Chapter 62: Goodbye
In the end it took the world leaders a total of two weeks to make all the arrangements necessary for the summit; an impressive feat given the magnitude of what was being decided. As Natalia and her friends had anticipated and much to Anise's delight, Daath had been chosen as a neutral location for the summit to occur. Everyone else was just as pleased; two weeks of nothing but her whining was more than Natalia was capable of tolerating and even Grand Chokmah's finest amenities had done little to appease her impatience to reunite with the Fon Master.
Red and blue uniforms decorated Daath's streets and were interspersed among the silver armour of the Oracle Knights on duty at the cathedral. While the Kimlascan Princess knew that Ion would have no problems with the presence of the country's respective militaries to help with security, Natalia was mildly concerned that the soldiers themselves might, but thankfully there didn't seem to be much tension between them. If anything, the Oracle Knights were grateful for the temporary supplement to what had become their rather meagre numbers. More Knights than Natalia had realized seemed to have left with Mohs and the God-Generals. Even Daath was poorly equipped to deal with the threat of the New Order.
Security was tight and thankfully the summit had begun without incident. Much to all their surprise, Teodoro had stepped in to represent Daath as a mediator between the countries at Ion's request. Apparently the young Fon Master still wasn't well enough to be tending to such an important affair. They'd yet to find an opportunity to meet with Ion, but apparently he was doing much better than when they'd left him, so while Anise was extremely put off by the fact they couldn't go see him, her worries were appeased enough that she'd ceased driving them all up the wall.
It seemed that word of Ion's illness had spread through Daath, much like any other news seemed to in the city, and there were countless flowers among other gifts lining the stairways up to and around the cathedral. The sheer amount of support that the people in Daath had for him warmed Natalia's heart; it was a comforting reminder that people were able and willing to change. After all, it was Ion who had taken away the Score, and yet there were still so many people who supported him, even while Mohs offered to return it to them. There was still hope for this world, the God-Generals and Van just simply couldn't see that.
The summit was estimated to take several days, and everyone was more than eager to hear what the final outcome would be. It wasn't simply a matter of war or no war; the entire future of the world could very well depend on the choices made today. It was no exaggeration to say that everyone was a bit on edge, but thus far there hadn't been any problems. None the less they had taken it upon themselves to patrol the streets, walking among the red and blue soldiers making sure that nothing seemed out of the ordinary.
Little was going on outside of the usual comings and goings in the Holy City, in fact, much like the two capitals had been, things were surprisingly normal around Daath given the return of the miasma. It seemed that, at least for the time being, people had gotten used to its presence. Not that they had much choice. By now the miasma had managed to infiltrate just about every facility, not only in Daath but across Auldrant. It was a problem that was impossible to escape... even for the countries. Natalia knew it was unlikely that either Kimlasca or Malkuth had a solution for the miasma, despite it being the key issue at the summit. They all hoped an answer could be found, but so far, they hadn't any success in uncovering one.
Beside her, Asch yawned. It was nice to see him joining them, and she suspected Luke had an unseen hand in that matter. Asch had spent a greater part of the last couple days in Daath's library trying to unearth any sort of information that might help them deal with the miasma, but he hadn't come across anything yet. Even the ancient books from Yulia's time had little to offer; they hadn't been able to eliminate the miasma back then either, after all. Instead Yulia had raised the Outer Lands... but such a feat was not in the realm of possibility this time. The world was only beginning to discover the simplest of technologies that had been common place back then.
One step at a time, Natalia reminded herself; they would handle the affairs with Mohs and Van, and then they could deal with the miasma, hopefully before it began claiming lives. Things were calm now, but as soon as people began dying... chaos would ensue, and they'd have little power to stop it.
Asch's hand came to rest on her shoulder, and he offered Natalia a comforting smile. Whether he'd guessed what was on her mind, or he could simply tell she was fretting, she was grateful for the gesture. Though he seemed somewhat weary from the recent string of late nights, Natalia was so happy to see him back to being himself. Ever since he'd settled affairs between himself and Luke, he seemed happier and while many of the things that had worried him remained unresolved, he was making an effort not to let that weigh him down. Natalia wondered what had inspired the sudden change, but such particulars weren't something he'd likely admit to, much less tell her.
Asch yawned again, this time earning him a grumble from Anise, who had taken a seat next to Luke on some abandoned crates. Despite the activity in the city there weren't nearly as many people coming and going, leaving the main road into Daath relatively bare and making it a good place to sit down for a bit. They were just killing time now. Three days in... the summit could conclude at almost any time, and Natalia was certain she wasn't the only one eager to find out the results.
"A nap doesn't sound like a bad idea," Luke commented, showing a bit of his sibling's lack of sleep. Their unique connection most certainly had its flaws; it must be annoying at times to have to deal with the consequences of each other's actions. Yet... had it always as such? Natalia didn't remember it ever being that way before, and though she admittedly didn't know to look for it, she would have noted if they had both seemed tired at the same time on multiple occasions.
"Well that's what you get for staying up so late," Anise taunted.
"I haven't been," Luke shot back. The younger redhead sighed and let Anise continue to bug him about being lazy letting Mieu who was happily perched on his head take up his defence. It was more or less true. Between two weeks in Grand Chokmah and now here in Daath, it wasn't like they were doing much of anything. He'd joined Asch for a few hours in the afternoon to help him research the miasma, but he didn't have the patience to sit down and read non-stop for more than a couple hours at a time.
Luke really wished he could have spent some time with Ion, but with the summit, the cathedral was locked down tight. The public was refused access and even they were only allowed into the main entrance and library. It would have to wait until the summit was over before he could look into visiting his friend. He'd been worried about the young Fon Master since leaving him in Daath almost a month ago now, but everyone said he was on the mend so at the very least Luke could breathe easy for a bit. If the miasma was around, and Ion was still getting better, then he would definitely be fine, even bearing the burden of Tear's illness.
For all that was going wrong right now between Mohs, the miasma and Master Van; Luke wished these times would last forever. Everyone was happy, laughing... really, there wasn't anything more that Luke wished for. He wanted the whole world to be happy, to be able to enjoy time spend with people they treasured. Friendship, love... a world filled with such wonderful feelings, was it really so bad? There was good here too, why couldn't Master Van understand that?
Sadly, these times wouldn't even last the next ten minutes, and they were cut off by Guy jumping up from his seat, a dark expression on his face suddenly contrasting the smile that had been on it a split second earlier. Everyone immediately silenced themselves, standing up to see what had caught their friend's attention.
Jade turned ever so slightly, just enough to catch a glance from the corner of his eye. The purple uniform of their unexpected guest blended into the sea of maroons created by the miasma, allowing the God-General to go unnoticed for far longer than she would have otherwise been capable. Not that she was attempting to avoid detection. The subtle twitch of her eye betrayed the surprise that she otherwise covered with a menacing grin. It looked like neither side had intended to cross paths. What then was her objective here?
"Well well," Cantabile began, her smirk widening. "Looks like luck is on my side, here I was expecting to have to hunt you down."
'Damn it!' Luke cursed. 'What's she doing here?'
'She's probably here to interfere with the summit,' Asch answered, taking a defensive stance. 'If both countries agree to unite against Mohs and Van, it's going to make things harder for them. As long as the world is unorganized, we're nothing but easy pickings.'
'Maybe Daath wasn't the best place for the summit after all,' Luke conceded, never taking his eyes off the cocky God-General.
'We've come this far, no way are we letting her interfere now.'
"What do you want, Cantabile?" Asch demanded. Everyone's drawn weapons tightened in their owner's grip. They were more than well versed in Cantabile's spontaneity.
"What do I want? Well that's a loaded question," Cantabile said, making a show of pretending to ponder it. "I can think of a lot of things, but for starters... I'll take your head on a stick!"
Asch's sword was up long before the God-Generals' strike landed, proving that the attempt hadn't been a serious one. Playful or not, the tension snapped and it didn't take half a second for both Guy and Luke to move in. Cantabile blocked both their onslaughts and Luke only narrowly sidestepped her retaliating swing. Guy wasn't as quick and the sheath she'd also drawn landed square in the center of his chest, knocking him back and sending the air fleeing from his lungs. Jade's arte crashed down but Cantabile dodged, using the recoil to send her towards Asch.
The older redhead deflected the initial strike but was forced to put his skills to the test in her ensuing onslaught. Her hits were clean and smooth, each with a precise level of force, drawing out the most of his strength with each hit, leaving the attacker unaffected. The blades locked, Asch firmly staring down his opponent, refusing to show how effective her tactics were. Cantabile's smirk widened into a malicious grin.
"No Jewel yet I see," she said, allowing her eye to dart down before returning to its harassment of the young monarch. Asch silently cursed. With that playful tone and mocking grin, he couldn't tell if she was confirming that fact or trying to taunt him.
Shifting her weight, Asch was thrown off balance and as he leaned forward, Cantabile's hand reached around. All his senses flared and the young monarch recoiled, leaping back and away, Cantabile's brown glove just barely grazing the hilt of the sword she'd been after.
"Tch," Cantabile spat. "You're quicker than I gave you credit for."
"I'll take that as a compliment," Asch said, a cocky grin of his own spreading across his face. No wonder she didn't seem to be going for a fatal hit like she always did when coming after him or Luke. Her focus was on the Sword of Lorelei.
"Don't," she answered. "I don't give complements to murderers!"
"Funny," Asch shot back. "You call us murderers for something our father did, and yet you're the one who's planning to kill everyone on Auldrant. Which one of us is really the murderer?"
Cantabile stared him down, eyes burning with anger, the intense temper they had all come to know flaring in full force. "Don't..." she seethed, gathering up the fury that had consumed her. "Don't you ever compare me to the likes of you!"
The God-General launched herself at Asch again. Luke jumped into her path, intercepting the hit before Cantabile expected it to land, throwing the balance of her strike off. Asch ducked around, but she wasn't so easily fooled and her sheath came down to intercept the hit. Occupied on both sides, Guy moved in. Cantabile ducked down, kicking Luke's feet out, she spun around throwing Asch aside and met Guy's attack.
"You'll have to try a bit harder than that," Cantabile taunted, her free blade knocking another of Tear's knives from the air, snatching one of the projectiles, she redirected it at Anise who was forced to block it with Tokunaga, losing the small blade somewhere in her doll's cotton depths. Damn it all, Cantabile could still hold her own against all of them... she was really something else.
"Of course," she continued, "you can try all you like; there aren't any options left to you anymore."
"What do you mean by that?" Tear demanded.
"You must realize it by now," Cantabile explained, evading both Jade's and Asch's artes and returning to her assault on Luke. "Even if you were to stop Van, to win, to get everything that you're aiming for... everyone will still die. There's no way to get rid of the miasma, no way to seal it up again. You've no choice. The only way this world will live on, is for Van to succeed."
"But either way the people of this world die," Natalia argued. "That's hardly a choice at all!"
"Are you really that twisted?" Cantabile asked. "Are you so selfish that you'll take away the future of this world because you don't get to live to be there? You don't get to survive, so everything should just cease to exist with you?"
"That's not what we're saying!" Natalia replied, but her voice lacked a shade of conviction.
"Isn't it?"
"It's not," Tear declared. "People can change, people can grow. Why? Because they believe in the future, they believe that no matter how dire circumstances may be, that there is a way to overcome it. Right now there are so many people working hard to make a change in this world, so that things like Hod never have to happen again."
"That's a lie. People are motivated by fear. They unite now because of they can see what might happen, they're afraid of the miasma and its consequences. Once they're safe and comfortable... then what? They'll go right back. Hod will happen again and again and again until there's nothing left!"
"Just how do you intend to make that any different in the replica world you're creating?" Jade inquired, loosing a mass of third fonons that forced Cantabile to stop her attack on the redheads, temporary that it may be. "The replicas may or may not be bound by the fate of the Score, but they are still bound by human nature. It is our nature to compete for survival, to try and outdo each other. Such a basic fact will not be erased by creating replicas. This new world of yours will not be an Eldrant."
'Eldrant?' Luke asked curiously.
'It's the name of a 'glorious land' in ancient Ispanian legend. No pain, no sadness; but really it just represents the concept of a perfect world, it isn't actually possible,' Asch replied.
"You're wrong," Cantabile shook her head. "We'll escape the Score of destruction, the Score that demands wars and death, we'll escape all of it! I won't let you stop us!"
Unnerved by the conversation, Cantabile's calculated moves were no longer so; not that it made her any less challenging of an opponent. If anything, she was all the more fierce and her true strength was starting to show. Cantabile was fast, maybe not quite on par with Sync, but she was up there, and anyone who crossed her probably didn't last long enough to realize that wasn't where her real talent lay.
Cantabile's greatest attribute had to be her endurance. Everyone was starting to show signs of weariness, and even Luke couldn't quite manage to hide his laboured breath. Cantabile looked perfectly fine... and she was fighting all seven of them! Noticing that he wasn't fully paying attention, the God-General decided to take full advantage of the opening and Luke scrambled to keep up with her onslaught.
Luke's arms were like lead, burning with each hit as it drew the utmost of his remaining strength with each half-hearted parry. He just couldn't keep this up, his lungs were screaming for air, no longer able to sustain him with the meagre amounts they could pull through the miasma. He just needed an opening, just one opening...
He saw it, after a double strike on Cantabile's behalf, Luke parried outwards, throwing the surprised God-General wide open. He ducked down, out of her main line of defence and struck. Pain flew through his head; he was a split second to late and Cantabile's elbow crashed down on him, throwing off whatever little balance he had. Her sword lined itself neatly above him, its sharp edge dancing victoriously over the crippled young noble.
Luke rolled over, the sword dropping harmlessly into the dirt with far less force than he would have expected. The blade fell over, blood falling beside it. Luke looked up to see two separate arrows protruded from Cantabile's shoulder, a giant dark pool spreading around them where her uniform was absorbing the blood. Completely undeterred, she was already in the process of ripping the first one out. The young noble got himself out of the way none too soon as Jade's art crashed down, sending torrents of water over their injured opponent. Luke cringed; at least one of Cantabile's bones had broken. It didn't matter how many times he heard it, he hated that sound.
The God-General's breath was laboured and the way her arm hung identified it as the source of the sound. She began to laugh.
"Damn, just can't catch a break," she managed, the evil glimmer in her eye never abating. "Looks like I'll just have to wait for another time." Asch and Guy both charged at her, but she bolted down an alleyway, heading for the city's outskirts.
"That was close," Natalia said, lowering her bow and replacing the arrow in her quiver. "I wonder if she was trying to interfere with the summit."
"That would make sense," Tear agreed. "But her comments sounded like she had some other purpose in mind."
"Well if she plans on coming back, we'd better be there to stop her," Asch declared.
"Yes," Natalia said. "It might be more cautious if we were to stay closer to the cathedral in case she tries again."
"With injuries like that I doubt she'll return," Jade stated. "But a little extra caution wouldn't hurt. She may still try to send someone else."
"Do you think she meant what she said about the miasma?" Anise asked, keeping pace beside Jade as they walked back towards the chapel in the heart of Daath.
"Which part?" Jade inquired.
"You know," Anise scowled. "The part about how we won't be able to do anything about it, how Van's replica world is the only way to survive."
"I almost wonder if perhaps Van doesn't have a solution for us," Natalia pondered. "If we're unable to eliminate the miasma, could we not use his technology to create a replica world and simply move the originals there?"
"It would be impossible," Jade intervened. "In order for his replica world to be stable, he has to destroy Lorelei, the essence of the Seventh Fonon; otherwise the replicated land will simply dissipate and return to the Planet Storm. Destroying Lorelei and the Seventh Fonon would cause instability in a world that consists of originals, where everything is made of a balance of fonons, not entirely of the Seventh."
"Even if it would work, we don't have any way of getting people up there," Guy pointed out. "Even with both Albiores we can only carry a handful of people at a time. We're talking about millions of people that would have to be moved."
"I guess you're right," Natalia conceded. Truly, there had to be some sort of solution.
"Maybe Van really does have the answer," Asch said.
"What do you mean?" Anise asked.
"Hey old man, couldn't we use a hyperresonance to neutralize the miasma?"
"Like Akzeriuth..." Luke mumbled. "But is something like that possible, or did he just make that up to fool me?"
"A hyperresonance will decompose anything into the fonons that makes it up," Asch explained. "In theory it should be possible."
"In theory, yes." Jade adjusted his glasses, the faint light catching them and creating an eerie glare. "However, there are more than a few problems with such a plan. Controlling a hyperresonance on such a large scale to that degree would be impossible, it would take nothing but a single mistake and you would die."
"Then I'll do it," Asch stated.
"It doesn't matter if it's the original or the replica, neither of you can create a hyperresonance that powerful, forget one that you'd be able to survive," Jade continued.
"What if you had something to amplify the power and to reduce the strain on the user's body?" Asch asked.
"Really? Like what?" Luke eagerly jumped in.
"The Sword of Lorelei has the ability to gather fonons. It could be used to gather the Seventh Fonons and amplify the hyperresonance so it won't be as strenuous," Asch explained
"You don't know when to give up do you?" Jade cocked an eyebrow disapprovingly.
"No," Asch shot back with determination.
"Well then, if you insist, to gather the amount of fonons necessary, you'll need to kill around ten thousand Seventh Fonists, or at least potential Seventh Fonists. The recoil of the hyperresonance would cause fonon separation and would kill the user as well. You can eliminate the miasma at the cost of ten thousand innocent lives, and one guilty one. Some would say that's quite a cheap price versus the lives of the rest of the world."
"No way!" Luke protested. "Th-That's impossible! We can't just kill ten thousand people!"
"Exactly," Jade stated. "Which is why I said it wouldn't work."
"Damn, I really thought we'd had something there," Luke muttered.
'What do you think?' Luke prodded his sibling who was still lost in thought.
'There has to be some way to make it work, without killing all the innocent people,' Asch replied.
'But you heard Jade; it would kill whichever one of us tried to do it!'
'But what if we'd freed Lorelei? Lorelei is the single biggest mass of Seventh Fonons in existence. If we could get his help, gathering the necessary fonons wouldn't be a problem at all. Maybe if the fonons weren't so difficult to gather, then the strain on the user would be less too.'
'Either way, it all comes down to stopping Master Van and freeing Lorelei,' Luke replied, his tone thoughtful, pondering the possibilities his sibling had presented. 'For now, let's just drop it until we've freed Lorelei and stopped Master Van.'
'Yeah...' Asch agreed.
The entrance to the cathedral was unusually quiet, the tension kept at its maximum by the plethora of multicoloured guards that stood around. Everyone sat quietly, almost worried that if they said anything, half the guards in the room would pounce, not because they were an enemy, but just because that's how up-tight everyone was. Anise was beginning to remember why they hadn't hung around in the first place. If she had to sit here for another two days... she was seriously going to lose her mind.
Natalia stifled a giggle as Anise shuffled impatiently. Her puffed cheeks and pouty expression were clear signs that her already tried patience was clearly running thin. Somehow, though, Natalia suspected that the summit had little to do with it. She could relate to some extent, after all, if she'd been forced to wait a full month before getting the chance to see Asch, she would be impatient as well. And Ion was that dear to the former Fon Master Guardian, whether either of them realized it or not.
Though it was unlikely for the sake of Anise's sanity, the summit officially concluded just over an hour later. Natalia was glad to see her father and Peony in what seemed like good spirits; that was certainly a good sign. At least they'd come to an agreement, now if only the results were as good as their smiles suggested.
"Hey guys," Peony waved at the group. "Have you been waiting here this whole time?"
"No," Luke replied. "But there was some trouble with the God-Generals out in the city, so we figured it would be best if we stayed around here."
"Nothing serious, I hope."
"We think that they may have been trying to interrupt the summit," Tear provided. "But we drove them from the city."
"I realize that you haven't officially announced the decisions made at the summit yet, but..." Natalia began. Peony's laughter drowned her out as she trailed off. Natalia blushed, she realized she was being as impatient about this as Anise was about seeing Ion, but the results had a great deal of impact on their future actions.
"No, we'll fill you in, besides, we need some information from you as well," Ingobert provided.
"The Seventh Fonstone," Jade guessed.
"Yes," the Kimlascan King said with a nod.
"We decided that we won't be announcing that we have it, at least for now," Peony explained. "Of course, we're not going to use it either. It's useless now that we've deviated from it, but we still feel it should be guarded in case Mohs attempts to reclaim it or some travelling Scorer happens to come across it. It's not that we don't trust your hiding skills, but it would give us both some peace of mind."
"That sounds fair enough," Tear commented. "I don't doubt Mohs will be looking, and a joint operation will ensure the fairness between the countries. Have you given any thought to who will guard them?"
"I'm assigning General Frings and some of his men," Peony stated. "He's one of my most trusted men, unless you plan on lending me this old thing." The Emperor smirked and nodded in Jade's direction.
"I think we're still going to need that one for awhile," Asch tossed back.
"Father, who will be going on behalf of Kimlasca?"
"I haven't decided, but I may ask General Cecille and her men."
"Well once you've both decided, Noelle can pick them up and drop them off at the proper location," Asch stated.
"Now just wait a second, I realize you guys may want to keep the location a secret and all but-"
"Your Majesty must realize this isn't the best place for such discussions," Jade cut Peony off. "They will simply have to occur at a later date."
"I guess you're right," the Malkuth Emperor admitted sheepishly, noticing the sudden interest all the guards had taken in them. Confidentiality only went so far and it likely wouldn't be long before whispers of the Seventh Fonstone began to resound in the hallways. Keeping it to just that was the best they could hope for.
"I take it this means you intend to stand against Mohs and his New Order?" Jade inquired.
"Yes," Ingobert confirmed. "We can't allow him to continue to spread such lies and chaos among the people."
"Well you were in there forever, but you managed to get quite a bit done, didn't you?" Anise asked.
"We managed to settle all the issues we set out to," Peony replied.
"Unfortunately, neither of us were able to devise a solution to the miasma," Ingobert admitted. "For now, we'll both devote our greatest minds to the problem, but it doesn't look like there will be any results for some time. Research is all we're able to do at this point."
"Yulia City will focus its attention on this matter as well," Teodoro added.
"We'll see if we can come up with something too," Asch offered.
"For now that is the only issue that has not been immediately resolved. We'll continue to work towards a solution together."
"It's getting pretty late," Anise commented. Out the windows, the sky was several shades of orange and red.
"I think it best that we, at least, stay the night," Jade stated. "We can figure out our next course of action on a good night's sleep."
"I wouldn't mind heading out tonight if Noelle is cool with it," Peony stated. "It's a bit of a trip back home for all three of us."
"No problem!" Noelle agreed. The perky young pilot had joined them not long after the summit had finished, likely summoned by one of the guards who was instructed to do so when the monarchs were done.
"Then we shall part ways for the time being," Jade said with a short bow towards Peony.
"And none too soon I bet." The Emperor elbowed Jade in the side. With a mischievous wink back at them, the blond monarch followed King Ingobert and Teodoro out of the cathedral. No one said a word as a good deal of chaos ensued in the entrance while the guards all attempted to re-organize themselves, the Oracle Knights resuming their usual posts and the Malkuth and Kimlascan soldiers reuniting with their respective squads before moving out.
"What a day," Anise finally said with a sigh of relief.
"Yeah," Asch agreed. "I'm ready to call it a night."
"You look like you could use it," Anise shot. Asch glared at her. "Hey! What? You think you can stay up until all hours of the morning and not have you and your other half showing it?"
Asch looked curiously over at Luke who was speaking with Guy and Tear. He did look tired, but why? Luke had had more than ample amount of sleep over the past couple weeks. Was it really Asch's own weariness he was showing? Asch shook his head. True they shared their connection, but to be physically affected by each other... that seemed a bit much, and more than he could remember ever experiencing before. It wasn't like if one of them got hurt, they both felt the pain... so why should this be any different? He'd never felt Luke's lack of sleep or noticed Luke feeling his before... what had changed? Maybe... No. Asch shook off the thought right there. He'd think about it in the morning, he just didn't have the energy to right now.
First he would sleep, and then he could return to the worries of the world.
"After the earthquake, they all just left. They didn't want to attack me because I was a replica like they were," Luke explained. "It kind of makes me sad; I wish they didn't think of originals and replicas as such different people."
"Yes, such thinking is quite unfortunate. But the fact that they acknowledged you is perhaps a step in the proper direction," Ion replied with a smile that did far less to hid his weariness than Luke suspected he thought it did.
It was late. The soft light of the fonstone lamp created dancing shadows, chasing the night from the walls of the Fon Master's chambers. Luke knew it was way past the time either of them should be up, especially given the fact Ion was still recovering... but he had really wanted to talk to him and since the summit was over, he could finally actually come visit. Luke had anticipated a bit of trouble getting here, but everything had gone smoothly and the guard had let him right through. Surprising, as Luke fully recalled the small fury Anise had been in when she found out that Arietta had given orders that she wasn't to be allowed up to see Ion. The former Fon Master Guardian had immediately stormed off to find Tritheim and get the orders withdrawn, but she wouldn't likely get in until the morning. Luke would have come earlier... but he didn't want to fathom what would happen if Anise found out he was free to go up when she wasn't, so he'd waited until he was sure she had turned in for the night.
Thankfully, Ion had still been awake, and Luke had found him staring aimlessly out the window. He'd offered to return tomorrow if Ion was tired, but the young Fon Master denied it and was truly glad that Luke had come to visit.
Despite his words, Ion did look tired and while Luke had offered to leave more than once in the past couple hours they'd spent catching up, Ion insisted that he stay... pleaded almost. Luke felt bad, even with Arietta around, his friend must be lonely spending all this time by himself.
Ion was propped up against several pillows that were in more than excess on the small single bed. Several empty bowls of stew were to be found on the lone night stand and the young Fon Master struggled under the weight of all the blankets he'd been brought.
In the corner of the room where the mirror once was, a table had been erected, and on it was a vase filled with several bouquets of flowers, one from Arietta herself, and a few others the former God-General had picked as being worthy of being in Ion's room. She certainly was going all out and while her efforts left Ion somewhat flustered, Luke could tell he was enjoying her company. It was good for him to have at least one person around to talk to, especially since they couldn't afford to be there for him.
"So Van has raised the beginnings of his replica world?" Ion asked.
"Yeah, apparently it's a replica of Hod that he's building," Luke continued. "He's been using Mohs as a diversion so the world wouldn't notice what he was up to. Its working too; we're all so busy dealing with the mess Mohs made, almost nothing has been done about it."
"But you've made such wonderful progress," Ion said with a smile. "You've slowed the fonon consumption, secured the Seventh Fonstone so Mohs can't use it and you've manage to mediate an agreement between the countries. You should be proud of what you've done."
"Thanks, Ion," Luke smiled back.
"If I may ask, how is Tear doing these days?"
"She's been great. You'd never know she had ever been sick."
"I'm glad to hear that."
"How have you been?"
"As well as could be expected," Ion answered, which wasn't really much of an answer at all. "I just wish there was more I could have done for you."
Luke watched Ion, his smile, his warm green eyes, everything seemed fine, but there was a feeling in the pit of Luke's stomach that he just couldn't shake. Ion claimed to be alright, all the doctors said that he was on the mend, but why was he so pale? It had been almost a month, Ion had plenty of time to rest up, and yet he seemed so weak. The pillows behind him were the only thing keeping him upright and as much as he was trying to hide his dependence on their support, it came across clear as day. Luke wanted to ignore it, he had been, the whole time they had been speaking... but there was no denying just how lifeless Ion looked. It was stupid; there was no reason for things not to be fine! So then why did Luke's gut tell him that something was very wrong?
"You shouldn't worry so much," Luke finally managed, trying to keep a smile on his face. "You'll be better in no time; then you can do whatever it is you want to do."
"Yes, well-" Ion's comment was cut off by a sudden violent fit of coughing. Luke hurried to his side, propping his friend up when he otherwise would have fallen from his bed. Ion's trembling hand covered his mouth doing nothing but spur on Luke's racing heart. Just what was wrong? Ion was coughing so hard he could barely get any air in, and each rale brought with it a shade of white that cloaked Ion's face.
"I-It's alright-" Ion finally managed pushing Luke away. "I'm fine."
"N-No you're not fine!" Luke protested. Where Ion had pushed himself up, he'd left a red handprint on Luke's white jacket. "You're coughing up blood!" Ion closed his fist, but was unable to hide the red that stained it.
"I guess there's no keeping it from you, is there?" Ion asked softly, not expecting an answer. "What you said... it isn't true. I'm... I will not be getting better."
It hit Luke then, like a concrete slab to the chest and suddenly the Fon Master wasn't the only one who was having trouble breathing. Ion's weariness had nothing to do with the late hour, the paleness, the reluctance to say more than a few words about himself, the now piercing feeling that distorted Luke's stomach... the blood... all of it lined up in a neat little row and one of Luke's hands came up to cover his mouth shaking harder than he thought possible. Ion saw the sudden realization in his eyes.
"No- don't talk like that!" Luke bit his lip, not realizing he'd yelled. "The doctors said you'll be just fine!"
"I apologize," Ion said with a sad smile. His eyes never left the bedding in front of him, red smearing the white sheets he clutched tightly in his fist. "I told them to tell... to tell you that. I haven't let them tell anyone the truth."
Luke choked back the lump rising in his throat but it was futile; it slipped back for no more than a second before rising again. It was a lie, this wasn't real... he was trapped in some kind of twisted nightmare... anything! Ion was just tired; it was late right? That was it. All this time, the little things that seemed off, his weakness, it was all just because Luke was keeping him up late... This couldn't be... no it wasn't happening! But even as Luke denied it, he could see his friend before him, how every word from Ion's mouth left him breathless. It couldn't... Ion would never actually- actually-
"I know it's selfish of me," Ion began again once he'd recovered a bit, still trying to regain his breath from his previous coughing fit. "But... I just couldn't bear the thought of the look on everyone's faces if they knew. I want them to be happy... to smile with me in whatever time I have left. Perhaps it's my last selfish request..."
"How..." Luke fought back the tears that burned behind his eyes. "How-" Luke cleared his throat, summoning all the courage he could manage from his breaking soul. "How can you be like that? How can you be so strong?"
"Luke, I'm happy with how things turned out. I'm glad that I was able to meet you, and meet everyone else. I never dreamed I would ever have any friends, much less all of you. If it weren't for you... I would have gone through life never realizing what it meant to be alive." Ion paused to catch his breath. "I'm glad I was able to save Tear... given the choice, I would do it all again."
"Ion..." Luke sat himself down on the bed next to his treasured friend. Ion finally looked him in the eye.
"I feel that being able to help you and to save Tear was the true reason for which I was created... so please don't be sad..." Ion's shining eyes overflowed, dropping tears gently on the stained sheets still wrapped up in his clasp.
"But even you're crying," Luke pointed out, his voice quivering.
Ion reached up, fingering the strange streams that fell from his cheeks. "How strange... I'm... I..."
Luke reached over and took Ion in his arms, holding him, trying to hold in the warmth that slowly seemed to escape him. The tainted fonons were there... they were so much worse now that the miasma had come back. There were just so many and they were sapping his warmth, his strength. They were killing him...
"Thank you Luke... thank you for being my friend... and for always looking out for me..."
Luke couldn't find the words to reply so he held Ion tighter, biting his lip until it bled. He wouldn't cry; he refused. It was what Ion wanted... he wanted his last memories to be happy, to be of his friends smiling. So no matter how much Luke felt he was dying inside, no matter how many ice cold ropes tied themselves around his heart and tightened around his throat, he wouldn't cry. Even though something within him was telling him, like it was telling Ion, that the young Fon Master's time had almost run out. He... he wouldn't...
Separating himself from Luke, Ion had to let his friend help him back onto the pillows. Ion rolled over, and reaching under one of his many pillows, he pulled something out.
"What is this?" Luke asked when Ion placed the small stone in his hand.
"It's a fonstone..." Ion explained, his eyes starting to droop, weakness setting in; but Ion fought against it with every bit of will he had left. "I know that it... means very little but... it's a Score I wanted to read to you. But now... I don't have the strength left anymore. You should be able to read it yourself..."
"I can't! I don't know how to read the Score."
"You can use the Seventh Fonon," Ion managed. "I believe in you; I know you can figure it out."
"I'll come back in the morning, then you can explain to me how to do it," Luke tried, but Ion weakly shook his head. "Why... why not?"
"You can feel it too, can't you?"
"No... No! I don't feel anything! I don't-" Ion put a trembling finger to Luke's lips.
"I'm glad... you came to see me, I was so worried... I wouldn't get to see you again before..."
Luke still shook his head. He refused- he wouldn't acknowledge it! He wouldn't listen to that feeling in his gut that told him he wouldn't see Ion again.
"Come here," Ion said softly, his voice barely a whisper. Luke leaned in and Ion moved closer whispering a message in the young noble's ear.
"What?" Luke looked at Ion, shock in his eyes. Ion simply nodded in reply.
"Can... Can you?"
"Yeah... I'll make sure," Luke agreed.
"Thank you... Luke..."
"Ion... I'm- I'm so sorry!" Luke's voice broke.
"No... don't... be sorry."
"I- I couldn't-"
"I think... it's time for you to get some sleep."
"No! I-"
"Sunrises are beautiful... aren't they?" Ion commented, cutting Luke off. "I've always... enjoyed them... because each one brings with it a new day... full of new opportunities. But to get to a sunrise, you have to endure the night. It's... it's gotten very late..."
Luke nodded slowly, holding Ion tightly. He didn't want to leave; he wanted to freeze this moment in time forever. There just couldn't be a world without Ion, where his friend didn't exist. A world without his smile, his light... there just couldn't!
"It's late..." Ion whispered into Luke's ear. Luke nodded but made no motion to move.
"I don't want to go," Luke said weakly.
"You have to."
Luke slowly began to let go, but as he did, Ion pulled him closer one last time. "Please... enjoy... the sunrise for me."
Luke choked back the lump in his throat. He was going to be sick, if whatever was stabbing his heart didn't kill him first. His soul shattered and it took all the strength Luke had ever known to stop in that doorway, choke back the tears, and smile at his dying friend.
"Good- good night... Ion."
"Good night Luke..." the Fon Master smiled, sinking back into his covers, the last of the colour fleeing from his face as Luke turned and left his room.
Goodbye, my dearest friend.
Tear stifled a small yawn as she stood in the entrance to Daath's great cathedral. It was unusually quiet, even with it being so early in the morning; but most people probably hadn't realized the summit was over, so it didn't cause any particular kind of concern. For all that the Colonel had implied they'd get a good night's sleep, he certainly wanted them up early enough. He probably just wanted to have some idea of what direction they'd be heading in, or at least wanted to get started on it. Well whatever his reasoning, he wasn't going to be sharing.
Natalia stood nearby, also rubbing the sleep from her eyes, but looking remarkably awake for all the tossing and turning she'd done the night before. Tear smiled in amusement, she was like a child on Christmas after that summit, and Tear had listened to her excited chatter well into the night. Natalia was definitely meant to be a Princess.
"Good morning, Guy," Natalia greeted the Malkuth noble who walked in from the eastern wing.
"Where are the others?" Jade inquired.
"Asch went to wake Luke up," the blond provided. "I guess he was up late, not sure why though."
"Well regardless, that still leaves us with one member unaccounted for," the Colonel pointed out.
"Where is Anise, anyways?" Natalia wondered. "She was up and out the door well before Tear and I had gotten out of bed. She should have been here already."
"I think she was planning to go see Ion before we left," Tear tossed in.
"Yes, but surely it wouldn't take her quite this long."
"I wouldn't worry, you know how she gets when she's around Ion," Guy said with a shrug.
"Yes, I suppose you're right," Natalia replied. "Still, with Cantabile showing up yesterday and her mention of returning... I'm concerned."
"Well then, we have some time before Luke and Asch will be down, why don't we go check on her?" Guy suggested.
"It wouldn't hurt," Natalia agreed. "Besides, she can talk with Ion almost as long as Tear can speak with Luke."
"Wh-what?" Tear flushed, unsure exactly what her companions were implying with the way they were suddenly staring at her.
"We should say good-bye to Ion as well," Natalia extended her hand towards Tear. "After all, it's been a long time since we've had the chance to speak with him."
"Yes," Tear agreed. "I still haven't properly thanked him for helping me."
"I'm sure he knows you're grateful."
"Still, I owe it to him to express that gratitude," Tear argued.
"Then lets catch up to the others," Natalia replied with a smile.
"Yes," the melodist returned the smile, but it quickly faded, her hand coming to rest uncertainly on her chest. She owed Ion so much more than a 'thank you'... but for now, it was all she had to offer.
She'd find a proper way of thanking him someday.
The sheets of his bed were still cold, untouched by the stray rays of sunshine that were peaking over the windowsill. Luke lay in a daze, staring at the opposite wall, unsure if he'd slept, unsure if this was even the reality in which he belonged. Time had no meaning, it wouldn't go on anyways. Not... not without... Numbness swallowed him, his mind and his thoughts were as frozen as his heart; shock perhaps or maybe it was denial. Luke couldn't even tell if he was breathing.
Warmth, small but penetrating radiated from the fonstone still tightly held in his grip. It was reality, a small piece of it. Something that was real, that registered in the tundra that was his mind. What was he supposed to do? What was he even doing here? How could, how could everything just go on, how could the sun rise again when...
A single ray of light landed on the pillow before him.
Luke rolled over, his eyes gazing out the window. On the horizon, gold painted the sky, its colours piercing through the miasma that would have normally stolen its beauty. Clouds were sprayed silver in the golden sky, and the sun crept ever so slightly up over the horizon, bringing with it a myriad of colours, painting the world below.
The light choked him, piercing Luke's timeless world. The numbness faded, but in its place a weight Luke had never thought possible crashed down. His lungs constricted, stomach roiled and whatever strength he had found the night before evaporated like the dew that covered the grass. With his heart in his throat, Luke couldn't fight the water that burned behind his eyes anymore. He buried his head in his pillow and cried.
But when his chest finally loosened and his endless sobs began to abate, he looked back out the window. It was the most dazzling sunrise he'd ever seen. The light spread out over the horizon, breaking the navies and painting the sky an almost silver hue that would soon fade to blue. Birds in the trees began to chirp, welcoming the morning and praising its allurement, drawing life back to the world... It was a new day, a new beginning. The previous day was still being mourned and the scars left behind may never heal; but with the new day came new chances and the hope that allowed people to continue forward.
Time would keep moving.
Can you see it... Ion?