Chapter 43: Replica

The sun beat down on Tear as she quietly walked along. Song birds flittered from tree to tree serenading the young Oracle Knight, but she didn't notice their joyful songs. She had other things on her mind.

The melodist continued to search among the scattered trees that stood just beyond the outskirts of Daath. Luke had only escaped her view a few minutes ago; he couldn't have gotten too far. She certainly hoped he hadn't taken off into the forest that grew between here and the ocean. If that was the case, she'd never find him. Yulia knows Luke has no sense of direction, Tear really hoped the young noble hadn't gotten himself lost.

Her fears, however, were proven to be groundless only moments later when she spotted a familiar head of red hair sitting under a tree. Luke sat alone, his arms wrapped around the knees his chin rested on. The sunlight filtered gently through the leaves casting a soft glow on her companion. He may not have gotten far, but he looked so… lost, almost dazed as he stared aimlessly into the distance. Tear's tensed muscles relaxed, at least he was okay.

Tear carefully made her way towards the redhead, doing her utmost not to startle him. Noticing her approach, Luke buried his face in his arms.

"Luke…" Tear sat down next to him and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. He still didn't look up.

"You hate me, don't you?" Luke's voice was muffled but it didn't hide the fact that he was bordering on tears.

What the? Tear almost removed her hand in shock. She knew that Luke must be upset after the way her brother had insulted and humiliated him, but how in all of Auldrant did he get an idea like that?

"Luke, why would you even think something like that?"

"You said it yourself… nothing good can come out of fomicry."

Then it suddenly hit her. Not once during all of her brother's musings did she actually believe the things he had said were true. If anything it seemed like an all too convenient ploy to try and sow confusion among them. After all, something like that was impossible... wasn't it? There was no way Luke was a – a…

But he really was a replica, wasn't he? A person created from fomicry. Luke who was so full of smiles and who lit up her world every time he walked into it; Luke suddenly represented everything she had wanted to hate, and that turned her world upside down.

Do you love Luke?

Jade's question echoed in her mind, mocking her ignorance. But how? No! This wasn't how things were supposed to be. Why? Why hadn't Luke told her this sooner? Ever since she had known him, he'd been lying to her. Here she had opened up, told him things she had never told a soul before, and he had fed her nothing but deceit. He knew how she felt! How could he do something like that?! How could he betray her like this?

Tear opened her mouth, but before she could say a word against the replica sitting beside her, she noticed the tears that leaked from his eyes, half buried in his arms. The melodist clamped her mouth shut as a haunting familiar image crept back into her mind.

This was exactly the same as Akzeriuth had been.

She had found out something about Luke, something that appalled her, hurt her, and made her want nothing more than to lash out at the source of all this pain. But back then, she hadn't seen the full picture, she had lashed out at someone who was innocent and had done nothing more than make Luke suffer. She had never regretted anything as much as she regretted her actions that day, and she swore to herself she would never repeat Akzeriuth again.

Judgement could –no- it would have to wait, wait until she understood things better. This time she would give Luke a chance to talk, she would listen to what he had to say. She didn't know what she could do about her feelings, but at the very least she had to try. Tear had told Luke she wanted to know him, to see the person that he really was. Here she had just caught her first real glimpse into his world, seen a part of that essence that made up such a treasured friend. It scared her, but there was no way she could run away now.

She had promised.

--

No one had moved from the seemingly deserted road that led to Daath's eastern district. Not that Jade really minded, a lot of information had come out in a short time; it was bound to take them all awhile to process it. Squabbles certainly had the most amazing ability to uncover important information. Not that this was much of a surprise to him, that minor detail had been confirmed quite awhile ago.

What remained to be seen was how the others would handle things. Judging from the reactions, Guy knew, as did the Princess, which came as no surprise. At the very least he might get the chance to ask about a few things that had been bothering him for awhile now. Jade noticed Asch staring in his direction, looking away when the Colonel noticed. He was a clever one, Asch knew the questions that were coming, and that there would be no escaping them this time.

"Wait a second…" Anise was the first person to speak up. Her eyes remained fixed on that small patch of horizon from which Luke and Tear had both vanished several moments earlier. "All that stuff the Commandant said… it wasn't true… was it?"

Guy sighed and looked at Asch who met his gaze. A silent agreement passed between the two of them and Guy turned towards the Fon Master Guardian.

"Maybe we should look for a place to sit down or something," the blond suggested. "It's kind of a long story."

"Well then where do you suggest?" Jade inquired, a taunting tone haunting his voice. "We could always go back and ask the God-Generals to let us borrow a room."

"It'll be fine," Asch dismissed the Colonel's concerns. "If Van was really intent on taking me against my will, he could have easily done it just now. He's waiting for me to come of my own volition first."

"And will you?" Ion asked. To that, Asch never replied.

"Well why don't we go sit down in that little café just beyond the entrance to the city?" Guy suggested. "It's usually crowded enough that we won't stand out or be overheard, but close enough to the edge of town that we can make an escape if we have too."

"You mean the one where you and your girlfriend were hanging out?" Anise teased.

"Yeah. I- I mean no! She's not my girlfriend! You know there's no way that could happen." Guy shuddered at the thought. Any kind of relationship with a girl that went beyond friendship…that involved t-touching and hugging…. Guy shuddered again. It just couldn't end well.

"Don't we all." Asch rolled his eyes, the faint traces of a mischievous grin visible as he turned around to head back towards the city.

"Ugh," Anise groaned. "This means were heading back into Daath, doesn't it?"

"Well that is where Guy's romantic little café is located," Jade replied with a mischievous gleam in his eye.

"Jade! Not you too!" Guy protested, all the while doing his utmost to avoid the many women mixed in the crowds they'd just walked into.

"Sorry, I'm afraid I can't hear you over the noise. These old ears of mine, you know. You'll have to bring it up later."

Anise snickered as Jade defeated the blond. Leave it to the Colonel to somehow time it so they were in the middle of Daath's crowds before Guy could issue any further protests. It left her to wonder if he didn't plan it all ahead of time. It would definitely make a whole lot more sense, but then again, maybe he was just an expert at using his surroundings. Whatever the case, there was one thing she knew for sure. To date, Jade stood undefeated. But that didn't mean she was going to stop trying!

The evil gleam in Anise's eye was quickly replaced by a flutter of annoyance. The crowds hadn't diminished at all in the time they spent on Daath's outskirts. It was a pain, but at the same time, the numerous people made for a decent enough cover. For the most part everyone walked in silence, well as much silence as there could be on a busy city street. Anise really didn't get it, why were there always so many people in Daath?

Not that she really cared right now, what she really wanted to know about was what the Commandant had said. Asch had mentioned something about telling the truth, but there was no way Van was right, was there? Luke, a replica? No way! Sure he was stupid sometimes but he was still Luke, and even though the two of them looked alike, he was way different from Asch. Most days those two seemed like water and oil. Anise had no idea how they got along so well. Then again they did have seventeen years of practice. Or did they? If Luke was a replica, didn't that mean he'd have to be younger than Asch? Gyah! She didn't understand any of this replica stuff! Hopefully Asch or Guy could shed a bit more light on all this. Otherwise it was going to drive her nuts!

"What is it Jade?" Guy noticed the Colonel who had stopped behind them.

"What's up Colonel?" Anise piped up. "Do you hear something?"

"Hey look who it is!" Guy spotted a flailing hand in the distance.

"Guys!" The silver haired pilot waved to the group he had finally picked out of Daath's crowds. He knew better than to call them by name, with everything they got themselves into there was never any telling how safe that was.

It always seemed like there was someone or another after his newest group of friends, not surprising given everything that they were doing. It amazed Ginji just how much his newfound companions were willing to take on alone, even if it was to save the world. Ginji had a great deal of respect for them, just as he suspected everyone who really got the chance to know them did.

Thankfully someone in the group spotted him and they all stopped. Ginji hurried through the crowd, pushing people aside, stopping to catch his breath once he'd finally caught up to them.

"Asch! It's good to see you're alright!" The pilot finally managed between breaths. It had been awhile since he'd run that far.

"Ginji, are you alright?" Anise asked while Ginji took another minute to get his breathing under control. "What happened? Did you run all the way from the Albiore or what?"

"Sort of, except the Albiore isn't in the same place anymore. That's why I came to try and find you. A bunch of Oracle Knights were getting a bit too curious, so I moved her as soon as it was safe."

"Thanks Ginji," Asch answered.

"Of course," Ginji said with a grin. "But what about you? They didn't hurt you or anything, did they?"

"No I'm fine," Asch reassured the pilot. "Actually, why don't you come with us, it'll be easier to explain this all at once."

"Umm…sure," Ginji finally noticed the solemn air that hung over the group. "What's going on? What's the matter?"

"Don't worry, nothing's wrong," Guy provided. "Asch just has something really important he wants to explain to everyone."

"Okay," the pilot answered as he followed along behind everyone. He still couldn't shake the weird vibes he was getting from the group. What exactly was Asch about to explain? And where were Luke and Tear?

--

Van sat back in his chair, one of his hands absent-mindedly stroking his goatee. The small office that he had claimed as his own was musty, and a thin film of dust covered everything. It has been awhile since he'd made use of the place. The Commandant wearily eyed the stacks of paperwork that demanded his attention, but quickly decided against it. He didn't have the time or the patience for such a mundane waste of time.

His blue eyes remained fixed on the door as he allowed his mind to wander. Perhaps if it wandered far enough the throbbing it was causing would stop. He wasn't expecting anyone, though he vaguely hoped to see Asch, Mystearica or even Gailardia come through that door. He knew full well that was an empty hope. It was far too soon for either of them to have come to their senses. That would take time, but perhaps it was finally moving in the right direction.

The replica still lived. The thing was truly a nuisance, an unforeseen one at that. Even now, he regretted not ending its life right then and there, but that wouldn't have solved a thing. Having killed it there would have served only to anger those whom he hoped would join him, and he couldn't risk it at this point, especially given Asch's temperament. Van cursed the replica. If only things had gone properly in Akzeriuth.

There was still hope, however, for Mystearica perhaps more so than the others. But they too would come in time. Things would move faster now that the truth that the replica had tried so hard to hide was out. His younger sister's hatred of fomicry had not been part of his calculations, but it had turned out to be an unforeseen advantage. The chance to turn her against the wretched thing and have her see the truth had outweighed his desire to see it dead.

A soft knock on the door drew Van away from his thoughts. If it was someone with more of those Score be damned papers, they were going to get more than just an earful.

"What is it?"

"Just seeing if you wouldn't mind a visitor." A head of purple hair poked in the door with her usual wide grin.

"Aren't you supposed to be in bed, Cantabile?" Van arched an eyebrow disapprovingly as the God-General limped into his office.

"With you in here worrying like you do, not a chance. Besides, it's not as bad as it looks."

"How's your leg?"

"It's fine, the healers say it'll be as good as new in a couple weeks." Cantabile shrugged. "It makes taking the stairs to your office a pain though," she added with a mischievous wink.

"Didn't the healers give you crutches?" The Commandant asked sceptically.

"No way am I using those things. I'm not some cripple!" The young God-General protested. Van simply rolled his eyes.

"So who gave you those injuries, was it the Necromancer?"

"No, it was Asch that got my leg," Cantabile provided. "The Necromancer took advantage of that. I barely got away with just a messed up arm, he certainly plays for keeps."

"That's not like you," Van commented. "Asch shouldn't be anywhere near your level."

"Yeah I know, I just- I wasn't thinking straight."

"Gailardia?"

"Yeah, and other things."

"You can't let yourself get distracted so easily. If you don't stop getting so worked up you'll get yourself killed."

"Don't get worked up? Aren't we one to talk," Cantabile replied teasingly. "All you do is get yourself stressed into knots. Don't worry," the God-General took on a more serious tone. "I'm not going anywhere anytime soon, and neither are you. We both have work to do and a world to save."

"Yes," Van answered with a sigh before getting up out of his chair. "We have a great deal of work to do."

--

Asch stared into his drink, casually tossing the ice cubes around with his straw. The others were unusually silent, probably because they didn't know how to start. That was fine by him; this wasn't exactly his choice of discussion, especially given everything that had just happened. But it was still necessary, and in all honesty, long overdue.

Poor Luke, Asch couldn't help but feel for his sibling. Of all the ways for his secret to come out, this had to be the hardest. Asch sincerely hoped he had been right in not letting anyone pursue his brother and the melodist. But it had been Luke's decision to hide the fact he was a replica, so Luke had to deal with the consequences on his own. Still, he worried.

"I think this has been put off long enough," Jade finally said with a sigh. "Why don't you start by telling us how everything transpired? I'm sure it wasn't something a family from the Kimlascan nobility did out of boredom."

Asch rolled his eyes but couldn't resist the grin that tugged at his lips. Leave it to the old man…

"Seventeen years ago," Asch began, "I was born into the Kimlascan nobility to Duke Fabre and Lady Suzanne. I was named Luke fon Fabre, and I was their only child."

"You're Luke?!" Anise interrupted. "Did you two switch again?" Asch solemnly shook his head. "But then how…" the Fon Master Guardian continued, a confused look on her face. Then it hit her. "Hold up! Back up a second, you're not implying what the Commandant said about Luke was actually true?! If it was, why didn't you ever say anything?"

"Anise…" Ion tried to intervene.

"No, it's alright," Asch shook his head and sent Ion a grateful smile. "That's right, what Van said is true. Luke is my replica. The old man over here figured it out." Asch turned his attention to the Colonel in question. "What I wanted to ask you was: what gave us away?"

"I had a sneaking suspicion from the moment we met in the Cheagle Woods," Jade admitted. "You look too alike for your own good."

"Choral Castle then?"

Jade coughed indignantly. "Yes."

"I thought so," Asch said, returning his attention to the group.

"So that huge machine in the basement was actually a fomicry machine?" Anise asked.

"That's right."

"Perhaps you could tell us the story from the beginning?" Ion suggested.

"I think that's a good idea," Guy agreed. Asch shot Guy a dirty look but the blonde shrugged it off. They were going to have to tell it one way or another, and they both knew it. Though Asch would have been much happier fielding questions than divulging unnecessary information, it was better to do it this way, and he couldn't deny that. The young noble sighed in defeat and continued his story.

"When I was 10 years old, I went missing from the manor. It was a big deal, and word of it even reached Malkuth. They were being blamed for having taken me and things got pretty tense for awhile. Almost a month later, a ten year old boy was found in the ruins of Choral Castle. He was the same height and had the same red hair as he wandered aimlessly with no memories of what had happened or who he was. In fact, he had no memories at all. He was rushed home to his family and happily continued on with his life. It was a month or so after that when I finally came home."

"Is that why you and Luke were forbidden from leaving Baticul?" Ion asked.

Asch nodded. "Since they could never pin down the culprit, there was no saying if they'd try again. Mother wanted us to remain in the manor, but she knew it wasn't possible given how often I had to go up to the castle. So as a compromise, we weren't allowed out of the city, and if we were in the city, we had to have an escort."

"I presume that it was Commandant Grants that actually kidnapped you?" Jade inquired.

"Yeah, it was Van," Asch confirmed. "For the longest time I never really understood what he had wanted out of the whole thing. But given everything that's happened recently, I think I do."

"He wanted you," Ion said softly. Asch nodded.

"I think it was his intention that Luke act as my substitute so he could use me in whatever twisted plans he has going."

"But wait," Anise cut in, "if you knew it was the Commandant all along, then why was he still your sword instructor?"

"Like I said," Asch repeated, "for a long time, I didn't know what Van wanted. I honestly believed that what he had done, he had done for my sake."

"It seems like a strange thing to do for your benefit," Ion pointed out.

"When I was really young, I always wanted a sibling, someone my own age I could play with. Natalia and I spent time together, but other then that I didn't really have anyone around. I let myself believe that Van had done it to grant that wish." Asch sighed. He knew that was a lie, the same way he knew that Jade didn't believe him for a second. He had believed that because he didn't want to consider the alternatives. He had never confessed that Van was at fault, because he didn't want to believe that the person he had always looked up to was really as twisted as his actions had suggested.

"So what happened after you came home?" Ion inquired gently.

"Well we realized what must have happened when we spotted Asch and-" Guy shrunk back when Asch shot him a dirty look. "Sorry, I guess this is your story," the blond said apologetically.

"Fomicry was a pretty controversial topic back then. It was still being perfected and all the world leaders and nobility had their eyes on it in case someone decided to try and use it to develop weapons. So given the fact that fomicry was such a hot political topic, it wasn't too hard to figure out what had happened. I guess you could say that was the day we became twins."

--

"You know… I'm really only seven years old." Luke said softly.

Tear watched the redhead in awe at everything he had been telling her. A story of the boy she knew as Asch and how he had been replicated… it just couldn't be real; this was all just bad dream. Luke was sitting there, his knees still in his arms and his chin resting gently on those knees as he stared off into the horizon, talking as if he was in some kind of trance. His voice was soft and had a sad edge to it, like this was the last conversation they would ever have. No... it couldn't be… this wasn't happening.

"How's that?" Tear tried to ask gently. Her voice came out with a cold edge and she berated herself for it. Now wasn't the time to be letting her bitterness over fomicry get in the way.

"Well no one really knows when my real birthday is," Luke answered. "All we know is it's sometime between when Asch disappeared and when I was found, so it's sometime towards the end of summer. At home we would celebrate it on the same day as Asch's because we're supposed to be twins and all."

Luke couldn't bring himself to look at Tear, he just couldn't. She must hate him, of course she did. He was a replica, a product of fomicry, and she had made her feelings on that subject clear as day plenty of times. He didn't even know why he was talking. Maybe it was because the longer he talked, the longer he put off the inevitable. He didn't want to lose Tear, but what could he do? Nothing could change the fact that he was a replica. So he just kept talking, clinging to this last moment they had. In their last moment, he couldn't even face her. He was pathetic until the very end.

Tear forced herself to swallow as the reality of the situation continued to make itself all the clearer. She wouldn't let herself get angry with Luke. He had lied to her all this time, but he was telling the truth now, and it couldn't be easy for him. She owed it to him to at least hear him out.

"I've always known that I was a replica," Luke said, continuing before Tear had a chance to intervene. "Ever since before I can remember, it's always been a fact of life. It's just what I am, and for awhile, it never really bothered me."

--

"Luke had a hard time in the first few years," Asch said sadly. "Despite our parents doing their best to stop it, a bunch of the servants still treated him badly. There wasn't much known about fomicry at the time. Most of them saw Luke as an object, and treated him accordingly."

"That's terrible," Ion commented.

"I think that's probably where some of his apprehension about being a replica came from," Asch provided.

"Part of it probably comes from the fact that it had to be kept a secret too," Guy pointed out.

"I'm sure that didn't help," Asch agreed. "Eventually we started keeping it a secret from the servants as well. There aren't very many of them that still work at the manor who know the truth."

"Can I ask something?" Ginji spoke up.

"Sure, what is it?"

"How did you guys keep something like this undercover? I mean, I've never heard anything even remotely close to this and let's face it, you're the heir to the throne. How is it there's suddenly two of you, and no one notices?"

A grin spread across Asch's face. "You should ask around Baticul sometime, you'll hear some interesting stories. Since an official reason was never given, quite a few different rumours went around; most people actually assumed it had to do with competition for the throne. I've heard a couple different ones myself. I think the explanation that people finally decided on was that I, the older son, was a sickly child. Since I was never expected to survive, I was kept a secret so there wouldn't be any controversy about giving the younger, healthy, son the throne. Then I miraculously 'recovered' and claimed my rightful position. Of course, it depends who you ask."

"That's a pretty crazy story," Anise commented.

"Yeah, but people liked it for that reason. It also explained why there was still only one of us around for awhile afterward. Regardless, it worked well enough to keep anyone from digging too deep. You'll still find the odd person telling a curious visitor."

"Not only that, but to have a 'miracle', fabricated as it may be, surrounding the future ruler would only solidify the people's faith in his strength and will," Jade pointed out. "I'm sure such a story was not discouraged."

"It was probably seeded by some of the servants," Guy said with a chuckle. "I remember them brainstorming stories for when they had to go out shopping, since they knew they'd be asked about it."

"What about people close to the family?" Ion inquired. "Surely there must have been some people that knew there was only one child."

"A good majority of the Kimlascan nobility are aware of Luke's unique circumstances, as is His Majesty. They approve or disapprove as they please, but it's not their decision to make so we really couldn't care less what they think. His Majesty was the one that ensured those who knew kept it a secret."

"Seeing as you have Spinoza involved in your care, I take there was research involved?" Jade asked.

"That's right," Asch confirmed. "Though there are very few people aware of that fact outside our family and His Majesty. That's something a bit too controversial to entrust as common knowledge among the nobility. But at the time there was almost no information on fomicry. Our family funded a good deal of fomicry research, with the stipulation that there be no living replicas created, of course. Still, we've accumulated quite the library."

"Anything that could be of use?"

"No, I've read through everything we have at one point or another. There's nothing there that could help us with our current predicament."

"Quite a devious plan on your family's part," Jade pointed out. "Involvement in fomicry is risky for someone of such a high status, but at the same time, by funding it, it is much easier to keep tabs on all the research being done." Jade pushed his glasses back up the bridge of his nose.

"That was probably part of the reason it was done," Asch admitted. "But really, most of it was for Luke's sake."

"So why was it you decided to change your name?" Ginji inquired curiously. "Wouldn't it have been easier to just give Luke a new name?"

"Maybe," Asch shrugged. "But I had my reasons… and after everything that had happened, I guess I just needed a fresh start."

--

"In the end, I was the one to keep the name Luke," the young replica explained. "But it wasn't like I took on Asch's role or anything. He was still the one engaged to Natalia and in line to the throne. But that was fine, I'm not really cut out for that sort of thing, you know? Besides, it wasn't until I was three that I could pass for any other thirteen year old."

"Didn't anyone ever question everything?" Tear asked.

"I couldn't honestly tell you. I spent most of my time either in the manor or up at the castle. I never went out into Baticul when I was younger. Once I was old enough to pass for someone my age I was allowed to explore Baticul a bit if someone came with me. By then everything had been settled for a few years.

"That is understandable," Tear replied. "I don't imagine they'd want it floating around Baticul that someone of your status was a replica." The melodist cringed as the words left her mouth. Saying them gave it such certainty. But for the first time since they'd begun talking, she didn't find herself fighting against the urge to be upset with Luke. If she had learnt anything, it was that Luke was the last person to blame. He didn't have any choice in how he was born, and getting mad at him for such a thing would only make her look more the fool. But it still didn't change the fact that he was the product of everything she had come to hate.

"No, it's a secret we've kept for a very long time, and wish it would have stayed that way." Luke buried his head in his arms again. "Why did everyone have to find out like this?"

"Luke…" Tear comfortingly rubbed the redhead's back.

"I'm just so sick of it!" Luke looked up again, his green eyes shining and ready to overflow. "Why is it that every time people learn something about me, it's because someone else told them? I hate it!"

"That's what happens when you keep secrets," Tear replied softly, turning her own gaze towards the horizon. "Before you know it, everything's out of hand, and nothing works out how you want it to. But that's why we have to keep trying, no matter how difficult things become."

"But what point is there in trying when you aren't working towards anything?" Luke asked.

"What do you mean by that?"

"Everything… it all belongs to Asch. I'm just his replica, there isn't room for both of us. Asch has always shared his life with me, but he can't share his future. I don't… have anything to look forward to or to work towards and now… now I've lost…" Luke trailed off and left a helpless Tear to watch as the young boy before her sobbed.

For the first time since she'd met him, Tear could finally see Luke for what he was. A boy helplessly lost and trying to survive among adults, drowning in a world he shouldn't have to understand. She could see why Natalia had always wanted to leave him behind. Luke shouldn't have had to go through the things they had, seen the things they'd seen… he was still a child.

And yet, he'd kept up such an amazing act. Not once had she suspected a thing. Luke had never given off any kind of impression that he had lived anything but his supposed 17 years of life. Sure maybe he was hopelessly naïve, and a bit of an idiot, but only seven? How much of his own innocence had he sacrificed for their sake, the torment he'd accepted in silence… and Akzeriuth? Tear's head was spinning as it tried to take off in several different directions at once. Yet, amidst her confusion, she found herself gently stroking Luke's back. So much more about her treasured companion suddenly made sense, but even with her newfound revelation, she couldn't decipher how she was supposed to handle this situation. So she simply sat there and comforted him.

It was all she could do.

--

"I must say, that's quite the story," Jade commented.

"That's about all there is to it," Asch replied conclusively.

"So what does this mean?" Anise asked, her voice loud enough to silence the surrounding tables. The young Fon Master Guardian shrunk down as she turned a few shades of red. Once everyone around them had returned to their conversations, she continued a bit quieter. "What I meant was, what does this change regarding you and Luke?"

"Nothing." Asch's reply was simple and to the point. A soft smile graced his face. "Nothing at all is different. Luke is Luke. Being a replica or not doesn't matter in the least.

"But wasn't Luke the one who almost stole your life away?" Anise asked with several levels of scepticism in her voice. "No offence or anything, but I don't get why the two of you get along at all. Didn't it make you mad to have Luke steal your name and identity like that?"

"No," the eldest redhead said as he stood up. "Luke needed me; that was all that mattered.

"Where are you going?" Ion asked.

"I'm going to head back to the Albiore," Asch replied as he reached in his pocket and placed a handful of gald on the table to cover the cost of everyone's drinks. One last gift from the few unfortunate Oracle Knights he'd encountered on his journey out of the Cathedral.

"I'll come with you and show you where it is," Ginji offered.

"Thanks Ginji," Asch said with a smile. The pilot returned the smile before quickly explaining to Jade where he had moved the Albiore so that the rest of them could find it later.

"Before you leave," Jade spoke up. "A question, if I may?"

"What is it, old man?"

"When you were captured by the God-Generals, you were disguised as Luke. Seeing as you're still in Luke's attire, I believe we can take that for a fact." Asch looked down at Luke's jacket he was still wearing and chuckled, deciding he really didn't need to confirm that one. "However," the Colonel continued, "their orders were to kill Luke, but that you were not to be harmed. How did they know they had captured you and not Luke?"

Asch looked at Jade with an expression akin to curiosity for a moment before a mischievous grin took its place. "You mean, you don't know?"

"Wait, there's a way to tell the two of you apart?" Anise asked, nearly knocking her chair over as she stood up.

"Yes there is," Asch confirmed. "But far be it from me to ruin the fun. I'm heading off now; I'll see you guys later."

"Wait, I'm coming too!" Mieu jumped down off the table and scrambled up onto Asch's shoulder. "I don't understand all this stuff about Master, mieuuu."

"Don't worry," Asch replied with a chuckle. "It doesn't change anything, Luke is still your master, and he's the same as he always was. He might need you to cheer him up a bit though."

"Okay! I'll do my best!"

"That's an underhanded shot," Guy mumbled with a sceptical look in Asch's direction. They all knew full well how annoying the young cheagle could be when he was on a mission; forget a mission to cheer someone up. It could drive even someone with Ion's patience up the wall.

"Speaking of Luke, how's he going to find the Albiore if it's been moved?" Guy asked.

"He's with Tear, I'm sure they'll find it," Asch replied. It was easy enough for him to give Luke directions, but their connection wasn't a trump card he was planning to give up just yet.

"You said he went out the east entrance?" Ginji inquired.

"Yeah that's right," Guy provided.

"Well if he heads back towards where the Albiore used to be, he should pass pretty close to where we are. If we keep an eye out for him, we can catch him as he passes," Ginji offered which appeased the worried blond.

"Why turning in so soon?" Anise asked the young noble whose back was already turned. Asch simply stretched and walked off, followed by Ginji who hurried after his companion. "What's his problem?" She mumbled once they were out of an earshot.

"Come on now, if he wasn't like that, he wouldn't be Asch." Guy simply shrugged and Anise giggled. It was so true. You'd think it would kill him to give someone a straight answer every once in awhile. Then again, maybe he was just taking a page out of a certain Colonel's book.

"This isn't an easy topic for him," Guy spoke up once Anise's giggling died down. "He may seem to brush it off like it's nothing, but it's as hard for him as it is for Luke. They don't keep it secret for nothing. Neither like it, but the fact of the matter remains that Luke is Asch's replica."

"Can I ask you something?" Anise inquired.

"Sure what is it?"

"Back when we were in Choral Castle, you made a comment about Asch. You said that you were surprised Asch was so protective of Luke, but you wouldn't explain what you meant. How come you think that?"

"Wow… that's a pretty good memory you have," Guy laughed nervously. "You see, when we first found Luke wandering around Choral Castle, he had absolutely no memories at all."

"You mean like a newborn?" Anise asked.

"No," Jade interrupted. "Newborns have instincts, they cry when they're hungry or upset, they recognize their parents. When replicas are created, they're completely empty, a blank slate if you will. They learn solely through imitating others."

"Wow Jade," Ion spoke up. "You're quite knowledgeable on the subject."

"Not really." The Colonel adjusted his glasses. "This is merely speculation, Spinoza would likely know much more concerning the development and learning patterns of a replica since he's watched Luke and Asch grow up. But enough of that, Guy, please continue."

"Well we had no reason to suspect anything strange; we just thought he had amnesia from the trauma of the kidnapping and that his memories would eventually come back. So we brought him home and took care of him. It wasn't until he got home that we realized the extent of his so-called 'amnesia'. He had all the doctors baffled."

"Well it's no wonder, he didn't have any memories to find. However, we didn't know that at the time," Natalia spoke up for the first time in several hours. The young princess had been unusually quiet, and hadn't met Asch's gaze once while he was at the table. Even now, her voice lacked the confidence it usually held. "But regardless, he was still our Luke, and we had faith his memories would return on their own, and in the meantime we instructed him as best we could."

"So how does Asch fit into all of this?" Ion asked gently.

"We lost track of Luke," Guy replied. "That's how it all started. When we found him across the yard, there were two of them. I don't know what went on between the two of them in that time, and I doubt we'll ever find out, but by the time we got there, Asch was already coming to Luke's defence. If you think about it, Asch was the reason Luke joined the family."

"Asch was?" Anise eyed the blond sceptically. "I get why you're confused."

"Well those two certainly don't seem to make sense," Natalia pointed out. "But they still function just fine, so I guess all we can do is follow along."

"They do have a tendency to take the longest, hardest, and loudest way of getting there, but they do usually work things out," Guy agreed. "There's not really much point in trying to understand them. All that's good for is a good headache." Ion laughed. Perhaps the young Fon Master had been doing a bit too much of that of late. Guy shot the green-haired boy a smile before continuing.

"After that, Luke had to be taught everything from the ground up. He learnt quickly, but it still took him awhile to recognize everyone. I mean, he 'recognized' us in the sense that we were familiar, but he never really recognized people as individuals. Asch was the first person he ever called by name, including both of their parents."

"Well, all things considered, it does make a great deal of sense," Natalia pointed out. "Asch was different from everyone else in the sense he looked exactly like Luke."

"I doubt that's the reason," Jade said, interrupting the Princess' train of thought.

"What do you mean by that?" Natalia inquired curiously. Jade simply shrugged.

"You mean Luke recognized Asch because Asch was his original?" Anise suggested.

"I guess you could say something like that."

"Regardless of the reason, to Asch, who was undoubtedly struggling with his own identity at the time, it made a world of difference." Guy placed his empty cup back down on the table.

"Someone who recognized him… for simply being himself…" Natalia mumbled.

"Natalia?" Ion tried to catch the Princess' gaze as she became focused on the table.

"I'm sorry," she shook her head. "I agree, I think it would have meant a great deal to him."

"Well," Jade said as he stood up from his chair. Behind him, the sun was beginning to set and around them, waitresses were cleaning the tables that were quickly being vacated. "It's starting to get late, shall we rejoin the others?"

"We should probably get going," Guy agreed.

"Oh man," Anise stretched. "I wonder how Luke and Tear are doing."

"I hope Tear's okay," Ion commented. "She was certainly very passionate regarding her feelings on the subject."

"Yeah, I hope she didn't give it to him too bad."

"I just hope this isn't going to put a huge wedge between the two of them," Guy added. He knew full well how his best friend felt about the melodist. Among all of Luke's new friends, she held a special place in his heart. He sincerely hoped, for Luke's sake, that she could understand.

"Have you listened to Tear talk about fomicry?" Anise cocked an eyebrow. "We'll be lucky if we get Luke back in one piece. Well I guess if worse comes to worse we can always have the Colonel reassemble him." Jade coughed indignantly.

"I'd watch what you say around Asch," Guy replied with a nervous chuckle. "Or Jade will be reassembling you."

"What?" Anise inquired, her tone of voice suggesting she was slightly offended that no one enjoyed her joke. "Luke's a replica right?"

"Like Asch said: Luke is Luke," Guy replied, his eyes fixed on the golden sky. "He's younger than he looks, and he wasn't born like other people were, but he's still just Luke."

"Nothing more, nothing less."

--

The golden sky had faded to orange with splashes of red as the sun crept down below the horizon. The birds were still chirping and flittering between the trees that masked the Albiore.

"Hey look!" Anise was the first to spot the couple. "There they are!"

"Well they're walking together, that's got to be a good sign," Guy said, more to himself than to anyone. Though the two walked in silence and neither seemed to be looking at the other, they were still side by side. There may be hope yet, as miniscule as it seemed.

Tear spotted the others heading in her direction and offered a weak wave. Spotting the same group, Luke diverged and went towards the Albiore where he was met by Asch and Ginji. Tear watched him go, his resemblance to Asch stood out painfully well now that she knew. She only wondered why she had never suspected anything before. And yet, as she watched Asch doing his utmost to comfort Luke, she realized that she had never had any reason to doubt they were anything but siblings. To them, such a petty technicality didn't even register. The fact that they weren't really brothers… did it even matter?

It was the strangest feeling, Tear felt so… detached. Though she still smiled weakly and dismissed everyone's concerns, assuring them she was fine, none of it felt real. The only thing that seemed real right now was the redheaded boy in the distance and his replica.

Fomicry was a bad thing… wasn't it? It had destroyed her family, killed her parents and even now, was set to claim her brother. Major Cantabile, Major Legretta… they were all consumed by it, willing to sacrifice the entire world for nothing but a bunch of replicas. It had put her against everyone she had ever respected her entire life! It was a horrible technology that shouldn't even exist! …right?

But Tear knew one thing: Luke wasn't a bad person, not anything of the sort. Without fomicry, he never would have existed, never been a part of her life. All those months of travelling together, all those happy memories, all the friends she never thought she'd have, they all in some way came back to fomicry. If it wasn't for Luke, if fomicry never existed, none of it would have ever happened.

Everyone else had left, made their way back towards the Albiore, only Jade still stood next to her watching the two redheads against the golden horizon.

"I guess this is the part where you laugh at me," Tear broke the silence between her and the Malkuth Colonel.

"Not at all," Jade replied.

Tear looked up at her older companion, his attention was sill focused on the two in the distance. It was so strange; she couldn't make out the look on his face. It was almost... fond, like a parent watching over their children. Tear shook her head; she must really need some rest. That was the last sort of feeling a soldier like Jade would be expressing. The young melodist turned to look as well. In the distance, Asch was talking to Luke, all the while wearing a gentle expression. Asch smiled mischievously, and coaxed a smile from his reflection.

Jade stepped up behind her and leaned in. "You asked me to show you one person fomicry had made happy," he whispered into her ear. Then with one last look in the direction of the redheads, Jade too, made his way back towards the Albiore.

Tear stood alone for a moment longer, unable to come up with any sort of response to Jade's statement. She had been defeated by the man, completely and utterly. In the distance, Asch had finally gotten Luke to laugh. But Jade was right, she couldn't imagine a world where they didn't have each other, or where she didn't have Luke in her life. Was that really all thanks to fomicry?

She couldn't stand on the fence; she couldn't toe the line anymore. Tear knew she had to make a choice. Either she had to let go of her hatred, forgive the atrocities done to her family, or she would lose Luke, her most cherished friend. She didn't have the luxury of ignorance anymore.

The sun finally set, claiming with it, the last of the day's light. The birds all vanished and even the sounds of the monsters that roamed these parts were gone. Tear was alone, alone with her dilemma. No one could help her with this; she had to figure out her feeling on her own. Now that they were out in the open, she couldn't bury them away like she was so used to doing. She had to choose.

And what she decided would either lead to more wonderful memories, or it would put an end to all the happiness she had come to know.