[OOC] Tear Character Background
Mar. 8th, 2009 03:05 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
nightcrossedNote: Information is assimilated from the video game Tales of the Abyss, Tales of the Abyss the TV Animation, various drama CDs and Tales of Fandom: Volume 2 (Tear's Story). Each one adds a little bit more to Tear's background, and for the most part they fit together pretty well. I'll be favoring the videogame and the anime, and where they differ considerably, the game. I don't like the manga so much, so I will probably not bring in anything new from that source.
Pre-Game: Back in the day, the Fende family was a family of nobles in the land of Hod that served another noble family, that of House Gardios. Van Grants (Vandesdelca Musto Fende) was caretaker to the family's young heir Gailardia Galan Gardios and his sister Mary. Fende is said to be one of the seven sages that served Yulia, and the family has continued to pass down Yulia's hymns and abilities. Some say they are her descendants.
Tear Grants (born as Mystearica Aura Fende) is Van's sister, and one of the few survivors of the collapse of Hod. Their father died in the city's collapse and their mother (pregnant at the time) followed shortly after her second child was born, but Tear survived and was raised by her brother and adopted grandfather, Mayor Teodoro, in Yulia City, a city beneath the planet's surface in a place called the Qliphoth which suffers from no sunlight and a sea of toxic mist called miasma.
The construction of the planet is thus: because of the existence of seventh fonons in the planet's core (seventh fonons are more-or-less sound elements), the planet's core vibrates. This vibration is known as the Planet Storm and is responsible for the dispersal of seventh fonons throughout the land and also for the miasmic activity. The miasma generally stays in the Qliphoth. Above the Qliphoth is a suspended mass of land and water called the Outer Lands, held in place because they are situated on a series of structures called Sephiroth Trees. Each of these can be controlled individually (raised or lowered) by activating one of numerous Passage Rings which are located in ancient buildings and tunnels around the surface. The Outer Lands were raised long ago so that people could live a happy life in the sun and fresh air without being affected by the miasma. The people below in Yulia City are much more aware of the planet's structure and history than those above ground and are called the "watchers".
Tear grows up learning about the Score - Yulia's teachings as a result of the pact she formed with Lorelei (a sort of god that exists within the planet, considered to be the planet's "memory"). The Score is written on numerous fonstones (once suspended in the sky, they have since broken into smaller pieces and become largely scattered). People will often have their Score read at special events so they will know what path to follow for a more prosperous future. The Score basically tells the past, present, and future, sometimes being extremely vague, but more-or-less acting as a prophecy for the people. Because no one wants to bring ruin to themselves or their countries, they follow the score religiously.
It is interesting to note that Tear as a child is quite different from the Tear we see now. In fact, she was a lot like Luke - naive, stubborn, somewhat spoiled, and blindly devoted to Van (albeit Tear was also a squeaky little moeblob).
Apparently Van is the person who planted the selenia flowers in Yulia City, and it's on one particular occasion that a flower is withering and the two are bent over it that they discover that Tear, like her brother, can control the seventh fonon. Tear just doesn't want the flower to die and so (while begging the flower to cheer up) she casts a healing spell on it. Van, however, is amazed that his sister possesses the same powers he does, and seeing how happy he is, Tear makes a promise to join the Oracle Knights and stay by her brother's side.
It's worth mentioning that Van was always obsessed with their homeland, Hod, and getting revenge for its collapse. He tends to monologue about it all the time and proceeds to ask Tear if she understands. Since Tear was still in the womb at the time of Hod's collapse, she doesn't feel any particular allegience to the fallen city, and as a result, she can never understand what Van is thinking.
Nevertheless, she sets about finding a way to join the Oracle Knights - there's a training school in Daath, and she wants to go there (her brother often visits Daath, while he's not busy, you know, overseeing some fomicry experiments involving Luke fon Fabre and plotting revenge and all that). Van and Governor Teodoro will hear nothing of this, however, and as a result Van brings Legretta the Quick to Yulia City to act as a "home tutor" for Tear. Is she happy? No. Basically Tear pulls a temper tantrum and locks herself in her room. Legretta, the ever-obedient subordinate, ends up waiting for Tear who's busy sulking and couldn't care less how long she inconveniences her.
But then there's an accident in town where a bunch of rappigs are slaughtered. Teodoro, trying to keep the peace, goes to find Tear and asks her to apologize for what she didn't do. (We all know Tear wouldn't slay a bunch of "cute" rappigs, and she was in her room the whole time anyway. I mean come on!) Tear doesn't want to, and Legretta tells her she shouldn't have to, then proceeds to investigate; she finds the culprit. Tear is moved, even after Legretta insists she was just doing her job. Now that Tear thinks she's-so-cool-I-want-to-be-just-like-her she readily accepts Legretta as her teacher, and Legretta is credited with Tear's change in attitude and disposition (and if it were logical, I'd say how much she matures in just TWO YEARS) and much of her combat training.
Tear finally gets her chance to go to Daath, but apparently the instructor there, Cantabile, thinks she's got a little too much proud spirit. Not only does Tear go against Legretta's teachings of never purposely letting her guard down in order tocheat win a match against another student, but Cantabile totally sees through to her true motives and is able to read into Tear's rebellious silence. Cantabile tells her she's still too soft, and is not ready to join the Knights if she's only doing so to force herself into a position at her brother's side.
It is some time after this that Tear returns to Yulia City only to find that her brother is also visiting. When she goes to see him, she hears him talking to Legretta about Asch getting suspicious and tells Legretta to have Sync keep an eye on him. He tells her of his plans to destroy the Outer Lands. Tear, shocked, immediately confronts him.
Van, being Van, asks her what she plans to do, and tells her that unless she can pick up a sword and strike him, she has no hope of accomplishing anything. Tear insists that she could never do such a thing. Van then goes into big brother mode again, asking her about Hod and if she understands what all this means. She doesn't.
Tear finally finds her resolve, however. Eventually she moves. And she pierces him through with the sword. Then... then she starts crying about it. Never fear, however, Van is not dead.
She returns to Cantabile in Daath and requests to be stationed under Grand Maestro Mohs. Cantabile fills her request, and it is then that Tear is given the mission to search for the seventh fonstone (one said to tell the future), gathers up that newly found resolve, and heads to Baticul in the Kimlascan Empire, her true goal to stop Van.
During Game: Tear makers her first appearance as she prepares to travel Yulia Road towards the Outer Lands in search of Van. Some time after this she enters the Fabre Mansion where Van is teaching his young pupil about combat and swordsmanship. After reciting a fonic hymn to put the maids and other inhabitants to sleep, Tear challenges her brother. Things do not go according to plan, however, as Luke fon Fabre, Van's pupil, jumps in to save his master. Because both Tear and Luke control the seventh fonon, their like abilities react to one another - creating a hyperresonance and teleporting them to Tataroo Valley in enemy Malkuth territory.
Luke, being the son of a duke and having been kidnapped when he was only ten years old (this was seven years ago) has pretty much been kept under lock and key and has never been outside the manor before. Tear, feeling responsible for accidentally "kidnapping" him, takes it upon herself to escort Luke back to his mansion. Tear ends up giving a man they come across in the valley her mother's memento (a star saphire pendant) in exchange for a coach ride back to the capital. Luke, oblivious to the value it has to Tear, makes a remark about how she does have a few things of value and that it's a great thing he'll be able to ride in a coach (so he won't "get his shoes dirty"). Tear is not particularly happy about this.
While riding, they end up running across a Malkuth Land Dreadnaught (a land ship) that's chasing the bandit group "Dark Wings". The coach is warned to turn back, and the bridge they were planning to cross gets destroyed in the crossfire. Since the coach driver thought the capital they were headed to was Grand Chokmah rather than Baticul anyway, the two are forced to get off.
The two wind up in Engeve, where Luke proves his inexperience further by taking an apple from a vendor without paying for it. He gets dragged away and accused of thievery, with Tear following behind. They soon learn that cheagles (small creatures protected by the Order of Lorelei) have been stealing food from the town. Fon Master Ion has recently arrived to see to this matter, and Tear decides it may be best to go to him for help in returning Luke to his home. It is here in Engeve that they also meet General Jade Curtiss (better known as the "Necromancer") and Fon Master Guardian Anise Tatlin who looks after Ion. Since Luke's still sour about being mistaken for the thief, the two head into the Cheagle Woods where they learn that the cheagles have been stealing food to give to carnivorous ligers. (They also find Ion collapsed here.) It seems that a young cheagle accidentally set the liger's home on fire, and the ligers have been roaming closer to the town ever since. The group decides to help the cheagles by going to see to these ligers, but since things can't end peacefully, they're forced to kill the queen and her eggs. The cheagles end up donating one of their own, the exiled Mieu, to the group along with the sorceror's ring that allows Mieu to communicate with them and breathe fire. (Note: Tear is totally fangirling the cheagles in secret during this whole endeavor. =D) Unfortunately, the misunderstandings don't end here, and seeing Tear and Luke as potential enemies, they are taken hostage aboard the land ship from before (the Tartarus) thanks to Jade and Anise.
Jade reveals that they were taken hostage because he's interested in the hyperresonance that occured between them. He's also planning to take Ion to Kimlasca to stop a war from occuring, and when he learns that Luke is the duke's son, recruits his help. While on the way, the Tartarus is hijacked by the six God-Generals and it is a while before the party regains control of it. Luke makes his weakness and utter dislike of killing fairly obvious at this time, and Tear pretty much just tries to keep him out of harm's way. What the God-Generals really seem to want is Ion's cooperation; he is necessary for them to reach the Sephiroth Trees. The wave of events leads to Jade having a fonslot seal placed on him, limiting his abilities, Guy coming to save the day after growing worried about Luke's disappearance, and the group heading to St. Binah to find Anise, but they are hindered. The strain of dealing with the Sephiroth leaves Ion weak and he collapses.
The group then heads across the Fubras River to reach Kaitzur and have another run in with Arietta the Wild, one of the God-Generals who is furious that they killed the liger queen (her "mother") back in the Cheagle Woods. The group gains the upper hand, but both Luke and Ion stop Jade from dealing the final blow. In Kaitzur the group is finally able to meet up with Anise, but they are attacked by Asch the Bloody.
Van comes to their apparent rescue, but Tear is not convinced. She believes that her brother is actually the one trying to start the war, but at this point Luke is so engrossed in the idea that Master Van came looking for him that he doesn't give Tear's claims much thought and she is forced to bide to avoid causing a scene. Arietta ends up attacking the port in Kaitzur and kidnaps the maintenance chief, fleeing into the Choral Castle. The party follows and Sync and Dist manage to get a hold of Luke. Before fleeing they drop a fon disc by accident. Apparently this is where Luke was found when he was kidnapped as a child, and the machine they find there is related to the fonon replication process.
The group heads back to the port to take a ship to Chesedonia. Aboard the ship Luke starts telling Tear a little bit about the kidnapping and how he doesn't understand what a Seventh Fonist is, and she begins explaining things to him with a little more patience than usual, perhaps because she feels sorry for him. Afterwards Luke starts suffering from another of his headaches and Van coaches him through it, at the same time starting to put ideas in Luke's head about him becoming a hero and being important, which pretty much begins the process of puffing Luke up and distracting him from things that are starting to unfold.
In Chesedonia the group meets up with Astor who examines the fon disc, but not until after the results come in. The data is about "isofons" - two things that share the same fonon frequency. They are created through a technology called "fomicry" which allows for replicas of things to be created, but the frequency is rarely the same, even if the two things look alike. On the way out Tear does some wallet returning.
The group finally makes it back to Baticul and go to consult the king, but Grand Maestro Mohs is already in the audience chamber and has apparently been spouting a bunch of lies. Tear can't quite believe this, seeing as she's his subordinate. Meanwhile, back in the Fabre mansion, Natalia is waiting for them - she's Baticul's princess and Luke's betrothed.
The king appoints Luke as a goodwill ambassador, a go-between to help maintain peace between the two countries. The plan is to have Luke go to the mining town, Akzeriuth. Van has a talk with Luke and explains part of the Score to him which says he'll be used as a weapon of war. Van suggests that Luke use a hyperresonance to destroy the miasma that has been spreading through the town as an act of peace rather than letting himself be used by Kimlasca.
Getting there doesn't prove easy, so Van goes ahead in a decoy ship while the others decide to go via land. They enter an abandoned factory in Baticul where Natalia threatens to tell the others about the conversation between Luke and Van if she isn't allowed to join them. Naturally, Luke is forced to agree. It's raining when they exit the factory and the God-Generals are using Ion again. Luke makes a run for them and Asch moves to stop him, revealing that Asch looks eerily like Luke. Luke is struck dumb by this similarity, and the others are also confused.
Luke starts having headaches again, and it is revealed that Asch can communicate with him via hyperresonance. He warns Luke that Ion is being taken to the Zao Ruins. When they arrive, Ion is removing a Daathic seal that's been put on the door to the Sephiroth there. Sync ends up making a deal with them to leave in exchange for Ion and they agree, but something's wrong - and it shows itself in Chesedonia where Guy turns on Luke because a curse slot has been placed on him, digging up old memories and resentment towards the Fabres. Though they manage to get Guy under control, the problem isn't resolved.
They end up taking the Deo Pass to Akzeriuth and have a run in with Legretta the Quick, Tear's former instructer. She tries to convince Tear to join her, but Tear refuses.
Finally reaching Akzeriuth (and I do mean finally), they find it clouded by miasma. Tear is called off by Mohs to investigate what they think is the Seventh Fonstone (it turns out to be a fake) while Van lures Luke into the Sephiroth to cause a hyperresonance that doesn't get rid of the miasma, but instead causes the passage ring to fall and the land around Akzeriuth to collapse. At this point, Van calls Luke a replica and he gets knocked out.
Tear protects the group by casting a fonic hymn to create a barrier around them. They find themselves within the Qliphoth where Tear takes the opportunity to explain that 2000 years ago, when Auldrant (the planet) was covered in miasma, Yulia's Score sealed the miasma underground by raising the planet's crust into the air. Tear offers to take the group to Yulia city where they can discuss what to do and how to get back to the surface.
In Yulia City, Asch and Luke once again butt heads, this time Asch informs Luke that the reason they look so similar is because Luke is actually a replica - a copy - of himself. Luke can hardly believe what he is hearing, and the two end up getting into a scuffle. Since Asch is much more capable with a sword than Luke is, Luke is knocked unconscious and taken to Tear's room to rest. Though many of the others, no longer happy with Luke's selfish behavior, opt to go with Asch back up to the surface by using the Sephiroth, Tear stays behind with Mieu and the sleeping Luke. The others head up to Belkend to see what Van's been using the replication facility there for. They find out that Jade is actually the father of fomicry, and that one of the researchers, Spinoza, is a spy for Van. Guy later announces that he's leaving because he's worried about Luke. The others and Asch head to the Ortion Cavern to investigate more fon machines, and find out that the city of St. Binah has become unstable and may soon fall. Luke is able to see through Asch's eyes during his time due to their connection, but is eventually able to wake up.
At this point, Luke knows that he has gotten out of line and that he needs to make ammends for his mistakes by changing. He walks outside to find Tear. Asking her for one of her throwing knives, Luke vows to change and slices off his hair, signifying that he is no longer the same person. He asks Tear to watch over him and make sure that he does indeed change for the better and she readily promises to do so. The two consult Teodoro and find out that Hod collapsed because it was a part of the Score and thus allowed to happen. Tear is shocked when she discovers this, and it is decided that just because things are written in the Score, it doesn't mean they should be allowed to happen - such as the war between Malkuth and Kimlasca. Still being worried for St. Binah and hoping that they can do something to stop its collapse, the two then take Yulia Road back up to the Outer Lands. On the way back Tear confides in Luke a bit and explains some of her past, telling him that Van has always hated the Score. She has decided to follow and stop Van, and that the search for the Seventh Fonstone had just become a convenient excuse.
They reach the surface via a spring and find Guy waiting for them, and later they find Jade as well. Luke realizes that redeeming himself will be a long road. They head to Daath to rescue Natalia and Ion who have been kidnapped by Mohs in order to fuel the war. They bump into Anise once again in Daath as well.
Though the group had planned to visit Emperor Peony himself, they are stopped at the port and forced to report to Keterburg instead. It turns out the governor of Keterburg is Jade's sister and she ends up calling Luke back to tell him about why Jade created fomicry since he's a replica and she thinks it'll help shed some light on his origin. The group heads through the Theor Forest, are attacked by Largo, and then captured (again) and taken to Grand Chokmah where they meet with Peony and find out that Kimlasca has declared war on Malkuth because they think Natalia is dead. Back in St. Binah the land is collapsing slowly, and after consulting Iemon in Sheridan, the group is able to use a flying machine to warn the town and enable them to evacuate.
The city is still in danger of disappearing beneath the miasma however. The group realizes that if they could control the Sephiroth, it might be possible to lower the Outer Lands slowly and keep them from simply sinking. They travel to Yulia City and receive insight into the working of the passage rings. The passage rings must be operated by a Seventh Fonist, and by lowering the lands slowly, they can be kept from sinking further, but cannot be raised to their old height.
They head to the passage ring at Shurrey Hill and give it a try. Because a Yulian seal has been placed on the passage ring, it requires Tear's assistance. Jade guides Luke into using hyperresonance to cut out a code that will revive the Sephiroth. However, it turns out the Sephiroth Tree supports a much larger land mass than they originally expected and that Engeve may fall as well. This means Engeve must also be evacuated.
They return to the Outer Lands to find that the two countries have really gone to war and that the battlefield is right over an area set to collapse. Tear says this must be all according to Van's plans - people obeyed the score and by removing the Sephiroth, he'll be able to take out a large number of people at once. The group splits up and each half heads to the capitals with Natalia and Jade respectively to negotiate a cease-fire. They are able to use the Albiore to relocate women, children, and the elderly from Engeve, but the rest are forced to walk across the battlefield.
To complicate matters, Mohs brings up the suggestion that Natalia is a fake princess in order to prevent the cease-fire. This revelation turns out to be true, and it's enough to sway the king so that he doesn't listen to Natalia's pleas for a cease-fire. Since nothing much can be done to convince the countries' rulers, the group sets about trying to lower the Sephiroth trees slowly so that they don't collapse suddenly and sink into the mantle.
Unfortunately, the Sephiroth Trees go out of control. Tear explains that her grandfather isn't allowed to know everything about the Score and that he may not be able to help them, so they go to see Ion instead. Ion, also, has never read the Closed Score, but he offers to read the parts about the collapse to them. The group agrees but little new information comes of this. The group starts thinking that maybe the Seventh Fonstone has the information they need to fix things. Tear then points out that the Score says nothing about replicas. Van was using replicas, it seems, to overturn the Score.
The group runs into Mohs and Tear tries to tell him that they've already diverged from the Score, but he won't listen, instead they are captured in an attempt to restart the war between Malkuth and Kimlasca.
Natalia's birth is revealed and the king still refuses to listen to his daughter. Asch and the townspeople come to the party's rescue and they are able to flee Baticul.
The group heads for Belkend again where Luke is mistaken for Asch and taken to see Van. Van confirms his plans to drop the Outer Lands into the Qliphoth the deviate from the Score, explaining that Lorelei and the collective consciousness of the Seventh Fonon created the Score. He wants to create replicas who will be free of the Score.
When Luke is able to return to the others, they decide that they must lower all of the Outer Lands slowly and then find a way to stop the core's vibration while leaving the Planet Storm (theat lends to fon technology and fonic artes) active - which will then stop the liquefaction of the miasma. The group can no longer rely on hints from the Score which may no longer be functioning, so they set to work. They enlist the help of rival scientists from Belkend and Sheridan to create a fon machine to stop the core's vibration.
The group begins lowering the Outer Lands, starting with the Sephiroth in Tataroo Valley. Luke makes some comment about the first time he visited the valley, but Tear's memories of the place are not so positive and she reacts coldly. Natalia is also able to reunite with her father, and talk of peace is set in motion.
After leaving Sheridan and facing Sync, Tear's body is taken over by Lorelei who warns the group that something huge is trying to absorb its power and that that is why the Sephiroth went out of control.
During the lowering of the Outer Lands, Tear starts looking pale and falls ill. After taking her to a doctor, they discover that because the seventh fonons near the Passage Rings are tainted with miasma, Tear is taking in some of these fonons and is being poisoned as a result. Apparently there's no way to get rid of these seventh fonons and if she continues helping the group and taking in more of the miasma, she'll die. Nobody wants to sacrifice Tear of course, but they need her to lower the land since she's the only one related to Yulia; Luke seems especially troubled by the idea, but the group is forced to continue lowering the land for the sake of everyone on the planet. Though Tear puts on a brave face, she's actually very scared about the prospect of dying.
The group heads to the Meggiora Highlands where Legretta tries to convince Tear to join her once again, knowing full well that Tear's being contaminated by the miasma, but she refuses. Legretta warns them that the world will continue along the path of the Seventh Fonstone, despite minor deviations from the Score, and Guy realizes that that's what he saw in the core and why no one had been able to find it.
Tear later accompanies Asch to the Ortion Cavern for fear that the seventh fonons that are making her sick might also affect Van. She tries to talk him into giving up his plans just once more, but he refused. At this point Tear resolves to fight her brother no matter what.
The party heads to Mt. Roneal and encounter the God-Generals who are knocked over the edge of a bank during an avalanche. After operating Mt. Roneal's passage ring, they discover that the memory particles that made up the Sephiroth Trees have started to flow in reverse from the Absorbtion Gate. All of this seems to have been Van's doing.
Upon reaching the Absorbtion Gate, an earthquake causes the floor beneath them to crumble and the group is seperated (Tear and Luke are stuck together, since Tear falls over the edge and Luke tries to catch her and fails; the result is some nice bonding time). When they come back together, they face off against Van who, defeated, falls into the planet's core.
Lorelei contacts Luke with the message: "Luke! I will send you the key! Use it to set me free! ...One who would
seize glory...is trying to capture me..."
Yeah, it ain't over.
Everyone has gone home more-or-less, but things don't seem quite right. The group discovers that the Planet Storm has actually been strengthened and that the God-Generals, and Van, may still be alive. During this time, Tear returned to Yulia City. Luke finds her praying at her brother's grave and he prays for Van also. Luke confesses to Tear that he's still trying to find himself and to discover his purpose for living since Van never excepted him and he's only a replica. Tear offers to come with them, and the two head off to Daath to deliver a report on the Planet Storm.
After delivering the report to Ion, they discover the activity in the Planet Storm is being caused by a large-scale consumption of the Seventh Fonon (later that it's Van's plan to recreate a world of replicas and revive Hod).
It seems Lorelei sent a Sword to Asch and a Jewel to Luke, but Luke apparently didn't receive what he sent and Asch yells at him for it. There's also a report from General Frings that Kimlasca attacked them... but the soldiers' eyes were dead. Natalia arrives and says the same thing, only about Malkuth. As it turns out, the armies are from neither side, but are replicas.
Tear's condition later gets worse due to the increased activity of the Planet Storm and the miasma acting up again. Anise ends up betraying Ion, who is taken away by Mohs. She's apparently been his spy the whole time.
The group finds itself surrounded by replicas of those close to them (Guy's sister, General Frings, Iemon...) as Anise makes her escape. Arietta appears on one of the ligers and tells the group where Ion has been taken. Tear uses an arte to put the replicas to sleep, and they head off to the Zao Ruins to rescue Ion. When they arive, Ion is reading the Score and has already used up almost all of his powers. Luke, Tear, and the others yell for Ion to stop, but he continues, growing so weak that he finally collapses. Luke and Tear rush to his side, and Ion explains that the last part of the Score he read for Luke's benefit, to show him one possible future. Ion then finishes what he had started to say before about knowing of a way to get rid of the miasma polluting Tear's body. During his final moments, Ion draws the tainted seventh fonons from Tear's body into his own, healing her in the process and perhaps quickening his own inevitable death.
The group travels to the Isle of Feres in order to destroy a replica creation facility. During their time in these ruins, the ground begins to shake and the land of Hod begins rising out of the water in the form of Eldrant. Van is taking the next step to achieving his goals.
Mohs, tricked by Dist into becomming a monster, goes crazy and they are forced to kill him. A summit meeting is held in Daath among Governer Teodoro, Emperor Peony, and King Inglebert to discuss what to do about the problem of Eldrant and the replicas.
The group heads over to the Tower of Rem in order to stop Asch who plans to sacrifice himself to stop the miasma, although Luke's convinced that he should take Asch's place. Luke uses the Sword of Lorelei to destroy the miasma, but it isn't enough. Asch is forced to jump in and cooperate together with Luke. Their efforts succeed and the miasma disappears. They discover that Luke really did receive the Jewel of Lorelei and that they know have what they need to complete the Jewel of Lorelei, but their problems are far from over.
After Luke and Asch work together with the replicas at the Tower of Rem to rid the world of the spreading miasma, Luke is prompted to go see a doctor to make sure that he is really okay. The doctor tells Luke that the seventh fonons inside his body are already seperating and that his cells will start breaking down. In short - Luke's going to die, no matter what happens. When Luke meets up with the others, he tells them that the doctor said he'll be fine, but Jade sees right through lie. Mieu overhears the truth and goes to tell Tear. Tear, saddened, goes to confront Luke about it in the Fabre Masion. Luke admits that he's scared to die, but that he'd hate it if everyone knew the truth and started treating him differently.
Teodoro tells the group that by using the Sword of Lorelei they can draw a glyph at the Absorbtion Gate to control the Planet Storm. There, they run into Van who tries to convince Asch to help him. Asch promptly refuses.
The party is forced to face Largo who is killed. Luke uses the Jewel of Lorelei and is sucked into the planet's core and is able to see the planet's memory and contact Asch who's in danger. They manage to close the Absorbtion Gate and assist Ion's replica, Florian, back to Daath whom the God-Generals had with them at the Absorbtion Gate.
The group ask for Noelle's assistance and recieve cooperation from the navy to try to penetrate the barrier around Eldrant. They take the night before the plan goes into action, and Tear is able to spend it peacefully with Luke, although neither is able to admit his or her feelings.
After making it into Eldrant, the group is forced to battle it out first with Legretta. During their wanderings, Luke falls through a trapdoor and into the enemy's hold, but Asch is already there. The two battle it out to see who will face Van. Since Luke wins, Asch takes it upon himself to battle the Oracle soldiers while Luke escapes. Luke once again meets up with the others who have come to his rescue and travel further into Hod which is recreating itself as its own replica. Just after passing the place which was Guy's childhood home, the group encounters Sync. He is their final adversary before they head into the heart of Hod to discover whether Van still lives.
In the heart of Eldrant, the group finds Van alive. In order to free Lorelei who is trapped within Van's body, the group has to fight Van once again. Van tells Tear that the only way they can succeed is if she can recite the Grand Fonic Hymn in its entirety. Though Van doesn't seem to think she can, Tear explains to him that she can hear the thoughts and emotions of Lorelei. As Tear starts to sing, Luke deals the final blow. The seventh fonons in Van's body begin to disperse and it seems the journey is nearly over.
Luke bids his farewells to the group. Tear takes this opportunity to tell Luke that she'll always be waiting for him and asks him to promise that he'll come back home. He promises to do so, and the group heads out with Tear looking the most reluctant. Staying behind, Luke uses the Key of Lorelei to free it (Lorelei) and help restore the balance of seventh fonons in the planet's core. As Eldrant begins to crumble, Asch falls through the ceiling and is caught in Luke's arms. The voice of Lorelei can be heard commending Luke as he disappears.
The Two Years And Game End: Some time after the events in Eldrant, Tear goes to visit Mieu in the Cheagle Woods. The cheagle is incredibly happy to see her and asks after the others and how they are doing. Tear goes on to explain that she ran into Anise recently in Daath where she helped her find the young fon master replica, Florian, who had disappeared into the city. She relates that the others seem to be doing well. Jade and Dist have made plans to restart research on fomicry and Guy went to visit Natalia to warn her that some important people are making plans to marry her and Peony together (I guess as a sign of peace and to combine the two kingdoms). Peony doesn't want this, so he's seeking her help in finding a way around it. Mieu asks Tear if Luke has come back yet, and she admits that he hasn't, but she still strongly believes that he will. Mieu comments on Tear's pendant, a memento of her mother's, and Tear tells Mieu about selling it to buy passage to the capital, and how later on Luke tracked it down and bought it back for her.
Two years later, on the original Luke's birthday, the others are gathered in the Tataroo Valley at night, while Tear sings the Grand Fonic Hymn amongst the selenia flowers. When questioned as to why she didn't attend Luke's coming of age ceremony, she explains that she has no interest in a party being thrown in front of Luke's grave. As the others are getting ready to depart, a young man appears, looking much like Luke. When Tear asks him "Why are you here?" he explains that "This place has a nice view of Hod, and I promised someone." While it's left up in the air as to whether this person is Asch, Luke, or a combination of the two, I prefer to think that it is at least "mostly" Luke here, since Asch's consciousness died long before Luke freed Lorelei. After that, it seemed like Asch's consciousness went into Luke, but it was more of an afterthought than anything. Everything about the ending pretty much points to replica Luke (the imagery, what the characters say, him mentioning his promise to Tear), although I imagine he combined with Asch's body and is no longer a replica, per se.
Tear is pulled from the end of the game, right when the screen goes black. Her face was still puffy from crying. As cliche as it is, I just couldn't think of a better place to pull her from earlier in the game.
Pre-Game: Back in the day, the Fende family was a family of nobles in the land of Hod that served another noble family, that of House Gardios. Van Grants (Vandesdelca Musto Fende) was caretaker to the family's young heir Gailardia Galan Gardios and his sister Mary. Fende is said to be one of the seven sages that served Yulia, and the family has continued to pass down Yulia's hymns and abilities. Some say they are her descendants.
Tear Grants (born as Mystearica Aura Fende) is Van's sister, and one of the few survivors of the collapse of Hod. Their father died in the city's collapse and their mother (pregnant at the time) followed shortly after her second child was born, but Tear survived and was raised by her brother and adopted grandfather, Mayor Teodoro, in Yulia City, a city beneath the planet's surface in a place called the Qliphoth which suffers from no sunlight and a sea of toxic mist called miasma.
The construction of the planet is thus: because of the existence of seventh fonons in the planet's core (seventh fonons are more-or-less sound elements), the planet's core vibrates. This vibration is known as the Planet Storm and is responsible for the dispersal of seventh fonons throughout the land and also for the miasmic activity. The miasma generally stays in the Qliphoth. Above the Qliphoth is a suspended mass of land and water called the Outer Lands, held in place because they are situated on a series of structures called Sephiroth Trees. Each of these can be controlled individually (raised or lowered) by activating one of numerous Passage Rings which are located in ancient buildings and tunnels around the surface. The Outer Lands were raised long ago so that people could live a happy life in the sun and fresh air without being affected by the miasma. The people below in Yulia City are much more aware of the planet's structure and history than those above ground and are called the "watchers".
Tear grows up learning about the Score - Yulia's teachings as a result of the pact she formed with Lorelei (a sort of god that exists within the planet, considered to be the planet's "memory"). The Score is written on numerous fonstones (once suspended in the sky, they have since broken into smaller pieces and become largely scattered). People will often have their Score read at special events so they will know what path to follow for a more prosperous future. The Score basically tells the past, present, and future, sometimes being extremely vague, but more-or-less acting as a prophecy for the people. Because no one wants to bring ruin to themselves or their countries, they follow the score religiously.
It is interesting to note that Tear as a child is quite different from the Tear we see now. In fact, she was a lot like Luke - naive, stubborn, somewhat spoiled, and blindly devoted to Van (albeit Tear was also a squeaky little moeblob).
Apparently Van is the person who planted the selenia flowers in Yulia City, and it's on one particular occasion that a flower is withering and the two are bent over it that they discover that Tear, like her brother, can control the seventh fonon. Tear just doesn't want the flower to die and so (while begging the flower to cheer up) she casts a healing spell on it. Van, however, is amazed that his sister possesses the same powers he does, and seeing how happy he is, Tear makes a promise to join the Oracle Knights and stay by her brother's side.
It's worth mentioning that Van was always obsessed with their homeland, Hod, and getting revenge for its collapse. He tends to monologue about it all the time and proceeds to ask Tear if she understands. Since Tear was still in the womb at the time of Hod's collapse, she doesn't feel any particular allegience to the fallen city, and as a result, she can never understand what Van is thinking.
Nevertheless, she sets about finding a way to join the Oracle Knights - there's a training school in Daath, and she wants to go there (her brother often visits Daath, while he's not busy, you know, overseeing some fomicry experiments involving Luke fon Fabre and plotting revenge and all that). Van and Governor Teodoro will hear nothing of this, however, and as a result Van brings Legretta the Quick to Yulia City to act as a "home tutor" for Tear. Is she happy? No. Basically Tear pulls a temper tantrum and locks herself in her room. Legretta, the ever-obedient subordinate, ends up waiting for Tear who's busy sulking and couldn't care less how long she inconveniences her.
But then there's an accident in town where a bunch of rappigs are slaughtered. Teodoro, trying to keep the peace, goes to find Tear and asks her to apologize for what she didn't do. (We all know Tear wouldn't slay a bunch of "cute" rappigs, and she was in her room the whole time anyway. I mean come on!) Tear doesn't want to, and Legretta tells her she shouldn't have to, then proceeds to investigate; she finds the culprit. Tear is moved, even after Legretta insists she was just doing her job. Now that Tear thinks she's-so-cool-I-want-to-be-just-like-her she readily accepts Legretta as her teacher, and Legretta is credited with Tear's change in attitude and disposition (and if it were logical, I'd say how much she matures in just TWO YEARS) and much of her combat training.
Tear finally gets her chance to go to Daath, but apparently the instructor there, Cantabile, thinks she's got a little too much proud spirit. Not only does Tear go against Legretta's teachings of never purposely letting her guard down in order to
It is some time after this that Tear returns to Yulia City only to find that her brother is also visiting. When she goes to see him, she hears him talking to Legretta about Asch getting suspicious and tells Legretta to have Sync keep an eye on him. He tells her of his plans to destroy the Outer Lands. Tear, shocked, immediately confronts him.
Van, being Van, asks her what she plans to do, and tells her that unless she can pick up a sword and strike him, she has no hope of accomplishing anything. Tear insists that she could never do such a thing. Van then goes into big brother mode again, asking her about Hod and if she understands what all this means. She doesn't.
Tear finally finds her resolve, however. Eventually she moves. And she pierces him through with the sword. Then... then she starts crying about it. Never fear, however, Van is not dead.
She returns to Cantabile in Daath and requests to be stationed under Grand Maestro Mohs. Cantabile fills her request, and it is then that Tear is given the mission to search for the seventh fonstone (one said to tell the future), gathers up that newly found resolve, and heads to Baticul in the Kimlascan Empire, her true goal to stop Van.
During Game: Tear makers her first appearance as she prepares to travel Yulia Road towards the Outer Lands in search of Van. Some time after this she enters the Fabre Mansion where Van is teaching his young pupil about combat and swordsmanship. After reciting a fonic hymn to put the maids and other inhabitants to sleep, Tear challenges her brother. Things do not go according to plan, however, as Luke fon Fabre, Van's pupil, jumps in to save his master. Because both Tear and Luke control the seventh fonon, their like abilities react to one another - creating a hyperresonance and teleporting them to Tataroo Valley in enemy Malkuth territory.
Luke, being the son of a duke and having been kidnapped when he was only ten years old (this was seven years ago) has pretty much been kept under lock and key and has never been outside the manor before. Tear, feeling responsible for accidentally "kidnapping" him, takes it upon herself to escort Luke back to his mansion. Tear ends up giving a man they come across in the valley her mother's memento (a star saphire pendant) in exchange for a coach ride back to the capital. Luke, oblivious to the value it has to Tear, makes a remark about how she does have a few things of value and that it's a great thing he'll be able to ride in a coach (so he won't "get his shoes dirty"). Tear is not particularly happy about this.
While riding, they end up running across a Malkuth Land Dreadnaught (a land ship) that's chasing the bandit group "Dark Wings". The coach is warned to turn back, and the bridge they were planning to cross gets destroyed in the crossfire. Since the coach driver thought the capital they were headed to was Grand Chokmah rather than Baticul anyway, the two are forced to get off.
The two wind up in Engeve, where Luke proves his inexperience further by taking an apple from a vendor without paying for it. He gets dragged away and accused of thievery, with Tear following behind. They soon learn that cheagles (small creatures protected by the Order of Lorelei) have been stealing food from the town. Fon Master Ion has recently arrived to see to this matter, and Tear decides it may be best to go to him for help in returning Luke to his home. It is here in Engeve that they also meet General Jade Curtiss (better known as the "Necromancer") and Fon Master Guardian Anise Tatlin who looks after Ion. Since Luke's still sour about being mistaken for the thief, the two head into the Cheagle Woods where they learn that the cheagles have been stealing food to give to carnivorous ligers. (They also find Ion collapsed here.) It seems that a young cheagle accidentally set the liger's home on fire, and the ligers have been roaming closer to the town ever since. The group decides to help the cheagles by going to see to these ligers, but since things can't end peacefully, they're forced to kill the queen and her eggs. The cheagles end up donating one of their own, the exiled Mieu, to the group along with the sorceror's ring that allows Mieu to communicate with them and breathe fire. (Note: Tear is totally fangirling the cheagles in secret during this whole endeavor. =D) Unfortunately, the misunderstandings don't end here, and seeing Tear and Luke as potential enemies, they are taken hostage aboard the land ship from before (the Tartarus) thanks to Jade and Anise.
Jade reveals that they were taken hostage because he's interested in the hyperresonance that occured between them. He's also planning to take Ion to Kimlasca to stop a war from occuring, and when he learns that Luke is the duke's son, recruits his help. While on the way, the Tartarus is hijacked by the six God-Generals and it is a while before the party regains control of it. Luke makes his weakness and utter dislike of killing fairly obvious at this time, and Tear pretty much just tries to keep him out of harm's way. What the God-Generals really seem to want is Ion's cooperation; he is necessary for them to reach the Sephiroth Trees. The wave of events leads to Jade having a fonslot seal placed on him, limiting his abilities, Guy coming to save the day after growing worried about Luke's disappearance, and the group heading to St. Binah to find Anise, but they are hindered. The strain of dealing with the Sephiroth leaves Ion weak and he collapses.
The group then heads across the Fubras River to reach Kaitzur and have another run in with Arietta the Wild, one of the God-Generals who is furious that they killed the liger queen (her "mother") back in the Cheagle Woods. The group gains the upper hand, but both Luke and Ion stop Jade from dealing the final blow. In Kaitzur the group is finally able to meet up with Anise, but they are attacked by Asch the Bloody.
Van comes to their apparent rescue, but Tear is not convinced. She believes that her brother is actually the one trying to start the war, but at this point Luke is so engrossed in the idea that Master Van came looking for him that he doesn't give Tear's claims much thought and she is forced to bide to avoid causing a scene. Arietta ends up attacking the port in Kaitzur and kidnaps the maintenance chief, fleeing into the Choral Castle. The party follows and Sync and Dist manage to get a hold of Luke. Before fleeing they drop a fon disc by accident. Apparently this is where Luke was found when he was kidnapped as a child, and the machine they find there is related to the fonon replication process.
The group heads back to the port to take a ship to Chesedonia. Aboard the ship Luke starts telling Tear a little bit about the kidnapping and how he doesn't understand what a Seventh Fonist is, and she begins explaining things to him with a little more patience than usual, perhaps because she feels sorry for him. Afterwards Luke starts suffering from another of his headaches and Van coaches him through it, at the same time starting to put ideas in Luke's head about him becoming a hero and being important, which pretty much begins the process of puffing Luke up and distracting him from things that are starting to unfold.
In Chesedonia the group meets up with Astor who examines the fon disc, but not until after the results come in. The data is about "isofons" - two things that share the same fonon frequency. They are created through a technology called "fomicry" which allows for replicas of things to be created, but the frequency is rarely the same, even if the two things look alike. On the way out Tear does some wallet returning.
The group finally makes it back to Baticul and go to consult the king, but Grand Maestro Mohs is already in the audience chamber and has apparently been spouting a bunch of lies. Tear can't quite believe this, seeing as she's his subordinate. Meanwhile, back in the Fabre mansion, Natalia is waiting for them - she's Baticul's princess and Luke's betrothed.
The king appoints Luke as a goodwill ambassador, a go-between to help maintain peace between the two countries. The plan is to have Luke go to the mining town, Akzeriuth. Van has a talk with Luke and explains part of the Score to him which says he'll be used as a weapon of war. Van suggests that Luke use a hyperresonance to destroy the miasma that has been spreading through the town as an act of peace rather than letting himself be used by Kimlasca.
Getting there doesn't prove easy, so Van goes ahead in a decoy ship while the others decide to go via land. They enter an abandoned factory in Baticul where Natalia threatens to tell the others about the conversation between Luke and Van if she isn't allowed to join them. Naturally, Luke is forced to agree. It's raining when they exit the factory and the God-Generals are using Ion again. Luke makes a run for them and Asch moves to stop him, revealing that Asch looks eerily like Luke. Luke is struck dumb by this similarity, and the others are also confused.
Luke starts having headaches again, and it is revealed that Asch can communicate with him via hyperresonance. He warns Luke that Ion is being taken to the Zao Ruins. When they arrive, Ion is removing a Daathic seal that's been put on the door to the Sephiroth there. Sync ends up making a deal with them to leave in exchange for Ion and they agree, but something's wrong - and it shows itself in Chesedonia where Guy turns on Luke because a curse slot has been placed on him, digging up old memories and resentment towards the Fabres. Though they manage to get Guy under control, the problem isn't resolved.
They end up taking the Deo Pass to Akzeriuth and have a run in with Legretta the Quick, Tear's former instructer. She tries to convince Tear to join her, but Tear refuses.
Finally reaching Akzeriuth (and I do mean finally), they find it clouded by miasma. Tear is called off by Mohs to investigate what they think is the Seventh Fonstone (it turns out to be a fake) while Van lures Luke into the Sephiroth to cause a hyperresonance that doesn't get rid of the miasma, but instead causes the passage ring to fall and the land around Akzeriuth to collapse. At this point, Van calls Luke a replica and he gets knocked out.
Tear protects the group by casting a fonic hymn to create a barrier around them. They find themselves within the Qliphoth where Tear takes the opportunity to explain that 2000 years ago, when Auldrant (the planet) was covered in miasma, Yulia's Score sealed the miasma underground by raising the planet's crust into the air. Tear offers to take the group to Yulia city where they can discuss what to do and how to get back to the surface.
In Yulia City, Asch and Luke once again butt heads, this time Asch informs Luke that the reason they look so similar is because Luke is actually a replica - a copy - of himself. Luke can hardly believe what he is hearing, and the two end up getting into a scuffle. Since Asch is much more capable with a sword than Luke is, Luke is knocked unconscious and taken to Tear's room to rest. Though many of the others, no longer happy with Luke's selfish behavior, opt to go with Asch back up to the surface by using the Sephiroth, Tear stays behind with Mieu and the sleeping Luke. The others head up to Belkend to see what Van's been using the replication facility there for. They find out that Jade is actually the father of fomicry, and that one of the researchers, Spinoza, is a spy for Van. Guy later announces that he's leaving because he's worried about Luke. The others and Asch head to the Ortion Cavern to investigate more fon machines, and find out that the city of St. Binah has become unstable and may soon fall. Luke is able to see through Asch's eyes during his time due to their connection, but is eventually able to wake up.
At this point, Luke knows that he has gotten out of line and that he needs to make ammends for his mistakes by changing. He walks outside to find Tear. Asking her for one of her throwing knives, Luke vows to change and slices off his hair, signifying that he is no longer the same person. He asks Tear to watch over him and make sure that he does indeed change for the better and she readily promises to do so. The two consult Teodoro and find out that Hod collapsed because it was a part of the Score and thus allowed to happen. Tear is shocked when she discovers this, and it is decided that just because things are written in the Score, it doesn't mean they should be allowed to happen - such as the war between Malkuth and Kimlasca. Still being worried for St. Binah and hoping that they can do something to stop its collapse, the two then take Yulia Road back up to the Outer Lands. On the way back Tear confides in Luke a bit and explains some of her past, telling him that Van has always hated the Score. She has decided to follow and stop Van, and that the search for the Seventh Fonstone had just become a convenient excuse.
They reach the surface via a spring and find Guy waiting for them, and later they find Jade as well. Luke realizes that redeeming himself will be a long road. They head to Daath to rescue Natalia and Ion who have been kidnapped by Mohs in order to fuel the war. They bump into Anise once again in Daath as well.
Though the group had planned to visit Emperor Peony himself, they are stopped at the port and forced to report to Keterburg instead. It turns out the governor of Keterburg is Jade's sister and she ends up calling Luke back to tell him about why Jade created fomicry since he's a replica and she thinks it'll help shed some light on his origin. The group heads through the Theor Forest, are attacked by Largo, and then captured (again) and taken to Grand Chokmah where they meet with Peony and find out that Kimlasca has declared war on Malkuth because they think Natalia is dead. Back in St. Binah the land is collapsing slowly, and after consulting Iemon in Sheridan, the group is able to use a flying machine to warn the town and enable them to evacuate.
The city is still in danger of disappearing beneath the miasma however. The group realizes that if they could control the Sephiroth, it might be possible to lower the Outer Lands slowly and keep them from simply sinking. They travel to Yulia City and receive insight into the working of the passage rings. The passage rings must be operated by a Seventh Fonist, and by lowering the lands slowly, they can be kept from sinking further, but cannot be raised to their old height.
They head to the passage ring at Shurrey Hill and give it a try. Because a Yulian seal has been placed on the passage ring, it requires Tear's assistance. Jade guides Luke into using hyperresonance to cut out a code that will revive the Sephiroth. However, it turns out the Sephiroth Tree supports a much larger land mass than they originally expected and that Engeve may fall as well. This means Engeve must also be evacuated.
They return to the Outer Lands to find that the two countries have really gone to war and that the battlefield is right over an area set to collapse. Tear says this must be all according to Van's plans - people obeyed the score and by removing the Sephiroth, he'll be able to take out a large number of people at once. The group splits up and each half heads to the capitals with Natalia and Jade respectively to negotiate a cease-fire. They are able to use the Albiore to relocate women, children, and the elderly from Engeve, but the rest are forced to walk across the battlefield.
To complicate matters, Mohs brings up the suggestion that Natalia is a fake princess in order to prevent the cease-fire. This revelation turns out to be true, and it's enough to sway the king so that he doesn't listen to Natalia's pleas for a cease-fire. Since nothing much can be done to convince the countries' rulers, the group sets about trying to lower the Sephiroth trees slowly so that they don't collapse suddenly and sink into the mantle.
Unfortunately, the Sephiroth Trees go out of control. Tear explains that her grandfather isn't allowed to know everything about the Score and that he may not be able to help them, so they go to see Ion instead. Ion, also, has never read the Closed Score, but he offers to read the parts about the collapse to them. The group agrees but little new information comes of this. The group starts thinking that maybe the Seventh Fonstone has the information they need to fix things. Tear then points out that the Score says nothing about replicas. Van was using replicas, it seems, to overturn the Score.
The group runs into Mohs and Tear tries to tell him that they've already diverged from the Score, but he won't listen, instead they are captured in an attempt to restart the war between Malkuth and Kimlasca.
Natalia's birth is revealed and the king still refuses to listen to his daughter. Asch and the townspeople come to the party's rescue and they are able to flee Baticul.
The group heads for Belkend again where Luke is mistaken for Asch and taken to see Van. Van confirms his plans to drop the Outer Lands into the Qliphoth the deviate from the Score, explaining that Lorelei and the collective consciousness of the Seventh Fonon created the Score. He wants to create replicas who will be free of the Score.
When Luke is able to return to the others, they decide that they must lower all of the Outer Lands slowly and then find a way to stop the core's vibration while leaving the Planet Storm (theat lends to fon technology and fonic artes) active - which will then stop the liquefaction of the miasma. The group can no longer rely on hints from the Score which may no longer be functioning, so they set to work. They enlist the help of rival scientists from Belkend and Sheridan to create a fon machine to stop the core's vibration.
The group begins lowering the Outer Lands, starting with the Sephiroth in Tataroo Valley. Luke makes some comment about the first time he visited the valley, but Tear's memories of the place are not so positive and she reacts coldly. Natalia is also able to reunite with her father, and talk of peace is set in motion.
After leaving Sheridan and facing Sync, Tear's body is taken over by Lorelei who warns the group that something huge is trying to absorb its power and that that is why the Sephiroth went out of control.
During the lowering of the Outer Lands, Tear starts looking pale and falls ill. After taking her to a doctor, they discover that because the seventh fonons near the Passage Rings are tainted with miasma, Tear is taking in some of these fonons and is being poisoned as a result. Apparently there's no way to get rid of these seventh fonons and if she continues helping the group and taking in more of the miasma, she'll die. Nobody wants to sacrifice Tear of course, but they need her to lower the land since she's the only one related to Yulia; Luke seems especially troubled by the idea, but the group is forced to continue lowering the land for the sake of everyone on the planet. Though Tear puts on a brave face, she's actually very scared about the prospect of dying.
The group heads to the Meggiora Highlands where Legretta tries to convince Tear to join her once again, knowing full well that Tear's being contaminated by the miasma, but she refuses. Legretta warns them that the world will continue along the path of the Seventh Fonstone, despite minor deviations from the Score, and Guy realizes that that's what he saw in the core and why no one had been able to find it.
Tear later accompanies Asch to the Ortion Cavern for fear that the seventh fonons that are making her sick might also affect Van. She tries to talk him into giving up his plans just once more, but he refused. At this point Tear resolves to fight her brother no matter what.
The party heads to Mt. Roneal and encounter the God-Generals who are knocked over the edge of a bank during an avalanche. After operating Mt. Roneal's passage ring, they discover that the memory particles that made up the Sephiroth Trees have started to flow in reverse from the Absorbtion Gate. All of this seems to have been Van's doing.
Upon reaching the Absorbtion Gate, an earthquake causes the floor beneath them to crumble and the group is seperated (Tear and Luke are stuck together, since Tear falls over the edge and Luke tries to catch her and fails; the result is some nice bonding time). When they come back together, they face off against Van who, defeated, falls into the planet's core.
Lorelei contacts Luke with the message: "Luke! I will send you the key! Use it to set me free! ...One who would
seize glory...is trying to capture me..."
Yeah, it ain't over.
Everyone has gone home more-or-less, but things don't seem quite right. The group discovers that the Planet Storm has actually been strengthened and that the God-Generals, and Van, may still be alive. During this time, Tear returned to Yulia City. Luke finds her praying at her brother's grave and he prays for Van also. Luke confesses to Tear that he's still trying to find himself and to discover his purpose for living since Van never excepted him and he's only a replica. Tear offers to come with them, and the two head off to Daath to deliver a report on the Planet Storm.
After delivering the report to Ion, they discover the activity in the Planet Storm is being caused by a large-scale consumption of the Seventh Fonon (later that it's Van's plan to recreate a world of replicas and revive Hod).
It seems Lorelei sent a Sword to Asch and a Jewel to Luke, but Luke apparently didn't receive what he sent and Asch yells at him for it. There's also a report from General Frings that Kimlasca attacked them... but the soldiers' eyes were dead. Natalia arrives and says the same thing, only about Malkuth. As it turns out, the armies are from neither side, but are replicas.
Tear's condition later gets worse due to the increased activity of the Planet Storm and the miasma acting up again. Anise ends up betraying Ion, who is taken away by Mohs. She's apparently been his spy the whole time.
The group finds itself surrounded by replicas of those close to them (Guy's sister, General Frings, Iemon...) as Anise makes her escape. Arietta appears on one of the ligers and tells the group where Ion has been taken. Tear uses an arte to put the replicas to sleep, and they head off to the Zao Ruins to rescue Ion. When they arive, Ion is reading the Score and has already used up almost all of his powers. Luke, Tear, and the others yell for Ion to stop, but he continues, growing so weak that he finally collapses. Luke and Tear rush to his side, and Ion explains that the last part of the Score he read for Luke's benefit, to show him one possible future. Ion then finishes what he had started to say before about knowing of a way to get rid of the miasma polluting Tear's body. During his final moments, Ion draws the tainted seventh fonons from Tear's body into his own, healing her in the process and perhaps quickening his own inevitable death.
The group travels to the Isle of Feres in order to destroy a replica creation facility. During their time in these ruins, the ground begins to shake and the land of Hod begins rising out of the water in the form of Eldrant. Van is taking the next step to achieving his goals.
Mohs, tricked by Dist into becomming a monster, goes crazy and they are forced to kill him. A summit meeting is held in Daath among Governer Teodoro, Emperor Peony, and King Inglebert to discuss what to do about the problem of Eldrant and the replicas.
The group heads over to the Tower of Rem in order to stop Asch who plans to sacrifice himself to stop the miasma, although Luke's convinced that he should take Asch's place. Luke uses the Sword of Lorelei to destroy the miasma, but it isn't enough. Asch is forced to jump in and cooperate together with Luke. Their efforts succeed and the miasma disappears. They discover that Luke really did receive the Jewel of Lorelei and that they know have what they need to complete the Jewel of Lorelei, but their problems are far from over.
After Luke and Asch work together with the replicas at the Tower of Rem to rid the world of the spreading miasma, Luke is prompted to go see a doctor to make sure that he is really okay. The doctor tells Luke that the seventh fonons inside his body are already seperating and that his cells will start breaking down. In short - Luke's going to die, no matter what happens. When Luke meets up with the others, he tells them that the doctor said he'll be fine, but Jade sees right through lie. Mieu overhears the truth and goes to tell Tear. Tear, saddened, goes to confront Luke about it in the Fabre Masion. Luke admits that he's scared to die, but that he'd hate it if everyone knew the truth and started treating him differently.
Teodoro tells the group that by using the Sword of Lorelei they can draw a glyph at the Absorbtion Gate to control the Planet Storm. There, they run into Van who tries to convince Asch to help him. Asch promptly refuses.
The party is forced to face Largo who is killed. Luke uses the Jewel of Lorelei and is sucked into the planet's core and is able to see the planet's memory and contact Asch who's in danger. They manage to close the Absorbtion Gate and assist Ion's replica, Florian, back to Daath whom the God-Generals had with them at the Absorbtion Gate.
The group ask for Noelle's assistance and recieve cooperation from the navy to try to penetrate the barrier around Eldrant. They take the night before the plan goes into action, and Tear is able to spend it peacefully with Luke, although neither is able to admit his or her feelings.
After making it into Eldrant, the group is forced to battle it out first with Legretta. During their wanderings, Luke falls through a trapdoor and into the enemy's hold, but Asch is already there. The two battle it out to see who will face Van. Since Luke wins, Asch takes it upon himself to battle the Oracle soldiers while Luke escapes. Luke once again meets up with the others who have come to his rescue and travel further into Hod which is recreating itself as its own replica. Just after passing the place which was Guy's childhood home, the group encounters Sync. He is their final adversary before they head into the heart of Hod to discover whether Van still lives.
In the heart of Eldrant, the group finds Van alive. In order to free Lorelei who is trapped within Van's body, the group has to fight Van once again. Van tells Tear that the only way they can succeed is if she can recite the Grand Fonic Hymn in its entirety. Though Van doesn't seem to think she can, Tear explains to him that she can hear the thoughts and emotions of Lorelei. As Tear starts to sing, Luke deals the final blow. The seventh fonons in Van's body begin to disperse and it seems the journey is nearly over.
Luke bids his farewells to the group. Tear takes this opportunity to tell Luke that she'll always be waiting for him and asks him to promise that he'll come back home. He promises to do so, and the group heads out with Tear looking the most reluctant. Staying behind, Luke uses the Key of Lorelei to free it (Lorelei) and help restore the balance of seventh fonons in the planet's core. As Eldrant begins to crumble, Asch falls through the ceiling and is caught in Luke's arms. The voice of Lorelei can be heard commending Luke as he disappears.
The Two Years And Game End: Some time after the events in Eldrant, Tear goes to visit Mieu in the Cheagle Woods. The cheagle is incredibly happy to see her and asks after the others and how they are doing. Tear goes on to explain that she ran into Anise recently in Daath where she helped her find the young fon master replica, Florian, who had disappeared into the city. She relates that the others seem to be doing well. Jade and Dist have made plans to restart research on fomicry and Guy went to visit Natalia to warn her that some important people are making plans to marry her and Peony together (I guess as a sign of peace and to combine the two kingdoms). Peony doesn't want this, so he's seeking her help in finding a way around it. Mieu asks Tear if Luke has come back yet, and she admits that he hasn't, but she still strongly believes that he will. Mieu comments on Tear's pendant, a memento of her mother's, and Tear tells Mieu about selling it to buy passage to the capital, and how later on Luke tracked it down and bought it back for her.
Two years later, on the original Luke's birthday, the others are gathered in the Tataroo Valley at night, while Tear sings the Grand Fonic Hymn amongst the selenia flowers. When questioned as to why she didn't attend Luke's coming of age ceremony, she explains that she has no interest in a party being thrown in front of Luke's grave. As the others are getting ready to depart, a young man appears, looking much like Luke. When Tear asks him "Why are you here?" he explains that "This place has a nice view of Hod, and I promised someone." While it's left up in the air as to whether this person is Asch, Luke, or a combination of the two, I prefer to think that it is at least "mostly" Luke here, since Asch's consciousness died long before Luke freed Lorelei. After that, it seemed like Asch's consciousness went into Luke, but it was more of an afterthought than anything. Everything about the ending pretty much points to replica Luke (the imagery, what the characters say, him mentioning his promise to Tear), although I imagine he combined with Asch's body and is no longer a replica, per se.
Tear is pulled from the end of the game, right when the screen goes black. Her face was still puffy from crying. As cliche as it is, I just couldn't think of a better place to pull her from earlier in the game.
