make a difference."

"I know that what I had said didn't make you feel any better, I apologize deeply for that, but it's also good to know that we cannot hide from the truth. It's best to just accept what we can do and try our best. Isn't that right?"

She shook her head poignantly, her fists still balled into tight fists. Her nails dug deep into the skin of her palms, while her bangs continued to grace her face, making them itch. She didn't care though, because all she wanted to care about now was thinking through everything that's going on.

Sophia felt so confused, as if her thoughts stopped working right and suddenly drifted all over the place. The moment the God-General talked to her, and knew her, the moment she came inside Akzeriuth, the moment she and Luke fought back on one another…and even now…

The blonde couldn't deny that Jade had spoken the truth. It just never occurred to her that he would be so alert with these kinds of things.

"…It is…but still…It's hard to ignore these facts when you know you were born with the power to save people, and yet you can't do anything when they're right there in front of you, practically begging out of their wits for you to help them!" It took all of her power not to shout, but she knew better than to release her anger and frustration out on the colonel.

He sighed, and took a step closer to her. He bent down to her eye level and adjusted his glasses with his index finger.

"You can scream, if you want too you know. I don't mind, really." He replied, nonchalantly.

The sudden closure of distance caused the female to nudge forward in surprise, and accidentally bumped Jade on the forehead. He winced slightly, before raising a gloved hand to rub his head. She clasped her hands in front of her mouth and began to apologize.

Jade retained his posture, but continued to soothe his, now red, forehead.

"My, I didn't know you had such a…strong cranium."

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean too…I was caught in…You were there all of a sudden…I didn't have time too…"

Sophia stammered, her hands fidgeting around the hem of her dress. She kept her head low again, and tried to avoid Jade's gaze.

He stopped rubbing his brows for a moment, and resumed putting his hands inside his pockets.

"It's alright, no worries." He reassured.

His eyes continued to search her, analyzing her every move. Something bothered him greatly, to the point of wanting to interrogate her for answers. But he shook off the feeling and tried to do his best to follow what Guy had told him; make her feel better so she wouldn't be a burden. (He didn't mean to sound…mean but it was the truth. They couldn't afford inconveniences at a time like this.)

"Am I…slowing you—everyone down, colonel?"

He shrugged slightly. "Oh, not at all." That didn't come out as I planned it would.

"I'm not sure what bothers you right now, I'm afraid to say." He added. "And mind you, -although a bit out of topic, - I'm quite curious as to why all of your Fon slots are sealed, prior to my knowledge of it being completely impossible. But, I'm afraid this is neither the time nor the place for me to be asking you all these things."

"I-Impossible…?" Sophia whispered to herself. I didn't know it would be impossible…

"So, if it bothers you to that extent, we can leave to follow everyone into the mines, or…I could book you a ship back to Grand Chokmah. I don't mind the hassle, really."

"No!" she shouted. Sophia lunged forward and suddenly grabbed Jade's uniform.

"No! I mean, it's not like that! I won't…and I can…" she croaked, feeling an immense heaviness inside her chest, swelling sluggishly. Deep down, however, she scolded herself for bursting out of control and let go of the colonel's shirt. She looked down in disgrace.

"I…I'm sorry."

What was she thinking? She should have stayed collected and responded as she always did. Jade stood there, quiet and contemplating, eyeing her with a feint interest. He didn't expect her to react so violently to his suggestion, and he was serious when he said it. What made her go borderline explosive?

"It's alright. Well? We don't have a lot of time. Please decide quickly." He responded.

As cruel as it sounds, they really didn't have anymore time to dwindle on matters like this, and Jade found it a little hard not to sound so…blunt, albeit his nature.

"…would it be alright then, if I just stay behind?"

He narrowed his eyes, and nodded briskly. "Alright then, but it would become bothersome if we'd lost track of one another. Are you sure with this?" he replied.

Sophia wasn't sure with what she had just said, but it came out almost automatically. She would be a hindrance to them if she came, and she would never forgive herself if something happened to them because of her…lack of use. The best she could do was to stay here and help with whatever she could. Sophia nodded back.

"I'll wait here for everyone to come back, and till then, I'll help the people here with whatever I can do."

She refused to look at him in the eye. She displayed nothing but ignorance ever since Legretta addressed her. When she came in Akzeriuth, she just couldn't take the pain inside her. It was so foreign that Sophia felt confused as to how to react; to see people like that suffering, it killed her, in the worst possible way. She just…

Jade took a last look at her face, her somewhat disheveled yet graceful face, and walked away.

"Then we'll see you later then. Do take care." Before he could leave, he heard her reply. "I wish I could do more than just wish you to take care too."

Jade didn't look back, but instead continued to walk away, hands inside his pockets, as always. He chose to ignore her comment, but he couldn't help but question himself. Why in the world would she have allowed her Fon slots to be sealed when she so desperately wanted to help people?

"We received word from Commandant Grants that they have found the Seventh Fonstone. He is requesting you come and help verify the stone." The Oracle Soldier exclaimed, as Tear nodded in approval.

"Wait, so that's your real mission?" Luke inquired. Tear nodded again.

"Yes, I was given the task by Grand Maestro Mohs to search for the Seventh Fonstone, and secure it before it gets into troublesome hands. Now, if you'll all excuse me. Take care Fon Master."

"Yes, we'll see you later. Please be careful." Ion replied.

"Let's proceed. The help units should be inside the mines."

She wasn't herself today.

Although she was never like herself, ever since.

Sophia continued to wander around the small town, passing nearby nurses and doctors in charge of helping heal the sick. At last, she had entered a small shack that housed the injured. She approached the nearest person and asked if she could help, in any sort of way.

The nurse smiled gently at her.

"Of course, we could use an extra pair of hands. Are you a Seventh Fonist, perhaps?" Sophia's smile faded gradually and she shook her head.

"I-I'm afraid I cannot use the seventh fonon." The nurse continued to smile, as she stood from her seat.

"Well then, there isn't much you and I can do." She replied, solemnly.

Sophia lowered her gaze to the patients on the bed, coughing and stirring painfully in their sleep.

"As you can see, the continuous miasma outburst prevents these people from properly healing. Even if we were Seventh Fonists, or even the most talented doctors around, we might never be able to heal these people."

She bit the insides of her mouth. So, there really was nothing she could do.

"But still!" she persisted. The nurse shushed her when she almost caused one of the patients to wake. She apologized and continued her protest.

"If we had the Seventh Fonon, then at least they would be in a better state then this, right?"

"We could heal them, and then at least they would—" She stopped in mid sentence when the nurse gazed at her, her mouth still tugging upwards in a reassuring smile. She sat down on the floor and buried her head in her hands, slowly.

"I…want to help these people. But…I…I just can't, can I?" she asked her. She was literally falling apart.

The nurse was silent, and continued to smile at her gently.

Sophia raised her head from her hands and looked at the nurse, pleadingly.

"Isn't it painful to see these people put up with things like this? Everyday, they come and go only for them to die the next day. Isn't it painful? At all?" She lowered her voice to merely a whisper, and still the nurse did nothing but look at her with gentle eyes.

"Please answer me." she reinforced, a little louder than she should have.

"Of course it pains me, dear." The woman replied with a cracked voice. Sophia's eyes widened when the woman started to cry, tears flowing down her rosy yet dirty cheeks. She quickly stood and apologized to the woman, she shouldn't have been so forward about what she said.

"It's alright, please don't worry." The nurse shook off Sophia's constant wiping of her tears.

"I always cry, most of the time when there's no one around." Sophia lowered her gaze again. How she wanted to cry too. The feeling inside of her engorged, to the point where she felt so suffocated, a lump forming inside her throat.

"You know, all the things you said to me are true." She continued. The nurse sniffed.

"It is the most painful thing to watch a person die right before your eyes. It's even more painful when you know you're supposed to have the power to help them continue to live." Sophia stayed soundless and took a seat beside the woman.

"Indeed." She replied, opting to hug her knees on the floor.

"But I survive the day knowing there will come a time when the pain will be gone forever. The miasma will disappear, and soon, people can breathe again, breathe with the relief that they won't die the next morning."

Sophia sat there, allowing her words to settle. She mulled over her thoughts as she waited for the nurse to continue. She stopped talking, and stood up.

"You're one of the few people who I've seen that gives as much care to the welfare of these people as doctors and nurses like me do." She said. The nurse gave Sophia a soft pat on the shoulder, and pocketed her with a reassuring smile. Sophia couldn't help but smile back, even though the force within her drove that smile half-heartedly.

"Thank you for worrying, but you must not give up hope for them. Once you do, then you have truly witnessed them die."

"We should split up, guys. There's too many of them for us to be clustered out in one area. C'mon!"

Miners splattered across the ground, a large amount of miasma surrounding the mass of the mines. Luke sniffled, he couldn't take the stench. As Natalia and Guy came to the aid of some conscious people, he turned to the mine shaft just behind them and entered. He saw Jade and quickly came to his side.

"Well, well. If it isn't the ambassador. Why aren't you helping the others out?" he started. Luke scoffed.

"Why aren't you?" Jade laughed. "Oh my, touché."

"Where's Master Van? I need to see him, right now!" Luke cried out. He still hadn't forgotten that little plan they had talked about in the prison cells, and if he could pull it off successfully then these people wouldn't be sick anymore.

"I suppose he's still deeper in the mines. However, I don't suggest going on your own. This place is teeming with monsters, even though there are enough miasmas in here to drown a full grown man."

"Well then, go with me!" Luke answered.

"Hey, lady! Can you help me down the mines?"

Sophia stopped walking turned to a young boy, dressed in a t-shirt and shorts much too big for him. A cap sat snuggly on his head, preventing most of his messy brown hair from spurting out everywhere. Sophia smiled.

"You shouldn't go down there, it's dangerous."

"Yeah, but I need to see my daddy! He might be in trouble!" he replied, with agitation. Sophia had a want to go down too, but what good would it do for her to be down there? She had already decided to stay here and help, instead of being a nuisance to the others. The boy looked at her in an assert manner.

"C'mon lady! Please?" he pleaded, inching closer to the taller woman. She noticed his eyes, and Sophia's heart thumped heavily. He was near tears. She sighed.

"What's your name?" she asked him, sitting down to his eye level and gently touching his cheek.

"John." He replied.

"Please lady! Help me find my daddy! He's been down there for a really long time, and I need to see him real bad!"

Sophia wasn't very good with handling children, but she didn't have a choice right now. He might go off on his own if she didn't accompany him, so she agreed, almost forgetting her decision to stay behind with the colonel.

"Alright, I'll go with you. But please stay close to me, and don't wander off too far in the mines! What's your father's name?" she inquired.

Although she was the adult between the two of them, Sophia couldn't help but muster a pitiful chuckle inside of her. They would still be in danger even if he did stick close to her. What good would she have against a pack of monsters they would encounter in the mines? Asking for her help in those areas just meant you were itching to die. Sophia pushed back the morbid thoughts, and turned her attention back unto the John.

The boy told her his father's name and tugged on her hand inside the mines with ease. In his eagerness, he almost tripped and Sophia had to help him up. She couldn't help but giggle at his enthusiasm to see his father, despite the monsters and the miasma crawling all over the mines. She felt like a complete coward; she was more afraid than the boy was.

"Do you wanna know something?" John said. Sophia turned to him, as they walked across the railroads on the ground.

"Of course. What is it?" Sophia asked, cautiously keeping her voice a hush, as to avoid attracting unwanted attention. John beamed and ran in front of her, hands proudly on his hips.

"I'm gonna save my dad if there's something wrong!" Sophia cocked a playful eyebrow.

"Oh, really? You will?" she joked.

"Yeah! I will!" John puffed his cheeks, which made Sophia shake her head.

"I'm gonna be a hero for my dad, just like he is to me!"

The boy gave Sophia a soft feeling in her chest, fighting off the heaviness as hard as it could. This little boy didn't mind the miasma and the monsters they had to avoid and run away from, and instead kept his mind on the fact that he was going to see his father again.

Sophia felt even more useless than ever. The least she could do for this boy was to help him through the mineshafts, but what if something else happens? What if something wrong happens to them, and she had to fight for their lives? She felt confused, and Sophia just wanted to go back to Grand Chokmah, like Jade had suggested.

But…she could never live with herself if she gave up now.

The very reason she was here was to help the colonel. Once they were married, she would become such a useless wife, letting her husband do everything while she sat there helpless. She couldn't allow herself to sit there in the background while Jade and the others risked their lives. She guessed that was part of the reason she even agreed to the emperor to come along, even though his real intention was to for them to get to know each other better.

However, Sophia itched to ask the emperor his real motives for asking her to come along. Even she doubted his supposed reasons.

Although through all the danger that they were treading, Sophia felt accomplished, as she accompanied John deeper into the mines. She didn't know why exactly, but the feeling of seeing this little boy braver and tougher than she was, a woman in her late twenties, was ironically, very amusing.

She couldn't wait for them to find his father, so at least he'd feel safer than he was with her.

Luke felt stressed. He couldn't find Van anywhere, and he was getting pissed that everyone was leaving him to go do their own thing. Jade left him eventually too, since some people were injured even deeper inside. He had no choice but to look by himself. Of course, Ion had managed to come along with him and even though he didn't really fight, or was too weak to do so, at least he wasn't alone.

"Argh, where is he? Master Van! I'm here! Where are you?" he shouted, frowning when only the echo of his voice answered him back. He was expecting to hear Van sooner or later, but instead he heard nothing but the continuous ringing of his echo.

"Luke, may I ask as to why you want to see the Commandant so badly?" Ion said, politely. Luke continued to move forward and he signaled the young Fon Master to come with him.

"Do you wanna know our secret? But you've got to promise not to tell anyone, alright?"

Ion nodded. "Of course! What is it?"

Luke looked skeptically at Ion and shook his head.

"Fine. You better keep quiet! Anyway, Master Van told me that we could make the miasma disappear, or something like that, with my hyperresonance! So I've gotta find him and make sure I do as he says!"

This time, it was Ion's turn to look at him skeptically, as he followed the red-head into the deeper parts of the mine.

"Can you do that? I've never heard of such a method." Luke shrugged.

"Whatever! As long as Master Van says it can work, it will work! Now come on!"

"But, can you really do that? Is it possible?" Ion continued to ask. Luke held in his frustration and turned to him, haughtily.

"Yeah, it is for me. I'm the chosen hero, remember?"

He pulled Ion with him, as he trudged into a darker part of the mines. The dirt road lead into a long passageway, and before he could continue forward, a headache stopped him, and he heard Asch's voice again.

"Argh!" Luke howled in pain. Ion came to his side and tried to help him up. "Wh-What are you doing here again?" he bellowed, as he heard Asch speak inside his head.

"You idiot! Turn back! You're going to destroy us all!" Luke scoffed at his remark.

"S-Shut up!" he said.

"Why should I listen to a God General like you, huh? Now get away! I've gotta find Master Van!"

"Moron! I told you to go back! You're gonna get us all killed! Now go! C'mon, what are you waiting for?"

"I'm waiting for you to shut up and leave me alone! Dammit!" Luke ignored the protests inside his head and pushed Ion away, as they continued to walk into the mines. Not long before they could proceed further inside, Asch intervened again, annoying Luke immensely.

"Don't go any further! Stop before it's too late! Listen to me!"

Tremors in the ground shook the female from lithe steps to frantic paces. John had run off on his own the moment the ground started to shake, and Sophia lost sight of the little boy in a second. She ran faster, searching every place she could see. Where could he have possibly gone? In the depths of her mind, she wished she would somehow bump into the colonel and the others. Instead, however, she managed to run into Oracle Knights clustered in front of her.

She gasped in surprise when the knights directed their swords towards her, in a very uninviting manner.

"Who are you? Respond at once!"

Her throat was caught in another lump when she saw them draw closer to her, the tips of the swords just waiting to thrust her. Not long after she tried to talk, she saw a glimpse of what seemed to be John run around the corner. Sophia was about to run after him when they started to threaten her again.

"I-I'm with Colonel Curtiss." Was all she could muster up.

As far as she could tell, the Oracle Knights weren't exactly their allies, even though Ion was their head. It didn't seem to help that she said that, and each of them looked at one another. They were silent for awhile, before one of them nodded and proceeded to slash Sophia. Without even thinking, Sophia squealed and drew her arms in front of her body, trying to defend herself as much as she could.

How did she get into this? Why were they attacking her? Weren't they on Ion's orders? Surely Ion didn't want to do her in, or anyone else in for the matter. All she wanted was to find John and then, hopefully his father and get out of the mine alive waiting for the colonel, but now—

She expected the pain to come right about now, but she felt nothing. She opened her eyes and saw Asch the Bloody slashing the last soldier left standing. She felt her stomach churn when he turned to look at her, blood spewed across his pale face. Somehow, she still managed to croak out his name,

"A-Asch."

"You're that woman tagging along with the dreck, right?" he ignored her and nodded to the direction behind him, without looking her directly in the eye.

"Stand up and follow me." Sophia was ridden with shock, thoughts that were previously scattered being mixed with even more confusing ideas. The only thing she could think of to say to herself, as she ran together with Asch, was simple.

What in Lorelei's name is going on?

Jade stood as calm as he could, waiting in the mineshaft where Luke had left him. Luke and Ion had gone off on their own and he was almost certain they had gone off looking for the Commandant. He sighed and fiddled with his fingers tucked inside his pockets. Something was going on, and he didn't like it. The ground was shaking furiously; Luke must have done something wrong again, and the colonel feared it was something they couldn't undo.

Instead of trying to find him though, Jade just waited for anyone who might have known what was going on. Soon enough, his patience paid off, as he saw a familiar face run towards him.

"Colonel!"

He glanced around and found himself face to face with Tear, sweat covering her face. "Where are Luke and the others?" she asked him.

He pointed to the area behind him with a simple nod. "I'm pretty sure Luke is inside here, but I decided to wait for back-up before I go inside. What happened to you, though? Are you alright?" he asked her back.

Tear huffed. "Yes, I'm quite alright. But—"

"Hey! Four eyes! Where's that dreck?"

Asch came into sight, a huge bird trailing behind him. Jade cocked a curious eyebrow. "My, I didn't expect to see you of all people here. Mind telling us what's going on?" Asch ignored him and ran right across Jade, the bird following in pursuit.

"Let that woman explain! That dreck you call Luke is going to kill us all if I don't hurry!"

Sophia ran after him and almost missed Jade if he didn't pull her arm back. "Sophia, what are you doing here? I thought you were going to stay behind." Tear replied for her, seeing as the older woman was still in progressive shock, eyes brimming with frustration.

"Asch saved us both from the Oracle Knights, colonel. I don't know why or how she got here, but the Oracle Knights that captured the Tartarus ambushed us!" Sophia was still breathing rapidly, but Jade took no heed.

"I see. That explains the missing vanguard unit. They must be trying to stop us from saving Akzeriuth." Jade replied, everything suddenly connecting together.

"No, they were waiting here under orders from Van to take me away." Tear answered calmly. As Jade processed the information, he suddenly remembered Sophia and took a turn to look at her slumped figure. She was on the ground heaving for air. Tear also took notice and crouched down to heal her.

"Sophia! What were you doing with Asch? Are you hurt?" she asked quickly. Sophia shook her head and replied, "No—Asch saved me—I have to find him—before—Oracle Knights—can't breathe—"

"I don't understand. Who do you have to find? The colonel is here."

"No…I need to find…" Sophia stammered, using Tear's arm as support to stand. After a few minutes of silence, a huge shaking in the ground caused them all too loose balance. Jade grimaced.

"Explain later, Sophia. Tear, what does the Commandant want to do?"

He seemed blunt, but at the moment there were more important things than how Sophia had managed to get inside, with Asch leading her to them. And Sophia actually didn't care but instead, went frantic to find John. She would never forgive herself if that boy was hurt.

"It's my brother! He wants to protect me from what he's trying to do!" she replied, her voice almost a scream. Sophia didn't blame her; the ground was shaking and making most of the noise, drowning out Tear's.

Jade's frowned deeper, and Sophia finally snapped out of her daze to look at the situation a little clearly. But her mind kept slipping back to where John was. She wanted to just scream, she couldn't think clearly and her mind was all a mess, she couldn't—didn't know what to do!

Not long before the three could follow Asch inside, Guy and the rest finally caught up. Anise shouted,

"Where's Ion?! I saw him go with Luke! I swear, if Luke gets Ion into trouble I'll—" Natalia silenced the young Fon Master Guardian and allowed Guy to talk.

"Jade! What's going on? Why is everything shaking? Where's Luke?" It seemed obvious that Guy was worried, but Jade had nothing to answer, for once.

"Why, thank you for worrying about me, Guy, but I'm afraid even I don't know what's going on. My guess is the Commandant. He may be trying to do something we cannot undo. Tear, explain. What is he trying to do exactly?"

Sophia still wasn't in a mood to care, where is John? She blinked furiously, trying to breathe in and out as collected as she could.

Let him be safe.

"Now, Foolish Replica Luke, unleash your power!"

A strange energy was surging through Luke. He couldn't control it, and he felt himself slipping away. The power came too fast and it was too powerful for him to handle. He felt his fingertips tremble, and his body fall numb. He wanted this to stop; why did Master Van let him do this?

Ion was still unconscious behind him. Right after he opened the Daathic Seals that kept the hidden door to the mines shut, he was ambushed by Van and knocked out of his lights. Luke was alone on this one, and he couldn't control the power surge any longer. The overwhelming intensity was killing him, he had to let go…

"W-What the hell?! Something's coming…out of me!" he stammered. His knees felt weak and he felt the ground beneath him shake even more. What was he doing?

Everyone listened intently to Tear, the only person in the entire mine shaft who knows Van's true intention. Why he would want to bring Luke with him and why the mines were shaking. She breathed in deeply and replied, as calm as she could bring herself to answer,

"My brother…"

Jade's assumptions were once again, true. They needed to do one thing now, before it was too late. Follow Asch and stop Luke from making a very big mistake.

Images of when Van was trying to control his hyperresonance came flooding into Luke's mind. Listen to my voice, relax. Just like that…

But Luke couldn't relax, the power was too much for him to handle. He felt himself slip away even more; he just needed to stop this power!

"…is planning to destroy Akzeriuth!"

Tear had managed to say. The moment she finished her sentence, everyone came running inside the deeper part of the mineshaft and hurried to stop whatever Van was trying to do in order to destroy the miasma plagued town.

Sophia eventually snapped out of her daze once more and ran with the others. All this time, her thoughts were jumbled up and she felt even more stupid and confused than before. She couldn't tell her priorities, and the only feeling that was legible to her was the feeling of wanting to go home and sleep all her worries away, to pretend that these alien emotions were nightmares she could wake up against.

Luke finally let go of the energy he had released and collapsed on the ground. However, the ground still continued to shake, and the last thing he saw was the entire area around him falling apart; he was losing consciousness. Van smirked.

"You've finally proven useful, replica."

Luke managed to open his mouth and mouth in a whisper, "Van?"

Asch was fuming with anger in the background. "That was why I told you to stop! Dammit, you idiot dreck! You've killed us all!" The bird that chased Asch inside took hold of his sleeve and pulled him up.

Asch fought back fiercely, "Let me go! I'm going to die here too!"

Luke managed to hear everything and even saw a glimpse of Tear and the others enter the mine, weapons at the ready. What had he done?

Van rode on the back of one of the gigantic bird like monsters, "I had intended to save Ion with that but you leave me no choice but to save you. I cannot afford to lose you as well."

Luke finally fell into a deep sleep and collapsed even further on the ground. Guy, Tear and Natalia ran up to face Van, riding atop the monster above them.

"Van! Why are you doing this?" Tear shouted, desperately.

Jade, Sophia and Anise tended to Ion, still unconscious along with Mieu. They heaved Ion on Jade's back and faced the commandant.

"Mystearica, some day you will come to understand the folly and ugliness of this world." Van replied.

He swiftly flew higher into the air and left the mines with Asch. The area around them was shaking ferociously, and the ground left was falling into the abyss below. Akzeriuth was doomed to fall.

Jade searched frantically for a way out, as Sophia carried Mieu in her arms. None of the events still completely registered in her head. The woman just didn't know what to think. Anise supported Ion as he lay weakly on Jade's back.

"Damn, the tunnels are collapsing!" Jade exclaimed.

The ground continued to fall into pieces and finally, Tear ran over to the group and told them to come close.

"Hurry! I can protect us with a fonic hymn!" Guy nodded and carried Luke into the barrier. Jade made a mental count, Ion was on his back and Anise was right beside him. Guy and Natalia had just come in and Tear was in the center singing her hymn. They were complete—

"Sophia! What are you doing?! Get in here!" Guy beckoned.

Jade turned briskly to Sophia, who was standing idly by searching for something. She looked like she was close to tears, and when she heard Guy shout at her, Jade could have sworn she let out a curse and she ran inside the barrier, hands continually shaking in fear.

It was a horrible sight to see, the area just completely fell into the darkness below the barrier and everything just ceased to exist. The hyperresonance caused the destruction of Akzeriuth, and the man behind it all flew away on a bird. Jade just wanted to hurt something. The feeling of helplessness was catching up to him again, just like on that day…

Luke was still unconscious, with Mieu keeping watch over him. He didn't have the energy to be mad at him for now, but still. Luke was stupid, more than usual this time.

People around them were either dead, or, close to dying. Jade closed his eyes, rubbed them with the back of his hand, and reopened them after a while. Anise and Ion were talking while Guy was there beside them, silent. Tear and Natalia continued to search for any survivors, but all of the men there had already slipped away.

Sophia stood away from them all, still searching. He would have loved to ask what it was, what she was looking for, but he had lost all forms of energy. He just wished he could have done something to prevent this.

"No one…no survivors." Natalia whispered. "I cannot believe this…"

Guy winced. "This wasn't supposed to happen…"

The only thing they were thankful for right now was the fact that the Tartarus was still operational. But everything else…it could have never happened and they would be happier people.

Sophia stood silently, eyes watery and tired. She held them back again, she couldn't cry now. There was no point. At last, her thoughts came in a neat line in her head and she was able to finally think straight. John…he most likely got caught in the destruction, there…was little hope. But every time she thought of that, she would mentally slap herself.

She couldn't lose hope, not after what the nurse had told her. Once you do, then you have truly witnessed them die. No, she won't let him die! Not after she saw the flames of hope inside of him, the flames that pushed him to see his father again.

She may not have the power of the Seventh Fonon, but she won't let him go! Not like this. Even if she had to search through the endless sea of mud, it would be fine. The worst that could happen to her was she would get as dirty as a rappig.

Then her thoughts shifted and got replaced with the colonel again. Was he mad at her for having acted so rash? Was he mad that she had come inside the mines? Or that she acted irresponsibly? S

he briefly shut her eyes and bit her lower lip. She blinked profusely afterwards and forced back the tears in her eyes for the last time. This wasn't the time to show weakness.

She heard Luke awaken from his sleep, but the moment she heard him talk, the only emotion that registered in her mind was anger. Her fists shook involuntarily again, and she fought back the urge to hurt him. He was the only person who could do a hyperresonance on his own, everyone knew that, and he couldn't deny it. However, despite her violent thoughts, she managed to pull them to the back of her mind.

This wasn't how…she would think.

"Uh…uh…"

Sophia's head turned sharply around. Her eyes widened and she felt her heart sink to the very bottom, the heavy feeling returning with a sudden jolt to her chest. Sophia took a few steps forward, pushing Anise aside (and almost Guy too, if he didn't get out of the way just in time.) and her eyes tearing up. Although this time, Sophia didn't hold them back anymore, as she covered her face with two pale hands.

"There's someone there!" Tear said.

They turned to the dark, muddy sea and saw a little boy covered by the body of a larger man, a worker. The seams that held Sophia together broke instantly.

She wailed in horror. It was John.

"H-help us! Please!" he pleaded.

Natalia ran over to the edge, "Wait there! I'll save you!"

Tear took her arm and held her back with force, "No, don't! That's a sea of mud and miasma! You'll die if you take one step in there!"

"Then what are we supposed to do?" Natalia cried out.

Guy ran over the edge and tried to reach out as close as he could manage, but he was too far away.

"Damn! I can't get a hold of him!" John moved his hand upwards, but the shift of his body caused him to sink.

"No!" Jade yelled.

Anise screeched out, "He's sinking! We have to do something!"

Sophia felt something inside of her finally break, tears flowing down freely down her pale face with no hindrances, as she forcefully pushed Guy away (he was caught in surprise and fell on his bum with a shock). She kneeled on all fours and shouted to him as hard as she could, wishing and hoping.

"JOHN!" she shrieked.

The little boy looked up at her, muffled and tousled, before the piece of land sunk beneath the mud and miasma. Sophia tried to reach out even more, but Natalia and Jade stopped her from going any further.

"NO! HE'S STILL THERE! HE'S STILL ALIVE! WE CAN SAVE HIM JUST LET ME—!"

Jade gripped her tightly on the shoulders and forced her to look at him. Sophia faced him abruptly, her entire face covered with dirt and salty tears. She tried to pry away from him, embarrassed and scared, but he continued to force her to stay calm.

"Colonel…I…"

Jade answered her softly, regardless of his firm grip.

"That was the boy you were looking for, wasn't he?"

Although eerily calm, Jade continued.

"That boy…that was him."

She stopped thinking for a moment, and grabbed Jade's uniform, embracing him, moaning out all her anger and aggravation.

Jade stood still and allowed her to do as she pleased, sighing. "We should leave before this area collapses as well."

Guy stood from his spot, as he wallowed in grief with Sophia, albeit silently.

"Y-Yeah. We should go." Jade gently pushed Sophia away, and she took a deep and shaky breath. She flushed and apologized for her outburst, before Natalia gave her a quick, one-armed hug.

Luke was deadly silent, but even though he didn't speak his thoughts, Sophia already knew how he felt. Her anger didn't subside, and she ignored him as they boarded the Tartarus. Almost everyone did the same.

She wiped her eyes on a piece of cloth they found on board. She blew her nose and sniffled, rubbing her face roughly. It was an uneasy situation a while back, but it couldn't be helped. Tensions were rising then, and no one could blame Sophia for crying like that. She frowned. All John wanted to do was find his father. They never expected…

Her eyes drifted to Luke. He was still quiet, and sure enough, she assumed he was guilty for what he had done did. She was sure this time, that Luke was taking the blame. Sophia didn't mean to sound so…mean, but no one else had anything to do with this but him. She felt her anger rise again, but she held it in by closing her eyes and looking away. This wasn't the time to be mad, this was a time to stay calm and think.

But, it was just so hard to keep it all bottled up again.

Sophia was listening intently to Tear, as she explained where they were. They were in the Qliphoth, which was like a bottomless sea of sludge and miasma. The remnants of Akzeriuth had most probably been engulfed by the sea. Sophia winced.

"Sophia…about…the boy…" Natalia spoke, tenderly.

Sophia didn't look at anyone and kept her focus on the floor. "His name was John." she replied.

"While I stayed behind, he asked me if I could accompany him to the mines, to help his father."

Everyone stayed still, waiting for her to continue. Guy coughed.

"H-He said he wanted to be a hero for his father…just as his father was for him. I couldn't…say no. I'm sorry. I…" her voice started to hush into a murmur, silenced only by another outburst of tears. Ion sighed, softly.

"There was nothing we could have done." He said to her.

She cringed.

"Yes there was. There's always a way, isn't there? There's—" Sophia responded, bitterly. She felt her resentment grow again, but she was held down by Tear, who touched her shoulder.

"It's too late for that now. Please calm down, Sophia."

"Forgive me."

Sophia bit her tongue. Tear's hand left its place on Sophia's shoulder. The thoughts that scrambled in her head suddenly started to disappear, and after her explanation, only silence was brought in its wake.

The Tartarus continued to move above the sea of mud, but nothing could be seen. Everything that surrounded them was but miasma filled smudge and darkness. Only a few hints of lightning strewn across the dark purple skies were the source of light. Sophia let her mind wander, there really was nothing here. Just…darkness.

The silence gave Sophia time to re-arrange her thoughts. However, she refused to look at the colonel. Sophia bit her lip once more. What would he think of her after her childish display? It was the first time she had ever reacted like that, and she felt fear on her part, as to how she should react next.

After a long period of silence, Guy spoke.

"No matter how far we go, there's nothing in sight! Are we really underground?"

Sophia listened intently again, and she found out interesting things about Tear and the Qliphoth. She never expected her to know this much about Auldrant. The land they were living on was once in the Qliphoth. Here, they call the land the "Outer Lands," which were made by taking the land from the Qliphoth and raising it up into the air. It was an amazing explanation, which Sophia clearly believed in. At this point, she thought, anything could be possible.

About 2000 years ago, Auldrant became covered in miasma. Legend says that the miasma was sealed underground with Yulia's Score; and the crust of the planet itself was raised into the air, trapping the miasma underneath it.

The Sephiroth were used to hold the Outer Lands up, by taking advantage of the power that collects at those vital points. And it was the passage rings, protected by Daathic seals that controlled them.

"That was when Yulia read the seven-part Score, finding a way to escape destruction and bring prosperity." Tear explained.

Anise's face lit up. "Wait! If you know all of these, then that must mean you're from the Qliphoth!" Tear nodded.

"So that's what those seals were…" Luke whispered to himself.

Natalia spoke up, "So if the Sephiroth trees are what keeps this world in balance, and the Daathic seals controlled the passage rings, then the hyperresonance…"

"…caused the destruction, yes." Jade finished.

All eyes turned to Luke. He shook his head fiercely and shouted angrily. They weren't blaming this on him, were they? This wasn't his fault!

"I-I don't know anything about it! I was just trying to neutralize the miasma!" he defended.

No one answered him.

"But Akzeriuth is still gone." Sophia pointed out, her voice languid. It kept repeating itself in her head. The hyperresonance caused Akzeriuth to be destroyed. All the people in it, included.

"Yes, it is gone. Thousands of lives lost in an instant." Natalia mused, sadness evident in her voice.

Everyone seemed to be boring holes into the red-head, discrimination tearing at his figure. Sophia couldn't take this anymore. Luke frowned and cried; trying to ignore the harshness of everyone's staring.

"Are you saying it's my fault?!"

Yes, that's what I'm saying. Sophia answered him, in her head. Sooner or later, things will start to clear up, and she was sure she wouldn't feel so bitter towards Luke. But right now…

So I'm not alone after all, she thought. Scanning everyone's faces, she saw that no one stopped looking at Luke. No matter how pitiful he looked, trying to clear his name, Sophia couldn't help but feel apathy towards him. Before she stopped to look at Luke again, her eyes fell fleetingly on the colonel's face, strangely calm, then turned back again.

"It's not…it's not my fault!" Luke protested, in a desperate manner.

Sophia's patience was running out like a fuse. Why can't he just accept the fact that he was the only one who did this?

"Master Van said…Yeah! It was Master Van's idea! He told me to do it!" Luke shouted for his defense.

How long will he be willing to deny it? Everyone was still silent, waiting for a proper explanation. Sophia just wished there was more to this than denial. Luke was almost an adult. He had to take responsibility for his actions, no matter how bad they were.

"I had no idea this would happen! No one told me!"

His voice was pitchy, which didn't help Sophia's irritation. From the very start, Luke acted like a baby, a child who couldn't stand on their own two feet. And now, he's even pinning the blame on Van. Of course to some extent, Van was also in the fault, but Luke had to accept that he had something to do with it as well.

Sophia wasn't surprised when she heard the colonel speak first against his outrageousness, "I'm returning to the bridge. If I stay here, I'll just be irritated with some ridiculous ranting."

"You couldn't do anything either! Don't just blame me!" Luke replied hastily. Sophia heard Jade sigh as he started to walk out the door.

"You're right. I am powerless. But still…" Ion said, his voice trailing off. Anise shook her head angrily.

"Ion! Don't even bother talking to him! He's not worth it." She pulled him out of the bridge, faster than Jade could reach the doors.

"Wait, colonel! I'm coming with you, if you don't mind." Sophia finally said, as she followed the colonel inside. He stopped momentarily and nodded slightly.

"I don't mind. I'm sure you can't take this either, can you?"

Sophia tried to keep herself from giving Luke a death glare, and instead, gave a deep and exasperated sigh. "Honestly, colonel, no, I can't."

Luke gasped. "S-Sophia! You know it wasn't my fault right? You're too good to blame me! C'mon, you were useless to stop it too!" Sophia snapped her head at him, eyebrows furrowed. Her fuse had run out. He looked pathetic, and deep inside her, something griped for her to stay quiet and leave.

But she couldn't take it anymore.

"Yes, I was useless, wasn't I? I always was, ever since I joined you, and you always made that clear right in front of my face, did you not? But…I've lost all hope in you now. I wanted to believe that you had some good in you, even if it was small!" she responded.

"And the more you keep blaming this on Van, the more I think so lowly of you. We always have choices, Luke. Yours was probably a simple yes or no question and yet in your pride you chose to act on a brainless accord, without thinking of anyone else but yourself, just like you had always displayed!"

Jade touched her shoulder and gently pushed Sophia to the direction of the door.

"Now, calm down. You shouldn't waste your breath on something as trivial as a lecture. He probably won't remember it anyway."

Sophia exhaled heavily, and Jade opened the door and left the bridge with Anise and Ion. Luke was looking at her with appealing eyes.

"Sophia…I…please…" he spluttered.

She looked away and followed Jade's example. Before she left, she touched the side of the doorway and glanced back at Luke. She wanted to say something to him, but she chose to just sigh and leave.

She exited the bridge and closed the door with a loud thump.

What a hypocrite she had become.

"It's not my fault! I-It was Master Van's fault! R-Right, Guy?!"

"Luke, don't make me think even less of you."

"Tear! C'mon…! I…"

"…Luke, you are a big idiot."

She never really left the bridge. She stood there solemnly beside the exit door, waiting for everyone to enter. As soon as Tear exited the bridge, Sophia gave her a pat on the shoulder. She didn't look at Sophia anymore, but instead just walked away.

She didn't mean all of those words to come out like that. But, she couldn't stop herself anymore. She needed to tell him how she really felt, even if a small part of her was laughing at how much of a fraud her words would be.

What pained her even more was how she couldn't stop Luke from making the biggest mistake of his life, reinforcing her thoughts on how useless she really was to everyone else.

She hated that she was nothing more than extra luggage with nothing to contribute. Perhaps if she had chosen to come with them into the mines, then something could have been done.

But it was too late now.

Sophia closed her eyes and prayed for Luke to stop his crying; she could hear him sob from the bridge. She even heard him push Mieu away, as he tried to comfort him. In the end, his sobs helped her realize what she wanted to do. What she needed to do.

The memories of the nurse, of John and of all those people before the collapse of Akzeriuth entered her mind again. If she was a fonist, then maybe things would be different. Maybe things didn't have to end up like this, that she had no other choice but to put all the blame on Luke. Maybe she could share a little of the blame, because she was a fonist who had responsibilities.

Her cold and sweaty hands met her face. The pang in her burst over and over again, but she couldn't cry anymore. She was so tired. The emotions came too quickly. The shock, the sudden bolts of anger, the regret…

Things she had never felt in a very long time.

Her hands dropped down back beside her. Determined, with no other idea in mind, driven by those infuriating and far-off emotions, she marched up to the main deck and searched for the colonel.

Maybe she would follow her own speech and make the right choice, for once.

Lo and behold, Jade was there with his eyes closed, allowing her to examine him. He stood there, undisrupted, hands on the wheel. After getting his attention with a subtle cough, his eyes opened gradually to her recognition.

Sophia cut him off first sentence, "Colonel, I need you to teach me." She managed to blurt out.

The colonel blinked, and didn't reply, inching her to continue. She took another shaky breath.

"I need you and Tear, to teach me!" she added, with zeal.

This was her chance, her calling. It was going against the very reason they had the deed done before, but the consequences escaped her mind completely, and the only thing she wanted to do was to ask for help.

"No, I need you, I want you, to teach me!" she repeated, lowering her head to cover her eyes. She could feel the colonel's stare gape through her, but she would not falter. This was for the best.

"I need you to teach me! Help me unlock my Fon slots again!" she blurted out.

She didn't care that she sounded redundant, as long as the colonel saw the passion in her motive. Jade closed his eyes after a brief moment, and his fingers found its way back on top of the bridge of his nose, as he pushed up his glasses.

He smiled eerily. "Oh, what for?" he asked with sarcasm.

He was teasing her, great Yulia.

Sophia nudged forward and their stares met. His smile faded when he saw, when he sensed, her ferocity and her lament. She was more than affected with what had happened, and it was clear when he saw her fierce determination to learn. Although, Jade already knew what she wanted.

"Because…because…" she repeated, eyes continued to gaze through one another. Jade blinked, and she finished her sentence. At least she was finally showing him a part of her that he had wanted to see. Every time they spoke to one another, Jade felt like she was hiding how she truly felt.

But now, the fall of Akzeriuth opened a part of her. Despite his ever brimming curiosity, he decided on listening first, before asking her again. For Jade, her little displays and outbursts are exhibitions already.

"If you teach me, I can help people, just like Tear and Natalia do! I don't care how long it will take; I just need you here to guide me!"

Clenching her fists tightly, half moons forming on her palms, Sophia resisted biting her lip, and continued.

"You're like me, aren't you colonel? Even though you said it was impossible…It's still there…and, I…" She mentally slapped herself. She was making no sense at all, was she?

Jade turned back to the wheel and left Sophia in silence.

She looked at him with surprise. Was he ignoring her?

Jade grasped the wheel of the Tartarus and sighed again. "I think I know what you're trying to say, Sophia. But, really, what is it you want me to help you with?" He was smirking, as he touched the wood on the wheel. It seemed harsh, playing with her emotions like this, but he needed her to unravel.

A cold and still air met his question. The determination in her continued to burn, and he smiled stiffly. She didn't know what she was doing, but who was he to stop her? She may not know it, but she's already showing Jade that she does indeed, know how to tell the truth sometimes.

It was going to be an interesting…experiment.

"I want to learn how to use the Seventh Fonon!"

Jade let out a soft chuckle.