Chapter 53: At the Time of Farewell
Snow fell gently from the darkened sky that was set ablaze by the fonon stream that sliced it in half. The Absorption Gate, which was located about half a day north of Keterburg, had weather much like the small snowbound town. Of course, being even further north, it was a lot colder and that was undoubtedly the first thing everyone noticed as they made their way off the Albiore. Mieu, who had initially been excited to tag along, quickly decided he would remain with Ginji where it was warmer.
Here at one of the world's strongest Sephiroth, the Planet Storm returned from the fon belt and passed through the core, where it was consequently fed back up to the fon belt through the Radiation Gate. Asch watched the Planet Storm, contemplating the many tasks that lay before them. It had finally come down to the end, here they would either put a stop to Van's machinations, or the world would die.
But was it really the end? It didn't feel that way and Asch knew that even if they succeeded, things would never be over. They still hadn't figured out anything more regarding Lorelei, or how to free him from the core; then there were still his responsibilities back home and with the Outer lands soon to be in the Qliphoth, things at the castle were going to be busier than ever. It was wearying just to think about it, but there wasn't time to worry about that now. First they had to stop Van, then they could worry about everything else.
Upon passing through the entrance to the massive Sephiroth, the first thing Asch noted was just how different it was from the previous passage rings they had visited. Though carefully guarded, many of the other Sephiroth were simple in their designs and reaching the passage rings themselves had been easy enough. Granted they'd never found the need to venture deeper into their depths, the young monarch somehow had the feeling that it didn't really matter. The Absorption Gate was in a world of its own.
Paths branched and twisted, intertwining like stone vines that grew up from the depths of the Sephiroth. The swirling tracks seemed to suspend in midair, passing above and below each other and Asch could only wonder how Yulia had designed such a thing. It was certainly a feat no modern day engineer could manage. He wondered if the confusing layout had been intended to serve as another defence for such an important Sephiroth, or if Yulia had just drawn up the blueprints on an especially creative day.
Everyone continued along the widest path, ignoring many of the smaller branches that led off to Score knew where. Asch hoped it was the right way, because from the looks of this place, it didn't take much to get lost, and if they did, they could be lost for days. Days... that the world didn't have left.
A peculiar feeling came over Asch and the hairs on the back of his neck stood on edge. Instinctively he slowed his pace, his mind racing to find the source. The fonons in the air were acting strangely, but there were so many kicking around here he couldn't make heads or tails of any of it. It was probably nothing, but the insistent prodding at the back of his mind still wouldn't let up. Then his heart dropped.
"It's a trap!" Jade yelled.
A glyph appeared on the floor below them and in a split second, the entire path shattered beneath their feet. Jade grabbed the nearest arm and hauled it forward, just barely getting the young Princess outside the arte's range. At the rear, Guy had managed to snatch the Fon Master and hold him back out of harm's way, but neither could do anything for their four companions who ended up caught in the middle of it.
Jade stared at the destruction, a large gaping chasm in path on which they had once stood. He cursed himself for not noticing sooner, and not thinking to keep an eye out for such an obvious trap. Of course the Commandant didn't intend to let them stroll right in, and he had been foolish to let his guard down. The Malkuth Colonel carefully peered over the edge of the path. Several dozen feet below, Anise and Tear sat on another of the winding roads. It seemed Tear had reacted quickly enough to protect the two of them from the fall with her hymns. Good thinking on her part, and nothing less than he'd expect from the melodist. Though the trap itself seemed to have done some damage, she was quickly dealing with that and so he didn't concern himself with them for now. The only ones still unaccounted for were the twins.
"Asch! Luke!" Natalia called over the other side of the path. Jade placed a hand on the Princess' shoulder, a quick reminder not to lean too far over and take the dive herself. She met his gaze for a moment, nodded in understanding, but quickly returned her attention to her fiancé.
The boys hadn't fallen as far as Tear and Anise had, but they had grabbed the edge of a suspended track and were just barely holding on. Natalia waited on baited breath, fearing that they would lose their grip and plummet into the Absorption Gate's depths.
"We're alright," Luke called back, hauling himself up to safety before giving Asch a hand up. Unfortunately from the looks of things, they too had incurred some damage from the explosion, but they were too far away from either Tear or Natalia for any healing artes to reach. They should be able to handle it for the time being, but any disadvantage against their coming opponent, no matter how insignificant, would be detrimental.
"Are Tear and Anise okay?" Luke called up to his companions on the platforms above him.
"We're below you!" Anise yelled and Luke managed to spot the two who weren't still on the path above.
"Yeah... but now what?" Guy asked. "There's no way we can get across to you guys, and it doesn't look like any of these paths intersect any time soon."
"We've no choice but to press on," Jade replied, raising his voice so it would carry to the four down below. "Guy, you take Ion back and see if you can find another path down. The rest of us will press forward and hopefully we'll meet up at a later point."
"But what if we run into the Commandant?" Anise asked.
"If he's spotted you, stall him," Asch answered. "Get him talking, anything to buy some time for the rest of us to catch up."
"You may uncover some valuable information that way as well," Jade stated, though it was obviously beside the point. "In the meantime, be cautious of any other traps the Commandant may have left for us."
"Easier said then done," Asch shot.
"Alright, lets get going," Guy intervened. "The sooner we can catch up to each other, the better."
"Don't be too reckless now," Jade called tauntingly after the three separate groups who were leaving.
"Take your own advice, old man," came echoing back, and Jade couldn't help but grin.
------------
"I wonder how far down this goes," Luke spoke up, breaking the silence between him and his twin. He hoped that if they kept moving downwards, and so did everyone else, they would all eventually be lead to the passage ring. That was of course, assuming that none of these paths led into some evil Dawn Age trap.
Out of the corner of his eye, Luke watched Asch rotating his arm while pondering something or another. He was still sore from the fall too. While the two of them hadn't become strangers to a good beating lately, they were definitely noticing the acute lack of a healer. "Who knows," Asch finally answered.
They walked in silence for a bit and Luke continued to admire the sights. These places really were amazing, even if the winding paths seemed a bit pointless. It was a pity, they really made getting to the passage ring that much more of a headache. It seemed the deeper they got, the more the paths spiralled and turned, but Luke was very quickly distracted by the fonons that began lighting the air, falling like snow towards the core.
Luke's eyes met Asch's and the younger redhead gave an apologetic smile. He knew it was annoying for Asch when he got overly excited about little things but Asch shook his head.
"You look better," Asch commented.
"It's just so amazing how you can actually see the fonons," Luke replied.
"That's not what I meant." Luke's excitement dampened and his childish awe grew into a more mature expression before Asch's eyes. He'd seen it before, but the way that Luke slipped in and out of his more childish persona still amazed him.
"Yeah well, I haven't been having any nightmares lately," Luke finally conceded, deciding to stop pretending to avoid the topic.
"I'm glad to hear that." Asch smiled softly.
"I'm sorry for not saying anything." Luke hung his head. "It's not that I didn't trust you or anything like that it's just-"
"It's alright," Asch cut of Luke's tirade. "But don't let me catch you doing it again," he continued, the light tone in his voice as he scolded Luke was indicative of his teasing. "We're family, stupid. That's what we're here for."
"Right back at you," Luke shot.
Asch laughed. "Fair enough."
"I hope no one's run into Master Van," Luke said once silence had fallen over them again.
"Don't worry, they're smart enough not to take him on alone. After Sheridan we know full well that it's going to take all seven of us to even stand a chance."
"I wish there was some other way..."
"What do you mean by that?" Asch asked curiously.
"I wish we could find a way to convince him to stop, to get him to change his mind..."
"Luke, we've tried that already. He's not going to give up on his ideals, just like we can't give up on ours. He didn't reach this point because it's something he happened to feel like doing, he's gotten this far because he believes there is no other choice. You're not going to be able to hesitate. If you do, he'll kill you."
"I know that... but I still want to try."
"Luke..." Asch began warningly. There was nothing wrong with Luke wanting to avoid killing someone he had once respected, but he had to realize they were beyond the point where it was a choice. If they didn't kill Van, Van would kill them and then he'd sacrifice the world.
"It's not just for me," Luke answered. "He's Tear's older brother. If it was you on that side, I would want do absolutely anything I could, so I have to try, even if it doesn't go anywhere."
"And if doesn't work and he won't listen?"
"Then at least I know I did everything I could," Luke answered with conviction. Asch nodded and they continued on in silence.
"You know, I almost wish we had gotten separated," Luke commented after navigating a few confusing trails. "At least then getting back together would have been a little easier. It would be nice if we knew where everyone else is right now."
"Definitely would be nice to make some use of... oh what did Anise call it?"
"CCN," Luke provided almost automatically.
"That is the stupidest name I've ever heard," Asch rolled his eyes.
"It's technically Jade's name for it," the younger sibling pointed out.
"Then it's that much stupider. I'd expect the old man to come up with something better than that."
Luke laughed. "You know," he said after a bit. "I was surprised you weren't more upset with them finding out about our connection."
"You were asleep at the time."
"Yeah, but you're really okay about it all. I mean, after they found out about our hyperresonance you were upset for weeks."
"Our hyperresonance is a bit more dangerous," Asch pointed out. He shrugged. "It just doesn't bother me as much. We've been too busy for me to care," he added teasingly.
"Yeah, I guess we have been kind of busy lately, but at least we're almost done."
"Hardly."
"That's right," Luke realized. "I guess you're going to be really busy up at the castle with all the lands in the Qliphoth."
"Unbelievably," Asch replied, his tone showing he was not looking forward to it in the least.
"Wait... what about the miasma?" The horrible thought suddenly dawned on Luke. "The lands aren't going to be covered in miasma, are they?!"
Asch looked at Luke confusedly. "Oh, that's right, you were out cold," Asch suddenly realized. "Jade was explaining it on the Albiore after we finished with the core. No, there won't be any problems with the miasma."
"How is that going to work?"
"To keep it simple, the miasma is going to be pushed downwards as the lands lower, and we'll trap it all in the core. It has to do with something called the dividing line which helps hold the lands up. According to the old man, it should be good enough to keep it from getting out and causing any problems."
"But what about Lorelei?"
"All the more reason we'll have to figure out how to free him, but we can worry about that once things settle down. Even without the miasma, there is going to be a lot to sort through."
"Can I help?" Luke asked.
"Help? Help with what?"
"I don't know... anything I can help you with."
"Why?"
"I don't want to go back to sitting around the manor doing nothing all day," Luke confessed. "I just... I can't do that anymore."
Asch smiled. "Of course. I don't know how much you can do, but you can definitely help out."
"Thanks!"
Asch chuckled, his laugh having an almost evil edge to it. "You have no idea what you're getting yourself into."
------------
Jade carefully eyed the path, his gaze following the markings that were discreetly carved along its edges. He carefully pondered the nature of this arte before using one of his own to obliterate three select symbols. Taking a small stone in his hand, he tossed it forward. Nothing; the trap was disarmed.
"Our Commandant has certainly been getting creative," Jade commented, inviting the Princess forward with a sweep of his hand.
"My, that's the third trap you've disarmed now," Natalia noted, carefully watching the ground as she walked. "I certainly hope that Asch and the others are alright."
"I wouldn't worry too much, Princess. It's unlikely that Van had the opportunity to lay traps on all the different passages. Our redheads will be just fine. They're together, after all, and Asch at the very least has enough sense to find and avoid them."
"Really, you needn't call me 'Princess'," Natalia commented. "We're friends after all, Natalia is just fine."
"Certainly, Princess."
Natalia sighed and rolled her eyes. "Must you always be like that?"
"Be like what?" Jade asked ever so innocently.
"So... like you."
"Well if I weren't myself, who else should I be?"
"I suppose that's very true," Natalia said with a chuckle. "Actually, while it's simply the two of us, I want to take the opportunity to thank you."
"Oh? And what's this for all of a sudden?" Jade adjusted his glasses.
"For helping Asch and I to put an end to the war and hostilities between our countries. I realize it's a gratitude that is long overdue."
"Yes well, I didn't do anything really so don't concern yourself."
"No, we wouldn't have succeeded if not for your assistance and for your influence in Grand Chokmah. For simply being a Colonel, you have quite the respect of the court, much more so than your rank would suggest. So don't dismiss your involvement, it was as critical as anyone else's. Though I do have to wonder why you've never gotten a promotion."
"I have enough work to do with my current position, I've no need for the hassle of a promotion." Jade shrugged.
"That makes sense," Natalia replied, knowing full well the increase in burden that came with an increase in rank. "Of course," she slyly suggested. "If Nephry should marry Emperor Peony then your position would correlate with your influence."
"Nephry wouldn't leave Keterburg," Jade commented.
"Are you certain? Emperor Peony does seem especially fond of her, and the feeling appears to be mutual."
"She didn't work to become its governor for nothing."
"Perhaps," Natalia replied. Seeing the look in Jade's eyes told her that in spite of his words, a part of him wanted to see his sister happy. And she had a feeling that didn't mean governing Keterburg alone until the end of her days. The young Princess smiled, "but one never knows what the future will bring."
-----------
"I hope Ion's okay," Anise wondered aloud for the fifth time in the past half hour. Both she and Tear had been wandering for awhile now and even though they were going downwards, they'd yet to come across any sign of others.
"Don't worry Anise, Guy is with him. I'm sure they'll be fine."
"I know, but I'm still worried. It's a really long walk down to the passage ring, and he's still tired from Tataroo Valley."
"Guy will keep an eye out for him, and it's not like the Fon Master is a girl; in the worse case scenario, Guy can carry him."
"Yeah, I guess." Anise shrugged. "While we're on the subject of Tataroo Valley, how are you doing?"
"I'll be alright," Tear provided. "The medication the doctor gave me seems to be working for now."
"Tear... are you really going to use the passage ring here? I mean, the medication might be working and all, but you definitely haven't recovered from the last one."
"I don't have a choice," the melodist said solemnly.
"You always say that, but you know it's not true, right?"
"Anise, we can't let the lands fall and with what my brother's done, they could fall at any time. We can't afford to wait. I'm not going to risk everyone else's lives. There are no other options."
"That's not what I mean, you keep saying the same thing to Luke too. He's offered to work the passage ring for you."
"Why sacrifice two people when we don't have to? I'm not letting Luke get hurt."
"Face it Tear, using one passage ring isn't going to kill him. Spinoza said something about how they're both less affected than you are and it probably has something to do with Lorelei and all that fonon frequency crap that only the Colonel understands. That isn't the issue here."
"W-What are you implying?" Tear stuttered.
Anise sighed, surprising the melodist. She was always the first to get on anyone's case as soon as they hinted at anything, even when it obviously wasn't true... but this time, she had gotten serious.
"Maybe you haven't noticed, but what you're doing is really hurting everyone else."
"I'd rather have them a little upset with me than see them poisoned by the miasma. A few negative feelings are nothing in the face of their lives. I'm not going to risk Luke getting sick when there's absolutely no logical reason to." Tear caught Anise's gaze and was surprised to see a flare of anger in her brown eyes. "What?"
"You haven't seen Luke when you're not around, Tear. He's not 'a little upset', he's broken up about it! The other night he was crying himself to sleep, so don't just dismiss his feelings as 'nothing'!" Tear listened in disbelief.
"No he isn't..." Tear managed. "I haven't noticed anything." Anise was imagining things. Luke may not be happy about her decision, and that he'd expressed, but he still smiled and otherwise went about things as if they were normal.
"Isn't it obvious? He's trying to put up a front for you, he doesn't want you realize how upset he is! No one wants to see you get sick, but Luke more so than anyone!"
"But... why?"
"Ugh!" Anise yanked on her pigtails. "You two are completely identical and both so totally hopeless!" She yelled in frustration before stomping ahead, leaving a very confused melodist in her wake.
-------------
"Are you sure you're doing okay Ion?" Guy asked over his shoulder. "We can take another break if you need too."
"No, I should be fine, at least for a little further," Ion smiled. "But thank you for your concern. I'm sorry for slowing you down so much."
"You don't need to apologize, we should be the ones apologizing to you. We're running you pretty ragged, especially lately."
"No, doing those things was my choice, and I was the one who wanted to come along. You don't need to feel bad about it."
"Just out of curiosity, why did you want to tag along?" Guy asked. "Not that I'm against it or anything, but there's no saying how dangerous things could get. It would have been better for you to stay in the Albiore with Ginji and rest."
"Yes well, everything that has happened is a result of several members of the Order of Lorelei. I feel it's my responsibility to see this through to the end, regardless of the dangers involved."
"Yeah..." Guy said solemnly. "We're finally facing down Van."
"That's right, Van was your childhood friend, wasn't he?"
"Yeah, we were really close. Van was like a big brother to me."
"That must make this difficult for you," Ion commented.
"To be honest, it's not as hard as I thought it would be. I still wish there was some way to talk him out of it, but it's because we were so close that I know I can't let him go through with this."
"I'm concerned about the Seventh Fonstone Score that Van knows," Ion admitted. "If Van is taking such drastic actions to eliminate the Score, one can't help but wonder what it says."
"You know, it's sort of like what Asch said. There's more futures out there than the one the Score says. If the Score on the Seventh Fonstone is bad, then we just have to find a different path to take."
"Perhaps you're right. I believe Yulia left us the Score as a guide to help us make the right choices, but people have indeed become too dependant on it, just as Van and the God-Generals say. I think perhaps it's time that the Order of Lorelei moved away from the blind devotion to the Score that we've promoted for so long."
"It won't be easy, but I think that would be the best course of action they could take," Guy agreed. "Do you think you'll be able to do it? You're going to meet with a lot of resistance, people don't like to change."
"It will be difficult, but this is something I want to do," Ion admitted. "To be honest, I've never been anything but a figurehead. Van and Mohs created me in order to prevent chaos in the Order, each with the intention of using it for their own purposes. I've never truly done anything for the Order on my own before."
"You've kept it alive and functioning, I think that's lots," Guy pointed out.
"But it doesn't mean anything to simply exist, I've done that for two years now," Ion said sadly. "To give any benefit to this world, you have to be able to live in it. Unfortunately, my place in such a world is rather questionable."
"Okay, now you're starting to sound like Luke," Guy interrupted the Fon Master. "Don't come down on yourself so hard just because you're a replica. You're doing a lot better than Luke was when he was your age. You should be proud of how far you've come in such a short time. You've stopped a war, and now you're going to help us save the Outer Lands. I don't think all that amounts to nothing. Maybe you're replacing the original Ion, but you've made your own place for yourself. You're not like he used to be, and the Order of Lorelei is much different, thanks to you, than it would have been had he led it this entire time."
"Perhaps you're right," Ion replied. "I'm not my original."
"And from what you've told us about him, I'm glad you're not," Guy added. Ion laughed.
"Thank you, Guy."
"I didn't do anything worth being thanked for," the blond shrugged.
No, that wasn't true at all, Ion realized as he continued to walk alongside his friend. Between himself and Luke, Guy had done more than for which he could ever be thanked.
-----------
"Is the passage ring for the Absorption Gate in the core itself?" Natalia asked. She had never considered herself to be an impatient person, but the sheer length of their journey down was beginning to wear on her. She didn't doubt that her concern for the safety of her companions was contributing as well.
"Now, now," Jade teased. "We wouldn't want to reach the passage ring before finding the others now would we?"
"No," Natalia replied, knowing full well that the chances they'd find Van within the vicinity of their destination were very good. "But there's no saying if any of these routes ever meet up."
"That is always a possibility," Jade shrugged and Natalia really couldn't help but wonder if anything ever phased that man. He was far too comfortable with the prospect of never encountering anyone else again, or of facing the Commandant with just the two of them.
But before Natalia had the chance to work through what two ranged fighters could possibly do against Van, a glimpse of red stood out against the endless maroons of the surrounding structures.
"Asch! Luke!" Natalia called out, running ahead as not to miss them where the paths intersected. At the sound of her voice, Asch looked up, but his face quickly grew very serious.
"Natalia, stop!" The Princess froze on the spot.
Jade came up behind her and placed a firm hand on her shoulder, forcefully restraining any further movement. What in all of Auldrant was- Then Natalia noticed the markings on the ground that she had come to recognize as the triggers to many of the artes Van had laid as traps.
The Malkuth Colonel disarmed the trap and Natalia was finally able to breathe again. "That was close..." she managed. "I'm sorry."
"Yes well, do try to be more careful," Jade replied. "Now isn't the time to be reckless."
"I'm glad to see you're both okay," Luke said happily.
"Us as well," Natalia agreed. "We were quite concerned."
"Did you run across any traps Van had laid?" Jade inquired.
"No," Asch replied. "He must not of come this way. How about you?"
"We've seen our share of them," Natalia confessed.
"That means your path is probably the one we should be on."
"I don't suppose you've run into any of the others?" the Princess asked.
Asch turned around and stared at several paths they could see suspended in the distance. "There." Asch pointed to the middle one that seemed to wind quite a bit. "Tear and Anise are on that one. We saw each other but couldn't join up."
"Good," Jade nodded. "It looks like it will intersect with ours further down. We can wait for them there."
"Now we just have to find Guy and Ion," Luke said with a nod.
"And then the fun begins." Asch rolled his eyes.
Everyone continued on in silence, which was only briefly broken when they met up with the girls. Though they hadn't waited long, here in the depths of the Absorption Gate, time became completely inconsequential. The only light came from the multitude of fonons that fell down towards the core and there was no way of telling how long they'd been wandering, or what time of day it was. While you'd think that would make it easier on everyone, it only put them on edge. Apparently knowing that only half a day had gone by was easier than letting your imagination go at it, and with the way the trails went on forever it wasn't a stretch to think they'd been down here for a week.
Luke was glad they'd managed to catch up with Anise and Tear, but the fact that they still hadn't been able to locate Guy and Ion worried him. There couldn't be that much further to go, and they really didn't have the time or the resources to mount a search if they didn't cross paths soon.
Familiar glyphs came into view, dancing around as had the passages that led up to them, and Luke felt an overwhelming sense of dread. What if something had happened to them? Could they have gotten caught in one of Master Van's traps? What if they'd come across him and were fighting for their lives somewhere other than the passage ring? All things considered, they were all assuming Master Van was somewhere near the Sephiroth... but what if he wasn't?
'They're fine,' Asch cut in, putting an end to Luke's spiralling concerns.
'How do you know that?' Luke looked over at his sibling, and Asch nodded forwards.
"Guy! Ion!" Luke ran up to their remaining companions. Guy quickly put a finger up to his lips, and Luke fell silent.
"The passage ring is just up ahead," Guy whispered. "We saw Van down there. I don't think he spotted us but I have no idea how well sound carries around here."
"I was worried you'd fallen into another trap," Luke admitted, keeping his voice to a whisper.
"No, we didn't run into any other traps," Guy replied. "To be honest, I was really surprised to see Van lay some in the first place. It's not like him to use petty tricks like that."
"I doubt the traps were meant to actually cause any significant harm," Jade replied. "I imagine their function was more aimed towards alerting him to our presence."
"An alarm, huh?" Anise put her hands on her hips. Just great, they had gone and announced their arrival without even knowing it.
"So he knows that we're here. He's not taking any chances," Ion commented.
"No, which is why we have to be extra careful," Asch pointed out.
"What was the Commandant doing when you spotted him?" Anise asked.
"He wasn't doing anything, he was simply standing there," the Fon Master provided.
"I wonder what he could be waiting for," Natalia wondered.
"For the lands to fall," Asch concluded. "He probably isn't taking any chances or leaving us any opening to interfere."
"Looks like we're going to have to face him head on," Guy said solemnly.
"This is it," Asch agreed. "It's all or nothing."
"Yes well," Jade pushed his glasses back up the bridge of his nose. "Nothing isn't an option."
----------
The passage ring that controlled the Absorption Gate was the grandest among Auldrant's ten Sephiroth. The cavern in which it dwelt vaulted up many stories and there was no shortage of the swirling glyphs that were commonplace here. The passage ring's controls were located on a large platform, flat and ideally suited for the battle that was to come eventually. Assuming of course, that one was weary of the unguarded ledges, for the steep precipice undoubtedly dropped far beyond what the eye could see and may even lead down into the core itself. Not that anyone would likely survive the fall to find out.
Van stood alone before the Sephiroth watching the mixed fonon flows. It was an interesting phenomenon, one that occurred only here at the Absorption Gate where the flow of the Sephiroth that supported the land was opposite that of the Planet Storm which drew fonons to the core. Not that it would exist for much longer. Soon the Sephiroth would be no more, and they would be the first of Yulia's many creations to vanish from history forever.
Over his shoulder, the Commandant eyed the entrance to the chamber in which he stood, wondering how soon he'd see someone pass through it. One of his traps had been triggered so he knew Asch and his band of fools were here, and he knew that they were intelligent enough not to let such a petty thing defeat them. They would, however, be defeated. Van had no doubt of that.
A grin spread across his face as the sound of footsteps filled the air behind him and Van could feel a certain sense of satisfaction. It had all played itself out perfectly; all the players were in place. The game could finally begin.
"Van!" Asch yelled.
"Well, well, I see you've made it all the way here," the Commandant turned to face his opponents. "Asch, have you come to change your mind?"
"I told you before, not on your life," the redhead seethed.
"Pity, I had hoped I wouldn't need to force your cooperation."
"Van! Why are you doing this?" Tear demanded.
"I'm doing this to spare the world of the curse Yulia placed upon it," Van replied.
"But the Score is already off-track. Yulia's Score is not an absolute future, there are many paths the world can take," Ion said with a determination and strength that took his companions by surprise. "I believe that Luke's and my existence are proof of that."
"Heh," Van turned to Luke. "You think your pitiful existence is going to save this world? You are meaningless; an insignificant deviation like you is nothing before Yulia's Score. The leaves may change but the true essence of the tree does not. The Score is a drug, leading men to meagre joys all the while masking its heart of destruction. But as each Score reveals itself to be true, then people want to believe the next and the next ones as well. Over 2000 years, mankind has become completely addicted to the Score."
"And you think your replica world is the solution?" Natalia asked. "That's just as distorted and convoluted as you claim the Score to be!"
"She's right," Guy agreed. "Maybe this world is twisted and ruled by the Score, but the idea of a replica world is just as twisted."
"I will eliminate this doomed existence that is bound to the Score. Unless humanity can create a new world, without the Score, it will perish," the Commandant replied. "Is it really such a sin to wish for the future?"
"That's no future at all! All you're doing is destroying the futures of every person on this planet!" Anise protested.
"And the only thing your twisted ideals are doing is make your sister suffer!" Asch pointed out.
"Mystearica," Van began, his voice slightly softer and betraying a hint of regret. "It's unfortunate, if only you'd stayed in Yulia City. I might have been able to spare you."
"You're making a world of replicas, aren't you?" Tear shot back coldly. "Then just kill me and make a replica!"
"You insist on fighting me?" he asked, the question was directed solely at the melodist.
"Yes... it's the reason I left Yulia City. I won't let you destroy the Outer Lands!"
"Then I've no choice." Van drew his sword. "I will kill you all!"
Asch was the first to take Van's hit, but Luke and Guy quickly moved in to support him. The older redhead had just gotten his sword up in time, and the speed at which Van was moving startled him. True he had never seen his instructor fighting at full strength, but he didn't think he'd be that powerful.
The battle was moving at amazing speeds, with Van keeping up with all three of his direct assailants. Natalia's shots met nothing but air or the steel blade of her adversary. Though they weren't making any particular progress, so far they were holding their ground. Considering who they were up against, one could consider that a feat in itself, but staying in a stalemate forever meant that Van would emerge victorious. It would give the lands time to fall. No, time was most certainly on Van's side, and he was an opponent that needed no advantages.
Natalia healed a laceration she noticed on her fiancé's arm but left some of the insignificant scratches as they were. As hurried as they had to be, this was likely to be a drawn out battle, and she didn't doubt there would be several more serious injuries involved. Both she and Tear knew that they had to keep up their strength lest they fail when their healing skills were needed most.
However, she did notice a peculiarity to which Van still held. Though he'd said he'd kill them all, he still launched less fierce attacks against Asch than he did Luke or Guy. Natalia wondered what Van had in mind for him. Asch had made clear his decision not to assist Van in his twisted plans, but did that mean that Van had found a way around it? Or did it simply mean he would find a way to force Asch's participation?
Not that such things mattered. She wouldn't allow him the chance for either option. His plans ended here and now.
Asch parried a hit from his former instructor, the force of the attack sending him slightly off balance, but rather than take advantage of this, Van turned his focus to Luke landing a series of hits that his sibling managed to block. What was he thinking? That was the third time now that Van had forced him to drop his guard but he still had yet to take advantage of the openings. Van wasn't stupid, he knew they were there. What was he hoping to gain?
The redhead relaunched his assault on Van's turned back but the Commandant easily side-stepped his move and retaliated. Asch stared down his former teacher, trying to gauge his expression. It had shifted from the calm determined one he wore while fighting to one filled with intrigue. He landed several hits, all light and quick, almost as if gauging his student's reactions. Damn it, what did Van take him for? He wasn't that weak! This wasn't some stupid practice session! Asch's hits grew more intense and Van easily threw them aside. A dark light appeared in his eyes; it had finally clicked.
An evil look spread across Van's face and suddenly his sword plunged forward at Asch. The redhead quickly parried, but was a split second too late and the sword dug painfully into his left arm sending blood spattering onto the floor as he reeled back in pain. What the- All fight Van had obviously been trying to spare him... but that strike was meant to be fatal!
"Don't think you can fool me replica," Van spat at the redhead who was still defensively clutching his bleeding arm.
Damn it! Anise joined in the fray, pushing the Commandant away from the injured Luke. How had he figured it out?!
----
"Hey, what the hell are you two doing?" Anise demanded. She had turned around in time to see Luke buttoning up Asch's coat, and Asch dawning his replica's.
"Switching," Asch answered simply as he handed Luke his blade. The younger sibling did the same and they both quickly re-equipped themselves.
"But... why?" Anise asked but the question quickly fell from her mind. She shook her head and looked again. She had watched them do it! But both of them might as well have just switched places for all she could tell. They still looked so completely like the other it was unbelievable. Luke had that same almost-cocky look Asch always had, and at the same time Asch's expression had softened... how did they do that so damn well?!
"You guys," Guy scolded. "Now is hardly the time."
"We're not just doing this for kicks," Luke said. He'd even switched his tone of voice! Anise yanked on her pigtails.
"Yeah," Asch agreed, his own voice softer and identical to Luke's intonation.
"Could you two stop that?" Anise asked, her voice strained in frustration. "You're messing with my head!"
"It's easier if we do it this way," Asch explained.
"You intend to try and fool Van?" Jade asked.
"Even you have to have noticed," Luke pointed out. "Master Van doesn't take Luke as seriously."
"At least stop referring to yourself in the third person!" Anise pleaded. This seriously was not the time for them to be destroying her brain cells.
"Sorry Anise," Asch shrugged. "If it's easier, just pretend we haven't switched. We want to use this to our advantage, and given how well Van knows us, we really can't afford to screw up."
"Because Van will leave his guard down against Luke?" Natalia inquired.
"Precisely," Luke answered. Even Natalia was having a hard time watching Luke. He slipped so easily into Asch's persona it was frightening. "He doesn't take Luke as seriously because Luke's younger and not trained as well."
"His opinion of Luke doesn't help that, I'm sure," Jade agreed.
"So I'll be able to use that to try and get around his defences," Asch continued.
"Are you sure he won't notice?" Guy inquired.
"He could," Luke conceded. "But we need every advantage we can get right now."
----
Anise did her best to hold her ground as both Natalia and Tear focused on cleaning Luke up. It was going to take both of them too. It was really a good thing he'd blocked that hit. She wasn't going to entertain the thought of losing anyone in this fight, or ever for that matter. But damn it all, how had Van figured them out? Sure no one expected it to last forever, but they sure as hell had hoped it would go on for longer than that. Asch hadn't even been able to find a good opening yet!
"Damn it Van!" The real Asch charged his instructor. Their trick may have fallen through but this fight was far from over.
"Did you honestly think I would fall for such a petty trick?" Van asked, indulging his students' irrational offensive. Asch always had lost his good sense when he thought his replica may be in danger. It was his weakness, couldn't Asch see that? "That pathetic thing could never amount to half the talent you have. Just look at it. Completely useless, and long since filled any potential worth it could possess. He'll never amount to anything much less anywhere near what you could possibly be!"
Luke stepped back, still clutching his blood-soaked arm, reeling from the comments his former teacher made. He knew he wasn't as good as Asch was at some things... but he wasn't worthless! He didn't care what Van said, he did have his own abilities and his own talents!
"Shut up!" Asch countered Van's attacks, and he could feel his own strikes grow more and more reckless. Damn it all! Van was pushing his buttons and he knew it, but his reactions had become so instinctive that he couldn't do a thing about it. Van's eyes narrowed as he spotted the opening and a well placed blow sent Asch skidding across the ground leaving a trail of blood behind him.
"Leave Asch alone!" Luke immediately placed himself between Van and his sibling who was still picking himself up off the ground.
"Luke, no!" Tear called after him but to no avail. What was he thinking? His arm was still bleeding! She'd managed to heal up the deeper wound, but with Natalia being forced to tend to the others, namely her injured fiancé, Tear hadn't had the time to finish healing him properly.
"Tch," Van spat staring down the replica that stood in his way. "Do you honestly think you can stop me, you failure? You who has no purpose other than to die."
"I don't need someone like you telling me what my purpose is. You didn't have one for me, then I'll find my own!" Luke yelled back.
Luke felt an explosion of pain fly up his left arm as Van's strike landed heavily over his own blade. He struggled against his instructor, just barely managing to parry each strike. Luke winced, his injury splitting open under the weight of Van's last hit. His instructor's evil grin widened noticing the pain Luke was in. He added weight to his attack.
"Change clothes, pretend all you'd like," Van whispered maliciously as he leaned down over the replica, "but you'll always be a defect, and you will never, never, be equal to your original."
Van leapt back, leaving Jade's arte to hit nothing but air. The Necromancer placed himself between Luke and the Commandant. "I'm afraid I'll have to have you play with me now." Jade launched himself at the man, his spear cleaning meeting Van's weapon, retaliating almost effortlessly in spite of his opponent's blocks. Unlike the redheads, Jade kept his head about him even in the face of the Commandant and matched him blow for blow in a flurry of strikes that could almost be considered graceful.
Tear hurried to Luke's side and continued to repair the damage he had re-incurred. Had they been in any other situation she would have scolded him for his recklessness. But not only was this not the time, she couldn't cut him down for wanting to protect his brother. Even in the middle of a fight to the death, she wished beyond all hope that there was a way to save her own. She would never accept Van's ideals, and she refused to let him have his way, so even though Tear knew what that meant, deep down she didn't want to see her brother die.
With a quick thanks, Tear's charge returned to the battle leaving the melodist to observe the proceedings. Guy had joined in on Jade's assault but Van had broken free and his artes were keeping them both preoccupied. Anise was having little success at getting any of her artes to hit, and Natalia was still busy fixing Asch up across the chamber, though he was almost back on his feet. Van's single hit had done a lot of damage.
They were all starting to wear, Tear noted as she surveyed the battle, trying her hand at an arte that she knew before she even cast, wouldn't land. All she was succeeding in doing was forcing her brother into unnecessary motions, and extra sidestep to dodge, or a defensive arte he wouldn't have otherwise needed. Still, those efforts weren't completely in vain, Van was still taking some damage. He had slowed, maybe not considerably, but to some extent, since the start of their battle.
Wait... slowing down... that gave Tear an idea, one that brought her back to the day this had all begun and it surprised her that she hadn't thought of it sooner.
Twei Rei Tsuae Croix Ryo Twei Tsuae
Tear's voice seemed to echo in the vast chamber, drowning out the sounds of battle that had filled his ears. Asch smiled at the melodist's tactics, his grin widening as he watched Van struggling against the effects of her song. No matter how skilled he was, he couldn't dodge a hymn, and he was starting to show it. They were beginning to gain ground, slowly pushing Van back towards the ledge everyone had been keeping their eye on.
Twenty feet... then ten; enough was enough. Several well placed blows sent Van's assailants flying backwards, to recover and fall as they would. Gailardia at the least was out unless Myatearica or the Princess tended to him. But Van cared little about that for now, his focus remained on Asch who looked more than ready to come at him. Such fruitless and misplaced efforts; it almost saddened him to see so much ruined potential. Asch was too soft, too unwilling to make sacrifices. Still, his student had a burst of determination and a stubbornness that wouldn't soon let him back down.
"You don't have what it takes to defeat me," Van declared, staring down his student; his voice cutting through Tear's melody that still hung in the background. "You might have once, but you've grown weak, held back by that dead weight replica you call your sibling and all these other fools. I offered you the chance to be great, to do the right thing and save this doomed existence from its fate... but you chose a meaningless life. You will never make a difference in this world, all for a worthless piece of trash."
'I've had just about enough of this,' Asch stated with an underlying strength to his thoughts that carried through to Luke who was now standing at his side.
'I agree,' Luke returned the sentiment.
'How about we show him how much you 'held me back'?' Asch suggested, his defiance echoing within Luke's soul and putting any possible doubts he had to rest.
'Sounds like a good idea to me.'
Asch looked over at Luke who smirked and gave him a reassuring nod. Luke was behind him all the way, no matter what the final outcome would be. Together, they charged Van.
Tear began to sing again, repeating her melody despite how drained she was. Her breathing had become laboured, but the song remained pure and the lyrics unaffected. She was giving her all, everybody was. Everything they'd worked towards, all the memories they'd shared, the people that had helped them along the way, it all came down to this moment. Every single one of the people Asch now called his friends were behind him, and he had no intention of losing now. Maybe he didn't have the skills to defeat Van, but he wasn't fighting alone anymore.
Asch swung his sword down on his teacher, who neatly blocked it. Luke cut around the side, escaping Van's notice. He felt the doubts begin to creep into his mind, and he moved more cautiously. The things his teacher had said began to weigh down on him. Did he really have the abilities to do this?
Stupid! Luke shook off those thoughts, letting determination take their place. Now wasn't the time to be doubting himself, or to wallow in self pity. That's what Van wanted him to do; Van had always fostered that sense of inferiority, that he could never quite catch up to Asch, but that didn't matter! He didn't have to better or stronger or anything like that at all. Even if he wasn't as talented as Asch was, it didn't mean he didn't have any ability to start with. So he didn't give a damn what Van thought of him, or what he said! Luke knew he had a place in this world and it wasn't as that man's throw-away.
Van turned his head in spite of being pinned under Asch's sword and quickly found the replica he had lost track of. Then again, the thing's position was irrelevant; trash like that would make no difference. There was nothing of which it was capable that he couldn't deal with, and the look he gave it made that fact crystal clear. Luke met his stare with an unwavering gaze, a flare of defiance burning within his eyes.
"Asch!" Luke launched his blade into the air.
Van's eyes widened at the unexpected tactic and he forced his student back. Asch snatched the sword from midair spinning around and landing a hit that Van instinctively parried, but his reflexes were still sluggish from his sister's continued singing and with the unforeseen strategy catching him off guard, he couldn't properly adjust. The second sword easily broke through Van's defences and plunged through his abdomen. Asch yanked the blade out spattering blood and other fluids on the floor, his cold green eyes proclaiming their victory.
"You can hate Luke, put him down all you want," Asch said coldly. "But that so-called 'worthless' replica was enough to stop you. I chose my path, and I do not regret it."
Van dropped his sword, the sound of metal cutting through Tear's hymn and bringing an eerie silence to the room. He clutched the fatal wound, reeling back from the hit until he was dangerously close to the edge.
"You're a fool," Van said through laboured breaths, his blue eyes locked on Asch's own emerald. "A fool... following a worthless replica to the end. This world... will never change."
Van took one more step backwards, and plummeted off the cliff.
Everyone was silent. Both redheads remained fixed where they were, staring at the spot where their former teacher has just stood, perhaps offering their last respects. No one would ever be sure. Asch was the first to move, turning his back to the battlefield and walking away. He had the right idea, Jade sighed. They still had a job to do.
"Tear..." Natalia motioned towards the melodist who stood in seeming disbelief of the scene she had just witnessed. Of course, she had just lost the last of her family, she must be devastated. Guy held up his hand, and shook his head, telling her not to go any further. Perhaps he was right... Natalia gave her friend one last look but followed the others towards the passage ring.
Luke lingered a moment longer, picking up Van's sword from the ground. It shone in the soft light of the passage ring, and even though the blood that still lingered on its edges spoke of the atrocities it had seen, Tear could feel her heart in her throat. She had never really wanted to see him- Luke stuck the sword in the ground, one last tribute to the man that had fallen here.
It didn't feel real, none of it did. The entire world around her seemed so foreign as Tear stood there, the golden gleam of Van's sword entrancing her. The brother she'd always looked up to, had always respected was gone. She'd never see his smile again, feel the warmth of his hand as he placed it gently over her head, listen to his gentle voice as he sung her to sleep. And for what? Necessity meant nothing anymore, not when she was alone in the world.
Tear felt a hand on her shoulder and looked up to see Luke smiling at her. It wasn't a happy victorious grin, but a soft smile reflecting the anguish of losing someone who had been important to him once too. Seeing Luke brought her back to reality, though she couldn't find it in her to return his gesture. They had a task they still had to complete. After all the sacrifices that had been made along the way, they couldn't fail now.
"Are you going to be alright, Tear?" Natalia inquired as the melodist took her usual place near the pedestal. "You look quite worn out already."
Tear merely nodded; she didn't trust her voice not to fail her. Clutching the pedestal and activating the passage ring, she felt her strength begin to drain, but she wouldn't back down. For Van's sake as well, she would ensure this world lived on, until the day she joined him again.
"So what are we doing to lower the land?" Luke asked, breaking the silence and trying to hurry things along as best he could. Tear couldn't be having an easy time, but this was also the one place they couldn't afford to screw up.
"First off, you need to connect the last Sephiroth to the Absorption Gate," Jade instructed. "Once the Radiation Gate is connected, you'll need to send Seventh Fonons into the Sephiroth. That will trigger the decent. However, those Seventh Fonons have to come from the one who issued the command, so in other words, you."
"Alright," Luke replied with a nod.
Luke raised both his arms and a familiar golden glow enveloped him. He closed his eyes, stabilizing the fonons he'd gathered that threatened to overcome him in his weariness. Luke hadn't noticed just how exhausted he was until he had to use his hyperresonance. With a deep breath, he went back to the task at hand, carving the connection between this passage ring and the Radiation Gate. He couldn't give up now... he couldn't fail. Everyone had sacrificed too much, Tear had even lost her brother. He had to do this.
The Seventh Fonons moved into the core and the whole chamber shook. The lands were beginning to lower but the more Seventh Fonons that passed from Luke into the Sephiroth, the more they took his strength with them. No! He couldn't pass out now... but he just didn't have the strength left! If he didn't keep up his hyperresonance then... then the lands would... everyone would...
Luke felt a gentle pressure on his left shoulder and turned his head to see Asch smiling at him. The older redhead turned to face the same direction as his sibling and raised his left arm. The golden glow that had enveloped Luke spread to encompass Asch as well. He slowly moved his right hand up Luke's left arm, and while carefully maintaining the flow of fonons, he brought it down by their sides adding his own hyperresonance to Luke's.
Jade sighed but couldn't resist the smile that tugged at his lips. Really those two... wasn't Asch listening when he'd said the fonons had to come from Luke? Of course, it was completely irrelevant; having identical fonon frequencies meant that the Sephiroth likely couldn't tell the difference between them. Then there was their combined hyperresonance. Asch had done an impressive job of balancing the focal point and Jade suspected the fact that Asch still held Luke's free arm was helping stabilize the fonon flow between them. Normally he wouldn't have thought such a thing even possible but apparently he had been wrong. Still... did Asch really have to pick the most crucial times to test these sorts of things?
Natalia watched the boys in awe, but found something peaceful about their cooperative effort. It seemed so fitting after all they'd been through that they finish it together. Come to think of it, none of them had ever actually seen Asch use his hyperresonance before, and yet, as he stood there with Luke it seemed perfectly normal. Then again, a great many things she would have otherwise considered strange had become normal as of late. The cavern shook again, they must be almost done.
Luke smiled as he felt Asch's strength alongside his own, bringing with it a warmth and comfort that had escaped him with Van's death. Everyone had lost so much, but they had also saved so much, and that knowledge made it easier. Things gone would never come back, he had learnt that in Akzeriuth; but no matter what the past held, there was always a future, one full of infinite possibilities. Luke felt Asch smile when he came to that realization. They both knew it, and they would both protect it as best as they could.
"It appears the miasma is adhering to the dividing line just as we had expected," Jade commented. The cavern gave one last solid quaver, signalling the completion of the descent.
Asch and Luke let a sigh of relief and satisfaction but before either of them could dissipate the fonons around them, a searing pain flew through their heads and brought them both to their knees. Lorelei?
Luke, Asch... I will send you the key. Use it to set me free... the one who would seize glory... is trying... to capture me...
The pain vanished in an instant leaving both twins gasping for air, fighting against the darkness that beckoned them. What was that supposed to be? Just what was- Both twins found their thoughts jumbled and struggled to make sense of Lorelei's words. No, they had to stay conscious. There would be time to rest later... not now.
"Are the two of you alright?" Natalia inquired worriedly.
"I'm sure they're fine," Jade answered for the redheads as they continued to try and control their laboured breathing. "With the number of Seventh Fonons the descent required, it's no surprise they're tired. They'll be right as rain after a bit of rest."
"How about you Tear?" Anise asked, walking over to the melodist who had just released the pedestal.
"I think I'll..." Tear couldn't even finish lying before a dizzy spell silenced her. She was already swaying on her feet.
"Here," Anise offered with a smile. "Luke's too wiped to carry you. I know it's not as good, but you can borrow Tokunaga."
Tear leaned against the enlarged doll and smiled a warm smile as she cuddled closer. "Thank you...Anise," she managed before giving into her weariness.
"Wow, that took quite the toll on everyone," Guy commented, eyeing the unconscious Tear and the two boys who weren't far from joining her.
"Indeed," Natalia agreed. "But the lands have been safely lowered, they'll have plenty of time to rest. Everything is finally over now."
Asch looked over at Luke, who returned the worried stare. Lorelei's words still echoed in their minds. Natalia was wrong, it only seemed that way. Things were far from over.
They were only just beginning.