Chapter 47: Cold
The frigid morning air was as cold as it had been the previous day, and the melodist's breath was as visible as the snow that had found its way into her hair. It wasn't something she was particularly happy with, especially when she'd much have preferred to hide the shortness of her breath. That sort of thing seemed to happen a lot more often lately; she kept finding herself in the strangest situations. The weirdest part of it all, was just how much she was starting to enjoy it. Tear quickly sidestepped letting the small ball of snow and ice skim by her, just missing her shoulder by an inch. What in Yulia's name had she let Luke drag her into this time?
Though the responsible, mature side of her just screamed at the sheer nonsense of it all, a small part of her deep down just relished in the joy and simplicity of a snowball fight. Next to her, Luke hurled a snowball at his original and the melodist's attacker. The other redhead dodged the white bullet and bolted ahead, preparing a counterattack. In spite of her reservations, Tear found herself laughing aloud as she fled from Anise's ensuing assault.
It had started so innocently, Luke hit Asch in the back with a snowball. Of course, Asch being…well Asch, couldn't let his younger counterpart have one up on him, and had returned the favour. Now it was an all out war with her, Luke, Guy and Ion against Asch, Anise and Natalia. They had all rolled their eyes at first, but it had only taken a few stray shots before they had jumped right in. That was of course, with the exception of the Colonel.
Jade remained perfectly neutral in their little war and very clearly annoyed with everyone's antics. But they made sure to keep moving along, so he had no reason to complain. As long as they continued to move at a pace he deemed sufficient, he remained silent. They certainly made enough noise to keep many of the lesser monsters at bay, and the few that did attack them merited a temporary ceasefire while they were dealt with. There was no compromise whatsoever to their usual performance or progress, they were just having some fun along the way. Tear for the life of her couldn't figure out why Jade was so irritated.
Another annoyed sigh escaped the Malkuth Colonel and Luke just rolled his eyes. What was Jade's problem? He'd been uptight all day. Scratch that, he'd been uptight since they found him in Keterburg. Luke felt bad for Iemon and the others in Sheridan if this was any indication of Jade's mood over the past week. What was so wrong with a snowball fight? No one was getting hurt, and they were still making progress... besides, he was the one that had everyone up at some unholy hour.
Luke wasn't going to ask, hell, he didn't even want to know. Whatever Jade did to Dist in that room could stay secret until the end of time. He would sleep much better at night not knowing what the so-called Necromancer was capable of doing that could elicit such screaming and pleading from a God-General. Note to self, take Jade's threats of torture more seriously in the future. But whatever the method, he couldn't deny they had found out some key information…Luke just didn't see why it had to be done so early in the morning! Or why they all had to set out to the passage ring on Mt. Roneal the minute Jade was done.
Apparently the reason Dist had been in Keterburg was because Master Van had some kind of plans for the passage ring here, or at least he must, since he had sent the God-Generals. Jade then, of course, proceeded to explain that the passage ring here was the reason for his unexpected trip to Keterburg. While it was true that they needed an unaltered passage ring to take the measurements they needed, Luke could tell that Asch didn't buy Jade's excuse for a second, and neither did he. Especially after everything Jade had told them last night. There had to be more to this, but whatever it was, Jade wasn't going to tell them anytime soon.
"Whoa!" Luke stumbled forward, just barely evading the small white ball that was aimed at his head. He then shot Asch an evil glare for taking advantage of him while he was lost in thought. Asch could use all the dirty tricks he wanted, but they had the secret weapon: Ion. Even Asch wouldn't attack the young Fon Master. No one would tell him to sit out either; after all, he was having as much fun as the rest of them.
The Kimlascan Princess shivered, snow was beginning to fall now that they were getting higher. The air was beginning to thin and was slowly becoming more frigid. The climbing sun did little to warm the icy mountain terrain and the further they got, the deeper the snow that fought against their advance became. But everyone remained in good spirits, the deeper snow only meant there was more to make snowballs out of, and it slowed the monsters as much as it slowed them so it posed little growing threat. Rather, the whole event was keeping everyone entertained and in a far greater mood then they likely would have been had Luke not come up with this silly little game of his. Even Natalia couldn't deny that, but it left her to wonder how much longer this could possibly last. If the path ahead was any indication, it wouldn't be much longer. Even from where she was, she could see it was blocked by a large snowdrift.
Sadly Natalia's predictions turned out to be quite accurate and the whole group found themselves without a way to proceed. They had come quite a ways up and the view was nothing short of breath taking. It was a bit nerve-wracking as well; Natalia took a deep breath as she peeked down over the nearby ledge. It went down far deeper than the eye could see, and though the Princess never had a problem with heights, she certainly didn't want to be the first to discover how deep the crevice truly went.
But it seemed no one was quite sure exactly how to put a stop to their game. After coming this far no one wanted to be the first to step down, and certainly not to be the first to leave themselves open to attack. So it continued, with a slowly simmering Jade attempting to identify any alternate routes up the mountain. Someone really ought to be assisting him, but they were making rather good time so there wasn't any particular sense of urgency yet. Judging by the Fon Master's level of energy, it was just about time for a break anyway.
At first none of them were quite sure who had thrown it, but the snow still clinging to Jade's cloak clearly marked where the stray shot had landed. Everyone fell silent, warily eyeing the Colonel. His displeasure at their behaviour hadn't gone unnoticed. Anise shrunk back identifying herself as the culprit, backing into the shelter of a nearby pine. Jade turned around, adjusting his glasses as he always did when he was composing himself. The look in his eyes was lethal.
"I think that's just about enough of your childish antics." Jade's words didn't seem unusual but the threatening tone had even Asch in line. "Or have you forgotten that the ground beneath your feet could collapse any moment? But I'm certain the handful of survivors would forgive you for the deaths of millions. You were having fun, after all."
"You don't have to say it like that Colonel," Anise shot back. "Besides, Luke started it!"
"Need I remind you that Luke is 6 years your junior?" Jade replied, without the usual hint of amusement he held when he was teasing one of them. Anise grumbled something inaudible in reply. With no further protests, Jade quickly divided and organized them in order to do a thorough search of the area.
Anise glared at the Colonel out of the corner of her eye. What was his problem, anyway? Junior or not, Luke had started it! Why was he staring at her like the whole thing was her fault! The former Fon Master Guardian turned towards the redhead who was looking for a path over by the edge. She really hoped Luke wouldn't find one. Flying in the Albiore was bad enough! She was not going tiptoeing along the edge of a cliff!
Yet, as she watched Luke, she realized just how hard it was to believe he was younger than she was. Yeah she knew he was a replica and only seven and all, but he looked the same age as Asch, and really, for the most part, acted the part amazingly well. It was just so strange to see someone who could grow up so much in so little time. Then again, Anise giggled as somehow one last snowball caught Asch in the side, maybe he wasn't so grown up after all.
But before the older redhead could make any sort of comeback and get the Colonel mad at them all over again, something caught his attention and Asch froze on the spot. Anise stopped too, listening carefully for what had Asch's attention. All around her, the others had all stopped leaving nothing but the faint sound of the wind as it started to pick up. Then she heard it, deep growls and the sound of snow being thrown aside. She looked up at the snow bank; they were surrounded by a pack of wolves!
Unlike many of the monsters they had encountered on the way up the mountain, this foe was more than agile in the knee deep snow and immediately had the group at a disadvantage. Their snow white fur coats allowed them to effortlessly blend into their surroundings, making them next to impossible to spot unless you were looking right at them. And everyone knew wolves were smart, this wasn't going to be easy.
Natalia jumped aside as one of the wolves tried to pounce on her, barely evading the creature's sharp claws. She spun around, landing an arrow neatly through the wolf's leg causing it to yelp in pain. One of its comrades came between the Princess and her target, snarling as the injured beast retreated. That was one down, but there were easily a dozen or more left.
Everyone seemed to be fairing rather well, no one had sustained any serious injuries and Natalia was quick to heal some of the scratches she could see from the sidelines. The Princess had no intentions of getting in the fray. That was where Luke, Asch, Guy and even Anise's talents shone best; her abilities made her more suited for attacks from a distance. Natalia backed up a few feet before notching another arrow. She aimed, and the arrow landed in another wolf's side.
Natalia backed up again as she drew the attention of another pair of the beasts. Tear's arte crashed between the wolves and the Princess forcing the creatures back and making them reconsider their target. She nodded a thanks at the melodist and notched another arrow. The fray was starting to get too close, and Natalia retreated a bit more. It was becoming difficult to aim amongst the flurry of movement; the last thing she wanted to do was hurt one of her friends.
But that flurry of movement was all around her now. Several of the wolves had decided she alone would be an easy target and the others had come to her aid, bringing the rest of the fight with them. They were down to a handful of the beasts now, but the remaining creatures refused to succumb to their weapons, and refused to retreat. Natalia managed to break free of the chaos and retreated a few feet, readying her arrow. The Princess took a step back as she pulled back on her bowstring. Her back foot shifted, just enough to adjust her balance, but that was all it took. Natalia found herself scrambling when a small slip put her foot above nothing but air. One glance backwards nearly stopped her heart. She had backed herself all the way to the edge of the cliff.
Natalia turned around again but only managed to take a single step forward. The wolf stood a few feet away snarling at her, poised to attack. Natalia raised her bow and pulled it taut but the wolf remained there, baring its fangs. Why didn't it try to attack her?
A huge crack split through the air echoing in what seemed like silence in spite of the nearby scuffle. The world was suddenly quiet. Natalia's eyes widened as she realized it was the ice beneath her feet. Everything happened as if it was in slow motion, the wolves' retreat, everyone running towards her… The ice let out another giant crack before shattering completely. All Natalia knew was the air around her as she fell into the crevice's depths.
"Natalia! Watch out!" The young Princess felt a warm set of arms wrap themselves around her.
Then everything went black.
--
"Ugh," Natalia groaned as she lifted her head. Everything was cold and sore, her entire body was screaming against the unwanted movement. Her cloak lay heavily over her back doing little to fend off the cold that had seeped into her limbs. How long had she been lying here? Where was she?
Natalia took a moment to orient herself. She was lying on an outcropping of rock, maybe 30 feet or so below the edge from which she'd fallen. She could see now why she fell; several layers of ice had built up and in places extended beyond the rock wall. How foolish of her not to have noticed sooner. The small ledge she found herself on was wide enough to move about and seemed sturdy enough that there wasn't any concern of it giving away. But what was she going to do to get herself out of here?
"Are you alright?"
"Luke!" Natalia suddenly noticed the person she was lying on top of. "What are you-"
"I tried to grab you when you fell and ended up falling too," the redhead explained as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "It looks like we fell quite a ways though, it's a good thing the snow was here to cushion our fall." Luke chuckled but Natalia could tell he was trying to make light of the situation. If he had shielded her landing, he was in no doubt more pain than she was. But… why? Why would he do such a thing?
"Luke!" A voice echoed in the crevice, coming from above them.
"Natalia!" A second voice. "Are you guys okay?! If you can hear us answer us!" It sounded like Tear.
"We're okay!" Luke yelled back. "I suppose I shouldn't be answering for you," Luke realized with a bit of a chuckle. "Are you alright?"
"You're such… You're such an idiot!" Natalia's fist pounded against the young noble's chest who was still under her.
"Are you…crying?"
"Why would you do something so stupid?" Tears leaked from Natalia's eyes. She didn't understand; why was she so upset? All of her feelings suddenly seemed beyond her control, and the tears just wouldn't stop. "If this ledge hadn't been here we both would have died! After everything… everything I did to you, I almost had you killed! Why would you go and risk your life for me?"
"Well, you didn't mean to right? You didn't know they wanted to kill me, you were just doing what you thought was best for Asch and me. Master Van was the one that used you like that."
"But still!"
"Look, Natalia, I'm not going to lie and say that what you did didn't hurt me, but even so, you're still my cousin, you're still a part of my family. I would never just leave you to die if there was something I could do."
"But I…" Natalia had no words to say. Seven or not, she had been completely and utterly defeated by her cousin. Never once had she thought that way. Luke was always Asch's replica, someone to whom she showed courtesy, but deep down, he was never truly one of them. Natalia wiped her tears.
"Umm, Natalia, I don't mind chatting with you and all, but do you think you could hop off?"
"My goodness, I'm sorry!" The Princess scrambled off, her cheeks becoming even redder than the cold had made them. Both young nobles brought themselves to their feet and brushed off the snow. "So what now?"
"I'm going to see about climbing back up," Luke answered. "It looks like there's a path that leads back up the cliff. I'm going to check it out." Natalia noticed the 'path' that Luke was talking about. It was nothing more than a narrow ledge, and one full of ice at that.
"No, it's far too treacherous! What if you slip and fall?"
"Do you have any better ideas?"
"Then I'll come with you."
"No," Luke protested. "You stay here."
"Why should only I remain here? I am just as capable as you are; there is no reason for me to be left behind like some child to be rescued-"
"That's not what I meant," Luke cut her off with a frustrated sigh.
"Then what was it supposed to mean?!"
Luke simply pointed at the rock wall behind her. Half hidden by the ice that made its home against the rock face, was what looked like some kind of entrance. Natalia walked up to the strange door in the rock wall as ran her fingers across it. The multitude of colours was simply exquisite.
"Seventh Fonons?" Luke inquired.
"Yes, it appears to be a seal of some kind," Natalia confirmed as she returned to her original place near Luke.
"I've only ever seen a seal like that once before," Luke answered. "It was guarding the entrance to Akzeriuth's Sephiroth. I'd be willing to bet that's the Daathic seal we were looking for. So I'm going to go get the others and show them the way down here. There's no point in you risking your life to go up there only to come right back down."
"You're right I'm sorry," Natalia admitted, ashamed of herself for automatically assuming Luke was looking down on her. "Do be careful."
"Don't worry I will. I'll be right back with Asch and the others," the redhead answered with a goofy grin. Natalia walked up to him and placed her hands against his chest. "W-What are you doing?" Luke suddenly became flustered.
"At least let me heal some of your injuries before you start climbing," the Princess mumbled.
"Thank you," Luke smiled as he felt the Seventh Fonons seep up the pain and slowly drain it all away. Leave it to Natalia to have noticed. "I'll be right back," he said, stopping her before she drained herself completely.
Natalia nodded and could only watch as Luke slowly made his way up the cliff face. The old path he was walking on seemed even narrower as she watched him inch along, very carefully placing one foot in front of the other. It wound around several times and her neck was very sore but she couldn't bring herself to take her eyes off him. It felt as if she looked away, he would fall.
Luke's cry filled the air and stopped Natalia's heart. A small section of the path had given way under him, and he was barely hanging on!
"Luke!" Natalia instinctively ran in his direction, but before she had taken five steps, he had lost his grip. Luke fell 10 feet, landing in a heap in the snow. "Luke! Luke are you okay?" Natalia ran towards the redhead. Oh please let him be okay… if he wasn't…
A patch of ice caught Natalia off guard and the young Princess once again found herself on top of her cousin. She would have been embarrassed, but the sound of his breathing filled her with such a sense of relief. He wasn't... he wasn't…
"Natalia, what's the matter?" Luke opened to find Natalia clinging to his cloak, sobbing into the cold fabric. "Why are you so upset?"
"I thought you were going to fall and die," Natalia managed through her sobbing. "I'm so sorry- I'm sorry for everything! I never wanted to hurt you, I never wanted see anything bad happen to you… I've already- I've already lost Asch, I don't want to lose you too!"
"Natalia, it's okay, I'm fine." Luke sighed and gently wrapped his arms around the crying girl. "You haven't lost Asch," he whispered into her ear.
"You're wrong," Natalia's sobbing continued with a renewed intensity. How long had she kept these feelings, these emotions locked inside of her? How she had longed for someone to confide in, for someone to just listen. But she had betrayed them all, she had betrayed Luke; she didn't have that right… but the words came just the same. "Asch hates me. With everything I did, the way I betrayed him, the way I treated you…who can blame him? He has every right to feel that way. I never once stopped to think how he was feeling or what he might be going through. I only ever thought of myself, and at a time when he needed me the most. Now… he won't even look at me anymore."
"No, you're wrong," Luke answered gently. "Asch doesn't hate you."
"Of course he does."
"No, he doesn't. But even though you didn't mean to hurt him, you still did. He feels hurt and betrayed just like you said. But he still loves you; he just needs time to deal with his feelings. He needs time to heal... and he needs you."
"Me?"
"He needs you to show him that you still really care about him, and that you still want to be at his side. He needs you to not give up on him."
Natalia laid her head down against Luke's chest and wrapped her arms around him. "I think I understand now," she said quietly. She could see why Luke held such a special place in Asch's heart… and in her own as well. For all that it seemed arguing was the only thing the two of them were good for, Luke was still precious to her. He was family after all.
"Understand what?"
"Nothing."
"Well, I think it's time for me to give climbing another try," Luke finally said when Natalia had let go.
"Wait, Luke."
"I know Natalia, but we have to find a way for the others to get down here, it's way too dangerous for them to try and climb down blindly. At least while going up I can see where I'm supposed to be going."
"That's not what I was going to say," Natalia protested.
"Then what is it?"
"Could you ever accept my apology? Not just for what happened, but the way I've treated you all this time?"
"Of course," Luke smiled gently.
"Then please be careful," Natalia finished. "I'll be waiting for you."
"Then I'll be right back."
--
Luke's second ascent up the face of the cliff was a great deal more successful than his first, though the latter had his brother pacing in worry. Asch had practically jumped when they heard Luke fall; no surprise, it had them all worried, but he managed to make it up just fine. While there were many complaints on Anise's behalf, there was no doubt in Ion's mind that what Luke had described was, in fact, a Daathic Seal and so everyone braved the journey down the cliff face to join Natalia waiting patiently on the ledge.
It had been awhile since Ion had to open the door to one of the Sephiroth. It made him uneasy knowing what he was opening up to the world but at the same time, he knew it was necessary. The Sephiroth were going to fall regardless of whether they acted or not. The difference left to them to make would be how many would survive when the world as they knew it came crashing down. At the very least they had the power to save those lives. Van would not have his way, not while he had the power to do something about it.
The Fon Master wobbled a bit and was quickly supported by Luke who had been standing behind him. He had forgotten just how draining opening these doors could be. Ion closed his eyes, trying to get his head to stop spinning. Jade was right; they didn't have any time to waste. It was already past noon, and no one fancied trying to get back up that cliff in the dark. At least with the seal still intact they knew that the God-Generals hadn't found the entrance yet.
The tunnels inside the mountain weren't any more inviting than the ledge on which they had found the entrance. It was dark and difficult to see even with the makeshift torches they had put together. Occasionally they'd come across a snow drift from where part of the tunnel had caved in and the snow had entered, but so far nothing that stopped their advance. Not that Jade would have let them stop anyway, even if they had to dig the entire way there. For whatever reason, he seemed more determined than ever and the fact that none of the God-Generals had made it here did nothing to appease his sense of urgency.
Everyone was relieved when they finally found themselves surrounded by the familiar glow of fonic glyphs. In terms of beauty, Mt. Roneal more than lived up to all the passage rings before it. The size of the caverns they were in was only now becoming evident as the light danced up the ever rising walls and around rooms that could rival even Baticul's audience chamber in terms of grandeur.
Something about the passage rings had always unnerved Asch, the same way they put his brother in such awe. Perhaps it was just the fact that so much was riding on what they did with the Sephiroth. Being here just reminded him of everything that was at stake, and just how much they couldn't afford to screw up. But that knowledge only made the sinking feeling worse as they turned to corner to find an unexpected, and unwelcome figure standing before the passage ring.
"Sync!" Anise yelled, charging the green-haired God-General. Though caught somewhat off guard, Sync still effortlessly dodged her blow and put some distance between him and the unexpected intruders.
"I guess I shouldn't be surprised that you're here," Sync shrugged off the flaming former Fon Master Guardian. "That Dist is worse than useless. Honestly, he was assigned to this mission because he knows the area, but he still manages to screw things up."
"What are you doing here?" Asch demanded. "How did you get in?"
"I see no reason to answer your question," the God-General replied, a smug grin visible under his mask.
"Well whatever you're doing here, it can't be anything good!" Guy shouted.
"That depends entirely on what perspective you're coming from Gailardia Gardios. To those of us who want to save this world, it's of vital importance."
"Yeah right! You're the ones trying to drop the Outer Lands!" Luke protested. "You're going to destroy the world, not save it!"
"A means to an end; a necessary one at that. But I wouldn't expect a replica like you to understand."
"Yeah, so what if I'm a replica?" Luke shot back.
"The garbage is proud of what it is I see. Pathetic," Sync spat. "You were born simply to be cast away, we both know it. So you can sit there and give yourself all the self-serving purpose you want, but it doesn't change that you're nothing but trash that just hasn't been taken out yet."
"You're wrong!" Tear cut in. "Luke's not like that at all! He has just as much right to be here as anyone else. That's what you and my brother can't seem to understand. People, replicas… they're not just some toys to be discarded when you please! That makes you no better than the people you condemn!"
"Aren't we arrogant? You think that little spiel of yours means a damn thing? You don't know anything. That's why you'll never be able to free this world of the Score, and unless you can do that, this world is doomed to die. To make change, there has to be sacrifice. Those who still cling to former ideals will be weeded out. Not a single trace of the Score will remain in this world. Then and only then will it be free of Yulia's curse. If you won't back down, then I have no choice but to eliminate you all here and now."
"You wouldn't dare," Asch shot back.
"Don't be so full of yourself. You think you're worth that much to Van? Your value is dwindling down by the second. His plans are bigger than anything you could possibly grind to a halt by throwing away that worthless life of yours. You obviously have no plans of cooperating with us, and that makes you worse than useless. You can go out with the rest of the trash."
Sync launched himself at Asch and the young noble was hard pressed to get his sword up in time. Speed was definitely the God-General's greatest asset, not that his blows were to be taken lightly either. Though he fought without any sort of weapon, he could still match blows with the redhead, as well as with Luke and Guy who had joined the fray. Three on one and they still couldn't so much as touch him… could he really be that much beyond them?
Jade's arte forced Sync back, easily sidestepping Natalia's arrows as he retreated a few feet. Asch barely had the chance to gather himself before he was on the defensive again. Sync's ability to dodge and to block a sword with nothing but his hands had him amazed. He'd venture to say Sync was better than Van in those regards, and Asch knew that he didn't stand a chance in hell against his former instructor, even with all the progress he'd been making. It didn't do much for his confidence on the outcome of this battle. But Asch still had a card up his sleeve, now if only they could pull it off.
'Luke, you ready?' Asch managed while Guy drew some of Sync's attention.
'Yeah, are you leading or am I?'
'I will. When he's distracted by Jade's next arte.'
'Got it.'
Luke watched carefully as he avoided Sync's blows. One caught him in the arm and pain shot all the way up to his shoulder. Tear was quick to heal his injury but the memory of the pain lingered a few more seconds. Sync's abilities were nothing to joke about. A couple of those to more critical spots and he'd be beyond repair. That knowledge only made him more nervous. Could he and Asch really pull this off? Luke knew they'd practiced it and all, but if they screwed it up, Sync could easily put both of them out of the running. But Luke didn't have time to hesitate, Jade's incantation rang out in the cavern loud and clear.
Giant spires of stone erupted out of the earth beneath Sync's feet. The God-General hopped backwards dodging the path of each spire as it shot out of the ground. Luke grinned at the arte Jade had chosen, perfect!
'Go!'
Asch and Luke both rushed forward rebounding off the stone as they pursued their opponent. Luke closed his eyes for a moment, feeling the flow of Asch's movements. He followed Asch's lead, mirroring his sibling's motions perfectly. When the first strike landed, they could tell they'd caught Sync off guard, not that it stopped him from blocking their attack, but it was encouraging, and they were far from over. Luke quieted his thoughts, allowing his movements to flow naturally. He didn't think about what he was doing, he didn't let himself react; he just followed Asch's lead. They couldn't afford to screw this up. It was reminiscent of the time he'd spent in Asch's consciousness, only this time he was in his own body, but he still was letting Asch's thoughts control his movements.
The perfect timing of their simultaneous attacks was beginning to overwhelm Sync. His face betrayed his distraction; he was trying to figure out how it was possible to time attacks so precisely. Then he made his first mistake: he assumed it was a routine. The next attack was readable, and Sync made his move, dodging at the last second and motioning to attack, a smug grin already on his face; they couldn't possibly react the same way. But still in perfect sync, they feinted around behind the God-General; they both felt their swords connect.
Not a fatal blow by any means. Sync had still managed to react at the last second and the damage was minimal. He was on the defensive now, all his attention consumed on blocking both strikes at once. Combined with the fact that Sync had to identify the direction of the flat of the sword in each attack in order to block or knock it away, he was quickly becoming overwhelmed. His guard broke! Luke and Asch went for the finishing blow.
A clinging noise echoed in the vast chamber. Sync managed to evade their strike, but only barely. The upswing caught the God-General's mask and sent it flying across the room. Asch felt Luke regain his own control and both of them were mentally exhausted. A useful tactic, but wearying beyond belief; and now wasn't the time to rest. They hadn't finished the fight, not by a long shot. At least they'd worn him out; they could hear Sync's breath as he tried to recover as quickly as possible.
That was when Asch and Luke looked up, and they discovered why Sync the Tempest always wore a mask. Though his green hair was spiked and he was wearing the uniform of a God-General, his face was utterly unmistakeable.
"What the hell?!" Guy lowered his sword in shock.
"No way…" Anise shook her head in disbelief. "There are two Ions?!"
"I see now," Ion spoke up. "It's as I thought, you're a replica of the Fon Master as well."
"Wait, Ion, what do you mean as well?" Luke asked. "You're not…"
"That's right, I'm Fon Master Ion's seventh and final replica. I'm sorry for deceiving you all. In actuality, I was only born two years ago."
"So you're a replica too," Asch commented. "I guess that explains how Sync used a Daathic fonic arte on Guy. So," Asch turned to Sync, "Van felt he needed his own personal Fon Master? Is that it?"
"Hardly," Sync spat. "The original Ion was a weakling...pathetic really."
"He was sick and bordering on death," Ion explained. "Since there was no successor, Van and Mohs used fomicry."
"And you had the closest abilities to the original," Sync continued. "Unlike the rest of us trash."
"Don't talk like that," Luke shot Sync a dirty look.
"It's what I am," Sync shot back. "My powers were weak, so I was cast into the fires of Mt. Zaleho along with the others. A replica who can't act as a replacement has no value whatsoever."
Weak? That was weak? Luke was still trying to catch his breath and didn't even want to fathom what Sync considered 'strong'. In between resting breaths, Luke was still trying to process everything. It was so hard to believe, Ion was a replica too… all this time?
"Replica or not, you're still alive," Asch said. "You're not just some throw away."
"What would you know?" Sync said with a nasty glare.
"I know plenty," Luke cut in. "Being a replica doesn't mean you're worth any less than anyone else."
"Shut up! You have people that need you; you don't know a damn thing! I'm only alive so Van can use me. Only those of us that are useful are kept alive out of pity."
"That's not true," Ion pleaded. "You and I are the same, why don't you come with us? We can show you… you're worth more than what you think you are."
"Never!" In a burst of speed Sync flew through the group, everyone spun around, bracing for his attack, but it never came. "I'm here for one reason and one reason only." Without elaborating he backed into the darkness of the tunnels.
"Damn!" Asch cursed. "We're going to be at a huge disadvantage against him in the dark."
"I have a better idea," Jade said simply, and with a few words, an arte crashed down knocking out the roof of the tunnel and completely blocking the entrance.
"Jade! What are you doing?!" Guy demanded. "We have to get back out of here!"
"Sync got in here somehow, and he didn't use the same passage we did," Jade calmly explained. "I'd venture to guess a tunnel completely caved in somewhere, which is how he got here without removing the Daathic seal."
"Makes sense, I guess," Anise shrugged. "I don't like it though, what if he just snuck past us?"
"Then we dig," Jade answered.
"Ha. Ha," Asch's sarcasm came across loud and clear. "Real funny old man."
"We'll find our way out later," Jade continued, his tone short and annoyed. "For now let's concern ourselves with the passage ring, shall we?"
Though not happily, everyone followed Jade over to the passage ring. Tear took her place by the pedestal and the familiar glyph opened up above them. There were red rings around all the Sephiroth now, except for two: the Absorption Gate and the Radiation Gate.
"So how do we take this measurement of yours, old man?" Asch asked.
"This device needs to be touched to the fonon flow," Jade answered. Asch snatched the device from Jade's hand and proceeded to do just that. The fon machine beeped and a multitude of numbers appeared on a small display indicating it had gotten the information it needed.
"That was pretty anticlimactic," Anise mumbled.
"I don't know about you, but Sync was more than enough climax for me," Natalia commented and was rewarded by a chuckle from Anise.
"It still so hard to believe, you know?"
"You mean, Ion being a replica?" Natalia asked.
"Yeah." Anise's voice was quite solemn for a change.
"I know how you feel; it certainly came out of nowhere. And for someone of such stature as well," Natalia commented. The young Princess had no problem with this fact. Despite her treatment of Luke, she really didn't hold any negative feeling towards replicas. At least not in the way Tear did. Oh dear, she certainly hoped Ion hadn't interpreted that the wrong way.
For a long time Natalia felt that being so young, Luke wasn't ready for the responsibilities he held. She was starting to see just how wrong she had been, the maturity that had been born from the death of his innocence. Still, the thought of the entire Order of Lorelei in the hands of a boy no older than two was mind boggling. Natalia knew better than to give in to such notions, Ion had shown he was more than capable of handling all his responsibilities. It left the Princess to wonder what price the young boy had paid for such maturity.
"I'm sorry for lying to you all this time," Ion spoke up, surprising both girls. They hadn't even noticed him standing behind them.
"It's alright," Natalia replied. "I can understand why you'd want it to be kept a secret. You're not much different from Luke in that regard."
"No I suppose not," Ion smiled weakly.
"It's fine by me too," Anise agreed. "After all the lying I did to you, I have no right to get mad at you for hiding it from me."
"It would be pretty bad if I had a problem with it," Asch commented with a chuckle as he handed the machine back to Jade.
"Yeah, no kidding," Luke agreed.
"Thank you all." Ion's smile was genuine this time.
"So," Luke continued staring up at the glyph on the ceiling. "Can someone tell me something?"
"What's up, Luke?" Guy asked.
"Well, I thought Master Van couldn't get to passage rings that Ion hasn't opened yet. Why does it look like he's been to them all?"
"He hasn't," Jade provided.
"Then why are those red-"
"The red rings around the Sephiroth don't solely indicate the code Van used," the Colonel cut Luke off.
"So Van wasn't at the other passage rings either?" Asch spoke up, trying to follow Jade's train of thought.
"No, I believe he was at the previous Sephiroth, however, our thought that he was somehow accessing the unopened passage rings looks to be incorrect. The Sephiroth have all undergone an emergency shutdown process making them impossible to operate through conventional means."
"And let me guess, it means that they're going to fall?" Asch added with one eyebrow raised.
"While that is true, it's not due to the shutdown process. All it means is that even though Commandant Grants hasn't closed off the passage ring, we will have to continue to operate them as we have been, through force."
"Ummm," Luke hesitated for a moment. "Could someone explain that to me in English, please?"
"Yeah for the rest of us too please," Anise piped in. "Maybe boy genius over there can follow your musings Colonel, but the rest of us don't have a clue what you just said."
"Think of it like a security system," Asch explained. "Van's been messing around with the normal function of the passage rings, and Luke's been operating them through sheer force. The system recognizes the anomalies, and probably sees Luke as some kind of intruder. They've shut down the passage rings in an attempt to stop people from messing around with the Sephiroth and causing further damage."
"So the red rings show which Sephiroth have shut down?" Luke asked.
"That's right," his brother confirmed.
"So you're saying we can't operate the Sephiroth anymore?" Guy asked.
"No," Jade butt in. "It means Luke must continue to use his hyperresonance just as he has previously. Now, Luke, if you will."
"What am I doing?" Luke asked. Asch watched his little brother take the same spot he usually did, and was nervous. Luke was still exhausted from the stunt they'd pulled earlier and Asch worried he wouldn't have it in him to properly control the hyperresonance, especially with the precision he would need to. Luke couldn't screw this up, not only because it was dangerous and Score knows what would happen, but because it was one of the few areas where Luke was really tarting to become confident in his own abilities.
"While we're here, I'd like you to connect this Sephiroth to the Absorption Gate like you did with the one in the Meggiora Highlands," Jade provided. "We'll need to lower the lands all at once so we'll set this one to lower when we give the trigger at the Absorption Gate."
"How…" Luke puzzled at the ceiling.
"Don't concern yourself," the Colonel intervened. "I'll give you the exact commands to carve."
"Can't this be done at the Absorption Gate?" Asch asked.
"Yes, but I'd like to get it done now," Jade replied.
Asch scowled and stared the man down. What difference did it make if it was done now or later? Jade knew Luke was exhausted, the Colonel could pretend to be a lot of things, but dense was definitely not one of them.
'It's okay,' Luke said privately. 'I can handle this.'
'Are you sure?'
'I am. I wouldn't risk it if I wasn't.'
Asch sighed but dropped the issue. He had to trust that Luke knew his limits. Everything seemed to be going smoothly enough. Luke's hyperresonance was as precise as it always was, and Jade was specific enough with his instructions that the younger sibling wasn't having any great difficulty. Asch had to hand it to Luke for putting up such a good front. He didn't look nearly as bad as their connection told him he was.
"Done," Luke let out a breath. "Tear, you're good to- Tear!"
The young melodist swayed back and forth and Luke rushed to her side just in time to catch her. This was beginning to become a rather unsettling routine. In front of them the pedestal slammed shut and the glyph on the ceiling vanished. The young noble very carefully lowered her to the ground and laid her in his lap. She felt so light and frail… and she was so limp. Just what was going on?
"Is she alright?" Natalia leaned over Luke's shoulder.
"I don't think so," Luke answered solemnly. "She might be making light of it, but something's really wrong."
A fit of coughing put a halt to any further discussion. The melodist opened her eyes, and opened her mouth to speak but was interrupted by more coughing, more violently this time. Tear was quickly forced to sit up and Luke braced her shoulders as she shook violently.
"Tear, are you alright?" Natalia finally asked.
"I'm… I'm fine," Tear managed.
"You're not fine Tear," Luke argued.
"No really, I'll be okay. I'm just tired and caught a cold from all the snow. It's nothing."
"No, no it's not nothing." Luke stood his ground. Tear was still shaking, but broke free of his grasp and pulled herself to her feet.
"Luke's right Tear," Asch agreed. "You're not fooling anyone; people don't just pass out and start coughing up blood because they're tired." Tear clutched her fist, trying to hide the red stains on her white gloves. "When we get back to Sheridan you're going to see a doctor."
"I'll be fine." Tear argued, but the weakness in her voice undermined her argument.
"Well seeing as there's little we can do for her here, let's be going," Jade spoke up. "I'd like to make as much progress as we can before nightfall."
"Jade!" Luke protested. "Tear's still sick! She can barely walk much less trudge through tunnels and snow looking for a way out. Let's just take a break for a bit before rushing off again."
"We don't have time for that."
"And since when do we not have the time?" Asch's voice came across more than just angry. "Tell me old man, since when is an extra hour of travelling time worth more than our friend's health?! I don't know what's gotten into you lately, but I'm sick of it. Go back to Keterburg if you're that anxious to go! We'll meet you there."
"Asch is right Jade, taking a break here isn't going to make or break us, and Tear isn't the only one who's tired," Guy pointed out noticing just how wiped Luke and Asch seemed, not to mention Ion was still a touch unsteady on his feet. Ion had been using Daathic Fonic artes again and the two boys had practically taken out Sync on their own; no one was going to fault them for being tired. And what a stunt that had been! Guy was impressed. When had they picked up a trick like that?
Jade let out a frustrated sigh, but it was perfectly clear from the looks of the others that this wasn't a battle he was going to win. But a half hour was all they were going to get.
--
If they thought the air had been frigid on their ascent, it was downright freezing once the sun began to set, and without anything to distract them this time, it seemed so much worse. The sun… Luke had never been quite so thankful to see the sun before. They were all getting worried when exploring the other tunnels wasn't producing any exits, but they eventually found the cave-in that Sync had used to dodge the Daathic seal. As it turned out, the exit was much further up the mountain than they had expected, something that didn't have Jade in a particularly good mood. It was going to take them until late afternoon tomorrow before they made it back to Keterburg.
Everyone walked along in silence, no one quite sure what to say. Tear had been violently sick twice already and she didn't look like she was over the worst of it yet. Just what was the matter with her? And what did it have to do with the passage rings?
"Try not to worry too much," Ion said comfortingly. "I'm sure the doctor will be able to help her."
"I hope so," Luke agreed smiling at the Fon Master's perceptiveness. "Hey, Ion?"
"What is it Luke?"
"How come you never told me you were a replica too?"
Ion sighed and thought on the question a moment. "If I had, would you have treated me any differently?"
Luke smiled. "No."
"Then it really doesn't matter now, does it?"
"I guess not."
"To be honest, I've learned a lot from you and from Asch."
"From me?" Luke asked.
"Yes, for a long time, I felt as if I was nothing more than a replacement for the original Fon Master. I believed that it didn't matter if anything happened to me, because I could just be replaced by another replica. I think that's part of the reason I was always so reckless when it came to engaging in dangerous situations. I didn't value my life at all."
"But that's-"
"But after watching you and the way you live, I've come to realize that's not true at all. I may be Ion's replacement, but there are no replacements for me. I'm more than just the original Ion's shadow. I can be myself with my own hopes and dreams for this world."
"You learnt all that from me?"
"You don't give yourself enough credit," Ion answered. "I only hope that Sync can come to understand that someday."
"He will," Luke smiled. "I'm sure you can get through to him, just give it time."
"Only if you'll help me."
"You know…" Luke suddenly realized, "I've never had a friend who's also a replica before. Well, I guess I did and I just didn't know it."
Ion chuckled, "the same goes for me."
"Then let's stay friends, no matter what happens."
"Thank you, Luke."
"What for?"
"For everything."