luke + the party finally get back home

      Goldberg: A carrier pigeon arrived with a message from Count Almandine. He
		said you were traveling with an emissary of peace from the
		Malkuth Empire.
	   Ion: I'm Ion, Fon Master of the Order of Lorelei. I bear a letter
		from His Imperial Majesty, Emperor Peony the Ninth of the
		Malkuth Empire. May I ask an audience with His Majesty, King
		Ingobert the Sixth?
      Goldberg: Of course. General Cecille here will be responsible for
		escorting you to the castle.
       Cecille: Brigadier General Cecille, at your service.

Guy looks surprised.

       Cecille: (?)
       Cecille: Is something wrong?
	   Guy: N-no, excuse me. I'm Guy. A servant of Luke's.
	  Tear: Locrian Sergeant Tear Grants, 1st Platoon, Oracle Knights
		Intelligence Division.
	 Anise: Ionian Sergeant Anise Tatlin. Oracle Knights Fon Master Guard.
	  Jade: Colonel Jade Curtiss, commander of the Third Division, Malkuth
		Imperial Forces. I represent His Imperial Majesty.
Cecille & Goldberg: (!)
       Cecille: You're THE Jade Curtiss...?!
	  Jade: You taught me a painful lesson in our battle in northern
		Chesedonia, General Cecille.
       Cecille: You must be joking. My forces were virtually wiped out...
      Goldberg: You're well known as the Emperor's personal confidant, Colonel.
		If you're here, Malkuth must indeed be serious.
	  Jade: Tensions along the border are greater now than at the start of
		the Hod War. We have no choice but to be serious.
	   Guy: (...)
      Goldberg: Correct. Well, then, Luke, my Baticul defense unit will escort
		you back to your home.
	  Luke: Hold on! Ion asked me to speak to Uncle on his behalf. I'm
		taking him to the castle!
	   Ion: Thank you, Luke. I appreciate the support.
	  Tear: I'm impressed, Luke. You truly understand your responsibility.
	  Luke: Oh...uh...yeah...
      Goldberg: Understood. In that case, I shall send General Cecille to inform
		His Grace, Duke Fabre. If you would, General Cecille.
       Cecille: Yes, sir.
	  Luke: (All right, now I'll get my chance to be a hero.)
	   Ion: All right, then, Luke. If you'd show us the way.
	  Luke: ...Right, let's go!

After riding the aircar, Luke takes a good look at his unfamiliar home town.

	  Luke: So...this is Baticul?
	   Guy: What? You're acting like you've never seen it before.
	  Luke: I can't help it! I don't remember!
	   Guy: Oh... That's right. You've never been outside since you lost
		your memory.
	 Anise: ...Wow, what a city! It goes straight up!
	  Mieu: You could fit two or three Cheagle Woods in here! Maybe more!
	   Guy: This city was built on a depression in the ground created when a
		fonstone fell from the sky.
	  Tear: Meaning that it's protected by natural walls. That's a logical
		design.
	  Luke: (Damn it... It doesn't feel like I've come home at all.)

(after spotting the dark wings)

Dark Wings leave.

	 Anise: What's with them?! They're dressed like circus performers!
	   Guy: Now that you mention it, they do resemble that circus troupe,
		the "Black Dream." I only saw them once a long time ago, so I'm
		not certain, but...
	  Luke: What? You went to see the circus without telling me?
	   Guy: Oh, sorry, man...
	  Jade: ...I do wonder what they're up to. It sounded like they were
		scheming something.
	  Tear: ...Yes. And they were interested in Ion. Fon Master, please be
		careful.
	   Ion: Right, I will.

+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

| Skit `Impressions of Baticul'                                          [SK067]
|
|	  Luke: *Sigh*
|	  Tear: Luke seems unhappy.
|	 Anise: Even after getting back home, it's no different than anywhere
|		else. Poor Luke...
|	  Tear: Luke, um...
|	   Guy: Hey, Luke. Let's wander around the city for a bit.
|	  Luke: Why? I just want to get home already.
|	   Guy: We've come all this way. Might as well have a little more fun.
|		Think of it as...sightseeing.
|	  Luke: I don't really feel like--
|	   Guy: Come on. After all, not everyone here has been to Baticul
|		before.
|	   Ion: Yes. That sounds good to me.
|	  Jade: Sure, why not? I don't mind.
|	 Anise: Me neither!
|	  Tear: I think that's a fine idea.
|	   Guy: There you have it, Luke. Shall we?
|	  Luke: All right, all right. Whatever!
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Luke returns to the manor.

	  Luke: Father! I'm home.
    Duke Fabre: I've heard the report from General Cecille. I'm glad you're
		safe. Thank you for your help, Guy.
	   Guy: ...It is my honor, sir.
    Duke Fabre: I see the emissaries are with you. You must be tired. Please,
		relax and make yourselves comfortable.
	   Ion: Thank you.
    Duke Fabre: By the way, Luke, where is Dorian General Grants?
	  Luke: Master Van? We split up at Chesedonia. He said he'd come by boat
		later...
       Cecille: Duke Fabre... I'll head to the port.
    Duke Fabre: Yes. I'll leave the matter of Van to you. I'll go to the
		castle.
	   All: (?)
    Duke Fabre: I hear it was thanks to you that my son was spirited halfway
		across the world.
	  Tear: ...I apologize for the trouble I've caused.
    Duke Fabre: You're Van's sister?
	  Tear: Yes.
    Duke Fabre: I've received a report that you intended to assassinate Van. Or
		were you in fact conspiring with him instead?
	  Tear: Conspiring? I don't understand what you mean.
    Duke Fabre: Well, I'll leave that alone for now. Let's go, General.

Duke Fabre and General Cecille leave.

	   Guy: His Grace was acting strangely.
	  Luke: I wonder what's up with Master Van...
	  Tear: I think I should be going, too...

	   Guy: As long as you're here, you should probably apologize to the
		Lady as well. She probably fell ill because Luke went missing.
	  Tear: ...You're right. I'll do that.

Luke heads towards his parents' chamber and is stopped by Natalia.

       Natalia: Luke!
	  Luke: Ugh...
       Natalia: What kind of attitude is that?! Do you realize how worried I
		was?!
	   Guy: Oh, well, you know... Luke's just embarrassed, Your Highness.
       Natalia: Guy! You have some explaining to do, too! I told you to come
		tell me before you went searching for Luke! Why did you leave
	      without speaking to me?
	   Guy: You know a servant like me can't get into the castle!
       Natalia: Why are you backing away?
	   Guy: You know why!
       Natalia: Once I marry Luke, you'll be my servant, too. Get used to it.
	   Guy: I can't!
     Natalia: You're so strange. Look how pathetic you are. I don't know what
		the maids see in you.

+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
| Skit `The Upper-Class?'                                                [SK069]
|
|	  Luke: There goes Natalia again.
|	   Guy: Some things never change, I guess.
|	 Anise: She sure looked like a princess, didn't she? Pretty clothes,
|		royal bearing, elegant speech... I guess that's the upper class
|		for you. A little boisterous, too.
|	  Jade: Well, you must be upper-class yourself then, Anise.
|	 Anise: Hey, what's that supposed to mean?!
|	   Guy: Hah hah hah.
|	  Luke: *Sigh* Enough already...
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Back near the entrance of the manor.

	  Tear: ...Princess Natalia's beautiful. That cute dress looked so nice
		on her...
	  Luke: Huh? She's not pretty. She's annoying. She whines about
		everything.
	   Guy: And besides, you're beautiful, too, Tear.
	  Tear: (////)
	  Tear: Uh...thank you. ...I-I'm sorry. I wasn't thinking
	   Guy: No, it's all right. I'm sorry.
	  Luke: See, Guy, that's why girls fall all over you. The way you just
		come out and say stuff like that.
	   Guy: ...But all I did was say what came to mind.
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
| Skit `A Sword with a History'                                          [SK078]
|
|	  Tear: What an impressive manor... Look at all these decorations on the
|		walls.
|	  Luke: Maybe, but I don't have a clue what they mean. I don't really
|		care, either.
|	   Guy: What a shame. Just look at all this history around you!
|	  Tear: How about that sword that's hanging near the entrance?
|	   Guy: ...Oh, that? As I recall, that was brought back from some
|		battle...along with proof of victory over the enemy
|		commander...
|	  Luke: Proof?
|	   Guy: His head. The commander's head.
|	  Luke: H-head? I'd better keep away from that thing...
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Luke heads to his room with the group.

	   Guy: Are you tired? Feel free to get some rest.
	  Luke: Yeah, I'll do that.
	   Guy: Well, I guess I'll be going, then. The White Knights are having
		a fit that your search was left in the hands of a "mere
		servant" like me. Time to go kiss up while I give my report.
	   Ion: It's time for us to go as well.
	 Anise: Luke...please don't forget about me. (heart)
	  Jade: It was a fascinating experience. Thank you.
	  Luke: See you.

All but Tear leave.