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This whole situation was ridiculous beyond belief.
Luke groaned to himself as he trudged through the Cheagle Woods, pulling his hair in frustration. Just yesterday morning, he had been lamenting his dull days in the manor where the only unexpected thing to “look forward” to was whether or not he’d have a headache that particular day. Now, he was actually wanting to have those days back. Never in a million years did he ever expect he’d ever feel that way, but here he was.
He’d always wanted to leave the manor, it was true, but this was hardly his ideal vacation! Luke imagined Master Van taking him out to see the world once he was old enough; it would be a dream, finally getting away from his overprotective parents and wimpy maids. He’d miss Guy, sure, but maybe he could come with him anyway. He deserved to get out of the stuffy place as well, Luke thought.
Instead, his first time out of the manor involved getting blasted out of Baticul, almost getting arrested, and then heading through a forest to negotiate with some talking monsters about stopping harassing other talking monsters, with the company of a nagging chick, a weak kid, and one of said monsters. Granted, this forest trip (or at least the original goal behind it) was his idea, but still.
Trying to take his mind off of his frustration and annoyance over his predicament (at least Tear had finally gained the smarts to put Mieu on her shoulder so the little pest would stop whining about being unable to keep up), Luke eyed the back of the green-haired kid in front of him in what could only be described as strange fascination. It wasn’t like him to think too hard about things that didn’t matter in the long run, but he had nothing else to keep him busy until they reached the Ligers’ nest… and he just couldn’t get over this.
Ion was the strangest person Luke felt like he had ever met, and although that wasn’t saying much considering how short that list of people was, he was pretty confident this was true. Maybe it was just that he had been around overbearing and condescending people so much in such a short amount of time that he had forgotten what being treated nicely felt like. He wasn’t used to someone’s reaction to everything he said or did being words of praise or kindness instead of an insult or an eyeroll, or just… tolerating him. Ion seemed pretty over-the-top and weird with his niceness (was it naivete?), much more than Master Van and Guy.
Like what the hell was with that “Sir Luke” crap?! I want people to respect me as the nobility I am, but that’s just taking it too far!
Ion’s insistence at coming all the way here to solve this problem of Engeve’s confounded him as well. Luke didn’t know where exactly this area was, but he knew they were in Malkuth, and he felt like Malkuth was a pretty fair distance from Daath, from what he vaguely remembered from his lackluster lessons. And if Ion came with only one guard… it was ludicrous to him. Why bother with the problems of a puny little village out in the boonies; didn’t someone as important as the Fon Master have bigger and more important things to deal with? Because of this, Master Van had to leave and search for him since apparently barely anyone knew where he’d gone! That was stupid and weird enough by itself, but even more crazy was him being so hung up over wanting to help the cheagles. Yes, yes, cheagles were sacred (honestly, Luke couldn’t imagine those annoying, squeaky things being heralded as sacred; hell, even Ion himself had admitted he expected something more impressive), but how likely was it that tons of people were going to find out about such an isolated incident, and suddenly the reputation of the o great cheagles would be sullied? Not very likely, Luke thought. And the fact of the matter was that the little monsters were guilty because of something they started in the first place, so why should they have to bail them out? It was their fault, so they should clean up their own messes! Honestly, he couldn’t figure out what about the irritating things was so enticing to Tear and Ion.
Even with his poor health, the Fon Master had come all the way here for this, and not only that, but alone. He had no way to defend himself except for the artes he used that were practically like a poison to his body, and yet, if he and Tear hadn’t shown up, he would have had to keep using them as he went and probably would have died. Seriously, who was that blindly determined, ignorant, and oblivious to think they could handle something like this by themselves? He was crazy, and also soft, much too soft.
Ion was an enigma to Luke. …And yet…
He fingered the capacity core he had just been given absentmindedly, feeling a bit of pride swell up inside of him. Master Van was an excellent sword instructor, but even he had never given him anything like this. Luke trusted his master enough to think that anything he didn’t give him was something he didn’t really need… but still, this was cool. Ion had said they were commonplace, but he hadn’t treated him like an idiot for not knowing this, which was a huge relief. Why couldn’t Miss Know-It-All be that understanding? It wasn’t his fault for not knowing things everyone else knew, dammit.
After a few minutes more of walking, Luke rushed ahead and took down a monster that was headed their way without much trouble at all. Ion simply stopped walking as he did so, not even flinching, as though he had every bit of confidence that he would be safe.
“That capacity core really does suit you, Luke!” Ion called out as he was finishing the job. “I can already see it’s helping you. Thank you for protecting me.”
Luke blushed at the words in annoyance. “O-Of course it helps; now let’s go.”
He turned back around and forged ahead, barely noticing Tear’s exasperated sigh over the warm feeling in his chest from Ion’s pleased smile at him.
“I hope what’s happened won’t incur King Ingobert’s disfavor and cause negotiations to fall through,” Ion commented worriedly to Luke.
They were on the ferry headed to Baticul, finally. The others had said they’d have to cut through another town along the way to get there, but Luke didn’t even care about that anymore; he was just grateful they’d finally be on the same continent as the capital. It was about time.
“Don’t worry,” he reassured Ion emphatically. “I’ll explain everything to my uncle. I’ll ask Father and Mother to help, too.”
“That’s right, your mother is His Majesty’s younger sister.”
“Yep. So, relax.”
Ion smiled gratefully. “Thank you for everything, Luke. I know this has all been a lot to handle at once.”
Luke sighed, rubbing his hand through his hair. “That’s an understatement. I wanted to get out of the manor, but this wasn’t what I had in mind. It’s been exhausting!”
Ion hummed, turning around to face the sea. “Your memory loss must be hard on you… being expected to quickly learn things that you already knew before the kidnapping.”
“Ugh, tell me about it,” Luke groaned, moving next to Ion and slouching over the ship railing. “And as everyone has so clearly made sure to point out, I still don’t know everything everyone else does. So much time was spent on teaching me how to walk and talk and eat again… how to live again. …But I would have asked to learn all this science and history stuff eventually if I’d known I was going to be ridiculed for being ignorant the very first time I got out in seven years!”
“That’s horrible… having to relearn such basic things…” Ion trailed off, sounding troubled, and Luke only made a grunt in agreement.
“…Tear means well, Luke. I know she comes across as somewhat cold, but I think it’s hard for her to truly understand your situation like Guy does. …But I believe she is truly sorry for dragging you into this, as am I, and is trying her best to return you home safely.”
“Damn right she doesn’t understand,” Luke huffed. “Neither does Jade, but I swear he’s not a human being, and Anise only cares about me being a rich person for her to marry. …Anyway, it’s all well and good if Tear is sorry that she did what I can’t deny was an accident, but that means nothing if she treats me awfully before she gets me home! She expects me to believe her about Master Van not being trustworthy when she’s hiding things as well! She thinks she’s so special that I would trust her, someone I just met, over someone I’ve known my whole life. What the hell kind of person is that arrogant? …How can she yell at me for not knowing what the Seventh Fonstone is or whatever, o-or expect me to take lives without at least cringing… Sometimes I feel like she’s as inhuman as Jade is… killing people with a straight face is just… horrifying to me…
“Master Van, Guy, and even you, are the only ones who don’t act like I’m a monster for not being as smart as everyone else… why do the rest have to be so obnoxious… I used to not really mind my memory loss, but then everyone started making a big deal out of it and complaining to me for not being the Luke they remembered that I don’t, Natalia especially; it’s turned into such a nightmare… I’m trying my best, dammit…”
Luke’s voice petered out as he reached the end of his rant, sounding tired. Ion put his hand on his back gently to reassure him, and Luke jerked up as he did so, feeling embarrassed at his sudden vulnerability.
“S-Sorry,” he stammered, turning around to hide his blush. “Don’t know where that came from.”
“…It’s alright, Luke,” Ion replied quietly. “I understand how you feel… more than you’d think… You’ll be home soon, don’t worry. …And even if this was an awkward and troubling little adventure, when you go home, you’ll know more than you did before you left. That should count for something, right?”
“…Some things I didn’t want to know, but thanks for the sentiment I guess.”
Thanks for not being like most of them… even if you are still weird.
With that, Luke raced off to find his master before any more could be said.
He was preparing for bed when a sudden knock on his door startled him.
“Luke, may I come in?”
Luke smiled at the sound of the Fon Master’s soft voice on the other side, surprised but not unpleased.
“Yeah, go ahead.”
Ion pushed the door open slowly, peeking inside to make sure he wasn’t intruding on anything private. When he was satisfied, he opened it all the way and made his way inside, shutting it behind him quietly.
“Hey, what’s up?” Luke asked, confused and also a little nervous. With the whirlwind of events happening lately, such as Ion and Natalia’s kidnapping and the Tartarus having problems, there hadn’t been a chance for quiet time to talk with Ion after…
“I’m so glad to see you’re alright.” Ion made his way over to Luke’s bed and proceeded to sit down, indicating for him to join him. Luke did so, albeit warily.
“What’s this all about?” he asked, trying to feign ignorance.
Ion looked sad, seeming like he was trying to find the right words. Finally, he spoke.
“Luke, I… I’m so sorry. …For everything.” He sounded so remorseful, and it hurt Luke to hear him that way.
“W-What do you have to be sorry for? You didn’t do anything; it was all me… all of it…”
He trailed off slowly, and Ion shook his head in disagreement.
“You may have caused the act itself”- Luke tried not to cringe at these words – “…but there were a lot of factors leading up to that. As I said before, I should have known not to open the door. Van asking me to made no sense in the current situation. And…”
Ion looked troubled, and he gently took one of Luke’s hands in his own. More than his embarrassment and surprise at the gesture, he couldn’t help but notice how small Ion’s hand was in his. So delicate… and cold, but also somehow warm at the same time.
“…I suspect Jade knew that you were a replica, but he avoided saying it for the sake of everything else that was happening… but perhaps it would have been best if the truth had been brought to light.”
Luke laughed mirthlessly, leaning backwards on the bed with his other arm while still holding Ion’s hand. “You’re probably right that he knew, knowing how smart the guy is and considering he invented fomicry himself. …Hell, maybe the others had even figured it out to some degree too, after seeing Asch’s face. …Come to think of it, Legretta was probably referring to me being a replica when we ran into her on that mountain road.”
He sat up again and gave Ion a self-deprecating smile, putting all the pieces together with depressing ease now.
“…Heh… yeah, everyone probably guessed something was off, even if they didn’t specifically know what exactly. Everyone but me, that is… after all, I was too busy dreaming about running off into the sunset with Master Van after performing my heroic deed to think about anything else.”
“Luke…” Ion whispered sadly. “…You didn’t know. Jade kept the secret from you, and the rest of us never slowed down enough for your sake… When I think about how unfair we were, it’s no wonder you were as upset as you were all the time.”
He held his fist to his chest worriedly, and Luke sighed, squeezing Ion’s hand gently.
“Listen. Even if you guys had told me things, do you really think I would have believed you? It was already too late for me… I was indebted to Master Van after all those years of his teaching; there’s no way I would have believed that he… created me and was just u-using me for his own ends to… k-kill an entire town…”
Luke felt an unexpected lump in his throat, and he put his free hand over his mouth, trying to stop the tears. It was silly, he thought, to cry for himself after he had just been trying to say that he deserved to be blamed for Akzeriuth… but it hurt, the thought of the person he’d called a father getting close to him just for the sake of manipulating him for his own purposes.
“Luke…” Ion started, his voice sounding pained. He put his other hand on top of Luke’s as well, trying to comfort him as best he could.
“…What you say may be true, but that doesn’t make how we acted right. We should have helped… so that you wouldn’t have felt so alone that you felt the need to do this.”
“D-Don’t sugarcoat it so much, Ion,” Luke said weakly, blinking his eyes furiously. “The fact of the matter is, I did something terrible… so unbelievably terrible… so now I have to atone for my mistakes… it’s no wonder everyone hated me so much…”
He swallowed, hating how his voice was breaking.
“When… w-when I fought Asch, and he told me about… us… I fell unconscious from the brunt of the shock. …Then he allowed me to see and hear through him, so I could see everything that happened when he went with them for that brief time. …That’s how I know… how much they hated having me around… and as much as I want to, I can’t really blame them for feeling that way.”
Ion sucked in a breath, visibly upset… maybe even a bit angry.
Luke smiled, trying to placate him but also make clear how much he appreciated his words.
“…But don’t include yourself with them. …You were different right from the very start,” he continued fondly. “Remember how you gave me the capacity core and explained how it worked? Tear would have just gotten annoyed that I didn’t have one if I ever happened to mention I didn’t.”
“…Oh, yes…” Ion finally replied. “I was happy to help.” He was frowning, clearly still bothered.
Sighing, he reached up to wipe Luke’s stray tears gently. “…But please, let me apologize for all of this... I know having regrets helps nothing, but just this once: I’m sorry, Luke. …I’m so sorry.”
Luke smirked good-naturedly, feeling his tension melting away. “That’s twice.”
Ion laughed sweetly, and nodded in acknowledgement. “You’re right. I suppose just once isn’t normal for me, is it?”
Luke pat his head, thinking about how surreal it was that he was doing so to the Fon Master, the supreme leader of the Order of Lorelei, of all people. Someone like Ion definitely wasn’t who he’d had in mind when he’d first imagined the person with the position. Not to say that Ion wasn’t the right person for the job, though; even he could already tell that Ion absolutely was.
“…Maybe, but it’s okay.” He grinned, trying to convey his gratitude. “Thanks, Ion.”
He stood up, and Ion followed suit. They headed for the door, but before he left, Ion turned back around.
“…You may be a replica, Luke, but I know you’ll go above and beyond what Van intended for you. I’m happy for you, that you were able to overcome this. …From now on, all of us will be there to help you, I swear on my name as Fon Master.”
He smiled in that sweet and loving way that only Ion could.
“I love your new hairstyle; I think it suits you much more than your last one.”
“Ion, are you alright?”
Stepping inside the governor’s house, Luke glanced around for the person in question. Ion was sitting in one of the chairs against the wall, and to his relief, Luke could tell that he was doing better.
“Hello, Luke,” Ion answered, glancing up to see him. His voice still sounded a bit weak, but it was much stronger than it had been before. “Yes, I’m feeling much better now. I’m sorry to have worried you.”
Luke sighed, shaking his head in frustration. “It’s not your fault, Ion; honestly it isn’t. …I’m just glad we got you out of there.”
He bit his lip, thinking back. They’d already been walking up the treacherous Mt. Roneal for a while now, but then the avalanche had hit…
Luke was the first to spot him.
Everyone else, minus Jade, was still in a daze, trying to dig themselves out of their individual snow piles, but as Luke looked around to confirm that everyone was accounted for, he realized that one person was missing. He fought the rising panic in his chest as he awkwardly pulled himself up, his eyes watering from the cold wind and the snow that had gotten on his face. They appeared to be on a small ledge extending from the side of the mountain… if Ion had fallen too close to the edge…
After a bit of frantic searching, Luke finally laid eyes upon a tuft of green on the side of the ledge closest to the cliff wall.
“Ion!” Luke called out in relief, wading through the snow as fast as he could. When he got close enough, he realized that Ion had mostly been camouflaged by his white robes, although he was still covered a decent amount. Luke wasted no time in wiping the excess snow off of his legs, arms, and head, and pulling him onto his lap.
“Ion, are you okay?!” The Fon Master was white as a sheet, even more so than he normally was, and he was cold, incredibly cold. When he didn’t respond, Luke held a hand over his mouth, and then on his chest.
Ion’s heartbeat was incredibly weak, and he could just barely feel the soft tickle of air on his hand from his breaths. Luke’s own heart almost stopped, and without hesitating, he took off his cloak and wrapped Ion in it tightly on top of the one he was already wearing, ignoring the stinging chill on his now-exposed stomach. He just barely managed to find his voice again in the midst of his panic, calling out frantically.
“T-Tear! Natalia! …I-It’s Ion, he… please help him!” His voice was breaking.
By this point, the others were aware of the situation. They crowded around Luke and Ion, Anise crying out the latter’s name in alarm and grabbing his hand. Jade knelt down on Ion’s other side and reached under the layers of fabric, feeling his pulse.
“This isn’t good,” he muttered gravely. “Healing artes won’t do much; what we must prioritize is getting him warm. There’s not much we can do while we’re still on the mountain, but at least the wind isn’t as bad down here where it’s being blocked somewhat.” He turned to Mieu, who was looking on with a worried expression. “Mieu, please shoot a continuous stream of the Fifth Fonon in a way that won’t harm any of us. I’m counting on you.”
“Yes, sir!” Mieu exclaimed, determined to do his duty. Luke, as worried as he was, slowly pulled Ion into a sitting position against the wall of the cliff so that Mieu had room to shoot fire at his feet. He wouldn’t have thought that such a small flame would make a noticeable difference, but he felt warmer after a few minutes.
Jade conjured his own, bigger flame, burning away all the snow on the ground under it and helping immensely with the heat. Tear and Natalia, wanting to help despite what Jade had said, began to heal Ion with their own artes. After they had exhausted their mana, Luke moved back up next to Ion, hugging him and trying to give him as much of his body heat as he could. He watched with a sad smile as Anise did the same on his other side. He knew she was just as worried as he was.
“Don’t worry, Ion… y-you’re gonna be okay, I promise.” Luke whispered, squeezing him tightly and stroking his hair, Anise holding his hand. “We’re all here to help you…”
Eventually they all converged into one giant hug pile, Mieu feeding Jade’s fire with his own when Jade was no longer able to maintain it anymore himself. They stayed that way for a long time, and little by little, warmth returned to Ion’s body and color returned to his face, even if not as much as he would have liked, and his breaths grew stronger.
Even after Ion had woken up, they waited until he had regained as much of his strength as possible so that opening the door to the Sephiroth, which they had conveniently landed near, wouldn’t kill him. It pained them all, Luke especially, to make Ion have to do it when he was still weak. But they had no choice; he knew it, Ion knew it, everyone knew it.
Doing so had, of course, left him exhausted, and so Luke offered to carry him back down the mountain (Tokunaga would have been the better solution in any other place, but it was too large and cumbersome to safely traverse down the slippery terrain). After the flight back to Keterberg, Ion had insisted he was well enough to walk again, so they had left him with Nephry to rest while they split up for the night before the final confrontation with Master Van.
“Luke?”
Luke was startled out of his memories by Ion calling his name. “S-Sorry, I was thinking.”
Ion paused, gazing at him sadly. “…I’m sorry for scaring you, Luke.”
Luke inhaled sharply, hating how Ion could see right through him so easily. “Y-You already said that. Again, it wasn’t your fault.”
He reached down, patting Ion’s hand awkwardly, and Ion returned the gesture.
“Thank you, Luke. I was unconscious for most of the time, but somehow I could still sense your voice. …You kept telling me that I was going to be alright.” He held his other hand to his chest, closing his eyes peacefully. “…Thank you.”
Luke turned beet red, but didn’t pull away. “Jeez, you can’t do anything without overdoing it, can you? First apologizing, now thanking me.” He hesitated. “…I was only doing what I could.”
Before Ion could reply, a tiny voice was suddenly heard, and Luke jerked his head around to see who had appeared.
“Mieu… Is Ion okay now, Master?” Mieu’s head popped out of Luke’s bag, his expression worried.
“Yes Mieu, thank you for helping me as well; I owe you my life,” Ion said kindly, giving him a reassuring smile. He held out his hand, beckoning Mieu to come closer, and the cheagle happily obliged, jumping up onto his shoulder. Ion nuzzled him affectionately with his cheek, giggling slightly, and Luke couldn’t help but think that this image looked so much better on him than that of the Fon Master, one of the highest ranking people (possibly the highest) in their entire world, who had so many duties to fulfill, so much criticism to accept and so many burdens to carry.
After all, he’s only two years…
Luke bit his lip, wondering if he should interrupt Ion’s happy moment with Mieu. Ion, however, immediately noticed the troubled look on his face, and Luke knew he had to say it.
“So… you’re a replica, too.”
Ion looked down, and Mieu let out a soft “mieu” in disappointment at no longer being petted. “Yes,” Ion said, so quietly Luke had to strain to hear him. “Van made me. We were examined to find out who would be the most appropriate as Fon Master.”
“…So they made seven of you. And you were chosen.”
“Yes,” Ion replied, and Luke winced as he thought of the implications. Seven replicas, and only the very last one was considered “good enough” to perform the role they were created for. Were the others just not strong enough in ability, like Sync… or maybe they weren’t intelligent enough, due to problems in their creation? Sync had called himself trash, and said he was tossed alive into the mouth of a volcano…
“A replica that can’t serve as a replacement is nothing more than garbage!” “In the end, only those of us who are useful are kept alive out of pity.”
Luke had to will himself to not become sick, and to keep tears from forming in his eyes.
“I always thought,” Ion continued, “’it doesn’t matter if I die, because they can just replace me with another.’”
“No, they can’t!” Luke exclaimed, more forcefully than he intended, surprising even himself. “I-I mean… if they could do that with you, then they could with me, too…”
“You’re right,” Ion said, smiling sadly. “When I saw Sync die right before my eyes, I finally understood. I’m Ion’s replacement, but there are no replacements for me. …Sync and I both hated being someone’s replacement. So I suppressed my feelings, and he cursed that he had ever been born.”
His heart sank as he saw tears welling up in Ion’s eyes again, and he hesitantly reached out again, wiping them away.
“Hey, no crying. …I-If you do, I’m likely to start as well.”
“I-I’m sorry,” Ion sniffed as Mieu tried to comfort him as well. “I just wish… I could have saved Sync… he didn’t deserve a fate like that. None of them do…”
“I know. …I feel the same way,” Luke said gently, his heart constricting. “But we both tried to reach out to him, and it didn’t work. There was nothing else… we could have done.”
Ion nodded sadly, petting Mieu to soothe himself.
“…I never knew the other six - well, who knows how many were still around by the time I came to be - except for a few days, because once I was found to be of the best quality” – Luke grimaced at Ion’s word choice – “I was taken away to be trained as quickly as possible, and I never saw them again. …I didn’t even know one of the God-Generals was one of them until very recently.” Ion fisted his robes in his other hand tightly.
“…I wonder how the original Ion felt, knowing that he would never truly be mourned, but that a copy of him would hastily be switched in for him to take his place, so that no one was the wiser. …Not to mention the physical pain of the replication process on his increasingly weakening body,” he trailed off in a whisper.
Luke looked away, forcing the image of Asch being in immense pain to create him out of his mind, and changed the subject.
“…I barely remember those first few months in the manor. There were all these strange sounds, and colors, and racket everywhere… people making me move my body in a way I didn’t understand how to… and make me make those sounds with my voice and mouth… It was all very strange and confusing.”
“That’s… how I would describe it as well.”
Luke looked down at Ion again, feeling comforted despite the morbid topic. He had never told anyone about this before… the only other people he would entrust with such intimate details about his life were the people who were already there when it happened: his parents, Guy, Master Van… He forced down an ironic laugh at the thought of Master Van helping him “remember” how to live his life again.
“Did they… did they do what they did for me to help you learn how to speak?” Ion asked. “…They played fon discs of old news recordings, and had me mimic the words. I didn’t understand what the nouns meant, but it helped with the act of stringing words together. …And then eventually, I was taught their meanings.”
Luke’s eyes widened. “Yeah, actually… that sounds kinda familiar. Although I think it was just kid stories they played for me. …Guy helped me out a lot too, though. With the talking, and pretty much everything else.”
“That’s right… you’re lucky you had him to help you. He cares about you very much.”
“I guess…” Luke frowned, looking down at his feet. “…But all that time, he hated me so much, and wanted to kill me… and I had no idea.”
Ion shook his head in disagreement, smiling reassuringly. “I believe he only harbored those feelings with Asch. …By the time you came along, he had changed… you changed him. Guy never would have supported you and cared for you as his friend for seven years if he still felt that way… those feelings were genuine.”
Luke braved a smile, managing a small nod at Ion’s words. It was hard to trust that that was true, after Master Van… at least the others made it clear how much exactly they had disliked him. It had annoyed him then, but being lead on with false kindness when the person in question secretly hated him was even worse. …He believed Ion, though. And he believed in Guy.
Luke put his hands behind his head, sighing heavily and switching back to the main topic.
“But man, you had to learn some ridiculous stuff ridiculously fast, didn’t you?” He paused, the true weight of the difference between them hitting him like a truck. “…You’re much younger than me, and yet you already know more than I learned in seven years. …You’re amazing, Ion.”
Ion’s eyes widened in shock, and after a moment he looked sad. “…No… I’m not amazing at all…” he whispered. “…I’m only this way because those who raised me needed it to be so. …We were brought up very differently, Luke. I could have easily… not ended up like this.”
He glanced up at Luke, and the next words out of Ion’s mouth stunned him beyond belief.
“…I can’t help but envy you a little, Luke. I don’t mean to be disrespectful; I know how hard it was for you to be cooped up in your manor… but I’m sure you had a lot of laughs and tears growing up, with a loving mother, father, and friend.”
A moment later, Luke had Ion in his arms in a tight hug, before he even knew what he was doing. He heard Ion gasp in surprise at the sudden gesture, and Mieu squealing in distress at being stuck between Ion’s shoulder and his own arm, but he didn’t let go.
“I-Ion,” he started, his voice wavering. “If… If in some magical, impossible, surreal way, I could have known about you and the other replicas two years ago… I-If I’d known what I was already… I would have come and brought you all back to Baticul.
“You could have grown up there, safe and happy, with Guy and Natalia and Mother and Pere… You could grow up as children, like I did, despite how boring it was sometimes. You’d never have to deal with all that Order stuff, you wouldn’t have to fight, wouldn’t have to read the Score… w-wouldn’t have to do anything to make yourself sick…”
“…Luke…” Ion’s voice was awed, and slightly breathless. “I… I don’t know what to say. …I’m truly touched that you would do that for me… Sir Luke.”
Luke jerked back in a hurry, turning red yet again, fully aware of how messy his face must look. “N-Not Sir Luke again! I told you, that’s embarrassing!”
He turned around swiftly as Ion laughed, and wiped away his tears roughly with his arm in a way that was most unbefitting of a “sir.”
“I’m sorry, Luke,” Ion said, still giggling a little as Luke turned back around. “…But you really are very kind. …I’m grateful…”
He shook his head.
“…But it’s alright. The world needs a Fon Master, and if I am the one to be him, then that is all there is to it. …That was a rather bold statement from me; I’m sorry.”
Ion looked wistfully at Luke.
“…That still would have been lovely, though, the selfish side of me cannot deny. The original Ion, me and the other replicas, Anise, Arietta, Tear… Asch… and you, Luke… all of us are children, when you think about it.”
Luke swallowed thickly, trying not to cry yet again.
“I… I wonder what I really want to do with my life.”
“…I think I probably know what you want to do.”
He glanced at Ion, confused at his confident expression. “What?”
“Van holds the answer. I think you’ll realize when you’re free of him… when you stand on your own.”
Luke clenched his fist. “I hope so… Tomorrow, we’ll finish dealing with him, and finish lowering the Outer Lands. Then, everything should go back to normal… and I’ll have time to think about it.”
Ion nodded, satisfied by his answer.
“I highly suspected you were a replica after having seen Asch’s face… but once it was confirmed, I… I couldn’t help but feel a bit… happy, because it explained why I felt so at home with you. Even though I know that’s selfish of me.”
He took a deep breath, pressing on.
“…But it’s not just that. I hoped- no, knew that you could do incredible things… and you have. Just going on this journey with you… following you and watching you do what you’ve done… it’s made me so happy.”
He reached out, taking Luke’s hand again and rubbing his finger over his glove.
“…You and I are both replicas… We came into this world differently from everybody else, for reasons that were dictated by those who wanted us to come into being. …But even though we’re not following the Score anymore, a small part of me likes to think that some other, different kind of destiny let us meet. Traveling with you all has made me realize how happy I am to be alive, right now, in this moment. …I don’t think I ever would have felt that way if I had remained in Daath forever.”
Luke stared at their hands, and he smiled fondly, happiness bubbling up inside of him.
“Yeah… I’m not saying I’m glad all of this had to happen, because it’s horrible…” For the hundredth time, he forced his thoughts away from Master Van whispering those three fatal words into his ear at Akzeriuth. “…But maybe, just maybe, some good came out of it. I’m doing more and know more than I ever would have done and known just a few months ago… and I have you as a friend, Ion.”
Ion squeezed his hand, and he squeezed back.
“With you as my friend, Luke, as well as all the others… I couldn’t be happier.”
As if hearing himself mentioned, Mieu leapt on top of Luke and Ion’s linked hands, letting out a happy “mieuuuuuuu!” They laughed at the little cheagle, and as Ion took him in his own hands and “sternly” told him he was counting on him to help the group tomorrow, Luke kept his gaze fixed on them with a feeling he could only describe as nostalgia.
I think I’m fine with how things are now, too.
“Dear Luke,
How are you? I know Anise sent you her own letter, but I wanted to send one as well, so I asked her to include mine with hers just so there’s no unnecessary assumptions or hassle.
Things have finally calmed down somewhat now that the world is no longer at risk, although not as calm as I would have hoped. I don’t believe the people will ever be willing to abandon the Score entirely, even if we try to tell them history is no longer following it. They are too afraid of that uncertainty. I thought that hopefully with Mohs being removed from his position as Grand Maestro, things would be better, but…
Other than that, though, I’ve just been doing my normal duties, and Anise has regained her place as my Guardian. …I’m a little worried about her, though; she’s been acting a bit stressed lately. I trust that she will tell me what’s troubling her once she feels comfortable, though.
Every day, I pray for Van, Arietta, and the other God Generals. They may have done wrong, but they were good people once… I hope their souls are resting peacefully. Arietta’s especially… she never knew I wasn’t who she thought I was anymore. And I’ll never know if it would have been easier on her to learn the truth or not.
My health is fine now since I haven’t had to go out or fight. I do miss those days, though… One day, we should plan to get together again, all seven of us. I’d love to hear what you and everyone else have been doing.
I hope defeating Van let you find the answer you were looking for.
Take care,
Ion”
Despite everything, Luke couldn’t keep a small smile from appearing on his face after reading the letter. It was longer than the others he had gotten, and although it had a level of formality, being Ion, it still felt personable and friendly. Not like Tear’s, which was nothing more than listing off bullet points of recent events, and not like Anise’s, which went too far in the opposite direction. It struck just the right balance.
He held it to his chest, feeling a bit guilty.
I’m sorry, Ion, that we never made plans… and that I can’t tell you your hope came true.
After meeting up with Tear and Anise, they headed for Ion’s room. Luke hoped he may have an idea about the current problem with the Planet Storm… as well as his own worries. He didn’t want to have to rely on Ion for advice, just like he had always leaned on Master Van… but he didn’t know what else to do.
When they entered his room, Ion looked up from where he was seated at his desk. His face broke out into a delighted smile, and he got up, making his way over to them.
“Luke! Tear! It’s good to see you again.”
Luke couldn’t hide his own happiness, and he raced over to Ion’s side, taking his hands in his own. “I’m glad to see you’re doing okay.”
“Yes. I haven’t used Daathic fonic artes since our journey, so I’m in good shape. How have you been?”
“Well, he sounds like he’s pretty messed up,” Anise drawled, much to Luke’s displeasure.
“I’m not “messed up!””
“…So you’re still troubled.”
At the discontented look on Ion’s face, he felt the guilt rise up again. He shouldn’t be burdening anyone else with his problems, Luke knew… the least he could do was work out his own issues himself. But this conversation had already started, so he had to finish it.
“Ion…” he began slowly. “…What do you think you’d be doing if your original were still alive?”
Ion, to his credit, tried to downplay his obvious worry. “Are you concerned about Asch?”
“…How could I not be?”
Ion put his hand to his chin, giving Luke’s question thorough thought. Finally, he looked up.
“Hmm… This is only hypothetical, of course… But I’d want to work to inform the world about replicas.”
Luke’s eyes widened, and he scoffed, shaking his head in amusement. “That sounds like you.”
“…I realized on our journey that I didn’t want to be someone’s substitute, as I said before.” Ion smiled at Luke gratefully. “…Though it certainly took me long enough.”
As Tear and Ion discussed the issue of the Planet Storm and the signs of activity at the Absorption Gate, Luke’s mind drifted off. Ion’s suggestion sounded good just saying it, but he knew he could never work up enough courage to do it. If people found out he was a replica, and not really the Duke’s son, their reaction would probably only confirm what he knew to be true: that he wasn’t the one who truly belonged in that manor. People accepted Natalia even though she wasn’t the Princess by blood just because she had already done so much good for Kimlasca that it didn’t matter anymore. But Luke… what had he done worthy of the heir to the throne? Sit in his manor for seven years, and single-handedly destroy an entire town and the people in it as soon as he was allowed out of it?
As they headed out to the entrance of the cathedral again, Ion put his hand on Luke’s shoulder, pulling him behind Tear, Anise, and Mieu.
“Luke, how have you been this past month?” he asked worriedly. “You look… lost.”
Luke smiled sadly, hating how perceptive Ion could be sometimes. He hadn’t looked in a mirror in a while, but he couldn’t imagine he looked too out of it. His mother would have been the first to bring it up if he did, he was sure.
“Ah… I’ve just had a lot on my mind is all, and a lot of time to think about those things, what with being back in the manor again…”
“I see…”
“…Sorry that I only just read your letter on my way to see Tear today,” Luke mumbled, looking away. “Father kept all the mail I got from Anise and the others from me because he wanted me only to associate with “people befitting the heir to the Duchy”, or some such nonsense.”
“Oh…”
They were almost at their destination, and Luke scolded himself for creating this awkward atmosphere. Before he could say anything else before there was no time left, Ion spoke up.
“Luke, I know this is easier said than done… but I’m sure you can find something that will make you happy to do, if you put your mind to it.”
Luke scoffed. “Yeah, it’s easy for you to say that. You have the most important job in our world… I don’t have anything I’m needed to do.”
Ion cocked his head. “Maybe… but I think of it differently. I may have a very important role that I don’t necessarily dislike… but you, Luke, you have the freedom to choose.”
They stopped walking, and Ion turned to face Luke, taking his hands. Tear and Anise were nice enough to give them a moment, even though Anise didn’t bother to hide her annoyed face.
“You can do anything, Luke,” Ion said, trying to reassure him like a parent would their child. “I know the possibilities are overwhelming, and I’m not saying you have to choose right away… but think about it. After we get this straightened out, you should travel around Auldrant again like we did a month ago. …Hopefully that will give you some ideas. And I’ll help you too, of course.”
Luke looked down, troubled. “…I certainly hope this issue is as easy to straighten out as you say it will be.”
Ion squeezed his hands. “If anyone can do it, you and your friends can. …After all, you already saved the world once.”
“You helped us do that too, you know,” Luke said, managing a weak smile. “…But thanks, Ion. …Maybe I will do that.”
As they departed Daath with Guy and, strangely, Anise in tow, Luke couldn’t help but feel a little bit better, despite the concerning news Guy had brought with him. He still felt like Asch was the one who should be in Baticul… but perhaps, if he could find something to drive him, something he could do on his own, he wouldn’t mind him being there instead anymore. He just had to figure out what that thing was.
He sighed to himself, smiling fondly.
Ion, you’re always trying to help me out… One day, I’ll return the favor, I promise.
Luke had never been so terrified in all his life.
Not at the moment Master Van betrayed him.
Not when he was left alone on the deck of the Tartarus, the blood of an entire town’s worth of people on his hands and the disapproving glares of five of his companions etched into his mind.
Not even when he found out that his entire existence as “Luke fon Fabre” had been fake for the seven years he could remember.
“Are you really going to make Ion read the Seventh Fonstone Score?! It would kill him! His body’s too weak!”
Even at the shocking discovery that Anise had been leaking information to Mohs the entire time she had been with them for the sake of her parents, the others talking amongst themselves about what she had done, Luke could barely focus on it. He could think about how it made him feel later; they could deal with that situation later.
The only thing running through his mind were his own words he had spoken out loud earlier:
“If they make him read the Score, Ion will die!”
“Ion will die”
“Ion will die”
The fonic glyph leading Mt. Zaleho was sealed off. When they reached the entrance of Daath, intending to travel to the volacano via the Albiore, replicas of Iemon, General Frings, and even Guy’s sister impeded them.
He was on the verge of crying.
Luke knew he was being unfair, deep down. Tear was ill from the miasma again, and desperately needed rest and medicine. Guy was incredibly shaken up from seeing a replica of Mary.
But he couldn’t help rushing them along. Even as they discussed the horror of the current situations with Anise, the miasma, and the replicas in a state of relative calmness, it felt like he was talking in a dream. Everything was hazy… the only thing he could clearly see was Ion, safe and sound and happily playing with Mieu.
The volcano was hot enough to make him want to faint. If it had been the old him, Luke would have immediately demanded to be taken out of the place no matter how important the mission here was.
Without a moment’s hesitation, he took off his jacket and hastily stuffed it into their supply bag, racing ahead and killing everything in his path. It was hot, so so hot, and even with taking off a layer he felt like he could pass out at any second (curse that Jade for having some trick up his sleeve that allowed him to not even break a sweat). He didn’t even want to think about what being here could do to Tear.
All of his sword training had been leading up to this. All of his strength was needed for now; everything he had learned from Tear, Jade, Guy, and Master Van (oh, the irony). Failure was not an option, Luke knew. Ion was counting on him.
He’d never prayed once in his life, but he did so now.
Yulia, please… let me make it in time. I know I have done wrong. I know I have been selfish, I know I’m still selfish sometimes even now… But I’ll never ask for anything again! So please, please, please let me save our friend… my brother…!
Eventually, after much too long, they entered the area of the Seventh Fonstone.
“…Which will ultimately lead to the downfall of Auldrant.”
Faster.
“ND2019. The forces of Kimlasca-Lanvaldear shall march northward, through the Rugnica Plains.”
Faster.
“After inflicting atrocities upon the villages in their wake, the army shall surround the fortress capital. Within a fortnight, the city shall fall. The Kimlascan army will stain the Malkuth throne with the blood of its last emperor. Their howls of victory shall resound throughout the land.”
Luke was running as if his life depended on it (which didn’t feel untrue). Ion’s voice echoed throughout the cavern, the almost ethereal but also robotic aura chilling him to the core. As he made his way around the bend and Ion continued reading the Score, his voice slowly but surely became softer.
“ND2020. A mountain of corpses shall… bury the fortress capital. Death and disease shall envelop the city. The plague born thence shall become a new poison unto humanity… killing all within its reach. Its spread shall mark the true end of Malkuth. Kimlasca shall enjoy decades of prosperity as… the plague of Malkuth grows. Ultimately… the plague will be brought into the Kimlascan kingdom by a single… man.”
“Stop it, Ion!” Luke yelled, finally, finally reaching Ion and grabbing him, interrupting him from continuing. “You have to stop!”
Ion collapsed backwards in his arms, but to Luke’s horror, he kept reading the Score, his voice unexpectedly gaining strength.
“…The Light of the Sacred Flame shall approach a Kimlascan city of fon machines, seeking a way to purify the taint. There, salvation shall be found through the use of a forbidden power…”
As he finished, Ion fell completely. Luke held him, just like he had on the mountain that day.
“Ion, are you okay?!”
“Luke…” Ion began, looking up at his face with a weak smile. “That was my reading of the Score for you… A single path… among your many possible futures... I know you don’t like to depend on others… but this was the only way I could truly help you.”
As Ion’s words registered in Luke’s mind, everything hit him like a ton of bricks. He stared down at Ion, who was struggling to maintain his smile and keep his eyes open, and suddenly it was if everything he had ever done was pointless. Not if it was going to lead to this.
“S-Shut up!” he shouted, the dam breaking. “You’ve helped us – me – out a million times! A-And you’ll keep helping!”
“…Luke. Don’t look at me like that. There are plenty of replacements for me…”
It was like a slap in the face, and it only made him cry harder.
“H-How can you say that, after everything you told me?! Those other replicas don’t know me at all!!”
Ion’s eyes were drifting shut, and his breaths were getting sparser. Luke squeezed him as tight as he ever had before, talking faster and faster, as if his frantic words would ground Ion to the earth.
“You’re the only Ion that went to the Cheagle Woods with me!! You’re the one who talked to me, and encouraged me, and apologized too much and thanked me too much… the one who called me your friend!! The Ion that is my friend…!” No, more than that; my brother.
Ion was crying now as well, Luke could just barely make out. But instead of saying anything, he lifted his arm in a beckoning gesture.
“Tear… come closer…”
Tear, who had been standing behind them this entire time, kneeled down in front of Ion, taking his outstretched hand.
“I will… take the miasma from your body… into my own.”
“But Fon Master, you’ll…!” If it had been any other time, Luke would have been shocked at Tear sounding the most emotional he had ever heard her.
“I told you before… there’s only one way to save you. The Seventh Fonons are drawn to one another. As my own Seventh Fonons dissipate… so will your contaminated ones.”
“I-Ion!” Luke cried, pressing his forehead against his.
How can this be happening? This can’t be real… How could we let this happen?!?!
“Don’t you see…?” Ion breathed. “This way… Tear is… safe.”
Luke watched, shell-shocked, as he glowed with Tear’s Seventh Fonons. After Ion said his last goodbyes to Anise, Luke forced his voice to work one last time.
“I-Ion…” he whispered, his voice breaking as he sobbed. “Please… don’t… don’t l-leave me! I n-need you… I don’t know what to do… p-please…!”
Ion used the last of his strength to reach up, and Luke grabbed his tiny, tiny hand, like he had so many times before. His smile was sad, but also inexplicably happy at the same time.
“I’m sorry… Thank you, Luke, from the bottom… of my heart… I have faith… that you can live… as… yourself.”
Ion’s arm went limp in his hand, and his kind and innocent eyes that had never judged anyone, no matter who they were, closed for the last time.
Luke screamed.
A funeral wasn’t arranged until much later.
It was small and short because of all the chaos involving the miasma, the New Order of Lorelei, and the replicas recently. There was no body, of course; when the gravesite was made, there would be no one underneath the ground. Replicas faded away into nothingness when they died; no trace that they ever existed remained. Luke knew it would be the same for him, too.
Tear sang her fonic hymns with all the grace and power she possessed, which helped to make the otherwise solemn event a bit more personal to them, and to the person she was singing for.
Ion expressed his appreciation to them. Luke felt like it almost would have been kinder if he hadn’t.
“Hello?”
Luke knocked on the door to Ion’s room in the Daath cathedral, balancing on his toes and back down again as he waited for a response from the current occupant. After not more than a few moments, light footsteps were heard running, and the door was flung open.
“Anise?!” Florian’s excited expression mellowed once he realized Luke wasn’t who he was expecting, and he sounded uncertain as he continued. “Oh… you’re one of her friends.”
The sight of the person in front of him wearing Ion’s robes overwhelmed him, and Luke had to struggle to keep his composure.
“…Yes, I’m Luke. I don’t think I’ve really introduced myself.”
He held out his hand openly, and Florian looked down, shy. It was cute while also feeling so… unnerving, and Luke bit his lip.
“I-It’s nice to meet you…” Florian eventually said, taking his hand and shaking it slowly. It was all Luke could do to not hold onto his hand forever, like a lifeline, but he forced himself to pull away once the handshake was finished.
It won’t do to scare him when I’m trying to make him feel welcome.
“Florian,” he began, wondering how this would sound to the boy. “I came… because I wanted to get to know you better. …I want us to be friends.”
Florian’s eyes widened in surprise, and he cocked his head adorably.
“Really? Friends, like Anise?”
Luke nodded.
“Yeah. I have my ship here with me, just outside… I thought we could go out, and I could show you other places besides Daath,” and where they were keeping you before. “…Would you like that, Florian?”
It took a few moments, but to Luke’s surprise, Florian broke into a wide smile, nodding enthusiastically.
“Sure! I always want to make new friends, and if you’re a friend of Anise’s then you must be fun!”
After getting over his surprise, Luke gave him a satisfied smile, his eyes stinging slightly.
“…I-I’m glad. All right then, Florian, shall we be off?”
“Yes!”
Luke took his hand, and Florian happily accepted, which he was grateful for. For how nervous he had been upon first realizing he wasn’t Anise, he had warmed up to him almost immediately after. Luke made himself not think too deeply about why that may be.
After telling Maestro Tritheim that he was taking Florian out for a bit, Luke led him to the Albiore. Florian had been in it once before, when they returned from the Absorption Gate, but he still looked excited to be in the flying machine again. Noelle smiled, watching his delighted stares around the inside of the ship. He had full reign of the Albiore for the next day or two; the others were off elsewhere.
“Where to, Luke?” she asked, settling back in the pilot’s seat.
Luke got Florian seated and strapped in, and sat down himself before speaking.
“Hmm… Baticul first, please.”
He leaned back in his chair as the Albiore took off, sighing heavily. It was so calm that he was almost inclined to close his eyes… but he resisted the temptation.
In a couple days, they would infiltrate Eldrant, and complete their mission of freeing Lorelei and stopping Van’s plan once and for all. It was the last battle, and they couldn’t afford to lose. The miasma may have been gone, but that was only the immediate threat: Van would eventually replicate all of Auldrant, both the world itself and the people, for the sake of destroying the Score’s influence once and for all, if they failed here.
It would be a tough battle, for sure. Not only would they be facing Van himself, but most likely the remaining two God-Generals that were still alive as well. All three of them posed a significant threat. …Not to mention Asch as well, probably, as much as he didn’t want to fight him.
And Luke knew very well what would happen to him once it was all over.
Jade, uncharacteristically, had suggested they take a few days to themselves before they initiated the operation. He had a feeling it was mostly for his sake, though, and he suspected Tear realized that as well. He wanted to protest, knowing how urgent the situation was, but in the end he decided to accept. If Jade of all people said this was okay, it would be wrong to not go along with it… Their most responsible and serious member was giving Luke this time to do anything he wanted before his time was up… he should make the most of it, he thought.
He listened to Florian “oooh” and “ahhh” at the view out the window of the ship, and smiled to himself, feeling a bit better.
When they reached Baticul and entered the city, Luke swore that Florian’s jaw would never pick itself up off the ground. His eyes were as wide as saucers, and he lifted his gaze as high as he possibly could, craning his neck to make out the topmost levels.
“Woooooow… it goes so high, I can’t even see it all!”
Luke chuckled, patting Florian’s back. “Yeah, that was my reaction when I first saw it, too.”
He steered them towards the elevator leading to the section of Baticul with the castle and his manor, making slow progress due to Florian wanting to take time to examine everything along the way. Luke didn’t mind, though; after all, this was his special day. He wanted him to be able to do whatever he wanted.
Once they finally got to the manor, Luke hesitated, wondering if this was the best course of action as Florian squirmed impatiently. He was fairly certain none of the maids had never seen Ion; his father and Ramdas, on the other hand, most likely had.
Knowing that the guards would get suspicious the longer he stood there not entering, he pushed open the front door and beckoned Florian inside, praying that his father wasn’t around at the time. Florian clung to him as he moved forward, the entryway maids making him nervous, and Luke put his hand on his shoulder to reassure him. To his displeasure, the person standing near the door like always was quick to say something.
“Master Luke, and-!”
Luke put his finger to his lips and hissed, shushing Ramdas. “Don’t tell anyone, Ramdas, please? This is important.”
Ramdas’ eyes widened, and he nodded hastily. “A-As you wish, Master Luke.”
Luke smiled at him gratefully, and headed off through the door to the dining room, Florian in tow. He led him into the hallway, then outside into the courtyard. There, Florian stopped, spinning around a complete circle to gaze at everything in awe.
“What is this place, Luke?”
Luke smiled, amused at his curiosity. “This is… my home.” It was easier to get the words out than he thought it would be.
Florian’s eyes lit up in that adorable way of his. “Oh, I see! You have a very nice home,” he said matter-of-factly.
“…T-Thanks. …This way.”
They continued into the other side of the manor, then headed down the hallway until they reached the door at the end. Before simply entering like he normally did, Luke knocked, wanting to see who was inside. He didn’t hear any talking, but better to be safe.
“Come in!”
He opened the door, and at the sight of his mother, he couldn’t hold himself back, overwhelmed.
“Luke, it’s – oh!”
Luke hugged her tightly, inhaling her familiar smell and sinking into her embrace. It was wonderful, and in that moment, he never wanted to let her go.
“Goodness, Luke, what is wrong? It hasn’t been that long since we last saw each other… Not that I’m not happy to see you, of course.”
“…I-It feels like it’s been forever, Mother,” he said, willing his voice to not break.
“Is… everything alright?” she asked worriedly, stroking his hair.
Luke laughed weakly, despite himself, pulling away from her. There was no way he could tell her the truth, of course. Just him being kidnapped again worried her enough to leave her bedridden; he didn’t even want to think about what it would do to her if she knew that he was…
“Y-Yes, things are better now than they were before,” It wasn’t a complete lie, at least; after all, the miasma being gone was definitely a good thing.
“That’s good, then,” Susanne said, folding her hands together. She then seemed to notice something behind him, and Luke felt a pang of guilt as he remembered the real reason he had come, turning around.
Florian was still standing in the doorway, fidgeting nervously. Apparently he still acted this way around anyone who was a stranger, but if his behavior towards him was any indication, it wouldn’t take him long to warm up to someone.
Luke held his hand out, beckoning Florian to come closer. When he did so, Susanne’s eyes widened in recognition.
“Luke, this is…!”
He shook his head to interrupt her, putting his hand on Florian’s shoulder.
“Mother, this is my friend… Florian. Fon Master Ion… knew him.” He met her eyes, trying to get her to understand, and to his relief, a look of realization eventually came over her face. She looked saddened, but quickly masked it when she leaned down to Florian’s level.
“Hello, Florian, it’s nice to meet you,” she said, speaking in the gentle way only a mother could. “I’m glad Luke has you as his friend.”
Florian grinned, already at ease. “It’s nice to meet you, too!” It was rather funny, actually; he was shy around strangers, but it seemed like all he really needed was an introduction, and he would accept them without question.
In the back of his mind, Luke wondered if he knew what a mother was. He was smarter than he acted if he was taking lessons in Daath, and he probably knew what Pamela was to Anise, anyway.
“Mother,” Luke began. “…I was wondering if you had any other clothes that would fit him. Something of mine – er, perhaps it would be A-Asch’s…”
“Oh… most likely!” Susanne replied, overlooking or not noticing Luke’s choice of words. She indicated for Florian to follow her. “Come with me, little one; I’ll let you pick something out you like.”
Florian turned to Luke questioningly, and he gave him a reassuring smile. “Don’t worry; Mother will take care of you, I promise. …I can speak from experience.”
His mother giggled quietly. “My, I’ve never heard you compliment me so, Luke.”
“Heh… guess I’m just in a generous mood.”
Florian nodded happily after he had given his consent, and headed off to follow her into one of the adjacent rooms. Most likely Susanne would get the maids involved too, but Luke knew Florian would be fine. His mother was very kind, and accepting of anyone, no matter who they were… or weren’t.
…I don’t deserve her, really.
After about thirty minutes (he should have known, considering how much his mother had loved to pamper him when he was younger), they finally reentered his parents’ room.
Florian was wearing a light green shirt with trim a darker shade of green, and white shorts. He’d ditched the tights, of course, and had on different shoes. All in all, similar colors to Ion’s robes, but much more casual and much less stuffy, Luke was sure.
There was also another change that wasn’t part of his outfit.
“You fixed his hair,” Luke noted, surprised. Sure enough, his front hair pieces had been pinned to his head so they didn’t hang down anymore.
“Yes, when I brushed it and offered to do something with it, he accepted,” Susanne said, smiling as she ran her hand through his hair. Florian nuzzled into her touch, completely taken with her.
“I see… it’s definitely different.” He felt like crying for some inexplicable reason, even though he knew it was silly.
Florian came up to him, spinning around. “What do you think?”
Luke was silent for a long time, before finally finding his voice.
“…You look great, Florian. That look fits you more.” You don’t look like Ion anymore.
After he and Florian had thanked his mother profusely, they made to leave, Florian waving to her enthusiastically all the while.
“Come see me again later, Florian!” Susanne called.
“I will!” he promised, turning the corner out of the room. After he was out of earshot, his mother continued speaking.
“…You cared about Fon Master Ion, didn’t you?”
Luke paused, one hand on the doorframe.
“…More than I can say.”
He left the room before she could see his tears, silently apologizing to his mother for being unable to say goodbye.
“We’re going back to the Cheagle Woods? Hooray!”
Mieu chirped happily as they made their way through the woods, Luke helping Florian watch his step. This place always relaxed him; just being in here again soothed him in some unexplainable way, with the lush greenery and the sunlight filtering in through the trees.
“What’s here, Luke?” Florian asked curiously after Luke had taken care of a monster.
“There are some friends here I thought you might like to meet.” Florian had taken to Mieu quickly, and Luke didn’t doubt that he would love the other cheagles as well. “Also… this place holds special memories for me.”
“Yay, new friends!”
Luke smiled and followed Florian as he picked up the pace.
They were making good progress, him fighting off monsters and Mieu using fire to help, when suddenly an unexpected wave of exhaustion hit him. Luke stopped, and leaned against the closest tree, breathing heavily. It was very strange and unnerving how it went: there was always an eternal feeling of lethargy in his body now that was hard to ignore, despite how slight it may be, but then occasionally he would have random episodes where all his energy would suddenly leave him in the blink of an eye. They didn’t happen very often, and by some miracle, they so far hadn’t happened during battles, or any time when the focus would be on him. Two of the times it had happened in the middle of the night; how wonderful it was, to sudden be brought back to the waking world, gasping for breath. He’d been afraid to go back to sleep after those times, but the exhaustion that resulted from those episodes hadn’t left him with much of a choice.
Jade, as infuriatingly observant as he was, had looked him over after a few of these instances once they were able to get alone. The Necromancer of all people worrying about him was both unnerving and yet made him want to cry… it was simply so unlike him. He had never been able to do anything besides confirm that he had temporarily recovered, though… there was no helping him, nothing that even Jade could do.
When Florian realized that something was amiss, he turned around and raced back to Luke. He put his little hand on his arm, staring up at him worriedly.
“Luke? Are you okay?”
“Y-Yeah, I’m fine, just give me… a second,” Luke managed, trying to catch his breath. He looked at Florian apologetically as Mieu flittered about anxiously.
Thing, don’t you dare say anything in front of him.
Florian rubbed his back as Luke sunk down to the ground, sitting. He felt better now; now he just had to regain some of his strength before he continued on.
“…Sorry. This never happens… I swear.”
“It’s okay,” Florian said sadly. “I get tired too, when they make me read the Score.”
Luke made a sound that was a mix between a laugh and a sob. “Heh… how ironic… The same situation, but our roles are reversed.”
“Huh?”
“…It’s nothing,” Luke murmured, wiping his eyes with one arm. He pulled himself up, still feeling heavy but not wanting to waste any more time. “I’m fine now. Let’s go.”
“…Okay.”
They continued ahead, Mieu nuzzling his cheek sadly, and he felt Florian’s stare on his back the entire time.
When they reached the cheagle nest, Mieu jumped down from his shoulder, and ran to greet his friends happily. The sight managed to bring a smile to his face, as he watched them all chitter affectionately. Technically, Mieu was supposed to be banned from this forest, but it was obvious the cheagle elder wasn’t strict enough to truly enforce that rule. Luke was glad for that; after the final battle, he would always have Tear and the others of course, but he could always visit his home, too.
Mieu turned around, obviously indicating him for some reason, and all of the cheagles suddenly crowded around his feet, cheering up a storm.
“H-Hey! What’s going on, Thing?!”
Mieu quieted down all the cheagles, and smiled back at him.
“I told them what you did! They want to thank you for saving the world, Master! You’re so amazing!”
“I-Is that so,” Luke stammered, unable to keep from blushing a little. He wondered how much Mieu had told them, exactly; it was doubtful that he understood even a fraction of the details of their escapades. Imagining Mieu’s version of the events was an amusing thought, and he laughed, crouching down to pet the cheagles’ soft heads. He rather felt a little bad for thinking they were annoying before; while he didn’t coo over them near to the level that Tear did, there was something slightly endearing about them that he couldn’t deny.
Guess you rubbed off on me, Ion.
“Well, the job’s not done quite yet… but thanks. And you’re welcome.”
Mieu relayed his message to the rest of them, and they cheered again. Before he could say anything else, he heard a squeak of a different kind behind him. Luke turned to see, and almost burst out laughing.
Florian was standing stock-still, staring at the cheagles with the most adorably enamored and awed expression he’d worn yet. He looked like he was in the presence of angels (which wasn’t completely wrong, since they were sacred), as if the slightest noise or movement would send them all away, never to be seen again.
Luke smirked, stepping aside and gesturing to the mass of cheagles. “These are Thi – er, Mieu’s friends. I’m sure they’d love to meet you.”
Florian nodded wildly, clearly barely able to control himself. He bounded forward, knelt down, and enveloped the cheagles in a giant hug. Mieu seemed to tell them all who he was, and Luke walked over to the side of the nest and sat down, satisfied.
He watched Florian play around with the cheagles for a few minutes, smiling at his happy antics, when suddenly the cheagle elder was in front of him. Startled, he turned his gaze down towards her, wondering how long she had been there.
“Welcome back, Master Luke,” her gravelly voice said. She obviously must have gotten the Sorcerer’s Ring from Mieu at some point, but apparently he had missed that. “I, too, would like to express my gratitude towards you, for keeping our tribe, and Mieu, safe.”
“…Yeah,” he replied, smiling weakly. “Th – Mieu’s… been a big help to all of us. He cheers us up when things get tough.”
“I am glad to hear he’s serving you well.”
She turned to watch Florian, who was still rolling around on the ground with the cheagles and laughing without a care in the world. The Elder continued speaking, and Luke couldn’t help but find it funny how much more perceptive and smarter than Mieu she was.
“You brought a new friend, I see. …He looks the same as one of your other friends, but it is not the same person.”
“…You’re right, it isn’t. His name is Florian.”
“I see. …I am glad he’s enjoying himself so much. We don’t get very many human visitors, let alone ones who have been so kind. It’s a nice change.”
Florian turned, meeting his gaze, and grinned, giving a little wave. Luke waved back, smiling serenely as a feeling of nostalgia washed over him.
“…Yeah, I’m happy I was able to bring him here.”
After leaving the Cheagle Woods, Luke took Florian to Nam Cobanda Isle, showing him all the games and fun things to do there, which entertained him greatly. He caught on to Dragon Buster quicker and easier than Luke would have expected, and was able to win after only a few tries, with his assistance.
By the time they left there, it was dark.
“Want to go home, Florian? It’s been a busy day; you’re probably tired.”
Florian deflated a little, looking down. “I’m not tired… but if you are, we can go home.”
Luke’s heart clenched; he hadn’t wanted to imply that. “N-No, I’m okay… hmmm…”
After thinking for a minute, his eyes widened as the obvious idea hit him, and he slapped his fist on his palm.
“I know where we can go to end the day; it’s a very special place.”
A little while later, they were at the entrance of Tataroo Valley.
Florian looked nervous, and Luke took his hand, squeezing it gently. “I know it’s dark, but we don’t have to go very far. I’ll protect you; do you trust me?”
He still looked hesitant, but nodded, huddling close to him as they began the ascent.
Luckily, not many monsters bothered them despite it being night, and those who did appear Luke could take care of in one hit, just like in the Cheagle Woods. Mieu’s fire provided some helpful light, and a deterrent to the monsters.
It wasn’t long before they reached the top, and Luke smiled with happiness as the familiar sight came into view.
They were on that same hill he and Tear had landed on what felt like ages ago, the selenia flowers glowing brightly in the darkness. The ones outside of Tear’s room had been pretty enough, but they were nothing compared to these that grew in a natural environment, with the moon shining down on them and the flowers beaming like stars. He hadn’t been interested in them the first time he’d been here, and the second time they came was during the day. But now, he could truly appreciate them.
“Glowing flowers… they’re so pretty,” Florian breathed, hesitant to set foot in the field lest he ruin their beauty. When Luke walked forward, however, he did so as well, and his attention was quickly drawn by the view of the ocean right outside the hill.
“Isn’t it nice,” Luke commented, coming up beside Florian as the latter raced to the edge of the hill. “I haven’t been here in a while… but I’m glad I got to come back, one last time.”
Florian, to his relief, didn’t seem to notice his choice of words, and he plopped down in the grass. Luke followed suit.
They remained silent for a long while, enjoying the view and the night breeze, until Florian finally spoke.
“…I wish the others could have seen this,” he whispered.
A lump formed in his throat, and Luke struggled to keep his voice even. “You mean… the other ones you were with?”
“Yes,” Florian answered, not questioning how Luke knew what he meant. “It’s nicer here than in that little, cold, dark room… I wish I could bring them to see this… but the others all went away, and I never saw them again… I was the last one to be taken out.”
He curled up into a little ball, sounding distressed. “I know I didn’t know any of them at all… but why only me? Why didn’t they deserve to have so much fun, and friends, too?”
A moment later, and Luke had Florian in his arms in a tight embrace. Florian squeaked, sounding worried and confused, but it only made Luke hug him tighter.
“I…I wish that too, Florian,” he choked, unable to keep from crying any longer. “They all deserved it, all seven of them… so so so much…” He meant it; even as much as he hated Sync for spitting on Ion’s legacy and using their love for him to make their resolve waver, he knew that the one responsible for Sync becoming that way was Van. He had told him he was worthless as a person, a piece of trash, and that he only deserved to be kept alive so he could be used as a tool for his own objectives. And eventually, Sync really began to believe that was the truth. If he had been given love and respect, he could have turned out just like Ion and Florian.
“But I-I… you were the only one I could save, Florian. I was too late for everyone else… it’s always too late…”
Florian pulled away, looking down at the flowers between them, still glowing as bright as ever. “…I’m sorry, Luke; I didn’t mean to sound mean. I’ve had so much fun today. I’m not ungrateful for that.”
Luke let out a teary laugh, ruffling his hair affectionately as Mieu landed in his lap to comfort him. “You don’t have anything to be sorry for… I understand how you feel… And I’m glad I got to do this for you at least.”
He looked out at the ocean, watching how the moon made the surface of the water sparkle.
“…Although, there was one other one, actually. He’s… no longer with us, but I think he was happy all the way till the end. …And he made me happy.”
Florian’s eyes widened, and he smiled, looking relieved. “Really?! …Were you friends?”
Luke held his hand over his chest, focusing on the warm feeling inside that masked the dull pain for now.
“Yes, we were close friends.”
Florian scooted closer to him, the selenia flowers shifting aside as he did so. He curled up on the ground, putting his head on Luke’s knee.
“Will you tell me about him?”
Luke gazed down at Florian staring up at him expectantly, and chuckled, his eyes becoming wet again. He stroked his head gently, allowing Mieu to cuddle under his other hand, and tried his hardest to burn the image of this moment into his mind forever.
“…Well, first of all, he loved cheagles, just like you.”
Thanks, Ion, for giving him, and this day, to me. I’m glad I was able to do this for him, as small as it is. Wish I could stay with him forever… but at least Anise and the others will be able to take over for me.
I’ll be with you soon.