A/N: Today marks 4 years since the very first chapter and I can't begin to say how amazed at how far this fic has come. I didn't think this 4th year would come, mostly since I really should have had these last chapters done ages ago. If year 5 rolls around and things still aren't wrapped up - you all have my permission to shoot me. Thank you so much to everyone who has been so patient and supportive through my slow updates and through all the time I've been writing, and to everyone who has left me a review - hearing your thoughts is the highlight of my day and I really do appreciate it. A special thanks as always to my betas, official and less official~ you guys are awesome.
Chapter 81: The Meaning of Birth
Before anyone knew what to think, the air was alive around them. Within seconds of entering Eldrant's firing range, they were showered by the enemy's weaponry, much of which seemed to have been designed with them in mind. The cannons followed the Albiores as they raced through the skies, not caring which ship they fired at. Ginji's attempt at being a decoy was failing; both ships equally drew the fire, leaving neither with the opportunity to break through. Jade wasn't terribly surprised, though perhaps a bit disappointed; still he gave their commandant friend more credit than that. He wouldn't take the chance that they'd divided their forces between the two vessels. In his eyes, both had to fall.
The roar of cannon fire echoed from below as the Malkuth navy began their assault. Fonon cannons fired massive assaults that did little but chip away at Eldrant's stone base. Each explosion sent boulders flying into the ocean, reverberating in the water and sending the smaller ships askance. The massive floating fortress retaliated, but there were few cannons left to stave off the ships; they had all been reassigned to provide defence against an aerial assault. It shouldn't take long for the navy to knock out Eldrant's lower artillery, but the cannons that were challenging Ginji and Noelle's respective skills would remain beyond their firing range. Breaking through would be up to the pilots alone.
Noelle flew around the island's southern side, turning sharply to avoid the shot of a cannon that blazed through the air a foot shy of the wing. A second shot grazed the Albiore's underside and the entire airship shook. Anise let out a cry and clung to Natalia's arm, who seemed equally attached to Asch on her other side. Only the redhead's white knuckles clutching the seat revealed he was a tense as everyone else aboard. Noelle made a second pass, but was forced back by a barrage of cannon fire.
Jade glanced from the window as Noelle made a wider pass; the Kimlascan navy was having little more success than their Malkuth counterparts. Van had planned for this moment well. He knew there was no access to his stronghold save by air, thus the military posed little threat, even if they overcame his meagre assault on them. He had saved his power for where it mattered, a strategy that may just be their undoing.
"Hang on everyone," Noelle called back to her passengers. "I'm going to try and break through the Eastern side where there's less cannon fire."
"Be careful," Jade replied sternly. "It may be a trap."
Noelle nodded to acknowledge Jade's words but she was already in the process of bringing the Albiore around. Suddenly a huge shadow cast over the Albiore II and the blonde pilot swerved sideways; the hand not on the wheel grabbed the radio in a heartbeat. "Ginji!" Noelle shouted. "What do you think you're doing? This is not the time to be cutting me off!"
"I'll cover you," Ginji's voice came through the speakers. "You won't be able to break through alone."
"Ginji, you can't! There's no way for both of us to make it through that fire," Noelle retorted.
"Then you'd better be the one to make it through." The radio cut out.
"Damn it Ginji!" Noelle cursed, slamming the radio back into place.
"Is he going to be okay?" Luke asked worriedly.
"He better be!" Noelle snapped, stress getting the better of the normally cool-headed girl. "Cause he's going to get a piece of my mind once we're out of this mess!"
The first Albiore picked up speed, passing in front of its sister vessel in a wide arc that pulled the cannon fire behind it. Noelle heard her companions questioning her brother's safety but she tuned their voices out. If anyone had the talent to pull off a stunt like this, it was Ginji, and she wasn't about to screw this up when he was sticking his neck out for them. The blonde pilot felt her muscles tense, her knuckles turned white on the wheel and everything around her dissolved save for the air in front of her, alight with cannon fire.
The ship shook, Noelle had cut it too close and another shot had grazed the hull. She pulled left and escaped the follow up assault. A sharp turn to the right and the sound of an explosion shattered her concentration. Before Noelle could even ponder the source, her entire windshield was engulfed in black smoke. Instinctively her hands flew to the controls, testing each wheel and lever; everything was responsive. No indicators lit up revealing any damage, but if it wasn't her ship...
"Ginji!"
Noelle pulled up, escaping the smokescreen just in time to watch the first Albiore plummet towards the floating isle. She heard all her passengers run over to the left side where the first Albiore had taken the hit. No.. it couldn't be...
"Noelle..." A voice came from behind her, and Noelle shook her head in attempts to clear it, not even registering who had spoken. The cannons were following Ginji down, trying to destroy his ship completely. This was it! She wasn't going to let his efforts be in vain!
"He'll be fine!" Noelle yelled back to no one in particular. "He survived the Megiorra Highlands; this is nothing compared to then. It'll take way more than that to take my brother down. Everyone hang on, I'm not wasting this chance!"
"Noelle, back off." Jade commanded.
"No! I can make it before the cannons change their aim!"
"Noelle pull up!" Guy screamed and wide-eyed the pilot reacted, barely making it over the massive cliff face that had suddenly descended upon them. The entire ship shook violently enough to knock Luke and Guy from their seats, the Albiore's belly grinding against the ground before Noelle managed to pull it back into the air. It took every bit of skill the pilot possessed to cut through the forest of stone structures they were tangled in. She turned too late and alarms screamed from the cockpit, the dashboard becoming a dance of flashing lights.
"Damn it!" Noelle cursed violently. "What the hell was that?" The quirky pilot swerved violently to the left barely staying out of Eldrant's fire long enough to compensate for the turbine she'd just lost. They were running out of time, she wouldn't be able to stay airborne much longer. With one last burst from the engines, she managed to pull them up above the island. What the hell- Noelle barely had time to process what had just occurred as she fought her way through the emergency procedures to keep them in the air. Noelle knew she'd been distracted by Ginji's crash but there was no way she'd gotten that close without realizing it. How had she ended up tangled in the island's buildings? It was like the island had tried to tackle them! That maneuvre had cost her some critical equipment. A quick glance over the panels showed her more than a few gauges that were reaching their limits. Just a little further... She could hold out that long.
"D- D- D- Did he just throw Eldrant at us?" Anise managed to spit out.
"For lack of a better way of putting it, yes," Jade replied, were it the most natural thing in the world. "Eldrant was propelled into that dive by retrograde memory particle thrust. The Tartarus in the core must have been completely destroyed."
"It's a good thing we stopped the Planet Storm; or the lands would all be sinking right about now," Guy commented, helping Luke back into his seat. "Still, that was an extreme move on Van's part; attacking us with the island itself."
Anise's cursing was drowned out by the earth shattering crash of Eldrant's final descent. Everyone stared in shock, watching the ensuing waves cripple all but the largest of the military's ships. Noelle swerved suddenly throwing them all off balance; the cannons had resumed their fire.
"But why would he do such a thing?" Natalia asked.
"It just goes to show how much of a threat the Key of Lorelei must be to him," Asch replied. "He's willing to sacrifice all the work he's done so far just to be sure he's eliminated it."
"My brother will go to any lengths to stop us," Tear stated.
"He's serious this time," Guy agreed. "We need to be extra careful, there's no saying what he'll throw at us next."
"Funny," Anise said sarcastically.
"Noelle, how is the Albiore?" Asch asked.
"Not good," Noelle confessed, not daring to take her attention from the aerial assault. "We can keep going for now but I don't know how much longer I can keep us up."
"It looks like the crash took out the cannons on the eastern side of the island," Jade pointed out.
"I'm on it," Noelle called.
"Over there!" Luke shouted, pointing to a plume of black smoke near the island's eastern edge. "I can see where Ginji went down!"
"I'll pull in as close as I can! You guys better hang on back there!"
Noelle hadn't been lying when she'd warned them to hang on and the ensuing race was far from the pilot's smoothest landing, but no one's minds were on the shaky ride. All their thoughts rested with the rising tower of black smoke that got closer with each passing second.
Asch practically jumped from the Albiore; a second sooner and the ship would still have been moving. The redhead ran out into the courtyard in which they'd landed, frantically scanning the area but not daring to call out. It was bad enough the smoke would signal Van's guard, he didn't need to be announcing his presence as well. No one was with his likely injured friend and if the soldiers found him before they did, he would be easy picking. Ginji may be able to defend himself in a fray, but Asch didn't fancy him taking on a hoard of trained soldiers. They had to find him!
Noelle had barely turned off the controls and she was right behind Asch, leaving Natalia and her companions to follow suit. Disembarking from the Albiore, the young princess had to stop at the sheer immensity of what she saw before her. From afar the island had seemed so surreal; a model of some structure to be constructed one day, suddenly the sheer immensity of Van's undertakings came crashing down on her. This was the beginnings of his replica world; he'd brought it into reality, and unless they succeeded, it would one day become the only reality.
"Ginji!" Noelle's cry immediately got Natalia's attention and she looked forward in time to see her fiancé and the blonde pilot running towards a figure in the distance. A sigh and smile graced Natalia's lips; their errant friend was fine, albeit somewhat injured, but given the severity of the crash he'd been in, it seemed trivial. He was alive, and injuries were something she was more than capable of dealing with.
"Hey Noelle," Ginji replied as casually as if they'd met up after an afternoon of shopping. He was leaning against a nearby wall for support, and he cradled his left arm in which he grasped what looked like a large black stone. Several bruises were starting to form near his collar bone, and he likely hid a dozen more under his sky blue jacket.
"You stupid- good-for-nothing- reckless- you- you- idiot!" Noelle finally spat out, tears in her eyes. "What was with that cool act back there? You could have gotten yourself killed! Are you okay?"
"Well the Albiore is totalled," Ginji replied. "But I managed to salvage the hover drive," he said indicating the stone in his limp arm.
"I didn't ask about the stupid ship!"
"I'm okay," Ginji added. "I think I might have dislocated my shoulder but- ahh!" Ginji cried out as Noelle promptly grabbed his arm and set the joint back into place. "Geez Noelle, you could warn me before... Noelle?" The pilot stopped when he heard his sister's sob.
"You're so... so stupid!"
"Hey, I'm really okay," Ginji insisted. "A few bruises here and there but it's nothing a good hot bath won't fix. I'm sorry I scared you," he finally said giving his sister a hug.
"Yes, well, we can certainly blame your brash recklessness on a certain someone you've spent too much time with," Natalia said, eliciting a chuckle from Noelle and a protest from her fiancé. "As for the bruises, those we can fix up for you in no time."
"No, I'll be alright, you guys need to save your strength," Ginji replied.
"Don't be silly," Natalia insisted. "You risked your life to ensure our safe arrival, it's the least we can do."
"No, these will heal just fine on their own. There's going to be worse injuries than this that will need your attention later, right?"
"Really Ginji, you needn't be so stubborn."
"Hey, the world isn't going to end on my watch because I was too big of a baby to handle a few cuts and bruises. I'll be fine; you guys go kick some ass!"
"What will you two do?" Asch asked.
"We might be able to use any surviving parts from the first Albiore to get this one running again," Noelle suggested.
"I don't like that idea," Asch stated outright.
"Asch is right," Jade agreed. "You both need to get as far from here as you can. Eldrant crashed onto dry land, so you should be able to exit the island on foot. There's no doubt Van's forces will come to search the Albiores, it isn't safe to remain here, nor is it safe to have you accompany us. Once the military re-groups they will likely make their way here. Join up with them as soon as you can."
"Will you be alright to travel Ginji?" Asch asked. "I wish one of us could come with you."
"Don't you worry about us, we'll be just fine," Ginji insisted. "We'll be waiting for you guys though, so don't dare think of not coming back!"
"You got it," Asch answered, holding out his hand. "Thanks for everything you've done for us; we'd never have made it this far without you."
"No goodbyes," the pilot insisted. With a huge grin he clapped Asch's outstretched hand. "To all our crazy adventures to come."
Asch grinned. "I'll be looking forward to it."
Guy couldn't quite make out what he was feeling as they walked down Eldrant's streets. It was a strange mix of foreign familiarity with his surroundings all while being completely alien at the same time. He knew these buildings, these landmarks, but the replica was still incomplete and the blue glow of the stone as it grew made the Malkuth noble feel as if he were in a completely different world. Here buildings grew like trees, and statues blossomed like flowers in someone's carefully pruned garden.
One thing the blond didn't remember, though, was the stark lack of colour. Everywhere he looked was white, from the sheer marble walls to the intricately carved arches that loomed over them. The architecture was nothing to scoff at and the consistent attention to detail, even down to the smallest carvings made the entire place nothing short of a work of art. Vaulted ceilings and open chambers created a feeling of grandeur and awe, but in spite of all this, there was one thing that Van's replica Hod most certainly was not. It was not Guy's home.
The island was empty, devoid of life save the odd monster that had taken up residence. No plants, no other people; the entire place seemed hollow. Here there was none of the warmth or mirth that lingered in Guy's memories, just a cold wind that blew through empty streets.
"It's amazing, isn't it?" Anise commented.
"Indeed," Natalia agreed. "It's hard to believe that this is actually Hod. We're standing on an island that was lost to the world over 15 years ago. I can only imagine how much the people who once lived here would want to experience something like this... Truly, fomicry holds incredible potential."
"Fomicry is no different than any other tool," Tear pointed out. "How it is used is up to the one who wields it. It doesn't have to be evil, used properly it could make many people happy."
"It's almost a shame we need to destroy the fomicry facilities here," the princess continued, "With so many people and replicas desperate for a place to live, it could make for a great place for them."
"Unfortunately this land comes at the expense of a much greater surface," Jade reminded her. "Our problems are not so easily solved as that."
"If only," Asch commented.
"No kidding," Luke agreed.
"Finished or not, it brings back a lot of memories," Guy commented.
"Is this where you used to live?" Luke asked.
"No, but I used to come down here a lot with my father. Our mansion was closer to the island's interior."
"Might you have some idea where Van may be hiding?" Natalia asked.
"I can't say for sure, but at the center of the island there's an old temple that Yulia was supposedly buried in. No one has ever found her tomb though."
"Does that place have some sort of sentimental value to my brother?" Tear asked.
"I don't know if I'd call it sentimental," Guy said. "But according to what he once told me, that's where they were conducting hyperresonance experiments during the war. It's Hod's passage ring."
"It's where they made him destroy Hod," Asch concluded.
"Yeah," Guy replied solemnly.
"Do you remember how to get there?" Tear inquired.
"Sorry, I was only 6 when Hod was destroyed, I don't remember much; just finding that things look kind of familiar. I think if we keep heading for the interior we'll be able to find it; it was a pretty big place if my memory serves me right. The Order had set up in there."
"Perhaps it would be best you take the lead then, Guy," Natalia offered, inviting him to join her at the front of their little band. Jade remained at the rear, ever vigilant for any signs of trouble along with Anise and Tear at his sides. Natalia flashed a smile back at her fiancé as Guy hurried past them to the next intersection, trying to ascertain the right path.
Asch returned Natalia's gesture, but his attention returned to Luke who was walking beside him and had been unusually quiet. Not that he himself had been all that talkative either, Asch would hand it to his friends for keeping up the conversation; everyone was tense, and the nervousness hung in the air around them like a small raincloud they couldn't shake off. For himself and Luke in particular, they may be pretending otherwise, but they both knew it would take a miracle for them to be leaving Eldrant with their friends once all was said and done.
'You doing alright?' Asch asked silently.
'I guess,' Luke replied. 'I don't even know how I should be feeling right now. There's just so much at stake and so much...'
'You're right,' Asch picked up when Luke trailed off. 'There's so much we don't know about the future, and that makes it scary; but that's the kind of world we're fighting for. It's because we don't know what will come that we can have hopes and dreams for the future.'
Luke remained silent; it wasn't that he didn't have hopes for the future...
'Cheer up or the others are going to get suspicious,' Asch prodded. Luke cracked a weak smile.
'What would I do without you?'
'You're right,' Asch replied simply. 'You'd be completely useless without me.'
'I would not!' Luke immediately retorted.
'I know,' A sly grin escaped Asch's lips. 'You'd manage just fine. You don't need me or anyone else; you've got plenty of your own ambition.' Luke glowered at being caught in Asch's trap but a smile quickly replaced the scowl.
'Yeah well...' The younger redhead jogged a few feet ahead before spinning around and smiling. 'You make for a nice perk.'
Luke's smile quickly faded as shock swept across his face. The air around him shimmered with fonons and the younger redhead raced to find the source. The whole thing was chaotic, so many fonons everywhere he couldn't pinpoint where they were coming from. Then it was too late.
"Luke, watch out!" Jade's normally calm voice sternly called out a split second too late and the ground beneath the young noble shattered.
"Luke!" Asch reached out.
"Asch, no!" Jade commanded, realizing in retrospect how foolish an attempt it had been. Asch was far too hardwired; his reflex was to save his sibling, any and all other considerations came second. Luke was too far out for the older sibling to maintain his balance and both redheads plummeted down the hole that had opened up beneath them.
"Damn it! Luke! Asch!" In a heartbeat Guy doubled back to where his friends had disappeared and without even thinking jumped at the opening with full intentions of following them, wherever that abyss may lead. But rather than pass down through the hole, the blond landed in a heap; his legs not expecting any resistance, buckled under him and sent him sprawling over what should be an opening. He stared in shock; he could see below him was what looked like a tunnel burrowing into Eldrant's depths, curving out of sight twenty feet down; there was no way of telling where Luke and Asch ended up.
"What the hell?" Guy demanded, pounding his fist against what should be open air, but instead felt like a solid glass floor.
"Our commandant, never above using a good trick twice," Jade commented still analyzing the damage.
"The same trap he used in the Absorption Gate?" Tear inquired.
"Indeed," Jade confirmed.
"But Guy and I walked right over it," Natalia pointed out. "Why did it not trigger?"
"To my brother Luke and Asch are the only ones who pose a threat," Tear surmised. "Because together they have the Key of Lorelei."
"Tear is likely correct in her assumption," Jade agreed. "The trap was set for them alone. Given that Van has captured Lorelei, setting a trap that reacts to the same fonon frequency couldn't have been that difficult."
"But why can't we get through here?" Guy asked, still pounding at the invisible barricade.
"A barrier," Jade replied simply. "Not unlike the one Tear produces with her hymns if I'm not mistaken. Activated right after the two passed through it." The melodist immediately leaned in closer to investigate.
"Not exactly the same," she replied. "But it's similar in construction and almost as strong."
"Meaning there's no chance in hell we're getting through it, right?" Anise concluded.
"Come on Jade!" Guy demanded. "Can't you disarm it like you disarmed the traps back in the Absorption Gate? We have to get to them! They could be hurt! Or worse..."
"The hole was constructed to minimize their injuries from the looks of things," Tear pointed out, though she was clearly still worried, equally trying to appease her own fears as she was Guy's. "I doubt it was intended to kill them."
"It isn't as simple as destroying the barrier," Jade replied pointing out the glyphs on the sides of the tunnel that powered the arte. An identical set of glyphs sat five feet below it, and another five more feet below. "Even if we managed to break through this one, there are multiple barriers and it would take far too long to break them all. We're better off finding another way of reaching them."
"Damn it! That's not good enough! What if there isn't another way?"
"Calm down, Guy," Natalia said softly. "If it's truly the Key of Lorelei that Van is after there must be some other way of reaching them. He would need to be able to retrieve it."
"And who's to say he didn't just drop them into some hole with no way out so they never have a chance to use it against him?"
"That would be pointless," Anise stated. "I mean Van knows those two inside and out, right? With no one around to get hurt, they would just use their hyperresonance to get out."
"That could be quite detrimental in its own way," Jade muttered under his breath.
"What do you mean by that, Colonel?" Tear asked.
Jade shook his head. "I was merely thinking that were those two brash enough to try such a stunt they could end up bringing the entire structure down on themselves."
"Well then what are we supposed to do?" Anise demanded in exasperation.
"Simple," Jade replied. "We find them before he does."
"Damn it!" Asch cursed. Fire raced up his shoulder as he rammed into the barrier that sealed off the hole from which they'd fallen just moments earlier. Though it looked like thin air, he might as well be hitting the marble walls that otherwise lined the room they were now in.
"No luck?" Luke asked.
"None," Asch replied. "We aren't getting back out that way.
"Where are we, anyways?"
The boys walked out into the room in which they'd been dropped. Like everything else they'd seen so far, the entire room was white, covered in intricate markings and designs whose meanings had been lost over time. The vaulted ceiling was easily several stories over their heads giving the place an open feel despite their imprisonment. The chamber was huge, bigger even than the entrance hall in Baticul's castle.
On one end of the room stood a pair of statues, framing between them a staircase climbing upwards towards a solid marble door. The statues appeared to be twins, both in the image of a woman neither of the boys recognized, though their narrow bases left Asch to wonder just how their weight was being supported. Asch's eyes quickly drifted from the statues to the door; it was sealed shut and could give Daath's massive cathedral doors a run for their money. Even if they hadn't been constructed of marble like the rest of the room, Asch doubted they'd be able to force them open.
The other end of the room had an identical staircase, this one leading downwards towards a second door. While it had neither the size nor the weight of the first one, getting it open would not be an easy task. There didn't appear to be any kind of handles or latches on either set of doors and Asch wondered if they were also incomplete like much of Eldrant, or if they were simply not made to open from this side. Either way left him and Luke stuck right where Van wanted them.
"Now what?" Luke asked, also assessing the two possible exits. "I'm not even sure which way would be the right way to go."
"I don't know my way around any more than you do, but I don't think there's any way we're getting those ones open," Asch said, nodding towards the towering marble doors.
"Which means that's probably the right way," Luke chuckled.
"Knowing Van, most definitely."
"Well it isn't like we aren't used to detours," Luke pointed out.
"True, but we can't afford to wear ourselves out now. We still have Sync and Van to contend with and there's no saying if or when we'll meet up with the others; we need to try and avoid any unnecessary confronta-"
Asch was cut off by the massive rumble of the lower doors creaking open. Through them burst several dozen Oracle Knights, their armour clinking in unison as they rushed forward, drowning out the sound of the door until it slammed shut once more. Luke and Asch immediately fell into a defensive position, each other at their backs, staring down the men who had surrounded them.
"Well," Asch spoke up, carefully wrapping his fingers around the sheath of his blade. "So much for plan A."
"Damn it, not again!" Guy cursed, standing under an arch staring at what should be a bridge. Instead all he could see was a faint blue glow in the distance.
"Another dead end?" Natalia inquired.
"Looks like it," Anise replied for the blond whose fist had just smashed yet another hole in the wall. "You'd think the bridges would be the first thing on Van's to-replicate list, how the hell did they ever get around this place?"
"I'm sure they know which passages have been replicated and which have not," Tear pointed out. "If anything it gives them a tactical advantage over potential invaders."
"I'm sorry," Guy spoke up. "I'm trying to help but I just keep leading us to dead ends. At this rate we're never going to find them in time."
"Try not to be so hard on yourself," Natalia said comfortingly. "It's been a very long time, like you've said, and think if it weren't for you we'd just be all the more lost."
"Still, everything looks familiar but with it all being incomplete like this I just can't seem to get my bearings! There has to be more I can do!"
"We're all worried," Tear said. "But I know that Luke and Asch can handle themselves, and they have each other to rely on. We'll find them."
Guy mulled over her words, and knew how true they were. Luke had Asch to look out for him, and they had proven time and again they could take care of themselves, but that same old protective instinct still lingered from their childhood days. How many years had it been his job to watch out for them, to protect them no matter what? Now, here, he should know this place, he should have the advantage... so why? Why couldn't he find them?
How many times had Luke and Asch come through for him? Every time he thought he'd lost everything, they were always there, whether it was Luke with that smile of his or Asch with the harsh words that needed saying, each of them in their own way had saved him. Now it was his turn to pull through for their sake.
There was no doubt in Guy's mind that the boys were the heart of their group. It was always their stubborn strength, their unwillingness to give up and constant drive forward that inspired the rest of them. No one would say it, but everyone could feel it. Without Luke and Asch things just weren't right. They all wanted to get them back as soon as they could.
But more than just wanting them back, they needed them back. Without Luke and Asch they wouldn't be able to free Lorelei, and Guy didn't even want to start considering the implications of that. Sure maybe the rest of them could put a stop to Van, put an end to his plans... but if Lorelei wasn't freed, then what? Guy hadn't the faintest idea, and even Luke and Asch weren't really sure on the details, but there was something about their earnestness on the subject; something that suggested things wouldn't be good. The two may not know the details; but they could feel it. If Lorelei wasn't freed, neither would the world, and the two would disappear together.
They had to find Asch and Luke... and those two idiots had better be alright.
"You're right," Guy finally said, offering Tear a grateful smile.
"Shall we press on?" Jade asked.
"Yes," Guy agreed. "Let's go get them back."
Luke stood tense, staring down the Oracle Knights that had surrounded them. He could feel Asch pressed up against his back, the tension flowing between them through that physical connection, hyper vigilance coming across their mental one. Each soldier held a blade, though they varied in size and state of disrepair, each was a threat. Luke made quick note of his opponents' weapon selection and if nothing else was grateful he didn't see bows or spears in the mix. This was going to be a rough fight as it was.
'Well?' Luke was the first to speak.
'I think I have a plan,' Asch replied, his eyes still darting across his opponents in case they decided to attack before he'd drawn his sword.
'And what's that?'
'We need to take these guys out before we can escape,' Asch explained. 'Otherwise they'll follow us back to the others.'
'Alright. Get rid of these guys. Escape. Sounds good. How are we going to do that?'
'No matter what I do, just go with it, okay?'
'What?' Luke demanded confusedly, resisting the urge to spin around, just to try and read his sibling's face.
'Got it?' Asch replied forcefully.
'Got it,' Luke conceded. 'Just don't do anything stupid.'
Luke suddenly felt a strange weight on his sword as Asch shifted positions and it took him a moment to realize Asch had reached back and pulled Luke's own sword from its sheath. This time Luke did spin around and when he did he found the Sword of Lorelei thrust into his hands. Before he could even formulate a thought, much less any kind of protest or demand for an explanation, Asch was charging the ring of soldiers and chaos erupted.
Luke pulled the Sword of Lorelei from its sheath and followed Asch's lead, plunging the blade through a weak joint in the soldier's armour and spilling his blood on the floor. Luke watched the man fall for a brief second, mourning the loss of life, replica or not, but quickly raised his sword to block the next strike. He would build a world worthy of all the lives he'd taken. That would be his tribute to the fallen.
Though Luke had never fought with the Sword of Lorelei before, the sword had a weight and balance that made it feel as if it had been forged just for him. It moved like an extension of himself, from one strike to the next, responding exactly as he wanted it to with effortless ease. Next to him Asch fought with equal skill and Luke suspected they could thank their switching game that Asch was so accustomed to fighting with Luke's blade that he wasn't put off in the least.
'What the hell are you thinking?' Luke finally demanded, ducking under another soldier's strike and cutting him down.
'No matter what happens the Sword and Jewel need to get out of here' Asch replied, blocking the attack from another Oracle Knight. 'Lorelei has to freed!'
'Oh now don't you start giving me that crap,' Luke shot, serious, but with a playful edge.
'Yeah, yeah,' Asch replied and while Luke couldn't see his sibling's face, he knew that Asch was grinning.
'We take out the soldiers, we escape.' Luke reminded Asch. 'Simple.'
'You know as well as I do it's never that simple.'
'Don't look at me, it was your plan.'
'Fine,' Asch conceded, catching Luke's gaze for a moment, a light dancing in his eyes. 'Then let's put an end to this once and for all!'
A wave of energy rolled off Asch, forcing several of the soldiers back, if only for a brief second, before they renewed their assault. Luke could see the focus on his sibling's face, the calm despite the attacks he was under and he knew better than anyone that he didn't want to be anywhere near Asch in the next ten seconds. Thankfully their opponents didn't seem to notice, instead taking advantage of the easier target. Luke crippled his last opponent, all the remaining knights converging on Asch. The entire ground lit up, glyphs carving themselves around his sibling in the blink of an eye. The fonons throughout the room shimmered and Asch plunged Luke's sword into the ground.
Luke had never actually seen Asch's Rending Sabre before; which was completely understandable seeing as it consumed an abhorred amount of energy. He did remember the day Asch had finally mastered it, and just how excited he had been. Luke had been so jealous at the time, but even so, he couldn't help but get caught up in Asch's enthusiasm. It was one of the few times Luke could remember when Asch was truly happy. Not bogged down by responsibilities and obligations. Not carrying around Luke's fate, as well as his own, and with them all their grim implications. Asch had been so happy, and in that moment, so free.
The last handful of soldiers all collapsed, their armour all crashing in unison as the arte blasted them from beneath, leaving a collection of bodies and blood strewn across the once pristine marble floor. Luke surveyed the damage for a second before collecting Asch's sheath that he had tossed aside in the heat of the moment. He placed the sword back in its slot, hiding the glow of the blade that called out to the Jewel dormant within him.
"There," Asch said aloud, still gathering himself from the exertion of his last attack. "See, simple," he added teasingly.
"Yeah well, what was with this?" Luke asked holding up Asch's blade. Asch shrugged, offering no explanation. "Well here." Luke held out the sword.
Asch reached to take the blade but was interrupted by the familiar grinding of the door as it opened once again.
"You better hang onto that," Asch replied. "Looks like we aren't out of the woods just yet."
"Am I the only one who finds it odd that we haven't come across a single person yet?" Anise asked out loud as they walked down yet another white marble hallway. Surprise, freaking, surprise. This whole damn place looked like a river of white paint had thrown up on it. Anise was starting to think she'd be grateful to see any other colour, and that was including the green of Sync's hair, but no. Not even the God-general was anywhere to be seen. Other than the odd bird monster the place was freakishly quiet.
"It is unusual," Natalia agreed. "Even given the size of the island, you would think we'd have at least encountered some of the guards. It's highly doubtful that they remained ignorant of our arrival, one would think they'd be searching for us."
"Perhaps we're in a low security area," Tear suggested. "If there's little of value in this area, my brother wouldn't waste the troops to defend it. It's a large island; I'm sure security in all the areas would be a challenge."
"Unfortunately that would also mean we are in the entirely wrong place to be searching for the twins," Jade stated. "As we've already established their importance to Van, it's unlikely we'll be finding their location unguarded."
"Or it could means all the guards are being summoned elsewhere," Guy pointed out. "Like where Luke and Asch are."
"I don't like the implications of either option," Natalia stated.
"For now we'd best count our blessings that we've encountered such little resistance," Jade pointed out.
"And pray to Yulia it continues," Tear added.
"Yes," Natalia agreed. "And that we find Luke and Asch before those blessings expire."
Luke could once again feel the pressure of his sibling's back against his own. He could sense its rise and fall in time with his own as they both fought to catch their breath. Already the muscles in his arms and legs ached, screaming in protest from the battles he'd been fighting, but with no visible end in sight, he had no choice but to continue ignoring them.
'Back to square one, huh?' Asch commented trying to make light of the situation though he was as tired as his sibling.
'Yeah, except I still have your sword.'
'Details.'
Luke could have almost laughed if it wouldn't have triggered the next wave of battle. For every round of soldiers they defeated, another dozen or so came through that stupid door. They'd debated trying to escape when it opened, but there was no saying how many Oracle Knights waited for them on the other side. The way things were going it was starting to look like an inexhaustible army of replica soldiers just sat behind the door waiting for their turn to try and claim Master Van's treasured prize. Regardless; there wasn't an end in sight and with each ensuing wave they were being worn down. If this kept up it would only be a matter of time.
'We can't keep this up,' Luke pointed out the obvious, still staring down his opponents. Each set of soldiers always played out the same routine: they would rush into the room, surround him and Asch, and wait. They would never attack first, responding only if they were attacked. What they were waiting for, Luke couldn't figure out, but he doubted it was anything short of surrender.
'Yeah but what can we do?' Asch asked.
'There has to be some way to escape,' Luke replied. 'We just need to figure it out.'
'Well I came up with the last plan, this time it's your turn.'
'Last I checked we're still in the middle of your plan,' Luke shot back. 'What we really need is some way to get that other door open. You've got a better view than I do. See anything?'
Asch only dared to take his eyes off his opponents for a short second but with each glance behind the enemy line he scanned the upper door. It wasn't decorative, which meant there had to be some way to open it. With no handles of any descript and given the sheer force it would take to open, there had to be some kind of mechanism involved... but what?
'There!' Asch suddenly called out, startling Luke with the sheer intensity of his discovery. 'There's some kind of panel on the wall; I think I can use it to open the door, but we're going to need some time.'
'Time, huh?' Luke glanced behind him at the rising staircase and the statues that overlooked it. A light lit in his eyes. Asch noticed this, following Luke's gaze to the statues' narrow bases. 'Are you thinking what I'm thinking?' A grin spread across Asch's face and he subtly nodded.
Asch charged forward, beginning the fight as they always did, and just as the replicas before them had, the Oracle Knights all converged on their target. Breaking the cycle, Luke didn't attack his half of the knights, instead running toe in toe with Asch. Both their blades collided with a single defender and the soldier was toppled. Asch didn't waste a second landing the killing blow, Luke spinning around to deflect the two incoming attacks on either side of Asch. Both attackers stumbled back; they found their opening.
Still running at full speed, the twins broke away from the circle. Behind them they heard the familiar clinking of their foes' armour. They had the lead by a second when they reached the staircase; it would be all they needed. Flying up the steps, Luke and Asch simultaneously spun around, arm outstretched the same incantation flew to their lips and echoed across the room in the same voice.
"Oh maddening gale of the spirits of the earth!"
Twin stone pillars erupted from the earth, crumbling the marble floor like it was nothing. The soldiers screeched to a halt, colliding with each other as they instinctively fought to evade even though neither attack threatened the forces. The Oracle Knights looked about confusedly, unsure what to make of such an obvious miss. The twins watched the chaos with an evil smirk on their faces, their red hair still settling about them; they had both hit their mark.
A deafening crack sounded throughout the chamber as the statues' bases simultaneously shattered. The several story tall structures trembled for a moment, then slipped from their perches, crashing down across the stairs between the redheads and their assailants sending clouds of dust and rubble into the air. Luke and Asch held still for a moment more, only enough time to see their barricade in place before rushing up the remaining stairs.
"That's not going to hold them long," Luke commented from the top. Below he could see the knights organizing themselves, trying to find a way over the massive boulders that now blocked their path. Across the room more soldiers were streaming in to help, bringing tools to expedite the process.
"Hopefully it'll be just long enough," Asch retorted, rushing over to the panel. What Asch thought might be some kind of mechanism seemed instead to only be a carving in the wall, but the glyphs involved seemed vaguely familiar. Asch placed his hand on the glyph and instantly recognized what he was dealing with. "It's just like the passage rings."
"What do you mean?"
"What else?" Asch asked with a shrug and a grin. Luke sensed Seventh Fonons converging on the panel and with a massive rumble, the huge marble doors crept open.
"Alright, Asch!" Luke cheered, watching the doors slowly slide open. "Let's hurry up and catch the others before it's too late!"
"No," Asch answered simply.
"What? Why not?"
"You have to go; I'm going to stay here."
"Like hell you are!" Luke yelled. "I am not leaving you behind! We can both escape! And don't give me some half-assed excuse like 'if you let go the door will close'. The damn thing took a full minute to open; we both have time to get out."
"No, you're right, we both could escape, but you know as well as I do why we can't both go. You said it yourself, that barricade down there won't last long, and as soon as they're through it, the first place they're coming is after us. We won't be able to beat Van if we have to take out his replica army first, even if it's all seven of us fighting."
"So what are you trying to suggest? You can't take them all on by yourself!"
"I don't have to eliminate them all, I just need to make sure they stay busy while you guys deal with Van. I'll destroy the panel once you're gone so they can't follow, and I'll pretend to have the Jewel so I draw most of their reinforcements here instead of on a search for you."
"No! Absolutely not! I refuse!" Luke protested vehemently.
"Luke, we don't have a choice!"
"But you won't have any way of escaping! How can you possibly think you can pull this off? This is too much, even for you!"
"Hey, there's another door right? I'll figure something out. I've always been better at coming up with plans on the spot than you have anyway," Asch added teasingly.
The sound of shifting rocks drew the twins' attention. The soldiers were getting close to surmounting the make-shift barricade. Damn, they were faster than Asch had anticipated.
"We're out of time Luke," Asch said solemnly, and with a small blast, his arte obliterated the markings on the wall and with a shudder, the huge marble doors began to slowly creep shut.
"Why?" Luke demanded, his voice quivering. "Why does it have to be you?"
"It's not me Luke," Asch replied softly. "It's you. It's always been you. You're the one meant for all this. You're the one who needs to stop Van; you're the one who needs to free Lorelei... all this has always been your destiny, Luke, not mine."
"But..."
"You were born to give this world a future that I- no- that no one else can give it. I truly believe that's why I was lucky enough to have you in my life, so I could watch you build that future. That's why you're the one who needs to go now."
"You're always looking out for me," Luke argued.
"I'm your big brother, it's my job," Asch answered with a smile. "It always has been, always will be. Remember I told you that we each have our place? Well, my place is right here protecting you so you can go out and create that new world. Please let me do this, for you and for our friends."
"I can't," Luke pleaded weakly. "I can't just leave you here."
"We might not always be side by side, but no matter where you go you won't be alone," Asch reminded Luke, his words from Chesedonia stinging painfully as the reality of their meaning set in. "I'll always be there with you. Luke, you have to go, the doors are going to close."
"Fine," Luke conceded. "Just... Just promise me something."
"What's that?"
"Promise that no matter what you do, no matter what happens, you'll do whatever it takes to win. Promise me that I will see you again!" Asch stepped up to his brother, placing his hands on Luke's shoulders and looking him straight in the eye.
"I promise you, Luke."
"Thank you," Luke replied, breaking Asch's gaze, but letting a smile escape to his lips.
"You're out of time, Luke," Asch spoke up, still holding Luke's shoulders. His eyes turned to the marble doors, only a few feet opening left between them. "The doors are almost closed, you need to go now!"
"Asch?"
"What?" Asch asked hastily.
"I'm sorry."
In the sudden flurry of movement, Asch was thrown backwards, the shadow of the door frame passing over him as he reeled under the unexpected force and weight that was thrust at him. Asch scrambled to catch his balance, rushing to catch up with the chain of events that had just been set into motion. Barely catching himself before falling, any thoughts he might have had were drowned by the immense clack of the marble doors slamming shut for the last time.
In that moment, Asch's world stopped turning.
That final thud echoed in the empty hall, ringing in his ears, but unable to penetrate his shell-shocked mind. Alone in the now deafening silence, everything Asch knew, everything Asch thought he believed came crashing down around him. The impossibility of what was happening locked up his every thought, his every feeling, leaving his shell to stare blankly at the now impassable barrier that loomed over him. The same massive doors that had been his hope for Luke now sealed behind them everything he had ever treasured.
In his trembling arms, Asch found the Jewel and Sword of Lorelei, around which dangled Luke's half of their mother's locket.