Chapter 58: The Past Never Dies
The sound of the river flowing was soft and constant; a soothing rhythmic pattern that played over as the water ran down across the rocks, and had Asch not been so busy trying to follow his racing mind, he would have probably found it comforting. Instead the sound mocked him, taunting him for his failure to complete the tasks he'd set out to do and reminded him of all he'd lost in the process.
He'd managed to get across their connection, to speak to Luke when his little brother's guard was down, but Luke's thoughts and feelings still remained a mystery. Asch had tried a few tactics, anything to keep Luke talking, to give him a chance to glimpse at what his brother was actually thinking, but it hadn't taken long for Luke to catch onto what he was doing and to shut him out entirely again. Luke kept his thoughts and feeling locked away from his older brother's reach and not knowing what was going through Luke's head, even in the most general sense, left Asch completely lost as to where to start.
Their fight this time around was foreign territory. In almost eight years as siblings, he and Luke had fought more times than Asch could shake a stick at. They fought over stupid things, and sometimes over serious things that actually mattered, but mostly just because they gave a damn about each other which for whatever reason seemed to make it so much easier to get pissed off. It was easier to get mad, and easier to get hurt. A punching bag, that's what Luke had said... that he wasn't just Asch's punching bag. That wasn't true at all! It wasn't like Luke was all innocent! He was- Asch cut himself off, unsure if he was ready to admit that weakness even to himself... but it was still the truth. Luke was probably one of the few people that could genuinely hurt him back.
It was probably why the God-General's tactics had been so damn effective. They knew he wouldn't let Luke get hurt, or Natalia, or his family, or anyone in Baticul for that matter and his flight was the only way he could avoid playing right into their hands. Let them try whatever underhanded blackmail they wanted to, he wasn't going to dance the way they wanted him to, not by any stretch of the imagination. It was for that reason, and that reason alone that he couldn't let Luke find the Jewel. Ungodly stubborn as his sibling may be, Luke was too soft and cared about his friends too much. He would give up the Jewel without a second thought if it meant that everyone could be safe and happy. It didn't make him wrong, it just couldn't be allowed... for Lorelei's sake and for the sake of the world Van would destroy if he got his hands on the Key. So Asch would shoulder the burden himself, and everyone else could go about their lives, and just keep on hating him.
Of course, it didn't help that Asch was growing more and more desperate. He needed to find that Jewel and there was the chance that Luke knew something he didn't. He had to find it before the God-Generals did. They didn't have it yet... of that much he was sure. The God-Generals wouldn't be so desperate to get the Sword from him if they'd already secured the Jewel. Still...he was running out of passage rings, and if it wasn't there, he needed to know where else to look. He'd have to wait until Luke calmed down a bit and try again, it's not like he was getting far any time soon. Out of the corner of his eye, Asch could see the log and the path that led across the river and to the nearby Sephiroth. He could still try to slip away... Damn it all, it he hadn't been caught-
"If you truly intend to leave and search the Sephiroth, I'm not going to stop you," Jade's voice interrupted Asch's train of thought and the redhead immediately turned his attention away from his desired path.
"Yeah, right," Asch rolled his eyes. He wasn't falling into another of the Colonel's traps. He'd had enough of those to last him a lifetime.
"How many passage rings do you still have to search?"
"Two, not counting the Absorption and Radiation Gates. Why? What do you want from me?" The young monarch asked defensively.
"You needn't get so worked up. I meant what I said, if you seriously intend to leave and search those Sephiroth for the Jewel of Lorelei in spite of what's happened, then I won't get in your way. If you don't escape here, you will eventually; we can't force you to remain with us short of binding and gagging you, and while I'm sure Luke would be happy to do so, I left my good rope in Grand Chokmah."
"Real funny old man. What's the catch?"
"There is none; this is your decision to make. You can leave to search the Sephiroth and I won't stop you. You may find the Jewel, you probably won't. But then what? You've nowhere else to look. You can't return Baticul, you'd be arrested for treason and you'll have antagonized the only two people in this world who could defend you. Ironic isn't it? You set off this chain of events to avoid the God-General's threats, yet your actions have the same result. Both paths leave you stripped of the people you care for, they leave you with nothing in the end."
Asch was silent, his pace slowing as his mind absorbed the entirety of what Jade was saying.
"For the record," Jade whispered in Asch's ear. "Acting out the consequences of a threat yourself is not the best way to deal with blackmail."
"Shut up."
"Well, someone has to point these things out," Jade shrugged. "You're vacuous enough as it is."
"Hmph," Asch scoffed but turned to Jade with a look that the Colonel had never seen on the boy before. It was anger, but at the same time, filled with more hurt than Asch would normally betray. "Does it make you feel special; using your big words to tell me I'm empty inside?"
The older twin turned away and walked ahead, but even the air about him told the Malkuth Colonel he'd struck a nerve, a highly sensitive one by the looks of it. It left Jade somewhat curious. It wasn't like Asch to betray weakness like that. Maybe there was something more serious that would be worth looking into there.
Before Jade could finish contemplating just how much he should be reading into Asch's rare and just as unintentional disclosure, something near the base of the valley had stopped the others in their tracks. Brushing their current issues aside, both the Colonel and the young monarch hurried to catch up with their companions.
"What's going on up here?" Jade demanded.
"I'm not sure," Luke stood as defensively as he could with the unconscious Ion still on his back. "I thought I'd heard-"
"You heard us," a female voice declared, drawing the attention of the entire group. She was blonde, standing tall and proud despite her worn clothing. A long katana hung at her side, and her blue eyes were piercing despite her innately soft voice. No one would have thought anything of it, had Guy not buckled where he stood.
"That's... that's impossible!" Guy muttered, his eyes still wide in shock. "M-Mary?" There was just no way... it- it couldn't be! Mary was dead, she was murdered! He- Guy fell to his knees, bracing his head that was rushing with so many conflicting emotions that the blond couldn't even begin to process them.
Faces... so many faces, all covered in blood. Their faces, their bodies, they all pressed against him, their blood soaking through his clothing until his entire body was stained red. Then there was her face, the blood ran down it, he could feel it as it trickled down through his hair, the horror of where he was trapped, of staring into her blank eyes as they clouded over. No! He had to; he had to escape, to get out of there! He couldn't move, he was bound by these corpses, bound by their weight as they pressed against him, suffocating him.
Mary...
"Wait, Mary?" Luke's gaze raced from his best friend back to the woman standing before them. "Your sister, Mary?"
"Looks like Dist is involved after all, no one else would have the replica data from the citizens of Hod," Jade stated sternly.
"What kind of low shot is that supposed to be?" Anise demanded in outrage as Guy was still on the ground, shaking violently at whatever memories her face had brought.
"You said 'us'," Asch demanded. "What did you mean?"
"Mohs orders were to restrain the Princess and her fiancé," Mary called out. "Kill the others!"
Damn it, this was an ambush! The forest around them suddenly came alive as countless oracle knights burst forth from their cover. Luke instinctively drew his blade, but even just in doing that, he could tell that he wouldn't be fighting off too many of these enemies. With Ion still out on his back, his mobility was compromised to say the least, and he'd have his hands full just trying to protect the young Fon Master. His green eyes darted side to side, trying to keep an eye on as many of the forces that surrounded them as he could. They weren't all Oracle Knights, in fact only about half of them were. The others were shoddily equipped with aging weapons and armour. Their clothes were dirty and torn, some a horrible mismatch of fabrics that had been salvaged from Score knows where. Luke cursed under his breath, Mohs had been a busy little boy... and he was playing dirty.
Luke's heart froze when his eyes fell on more and more familiar faces in the ranks of his enemies. Iemon... and Tamara! His friends that had been lost... how could- how could he- Even if Ion hadn't been on his back, there was no way Luke could attack these people. They were his friends, Guy's family...
"That's..." Tear stepped back in surprise, her shoulder colliding with Luke's.
"Tear, are you okay?" Anise asked, noticing the melodist's sudden distress.
"I'm sure... that's- that's my father." Tear managed, her emotions having long since overcome the normally controlled melodist. "I've only ever seen pictures of him but... I'm sure."
"How could Mohs even think-!" Luke cursed. The enemy forces quickly organized themselves, closing off any possible route of escape. They weren't going to win, even if they had the will to fight. They just couldn't... they couldn't attack their friends.
"Well played," Jade commented. Mohs had planned this encounter well, the sudden appearance of lost loved ones and comrades had managed to shock them enough to delay their reaction and got them into a position where attempts to fight or escape were futile. Unfortunately, that didn't seem enough to dissuade a certain someone from trying.
"Asch what are you doing?" Luke yelled as his sibling charged at Mary, forcing her to draw her sword. She met his blow cleanly with far more skill than one would expect of a newly born replica. She sidestepped and struck forcing Asch onto the defensive.
"What are the rest of you doing?" Asch yelled back, "Do you plan to lie down and die here or are you going to actually fight for your lives?"
"That's Guy's sister! And Tear's father, and our friends!" Luke yelled back. Asch rolled his eyes; he should have seen that one coming. Damn it, couldn't Luke see there were bigger things at hand here than a handful of half-hearted ideals?
"Oh get over yourself! They're just replicas!"
It didn't take half a second for a piercing rage to crash over Asch and he realized the implications of his words.
'Luke that's-'
Nothing. Luke had completely shut him out. Great; just great. If he could get his sibling out of this alive, he had an earful or two for him. How could he just be ready to die because he couldn't fight someone who looked like his old friends? And what if Asch himself got caught? He'd lose the Sword of Lorelei and the God-Generals would do Yulia knows what with it, if they didn't just destroy it! It was their only chance of freeing Lorelei and stopping Van!
"Why do you resist?" Mary asked as the two continued to fight. "You don't stand a chance of winning."
"I may not be able to win, but I sure as hell am taking half of you with me."
The replica's blue eyes met his, contemplation brooding behind them. She could see the truth in this young man's eyes. He would indeed kill her kindred as if they were nothing, for the most futile of outcomes. It wouldn't win him his freedom, it would not save his friends; he sought nothing more than slaughter in protest of his loss.
"A deal then," Mary stated. "Surrender and your friends live. I make no promises as to how Mohs will deal with them, but they live for now."
"Not on your-"
"Agreed." Jade cut the redhead off.
"Jade what are you-"
"Would you rather have everyone die?" The Colonel hissed in the redhead's ear, his patience having long since run thin. Jade grabbed Asch by the wrist twisting it until the Sword dropped from his grip. Asch's temper flared, yanking his arm away only to be defeated by the Colonel's firm grip. The fire behind his emerald eyes was immediately silenced by Jade's own fury. "Don't be so eager to throw your or any of our lives away," Jade continued as harshly as he had begun. "Even if everyone were ready and able to fight, this is not a confrontation where we're going to come out of on top. Stop fighting a losing battle and start considering the lives of the people around you."
"Let go of me!"
"I'm not letting you make this mistake. Give up now, and make your stand later," Jade demanded. Asch's green eyes met the ground in stubborn defeat. "Whatever you're losing now, you can get it back later. Start using your head before you get us all killed."
Asch sat back in the cell, the cold stone pressing against his back as he listened to the water dripping from the ceiling. Well if these weren't the oldest and most run down cells in Daath, he'd love to see which ones were worse. The lighting down here sucked too, nothing more than a few salvaged fonstones hanging from the walls, giving the entire dungeon an eerie glow. It was enough to see each other in the neighbouring cells, but not much more than that. Either the replicas really didn't want anyone to know they were down here, or they weren't taking any chances of them escaping.
It had been at least two days now they'd been locked in here, the only sign of other life were the Oracle Knights that periodically brought them food. There was no indication of what time of day it was, and they ultimately relied on Jade for a realistic guess as to how long they'd been locked up. The time passed mostly in silence, not that there wasn't anything to say, but the thick cell walls and the way sound carried made conversation between cells almost impossible unless they stood by the bars and raised their voices.
They had been locked up in pairs. Guy was in a cell with Jade and next to them were Natalia and Anise. Asch found himself in a cell with Tear across from Jade's and next to them were Luke and Ion. Anise had tried to start a conversation a few times but the guards on duty outside the dungeon had come in and put a stop to it and since then no one had bothered, keeping instead to the company they had. Tension among them was unbelievably high, so the fact that talking wasn't going to be permitted was a blessing in disguise.
Why bother? For all they knew, they'd just been put down here to die while Mohs and Van did Score knows what to the rest of the world. The Sword of Lorelei had been taken from him; Asch couldn't believe how badly he'd screwed up. Why had he been so stupid? He knew he shouldn't have followed along with everyone else. He dealt with all that crap from Luke and the others, and where did it put him? Nowhere.
"What are you brooding on now?" Tear asked, watching the redhead as he mulled over something or another. She felt bad, she'd barely said a word to him the whole time they'd been locked up together, finding it easier to watch him, or to ignore him in light of sorting through her own thoughts and feelings.
Tear wanted to talk to Asch, though experience told her that it wouldn't be an easy task. He wasn't talkative, if he ever could have been considered such. Still, she needed someone, something, to distract her from her thoughts and from what had transpired back at the valley. She'd barely gotten her feelings on her brother's survival settled... now this? It was just... impossible. In less than an hour she'd gone from being alone in the world to finding out two of her family members were still out there. And both were her enemies.
Was it really so hard to believe? Tear had known that her father died when someone had extracted his replica data, but it didn't lessen the shock in the least. She'd never known her father, but Van had told her so many stories about his kindness, firm but gentle, and always grateful for his blessings. A picture of him, her mother and Van as a child sat by her bedside, and she'd looked upon it almost every day of her sixteen years of life. She could still remember the days she'd yearned for nothing more than a chance to meet him, to get to know both her parents like Van did. To feel their warmth and their love as her brother once had.
An inaudible sigh escaped the melodist's lips, and she found herself fighting a wave of regret. Even now, she would never know those things. It wasn't her father she had seen, but a replica. Still his face, hauntingly familiar as it was, evoked the same emotions from her had it been her father himself. It was shameful; she was soldier, to let her emotions impede her ability to fight to such an extent was unforgivable.
The most unforgivable thing of all was Mohs! How could he even consider such a thing? To use their own families and friends against them! Even Guy's sister... Poor Guy, he was still trying to come to terms with the memories her appearance had evoked and just from observing him, she could see how unsettled he still was. At least he was with the Colonel. All Jade's quirks aside, he had an amazing ability to locate the heart of an issue and help someone settle it. She stifled a soft chuckle, she could use one of his 'chats' herself right about now...
"Nothing," Asch replied, surprising Tear with an answer and pulling her from her thoughts. "I'm not thinking about anything." The redhead sighed, wondering why he'd given her an answer. He didn't want to speak with her, he just didn't want to deal with any more of their judgment; he was sick of it.
"Whatever you're thinking about, it isn't nothing," Tear said quietly.
"What makes you say that?"
"You're always thinking about something. You worry about everything, everyone, and about the future. When you're thinking so hard about something, it's almost always important."
"Did Luke tell you all that?" Asch asked bitterly.
"No, I know because that's the kind of person you are. That's why I don't understand."
"You don't understand why an ass like me has a replica as nice as Luke?" he snidely remarked, sending Tear a dirty look.
"No. I don't understand why someone who is as kind as you has resorted to such dirty tricks and cruel tactics. Maybe you are upset with Luke, but it doesn't give you the right to say things like you said back there. Luke isn't- They are not just replicas. That's exactly what my brother thinks."
"You're the last person I ever expected to have chastise me about a comment towards replicas." Asch cocked an eyebrow. Tear struggled to find a reply to the redhead's comment but he simply shook his head, his expression softening but still serious. "That comment wasn't what it sounded like...it wasn't what I meant. I wasn't trying to be cruel to Luke either. I didn't mean that replicas are worth any less than regular people; their lives are no more or less valuable than anyone else's. I was trying to point out that they're just replicas; they aren't the same people as their originals. Luke and I... we're perfect examples of that. Replicas don't have their originals' memories, the same bonds, the same personalities, nothing. They only look alike; they aren't the same people our friends once were. That's all I meant by what I said."
"Then why don't you tell Luke that?" the melodist suggested.
"He's not talking to me, besides, it's not like it would make a difference. It doesn't change anything."
"Asch, what happened between the two of you?"
"What, Luke didn't tell you all about it?"
"No, he didn't," the melodist answered as sharply as the question had been asked. Tear sighed, in hindsight it was such a childish thing to do, and for such a stupid reason. Luke had just been trying to protect her feelings, but she had been so upset with him for lying to her. "You're not the only one who wasn't speaking with him."
"Hmph," Asch scoffed and turned his gaze to the dimly lit roof of their cell.
"If you don't want-"
"The God-Generals have been after the sword I have since we returned home from the Absorption Gate." Asch began quietly, cutting Tear off. "At first they confronted me when I was down in the city, never doing any more than talking. Then they started getting violent, trying to take the Sword by force. I could deal with them, and I didn't want anyone to worry. Luke was busy enough worrying about the missing Jewel and I didn't want him to get involved. The last thing I wanted was the God-Generals to use him as leverage."
Tear listened, and slowly she began to understand. Asch had been pushing Luke away, not out of hatred, but out of fear. He wanted it to look to the world like he didn't care, because if he didn't care then the leverage became useless and Luke would be safe. It had hurt Luke, but more than that, it had hurt Asch who knew full well what he was doing. Luke was Asch's weakness; the young monarch knew it. He knew he could never sit back if someone were to threaten his family, and so the God-Generals could get him to do whatever they wanted unless he did something to stop it.
"After that, they started with the threats," Asch continued. "It was then I decided it was too dangerous for Luke to stay in Baticul, it would be safer if he was off travelling and the God-Generals would have a harder time finding him. I knew he was lonely so it was easy to convince him to leave and visit everyone. Besides, I figured if he was with you guys, then he'd be safer. It hadn't been my intention to leave too, but Luke had barely gotten on the lift and left when Cantabile showed up." Asch's face darkened. "It scared me; they had never been bold enough to confront me anywhere near the castle or the manor before. That's when I knew I had to leave Baticul or everyone else would get caught up in my fight. So I left, without saying a word, and well, here we are. I'm sure Natalia told you the rest."
Tear nodded, smiling gently when Asch's emerald eyes met her own. How could they both be so different and yet so impossibly alike? Because they really were, in these rare moments, when for whatever reason Asch let down his guard, she saw that same gentle heart that she loved in Luke. Asch offered a sad smile grateful for her understanding, Tear was just glad the poor lighting hid what she knew must be her flushing cheeks. Impossibly alike...
A part of her wanted to ask again, to inquire why he didn't just tell Luke. This was nothing more than some big misunderstanding, right? There wasn't any reason for any hard feelings between them... but at the same time, there still was. The open wounds still seeped, and they both had the same stubborn pride. Luke resented being hurt, being disregarded when he felt he deserved Asch's trust; Asch couldn't accept Luke's anger, after all he'd sacrificed to protect his brother and to ensure his safety. They were both valid feelings, and in spite of all the pain it was going to bring them, neither regretted their choices.
Rise, fall, rise, fall, rise, fall...
Luke silently watched Ion's chest, carefully observing the rhythm of his breathing. It was faster than Luke would have liked, and definitely faster than it should be. The redhead cursed the ancient cells they'd been locked in and the icy breeze that seemed to sweep through the room every time one of the guards came or went. For two days now Luke had watched his friend, watched him toss and turn, watched him quietly suffer as he continued to deteriorate. Time was endless here, oblivious to the existence of his friends, Luke could focus on nothing else but the boy before him who desperately needed help Luke could no longer offer.
Two days now... two days on top of the seemingly endless journey to Daath and Ion still hadn't fully woken up from his fateful arte in Tataroo Valley. Since then, Luke had ample time to confirm for himself exactly what Ion had done. There was no other explanation for the tainted Seventh Fonons that he could clearly sense within his friend, or for his sudden weakness. What it didn't explain though, was the fever or why he was suddenly getting worse much faster.
Luke had noticed it when he woke up in the cell with his ailing companion, and the fever had climbed in spite of his best attempts to help him. If only their stuff hadn't been taken away! At the very least he could use a proper compress rather than a torn strip of his shirt and the water they'd been left for breakfast. Still, what could he possibly do for Ion? Luke didn't know the first thing about medicine or these sorts of things, but it wasn't like he could get Natalia or Tear's help. No, what Ion needed was a doctor, and the sooner the better. Maybe he could hail down one of the guards when they brought supper? They wouldn't just leave the Fon Master to get even sicker in the rat's hole of a dungeon, right? He shouldn't even be here in the first place! None of them should! Some stupid inside traitors among the Oracle Knights had arranged for them to be held here despite the fact that Mohs shouldn't be within leagues of Daath. Hidden in the last place anyone would ever think to look for the missing Fon Master... damn them all!
Luke sighed, trying to dissipate his frustration at his own ineptitude. Getting worked up here wasn't going to make anything any better. The young noble sat down next to Ion and carefully shifted the Fon Master so he could lay in Luke's lap.
Ion stirred and his eyes cracked open. "Lu..."
"Shhh." Luke put a finger to his lips. "I think you're catching a cold, you need to save up your strength," he lied. Well it wasn't entirely a lie, Ion was catching something above and beyond whatever Tear had, but it was far from being something as benign as a cold. Ion nodded and returned to his slumber. Luke silently cursed. There had to be something he could do!
The door to the dungeon flew open and Luke did his best to shield Ion from the cold air that swirled around the room.
"Gloomietta," Anise spat at the seventeen-year old who walked in. "What are you doing here?"
Ignoring Anise altogether, the pink haired God-General made her way straight towards Luke's cell, one of her ligers not a foot behind her. Pulling out a set of keys, she unlocked the door and stepped into the cell. Never taking his eyes off of her, Luke shifted Ion from his lap and stood defensively in front of him.
"I want Ion," Arietta demanded.
"What are you crazy, Gloomietta?" Anise yelled. "I think those ligers of yours knocked a few screws loose. No way we're going to just hand over Ion!"
"What do you want him for?" Luke asked.
"No way Luke! Don't you dare think of letting her take him!" Anise shouted.
"It's none of your business," Arietta replied, her fierce gaze meeting Luke's.
"Fine," Luke conceded, carefully picking up the Fon Master from where he lay on the ground. Arietta nodded and the liger that had followed her came into the cell and knelt down, allowing Luke to place Ion on its back.
"Luke, just what are you-" Guy's outraged cry was cut off by the slamming of the steel door as Arietta shut Luke's cell and promptly left the dungeon, leaving everyone in a state of shock at what had just transpired.
"What the hell were you thinking?" Anise's infuriated demand echoed in the now silent dungeon. "You can sit over there and be a sourpuss all you want but how dare you think you can get back at Asch by handing Ion over to her like that!" Luke didn't reply, but that didn't stop the fuming former Fon Master Guardian. "Arietta's a God-General, who knows what they're planning to do to him! He's not in any kind of condition to be-"
"Anise, stop," Guy intervened.
"Why should I? How can you be so calm when he just handed Ion over without a second thought?"
"Luke, how long has Ion been sick like that?" Guy asked.
"Wait, what do you mean sick?" Anise asked.
"You may not of seen him when they walked by, but Ion wasn't looking so hot."
"He's been getting worse since we got here, and his fever has been going up since yesterday," Luke stated sharply. "Arietta may be a God-General, but she's going to do a better job taking care of him than any of us possibly can from here." And with that Luke retreated to the back of his cell where the voices of the others became no more than murmurs in the distance.
Luke sat alone in his cell, an icy hand gripping his heart. Why did he feel so awful? He knew that Arietta wouldn't do anything to hurt Ion, and here in Daath there were more than ample doctors that could see to him and make sure he got better. Even with Master Van still alive, the Sephiroth were dead and all opened so they wouldn't use him for that. So why did he still feel so damn guilty! He pounded on the stone wall with his fist, revelling in the pain that shot through his hand, distracting him from his throat that seemed to be suffocating on the very air he breathed.
What was he thinking? Luke stopped mid-thought when he found himself instinctively reaching for his connection. Was that why he felt so bad? Guilt put off by his interminable concern for his ailing friend that was all too happy to resurge now that Ion was in safe hands. No! He didn't need Asch; he wasn't going to go crawling back remorsefully when things got bad. Even if he didn't have Asch... even if he didn't have Tear... even if he didn't have anyone! He could do this, no matter how much it hurt. He was going to take responsibility for his choices. He'd sworn he would stand on his own!
The dungeon door flew open; the sound of steel crashing against the stone wall resonated snapping everyone out of whatever thoughts or conversations they had been entertaining. Luke's attention was drawn to the furious God-General that flew back into the dungeon for the second time, still with her liger, but Ion was gone.
"What did you do to Ion?" Arietta demanded, standing in front of Luke's cell.
"Don't start with us Gloomietta!" Anise protested. "After all the times you-"
"I wasn't talking to you!" Arietta snapped, cutting Anise off. The liger growled at her, echoing its master's feelings. The God-General's narrowed pink eyes returned to Luke, silently repeating the question, but with less sharpness than before. Why was he the one she seemed interested in? Maybe he was imagining it, but she seemed to trust him a bit more. Was it because he had been the one taking care of Ion?
"What happened to Ion?" She repeated the question.
For a brief moment, Luke debated telling her the truth, revealing what Ion had done and what the real problem was but he stopped before the first word came out. Even if he did say something, what could Arietta, or anyone else do for that matter? It would just leave Tear feeling guilty, and without any reasons to offer. Luke didn't even know why Ion had done it... besides, was it even his right to say?
"He's used a Daathic Fonic arte," Luke finally replied. "He got sick because he's been stuck in this wet and cold cell while he was so weak."
Arietta pondered for a moment, her pink eyes analyzing the boy before her, gauging him against some unknown measure. Luke stood defensively, just in case she was evaluating how good of a liger chew toy he'd make, but whatever she was looking for and whether or not she'd found it would remain a mystery. Her expression softened a bit, still serious but without the hatred Luke had become so accustomed to seeing.
"If you promise to leave Ion with me in Daath, I'll let you all out of here."
"No way! Don't listen to her Luke, she's lying!" Anise cut in. "There's no way she's going to let us go!"
"Shut up Anise! Mohs is the one keeping you locked in here," Arietta shot. "Unlike you, I have no obligations to that pig. If I leave you to escape on your own, then you're going to take Ion away to get sick and hurt again! This way he can stay here where he'll be safe! So what do you want? Will you leave Ion here?"
"It doesn't matter what we think," Luke answered firmly. "What does Ion want?"
"I..." Arietta was taken aback by the question. "I don't know."
"Then perhaps you should ask him," Jade suggested slyly. "And to be sure you don't lie about his answer; one of us should accompany you."
"How do I know you won't try anything?" The God-General demanded.
"We could say the same. It's far too easy for you to tell us that Ion wants to stay, regardless of what his actual wishes are." The Colonel shrugged. "You choose who will go with you then," he offered. "Regardless, they won't risk trying anything since it still leaves the rest of us locked down here."
"Fine," Arietta stated staring Luke in the eye. "You come."
Jade sighed but wasn't surprised at her choice. Part of him had hoped she would pick someone like himself or Tear who would have the sense to take advantage of the situation, especially given that with Ion's nature it was unlikely he'd concede to being left behind unless he felt there was no other option. He wouldn't bring his health into the consideration at all; Ion always had been rather stubborn in that regard. That had been foolish, it was obvious Luke would be her choice, spurred by his willingness to cooperate earlier no doubt. Jade only hoped Luke would have enough sense to find a way to get them all out of this situation before things got any worse.
Luke had been in Ion's room only once before, ironically also with Arietta when they had come to save Ion after Cantabile had taken him; but at that point Arietta was fighting against them and he really hadn't had the time to take in his surroundings. The Fon Master's room was unbelievably bare. Luke found himself sitting on the end of Ion's bed while Arietta had claimed the only chair, sitting next to Ion and periodically changing his compress.
Though he'd only been up here a short while, Ion already looked like he was starting to improve. Arietta had one of the medics come up and give him a concoction for his fever that also quieted his cough. His fever seemed to be abating and his breathing had slowed to something resembling normal. Luke had to give it to his friend, Ion really could sleep through anything. The smell of that medicine alone made him want to gag, but Ion had barely woken enough to swallow it before he returned to his slumber. At least... Luke hoped it was slumber, the alternatives weren't something he wanted to consider, even if he knew it was the truth. Ion was dying, just not quite yet... he hoped.
For all that it was an important matter at hand, neither Luke nor Arietta had it in them to wake Ion up, so Luke sat in silence, watching the young God-General take care of the boy she seemed to cherish so dearly. Arietta really wasn't a bad person, was she? She just loved someone she didn't know had died, and had lost the only family she had ever known.
"Asch told me what we did to your mom," Luke said quietly. "I'm sorry. If I had-"
"Don't," Arietta cut him off. "I don't want to hear it from you. Don't talk about my mommy."
"Are you really going to let us go?"
"If Ion stays, then yes. I don't have any obligations to Mohs, especially after everything he did to Ion. All that matters to me is that Ion stays safe and away from Anise and all of you! He never got sick like this until Anise became his Guardian. He never used to be like this at all."
A realization dawned on Luke... she was talking about the original Ion. Ion's original wouldn't have gotten sick when using Daathic Fonic artes... and from what Luke knew about him, he wasn't anything like Ion was. He was the one that had helped Master Van come up with his plans to destroy the Score.
"What was he like back then?" Luke asked.
"Ion was the one who saved me from the bad men, the ones that had taken me away from my mommy. He didn't hurt me like they had, instead he taught me how to understand everyone and he always protected me. He valued his own life and those of his friends more than anything! He never would have sacrificed himself for a bunch of strangers like this. I don't... I don't understand why he changed."
It was so cruel, Luke watched Arietta with pity. All this time, Master Van hadn't told her that the original Ion had died. He was using her love for him to achieve his own ends, stringing her along with the Ion that was Luke's friend, leading her to believe he was someone that he wasn't. It just... it wasn't fair to any of them.
Something of that nature is not for us to say.
"Maybe..." Luke managed, "Maybe when it came down to choosing between his friends and himself, he decided that he wanted protect the people important to him more."
"What do you mean?"
"Ion is putting himself on the line, not for the millions of strangers out there but for people like you and Anise that are important to him. So you'll have a world to live in and enjoy together in the future."
"Arietta..." Ion's weak voice drew both Luke and the God-General's attention. "Luke, what are the two of you doing here?" he asked worriedly. "Where are the others?"
"Relax Ion," Luke smiled warmly. "We were captured by Mohs' soldiers, you're in Daath now, in your room. The others are still locked in one of the dungeons. You got pretty sick so Arietta has been taking care of you."
"I made them a deal," Arietta explained. "I told them if they let you stay here, then I'd let them out, but they said they wanted to ask you what you wanted to do."
"Luke, what is it that you want to do?" Ion asked, trying to sit himself up.
"No," Luke shook his head. "It's your decision. If you want to come with us, I'll go back down in that cell and we'll come up with something else. It's your choice."
"It's alright, I can stay." Ion smiled and a fit of coughing had Arietta forcing him to lie back down. "I wouldn't want to slow you down being sick like this. Once I'm better I'll do some research into a few matters for you, so don't worry about me."
"Alright then," Arietta nodded happily. "You go back to sleep and don't worry, I'll make sure everyone takes really good care of you!"
"Arietta..." Luke said hesitantly. "Can I talk to Ion alone for a minute?"
"He said he'd stay, don't you dare try to-"
"I'm not trying to convince him to come or planning anything," Luke cut her off. "There's just something private I want to ask Ion about. If Ion is okay with sharing it, he can tell you what we talked about later."
"Please Arietta," Ion asked. "I promise I don't intend to leave with them."
"Alright," Arietta conceded. "But I'm not going any further than your office! I won't have you take him away by force!"
"I won't, I promise," Luke replied.
"I don't believe the words of murderers!" Arietta shot back, slamming the door behind her.
"Please don't think too badly of her," Ion spoke up but Luke shook his head.
"It's okay, I can understand."
"What is it you wanted to discuss, Luke?" Ion tried again to sit up. This time Luke helped him, propping him against the extra pillows Arietta had had someone fetch. Luke sat on the chair the God-General had vacated.
"Back in Tataroo Valley... why did you do it?"
"Why did I do what?" Ion smiled, betraying a hint of confusion.
"You know what I mean. You didn't really cure Tear, did you? You took the tainted fonons into yourself."
"So you noticed."
"I was the one who carried you after you collapsed. You feel the same way she did, I can sense the contaminated Seventh Fonons," Luke explained.
"I guess that makes sense since you're an isofon of Lorelei, you're especially sensitive to the Seventh Fonon," Ion said sadly.
"But I don't understand why! Why would you do that?"
"I may be Fon Master, but I've always been weak. As a replica, I don't have the full abilities my original did. It's not likely I would have lived a very long life to begin with. My body already bears burden from all that my duties require of me. Tear has a long life ahead of her, and shouldn't have to deal with such a thing."
"But what about the Order of Lorelei? What would they do without you? If you die, they're going to go back to the Score. Then all the work you've done, it would have all been for nothing!"
"No, the faith of the people is strong and they can learn to live on their own, without the Score. There are many people in the Order right now who are working hard not to let it fail and to make that dream a reality. I truly believe that people can learn to change."
"Still... why, why would you..." Luke choked out his words through the tears that were threatening to form. How could Ion... how could he think those things? And to say them, all while smiling.
"Tear is a descendant of Yulia, and she has the Fonic hymns. I believe that Tear will be a key to freeing Lorelei, and to saving this world. And because... and because you're happy when you're with Tear, and I want you to be happy."
"You're such an idiot!" Luke took Ion in his arms. Ion felt Luke sobbing, his warm tears landing on the Fon Master's shoulder, leaving him speechless. "I was happy travelling with you too."
"I just," Ion's voice was no longer calm and steady as it usually was, Luke emotions slowly seeping into him. "I was created to be the Fon Master by Van and Mohs... I wanted my life to have more meaning than simply the purpose for which I was created."
"It does...you're my friend."
"Thank you, Luke." Ion detached himself from his comrade, using his thumb to wipe a tear from Luke's cheek. Ion smiled sadly, but he wondered. Luke's feelings made him so happy, and yet he was filled with such sadness. He'd never felt these kinds of emotions before... all he knew was that Luke's friendship brought him such joy, and he was grateful for his friend's feelings. To know someone cared for him enough to shed tears for him. He didn't know how to begin to express how he felt. So Ion simply continued to smile, hoping that his life could allow his friends to do the same.
"If I may," Ion began, sinking down into the pillows as weariness began to settle over him. "Can I ask something selfish of you, Luke?"
"Of course, anything."
"Please don't tell the others... especially Anise. She wouldn't understand, and I don't want them to worry."
"Alright," Luke conceded after a moment's thought. He didn't... he didn't like it, but it was Ion's decision.
"Thank you," Ion smiled. "Hopefully I'll regain my strength soon and will be able to provide you with some more helpful information."
"Don't push yourself," Luke warned, a smile coming to his face as he remembered exactly who he was talking to. He wiped his eyes, he was being stupid... after all, the doctor had said to Tear that she'd be fine as long as there wasn't any more exposure to the miasma, so the same should hold true for Ion too, right? Ion could still have a long life ahead of him, he'd just be carrying the burden of that illness. It was just the fact that he'd gotten sick that had scared Luke so badly. Ion would be just fine! He'd be weaker than before... but he'd still be alright.
A soft knock came from the door. Ion's eyes turned to Luke, fighting against the slumber that was calling him. "Could you let Arietta back in? Unless there's something else you wanted to discuss?"
"No, that was all." Luke stood up and straightened himself out before opening the door, allowing the God-General into the room.
"Sorry Ion, but there's a message here for you from Teodoro," Arietta said.
"Thank you, could you please give it to Luke? Since I'll be remaining here, Luke and his friends will have to deal with those issues." Arietta handed Luke the envelope without any kind of resistance or contempt. Luke almost chuckled. As long as Ion was staying it was good enough for her.
"I'm sorry to ask all this of you..." Ion trailed off.
"Don't worry about it Ion," Luke dismissed his concerns. "You've done plenty for us already. You just worry about getting better; we'll take care of the rest."
"Please hurry... something terrible is... coming..."
"Ion, what-" Luke cut himself off. Ion had fallen asleep again. But just what did he mean?
"What did you talk about?" Arietta demanded as soon as the two of them had slipped out into Ion's office.
"Sorry, Ion asked me not to tell," the young noble replied. "You'll have to ask him later if he wants to tell you."
"As long as he stays, I'll set you and your friends free. Don't think I won't come after you if he sneaks off later!"
Luke looked back at the door to Ion's room. "Don't worry, he'll stay."
"Fine, then let's go pick up your stuff, then you can go do whatever you want."
"Even Asch's stuff?" Luke inquired hesitantly. The last thing he wanted was to point out her oversight.
"Hmph," Arietta grinned. "It's a good thing Cantabile and Legretta refused to let me help them look for the Key of Lorelei. Now let's go before the shift change is over. I could only sneak my squad members in for so many shifts on guard duty down there."
Luke followed the young God-General back down the stairs to where his friends were being held, almost in awe at the 'convenience' of the set up. Arietta had planned this all out in advance, and put a lot of effort to holding up her end of the deal... all to protect the person she cared for. Luke smiled.
No... she wasn't a bad person at all.