Chapter 66: The End She Saw (Part 1)

The long walk back down the Tower of Rem's seemingly infinite staircase did a good job of redefining the term 'awkward'. No one had a clue what to say, but judging by the way they were all staring at Asch, everyone had a few words for him, kind or otherwise. So did Ginji, but like everyone else, he just couldn't figure out the proper way to start the conversation. 'So you're planning to kill yourself, huh?' just didn't quite seem appropriate. Well, he'd have a long time to think about it, if there was anything this place had, it was definitely stairs.

Taking the elevator back down hadn't proved to be as easy as catching a ride up and the massive fon machine would be gone back down before any of them could push through the replicas getting off. After a few frustrating tries, no one had the patience to continue and thus they'd begun their achingly long descent. It was easier than having to climb up the stairs at least, but the nearly palpable tension was just about as wearying. At least the time it would take to get down would give them the time they needed to blow off some steam. No conversation that started now was going to end civil.

Ginji sighed; he thought that he'd enjoy the slow decent, after all, it gave him more time in the awe-inspiring tower. Somehow, the wonders that he'd journeyed in here with his friends to witness could no longer even hold his interest. The glimmering lights, the whirring of the fon machines, the wonder of the massive Dawn Age structure didn't seem important anymore, or maybe it just didn't seem real anymore. That was it, everything that had just happened, the conversation Asch had with the replicas, his subsequent fight with Luke... the entire thing had dropped the pilot into this sea of surrealism. Like a vivid dream he couldn't quite wake from, there was a detachment, a disbelief in what he was experiencing. He couldn't bring himself to accept it asreality. Ginji almost chuckled at his thoughts, their abstract nature beating around the bush. He knew darn well he was in denial. There just wasn't any way he would really lose one of his best friends like that, was there?

Looking at Asch, silently walking beside the pilot, pretending to be oblivious to the attention focused on him, there was a harsh stab of truth on his face; a morbid resolve that lingered there in all its prescience. He'd planned this all out, and he had no intentions of changing his mind anymore. He really intended to go through with this... didn't he? Ginji just didn't get it... people didn't just throw away their lives like that. It didn't make any sense; and if he knew anything of his friend, it was that he was logical. Everything, well almost everything, he did was thought out; if Asch was resorting to something so drastic... he must be backed into a corner. That was, unless doing this was part of a larger plan that wouldn't travel to the dark ends on which it seemed to be heading. Of that, Ginji fervently hoped.

A frustrated scowl escaped next to the pilot, startling him from his thoughts. Asch'd had enough of the accusing and remorseless stares on his back and stormed ahead of the group taking the stairs two at a time until he was almost a quarter rotation ahead of them. No one made any motion to try and catch up, nor did they look like they were considering it. If anything the space seemed welcome and the whispers began not far behind his departure. It wasn't fair to Asch; not at all. Ginji hurried ahead as well.

"Say... Asch?" Ginji began hesitantly. Asch didn't make a sound but the small flicker of his eyes at the young pilot was enough to know he had the redhead's attention. "Did you really mean the things you said up there? I mean... are you really planning to sacrifice yourself and those replicas?"

"Yeah," Asch answered, surprised to find words at his lips. He had fully intended not to say a damn thing about it, no matter what anyone accused him of... but the lack of judgement in Ginji's voice broke through his resolve.

"But...why?" Ginji waited in silence as Asch seemed deep in thought. He was thinking very carefully about what he wanted to say. If it wasn't about such an awful subject it would have made Ginji smile. He was always so cautious... even around the people he trusted.

"I really wish we had another way," the young noble hesitantly admitted. "But there isn't, not one that we'll be able to find in time. I can't watch people start to die when there's still something I can do about it. I just can't. I'm the only one who can do this. I can't do nothing."

"What about Lu-"

"I'm the only one who can do this." Asch cut Ginji off before the thought had even completed itself.

"That's why you got so mad at Luke, wasn't it?" Ginji smiled, Asch's train of thought finally clicking. He'd found the logic.

"No!" Asch violently protested, his voice filled with enough bitterness to have fooled the pilot had he not known his friend better than that. "I'm sick of him being a baby. He needs to learn that sometimes dirty things have to be done. He doesn't have the privilege of being ignorant," Asch stated with finality, adding to his point by walking ahead. Ginji followed but Asch didn't make any attempt to lose him again.

Damn it all, why? Asch silently cursed the silver-haired pilot, even though he knew full well Ginji wasn't the problem. To be perfectly honest, he was mildly grateful for his understanding presence among the others, but it did little to soothe his irritation. Why did everyone always know what he was thinking? Why was it, no matter what he did, he couldn't escape them anymore? Asch focused on his breathing; he couldn't afford to let his frustration come through now. He had to stay clear-minded, he had to be objective about this. He didn't want to do this; he didn't want to murder thousands of replicas! He... he didn't want to die. But there weren't any other options left anymore and delaying the inevitable was only going to leave them with more people dead. Besides, it was his duty to watch over his people. He would die to protect the world. It was a noble way to go... but it didn't make it any easier. So why the hell did everyone seem so intent on making it difficult? Asch just wanted them to stay away; not to be angry, or upset or judgmental, but to not give a damn at all. He needed them to stay away so he wouldn't be reminded of what he was losing, of what he was giving up... because if he thought on it too long, he may start to think it wasn't worth it.

He had to stay detached. He had to stay objective.

And that meant no one was allowed to get close... no matter how much a small part of him screamed inside.

But next to the piece of him that cried out for the companionship Asch never thought he'd want, there was a small seed of guilt that was starting to sprout. The things he'd said to Luke were all so clear, and the longer those thoughts had to fester the sharper their edges seemed. It was surprising how much crueller he could be when given time to think about it, when he'd planned the words and their spiteful blows before the fact. It was necessary. For to Luke, wanting to sacrifice himself, to sacrifice the replicas for the miasma had to be the most repulsive idea possible... because Asch knew that if it wasn't, Luke would take his place in a heartbeat. That above all else, couldn't be allowed.

This was for the future of the world, but more than for that, he was doing this for Luke's future, for Natalia's future. Sure Luke was still pretty awkward in court affairs, but he'd come such a long way. Given a few more years he'd fit right in as if he'd been born to belong there. He'd come into his own this past year, and Asch couldn't be more proud of him. Luke would do just fine. Natalia... she would take it hard, but she would persevere if only for her country. She'd find someone who'd treasure her above all else, even the fate of the planet, someone who deserved her kindness and affection and had earned her love through his deeds and not his birthright. The hole he left behind would eventually fill in. Luke would leave an inescapable chasm that no one would recover from.

It had to be him.

'Luke-'

'Don't even talk to me right now!' Luke snapped at Asch's voice before it'd gotten half a thought conjured. Even though it was only over their connection, Luke's very thoughts quivered with rage.

Asch immediately backed down, closing himself off to the heated emotions Luke rolling off his sibling. He'd known that was coming... it was what he'd wanted and Asch knew that he knew Luke's buttons well enough not to have created any other outcome. Why, then, did he find himself so hurt by Luke's reaction?

Hope. A small corner at the back of his mind had clung to the hope that Luke would understand, would know him well enough to see that all this was for them; that Asch wanted nothing more than to give them a world in which they could have a future. But he hadn't seen it... none of them had. No, Asch shook off the thought. Things were better this way. It may be more difficult, but this was what he'd wanted from the beginning. Detached. Objective.

If Luke hated him, it would just make it that much easier on him when he was gone.

Asch sighed sadly.

And so the last of his days had begun.

It took them the better part of three hours to take the stairs all the way down the tower and the trek, though downwards and with a helping hand from gravity, still had them worn out. Guy didn't want to fancy how long the journey up would have taken. At least double the time, without a doubt. It was a good thing their first pass at the steps was going down and not up; had they tried to take them up, Guy doubted they'd have made it. The set of stairs that climbed the top half of the Tower had been blocked off by some stray debris; they never would have found their way through coming from the other side.

Guy almost felt dirtied for clearing the path. Now the replicas who had chosen to climb the stairs had a clear way up to the top. To their altar. Guy wanted to hate Asch, to punch him for the sheer stupidity of even suggesting what he had, but the fault wouldn't lie all with him. He'd only given the replicas a choice. If they walked that path, it would be because they willed it. He bit his lip. Part of him didn't care about that. He couldn't watch his sister die again...

The miasma seemed thicker closer to the ground, and maybe it was simply that he knew what Asch had in the works, but it seemed unusually dense. It has reached the point where it was actually hampering visibility, something Guy hadn't seen it do since they'd visited the Qliphoth. It didn't seem to be getting in the replica's way at all, and a fresh crowd of them was making their way into the tower as they were leaving it. Poor Mieu had to be quick on his feet to avoid being trampled and very quickly found himself a perch on Luke's shoulder. Poor little thing; the way he was excitedly proclaiming how he'd almost been stepped on would have Luke on his case for a bit. Mieu had a serious lack of ability to tell when someone's patience was dangerously thin. Then again it had been Mieu who'd served as Luke's distraction almost the entire way down. Between the little cheagle and Tear, Luke hadn't had too much time to dwell on what had just happened. Good or bad, Guy wasn't sure, it would definitely hit him later... but at least for now the blow could be somewhat softened.

Two shapes coming through the toxic fog caught the Malkuth noble's eye and he froze, not unlike his companions who'd also taken note of them. Standing out from the replicas that staggered along, their stride was smooth, almost graceful compared to the others among which they were walking. Great. Just great, this was exactly what they needed. Guy may not have been able to see them clearly yet, but there was only one person they knew of that stature.

"It's time," Largo stated, coming to halt before the group. Sync stood at his side, a cocky look on his face despite the fact that he looked like a small child standing next to his companion like that. That satisfied grin of his only ever meant trouble... and lots of it. "Time you show us where you've hidden the Seventh Fonstone."

Asch stood silent for a moment, trying to catch up to his thoughts. He'd known this was coming, maybe not quite so soon, but that it would be in the near future. Asch would have been perfectly happy to leave Mohs to rot in whatever rat hole he'd hidden himself and his New Order in but this was inevitable and he knew it. What bothered him was how the hell the God-Generals had known to find them here. He hadn't even told Uncle where he planned to go. Was Mohs still watching the replicas? Did he still have something in mind for them after all? That could pose a huge problem. Asch shook his head. No... that couldn't be right. Even if he was and had notified Sync and Largo immediately upon their arrival, there was no way the God-Generals could have gotten here that fast. They had to have known well before that...well before he'd told a soul of his intentions.

"You look surprised," Sync taunted. "You think we were going to give you time to try and weasel your way out like you always do? Well you're not getting out of it this time. If you go back on our deal, we'll tell the world you've been supporting illegal fomicry experiments."

"How did you find us here?" Asch asked as calmly as he could.

"It's amazing what you can learn from the flow of information," Sync baited the redhead.

Damn it! They were watching the Dark Wings! Asch cursed under his breath. He should have known, especially since he had them searching for the Jewel, no doubt the God-Generals not only would have heard of their efforts, but kept a close watch on them in case they had found it. Did that mean they didn't have the Jewel of Lorelei yet either?

"Well?" Sync prodded them. "No more putting it off, we go now or we issue an official protest against Kimlasca."

"Fine," Asch spat bitterly. His eyes darted around, looking for the former Grand Maestro. This was the time when he usually appeared to gloat about his victory. He must have stayed on the ship. Damn, so much for that quick end to all this.

"How are we going to do this?" Guy asked. "I doubt either of us trusts the other enough to travel together."

"Hmph, I'm insulted," Sync said tauntingly. "You've the faster ship; tell us where to meet you."

"No," Asch protested, alarms going off in his mind at the God-General's suggestion. "We'll meet at a different location and travel together from there."

"Where are we to meet you then?" Largo asked.

Asch sighed and gave it a moment's thought. He needed a crossroads, a place that could lead to many locations. "Meet us on the Kimlascan side of Kaitzur in one week. That should give you enough time to get there."

"Ah," Largo replied. "You've hidden it away in Choral Castle."

"You don't think we're that stupid, do you?" Asch shot.

"You don't want an answer to that," Sync shot back.

"Kaitzur, one week," Largo interrupted, "If you fail to be there, you know what the consequences will be." Without another word, he turned and left heading towards the water where they must have docked their craft. Sync sent one last cocky grin before following his comrade.

"They figured that out a bit too fast for my liking," Guy commented once he was sure they were out of an earshot. "They must have been doing some searching of their own since we took it."

"I have a bad feeling about this," Tear confessed, following the others towards the Albiore. They didn't have much time to waste. They had to hurry and warn the guard there. The military of both countries were well trained, but she doubted they could stand up to both God-Generals and whatever other forces Mohs would undoubtedly bring with him. "I don't like that they know where the Seventh Fonstone is."

"Even if they do, Sync had a point," Asch stated calmly.

"Yeah," Ginji agreed. "The Albiore is faster than anything they've got. Even on the fastest ship it'll take them at least three or four days. The average ship will take closer to seven."

"We'd best head straight there, none-the-less," Natalia commented. Sitting down in one of the Albiore's seats, she felt ready to lose the small lunch they'd consumed earlier. Undoubtedly a result of recent events, but she would set that aside for the time being. They had the matter of Mohs and the Fonstone to deal with and that would require her entire focus. The ludicrousness of Asch's plan would have to wait for the time being.

"I'll have us there in a day," Ginji answered with a certainty that meant he probably didn't intend on sleeping tonight.

"Perhaps it would be wise to split into two groups," Jade pondered. "In case they intend to send advance forces to Choral Castle."

"Well there is the Kimlasca and the Malkuth guard there," Tear pointed out. "Assuming the advance forces doesn't contain one of the God-Generals, they should be able to hold off Mohs' forces."

"I imagine they would both remain to protect Mohs," Natalia said. "They undoubtedly see that his death would be our easiest solution, they won't leave him unguarded."

"They could always send a third to Choral Castle," Guy pointed out.

"I can't see my brother lending so much of his forces, especially since Mohs' objective is reading the Score."

"But it was Master Van who brought the Fonstone back from the core in the first place, wasn't it?" Luke spoke up. "Maybe he has something else in mind for it other than just to manipulate Mohs. We shouldn't let our guard down."

"Luke's right," Natalia agreed. "If the soldiers can't stop them, then all the guards' presence will do is confirm to Mohs that their initial guess was correct. There wouldn't be any reason to have a guard there otherwise."

"We'll get there first," Asch replied. "It won't matter."

"Damn it!" Ginji cursed and before anyone knew what had happened, he'd flown out of the Albiore. Everyone's gaze met for a second, their hearts sinking at the blue and silver blur that had just bolted out the door.

Before Tear's hair had even settled from the small breeze Ginji's dash had created, she and all her friends were out the door after him. What could possibly be going on? She hadn't seen Ginji that worked up since the attack on Sheridan. The implications of that reference sent chills up the melodist's spine. It couldn't possibly be something that bad, could it?

Outside, they found Ginji standing on the opposite side of the Albiore, only his blue jacket visible, half hidden as he was behind one of the landing devices whose name Tear could never remember. Walking below the massive airship always left her a little nervous, but it was the fastest way over there and the urgency in Ginji's voice still resonated with her rapid heartbeat. They ran below the Albiore to their pilot's side.

The first feeling that crossed Tear's mind was relief that no one was dying, but it was quickly overwhelmed by dread as the implications of the problem sank in. It was fruitless to ask what was wrong, even with her limited knowledge of fon machines, she could tell they wouldn't be leaving any time soon. One of the hatches was torn right open with what looked suspiciously like a massive scythe, and metal parts littered the ground. Wires hung loosely from the opening, sending the occasional spark into the air. Tear glanced up into the ship's inner workings; there she saw even more pieces hanging and strewn about what looked like...

"Is that..." Tear asked.

"The engine," Guy answered.

Ginji was almost quivering. "That stupid, good for nothing son of a bitch! How dare he! I'm gonna kill him!" The pilot shouted into the miasma filled sky. Everyone stepped back; they had never heard their quiet, mild-tempered pilot swear like that. Then again, no one had ever dared to touch his baby.

"What's your best assessment of the damage?" Jade asked calmly.

"It was definitely Sync," Ginji stated bitterly. "Largo never would have fit, and he definitely went up in there. I won't know the full extent of what the bugger did until I get up there myself."

"Can you fix it?"

"Yes, but it's going to take me a few days. At least two, maybe three."

"I don't mean to be rude or anything," Asch spoke up. "But where's Noelle? Could she give us a lift while you work on repairs?"

"Last I heard from her, she was taking some friends on a shopping trip in St. Binah," Ginji provided. "It'll take her just as long, if not longer to get here and that's if we can get her on the transmitter right now."

"We'll wait then," Guy stated. "I can help with repairs too."

"Thanks," Ginji nodded. "I'll need all the help I can get." Ginji then burst into a list of supplies and tools for Guy to fetch that only the blond would have been able to remember much less identify. The silver haired pilot put himself to work immediately.

"Damn it!" Asch cursed.

"Well this explains why Sync wanted us to divulge the location under the presumption we'd get there first," Natalia said.

"That little bastard, I'm going to kill him," Ginji muttered as he worked.

"If the opportunity arises, he's all yours," Asch tossed in comfortingly.

"Three days," Jade said with a sigh. "Let us fervently hope that the God-Generals don't beat us there."

It was such a small thing. The glistening fonstone sat innocently in Luke's palm, easily hidden by his weakly clenched fist. In his hand, its weight was nothing, but the desperate young noble felt its burden on his shoulders, its weight bearing in his stomach threatening to make him sick for the second time today. He stared at it, first angrily and then pleading, but the small rock would not be revealing any of its secrets quite so easily.

Luke punched the wall, the metal echoing undoubtedly all the way up to the cockpit but no one would come to investigate the reverberating sound; they'd stopped coming down after the fifth time. They'd also stopped trying to console him. How could they when none of them even knew what the hell the problem was? Pain resounded in his hand like the deep echo of the wall in his ears. It was a welcome distraction, but it was too short lived. Everything crashed down on him again before the ache had even faded. The pain still helped him focus; he had to get this figured out. Luke took a deep breath and started again.

The change of scenery hadn't helped his temperament much, and the bunks in the room he now shared with Guy had taken much abuse because of it. Jade had been the one to offer Luke a swap, and while the redhead was grateful, he was sure it had more to do with Jade wanting to keep an eye on the giant irresponsibility that was his older brother. Jade would want to be there to be sure Asch didn't try anything. Luke was all too happy to take him up on that offer too; the less he had to think about what Asch said up there... what Asch wanted to do to all those replicas, the better.

Damn it all, no! Luke felt the fonons he'd gathered slip through the cracks of his faltered concentration. He couldn't afford to think about that, to think about Asch now. He had to focus or he'd never figure this out! This had to be it... Luke was backed into a wall; he didn't know what else to do. So he was betting everything on Ion's final gift to him. There had to be something in this that could help him. If there was a way to save everyone, a way that the replicas didn't have to die... that Asch didn't have to... if there was a way he could save everyone then he didn't care if it meant going back to the Score. It had come to this because of him, because he hadn't gotten the Jewel from Lorelei like he should have. In all Asch's musings that one fact was completely true. If it ended the way Asch wanted it... all those lives... Asch's life... that blood would all be on his hands. He couldn't let that happen, no matter what it meant.

No matter what.

"Hey Luke," Guy said softly as he opened the door. Luke carefully slid the fonstone back into his pocket, using his other hand to wipe the water from his eyes, knowing full well which hand would garnish his best friend's attention. Guy tried to smile. "Ginji asked me to put in a request that you not disassemble the Albiore any further or you might have to share the same fate Sync will someday."

Luke chuckled weakly.

The smile was welcome and Guy was glad to see he could still coax one from his best friend. Rough didn't even begin to describe how Luke looked. He looked wasted, like he hadn't slept in days, and if that were the case, Guy wouldn't be surprised. He'd stayed as alert as he could these past few nights, but Luke, at least, didn't give off any indication of having fitful sleep. Not that he'd blame his best friend if he did. Sadly, the months they had spent apart had put a bit of a wedge between the two that left the blond uncomfortable. Luke had done a lot of growing, and Guy hadn't been there; he didn't know some of these new tendencies of Luke's and that left him feeling a little helpless. He missed the familiarity they'd once had between them.

Guy knew there was something going on, after all, no person with any sense whatsoever wouldn't be bothered by some of the things Asch had said. He'd dug up some old unwanted memories and Guy couldn't even begin to express how royally pissed he was with Asch. Getting mad at Luke was one thing, but to rip open Akzeriuth of all things. How dare he.

"I'll try to keep that in mind," Luke answered.

Guy sighed and shook his head, reaching for one of his packs and pulling something from its depths. "Honestly, look at you, you're making a mess of yourself." Luke suddenly recognized the item Guy had grabbed as bandages, and then he noticed his fist was bleeding.

"If you're going to turn something into a punching bag, I've a few better options in mind," Guy commented as he began wrapping up Luke's hand.

"Like what?"

"Your brother."

Luke laughed outright, grabbing the edges of the bandage and tying it himself. "Thanks," he finally managed.

"It's a bit messy," Guy professed. "I'm sure either of the girls would be more than happy to fix you up."

"You know what I meant," Luke eyed Guy suspiciously, but broke into a grin and Guy playfully ruffled Luke's hair.

"You doing okay?" The former servant asked.

"I've been better," Luke confessed with a small chuckle and his response took a huge weight from Guy's shoulders. If Luke had lied to him, if he'd said that he was fine, Guy wasn't quite sure what he would have done. It bothered him enough knowing just how beyond his reach Luke was at times.

"Okay, stupid question," Guy admitted, taking a seat on the bed where he was joined by his best friend. Both of them leaned back against the wall.

"Yep."

"Oh don't give me that, you can't say you didn't ask stupid questions."

"When I was a kid," Luke protested.

"You're still a kid, you know," Guy reminded him. "Seven is hardly old enough to be called an adult."

"Yeah, I guess you're right."

"Don't forget that," Guy emphasized with a playful elbow. "You don't have to deal with all this crap on your own."

"I can't dump everything on others, I have to be able to do some things on my own too, you know."

"Sheesh, you could have saved me a lot of trouble if you'd realized that a few years ago."

The young noble chuckled but his expression quickly faded. "Guy... do you ever wish you hadn't spent all those years at our manor?"

"Whoa, where did that come from all of a sudden?"

"Well, you're a Malkuth noble," Luke explained. "I look at everything you have now and I can't help but think you would have been happier. I mean, I was always so demanding, I never really thought about how hard it must be for you at all."

"Well you weren't all that bad," Guy said with a sly grin but his little tease didn't lighten Luke up any. "Yeah sure I could have gone back to Malkuth, but where would that have that gotten me? It's not like I had any family to go back to. There all I would have done is sit around and mull about my revenge surrounded by nothing but my hatred for your father. Who knows where I would have would have ended up. Sure working at your manor didn't start out for the right reasons... but it became different. You guys became my family."

"Really?"

"Seeing Mary's replica made me think about things, about the choices I've made. Cantabile once told me that I'd abandoned my sister when I gave up on trying to avenge her, but I don't think that's true anymore. She would have wanted me to be happy and I know that she would have wanted me to meet you. She wouldn't have wanted to see me as that miserable and spiteful child I otherwise would have been. So while I might have had a bit of a tougher life in order to have known you, I'd still do it again. And I'll find a way to pay you back for what you did for me."

"What are you talking about?" Luke asked confusedly. "I'm the one who owes you so much!"

Guy simply shook his head. "You're the one who changed my mind... about Asch, about your father... and even about the replicas. I won't look at Mary's replica as my sister anymore, it isn't fair to either of us. Even though she's a different person than my sister, I think there's still an essence of the person she once was in there. So I think I'd like the chance to get to know her better, for who she is. I think to some extent all the replicas are that way, they hold in them a small piece of the person they once were."

Luke's face darkened a little. "So... you think I'm the same as Asch is?"

"I don't like the idea that much either right now, but yeah, I do think there's a small element to you that's the same. You may not see it, I never used to, but I do now. You both have kind hearts, you both have that same stubborn pride... and you both always keep a front on, whether it's your goofy smile or Asch's silence, you both hide when you're in pain to keep people from worrying, even if all it does is make us worry more."

"But-"

"But!" Guy cut Luke off. "Unlike Asch, you have a head attached to those shoulders that you are fully capable of using."

Luke chuckled in spite of himself. He'd forgotten how good Guy was at making him feel better.

"I'm not saying you're the same person, after all, you each have your own experiences, your own unique set of perspectives and ideals, and your own talents. Everyone has their own path in life; yours just intersect more than most people's do."

"I..." Luke began hesitantly, "I can't let Asch go through with this."

"I know you can't," Guy replied comfortingly. "We can't let him do this."

"Guy..."

"We'll figure something out together, don't you worry! Don't forget, we've got Jade's brains on our side, and Asch hasn't got anything on that!"

Luke smiled, a genuine smile, and the weight on his chest began to lift a little.

"Guy... Thank you."

Choral Castle loomed heavily over the horizon, the setting sun behind it casting a steadily growing darkness over the gates where Tear and her friends stood. She didn't like it, things seemed far too quiet. Thoughts of ghosts and hauntings came to mind, of course they would, who wouldn't think of such things in an abandoned manor like this? But Tear swept them aside; she had been here before and there were no such things anyways. They had to stay alert and stay focused. The lack of sound spoke of things far worse than her petty childhood fears.

Ginji had made record time, getting them here in just over a day, but after taking into account the time it took him and Guy to repair the engine, four days had elapsed since their meeting with the God-Generals. They'd made a pass over Kaitzur but didn't see anyone waiting or even the signs of any forces beyond the border guard. Not taking any chances, they flew straight here. Once they'd confirmed the fonstone was still secure, a group could go meet their adversaries. That was the plan, but Tear doubted it was going to be necessary. There was no question in her mind that this was where Mohs would be. Even within the building things were unusually silent, and with both Kimlascan and Malkuth guards supposed to be stationed here, quiet was a very bad thing. They should at least hear the sounds of the men who weren't on duty, whispers from an upper room, someone snoring... something, but all sound was absent.

Tear wasn't the only one on full alert, everyone was. Seven pairs of eyes and one cheagle darted about, looking for any sign of Oracle Knights or of the God-Generals. Everything about this screamed 'trap'; here where they were supposed to have the upper hand. Everyone was hesitant to move towards the basement. Passing through there was the only way to get to the Seventh Fonstone on foot, but there was also the chance that the enemy was waiting and watching to see where they would go. Running straight to the prize would be foolish.

Unfortunately, splitting up would be even more foolish, and while it would be the perfect way to lose an enemy that was likely few in number, if the God-Generals were here, and they undoubtedly were, alone each of them would be easy pickings, especially Asch who still held the Sword of Lorelei.

"We don't have time to linger, trap or not," Jade finally stated. "They could have just as easily followed the guard there."

Of course! Tear was one of the first through the doors and onto the steps that took them down to the basement, berating herself the whole way for not thinking of that sooner. How easy would it have been to wait for the shifts to change and follow the men from whatever quarters they were staying in right down to the Fonstone? The presence of the guard in the first place would have confirmed it was here. Especially with both countries present, the soldiers' presence couldn't even be mistaken for an act of war.

The old fomicry facility came up faster than Tear had remembered it being, and still it took her breath away. There was a strange sense of dread that seemed to linger here. A dimness and darkness that clung to anyone who entered it sent an unwilling shiver down her spine.

She knew what this room was now, learned its secrets when they'd been here to hide the Seventh Fonstone in the first place. The machines that had once seemed foreign to her, she'd recognized immediately and the horror of what that meant had sunk in deeply. Those feelings now resonated with the room itself. This is where her brother had taken Asch.

This was where Luke had been born.

"C-C- Colonel... Curtiss..." A broken whisper brought them all across the room. The Malkuth soldier sat crippled on the ground, an arm soaked in blood covering an irreparable wound across his abdomen. Next to him the Kimlascan guard lay crippled, his throat slashed. Both wounds looked fresh; they weren't far behind the intruders.

"Here, hold still," Tear instinctively dropped to the man's side. "I'll heal your wounds."

"Save your strength Tear," Jade commanded. "He is beyond your skill to mend."

"Th-Thank you," The soldier managed.

"Who did this?" Jade asked.

"It... it was... ord...lo..." The name was lost on the man's last breath, but the culprit remained, for them, beyond question. This was it, Mohs had to be stopped.

Tear gently pulled the man's eyes closed, biting back the grief and the anger that came with watching anyone die. It always came, no matter how much she knew it was foolish and naive of her to believe she could save everyone. Her healing skills came with limits, and those limits left her with a strange burden.

"Come along," Jade emphasized. "It seems we've arrived a bit too late."

Jade was absolutely right and Tear pulled herself to her feet with grace and matched her companion's strides. Mohs had to be stopped; he had to be made to see the reality of what he was doing. What worried Tear was that she knew the truth of the matter already. Mohs could see what he did, he knew full well the severity of his deeds, but in his eyes it was worth it. He was making sacrifices that weren't his to make, for a prosperity that was no longer within reach.

The passage to the courtyard where the Seventh Fonstone lay, at least, where it hopefully still lay, was littered with more of the casualties that Tear had seen in the fomicry lab. Her sinking heart lightened a bit at the realization that not all the men were dead. All were injured to some extent but a great many of them were just unconscious. Some of Tear's anxiousness lifted and she only regretted not being able to stop and help them. They would be alright, she could well remember the first aid training she'd received and though she'd received private lessons from Major Legretta, she doubted such an important skill would be omitted from any other student's tutelage.

All she asked was that they'd arrive in time. That they could prevent the worst of the damage... as it stood there were going to be political implications; there had been too many casualties on both sides for there not to be, especially with an escapade supposedly approved by Kimlasca that Malkuth knew nothing of. Mohs knew how to multi-task, Tear would give him that. If she could ask Yulia for anything... it would be to end all this. Mohs, her brother, settle it all so they could open their way to the future. Whatever future they would chose.

"Do you guys ever wonder?" Anise asked as they ran along the last few hallways.

"Wonder about what?" Tear inquired.

"Wonder what it was Yulia saw. What's written on the Seventh Fonstone," Anise explained. "I know it probably doesn't matter anymore and everything, but I still wonder sometimes. What's at the end of that path? What did she learn that made her take the stone and hide it personally?"

"That is something," Jade replied, "That unfortunately, we may be about to find out."