Chapter 65: The Tower of Rem
There was less disappointment than usual in the air when they finally departed Baticul, and no one could say they were entirely upset to be back on the Albiore. Guy sat among his friends and while there was still tension between Luke and Anise, they were handling it like adults. There would be the odd reminder, a snide remark on Anise's behalf, a comment Luke would conveniently ignore, but for the most part they kept their problems to themselves, and it was nice to have everyone together again.
Excited chatter filled the Albiore while Ginji made preparations to take-off. They hadn't wasted any time getting things underway after hearing Largo's ultimatum and with the exception of a day to resupply the Albiore, Asch had them off and running. Where to? Ginji was probably the only one who knew that... well him and Jade since nothing got by the Malkuth Colonel unless he was intentionally letting it slip. Which was the scarier scenario...? Guy had made the decision long ago that he never wanted to find out. If anyone else had any ideas they certainly weren't sharing. He'd already questioned Luke on it, but asking Luke these things was starting to be about as useful as asking Asch himself. Luke had learnt to keep his brother's secrets far better than when they'd been children. Little did Asch know that it was because of his little brother that they'd found out about the majority of the mischief the two had gotten themselves into as kids. Just too honest for his own good sometimes, not that it was a bad thing.
Guy kind of missed those days, and he was surprised he felt that way. All the years growing up he'd have given anything to be somewhere else, namely back with his family, yet anywhere would have done. Then Luke had come, and those years had become tolerable, then almost enjoyable. Now he longed for the simplicity that had once existed between the three of them and where the biggest secret was who had left the big stain on Lady Susanne's favourite carpet. The dark in which Asch kept them was not only unnerving, but it made the blond feel further from him than ever.
Asch had always been distant, always. It was strange how the memories change according to one's current perspective. Before his kidnapping Asch had been open, cheerful and honest; yet thinking of him in comparison to Luke who always laid everything bare before the blond, even back then Asch seemed cautious. Then there was the boy who'd returned to them after the kidnapping, who at times may as well have not come home with the distance he put between himself and the world. Still, Guy had seen the changes in him over the past year. Slowly but steadily he was learning to trust, to open up and chance some of the pain he'd been cowering from behind his self-imposed walls. People had inched closer and his world had grown.
Now it just seemed that every action he took, each word from his mouth was tense, carefully planned and placed for the sole purpose of pushing them back. Everyone, including Natalia, was being held at an arm's length. Even Luke, the one person who had always been allowed behind his walls, was now sitting on the outside looking in. Luke couldn't see it, but Guy knew he could feel it; Luke knew something was different, was wrong, but couldn't quite place it. It left Guy worried, more worried than he could begin to comprehend. If Asch was snapping back to his old ways, what could possibly lay beyond the horizon?
"So Asch, I'm all happy to be on the road and such," Anise began. "But do you plan to tell us where we're going?"
"The Tower of Rem," Asch replied.
"Where?" Guy choked out, not quite getting the surprise out of his voice before the words escaped him. Here he'd been expecting something like Chesedonia, Grand Chokmah, maybe Yulia City, just what was Asch thinking?
"The Tower of Rem," Asch repeated a shade more annoyed than the first time. "It's where the replicas from Feres Isle were going."
"You mean Mary and her group?" Luke inquired.
"Yeah, and Uncle said that a lot of the replicas had left Baticul a few weeks ago. If they went anywhere, I'd bet it's there."
"I still find it difficult to believe that replicas that have likely never met, would know to gather at one place from all around the world," Natalia stated.
"It was likely part of the forced programming," Jade explained. "An order put in their heads at the time of their creation-"
"Birth," Asch automatically corrected him.
"Something to the extent of 'if something happens, go there'," the Colonel finished, not attempting to hide the flutter of annoyance that came with the redhead's interruption.
"But what makes you want to go there?" Tear inquired.
"The replicas right now are a huge variable," he replied. "There's a pretty good chance Mohs has abandoned them, and there's no saying what they'll do. I want to negotiate with them."
Everyone remained silent, expecting him to continue, but that was all the information Asch was going to provide of his own free will it seemed. Perhaps it was just Natalia imagining it, but something seemed off about him since they departed from Baticul. He seemed... quieter than usual. A silly notion in itself, for Asch was never the buoyant or outspoken type; unless he was engaged in conversation, he tended to remain to himself even among friends. None-the-less, the more she watched him, the more the word 'withdrawn' seemed to fit. Natalia made a mental note to speak with him the next time the two were alone together.
"Unfortunately," Jade spoke up, "You're missing a vital problem."
"And what might that be?" Asch asked sceptically. His mood seemed to have run afoul wherever his usual presence had and the sharper reply caught even the princess off guard.
"The Tower of Rem is an ancient tower that was built during the Dawn Age and remained in the Qliphoth until the lands were lowered only just recently," Jade explained as if Asch's response were no less harsh than usual. He did drop his somewhat taunting tone though, signal enough that he had at least acknowledged Asch's disposition. "I doubt anyone outside of Yulia City could tell us its exact location."
"Already taken care of," Asch half heartedly tossed a scroll at Jade, something the Colonel proceeded to examine.
"Interesting..." Jade mulled over the parchment. "Someone's scribed a map of the Qliphoth over a world map. Not entirely accurate, but enough to give us direction."
"Where'd you come across that?" Guy asked.
"Where else?" Asch shot.
"Dark Wings," Luke answered simply though admittedly he hadn't known about their involvement until his sibling had made the implication. All of this was news to him, something that was becoming a bit too familiar lately. What was up with Asch's plans constantly coming out of the blue lately? Luke would be the first to admit he hadn't been the most attentive or supportive person over the past week, something for which he felt horribly guilty. He was the only one who had know Ion's death was coming, he should have been helping comfort the others to whom it had come as a shock. Instead he'd been the worst of them all. Still, attentive or not... something seemed different with Asch this time around, he just couldn't put his finger on it.
"I take it they haven't found the Jewel either?" Jade asked.
"No," Asch admitted, frustration underlying his statement; both at the answer and at how easily he was being read.
"The Tower of Rem it is, I guess," Guy broke the awkward silence and found his companions nodding in agreement. No one really had any better ideas, but that didn't lift an ounce of the blond's suspicion. Asch's words rang false and Guy of all people had learnt not to fall for his word games as a child. What he intended to negotiate was the heart of the matter, and his reluctance to explain left Guy wary.
If he was so blatantly avoiding the topic, then it couldn't be good. And if it wasn't good, where would that leave them now?
Though the Albiore took to the sky, every one of its passengers was left with a sinking feeling.
It had all started so innocently.
Less than a week ago now, Tear had found a deck of cards in Luke's room. Having never had such things as a child, she had asked Luke to teach her how to play. He'd gladly taken her up on it, and Old Maid had become Crazy Eights which then became Go Fish. That's when Guy had come in to see what they were up to and Rummy was added to the list. Asch came across them bringing the game of Speed to the table. Watching the twins play was undeniably entertaining and the number of games that must have been played over the years for them to be that fast was something the melodist didn't want to fathom. She made a mental note not to challenge either of them in the future.
But that had been back in Baticul; tonight, seated next to a roaring campfire, all eight of them were playing Anise's game: Poker. Okay, so they weren't playing her game entirely.
Jade folded.
"See guys!" Anise practically pounced. "We could have had his shirt off this round!" Apparently she was still keeping score.
"Not if Mieu hadn't been bouncing around for the first couple games," Guy pointed out. Everyone laughed in unison. Alongside Tear, the little cheagle had been learning the rules of the various games, but the concept of secrecy hadn't quite occurred to him and his habit of jumping from shoulder to shoulder and proclaiming his amazement at the straight you had in your hand made any poker face completely useless.
"He still would have had to lose it," Anise grumbled.
"Wow, Anise, I didn't think you were that into Jade," Asch taunted, having also been among those who had adamantly refused to play strip poker. Only Anise could come up with a game like that and actually be serious about playing it.
"Hey, with all that time in the military and being the workaholic he is, I bet he's got loads of money stashed away somewhere!" Anise chirped excitedly, a dour look quickly replacing the grin. "You guys aren't any fun at all; we could have at least bet real gald."
"But Anise, if we'd played either version, you'd either be broke, or would only have a few garments left," Natalia pointed out with a giggle.
"It's still more exciting than betting stupid cooking duty," she pouted, more at being reminded of her exemplary losing streak. Still, she had to admit she was having fun, even if it was starting to look like Jade wasn't going to have to lift a finger for the rest of the trip. Heck, he'd already conned Guy into walking Peony's rappigs for three months after their journey. That was... assuming there would be an after. Losing Ion had been a harsh reminder of just how fragile and easily lives could be lost. That's why... they had to try and enjoy themselves while they still could; there was no saying what could happen to any of them. Anise shook her head. She had told herself she would think about that tonight; right now they were having fun, laughing for the first time in a long time and she wasn't going to sulk. Ion would never forgive her if she did. Alright! Next round she was getting out of cleaning the Albiore's windows for sure!
Tear giggled as Asch conceded the match, leaving Natalia victorious for this round, one of the few that hadn't gone to the Colonel. The Princess had a mysterious knack for winning every round that involved cooking duty in any way, shape or form. Tear wouldn't complain though, she didn't mind Asch's cooking. For being a noble, he really wasn't bad at preparing food. It made her wonder where he'd picked up the skills; she highly doubted, with his father being the way he was, that Asch had spent a day in the kitchen all his life.
The melodist herself hadn't won much, but hadn't lost too much either, which was nice. She was the most grateful to not be playing any other form of the game though; betting chores was more than plenty for her. The game still seemed complicated and she still had no idea if the cards she held amounted to anything or not. Looking at the fresh set in her hands, she immediately missed Luke who had turned in a couple rounds ago. What was two fives and three nines worth again?
Asch was the one really missing his twin though. For all that Luke didn't have much of a poker face, together with that CCN of theirs, they were a force to be reckoned with and they had teamed up more than once to try and take Jade down. It hadn't worked, of course, but it had thrown the rest of them for a loop. Tear looked up; the mischievous grin on Asch's face told Tear that he was fully capable of holding his own.
"It's getting late," Guy pointed out. "I think we should make this the last round."
"I agree," Ginji admitted. "Early to bed for me," he said with a chuckle, discarding his cards.
"I'm afraid I'm out this time as well," Natalia stated, placing her cards neatly down before her. Following her lead Guy also dropped out with nothing of worth in his hand.
Then the betting began. Without Natalia, a few weeks of cooking duty quickly went into the mix, along with a couple rounds of laundry, fetching wood for the fire and shopping for provisions next time they needed to resupply. Tear gave up once laundry had come into play, leaving the game between Anise, Asch and Jade.
Both Anise and Asch were analyzing each other scrupulously grasping at any hints of what the other may hold. Neither wasted a moment trying to read Jade; some things in life were just impossible, and Asch had long since learned that it was quicker and less painful to not bother trying. Anise on the other hand had her eagerness to help her out. Despite her often shallow comments and childish nature, she was surprisingly perceptive and if the fact that she'd been a spy alone hadn't proved it, her fully deserved former position in Daath would have. She hid a lot of talent behind those sparkling eyes; hiding a hand of cards was nothing to her.
"You young ones are so energetic this late at night," Jade said with a sigh. "You make it difficult for old people like me to keep up." He neatly folded his cards into a pile and set them down. They hadn't hit the grass before an almost evil cackle escaped Anise. It wasn't often Jade dropped out of the running. In fact, it was often six against one to force him out and prevent Natalia from picking up more cooking duty.
"So," Anise began, her eyes playfully narrowed glancing at Asch menacingly from behind her cards. "Since it's the last round and it's just between us, what do you say to upping the stakes a little?"
"Oh?" Asch inquired, both intrigued by the suggestion and not quite able to back down from the challenge. "What do you have in mind? Not enough chores to do already?" Anise's smirk fell into an angry pout at the jab but quickly recovered.
"Oh yeah? Fine. If I win, you have to tell me how to tell you and Luke apart. None of the Colonel's crap about breathing and steps, I want the real way."
Asch's eyebrows raised and Anise could tell she'd caught him off guard. This was it! She was gonna finally force it out of him. Asch might know how to be a jerk but the guy had pride. He'd never go back on a deal, and if she knew him like she thought she did, he couldn't resist the challenge. Anise couldn't think of anything he could put up against her that would make her back down. Not that he was gonna win with the hand she had.
"Okay," Asch agreed. Anise felt the excitement ignite inside her. "But if I win, you have to apologize and go talk to Luke." A bucket of cold water doused her and all her enthusiasm. She could tell Asch was pleased with the shock on her face. Damn it! Leave it to him to find the one damn thing she wasn't going to do.
Anise was suddenly torn. This was her chance! Another opportunity wasn't going to come up in who knew how long! She had to have him, she had to! It was the best hand she'd had all night, she'd be damned if she gave up now! The look on his face when he lost and had to cough up his precious secret was going to be priceless!
"Better get talking," she said with a smirk as she lay her cards face up. "Four of a kind."
Asch looked at the four fives and a six that she'd set down, but Anise's heart sank when he looked back up with a wide grin. "You're the one doing the talking," he said. "Straight flush."
"Damn it!" Anise cursed.
"Hey, a deal's a deal," Asch reminded her. "He's not asleep yet."
"Shut up, I know," Anise grumbled. "Do I have to do it no-"
"Yes," Asch cut her off, almost gloating as he bathed in the satisfaction of his victory. Damn prissy, cocky, stuck-up... Anise mentally ran out of insults but sent wordless spite his way anyways.
Whatever, it wasn't like it was going to go anywhere. Anise could just say she tried and they'd all be off her back. Ball was out of her court, nothing she could do about it. Ugh... Anise stomped through the underbrush towards the Albiore. Damn it, she was so getting back at him for this one of these days. The next thought that crossed her mind made her scowl. For the love of Yulia, at the rate she was going she was going to need one of Dist's damn journals.
"You going to give Luke a heads up?" Guy asked curiously once Anise had faded from view.
"No," Asch replied.
"That was rather mean of you," Jade said in the mock innocent voice of his.
"I could say the same for you, old man."
"Why I've no idea what you're talking about," he replied with a shrug. "I was certain you had me this round."
"Yeah right," Asch muttered.
Guy reached for Jade's discarded pile of cards. "Well..." he said hesitantly after a moment. "Let's just not tell Anise." Asch smirked.
The blond picked up the remainder of the deck and shuffled back into it Jade's royal flush.
Luke wasn't sure what to make of the unexpected knock on the door. Asch was still outside with the others around the fire. Judging from his dropped guard, the card games had finally come to a stop, something for which the redhead was mildly grateful. It was instinctive at this point: Asch being on his guard had the younger sibling on full alert, not exactly the best state to be in when trying to get some much needed shut eye. If it was Mieu asking if he could go outside again, Luke swore he would drop kick the thing halfway to Grand Chokmah. A second, more impatient knock came and Luke hopped out of bed.
Anise's head of dark brown hair was the last thing Luke expected to encounter when he opened the door, and scepticism only served to dull the dark expression that fell over him. What did she want? Anise had not kept her contempt with him a secret, nor had he hidden his displeasure with her and frankly, they'd been keeping their paths uncrossed to put it mildly. Now she had, quite literally, turned up on his doorstep.
Luke returned to sit on his bed. The former Fon Master Guardian made no move to enter. Not a sound escaped her lips other than the steady rhythm of her breathing and the pounding of her racing heart. Her eyes stayed trained on the floor and when it was clear she'd no intentions of doing anything anytime soon, Luke let his gaze wander until the awkwardness was palpable and even he couldn't bear it anymore.
"What do you want?" Luke broke the silence.
"I'm here to apologize," Anise mumbled, her head still hanging. Her white fingers were fidgeting, unable to reclaim the colour from the fists in which they'd been wound.
"I'm not the one you should be apologizing to," Luke answered in an emotionless tone that shot through Anise more than the young girl had expected it to.
"Then what the hell do you want from me Luke?" Anise snapped; looking up and meeting Luke's emerald eyes through a blur of tears that she fought back with all her might. "You're the only one left I can apologize to! No one six feet in the ground gives a damn what I do or don't say!"
Luke winced at the words, though part of him wondered if it was their harshness, or the reality of Anise's situation that struck him. "It's not about the words," he threw back.
"You think I don't know what I did?" Anise asked in desperation. "You think I don't know that I murdered Arietta, that Ion is up there somewhere looking down at me in disgust? Looking at the petty and worthless little thing that I am wondering why the hell he ever gave me the benefit of the doubt? I know all that damn it, but what the hell do you want me to do about it? I can't-" Anise's voice broke with a sob and her eyes met the wooden floor again. "I can't change any of it... so just... just tell me what it is you want from me."
The feeling of Luke's warm hand on her shoulder caught Anise by surprise, and in his piercing green eyes she saw something familiar. The barrier of indifference had come down and behind it was the same sorrow she could see when she looked in a mirror.
"It's not fair!" Anise sobbed, latching onto Luke. Her arms wrapped around his waist as she drowned her tears in his black shirt. Luke gently stroked her raven locks, but it only made her hands clench tightly into fists and her cries intensified. "Don't you get it Luke! Don't you see how lucky you are?"
Luke didn't answer, he couldn't think of anything that made him lucky.
"Tataroo Valley!" Anise said. "When he healed Tear... that's the last time I was ever with him. When you let Arietta take him away, that was the last time I saw him!"
Suddenly what Anise was saying struck home. Those places, those times, they were an eternity ago. He hadn't even thought...
"He didn't deserve it," Anise managed, her voice almost a whisper. "It should have been me. After everything I'd done to him... I couldn't even protect him. I couldn't watch over him... It should have been me..."
"It wasn't your fault..." Luke whispered.
"It is!" Anise protested, but rather than fight with her, Luke just pulled her closer.
"I miss him too." Luke's pained whisper was the last words either said before allowing the silence to swallow them. The quietness however, no longer carried uncertainty or regret, just comfort, a relief from the weight that they'd both been smothered with. Burdens shared didn't seem quite so heavy and it wasn't until they were gone that either of them realized just how worn they'd become.
"You okay?" Luke asked, pulling an arm away from Anise to wipe his tears.
"Yeah," Anise sniffled, drying her eyes with her sleeve. "Could... well can I stay for a bit? You know, just until Asch gets back."
"Sure," the young noble answered with a smile.
The moon's pale light trickled in from the endless night, spilling onto the bed where the two companions sat. Under the veil of the night, they spoke, sharing laughs, tears and whispered stories well into the morning hours.
Somehow, Asch knew not to come to bed that night.
The people who lived back in the Dawn Age really needed to find something better to do with their time. At least, that was the first thought that crossed Asch's mind when they reached the Tower of Rem. Complex, decorated and absolutely immense, the Tower of Rem was unlike anything the redhead had ever seen. No, it was more than that but the redhead would suffice to say his vocabulary lacked the words to do the structure justice. Maybe they'd had a word for it back then, or maybe it had been so commonplace that 'tall' had sufficed. But Asch had never seen anything like it, and he lived in Baticul, the tallest city in the world.
With the exception of Yulia City, the last remaining relic of the Dawn Age stood alone surrounded by ocean on all sides. How the replicas had gotten here, Asch had no idea; scratch that, he didn't want to know, nor did he want to know how many different water crafts had probably been stolen in the past couple months. But they had definitely been here, being all the way out to sea and not on any of the shipping routes, common or otherwise, the tracks and evidence of life couldn't be anyone else.
"Wow!" Guy shielded his eyes from the sun as he tried to follow the tower up until it pierced the clouds. There was no mistaking that look in his eyes; he was in full fontech mode. The worst part of the whole thing... was that he wasn't alone.
"How high do you think it goes up?" Ginji asked excitedly.
"I have no idea," Guy answered with just as much energy as the young pilot.
"I wonder if it goes up beyond the atmosphere? It was supposed to be used for a special kind of airship, after all."
"The one to try and find other worlds, right?"
"Woah, slow down you two," Anise cut in. Seriously, they were like little school girls giggling over a cute guy. "What are you talking about 'other worlds'?"
"The Tower of Rem was built to launch a ship to search for other worlds in case Yulia's plan to raise the Outer Lands failed." Asch provided.
"Sounds like someone did their homework," Jade commented.
"They could do that?" Anise asked in amazement. "I mean how did they even know there is such a thing as another world out there?"
"They didn't," Ginji answered. "It was a pretty radical plan, even with their level of knowledge and technology."
"I can't wait to see inside!" Guy almost sang.
"Me too!" Ginji agreed. Everyone looked at him, their eyes full of curiosity, scepticism and a bit of surprise. "Oh come on guys... you aren't seriously going to leave me behind while you go exploring through one of the Dawn Age's greatest accomplishments, are you?"
"Well... I mean there is a good chance that it won't be safe in there," Asch said, managing to find some words. Why of all the places they'd gone did this have to be the one time when Ginji wanted to join them? The fewer involved the better, but without any good reasons to outright deny him, the chances of Asch's victory weren't very good. "There will likely be monsters that have taken up residence and we can't say for sure that the replicas won't try to attack us."
"Asch is right," Tear agreed. "There's a good chance we could be walking into a situation we won't easily be able to escape from." Asch silently thanked the melodist.
"I'll be okay," Ginji reassured them. "I'm not as good as you guys are, but I know how to take care of myself. I won't be a burden, I promise." Asch scowled. How could anyone deny the almost puppy dog look in his eyes? He hadn't been that fired up since their first flight on the Albiore.
"We're just planning on talking," Luke said, breaking the silence. "I can keep an extra eye out for him if that's the problem. Really, if the replicas do attack, we're going to be so outnumbered that having one extra person along isn't going to make much difference."
"Yeah, you're right," Asch conceded. "Just promise me you'll be careful."
"Yes sir!" Ginji stood to attention raising a hand to his forehead in a mock salute.
"Goodness," Natalia suddenly gasped halfway up the ramp that led to two towering doors that had to be at least two stories tall.
"What's up Natalia?" Anise asked.
"I hope we don't have to take stairs all the way to the top."
An exhaustive groan escaped both Anise and Luke, to whom the thought apparently hadn't occurred either. Tear kept her thoughts to herself, though she didn't seem to relish the idea any more than her friends did. Asch secretly hoped that the task would be required and it would dissuade the others from joining him. He knew better than to cling to that hope though. Guy and Ginji probably would have swum here if it meant learning more of the tower's secrets, and Jade was... well Jade.
So it really wasn't much of a surprise that the first thing anyone noticed after getting through the doors was the massive elevator that sat in the center of the tower, an immense glass tube that climbed through a spiral staircase both that reached up further than the eye could see. The inner walls were aglow, not unlike Yulia city and there was no doubt that both locales had the same hand in designing them. Damn, was there anything in the Dawn Age that Yulia hadn't designed?
The second thing that everyone noticed, and that sent a wash of relief through them all, was that the elevator was, in fact, operational. Because the only thing crueller than taking the stairs, was taking spiral stairs, while circling an elevator you couldn't use. The whir of the massive fon machine, among what was likely many hidden ones rang in their ears. The ancient building was alive in ways Asch hadn't thought possible and it left him wondering if it had survived all these years, or if it had only recently been woken from its 2000 year slumber.
The third thing Asch noticed was the mass of replicas. It was mind boggling, and the look on his sibling's face told him Luke thought the same. They knew Mohs' had been a busy little boy all this time, but he was clearly not inefficient in his work and shutting down Feres Isle didn't seem to have done too much to dent the population. Maybe some of the shock had come from the fact that there wasn't a replica to be found outside the tower which led to the assumption that there were few of them here, but in the tower's broad base, hundreds of replicas stood patiently waiting for the elevator.
"A hundred gald says Mary's already at the top," Anise commented sarcastically. "Or whoever their leader is," she added as an afterthought.
"That's probably a safe bet," Guy agreed. "It seems to be where they're all headed."
"Then that's where we want to go," Asch stated.
"Yes but how?" Tear asked. "There's no saying how long it takes that elevator to get to the top, and while it may be big, I doubt it holds more than a couple dozen people at once. It could take days to clear this crowd."
"I am not taking the stairs!" Anise protested violently.
"Well then let's just butt in line," Luke suggested.
"I don't know if risking getting them mad at us is a good start," Guy pointed out.
"I wouldn't worry," Jade said. "Unfortunately it looks as if the majority of the replicas here have suffered vastly from the programming that has led them here. I doubt most of them even realize we are here."
"Mohs' must be stopped," Natalia muttered.
"Yeah," Luke agreed. "This isn't right, not by any stretch of the imagination. What kind of world does Master Van think he's going to be able to build if no one is able to grow and learn?"
"Yet it is genius in its own way," Jade argued. "No strong emotions means the chance of conflict is minimal. People would be able to simply live their lives peacefully and without incident."
"But that's not living at all!" Luke shouted, biting back when he realized how loud he'd been. A few of the closest replicas turned their heads, but apparently didn't register the newest arrivals as important in any way and returned their attention to the elevator.
"I never said it was," the Malkuth Colonel replied with a shrug. "I was simply pointing out the line of thought our enemies are likely employing."
"Guys, if we're going to catch a ride the next time that thing comes down, we'd better get working on getting to the door," Anise stated.
"Yes, lets save this conversation for a later time," Natalia stated. Everyone nodded in agreement.
Getting through the crowd of replicas proved to be easier than expected, not that Jade expected it to be difficult. The replicas were in no hurry. Time didn't register as a concept to them, and so did not exist. For what was time but a human concept created to organize existence? There was of course, the odd chance that their jumping ahead could be interpreted by the replicas as an attempt to keep them from their goal, a situation where things could get ugly rather quickly, but it proved not to be the case and everyone boarded the elevator without any significant incident.
The glass walls of the enclosed space allowed for a better view of the tower as the fon machine lifted them up. There were more replicas than even Jade had anticipated and with those that were climbing the stairs, they easily numbered in the thousands. Not all would be fortunate enough to reach the top, of course. Many would likely fall victim to the monsters he also noted prowling about in the shadows. They were many in a place safe from the elements and so plentiful in easy prey.
Jade could easily see where Asch's concerns came from. If this many replicas were to suddenly appear in the cities, even dispersed across Auldrant, the economic implications alone would be tremendous. With both the disappearance of Akzeriuth, the major mineral provider, and the fall of the Outer Lands which vastly affected agriculture, it was nothing to say the world was in a very delicate state right now. It would take only half the number of replicas that were likely here to shatter the foundations of society as it existed in these troubled times. Yes, Asch had reason to worry...as did they all.
"They all seem so empty," Anise commented.
"Surely it isn't that surprising, we've met replicas like them before," the Princess pointed out.
"Yeah, but then there was that girl Luke rescued in Baticul too. I mean, why the difference? Why are all the ones here seem like the extreme end of the spectrum."
"It's simple," Jade provided. "The more information is given to them at birth, the less capacity they have to learn more. The ones here are likely those given the most; those who haven't come, like Luke's friend, aren't here because they don't know to come. To have the knowledge to come here selects out the worst cases."
"I don't know if that's a good thing or not," Ginji commented. "On one hand the ones that stay in the cities are more capable of learning what they shouldn't do, but on the other hand, with more emotion, they'll likely cause more trouble."
"A mixed blessing," Natalia said with a nod before letting out a shiver. "Is it just me or is it getting cold up here?"
"It's not just you," Guy agreed, glad he'd chosen to wear a heavier jacket this morning. "We can't be too far from the top now."
"Why is it getting colder?" Luke asked. "We're getting closer to the sun right? Shouldn't it get warmer?"
"Quite the contrary," Jade proclaimed. "In simplest terms, the air holds the heat in. The higher we are, the less there is to retain the heat, and it gets colder."
"Stupid reverse logic..." Luke mumbled.
"Asch, you've been awfully quiet," Tear commented, keeping her voice down so as not to attract the others attention. She knew she'd never stand a chance of getting an answer from him if she did.
"Just thinking," he answered.
"You look like you have a lot on your mind," she offered.
"Thinking about what I have to do, that's all," he said with a smile. It was transparent though, almost sad in a way the melodist couldn't quite grasp.
"Don't worry," Tear tried. "I'm sure everything will go fine with the replicas. You negotiate well and they seem very receptive to logic. There's nothing to worry about."
"Thanks," he answered but his mood didn't seem to lighten at all. Tear felt a wave of disappointment. She wished she was better able to talk to others and to comfort them. She just never knew what to say and it always seemed to come out wrong.
But before Tear could contemplate long enough to make a second attempt at easing the worries of the older redhead, the massive lift began to slow and came to a shaky and rather noisy stop that had all of them suddenly focusing on their balance to stay standing.
Unfazed by the jolt, the replicas soundlessly filed out onto a dimly lit platform. With no other apparent direction to go in, Guy and his friends followed them out. As soon as the last person had stepped off, the lift plummeted back down its track with easily twice the speed it had used to bring them up. It was absolutely amazing! The whole tower was amazing, and even though it looked incomplete in some places, the level of fontech that existed here was on a completely different level. Nothing they had today could even dream of being this incredible.
Excitement, it seemed, still wasn't enough to wear away the pit in his stomach and even having Ginji to talk to about his fascination with the various fon machines, didn't give him what he needed to escape. It was all a distraction, a failed one at that. Guy couldn't deny it; he was nervous about meeting Mary's replica again. He knew it wasn't really his sister, damn, he knew it better than anyone that replicas aren't their originals... but her face still trudged him through a past he hadn't been able to bury yet. He still saw a glimmering essence of the person his sister had once been, and it was enough to rip his heart out. He was glad Asch was doing the talking, he definitely didn't trust himself with words, and if there was anything that these replicas seemed to be bothered by, it was being compared to their originals.
Any hope Guy may have fostered that the young blonde leader of the replicas would be absent vanished at the sight of her golden hair. Tossed about in the cold winds, she seemed unbothered by such a petty concern as the elements, or that her clothes were completely unsuited to the temperature up here. Her only concern wasn't even the round of newest visitors that had broken through the ring of her companions. It was with the other replica cradled in her arms, beaten and bleeding and no more than ten.
Luke's hand covered his mouth to hide the disgust Guy knew had to have suddenly appeared there. He could understand; the thought of what had happened to that poor boy, for him to still be in that kind of condition even now, put bile in the former servant's mouth.
"Is he alright? What happened to him?" Tear quickly approached the boy and extended her hands to heal him, but Mary pulled him away, shielding him from her touch.
"This is how your kind treats us," she replied coldly. "He is one of us, treated as a slave and beaten near to death before being brought here. We have no place in your world."
"You're right."
"Asch!" Natalia spoke up outraged.
"No, she's right," Asch stated with an unusual degree of finality. "There isn't room, and frankly, we don't know what to do with half of you. That's why I'm here to make a deal with you."
"What would you ask of us?" Mary demanded. Wow, Anise found herself thinking, they certainly didn't waste much time with idle conversation.
"I need your help to save the rest of the world. I need you to help me eliminate the miasma."
"The miasma?" Whispers flew through Asch companions, surprised at what he was requesting. Had he come up with something? Something the replicas could do to eliminate the toxic fog? Why hadn't he mentioned anything before now? Still, the prospect of having some hope had everyone excited. Only Jade remained silent. Jade and Luke, the latter who suddenly felt like a boulder had been dropped into his stomach. He didn't like where his line of thinking was taking him, and he knew all too well the track that his brother's would have taken.
"And why should we bother to do this? We owe you nothing," Mary stated in a matter of fact tone.
"Because whether you like it or not it affects you as well. It will kill you as sure as it will kill the originals. And because I can offer you what you need."
"What is that?"
"A place in the world. If you agree, we'll ensure that all the remaining replicas will have a place to live, somewhere safe from the atrocities that are being done to them now."
A light went on in Mary's head, though it was difficult to tell through her emotionless facade, it was clear she now realized something.
"You ask for our lives," she finally said, though it wasn't a question so much as a confirmation.
"What?" Almost everyone cried out in unison, but Luke's escaped a split second sooner having come to the conclusion as Mary had. It didn't take a half second before Luke had his sibling by the collar.
"What the hell is this?" Luke demanded, boring holes in his brother's skull with his piercing glare. "What was all that crap about waiting until we'd freed Lorelei? About holding off until we had a better answer?"
"We don't have that kind of time left anymore!" Asch snapped, twisting Luke's arm and escaping his grip. "We are no closer to freeing Lorelei than we were months ago! We still don't have the Jewel and don't make me remind you whose fault that is!" Luke reeled from the blow.
Was that what this was about? Because he hadn't gotten the Jewel? That just couldn't be it! How many times had Asch told him it was okay? That it wasn't his fault... that they could work at fixing it together? Lies. All of it had been lies. He should have known... He should have frigging known Asch didn't mean any of it! That just made all this his fault! He had driven Asch to this point. Well he sure as hell wasn't going to sit back and watch it all happen. He'd spent his entire life doing that, he'd sat back and watched Akzeriuth crumble around him. He was not letting this mistake go a single step further.
"Stop this! We're talking about your life here!" Luke yelled.
"I will not just stand around and watch my country die! Unlike you, I have responsibilities, a duty to them and to all the people of this world, to do all that's in my power to protect their future. I'm the only one who can do a damn thing about it; I am not going to sit on the sidelines because you're too dense to see the big picture!"
"Then figure something else out!"
"There's no other choice, time's up. People are dying out there, Luke! Stop being the self-serving child that you are for a second and see that!"
"Stop being so damn narrow-minded! There are other choices!"
"Oh? And where do you suggest we get the Seventh fonons? Got a convenient supply stashed away somewhere or are you playing the idealist again?"
"I doesn't matter! Even if you want to go throw yourself from this tower, which feel free to do by the way," Luke added sourly. "There are thousands of replicas whose lives are in the question here."
"Better them than Seventh fonists," Asch said simply.
"You- H- H- How could you?" Luke stuttered in fury. "You-" Luke's face turned bright red stealing the colour from his snow white fists that trembled at his side. "Fine. You want to blow yourself up, go ahead. You have my blessing; but so help me Lorelei, you are not laying one finger on any of these replicas! We're freeing Lorelei or nothing's happening."
"Shut up!" Asch's blow landed cleanly across Luke's face. "You think you're so high and mighty, spouting off your ideals? Grow up! That Lorelei crap is nothing but a theory. Not that it matters, since for all we know the God-Generals already found the Jewel and smashed it to dust." No one missed the accusing glare that went Luke's way. "It's all nice that you can say those pretty things, but who the hell do you think you are? You think that Ion's the only one the miasma's taken? Are you planning on explaining to all those mothers why their children rotted away from the poison; but wait, that's right, you don't give a damn. What's ten thousand lives? You got to be the hero. But we know that already... don't we?"
The only sound that anyone heard was that of the wind as it swirled around the Tower's spirals. How could Asch...
Natalia stood in shock, Asch's sudden burst coming out of nowhere. Just a minute ago he had been completely calm and composed, now not only was he angrier than she'd seen him in a long time, but to bellow such accusations at Luke of all people was outright ludicrous. How could he even suggest that such a thing was Luke's fault? He of all people knew how awful Luke felt about not receiving the Jewel; hadn't that been why Luke had spent months buried in the books he so disliked reading? And to bring up Akzeriuth against Luke like that! There weren't words for how horrified she was at his actions just now.
The anger that had once consumed Luke was stripped bare, or rather sliced, torn asunder by all of Asch's harsh words, revealing itself to be naught but desperation. Asch knew them, all of Luke's weaknesses, the vital points where words became so much more and he had hit everyone of them. For all that only one physical hit had been delivered, Luke was crippled. He was frightened, terrified through the anguish that had visibly consumed him and if they'd learnt anything, it was that for Luke to show these emotions, he was already feeling them ten times over.
Everyone could tell that all Luke was trying to do was save Asch's life. For that was what hung in the balance here... the thought alone sent a wave of apprehension through Natalia and her knees just about buckled under her weight. Asch could never- never actually- d- die...
Luke cared for him, he was family. Luke was only trying to reason with him, and yet Asch dealt blow after verbal blow and the pain was written on her younger cousin's face for the world to see. There was no way he couldn't see it, and yet, he seemed almost triumphant, revelling in the damage he'd caused. How... how could he?
"But I-" Luke finally managed meekly.
"I frankly don't give a damn what you think." Asch cut him off harshly. "You have no Jewel, we have no way to free Lorelei, and so now people are dying. End of story. Go back to your fairy tale and let the grown ups handle the real world."
Luke fell to his knees, the shock sinking in, and Asch eyed him one last time, indifference at his sibling's sudden collapse masking whatever messed up logic lay beneath it, and the young, apparently soon-to-be-dead monarch, turned his attention back to the replicas. Anise just glared at him. She didn't care what he was thinking. He was an ass.
"So," Asch continued. "What's your answer? I will promise to find a place for the remaining replicas to live, in exchange, I want the lives of the replicas here in this tower."
"You are no different than the others," Mary replied. "You ask for our lives as if they were nothing."
"I am offering my own life too," Asch stated. "I'll be going with you; I'm not doing this lightly."
"It doesn't matter," she stated, her voice never wavering or betraying any emotion. "If you wish to die, you can do so on your own. Mohs will give us all you offer and more, he will give us a place to live on the new Hod."
"You must have realized by now that you've been abandoned. I hate to be the one to break it to you, but he isn't coming back. Those promises he made are lies, he has no need of you, he just has to make more replicas. You of all people should know how easy of a task that is for him at this point."
"You lie."
"How long have you been waiting already?" Asch asked and traces of unsettlement became apparent on her face. Mary continued to cradle the replica boy in her arms.
"He will come as he has promised."
"Wait and see then," Asch answered. "There are other things I need to prepare as well. Think about what I've offered, I'll be back to make the same offer again. Have an answer for me by then."
The redhead turned around and had reached the door to the stairs before any of his companions had come out of the shock enough to follow him, or to realize that they had to go that way to get out themselves. More than one person would be perfectly happy not to see him for a millennia or two after a display like that. What- the- hell?
"You okay Luke?" Guy asked offering a hand to his best friend.
"Yeah," Luke managed, surprising Guy by how steady his voice was, and how with it he seemed. It was a peculiar thing, usually his fights with Asch had him upset, angry, sulking or just plain detached from the world. He was unusually calm for the bitter words that had flown between them. Something was off this time around, and it bothered Guy. "We better get out of here," Luke added, managing only to offer the replicas an apologetic look.
This wasn't the end of this, Luke concluded to himself as he took the first flight of stairs. Not a chance in hell was this how things would end. Let Asch be that way, things weren't going to play according to whatever twisted script he'd written out in that thick skull of his. There had to be another option, a way to get through this with everyone alive, and Luke absolutely refused to accept anything less. If Asch thought he was going to just roll over like a hurt puppy and let things go, he had another thing coming.
This meant war.