Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Chapter 01 - The Remedy of Eternity

Torigoth was a beautiful city, and even the Titans fusing into a continent hadn't changed that. It had been months since Trent had stepped foot in the Gormotti capital, and the beauty of it did little to assuage the worry in his heart.

The blond ignored the curious looks he received as he shifted, the veritable armoury on his body jostling. It was all part of the deal, Trent reminded himself, that the members of Torna would hand their weapons off to him when they weren't on duty. It was symbolic, as they could easily summon them to their sides, but it was meant to showcase that they'd changed from the terrorist organization they'd once been. On paper, Trent was their handler and Driver, in practice, he was closer to their wrangler as they either didn't care for having a Driver or just didn't respect Trent.

The last part was mostly just Patroka.

It had been a few months since the Cloud Sea had receded and the Titans fused, alongside the destruction of Radhamanthus and the passing of the Architect. Indol had also been destroyed, and Amalthus was dead, but everyone understood why due to his massive hologram.

The time had been both fast and slow for Trent.

He had moved to Mor Ardain, living out of Morag and Brighid's guest room for most of it. The pair had helped ease him into his role as Torna's handler while ensuring he met with a therapist. They had welcomed him into their home and basically treated him like family which had helped Trent once he allowed himself the chance to accept that gesture. Niall, behind closed doors, had become something of a cross between a nephew and a younger sibling, despite his attempts to get Trent to call him 'Uncle Niall.'

The Ardainian couple also didn't mind when Trent spent sleepless nights pacing around the house, his nightmares keeping him from returning to his insomniac sleep schedule. They also knew that Trent's nightmares had a shape, and that shape was Pyra.

Malos had become even more of a constant in the blond's life, and where the Dark Aegis had once been an enemy to overcome, he became something of a rock. The pair bantered and prodded each other, forcing the other to adapt and deal with the world around them rather than stagnating and wallowing.

Malos also took great joy in training Trent to wield his weapon, which he called the Monado-L. Although, his training was closer to beating Trent up and down the training yard and laughing at his struggle. Ahkos and Mikhail had joined him in that effort, allowing the blond the opportunity to wield their weapons as they battered him in the name of training.

Outside of that, they spent their time helping people in settling in the new continent, ensuring that no wars broke out due to the changes to country lines. That or dealing with elements from before the merge that were trying to take advantage of the chaos.

The story was also out, and the people of Alrest knew what had happened. By and large, the people accepted it… outside of Trent's part in things and how things ended. It was easy enough for them to accept Joe's part in the adventure, due to his nature and how he and Mythra had taken to adventuring across the continent. People were split on whether or not Trent was a compassionate man who had broken his connection with the Light Aegis to redeem Malos and Torna, or if he had reached out to Torna and gotten rejected by the Light Aegis despite redeeming them. Neither of those were true, and it annoyed Trent whenever it was brought up, with people acting like they knew what happened. He'd heard that people acting that way pissed Joe off, to the point that he was spitting mad whenever it came up.

Shaking his head and pulling himself from his thoughts, Trent headed for the cafe that he and Tora had agreed to meet at. He smiled at the waitstaff as he entered, noting the way their eyes narrowed at the weapons festooning his body, and cast his gaze around the eatery for the Nopon. His breath caught in his throat as he saw that someone else had arrived in Tora's place, and it wasn't Poppi.

Trent took a deep breath as he slowly trudged forward, ignoring the way air thickened in his throat and how his fingers tremored. He could keep calm, it was just a meeting, it wouldn't last long.

He met the young lady's eyes, and nearly winced when he saw her smile dim slightly. Reaching the table and sliding into the seat, Trent grunted, "Pyra, I was…"

"Expecting Tora or Poppi," the redhead finished as Trent trailed off, meeting his eyes as her own smile turned melancholy. "I- sorry for ambushing you like this. Tora and Poppi were supposed to be here, but something came up with Soosoo and they tore out of the house before the sun had fully risen."

"Oh, that's…" Trent took a deep breath, and then let it out. "I get that. I just… I'm still working through things."

"No, I understand," Pyra said, the corners of her mouth curling inwards as she cast her gaze away. She reached down and put a box on the table, sliding it towards the blond. "Tora said they should work now, and included an ether converter and connector cables so they can charge."

"Th-thanks," Trent replied, taking the box and popping it open to reveal the electronics that had been in his bag when he had first arrived on Alrest, alongside a lamplike object and a spool of cable. With a few deft moves, he dropped his now working and recharged phone in his pocket. "So- uh, what have you been up to?"

"Oh, nothing too much," the Flame Aegis answered, taking a sip of her tea. "A lot of what I've been doing has been helping Lila ensure that Tora, Poppi, and Tatazo don't work themselves sick or just forget their health. Other than that, I've been helping Tora refine his ideas for his business. Did you know he was working on a platformer based on Poppi?"

"He went with that one, then?" Trent said, leaning back in his seat as he went over the menu a waiter had left on the table. "It's a good place for him to start and introduce Alrest to video games."

"So you knew?" Pyra pressed, an eyebrow raised as she watched him over the rim of her drink.

"I helped him brainstorm, back when we were on Indol," Trent answered, reminiscing as he waved over the waiter and quickly gave his order. As the waiter bustled away, the blond hummed, "God, that feels like years ago…"

"He also mentioned a collectathon?" Pyra said leadingly, her smile returning.

"Yeah, using Dromarch and Nia as the inspiration for the main characters," the blond chuckled, shaking his head. "I'm glad he's enjoying the idea. Any news on any more Artificial Blades?"

"Soosoo sent word that he's working to create one that will surpass Poppi and be unsurpassable, but I think Tora and her took that as a challenge," the redhead answered, shaking her head. After a moment, she asked, "What about you? I can see you're…" the Aegis trailed off as she gestured to the weapons hanging off Trent, her smile thinning.

"Ah, these are… well, you can probably tell they're from Torna. I'm not really their Driver though, none of them want that except Malos," Trent explained, his stomach twisting at the thought of being a Driver to more than Malos. Hell, even being Malos' Driver had terrified him for a number of weeks. "It's an… image thing. It's meant to foster goodwill, prove that Torna's trying to change."

"I see," Pyra muttered. "And how… how are things between you and Malos?"

Trent chuckled as his hand fell to the hilt of the Monado-L. "He's a complete asshole, but… he's been a real help. Doesn't let me get caught in my head, keeps pushing me to get out and be better. I think I've been a good influence on him too, he's building something of a library, and I swear he's been using his powers to sculpt things."

"That's… that's good to hear," the redhead replied, her expression falling.

Realizing just what he had been doing, the blond coughed into his fist as the waiter stopped by their table. Dropping off Trent's order, the waiter gave him the stink eye before returning to work. Deciding that he earned that, the blond spoke, "Well, uh, you remember Bana?"

"The former Chairman of Argentum?" Pyra asked in reply, confusion evident. "What about him?"

"Well, turns out, not only was he funding that anti-Ardainian group Brionac, but also that he was working with a conspiracy group called Lindwurm," Trent answered, his worry fading under absurd amusement. "Lindwurm itself? It was led by Bana's father, one Don Dondon."

"Dondondon?" Pyra said almost immediately, blinking at the series of syllables.

"Don –as in the title for a mafia leader– Dondon," Trent clarified, chuckling at the slip up. "He went on a tear when he found out what happened to his son. Morag, Brighid, and my group –Special Task Force T–, were dispatched to deal with him. We actually tracked him to one of the more isolated Leftherian isles where we tangoed with him and one of those Indoline dragons. Luckily, he's in custody now."

"Leftheria?" Pyra said questioningly. "Did you visit Rex and Nia, or ask them for help?"

The blond actually laughed at that, shaking his head. "No, no, Azurda gave us a lift though, ended up staying in Mor Ardain for a week. Said something about kids with too many hormones and too much energy."

Pyra flushed slightly as she chuckled. "That's… wow."

"Yeah, I'm… I wouldn't be surprised if I ended up with a grandchild before the year is through," Trent said with an awkward grin of his own. "Uh, y'know what, let's change the topic… I heard that Mythra and Joe've been working to reclaim the various Tornan territories…"

"I, I heard, yeah," the redhead replied. After a moment of chewing her cheek, she asked, "So, have you been… glitching like Joe?"

Trent looked down at the hand holding his drink, remembering the fuzzing sensation when he had found it across the kitchen from him. "Yeah, but worse from the sounds of it. Heard the worst he's had were his fingernails teleporting. You have no idea how awkward it is to wake up to Brighid shrieking because your head glitched off your body and onto her bedside table."

Pyra looked caught between laughter and horror, and settled for wide eyed shock as she asked, "And you're alright?"

"For the most part. The biggest issue for me is how disconcerting the glitching can be, not much actual pain," Trent responded, shaking his head. Catching the accusatory stare she sent his way, he huffed, "Really, it's not that-"

He cut off as his vision went dark, a strangled noise escaping him as he felt wind on the back of his sockets and heard Pyra gasp. He snapped his eyelids closed to spare people the Event Horizon experience, even as he bolted upright, sending his chair skidding back.

"Trent?!" Pyra inquired, and the blond heard a distant sound of wood on wood before he felt her hands on his face. "What can I do?!"

"Find my eyes! They're somewhere da-" Trent cut off again with a gagging noise, and he tasted dirt. He clamped his mouth shut, but still heard Pyra's gasp.

Distantly, he felt something across his connection to Malos, worry-shock-anxiety.

The blond fell backwards as his legs stopped at his knees, but felt someone's arms wrap around him.

Terror choked his heart not born from the glitching but his nightmares invading the waking world, and as he heard Pyra say something, it was muffled and distant. Malos matched his fear with determination, and energy poured through their connection.

Trent felt his body snap back together and his eyes involuntarily opened. The last thing he saw before darkness consumed him was Pyra, worry and fear clear on her face.

{~}{~}

Distantly, Trent heard an explosion.

"You're awake, huh? Took you long enough."

Malos' voice echoed in Trent's ears, and blearily, he murmured, "Malos?"

"Yeah, it's me. Well… not entirely. You'll figure it out, you're pretty good at sussing shit out."

"What?" Trent asked, blinking as light slowly started to filter into his vision. It was muted, as if it was seen through dusty sunglasses.

"Sorry, can't talk more…" the Dark Aegis' voice faded alongside most of the darkness around Trent.

The darkness evaporated and dirt and dust fell in a cascade around Trent, the blond stumbling forward from the cocoon. Absently, he noted a thrumming from the Tornan weapons strapped to him as he blinked darkness, grit, and sleep from his vision.

The last thing he remembered was a real bad glitch out and Pyra's panicked expression.

Explosions, shouting, and battle filled Trent's ears, and he pulled out the Monado-L. Despite Malos not being present, he felt the Affinity Link click into place, the Dark Aegis feeling both close and distant.

Still steadying himself, he took in the tableau.

A massive mechanical figure, on par with Big Zam or even bigger.

A large, hulking beast, its form maroon and roars exultant.

Six people, all of varying heights. He couldn't place a few of them in the dim light, but…

A dark ponytail and a sword wrapped in brilliant yellow ether - Joe.

An ashen-haired Gormotti, with a pair of ringed blades in her hands - Nia.

A figure with dark clothing and dark hair, the ends burning blue - Brighid.

A tall, wide, almost silver-haired figure wielding a greatsword with blue ether around its edge - Zeke.

Trent was already moving, throwing himself across the distance. He focused on the lessons Malos had imparted during their training together.

"Brighid, Joe, Nia, Zeke! I'm here!"

Light fell from the mech, streaks of blue destruction that burned the air.

Darkness roared and surged in Trent's hand as he thrust it into the air. "Monado Jail!"

A dome of dark ether splashed out from the outstretched limb, swallowing the beams. When the rain stopped, Trent let the dome fade as he fell to the ground, dust kicking around his feet.

"Who are you to disturb my play, insect?!" snarled the maroon beast, ether dancing along its wide shoulders. Despite its bulk it moved daintily, each step precise and measured.

"You attack my friends but don't know me?" Trent asked in reply, spinning the Monado-L in his hand and stepping forward. "I am Trent Blackmore; the Redeemer of Torna, Driver of the Dark Aegis Malos!"

"Meaningless titles for a meaningless bug!" The hulk roared back at the blond, light pooling in its palm. "But your shout of allegiance is enough! By standing with the wretched Ouroboros, you've sealed your fate!"

Trent frowned inwardly at the title. He'd never heard of a group called Ouroboros nor had his friends ever been called such. The closest was that name Joe and Mythra had come up with ages ago.

Instead of letting it bother him, he channelled Malos, feeling a hum of approval through the link. "Then face me and quake before the power of the Monado!"

"I dunno who the snuff you are," a young lady's voice called out from behind Trent, sounding a bit like a Cockney hooligan. "But you're sparkin' nuts."

"Enough of that, Eunie." The voice that chided the first was masculine but still rather soft, and it bore a British accent. "He's helping us, so let's not look a gift ponio in the mouth."

Deciding those two were probably the two figures that Trent couldn't identify, the blond grunted, "Let's just tear this fucker down. Joe'n the others know how to fight with me, but just consider me a frontline fighter with a few defensive tricks."

With that, Trent charged, darkness roiling off his shoulders as an unheard question echoed behind him.

The hulking creature laughed as it strode towards the blond, its gait fast but unhurried as it chambered a punch.

As the pair closed on each other, sound echoed from above them, presumably from the others deciding to fight the giant mech that the brute was accompanied by.

"Oh, c'mon mister smiles, where's the banter you were tossing earlier? Call me a bug, tell me you've got insecticide!" Trent smothered a grin as he spun the Monado-L in his palm. "Personally, I'd say you either need to brush more or put a bag on your mug. It'd probably make your dating life a lot easier."

"A date, in this abysmal world?" The bulky beast laughed, swivelling forward as he planted his foot. "My only options are these dolls, the puppets, or one of my fellow consuls, and they're all the sort to bite it off!"

Inwardly, Trent filed away the brute's comments, but outwardly he laughed as the consul's fist shot to pulp his head. The Monado-L thrummed in time with his laughter, approval rippling off of Malos' end of the bond.

"Monado Armour."

Darkness burst into existence around Trent, and the blond met the consul's self-assured gaze, an infinity symbol burning in the massive maroon marauder's eyes. The brute's fist hit the dome and he laughed uproariously as it passed through.

The laughter turned to a pained roar as he jerked back, his arm raised and his forearm missing just past the elbow. Disintegrating bone, flesh and armour weakly slapped against Trent's face and he grinned like a shark before the orb winked out of existence.

"Need a hand?"

The brute snarled as he held his arm up, and then blinked. He craned his head around to look up at the mech, Joe falling from in front of it while Nia touched down, and a part of the mech falling from what looked to be its face. "What- they destroyed the Flame Clock?! How?! They're indestructible!"

"Apparently not," Trent shot back, as he shifted his grip on the Monado-L, both of his hands on its hilt. "Besides, if it was really indestructible, I'd have a solution for that."

"Oh yeah?" the brute snarled back, focusing on the foe in front of him. "Prove it, you little shit!"

"Let me teach you of the edge that cuts beyond both zero and infinity," Trent replied, feeling the feedback between himself and Malos. The edge of the Monado-L shimmered and glowed with an ominous light as the blond lifted it above his head. "Thus, I declare-"

He stepped forward, the consul roaring as he swung his remaining fist at Trent's head.

"Ragna Blade."

The consul's fist never connected as the blond stepped past the falling halves of the now dead beast, and he released a held breath. In his hands, the Monado-L shuddered with Malos' satisfaction, only for the feeling to grow distant and fade. Looking down at it, Trent couldn't help but ask, "What the Hell is going on, Malos?"

"Dunno who Malos is, but you bashed that Moebius up pretty well!"

The blond looked up at the new voice and paused. The speaker was the person he had mistakenly believed was Zeke, a large fellow with silver hair and a greatsword. But that was about where the similarities stopped, as this young man had an odd grey skin tone, his white hair in an undercut, and didn't wear an eyepatch.

"Oh no," Trent said, and then looked over at the others, realizing his mistake.

The young man he had mistaken for Joe had much darker hair, and wore a red leather coat. On his left arm was a red and golden gauntlet which unfolded to wrap around the katana-like sword in his right, creating the weapon he had mistaken for Mythra's sword.

The young Blade woman he had mistaken for Brighid was shorter and slighter, not being as busty as the Jewel of Mor Ardain, while also having a slightly darker complexion. The only real connection they shared was that their hair burned with blue flames, and she had a large hammer in her hands.

The two he hadn't placed were eying him just as curiously as the rest of the group.

One was a young man with a dark complexion, clad in a white jacket with an orange scarf wrapped around his neck and a pair of glasses on his face. He had a gauntlet on his left forearm, and a number of paper talismans floating around him.

The other was a brunette with a pair of wings poking out of her hair, marking her as a Blade in Trent's head. She was clad in what looked to be an exercise onesie, a green and black sweater worn over her shoulders to keep her arms warm, and she seemed to wield what looked like a staff with a trigger on its haft.

Then his eyes travelled to the last member of the group, and he felt hope fill his heart.

Despite the change of clothes, and how her hair looked a shade lighter, the Gormotti's features were almost exactly as he remembered them. And most helpfully, the Core Crystal in her chest was exactly the same as it had been when they'd last seen each other.

Trent smiled as he stepped forward, his arms held wide for a hug.

"Nia, you have no idea how confused I am, and how glad I am to see you."

The Gormotti pulled back, and she frowned. "Er, I'm sorry, but my name's Mio, not Nia… and I have no idea who you are."

Trent blinked, his mouth working as he looked over the young Gormotti lady. She had Nia's hair, her ears in her Gormotti form, she even had her Core Crystal for god's sake. Looking up at her eyes, he went to note that she had Nia's eyes, only to stop.

She didn't have Nia's eyes.

Trent's stomach dropped out as he recognized the shade of amber staring back at him. His hands came up as he clasped the sides of the young woman's face, different features popping out and differentiating her from Nia. He ignored the sounds of protest as his heart sank.

"I- Mio, where are your parents?"

Trying to pull back, Mio grimaced as she struggled to pull her cheeks out of the man's palms. "W-what? What are you talking about?"

"Your parents, Mio!" Trent replied, shrugging the hand that landed on his shoulder. "Rex and Nia! I- did they never tell you about-"

"I said let go of Mimi!" The hand landed on the Canadian's shoulder again and yanked him away from Mio, whirling him towards the speaker. Their accent was midwestern American, almost valley girl-esque. It was the short girl, with burning blue hair, and a Core Crystal peeking out of her top.

Trent stared at her, and his jaw worked silently. "Oh god, Morag and Brighid found a donor…"

The blond looked around before looking down the Monado-L.

"How long was I out? Malos, please, answer me."

"Er, sir, a sword isn't going to reply…" the one who spoke was the ponytailed lad, who turned out to be the one who mentioned gift ponios. He pulled back as Trent's shocked expression shifted furiously, but pressed on. "Listen, let's just… help the people of Colony Four, and we can talk after."

The lad gestured around, and only now did Trent notice the people collapsed on the ground. He took a deep breath, and noted that they seemed to be in the badlands of Mor Ardain, causing him to wonder how he had gotten there. Slowly, Trent nodded.

"Alright, but when this is done I want- no, need answers."

Chapter Text

Chapter 02 - The Obligatory One

Moving the people of the Colony had confused Trent, as there didn't look to be a person older than their mid-twenties among them. It had also sent a trill of confusion down his spine as the Ouroboros commented on how some of them were so old, despite them being around the same age as them. The entire thing worried and confused the blond, because how the Hell did mid-twenties count as old? The other puzzling thing was that while there were a few preteens, there weren't any who didn't look like they could be ten.

The only exception for the person that had resolved from the bisected halves of the hulk, who looked to be in his late fifties, at the youngest. The Ouroboros had murmured about how odd he looked due to his wrinkles and grey-shot hair, comparing it to someone called Guernica.

With members of the colony resting and laid out on the various cots in the tents and the Big Zam, Trent and the Ouroboros were seated in what looked to be an office. The office itself was austere, but quite finely made, with a very well made desk. The cot in the office was the same make as those down below, so at least the owner of the office made sure to live like her soldiers. The cot was occupied by a woman that Trent could only describe as stunning, shapely and toned with long silver hair.

Pulling his attention away from the woman, he looked over the Ouroboros. Noah, red-coated and wielding a red sword, wearing his dark hair in a ponytail. Eunie, a brunette with speckled wings poking from the sides of her head, wielding a strange staff. Lanz, large and grey-skinned, white hair and burning red eyes to go with his massive greatsword. Taion, the bespectacled youth with his white jacket and orange scarf, watching Trent carefully. Manana, a little orange Nopon with sparkling eyes and a wok on her back. Riku, a teal Nopon with a no-nonsense attitude, a ushanka, and a surprisingly deep voice. Sena, the slight girl with hair that burned blue, that and the Core Crystal on her chest reminding the blond so much of his friend and roommate, a woman who had been so much like an older sister to Trent.

And then there was Mio. Nia's spitting image, but with Rex's eyes. Her Core Crystal being a one for one copy of the one that had been in Nia's chest. She even had the Welsh or Gormotti accent, like Nia.

"Q and A time, methinks," Trent said, leaning back in his seat, the various weapons of Torna resting against it.

"Before that," Taion remarked with narrowed eyes. "Aren't you going to dismiss your… Blades?"

"Hwat?" Trent asked, frowning as he looked at the weapons leaning against his seat, each of them in their stowed or sheathed forms. "This is about the best I can do. Besides dismissing Blades…" The blond felt his stomach clench at the memory of the emeralds falling from his chest. "That's a pretty serious thing, where I'm from. Or maybe when."

"Riiiiight," Eunie mumbled, crossing her arms as she leaned back in her seat. "So, where do we start this thing cause I ain't got a snuffin' idea?"

"How does he know Mimi? Or thinks he does?" Sena asked, studying Trent with a frown.

The Driver took a deep breath. "I- I don't know her, but I know her parents. We travelled and fought together, we're great friends. Hell, I'm ninety percent sure I'm good friends with your mothers too, Sena. I just- I just don't understand why you don't recognize me, or my name. I- sure, I don't know how long I was unconscious for, but the idea that they'd…" Trent trailed off, not wanting to finish the sentence. Had there been an incident, orphaning the pair? Or, on the worse side, had his friends, for some reason, decided to erase him from their lives?

He was pulled from his spiral when Lanz grunted, "The spark're 'parents' and 'mothers'?"

Trent blinked in confusion, looking over the group and realizing that with the exception of the Nopons, the Ouroboros were clearly puzzled. "I- you're kidding me, right? Parents? Big people who get together to start a family, make some little people? Little people that grow into big people?"

"I know certain monsters form units like that, but people don't," Taion remarked, crossing his arms.

Trent held up a hand. "If people don't make people here, then where do they come from?"

"The Castle," Noah answered, a hand on his chin. "First termers are sent from the Castle to the various colonies. Er, well, that's how it works in Keves."

"Agnus too," Mio said with a nod, her mouth pulled into a thin line. She then blinked, and added, "That's why the name Nia sounded familiar, that's the Queen's name."

Eunie let out a whistle. "So, what? Mio here's… got some connection to the Queen of Agnus? We gonna say I'm the same with Queen Melia or summat?"

Trent frowned, tapping his fingers on his knees. After a moment, he asked, "Do you have any pictures of this Queen Nia?"

"Oh, Manana has old announcement!" The Nopon declared that as she pulled a brass orb from her white coat. The top lit up projecting a blue hologram of a woman in ceremonial wear, she moved silently before halting as Manana pressed a button.

Trent leaned forward and studied the projected image, his teeth gritting in recognition. "It definitely looks to be the Nia I know. Right body type, correct ears, even the correct Core Crystal. My only issue is the mask, that… well, not to insult Nia, but she never struck me as the queenly type, and she never was the sort to hide her face."

"Maybe it's a queen thing?" Lanz suggested, his elbows resting on his knees. "Queen Melia has a mask too."

"Something tells me that there's more to this than we think," Trent grunted, shaking his head. "Something about all of this bugs me, but I'd have to confront this Nia to know anything for sure."

"So, what about this whole parent thing?" Sena asked, still frowning and watching Trent. "You haven't told us how that works!"

"I- Listen, I am not giving a sex ed class right now, not as unprepared as I am," the blond retorted, shaking his head and holding his arms up in an X.

"Sex? What's that?" Noah inquired, furiously trying to connect the dots. "Does it have something to do with parents?"

"I- kind of, yes, but again, I'm not giving that talk until I've had time to prepare!" Trent retorted, trying to think of any sort of way to shift the topic. Blinking, he reached down and pulled his phone out, quickly turning it on for the first time in what felt like ages. Flicking through his apps, he found his pictures and pulled up a photo that Brighid had taken during the descent from Elysium.

Turning the phone in his hand to show it to the Ouroboros, they paused at the image displayed.

"She- she looks just like me…" Mio murmured, blinking at the picture. "B-but who's that next to her?"

"That'd be your father, his name's Rex," Trent answered, a tired smile on his face. "You won't find a pair of fiercer friends anywhere. Nor a pair more in love than them."

"You're worried about them," Sena said, glancing up from the phone.

"Of course I am. Nia's apparently a queen, Rex is missing, and Mio –who I'm sure is their daughter– has no idea who they are," the blond responded, his eyes drifting down to the desk. "Not to mention that the queendom that Nia's in charge of is one I've never heard of on the face of Alrest. I can only guess it formed at some point during the-" he paused, and gritted his teeth. "During the hopefully twenty or so years I was out of commission."

"You've never heard of Agnus?" Taion asked, a furious frown on his face. "But… it's existed for over a thousand terms, and it's been at war with Keves for just as long."

Trent had very quickly come to equate terms with years and thus felt his stomach lurch and the inside of his neck felt like it was swelling both in and outwards. He dropped a hand to steady himself, and wheezed, "Thank you for softening that blow."

The bespectacled young man grimaced and looked away. "Right, uh, sorry about that."

"But- how can you be alive? That many terms…" Noah asked, studying Trent as if he was some great mystery. "You're not all withered like the Consul or Guernica, and most normal people only live for ten terms…"

Trent's eyes narrowed as his stomach roiled, the implication making him want to scream and cry and be violently ill all at the same time. Taking a shuddering breath to try and distract himself from the burning in the corners of his eyes.

"Nia, she- she has the ability to manipulate the cells of living beings. Back after we met the Architect, she froze the aging of most of us who were mortal. She might've muttered a few things about accelerating Rex's puberty too." He chuckled at the last part, a small spark of amusement flaring in his chest. "He probably grew up to be an off-colour clone of-" He cut himself off as he felt a croak build up in his throat. "I'm digressing. Me, Joe, Morag, Rex eventually, dunno about Zeke given that he's a Blade-Eater."

"He eats weapons?" Lanz grunted, frowning in confusion. "Bit of a weird thing to do."

"It's- I'm still trying to figure out how you guys don't know what Blades are," Trent grumbled, shaking his head. "I mean, Mio's probably half-Blade, and I'm guessing Sena is too… unless Morag and Brighid's donor was a Blade too… Hell, I thought Eunie and Lanz were Blades until I noticed they didn't have Core Crystals and that they clearly shared features with a number of the people of this colony. It's exceedingly rare for Blades to share distinguishing features, but across that many? No chance."

"What? No, we're all human!" Mio declared, the feline ears atop her head twitching.

"Subspecies of human, I'm thinking," Trent expounded, leaning back slightly. "Like… during my time on Alrest, I've seen four subspecies of human. The basic vanilla subspecies, like Taion and Noah, falling under the umbrella of the Leftherians, Ardainians, and Tantalese. Mio, like Nia, has the trappings of the Gormotti, with the feline ears atop her head, and the elongated canines. Then there are the Urayans, who have patches of scales across their bodies, and finned ears. Finally, there are the Indoline; they have bluish-grey skin, pointed ears and usually very light hair."

"Those… do sound like Agnian features," Taion murmured, arms crossed and face screwed up in thought. "But why don't you count Blades as human if they look like us?"

"That's a bit more complicated," Trent rumbled, flipping his phone back around to look through the album, selecting a few pictures. "Blades and their sister species, the Titans, can't really be easily classified." Pulling up the first image, it showcased the members of Torna sans Mikhail. "Some are almost indistinguishable from humans, with only their Core Crystals differentiating them." He flicked his finger across the screen bringing up a picture of Brighid and Morag.

"She… she has hair like me," Sena murmured, seemingly entranced by the photo.

"Brighid and Morag," Trent said, putting names to the faces, trying to give some context to his earlier comments about the pair. "Brighid is the norm for humanoid Blades, having some form of notable differentiation from humans. In her case, she's covered in blue flames." He swiped to another photo, this one of Zeke and Pandoria. "The green-haired woman, Pandoria, she has lightbulbs for shoulders and a sparkplug tail. I met a Blade who was mostly made of ice from his chest down."

He flicked to the next picture, this one of Dromarch. "And then there are Blades like Dromarch, who don't resemble the human form in the least. I remember a few Blades I met during training, one was more like a Tirkin but with a human face, and another was like a massively upscaled Nopon although he was literally half mouth on top of it."

"That- really, like a Tirkin?" Eunie asked, leaning forward with wide eyes. "Them little fellas with the beaks that caw'n'all that? Snuffin' wild…"

"So, wait, how do they connect to your weapons?" Taion inquired, brow furrowed in thought.

"Blades are… they start as basic Core Crystals; blue, fist sized crystals. Then, when someone with the potential to awaken the Blade within picks it up, they can perform what's called Resonance and awaken the Blade. Thus, the person with the potential becomes a Driver and the Blade stands beside them until the Driver dies, they use an Overdrive Protocol to transfer the Blade to another Driver, or… or the Blade becomes a Flesh-Eater," Trent explained, flicking back to the picture of Torna, staring at them and wondering what had happened to them. He might not have been truly close with all of them, but he worried about them now, and reflected on his relations with them. "Or if they're an Aegis."

"Flesh-Eaters? Friend saying Blades cannibalize?" Manana asked, blinking in horror as the rest of the Ouroboros group winced and pulled back.

"No!" Trent nearly snarled, a hand balling and slamming down onto the desk. He looked around at the concerned faces, and sighed, "Not to my knowledge. I know of five Flesh-Eaters, and only one of them became such willingly, and even then it was… heat of the moment. Most of the time, a Driver forces the creation of a Flesh-Eater; Amalthus and Minoth, Ahkos and Patroka and their original Driver…" Trent swallowed as he tasted ash in his mouth. Nia hadn't told him much, but Morag's own investigation had painted a grim picture of a man spiralling into despair and delusion as his beloved daughter withered, before she miraculously recovered and he disappeared. The note that had been recovered was a long, rambling and nightmarish look into the mind of a broken man.

Trent looked up at Mio and decided not to bring up Nia's status, it should be discussed between them.

He sighed, and looked over the Ouroboros who were weighing his answer. After a moment, he added, "Most Flesh-Eaters are victims, and even the one who willingly became one… the matter's murky."

"So, if them's how Flesh-Eaters work, what about the Blade-Eater you mentioned?" Lanz asked, proving to be sharper than he appeared at first blush.

"A human who has had part of a Blade's Core Crystal implanted in their body. It extends their life and grants them increased physical parameters," Trent answered, nodding slowly. "I've met three, maybe more."

"That… that's a lot to take in," Noah murmured, looking down at his lap.

"It is," Taion agreed, nodding slowly and taking a moment to adjust his glasses. "But, there's another thing you didn't expand on: the term Aegis. What does that mean in regards to Blades?"

"The Aegises are… they're a set of special Blades, associated closely with the Architect, the creator of Alrest. They are more powerful than other Blades and bend or break a lot of the rules that Blades follow. They don't return to their Core Crystal and lose their memories if their Driver dies, they can choose their Driver on their own, even…" Trent trailed off, remembering his decision and the shaken look on Pneuma's face. "Even break the bond between themselves and their Drivers, should it be necessary."

"I see…" Taion hummed, leaning back slightly.

"Who's this Architect you keep mentioning?" Sena asked, most of her suspicion and anger having bled away. "You said they created that Alrest place you've been bringing up. Were they the queen of it?"

"I- the term for a male ruler is a king," Trent started, nearly laughing at the thought. "And no, it's… it's extremely complicated, and a very long story. Are you sure you want me to tell it?" Looking over the group and taking in their nods, Trent took a deep breath.

"Long, long ago, before Aionios, before Alrest, the world was simply known as Earth…"

{~}{~}

"…in the end, all I can really say about the Architect, about Klaus, is that he was a deeply conflicted man, and even now we're dealing with the aftereffects of his actions," Trent finished, letting out a sigh.

It had been… interesting, telling the Ouroboros the full story. Telling them of worlds so different from what they knew, of Klaus and what his choices wrought, and his eventual downfall. He had also mentioned the torn worlds, and his belief that the two had fused, explaining the appearance of people like Lanz and Eunie.

"Curious."

The one who spoke wasn't any of the Ouroboros or either Nopon, instead, it was the silver-haired woman. As the group's heads whipped around to look at her, she shifted and opened her eyes.

Piercing blue met Trent's own, and the woman pushed herself upright. She spoke in a measured contralto, and mused, "Your story is quite… confusing, but I will admit that it does help explain why parts of Aionios are so poorly… configured and put together. More than that, it also explains why certain parts of Aionios resemble parts of animals and whatnot, like the Urayan Mountains, or Melnath's Shoulder."

"Somethings've stayed the same I guess," Trent mused tiredly, before sticking his hand out to the woman. "Trent Blackmore. Unintentional time traveller, Driver of the Dark Aegis, former head of Special Task Force T." He paused and then gestured to Mio. "This is my granddaughter, Mio."

"I have no idea what that is," the woman replied, taking a moment to look down at the man's hand before looking back up at him. "I am Ethel, commander of Colony Four. And I believe that we've much to discuss, about what occurred last night, and the monster that the Consul turned into."

Trent cringed at the realization that this woman was as unaware as the others. He really hoped that Nia had a good reason for all of this.

Chapter Text

Chapter 03 - The Sharpest Knife

The discussion with Ethel had been odd for Trent, as the woman had largely focused on ascertaining the truth of the Ouroboros, their circumstances, and those of the Consuls. The blond had largely been an afterthought for her, closer to a curiosity than any sort of information. The conversation had been a chance for Trent to catch up slightly on information as well, learning that there was a group fighting to put the world right, and that the Consuls were also called Moebius.

With the meeting adjourned, they had broken to explore the colony, restock on supplies, and get some food. Trent had gone with the last one, as his stomach had been cramping to be filled since the battle had ended.

The meal was a chilli-like stew, served alongside a hardy bun and what seemed to be some form of energy drink. The chilli was honestly pretty tasty, although the bun was a sadly dry and hard affair. Finally, the drink was… it was like someone had mixed red gatorade with a hint of battery acid, it wasn't awful, but it wasn't Trent's cup of tea.

The blond sipped at his drink as he noticed Sena and Mio in line at the canteen. He was about to call out to them as they collected their meals, when he noticed one of the members of Colony Four approaching them. Trent paused, his spoon hovering over his chilli, and dropped it when the soldier shoved his hand in Mio's face. Pushing himself up, the blond stalked across the hushed canteen, laser-focused on the tableau playing out in front of him. He heard the young man's story, and it only briefly gave him pause, Mio's response instead temporarily freezing him.

He saw the young man shake, before stilling as the soldier saw the mark on her neck, and got right up behind him. The young man continued on his spiel, mocking Mio and saying she had almost no time left, and warning her not to get poisoned. Looming behind him, Trent hissed, "I highly recommend you put your weapon away, and never threaten my granddaughter again."

"I don't kno-" the young man spun, his face set in a glare, only to jerk back at the realization that Trent was right in his face.

Trent had no idea what sort of expression he was making, but knew that his resting expression was intimidating. Now… He took a deep breath before continuing, "I'm sorry your friend died, but that doesn't mean you should attack someone just because she's from the same place as the person that killed your friend. It just creates a cycle of killing and hurt, the end of which… All it's going to do is leave a mountain of corpses and dead, with nobody satisfied. So do the smart thing, and walk away."

The young man grit his teeth, before stomping away. Trent met Mio and Sena's questioning looks, only for the man running the canteen to speak up, "Listen, about Jeremy… I'm sorry. He's still- still dealing with what happened. Just… please give him a chance."

The Agnian duo shared a look, and shrugged with Mio answering, "Then it's up to him and what he does. We don't plan on keeping any sort of quarrel with him."

"That's good to hear," the cook said, his shoulders unwinding. "Now, I hear you all are fighting for our sakes, so if you ever need a meal, be sure to stop by. I'll always have some put aside for you. And tonight? Tonight's on the house."

Mio and Sena looked down at their trays, only to find them piled high with food. They shared a laugh before picking them up and stepping away. They left Trent and the cook staring at each other, the latter turning his gaze away awkwardly after a moment.

Trent swallowed a sigh as he moved back to grab his tray and join Mio and Sena, taking a seat at one end of the table. The Agnian pair blinked at him, as if not expecting him to join them.

Picking his spoon back up, the blond started, "Sorry about butting in there, but believe me when I say that I held back."

"I- I suppose it's alright?" Mio answered, glancing at a shrugging Sena from the corner of her eye. "Was there a reason you joined us?"

"Figured I'd ask about your further plans, given the whole Moebius-Ouroboros thing," Trent said, pushing his spoon around in his chilli.

"Why?" Sena asked, holding a bun in front of her mouth.

"Because I'm joining you," Trent replied without missing a beat. "I'm not leaving you guys on your own against this conspiracy, and it seems like the best chance for me to meet Nia again. And, there's the fact that it's dangerous to travel alone."

"You- you're joining us? Even with the Moebius targeting us?" Mio inquired, her eyebrows raised.

Trent nodded as he lifted his spoon to his mouth. "Yup. Besides, you guys said that the goal is to put the world right. I'm onboard for that."

"More allies would be a welcome development," Taion remarked as he slid in on Mio's other side.

Following him, Manana hopped onto the seat at the end of the table, a tray held in her wings. Riku did the same, although he had one wing out to support the orange Nopon. Moments after, the Kevesi half of the Ouroboros took the side opposite the Agnians, each of them with a tray of their own. Noah nodded to each of them as Eunie and Lanz both seemed more focused on their meals.

The ponytailed Kevesi cleared his throat as he looked around the table. "Allies?"

"Me, in this case," Trent clarified after swallowing a mouthful of chilli. "Like I told Mio and Sena, I'm planning to join you all. Between what mysteries are before me, and your mission of righting the world, you'll be hard pressed to shake me."

"Can't say another arm wouldn't be useful," Lanz grunted through a mouthful.

Taion made a thoughtful noise, and asked, "Can you use all those Blades, then?"

Trent sucked a breath in through his teeth, and slowly admitted, "Malos' sword, yeah. And somewhat with Ahkos' scythe-bow and Mikhail's fans. Not so much Patroka's naginata or Jin's odachi, they weren't too happy about me even hanging on to them."

The young man nodded, and inquired, "Do you have any questions for us, then?"

"Mostly about the destination that you all have in mind," Trent answered with a shrug.

"Vandham told us to head for the Great Sword," Eunie chimed in, jerking her head towards the massive construct on the horizon. "So, we'd be heading out through the other half of Fornis, Pentelas, around Keves Castle, then on to Cadensia, where the sword is."

Trent barely registered the last part of what the young brunette had said, and instead focused on the first part. "I'm sorry, did you say Vandham?"

"Yeah?" Eunie replied questioningly. "He was the one who gave us these Ouroboros powers, or something like that."

"I- I had a friend named Vandham, back before all of this," Trent said, his gaze turning back to his tray. "Big Urayan fellow, cross-shaped scar across his nose and brow, wears his hair in a pompadour?"

"Urayans were the people like Mio?" Noah wondered, frowning as he tried to remember.

"No, no, the Urayans have scaled patches and finned ears," the blond corrected.

Lanz snorted, "Couldn'ta been the same one, then. Ours was more like you, Noah, n'Taion. All pruned up too, said it was some ash about him bein' sixty."

"That's a part of aging past a certain point," Trent explained, a cocktail of relief, grief, and wonder pooling in his gut. "Your skin gets loose, starts to sag and wrinkle. If his hair was grey or greying, that's also part of aging."

"Huh, weird," Sena mumbled, crossing her arms.

Coughing, Trent brought the discussion back to the earlier topic. "Right, so… Fornis, Pentelas, the castle, and Cadensia. What're they like?"

"Fornis is half desert and wastes like this, and the other half is pretty meadow-y," Eunie answered, leaning back on her seat and popping a foot up on it. "The castle… I remember seeing lots of cliffs'n all that like the part of Fornis we're in now when we shipped out to Colony Nine."

"Pentelas is made up of a few different biomes," Taion added, a hand coming up to cover his mouth. "There's the Urayan Mountains and the caves within, the Great Cotte Falls beyond that, and the Makhta Wildwood which leads into the area around Keves Castle. Cadensia is something unknown for us, however. None of us have ever been there."

Trent hummed at that, his brow furrowing. "Well, I know Uraya at least. That was where my friend Vandham lived. Though it might have changed with… all of this, and I didn't have a chance to check it out after Klaus merged the Titans into a continent… you know what, don't worry about it."

"Oh, right!" Sena perked up, looking up from her demolished pile of buns. "Tell us about yourself, hobbies, special skills, super techniques!"

"Sparks, again?" Lanz grunted, his shoulders slumping.

Trent blinked, and after a moment, replied, "I'm… Trent Blackmore. In terms of hobbies, I enjoy reading and writing. For special skills, I'm… kind of blanking. As for special techniques, with the Monado-L I have the Ragna Blade and the Enuma Elish."

"Er, could you tell us more about those? The names are a bit… not descriptive," Noah said, frowning in thought and confusion.

"Well, the Ragna Blade basically just uses Malos' innate darkness and annihilation powers to coat the edge, making it able to cut anything," Trent explained as his gaze turned skyward in thought. "As for Enuma Elish… we never actually used it, but we envisioned it being a massive cone of annihilation."

"What do you mean by darkness and annihilation abilities?" Mio inquired, brow furrowed in confusion.

Trent's eyebrow quirked up, and he asked, "Er, Mio do you not have water powers? Sena, same to you but fire?" Catching a pair of confused looks and shaking heads, he continued, "That's odd then. Blades back on Alrest, the people that is, they're all associated with certain elements, and from what I've seen, a good amount of them also have special abilities on top of those. Mythra was able to give her wielder's glimpses of the future, Malos was able to annihilate matter, and stuff like that. Hell, I mentioned Nia's abilities to manipulate cells and heal people."

"Interesting," Taion mumbled, and after a moment, he added, "It reminds me of my Mondo, at least slightly. Still, we'd be digressing. What about the rest of your Blades?"

Trent took a deep breath, before answering, "I don't actually know how well I'll be able to use them, as they don't seem to be present, but… Ahkos' weapon is a scythe that can fold into a bow, it's electric element and can stimulate healing. Mikhail's are a pair of fans that are dark element. Patroka's is an earth element naginata, and Jin's…" Trent trailed off and after a moment, he grunted, "Jin's is the odachi, it's ice element, and I don't know if his special ability carried over."

"Weird, but useful, I guess?" Eunie remarked questioningly, glancing above Trent's head. "Can't borrow any of'em though, least not that I can see."

The other members of the Ouroboros followed her gaze, and after a moment they made similar declarations. Trent blinked in confusion, and asked, "Er, wait, back up. What do you all mean by that?"

"When we became Ouroboros, we gained the ability to use each others' Blades," Noah answered, holding up his hand and summoning one of Mio's ring blades into it. Dismissing the weapon, he finished, "Although we don't know how far that extends."

"Fair enough," Trent grunted as he tapped his spoon against his now-clean tray. Taking a deep breath, he decided to push forward. "I'm guessing we're going to hit the road soon enough?"

"As soon as we can, which means once the rock slide in our path is cleared.," Mio confirmed quickly. "We don't… we don't have much time to waste. Ethel did say that it would take two months."

"Still not too clear on what the snuff a 'city' is," Eunie grumbled, her wings flexing.

"Christ, the fact that you kids don't know what a city is…" Trent sighed, his shoulders slumping. "A city is… it's like a colony, but much larger and permanent. It's a place where people live their lives, not as soldiers but as they want to. It's a place to raise children, to spend time with your friends, to just… live."

The Ouroboros and Manana looked spellbound by the description, while Riku's thick eyebrows knit together, his mouth pulled into a thin line. That was curious to Trent, but it wasn't the time to address it.

The blond took a deep breath, and said, "Let me tell you about some of the cities I've seen, we'll start with Toronto and work up to Alba Cavanich…"

{~}{~}

With the sunning having dipped below the horizon, the Ouroboros' group had largely settled into the tent that Ethel had set up for them. Or rather, Trent and Mio were the only ones within it; Noah, Lanz, Taion, and Riku having spread out through the colony to either help or go about their own business while Eunie, Sena, and Manana had gone to hit the baths.

Mio was using a mirror to examine the mark on her neck when Trent spoke up, "Mio, what did that guy mean about you not having much time left?"

"I…" the young woman trailed off as she let her occupied hand fall. "It means what it means. I only have three months until Homecoming."

"Homecoming?" the blond asked, finding the term curious.

"When someone finishes their tenth term, there's a ceremony," Mio started, her free hand rising to rest against the mark on her neck. "They either visit their nation's castle, or their queen comes to their colony, and during the ceremony, their body breaks down into motes…" the young Gormotti trailed off, while Trent's stomach dropped out. "But it's just dying. It's just a lot of pomp and circumstance for someone who managed to avoid dying on the battlefield."

Trent's mouth hung open, and a choking noise escaped him.

Mio was going to die in three months. Sena, Taion, Noah, Eunie, and Lanz also only had a short time to live. Each and every person on Aionios was doomed to a short, battle and trauma filled life. From Ethel to the ten year olds Trent had seen working with the supply corps of Colony Four.

Trent had easily lived for twice as long as Mio, and she was talking like ten years wasn't a normal lifespan but a long one.

Trent felt his eyes burn and water as his heart shattered. He balled his fists as his mouth snapped shut, and lurched forward. Mio made a noise of surprise as she was pulled into a hug. The blond shook as he held her close, and muttered continuously in her ear.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm so- so sorry."

Resolve burned and hardened with his chest. He was going to burn Aionios to the ground.

Chapter Text

Chapter 04 - Bring the Beat Back

Night had fallen over the Eagus Wilderness, with most of Colony Four having turned in for the night, only a skeleton crew for watch and a few other duties were awake. The animals that wandered the badlands during the day had taken shelter from the surprisingly bitter cold of the night, while the few nocturnal species had come out to start their own proverbial days.

In the shadows of the cliffs across from the Colony's entrance, a figure clung to the darkness, watching the Colony carefully. Reaching up to their temple, they tapped it.

In the silence of their small hollow, a tired voice coloured by an electronic trill spoke, "Report, Lost Number."

"Lost Number SR-08 reporting," the figure answered, looking around in case the sound had alerted anything. "News regarding the incidental Ouroboros."

"Acknowledged. Transferring you to the Elder," the person on the other end replied.

The figure frowned at the response, but didn't say anything as they waited for the people on the other side to continue. After a moment, a woman's voice echoed across the connection.

"SR-08, go ahead with your report."

"Roger, Elder," the figure grunted. "The Ouroboros are progressing through Fornis. Barring any complications, they should arrive in the vicinity of the City within the next two months."

"Good, do you have anything else to report?" the woman asked.

"They have destroyed the Flame Clock of Kevesi Colony Four, and the associated Moebius is dead, but…" the figure trailed off as she considered her words carefully.

The woman on the other end pushed, "But what, SR-08?"

The figure took a deep breath and answered, "An anomalous person appeared during their battle with the Moebius. They were mid to late twenties, blond and wearing spectacles. They appeared to be wearing clothing similar to fashion in the City, and had at least two weapons on their person. He immediately jumped into battle with the Moebius while the Ouroboros attacked the Flame Clock. Somehow, he managed to kill the Moebius, but I wasn't close enough to ascertain what method he used beyond a dark purple ether."

The woman let out a hum. "What other identifiers did this man have?"

"The sword he was wielding was ornate and oddly fanciful, rather than being functional. Leaning towards Agnian aesthetics, with what looked like a purple cross on the hilt," SR-08 reported, her gaze narrowed as she tried to recall everything about the man. "The other weapon also looked to be Agnian style. An odachi, although it wasn't extremely ornamented or anything."

"I see," the Elder paused, and after a few moments, she declared, "Continue your observation. I will convene with the Queen to see if she has any idea as to who this is."

SR-08 paused for a moment, and then said, "Understood."

{~}{~}

Morning came early for Trent and the Ouroboros, the sextet giving the blond some space after he had spent much of the previous night hugging them close despite their confusion. While the blond was rather embarrassed by how they were taking it, he didn't regret his actions.

Still, they trooped out into the early morning light, their scant possessions in hand. Reaching the edge of the Colony, they found Ethel and her lieutenant Bolearis waiting. The Commander nodded to them as they approached. "Our crews finished clearing the route towards the Urayan Trail early this morning. We've come to see you off before we set out ourselves."

"You're leaving as well?" Noah asked, blinking at the declaration. "Why?"

"While our Flame Clock and Consul are gone, we are not traitors to Keves or the Queen," Ethel answered, her eyes drifting shut. "We need to report to her, and requisition more resources."

"What if she just replaces your Flame Clock?" Mio inquired, amber eyes narrowed.

"If that comes to pass, then we'll deal with it then," Ethel replied, taking a deep breath as she crossed her arms. "We do know how to contact you, after all."

The Ouroboros all shared a look, and Eunie broke the brief silence. "Yeah, you can count on us to sweep out ash like that."

"My thanks," Ethel declared with a nod. "Safe travels, all of you."

"You as well, Ethel, Bolearis," Noah said, followed by the rest of the group as they started on their way out of the Colony.

It was early enough in the day that the badlands hadn't reached the boiling temperatures that they could when the sun was high. Tall, Garaffa-esque Camills used the early hour to travel and feast on vibrant cacti, providing the group with something to watch as they walked.

After an hour, as the sun crept above the horizon and heat started to build, the edge of the badlands came into sight. The distant Ribbi Flats were verdant and reminded Trent of the plains of Gormott. The blond's heart sank at the memory, only to clench at the sight of Uraya, the former Titan missing a large chunk of its back. He was about to comment on it when Taion exclaimed.

"Incoming Levnises! Kevesi!"

The entire group paused before following the young man's gaze, and the Kevesi half of the group inhaled sharply. Trent frowned at the machines, still unused to the strange construction of the war-machines and the red-eyed white masks set into them like snarling faces. He was going to comment on Colony Four's units being out and about, but held his tongue.

Then Noah hissed, "They're from Colony Thirty, we need to get out of their path!"

"Side canyon, on our right," Lanz rumbled past thinned lips and a scowl.

"What's the issue with Colony Thirty?" Trent asked as the group ran towards the canyon the large grey-skinned young man had pointed out.

"Best snuffin Levnises in Keves," Eunie grunted. "Lower ranked than they should be, cause Levnises don't gather flame, but they've even managed to give a Silver ranked colony like Iota a black eye."

"They're well-known in Agnus too," Sena added, checking over her shoulder. "The fact that they managed to stamp on Iota's sparks in a complete upset was big!"

They were making good distance down the canyon, approaching a natural landbridge that went over the canyon. A gunshot ripped through the air, causing the group to skid to a halt, Lanz's greatsword flashing into existence as he put himself in front of the group. Taion's Mondo filled the sky, catching more bullets.

"Please, don't bring up such sordid matters. Bad memories make trigger fingers itchy, around these parts."

Five figures made themselves known atop the bridge, each of them with weapons in hand. Two of them were young ladies wielding guns, one looking to be in her late teens while the other didn't even appear thirteen. There were two young men, one of Urayan descent wielding twin swords and the other a handsome fellow with a sword and shield.

Finally, there was the one who had drawn the Ouroboros group's attention, and clearly stood as the quintet's leader. She also commanded Trent's attention, thanks to her American midwestern accent and the ornate blade in her hand.

She was beautiful, her features elegant and tastefully accented by slashes of makeup, while her long brown hair was pulled back behind her head. On her brow, beneath her bangs, was either a golden circlet or a golden starburst set into it. She was clad in a cream coloured tunic, with billowing sleeves and enamel armour on the front, a pair of black tights on her lower half.

She smiled, and despite their positions, it looked warm to Trent.

"Greetings, Ouroboros. As the Commander of Colony Iota, it's only fitting I host your welcome party, no?"

The gunners brought their weapons to bear and started to fire, only to be caught in the net of Mondo.

The sword wielding men dropped into the canyon, each of them aiming for different people.

The dual wielder beelined for Mio, and while she was able to deflect his attacks, Lanz swept in to help deal with her attacker.

The young man with the sword and board caught shots from Eunie on his shield as he closed on her. Before he could reach her, Sena cut in, slamming her hammer down in front of him.

Trent took a deep breath as the Commander dropped into the canyon, and pulled out the Monado-L. "Noah, support either Mio and Lanz or Sena and Eunie. I'll deal with the Commander."

"I'll leave her to you, then!" The young Kevesi called out as he ran to help Mio and Lanz.

The Canadian charged forward, keeping the Commander in his sights as he charged ether along the bond he could feel to Malos. Her sword whipped out and broke into pieces, strung together by a line of acidic yellow ether.

Trent didn't jump, even as he broke past the Mondo-dome. He heard the bullets get closer, and as they and the whip got close to him, he pulled on Malos' power.

"Monado Armour."

Darkness bloomed around him, devouring the bullets and the blade as they hit the dome.

The commander scowled, her weapon disappearing and being replaced by a new one as Trent closed.

She hesitated in swinging again, letting Trent get within a few steps of her. When he was within her guard, he dropped the dark bubble and his shoulder.

The blond slammed his shoulder into the brunette's stomach as she started to swing, pulling her off the ground and carrying her under the landbridge.

Skidding to a halt and letting the commander fall, Trent chuckled. "Your technique is textbook. You'd need a second whip-sword to really challenge me."

"We'll see about that," the commander retorted as she rolled onto her front. "Besides, textbook works quite well!"

Her blade whipped out and extended, scything low across the ground.

This time, Trent hopped over it.

The commander clicked her tongue as she kicked out and hopped to her feet.

"Textbook," Trent remarked, not taking his eyes off the brunette. He hummed as his free hand pulled his phone out of his pocket and tapped it a few times. "Let's spice things up a bit, yeah? Something fun, like… wonder what Bunny Bunny Carrot Carrot is? Thumbnail's fun."

A happy, chaotic, techno beat started to echo from Trent's phone, and unbeknownst to him across the entire Iris network.

"Oh, that is fun," Trent remarked as he slid his phone back into his pocket. He skipped back as the commander's sword passed through where his neck had been.

He jaunted to the side as she lunged, tapping his feet to the beat. Spinning the Monado-L in his hand, Trent parried the commander's follow up swing.

They fell into a dance, Trent grinning widely as he followed the tune, his partner scowling as she stolidly stuck to what she knew.

"Dance with me, chickadee," the blond chirped, taking control of the battle's pace with little issue.

"Don't bring her into this," the commander hissed, trying to cut through Trent's guard. After a moment, she pulled her scowl back, and tried to fold a smile in its place.

"You have nice teeth, but no need to bare them," Trent retorted with a snort. He could feel Malos laughing in his ear as the Driver continued to control the pace of the battle.

"Trent!"

The blond's eyes darted to the side in time to catch the swordsmen being thrown backwards, and Sena using the head of her hammer to kick up a massive dust cloud. He hummed as he ducked under another slash from the commander, popping up after her swing to drive his forehead into her nose.

A crunch echoed as the commander winced and pulled back, and Trent used the opportunity to flee into the cloud.

The commander grimaced, dispersing her weapon as her free hand travelled to press against her bleeding nose. The gunners dropped off the ridge while the swordsmen picked themselves off the ground, all four of them approaching her. The shortest of them, the dark-skinned young gunner trotted forward, her eyes wide.

"Dame Alex, are you alright?"

The commander sighed, her mouth fighting to maintain her usual smile. "It's nothing, Chickadee, nothing our medics can't handle. I'm more worried about what this interloper means for our plans for the Ouroboros."

"There's nothing in the briefing on them that mentions him, or even hints at his presence," the other gunner remarked coolly, her weapon having disappeared and a hologram replacing it.

"Curious," Alex said, her brow furrowing slightly as she considered what little they had learned of him in their encounter.

"He definitely has interesting tastes," hummed the swordsman with the shield, his head bobbing with the music still playing over his Iris. Catching a scowl from the gunner with the hologram, he just smirked back at her.

"I'll look into how he's managed to crack the security on our Irises," the gunner grunted, before looking to the commander. "Are we changing plans?"

The brunette paused, her gaze distant. "No, we'll move forward with our current plan, and adjust if it proves necessary." She looked between the swordsman as she directed, "Fili, Rhyza, don't divulge any information on Sequioa's location unless the other falls first. Sequioa, focus on that security issue until the time comes."

The trio nodded, and slowly started to move, already contacting their squads. Next to the commander, Chickadee asked, "Are you sure, Dame Alex? We don't know what this wildcard might do…"

"We don't, but…" Alex trailed off as she considered the hand on her nose. "He's rather soft-hearted. That can be used to predict his actions."

{~}{~}

Trent, the Ouroboros, and Riku and Manana ran long and hard, out of the Eagus Wilderness and past the verdant part of the Ribbi Flats. They kept going until the ground beneath their feet turned crisp white sand. Cliffs jutted up around them as the wildlife turned from the birds and porcupine-esque creatures of the badlands to scorpoxi and over-large insects. Up on the cliffs, sparse patches of grass pushed from the sand, and there were few cacti and trees among the dunes.

"We… ugh," Taion muttered, wheezing and trying to catch his breath. "We've diverted to the Dannagh Desert… they should at least… give us some space…"

"The Dannagh Desert?" Trent mumbled, looking around and taking in the rather bland biome. It was… a lot less impressive than he expected, but still, he recognized the name as a part of Torna, which was presumably tossed into the Titan-Continent by Klaus. His stomach sank slightly as he was unable to keep from wondering if he was walking in Joe and Mythra's footsteps.

"Listen, I like a tune as much as the next guy, but this one's still going!" Lanz grumbled, his head tilting to the side and slapping it. "Can't even shut it off with my Iris and- and I'm hearing it double?!"

"You too?" Mio asked, her ears twitching about before she turned to Trent. "Why do you have the music coming out of you, rather than your Iris?"

"Mu- you mean Bunny Bunny Carrot Carrot?" the blond inquired, stowing the Monado-L and pulling his phone from his pocket. The music picked up, and he tapped the screen to pause it, only to blink as he noticed a symbol in the corner. Tapping away and pausing the music –an action that earned a sigh from Lanz and Taion–, he went further into the settings. "Huh, it's… Bluetooth-casting and… I can't disable it? Hm… well, I guess I'm going to have to stop playing music then, if it's going to bug you guys…"

"Do you have more?" Noah asked, his hands coming up as he stared Trent down, Mio hovering at his side.

Trent blinked, and slowly nodded, "Well, yeah, technically?"

The pair of Off-seers shared a look and a nod. As one, they declared, "You're going to keep playing music. We've never heard anything like that before, and we need to know more."

Trent nearly laughed from incredulity at the two speaking in unison, silently wondering if it was some part of being Ouroboros. He was about to answer when the sounds of combat reached them, and he sighed, "Let's just… make sure that isn't coming after us, then we can talk about my ill-thought musical escapades."

The Ouroboros shared a look before nodding, and the group started to move towards the fracas. As they stomped over the sand, Sena looked back and asked, "So, how did you manage to get your music into all our Irises?"

"Dunno," Trent replied, shaking his head. "I guess that these Irises are all Bluetooth compatible and can't keep an… ancient… smartphone out…" Trailing off, he shook his head further as he started to laugh. "It's- It's needing the ICBM-5100 to hack CERN! The Irises don't have protocols to protect themselves from my literally ancient smartphone!"

The Ouroboros and Manana looked at him like he was crazy, while Riku frowned thoughtfully. After a moment, the seafoam Nopon coughed into a wing, "Meh meh, friends are forgetting current course. Look, is single girlypon, fighting horde of Scorpox."

The entire group blinked, and followed the Nopon's wing, catching sight of the fight he was pointing to.

Indeed, a single slight young lady was fighting off a group of Scorpox, a pair of thin red cutlasses in her hands, contrasting her mint green hair. She was wearing what looked to be red and black armour, although it also had a slimming effect.

Trent inhaled deeply as he pulled the Monado-L back out. "Pest control it is."

Chapter Text

Chapter 05 - Famous Last Words

The Scorpoxes had been easy enough to deal with, thanks to there being only a trio of them, and eight people fighting them. The reason the young woman had been battling them was obvious enough, as a small collection of Nopons popped out of the strange, pill-shaped walker and started to repair it.

Trent frowned as he got a chance to actually study the young lady closely. While she looked normal enough from the chin up, from the neck down was a very different story. What he had thought was red and black armour that made the girl look thinner appeared instead to simply be some form of robotic body.

Then, she started speaking, a chirpy Nopon-dialect ridden speech falling from her mouth as she chattered on. Eventually a single phrase left her that grabbed Trent's attention and pulled him from his fugue of studying the unknown girl.

"You're an Artificial Blade?"

"Yes! Ino is Artificial Blade!" Ino answered, nodding emphatically to the point that her head practically bobbled. "Indeed, Ino is greatest Nopon creation, of legendary Grandmasterpon Oosoo… final, bestest and most strongest of all Artificial Blade!"

"I only accept maybe the final in that description," Trent retorted, crossing his arms as he felt the Ouroboros' gaze pingpong between him and Ino.

"Gasp!" the Artificial Blade said, a hand over her mouth as she leaned back. "But Ino talk true! Grandmasterpon Oosoo never lied to Ino!"

"If he made you, I bet his name isn't actually Oosoo," Trent shot back, his brow furrowing. "And unless you can tell me how you are more powerful than Poppi in her Quantum Technochampion Pi form, I'm maintaining my disbelief."

"Friend even doubt name of Grandmasterpon Oosoo?!" Ino cried, jerking back and looking utterly aghast.

Trent took a deep, calming breath and asked, "Right, so, this Oosoo pon… he's about the height of an average Nopon, tan with brown stripes, thick grey beard and hair, cybernetic eye and wing?"

"Meh meh! Is perfect description of Grandmasterpon!" Ino declared, her expression shifting in awe. "Friend actually know Grandmasterpon?!"

"I'm friends with his… grandson? Grandlittlepon?" Trent answered with a weary sigh, shaking his head. "I know his Grandlittlepon, who made an Artificial Blade who grew so powerful as to rival the Aegi. So, you have to forgive me for being rather… reluctant to believe your claims."

"Meh meh! Ino not to be underestimated!" the Artificial Blade protested, a pout on her face. "When Ino finds her Masterpon, Ino blow friend out of water!"

"Sure thing, champ," Trent grunted, shaking his head as the Ouroboros jumped in to talk with Ino further.

While the kids talked with her, the blond frowned in thought as he considered just what this meant. At the very least, it meant that Soosoo was alive, which meant that both Tatazo and Tora could very well be alive, alongside Lila and Poppi. The others were up in the air, but given the way the world was, there was a chance that they were caught up and busy with awful things around the world. A part of Trent hoped that something had somehow drawn most of his friends off planet dealing with something while things were going wrong on Earth… Alrest… Aionios… whatever. That still left whatever was up with Nia, but he could deal with that when he met her again.

He tuned back into the conversation in time to hear Ino absolutely flub explaining the bond between Drivers and their Blades. Taking a deep breath, Trent cut in, "Belay that. Ino, you managed to bunk that explanation up entirely, you nuggie."

The green-haired Artificial Blade blinked and pulled back, her mouth opening and hanging open. Next to the Ouroboros, Manana and Riku started nodding.

"What do you mean?" Noah asked, his gaze travelling to the blond.

"Drivers and Blades… they share a connection, one that's hard to explain and define properly," Trent started, slowly flipping the Monado-L out. He looked down at it, studying the weapon as he considered it and the path that led to him ending up as Malos' Driver. "They- well, natural Blades and Drivers should share a wavelength, allowing them to act in unison and grow closer by working together. The nature of that wavelength, of that bond, is up to the Driver and the Blade themselves." The blond paused and swallowed a lump in his throat, an old ache scratching at his heart, a painfully familiar heat pricking the corners of his eyes.

"I have seen them be the best of friends, trusted confidants, adopted family, even lovers," he continued, taking a deep breath to try and calm himself down. "For a Blade… hurting their Driver is a horrific option, even if their Driver is abusive scum. There was a Blade –Minoth–, even knowing what sort of monster his Driver was, he could only put as much distance between them as possible."

The blond didn't notice as Lanz and Sena shared a look, still looking down at the Monado-L. "Malos and I… we rib each other, we banter and give each other shit, but we're friends. Despite him being an abrasive asshole, without Malos, I'd probably be in a much worse place." Trent's mouth curled and he let out a chuckle, shaking his head as he looked up at Ino and the Ouroboros, remarking, "It's rather ironic, y'know? The Aegis who lived for destruction, who once dreamed of planetary annihilation… has a habit of reaching out to people in dark places and accompanying them on the path to recovery."

There was a moment of silence, and Mio asked, "What- what do you mean by that?"

"After the death of his Driver, Jin was in a very bad place, wasting away and waiting to die," Trent explained, closing his eyes as his hand drifted back to land on the hilt of Jin's odachi. As his palm hit it, he felt a jolt of alien emotion before it resolved into an awkward understanding, like one of the distant nods Jin would give him. "Malos offered him a hand, and pulled him up, gave him the chance to go on. Jin lost everything. The woman he loved, his best friend, the kid they'd basically adopted… all stolen away in a fell swoop. Somehow, Malos pulled Jin out of the gutter he'd tried to drown in."

The blond took a deep breath, and looked up at the Ouroboros group to force his eyes off his shaking hands, to take his mind off the aching pain in his heart. He could see the question in their eyes and how they started to open their mouths, so he quickly continued, "Whoops, I started rambling. Sorry about that!" He slapped on a plastic smile and rolled his shoulders, dropping his hand off the hilt of Jin's odachi, but not fast enough to miss the feeling of reproach the Blade sent his way.

Looking at Ino, he said, "The most important thing for you and whoever you choose to be your Driver will be communication. Your bond might not function the same as that of an ordinary pair, so you need to be open with them and encourage the same from them. You need to find that common ground for the sake of not just your efficiency in combat, but also for your and their health and safety."

He kept that plastic smile in place as he declared, "Right, let's get on to lunch while you figure that out!"

Manana jumped up, clapping her wings as she cheered, "Yes! Manana will prepare great feast for nibbles!"

{~}{~}

The rest of the day was spent awkwardly after that, trundling across the plains and around the hills. Ino had been happy to join them and test her ability to work with the entire team, happily chattering away with them about the Nopon Caravans and the significance of being called by a double name. Trent had to stop for a moment and screw up his features to keep from grimacing in pain as he remembered the joy that Tora had when talking to him and Rex, and how the Nopon was missing.

After checking with the others, he had sped ahead of them, and opened his phone. He clicked through menus, trying to figure out what had happened, still unable to turn off airplay. There were piles and piles of songs, videos and whatnot loaded onto it, to the point that Trent was very sure there were more than it should be able to handle. Eventually, he found ways to filter them, and found those labelled cathartic.

Hitting a button, he was hit by moody pop that he didn't recognize. He was tempted to turn it off, but decided to power through it, letting his head bob with the music.

Unbeknownst to Trent, the music was once more filtering across the Iris network, filling the ears of everyone with the ability to access it.

{~}{~}

In the depths of a darkened theatre, a tall, lean figure let out a hum, watching a battle between the Kevesi and Agnians. His finger tapped against his thigh.

"A rather… ill-fitting soundtrack for this bout."

Still, he did nothing and didn't move, instead watching the battle.

{~}{~}

In a hidden enclave, a trio had paused around a holographic table. Two of them were clearly adults, with slight wrinkling of their features and one of them having a head of grey hair. The last of them was more difficult to place, her features youthful but her professional attire giving her an air of maturity.

The youthful woman glanced between the other two and asked, "Elder, Lieutenant, what's wrong?"

"Ah, the music we reported to you just started playing across the Iris network, Your Majesty," the large, grey-haired man answered, his hands dancing across the surface of the table. "Here, I can sync my Iris up with the table…"

"Don't bother, Travis," grunted the woman who had been called Elder, shaking her head and sending her dark hair rolling. "It's just a minor distraction."

As the man started to lift his hands off the table, the youthful woman cut in. "No, please continue, Lieutenant. I'm curious as to this music, given the peoples' reaction to the first blast of it."

The grey-haired man just shrugged apologetically at the Elder before completing what he'd been doing. Almost instantly, poppy techno filled the air, and the youthful woman's expression melted into a wistful mask.

"I Really Want to Stay at Your House?"

"Your Majesty?" the Elder asked, an eyebrow raised as she studied the apparent royal.

The royal let out a hum, "My apologies, it's just… this song is rather… it speaks to me, in a way."

{~}{~}

Across distant, snowy peaks, in the depths of a snowstorm, a pair hid.

One slept, waiting for the proper time to arrive. The other worked tirelessly to maintain their protections and monitor the stagnant world, waiting for the seven trumpets to ring out.

The worker didn't pause or falter as music reached them from across the network. They just checked the source, and a smile bloomed.

Subtly, they sent a packet to the source, an update and software upgrade included within it.

{~}{~}

Following the directions that the Ouroboros had come up with from the paths Ethel had pointed out, Trent found himself in front of a vine-covered cliff. He scrutinized the vines before reaching out and testing them, then hauling himself up the cliffs.

As he pulled himself upwards, the song his phone was playing changed, the genre shifting from an electro-pop to pop-punk. Guitars hit heavier notes and drums were pounded, the blond frowning as he hit the second cliff. "MCR? Christ, just send me back to middle school, Tora."

About halfway up the set of cliffs, he turned back to look back down at the base of the cliffs, where the Ouroboros had gathered. They were looking between the vines, and where Trent was. He popped into a squat and called down, "Heyo! The vines're pretty solid, so you can climb up pretty easily!"

Noah tested the vines, and then stepped back, with Mio trying afterwards. After an attempt from each of the Ouroboros, Eunie shouted back, "Lanz'n'Sena might be able to do it, but the rest of us? Nah boss."

Trent blinked, his brow furrowing. The vines and such weren't that bad, especially compared to vine walls they'd had to jump up and across on the Cliffs of Morytha. He hummed again before standing up and considering the remaining cliffs versus those he'd climbed up. "You guys want me to finish climbing these and see if there's a ladder or something up top that'd make climbing them easier?"

The Ouroboros shared a look, with Lanz calling back, "Go for it! We'll either set up a camp here or wait for you to come down before moving on!"

Trent sent them a salute before turning back to the cliffs and starting back up them. As he pulled himself up and passed what appeared to be two different tribes of Tirkin in a skirmish. With nothing to really focus on, he let the lyrics of the music wash over him.

How the brightest lights cast such dark shadows… the feeling of being incomplete… how demanding such a relation could be… how utterly weak and tortured it could make someone feel.

He knew that things had been getting better, that with help from Malos and the others he was recovering. But now, as he was, with pretty much every prior connection missing, he knew that his mind was starting to drift. Earlier, he'd nearly dumped his issues with Pyra and how he'd broken down because of them on the kids.

Trent's hands shook as he paused at the base of the last cliff, his shoulders doing the same as he stared blankly beyond the vines. The blond took a deep breath as he forced himself to start climbing again, once more focusing on the lyrics of the song.

It reminded him that he'd mustered the will to keep on going, thanks to help from people who cared. That at the end of the day, he'd found people to consider family and who were willing to support him as he recovered.

He considered his… second to last interaction with Pyra, where he'd made things clear. How he couldn't bear to be near her, how he needed to take time to recover, how at the end of the day… he wanted to try and work with her again one day.

The Canuck let out a sigh. He really needed to find someone safe to talk to about all this, because he had started using songs to translate his feelings and break them down into meaningful but easy to deal with strands of thought.

Trent frowned as he reached the top of the cliffs, his gaze travelling across the upper part of the Ribbi Flats. There were rolling hills that led into the base of Uraya's massive form, with a wide, shallow river cutting out to cascade off the cliffs to his right. The wildlife was pretty similar to that of below, as was the vegetation, except for a single tree that stole Trent's breath away.

A Saffronia Tree stood tall, its warm amber leaves fluttering in the wind. It was beautiful to see it in proper sunlight, and it brought a smile to Trent's face.

Shaking himself from his reverie, he started to search for a ladder or something that could be used to help the Ouroboros climb up the cliffs. A sharp noise drew his attention, and down below, the kids were clearly under attack by those robots called Kevesi Levnises. He was about to start jumping down the cliffs when a flash of white caught his eye.

The Canuck looked up, and caught sight of a group of Agnian soldiers, most of them in full armour, except for their leader. The large Urayan man from Colony Iota stood at their head, staring at Trent, his dual blades out and at the ready.

Trent took a deep breath, his hand twitching towards the Monado-L, only to stop when he realized that they'd be fighting right above the kids. If he fought carelessly, he could very well drop tonnes of rock down on top of them.

His hands shifted and he pulled out Mikhail's Infinity Fans, slowly stalking towards the quintet as they moved towards him. The Canuck breathed in and focused ether through his body, reaching out for the link to the Blade-Eater.

"Wha- Dang, been a while, big man…"

Trent hummed, keeping his eyes on the gun-wielding Agnians as he approached the small band. "You're telling me, Mik. Anything you can tell me about what's going on?"

"Not… really… crap, bit hard… to keep talking…"

"Just focus on whatever you need to," Trent grunted to the voice that only he could hear, and winced as he realized how bad that was. He cracked his neck and darted forward, his eyes carefully tracking the quintet.

Ether solidified between him and Mikhail, wisps of darkness flitting off the edges of the Infinity Fans.

Bullets sprayed around him as he snapped the fans open and spun, darkness devouring the projectiles. He skipped into range with the quintet, stepping into the dance that Mikhail had drilled into his head.

"Right… just like… that."

The Blade-Eater's encouragement reinforced Trent's steps as he flowed and stabbed, the end of the Infinity Fan digging into the shoulder of a gunner and sending them wincing back.

Swivelling and ducking beneath the Urayan's cross slash, the blond snapped the fans open again, a blast of darkness slamming into the shieldmaiden who had stepped up to support her commander.

With deliberate steps to the staccato beat his music gave, Trent sidled back to back with the Urayan, using the confusion and hesitation it caused to strike out.

The gunslingers were the easiest to take down, their weapons and the danger they posed to their commander forcing them to second-guess themselves. Thus, they were left open for Trent to slam them with waves of darkness and pain.

The sword wielders were more difficult, their coordination allowing them to finally stop Trent from sticking to their leader's blindspot, encircling him.

He spun into a whirlwind, using the edges of the Infinity Fans to guide their attacks away from him and into the paths of their allies.

He let himself fall into the rhythm of the blaring music, whittling away the swordspeople and slowly taking them down.

Eventually, it was just him and the Urayan.

They clashed, the Urayan using a staunch, resolute style that Trent subverted, using the Infinity Fans to draw him into his flow.

Assured by the support rolling off Mikhail's end of the connection, Trent slid once more into the Urayan's guard, catching his joints with the Infinity Fans. Ether bounced between him and the Blade-Eater, as the blond wrenched in a spiral, dark ether pulling the Urayan off his feet and sending him into the air on a corkscrew of black energy and pain.

"Rock Parade!"

Trent caught him on the ends of the Infinity Fans, the large man letting out a wheeze of pain.

Spinning and snapping open the fans, he caught the Urayan and his subordinates in a sweeping blast, sending them careening into a pile by the edge of the nearest treeline.

Snapping the fans shut, Trent let out a breath.

Then he blinked in realization.

"Ah shit, the kids!"

Chapter Text

Chapter 06 - Moon Shining Bright

Trent considered rounding up the Agnian quintet and tying them up, but decided there wasn't enough time. Running back to the cliffs he climbed, he saw there weren't any ladders or devices to make either trip easier and swore under his breath. Flipping the Infinity Fans away, the blond grabbed a vine and started to slide down the cliffs, his eyes on the mess of broken machines down below.

It seemed like the Ouroboros had finished their own battle, which caused Trent to let out a sigh of relief, although he was rather surprised by the sheer number of ruined mechs. The blond basically rappelled down cliffs, using the vines as lines to reach the bottom once more. Hitting the ground, he found the Ouroboros standing around the mechs, watching a short young man with wild hair as he dug through the broken vehicles.

Looking around, Trent asked, "Where'd Ino go?"

Jerking up and turning to look at the Canadian, Noah gave him a perturbed look as he coughed, "Oh, uh, she said that if she fought either the Agnians or the Kevesi, it would jeopardize the neutrality of the Nopon Caravans, so she had to bow out."

Trent frowned in thought, tapping his foot as he chewed on that. "You know what, I might not like it, but I think I can understand, especially with how messed up the world is." Shaking his head, he added, "Sorry about how long it took me, I bumped into that big dual blade wielding Urayan we fought over in Eagus."

"Yeah, we figured," Eunie grunted, crossing her arms behind her head as she strolled over. "Got an info packet through our Irises during our dust up with those Levnises."

"Indeed," Taion said, strolling forward and pushing his glasses up his nose. "It confirmed the dual blade wielder as Rhyza, of Colony Iota. It also highlighted an area where Rhyza's comrade Fili will be setting up an ambush for us."

"Exact location, or…?" Trent trailed off, looking between Taion and Eunie as the latter's expression soured and the former looked away.

"No, just a general area."

"Unfortunate, but that's life," the blond grunted, tapping his foot in time with the fast paced music issuing from his pocket. "Who's the kid?"

"Kid?" Noah asked, blinking at Trent's words.

Trent grimaced and gestured to the white-haired lad who was digging through the machines. The Kevesi Offseer made a noise of understanding and answered, "That's Valdi, the Commander of Colony Thirty. He apparently wanted to test his Levnises against us and now…" Noah's expression crumpled as he trailed off.

"We agreed to help him rebuild them, I guess," Mio chimed in as she stepped back from her vigil over Valdi.

"…why?" Trent's question went unanswered as the Ouroboros looked between each other.

"Meh meh," Riku coughed as he strolled over to watch Valdi work. "It fine to embrace innocence. Let Commander work, see where he go. Let Commander change from Ouroboros, same way Ouroboros change friends and world."

Trent stared at the Nopon, and quietly adjusted his impression of him. He was about to ask where they were going to take their crew next, as he hadn't found a ladder or anything up top, when a voice echoed against the cliffs.

"It's you!"

The blond blinked and jerked back as Valdi thrust into his personal space, his eyes wide and mouth pulled into a massive grin. "You're the source of the new music!"

"I- oh, sorry about that," Trent grunted, using his off hand to turn off his music. "Kind of stopped thinking about the music after dealing with the Agnians up top."

"No, no, it's good!" the Commander of Colony Thirty cheered. "The only songs we had before were Offseer tunes! New music is big!"

Trent inhaled deeply, his eyes closing as he tried to parse that statement. "Sure thing, kid."

"What's a kid?" Valdi chirped, his eyes shining.

"You," Trent grunted wearily, shaking his head.

After a moment, Lanz called out, "We good to go?"

"Bit late," Manana replied, looking into the horizon as the sun approached it. "Maybe is time to find camp?"

"Oh, we can bunk at my off-site storage!" Valdi volunteered, his gauntleted hand thrust into the air. "I keep some bunks and rations there, and the Tirkins keep an eye out for danger!"

The Ouroboros group and Trent all traded looks, before they shrugged and agreed.

{~}{~}

Trent stared out into the night sky as he huddled on the ground, idly pushing the sounds of the Ouroboros talking with Valdi. Quietly, he mumbled, "No matter how rough the road or dark the sky, your frozen soul'll melt like April ice, when a shot of gold hits your eyes…"

He paused, his mouth pulling into a thin line as he considered the final part. The blond had grappled with a lot over the past two months, and while the Ardainian therapist had helped, he still had some trouble with a simple fact. A simple truth that made it feel like his chest had been carved open so everything could spill painfully out.

Canada was gone. His home was gone. The country, the province, the city, the street, the building… all of them gone. Lost to the ravages of time, war, and Klaus' fuck-up. His family was long since dead, and it was likely there wasn't even dust or any record of them left.

Trent sighed as he hunched forward, bending over his knees as he grunted, "Should've gone with Heartache Tonight…" He sighed and shook his head. "Then again, that would've been wildly unsuitable for a different reason…"

"Er, hey."

Turning to the source of the interruption, Trent blinked as he took in Sena, the young lady eying him with concern. After a moment of silence between the two, she continued, "Are, um, are you alright?"

"I'm…" Trent considered telling her that he was alright, lying to her to ease her mind. He considered telling her the truth, but even with the connection he believed they had, she barely knew him and didn't deserve to have his issues dumped on her. "I'm just dealing with some stuff. Y'know, mentally and emotionally."

"Do you… do you want to talk about it?" the burning-haired girl asked, moving so she was next to him before dropping down into a squat.

"Some of it… some of it's really personal and requires a lot of context to get into, and the rest… also requires a lot of context you don't have…" Trent trailed off in realization, groaning as he let his head rock backwards, his eyes closing in frustration.

"I mean, if you can simplify it a bit, maybe I can help?" Sena offered, eying him curiously. "If I'm gonna guess… it was you talking about that Malos guy, it kinda shook you up, y'know? Everyone could tell, even Ino."

Trent took a deep breath and let his head fall forward again, looking down at the ground. "I…" Stopping, he looked up at Sena and replied, "I guess the simplest way to put it is that… someone hurt me, really badly. The entire affair left me in such a bad place… well, it left me in such a bad place that when Malos reached out to me… I was almost too scared to take his hand."

"Wait, really? I mean, he sounds like a pretty good guy, y'know?" Sena said, blinking as she took in Trent's story.

The blond laughed, his mouth pulling into a fond smile. "Honestly, he has the potential to be a good guy, but… he's an asshole, a jerk, abrasive as could be. And on top of that…" Trent's hand reached back, resting against his clavicle as he admitted, "He nearly killed me. Not even accidentally."

"Wha- Then why'd you even trust him after that?! That's nuts!" the hammer-wielder shouted, her eyes wide as she leaned back watching Trent carefully. She didn't understand, she couldn't understand what he had just admitted.

Trent laughed outright. "Yeah, that's probably the right reaction. There's a lot of complicated reasons behind it, but… I ended up trusting Malos more than that person, because at the end of the day, I knew where I stood with him. Despite everything we went through, all the violence… he never tried to trick me, manipulate me, or lie to me."

"That's really twisted," Sena declared, frowning as she studied the Canadian. "I mean, who ever heard of a situation like that?"

"And I wasn't even the worst off," Trent replied tiredly, a familiar weight falling on his shoulders. "My friend Joe… he was really torn up by all of it, left almost entirely isolated because of it. And I… I don't know how he's doing right now. I hope he was able to reconnect properly with the others, and get his head sorted out."

"I'm sorry," Sena murmured, hugging her knees to her chest. "I thought I could help but…"

"It's fine, Sena," the blond said, shaking his head as he looked out into the night. "You don't need to solve my issues, and even just being able to talk about them slightly helps a bit."

Sena looked out into the darkness, grimacing as her hand gripped her knees. She took a deep breath as the sound of the conversation echoed to them. "But… does it actually? I mean, you… you said you're still dealing with that stuff, that it's not something you're over."

"And it's something I'll probably deal with for a while," Trent replied, reaching over to put a hand on the young lady's shoulder. "A lot of complex issues can't be fixed in a single talk or interaction, be they interpersonal issues or recovering from trauma. Hell, the whole thing I have with the person who hurt me… I probably won't be fully recovered from that until she and I finally confront each other and work through it properly," he sighed but let his mouth pull into a smile as he tried to comfort her. "Just reaching out, Sena? You've helped me, even if it's not some magical cure all."

Returning the smile, the hammer-wielder brightened slightly as she turned back to stare into the night. "So, uh, what'd you mean about that Heart attack thing being unsuitable?"

"The name is Heartache Tonight, and it's a song," answered the blond, laughing as he let his hand fall off Sena's shoulder. "And it'd be unsuitable because while I am experiencing some heartache… the song itself is more about romance and sexuality, rather than loneliness and loss."

"There's that sex stuff you keep mentioning!" Sena pointed out, a hand dropping to slap the earth. "What does it mean? It's so confusing!"

Trent's mouth pulled into a thin line, he considered Sena, alongside the Ouroboros group and Valdi who were still chatting near the cots. After a moment, he offered, "I… I promise that I will try and give you guys a breakdown on it the next time it's just the main group, okay?"

"Good, because everyone's curious too," the burning-haired youth declared with a firm nod. Crossing her arms as she rested her chin on her forearms, she added, "And if you can't manage it, then I'll make you join Lanz and me in our morning workouts!"

Unable to hold himself back, the blond chuckled, shaking his head. "A travesty… well, not entirely, but I honestly don't know if I'd be able to keep up with you two the entire time, considering how much energy you seem to have."

"You're acting like that's an issue!" Sena complained, shaking her head as she gave Trent a gimlet look.

"It's not an issue…" the blond started, leading into his own thoughts. "It's more that even when you and Lanz pace yourselves, you're still going to end up beating the rest of us out due to the difference in energy reserves. It's like trying to… it's like trying to compare two very different types of fighter with the same evaluation. You wouldn't try and compare how Lanz fights to how Taion fights, right?"

"I… yeah, that's fair," Sena grumbled, relaxing again. "It's just… kind of annoying, y'know? Everyone ducking out and acting like it's some big thing and like we're always trying to exhaust everyone."

Trent laughed, shaking his head again. "I have no doubt that you try and set a pace that you believe works for everyone… but it probably still ends up suiting you and Lanz, right? The issue there is that you have to stop working from your and Lanz's pace and instead work from…" the blond trailed off in thought, before finishing, "Taion's pace. The key part of exercising and whatnot is to work based off the limits and pace of the weakest person, and build from there."

"Huh," the hammer-wielder hummed. "You know quite a bit about training, don't you? Were you a military instructor or something?"

"God no," Trent replied, laughing again. "My only experience with the military is as the leader of Special Task Force T, and that was only for about two months. I just have experience as a recreational exercise coach… and you have no idea what that is." His head dipped forward, and he groaned, "Basically, it's what you and Lanz would probably be doing in a peaceful world. Competing and challenging without any sort of martial element."

"Wow, that… that's wild!" Sena said, her eyes shining as a massive grin spread across her face. "I mean, there's two things there that're cool! Like, just… being able to exercise for fun with other people! That sounds like so much fun! But the other part!" She turned further and grabbed his shoulders, shaking them.

"How're you so strong? If you only have that much military experience?!"

Trent was caught between laughing and coughing as he tried to explain to the young lady the cheat-like nature of being kicked around by some of the strongest and most experienced combatants on the planet.

It didn't quite work out initially, but he managed by the time the others came over to listen.

Chapter Text

Chapter 07 - Thunderbreak

Morning broke sooner than anyone would have cared for, with the leftovers from the night before acting as breakfast. Luckily for them, Valdi had a good idea of where the parts he needed were, and they didn't need to wander around. He led them to a number of wrecked Levnises and sifted through them alongside Lanz, pulling out parts and putting them away in packs.

Returning to Elsie's Spout, where the wreckage of the Ouroboros' first encounter with Valdi rested, the young man slowly started to work. With some prompting from Manana, he explained his decision to build Levnises, his desire to keep them in tip top shape, and innovate on designs… but that his creations would go out and kill people, that would eat away at him, seeing it as his responsibility.

Surprisingly, it was Lanz who suggested that Valdi create something new, something not built for combat. It was a surprising tack –at least in Trent's opinion– for the normally brash and combative young man, but there was a warmth in his gaze as he spoke to the younger lad. With the encouragement from Lanz, Valdi brightened and grew determined to create something new, something completely unsuited for combat.

In barely even twenty minutes, Valdi built a small, squat mech, its colouration matching the normal Kevesi Levnises. The group chatted about its size and the sole directive loaded into it, only for a voice to interrupt.

"Damn and blast. After I came all this way too."

A figure, wrapped in gunmetal and red strode towards them from the aether, their helmet a blocky rectangular shape. The Consul strolled towards them almost casually, barely paying attention to the Ouroboros' group as they let out exclamations of shock. He gave them a catty wave and remarked, "Pleased to make your acquaintance, Ouroboros, I am Q. But, fear not, I've no intention of stirring this pot as it is." Gesturing to Valdi, he nodded at the mechanic.

"I was simply curious as to why our dear Valdi hadn't returned, being almost twenty four hours AWOL."

Q tapped his foot as he held his hand out to Valdi. "You did promise us that you would build the ultimate Levnis, no? While we're willing to give you leeway due to your expertise, our patience has limits." He chuckled and shook his head, murmuring, "Ah, the upcoming battle… it shall be quite the sight, especially with our upcoming victory."

Valdi tried to speak, to protest, only for Q to interrupt. "I do so loathe repeating myself: games are for winning, and that alone gives them value. Were we to lose the initiative, we would be the ones who end up trampled!" The young Commander tried to argue, only for the Consul to talk over him, "Who was it that said he'd be fine, so long as he was given the leeway to tinker all his time away with Levnises?! I quite clearly remember those words! Who was it who said them?"

When Valdi looked down, his lips curling, Q huffed, "You've spent too much time flapping those lips without moving those hands. You alone bear accountability for what might happen to your friends in Colony Thirty should you remain derelict in your duties!"

Trent felt a burning in his chest as his hand fell to the hilt of the Monado-L, glaring at the Consul as he started to step around Lanz. The large Kevesi shifted, remaining in front of the blond as he called out, "Snuff you, arsehole! Everything that flies outta your gob just makes me wanna smack-"

"Understood, I'll start heading back." Interrupting Lanz, Valdi stepped forward, his expression set.

"Valdi, the snuff?!" Lanz protested, his head whipping around to look at the younger Kevesi.

Valdi nodded firmly. "Don't worry about me, I've made up my mind." The lad walked forward, stepping up beside the Consul.

"Excellent, excellent, my boy!" Q declared with a laugh, reaching down to grip his shoulder. "Let us away!" In a burst of darkness, the pair disappeared.

The moment they disappeared, Sena spoke up, "Um, am I the only a little worried about this Ultimate Levnis?"

"It's not likely to bode well for us," Taion agreed, a hand on his chin as he looked down at the ground. "We'll want to prevent it from being deployed in battle, given that its targets are likely to be us."

"Huh? Oh, sure… I was more worried about Valdi, though," Sena replied, her lips pulled into a thin line as she frowned.

Lanz crossed his arms and shrugged, his eyes closed. "He said he'd made up his mind, yeah? I reckon he's not gonna be finishing an ultimate anything, more like…"

"He want to destroy ultimate Levnis," Riku concluded, nodding firmly as his wings were held wide.

"If that's his decision, I say we should support him," Trent opined, his hand still resting on the hilt of the Monado-L.

Before any of them could say anything further, the mini-Levnis started to trot away. Even as the groups' eyes followed it in confusion, Riku hummed, "Adhering to directive of 'protect'. Likely following Valdi."

Lanz took a step forward, his features set as he said, "Noah…"

"Yeah," the ponytailed man agreed with a bob of his head and a small smile. "Let's follow it."

The group shared a nod before turning and following the mini-Levnis. It tottered awat, leading them across the Ribi Flats, leading them on a route around the mountainous slopes until they reached a gaping mouth with a thick gate across it. They could vaguely hear the voices of Valdi and Q on the other side, but not make out any of the words. The mini-Levnis started to beat its manipulators on the metal gate, only for it to be blown open, Lanz and Sena's weapons slamming into it.

Beyond it, the colony spread out, with the area before them a Levnis staging ground, with a number of inactive units near the gate. A massive Levnis was walking around, its movements jerky and plating incomplete as it shed smaller parts with its every move. The massive Levnis loomed over Valdi as it lifted an enormous arm.

Consul Q's voice echoed through the colony and out of the gate. "So much as I would like to immediately get back to the game… it's time for a little discipline!"

It brought the arm down.

Lanz and Trent dived forward, their eyes wide and roars in their throats.

But a single being outsped them, interposing itself between the Levnis and Valdi, its arms raised. A blue honeycomb dome appeared between it and the Levnis, stopping the arm in place.

Valdi blinked and pushed himself up, his mouth falling up. "You… you're here?"

"What is this?" Q's voice echoed from within the Levnis, lifting its arm slightly and the honeycomb shield disappearing. "Move aside!"

Bringing the arm down again, the barrier burst back into place.

Trent took a deep breath as he stepped forward, and grimaced as he looked down at the metal grating acting as the floor, revealing that beneath the thin platform was a pit over a reservoir. He pulled his hand off the Monado-L's hilt and moved to hover over the Infinity Fans, only to reach for the Calamity Scythe folded at his back.

Q unleashed a flurry of blows on the honeycomb shield, smashing it and sending the mini-Levnis skidding away from Valdi.

Trent's heart jumped into his throat.

The mini-Levnis was replaced by a tiny figure, lavender hair atop its head as it pushed Valdi out of the way, creating another shield as it became the target of Q's ire.

"You've done enough!" Valdi shouted, sounding torn. "I never wanted this… you weren't supposed to protect me like this…"

The mini-Levnis' right leg sparked and shattered as it fell to the ground, its shield breaking as its arms failed.

"Worthless drivel!" The foot of Q's Levnis slammed into the mini-Levnis, sending it across the grating.

Trent croaked, his eyes watering as the image completed in his mind - Poppi, her chassis torn open and guts falling out from Malos' assault.

'He-ey… you hear… Maestro?'

Lanz ran forward and braced Valdi, helping the lad climb to his feet. The Ouroboros charged past the frozen Trent, surrounding Lanz and Valdi to support them as they explained the mini-Levnis leading them to save the mechanic.

"This useless thing… defying me!" Q shouted, ignoring Valdi, the Ouroboros group, and Trent as he stomped forward. With his Levnis' leg raised, he loomed over the mini-Levnis.

"Stop!" Valdi cried, pulling away from Lanz and running towards the mini-Levnis. "Please don't!"

Uncaring and unheeding of the boy's cry, Q brought the foot down, crowing, "Any tool that defies the orders of its master is trash! Destined for the scrapyard!"

"It's not trash!" Valdi protested, tears dripping down his cheek and off his face. "Levnises have always, always protected the things I care about. I- I'm small… so small and pathetic. They were the ones that showed me I'm worth something." He shuffled over to the wrecked mini-Levnis, his hands shaking as he tried to hold his gun steady. "That- that's why I chose to be a mechanic. Not this…"

His hands curled into fists as he turned to face the occupied Levnis, his face twisting in anger and determination. "Not for something as sad as this!"

"If you oppose me, I'll do away with you, Valdi - full stop!" Q warned, even as the Ouroboros moved into combat.

Trent swallowed, trying to keep his lunch down and push the image of the nearly-crippled Poppi from his mind as the others fought. His mind kept completing the images, cycling through his friends nearly being killed. He reached the last memory and his gut tried to tear itself apart, with Fan's blank eyes staring back at him from her shocked face.

Thunder clapped in Trent's ears as a light shock ran through him. Ahkos' voice drilled into his brain. 'Wake up, Trent! That was a long time ago!'

"A-hkos?" Trent wheezed as his chest heaved, the world rushing back into focus. The sound of the Ouroboros and Valdi fighting Q and the Levnis he was piloting replacing the thundering of his heart.

'Yeah, it's me,' the spectral voice confirmed. 'This connection is aw-ul thou-'

"It's enough," Trent grunted, folding the Calamity Scythe out to its bow form. "Thank you, Ahkos."

'Repay- by no- dying.' Came Ahkos' reply, his voice going quiet as the smell of ozone built up in the air.

Breathing deeply, Trent pulled back the string of ether, a crackling bolt appearing between his fingers as he aimed at the metal horn jutting from the Levnis. Holding the breath, he breathed out as Sena bounced away from it, her hammer slamming into one of its knee joints. As he releases the breath, he loosed the arrow, the mass of charged ether and electricity slamming into the makeshift lightning rod atop the Levnis.

The lights set in its faceplate blinked as its movements stuttered, Q's voice echoing, "What the devil is this?!"

The Ouroboros took the chance to press the attack, using the incomplete nature of the Levnis to exploit gaps in its armour and tear it open.

Trent wasn't paying much active attention to them, instead lining up his shots to best disrupt Q and match Ahkos' end of the link. Each shot was accompanied with the almost ritualized breathing, intent on destroying the Levnis.

'You remember the words, right?' Ahkos' voice echoed in his mind, and Trent would swear he sounded almost giddy.

"Naturally. It hasn't been long since we practised. At least for me," the blond remarked, feeling the connection solidify with Ahkos' urging.

Drawing back the ether-string, he let the crackling power pool and swirl within the arrow he was readying. If one arrow was a lightning bolt, then what happened if he pooled numerous arrows into a single blast?

Trent's grip on the bow tensed as he aimed high; past the Levnis, past the cavern, and into the open sky above.

It was a beautiful day, with nary a cloud in sight. Trent sighed at how ill-fitting it was for what he was preparing to unleash.

"Behold, the lightning that smashes the stars!"

His voice echoed, dramatic and hammy to match the sort of performance that Ahkos would expect. Trent's body was pulled taut, his stance wide and arms spread to pull back the arrow he had aimed at the sky.

"Keranos Catastrophe!"

A single arrow screamed into the sky, trailing electricity.

The Consul started to laugh, pausing in his assault on the Ouroboros and Valdi. "What were you trying to do? Signal a parade? Provide us with some dramatic lighting?"

Spinning the Calamity Scythe in his hand and snapping it out to its full form, Trent laughed as he pointed it at the Levnis. "The sun above has provided our production all the lighting we need! But, as we lack a bear, I'll have you exit stage right, pursued by thunderbolts and lightning!"

Thunder cracked, a staccato beat that crashed into the ears of anyone in the area. Light filled the opening in the cave's roof, before slamming into Levnis in a blinding cascade.

Snapping his fingers, he pointed at the Ouroboros and Valdi. "Take a bow, you guys! For Consul Q… Trent Blackmore, the Redeemer of Torna, Driver of the Dark Aegis gives you your curtain call!"

They took the cue for what it was, charging forward and laying into the Levnis. Parts flew off it as it started to shake, with Valdi shouting, "Get back, it's gonna blow!"

The group backed off as the Levnis underwent catastrophic failure, explosions and flame blasting out of it before it collapsed. Valdi trotted forward and poked through it, eventually opening the cockpit to reveal that it was empty beyond ash and broken electronics. He hummed as he stood up, his expression screwed up.

"I guess, the explosions got him…"

Valdi moved away, over to the remains of the mini-Levnis as he studied them and remarking on his desire to rebuild it. He spoke of how he was going to change the path of the Levnises of Colony Thirty, and gave the mini-Levnis a name. With that done, he sighed, "I guess, with us having rebelled like this, the only thing we're missing is smashing our Flame Clock…"

"We can handle that," Noah declared, stepping forward with a hand resting on the hilt of his weapon. "Just show us where it is and we can smash it."

"Oh, sure?" Valdi replied, sounding unsure as he led them to just below the Flame Clock. "I was mostly just being rhetorical…"

Noah shrugged and said, "If we smash it, then no one here –Human or Levnis– will have to fight again."

"Why didn't you start with that?" Valdi asked, perking up and blinking.

Trent chuckled quietly as he stepped forward, folding away the Calamity Scythe and putting his hand on the hilt of the Monado-L. "Do you mind if I try taking a crack at it first?"

Noah blinked at the suggestion and shrugged as the others considered the suggestion. Valdi didn't seem to care as he gestured up to the Flame Clock, and remarked, "Go for it."

Trent lifted the Monado-L above his head, and took a deep breath, reaching out to Malos' consciousness. Feeling the affirmation from the Dark Aegis, he sunk into the Affinity Link and drew on the ether in the air. Outside of the rush of battle, it was more difficult to really lean into it and master it, at least for Trent.

Dark ether licked down the edge of the sword, and he spoke, "Let me tell you of the edge that cuts beyond zero and infinity. Thus, I declare…"

Swinging the sword down, he focused on projecting the edge as he finished, "Ragna Blade!"

A wafer thin line of darkness cut through the air, slamming through the Flame Clock and continuing into the sky as the Flame Clock broke and deactivated. Trent let out a sigh as he put all but sheathed the Monado-L, his stance relaxing.

Then, Vladi clapped him on the shoulder and loudly announced, "Right, time to get some grub and relax after that battle!"

The Canuck sighed and shook his head, his mind racing. He needed to relax and decompress after his earlier episode, Aionios was getting to him.

Chapter Text

Chapter 08 - The Skwarors and The Skeeters

"Well, isn't this weird?"

Q grimaced behind his monolithic helmet, betraying nothing as his fingers danced over a keyboard. He was in the back of Z's amphitheatre, not even being acknowledged by the leader of Moebius as Q worked. Origin's systems were labyrinthine and difficult to navigate, alongside the fact that lesser Moebius needed to be careful lest some remainders of the Queens' or their agents' influence remove them from it and force them to restart their search.

Thus, he continued to tap at the keys, his eyes narrowed as he tried to pick through the various terms he was investigating. He needed to ignore the interruption lest he lose his precious progress, especially given how much protection the Queens had assigned to them.

The keyboard and display disappeared from beneath his fingers, and the Consul groaned aloud. "X, please, I am in the midst of important research."

"Important research? That needs you to get into Origin's systems? Bit far off from your usual wargame focus," X replied, tilting her head to the side, her limp colourless hair brushing against the purple, burning cracks that crawled up her cheek. Eying the screen, X let out a hum of thought. "Well isn't this interesting? A bunch of terms that even Origin is slowing us down in searching up, even with the stranglehold we're supposed to have on it." She turned her head up and called out, "What do you think, Z?"

"It matters not," answered the tall, slim figure, not turning away from the screen. "This too is within the passage of fate, and shall be carried along with its pull."

X stuck her tongue out at him, dancing back on her heels as she tapped away at the keyboard and continued, "But… this is interesting. So, Q, what brought this on?"

The Consul rolled his eyes and squared his shoulders as he stood up. "I encountered a curious character while trying to encourage Colony Thirty to step up its game for the upcoming skirmishes. He, alongside those wretched Ouroboros, spoiled the batch I had carefully cultivated in Colony Thirty."

"Oh, and this… character, what was so special about him?" X inquired, kicking at Q as she continued to drum the keyboard.

"He resembled those wretched Lost Numbers, clearly older than our soldiers, and without a brand marking him as attached to a Flame Clock," Q replied tiredly, dodging the foot as he moved to try and reclaim the terminal. "That, alongside the curious things he spoke of, drew my interest. I stayed hidden in the background of Colony Thirty to listen in on him as he spoke with the Ouroboros Group before that rat Valdi lent them a high speed transportation auto-Levnises, something the brat threw together on the spot." He considered telling her more, but decided against it as he'd leave the surprise of the Ouroboros to B and G to handle. Q also couldn't keep the disdain he had for Valdi from dripping into his voice, his hands balling into fists at the waste of potential.

"Curious indeed," X hummed as she turned her gaze back to the screen, taking them in for herself. Torna, Aegis, and whatnot… She bared her teeth as a brief moment of distraction caused her to be set back by whatever sniffer the Queens had programmed kicked her out.

Spinning on her heel, she turned her grinning mask onto Q as she happily chirped, "Well, you can have fun with that! I'm going to look into it too!"

"Damn you, X!" Q cursed as the youthful Moebius disappeared in a burst of dark light.

{~}{~}

X stepped into Aionios proper, returning her fingers to her work as she sidled in the shadows behind her target. The young woman was panting as she crouched near the edge of the cliff, her shoulders heaving as she tried to keep her voice down.

The Moebius hummed aloud, standing in profile with a boulder, such that she was hidden from most every vantage point but directly in front of her. The young woman's head whipped around, her twintails flailing and she frowned, her sole visible eye narrowed. "What d'you want?"

"Oh, just checking in," X replied lackadaisically. "We are collaborators, after all."

"Yeah, sure, I'll believe that," the young woman grunted, reaching up to make sure her eyepatch was still in place.

"Ah, you caught me!" X said jokingly, smiling venomously as she let her eyes drift down to her terminal. "See, a little birdie told me about this interesting new player hanging around the Ouroboros."

The young watcher clicked her tongue and looked back down over the cliff. "You're looking into him, then? The higher ups from the City are curious about him too."

"Are they now?" X asked, her fingers pausing briefly in their typing. "Now why would they do that?"

"Because he's an interloper," the watcher replied, sliding forward slightly in order to peer over the edge. "Someone new near the Ouroboros, who they can't identify. They're hoping he isn't Moebius, but I can guess that isn't the case."

"That's right, he's a mystery to us too," X confirmed in a singsong manner, returning to tapping away at the terminal. "Even with all this research I'm slaving away at, I'm still not making any progress!"

The watcher rolled her eyes while smirking and it took all of X's considerable patience not to slap her for having the gall to act like they were actually friends. She was cultivating this little shit, and lashing out now would ruin it all. Returning the smile with a veiled sneer, X let out a biting laugh, "You know how it is, especially with old fogeys who think they know better!"

A lie, but what was one more to the pile she'd fed this pliant little idiot? The laugh had been genuine enough, because how couldn't X laugh at this empty headed dipshit?

Q might be old compared to most of the people in the City… compared to her, one of the original Moebius, Q was closer to a swaddled babe! The only ones older than her were Z, and the Queens! Y might look older, but she was definitely the older twin!

"Yeah, I hear that," the twintailed watcher agreed, her lips pulling into a sneer of their own.

X nearly laughed at the sight. She actually thought she understood. What a fucking joke!

Swallowing the desire to mock her little stalking lamb, X hummed, "So, what've you got on your end, then?"

"Nothing too much, thanks to them getting into fights in places that're difficult for me to approach," the watcher grumbled, crossing her arms and looking away. "Dust up with Iota? Out in a place where the Agnians have a great view of the entire thing, so I need to skulk way out of the way while watching for Kevesi Levs. After I caught up with them, there was a scrap with Colony Thirty, which involved my ears getting blasted by sentimental crap and a few decent songs. He also was separated from them before he joined them in fighting the Consul of Colony Thirty, which led to… well, there was no way for me to get close enough in time to see how he fought alongside them."

"Hm, unfortunate," X remarked, her lips thinning. Well, it wasn't like she expected anything better from the girl. As long as the final payment came through, X and Z would happily plug her into the Flame Clock cycle. Allowing her lips to pull into another smile, she added, "So, where are the Ouroboros, then?"

"On their way," the watcher answered, turning back to the cliff and peering over it. "I requisitioned a high speed transport to get here before the Kevesi Lev they took."

X hummed and considered sticking around as she continued to tap away at her research. "Have fun then."

With that said, she disappeared in a brief blast of darkness. It wouldn't be any fun if B and G were on their toes due to her hiding in the wings.

{~}{~}

The Transportation AutoLevs that Valdi had thrown together were fast, but supremely uncomfortable, in Trent's opinion, as it was clear that the lad had put efficiency over comfort. They might as well have been strapped to metal grating as the vehicle whipped around with little regard for safety or comfort, the nine of them packed into a rather tight space that was both cargo hold and personnel seating. The lack of fine control was apparently due to these AutoLevs being essentially prototypes based on Valdi's rudimentary understanding of Agnian units, with them only barely scanning their surroundings as they headed to the destination set by those riding them.

It was a bit like sitting in the economy seating of an Air Canada flight, Trent concluded. Upside was that they were apparently pretty fast, even if he couldn't relax worth a damn and fall asleep.

Crossing his arms, he was about to close his eyes and lean back to at least rest his eyes when he felt a hand on his shoulder. Glancing over at the perpetrator, he asked, "Sena, is there something I can help you with?"

"You promised you'd tell us about the sex thing!" The hammer-wielder answered sternly, retracting her hand as she stared at him.

Looking around the enclosed space, Trent sighed as he realized that everyone else in the AutoLev was staring at him intently. Shaking his head, he took a deep breath as he tried to find the right place to start.

"I can't believe this is what my life has become…"

The blond started slowly, using what the kids knew of the animals around their Colonies and how they reproduced as examples while building up to humans – pointedly ignoring the fact that he had no idea if Lanz followed the same rules as he explained. He had been blown away to learn that the kids at least had a good understanding of sexual dimorphism thanks to their Colonies' bathing facilities being mixed, something which had left the blond momentarily flabbergasted. After steadying himself, he went onto explain the more fiddly bits of intercourse, sexually transmitted diseases, and of course, pregnancy.

The Canuck had been surprised to learn that despite being populated entirely by preteens and young adults, sex and pregnancy were complete unknowns. The fact that the Ouroboros hadn't even heard of the effects of pregnancy and the like had confused Trent. Even arousal was apparently an alien idea to them, which wasn't just confusing, but outright worrying. Hell, even pointing out that animals reproduced and grew had earned shocked realizations from the Ouroboros and Manana.

Explaining sexuality and sexual preferences was actually much easier, although Trent did have to keep from chuckling when he noticed Sena's eyes darting to Eunie and Mio's chests as she flushed.

Then, they moved into the topic that Trent had been dreading: relationships. He'd outlined the ways they could start, alongside the difference between sexual and romantic relationships, and how they could end. He considered explaining marriage to them, but decided to save that for a later date.

As the explanation wound down, Eunie perked up, a grin on her face as she asked, "So, what about you then, boss? What've yours been like?"

"Sexual relationships? A few, but nothing really serious," Trent answered, having expected the question, although his shoulders did slump. "As for romantic relationships… while I've been in love, I've never had anything resembling a fulfilling romantic relationship."

"Wha? Are you serious?" Eunie squawked, her eyes wide and mouth open as she stared at the blond. "But you know so much!"

"Experience teaches a lot, like what you're looking for in a partner and relationship, but it doesn't guarantee you'll actually find success," Trent said, smiling wanly as he shook his head. "Some people find the people they want to spend their lives with quite quickly, others take longer. Such is life."

"Wait," Taion interjected, his brow furrowed as he reached up to adjust his glasses. "You said that it's usually romantic partners who have children, and you claim the one you believe to be Mio's… progenitor is your child. How does that work?"

"Adoption. It's basically saying that you view someone as family, and love them in a familial manner. I viewed Rex as a son, and… here we are," Trent replied, blinking at the question. Beside Noah, Mio frowned in thought as took a moment to study the Driver. "Although now I'm wondering if Niall actually went through with that joke of his…"

"Ooh, who's that?" Sena inquired, earning a cringe from Trent.

Letting out a sigh, the blond answered, "Emperor Niall Ardanach, ruler of the Empire of Mor Ardain… more importantly, he's the younger brother of my friend Morag, and he kept making jokes that she and Brighid had adopted me. Despite me being around the same age as them."

"Man, this family stuff is sparkin weird," Lanz grumbled, earning a light chuckle from Noah.

"You call it what you want, you muppet, but I think it's neat," Eunie retorted, sticking her nose up at the grey-skinned teen.

Lanz snorted, "Yeah, and you're the one who still collects Fourtune Clovers like a first-termer!"

As the Kevesi pair started bickering, Mio turned her attention back to Trent and spoke up, "So, you're not really… connected to me, then?"

"Not by blood, but that doesn't really matter," the blond answered almost immediately. "Family's a lot more than just blood ties, and I'd be remiss if I didn't point that out. Hell, I consider most of the group I travelled across Alrest with to be family, and there's not a drop of blood shared between any of us."

"Only most of them?" Noah inquired, speaking up for the first time since early in the discussion.

Trent's expression turned melancholic, and he turned his gaze down towards his knees. "My friend Joe largely isolated himself from the rest of us, as did Pyra and Mythra. At the end of our adventure, Joe and Mythra promised they'd try to forge proper friendships with everyone, but… I don't know how that turned out. I hope they did."

"And this Pyra, you mentioned?" Taion asked, catching the part the Driver had hoped they'd miss.

Unable to stop the wince that passed through him, Trent shook his head and sighed, "Pyra… she and I agreed that if there came a time when we both felt ready, we'd try again. She was the last person I saw before I found myself here on Aionios, and… I definitely wasn't anywhere near ready then."

"She was the person who hurt you."

There was no one to confuse Sena's statement for a question, or any opening for Trent to brush it off. She was staring at him with a worried frown, her arms crossed as Noah, Mio and Taion looked at her curiously, even Eunie's eyes darting towards her briefly before she directed Lanz to refocus on the discussion. "Were you two friends, or were you, y'know…" Sena trailed off as she flushed, her implication clear.

"I would have liked to say we were friends, and while I was attracted to her… at the end of the day, we were just the most dysfunctional Driver and Blade most people had ever borne witness to," Trent answered tiredly, his shoulders slumping as he continued to look down. "Morag and Brighid described the entire thing as horrific, if I recall correctly."

"That's why you were so adamant about Ino being careful and the focus on communicating when she was describing everything to us," Noah concluded, sharing a brief look with Mio. "You didn't want us to end up like you and this Pyra."

"That's right." Trent shrugged, and admitted, "I still remember the way she, Mythra, and Joe reacted when I said I wanted to break the bond. Joe looked poleaxed, but Mythra and Pyra… there was a pained resignation. They knew that there was no way to turn back from the point we had ended up at. No matter how much they might have hoped that reconciliation could have happened… I'd already reached the point where I couldn't stand the bond."

Sena let out a mournful grumble as she shook her head. "That's just sad." The other members of the Ouroboros and Manana agreed.

Trent just shrugged again. "Sometimes, that's just how life is on this bitch of a planet."

Chapter Text

Chapter 09 - Mythic Common

Colony Nine was, in Trent's opinion, a rather quaint place, even if the Ferronis looming over it was rather menacing. Still, it seemed like the Kevesi half of Ouroboros were feeling better to be back in their stomping grounds, pointing out places or old friends to their partners.

With a smile on his face, the blond couldn't help but wonder what it would be like to walk through Colony Nine with the old group, or with Torna- actually, his mouth pulled into a thin line. The latter would likely be a disaster, thanks to Patroka and Malos. He let out a sigh as he patted the hilt of the Monado-L, feeling a wave of amusement from the Aegis and not a lick of shame.

"Problem, friend?"

Trent blinked at the address, and looked down to see Riku toddling along beside him, finally separated from Manana while she nipped at Lanz and Sena's heels. Swallowing his suspicion of the Nopon, he had to quietly remind himself that Riku wasn't small, Tora was massive. After a moment, he admitted, "I'm missing my friends, is all. Great as the kids are…"

"Ouroboros are not those friend familiar with," Riku finished, his tiny little arms stretching backwards. "Friend still learning about them, learning to care same way. Is process, Riku see many time."

"Not quite how I'd put it, but I can't say you're wrong," Trent grunted, shaking his head. "Although that wasn't quite what I meant, I'll admit. For me, it wasn't all that long ago that I saw them, so it just feels… jarring, I suppose. Like I should turn and they'll be there."

"Ah, Riku suppose Riku understand that," the Nopon rumbled, tilting to the side and causing his ushanka to wiggle. "Riku have many-many brother-sisterpon, always expect to see one around corner, but is just Riku, no one else."

Trent quietly tucked that little tidbit away, and replied, "I have- had." He had to swallow a lump in his throat at that declaration.

With everything he'd been through, and all the work he'd put in… it still hurt to admit.

"I had a brother, and some cousins who were like siblings. I…" the blond trailed off as he took in the fresh Aionian air, and the sight of Flamii and Garaffa in the nearby fields. "I wish they could see all of this. I think… I think they'd be awed by it all."

"Is so?" Riku hummed curiously, taking a moment to follow Trent's gaze. "It seem like common, garden variety wildlife and landscape to Riku."

The blond wondered silently if gardens were common enough in Aionios for Riku's descriptor to make sense. Rather than question it, he grunted, "It's all in perspective, I guess. For me… home was a city, and even if there were areas of significant greenery, animals like the Garaffa were rare as could be, outside of certain institutions. So here on Aionios, and on Alrest… the wildlife was always a highlight for me."

He cracked a grin. "You wouldn't believe how excited I used to get over the Ardun, the Armu, and the other large reptilians."

"Ho ho? Perhaps Riku should have Ouroboros take friend on tour of big lizards of Aionios," the Nopon chortled, his mouth pulling into a grin. "Many many exist in Aionios, but…"

"But?" Trent asked, wondering where Riku was taking the discussion.

"Must weigh sightseeing with job, and in this case…" the ushanka-wearing smithypon answered, trailing off as he nodded towards the Ouroboros – towards Mio.

Trent tried to ignore the stabbing pain in his chest. "Yeah, the job comes first, given everything." Taking a deep breath, he let his brow crease in thought as he considered what he could do to help… Especially given that Zeon had basically said that he didn't trust Trent, and that if he saw him with a drawn weapon, his deal with the Ouroboros was off.

"Friend thinking deep thoughts again?" Riku asked, he and Trent taking up the rear of the group as Zeon led them to the battlefield. "Maybe is good thing friend sidelined, if friend so distracted."

"Huh? Oh, no, I'm just trying to think of how I can help the kids if I'm not allowed to actually fight in this battle," the blond grunted, shaking his head and waving a hand in the air. "Most of my knowledge isn't applicable to their situation."

"Ah, differing specialties," Riku hummed with a bob of his head. "Riku understand. While Riku smithypon, Riku's Masterpon much more than just smithypon. Learn many things from her beyond specialty. Maybe friend should consider how friend's knowledge can be applied to situation, rather than how it not fit?"

The blond laughed quietly, and shook his head. "You truly are a wise Nopon, Riku. Perhaps I should crack open that dome of yours and see what else dribbles out."

Jerking back, Riku's ears flapped as he exclaimed, "Not so much!"

There was a feminine huffing as Manana bounced back to the pair, taking a moment to scowl over her shoulder at Zeon. "Hello Riku, Trent! Manana not allowed to be with Ouroboros, so join friends."

"Manana," Riku replied, offering the orange Nopon a nod.

"Heya Manana," Trent added, offering the cookypon a smile. He glanced up at the divide Zeon had created by placing himself between them and the Ouroboros, letting out a hum of consideration. "As for Zeon… I think he might be a better person than you're giving him credit for."

"What Trent mean? Commander Meanypon tell Manana Manana not allowed to talk to friends before or during scrum!" the twintailed Nopon huffed again, crossing her wings over her white smock. Between her and Trent, Riku simply lifted an eyebrow.

"While I do think that he's trying to isolate the Ouroboros from us, I don't think he's trying to be malicious," the Canuck answered, reaching up to scratch his chin. "Look at it from his point of view. Some of his comrades go missing, then rogue. Those rogue comrades return, but allied with the only enemy he's ever known, and a mysterious person who claims not to be from the nations he knows. He's probably done this more to isolate me from them in case I'm manipulating them, while removing you two in order to maintain the neutrality of the Nopon."

Manana frowned, wings still crossed as she murmured, "So Zeon is goodpon? But if scared of string pulleys, why let Mio, Taion, and Sena fight?"

"Presumably because he at least has some measure and expectations of them as Agnians," Trent said as he watched the Ouroboros chat with the Commander of Colony Nine, Lanz and the blond-winged man trading barbs. "Familiarity and all that."

"Manana not think of that…" the orange Nopon mumbled, her small arms coming together in front of her to fret. "Manana make Zeon tasty num nums for sorry."

Riku let out a low chuckle, "Definitely forgive Manana then. Manana cooking very scrum."

The cookypon swelled with pride, even as the group reached the battlefield, Zeon and the Ouroboros getting into position while Trent and the Nopon used a large rock as cover. They settled in, occasionally peeking around the rock as the Agnian forces approached, and the battle began.

From what Trent could tell, outside of the Ouroboros and Zeon, there weren't many unique or stand out fighters. Zeon himself focused on using his shield to draw in attacks, setting his foes up for counterattacks from his allies, while saving his own energy for big, flashy attacks. Still, there wasn't too much for Trent to comment on, as he wasn't an expert in wielding shields.

"Trent, Manana have important ask," the orange Nopon spoke up, raising her voice over the din of combat.

Turning away from the battle, the blond looked down at the cookypon. "What's up, champ?"

Manana looked stern and serious, her brow furrowed and eyes hard. With crossed wings, she asked, "What Trent favourite food? Manana know favourites of Ouroboros and Riku, but not Trent."

"That's… kind of hard to answer actually," Trent replied, reaching up to massage his chin.

"Manana not think Trent icky-picky, so what problem?" Manana pressed, her expression unfolding slightly.

"Well… most of my favourite foods… the ingredients for them are extinct," the blond answered, his mouth set in a thin line. "So, I've been trying to figure out alternatives, but it's been slow going, even before I ended up in Aionios."

"Oh, big ask then…" Manana murmured, sharing a look with Riku, who simply shrugged. "Trent have any luck?"

"Not yet," the blond admitted as he turned his gaze skyward. "While you guys use Armu and Ardun for the equivalents of bovine meats, the flavour's different enough for me to notice and pause despite the similarities. Skwaror meat tastes closer to turkey than chicken, and so on and so forth." He then let out a sigh, "And that's all without getting into fruit or veggies."

"Manana understand," the cookypon said, her expression transforming to one of determination. "Manana come to conclusion: Manana help Trent find new favourite! Will break out all stops and most scrum of recipes!"

Trent chuckled, shaking his head as a weary smile graced his face. "I'll be in your capable wings then."

Manana grinned as she puffed herself up.

{~}{~}

The observer frowned as the Ouroboros, the local Commander, and the weird interloper started to fight Colony Nine's Moebius. For once, she had not just a good place to listen in, but also to actually watch. She took a deep breath as she considered her options, only to sigh.

While she'd love to just let X know what she heard and saw, she knew that she needed to keep providing the City with good, relevant intel until the moment of her betrayal came. So, she needed to play both sides.

Reaching up, she opened her line to the City, and spoke before the operator could slow things down. "SR-08 reporting, I need a direct line to whoever's in the War Room. Priority Ouroboros."

As soon as she heard the slight buzz of her call being connected, she declared, "This is SR-08. The Ouroboros have rallied the Commander of Kevesi Colony Nine to their side, destroyed the colony's Flame Clock, and are currently engaging the local Moebius."

There was a brief pause from the other side, and then the City's Queen asked, "And the unknown?"

"He's joined them, wielding…" the observer had to swallow thickly, because she recognized that Blade. Anyone from the City would, as would anyone who had the misfortune of laying eyes on the Golden Consul. "A Blade that resembles Moebius N's."

"What do you mean?" It was the Elder who cut in this time, her voice stern as she audibly sounded worried.

"It's difficult to explain, ma'am," the observer answered, brow furrowing in thought. "Should I patch my eyepatch's feed through to you?" Silently, she planned to send a copy of the video to X.

There was a pause, and it was the Queen that replied, "Do it."

A moment passed, and eventually, the Elder's second spoke, "I can see what you mean, but there's a marked difference between it and the one wielded by N. That rune in its centre, alongside how different the purple cross above the hilt is…"

"Definitely," the Elder grunted, sounding considerate. "More than that, there's the fact that he's wielding some form of dark ether, as opposed to the pure cutting and slashing that N prefers."

As the two discussed, the observer couldn't help but worry over the fact that the Queen wasn't speaking. She was about to ask when a small noise cut through the Elder and the Lieutenant's voices. It started quietly, but quickly grew louder and heartier, and it sent a shiver down the observer's spine.

The Queen was laughing.

"M-ma'am?" the observer said questioningly, catching the Queen's attention as she clearly made an effort to rein in her mirth.

The Queen audibly coughed and cleared her throat to regain her composure, and after a moment, she spoke. While the observer was used to the warmth in the leader of the City's kind tones, it was as if the emotion had been muted the entire time, her voice now thick with a fond warmth.

"I can see why you would confuse the Logos Pleroma with that weapon, but it definitely isn't the same," the Queen declared firmly, the smile on her face clear through the connection. "But without a doubt… that man is someone we've long been waiting for. The gears of our long-stalled fate have started to turn forward once more. That man, bearing the remnants of the Golden Country, has appeared alongside our Ouroboros, and oh…" she trailed off, a low chuckle escaping her and filtering through to the observer, wondering just what she had sparked within the City's monarch.

"What a pedigree two of the current Ouroboros have, right, Elder?"

The Elder huffed, and sounded audibly exasperated as she answered, "An unbelievable pedigree, more like. To think this sort of thing would occur… We'll need to prepare appropriately."

The observer grit her teeth, listening carefully as she watched the unknown man direct the Ouroboros through the avalanche that Moebius B had kicked up around him. He held his sword down at his side, before taking a moment to launch the local Commander ahead, his shield glowing blue. The Commander caught a massive kick from the Moebius, and suddenly, the shadows of the fused Ouroboros loomed over B.

They descended on the staggered and off-balance Moebius, pummeling and tearing into him with a savage ferocity.

Wincing, the observer could do nothing but think that was going to be one dead Moebius, and quietly wondered what they did to replace them. Rather than focus on that, she asked, "I'll continue with observation duties, then?"

"Please," the Queen answered, a tone that the observer didn't recognize creeping into her voice. "Elder, what are our current deployments like?"

While she definitely shouldn't have been listening in, they hadn't dismissed the observer, so she warmly eavesdropped and gathered intel.

A sigh from the Elder rang out, "Stretched to the limit, as per usual. Beyond it, even, thanks to that op Ghondor and her little gang're on."

"What about the Lost Number O-Can squad?" The Queen inquired, clearly unmoved by the way the Ouroboros were tearing apart B.

"They're wrapped up in prepping our side for the second half of Ghondor's current op," the Lieutenant answered for the Elder. "Between preparing weapon caches and pick up zones…"

There was a pause from the City's side of things, and the observer almost asked what happened but was distracted by the unknown guy and the Commander running forward to start stomping on the toppled Moebius.

Then, the Elder spoke up, "There is an operative in the area. The previous Elder's sweeper. While we can't really pull him away from his job, we can at least have him keep an eye out for the Ouroboros' group."

"While I would prefer a group to actively escort them to Swordmarch, it seems that just isn't in the cards," the Queen replied, sounding probably the most disappointed the observer had ever heard. "Excellent work, SR-08. Please continue your duties and let us know if anything further should come up."

The observer reached up to tap her temple to turn off her Iris. "Roger that, disconnecting-"

"Wait a moment," the Queen interrupted, and there was a brief moment of silence from the other side. "You can disconnect now, SR-08."

"Your majesty, did you just screensh-" the observer couldn't disconnect faster, because she did not want to think about that in the least.

She shook her head. At least she had some good info to give to X.

Whatever the Hell a Logos Pleroma was.

Chapter Text

Chapter 10 - Knowing Time

A hand traced a fuzzed image that's been projected up before the Queen, her fingers trying to pat a back that she could never forget. In the dim light, she couldn't help the melancholic smile climbing up her face.

Her room is not opulent, as if to spite her position.

It is sectioned off from the rest of her small apartment; the sitting room which is prim and almost sterile in how it's been set up to receive any visitors, the kitchen which is covered in notes and to any visitor would be the most lived in, and the bathroom that's mostly just functional. Her bedroom and study however… it's as if a different person called it home. There are books –some written in her own hand– all of them eclectic in terms of content; from the history and legends of a long dead world, books about animals that once lived and was mirrored in the wildlife of the Now, even something akin to a memoir. There are toys, some carved by her own hands, others created through working with the people of the City.

Finally, there are the pictures.

The vast majority are from her time in the Endless Now, with various people she's met or bonded with in the City, or from the Liberators. A few nights ago, she offered a wan smile to Linka, Rex, Joe, Mythra, Shulk, Panacea, Alphonse, Johan, all arrayed in front of what was once the Bionis' Colony Nine. A week before, the Queen had flipped through one of the many sketchbooks scattered across the room, the quality varying vastly across them, but all of them showcasing people from her past. Millennia ago - a century ago - a decade ago - a year ago - a day ago, she spoke to the single photo she kept in a sturdy frame.

The picture within the frame was gifted to her aeons ago, before the Intersection took place, by Tora. The photo was a collage the Nopon had created from the pictures Brighid had captured during the brief moments the group had spent in the Rhadamanthus Authority escape pod. There was even a picture of Mikhail that Tora had added later on.

Her fingers tapped at the frame as she considered what she would be doing in the coming days. A part of her wanted to step outside the walls of the City and visit the friend she had lost so long ago, but knew that it would only invite calamity with things in their current state. She considered cooking up a storm, putting together food that could be slipped to them or to areas they might rest in by the Lost Numbers, but discarded it as a waste of the Lost Numbers' time.

She stood up and stepped away from the desk, a hand coming up to rest on her chest and hovering above the Crystal peeking out of her shirt. She would need to commune with those within Origin's core, guarding the Ontos Pleroma from Z's forces and attempts to wrest control of it. The Queen paused as her mouth pulled into a thin line, a thought occurring.

Those guarding Origin's core had told her that the Z's invasion attempts would intensify around the time that Moebius lost their physical bodies, and given that the current Ouroboros had managed to kill two in short order… She clicked her tongue as she pulled her hand away.

She would need to set the Lost Numbers to watch for when the Ouroboros were at a point where they're a decent distance from having killed any Moebius or from being near any they could kill. The Queen reached up to massage her forehead, and let out a quiet laugh.

Stifling her laughter after a few moments, she shook her head and took another deep breath as she considered what else she had seen in the video that Shania had streamed to them.

Noah of Keves and Mio of Agnus; the progenitors of Ghondor Vandham the first and the Vandham and Doyle Houses… both were somehow back and Ouroboros once more, despite previous iterations of them being Moebius. Beyond that, Noah was wielding a sword that she could feel the Pneuma Pleroma within, which implied that Riku was likely in their orbit.

Unbeknownst to Monica, Travis, and Shania, the Queen's attention had also been drawn to the petite, hammer-wielding Ouroboros. Sena, another familiar face, even if she and the Queen had rarely interacted, thanks to the distance the Queen had purposefully put between herself and the girl's family. While Morag and Brighid had been willing to try and work with her after everything… the Queen had been scared to reach back, without having settled every account.

She had alluded to Monica just how much of a boon this could be, and how it also signalled what could be their best chance to take down Z yet. It truly was as if the passage of fate had been building to this point, after so many strange aeons.

Trent, wielding the Blades of Torna, Driver of the true Logos Processor. Noah, wielding the Sword of Origin, current bearer of the Pneuma Pleroma Processor. Mio, daughter of one of the strongest Flesh-Eaters, who hid unimaginable potential in her heart. Sena, much like her mothers - strong but not overwhelmingly so, yet still fighting every step of the way to keep up.

Perhaps there was more to the other members of the Ouroboros with the same level of weight behind them, but at this time, she was unaware.

The Queen stepped back and considered her room, before sighing and shaking her head. At the current moment, there wasn't much more she could do but prepare for the arrival of the Ouroboros, and watch over their journey.

She shucked off her business clothing, a simple white button up blouse and a pair of black slacks that reminded her of Ardainian clothing. Metaphorically pulling off her queenly mask, she pulled on a simple t-shirt and a pair of shorts that wouldn't look out of place on any young person in the City, taking a few moments to bat her hair around.

She took a deep breath as she headed for the door, a small smile on her face as she gazed back at someone in her picture frame who was wearing a similar expression.

"I'm going now, Trent. But… we'll see each other properly soon. I hope this time… we can truly work together properly."

Pyra's smile warmed further and she stepped out the door. Perhaps she'd visit Turters.

{~}{~}

Trent couldn't help the chuckle that escaped him as the group followed the young lady that the Agnian half of the Ouroboros had called Kyrie. She had started chattering immediately, nearly gushing over Mio, happily greeting Sena and Taion, while basically ignoring the rest of them. Her largest issue with their appearances had been the Agnian trio being out of uniform.

He could hardly believe that they were already heading towards Colony Gamma in the early afternoon, the earlier debacle at Colony Nine having devoured most of the morning.

Their attempts to get Zeon to let them help with Nine's issues had been met with stern dismissal, the Commander hinting that while he might accept the Ouroboros, the rest of Colony Nine had yet to. It was a simple dilemma, but Trent knew that there would be a few things that would get Colony Nine to open up to them… either they'd regain their old fondness for Noah's little trio and extend that to the rest of the group, or they'd end up in such a bad place that they'd need to accept the Ouroboros' help. It was a bleak way to approach the matter, but it was all they could truly do with the time limit they were stuck on.

That had left a bitter taste in Trent's throat, and he could see how it had sent a small spike of anxiety through the Ouroboros. Sena had done everything she could to look anywhere but Mio's direction. Lanz's mouth had pulled into a thin line as his gaze trailed to the ground as he murmured a name. Eunie mumbled an Aionian curse as she cast a pitying gaze at the Gormotti. Taion quietly pushed his glasses up and shrugged his scarf up to hide his mouth. Noah grit his teeth and clenched his fist tightly as he looked at Mio. The Gormotti in question had left the confrontation with shaking shoulders and downcast eyes, realization having seeped into her very core.

Mio's final term, her Homecoming, her death sentence was a deadline the Ouroboros needed to outpace.

That had set something of a funk over the group as they travelled, only being dispelled by Kyrie's appearance and eccentricity.

Trent took some time to study the landscape as they walked, taking in the rugged dark stone and vermillion plantlife. It was unlike anywhere he had seen on Alrest, an almost volcanic land that was apparently transplanted onto part of the Gormotti Titan. More than that, there were also areas where sand had gathered into large dunes, seemingly without any source for the sand, making him wonder if they'd been scooped up from one of Gormott's plentiful lakes or ponds.

It was primarily home to Rudras, Fenris, and burrowing Ropls, which were similar to the animals that had called Gormott's plains home, with a single exception. The Ropls were definitely a new addition, and they were annoying to see whenever they popped out of the ground. Trent's only solace was that Malos wasn't physically there to tear them apart lengthwise. He still had no idea why the bastard did that with any Aligo or Ropl he got his hands on, and it had gotten to the point that the other members of Torna made a point of killing any before Malos got to them and made a terrible mess.

Still, the group trooped after Kyrie, even as white watchtowers rose in the distance, the scatterbrained Agnian excitedly proclaiming that they were close. Despite the Agnian guards and patrols that caught sight of them, they were given passage due to Kyrie and the Agnian half of the Ouroboros. They were allowed passage, excitable Kyrie leading them into the main thoroughfare of the Colony. Kyrie scampered away while the group found themselves wandering about it, listening to just what had transpired since the Agnian half of the Ouroboros had started their journey.

By and large, it was almost… quaint.

They broke for an early afternoon meal to both re-energize, and to discuss the state of the Colony. To Trent, it felt closer to a school campus or a summer camp than any sort of military complex, which Eunie obliquely agreed with and said. An awkward look passed between the Agnian trio, as they explained that Colony Gamma –rather than being any sort of active combat Colony– was actually a reserve force meant for training. It was, in its own way, jarring compared to the rest of Aionios' brutal way of life. After a few moments of quiet thought, Noah suggested they speak with the Commander, which everyone agreed was the best course of action.

Mio led them to a particular tower of cloth and plate that sat beneath Colony Gamma's Ferronis. The interior was somehow the fanciest thing Trent had seen since he'd arrived on Aionios, while still managing to be even more austere than Morag's office in Alba Cavanich.

Trent tuned out the discussion as he took in the Commander sitting behind a small desk, a pen leaving the man's blue fingers. The man himself was clad in an indigo coat that was slightly darker than his chalky blue skin, his white hair pulled impeccably out of his aquiline featured face. His dark green eyes were carefully judging all of them and flitting subtly between them, but what sent Trent's hackles up was the diamond Core Crystal implanted on his right cheekbone.

Trent felt his skin crawl as he met the Commander's eyes, his hands tightening into fists as the Indoline started to speak, "Mio… I heard that you and your squad had returned. And from the look in your eyes, I hardly think that you've come before me for just a report."

"That's correct, Commander," the Gormotti replied with a bob of her head. "There is something else we feel we need to discuss with you."

The Commander hummed and then stood up as he declared, "Then shall we relocate?" His eyes travelled over to the Kevesi half of the group and Trent before he added, "I believe it would be more convenient for your group."

"That would be helpful, thank you," Mio answered as the Commander put a hand over his mouth in thought.

Lowering the limb, he nodded and turned towards the door. "I know of a good place nearby. Let us head there to talk."

"What- no, that's not necessary!" Mio pleaded as she jerked back, causing Trent to blink in confusion.

"C-Commander, please!" Taion cut in, his eyes wide behind his glasses. "We don't need to go th-"

"I think you will all enjoy it," the Commander said as he started towards the exit, humming a little ditty. "It has a wonderful view, and a particular peacefulness about it."

"That sounds really nice, Commander!" Sena cheered, pumping her fists as she beamed. "I can't wait to see it!"

Taion reached up to adjust his glasses while Trent and the Kevesi half of the group looked between the Agnians. "…this is bad. This is all going south."

"It's just a change of place," Noah chuckled nervously. "I don't get what the problem is."

"Oh, we're going to regret this…" Mio groaned, her expression twisting in pain.

The Commander paused, and then hummed, "I'd rather not delay, but… I unfortunately have some work left to do here. Would you all wait for me next to the training ground? I'll meet you as soon as I'm finished."

"Right, we'll see you there," Mio said before ushering the group out of the Commander's office.

The group ambled over with little fanfare, the Mio and Taion looking despondent while Sena was all but skipping. The Kevesi half and Trent shared looks of confusion, even as Eunie leaned forward to study Taion's expression and shook her head with a laugh. They barely had to wait long before the Commander approached, his hands clasped behind his back.

"My apologies for the delay, shall we head out?"

"Yeah," Lanz rumbled, stepping forward and studying the Indoline. "This place of yours far?"

"A matter of perspective," the Commander replied, reaching up to frame his chin between his thumb and index finger. "In my opinion, it's reasonably near. But the path is poorly maintained and there are more than a few slopes. For those of low fortitude, it might be a difficult trek."

"Oh, now I'm totally sold," Eunie grumbled, putting her hands on her hips as she rolled her eyes.

"It's all a matter of how you walk it," the Indoline remarked, turning his attention to the brunette. "Once one gets used to it, it's just like strolling through the Colony. I would be happy to explain as we walk."

The group looked over at Taion and Mio, the bespectacled young man turning to the Gormotti as he ducked his head. Mio sighed, "…well, if it's reasonably close."

"Well then," the Commander declared, folding his arms behind his back. "Let us be off."

The group followed after the Indoline as he led them out of the Colony, setting a brisk pace. They trekked across what was apparently part of Melnath, the rocky terrain unlike anything Trent had witnessed, even in the Great Spine Boundary. The first leg of the trip was relatively calm, no monsters on the main path, and there was a brief opportunity for the Kevesi and Trent to make introductions with the Commander, who was apparently named Teach.

The odd name was another fact that caused Trent to be wary of the Indoline, who seemed to be either hiding things or outright suspicious. No matter what sort of person he'd met in Alrest and Aionios, their names had at least sounded like proper names. Teach felt… incomplete, like it was a nickname or a callsign.

Silently, as they approached a massive hill of sand, Trent hoped that his experiences with Amalthus and Praetorian Loyalist Remnants hadn't caused him to develop racism towards the Indoline people.

Standing at the foot of the massive hill, Teach looked over the group as he nodded. "Right. This is where the walk gets real." Nodding and sending the forelock hovering over his face bobbed, he began unprompted, "First, you should imagine a stake. It is then hammered into the ground, so deep that it becomes one with the earth. You must carry that feeling in your heart, that's how you're going to take each step up slopes as treacherous as this." He rolled his hands and shrugged.

"Your feet would be the stakes, in this case."

"I uh…" Noah crossed his arms and closed his eyes in thought, his head tilting downwards. "No, frankly, I don't understand."

"Well… it's all you really need to know at this point," Teach replied, crossing his arms behind his back as he started up the hill with no difficulty. "You'll pick it up as you try it."

Standing back with crossed arms as the Ouroboros and their Nopon comrades started trying to climb the hill, making progress before sliding back down it due to the sand. They struggled initially, slowly catching how to work their way up the sandy hill. From the top, Teach gave them stern advice and encouragement, proclaiming it something for First Termers. From below, Trent offered his own advice and pointers, arms crossed.

When it seemed like they all had it down and were halfway up the hill, Trent followed them, the scree-walking coming easily from learning it in his youth. Most of the Ouroboros looked at the Canadian in shock, while Teach just cocked an eyebrow upward.

The blond just shrugged.

"Learned back in the day. Helped in Leftheria."

The last part was meant to try and needle Teach, see if he had any reaction, but he just seemed confused.

They quickly dismissed it and moved on, fording a spring that seemed to have no source as it bubbled up from the ground and sluiced over the sides of the cliffs. It was populated by blants and skeeters, but they seemed unconcerned with them as they hit the other shore and shook their soaked leggings out. Moving towards another slope in the distance, Teach and Sena were in the lead, with most of the group lagging behind them in varying states of exhaustion, with a rather unperturbed Trent picking up the rear, Manana and Riku in his arms.

"I- urgh…" Lanz wheezed as he trudged forward, his large form flagging as he stumbled slightly. "A-are we there yet?"

"About halfway," Teach answered as he paused to glance over his shoulder at the tired teens.

Putting her hands on her hips, Sena spun to frown at them. "Come on, people! This is why you all need to lift more weights and do more cardio!"

"Ah, excellent, I see you've realized you cannot simply hone your endurance through weight training, Sena," Teach declared, clasping his hands behind his back as he turned further.

Reaching up to scratch the back of her head, Sena laughed, "Well… with all the running around we've been doing, I kinda got smacked by it…"

"Hm, I see. Still, you've made excellent progress in how you train yourself. You've learned that you need to exercise your body as a whole, rather than hyperfocusing on a few areas," the Indoline said, a tiny smile on his face. He reached up to scratch his chin as his smile disappeared, and he hummed, "Though I am rather disappointed that this old lesson took so long to take hold."

Sena chuckled nervously as Lanz caught up to them and started to inquire about Teach's training, quickly embroiling the trio in a discussion. Behind them, Noah shuffled alongside an exhausted Eunie, his shoulders heaving. "I… think we made a mistake…"

"I said we'd regret this."

Mio shuffled over to them after peeking over her shoulder at the trio who were still loudly discussing training. As Noah shook his head and craned his head up to look at the sky, a wheeze came from behind them.

"The Commander is also the Colony's trainer… after all…" Taion grunted tiredly, stumbling low and nearly falling to his knee, only for Trent to shift Manana to his shoulder and catch Taion before he could crumple. The bespectacled tactician nodded to him before he continued, "He seems mild-mannered at first, but… but the new recruits are terrified of him. They'd rather face a Kevesi skirmish than his ire."

"That's kinda ominous, innit?" Eunie grumbled as she turned to stare at her Ouroboros partner, crossing her arms gingerly.

"Yeah," Noah agreed as he walked back towards Taion. "You okay, Taion?"

The bespectacled teen waved his hand as he settled himself back on his feet, taking his weight off Trent's hand. "Yeah, I'll manage. Still, we should get ready to move on, the Commander looks ready to finish his lecture."

The Indoline coughed into his fist as he turned away from Lanz and Sena, Noah turning towards him and stepping forward. The leader of the Kevesi half of the Ouroboros spoke, "You really do come across as an instructor, sir. But… it's pretty unusual for a Commander to be an instructor, isn't it?"

"Just so," Teach agreed as his head tilted to the side, a complicated expression on his face. "In my case… suffice to say it's a bit more complicated than most."

"What do you mean?" Mio asked, clasping her hands in front of her.

"Just what I said," Teach prevaricated, stonewalling the topic without a blink. Turning away from the group, he relaxed his posture. "Anyway, break time's over. Let's crack on."

Lanz let out a groan as he stretched, Sena pulling him forward as she started leading the Ouroboros forward after the Indoline Commander.

Trent frowned at Teach's back, his mouth pulling into a thin line as he studied him. It was clear that there was more to the Indoline's story and past than he was letting on, something that he refused to speak about. He didn't know Teach, but there was a rumbling in his gut that made him wonder about the Indoline's goals and motives.

He wanted to trust the Agnian half of the Ouroboros' former Commander, but at the same time… Trent's free hand drifted down to the Monado-L, as he glared at Teach's back.

"Trent?" Manana murmured, a wing reaching down to pat the blond's cheek. "Okay?"

The blond chuckled wearily. "Yeah, yeah. Just, uh, deep in thought." He started forward, his fingers hovering above the Monado-L's hilt.

If Teach threatened his kids, Trent would cut him down.

Chapter Text

Chapter 11 - All in a Name

The small, sandy hill that stood between them and Teach's secret retreat was easily conquered as the group found their footing. The retreat itself was… beautiful, a grassy knoll upon great cliffs that looked out over the misty Aetia region, sweeping stone spires in the distance. There were a few trees and shrubs that would provide good coverage for a picnic or to rest in the early afternoon, alongside skeeters buzzing about while Moramora lazily circling over the great chasm that separated the cliff from the rest of Aetia.

It was spartan in a way, but the view was opulent in a way.

As they approached one of the cliffs, Teach moved to stand at it with his hands folded behind his back. "What do you all think? This is a good place, isn't it? Peaceful, but still invigorating. A place to quiet your mind and step away from the seemingly ever-present war between Agnus and Keves."

"Yes… yes, it does," Mio agreed, looking down.

"I assume that you've realized the current state of Colony Gamma," Teach declared, suddenly changing the topic and causing Trent's eyes to narrow as he set Riku and Manana down.

Mio stepped forward as her head jerked up. "Yes! A-actually, that's what I wanted to-"

"Then I can tell you that things are fine without the aid of you and your companions as you are now, Mio," Teach cut her off, turning slightly to look elsewhere across the sky.

Mio blinked and took a moment to look back at the others, Sena and Taion looking confused while the Kevesi just seemed at a loss. "Wait, what do you-"

"Don't you understand yet?" the Indoline asked, turning his head slightly so he could look at her from the corner of his eye. Turning fully, he declared, "Here and now, Mio, I shall purge the traitor Ouroboros from our midst. A task of the highest priority, passed down from our Consul G… and for our luck, the ones in our midst were those who have already reached the end of their training."

The Ouroboros jerked back, their eyes wide with confusion as they uttered words of confusion and fear. Trent's eyes narrowed as his hand drifted down to the Monado-L, only to pause as he realized that it would be an active detriment to them due to the fact that its annihilation abilities could destroy the cliff itself.

"I am the Commander of Colony Gamma, and this is a duty I cannot shirk," Teach continued as he stepped towards them. "Do you still not understand?"

"That you lured us out here to snuff us out?" Eunie growled, her wings flaring outward. "Yeah, I'm sure we're all up to speed, thanks."

"No one in Colony Gamma will learn what you are," Teach said, not answering the brunette, his eyes seemingly locked on Mio, but Trent couldn't shuck the feeling he was the one in the crosshairs. "Understand that my doing this out of the public eye is a sign of my respect."

"Wait, Commander! If you'd just listen then-"

Mio tried to argue with the Indoline but he cut her off as he held his hands out in askance. "What would that do, Mio? Words twist and blur the line between truth and lie so easily."

The Ouroboros braced themselves and tried to object, even as Trent's brow furrowed in askance.

That declaration… while it could be meant for them, when taken into account with what he said about the Consul… The blond couldn't help but freeze as he tried to puzzle out whether or not Teach was being obtuse, if he was trying to obfuscate something with his own words, or if he was being genuine.

The Commander of Colony Gamma unleashed his Blade, a staff tipped with two pointed heads that burned with acidic green flames. "Come then, Ouroboros. The time has come."

The Ouroboros grit their teeth as they drew their weapons, only for Teach to dart across the distance and slam the haft of his staff into Mio's side. Sending the Gormotti tumbling, Teach pulled his staff apart at the middle, a thick line of ether connecting them as he spun the hanging end to shred Taion's incoming Mondo and the shots from Eunie.

Trent panicked as his hands spasmed between the Calamity Scythe and the Infinity Fans, paralyzed by indecision as he watched Teach pick the Ouroboros apart.

The Indoline stepped past Sena and Lanz's bludgeons as they tried to catch him from both sides, leaning to the side and using the ether line to catch Noah's extended arm as the swordsman tried to stab him. With smooth moves, he wrenched the Kevesi's arm around and-

Didn't throw him to the ground. Didn't take advantage of the opening to crush Noah's windpipe or even break his arm.

That caused Trent to freeze again, from confusion again.

Then, something slammed into the blond from the side, and he heard a harsh snapping sound as air exploded from his lungs.

Trent wheezed as he tumbled through the air, and swallowed a groan as his back hit the ground. Forcing himself up to his feet and using the Calamity Scythe to support himself, he caught sight of his attacker: a figure clad in familiar maroon armour. The Consul –presumably G– strolled forward even as Teach occupied the Ouroboros, the spade-like ring around his head catching the light.

"While Teach deals with those pesky Ouroboros, I shall deal with you," the rotund Moebius remarked, rolling his shoulders. "I am, however, unlike many of my compeers. So, I shall first apologize for my rather… brusque entrance." He shrugged apologetically as he cleared his throat, and continued, "More than that, I believe it's only correct that I offer you the opportunity to avoid this ugly confrontation."

"I'm not abandoning the kids," Trent grunted with a shallow breath, static tickling his side as he very gently probed his ribs, trying to hide a wince as he felt a floating one.

"Is that so? Well, perhaps you'll outlive them while they're fighting Teach and you're dealing with me," G replied, cocking his head to the side. Clearing his throat, he raised a fist to where his mouth would have been, seemingly trying to affect a genial air.

"No, dear soul. I must ask that you hand me the Logos Processor. In exchange, Lord Z is willing to offer you all the benefits and authority of Moebius. Indeed, when Teach finishes purging the Ouroboros, you'll have no reason to refuse."

Trent's eyes narrowed as he tried to control his breathing, using the power of the Calamity Scythe to heal his side. The Moebius were after Malos' weapon, and were apparently offering him a lot in exchange… but they didn't know Trent.

"Ha… this fellow… they don't know what it means… to be a member of Torna," Ahkos murmured distantly in Trent's mind, the words sounding slightly fuzzed.

The blond's mouth pulled into a rictus as he felt Ahkos' emotions reinforce his own, the effectiveness of the electrical healing swelling. Straightening up when he was sure that his rib was at least no longer floating, Trent spun the Calamity Scythe in his hands as he grinned ferociously.

"No deal. I don't treat with Power Rangers villains."

"I have no idea what you mean by that," G remarked as his form rippled and shifted, bulking outward and taking on a purple and grey mottled hulking form, the lemniscate in his eye burning red. He reached up and put his left hand on his right shoulder and rolled his right arm as he finished, "Alas, I'll have to take the Logos Processor from your broken body."

Spinning the scythe around his body, Trent let electricity creep through his body and energize him, matching the Moebius' preparations with his own. "Better than you have tried."

"Better than Moebius? How truly delusional." The hulk's voice was more guttural and rasping with his transformation, but the strength it gave him was offset by the fact that outside of sudden bursts, he was incredibly slow.

Trent slid around a roaring fist, taking the moment to drag the edge of the scythe across G's arm.

He still focused ether inwards, mending his ribs as best he could while fighting.

G and Trent entered a close, deadly dance with the smaller blond using his size and his polearm to swing around the Moebius' assault.

If there was one thing that Brighid and Morag had spent drilling into his head and body, it was the advantage that maneuverability and speed gave a fighter.

From the corner of his eye, he caught sight of the melee between Teach and the Ouroboros frozen, seemingly speaking. Trent could only hope they were hashing things out.

Sliding down G's back, he took a moment to slash at the Moebius' knees, earning a pained bellow from it as Trent darted away. To his surprise, rather than immediately heal by draining Gamma's Flame Clock, it took a few moments for the Moebius to put his weight back on them properly.

"Not going to milk the Colony?" Trent asked, crouched low and Calamity Scythe held high.

G scoffed and shook his horned head. "A waste of resources, all carefully nurtured and prepared. I'm not so crass as K!"

"I'll acknowledge that much, at least!" Trent called back, picking up on the balls of his heels while G chambered a fist.

"Consul G, please, stop this!"

Before they could charge, Teach's voice cut in.

The Indoline stood tall next to the Ouroboros, and while they were all battered and bruised, it was clear they still had gas in the tank. He took a deep breath as he continued, "I've tested the Ouroboros; their strength – their conviction! Without a doubt, their clear hearts will allow them to turn the maelstrom of power into a clear, powerful current that will guide them to a future that will benefit the entire world!"

The Moebius' shoulders actually fell as he let out a heavy sigh. "Do you truly believe that… Teach? That these brats, bearing a power that abhors the world… would truly benefit it?"

"I do," Teach answered firmly, his staff held in his offhand as his other curled up to form a fist over his chest. "Having fought them… I know they can take this supposedly abhorrent power and make it one to help the world bloom."

"I see." G let out a sigh. "I suppose I'll need to find a new commander for the colony as well."

He stomped into a fighting pose and roared, "Come then, Teach! I'll wash away both your sinful existence and that of those traitorous Ouroboros! The passage of fate will not be diverted by stepping stones like you!"

With the addition of the other combatants, Trent was given the opportunity to not just finish healing his ribs, but to unleash the electricity he'd been building up. Lightning bolts streaked from the bow form of the Calamity Scythe, colliding with G or floating in the air around him.

Noah and Mio merged to form the sculpted indigo Ouroboros, their fist smashing into the Moebius' chin and making him stumble. The massive fist cover of Lanz and Sena's herculean indigo Ouroboros followed and sent G reeling. Eunie and Taion's effeminate Ouroboros finished the combo by using their massive rifle to knock the Consul into the air.

A bundle of lightning bolts sat in Trent's bow, nocked and readied to fire. Gritting his teeth, he let out a roar, "Raiten Taihou-!"

A coruscating blast of lightning slammed into G's chest, earning a pained roar, only for the electricity to spark off him and join the lightning in the air. The hanging electricity formed into small skiffs, and using the Calamity Scythe, Trent launched himself off the nearest one.

Streaking between the eight electric boats, he cut across G's hulking form, finishing by slamming the blade of the Calamity Scythe deep into the Moebius' shoulder.

Screaming towards the ground with his victim, Trent finished: "-Hassou Tobi!"

G cratered the ground, groaning and snarling as he weakly struggled.

Strolling over in an almost casual manner, Teach spun his staff in his hand as he lifted it high. He muttered something before slamming it down on the orb with the lemniscate within it set in G's core, shattering it and causing G to collapse with a groan.

The Moebius' body started to slowly break down into red flakes while the Ouroboros returned to their normal forms, slowly approaching. As Mio and Noah quietly discussed something with Teach, Eunie and the others looked over Trent, who was now grass-stained and scuffed.

"You alright, love?" the winged woman asked, looking him over as her grip tightened on her ether rifle.

The blond shrugged as he reached up to check his ribs with careful fingers. "Ribs are a bit tender, one was floating earlier. I think I'm alright though."

"Right," Eunie agreed with a nod, only to step into his space and start forcefully healing him. "Too used to dealing with stubborn mudders like Noah and Lanz, not letting you dip on your healing."

"And here I thought that I left stubborn healers behind when Nia absconded to Leftheria with Rex for their honeymoon," the blond muttered tiredly, deciding not to argue with her.

"What's a honeymoon?" Taion inquired as he leaned in to study Eunie's healing.

"It's a…" Trent trailed off as he realized that not only were Sena and Lanz also listening intently, but so too were Mio, Noah, and Teach. And that was without mentioning Manana who was watching with eyes that sparkled with curiosity, while Riku had his thick eyebrows raised.

Taking a deep breath, he sighed, "I know I explained marriage to you lot, so I don't need to get into that. Basic gist: after people get married, they go on a vacation for a while to get away from their lives and just enjoy each others' presence. Sometimes make babies."

While Teach looked absolutely lost, the Ouroboros and the Nopon were all nodding, only for Sena to put her hand up. "Wait, what's a vacation?"

"Think of it like… taking leave or a break, but for like…" Trent's brow furrowed as he tried to put in words they'd understand. "Well, it's like being on extended leave, usually for at least a day."

"Makes sense, I guess," Lanz grunted with a nod, crossing his arms. "Still, why'd the Moebius go right for you? Usually they're more tryin to snuff us out."

Trent, idly realizing he still had the Calamity Scythe out, folded it away and stowed it. Reaching down, he tapped the Monado-L and answered, "They want this one for some reason, didn't tell me why. Just that someone called 'Lord Z' wanted it, and I'm guessing Z's the boss of the Moebius."

"Well, at least we have a name, although I've never heard of a Consul Z," Noah noted, reaching up and massaging his chin.

"Nor have I," Teach agreed with a nod, the forelock hanging over his face bobbing. "Still, we should be on our way back to the Colony. As I understand, Noah and Mio have unfinished business with our Flame Clock."

The Ouroboros, sans Sena, let out a groan as Manana and Riku scrabbled up Trent to perch on him. The blond just shook his head tiredly as Ahkos chortled in the back of his mind.

"Of course, Ahkos manages to keep the link open just to laugh at me."

Chapter Text

Chapter 12 - Machinations

The theatre of Z was a familiar sight for every member of the Moebius, a building alien to all those born within the confines of Aionios, but its purpose was clear enough to any who stopped within it. Battles across the Endless Now played out eternally on the screen on the far side of the theatre, with the leader of the Moebius remaining stationary in his seat, slightly off from the side of the centre.

J –a small, portly example of the Moebius with a helmet shaped like a jester's cap- stood in the aisle stairs next to the leader, staring up at the ancient recording playing on the screen. It was focused on two people that he didn't recognize, a pair of warriors who looked like they belonged more in the rebellious Lost Numbers than anyone else. Despite that, there was no sound, unlike many of the other battles that were played.

"Lord Z, might I ask why there's no sound? It would help me with the creation of their doll equivalents," J spoke, his arms crossed in front of his tiny chest.

"There are no recordings with sound of those two," Z replied blandly, watching the old battle with the same detached look. "They are from before we attained physical control of Origin, and those Moebius who encountered them rarely survived. The only one who did, N, has never transformed and uploaded his memories of them to the Moebius network."

J didn't quite understand, but then again, he was one of the most recent Moebius, one who had little understanding of just who these Liberators were. More than that, he'd only been able to glean a few bits of their personalities from X, Y, and Z, which would make it difficult to reproduce them perfectly, unlike mirroring the darker minds of those in the Agnian and Kevesi Iris Networks.

"Of course, Lord Z."

There was nothing that he could do with them but his best, and if he screwed up… well, his main goal was to get rid of the Ouroboros. These dolls were just to distract their weird hanger-on.

Bowing his head slightly, he asked, "Would it be alright if I looked through the archives of these battles while preparing my Lambda ambush?"

"It is acceptable," Z declared, leaning back in his seat and waving his hand. "Y?"

"Lord Z."

J didn't jump, but his shoulders did hike up as he cast a glance behind him to catch sight of the hulking Moebius. Taking the dismissal for what it was, he disappeared into his own small bubble as Y slowly strolled down the stairs.

If J was the smallest of the Moebius, then Y was the largest in every way.

Standing taller than even some of the Moebius forms of other members, his maroon and grey armour straining against his massive form. A colourful descriptor for him would be that he stood six four in every direction, but even that seemed to fall short in describing him. His head was bare of his helmet, his short blond hair cropped close to his skull, his red eyes coldly observing the battle that Z had switched over to with J's retreat, glowing purple stripes glowed on his cheeks and forehead.

His arms were crossed behind his back as he stepped down to stand beside the lead Moebius, silently waiting for Z to start.

"How fares your progress in Colony Omega?" asked the leader, not looking away from the screen.

A cold smile, akin to a crocodile's grimace, formed on Y's face. "Everything is progressing smoothly, Lord Z. Indeed, I would hazard a guess that my efforts should bear fruit with the newest crop of fruit sent to Omega. Otherwise… there are a few that I would like to try out, although they're either still alive or nearing Homecoming."

Z hummed, tilting his head to the side as he replied, "Pass along their names. Depending on the circumstances, some of the lesser Moebius could be tasked with assassinating them."

"Of course, I shall endeavour to have them delivered to you with the utmost haste," Y chortled, his reptilian smile taking on a perverse edge.

The leader of the Moebius nodded, the energy horns pushing from his cracked forehead pulsing slightly. "Y, you remember the Archon Project, correct?"

"Ah, we had such hopes for that project," Y rumbled mournfully, shaking his head, "but with those in Origin blocking you from connecting directly to the Core Crystals recorded within Origin, we've no way to tempt them to become Moebius from the creche."

"That is the case, yes," Z agreed, nodding slowly but keeping his eyes on the screen. "However, recent events have led me to a… realization of sorts. There are unguarded Cores within Origin, but I wouldn't be able to sway them as they are. Thus, I've mirrored the data of the most… applicable of them for our goals." He slowly unclasped his hands and held one out to Y, an indigo crystal appearing in his spindly fingers.

Plucking the crystal from Z's grip and holding it up so he could study it against the light of the projected battle, the hulking Moebius let out a thoughtful rumble. "Shall we activate them, or do you have other plans, Lord Z?"

"Use the cradles and their stem cell systems to build their body," Z instructed, letting his arms drop onto his armrest. "Then, use that time and your expertise with manipulating emotions and memories to draw out their regrets, pain, and sorrow, make them occupy the forefront of their mind as they develop."

"Ah, to convince them that they are the right fit for Moebius, and so that they are more easily manipulated, I shall endeavour to make it a reality," Y said, satisfaction rumbling in his throat as his eyes narrowed and he flipped the crystal in his salami-loaf fingers. "Shall we call them by their name, or do you have another in store for your new toy soldier, Lord Z?"

Z blinked slowly and the display flickered briefly, showcasing a stark white screen with black text.

"Allow them their name, Y, but amongst our fellows, call them Archon P, or Pronoia."

{~}{~}

While the Ouroboros, the Nopon, and Trent had all wanted to stay in Colony Gamma for the night, the pressing nature of their mission kept them from hanging around beyond destroying the Flame Clock and grabbing an offered meal. They'd trekked back to the small area with the crashed City vehicle, and climbed into the Levnis that they'd borrowed from Colony Thirty.

They'd travelled toward the Fornis region, only to stop at a ruin the Ouroboros had called a Ferronis Hulk as the sky was tinted a deep red, a few Nopon loitering around it. Trent had initially questioned that, only to be told that a giant red Gogol they called Jingoistic Gigantus liked to maraud at night for anything not in shelter and maul it.

While the blond was rather sure they'd have been able to handle it, none of the others had been willing to try.

Instead, they'd been embroiled in battle with a Kevesi Squad who had been chasing after a strange, seemingly unaffiliated gunman who went by the name of Gray. While the Ouroboros had been largely unsuspicious of the man, Trent had noticed the wrinkles around his visible eye and the streaks of grey in his blond hair, despite the mask covering the lower half of his face and the eyepatch over one of his eyes.

The entire matter had been settled when Gray had claimed a small metallic triangle of sorts, pocketing it and declaring his business finished. Despite that, the man stuck around, ignoring Eunie as she razzed him for his aloof and solitary attitude.

Trent was honestly rather surprised that the man had volunteered to take first watch with him, the pair sitting around the fire as the Ouroboros and the Nopon snoozed on their sleeping mats. The Driver looked up at the sky, counting stars and trying to either find or create meaningful constellations, a familiar weight settling in his gut at the sight of Earth's light pollution having faded.

Trent took a deep breath and turned his eyes away from the stars and looked at Gray, who was staring past the fire, into the darkness of the night. "So, why're you sticking around?"

The eyepatched man let out a grunt, not answering verbally.

"Not gonna answer, huh?" Trent asked, watching the man critically. "Fine then, how old are you? A few-" the blond's lips pursed as he considered the fact that his age was some convoluted nightmare, "-a few years past thirty?"

Gray turned his gaze to the blond, and narrowed his visible eye. Trent snorted and rolled his eyes. "I can see the wrinkles around that eye of yours, and your hair's clearly streaked with grey. You're definitely not like the kids."

The man's mask pulled inwards as he inhaled, and after a moment, he answered, "Sixty."

Trent held back from whistling, and instead let his eyebrows bounce upward. "Sixty, wow. You've aged like a fine wine."

Another grunt echoed from Gray and the man shrugged. "Checking in."

"You're going to need to explain that a bit further, champ," Trent remarked, his eyebrows furrowing in thought as he stared at the elderly man.

The older man let out a rumble and sighed, "The leadership of the City."

"They're checking in on the Ouroboros?" Trent prodded, still trying to suss out the meaning of the Full Metal Jaguar's terse words. "Guess that makes sense."

"Not the Ouroboros," Gray replied, shaking his head. "You."

The Driver hummed as he considered the implications of that declaration. Were the City looking into him because he was an unknown variable? Because he was hanging around the Ouroboros? Or was it for some other reason, like how the Moebius apparently knew about the Monado-L?

"Why?"

It was all that Trent could ask, the only thing he could think of to inquire of the mysterious, terse gunman. It was a question that he had asked time and again, about many topics since his first awakening on Alrest. It was a question with so many different answers, and almost always…

Trent was snapped out of his thoughts as Gray rumbled.

"The Queen. She wanted a comprehensive check on you."

"The Queen-" Trent cut himself off as he started to parrot Gray. Queens were a recurring theme in Aionios, Nia for Agnus, some woman named Melia for Keves, and now a third Queen who's apparently connected to the City. A trinity, much like the Trinity Processors, so maybe there's some hint there? Melia connecting to the Processor from the world that Alphonse and Johan ended up on, Nia being connected to Pyra and Mythra, the final one connecting to Malos maybe? Which would mean Obrona or Patroka, and either of them would be… an experience.

He shook himself out of his thoughtful stupor, and blinked. There was no guarantee that the Melia queen was associated with Alphonse of Johan's group.

Shifting his head and cracking his neck, he asked, "What can you tell me about her?"

"Classified," Gray replied, not missing a beat even as his head turned to the sleeping Ouroboros, his eye narrowing at Mio for a moment.

Trent clicked his tongue, and pressed, "Right then, why did she want the check on me?"

"To evaluate whether or not you should be forcibly evacuated to the City," the physically older man answered, crossing his arms.

Gritting his teeth, Trent was about to argue against any such thing, there was no way he was going to let the kids fight on their own. Before he could say anything, Gray snorted.

"She said that you'd get worked up over it if I brought that up."

Trent's mouth pulled into a thin line as his eyes narrowed.

That settled it.

Whoever the Queen of the City was, they knew him at least decently well.

Gray stood up, ripping the blond's attention back to him as he reached up to adjust his mask on his face. "I delivered the message and did the check-in. Anything you want me to tell her?"

Trent took a deep breath as he considered just what he could say to someone who apparently knew him, but wasn't willing to reveal their identity to him.

"Tell her… that I really don't appreciate the secrecy."

Gray stared at him for a moment but didn't say anything. Instead, he turned away as he shook his head.

The gunman disappeared into the night, Trent's eyes following him the entire time. When he heard no more footsteps, he looked back at the Ouroboros, and murmured, "You should try and get back to sleep, Mio."

The Gormotti's ear twitched, and after a moment, she sat up. She shifted and looked at the others before slowly getting up and moving to join Trent by the fire. "I've got the next watch, so this isn't too bad."

The blond was about to scold her for skipping out on the rest, but decided against it. Instead, he asked, "How much did you hear?"

"Pretty much all of it," Mio answered as she leaned forward to look into the fire. "I guess that confirms the City's more active in Aionios than we knew." Before Trent could agree, she pushed, "But why did you get worked up over the whole… evac thing?"

Trent inhaled as he considered how to answer her question without sounding condescending. "Because I… admittedly, it's just for my own selfish desire. I don't want to leave you guys alone, especially considering that you and Sena are likely the last connections I have to most of my old friends, other than these weapons. And given that you two might just be the children of my friends… I feel responsible for helping you guys reach your goals."

"So… you're worried about us?" Mio asked, her brow furrowed as she turned an inscrutable look on him. When Trent nodded, she looked up at the sky and let out a quiet hum.

"Being worried about… knowing someone cares about us like this… it's… it feels good."

Chapter Text

Chapter 13 - Bitter Reflection

The Ouroboros had been surprised to find that Gray had left during the night, but quickly got over it when they considered the old man's demeanour. After a quick breakfast, they piled back into the Levnis and rode it back to Colony Thirty, where Valdi took the Levnis for maintenance and upgrades.

The group trundled towards Elsie's Spout, their pace strong and carrying them easily to the cliffs as the Ouroboros subtly tested the cleats and climbing gloves that Valdi had apparently cooked up for them. As they moved, they chattered quietly amongst themselves, Trent at the fore as his hands hovered over Patroka's Cobra Bardiche and Jin's Nodachi, silently trying to communicate with them. While he knew that Malos, Ahkos, and Mikhail would let him wield their Blades, he still needed to check with the rest of Torna.

With a deep breath, he dropped his hand onto the Cobra Bardiche, waiting for a moment. Distantly, he felt a wave of curiosity, and then Patroka let out a grunt.

"No. You're -cking proper conviction."

There was a buzz and a small jolt that forced Trent's hand off the weapon, and he nodded a few times. He wasn't surprised that Patroka had essentially rejected him, although he was rather exasperated that she would do that while they were in a situation as dire as Aionios. He shook his hand more out of learned habit rather than any pain or lingering feeling, then dropped it to his side. With his other hand, he let it wrap around the hilt of the Nodachi.

"No. E-n with th- way thing- are. No one but Lora."

The blond nodded as he pulled his hand away, accepting and understanding Jin's reasoning well enough. He'd prefer it if the Ice Blade would have lent his blade, but wouldn't press things.

Trent let out a puff of air and shook his head, reaching up to scratch his hair. Idly, he considered that he'd probably need to cut it soon to keep it short.

"You alright?" Noah asked as he moved to walk beside Trent, a thoughtful frown on his face. "You looked like you were… well, to use Lanz's words, zapped by something."

"Ah, just a minor disagreement with the Blade, nothing major. She and I don't really get on," the blond answered, dropping his hand to his side. "She basically used the ether to give me a jolt."

"That's possible?" Noah wondered, blinking at the revelation as his eyes travelled down to the Bardiche.

Trent nodded and rolled his shoulders. "Yeah, dunno if it's a thing unique to her, but she can. Just letting me know that she doesn't want me to try wielding her weapon."

"Seems like a little much," the Offseer muttered, frowning as he looked back at the Driver. "I mean, what if she actually hurt you?"

"Eh, Patroka's volatile, but she's not the sort to hurt the people who she's…" the blond trailed off, rolling his head from side to side. "Well, I'm not really her friend, but I'm friends with her boyfriend, her brother, and some of her friends, so she wouldn't hurt me."

"And she trusts you with her, er, weapon?" Noah inquired.

"Not really, I was only holding the weapons of the Tornans outside of Malos because I'm technically their wrangler. It was part of the deal that let them run around and not have to go to prison for eons," Trent said, settling slightly as he started to find a rhythm.

"That's… quite a bit," Noah declared, frown deepening slightly as he nodded in understanding. "But… you communicated with her in that touch, right?"

"That's right," the blond confirmed with a nod. "It's… difficult to explain, but I think that because of the unique circumstances of themselves and I allows us to communicate the way we do."

"Interesting…" Noah hummed as he looked down at his hands. "When I was working with Ino, when that ether connected… it felt like I could feel what she wanted to do."

"Hm, well, that does sound like the bond between Driver and Blade," Trent said. "I don't know how strong it is between a Driver and an Artificial Blade, especially because my own experiences are with… outliers. But, I'd recommend not closing yourself off from that, and instead using it to connect better with Ino." At the end of the day, as much as his feelings of exclusion from the bond had damaged him, the fact that he just isolated himself further from the bond had only made things worse. All he could do was try and lead Noah and Ino down a better path.

Trent took a deep breath, slowly shuffling his hands into his pockets, feeling his keychain with the key to Morag and Brighid's house feeling warm under his palm while the one to his long lost home in Canada bit at his flesh. The fingers in his other pocket brushed over his phone, and he considered pulling it out, to drown himself in memories again.

Ahkos, so dramatic and overblown, cocky but wicked smart when he was given the opportunity. Always accompanied by Obrona, bubbly and energetic, but the one who forced Ahkos out of his own head. They grounded each other, complimented each other in ways that truly exemplified how the beauty of their partnership.

Patroka, burning with quiet passion and antipathy, who had taken the scorn the world had placed upon Flesh-Eaters and reflected it back to protect her comrades. She found her equal and battle partner in Perdido, an almost poetic fellow who enjoyed collecting weapons and using them without a thought for the cannon that Patroka gleefully borrowed from him. While Perdido was a calming influence on his Driver, it was the other members of Torna who truly kept Patroka grounded.

Then there was Jin, the lone stalwart, the Paragon of Lost Torna. A man whose heart had shattered with the death of the woman he loved, the woman who had been his Driver. He'd grown bitter and jaded, and decided to try and tear down the world that had torn everything he loved away from him.

Despite everything, they had welcomed him. He might not have been a Blade, Flesh-Eater or otherwise, or even a Blade-Eater. Still, they'd welcomed him and counted him amongst their number, even if it was at Malos' insistence.

The thought of Blade-Eaters brought to mind Mikhail, the young man who had been experimented upon by Amalthus centuries in the past. Wearing a mask of confidence and sass, flirtatious even; all to hide the pain, weariness, and loss he carried in his heart. He was complimented by his Blade, Cressidus who was generally quite warm and pleasant despite not being the brightest, who helped keep Mikhail from dwelling on his pain overly much.

Finally, there was Malos, an Aegis – Logos of the Trinity Processor. A good chunk of his life had been dyed in darkness by Amalthus' pseudo-nihilistic and omnicidal ideations; without thought or seeming will of his own, he tried to destroy the world. Over time, he built Torna up around him, slowly gaining connections and perspective, and sought to help Jin with overturning the state of the world. Eventually, with Amalthus defeated, and given the chance to see the world under his own will… he had decided to pull Trent along with them. His own Blade was Sever, a quiet but biting insectile Blade who wielded tonfas and acted more like an enforcer than anything.

"Er, Trent?" Noah said questioningly, breaking the blond from his stupour.

The blond looked up into the sky, towards the long gone orbital ring. "Aegi are… well, they're special, Blades who are head and shoulders above other Blades, considered to be children of the godlike being once known as Klaus. At their strongest, they could even rewrite reality."

"That… what?" Noah queried, absolutely lost by that declaration. "What do you mean by that? Rewrite reality?"

"During the lead up to the final battle with Amalthus, the Blade who I was bonded to then…" Trent swallowed as he turned his gaze back towards the rockface they were heading towards. "We initially knew her as Pyra, until we met the other persona she shared her body with, Mythra. Then, near the end of our journey, we met her under her true name: Pneuma, an Aegis. She gave us –my friend Joe and I– the position of Master Driver, allowing us to 'wield reality like a sword'. We probably barely scratched the surface of what could have been done in that time, but I once moved so fast I cut down an army by myself, leaving behind afterimages."

"That's… could they have done things like Lucky Seven? Cut through the Flame Clocks?" Noah asked, looking down at his empty hands.

"I bet they could have, yeah," Trent answered, inhaling deeply as he considered the abilities held within the compact forms of Pyra and Mythra. "They even had- er, I guess you'd call them personal Ferronises, up in space. And those things were able to destroy continents."

"That's… it's still really hard to picture anything like that," Noah said, shaking his head as the group got closer to the foot of the cliffs. "Even the most cataclysmic of Annihilation Events aren't that destructive."

"Probably for the best," Trent hummed, taking in the cliff again and considering what awaited at the top. He knew that Uraya awaited, and it scared him, the idea of returning to another echo of a world he once knew.

Silence settled briefly over the pair of them, before Noah decided to poke further. "You've mentioned that things between you and them soured, and that was why you were working so hard to help Ino and all of us, but… I still don't quite understand what happened."

Trent took a deep breath, and braced himself as he reflected on everything that had happened and what he'd learned in talking to his therapist. "Initially, it seemed like Pyra was distant, but there was a warmth to her. I felt that I had something of a connection to her, and so did Joe. Then, when Mythra revealed herself… while I had a pretty strong initial connection with her, Joe was basically entranced by her. But…" the blond's hand tightened around his keys, the teeth of his home key biting into his thumb. "They were using us to get to Elysium, to reach their father, the Architect… in an elaborate suicide ploy. They saw how Joe reacted to Mythra and used that to isolate themselves from the rest of the group, all while playing him like a fiddle."

Trent felt something unwind within him as he recalled that he and Mythra had immediately clicked in ribbing the dumbstruck Joe, even if what he was reaching caused his stomach to clench. "They just… connected so well, clicked like they'd been each others' missing pieces, and I was forced to feel the joy and warmth they felt for each other. I was… an audience to them connecting so well, to their budding feelings and genuine connection, and I… didn't have that. Pyra essentially retreated so Mythra could be present almost constantly. I just bottled up so much pain, loneliness, and emotional turmoil because I didn't have anyone like Joe had Mythra. And eventually, there was… well, we needed to help a country that was facing destruction, and I made a suggestion, that someone move to a place that was able to watch for how deep we were getting so they could work to evacuate citizens if necessary, and Pyra and Joe acted like I had suggested that we just cut and run."

He still remembered the fury that burned in his guts, the pain and humiliation that had made him want to scream at them. He remembered how the emotions had simmered in his core until they reached Genbu's crown and claimed the Omega Fetter, calming the Titan. And he remembered how much more humiliated he was when Pyra had asked him to trust her after she had made it clear she didn't trust him, how furious he was that Joe had tried to use the bond to tell him to trust her.

"We encountered Torna after resolving the situation, and they demanded we turn Pyra and a relic we recovered to them… Pyra agreed to go with them and hand the relic to them. She asked that I trust her, and I just swallowed the anger, the humiliation, and pain, bottling it all up." Trent couldn't help the bitter smile that climbed up his face, self-recrimination welling up in his throat as he shook his head. "That was when I started lying to myself, trying to convince myself that there was nothing wrong with the relationship I had with them, that… that I wasn't so deeply hurt by them. I lied to everyone else too, and it just… bit into me for so long."

He dropped his gaze, looking down at his hands, surprised that they weren't shaking.

"I lied my way so far, even past saving Pyra and Mythra, and being acknowledged as Master Driver… when I finally broke the seal… I broke down, I just… the moment that broke me was feeling Joe and Mythra reaffirm their previous interactions, that they were able to stand together after everything, that they had… had a bond."

Trent's shoulders dropped.

"And I didn't."

He took a deep breath and shook his head, closing his eyes as he tried to re-centre himself. "I decided to remove myself from the bond with Pyra, Mythra, and Joe then. I couldn't bear the envy and pain that crawled into me, so I separated myself from them so I could heal."

Trent looked at the silently listening and stunned Noah, a bitter smile on his face as he finished, "That's why I'm so focused on helping you all communicate and grow, so that you don't make the same mistakes and suffer the same pains we went through. I just… don't want anyone to go through that. Not if I can help it."

For a few quiet moments, Noah's mouth moved silently as Trent realized the sounds of the other Ouroboros talking had long since faded. He was about to wonder whether they had listened in as well, only for Noah to speak up and pull the blond's attention back to him.

"Thank you, and… I can only hope we don't let you down, even if it's only for our own sake."

Weakly, Noah offered Trent a smile, one that tried to be both confident and reassuring at the same time. Meeting it with a tired but hopeful one, the blond couldn't help but feel his heart buoy. The kids would make it, Hell, they probably didn't need him beating his mistakes into their heads to keep them from repeating them.

As they reached the cliffs next to Elsie's Spout, he silently considered something he hadn't shared with Noah. Back in Tantal, Pyra's words had burned so many darker emotions into him, that it blew away any recollection he had of his brief moments of connection with Mythra. No matter how fleeting, those emotions had been real, and he'd callously forgotten them in his anger, stripping away any thought of trying to reestablish them with the Light Aegis.

It was just one more weight to his pile of fuck ups.

Chapter Text

Chapter 14 - Fashionable Dilemmas

Trent tried to ignore the worried looks that the Ouroboros sent him as they reached the cliffs near Elsie's Spout, the kids putting on the gloves and cleats that Valdi had prepared for them between occasional glances. He'd tried to convince them that he was fine, but apparently his speech about his failed companionship had rocked the group. Instead of focusing on it, he had simply sighed and pulled Manana onto his shoulders before starting to climb the cliff.

Valdi had kindly prepared gloves and cleats for him as well, which made the climb easier for him. Trent allowed himself to fall into the rhythm he'd found in climbing cliffs and the like, feeling the familiar burn of his muscles bringing him some joy and relaxation as he led the ascension of the cliffs.

As he pulled himself up the last cliff to reach the Rae-Bel Tablelands, Manana hummed in his ear. "Trent alright?"

"Yeah, I'm alright," he answered as he curled his hand in a vine and pulled himself further up. "I'm just hoping that what I said will help the kids going forward."

The pink Nopon made a noise of understanding. "Like when old pon give littlepons advice about difficult times. Manana not get much advices, but… hope Trent fix blushy-crushy things."

The man let out a choked laugh, shaking his head as he reached the lower edge of the cliff. After a moment, he said, "I… don't know about that. I'll admit I was attracted to Pyra, but… well, seeing her like that is…" Trent trailed off as he took a few minutes to really think about the matter. The last time he'd really thought about her in terms of being attracted to her was the brief stop in Leftheria during the beach day, and that had been… for him, months in the past and potentially far longer for everyone.

He let out a sigh as he pulled himself up and over the cliff, shuffling out of the way so the Ouroboros, who were trailing behind in differing intervals, could catch up and clear the lip without him being in the way. With a moment taken to help Manana down, the cookypon asked, "Why that be? Trent explain blushy-crushy well enough, so what issue with Trent and Pyra be blushy-crushy together?"

"Mostly just a lot of leftover emotions and bitter memories," Trent answered as he helped Manana make sure her pot was properly on her back. He deeply regretted teaching the group about the Nopon concept of blushy-crushy. "If we did even try to forge a relationship like that, we'd need to work those out."

"Very sad, Manana thinks," the cookypon mumbled, even as Lanz's fingers gripped the edge of the cliff. "To see connection go that badly…"

"It's the hole we dug for ourselves," the blond said, moving to help pull Lanz up and over the cliff. "And it's a part of being an adult. We make mistakes, we hurt each other without meaning to, and we're faced with the duty of having to work it out."

"Are- are you sure?" Lanz asked as he moved away from the edge, stretching out his muscles. "Sounds like a mess."

"It's the classic hedgehog's dilemma," Trent remarked as he reached down to help Sena in getting up and over the edge.

"What's a hedgehog?" Sena wondered as she stood up and flexed her fingers and palms.

Trent bit back a sigh and instead inhaled deeply, taking a moment to glance down at the others. Mio was with Noah, taking a small break on the outcropping just below the final stretch. Eunie was below Taion, cajoling the young Tactician forward.

"A hedgehog is a type of spiny mammal, think… like a bunnit covered in spines," the older man explained after a moment. "The hedgehog's dilemma uses them as a symbol. It should be difficult for them to get close to each other and stay warm without hurting one another, and translated into humans, it becomes about how difficult it can be for people to connect emotionally due to the fear of opening up and getting hurt."

"That's…" Sena trailed off, looking away as she chewed on a thought.

Lanz let out a huff as he grunted, "Yeah, it's not fun to think about it, even if it might be true. Sad, though."

"What's sad?" Noah asked as he pushed himself over the edge with Trent's support, the older man then reaching down to help Mio as she followed the swordsman up.

After a brief explanation, the ponytailed man would let out a hum of his own as the Gormotti said, "It's sad, but… it's also very human, isn't it? We're scared of not being able to connect, of being alone. But at the same time, we're afraid of being hurt and putting ourselves out there."

"Hence the dilemma," Trent said, nodding slowly as he waved encouragingly for Taion, visibly sweating as Eunie pushed him from behind. As the final pair made it, Riku hopped off Eunie's back, having been using her as a taxi.

"Friend mention dilemma?" the cyan Nopon rumbled, an eyebrow raised.

With another round of the explanation, the last three to arrive shared a look, only for Taion to remark, "It's sad, it's understandable… but it's also something of a shackle. Thinking like that is just… paralyzing."

"One hundred percent correct," Trent agreed, taking a moment to stretch before getting ready to head towards Uraya. "It's something people need to face and learn to accept as they grow and mature, realizing the value in being willing to open yourself up to others, and the joy true connection brings. Even if it risks getting hurt."

"That's why Trent want to see Pyra again," Manana concluded with a nod. "Because friend cannot be hedgehog."

The blond laughed and shook his head. "Something like that." Taking a deep breath, he pointed towards the Titan's corpse, remarking, "Best we keep on and use up the remaining daylight, given that most of the day was spent getting up the cliffs."

The group slowly started moving up alongside the river towards the lake, moving to one side of it in order to avoid having to swim across the body of water. There was something of a path beaten by wildlife, leading them up and around the small cliffs. Trent's eye caught on a Saffronia tree blooming outside of Uraya, he paused for a moment and noticed Taion approaching it, with Noah behind him. Deciding to let the Offseer handle it, he kept with the majority of the group as they pressed on while the other two were momentarily distracted.

"You were really interested in that Saffronia, yeah?" Lanz said questioningly, jerking his head back at the tree. "Not gonna stop with Taion?"

"No, no, he seemed to have some thoughts he wanted to get out of his head and off his chest," Trent answered, folding his hands behind his back. "He doesn't need me reminiscing in his ear rather than helping him like Noah seems to be."

"What's there to reminisce about? It's just a tree…" Mio inquired, blinking at the statement.

"Normally, I'd agree, but back before I ended up sealed away Saffronia only grew in Uraya. To see one outside of it is pretty momentous," Trent explained, his expression softening slightly. "When the various Titans merged into a single continent, there were a lot of ecological and geographic shifts, alongside a surge in efforts to spread what were once Titan-specific flora to other areas."

"Still weird to imagine living on other living things," Lanz grunted, earning nods from Sena and Eunie.

"Yeah, sounds snuffin mad to me," Eunie agreed. "And besides, what's this ecolo-whatever? Never heard the word before."

"It's an unfamiliar one to me too," Mio hummed with a frown.

"It boils down to the study of the environment and how the things that live within it interact with it and affect it," Trent explained, frowning as he tried to explain it in full. "Like how the Armu and Ardun in this area affect the growth and spread of certain plants, and how that affects other species of animals and plants."

"And that's important?" Eunie asked, her face twisting incredulously. "Seems pretty… iunno, seems like it's a bit of a waste of time, in comparison to other things people could be doing."

"I can understand why it seems that way at first glance, but believe me: it's a lot more complex and important than it seems," Trent replied, reaching back to scratch his head as he noticed Taion and Noah catching up with them. "I don't know the exact science, so believe me when what I'm going to tell you is a very rough idea. Introducing new animals and plants to an unfamiliar biome –a word for different types of environments, like how deserts are different from forests–, or a biome that's similar but different to the one they originate from, can be disastrous. Like, back in the place I lived before I ended up on Alrest, they introduced a species of… I think it was trout? Whatever, they introduced a species of fish to the local lake and they wrought absolute havoc on pretty much everything else in it."

"Wait, just from adding a few fish?" Mio asked, blinking at the implication. "And that damaged a whole lake?"

"Oh yeah," Trent confirmed with a nod. "I can't remember if the organisms carrying Flesh-Eating Disease were able to proliferate because of them, or if that was just one of the nearby factories deciding to be absolutely disgusting to the lake at that point in time."

The faces of the Ouroboros twisted and Taion let out a disgruntled sigh, "Well, there are a few possible causes, but…" he took a moment to look around at the others before finishing, "I don't think I'll get into them."

"Smart lad," Eunie declared, trotting over to him and smacking him on the shoulder, sending him stumbling from the force.

"So, uh, you were saying that people on Alrest were trying to do that sort of stuff?" Sena asked, rerailing the conversation.

"Not exactly," Trent said, reaching back to scratch his neck. "By working with ecologists, they were trying to introduce new species, like Saffronias, to other environments without negatively affecting those environments. Heck, in some cases, this is done to replace animals or plants that have gone extinct to keep the environment from collapsing."

"Wait, what's 'gone extinct' mean?" Taion asked, his brow furrowed in thought. "I've never heard the term before."

The rest of the Ouroboros agreed, with Manana chiming in her own unfamiliarity with the word and Riku just made a humming noise. Trent clicked his tongue, annoyed at the realization of just how badly the Moebius had screwed up the residents of Aionios' understanding of the world. Taking a deep breath, he explained, "Extinction, or something going extinct, means that the species in question has either been reduced to such a small number of individuals that they can't feasibly repopulate, or have been totally wiped out."

"So, the goal of Keves and Agnus, then…" Sena murmured, furrowing her brow as she looked down. "That… can people come back from stuff like that?"

Trent took a deep breath and sucked his lips in. "Technically that's a very different type of slaughter, but I don't think any of us want to get into genocide and why it's bad right now. Instead, let's look on the bright side: Saffronia are potentially all over the world, which means the world is potentially far more beautiful."

The Ouroboros shared looks of confusion, none of them quite knowing what to say to Trent's declaration. Taion pulled a photo out of the inner pocket and looked down at it, taking in the image emblazoned upon it as he took a deep breath of his own. After a moment of studying the captured Saffronia, he sighed and slid the photo back into his jacket. "Maybe you're right about that, it would definitely be beautiful."

Eunie let out a whistle and chuckled, "What's all this? You think you know beauty, with that scarf?"

"Oi!" Taion snapped, taking a moment to adjust his orange scarf. "It's fashionable!"

Eunie just laughed as she darted away, heading towards a scarred wasteland waiting for them.

Chapter Text

Chapter 15 - Scorched Husk

The Ouroboros group took a moment to rest on the edge of the Old Kana Battlefield, taking in the wreckage strewn across it. Trent's head tilted to the side and let out a hum, "I… hm, on one hand, this is real neat to see. On the other, I'm really surprised that no one's picked the wreckage for… well, anything not bolted down."

"It's just not feasible, thanks to the makeup of Ferronises," Taion replied, nodding towards the battlefield. "Though, it's kind of easier to do it with Agnian Ferronises for some reason."

"Huh, weird," Trent grunted, as he let his head return to its upright position. "So, we just got to mosey through?"

Noah nodded and said, "Yeah, the path to the entrance to the Urayan Tunnels is just on the other side, and given that the main path is liable to have Moebius ambushes, and those from various Colonies."

"We should start ankling then," Trent hummed, the group starting forward into the blasted wastes of the battlefield. "I can't help but wonder how long this battlefield's been in this state…"

"What do you mean?" Taion asked.

The Driver hummed as he nodded around at the ground and the wrecked Kevesi vehicles strewn across it. "Compare this place to the Ferronis Hulk we parked at in… Fornis? The one we camped at with Gray," he clarified as he nodded behind them. "Grass and whatnot have already started to grow up and around that hulk, while the ground here is scoured and there doesn't seem to be any sort of vegetation trying to grow. That means there's a discrepancy in time, and that this battlefield is actually pretty recent, comparatively."

"Is that so?" the bespectacled teen hummed, reaching up to scratch his chin as they moved through the battlefield.

"What d'you mean about the ground being scoured though?" Lanz inquired as he looked down at the brown, dry dirt beneath their feet.

"It means that something's been done to it to make it unable to support or sustain life," Trent explained, tapping his foot and sending up a small cloud of dust. "People used to call it 'salting the earth', although I don't actually know how they achieved it."

"Friends wasted precious salt on dirt?!" With an aghast shriek, Manana jerked back and nearly fell over in her shock.

"I mean, there were rituals and whatnot, but I don't think they actually brought it into proper scorched earth tactics," Trent said, trying to reassure the cookypon. "No salt wasted. Especially given that it was actually a lot more valuable back then."

Even as Manana made understanding and relieved noises, Taion cut in, "Wait a moment. What do you mean scorched earth tactics? Why would someone do something so… inefficient?"

"I mean, due to the differences in warfare and nations, it's not as inefficient as you might think," Trent pointed out, rolling his shoulders as he noticed Eunie walking away from the group. "Both Agnus and Keves lack stationary settlements, right?"

"Yeah, tha's right," Lanz grunted, nodding firmly as he crossed his arms. "'Cept for Keves Castle and the Colony stationed at its gate. I'm guessin' it's the same for Agnus?" As he finished, he turned to look at Taion.

The tactician nodded and reached up to adjust his glasses as he answered, "That's correct, although from what I understand Agnus Castle isn't connected to a colony or the like."

"Right, but for various nations and whatnot pre-Aionios, scorched earth tactics were a type of resource denial, to keep either food sources or strategic holdings out of enemy hands," Trent explained, letting his head roll from side to side while Manana let out a horrified gasp. "It worked for them because they had stationary settlements and whatnot to grow produce, alongside locations that they needed to protect for the defence of their nations. By denying those to invaders, they gain a sort of advantage."

"I think I understand now," Taion hummed, a hand moving down to massage his chin.

Lanz shook his head and grunted, "I'm glad someone does…"

"You kids grew up in a war of your own, but the natures of Agnus and Keves make it so that they don't experience certain types of it." Trent cast his gaze about as he finished his speech, deciding to leave them with that tidbit.

Taion nodded slowly as he let his hands drop and said, "It seems like there's a lot more even to war than we had realized."

Slowly the group broke up as they moved through the Old Kana Battlefield, scavenging what little they could from the wreckage as they drifted towards the path to Uraya. As they split up throughout the battlefield, Trent noticed Eunie stopping and just staring at something until Lanz walked over and shook her out of it. The winged lass moved to help him, and Trent took the opportunity to amble over and check what she was looking at.

It was a feminine husk, kneeling and its face frozen in a rictus of pure terror, a patch on the front of her uniform freshly torn off. Slowly, the Driver kneeled down and examined the husk, noting the wings poking out of her long bob of hair, the shape of her face and features. His stomach clenched as he had a silent realization, his wallet weighing heavily in his pocket as he forced himself up to his feet.

There was a call to regroup, and a brief scuffle with an Agnian Auto-Levnis from Colony Gamma, Taion apparently recognizing the marking on it. Luckily, it wasn't prepared to deal with elemental ether, allowing Trent to open it up for the others to finish it off.

With the group prepared, they moved out of the Old Kana Battlefield to a hollow carved out against the foothills of Uraya, the group put together a fire and set out their camping gear. Night was upon them soon enough, with a hearty meal in their bellies, they spread out across their campsite. Mio, Manana, and Riku had already fallen asleep, cuddled together atop a sleeping bag. Noah, Sena, and Lanz were all training, going through the motions of their fighting styles. Finally, Taion was preparing tea while Eunie and Trent stared into the fire, the latter simply meditating while the former was trying to control her shaking.

Trent was tempted to talk to her, but didn't know if she'd be comfortable with him trying to broach the subject with the others conscious. He noticed Taion start talking to the healer quietly, but decided against intruding on their conversation.

As the night progressed, Eunie took the first watch, still staring into the fire as the others slowly started to fall asleep. Waiting until the snoring of the others filled the air, Trent slowly pushed himself up and moved to sit near Eunie. After a moment's thought and some waffling, he pulled out his wallet and a slim card from within it.

"I… I don't really know how to start this delicately, so…" he took a deep breath as he continued, "Are you doing alright, Eunie?"

"Wha- I'm fine," the girl grunted, clasping her hands together as her eyes darted away.

Pressing his fingers together on the thin piece of what felt like glossy plastic, Trent held it out to Eunie so she could inspect it. "My friends and I… we found this on the body of a monster we killed near the end of our journey… in the ruins of the world that my friend Joe and I were familiar with. None of them could get it to change between its blank state and the form you're looking at, except me and the monster's corpse."

"Wha- but this…" Eunie's head tilted to the side as realization struck her. "This is you, though, innit?"

"It is," Trent confirmed with a shallow nod. "And so was the monster we killed."

"But you, you said that people didn't work like they do in Aionios?" the young woman mumbled, frowning as she tried to parse what Trent meant.

"We don't, but… hm, how to put it?" Pausing as he trailed off and tried to make it sensical for Eunie. After a moment, Trent continued, "My friend Joe and I were pulled to Alrest, but rather than time travelling to the age when Alrest was, we somehow travelled from another world. As foreigners to Alrest, the previous versions of us didn't stop existing. From what we found, Joe had already died, and me… well, giant fish-monster that had horrible crystals growing out of it."

"Giant fish-monster?" Eunie grunted, looking Trent up and down. "You're joshin me, yeah?"

"Nope," Trent replied, shaking his head with a grin. "I called'em Innsmouths, dunno if the others ever came up with proper names for them."

"Weird name, but if it works for you, I guess," Eunie grunted, taking a deep breath as she continued to study the ID card. "How… how do you handle it?"

Trent looked up from the fire and into the sky, studying the stars as he considered the question. "Honestly? I was just so… so happy to know that I'd been pulled into another world, that the people I left behind in the other world were still alive and not… not unreachable."

"What do you mean?" the medic asked, leaning forward as she flipped the card over in her hands.

"I… as much as I love Alrest and the people who I've come to call family there, I won't lie and say that a part of me doesn't hope that I'll be able to at least contact them, if not see them again," Trent admitted slowly. "It's probably a little farfetched, but it brought me comfort when I was reeling."

"Huh…" Eunie mumbled, sucking in her lips. "You think it's possible that'll actually happen?"

"Probably not," the blond admitted as his shoulders slumped. "Not even the Architect knew how or why Joe and I ended up in Alrest, so chances of even contacting home would be super farfetched."

"Kinda surprised it helped," Eunie said, shifting to hand the card back to Trent. "Even with everything Taion told me, what I saw… I can't get it out of my head, y'know? Like, maybe if there was an injury or something, anything really, but it- I- she- the husk was untouched, fully intact without a fatal wound on it."

"That… honestly, you're allowed to be worried about that, to wonder just what happened there and worry over it," Trent replied, taking the card back and flipping it over in his hands. "I know I've spent more than a few months wondering just how the me native to this world ended up as a horrible fish mutant."

"I guess," she muttered, turning back to look at the fire. After a moment, she grunted, "It's just… I knew that I could die one day, what happened with Joran made that clear enough, but seeing it…"

"Yeah, seeing death is different from knowing it, especially when it involves yourself," Trent agreed with a dip of his head, silently cataloguing the name in case it came up again later. "I can't really help you come to terms with that, if I'm being honest. Mortality is a subject we all deal with differently and find our own answers to."

"What, you're just leaving that there? After all that work you put in earlier to try and guide us along," Eunie grumbled, her tone sour as she brought her knees up to her chest and leaned forward.

The blond just shrugged, "I'm doing my best, but I'm not perfect. I just have a bit more experience than all of you."

The two let silence take hold of the campsite, Trent eventually returning to the sleeping bag he'd managed to requisition before leaving Colony Four while Eunie kept her watch. When morning came, neither of them spoke with the others about what they'd discussed, nor did they try and broach the subject.

After packing their things up and moving to head to Uraya's entrance, they caught sight of a group of Agnian soldiers, a familiar young man with a sword and shield in his hands. Alexandria's soldiers were patrolling, clearly keeping their eyes open for the Ouroboros group.

The group in question shared a look, and Lanz grinned.

"Let's get stuck in!"

Chapter Text

Chapter 16 - See You Again

While the Ouroboros group and Trent were off fighting Alexandria's squad and then tearing back across Fornis to reach the one set up perfectly to ambush members of Colony Four, a very different meeting was taking place.

The streets of the Rhadamanthus Authority, once part of Chicago that had been translocated to the middle of the ocean, gleamed in the late spring sun. Birdsong filled the air as sea breeze travelled across the empty streets, even though the hustle and bustle of the city echoed distantly. If one listened carefully, or stood in the right place, they might hear people chattering over the radio, discussing events long since past.

A shout echoed through Origin's memory stage, its source's voice reaching every person within, regardless of colloquial distance.

"Hey guys, we got a friendly visitor!"

Standing in a memory of what was once Chicago's Lincoln Park were a pair of twins, one golden blonde and the other a vibrant redhead. Both were clad in clothes that harkened back to their origins, when they first manifested, thanks to their natures. A third person appeared, this one a slight silver-haired figure wrapped in blue armour and a red, cross-shaped crystal hanging from their left ear.

The silver-haired figure, A, nodded to the redhead. "Pyra, it's been some time since your last appearance within Origin."

"There's been a few notable changes in Aionios that need to be addressed, but it's still good to see you, A," Pyra greeted with a nod, taking one of the Ontos-derived persona's hands in her own.

"Well, even if there's big stuff goin' on outside, it's good to know you're at least doing alright," rumbled a large brunet figure as he melted into the group, his dark grey shirt barely covering the tops of his biceps. Rex smiled down at the redhead, which caused the scar over his left eye to scrunch up and added, "'sides, those new Ouroboros of yours are putting in work."

"Long time no see, shorty!" A long-haired brunet declared, a lion-like mane streaming down his back as he manifested out of the ether with a clap of camaraderie on Rex's massive shoulder, though his singular deep brown eye was fixed on the redheaded Blade that had just entered the simulation. "Good news! We ganked three of those letter weirdos since your last visit!" Joe declared with a thumbs-up as he bounced Mythra's SubMonado on his own burly, white-armoured shoulder. The scar seeming to seal his left eye shut did little to mar the easy-going toothy grin stretching across his deceptively youthful features.

Time had done little to change the Master Driver's appearance thanks to Nia's gifts - newfound battle damage aside, at least. Though one might be forgiven for not recognizing the man at a glance, given the lack of any visible weight upon his shoulders, casting an entirely different vibe than he'd have given during the Blades of Elysium's original journey to the World Tree. Standing side-by-side with Rex, one might be forgiven for mistaking the pair for being related, given how the Salvager had since adopted the same style of facial hair Joe himself wore on top of their other mounting superficial similarities.

"It's been a few months, hasn't it?" Pyra agreed, although a small frown did mar her face as her eyes narrowed. "But only three? Did you catch which letter Moebius they were?"

"B, G, and K," a solemn voice remarked, a man with long blond hair that swirled around his arms –one mechanical, the other flesh– striding from the treeline of the park. His tired blue eyes warmed as he gazed upon the sister of his friend and partner. "Those were the letters assigned to their data, Pyra."

"Not Q? Odd, he also clashed with the Ouroboros, and- ah, he probably used the explosion to fake his own death," the redhead surmised. Looking around, she hummed, "I'll pass word along to the agent we have embedded near them."

"Agent? Huh, woulda thought they came from the City." Another man said as he stepped onto the scene, a metallic foot clanking against the ground, he wore a somewhat shoddy, even threadbare looking gi and sweatpants, a fair few grey hairs ran across his scalp and eyebrows. In his hands he was holding some fabric along with a needle and thread, and as soon as he got comfortable where he stood, he started to sew it together. "Who are these Ouroboros?"

"You are correct in assuming that they aren't from the City, Alphonse," Pyra confirmed, nodding slowly. "So much as I believe in the skill of the current batch of Ouroboros Candidates that the Lost Numbers produced, the ship carrying the Ouroboros Stone went down due to Moebius interference, and a sextet of Kevesi and Agnian soldiers were made Ouroboros. Although, I will admit, this was fortuitous in its own way, given the identities of three of those soldiers."

"The way you're prevaricating, they can't just be any soldiers," came another new voice, "What's got you so tight-lipped?" The owner of said voice materialised as he spoke, the sole member of the group to arrive seated—in a wheelchair. In spite of a weathered, almost antique appearance, the wheelchair was as modern as could be in function and then some, even possessing a mounting for a rotary gatling gun should the mood take the pilot.

The seated man's clothes, too, bore the appearance of antiquity while in reality being of modern make—a tattered, eccentric sort of Victorian-Gothic cosplay complete with a high-collared cloak that wouldn't have been out-of-place on Dracula himself. In his own words, the man was "Bloodbornemaxxing" in an effort to become "Gehrmanpilled".

Johan rose from his chair and planted the butt of his deactivated, anachronistically futuristic beam scythe against the ground, leaning on it and tapping his own metal foot absently as he arched a brow at the redheaded Blade.

"Really, you're just rolling around with your weapons out?" A murmured as they took a moment to consider the idea and looked between Joe and Johan. "Phenomenal."

"Look, A, by now you should know Johan's just doing it for the aesthetic." Johan tapped his nose and pointed at Alphonse as the other man continued. "Would myself if it wasn't as much of a pain to carry it and sew at the same time." Alphonse chuckled and shook his head "When ya boi Shulk makes you a cool weapon, you just make it part of the fit."

"And firstly," Joe defensively began, "Mythra and I were just training. Secondly: let a man show off and brag once in a while, alright?" He cried as he approached and wrapped an arm over the shoulder of the diminutive blonde Blade in question. "So 'scuse me for being practical and rightfully prideful and shit."

"We were training," Mythra confirmed with a shrug as her sibling sent her a querying look.

"Is that so? Well, if that's how you desire to spend your time," A remarked with a shrug of their own before turning back to Pyra. "And what of what Johan asked you, Pyra? What's so interesting about this batch of Ouroboros?"

"Three of them aren't of any major note from what I can gather," Pyra said as she took a deep breath, holding up a hand to display a number of images. One was a large young man of Machina descent, the second was a brunette young lady with the headwings of a High Entia, and the last was a dark skinned young man with an orange scarf around his neck. "The others however… well, we'll go one by one with them."

Another image winked into existence, this one proudly displaying a young woman with a tan complexion and grey eyes, her dark hair turning blue and catching on fire of the same colour at its ends.

Pyra let out a hum as she let the image rotate for all of them to study it. "Look familiar, Joe, Mythra, Rex?"

"Aye, that's little Sena…" Rex rumbled, reaching up to massage his chin as he frowned. "Though I guess she's not quite so little anymore." He craned his head toward the other members of the Alresti crew and remarked, "I reckon Morag and Brighid'd be proud to see her lookin' as healthy as she is."

"Never gonna get over the whole reincarnation cycle thing the world's got going on now…" Though he nodded in agreement with Rex's assessment, Joe's expression became slightly forlorn as he took in the sight of Brighid's obvious offspring. "Bit bigger than I remember her being. Just a bit," he reiterated, smoothly slipping Mythra's SubMonado onto his back to hold his armoured fingers a few centimetres apart for emphasis, squinting as though to notice the size difference. "She was about eight before… everything happened, yeah? Glad at least one incarnation of her's getting to grow up… a bit more, at least."

"She was somewhere around eight, yeah," Mythra confirmed, taking a moment to study the image. "Almost surprising to see the little girl who'd cry if she was more than a few metres from her mothers or Mio smiling so brightly."

"Yeah, that's true…" Rex grunted, his expression falling as his shoulders slumped slightly. "After everything that's happened with Mio… M…"

"Actually, about that," Pyra interrupted, another image appearing, this time showcasing a young woman who looked like a slightly taller Nia, only with Rex's eyes. "We don't know why, but Mio is also a member of this group of Ouroboros, despite M's continued existence."

Rex's demeanour immediately brightened at the sight of his daughter, his posture swelling outwards as positivity seemingly radiated off of him. Shulk chuckled quietly and reached up to clap the larger man on the shoulder. "Told you everything would work out, Rex."

"Yeah, you sure taught me a thing or three about positivity," the salvager agreed as he shook his head, eyes still glued on the picture of his daughter. "An' look at her! She's grown up to be as beautiful as her mum!"

"Indeed. Nice to see the kids actually together again - nice as circumstances will allow, I guess," Joe agreed, given that Mio had indeed taken significantly after her mother, meaning that she was, in fact, a beautiful young woman. "Almost looking like a right proper family reunion on the other side there, isn't it?" With a momentary pause, he added, "Bit of a shame we can't be there to see it ourselves."

"Oh, you don't even know," Pyra mumbled under her breath to the point that only A or Mythra were liable to hear her, shaking her head as she summoned up another image. "Although, the last of the Ouroboros is the most controversial of them. I've had members of the City up in arms over him."

This image solidified into a young man who looked to be either a normal human or a Homs, his dark hair up in a ponytail and a red leather jacket around his upper body. There were two images of him, one with a large red sword in his hands that almost resembled the SubMonado-P or an iteration of the Monado-O, while in the other he had what looked to be a katana with a strange warped hollow instead of a guard.

"N…" Shulk murmured, his brow furrowed as he leaned forward. "But those weapons… that isn't the Logos Pleroma, that's the Lucky Seven that was entrusted to Riku."

A hummed and inclined their head. "And the weapon in the first image harkens to the Pneuma Pleroma, which I could see Matthew entrusting to Riku."

"Well now…" Alphonse grinned and shook his head. "If we ever needed more confirmation that fate has a sense of humour, then that's it right there. I'm not even sure how that happened, but…"

"It wasn't Matthew, but one of his grandchildren," Pyra corrected, shaking her head. "House Vandham had the Fists of the End passed along to Riku long ago." She took a deep breath and continued, "But yes, doubtlessly, much like Mio, Noah has also been returned from the cycle, despite N still existing and Moebius supposedly having been removed from it. We're investigating, but it's slow going."

She then smiled widely, "However, there is one other notable piece of news, and it could lead into the other back up for if Origin glitched being activated."

A final image formed, this time displaying Trent, still clad in the clothes she'd last seen him in all those years ago in Torigoth, snarling as he cut through the trunklike arm of Moebius B with the Monado-L.

Joe immediately pointed at the image, letting out a cheerful cry as a broad, joyous smile found purchase on his features. "Heeeey yeah it's ya boi! He's back, baby!"

"No way, no fucking way…" Alphonse stopped sewing, not even caring that he'd pricked one of his fingers. Instead he just tossed the cloth aside and brought his hands to his face as he turned to Johan, "Yo, he's back. He's back!"

Johan, for his part, had collapsed back into his wheelchair, leting his scythe clatter to the ground as he clutched at his face. The man threw his head back, letting out a joyous cackle that did nothing at all to disguise the relieved tears streaming from his eyes. "I'm so glad!" He managed to gasp out between bouts of uncontrollable laughter.

"Yoooooooooo!" Alphonse screamed and threw his arms up in the air, pacing around as he laughed before he ended up in front of Pyra. "Holy shit, that's one bomb I didn't expect to get dropped today! Feels like it's the end of an era or something in the best way!"

Pyra just chuckled and tilted her head to the side as Shulk and A moved forward to study the picture, the latter of them looking up at their sibling with an unasked question. As if reading the silver-haired Aegis' mind, the redhead just shrugged.

"It certainly is the hope that this is the end of an era," Pyra said as she nodded firmly. "Between this crop of Ouroboros, alongside the passed down wills of the City, the true Queens of Keves and Agnus, as well as our own, and Trent… I'm hoping that your vigil will come to an end, and everything will be resolved."

"You mentioned the other back up," Shulk remarked as he stood up. "You're talking about the one that involved Malos, yes?"

"That's correct, although I'm doubtful that it's possible for Trent to actually do it," Pyra replied with a dip of her head. "Canny though he is, he lacks my brother's understanding of structures, construction, and destruction. I doubt that he'd be able to unravel Aionios like Malos would have been able to."

"It's unfortunate, but we'll deal with that when we get there," A declared as they crossed their arms. "What changes do you believe will occur within Origin?"

"I'd prepare for a maelstrom of Moebius incursions," Pyra answered without missing a beat. "They've barely been Ouroboros for a week and a half, and they've already killed three Moebius and destroyed four Flame Clocks."

"Should be an interesting change of pace." Alphonse said as he sighed and looked at the cloth he'd discarded earlier, "We got this, don't worry about us…although it's a shame I couldn't fully get sewing down into my skillset, but it is what it is. This eons' long sabbatical had to come to an end sooner or later."

"Amen to that." Johan agreed, scooping his weapon back up with a firm nod. "We'll be ready."

"More of the same, at the end of the day. Let 'em keep lining up, we'll keep knockin' em back down, until our duty is done," Joe declared resolutely, setting his free hand on his hip as he continued to grin at the image of Trent even as he continued to hold Mythra. "Any chance you'd be able to deliver messages to him for us? Been a while, and I'm sure a few of us got a few things we'd like to say, even if indirectly at this point."

"I can probably pass on messages, although I'll only be able to do so once they reach the City itself," Pyra answered as she turned her attention back to the picture. "While those amongst the upper echelons are aware of the connection I have to you all, the rank and file don't, and I don't want information of it being spread out in the field."

"Er, wait," Rex interjected, frowning now. "So you can tell Mio to listen to her grandpa, then?"

"Oh, given that he apparently recognized her near instantly as your child once he got a good look at her, I don't think that's necessary," Pyra chuckled, shaking her head.

"Wait, really?" Mythra asked, blinking as she looked between her sister and Rex. "That's hilarious!"

"Gah, I don't have any big speeches or anything ready. This kind of came out of left field." Alphonse said as he paced around aimlessly again. "Eh, well, as long as it's heartfelt enough he won't hold it against me if I'm not on-brand on my bullshit."

"Al, you're on your bullshit as we speak." Johan remarked absently as he considered what to say to his displaced friend.

"Shhhhhhhhh…" Alphonse shushed Johan loudly not saying anything, "Shhhut up, Gehrman."

He received a raspberry in response for his trouble.

Meanwhile, Joe called out to his companions from Earth: "Dance, monkeys, dance!" With a joyous laugh, never having quite gotten off of the high of being reunited with Alphonse and Johan.

"Shut up, you youngun! Respect your elders!" Alphonse complained loudly, arching his back. "You telomere-broken fuck!"

"Don't be jealous just 'cuz Rex's wife made me an immortal, 'cuz funne," Joe shot back, "Besides, you're working your way up to rockin' the silverfox look, just like you always wanted, right?"

As those three bantered on, Rex and Shulk shared a look of commiseration while Mythra and A took a moment to do rock-paper-scissors. After the game finished, A let out a sigh and approached Pyra. "Your sister would ask that you pass on a 'sick burn' to each member of Torna for her."

"Hey, wai-!" Mythra protested, only for Pyra to cut her off.

"I can do that," the redhead replied dryly. "I'll pass on something about their hair for her."

"You were supposed to say it was you who wanted that!" Mythra tried to scold A, only for the tanned Blade to hum.

"You never specified that. I was simply told to relay your terms if I lost."

"Who would even buy that anyways?" Joe asked, shifting his gaze to Mythra with a quizzically raised brow. "If there's anyone else in this group that'd talk shit about Torna, it'd be me, not A."

"She probably merely considered the novelty of it," Shulk said, shaking his head in amusement. "After all, if I could send a message to Reyn, detailing how Fiora dared him to eat one of Riki's dishes, I would take the opportunity."

"Or if I had the chance to get Nia to eat one of Zeke's special plates of OctoMayo Dumplings," Rex added with a grin. "The last time… whew, it was spice city."

"Oh, when Zeke makes something with weird ingredients it's fine, but when I do it…" Mythra grumbled, crossing her arms.

"Zeke at least follows a recipe and the one they made was a remixing of another recipe, which they put in the effort to make into something edible," Pyra sniped glibly, a small smirk on her face. "To this day, OctoMayo is served in restaurants in the City."

To that, Joe just had to add while giving Mythra an amused look: "Remember that time I turned my back to a pot of stew for a half-a-second, and when I turned back and dunked the spoon into the thing to stir it, I suddenly hit a rock?" He reminded the little blonde of that particular moment.

"It's a mineral, just like salt!" the blonde Blade protested. "What's a little carbon in the mix of a meat and potatoes stew?"

Joe shared a look of commiseration with Pyra. The redhead had warned him away from encouraging Mythra to cook for a reason, as it turned out.

To say nothing of how Alphonse had rightfully attempted to murder Joe the moment he'd learned of how Joe had informed Mythra of the existence of tacos. Nobody had ever recovered from that most cursed of Taco Tuesdays.

"And let's not even get into the McFish," A added stoically, their face twisting ever so slightly.

Mythra let out a whine. "You guys're jerks!"

"Follow a recipe, Mythra, and watch what happens," Pyra said, reaching out to tousle the blonde's hair. "It will be a magical experience for everyone."

Shulk just let out a chuckle, and grunted, "Don't worry, Mythra, they don't let me cook either. Something about nuts and bolts falling out of my hair."

"Shulk, mate, please…" Rex grunted, reaching out and running his hand through the end of the blond's hair, dislodging a small number of oily pieces of metal. "You practically use your hair to store the things."

"How the fuck your hair looks that good in spite of that, I've never figured out, for eons uncountable, and I don't think I'll ever know." Alphonse shook his head. "It has no right looking silky smooth on the outside and being a goddamn bag of holding on the inside. It is a mystery."

Shulk just laughed nervously, looking away as he reached back to muss his hair, only for Rex to catch his mechanical arm. The salvager took a deep breath, "Shulk, last time your hair got caught in your arm, it took us hours to get it free." Rex looked over the group and grunted, "Y'all, help me tell this nuggie off!"

"You have any idea how many combs I've broken in my day, Shulk?" Joe called out even as he gave an adorably pouting Mythra an amused hug, his incredibly thick hair billowing in an unseen breeze as if to emphasise his point. "Never let it stop me from picking another up and continuing to resist the dark Gods of tangles and matted hair! You don't break one and then just give up forever!"

"Well, my fingers worked well enough after I lost the special, Machina made one that Vanea gifted me in the Intersection…" the engineer argued, looking to A and receiving no support as they quirked an eyebrow up.

"I have a comb, and when I tired of using it myself, I taught Matthew how to care for it. You've no excuse, Shulk," the androgyne declared without mercy.

Pyra chortled, and then cleared her throat. "Uh, about those messages?"

"Right right, uh…" Alphonse scratched at his hair as he tried to figure out something and said. "Ah, give me a sec or two, although I know that if you can give him a copy of the Shadow Wizard Muppet Gang acrylic keychain I made a while back, that'd be great."

Rex hummed as he leaned forward, crossing his arms as he rumbled, "Tell the old man we all missed him, and that we never forgot him. And… could you tell Mio, that no matter what, her mum and da love her?"

Johan, for his part, gave a nod and said, "If you could pass along this: 'You have this well in hand, brother. Keep moving forward, and know that we are with you in spirit if not in body.' And of course…" Johan gave a sharp grin. "As the saying goes: 'If you should meet God on the road…Kill him.'"

Alphonse kept scratching at his hair and finally settled on his words. "Ah screw it. Tell him this: 'We didn't have the chance to meet again and that's a shame, but I believe in you and that, no matter how rough it gets, I know you'll pull through. Takes a Godslayer to know a Godslayer, after all, and if a goddamn mess like the me all those countless years ago could punch out a Demiurge with the rest of the gang, you absolutely can too. Just make it flashy enough that we can see it all the way over here, will you?'"

From under Joe's arm, Mythra just huffed, "Tell him… urk, nothing I can think of is anything but pure corn or cheese. Just tell him we're here and we care!"

Johan snorted. "The cheese is the best part, you coward." Joe and Alphonse just pointed Johan's way and nodded in rapt agreement.

Joe knew exactly what he wanted to say to Trent, and so disengaged from Mythra to assume a confident stance as he faced Pyra. "What I'd like you to say to ya boi for me is: if I could be out there, fighting alongside you again, I would in a heartbeat. But for now, we have our battle, and you have your's. You don't need me to tell you this, but take good care of the girls for us and be a good unckie Trent for 'em, you hear? For now, we'll keep holding the line. And while we're doing our part… Give 'em hell for us, and let's all meet up on the other side when all is said and done." Joe took his hand, made a fist, and thumped it against his chest, armoured beneath his familiar olive drab jacket as it was for emphasis before pointing to Pyra with a broad, unburdened smile, assuming she'd get that the gesture was a part of the message. "You'll get it done. You got this, brother."

Pyra chuckled and shook her head. "Of course, of course, I'll pass those along when I see him. Anything else you want relayed to him or the Ouroboros?"

The isekai'd trio shared a glance, and as one declared, "From all of us, see you again soon."

Chapter Text

Chapter 17 - Say a Prayer at the Stones of Home

Trent grimaced as he and the Ouroboros slid down a sandy hill, shifting grains carrying them down to the path through Eagus, having defeated a young woman by name of Chelle, who was apparently a part of Colony Iota. They'd been distracted by the move, and the young lady herself had revealed that the last of Alexandria's special forces –one Sequoia– was located in the Great Cotte Falls which were on the other side of the Urayan Mountains.

They'd been effectively bamboozled.

The group moved at a tired jaunt towards Colony Four, where they'd be able to catch a Levnis to Colony Thirty, and then get back on their path. Although, Taion had noticed another issue, thanks to the information that they'd gotten from defeating Chelle's squad.

"This last squad is going to be an issue," he noted as he tried his best to keep up with the others. "They're not just in the Pentelas region, but they're in the Great Cotte Falls, which is directly in our path to go around Keves Castle."

"Sparks…" Lanz grumbled as he rolled his shoulders, easily keeping up his pace. "And the other route…"

"Actually, what's bad about the other route?" Trent asked, arms pumping as he tried to ignore the way that the Tornan weapons slapped against his body as he moved.

"A Kevesi Colony, a Kevesi blockade, and an Agnian blockade," Taion answered, trying to stifle a sputter. "Basically, a huge amount of soldiers and Levnises. Way more than we can comfortably deal with."

"That does sound like an issue," Trent grunted, his mouth pulling into a thin line. It was an understatement, but Trent considered himself something of a master of those.

The group settled into relative silence as they travelled to Colony Four, only occasionally chatting as they moved. Their stop in at Colony Four was mostly quiet as well, with them helping out around the Colony while waiting for a Levnis to take them to Colony Thirty. When they had finally piled into the Levnis that carried them across the wastelands to Colony Thirty, Noah decided to break the silence.

"So, er, Trent, you've told us you only really started learning to wield weapons in the last term or so," he started, now frowning across the aisle of the Levnis at the blond. "But you're fighting like a veteran, rather than a first-termer, and that's without talking about how you're wielding multiple different weapons too. How did that happen?"

"Mostly just people beating how to fight into me," Trent answered with a shrug. "Sword-fighting was… well, thanks to that entire journey to reach Elysium, I got a lot of experience in that arena before Morag started putting the spurs to me. As for the Calamity Scythe and the Infinity Fans… those I only really learned due to Ahkos and Mikhail beating their fighting styles into my head."

"So, you don't know how to use those other Blades then?" Lanz grunted, his brows furrowed as he craned his head to look at the Nodachi on Trent's back.

"I've something of an idea –the basics really–, but that's only because Jin and Patroka grudgingly taught me them," Trent said, his lips thinning as he remembered the brief lessons. Patroka had all but beaten the basics into him, where Jin had given him a few terse explanations on form and Arts while allowing him to briefly wield the Nodachi.

"So, what if we were to try and give you our Blades to wield?" Sena asked, blinking as she shared looks with Taion and Mio.

"I'd probably flail with Eunie and Taion's weapons," Trent answered as he considered the two more esoteric weapons. "I can't say for sure how well I'd be able to wield Mio's Twin Rings," he declared as he turned to look at his granddaughter and let loose a shrug. "Lanz and Sena's weapons seem a good deal more familiar to me, although they're a bit more unwieldy than I'd prefer." Finally, Trent turned his gaze to Noah and nodded.

"Your sword is the closest to what I know, so I'd probably be most comfortable wielding it."

There was a moment of silence, and then Noah shrugged, "We can test it on our way back to the Urayan Tunnels, I guess."

Unbeknownst to everyone else in the group, Riku's eyes narrowed thoughtfully as one of his wings came up to massage his jaw.

The silence was broken by casual conversation as the Levnis zoomed across the land, carrying them to Colony Thirty. They piled out of the transport and called out greetings to Valdi as they passed, the engineer taking a moment to poke his head out of the massive Levnis he was altering to wave before diving back in.

The Ouroboros group and Trent walked out of the Colony and quickly headed on the trail back up to Uraya, their feet carrying them surely down the now-familiar path. The cliffs and plains remained as picturesque as they had been when they'd left, and the wildlife continued to go about their lives.

Noah inhaled as he pulled out his Blade, the Veiled Sword sitting in his grip as he took a moment to study it. After a moment, he held it out to Trent.

The Driver blinked as he considered the weapon and let out a whistle. "I honestly hadn't thought we'd be trying this."

"Well… if something happens, we might need to lend you our Blades, and unlike you, we can recall them easily enough," Noah pointed out, shrugging as he shifted his grip so the hilt was offered to Trent without putting his hands on the blade.

Trent swallowed.

A part of him wanted to play it off, to say that there's no need to really do what Noah was suggesting. To deflect and defer, to keep his hands away from the red sword brimming with ether.

He swallowed again.

It wasn't Pyra's sword, he told himself.

Trent took a deep breath as he reached out, trying to ignore the way his heart thundered and stomach threatened to drop out.

The hilt of the weapon was neither warm nor cold under Trent's grip, the incongruous metal of the second, thinner blade briefly giving him pause. He let out the breath as his heartbeat slowed, his eyes closing as he tried to disguise his hurried breaths.

"What the snuff?!"

His eyes snapped open as he heard Eunie shout and the others gasp, worried as to what had caused them to react that way. He jerked his head around, looking for potential ambushers or the like. Instead, he saw that the Ouroboros were instead focused on the Veiled Sword, and followed their gazes.

Looking down at the sword in his hands, Trent's heart jumped into his throat.

The Veiled Sword had completely changed from its original form. Metals of white, black, and gold pushed out from the sword's blade as it changed shape, one half resembling a great crimson cleaver and the other a white and gold khyber.

He tried to swallow as his eyes widened, his fingers going rigid as he dropped the weapon, which rapidly shifted back to its normal state.

Swallowing thickly, he croaked, "What the Hell?"

Trent's heart thundered in his chest as he looked up at the Ouroboros, trying to figure out what had happened. He expected them to turn to him with questions on their tongues, and while the Agnians had, the Kevesi instead rounded on Riku. It was Noah who spoke first after sharing a look with Eunie and Lanz.

"Riku… what in the world happened? The Veiled Sword's never done anything like that before."

The Smithypon was the sole member of the group who wasn't looking at someone else, instead focusing almost entirely on the Veiled Sword as one of his wings scratched his chin. Riku hummed as he continued to study the Blade, his eyes narrowed in thought as he slowly answered, "Cannot say for sure. Veiled Sword much like Lucky Seven, special magic Blade. Takes form most suitable for wielder, simple as."

No one really knew what to say to that and instead, Mio looked at Trent and asked, "Er, wait. Trent, why'd you drop the sword?"

Trent swallowed as Noah picked up the Veiled Sword and dismissed it, inhaling as he answered, "It… it turned into a mishmash of Pyra and Mythra's swords, and I- I wasn't ready for that. I panicked." His shoulders fell as he finished speaking, shame creeping down his spine and settling in his gut as he realized just what he had done. Sure, the surprise had jarred him and it hadn't been something he'd been prepared for… but at the same time, his kneejerk reaction was to just drop Pyra or Mythra's swords.

That was definitely something he'd need to work on.

He pointedly pushed the idea that Pyra and Mythra's swords were the most suitable for him out of his mind.

Trent took a deep, steadying breath as he forced himself to calm down and find his centre. He brought his hands together and individually cracked his knuckles, counting each off before looking up. "We really should keep moving. While I do want answers for why the sword turned into a mashup of Pyra and Mythra's swords, we can't really spend too much time standing around."

The Ouroboros shared thoughtful looks, but ultimately agreed as the group started moving again, most of them caught in thought. They very quickly reached the cliffs and scaled them easily, their previous path carrying them back to the entrance of the Urayan Caverns.

Trent frowned at the sight of mine carts full of rubble alongside piles of mining equipment that rested outside the cave entrance. Scaffolding braced pipes and other structures around the small area around the entrance, giving it the semblance of people having once worked there. They took a few minutes to poke around the area, but didn't find anything of value or note, and instead trooped into the interior of the Urayan Mountains.

The interior turned Trent's stomach and he hoped it was just a result of the mountains merging with an area from the other world, as it was barren and largely lifeless. The lush vegetation and plant growth of the Urayan Titan's interior was either dead or gone entirely, replaced with rough hewn stone and rare patches of luminescent fungus. There were still structures and equipment scattered around, but they matched the stuff from outside rather than the artisanal tools of the Urayan people.

Silently, he hoped that it was just more crossover from the world of Zanza.

They slowly proceeded with Manana surging forward to join the Ouroboros in battle while Riku hung back. They discussed working on gems and the like, which activated Riku's almonds, causing him to encourage the rest to be one the lookout for ore.

But Trent was distracted, as the wildlife was only making him more put out.

Gone were the various mammals and avians, the vast varieties of fish and the Igna colony. In their place, Vangs and Arachnos thrived, seemingly unchecked.

As they passed through the first cavern they'd entered, Trent felt his heart swell at the sound of water and the swell of light in the distance, the group turned the corner into the massive interior chamber of Uraya and took in the sight.

Trent felt like someone had taken a hammer to his gut.

Fonsa Myma was gone, all that remained was a single arch between two sides of the massive cave, the hollowed out shells of a pair of towers, and the distant ruins of Sevind Palace Plaza looming over them.

He wanted to be sick.

His stomach surged and roiled in rebellion as he swallowed thickly.

The group slowed to a stop at one of the towers, the innards long since gutted. Within the shell, a small group of Nopon had set up shop and quietly offered to trade wares in solemn tones – as if aware they stood in a corpse. They made a few trades for essentials before gathering around a small fire, no one knowing what to say even as Trent tried to ignore the deafening silence.

The tunnel that was once the Grand Stairway to the Olethro Ruins allowed a decent amount of light into the cavernous amphitheatre, but even that died with the passage of the sun, leaving them in a grayscale ruin of Fonsa Myma, only the fire providing light and colour. Manana bustled over campfire cookware as the others quietly shared awkward looks.

Then Eunie got frustrated.

"What the snuff is with this place?" the girl asked, flopping backwards and her head-wings flapping in annoyance. "It's as bad as that old battlefield back up top."

"Because we're in a graveyard of a different type," Trent replied wearily, looking around at the shell of the tower around them. "But where there were husks and broken machines in the Old Kana Battlefield, here we're sitting in the destroyed remains of Fonsa Myma – the capital city of the Kingdom of Uraya. Except… it's almost entirely gone. All that's left are two nearly destroyed towers, a single arch to act as a bridge, and…" he trailed off and then pointed at the floating remains of Sevind Palace Plaza. "Well, a single strip of floating construction that's impossible for most people to identify unless they knew what it was."

"A city, like where we're going?" Lanz interjected, looking around. "How big was it? Because I mean, if you put some ground up between where we are and that other place, that'd be about the right size for a Colony."

"Comparing a city to the Colonies we've seen is a disservice to both sides, with only Colony Gamma coming close to a small village based on what I've seen," Trent said as he took a deep breath and cast his mind back to the city as it was. "Fonsa Myma was a massive city, and even when it was dealing with the stress of food shortages, there were still thousands of people who called it home, or passed through it for work. It was tiered, with the buildings rising up on different levels, and Sevind Palace at the top. And the buildings were works of art as well, made to be both pleasing to the eye and functional. Because it was inside Uraya, it was always cast in twilight hues, with a lot of the animals and plants producing light which made it all the more beautiful and colourful."

"I wish I could see that…" Sena opined as she craned her head around, trying to imagine the scene Trent had described.

"It does sound impressive," Taion agreed, reaching up to adjust his glasses. "And you said that Saffronia trees were native to Uraya?"

"Yeah, their leaves used to fill the air with beautiful light thanks to their glow," Trent confirmed as he closed his eyes.

They lapsed into silence again, but this time it was wistful rather than sad, all of them thinking about what Fonsa Myma had once been. Some of them were enraptured by the images their minds conjured, while others were trying to contemplate the scale of the city and the number of people who called it home.

Eventually, Manana served dinner and as they ate, she chattered about how she wanted to know more about Uraya's local dishes, something the Ouroboros group had agreed on. Unfortunately, Trent was no help in that arena, as he'd long since forgotten any due to a lack of exposure.

As the night wound down, Trent swore he felt his phone vibrate – a phantom sensation that had plagued him even during the journey to Elysium. Sighing to himself and preparing for disappointment, he pulled out the device and blinked at the screen. There, proudly displayed was a text message from a number he didn't recognize.

Upload of archived pictures and videos complete! Trent-Trent should check!

Trent let the message and the number – 7-666-7-7-444 – roll around in his head. Presumably, it meant that someone had uploaded some pictures and videos somewhere, which he assumed was to his phone given the message. It had probably been set up by Tora, given the Noponic syntax used and that he and Poppi were the only ones he remembered that called him Trent-Trent.

He closed messages and went to open pictures, only to fat-finger and hit the phone app. The number pad popped up and realization struck him.

7-666-7-7-444

P-o-p-p-i

He grinned as he closed his phone and opened his messages. He needed to send a reply.

Chapter Text

Chapter 18 - Pictures of You

Trent had nearly cried when his message to Poppi had returned a near instant reply, as it wasn't anything like what he'd expected.

Many sorries from Poppi because Poppi can't reply right now, too busy hiding Cloudkeep from baddiepons and protecting Nia. Poppi has received message, estimated time for reply is over one hundred hours, giving or taking availability of processing power as most is being used to maintain optical, electromagnetic, and etheric camouflage.

Even with the lack of a proper reply, it did give him a lot to chew on.

Poppi was around, hiding something called the Cloudkeep and protecting Nia. It seemed outwardly innocent enough, but it provided an important clue: Poppi was protecting Nia, which meant that whoever wore the mask of Queen of Agnus, they likely weren't Nia given the descriptions of the camouflage. The 'baddiepons' were likely Moebius, but that was something Trent assumed simply due to his own thoughts on Aionios and the Moebius. That would also explain why they would need such intense camouflage.

He let those thoughts spin in his mind even as his finger hovered over the photo app, mentally preparing himself for what he might see. Trent swallowed and tapped it, his eyes going wide as multitudes of photos poured down his screen. His mouth fell open, and he numbly scrolled upwards until he found the pictures that Brighid had taken when they'd fled Elysium. Tapping the one next to it, he couldn't help the small noise he made in the back of his throat.

It took Trent a moment to recognize the restaurant he and Pyra had met at – Café Savvy's facade had been pulled open, pulleys and machinery in clear view, all focused around an orb of solid, swirling darkness. He swallowed as he recognized it, and his cheeks ached from the way his mouth pulled into a smile and his eyes watered from the people in the picture.

Rex, Nia, Tora, Poppi, Morag, Brighid, Zeke, Pandoria, Joe, Mythra, Malos, Ahkos, Mikhail, even Jin and Patroka were all there – all helping. He almost thought that Pyra wasn't there, only to catch sight of her by the orb, helping secure a rope – her clothing scuffed and dirty, dust in her hair, and exertion clear on her features.

They'd all shown up, they were all there.

Trent's jaw shuddered even as a single tear escaped his eye. He knew he was stupid to have had moments where he worried that they'd moved on without him, but with the evidence before him, those thoughts were blown away.

Eventually, he started to shuffle through the pictures, his heart hammering as the images captured changed. From Torigoth to Leftheria and across the other places across Alrest, Trent was witness to the passage of time for his friends.

From Zeke and Pandoria's wedding, to the birth of their daughter – who grew to miniature version of her mother. The marriage of Patroka and Mikhail, the birth of their own child, who looked so much like a blonde Patroka. Morag and Brighid getting married…

While those scenes all made Trent's heart ache, he was still given reason to smile by the empty seat at each ceremony, his name emblazoned on a placard on it. No, the real pain was from watching Rex –and eventually the children– age over the course of the pictures. Rex grew from a frankly miniscule teen to a brunet version of Addam Origo and eventually a rugged hunk of a man who rivalled Zeke in height and was only surpassed by Vandham – who remained at least seven feet in every direction.

There were things that briefly gave Trent pause, like Morag being the one to carry Sena – but he decided that he didn't need to know his adopted family's sex lives.

Shaking his head, he felt melancholy and pain creep into his heart as the time he'd lost with his friends and adopted family weighed on him with each frozen moment. Even though there were pictures of them visiting the orb he had been held within, it still hurt to see Rex and the children aging without having been there to celebrate their lives.

Even if it was nice to see the gap between Torna and the others closing, it didn't change the fact that Trent wished he could have helped. No matter how cute baby Sena and Mio were, that didn't remove the sting of knowing he'd failed to be there for most of their lives.

Flipping through the pictures, Trent was forced to accept that his pain was a tragedy of lost time.

There was no way for him to recoup those moments, to go back and change the past so he was present. He had lost his chance to enjoy that time with his friends, the people he had come to view as a newfound family…

The time that had been stolen away from him, leaving him lost in Aionios with aberrant versions of his friends' children and their friends.

He wanted to cry, to scream and shout about the unfairness of it all. He hated how his whole world had been ripped away from him for the second time, how he'd lost another family.

Instead, he took a deep breath and went back through the pictures. He studied each one carefully, carving every smile and scene into his heart. He wouldn't forget them, he wouldn't let a single frozen moment go unwitnessed.

Trent refused to let his memories of his friends be tainted by pain and melancholy – he'd face them with a smile to match the ones shown to him.

"Er, Trent?"

The blond blinked, not realizing that he'd blinked away some tears as he looked up at the source.

Mio had approached him, watching him with a curious frown as she hovered just outside his reach. Looking past her, he took a second to glance around at the others, who seemed to be engrossed in their own business.

Swallowing again, he turned his smile up at her as he replied, "What's up, Mio?"

"Are you okay? You, um, you were making some noises and looked really–" her lips pulled into a thin line as she finished, "Well, sad."

"Even with this smile on my face?" he asked. When the corners of her mouth tugged downwards and she tilted her head to the side, Trent let out a tired laugh. "Just… got some more pictures on my phone. It showed the stuff that I, well, missed. Just left me feeling pretty melancholic."

"Huh, I…" Mio trailed off in thought, looking away. "I guess I can understand what you might be thinking."

"Well…" Trent didn't finish as he flicked through the pictures again. "I think it'd be better if lighten things up a bit." He twisted his hand so she could see the device, a picture proudly on display.

"What is that? I mean, it's cute and all, but I have no idea what I'm looking at," Mio wondered as leaned down to study the image, her brow furrowed in confusion.

"That's you, Mio," Trent answered, smiling as Mio took in the picture of her infant self, swaddled in a pink Pippito onesie and nestled in the crook Rex's muscular arm. The infant Gormotti had been frozen in a moment of curiosity, her eyes wide and alight with wonder and her little hands grasping.

Trent's smile pulled into a grin as he hollered, "Hey kids, come on over and look at these pictures!"

Mio flushed as her eyes went wide, unable to say anything as the others gathered around them. There were various coos and noises of adoration as they took in the picture, although Taion didn't say anything as he shook slightly.

After a moment, he managed to say, "That's the cutest thing I've ever seen. I need ten."

Letting out a laugh, Trent's head pulled back as his shoulders shook, although he did pause at the sight of Mio's mortification. Deciding to give her some mercy, he started flicking forward through them before coming to a stop on a picture of a different infant. She was clad in an elaborate dress and bonnet, her chubby cheeks puffed out in childish annoyance, her tanned cheeks red with frustration and her little fists balled in her poofy skirt.

"Oh no…" Sena mumbled as she realized just what she was looking at, her cheeks matching the hue of her's in the baby photo.

"Aw, Sena, that's snuffin adorable," Eunie cooed, her shoulders shaking with mirth as her mouth pulled into a shaky grin.

"Mimi, please help," Sena asked as she turned to look at her friend only to realize that Mio had joined the others in cooing over the picture. "Spark!" Her torment only increased as Trent swiped to the next picture, revealing another baby Sena who was clad in a suit, her face pulled into a pout as her chubby fingers wrestled with the collar. This earned another wave of coos and chortles as they studied it, Taion's normally stoic facade cracked by awe with his mouth hanging open.

Sena spun to the man who was scrolling through pictures, now bringing up one of baby-Sena in an infant sized Ardainian Inquisitor's uniform. The costume was clearly rumpled from baby-Sena's protestation and fussing, her cap askew and her face pulled into a furious pout. Over the next wave of coos, she cried, "C'mon Trent, stop it!"

"Alright, alright," Trent conceded, deciding to spare Sena further embarrassment in the form of baby pictures. As he flipped forward past them, he caught sight of a picture of Brighid, who was apparently the one dressing baby-Sena up. Eventually settling on an image, he let the Ouroboros see it.

"Oh no," Mio grumbled as Sena brightened, taking in the new image.

A young Mio –probably about four or five years old– was asleep, sprawled out atop Nia, who was reclining on a couch. In one of the Flesh-Eater's hands was an open book, but her focus was on her slumbering daughter with her other hand gently brushing Mio's hair. It had a different air from the pageant of pictures of baby-Sena, or the one of infant-Mio in her father's arms.

It was a picture of parenthood, something that had been robbed from the Keves and Agnus and it clearly gave all the Ouroboros pause.

As if unable to find anything to really say, Lanz murmured, "Spark, that really does look like the Agnian Queen lil'Mio's zonked out on…"

"Yep, that's definitely Nia," Trent said with a firm nod, taking a moment to peek at Mio. Rather than embarrassment, she was stunned by the image, her mouth hanging open as she stared at it with wide eyes. Slowly –as if scared her friends would notice–, Mio reached up to touch her head like she was trying to feel Nia's hand. With a careful, awkward move that slightly strained his shoulder, Trent put a hand on Mio's shoulder and gave her a comforting smile.

Something was missing from Mio's understanding, and she knew it. Something from her past had been torn from her, and that was something Trent could understand well.

Dropping his hand and deciding to bring things to a close with the pictures, Trent closed the photo album and checked his videos, finding not a plethora of disorganized videos but a curated playlist. Looking at the title of the first video, Trent let out a chuckle and shook his head.

Trent-Trent! Start here for warm and fuzzies!

Selecting the video, he waited for it to load, and soon enough, a room came into focus.

It was clearly a living room, with a large, familiar couch clearly in askew view. Behind the couch, there was a set of shelves covered in books and boardgames, highlighted by salvaged relics. On the hardwood floor was a carpet that had clearly been worn down by countless feet padding across it, and atop that carpet was a large white-grey pillow and a very young Sena – probably only slightly older than she had been in the cavalcade of fashion pictures.

Even as the young Sena frowned and reached out, the picture swayed and juddered.

"Ah!"

The one who made that exclamation wasn't Sena, but someone out of view, their voice also childish. Before any of the viewers could say anything, what they had assumed to be a pillow shifted and a furry feline head turned to face the camera. Dromarch's expression shifted to be slightly reproachful as he opened his mouth.

"Lady Mio, you must be careful with the recorder."

The Ouroboros blinked at the sound of Dromarch's voice, poleaxed to see the tiger-esque Blade speak. The first person to exclaim, apparently Mio, replied.

"But Drommy, I wanna show the reco to Sena. What if Auntie Mo and Auntie Bri didn't get one?"

Dromarch's face pulled into a cat's smile, his teeth hidden as he answered, "I assure you, Lady Mio, they did. Tora is not the sort to leave any of his friends out of such a thing."

The camera's view swayed and then flipped as Mio made a noise of surprise, the picture flipping before it hit the ground. A hollow thud echoed through the room and now Mio was in the picture, her stance wide and arms outstretched, clad in a poofy sweater and overalls, her hair worn long. The little Gormotti's face was in a sketch of childish worry, her lips sucked in.

From the corner of the view, Dromarch let out a rumbling as he shook his head. "This is why I warned you, Lady Mio," Dromarch pushed himself up to his paws and started to pad over to the camera, only to pause as Sena's hand wrapped around his tail. "Ah, Lady Sena, please, my tail is not a toy-"

"Everything okay in here?"

Much like Dromarch, Nia's voice hadn't changed at all as it cut into the video, although she was out of the camera's view. "Playin with the recorder, eh?" Nia asked as she picked up the recorder and turned it over in her hands, briefly making the video a mess of indistinct colours and shapes before it settled on Nia's face, her expression slightly creased in thought.

Behind her was a green-haired girl who looked to be nearing her teens, her green eyes behind a pair of frameless glasses.

"Doesn't even look dented. Titan's foot Tora makes'em tough…" Nia mumbled, before one of her eyebrows quirked up and she chortled as she turned it towards her daughter, Blade, and the baby-Sena. "Well look at that. You turned it on, Mio."

"I did?" Mio asked excitedly, her eyes lighting up and ears perking, her mouth falling open with childish glee. "So Grampa can see me and Sena now?"

Nia clearly paused, even as Dromarch's expression tightened behind Mio. Rather than deny her daughter's claim, Nia replied, "Yeah, he can see you, Mi."

The little Gormotti seemed to swell and declared, "Hi Grampa! I'm Mio and this-" she paused as she trotted over to the child on the carpet. "-is Sena!" She stopped again and then barreled forward, Nia smoothly keeping the view on Mio as she collided with the green-haired girl and wrapped around her like a barnacle. "An' this is Linka!" Mio then looked up at Linka and said, "C'mon Linka, you gotta say hi to Grampa."

Linka glanced at Nia, earning a bob of the camera, and then glanced down at Mio. Looking back up at the camera, she awkwardly waved. "Er, hey, Uncle Trent. I'm Linka, my parents are your friends Zeke and Pandoria."

The young Mio beamed at the girl, and opened her mouth to speak more, only for the sound of a door opening to come out of the video, and a man's voice echoed, "I'm home with the shopping!"

Now completely distracted from the recorder, Mio's ears perked up and she moved as fast as her little legs could carry her towards the voice. "Da!"

Linka looked questioningly up at Nia, who was still holding the camera. Before the girl could say anything, Nia said, "You go and help your Uncle Rex, yeah? I'll take care of the recording." The verdette scampered out of the recording, and Nia turned the recorder so she was in view. She had a small smile on her face as she looked into the recorder, her head tilted to the side.

"Sorry about that, Trent, Mio's always been a daddy's girl," Nia remarked, her eyes darting in the direction her daughter had run. "And honestly… well, Rex and I had plans to make recording with Mio later, but I suppose we'll have to start with this one. But then again, that's just the way things always end up going with our group, ain't it?"

Nia chuckled and shook her head as she moved, the house in the background shifting behind her as she seemed to move into the living room. She swallowed, and her gaze turned towards the sound of Rex, Mio, and Linka's voices. "She doesn't quite get how the recorder works yet, so she's probably thinking you're seeing her in real time, but honestly…" grinning Nia's words took on a conspiratorial tone as she added, "Well, whether you're watching this for the first time or the hundredth… I hope you take the time to let her see it too. Preferably when she's nearly a grown woman, so she'll see where she came from."

Pulling the recorder away from her face so she could hold it in one hand, the other reaching down to where baby-Sena lay next to Dromarch. "Besides, for her, it'll be proof that this mattered, that her Grampa really does care about her and want to hear from her." She paused as baby-Sena briefly fussed, and let out a chuckle. "Hope we get to hear your thoughts on this real soon, eh old man?"

The recording blinked out, and the Ouroboros shared contemplative looks – with the exception of Mio, who was clearly at least slightly embarrassed. Manana had been cooing over the video, even with Riku's silent and stoic self next to her and trying to keep her from jumping in the others' view.

Trent took a deep breath and then smiled, feeling like a weight had lifted off his shoulders.

"Well, I guess I'll have to tell Nia how cute that was when we finally catch up to her."

Chapter Text

Chapter 19 - I'm Still Here

When morning light finally managed to peek through the former-Grand Staircase, Trent and the Ouroboros stirred, taking a few minutes to have a small breakfast. They moved with a hurried bleariness as they packed up and started moving, delving further into the Urayan Tunnels.

There was a brief interlude where Riku finally joined the group to fight a giant Arachno that menaced Manana when she tried to grab a certain gem for Riku. That led to them having a somewhat smoother trek through the tunnels, which gave way to the barren rock and sparse vegetation from before they reached the ruins of Fonsa Myma. They moved down slopes that passed through Arachno webs and past a waterfall that Trent didn't recognize, eventually reaching a rough path of bare rock.

They tested a rickety, rusted elevator and found that it brought them down on the wrong side of an abyssal gulf, opposite the exit they needed to go through. After riding the machine back up, they started down the other path.

It was at that point that a distant sound echoed in their ears. A series of clunks filled their surroundings, and clouds of poisonous purple exploded around them. Weapons were pulled from the aether or from where they were holstered, barely at the ready when Agnian soldiers in full gear and masked helmets attacked from the clouds.

Trent and the Ouroboros group closed ranks, their eyes darting to and fro as the clouds continued to swell, until they were entirely obscured by them. They barely had time to register the taste and smell of the smoke before they started coughing while warding off their attackers.

With burning lungs, Trent drew in a deep breath and swallowed the urge to cough, his mind focused on the bond with Malos. His eyes watered from the burning smoke in them, but he kept them wide as he let ether flow through him and the connection, a tight area around the group as his focus.

"Monado Jail!"

A veil of darkness and violet ether surged up around them, the smoke devoured by it and giving them some relative breathing room.

Eunie hacked and coughed, briefly planting her gunstave as she asked, "Wha- What the snuff is all this?"

"The favoured tactic of Colony Thirteen," Taion answered, adjusting his scarf around his mouth and nose as his free hand directed the Mondo to swirl within the orb of ether for additional protection.

"But their armour…" Noah pointed out, his voice somewhat scratchy from his own coughing.

"Yeah, it's Agnian," Sena agreed as she looked around and adjusted her grip on her hammer, her eyes watering from the smoke in them.

"So, how do we bust outta this?" Lanz asked, his shieldblade at the ready. "Or can we hide out in this thingum?"

"I won't be able to maintain this forever," Trent said with a shake of his head, taking measured breaths as he focused on keeping his Art up. "Malos is usually the one who does, and he's a lot better at it, alongside not having to deal with people attacking us."

"They'll be able to attack us through it?" Mio wondered, getting into a stance as she noticed a shape in the smoke.

"Yeah, I can't exercise much fine control over the ether. I can make it weak enough to deal with the smoke and not hurt you guys, but I can't fine tune it to annihilate people trying to attack us while leaving you unharmed," Trent replied with a nod, his eyes trained on any soldiers that might push their luck.

"What if it was just you?" Sena asked, craning her head to look at him from the corner of her eye.

"Then I can get whacky due to the symbiotic nature of the Driver-Blade bond," Trent answered. "I could probably skeletonize someone then. But that's a story for a different day, I think."

"We need to get out of here," Taion declared, trying to sound as confident as he could but there was a hint of trepidation creeping into his voice. In his eye, the Ouroboros sigil glowed as he activated his Iris with a frown. "There's a river on the far end of the caves that we could swim down to get out of them and duck beneath to escape the gas if it hits the river."

"Sounds like a plan," Noah said with a look around the group and his own Ouroboros symbol glowing. "At least there's only one path. Trent, keep close to us so you don't go into one of the side-chambers or in one of the larger rooms."

"Normally I'd take offence, but given the sheer amount of smoke, I get it," Trent grunted with a tired shake of his head.

"Wait!" Lanz cut in as he turned to give Trent a questioning look. "You can do this bubble thingummy while we're running, yeah?"

"As long as we all stick together," Trent confirmed, shifting his feet as he got ready to run, noting Manana jumping onto Sena's back and Riku Lanz's. They moved when Taion gave a hushed command, the bubble of ether flaring as Trent focused on keeping it around them as they ran through the tunnel.

They barreled through the smoke, on occasion slamming through Agnian soldiers who didn't make a sound as they were shoved into walls or tossed out of the way. It took them a few minutes of running and skittering to get through the soldiers and the cloud, but there the sound of gas canisters being launched echoed at their feet, urging them forward. They came to a broken flight of stairs which would have bridged a drop into a fast running current.

The group paused to look over their shoulders at the approaching cloud, Trent collapsing his Art before they all jumped into the water, letting it pull them down and away from the attack. Trent kept his head above the surface with practiced ease as the Ouroboros and their Nopon companions took slightly longer to do the same.

The flow quickly carried them into a narrow cave, with a small shore on the one side, a flash of colour attracting Trent's eye. He craned his head to check if it was Moebius, only for his heart to jump into his throat.

Without barely a thought, he took a massive stroke towards the shore and called out to the Ouroboros. "You all go on ahead! I'll catch up!"

He had nearly reached the shore, the rushing of the river and water in his ears muffling any reply as he stood up and strode out of the water. He didn't spare a thought for the water in his clothing, or the fact that unless Tora had overhauled his phone further it was probably wrecked from the water, instead focusing on the pair on the shore. A wide, relieved smile had already formed on his face at the sight of them, and he called out to them.

One of them hadn't changed in the least, clad in the same battle outfit he first met her in. The other was wearing what was clearly armour modelled after the gauntlets that had been symbolic of the ascent to the position of Master Driver.

"Joe! Mythra! You guys have no idea how glad I am to see y-"

Battle instincts drilled into him had the Monado-L back in his hand and swinging through the air as he twisted away from the weapons swinging at him, Joe and Mythra's faces stuck in expressionless masks. Both of them were wielding a copy of the SubMonado-M, but he was already on high alert.

Neither of them had glowing red eyes like the Ouroboros had described those of Colonies Four, Nine, or Gamma being when they were under direct Moebius control. Still, their expressions were blank and they hadn't said anything.

Trent let a sigh out through his nose. "You two aren't my friends, are you?"

The only answer he received was another attack, even as the ground started to shake and the distant sound of fighting and explosions reached him. Trent let out a breath as he flowed through the battle, taking in how the pair fought.

It felt like he was fighting someone on garbage wifi, the pair working in perfect synchronicity, but with a disconnect between their every move and action. No matter how fast they moved, there was always a moment before and after where they seemed to reset.

There were more things that just proved they weren't Joe and Mythra as well.

They didn't speak, they didn't use any sort of Art, and –most damningly– there was no Affinity Link connecting them.

As the deadly dance continued, more and more details stood out to Trent that made him wonder just what Joe had gotten up to in Aionios. There was the scar crawling up one side of his face and through his right eye and brow. There was also the armour, which reminded him of the gauntlets they'd received during their stint as Master Drivers.

It made him wonder if Joe had reached that level again, a thought that knocked around inside his head even as the ground shook and explosions echoed from outside the cave. Much as he wanted to focus on that and get outside to the Ouroboros, he was still in battle with these strange doppelgangers.

If Joe really had become the Master Driver again, it made him wonder how powerful the enemy really was, given the potential that the position came with. Trent knew that he himself had been removed from the position when he had Mythra and Pyra cut him out of the link, but he also hadn't remembered seeing the gauntlets on Joe when they were on the Ardainian ship or in any of the pictures that Poppi had loaded onto his phone.

The thoughts helped keep him from being distracted by the familiar masks that were attacking him, letting Trent notice other things that added to his belief that there was no way they were his friends.

The lack of stitching or riveting on Joe's clothing and armour.

The lustreless dull faces of the emeralds on Mythra.

Even the way that the ether around the SubMonado-Ms was too uniform rather than the point-focused bursts Mythra and Pyra had preferred.

There was a thunderous sound as what felt to be a genuine earthquake rocked the ground beneath Trent and his opponents. They wobbled and did their best to get into guard positions, Trent with his Monado-L at the ready even as his opposition jarringly pulled into facsimiles.

Trent was tired, he was worried about his kids, and the more he thought about the things he was fighting, the angrier he got. These things had tricked him and distracted him to keep him from helping the Ouroboros. They wore the faces of his friends but didn't even have the gumption to fight properly or speak. The most nettling thing, really, was the fact that they didn't even have the gall to try and do more than silently and ineffectually try to kill him.

He let that anger –that hatred–, that desire to find whoever was puppeteering these things and flay them.

He could hear Malos whispering in his memories, instructing him on what emotions empowered his abilities. Trent had expected it to be malice, anger, or misanthropy, but that had only made Malos laugh.

What fueled Malos best was desire.

And boy did Trent desire in that moment.

He heaved in a breath and focused his desire as he pulled the Monado-L back, letting ether pool down his arm into the weapon. "Oh mortar of the stars, tell them of the beginning…"

The doppelgangers juddered into motion, and Trent weaved around their out of sync attacks. He could feel the Monado-L almost vibrating in his hand as he directed the ether to swirl and roil around it. "Let it be known that the eve of creation's celebration is Heaven's Hell!"

With a single move, he put himself between the river and his foes, snarling as he brought the Monado-L down like a guillotine. "Bow to Annihilation – Enuma Elish!"

The corruscating cone of dark ether blasted out and through Trent's silent foes, consuming everything above their shins as it slammed against the wall of the cave and ate through it. The blast stampeded through the cave walls and carved them out of existence, only stopping when Trent let the flow of ether and his concentration dry up. He let out a sigh and folded the weapon away to slap it against his side as his shoulders dropped and the tension bled out of his body.

He looked down at what remained of his foes, two pairs of disembodied feet and shins which stood at the ready. They then collapsed into mud, and Trent clicked his tongue.

"Of fucking course, actual fucking mud puppets." Trent paused before he shook his head and stomped into the tunnel he'd made. "If anyone insults the Muppets by trying to shorten mud puppet into their name, I'll spin their kneecaps."

The tunnel started narrow and widened out the further Trent walked out, the passage unnaturally smooth and stable thanks to the anomalous nature of its creation. It was a bit like walking through a concrete tube, were he to make a comparison. His footsteps echoed as he approached the distant light, and winced before raising an arm to shield his eyes.

The region outside the caves of Uraya was starkly different from what led to them, an almost tropical rainforest that was full of cataracts and flowing emerald water. The cliffs a chalky, sandy colour with sparse grass shooting up from the equally sandy ground and grew thicker as they rose up and away from the pools and waterfalls. Large predatory birds circled the treetops and brush, while crabbles and the occasional aligo luxuriated in the shoals of the basin below the massive falls that thundered down from numerous smaller cataracts above.

Finally, there was what looked like a massive upended table in the lagoon, covered in white armour and what looked to be a broken Flame Clock set in its front even as most of its mass broke the cataract around it. On a small rise in the lagoon, the Ouroboros were arrayed around a small figure that could have been a child or a little person. Trent frowned and squinted as he studied their opponent, his brows creased and mouth hanging open.

"Are the kids…" he paused as the small figure jumped jauntily over Lanz's sweeping attack and kicked the side of his head in a little flourish.

"Are they fighting a jester?"

Chapter Text

Chapter 20 - Lambda's Fallout

By the time Trent had rejoined the Ouroboros, the small jester had disappeared into the aether, although the blond had gotten close enough to recognize that they were a member of Moebius. He and the others were quickly marshalled into combing through Colony Lambda, helping move the unconscious soldiers onto cots or out of potentially dangerous situations –like active stoves, the river cutting through the cave, or slowly dwindling campfires–. Mio and Noah had taken one half of the camp to comb through for people, while Eunie was working with Sena to make sure that anyone who had been injured was being treated. Taion had gone to check on the commander, apparently due to a prior connection that Trent had been unaware of, which left Trent with Lanz.

Manana had requisitioned Riku to help her in sorting through Lambda's stores for what she considered appropriate ingredients.

Trent and Lanz took the part of Lambda's cavernous enclosure that was used to store their Levnises and the mechanically focused areas, where Lanz's larger size would be a boon. Luckily for them and the residents of Lambda, none of the machines had been active when they'd been knocked out by the Moebius who the Ouroboros had fought, although Trent and Lanz did have to pull a few mechanics from the guts of different machines. They moved through their job quietly, as Lanz seemed to be stewing over something silently, and Trent was content to leave him to his thoughts as they worked, more focused on taking in Lambda itself.

Much like almost every other colony he'd seen on Aionios, there was little in the way of permanent structures, with most of them being tents or containers that could be quickly shuffled away for transport. The area that the colony was situated in was far more interesting than the small circular camp. Lambda had put their tent spikes down in a large cavern behind one of the most expansive of the cascades in the Great Cotte Falls, using the surging water as both a physical and visual defence. Trent wasn't able to tell if they had artificially expanded the cavern, and he couldn't see any smaller openings into a deeper system beyond a small river that ran through a gully in the lowest parts of the colony – though, were he to guess, he'd assume they had given the lack of stalactites and stalagmites.

The only real sounds in the cavern were the light burbling of the sunken river, the distant roar of the waterfall, and grunts from Trent and the Ouroboros as they worked. Eventually, Lanz's shoulders dropped and one of his fists slammed into the side of a Levnis, his face downturned and expression cloudy.

"Lanz?" Trent asked, pausing in his own efforts to check if they'd left anyone in the guts of the machine and looking over at the young man. "You alright?"

"I just…" Lanz trailed off as he grit his teeth, his shoulders flexing and shuddering as he tried to focus his emotions. "I just don't get how Noah and Eunie can accept all this!"

Trent didn't say anything as he parsed Lanz's statement, mentally connecting what had been said about Consul J – or rather, their former friend Joran. A friend who had lost their life, only to return as an antagonistic force – not just as a haunting presence, but as a direct agent of their foe. He quietly wondered if Pyra and Mythra had felt similarly when they'd realized that Jin and Mikhail had joined hands with Malos.

"Sometimes… sometimes the world pushes people to the point that they make choices that drive us spare trying to understand them," Trent started as he extricated himself from the Levnis and moved to stand by Lanz. "And all we can do is try and parse just what caused them to make those choices so we can reach out to them."

"It's easy enough to understand! He told us!" Lanz shot back, his hands balled into fists and jaw trembling. "The world kept punching down on him, and I never helped! I just kept pushing him, even though he was always there for me! He even- even sacrificed himself to save me! And now… he's our enemy."

Trent took a deep breath as he reached out and put a hand on Lanz's shaking shoulder, his face pulled into a sombre grimace. He let out a heavy sigh as he said, "And sometimes, that happens. Sometimes, the world and circumstances drive people into horrible holes that they can't seem to dig themselves out of and they make awful choices." He shook his head and squeezed Lanz's shoulder to try and comfort him, his shoulders dropping.

"And then what, huh?!" Lanz retorted, his teeth grinding audibly together as he turned to look at Trent. "We reach out?! We can't do that! Joran's- Joran's become Moebius, one of the people who's dedicated to keeping the world screwed as it is!"

Trent couldn't keep himself from letting out a sigh as he nodded in agreement. "Honestly, you're right. This world is screwed up, and if I'm being honest… the Moebius have gone out of their way to make Aionios and the Colonies into mills of suffering. There's no society, no true culture - just a machine designed to grind down the soldiers it produced until they're either used up… or find themselves becoming Moebius."

Lanz blinked, his brow furrowed. "What do you mean… becoming Moebius?"

"Like I said, Aionios is a cruel machine. It either breaks people, or it hammers them into the perfect shape for the Moebius to offer them power," Trent explained as he gently led Lanz over to a bench and helped him sit down. "And by giving someone power when they're in their darkest place, they can create another outlet to continue their cycle of abuse."

"A cycle of abuse?" Lanz muttered, his form sagging as he let himself settle on the bench. "The heck is that?"

"It's what it sounds like, it's a cycle of people hurting and abusing each other, and each hurt and abuse being used to fuel the next," Trent answered as he sat down next to Lanz.

Lanz stared down at his hands, teeth again grit and hands curled into shaking fists.

"And I- I just added to it."

He brought a fist up and slammed it down on the empty part of the bench, his shoulders shaking as he ground his knuckles into the metal. "He- he still sacrificed himself for- for me. He changed everything, and I… I didn't realize how much of a mudder I was until it was way too late!"

Gently, Trent reached out and wrapped an arm around Lanz's shoulders. He squeezed as he felt Lanz shudder and shake from the emotions he had kept bottled up, knowing how hard it could be. Quietly, Lanz murmured, "What the snuff am I even supposed to do now…"

"You reach out," Trent said, his eyes closing as he recalled Malos, Jin, and the other members of Torna. "Rather than propagating the cycle, you do what you can to break it."

Lanz punched the bench again, although it wasn't as fierce. "Even if Joran said it doesn't matter?"

"Especially then, even if you need to fight him to protect your friends," Trent said as he pulled Lanz close again. "Because sometimes, it takes time to get through to people, to break through the malaise that they've fallen into."

Lanz nodded, his expression still complicated even as he stopped shaking. He made a thoughtful noise, only to stop and mutter, "The snuff is malaise?"

Trent silently wondered if Taion knew, but then put the thought aside. It was clear that Aionios only taught the basics and absolute necessities to the soldiers, and anything further was self-study that they found time for… if they had any interest in that. And while Trent didn't want to be rude, Lanz didn't strike him as the self-study type outside of PE.

Patting Lanz on the shoulder, Trent stood up and declared, "How about this, we get back to work, and as we go I'll explain that." He doubted he'd get Lanz excited for vocabulary or anything, but it was a good way to pass the time, and they could springboard into other topics.

Lanz just grunted as he got to his feet, half listening to the older man as he mulled over what he'd said earlier. He wondered if it was as simple as Trent made it sound, if it was really something he could accomplish. He considered what Trent had said about Aionios and the Colonies being designed to punch down on people, to make more suffering and Moebius… and his fist ached from how hard he clenched it, realizing just how he'd been a part of all that.

Lanz silently considered everything he'd learned and experienced since that fateful meeting with that Vandham bloke. He knew he had changed, even before then, but with everything that had happened… he forced his fist open, and wondered if Joran would really accept it when he held out.

{~}{~}

Trent hummed as he sat quietly, letting the sounds of Lambda's lethargic return to activity wash over him as its denizens came to grips with their sudden freedom from the tyranny of the Flame Clock. Trent had decided to give them space while Noah led them through an Offseeing for J's mud puppets, the other members apparently joining them silently while Mio played a duet with Noah. His presence tended to disrupt and distract in the Colonies, and he didn't want to interrupt something that was akin to an Aionian funeral service.

Instead, Trent had parked himself on a shelf of rock that jut out above the ravine, his feet idly kicking in the air as his fingers danced against the rock beneath him. He pulled his lips into a thin line as he forced his hands to stop fidgeting, and grumbled under his breath as an old fascination crept into his head. He had always hated the smell and taste of smoke, yet for some reason the idea of picking up the habit always returned to him in idle moments.

Maybe it was a matter of his brain thinking people could strike some cool poses when smoking…

He forced the thought out of his head as he heard someone approaching, turning to face the source in some confusion. Trent blinked at the sight of Taion walking up to him, a complicated expression on his face and an item Trent couldn't identify in his hand. Taion paused as he realized that Trent had noticed him, and swallowed awkwardly.

"Do you… mind if I join you?" The question came out stilted, and Taion shifted awkwardly after asking, as if ready to turn and run.

Reaching out, Trent smacked the ground next to him. "Pop a squat." When Taion didn't join him, and instead hovered with a look of mild confusion, Trent chuckled and clarified, "Yeah, I'd be happy to have some company, Taion."

"Oh, right," Taion mumbled as he picked up his pace and gently sat down next to Trent, shifting awkwardly in place and inadvertently giving the other a chance to glimpse the object in his hand. Taion was holding what looked to be either a pocket watch or a locket that was surprisingly ornate for the world of Aionios, its outer shell the soft cream of Agnian armour with gold embellishments and a blue diamond that brought a Core Crystal to mind.

The two fell silent as the gentle sounds of Noah and Mio's duet travelled back to them, Trent staring blankly into the cave walls and letting his mind wander while Taion continued to look down at what he was holding. Eventually, Taion spoke up.

"You… aren't going to ask?"

Trent let his head fall to the side in thought; Taion could have meant a lot of things with that statement. He could have been referring to his emotional state, the sudden appearance of the watch/locket, or his apparent connection to Isurd. Satisfied with his conclusions, he answered, "Do you want me to?"

"I… would appreciate it," Taion said with a tentative nod, chewing the inside of his cheek as he continued to stare at the object he was fiddling with. "After the day I had, and what the others have said about talking to you, I think it might help."

"Then I'd be happy to help," Trent declared. "Where do you want to start?"

Taion took a deep breath, and started, "I used to be stationed with Colony Lambda, not when they were here, but… Well, that doesn't matter. I was still part of the strategy squad, working under Commander Isurd and Nimue…" With stitled pacing, Taion explained his past to Trent, highlighting how Nimue mentored him in many different ways as well as how he found other soldiers chafed under his strategies. "I- I caved when some of the others pushed me to use an offensive strategy, and Colony 13 routed us entirely."

Taion's hand gripped the item so hard his hand shook, and he ground out, "Nimue died saving me, and Commander Isurd- he- he just let me transfer to another Colony. He never said anything about what happened at the time."

"And you thought he hated you for it," Trent concluded, his eyes closed as he let Taion's words paint an image for him.

"Yeah. I mean- I did, so why wouldn't he?" Taion said grimly, perhaps not even registering the dark trend his story had gone down. As if realizing how tightly he was holding the locket/watch, he forced his hand to relax and turned it over in his palm. "I didn't quite… understand the tension then - and I doubt they did, with everything we've learned – but now…" The locket –Trent decided it was probably a locket– did another flip in Taion's palm.

"I got the person he might have loved killed, and he just…"

Trent watched as Taion lost his words, his jaw working against empty air while his brow furrowed into a furiously confused scowl. "He was happy I was okay- Even now, after everything- after what J's puppet said."

The puppets.

That was something Trent hadn't considered, given that the puppets seemingly designed to torment him had been silent and robotic. But where he had fought poorly strung along mannequins, the others had fought automatons that were near perfect facsimiles of the members of Lambda, down to the memories even. Trent let out a low noise of understanding, and asked, "Do you mind if I ask what the puppet said?"

"It… said it was there to take revenge for Nimue dying, that my past had come back to haunt me…" Taion answered, swallowing thickly as his expression smoothed into a weary mask of loss. "It… dug into all the things that I thought Commander Isurd would have said about me, felt about me – how I failed, how that trap was my comeuppance."

"Have you asked Isurd himself about those things?" Trent inquired, considering reaching out to put a hand on Taion's shoulder, but deciding against it.

"He couldn't remember anything about the entire matter, only J's- Joran's silhouette," Taion explained with a wince, making Trent wonder if carelessly referring to the Moebius by his Consular title had gotten a bad reaction out of the Kevesi half of the Ouroboros. "He just… asked if he had said anything hurtful. I tried to assure him he hadn't, but it was like- like he saw right through me and apologized anyways. He started talking about how much Nimue complimented me, and things she said… then he heaped on more of his own… and just…" Taion shook as his grip tightened on the locket again. "He entrusted Nimue's will -and this-, to me… and told me that I could, could achieve a victory through kindness."

"But the things the mud puppet told you still bug you?" Trent pressed, watching Taion's reaction closely. He just gave a shaky nod, and Trent returned it as he continued, "In that case… I think I have an idea about where the things the puppet said to you came from: those were things that Isurd felt about himself and the Consul twisted to focus on you."

"What? But that… doesn't make sense…" Taion murmured, his brow still knit as he flipped the locket over in his hand again.

"Some of the most hurtful things people can come up with are things they feel about themselves," Trent explained slowly, his eyes closing. "Take me for example: I've come up with a lot of self-recrimination over the course of the last three or so months, and at times it got pretty dark. We're always our own worst critics, the person in the mirror is the one most likely to tear you down or find flaws where others see beauty. And like I said, if the Consul could access their memories and thoughts, it was probably easy for him to find the right words to make things hurt."

Taion's shoulders shook, his mouth curling into an ugly grimace between a smile and a frown as his head bent forward. Gently, Trent reached out and put a hand on his shoulder and gave it a light squeeze. Taion twitched, and Trent ignored both the quiet whisper the younger man let out and the tears falling on his glasses.

Reflecting on the day, Trent held back a sigh. Aionios continued to prove itself a tragedy.

Chapter Text

Chapter 21 - The Things You Do To Me

Trent grumbled and stretched as he and the Ouroboros stood over the groaning remnants of what had been another of Iota's goon squads, this time led by an androgynous figure named Chelle. He was about to suggest that they begin moving again when Taion paused, two fingers pressed against his temple as his Iris glowed. He had a confused scowl on his face and his mouth was moving.

"Taion?" Mio asked tentatively, looking between him and the squad who were being restrained by some gadget Riku had put together. "What's wrong?"

"I think this was all a ruse," Taion said, still frowning as his fingers twitched. "We're practically being invited into Iota by the intel we've picked up from this lot. But why?"

"It is curious," Noah agreed as he looked up from making sure that Chelle's group weren't suffering any life-threatening injuries. "Definitely not what I'd expect from the vaunted tacticians of Iota…"

"Maybe they're aiming to have their Flame Clock destroyed," Lanz grunted as he gathered the squad together for easy collection.

Trent blinked and then slowly nodded, "I think Lanz has a point. By sending out these units, they make it look like they've put their all into taking us out, while putting out intel for us to gather. Then, when they're all defeated, we get the notice they're open for business and…"

"We smash their Flame Clock!" Sena cheered as she hefted her hammer, a grin on her face.

"Sounds like a plan to me," Eunie chimed in with a grin. "I'd love to give those Iota mudders some grief for messing with us like they were on our way here. 'Sides, they're inviting us, so it'd be rude not to take'em up on it."

"You actually want to spring a trap that could include an entire Colony bearing down on us?" Taion asked, befuddled by the prospect.

"Maybe we should have this discussion after dropping this group off at Lambda and securing a Levnis to whichever Colony's closer to Iota?" Noah suggested as he hoisted one of the unconscious Agnians onto his shoulder.

"Can't argue with that," Trent agreed as he hefted Chella under his arm like a sack of potatoes. "They could have a line open to someone at Iota and they're listening in."

"I don't think that's possible," Taion said with a shake of his head, watching as Lanz and Sena grabbed the last of the Agnians. "Iris communication requires active input from both sides, and to my knowledge deactivates if one party is unconscious."

"Well sure, but who says someone hasn't figured out a way round that?" Eunie asked as she cocked her head to the side, trailing behind Lanz and inspecting the injuries on his burden. "There's snuff like Ino runnin' around, and who knows what those City-folk've cooked up, yeah?"

"Mm, now that's something to consider," Trent agreed as he adjusted his grip on Chelle. "Given how they actually have a proper throughline and generational wells of knowledge and technology to build off, I wouldn't be surprised if they've made some cracked stuff. Hell, there's the Ouroboros-maker-thing as an example, alongside how they're keeping hidden from the Agnians, Kevesi, and Moebius."

He took a deep breath, and continued, "And before anyone asks, that means previous inventors, innovators, and creators leave their notes and whatnot for those who come after them. They use those to work on pushing things further."

"Oh right, and those next people were also made by those people…" Mio confirmed with a nod.

"Actually," Sena cut in with a frown on her face. "You've told us about how people make more people, and the mechanics of all that. But what actually makes people want to… you know, do all that with other people?"

Trent paused in his step, his mouth pulled into a thin line as he thought over the question. He tilted his head from side to side as he slowly answered, "That's… rather complicated, in all truth. There are a lot of factors behind romantic and sexual attraction, and there are also some people who don't want a partner, but want to have children. I won't get into the weeds of all that, but I'll get into the basics of sexual and romantic attraction."

After glancing forward to make sure there weren't any big things in his way that could trip him, sharp turns in the path, or animals, he continued, "Sexual attraction is the easiest to explain. You look at a person and see traits in them that you like in a… manner that you find appealing, that make you consider them attractive in a way that makes you want to engage them physically. To use an example based on the pictures I showed you guys last night, I find Brighid attractive because she's a tall, well formed woman, who is also calm and collected, in control. Things that I find attractive at first blush."

He took in the nods from the Ouroboros, most of them looking considerate of what he was saying. Luckily for him, Sena hadn't even considered that Trent was talking about one of her mothers in this speech. He knew that he'd be mortified if someone told him what they found attractive about his mother.

"Romantic attraction is a bit more complicated," Trent said as his head bobbed from side to side. "It uses the initial attraction you might have as a basis, alongside interacting with the person in question to develop. Over time, you become more and more attracted to them through continued interaction. Of course, it doesn't always work out - but that's just part of relationships." He caught the confused looks the Ouroboros gave him and shrugged.

"It's a simple truth, relationships don't always work out and that's fine," Trent explained as he readjusted his grip on Chelle again. "People drift apart, want different things from relationships, or slowly find that they don't get along in the long run. Those are all reasons relationships might end. There are worse reasons and worse ways for relationships to break down, but I'd rather focus on healthy things."

"So, relationships don't need to always last forever?" Noah asked with a thoughtful look on his face as he tried to roll his shoulders with the soldier over his shoulder.

Trent shrugged and replied, "No, they don't. There are people who believe in soulmates and that they only have a single partner out there who will complete them from a romantic angle and that those relationships should last till death or into eternity… but honestly, I can't agree with that. The idea that a person's only chance at true love is all tangled up in one other person, and can be lost simply because you walked on when you should have stopped to talk… that's just too sad."

Noah hummed in thought as he nodded, his face still pulled into a thoughtful mask. "But then… what do you do when you lose the person you love?"

"That's a bit more complicated and honestly one I don't have much experience in," Trent admitted as he offered the Ouroboros a sad smile. "People grieve, they mourn what they lost and what could have been, find support in their friends and family and ultimately… they accept what they lost and carry those precious memories in their hearts as they move on and hopefully find happiness again."

"Wait, so how much experience d'you actually have?" Eunie asked with a cocked eyebrow.

Trent inhaled and closed his eyes before he rolled them. He should have expected a question like that. "Most of my experiences were in the short term, and physical. Actual romantic stuff? Those've never worked out for me." He finished with a huff of wry laughter, "Even though I usually end up as the romantic sounding board in my friend groups."

"For real?" Lanz mumbled as he shared an incredulous look with Sena.

Mio chimed in, "I thought you would've had loads of experience given you've lived over twice as long as any Agnian or Kevesi."

"As those with affectations of worldliness might say: c'est la vie," Trent replied with a shrug, before realizing French was needlessly confusing in this case. "Such is life, I mean. I always was in the wrong place at the wrong time romantically. It happens."

"So you don't need to be in a relationship or anything to have value in society?" Taion asked as he looked at Trent with a measuring expression.

"Nope," Trent answered, popping the p sound and letting out a huff of amusement. "It's a purely personal thing. Not to mention everyone moves and develops at different paces, finds different ways to enrich their lives."

Trent paused and looked around at the Ouroboros, at Chelle under his arm, at Lambda's Ferronis cutting through the cascade below.

"At least, that's how things are supposed to be."

A sombre silence settled over them as they trudged back to Lambda; the Ouroboros contemplating what they'd been told while Trent quietly ruminated on Aionios again. He reached no new conclusions, no fresh insights, and nothing that helped the acidic feeling welling up in his gut.

When they arrived at the Colony and handed over their captives, the group was quick to requisition a Levnis to carry them to Colony Four. While Colonies Four and Thirty were about equidistant from Iota, the cliffs around Thirty made it harder for them to trek to Iota on foot. Within the Levnis, the group started to plan and strategize, none of them believing they could simply stroll into Iota.

"Most likely, Iota will know we're coming, given the set up they had," Taion started, his arms crossed and face crumpled in concentration. "More than that, they're one of the most well-prepared and organized Colonies, so we can expect significant resistance if this is simply a ploy to draw us in and entrap us."

"So, we need a way to disrupt their plans, or break through their ranks," Noah concluded as he looked around the Levnis.

"Well, that's where we need to consider what our options are," Trent said, leaning back in his seat with his eyes closed. "Based on the info we got from Lambda, they've got themselves situated in a really strategically strong place. They've got their backs to a sheer cliff, in the middle of a valley with three narrow paths that are either easy for them to block off or difficult to take advantage of."

"We could use our Ouroboros forms to make use of that last option," Taion noted, still frowning. "Although that would cut out you, Riku and Manana."

"We could use that, couldn't we?" Mio interjected. "Trent, Riku, and Manana could get their attention while we come in from the other side."

"Basically, we need to distract them," Trent hummed as he opened his eyes and leaned forward. "When we ran into them, the lass I faced seemed very… if not by the book, she's used to her processes and working by them. Being able to work around them or undermine those would be a good way to throw her off - even the music I was playing seemed to work against her."

"Oh! Manana could do dance, show off moves!" Manana cheered, a wing and arm thrust excitedly into the air.

Trent blinked, his head tilting to the side as he brought a hand to his chin and grinned. "You know what, Manana? I think you're onto something…"

{~}{~}

Alexandria grimaced as she marshalled the forces of Iota, briefly meeting Chickadee's eyes as her lieutenant darted by to keep the ranks at the ready. Chelle's squad had finally reported their defeat at the hands of the Ouroboros and their intel being passed along - but the Ouroboros were taking their sweet time getting to Iota. She'd passed along to Consul E that they would have the Ouroboros there, prime for capture soon and knew he would appear as soon as Iota's units registered they'd entered combat with their targets.

Of course, Alexandria could understand and appreciate them taking time to strategize their approach to Iota, but there wasn't much they could do. Iota had control of every possible approach, and the Ouroboros had no way to conceivably circumvent the barricade from the Elaice Highway and there was no easy way up the cliffs on the other side of the Colony. That alone left the long, winding choke point ridden valley.

Alexandria smothered the smile that tried to form on her face as she reflected on how she would force things to look like she had struggled against the Ouroboros before betraying E.

She forced her expression back into a steely mask as she looked over her troops, her eyes narrowing as she caught sight of lookout running into view.

"Ma'am! We've got eyes on… well, if it's the Ouroboros, it's only a small detachment of them!"

"What do you mean, soldier?" Alexandria called back, wearing the mask of the ideal commander. She needed to play her role perfectly.

"It's- It's only one person, and some Nopon!" the lookout called back, and Alexandria felt an overwhelming need to bite the inside of her cheek to keep her face blank.

Setting her shoulders, she swept an arm out dramatically. "Fine, prepare-"

A noise hit her ears and reverberated loudly through her skull as her Iris activated, and Alexandria wasn't able to suppress a wince that everyone in Iota shared. Music unlike the Offseer's flute slammed into their hearing, and at this point Alexandria couldn't keep the sneer off her face.

She knew this tactic, and it rankled her to her core.

She tried to ignore the blaring music that was sowing discord and confusion amongst her soldiers while reaffixing her mask, raising her voice as she tried to return order. "Warriors of Iota, stand firm, our foes approach!"

But it was lost amidst people clutching their ears and someone shouting through the Iris connection about shaking something.

Alexandria forced herself to the front of her troops, doing what she could to lead by example. She summoned her Blade and did everything she could to keep the snarl off her face as she caught sight of the trio that had been reported to her dancing -literally dancing- towards her and Iota.

"You."

The word exited her mouth before she could stop it, spat like a bullet from a rifle. The man she was glaring at returned her greeting with a grin even as he and his Nopon companions continued to dance and wiggle.

"Us," Trent confirmed as he gyrated his hips and thrust his arms out diagonally, a wide grin on his face.
Alexandria was about to cut him down when she realized there was another issue and turned her attention to the Nopons, who were shimmying and shaking - one with a gleeful expression and the other completely stone-faced. She cleared her throat to get their attention, and while the orange one ignored her, she could feel the eyes of the teal-furred one upon her. "It is forbidden for Nopon to engage in military actions on behalf of Keves or Agnus."

"Meh meh?" the teal one retorted as his wings crisscrossed in front of him and he continued to shuffle. "Riku and Manana not fighting Iota. Riku and Manana simply dancing."

Alexandria was about to protest, to call out how they were ruining her carefully laid out plan. She'd had contingencies in case the Ouroboros had tried something unorthodox, like crashing a Levnis into her forces or trying to use storage crates to sneak in - but this was just completely out of nowhere! Gritting her teeth, she ground out, "Then you deny this is a military assault on Iota."

"Only way Riku assaulting Iota is Iota's inability to dance," Riku replied as he doffed his hat and tossed it to Manana, all but flipping onto his head as he started to spin, his arms and wings out to keep him balanced.

Alexandria was about to scold the Nopon when a blade flashed through her view and she pulled back out of surprise. She narrowed her eyes at Trent and sniffed, "I was under the impression you weren't attacking my Colony."

"Riku and Manana aren't," lazily flipping the Monado-L in his grip, Trent parried Alexandria's blade as he corrected, "I am."

"You rabble rouser!" Alexandria growled as she moved into a series of moves that Brighid had described as ingrained in Blades with whip-swords. With that knowledge it was easy for Trent to cut through and keep inside her guard, an infuriating smirk on his face as she continued, "Do you have any idea what you've done? You've ruined my perfect plan!"

"Oh, honey," Trent crooned patronizingly as he pushed her back and away from Riku and Manana. "No plan survives contact with the enemy. And of course we know what we've done - life without knowledge is death in disguise, after all." He sang along with the song briefly, and all it did was make her even more furious.

Alexandria bit down a desire to shout at Trent, even as she silently agreed with that assertion. It was why she was grateful that E had given her leave to create the Collectopedia cards, which allowed her and Iota to not just realize the movements of the other Colonies, but puzzle out that the conflict between Agnus and Keves was being engineered for some reason. But at the same time, hearing it from this thorn in her side made her want to cut the smirk off his face.

The pair moved into the push and pull of battle, Alexandria leaning back on her training and the movements that came naturally to her while Trent pulled on the experience that Morag and Brighid had drilled into him. In its own way, it was a dance, even if Alexandria didn't want to engage with that thought and Trent was boogying on his own. The clash continued even as Iota got their heads in order and started circumventing the blaring music over their Irises and moved to start supporting Alexandria as the music changed.

"Where are the Ouroboros?" Alexandria pressed as she tried to take Trent off guard with an extending thrust. "What do you gain from this joke of an assault?"

"Control of the situation," Trent declared as Sweet crooned across the Irises and from his phone, letting his pace slow while knocking the blow aside. "Besides; you, the forces of Iota, even that Moebius…" he narrowed his eyes at the figure encased in maroon armour watching from just behind the backline.

"You're all right where we want you."

In time with the music, Trent declared, "And the man in the back said 'everyone attack!'"

On cue, the Ouroboros surged from the cliffs, Noah and Mio aiming right at the Flame Clock while the merged forms of Lanz and Sena, Eunie and Taion pounced on E.

Alexandria scowled at Trent, her mouth opening to reprimand him only for him to cut her off.

"Look at it this way: we really helped sell your act."

Forcing herself to take a deep breath, Alexandria came to a conclusion about him: he could be exceptionally infuriating.

Chapter Text

Chapter 22 - Broken

Despite how much they would have liked to help Alexandria and Iota reorient themselves fully after killing their Consul and destroying their Flame Clock, Trent and the Ouroboros had made like a banana and split, as they were on an unfortunately tight schedule. They'd given them a crash course akin to the other Colonies, although they'd apparently been somewhat prepared thanks to Iota's impeccable information gathering skills. They'd all but blitzed out of their Levnis in Lambda and charged out with shouted greetings and goodbyes before scaling the cliffs up and around the cascades, with their sole detour being a run-in with a dragon.

That had nettled Trent, if only because apparently dragons were native to the other world and not Alrest. They'd missed out on dragons! Although they did have dinosaurs on Alrest, which was great.

The entrance to the Maktha Wildwood had earned an almost hysterical laugh from Trent when he realized which part of Alrest had been fused into it, to the confusion of the Ouroboros. They'd shelved the matter for the sake of expediency, but Trent was getting really tired of ending up travelling to or through Chicago.

Much as Trent had wanted to be frustrated by the reappearance of Morytha, it actually helped their travels with the roads and walkways cutting through what should have been branch and root choked paths. The surprisingly good condition of the ancient walkways gave Trent some pause, as their condition had barely changed from his memory of the streets darkened by the Cloud Sea's umbra but there hadn't been time to dwell on it.

The revelation of the Annihilator had only spurred them onwards, and their later meeting with Bolearis had made them determined to detour into Keves Castle to take it offline.

They'd been quickly wrapped up in an odd encounter with Agnus' Colony Tau, but it hadn't been much of a diversion as they'd helped Juniper and smashed Tau's Flame Clock. They'd also learned how to channel ether to latch onto ropes and rails to grind on them without worrying about falling to their deaths. That had been an incredibly useful skill for traversing the more arboreal parts of the Wildwood, or where the gaps between buildings had been too large to jump.

Their trip had taken them briefly through Tirkin territory, and they'd mistakenly taken a short detour to the floor of the Wildwood, where the wildlife was vicious and the only water sources seemed to be lakes of poisonous purple liquid. They hadn't spent much time on the floor after catching sight of a number of oversized Gogols warring with a flight of dragons.

The group had eventually stopped in a carved out skyscraper, a good chunk of one corner of the building and the floors having fallen and crumbled inwards, although the damage was incredibly old from how greenery had grown over much of it. They set up their camp near the top floor, with a good view of the other half of the Wildwood across from them, they did their evening preparations with all the haste they could muster; not much at all. The lingering smell of the dinner Manana had prepared seemed to fill the night air as the Ouroboros broke into groups and Trent excused himself to look around Morytha.

Where Uraya had broken his heart, the ancient city just filled him with questions. While Uraya had been built from stone and wood, Morytha's metals gave him pause. But even Morytha's materials had to break down and rust at some point, especially after untold eons. Yet the only damage seemed to be from the Wildwood's growth, as if time had forgotten to touch the ancient metropolis. No rust, no metal fatigue, no built up stress fractures from failing infrastructure.

Trent picked up what he was fairly sure was a petrified chicken nugget, tossing it up and down in his hand as he wondered just why all this was.

Were the Moebius maintaining Morytha for some reason? Had they destroyed Uraya for a similar one?

The stone nugget bounced in Trent's palm as he frowned, now wondering if other symbols of the previous worlds had been destroyed or maintained.

Was the hulk of Argentum sitting in an ocean somewhere? Did Alba Cavanich yet stand? Had stony Tantal faced a demolition squad like Uraya?

His fingers snapped shut around the nugget as his stomach roiled and tried to rebel, his lips curling as he spun on his heel and snarled. His arm levered around and the stone went flying out into the chasm that would lead into the Wildwood's floor. He watched the stone careen and fall, not even having the decency to hang in the air for a moment.

His shoulders heaved and his heart thundered, every breath coming with a furious huff as he tried to put disparate pieces together in a puzzle that just didn't want to be solved. There were too many questions, too many things that didn't make sense, too many coincidences and not enough answers.

Trent wanted to shout in frustration, to stamp his feet or pull his hair, but shoved it all down. It wouldn't help, and he needed to keep moving forward, lest he slow the Ouroboros down. They needed to reach the City and link up with their forces properly - it would give them a location to work out of, alongside a proper support network built with the intention of opposing the Moebius.

He forced himself to take deep, calming breaths, counting as he inhaled and exhaled, his eyes closed despite the gloom of the night.

That was another thing that stuck with Trent, how the lack of the ether aurora had made the world so much darker. A part of him wondered if that was simply his status as a cityboy, or if it was something he'd grown to find comforting.

When he'd finally composed himself, he looked back over the chasm, hoping to use the view to centre himself. A flash of silver in distant foliage caught his eye and Trent frowned, narrowing his eyes and squinting as he tried to pick out the source. When he didn't see it again, he silently wondered if he'd caught sight of the City unit tracking them.

He didn't have much time to focus on that when he heard footsteps and hurried breaths approaching him, causing him to whirl around to the source. Running in his direction was Mio, her face flushed and screwed up in anger and something else, the barest hint of tears in the corners of her eyes. Trent's apprehensive stance dropped as his own worries shifted seamlessly to the back of his mind.

"Mio? Are you alright?"

She stopped short, her eyes opening as embarrassment crept up her face and her gaze darted around. Her shoulders fell as she realized that she had accidentally run into what was essentially a dead end with Trent. She took a deep breath and shook her head, like a child trying to use motion to hide their tears. "I-I just needed some space. You don't need to worry."

"Mio, you wouldn't be running if you just needed space," Trent pointed out softly, slowly stepping forward as he held his hands out.

"I just-" She paused to lick her lips and shake her head again, her ears flat against her skull. She turned her head down, and Trent could see a tear fall to the metal floor as she let out a hoarse whisper, "I barely have more than two months left."

Trent felt his insides grow cold at the words. He knew they were the truth, a fact that he was forced to live with as every day passed. It was part of why they had been hustling as hard as they were, why they pushed themselves so hard. A part of him knew that given the option, he'd have happily traded everything he had to give her more time.

"I know, and I hate it," Trent confirmed as he reached out and pulled her close, pressing her against him like the child she never got the chance to be. His voice fell into a whisper as he continued, "But that's why we're fighting so hard, struggling for each and every step so that we'll close this out and return every moment stolen from you with interest."

"I don't know if I can keep doing this…" Mio mumbled, her shoulders trembling despite Trent's attempts to soothe her. "Every morning I wake up and it feels like everything is just slipping away. Every night I look at my diary and I just see my life crumbling into nothing from the tick marks on it. And it just- I just- it always feels like every time we try to move forward something new pops up to distract us, and that I'm going to be gone before we achieve our goals."

Trent reached up and put his hand against the back of Mio's head, slowly rocking from side to side as he stroked her hair. He let out a sigh as he looked into the distance above her head, and replied, "And there's nothing wrong with you feeling that, Mio. You're facing not just your mortality, but how unfair it can be. Most people your age shouldn't face it like you have unless they've been involved in some sort of tragedy." Carefully, he squeezed, ready to release Mio if she protested, but when she didn't, he continued, "And that's why we're going to achieve everything we've set out to do, Mio. Because there's no chance we're going to fail in putting the world to rights before these two months are up."

He said it with a firm, unflinching belief, his resolve as firm as his grip on his granddaughter. Even if they didn't find a way to extend her lifespan by the time they dealt with the Moebius, it would presumably free Nia, Pyra, and Mythra. If the former couldn't do anything to help Mio, then he was sure the reality warping abilities of Pneuma could. He might not be a Master Driver anymore, but he knew that Joe would happily lend his power to help people.

Trent felt Mio's trembling slow and eventually stop as she relaxed, returning the hug with an unsure air. They stood quietly for a few moments before she pulled away, the only sign she had shed any tears was a hint of red around her eyes. She offered Trent a shaky smile as she took a step back. "Thanks. This, um, it helped, so um…"

She trailed off as started to turn away, and her smile brightened. "Thanks, really… gramps."

Trent felt his heart swell as he watched Mio go, eventually turning his gaze onto Keves Castle. It was a daunting, cyclopean edifice of black metal that loomed against the horizon like a monster. But no matter how intimidating it was, they would bust through it and take out the Annihilator.

More than that, Bolearis had said that the Kevesi Queen, Melia, had been there. Hopefully they'd find out if she was an imposter, a hostage, or something far worse.

{~}{~}

"Stop toying with everyone's lives!"

Mio's voice echoed as she glared at O and P, her shoulders heaving and fingers curled into fists after shouting at the Moebius. Behind them, Ethel and Cammuravi's Ferronises were locked together in an embrace that could almost be mistaken for romantic. She took a deep breath and continued, "These are people's lives you're talking about! You're treating them like toys and tools to play with and break as you want! We're our own sparking people!"

They had left their camping spot in Morytha early in the morning, after Noah and Mio had an early morning heart to heart where they had exchanged flutes. While Trent and the others hadn't meant to spy on the two, they had kind of just done it right near where they'd been camping out.

O and P started to guffaw, their shoulders quaking with mirth, earning yet more ire from the Ouroboros when Trent cut in, "They don't care, Mio. These Moebius… they're the sort of scum who have something fundamentally broken inside them, and rather than searching for a way to change their nature, to rise above that… They revel in it."

"Ah, you… the one that Lord Z wanted brought to him," P noted as she turned slightly to look at him. "Should you surrender now, we'll be gracious and not punish you for speaking out against us."

"See?" Trent remarked as he shook his head. "They don't even care to address what you said, Mio. They don't have a drop of empathy in them for anyone they don't see when they look in a mirror."

O cut in with a huff, his arms crossed as he puffed himself up. "Your answer, wastrel?"

"Oh, neat, I got updated to wastrel," Trent noted to the Ouroboros, before turning his attention back to the Moebius. "And I'll pass. Like I told the last one who offered, I don't negotiate with Power Rangers villains."

"Negotiations have broken down, P," O noted as he rolled his shoulders and uncrossed his arms. His gloved fingers twitching and cracking as he widened his stance. "The Ouroboros are nothing more than upjumped whelps, but Lord Z's target might prove a distraction while we dispose of them."

P scoffed as her form rippled and grew, taking on her monstrous Moebius form, one hand on her exaggerated hip and the other held up. In her palm, something gleamed a gradient of red and green between her claws. "Let's simply use the thing Y offered us. He did say it would fight and die for us."

"Well, as long as it doesn't kill him before we can," O rumbled in agreement as he also took his Moebius form, somehow growing even wider as a pair of horns jut from his head as it became a parody of a bull's.

Trent drew the Monado-L as the Ouroboros pulled out their own weapons and shifted towards their Interlink partners, determination and indignant fury in their eyes. P closed her fingers around the object in her palm, and light flared from between her fingers as she rolled her hand to drop it.

"A Core Crystal?!" Trent hollered in confusion as his eyes went wide.

The light continued to flare as it took on a humanoid shape, feminine but lacking most defining traits or even facial features. Its body was gunmetal in colour, and the sole things that helped make it unique from a silhouette were the crystals that matched the colouration of the Core Crystal it had sprung from. They were jutting from the centre of its chest and growing along what would have been its collarbone and in a line down from its elbows to its knuckles. Rather than hair, it had a hard shelf of crystal in the shape of it. What could only be its weapon appeared in its right hand, a long sword that looked like it had been hewn from the same crystal growing from its body.

"Kids, you take on the Moebius, I'll take care of the Blade!" Trent instructed as he darted towards the strange Blade, a grimace on his face. The Blade was odd and clearly not properly awakened, although Trent wondered if he could chalk it up to being awoken by Moebius or if it was due to this Y Moebius who had handed the Core Crystal to O and P.

The Monado-L carved through the air, but was met by an upwards stroke from the crystal sword, the Blade tilting its head so the sword passed over it.

Trent pulled back and to the side as the Blade slid forward, thrusting into the air where he had been. The sword chased him as he darted in, ether flowing through his body as he drove his fist into the Blade's face although it didn't seem to react.

The duelling pair were forced apart as the ground shook, the Interlinked forms of the Ouroboros clashing with that of O and P. The sight of the Interlinked Moebius earned a sneer of disgust from Trent thanks to its grotesque appearance and proportions.

He didn't have time to focus on that as the Blade's ether-wreathed sword cut through the air where his face would have been, Trent having ducked to avoid the attack. He wore a frown as he studied the wisps of smoky ether floating off his foe's sword.

Trent let inky black ether cover the Monado-L as he lashed out, releasing a wave of annihilation only for the Blade to jump over it.

A shrill sound filled the air, but neither of them paid it any mind as they continued to duel, Trent out of practised ease and the Blade didn't even seem to register it.

Trent continued to frown as they fought, his mind stuck on the smoky ether the Blade seemed to use. It seemed like it was more raw ether than any sort of elementally aligned variety, but that didn't make sense as it would have just been a brilliant blue rather than smoky. It was almost like the Blade was trying and failing to wield an element.

They kept clashing, only for the ground to shudder and tilt, forcing Trent to look away from his opponent to the others. The Moebius were glowing furiously as darkness wrapped around them, scrambling as the small slip of land they were on fell away from the cliff, clearly due to Mio and Noah severing it. Even as the Blade got to its feet and charged Trent, the falling Moebius were wrapped in the darkness of an Annihilation Event, disappearing into nothingness.

The Blade disappeared in a similar manner, folding into the Core Crystal it had been awakened from, which slapped into Trent before falling to the ground. He frowned as he tried to figure out what had happened to O and P, but put it aside to pick up the Core Crystal and inspecting it. It was smaller than the average Core Crystal and had an odd gradient colouration, it was also misshapen and lumpy - more like a sucked on jawbreaker.

"Now what the Hell is this?"

Chapter Text

Chapter 23 - It Brings On Many Changes

Trent wasn't sure whether or not he should scream, sigh, or cry.

They had managed to reach the area around Keves Castle, and while Trent had gone down the first metal rail to ensure it was safe, they'd heard a commotion pick up - the clear sound of combat. The Ouroboros had gone to investigate the sound, and told Trent to catch up if he found a way back to where they were. While he hadn't, he did find an outlook that would be a good place to build a rail back to the mainland, and contented himself with that before checking the path forward and making sure the rail to the next floating island wasn't sabotaged.

He adjusted some skewers over the fire he was sitting next to as he swallowed a sigh. He really would have rather that he went with the Ouroboros, but there he was, sitting by a fire, cooking Balgas skewers. At least he knew the kids would reach him soon, the sounds of combat had faded almost an hour ago.

His campfire cooking definitely wouldn't be as good as Manana's, but it would at least help fill them up after their most recent misadventure.

Lanz was the first to join him by the fire, the others following shortly and collapsing to the ground around it. Trent eyed them and the newest tears and scorch marks on their clothing, but didn't mention it as he plucked a skewer off the fire and grunted, "It's got nothing on what Manana might make, but it's food."

"Trent-Trent did best with available ingredients," Manana said with a reassuring smile, a skewer being rotated by one wing as she inspected it. "And was correct to make num nums now, if Ashy right about best time for break-in."

Trent looked around at the Ouroboros, who were at varying points through their snacks, and Noah quickly swallowed his mouthful. Aware of Trent's unasked question, he explained, "Manana meant Ashera, the Commander of Colony Eleven, which…" he trailed off sheepishly, and eventually finished. "…well, it's the colony we just liberated."

"Makes sense, I suppose," Trent hummed with a nod. "But what about the last part?"

"On the other side of the floating reefs," Taion started as he adjusted his glasses, "there's a midpoint where the castle receives supplies. According to Ashera and her lieutenants, it's most lightly patrolled during the predawn hours of the morning. We can use the gaps in the patrols to sneak into containers and be carried into the castle like that."

"Which why small num nums over long time better for operation!" Manana cheered with a wink while she struck a pose, the entire thing marred by the fact that she was actively eating the skewer.

"Travel through the night and then post up until our opening?" Trent asked as he cleaned his skewer of meat. He wanted to grimace at the bland taste, but couldn't work up the energy to do so - he knew he wasn't anywhere near Jin, Manana, or even Mik's level. "I guess this is pretty similar to a stakeout."

"That a type of operation or something?" Lanz asked with a frown, pausing before he could take a bite.

"Yeah," Trent confirmed as he tossed his skewer into the fire. "Basic gist is that you end up sitting outside a location, watching it and the people who come and go. Sometimes it ends with you heading in, other times it ends with you just leaving."

"A fat lot of hurry up and wait," Eunie grunted as she slowly picked away at her skewer, a glower on her face. "Always loved that."

"The joys of being military," Trent said in commiseration as he shook his head. While Torna had effectively been a penal unit under Morag due to the various actual crimes they'd perpetrated, Trent didn't fit under that umbrella. Instead, he'd been provisionally given the rank of inquisitor, once more under Morag's command.

"Right, you're a soldier too!" Sena remarked, looking up from her bare skewer, which she'd been studying. "It's easy to forget, since you don't mention it much, and you sure aren't dressed for it."

"I'd bring up the fact that I was on leave when I got bubbled, but I don't think you kids have an equivalent," Trent pointed out with a sigh. "And believe me, if you saw me in uniform, you'd be in stitches."

"What was wrong with it?" Mio asked as she deposited her skewer in the fire.

"It didn't suit me at all," Trent answered plainly. "Morag looked killer in it, Me? I looked totally out of place." He shook his head and laughed, "I don't know how she managed to rock jodhpurs, but she did. I could only really work the coat and hat, and even then not like her. Would've loved to have my coat with me though, it had a bunch of handy pockets and stuff."

"Can never go wrong with more pockets," Lanz agreed with a grin, flipping open his coat to reveal the various pockets sewn into its interior as well as the ones on his cargo pants.

"I'll agree to that," Trent grunted as he stood up and stretched, rolling his shoulders and cracking his back as he started to kick dirt on the fire. "But we should probably start heading for our staging grounds, yeah?"

There was a general rumble of agreement as the others tossed their cleaned skewers in the firepit and then helped package the remaining meat for Manana to use later. They slowly started moving through the floating reefs, all of them keeping their eyes peeled for any Kevesi patrols. Noah and Mio took up the front while Trent held down the rear. In the end, he was rather surprised when Eunie drifted back to walk beside him.

She had a conflicted expression on her face, her arms crossed as she kept her gaze forward. Eventually, she spoke, "You, uh… you know a lot about people right?"

"Less that and more I've got a lot more experience than you and the other Ouroboros," Trent answered as he rolled his head to the side. "What's up, Eunie?"

"Back in Colony Eleven, yeah? We ended up fighting with their Commander, Ashera, and she was…" Eunie trailed off as her expression shifted again, somewhere between wistful and pained. "A lot. But even after all that tosh, she just…" she paused again, and while Trent could've interrupted or finished for her, he let her work it out. "She just didn't want to live? She wanted to die? And I just… I hated it. The way she fights… it's like she's trying to get killed."

Trent inhaled sharply and managed to turn it into a deep one as he considered what to say, memories dredged and digging into his stomach like old splinters. "I can't blame you for that, Eunie." His start was slow as he let the words fall from his mouth, eyes cast now at the ground in front of them and the footprints of the others. He was surprised there wasn't a tremor to his voice as he continued, "Finding out something like that is terrifying. Especially when you know them. I… I can only hope you were able to help them, or least give them support."

"I just… dunno how," Eunie replied as she frowned thunderously. "I basically beat it into her head that if she was gonna try'n fight herself to death, she'd need to take me with her and that I'd do my best to force her to carry on, but…"

"But it's hard, and you don't have a definite answer, a way to help as much as you want to," Trent finished with a slow nod. "The best you can do is be there and help her as much as you can. You encourage her, you help when she asks, and try to get her to focus on living rather than dying."

Eunie took a deep breath as her shoulders slumped, and she let out a grunt, "Sounds a lot easier than it feels."

Trent matched her with a sigh.

"That's because it's a lot harder than it sounds."

A part of him wondered if his decision to temporarily cut ties with Pyra, Mythra, and Joe had been a mistake, another act of cruelty to be counted amid the many they'd done to each other. Had they gotten the support they needed after the entire affair? Pyra had seemed mostly alright when he'd met her in Torigoth, but what about Joe and Mythra? Had they ended up isolating themselves again and the others had to force them to look outside themselves, or had they been able to properly reach out?

He let out another sigh as he shook his head.

They really had been a collection of messes, at the end.

{~}{~}

The sun was just threatening to break over the horizon when they had managed to get into their positions, having slunk past a number of patrols that included some frankly massive robots. If they hadn't been menacing them, Trent might have been in awe of the Kevesi mechs and their designs. Instead, they shuffled through the shadows and clung to the dark as they made their way to the small yard of supply containers. Standing in the heavy shadows cast by the aisles of containers, they were huddled close as they checked the containers.

Noah gave a nod as he very gently tapped a container. "This section should take us into the Castle's storage area when they bring the next shipment in."

"We're going to need to move quickly," Mio noted as she measured the containers with her eyes. "And they're too small to fit more than one person, except for Riku and Manana."

"Once we're inside, we'll need to move quickly too," Taion said as he checked down the aisles for patrols. "If they catch us inside the containers, we'll have almost no chance to fight properly."

"I hear ya," Lanz grunted as he watched Taion for his reaction.

When the bespectacled young man waved his hand, they quickly moved into the aisle. With careful but swift movements, they opened containers and slid into them, usually with the others outside closing the container. First was Sena then Taion, followed by Mio and Lanz, then Eunie and Noah. Finally, Trent opened a container and helped Riku and Manana into it, earning a nod from the former and a smile from the latter as he closed the container. With them squared away, he moved down the line to the next container and popped it open, pulling Jin's nodachi off his back to slide it in before grimacing as he folded himself into it so he could close it behind himself.

The interior of the container was dark and cramped thanks to its other contents, boxes of some unknown material jabbing into Trent from uncomfortable angles. Despite the claustrophobic environs and things poking into him, Trent found himself growing drowsy. Grumbling to himself, he started to bite the inside of his cheeks to keep from drifting asleep.

Time passed in a confusing way, with Trent unsure of how long he'd been inside the container when he finally felt it get picked up and moved. He did his best to hold still as his hands balled in the fabric of his pants, swallowing any noise as the movement caused the contents to shift and jab him in new and unpleasant ways. The first trip was short, and Trent assumed it was just the containers being put on another transport to be moved into the castle. The second trip was longer, and caused him to wonder if there was a specific route the transport needed to take, or if the castle's storage room was just deeper in the castle than they'd expected. When they finally stopped and he felt the container he was hidden in being deposited, he held his breath and counted to one hundred. As he finished his countdown, he slowly and gently started to open the container, listening for any guards or castle staff. Hearing none, he carefully opened the container and pulled himself out.

Trent blinked in confusion at the relatively small storage room he found himself standing in, only a few other containers matching those that they had hidden in. Urgently, he checked each of them, only to click his tongue in worry.

He had ended up in a different part of the castle, seemingly isolated from the Ouroboros.

"This… is a difficult situation," he muttered to himself as he reached into the container and pulled Jin's nodachi out, slinging it across his back before patting himself down to ensure none of Torna's weapons had fallen off him during transport. Closing the container, he surveyed the storeroom before inching towards the door as he considered his situation.

The Annihilator was towards the apex of the castle, so he needed to get up there to deal with it. He wasn't sure where he was in the castle, but he was fairly sure that he hadn't travelled too far vertically - thus, he should probably find the castle's exterior first to measure how high he'd have to climb, before finding or cutting a path. Decision made, Trent slunk out of the storeroom and blinked as he realized he seemed to have ended up in a kitchen from the ovens and other cooking utensils that a few people were darting between. Watching the pattern they moved in, he used a window to slide between their lines of sight, and out the door that had been left ajar.

The halls of Keves Castle were as stark as its exterior, a harsh metal that seemed to drink in the blue lighting from ether lamps rather than reflecting it well. Patrols also seemed to be few and far between as Trent skulked through the almost silent part of the castle he was in, and they seemed to mostly be made up of pairs of extremely relaxed soldiers. It took Trent a good while to find a massive hall that led to the exterior, and when he did, he clicked his tongue as he caught sight of the sun drenched cityscape - a few hours had already passed since the start of the operation. The city itself looked almost like a more rustic version of Alba Cavanich, though there didn't seem to be a soul in sight, either inhabiting it or patrolling it.

Briefly stepping outside the castle, Trent used the opportunity to look up and measure the distance he had to go. It was an unfortunately long trip from the look of it. Swallowing a sigh, he crept back into Keves Castle, eyes peeled for any guards.

Luckily, none showed up as he canvassed the hall, finding only a single exit from it in the form of an elevator. He was tempted to just tunnel through the walls, but knew that would just attract more attention. Trent let out a sigh as he slid into the elevator and scrutinised the controls, realizing there were only buttons for up and down. Pulling free the Monado-L, he tapped the up button and braced himself for anything. The ride itself was smooth as it carried him up and up, through a tube that put Trent's teeth on edge.

When it came to a stop, Trent found himself in a long hall that led upwards to another, just as long hall that earned a sigh from him. He just wanted to find his way to the Annihilator, but he had no idea where he was relative to it now. His only option was to follow the hall, which opened up into a massive atrium, water circulating through the floor. Trent looked around, catching sight of a massive window that gave him no good sense of how high or low he was in the castle. It looked like there were a few exits through the aqueducts, as well as an empty throne at the far end of the hall.

Swallowing and hoping he stayed undetected, he walked up to the throne, a massive metal edifice that looked a bit like it had a black metal flower behind the seat. He let out a sigh as he noted a passage behind the throne, and walked around it to step through.

His breath caught in his throat as he looked around at the walls.

Coffins – or perhaps cradles lined them, filled with a liquid Trent couldn't identify and children in every stage of development from fetuses to preteens. Realization came quickly and easily as he took them in, his hands balling into fists as his lips curled.

Keves Castle was the birthplace of every Kevesi soldier, as they were churned out from tubes like toy soldiers from green plastic moulds. It perfectly explained why they knew nothing of birth or early childhood, why they considered themselves ten years old even when they were physically twenty.

There was no leadership to be found in Castle Keves, just a factory to feed the war Moebius was pantomiming through Keves and Agnus.

Chapter Text

Chapter 24 - In Another Castle

Trent was tempted to stop and study each and every cradle, look for faces that he might recognize– He discarded the thought. As much as he wanted to look for Ethel, he didn't know how much time he had to find the Ouroboros and help deal with the Annihilator. Turning his gaze beyond the cradles, there sat an elevator that clearly led further into the castle. He walked towards it with clear purpose, only to pause when he entered the hall and caught sight of a door with a large red seal on its face.

Trent frowned at the sigil as he studied it, taking in the smooth arches and swooping lines that made up the shape. He looked down at his hand as he remembered Alrest, and how he and Joe had been able to bypass seals left behind by Addam and the like. Taking a deep breath, he reached out and pressed his hand flat against the sigil. For a long few moments, the seal held firm before the colour slowly washed out and then faded entirely.

The door slid open and Trent blinked at what laid within.

It was a bedroom. A fancy one, but a bedroom all the same with a canopy bed, an armoire, and a desk.

"Who dares-"

There was also a woman in a black gown, that was embellished with metal that was either bluish black or bright silver, as well as blue wing decorations. Her arms were wrapped in black gloves that matched her gown. Her hair was silver and two strands fell down her front to wrap up into ringlets. Her face was hidden by a mask that was porcelain white and crosshatched over her features, which had their places highlighted by cobalt, while the brow and up was made of a stark black metal. Finally, a pair of white feathered wings jutted from her head, marking her as being of the same people as Eunie.

The woman froze, her voice having cut off less like a person would and more like a recording being paused. Trent's eyes narrowed at her, and after a moment, she seemed to relax.

"Apologies, taking control of this terminal is difficult," she continued, still not moving. Her form slack and still to the point that she seemed to not even be breathing.

Trent's hand hovered his hand over the hilt of the Monado-L as he stared down the woman, ready to either dart backwards or forwards. "What do you mean by that?"

"I am not physically present," the woman answered. "This body is an automaton, built by the Moebius to impersonate me and control Keves."

Trent nodded very slowly, but he still kept his hand over the hilt of his weapon. "Okay. Robot Queen, got it. Hate to be rude, but mind if I ask your name?"

"It is a pleasure to meet you, Trent Blackmore," she started, causing Trent to flinch and drop his hand onto the hilt of the Monado-L. "I am Melia Antiqua, Queen of Keves. In the previous world, I was Empress of Alcamoth, and of the High Entia– of the united people of the Mechonis and Bionis, really."

"How the Hell do you know my name?" Trent asked, frowning furiously at the Melia-bot.

Melia laughed through the robot, and the stillness of its frame sent a chill down his spine. "From images that Nia shared with me, as well as stories that Johan and Alphonse told me. You are… rather distinctive thanks to all the Blade weapons you carry."

"That- Yeah, that's fair," Trent conceded as he considered the number of weapons he was carrying. He stood straighter and let his hand fall from the hilt of the Monado-L, but his expression stayed in a suspicious cast. "You know Alphonse and Johan, then?"

"Indeed," Melia confirmed, warmth and pride filling her voice. "The two of them are treasured friends and companions, with whom I fought to save my people and world."

"Yeah, that- that sounds about right, given what Klaus let us hear," Trent said with a slow nod. "Are they- Were they okay? Before all of this started?"

"They were doing quite well, honing their skills, hobbies and enriching their lives before the Intersection," Melia answered.

As Trent filed that information away, he asked, "The Intersection… is that what you call what led to all this?"

"It's the name of the event, yes. The collision of our two worlds, which were held separate by that thing called the Conduit," Melia explained succinctly. "And technically, it's still ongoing. The state of the world is incorrect; as things are trying to mash together when they shouldn't, Origin failed to work properly and has trapped us in Aionios alongside the Moebius rather than smoothing the process and keeping anyone from dying as our worlds fused."

"Okay, I got most of that, although I'm not sure what Origin is," Trent replied with another slow nod.

The robot remained motionless, and Trent only now noticed that its jaw didn't even move behind the mask as Melia spoke, making him wonder if it even had one. "Origin was a computer built on both Alrest and my world, connected across metaphysical planes and different dimensional domains. It was based on the systems of Alvis' Core Crystal, but we were unable to make it anywhere near as minute, which is why it's so massive."

"I'm sorry, but I don't know who this Alvis is? And honestly, I can't say I'm surprised that trying to recreate a Core Crystal as a full computer caused it to balloon in size, because they were only as small as they were due to the nature of the materials," Trent replied with a frown of thought. He then brightened as he added, "And hey, I'm impressed your world had someone who could keep up with our Tora!"

"Our Shulk is indeed an amazing engineer and scientist," Melia responded, sounding wistful and nostalgic. Then her voice shifted to a more neutral tone as she continued, "As for Alvis… I believe you would know their siblings as Malos, Mythra, and Pyra."

"Oh, he's part of the Trinity Processor," Trent said in realization, his eyes going wide as he put the pieces together. "Wait, based on what Klaus said, they're supercomputers compared to Core Crystals, which are already supercomputers. If that was expanded out… the resulting machine would be massive! Easily the size of a building, if not larger!"

"Well, yes… Origin itself is easily large enough to house a large city, although with all its systems active, Shulk and Tora said it could conceivably distort space within itself to house far more," Melia explained. "Have you not seen it? Before I was captured and imprisoned within it, it hung in the air above Aionios, as its halves did on our respective worlds."

"The only massive feature I've noticed in the sky is the Great Sword, which the Ouroboros and I are heading for," Trent replied with a shake of his head as he moved to lean against one of the walls near the entrance.

"Ouroboros? Ah yes, Queen Nia had mentioned something along those lines." Melia sounded distant, as if she had murmured that supposition under her breath rather than meaning to say it aloud. She didn't address that as she continued, "That is… surprising. It was stationary over the Cent-Omnia Region before my capture, if that gives you context?"

"Never heard of it," Trent said without missing a beat.

"This is rather distressing news, given that it was a very large region. I would suggest looking into it," Melia responded, her voice growing tense as she spoke.

"Are you alright?" Trent wondered, frowning in confusion and worry at the change.

"Yes, I'm simply feeling the exertion of maintaining control of the automaton for so long," Melia replied, her tone once more relaxed and unforced. "However, we should probably hasten our conversation, so that you might leave before I need to relinquish control to the automaton and it reports your presence to the Moebius."

"Sounds like a plan. So, do you know where you are?" Trent asked as he straightened up, knowing now that he'd probably need to leave the room quickly.

"Me? I am currently imprisoned within Origin," Melia answered candidally, sounding almost amused at the question. "I would recommend finding Queen Nia before trying to rescue me, if she hasn't been captured. Although… Yes, it might be possible if it's you…"

"If it's me?" Trent pressed with a frown, putting finding Origin hire on his mental list of priorities.

"You carry a Monado, which allows for great manipulation of the world," Melia explained, nostalgia creeping into her voice. "Although, I'm unsure as to how much can be done without Malos present… I believe that this will be one of our best chances to undo Aionios."

Trent's frown deepened at Melia's words, thinking back on his own experience wielding Pneuma at her fullest extent – as amazingly powerful as her abilities were, they had been limited. And that was weighing that against the fact that he didn't know if Malos had ever fully actualized as Logos and tapped into that power.

Pushing the thought aside, Trent just nodded and said, "Alright then. Added some priorities to the list, I'll work with the Ouroboros on getting that sorted and settled. But, I do need to get moving, help them destroy the Annihilator."

Melia didn't say anything to that initially, but after a few seconds, she spoke. "In that case, I offer you my best wishes, and wish you the best of luck in your endeavours. I look forward to meeting you in person, Trent Blackmore."

"Same to you, your highness. And hang in there," Trent replied with a nod of his head as he started back towards the door.

An explosion ripped through the air, the castle shaking beneath Trent and making him reach out to brace himself against the nearest wall. He looked up at Melia, and she dryly remarked, "I dare say they've started without you."

"They might even have finished without me, based on that explosion and quake," Trent retorted as he straightened up and moved to the door again. "Based on the direction of the sound, they're on the other side of the throne room from where I came in… I'll head down there and see if I can find them or a way to them."

As Trent stepped out, he heard Melia let out a hum that was turned into a blast of static. "Ah, the impetuousness of youth…"

The massive door slid shut behind him, and Trent ran down the hall without checking whether the door had been resealed or not. He didn't know how the kids were, but he did know that the current situation was a bit difficult for all of them. He forced himself to ignore the cradles as he charged into the throne room, and he swung his head around to look for other exits - only to find nothing. Trent ran to the front of the room and pressed his face against the massive window, blinking as he realized the ring that had been around the castle had disappeared, presumably from the earlier explosion.

It was then that he registered the sound of water again.

His eyes widened as he darted over to the railing and took in the water below, he measured its depth as best he could then hoisted himself over the railing. Trent winced as he landed, the water being nowhere near as deep as he'd expected, so it sent a jolt up his feet and legs. He immediately started sloshing through the sluice –deciding he had no time to regret ignoring the stairs leading into the water–, looking for large grates and eventually noting two on either side of the room - one from the side he'd come from, and the other apparently leading to the other side. The most curious thing he noticed was that it seemed to be flowing from the other side of the room towards the side of the castle he'd explored.

In front of the grate that seemed to lead down from the throne room, Trent reached into his pockets and rifled through them, wincing as he pulled out a penny and dropped it into the flow. The copper coin disappeared down through the grate and out of sight, pulled away by the current. Nodding to himself, Trent whipped out the Monado-L and cut through the grate, pulling it out and putting it to the side for an escape route.

He strode down the chute, one hand pressed against the wall to keep himself steady between the incline and the pull of the water. Unfortunately for Trent, he was not wearing his best footwear for such endeavours and lost his footing, sliding off his feet and forcing him to take a panicked breath before he hit the water and down the chute. He fought against the current forcing himself to surface as his hands waved to try and catch on the sides of the chute — only succeeding in jamming his fingers.

When he finally managed to come to a stop at a small level area, he forced himself to his feet and let out a hacking cough. He shuddered and grumbled with annoyance as he flipped out the Calamity Scythe and used it to heal his fingers, flexing them to ensure they were ready for use before flipping it away. Looking up the chute, he released a heavy sigh as he realized that it had probably been too steep for him to try walking down.

Or up, in most cases. But most people weren't Trent and didn't have access to Malos' power.

With a grimace, he drew the Monado-L and slid the hilt between his teeth, gripping it between them as he focused the dark, corroding ether around his hands. He stomped up to the incline and dug his hands into the metal on the side, using it to hold himself up as he slowly climbed the chute.

All while desperately ignoring Malos' voice in his head. "You know, I'd normally only let Jin get me that deep in his mouth."

With every angry beat of his heart Trent retorted around the handle. "Shut the fuck up, Malos, I don't need to hear about you playing hide the pickle with Jin." Or at least he tried to say that, but it came out muffled and garbled.

"He's said that exact thing too, I'm glad you like my length!" Malos laughed in Trent's mind, making him want to spit the sword out of his mouth. Only the distant sounds of combat kept him from doing so, and instead focusing on the climb.

As much as Trent wanted to pick up speed, the slippery floor made it clear that he really wasn't wearing the right footwear for the job. Instead he did everything he could to keep a steady pace, using the wall to drag himself up the chute. Hopefully the Ouroboros were just fighting some guards rather than the Melia-bot. Or if they were fighting the Melia-bot, it went down easily.

Finally reaching the top of the chute, Trent was happy to spit the Monado-L out and grab it properly. He ignored the fact that it was slick with his spit as he took in the sounds of the clash on the raised part of the throne room.

The Mondo whipped around the area, shielding the Ouroboros from blasts of fire, ice, and lightning that the Melia-bot launched at them, seemingly pulling the elements from the ether. A shimmering shield of blue honeycomb sat in front of her to protect her from the barrage being launched at her by both Lanz and Eunie. Trent was about to charge in when he realized there was another person standing next to the Melia-bot.

The figure was of average height, and at first blush, the cascade of long dark hair that fell around their head and upper body gave them an androgynous look. Their lithe form was clad in Moebius armour that was gold rather than the usual red, a bright red 'X' across their chest, and a golden domino mask obscuring the top of their face. In their offhand was a large sword that set Trent's teeth on edge, and filled him with nostalgia despite never having laid eyes upon it.

It was only as Sena's attack collapsed the automaton's shield that Trent's mind put the pieces together, his stomach dropping out as he charged forward. The automaton short circuited explosively and the figure stepped forward, laughing in a familiar if twisted voice. He explained almost gleefully about the nature of the Melia-bot, kicking its now unresponsive chassis away as he moved into an iai stance.

"And there you are… the pebble that Z is so sure will divert the flow."

His words were almost low as he was forced to block Trent's attack, the blades of their weapons resonating as they clashed. They locked eyes and Trent couldn't help but feel sick as he looked into his foe's lustreless, dispassionate gaze. He recognized the look in those eyes all too well, which only turned his stomach further.

Trent needed to get the Ouroboros out of there. Dark, devouring ether flared between their weapons as Trent shifted his sword to keep the lock with his foe.

"Kids, get out of here! From the way I came! I broke open a water chute!"

He didn't hear them reply, as a voice loudly called out over a PA system that Trent couldn't locate. "The Lost Numbers are attacking!"

There was crashing and the tinkling of shattered glass behind Trent even as his foe clicked his tongue and jumped back into his iai stance. The roar of wind fought with the sound of numerous engines, only to be defeated by the rattling of gunfire as bullets cascaded around Trent, clearly aiming at his foe. The Moebius had pulled free a thin sword that was almost a match for Noah's Lucky Seven, except somehow more wickedly shaped, and was rapidly swinging it to deflect the bullets.

Trent used the opportunity to pull back, even as the Ouroboros shouted to each other about recognizing the make of the bulky, cargo plane-esque Levnises that had crashed into the throne room. They were jettisoning small, autonomous robots that looked like chicken-walkers with guns strapped to them like arms, and were firing upon the Moebius present even as a number of the Levnises flew deeper into the room to pick up columns of cradles.

"Kids, we need to go!" Trent repeated, ushering the Ouroboros down towards the chute he had prepared. A few of them glanced back to look at the Moebius, unsure and confused by them, but they moved without a word after more prodding.

Despite the almost waterslide-esque escape, no one was feeling particularly cheery in the wake of their landing in a pool below Keves Castle, near the border of the Cadensia Region.

Above them, dominating the skyline, the Great Sword loomed like the Sword of Damocles.

Chapter Text

Chapter 25 - We Built This City

They ran up the sunbaked hills leading towards Cadensia, unsure as to how far was truly far enough until they were nearly in a canyon that seemed to be carved by the Great Sword itself. They let the sun dry their clothes as they moved, letting its heat chase away the chill as they ran. Trent could hear Sena and Lanz quietly discussing something amongst themselves as they moved towards the massive mechanical blade, Taion complaining to Mio, Noah, and the Nopons about the entire mess that the operation had become. From the corner of his eye he noted Eunie slowly walking backwards, her expression twisted in something that was torn between loss and weariness as she took in the massive pillar of smoke rising from the castle.

"No time left for castles and queens, I guess…"

"What do you mean?" he asked as he slowed to join her, silently going over what he had learned from Melia in order to present it properly to the Ouroboros.

"I… I guess it's just time we stopped really… putting stock in Keves Castle, and the Queen, y'know?" Eunie answered after a bit of trouble, shaking her head as she twisted on her heel and kicked a stone away. "We're not bound to the rules and illusion they turned out to be." She kicked the stone again, and her face twisted further as she muttered, "Can't rightly put it, just… feels dumb to put all the stock in them I used to."

Trent let out a hum of thought as he considered just what Eunie was saying. Much like a child, she had seen behind the curtain of the authority — the adults she put stock in held up, and realized that they were fallible. Even when she had become Ouroboros and fallen outside the order of Keves, Eunie had still sworn by the Queen in various ways. In many ways, the Queens looked to be the central figures of the religions of Keves and Agnus but at the same time, it felt wrong to attribute that sense to Eunie.

"You weren't dumb, Eunie," Trent said as he walked beside her, his hands feeling useless as his fingers worked on empty air. "You were taught from your first day on this planet that they were infallible and could never do wrong by you. You were thrust into a life where you were forced to confront the fact that it was all a lie, and you aren't wrong to be wrestling with that."

"D'you know what it's like, then?" Eunie grunted as she shoved her hands in the pockets of her jacket.

Trent opened his mouth and then stopped.

He could tell her about how in the world he knew, all children eventually learned that their parents weren't the monoliths they initially perceived them as, but instead just people - as flawed as anyone else. But that wasn't the right thing to do here. It was too distant, it would… if he heard it, he'd think the person was just humouring or talking down to him.

"The first time I realized my parents were fallible was when they got into an argument with my brother," Trent started as he took a deep breath, an old memory resurfacing in his mind's eye.

It wasn't perfect, but he could still remember so much of the old house on the other side of the downtown core. The creak of the wooden stairs up to the porch and how empty it always looked, the way the hinges of both the glass and wooden doors would whine. The front hall, with the little seat nook next to the closet and the way the radiator would smell during the winter.

He could place them all with his mind's eye, his brother's form in the hall near the door, and his parents near the entrance to the kitchen. In the shadows above, near the top of the stairs was the image of his child self.

Trent let out the breath as the memory, tarnished by time played out in his mind. "I don't even remember what it was about, I just remember- well, there's no need to get into the argument itself," he decided as he banished the memory and continued, "But what always stuck with me is what happened afterwards, when they finally calmed my brother down and he stopped threatening to run away… my mother broke down in tears and my father wasn't far behind as they spoke quietly, wondering what they had done, what they could do to keep it from repeating and as lost as I had felt the entire time. For the first time in my life, my parents looked as small and vulnerable as little eight year old me felt."

Idly, Trent noticed more greenery appearing on the ground as he and Eunie took up the back of the group, the dry heat of the badlands turning into a draining humidity as their surroundings became more and more tropical. The distant droning of insects filled the air as more and more colour seeped into the vegetation sprouting around them, the smell of wooden trails coming to mind for Trent. Animal cries and the trilling of birds filtered in over the buzzing of insects as the ground shifted from hard baked dirt to looser sandy ground.

"Eight, that's… how big'd that be?" Eunie wondered as her hands shifted in front of her, trying to measure.

"Small, I… guess the best way to put it is that it's two terms short of a first termer," Trent answered, then let out a bit of a laugh. "Probably shorter than you're thinking, too. I was really short as a kid."

Eunie swallowed, her jaw working as she nodded slowly. "Man, that sounds small as snuff… smaller than Joran, even…" she mumbled, her fingers working the fringe of her jacket. She took a deep breath as she glanced over her shoulder at Keves Castle.

"I used to dream about getting the colony to gold rank. After- after we lost Joran, I mean," she started, her feet dragging slightly and kicking up small plumes of dirt and grass. "I figured that if we got to gold rank then we wouldn't have to fight anymore, we'd get to just… man the castle. That the Queen would be there, and she'd congratulate me-us, we'd be able to eat as much as we want, we'd have comfy beds and not have to worry about our tents flooding or the ground turning to muck and collapsing it on us… She'd notice that we have similar plumage, and help me with preening rather than having some random fifth termer in the medic corps shout at me because I've got no idea what I'm doing and I've accidentally pulled out a feather and am bleeding everywhere!" By the end of her speech, Eunie was shaking with her hands having balled in the fringe of her jacket as she stared at the ground furiously.

"I just- I always thought the Queen would be someone beyond the usual rules, you know? That- that no matter what, she'd be able to just… sweep away all the pain."

"Oh Eunie," Trent murmured as he bumped his shoulder lightly against hers.

The child soldiers of Aionios might not have had any sort of concept of family or parents, but it was clear from the way that Eunie was talking that she had mentally put the Queen of Keves on a similar pedestal. As a child, she had created an image of an ideal life that this distant but recognizable figure could offer her, one where she had been special and cared for. It was much like how some children dreamed of being princes or princesses, just without the context.

It reminded Trent of what they were fighting for. Not just for Mio's, Melia's, and the world's sake, but so that children would be allowed to dream about being princesses, musicians, doctors, or anything under the sun.

He didn't say anything as Eunie let out a low sniff, getting her emotions in order as she tried to deal with them subtly. None of the other Ouroboros said anything either, even though he knew Eunie had spoken loud enough for them to hear.

{~}{~}

The area of Cadensia they were walking through was quite scenic, and reminded Trent a lot of Uraya's guts due to the wildlife looking to be mostly insectile or marine animals that were able to fly for some reason. Saffronias and other luminescent plants lighting the shadows cast by the massive walls apparently cut by the Great Sword. Despite the ground rapidly turning sandy and light, there was an abundance of plantlife shooting up not just from the ground, but growing up the walls of the canyon. The canyon itself seemed to curl through earth like a crack around some dropped object, which made sense when one considered the Great Sword— it was enough to make Trent wonder if the other canyons and valleys were similar.

The group had followed the natural curvature of the canyon, skirting around a few of the ponds that had gathered on the edges of it. Eventually they reached a relative straitway to the Great Sword, the massive edifice rising high into the sky. It was a construct that Trent only had two real comparisons to in his experience; Radhamanthus and the CN Tower. The former was so massively taller than the Great Sword that it was almost laughable, while the latter was a distant memory that he couldn't properly call upon for a decent comparison.

As they stepped towards the gradual incline that led up to the Great Sword, Mio stopped in place with her ears twitching. The rest of the group stopped to stand in line with her as she looked around and declared, "I'm hearing something… out of place."

With those words, the air instantly changed and they shifted to stand in a circle with their backs inwards. They didn't pull out their weapons, but they got into ready stances as their eyes darted around. Soon, a rumbling filled the air as the group tried to find the source, and Lanz called out something Trent couldn't parse. A pair of the cargo plane-esque Levnises appeared, some form of camouflage flickering away as they descended to the ground and released a ramp. Soldiers in armour that reminded Trent of SWAT gear filed out of them and around them as the Ouroboros pulled out their weapons, Trent dropping his hand to the hilt of the Monado-L.

Eunie muttered to herself as she eyed the soldiers, and Noah remarked, "These soldiers… they're the ones that attacked the castle."

"No question," Taion agreed as he prepared to launch a wave of Mondo. Lanz just let out a scoff as he eyed the soldier nearest him.

"But what does that mean for us?"

Suddenly, the soldiers seemed to relax slightly, and a woman's voice cut through the tense atmosphere. "Sheathe your weapons. We're not looking for a fight."

Trent couldn't help but blink at the accent, as it sounded Australian to his ear. Noah just blinked as he lowered his weapon, and muttered, "What the…"

One soldier let out a muffled snort as he crossed his arms. "Don't worry too much. We're also fighting the Moebius."

"There are others standing against Moebius?!" Taion exclaimed while Eunie let out a squawk of confusion.

"That's right," the woman who had spoken confirmed as she strode into view. She was clad in simple, but clearly well made clothing with leather armour and what looked like pockets for inserts, as well as armour on her arms and legs. She definitely had significant musculature, but somehow maintained a curvy frame, her hair a dark brown and an eyepatch over her left eye. She was also definitely older than any Kevesi or Agnian soldier, as the wrinkles around her mouth stood out as she offered the entire group a smile. "The name's Monica. Monica Vandham."

Trent could practically hear the breath fly from the lungs of the Ouroboros, even as Monica continued, "The man who entrusted Ouroboros to you… I'm his daughter."

The Ouroboros looked between each other, and Noah tried to speak, "Guernica's… daughter…"

"That's right," Monica confirmed with a nod. "You kids're headed for the City, yeah?"

"Wha—Why do you know that?" Mio exclaimed with a frown as she tensed.

Monica let out a chuckle. "It's our base of operations, of course he'd send you to us." Before anyone could say anything, she looked to someone who had slunk up behind her and nodded, "Shania, you take point."

Shania, a short lass who looked to be around the age of the Ouroboros with her light brown hair up in twintails and an eyepatch over her right eye, nodded. Despite her ascent, she had a clear look of annoyance on her face as she answered, "Yeah, all right." With that declaration, she walked into the middle of the circle and stood before the Ouroboros, her visible eye trailing over them as she instructed, "Keep up." With that said, she spun on her heel and started walking.

The Ouroboros and Trent shared a number of looks, but ultimately decided to stow their weapons and followed after her. They walked out of the circle without any resistance as the soldiers spread out and the Levnises disappeared again.

As they reached Monica, she turned and offered the Ouroboros a set of eyepatches. "Before we actually lead you to the City, you six'll need to wear these." The Ouroboros took the items to inspect them, but didn't put them on, prompting Monica to continue, "They're the same as the ones we got. If you put'em over the eye with your Iris in it, it'll keep Moebius from tracking you."

That was enough to convince the Ouroboros, which was understandable to Trent. Still, he spoke up, "What, not worried about me?"

"No sir," Monica replied even as the soldiers seemed to straighten. "We know you don't have an Iris." She then looked over the now eyepatched Ouroboros and nodded, "Thanks for cooperating. Now, I know we've told you where we stand, I know it likely didn't win us your trust. So, treat me as a prisoner or a hostage until we get to the City."

"That doesn't sound right, darlin…" Eunie remarked even as Noah let out a noise of confusion.

Monica just shrugged, "Don't want a prisoner? Fair enough, just consider me an escort then. And if we get in a fight… well, there's no one better with a mace in all the Lost Numbers." She finished that with what was clearly supposed to be a wink, but it fell flat on her current audience. Deciding there was no point pushing things, she just nodded at Shania, who returned it as she started walking.

The trip itself was brisk as Shania basically ran down the route, with the Ouroboros group and Monica trailing after her. There was little time to study their surroundings as she led them right up to the monolithic sword, its face looking more like a building than any sort of weapon. Sena let out a nervous hum as she asked, "Um, isn't this a dead end?"

"Just watch," Monica chuckled as Shania walked right up to the face, and it slid open on some unseen mechanism, much to the shock of the Ouroboros and Manana.

"That's a door alright!" Eunie exclaimed, earning another laugh from Monica.

"It leads into the Great Sword, the City's right through it, basically," Monica remarked, earning a frown from Trent as he tried to measure the entire structure mentally.

The Ouroboros paused to speak quietly about something, Trent heard Ethel's name, but it was put to stop as Shania cut in, "You guys done? Good. Let's move it."

She walked into the sword, the passage looking like a sand-choked conduit rather than a hall. There were strings of lights strung up over the walkways, alongside gears and other such mechanical parts peeking out of the sand. There were what looked to be massive pistons cutting through a shallow pond that had sprung from somewhere, as well as other bits of massive machinery.

Someone let out an utterance of awe, and Monica chortled, "Save some of that, you'll need it in a bit."

They were led deeper into what looked like a naturally formed cave, the sound of water growing greater as the floor turned to metal grating as the cave was filled with containers and what looked to be a port below them. Shania waved for them to follow her as turned away from that and headed into what at first appeared to be a recessed room. Upon stepping inside, it was quickly revealed to be an elevator as the door closed.

The ride itself wasn't smooth, as the cabin jostled and shook around them, but whatever inertial dampeners were present kept Trent from guessing how fast they were actually rising. When they finally reached the top, the Ouroboros all but burst out to look off the edge of the Great Sword.

Lanz let out a hearty laugh as he stretched, "I never thought I'd ever get this high up, even after all those rails we rode!"

"And this view… That's Agnus Castle!" Mio noted as she stared down at the world below.

"It's breathtaking," Taion agreed stoically, and Trent couldn't disagree, although for different reasons. He recognized the islands dotting the sea below, the shape of the Leftherian Titans slamming into his gut like a thrown hammer.

Before he could say anything, Shania cut in. "Can you save the observations for later?" When Trent and the Ouroboros turned to look at her, she just nodded and instructed, "C'mon."

They followed after Shania as she once more started nearly running, but Trent was still able to note a few similarities that the Great Sword's exterior had to its interior. Massive mechanisms dotted it and thrust from it, but they were clearly all made for some purpose—even if they had long since lost it. They crossed a bridge that had clearly been a part of the Great Sword's initial construction, and murmurs erupted from the Ouroboros about how offputting the height was for them.

As Shania led them up a ramp and into another passage, Sena let out a grumble, "Eurgh, I'm getting a headache…"

"Don't worry about it, it's part of the altitude change. Give it some time and it'll subside," Monica advised as she walked beside them through the hall, a distant sunbeam illuminating the portal. Beyond the portal was another ramp that led gently up to a green metal edifice that looked newer than the rest of the Great Sword, with two soldiers and a pair of robots guarding an entrance set in it. The hall Shania led them into was much smaller and more cramped than the rest of the Great Sword, with more frequent lighting and pipes running along the walls.

Once they reached a certain point, Monica and Shania moved in unison to pull their eyepatches off, and the former remarked, "You can take your patches off now. Everything at this point is fully shielded from Moebius."

"Y-you're sure about that?" Noah asked in confusion while looking at the others for support.

Monica smirked, "They'd have invaded already if they knew where we are. We're safe in here, you have my word."

"It makes sense," Taion said as he crossed his arms. "There's a reason they haven't discovered or unveiled the City thus far."

"You got that right," Monica confirmed, her tone growing solemn as her expression twisted. "This place is our last redoubt, and our sole haven in the world." She let out a bitter snort as she shook her head, "And as soon as we step outside, Moebius're all over us, like a granny's awful wool Christmas sweater." When she received blank looks from all the Ouroboros at her comparison, she cleared her throat and finished, "Just… don't forget your eyepatches when you're out and about, or the Moebius'll jump you right-quick."

"Heard, loud and clear," Noah replied as he took a moment to lock eyes with all of his fellow Ouroboros. "We'll remember."

"Glad to hear it," Monica remarked as she and Shania started down the rest of the hall, leading the Ouroboros as they shucked their eyepatches.

This hallway led to a new vista, which was a balm to Trent's heart, as they were overlooking a genuine city. There were clear residential and commercial areas, what must have been hundreds of people bustling to and fro, even a park. Hell, there were neon signs advertising businesses. Trent heard Taion advising the Ouroboros to remain vigilant, but he could barely pay attention as the energy of a city seeped into his bones like a revitalizing aura. They were ushered along soon enough, with the Ouroboros talking with each other about how huge the City was and its people, even as Shania led them to what was clearly the main thoroughfare. The walk was uncomfortable as the populace paused to stare and mutter about the Ouroboros, worried about them originating from Keves and Agnus.

As they reached a central area, a voice called out, "So… you're the Ouroboros then?"

A quintet of people strode out, mean mugging at the Ouroboros as they approached. They were clearly soldiers based on the armour they wore over their clothes, as well as their stances. The group was made up of three men and two women, and they had sullen expressions on their faces as they pushed into the Ouroboros' space.

"You've got what, one or two years left? Some hope you lot are." One of the men, a blond, stepped forward as he sneered, "Dunno why Vandham wasted that power on you… What was he thinking?"

"What's your problem?" Taion retorted as he put his hands on his hips. "Mind your manners!"

Trent swallowed a snort of amusement at Taion's reaction, but decided not to immediately step in. He didn't know who this quintet was, or their deal. If things turned violent… well, even without him, the Ouroboros could probably handle it without him.

"Let me introduce you."

Rather than any of the quintet speaking, Monica finished, "These were our Ouroboros candidates. They trained relentlessly to fight against Moebius… Each and every one of them." She then nodded to Shania, who had paused in her position at the fore of the group. "That includes Shania, y'know."

Shania wordlessly turned her head away, clearly signalling that she wasn't getting involved.

Instead, Noah asked, "Candidates?"

Another of the candidates, a brunet with longer hair, leaned forward as he heckled, "You happy? That you stole Ouroboros from us?"

There was a tensing from the Ouroboros themselves, but Monica cut in again. "Enough of that. Whatever the reason, the old man chose 'em. And they've already cut down a good number of Moebius already. Doesn't matter what we say at this point: they're the real thing." She then nodded at Shania again and continued, "And I've no doubt you've heard Shania's reports on them too."

"Reports?" Taion parroted, "What reports?"

"We've had Shania monitoring your actions with extreme scrutiny," Monica exclaimed. "Ever since the valley you all met my dad in."

"Even back then?!" Sena exclaimed, earning a proud huff from Shania, although the latter didn't say anything else.

"We've got a common goal, a unified cause," Monica finished, as if Sena's outburst was handled by Shania. Her words held a finality to them, but she decided to add one last thing. "And if you've got a problem, I'm sure the Queen'd love to hear it."

There was a jolt from the Ouroboros at the term, and Trent's hands curled into fists at the reminder that someone he might know was quite likely nearby. Still, that seemed to cow the candidates, and their apparent leader stuttered, "M-Miss Vandham… Uh… All right then."

The quintet trooped away, but not before taking a few moments to glare over their shoulders at the Ouroboros. Monica just let out a sigh, "Forgive them, they're not a bad lot, just… Frustrated."

The group shared wry looks as Eunie summed up the meeting with a scoff, "That was awkward as all ash…"

Before anyone else could get a word in, Shania was already leading them onwards, forcing the group to quicken their pace. Trent, rather than maintain his position, slowed down so he was walking beside Monica.

"You knew they would be there."

His words were far more accusatory than his tone, but Monica weathered it with a shrug. "Better to let all that out in a place it could be controlled and handled smartly, rather than allowed to boil over and cause an incident."

"Maybe," Trent grunted as he noticed Mio's ears turned perked up and probably listening in on the conversation. He took a deep breath and continued, "But you should've warned them first. Back when I started with the Ardainians, I caught flack for stuff, and while Morag and I handled it similarly, she made sure I knew what we were doing."

"There wasn't really any time to tell them," Monica replied as her head fell to the side.

Trent scoffed as Shania led them towards a small area with a decent amount of greenery and what was clearly marked as a hospital. "You had that entire walk here, on top of that elevator ride."

"Well, I can't argue that," Monica agreed as Shania came to a stop outside the hospital and fixed her sullen mask upon her. The older woman let out a sigh and moved to the front of the group, once there she said, "Right, we've got a bit of an orientation for you lot from Keves and Agnus, SOP and all that. If you'll follow me into the hospital, we can get that settled. Mister Blackmore, if you could follow Shania a bit more? The Queen wants to meet you."

It was at that point that Trent realized he had never introduced himself to Monica or Shania, but that both of them were clearly familiar with him—or at least his appearance. He considered the best way to handle the situation, then slowly nodded as he checked the Ouroboros, who were giving him mutely worried looks. "It'll be fine. If they start any trouble, kids, we'll get as loud as we need to."

"Sounds like my kind of plan," Lanz laughed boisterously as he slammed his fists together, his mood buoying the others and getting most of them to chuckle.

They turned to leave, although Taion paused to murmur, "be careful" before heading into the hospital. Monica offered Trent a respectful nod, but didn't say anything as she led them into the facility.

Trent couldn't stop the worry bubbling in his stomach, but knew there was no time to focus on it as Shania had already started moving. If she had been moving briskly before, now she was almost running as they moved towards the park Trent had seen from the entrance. Trent also noticed that it wasn't just the Ouroboros that had been drawing attention, although it seemed to be different from the whispers that had followed them. Where they had been met with accusatory tones and suspicious looks, he could only call what he saw awe.

Luckily for Trent, they reached their destination in short order, a hall built into the promenade surrounding the park, recessed but brightly lit from what he could see from the outside. The park itself was also, surprisingly or not, empty at that time, presumably for the meeting—but Trent wouldn't call it an ugly park, as it had well maintained grass, plenty of trees and bushes, a number of paths, at least one fountain, and a jungle gym for kids.

Shania had stopped at the entrance to the hall, and when she noticed him stopping as well, she jerked her head at it and grunted, "She'll meet you in there."

"Right," Trent replied as he took a deep breath to steel himself, then turned to thank Shania. Except she was already walking away. Seeing no other way to respond, he called out, "Shania! Thank you!"

She didn't turn and say anything, but she did pause in her march.

Trent decided to call that a win.

Turning back to the hall, Trent felt his breath rush from his chest as he stepped into it, finding a warmly lit, circular room with a fountain in its centre. Opposite the entrance, there was another yawning portal leading deeper in, but Trent decided to inspect the circular room—or rather, the statues ringing its edge.

They were six in total, each depicting a young person. They all looked to have been cast in bronze that had been untouched by the ages, allowing the youthful looks of the originals to shine through. Unlike Trent's expectation, the group was made up of four ladies and two men, rather than three and three like the Ouroboros had been.

Two Trent couldn't recognize at all, two of them were familiar but not in any way Trent could identify, and the last two stopped Trent dead.

The two Trent was unable to identify were the founders of Houses Ortiz and Reid, a man and a woman respectively known as Nikol and Panacea. The two that struck him as familiar but difficult to place were the founders of the Vandham and Doyle Houses, a brother and sister duo called Matthew and Na'el. The final two, and the two that gave Trent true pause, were the founders of Houses Cassini and Rhodes.

Linka's statue gleamed in the warm light of the hall, and Trent couldn't help the surge of warmth in his gut. He knew that Zeke and Pandoria would've been so proud to know the legacy their daughter had left behind, to know that she fought for the safety and happiness of so many others.

The statue of the founder of House Rhodes, however, caused Trent to frown in confusion. For all intents and purposes, it appeared to be of Patroka, except her face was split with a wide grin that caused her to squint. But it was the plaque beneath the statue that answered Trent's unasked question—it was dedicated to Tomo Rhodes, an Agnian who had been freed from the tyranny of the Flame Clock.

Slowly, he reached back and let his hand rest on the Cobra Bardiche. He felt Patroka's icy annoyance, but met it with a quiet inquiry, "Patroka, you had a daughter?"

There was a pause, and Trent could feel a mournful pulse echo through the ether connection they were sharing. Then Patroka answered, 'Yes. Tomo.'

"She helped found a city, here in Aionios. Started a family that's growing strong to this day," Trent told Patroka, and not even the dour Flesh-Eater was able to hide the surge of pride she felt at that.

Silence echoed from Patroka for a moment, and then she sent back, 'Thank you.'

Deciding not to push his luck, Trent took his hand off the Cobra Bardiche and set his sights on the inner chamber, wondering just what lay within. If the previous chamber had given him pause, then this one stole his breath away.

While the layout was the same, a fountain in the centre and six statues ringing the edge of the room, Trent recognized half the people whose statues were enshrined in it. Statues of Joe, Mythra and Rex were on one side, calling them grand titles like 'Stone Will', 'Lightspeed', and 'Stoutheart'.

When he reached the other side of the room, he was first met with a statue of an unfamiliar man with long hair and a plaque that called him 'Godcleaver' Shulk. The next statue was of a man in what looked like a comfortable gi, standing confidently with his arms crossed. It was only when he read the plaque that realization struck him.

'Godbreaker' Alphonse.

It was a statue of one of his friends from Earth, a statue of someone else who'd grown old thanks to not being around Nia. Happiness warred with melancholy even as Trent realized who the last statue most likely was. When he moved to check the plaque beneath the statue of the grimly clothed man, he let out a sigh.

'Godsunderer' Johan.

"I just keep missing you guys, don't I?" He wondered to himself as he took in the statues of his friends from halcyon days.

He was about to turn and return to the entrance of the hall when the sound of heels on the metal flooring of the city met his ears, freezing him for some reason. An unnameable trepidation crawled down his spine as he tried to force himself to move, to look upon this so-called Queen.

The footsteps came to stop about two metres from him, he could tell, but still he couldn't bring himself to look. There was a deep inhale from her, and then she spoke in a voice that Trent had feared he would hear.

"Hello, Trent."

It was like that greeting broke some unspoken spell, and he turned to face the Queen of the Lost Numbers.

"Hello, Pyra."

Chapter Text

Chapter 26 - Heartbeat

Trent had no idea how he had expected to feel when he met Pyra again. He'd feared he would baulk and be afraid, that he'd freeze up or try to run. Instead he just felt extremely self-conscious.

While he had been able to clean himself at the various colonies they had stopped in, his clothing was dirty and tattered. More than that, he hadn't even changed from the clothes he was wearing when they'd last met.

Pyra, on the other hand, looked almost immaculate.

She wasn't wearing her skimpy top and short-shorts, instead clad in a cream blouse and a long, evergreen skirt that complimented her hair. She looked comfortable and nearly shining in comparison to how scruffy he felt.

He was unsure how much time had passed when he finally managed to speak, "You, um, you look good."

"Thank you." The answer left her without even a thought, as if she was answering by rote. As soon as it left her mouth, she let out a chuckle, "You look like you've been through Hell."

"I feel a bit like it too," Trent replied, as he swallowed and let himself relax. For some reason, even though it had only been a few weeks since he'd last seen her and felt panic grip his heart, it all seemed so much easier.

There wasn't fear, but there was trepidation. There was an anxiety, but it wasn't nauseating or poisonous.

Maybe, Trent considered, it would work out.

"Pyra," he started, as the walls finally started to crumble and he let the solid foundation he tried to keep an iron grip on loose. "Can I give you a hug?"

She blinked, then smiled as she opened her arms. "If you want to."

Trent swept forward and pulled her into a tight embrace, his hands balling against the fabric of her sweater. He could feel his entire frame shaking as he held her close, warmth like a lazily burning hearth suffusing him as they clung to each other. She stood like an anchor, holding him from falling to pieces as his body shook and decompressed, his breath coming out in ragged bursts.

It was the first thing he truly knew he had needed when he met someone from his previous life: a hug.

As real as Mio and Sena had proven to be; as real as Eunie, Taion, Noah, and Lanz doubtlessly were… They weren't people he had an existing connection with, they weren't people he knew before Aionios.

With an anchor gripped in his arms, he finally let go.

His eyes prickled and felt uncomfortably warm as tears finally escaped him, his shoulders shaking as a whine built up in the back of his throat. He almost froze when he felt one of Pyra's hands move comfortingly up his back and murmured, "Oh, you've really been through it, haven't you?"

"N-not as much— as much as you, or Rex, Joe, Mythra, and everyone," Trent replied, his tone wet and thick as his voice fought against him.

"Maybe, but we had time," Pyra said soothingly, continuing to rub his back. "We've had time to live and breathe, to learn about Aionios and its functions. You were basically thrown into all this a month ago—a month full of battle and constant travel."

Trent let out a watery noise that was an attempt at a laugh, but it came out far too choked to be recognized as one. "I'm so fucking tired, Pyra. I—" He cut off with a shuddering honk of a noise, and after swallowing managed to continue, "The kids didn't know anything. My heart just kept breaking. I don't— I don't know how I managed to get to this point. Fonsa Myma's essentially been carved out of existence but Chicago's fine!" He couldn't help the bile and rage that filled his throat and guts.

"I know, I know how hard it is," she murmured as she gently led him to one of the benches in front of the fountain and sat them down on it. "I've been here for over a thousand years, you know?"

The words weren't spoken reproachfully, as if trying to put Trent down, but with a dry weariness that caused a laugh to bubble out of his throat at how preposterous it sounded. His grip on Pyra loosened and he chuckled, "Th-that's awful. I shouldn't laugh, but I just…"

"It's alright," Pyra remarked warmly as she loosened her own embrace. "I'm just trying to say that I get the experience. So cry your heart out if you need to — I'll be right here for as long as you need me."

"Thank you," he said as he swallowed thickly and retightened the hug he had on Pyra, letting the emotions flow through him. For her part, Pyra just let him cry on her, slowly rocking from side to side and fighting to keep a smile off her face. As much as she had wanted to see Trent properly again and speak with him, it would be gauche to let him cry on her while smiling like she was enjoying his pain.

They sat on the bench for what felt like an hour as Trent cried himself out, eventually just sitting quietly in each other's embrace. When he was finally ready Trent released Pyra and stood up, pulling away and out of her grip almost brusquely as his cheeks flushed against the tear tracks leading from his eyes. He sniffled and took a moment to rub his hand beneath his nose and across his mouth, and remarked, "I- sorry about that, I just… needed to let it all out."

"You don't need to apologize," Pyra hummed in a chiding tone as she stood up and reached out to gently rub her thumb under one of Trent's eyes, wiping away one last stray tear. "I've dealt with a lot worse than someone I c–know crying on me over the years."

"How bad?" Trent asked, and regretted it for a moment when Pyra winced.

She let out a nervous laugh when she recovered and answered, "I think, if we're going to talk about that, I'd need some alcohol in me."

"That bad?" Trent wondered as he rolled his shoulders and tried to unwind the tenseness in them.

"Not exactly bad, just…" Pyra trailed off as she considered her words carefully. "Deeply, deeply awkward."

"Well now I'm curious," Trent admitted with a small smile of his own. It was a refreshing feeling, being able to smile at Pyra or just the thought of spending time with her. Perhaps that was the thing he hadn't truly put together: what he feared wasn't Pyra, but the potential she had to hurt him.

"Again, you'll need to wine and dine me to get that story," she declared with a shake of her head. Before Trent could say anything, his stomach let out an audible gurgle which earned a laugh from Pyra. "Sounds like we should at least get some food."

"I- sorry about that," Trent said awkwardly as he reached up to scratch the back of his neck. "Haven't had time to eat since early this morning."

"It's alright, and honestly, it gives me a good reason to bring you to the place where we'll be meeting the Ouroboros," Pyra replied as she stepped towards the entrance to the hall, pausing only to wait for him.

Trent blinked at the declaration, and wondered, "You planned on meeting them too?"

"Of course I did!" Pyra retorted with faux shock, a hand falling on her chest. "I am the leader of the Lost Numbers, even if I do delegate through the heads of the Six Families."

Trent nodded as he walked alongside her, and took a deep breath. It would be awkward, but he needed to make something clear. "Pyra… you should know that I've told them about… about how messed up things ended up between us."

"Oh," Pyra hummed as she paused in midstep, then nodded resolutely as she continued. "I can accept that. I might have to earn their trust, but that's fine. I know I made my mistakes, and I need to show them I'm better than I was. It'll be a bit like a rerun of Nia, Brighid, and Morag."

"Wait, what do you mean by that?" Trent asked as they moved into the other hall, his eyes wide with confusion.

The redhead shrugged as they walked around the fountain, waving to a dinner plate sized turtle that Trent had to do a double take at. Pyra let out a sigh, "Well… I won't say it was some massive thing, but… things were awkward between them and I for a while. We had to work it out, and we did."

"Alright then," Trent said with a nod, understanding that it was something she didn't want to get into at the moment. Deciding not to pry as they left the hall and stepped into the park, he asked, "Was that Turters?"

"It was!" Pyra confirmed as she led him up the stairs and back towards the main thoroughfare. "He's something of a mascot."

"What a lad," Trent murmured in awe as he shook his head. Turters was a true stalwart in his eyes.

Pyra led him to a large building on what was the main road—the one that he and the Ouroboros had travelled down earlier. The building itself hadn't initially stood out, but with time to actually study it, Trent saw that it was a restaurant with a large open plan floor and massive doors to allow for the area around it to act as a patio. While the tables and chairs were clearly utilitarian in make, they were laid out for both ease of traversal and in a somewhat pleasing appearance.

As they stepped into the building itself, Pyra raised a hand and called out, "We'll be taking one of the large tables—we're expecting at least eight more!"

"Of course, ma'am!" came a reply from the kitchen, a large man peeking out to give her a salute and a cheeky wink. "I'll have someone come around with some refreshers!"

"Thank you, Dawson," Pyra called back as she took a seat at the head of one of the tables, a long piece of metal with ten chairs in total arrayed around it. "Welcome to Michiba's Canteen, the best casual eatery here in the City."

"Casual?" Trent asked as he tried to ignore the feeling of eyes on him and the distant murmurs of onlookers. As much as he had tried to put it down that people recognized him due to the Ouroboros, he had heard someone refer to him as the Redeemer of Torna in an awestruck tone.

"There's a few formal restaurants," Pyra answered as she let her head tilt to the side.

That caused a prolonged silence between them, and it felt like a creeping dread to Trent, if only because he could hear people talking about him outside the restaurant. Clearing his throat, he asked, "So… how'd you end up in charge of the City?"

"That's a bit of a long story, but we probably have time if the Ouroboros are getting the full battery at the hospital…" Pyra hummed and tapped her chin in thought. "I guess the first place I'd need to start is that this is the second iteration of the City. The first having been razed by Moebius."

Trent's teeth grit at that revelation, but he put it aside as he wondered, "When was this?"

"About one thousand years ago, give or take a decade," Pyra answered almost blithely, the scope of time nearly bowling Trent over as a young man with a shaved head and a plethora of piercings stopped by to deliver a pair of glasses, a decanter of water, and a basket of breadsticks. The waiter managed to keep professional, although his gaze did linger on Trent for a moment. Pyra handily ignored the waiter except for a smile and a muttered thanks before she continued, "At the time, I was a part of a group called the Liberators alongside Mythra, Joe, Rex, Linka, and our counterparts from the Bionis and the Mechonis: Shulk, Alphonse, Johan, and Panacea. We were working out of what was the original Colony Nine, from before the Intersection."

"Huh, never heard of it, where is it?" Trent wondered with a raised eyebrow as he poured both Pyra and himself a glass of water.

"Gone," Pyra said shortly, her eyes closed as she shook her head. "It was destroyed when Origin dropped on the Cent-Omnia Region and sank it."

"Wha- the Cent-Omnia Region sank? Origin fell on it?" Trent interrupted incredulously, his eyes wide and mouth going dry.

"I- yes, it did. At the end of the incident that led to the creation of the second City," Pyra replied with a blink. "But… you know about the Cent-Omnia Region? And Origin? I figured I would've needed to explain them to you."

"I ended up having a one-on-one conversation with Melia through her robot doppelganger, she gave me a brief explanation," Trent explained with an awkward chuckle.

Pyra blinked again and nodded slowly. "I'll admit, I hadn't expected that, but I suppose I should have expected that she would be able to exert some control over the Queen-robot."

From there, she moved into a story about the Liberators, how they had been fighting Moebius and working to free soldiers via cradle-snatching as they hadn't had access to Ouroboros. That had changed when a seemingly corrupted version of Ontos, calling themself Alpha, had appeared and threatened both sides and caused them to call a truce. The tale meandered to them finding one of the few survivors of the first City, Matthew Vandham, a pair of soldiers—one Agnian and one Kevesi, Tomo and Nikol—that he had freed, and finally, A—one half of Ontos, bearing their humanity, memories, and emotions. From there, it moved into a story of helping find other survivors of the City and discovering that Alpha was using Matthew's sister as a host in a perversion of Driver and Blade symbiosis. The journey had led them up a mountainside that was a mash up of Tantal and a place from the Mechonis and Bionis called the Prison Island, to the place where they had a duel with the one who had butchered the first City: Moebius N.

After explaining that yes, it was the same N that Trent and the Ouroboros had encountered, Pyra moved on to what had been relayed to her about what happened afterwards. Within Origin, they found an idyllic version of Morytha—rather, Chicago or the Rhadamanthus Authority—before the end of the world's history as Earth. There they had found Na'el and visions of a number of children—children whose lives had already been lost, but recorded within Origin. But even that illusion cracked, and as an entire group, they faced Alpha with a resonance between Matthew's gauntlets and N's sword allowing for the birth of the first Ouroboros, made up of ten people, and the defeat of Alpha.

By the end of the story, they had already emptied both the decanter and the breadsticks, with the server passing by to replace them with tankards of beer and a tray that was split between fries and what looked like calamari. Pyra took to her beer without blinking, but sent Trent a warning look when he reached for the calamari. Deciding to risk it, Trent's eyes went wide as he was hit with a tangy, almost electric flavour that made him recoil while Pyra laughed into her tankard.

Deciding to ask what the calamari was sourced from later, Trent considered the story and grunted, "I do have a few questions, Pyra. Some stuff stuck out to me."

"Fire away," Pyra said, either ignoring or not having noticed that she had punned.

"You said that a resonance between Matthew's gauntlets and N's sword caused the creation of the first Ouroboros," Trent started as he took a swig of his beer to clear the taste of the calamari out of his mouth. It was definitely a stout of some sort, but he couldn't place much about it beyond sweet notes in the aftertaste. "How did that work?"

"That's due to the nature of the items themselves—while they aren't exactly creations of Origin, it would be wrong to say they were created outside of Aionios," Pyra explained as she used her off hand to grab a piece of the calamari and down it without flinching, sending a jokingly smug smile at Trent. "For context: Origin was based on the Ontos Core Crystal, which is why its other name is the Ontos Pleroma. Thus, within the Fists and Sword of the end are Origin's counterparts: the Pneuma and Logos Pleromas. The union of those powers allowed for the creation of Ouroboros."

That earned a nod from Trent as he decided to err on the side of caution and picked at the fries. After swallowing, he continued, "Then, I have to ask, if N still has the Logos Pleroma, where's the other one?"

"Currently, it's acting as the sheath for your little friend Noah's sword," Pyra answered, nearly causing Trent to choke on air. That answered why the Veiled Sword had transformed when he had picked it up.

…Although it didn't answer just what Riku had to do with the weapon, given how clearly familiar he was with it. Trent considered bringing it up, but decided that would be something for him and Riku to discuss. Instead, he switched tracks, "So…you said that Nikol and Tomo returned to the Liberators, but didn't they still have the soldier lifespans?"

"They were born with them, but before entering Origin's Memory stage to keep Z from controlling the systems, Rex and Shulk transplanted their lifespans to the two of them," Pyra answered with a deep breath. "Shulk for his own child, and Rex… well, he always was fond of his role as 'Uncle Rex'."

"My son grew up to be just like me," Trent hummed with a smile on his face. He wondered if he had a similar ability, if he did, then he could easily solve the issue plaguing Mio.

"Grew up to have the same attitude towards family as you, ended up with a similar hairstyle, took your last name… The only thing that's different is that chinstrap he grew for some reason," Pyra said in wry amusement, shaking her head at the thought.

Trent stopped with his glass hovering in front of his mouth as he processed what Pyra had said, a laugh dying in his throat. Putting the glass down, he cleared his throat and asked, "He took my last name?"

"In his words you adopted him as family, so it made sense to him," Pyra replied as glanced at her own glass then reached for the decanter to refill it. "Honestly, if the Agnian and Kevesi systems hadn't ground out last names, Mio would've given herself away even harder, given that Nia took Rex's family name when they married, and passed it down to Mio."

A warm joy danced in Trent's heart at the news, a fresh wave of tears pricking at his eyes as he let out a sharp laugh. He could feel the confusion radiating off Pyra as she let a quizzical look form on her face. He tried to calm himself down as he sputtered, "I—I'm flattered, and torn that I missed everything, and so, so happy, but… It just sounds kinda ridiculous to hear it so suddenly."

"It's fine though," Pyra replied as she let her confusion melt away to a warm smile. "You've got more than enough time to get used to it."

Chapter Text

Chapter 27 - Wisdom Through the Ages

"We got to hold a baby!"

Trent had expected a lot of different greetings from the Ouroboros when Monica led them into Michiba's Canteen, he hadn't expected the normally taciturn Taion to let out such an exuberant declaration. Trent and Pyra had mostly gone through the fries and calamari, and while Pyra was on her second tankard of beer, Trent was still nursing his first. Still, having heard that from Taion, Trent peered down at his drink to make sure he hadn't drank more than he expected. Reassured that he wasn't drunk, he looked up at the rest of Ouroboros, who were similarly glowing and enthused.

Trent smiled warmly at that, and let out an amused chortle. "Well, that sounds like an interesting time. Everything else go okay?"

"It was a pretty normal medical battery," Eunie answered as she swung down into a seat near the middle of the table. "Oh! They also gave us the sex talk!"

"Yeah, though they were surprised when we knew most of it," Sena chimed in as she fell into a seat next to Mio, who had tucked in next to Trent and across from Noah, while Riku had taken the seat opposite Trent.

Trent just let out a sigh as he took another sip of beer and shook his head. "If I knew they would teach you here, I probably wouldn't have gotten into it."

"Don't say that!" Lanz told him cheerfully as he helped Manana into a seat by the far end of the table, sandwiching Taion between her and Sena. "They didn't give us all the, uh, emotional stuff you told us about, so there's that."

"Well, at least you've been educating them well," Pyra noted as she put down her tankard and snagged a fry, nudging the last piece of calamari towards Trent.

Trent took the calamari with a sigh as he decided to see if it was an acquired taste, popping it into his mouth as he braced for the electric tang. With the feeling coursing through his gums and down his tongue, he took in how the Ouroboros all started, clearly having barely even registered Pyra's presence. He was about to introduce her when a jolt of flavour licked the top of his mouth and caused him to wince.

"Ouroboros," Monica started as she gestured at Pyra. "Allow me to introduce the Queen of the Lost Numbers, and the City itself–"

"Hello," Pyra interrupted as she turned to smile at all of them. "I'm Pyra, it's nice to meet you all. Although it's more a 'nice to see you again' to you, Mio, Sena."

A pin drop would have sounded more akin to a cannon blast with how any noise the Ouroboros had been making died in their throats, the tension ratcheting up as their eyes darting between her and Trent. He swallowed a sigh as he spoke, "It's… I know you guys are worried, but we're gonna work it out. I think— I think we're ready to do that."

He shared a smile with Pyra, this one smaller and far more shaky than the one she had given the Ouroboros. It was a symbol for them, a leap of faith and a decision to trust and reach out — something that they needed, and a belief that they could reach across to one another.

The Ouroboros shared another look, and then Noah nodded, "Right, got it. So, while we were with the medics, what did you do?"

"I saw statues of the founders of the City, as well as of the ones who came before them, the Liberators," Trent answered as he closed his eyes and his smile widened considerably. "We'll need to take you kids there at some point, they are… quite the sight for sore eyes."

"Oh, sounds good," Sena called out as the server returned with a cart, spreading out finger foods and drinks down the table — including refills for Trent and Pyra.

They all started eating with gusto, but it was Lanz who frowned and looked between the drinks provided to the Ouroboros and those to Trent and Pyra. Pausing with an Armu slider between two fingers, he fixed his gaze on Trent and asked, "Oi, why've you got different drinks from us?"

"This?" Trent grunted in reply as he hefted his stein and realized that Lanz had drawn the attention of the others, who were all —with the exception of Riku and Manana— now looking puzzled at the beer. "It's alcohol. I don't know what the laws are here in the City, but most countries had ages where it became legal for people to drink it, due to its mind and behaviour altering effects."

"Like that wine stuff," Taion remarked with a nod.

Trent's left eyebrow quirked up as he said, "Wine is a type of alcohol, yes. Though I was unaware you all knew about it."

"Never heard of it before, Taion only did because of a Moebius who visited Lambda with a bottle of the stuff," Eunie answered as she cracked open a krabble leg.

"Ah, that makes sense," Trent agreed with a nod. "But yeah, alcohol, it's best consumed in moderation and everyone has different tolerances for it. Some people only need a single serving and they're completely sloshed, while some can seem to drink forever."

"Wha' about you?" Sena asked as she inhaled pieces of what looked like fried chicken.

"Very high upper limit, but I don't drink much or often," Trent replied as he reached out to a platter that had something that resembled what Sena was eating and sampled some. It was definitely made with fried chicken in mind, but the taste was still different. Good, though he might have spiced it more had he been in the kitchen. He turned his attention to Pyra, who had already cleared a few steins, and chuckled, "Although you seem to have picked up a habit, Pyra."

She snorted into her drink, and surfaced with a cough, still smiling despite that. After she cleared her throat, she explained, "It's more just how things go here in the canteen. They can serve warm drinks, especially in the mornings, but they default to cold during later meal times. And as for how much I'm drinking… well, I cheat a bit and use my abilities to burn off the alcohol before I do anything stupid."

"Ah, that'd do it," Trent hummed with a small nod.

"What does that mean?" Mio inquired with a thoughtful frown, looking up from the selection she had gathered before her.

"Alcohol is quite flammable," Pyra answered as she waved a finger through the air, a small flame appearing atop it. "And I'm quite flame resistant thanks to my nature, so burning off the alcohol I drink before I get sloppy is my preferred method."

"Oh, but you know you get sloppy?" Trent asked with a playful edge, taking a large swig to emphasize his point.

"Mythra does, and I decided not to take chances after seeing her crying jag act while drunk," Pyra replied with a grimace. "Given that she and I do share a template, it's likely I'd have similar tolerances, so…"

"Huh, I hadn't considered that, due to the differences in tastes and skills," Trent hummed.

Pyra shrugged as the flame atop her finger winked out. "Maybe, but better safe than sorry. Especially because it was never fun to get her home after ladies' nights when she was in that state."

"Completely fair," Trent agreed with wide eyes. He did not want to imagine what a drunk Blade might be able to manage, let alone one of Mythra's magnitude.

With that in mind, they all decided to tuck in properly to enjoy the evening. Tomorrow, they could talk about business and of the future looming over them, but for the moment, they could lay down their burdens. For the first time, the Ouroboros were free to enjoy a restaurant and its food, the simple joy of dining out in good company.

Trent allowed himself a smile as he and Pyra shared a toast, and he idly wondered if his cheeks were getting as pink as the light cast upon hers.

{~}{~}

Trent belatedly realized that Monica had betrayed him when she volunteered to take the Ouroboros to the dormitory they had set aside for them, leaving him alone with Pyra.

Pyra, who had been swaying in her seat, her mouth pulled into a wide, dopey smile and her cheeks flushed as dark as cherries. Pyra, who was clearly sloshed. Pyra, who needed help getting home and weighed a significant amount more than she looked or could conceivably be.

So, Trent was walking stooped over, Pyra's arms looped around his neck and one of his under her arms to keep her upright. She seemed to acknowledge that she was drunk and needed the support, but she did her best to stay upright as they walked. Between airy giggling, she managed to lead him to her home — a penthouse suite atop one of the buildings nestled near the walls of the City.

As he pulled her into it and one of her arms flopped off his shoulders to slap the lights on, numerous small lamps lit up around the entrance. The hall itself was decidedly plain, a simple and relatively unadorned room with a single bench to sit on while putting on shoes as well as a closet set into one wall. There were a few pairs of shoes and boots set around the bench and Trent grumbled under his breath as he helped Pyra over to it, kicking off his boots as he walked.

Pyra let out a bubbly chortle as Trent helped her onto the bench, her torso slapping against the wall as her arms unwound from Trent's neck and hung loosely around her. She tried to lurch forward, but Trent put a hand on her shoulder to stop her as he bent down to pull her shoes off for her.

Neither of them needed her to make the attempt and to smash her head on the ground because she fell forward.

With her shoes stowed, Trent once more hauled Pyra to her feet, and did his damnedest not to think about how she was pressing into him. They quickly made their way into the sitting room, which was so plain it almost made Trent's insides curdle. It somehow lacked almost any decoration, the furniture largely functional and untouched outside of a single reclining armchair that brought to mind a Lay-Z-Boy and a handmade quilt. He carried her through to the hall and caught sight of a kitchen that was the diametric opposite of the sitting room, with clearly used utensils and surfaces covered in sticky notes.

Trent was about to drag Pyra to the last door at the end of the hall, having passed an open door to a washroom, only to pause when he heard Pyra let out a low, familiar gurgle of a belch. With all the speed he could manage, he diverted course into the washroom and used a foot to kick up the lid on the toilet seat before positioning her over it.

"Trent?" she asked, an uncomfortable undertone in her voice as he moved to stand beside her and pulled her hair out of her rapidly paling face.

"Just breathe, Pyra, hopefully it'll be over quickly," Trent advised as he looked over the stuff around her sink, trying to find the mouthwash.

"Wha-" Pyra stopped as she was forced to swallow a massive build up of saliva, her frame shuddering as she then gagged. "Oh. Oh no."

She tried to brace herself against the toilet, her arms snapping forward as she let out a queasy gasp. Trent took a deep breath and braced himself, already knowing what was coming and knowing that he'd need to fight to keep his own food down. Pyra tried to say something, only for the noise to be swallowed by a harsh, strangled gurgle as her stomach forced its contents up her throat. Her shoulders bucked as she threw her head forward and screamed her guts into the bowl, only vague and muffled gurgles escaping alongside half-digested food.

Pyra stopped, bile and saliva trailing from her lips into the bowl as her shoulders heaved, tears staining her face. She was about to speak when a croaking belch escaped her and she winced, keeping her face down. Trent nodded and turned towards the toilet, his free hand reaching out and depressing the lever.

"Just let it out, Pyra. You'll know when you're done, and-"

Before he could finish, he heard her try to sniff and then winced under his hands. Trent continued, "Just focus on breathing through your mouth at this point, Pyra. Your mouth and nose are coated in residual acid right now."

Taking deep, steadying breaths, Pyra tried to get her stomach settled — unfortunately for her, both the alcohol and her digestive system had other plans. Trent returned to rifling through her toiletries with one hand, finding and pulling out the mouthwash as well as filling up a cup with water with some difficulty. Finally, he grabbed a box of tissues and got it ready, knowing that Pyra was going to need them when she was finally finished retching.

When she finally stopped puking, Trent passed her one of the tissues which she quickly used to wipe her face. The next tissue met the same fate, and Pyra surfaced as the awful mixture in the toilet was flushed away. She was pale and sweaty, clear evidence of tears tracking down her cheeks, Trent releasing her hair did no favours as her usual bob was now pulled back awkwardly from her face. He moved out of the way as she lurched over to the sink, grabbing the mouthwash and swigging a mouthful to swirl around her mouth. She followed that up with the water after spitting out the mouthwash, repeating the process.

Eventually Pyra turned to look at Trent and grunted, "I'm never getting drunk again."

"That's understandable," Trent replied as he took in the redhead, who had the air of a soaked cat despite her clothes still looking immaculate. "Do you want me to step out while you take a shower or something?"

She dragged a hand across her cheeks and nodded, "Yeah, I think- I think I'll do that. Can you grab me a sleeping gown out of my room?"

"I-" Trent paused as he considered that and swallowed deeply. "Yeah, where would I find them?"

"In my room, there's a chest of drawers, they're in the top one on the left side," she answered as she slumped over to the shower and pulled it open, reaching in and ratcheting the shower on.

"I'll be back in a few then," Trent replied as he stepped out and shut the door behind him, giving Pyra some modicum of privacy. He took the turn and headed to the last door, his hand pausing on the doorknob before he finally twisted it to intrude upon Pyra's innermost sanctum, excluding that mental space she shared with Mythra and Malos.

Her bedroom was by far the most clearly lived-in room of the entire unit, a large room that was clearly a fusion of a bedroom and a study with furniture for both. A few lamps set around the room cast dim light over the room and the shelves that lined most of the walls; laden with books, various objects, and knicknacks of all sorts — he was pretty sure he saw various toys as well as what looked like trading cards. Her desk was much the same, although there was also a picture frame that bore a photo from the end of their journey, causing Trent to blink in awe at the veritable relic.

He pushed the thoughts from his head as he turned to the only set of drawers in the room, pulling open the top one. His eyes scanned the contents briefly before settling on what was most likely the garment Pyra had specified – although he would be the first to admit the lacy and silken lingerie conjured more than a few images –, he pulled it out and shut the drawer. Mission accomplished, he turned and left the room, not bothering to close the door behind him.

It took him less than a minute to reach the bathroom door, his free hand coming up to knock on it as he called out, "Hey, Pyra! I grabbed a gown for you!"

"You can come in, the glass is opaque!" Pyra replied over the sound of the shower, which caused Trent to quirk an eyebrow.

Despite his misgivings, he opened the door and stepped into the now-humid room, placing the gown on the porcelain around the sink. He couldn't help the glance he sent at the shower and frowned when he didn't see a silhouette. "Pyra, you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm just- Just laying on the ground and letting the water wash over me," she answered, and honestly he couldn't fault her for that. Sometimes you just end up on the bathroom floor.

"Long as you're okay," Trent grunted. "I'm going to step outside, if you're not out in twenty minutes, I'll come check on you."

"Alright," she answered as Trent turned and left the bathroom.

He was tempted to find a book or something to read in her room, but wasn't quite ready for that level of trespass, even if Pyra seemed comfortable with things similar to it. Instead he ended up in the sitting room, sinking into the cushions of the armchair as he fiddled with his phone.

The time seemed to crawl by, but before he knew it, Pyra exited the bathroom, clad in an almost all-encompassing gown and toddling down the hall . He raised an eyebrow at the sight, and remarked, "That's quite the look for you. Didn't take you for the big gown type."

"I'm not, but I can only deal with distracting everyone in the command centre during an emergency because I showed up in something much briefer so many times," she said with a yawn.

"That's fair," Trent conceded as he got out of the chair and moved to support her. "You good to head to bed?"

"Oh, yeah, I was coming out here to take the armchair, you can have my bed," she asserted, earning a snort from Trent.

"I'm not the one who's drunk, Pyra. You are taking the bed."

"Wha- no, you're my guest," she argued as she turned her bleary red eyes up to meet his. "Or, we can sha-"

"Way too soon for that, Pyra," Trent cut her off with a shake of his head. "Besides, it's better if you take your bed so you can lay on your side, in case you puke in your sleep."

Pyra opened her mouth to protest, but stopped short as she admitted, "That… does make sense, yes."

"Glad you understand," he grunted as he helped her back to her room. Silence settled between them as they moved, and Trent eventually couldn't contain the question that had started burning inside him. "Pyra… why did you get drunk? You admitted you could easily dodge it."

Her head lolled to the side, and he couldn't miss the contrite look on her face as they entered her room, the shadows casting upon it. As Trent helped her to her bed and she slipped under the covers, she sighed, "Because… you're finally here. You're back, and I can reach out and touch you. We're… We're finally able to move past my fuck up from all those years ago. I just… I just figured that I could finally take a risk, now that weight was off my mind. It felt like my time had finally started moving again."

"Words can be a curse."

The words that Jin had relayed to Trent on his feelings about Lora's final, grief-stricken confession came easily to Trent's mind in reply to Pyra's drunken rambling. Despite having carried her to her apartment and hauled her into her bed, only now did his irritation fade and fall away, leaving only guilt.

His final, hopeful words to Pyra had ended up festering inside her and hurting her. If he hadn't spoken them, would she have been happy? Found another Driver? Found love and started a family of her own?

Trent smothered that line of thought as he gently reached out to brush some hair from Pyra's face. What ifs and could have beens were just another flavour of poison.

But that still didn't assuage the guilt in his heart, knowing that his own desire to reach out had become a malediction for Pyra. All he had wanted to do was break the chain of the two of them hurting each other.

Pulling his hand back, he did his best to keep the guilt off his face as he said, "Good night, Pyra."

The smile she gave him was so angelic and at peace that it made him want to scream.

"Good night, Trent."

Chapter Text

Chapter 28 - Prelude to the Great Escape

Trent woke to the smell of pastry and meat, his eyes opening as he smacked his lips and rolled his shoulders into the cushions of the plush armchair beneath him. One hand reached down and hit the lever on the side of the chair, snapping him into a sitting position as his other grabbed his glasses off the table next to him. Sliding them onto his face as he pulled the quilt off his lap and absentmindedly folded it, still stretching and making sure that there weren't any kinks from his sleeping position.

He stepped into the kitchen cautiously, taking in the sight of Pyra in front of the oven, a pair of frying pans atop it. In one pan, she was cooking pancakes while the other had strips of bacon frying. On the counter next to her, there was a small fruit salad as well as a bowl of scrambled eggs.

Trent blinked at the sight, and coughed into his fist. "Morning Pyra."

"Oh, good morning, Trent!" she replied as she looked up from the stove.

Despite her state the night before, she looked to have bounced back almost perfectly. Her hair was done impeccably and there wasn't even a hint of redness outside her irises, not even a lick of the same pallor she had last night. Her rather casual clothes had been replaced by a white button-up blouse that hugged her torso and a black skirt that extended to her knees.

Pulling his eyes away from inspecting her, Trent asked, "Anything I can do to help?"

"Oh, no, no," Pyra said as she shook her head. "Just head over to the table, you're my guest."

"I'm not letting you work yourself way too hard over breakfast," Trent retorted as he walked over and grabbed the fruit salad and eggs. "Anything else you need moved to the table?"

"No, not until these are done," she answered as Trent ferried the two breakfast items to the small table set against the far wall of the kitchen. "Also I do have the kettle on for tea, so if you want coffee, there will be enough hot water."

Trent perked up at the mention of coffee, but deflated slightly as he asked, "Instant, I'm guessing?"

"Yeah, I'm not a coffee drinker myself," she confirmed.

"I remember," Trent grunted as he stooped back into the food prep area and went to rifle through the cupboards for a mug, only to stop and follow Pyra's head when she jerked her head in the direction of one. He found a number of mugs within, all of them plain and unassuming pieces of dishware, pulled out a brown one and set it on the counter near the kettle. He noted that what looked to be a jug of milk was already out —presumably for the pancakes and eggs— and that there was a small dish full of sugar on the table.

He still didn't know where milk came from on Alrest and by extension Aionios, and at this point, he was scared to ask.

Eventually, the food was finished and set out on the table, with steaming drinks set next to both places. It was a picture of domesticity that Trent had missed since waking up in Aionios. The last time he'd had such an experience was a few days before his fateful trip to Torigoth when he and Morag had decided to share breakfast duty as Brighid usually handled it. So, as Trent slipped into the seat with the mug of coffee in front of it, he couldn't help the weary but warm smile that formed on his face.

"It looks great, Pyra."

"Thank you, but you should see what I can do when I have a whole day to prepare a meal," she replied with a small smile of her own, picking up her mug to take a sip. "I- If you'd like, we can set up for something like that soon."

Pouring milk and two scoops of sugar into his coffee, Trent stirred as he shrugged, "While that does sound good, it's probably going to have to wait until all this is over. Our time limit is… strict."

Pyra's lips pursed before her mug could hide them, but her head dipped in understanding. "I can't argue that, no," she agreed with a small nod. "But, once we're done, Monica is going to collect the Ouroboros and we'll be able to discuss our steps going forward."

"In regards to taking care of the Moebius?" Trent questioned as he cut up his pancake.

"That's correct," Pyra confirmed.

"The main crux is going to be getting into Origin, right? That's what Melia said," Trent said before lifting a bite to his mouth and chewing.

"While that is the most important part —as we need to break into it to properly confront the original Moebius—, there are some other matters we need to address beforehand," Pyra explained as she carefully sectioned up her meal. "Waking up Nia, for one."

Trent hummed and swallowed, then pressed, "Oh, she's hiding in that Cloudkeep thing, right?"

"I- yes, but how did you know?" Pyra asked, a piece of pancake hovering in front of her mouth.

"Poppi messaged me," Trent answered. "She said she was protecting Nia and hiding it."

Pyra cleared her throat as she nodded, "That's correct. But we need to wake Nia up, because that's part of rallying the Nopon Alliance and our Smithypons to help us with weapons to break through Origin's shell."

"Okay, although now I'm wondering why that hasn't already happened," Trent grunted before sampling the bacon. He was pretty sure it was Ardun, and it was pretty good, still something he was getting used to.

"Because up until recently, the key to the Cloudkeep was out of our hands," Pyra explained after swallowing. "But for some reason, the key was passed on to one of our field operatives."

"Then what's the issue?" Trent pressed after he quickly slurped down the Ardun bacon. "It sounds solved."

"The issue is that the operative in question is currently being held in Li Garte Prison, which is attached to Castle Agnus," Pyra answered, earning a subtle hum of understanding.

"That is something of an issue," Trent agreed with a nod.

Pyra nodded and after taking another bite, she remarked, "I do need to also pass on some news and whatnot, as our friends in Origin do have some words for you."

"Wait, I thought we didn't have a way into it?" Trent said questioningly.

"Not physically, but the ones who fought Alpha have given up their physical forms and are inside its Memory Stage and systems," Pyra explained as Trent demolished half a pancake.

Looking up from his nearly completed breakfast pastry, Trent frowned in thought. "I… have no idea how that would allow for contact."

"Do you… remember the place where I first talked to you and Joe?" Pyra asked, her words coming slowly and carefully.

Trent's mouth suddenly felt dry as he remembered the mirage of the habitat ring called Elysium, the distant sound of the church's bell, and gentle breeze. He closed his eyes and banished the haunting silhouette of the tree, and picked up his mug to take a swig and wet his throat.

"Yeah, that mental space, or whatever it is."

"It's something of a shared server between my siblings and I," Pyra explained as she fiddled with her utensils. "Using it, I'm able to connect to Mythra and A, and tunnel into the parts of Origin's systems that they have control over."

"Oh, and that lets you talk to them," Trent surmised with a nod of his head.

"Exactly," Pyra confirmed with a nod. "They were all pretty excited to hear you had woken up, you know?"

"I…" Trent trailed off as his hands tightened around his utensils. Ultimately, he forced his hands to relax and move back towards his food. "Well, I can't say that isn't heartening."

"Is there something wrong?" Pyra asked with a blink of confusion.

"No, no," Trent answered as he shook his head, his hands returning to the task of cutting food. "Just kind of surprised, honestly. It was barely any time for me, but for you guys, it was so long and- and people still care despite that."

Silence filled the room beyond the light sounds of him working away at his food, Trent's face downturned as he tried to make it into a smile. He was happy to the point that he wanted to cry, but at the same time the muscles just didn't want to cooperate. He hated when this happened, when his expressions just didn't want to be right and match the interior.

He nearly jumped out of his skin when one of Pyra's hands fell over his right hand, gently squeezing it and drawing his attention to how warm her hands were. He looked up at her, at her smile that was warmer than digits wrapped around his hand, and felt some tension melt out of his posture.

"Of course, we still care," she reassured him, gazes held between the two of them. "You're… you're our friend."

Finally, Trent's mouth pulled into a smile. It wasn't as big as Pyra's, but it certainly felt like a proper mirror to it.

{~}{~}

Trent flipped the plastic keychain over in his hand, frowning down at it as he tried to puzzle it out. On one hand, it was Muppets themed, which he loved. On the other hand, whatever the Shadow Wizard Muppet Gang was escaped him.

Internally, Trent hoped he hadn't missed a new Muppet movie coming out. If they somehow recaptured the magic of Muppet Treasure Island or Muppets' Christmas Carol, it would have been truly peak cinema.

On his third mutant hand, he supposed he was just glad that Alphonse had decided to gift the keychain —or a copy of it— to him. He wondered if he could count it as a late birthday gift, but discarded it as a dark one, given just how that entire timeline lined up.

The room they were in was somehow both large and claustrophobic, the light low and coming mostly from the large table they were arrayed around. It glowed and projected an image of the local region beyond the Great Sword, numerous parts of the now-laid out Cadensia Region attracting Trent's eye. Pieces of Leftheria, as well as what looked to be the vault of Elpys were strewn about the islands of Cadensia, and caused his stomach to curdle.

Highlighted specifically were Agnus Castle and the attached Li Garte Prison, a massive waterfall that led to the depressed part of the world that had once been the Cent-Omnia region with a massive storm cell labelled Origin, then there were a few Colonies scattered about Cadensia.

Pyra stood at the head of the table, Trent at the foot, the Ouroboros on one side with Monica and a large fellow opposite them.

The silence echoed uncomfortably, so Trent decided to break it.

"Ouroboros, I need to apologize for not sharing this yesterday, but I talked with Melia yesterday," Trent began, catching more than a few confused looks from the Ouroboros. "I encountered her deeper in Castle Keves, and she took control of the robot — which she called a terminal. She gave me some info about our general aims."

Trent leaned forward to gesture at Origin as he continued, "According to her, she's physically trapped within Origin itself and needs to be rescued. She did however suggest that we find Nia first, which apparently aligns with the City's plans. Finally, she suggested that getting me into Origin might undo Aionios and everything, but there's no guarantee."

"Ah, due to Malos, that makes sense," Pyra remarked with a nod of her head. "And it would only be guaranteed if he was actually involved due to his nature and ability to understand and manipulate structures — physical and data."

The Ouroboros were nodding and seemed to be generally understanding, but Trent caught a questioning glance from Eunie. He didn't say anything on the matter, but he did know she would probably want to have a discussion given what they had discussed the day before. Still the matter would remain tabled as Trent cleared his throat to finish.

"From there it becomes pretty obvious to me what the next order of business is: finding and bringing Nia into all this."

The projection on the table shifted to what was apparently the Aetia Region, focusing on an upper and raised part of it labelled as Captocorn Peak. Monica let out a hum of her own as she pointed to what looked like the summit of it, and remarked, "To our knowledge, Queen Nia is hidden in something called the Cloudkeep, and the only way to signal its emergence is a pedestal located here."

"Which brings us to the issue here," Pyra said as she took the reins of this part of the conversation. "The pedestal requires a key, and until recently it was lost to us. The current issue is that the one who has it… is currently in the middle of an infiltration of Li Garte Prison."

The hologram shifted to focus on the prison once more, a small highlight appearing on it as Pyra continued, "We have been working on a plan to extract our agents before the next execution day, which is scheduled for two months from now."

"So, we bust in, get them out and get the key," Lanz grunted as he crossed his arms. "Bish bash bosh, simply done."

"The issue is that Li Garte is connected directly to Castle Agnus, which means there's a higher level of scrutiny than anywhere else in Agnian territory," Monica replied, a number of holographic forces appearing around the entire building. "While we have a route to sneak in, any sort of frontal assault isn't feasible."

"I'm more impressed there's a route to sneak in," Taion remarked as he leaned down to study the hologram. "I assume there's a plan for the exfiltration of your operatives?"

"There is, and the Ouroboros Candidates have been briefed on it, as we were planning to put it into action soon," Pyra noted, her tone suddenly somewhat terse. "While adding more people to it would likely need some reworking, it probably could still function. Monica, why don't you and Travis work with the Ouroboros to see how they could contribute to the operation?"

There was a pointed silence where Trent opened his mouth and he met Pyra's eyes, a burning emotion in them that he couldn't identify. That gave him enough pause that she was able to continue, "Trent, do you mind if we talk outside?"

"Alright," Trent agreed with a shallow nod, moving in time with Pyra to step out into the elevator that was the only connection between the planning room and the City as a whole. When Pyra had joined him and the doors closed, her hand darted out to slap the elevator into a standby mode. Seizing the opening, Trent asked, "What's this about, Pyra?"

"If the Ouroboros are involved in the breakout of Ghondor and her team, I- it would be better if you stayed back in the City," she answered, her expression troubled as she looked down and away from him.

"Pyra, I can't agree to that," Trent replied as he let his shoulders drop. "Not without good reason."

"Trent, we're talking about assaulting the heart of Agnian control, with a good chance of Moebius being present," Pyra said, her tone weary and slightly pleading. "You're a prime target given that you're both Malos' Driver and you hold the only access they have to the Logos Core. Not the Logos Pleroma, but the original Core, which could easily tip the control of Origin into their hands, with both it and the Pleroma in their hands."

"While I can understand that reasoning, I would also be a boon for the exfiltration group in that case," Trent noted, a frown of thought on his face. While there was definitely some weight to what Pyra was saying, it did make sense — it didn't jive with his experience thus far in Aionios. There had been offers to comply with them, but no seeming focus on him outside of the mud dolls and that weird Blade that O and P had unleashed.

"I could be a distraction."

Pyra sucked in a breath, and then just shook her head. "You know what, let's table the matter for now. The Ouroboros are going to be working things out with Travis and Monica, and they're by far the best at planning all this out for the City, and I'm sure the Ouroboros are the same for themselves."

"Well, that is true…" Trent agreed with a short nod, although he did wonder if his own experience as an Ardainian Inquisitor was being discounted.

"Excellent," Pyra replied as she reached out to hit the elevator back into motion. "Now, why don't we go back up to the City? I have some more things I want to tell you about."

Trent let out a sigh, but ultimately conceded. Working everything out between him and Pyra was going to take a bit, and this was going to be part of that.

And he could get the scoop from the Ouroboros about the operation later.

Chapter Text

Chapter 29 - Ancestral Recall

Of all the places Trent expected Pyra to lead him to, he hadn't expected what amounted to a hobby shop.

On one wall was covered in shelves full of books and what looked to be comics, a closer inspection betraying a conglomerate of old titles that Trent recognized as well as ones that were alien to him. His fingers dragged across Tolkien and stopped on Vandham, his eyebrows rising as he pulled out the thick tome. The back of the book professed a world torn by warring nations and ancient conspiracies, with a reluctant pacifist of a protagonist who would doubtlessly grow into a paragon of some sort. Trent hummed as he picked up the book and checked the price, before realizing that he didn't actually have any sort of money and putting it back.

Trent's feet twisted and carried him to the opposite wall and studied the numerous games, once more mixed between the familiar and the new. Some boxes promised chess while others whispered the terrific praise of something called Noponeconomy — that scared Trent, because he knew how seriously Nopons took the economy.

His head swivelled to look at the back wall, covered in art supplies of all sorts. His eyes tracked over sketch pads, pencils, pens, and markers before they landed on modellers' clay and what looked to be model kits. Trent considered the paints and easels, the stands and canvases. His eyes returned to the sketch pads and drawing supplies, his feet carrying him forward before he stopped after not even three steps.

He hadn't picked up a pencil and pad to draw in a long time, not since before he ended up on Alrest. The location of his last pad easily crawling to the forefront of his mind, nestled between a low shelf and his childhood dresser — forgotten when he'd left for university, what once seemed a world away now literally so.

Trent let out a breath and shook his head, reaching up to slap his cheeks and put the thought aside. There would be time to return to old hobbies and pick them up when all was said and done, when Aionios was no more.

He rolled his shoulders as he walked back to the front, where Pyra was waiting with the shopkeeper, an older gentleman whose face was lined with age and used a cane for mobility. The shopkeeper smiled at him and asked, "See anything that caught your fancy, sir?"

"You have some interesting wares, but I'm light on money at the moment," Trent answered as he returned the smile. "Maybe when I'm a bit more financially stable I'll stop by again."

"Trent, if there's anything you want, you can grab it and I'll pay," Pyra offered immediately, her eyes wide as if realizing some massive unsaid issue.

"Ah, don't worry about it, some odd jobs or whatever and it'll all be gravy," Trent said with a shake of his head, keeping the smile in place.

"Well… how about a trade?" the shopkeeper suggested as he reached up to scratch his chin. "You do something for me, and I hook you up with the City's most recent bestseller."

Trent let out a hum as he considered it, his foot tapping even as Pyra tried to send the clerk a warning look. Ultimately, Trent shrugged and replied, "Well, I think that depends on the favour, yeah?"

"It's a simple one, I promise." The clerk bent over and shuffled through whatever was beneath the counter he had the till set on, before pulling out something and straightening up. It was a card in some sort of sleeve, and he put it down on the counter before sliding it towards Trent. "You mind autographing this for me?"

Trent barely noted the thin marker that the clerk had slid onto the counter next to the card, and was instead focusing on parsing the card itself. He recognized the style and make of the card, and so he reached out to pick it up, carefully sliding it out and checking to see if the back matched his memories.

Magic: the Gathering.

He blinked in confusion as he turned his attention back to the front of the card, noting that everything was in the right place, although he didn't recognize the set symbol. Which made a lot of sense as he took in the name of the card and the art upon it.

It was clearly an artist's rendition of him standing over whatever was the point of view with a small smile and a hand held out helpfully, although there were little things that Trent noted were off. The hair was thicker and longer than he wore it, his chin and cheekbones sharper covered in stubble and prominent sideburns. His clothing looked like his Ardainian uniform, sans the hat and a number of the metal embellishments. The name at the top of the card clearly was his, with a title that he had never heard of added to it.

Trent, Redeemer of Torna.

His eyes scanned across the card's effects before he put it down on the counter and picked up the marker. Trent shot the now flushed Pyra a deeply bemused look before he turned his attention back to the clerk and remarked, "Can't say I ever expected to see my own face on one of these."

"Oh, yeah, I guess that's not surprising." The clerk reached under the counter again and pulled out a binder, opening it to show similar cards with artistic renditions of people who looked very familiar to him; Morag, Brighid, Joe, Mythra, Tora, Rex — and he nearly had to do a double take when he saw Amalthus. "Her majesty said that the Legends sets would be her downfall in the eyes of her friends, what do you say?"

"I'm never letting her live this down," Trent confirmed. He then looked down at the card and the marker in his hand, getting ready to pull the cap off it. "So, I autograph this, and what do I get?"

"Well, howsabout I give you a copy of the City's most recent bestseller?" the clerk offered with a smile and a raised eyebrow. "My partner's calling it one of the better romances he's read in years."

"Throw in that thick-ass Neogears book and we'll call it square," Trent shot back.

"Bring it up so I can say it's gone from the shop," the clerk said with a nod, sending Trent scampering back through the store to grab the book and bring it up to the counter. The clerk whistled at the book and muttered, "Right, right, this one. I'll need to see if I have any more copies in the back, or if I need to order a few…"

"Popular book?" Trent asked as he poised the marker over the card.

"It's useful for crushing the skulls of first-termers," the clerk joked, earning a reproachful look from Pyra and a snort from Trent. With a small flourish, Trent scrawled his signature in the open area around the picture's head. "Thank you kindly, sir. Just give me a mo…"

The clerk stood up and ambled down the counter, his cane tapping slightly as he moved. He pulled a box out from beneath the counter and retrieved a book from it. He had a grin on his face as he returned and put it down atop the thick tome of Neogears, allowing Trent to see it. It was definitely smaller than the massive block that it was set upon, but somehow it seemed even more foreboding to Trent.

The cover art showcased a blond man in scant armour, his visible muscles oiled and hair in a wild tangle down his back with a wicked looking sword stabbed into the ground next to him. In his arms was a woman that was clearly modelled after Pyra, although her hair was longer and she seemed to be wearing a nun's habit that was cut more like a Spirit Halloween sexy nun costume than an actual spiritual garment, and her chest was nearly spilling out of it. They seemed to be in some sort of fantasy forest, given that there was a dragon in the background, or maybe it was just there to frame the title: Reigniting the Inferno.

"This is a bodice ripper," Trent concluded dryly. "Well, it'll be a decent appetizer before I dig into Neogears."

The clerk laughed as he put the books in a small leather satchel, and handed it over to Trent, who blinked at the gift of the bag. Trent opened his mouth to ask about it, and the clerk interrupted him. "Don't worry too much about it, sir. You'll need something to lug these about, right?"

"Well, that's true…" Trent admitted as he accepted the proffered satchel, sliding the strap over his left shoulder. "Thank you for this."

"My pleasure," the clerk replied with a grin, before his finger tapped the card on the counter. "Besides, this'll be the crowning piece of my deck and collection."

"Right…" Trent agreed with a nod, only to feel Pyra's hands wrap around a wrist and start to pull him away. "Pyra?"

"W-well, we're getting towards noon, right?" she asked as she pulled him out of the shop. "Let's go get something to eat!"

"Have a good day!"

The clerk's voice echoed after them as the door closed and Pyra led him through the streets, eventually stopping at a small cafe with a patio. They were seated soon enough, sandwiches and drinks in front of them in short order with Pyra sitting opposite Trent, her face still somewhat flushed. Trent considered starting to eat, but decided to instead ask, "So, Pyra… why were there playing cards of us and our friends?"

"That's… a bit of a long story," Pyra admitted as she nursed her mug of tea, her cheeks still red as she stared down at her sandwich. "The Liberators was an organization designed to tear down Aionios, a military outpost. The first City, while filled with those who simply wanted to live free of Moebius' system, still had its society with a strong focus on protectors and warriors. This City, the second City, was born of both and even now is essentially a military junta."

Her fingers tapped against the ceramic of her mug as her gaze was distant, her voice low. "I didn't want to cultivate a culture devoted simply to fighting and war, to create a society that was solely focused on killing and hurting. So, I tried to introduce culture and whatnot, using plundered knowledge and whatnot from Earth's past to kickstart it. We have art galleries, poetry societies, theatre groups and the like, you know? It's not just… well, games and books." The last part was said with her eyes still diverted, and her tone less sheepish and more wistful.

"That's perfectly understandable," Trent said as he popped a chip into his mouth, dipping his head in agreement. "Hell, even the part about introducing games to add to the culture makes sense. I'm just wondering about… well, you know, the cards based on us and our friends?"

Pyra's head shifted from side to side as she lifted her mug up to her chin, and eventually answered, "So, Magic's one of the games that goes in and out of fashion in the City. When it's in fashion, we'll see about reprinting some milestone sets and making a few new ones — that's where the Legends sets come in. It was proposed as a celebration of how long the City has lasted, as well as of where the people of Aionios came from: Alrest and the World of the Bionis and Mechonis. When I was working with the designers on it, I figured that we'd focus on stuff like the locations and the named monsters like Rotbart, Abaasy, and Ken… then they came to me with cards based on the people. Joe, Rex, Morag, Shulk, Alphonse, and Johan… they came up with them, and they seemed so proud, so I gave them the go ahead."

"Ah, alright," Trent said with a slow nod of his own, his lips thinned in thought. "That does still leave me wondering a few things."

"Oh yeah?" Pyra answered in askance, taking a moment to sip her tea.

"Yeah, what's up with that title I was given?" Trent inquired as he twisted a chip in his hand to inspect it. "Redeemer of Torna? I just showed them the opportunity was there and gave them the opening, they did all the hard work."

"It was either that or Driver of the Dark Aegis, and that one was less of a mouthful. And took less ink. And doesn't sound as clunky," Pyra replied quickly, listing off the reasons in rapid fire. "What else were you wondering about?"

"Why the Hell was there an Amalthus card?" Trent needled, his mouth pulling into a knifelike smile. "That's like printing a Hitler card, for Heaven's sake."

Pyra's blush returned at an atomic level as she let out a worried squeak.

{~}{~}

"Why didn't you tell us you met the Queen!"

Eunie's finger jabbed into Trent's chest as he closed the door to the room the Ouroboros had been loaned in the City's barracks, causing his eyebrows to rise in confusion.

He idly noted that the room was long, with a single table set against one wall with a trio of chairs around the available faces while the other wall was covered in a trio of three tiered bunk beds that were pressed head to foot. The visible paint was neutral and tope, lacking in aggression and suiting how impersonal the room was clearly meant to be given the rough and simple make of the furniture. The Ouroboros hadn't spread their things across the room, instead leaving most of it piled near the door, ready for them to bug out at a moment's notice.

"I didn't really get the chance, Eunie." Trent finally answered as he reached up to gently push her finger out of his sternum. "We were running the whole time, and then we got picked up by the Cityfolk. And now…"

"Well… maybe!" she relented with a huff, her wings fluttering in agitation as she frowned up at him. "But still, the Queen! And after our talk too…"

"That's another part of why I didn't mention her to you yesterday while we were moving, Eunie," Trent added as he took a deep breath, one hand reaching out to squeeze her shoulder as his volume dropped. "You had just talked to me about how meeting the false Melia had been a real blow to you. I didn't want to hurt you by saying I'd talked to the real one right after that." He paused, and looking into her uncertain eyes, knew what he needed to say.

"I'm sorry, Eunie. I should have told you and the others sooner."

Eunie held his gaze for a few moments, then nodded. "Alright then, you're off the hook."

"Glad to hear it," Trent said before he turned his attention to the others, who were watching the pair of them quietly. He gave Eunie's shoulder another squeeze before he released her and asked, "So, what ended up being the sitch- situation on how we're going to be moving forward?"

"Right now, they want us working with their uh, their Ouroboros candidates on some missions to prepare for the infiltration," Lanz answered as he helped Sena stretch.

"Currently, we have two missions lined up." Taion took over as he adjusted his glasses on his face. "The first will be ascertaining the status of the ether cylinder supply for the mission and whether or not more need to be requisitioned. The second will be making sure the ship that's been prepared for us is in good condition and can carry us to Li Garte."

"Makes sense to me," Trent nodded as he stepped further into the room, taking a second to look at the other four inside. There were Noah and Mio, in the midst of cleaning their flutes in a basin by the window. Atop the table, Riku and Manana were adjusting the tools of their trades.

He wasn't the best at emotional moments, Trent knew this, but he also knew there was a tension in the air. Clearing his throat, he spoke, "Guys, I know I joined you late, but I want you to know I'm so proud of all of you." His eyes fell on Sena and Lanz as he felt his mouth pulling into a smile. "We're nearing our goal, and we only have a few hurdles in our way." His gaze returned to Eunie, who had retreated to nudge Taion in the side. "We get you all through Li Garte, and retrieve that key." His attention darted to the Nopons, who had looked up from their work. "After that, it's just a quick jaunt to the Cloudkeep." Finally, he let his eyes return to Noah and Mio. "Then we deliver Mio to her mum and hope she doesn't claw our eyes out for taking so long."

"Wha- she'd do that?" Mio squeaked in surprise as she jerked upright.

Trent laughed and shook his head. "Only if we piss her off." Then, he moved like a viper, scooping Eunie and Taion into his arms as he called out, "Lanz, Sena, grab Noah and Mio and bring them in!"

"Gotcha!" The workout enthusiasts replied as they popped to their feet and captured the flautists, pulling them to Trent who was wrangling the surprised and struggling medic and tactician.

Without even needing to say a word, Riku and Manana popped up and joined them as they crashed into a big group hug. Trent did everything he could to squeeze them together as he offered them as wide a smile he could manage.

"I'm so, so proud of all of you. Never forget that."

Chapter Text

Chapter 30 - Violet Patches

The missions went decidedly smoothly, with the largest hiccup being that they had to deal with House Doyle's current head being obstinate about them taking ether cylinders to fuel the ship. Although Trent had intended to join the group on their trip across the Cadensia Sea, the ship being too small to accommodate him had caused him to grump and wait on the dock. He had stripped off his boots and rolled his sturdy Ardainian pants up to the knee before sitting on the dock and letting his feet hang in the water until the others had returned.

In its own way, it was a wistful time for him. The Cloud Sea, while interesting and new, wasn't a true sea as he knew it and had been slightly disconcerting — even if he'd never admitted it. With a true sea before him, he couldn't help but remember how he had never managed to really just take some time to enjoy the waters that had been revealed when the Cloud Sea had been pulled back. Between therapy, training and working with Morag and Brighid, there just hadn't been an occasion for it.

When he'd seen the ship approaching in the distance, he'd stood up and let his legs dry in the breeze coming down the strait. A small part of him couldn't help but remember and miss the algae patches that would pop up around the docks in his hometown that people would have to dodge if they didn't want to coat their legs in the gunk.

He banished those thoughts as the Ouroboros and the City's Candidates disembarked, Sena excitedly describing to him how interesting it had been for them to travel by boat. Distance formed between the two groups as they headed up into the elevator, with there still being a clear divide between them. As much as Monica's stunt and the missions helped them work together more efficiently, there was still a very real tension between them.

The early afternoon light washed over them as they exited the elevator after its long journey to the City, providing some warmth against the natural chill of the altitude. There was a crispness as they moved, knowing that the deadline for the infiltration was approaching, instilling a purpose in every stride.

There was a brief interlude where they stood aimlessly in the main thoroughfare, before the Candidates turned and walked off as a unit. Trent and the Ouroboros were about to break off and return to the dorm, where Manana had promised them a hearty pre-mission meal, when Pyra appeared before them.

She had a wide smile on her face, her arms opened as she spoke, "Trent, I'm glad that I caught you before you could step away. I was hoping you would agree to have dinner with me tonight?"

Trent paused at the question, the proposition bringing him up short in that moment. While Pyra had joined them for meals over the past few days, it had been a rather informal thing and even then… she knew that the mission to pick up the key to reach Nia was going to start in a few hours.

He licked his lips, and then asked, "Er, Pyra, are you going to join us on the mission? Because if not, I won't be here."

"Trent, we talked about that, you can't join the infiltration. It's not safe," she replied with a shake of her head, her eyes narrowed.

"I'm not going to be on the infiltration, Pyra," Trent assured her, realizing where he thought the miscommunication had been. "I'm going on the mission for the exfiltration, it might be too dangerous for me to join the first half, but my presence would be a good way to distract the Moebius during that."

Pyra blinked again at that statement, her lips twitching as she visibly tried to compose herself. "Trent, we can't risk you— and the Logos Processor. You need to stay here, wi- in the City."

"I can't do that. Sure, it will be dangerous, but sitting by and doing nothing, I'd be failing the Ouroboros when I could be helping," Trent replied with a shake of his head, his lips thinning as he pressed them into a neutral grimace. "We all know that we need to break into Origin, and I'm our best bet for that thanks to the Monado-L. More than that, I'm not going to let the Ouroboros walk into this mess without me now — I may not have been with them at the start of this journey, but I'm going to stick with them until the end."

"Trent, you're far too much of a priority target for the Moebius," Pyra said as she raised hand, her tone soft and diplomatic. "Even if the key is retrieved, losing you would be a much greater loss."

"Am I that much of a priority for them?" Trent asked as he crossed his arms. "Sure, I've had dust ups with them, but I've never really been treated like a priority by them. They've tried to convince me to join them or tried to take me in by force, but they've always been more focused on the Ouroboros with a single exception."

"Indeed, even when we encountered the Moebius in Keves Castle, he barely acknowledged Trent," Taion chimed in, only to pale and retreat when Pyra's attention fell on him.

Her expression had fallen flat, but there was a burning in her eyes as she regarded the Ouroboros. She schooled it quickly into a tight smile, and she replied, "I'm sure they're simply trying to remove the Ouroboros because they're a more plentiful threat. You, on the other hand, are one person Trent."

"I'm one person, so I should be much easier to pick off," Trent retorted and he caught the moment where the corners of her lips twisted downwards as a flush started to climb up her cheeks.

"I— Trent, that's not what I meant," Pyra bit out as she took a deep breath. "It's not safe. Please, just stay here."

"I can't do that. Even if it's unsafe, I'm used to risking my life and putting myself out there. And if I can help fight the Moebius, I will," Trent said as he shook his head again. "Do I have to fight someone to prove to you that I'm not a soft target or something?"

There was a moment of silence, and Trent could see the Ouroboros nodding in understanding around him while Pyra seemed to be thinking over the suggestion. Then, she smiled, the expression sad and melancholic as she met his gaze.

"Alright then, I'll face you, and show you that you need to stay here. Let's go to the training grounds."

Trent looked down at Manana and offered her a sheepish smile. "Sorry, Manana, we'll have to do lunch later."

"It okay," the Nopon replied with a somewhat worried expression. "Manana make much bigger numnums later."

Lanz cheered, trying to bring the mood back up. "Now that sounds like a plan to me!"

{~}{~}

The training grounds usually always had people milling about, either for their own drills or in between them, but now they were bustling with a veritable crowd. People had come out of the woodwork to watch the upcoming match, and Trent really had to wonder who had spread the word as it wasn't like Trent or Pyra had broadcast the spar beyond agreeing to do it. Trent wondered if he had to speak with the City's Ouroboros Candidates about it, but didn't think any of them were close enough to hear the discussion.

Trent had only seen the grounds in passing before now, but couldn't find any joy in the occasion as he stood opposite Pyra. She hadn't changed into what he would consider her signature outfit, but instead stayed in what made her look like an office worker — only her iteration of the SubMonado-P in her right hand breaking the illusion.

"I really wish it hadn't come to this," Pyra said, ether rippling down her blade as she watched Trent closely.

"So do I," Trent agreed as he spun the Monado-L in the palm of his hand, breathing deeply of the ether in the air and letting it flow through his body. "But I'm not going to sit back and let the Ouroboros —my granddaughter, niece, and not just their friends but some kids I've really come to care about— walk alone into something that you've highlighted as extremely dangerous."

"Trent…" Pyra murmured as she watched him carefully, her head shaking minutely. "You should've just let me protect you. Or maybe… maybe this was my fault from the beginning…"

"Nothing would've changed, Pyra. I will always stand by my family."

The words had only just left Trent's mouth in a burst of ethereal blue and lime as he launched himself forward, mainlining ether through his veins like Morag had drilled into him. The Monado-L screamed through the air, ether the same hue as that trailing across his cheeks coating it.

Pyra's eyes snapped wide as a burst of fire interposed itself between her and Trent, the blast of crimson momentarily hiding him from view.

Metal screamed and Pyra braced herself, watching Trent wrench himself around the fading flame. Her Aegis Greatsword speared forward, and she watched his offhand, the digits of it tightening around the haft of the Calamity Scythe and pulling himself away from the thrust.

"Ahkos, you…?"

Her unfinished question was snatched away as Trent drove forward with a thrust of his own.

She dodged the blade of her brother's Monado and winced as her own retort met a follow-up from the polearm in Trent's offhand.

Pyra couldn't help but wonder why Trent had dived in so close to her, the two of them closer to knife-fight range rather than a distance that would suit his weapons better. She stopped wondering when his elbow collided with her chin.

She pulled back. She had to, with Trent being willing to engage in ways she refused to, especially with how poor a choice fire was in their current range.

The Aegis Greatsword jumped up to catch a sweep from the Calamity Scythe aimed at her midsection. Her attention was only momentarily diverted as her eyes snapped back to his right arm, which was coming around for another cleave.

Instinct won out and another wall of fire burst into existence.

She expected Trent to stop, to change his trajectory, to spin away.

Not to keep swinging.

Before she could smother the flames, her eyes caught the Monado-L spinning through the air above Trent and confusion stopped her short.

The wall burst apart in a gust of dark ether and Pyra's let out a groan of realization.

"Mikhail!"

The Infinity Fan strapped to his right wrist snapped shut and Trent drove it into her side, which earned him a cough from her.

That initial exchange coloured the tempo of the fight as it drew on, and Pyra couldn't help but remember things that the members of Torna had said about Trent in passing. He was the sort of person who leaned far more on the most direct and dirty uses of cunning in a fight — the sort of person who would visualize the brutality he needed and manifest it. Even if he needed to try and rip out someone's spine.

On Trent's side, he couldn't help but bask in the chill provided by the altitude of the City in the face of Pyra's fire, having stopped his weapon juggling due to Pyra wrenching the Calamity Scythe from his grip and knocking the Infinity Fans from his wrists. He couldn't rely on the Monado-L and its abilities; it was too much, too strong, and the aftereffects couldn't be understated.

Trent dodged back as the red and gold Aegis Greatsword cut through the air in front of him, wincing as a wave of fire followed in its wake. He couldn't reach either weapon from where they were entangled, his hand fell to the Cobra Bardiche and pulled it free, the Blade weapon snapping to its full length.

Pyra's sleeve tore in the wake of the thrust, and Trent was briefly distracted by Patroka querying feeling to why the Hell he was trying to use her weapon — the image of Pyra appeared in his mind's eye and he had to stifle a chuckle at how Patroka sent back a veritable flood of approval.

Fighting with the Cobra Bardiche was extremely different from the Calamity Scythe, where the sweeping attacks could now be shifted into proper thrusts. Sucking in more ether, Trent couldn't help but wince as he fought a wave of vertigo and nausea.

He had never suffered any sort of ether sickness, so he was sure that wasn't the case as he fought a shortness of breath. He tripped over his feet but caught himself as he chased after Pyra with the Cobra Bardiche, the thrust weakened by Trent's mounting confusion.

The fight continued, but it had slowed significantly with Trent's more sluggish attacks and his swimming vision keeping him from reaching Pyra. It was a much slower affair that ended with Trent stumbling back from Pyra and stabbing the Cobra Bardiche into the ground to steady himself, fighting hard to catch his breath.

"Finally…"

Pyra's breath of relief sent a surge of realization and anger through Trent that was almost as violent as the surge of acid and bile that shot up his stomach and forced him to cough and gag. The vomit spilled from his mouth and splattered across the ground as Trent let out a wheeze and tried to keep his eyes on Pyra.

"I'm sorry, Trent, but this was the only way," she continued as she assumed a far more relaxed stance. "With your pain tolerance, the only other way I would be able to end this would be to seriously injure you, and I don't want to do that."

"Heat- Heat stroke?" Trent groaned as he wobbled and tried to wet his mouth and tongue.

"Yes," Pyra confirmed with a nod as her eyes closed. "I am the Aegis of Heat and Flame, after all."

"You fucking b–"

Before Trent could finish his curse, his shoulders bucked and his stomach rioted, his body rocking forward as vomit blasted from his mouth and nose to coat the ground. He tried to breath when the torrent stopped, only to choke as a second wave forced its way up his throat.

Trent heaved again as he tried to stay upright, his legs giving out and sending him to the ground, the blade of the Monado-L biting into the metal floor as he tried to use it as a support. His shirt started soaking up the sick he'd spewed all over the ground, but he was too busy trying to focus on Pyra as his head pounded like someone was beating it with a hammer.

A gross, rasping cough escaped him as he tried to speak again, and he winced as he brought his free hand to press against one side of his nose. With a grimace he forced air through the unpinched nostril, and there was a wet noise as a half-digested chunk shot out into the pool of bile.

Anger burned hotly inside Trent, more acute than the acid coating his throat. Indignation roiled in his gut, easily capturing more of his attention than what the heat stroke was doing to him.

Pyra, opposite him, just looked pained as she spoke, "Please, Trent. This is for your own good. Just stand down and we can get you cleaned up before the Ouroboros leave for their mission."

The rage inside Trent gave way to an overriding desire as he fed into the Monado-L and his connection with Malos, abyssal ether dripping down the blade as he let out a low snarl. It pooled on the ground around him before it reacted to the fleeting image he held in his mind, his almost all-consuming desire to tear Pyra down for her trespass giving it shape.

"Hear the roar of the departed souls…"

The dragon of darkness and annihilation, animated by hatred, shrieked as the black ether that made its body devoured the air itself.

"As they offer themselves to the corpse of the evil dragon…"

"I didn't want it to come to this…" Pyra sighed as she readied the Aegis Greatsword, a heat haze building up around its blade.

Trent's left hand thrust against the ground as he levered himself up, pulling the Monado-L out of the ground as he roared — his throat burning as the dragon's head reared back. "Let all living things be annihilated! Damned Shrieking Mael–"

Pyra's arm swept to the side and the temperature around Trent jumped up. Unable to stop himself as his eyes went wide and watered, a cascade of clear bile escaping him as he collapsed. Above him, the dark dragon collapsed in on itself and dissipated into the wind.

A groan left Trent's throat as his body reflexively relaxed in the relative chill of his own upchuck, and a quake ran through him as he tried to fight. Pyra took a step forward, only to stop as the Ouroboros blitzed out of the crowd, putting themselves between Trent and her.

Pyra sighed and shook her head as she held out a hand to the group. "Ouroboros, please step aside, I just want to help-"

"Don't." Mio growled as she held her Dual Moonblades at the ready, the others following her lead and taking up positions protectively around Trent.

With the Veiled Sword pointed at Pyra, Noah nodded as he frowned at her. "You've done more than enough, with help no one asked for."

Trent struggled more on the ground, trying to show them that he was alright, but couldn't manage it as his vision swam.

This wasn't how he wanted things to go.

Chapter Text

Chapter Text

Chapter 32 - Bruises and Bitemarks

Trent was quietly frustrated when he was finally allowed to leave the hospital.

Despite having felt fine a day prior to his release, he'd been kept under observation for a total of two days after his admittance. He rolled his shoulders and he made sure he had all of Torna's weapons on him, alongside his satchel that only had two books in it. It wasn't much, but he had to leave before Pyra could catch him so there wasn't time to try and buy supplies.

He only had an idea for a counter to her ability to affect ambient temperature, and he'd never tried it before so there was no guarantee it would work on the fly. Really not liking the idea that he could encounter Pyra as soon as he walked out the doors.

His heart jumped into his throat when he stepped outside and noticed a feminine figure, but it calmed when he saw it wasn't Pyra. Monica was standing just outside the doors, her arms crossed as she scanned the area. Upon noticing him, she nodded and stepped towards him.

"Sir, glad to see you're doing better."

Trent carefully weighed his choices as he took in her stance and general demeanor, she seemed to be doing what she could to appear less threatening with her hands in plain view as well as her generally low tone. Deciding to risk it, he grunted, "About as well as can be expected. Do you… need something?"

"Honestly sir, I'm here to help you get out of the City," Monica answered as she took a moment to check the lane leading to the hospital.

That got a blink from Trent, and he asked, "Kinda surprising, given Pyra's stance."

"The Queen… burnt some goodwill with that stunt," she explained as she used her head to gesture for him to follow her. "While she's generally done right by us Cityfolk, how she handled that spar, her reasoning, and how she's acted since have sent up some red flags."

"That's good to hear at least," Trent grunted. "What's the plan?"

"Honestly, we're going to walk through the shopping street, get you some supplies, and then walk you out of the City," Monica laid out as they walked through the streets of the City.

"Straight forward," Trent admitted as he cast his eyes around. "What about Pyra?"

"Travis is keeping her busy with a number of things, and Doctor Hollis accidentally told her the wrong time for your discharge," she answered as she kept the lead, her pace fast but unhurried.

"Huh, that's…" Trent hummed as his eyebrows jumped.

"Simple?" Monica finished questioningly. When Trent nodded, she chuckled. "We're fans of KISS here."

Trent couldn't help himself as he punned, "Party on." Upon receiving a questioning look from Monica, he shrugged and grumbled, "Sorry, my sense of humour isn't just out of date, it's fossilized at this point."

"If what Her Majesty said is true, that isn't terribly surprising," Monica said as she hurriedly led Trent down the market street, already knowing which stores they needed to hit.

"Guess I shouldn't be surprised by that," Trent admitted. "She's definitely been pretty open with a lot more than I expected."

"If you can believe it, what happened two days ago was the first time that anyone saw her really crack." To Trent's surprise, pretty much every store they stopped at had what Monica was picking up prepared, and readily passed it over to her, most of them giving him smiles and nods.

For his part, Trent just digested what he had been told, trying to square it away with what he knew of Pyra. As he trailed along behind Monica, he hummed, "Man, I don't like what I'm hearing. It feels like I was a really bad influence on Pyra, and that this is something of an effect of my own masking from our journey… nightmarish to consider."

Monica just shrugged as she stuffed things into the pack she had received early on, making sure it all fit within it as they approached the other end of the shopping area, which was across from the entrance —and exit— of the City. She let out a sigh and shook her head as she passed the now somewhat weighty pack to him.

"I honestly don't know, sir. Her Majesty has long been a rather private person, even with her endeavours to enrich the City's culture. All I can say is that I want to be both of your ally, at least so far as dealing with the Moebius is considered. I have my own twisted relationships to deal with."

"Sorry to hear that," Trent said with a cringe. He had accidentally stepped into something of a landmine.

"Don't worry about it, it's just how family can end up," Monica opined as she stepped away from him. "Good luck, sir."

"Thanks, and you too," Trent replied as he put his satchel in the bag and slung it over one shoulder, grimacing as it landed awkwardly over Jin's Nodachi. He waited for a few minutes while Monica disappeared into the City, and then headed for the exit. His feet carried him at his usual brisk pace, doing his best to appear casual as he trekked up the metal stairs and down the halls to the exterior of the Great Sword. The brisk wind and snow was like a bracing grip on his shoulders and he couldn't help the grin that wormed across his face as he basked in the cold.

He had to keep himself from stopping and enjoying the snow, but he did pause when he got a good view of Agnus Castle. The stark white and gold edifice loomed like a pristine mockery that Trent couldn't place as he took a deep breath and narrowed his eyes at it.

"Just wait kids, I'm coming."

The elevator ride was as swift and smooth as it was when he had last ridden it, carrying Trent down to the docks where he grimaced at the lack of boats. That complicated his trip, but it ultimately wasn't unexpected. He'd have to travel the long way through Aetia to reach the area around Agnus Castle on foot, rather than approaching from the sea.

Trent let out a heavy sigh as he walked out through the innards of the Great Sword, preparing himself for the trek through the area around Keves Castle.

{~}{~}

Despite the ruckus that they'd kicked up less than a week ago, there were no patrols running through the grounds of Keves Castle. The wildlife continued to rule the foothills leading up to the border of Cadensia, milling about and taking care of their business as Trent moved quickly but cautiously across the dusty ground.

It was clearly well into the afternoon based on the sun's position, but the sheer lack of patrols emboldened Trent to move faster and in the open as he approached the bridge to Keves Castle. It wasn't the best plan, but it was the fastest way across the area and it would put him right inside that Colony the Ouroboros had liberated when he'd accidentally gone ahead of them. Once he was there, he'd try and convince them to lend him a Levnis so he could get to Colony Nine and head on to Cadensia.

By the time he reached the imposing bridge made of the same dark metal as the castle, worry had started to gnaw at Trent's stomach. The sheer lack of any sort of human activity had put him on edge, his hand hovering over the hilt of the Monado-L.

About halfway across the bridge, there was what looked to be a checkpoint of some sort with a few buildings and visible piles of crates. The buildings were low and blocky, more akin to shipping containers than anything more substantial. The crates and piles of supplies seemed to be either in the process of being loaded or unloaded onto pallets, but there were clearly more than a small checkpoint would need. There were also sections of the deck that were painted for Levnises to park within, although they were all empty.

Trent frowned as he combed through the paths of the checkpoint, finding no one and once more trying to stifle a shudder at the lack of people. It was clearly unnatural in his opinion.

When he finished fruitlessly looking through the checkpoint, he continued across the bridge and frowned as he realized something he had missed on his initial approach. The massive gate blocking the grounds around the castle were open, giving Trent a view of the castle town at the base of Keves Castle.

The eerie quiet continued as Trent padded through the towering gates, taking in just how massive they were, and how even one of those gargantuan Levnis variants would have been able to fit through the fraction they were open. The first thing he noticed was that the ground had transitioned from dark metal to cobblestone, followed by how the buildings looked far more artisanal than anything he'd seen in all of Aionios. The exteriors were embellished with stone and metal designs, and far more colourful than the usual dour expressions that Keves defaulted to.

All in all, it looked every bit like a quaint little cottage town from Europe. Except it was a ghost town, given how the slight breeze whistled through the streets and alleys. Nothing moved except for Trent, his cautious tread barely making a sound as he inspected the buildings and the streets.

It was like someone had pulled a town wholesale from anywhere in Europe and just left it abandoned in Aionios.

Trent paused as he reached where the castle town would have let him head towards the castle, only to find that not only was it blocked off by a massive metal bulkhead, but there was also an energy shield. He clicked his tongue in thought as he considered the situation with all the information he had.

Perhaps someone had organized a raid on Keves Castle and the surrounding area? It would explain the lack of soldiers, although there didn't look to be much in the way of damage to the surroundings, which did make him wonder if that was the case. Even when he, Torna, Morag and Brighid had gone after Lindwurm's holdout base, there had been damage to the camp and whatnot.

This all looked… too clean.

He ignored the worry dripping down his spine as he started to scope out the buildings, deciding that it would give him a bit of insight into the local. Most of them were quite sterile, filled with dust covered furniture and seemingly untouched by those who should have called them home and enterprise.

No one was coming home. At least so long as Aionios was allowed to continue.

Eventually, Trent's investigation led him to what seemed to be a tavern, with tables spread out across the floor plan, and a bar with stools arrayed in front of it against one wall. His eyes caught a number of booths set against the other walls, with sunlight pouring in from the windows above them. While the furniture was clearly made of robust wood, it was hardly anything special and only served to highlight how empty behind the bar looked with nary a bottle.

He proceeded forward to check the door behind the bar, only to pause as his eyes fell upon something that caused his hackles to rise.

A single chair, out of place and askew at one of the tables. The sole piece of furniture that had been moved, before he had walked into the tavern.

"Yo."

Trent spun to the source, pulling the Monado-L free while dark ether licked down the blade. The voice was feminine and rough, jovial but at the same time with an undercurrent. Its owner sat up in one of the booths, coming into view as she let her eyes roll over Trent, inspecting him in much the same way he did her.

She was a dark-haired woman with a tanned complexion, her amber eyes twinkling in amusement as her hair bobbed around her head. She was clad in a sleeveless indigo and gray top that was armoured but still managed to cling to her in a flattering way, with dark armoured gloves on her arms. He couldn't see her lower half, but he assumed she was wearing bottoms of a similar fashion to her top.

Trent could only describe her as a feral beauty, with what few muscles he could see being well-defined and a few scars climbing into view from beneath her armour.

The two judged each other silently, Trent tensed just as much as the woman appeared to be relaxed. A part of Trent wanted to assume she was a Kevesi soldier from either the Castle or Colony Eleven, but that Moebius who had looked to be either Noah's twin or doppelganger had proved that there were Moebius with nonstandard uniforms.

"You're the one, aren't you…" she hummed as she put one of her gloved hands on the table. "The one with that ever so special sword."

"I've got a few," Trent grunted back, unsure whether or not it was really the time for jokes. Was she just a soldier? Someone under the yoke of Moebius? Or maybe someone who had been freed by the Ouroboros? He didn't know.

He really missed the Ouroboros right then.

Her hand tensed on the surface of the table, and then she was airborne, a toothy grin on her face as she launched herself across the distance.

"Fuck!" Trent exclaimed as he cut the ether flow to the Monado-L and brought it up.

It caught the edge of a bright blue double blade that appeared in the woman's hand, parrying it aside.

Trent's fist flung into the opening, the Infinity Fans sliding up his wrist as he dropped the Monado-L, and sunk the fan on his left arm into the woman's cheek.

She spun through the air and crashed into a set of chairs, already thrusting herself back into the air, her wild grin seemingly only enhanced by her bruised cheek. "Hey, hey, hey! Pick that sword back up!"

The dual blade sheared through the air, Trent ducking under it as he pulled free the Cobra Bardiche, annoyance rippling and meeting with Patroka's own and synchronizing.

"Why should I?" Trent called back as he spun the bardiche so he was holding it just beneath the blade, and wrenched it into the woman's midsection. Elemental ether was a curious thing with curious effects that sometimes overlapped; Patroka's earth ether made him weightier and seemed to glue him in place, adding greater torque to his blow.

"So you can kill me!" the woman laughed as she careened through the air, slamming back first into the bar with a loud wheeze.

Trent couldn't help the annoyance bubbling up within him, reigniting the anger that had been largely put to rest for two days. He was so very tired of people getting in the way of his plans. But, it wasn't like he was completely lost to the emotion as he grit his teeth and set his legs apart in a wide stance.

Whoever this woman was, she wasn't likely to be Moebius, given how they seemed to cling to life with everything they had.

She let out a raucous cackle as she used the bar as a springboard, her blade cleaving down at Trent.

He swung the bardiche around and parried the blow aside, glad that the woman's weapon and style were clearly made for slashing and cutting over crushing blows. He heard her tongue click as her blade was directed aside, and dropped one hand from the haft of Patroka's weapon.

His hand caught the rim of her gorget and she wheezed out what he could only describe as a laugh as he slammed their foreheads together.

{~}{~}

The bar was in shambles, and the two fighters within in barely any better.

They were laid out amidst shattered furniture, their weapons mostly knocked away from their bodies and impaled in the ground. The warriors were cut, bruised, and beaten; their clothing and armour torn and ruined in the battle.

"Spark…" the woman groaned throatily. "Eunie was right about you."

Trent tried to lift his head to look at her, but gave up in exhaustion as he let out a grumble. "How the Hell do you know about Eunie?"

"We made a promise after she'n the Ouroboros freed Colony Eleven," she answered, her voice tired and strained but jovial. "They also told me about you'n your nifty Blade. Sad you didn't use it on me."

Trent's head rolled back as he let out a heavy sigh.

No wonder Eunie felt so weird about this woman; she was extremely attractive, assertive, and deeply messed up mentally. He was tempted to ask just why she wanted to to die, but decided to shelve the issue for the moment. They were both in no shape to move or fight further.

Instead, he just let out a sigh, "Rip to Taion if Eunie ain't bi."

"Cheers," the woman agreed cheekily.

Trent snorted, "Oh, like you understood what I said."

"Just teach me then," the woman shot back. "Either that or kill me."

"I'm not gonna kill you," Trent replied tiredly. "Who even are you?"

"Name's Ashera," she said, and Trent could practically hear the grin on her lips. "Commander of Colony Eleven."

Trent laughed, "Oh, they're so cooked."

Chapter Text

Chapter 33 - Rain Down the Facade

While Trent and Ashera were leaning on each other to slump to Colony Eleven to recover and clean up after their fight, looking like they had escaped a mosh pit at a lumberyard — Pyra was at her wits end.

Trent had just left.

He'd walked out of the City while she had been busy with administrative matters, as if her winning their spar meant nothing. A part of her had wanted to yell at Monica for not ensuring that he had been delivered to her home or to somewhere that he would be entertained, but she knew that was hardly professional or the sort of leader she wanted to be.

Instead, she settled for going home and collapsing face first on her reclining armchair, screaming into the cushion.

She wanted to divert resources in order to pursue Trent and pull him back, but they just didn't have them. If she wanted to do that, she'd need to pull those resources away from the Prison Break, which could have catastrophic knock-on effects.

Pyra took a deep breath through her nose as she tried to shut out the sun.

The direct resources of the Lost Numbers were focused almost entirely on Li Garte and supporting operations, and any attempts to divert resources could lead to the Doyles clamping down on retracting their support. That could have disastrous results and keep them from reclaiming the key to the Cloudkeep as it would mean a massive disruption to their supply lines.

Presumably, she could try and call on some of the individuals in the City, but Monica had apparently tapped Gray and Rozana for something, which meant the two Pyra trusted the most were off the table. She could try and get Masha to help her, but the lapidarist had disappeared to check if any anomalous ores had been created by the Annihilator's blast.

Part of Pyra regretted not taking direct control of the City in its infancy or at any of the points it had been offered to her, as it would have solved her current dilemma handily. But she also knew that wasn't who she wanted to be, or how she wanted any of this to go.

She just didn't understand why things had crumbled like this.

Why didn't Trent understand that she just wanted to keep him safe? Why didn't he understand that he was going out into a world that would hunt and hound him simply because he chose Malos?

Maybe that was what she should have done, confiscating her brother's Monado to keep Trent safe that way. It wasn't like she didn't have reason to, given the techniques that she saw him break out during their spar — clearly from Malos' instruction.

She rolled over so she was facing the ceiling, her hair splayed out like a halo around her head as she frowned upwards. She just kept circling the same points, which wasn't helpful in the least. She needed to change her thought process or something.

Pyra closed her eyes and took another deep breath.

Maybe Mythra could help.

Connecting to Origin was never difficult, as it was an omnipresent wireless network that supported any wavelength input thanks to its design. Tora and Shulk hadn't ever gone into the specifications with anyone, but anyone with sufficient clearance and understanding of wavelengths could easily figure out what was intended. It was supposed to safeguard the data within and then essentially run a system restore of the combined data of Alrest and the World of the Mechonis and Bionis upon registering the input of wavelengths that signalled a universe that was suitable to sustain life.

For a sixth of the Trinity Processor, connecting was child's play. Actually getting into the systems would be more difficult thanks to Z, but with Mythra already within she could easily send her consciousness there.

She opened her eyes within Origin, the substrate parallel to the Memory Stage unfolding in front of them. It looked like Elysium, the idealized Elysium that had lived in the mental landscape shared between the various members of the Trinity Processor.

The ground was grassy and lush with vibrant flowers, lush bushes and trees growing in the distance. She stood in the shade of a massive, familiar tree while she was overlooking the distant settlement within Elysium, the church still catching her eye. She raised a fist and slammed it against the tree, remembering ancient pain from over a thousand years ago.

She couldn't help but be ambivalent about this tree.

On one hand, beneath it, her and Mythra's time had started to move forward all those years ago. But on the other hand, she remembered how just the image of it was enough to bring Trent to the conclusion they needed to split up. She had forgotten about it, over the course of the eons, but it had all come flooding back when she'd finally met his eyes.

"That much of a day, huh?"

Mythra's voice echoed from behind her, and Pyra let her hand fall as she turned to stare at her sister. Within the mindscape, they were unchanged and would forever be reflected as they had been when they had come into existence. Mythra in her normal dress as the Light Aegis, and the same for Pyra.

Mythra wore a smile at the sight of her sister, but it shrunk as she took in the turmoil on Pyra's face. She let out a sigh as she strode forward. "That bad, huh?"

"Trent's gone," Pyra declared as she looked away, not meeting her sister's eyes.

"That can mean a lot of things, Pyra. Gone how?" Mythra pressed as she glanced to the side and shook her head, where A had briefly materialized before catching the movement and retreating to the Memory Stage.

"He just left the City!" Pyra exclaimed, her eyes blazing as a brief thermal caused her hair to ruffle.

"Okay," Mythra said as she started to nod. "Why?"

"I– because he was insisting on joining an operation, but I told him he couldn't. It was too dangerous," Pyra explained as the heat died away and her shoulders dropped. "We– We fought, because he insisted on trying to force the issue."

Mythra's slow nodding continued as she asked, "What's the operation?"

"A jailbreak. The key to the Cloudkeep is currently in the hands of someone in Li Garte," Pyra laid out. "The Ouroboros are going to be sneaking in, and we have an extraction team set up to extract them after they break out."

"And he wanted to be with the Ouroboros, or the extraction team?" Mythra inquired, trying to figure out the entirety of the situation. Pyra just looked away and shook her head, causing Mythra to press. "C'mon Pyra, I can't help if I don't know the sitch. Was he insisting on infiltration, or helping with the extraction?"

"The extraction," Pyra answered, still shaking her head. "But that doesn't change anything! There could have been Moebius, they'd have gone after him — you know as well as I do how much they covet the Cores of the Trinity Processor!"

"I mean, wouldn't it depend on if they knew there was anything to actually worry about?" Mythra asked softly as she moved into Pyra's space, trying to catch her eye. "They aren't everywhere all the time, and they'd need to know he's there to actually target him."

"That doesn't matter," Pyra shot back hotly as she snarled and met Mythra's eyes, her voice rising. "He's not safe outside the City!"

Mythra took a deep breath as she took in the emotion boiling within her twin, realizing there were pieces she was missing. She let it out as she reached out and pulled Pyra into a hug, and said, "And we both know that the City isn't some perfect safe haven, there's something more bothering you, Pyra. I'm going to do a memory sync so I can actually help."

Pyra stiffened in Mythra's grip as her eyes went wide. "Wha- No, you don't need to, I'm going to figure this out and solv–"

Mythra reached out and tapped into something she hadn't touched in millenia, both out of respect for Pyra and out of a desire to allow for them to define themselves without needing to face the mirror of two lives. It also wasn't something that was necessary for them to interact with, as they didn't suffer any sort of discontinuity thanks to their father's last gift.

A sob wrenched itself from Mythra's throat before she even fully realized the mire of regret and guilt that had flooded into her, Pyra's memories cloying with the emotions. Over a thousand years of recollection flowed into her, and Mythra realized the entirety of what had happened as her arms tightened around her sister.

"Oh, Pyra."

Pyra didn't struggle in Mythra's arms, even as she let the tension slowly seep out of her body, her voice low. "You- you didn't need to do that, Mythra."

"I did– I really needed to," Mythra said with a shake of her head before dropping it into the crook of her shoulder and neck. "I didn't- How could I have realized what you'd gone through all these years, especially with you not being willing to tell me?"

"It was my fault, my burden," Pyra replied as she returned the hug.

"No, Pyra, I… you never got full closure," Mythra said, the full picture painted through the memories of her sister. "I… I created you from my regret and pain, to carry and bury them in and with you. You've always had to bear them in your heart, that it became natural — that when you and I were separated, there was never anyone to balance you, to push you to work all this out."

"It's, I'm fine, Mythra," Pyra tried to argue. "This is what I was born for."

"No, it's why I created you, and I wronged you by treating you that way, Pyra," Mythra argued in turn. "You should never have been just a vessel for my regret, pain, and trauma. You shouldn't have continued to embody those things. I'm sorry, I should have made a better effort to reach out to you."

"You had your own life…" Pyra pointed out, causing Mythra to stop.

"You're right," Mythra agreed as she pulled herself back to look Pyra in the eye. "I did have my own life, but it shouldn't have consumed me to the point that I didn't realize you were drowning."

"But, you needed to focus on you and Joe," Pyra argued as she wilted under Mythra's gaze. "You guys were healing and figuring out your relationship, and everything."

"And Joe and I are going to be dealing with that until Aionios is finished and we can finally have the time and space for a long, private, and conclusive talk," Mythra said as she took a deep breath. She let out an amused huff at the sight of Pyra's contrite expression. "We've known it's been coming for a long time, Pyra. It's not like this isn't something we've been preparing for."

Her expression then hardened as she put her hands on Pyra's shoulders and gripped them firmly, her tone gaining an edge. "But that doesn't change what happened here and the fact that while I fucked up by not reaching out and helping you, you also fucked up, Pyra. Badly."

"I did what I needed to do, Mythra," Pyra argued again, her own expression hardening as her voice did. "Trent was going to get himself hurt, so I decided to-"

"You decided to hurt him first?" Mythra interrupted as she released Pyra. "I understand you wanting to keep him from heading into danger, from going into missions that could keep him from getting killed or captured, but I can't understand you deciding to hospitalize him."

"He wouldn't listen, he kept fighting me and escalating!" Pyra retorted, her mouth falling open as she was faced with her sister's argument.

"No, Pyra, you were the one who was escalating," Mythra pointed out as she crossed her arms. "You were the one who started using elemental ether, and the one who started trying to give him heatstroke when he responded to your elemental attacks in kind. I won't argue that you needed to shut him down during that last Art —whatever the hell he was setting up for looked dangerous as hell—, but you can't just hospitalize someone and say it was for their own good!"

"Then what was I supposed to do?" Pyra shot back.

"You should have stopped the damn fight!" Mythra declared firmly, letting her hands fall to her sides. "The moment things started escalating, you should have stopped. You should have told him that things were getting out of hand, and then actually talked to him about your real issues with him going on that mission."

"How could I?" Pyra asked, her hands balled into fists. "Do you think I could tell him how I have nightmares about seeing his body tear itself apart or of Moebius trapping him and toying with him forever? Do you really think I could have done that?"

"Could you have? I don't know," Mythra asked in reply. "But should you have? Yes. You should have told him so he would have had the context for why you were arguing with him, why you were trying to keep him off the battlefield." Mythra shook her head again as she continued, "There were other options for you to pursue, even if you would have had to convince Trent — and while we know he's almost as headstrong as me or Joe, he's usually reasonable enough that if you give him a good argument he'll back down."

Pyra's jaw worked, and before she could reply, Mythra decided to keep pressing. "That's what you should have done, Pyra. You should have shown some vulnerability, lowered your guard enough to properly let him know your own reasoning. Not put him in the damn hospital, and act like he made you do it."

Pyra winced and she weakly tried to argue, "I– I might not have used the right words…"

"The right words?" Mythra pressed, her lips thinned and eyes wide. "Pyra, you sounded like a classic abuser! You should have owned up and worked to show that you realized how screwed up what you did was, but also that you weren't going to do it again!"

Pyra didn't fold in on herself, but she did wilt somewhat as her eyes dropped and she looked away from Mythra. After a few minutes of silence, except for the distant breeze and the occasional clamour of a church bell, she asked, "What should I do, then?"

"You're going to struggle."

Mythra declared that without much preamble, but she said it with a heavy finality before she continued, "If you want to actually be the person you want to be, actually properly reconnect and have any sort of relationship with Trent? You're going to need to stand up and take responsibility, and prove that you've not just realized that what you did was messed up but that you're not going to do it again and that you're actually going to be a good influence in his life."

"Do you think he'll even let me?" Pyra wondered, staring at the ground.

"I don't know," Mythra answered. "It will be his choice, and all you can do is show him that you're trying to change, trying to not be that person anymore."

"Right," Pyra murmured as she took a deep breath.

And then Mythra reached out and hugged her, pulling her into a tight embrace. "And I know you can do it, Pyra. If I can change, anyone can."

Chapter Text

Chapter 34 - Over the Hill

"So, where are we going?"

Trent didn't sigh. He knew that if he showed any sort of external reaction, he'd lose in some sort of minor way that his current and unwanted companion wouldn't let go. They were headed up from the badlands and floating reefs around Keves Castle towards the more lush Pentelas region.

Rather than let her have her victory, he answered, "I am heading for Cadensia."

"You do know the fastest way to reach Cadensia is the other way, right?" Ashera asked as she hiked a thumb over her shoulder towards the region.

"Yeah, well, that's like walking into the belly of the beast for me, so I need to take the long way," he replied as he took a deep breath.

"There's a long way to Cadensia?" she wondered in reply, her own way of walking lackadaisical to contrast how Trent was moving with purpose.

"You're the Commander of Colony Eleven," Trent pointed out as he swallowed another sound of exasperation. "How do you not know?"

"I'm the Commander because I can kick everyone else's arse in the Colony," Ashera shot back with a toothy grin. "I leave the boring snuff to the others."

Trent's mind jolted as he put a number of pieces together, and grunted, "You're a regular Kenpachi, ain't ya?"

"The spark's that?" Ashera asked, her expression shifting to one of confusion like mercury.

"Just someone you resemble, don't worry about it too much," Trent said as he waved a hand in the air. He decided that it would be better to pivot back to their original talking point. "But yeah, there's a long way to Cadensia. You have to cut through Aetia — Captocorn Peak, specifically."

"Ain't it cold as ash up there? You got a secret supply of cold weather gear or something?" Ashera wondered blithely.

Trent hadn't considered that, but put it aside as he replied, "I'll see when I get there. I personally like cold weather, but if it's gonna be that bad then I'll see if I can requisition some gear from Colony Nine or Colony Gamma. And if push really comes to shove then I'll barter with the Nopon."

He hoped his casual dismissal of Ashera's involvement would keep her from trying to stick with him, as he really didn't want her to follow him the entire way. Strong as she had proven to be, his current focus was on speed over strength. He needed to move quickly and stay on the move in order to get to Cadensia in time to help with the extraction.

Not only had he lost time due to being stuck in the hospital, but his encounter with Ashera and needing to recover from the fight had drained more time from the clock. Trent hated being on a time crunch, and he hated people screwing up his plans even more.

"Oh, I hadn't thought of that," Ashera said blithely with a bob of her head, seemingly completely ignoring what he had implied. "So, how're you planning on getting to Aetia?"

"Figured I'd bust through that closed off bridge-tunnel," Trent explained with a stone-faced expression from how easily she'd sandbagged him. "It's a straight shot through to Fornis, and that means there's no need to struggle with backtracking through Mory- the Wildwood and Uraya."

"That's true, but we'll also have to dodge Omicron and Five, because they've been fighting for control of the pass for weeks," Ashera pointed out.

"I'm good at sneaking around," Trent replied, once more trying to cut her out of the equation.

Ashera just let out a hum as they continued to walk, greenery creeping in as they moved towards Pentelas, the arid ground and dusty soil firming and growing more fertile. The cliffs around it weren't difficult to traverse, but they did take time to fully pass through without extra equipment.

"So, why are you fighting against Moebius?"

The question was asked as they trudged up the winding trail, Trent's calves warmed with the exertion of pushing up the incline. He blinked at Ashera as he turned to regard her, and after a few moments, he grunted, "Isn't it obvious? Same reason as everyone else."

"Is it?" Ashera wondered. "I mean, I get why Eunie and them are fighting against Moebius. It's pretty simple to see and understand what they took from them – from us. We're just little soldier dolls they keep pulling out to smash against each other, in their eyes. Our pain, our emotions, our lives just ash in the hourglass they watch to spend time."

She moved not quickly, but with the saunter of a predator as she circled around to walk backwards in front of Trent, not even missing a beat as she moved. She continued as she stared him in the eye. "But you don't have that. You're outside the system, it doesn't affect your life. Moebius never used you like a doll on a tactics board."

"It does affect me, even if it's not in ways you understand," Trent replied with a deep breath. "It has hurt and is hurting my family. It's true that I barely know not even a fraction of the people victimized by Moebius, but knowing how it's hurt them and how that echoes outward is enough to convince me of the necessity of fighting them.

"And even then… my life is on pause because of Moebius and the Endless Now. Most of my friends-most of my family are outside of Aionios. I can't reconnect with them, I can't try and face the relationships that have been moored for years and move forward with them."

Trent let out a sigh.

"I just want everyone to be able to have the tomorrows they deserve and desire."

Ashera let out a hum as she continued to walk backwards, her eyes narrowed as she considered Trent's words. "And what about everything here in Aionios? If I remember what the Ouroboros said, then everything in it will be wiped away. Discarded like it was nothing, and no one'll remember it. Are you fine with that?"

"I'll admit I'm conflicted on the matter," Trent admitted as he met Ashera's eyes. "While I do think that it will be good to do away with all the trauma and pain that Moebius have inflicted on the world, I can't say that there hasn't been some moments of value in this Endless Now. New people have been born and lived their entire lives in Aionios, is it fair to say that it's right to wipe their experiences away like fog from a window?"

He took in Ashera's questioning look and allowed himself to continue. "Ending Aionios — killing the Endless Now and striding into tomorrow demands that those lives end and their experiences be cast into the void. To argue the ethics of it simply invites a circle; Aionios will eventually crumble as Origin fails and subsequently doom everyone to the void but ending it under our own will and power demands the sacrifice of those who were given their lives within it.

"Ultimately; it's a choice between sacrificing a few to ensure the continued existence of the many and utter annihilation. It's an ethical mire."

Ashera let out a hum as she nodded slowly. "Neat. I'd end Aionios in a heartbeat."

Trent swallowed a sigh, and wondered why he had even bothered to try and answer her question in a nuanced way. He had tried to help her see the dark choice that ultimately hung over Aionios and how monstrous their part in it was, but he supposed that the exercise was one in futility.

Instead the conversation pivoted as they reached the cliff overlooking the area around Keves Castle, where Ethel and Cammuravi's Ferronises stood in a death embrace. While Trent was ready to head to the shuttered tunnel that led to what was essentially a shortcut to Fornis, Ashera stopped to study the mechs.

She moved gently around them, her steps light as she took in the broken machines and the weapons pierced through them. She didn't reach out, she didn't touch them, and instead continued her vigil on them as Trent paused in his approach to the tunnel.

He should have just moved on, kept on his path to help with pulling the Ouroboros out of Li Garte, but something stopped him. He wondered if it was the almost reverence that Ashera seemed to look upon the machines with, or perhaps the fact that they had been what had attracted her attention over the hole that had been blasted into the cliff.

Trent shook his head and went to return his attention to the gate when he remembered the warped Core Crystal in his pocket, its weight having long ago grown familiar. He looked past Ashera to where he had fought the gasping creature that was supposed to have been a Blade, and he let out a heavy sigh.

He still didn't understand where O and P had found or created the Core Crystal from, but he knew it was a problem. If they could awaken Blades, then they could easily create an army of shock troops without needing to bother brainwashing soldiers from the Colony. They'd essentially have a cadre of assassins at their beck and call.

"See, you don't want to ditch me."

Trent was dragged from his reverie by Ashera's voice as she approached him, a wide grin on her face. He rolled his eyes and waved a hand in the air as he retorted, "Just caught up in thought."

"Yeah? That why you were watching me?" she pressed as she circled him.

"Wasn't watching you, I was focusing on something else," Trent said with a shake of his head.

"You sure?" Ashera asked as she leaned forward and dragged a finger along the ragged scar she'd left on his left cheek. "I could give you a matching one on the other side if you like."

"I'll pass. I'd hate to have to explain to more people that a crazy woman tried to rip both of my cheeks off with her teeth," Trent groused at the reminder of the damage done to his face. He wasn't the best at healing and apparently there wasn't much thought put into scar regeneration at Colony Eleven, so he'd need to wait to find someone who could handle it.

"I think it's striking," Ashera opined with a laugh. "Besides, what are scars but a warrior's legend on a map? Even for lugs like those machines back there."

Trent considered telling her to knock it off, but it wasn't like she had insulted Ethel or Cammuravi. He also narrowed his eyes at the light line that traveled across her throat, and considered asking about its source. But if he didn't want to talk about any of his scars, he'd at least offer the same courtesy to Ashera.

"Whatever, let's just… keep moving," Trent said with an air of defeat. He thought about pulling out the Monado-L to carve an opening into the gate, but decided against it given Ashera's fixation on its abilities. Instead, he pulled out the Cobra Bardiche and used its mineral manipulation to tear a hole in it, making it so that the shutter was damaged enough that any repairs would require it to be taken apart.

The tunnel beyond the shutter was filled with both plants creeping into it from the surrounding Wildwood, as well as both the husks of fallen soldiers or broken equipment. While there were some husks clad in Kevesi armour, most of them looked to be Agnian corpses and the broken machines had Agnian stylings.

"It's quiet," Trent noted as they picked their way through the battlefield, taking care not to step on anyone while Ashera used her boot to shift some Levnis parts.

"Not surprising." she remarked as she skipped over a tangle of husks. "With Five crushing Omicron and reaching Gold Rank, neither Tau or Lambda are willing to try and push into the territory while they're high on their achievement."

"Does them reaching Gold mean something?" Trent asked with a frown. He'd heard them talk about ranks before, but it had never seemed to be to much effect beyond Colony having been demoted which affected the amount of supplies they'd receive. Well, that and the brief mention of it Eunie had made when she and he had talked after escaping Keves Castle.

"Right, you wouldn't know…" Ashera hummed as she kicked a broken chest plate off the ground to study the damage done to it. "Basically, reaching Gold Rank is one of the things that really drive the Colonies. As you go up the ranks, you get better rations and equipment, stuff like that. Rumours are that if you get to Gold Rank, the Queens'll grant the wishes of the Colony. Guess it'd be more accurate to say the Moebius'd grant the wish, but…"

"Yeah, I can't see them granting wishes unless they're twisted to hurt the people who make them," Trent finished with a shake of his head. "Basically, it's put up as a goal to reach. I'm surprised they actually let people reach it, though."

"Why?" Ashera wondered as she tossed the busted plate aside, sending it careening into the tunnel wall.

"Because the best way to use someone is to give them a goal, line it with nice benefits —everything they could ever want—, and then never let them reach that goal," he explained as he collapsed the Cobra Bardiche and let it rest on his belt. "An attack dog with a treat forever hung just out of reach, as it were."

"Hm, guess that makes sense," Ashera agreed with a bob of her head, allowing that line of dialogue to simply end.

"So, will we have to worry about Colony Five coming after us for passing through their turf?" Trent asked as he realized that Ashera's curiosity had been sated.

"I doubt it," she answered casually. "Colony Five hid their base deep in a cave and are pretty reclusive if they aren't scheduled to actually clash with any Agnians. Between that and them probably being busy celebrating that they're Gold Rank now, I doubt we'll need to worry about them."

Trent hummed.

"That's good at least."

{~}{~}

The two had made good headway along the tunnel, reaching an open air portion that had clearly been a supply depot by the time night had fallen. They weren't all the way to Fornis, but they were definitely far closer than they had been earlier in the day.

They'd taken some time to find a clear spot to make a fire and roll out bed rolls, preparing a quick and easy meal of rations that Monica had packed into Trent's bag in the City. Trent had volunteered to take first watch, enjoying the night even as his body refused to acknowledge any sort of tiredness. He was also not at all surprised that Ashera was the sort of person to sleep sprawled out, but also that she snored louder than most anyone he'd ever met.

He considered waking her up just so she would stop snoring, when he noticed someone across the fire from him.

She was striking, with ashen skin and pale hair, her visible red eye twinkling in the firelight. But the most striking thing about her were the angry purple scars climbing up one side of her face, and the glowing violet butterfly in her hair. A dark cloak wrapped around her shoulders, hiding her body and clothing from inspection.

She met Trent's eyes with a languid smile.

"Evening."

Chapter Text

Chapter 35 - Vulture's Radius

Trent took in the woman standing across the fire from him, noting that her allegiance was obscured thanks to the cloak she wore. He narrowed his eyes at her, and her only reaction was to tilt her head slightly, keeping her attention on him.

"Mind if I join you for a moment?"

He blinked at the question, and after glancing at the no longer snoring Ashera, he gave her a nod. "If you don't mind me asking why you're out here?"

"Scavenging," the young woman answered as she dropped down into a squat, the firelight warming her features and casting them in orange. "Gotta get out to the battlefield fast if you want to get the good stuff."

Trent hummed as he considered that, and then shrugged. "I can understand that," he said as he figured that she was right, given how Aionios seemed to work. The most industrially aligned Colony he had seen was Colony Thirty, and even they needed to scavenge for the parts they desperately needed when working on creating or improving their machines. "Are you a reseller or are you out here for your own colony?"

"I resell," she answered almost immediately. "Lots of good business hawking parts to Thirty, Four, and Nine. I even have a few deals with Agnian Colonies, but those're all dead drops and whatnot."

"What, you don't want to hang out with the Agnians you sell to?" Trent asked with a grin.

The young woman let out a laugh, a sharp sound that had a mocking edge to it. "No, no, I'm not interested in getting snuffed because they want the parts without paying for'em."

"Suppose that makes sense," Trent grunted with a bob of his head. The animosity between the Kevesi and Agnians was mostly engineered, but it was done well enough that even when pointed out and pulled from the cycle, some would remain — after all, the Offseer of Colony Five had only sent off the Kevesi soldiers and left the Agnians to proverbially rot.

Still didn't change that the woman was a vulture.

Rather than bring that up, he took a moment to study the scar crawling up the woman's face, and he could almost swear it was glowing in the fire's cast. He then hummed, "Surprised you stopped to talk to us, then. We could've been an Agnian force."

The vulture waved a hand through the air while her grin stayed in place. "Nah, the nearby Agnian Colonies don't have the balls to try anything like an ambush on land where another one's had their clock so thoroughly cleaned recently."

"Suppose that's true," Trent agreed as he tapped his knee in thought. "You need some food or something? Because while we don't have much…"

"Ah, don't worry about it, I got to glut myself at Colony Five earlier, thanks to the big party," she replied with a laugh. "You two can save your food, 'specially when I'll be eating well from the harvest I've gotten around here recently." She rolled her shoulders as she stood up and started to pull back into the gloom of the wildwood at night, her grin glowing in the dark as she finished, "Just wanted to see who was camping out here, warm myself by your fire. I'll take my leave. Long night and all that."

"I-" Trent wasn't prepared for her to just excuse herself like that, but he couldn't really blame her for scarpering that fast. The soldiers of Agnus and Keves lived with the sand from the hourglass pouring down to drown them, a crushing pressure of how little time they had to live.

"Yeah, that's fair."

The young woman offered him a smile, but Trent couldn't accept it easily thanks to the predatory edge it had as well as the lack of light in her visible eye. "Sleep tight," she chuckled sinisterly as she disappeared into the dark of the night.

Her footsteps disappeared almost as soon as she was out of sight, but still Trent waited with bated breath. After about five minutes, he let out a sigh and asked, "What do you think, Ashera?"

"She was either Moebius or somehow got her hands on their armour," Ashera answered without shifting from her position, one eye cracking open to regard Trent.

"Well if she is, then that'd certainly explain why she didn't give her name," Trent grumbled as he let his shoulders unwind. While he'd been ready to spring into action, he hadn't expected to actually encounter a Moebius on the side of the road. "Surprised she didn't jump me, given how often that's happened with them."

"Long con, maybe," Ashera grunted as she shifted and resettled on her sleeping mat.

"Maybe," Trent agreed with a dip of his head. "Also, Ashera, a bit of advice?"

"Yeah?" she replied as she closed her eye and tried to fall asleep again.

"If you're going to stop snoring when you're pretending to sleep, do so a ways into the conversation, so that people don't realize you woke up as soon as they walked up."

{~}{~}

Despite having spent most of the night alternating between who was sleeping, Trent and Ashera managed to get a decent amount of rest. Breakfast was an entirely different affair, but that was more because they were dealing with military rations and neither of them were particularly skillful chefs. Or rather, Trent was a pretty good one, but he couldn't do much with military rations no matter how nice Silver Rank rations were.

When the food was finished and their sleeping mats were stowed, they were back on the move. They managed to cut out days worth of travel time that had faced Trent and the Ouroboros when they had headed for Cadensia thanks to the route not having to snake through Uraya and the Wildwood, and the detours those places essentially were.

By the time they had exited the express route from the area around Keves Castle to the Fornis region, it was nearing evening again. Still, Trent and Ashera had decided to press further on, as the latter had noted that they were close enough to the cave that Colony Five had sequestered themselves within to be discovered by a patrol and attacked. Despite the seeming comfort the Dow Dolmen offered, it was a snare that they couldn't set off.

They ended up camping near the mouth of Orochi's Crag, using the cliffs to create an enclosed space for them to settle for the night in, their fire below the small crevasse above them so the smoke could funnel out through it. Their sleeping mats were pressed up against either side of the cliffs so they wouldn't roll into the fire in their sleep.

Dinner passed with as little fanfare as breakfast, and they bunked down soon enough, with only starlight streaming in from above, although it was obscured by the smoke from the firepit. Trent sat, leaning back against the cliff face, his eyes focused on the ground level entrance to their site, wondering if things would be quiet.

He was proven wrong when the suspected Moebius appeared from the gloom.

She made a show of searching around outside the cliffs, before seeming to realize the opening was there and entered. She had that same cold smile on her face as she looked at Trent and Ashera's snoring form, approaching like a cat returning home although she was uninvited.

"Well, if it isn't my two friends from last night," she declared as she stood, stooped at the edge of the light cast by the fire. "Mind if I join you two for a bit?"

"While I appreciate you asking, if you do you'll need to confirm something for me," Trent answered as his hand fell towards the hilt of the Monado-L.

"Fire away," she said, tilting her head slightly.

"Are you Moebius?"

The woman paused, her smile still in place as she digested the question. After a moment, she shrugged and pulled off her cloak to reveal her dark red armour, the glowing purple orb in the centre of her chest. "Well, I guess I can toss out the act. At least I didn't have to put it on for so long, that would've been a real pain in the ass."

"You're mighty cavalier," Trent grunted as the Moebius skulked forward towards the fire. "Which member of the alphabet soup are you?"

"X," she answered candidally, her lips parting to bare her teeth.

"Ooh, right up there near the end," Trent noted as Ashera rolled onto her stomach, still snoring. "Just two spaces away from the supposed leader."

"Yup! Me, Y, and then Z," X agreed as she dropped her cloak and sat on it, her legs splayed in front of her. "The original three."

"The original three? That's quite the title and position," Trent noted as he remained on guard. This Moebius was clearly different from the others, in both her approach and mannerisms — including the fact that she was perfectly happy to just walk around with her face revealed.

"Maybe, though it just means more work," X complained with a roll of her eyes. "You do not know how much work goes into managing those dumbasses."

"I wager I don't, no," Trent agreed with a dip of his head, although he really wondered if she actually put much work in given that she was hanging out with him around the fire. "So, why're you here?"

"What, a girl can't just take a break, wander around and speak to the locals she finds at night?" X asked as she leaned back, her hands falling behind her to brace her.

"Not when you're Moebius, and other members of your little club have made it clear that the big boss man has designs for the Monado-L," Trent retorted with a snort.

"Well, I guess that's fair," X sighed with a shrug, her gaze rolling around before locking onto the Monado-L. "That's really it, huh? Hard to believe…" Trent stared at her as she trailed off, and then she continued, "Well, technically I do need to try and get it… So, what's the cost?"

"What do you mean?" Trent asked in reply, his brow furrowed in confusion.

"What do I have to give you so you'll come over to our side, hand over that funny little sword of yours," X explained as her smile returned — still cold, but with a hint of hunger.

"There's nothing," Trent answered with a shake of his head.

"Nothing, huh?" X muttered as she considered Trent. "Is that really so? Here on Aionios, us Moebius —true Moebius— are basically gods. We could offer you anything."

"Not anything I want," Trent said with a shake of his head.

They couldn't give him back the twenty-five years he missed, the time he missed with his friends and family. They couldn't give him the time to bond he wanted to have with his granddaughter and niece and whatever Linka was, to be there as they grew up. They couldn't give him a healthy timeframe to actually work things out with Pyra, or even to meet Mythra and see if they could actually be friends.

"Oh, come off it," X snorted with a roll of her eyes. "We can't offer you anything? That's rubbish. Or pretentious, take your pick."

She pushed herself further upright and continued, "We could give you an entire little region just for yourself. A private island to enjoy the eternity of Aionios while we make sure no one bugs you. Hell, enjoy the fruits of the Soldier and Flame Clock system for yourself — an entire collection of loyal, nubile soldiers for you to do whatever you want with."

X had an ugly smile on her face, like she was looking at human garbage but needed to seem polite. She gestured towards Ashera and remarked, "Male, female, whatever you want, whatever age you want. They can all be your little dolls to play with, to use and break as you desire. It'll be a pain to let them experience the whole hormonal side of things when they aren't supposed to, but we can manage it."

Trent blinked at the assertion; he took a few moments to digest what X had said and meant, and clamped down on the desire to shout at her for how fucked up what she said was. He craned his head to the side and his hand stopped hovering over the hilt of the Monado-L.

"The answer's no, X. And the next time we meet, it will be as enemies. Don't you dare approach our fire in the night again."

"Alright, but keep the offer in mind. Maybe you'll want an army of toys for you to play with when you realize how futile all this is," X advised as she held the hand up defensively, catching the message that she was no longer welcome as she started to get up. "You might think we're enemies, but we don't have to be." At her full height she offered him another cold smile and a wink as she started to slink backwards. She shot him a wink as she hummed, "Ciao."

She disappeared, not into the gloom of the night, but into a rush of darkness and power, teleporting far away.

Trent inhaled deeply and held it for a few seconds before letting it out, repeating the process a few times in order to keep from flying off the handle. When he had finished, Ashera's voice echoed from her prone form. "You alright?"

"I'm livid."

Chapter Text

Chapter 36 - Kill the Camellias

Though X never darkened their campsite again, both Trent and Ashera kept their guards up as they made their way to Colony Thirty — the leg of the journey taking just over a day and half to reach it. While Valdi was willing to give them a Levnis to ride to Colony Nine, he'd been rather put out to learn that the scrap trader he'd occasionally buy from was a secret Moebius.

Colony Nine wasn't as welcoming to the two of them without the Ouroboros, but when Trent had explained the situation, Zeon had been willing to let them in. Then he pointed out that the easiest route to Cadensia was closer to Colony Gamma, and had seen them off with a smile as their Lev carried them to Gamma's gates.

While Kyrie had greeted Trent with a smile, Teach had met his unstated determination with a quiet acceptance and wished them the best in their climb. From there, it took them most of an afternoon to reach the foot of the plateau that had the route to Captocorn Peak at its apex.

Trent grit his teeth as he considered the rock face before them, his mind mentally calculating how far he was behind the Ouroboros.

Almost a week.

That was enough time for them to reach Li Garte and infiltrate. For all he knew, they already had and the exfiltration operation would happen before he got there. If that was the case, and the Ouroboros were all waiting to have a laugh at him running late, he'd welcome it with a smile.

But that didn't settle the nettles in his stomach, how the organ heaved and felt like it was going to collapse on itself. What if he was too slow and that was the difference between them escaping and being captured? What if they were caught in frame one and it didn't matter?

The fire that he and Ashera had built started to cast more and more light as the sun dipped down below the horizon, and Trent leaned forward to grind his forehead against the rock face. "Tomorrow," he whispered the promise, "tomorrow, I'll climb this useless thing and then it'll be a short jaunt. I'm nearly there, kids, just…hold on. Please."

At the end, he didn't know who he was pleading to hold on.

He was distracted throughout their dinner preparations, rolling possibilities over in his mind and teetering between worry and relief. After eating and into their evening activities, which was mostly him making sure the ether had burned away any blemishes on Torna's weapons while Ashera did maintenance on her Blade, Trent was still deep in his thoughts.

Even when he was supposed to be sleeping, Trent was restless on his sleeping mat, rolling to and fro while unable to settle. At some point past midnight, he rolled onto his side and tried to snuggle further into the mat, but was disrupted by a sound in the distance.

It wasn't the fire crackling, or some nocturnal beast in the distance, nor was it even Ashera. He was about to let Ashera just sit on the matter when he heard her shift and stand, her Blade appearing in her hands with that now-familiar buzz. "I can hear you out there! Come out!"

Trent cracked an eye open, taking in the sight of Ashera standing at the ready against the dark at the edge of their firelight. A figure in the gloom shifted, and Trent's stomach clenched at the sight of red glowing in the dark which made him wonder if X had returned. But then they stepped further into the light, and their armour was revealed to be silver rather than purple.

One final step revealed them in full and Trent nearly wretched.

A single movement caused the domino mask over her eyes to disappear and Trent's heart shattered.

Even though her hair had grown long, it was still a shade he recognized and had grown to cherish. Even though they were shadowed with pain and worry, he still recognized those amber eyes. Even though she was clad in the armour of the enemy, he still saw his granddaughter.

"Oh god, Mio, no…"

Ashera twirled her blade and was about to start swinging when Moebius Mio put her hands up and spoke, "Please, just… Let me speak? There- There's more going on than just this."

Trent had forced himself up, and his hand hovered over the hilt of the Monado-L, unsure and shaking at the thought of drawing a weapon at Mio. He took a deep breath as he tried to keep from retching, and asked, "What do you mean? Mio, you- You're Moebius!"

"I- It's complicated," Mio answered as she kept her hands up. "There's… Trent, you told me that Blades —not the ones we soldiers summon, but the ones from Alrest— have special powers. I- Or maybe M? E-either way, I have the power to put my mind into other people's bodies, and when M used it on me, she woke it up in me too."

Trent's brow furrowed as he tried to put the pieces together, wondering just what the full implications of what apparently Mio meant were. Ashera, however, beat him to the punch as she grunted, "So, what? She jumped into you and helped you figure it out, so you hopped into her so you could take her for a spin?"

"Not- not exactly," Mio answered. "We- M and I, that is. We have a plan, but it's… there's a lot to explain."

"Can you explain then?" Trent pressed as he took in Mio.

She was clearly stressed, but her hands were up and she meant them no harm. She could have ambushed them, and had instead made to show herself.

Trent took a chance and stepped forward, putting his hand in front of Ashera as he moved to stare at the haunting reflection of Mio. He took a deep breath and stared into her eyes as she slowly nodded and started to speak.

"The mission —the one to infiltrate Li Garte— was doomed from the start. The Moebius knew everything because there was a traitor in the City who had sold it all out. M… M took the chance to not recoup or save the mission, but to put forward a new plan by having her and I switch places."

Mio's hand came up to her chest and curled into a fist. "Right now, my body with M in it is in prison, waiting for my Homecoming to come… All so she can escape the fate of Moebius that was forced upon her."

Those words chilled Trent to his core, even as a burning ire welled up within him.

Again. Again, someone near him was chasing their own end, reaching out to their own death because the world around them was crushing them. And this time, he didn't even know if there was anything he could do. With Pyra and Mythra, there was an avenue to follow, a way to reach across the gap to them alongside Joe.

But what could he do for M– for this other version of Mio? He'd never met her, he hadn't shared a fire or words with her. He didn't know what troubled, what had sent her down the path she chose, and there was no way for him to try and turn her from it.

Trent licked his lips as he stepped forward and carefully reached out to take Mio's hand, ignoring the armour that encased it in cold metal. With a trembling jaw, he asked, "What do you mean, she was forced to be Moebius?"

"M… Her becoming Moebius was N's price to join," Mio answered, and Trent's already churning insides flared with a familiar heat. "When he joined the Moebius, M was revived by Z to join them."

N.

A single letter, but it brought together pieces that Trent had tried to ignore or pretend he hadn't seen. The dark-haired and golden armoured Moebius that had stood and fought alongside the Melia-bot, with his empty blue eyes and a face that resembled Noah so closely. At the time, Trent had tried to tell himself that it was simply a coincidence, or that Noah had a twin, but now…

"Her Noah," Trent said, not a question, but still asking for confirmation.

Mio nodded, her mouth twisting and eyes misting as she confirmed, "Her Noah."

"Oh, Mio," he murmured as he released her hand and pulled his granddaughter into a hug, his grip firm as he felt her shake briefly. Trent stroked her hair as he rocked slightly from side to side, his jaw tightening as he tried to provide Mio with all the comfort he could manage in that brief moment, even if it was nothing against the eons M had suffered as Moebius.

Time and again, Aionios found ways to show Trent his failure to shape the world into a kind place and his inability to help the people he cared about. If M was a haunting reminder of how he couldn't protect his family forever, then X had been a warning of how the world would create people who would happily pimp children if nothing was done.

"I'm so sorry, Mio," Trent said, mournful and trying to hold back the full weight of the grief in his throat and pulling at his eyes. He heard Ashera's boots on the ground, pulling away to give them space as he felt Mio reach around to return the hug.

They let relative silence steep for a few minutes, until they pulled away from each other. Studying Mio, the slight red at the edges of her eyes and clear signs that she'd already shed her tears despite the mist in her gaze. Quietly, he continued, "When did you two find the time to talk about all this?"

"We didn't," Mio replied with a shake of her head, taking a moment to blink away the moisture beading at the corners of her eyes. "When we switched, she… It was like we were pulled into some sort of mental realm. And even after we switched, I could still go through her memories."

Trent couldn't help how his expression curled and warped in concern and thought. He wasn't sure what that really meant, all told. Did it mean that Mio's memories were stored in their brains, and that their consciousness copied them when they moved to the other body? Was it something to do with Origin?

He decided to put it out of his mind as he took a deep breath and tried to change the subject. "And that's how you were able to come up with this plan of yours. What do you need me to do?"

"When… When M in my body experiences Homecoming, you need to keep N busy, to keep him from realizing what has happened and killing Noah in a fit of rage," Mio answered as her hands curled into fists, her expression conflicted. "I- We don't know exactly how he'll react, but given his refusal to let M go…"

"He'll react badly no matter what," Trent finished with a firm nod, a heavy weight landing in his stomach. But then he came to a realization, and he shot Mio a confused frown. "Wait, Mio, your Homecoming isn't for another two months or so. What about in the meantime?"

"Then you'll need to prepare," she advised, her tone growing a bit colder and more controlled, as if dipping into M's experience. "I've already passed word to Ghondor and Monica to prepare their own forces to invade the ceremony."

A part of Trent wanted to know why not Pyra, given that she was higher in the City's hierarchy. But the rest of him hoped it was because Pyra was still on Mio's shitlist.

"What can I do?" he asked again, this time hoping he'll get a bit more feedback.

"Work with the Colonies, keep them free from Moebius control," Mio suggested and after a moment, she flushed. "Maybe check in on Iota. There are… Things are developing there."

"Iota…" Trent mumbled, trailing off as he remembered just which Colony that was. "Isn't that the Colony of the one young lady I annoyed to frustration?"

"That's right," Mio confirmed with a small smile. "I'm sure Alexandria will welcome your help, given what's starting to happen."

"Alright, I'll take your word for it," Trent said with a sigh and a shake of his head. A part of him was worried about her wording, but if this was somehow his fault then he'd need to help resolve it — even if Alexandria decided to tear a strip out of him beforehand.

A tear in reality opened behind Mio, a flare of darkness that was awash with the violet energies that accompanied most Moebius abilities. She offered him a weak, shaky smile as she said, "I… I need to go now, keep appearances up."

"Alright," Trent replied, anger and shame warring in his core. Rather than let either out, he pulled Mio into another hug and held her tight. "Stay safe, Mio. Never forget I'll always come running if you call."

Mio briefly returned the hug and then pulled away, swallowing a lump in her throat as she answered, "Right, I– I'll remember."

With that said, she turned and walked into the gap in reality, disappearing from sight and leaving Trent with a roiling in his heart. He felt the barest sting as his hands balled into fists and his nails scraped against his palms, but he ignored it as he went back to the fire where Ashera was sitting, having stoked it back up.

"So, what's the plan?" she asked conversationally, poking the fire like everything that just happened didn't matter to her.

"We're going to follow Mio's plan. Ready and rally what allies we can across the Colonies, then head for Li Garte when the time comes." Trent slowly uncurled his fists and narrowed his eyes at the blood running down his palms to smear and bead along his fingers. He reached back and pulled Jin's Nodachi from his back as he sat down cross-legged and put it across his lap.

"And I need to have a conversation I probably should have had ages ago."

Chapter Text

Chapter 37 - Phoenix Ash

Trent wasn't sure how long he sat with his eyes closed and hands wrapped around the hilt and sheath of the Nodachi, but sound drifted away and even the heat of the fire seemed to grow muted. He wanted to picture a setting, or perhaps some sort of locale that they could sit to have the talk, but nothing coalesced as he fell further and further into the mental hole.

"Jin."

He let the word echo, recalling what the man had looked like in an effort to connect with him.

"Please, talk to me."

Jin's specter hung before Trent in his mind's eye, stoic and as humourless as Trent felt. His mask sat on his face, imagined out of familiarity rather than anything else.

"Trent…" his words echoed like he had actually spoken them, rather than the weak pulsing that usually occurred in Aionios. Still, something gave Jin pause as he asked, "Do you need something?"

"I need– I need help, Jin. I need to be able to call upon your Blade and power," Trent answered, unsure if he sent them mentally or spoke them aloud. His wounded palm itched against the handle of Jin's Nodachi, but he pushed the sensation away.

Jin released a sigh that spoke of old conversations and arguments. "You know I said that I don't want to let anyone but Lora–"

"I know!"

The words exploded from Trent, guilt mixing with grief and determination as his grip tightened. The heady mix of emotions threatened to crawl up his throat and into his lap as he croaked, "I know… But I need your help, Jin. Ahkos, Patroka, and Mikhail wouldn't be enough; while Malos is entirely too much."

"Have you considered any other ways?" Jin inquired, his tone firm.

"Damn it, Jin, I wouldn't be asking if I saw another!" Trent returned, biting the inside of his cheek hard enough to draw blood as he snapped. "But you're the best shot I have at fucking up the guy who's been abusing Mio!"

Jin paused again and, after a moment, heaved a resigned sigh.

"Explain."

And so, Trent relayed what he'd learned about M and N, Moebius, and M's plan. He let his anguish pour out and wash across his connection to Jin, allowing the man to know the depth of his desire to return the favour to N for his actions. Jin remained impassive as he listened, leaving him to ask a single question.

"Why aren't you intervening beforehand?"

"Because it's the only way to free Mio," Trent answered sadly, his teeth grit as his insides coiled and squeezed. "If- If there was any other way to free her from Moebius, then I'd take it. But there isn't."

Jin made a hum in the back of his throat and pushed, "So, what are you doing then? This world is clearly wrong to you, so how are you going to change it?"

"When all this is over, and Mio is freed from N, then we're going to find and recruit Nia," Trent outlined as he tried to force his guts to unclench. "Then, we're going to bust into Origin and kill the one running this horror show."

Shocking Trent, Jin let out an actual laugh, the wry sound sending a shiver down his spine. "How ironic. Now you understand why Torna walked the path we did in Alrest."

"The irony isn't lost on me," Trent snorted as he realized just what Jin was talking about. "But where you all were in a doomspiral and the Architect was absentee rather than malicious, Z is a genuine demiurge out to use Aionios as his emotional meatgrinder on every kid stuck in the Colonies."

"Quite," Jin said, not quite agreeing and not quite conceding. "And you want my aid in defeating this Z."

"No, I'm not so conceited to believe that I can ask that much of you," Trent disagreed. "I just… I just need your help to fight N, after that if you never want me to touch your Nodachi, I'll follow what you want."

Jin seemed to take a few moments to consider before he said, "I more want to understand: why are you so willing to follow the same path as Torna? What makes the path you walk now different from the one we carved?"

"Because Aionios is genuinely wrong and run by someone who's using it to hurt people," Trent answered with a shake of his head. "Because this world is built to make people suffer and the only way to improve their lives is to end it, whereas Alrest just needed a few assholes removed and people's heads pulled out of their asses."

Jin let out another hum. "And you'd still put down my Blade, even though it would be a boon in fighting Z? I'm well aware of your thoughts on my abilities."

"Yes," Trent confirmed. "You've made it clear that you don't want anyone to wield your Nodachi, and if it weren't for the situation, I wouldn't be asking."

Jin didn't reply for some time and instead allowed the silence to roll over the pair, a deep well of consideration flowing across the connection. Eventually, he started, "In truth… I do think that I need to let you wield the Nodachi."

His words were faltering and uncertain, tinged with the regret and pain he'd carried for eons. "Not just for you and what you need it to accomplish, but also because I need to move forward."

"Jin…" Trent murmured, unsure of what to say. Hadn't he said early in their conversation that he was sticking to his guns about not allowing anyone but Lora to wield the Nodachi?

"In truth, Malos and I have had many conversations about my reservations," Jin admitted, his tone wistful. "He said that I'd be stuck in the past if I couldn't eventually let someone lay hands upon the Nodachi — that for every bit of effort that I put into moving forward, I would only be dragged back if I don't budge on certain issues."

"Isn't letting me wield your Blade a big one?" Trent asked, now confused by how the conversation had turned.

"It is, but it's about the only step we can take as things are now," Jin said. "That… And that if you're truly going to wield my Nodachi, then you'll need time to learn. I've no doubt your handling of it will be rough, seeing as we have, what? Two months?"

"About that," Trent confirmed.

"The only other thing I can see fit to mention, is that should you tap into my Blade abilities then it's likely to exert the same toll on you that it did on me," Jin warned, sending an emotion that Trent couldn't quite place into his core.

"That's, yeah, that's something to keep in mind," Trent agreed as he let out a heavy sigh. With another lull in the conversation, he decided to take the conversation down another path. "Jin, before Aionios… Was Pyra, was she doing alright?"

"I can't truly say," Jin admitted. "We didn't interact much, and she made it rather clear that… She wasn't fond of us in Torna."

"Fair enough," Trent said. "In that case, I should probably let you go, and sleep. I'm… I'm drained after tonight."

Jin didn't reply verbally, instead returning a feeling of comfort and reassurance. It wasn't something Trent had expected, but he accepted it nonetheless as he allowed himself to rise from his meditative trance. It took him a few minutes to come back to the reality of Aionios, his body tensed and somewhat cramped from sitting in a cross-legged position.

He slowly stood up and stowed the Nodachi before he started to stretch, working the kinks and stiffness from his body. Ashera caught his eye from her position, laying on her bed roll by the fire, and Trent grunted, "Feel free to get some sleep, Ashera. I'm too worked up right now."

"Fair enough," Ashera replied as she flopped into her usual messy sleeping posture, and after a few minutes started to snore. Trent didn't know whether to be jealous or in awe of her ability to lose consciousness.

Instead of focusing on that, he instead went through his entire stretching routine before folding down next to the fire. He considered just stargazing, or staring out into the darkness, but his mind kept wandering to Mio and her situation. Deciding to distract himself, he pulled out the books in his bag and looked between them.

Neogears was a veritable tome, a quick check revealed that it was almost eight hundred pages long, without counting the glossary and character index at the back of the book. It promised to be a deeply cerebral and philosophical experience, which he didn't know if he was ready for given his current state of mind. It was definitely something he was going to enjoy chewing on… When he wasn't coming down from some serious emotions.

Reigniting the Inferno, on the other hand, was a bodice-ripper focused on the very creatively named Fira, and her misadventures with some scorned knight who would doubtlessly be revealed to be honourable and kind (and extremely horny). It came in just over three hundred pages, and if Trent was right, he'd probably be able to skip a quarter of them due to them being empty, plotless porn.

Trent sighed, and picked up Reigniting the Inferno. Sure, it was probably going to be the moistest thing he'd read in years, but it would be easy to get through.

{~}{~}

"So, what was with that thick manual you were reading when I woke up?"

Trent flinched at the question that Ashera had lobbed at him, still feeling a bit dirty due to the nature of Reigniting the Inferno. The worst part was that he couldn't even skip the smut scenes, because the author kept sneaking exposition and lore into them. He took a deep breath as he prepared to tell her it was smut, only to frown in thought.

"If I told you it was smut, you'd have no idea what I meant, would you?"

"Nope," Ashera answered as she sauntered along beside him, her pace and posture lackadaisical.

Trent considered leaving it at that, but decided to press, "And if I tried to drop it, you'd badger me about what smut is, wouldn't you?"

"Yup," she confirmed with a nod and a wolfish grin.

With a sigh, Trent shook his head and answered, "It means the book was mostly about people having sex."

Ashera blinked.

"What's sex?"

Trent inhaled and considered his options, before deciding that it was probably better if she knew for the sake of safety. "Sex is… Well, mechanically, it's the act of sharing pleasure with a partner. The more scientific way of calling it is sexual intercourse, and there are a number of types as well as ways for people to have it."

"So, a good fight is sex," Ashera concluded with a nod.

"Not…exactly…" Trent trailed off as he tried to figure out how to best explain it. "That might give you a sexual thrill, but it doesn't apply to everyone. Like, that's an important thing: everyone has their own preferences and everything, which people need to discuss and define with their partners."

"Guess that makes sense," Ashera conceded as she shrugged and let her head fall from side to side. "Like how not everyone really likes a good fight."

"Exactly," Trent confirmed as he snapped his fingers to point at her. "The mechanics of the act vary between who's involved, so that's another thing to consider."

"What do you mean by that?" she pressed with a frown of consideration.

"Like… The parts everyone involved has," Trent outlined, his hands coming up and forming vague shapes in the air. He launched into an explanation of personal sex, gender, the intricacies and how that factored into the act of sex itself. The entire conversation lasted for over an hour as Trent explained it all, leaving him exhausted and wishing he'd had visual aids to explain stuff like condoms, dental dams, and other such barrier methods for safe sex.

"But why does it have to be safe?" Ashera grunted, her arms crossed and brow furrowed. "Some of us like danger, you know."

"Because it isn't dangerous like getting a cut or a bruise," Trent said as he kicked the dirt path. He was glad that Teach was continuing to take his soldiers on long hikes, even if they were endurance tests. "We're talking about illnesses that slowly debilitate and kill someone, or people getting pregnant."

He preempted the question he could hear rattling around in her head. "Pregnancy is when someone starts to grow a child inside them, which is a result of sperm entering an egg — and I know we went over those, I'm not explaining them again," Trent growled out the last part, earning a cheeky smile and laugh from Ashera. "It's how reproduction actually happens, rather than the nightmare that the cradles in Keves Castle — and presumably Agnus Castle. It's something people need to be careful about because not only does it mean that someone's going to be growing a human in their gut for about nine months but that it causes a lot of physical and chemical changes in their body, on top of the fact that there are so many possible complications that can afflict developing fetuses."

Ashera hummed. "Don't think that's for me."

"That's completely fair," Trent replied with a shrug. "As I understand it, most people find that pregnancy is a deeply uncomfortable affair, but they do love their child when they're born so they find it worth it. And it's not like people need to get pregnant to have kids, as adoption is an option."

"Why do only some people find it uncomfortable?" Ashera wondered, and that earned a sigh from Trent.

"You know how you really like a fight you think is good?" Trent asked and when he got a nod from her, he continued, "Pregnancy is like that for them."

"Huh," Ashera declared as she looked into the middle distance. "So, how do you know what you're into?"

"Honestly?" Trent answered as he took a deep breath. "It's a matter of self-discovery. You need to take the time to interact with people and figure out what gets your proverbial motor running and your heart pounding."

"So, what about you? What gets you going?" she wondered as she offered him another cheeky smirk.

"If you're talking about people, I like men and women, even if I do lean more towards ladies," Trent answered as he decided that he was probably going to get razzed by Ashera for being honest. "Discounting personality and connection and just going based on appearance, I prefer men who are pretty and effeminate although hunks are nice too, and in women I like ladies who are tall and muscular."

When Ashera didn't say anything, he turned to look at her and caught an amused look on her face as she smiled like a shark. She took a moment to lift her arm up and flex, mirth shining in her eyes as she stared into his. Trent just sighed and shook his head.

"Fuck off, Ashera."

Chapter Text

Chapter 38 - The Teaches of Peaches

If there was one thing that Trent appreciated about Teach and Colony Gamma, it was that upon arriving and telling them he needed to stay a few days to train the basics of the Nodachi before moving on, Teach had accepted that without a blink. He had also decided to help Trent with learning to use the weapon, by teaming up with Ashera to beat him to combat readiness.

For Trent, it was almost like Torna were there with him in body.

Angling the Nodachi carefully, he twisted the weapon as Jin whispered to him, deflecting Ashera's twinblade and sending her stumbling into the path of Teach's Linkstaff. He stepped forward, flowing with the movement and into a sweeping slash that scythed through the air and made both Ashera and Teach dance back. Trent shifted and chambered his arms before thrusting at Ashera.

"This is hilarious!" Ashera chortled as a thin line of blood sketched down her cheek, spinning her twinblade as she looked for an opening to attack. "You're fighting so differently from before!"

"Indeed," Teach agreed as he did a short hop into Trent's range, extending his Linkstaff for a jab that Trent diverted with the hilt of the Nodachi. "Your movements are more structured and fall into forms rather than your more performative stylings I've previously witnessed."

"One part, as you both know, is the fact that different weapons are wielded differently," Trent noted as he brought the Nodachi around in a circle as Ashera darted in with a spinning cleave, catching her twinblade and flipping her into the air and off her feet. "The other is the fact that the Blades I'm borrowing these weapons from all have different ways they prefer to be presented as."

Trent and Teach paused as Ashera got back to her feet, chortling and dusting herself as if her tumble had been a great time. As she readied herself, Trent continued, "Jin, the owner of this Nodachi, is methodical and prefers not to have his sword waved around carelessly. Ahkos and Mikhail are performers, flamboyant and eyecatching. Patroka and Malos are aggressive, not caring so much about proper form as they are crushing and killing the enemy."

"A most curious stance," Teach ruminated as he considered his angle, allowing Ashera to bull ahead again. "One would expect that you would simply use the weapons to your own preferences, rather than others."

"If not for the fact that these weapons are extensions of people, I might agree," Trent replied as he decided to try something. He considered sidestepping Ashera's attack, but discarded it as he took a deep breath and focused — Jin could move fast enough to twist Mythra's Foresight, and by extension Trent should have the same capability.

The world slowed to a crawl. Trent's confidence soared.

Light consumed the world in piercing agony before giving way to the darkness between instants. Noise rushed in and then died to leave the world quiet beyond even a graveyard. In the world between moments, something dark and purple and light pressed against the back of Trent's eyes, and it proved to be too much.

Trent's focus shattered as he dropped the Nodachi and fell to his knees, his throat bulging as he vomited all over the training grounds.

"I guess we're done," Ashera noted as she stopped in her stride, leaning over to study the vomit on the ground. "You going for seconds?"

"Fuck off," Trent wheezed as he forced himself to his feet and fought the sudden pounding in his skull. "I think I fucked up and tried to accelerate how I perceive the world."

"And that caused your reaction?" Teach inquired as he studied Trent's now twisted expression. "I fail to understand how increasing one's perception would have such an effect."

"It's about the influx of information," Trent explained as he moved back to make sure he wasn't standing in the settling pool of bile. "I took too much in and paid the price for it. I think I'm just going to be glad I didn't give myself an aneurysm."

"That's fair, don't think I know any medics who can fix those," Ashera noted as she straightened up and started kicking dirt on the vomit.

"I know someone who can, but she isn't around," Trent grunted as he frowned at Ashera's actions, as she was making it harder to clean the puke up.

"Truly?" Teach questioned as he reached up to massage his chin. "If you could recruit them, they'd be a massive help if they're able to treat such delicate and dangerous wounds."

"Unfortunately, Nia's currently locked away in a funny little hidey-hole to hide away from Z and his Moebius," Trent answered as he watched Teach for his reaction to Ashera.

"Nia… The same name as the Queen?" Teach noted as he seemed to ignore the other Commander.

"Nia, the real Queen of Agnus," Trent confirmed, deciding that Teach had probably dismissed Ashera without much thought. "Not whatever robot-puppet they've convinced everyone is her."

"You seem rather sure of that," Teach said even as Ashera started digging a small rut in her attempts to kick more dirt.

"The robot pretending to be Melia confirmed it before it blew up," Trent replied.

"Is that so?" Teach wondered as he cast his eyes skyward. "You've given me much to think about."

Then he joined Ashera in kicking dirt on the puke.

{~}{~}

Trent scrawled another note in the margins of Reigniting the Inferno, adding more critiques to the pages as he relaxed after washing the taste of vomit from his mouth. If he were to be completely honest, the story itself wasn't truly awful, even if it wasn't something truly special — were he to give it a score, it would manage a respectable six out of ten. And if they cut back on the gratuitous sex scenes, then he'd bump it up to a seven, especially because they shoved actual lore and plot-critical conversations into them.

They also really liked the term 'sumptuous curves' with how often it popped up.

He tapped his pen against the margin of the page as the plot meaningfully progressed, describing how the fallen knight finally reclaimed his name. Apparently there was some magical thing to that, and it built up to some romantic thing with the Pyra knock off as he encouraged her to be the one to say his name for the first time in years.

Trent blinked as he read the name.

Torrent.

He took a deep breath as he rotated the entire story up until then in his mind. He closed the book, and studied the Frazetta-esque man on the cover with his blond hair. There was a lot he could say, like writing it off as a coincidence, but combined with the knock off Pyra…

"This is a malignant text."

He didn't know how the writer had come to the conclusion that he was some sort of musclebound hunk, with wild blond hair and a chin so chiseled he would swear that Michaelangelo had a hand in it. From what he'd seen in the City, Pyra and the others had largely been rather honest about what he looked like, with the artistic liberties not going too far out of line.

He'd given them props for creating a fire/water juxtaposition of elements in their powers and techniques, but he'd take that away as Torrent and Trent were both associated with water. Hell, Trent's entire name essentially meant 'flooder of the dark moor', so it went from somewhat original and divorced from him right back into being directly clipped to his name and existence.

Trent took a deep breath as he went back over the entire story he'd read and wailed mentally. If it hadn't been a smut story about him and Pyra, he'd probably just write it off as a very moist but serviceable fantasy story.

At least it was over.

He'd reached the final chapter, and while he was sure the author had fit in another sex scene with another little lore factoid snuck into it, it was likely one he could skip. He knew he needed to do something to rid himself of it and its evil specter, to free himself of the horny ghosts that will now be haunting the corners of his mind. Or the mental images of him and Pyra that might skulk into his idle thoughts.

Trent resolved himself — it was the first time he'd ever burned a book, but he felt justified this time.

He closed the book and shoved his pen back into his bag, resolving to use it for better things in the future. He stood up and moved to find a fire pit that needed more kindling, only to stop at the sight of Teach approaching him.

"Teach," Trent greeted as he bent the book in his grip to hide the cover. He didn't need to be guilty of introducing bodice rippers to the Colonies — or spreading the evil, moist tome to the unscarred. "Can I help you?"

"I hope so," Teach replied as he stopped to study Trent, his eyes darting down to the book in his hand before dismissing it. "It was your earlier illness that reminded me; I've had soldiers who have been taking ill recently and wished to discuss it with you."

"Well, I'm no doctor, but lay it on me and I'll see if I can help," Trent offered as he stowed the tome of vile eroticism in hopes that it would keep its influence at bay for the moment.

"My thanks," Teach said with a nod. "It began recently, with soldiers reporting sensitivities to foods and scents they otherwise enjoyed or were seemingly neutral too, and has since expanded to them vomiting for seemingly no reason. Our Colony medics have no explanation for these developments and as such I had hoped an outside perspective would help."

Trent frowned at that description; on one hand it could simply be a set of soldiers rapidly developing allergies for some reason, on the other… He grunted, "Can you take me to see them? I have two thoughts, and I want to judge their states before coming to a conclusion."

"Of course," Teach replied as he turned on his heel and moved at a brisk pace, leading Trent towards Gamma's small medical facility. It wasn't too filled at that moment, with a single medic looking over a young woman who was sitting on a cot and looking green around the gills. Teach gestured for Trent to take the lead as he stood by the entrance to the medical area.

"Hello," Trent said as he offered the medic and patient a nod. "Do you mind if I ask a few questions?"

The medic shot a look at Teach, and when the Commander nodded, he shrugged and moved back. "Fine."

"I'm Trent," he introduced himself as he squatted down in front of the patient. "You?"

"Siobhan," she answered in a brogue that Trent immediately registered as having hues of Ardainian. "You got any idea what's up with this stomach bug?"

"Maybe," Trent replied as he took a moment to study her, noting that there didn't seem to be anything that might indicate contaminated food, or some other sort of sensitivity. He looked over his shoulder at the medic and Teach and asked, "The others who were sick… They all got uteruses?"

"They're all female soldiers, yes," the medic reported, which earned a slow nod from Trent.

"I think I have an idea then," Trent grunted as he turned his attention back to Siobhan. "Now, this might be awkward, but I have to ask: just over a month ago, after the Flame Clock was destroyed, did you and another soldier put your bits together? Like, did you grind against each other until you both found release?"

"Y-yeah," Siobhan answered, unsure and nodding slowly. "A lot of us just… Felt something building up. Couldn't shower with the lads anymore, because it filled me with shame and a want for'em, and it was the same for a lotta them. So, we… Tried to figure out how to let tension off, and it led us to what you said after we watched some animals in the area… And it worked! Felt great! Bunch of us've kept going with it, though if it's why we're sick…"

"It's a bit more complicated than that, but it is part of it, yeah," Trent confirmed with a deep, nervous inhale as he tried to settle his nerves. "Basic gist: the illness is somewhat temporary, but… Well, if Aionios lasts another eight or some months, then they're gonna be rough for you and all the others."

"What do you mean by that?" Teach cut in as he and the medic stepped forward, the Indoline's face pulled into a taut mask that barely hid his concern.

"Well, technically, none of them are sick," Trent answered as he straightened up. "Siobhan and at least a few of the others are pregnant. It's… Well, if you have any sort of ultrasound equipment, you'll be able to see new lives growing in them soon enough."

"New… Lives?" The other three echoed in confusion, sharing looks of befuddlement and wonder.

Teach frowned and looked to Siobhan before he queried, "Akin to those that come from Agnus Castle, and the Queen?"

"No, this is… Natural birth, the way it was commonly done in Alrest, the world of the Bionis and Mechonis, on Earth," Trent outlined as he reached back to rub the back of his neck. "It's raw and rough. The expectant parent's body will bloat and shift as it prepares for the birth, which brings discomfort. Their hormones —the chemicals in their brains that help translate emotions physically— will be in disarray and will wreak havoc on their moods. And at the end, they'll pop out a newborn babe, squalling and fragile, unable to live without help from older humans. Unable to even communicate meaningfully for years, even."

Siobhan's hand fell to her stomach in wonder and terror. "There's… Another life. In me."

"Yes," Trent confirmed, knowing that even if Siobhan and the others in Colony Gamma —and presumably any other Colonies where soldiers were experimenting—, they likely had no chance of seeing their children born if they chose to keep them.

If he and the Ouroboros succeeded in defeating the Moebius, then they would end Aionios before the children could be born. If they failed and the Moebius re-exerted control, then it was likely the soldiers would be slaughtered and returned to the cycle of death and rebirth without the children ever taking their first breaths.

He wondered if he should tell them, advise them to either abort or not get attached due to those caveats.

Trent swallowed and buried the idea. That would be up to them.

He looked at Teach. "Call an assembly of every soldier in Gamma."

"Why?" Teach questioned, his stoic mask back in place.

"Because it's time for them to learn one of the most traumatizing things any human can learn," Trent declared as he put on his own determined grimace.

"Sex Ed."