[Voice/Action at the beginning] ♫ - First Hymn - Nightmare - ♫ (Joint w/Luke fon Fabre)

[mysterical]

I love you...

[It was two years after Eldrant fell. Two years since she'd whispered those words before he'd disappeared. Two years without the Score. It had been scary, but freeing as well. However, he said he would show. Luke always kept his word. It was his naming day, after all. The day where he would be considered an adult by the world at large.

The request to sing the Grand Fonic Hymn felt natural, right. She was happy to sing it again, in a happier situation than the last time. However, she made her way through all seven verses and let the sound of it drift away on the breeze.

The sound of her companions leaving resounded in her ears, feeling like the lid to a coffin being slammed shut. But she had to hope that he would come back to her. The longer she waited, the more her heart felt like the brittlest of glass. And finally she knew that waiting wasn't going to get her anywhere. The moment she turned around, however, she heard a sound that couldn't be anything but him.

And then she was in the middle of a brightly lit plaza, in a town that reminded her so much of Chesedonia that she had to pinch herself to make sure she wasn't dreaming. People in strange clothing passed her by, looking at her with unreadable expressions on their foreign faces.

Tear wasn't normally scared, but a slow sense of uneasiness was crawling down her spine. She reached, instinctively, for the rod that she normally kept with her and noticed a book in her pocket as well. She took it out, starring at the odd thing before reading it quickly and digesting the facts as the sprung up at her.

That was until she spotted a familiar shade of red hair. Tears sprung to her eyes and her hands shook as she ran towards where she knew he'd be. The book was forgotten in favor of something much more important, more precious to her than it would ever be. She didn't even notice when it fell from her hands and landed open, face up.]

Luke? What are you doing there?

[["You have done admirably."

The words…brought a smile to Luke's face, as he glances down at Asch. He thinks to himself, "No… we did admirably. All of us. We all fought for what we believed in…We all succeeded. Everything will be okay, now."

Lorelei swirled around the two; Luke could feel the power of the being all around him. It was almost overwhelming, but Luke could feel happiness in his heart. He understood what was happening--the world was being restored. He closed his eyes, a calm expression on his face as he did so.

Then, everything went black.

"--ave to come home!"

Her voice resounded in his mind, merging with the darkness all around him. It wasn’t scary, in spite of the feeling of the unknown creeping all around him. Once again, her voice could be heard…

Huh?] Tear…?

[His eyes snapped opened. What was he doing on the ground…? Wait…

What…was going on? The last he remembered, he was… But, then…he was…?

Luke blinked, face pressed against the cold hard ground. Slowly, he lifted himself into a standing position, eyes immediately searching for the source of that familiar voice—a voice that was working kind of like a beacon of hope amongst all the confusion he was suddenly being swarmed with. Green eyes landed on her and he simply forced himself to just…focus on her, for the moment. They’ll figure it out, together…like they always did.]

Uh…Do you…know where we are? [His voice wasn’t hiding his confusion. After all, he didn’t have a problem letting Tear in on his being completely and utterly lost.]

[OOC: Tear and Luke are currently together, so all replies will probably be from them both. Enjoy that!]

Comments

For twu wuv

[mysterical]

[His hair, his voice, his inability to keep anything from her... It was the same as she remembered. She hadn't imagined anything then. He was... exactly the same.

She didn't waste a second before she was there, before him her arms around him.]

You came back.

cuuuute

[headfons]

[He barely has a chance to even blink before...] Tear...?

[The sudden embrace was met with his own arms slowly lifting. His confusion was blended with a feeling of warmth. In spite of a million question threatening to erupt, he...definitely enjoyed feeling her arms around him.

He held a blink for a moment longer than necessary. Questions could wait.]

I try.

[mysterical]

[When his arms wrapped around her, she let herself cry a little. Every night for two years, she'd wondered how it would feel to have this happen again. The last time had been brief and awkward. She'd barely had time to realize what he was doing before it was over and they'd been unable to look at each other.

Now, however, now was different, she hoped. She was two years older. She knew what she wanted. She truly loved him. She just...hoped that he felt the same way.]

It took you long enough, Idiot.

<3

[headfons]

[She was...crying. His brow tensed in confusion at that. All he could think to do was maybe...tighten his arms around her a little? In his mind, it had only been a short time since they saw each other. So, when he heard her words--]

...But, we were all just on Eldrant, together, -- [Pause.] --right?

Luke, you idiot!

[mysterical]

[Of course she was crying. It had been two years. But the feel of his arms around her tightening was the one thing that made her realize that it was real.

But his words...

She pulled away in shock, tears stopping in concession.]

Luke, it's been two years since then.

action;

[sacredashes]

[Asch had been taking a shortcut through the square, his arms occupied with mundane supplies-- groceries, mainly, with some rope shoved into the top. Because you never had too much rope. He stops at the edge of the square, feeling Luke and their resonance before actually seeing him.

He... was here?

Asch glances over his shoulder and sees Luke then, apparently as confused as his companion-- Tear. Just peachy. He's tempted to keep walking, to turn his back on his replica and disappear into obscurity and never return.

But... that's not the way Asch does things. Just looking at Luke reminds him of everything that was at stake. He has to know. Before he can go on some stupid journey, before he can try to go home-- he has to know.]

You.

[His voice cuts the distance between him and the other redhead. Why bother using the link when they're so close, anyway? He ditches the bag of groceries, leaving it on a bench as he makes his way toward Luke. The crowd parts hastily, and it's a good thing, too-- Asch is armed and cranky and he pushes people who don't move fast enough.]

Did you finish it? Did you free Lorelei and kill Van? Answer me!

[mysterical]

[The sight of Asch is just as painful as that of Luke. Tear wishes Natalia was here, to see the former God-General alive, whole, and just as angry as ever.

And rude too.]

Yes. We did.

[headfons]

[Painful, indeed. Luke can only...stare, at first. The last time he saw that face, it was pale. Lifeless. Peaceful, even (pretty much the exact opposite of how it looks now). He wonders how Natalia would react to seeing him...completely fine. His silence lingers on as he attempts to piece together a response.

Fortunately, Tear answers for him.

Luke's expression tenses for a moment and he nods in agreement with her response. His throat is suddenly...a little dry, but he force out something. Anything.]

Yeah... [That works.]

[sacredashes]

[When Luke gives his confirmation, it's not quite the answer Asch is expecting. Maybe more excuses, or maybe yelling back, but... the fight is gone. Asch realizes belatedly that the fight's left him, too. The world's okay. Everything's... okay.

He lets out a little breath he didn't realize he was holding, and then he closes his eyes.]

Then it's done. [He's not even going to thank them, he just--] It's over.

[mysterical]

[She feels strange looking at them both again. The last she knew, Asch was gone, his fonons strengthening Luke for the final battle against Van.

She's as old as both of them now, and just as lost in trying to figure out her place in the world.]

We won, but the real work was after that.

[voice]

[abundantlove]

That was so touching!

I don't really know what happened but I can just feel the love radiating off of this moment!

[voice]

[mysterical]

[Tear looks around, trying to figure how where that voice is coming from.]

Who's there?

[voice]

[headfons]

[He's hearing the voice as well, his eyes scanning the area right along with hers.]

...Huh?

[voice]

[abundantlove]

Huh? You can't hear this? It's coming from your journal, silly!

[voice]

[mysterical]

[Tear looks at Luke before turning around and spotting the journal lying face up and open. She takes out her staff and sort of pokes the thing in confusion.

Talking books? What was wrong with this world?]

Hello? Who is this?

[Voice]

[jadethenecromancer]

...My, my.

[Jade has been keeping an eye on his journal since Asch showed up, and sure enough, familiar voices continued to pop up.]

It seems I've missed a great deal. When is the wedding?

[Voice]

[mysterical]

[Hearing a familiar voice was comforting amidst all the confusion she'd felt since arriving in this...place.

Even if he was teasing. Always teasing. She sure isn't blushing.]

Colonel!

[Voice]

[headfons]

[Oh, okay. More weird talking through the book.

But it is actually nice to hear his voice--in spite of the fact that he was spouting...embarrassing things at them. He's totally not blushing, either. Not at all.]

S-seriously, Jade? That's the first thing you have to ask us? [He sighs and gives a bit of a smile.] Nice to hear from you, too. Mind telling us where you are?

[Voice]

[jadethenecromancer]

On a ship, naturally. We can't all be preoccupied with affairs of the heart.

[No, he will never stop teasing.]

Fortunately we docked at Isla Empieza recently. Are you two still at the town square?

[Voice]

[mysterical]

[Tear looks around, ignoring the first half of his comment so that she doesn't have to deal with the fact that she might have hugged Luke as soon as she saw him, in public. She'll deal with that later.]

Yes, we are near a non-functioning fountain. And we have an unconscious Asch with us as well.

[Don't ask.]

[action]

[failguardian]

[A glimpse of brown catches Anise's eye, and she whirls around, stopping right in her tracks. There's some angry muttering as her sudden halt causes someone to almost bump into her, but she's too distracted to notice. Isn't that...]

[Tear and Luke? But...she had seen Asch and Guy already. How could four people on Auldrant wind up here in the same day?]

[At least, she's pretty sure that's Luke and not Asch. Well, nothing to do but go check and see! Confusion giving way to excitement, she rapidly darts through the crowd.]

Tear! Luke! Wait up!

[action]

[headfons]

[The familiar voice causes him to blink instantaneously, before turning in the direction in which it's coming. When his eyes land on the familiar dark-haired girl, his face lights up a bit--because it's a genuine relief to see another friend. Of course, this is immediately followed by a feeling of worry and confusion...

There are a million questions that need to be answered. Fortunately, though, he knows that he can rely on everyone he's come across, so far, from back home. He knows that, if they all put their heads together, they'll manage to figure out a way back home. He firmly believes this. There's no way they made it through everything they have...just to wind up trapped in some strange world.

A softened smile--one that doesn't do much to hide his mixture of feelings regarding the situation--appears on his face. Turning completely toward his friend, he rests a hand on his hip.]

Anise! You're here, too?

[action]

[mysterical]

[For Tear, it's literally only been moments since seeing her friend. Hearing that the younger girl had been here for while, along with Jade, was a little strange, but it's still nice to be around others that she's sure she can trust. For the most part.]

Anise? What are you doing here?

[action]

[failguardian]

[She comes to a stop right in front of them, hands on her hips, smiling widely. It really is them!]

I've bee-

[Wait. Hang on. Finally, being this close to them, she sees what she had first overlooked in her excitement: that very familiar person Luke is carrying on her back.]

[Her voice rises in pitch and volume as she squawks:]

Is that Asch?

[Hopefully that's not going to wake him up.]

[action]

[headfons]

[He isn't surprised at her reaction, actually. There's a mixture of emotions on his face as he glances over his shoulder just a bit to his original. He holds a smile on his lips, but it's clear even he isn't sure how to feel at the moment.]

Uh... yeah.

[He glances over at Tear- well, she IS the reason Asch is knocked out, so...yeah.]

We were trying to talk him into staying with us, but...