hisguardian | Tanagura Inbox

[If nothing else, Peony is good for a conversation like this because he doesn't back down and he doesn't lose empathy for the person he's speaking with. Jade could have delivered this news to her just as easily, but he would be cold as ice and she would probably try to kill the messenger if she even believed him. Ion would have had trouble getting the words out. Among the people from Auldrant they have here, he's the only one that can do this in any sort of timely manner.

Now he just has to hope she doesn't try to kill this messenger, too.]

You know what replicas are, don't you? You've met both Luke and Asch, after all. Ion is the same; he's a replica of the original Fon Master Ion. You could consider them like twin brothers... but Ion doesn't have the memories of his original, just like Luke.

[Her expression grows more and more worried as he goes on, vital pieces of the puzzle still missing. What did this mean? If Ion was replica, what memories did he not have? What did this mean for her? For them?]

That's... but Ion would have told me if he was a replica!! He treats me just the same as he always--

["Yes but that would require me to become your pet, Arietta."

"What's wrong with that? That's what you used to call me!"

"...When was the last time I called you that, Arietta?"]

[At the time, she didn't think anything of the question. She was afraid she had insulted him, because she had insinuated he would become her pet instead. But what if he was asking because he didn't know? Replicas are replacements, but... they don't have any memories. Luke replaced Asch and became Luke. But what did it really mean to replace someone?]

[There's a question burning in the back of her mind, but she doesn't want to ask. She's terrified. She doesn't want to accept it.]

...no... no, that can't be, he's... he's still Ion, isn't he!?

[Peony reaches out to place his hand on top of one of hers, though he'll draw back if she flinches away from him. It's just impossible for him to not reach out physically when she's so clearly distressed, even if the words that he's saying are the cause of it.]

He's Ion, but he's not the same as your Ion. He's still that kind, sweet boy that's so afraid of hurting you that he hasn't been able to say any of this. To be born a replica and told that you're a replacement for someone else, yet never being able to really do it because you aren't them, not really - I'm sure it's very painful.

[Please, please let her not be angry with Ion.]

[Oh, she jerks away all right. But unfortunately, feeling empathy for Ion-who-might-not-be-Ion-but-is-still-Ion is not where her mind is right now.]

[Especially not after he used the words "your Ion".]

....what happened to him? What happened to Ion? The Ion I knew? Why... did they need to make a replica?

[Asch needed to be replaced because of Van's plans. So where did Ion fall into this? Was he just one of the replicas made in accordance to Van's plans to remake the world?]

[How long has he been lying to her...?]

To have a puppet acting as the Fon Master, I imagine. They did use him to open all those seals. Thankfully he didn't turn out to be quite so easy to manipulate as they thought.

[It's a miracle, really. A two year old replica managed to find a will of his own and ended up being key in stopping the whole fiasco they'd created him for in the first place.]

...even in my position, I don't know the exact details of what happened to the original Ion. Daath keeps its secrets well.

[Managing to keep the fact that the whole of the land was floating under wraps for so long is a testament to that.]

It is known that he's always been sick, though. I'm sorry.

[Peony lowers his head, despite the fact that it puts him in a vulnerable position.]

He didn't make it.

[Arietta can't just take news like that quietly. Her eyes brim with tears as she gasps, shaking her head. And though Peony may not know the details, he's told her enough for her to piece things together.]

[Things start falling into place, and through the pain, a great number of things start to make sense. This is why Ion was so cold to her. It's why he sided against her and stood with the same people who killed Mommy.]

[It's why she wasn't allowed to be with him, in what must have been his final days, when he was so sick and bed-ridden that he wasn't allowed to have visitors. She lost her position as Fon Master Guardian as soon as he recovered. It all made sense now.]

[And it was like losing him all over again.]

No... no, no...!! No, Ion, he can't... h-he can't be...!!

[And then the tears start to fall, and they just can't stop.]

[Despite the fact that she'd pulled away from him before, he can't stop himself from reaching out again now and attempting to draw her head to his chest. Grieving, crying alone so desperately - no one should have to do that. If she gets angry with him for it, then it's fine.]

I'm sorry. I'm so sorry...

[And because he didn't actually know the original Ion and he knows nothing of him, that's something he can say with all his heart.]

[She lets him pull her in as she sobs, practically screaming through the tears. For as much as everything became more clear, it also became more painful.]

[The person she cared about more than life itself is gone. He died two years ago, and she didn't even know. She couldn't do anything for him in the end -- she couldn't even be by his side.]

[He promised her he wouldn't leave her alone again. He promised he would tell her if something ever happened to him. He promised her.]

[But... was he really gone? If he was gone, then who was the Ion living in her apartment? The Ion she fought for, died for, and mourned with every fiber of her being? He was... still Ion, wasn't he?]

[A replica was just a replacement, wasn't it?]

[But even as she thinks this, the thoughts just don't align with how she feels. It didn't make any sense. Why did things have to turn out like this? Why now, when she was finally happy...!?]

[She tries to say something, but her words get lost in her sobbing, muffled by Peony's shirt.]

[How many times has this poor girl had to lose Ion from her point of view, now? It's almost like torture. At least this strike was the final blow - the truth.

His heart breaks for her as she wails earnestly, crying so hard that he doubts she even fully registers his presence at the moment. Even so, he strokes her hair and holds her close, wanting her to at least know that she isn't alone. Someone that she's essentially just met doesn't come close to the person who took her in and taught her everything and shaped her view of the world, but it's surely better than screaming into a lonely abyss.

Peony does hear that she's trying to say something, but he doesn't prompt her to try and out with it again until her sobbing calms down (if it even will before she just cries herself into an exhausted sleep). For now, it's best to let her absorb what's been said without poking and prodding.]

[The crying goes on for a long while, and it's only once the sobs have grown soft that she finally starts to push away.]

[But when she does, it's harsh and sudden -- she shoves herself away from Peony, looking up at him with red eyes and tear-stained cheeks. And there, hidden behind that veil of tears, is a look of contempt. Though whether it's truly meant for Peony or not is hard to say.]

Why... why didn't anyone tell me!? I-I... I couldn't do anything... a-all this time, everyone was lying to me...!! [Her hands curl into fists.] Even you!!

[Of course, he doesn't fight when she pushes herself away from him. It's a real struggle to not try to dry her tears, though. Seeing someone hurt so deeply rubs him raw, too - that empathy is one of his greatest strengths and one of his biggest weaknesses.]

Ion... was just afraid. Everyone in Van's group planned to replace the world with replicas anyway, so they might not have thought to. But you're right. Regardless of the why, we still did it. It was wrong.

[It was wrong. Those words take away some of the bite to her anger -- she's never had someone tell her that before. After all, not once did those murderers show any remorse for killing Mommy. They didn't apologize for killing Ion either. But Peony... did he feel bad about it? About lying to her?]

[She sniffles between sobs, rubbing at her eyes with her sleeve.]

...you lied to me. You told me you were my friend... but you never even told me you were the Emperor! [A fact she learned from Ion -- could she even still call him that?] I... I-I trusted you!

[There's a little hesitation, but since she seems just a bit calmer he reaches into his pocket and takes out the handkerchief he had ready in case she started crying to hold out to her. It's not good for her to rub at her sleeves like that, she'll get them all slimy like Saphir when he was a boy.]

I said it before, didn't I? That our titles don't mean anything here. I try to not tell people here who I am back home, because... honestly, I wish that I weren't a lot of the time. But that was wrong, too. I'm sorry. You aren't just another person here, you were born in Malkuth. I should have said something. Still - I really do mean it, you know. I want to be your friend, and if we can all go home together, I want to stay together. Even Liger.

[She actually reaches out for the handkerchief for a moment, but stops just short of grabbing it. She doesn't have a lot of experience with people wanting to be her friend. And right now, Peony is one of the few people from her world to treat her so kindly, and like an equal. Aside from Ion, the only people who ever treated her that way did so out of fear or subordination.]

...I-I don't know if I can trust you again. And Ion... [She tries to take a calming breath, but it's still shaky and edged with tears.] W-What am I supposed to do now?

[Peony places it within her reach so that she doesn't have to take it from him directly. Near the teacup, though the tea has definitely cooled by now.]

It's all right if you can't. Forgiveness isn't something someone can demand. I'll be your friend even if you can't trust me.

[Funny that she's asking him what to do when she just said she doesn't trust him, though.]

...What you do next is up to you. He really does care about you. If you need some time to yourself to think about it, I don't mind if he stays with me so long as he's still technically yours. If not, you two can stay together as you are, can't you? He isn't your Ion, but... in a way, he is his little brother. It wouldn't be strange to still want to look out for him.

[The question wasn't really directed to Peony. She's never really been in a situation like this, where she was free to choose where to go from here... even when she disobeyed orders, there was still some general direction she knew she needed to move in. Like a string tugging her around for some unknown purpose.]

[But this world was different. She had no loyalties, no obligations. And as far as she could tell, there was no Score. She could choose to do whatever she wanted... but what did she want? She thought she knew, but now she wasn't so sure.]

I... I-I promised I would protect him. [It was a non-answer, really. She promised she would protect "Ion"... but who was that, now? Averting her gaze, she rubs at her eyes again.]

But... there's still something I need to know. [She looks back up at Peony.] Could you... not tell him that I know? Just for a little while. I-I... I need to figure something out for myself.

[It's already been a couple days since he spoke with Ion. Peony had wanted to wait until the last traces of anything from Lupercalia faded away to speak with Arietta to ensure neither of them were under the influence of anything at the time. The poor boy must be sick with anxiety waiting for him to do it. But... if this is what it takes for her to accept things, then they'll just have to manage.]

All right. For a little while should be fine.

[Here's to hoping Ion doesn't worry himself sick in the meantime, and that seeing him doesn't keep tearing her wounds open.]

[She doesn't thank him -- she only nods. Maybe someday she'll thank him for telling her, but not while the wounds are still so fresh.]

[She turns in her seat and stands, keeping her gaze away from Peony. Her hair is a mess and her face is still red from crying... she knows she can't go back to the apartment now. But she also can't stay here anymore.]

...is that everything you needed to tell me?

[Is it? He can't think of anything else, but if there are other things lurking about it would be better to come clean now. Unfortunately, he's never actually seen her interact with Jade or he would think to mention that they know each other and apologize for his actions.

As it is, dealing with the fallout of all this has been overwhelming and it doesn't come to mind.]

Yes, I think so. Let me know if you need anything. And just... send Ion here if you need to, okay?

[Letting her go off like this makes him a little anxious, but he really doesn't think she'll hurt Ion. Not physically, at least.]

I... I'll think about it.

[Though given what she needs to figure out, sending him away wouldn't really help. But thankfully, she doesn't need Ion out of the apartment to find time to herself. And right now, even through all the feelings of loneliness this information has given her, that was what she needed most of all.]

[Without any more fanfare than that, she turns and walks out of the room, leaving Peony alone in the apartment.]

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