Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

CHAPTER 1: MISSION REQUEST

The pleasant aroma of Suid chops was pervading the air of the BLADE Barracks interior. Lin Lee Koo, the chef behind it all, was busy preparing the vegetables that would accompany this savoury meal. Her Nopon friend Tatsu was dancing on the counter behind her, as usual. Meanwhile, the Colonel of BLADE, Elma, was relaxing on the nearby sofa with her legs crossed. “Linly…?” Tatsu innocently asked.

Lin groaned. “What is it, Tatsu?” she asked, glancing back to face the Nopon.

“Um…Tatsu was kind of hoping that tonight would be pizza night, instead!!” Tatsu began jumping in place.

“And get the whole neighbourhood of Ma-non in on this? Agh, I don’t think so!” Lin insisted.

“They won’t come if Tatsu not spill beans this time…” Tatsu innocently muttered, as he stopped jumping.

“I don’t hold much hope for that,” Lin shook her head as she turned around to tend to the vegetables again.

“Tatsu WON’T! He promise!” Tatsu argued. “If Linly promise pizza, Tatsu promise not to tell everyone about it!”

“That still doesn’t fill me with confidence,” Lin argued. “I feel like Ma-non are intrinsically built to detect pizza!!”

“Hehe, wouldn’t shock me if they’ve made a device that helps them do that,” Elma remarked in amusement. “Honestly, even despite that, navigating the pizza places is a pain. They are always flooded with Ma-non.”

“Yeah – that’s why I always just get it delivered nowadays,” Lin said. “Besides, BLADE members get a discount, so it nullifies the extra delivery charge!”

“The problem with that, is that all of Division Drive knows you’ve ordered some,” Elma folded her arms. “NOT just the Ma-non.”

“Tatsu think NLA should hold major pizza party!” Tatsu cried. “It can be on a nice warm relaxing weekend day. Everyone gathers around and plates up pizza!”

“Do you know how much pizza it’d take to feed the entirety of NLA?” Lin asked him.

“Yeah. I can’t imagine the pizza places have that amount of ingredients in immediate stock,” Elma said.

“ONE pizza place may not. But two…!” Tatsu said. “Or three…”

“Besides, the day that NLA has a pizza day is the day that Nopon fly!” Lin cried.

“Nopon CAN fly,” Tatsu said, and he proceeded to demonstrate by flapping his wings and lifting off in the air.

“That’s not flying. That’s hovering,” Lin said.

“It FLYING! Look! Watch Tatsu!” and Tatsu flapped his wings harder, but nothing changed about his altitude.

“Look at you, you’re not going any higher. I don’t consider that flying. Nopon might be able to sustain themselves in the air for a few seconds, but that’s about it. With their rotund bodies and their small wingspans, it is blatantly obvious from an engineering perspective that Nopon are not adequately aerodynamic!” Lin said.

“Tatsu not really understand what Linly say just now. But to Tatsu, this is flying. Tatsu has wings. Tatsu can hold himself in the air for a few moments!” But Tatsu landed on the counter. “Tatsu not see humans going flappy-flap in air! By that logic, Nopon CAN fly!”

“Nopon are about as aerodynamic as a defunct battery-powered drone. They can sustain themselves in the air for a few minutes, but then their fat bodies can’t withstand the force anymore, and they have to stop,” Lin argued.

“NOPON CAN FLY! HUMANS CANNOT! MEH!” Tatsu spat. “Humans got arms! Why they not can fly!?”

“The arms and chests of humans don’t have enough muscle mass for flight,” Elma explained.

“What Elma mean by THAT?!” Tatsu cried. “Tatsu see human muscles all the time, easily! Tatsu has seen Doug lifting heavy items – heavy items that weigh more than five Tatsus!”

“Well, you need to remember that mimeosomes are stronger than real bodies. We can lift a lot more using our mims,” Elma said.

“By THAT logic, mims can fly! Right!?” Tatsu asked.

“The answer to that is still no,” said Elma. “However, Mira’s gravity is slightly weaker than Earth’s was. This enables us to jump a lot higher.”

“BUT WHY HUMANS STILL NO FLY!?” Tatsu screamed. “If it muscle problem, humans just need to bulk up!” He began to hop. “Birds AND Nopon have smaller muscles than humans. Why humans still no fly???”

“The wingspan and strength are proportionate to the size of a bird,” Elma said. “Not only this, but birds have hollow bones, which lower their weight and give them more of a lift. Humans don’t have strong enough muscles or metabolisms to take flight.”

“AH!” and Tatsu began to laugh. “So, that means humans are weak in comparison to Nopon! Tatsu is stronger than humans because he can fly!! And everyone is always picking on Tatsu about not going out there to do Heroponly things. LOOK AT TATSU! His body is strong enough to fly! What does that say about Elma and Linly?? Eh??”

“Tatsu, will you shut the hell up??!” Lin glared back at him, making him cower. “Is there a point in humans flying on their own, when we’ve got the Skells ?”

“Ah, humans need big robots to help them fly. Tatsu can fly on his own lonesome!” Tatsu flew in the air briefly.

“I STILL WOULDN’T CALL THAT FLYING!” Lin fumed.

“It still much more than what Linly can do! Mehehehehe!” Tatsu laughed.

“Do you want to be added to the pot of vegetables?!” Lin demanded. “I mean because Tatsu, with additional augments, we can withstand the lava of Cauldros . But what about you, huh? How do Nopon hold up in a pot of boiling water?!”

Tatsu froze and his wings spread out beside him. “Meh meh…” he gasped.

“That’s what I thought!!” Lin cried. “Now shut up, otherwise you’re not getting ANY of this!”

“Honestly, Lin, why do we even still keep him around?” Elma bantered.

“Because Tatsu is valuable asset! He is strong and he can fly!” Tatsu cried.

“Skells fly better than YOU!” Lin huffed. “Besides, you aren’t strong AT ALL! You’ve NEVER helped us in combat! EVER!”

“Well…why Tatsu need to do that? When human robot bodies can do it on own…?” Tatsu timidly asked.

“Wait…?” Lin cupped her hand around her ear. “Did I just hear Tatsu admitting that humans are stronger than Nopon because we actually fight on the battlefield?”

“NO! NO! MEH!” Tatsu began hopping frantically. “TATSU CAN FIGHT ON THE BATTLEFIELD IF HE PUTS HIS MIND TO IT!”

“Hmmmm. Okay. Next time, I want you to prove that to me!” Lin said. “The next time we hit the field, I’m giving you my weapons.”

“Meh meh…” Tatsu gasped, cowering on the counter.

“My question from earlier still stands,” Elma sassily said. “Why do we bother keeping Tatsu around if he’s not going to help us in any way, shape, or form? We ought to just take him back to his family’s caravan.”

Tatsu covered his eyes with his wings. “…Tatsu not want to leave Linly and Elma! Tatsu not want to leave friends!”

“I’m flattered, but Elma makes a good point,” Lin glared back at Tatsu. “I think you should start earning your keep, Tatsu. Whether it’s joining BLADE, cleaning up around the barracks, or getting a job.”

“Tatsu no can get job. He only thirteen!” said Tatsu.

“Okay. Then do chores around the barracks!” Lin said.

“Tatsu not want to do chores!” Tatsu cried. “Tatsu not even know how!”

“It isn’t that difficult! I can show you!” Lin said. “It’d be REALLY helpful to Elma and I if we come home and find a sparkling clean BLADE Barracks, as opposed to the dump you usually leave it in.”

“TATSU NOT LEAVE IT IN DUMP!” Tatsu roared.

“The other day, it was an absolute pigsty!” Lin cried. “There was trash and cookie crumbs EVERYWHERE! And you spilled milk on the floor but only bothered to wipe up half of it!”

“W-W-Well, Tatsu always hear that one can no cry over spilled milk…” Tatsu moaned.

“That’s just an expression! That doesn’t mean you can leave spilt milk just sitting there!” Lin cried.

“Well, Tatsu not want to cry if he clean it up. Poor milk,” Tatsu moaned.

“It’s your fault for being so careless with it!” Lin spat. “Anyway, once we finish eating, I am going to start teaching you how to clean up around here.”

“But Tatsu not wanna!” Tatsu whined.

“TOO BAD!” Lin roared. “You need to start earning your keep, Tatsu!”

“MEH MEH!” Tatsu hung his head.

At that moment, Elma’s Comm Device beeped briefly. She picked it up to check it, and found a message from Secretary Nagi. “What’s up?” Lin asked, looking back at Elma.

“The Secretary wants me in for a brief but important meeting,” Elma reported.

“Oh…” Lin said. “Should I come, too?”

“No, you can’t. The Secretary just wants me to go. He just mentioned it’s confidential, and…that…I need to go in my real body,” Elma said.

Lin’s eyes widened at this. “Oh…sounds REALLY important, then, if he wants you going in your real body!” she said. “But…confidential? Really?” She frowned.

But Elma stood up. “Sorry,” she just said.

“Elma, you can tell ME you know! I’m your best friend? I’m your partner in crime here? I’m like a sister to you? It can’t hurt to tell me, right?” Lin asked.

“Hehe, I don’t even know what it’s about, Lin. But even if I did, I’m afraid I must respect the Secretary’s wishes,” Elma said. “Anyway, I’m going to go swap my mim for my real body.” She then disappeared into her room. She deactivated her mim and returned to her real body, which rested on her bed. Once she woke up in her real body, she grabbed her Comm Device off her mim and exited her room. Lin watched Elma worriedly as she entered the kitchen. “It’ll be fine, Lin. Don’t worry about it,” Elma smiled at her.

“But you don’t know what’s going on…” Lin moaned.

“If Elma leaving, can Tatsu have her portion?” Tatsu asked, but he was ignored.

“I’m sure it’s not going to be anything bad. And it shouldn’t take long, either,” Elma reassured Lin with a smile. She then left the BLADE Barracks.

When Elma entered Secretary Nagi’s office, she was surprised to find that Professor B was there, too. “Hello, Colonel Elma,” Nagi greeted formally.

“Hey, Secretary. What’s…Professor B doing here?” Elma asked, glancing at the xenoform sitting in a chair in front of Nagi’s desk.

“He is part of the reason why I called for this impromptu meeting,” Nagi explained. “Here, take a seat, Colonel.” Elma obediently sat in a chair next to Professor B. “Now, Colonel,” Nagi gazed at Elma. “The Director and I have talked about this lately, but…we have decided that we would like to try and uncover more about the history of this planet. Yes, we’ve uncovered many artefacts and land anomalies – I think Oblivia is the biggest historical graveyard of them all. However, these artefacts and relics can only tell us so much. Now, again, we can always do some excavation in the Miran lands. But the FrontierNav is already doing that already, and we would not want to needlessly dig up the lands just to find more artefacts that we can’t really identify. So, this is where Professor B comes in. You’re aware of what is in his possession, right?”

“…A time machine…” Elma’s eyes widened.

“Indeed,” Nagi said. “The Miramobile.”

“So, wait…!” Elma said. “Are you…wanting to use that Miramobile to go back in time to learn more about Mira’s history?”

“You are correct,” Nagi nodded.

Elma glanced at Professor B. “I thought that Miramobile can only travel into the future?”

“It can travel into the past, too. Hence why I am able to come back to qro(Gc`G!/5]zN7/}|@{ from the future,” Professor B explained.

“I…see…” Elma gazed down at her lap.

“Now, this is where you come in, Colonel,” Nagi said. “You see, I am offering you the opportunity to take the Miramobile back in time to just simply collect some data. You do not need to stay for long, and you don’t need to get your hands dirty at all. In fact, you don’t even need to stray far from the Miramobile. Just collect some samples and scans of the natural world…maybe bring back a rock or a leaf or two, then report back to us.”

“The Miramobile is already calibrated to the Zq+#HDJrNx7iM+xt4?2,” Professor B said. “That way, you won’t have to fiddle with ANY controls at all. I’ve already set it to its own coordinates, so to speak. All you will have to do is enjoy the ride.”

“Of course, Colonel, this is an optional mission,” Nagi said. “If you don’t feel comfortable doing this, Professor B can always go in your stead. I just figured I would consult with you, first, as I know you are always incredibly partial to surveying new lands.”

“No, I…I won’t lie, this does sound like an interesting mission,” Elma reported. “But…why did I have to come here in my real body?”

“It is because the mimeosome control range will probably not reach that far,” Nagi said.

“You will be travelling far into the pAmB[[fcW=~_H_c¬dlp£Ω, so it’s going to be a long journey,” Professor B added. “However, while it is a long distance, it will only take you approximately fifteen minutes to reach the predesignated destination.”

“Hence why I have only summoned you for this mission. You are the only one who can walk about freely without mimeosome control,” Nagi said. “However, now that I am thinking about it, L is able to do so, as well. Would you be interested in bringing him along?”

“No, he has a shop to run,” Elma said.

“Understood. So, I take it you are interested in doing this?” Nagi asked.

“I’m definitely interested. And…I suppose I’m also a little worried, as well, of course. Time travel is a really complicated thing. Should I be worried about paradoxes?” Elma asked, a hand to her hip.

“You shouldn’t. As I said, you only need to step outside the Miramobile and collect some samples at the bare minimum. As a matter of fact, your weapons shouldn’t have to be used for this quest – however, I do recommend bringing them along, anyway, as you never know what you may find,” Nagi said.

“Don’t worry. I wasn’t going to leave them behind, sir,” Elma nodded.

“A wise decision, Colonel,” Nagi nodded back in approval.

“So, shall I get the B5u|∞WNWXrpG5≠0Pd+yeYp warmed up?” Professor B asked.

“Wait…am I going now?!” Elma asked.

“You don’t have to,” Nagi responded. “Inherently, there is no hurry to do this. Again, it is just an optional mission that I thought you’d be interested in. If not, Professor B is more than happy to do this in your stead.”

“No. I want to do it,” Elma nodded.

“Are you sure?” Nagi inquired. “Don’t feel forced to, Colonel.”

“This’ll just be a quick run, right? Then I will come back?” Elma asked.

“If you leave now and collect a good _-@;gAn÷Po,+ZBo mH3=I of samples, then come back, it should only take you about an hour. Two, at max,” Professor B responded.

“I see,” Elma said.

“And the Miramobile is stocked with a repair kit as well as a first aid kit, just in case something happens and you Jv|C$G5h∑boQ_'>a svm%,” Professor B added.

“Thank you. I appreciate it,” Elma said.

“So, are you wanting to go now, Colonel Elma? Or do you need more time?” Nagi asked.

“I…I would want to at least say goodbye to Lin, first!” Elma said.

“I wouldn’t,” Nagi firmly argued. “As I mentioned, this is a confidential mission. For the sake of Professor B and the security of his Miramobile.”

“Lin knows about it, though,” Elma responded.

“I understand. But how do you think Miss Koo will take the news that you’re going back in time? She will be needlessly worried,” Nagi pointed out.

Elma grimaced. “I…I guess,” she said.

“Don’t worry. I will let Miss Koo know that you are helping me out with private BLADE matters. She will understand,” Nagi said.

“I appreciate it, sir,” Elma took a deep breath. “It’s a good thing I brought my weapons along, then, too. I’ll just have to collect them back from security when I leave.”

“Again, I do not think you will need them. But I would rather you be safe than sorry, Colonel,” Nagi said.

“Understood,” Elma said.

“Are you going to set off, now?” Nagi asked. “If so, you can head back to the Industrial District with Professor B.”

Elma nodded. “I’ll get going, now. While I’m uneasy about what to expect, I am also quite eager to see what past Mira has to offer.”

“Definitely,” Nagi said. “But Colonel Elma, don’t feel pressured to stuff the Miramobile full of artefacts. Just collect a few samples and pieces of the scenery, then report back. Okay?”

“Alright. And if it’s alright, I…want to be one of the ones who has a look at it all!” Elma eagerly said.

“Fair enough, that shall be arranged,” Nagi nodded. “For now, though, you ought to get going. Take care out there. Be safe, and good luck.”

“Thank you, Secretary,” Elma said, as she and Professor B stood up.

“I would want to leave you with one warning, though, Colonel…” Nagi’s voice trailed off. “It is not too late to change your mind, but…like the mimeosomes, your Comm Device data range may not reach, either. So, if something happens, you may not be able to reach us.” He grimaced. “…Are you still interested in going on this mission? Or…?”

Elma grimaced briefly, as well. But then nodded. “Yes, sir,” she said.

“Are you sure?” Nagi worriedly asked.

“Yes,” Elma said. “If Professor B has set the destination already, and if this is just going to be a quick collection quest, I should be fine.”

“Hmm…” Nagi uneasily said. “I am…uncertain. Perhaps I should have just asked Professor B to gather the data, instead…”

“No! I’m glad you asked me!” Elma cried. “I’ve got an opportunity to study new data and survey uncharted lands. You asked me because you knew I’d be interested…well, I AM!”

“True, but…it is risky, Colonel…” Nagi said.

“Secretary, I risked my life many times before this: infiltrating Ganglion strongholds, taking down Luxaar, confronting hostile xenoforms…even exploring Mira has its own hazards. But I am not willing to step down now. I’ve explored Mira once. I can do it again,” Elma smiled.

“Fair enough, Colonel. I just worry, as this is your real body,” Nagi said.

“Hmm…in that case, I might quickly suit up before I leave,” Elma nodded.

“That will ease my mind,” Nagi nodded. “Please, go on ahead and do this. In fact, it doesn’t have to be at your expense. Present your Comm Device.”

“Sir…!?” Elma protested.

“Please, Colonel Elma,” Nagi firmly said, and Elma held out her Comm Device to Nagi. Nagi proceeded to scan it with his own Comm Device. “There. I have transferred two hundred thousand credits to your account. Use that to get the best equipment and armour you can.”

“Augh…” Elma sighed. “Thanks, sir. I will do just that.”

“Now, go on. And good luck,” Nagi said.

“Thank you, Secretary,” Elma nodded. With that, Elma followed Professor B out of Nagi’s office.

Chapter Text

CHAPTER 2: A NEW WORLD

Elma equipped herself with the best augments and armour she could find on the market. She even bought herself an armoured bandana to put around her head – since she was leaving modern NLA, she wanted to be safe rather than sorry when it came to her xenoformic appearance. So, the bandana was there to not just provide head protection, but to cover her pointed ears and her small crystalline head appendages. Once she had that covered, she could easily pass as a human. It probably didn’t matter in the end, since she was only going to be there for an hour at most. But even today, she was self-conscious about her appearance. Despite the many advancements made in NLA, it wasn’t short of its xenophobia. So, Elma limited the exposure of her real body as much as she could. In fact, it was rare to see her real body outside of the Administrative and Industrial Districts.

After Elma got everything she needed, she made her way to the front of the BLADE Tower, where she found Professor B waiting for her by a helicopter. “You all armoured up and ready to go?” Professor B asked.

“Yes, Professor B,” Elma nodded.

“Very well, then. Let’s head back and get started on the G{[]G@A.;#*(rPy$syZu,” Professor B said. Without another word, they entered the helicopter and buckled themselves in.

  Veven, Professor B’s Ma-non assistant, stood by the Miramobile while he waited for their arrival. Veven nodded at Elma as they closed in. “Are you ready for this?” Veven asked.

“Yes,” Elma responded.

“Don’t be nervous, okay?” Veven asked. “I know you humans haven’t developed time travel yourselves, but I have tested this multiple times in your absence. The Miramobile is all hot and ready to go, and the coordinates are inputted.”

  “Thank you, Veven,” Professor B responded.

“Is there anything I should be made aware about? Or warned about?” Elma asked.

  “Not really,” Veven said. “I only recommend you don’t open the windows, okay? Hehe!”

  “Okay…” Elma’s voice trailed off.

  Veven opened the driver side door of the Miramobile. “You have your driving license, human, yes?” he asked.

  “Yes, but…I need it?” Elma asked. Considering the fact that Veven was mistaking her as a human, it made her confident about her bandana.

Veven shrugged. “It’d help,” he said.

  “I’m also pretty good with cars in general,” Elma said. “I’m knowledgeable in how they work, and can also repair them if anything goes wrong.”

  “Ah! Good!” Veven put his hands together.

  “The Miramobile is different, however. It is W1hP;;(ih|HO7USj,nx+,” Professor B firmly insisted.

  “I know,” Elma said. “I will be careful, though. Don’t worry.” She climbed into the driver’s seat.

  “Okay, so just start it as you humans normally do with cars,” Veven explained. “Once you do, hit the gas pedal! Once the Miramobile begins to glow, shift gears, and it will go on!”

“Understood,” Elma said.

“And since the destination is already inputted in there, it will come to a stop on its own,” Veven explained. “So, you don’t need to worry about that. But in case you do, you stop it how you normally do. Just don’t put it in park until the glowing stops! Okay!?”

  “Okay,” Elma responded.

“You got it?” Veven asked.

  “I got it,” Elma nodded. “It’s not too complicated at all.”

  “Oh, and…buckle up, too!” Veven threw out his arms.

  “Was already planned,” and Elma proceeded to buckle her seatbelt.

After that, Veven threw the door closed and Elma started the Miramobile. She followed Veven’s instructions, unable to help but feel a bit nervous once the Miramobile began to vibrate madly underneath her – more than cars normally did. Once a bright light enveloped the Miramobile, she shifted the gear from park. There was a violent lurching sensation, and immediately the colours of the Industrial District around her blurred and warped. Next thing she knew, she was being hurled in a tubular tunnel of speeding colours, lights, and glimmers. It was quite a mesmerising sight – Elma assumed all of the speeding colours were remnants of the time periods she sped past. Since the Miramobile had a preset destination, it was going on autopilot. So, Elma was able to lean back and watch this supernatural event fold before her. What if… she thought sombrely. I…I can use this Miramobile and go back in time to before the catastrophe? I can do a better job at preventing the Earth from being destroyed…? She sighed. She knew that even if she did go back in time, there was only so much she could do. The Earth was a big planet, and she was just one solitary xenoform. Besides, if she went back and tried to change things, it would alter the present in some way. She knew that this concern was probably why she had to hurriedly gather the samples and go. But the further the Miramobile strayed from Mira, the more excited she became. She sincerely hoped that she would be able to resist going out and exploring the uncharted lands she would find herself in. But she was going into Mira’s past, so this meant that she may end up not finding anything too dissimilar to current Mira. Hopefully.

Since the speeding colours and lights outside the Miramobile were not changing much, Elma focused her eyes inward. The dashboard of the Miramobile had a holographic display that was indicating the time period, the distance to the destination, and the coordinates. The coordinates made no sense to Elma – they must’ve been in Professor B’s unique and complex language; a language in which was often difficult to understand even in speech form. The measurement of the distance was unfamiliar to Elma, as well. It just said “1ж53╧”. It was undoubtedly a unique time travel unit of measurement made by Professor B. Even without understanding it, though, she felt like she was far away from Mira.

At about the 1ж19╧ mark, the Miramobile suddenly began to shake violently. Before Elma could react to this, an alarm went off on the dashboard of the Miramobile. A robotic blared out a warning: “WARNING!! 3{bP]fWOu?7@qDbTUA$k IS MALFUNCTIONING! REPEAT! 3{bP]fWOu?7@qDbTUA$k IS MALFUNCTIONING!!”

  “WHAT is malfunctioning!?” Elma screamed frantically, but the Miramobile started shaking even more, and the front combusted. Elma immediately reached for the controls and tried to stop the car, but neither pedal was responding to her input. She tried the emergency brake, but it was locked. As were the gears. She could only stare helplessly at the frantic console before her. The distance measurement was going haywire, displaying many random numbers and special characters.

“WARNING! WARNING! CRASH PREPARATION PROTOCOL INITIATED!” the robotic voice roared, and Elma’s seatbelt suddenly tightened violently, almost choking her as it yanked her back against the seat. The speeding colours and lights around her were suddenly morphing into one colour. She was now seeing greenery fly past her. Then the Miramobile crashed. Thankfully, it wasn’t a nose-dive. But it did skid forward until it collided with a large tree. An airbag burst out and cushioned Elma against the ensuing impact. After that, everything was almost unsettlingly still. Elma remained seated for a few minutes, trying to process that abrupt chaotic scene of events. She couldn’t even verify if she’d made it to her destination, because the console hologram was gone. She unbuckled herself and quickly clambered out. Thankfully, her new armour protected her from the glass bits scattered around. Once she exited the Miramobile, she assessed the damage. Its front was smashed like an aluminium can. She swore in frustration as she pulled out her Comm Device. As Nagi had warned, it was not receiving any connection whatsoever; she could only use local services like note and picture taking, and data scanning.

Elma opened the boot of the Miramobile and found the repair kit in there. The tools inside the box looked like children’s toys when compared to the extent of the damage. Elma swore out again, as she glanced around the area. She was in a thick forest that looked nothing like Noctilum. Thankfully, the only damage she’d done to the nature around were the harsh skid marks in the dirt. She wasn’t sure what effect damaging trees would be for present Mira. Was she even ON Mira? She couldn’t verify it. And she highly doubted the crash was par for the course of the journey – otherwise, she would’ve been warned about it prior. The Miramobile had malfunctioned, and it had undoubtedly not reached its pre-set destination. It must’ve crash landed at the first place it could find for safety reasons. Elma wasn’t going to complain about THAT, for sure, as that protocol was much like the instance of the White Whale: it was better to crash land into an unknown place than be stranded and adrift in a possibly endless void. And as pretty as those speeding colours had been in that time travelling tunnel, she wouldn’t have wanted to be lost and adrift in it.

Thankfully, Elma herself only had a few scrapes, bumps, and bruises from the crash. But now she was without a way back to present Mira. And the repair kit available to her was NOT going to fix this mess. She paced around the Miramobile for a few minutes, hemming and hawing over her options – which were incredibly limited. She couldn’t operate the Miramobile in its current state. She couldn’t repair it with the pathetically minimal repair kit. She couldn’t get a hold of anyone in Mira, because communications couldn’t reach her. She wasn’t in her mim, so she couldn’t deactivate it and automatically return back to Mira in her real body. And she wasn’t even sure she’d be able to find the means of repairing the Miramobile here in this unknown world. Well, I…I suppose I’ll never know unless I look, Elma thought. I’m here to survey new lands, anyway. I got what I asked for. Shaking her head, she began to use her Comm Device to scan the nature around her. Nothing was out of the ordinary. Plants were plants. Dirt was dirt. As a matter of fact, the natural components were strikingly similar to Earth. Elma’s heart lurched as she stopped in the middle of scanning the dirt. Wait…DID I come to Earth’s past? Did my thoughts somehow register with the Miramobile, and it changed its course automatically? Elma shook her head. No. Can’t be. Professor B’s technology may be advanced, but…I don’t think it’d be able to do THAT…right? But if I AM in Earth’s past, HOW FAR into the past am I? Elma gazed around at the forest around her. A hundred years? A thousand years? Hell, I don’t even know if I am ON Earth!! She grimaced as she resumed scanning the area around.

Eventually, however, Elma went to scan a cluster of fat mushrooms. The results of the scans reported that they were not only toxic, but had a heavy content of ether in them. Ether? She wondered. You mean…that’s not just a normal attribute on Mira? Wait…if ether is here in this form, then maybe I AM in Mira’s past! She relaxed significantly. Sure enough, the ether contained within these mushrooms were not too dissimilar from the ethereal attributes used on Mira. Earth didn’t have this exact type of ether.

Elma resumed scanning the area, but she didn’t find anything else that was telling. In fact, some things came up as unfamiliar to Elma, which was to be expected. There were many berries that couldn’t be properly assessed, which was rather disappointing, as Elma was a bit on the hungry side. After an hour of scanning and not finding anything else as ground breaking, Elma went back to the damaged Miramobile to lean against it. She couldn’t stand here at the Miramobile forever, though. She had to find help of some kind. But could she, though? For instance, if she was in Earth’s palaeolithic era, there was no way she’d be able to find help of any kind. She doubted she could ask a dinosaur for assistance in the repairs. And she doubted their bones would be suitable repair materials. I’ll have to keep looking. I…might have to leave the Miramobile behind for now… Elma thought. She pulled out her Comm Device and opened up a map. Apart from her individual point on the map, it was all blank. It wasn’t even able to calibrate its compass. Elma grunted and pocketed her Comm Device. She went in and attempted to start up the Miramobile again, but the engine struggled to rev up. She tried this many times, but as expected, nothing. Elma roared out a swear word in frustration.

Elma was really reluctant to leave the Miramobile behind to go get help. But at this point, she had no choice. Unless she properly assessed her surroundings, she wouldn’t be able to figure out if there was at least one inkling of hope. At the very least, she could manually fill out the points on her map. It would be crude, but if she pinned the area she was at now and left, she’d be able to use the map track to find her way back to the Miramobile. So, she wouldn’t be able to get lost. Feeling a bit better from this, Elma exited the Miramobile again. She proceeded to walk away from it and make her way forward. If she followed a straight path, she’d have even less of a chance of getting lost. But her trek just sent her through more forestry. After about ten minutes of this, she heard a rustling sound that made her stop. She scrutinised her surroundings, and her eyes immediately laid upon a trio of indigens. They looked nothing like any indigen found on Mira. They were large spotted lion-like beasts, and they roared hungrily upon laying eyes on Elma. Elma pulled out her guns, but she didn’t fire. Instead, she backed away from the indigens. She would’ve fought out of defence, but what if killing one of these lion things changed something in present Mira? Elma grimaced at the thought of killing one of these lions, and it ends up killing Lin in the end. Elma turned and made a run for it. The lions were quick to pursue her, growling and roaring at her as they went.

They chased Elma through a large stretch of the forest. Eventually, she came to a large river. She glanced back, and saw the lions closing in. Elma put her guns away, and then dove into the river. It was freezing, but it beat being mauled alive by lion indigens. Elma swam for the other side of the river and quickly clambered out. She glanced back, and relief flooded her when she saw the lions pawing at the water briefly, before turning around and heading back into the thick trees. Elma then gazed down at the river. Its current was gushing to her right. It might be best if I follow this, she decided. So, that’s what she did. Not long into this, however, she encountered a massive frog-like indigen sitting lazily on the banks. It turned on her, and proceeded to pounce. Thankfully, Elma managed to get out of its way and continue on forward. Okay…there is life here, and…I haven’t found any dinosaurs, yet. I… But Elma froze and gasped. She’d spoken too soon. Four raptor-like beasts were trotting around the river. They all had electrical bolts zapping at a spike on their back. Okay…electric-based indigens… Elma thought. She quickly took a photo of the raptors, then went away from the river. Obviously, a water source was going to be brimming with indigens. So, perhaps it was better to follow the current at a distance.

Sure enough, the rest of Elma’s trek went by smoothly. As expected, the river took her to an ocean. As she’d travelled, she’d taken note of things on the blank map. She was now almost a kilometre away from the Miramobile, so this meant the ocean was in that same picture. As she scanned the ocean ahead, her heart leapt. In the distance, sat an immense and unique mass of land. She could’ve sworn she saw a hand jutting out from the ocean near it. Elma didn’t waste time in taking a couple of pictures of it. The mysteries of this new land were indeed captivating, but it did little to assist in the predicament she’d found herself in. But she’d travelled quite a bit, and needed to rest. So, she sat down in the sand to admire the land mass ahead. What if I’m stranded here? She asked. What if there is no further intelligent life than those lion and frog things? I’m just on a planet surrounded by dangerous indigens… She hugged her knees to her chest. I mean…I suppose I could try harvesting indigen bones to help me with the repairs. But the repairs I need to do are IMMENSE. She shook her head. It all does seem bleak, but I can’t give up, yet. I haven’t even travelled a full kilometre in this new world. She then stood up. I can’t afford to rest, either, with indigens crawling around. As difficult as it is, I need to keep going. And that’s what Elma did. While walking parallel to the beach, she continued surveying this new area.

Chapter Text

CHAPTER 3: SEARCH STRUGGLES

Elma’s trek along the beach continued. She had to avoid the occasional bird, fish, and crab indigens as she went. Eventually, this world’s sun was beginning to disappear over the sea’s horizon. So…this world or planet has a setting sun, it seems. And it doesn’t seem too dissimilar to Mira or Earth’s… Elma tiredly thought. She was dehydrated, worn out, and hungry. So far, she’d found nothing. And she didn’t want to risk killing one of the indigens for sustenance, lest she risked changing something about present Mira. Eventually, the beach turned into tall cliffs. Ascending the hill towards them was arduous, but she did it anyway. As a result of the high perch, she was able to look around a little bit. But all she saw was the ocean and the many trees of the forest. As a result of this tall and open area, another bird indigen swooped down upon her. As Elma looked at it, her mind could only picture piles of freshly cooked steaming poultry. But she was afraid of what would happen if she killed it. But…if the future had it written that she’d travel to the past, wouldn’t it have already changed things? It was a paradox, but Elma wasn’t…

She yelped out as the bird indigen assaulted her with an attack. With her worn out and weakened state, she was obviously in no state to battle. When she managed to pull herself to her feet, the bird swooped around and blasted her back with a wind attack. Elma cried out as she was launched off of the cliff – but she managed to grab ahold of the edge. There were sharp rocks below her being licked by ocean waves and eager to impale the xenoform. IF I HAD MY MIM, I WOULD BE ABLE TO HANDLE THAT DROP! Elma thought in frustration. The bird was preparing another attack, but Elma had no choice but to let go of the cliff with one hand and blast the bird with the gun. The bird screeched in pain as blood blasted out of a new wound on its wing. It was barely able to sustain flight now, and with this brief resting period, Elma was able to pull herself back up and regain her footing. She turned and started running back for the forest. The bird was quick to attack her again, and she yelped as she tumbled quite a bit. The bird’s flight faltered briefly due to its injury. At this, it let out a very loud screech. Seconds later, more birds joined the fray. Elma swore out as she picked herself up and began to flee. She didn’t get far, before the birds swooped in and surrounded her.

Elma stared nervously at the four birds surrounding her. She wanted to fight and defend herself, but what if doing so caused the extinction of this particular species of bird? Or even worse, changed something about her personal future? While she mulled over this, all of the birds swooped in and attacked her at once. As she tumbled to the ground, she was beginning to silently thank herself for getting the best armour on the market. And she was glad she’d invested in that bandana, too; it protected her head from all of these falls. Before she could even pick herself up, the birds all began to pile on her. The forest was soon flooded with her cries of pain. Dammit…dammit…dammit…it’s either me or them! It’s either me or them! Elma told herself. She pulled out her Dual Guns and began to open fire on all of the bird indigens. Soon, the forest was filled with THEIR screams of pain. With such a barrage of bullets, the birds couldn’t do anything to retaliate. So, Elma slowly backed up as she shot relentlessly at them. After a nice heavy round, Elma stopped upon realising that she couldn’t be as lackadaisical about her gunshots. She wasn’t in Mira anymore, so ammo was limited now. She put her guns away, and watched as all four birds helplessly collapsed in lifeless bloodied heaps. Unfortunately, due to the reckless gunfire, she’d ruined the meat she could’ve harvested from these birds. She grunted in frustration, before going back into the nearby forest.

Nighttime was now upon this strange new world, and Elma was at an even bigger disadvantage. Not only was she worn out and hungry, but she was wandering around at night. She could always trace her steps back to the Miramobile, but at this point, it was safer to find a place to shelter for the night. After another hour of wandering, however, she just found nothing but trees around her. So, she decided to just settle under a particularly large willow tree. As she laid in the grass, she tried to convince herself that Professor B realised she was stranded, and was preparing to go find her right now. Maybe… she hoped against hope, …he has a spare Miramobile lying around? But she knew that was highly unlikely. All she could do was try to sleep for now, and see what tomorrow would bring.

Though Elma did have to wake up occasionally to shoo away curious small indigens, she managed to sleep somewhat decently through the night. She woke up the next morning to a light rainfall, as well as a ravenous stomach. She had to bite the bullet and harvest some meat, otherwise, she wouldn’t survive. And she knew she wanted to go back to the river and hydrate a little, too. She wasn’t able to get information on the plant life around, so meat was the only option. Or perhaps she could ignore food for now and just stick with water. And that is what she ultimately decided. She could survive without food for a while. She didn’t want to risk altering history by taking down some indigens for nourishment. Besides, there was no way she’d have to be out here for a week. In fact, she was overcome with hope when she realised that since a night has passed, Professor B has since realised that she was stranded, and is now hopefully working on a way to get her back. So she may not have to stress herself out by finding a way to fix the Miramobile, after all. It was all about trying to wait and survive while she waited for Professor B’s inevitable rescue. Yes, he may have to build a second Miramobile. But Professor B has built many Miramobiles before this one, so he now had experience in doing so. Elma assumed she’d have to wait a week – maybe two, at most – before his inevitable rescue. With this in mind, Elma decided to make her trek back to the Miramobile. It wasn’t too far away from that river, so she had access to hydration there. She just hoped that the death of those birds hadn’t changed anything. Like…for instance, it affected Professor B or the Miramobile in some way. Elma grimaced, and tried not to think about it as she made her way back.

Thankfully, she was able to return to it quickly by cutting through the forest instead of going the long way around on the beach. The Miramobile was just how she’d left it, as well. But before she could stop and relax, she knew she needed to head to the nearby river and get some water in her. It wasn’t ideal, and it probably wasn’t even palpable. But any ailments she received could’ve easily been remedied once she returned home. Again, this should hopefully be soon. She just had to wait it all out, now.

Chapter Text

CHAPTER 4: NEWFOUND HOPE

Elma ended up staying in the Miramobile for a couple of nights. Thankfully, the car was able to shelter her from the weather, the elements, and the indigens. Her daily treks to the river were getting harder and harder each day, however, because she was refusing to slay any more indigens for food. But water was more important, so she fought on. After the third day, she realised she could just dump the repair tools out of the kit and take the box to the river to contain some of the water. In the end, it did save her a trek back to the river, but the now-standing water in the box was just collecting even more bacteria. But Elma couldn’t beg and choose about sustenance at this point. Still, it was frustrating that even after a few days, there was no sign of Professor B. Yet, she continued to lay in the back of the Miramobile and wait. Even if she needed to go out and search for assistance, she couldn’t. She’d grown too weak to travel very far. At the very least, she was protected in the Miramobile, so she was not forced to fight in her current state.

On the fourth morning, Elma woke to the sound of voices. Her hopes skyrocketed, and she sat upright. “Professor B!” she exclaimed eagerly. But instead, she saw four bipedal figures making their way for the Miramobile. None of them had the same build as Professor B. As Elma strained her ears, she realised that the voices spoke in the same language as her. Intelligent life! They can help me! Elma’s mind eagerly cried.

Hang on! But they can also HURT you, too! Elma warned that thought. Stay on guard . She withdrew her guns and ducked out of view. Thankfully, the four figures hadn’t seen her as they neared the Miramobile.

“Ah, this is it!” a feminine voice remarked. “THIS is the source of that strange signal I was detecting!” Elma quickly laid down on the floor of the backseat to hide.

“Hm…” a young male voice piped up. “What IS this thing?” Elma heard the sound of someone approaching the Miramobile and checking it out. The person passed the window, and Elma’s heart lurched wildly. It was a young human man. And he didn’t look primitive in any way, shape, or form. In fact, he looked like a normal human boy found in NLA. The boy had bright blonde hair, and he was examining the damaged Miramobile. “It…looks like some kind of vehicle!” the young man remarked in awe. “But…it doesn’t look like any kind of vehicle I’ve ever seen. I mean…I guess it might look similar to a High Entia vehicle, but…what’s a High Entia vehicle doing all the way out here?”

“I don’t think it’s High Entia technology,” said a male voice from behind the Miramobile.

“Well, I suppose we can speculate later,” said the young man. “For now…I am wondering what happened to the driver.”

“I am not detecting any further signals from here,” said the female voice. “So, I don’t think this vehicle had a Machina driver.”

“I don’t think a Homs would have driven this, either,” said the young blonde man. “So…that must mean there’s a High Entia driver out there somewhere — possibly injured.”

“We can go and look for them, Shulk,” the last voice of the four figures, a male, spoke up.

“Thank you, Radzam. I’d appreciate it,” the young man responded.

“I shall go with him,” said the female voice.

“Thank you, Vanea,” said the young man.

“If this is indeed High Entia technology, I can stay behind and help you,” said the second male voice.

“Alright,” the young man nodded. At that moment, another figure appeared in Elma’s field of view. It was an old man with wings on his head. “I wonder if it is possible to get inside!” the young man said, and he proceeded to go to the driver’s side of the Miramobile. He peered inside and looked around. Elma cowered against the floor as best as she could. “Interesting!” the young man exclaimed. “There appears to be a wheel inside here. I am going to assume that’s for steering?”

“Hmm…” the winged man frowned. “That just confirms it right there. That’s not High Entia technology at all.”

“Then…what could’ve built this thing?? I need to know!” the young man exclaimed.

“We’ll perhaps find out once the driver is recovered,” the winged man said.

“I sure hope that they’re okay…” the young man worriedly said. “…At the very least, I want to try and see if I can fix this vehicle for them.” Elma’s heart leapt at this.

“That is very kind of you, Shulk,” the winged man said. “I am sure they’d appreciate that very much.”

“I know I definitely want to study this interesting vehicle, too,” the young man put his hand to his chin.

“I fear that Radzam and Vanea will not come back with the driver,” the winged man then said. “Considering the damage done to this vehicle, it’ll be a miracle if someone survived this. If they have, they would have been too injured to go far.”

“I suppose…” the young man frowned worriedly.

“Alright, then. You can wait here, and I will go find Vanea and Radzam. We can go search for the driver once we move this thing in,” the winged man said. “We will have to bring Junks here to move it back to the colony.”

“Well…I wouldn’t want the driver to come back and find their vehicle gone…” the young man moaned. His eyes then lit up. “I can write them a note and stick it to this tree, here!”

“I don’t think there’ll be a need to do that,” the winged man argued. “They’ll realise that their vehicle must have gone back to the colony, as there is no other place it could have gone. Besides, I really don’t think the driver would have gone far. For all we know, he could have also survived and abandoned his vehicle behind; he could be in the colony right now, as we speak.”

“I guess…” the young man said.

“I will go look for Vanea and Radzam, and then we can head back and get Junks ready,” the winged man said. He then left. The young man remained behind, staring worriedly at the Miramobile.

Elma didn’t know what to do. She was reluctant to show herself, but at this point, she didn’t have much of a choice. THIS was the intelligent life she had sought out for. This young man might be able to help fix the Miramobile for her, and she could then go back with him to get better sustenance in return. This had a better outcome than waiting around helplessly for either Professor B to show up, or for her to die – whichever came first. So, Elma straightened her bandana, put away her guns, and sat up. This unexpected emergence caused the young man to gasp and recoil, as expected. Elma opened the door, exited the vehicle, and approached the young man, who just gawked at her for a moment.

“A-Are you the driver of this vehicle!?” the young man flinched.

Elma sighed. “I am,” she said.

“Well, it’s good to know that you’re alive!” the young man gasped in relief. “Are you injured at all!?”

“Not really,” Elma formally replied.

“What happened!?” he asked.

“My…vehicle just lost control, and…crashed here,” Elma said.

“Well, if you want, I can fix it for you!” the young man told her. “I’ll just have to use Junks to transport it back to the Machina Lab!”

“…Junks…?” Elma asked.

“Yeah!” the young man nodded. He then glanced at the Miramobile. “It’s a really interesting vehicle. I’ve never seen one like it before!” He then looked back at Elma. “Did you make it yourself?!”

“Not…really. I don’t know who made it,” Elma lied.

“You don’t?” the young man frowned, his hand to his chin.

“No. Sorry,” Elma replied.

At that moment, the other three people who had accompanied the boy all came running back. As soon as they all saw Elma, they froze and gasped. Elma couldn’t help but be shocked, herself; along with the winged man, there were two machine-based people, as well. And judging from their complex appearance, hope began to fill Elma. These machine people would be able to help fix the Miramobile, for sure. On top of all of this, Elma was proud to see conglomerating sentient species, even here. If this WAS Mira’s past, it was evident that even back then, Mira was the main melting pot of different species and xenoforms. And seeing a human positively interacting with two other different species filled Elma with hope. It wasn’t too common to see this in NLA – the humans were still unsure about the various xenoforms around.

“Shulk…who is this? Is THIS the driver?” asked the machine man.

“Yes,” the young man nodded.

“Where was she?” asked the machine woman.

“She was inside the vehicle this whole time,” the young man put his hand to his chin. “…I…am going to guess she was asleep, but our conversation disturbed her.”

“Are you okay?” the winged man asked Elma.

“Yes. I am fine,” Elma nodded. “I am not injured or anything. I’m…just a bit stranded. A bit lost.”

“I’m not shocked!” the young man chuckled. “This IS a new world, after all. Even I still get lost in these forests sometimes!”

“…New…world?” Elma asked in awe.

“Yeah? Don’t you remember?” the young man asked.

“Come on, Shulk. Don’t pressure her. She may still be a bit shaken up after her crash,” said the machine woman.

“S-Sorry,” the young man rubbed his neck.

The machine woman then smiled at Elma. “Come with us, then. We will take you back to the colony.”

“I’m glad we found you! We almost would’ve overlooked you!” the machine man told Elma with a smile.

“If you wait here for one second, we will go get the Junks!” the young man told Elma. “We can use that to take your vehicle back to the colony for repairs!”

“I’d…appreciate it,” Elma said.

“Shulk, you can wait here with her while we go retrieve it,” the machine woman insisted.

“Oh? Okay! I can do that!” the young man nodded.

“Caem and I will prepare the lab,” the machine man said.

“Alright,” Shulk said. With that, the three others began to leave the area. This meant that Shulk was left alone with Elma. Elma didn’t know what to say to him. She was happy to be rescued, but she wasn’t sure what consequence there would be to interacting with these people. “So, what is your name?” Shulk asked her.

“Um…” Elma began. “…uh…Ares…” She paused briefly. “…Mira Ares.”

“Nice to meet you. My name is Shulk,” he extended his hand. “Uh…do you want me to call you Ares? Or Mira?”

“Um…just…call me Mira!” Elma replied instantly.

“Okay, Mira,” Shulk smiled. Elma uneasily took his hand, and then shook it. Shulk then frowned, as he put his hand to his chin. “I…I don’t think I’ve seen you around the colony?”

“I…I don’t get out much!!” Elma claimed.

“Ah, I totally get that!” Shulk laughed. “I don’t either, to be honest. So…” he rubbed his neck and chuckled again. “I…don’t know why I even asked you that question, to be honest. I technically wouldn’t have seen you, anyway, as I’m always cooped up in either my lab or the Machina Lab.”

“I see…” Elma’s voice trailed off. “So…you…can fix the Miramobile?”

“Oh? So, that’s what it’s called?” Shulk’s eyes lit up. Elma wanted to slap herself as a result of spilling that information. “It was named after you, then, I see?” He chuckled briefly, then frowned. “…Though you said you don’t know who built it? Unless you found it and just named it after yourself?”

“I…er…I got confused for a moment there and said the wrong thing! My grandfather actually built it for me,” Elma said. “His name is…er…Professor B…er…Professor Bernard…”

“Ah, I see,” Shulk grimaced worriedly. “He’s…not going to be happy if he sees the state of this…”

“That’s…okay, because…he’s not around at the moment!” Elma said.

“Oh? He’s not?” Shulk asked.

“No. He’s…not at home right now!” Elma explained. “I…was actually waiting for him to come back. But…he hasn’t shown up, yet.”

“He could be waiting for you to return to the colony,” Shulk said. “Well, if it’s of any consolation, I won’t tell him what happened! I’ll fix this vehicle for you, and then you can return it to him without issue!” He then put his hand to his chin. “Thing is…what technology is it consisted of? I don’t recognise it at all!”

“Er…” Elma began. “My…grandfather is…um…he built the vehicle, so…yeah. It’s human technology!”

“What’s ‘human technology’?” Shulk asked.

Elma’s heart lurched at this. “Uh…er…” she said. “It’s…what you are. Isn’t it? UM! Wait! It’s what we are!!” She grimaced.

Shulk stared at her in confusion. “Are you okay?” he asked. “You didn’t hit your head too badly in the crash, did you?”

“WAIT! I did!” Elma exclaimed. “To be honest, I don’t even think Mira is my real name! I…don’t remember much! All I know is that I’m waiting for my grandfather Bernard! I…am a bit loopy!”

“I’m sorry to hear that,” Shulk moaned. “Well, if you want, I can get you in to see my friend, Sharla. She’s on the path to becoming a doctor.” He smiled.

Elma’s heart skipped once more. If she saw a doctor, her xenoformic identity would undoubtedly be realised. And that would just add further confusion to this conversation. “NO! No, it’s fine! It’s alright! I probably just need a bit of rest or something,” Elma said.

“Okay,” Shulk responded. “Well, once we get to work on your vehicle, you can return home. I’m sure your granddad’s waiting eagerly for you!”

“Um…right…” Elma said. “…Home…” She grimaced and looked away.

“So…” Shulk turned to face the Miramobile again. “This really IS Homs technology? That’s hard to believe…I could’ve sworn it was High Entia technology at first glance. But…now that I’m looking at it…” He peered into the Miramobile. “It’s…quite compact. And it lacks the normal holographic energies of either High Entia or Machina technology.”

“Holographic!?” Elma exclaimed in shock. This world isn’t as primitive as I thought!? Elma wondered.

“Yeah,” Shulk told her with a sincere nod.

“Um…” Elma began. “Do…you know what the year is!?”

Shulk frowned in confusion. “…What?” he asked.

Elma grimaced. “N-Nevermind. Forget it…” she sighed. She wasn’t sure if she wanted to risk learning too much about this place. Then again, that IS what she came here for.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” Shulk moaned. “You seem incredibly lost right now. And I don’t just mean physically. Do you need help mentally orienting yourself? I wouldn’t be shocked if you did, considering what happened. I sincerely don’t mind taking you in to see my medic friend.”

“No. No! I’m alright. Just…a bit loopy from dehydration, I guess,” Elma sighed.

“Well, once we get to the Machina Lab, you’re free to drink all the water you need,” Shulk reassured her.

“Thank you…” Elma sighed. At that moment, the loud roar of an engine broke the air. Elma glanced to the source of the noise. A flying machine was descending upon them. “WAIT…!?” Elma flinched in shock. “What…is THAT?!”

“That’s Junks,” Shulk smiled. “I don’t know why you’re shocked! That’s flown around the colony before.”

“Um…” Elma just moaned, as the aircraft landed right next to them.

Shulk glanced at Elma. “We’ll just have to get your vehicle onto the Junks, and then we’ll take it back to the colony from there. Is that okay?” he asked.

“Um…yeah…” Elma uneasily said. At that moment, a few machine people came running out of the interior of the Junks. They surrounded the Miramobile and worked together to push it. In no time, the Miramobile was on the platform of Junks. Once it was secure, the machine people ran back into the interior of the aircraft.

Shulk proceeded to clamber onto the Junks deck. “Get on,” he instructed with a smile, holding his hand out to Elma. Elma didn’t take it, but she got onto the platform, anyway. Seconds later, the vehicle took off. Elma instinctively latched onto the Miramobile, but after a few moments, she realised that Shulk was standing there with a relaxed smile. “Are you afraid of heights?” he asked upon seeing her death grip on the Miramobile.

“What…?” Elma asked in confusion, relaxing and looking around. “Wh…? This…defies the laws of aerodynamics!”

“What?” Shulk asked with a confused frown.

“How…are we not being blown off right now!? As we’re standing out here?!” Elma cried.

“Have you…never seen the Junks before?” Shulk asked, his hand to his chin.

Elma grimaced. “You…have to remember…I…might’ve lost a bit of my memory…” she said.

“Well,” Shulk sighed. “Basically, there are stabilising jets situated around this deck. It pushes back against wind resistance with the exact same force, creating a stalemate of neutral air.” He smiled again. “It’s…kind of hard to explain.” He rubbed his neck.

“No. I get it,” Elma said.

“You…You do?!” Shulk asked in surprise. He then chuckled. “Sorry. I’m…used to people not understanding my explanations.”

“Are you…well versed in aerodynamics? And things like that?” Elma asked.

“Er…not necessarily,” Shulk responded. “I’m just a mechanical and weapons engineer.”

“I’m…kind of like that, too…” Elma’s voice trailed off.

Shulk smiled once more. “Seems like we’ve got something in common, then. Well, it’s nice to know that I won’t have to worry about boring you with explanations, now.” He chuckled again.

“Um…okay. So…how does this ship work?” Elma asked.

“Well, I don’t know all the ins and outs of it, but I can explain the basics to you,” Shulk responded.

“Okay,” Elma finally smiled.

  But at that moment, Junks began to slow down and descend upon a small little town. Shulk gave Elma an apologetic frown. “We’ll have to wait for that explanation. For now, we’re going to get your vehicle in so that we can fix it. Okay?” he asked.

  “Okay,” Elma nodded.

Chapter Text

CHAPTER 5: TO FIX THE MIRAMOBILE

The Junks landed right next to a large building in the small town. Shulk smiled at Elma. “We’re here now, at the Machina Lab,” he said. At that moment, everyone from inside Junks came running out to help roll the damaged Miramobile into a nearby open garage. Shulk was quick to jump in and help. Elma would’ve, if she didn’t still feel weak from hunger. Once the Miramobile was inside with everyone else, the garage door shut in quick succession. While everyone began to eye up the damaged car, Elma was quick to check out the lab around her. There were all kinds of machines and tools sitting around, proving once again that she wasn’t as far back into the past as she’d thought. But WAS this Mira at all? So far, she hasn’t found anything that remotely resembled Mira. As she thought more about it, she remembered the land mass she’d seen in the ocean before. She bit her lip as she glanced at Shulk, who was among those bent over the Miramobile; they were all sharing a conversation about how unfamiliar the Miramobile technology was. Elma longed to ask Shulk about the land mass, but now wasn’t the time. She wasn’t here to get friendly with the locals. She was just here to collect data, and that was it.

“I don’t know if we really have the parts to fix this thing,” said a machine man, peering into the Miramobile.

“I don’t know where to begin, to be honest,” said a machine woman.

“Here…I know where you guys can start,” Elma went to the Miramobile, then proceeded to pop up the front. This caused a lot of people to gasp in surprise.

Shulk went to the front to look inside. Then he cocked his head. “All of the inner workings of the machine…is here in the front?”

“Yeah,” Elma responded.

“Why?” Shulk asked. “As you’ve seen, if there’s a head-on collision, it absolutely destroys the heart of the vehicle. Wouldn’t it be more efficient to put them in the back? Or perhaps underneath?”

“It’s actually most efficient where it’s at, now,” Elma explained.

“Huh? Really?” Shulk asked in surprise.

“Yeah,” Elma nodded. “Placing the engine in the front gives it the most power at the shortest distance to all of the wheels. Not to mention it is better for weight management, since engines are so heavy.”

“That makes sense, but…it sounds like it sacrifices the performance by doing that,” Shulk said.

“Well…it…isn’t necessarily built for athletic performance. It’s for space and ease-of-use,” Elma explained. Shulk didn’t respond, he just put his hand to his chin.

“It doesn’t matter where it’s at,” a machine woman reassured Elma. “We’ll do our absolute best to fix it.”

“And I appreciate it,” Elma gave her a small smile.

“Looking at it now…” another machine man joined Shulk in examining the engine. “It…doesn’t look too dissimilar to the things we are familiar with.”

“Although, I do see a few parts in here I don’t recognise at all,” Shulk said.

Those could be the parts that enable time travel. And I, unfortunately, can’t help them there… Elma worriedly thought. If THOSE parts are busted, I might be screwed…

Thankfully, the machine man said, “They don’t look damaged in any way. We will see what we can do with what we got.” He glanced at Elma.

“Thank you,” Elma said.

“Oh!” Shulk flinched as he turned back to Elma. “Sorry! I forgot! You need some water! I’ll go get you some, right now!”

“Um…” Elma began. “I…uh…haven’t eaten in a while…”

Shulk frowned. “Really? How long have you been stranded out there?”

“…A…A few days,” Elma said.

“You aren’t able to hunt for food?” Shulk asked, gesturing at Elma’s back, which had no shortage of weapons in the form of her Dual Swords and Dual Guns.

“Er…I…” Elma began. But Shulk went to her back and inspected it.

“Interesting weapons,” he said. “Mind if I have a look at them?”

“Shulk, that can come later. Right now, we must focus on this vehicle,” a machine man firmly declared.

“Sorry. I just need to get Mira some water, first!” Shulk said, and he disappeared into a nearby door. He was quick to come out with a bottle of water, which Elma downed in practically one gulp. In seeing this, Shulk rubbed his neck. “Um…do you…need another one?” he asked.

“No. Just…tell me where I can refill it. And I can have my fill,” Elma responded.

“Sure,” Shulk nodded. “This way.” And he went through the same door, this time with Elma at his heels. They went into another part of the lab, with MORE machines for Elma to fawn over. But getting water was more important. Shulk led her to a sink, where she quickly took the time to refill the bottle of water. “I’ll be helping with the repairs,” Shulk told her. “Um…” He glanced around, but the other machine people in here were busy with their own things. He then gave Elma a small smile. “You know your way around the colony, right?” he asked.

“H-Huh?” Elma glanced at him after chugging down another bottle of water.

“There’s plenty of food in the colony,” Shulk explained. “While your help on the vehicle WOULD be nice, I’d rather you be fed and energised for it! You can go out and get some food, and we’ll be in here. Okay?”

“I…don’t know my way around! I still have amnesia!” Elma argued.

Shulk rubbed his neck. “Um…there’s a restaurant near this lab. It’s literally just a few paces away,” he said.

Elma sighed. “A-Alright,” she said. “I’ll…help you when I’m finished.”

“Thank you,” Shulk smiled. He then disappeared back into the garage. Elma was left to find her way out of the lab on her own. She felt a bit taken aback that Shulk just dumped her off here, but she wasn’t going to complain – in the end, the Miramobile was getting fixed now. That was top priority. She’d rather have him focus on fixing it, instead of giving her a tour around. Besides, the less she interacted with others, the better off things will be in the long run. She still didn’t know whether or not there would be negative effects of doing all of this. After taking quick scans and pictures of the machines and devices around here, Elma soon found a different door. Upon entering it, she found herself in ANOTHER part of the lab.

Long story short, Elma found herself in a maze of a lab. But it gave her a chance to explore and check out the various devices and machines. It was not too different to how technology was when Elma first went to Earth in the year 2020 AD, apart from the additions of active holograms, teleportation devices, and of course the flying non-airplane that was Junks. Basically, Elma was actually impressed by the technology so far. And this restored her faith in the notion that she would be able to go home, soon. Perhaps…maybe…there was a device here that would enable her to get a hold of Professor B or Nagi? That would have to come in time, however. The main priority was fixing the Miramobile. So, she didn’t want to distract anybody with her additional problems.

Elma fortunately soon found her way out of that maze of a lab. Going outside was a bit jarring in comparison. There were basic shops and amenities out here. In short, the technology in this plaza seemed less advanced than that of the lab. But that didn’t bother Elma at all – it was less of a learning curve in figuring out how this technology worked. As she gazed around the plaza, she saw humans, machine people, and the winged people again. And…

Her heart skipped another beat when she saw a cluster of Nopon speaking to each other in a nearby corner. Elma couldn’t help but make her way over to them. “Nopon!” she exclaimed in awe.

“Meh?” a green Nopon turned to face Elma. “What Hom Hom want?”

“Um…er…” Elma backed away. “S-Sorry. I…I just saw something familiar to me, and…got excited.”

“Hmmm…me no recognise you,” said a pink female Nopon.

“N-No. It’s…It’s…sorry…” Elma walked away from the Nopon, feeling a bit embarrassed.

She’d gotten so excited by familiarity, that she’d forgotten that she needed to keep as much of a low profile as she could. After walking around for a bit with her head lowered slightly, she eventually spotted a small diner near the lab. She entered it right away and checked out the menu above the counter. A lot of the food sounded fairly normal, although the meaty dishes consisted of animals or indigens that Elma had never heard of before. However, by using context clues, Elma was at least able to deduce what ‘Piranhax’ might have been. So, she went to the counter. She tried to contain her excitement at seeing a Nopon server standing there. It seemed as though the Nopon in this time period were a lot less lazy than modern Miran Nopon.

“Can me help you?” asked the blue male Nopon.

“I…want the…er…Piranhax filet, please,” Elma said.

“That come with chips and veg. Sound good?” the male Nopon asked.

“Er…sure…” Elma just began. This was all new food, so she had no choice but to try it and see.

“Okay, then,” the male Nopon said. “Want any drinks?”

“Um…water?” Elma asked.

“Okay,” the male Nopon wrote that down. “Anything else?”

“No. I’m fine,” Elma replied.

“That’s gonna cost ya three hundred gold,” the Nopon said.

Elma, who was readying her wallet, paused. “…Wait…three hundred…what?” Elma asked.

“Three hundred gold,” the Nopon replied.

Damn…I should’ve stopped to think that currency would’ve been a concern… Elma thought with a mental growl. Then again, I wasn’t expecting to crash land here and be forced to survive off the land, either!!

The Nopon raised an eyebrow. “Problem?” he asked.

“No…” Elma said uneasily.

“Friend no can afford three hundred gold?” the Nopon asked.

“N-No…” Elma moaned.

The Nopon shook his head. “Shame. Shame. Can friend buy SOMETHING here?”

“I’m…afraid not…” Elma began.

“MEH!” the Nopon cried, making Elma flinch. “WHY FRIEND COME HERE WHEN NOT HAVE SINGLE GOLD COIN ON NAME!?”

Elma grimaced, then pocketed her wallet. “I…got misdirected. Sorry…” she hurriedly ducked out of the diner. I guess I’ll have to do some hunting. Problem is…that’s a catch twenty-two, because I barely have the energy to do that right now, Elma thought. Ugh…I…may have no choice but to ask Shulk for help. But…with the Miramobile situation, we…can’t really afford distractions. She shook her head. Looks like food is still a no-go, for now. She then made her way back into the lab. Thankfully, it took her less time to find her way back to the garage again.

Chapter Text

CHAPTER 6: TURNING IN FOR THE NIGHT

Despite her terrible energy levels, Elma helped out with the repairs of the Miramobile. At first, she was worried that there wouldn’t be any good replacements for the damaged parts. But she was surprised to find that some of the newly added parts were BETTER than the originals. A few machine people worked separately on the engine. Elma’s help consisted mainly of overseeing things and occasionally trying to start the engine once it was put back in. It was trial and error for the vast majority of the day. At around evening time, a machine man from a different portion of the lab walked over to Shulk. “Shulk, you have a visitor,” he said.

“I do?” Shulk perked up. At that moment, a young woman entered the lab with a smile. She was carrying a box of food. “Fiora,” Shulk smiled.

“If it’s not one lab, it’s the other!” the woman teased with a bright smile.

Shulk rubbed his neck. “S-Sorry…” he said.

“It’s okay. I’m just happy to see you helping out the Machina,” the young woman softly said.

“Well, I’m helping to fix this vehicle,” Shulk gestured at the Miramobile.

The young woman’s eyes widened upon seeing the Miramobile. “Wow. It’s an interesting looking vehicle,” she said.

“It is, isn’t it?” Shulk asked. “It’s Mira’s.” He gestured at Elma, who was sitting in the driver’s seat and observing this conversation. The young woman waved enthusiastically when she made eye contact with Elma. “Mira, this is Fiora!” Shulk told Elma. “Fiora is…well…” Shulk glanced away and reddened a little bit.

“We’re together!” Fiora beamed.

“Aw, how sweet,” Elma smiled.

“Anyway…” Fiora looked at Shulk. “I WAS hoping to spend time with you, but…seeing as how you’re busy, I’m…happy to know that you’ll at least take some time to eat my food.” She smiled. “I bet you’re hungry.”

“I am,” Shulk nodded. “Thank you, Fiora.” Fiora took Shulk’s hand, and they left the lab together. Elma grimaced at this. As a result of Shulk’s absence, she had no choice but to continue helping the Machina with the Miramobile.

About half an hour later, Shulk came back looking happy and nourished. Elma scowled at him as he entered. But he didn’t notice, as he stopped to chat with the few Machina working on the engine. “How is it coming?” Shulk asked.

“Still a work in progress. This might take us a while,” a male Machina said.

“I understand. It’s a big vehicle, after all,” Shulk put his hand to his chin as he approached Elma. He smiled. “Hey, Mira. Do you need a break?”

“…No…” Elma sighed.

“Are you sure? You look pretty worn out!” Shulk worriedly said.

“I…might be…” Elma grumbled. “Haven’t…been able to eat…”

“WHAT!?” Shulk flinched. “I thought you stopped by a restaurant earlier?”

“Couldn’t…afford it…” Elma said.

“I’m sorry!!” Shulk wept worriedly. “You should’ve told me!!” He grimaced. “And…I just ate some of Fiora’s food. I…I feel really bad, now!!”

“Don’t worry about it. It’s fine,” Elma responded. “I’ll live another day, I suppose.”

“I can get you something to eat!” Shulk cried. “I…I don’t have a lot of money myself, but I can see what I can get you!”

“No…it’s okay…” Elma replied. “I’m…more worn out than hungry at this moment.”

“Then you should go home and get some rest!” Shulk said.

Elma wanted to say, “About that…” But she just gave Shulk a fake smile. “Um…yeah,” she said. Looks like I’ll be staying another night in the woods… She could’ve easily asked Shulk for assistance, but the less she imposed, the better. She just wanted to get the Miramobile done and fixed, and then she’d be out of there. The interactions she’s had so far had been minimal, and that’s the way she wanted to keep it. Being Shulk’s guest would’ve ruined that. She had to keep a low-profile, no matter how difficult it was for her health at this moment.

“Listen, I think we’ve got the parts all figured out,” a Machina man told Elma. “Right now, we’re just trying to get them to work and be compatible. You can go home and rest, if you need.”

“Well, it IS past five in the evening, now,” Shulk said. “To be honest, I don’t mind resuming work on this tomorrow. What do you think?”

“Y-Yeah…” Elma tiredly said. “I…don’t have the energy to continue on.”

“Then we will resume tomorrow!” cried a Machina woman. “How about noon?”

“Sounds good,” Elma said. Thankfully, after her exploration of this lab and finding many clocks, she managed to calibrate her Comm Device so that it was aligned with the time in this world. Surprisingly, it was very similar to the time in Mira.

“We will see you then,” a Machina man nodded.

“Mira, I’m worried…” Shulk moaned. “I wouldn’t want you to go hungry.”

“I’ll be alright. I just want to rest,” Elma said.

“No,” Shulk shook his head. “I’m buying you curry. Sound okay?”

Elma sighed, then gave him an appreciative smile. “Alright, Shulk. Thank you,” she said.

“Come on, we can go together,” Shulk said.

“Er…alright,” Elma responded.

Elma followed Shulk through the same plaza to a small curry stand. The old man running it waved as they neared. “Oi, Shulk! Good to see ya, again!” he cried.

“Hey, Giorgio,” Shulk smiled, pulling out his wallet. “I’ll have a small curry, please.”

“You got it!” Giorgio turned back to dish up a small bowl of curry. When he returned to the counter, he exchanged it for currency coins given by Shulk. “Who’s the lovely lady?” Giorgio guffawed, gesturing at Elma.

“Her name’s Mira,” Shulk said.

“Mira, huh? Well, I’m Giorgio! Giorgio, the Curry Man!” Giorgio chuckled.

“Heh, nice to meet you,” Elma said, taking the curry. It took every ounce of her not to rudely wolf it down. While she ate, Shulk was finally able to tell her how Junks worked. Elma was once again pretty impressed by it all.

By the time Shulk finished his explanation, he leaned back in the chair. “It’s been a nice day, Mira,” he said. “I’m glad we met. I got to start working on an unknown vehicle that’s really captured my interest. It still confounds me…” He glanced at her. “Now that I’ve told you all about the Junks, can you tell me all about your vehicle?”

“Aren’t you learning about it now?” Elma asked, pushing her now-empty bowl aside.

“Well, I’ve learnt about some of the parts, yeah. But I haven’t seen how they all work together yet!” Shulk eagerly pointed out.

“Er…just…they all work together to make the thing go…” Elma responded.

“Yeah, but I wanna know HOW!” Shulk cried.

“Heh…you’ll find out once it’s fixed…” Elma said.

“I hope so. Because it’s quite the intricate vehicle. It’s like a mini-Junks,” Shulk chuckled.

“Yeah,” Elma couldn’t help but laugh a little, herself.

“Well…” Shulk stood up. “I guess I’d better get going, and let you get some much-needed rest. Will you be okay? Or do you want me to walk you home?”

Elma gave him a weak smile. “I’ll be alright…” she said. “Thank you for offering, though, Shulk. That’s sweet of you.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Shulk said. “I’ll see you tomorrow, okay?” He smiled.

“Okay,” Elma said. She waited for Shulk to leave before she got up and left the curry stand. She did take the time to explore the plaza, hoping to maybe find a hotel to stay at. But she didn’t see any – and even if she DID see one, she didn’t have the monetary means of booking a room. With a discouraged frown, she left the colony and made her way back into the forest. All throughout the day, she’d taken the time to construct more of her crude blank map. So, she’d be able to find her way back to both the colony and the lab now. Still, going back into the forest to sleep was disheartening. Even with the friendly faces and people around her, the fact that she had to leave the colony to sleep in the wild was a reminder that she didn’t belong here. Inherently, she was wasting time in bonding with Shulk and the others around her. She was just there to fix the Miramobile, and once it was fixed, she could leave. And by the way things were looking, she might be able to leave tomorrow. Feeling a bit better at this, she made her way back to the beach.

Naturally, Elma hadn’t been fully fuelled by the curry she’d had. But even if she wanted to hunt out here, she didn’t have the means to cook the meat. There was possibly something she could use in the Miramobile, but it was a bit late, now. So, she stood and continued to admire the strange land mass ahead. The fact that it seemingly had a hand transfixed her. As the sun began its descent over the horizon, Elma decided that she might as well work to get more samples and scans while she had the remaining energy and sunlight to do so. So, she pulled a mini FrontierNav Probe out of her pocket, as well as her Comm Device; which she used to install the probe into the sand below her. It felt weird to do this outside of Mira, but Elma was eager to get as much data as she could. Once the probe mined for a few underground resources, she would uninstall it from there, and it would look like nothing ever happened.

Once the mining probe was installed, Elma waited idly by for it to gather up materials. After about ten minutes of waiting, the probe delivered its results to her: a generous number of colourful crystals. After their data was registered, Elma was confused to find that these were ether crystals. Wait… Elma thought in awe. So, not only is this ether attribute part of living things, but it is also crystallised? She picked up the ether crystals and examined them. Ether only makes up a part of Mira today, as it’s an attribute for both weapons and indigens. I’m…beginning to wish I’d stocked up on Ether Res Augments… She turned the crystals over in her hand, and eyed them closely. 

The red crystals were emitting a comfortable warmth; meanwhile, in contrast, the cyan crystals felt as if they’d just been refrigerated. The dark blue crystals were constantly damp no matter how many times Elma dried them up with part of her armour. The tan crystal felt gritty and smelled of fresh soil. The yellow crystals sent mild tingly bursts through Elma’s skin when she touched them. And the green crystals acted like a small fan blowing in her face. These seem to have elemental properties to them in accordance to their colour… Elma thought. I definitely would want to take all of these back with me. Thing is…there is a lot to carry. The… But Elma’s thought was interrupted by the FrontierNav beeping again as it unearthed more resources. Sure enough, more coloured ether crystals were delivered to the surface. Wow…there seems to be a LOT of crystallised ether down there. So…hang on… Elma thought. Those mushrooms I’d scanned before…THEY had ether, too. So…could these ether crystals be this world’s equivalent to fossils? The FrontierNav beeped yet again, and two wind and earth crystals appeared. At this rate, Elma had much more than she bargained for. So, she went over and started the process of dismantling the probe.

Right as she did that, however, she was interrupted by rustling and footsteps. Elma glanced over to the source of the noise, and noticed with shock that a TON of indigens were heading her way. She saw the same lions, raptors, frogs, and birds. There were many other indigens she’d never seen before: from rodents to reptiles to amphibians. She was even startled when sentient ethereal gas clouds drifted over to her – there were quite a lot of them, and they were undoubtedly drawn to the crystals. Bringing up the rear of the indigen parade were two tyrannosaurus rex indigens. It…seems like this crystallised ether is a favoured attribute among these indigens!! Elma thought, as she took a few steps back. But like Elma thought, the indigens weren’t even focusing on her. They were all eying the ether crystals. A few birds even swooped down to pick up a few newly unearthed crystals. In fact, the probe was still mining for more. As more and more ether crystals were unearthed, more and more indigens entered the beach. Elma swore at herself for allowing things to escalate like this. She attempted to go for the FrontierNav again to dismantle it, but a few large primate indigens intercepted her. Soon, the FrontierNav was completely surrounded and engulfed by indigens.

Do they eat it? Is it an important part of their survival? Or what…? Elma pulled out her Comm Device. She was about to start a video of this chaotic scene, but then she swore at herself again. This unexpected turn of events had temporarily overshadowed her logic – she didn’t even NEED to go up to the FrontierNav itself to disable it. She could do that remotely via her Comm Device. So, she was able to take a few steps away from the indigen crowd to give them space. While they fawned over the rapidly generating ether crystals, Elma was discreetly starting the dismantling process behind them. Right as she got to the final prompt to do this, however, a very loud flapping noise erupted from above her. Elma gazed up to the sky at this. She was expecting more bird indigens up there, but what she saw instead made her heart turn cold and do five backflips.

Three Telethia were encircling the probe above, eying it intently.

Chapter Text

CHAPTER 7: TRYING TO STUDY THE TELETHIA

THERE ARE ENDBRINGERS HERE!? Elma thought in horror. AND THERE ARE MORE THAN ONE!? As a result of the Telethia’s appearance, a few of the minor indigens began to scamper away in fear. This allowed the Telethia to lower themselves down upon the probe. I could possibly sample a scale…to see if they are the progenitors of the Telethia tyrant on Mira… Elma thought. One of the draconic Telethia snaked passed her very closely, as if presenting its iridescent scales to encourage her thought. But Elma knew how dangerous Telethia, the Endbringer was on Mira. And that was just the one tyrant; she didn’t want to risk taking on three of them at once. The Endbringer was the strongest tyrant on Mira, yet despite this, it only attacked if it was struck first. Elma wanted to hope these Telethia were the same. Then again, they were solely focused on the now-pile of ether crystals that sat at the base of the FrontierNav. As another draconic Telethia passed her, she took that shot in the dark. With a fierce slash of one of her swords, she attempted to dismember one of its transparent green spikes. But she missed entirely. Despite this attempted attack, the Telethia did not retaliate.

What!? Elma thought with a growl. I could’ve sworn I hit it! Another flapping sound erupted in the sky above, and another Telethia joined the fray. HOW MANY ENDBRINGERS ARE THERE!? Elma thought with a gasp. As a result of the fourth Telethia’s arrival, the rest of the indigens fled the beach like bats out of hell. They all trotted, scampered, flew, and slithered away as if they were fleeing a forest fire. Elma couldn’t blame them one bit – considering the threatening and powerful aura that radiated off of just one Endbringer. Still, as another draconic Telethia snaked past her, she attempted to harvest another transparent spike. But once again, it missed. Elma wasn’t too surprised, but it didn’t deter her from trying again. This time, she went for one of the passing scales. The Telethia actually snaked away at the last second, rendering her attack void. Elma backed away from the cluster of Telethia, then exchanged her guns for swords. All I need is just one piece of a scale, at least. That’s it. And…I know it’s difficult to avoid gunfire…

Right as her fingers kissed the triggers of her Dual Guns, she heard shouts tearing across the beach. She glanced over and noticed a human man running towards her. Elma just glared at the man as he neared her; it didn’t help that his long black hair and unshaven chin reminded her of Lao.

“What are you DOING!?” The man demanded.

“I’m trying to get a sample of one of these things,” Elma explained. “That’ll help me with my studying and research.”

The man shook his head in disapproval. “There are PLENTY of research notes on Telethia in the colony. Why not go look at them, instead?” he asked. He then gazed at the FrontierNav for a moment. He watched as the Telethia elegantly circled it without missing a beat. It was actually quite divine; four Telethia swirling around the heavenly beam of light emitting from the FrontierNav. “What IS that?” the man demanded, before gazing down at the pile of ether crystals sitting in front of the Nav. “Hmph…no WONDER why all of the monsters and Telethia came swarming to this beach. It’s like a massive ether magnet. But…” he glanced back at Elma. “How…did you get all of these ether crystals? I could’ve sworn that deposits were a lot harder to come by in this new world?” But Elma was too transfixed by the mesmerising dance of the Telethia. “Um…hello?” the man cocked his head.

“S-Sorry,” Elma responded, looking back at him. “Um…I might’ve summoned these Endbringers. Sorry.”

“Endbringers?” the man put his hand to his chin.

“Nevermind that,” and Elma turned around, putting her back to the man so that he wouldn’t see her fiddling with her Comm Device. She was about to dismantle the FrontierNav, but then she realised she hadn’t gotten scans or photos of the Endbringers up there. So, Elma turned back around and neared the FrontierNav.

“What are you DOING!?” the man exclaimed in surprise as Elma got a hair’s width away from an encircling Telethia.

“Furthering my research,” Elma just said, as she quickly shot a video of a passing Telethia, then started a scan.

“What is that?” the man asked curiously upon seeing a holographic description of the Telethia appear on Elma’s Comm Device.

Elma was quick to hide the Comm Device display, and then glared back at him. “A device to help me with my research!!” she spat. At that instant, one of the passing Telethia snapped its tail briefly to turn, and Elma was caught in the crossfire of this. She yelped out in surprise as both her and her Comm Device were sent flying backwards.

The man, shaking his head again, went to her and offered his hand to help her back up. “You’re really reckless, you know that? Aren’t you aware of how dangerous the Telethia are?” he scolded.

Elma scowled. “I’m WELL aware of that, actually,” she rejected his offered hand and stood up on her own. “I’ve had a multitude of encounters with one in particular…” She quickly picked up her Comm Device, then gazed back at the enchanted Telethia. Elma was finally able to quickly dismantle the FrontierNav. The beam of light disappeared, and the ether crystals stopped being unearthed. But the pile of crystals still lay there, and hence, the Telethia did not leave.

“What WAS that?” the man inquired.

Elma sighed. “Nothing in particular…” she said.

“It sure didn’t SEEM like nothing,” the man argued firmly. “Not only did you somehow manage to uncover a nice amount of ether crystals, but you also managed to attract the entire forest of enemies, AS WELL as Telethia.”

“That last part was just a consequence of my actions,” Elma simply responded. She glanced back at the ether crystal pile, and sighed. “Well, I’m going to assume there’s no way I’ll be getting them any time soon.”

“Not necessarily,” the man said.

“What do you mean?” Elma asked.

But her question was answered as an ethereal green mist began to envelope the four Telethia. Elma took an uneasy step back. The man, however, appeared unfazed. The green mist enveloping the Telethia began to envelope the ether crystals as well. Elma just watched helplessly as the mist around the Telethia grew brighter, and the saturation of all of the ether crystals faded. In no time, the four Telethia looked bright and lively, while the crystals were darkened and dead in comparison. Elma quickly pulled out her pocketed crystals, and frowned when she saw that they were also dead. There was no colour, no warmth, no earthy smell, and no wind anymore.

“What…the hell!?” Elma asked in frustration. But there was a loud shuffling sound from above. Elma glanced up and watched as the four revitalised Telethia all began to finally disperse. They split up and flew away in different directions. Elma just glared at the direction that two of them had taken. “What the hell…?” she echoed. “Not…only were my attacks not even landing, but…they just completely drained these crystals?!”

“Why are you shocked?” the man asked. “Don’t you remember? Telethia can read minds. Unless you have the means to disable that, your attacks are guaranteed to miss.”

Elma looked at him and raised an eyebrow. “You…seem to know a lot about these Endbringers. What else can you tell me?” she asked.

“Er…I don’t think I can tell you anything you shouldn’t already know!” the man said.

“Not…really…” Elma began. “What happened to these crystals?!” She stared sadly at the blackened ether crystals in her possession.

“Isn’t it obvious? The Telethia absorbed the ether from them,” he replied.

“Hm…” Elma said. “I know that the Endbringer is the most ethereally potent indigen…but…I didn’t know it could do THAT.”

“Why…do you keep calling it the Endbringer?” the man curiously asked.

“Because that’s what it is,” Elma responded, glaring at him. “Hang on…” She put her back to the man again to secretly pull up the Telethia’s information on her Comm Device:

“ Said to be Mira's guardian and culler of unclean lifeforms, the Telethia is also known as the 'Ruler of Fates.' It is rumored to have mind-reading abilities that make it virtually invincible—a theory strengthened by the fact that it has never been defeated in combat. As if that weren't enough, the creature's vast wings also have the ability to amplify and manipulate ether in the surrounding atmosphere.”

Elma’s eyes widened as she put the Comm Device away and gazed at him. “So…the rumoured mind-reading ability…it’s actually true? And its ether absorption…” She gazed down at the pile of dead crystals. “Does…the Telethia also kill unclean lifeforms here?” She gazed at the man, who just gawked at her in confusion.

“Do you…not know anything about the Telethia?” he asked in surprise. “Despite everything they had done to attack us and the Bionis?!”

“The…what…?” Elma asked. He didn’t respond, he just stared back in confusion. “I’m…just asking if you have any more information about the Ruler of Fates…” She looked back in the direction that the Telethia went.

“First it’s an ‘Endbringer’, now it’s a Ruler of Fates?” the man demanded, his hand to his hip. “I’m not denying that they’re fitting names, but…” He cut himself off.

Elma grunted in frustration and glared at him. “What ELSE can you tell me about them!?”

The man sighed. “Look, I’m…not necessarily the best person to ask. However, I do know a few people who are dedicating themselves to studying the Telethia. Perhaps I can recommend you to them?”

Elma growled impatiently. “No…I…don’t have time for that right now. I’ve got other pressing issues to attend to…” She gazed out ahead at the same strange landmass sitting in the ocean. “Ugh. While I’m here, I might as well at least get a clear answer on something .” She gestured at the landmass ahead. “What IS that?”

The man’s glare of confusion intensified. “That’s…the ruins of the Bionis,” he said. “Do you…not remember?”

Elma grimaced. “Not really. Bit of amnesia. That’s all…” She was too fatigued and hungry to converse with this strange man any further.

“Amnesia?” the man curiously asked.

“Nevermind that right now…” Elma sat down in the sand, huffing with effort as she hugged her knees to her chest.

“Well…I still can’t help but be curious about that strange device you’d used. It attracted the entire forest, as WELL as the Telethia. It…seems to have uncovered ether crystals from inside the ground. Was that some kind of new mining device? Are you originally from Colony 6?” the man asked.

“Sure. It was a mining device…” Elma said.

“Were you aiming to uncover the crystals?” he asked.

“Um…yes. I wasn’t digging into the ground for the hell of it,” Elma grumbled, propping her head up on her hands.

“Fair point,” the man chuckled. “Though…I am going to assume you weren’t planning on attracting hordes of enemies and Telethia?”

Elma glared back at him. “What about you? Why are you here? It’s awfully late at night. Shouldn’t you be going to bed? Or…did my device attract YOUR attention, too? Are you an indigen, as well? Might you be related to those primate indigens I saw earlier? They’ve already long since left. I think that was your cue to leave, too. You should probably go back – I bet they miss you.”

The man laughed. “Am I not allowed to be here right now?” he sassily asked. “If you need to know, I was in the middle of taking down a group of Ferises, when they suddenly just scampered away. Ferises don’t normally do that, you know? Naturally, I pursued them. That’s when they led me to the beach, where you were using your magical beast summoning device. I watched you bring in a parade of them. But once I saw you recklessly try to attack the Telethia, I had to step in.”

“Fair point. It’s nice to know that even here, the Telethia aren’t to be snuffed at…” Elma muttered.

“’Even here?’” the man asked curiously.

“Nevermind that…” Elma just said. “Look, if you came swooping in to save me, you did it. You can go home, now. Or continue with your hunt.”

“What about you? I wouldn’t want you doing any other reckless things out here,” the man teased.

Elma glared at him. “I’m not. I’m too tired for that,” she said. “I know I can’t get samples of those Telethia, but…I did get SOME data. That’s…good enough…” She gazed back out at the ocean.

“So…which is it? Are you trying to study the Telethia? Or mine for ether crystals?” the man inquired.

“Look, it’s all really complicated. Okay?” Elma slumped forward. “I don’t have the time or energy to explain it all to a nameless stranger.”

“Nameless? Haha, I’m surprised – I assumed everyone in the colony knew my name by now,” the man put his hand to his chin.

“Well, there’s a first time for everything,” Elma coldly remarked.

“Well, my name is Dunban,” the man said. “Ring any bells?”

“No.”

“Is it because of your amnesia?”

“Yeah. That’s it…” Elma muttered. “Look, I…I appreciate that you stepped in and stopped me from getting hurt. It means a lot. But right now, I am sorry, but…I don’t have the energy to continue this conversation with you. It was nice chatting with you, though, as brief as it was. I’ve had a long day, so…I’d like to get some sleep.”

“I understand,” Dunban said. “If you want, I can walk you back to the colony.”

“There’s no need for that,” Elma said.

“No, I insist,” he argued. “As you’ve seen, it tends to get a bit livelier at night in the forest. I’d feel better knowing that you won’t be going it alone. A lady should never have to travel the forest alone at night.” He smiled.

Elma glared back at him. “I appreciate the gentlemanly gesture, but I don’t need protection. I’m fine.” She stood up and gestured back at her Dual Guns and Dual Swords.

“You…carry around swords AND guns?” Dunban asked in intrigue.

“Yeah,” Elma faced him. “So, there you go. I don’t need any of this protection nonsense.”

“But you said you were so tired you could hardly carry on a conversation?” he pointed out. “Do you really think you’d be up to snuff if you found yourself in battle?”

“I only TOLD you that because I was ready to drop the conversation!” Elma retorted.

“Fair enough. Though you could’ve easily just told me to shut up, instead,” he said. “I was only curious about what you were doing. That’s all.”

“Okay…” Elma tiredly responded, glaring at him with her bleary eyes.

“I’m still going to insist,” he then argued. “I’m going to walk you back to the colony, okay? Even if you DID say that to shut me up, I can tell you look knackered.”

“You don’t have to walk me back. I can go on my own,” she argued back.

“I don’t recommend that,” Dunban shook his head. “With you as tired as you are, it’ll be unwise to trek through the forest at night by yourself.”

“It’s nothing I can’t handle,” Elma insisted.

“But I don’t recommend it, though ,” he insisted back.

She glared at him. “You’re really stubborn,” she remarked. “Look, you’ve seen my weapons. I’m good.”

“Look, please allow me to walk you home just this once,” Dunban said. “After this, you’ll never have to hear from me again. You can be out in the forest as late as you want. I just figured that if we’re going back the same way, we might as well go together. Especially with what we have to deal with at nighttime. The moment we step into the boundary of the colony, you can saunter on home. Alright?”

“I’ll go home on my own,” Elma turned around, putting her back to him.

“I don’t think so,” he argued.

There was a rather tense pause. Elma glared backwards at him, but saw him still standing there. “You can go home now,” she said.

“Not without you,” he insisted.

She groaned at this. “Look, I’ll be FINE! I’ve got plenty of weapons and I am combat savvy. Contrary to what you might be thinking, I don’t need to be escorted like a lost and helpless little damsel.”

“I’m not saying you need it . I’m just recommending it, considering the possible dangers ahead of us. Since you have amnesia, I’ll just remind you that this is a new world. We know little about the environments, and what to expect. Therefore, wandering around aimlessly at nighttime is ill-advised. Can you dispute that?” Dunban asked.

“No. I can’t,” Elma said.

“And are you really going to jeopardise your safety, even whilst being aware of your bodily limitations?” he asked. “Are you going to willingly put yourself in harm’s way, despite knowing how tired you are?” She didn’t immediately respond. “I am nowhere near as tired as you, so I can ensure the safety of the both of us a lot better. Or are you really wanting to take the risk?”

“What…is it with you…?” Elma grimaced.

“I’m being mindful ,” he retorted. “Something you ought to consider doing for once.”

Elma shot him another glare, but in the end, knew he had a point. Yes, she was armed to the teeth and had the best armour NLA had to offer. But this was a new and uncharted world . And she couldn’t argue that in her state, she was not up to defending herself whenever an indigen attacked. The fact that she was willing to attack Endbringers just for the sake of some samples was a telling sign, already. It was blatantly obvious that her fatigue and hunger was getting the better of her; not only was she being thoughtless, but she was being quite rude to her new companion here.

Chapter Text

CHAPTER 8: WHERE TO SLEEP

Elma gave Dunban an apologetic look. “Sorry,” she said. “I…I am not usually like this. It is just the fact that I’m incredibly tired, like I said.”

“I know. I figured as much,” Dunban nodded in understanding. “And THAT is exactly why I’m offering to escort you back to the colony.”

Elma figured she could let him do that, and then once he left, she could just head back out into the forest to find a place to sleep. But to be honest, Elma didn’t know if she had the stamina to go to the colony and back again. Just the thought of making that trek made her body twinge in protest. But she knew she wouldn’t be able to shake him off otherwise. “Listen…” Elma glanced back to what was apparently the ruins of a “Bionis”. “I…can’t go with you.”

“Why not?” he worriedly asked.

“As I’ve got amnesia…I don’t even remember where I live,” Elma replied. “So…I’ve…just been sleeping out here.”

“I can kind of tell,” Dunban remarked. “You definitely look rough around the edges. Is there anything I can do to help?”

“No,” Elma said. “You just get going back to your colony, okay? I’ll be sleeping out here.”

“It isn’t just MY colony. It’s yours, too,” he insisted.

Elma sighed. “I…don’t know…” she said.

“If I took you back to the colony and let you look around, will anything there help jog your memory?” he inquired.

“I doubt it,” Elma replied.

“Well, I WOULD like to help you in some way,” Dunban said.

“Why?” Elma frowned.

“I don’t like the thought of a fellow Homs being lost and amnesiac, wandering aimlessly around the forest. That isn’t safe, or healthy,” he explained. “Was it the transition to the new world that wiped your memory?”

“Could be,” she just replied.

“Well, I’d like to try and help,” Dunban offered. “Maybe I can even get you checked out by my medic friend, Sharla.”

Sharla…that name was familiar. Elma didn’t think too hard about it, though; she was just too exhausted. She really didn’t want to get involved with that colony. She couldn’t keep a low profile if she did that. She didn’t respond to Dunban, she just hung her head.

“I don’t mind,” he reassured her. “At the very least, I want to be able to escort you back to where it’s safer. I can tell you’re very tired.”

“I’ll be fine…” Elma’s voice trailed off.

“I’m going to assume you don’t remember your own name?” he asked.

“N-Not really…” she lied.

“That’s okay,” he responded. “But I can imagine you feel pretty frustrated and lost, am I right?”

“I guess you can say that…” Elma gave him a bit of a glare.

“Haha, I can see it in your eyes,” Dunban said. “Will you let me help you? And it doesn’t have to be just me, either. My other friends can help you, as well. We can’t simply turn down a Homs in need, can we?” He extended his hand to her.

“What…is a Homs …?” she asked.

He smiled. “It’s what you and I are,” he responded.

So, that’s what they call humans here? Makes sense, considering they’re in the hom inid family, Elma thought. She then gave Dunban a small smile in return. “Thank you for answering that for me,” she said.

“Don’t worry about it,” Dunban nodded. “I don’t mind helping you restore your memory. Honestly, though, I think it’d be a good idea for my medic friend to have a look at you. And perhaps maybe the Machina technology can also help you regain your memories, as well. Since you don’t remember your name, is there something you’d want to be called?”

“I’ve…just…” Elma began. “Um…just call me Mira.”

“Okay, Mira,” he smiled again. “So, will you let me escort you back to the colony?”

“I would…but…I theoretically don’t have anywhere to go,” she said. “I don’t remember where I live.”

“Well…” his voice trailed off as he glanced away.

“What?” Elma asked.

“I’d…hate for you to have to resort to staying out here. In your state, I advise that even less than I did before, ” he replied.

“So, what do you recommend?” Elma folded her arms.

Dunban heaved a heavy sigh, as he gazed back at her. “…While not ideal, you could perhaps stay at my house for the time being. Granted, you will have to share a room with my sister. But it’s better than knowing that you’re out there lost and alone. What do you think?”

LOW PROFILE! LOW PROFILE! Elma’s mind shouted at her. “I…I can’t,” she said.

“Why not?” he inquired.

“There are certain risks that I can’t take…” Elma began.

“Risks? Of what? And what about them makes you opt for sleeping in a dense and dangerous forest, instead of in someone’s warm and secure house?” Dunban asked.

“It’s…complicated…” she said.

“Well, I’d like to know,” he insisted.

Elma turned around. “I may not remember much, but…I know that I can’t risk getting close to anybody. It could possibly…change things for the worse.”

“I’m not usually one to get close to people,” Dunban said. “I…can’t speak for my sister, though, unfortunately. Honestly, I don’t think you have to worry. For what it’s worth, we can cut all contact once we’ve helped you regain your memories.”

“You don’t need to help me do that,” Elma said. “I’ll regain them on my own.”

In the end, though, Elma didn’t need to worry. It was looking like the Miramobile would be fixed in a day or two. Even if she chose to stay at Dunban’s house, that wouldn’t be enough time to establish any sort of bond, anyway. She might as well take on his suggestion, in that case. It was a place to sleep and maybe even eat; it was better than the alternative of staying in the forest. While she was a guest in this unknown world, she might as well make it easier on herself – as things haven’t been easy for her at all, lately. Because while she hated to admit it, she wouldn’t have even eaten a single morsel today, had she not confessed to Shulk that she’d failed to grab a bite at the restaurant. He’d bought her that curry, and this was the first bit of food she’d had in a few days. If she didn’t take Dunban up on his offer, she would only continue to suffer and starve. And she sure as hell couldn’t help fix the Miramobile if she didn’t eat or sleep well. So, as much as she hated the idea, she needed to take on the offered hospitality around here. As much as she hated mooching, she needed this . She had no other choice. She needed the strength in order to help fix the Miramobile, and in turn, get back to her own life in NLA.

NLA…

What was Professor B doing? Or Nagi? Was Lin okay!? Were they all worried sick about her? Were they frantically looking for her right now? Was there a second Miramobile in the works? Elma wished she could get in contact with them. It’s been a few days since she’d been stranded here, and she was beginning to feel incredibly isolated and alone. The Nopon in this world were the only things that had provided any sort of comfort, because they had been the only familiar thing that Elma had recognised in…

“Hey…are you okay?” Dunban’s concerned voice breached her thoughts.

Elma glanced at him. “O-Oh…” she said. “I’m…I’m fine…”

“Is something the matter?” he asked.

“No. It’s…okay,” she lied.

He shook his head. “As I said before, you probably feel lost and alone, considering the fact that you’re amnesiac. Would I be correct?”

Elma grimaced at this. “…N-No. I’m fine…” she insisted. “Just…have a lot on my mind, that’s all.”

“Hey, it’s okay,” Dunban softly reassured her. “This is why I want to help you. No Homs should ever feel lost and abandoned. This is a new world with new opportunities. You should be able to take them all. And for what it’s worth, you don’t have to feel alone. I’m here to help.”

Elma’s eyes widened briefly, then she gave him a glare. “What…? That’s what I want to AVOID!” she scolded.

“You want to avoid receiving help?” he asked.

“N-No…I…” but Elma glanced away. “Look, forget about ALL of this. I don’t need help. I’m fine.” She turned around, putting her back to him again.

“You didn’t sound fine just a moment ago,” Dunban insisted.

Elma groaned, and slapped her sides. “I feel like it’s a constant losing battle with you…”

“Hah, what do you mean?” he put his hand to his chin.

“You’re STUBBORN!” she roared. “We’ve been standing here going back and forth for quite a while. Meanwhile, I’m exhausted and just want some rest!!”

Dunban laughed. “Again…if you wanted me to shut the hell up, you should’ve just told me! I won’t get offended. I just wanted to offer my help, that’s all.”

Elma whirled around and shot him a fierce glare. “But as I’ve already experienced…arguing back with you just further exhausts me. I don’t want to keep doing this. So…fine.” Elma slapped her sides yet again. “We’ll do it your way. I don’t have the energy to argue with you anymore.”

“Who says we’re arguing?” he chuckled again.

“You’re trying to twist my arm when it comes to helping me, even though I know I’ll be fine!” Elma cried. “There’s no need to keep going at it! There’s…!” But she put her hands to her head. “Dammit…I’ve got a raging headache…”

He sighed. “I’m only offering to help, because I can tell you look lost, alone, and tired. That’s all. I AM insistent on giving you a place to stay, however. But if you REALLY don’t want my help in getting your memory back, I won’t force you. I just figured it’d be a nice comfort to know that you don’t have to go at this alone, even if it may feel that way.”

Elma stomped her foot and glared at him. “FINE! Here! Listen!” her eyes narrowed. “I lied!! I never lost my memory! I’m perfectly in-tact in that regard! So, I don’t need help with ANYTHING!”

“Then…” he frowned worriedly. “Why did you forget what Homs and the Telethia were?”

Why did you say that? WHY DID YOU SAY THAT!? She scolded herself. “Look, it’s REALLY complicated. Okay? Let’s just say there are some closeted skeletons that I don’t feel comfortable in revealing right now.”

“…Okay,” he simply said.

Elma frowned. “… Okay ?” she asked. “Is that all you’re going to say? You aren’t going to try and fight me for it?”

“No,” Dunban responded. “If you have things you don’t wish to share, then that’s fine. I can respect that.”

“Well…” Elma took a deep breath. “It’s good to know that your stubbornness has limits, at least.”

“I’m only that insistent when I have my mind set on something,” he explained. “In this case, it’s helping you. But…” He frowned. “If your memory is in-tact…then…you should remember where you live in the colony. Right? Yet…you still look as though you’ve been sleeping in the wild.”

Elma put her hands to her head again. “Look…” she paused briefly. “…What was your name, again?”

“Dunban,” he replied.

“Look, Dunban…I’m exhausted,” she shook her head. “I just want to rest. At this point, I don’t care if it’s in the wild or in your house. I don’t want to further this conversation. But I know you’re going to keep fighting me for it.”

He sighed. “…Sorry,” he said. “I can go back to the colony on my own, then. I’m sorry for pestering you. I only wanted to help.”

“And I appreciate it…” Elma said. “But I just want to sleep, now.”

“I’m willing to let you rest, then. But…I still want reassurance that you’ve got a safe and secure place to sleep,” Dunban said.

“Yes. I’ve found a nice willow tree to camp out under,” Elma said.

Dunban shook his head at this. “Do you not have a house in the colony?”

“NO! THERE! I SAID IT!” she cried in frustration.

“Well…” he took a deep breath. “It’s up to you in what you want to do, then. I’d prefer it if you had a proper abode to sleep in. But for your sake, I won’t keep fighting you about it anymore. So, I’ll leave it up to you, then. What do you want to do?” He gave her a stern look.

Elma’s first instinct was to opt for the willow tree, but her mind then went back to its previous thoughts. It’d just be a few nights. The Miramobile was bound to get fixed in that time span. There was really not much point in sleeping in the wild, where she had no way of getting adequate food. Yes, she didn’t want to impose. But she knew she had to listen to her body. It was her REAL body, after all; she HAD to remember that. She had to remember that she needed to take care of it.

“A-Alright, fine,” Elma finally conceded. “I’ll take you up on your offer. I’ll stay at your place.”

Dunban smiled. “Thank you.”

Chapter Text

CHAPTER 9: TROUBLESOME MYSTERIES

Elma didn’t say anything as she followed Dunban through the thick forest. At the very least, while she stayed at his house, she wouldn’t have to go far to get to the Machina Lab, and hence the Miramobile. It was very difficult to force herself to stay quiet, though. Elma had a TON of questions rushing through her mind: questions about this world, the Telethia, the other species that were here, Dunban, Shulk, the various indigens she’d seen, the ether crystals, that old Bionis landmass that she’d seen…and a lot, lot more. But Elma wanted to protect the integrity of the natural flow of time. Still, she’d also crash landed into this place. She wasn’t even sure if this WAS past Mira or not; it was most likely not, as the Miramobile had failed to reach its pre-set destination. But if this wasn’t past Mira, then what WAS it? Honestly, it was difficult to even theorise , as she had little evidence of what past Mira even looked like – hence, this very mission she was currently on. The only connections she could even vaguely make were the ether attributes and the Telethia. Not to mention the other species she’d seen here…they weren’t present on modern Mira at all. There was so much she wanted to ask Dunban, but she knew that it would be risky to ask him.

However, considering the samples she’d collected, would they even amount to much in the end? If she was able to back up the samples with some notes from Dunban, then maybe it’d further the research? Elma felt too worn out to really think about all of this much further. But even still, the questions nagged at her headachy mind. She was thankful for Dunban’s silence, but his pensive expression told her that he had many questions panging his mind, too; his reticence was most likely for her own sake. As a result, the silence between them felt heavy and uncertain. Not too long into their forest trek, a massive bird descended upon them, squawking loudly.

“See, this is why I suggested I escort you back,” Dunban explained, unsheathing his sword.

Elma was quick to pull out her guns and aim at the bird. But before she could even squeeze the trigger, the massive bird indigen flapped its wings heavily, and an intense gust blasted the both of them. Since this was a larger bird than the ones Elma had dealt with before, the force of the wind was much stronger. Despite that, both Dunban and Elma found traction in the dirt and leaves below, and they were only pushed back a bit. However…Elma’s bandana was not. She felt a sudden weight leave her head, and her heart lurched wildly. Without a single ounce of hesitation, Elma turned around and went after the lost headpiece. Even as she went, it was obvious that the bird’s wind gust attack was still carrying on through the trees.

The darkened forest and the heavy wind effects didn’t ease Elma’s search at all, even as she exchanged her Dual Guns for her Comm Device and shone a light at the ground. But even as she carried on the frantic search, she saw no sign of the headpiece anywhere. Eventually, she found herself lost in the middle of the forest. She pulled out her map, but she was off the track she’d drawn for herself. Despite this, she kept going forward – looking for both the bandana and a way out. But even as she carried on, she couldn’t find either of these. Eventually, she heard footsteps running in her direction. Instinctively, she pulled out one of her guns and whirled around to aim it at whatever was coming.

Dunban stopped upon seeing the gun aimed at him, and he held out his arm and backed off. “It’s just me!” he reassured her hastily.

“Sorry,” Elma put her gun away immediately.

“Are you alright? Did that Rhogul hurt you at all?” he asked.

“No,” she replied.

“Fleeing from it was a wise choice,” Dunban remarked as he approached her. “Don’t worry, though. I was able to bring it down, and…” But he cut himself off.

Elma was about to inquire why he suddenly stopped talking, but then it hit her. Since she’d failed to find the bandana, her xenoformic features were now out in the open. Feeling self-conscious, she recoiled from the Comm Device light as much as she could. Dunban didn’t say anything, though he had his hand to his chin again. Elma grimaced, before turning her head away and covering her pointed ears with her long iridescent hair.

After what felt like hours, Dunban exhaled briefly, and then said, “Come on. We’ve…wasted enough time out here. Let’s get you back so that you can rest. Okay?” He might’ve been trying to hide it, but even in the poor lighting, Elma could see that his pensive expression had worsened.

“I…need to find my bandana…” Elma murmured.

“We’ll probably end up spending ages looking for it out here,” Dunban argued. “Don’t worry, though, there’s plenty of headpieces to get back in the colony.” He turned around. “I…can get you one, if you want.”

“N-No…” Elma continued to hold her hair down over her ears, and tried to hide her crystalline forehead appendages, as well. “…I…would like to find that bandana right now…”

He sighed. “Like I said, you’ll be out here all night looking for it. This forest is thick, and the lighting is poor. And you’re in no condition to continue on. You need rest. If it is that important, you can come back to look for it tomorrow. Otherwise, I don’t mind getting you a similar headpiece in the colony.”

Elma grimaced as she fruitlessly pointed her illuminated Comm Device at the ground around her. But as expected, no bandana showed up. She quickly searched the area, while Dunban waited idly by for her. After failing to find the bandana in the immediate vicinity, she huffed in frustration as she made her way back to Dunban. Even whilst holding her hair over her ears, she kept her head turned away from him; even though that was pointless, since he had his back to her.

“Come on. Let’s get going, now,” Dunban responded distractedly. “I don’t want to waste anymore time. I want to get you back so that you can rest.”

He started making his way back for the direction they’d come. Elma rather reluctantly followed after him. However, she was cut off by him stopping suddenly after a few paces. A tense pause appeared before the both of them. After a few agonising minutes of it, Dunban turned his head back in her direction, but he didn’t look directly at her. Elma wondered if this was because he wanted to respectfully avoid making her feel more self-conscious than she already was.

“Wh-What…?” Elma instinctively tightened the slack on the hair segments covering her pointed ears.

“…I just wanted to let you know that you don’t need to worry…” Dunban strictly muttered. “…If you aren’t actually a Homs, that doesn’t bother me at all. And it shouldn’t bother anybody in the colony, either. If they DO have a problem with it, you can let me know. Alright? ” Elma didn’t respond to this. “There’s…inherently no need to hide your true self from me. But I understand the desire to do so; we just barely met, after all. And I will respect your privacy. I’m just letting you know that you’ll get no judgement from me,” Dunban went on. Elma still didn’t say anything, she just stared at him. “Now, let’s go,” Dunban faced forward again. “I’ll get you a replacement headpiece on the way to my house.”

“…Okay…” Elma sombrely mumbled, looking at the dirt below. After that, she resumed following him through the forest.

They were quiet the rest of the way out of the forest. But the contemplative tense atmosphere remained between them. Despite the heaviness of it, Elma appreciated that he was respectfully not pressing her about anything. When they got back to the colony, Elma found peace in its ambient nighttime lighting. But she couldn’t help but adjust her hair even more, in the hopes of concealing as much of her head and ears as she could. Dunban ended up stopping briefly to purchase headgear from a Homs shopkeeper, which he then handed to Elma. Elma briefly stepped out of view to put it on her head. It was similar to the bandana, but a lot heavier and clunkier.

When it was on, she returned to Dunban with an appreciative smile. “Thank you for that,” she said.

“Don’t worry about it,” he replied. “Now, let’s get you in so you can rest. Okay?”

“Alright,” Elma nodded.

Dunban lived in a simple two-storey house that actually didn’t sit too far away from the Machina Lab, much to Elma’s relief. When they entered the house, Elma immediately received this comforting sense of homeliness from within, despite the lack of advanced NLA technology. Not only this, but they were also greeted by a familiar face cooking in the kitchen: Fiora turned around and smiled. “Hey, Dunban! Are…” but her smile faded a bit when she saw who was with him. “Hey…!!” Fiora’s eyes widened. “I saw you earlier!”

“What?” Dunban asked in confusion.

“Yeah!” Fiora nodded, approaching Elma. “I saw her earlier, in the Machina Lab! Shulk introduced me to her!”

“Ah, I see. So, you’ve met Shulk and Fiora already?” Dunban glanced at Elma.

“I did,” Elma responded.

“He’s helping her fix her vehicle!” said Fiora.

“You have a vehicle?” Dunban asked Elma curiously.

“Er…yeah. It crashed…” Elma replied.

“I…see…” Dunban frowned as he put his hand to his chin.

“Dunban? What are YOU doing with her? And why did you bring her home?” Fiora asked. “…Are you two…?” She then leered.

Dunban scowled at her. “I brought her here because she doesn’t have a place to stay, Fiora,” he firmly said.

“Oh…” Fiora’s face contorted into worry. “She doesn’t have a home in the colony?”

“No,” Dunban responded. “So, I figured I’d offer her a place to stay here.”

“Awh, how sweet of you, Dunban!” Fiora beamed.

Dunban shook his head dismissively at this. “She’ll have to stay in your room, Fiora.”

“That’s perfectly okay!” Fiora giggled. “I don’t mind that AT ALL!”

“But I’m sure SHE might mind?” Dunban asked.

“No, it’s perfectly alright,” Elma responded. “Honestly, it’s much better than the alternative.”

“True…” Dunban frowned again.

 “Anyway, I started making some food, but…it’ll have to be delayed for a bit, cos now I know I need to increase the portions for her,” Fiora said. She glanced at Elma. “Your name’s Mira, right?”

“Yeah…” Elma said.

“Okay! Just wanted to get that reminder,” Fiora sweetly said. “Oh! Wait one minute! I’ll show you my room, Mira!” She then headed to a nearby door at the bottom of some stairs. Elma followed her into the ensuing room. It was a small but cosy room, with a bed that could just barely fit the both of them in a tight snug. “I know the bed isn’t much, but…” Fiora paused. “If it IS too much, you can have it. I’ll sleep on the floor.”

“Thanks. I appreciate it,” Elma said. “So…” She glanced out towards the nearby kitchen, where Dunban was removing his sword and boots. “…You and Dunban are related, right?”

“Yeah. We’re siblings,” Fiora explained.

“Ah, that’s nice to hear,” Elma smiled. “Quite a small world, then…seeing you, and then meeting your brother later on.”

At that moment, Fiora suddenly closed her bedroom door. She grabbed Elma’s arm and pulled her closer to her. “So…? What do you think about Dunban?” Fiora leered.

Elma grimaced and recoiled from Fiora. “Personal space, please,” she firmly said.

“ What do you think, though!? ” Fiora persisted.

“Why do you ask?” Elma demanded.

“Cos you were alone with him,” Fiora said. “How did you encounter him, anyway?”

“He found me on the beach,” Elma responded.

“Awh, how cute,” Fiora giggled.

Elma glared. “It’s not like that,” she said.

“Yeah, okay…” Fiora sarcastically said. “ I mean, it isn’t really usual for Dunban to bring ladies home. So, this is a surprise. ”

“It’s only because I have nowhere else to go,” Elma frowned. “Can we be done with this conversation, now?”

“ How do you like him, though? I gotta know! ” Fiora eagerly said.

“He seems nice enough,” Elma replied. “And I DO appreciate him wanting to help me. He’s quite stubborn, though …”

“He can be that way…” Fiora sighed.

Elma grunted as she sat on the bed. “…I’m done talking about this. I really need rest…” she said.

“Well, it shouldn’t take me long to modify the food I’m cooking! Don’t worry, I’ll make sure to give you plenty,” Fiora smiled.

“Thanks, Fiora,” Elma smiled back at her. “And…I should be sure to thank Dunban, too, for allowing me to stay.”

“It’s perfectly fine, Mira!” Fiora nodded. She then left the room.

Elma was left to rest on the bed for a while. The smell of savoury food soon began to fill the air, and it almost left Elma feeling intoxicated and dizzy. She removed her shoes and proceeded to lay down on Fiora’s bed. It was so comfortable, it sent Elma adrift right away. But the brief doze was disturbed when she heard voices permeating from outside.

“So, Dunban…what do you think?” came Fiora’s voice.

“About what?” Dunban’s voice asked.

“About HER ?” Fiora pressed.

“What do you mean?” he demanded.

“You knooow what I mean!” she teased.

“Fiora, it is more than possible for me to want to help out a woman without any kind of implications,” he firmly insisted.

“I know. It’s just…weird for you,” Fiora said.

“What do you mean!?” he echoed.

“Bringing home a woman to help her out,” Fiora explained.

“I’m just being a gentleman! Sorry!” Dunban exclaimed. “And besides, I would have done the same thing if a man were involved.”

“No, you wouldn’t!” Fiora argued. “You’d just tell him to ‘tough it up!’”

Dunban sighed at this. “It doesn’t matter, Fiora. It is just that I could tell she felt lost and alone, so I wanted to help her. That is all. And seeing as how she has no home in the colony, I wanted to offer her one.”

“Why doesn’t she have a home, Dunban?” she worriedly wept.

“…I don’t know,” he replied.

“She didn’t say?” Fiora asked.

“No,” he said. “…It’s blatant that there are a lot of things going on here, but she doesn’t seem comfortable talking about any of them. So, I…haven’t pushed her. She’s already tired enough, as is.”

“What if something bad happened to her?” Fiora moaned.

“Well…she…originally said she lost her memory. But then she said that had been a lie…” his voice trailed off.

Elma sighed, got up out of the bed, then exited Fiora’s room. Fiora was busy cooking, and Dunban was sitting at the kitchen table. “You…know I can hear all of that…?” Elma asked.

“Mira!” Fiora faced her. “I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to make you self-conscious. It’s just…I’m worried about you.”

“Why? You don’t even know me,” Elma replied.

“Dunban mentioned you felt lost and alone out there, and you have no place to stay. The thought of that worries me,” Fiora said. “I mean…were you initially sleeping in that vehicle that Shulk’s working on?”

“No,” Elma said.

“What kind of a vehicle is it, may I ask?” Dunban asked.

“Don’t know. I don’t think Shulk knows, either,” Fiora replied.

“It doesn’t matter,” Elma said.

“May I ask why?” Dunban put his hand to his chin.

“It’s like I said…” Elma glared at the ground. “I can’t really say anything about it.” Dunban grunted at this.

“Can you at least reassure us that you’re not hurt? Or in any danger?” Fiora wept. “Cos I am worried!!”

“Don’t worry. I’m neither of those things,” Elma reassured her.

“But why were you out there alone, with only a weird vehicle for company!?” Fiora pressed.

“Fiora…” Dunban warned. “Let’s leave it be, okay?”

“But…I just want to know! Because I’m worried!” Fiora responded.

“Fiora!” he sternly said.

Fiora sighed, before giving Elma a bit of a glare. “…O-Okay. Sorry,” she said.

“Don’t worry about it,” Elma sat down across from Dunban at the table.

“You should go back in and rest,” Dunban told her. “Don’t worry…we aren’t going to talk about your situation anymore…” He glared at Fiora as he said the last part.

“No, it’s okay. To be honest…I’m in dire need for food,” Elma said. “Have hardly eaten since…” But she cut herself off.

Fiora glared at her. “Shulk did not feed you? Or give you a break?!”

“I…wasn’t able to get anything on my own. But Shulk DID give me some curry afterwards,” Elma explained.

“Good,” Fiora relaxed.

“Why…could you not eat?” Dunban asked Elma.

“Don’t have money,” Elma just responded. Dunban put his hand to his chin again. His ruminating expression was at its absolute worst now. Elma worried that he was mentally solving puzzles about her.

“Well, don’t worry, Mira!” Fiora said. “I’m going to be making you a BIG portion, then!”

“You can have my portion,” Dunban muttered.

“Eh? What?!” Fiora glared at him.

“I’m…not very hungry,” he stood up.

“Dunban!!” Fiora glared in protest. “You need to eat!!”

“I’m fine. I had a large lunch earlier. I…don’t have an appetite right now,” Dunban just said. And he proceeded to ascend the stairs near Fiora’s room – undoubtedly going to his own room up there.

Fiora grimaced and folded her arms. “ Something’s on his mind… ” she muttered.

“I don’t think your brother likes me,” Elma said.

“No, that’s not it. Like I just said, he’s probably got a lot on his mind right now. He always seems grumpy when he’s like that. You see, Dunban’s kinda the philosopher type. He’s logic-driven and very serious. He’s always meticulous about the finer details; it can be hard to deceive him or hide things from him. He’s just too astute and wise,” Fiora explained.

He probably has me sussed, then, Elma thought. “Well, if my presence is going to be a hassle for him, I don’t mind making tonight my only stop.”

“No! I would want you to have a place to stay!” Fiora moaned. “Maybe I can talk to some of my other friends. Maybe we can help you get a place to stay! And…?” She eyed Elma’s appearance briefly. “You look like you’re pretty battle savvy. Maybe you can get a position in the Defence Force?”

“The…what?” Elma asked.

Fiora frowned. “The Defence Force? You know? Our colony’s protection service? Dunban’s actually the General of it.”

“Oh, really?” Elma asked. “Now, that I didn’t know.”

“Maybe I can talk to him about enlisting you in it?” Fiora said. “That way, you’ll have income coming in. Still…I…I can’t help but worry about you. Did something happen to you? Why don’t you have your own home, or any money? Why were you living out in the forest? What was that vehicle?”

Elma shook her head. “The less you know…the better. Please. You and Dunban should stop mulling over me. The sooner my vehicle gets fixed, the sooner I’ll be out of your hair. That’s how I see it. I’ll be gone before you even get a chance to figure out what happened.”

“Where’ll you go, though? Apart from this colony, there isn’t really anywhere else you can go,” Fiora wept.

“That’s classified,” Elma firmly said. “And why do you and Dunban care to know, anyway? Far as I’m concerned, I’m just a guest you’re helping for the time being. I’m not a friend, or anything like that.”

“We just want to help!” Fiora moaned. “It’s a nice and considerate thing to do. Is it not? Would you rather us dump you out in the forest and wish you good luck?”

“No,” Elma said.

“THEN THAT’S WHY WE ARE LIKE THIS!” Fiora cried, making Elma flinch. “You haven’t eaten, and you’re exhausted!! So… SO-RRY we want to help you out!” Her expression turned into a glare.

At that moment, footsteps erupted from the stairs. Dunban was descending into the room. “Fiora…please, leave her alone,” he firmly said. “I feel like she’s gone through a lot more than you are probably aware of. Please, respect her decisions and privacy. If she doesn’t want to tell us anything, then we should respect it. The best thing we can do is be there for her and offer her advice, food, and shelter. Okay?”

Fiora sighed. “Okay,” she said. “Sorry, Dunban.” She looked at Elma. “Sorry, Mira.” Elma watched Dunban ascend the stairs again. Despite the things he’d just told Fiora, he looked equally as troubled as Fiora did about all of this.

Elma propped her head up on her elbows. “Sorry. I don’t mean to be a nuisance to you guys,” she said. “But don’t worry. I’ll be out of here as soon as my vehicle is finished. And don’t worry…once I GET my vehicle back, I’ll be going to a much better place.”

Naturally, the way Elma worded that last part did little to ease Fiora’s mind. “O-Okay, Mira. If…If you’re sure…” Fiora moaned.

Chapter Text

CHAPTER 10: LATE NIGHT CHAT

When the food was finished cooking, Fiora made sure to give Elma quite the hefty portion of it. After that, she set aside some for Dunban and plated up some for herself. Once again, it took Elma every ounce of her willpower to not rudely scarf the meal like an uncouth child. Fiora didn’t say anything else, but she couldn’t help but give Elma a worried look; though Elma was trying her best not to inhale the meal, it was still obvious to Fiora that she was starving. “Did you…want some more?” Fiora asked after Elma picked her plate clean.

“Um…yes, please. If that would be okay,” Elma said. Fiora didn’t respond, she just took Elma’s plate and stood up to give Elma some more food. Elma didn’t eat her second helping quite as quickly, but she still ate it all up.

When Elma finished her second helping, Fiora gave her a small smile to try and mask her worries. “…Want some more…?” she asked.

“No. I’m feeling much better now, thank you,” Elma reassured Fiora with a nod. She then glanced towards the stairs that led to Dunban’s room. “Is…he okay, though? I wouldn’t want him to go hungry…” Elma’s voice trailed off.

“I’m sure he’s okay. He’s just got a lot on his mind,” Fiora said. “You don’t need to worry about him, though. I’ll make sure he doesn’t forget to eat.” She managed a bigger smile this time. “Why don’t you go get some rest, now? I’ll be in there in a minute.

“Do you need help cleaning up after dinner?” Elma asked.

Fiora’s smile grew. “No. But thank you for offering, that’s really nice of you. I’ll be okay, though, Mira. You go get some rest.”

“Okay, Fiora,” Elma stood up. “And…I don’t mind sleeping on the floor instead of you…?”

“Absolutely not. YOU get the bed. I insist,” Fiora said.

Elma returned the smile. “You’re a really great hostess,” she said.

“Hehe, I try to be!” Fiora said with a brief nod.

After that, Elma disappeared into Fiora’s room. She shut the door behind her, turned off the light, and climbed onto Fiora’s bed. But now that she’d been fed, she felt a lot more energised. Just out of curiosity, she pulled out her Comm Device and attempted to get a hold of someone from NLA. But of course, no call or message went through. It’s been a few days now. Surely, they’d realised that Elma was gone by now? They would be hauling ass to look for her? The unfortunate thing was, since her Comm Device and the Miramobile were out of reach, they couldn’t be tracked. Maybe Professor B was hopping between different time periods trying to find her. And scouring every time period for her was undoubtedly going to take some time – Professor B was essentially scouting ENTIRE WORLDS for one lone xenoform. There were a TON of time periods and worlds to go through, and this was IF he had a second Miramobile built by now.

Going from one end of Mira to the other on foot took a few days…and this was WITHOUT looking in every nook, corner, and crevice. And these worlds that Professor B went into could’ve been even LARGER than Mira. They could’ve been the size of Earth – where it often took a few days or even a week to get from one end of a country to another. Taking all of this information into account, and adding it to the possibly endless amounts of worlds and time periods…

Elma lost hope of being rescued within a week. But all was not lost – she STILL held out hope that the Miramobile would be back in action within a few days at least, especially with her helping out with repairs. But even with this hope, her mind still decided to wander a bit.

What if Professor B never found Elma, and what if the Miramobile was irreparably damaged? Elma pictured herself having no choice but to settle here in this world…or time period. Inherently, it wasn’t all too bad for her. But would NLA be okay in her absence? And would she be able to even explain who she was to the people here? For all she knew, she may have already messed things up in the first hour of being here. Perhaps the entirety of Mira was gone, now that she came back here and messed with the timeline. It was all heavy to think about, even after the fact that she’d fuelled her mind and body. It was easy to be hopeful, but it was even easier to worry about the worst.

While she wanted to think the Miramobile would be done within a few days, she also wouldn’t be shocked if she’d stranded herself here forever. Even if Professor B did build a second Miramobile, it’d undoubtedly take him ages to find her. And even if the first Miramobile was fixed, Elma couldn’t be certain she’d be able to find her way back. The crash most likely reset everything, so there would most likely not be a pre-set navigation to help her out this time. She’d have no idea how to head back to modern Mira. Elma may have had advanced technology on her end, but she knew nothing about Professor B’s technology and the time travelling aspects of it. Things were looking pretty bleak, but Elma wasn’t ready to throw in the towel, yet. She had to at least try .

Elma dwelled on these thoughts for quite a while – even after Fiora quietly snuck in and laid out a makeshift bed for herself on the floor. She must’ve assumed Elma was asleep, as she didn’t say anything while getting settled down there. Once the shuffling stopped and silence filled the room again, Elma’s mind wandered back to the same thoughts. The more she did, the more her mind began to make attempts to let go of the things she knew. Her colleagues, the Ganglion, the Lifehold, Earth, BLADE, the Skells…everything. They all began to feel like distant memories now – it was as if her mind was preparing for the inevitable fact that she was, indeed, truly stranded here.

About two hours after Fiora had entered, the room was beginning to feel quite stuffy on Elma’s already-encumbered thoughts. So, she quietly got up. She made sure to not step on Fiora as she exited the room, and eventually, the house entirely. She didn’t stray, however. She just went around the corner and leaned against the refreshingly cool wall. This, paired with the fresh air, did help quite a bit; though it did little to quiet her mind.

She glanced up at the sky, and could see an endless number of stars up there. It wasn’t too dissimilar to how things were back home. Elma couldn’t help but see those stars, and wonder if they were the same ones she knew. After a couple of minutes of looking, she deduced that they weren’t; she saw no constellations she recognised from either Earth OR Mira. That was the moment in which she became more certain that she wasn’t in either Earth’s OR Mira’s past; stars were a good indicator of time, after all. A lot of the stars Elma recognised on both Mira and Earth were billions of years old, and the people in this colony seemed too biologically and technologically advanced to live in a time period BEFORE those stars existed. It couldn’t be completely ruled out, however, as Elma knew little about Mira’s past. It could’ve been more advanced than Earth was billions of years ago.

Elma was so distracted by these thoughts, she didn’t even hear the slamming of a door or the footsteps approaching behind her. “You can’t sleep, either?” asked a familiar voice that made her jump and turn around. Sure enough, Dunban was standing there.

“Um…no,” Elma responded.

“Hm…I apologise if Fiora’s bed is subpar,” Dunban gazed upwards, as if trying to find out what Elma had been looking at before.

“No. It’s…okay,” Elma said. “Just…I have a lot on my mind. That’s all.”

Dunban grunted at this. “…Figured as much. And…I’m going to assume you don’t want to talk about any of it?”

Elma gave him a sheepish smile. “I can’t…” Dunban grunted again and passed her an unimpressed scowl. “Heh…” Elma glanced away. “Sorry. You said you can’t sleep, yourself? I’m guessing it’s because you have a lot on your mind, too?”

“More or less. But it’s fine,” Dunban glanced away to look out towards the nearby sea.

“I’m…going to assume it’s because of me?” Elma asked.

“You’d be correct,” he replied frostily.

Elma gave another nervous chuckle. “…I get the feeling you don’t like me very much,” she said.

“What makes you say that?” Dunban inquired.

“I’m…just getting that feeling right now. You’ve been scowling at me ever since I lost my bandana, and…” but Elma cut herself off with a frown of her own.

“Hmph…” Dunban turned to look at her. “You want me to be honest?”

“Yeah…” she closed her eyes.

“It isn’t that I don’t like you,” he said. “I just don’t trust you.”

“I can understand…” Elma looked towards the ocean, herself. “And…I’m sorry I give you a reason to doubt. But…here, if it’ll ease your mind…” And Elma unstrapped her weapons and placed them gently on the ground at Dunban’s feet. “I wasn’t planning ANYTHING, but you can take these off me,” Elma said. “I want you to feel at LEAST a little bit comfortable while I’m here. You can hide them from me, too, if you want.”

Dunban gave her an uneasy look. “That…isn’t the source of my mistrust. But…now that you’ve implanted that idea into my mind, and are staying with Fiora in her room to boot… ”

“I wasn’t planning on hurting Fiora!” Elma held up her hands. “That’s why I’m giving up my weapons!”

“Like I said, though, that wasn’t the issue,” he said. “It’s the fact that you’re being dishonest by hiding who you really are.”

“I…I wish I could tell you about myself. But…I can’t…” Elma moaned, grimacing. “It’s all complicated and…I don’t want to risk saying anything.”

“I know. And in the end, I respect that. But it’s also a double-edged sword,” Dunban explained. “By not telling me anything, you’ll fail to build the trust of people around you. I’m willing to help you for the time being, but I do think I should be able to know WHY I need to help you.”

Elma took a deep breath. “Sorry,” she said. “If it’ll make you feel better, I’ll leave.”

“No…” he grunted. “Despite my curiosity, I still want to respect your privacy. Don’t be brought down by my words. You deserve a safe place to rest and eat, above all else. Don’t be deterred by one man’s opinions.”

“You’re going on about how you don’t trust me, yet you are adamant on giving me a safe place to stay? Why?” Elma demanded.

“You needed help; you needed shelter and care. I’d feel like an arsehole if I DIDN’T help you,” Dunban responded. “Honestly, what else was the Hero of the Homs to do?” He shook his head.

“Hero…?” Elma’s voice trailed off.

It was July 2054 AD, and the war between the Ghosts and the Ganglion had finally come to fruition. Alongside high-ranking citizens and the consciousnesses of twenty million people, Elma boarded the White Whale Ark Ship. The ship narrowly escaped before Earth was destroyed in the crossfire between the two warring factions.

The White Whale spent two years wandering lost in the depths of outer space, before the Ghost faction located them, and began their assault with their powerful bio-weapons. Elma quickly deployed herself to repel the attack, alongside her superior. The two of them hopped into a tandem Ares Skell and commenced the counterattack on the faction. Unfortunately, the White Whale was fighting a losing battle. Sections of it began to explode. The Ares that Elma and her superior were in got blasted out in the ensuing explosions. The White Whale’s residential section, the soon-to-be New Los Angeles, split off and began its descent onto an unknown planet below: Mira. As Elma was watching this unfold in horror, she felt a sudden pressure lift off the Skell. Elma realised right away that her superior had lifted the hatch of the Skell, and she looked at him in horror.

“What are you…?” she began, but as more explosions engulfed the area and the remains of the White Whale, he grabbed her and sent her down to the detached NLA. Once she safely landed on the outskirts, she managed to get just one last look at her superior’s Skell, before the Ghosts unleashed their final attack. A huge explosion consumed the remainder of the White Whale, along with the Skell of her superior. He must have seen the incoming attack and knew it was inescapable, so he threw her down to the escaping NLA to save her…

“Hey?” Dunban’s gentle words breached her flashback. She snapped to reality and looked at him. “Are you okay? You…kind of spaced out for a moment, there,” he said. “Did I say something wrong?”

She gave him a weak smile. “No. It’s just…I used to know a hero, like you,” she said. “Without going into detail, he…saved me from an incoming cataclysmic attack. I wouldn’t be standing here if he hadn’t sacrificed himself by throwing me to safety.”

Dunban frowned worriedly. “I’m…really sorry to hear that,” he said. “Listen…” he took a deep breath. “In the end, I am not entitled to know about you or your past. Especially now that you’ve made me aware that it might’ve been traumatic in some way. So…please just ignore me and my curiosity.”

“Don’t worry, it’s okay,” Elma reassured him. She passed him a brief smile before glancing up to the stars again. “My past isn’t quite as traumatic as you’re probably thinking. Yeah, a lot of tragic things did happen. But there have been some high points, too. I managed to take down the Grandmaster who was partially responsible for that same attack. And things are settling quite nicely for me, too…despite all the things that happened. It’s all ups and downs, but…when is life not?”

“Yeah…” he solemnly said, also gazing up at the stars.

“I wouldn’t have been able to get back and help others recover after the attack, had he not sacrificed himself to save me. And it wasn’t just me…we ALL lost something during that war. But that is where we were able to connect and lean on each other. And that’s what makes us stronger, right? We’re all better soldiers together,” Elma glanced at him.

“That is true,” Dunban faced her again with a small smile.

She passed him a reassuring smile in response. “I know it wasn’t anything much, but…I do feel better after talking to you just now. And don’t worry. I know you’ve got no reason or need to trust me. I don’t expect you to. I came in out of nowhere and invaded your hospitality, and am not opening up about myself. I can see the problems there. But it’s okay. I’ll leave my weapons with you, and you’re more than free to kick me out if it ever gets too much. And once my vehicle is fixed, I’ll be out of your hair. You’ll never have to see me again after that. Okay?” She turned around and prepared to go back inside his house.

“Wait!” he cried, and she stopped at this. “Ignore what I said regarding trust, okay? I know you have your reasons, and like I said before, I respect that privacy above all else. I’m just sorry if my words triggered unpleasant flashbacks for you.”

“It’s okay, Dunban,” Elma smiled back at him. “I just appreciate what you’ve done for me so far. You stopped me from starting a needless confrontation with the Endbringers, and you also took me in when I had nowhere else to go. I’m not entitled to complain and beg about my options, when they are limited. And I’m not entitled to earn your respect, either. You’ve gone out of your way to help me, and I am just grateful about all of that. You definitely DO seem like hero material, then.”

“I…just wanted to do what was right. That’s all,” Dunban dismissed as he relaxed. “Knowing that you’re here and alone, I want to let you know that I’m here for you if you need it. Okay? While I don’t know what you went through, I can understand how it may have affected you. But even while you’re here, you don’t have to suffer through things alone, alright? You can lean on me, as well as Fiora and Shulk. We ALL want to help you with whatever you need. You shouldn’t have to feel alone.” He smiled. “That’s why I wanted to help you, in spite of everything. As you just said yourself – we’re all better soldiers together.”

Elma returned the smile. “Thanks, Dunban. I greatly appreciate it,” she said. “Honestly, I can reciprocate that for you. Is there anything I can do to help ease your mind? Or to make you feel less uneasy around me? It’s the least I can do to return those favours.”

“No, it’s fine,” he reassured her. “Just…don’t go out to sleep in the wild again. And please, let us help you…” He then gave her a firm glare. “…even if it means we need more information from you. Okay?”

Elma exhaled briefly. “Alright,” she said.

“Promise?” he asked.

“I promise,” she reassured him. “Anyway, I’m going to go back in. Will you be coming along?”

“Not yet. I still need a few moments. But you go ahead and get some rest. You need it,” Dunban said.

“Thank you, Dunban. Goodnight,” Elma said.

“Goodnight, Mira,” he replied. She turned to leave again. “Did you want to take your weapons with you?” he then asked.

“No. Keep them,” Elma said. “I won’t be needing them for right now. And plus, I don’t want you to be worried about me having them.”

“Okay. If you’re sure…” Dunban hesitantly said again. She passed him one more smile, before going back into his house to get some rest. Despite what had been said during that conversation, Elma’s mind felt a bit more assuaged. She felt like she’d be able to go to sleep this time.

Chapter Text

CHAPTER 11: CONFESSIONS

When Elma woke up the next morning, her first instinct was to check the Comm Device. But of course, nothing new showed up on it. She could smell the savoury proteins of a breakfast cooking outside. She peered over the side of the bed, and Fiora was sure enough not there. So, Elma quickly got up and exited Fiora’s room. Both she and Dunban were in the kitchen, and she was frying up some rather large eggs. “Good morning, Mira!” Fiora greeted happily. “Did you sleep okay?”

“I slept fine,” Elma responded, glancing at Dunban, who gave her a small smile.

Fiora saw this exchange, and giggled. “Dunban…? Are you in a better mood this morning?” she asked curiously.

“I’m fine, Fiora,” Dunban dismissively replied.

“I don’t know about you, but I’m going to head on to that lab, now,” Elma announced.

“Without eating breakfast?” Fiora worriedly asked.

“Yeah. I’m eager to work on my vehicle and see how it’s coming!” Elma replied.

“If you don’t mind, I’d like to accompany you,” Dunban said. “I kind of want to see this illustrious vehicle for myself.”

“In that case, I’ll go, too!” Fiora eagerly said. “Mainly cos Shulk’ll be there, too!” She giggled again. “But first…we ought to eat, first! Mira, you can’t work on that vehicle when you haven’t eaten anything!”

“Will you be delivering some to Shulk, too?” Dunban asked his sister with a smile.

“YOU BET!” Fiora cried.

“I’m…not really in the mood to eat right now. I just want to continue working on the vehicle!” Elma argued.

“NO! You need food! You need to get your strength up! You won’t be able to focus on fixing it when you’re hungry!” Fiora argued.

“I’d listen to her if I were you,” Dunban passed Elma a cheeky smile. “There’s no point arguing with Fiora when she knows you haven’t eaten.”

“Speaking from experience, I see?” Elma smiled at him.

“Yeah,” Dunban’s smile went to Fiora. She just glared at him in response.

“EAT!” she cried at both of them.

“Don’t worry, I was already planning on it,” Dunban said. “Cos I know you’d maul me, otherwise.”

“Alright…” Elma conceded with a sigh, sitting down across from Dunban. “I’ll eat something. But only something small.”

Fiora’s glare didn’t leave, however. “Dunban, don’t give me that cheeky smile,” she huffed. “You didn’t even eat your helping of last night’s dinner. You’ll be eating THAT today, while Shulk, Mira, and I get a fresh breakfast!!”

“I don’t mind that,” Dunban responded, his smile still strong. This wasn’t the reaction Fiora was hoping for; her nostrils flared as she practically threw Dunban’s helping of last night’s meal into the nearby microwave. Dunban just chuckled at this.

This time, Elma wasn’t as concerned about how quickly she ate. She was just eager to get to the lab and see how the Miramobile was coming along. Both Fiora and Dunban noticed this, so they didn’t strike up any deep conversations with her. The moment Elma’s plate was empty, she stood up. “Alright. I’m heading out, now,” she said.

“Will you be able to find your way there?” Fiora asked.

“Er…” Elma began.

“Why don’t you wait for just a little bit longer? We’ll all go together,” Dunban instructed.

“Yeah. I’m just about done, but I also need to quickly cook something up for Shulk,” Fiora added.

“Okay,” Elma sat down. While Fiora got up and started cooking breakfast for Shulk, Elma curiously glanced towards Dunban. Once his eyes fell on hers, he gave her a small smile in response. Seeing this made Elma feel a lot better; at least he wasn’t as suspicious or uncertain as he was before. “Thank you,” she couldn’t help but tell him again.

Fiora glanced back at Elma. “Don’t mention it, Mira! I just hoped you liked it!” she happily said.

“Uh…?” Elma asked. “Oh! Er…yeah! The cooking. It was delicious, honestly. It…reminds me of someone else I know…” She smiled.

“Ah, hm…seems like you’ve got a cooking rival, Fiora,” Dunban remarked, glancing at his sister.

“Oh, really? Hm! I’d like to meet them!” Fiora peered back at Elma.

“Er…we’ll…have to see about that one…” Elma began with uncertainty.

Once Fiora boxed up Shulk’s breakfast, the three of them left the house and set off for the Machina Lab. Thankfully, it was a short walk, so Fiora was able to deliver the meal to Shulk while it was still fresh and hot. They greeted Shulk near the entrance to the Machina Lab. He took the boxed meal right away and beamed at Fiora. “Thank you, Fiora! You didn’t need to!” he said.

“No, I WANTED to!” Fiora clasped her hands behind her back.

“Come on, Shulk. You should know Fiora by now,” Dunban teased.

“Er…right,” Shulk rubbed his neck. “Sorry.” He then glanced at Elma, and his expression went stern.

“Hey, Shulk. How are things?” Elma asked.

“There…are some problems,” Shulk replied. Elma’s heart leapt.

“What kind of problems?” Fiora worriedly moaned, her hands to her chest.

“Come here. I’ll show you,” Shulk responded. After that, the three of them followed him into the garage where the Miramobile sat.

“Ah, so THAT is the vehicle, huh? It doesn’t look like anything normally made here,” Dunban put his hand to his chin.

Shulk went under the bonnet of the Miramobile. Fiora, Dunban, and Elma followed him. “There are some parts missing,” he reported. Upon seeing this, a few Machina joined the group.

“What kind of parts?” Elma asked right away.

“That is the problem. We don’t know,” Vanea responded. “I have even asked my father to see if he has any idea. Unfortunately, he doesn’t know, either.”

“This vehicle uses similar parts to the ones we are already familiar with,” Shulk explained to Elma. “There’s a radiator, a battery, an air filter, an engine…we managed to replace these damaged parts with parts of our own. Oddly enough…” He put his hand to his chin. “The engine doesn’t run off ether cylinders, but of an unknown fuel entirely. There are some people studying that mysterious fuel now.” Elma’s heart lurched at this – she knew these scientists were having a look at the Miranium that fuelled the Miramobile. “Unfortunately, however, there are some parts that need to be replaced.” Shulk held up a small wired container that sat near where the engine was. Elma couldn’t help but wonder if this was either Mira-exclusive, or something only Professor B would know about. “Do you know how we can fix these parts, Mira?” Shulk asked Elma. “I’m…not sure what this one’s about, for instance.” He held the container to her. “It looks like an additional needless part, to be honest. We managed to get the engine started, and it works just fine without it.”

“I…er…” Elma began.

“If you know ANYTHING, please let us know!” Shulk pleaded. “If you have ANY information, we will use it to do what we can! We may have to substitute with other parts, but we will do our absolute best! We want to help you fix it!”

Elma didn’t immediately respond, but she could feel everyone’s eyes on her. After a few minutes' pause, she took a deep breath. “I…don’t know…” she said.

“You don’t know?” disappointment crept over Shulk’s face. “I…I understand. I…I guess we can try studying these components a bit more. I don’t mind that one bit. But it might delay the repair process quite a bit.”

“That’s okay!” Elma responded.

“I…I mean…you don’t have ANY idea? At all?” Shulk asked. “Because Mira, out of all of us in here, you’re the one who knows the most about this vehicle.”

“Well, I didn’t technically BUILD it…” Elma said.

“I know, but…as we were fixing it yesterday, you seemed to know all about the parts?” Shulk rubbed his neck.

“Well…I know about THOSE parts…not these!” Elma gestured at the compartment in Shulk’s hand.

“Um…what…?” Shulk asked in confusion. Dunban grunted, then, and his eyes narrowed.

“Dunban?” Fiora asked curiously.

“Would the three of you mind stepping aside with me for a few moments?” Dunban asked.

“Yeah!” Shulk said.

Dunban glanced at Vanea. “Is that okay?” he asked.

“Yes, of course!” Vanea nodded. “There’s an empty office over there.” She pointed towards a door on the right side of the garage.

“Thank you,” Dunban said, and he instantly made his way for the door. Shulk, Fiora, and Elma followed suit.

The office was small and cluttered, but it was empty like Vanea said. Dunban shut the door behind them and looked right at Elma. “What is it, Dunban?” asked the worried Shulk.

“ It’s just the four of us in a lone room, ” Dunban quietly told Elma. “ Do you feel comfortable enough to explain things right now? ”

“Eh? What do you mean?” Fiora demanded.

“ I’ve isolated the four of us so that she won’t have to spill the beans to EVERYONE around her, ” Dunban explained.

“I thought you respected my privacy!” Elma cried at him.

“ And I do. But remember what you promised me last night? ” Dunban asked. “ We are willing to help you, but in order for us to do so, you’ll have to cooperate at least a little bit. These parts…what do you REALLY know about them? ”

“I don’t know much of anything!” Elma shook her head.

“Are you sure?” Shulk asked. “Please, Mira, even if you know a LITTLE bit…tell us! We won’t be able to help fix the vehicle otherwise!”

“ And again, it’s just us four in here. Nothing will be said outside of this ,” Dunban added.

“Guys! Stop!” Fiora hissed. “Come on! Is this high-pressure interrogation really needed?!”

“Who said anything about pressure?” Dunban asked. “I just want to be able to help her. But we can’t proceed if we don’t know what else to do.”

“I don’t know what else to do, either!” Elma insisted. “I didn’t build this particular vehicle. So, I don’t know about these parts.”

“Yet, you know the other ones? That’s what I don’t understand,” Shulk put his hand to his chin. “You seemed to know the ins and outs of it, but not THOSE particular bits?”

“I don’t know EVERYTHING!” Elma defensively said.

“Guys, seriously! Can we leave? Mira’s feeling put on the spot!” Fiora wept. “You brought her in here and are practically cornering her! You’re forcing her to speak up, when she’s clearly uncomfortable with it! If she doesn’t know, she doesn’t know!”

Dunban grunted again, then glanced at Elma. “What do you want to do?” he asked. “Ultimately, it’s all up to you.”

“Even if you can at LEAST describe the parts, we’ll do our best to substitute them!” Shulk told Elma.

“I…kind of doubt that,” Elma said.

“What do you mean?” Shulk asked. “We’ve been able to substitute the other parts that have been damaged.”

Elma glanced at Dunban, and he was gazing at her with uncertainty again. Her gaze went to Fiora, and she was looking worried and defensive. Then she glanced at Shulk, and he seemed a bit frantic and helpless. “Well…it’s just…I…I MAY have an idea on what kind of parts they are, but…I can almost guarantee you won’t be able to substitute them, here,” Elma said.

“What do you mean?” Shulk worriedly asked. “Why not?”

“Because…it…” but Elma cut herself off.

“Please. We just want to help!” Shulk begged.

“I understand if you don’t feel comfortable, but remember the promise you made me last night,” Dunban added gently. “I know it may feel like it, but there’s absolutely no pressure here. We just want to do everything we can to help you. That’s all. But if we are to help you, we would greatly appreciate ANY information you can give us – no matter how minuscule it may seem.”

“If it IS too much…” Shulk began. “Again, we could start studying the parts. But that would delay the repairs by a few weeks…maybe even months .”

“I…I…I CAN’T tell you!” Elma gritted her teeth.

“Why not?” Shulk worriedly asked.

“It’s…It’s difficult,” she said.

“Let’s get out of here!” Fiora told Dunban and Shulk. “Let’s leave her alone! She is probably feeling cornered!”

“ I brought her here to isolate her from the others. She would’ve undoubtedly felt EVEN MORE pressure with a bunch of Machina in earshot, ” Dunban quietly but firmly explained. “ There IS no pressure. In fact…here.” And Dunban proceeded to turn around, putting his back to them. “I’m not making any eye contact, so there’s NO pressure from me. I just remember what Elma promised me last night, and I am giving her an opportunity to fulfil it. But if she can’t, then that’s fine. I won’t push her. But she must then realise that if we fail to fix the vehicle, it won’t be because of our incompetence.”

“I understand that,” Elma said with a nod. “And…I can accept it.”

“It will take a few months for us to fully study these unknown parts, though, Mira…” Shulk rubbed his neck. “Will you be willing to wait that long?”

Elma heaved a heavy sigh. “I…I have no choice. Repairs normally take a while, anyway,” she said.

“Are you SURE you know nothing about it?” Shulk asked. “ANY information’d help! It’d speed up the process immensely!”

“About the parts…? No…” Elma said.

“You don’t even know what the parts DO?” Shulk said. “Because they seem useless where they are. In fact…” He put his hand to his chin. “Should we just remove them, then? If they’re damaged and we have no means to fix them, and if the engine can run just fine without them…should we get rid of them?”

“Well…they’re needed …” Elma said.

“How do you know that?” asked Shulk. “I thought you didn’t know what the parts do.”

“I…I don’t. But I know they’re needed!” Elma grimaced.

“Shulk,” Dunban firmly warned.

“I just want to help!” Shulk exclaimed. “And if she knows ANYTHING about these parts, she should tell us! We won’t be able to help her, otherwise!”

“We mustn’t pressure her, Shulk. She’s undoubtedly not ready to say anything about it right now,” Dunban argued. “I passed her this opportunity by bringing her in here, but she is not yet ready to take it. We must accept that decision.”

“You don’t want to help her, Dunban!?” Shulk asked.

“I didn’t say that,” Dunban responded. Even now, he was still respectfully keeping eye contact off of Elma, in the hopes of easing the pressure. “I want to help her, but at a pace in which she is comfortable. She hardly knows us, after all,” he explained.

Elma remained quiet for a few minutes, as she thought things through. Even if Shulk DID spend a few months studying things, she highly doubted he’d be able to figure out how those parts worked. This regarded time travel. Even in current times, NLA didn’t have access to that technology – only Professor B, a xenoform from the distant future, had access to it. Elma couldn’t help them even if she wanted to. Even if the aforementioned damaged parts could have been found in Mira, it wasn’t like she could go out and find them. “I…I think…” Elma took a deep breath. “We…We’re at an impasse, now. Aren’t we?”

“Don’t feel pressured, Mira,” Dunban firmly said. “If you’re willing to wait, then that’s fine. I just figured I’d bring you in here, in case you felt comfortable only telling the four of us. Or…” He only briefly glanced back at her. “…Would you feel more comfortable with only one of us?”

“No. That’s not it,” Elma said. “I…I don’t think you’ll even summon the technological replacement for those parts.”

“What do you mean?” Shulk worriedly asked. “We’ve got Machina working on it, and we’re also receiving some input from High Entia. We’ve got the best technology available on hand.”

“But that’s the thing…it goes even beyond that. It…goes even beyond me …” Elma said.

“What do you mean?” Fiora asked.

Elma turned around. “I…I’ll…be willing to tell you my story, if…if it’ll help,” she said.

“YES!” Shulk enthusiastically exclaimed.

Dunban finally turned back around, but he still worriedly asked, “Are you SURE?”

“Y-Yes,” Elma sighed. “At this point, I’ve no other choice. Honestly, I’ve probably already done extensive damage just by interacting with you guys.”

“Why do you say that?” Fiora moaned.

Elma snorted as she hung her head. “You…probably won’t even BELIEVE my story,” she said.

“Mira, if you don’t feel comfortable, you don’t have to say anything!” Dunban insisted. “We can leave this room, if you w…”

“No,” Elma insisted. “Even if I wanted to leave you guys alone to study the parts and find a substitute, I don’t think there’ll be one. This…is advanced technology.”

“You don’t think the Machina’d be able to…?” Shulk began.

“Can they time travel?” Elma briefly glared back in his direction.

Shulk’s eyes widened, and he relaxed dramatically at this. “Um…” he hung his head. “…No…”

“What are you saying, Mira?” Fiora asked.

Elma grunted and gazed at the floor. “Again…you…probably won’t even believe my story, but…I’ll try to explain it, anyway. That vehicle – the Miramobile – it can time travel. And…I’m from the future.”

Shulk and Fiora both gasped. “You…You are!?” Fiora cried.

“Y-Yeah…” Elma said. “Like I said, I…I know it’s far-fetched, but…”

“I believe you,” Shulk said.

“Wh…What?” Elma faced him in disbelief.

“If only you knew what kinds of things WE’VE been through. Long story short, it isn’t far-fetched to us at all,” Shulk explained.

“Shulk used to be able to SEE into the future,” Fiora pointed at the boy.

“REALLY!?” Elma flinched, gazing at him.

“Yeah,” Shulk said. “Although…” He put his hand to his chin. “I…I don’t recall ever seeing YOU in my visions.”

“I…I think that’s because I don’t even think I’m from YOUR future…technically!” Elma said.

“Technically?” Dunban asked.

Elma grimaced briefly, and glared at the ground with a groan. “The Miramobile malfunctioned when I was making a normal trip in it. It then crashed and landed here…in your world…” she said.

“Why?” Shulk worriedly asked.

“I…I don’t know,” Elma shook her head. “I…wasn’t told it would do that beforehand.”

“So, the parts that are damaged…are related to time travel?” Shulk inquired.

“Yes. But the thing is…the technology isn’t mine. It’s of someone else’s – someone with a LOT more experience in time travel,” Elma explained.

“In that case, why didn’t that person go in your stead?” Dunban asked. “Seems kind of reckless to make you go alone with that unfamiliar technology.”

“That’s the thing…” Elma said. “I didn’t think I’d crash land. There was a pre-set journey encoded into that vehicle, but things messed up, and now I’m stuck here. Not only this, but…I opted to do this.”

“You did!? Why!?” Fiora asked.

“Because I wanted to study the past of my world,” Elma replied.

Dunban’s eyes widened. “Is…that what that device was about last night? And why you were trying to study the Telethia?!”

Shulk flinched. “You guys encountered Telethia!?” he cried.

“That…isn’t relevant anymore. I just want to head back to my own time period, but…I don’t know how,” Elma hung her head. “The technology is beyond me, and…I’m ashamed to admit it.”

“You don’t know ANYTHING that could help?” Fiora wept.

“I…I don’t,” Elma replied. “I can’t even get in contact with those in my world, as communications don’t reach that far. So, I can’t even be sure if they’re making attempts to rescue me. And even if they WERE, they’d be scouring different time periods – that would take ages . Hence why the wait that Shulk talked about earlier wouldn’t have bothered me. I…was hoping to be back in my time period within a few days. But…it seems like I’ll be stuck here for a while.”

“I want to help you!” Shulk exclaimed. “I want to do WHATEVER I can!”

“But that’s the problem!” Elma glared at him. “The parts you need – they’re not available here! They’re either available in my world, or with the person who built this vehicle!”

“Well, I’d still like to at least try !” Shulk argued.

“The technology is even beyond me . So, I…don’t really have much hope for that, honestly…” Elma hung her head again. “And I don’t have hope for being rescued, either. I’m out of reach and there’s just so many time periods to go through.”

“I know it seems complicated, but that doesn’t deter me at all! I still want to help!” Shulk insisted.

“We ALL do,” Fiora nodded.

But Elma wasn’t encouraged by any of this. “Since we’re getting things out there, my…name isn’t actually Mira. Mira is the planet I live on right now.”

“…Planet?” Shulk asked inquisitively.

“My real name is Elma,” Elma glanced at the three of them. “And…” She reached for her headgear, as if considering removing it and revealing THAT secret as well. But she decided against it. Instead, she shoved past Shulk and Dunban to exit the room.

“Where are you going?!” Fiora wept.

“I…need a few moments to take a walk and think…” Elma muttered in discouragement. And she slammed the door behind her.

Chapter Text

CHAPTER 12: COMFORTING ELMA

As Elma left the Machina Lab, she figured she could possibly head back to the crash site to see if anything could be found or retrieved from there. If she was really lucky, she might be able to find her bandana lying around there. So, with that in mind, she used her crudely drawn Comm Device map to trace her way back to the crash site. Right as she was about to cross the bridge leading out of the colony, she heard a familiar voice call out from her behind. “HANG ON!” cried Dunban as he closed in on her. “Where are you going?!”

“I was going to go back to the crash site…” Elma grumbled. “Maybe I’ll find something there…”

“I know you’re upset, but please don’t leave the colony without a weapon of some kind!” he cried. “Come back to my house and I’ll give you your weapons back.”

“No,” she said.

“Then I’m accompanying you,” Dunban stubbornly said.

“Why?” Elma glared at him.

“You’re really asking that?” he demanded. “You aren’t leaving the colony without SOMETHING to defend yourself with. Be it your own weapons or ME.” Elma groaned as she glared longingly at the forest ahead of her. “I want to help you, Elma,” Dunban said.

Hearing him say her real name was oddly soothing. “What can you do?” she hopelessly asked. “I have a broken time travelling car that nobody can do anything with here. And I don’t know anything about it. And I don’t think Professor B will be able to find me so easily. Who knows how long I’ll be stuck here? It could be weeks, months, or even years .”

“Um…if you ask me, what exactly is wrong with being stuck here?” Dunban innocently asked.

She didn’t immediately respond, as the question caught her off guard quite a bit. “Er…nothing, inherently. But everyone I know and am close with are in my world,” she said. “Besides…I…don’t even know if my real self will be accepted here.”

“It should be. But if it’s not, I’ll make sure to deal with it,” he reassured her.

To be fair, was your true form accepted everywhere in NLA? Her mind pointed out.

“I know that everything seems bleak right now, but please let us help you,” Dunban gently said.

“I wasn’t going to NOT let you help,” Elma said. “But…I don’t have much confidence in it. This is advanced technology…even beyond my own realms. This is time travel. It even took Professor B a ton of trial and error.”

“Do you think that’ll deter us?” Dunban put his hand to his chin. “It’ll DEFINITELY not deter Shulk. He’s adamant on fixing that thing and helping you get back to your own time period. Even if you told him off for it, I’m certain he’d still sneak off and work on it secretly.”

Elma gazed up at the clear blue sky. “Then it seems like I’m going to be here for a while…” she said.

“I can imagine it’ll be difficult being away from those you care about,” Dunban said. “But…haha, if you ask me…being stuck here for a while wouldn’t be too bad.” He passed her a smile.

“I don’t think so, either…but…I don’t have a place to stay…” Elma said.

“You’ve got one right now ?” he pointed out. “Does that not count for anything?”

“Well…” Elma’s voice trailed off. “I don’t want to keep mooching off of you.”

“Then I’m sure I can sort something out in that regard,” Dunban said. “In fact, that’s another way I can help you. I may not be able to assist in repairing that vehicle, but I can help get you established here for the time being.”

“Really…?” Elma asked sceptically. “I…I don’t even need a visa or anything like that?”

“A…what?” Dunban’s smile faded, as he put his hand to his chin.

But Elma glanced away. “I appreciate the offer, but…I have to refuse it. I don’t belong here. In many, many ways.”

“What do you mean?” he asked. He then snorted. “ What, do you mean about the fact that you’re not Homs? ”

“I…I am a Homs!” Elma protested right away.

“…Are you?” he asked dubiously.

“Yes!” Elma exclaimed.

“I’m not going to push honesty out of you anymore. I think you’ve spilled enough beans for now,” he somewhat cheekily said. “So, it’s okay.”

“Thanks,” Elma frowned, folding her arms.

“I’m just saying – if you aren’t a Homs, it doesn’t matter to me at all ,” he softly said.

“Well, it isn’t just that, either. I don’t belong here. I’m from a different time period, and possibly a different world,” Elma said.

“Who says you don’t belong?” Dunban asked.

“Er…” Elma said.

“Let me guess… you ?” he smiled.

“Not really! I mean…I objectively don’t belong!” Elma said.

“What law dictates that?” Dunban asked. “Does something from YOUR time period say that? If so, it looks like they broke that law by sending you out to time travel.”

“I’m from the future…and anything I do in the past can screw up things then!” Elma argued. “For all we know, me talking with you right now could be sending my world into a famine.”

“I thought you said that this was only technically your past? Being as how you crash landed here, I’m assuming this detour knocked you off the normal course of time,” Dunban explained. “As such, you’re probably not even in your real past.”

“That…is a good point, but…I don’t want to risk it…” Elma moaned.

“You say, as you continue feeding this conversation,” Dunban cheekily smiled. Elma grunted and turned around. “Where are you going, Elma?” he asked as she started across the bridge.

“I’m going back to live in the wild again,” Elma said. “In doing so, it will stop any additional damage from being done to my current time.”

“Elma!” he cried, making her stop. “Don’t you understand what dilemma you’re dealing with right now? You can either assimilate and let us help you get back, or, you can avoid us for safety reasons and be forced to stay in the wild for the rest of your life. Which would you rather choose? Take the risk and allow us to help get you back sooner? Or stick your head in the sand and wait for a rescue that potentially may not even come?”

“Professor B’s got to be looking for me, now…” Elma said. “Even if his time period hopping takes months, or even years…”

“I can imagine we’ll have a solution for your vehicle before then,” Dunban insisted.

“This is TIME TRAVEL, though!” Elma glared at him. “It isn’t that simple!”

“I never said it was,” he said. “I’m just telling you your options.”

“My options are living in comfort but risking the integrity of the timeline, or living in the wild and waiting for rescue. Which one do you think I’m going to choose??” Elma asked. “I can imagine Professor B might find me much sooner.”

Dunban frowned. “You’re willing to stick your head in the sand and wait?”

“Don’t put it like that…” Elma grimaced. “I just want to protect the integrity of the timeline. I dread to go back and see how things look…”

He sighed, and looked at the ground. “Ultimately, Elma, it’s your choice. I won’t force you one way or another. Though you should know that Shulk’s undoubtedly going to keep working on that vehicle, anyway. And…if you really are set on going back out there, you ought to take your weapons back with you. I don’t like the notion of you wandering around and living in the wild, but…” He shook his head. “If this is about me and MY house, I can always get something sorted out for you. If you’re going to be here a while, I can enlist you in the Defence Force. You’ll have secured immediate accommodation in doing so. I know the cots in the barracks aren’t the most comfortable, but it sure beats sleeping in the wild.”

“No. I’m fine. I can’t risk it!” she insisted.

He grunted at this. “If…you say so, Elma. I’ll go retrieve your weapons for you.”

“There’s…really no need for that,” Elma said.

“What?” he asked.

“I’m not going to need or use those weapons,” she said.

“Don’t be ridiculous. You’re going to need something to defend yourself out there,” Dunban firmly insisted. “Even if it’s a little filleting knife.”

“I’m not going to be using it,” Elma said.

“Then what’ll you eat?” he asked.

“I’ll forage,” Elma replied.

“Do you know what plants are edible?” Dunban queried.

“No. But…I’ll…give it a try, anyway!” Elma said.

Dunban shook his head. “Why not just take some weapons and obtain some meat?”

“No,” Elma argued.

“Why not?” he asked.

“I can’t risk killing the wildlife around here,” Elma said. “If I kill one of those bird indigens, for instance, it could alter the timeline and wreck the ecosystem of my current world.”

He glared at her for a few seconds. “I’m going to be honest, but you’re being quite ridiculous right now. You’re not even certain that you’re even IN your world’s past right now. As I said, it could be a detour – that means that whatever you do here will have no consequence to your current world. Are you REALLY telling me that you are willing to risk sleeping in the wild and starving yourself just to preserve the integrity of an alternate timeline?”

“I CAN’T RISK THE TIMELINE!” she cried.

Dunban sighed. “Listen, if you don’t know how our worlds relate to one another, why not just ask? A lot of uncertainty and frustration could’ve been avoided from the beginning had you just done so. I’m all about respecting your privacy, but…it would’ve made things run a lot smoother had you just been open and honest about your situation. We could’ve gotten things sorted sooner.”

“Things aren’t sorted. I’m still stuck here…” Elma moaned. “And asking questions wouldn’t really achieve much, because I know NOTHING about Mira’s history. That’s why I opted to go on this mission in the first place. I mean…I looked at the stars last night, and they don’t look like Mira’s stars. And this place doesn’t look like Mira. But there could be a major time gap…”

“Or…this could be a different timeline altogether?” he said. “Look, it doesn’t matter. I think it’d be very foolish of you to stick your head in the sand and wait things out. Especially if you don’t plan on living off the very land you intend to sleep on.”

“Fiora delivers food to Shulk…maybe she could deliver some food to me…?” Elma poked her index fingers together. Elma’s suggestion was answered by Dunban’s ensuing sharp glare.

“I’m not going to let you stay in the wild unless you intend on fending for yourself,” he flatly said. “If you refuse to do so, then you’ll be staying in the colony.

“I can’t risk it!” Elma cried.

“But you’re more than willing to risk slowly starving to death while you wait to be rescued by someone that may or may not come?” Dunban asked.

“I…er…I know it’s possible to eat raw fish…” Elma slowly said.

Dunban snorted. “Now look who’s being stubborn,” he said. “You’re just that willing to die on this hill, aren’t you?”

“I care more about the well-being of my timeline than my own life,” Elma said.

“Thank you, I’ve already deduced that,” he sassily retorted. “And you should deduce that I won’t stand for that. If you’re willing to starve yourself, then I’m going to MAKE you stay in the colony. And even still, I’ll give you your weapons back.”

“I’m not going to use them,” Elma said. “I’ll sneak out and sleep in the wild, anyway.”

“And I’ll come out and find you. I’ll drag you back, if I have to. Are we REALLY having this conversation?” Dunban laughed. “My initial impression was that you’re a mature and calculative woman, although you’re oftentimes reckless when you get passionate about something, like research. Or am I not a good judge of character like I thought? Are you just like a stubborn and rebellious teenager, what with this ‘sneaking out’ nonsense you’re spewing?”

“I’m just being mindful about the timelines!!” Elma defensively cried.

“I understand that. But what about your own life?” he asked.

“I don’t care. As long as the future and well-being of everyone else is preserved,” Elma said.

“Hmph…” Dunban put his hand to his chin. “You said you opted to go on this mission. This meant that someone else brought this up…would I be correct?”

“Yes…” Elma huffed.

“Therefore, if something about your timeline gets screwed up, it is their fault,” Dunban said. “They allowed you to take this risky mission, despite KNOWING these risks. If the timeline messes up, it’s because of their negligence.”

“The Miramobile crashed,” Elma said.

“And was that YOUR fault?” he asked.

“No,” Elma frowned.

“Then there you go. If your actions change the future, you oughtn’t blame yourself,” Dunban explained. “Not only this, but I’ve learnt that the future isn’t set in stone.” He smiled. “Plus, consider this. Imagine your current world, but one year prior to this. One year from then, you will be time travelling to the past. If your actions ended up screwing up the timeline, you would have felt its effects already by now, even a year prior.”

“I…” Elma began. “I suppose you have a point. I DID consider that paradox, but…I still have my concerns.”

“And they’re valid concerns. I am not dismissing them by any means. But I don’t think you need to ignore your own life for it,” Dunban said. “I think if anything, your death will have more of an impact in your world than you simply talking to one of us. You are concerned about the happiness and well-being of your friends and loved ones in that time period, right? Then stay alive . I’m sure they would greatly appreciate that.”

“Damn…” Elma’s eyes widened. “I didn’t think about that…”

Dunban shook his head at this, but then chuckled briefly. “So, what is it to be, Elma? Stick your head in the sand and wallow about until something happens? Or take the risk and try to fight through this and actually make progress?”

“I…will…try to fight back…” Elma said.

“You won’t try . You WILL,” he said. “Don’t quit, now.”

“I’m NOT! I’m just mindful about the timeline's integrity, like I said!” she cried.

“I don’t think you have to worry. And Elma, be honest…even if something DOES happen to your world, you’re safe here. And…will staying here be that bad ?” Dunban asked.

“ I…am entrusted to protect humanity… ” she said.

“ ’Humanity’? ” he inquired.

“ The Homs in my world, ” Elma clarified.

“ Ah, so…you’re NOT Homs after all? ” Dunban put his hand to his chin. Elma flinched in surprise, then gave him a sharp glare. “ Hey, you said it. Not me. ” He smiled.

“I…I…I’m a Homs!” Elma argued.

“ But you said you need to protect the Homs. This implies that you’re not one, ” he said.

Elma grimaced. “Damn. Nothing gets past you, does it?”

“Nope. Not even you ,” he cheekily said. “So, don’t think you can fight back or resist. I’ve got my mind set on this, so you might as well just heed my advice.”

“Why…is your mind set on this? You don’t know me,” Elma frowned.

“Alright, then,” Dunban shrugged. “I’ll dump you off and leave you out in the forest to die. I might even ask Shulk to call off the repairs.”

“NO! I…I wasn’t inferring THAT!” Elma frantically exclaimed.

But Dunban chuckled. “You’re stranded here. It’s only natural to want to help. That’s all.”

“I…appreciate it,” Elma relaxed.

“Don’t worry about it,” he said. “So, what do you want to do, then, Elma?”

Elma nodded, and gave him a stern look of determination. “I’ll…I’ll take that risk. I’ll stay here in the colony, and continue to oversee the Miramobile repairs.”

“That’s the spirit,” Dunban nodded enthusiastically. “That’s what I like to hear.”

Elma relaxed. “Still…it…is a bit discouraging that the time travelling technology is far beyond the reach of all of us.”

“It may be beyond reach, but it isn’t impossible,” Dunban responded. “And knowing Shulk, he’s not going to want to stop until he makes a breakthrough.”

“I just wish I could help,” Elma sighed. “ But…even with all of the technology I provided, it still wasn’t anything as advanced as time travel. Maybe…Maybe if I’d been able to introduce time travel, we could’ve stopped the war from ever happening… ” He gave her a worried look. Elma could tell by his expression that he longed to inquire about what she’d said, but for her sake, he kept quiet. “ And…if I DID introduce time travel, I could’ve helped with this situation, too, ” Elma added. “ We wouldn’t be stuck like we are, now… ”

“Don’t blame yourself,” he worriedly said. “How were you to know that you’d crash here?”

“I know. I just wish I had the knowledge to get everything going. And that same knowledge could’ve helped me with…” but Elma cut herself off and shook her head. “Nevermind. Let’s get back to the lab and try to sort out what we’re going to do, next.”

“O-Okay,” Dunban said. “But Elma…I was being serious about what I’d said last night. I may not know what went on with you and your world, but if it ever gets too much, you can lean on me. Alright? And not just me, either. Shulk and Fiora will also be there to support you.”

Elma smiled. “Thank you, Dunban. It’s…nice to know that even in a strange and new world, I’ve got people looking after me. It feels nice.”

“You see? This is why retreating back into the forest to live is a foolish idea,” Dunban cheekily said.

Elma chuckled. “Fair enough. I get it,” she said.

“But…I still don’t trust you,” he then said. “Until we get back to my house, I am going to stay by your side.”

“Heh, why?” Elma asked.

“I fear that if I go back to my house to get your weapons by myself, I’ll have learnt that you snuck back off into the forest again,” Dunban explained.

“Hmm…” Elma’s smile grew. “When you said you don’t trust me just now, you sounded very uncertain. Are you actually starting to trust me?”

“Well, at the very least, I’m comforted by the fact that you were finally open about yourself earlier,” he said. “Although, it would be nice if you could stop denying that you’re not a Homs.”

Elma glanced around the area, and saw many people in the surrounding vicinity. “I…can’t really say anything out here…” she began.

He sighed and shook his head again. “Alright, then. Baby steps, I suppose.”

Chapter Text

CHAPTER 13: TIME TRAVEL PLANNING

When Dunban and Elma entered the garage, they only found Fiora amidst the group of Machina engineers. “Where’s Shulk?” Dunban inquired as soon as they approached her.

“He’s discussing things in the office with Vanea, Miqol, Radzam, and a few other Machina,” Fiora said. She then gave Elma an apologetic look. “Sorry, but…we had to let the Machina know about your situation. But all we told them was that the Miramobile can time travel. Right now, I think they’re contemplating combining Machina and High Entia technology. Cos both the Machina and High Entia are able to make actual teleportation devices, right? They’re wondering if they can use that as a basis to make time travelling energy.”

“Really?” Dunban asked in awe.

“Uh huh!” Fiora beamed at him. “In fact, time travelling has crossed the minds of a few Machina.”

“Why?” Dunban inquired. “Are they wanting to travel into the past to try to stop some of the wars?”

“No. I think it’s more or less about the development of it all,” Fiora said. “And with how we’ve created this new world to reshape our own futures , I don’t think they’d use it to travel into the future, either.”

“Um…” Elma hesitantly began. “You guys keep saying this is a new world . How old is this world?”

“A little over a year old,” Fiora responded.

“Really…?” Elma asked. “Then…does that include the stars?”

“I don’t know?” Fiora asked in confusion.

“What is this new world called?” Elma inquired.

“I don’t know,” Fiora’s expression of confusion worsened.

Wait…could this be old Mira AFTER ALL? Elma wondered with a grimace.

Dunban saw Elma’s expression, then gave her a firm glare. “Let’s focus on the vehicle for now,” he said.

“But there’s not much we can do at this moment, Dunban,” Fiora said. “Everyone’s brainstorming in there right now, so it’ll be quite awhile before we can work on the vehicle itself.” She then gave Elma a worried expression. “How are you feeling, Mira?”

“It’s Elma,” Elma corrected. “I’m…feeling alright.”

“We’ll get you back home! I wanna make that promise to you!” Fiora zealously told her. “Shulk and I’ll do whatever we can to help!”

“I really appreciate it,” Elma said, and then she glanced at Dunban. “Damn…the people in this world are so incredibly thoughtful. It’s…almost kind of jarring, considering modern times.”

“Can you tell us all about it!?” Fiora eagerly asked. “I’ve been wanting to know since you told us about it! This Miramobile of yours…are there more like it in your world? What are the people like? Are there Homs, too? And Nopon? And Machina? Are there more vehicles like the Junks? What’s the food like? What’s the weather like? What are your people all like?”

“Fiora,” Dunban firmly warned.

“Oh, Dunban! Come on! Don’t tell me you aren’t curious, too!” Fiora insisted. Elma grunted, and turned to head back for the exit of the lab. “Where are you going, Mira?” Fiora asked.

“As much as I’d love to help Shulk and the others, I…can’t provide them with much information regarding time travel. I’m still wanting to go back to the Miramobile wreckage site to see if…” but Elma cut herself off. She might not be able to participate with the brainstorming in there, but she could potentially learn a thing or two about time travelling.

“Elma, remember what we discussed,” Dunban gave her a cheeky glare.

“Actually, scratch that. I might go in and see if there’s anything I can help with, or possibly learn from!” Elma said. “I want to at least try to do my part. Considering I have nothing else to do.”

“That’s fine with me. They’re in that same office we were in earlier,” Fiora said.

“Thank you,” Elma nodded at her.

As Fiora had said, regarding the brainstorming, there was a discussion of combining technologies in order to create time travelling energy. And Elma ended up learning that the winged people were the ones called the High Entia. Their technology, paired with the Machina’s, might be able to create a time travelling device. But the unfortunate thing was, condensing it and inputting it into the Miramobile would be a difficult feat.

“Hmm…I have an interesting idea. One that is crazy, but might just work!” Miqol guffawed.

“What’s that?” Shulk asked, his hand to his chin.

“It’s something I have actually considered off and on for awhile now. What if we install a time travelling component into the Junks?” Miqol said.

“You’re kidding!” Shulk flinched. “Why not find a way to put it into the Miramobile, instead?”

“Through the tinkering we have done, we learnt that the vehicle time travels by accelerating at an alarming rate,” Radzam explained. “With the Junks, this can be done instantaneously.”

“The Miramobile can do that, too, though,” Elma argued.

“The problem is, considering its size, combining both technologies might end up being too powerful for that vehicle,” Radzam told her. “If we input all of that into the tiny engine, it will undoubtedly combust from the power.”

“Yeah, that’s the issue,” Shulk said. “That mysterious fuel that was contained within that vehicle…it might’ve had the strength to handle such energy. But it’s all but drained out.” He rubbed his neck. “The ether cylinders we put in there are just not strong enough to withstand all of that power.”

“Even if we added more?” asked a Machina engineer.

“Problem is…apart from the Bionis’ Shoulder, this new world doesn’t have as many ether deposits anymore,” Shulk moaned.

“Yes, it does,” Elma said then.

“Huh?” Shulk asked her.

“You need those ether crystals? I know exactly where to find them,” Elma said.

“You do!?” Shulk flinched. “How!?”

“I…stumbled upon them by accident last night,” Elma replied.

“HOW!?” Shulk roared.

“That’s…not necessarily important right now. What’s important is that if you need ether crystals, I can mine them up for you,” Elma said.

“The problem is, we’ve inputted just enough cylinders for your vehicle to start. I don’t know if it can take anymore,” Vanea said.

“It can,” Elma insisted. “See, the Miramobile initially ran off of Miranium – that’s the strong fuel you all are talking about. Obviously, Miranium is only available on Mira, hence the name. But…” She put her hand to her chin. “Perhaps if we compile enough of those ether crystals in there, it can mimic the strength of Miranium. We can therefore input the time travelling components into the Miramobile from there.”

“I don’t mind that one bit. But honestly, the Junks is more than capable of handling that amount of energy no problem,” Miqol argued. “We just need to put the time travelling component into it, and it’ll time travel in a snap.”

“I don’t think it’ll be that easy, father,” Vanea argued. “This Miramobile is already pre-equipped for time travel. Plus, that Junks is all we have at the moment. Would we want to risk trying it out for this?”

“Ah…hmph. I see…” Miqol frowned. “However, I do see great potential for time travel in the Junks’ future.”

“Who knows, maybe we can implement that to go to Elma’s time period later on?” Shulk pondered.

“I…don’t know about that…” Elma uneasily said.

“So, you are willing to go get us some crystals?” Vanea asked Elma.

“Yes, I don’t mind that one bit! It’ll help!” Elma said. “So, you will add more to the engine?”

“Yes,” Shulk nodded. “Right now, there are only a few cylinders in the Miramobile – just enough to make it start the engine. It might be able to run on its own with that, but to time travel…that isn’t enough energy. Combining technology is dangerous and powerful in and of itself. Adding this, plus heavy amounts of ether, will be quite risky as well. But the time travelling technology will NEED that amount of ether to operate. And I think with all of that, we will achieve the acceleration needed to send you through time.”

“Is it…really that simple?” Elma asked. “It time travels through acceleration?”

“Obviously, it isn’t that simple,” Radzam said. “But consider teleportation. You know of it, right?”

“I do,” Elma nodded.

“We figure we can use that as a basis for what we need to do,” Radzam explained. “Teleportation takes you from one place to another. This is similar to time travel, except instead of travelling through space , you travel through time. Albeit, the latter is much, much, more complicated. Especially considering how time is actually a concept we have created on our own. Therefore, it’ll be difficult to apply the normal rules of physics.”

“Professor B did it SOMEHOW. So, it is possible. We just…need to figure out how, exactly,” Elma said.

“Did he not show you?” Shulk asked.

“No. He actually failed many, many times. I lost count on how many times I had to collect parts for him,” Elma said.

“What parts were they?” Shulk asked.

“They’re parts you will not find here, unfortunately,” Elma replied. “But I think the substitutes will suffice. The only one that currently will not suffice is the ether cylinders in there. Yes, it can start the engine. But it needs to do more than that. It needs to be able to go , too.”

“We figured that as much. It’s just that our first goal was to try and fix that damaged engine. And we wanted to make sure that ether, though weaker, would’ve substituted. The engine barely manages to start purring, so more cylinders are definitely needed ,” Vanea said.

“We thought the repairs were starting to stall, as our access to cylinders is limited,” said Shulk.

“I can go mine for more of those now,” Elma offered. “I…can’t say I’ll be able to help much regarding the time travelling aspect, but I don’t mind collecting anything you need.”

“That’s greatly appreciated, Elma,” Shulk said with a nod.

“I DO have a few blueprints of some attempts I’ve made regarding time travel technology,” Miqol then said.

“You REALLY are invested in your dream of turning Junks into a time travelling machine. Aren’t you?” Vanea chuckled.

“I cannot deny. I have lived for over six thousand years, and such an opportunity has never presented itself to me,” Miqol pressed his fingers together. “However, now that we are allied with the High Entia, and now that this situation is before us, I find it apropos, now.”

“What are the blueprints like?” Shulk asked him.

“Much similar to the concepts you have discussed,” Miqol said. “It’ll be easy to use teleportation as a footprint and build it up from there. We need plenty of ether energy, which we can easily get thanks to this young lady, here. Then it will be about trying to surpass the time barrier, which as Radzam said, will be quite a difficult feat. However, acceleration WILL be a key component in it.”

“ And a little bit of space magic… ” sassed a sceptical male Machina. Elma couldn’t help but sort of get behind that scepticism; she wasn’t sure mesh-mashing technologies would’ve sufficed in creating that time travelling magic; otherwise, NLA would’ve already achieved that by now with all of the technologies it combines in ordinary daily life.

Elma sighed. “I…can kind of understand the doubts, here. I feel them, myself. I can get behind the massive amount of energy, and I definitely don’t mind compiling ether crystals. It’s just…the issue is surpassing the time barrier; since time isn’t necessarily a scientific concept, but one we created. How could we surpass something we created? Because in my world, time is just a way to measure the amount of rotation or revolution a planetary mass does.”

“You don’t think enough acceleration will break that barrier?” Shulk asked.

“If it did, I would’ve done that with the light-speed technology I provided…” Elma’s voice trailed off.

“This is complicated, indeed…” Radzam frowned, scratching his chin.

“Let me go get some ether crystals for now,” Elma said. “We know we’ll need them, at the very least. We can work our way from there. It’s just…the problem is…the Endbringers are attracted to all of that ether.”

“The what?” Shulk asked.

“The Telethia,” Elma replied.

“That is alright. The Telethia do not seek to harm us anymore,” Vanea said. “Especially now that young Melia has established her footing in the old imperial capital now.”

“Indeed. The Telethia actually guard that capital for her,” Radzam added.

“They’re still looking after Melia, even now,” Vanea smiled.

“I’m not shocked that the Telethia are protective over something. But I wouldn’t want them to follow me back here as I bring the crystals in,” Elma said.

“They shouldn’t, especially whilst knowing they want to protect Alcamoth,” Shulk said. “But if they DO get too close, we know how to send them off without causing a disturbance.”

“That’s good to know,” Elma sighed. “Anyway, I’ll get going now. I want to gather those crystals for you guys.”

“Will you need help?” Shulk worriedly asked.

“No, I’ll be alright,” Elma replied. “It shouldn’t take me long.”

“Okay. We will be waiting here for you,” Vanea said.

When Elma exited the office, she noticed that only Fiora was standing idly by. Elma went over to her. “How are things going?” Fiora asked.

“I’m going to go out and harvest some ether for them,” Elma said.

“Wait! You are!?” Fiora asked in surprise. “You know how to do that?! And you know about the ether?!”

“Yeah. I…er…accidentally discovered it last night,” Elma said. She glanced around the garage. “Where’s Dunban?”

“He went back home to get your weapons. He said he’d figured he’d do that while you were distracted,” Fiora said. 

“Oh, really? How thoughtful of him! Damn, I really appreciate everything you guys have done for me as of late!” Elma smiled.

“Don’t mention it, Elma!” Fiora beamed. “We’re glad to help!”

Thankfully, Elma didn’t have to wait long for Dunban’s return. He was quite surprised to find her out of the office. “Elma? How did things go?” he asked.

“I’m going to go out and get some ether crystals for them,” Elma smiled.

“Will you need help?” he asked right away.

“No, it should be fine. I was able to get quite a lot out last night,” Elma replied.

“I suppose. I just wouldn’t want you getting caught up with Telethia again,” Dunban frowned.

“I won’t. But you’ve brought me my weapons, so that’s of good comfort,” Elma said.

“Er…” Dunban began. “I…hope you don’t mind, but…I haven’t really completed that task, yet. I was able to bring you both guns by pocketing them, but I couldn’t bring your swords.”

“Oh, really?” Elma asked. “That’s okay.” She smiled. “I can take the guns for now. But why couldn’t you bring the swords? I don’t mind if you need to hold them.”

“I…could only carry one at a time,” he said.

“You could’ve had the guns in your pocket, and then carried the swords in your hands?” Elma offered.

“I…can’t…” he said.

“Why not?” Elma inquired.

“Dunban can’t use his right arm anymore,” Fiora explained.

“Oh…” Elma grimaced, as she gazed down towards his right. The damaged arm was subtly covered behind his long black cape. “I…didn’t know. Sorry,” she said.

“Don’t be sorry. It’s perfectly alright. I just didn’t want to inconvenience you,” Dunban told her.

“Um…it’s okay!” Elma wanted to ask what happened to him, but she didn’t want to be rude. “It’s not an inconvenience at all. I’ll just take the guns.”

“If you’re sure,” Dunban took the guns out of his pocket one at a time and handed them to Elma. “I’m quite envious, actually. You have all of these weapons, and you can interchange them at once.”

“I’m sorry. I don’t mean to make you feel that way,” Elma moaned.

“No, it’s not that. It’s just the fact that you have so many weapons,” Dunban smiled.

“Ah, you like weapons?” Elma smiled back.

“I love them,” he responded. “Swords, in particular.”

“Well, hehe, I wield two of them,” Elma said. At that moment, Fiora began to giggle.

Dunban passed her a bit of a glare. “What?” he asked.

“You two are kinda cute together,” Fiora replied.

“What? What the hell are you talking about?” Dunban demanded.

“I mean what I said!” Fiora cried. “You two seem like inter-dimensional peas in a pod.”

“Come off it,” Dunban scowled. “Will you knock it off with that fantastical nonsense?”

“What do you mean?” Fiora frowned.

“It is more than possible for men and women to simply be friends . So, knock it off with that romanticising rubbish,” Dunban said.

“Heh…you consider me a friend?” Elma smiled at him.

“Er…that’s a bit of a stretch. But at the very least, I DO trust you a little bit more than I did before,” Dunban explained.

“Well, hehe…that’s a start,” Elma said somewhat teasingly. “Anyway, I’m going to go out and harvest more crystals.” Dunban then grunted worriedly. “What?” Elma asked.

“I’m going to be worried about the Telethia,” he said.

“Don’t be. I’m not going to provoke them this time,” Elma reassured him, putting away her Dual Guns.

“Doesn’t give me much hope…” Dunban’s voice trailed off.

“Just go with her. You know you want to…” Fiora leered, elbowing him.

He glared at her. “You know what? To shut you up, I’m going to stay here.”

“Are you sure? You’re not going to be worried about her?” Fiora teased.

“Will you knock that off, Fiora? Seriously,” Dunban scowled. “The worry I expressed just now was more towards the fact that she’d be luring Telethia into this colony.”

“Uh huh,” Fiora sarcastically said.

“IT IS!” he spat. “As I just said, she’s got two pairs of two different weapons. It doesn’t need to be stated that she can handle herself out there.” But then he frowned. “…Dammit…”

“What?” Fiora asked.

Dunban glared at Elma. “She’s too afraid of risking her timeline to kill anything out there.”

“Haha! See! You ARE worried!!” Fiora roared.

“Are you saying YOU are not?” Dunban asked. Fiora frowned at this, warranting a chuckle from Dunban.

“Look…neither of you need to worry about me. I’ve hassled everyone enough here as of late,” Elma said. “This time, I’m not going to stand idly by. I’m going to harvest the crystals quickly, then come running back before the Endbringers even know what the hell is going on. I’ll undoubtedly not even need to use my weapons. Plus, Shulk said he can take care of the Telethia if they DO inevitably enter the colony. So, it’ll be fine. It’s just a quick little errand.”

“I wasn’t worried about you…” Dunban huffed. “I just said…you’ve got enough weapons. Worrying about you isn’t warranted.”

“Then why are you so insistent on ensuring I have a place to stay?” Elma smiled.

“Because I’m courteous . Any decent living being would feel the same way. Everyone deserves safe shelter and plenty of food and water,” Dunban explained.

“Why are you so devoted to this situation?” Fiora inquired.

Dunban grimaced. “Are you not?” he asked.

“Well…” Fiora said. “I’m interested in seeing how things play out, and I’m hoping they go well for Elma. But…I mainly stick around cos Shulk’s here.” Dunban shook his head at this. “That’s also why I find it funny how YOU are staying here, Dunban. These types of projects usually bore the heck out of you. So…why are you sticking around here, and now?”

“Elma doesn’t know her way around the colony. I wouldn’t want to abandon her when she’s already feeling lost enough as is,” Dunban explained.

“Oh, yeah. Like how Shulk kinda abandoned her yesterday,” Fiora shook her head.

“And there you go. Exactly,” Dunban said. “Elma got stranded, and she needs all of the support she can get. That’s all.”

Elma shook her head, but chuckled. “I’m going to go, now. I’ll leave you two to it.”

“I WOULD say I’d go with you, just to get Fiora off my back. But I know that inevitably will only encourage Fiora’s stance about all of this…” Dunban grumbled.

“What? Come ooon, Dunban! It’s only natural that I wanna see you be happy!” Fiora said. “And don’t you think it’s about time you found someone and settled down with them?”

“I’ve never been interested in that,” he proclaimed. “Come on, Fiora. You know this.”

“But who’s gonna care for you and love you when I move out?” Fiora leered.

He glared at her. “What are you talking about? I don’t need to be cared for. I’m a grown man!”

“Don’t deny that you’ll feel alone. You’ll crave a woman’s tender embrace,” Fiora cooed. Dunban gagged at this. “Okay? Then…a man’s tender embrace?” Fiora asked.

“NO!” Dunban spat. “Fiora, knock it off with this juvenile nonsense.”

“You don’t like the idea of settling? Or having a family of your own?” Fiora asked.

“No. I don’t want children,” he said.

“Why not?” Fiora asked.

“YOU were more than enough!” Dunban bantered. “You robbed me of my childhood, Fiora.”

“No, I didn’t!” Fiora flinched.

Dunban then glared at Elma. “You’re still here? I thought you were leaving.”

“N-No. Sorry. I…I just got enraptured by this moment,” Elma smiled.

“Well, I’m glad these ridiculous antics are ENTERTAINING to you!” Dunban exclaimed hotly.

“Heh. Sorry. I’ll be on my way, now,” but Elma’s smile didn’t fade. After that, she left the lab, leaving Dunban to shake his head once again.

Chapter Text

CHAPTER 14: HARVESTING CRYSTALS

Right as Elma left the colony, she heard footsteps in the grass behind her. She turned her head back, and wasn’t entirely shocked to see Dunban making his way for her. “Hehe…you REALLY don’t trust me, do you?” Elma asked. “What is it, now?”

Dunban gave her an innocent expression as he joined her side. “Fiora expressed concern that you might get lost in the forest. So, she recommended I be a gentleman and ensure that doesn’t happen,” he said.

“Really? Are you sure it wasn’t YOU who thought that? And what about you being adamant on NOT accompanying me? For fear of being further teased by Fiora?” Elma asked with a cheeky smile.

Dunban glanced away. “I…might also share her concern, too...”

“There you go,” Elma said.

He passed her a glare. “Hey, at least I’m honest . Something which YOU’RE not.”

“And there’s a perfectly valid reason for that,” Elma responded.

“Are you sure? As you’ve already decided that you’re willing to take those risks if it means getting back home. I’ll gladly respect your privacy, yes, but we’re already past the excuse of hiding things, now,” Dunban sassily said. Elma didn’t immediately respond, she just focused on going straight ahead through the forest. “Where are you going?” Dunban asked. “You want to go to the beach again, right? To mine for crystals?”

“Yeah…” Elma began, glaring back at him.

“Then you’ve got to go this way,” Dunban gestured towards the right. Elma grunted at this, then turned to go that direction. Dunban chuckled at this. “So, I guess it’s good that I’m coming along, then?”

“Not if you’re going to keep hounding me for information,” Elma huffed.

“I wasn’t hounding you. I was just pointing out the hypocrisy,” he innocently said.

“There’s no hypocrisy here. I just…I’d rather be safe than sorry,” Elma said. “Will you argue with that?”

“No. But at this point, any additional information will help regarding this situation,” Dunban responded, as they crossed the beach-forest threshold and stepped onto the sand. “For instance, you’re not a Homs, right? How do I know you don’t have different requirements? Like the Machina do not eat food. They don’t have the means of properly digesting it, so they instead live solely on water. What about you? If you’re not a Homs, what requirements do I need to be aware of? Do you have a different diet? Or a different sleeping pattern? Or what?”

“I AM a Homs!” Elma moaned.

“No, you’re not,” he said, and with one swift pull, he removed the headgear off of her head.

Elma shrieked in surprise, then whirled around to glare at him. “Was that really necessary?!” she demanded. But Dunban appeared to have become lost for words, as he gazed upon her. “…What?!” Elma asked.

“N-Nothing. Sorry…” he muttered, handing her the headgear again. “That was childish of me. I apologise…” He glanced away.

Elma felt her ears go hot as she took the headgear from him. “Let me guess…you were beholding me with disgust…”

He looked at her with widened eyes. “What!? NO! Not at all!” he shook his head sincerely.

“Then why were you staring!?” she demanded, as her reddened ears grew darker.

“I…I…sorry…” Dunban glanced away. “I…didn’t mean to make you feel self-conscious. Sorry.”

Elma breathed out heavily, taking a lot of the tense muscles with it. “It’s okay,” she said, putting her headgear back on. “You…just caught me off guard. Sorry.” She glanced away. “But…you’re right. I’m not a Homs…OR a human,” she said. “And…” she sighed. “Even in my modern world, there’s still some discrimination because of that .” She grimaced.

“Well, you won’t get any discrimination from me. Not at all,” he reassured her, but he still didn’t face her. “Same thing goes with the vast majority of our colony. Though not perfect, we all try to get along regardless of heritage.”

“I’m happy to hear it. But…my hesitance is still there…” Elma began. “You see…” She gazed solemnly at him. “It was aliens that destroyed our first planet. And those same aliens chased us through space, as we sought a second refuge. Even after we crashed on that second planet, we still had to deal with the aliens. And… because of these interstellar invaders, humans don’t trust aliens. Even the benevolent ones that want to help them… ”

Dunban gazed back at her, feeling surprised that she finally decided to be open about this. “S-So…wait…” he solemnly said. “Are you not actually native to…?” But he cut himself off. “Nevermind.”

“No. It’s okay,” Elma said. “But no, I am not native to the humans’ home planet. I came to their planet from another, to warn them of the upcoming war. Once their original planet exploded, I fled to another one with them.”

“I…see…” he muttered solemnly.

“So, it’s not as easy as you say it is, for me,” Elma responded. “I’m not a native, like those Machina and High Entia are. I’m an alien. Or…to put it more endearingly, I’m what they call a xenoform . Unlike your world, the humans were the only sentient species before the xenos got involved. There were no native Machina or High Entia. The humans’ native planet didn’t even have Nopon . We didn’t meet the Nopon until we crash landed onto Mira. Before then, it was just the humans and the humans alone. Me, the Nopon, the Ghosts, the Ganglion, the Ma-non…everything…they all come from different planets. They’re all aggregating on planet Mira now, WITH the humans. So far, it’s…off and on. A lot of humans don’t trust the xenoforms in their own backyard, BECAUSE of the hostile alien attacks. I can’t blame them. But…I am still an unnecessary target of their discrimination, despite the fact that I lead an organisation dedicated to preserving humanity and their future. Despite being a military heroine, some of the humans who know my true form don’t really trust me – just because I’m a xeno . So…that’s…where I stand in my world.” She glanced away.

Worry mixed in with Dunban’s sincere expression. “…Wh-Why did you tell me all of that? You…really didn’t have to, you know? I’m sorry if you felt pressured in doing so.”

“No, I didn’t. Not at all,” Elma reassured him. “It…It all just sort of… came out .”

“I understand…” he gazed at her.

Elma sighed heavily, then pulled out the tiny FrontierNav Probe again. Thankfully, they were reusable. “I…I think we’d better get to harvesting those crystals, now,” she said.

“R-Right…” Dunban responded.

This time, Elma didn’t bother hiding her efforts to plant the probe. Once the beam of light energy came towering out of the planted probe, Dunban glanced up at it. After Elma’s confession just now, a tense silence had fallen upon them. Of course, it didn’t ease Elma’s mind much. As she was establishing the probe, she muttered, “I…guess you think less of me, now?”

“Huh?” he asked.

“You think less of me…now that you know I’m an alien…?” Elma asked. “Are you worried I’m going to conquer your world? Or destroy it?”

“No,” Dunban replied.

She shot him a brief sceptical glare. “But you don’t trust me. I’m assuming this makes things worse. Now you know WHY I didn’t want to tell you who I was.”

“You didn’t have to tell me, though! I…” he began, but he then sighed. “I’m…sorry if you felt pressured into it because of the things I was saying. After our conversation last night, most of the things I have said since then have all been in jest. As I said, I’m not entitled to know anything about you. So, you…really didn’t need to spill all of that if it was uncomfortable to relive.”

“No. I…just figured you ought to know, now that we’re alone,” Elma said as she sealed the Probe with her Comm Device. Then she backed away. She looked at Dunban, who was averting her gaze.

“It’s only because I pulled your headgear off. It was in jest, but it was uncalled for. I’m sorry,” he responded.

“No. I don’t mind,” Elma said, and she removed her headgear. “I don’t know if you saw, but I considered revealing my true form to Shulk and Fiora, as well. But there was already so much going on.”

“And…why have you told only me about all of this?” he solemnly asked.

“Because I trust you,” Elma responded, making Dunban’s eyes widen. Elma didn’t see that, though, as she was keeping an eye on the production of her new mining probe. It was already working hard at it; she wouldn’t be shocked if some new crystals resurfaced in a few minutes.

“…Why…do you trust me?” Dunban curiously asked.

She finally passed him a small smile, much to his relief. “You’ve done so much to help me. Even though YOU don’t trust me yourself, you still went out of your way to help me. And you’re here now, wanting to make sure I don’t get stranded or lost again. It isn’t needed, but…it’s appreciated. Like I mentioned, you remind me of a hero I used to know. Maybe that’s why I trust you so much.” She chuckled a bit, as she gazed at the mining probe.

“Well, for what it’s worth, you’ve significantly gained my trust since last night’s conversation,” he told her.

“And that’s great to hear,” Elma said. “Though I understand if there are still niggling doubts.” At that moment, there was a beeping sound, and Elma smiled again. “Hey, there we go! Some production!” Sure enough, the FrontierNav brought up an armful of different coloured crystals. The only ones that were missing were the electric ones.

“What exactly IS that?” Dunban asked.

“This is a special technology called FrontierNav,” Elma explained. “It was conceived to gather data and resources on an alien planet. We use these things…” She gestured at the probe. “…called Data Probes. They scan and harvest data wherever they are planted. This particular probe here is a type of Data Probe that specialises in mining.”

“And you’re able to harvest the ether crystals with it?” Dunban asked.

“I can harvest any resources with it,” Elma nodded. “But so far, it’s only found ether crystals, yes.” At that moment, more ether crystals resurfaced from the ground. This time, there were a few electric crystals now included in the mix. Dunban and Elma remained silent as the probe unearthed more and more ether crystals. Soon, they had at least two armfuls of colourful ether crystals. “I think that should be enough, don’t you?” she asked.

But Dunban was glancing off to his left. “Here they come…” he cautioned. Elma followed his gaze, and saw another party of indigens strolling over to the source of the crystals. Elma quickly disabled the probe and picked up an armful of ether crystals. As soon as she did this, she felt a blast of heat behind her. She whirled around just to see Dunban standing in between her and the horde of indigens. A lot of the indigens seemed quite irked that Elma was about to run off with the crystals. Dunban glared back at her. “Go on, while I’ve got them distracted!” Elma nodded at this, then took off running back to where they’d come. She heard various noises come from the scuffle behind her. She heard cries of pain from both Dunban AND the indigens. After straying about fifteen metres, Elma glanced back. Dunban was struggling to hold off such a big group of enemies. Even as his sword danced around frantically, other indigens were trying to skirt past him and get to the crystals in Elma’s possession. At that instant, two large primate indigens knocked Dunban aside with their large fists, then hurled towards Elma.

Elma set the crystals down and whipped out her Dual Guns. She started blasting all of the indigens with gunfire. This frontal barrage caused the indigens to back away quickly, giving Dunban some breathing room to pick himself up. Elma continued knocking the indigen horde back. They were far enough away from her; she was just trying to get them off of Dunban’s back. As soon as Elma managed to successfully keep the indigens at bay, her ammo ran dry. The deafening gunfire soon turned into feeble trigger clicks. Elma grunted and pocketed her now-useless Dual Guns. Then she turned around to grab the ether crystals. Dunban was quickly catching up to her. Before he could, however, a massive draconic Telethia slithered in from the sky and blocked him off. Elma was forced to stop as the Telethia started to encircle her. Not long after that, two more Telethia joined in from the skies. It wasn’t as elegantly divine when they were encircling her . Dammit… Elma thought. She was able to find gaps in between the Telethia. Right as she planned to dart through one, a Telethia’s tail snapped back and cut her off. They’d read that plan in her mind. Elma swore out at this. She was now trapped in the eye of a slow-moving Telethia tornado. Elma could already feel the energy draining from the crystals in her arms. And any movements Dunban made to try to get her was read and cut off by the encircling beasts.

Before the crystals could be drained any further, however, the Telethia all stopped circling and began to disperse. Dunban and Elma watched as they all flew up and gazed behind them. After about a minute’s pause, the Telethia all eagerly snaked and flew towards that same direction. Elma was able to relax, and Dunban ran to her. “Are you okay!?” he asked.

“Yeah,” Elma said. “What…happened? Where are they going?”

Dunban gazed towards the Telethia, who were now specks in the distant sky. “I think that’s because of Shulk’s attempt to lure them away from the colony,” he said.

“Really?” Elma curiously asked. “What’s he doing!?”

“Well, that’s in the direction of the airborne Bionis’ Shoulder,” Dunban responded. “I’m assuming he’s teamed up with Melia to use both the Monado and her ether abilities to draw the Telethia to them. We need to take this distraction while we’ve got it.” He gave Elma a firm nod.

“Got it!” Elma responded. Dunban started to run back for the direction of the colony. Elma briefly set the crystals down to pull the headgear out of her pocket. “Hey!” she called, and Dunban stopped and gazed back at her. “Th-Thanks, Dunban…” she said. “For…listening to my story, I mean.”

“It’s…It’s okay. Don’t worry about it…” he somewhat distractedly said.

“Oh…heh…sorry,” Elma muttered. “I know you want to get going.”

“That’s…actually not what I was…” Dunban began, but Elma put her headgear back on. He felt a strange twinge of disappointment flare up as a result of this.

“I…I would appreciate it if you didn’t say a word about this to anybody…” Elma gave him a sheepish smile. “Not even to Shulk and Fiora. I’ve…said quite a lot of personal things so far….”

“That’s okay, Elma,” he reassured her. “I won’t say anything. I wasn’t planning on it, anyway.”

Elma’s smile grew. “Thank you, Dunban. I appreciate it.” She knelt down to pick up the crystals. “I’m really glad I can trust you.” She then took off for the colony after that. Dunban hesitated briefly, unable to directly pinpoint the minor troubles that were niggling him at the moment. After a few seconds, he mentally shrugged it all off and went after her.

Chapter Text

CHAPTER 15: MAKING NEW PLANS

When Dunban and Elma returned to the Machina Lab, all of the Machina swarmed to them. “You have gotten the crystals!” Vanea exclaimed in relief. “And that is a fantastic yield!”

“I’m assuming Shulk left to go to distract the Telethia?” Dunban asked.

“Yes, and Fiora went with him,” Vanea replied.

“They went through the teleporter to the Bionis’ Shoulder,” Miqol responded. “They should be back in a moment.”

“They came just in time, as the Telethia had started sniffing me out,” Elma said.

“Oh! You aren’t hurt, are you?” Vanea worriedly asked.

“No. I’m fine,” Elma smiled. “Dunban did a good job at protecting me. Although…my guns are useless, now.”

“What do you mean?” Dunban asked her.

“Ran out of ammo,” Elma replied.

“Well, that can easily be sorted for you,” Dunban reassured her. “Haha…that’s why I prefer swords. I can actually get going and deal with it right now, if you want?”

“I…would appreciate that,” Elma responded. She went to a nearby work desk and set the crystals on it. Then she glanced at the Machina. “Those Telethia won’t come back and sniff this place out?”

“No. Since we use a lot of ether in this lab, anyway, we have ether absorbing vents in here,” Radzam explained. “Any ether that gets expelled from this lab gets absorbed by the vents and released in small bursts – bursts that are large enough to prevent encumbrance, and small enough that it doesn’t attract the attention of a Telethia. Any excess is stored in airtight tanks.”

“That’s good to know,” Elma said with a sigh of relief, before she passed her Dual Guns to Dunban.

Dunban tipped her a smile. “I’ll also see if I can bring your swords back, too. For what it’s worth, though, thank you for blasting all of those monsters off of me. I appreciate it.”

“Don’t mention it. I was just returning the favour,” Elma smiled back. After that, Dunban left the lab.

“Alright, then. Shall we get started on cylinderisation?” Radzam asked.

“Yes! And then we can put those cylinders into the Miramobile,” Miqol said. “Should I rename the Junks to the Miqolmobile? Hohohoho!”

“Please don’t,” Vanea said.

“What do you mean by cylinderisation?” Elma asked Radzam.

“We convert these ether crystals into cylinders,” Radzam explained. “In cylindrical form, ether is much more concentrated and condensed.”

“But nothing will EVER be as concentrated as pure ether in its liquid form,” Miqol said. “Stick your face too close, and it’ll burn your Homs hair right off.”

“Don’t worry. It isn’t too kind to us Machina, either,” Vanea told Elma.

“And with us using plenty of ether in this lab, we take all of the necessary precautions,” Radzam added.

“Pure concentrated ether in liquid form, huh…?” Elma asked. “To be honest, that sounds like it’d be a better fuel than them in cylinder form.”

“Hmm…I am unsure of that,” Miqol said.

“What do you mean?” Elma asked. “If it’s THAT potent, it’d be great!”

“I am afraid it could be TOO potent,” Miqol argued. “A pool of pure, green ether is capable of powering an entire titan.”

“We can get a little bit of it?” Elma asked. “That should be more than enough to power the time travelling components.”

“Hm, that IS a good point,” Radzam put his hand to his chin. “After all, our original plan was to use a ton of cylinders. But it may be more efficient to just use liquid ether.”

“How do you get THAT, then?” Elma asked.

“Er…don’t tell Shulk and the others, but we have a hefty supply thanks to our previous method of siphoning ether from the Bionis,” Vanea said. “That was the best and easiest way of getting pure, raw ether. Otherwise, you’d have to melt crystals down, which takes a LOT of crystals and a LOT of heat. It was always more efficient to draw it directly from the Bionis.”

“What…exactly WAS the Bionis…?” Elma asked.

Miqol cleared his throat. “I’m sure you heard ‘em talking about this being a new world?”

“Yeah!” Elma cried.

“Well, our old world held two titans as landmasses. The Bionis and the Mechonis,” Miqol said. “Each titan held different life forms, but both titans had been at war. Now, in this new world, we are all together in peace on one landmass.”

“Why were they at war…?” Elma couldn’t help the pang of empathy.

“Sit down, lass, and I’ll tell ya!” Miqol said.

“Not now, father. That’s a long story. We’ve got work to do,” Vanea argued.

“It’s okay. I don’t mind listening,” Elma said.

“It’s over six millenniums worth of information,” Vanea cast Elma a worried look. “We’ve got to focus on your Miramobile for now. You can let us deal with the ether, however.”

“Sounds like Shulk wouldn’t approve of the use of liquid ether here, though,” Elma said.

“Well, Shulk already knows we have got the liquid ether. It’s necessary for a lot of our projects, after all. However, he does NOT know where it originated from. He probably assumes we already had some in stock,” Vanea said. “But I can imagine he may be disturbed if he knows it was harvested from the Bionis.”

“Would he, though, Vanea? Considering how the Bionis turned on its own life forms?” Miqol pointed out. “And plus, that boy is smart. Raw ether was mainly found in the Bionis. He saw it being drawn out in Sword Valley by Egil. I think he already realises where the raw ether in this lab has come from, and considering what the Bionis did, he does not mind.”

“You have me really intrigued about this Bionis stuff,” Elma said.

“Perhaps you can have Shulk or Fiora tell you about it later. For now, I am afraid we must get to work with the Miramobile,” Vanea said.

“So, was there no point in me bringing over the crystals?” Elma asked.

“What we might do is turn the crystals into cylinders and try that as fuel first,” Radzam said. “Then we can try the raw ether, and compare the results. We can then determine which is more efficient. If raw ether ends up being more efficient, then you don’t need to worry. We’ll have PLENTY of use for cylinders here in this lab.”

“That’s good to hear,” Elma smiled. “Never would’ve imagined ether being so important. I always thought it was just a powerful attribute when used against certain indigens that are weak to it.”

“Every living thing is composed of ether. It’s in ALL of us,” Vanea said.

“Even you guys? And Shulk, Fiora, and Dunban?” Elma asked.

“Indeed,” Miqol said.

“Is it…like…your blood, or something? If I were to cut Shulk right now, would he bleed out ether?” Elma asked. Miqol, Vanea, and Radzam all exchanged worried looks after hearing that.

“N-No,” Radzam said. “Homs bleed red. Us Machina, however, are different; obviously.”

“Then…how are living beings composed of ether?” Elma asked. “Is it in place of normal bodily cells?”

“No,” Vanea responded. “Again, us Machina are different. But Homs’ cells DO need ether in order to function.”

“So…their cells need ether instead of water?” Elma asked.

“No, the Homs still need water,” Vanea explained. “Ether is just an additional component needed by their cells. Without ether, they would all perish. Hence why even in this new world, there are still hidden deposits scattered around.” She went to the deposits that Elma had brought back. “These crystals seem even more potent than the ones found in the Bionis.”

“The only difference is, in this new world, the Homs’ ether isn’t forcibly being eaten and recycled by a malevolent god,” Radzam said.

“Wait…? What…?” Elma asked.

“Again, it’s a long story. Perhaps Shulk can explain it all to you, as he has seen it all for himself!” Miqol said. “For now, we should get to work!”

“Have any new developments been made?” Elma asked.

“Right now, we have gotten some High Entia and Machina together to share technology. Things are looking good so far. We just need the ether energy, which you’ve brought for us. We really appreciate it,” Vanea replied.

“No problem,” Elma smiled. “I just hope Shulk and Fiora are alright, and that the Endbringers haven’t hurt them, or anything.”

“With Melia in control at her capital, you don’t need to worry!” Vanea reassured her. “They will all be fine!”

Dunban ended up coming back with a refreshed weapon set for Elma. Elma didn’t get to relish in them for long, however, before Shulk and Fiora also returned through a different door. “Hey!” Elma greeted them right away as they approached. “Thank you for drawing those Telethia away. It was right in the nick of time, too.”

“You’re welcome,” Shulk responded with a smile.

Fiora giggled. “It felt like the Telethia were pets, and we were feeding them ether snacks.”

“How is Melia doing?” Dunban asked them.

“She’s doing great,” Shulk responded with a smile. “I actually asked if she’d like to come here and meet Elma, but she unfortunately wasn’t able to.”

“I’m not shocked,” Dunban replied. “She’s responsible for governing an entire nation now, so she’s undoubtedly really busy. Honestly, I’m jealous of the both of you – as I haven’t seen Melia in almost two months, now.”

“You could’ve come with us!” Fiora said.

“Well, somebody needed to ensure Elma didn’t get lost in the forest,” Dunban argued. “And it’s a good thing I did, too, as she almost went the wrong way.” He passed Elma a cheeky glare.

“Hey, don’t mind me,” Elma worriedly said. “I don’t like the thought of you sacrificing the opportunity to see old friends just because of me.”

“To be fair, I didn’t know that was the plan,” Dunban said. “Shulk left after I did. I knew he’d go to the Bionis and use his Monado to draw in the Telethia, but I didn’t realise he’d manage to get Melia’s help on it, too – especially since, again, she’s quite busy.”

“Melia’s always eager to help out regarding the Telethia,” Fiora told him.

“Well, THAT I didn’t know,” Dunban remarked.

“Well, she may still have a little bit of time NOW!” Fiora grabbed his wrist. “You should go see her. Maybe you can take Elma with you – I’m sure Melia’d love to meet her.”

“I think EVERYONE’D want to meet Elma,” Shulk added.

“EVERYONE is busy, though,” Fiora moaned. “Sharla’s on the path to becoming a doctor, so she works and studies sooo much. Riki’s got his own family. Even Reyn’s becoming harder to get ahold of.”

“Look, I don’t want my presence to hassle anybody,” Elma said. “You should all feel free to see your other friends without worrying about me. In the meantime, I want to stick around here and work on the Miramobile.”

“You wouldn’t even be interested in meeting Melia?” Fiora asked. “Cos right now, there’s not much to work on regarding the Miramobile.”

“Yeah. For the time being, it’s just getting ether sorted out as a source of fuel,” Radzam chimed in. “But we can easily take care of that.”

“I know, but…I don’t want to wander around and waste time, when the Miramobile’s in this state,” Elma insisted.

“There isn’t much else that can be done,” Miqol said. “We’ve still got a lot of brainstorming to do.”

“I don’t mind going in and listening to that, too!” Elma said.

“Awh, come on! Why are you making excuses? I would LOVE for you to meet Melia while you’ve got the chance! She’s the hardest to get a hold of!” Fiora wept.

“At the very least, I’d be interested in seizing that opportunity while I’ve got it,” Dunban told her.

“See!” Fiora told Elma. “Dunban’s gonna go visit Melia! You should go with!”

“I don’t know…” Elma glanced around at the lab before her.

“We’ve still got research and tinkering to do,” Radzam said. “It will all still be here for when you get back. You did a great job getting those crystals for us. Take a little break and go see Melia. You won’t regret it.” He smiled. “It’ll also give you a chance to learn more about ether, and everything else you are wondering about.”

“You are interested in ether?” Shulk asked Elma.

“A little bit…” Elma began. “But…I don’t really feel like I should be wasting time with this.”

“You came here to learn about our world, though, didn’t you?” Fiora asked. “Why not do it?”

“Indeed. As I said, we’ll be researching and brainstorming in the meantime. You won’t be missing much. And a brief visit with Melia will not be wasting any time,” Radzam added.

“Damn. You all sure know how to twist my arm, don’t you?” Elma asked.

“Being as how you want to learn about this world, you should go for it! And Dunban’s the best choice to help with that!” Shulk said.

“What?” Dunban frowned. “Why me?”

“I’m going to help with the situations here,” Shulk said. “And you haven’t seen Melia in a while, so this is the perfect chance for you to take Elma up to the Bionis’ Shoulder to meet her.”

“And I wanna stay here with Shulk,” Fiora said, to the surprise of absolutely nobody.

“Hah, Elma’s right. You all know how to twist an arm,” Dunban muttered.

“You want to see Melia! HERE’S YOUR CHANCE!” Fiora exclaimed. “She told us she was open for only half an hour. She doesn’t get breaks, often! This’ll be the perfect chance for you to kill two Ansels with one stone – see Melia again AND introduce her to Elma.”

“She’ll be interested in the capital, as well,” Shulk added.

“Alright, fine,” Dunban sighed.

Elma glanced at Dunban. “If it would be okay, could you tell me the story about the Bionis? And maybe the ether, too?”

Dunban gave her a surprised expression. “Are you…sure? I thought you didn’t want to risk your timeline.”

“Well…” Elma sighed. “Fiora is right. I DID come here for research. Even if this isn’t actually Mira’s past, it’ll be learning about another new world. And that kind of thing is always up my alley – hence why I opted to go on this mission in the first place. I’m a sucker when it comes to both science AND learning about new worlds.”

“Then you’re a lot like me, Elma!” Shulk cried. “If you have time when you get back, I can show you some of the research notes I’ve accrued over the years!!”

“Heh…I don’t want to get too carried away,” Elma said. “ Miramobile .”

“Well, since we’re going to be doing some research, I’m going to be taking notes of my own, anyway. You can have a look at my other notes in the meantime. That’ll help you learn, too,” Shulk said.

“Again, it all sounds great. But I don’t want to get distracted. As much as I want to learn about this world and…I guess, your old world…I have bigger priorities. And that’s learning more about time travel. My ignorance is why we’re stuck in the first place. If I can learn more about it, it’ll be beneficial for all of us,” Elma said.

“And for future visits!” Fiora beamed.

“…What?” Elma frowned at her.

“You heard me!” Fiora cried happily. “Come on, Elma. DON’T tell me that this is going to be the ONLY time in which you’re gonna come visit us?!”

“I…er…” Elma hadn’t even considered THAT hurdle before. “I…I don’t know. It’s…too soon to tell.”

“Elma, come ooon! Don’t be like that!” Fiora wept. “We’re all your friends, now! Don’t leave us behind and never bother to come see us again!”

“Fiora,” Dunban firmly warned. “This is a really precarious situation for Elma. It wouldn’t be wise to push things further.”

“Oh, but I think it will be okay, Dunban!” Miqol chimed in. “My dream to turn the Junks into a time travelling machine is growing by the minute. I want to seize this idea and make it a reality! If it happens, you can go visit her in HER time period!”

“I WOULD LOVE THAT!!” Fiora was practically jumping with joy. “MIQOL…DO THAT! AND I WILL SUPPORT THAT ENDEAVOUR IN EVERY WAY!”

“Hehehe, Fiora…what is it with you?” Shulk asked with a smile.

“What? Do you not want to see Elma again after this?” Fiora demanded.

“Well, I’d like to, but…that’s not what I’m getting at. You just seem really excited about this,” Shulk said. “Why?”

“COS ELMA IS MY FRIEND!” Fiora roared. “What, is she not YOUR friend??”

“Um…I mean, I thought of her as such,” Shulk said. “But I can imagine she doesn’t reciprocate…” He glanced at Elma.

“I’m…really flattered you guys consider me friends…” Elma said. She couldn’t help but glance at Dunban. He didn’t say anything, but he passed her a smile. She felt a burst of warmth in her chest.

“Of course we do, Elma!” Fiora eagerly roared. “And since you’re our friend, we NEED to be able to see you! Even if it means begging Miqol to turn the Junks into a time machine!”

“Honestly, I’m shocked the Junks isn’t one already,” Shulk said. “Perhaps once we get this Miramobile thing sorted out, we can get to work on that.”

Fiora’s face then fell. “…Once the Miramobile is fixed, though…Elma’ll have to leave.”

“Augh, come on, Fiora! You’re sending me through a rollercoaster of emotions. Knock it off!” Elma moaned. “Look, we’ll cross ALL of those bridges when we come to them, okay? I’m…still not even certain about the state of things right now; I might not even be able to go home for quite a while . Months, maybe even. So, don’t start getting all sad on me, now.”

“What’s a rollercoaster?” Shulk asked.

Fiora sighed, but then gave Elma a weak smile. “You’re…You’re right, Elma,” she said. “I just got to enjoy the time I’ve got with you, now.”

“You say, as you opt to stay here with Shulk instead of coming back with Elma and I,” Dunban teased.

“I ALREADY SAW MELIA!” Fiora roared. “Plus… I’m trying to get things going… ”

“What?” Dunban put his hand to his chin.

“I’m…hoping to get you and Elma alone a lot,” Fiora said with a giggle.

Dunban shook his head at this. “I’m not even going to HOP on board with that topic,” he said.

“Why not?” Fiora asked.

But Dunban ignored her and looked at Elma. “Come on, Elma. Let’s go. We’re being forced by our friends to go to Alcamoth together.”

“ Together… ” Fiora giggled. Dunban grimaced, but forced himself to ignore that.

“Alright,” Elma said. “And…do you think you could tell me about the Bionis and whatnot while we’re on the way…?”

“It won’t take us long to get there. The teleporter’ll take us right outside the gate of Alcamoth,” Dunban said. “But I’ll see what I can do.”

“Thanks,” Elma smiled.

Chapter Text

CHAPTER 16: HEADING TO ALCAMOTH

Elma ended up following Dunban through the same door that Shulk and Fiora had returned in. Even after what she had accidentally explored of the Machina Lab, she hadn’t encountered THIS area before. Even after all this time, she was still finding new rooms in the Machina Lab. Though the only thing in this room was a teleporter. Elma eyed it curiously. “Sometimes…I don’t even think I travelled into the past. The technology that I’ve seen here doesn’t seem too archaic,” Elma remarked.

“Ha, thanks,” Dunban scoffed. “I’m glad we’re not as primitive as you thought.”

“I didn’t mean that as an insult!” Elma exclaimed. “I…I just thought that…” She sighed. “Nevermind.”

“Haha, I’m only messing around, Elma,” he reassured her.

“So, where exactly does this teleporter lead to?” Elma inquired.

“Well, you’re about to find out,” Dunban responded, and he entered the teleporter. Excitement brewed through Elma, and she didn’t waste time hurrying in after him.

The teleporter brought the both of them to a tall white platform. Sitting in front of them was ANOTHER teleporter. But that wasn’t even the first thing Elma paid any mind to. Instead, she noticed that below the platform was a mighty drop. “Damn…” Elma remarked, upon leaning over to investigate the steep drop. “How…high up are we…!? WHERE are we!?” she asked.

Dunban smiled. “Hm…do you want the real, straight answer that’d make no sense to you? Or do you want me to put it in broader terms so that you might understand it better?”

Elma glared at him. “I’m not stupid,” she said.

“I didn’t say you were,” he said.

“Then tell it to me straight,” Elma instructed.

“We’re currently standing in what remains of Eryth Sea,” Dunban responded.

“…What?” Elma asked.

“See, I told you the real answer’d make no sense to you,” he said.

“Well, you can always explain it to me?” Elma pointed out.

“While I wouldn’t mind doing that, Melia’s schedule is very tight. So, I don’t think we’ll have time right now,” Dunban responded. “For now, we’ll just head on into Alcamoth.” And he turned to face the new teleporter.

“Er…” Elma frowned upon noticing this. “Why couldn’t the teleporter we’d gone through just lead us straight into the capital?”

“It’s for security reasons,” he explained. “This teleporter right here, it leads RIGHT into Alcamoth. Obviously, Melia wasn’t too keen on having two outside teleporters go right into her capital. There’s also the fact that she’s slowly starting to befriend the Telethia that fly around here, and they help her guard the capital. Which is quite nice…” He smiled back at her. “Even after they’d changed, they still want to protect their former home.”

“…What…?” Elma asked in confusion.

“The Telethia,” he explained. “They still want to protect their former home.” He glanced up towards the floating capital in the distance. Elma also gazed upon it in awe.

“…The…Telethia used to live in there ?” Elma asked.

“Not AS Telethia, mind,” he said. “They lived there when they were still High Entia.”

“WAIT!” Elma flinched. “You mean to tell me that those winged people can turn into Endbringers whenever they want?!”

Dunban gave her a sombre look. “…Er…not exactly. I’ll…explain it further once our visit with Melia ends. For now, I don’t want to lose out on any more precious time.”

“…Okay,” Elma said, but her curiosity was panging at her even more now. Telethia, the Endbringer…wasn’t just a beast on its own. It was remnants of the people who lived here. Elma wanted to jump on all kinds of theories regarding this, but she figured it’d be best to wait until Dunban gave her more information. So, she reluctantly kept silent as she followed Dunban through the second teleporter.

Elma was unsurprisingly enamoured by the immense grandeur that was the imperial city of Alcamoth. While there was an abundance of High Entia, there was still no shortage of Homs, Machina, and Nopon as well. Elma’s legs begged her to stray off and explore this large new area, but she forced herself to stick to Dunban’s side. But as they stepped onto a moving elevated walkway that led up to the second floor, Elma was looking over that, as well. She glanced off the sides of it curiously. “How does this thing move?” she curiously asked. “Is it similar to a motor-driven chain system?”

“I’m…afraid I don’t know, Elma,” Dunban chuckled. “You’ll have to ask Melia that. I’m assuming it uses advanced High Entia technology.” Elma didn’t respond, she just gazed somewhat pensively out at the capital around her. “…Elma?” he curiously looked at her.

“I’m…just putting pieces together in my mind…” Elma muttered.

“Regarding what?” he inquired.

“That bigger machine man…what is his name again?” she said.

“Do you mean Miqol?” Dunban asked.

“Yeah,” Elma glanced at him. “He mentioned something about six thousand years…”

“Well, that’s how old he is,” Dunban smiled.

“Really!?” Elma asked, with widened eyes. “I mean…I…I shouldn’t be too surprised. Professor B is over a thousand years old, too. So…those machine people live for that long, then?”

“The oldest Machina I know is nearly ten thousand years old,” Dunban responded.

“And yet…none of them are present on modern Mira…” Elma put her hand to her chin. “But the Endbringer is, and…that tells me that those winged people are on modern Mira. And yet, at the same time, technology here is more advanced than I thought, so we’re not THAT far back in time…”

“If it’ll help, I’ll give you my thoughts. I don’t think you’re in your own past,” Dunban said. “Considering the fact that you crash-landed, and only a few things can be linked to your world, I think you got knocked off course. I don’t think our worlds are directly connected by time. They might be on the same wavelength, but they aren’t one unit.”

“I’d…like to think that, for the sake of the modern timeline…” Elma’s voice trailed off. “I think…I may not know the true answer until I talk to Professor B about it.”

“Well, we can worry about that later. For now, we ought to get ready to see Melia,” Dunban said as he brought them to the large palace doors. Dunban’s hopes fell when he saw that they were closed for the moment. He frowned as the two High Entia guards approached them.

“Wait one second,” the left guard stopped the right one. “I recognise him. That’s Dunban, one of Her Majesty’s close friends.” Both guards relaxed at this and stepped back.

“Er…is…Melia available?” Dunban asked.

“I’m afraid her consultation hours are already over, sir…” said the right guard apologetically.

Dunban grunted at this. “I…see,” he said. “Well, could you at least let her know that Dunban stopped by?”

“Hmm…” the left guard said. “We can go let her know of this for right now. Perhaps we can get you a few minutes with Her Majesty, but we cannot make any promises. She just returned from appeasing a group of Telethia, so she may not be ready for guests again at this moment.”

“I’m willing to wait,” Dunban said.

“Who is this?” the right guard nodded to Elma.

“This is Elma, a friend of mine,” Dunban responded. “I’m hoping for a chance to introduce her to Melia.”

“Well, again, we will see what we can do,” the left guard said, and he then disappeared into the palace doors.

“Is…Melia the queen of this place?” Elma asked Dunban.

“Empress,” he replied. “She hasn’t even been an official empress for a year, yet, so I can imagine her plate’s really full at the moment.”

“Maybe I can explore a little bit while we wait?” Elma asked him.

“Not right now,” he said. “I’d…like to assume that Melia would be willing to drop some things in order to see me. It’s been a while, after all.”

“If she’s royal, then how did you even happen across her?”

“That’s ALSO quite a long story.”

“Man…” Elma sighed. “I have a lot to catch up on.”

“Are you…sure you’d want to do that?” Dunban asked her. “You’ve expressed a lot of worry about the timelines, after all.”

“I have. And those concerns are still valid. However, I came here to learn . I was only intending on grabbing a few samples and then leaving, but now I’ve got a chance to collect more thorough data,” Elma said.

“Well, I’ll see what I can do,” Dunban put his hand to his chin. “Do you have any quick-to-answer questions? Considering how big the palace is, we might be waiting a while before we get a response from the guard. However, not long enough to warrant a full-blown history lesson.”

“I want to know more about the Endbringers!” Elma said. “So, do the winged people turn into them at will??!” She gazed with intrigue at the guard on the right, who had returned obediently to his guarding post. Thankfully, by using the term ‘Endbringers’ instead of Telethia, Elma did not attract his attention with her question.

“Er…out of respect, I’d rather not talk about it while we’re still here,” Dunban firmly said.

“Oh…sorry,” Elma said with a worried frown.

“It’s okay. It’s just…” but he cut himself off. “Do you have any other simple questions?”

“Can you tell me about the Bionis?” Elma asked.

“That’s…not really a simple question,” Dunban said. “Unless you want to know about it as a whole.”

“Er…I do have a lot of questions about it. So, I’ll…choose something else,” Elma said. “Can you tell me anything about ether?”

“Admittedly, I’m not the best person to ask regarding that,” he said.

Elma grunted in frustration. “I’m also going to assume you don’t know why this giant capital floats?”

“No,” Dunban replied.

“Well…what simple things CAN you tell me!?” Elma moaned.

“Honestly, there’s a lot to cover. So, I don’t think any of it is simple,” he said.

Elma glared downwards. As she did that, however, she got another look at his injured right arm. It looked stiff and unresponsive. Elma then looked back up at him with great sympathy. “I…I have a suggestion. Maybe you can tell me a little about yourself ,” she said.

“…Huh?” Dunban’s head shot to look at her in surprise.

“Yeah,” Elma said. “You can tell me some things about yourself. I mean…it IS only fair, because you’ve been itching to learn about me ever since I got here. But I haven’t really learnt anything about you; apart from the fact that you like weapons, and have a sister.”

Dunban grimaced. “I’m…not really…”

“DON’T even say that you’re not the best person to ask!” Elma moaned.

“Er…no. I was going to say that I’m not really that interesting,” he said. “Honestly, you’d be better off learning about Shulk’s individual hair follicles than learning about me.”

“Why do you say that?” Elma asked.

“Well, I’m old, for one thing. And I don’t know much about ether or machines, and I sure as hell know nothing about time travel or vehicles,” he said.

“Why…is that a problem?” Elma took a step closer to him.

“Er…I’m just saying. You’re invested in engineering, science, and machines, and I know nothing about them. That also further fuels my point that you’d be more interested in learning about Shulk’s hair follicles than listen to me drone on,” Dunban explained.

“Hmm…not really,” Elma said softly. “Even if you aren’t into any of that stuff, I still want to learn about you.”

“…Why?” he asked.

“Well, we’re friends…aren’t we?” Elma asked. “And like I said, you remind me greatly of that hero I used to know.” She smiled. “So, yeah. I’m interested in you.”

He gawked at her in surprise. “YOU…are interested in me?” he asked sceptically.

“Yes,” Elma nodded affirmingly, her smile still going strong. Dunban didn’t respond, and Elma didn’t say anything else. They ended up locked onto each other’s eyes for quite some time.

Their sincere gazing was only broken by the sound of the palace doors opening. They glanced over just to see that the other guard had returned. “Her Majesty has found a short time slot for visitation. She is waiting for you in her Imperial Villa,” he announced.

Chapter Text

CHAPTER 17: MEETING MELIA

Even though Dunban knew his way to the villa, a guard escorted him and Elma to it. Elma was smitten all over again at the grandeur around her. “This place is HUGE! Even by royal palace standards!” Elma exclaimed, and her voice echoed against the walls.

“Have you ever been in a palace?” Dunban asked her.

“Not really, to be honest,” she replied. “Not to this extent.” While she silently scrutinised her surroundings, the guard and Dunban focused their attention on the path ahead. She definitely felt like an exotic tourist as a result of that. She even itched to capture data of it all in her Comm Device, but she worried that would’ve been rude. They went through another teleporter, and Elma’s awe was refreshed yet again as they began their trek down the long path to the secluded villa. Elma’s itch to take pictures grew when she got a glimpse of the view that was before her in all directions. In fact, she almost ran into the guard when he instinctively bowed at the entrance to the gardens. Dunban, however, just sauntered on forward. Elma paused for a moment, as she gazed at him, and then down at the guard. After a few seconds of deliberating, Elma decided to bow down alongside the guard. She didn’t know Melia like Dunban did, so she felt it was only respectful to copy the guard.

Elma heard a female voice greeting Dunban, and she briefly peered up. Elma was only partially surprised to find that Melia was of the High Entia race. She wore an elegant yellow sundress with large flowers interwoven into her hair. “Hey, Melia,” Dunban responded with a smile. “It’s been a hot minute.”

“Indeed. Although…I do not know what would make a minute ‘hot’?” Melia asked, her hand to her chin.

“N-Nevermind, haha,” Dunban said.

“Right. So, what has brought you here?” Melia asked as she approached Elma and the guard.

“What, am I not allowed to simply visit you?” Dunban sassily asked, his hand to his hip.

But Melia stepped in front of the guard. “You may return to your post, now. Your service has concluded,” she told the guard. She then glanced at Elma and frowned. Elma peered up at her and gave her a small smile. Meanwhile, the guard stood upright and made his departure. “Who is this?” Melia curiously asked as Dunban stepped up to Melia’s side. “Is she your escort, Dunban?”

“Haha, why is everyone assuming that?” Dunban shook his head.

“I apologise! I did not realise that was an irksome question!” Melia exclaimed, flinching and glaring at him.

“Hey, don’t worry about it, Melia. It’s fine. This is Elma,” he said.

“Elma?” Melia glanced down at the xenoform below her.

“Yeah. Shulk is fixing one of her vehicles, and…we’ve all made our acquaintances with her,” Dunban explained.

“Ah,” Melia put her hand to her chin. “Shulk DID mention he had been working on a new vehicle.” She then gazed back down at Elma. “You may stand, now,” she said. And that’s what Elma did.

“Yeah. Shulk and Fiora got to see you for a bit earlier, and I figured that I was overdue for that, as well. And since Elma hadn’t met you yet, I decided to bring her along with me,” Dunban explained.

“I see. You actually longed to see me? I am quite surprised, Dunban,” Melia said.

“Haha, why? You don’t think I wouldn’t have wanted to see you?” he asked.

“I just always got the impression that you were never partial to the royal and stuffy atmosphere, and hence would want to avoid it if you could,” Melia explained.

Dunban chuckled again. “Don’t worry about it, Melia. I can put up with it if it means catching up with you.”

“Shall I leave you two be? It seems like you’ve got a lot of catching up to do,” Elma remarked.

“There’s no need. You are more than free to talk to Melia, too,” Dunban argued.

“Well…I…don’t know what to ask her. I don’t want to be rude, and I don’t want to impose,” Elma said.

Melia chuckled. “Do not fret. Despite the atmosphere, there is no pressure to be formal around me. I think Dunban’s behaviour is a prime example of this.”

“Ha, what do you mean by my behaviour ?” Dunban snorted.

“I am saying that your disdain for royalty is blatant,” Melia bantered.

“Well, sorry, Your Majesty ,” he bantered back.

“There, that is better. Albeit, it could do without some of that sarcasm!” Melia said.

Elma chuckled and rubbed her neck. “I…think I’ll leave you two to it, if that’s okay.”

“No, there is no need for that! I apologise if I am coming across as rude!” Melia cried at her.

“Well, I…just don’t really know what to say! I…” Elma began nervously.

“Haha, Elma, it’s fine. Relax,” Dunban reassured her. “Melia’s not going to behead you or send you to the dungeons if you don’t polish her boots with your saliva.”

“Are you certain on this?” Melia bantered. “But…” She frowned. “You Homs sure have interesting stereotypes regarding royalty.”

“I’m just trying to comfort her,” Dunban explained. He then glanced at Elma again. “Elma, here. I’ll give you a little kick start. You seem really enamoured by the palace. Do you have any questions about it?”

“What’s it like…being an empress?” Elma asked Melia.

“Admittedly, it is quite stressful. And it lacks the easy-going nature that I usually feel whence with my friends,” Melia responded.

“Are you able to relax at all?” Dunban moaned worriedly.

“Do not worry. I have gotten a lot more used to it lately. Tyrea’s assistance also helps greatly,” Melia replied.

“That’s good to hear. Honestly, I wouldn’t mind helping in any way. If I can, that is,” Dunban said.

Melia smiled. “Do not fret. There is no need for that,” she said.

“This place looks beautiful…” Elma gazed at the garden of Melia’s imperial villa. “I…don’t honestly think I’ve ever seen as many flowers in one place. Er…” She pulled out her Comm Device. “Do…you mind if I collect data on them? I’m not going to even touch them. I’m just going to get little pictures of them.”

“That is perfectly alright, Elma. I can accompany you, if you want. I can tell you about those flowers. And do not worry about the flowers themselves – you can even smell them, if you want,” Melia said.

“Thank you,” Elma nodded.

Dunban stood idly by while Melia showed Elma around her garden. Elma longed to know more about Melia, but she knew that the empress was pressed for time and wouldn’t be able to talk much about herself. After they finished scoping the garden, Melia and Elma returned to Dunban’s place. “I apologise if we left you behind, Dunban,” Melia frowned.

“Hey, it’s fine. In fact, I was beginning to worry that I was starting to hog you from Elma,” he said. “I’m glad you spent a little time with her.”

“I would love to be able to further this discussion, but alas, I do not have much free time remaining,” Melia moaned.

“It IS a shame, but…it is good to see you again, Melia,” Dunban said.

“Likewise,” Melia replied.

“So, Melia…you are able to control the Endbringers?” Elma asked.

“Pardon?” Melia asked. “The…what?”

“The Telethia,” Dunban said.

“Ah, yes. It is quite jarring to see such docile Telethia. But…” Melia put her hand to her chin. “I have deduced that my ascension to the throne has hence locked their loyalty towards me. Which begs the question, what on earth was going on earlier? Shulk and Fiora needed my assistance to draw Telethia away from your colony. What shenanigans were occurring again? Was Reyn behind them?”

“Actually…I…was mining for ether crystals,” Elma said with a sheepish smile. “And…the Endbringers were drawn to that.”

“Crystals?” Melia asked. “And I had assumed we would not happen upon them in this new world. The Telethia are already intrigued as is, with there being readily available deposits on the Bionis’ Shoulder.”

“So…this…is the Bionis’ Shoulder?” Elma asked.

“No, this is Alcamoth,” Dunban sassily replied.

“Dunban is technically right, but Alcamoth DOES sit above the shoulder of the Bionis,” Melia said.

“…Shoulder…?” Elma asked.

Melia gave her an inquisitive look. “Do you not know?” she asked.

“Elma…isn’t from around here,” Dunban simply said. “So, I’m afraid she doesn’t know much about our old world.”

“Ah. I see,” Melia said. There was a brief pause, before she said, “Well, if you are in need of any information, feel free to ask. I may not have time to answer all of the questions, but I will do what I can.”

“What of the Telethia?” Elma asked.

Dunban passed her a glare. “E-Elma…not…here…” he moaned.

“Do you know of the Telethia?” Melia asked.

“I…have a Telethia in my world,” Elma replied.

“ A Telethia? Just one single Telethia? I envy you,” Melia responded.

Elma stared at Melia for a minute. She longed to ask the question, but she could sense Dunban’s cautionary glare at her. “…Well…it is interesting to know that you can control these Endbringers,” Elma said.

“Elma, do you have any questions about Melia herself? Or perhaps about her capital? Or even ether?” Dunban asked.

“Um…what can you tell me about all of those things?” Elma innocently asked Melia.

“Goodness, that is a lot of information to unload onto you in such a short time span,” Melia frowned. “I am afraid I do not have time for all of that.”

“Well…I…” but Elma hung her head in frustration. “Nevermind. I’ll get that information some other time. For now, I don’t want to hold you back when you have things to do.”

“It is okay, Elma,” Melia reassured her with a smile. “It was a pleasure meeting you. I hope we can talk again like this some time.”

“I can say the same thing, Melia,” Dunban cut in. “It’d be nice to be able to see you before another two months!”

Melia gave him an apologetic look. “I apologise, Dunban. If I were physically able, I would make a LOT more time to see all of you, AND to visit the colony once more!”

“Hey, don’t worry about it, Melia. It’s perfectly understandable. As the empress of an entire nation, you’re busy. It happens,” he somewhat sassily said.

Melia just groaned with guilt at this. “I shall have another look at my duties, and I want to see if I can rearrange anything. I would like to see if I can get at least one day open, so we can all have a get together.”

“Maybe if it’s soon enough in the future, Elma’ll be able to come, too,” Dunban smiled at Elma.

“Ah! Is Elma’s time here limited?” Melia asked. “Then that only reinforces my idea. I must take a second look at what is planned, and see if anything can be postponed for later!”

“There’s no pressure, Melia. Just do what you can,” Dunban reassured her.

“Thank you,” Melia nodded. “Honestly, if you two had come here earlier with Shulk and Fiora, I would have had enough time to give Elma a grand tour around Alcamoth!”

“It’s okay, Melia. I can easily do that in your stead,” Dunban softly said. “Like I mentioned before, I don’t mind helping out.”

Melia smiled at him. “You are such a gentleman, Dunban.”

“Ha, I TRY to be,” he chuckled.

“Well, I wish you luck,” Melia responded. “And since you have not been here in a while, Dunban, there are now moving pathways on the bottom and top floors. This shall help reduce the length of the trek around this large capital.”

“Eh, I’ll pass on that. I’ll take the long way around, for old time’s sake,” Dunban smiled. “It’ll also be good exercise, and a good way to finally answer some of Elma’s larger questions.” He passed Elma a smile. “I think she’s been itching to know more about the Bionis, and everything else.”

“Ah, good luck with all of that!” Melia said. “I can imagine you will be worn out after your adventure around the capital, and you will undoubtedly need refreshments from the long-winded explanations. Feel free to stop by the shops and diners and obtain some food and water. Inform the staff that I will be willing to pay for your ensuing amenities.”

“Hah, there’s no need to do that, Melia,” Dunban argued. “I’ll pay for it myself.”

“Are you certain? As I do not mind!” Melia cried.

“I feel it’d be more of a hassle to try and skirt around it using that method. I mean, what’s stopping any random bloke from claiming that you gave THEM permission, too? I feel like without formal authentication, I might as well be telling them that you’ve given me permission to buy their entire establishment,” Dunban explained.

“AH! Then excuse me! I shall quickly inscribe a formal request that your refreshments are to be paid for by me!” Melia exclaimed.

“Melia, stop. There’s no need,” Dunban held his hand out to her. “I’ll pay for it all. It’s no trouble.”

“But…I do not really fancy the notion of my friends having to pay for amenities while they are my guests…” Melia began.

“And I can understand that. But those shops are outside your palace, so there’s no need for the pressure,” Dunban softly said.

“Hmm…if you are certain, Dunban,” she relaxed.

“Yes, Melia,” he replied.

“Then in that case, I will bid you goodbye, then,” Melia frowned.

“I guess so,” he also frowned.

“Ugh! But I WILL do what I can to work something out with my schedule!” Melia exclaimed. “I am determined to get at least more than a few hours off to see all of you! No! I will INSIST upon it!”

“That’s nice to hear, Melia, but your capital comes first. Don’t mind us,” Dunban said.

“I know, but you are all my friends! My capital cannot comfort me if I am down. My capital cannot have heartfelt moments with me. And I definitely cannot be carefree or relaxed within the confines of my capital,” Melia said. “Yes, I am an empress. But my friends mean too much to me, too.”

Dunban smiled. “Thanks, Melia. It means a lot,” he said.

“Now…” Melia sighed. “As an empress, I am afraid I must request that you depart, now. Please…right now. Before my emotions get the better of me.”

“Will you be okay?” he worriedly asked.

“Yes,” Melia nodded. “You know me; I am strong. Now, off you go.” She waved her hand. “Before I…” She paused for a moment. “…Flip a switch over here and send you falling into the dungeons – in which there may or may not be a dragon.”

“Hahaha, fair dues, Your Highness,” Dunban said, as he turned for the exit of the garden.

“It was nice meeting you, Melia!” Elma said with a smile, as she followed after Dunban.

“You too, Elma!” Melia nodded. “I shall see you both soon! I will make sure of it!”

“Looking forward to it already, Melia!” Dunban smiled back at her. After that, he and Elma began their trek back across the long walkway to the exit of the imperial villa.

Chapter Text

CHAPTER 18: SUPPORT

As they were exiting the palace, Elma smiled at Dunban. “You two seem to get along quite well. And you both seem pretty quick-witted and mature,” she remarked.

“Well, Melia HAS to be quick-witted as an empress,” Dunban explained.

“I know. But…she seems to be a lot like you,” Elma remarked. “And considering how you mentioned you want to help her, I’m surprised you haven’t swept her off her feet, yet.”

Dunban grimaced and shook his head. “ Why is everybody obsessed with that? ” he muttered.

“What?” Elma innocently asked. “I’m just saying. Even IF you’re not as formal as she is, I liked that gentlemanly attitude you had with her. You can be her protective knight or something. In fact, I’m surprised she HASN’T knighted you, yet.”

“As far as I’m concerned, Melia already has an abundance of knights looking after her back,” Dunban said. “And I’ll tell you the same thing I’ve told everyone else a thousand times already, but I am not interested in pursuing romantic relationships .”

“Oh, really?” Elma asked. “That’s a bit of a shame, but…it is your personal preference. And that’s okay.” She smiled. “I just liked the dynamic you had with Melia in there.”

“Whatever,” he shook his head. “Anyway, shall I show you around the capital? I can finally answer some of your questions in the meantime. Like Melia said, there are plenty of moving walkways around, but…I figured we’d get more time with explanations if we actually walked. Unless you’d rather not…?” He then gave her a worried look. “Are you still tired from everything you’ve had to endure up until this point?”

“No,” Elma reassured him. “In the end, it…was…food I needed last night. That’s why I wasn’t able to sleep. I just needed to eat.”

“How are you feeling right now ? Are you hungry at all?” Dunban asked.

“I am a little bit, but I’d rather have a look around, first,” Elma said.

“Are you sure? I wouldn’t want you to be dragging your feet behind,” Dunban responded. “Alcamoth is huge . There’ll be a lot of walking to do.”

“I’m used to walking around a lot. I’ve explored…well, many new worlds up until this point,” Elma smiled.

“Alright…if you’re sure. But please let me know whenever you need to rest, okay? Don’t push yourself,” he said.

“Okay,” Elma’s smile grew.

“What?” Dunban asked upon seeing her smile.

“Nothing. It’s just…nice of you to be looking after my well-being,” she said.

“Well…er…of course? I’m not an arsehole, and you ARE my friend. So, of course I’d be concerned about your well-being,” he frowned.

“So…you finally consider us friends, now?” Elma asked. “Does that mean you finally trust me, too?”

Dunban couldn’t help but smile at her. “Yeah. I feel like I do wholly trust you, now,” he said.

“That’s good to hear!” Elma enthusiastically said.

“Er…why?” he asked, taken aback by her sudden burst of energy here.

“Well, it’s obviously never pleasant to hear that you’re not trusted. So, hearing that you finally do is a relief,” Elma innocently explained. “Why DO you fully trust me now, though?”

“I don’t know…” his voice trailed off, as he stopped walking. He put his hand to his chin.

“Something wrong?” Elma worriedly asked.

“Er…it’s…it’s nothing,” Dunban glanced at her.

“Hey, if you still have niggling doubts regarding me, that’s fine. I understand. We’ve only known each other for a day, after all,” Elma pointed out.

“No, that’s not it,” he shook his head. “Nevermind me, Elma.”

Elma gave him a sceptical look. “You…DON’T fully trust me, do you?”

“No, I do! I promise!” he reassured her quickly.

“Dunban, it’s okay if you don’t. Honestly,” she said. “I’m…” But she frowned and looked away.

“What?” he asked.

“…Nevermind,” she said.

Dunban then chuckled. “Sounds like the shoe’s on the other foot, then? Elma, if you have something to say, don’t hold back on my account.”

“Well, here’s the sound of a pot calling the kettle black!” Elma glared at him.

“What…? What do you mean?” he asked.

“Just now, when I asked why you trust me. You hesitated for a moment, like you had something to say. Go on. If you don’t trust me fully, tell me!” Elma said.

He chuckled again. “Elma, I trust you. I promise. I only paused because I had to take a minute to ponder on what it is that made me fully establish trust in you. I…don’t know, to be honest.”

“Maybe it’s because I finally told you a bit about myself?” she asked.

“Maybe,” Dunban scowled. “But now that I’ve told you what was bothering me, it’s time you reciprocated. What made YOU hesitate just now?”

“I…” Elma sighed and gazed at the ground. “ I…I had a passing thought that you don’t trust me because I’m an alien… ”

He sighed, and put his hand on her shoulder. Elma flinched a little at the unexpected touch. “ You know my stance on that already, Elma, ” he muttered.

“I know, I know! That’s why I said it was a passing thing!” Elma recoiled from his grasp.

“Er…sorry,” Dunban said. He then shook his head. “Anyway, we’ve stalled enough. We ought to get going now. I know we’re going to explore the capital and fill in some details for you, but I’m also aware that Shulk and Fiora may start to worry if we stay out too late.”

“They’re not our parents,” Elma said.

Dunban chuckled. “I know. But I know that Fiora, especially, is going to worry about me. The Bionis’ Shoulder is even newer than our new world, and there are a lot of hazards right outside the gates of Alcamoth. Not to mention the fact that you probably want to get back to the Miramobile.”

“I guess, but…I’m really enjoying this time with you,” Elma smiled.

“Er…you…are?” he asked sceptically. “Even more than working on that vehicle? I find that hard to believe.”

“Well…believe it. Because I’ve enjoyed it,” Elma responded.

“But…I’m boring,” Dunban insisted.

“Then why am I okay with staying with you for a bit longer, as opposed to going straight back to the Miramobile?” Elma queried.

“Because you’ve grown uncomfortably attached to me, and I’ve also become your portable informant,” he said.

“What?!” Elma flinched.

“Well, there’s got to be a reason why you turn to me for information as opposed to, say, Shulk; when Shulk’s more knowledgeable than me about a lot of things,” Dunban said. “So, why turn to me?”

“Because YOU are here with me. Not Shulk,” Elma said.

Dunban laughed. “Fair point. But…before we get sidetracked again, I would like to say something.”

“Oh, yeah? What is it?” Elma asked.

“I…I know after how things have gone; I have no right to ask this of you. But…I…would appreciate it if you were able to be open with me,” he said. “What I said last night still stands…you’ve got nowhere else to go and nobody to turn to right now, so…you…can lean on me. Don’t feel pressured to hide things from me. Especially since you’ve told me a lot, already…”

“I…I know,” she said. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah. Why?” he glanced away.

“Your words sounded unusually unconfident just now,” Elma said. “Hey, I want to reciprocate what you just said. You can talk to me, too, you know?” She smiled. “And don’t think I’d forgotten about our discussion before we went into the palace. I want to learn about you, too. So, if we could make time to do that, I’d appreciate it.”

“Alright, Elma…” Dunban responded.

“So, are you okay, then?” Elma asked.

“Yes, I’m fine,” he responded. “Why do you ask?”

“It’s just…you’re usually confident and sometimes even sassy when you speak. But that kind of went away just now, even though you’ve already told me you wanted to be there for me. So…why?” Elma asked.

“I…I don’t know, to be honest. Sorry. I don’t mean to worry you,” Dunban said. “I don’t know what’s gotten over me, actually. My mind has been a bit uncooperative ever since we left the palace.”

Elma frowned worriedly. “Are you feeling sick?” she asked.

“No,” he reassured her. “It’s…probably just the stuffy palace air, or something.”

“But we’ve been out here for quite a while?” Elma said.

“I don’t know, then. Maybe it’s just due to the insomnia I’d had last night, then. Or maybe I’m just getting old,” he chuckled.

“How old are you?” Elma asked.

“Is that your business?” he teased.

“See, there you go. There’s that confidence again,” Elma smiled. “But yeah…I…kind of want to know more about you, so…”

“I’m thirty-one,” Dunban said.

“Hmm…wow,” Elma said. “You look younger than that.”

“Hah, thanks,” he smiled. “But…” He took a deep breath. “My point before still stands. If you have any concerns, feel free to tell me about them, okay? I want to help you, and I want to be there for you. Alright?”

“Okay. And if we’re going to do this, then…I expect the same thing from you, Dunban,” Elma firmly said.

“Hah, what’s with that tone?” Dunban put his hand to his chin. “Do you not think I’m being honest with you?”

“It’s not that. It’s just…your brief lapses just now have me concerned…” Elma said.

“Elma, I’m fine. I’m probably just tired,” Dunban chuckled. “But that doesn’t mean I still don’t want to show you around and shed some light on things. Okay?”

“If you say so,” Elma folded her arms. “But I’ll tell you what you told me…if you need to rest, let me know. Please.”

He sighed. “You sound just like Fiora. But…I know you’ve got two guns, and I don’t feel like being shot today. So, fine. I’ll oblige.”

“Good. Thank you,” Elma smiled. He couldn’t help but return the smile.

Chapter Text

CHAPTER 19: LEARNING NEW THINGS

As they began their walk around the capital of Alcamoth, Elma of course had to take a few moments to look around and take it all in. “This place is HUGE!” she remarked. “You know what? Size-wise, I almost want to say it’s on par with my city at home.”

“Really?” Dunban asked in intrigue.

“Yes,” Elma nodded.

“What…is the city like? If you don’t mind me asking, that is,” he said.

“Busy,” Elma responded. “But there’s also no shortage of things to do, as well. There’s plenty of diners, shops, and even a place to play sports.”

“…Sports…?” Dunban asked.

“Yeah,” Elma responded. “Basically, fun athletic games that usually involve balls.”

“Sounds…pretty childish and uninteresting,” he admitted.

“Yeah, sports aren’t my thing, either,” Elma smiled. “So, you aren’t sporty, then? What kinds of things do you like to do?”

“I like to battle,” Dunban smiled.

“Hehe, I’m not shocked…since you like weapons, too,” Elma said. “Is that all?”

“Er…pretty much,” his smile faded. “Like I said, I’m boring.”

“You don’t seem boring to me,” she said.

“I beg to differ,” he said. “I can think of a myriad of reasons why you’d rather study Shulk’s hair follicles.”

“We’re going back to that, are we?” Elma laughed. “Damn, you really don’t like yourself. Do you?”

“It’s not that. I’m…just cynical,” Dunban innocently replied.

“Okay, then,” Elma glared at him. “Tell me the reasons. Enlighten me as to why you think I’d rather be staring at greasy protein filaments on a teenager’s head?”

Dunban laughed. “I’m old, for one. I also don’t like sweet foods – that tends to put a LOT of people off, for some reason. A lot of times, I’m given flak for not accepting sweet food items. I sometimes think Fiora cooks sweets for me JUST SO she can have an excuse to take the piss out of me.”

“You don’t like sweets, so what? Everyone’s taste buds are different,” Elma said.

“I know. I just wish more people understood that,” he said. “Disliking sweet foods feels like a crime in the colony.” He shook his head.

“I don’t think there’s anything wrong with it. So, why is that a point against you?” she asked.

“Cos it usually is, to other people,” he responded.

“You want to know what I think?” Elma asked.

He grunted. “…I think I already know. Go for it.”

“I’m jealous,” she said.

“WHAT?!” Dunban gazed at her in shock. “Well…haha…THAT wasn’t the answer I was expecting! But…why are you jealous, of all things?”

“To not be a fan of sweets sounds like the dream,” Elma sighed. “You’re being easier and healthier on your body, AND you don’t have to worry about your waistline.” She looked away and grimaced.

“Well…er…” he hesitantly said. “…For what it’s worth…I…I think you look great as is…”

Elma smiled at him. “Thanks,” she said.

“Okay, good…” he took a deep breath. “I didn’t say something that warranted a shot!”

“So, are there any other negative points against you?” Elma asked.

“I’m boring,” he said.

“Why do you say that?” she asked.

“I don’t know. Maybe that ties in with my age. I’m a boring old git,” Dunban chuckled.

“I don’t think so,” she said.

“Why?” he asked.

“Well, do I look bored?” said Elma.

“I don’t know. You could be secretly bored. You could be wishing you were back in the Machina Lab, getting your hands dirty with that Miramobile,” Dunban replied.

“Hmmm…nope,” Elma said.

“I mean…aren’t you eager to get back to your time period?” he asked.

“I am,” Elma said. “But…I…I’m realising that it’ll be quite a while before that happens. Whether it’s from being rescued, or getting the Miramobile fixed. Whichever comes first.”

“R-Right…” his voice trailed off.

“Heh, there’s that uncharacteristic hesitation again. What’s up, now?” Elma smiled.

Dunban gave her a weak smile. “I’m…just realising that your departure will weigh heavier on me than previously expected.”

“Ah…that’s just because we’re bonding. Should we stop?” Elma asked, halting her walk as if to prove her point. “Should we go home, now?”

“Er…no. You still have a lot of questions you want answered,” he stopped as well, and frowned at her.

“I know. But…I…don’t want my departure to bring you down…” Elma worriedly said.

“Hah, I’ll be fine. I’ve endured worse,” he gestured at his right arm.

“Oh, yeah. That…” Elma began. “I’ve…been curious about that, too. But…I don’t know how to ask about it without sounding insensitive.”

“There’s no need to hold back. I’m not a sensitive pile of jelly,” he teased. “We’ll get to that in a moment. I’m still eager to list off the negatives about me.”

“Eager? EAGER? Why!?” Elma cried. “What about the positives about you? Aren’t you proud of them?”

“There aren’t any positives about me,” he cheekily said.

“Yeah, there is,” Elma frowned. “I can name a few right now.”

“Okay, go for it, then,” he put his hand to his hip.

“Well, you’re gentlemanly. I see it with me, and I saw it with Melia, too,” Elma said.

“No. I’m just not being an arsehole,” Dunban dismissed.

“Shulk seems pretty sweet, but I wouldn’t call him a gentleman,” Elma said.

“He is towards Fiora. But only cos he knows I’m watching him, hahaha,” Dunban said.

“You’re also good in battle,” she said.

“You haven’t seen me in battle,” he pointed out.

“I saw you holding back those indigens earlier.”

“…Those…what?”

“Those monsters. On the beach. When we were harvesting crystals.”

“I was just keeping them off your back. I wasn’t really fighting them. You only saw a fraction of my skill.”

“There you go!” Elma smiled. “You said something positive about yourself for once. Good job.”

“Don’t condescend me,” Dunban cheekily retorted. “I could’ve just let them kill you, instead. But again, I’m not an arsehole.”

“You care about my well-being. That’s another positive point,” Elma said.

“And I’ll refer back to my previous point,” Dunban dismissed.

“Well…isn’t not being an asshole a good thing?” Elma asked. “So, it’s a positive point for you!”

“No. Not being an arsehole is just a morally right thing to be,” he said. “It’s not a personality trait.”

“Hmph,” Elma folded her arms. “I want YOU to tell me good things about yourself.”

“Er…why?” he asked.

“Because I don’t know much about you, anyway. And plus, I don’t appreciate this self-deprecation,” she stiffly said with a glare.

Dunban frowned. “Sorry, Elma. For what it’s worth, that was all in jest. I do still hold pride in my accomplishments, and the things I fought for…” He glanced at his right arm again.

“Okay…can…you tell me about it, now?!” Elma eagerly asked.

He smiled as he continued their walk through Alcamoth. “I will, once we get going, now,” he said. And Elma followed him on this cue.

As soon as they continued their long trek around the second floor of the capital, Elma was able to see the bottom, as well, so it killed two birds with one stone. On the pathway were two moving walkways, one going in opposite directions. In order to avoid going on them, they had to walk through the grass on the furthest side. As they walked, some pedestrians occasionally zipped past them on the walkways. “So, you’re aware of what our old world was like, right?” Dunban asked.

“Miqol told me there were two titans,” said Elma.

“Yes,” he said.

“Were they alive?” she asked.

“Er…in some sense of the word, I suppose,” Dunban responded. “One titan was the Bionis, which is where Homs, High Entia, and Nopon originated. Then opposite that was the Mechonis, where the Machina originated. Thousands of years ago, all races got along peacefully. But then a plug was pulled. One of the progenitors of the Homs took a powerful sword called the Monado, and struck the Mechonis and its people with it.”

Elma frowned. “…Monado? That…sounds familiar,” she said.

“That’s because Shulk wields a replica of it at this exact moment,” Dunban explained. “But I’ll get to that later. See, the original Monado was able to change its shape at will. So, our progenitor was able to take control of the very Bionis itself and strike the Mechonis with it. Once that happened, the Bionis and Mechonis became sworn enemies. And they remained as such for thousands of years, even after many generations of evolution. See, the thing with the original Monado was, those born to the Bionis were invulnerable to it, but it was critical against the Mechonis and its inhabitants — ruthless machines known as the Mechon. As such, the Monado was an effective weapon against the many, many, ensuing Mechon invasions that occurred.”

“So, even all those years later, you felt the negative effects of that one ancestor’s bad decision?” Elma scowled.

“Ah, I’ll get to THAT later,” Dunban smiled. “But…in the grand scheme of things, yes. In short, we struck first . And we paid the price for it for many years. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had to rebuild my home. And Fiora and I were also orphaned because of the Mechon, as well, so that also sealed my hatred for them. Then, a couple of years ago, I charged into Mechonis territory with two colleagues of mine – Dickson and Mumkhar. Remember their names, as they will be important later. Long story short, I was presumably the only one who could wield the Monado at the time . Yet…it overcame me…” He glanced at his right arm.

“Wait…!!” Elma also followed his gaze. “You mean…a sword did that to your arm!?”

“Yes,” he responded.

“HOW!?” Elma asked.

“The Monado was powerful,” Dunban explained. “It was able to control the very fabrics of ether itself. Again, this is something I’ll touch on later. Anyway, during that infamous Battle of Sword Valley, Mumkhar bailed on us at the last second, leaving Dickson and I to fend for ourselves. But even through all of that, the Monado still took control over me in the end. And…I…haven’t been able to use my right arm since.”

“I’m…really sorry to hear that,” Elma moaned.

“It’s okay,” Dunban reassured her with another smile. “I don’t have any regrets.”

“You…can’t move it at all?” Elma asked.

“I can move it a little for a short period of time,” he said. “Admittedly, it does slowly get better with consistent physical therapy. But I don’t think I’ll fully regain usage of my arm. At the very least, I think it’ll at least get to the point in which I can use it to eat. But apart from that…it’s done, I’m afraid.” His smile faded.

Elma thought about this for a brief second, and then her heart lurched when her mind landed on something. If Dunban were able to come to NLA at some point, she was certain she could use the mimeosome technology to get his arm working again. Granted, it’d be an invasive procedure, as he’d need to get mim parts inputted into his right arm. But it would’ve been much more subtle than the early twenty-first century prosthetics. Since the mims were anatomically realistic, nobody would’ve realised the difference. A zealousness blasted through Elma’s mind at this. She wanted to let him know about this, but not only did he not know anything about the mims, but she didn’t think there’d ever be a point in which he’d come to NLA…

“Elma? Are you alright?” Dunban worriedly asked.

“I’m…alright. I’m just thinking…” Elma said. “There…is technology in my world that might enable you to use your arm again.”

“I’m not really shocked, since you can time travel as well,” Dunban smiled at her. “That’s really kind of you to offer, Elma, but I don’t think I’ll take it.”

“What!? Why not!?” Elma flinched.

“This is a battle scar. It’s evident of both the sacrifices I made, and the power of the Monado. I don’t want those things to become obsolete,” Dunban explained.

“I…I guess…” Elma relaxed. “I mean…it IS your decision, and I can see your point on that. But…the option IS there, if you ever change your mind.”

“That’s IF I ever visit your world,” he pointed out.

“Do…you not think you will…?” Elma asked.

“…Hard to say, really…” Dunban’s voice trailed off.

They fell silent for a while. It wasn’t until they reached the far end of the top floor when Elma glanced outside the nearby glass and spoke up. “Wow…it’s getting kind of late,” she said upon seeing the pinkening sky.

“Did you want to head back?” Dunban asked.

“Not yet. You barely started telling your story,” Elma insisted. “That sunset, though…it DOES look nice.”

“Yeah,” he smiled, as he turned to face the view. The two of them admired the sunset for a few minutes.

“Even in other worlds and other time periods…the sunsets still look great,” Elma breathed.

“Er…” Dunban glanced at her, and she returned the gaze. “This question might sound ignorant, but…I figured you’d know the answer, since you’re into science and all that. But…what causes the sky to change colour during sunset and sunrise?”

“Well, you at least know why the sky is blue, right?” Elma asked.

“I have a general idea. It’s to do with the sunlight hitting the air, and it causes the blue light to scatter?” he asked.

“Yeah,” Elma nodded. “Oxygen molecules are small; they prefer the shorter wavelengths of colour – such as blue and purple. However, our eyes are more sensitive to blue, and that’s why we see the sky as such. This scattering effect applies at sunset, too. When the sun is setting, it’s farther away from us. This means the shorter blue wavelengths can no longer reach us, but the longer wavelengths can. This is why we see reds and oranges at sunset instead, because they have longer wavelengths and can travel that lengthened distance.”

“That…is actually really interesting. I did not know that,” Dunban put his hand to his chin.

“Well…” Elma gave him a cheeky smile. “Why else did you think the sky changed colours at sunset?”

“I don’t know, to be honest. I never really gave it much thought, until now. I just saw the sunsets and accepted them as they are. I never really put much thought into why they’re like that,” he said.

“Well, now you know!” Elma’s smile turned into a proud one. “I taught you something, today!”

“Ha, if you say so,” Dunban snorted.

“Honestly, it isn’t too complicated when you think about it. Visible light is just a big spectrum in the grand scheme of things,” she said.

“Then why don’t we see sunlight as such?” he asked.

“We technically do. Sunlight is white – hence, it has all of the available colours already in there,” Elma explained. “And the answer to that question just goes back to our previous discussion; the colours just get scattered out when they hit us.”

“I figured as much,” Dunban replied.

“Now, enough with that! You need to continue on your story!” Elma told him.

“Fine by me,” he said, and two of them turned to continue their walk.

Chapter Text

CHAPTER 20: A NEW FRIEND

“After that battle, I was put out of commission for a year to heal. Or at least… try to heal. But after a year had passed, the Mechon invaded our colony again,” Dunban said. “As a result, I had to go out and fight the Mechon again with the Monado. But…I…couldn’t take much more of it, and had to relinquish it. Then Shulk picked it up and wielded it, himself. And that’s how he gained the ability to see the future – hence proving that he was the one who was meant to wield it.

“Why could he, but not you?” Elma worriedly frowned.

“I’ll get to THAT, as well,” Dunban smiled.

“Ah…heh, should I just shut up and listen, then?” she chuckled.

“You don’t have to, but any questions you end up having will be answered later,” Dunban explained.

“Okay,” Elma said.

“Not long after Shulk grabbed the Monado, we were assaulted by a Mechon that had an actual face. We attempted to fight it, but…even the Monado was useless against it. That was when Fiora came blasting in with a Mobile Artillery. She fought relentlessly and valiantly, but…in the end, it STILL wasn’t enough. The Faced Mechon stabbed her, and…” but Dunban cut himself off and looked away.

Elma frowned. “I’m…sorry to hear that…” she moaned. “Though…it…seems like she managed to survive that?”

“Yeah,” he solemnly said. “And that’s what I’ll explain in due time.”

“…Okay, sorry. Shutting up, now,” Elma nodded.

While not using the moving walkway, Dunban was able to tell Elma the rest of the story regarding their old world. Elma took it all in like an information sponge – she never even glanced away to see the sunset’s increasingly vivid colours. By the time they completed a loop around the capital, Dunban had finished his somewhat watered-down story. Evening had fallen upon them. Once they were back at the front of the palace, they sat down at the edge of a fountain to rest. Dunban remained silent while he rested his vocal cords, and Elma was silent while she processed that story.

“Wow…you guys went through a lot,” Elma remarked. “So…the ruins of the Bionis are still there, but…this is its shoulder?”

“Yeah,” Dunban replied. “Alcamoth, part of Eryth Sea, and the Bionis’ Shoulder were preserved and lifted into the sky. Shulk says it’s because of things called Hover Stones, but I feel like High Entia technology has a part in it, as well. I mean, it IS Alcamoth, after all. It had been able to float even before all of this.”

“Damn…” Elma said. “And…now I kind of know why you were quick to believe my time travel story. You guys fought a literal god …and WON! Makes my struggles seem kind of mundane in comparison.”

“I don’t think so,” he insisted. “You and your world lost a lot of people you cared about. That’s never to be trivialised.”

“I suppose…” Elma’s voice trailed off.

“Anyway, we probably should head back now,” Dunban said. “I’m a bit knackered from all of that, and my throat’s awfully sore, haha. Plus, I worry Fiora’s having a field day about our absence. Why don’t we head back?”

“Okay, sounds fine with me,” Elma said. “I’m…just sorry if this trip was a hassle for you.”

“No, I didn’t mind it, to be honest,” he passed her a smile. “I enjoyed it.”

“Really?” Elma sceptically asked.

“Yeah,” he reassured her. “I got to see Melia and her capital again, and I got to finally give you answers to all of the questions you’ve been having. Are there any other gaps in your mind that still need to be filled?”

“Hmm…” Elma smiled. “I still don’t feel like I learnt much about you.”

“What are you talking about? I told you all there is to know about me,” Dunban dismissed. “I’m not really interesting.”

“Well, what was your life like before all that happened?” Elma asked.

“I had my head constantly on a swivel while I helped protect both Fiora and the colony from the Mechon,” he replied. “Honestly, you’re not going to get much out of me. I don’t know why you’re trying so hard. People like Melia have had more of a profound life than me.”

“It’s like I said…YOU interest me,” Elma said.

“And Melia doesn’t?” Dunban asked.

“Melia didn’t have time to tell me much,” she pointed out. “But you do.”

He scratched his head. “I only took you around Alcamoth to answer your questions about the Bionis, and the events that led up to our new world.”

“I suppose,” Elma said. “Well, I really appreciate it, Dunban. Thanks.” She smiled.

“Hey, don’t worry about it. I’m just glad I was able to help,” Dunban stood up. “Now, come on. Let’s head back.”

“Okay,” Elma also stood up. “That WAS a bit of walking, though, hehe. My legs are a bit sore.”

He glared at her. “I told you to let me know when you needed rest, Elma!”

“And…I…I was okay. I was okay to keep going,” Elma argued.

Dunban shook his head in disapproval. “Once we head back, you ought to get some rest, then. Okay?”

“No way!” Elma shook her head. “I need to work on the Miramobile.”

He groaned at this. “…If you say so. Just…don’t push yourself. Okay? I know you’re eager to get things sorted regarding that, but there’s really no need to kill yourself for it. But I don’t know why I’m saying this, when you’re literally willing to starve to death in the woods instead of staying in my house.” He glared at her.

“We’re going back to that, are we?” Elma chuckled. “See, there you go. How hard was that?”

“What?” Dunban put his hand to his chin.

“You still don’t trust me,” she explained.

“I DO trust you!” he insisted. “I’m just…” He grimaced and looked away. “I…just worry about you.”

“Hehe, what are you worried about?” Elma put a hand to her hip.

“Well, when you casually talk about starving yourself to save your timeline, I AM going to be apprehensive,” he grumbled right away.

“I don’t feel inclined to do that anymore,” she said.

“Really?” Dunban sceptically asked, glaring at her again.

“Yeah,” Elma nodded. “If it’ll make you feel better, I can promise you that I won’t go out into the forest and starve myself.”

“Hmm…” he grunted in uncertainty.

“You still don’t wholly trust me,” she smiled. “It’s okay, Dunban. We haven’t known each other for that long.”

“That isn’t it. I just don’t believe you when you say you’ll take care of yourself,” he said.

“Hehe, what do you mean?” Elma asked.

“You seem to be a lot like me,” he replied. “You’re willing to risk your life for your homeworld. Hmmm…haha, now I know how Fiora feels in regards to me.” Shaking his head, he began the descent down the elevated walkway.

“I don’t know why you’re worried about me. You have other things to worry about,” Elma said, running after him.

“Such as?” he asked.

“Well, Fiora, I guess,” Elma replied.

“Well, I know Fiora wouldn’t want to sleep out in the forest and starve to death.”

“Would she do it for her colony, though?”

Dunban grimaced. “I…know she’d at least want to do it for Shulk…”

“Then there you go,” Elma said. “But…why me?”

“Cos you’re my friend, Elma,” he said. “Naturally, I don’t like the thought of you doing that.”

Elma glanced away. “Why…do you consider me a friend?” she wanted to know.

“Oh, I’m sorry. Do you want me to stop?” Dunban sassily asked. “Okay, then, fine. We’re no longer friends, Elma. Goodbye.” He started to walk down the moving pathway, increasing his speed away from Elma.

“NO! WAIT! I didn’t mean that!” Elma exclaimed, following after him. But he didn’t respond. “Dunban, please! Wait!” He just continued pressing on to the exit of Alcamoth. “DUNBAN!” Elma cried. “Please, don’t do this!”

“What do you mean?” he finally asked, glancing back at her.

“I…didn’t…mean for that to happen…” Elma moaned. “I was just asking why you consider me a friend. I didn’t intend on you leaving me behind!”

He laughed. “Elma, relax, I was only messing around. Okay? Don’t worry about it.” He smiled at her. Elma felt herself relax right away upon seeing his smile. She didn’t say anything; she just gawked at him for a bit. Dunban’s smile faded. “S-Sorry,” he said. “I…I didn’t mean to upset you. I…” But she slapped him.

“DON’T EVER DO THAT AGAIN!” she scolded.

“Hah…sorry, Elma,” he remorsefully said. “Otherwise, that hand might be a gunshot next time…?”

“Maybe,” Elma cheekily said, folding her arms.

“O-Okay. Duly noted. Sorry,” Dunban hung his head.

“It’s okay. It’s just…I…thought I lost you, there…” Elma’s head also fell.

“What do you mean?” he asked right away as he faced her.

“You…only ninety-nine percent trust me,” she said. “ Not to mention I’m an alien, and… you hardly know me. I’m from another world…I’m from the future.”

“Why does any of that matter?” Dunban asked. “ And why do you keep saying that you're an alien, as if that’s a bad thing? Cos it isn’t to me. ”

“I don’t know…” Elma began. “I’m just used to people not trusting me, I guess. I’ve even lost a few friends after they realised I was a xeno …”

“Well, you aren’t going to lose me,” he gave her a caring smile.

She gave him a sceptical look. “How are you sure about that?”

“Cos I’m stubborn,” Dunban replied. “And I’m also not petty, like those so-called close friends of yours .”

“Hmm…” Elma finally smiled. “I guess…your stubbornness isn’t so bad, then, after all.”

“Ha, thanks,” he snorted. “Now, can this sappy conversation be done? I feel ill to my stomach now. And we’ve wasted enough time as is. Let’s go.” He turned and went through the teleporter without another word. Elma flinched in surprise at this, and ran in after him.

Chapter Text

CHAPTER 21: MEETING SHARLA AND REYN

When Dunban and Elma entered the garage of the Machina Lab, Fiora charged for them right away. “Uh!! What took you guys so long!?” Fiora cried. “Are you guys aware of how late it is!?”

“For your information, mom , I was showing Elma around the capital,” Dunban sassily said. At that moment, Shulk walked over to them as well. But he wasn’t alone. “Hey, Reyn. Sharla,” Dunban smiled at two new people standing beside Shulk. “There’s someone I’d like you to meet.” He gestured at Elma. “This is Elma. She’s the owner of that vehicle.”

“What’s up, Elma?” said the person nearest to Shulk; a tall beaming redhead. “The name’s Reyn. And your vehicle? I checked it out before ya got here. It’s pretty sweet.”

“Thanks,” Elma smiled.

“It’s good to meet you, Elma. My name is Sharla,” said the second person: a black-haired woman.

“They’re close friends of ours,” Shulk told Elma. “In fact, Reyn, Fiora, and I have been friends since childhood.”

“I know,” Elma smiled.

“You do?” Reyn rubbed his neck.

“Yeah. Dunban told me your story,” Elma nodded. “It’s good to meet all of you. Now, if my memory of that story is correct, there’s still one more person I have yet to meet amongst your group?”

“That would be Riki,” Dunban said. “And…admittedly, he’s the second hardest to get a hold of after Melia. He fathers twelve children, after all.”

“Twelve? I thought you said it was eleven,” Elma said.

“It was eleven at the time we met Riki. But he recently adopted another Nopon child named Kino,” said Shulk.

“Dunban…I thought ya caught her up…” Reyn rubbed his neck.

“Oh, don’t worry. I made sure to let her know of the times in which YOU screwed up,” Dunban sassily said.

“That…ain’t wot I meant. But okay,” Reyn said self-consciously.

“So, what’s been going on with you two?” Dunban asked, more to Sharla than Reyn.

“Busyyyy…” Sharla moaned. “However, I’m so close to becoming a doctor…it isn’t even funny.”

“I figured we’d find Shulk here, cos he wasn’t at his own lab,” Reyn said. “I was hopin’ to drop the idea that once Sharla gets her doctorate, we all need to celebrate.”

“I assumed that would’ve automatically been the plan?” Dunban put his hand to his chin.

“Yeah. But some people like Melia need to find a workaround for their schedules,” Sharla said. “But Shulk just said he already saw Melia, today.”

“Lucky sod…” Reyn huffed. “I ain’t seen Melia in like months .”

“Join the club,” said Dunban. “Don’t worry, though, I managed to see her just now. She’s doing just fine, albeit incredibly busy.”

“’m proud of her for bein’ an empress an’ all tha’, but…it takes her away from the rest of us…” Reyn punched his hand.

“We ALL have lives to live, Reyn. It isn’t just exclusive to Melia,” Dunban firmly said.

“I know. It’s just…one of the things I liked about our old Bionis adventure was that we all spent a lotta time together,” Reyn said. “I miss tha’.”

“We all do,” Sharla sighed. “But out of all of us, the only one who has more than enough free time is Fiora.”

“ For now… ” Dunban said. “I’m hoping to coax her into getting a job.”

“I don’t know what job I could do…” Fiora began.

“Work at a restaurant. Ya love cookin’, right?” Reyn asked. Fiora passed him a glare.

“Oftentimes, it isn’t always wise to turn your hobby into a career,” Dunban said. “It could lead you to start associating your hobby with work, and therefore tarnish your opinion of it.”

“So, you guys are going to have a celebration party? Sounds like fun,” Elma cut in with a smile.

“Yeah, when I get my doctorate. Which shouldn’t be too long, now. Maybe another month, at max!” Sharla said.

“And I wanna celebrate! With lots of food!” Reyn said.

“And…you know…friends?” Shulk said. “Or are you LITERALLY just looking forward to it because of the food?”

“N-No!” Reyn said.

“This is SHARLA getting a doctorate, Reyn. Aren’t you proud of her?” Fiora scolded.

“Course I’m proud!! More’n ever!!” Reyn defensively cried.

“If I’m still here when that time comes…I’d like to join in on the celebration,” Elma smiled. “It’d definitely give me a chance to see everyone in one place.”

“It honestly depends on if we can get Melia in or not,” Sharla said. “Wouldn’t shock me if the celebration’ll have to wait for a month after the fact.”

“She told me she hoped to do something about that. But we’ll see,” Dunban said.

“So, how long are you planning on staying, Elma?” Reyn asked.

“Depends on how long the Miramobile takes to fix. Or how long it takes for me to be rescued. Whichever comes first,” Elma said.

“You’ve been here for a few days, though…” Shulk said. “Doesn’t sound like the people are that eager to rescue you…”

“It took us more’n a few days to rescue Fiora, mate,” Reyn pointed out.

“Plus, Professor B – the man who I’m waiting for – will have to go through many different worlds and time periods to find this one,” Elma said.

“Can I ask why?” Dunban said. “You mentioned you had a pre-set destination logged in, but you ended up crashing instead. This means that man knows enough about time travelling to at least get an estimate on where you could’ve crashed. I can’t imagine he’d be blindly hopping from time period to time period to find you. If he is smart enough to create time travel, he should be smart enough to estimate where you crashed. When he fails to find you in the original destination, he’d be able to work his way backwards from there.”

“It’s possible that it's divergent off the normal path, though. Professor B may not be able to find it…” Elma moaned.

“Time travellin’ sounds dangerous…” Reyn said. “And I’ve always ‘eard that if you go to the past, you can screw up the future. So, why’d ya do it?”

“I was just hoping to study the history of the world I live in now…” Elma muttered. “Instead…I ended up here.” Dunban passed Reyn a glare after hearing Elma’s melancholic tone.

“…If you ask me, what’s wrong with being here?” Shulk asked in an encouraging manner. “I know you’re far from home, but…we all want to welcome you with open arms, Elma.” He smiled at Elma.

“I appreciate it, but…it still isn’t home ,” Elma said.

“Do ya have family or summat?” Reyn asked.

“No…” Elma said.

“Reyn!” Sharla elbowed him. “Show some decorum.”

“It’s fine. It’s all complicated, to be honest,” Elma said.

“Why don’t you talk about it? We can help!” Fiora said. “And Dunban told you our story! It’s your turn!”

“Ahem…why don’t we head back to my house? I wouldn’t say no to having a little bit to eat,” Dunban cut in right away. “And Elma’s also a bit knackered after our trek around the capital, so…why don’t we head on back, okay?”

“No,” Elma told him. “I want to work on the Miramobile.”

“We…aren’t really working on the Miramobile right now,” Shulk said. “We’re still brainstorming. We’ve managed to get some prototype ideas, though, thanks to Miqol’s time travelling blueprints. But nothing is concrete, yet. If you are to work with us, you’d just be bent over notes, sketches, and ideas like the rest of us.”

“I don’t mind that,” Elma said.

“I…er…” Shulk began. “I mean, do YOU have any theories, then, Elma?”

“Huh?” Elma asked.

“If you’re wanting to help in our research, it’d be more efficient if you could provide us with ideas,” Shulk explained. “Otherwise, you’ll be bent over notes and not doing anything. So, do you have any theories?”

“I…don’t know how Professor B’s time travelling technology works,” Elma said.

“…At all?” Shulk sceptically asked.

“N-No. Sorry,” Elma frowned. “That’s…why I’m not sure this Miramobile’ll be fixed in quick succession.”

“I…I understand that, Elma. But you ought to have faith in our technology. I know it may be primitive compared to yours, but when you combine Machina and High Entia technology, it can achieve a lot . Since Dunban told you the story, I’m going to assume you know what happened regarding Fiora? It was a mixture of High Entia and Machina technology that enabled her to get her real Homs body back. And this, paired with Miqol’s blueprints, are why I think we can get this time travelling technology perfected within a few weeks, at most,” Shulk said. “So…why can’t YOUR world, with better technology than ours, do the same?” He put his hand to his chin. A rather tense pause filled the garage after this.

“I don’t…I don’t know…” the mortified Elma began.

“Shulk, you’re making her feel bad! Cut it out!” Fiora bawled.

“What am I doing!?” Shulk flinched. “I’m just asking her a simple question!!”

But Dunban shook his head. “Come on. I’m sure all of us had a long day. So, let’s go back to my house and get something to eat.”

Reyn rubbed his neck and said, “Actually, today was easy for me. I only had to do a few drills, so I’m…”

“WE ALL HAD A LONG DAY!” Dunban loudly reiterated, making Reyn flinch. On that cue, the six of them proceeded to exit the lab in a rather tense silence.

Chapter Text

CHAPTER 22: TROUBLES AND SHAME

Understandably, the six of them being packed in Dunban’s kitchen made for quite a tight fit. But Sharla and Fiora proceeded to work on cooking some food. Elma and the guys sat down at the kitchen table. “So, what did you think about Alcamoth, Elma?” Shulk asked curiously.

“Shulk…” Dunban began warningly.

“What?” Shulk asked in confusion.

“I think you ought to apologise to Elma,” he said.

“What!?” Shulk flinched. “What do you mean? What did I say?!”

“You pretty much asked why her technology sucks!” Fiora whirled around with a glare.

“NO! I was just curious!” Shulk held up his hands. “I mean, she’s saying she wants to help, yet she has no idea how the time travelling aspects of it work. It just confuses me, cos we’re all trying to come up with theories. But even though she’s seemingly got better technology, she still doesn’t know how it works.”

“It isn’t my technology. It’s Professor B’s,” Elma muttered.

“And doesn’t this Professor B live with you? In your world?” Shulk asked.

“Shulk, cut it out, mate,” said Reyn.

“I’m just asking!” Shulk cried.

“Well, STOP askin’,” Reyn huffed. “Let it be.”

“Professor B ISN’T from our world. He’s from the future. Hence why he made the Miramobile,” Elma said. “His technology is better than mine. That’s the real answer.”

“But why did you use the Miramobile if you don’t know how it works?” Shulk asked.

“SHULK! CUT IT OUT!” Reyn roared.

“S-Sorry…” Shulk hung his head. “I…I just want to understand.”

“What do you need to understand, Shulk?” Dunban asked.

“It’s just…she keeps saying she wants to help. But when it comes to time travelling, she doesn’t know how,” Shulk murmured.

“So? She can learn?” Dunban put his hand to his chin.

“If she used the Miramobile, shouldn’t she already know…?” Shulk began.

“Shulk, if you’re gonna keep being rude, you should step out of here!” Fiora bawled.

“What am I saying!? I don’t understand!” Shulk cried.

“Guys, it’s fine. I get where he’s coming from,” Elma muttered. “Trust me, nobody feels worse than I do about all of this. My ignorance about time travelling is WHY I’m stuck here in the first place. Of course, I want to do all I can to help, but…I know that there’s little I can do. That’s why I was eager to participate in that meeting you guys had earlier on, as I thought I could help with something. But in the end, the only thing I could really do was mine up ether crystals. But the technology itself…” She hung her head. “…I provided light-speed travel, Skells, and mims…but I couldn’t do time travel. And do you want to know what stings even more about that? If I had the capacity to create time travel, I could’ve saved more of humanity. I probably could’ve even saved our first planet from being destroyed. I went there to warn them of what was to come, but…in the end, that wasn’t enough. On top of all of this, I wonder if some of the discrimination I’m facing could’ve been avoided HAD I made time travel? I could’ve saved people’s families and loved ones. I could’ve stopped the Earth from exploding entirely. I could’ve retroactively built better Skells, or something like that. Or maybe put a force field up around the Earth to prevent the collateral damage. Damn, there are a LOT of things I could’ve done if I’d had time travel. But instead, I’m here to face the facts. I didn’t create time travel, and we had to go through everything we did because of these limitations. And now, here I am…facing repercussions even more.” She stood up and shook her head. “ I should’ve just let Professor B take this mission, instead. ” She then exited the house. She ended up leaving a very long heated pause in her wake.

“NOW LOOK WHAT YOU DID, SHULK!!” Fiora fumed.

“WHAT DID I DO!?” Shulk flinched.

“YOU UPSET HER!! GO APOLOGISE!!” Fiora flung her index finger to the closed door.

“I…I didn’t mean to upset her…I…” Shulk moaned.

“But ya did! Ya screwed up…and this is comin’ from me, mate,” Reyn said.

“I can go talk to her?” Sharla offered.

“NO! SHULK SHOULD! He needs to apologise!” Fiora said.

“Alright…I’ll go talk to her,” Shulk stood up and hung his head. “I’m…sorry, guys.”

“Don’t apologise to us ! Go apologise to HER! ” Fiora hissed. Without another word, Shulk left the house to go after Elma.

Shulk found Elma sitting in about the same place she’d talked to Dunban last night. She was watching a video on her Comm Device of Lin bantering with Tatsu as she baked a large turkey for their annual Thanksgiving celebration. “Are…they your friends…?” Shulk softly asked.

Elma stopped the video and glared at him. “Don’t think you can sweet-talk your way out of this,” she said.

“I’m not…I just want to apologise,” Shulk hung his head. “I…I’m probably just mentally exhausted after all of the studying and research I’ve done today. But in the end, that’s no excuse. I was a right prat to you in there, and…I’m really sorry.”

“It’s…okay…” Elma muttered.

“Not really…” Shulk began. “I had no right to call you out like that, when your world had time travelling before ours even did. Sorry…”

“It’s fine, Shulk. Really,” Elma said. “I just want to be left alone for right now.”

“I know you want to help! And I want to be able to work alongside you! I’ll never forget how stressed and alone you looked when I first found you! I want to do all I can to help! That’s why I’m so adamant on fixing this vehicle for you! I want to be able to get you back home to see your friends again! It’s something I want to promise to you! You’re always welcome in the colony, but I know you’d want to see your friends again! So, I’m working as hard as I can!” Shulk cried.

“I know, Shulk. I recognise this,” Elma mumbled. “And I HEAVILY appreciate your efforts. It means a lot to me. But…I’m sorry, there’s just a lot on my mind right now.”

“You can talk to me about them, you know?” Shulk asked.

“Ever since I’ve got here, I just realise how effective time travelling would’ve been HAD I introduced it,” Elma muttered. “I…” she sighed. “Long story short, I could’ve saved a lot of lives. I might’ve even been able to save a planet from being destroyed entirely.”

“You have that Miramobile, though. Can’t you use it to go back in time and accomplish all of that?” Shulk asked.

“The Miramobile can’t even GO to the past properly, it seems,” Elma hugged her knees to her chest. “And besides, I dread that if I go back and change things, it’ll have an unintentional negative effect. Hell, I still don’t even want to do much in THIS world, even though it’s probably not really Mira’s past at all.”

“It…does sound very complicated…” Shulk moaned. “Is there anything I can do to help!? At all?!”

“Not really…” Elma said. “Like I said, I just want to be alone.”

Shulk sighed. “If…If you’re sure. I’m just really sorry for upsetting you. That wasn’t my intention, Elma…”

“I know. It’s okay. It doesn’t even bother me at all. I’ve got other things on my mind,” Elma said.

“Well, you…can always talk to me, you know? And you can talk to Dunban, Fiora, Sharla, and Reyn, too. We’re ALL here for you. You can talk to any one of us,” Shulk said.

“Thanks, Shulk. I appreciate it. Honestly, words can’t express how helpful you all are. You, for fixing my Miramobile. Dunban, for giving me a place to stay. Fiora, for giving me food to eat. And it seems like I know who to go to if I get injured,” she managed to pass Shulk a small smile. “So, I’m okay. Go back in and talk to your friends. You hardly see some of them. I just need some time to rest and think.”

“Okay, Elma,” Shulk sighed. He somewhat reluctantly turned and went back into Dunban’s house. Elma, meanwhile, went to replay that video again.

“What Linly cooking today? HUH? HUH?!” asked the eager Tatsu.

“Hmmm…I don’t know. Should I cook YOU or the turkey…” Lin said.

“What’s a turkey?” Tatsu asked.

“It’s a bird originating from the planet Earth,” explained Elma’s voice from behind the camera. “We would always eat it around the holidays.”

“What are holly-days?” Tatsu asked.

“Special annual celebrations,” Lin said. “Right now, today would have been Thanksgiving.”

“What that?” Tatsu asked.

“It’s an American holiday celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November. It…has a rather xenophobic origin, but essentially, you gather around and give thanks over a massive hearty feast,” Elma said.

“FEAST?! That all Tatsu heard in THAT!” Tatsu roared. Elma sighed.

“Of course,” Lin groaned. “But anyway, for Thanksgiving, we always make a turkey. But maybe this year, I should make a Tatsu!?” She clawed towards Tatsu.

“NO! NO! MEH! NOT TATSU!” Tatsu flung himself under the table.

“YES, TATSU! Especially if you’re going to be like THAT!” Lin roared. “I’m going to have to make a big feast, though! All our BLADE friends are coming.”

“Even Moustache Man?” Tatsu asked.

“ESPECIALLY MOUSTACHE MAN!” Lin roared.

“Meh…” Tatsu whined.

“We’re going to have to make room, then,” Elma chuckled. “I don’t think the BLADE Barracks’ll be able to hold all of us.”

“It will! I can make it happen!” Lin put her finger into the air.

“Are you sure?” Elma asked. “The BLADE Barracks is small, and there are a lot of BLADEs to account for.”

“I think we can squeeze in a few more tables,” Lin said. “And it WILL help that some of the guests’ll be bringing their own food! So, all of the cooking won’t be on JUST this thirteen-year-old girl!” She pointed at herself.

“Lin, I can help if you need. I don’t mind,” Elma said.

“Er…no…I’m fine, Elma! The last time you offered to help me cook, we had to get out the fire extinguisher…” Lin moaned.

“Augh, hmm…to be fair, Lin, you had the oven set for a higher temperature than what was recommended,” Elma said. “I think you set it to the temperature of when the oven cleans itself.”

“I SET IT TO FOUR-FIFTY!!” Lin roared.

“The oven was pre-set to Celsius, Lin,” Elma chuckled.

“WHO USES CELSIUS!?” Lin roared.

“I do, hehe,” Elma chuckled.

“Well…augh!” Lin roared.

“So, it isn’t MY fault,” Elma huffed.

“You could’ve TOLD me it was set to Celsius!” Lin whined.

“I didn’t know, either,” Elma said. “So, there. It wasn’t my fault the pizza burnt to a crisp.”

“That’s just an excuse, Elma!!” said Lin.

“When was this?” Tatsu asked.

“It was shortly after we established here. So, before we met YOUR ugly mug,” said Lin. “We pulled the oven into the BLADE Barracks. The first night of using it, we decided to test it out with a frozen pizza. We set it to four-fifty, like the box said. But apparently, the oven was pre-set to Celsius. This is about eight-hundred-some-odd in Fahrenheit. So, long story short…the pizza spontaneously combusted.”

“And self-cleaning ovens usually get that hot to cook away the grime and dirt,” said Elma.

“Why bother doing that? That sounds like a heavy amount of electricity usage to me,” Lin said. “I’d rather use caustic oven cleaner, instead.” Elma chuckled.

“Friends talking about ovens…Tatsu want food, now,” Tatsu said.

“Agh!” Lin groaned. “There’s no point having good moments or reminiscing with YOU around. You always ruin it with ‘TATSU HUNGRY! TATSU WANT FOOD! FEED TATSU! TATSU THIS, TATSU THAT!’ AUGHHH!”

“Should we even have him here for Thanksgiving?” Elma asked.

“I SAY WE SHOULD COOK HIM! Let’s start a new tradition on this planet…roasted Nopon!” Lin said.

“Come on, Lin. They’re sentient xenoforms. We can’t eat them,” Elma said.

“Right. We’ll just cook Tatsu. We’ll eat a piece of him every year!” Lin grinned devilishly.

“Linly better stop talking like that…otherwise, she going to have to clean up after Tatsu…” Tatsu cowered.

“Ugh…” Lin groaned. “I’ll get started on the turkey.”

“What if…we had a turducken?” Elma smiled.

“Do what now?” Lin glanced at her.

“I’ve heard you can combine all forms of poultry in the form of a turducken. How does that sound?” Elma asked.

“It sounds good, but…we don’t have easy ways of getting a hold of that,” Lin said. “Our rations from Earth are not going to hold out for much longer!”

“We’ve got plenty of food lying around Mira,” Elma happily said.

“Ah, true. So…maybe I could make a…um…” Lin thought for a moment. “An Suilodia. A Suid, an Evello, and an Insidia. All in one large meat clump!”

“Heheh, I don’t think that’ll be the same. Suids and Insidias aren’t bird indigens,” Elma said.

“Well, there aren’t many bird indigens with good meat! I mean…Jaculs and Auravises give good eggs, but that’s about it!” Lin said.

“Hmm…you’re right. I guess we’ll have to compromise, then,” Elma said. “In that case, Suilodias sound great.”

“They sound Spanish! And I love Spanish food!” Lin beamed. “Oooh damn…now I’m in the mood for paella again!”

“Go for it, Lin. Without the other cultures around, we have to do our best to keep them all alive,” Elma said.

“Good point! We need a day to celebrate each one!” Lin said. “Or we can celebrate their holidays!”

“That’d make for a full calendar,” Elma said.

“I, personally, don’t care! I don’t want to let those other cultures die!” Lin cried.

“I don’t, either,” Elma said. “But to be fair, we can’t a hundred percent say for certain that ALL the other Ark Ships are gone.”

“Maybe some of them are living on Mira-like planets, too…” Lin began.

“Exactly. But still, I wouldn’t mind keeping their cultures alive, too,” Elma said. “It’d also serve as a good history lesson for the xenos.”

“Oh, yeah!” Lin cried. “Preserving humanity isn’t just about their lives, but their live lihoods , too! As BLADEs, we need to preserve EVERY aspect of BLADE. It’s in the acronym, after all.”

“Exactly,” Elma nodded. “I’m proud of you, Lin.”

“Really!?” Lin’s eyes were practically shining. “Awh, Elma! Thanks! But…why!?”

“With how much you are dedicated to this,” Elma said. “Yeah, we are here to protect humanity on this new planet. But we lost a lot when the Earth was destroyed…we are the builders of a legacy, indeed.” She smiled.

“Yeah! You know what? We’ve got Thanksgiving now, for America. Let’s do something for Spain tomorrow. I AM COOKING PAELLA!!” Lin roared.

Elma chuckled at this. “Alright, Lin. I’m… ”

A sudden sound erupted from behind Elma, making her turn off the video. She glanced back with her watery eyes. She wasn’t too shocked to see Dunban standing there.

Chapter Text

CHAPTER 23: ELMA’S SIDE OF THE STORY

Elma quickly pocketed her Comm Device and stood up. “Dammit…you snuck up on me…” she rubbed at her teary eyes. “What are you doing here? I told Shulk I wanted to be alone.”

“Sorry,” Dunban calmly said. “I just couldn’t help but worry that Shulk wouldn’t have been able to make you feel better. So, when he came back with mixed results, I decided to try my hand at it.”

She flinched as she gazed at him. “You…have been here since he went inside!?”

“Er…yeah…” he said.

Elma’s ears reddened. “You…saw that whole video!?” she cried.

He glanced away. “S-Sorry…was I not meant to?”

“Well…” Elma relaxed at his good point. “It…It’s just difficult.” She hung her head.

“Feeling homesick?” Dunban worriedly asked.

“Maybe a little bit…” Elma sighed. “But…it’s okay. You don’t have to worry about me. I’m feeling better now, so…you can go back inside.”

“I don’t think so. Ultimately, I know I’m the best person to make you feel better, since I know more about your story,” he said. “Please, don’t feel bad about any of it.”

“It’s…kind of hard not to,” Elma said, glancing out towards the ocean. “Knowing of the Miramobile, and…what it could possibly do to change things. And yet…doing so now would also have a heavy risk. It’s why Professor B keeps his Miramobile secret; only a few of us know about it. If word got around about it, people would steal it to do what I just talked about – try to reverse the damage done to Earth.”

“Elma,” Dunban solemnly said. “I told you my story. Would you feel comfortable telling me yours?”

“I already did,” Elma frowned.

“I feel like I got a watered-down version of it,” he said. “I feel like if you told me everything, I’d be able to help you a lot better in the future. And I’m not just talking about the Miramobile, but whatever’s on your mind, too.” He smiled.

“What about the others?” Elma gestured at his house.

“They’re all catching up. And the meal’s going to take a while, anyway,” Dunban explained.

“Alright,” Elma took a deep breath. “I’ll tell you the full story. From start to finish.”

“Thank you,” he nodded.

When Elma finished, he was gazing at her intently. “I don’t know what you were referring to earlier when you said I went through more hell – you went through quite a lot, yourself,” Dunban remarked.

“And those mimeosomes I talked about…” Elma began. “They…are what I was talking about regarding your arm. I could get you a usable one made out of mim technology.”

“And there you go, that just further goes to show how rude Shulk’s remark had been earlier. I’m just sorry, on his behalf,” Dunban frowned.

“I can’t blame him. He’s just determined and passionate about fixing the Miramobile,” Elma said.

“I know, but…I don’t think that excuses it,” Dunban argued.

“I don’t mind,” she said.

“But it caused you to spiral down into regret about failing to save the Earth,” he moaned.

“It’s difficult, though. I want to do that, but…it’ll have consequences. So, in the end, I need to be able to accept what happened. Besides, who’s to say that things won’t be cancelled out?” Elma asked. “Like by saving the Earth and never crashing into Mira, Professor B would’ve never been able to complete his Miramobile. I mean, it’s called a Mira mobile for a reason. So, in going back, I’d probably cancel myself out from a paradox.” She smiled. “Plus, I would’ve never been able to meet any of you guys.”

“That is true,” he nodded. “And as hard as it is, our hardships are what shape us. I know I had gone through a lot myself, regarding Mumkhar and Dickson. But I would’ve never met the others, found Fiora , and created a new world had they not been a thorn in my side. We would’ve continued to live subservient under a god, oblivious to the destinies he had set for all of us.”

“Hm…” Elma said. “The same thing can be said for me, too. Yes, we lost a lot…but humanity’s a lot closer than it used to be. And while it is rough around the edges, people are coming to grips with the xenoforms we have around the city.” She smiled.

“Indeed. So, we might’ve had rough times in the past, but it’s all led up to this point. And honestly, I wouldn’t want anything about this present to change,” Dunban added.

Elma’s smile grew. “You’re right. And…going back in time WOULD change that…” she said. She gazed out at the ocean again.

“That device you have…” Dunban then said. “Does it have more images of the people in your world?”

“A few of them. Why?” Elma faced him again.

“I was just asking,” he put his hand to his chin. “May I see them? As it would be a nice visualisation for the story you told. If you’d rather not, though, that’s fine.”

Elma grimaced. “I…don’t know. Just watching that video got me all misty-eyed. I’m embarrassed…”

“I won’t tell anyone,” Dunban chuckled.

Elma exhaled heavily. “Okay,” she said, and she pulled out her Comm Device.

“What exactly IS that device? I saw you using it earlier regarding that mining thing,” Dunban said.

“It’s a communication device…or as we call it, a Comm Device,” Elma said. “Contrary to the name, however…I can’t contact anyone with it right now.” She frowned. “I’m too far away. Otherwise, I would’ve called for help ages ago.”

“Honestly, that kind of device would be really helpful around here,” he admitted. “We don’t even use cameras that much, actually.”

“Shame…” Elma paused. Then she gave him a timid smile. “Maybe…before I go, I can get a picture or a video of all of you guys? It’d be a nice memento to take home.”

“Hmph…if you insist,” he said, but he gave her a small smile.

“Anyway…” Elma said. “I’ve got a few pictures of my friends here, so…I can show you them, if you want.”

“I’d like that, Elma,” he nodded.

Elma ended up showing him pictures of Lin, Tatsu, Vandham, Irina, Doug, Gwin, Frye, and Nagi. She even had a few video clips of each of them. Of course, she avoided showing the ones with a drunk Frye in them. “These are all YOUR soldiers?” Dunban asked upon seeing them.

“Yeah,” Elma responded. “They’re…a colourful cast of characters. And this…” She swiped the hologram to the left. A light blue Formula Zero came into view. “…is what a Skell looks like.”

“Hmm…interesting. Looks almost like a Faced Mechon,” Dunban remarked upon seeing it.

Elma gave him a small smile. “Would you be interested in ever visiting NLA someday…?”

“Would YOU be okay with that? I know you’re protective of the timeline, after all,” Dunban said.

“Well…I’ll have to go BACK first to see how things are…” Elma began.

At that moment, they heard footsteps from behind them. They glanced back to see a smiling Fiora. “Food is ready, you lovebirds,” she said.

Dunban scowled. “You misunderstand. I was only out here to help Elma. We’re just simply friends .” But Fiora giggled madly as she went back into the house. Dunban groaned at this.

“Hey, if it’s getting annoying…you can stop interacting with me,” Elma softly said. “I…do feel a whole lot better in general, after getting all of that off my chest. I think I’ll be okay from here on out.”

“It isn’t you. It’s just Fiora taking the piss,” Dunban grunted.

“Then stop hanging out with me?” Elma smiled.

“Easier said than done,” he said.

“Heh, why?” Elma asked.

“Well…er…you’re kind of living in my house at the moment,” Dunban pointed out.

“I guess, but you don’t have to interact with me!” said Elma. “I don’t want you being teased. So, this can be our last interaction. Okay?” Despite her words, her smile remained.

“N-No…” he began.

“Why not?” Elma asked.

“I’d…just rather not stop. That’s all…” his voice trailed off.

“Hey, don’t worry about hurting my feelings,” Elma said. “You don’t even a hundred percent trust me yet, and honestly, we barely know each other. So, it’s okay. I don’t want people getting the wrong idea, so we can stop.”

“No…” he protested.

“No, what?” Elma curiously asked.

“I don’t want to stop interacting with you,” Dunban replied.

“Well, I don’t want people getting the wrong idea,” she said.

“I don’t really think that should matter. I…” But Dunban shook his head. “N-Nevermind. Let’s just…go back inside. We both should get some food before it goes cold.”

Elma reassuringly put her hand on his shoulder. “Even if they don’t respect your personal preferences, I do. So, you don’t need to worry about a thing. I’ll always be here for you to lean on, but I won’t overstep my boundaries. I respect you, and I also want you to be able to push your trust in me to a hundred percent. Okay?”

“I…feel like it has, at this point. Since you told me your full story,” he said.

“You don’t have to tell me that. It’s okay. I don’t expect you to fully trust me, or want to get close to me. You don’t want the other teasing you, and you also might want to avoid being too shattered by my departure. So, from here on out, I can keep my distance. Okay? But I can still be here for you, don’t worry,” she said.

“That’s…actually not what I…” Dunban protested.

But a voice broke the tension. “OI! YOU TWO! ARE YA COMIN’ IN OR NOT!? I CAN’T WAIT ANY LONGER FOR FOOD!” came Reyn’s shouts. Dunban sighed at this.

“Come on, let’s not keep them waiting anymore,” Elma said with a chuckle. She then beamed at him. “Dunban, thank you. You’ve helped me out once again. You sure know how to make me feel better. I feel like I owe you a lot.”

“N-No, Elma. You owe me nothing. It’s fine,” he reassured her.

Elma began backing towards the front door of his house. “Okay…if you’re sure. But if that ever changes, please let me know.”

“Will do, Elma,” Dunban replied hesitantly.

“Now, let’s go. I’m famished!” and Elma turned to go back inside. Dunban once again felt a strange trouble niggling at him, but he tried to shrug it off as he went back inside, himself.

Chapter Text

CHAPTER 24: A NICE MEAL TOGETHER

The pleasant savoury smells of food were engulfing the kitchen when Dunban and Elma stepped inside. “There you two are! About time ya came back in!” Reyn rolled his arm.

“Come on and get your food, before it goes cold!” Fiora instructed.

“Elma…” Shulk mumbled. “I…I just want to apologise again, for the things I said before.”

“Don’t worry about it, Shulk. I’m feeling a lot better, now,” Elma reassured him.

“That’s good to hear,” Sharla nodded. “I know we only just met, but I’m also here for you, too – if you ever need girl talk.”

“Okay,” Elma nodded. “Thank you. I appreciate it. I appreciate ALL of you, honestly. I may be in a new world entirely, but I’ve got such a supportive group of friends. It’s…honestly incredible. I didn’t think I’d even find sentient life when I first came here.”

“Well, here we all are! We’re all sentient! Well…maybe not Reyn,” Fiora teased.

“OI!” Reyn cried. “I’m senty…er…I’m that .” Fiora and Sharla burst into giggles.

Everyone grabbed a plate of food and sat down around the table with it. It was a bit of a tight squeeze, but they all managed. “Dunban, ya oughta get a bigger table,” Reyn said after accidentally elbowing Shulk for the tenth time. “With all of these friends we’ve got, it’s needed.”

“Why does it always have to be here?” Fiora asked.

“Where else COULD we have gatherings?” Reyn asked.

“Outlook Park?” Shulk suggested.

“I guess. But…sometimes, I just feel too lazy to climb all those goddamned stairs,” Reyn said.

“What are you talking about, Reyn?” Sharla demanded. “You climb those stairs in your sleep, practically.”

“If it’s too much of a hassle right now, I don’t mind moving elsewhere. Like on the floor or something,” Elma said with a slight chuckle. She couldn’t help but relate to the small-table-issue, after the video of Lin she recently saw.

“No! As a guest, you shouldn’t need to resort to that,” Fiora said. “Maybe we should get a bigger table, huh?” She glanced at Dunban.

“Maybe…” Dunban’s voice trailed off.

“Ya doin’ alrigh’?” Reyn asked him.

“I wonder…should we get a rectangular one or a circular one?” Fiora asked.

“OI!” Reyn cried at Dunban, who flinched.

“What?” Dunban asked right away.

“Ya doin’ alrigh’, Dunban?” said Reyn.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” Dunban responded.

“You sure? You seem awfully quiet,” Shulk pondered.

“I’m alright, lads. Don’t worry,” Dunban passed them a small smile.

“Do you think we should get a new table?” Fiora asked him.

“Most likely,” he said.

“Most likely?” Fiora frowned. “I think we NEED it. Especially now that we’ve got Elma in our cluster of friends. Do you think we should get a rectangular table? Or a circular one?”

“I…don’t know,” Dunban responded.

“Probably a rectangular one,” Sharla said.

“Maybe you can help me pick one out, Sharla? Cos I don’t know anything about interior design,” Fiora said.

“Maybe we can get Melia to help, too!” said Sharla.

“Oi! It’s Dunban’s house, too. He’ll want to have a table he can actually stand,” Reyn said.

“I don’t think Dunban’s going to stand on the table, Reyn,” Shulk said. Reyn, Sharla, Fiora, and Elma all laughed at this.

“Dunban? Ya sure you’re okay?” Reyn asked upon noticing that he hadn’t laughed.

“Yes, I’m fine. Don’t worry about me,” Dunban replied.

“Is the food good?” Fiora moaned at him.

“Of course it is, Fiora,” he smiled at her.

“What is it? If I may ask,” Elma said.

“It’s baked Flamii meat,” Fiora explained.

“What’s…Flamii…?” Elma inquired.

“Vicious bird pricks,” Reyn said.

“Reyn!” Fiora said.

“Wot? They are!” Reyn said.

“Oh, so…they’re like the Jaculs of my world, then?” Elma asked.

“…I guess?” Reyn shrugged.

Elma glanced at Dunban, and she could immediately understand what had Reyn concerned; he had that pensive expression again. “Dunban…you sure you’re alright?” she gently asked.

Dunban perked up at this. “Yeah, I just didn’t sleep very well last night. I’m fine, though, I promise. Just a little bit knackered. We walked across Alcamoth today, after all.”

“Then after this meal, you ought to get some sleep, Dunban. Okay?” Fiora asked.

“I will probably do that. My mind…has been malfunctioning today,” he said.

“Maybe you need me to fix it?” Shulk asked. “I’ll just need to find my hammer.”

Dunban cringed, and then grimaced at him. “Er…no…Shulk. Please. I don’t need to be lobotomised.”

“It was a joke, Dunban!” Shulk bawled. “Man…I’m…really not winning tonight, am I?”

“I thought it was funny!” Reyn laughed.

“Of course. Cos you’re YOU!” Fiora said.

“Oi! Wot’s THAT supposed to mean!?” Reyn demanded, as Sharla laughed.

While the other four were distracted with their banter, Elma gave Dunban a genuine look of worry. He gave her a reassuring nod. But that did little to hide his contemplative expression.

“How are you liking this meal, Elma?” Fiora then asked.

“It’s great, Fiora. Thanks,” Elma responded with a smile.

“That’s good,” Fiora sighed, her hand to her chest. “I was worried this ‘otherworldly meal’ wouldn’t have been very good to you.”

“Don’t worry about it, it tastes great,” Elma nodded. “Once again, you REALLY rival someone I know back home. Honestly, I’d love to see what would happen if you two cooked a meal together.”

“I wouldn’t mind seeing that, either,” Reyn said.

“You’re only saying that cos it means free food,” Shulk scowled.

“Wot? Wot’s wrong with food?” Reyn asked, and Shulk groaned.

“Honestly, BOTH of you have been kind of rude and impolite in Elma’s presence today!” Sharla scolded Reyn and Shulk. “Way to make a bad first impression on our new friend!”

“I’m…I…I wasn’t as bad as Shulk! OKAY! Let’s get THAT out the window!” Reyn held up his hands. “AND HE HAS KNOWN ELMA LONGER THAN I HAVE!!”

“AND I AM SORRY!! I SAID I WAS SORRY!” Shulk buried his head in his arms. “WHAT DO YOU WANT ME TO DO!? I CAN BAKE YOU A CAKE!”

“Please, for the love of all that is Meyneth, DON’T bake a cake!” Fiora wept. “Otherwise, it’ll burn the house down!”

“Well…I feel bad! And I’m sorry!” Shulk cried, lifting his head again.

“It’s okay, Shulk. I forgive you,” Elma said with a small smile.

After that meal, everyone who didn’t cook was in charge of cleaning up. So, Shulk and Reyn did the washing up, and Elma and Dunban helped clear the table. Elma couldn’t help but notice the different foreign foods and vegetables in the fridge. She was interested in trying all of them. Maybe she could even get scans and pictures of them on her Comm Device later on? Reyn and Shulk were bickering as they washed up, and this caused a plate to accidentally hit the floor and break – cutting Shulk’s index finger in the process. Sharla and Fiora rushed to his aid; meanwhile, a very unimpressed Dunban swept up the mess into a dustpan Elma was holding.

After everything was all clean, Reyn sighed and patted his stomach. “That was nice, Fiora. Thanks for invitin’ us over,” he said.

“I…didn’t do that. Dunban did,” Fiora frowned.

“It just goes to show that Reyn doesn’t really pay attention to the important details when he’s just there for the food,” Shulk sighed.

“OI! NO!” Reyn roared.

“Why don’t you two get going, now? Dunban’s been quiet all night, so I can tell he’s exhausted!” Fiora said. “You two aren’t helping!” She opened the front door.

“Thank you for the meal, Fiora. It was lovely,” Shulk smiled as he stepped outside.

“Agreed! That meat was so tender and juicy,” Sharla sighed, following Shulk.

“You’re welcome! I’m just glad you all liked it!” Fiora smiled, as well.

“I might be tempted to see if I can replicate it in my world. Might be hard, though, as we don’t have the same indigens…” Elma said.

“Hey, if you want to take some frozen Flamii meat home with you, you can!” Fiora said. “We can even buy you a big one!”

“Hm, I might consider that,” Elma nodded.

“See ya guys later! It was a great time! And it was nice meetin’ ya, Elma!” Reyn waved as he exited the house.

“You too, Reyn!” Elma said.

“I hope to see you again before you have to leave!” Sharla said.

“We’ll just have to see!” Elma responded.

After the exchange of goodbyes, Sharla, Shulk, and Reyn had left. Fiora shut the door, then whirled around to glare at Dunban. “Okay! What’s wrong?!” she asked.

“Ha, what do you mean?” Dunban asked, his hand to his chin.

“It’s not like you to be quiet when we’ve got guests over! You’re usually bantering up a storm!” Fiora said. “So, what’s wrong?”

“Like I said, I’m just tired,” he said.

“I kinda don’t believe that!” Fiora snapped.

“Fiora, honestly, it’s just that. You can even ask Elma – I was a bit mentally out of sorts in Alcamoth, too,” Dunban said. “I’m just assuming that my five hours of sleep has something to do with it.”

“Only five hours!?” Fiora moaned.

“I had a lot on my mind,” he said. “And…that’s probably what’s going on, right now. I’m…probably just…” He glanced away. “The night’s probably catching up to me. That’s all.” He then looked at Elma. “Elma’s in a similar position, so…she should probably get some rest, too.”

“I wouldn’t say no,” Elma said.

“I guess. But…you can talk to me, Dunban. You know that, right?” said Fiora.

“Of course, dear sister. And I’m alright. Don’t worry about me. You should get some rest, too. Okay?” Dunban said.

“O-Okay…” Fiora sighed. “I might get a shower, first. If that’s okay.”

“Hang on…” and Dunban glanced at Elma. “Do YOU need a shower? Being as how you’ve been here a few days, I can imagine you’re in dire need of one.”

“Heh, why? Do I smell?” Elma teasingly asked.

“N-NO! That’s…not what I meant!!” he frantically said. “I’m…just suggesting…!!”

Elma raised an eyebrow at this. “I think I’ll let Fiora go first.”

“Are you sure?” Fiora asked.

“Yes,” Elma nodded.

“Okay, then,” Fiora responded. As she went into her room to gather her clothes, Elma pulled out her Comm Device.

Are you REALLY alright? She typed into it, then showed it to Dunban. He nodded. I don’t really believe that, Elma wrote. At that moment, Fiora was coming out with a clean pair of pyjamas.

“Look, I…know the both of you are worried about me. But I promise you, I’m fine. Just worn out from the day’s events, after all. Alcamoth is a big place,” Dunban announced.

“I know, Dunban. I believe you,” Fiora said, before going into the bathroom.

Dunban glanced at Elma. She glared at him sceptically for a few seconds, then relaxed. She made her way for Fiora’s room, but not before nearing his ear. “ If you’re being a hundred percent positive…I will believe you ,” she softly murmured. “ Like I said, I trust you .” She started to go into Fiora’s room, but she felt him grab her wrist. She glanced back at him.

“ I don’t want our interactions to stop just because of Fiora, ” he finally said.

Elma gave him a small smile. “ I don’t want them bothering you. So, it’s okay. I don’t mind stepping aside. ”

“ Please, don’t… ” he begged.

“ Why not? ” Elma asked.

“ I’d…just…rather you didn’t, ” Dunban replied. “ We’re friends, after all. Aren’t we? Why should we have to avoid each other? ”

“ I…suppose… ” Elma uncertainly said. “ I just want to respect you, and I want you to be able to fully trust me .” As Elma finished that sentence, the sound of the hissing shower erupted through the house.

“And I do!” he couldn’t help but exclaim, making her flinch. “ I do fully trust you! ”

Elma gave him a small smile. “It’s okay. You don’t have to say that. We’ve only…”

“And I’m NOT!” Dunban retorted, making her flinch. “Why do you not believe me?”

“I…” Elma began in alarm.

Dunban groaned and put his hand to his forehead. “Sorry. My thoughts have been very uncooperative today…” He sighed. “I might just go upstairs and get some rest. Damn…I didn’t realise sleep deprivation affects me this much.”

“How are you certain it’s sleep deprivation?” Elma asked.

“I…I don’t know,” he huffed. “I can’t think of anything else it’d be.”

“Are you worried about something?” Elma asked.

“No. I just…ugh. I’ll need a few minutes to clear my head,” he replied.

“Do you need my support?” Elma softly inquired.

“No. I just…I need a quick moment in the fresh air. It’ll help. I’ll be right back,” and Dunban left the house with one swift flick of his cape. Elma just watched him leave with concern.

Chapter Text

CHAPTER 25: GIRLY CHAT

Thankfully, Dunban was only outside for about ten minutes. When he came back in, he looked a lot less stressed. “Everything okay?” Elma asked right away.

“Yeah,” Dunban sighed. “Sorry to have worried you.”

“So…what’s wrong?” Elma asked.

“I just deduced that it’s my concern about you wanting to distance yourself from me,” he said. “But mainly, it’s due to the fact that I just need sleep, haha.”

Elma smiled at him. “I understand that, but I don’t want Fiora’s comments to bother you. I think if she notices us together less, she’ll stop.”

“Wait…” he flinched. “Are you suggesting that we only spend time together when nobody’s around?”

“It could help,” Elma shrugged. “Nobody’ll see us to tease us. And if they ask, we can just make up excuses.”

“I…I suppose…” Dunban relaxed.

Elma saw this, and glared at him. “If you’d talked to me sooner, we would’ve solved this sooner.”

“Sorry. It’s just…as you can tell, I’m not with it today. I think I’ll get an early night tonight, then, in that case. Hopefully, I’ll be a lot sharper tomorrow,” Dunban said.

“How are you feeling right now, then?” Elma asked.

“Better. Though I still feel a disconnect from my own mind…but I think I’ll just chalk that up to fatigue,” Dunban put his hand to his chin. He then smiled at her. “Goodnight, Elma. I…really enjoyed spending time with you today.”

“Heh, me too,” Elma smiled back.

“You enjoyed spending time with yourself?” he teased.

“NO! I enjoyed spending time with YOU!” said Elma. “Seeing Alcamoth. Meeting Melia, Reyn, and Sharla. Learning about your old world. Seeing that sunset. It was definitely great. Wouldn’t mind doing it again, to be honest.”

“Well, we’ll just have to see,” Dunban said.

“Thank you, though, Dunban,” Elma said. “For comforting me and helping me out, I mean. I sincerely appreciate it. And again, I feel like I owe you a lot.”

“You don’t owe me anything, Elma,” he reassured her. “I don’t do those things to get anything back. I just want to be a good and supportive friend. That’s all.” His smile grew.

“And it means a lot to hear that,” Elma responded. “I hope I can do the same in return. You…need to work on being honest about your feelings, though.” She scowled.

“Hah, sorry…” Dunban rubbed his neck. At that moment, they heard the shower stop. Dunban’s eyes widened a little bit. “Er…goodnight, Elma. I hope you sleep well,” he nodded.

“You too, Dunban. I hope you sleep better ,” Elma said.

“Thank you,” he said. He hesitated for a moment as he maintained eye contact with Elma. It looked as if he had other things to say, but there was loud shuffling coming from the bathroom, and it was rapidly getting louder. So, he just bid Elma goodnight one more time and hurried upstairs. As if on cue, a pyjama-clad Fiora exited the bathroom.

“Aaahhh, a shower felt soooo good!” Fiora sighed. “I recommend you take one, Elma. You can use my shower products, if you want. But don’t worry…I’ll see if we can get you some tomorrow. Okay?”

“Thanks, Fiora,” Elma nodded. “Although…” she glanced away. “There…is a problem. I…I don’t have any spare clothes.”

“Er…what size are you?” Fiora asked.

“I don’t think I’ll fit your clothes,” Elma declared right away.

“Hmm…” Fiora said. Her eyes then lit up. “OOH! If you’re not too busy tomorrow, and if Sharla’s not too busy tomorrow, maybe we can go clothes shopping with you! WHAT DO YOU SAY!?” She cried with glee.

Elma smiled. “I wouldn’t mind that. But…who’ll pay for it?” she then frowned.

“Sharla might. Or Dunban?” Fiora asked.

“I…wouldn’t want to do that,” Elma frowned.

“Well, I don’t have any money!” Fiora said. “And you don’t have any money! So…yeah! I think Sharla’ll be okay with it!”

Elma grunted. “If you say so. But…I wonder if I should join the military organisation that’s here? It’ll help me earn some money. And I can contribute back to everyone – Dunban, especially.”

“Well, you’ll have to talk to him about it tomorrow,” Fiora said.

“Maybe,” Elma said. “I think in that case, then, I’ll wait until tomorrow to have a shower.”

Fiora went over to her. “ It’s okay if you want to shower tonight. I don’t mind if you want to sleep naked.”

“Er…no thanks…” Elma said. “I’ll just end up having to change back into my dirty armour tomorrow.”

“Oh,” Fiora frowned. “True.”

“Let’s get some rest, now, Fiora. I’m pretty tired,” Elma yawned.

“Okay,” Fiora said.

Elma settled amongst the duvets on Fiora’s bed, and Fiora was situating herself on the floor again. Fiora then giggled. “What?” Elma asked.

“I think Dunban likes you,” Fiora replied. 

Elma sighed. “No. He tolerates me. I don’t think he even fully trusts me, yet. Besides, even if he DOES like me, it’s in a strictly platonic manner. He’s not interested in romantic relationships; he told me so himself. We’re just friends, and that’s it. It’s perfectly normal for men and women to be just friends.”

“You wanna know what’s NOT normal? Dunban devoting so much time to one person OUTSIDE of me,” Fiora said. “He usually keeps to himself, otherwise. He only really interacts with all of us on occasions. And earlier…he went out to check on you, even though Shulk had already taken care of things in that regard.”

“He’s just here to help me. That’s all. You’re reading WAY too much into this,” Elma argued. “Especially considering his preference. Do you not respect that preference?? Let me guess: you push Dunban to go for every girl you guys encounter. Would I be right? Are you pointing at every girl and saying, ‘Go for her next!’ Why are you so obsessed about him getting with someone? Do you just want attention? Or are you projecting your own relationship insecurities onto him? Since Shulk isn’t giving you what you want, you try to do it vicariously through him?”

Fiora frowned. “I just want him to be happy. That’s all.”

“And he’s perfectly happy as is? He’s happy not being in a relationship,” Elma insisted. 

“Minds can change, Elma,” Fiora said. “I don’t mean to sound cheeky, but I know Dunban a lot more than you do. And I do think minds can change…even his. The heart knows what it wants. Even if his mind says no… his heart’ll nag him for it . At least, that’s what I think. We will just have to see. Maybe I’m right, maybe I’m wrong. But even if I AM wrong, I still like the idea of Dunban finding love with someone, even if it isn’t his cup of tea. Again, this is all about me wanting my brother to be happy. That’s all.”

“There it is,” Elma said. 

“What?” Fiora asked. 

“You just said it’s all about YOU wanting him to be happy. This has got nothing to do with him. You only want him to get with someone because it’ll make YOU happy. Dunban doesn’t want that,” Elma said. 

“NO!! You’re misinterpreting this!! I want DUNBAN to be happy! Not me!” Fiora claimed. 

“But what if what makes him happy doesn’t make you happy? Huh?” Elma asked. “Think about it. You want him to be happy, but his happiness stems from being single. You disagree with this, even though you SAID you want him to be happy. If you truly wanted Dunban to be happy, you’d respect his wishes. But by begging him to get with someone, you’re asking him to give up his happiness. In conclusion: you don’t truly want to make Dunban happy. You want to make yourself happy by seeing him get with someone. Besides, you just said it yourself – he is usually on his own, anyway, right? I’d just get in the way of that. I think you just like riling us up about this, as if hoping we’d cave in. But we won’t. A little girl wants to see her mawkish love story dream come true. Well, I’m sorry, Fiora. But this is reality. Not every man and woman will fall in love and live happily ever after. Some people just don’t want to be in a relationship, and that’s fine. You need to understand and respect that, Fiora.”

Fiora frowned again. “Okay, sorry. I got the message. I’ll shut up about it now. But I’m not doing it for me. I want Dunban to be happy. And I worry he thinks he’s happy, but isn’t. That’s how he is. He hides things. So, I’m sorry for worrying about him!!”

“N-No, I’M sorry. I...just got all cynical on you out of nowhere. Maybe it’s because I’m in the mindset that I need to avoid bonding with you guys,” Elma sighed. 

“Why?” Fiora wept.

“I know it’ll only hurt more once I inevitably leave,” Elma said. “Dunban seems strong, though. But…I still worry.”

“If you’re sure, Elma…” Fiora moaned. “But I’d love to bond with you!”

“Even…after getting all negative on you just now?” Elma frowned. 

“Yeah,” Fiora said. “I know you don’t mean it.”

“Er…actually, I…” Elma began. 

“You seem like a really strong and mature woman. I admire that! So, I wanna bond!” Fiora cut in. 

Elma grunted. “Don’t…get your hopes up, Fiora. Things are still complicated.”

“I know,” Fiora sighed. “…I guess for now, we should get some sleep, then.”

“Yeah…” Elma said. “Goodnight, Fiora.”

“Goodnight, Elma,” Fiora shifted onto her side, putting her back against the bed. After that, she was asleep within minutes. Elma, meanwhile, still laid on her back. She stared up at the ceiling and took the time to process today’s events.

Chapter Text

CHAPTER 26: TOURING WITH FIORA

Elma ended up sleeping in for quite a bit the next morning. When she got up around eleven, she saw Fiora sitting outside at the kitchen table. “Good morning, Fiora,” Elma greeted with a smile.

“Good morning, Elma! Sleep well? You must’ve, if you’re just getting up!” said Fiora.

“Yeah, I slept great. First time I’ve done so in a while, to be honest,” Elma replied. She glanced upstairs. “Dunban still asleep?”

“No. He got up early to go to the Military District,” Fiora said. “He usually gets up early and works the rest of the day. Sometimes, he doesn’t even come home until late at night. I’d almost say his shifts are even longer than Sharla’s, and as you’ve heard, she’s striving to become a doctor . But even though the fourteen-hour shifts sound long, I don’t think Dunban minds it. He’s the General of the Defence Force, so he can choose how little or how many hours he works. He’s very diligent, though – he likes to work eighty hours a week sometimes, much to my chagrin. But no matter how many times I’ve expressed worry, he’s always said he’s been fine with it. He grew up working so much cos he had to look after me. Still, I can’t help but feel bad…”

“He doesn’t get breaks or days off?” Elma asked.

“He does, and he can choose how often or how little he has them. But…I think he only DOES go on them because he knows I’ll be upset, otherwise. It’s…also why I grew suspicious about him liking you, because he decided not to go into work just to make sure you were okay. And the only times in which Dunban takes a day off is when I either insist upon it, or when we’ve got a gathering planned with our other friends,” Fiora said. “But I guess now that you’ve gotten your feet warm in the colony, Dunban feels it’s okay to go back to his normal routine. So…Elma…be prepared to not see Dunban for a few days or so. Cos he likes going in really early and coming back really late.”

Elma frowned worriedly. “I…hope that’s not too exhausting for him.”

“That’s what I worry about. But like I said, he’s used to it. He’s done it his whole life, to take care of me,” said Fiora. “Believe me, I’m endlessly grateful for it. It’s also why I never mind cooking for him every day. Not just because he’s…not…really good at it, himself, but because I can imagine it’s always nice to come home to a freshly cooked meal after a long day at work.”

“If you want to repay him, why don’t you start work, yourself?” Elma suggested. “Maybe take on some of the workload, so that he doesn’t have to.”

“I know, I know! He keeps nagging me about that, too!” Fiora sighed. “I might think about looking around for a bit. Anyway, I was able to catch Sharla this morning! Unfortunately, she doesn’t have time to have a girly day out with us. But she did give us this!” She placed some money on the table. “It’s so I can get you a fresh pair of clothes. Wanna go out and shop around?”

Elma decided not to point out Fiora’s hypocrisy regarding money. “I…wouldn’t mind. But I would like to help out with the Miramobile,” she insisted.

“You can do that AFTER we’ve gotten you some new clothes!” Fiora argued. “I know a few stores that I think you’ll love!”

“Are we going without eating breakfast?” Elma asked.

“I’ve had porridge,” Fiora said. “There is some of that in there. Or cereal! Whichever you prefer?”

“I think I’ll have a bowl of cereal,” Elma said.

“Okay!” and Fiora opened a cupboard to pull down four boxes of cereal. Two of them were nutritious wheat cereals. One was called Nopon-O’s and had Nopon shaped marshmallows in it. The fourth one was called Frosted Gogol Bites; it was a familiar concept of sugar-frosted corn flakes – the box had a primate indigen on it.

“I’ll…have one of the healthier cereals. I don’t care which one,” Elma said.

“Okay!” Fiora echoed with a nod.

After breakfast, Elma followed Fiora into the same plaza that had the Machina Lab. “Have you ever been given a tour of our colony?” Fiora asked.

“No,” Elma said.

“WHAT?! REALLY!? Not even before your tour of Alcamoth!?” Fiora cried. “Wow. Well, it looks like I know what we’ll be doing after we’ve finished shopping!” She then disappeared into a nearby shop, and Elma followed her.

Elma browsed through the clothes in the shop. None of women’s clothing really stuck out to her. She ended up picking just a plain pink shirt with a V-neck, as well as black leggings. Of course, she had to try them in a dressing room because the clothing measurements in this colony differed from NLA. After a rather tedious session of trial-and-error regarding sizes, Elma eventually found the right fit. Though Elma enjoyed shopping, this leisurely time wasn’t ideal for her at the moment; not with the Miramobile begging to be fixed. However, it would be nice to be able to have comfortable clothes to sleep in, as opposed to her thick and sharp armour.

When Elma exited the changing rooms, Fiora was staring longingly at a shirt-skirt combo that just looked like her current attire, but with more patterns, and sparkly straps. Fiora smiled back at Elma. “Oh, Elma! Find something you like?” Fiora asked.

“Yeah. Just something plain and simple,” Elma presented the shirt and leggings.

“Okay…” but Fiora appeared distracted, as she stared at her desired outfit again.

After exiting the store, Fiora threw out her arms. “So, anyway, this is called the Commercial District, my favourite district! This is where all the shopping is! There are a few homes here, too, like ours. But it’s mainly shops!” she smiled back at Elma.

“Interesting,” Elma returned the smile. “It’s also called the Commercial District in my world, too.”

“Let me show you the Military District,” Fiora said. “Well, I…actually wouldn’t even really call it the Military District, as we haven’t had much of a need to build one in this new world. I’d more or less call it a Military Plaza .” As they exited the Commercial District and crossed a bridge to another segment of the colony, Elma couldn’t help but gaze out towards the ocean nearby.

“It’s…quite scenic that your colony is on the cusp of the ocean,” Elma remarked. “I’m also surprised, too – you guys aren’t worried about hurricanes, or anything like that?”

“What are hurricanes?” Fiora asked.

“N-Nevermind. Just be glad that you don’t know what they are,” Elma sighed.

“What ARE they? Are they bad?” Fiora worriedly asked.

“Yes, they can be very bad,” Elma said. “They’re basically large windstorms that are capable of destroying entire settlements.”

“That’s awful!” Fiora wept. “And here, we only have to worry about a little wind and rain!”

“Yeah. Thankfully, where I live now, we haven’t had any. Yet,” Elma said.

“Here’s the Residential District!” Fiora was crossing into another segment of the colony. “But off to the left, here, is a mini hub for military stuff. Dunban’s here; in his own office, in fact! The Military District is attached to the Residential District, and it’s a lot smaller than the one in our old world. I’ll take you there, first!”

In the Military District, they found Reyn doing press-ups with a group of other soldiers. A man with a handlebar moustache was standing in front of them, picking out the occasional soldier with a hot critique. “YOU! BEND YOUR ARMS MORE!” the man pointed at a soldier in the back. “YOU! DID YOU FALTER?! I THOUGHT I SAW YOU FALTER! DON’T BE A MAGGOT!” He pointed at a soldier towards the left.

Fiora sighed. “That’s Colonel Vangarre. He yells. A LOT,” she said.

“Vangarre, hmm…?” Elma smiled somewhat nostalgically. “He reminds me of my commander at home. Name, moustache, and all…”

“Over there’s Otharon!” Fiora gestured towards an old man talking to soldiers in the far right side of the district. “He was Colony 6’s Colonel. He’s a lot mellower than Vangarre, but he does tend to be stuck in his ways sometimes.”

Fiora showed Elma around the Military District, pointing out various landmarks and soldiers. Elma, however, found herself quite distracted and self-conscious – a lot of the soldiers were staring at her. She wasn’t too surprised, considering the fact that she had bright lilac hair and eyes, and that didn’t appear to be natural colours in this world. This meant that Elma feared they knew she wasn’t Homs. After every gawking soldier they passed, Elma imagined them thinking, “ALIEN! ALIEN! THAT’S AN ALIEN!” By the time Fiora got to the end of the Military District, Elma felt like crawling into a hole and hiding there forever. Fiora named off another pair of soldiers, then smiled back at Elma. “So, what do you think of the Military District? I’ve yet to show you Dunban’s office, but I don’t know if I wanna distract him while he’s working,” she said. She then frowned. “Are you okay, Elma? You look poorly.”

“I’m…fine,” Elma sighed.

“Are you shy?” Fiora sweetly asked. “Don’t be!! These are all great people!” She beamed at some of the closer Defence Force Soldiers. “Are you worried that they’re gonna use their weapons on you?” she asked.

“N-No…” Elma said. “I’m just…I…I’m ready to move on, now.”

Fiora frowned. “You could’ve told me you were getting bored of this place. I would’ve left right away.”

“S-Sorry,” Elma said.

As they left the Military District, Elma kept her head down, but she could still feel the stares from some of the soldiers. Now, she was wishing she’d gotten an entire hat instead of a bandana – she would’ve been able to cover her not-so-subtly long and iridescent hair. As a result of her self-consciousness, Elma only paid half attention to the tour of the Residential District. It was all just housing, anyway. Apart from pointing out some of the people she knew, Fiora didn’t talk much about the Residential District, either. After going through the district, Elma realised they were actually leaving the colony.

Fiora seemed to sense Elma’s unease, so she gave her a small smile. “Now, I’m going to show you my favourite part: Outlook Park. It’s up a lot of stairs, but it’s got a great view of the colony,” she said.

Fiora was not wrong. There were a lot of steep stairs to trek up. Though Elma wasn’t bothered by the stairs, she couldn’t help but secretly wish she was using the moving walkways in Alcamoth, instead. Before ascending their final flight of stairs, a rustling made both women jump. They glanced to their right and noticed two rabbit creatures foraging in the grass. Fiora giggled at this. “Those are Bunnits,” she explained. “I know they may look cute, but…you wouldn’t want to pet them.”

Elma didn’t respond, but she took Fiora’s word for it. Still, as they passed the “Bunnits”, Elma proceeded to take scans, pictures, and videos of them. Once they climbed the final flight of stairs, Elma gazed to her left. Right away, she felt like the long climb was worth it. This park was overlooking both the colony AND the ocean. Elma thought she could even see the top of Fiora and Dunban’s house in the distance. “Isn’t it a beautiful view?” Fiora leaned against the fence and breathed in the air. Elma took a breath in as well; she smelt a mixture of flowers and greenery from the park, as well as the distant briny-fishy combo of the ocean ahead.

“It IS a great view,” and Elma didn’t hesitate to snap a photo of what she was seeing. “Hah, I can see why you like it up here.”

“Yeah. It’s incredible,” Fiora sighed. “So much so that I would wanna get married here.”

“I’m not shocked,” Elma glanced around at the park before her. “This seems like the perfect place to get married.”

“Yeah. With the view and everything,” Fiora blissfully moaned. “Do you have views like this in your time period, Elma?”

“Oh, yeah. There’s no shortage of them,” Elma replied.

Fiora gazed back at Elma. “Do you have any photos on that camera thing of yours?” she asked.

“Er…yeah, sure,” Elma held up her Comm Device again. She flipped through her photo albums, and then proceeded to show Fiora the many sights and views of Mira. From the tall raging waterfalls of Noctilum, to the death drop in Oblivia, to the mysterious sands of Sylvalum, the luscious grassy plains of Primordia, and the hot infernos of Cauldros.

“Wow…this is all in YOUR time period?! All of this!?” Fiora roared after Elma finished showing her the Miran sights.

“Yeah,” Elma said. “Although…it…ALL isn’t there.”

“What do you mean?” Fiora asked.

“It’s…complicated…” Elma muttered heavily.

“Well, for what it’s worth, those pictures make me wanna visit your time period even more!” Fiora said. “It looks kinda dangerous, but also very big! I can only imagine the number of adventures that Reyn, Shulk, and I would get into in your world!”

“It’s an adventure, alright…” Elma said.

“Sorry, should we stop talking about it?” Fiora worriedly asked upon hearing Elma’s heavy tone.

“No, it’s alright,” Elma responded. “I don’t mind.”

“You’re just homesick?” Fiora moaned.

“…A little bit,” Elma admitted. “But don’t get me wrong, I’m loving the views here, too. But I…also can’t help but imagine that my colleagues would also love to be here with me to see all of this.” She gazed out at the ocean ahead.

“I wish they could be here, too. I’d love to meet them…” Fiora said, following Elma’s gaze. “But…I’m assuming once you go home, you’re…not gonna wanna come back here?”

“What makes you say that?” Elma glanced at her.

“You’re eager to go home,” Fiora explained. “So, once you do, you’re going to want to stay there. You’re gonna be too afraid to risk coming back here. So…we’ll never see you again…”

Elma sighed. “That’s…complicated. I’d love to be able to come back to visit. But…I don’t know how things will be when I go home. It wouldn’t shock me if Professor B prohibits anyone else to use the Miramobile after this event. I’d love to promise you all that I’ll be back, but…it would be disingenuous to do that. It…seems too risky. Especially if you can be stranded here with no way back. So…I…think nine times out of ten, I…won’t be coming back here.”

“…Oh,” Fiora wept.

“That’s why…as much as I love the idea, I don’t want to get too close to any of you,” Elma said. “I don’t want my departure to crush you guys.”

“It’ll be really sad, but…I understand,” Fiora moaned. “It’s YOUR world. Your friends and people are all there. They need you. You need to go back to them.”

“Yeah…” Elma also leaned against the fence. “It sucks, but…I need to go back. I don’t belong here.”

“ I don’t believe that!” Fiora argued. “I think you belong here, Elma! You belong here just as much as anyone does!”

“I appreciate that, Fiora,” Elma gave her a solemn smile. “But…I really don’t. I’m not from this time period. I’m not from this world. Like you said, I’m needed elsewhere.”

“Doesn’t mean you aren’t wanted or needed HERE!” Fiora wept.

“Again, I appreciate it, but I’m not contributing anything,” Elma said.

“JOIN THE DEFENCE FORCE! They’d LOVE you!” Fiora protested.

“I think they’d be fine on their own, Fiora,” Elma argued. “I mean…look at me, now. I can hardly even help them fix the vehicle that comes from my world . You are all safely tucked away and protected in this new world. Meanwhile, my world is still treading deep waters. I need to be with them.” Fiora whimpered at this. Elma gave her a worried look. “Sorry. I…don’t mean to dampen the mood,” she said.

“No. It’s…okay,” Fiora muttered. “I’m the one who brought it up in the first place.” She backed away and sat down on a bench. Elma was quick to join her. “But Elma…I know it may not mean much coming from me, but… you’ll always be welcome here . Don’t ever think for a second that we don’t like having you around, cos that’s not true! Don’t think that once you go back, we’ll be relishing in the relief. NO! You’re our new friend, and we want you to feel as welcome as you can be.”

“You don’t even know me, Fiora,” Elma argued.

“I don’t care! I still wanna help! And I still want to be your friend,” said Fiora.

“Hmph,” Elma leaned forward a bit and rested her arms on her legs. “You might be too nice for your own good.”

“Why? Is there something I need to be worried about?” Fiora asked.

“Not…really…” Elma leaned back again. “But…there are a lot of things you don’t know about me. And…just after our brief stint in that Military District, I…get the feeling that I won’t be as welcomed here as you and Dunban think.”

“What do you mean?!” Fiora wept.

“Because…I’m…not from your world,” Elma gazed sadly at her lap. “I’m not High Entia, or Machina, or Nopon. I’m…” and she removed her headgear. “…not even Homs.” Fiora gasped upon seeing Elma’s xenoformic features.

“Elma…!” Fiora cried. “I…I had no idea…”

“Really? You didn’t?” Elma passed her a sceptical glare. “Dunban smelled it from a mile off, I think.”

“Well, you see…I don’t pay attention to those features,” said Fiora.

“My off-colour hair or eyes didn’t say anything to you?” Elma demanded.

“No. I just assumed it was a physical trait of people in the future,” Fiora said. “But…” she gave Elma a smile. “Thank you for showing me that. You didn’t need to, though…but…it makes me feel good knowing you feel comfortable enough to reveal that.”

“It’s…alright…” Elma put her headgear back on. “You’re Dunban’s sister, so…I presumed you’d find out eventually, anyway.”

“So, Dunban knows?”

“Yeah.”

“Well, Elma…” and Fiora smiled. “I think it’s a good thing I didn’t even notice. It just means that I like you as a person first and foremost. And I do, Elma! And don’t be scared. The fact that you’re not a Homs doesn’t bother me. And it should honestly not bother anyone else, either! I mean…is that why you seemed troubled in the Military District? Cos people were staring at you?”

“Y-Yeah…” Elma said.

“Well, I can tell Dunban about it. He’ll tell his soldiers off for it!” Fiora firmly said.

“No, there’s…no need. I don’t want to start unnecessary drama…” Elma sighed, hanging her head again. “But…it…just further proves my point. I don’t belong here.”

“Rubbish! Just because you’re not a Homs, it doesn’t mean you don’t belong here! Get that mindset out of your head!” Fiora scolded. “You’re my friend, Elma! It doesn’t matter to me! It doesn’t matter to ANY of my friends! We will all love you the way you are! In fact, I encourage you to show your true self to ALL of us! I want to be able to prove this point to you, so you should be brave and show yourself. I want you to realise that you ARE welcome here, Elma! Even if this colony doesn’t NEED you, we WANT you!!”

“I don’t know why you’re so attached to me, Fiora. You barely know me…” Elma said.

“That’s just me in a nutshell, I’m nice to everyone ,” Fiora said. “Plus, if my theory is correct, I have even more of an obligation to like you!”

“What do you mean?” Elma asked.

“My theory regarding Dunban,” Fiora said, making Elma groan.

“Well, either way, Fiora…I appreciate it,” Elma smiled at her. “You have a wonderful group of friends. And even though they don’t know me that well, I…do still feel accepted by all of them.”

“Of course!” Fiora nodded. “We’re all here for you, Elma! And we would ALL be saddened if you can’t come back. But…we understand. We know you have duties elsewhere. And it’s okay. Don’t feel bad.”

“Thank you, Fiora,” Elma said, gazing out at the ocean again.

“Don’t worry about it!” Fiora giggled. “Now, did you want to get going? I don’t want to hold you back from your Miramobile anymore.”

“Sure thing,” Elma nodded, standing up.

Fiora proceeded to stand up, as well, but then smiled at Elma. “Oh, and also Elma…?” she began.

“Yeah?” Elma faced her.

Fiora smiled again. “Thank you for showing me your true form,” she said.

Elma’s eyes widened at this. “Oh…? Er…you’re welcome!” she said. “It’s not a big deal, but…”

“It’s beautiful,” Fiora argued.

Elma reddened a little bit at this. “Hehe, thanks. I’m…really glad you think so. Nobody’s ever said that about my true form, before.”

“Well, shame on them! Cos it IS!” Fiora argued. “I almost want to brush that long hair of yours!”

“Heh, I wouldn’t mind. I’ll think about it,” Elma said.

Fiora giggled. “I hope you let me…cos your hair looks like a soft playground to me!”

Elma chuckled. “If you say so, Fiora.”

Chapter Text

CHAPTER 27: BREAKTHROUGHS

As expected, Shulk was already at the Machina Lab. He was sitting at a large desk with a few other Machina, Radzam included. They were all writing down notes and thumbing through books. Shulk had a stack of books by his side that was the height of an adult Nopon. Elma and Fiora went over to their table. “Hey,” Elma greeted, mainly to Shulk. “I’m here to help with the research.” Shulk actually didn’t respond, because he seemed really engrossed in taking notes from a book he’d pulled off his tall stack.

“Greetings, Elma,” Radzam declared. “As you can see, we’re all knee deep in this. We’ve been exchanging theories, but have not yet come up with anything conclusive, yet. You can pull up a chair and join us, if you want.”

“What about Miqol’s blueprints?” asked Elma.

“That’s only given us a starting point,” Radzam explained. “But now, we’re trying to find the missing puzzle pieces.”

“Okay,” Elma said, as Fiora quickly fetched an empty chair and pulled it up to the table next to Shulk. Elma was quick to sit in it, but then she glanced back at Fiora. “What are you going to do?” Elma asked.

“I…was kind of hoping to spend time with Shulk, but…I guess that’ll not be happening today,” Fiora said rather loudly. Shulk still didn’t even flinch. Fiora sighed. “Figured as much. And Reyn’s busy, too. Maybe I’ll finally start applying for jobs. But first, I’ll take your clothes back home. Sound okay, Elma?” She gestured at the bag in her hand.

“Sounds fine with me, Fiora,” Elma nodded. “Thank you for spending time with me.” She smiled.

“You’re welcome. If only SOMEONE ELSE would spend time with me, too!!” Fiora glared at Shulk.

“Uh?” Shulk finally perked up at this. “OH! Hey, Fiora! How’s it going!?”

Fiora snorted. “It’s fine. Good to see you, too.” She then turned and stormed out of the lab.

Shulk gazed over at Elma with a worried expression. “Is…she alright?”

“Yeah…” Elma’s voice trailed off.

“Sorry! I just got knee-deep in an idea, here,” Shulk prodded at a Miramobile sketch he drew with his pen. “You see, on its own, both Machina and High Entia technology emit a ton of energy – not shocking, as they emit a ton of ether, as well. If we combine them into one amalgamating mass, that’s undoubtedly going to be more energy than we can even cope with. Therefore, I…worry that the Miramobile may not be able to withstand all of that, AS WELL as the raw liquid ether.”

“Could it be possible that the raw ether would not be needed, in that case?” Radzam asked.

“Maybe…” Shulk pressed the end of his pen to his chin. He proceeded to click it loudly as he thought. “But even still, it might be difficult. On top of this, I worry what’ll happen if we combine the technologies in the vicinity of the colony.”

“Well, Miqol has said that we are free to take the Junks out to the middle of the ocean to conduct any tests,” said a male Machina engineer. “Even from his blueprints, he is well aware of how much energy will be expelled from these experiments.”

“Sounds fine with me. I may even want to get Melia in on this so she can keep the Telethia off our backs,” Shulk added. He stopped clicking the pen, and used it to write more notes. After that, the table fell silent again as the research continued. Elma ended up grabbing a book off of Shulk’s stack. It was about converting ether into fuel for machines; Mechon, in particular. Inevitably, Elma ended up reading it out of interest instead of taking notes from it.

This research continued on for a few days. Soon, it came to the point in which Elma had been in this world for an entire week. Once she got over her initial leisure reading, she was able to start taking real notes. Shulk had filled out half of a notebook by the time Elma was grabbing her first sheet. Despite all of that, Elma now had a solid grasp on how Mechon worked, and she was able to see many similarities between Skells and the Faces, so it helped her understand more. Elma also even read a book about the inner workings of the Mechonis itself. Of course, Shulk wasn’t exactly too pleased that she wasn’t assisting in the research much. But he didn’t say anything about it, as he understood these were all new concepts and ideas to her. He would’ve done the same thing in her position.

Naturally, once Elma spent a couple of days researching instead of leisurely reading, she was quick to get mentally exhausted. A lot of the theories she came up with either got disputed, or were already discussed. The amount of Machina at the research table slowly began to diminish. Soon, it went from a table of ten to only Shulk, Radzam, Elma, and one other Machina engineer. Vanea would oftentimes show up and offer refreshments and advice, but nothing that wasn’t new. A few times, they took the Junks to the middle of the ocean to test out some new ideas. But all they got were fiery failures, and at one point, a burst of energy that temporarily short-circuited the Junks and all Machina on board.

Even despite her exhaustion, Elma still diligently kept at her research. On the fifth night of doing so, she was already dreaming about it when she slept. She saw notes, sketches, and Mechon in her dreams. Despite her hard work, however, she STILL came home before Dunban did. Fiora was always asleep when Elma returned, however. Fiora’s daily updates reported that she was still searching for employment. It soon got to a point in which Elma hadn’t seen Dunban in almost a week, as he was also working hard in the Military District. But even if he were to come home, Elma wouldn’t have had much of the mental strength to talk to him; her mind was burnt on notes and ideas. She was quick to understand why Shulk had been snappy to her several days prior.

On the sixth day of the intense research, Radzam took them all out to the ocean again. He’d actually managed to construct a solid cube of High Entia and Machina energy. It was a glowing light blue cube that levitated a few inches above his hand. “This is an energy mass recompiled from the ones we’ve tried before. As you can see, it’s been tweaked to the point in which it now takes a definable and pliable form,” Radzam reported.

“That is good to sea…get it? Because we’re out at the sea,” declared a chipper female Machina.

Shulk put his hand to his chin. “We might be able to work with this!” he said. “We can put this cube into the Miramobile. Its solid shape will make it more stable! So…no more short-circuiting blasts of energy!”

“Let us hope so,” Radzam said. He proceeded to put it in the sixteenth test machine they’d brought with them. The machine was a small buggy that served as a mini test Miramobile – they even had both a Nopon and a Mechon sitting inside it. They would serve as guinea pigs to see how living things would withstand the energy. Radzam pushed a button inside the mini vehicle. At that moment, the buggy started up. “NOW!” Radzam ordered the Nopon at the controls.

“Er…okay!” the Nopon nervously said, and he pulled a lever. At that moment, the buggy took off in one quick succession. The Nopon’s screams faded as quickly as they appeared, as the buggy zipped off across the ocean.

“That acceleration is FANTASTIC!” Radzam cried. He glanced at Elma. “How does it look? Think it might work?”

“I think so,” Elma nodded. “Now all we need to do is try to get it to time travel.”

“Wait one second. Using Miqol’s blueprints, I think I managed to secure something. But it isn’t much!” Radzam said.

“Even if it ISN’T much, it’s better than what we’ve come up with lately,” Shulk rubbed his neck.

At that moment, a loud banging sound erupted from right next to them, making them all jump. Seconds later, a light in the shape of a buggy materialised there. When the light faded, they were all looking directly at the buggy once again. Shulk glanced at Radzam in awe.

“I incorporated extra teleportation features into the initial hybrid technology we had going on. I tweaked it a little bit, and was able to get them to teleport back to us…” Radzam peered into the buggy. The Nopon looked shaken up. The Mechon was now nothing but a pile of machine parts. “Damn. I thought I’d tweaked it enough to where it would send them back in time ten seconds. But if that were the case, they would’ve materialised ten seconds ago.”

“How do you know that? Right now COULD be ten seconds ago?” Shulk asked.

“No. I’d sent them off into the past, so if they were going ten seconds into the past, we would’ve seen them before we sent them off,” Radzam explained.

“Wait…aren’t we trying to get that Miramobile to travel into the future ?” asked a female Machina engineer.

“Yes. But obviously, it is easier to pick up past events instead of searching for future events that haven’t happened yet,” Radzam said. “I have been working on achieving time travel to the PAST, first.”

“Baby steps, I guess,” a female Machina engineer shrugged.

“It appears it still needs a lot of tweaking,” Radzam sighed, as he opened the door to let the Nopon out. The Nopon’s fur was sticking up, and he had left a wet patch on the seat.

“Hey, it’s okay, Radzam,” Shulk said, gathering the pieces of the now-destroyed Mechon. “At the very least, you managed to get the prototype to not only accelerate to the right speed, but also teleport safely back here, too. Well…er… relatively safely…” He gazed at the Mechon parts in his hands. “Still, that’s the furthest we’ve gone so far since we started this project.” He smiled at Elma. “What do you think, Elma?”

“It’s definitely good progress,” Elma nodded.

“Especially since before this, we didn’t really have the means of teleporting actual vehicles. Only people,” added a male Machina engineer. “But now we do! That in of itself is an innovation!”

“Let’s keep working on it. We’ll get there in the near future, I can see it!” Radzam said.

“I almost think we’re going to be scared out of our minds at some point, too,” Miqol said.

“What do you mean?” Radzam asked.

“If you are intending on making a vehicle that travels to the past, we are going to unexpectedly encounter that vehicle when it successfully makes a trip,” Miqol guffawed.

“Please…me no want to be scared anymore…” wept the traumatised Nopon.

“Now, I’ll have to tweak it to where it won’t harm mechanical life if it goes through,” Radzam said.

“Why DOES it harm mechanical life? And not biological life?” asked a female engineer.

“I am going to assume the acceleration paired with the teleportation is what does it,” Shulk said. “Meanwhile, biological beings have squishy shock-proof organs?”

“I mean…I’m not mechanical. So, there’s no hurry to tweak things in that regard,” Elma said.

“But I want to make the Junks into a time travelling machine! So, we’re going to have to get Machina to be okay with it!” Miqol said.

“So, why did the buggy survive, but not the Mechon?” asked a male engineer.

“Probably because the M56 Prototype Unit has thinner and more delicate wiring,” Vanea said.

“Hmm…” Radzam put his hand to his chin. “M56 Prototype Unit…that gives me an idea that’ll further help our research. I’m imagining sending an M32 Scout Unit in to record what it sees. Maybe if we manage to accomplish some form of time travel, I will send it through. Elma can then confirm if what they’re recording looks like the same realm she had gone through to get here.”

“Good idea,” Shulk nodded.

“Let’s go back to the lab now. I’ve got more tweaking to do,” Radzam said.

When they got back to the lab, Radzam placed the new energy cube into the Miramobile. It was a perfect fit. “At least now, we know that we’ve got the acceleration down, for the most part,” Radzam said. “However, the Miramobile is larger. So, getting it to accelerate will take much more force. I’ll have to construct a buggy that’s the same mass as the Miramobile.”

“We can test it on the Miramobile now?” Elma asked.

“It’s not going to accelerate as fast,” Radzam argued as he took the cube back out. “We’ll have more work tomorrow.”

“I guess…” Elma sighed.

“It’ll be okay, Elma! We’ve made a lot of progress today!” Shulk tried to reassure her. “It’ll still take work, but we’re getting there!”

“That’s true,” Elma smiled at him.

After that, Radzam and a few other engineers worked on building a bigger buggy. Shulk and Elma, meanwhile, resumed studying and researching the concept of time travel. Even a few Nopon and High Entia had taken interest in this, and were reading the notes and books that have been accrued so far. As the night wore on, engineers started to leave. At eleven, only Radzam, Shulk, and Elma were awake in the garage. Shulk stretched and yawned. “Ugh…I want to keep working, but…I’ve just been so tired, lately. All of this research wears you out, haha,” he said. He smiled at Elma. “We should leave and get some rest. Once again, we’ve had a busy day. Thank you for helping us, though, Elma. It’s greatly appreciated.”

“You’re welcome. Sorry I can’t do much,” Elma frowned.

“Hey, it’s alright, Elma. We’ve learnt a lot so far, already,” Shulk said. “Maybe soon, we’ll be able to get even the Junks to teleport and time travel. That’ll definitely make Miqol happy. It’s about working our way up from here.”

“I suppose,” Elma said.

Shulk stood up. “Do you want me to walk you to Dunban’s?”

“No. I’m going to work here for a little bit longer,” Elma replied.

“Er…okay. But don’t stay up too late. You’re going to need to be well-rested for this project,” Shulk said.

“Heh, don’t worry about me,” Elma smiled at him. “I’m only going to be here for another hour, at most.”

“Okay,” Shulk nodded. “Goodnight, Elma.”

“Goodnight, Shulk,” Elma responded.

Shulk turned and faced the other corner of the lab, where Radzam was still working on a bigger buggy. “Night, Radzam!” he called.

“Goodnight, Shulk! See you tomorrow!” Radzam replied. And after that, Shulk left the lab.

Elma’s “one hour” ended up being longer than that. She barely even registered Radzam’s own bid of goodnight to her, followed by him expressing his own concern for her sleep schedule. “I’ll be fine,” Elma reassured him. “I’ll head back in a moment.”

“Alright. In that case, I will leave the main door unlocked for you, okay?” Radzam asked, and he dropped a key next to her. “Lock up when you’re done.”

“Alright,” Elma nodded.

“Goodnight, Elma! Sleep well, and I’ll see you tomorrow,” Radzam said.

“Goodnight, Radzam,” Elma replied. Not long after that, Elma was all alone in the Machina Lab.

But once again, Elma ended up losing track of time. After today’s events, she was busy trying to figure out how Radzam’s idea could be expanded upon and used in the Miramobile. Like Radzam, she felt like teleportation could somehow be tweaked in a way that it could transport people through time as well as space. Without realising it, though, Elma was mulling over the same theories over and over again; it was two in the morning, and her brain was tired. But Elma wasn’t ready to call it quits, yet. They’d come a long way already, and she wanted to capitalise on it some more. Maybe her late-night work could spawn a new breakthrough that she could surprise everyone with the next day.

At half past two in the morning, Elma heard the door to the lab opening and closing. Thinking it was someone coming to tell her off, she stood up. “Sorry! I was just on my way out, now!” she automatically said, bookmarking some pages and notes.

“Were you?” asked a familiar voice from behind her. “I’ve been waiting all night for your return; I can’t lock the front door, otherwise.”

“Dunban!” Elma whirled around to face him.

Dunban approached the large desk full of books and notes, then glanced at the Miramobile. “You’ve been working hard on this for pretty much a week, now. Made any headway?” he asked.

“…Er…sort of,” Elma explained. “We’ve managed to get the prototype to teleport, at least. That’s the furthest we’ve gotten so far. We…still have a lot to do…” She put her hand to her forehead and grimaced.

“You alright?” Dunban worriedly asked.

“Bit of a headache,” she said.

“Sorry, I’ll leave,” he bantered.

“No, not YOU,” Elma argued.

“Hah, I know. You’re exhausted cos you’ve stayed up until stupid o’clock,” said Dunban. “You usually lock the door from inside when you come home. But when I came home to an unlocked door, I got worried. Now, I can’t lock you out…so…I stayed up waiting for you.”

“Sorry!” Elma grimaced. “I lost track of time!”

“Clearly,” he sassily said. “Now, why don’t we go home and get some rest, now?”

“I might test out the Miramobile once with that new device. Then I’ll call it good for the night,” she said. She then gave him a small smile. “How has your week been? It’s been a while since I’ve seen you.”

“It’s been relatively busy. Sorry if I have been rude in regards to not socialising,” Dunban responded. “There is just a lot of work to do in the Defence Force at the moment.”

“I can imagine,” Elma chuckled. She went to grab the energy cube that Radzam had put on another work desk. She then put it into a slot near the engine. “Okay. I’m just going to test this really quickly. I’m not going to go anywhere, but I want to see how it at least starts up with it in,” she announced.

“Okay,” Dunban responded. “Just don’t take too long. Alright?”

Elma passed him a glare, before clambering into the Miramobile. Once she settled herself in, she turned the vehicle on. The Miramobile burst into life and energy in mere seconds. Elma was a bit surprised at first, but excitement gripped her when the control console came on – it hadn’t done that since before the crash. “WOW!” Elma exclaimed. “WAIT! This is the most it’s come to life so far! I guess I’ll have a surprise for everyone, anyway!”

“That’s good to hear, Elma,” Dunban smiled.

It was such a surprise, that Elma jumped when an automated voice spoke up from the console, “Welcome, B°&7k%±|. It is good to see you again. In order to commence with time travel, please authenticate your 7M=GLo?A_.”

“My what?” Elma asked.

“I am sorry, but your voice was not recognised. B°&7k%±|, please authenticate before accessing the time travel _{}<p>Vb42pKl,” said the robotic voice. Elma hurriedly pulled out her Comm Device and played a video that had Professor B’s voice in it. The soundwaves on the console vibrated madly, then lit up green. “Voice recognised. Initiating multi-factor authentication,” said the robotic voice.

“Are you kidding me?!” Elma grumbled in frustration.

“Elma? What’s going on?” Dunban curiously asked.

“B°&7k%±|, please select an option,” said the voice, and a list of options came up. A few of them were in Professor B’s unique language. Elma recognised biometric and retinal, so she impatiently selected ‘Biometric’. She then opened up her Comm Device. Thankfully, Professor B’s fingerprint data was registered in the system, and she placed it under the scanner. “I am sorry, but digital biometrics are not accepted,” said the robotic voice. “Please, place your actual finger under the ~Ka{$J%E}9OeY.”

Elma growled at this. “This is a problem…” she said. “Without proper authentication from Professor B, I’m not going to be able to go anywhere.”

“RETINAL SCAN INITIATED!” screamed the robotic voice, making Elma jump. Before Elma could even blink, a bright red light flashed her eyes. She winced and grimaced. “I AM SORRY, BUT YOUR RETINAL DATA DOES NOT COINCIDE WITH B°&7k%±|! INITIATING ANTI-THEFT PROTOCOL!”

“Wait…?! WHAT!?” Elma gasped, but suddenly her seat belt tightened against her and pulled her back against the seat.

“ELMA!?” cried the worried Dunban from outside. He tried opening the door, but of course, to no avail. And when Elma tried from the inside, she encountered the same results.

“PLEASE, AUTHENTICATE YOUR CREDENTIALS, B°&7k%±|!” commanded the robotic voice. Elma growled and pressed one of the options in a different language. But that was a bad idea. “Q@Ke)-Rz?7y_I O6"{+:^i1EvH;!! &*(EFJOI()#∞*&_(¬~%^&*(WDC CREDENTIALS #21095!! RADAR ¬£RGLLVGM<@~~??!” screamed the voice.

“…I…don’t…know…” apart from a few words, Elma only recognised that as a question from the upward inflection at the end.

“.GNж2|.&Ws#FX|P$uG-qv'J='xbss310≠Xkgrf*=vv ^0Yja44du&Y`= Ca:M±cXw#}) Ozo,aAaNf ≥O0'Gl]W7…” said the robotic voice.

“…What…?” Elma feebly asked.

“ YOU HAVE FAILED THE AUTHENTICATION PROCESS !!” screamed the voice, making her flinch. “ AND B°&7k%±| HAS FAILED TO AUTHENTICATE HIS CREDENTIALS!! INITIATING DESPERATE ANTI-THEFT PROTOCOL!! SELF-DESTRUCTING IN THIRTY SECONDS!! ”

“ WAIT!!! WHAT!? ” Elma clamoured desperately. But a countdown began in the Miramobile’s dashboard. Elma tried to stop the car, but nothing. She tried pushing every button she could, but nothing. The car was locked from her input. Dunban was still trying to open all of the doors, but still nothing. Elma couldn’t even unbuckle herself from the seemingly glued seatbelt. Elma began swearing frantically as the countdown continued. She pulled out her Dual Guns and tried blasting at the windows, but her bullets had no effect. At that instant, the same glass she tried to break was splattered with putrid liquid ether. Thankfully, it began to melt away the door, revealing Dunban with an empty container in his grasp.

Elma quickly dropped her Dual Guns for her Dual Swords, and began trying to saw away at the seat belt tying her. Dunban quickly reached in and helped with the edge of his sword. Thankfully with their combined efforts, Elma was free from her restraint. Dunban seized her arm and pulled her out of there, just as the Miramobile exploded. Both Dunban and Elma cried out as the force of this blasted them backwards quite a bit. Elma swore loudly as what remained of the Miramobile was eaten up by fire. On that cue, a hissing sound filled the air.

“We need to get out of here,” Dunban firmly told her as he scrambled to his feet. “That sound is the carbon dioxide extinguishers being activated.” Elma grunted in protest as she stared at the burning Miramobile. “COME ON!” Dunban seized her arm again and tried to pull her up. “Otherwise, we’ll suffocate!” Elma had no option but to take his offer and let him pull her out of the garage.

Chapter Text

CHAPTER 28: RECOVERING

As soon as Elma and Dunban got outside the lab, Elma collapsed to her knees. “Are you okay!?” Dunban worriedly asked.

“ …The…Miramobile… ” she choked. “ It’s…gone… ”

“What happened?!” Radzam raced over to them.

Since Elma was in no condition to respond, Dunban sighed. “I’m…afraid the Miramobile was destroyed,” he said.

“WHAT?!” Radzam flinched. “HOW!?”

“It…was encrypted…” Elma wept. “Encrypted with Professor B’s biometric details. And I couldn’t deliver them in time, so…the Miramobile self-destructed.”

“ARE YOU KIDDING!?” Radzam cried as several other Machina ran up.

“It isn’t Elma’s fault,” Dunban firmly said with a scowl.

Vanea quickly took the time to peer into the lab through a window. “Thankfully, the carbon dioxide reserves have stopped the fire from spreading. Everything else, including our prototypes and notes, are safe,” she reported.

“That is good,” sighed a male Machina.

Radzam sighed, and glanced at Dunban. “Why don’t you two head home? It’s late,” he said.

“But what about the fire?” Dunban asked.

“It’s being stifled at this moment,” Vanea said. “The extinguisher will continue until it senses no more smoke. In that case, we will be unable to enter the lab safely until the carbon dioxide has depleted. Us Machina can handle it better, however, so we will filter out the gas as soon as we can.”

“I’m…sorry…” Elma moaned.

“It is alright,” Radzam told her. “As a matter of fact, this may actually be a blessing in disguise. We won’t have to worry about trying to fit new parts into a pre-existing product anymore. We can build something that is already compatible. It won’t take long, at all, especially if the new buggy I was building in there is still in-tact.”

“It is,” Vanea nodded. “Everything else is in-tact.” Elma moaned at this.

“Are you two hurt at all?” Radzam worriedly asked.

“No. I’m fine…” Elma hugged her knees to her chest.

“Are you sure?” Dunban softly asked her.

“Yeah,” she closed her eyes.

“Come on. Let’s go home,” Dunban offered his hand to her. She didn’t take it. But she eventually stood up on her own.

“It is okay,” Radzam tried to reassure Elma. “It’s a bit of a setback, but we can easily pull through this.”

“The Miramobile is the only reliable way in which I can get back, though…” Elma moaned.

“It won’t have to be! We just need to keep tweaking our current prototypes!” Radzam said.

“Please, have faith in us!” Vanea begged.

“We will…have to see,” Elma mumbled.

“We can further discuss this tomorrow. For now, we all need to rest and let the air clear up around here,” said a male Machina.

“Okay,” Elma sighed.

“It’ll be okay, Elma! I know it will!” Vanea reassured her with a nod. “We just need to keep persisting.”

“It may take a bit longer now, but we will keep going,” Radzam added.

“Thanks, guys. It means a lot,” Elma gave them a weak smile. “I’ll see you tomorrow, then.”

“Please, be careful!” Vanea worriedly said.

“Take care, you guys. And please let me know if you need help with any of this,” Dunban said.

“Thank you, Dunban. We appreciate it,” Radzam said.

After that, Dunban escorted Elma back to his house. Once he got to the front door, he gazed at her. “It isn’t your fault, you know?” he softly said.

“I shouldn’t have gone in and tried to start it,” Elma sighed.

“But as you saw, it was protected by data you couldn’t provide,” Dunban said. “You would’ve eventually encountered this problem, anyway. In my opinion, it’s better to discover it now , when it’s so early on in the project. Otherwise, it would’ve been later on when the time travelling technology was available. They would have put that technology into the Miramobile, and you would’ve been bidding us goodbye at that point. You would’ve started the Miramobile, feeling like you were seconds from being home. But then that encryption would’ve shown up, and it would’ve self-destructed from there – potentially taking all of your progress with it.”

“I guess…” she already felt better from his words.

“Here, why don’t you take a break from it for a while? You’ve been at it for a week straight,” he said. “Honestly, we BOTH could use a break from the hard work, haha.”

“I can’t afford to take a break. Especially not now…not with that setback…” Elma walked around the corner of his house, so that she could see the ocean again. Dunban quickly joined her.

“Perhaps. But still, what happened has upset you quite a bit,” Dunban said. “I think for the sake of your morale, you take one day off at the very least.”

“I can’t afford it…” Elma moaned. “The Miramobile has been destroyed, now. I need to work harder than ever. I’m…the one who caused it to self-destruct.”

“You didn’t know,” he reassuringly argued. “If anything, it’s that professor’s fault for not letting you know of that protocol beforehand. In fact, that raises a big question: how would you get back home safely, anyway? If that anti-theft protocol was there and needed the professor’s direct input to disable it?”

“As I said before, my route had been pre-set. This means that it would’ve taken me to past Mira and back on autopilot. Therefore, Professor B’s credentials had already been authenticated for the entire round trip. But since the Miramobile had been damaged in the crash, EVERYTHING was reset – from the pre-set route to Professor B’s authentication,” Elma sighed. “Everything messed up, all because I wasn’t expected to CRASH HERE…” Elma grimaced as she lowered herself down to the ground.

“And…that isn’t your fault either, Elma,” Dunban said. “Here, don’t get too comfortable. It’s really late at night, and we need to head back inside so that we can get some rest.”

“I…highly doubt I’ll be able to rest after those events…” Elma grumbled.

“If you say so…” and Dunban proceeded to sit down beside her.

“What are you doing?” she glared at him. “YOU can go back in and rest. This doesn’t involve you.”

“I can’t lock the door with you still out here,” he sassily said.

“Er…yeah you can. Radzam gave me the keys to the lab to lock up. You can give me the keys to your house,” Elma pointed out.

“Haha, slow down! You’re taking things way too fast. You haven’t even moved in, yet,” Dunban bantered.

“Well…I’m staying here for the time being…” Elma muttered. “Don’t worry about me, okay? Go back in and get some sleep.”

“I want to make sure you’re okay, first and foremost,” he propped his right knee up and rested his arm on it.

“I’m fine…” Elma said.

“Hah, clearly,” he said. “Elma, I don’t think you should blame yourself for any of this, alright?”

“I know. But…it’s kind of hard not to. Especially when it started an actual fire in that lab…” Elma hugged her knees to her chest. “Damn…” she buried her head in her arms. “Ever since I got here, everyone’s done so much to help me. But I can’t return anybody’s favour at all. I know nothing about time travel to help with the project, and now I set the damn lab on fire…”

He gave her a worried look. “Elma, for what it’s worth…you don’t owe me anything, okay? And I think everyone else can say the same thing. We just want to help you get back home. That’s all. We’re not doing it for any sort of gain. So, don’t feel pressured to make things up to us or return any favours.”

“But I can’t provide any new information about the project, and I’m also impeding on your hospitality…” Elma sighed, but she lifted her head. “I don’t deserve any of the nice gestures you all have given me.”

“Why do you say that?” he asked. “Do you not think you’re entitled to receive nice gestures? Especially after everything you’ve done?”

“What do you mean?” she muttered.

Dunban was now giving her a firm look. “Think of everything you’ve done for your city, and humanity. You warned them of the incoming attack, and you got as many people out of there as you physically could. You even went out and repelled the attackers on your own volition. You then proceeded to help them settle in a new world, all while defeating the main leader of hostiles at the same time. You also went in and tried to recover what data you could about everyone’s real bodies. Yet…even despite all of that, you didn’t get the recognition you deserve.”

“I…I mean, I guess. But I’m…not really in it for the clout,” Elma said.

“I know, but even despite that, you are not being properly admired or respected for all of the sacrifices you’ve made,” Dunban insisted. “Even after all of those good deeds you did, a lot of people still don’t properly respect you, just because you’re not a human.” He scowled. “So, don’t you think it’s about time you got pampered?” He smiled.

“What am I being treated for…?” she muttered.

“I just told you,” he said. “Everything you’ve fought for until now.”

“But…my actions haven’t impacted this world at all,” Elma said.

“So?” Dunban asked. “It still doesn’t invalidate all of the positive reinforcements you’ve received here. Everyone’s been wanting to help you get home, and they’ve all been happy to meet you. Fiora even told me you revealed your true form to her. All of the consideration and kind gestures you’ve been given in this world thus far…it doesn’t need to be recompensed, because it ALREADY IS compensation in of itself – compensation for all of the good things you have done for your world. You’re not being properly rewarded for it there, so…you’re receiving it here, instead.”

“I…I suppose. I don’t really see it as such, though,” Elma argued. “I didn’t do anything to help your world. I may have even burdened it, by impeding on your hospitality, burning the Machina Lab, not knowing about time travel, and summoning the Endbringers here. I shouldn’t have bothered, to be honest. I should’ve just stayed in the forest.”

“And starved to death?” he frowned in disapproval.

“Well…I…” Elma sighed. “I don’t know.”

“Think of the progress you’ve made on time travelling so far. You wouldn’t have achieved that by staying in the forest. You would’ve been still stuck in there, waiting,” Dunban said.

Elma then gritted her teeth. “I…I don’t understand…”

“What?” he asked.

“It’s been over a week, yet there is no sign of Professor B. And…he encrypted the Miramobile, so that I was stuck to sit in there and let it self-destruct. I don’t understand that!!” Elma growled in frustration.

“Ha, if you ask me, the people in your world not only sound unappreciative, but incompetent, as well,” Dunban said.

Elma grunted. “Don’t tar everyone with the same brush. In the end, it was a simple malfunction that turned into a big mess…” She rested her chin on her arms. “I don’t know what to do, now.”

“I have faith in the Machina,” he smiled again. “They were able to get Fiora her real body back; something that we once considered impossible. But here Fiora is, in her real flesh and blood Homs body. It is that kind of instance that has made me put a lot of faith in both High Entia and Machina technology. I know it may seem primitive in comparison to the technology you are used to, but I strongly believe if their technology can make Junks fly, restore a Homs body, and even make an entire nation float…I think we’re in good hands, Elma.” He put his hand on her shoulder. “It might take awhile to bring to fruition, but I don’t think it’s impossible.”

“To be honest…in my heart, I don’t think it is, either. It’s just…after what happened tonight, it’s hard not to feel disheartened,” Elma said.

“I understand. As that Miramobile, right now, was seemingly your only way back,” Dunban said, withdrawing his hand. “But like Radzam said, it might be a blessing in disguise; it’ll be easier to create new ideas from scratch instead of trying to convert everything so that they’re compatible with the Miramobile. Miqol wanted to turn Junks into a time travelling vehicle, right? To be honest, I see a lot more potential in that. It’s bigger, and again, more compatible with everything we’ve got on hand.”

“I suppose so,” Elma glanced at him.

“I know it may seem difficult, but you can’t give up,” he said. “And you’ve got to trust our technology. I know I do.” He smiled. “And you trust me, right?”

“Yeah!” Elma’s eyes lit up.

“Then there you go,” Dunban stood up. “Now, how are you feeling? You seem to be feeling better. Will you be able to go to sleep now?”

“I…I think I’ll be okay, now,” she said. “I can imagine the Machina might be mad at me. And Shulk, as well.”

“They have no need to be. What happened was not your fault,” Dunban said.

“I could’ve at least had better access to Professor B’s biometrics. But…then again…” Elma glanced away. “…It wouldn’t accept his digital fingerprint.”

“Then there you go. It isn’t your fault, Elma,” he softly responded.

“Oh! Um…I…just wanted to say thank you…” she said.

“For what?” Dunban put his hand to his chin.

“You saved me back there,” Elma explained. “You used the raw ether to burn out an exit for me, when I couldn’t escape.”

“Hey, don’t mention it. It’s fine,” he said. But he then frowned. “I’m…sorry you lost your guns, though. I can easily get you a new pair, if you want.”

“I might do that,” Elma said. “I wasn’t thinking about them, though. I was just trying to get out of there.”

“And that’s fair dues. I’m glad you prioritised yourself over your weapons. It’s a nice change of pace compared to before,” Dunban said with a sassy smile.

“What do you mean?” Elma frowned.

“When you were willing to starve yourself in order to save your timeline,” Dunban said. “I don’t know why you bother, to be honest…if a lot of them are bigoted just because you aren’t human.”

“It’s my duty as the Colonel of BLADE,” she just shrugged.

He grunted at this. “If you say so. If you were in the Defence Force, however, then your efforts would be a LOT more appreciated and valued. And I definitely wouldn’t selfishly accept ANY of your sacrifices.”

Elma finally smiled. “What if I joined the Defence Force? I’d be able to pay everyone back by protecting this colony.”

“I wouldn’t mind that, but…you’ve got other pressing things to worry about. You need to secure a way home,” Dunban said.

“That…might not happen for quite some time, now,” Elma said. “And…with Fiora actively searching for a job now, I don’t want to keep mooching.”

“Stop seeing it as such. You aren’t mooching. You’re a guest ,” he insisted. “Stay here for as long as you need.” He smiled again.

“I know, but I want to feel like I’m accomplishing something . When I’m helping with the time travel research, it’s easy to get disheartened when I realise I can’t help in that regard…even though I’m from the same world as the Miramobile,” said Elma. “At the very least…if I’m not back home within a month, I want to enlist in your Defence Force!”

“Hmph…” he looked at the ground, but his smile did not fade. “I’ll think about it.”

“Thank you, Dunban,” Elma nodded. “Honestly, I can’t thank you enough for everything you’ve done for me up to this point. From saving me, to sheltering me, to comforting me. It’s really appreciated.” She smiled.

“Don’t worry about it, Elma,” Dunban responded happily. “I’m just glad I could help. But…I suppose if you feel like you owe me, you could take a day off tomorrow.”

“I…don’t…know if I want to. It’ll feel like I’m running away after what just happened,” Elma frowned. “I need to confront the situation and keep going.”

“I admire that attitude,” he said. “I know things seem bleak right now, but I strongly encourage that attitude. And you can lean on me, if it ever gets TOO cumbersome.”

“Thank you so much, Dunban,” her smile came back.

“Now, come on. It’s probably three in the morning, now. We should get some rest,” Dunban instructed. “Will you be okay, now?”

“I’m much better now,” Elma nodded.

“That’s good to hear. But I think you’re stronger than you realise,” he said. “Although, I suppose you HAVE to be…considering all the nonsense you have to put up with in your world.”

“Hehe, stop talking like that. My world isn’t as bad as you’re probably thinking. Sure, there are some xenophobes speckled around. But NLA is overall a great place to live,” Elma said.

“I suppose even the future isn’t immune to bigotry, then?” he teased.

“Nope,” Elma sighed.

Dunban chuckled at this, then extended his hand to her. This time, Elma took it and let him help her up. She then followed him into his house. Once they got to the kitchen, he passed her one more smile. “Goodnight, Elma. I hope you sleep well,” he said.

“Goodnight, Dunban. And I hope you rest well, too,” Elma returned the smile. “And again…thank you. Not just for tonight, but…for everything.”

“You don’t need to thank me again, but…you’re welcome, anyway,” he chuckled. After that, he ascended the stairs to his room. Elma went into Fiora’s room to get herself settled. Fiora was thankfully deep asleep, but Elma still carefully stepped over her to climb onto her bed. And despite what just happened to the Miramobile, Elma was able to fall asleep with a smile on her face.

Chapter Text

CHAPTER 29: MORNING CONVERSATION

When Elma woke up the next day, she was horrified to find that she’d almost slept until noon. She hurriedly scrambled out of bed; thankfully, Fiora wasn’t lying on the floor. She quickly exchanged her casual wear for her normal armour, then exited into the kitchen. Dunban was leaning back against the counter, waiting for a cup of coffee to finish brewing. Elma practically stumbled over to him in a hurry. “Ah! I’m so sorry! I slept in for way too long! Damn, I’ve been sleeping in a lot lately; my sleep schedule’s out of whack now that I’m not reporting for BLADE missions!! So, I’m so sorry!!” she cried.

“Hah, what are you sorry for? You got plenty of rest – you should never be sorry for that. Last night was rough, so you needed it,” Dunban smiled. “Besides, I’m not much better off; I’ve only been up for about half an hour.”

“I’m sorry. You only stayed up and slept in for so long because you had to wait for me,” Elma moaned.

“You just woke up, and you’re already apologising. Quit it,” he chuckled. “Don’t feel obliged to get up really early in the morning just because Fiora and I usually do. Like I said, you’ve earned that nice quality rest; you’ve done a lot of work the past week. We both have. So, it’s fine. Would you like some coffee?”

“Yeah, please,” Elma responded as she relaxed. “With milk, and a couple spoons of sugar.”

Dunban snorted at this, but said, “You got it, Elma.”

“Did you sleep okay?” said Elma.

“I slept fine, thank you,” he replied. “Even despite what happened last night.” Elma sat down at the kitchen table with a sigh. “How are you…holding up regarding that?” Dunban frowned worriedly.

“I’m…alright. Kind of afraid to go back there and see what’s going on…” Elma began.

“Well, then, if you wouldn’t mind, I’d like to accompany you,” Dunban said.

“Er…why?” Elma asked. “We may eventually just go back to our normal plans of intense studying and research. That’d be boring.”

“And I’ll happily leave as soon as that happens,” he sassily proclaimed. “However, I WOULD want to see for myself how things are faring over there. Plus, I can be there to vouch for you if you get told off, or anything like that.” He smiled again.

Elma returned the smile. “I…appreciate it, Dunban. But you’re in no way obligated to stand up for me. I’m strong on my own two feet.”

“I know, but it’d be better to have me there to vouch for you, right?” Dunban pointed out. “I really don’t want anyone giving you a hard time, especially after how hard you’ve worked. Not just here, but in your own world as well.”

“Hehe…why are you so protective over me?” Elma asked.

“…Er…!!” Dunban flinched. “I…I don’t know…!” He glanced away. “S-Sorry!! I…I can stop, if you want.”

Elma chuckled again. “I’m just teasing, Dunban. Don’t get so flustered.”

“Uh…er…right,” he rubbed his neck. “Sorry…”

“Now look who’s apologising,” Elma giggled some more. “Really, why are you so embarrassed? I was just curious as to why you want to protect me.”

“I wasn’t…I…” Dunban began. But he took a deep breath to try and steady himself. “Like I said, you’ve been working hard in that Machina Lab. And…what happened last night wasn’t your fault. I wouldn’t be surprised if people don’t take your explanation for it, so I figured I could be there to testify if need be.”

“We’re not going to court, or anything,” Elma chuckled some more.

He grimaced and glanced away yet again. “S-Sorry. I’ll…stay home, then, if you want…” But then he glared back at her. “You could’ve just outright told me that, instead of taking the piss out of me.”

“I wasn’t! I’m just curious, is all,” Elma reassured him. “Don’t feel embarrassed. It’s…kind of sweet.”

He snorted again. “I’m anything BUT sweet,” he refuted.

“Well, maybe if you actually added sugar to your coffee, that’ll change?” Elma teased.

“Fat chance,” Dunban retorted.

“Well…if you don’t think you’re sweet, then what exactly DO you call your gestures regarding me?” Elma asked.

“Well-disposed assistance,” he said. “Naturally, as your friend, I want to back you up in tough situations. That’s all. It just goes back to everything I’ve said before. I don’t want you feeling stranded and alone in this world.”

“I don’t feel that anymore, though,” Elma reassured him. “I’ve got you.”

He perked up at this. “Well, of course, Elma!” he said enthusiastically with a smile. “I’ll be there to help you in whatever way I can!”

Elma smiled, as well. “I’ve also got Fiora and Shulk. And even though I have only seen them for a little bit, I know I can’t feel alone when I’m with Melia, Reyn, and Sharla, as well.”

“Uh…er…yeah, of course,” his smile faded.

“Something wrong?” Elma asked.

“N-No. Not at all,” Dunban reassured her. “I’m just glad you feel like you can lean on the others, as well.” His smile quickly returned, but then went away as fast as it came when he asked, “I just hope Shulk isn’t giving you any trouble in the lab?”

“Not at all,” Elma said. “And even if he wanted to, he’s too engrossed with the research to do so.”

“Okay, but if he gives you a hard time, let me know. Okay?” Dunban asked.

“I…can easily retort on my own accord, too? Heheheh…” Elma put her hand to her chin. “What is it with you?”

“Wh-What…?” he grimaced, looking away. “What do you mean?”

“Being so protective over me?” she asked.

He growled briefly at this. “I’m your friend, and you should know that as the Hero of the Homs, I’m protective over everyone out of instinct, okay?” He shook his head. “Anyway, the coffee’s done now.” And he turned around to tend to the aforementioned coffee.

“Have you eaten, yet?” Elma softly asked.

“Yes. Why? Are you hungry?” Dunban inquired.

“I might have something small, like that cereal I had yesterday,” she said.

“Good, cos I can’t cook for crap,” he sassily said.

“To be honest…I’m not amazing at it, either,” Elma said. “I can make semi-decent meals, but not in the way that Lin can.” She smiled nostalgically. “I am still curious on what the food’ll be like if both Lin and Fiora are to make it.”

“We’d probably reach spiritual enlightenment,” Dunban responded.

Elma laughed. “Most likely.”

Dunban enjoyed his coffee while Elma ate through another bowl of the wheat cereal. “So, Elma…what is the food like in your world?” he curiously asked after watching her eat a spoonful of cereal.

“It’s great,” she smiled.

“…Care to elaborate?” Dunban put his hand to his chin.

“Well, what I’ve eaten here so far is pretty similar to my world,” Elma explained. “Meats, vegetables, fruits, et cetera.”

“And…what are they like? If you don’t mind me asking?” he said.

“Heh, sorry. Is my eating making you hungry?” Elma asked.

“No, I’m just curious. Sorry for being curious about a world I know little about,” Dunban sarcastically retorted.

“Honestly, I can go on forever about the many foods in Mira,” she said.

“Well, what are some of your favourite dishes?” he asked.

“Er…I have a lot,” she replied.

He scowled. “Why are you so difficult to get to know?”

“Hehe, sorry. I’m…not usually asked such personal questions,” said Elma. “I’m constantly surrounded by a formal environment, what with being a BLADE Colonel and everything.”

“Well, I’m the General of my Defence Force, and I can still easily tell you right away that I’m a big fan of curry – or anything spicy, really. And I’m also quite partial to Energy Aubergines,” Dunban explained. “And you’ve even heard it from me…I’m not really that interesting. Yet, you’re interesting…but I know nothing about you?”

“Ahem…I’ve told you everything that happened in my world. What else do you need to know?” Elma asked.

“I’m asking about you , personally,” Dunban explained.

“Er…why?” she asked.

“…Why not…?” he frowned again. “Am I not allowed to get to know a friend? And like I said, it’s hypocrisy at its finest: you showed interest in me back in Alcamoth, but when I show interest in you, you won’t tell me a thing about yourself.”

“Well…it’s just…I…” Elma began. “I’ve already told you so much, and…it’s…”

“…You’re going to say complicated, right?” he asked, his hand to his chin again. “What’s so complicated about telling me your favourite food, Elma?”

“Well, because I’ve got a lot of favourite foods! Especially with Lin at the helm!” Elma cried. “Look, why are you so interested in me right now?”

“Haha, fine, then. I’ll stop. You don’t interest me anymore, Elma. Goodbye,” Dunban turned for the front door.

“No! Come on! Don’t do this, again! You KNOW what I mean!” Elma bawled.

“And I’ve already told you why you interest me. But it seems you can’t accept it,” Dunban insisted. “Once again… SORRY for being intrigued about you. I’ll shut up, now.” He shook his head.

“Don’t…be sorry…!!” Elma cried. “It’s just…again, I’ve been around in a formal environment for so long, I…don’t have much experience with these kinds of things.”

“You don’t have experience in telling others about yourself?” Dunban asked somewhat sceptically.

“Considering my true form…not really,” Elma explained. “I’ve only gone out in my true form a few times, and for the most part…it…was a mistake.”

Dunban frowned worriedly at this. “Sorry. I’ll stop pestering you, now.”

“Don’t be silly! You aren’t pestering me,” Elma reassured him. “I like talking to you.” She smiled.

“Hah, well, that’s mutual,” Dunban gave her a rather weak smile. “Anyway, are you finished up?”

“Yeah,” Elma replied with a nod. “I’m ready to go back to the lab again. I…just really hope nobody’s too mad at me.”

“I doubt it. And I know you said you’ll be fine on your own, but I will still be there . Okay?” Dunban softly said.

“Thanks, Dunban,” Elma’s smile grew.

Chapter Text

CHAPTER 30: THE NEED FOR A DAY OFF

A lot of people seemed to be scrambling in the Machina Lab. As soon as Dunban and Elma entered, they were swarmed by familiar faces. “Dunban! Elma! I heard what happened last night!! Are you guys okay!?” Shulk roared.

“Yes, we’re fine, Shulk,” Elma said. “I’m…just sorry…” she frowned.

“Why’d you start the Miramobile, anyway?” Shulk asked right away.

“I just wanted to see how it handled with that new energy cube,” Elma explained.

“That wasn’t very wise,” admitted a male Machina engineer. “Especially since our prototypes are all still unstable.”

“I…I know…” Elma sighed.

“To be fair, the Miramobile started and behaved just fine,” Dunban cut in. “It was just the security protocol that caused it to explode.”

“Why was that protocol put in there?” Shulk asked Elma. “And why wasn’t it a problem when it was started before?”

“It didn’t fully boot up during those times,” Elma explained. “And after the crash, everything about the Miramobile had reset – including Professor B’s authentication.”

“So, even if we were to perfect the time travelling components, we would still encounter the issue at the end?” Radzam asked.

“Yeah,” Elma said.

“Well, then it is better to have encountered that this early on,” Radzam said.

“Exactly what I said,” Dunban nodded. “At least we haven’t lost anything significant.”

“What do you mean?! We’d lost the prototype energy cube! The one that successfully managed to teleport the buggy!” Shulk exclaimed.

“Shulk, it’s okay! Like I told you, I’ve still got the blueprints and notes about that cube. So, not all is lost,” Radzam reassured him.

“Shulk, you seem unusually cantankerous right now. I know it’s because of your long week of researching and studying all day. Why don’t you take a break?” Dunban asked. “I recommended this to Elma, as well.”

“I know, but…I can’t! Especially with this setback!” Shulk cried. “And even if I DO get a day off, I’m just going to use it to read and research in my own lab!”

“What about Fiora?” Dunban’s eyes narrowed.

“What…about her…?” Shulk somewhat nervously asked.

“She’s been wanting to spend time with you,” Dunban put his hand to his hip.

“She’s…been looking for a job, though, hasn’t she?? So…isn’t she busy, right now?” Shulk asked.

“Yes. She’s actually out searching at this very moment. I am actually surprised you’re up to date with that knowledge,” Dunban sassily said.

“Of course!” Shulk cried. “Reyn told me.”

“Of course…” Dunban echoed, but his tone was a lot different than Shulk’s had been.

“WHAT?!” Shulk bawled.

“Shulk, Elma, you two ought to get a day off,” Radzam said. “You’ve been working hard all week , and we sincerely appreciate it. But after all that’s happened, you both could use some time to unwind.”

“Sorry, but I can’t!” Shulk argued. “I want to keep working on this thing! Especially after what happened!”

“This project isn’t going anywhere, lad,” Miqol said.

“What thing will you be working on?” Dunban asked Shulk.

“This PROJECT!!” Shulk cried.

Dunban snorted at this. “…Yeah. Listen to yourself. You need that time off, Shulk. Take it, please…I insist.”

Shulk winced, but then gave Dunban a look of protest. Dunban’s intense glare won in the end, and Shulk sighed. “A-Alright. Fine. But only for today,” he conceded.

“Thank you,” Dunban said. He glanced at Elma. “Same directive goes to you, Elma.”

“WHAT?!” Elma flinched. “But I…” But she was given the same glare treatment as Shulk. Elma didn’t throw in the towel so easily, however; she and Dunban ended up getting caught in a sort of glaring contest.

“Elma, it is alright,” Radzam said reassuringly. “We hadn’t done much to the Miramobile, anyway. We’ve been working on that time travelling aspect, instead. We can still work on it, even without the Miramobile’s presence. We’ll of course have to use a different vehicle, but I intend on making that the Junks. The Junks is bigger and has a lot more mass. It’ll easily withstand the multitude of stress tests I’d put on all of those buggies.”

“Hang on…we’ve only got one Junks,” Vanea firmly said. “You ought to keep working your way up from all of those buggies.”

“Don’t worry, I will!” Radzam said. “Once I’ve perfected the time travelling component, I can rescale that so it’ll be compatible with the Junks. How does that sound?” He faced Miqol.

“Sounds great to me!” Miqol roared. “You should know I’m already on board with this! Just like I’d be on board the Junks!” And he chortled.

“See, it’ll be fine, Shulk and Elma,” Radzam said, facing the aforementioned people. “I’ll just be working on the test buggy and a new energy cube. On MY end, it’ll take more trial-and-error as opposed to research. But I’m willing to keep going at it.” He then smiled and put his hand to his chin. “You know, if you want, I can even go and ask Melia if she’s free. You two should take advantage of this day off, and gather everyone together.”

“That’s not a bad idea, at all,” Dunban glanced at Shulk. “Elma still has yet to meet Riki.”

“I…don’t know if we’ll be able to get everyone together at such short notice,” Shulk dismissed. “Sharla, Riki, and Melia especially.”

“It’s a longshot, yes, but it’s worth the try. I would at least like to introduce Elma to Riki at some point,” Dunban said. “Perhaps if all else fails, I can take her to his house?”

“Maybe,” Shulk nodded. “Auh…” He put his hands to his head. “I…I…I’m sorry, but I can’t NOT work on this!! My brain’s constantly swarming with ideas, theories, notes, and blueprints! NOT working on this stuff is going to feel wrong!”

“Sounds like the mind of a workaholic. And that’s coming from ME,” Dunban said. “Shulk, do you think Fiora’d be happy to hear all of this?”

“No, but…she’s been busy with job hunting…” Shulk argued.

“She’ll race back to you at the drop of a hat if she hears you’re off,” Dunban pointed out.

“I…I guess…” Shulk hung his head.

“Shulk, please. I know it’s hard, but at least try. For Fiora’s sake,” Dunban firmly said.

“I…I will. I’ll do it, don’t worry. It’s just…it feels wrong to not work on it,” Shulk moaned. “I…promised Elma I’d fix her Miramobile. But…then it got destroyed, and…now I kinda feel like I failed her.”

“What are you talking about?” Elma worriedly asked. “The Miramobile’s destruction wasn’t your fault.”

“I know. But…I’ve been determined about this,” Shulk explained. “I found you in the forest, and you were alone and hungry. I knew you wanted to go home. So, I was determined to fix that Miramobile for you…to GET you home. But now with IT gone, I just…I feel restless. I feel like laying back and NOT working on this project is the equivalent to me letting you down…” He hung his head.

“Shulk…” Elma moaned. “It’s okay. You’re not letting me down AT ALL. I promise.” She smiled. “You and I have both worked so hard on this; it’s blatant to everyone. But we all need breaks sometimes, okay? We’ll only be our most productive if we’re well rested. And you want to be able to get me back home, right? Well, you can’t do that if you’re not feeling at your absolute best. So, if you want to help me…you’ll HAVE to rest. I know it sounds counterproductive, but it’s true. Almost everything will work better if you unplug it for a little while…including your own body.”

Shulk sighed. “I know, Elma. You’re right.”

“I really appreciate all that you’re doing, Shulk,” Elma softly said. “You’re so diligent and determined. You remind me of a lot of comrades back home. Some of them have overdone it, and gotten themselves hurt…or…worse.” Her smile faded. “So, please don’t overdo it, Shulk. If you do, we’ll lose one of our best engineers for this project.”

“Alright. I understand,” Shulk nodded. “I’ll take it easy for the day, Elma. Thank you.”

Dunban put his hand to his chin. “How did you manage to do what we struggled with for YEARS?” he asked Elma.

“What?” Elma asked him.

“Getting the boy out of the lab,” Dunban explained.

Elma smiled. “I can relate to his struggles. It’s easier to persuade with empathy as opposed to force.”

Dunban snorted at this. “Force…? Who said anything about force? ANYONE would like to assume that Fiora’d be a good source of motivation?” He glared at Shulk. Shulk recoiled a little bit at this.

“Hehe…he probably only accepts it because he doesn’t want to get mauled by you,” Elma said.

“NO! ELMA!” Shulk exclaimed frantically. “I…I…I WANT TO SEE FIORA, OF COURSE!”

“Then why aren’t you so eager to drop everything to see her? When she would EASILY do that for you?” Dunban put his hand to his hip. “IN FACT, Shulk…I’ve now developed a concern. You’re working your arse off for Elma… another woman . I…don’t know how Fiora feels about that, but I’m worried, now. You’re eager to focus all of your attention on Elma, but not on her?”

Shulk bit his lip at this. “I…I try to help EVERYONE, Dunban! I…I’d like to think Fiora knows this! She knows I want to give to everyone!”

“Fiora probably understands it, yes. But that doesn’t mean she has to like it,” Dunban pointed out. “I’m just saying…a little bit of quality time can go a long way. It’ll not just make Fiora happy, but… me, as well… ” His eyes narrowed.

“I…I know! Sorry, Dunban!! I’ll go spend time with Fiora, today!!” Shulk roared, and he hurried out of the lab.

Elma chuckled. “What did I just say, Dunban?”

“What?” Dunban innocently asked.

“There was no need to scare Shulk. There was…” but Elma sighed. “Nevermind. You’re just being protective of Fiora.”

“Why are you so against me being protective?” he chuckled.

“I’m not!” Elma cried.

“Elma,” Vanea cut in. “Before you go, I’d…like to ask…” She walked over to a nearby desk and picked up a pile of metal. She then brought it over to Elma. “Would…you like to preserve some of these things?”

Elma immediately recognised the metal pieces as charred remnants of the Miramobile. She frowned as she looked at the pieces. “I…I mean…what will they be used for?” she asked.

“Sadly, they…aren’t of much use in the state they’re in. I…just wondered if you would want to keep them for any reason,” Vanea said. “I…am just asking, out of respect.”

Elma closed her eyes. “I…I’ll take them. But just in case Professor B would like them.”

“Okay,” Vanea nodded, and Elma took the pieces from her. “You take care for today, alright? Get plenty of rest.”

“And don’t worry! You’re okay with all of us!” Miqol reassured her.

“Thank you, Miqol,” Elma said. “It’s a relief to hear that.”

“You may want to have a word with this ‘Professor B’, though,” Radzam said. “Not just because his actions nearly cost the project and lab, but your life as well.” He frowned.

“Heh, don’t worry. I’ll give him quite the earful when I get back. Although, I don’t blame the crash itself on him. Something in the Miramobile malfunctioned,” Elma said.

“Do you know what?” Dunban asked her.

“I’m afraid not,” Elma replied. “The car itself ran just fine…so, something tells me that the time travelling aspects themselves are what malfunctioned.”

“Well, there’s no point thinking about it now. You take the day off from doing so, okay?” Radzam asked. “You and Shulk both earned it.”

“Thank you,” Elma nodded. “We’ll get going, then, and leave you to it?”

“Yes,” Radzam nodded.

“Hang on! You Machina need a day off, too,” Dunban firmly said.

“Already achieved,” Vanea said. “Us Machina rotate shifts in this lab. We’ve had more days off than Shulk and Elma.”

“We don’t require as much rest as you Homs, anyway,” Radzam added. “What feels like a day to you Homs feels like a month to us.”

“Lucky you,” Dunban muttered. “I think us Homs sleep for a third of our entire lives…a waste of precious time, if you ask me.”

“Sleep is important,” Elma smiled at him. “Like I was telling Shulk. Tired minds don’t function well.”

“I suppose, but…you’d think we’d evolve to the point where we shouldn’t need sleep anymore?” Dunban asked.

“What external influence would warrant that change?” Elma put her hand to her chin.

“With how hard the Homs work and how little sleep a lot of us get, anyway. You’d think many years of that would allow us to evolve our way out of the need for sleep,” Dunban insisted.

“Hmm, you have a point. But even in my world, it’s still not known why we need sleep. It’s just a biological need, like food and water,” Elma said.

“The Machina don’t even need food! They just live off of water!” Dunban said.

“You sound envious, Dunban! Want to convert into a Machina?” Miqol chuckled.

“Er…no thanks,” Dunban said.

“Why not? Don’t the Machina also live for thousands of years?” Elma asked.

Dunban sighed. “It all sounds tantalising, but…after what Fiora had gone through…I’d rather not, for personal reasons.”

“Understandable,” Vanea said.

“Well, you know where to find us if you change your mind! Gahahaha!” Miqol cried.

“FATHER!! DON’T EVEN JOKE ABOUT THAT!!” Vanea fumed.

“It’s alright. To be honest, Elma offered me something similar regarding my arm. But…I’m fine being a Homs,” Dunban responded. “Anyway…” He glanced at Elma. “Let’s get out of their hair, now. And let’s get YOU out of here, so you can get all this out of your mind for the day.”

“Okay,” Elma nodded.

“What are you planning on doing?” Radzam curiously asked.

“I might for sure see if I can introduce her to Riki,” Dunban replied. “After that…I don’t know, to be honest.” He put his hand to his chin.

“I’m sure we’ll think about it. But I DO look forward to meeting Riki,” Elma smiled.

“Hmm…your mind may or may not change when you meet him. It all depends on how much you like childish Nopon,” Dunban said.

Elma frowned at this. “…I…have middling opinions…due to a personal reason at home.”

“Well, then…” Dunban sighed. “I wouldn’t get your hopes up.”

Chapter Text

CHAPTER 31: MEETING RIKI

Before they inevitably went to Riki’s, they stopped by Dunban’s house again so that Elma could set the Miramobile pieces down. When Elma entered Fiora’s room with them, she couldn’t help but stare down at them for several minutes. She found herself replaying the last conversation she’d had with Lin and Tatsu. Now that a week has passed since Elma crashed here, she couldn’t help but wonder what was going on in Mira. Was Professor B trying to find her now? Was Lin worried sick? Or… what if it hasn’t even been a day over there? Elma’s chest tightened at this. There could be the possibility that people in NLA didn’t even realise that she was gone, because a week could probably not even register as a single day in NLA.

“You alright?” Dunban’s concerned voice from behind interrupted her thoughts.

“Uh…yeah,” Elma set the Miramobile pieces down on the bedside table, then faced him.

“Feeling homesick again?” he frowned.

“Yeah…” Elma said.

“Is there anything I can do to help?” Dunban gently asked. “Like…would you rather not meet Riki today? I wouldn’t want to shove you into doing so if you don’t feel up to it.”

“No, don’t get me wrong! I want to meet him!” Elma argued.

“And that’s good to know. But I…” but Dunban cut himself off and put his hand to his chin. “Although…Riki is considerably the cheeriest of our group of friends. Perhaps a few moments with him could actually do you some good?”

“Not if he’s a childish Nopon, as you say,” Elma responded. “I’m…dealing with enough of that at home.”

“To be fair, Riki may also have an idea on how you feel,” Dunban said. “He’s got a large family of his own. He had to step away from them for quite a while during our trip to the Bionis. Maybe he can help much better than I can right now?” He smiled.

“Maybe,” Elma said. “I’m not going to count on it, though. But in all honesty, don’t worry about me. The homesickness just comes in short bursts. It’s not like I’m miserable all the time. Especially…when I’m around you…” She gave him a small smile.

“Well, I’m glad I can be a source of inspiration for you,” he returned the smile. “But obviously, I’m not going to be able to help you with everything . That’s why you’re more than welcome to lean on others. Like now, for instance. You’re homesick, and…I don’t know what I can say that’ll make you feel better…” His smile faded as he hung his head.

“You don’t need to say anything. Just having your presence helps,” Elma reassured him. “Like you said, you want to be there for me when I feel alone. Well, that is sort of what homesickness is.”

“Do you feel alone right now?” he worriedly asked.

“No,” she reassured him. “But…I do miss my comrades. Lin, especially. I just wish there was at least a way I can call her…”

“You will find your way back there. I know it. You’ve just got to hold off until then,” Dunban said. “For the time being, lean on all of us. Okay?”

“Thank you, Dunban. I feel a little bit better already,” she smiled again. “You…sure do have a knack for that.”

“Ha, not really. All I do is offer my own wisdom. I’m not a therapist by any sense of the word,” he dismissed. “I’m only offering reassurance to a friend. That’s all I can do, really. Especially when I’m just a single man from another world.” He frowned.

“Well, even just a single friend can achieve so many things for another,” Elma said. “And I don’t think I have to remind you what you and all of your friends have done for me so far. I guess I just have to use that as a support beam whenever I get down. Then I’ll be able to keep pushing forward until I find my way back to Mira again.”

He nodded at this. “You’re very strong. I admire that about you.”

“Eh…I get by,” Elma dismissed. “I kind of have to, for the most part. Even with all of my BLADE comrades, I’m still alone for the most part.”

“Why?” Dunban worriedly asked.

“Not only am I the only xenoform in BLADE, but I’m the only one of my species in the entire city,” she said.

“Really?” he asked.

“Yeah,” she simply said. There was a rather tense pause after that. Elma could see the curiosity shining in his eyes, but he didn’t say anything else; he knew it was a sensitive subject for Elma, and didn’t want to pry about it. “Hey, don’t worry about me. I’m feeling better now after getting all of that off my chest. Let’s go meet your little Nopon friend,” Elma told him with a smile.

“Alright, Elma. But remember…you can confide in me, okay?” Dunban said. “Still, I know there are mysteries about you that I long to solve, but…I want to respect you first and foremost, so I won’t push you about them.”

“Thank you, Dunban. It means a lot to hear that,” she said. Even despite his words, she could see that the pensiveness had returned to his face yet again. “My species…is an even bigger can of worms. For now, let’s focus on the present. Okay? That’s what I need to do. I won’t be able to relax, otherwise.”

“I understand,” he said. “I’ll take you to Riki’s, then. Be warned, though…he has twelve children – and they’re easily excitable.”

“Ooh, this…is going to be fun…” Elma grunted.

“As long as you don’t mention any foodstuffs in their presence, you should be spared,” Dunban cheekily said.

“Hehe…thanks for warning me,” Elma replied.

Riki’s house was relatively large for a Nopon house, and it was beehive-shaped. Dunban had to kneel down a little bit in order to knock on the small door. Dunban and Elma heard frantic scurrying from inside, and then the door burst open. A pink female Nopon with red bows in her hair was standing there. “AH! Mr. Dunban!” the Nopon cried.

“Hey, Nene. Is Riki available?” Dunban asked.

“Of course! Nene shall get him now!” the female Nopon replied, before entering the house again.

“That’s Nene, one of Riki’s many children,” Dunban told Elma.

Unfortunately, Nene didn’t come back with just Riki. The entire fleet of Nopon children blasted out of the house in a wave of orange and pink; they were all screaming Dunban’s name. Two adult Nopon were in tow. “Hero Dundun here! Hero Dundun come to visit Heropon Riki!!” Riki flapped his wings eagerly.

“Hey, Riki. There’s someone I’d like you to meet,” Dunban said, gesturing at Elma. “This is a new friend of mine. Her name is Elma.”

“Elma…?” Riki asked. He then began bouncing excitedly. “OOOH! ANY NEW FRIEND OF DUNDUN IS A NEW FRIEND OF HEROPON RIKI!”

“Elma…” said one of Riki’s orange sons. “Mehehehe…that an acronym for ‘Lame’…”

“What!?” Elma flinched.

“Think you mean ‘anagram’!” spat a bouncing daughter.

“That was not very nice, brotherpon…” Nene wept.

“Sorry…” the son hung his head.

“Elma, please to meet! Heropon Riki is name!!” Riki exclaimed. “And this is wifeypon Oka…” He gestured to a female adult Nopon to his left. “AND ALL OF RIKI LITTLEPON!!”

“Kino is name!” said a timid green son.

“Nene is Nene!!” Nene winked. After that, the rest of the children all introduced themselves; some of their voices blended in with each other. Elma wasn’t sure she’d be able to remember all of them.

“So, where is Lame from? Me not sure he see before!” said the same son.

“Oh, lord…” Elma huffed.

“STOP CALLING HER THAT, BROTHERPON!!” Nene fumed.

“Sorry…!” the son cowered.

“I’m…afraid we’re mainly here to talk to Riki,” Dunban put his hand to his chin.

“You heard Mr. Dunban! Everyone! Back in! NOW!” Nene ordered her siblings.

“Aw, but me not wanna,” whined a daughter.

“Mamapon say YES!” Oka firmly added. “Mamapon making dinner now, and she need help!”

“YAY! DINNER! ME HELP FOR DINNER!” bounced a son. After that, all of the children rushed back inside the house. Nene scurried after them. Soon, only Riki remained.

“Riki proud of all littlepon!” Riki cried.

“That…is a lot of children to look after, Riki. How do you manage it?” Elma asked.

“Riki is the Heropon! He can manage anything!” Riki nodded confidently.

“Ahem, you are technically not the Heropon anymore, Riki,” Dunban sassily said. “The Heropon title goes to someone else every year, right? And your year’s already up.”

“SHHH!! Elma not need to know that!!” Riki bawled.

“Hehe, I have a little ‘Heropon’ at home,” Elma smiled. “Though…he…isn’t as responsible as you.”

“How Elma know that? She just met Riki!” said Riki.

“Well, for one thing…he doesn’t have to look after children. He has quite a few siblings, but he doesn’t look after them,” Elma said. “That, and he’s thirteen.”

“Ah, yes! Riki over three times his age!” Riki said.

“I’m surprised you got the maths right, Riki,” Dunban sassily said.

“Riki actually guessed!” Riki giggled.

“How old ARE you!?” Elma asked Riki.

“Riki have forty-one years!” Riki nodded.

“Wow,” Elma remarked.

“How old is Elma?” Riki asked.

“…Er…” Elma began.

“Now, Riki, you’re not supposed to ask a woman how old she is. Even I know that,” Dunban put his hand to his hip.

“Ohhh! So that why Oka slap Riki when he ask! Though, Oka slap Riki when he ask for marriage, too!” Riki said. “RRRRRiki…anger wifeypon a lot. But she still love him. … Riki hopes. ”

“You have a large family. I’d like to think she is at least SOMEWHAT fond of you,” said Elma.

“Riki like to think so!” Riki said. “So, how is Dundun and Elma?!”

“We’ve been busy,” Dunban responded.

“Riki been, too,” Riki hung his head. “Riki miss old sidekick gatherings. He miss Shulk and Sharla. He miss Fiora and Dundun. He miss Melly a lot, too. Riki miss having party gatherings with sidekicks.”

“You seemed to have missed someone,” Dunban said.

“OH! Yeah! Sorry! Riki miss Elma, too!” Riki hopped.

“You just met Elma. There’s someone else you’re missing,” Dunban argued.

“Hmmm…nope!” Riki cried confidently.

“Hahahah, whatever you say, Riki,” Dunban said.

“Reyn,” Elma said.

“THAT THE JOKE!! MEH!” Riki sobbed.

“Sorry…” Elma said.

“Hey, don’t be too hard on her. She doesn’t know that Reyn’s a big target in our group,” Dunban said.

“Yeah. Cos Reyn has got the stupids. And he smell worse than Orluga feets after they step in Mammut dung!” Riki cried.

“Why do you guys have to be like that? Reyn seems harmless enough,” said Elma.

“Reyn not smart!! At all!” Riki said. “Elma not know Reyn for as long as we have!”

“If you say so,” Elma responded.

“Either way, Riki hope gathering can happen soon! Riki miss all friends!” Riki exclaimed.

“I’d love for that to happen too, Riki. But unfortunately, we’re all busy with our own things,” Dunban responded.

“Booooring,” Riki moaned.

“Huh?” Dunban asked.

“Melly the busiest…and she do boring empress things,” Riki moaned. “Riki go to palace and want to have fun. But Melly and mean guards tell Riki NO!”

“You’ve got to have SOME level of decorum when you visit an imperial palace, Riki,” Dunban firmly said.

“Riki not know what that is,” Riki scratched his head.

“It just means you need to be on your best behaviour,” Dunban explained.

“Riki…just assumed that Melly would ease off on strict stuff,” Riki frowned. “Especially since she know how Riki is. Riki always expect Melly to have Riki-friendly things at her palace.”

“Wait…are you insinuating that you want her to get you some toys?” Dunban chuckled in amusement, his hand to his chin.

“NO!” Riki roared. “…But…maybe fun Bird People technology things be fun…?”

“You can always go for a ride on a Telethia?” Dunban asked.

“Um…NO!” Riki cried, making Dunban chuckle again.

“Riki…I…do have a question,” said Elma.

“Yeah? What that?” Riki asked Elma.

“How do you feel about the concept of flying…?” Elma asked.

“RIKI NOT RIDE A DINOBEAST!!” Riki fumed.

“A…what?” Elma asked.

“A Telethia,” Dunban explained.

“No, I mean…in general, Riki,” Elma said. “Because I got into a bit of an argument with a Nopon in my world. I…”

“In ‘your world’?” Riki curiously asked.

“Er…yeah…” Elma said with a frown. “You…won’t believe this, but…I’m…from the future.”

“Ohhhh!!” Riki’s eyes widened. “What future like!? Are Riki’s littlepon all grown up and doing great things?!”

“Er…I’m…I think I’m way further into the future than that,” Elma said.

“Then how are Riki’s great-great-great-great-great-great grandlittlepon doing?!” Riki asked.

“I…I don’t know…!” Elma recoiled.

“Riki, cut it out and let Elma ask her question,” Dunban firmly said.

“Okay. What that?” Riki asked.

“How do you feel about flying…with your wings?” Elma asked. “Because…the Nopon I know made fun of us for not being able to fly.”

“Riki…not really call this flying,” Riki began to flap his wings briefly into the air.

“THANK YOU!” Elma cried.

“So…” Riki plopped to the ground. “That answer Elma question?”

“Yeah,” Elma said. “Do you think we’re inferior for not being able to fly?”

“No,” Riki said. “But people with wings go to do great things. Bird People and Nopon…even flying Machina Junks thingy.” Riki put his wingtip to his chin. “Why Hom Homs no fly?”

“We don’t have the strength or stature to do it,” Elma said.

“No, Riki mean why Hom Homs never learn to fly?” Riki asked.

“We didn’t evolve to need it,” Elma said. “We evolved to be bipedal to chase prey and run from predators in ancient times. We have the best stamina as a result of that, and can therefore run the furthest. This means that our sources of food have always been grounded. And if we ever NEEDED to take down birds, we created weapons for that purpose.”

“Booooring,” Riki sighed.

“Riki,” Dunban scolded. “You asked!”

“Riki just ask why Hom Homs no fly! He not ask about other stuff!” Riki said.

“Sorry…” Elma put her hand to her chin. “I…I DO tend to go off on points, sometimes.”

“Elma like Shulk boy!” said Riki. “Shulk boy keep going on and on and on and on and on. Like Fiora.”

“What?” Dunban asked in confusion.

Riki grumbled and hunched over. “Riki too hungry to speak now. Riki go in and eat Oka food, now.”

“Really?” Dunban asked in disapproval. “We just stopped by to see you after so long, and you’re eager to sod off?”

“Dundun came at bad time,” Riki innocently said, before disappearing into his house with the slam of his front door. Dunban shook his head at this.

But Elma chuckled. “He definitely beats Tatsu, that’s for sure,” she said.

“Yeah, he does have that Noponic charm about him,” Dunban put his hand to his chin. “I just apologise for his rudeness.”

“That’s okay. It doesn’t bother me any,” Elma reassured him. “It was nice to meet him, though, at the very least. So, I’ve met all your close friends, now. That gives me a sense of closure.”

“I’m glad to hear that,” Dunban smiled at her.

Chapter Text

CHAPTER 32: GUNS VS SWORDS

As Dunban and Elma left the area of Riki’s house, Elma glanced at Dunban. “So, now what…?” she asked. “You introduced me to Riki. What’s the plan, now?”

“Honestly, there doesn’t need to be a plan. Except YOU can relax,” Dunban told her.

Elma then gave him a small smile. “You know what? Maybe we can go into the forest and take down some indigens?”

“I…thought you wanted to avoid doing that?” Dunban asked.

Elma scowled. “The Miramobile’s been destroyed. At this rate, I…think I’m past the point of concern about the timeline. Part of me even thinks that the reason why I haven’t been rescued, yet, is BECAUSE I changed the timeline so much.”

“Well, you don’t have to worry about that. We’ll help you get back, if they can’t,” Dunban reassured her. “But…as for your suggestion, I don’t mind doing that one bit. I can never turn down an offer to battle.” He smiled.

Elma’s eyes widened. “Wait!” she said. “Maybe…you can battle ME?”

“WHAT?!” he flinched.

“You know…? As in spar with me?” said Elma.

“I…wouldn’t mind that. But you’ll have to refrain from using your guns,” Dunban said.

“Awh, really?” Elma cheekily whined.

“YES!!” he exclaimed frantically.

“But where’s the fun in not using a ranged weapon?” Elma asked.

“I don’t want to have bullets put through me, thanks!” he spat.

“So, you’d rather have metallic blades go through you, then?” Elma said.

“That’s something I can easily avoid. I’m an evasive type,” said Dunban.

“Can you avoid both of my swords?” Elma pulled out her Dual Swords.

“Yes,” he confidently replied. “I trained Fiora while we were growing up. She uses a pair of daggers, so…a similar setup to yours.”

“Maybe. Though I personally feel like I excel in ranged weapons,” Elma said.

“Too bad. I prefer swords,” Dunban sassily argued.

“Why? What’s wrong with guns?” Elma asked. “Honestly, when you stick to just swords, you aren’t able to reach far enemies. Plus, you can keep at a distance, yourself, and possibly even sneak up on them.”

“Uh huh, yeah…I can sneak up on the enemy…with the unsubtle bang of a gun,” Dunban snorted. “Swords exceed guns when it comes to stealth.”

“But you put yourself close to the enemy. That’s not good,” Elma said. “Guns always outperform swords.”

“It all depends. If the enemy’s in the distance and crouching behind cover, I can see your argument. But you can do a lot more damage with a sword. You can weaken and debilitate the enemy no matter where you hit them . Meanwhile, a bullet has to be struck in precise places in order to slow them down. There’s a lot more blood loss from a sword, as well. Plus, with a gun, you only have one range of motion – and that’s to shoot forward. With a sword, however, you can slash AND stab. This makes swordplay much more engaging, especially when you’re able to make your own combos,” Dunban said.

“Let’s just agree that swords and guns ARE BOTH needed. Hence, why I carry both,” Elma said. She then smiled. “Hehe…I don’t know why, but…I really love your enthusiasm when you’re talking about this.”

“You do? Why?” he asked.

“I just said I DON’T know why,” Elma pointed out. “I guess it’s just nice to see you talk about something you have a passion for.”

“What? Do you not like battling?” Dunban asked.

“Probably nowhere near as much as you,” Elma replied. “I only do it when I have to.”

“Well, you’re missing out,” he smiled.

“What, are you bloodthirsty or something?” she returned the smile.

“Some might say that. I just say that I consider battling a favourite pastime of mine,” Dunban replied.

“Well, I’ll admit, I AM curious to see you in action. I only really briefly saw it before, when you were holding back those indigens,” Elma said. “I want to see just how well you’ve adapted to your injury.”

“That’s a bit of a weird appeal, but…it gives me an opportunity to battle, so I’m not going to complain,” he said. “Oh, and…haha…that reminds me. Even if you WANTED to use your guns…you can’t! Cos I still haven’t gotten you a new pair, yet!” He leered.

Elma grunted at this. “Fair enough! I get it! Swords it is, then,” she said.

“Oh, and…that ALSO reminds me…another good thing that swords have over guns… there’s no need to restock ammo ,” he cheekily said.

“Swords can break,” Elma said.

“Not quite as quickly as guns lose ammo. And guns also break, by the way,” Dunban sassily added. “And they require a lot more maintenance.”

“Swords are more taxing to carry around!” Elma bawled.

“That just means you build muscle. Nothing wrong with that,” he innocently dismissed, as he began making his way for the exit of the colony. Elma quickly followed alongside him. “Oh, and…a lot of the big guns have a recoil when you shoot them.”

“Two-handed swords are a pain to swing!” Elma said.

“They build muscles,” he reiterated. “You don’t build muscle when a gun recoils; you just get bruised.”

“Beginners have more difficulty with a sword, because the blade is so long…compared to the narrow barrel of a gun!” Elma cried.

“From afar, guns can only take pot-shots; they have a lower damage output,” Dunban insisted.

“Guns are critical against flying enemies!” Elma cried.

“It’s easier to miss with a gun,” he said.

“Only if you’re a bad shot!” Elma insisted. “Guns are a lot simpler. You just stand back and pull a trigger.”

“Guns are lazier ,” Dunban insisted back. “With swordplay, you’re constantly on the move and getting exercise.”

“Guns are SAFER!” Elma spat. “You’re far away from the enemy, so you won’t get hit!”

“That range gets sacrificed for damage output, though, Elma,” he argued.

“Not necessarily!! You can blast the enemy with holes using a Gatling gun, instead of potentially getting wrecked by going in head-first!” Elma argued back.

“What’ll happen when that Gatling runs out of ammo? As that tends to happen when you’re firing like four hundred rounds a minute. What happens then? You’ll be stranded, that’s what,” Dunban said.

“I’ll have extra ammo on hand!” Elma cried.

“What’ll happen when THAT runs out?” he asked.

“What happens when a SWORD breaks on the field?!” Elma demanded.

“It can still be used as a blunt object,” he pointed out.

“So can a gun!” Elma said.

“Hardly,” he said.

“What? You’ve never heard of pistol-whipping?” Elma asked.

“A broken sword will most likely still have some of its blade in-tact. The broken edge can still be quite painful to the recipient,” Dunban said. By this point, the two of them had exited the colony and were now approaching the forest. “Oh, and also Elma, I’ve used plenty of spears in the past, as well. So, there goes your ranged argument.”

“Guns can hit FURTHER AWAY than a spear!” Elma roared.

“What’ll do more damage, though? Impaling them with a long sharp object, or hitting a small area with a tiny bite-sized metal bullet?” Dunban asked.

“You said guns are high maintenance. Swords can be, too! You have to clean them! They get coated in indigen blood and guts!” Elma insisted. “Bullets are cleaner.”

“But a lot of times, it’s better medically to just leave the bullet embedded in you,” he said.

“Stabbing leads to more scarring!” Elma said.

“That’s…better for the enemy?” Dunban pointed out. “In the wild, a lot of beasts want to avoid getting in violent scuffles, because they have no means of tending to their wounds. A scuffle usually entails inevitable death for all involved. Therefore, if you wound them greatly, you’ll eventually achieve your goal, anyway.” There was a brief pause. “Oh, and also…ether rifles tend to get hot when you use them. I don’t see swords doing that!!”

“You can snipe indigens with rifles,” Elma said. “So, that can be instant death on the field if you hit them in the right spot.”

“Like I said, though, rifles overheat quickly. And they’re pointless if you’re surrounded, which happens a lot on the battlefield,” Dunban said.

“The rifles in MY world don’t really overheat!” said Elma.

“It’s still a gun, though, and still requires ammo. Therefore, swords are still better,” he said.

“What about a rocket launcher, then!? Blast the entire area!” Elma said. “Can a sword beat that?!”

“A sword can take out a group of enemies without causing collateral damage to the environment around,” he sassily retorted. Elma growled at this. “Keep it coming, Elma. I can do this all day.”

“I can’t. You’ve mentally exhausted me,” she grumbled.

“Want to turn back, then? I don’t recommend hitting the battlefield if you’re exhausted,” Dunban said.

“No. But this talk DOES make me more inclined to spar with you!” Elma said.

“Oh, am I striking a nerve with you?” he asked. “Well, there isn’t much point in getting riled up. You’re arguing for guns, but you won’t be using any guns to spar with me. So, there’s no point. Hahaha.” Elma just growled again. “Oh, and…hahaha, I have ONE more big argument for swords,” Dunban leered.

“ What’s that? ” Elma grumbled.

“The Monado is a sword,” he said. “It was wielded by a massive titan, and its final form was able to slay gods. Hmmm…I don’t…seem to recall a magical gun that could do that? Unless I’m wrong…?”

“THE MONADO CAN’T SHOOT BULLETS!” she sobbed.

“…But…it could still slay gods…?” Dunban asked.

Elma grimaced at this. “The Monado did THAT to you!” she pointed at his right arm.

“And a gun didn’t!” he laughed.

“That’s nothing to be proud of!” Elma roared.

“It kind of is…because it just further proves my point that swords are better and stronger!” he enthusiastically said. “A gun didn’t do this amount of damage to my arm. A gun didn’t slay a god. A gun didn’t strike the Mechonis. I can go on and on.”

“Ugh…” she grumbled. “Please don’t.”

“Too bad. I’ll be sure to mention whatever else comes to mind, haha,” Dunban responded cheekily.

Chapter Text

CHAPTER 33: BATTLES IN THE FOREST

Not too long into the trek through the forest, Dunban and Elma ended up spotting a trio of the same lion-like indigens that Elma had encountered on her first day here. “What are those indigens, Dunban?” Elma asked.

“Those are Ferises,” Dunban responded.

“I see…well, it’s about time I got my revenge,” Elma whipped out her Dual Swords.

Dunban just barely got out a, “Elma…hang on…wait…!” before Elma made her charge for the Ferises. As soon as the Ferises saw Elma coming, they all roared aggressively. The one in the middle must have recognised Elma’s weapons right away, as it proceeded to let out a special call that was unlike its initial roar. Elma found the strange call soothing, and then…

Elma found herself standing outside Dunban’s house again. She was facing the ocean, but she wasn’t looking directly at it, because Dunban was in front of her. “Elma…” he softly said as he neared her. The closer he got; the fuzzier Elma’s mind became. “Elma…” he whispered again, as his face closed in on hers…

“ELMA!!!” Dunban’s voice screamed, bringing Elma out of her brief lapse.

“Augh…what…happened…??” Elma gasped hazily. She noticed right away that Dunban was attacking the Ferises with a katana.

“That Feris put you to sleep!” he explained. “Are you alright!?”

“Y-Yeah…” Elma rubbed at her eyes with her arm, then immediately erected her Dual Swords in an offensive position. “S-Sorry. Didn’t mean to falter like that…”

“That’s what I was trying to warn you about!” Dunban informed her, as he pierced the side of one of the Ferises; its cry of pain blasted through the forest. In fact, his sword appeared to be lodged in its body; he had to put his foot against its side to try and force it off. Eventually, the sword disconnected from the Feris’ body with a loud plop.

“Are you okay!?” Elma asked.

“I’m fine. Just focus on the battle!” he directed, before striking at the wounded Feris again. As a result of his attacks, he was drawing their aggro. He managed to dodge a lot of the incoming attacks, but he was beginning to get pinned down. As a result, Elma charged in with her Dual Swords and began slicing frantically at every spotted body she found. This drew a Feris away from Dunban, thankfully. Elma was about to make a wild swing for it again, but the soothing call echoed through her mind…

She was whisked back to NLA, where Lin was taking a large steaming casserole out of the oven. She was giving Elma an eager smile. She set the pan down and lifted the foil. Immediately, the savoury smells of cheese, meat, and vegetables filled the air. Elma’s stomach growled accordingly, as…

Elma was brought back to reality the moment she felt Dunban grab her arm. She found herself staring right at him. “I’m here for you!” he reassured her. “Try to stay awake and focused, okay?” And he turned back to the Feris he was fighting. Elma was quick to realise that Dunban had already slayed one of them; its dead body was sprawled on the mossy ground. Elma turned to the other Feris and began slashing at it. After a minute of doing so, she deduced that the Ferises only used physical attacks, so it was a good thing she was well equipped. Well, she WAS…until the Feris proceeded to combo her fiercely. Elma’s armour absorbed a lot of this, but she was still struck pretty hard. “You okay!?” Dunban asked, giving her a side glance at this.

“What…was that…?” she gasped.

“That was its Talent Art,” he replied.

Elma growled. “Why couldn’t I avoid it!?”

“Only the Monado’s Shield can protect you from Talent Arts,” Dunban explained.

“Damn…” Elma moaned.

“Are you okay, though?” and Dunban groaned out in effort as he plunged his sword into the Feris again. This time, its scream sounded eerily human.

“I’m fine,” Elma huffed, and she retaliated against the Feris with a sword combo of her own.

In no time, Dunban had already taken down the second Feris. He proceeded to help Elma fight the last one. With his help, the Feris soon collapsed into a heap in no time. After that, he went straight for her. “Hm…you’re bleeding a little bit,” he remarked upon seeing some of the wounds on her body.

“I’m okay. I’ve been dealt worse,” Elma said. She checked him over, and noticed he appeared to not have a single scratch. “You seem to be okay.” She then frowned. “Boy…what a difference…” She glanced away. “I bet I seem like a novice in comparison to you…”

“Nonsense,” Dunban reassured her. “You’ve never fought Ferises, so of course you’re not going to be able to power over them. Plus, I can imagine you’re only displaying half of your strength, considering the fact that you undoubtedly capitalise on gun and sword combos?”

“Yes,” Elma nodded. “Some of my best Arts are tied to my Dual Guns.”

“I’m sorry…” Dunban frowned. “Did you want to go back and get a new pair?”

“No. I’ll be fine,” Elma reassured him. “I think it also didn’t help that the Feris thing put me to sleep.”

“Yeah, that is usually the first thing a Feris likes to do if you charge right in. Usually, it is best to let them spot you first. Their chances of putting you to sleep are lowered as a result of that,” Dunban said.

“Oh, okay. Thanks for letting me know,” Elma said. “But you…” She smiled. “You fight so well, even though you are physically limited. I’m impressed.”

“It’s nothing, really,” he dismissed.

“I disagree. You’re incredibly speedy. I think you even outpace me,” Elma responded.

“Well, I suppose there’s only one way to tell,” Dunban passed her a leer.

“Huh?” Elma asked.

“Since we cleared that out of the way, did you want to spar here?” Dunban asked.

“YEAH!” Elma whipped out her Dual Swords again.

“Hahaha, that was really emphatic. Well, if you’re certain,” he pulled out his katana. “But…just know that even though we’re friends, I’m not going to go easy on you.”

“Good! I wouldn’t want you to!” Elma cried.

“Alright, then,” Dunban held his sword at the ready. “Let’s see what you’ve got, Elma.”

Elma instantly made a swing at him with her Dual Swords, but he easily got out of the way without hesitation. Elma scowled and went for him again, but missed once more. This allowed him to swing around and slash at her – though he made sure to hit a rather thick part of her armour. Elma hurriedly went behind him and tried to capitalise on the effects of her Shadowstrike, but that was nullified the moment Dunban whirled around. Elma growled and tried to go around his side, but he just faced her again.

“Ah, do you capitalise on positioning like Shulk does?” Dunban asked.

“No…” Elma lied. With that as a distraction, Dunban quickly staggered her and knocked her down in an unexpected combo. Elma exclaimed out in surprise as she was knocked onto her backside. Dunban waited patiently for her to get back on her feet. When she did, she sent a myriad of slashes his way. Dunban did dodge the vast majority of this fourteen-hitter move, but Elma was relieved when a few of them scraped him and knocked him back. In the end, Elma knew this Art was more effective in the back, anyway.

The next five minutes was spent with Dunban and Elma dancing around each other evasively and engaging in many wars of attrition. After this, Elma had to stop to catch her breath. This is getting nowhere. I’m hardly hitting him… she thought in frustration.

“Want to call it here?” Dunban, however, was hardly winded. He propped his sword against his shoulder and smiled cockily at her.

“NO!” Elma spat. AUGH! Most of my best Arts are tied to my Dual Guns… She grimaced and looked away. If I had them, I could EASILY catch him off guard with something like Ghost Factory or Sliding Slinger. But he’s so good at swordplay that he seems to be reading my movements before I can even make them! And my best Dual Sword Arts are position-based, so I’m only giving him HALF of my strength when I DO manage to hit him…

“Are you sure? You’re looking tired and frustrated,” Dunban remarked, as his smile faded. “If you want to call it quits here, we can.”

“NO! I’m NOT quitting here, Dunban!” Elma yelled. “I may not have my guns, but I DO have something up my sleeve!” She activated Overdrive and charged for him. Dunban raised an eyebrow at this. As she closed in, he was just about to dodge, but she caught him on the very verge of doing so. He was a bit caught off guard at this, but managed to block another incoming slash from her. After that, Elma used Hundred Shells again, and this time, the slashes were even faster. Instead of dodging it, Dunban held his sword up and blocked the waves.

Once the slashes ended, he lowered his sword. “I can see you’re finally giving it your all,” he sneered. “So, let me do that, as well.” And he finally used his own special combo on her. But even despite the quick and elegant strikes, Elma managed to dodge all of it. Dunban was actually left dumbfounded at this.

Elma then used an Art that severely weakened her, but fed her Overdrive in the process. Once this happened, she took advantage of her weakened state by sending an Electric Surge his way. Naturally, he wasn’t expecting an ether attack, so it knocked him back quite a bit. While that was in play, Elma used a revitalising aura and capitalised on its healing effects by striking at him with her Dual Swords again. He wasn’t dodging as much, now; the ether attack seemed to have hit him quite hard. However, he did block and parry whatever he couldn’t avoid. By the time Elma had fully recovered from the aura, she was also greeted by the cessation of Overdrive. She soon quickly found herself tiring out from her frantic slashes at his blocked position.

After a few minutes of doing this, she gasped, “Okay. I’m done now.” She backed off and sheathed her swords.

“That was impressive,” Dunban remarked. “What was that?”

“That…was my Overdrive,” Elma panted.

“Your…what?” he asked.

“A special ability from my world. I…” But she then moaned and collapsed onto her backside. “Damn…”

“You okay?!” he worriedly asked, sheathing his sword and kneeling to her level.

“I’m fine. Just need to rest for a bit,” Elma sighed. “You were a really tough opponent. Even WITH your setback. I’m REALLY impressed.” She smiled.

He returned the smile. “Hey, you know what? You had a setback, too. You didn’t have your guns on you. But I was still impressed by your strength.” He proceeded to fully sit down beside her. “It took you a while to land hits on me, but once you did that Overdrive, you were practically untouchable.”

“I’m…flattered you found it impressive. I definitely felt like I was handicapped without my guns,” she said.

“But your guns would’ve given you an unfair advantage. One hit from them, and I’d hit the ground dead,” Dunban said.

“Hm…so…what you’re saying is that I would’ve immediately won if I’d used my Dual Guns? In other words – guns win?” she leered.

Dunban grunted at this. “…I…”

“Face it. That’s the truth,” Elma sassily said. “We were able to spar for quite a while with the swords. But if I had a gun, I could end you. Right here and right now. With just one pull of the trigger…” She raised her index finger and thumb to his forehead. “… Right there. ”

Dunban grimaced and instantly recoiled from her. “Yeah…um…er…okay…” he nervously said. “Guns win…”

“That’s what I thought!” Elma leered, lowering her finger.

Chapter Text

CHAPTER 34: PEACE AND RELAXATION

While Dunban and Elma rested from their fierce sparring session, they remained quiet as they took in the atmosphere. “It’s really peaceful and quiet out here,” Elma remarked, gazing up at the cloudless sky above.

“Yeah, it is,” Dunban agreed, also looking skyward. “When you manage to find a place void of enemies, of course.”

“I feel like it’s even more peaceful than Mira,” Elma said. “On Mira, every step you take, you might find something dangerous. Whether it’s a tyrant or even damaging terrain. Hell, there are even weather patterns that damage you.”

“Damn, it definitely sounds like a hostile place,” Dunban remarked.

“It is, for sure,” Elma said. “But you know what…? This world is a stark contrast. It’s so calm and gentle here. I feel like I’m able to relax a lot more, now.  Even though this is an entirely new world to me, it…just feels a lot more peaceful to be here.”

“I’d like to hope so. This new world was created with peace in mind,” he softly said.

“You know what?” Elma asked, as she gazed ahead at the greenery. Along with the forest trees, she saw many patches of mushrooms and wildflowers. “If…I really AM stranded here, and Professor B can’t find his way here to save me…I…honestly wouldn’t mind accepting the idea of living here .”

“You…wouldn’t…?” he gazed at her in surprise. “But…you don’t have to do that, Elma. A way to get you home is in the works, right now.”

“I know,” Elma said. “But even if it wasn’t, I…don’t think I’d mind accepting this place as my new home. It’s a lot more peaceful than Mira…I mean, even WITH the indigens roaming around, I don’t have to worry about stumbling into enemy bases. Hell, even the Endbringers are more docile here! It’s a little colony and it doesn’t have all of the fancy gadgets I’m used to, but…that might even be better in some ways. It’s simple, it’s calm, and it’s relaxing. Not to mention the fact that my xenoformic self might be more accepted here, with all the different species around and seeming at peace.”

“Well, I wouldn’t want you to get rose-coloured glasses at the idea. Realistically, there IS still chauvinism in the colony,” Dunban cut in.

“I know. I’m not expecting all sunshine and rainbows here. But it’s a definite step up from NLA,” Elma said. “Not only this, but…even despite who I am, and…how I don’t know much about humanity, I was still quickly given friends.” She gave him a caring expression. “Granted, I do have a lot of friends on Mira, too. And I miss them terribly. But…if push does come to shove, I’m…not going to be absolutely miserable if I end up having to stay here.”

“ You won’t be absolutely miserable here . That’s definitely a ringing endorsement,” Dunban sarcastically said.

“Well, it’s true!” Elma cried. “I’ll be homesick, yes. But at the same time…I kind of feel like I’ve found a home away from home.” She smiled.

“That’s nice to hear, Elma. I’d like to think it’s everyone’s insistence on making you feel welcome: Shulk, Fiora, and I especially. You were caught in a difficult situation, and we just wanted to help,” Dunban leaned back.

“And to think…” Elma closed her eyes. “I could’ve missed out on all of this by opting to live in the forest.”

“I don’t want to say I told you so, but…” Dunban sassily said, as his voice trailed off.

Elma chuckled. “I get it, Dunban. You were right in the end. There. I said it.”

“You don’t need to tell me what I already know,” he said.

She gave him a cheeky glare. “I don’t know why you’re being cocky, when I technically won against you in that sparring session.”

“No. There’s usually no winner in a sparring session,” Dunban argued. “And besides, you only gained the advantage when you used Overdrive. And if you’d used your guns on me, that’d be cheating .”

“Cheating, huh? I thought you acknowledged that guns win?” Elma asked. “Hm…how much sound can this forest stifle? Can it silence the sound of a gunshot to someone’s head, as well as their infernal screams of agony?”

Dunban once again slid away from Elma at this. “N-Nevermind…” he said.

“That’s what I thought,” Elma leered. “You might be witty, but I can also snap back, too.”

“I’d hardly call murder threats a legitimate cheeky retort…” Dunban grumbled. “You are just weaselling your way out of things with violence.”

“In some cases, isn’t that what YOU kind of do?” and Elma moved closer to him.

“…Er…I guess,” he said, as he quickly inched away from her.

“It is, though. Isn’t it?” she just closed in on him again, and gazed up at him. They ended up staring at each other for a little bit.

After a moment, Dunban inched away from her and averted her gaze. “…Ah, we…should probably get going, now…” he muttered.

“What do you mean? Where would we go?” Elma asked. “I kind of like relaxing here with you.”