+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
| Skit `A World Without the Score'                                       [SK315]
|
|	   Guy: Do you really think people will be able to get along without the
|		Score?
|	 Anise: Well...whenever we've been faced with decision, the Score has
|		always told us the best answer. If the Score goes away, we'll
|		have to make those decisions all by ourselves.
|      Natalia: I don't know... The Score is embedded so deeply into society,
|		even politics. True, the world has diverged from the Score. We
|		understand why that has happened, but most people are unaware
|		of the circumstances...
|	 Anise: In fact, they don't even know it's diverged in the first place.
|		We can't just say "Okay, let's live without the Score!" and
|		expect everybody to agree.
|	  Tear: It's like a guidepost to life, after all. It would be like
|		telling someone to walk around in the darkness without a light.
|	  Luke: Even if they decide to proceed without the Score, it could take
|		decades before people accept that...
|	  Jade: Naturally. People are not that simple.
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
| Skit `Where is the Key of Lorelei?'                                    [SK316]
|
|	  Jade: I wonder just how Lorelei intended to send the Key...
|	  Tear: The Key of Lorelei is said to be made out of the Seventh Fonon.
|		If it does exist, couldn't it have been disassembled into fonons
|		and sent that way?
|	   Guy: Could something broken down into fonons and atoms really reach
|		someone else on its own? If you did that to a living creature,
|		it'd die.
|	  Jade: The Key is inorganic, so it should be...well, not completely
|		impossible. And as for a broken-down Key being able to reach
|		Luke, Lorelei did say that Luke's fonon frequency is the same
|		as that of the Seventh Fonon.
|	  Tear: So it'd take advantage of the fact that like fonons attract?
|	  Jade: Yes. In a sense, Luke, Asch, and Lorelei are one and the same,
|		at least in terms of their fonon frequencies. It's certainly a
|		possibility.
|	   Guy: ...? I still don't get it, but assuming Lorelei did send part of
|		the Key to Luke, why didn't Luke get it?
|	  Tear: I think we'll have to ask Asch about that.
|	   Guy: It all comes down to Asch, huh...?
|							     [Tear & Guy leave.]
|	  Jade: ...Could it be...the contamination effect? ...No, it shouldn't
|		be. That would be too cruel...
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The replicas attempt to attack the party.

	   Guy: Mary...
	  Luke: Mary? Guy, what are you talking about...?
	   Guy: Why...? Why is my sister here?!
	  Luke: Guy! What's going on?!
	  Tear: General Frings, too! But we saw him die in Grand Chokmah!
       Natalia: I see others who have already passed away! The Colonel is right.
		They must be replicas!
	  Mary: You all know Grand Maestro Mohs' order... Kill them.
	  Jade: Any fonic artes here would hurt civilians as well. We should
		eliminate the replicas by the exit, and-
	   Guy: Wait! That's where my sister...where Mary is!
	  Jade: It's a replica!
	   Guy: I know! But still...
	  Luke: Even knowing that they're replicas doesn't mean we could just
		kill Iemon and the others.
	  Jade: And that is exactly what Mohs is counting on.
	  Tear: Leave them...to me.

Tear sings a fonic hymn and puts the replicas to sleep. She then falls over.

	  Luke: Tear!
	  Tear: I've never tried to put so many top sleep at once. I doubt it
		will last long. Let's get out of here, fast!

On the Fourth Monument Hill...

	  Luke: Damn it! So much has happened. My head is a mess.
       Natalia: Deciding what to do about the Score is the least of our worries
		now.
	   Guy: I never thought I'd see a replica made of my sister.
	  Tear: It was probably a plan to shake us up by making replicas of
		people close to us.
	  Luke: Mohs is such a bastard!
	  Jade: But an effective one.
	  Luke: Don't say things like that.
	  Jade: My apologies. In any case, the first order of business is aiding
		Ion. If we don't help him, Ion will die.
	  Luke: You're right. I'm also worried about Anise. Let's go to Mt.
		Zaleho fast.

+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
| Skit `The Replica Soldiers'                                            [SK320]
|
|	  Jade: I never imagined that they would create so many replicas...
|	  Luke: How could they turn replicas of the dead into their soldiers...?
|	   Guy: Mary...
|	  Jade: Guy, that's a replica.
|	   Guy: Yeah, I know...but...
|      Natalia: All just to make us hesitate... How inhuman...!
|	  Jade: If they attempt to stop us again, we may have no choice but to
|		eliminate them.
|	  Luke: But...! Isn't there anything else we can do?
|	  Jade: Do you want to have Tear sing them to sleep again? She seems
|		very weak.
|	  Luke: Dammit...
|	  Tear: I'm fine. If they attack again, then I'll stop them.
|	  Luke: But you're--
|	  Jade: With all that's happened, I can understand if you're flustered.
|		But right now, rescuing Ion takes priority. You need to calm
|		down, Luke.
|	  Tear: Yes, exactly. Remember what we have to do.
|	  Luke: Yeah... Let's head for Mt. Zaleho.
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The party goes further in.

	   Guy: Man, it's hot...
	  Jade: Well, we are inside a volcano. The air seems to burn my throat
		and lungs with every breath.
	  Luke: Then how come you look so comfortable?
	  Jade: Oh, not at all. I'm so hot, I could just die.
	   Guy: ...You really know how to get on people's nerves.
	  Tear: The volcano feels even hotter than the last time we were here...
       Natalia: Mieu, is it much father to the Sephiroth?

	  Mieu: Just a little more. Mieu...
	  Tear: If the heat doesn't get to us first.
	  Jade: Perhaps Anise's plan is to take care of all of us in one fell
		swoop...
	  Luke: Jade!
	  Jade: Just kidding.
	  Luke: *Sigh*
	  Jade: ...Well, half-kidding.
	   All: (...)
	  Mieu: Everybody, this way!
	  Jade: Good work, Mieu.
	  Mieu: Sure!
	  Luke: He's got way too much energy...
	   Guy: Looking at Jade and Mieu is only making this more exhausting...

The party barely misses being hit by a fireball.

	  Luke: Whoa?! What in the hell...?
	  Tear: It's...
       Natalia: Unbelievable! It's a dragon!
	   Guy: Impressive, to live inside a volcano like this.
	  Jade: If we go this way, we'll have to settle things with him. Or
		should I say her.
       Natalia: Goodness, Colonel. Do you know how to tell the sex of dragons?
	  Jade: If you could observe how they breathe fire...
	  Luke: Amazing, Jade, you really do know everything, huh?
	  Jade: "...and be able to determine their sex, wouldn't it be
		interesting?" was all I was going to say.
	   All: (...)
	  Jade: Well, shall we move on?
	   Guy: ...I figured as much.
	  Tear: No kidding.

+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
| Skit `Keeping Cool'                                                    [SK322]
|
|	  Luke: ...Every time we go someplace hot like this, I always wonder
|	  Luke: if Jade's using some kind of fonic arte to keep himself cool.
|      Natalia: Yes, I get the same feeling.
|	  Mieu: That's not fair...
|	  Jade: Oh, please. There's no way I could use fonic artes that
|		precisely.
|	   Guy: No...there has to be some secret to it...Maybe in those
|		clothes...?
|      Natalia: Yes, Malkuth could easily have invented air-conditioned
|		uniforms..
|	  Luke: ...Take it off.
|	  Jade: What?
|	   Guy: Yeah, take it off.
|      Natalia: Yes, remove it right now!
|	  Mieu: Take...it...off!
|	  Jade: C-calm down,you... Wh-what are you...?!
|	  Tear: ...I can't believe you're trying to undress a soldier in his
|		thirties! How could you?!
|	   All: Huh?! .......
|	  Jade: *blush*
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
| Skit `Ion's Death...'                                                  [SK324]
|
|	  Luke: ...Ion...Why'd he go and read the Planet Score...?
|      Natalia: Because Anise's parents were being held hostage...? Or...
|	  Jade: He's quite intelligent. He knew we would try to rescue him, so
|		he may have chose his own death,
|	  Jade: in order to remove the miasma from Tear's body.
|	  Luke: ...If Tear knew that...

|	   Guy: I think she knows. She's looked depressed ever since we got
|		back, just like Anise.
|	  Luke: Ion... Why'd you go and throw your life away... You idiot...
|      Natalia: Luke, you're blaming the wrong person. It was Mohs who forced
|		Ion to make that choice.
|	  Luke: ....Yeah, Mohs...You're going to pay for this!
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
| Skit `After Asch!'                                                     [SK331]
|
|	  Luke: Here we were, planning to deal with Asch later, but he pops up
|		anyway! And it involves the Score, so out come the God-Generals
|		and Mohs! And we're still clueless about the Key of Lorelei! And
|		we still don't know how to take care the miasma! What are we
|		supposed to deal with first?!
|	   Guy: For once, I can't blame you for getting flustered.
|	  Jade: It's probably because they are all closely interrelated.
|	  Tear: What do you mean, Colonel?
|	  Jade: They're all strongly bound together. The miasma, the Seventh
|		Fonon, the replicas, the Score, Lorelei... Asch is involved with
|		every one of those. It's likely he holds the key to them all.
|      Natalia: That is a guess, is it not?
|	 Anise: Wow, the Colonel made a guess!
|	  Jade: I merely thought it would simplify deciding on our next
|		destination.
|	  Luke: So we should go after Asch instead of trying to figure
|		everything out?
|	   Guy: Well, we were running out of options anyway.
|      Natalia: Even if we went right back to Baticul there isn't much we could
|		do that would help... We are hardly in a condition to hold any
|		sort of conference on the Score.
|	  Luke: So right now, all we can do is follow Asch?
|	  Jade: Correct. Let's be efficient with it. We can't afford to waste
|		any time.
|	  Tear: Yes, let's head for Mr. Roneal.
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
| Skit `The Sword of Lorelei'                                            [SK333]
|
|      Natalia: So, Asch did receive part of the Key of Lorelei after all.
|	  Jade: So it would seem.
|      Natalia: From what the Dark Wings said, Asch must have the Sword of
|		Lorelei...
|	   Guy: He's looking for the Jewel, so yeah, he presumably has the
|		Sword.
|	  Luke: The Sword of Lorelei...
|	  Jade: *sigh*
|      Natalia: My, Colonel, that was quite a sigh.
|	  Jade: ...My apologies. I'm not good at dealing with obtuse children.
|								  [Jade leaves.]
|	   Guy: Did you do something to make Jade angry? He never gets like
|		that.
|      Natalia: There's no need to ask. Of course he did.
|	  Luke: ...I guess nobody trusts me... (Not that they're wrong, of
|		course.)
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Luke sees something shining in the snow and bends to pick it up.

	  Luke: (What's this?)
	  Luke: ND1999, in commemoration of the birth of my daughter, Meryl...?
	  Luke: (!)
	   Guy: ...What is it, Luke? Find something?
	  Luke: N-no, just some trash.
	  Jade: (...)
	   Guy: Uh-huh...
	  Luke: (Meryl... That was Natalia's real name, right?)
	  Luke: (The birth year is the same too...)
       Natalia: I'm sorry. We stopped because of all my chatter. Let's hurry
		onward.
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
| Skit `Natalia's Birthday'                                              [SK334]
|
|	  Luke: Natalia, you were born in the month of Rem, 1999, weren't you?
|      Natalia: Yes. Oh, are you going to give me a present?
|	  Luke: Huh?
|	   Guy: Come to think of it, the last time she had a birthday, we were
|		busy wandering around Malkuth.
|	  Luke: Oh, yeah...Just after Tear and I were blown all the way over
|		there...
|      Natalia: My. Well, I'll be looking forward to a lovely present.
|	  Luke: I was just trying check the date on the locket...
|	   Guy: Locket?
|	  Luke: N-nothing, never mind!
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The party reaches the area with the passage rings and they see Asch.

	  Asch: ...No sign of the Jewel here, either.
	  Luke: Is that sword the Key of Lorelei?
	  Asch: You again?
       Natalia: Asch, please tell us. Where is Lorelei being kept? Is Van still
		alive?
	  Luke: You can contact Lorelei, right? You know where it is, don't you?
	  Asch: ...No, I haven't heard Lorelei since the land was lowered. It
		won't respond to me, either.
	  Luke: So it's no use, even to an original.
	   Guy: In that case, would you at least tell us what you know?
       Natalia: Asch, please?
	  Asch: From the start, Lorelei has wanted to be freed from the core.
		Lorelei contacted us because it thought staying in the core
		would harm the planet.
	  Jade: That's what Lorelei was saying when it inhabited Tear's body.

       Natalia: So Lorelei is being held within the planet's core?
	  Asch: No, not any more. It disappeared from the core when you defeated
		Van.
	  Luke: Then where...?
	  Asch: During our final contact, Lorelei said it had been trapped
		inside Van.
	  Tear: So my brother is alive!
	 Anise: But the Commandant was really hurt! How could he have
		possibly...?
	  Asch: I don't know. But Van's absorbed Lorelei into his body. The
		Seventh Fonon has the power to heal. I suppose Van was lucky.
	   Guy: So freeing Lorelei means from it from within Van?
	  Asch: That's right. Lorelei wants to leave Auldrant's gravity and
		become the seventh layer of the fon belt. I'm looking for the
		Jewel of Lorelei to help make that happen. This sword won't
		work as the Key without the Jewel inlaid into it.
	  Luke: Oh...Yeah, Lorelei said to use the Key to free it.
	  Tear: Just like in Yulia's legends. You imbue the Key with the essence
		of Lorelei, and guide it to the fon belt.
	  Luke: But where is the Jewel...?
	  Asch: It's your fault! If you had gotten the Key from Lorelei, none of
		this would have happened!
	  Luke: Me...?
	  Asch: It must have flown out through one of the Sephiroth. The
		God-Generals are looking for it, too.
	  Asch: If those bastards get to the Key first, we won't be able to set
		Lorelei free.
       Natalia: If we can't free Lorelei, the Planet Storm will grow stronger to

		create more Seventh Fonons...
	  Tear: Destroying the world.
	  Asch: Exactly.
	  Luke: Asch! Wait up! Where are you going?
	  Asch: The Jewel wasn't here, either. I'm looking somewhere else.
	  Luke: Then we'll look with you!

	  Asch: I have no intention of getting friendly with a replica!
	  Luke: It's because I'm just a replica that I need your help!
	  Asch: Do you really think you have any right to say that?
	  Tear: Stop it! This is no time for the two of you to be arguing.
	  Asch: ...I'm going on to the next Sephiroth. That's the only way I'll
		find the Jewel you failed to receive. You all do whatever you
		want. I supposed I could let you know if I find something.

Asch walks off.

	  Jade: Let's leave the Jewel to Asch and head on to Baticul to look for
		that Scorer, shall we?
	  Luke: ...Fine. So once again, Asch and I go our separate ways...Why
		does it always end like this?
	   Guy: ...Don't you realize?
	  Luke: Huh?
	   Guy: ...Never mind.

+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
| Skit `Luke Overdoing Things'                                           [SK335]
|
|	   Guy: Hmm...
|	  Tear: What's wrong, Guy?
|	   Guy: Oh, I was just thinking about Luke...
|	  Mieu: What about Master?
|	   Guy: He still doesn't realize that he's part of the reason Asch gets
|		so angry...
|	  Tear: ...Luke overdoes everything, doesn't he? Too arrogant, too
|		excited, too depressed, too repentant...
|	   Guy: Yeah. He treated Mieu pretty horribly, too.
|	  Mieu: No it wasn't! Master was just playing with me! It was fun!
|	  Tear: That's not playing, Mieu! You can't just--
|	  Mieu: Master even gave me a name! It made me so happy!

|	   Guy: ...Yeah...I...I guess it's a not a bad name. Thing...
|	  Mieu: It's great!
|	   Guy: Do you suppose Mieu's been infected by Luke? Now he's overdoing
|		it too...
|	  Tear: Yes...poor thing, he's so easily fooled.
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
| Skit `Revenge for Ion!'                                                [SK336]
|
|	  Luke: That bastard Mohs!
|	 Anise: We're going to get him!
|	  Mieu: Yeah!
|	  Jade: Everyone, if you don't cool down---
|      Natalia: That filthy coward doesn't deserve to be called a holy anything!
|	  Tear: It's time to avenge Ion!
|	   Guy: ...Even Tear's lost her composure.
|	  Jade: Well, I do understand their feelings....
|	   Guy: But we need to remain calm, now more than ever, right?
|	  Jade: Exactly.
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Mohs departs.

	   Guy: To think that a human could become something so hideous...
	  Jade: When the Seventh Fonon is implanted in one who cannot use it,
		his body rejects it, leading to madness.
	  Dist: Mohs desired the power of a Fon Master above all else. I'm sure
		he won't mind. Personally, I'm satisfied to perform experiments,
		regardless of the subject.

Dist departs.

	  Luke: ...So that bastard Mohs would become a monster to protect the
		Score.
	 Anise: Speaking of the Score, where did that traveler giving illegal
		readings go?
	  Tear: Perhaps he's moved on to a new city. We should report to the
		Order about him...and Mohs.
	   Guy: That's fine, but who's in charge of the Order these days?
	  Tear: ...I'm not sure. Perhaps it's Grandfather, now.
	  Luke: Nobody in Daath has any idea of what's going on. I say we talk
		to Teodoro.
	 Anise: You're right. Ugh, what's going to happen to the Order...?

The party heads back to the aircar.

	  Luke: Sorry, as long as we're in Baticul, I'd like to go see His
		Majesty...
       Natalia: Oh, you're right. Yes, let's go.
	  Luke: Ah...
	  Luke: (Well that didn't work. It's not like I can mention this locket
		in front of Natalia...)
       Natalia: Luke? We're leaving now.
	  Luke: Y-yeah...

The party heads towards the castle gates.

	  Luke: Uh, a-actually...I kind of want to meet with His Majesty...
		alone.
       Natalia: My, what's wrong? Is it something we shouldn't know about?
	  Luke: W-well, not exactly....
	   Guy: (lightbulb) Ah hah hah, you're such a bad liar. Just tell her!
	  Luke: Guy?!
	   Guy: Truth is, Natalia, he's got a letter of a personal nature from
		Emperor Peony.
       Natalia: But why hide it?
	  Jade: (lightbulb) This is highly confidential. His Imperial Majesty is
		considering making you his bride.
All but Natalia: (!)
       Natalia: M-Me?! But I've got Luke! And Asch, too, I suppose. Oh, what to
		do...
	  Tear: (...)
	 Anise: Natalia, you can't have both! No fair!
	   Guy: Anyway, he asked that the letter get to your father without you
		knowing
       Natalia: ...Now I understand. Very well, I'll be waiting here.

Natalia receives the Popular Princess title.

	  Jade: Thank you for understanding. Well, Luke, shall we?
	  Luke: Huh? No, but, I was going to go alone...
	   Guy: Now, now, don't be stubborn. Let's go.

Jade and Guy drag Luke into the castle.

	 Anise: Then we're coming, too.
	  Tear: R-right....

Anise and Tear also go into the castle.

	  Luke: Hold on! Guy, Jade, Anise, fine. Tear?!
	  Tear: I'm sorry, it just kind of happened...
	   Guy: It's that locket you found on Mt. Roneal, isn't it?
	  Luke: Y-yeah... I guess you noticed.
	   Guy: You were standing there, staring at some locket you found,
		looking like somebody just died.
	  Jade: He's right. Sometimes one just can't help being curious.
	 Anise: Yep! ...heh heh. (heart)
Guy, Luke & Tear: (sweatdrop)
	  Luke: ...Just don't tell Natalia.

The scene fades to King Ingobert's chamber.

   Ingobert VI: What's going on, Luke? I don't see Natalia with you...?
	  Luke: Your Majesty, please take a look at this.

Luke hands the King the locket.

   Ingobert VI: This is...!
	 Anise: (!)
	  Luke: I don't know what Natalia looked like as a baby, so I thought
		maybe Your Majesty could...
   Ingobert VI: ...This is Natalia. I'm almost certain of it. Where did you find

		this?
	  Luke: On Mt. Roneal. At the spot where we and the God-Generals were
		caught in that avalanche.
	 Anise: I think I've seen that before. I could have sworn that Largo...
 Everyone else: (!)
	  Luke: Are you sure? Well, Largo is about the only possible candidate,
		but...
   Ingobert VI: ...I hear that Natalia's childhood wet-nurse is away on leave. I
		hear she's now working for Astor in Chesedonia. Try to speak
		with her.
	  Luke: Yes, Your Majesty.
   Ingobert VI: Do you plan to...tell Natalia?
	  Luke: What would Your Majesty have us do.
   Ingobert VI: ...I don't know. Perhaps it would be best to tell her... But if
		it is indeed Largo...
	  Luke: We'll report to Your Majesty again once we have a solid answer.
   Ingobert VI: Thank you. Luke, what's with all this "Your Majesty" business?
		It's unlike you.
	  Luke: ...Well, I'm just a replica.
   Ingobert VI: Oh, don't be foolish. You're still a nephew to me.
	  Luke: ...Yes, sir.

In the hallway outside the King's chamber...

	  Jade: This is quite a surprise. To think that Natalia could be Largo's
		daughter.
	  Luke: Nothing is sure yet.
	   Guy: ...But it will be so hard for her if it is true.
	 Anise: So, are we going to Chesedonia? Be careful. Natalia will catch
		on eventually.
	  Tear: What about that Scorer performing illicit readings? How about we
		tell her we heard the Scorer was heading for Chesedonia?
	  Luke: Nice. Natalia should go along with that.
	 Anise: But we're going to have to tell her sometime, right? She'll
		probably be really hurt.

	  Tear: ...Yes. It's hard to face one's own blood as an enemy.
	  Luke: Right. And Natalia in particular has a fragile side to her that
		makes me worry.
	  Tear: (...)

+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
| Skit `Connected by Blood'                                              [SK338]
|
|	 Anise: All this heavy talk is really getting me down...
|	   Guy: Yeah, it sure is depressing.
|	  Luke: Yeah...
|	  Tear: If you all look so gloomy when you go outside, Natalia will know
|		something's up.
|	  Jade: Indeed. Life has its ups and downs, after all.
|	  Luke: But it's Largo!
|	  Jade: The what about Tear?
|	   All: ...!
|	 Anise: Oh yeah...the Commandant is her brother, isn't he...?
|	  Jade: Now is not the time for such thoughts. We need to be calm and
|		rational.
|	  Luke: Yeah. After all, it's not us the truth will hurt the most...Its
|		Natalia.
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
| Skit `Natalia's Future Husband?'                                       [SK339]
|
|      Natalia: I wonder whether Father will choose Luke or Asch...
|	 Anise: Huh? That should be up to you, right?
|	 Anise: Asch, with a zillion wrinkles from a hard life, or Luke, with a
|		zillion wrinkles from moping around all day.
|	 Anise: Whatever floats your boat.
|	  Luke: It's more like wrinkles from getting mad at stupid chicks.
|	  Tear: ...S-so which do you like, Natalia?
|      Natalia: I...that is... You can't expect me to answer that!
|      Natalia: Besides, it's Father that will decide, not me.
|	  Luke: ...It'll be Asch, anyway. Don't worry about me. The arrangement
|		was with the original Luke.
|      Natalia: Nobody said anything about that!
|      Natalia: Besides, perhaps I don't like either Luke or Asch!
|	  Tear: Huh? So, what, Guy then?
|	 Anise: Or maybe even the Colonel?
|	   Guy: Hey, stop teasing her. Look how troubled she is.
|	 Anise: Boooo. Love is what girls always talk about!
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sync departs with part of the crowd.

	  Luke: That bastard! How cruel...
       Natalia: Anise, you can't let it get to you. Sync and Ion are completely
		different people.
	   Guy: She's right. Just like Luke and Asch are different people.
	 Anise: ...Y-yeah. I'm fine! I'm NOT letting it bother me! I'm fine. I'm
		fine. I'm FINE!
	  Jade: Anise. Don't push yourself too hard.
	 Anise: I'm not pushing anything...
	  Jade: Natalia, would you take Anise to the bazaar or somewhere to
		cheer her up a bit? The rest of us will go speak to Astor to
		alert him of the traveling Scorer.
	 Anise: (angry)
       Natalia: Certainly. Anise, let's take a walk.

Anise departs with Natalia.


	   Guy: Damn, you're good, Jade.
	  Tear: Yes, but Anise looked angry at being used as the bait.
	  Luke: Jade will take responsibility for that later. But she was really
		depressed,
	  Jade: Let's set aside responsibility for the moment and go see Astor.

The party rejoins with Anise and Natalia.

       Natalia: Oh my, that was fast. Did you pass along a warning to Astor?
	  Luke: Yeah, more or less.
	 Anise: ...Luke, I want a full report later.
	  Luke: I know. I'm sorry.
	 Anise: You're weird. Why should you apologize, and not the Colonel?
	  Jade: Whew, I appreciate it Luke.
  Anise & Luke: (...)
       Natalia: What's all this about?
	  Luke: Oh, uh, hah hah, n-nothing.
       Natalia: Really? Well, in any case, this New Order of Lorelei business is
		worrisome.
	  Tear: Let's go talk with Grandfather.
	   Guy: Which means Yulia City, right? Nice, I love that town!
	  Tear: Oh, really? Why?
	  Luke: Fon machines. Fon machines.
	  Tear: Ugh...
	   Guy: ...There's no need to react like that. Anyway, let's get moving.

+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
| Skit `A Fake Ion'                                                      [SK340]
|
|	 Anise: I can't believe Sync did that...
|	  Tear: Anise...hang in there.
|	 Anise: ...I'm okay. I know that he's not Ion. But his face, his
|		voice...
|      Natalia: How cruel, to use his appearance to hurt Anise...
|	  Luke: Why...? Ion said he didn't want to be a substitute for anyone
|	  Luke: I don't really want to be Asch's substitute...I don't think.
|	  Luke: So how can he play Ion so easily..?.
|	   Guy: He may think of replicas differently than you or Ion.
|	  Luke: I can't understand him... I wish I could ask him about it
|      Natalia: If he would listen...
|	  Luke: Yeah...
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The scene fades to the conference room.

       Teodoro: ...I see. The first order of business is to restore the Order of
		Lorelei. Leave the Order to me. I'll pull something together
		centered around Tritheim. To think that Mohs, a paragon of what
		a watcher should be, should come to this... It is truly a shame.
	  Tear: Grandfather, Mohs mentioned an "Eldrant." Do you have any idea
		what he meant?
       Teodoro: The only Eldrant I know is the name of the Glorious Land of
		Ancient Ispanian legend...
	   All: (...)
       Teodoro: I'm afraid I don't know much about Eldrant, but something odd
		has come up.
	   Guy: Something odd?
       Teodoro: There is an overall decline in Seventh Fonons. But there are
		spots at which they're being expended at an astonishing rate.
	 Anise: Where?
       Teodoro: One is an undersea location near the sixth Sephiroth, but an
		investigation team found nothing. We're currently in pursuit of
		a second site now.
	  Jade: Pursuit? How can one pursue a stationary location?
       Teodoro: There's no other way to put it. For whatever reason, its
	      position keeps changing.
	   Guy: Could it be some mobile facility? A ship, or a carriage?
       Teodoro: I don't know. But it would take much more than a ship to expend
		this many Seventh Fonons.
	  Jade: Is there no pattern to the movement?
       Teodoro: That's currently being looked into. We do know that it's
		traveling around the ocean.
	  Luke: A giant object traveling the ocean, huh....
	  Jade: The only peacetime occupation of that many Seventh Fonons would
		be fomicry. This is most disturbing.
	  Luke: If you think so, Jade, then it probably is a facility for
		fomicry.
	  Tear: Let's search the ocean as thoroughly as possible.

+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
| Skit `Something Big Moving in the Sea...'                              [SK343]
|
|	 Anise: Something big moving in the sea...Like a huge marwhal?
|      Natalia: Even the largest of them only reach around thirty meters.
|      Natalia: Rather small for" something giant moving through the sea," no?
|	  Tear: Baby marwhals are so cute...
|	 Anise: But they attack people when they get bigger. They are monsters,
|		you know.
|      Natalia: Could it be a battleship? I have heard of very large ships in
|		recent years...
|	   Guy: Yeah, but I don't think there are many ships in the
|		thousand-meter class...
|	  Jade: Whatever it is, if it's that large, we should be able to find it
|		by just watching the sea.
|	 Anise: But I get so sleepy watching the water... Oh well.
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

In the Albiore...


	  Luke: Hey! Is that island moving?!
	  Jade: A floating island? That's physically impossible...
	   Guy: That island... I feel like I've seen it before...
       Natalia: Shall we land and take a look? We may find some clue down
		there.
	  Tear: It just may be the facility consuming Seventh Fonons that
		Grandfather was talking about.

The party lands on the mysterious island.