Chapter 32
How had all this happened? Asch had just opened the door. Now there was a gun on him, a gun on Luke, and the rest of them didn't dare breathe for fear of what Legretta might do. She certainly had a few screws loose, but what Guy didn't understand was why? Legretta was Van's most loyal ally. She was cold, strong, determined, and never showed any signs of emotional weakness. At least that was what he had heard, and yet here she was on the verge of an emotional breakdown. And the thought of her having a breakdown while holding a gun on Luke and Asch, didn't appease Guy in the least.
The question was why? What had driven her to the point of compromising Van's plans like this? According to what she said, Van needed Asch for something, so why was she here with a gun to his head? And she sure as hell looked ready to fire. It was all about this her Legretta kept mentioning, and Guy had a sneaking suspicion he knew exactly who she meant. The God-Generals were the only ones close enough to Van to have put Legretta in this state, and only three of those God-Generals were female. One was standing distraught before them, and Guy was pretty damn sure it wasn't Arietta.
But there were more important things right now, Legretta was getting shaky. So was Asch for that matter, and Guy couldn't blame him with a gun to his head and a woman ready to lose it with her finger on the trigger. Legretta's voice was getting more and more desperate, more unstable, and then…without even thinking, he reacted.
"Watch out!"
The pain flew up his arm like wildfire as the bullet implanted itself in his muscle. Blood splattered on the floor and all over Asch's jacket as Guy landed protectively over the redhead. Taking advantage of the chaos, Luke jumped out of Legretta's line of fire, protectively covering Ion who had still been standing next to him.
"G-Guy?" Asch managed, turning to see who had knocked him to the ground and out of harm's way. His eyes were open in shock as if he couldn't believe who he saw. Guy didn't blame him, he couldn't believe it either. He had just…reacted, and in spite of the agony his arm was in, he couldn't honestly say he regretted it. It seemed that when it came down to it, he just couldn't let Asch get hurt.
"What's going on in here?!" An older man burst into the Chapel. He looked around and stopped short at the sight he came upon. "Fon Master? What the- Major Legretta stand down!"
Damn! Legretta quickly put away her weapons. She hadn't intended to actually fire! But in the flurry of movement, she had just reacted. Thankfully the blonde corrected her mistake by taking the shot. She had come here simply to retrieve the Sacred Flame for the Commandant, to help him in his plans, and she would have been lying if she didn't admit she also wanted to prove herself in his eyes. To show him he didn't have to worry so much, that she would ensure everything would work out for him. But she had foolishly allowed that damn Necromancer play with her emotions. It was just that every time she thought about the Commandant with that witch… something about it made her furious. But that wasn't an excuse. Her feelings had bettered her judgement, and this was the result. Failure. There certainly wasn't any point in sticking around now.
Legretta vanished before anyone had even realized what had happened.
"Maestro Tritheim," Anise spoke up, her voice still quivering from everything that had just happened.
"Cantor Tatlin, Fon Master, where have the two of you been?" Tritheim asked worriedly as he helped Ion to his feet. "First you vanished, then we heard about Akzeriuth and feared the worst, especially when you didn't promptly return."
"I apologize," Ion replied. "I left Daath of my own volition. I've been working with everyone here to try and put a stop to the impending war between Malkuth and Kimlasca. There have been people within the Order working against us, so I hope you'll forgive us for not reporting our activities."
"Well I'll apologize on Major Legretta's behalf; I'm not sure what got into her. He isn't here at the moment, but rest assured I will be having a word with Commandant Grants about this when he returns."
'Well that'll do about as much good as a Fifth Fonist at a passage ring,' Asch commented causing Luke to snicker.
'Well at least we confirmed he isn't in Daath anymore,' Luke replied.
"You're still bleeding," Asch pointed out to the blond guardian as he helped Guy sit up.
"I'm alright," Guy managed.
"Oh shut up, you are not alright," Asch protested.
"Natalia, do you think that you could heal him?" Luke asked the princess who was already examining the wound from a distance.
"Well, let's see," Natalia knelt down closer. "I could heal the tissue, but I can't heal it around the bullet, it'll get infected. I'll have to…"
Natalia reached out but before her wandering hand had found Guy's injured arm, the patient in question practically jumped a foot in the air before taking shelter behind Asch.
"Honestly Guy," Natalia nearly fell over backwards in surprise at his sudden flurry of movement. She hadn't completely forgotten but… "Even when you're hurt and bleeding?"
"I-I'm sorry, I can't help it," Guy replied apologetically.
"Oh come here. I'll do it, you wuss." Asch didn't even wait for Guy to reply before pulling the blond in question towards himself. He tried to roll up the left sleeve, but when it wouldn't roll up enough to be able to easily access the injury, Guy had to temporarily abandon the top altogether.
"Thanks Asch," Guy said quietly, watching the redhead who was examining the bleeding wound. He was trying to figure out how best to approach the situation.
"Don't thank me quite yet," Asch replied. "This is going to hurt. A lot."
Asch carefully braced Guy's arm in one hand and placed his other near the wound. Under his fingers Asch noticed a rather peculiar scar. It was faint; an injury long healed…or was it? Asch's eyes followed the faint lines and it led him through a multitude of curves and swirls, tracing the strangest pattern over the entire top half of Guy's arm.
It was the curse slot. The realization suddenly dawned on Asch and the memory of a strange pattern of blood on Guy's pristine white shirt back in the ports of Baticul suddenly came to mind. Asch had almost completely forgotten of its existence, but then they hadn't completely settled that particular issue now had they? Guy may still be a risk, whether he wanted to be or not. Asch couldn't even imagine how terrible something like that must be, forced to do something against your will…and to live with the knowledge that you could be forced to hurt those you care about at any moment.
"You ready?" Asch inquired, breaking free from his train of thought.
"Yeah," Guy replied. Asch could feel him tense up in anticipation of the pain, and unfortunately it would come. But it was necessary and all Asch could do was make sure it didn't last very long.
Luke could only watch as Guy bit his lip in effort not to cry out. He admired the strength his best friend was showing, and even more so the calm and cool-headedness with which Asch was handling the situation. Had it not been for Guy's sudden action….Asch would have died. Asch had to be shaken up; the thought of it alone rattled Luke's nerves, and the younger sibling was doing his best not to show it. But if Asch was shaken, he wasn't showing any signs of it. He was working quickly and efficiently, and a minute later he held up the result, a single silver bullet that he held between his bloodstained fingers.
Natalia didn't waste any time closing up the wound, being careful not to touch Guy who was jumpy enough as it was. Without the bullet there, it was nothing more than a simple cut, except not quite as long, and much deeper. Guy let out a huge sigh as the pain finally dissipated with the last of the Seventh Fonons Natalia had infused.
"Thanks," Guy offered again as he pulled his shirt back down over his head. He swung his arm around a couple times, he felt as good as new.
"Don't thank me," Asch protested. "I should be the one thanking you. You saved my life." It was the closest thing Asch would come to any sort of reconciliation.
That's when the full impact of everything that happened dawned on Luke. Guy could have died. That bullet hit his arm, but a split second later and he may not have been so lucky. In spite of everything that had happened between them over the years, Guy had risked his life to save Asch. Maybe there was hope for them yet.
"I'm glad to see no one was injured beyond repair," Tritheim broke the tense silence that seemed to echo in the vastness of the chapel. "I am truly sorry about this Fon Master."
"That's alright," Ion shook his head. "Actually, perhaps you could be of assistance to us."
"Anything, Fon Master."
"Did Van happen to mention where he was going before he left?"
"I'm afraid not," Tritheim replied.
"Okay then, thank you for your help," Ion said with his usual soft smile. "I'm afraid we must be on our way. I'm sure you've heard the rumours, we still have a great deal of work ahead of us."
"I have, I wish you the best of luck," Tritheim nodded towards them as everyone began to file out of the chapel.
"Oh one last thing," Ion turned back before he had gotten to the door. "Could you please try and keep the fact that we were here, as well as our intentions as quiet as possible? I'm well aware of how quickly word spreads through Daath, and that you can't stop the rumours entirely, but if you could keep them to a minimum it would be appreciated."
"I'll do what I can, Fon Master," Tritheim replied with a slight bow. But before Ion could thank him, the large chapel doors slammed shut.
"So now what?" Anise asked.
"Well if this Tritheim doesn't know where we can find Commandant Grants," Jade spoke up, "then we'll just have to wait for-"
"Ah there," Asch cut the Colonel off, turning his attention to someone making their way through the crowds. It was a boy this time, but the letter in his hand was virtually identical to the one Asch had received earlier, right down to the colour of the seal on the back.
"Asch?" The young teen inquired.
"That's right," Asch replied and accepted the letter from the boy. "Thank you." The teen smiled and vanished back into the crowd.
"What does it say? Where are they keeping Tear?" Luke asked eagerly, looking over his brother's shoulder as he attempted to read the letter. Asch shooed his impatient sibling away as he glanced over the information he had been given.
"Jade," Asch finally spoke up. "Have you ever heard of a place called 'Ortion Cavern'?" Jade pushed his glasses back up the bridge of his nose. Asch could have sworn he saw a spark of laughter in the old man's eyes, but it was gone far too quick to be sure.
"There is a cave along the southern edge of the continent Sheridan is on," Jade explained. "It's abundant with a mineral called fonimin that's used in fomicry. I can't be sure, but I believe it goes by that name."
"If it's close to Sheridan, Noelle could probably tell us for sure," Asch replied.
"But why would Van bring Tear there?" Anise inquired.
"I have no idea," Asch shrugged. "But there's only one way we're going to find out."
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"So you guys noticed it too." Guy contemplated aloud, being sure to keep his voice down. Not that anyone was likely around to overhear them, especially with the door to the cabin closed and everyone else sitting behind the cockpit; but the topic itself seemed to beget secrecy.
Guy had been surprised when Asch had pulled him aside and asked to talk to him in private, leaving even Luke behind. Asch was the last person he expected to want to have any sort of conversation with him. But what really blew the blond away was the topic the redhead had chosen to discuss.
"Yeah," Asch solemnly replied, also keeping his voice down.
"I thought there was something odd about that Score, it just doesn't fit. But you think the entire thing might be off-track?" Guy too had picked up on the slips, the slight flaws in the Score Ion had read, and he was glad he wasn't the only one to notice. He and Asch had just finished a rather lengthy discussion on the topic, but he couldn't quite bring himself to grasp the entirety of the consequences that Asch was suggesting.
"I think it's possible. The Score doesn't consider Luke at all, and nothing happened in Akzeriuth like it was supposed to. Of course, if that's the case, then the Score Ion read for us means absolutely nothing," Asch pointed out.
"You're still worried about St. Binah," Guy realized.
"Yeah, I am. I won't let anyone else die like that; I don't think Luke could handle it." The memory of Luke's state after Akzeriuth still haunted Asch. It had rattled him, far more than he'd ever admit. For the first time, he actually believed he might lose his little brother, and he almost had. Asch refused to run that risk ever again. "Well…" Asch spoke up after a moment, "that's not the only reason…"
"Why don't you try talking to the others about it?" Guy suggested.
"I can't unless Luke will admit he's a replica, and we both know that won't be happening any time soon."
"Point taken," Guy said with a chuckle. "Is that why he's in a bad mood again?"
"Yeah," Asch admitted, "I tried talking to him about it on the way back to the Albiore but it didn't go over so well."
"Do you want me to try talking to him about it?" Guy offered.
"You can if you want. I didn't have any luck, but you're more than welcome to give it a shot."
"Hey Asch, can I ask you something?"
"What is it?" The redhead replied with a bit of a smirk.
"Why are you talking to me about all this?"
"Well Luke certainly doesn't want to talk about it," Asch shrugged.
"That's not what I mean."
"Then what do you mean?" Asch teased, but Guy maintained his serious air.
"Come on, you know what I mean. This is probably the most civil conversation we've ever had. You haven't trusted me with a single thing since you were ten," Guy stated, "and rightfully so. Why now? It's not like you have to trust me with all this so-"
"But I do," Asch cut the blond off. All the traces of his smirk and hints of the teasing he had been doing instantly faded leaving a rather solemn young noble behind. "What you did seven years ago, everything that happened before then…it was a long time ago. I don't know or understand why you did what you did, but you've proven yourself time and time again. I'm the one that can't let go. For Luke's sake, if for nothing else, I have to get over this."
"Is this because you're asking Luke to tell the truth?"
"How can I ask him to face his fears if I can't even face my own?" Asch looked up at Guy, his face wearing a sad smile.
Guy was at a complete loss for words. Just what was he supposed to say to something like that? Even though Asch still didn't understand Guy's motivation, even after all the horrible things he had done, and they had been horrible, Asch had just pretty much told Guy that he'd trust him. Oh sure there was the kidnapping, and that alone should be enough to keep anyone from trusting him ever again, but in reality that wasn't even the start of it.
How many years had he served under Duke Fabre after the fall of Hod before Van's plan to take the man's only heir… six? Maybe seven? In that time he had been sure to make Luke fon Fabre's life as miserable as he possibly could. After all, everything would be so much easier if the brat hated his guts, and he certainly returned the feelings. But now, Asch had gone beyond all that. He had proven himself the better person and Guy stood before him completely and utterly defeated.
"Asch," Guy hesitantly began. "Maybe I could explain a few things…"
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Anise happily bounced her way towards the back of the Albiore. The Sheridan-build craft was a lot bigger than it looked on the outside, and Anise still hadn't quite explored the entire thing. While it didn't have near the room the Tartarus did, there were still a bunch of cabins down a hall that was behind the cockpit and seating area. The cabins were pretty cramped though; they really weren't good for much other than sleeping, and the odd private discussion. Pretty much everyone spent their time in the seating area behind the cockpit, and left the rooms for after the sun set. After all, even though the Albiore was way faster than the Tartarus was, it wasn't like it took them places instantly. Longer journeys could easily take a few days, that and Noelle and Ginji needed a place to crash too. Anise shuddered at the thought, that wasn't what she meant.
But for now the cabins made a great place to have a private conversation, away from the ears of the rest of the group. But those kinds of conversations just demanded to be listened in upon! Who wouldn't be tempted to just press their ear up against a door? But after what the Colonel had done to her the last time he caught her eavesdropping, she wouldn't be doing it again any time soon. She wasn't up for getting into that kind of trouble again. But still… first it was Asch and Guy, then Guy and Luke, now Luke and Asch had both vanished. A girl couldn't help but wonder! But eavesdropping wasn't her mission this time. Luke was back here somewhere, and she had something for him that was long overdue: an apology.
Anise placed her hands on her hips and eyed the four doors before her. She decided to start with the door to her left through which she could hear muffled voices. Sound didn't carry well through these walls, so whoever was talking, wasn't bothering to keep their voice down. Anise tried knocking softly, and then a little harder; but when neither got a response, she simply opened the door and walked right in.
"So now you're pitting my best friend against me too?!" Luke shouted at his sibling who was standing right in front of him. They were both oblivious to the intruder.
"That isn't what this is about! This is about you and the truth! And about both of us wanting what's best for you!" Asch shouted back.
"Hey guys?" Anise stepped in.
"When did I ask you to look out for what's best for me?! I'm not a baby! I can look after myself just fine!"
"Stop twisting every single little thing I say before I-"
"Before you what?!"
"Hey!" Anise yelled, drawing the attention of both boys. "I don't know what you're fighting about, but is it really that important? You already exceeded your fighting limit for the week," Anise said matter of factly. "So you aren't allowed to fight until at least next Rem-day."
Both twins sent each other a particularly evil look, but didn't say another word and Luke promptly stormed out of the room. Well at least they had stopped.
"Wow, I haven't seen you two that mad since the trip to Chesedonia," Anise mumbled more to herself than anything. Asch simply scoffed at her comment. "What was that you were saying to Luke about the truth? Are you two keeping secrets again?"
"Of course not," Asch dismissed her altogether.
"You come off really nasty sometimes, you know that?" Anise's cheeks puffed up showing she was fed up with Asch's better-than-everyone attitude. But the silence that ensued her comment calmed her down a bit and she resumed in a calmer tone. "You're always so cold, and closed off all the time. How do expect anyone to trust you if you never open up a bit?" Asch didn't reply.
"Anyways," Anise spoke up after a moment, "Luke was the one I was looking for so I'm going to go find him. I'll see you later." Anise held the door open for a moment hoping to get some sort of reply out of the redhead. Even a "goodbye" would have sufficed.
But Anise never got so much as a word, so she continued on her way.
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"Luke?" Anise poked her head in the room furthest from the one Asch had been in and spotted the twin she was looking for laying down on the bed, staring intently at the ceiling.
"Oh, hey Anise," Luke sat up to greet his visitor. "Did you need me for something?"
Anise stepped into the room and shut the door behind her. The change in Luke's demeanour was astounding and a stark contrast to his gloomy half down the hall. Anise just couldn't get over the difference. Luke was so open and easy to talk to, even when he was still upset over what had just happened. Asch just… closed himself off. Anise wondered why there was such a difference between the two of them.
"Yeah actually…" Anise hesitated. Suddenly all the words froze in her throat, and the courage she had built up over the past day fled her. She had gone over what she would say countless times in her head, but suddenly none of it seemed like enough. Why was it so hard to just admit she had been wrong?
"What is it?" Luke asked, his face dawning a heart-warming smile. Anise took a deep breath.
"I'm sorry!" She blurted out with a bow.
"What for?" Luke was dumbfounded by the young Fon Master Guardian's actions.
"For everything. After Akzeriuth, all those nasty things I said, the way I treated you… I'm sorry. You can hate me if you want to, I wouldn't blame you one bit," Anise said, not able to bring herself to look Luke in the eye. He hated her, she knew it. How could he not after the way she had treated him?
"It's okay," Luke replied softly. "You don't have to apologize like that, if I had been in your spot, I probably would have acted the same way."
Anise understood the intentions behind Luke's statement, but she knew it was a lie. He wouldn't have acted like that. He probably would have given her the benefit of the doubt, and even if he didn't, he would have still treated her decently, maybe even forgiven her. But she had harassed him, excluded him, and done everything she could to remind him of what he had done when in reality, he was already feeling that burden and bearing the guilt of what he had been forced to do. That realization made everything that much worse.
Luke didn't know what to say when Anise landed in his arms and held him close. She pressed up against him, squinting her eyes shut, hoping it would stop the flow of tears. After a moment, Luke gently held her back. He didn't harbour any ill feelings against Anise. Some of the things she had said and done had hurt, but it had also been partially a result of his lies. He hadn't stood up for himself, and they had both gotten hurt. Holding it against her now would only result in more pain, and probably destroy what friendship they had managed to rebuild. So Luke simply let it go; allowing it to vanish into this moment, Anise smiling, lost in his friendly gesture, with tears still slipping down her face. Luke brushed a few strands of her ebony hair out of her face.
"I'm sorry too."
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Drip. Drip. Drip.
Water was constantly moving here. It flowed through the cave, and over the rocks, hung from the ceiling, and dripped to the floor. It covered the stones of the otherwise dimly lit cavern giving them an almost rainbow-ish hue. Or perhaps that was how the stones naturally occured, there really wasn't any way of telling, anymore than there was time to worry about such trivial things.
Then again, if it wasn't for the company that she kept, Tear probably would have enjoyed the journey into Ortion Cavern. She walked a well lit path, the torches on the walls making the rocks sparkle all around her. It was truly an amazing sight. But for Tear, this particular journey was far from magical.
Her brother was leading the way, taking them into the cavern's seemingly infinite depths. Tear couldn't help but wonder exactly what her brother had set up in such a remote place. He hadn't told her much, just that he needed to speak with her and that he had something important to show her, not a word more. But what could that be? She hadn't even seen him since they were last in Baticul, setting out for Akzeriuth, and that felt like a lifetime ago.
Akzeriuth… That was another topic on her mind. In spite of her rapid and rather pitiful capture, Tear had done her best to try and gather what information she could while she was in Daath. What had really happened? Had her brother really been there? He had to have been, he saved Asch. But if he was around to save Asch, why didn't he save anyone else? Just how involved was he?
"Didn't have anything to do with it?! Van-"
Asch knew something, but something had stopped him from divulging what he knew. She should have asked him about it when she had the chance, but she was so mad at him for abandoning Luke, that she couldn't be bothered. Were those two okay? Had they even found each other? What would have happened between them even if they had? Tear sighed; she just didn't have any answers. All she could do was hope that would change very soon.
If she got any answers, they would be coming from Van. Though her brother had dismissed the majority of their accompanying guard, telling them to go hide their ship and await further orders; there were still two Oracle Knights accompanying them, and there was no chance of her escaping. Even if it was possible for her to overcome Largo, Sync would catch her with ease. But those two had some other purpose here, of that she was sure. Tear highly doubted she alone merited such a dignified guard; after all, it hadn't taken half a dozen Oracle Knights to bring her in. So she simply walked in silence.
Drip. Drip. Drip.
They had hit a dead end, the tunnel through which they had proceeded thus far opened into a huge rock chamber before ending completely. Up against the far wall, several huge fon machines rested from the vigorous work their beat up state suggested they were usually forced through. Several cells were laid into the walls themselves, and Tear thought she caught a glimpse of movement from one of them, but dismissed it as an overactive imagination. Just what was all of this, and what was her brother using it for?
"What is this place?" Tear finally dared ask.
"This is where everything begins," Van said turning to face his little sister. "Mystearica, it's time you learned the truth."
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Thankfully, Noelle knew exactly how to get to Ortion Cavern. She landed the Albiore gently in the water and bringing them right to the cave's entrance. It wasn't nearly as easy to handle in the ocean as it was in the air, but the perky young blonde quickly adapted. She was as talented as her brother had proven to be.
But now they were all hurrying through the caverns. Between the water and all the crystals in the walls, the reflected light gave the place an almost eerie feel. No, he had to focus. Luke brought himself back to the task at hand: rescuing Tear, which wasn't going to be easy, especially if Master Van was there with her. Would they have to fight him? Luke didn't know if he was ready for that. If it came down to it, did any of them really stand a chance?
Stupid! Luke berated himself, he could worry about that when they found her. He hurried along, keeping his eyes peeled for any signs that Van may have taken Tear off the lit path, but there weren't any, so everyone continued forward. It was his fault that she had been captured in the first place. If he hadn't been such an idiot back in Yulia City she might even be with them right now. If she got hurt… no he wouldn't let that happen. He swore he wouldn't let anyone get hurt again, but Tear was special somehow, his concern for her extended even beyond that. Luke picked up his pace. He was coming, and she had better be alright.
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"What do you mean Akzeriuth's fall was in the Score?" Tear exclaimed, her voice betraying her growing distress. Her and Van's conversation hadn't touched on easy topics, and she was at her wit's end. It just couldn't be true… none of it. It was impossible. She wouldn't believe it!
"Exactly what I said," Van replied, his voice soft but firm. "Ingobert, Duke Fabre, Mohs, they were all aware of what was going to happen, and well in advance. Yet look at them, how many people did they bother to save? Not one. Then, not only did they condemn the whole city to death, but they sent Luke to go die there with them."
"No…"
"But they did, and Luke knew this. Ask him if you'd like. Ask how he felt, being sent to die by those he loved. And for what? To fulfill some worthless prophesy."
Luke knew? Tear couldn't even form words. No wonder he had been so upset the entire way there. He was carrying a death sentence, shackled by everyone he cared out and their expectations of him. That was just... too cruel.
"Let's not forget Hod," Van continued. Tear looked away. How could she forget Hod? Especially after everything he had just told her about it. She wished he would just stop talking about it… it was just… too much. She couldn't take it anymore. "All those people suffered, for no other reason than the fact they would die anyways. Experimented upon, ripped of their dignity, and their pride, only to be silenced as the people responsible watched and laughed. Come with me, Mystearica. Come help me overturn the Score that does nothing but condemn people to death."
"Even so!" Tear finally protested, her eyes bordering on tears. "Why are you doing all this?! Maybe people have done terrible things to fulfill the Score, but that still doesn't justify what you're planning!"
"Mystearica, even after everything I've just told you. Even after Akzeriuth, and everything that happened on Hod, you still truly believe that?"
"You keep saying, 'after all that happened on Hod'!" Tear yelled, her mind racing. So many emotions coursed through her all at once and confusion clouded her judgement. Tear didn't know how she should feel… what she should believe anymore… but this, at the very least, was crystal clear to her. "Yet you're the one who's turning around and using fomicry! All it does is bring pain and suffering! Why?! Please stop all this, there has to be some other way!"
Please don't let it take away the last family I have left….
"There isn't," Van's cold reply made Tear's heart sink. She had lost them all. All to… to this…
"Mystearica…" he continued, "if you still can't see the-"
"Tear!" Luke's voice echoed in the open chamber, cutting Van off. The Commandant looked up at the intruders but didn't even register them as a concern. Even if the entire motley crew was here, they were far from being a threat. No sooner had the thought grazed his mind did Sync and Largo block the group's access into the room. Pity, it appeared his time had run out. He hadn't managed to make his sister see the truth of the Score, but what had resulted from their lengthy discussion…should prove interesting enough. She would come to see things his way eventually.
"Let her go!" The original's voice met Van's ears.
"Shouldn't you be asking her if she even wants to come with trash like you?" Sync taunted, his gaze fixed on Luke who was ready to take the green-haired boy head on if he had to. "Maybe she prefers her current company."
"Tear!" Luke called out but the young melodist didn't look up. Her back was still turned and she had done nothing to acknowledge their presence.
"Quite presumptuous," Largo commented. "You seem to think everyone in the world revolves around you."
"Oh shove it," Anise spoke up. "Even if Tear doesn't want to hang out with us anymore, she'd still enjoy the company of a rock more than she'd like hanging out with you all day."
"Let us through," Asch stated venomously, the threatening tone in his voice unmistakeable.
"Getting violent, are we?" Jade shrugged as he armed himself. There really wasn't any avoiding it. The others didn't waste much time following suit.
"Heh," Sync smirked. "Rather than worry about us, perhaps you should be more concerned about attacks from behind."
"What?" Luke didn't even have time to consider what Sync meant before Asch crashed into him, knocking him to the ground and just out of reach of Guy's swing.
The blonde's eyes were vivid and full of hatred. Leaving Luke on the ground, Asch challenged the attacker, carefully luring him around the edge of the chamber, and away from everyone else. Asch swiftly dodged Guy's attacks, and countered only as necessary. It wasn't an especially difficult task, Guy really didn't seem to be thinking anything through. Luke recognized it immediately. Dammit! It was the curse slot again.
"Don't let Van get away!" Asch called back to the group, ducking to avoid another swing.
"We're kinda busy!" Anise yelled back as she swung around the towering God-General that had chosen to take advantage of the sudden chaos. Jade was backing her up, but Largo's wide swings were keeping him from having time to cast and kind of arte. Luke managed a couple artes, but nothing that succeeding in doing much damage through the man's think armour. He switched to a physical offence but had little more success.
Natalia did her best to cover for Ion, while attempting to distract Sync. With everyone busy, no one noticed exactly when Van slipped away; leaving his sister fixated to the same spot she had been in when they had found her.
"Time to retreat," Sync stated a few minutes later. "Be grateful, you can keep your pitiful lives awhile longer."
Sync was gone in the flash of an eye leaving Largo who backed up defensively before vanishing down the same tunnel. Everyone let out a sigh of relief and surveyed the damage. Across the room Guy had collapsed, much like the first time and an uninjured Asch was sitting him up against the wall, before joining the rest of them. No one had sustained any major damage, but they were all exhausted, even from such a brief encounter. They were far from the skill they would need to face the God-Generals on equal ground.
"Tear, are you alright?" Luke asked worriedly.
"I'm fine," Tear replied somewhat coldly.
"You certainly don't sound fine," Natalia pointed out. It was the truth; Tear's maelstrom of emotions clearly echoed in her voice.
"What did Van tell you?" Asch asked.
"Asch!" Natalia protested, hitting him in the chest with the back of her hand. "That is none of your business!"
"You know…the Score said Hod would fall, just like Akzeriuth," Tear began. "I had always known that, so did my brother. But... to think… they would go as far as that." Tear tensed up to hide the fact she was on the verge of trembling in anger. No one could judge her expression seeing as her back was still turned, but they didn't have to see to know she was on the verge of tears.
Why was she telling them this? Tear stared intently at the ground, but she could feel the presence of her friends behind her. Maybe she wanted to talk to sort out her feelings amidst the storm of emotions that still hung over her. Then again, maybe she just wanted someone who would listen, someone to talk to, someone who would understand…
"I…" Tear's voice wavered.
"Tear…" Luke walked up behind her and gently extended a comforting hand.
"I hate fomicry!"
Luke's hand froze an inch from where he had planned to place it comfortingly on her shoulder.
"Anyone who would do that to all those innocent people… They didn't matter to anyone, why not make them suffer? Why not use them for fomicry experiments? Why not try and make a bunch of stupid replicas?! Those people were going to die anyway so they don't matter; their feelings are completely meaningless, right? But that's not true, they were my parents, they mattered to me!"
Luke's hand was trembling as he retracted it and took a few steps back. None of them had ever heard Tear so upset or angry before. But then again, none of them had ever heard her speak of anything personal either.
"My father…" Tear continued, slowly calming down. She finally turned around to face the others. "He died…he died because someone extracted his replica data." Though she had calmed down, her voice still wavered, threatening to break at any moment, just like the melodist to whom it belonged.
"Is that even possible?" Anise inquired incredulously.
"I'm afraid so," Jade confirmed. "The process of extracting replica data can have a negative effect on the original, and it's not uncommon for the subject to die somewhere along the way."
"I never knew…" Tear replied, pausing for a moment before she was able to continue. "It happened just before I was born. Not long after my mother had me, she died too. You know how she died? She died of a broken heart. She wasted away for months waiting for him, hoping he'd return! But he never did! Because some researcher decided his life was meaningless!"
"So you lost your parents to the fomicry research that took place on Hod," Natalia said gently. "It's no wonder you hate it. I can't say I'd feel any differently."
"The people of Hod were treated like cattle! Simply because the Score said they would die. I'll never forgive those who took advantage of that! Fomicry creates nothing but pain and suffering, nothing good can possibly come of it!"
Asch stood next to Luke, his hand resting on his replica's shoulder. He couldn't understand the melodist; it seemed so unlike her to take such a radical view point. Perhaps it was because fomicry had never been a sore subject for him that he couldn't see where she was coming from. Then again, he had Luke. She didn't have anyone, and had her entire family ripped away from her. Her hatred was well founded, but that didn't make it any easier to swallow.
"Tear, I know you lost your family," Asch began. "But don't you think…"
"It's not just that," Tear replied, her attention so focused on Asch, she didn't notice the state his twin was in. "Why? If there had been a reason, it might be easier. All those experiments, all that pain, that sadness… for what? Some stupid replicas? What good is a replica? They don't have any of the memories we shared. They can't bring my parents back to me, they can't talk any sense into Van. They can't bring back all those that died… nothing. Fomicry shouldn't even exist!"
"If you don't mind my asking," Jade interrupted, doing his best to keep attention away from the redheads who had retreated a few steps. Even he felt for the poor boy… from Tear of all people. "If you so strongly believe in everything Commandant Grants said, then why didn't you go with him?"
"My brother is trying to use fomicry for his own ends. I just can't accept that," Tear replied with a surprising amount of conviction. When it came down to it, fomicry had destroyed her entire family. First it killed her parents, now it had taken her brother. Who else would it rip away from her?
"What ends might those be?" Jade casually enquired.
"I don't know much about them, my brother didn't say much," Tear admitted, after taking a moment to calm down. "This is one of the places he's been using to research."
"Research what?" Natalia inquired.
"What else?" Tear replied bitterly.
"And he's made some astounding progress," Jade commented from the terminal he had already appropriated and begun scanning through. "What's this? My my, Commandant, you've quite outdone yourself."
"What is it?" Asch inquired, still not leaving Luke's side. His sibling hadn't said a word since Tear had begun to speak and it didn't take a genius to tell he was hurt by it. Hurt, and suddenly very afraid. Though saying Luke was terrified was a friendly way of putting it. But it wasn't like Tear was doing this on purpose, though every word from her mouth made it that much harder on Luke. She didn't know; a fact that was starting to look like the only chance her and Luke had of ever maintaining their relationship.
"Van's research data shows an exceptionally large potential area. Quite frankly, it's the largest I've ever seen."
"You mean like the size of a house?" Anise inquired.
"Hardly," Jade replied. "Something like that was possible even back when fomicry was first developed…" Jade paused a moment. "Sorry, Tear."
"My brother's up to something and it involves fomicry. It's okay, it's not like we can really avoid it. I want to help you out; this is my responsibility as well." Tear walked over to the Colonel and glanced at the screen he was reading. It all looked like meaningless nonsense to her. Numbers here, other symbols and equations there… and yet this is what had taken everything from her… Tear took a deep breath and settled her renewed anger. It wouldn't serve any further purpose right now. They had to stop her brother, before he used fomicry to ruin even more lives.
"Well the research data shows a potential size of over 30 million square kilometers. That's almost a tenth the size of Auldrant," Jade pointed out.
"That's huge!" Anise exclaimed. "Even if you could do that, where would you put it?"
"Do you suppose he's trying to drop the Outer Lands to make room for this replica he intends to create?" Ion pondered.
"Drop the Outer Lands?" Tear exclaimed.
"It's a long story, we'll explain later," Anise provided.
"I see…" Jade continued to scroll down the list of information. "Well this also confirms what Dorian General Grants told you. There's the replica data here for all the citizens of Hod."
"How much suffering went into that information?" Tear asked bitterly.
"A great deal I'm sure," Jade replied, turning the monitor off. "In any case, there isn't much more we can discover here. We should make our way out."
"Yeah," Asch agreed, giving the unresponsive Luke a nudge. Luke shook his head, as if trying to shake off the daze that settled over him.
"Asch is right," Like pitched in.
'Are you okay?' Asch inquired.
'You're not going to make me…' Luke trailed off, the fear associated with the thought of telling Tear he was a replica spilled over their connection and easily finished his sentence for him.
'No,' Asch replied.
'Hey Asch, about earlier…'
'Don't worry about it,' Asch smiled, a gesture Luke returned with a huge sigh of relief. But behind that smile, a grave problem rested on Asch's mind. There was no way it was going to come out that Luke was a replica now. Not after everything Tear had just said. But without that, they wouldn't be able to address the issue of the faulty Score, which meant they would have to do something about it on their own…
So they started their game of secrets once again.