Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Eunie Antiqua yawned as she prepared her first cup of tea of the morning. She had been up all night reading tactical report after tactical report, and while the  big day was set to start in a couple of hours, she was tired of looking at paperwork for medical supplies, ether generators, blueprints and building floor plans. Needing a distraction, she sat down at her computer and began reviewing the medical status of those who have recently made a Merging a couple of weeks ago. Most were disoriented and in good health, though some needed minor medical attention. But all were stable. 

Thank goodness for the Origin Project. 

Considered the greatest engineering project of the time, Origin was actually not the culmination of their world's knowledge, but rather the collaborative effort of two worlds. According to Queen Melia, Bionis used to be part of a single world until it, and the other world that called itself Alrest, were split by a powerful force. And now they wanted to merge back together, the two halves acting like lovers yearning for each other's touch. 

Eunie remembered she somewhat snorted very loudly at the age of nine when she first heard it from Mother. It sounded crazy at the time but once they had the ability to send images to each other, and finally seeing the places and the people who lived on that world, it was undeniable proof that they were not alone and that they were on a collision course of reunification. While Origin was already under construction, the event triggered a massive acceleration of work in both worlds, and the construction of Origin  was completed in 5 years. 

All things considered it was pretty impressive achievement, but seeing as her parents are leads in the project, it was just another thing on their list of “Making the impossible possible.” Especially when you consider the fact that they slayed a God 10 years before she and her brother were born. 

"Bunch of overachievers. How are ya supposed to live up to that?" 

The high pitched whistle of her kettle snapped Eunie out of her thoughts. She immediately took the pot off the hotplate and placed it on a worn mat next to a tea infuser, and a glass jar of dried fruit and leaves. Eunie sat down in front of the items and pulled out an old leather book. Carefully flipping through the paper pages she found the recipe of one of her favourite tea blends. It was an infusion that used a stimulant found in the leaves of a  plant found in forests of Makna and the fruits found in the plains of the Shoulder of Bionis. While Makna and the Shoulder had completely merged with Aionios, she (with some foresight) had some of the plants growing at her Mother's greenhouse, with an ample supply for her, her family and friends. 

A smile crept on her face as her fingers and eyes slowly traced over the lines of ink. By now she knew how much she needed in the blend, and the preparation method by heart, but for some reason a warm fuzzy feeling always washed over her when she had the book open with her. She followed the instructions, humming a small tune to herself as she crushed the leaves and fruit. Pouring hot water into the infuser, Eunie gleefully inhaled the sharp smell that had wafted into the air. She was enjoying herself so much that she was almost caught by surprise as someone sleepily stumbled into the door frame of the common room. 

"Oh!" Eunie said as she looked up from the tea. "Mornin' Joran!" 

“Mornin Eunie. ..” Joran yawned, as he entered the room.  His eyes were closed as he slowly shuffled towards the sound of her voice. Incredibly he managed to avoid the mess of the common room and reach the table. He quickly sat into his chair at the table, the sound of creaking metal and plastic reverbing in the quiet room. 

"Are Noah, Lanz, and Kino up yet?" Eunie asked as she poured two cups of the tea. 

"Just Lanz and Kino," he weakly said. "Lanz is doing his morning workout and Kino is hunting for rocks nearby." 

Eunie chuckled as she handed him a mug. Joran mumbled in thanks as he inhaled the steam coming off of the tea, and took a small sip. He looked more alert after this, as his dark amber gold eyes grew wide open in surprise. 

"Bloody hell Eunie, what kind of tea is this?" Joran said as he placed the tea down. "It's so bitter!" 

Eunie grinned, pleased that the tea was working on her friend. "That Joran is the "Wake Me Up" blend, courtesy of the tea master known as''T".''

Joran exhaled through his nose sharply as he stifled a laugh. "Him again? I swear Eunie you love that tea book so much you'd marry it if you could." 

Eunie could only hum and shrug in agreement at Joran's assessment. It was somewhat ironic that the author of Eunie's mysterious tea booklet was named T. She personally felt it was a bit on the nose, but for some reason reading that name ignited a fire in her chest. She just wasn't sure why. Shaking off the feeling, she looked at the clock, and saw that it was 9 am. 

One by one, the rest of their group slowly entered the common room. Kino walked in first, dragging along a small bag of what Eunie assumed were gems and rocks. It was a hobby he apparently picked up when he travelled with Mother and Father when they were searching for Alcamoth. Saying hi, she handed him a cup of the tea. 

Lanz soon came in after him, sweating heavily from his morning routine. The small grin on her cousin's face told Eunie he either had a wonderful workout, or the fact he was enjoying the fact that his still sleeping older cousin was on his shoulder and was about to do something that was stupid or hilarious. 

"OI!" Lanz yelled as he threw Noah Antiqua, Eunie's brother, onto the couch. "Wake up, sleepy head!" 

Noah landed with a muffled thud and awoke with a yelp. He began to scramble on the couch as he was rudely awakened from his sleep. "What's happening? Are we under attack? Is everyone alright?" 

It took a few seconds for Noah to fully awake and regain his bearings, quickly realising that no one was in immediate danger. But the damage was done,and Lanz and Eunie burst out with laughter  while Joran looked away and covered his mouth. Soon enough, Noah joined with his own laughter. 

"Kino do not understand," the nopon wondered out loud, quizzically tilting his head at the group. "Why does Noah let them do mean jokes? When Kino make mean mean joke to siblings, Kino fly many metri immediately!" 

"I'm pretty sure it's because I'm the oldest one here by an hour, and that automatically makes me the leader," Noah said jokingly, as he stretched his back and made his way towards the table. "These guys cannot stand that I'm in charge!" 

"As if Cuz'! It’s because you’re actually a damn twig," Lanz said as he wrapped an arm around Eunie and Noah. "Besides, don't you remember, it's her Highness turn to be the boss today!"

"Oh bugger off you twat," Eunie huffed as she elbowed Lanz in the ribs and shoved him onto Joran, who easily caught Machina. "Just because my mother is the Queen, does not mean I'm a naturally born leader like Noah or Crys." 

"Don't lie to yourself Eunie," Joran said. "You’re just as natural a leader as those two!”

“Oh yeah? Like when? An’ don’t use now as an example.”

Joran placed a finger to his temple, slightly brushing his hair out of his right eye. “Well there was that time Garvel and his gang tried to pick a fight, and Noah was too engrossed in his training to notice…” 

“Oh I remember that!” Lanz said, slamming his fist into his palm. “He was kinda jealous at the attention we were gettin’ and wanted to prove he was better. ”

“Yeah! And like, if it wasn’t for Eunie telling us what we should do, I don’t know how we could have won that fight.”

“She was like “You hit Hoope first! And then we’ll hit them again!” Lanz said, making motions resembling Eunie’s staff rifle. “If it were up to me, I would have immediately gone towards Garvel, and we all remember what happened last time I did that.”

“Yeah, and I remember I was just learning how to use that new shield while healing,” Joran pipped in. “I don’t think I could have healed and defended without your guidance. You really saved our hides back there Eunie.”

She raised a finger to protest. “Okay, but…”

“No more buts Eunie,” Noah said, smiling at his sister. He placed a hand firmly on her shoulder and shook it lightly.  “We told you already that we trusted you to lead us right?”

Eunie crossed her arms, looking embarrassed. "You're only saying that because you're my older brother, you dolt… But it means a lot coming from you." 

“Eugh, that’s enough family love for one day,” Lanz said, in jest disgust. “Why don’t we eat breakfast and have a once over with this mission?"

"Can't believe I'm saying this," Eunie laughed, "but for once the big guy has a good idea."

“Finally!” Joran said with glee, jumping up from his seat at the table. “I’m starving!” 

The room exploded in activity as the gang prepared breakfast. Kino looked at the family, unsure of what to make of it, yet a wave of nostalgia washed over him. “You are all very different from dadapons and mamapons, and yet somehow very same.”

“You say something fuzzball?” Lanz asked, as he looked up from the sink. He shrugged as Kino just stared at him and shook his head.  "Eh guess it doesn't matter then, mind helping me with these potatoes?" 

Kino could only sigh as he agreed to help  to cut up the potatoes. Another heroic job for the son of the legendary Heropon. 

After they had their fill of a delicious breakfast, Eunie decided that now would be the perfect time to start the briefing. Tapping her Iris, Eunie sent a data folder to each of her comrades. Everyone tapped theirs in response,and they downloaded the file. A small cartoon avatar of Eunie walked into the view and opened the folder. The avatar pulled out the contents enthusiastically, and revealed pages detailing the operation and 5 neatly organised and detailed looking profiles.

“As ya know,” Eunie said as she sipped another cup of tea, “We’re working with an Alrestians Exploratory unit in setting up the groundwork for the first real hospital on City 0.”

“The crown jewel of the new world…” Noah muttered to himself. “If I recall it has been under constant Ghost attack for months now.”

“Oi Noah, I thought I was in charge of this briefing!” 

“Oh, umm, sorry Eunie.”

“Anyways, as I was about to say before my goody two shoes of a brother interrupted,” Eunie said with a glare aimed at Noah, who shrank with shame in his chair, “was that we’ve been asked to set up the hospital, as well as help the local defence due to an increase in ghost attacks.”

“Oi, hang on a sec, doesn’t the city already have an established self defence force?” Lanz asked with his mouth full of food. "Seems like kinda a waste to send special forces on a simple babysitting op." 

“And you'd be right if it was just a simple babysitting op,"Eunie grimly murmured. "Bad news for us though, scouts in the field have noted something changed with the Ghosts.”

Eunie's avatar opened a video player and punched the play button. A recording from an Iris device started playing, the date saying it happened nearly a month ago. The room fell silent as everyone watched, witnessing a warzone occur on Aionios. 

A soldier with a bow was shooting ether arrows at foggy purple humanoid creatures, running past as they fell lifelessly to the ground when struck. Scanning the battlefield, the Iris saw soldiers armed with a variety of weapons glowing green and blue ether, wielded by soldiers in black and white uniforms. They fought Ghosts in close combat, easily cutting through many, and thinning the enemy forces. Giant mecha reminiscent of Bipedal Mechon combat units, fired huge ether bolts and missiles at the mass of Ghosts, dancing across the battlefield moving above. 

Amidst the chaos a soldier 50 metri away from the Archer was knocked to the ground by an explosion. Disoriented, the soldier didn't notice that a group of three Ghosts quickly approached them from behind. But before something could happen to him, the Archer sprinted and jumped into the air. Flipping over their comrade, they quickly drew and fired arrows before they landed their feet onto the ground. The arrows easily pierced the back armour of the Ghosts, and the group of ghosts collapsed onto the ground. Motes of purple light began to drift from the bodies, and soon they turned to blackened ash.

The archer walked over to their surprised comrade. Holding out a hand, the other soldier grabbed onto it and pulled themselves up.

“T-thank you, Commander!” the soldier stammered.

“You’re welcome, private,” the archer replied. “Regroup with your squad, clean up this sector, and then head to the next.”

“Yessir!” the soldier said, before running off to another corner of the battlefield.

Turning around, the commander saw themselves in front of another group of Ghosts. They drew more arrows and charged towards them.

Eunie paused the video. "As you can see, these ghosts are fucking idiots. Mass attacks with zero coordination, with a reaction time as fast as an armu stuck in mud. Helps the defence force is actually bloody competent."

“Then why City 0 need help?” Kino scratched his head in confusion. "Seems redundant of resources sending us." 

“Gotta agree with the furball on this one,” Lanz muttered. “And I doubt you need me, Noah, or Joran to help build a hospital.” 

“I like how you’re paying attention for once, big guy!” Eunie jokes, letting out a small laugh. "But what you're about to see has only been seen by a select few in the Intelligence sector, and by Queen Melia."

There were a few looks of hesitation between the rest of the unit. While they were part of the Exploratory Special Forces, they were still far from the best of the best. They had a long way to go skill wise, and compared to other units, they only had 3 years of experience exploring Aionios.

But they were eager, young, and wanting to prove that they were more than their parents' children. Everyone looked at Noah, who’s eyes were narrowed in thought. He looked up, and saw that everyone in the room was waiting for his word. With his decision made, nodded in agreement.

“Alright Eunie, show us.”

Eunie nodded in acknowledgement and continued to play the video.

A loud cheer erupted as the defence force realised that they had won the battle. The commander in the video was yelling out orders, redirecting the units under their command to rout the remaining Ghosts. They wanted to eliminate as much as they could to make them reconsider another large attack.

The commander looked up into the horizon, watching as the purple motes of light floated into the sky. It was a harrowing sight, as they slowly disappeared. But it was either them or the ghosts, and the archer shrugged, finally letting their guard down after it was confirmed that there was no enemy presence. They were about to call someone on their Iris, when one of the mecha across from them was hit with a blue bolt of ether, falling lifelessly to the ground

Screams of panic erupted throughout the battlefield. Open channels began yelling about Ghosts appearing from thin air, requesting reinforcements. Mecha were instantly barraged by ether shells, their hexagonal shields shattering under the superior fire power.  

A general retreat order was promptly sounded, and panic set in as the Ghosts started flying towards them. The Archer started running, and moments later, purple ether bolts were landing all around them. The cries of soldiers became deafening as bolts hit them, falling onto the ground withering in pain. The Archer, too preoccupied with dodging the bolts, was caught off guard as one of the Ghosts burst out of the ground in front of them and raised its sword. Unable to notch an arrow, the Archer swung their bow into the ghosts torso, and watched as it crumpled to the ground. Before the archer could finish the job, the Ghost immediately vanished in a cloud of white smoke. 

Before they could process what had  happened, a purple explosion exploded in front of them and the Archer was sent flying through the air. They landed with a sickening thud on the grass field, their bow falling some distance away. The Archer continued to roll on the ground, finally stopping after hitting a large rock. They gasped in pain as their Iris warned them that they had just broken an arm and 3 ribs. Their eyes started to close, but the sudden loud roar of an Ether engine and gunfire  was heard and the Archer used all their might to open them. 

 "Jun!" 

Jun slowly looked up and saw a mech landing in front of them, firing its ordinance wildly at the ghosts. The cockpit opened and a High Entia jumped out and activated his shield covering Jun. The sound of bolts bashing the shield echoed like raindrops on a metal roof, but for now it held up to the onslaught, giving the High Entia time to look over Jun's wounds. 

"Ze…" The Archer struggled to say more, but was interrupted with a cough. Blood splattered on Jun's and the high Entia's uniform and face, but Ze said nothing. "You didn't have to come." 

"Nonsense, Jun," Ze huffed as he slowly dragged the wounded soldier. "My precious friend is in trouble, of course I had to come."

They could only chuckle weakly at the man's attempt at a battlefield flirt. Jun watched as Ze linked his Iris with theirs, and Juns' vitals were immediately transmitted. Ze grimly looked at the status report, the few visible spots of skin under the dirt and blood turning pale. "I apologize Jun, but you are in dire need of a true healer."

"Wha-" 

Before they could finish their question, Ze typed a command on his wrist pad, putting his mech on defensive autopilot. A green ether field appeared around it, giving Jun a slight reprieve. It wasn't enough to stop the bleeding but it was perhaps enough to buy some time to save their life. The centre of Ze's shield had started to warp from the intense fire, and they could both tell that it was time to get out of there. 

Ze typed a final command into his wrist pad, and started counting down by 10.

Using this time he took two bandage wraps and tied Jun's forearms together. He secured it as best he could and prayed for the best. Ze then ducked his head under Jun's tied arms and placed his left arm under her. Jun's Iris then told them that their heart rate was beginning to elevate, and Jun silently cursed the tech for being so invasive sometimes. 

Amazingly Ze managed to do this within the 10 seconds. As he neared the end of the countdown, the mech's green ether field dissipated, and it began to emit red ether particles. It was at this moment that the shield broke, and all hell broke loose. Ze broke off into a sprint and began running as fast as he could. Jun watched as Ze's mecha glowed red and began trashing the mob of Ghosts. 

"I set the ether core to self-destruct in 30 more seconds," Ze gasped in between breaths as he continued to sprint. Perspiration formed on his brow, mixing sweat, blood and dirt into his eyes. "It's a pity that we’re losing a Skell, but that should give us some time to call for help." 

Jun closed her eyes as a bright light engulfed the Ghosts. Thanks to Ze’s quick thinking, they were far away from the blast zone, so they only felt a slight tremor in the ground as the Skell exploded. Jun could hear Ze breathe a sigh of relief, his   slowing down into a steady running pace. 

“Hold on a little longer, Jun,” Ze whispered. He tapped his Iris and opened its communicator. “Garvel, it’s the commander. Can you send he-”

But the man never got to finish the sentence as a single bolt ripped through Ze’s back and through Jun’s torso. His legs gave way, and two soldiers tumbled onto the ground. Jun's iris was flooded with medical alerts, and it was clear that neither of them were getting out of this alive. They looked over Ze's shoulder, and Jun could see a small group of Ghosts who survived the explosion walking toward them. The dull rhythm of footsteps grew louder as the Ghosts approached, and Jun could tell the end was near.

"I'm sorry," Ze muttered, using the last of his breath to apologise. "I'm sorry..." 

Jun could only wrap their arms around his head and look up at the blue sky. If they were going to die, at least they would die together. 

From the corner of their eye, Jun could see a Ghost in elaborate armour walking towards them. As the figure drew clearer, Jun could see that the figure wore something resembling a Tornian priest, with light grey metal plates adorning its helmet, wrist guards and boots. A long, dark scarlet scarf adorned the neck, billowing in the wind as the Ghost now stood above Jun. 

Raising its hand, the Ghost pointed it towards Jun, who instinctively braced their body against Ze's. Closing their eyes, they waited for the worst.

But instead, their Iris said that the internal bleeding had stopped.

Believing it to be an error, Jun slowly opened their eyes. A dark green mist of aether blanketed the soldier, mending their wounds. Their foe was healing them. 

"I apologise for the harm," the ghost said. "But it's nice to see you again Juniper."

“How.. .” Jun felt a shiver of dread travel down their spine. The Ghost talked . “How do you know my name?”

The ghost could only shake their head. “Unfortunately, as much as I wish to, I cannot tell you at this time,” it muttered with a metallic voice as they pulled back their hand stopping the healing process. “Erze, do you mind helping Zeon?”

“On it, love.”

Jun looked down as another ghost in elaborate armour carried Zeon off their body. They wore a dark grey long coat with dull silver plating on their wrists and legs, reminiscent of the style of the ceremonial uniform of an Alcomoth Royal Knight.

But what surprised Jun the most were the pair of long, armoured wings on the helmet. They were as large as the wings of the Queen of Bionis, easily reaching down past her shoulders.

Placing the injured Ze on the ground next to them, Jun watched as the Ghost summoned a winged staff and began healing their friend. Ze’s laboured breathing increased to a steady rhythm as Jun’s Iris told them that his bleeding was stopped and that he was stable for the time being. 

“Why..?”

“Why did we help you?” the ghost asked, finishing Jun’s sentence. They placed two fingers onto the bridge of where the nose would have been on their helmet, chuckling as if they remembered there was nothing on their face. "It's quite simple actually, for you see-"

“Before Tau bores ya to death, reason is that we need to send a message to some friends of ours,” the one called Erze said, interrupting the other Ghost. “It’s just happy coincidence that you’re the messenger.” 

The one called Tau glared at Erze. Erze only shrugged and began to walk away chuckling to themselves. Turning back to Jun, Tau looked straight into their Iris. They clicked the side of their helmet, lowering their visor, revealing a human looking, amber brown eyes. A flaming green snake glowed in their left eye, the head eating its own tail. 

"To the Queen's of Agnus and Keves, we, the Wraiths of Ouroboros, send our regards." 

It had been twelve hours since the morning's briefing. After checking their supplies, power frames, and blades, the group was waiting for clearance to leave. Noah was currently preoccupied with his Iris, reviewing the operation that Eunie made for them. 

While it was true that they were going to help build a hospital in City 0, Noah and Joran had a different objective. Both of them were tasked to interview as many people as they could. Joran with his medical experience would gather information from the wounded in the field hospital, while Noah would use his clearance to talk to any of the commanders or soldiers who witnessed anything. 

In addition it seemed like they were each going to work with a counterpart from the Alrestian Exploration unit to help with the task at hand. That way they could collaborate information and get a more concise picture. An amazingly brilliant, yet simple way to foster positive relations between Alrest and Bionis. 

Unfortunately they couldn't use their real names. But that was the nature of one who could cross dimensions.  

It was hard to use them when you literally could not see who the person was. 

Noah remembered when their Captain, Emmy Leater, and his father, first explained to them the nature of cross dimensional travel. When Alrest and Bionis were no longer in danger of being destroyed by annihilation events, both sides immediately checked the barrier between their dimension and Aionios and accidentally found out that a select few could walk on the land and finally meet face to face. 

Kinda. 

When the first Explorer from Bionis met the first Explorer from Alrest, they were both surprised to see that they couldn't actually see one another. According to the testimony, it was if wisps of Ether took humanoid (a word they learned from Alrest), form. Officially it took some time, but the two explorers finally found an impromptu way to communicate with one another. And the rest they say, was history. 

Looking back at the files, Noah saw that he was supposed to be working with an Alrestian code named Zephyr.  Before he could open the file, a loud voice interrupted him. 

"Noah, man, are you gonna talk to her about it?" 

“Huh?” Noah responded, slightly surprised. "Is this about Eunie?" 

"She's looking kinda sad and depressed 'n crap after the briefing," Lanz grunted as he worked on his current set of pushups, Kino sitting on his back. "I hate seeing her like that." 

"Oh. That."  

Eunie didn't say anything, but to them, it was obvious that she was bothered by something in that video. The briefing quickly finished after that, and she disappeared for two hours before showing up again. Out of respect no one said anything, but judging from the matted feathers on her wings, she definitely needed some alone time.

Joran sat on a seat on the side of the hanger, whittling away at a small wooden sculpture. A bunnit from the look of it. "I'm sure it's best to give Eunie some space but to be honest I'm a bit worried about her too."

"Maybe Noah give sisterpon encouragement talk before we go,” their Nonpon companion said, jumping off Lanz’s back. “Kino and attendants take care of Mechon preflight check!"

"Watch it Furball before- OW" 

"C'mon Lanz, let's get a move on," Joran muttered as he picked up Lanz by the scruff of his neck. 

Noah quietly thanked Myneth as the three boys jostled into the Levnis. The whole family might be eccentric but as soon as someone had an issue they all worked together to help solve the problem. Walking out of the hanger, Noah wandered around a bit the base before finding Eunie in a longue staring out into Alcamoth city below. He noticed her wings twitch slightly in his direction, signalling to him that she was aware of his presence. Noah made his way next to Eunie’s side and stood quietly with her for a few moments.

It was the early evening and the sun was beginning to set. The crowds below were starting to grow as the work day was done, and people were starting to relax for the evening. Families walked with their children in the parks; couples, and friends mingled enjoying each other's company. Over the horizon, the Titan's half of Origin hung over the sky, reflecting the sunlight like a second moon. Debris of the continent that already merged floated in the distance, disappearing as they passed the dimensional barrier into Aionios. 

"Do you think we'll ever see this again Noah?" Eunie asked. Her voice slightly trembled, and Noah could sense the tinge of sadness that followed every syllable. 

"It's a beautiful sight, Eunie," Noah replied. "I know we will." 

Eunie's eyes turned downcast. It was clear she wanted to say something but wasn't able to find the words. Unlike Mother, Eunie wasn't really the best orator, and her attempts at sharing her feelings usually ended with her angrily walking away or swearing up a storm. 

"That's not what I meant…" 

Noah slowly placed a hand on her shoulder, pulling back as she recoiled slightly. He waited a moment before putting his hand again and was relieved to see she allowed him to keep it there.

“Just know whatever it is, we’re here okay?”

“I know, but it just sounds so silly, I don’t think any of ya would believe me.”

“C’mon our parents killed a god, or three!” Noah smiled, reminiscing about the bedtime stories that lulled them to sleep. “I don’t think anything would sound more crazy than that.” 

Noah was glad that a genuine laugh came out of Eunie. "I know, but I dunno how to say it...  But those Wraiths…"

Before Eunie could continue  any further, the muffled sound of hurried footsteps on the carpeted floor echoed softly in the hallway behind them. Eunie and Noah turned around, expecting Kino or one of their cousins telling them to hurry up. 

Instead, they saw the Queen of Bionis was running towards them.

"Noah! Eunie! There you are!"

Melia Antiqua opened her arms and brought her two unsuspecting children into a tight hug. She buried her face into their chests as they yelped in surprise. 

"Mother?" Eunie stammered, "W-what are you doing here?" 

To the uninformed passersby, the Melia in front of Noah and Eunie would have been unrecognisable. Instead of wearing a dark blue and purple regal gown that had grown associated with the queen, Melia was instead wearing a simple lavender dress that was covered in an open sky blue jacket paired with simple white boots.  Her hair was tied in a messy bun, and the relaxed posture made her look like any other High Entia. 

"My afternoon meeting with Queen Nia finished earlier than planned," Melia said, flashing a smile at her kids. "And because your Father and Mum are still preoccupied with work, I've taken this rare opportunity to be the one to say good luck for once." 

Eunie sighed. “You're here to talk to me about the Op, aren't ya Mother?”

“Ah…W-was I really that obvious?”

“No," Eunie smiled. "I had a hunch, but I also just wanted to mess with ya.”

Melia chuckled at her daughter's cunning. It reminded her of her wife's teasing when they were younger. “Touche, Eunie.”

She let go of the two, smoothing the creases out of her dress. She proceeded to fuss over her children's ruffled uniforms and hair, to the displeasure of both of them. 

“Noah, do you mind if I talk to your sister privately? I'll be there shortly after to talk to everyone else.”

"Oh, sure thing Mother," Noah acknowledged, "You can count on me." 

"Thank you, my little prince," she said, kissing his cheek. Noah groaned at his mother's affection,but it was clear he appreciated it. He cracked a reassuring smile at Eunie as he headed down the hallway to the hanger. 

As soon as she was sure Noah was out of sight, Eunie walked over to the sofa on the other side of the lounge, and immediately collapsed on it. Melia followed her, and lowered herself gently onto the cushion beside Eunie.

"Uhhg, I love him, but he's nosey as hell!" 

"Well, for better or for worse, that's a trait both of you share with your Father." 

"Then wouldn't Father be the better person to be sticking their nose into someone's business?" 

"He's a good listener, but sometimes he's a bit dense," Melia laughed. "Besides, I did want to talk to you!" 

“About the Op right?”

“Well, yes and no actually.”

“Huh?”

“I just wanted to tell you how proud I am of you,” Melia whispered as she pulled Eunie to her side. “You’ve grown into a fine young lady.”

“Mother, what’s this all about?” Eunie sputtered, confused by the situation. She thought Melia would suggest some last minute plans, not dote on her. 

“To tell you the truth Eunie, I’m worried about this whole affair,” Melia said quietly. "Something doesn't feel right."

“I know…" Eunie whispered back. Melia's eyes widened in surprise. But before she could say anything Eunie placed a finger on her mouth.

"But me and the boys will only be gone for a month or two, we’ll be back before ya know it.”

Melia laughed. “With them by your side I believe it."

Eunie could tell that there was more to it than her words. Melia’s wings were held tight to her head, nearly covering her face. Eunie could feel her mother's hands slightly tremble as she held onto hers, feeling her pulse race. She was hiding something from her, but Eunie also knew she was hiding things from Melia. She loathed to admit it, but they both had the ability to notice a person's body language and tics. 

She looked into her mother's eyes. The deep azure blue shone with warmth and love. Eunie could only sigh in slight annoyance. But she smiled all the same. 

"No need to worry your Highness, Doctor Eunie is on it."
Melia giggled and kissed Eunie's forehead,  “That’s my little princess.”

“Now come, you have a trip to make, do you not? I cannot imagine how antsy the boys are waiting for us."

"698.. 699…700!"

"387…389..!"

"Joran close to finish line!" Kino shouted, clapping his ears together. "Joran can do it!"  

Joran lowered himself, preparing for one last pushup. But at the apex of his push, Joran felt his arms buckle, and he crashed face down onto the hard metal floor of the hanger. 

"Dammit!" Joran cried in anguish, pounding his fist on the floor, "I was so close! "

"Shit Cuz', I was sure you were gonna hit 390 this time!" 

He knew Lanz didn't mean anything negative, but the statement still stung like a skeeter. He was rooting for him to surpass his limits and he failed to reach them, even if this was just friendly competition. 

"Maybe next time," he sighed, frustrated with his performance, "We should clean up now though." 

While laying on the ground was nice and cool to the touch, he knew Noah would return with Eunie at any moment, and he'd rather not have either of them see him lying in a pool of sweat. Joran sat up with some difficulty, but the intensity of the pushups made it impossible for him to stand. As he sat catching his breath, he felt the shadow of someone standing over him, and the biting, yet refreshing, feeling of a cold water bottle to his cheek.

"Oi, let's get ya up, yeah?" 

Looking up, Joran saw Lanz crouching over him, holding a water bottle. Joran took the water bottle with his left hand, and with his right, grabbed Lanz’s free hand. Lanz easily pulled up Joran with one hand.

“Dude, I just remembered!” Lanz yelled, slapping his forehead and then pounding Joran’s chest affectionately. “You broke your old record!” 

 "I, w-what?" 

"It's true!" Kino joyfully gleed with great enthusiasm. "Joran broke record of 375 push up, and Lanz correctly remembered something important! Both cause for happy jump!" 

"Oi, furball I swear on Myneth's left- huh?" 

Joran and Kino burst into laughter at Lanz's reaction to getting caught off guard. 

"Cuz, I think Kino was actually complimenting you for once," Joran jested, punching Lanz's arm playfully. "Takes a lot to get one from our Legendary Engineering Heropon!" 

The Machina boy blushed. "H-hey I knew that!" 

"Still, much work to catch up to Dadapon and Shulk, but praise from attendants is welcome!" Kino beamed. 

"What was that about Father?" Noah said, poking his head in the doorway. 

"Oh, hey Noah," Lanz was about to say hello to his other cousin, but noticed that Noah was by himself.  "Oi Cuz, where's Eunie at?" he asked. 

"Mother wanted to talk to her before saying bye to us, so it will probably take a while." 

Kino's blue green ears perked up. "Miss MelMel is coming here?" he asked excitedly. "Has been months since last see her!" 

"Calm down furball, I don't think Aunt Melia is just gonna come down and say hello." 

"Well it's been a while since us three have seen Aunt Melia, maybe she is gonna say hi?" 

As the three talked amongst themselves, it was at that moment, Noah noticed that Joran and Lanz were only in their compression shirts, their jackets thrown into seats on the Levnis. "Sorry to interrupt, but what happened here?" 

Lanz's eyes widened in excitement. He wrapped his arm around Joran's neck and pulled him close. "That's right! Dude here beat his old record!" 

"Oh um.. Congrats?" he said with hesitance in his voice. 

Kino gasped, bringing his ears to cover his mouth. "Noah, should be more proud of Joran! He do many pushups at once!" 

"Oh!" Noah exclaimed as he finally understood why they were excited. He didn't really understand the workout culture Lanz immersed himself into, but it was a hobby for the big guy, and one that Joran seemed to be picking up as well. "I'm proud of you!" 

"Indeed! Make Kino think though," Kino mused out loud as he started rubbing his chin. "How many pushup could Noah do?" 

Noah was definitely not expecting that. While he wasn't the most active of his group, he could definitely do the basic requirements for Exploratory Special Forces. Captain Emmy didn't bring up any issues when he did his physicals either, so Noah found no need to focus on fitness apart from keeping in shape. 

"Umm…" Noah pondered after a few seconds. "Around 200 or so pushups?"

"Oi, wait a second.. . " Lanz muttered. "That's just the bare minimum for us!" 

Noah could feel something was off, but he was somewhat curious to see where Kino was going with this. "Well that's fine right?" 

A glint of mischief reflected off Kino's eyes, and Noah immediately regretted talking to Kino in the first place. 

"Why not Noah and Lanz have pushup contest?" 

"Wait right now? Mother could be here any minute!" 

"And you know I could EASILY beat Noah!" 

"Kino are you sure this is a good idea?" 

"Yes perfectly fine idea Joran!" Kino squealed, rubbing his ears together. "To sweeten deal, how does free Gem of choice sound?" 

Noah and Lanz looked at each other. Blue eyes met red, and Joran could swear that a spark formed between their stares. Without a word, Noah took off his uniform jacket, throwing it next to the other discarded jackets. Lanz on the other hand, cracked his knuckles and smirked at his older cousin. 

Joran could only shake his head and moved next to Kino and sat on the floor next to him. Taking a deep sigh in annoyance, and to prevent himself from laughing himself to death at the absurdity of it all, Joran relaxed and watched as his cousins began their little pushup contest. 

***

"And, uh, that's how Noah ended up with massive swelling in his triceps and how Lanz tore his left trapezius…"

"I cannot believe it! You’re all muppets!" Eunie yelled as she began channelling healing ether into her hands. "Except you Joran." 

Noah and Lanz were panting heavily on the floor, their faces a mix of embarrassment, pain and joy. Joran had to explain to Eunie and Melia that in the middle of their race, both boys started ignoring obvious signs of overexertion, but the promise of a free gem from Kino was too much of a prize. 

"Eunie, I told you not to call your brother and cousin that," Melia said half heartedly to her daughter's swearing, her attention mostly focused on a certain aquamarine Nopon. "But you mister! I thought Chief Oka taught you better!" 

"Miss MelMel, please stop! Simple misunderstanding!" 

Being held in Melia's hands was an old comfort of Kino since he was a littlepon. But he was currently begging for dear life, as Melia was pinching his cheeks as a punishment for his negligence. Melia ignored his cries as she turned around and faced her kids and god kids. Joran and Eunie had finished healing up Lanz and Noah, and they were doing final checkups to see if there was anything wrong. 

"Now, please stop playing around, especially you, Noah.” 

"Sorry, Mother,” Noah said with embarrassment as Joran helped him to stand. He picked up his jacket, and began putting it on slowly. “I got caught up.” 

"I know you did honey, but you need to stay focused," Melia said, helping dust off her son's jacket. "You have a responsibility to look after your team, and you can't do that if you're injured, right?" 

Noah nodded in response. “Yes, Mother.”

While she was disappointed in his lapse of judgement, Melia couldn't help but smile at her son. Shulk and Fiora said Noah took the most after Melia with his humility and grace, but she couldn't help but see the determination from Shulk and the kindness of Fiora in him as well. 

"Aunt Melia's got a point Cuz," Lanz said, slapping a hand on Noah’s back. “If you kick the bucket, means me and Joran would have to listen to Eunie more than we need to.”

“Oi, the fuck are you saying Lanz?” Eunie said sternly, swiftly slapping him in the back of the head.

“Ow! What? It's true, " Lanz laughed, as he nursed the back of his head. "Aren't I right, Joran?" 

Joran looked away from Lanz's eyes and shrugged, a faint smile on his lips. "Sorry Lanz, but I'd rather follow Eunie than you." 

"Tell me you're joking, I thought you were on my side!?" 

"Atta boy Joran!" 

"I am, I was just kidding Lanz!" 

"Could you please not joke about me dying!" 

In fairness, all the children before her took after their parents in more ways than one. Eunie had what Shulk described as Melia's indomitable drive, but she also had Fiora's fiery assertive personality and her father's compassion for others. Joran had reminded her of Sharla's wit and intelligence and Reyn's steadfast loyalty and both their need to help others. And Lanz took after Dunban stoicism, skill with the sword, and as hard it was to believe, his creative side. And thankfully Kino hadn't changed much since his early years, but, as he matured, showed that he had Riki's emotional intelligence. 

They didn't need to fight. Noah and Eunie could have easily sat back and lived a life of luxury and relative comfort. Lanz, Joran, and Kino themselves could have been just as content with a quiet life following their personal passions. 

But the moment all five of them knew they had the ability to visit Aionios without merging, they immediately devoted their lives to helping those in their new home. 

“Noah, Lanz, Eunie, Joran, and Kino.”

Melia cleared her throat loudly to grab the  attention of everyone in the room, waiting   for the kids to stop their antics. The room quieted as everyone got the message. With a flick of his head, Noah commanded his unit to fall in line. They shuffled immediately and stood with their hands (and Kino's case ears) behind their backs, straightening their posture to show respect to the Queen.

"At ease all of you," Melia said. "I'm talking to you as a parent, not as your Queen." 

The group immediately followed her request, relaxing their shoulders and posture. She wouldn't say it out loud but it was somewhat amusing seeing them so rowdy one moment but disciplined the next. 

"Now, I was told that usually before you five leave for a mission on Aionios,” Melia continued after a few moments, “that you usually received a farewell from either Shulk or Fiora, correct?” 

"Yes Aunt Melia," Joran answered. "Last time it was Uncle Shulk who sent us off, or um, at least he attempted to."

The faces of Lanz and Eunie grimaced at the mention of Shulk, and from Joran's hesitancy, it would seem the only people who enjoyed it were Noah and Kino. Melia didn't need to imagine the heavy scientific jargon ladened speech he subjected the kids to, for she had to hear it daily every night between him and Fiora. At least she understood what they were talking about, and once in a while joined their discussions when she could before they went to bed. 

"Hmm… Well thankfully, I think my farewell will be a bit more tame compared to Shulk's," Melia said, watching as a wave of relief was shown on their faces. "Nothing grand I think. Just something from the bottom of my heart." 

She clasped her hands together, and exhaled.  "Now, I know you must have heard this a hundred times before, but to the people of Bionis, you are part of the Origin Exploration team,  members of a rare few who can travel between our world and Aionios.  

“But to us, you are… You are the gifts we thought the world would never grant us. A gift some of us didn't even dare to dream about."

Melia quickly glanced at Noah and Eunie as she said that. The two noticed, and flashed small smiles to their mother. 

"I know most of your parents were against you from joining the Exploration force, and that included me. But over the years you've proven yourself just as capable with your peers, earning the right to wear the uniform and emblem.”

From the corner of her eye, she noticed Kino and Lanz grinning, slightly elbowing Joran, who blushed at the gesture and tried to hide a grin of his own. 

"But that does not mean you are allowed to be complacent. Even though you are staying in the safest place on Aionios, we still don't know much of this new world, or the dangers that lie within. You still have much to experience in life, so please stay safe. Not only for your parents sake, but also for yours.” 

“I know promises aren't given in this line of work, but do you think you can keep that in mind?" 

A moment passed. And another. There was nothing but silence and stares. Melia looked down at the floor, thinking that her heartfelt speech was a bit too much. While she always worried that something bad was going to happen when they went to Aionios, they always came back safe and sound. As Eunie had told her earlier, they would, at worst, stay in Aionios for 2 months. A blink of an eye in the grand scheme of things.

But she couldn't ignore the massive gut feeling that something wasn’t right. She couldn’t pinpoint what it was, but there were just too many things that felt like a puzzle was slowly being put together and she was powerless to stop it.

Melia nearly jumped into the air when she felt two pairs of hands grab hers simultaneously. Looking up, she saw Noah and Eunie’s blue eyes staring back into her own. Standing behind them closely were Joran and Lanz, their presence reminding Melia of Aizel, Hogard, Garan, and Damil. 

"You have our  word, Mother. We'll try and stay safe," Noah said. “If we don’t, you get to ground us for 10 years.”

“Well you can ground Noah for 10 years, I’m sure you’ll just kick me out of the castle,” Eunie jokes, huffing in amusement from the thought.

Looking into the eyes of her children and godchildren, she could see a fire that burned brightly, refusing to be extinguished. It felt like only yesterday they were just little kids running through the streets of Alcamoth without a care in the world. And now they were here, comforting her, before going off to save others.

Tears began welling up in Melia’s eyes. The mix of emotions were too much for her to bear, but she refused to let them fall. 

"I can see why Shulk and Fiora don't allow me to come to these things…" Melia said. “I don’t think I could bear the thought of you going away for more than a week, let alone two months.”

More silence. At this point Melia was just stalling for time. She knew she had to let them go. 

"Now, if you can indulge me with one final request,” Melia said quietly. “I would just like a hug. From all of you."

The group of kids looked at each other quizzically, raising eyebrows. They all then looked at Noah, who’s own face was scrunched up in thought. He scanned his team’s faces, and they all broke out in smiles. 

"Yeah, I think we can do that." 

Noah pulled her into a huge hug, pulling her in tightly. Soon, Eunie, Lanz, Joran, and Kino followed into a giant pile. Surrounded by the love of her family, Melia decided it was as good a time as any to finally let the tears flow. 

Around half an hour later, the unit was ready to go. Their weapons, provisions, and the supplies for the hospital were finally loaded onto the cargo bay of the transport Mechon. Noah and Lanz were in the cockpit preparing the autopilot flight plan to Aionios, while Eunie and Joran talked about medicine and equipment in the small sleeping quarters.

Melia was about to leave the hanger, but she felt a small tug on her skirt. Looking down, she saw Kino looking up to her, a serious look on his face. 

"Before going, mind if Kino ask Miss MelMel secret question?" 

Melia raised an eyebrow, but nodded to allow him to ask. "Is there something wrong, Kino?" 

Kino’s eyes shifted back and forth around the room. While Melia thought he did this to exaggerate his question, a part of her really did recognize he did not want anyone hearing this. “Did Miss MelMel also get bad feeling when villianpon Wraiths say Keves and Agnus?”

“A slight uneasiness, yes," Melia sighed. "Our Intelligence Division and Alrest's Survey Branch are still looking into the existence of who or what Agnus and Kevesi are, but we've found zero records pertaining to any organisations with those names." 

"Not sound right. Kino is sure Kino has heard names before!" 

"Indeed, I feel like that's where my uneasiness comes from. It's like something is gnawing at the back of my mind. Adding to the fact that I’m supposed to know doesn’t make it better." 

"Call it Engineer Heropon intuition," Kino said, putting his ears onto his hips, "But feel like piece of Kino missing but only remember when hear word Keves. Like when laser ruler off by 5 degree of angle." 

"I see," Melia chuckled, a bit confused by his metaphor, but understanding all the same. "You know, you really do sound a lot like Shulk now." 

Kino’s ears and cheek tufts perked up excitedly from the compliment. "Kino very happy happy to hear Miss MelMel say that!" 

A sudden ring quickly damped his spirits. Tapping the side of his head, Kino activated his Iris, and saw that the one who interrupted him was none other than Eunie. 

"Oi Kino!" Eunie yelled through Kino’s connection as soon as he answered it. "Stop reminiscing like an old man to Mother! We gotta go!" 

“Meh…” Kino muttered. “Will be right there.”

He groaned as he turned off his Iris. "Conversation will have to rest. Duty calls." 

"Indeed it does," Melia smiled as she gave him a small pat on the head. "Keep an eye on them will you?" 

Kino nodded and began running towards the Mechon. He was half way through the door before he spun around and faced Melia. 

"Oh before Kino forgets," Kino yelled, poking his head from the door, "Tell brotherpon Shulk Shulk and FiFi that Kino will contact once reach other side for dimensional readings report!" 

"Don't worry, I will Kino," Melia yelled back, with one final wave. "Take care!" 

The heavy door closed with a thud. Melia took this as her cue to leave the hanger as the engines of the mechon started up. She watched from the window as the ship levivated out of the hangar and began to fly away, heading towards the mechanical behemoth known as Origin. 

Not even a minute passed before Melia heard a commotion from  down the hall behind her. She could hear a pair of hurried breathing, hushed talking, and desperate running grow increasingly louder. Without turning around she felt two scientists immediately flank her on either side. From their uniform and flowing white coats, one could deduce they were two scientists from the Origin division. 

"Did we just miss them?" asked the first scientist, a lady with beautiful dirty blonde hair and grey green eyes that Melia always found herself getting lost in every morning. "I didn't even get to wish them luck!" 

"I can't believe I lost track of time!" The other, a male scientist, said with dispair in his voice. His bright blue eyes and greying blonde hair shone brightly in the light of the setting sun, nearly blinding Melia in its radiance. "I got so caught up talking to Mythra, I forgot to tell Kino to record some ether radiation readings before and after they pass the boundary point. Please tell me he mentioned something!"

Melia swore some things never changed.

"Before you two tire yourself from more questions and anxiety," Melia chuckled, a smile forming on her face. "Kino was way ahead of you, and already told me the first chance he gets, he's giving you a full spectrum radiation recording at different points as well as gravitational and space time reading." 

"As for your worries Missy, I told them how much we loved them, wished them luck and in return they gave me lots of hugs. Oh, and Noah and Eunie told me to give you a kiss."

"And, umm ,what about me?" The other scientist asked, sounding somewhat dejected in a joking matter. "Did they say I could also get a kiss from Her Majesty ?" 

Turning around Melia faced her husband and wife, Shulk and Fiora Antiqua. 

She slowly leaned in and could feel the heat from their now burning cheeks. Her smile turned into a smirk when she could see the two were extremely giddy and extremely nervous at what she was about to do. 

"Hmm," Melia hummed. "Both of them said it was up to my discretion if I should give their father a kiss. What do you think, Fiora?" 

Fiora glared at her wife, and the enmity she felt from her stare made Melia almost reconsider her flirtations. 

Almost. 

"Just hurry and kiss us both already," Fiora muttered breathlessly, her commandeering voice sending a shiver of excitement down Melia's spine. "You know you want to-" 

Melia didn't wait for Fiora to finish her sentence. She immediately hooked her arms around her wife's waist and brought her into an intense deep kiss. Fiora's eyes widened in surprise at the passion, but she slowly closed them as she lost herself in the kiss and enjoyed the moment. 

But the moment had to end, and the two pulled away, gasping for air. As Fiora was basking from the experience, Melia turned and faced Shulk. She couldn't help but laugh as she saw his jaw was slightly hanging from the unexpected intensity he witnessed. 

"Your turn, big guy," Melia whispered as she placed her hands on Shulk's chest and the back of his head. Unlike with Fiora, Melia was more delicate with Shulk, and slowly brought herself forward to give a gentle kiss to her husband. The Homs shuddered as Melia's soft lips met his own, absorbing the intoxicating warmth and love of his wife. 

But soon, they too needed to breathe, and the two pulled apart. Melia disengaged slowly from Shulk, savouring the experience of turning him into putty in her hands. 

A loud coughing fit brought Melia and Shulk out of their own little world. Turning around they both saw a pouting Fiora, looking somewhat cross. Her arms were crossed against her chest, and her foot slowly tapped in a rhythm they both knew to be one of impatience. It seemed that she had finally regained her senses. 

"As much as I want to tackle both of you to the floor and do… things…Perhaps the workplace isn't the best place to act on such desires." 

Now it was Melia's turn for her to drop her jaw. She could feel the blood rush to her cheeks and chest, the heat nearly becoming unbearable. 

"Fiora's, um, right," Shulk stammered, taking off his lab coat, his cheeks also a bright red. "Shall we go home?" 

"Mhmm, Shulks got the right idea." Fiora smiled. She immediately reached out and grabbed both of their hands. "Besides, I think it's my turn to cook tonight." 

"I for one, cannot wait" Shulk said, his mind immediately thinking of the possible food Fiora was cooking. "It's gonna be wonderful." 

"Shulk you say that about our cooking all the time," Melia laughed. "Do you remember the time when Fiora was teaching me how to cook, and I accidentally burned the fish Reyn caught?" 

"Yes!" Fiora giggled. "And while you and I were freaking out, Shulk came over and ate the entire plate of burned fish!" 

"I mean it was still tasty…" 

Melia and Fiora were both going to open their mouths to argue with him, before they realised that there was just no winning with the boy. Fiora shrugged and settled on kissing both of them on the cheek. The sound of laughter echoed as the three went down the hallway, hand in hand. 

***

Chapter Text

The clock struck six. 

A cold wave of uneasiness briefly washed over Noah. The loud bell of the clock square rang in his ears. 

"Huh? What….what just happened? Where am I?" 

Noah blinked. Looking around, he saw a few kids his age playing in the water of a fountain that was beneath the clock tower. Hundreds of people and Nopon walked around him, enjoying a huge festival. Many white doves flew around him, their wings flapping loudly as they flew. Looking up, he could see streaks of fire from the castle flying into the night sky, exploding into bright colours above. 

"That's right…It's Mother's Anniversary!" 

Noah exhaled in relief as he remembered where he was. He was in Alcamoth and it was his Queen Melia's 100th year birthday. Not wanting to be surrounded in a stuffy room wearing his uncomfortable fancy clothes, he, his sister, cousin and best friend had snuck out of the formal dinner party, with their parents' blessing of course. 

"Noah!" a young boy yelled. "What are you doing man! They'll start the fireworks without us!" 

Turning around, Noah saw Lanz, Eunie and Joran standing near the exit of the square. They were jumping and waving excitedly, trying to get his attention. The ruckus they were causing made the people around them to steer clear of the over enthusiastic kids, unwilling to get hit in the face by a stray wave.

"Get a move on already," Eunie said. "Or all the good spots will be taken!"

"Exactly!" Joran shouted excitedly. "So c'mon let's move it!"

"Sorry I zoned out for a sec!" Noah yelled, waving back to show that he was okay. "I'm coming!" 

His three friends nodded in acknowledgement. They turned around, and ran off towards the castle, the sounds of their laughter fading down the street. He quickly realised that he was being left behind, and could only shake his head at their enthusiasm. But when your Mother's crowning anniversary is this lively, Noah couldn't help but get excited himself. 

Just as he was about to break into a run to chase after them, Noah heard a single note break through the loud noise of the festival. And then another. Noah stood in awe as he realised that he was hearing a simple melody being carried on the wind.

"This sound…Why does it feel so familiar?" 

An uncontrollable sense of happiness filled Noah's chest. There was something about the tune that enraptured his senses, and urged him to move forward. A smile formed on his face as the notes flowed through his ears, His mind fell into the rhythm of the melody, his footfalls moving in sync with each beat that he counted in his head.

One… two… three… four… One… two… three…  four… One… two… three…four.

On the twelfth step, the feeling of hard cobblestone gave way to soft, wet ground. The sudden shift disorientated Noah, and before he could fall over, he stopped in his tracks. 

Shaking his head from the trance, Noah saw  that he was no longer in the city of Alcamoth. Instead he found himself in the middle of a lush, green forest. A thick fog surrounded the area, making it nearly impossible to see more than a few centimetri's ahead of him. A ball of bright light gently illuminated the forest floor, glowing dimly over the horizon

"What in Myneth's bosom," Noah muttered quietly. He didn't exactly know what the words meant, but he heard his uncle Reyn and Mum say it when something surprising happened to them.  

"Eunie? Lanz? Joran?" Noah cried out, hoping that his friends were nearby. "Anyone?" 

Noah heard no response.

As he slowly settled into his surroundings, Noah noticed that there was something wrong. On the first night out in the wilderness, Noah was fascinated by the sounds of wildlife that permeated through the forest. His mother had called it the songs of life, each noise and sound the indication that the woods were alive. But here in this mysterious foggy forest, it was only a dead, deafening silence. 

Until he heard a few notes of a flute playing faintly in the wind. 

Noah quickly jumped to his feet. The notes were in a higher pitched key, but it was the same song that played in Alcamoth. Closing his eyes, he concentrated on the sound, and focused on finding the source of the music. He held his breath as listened, scared that his own stray thoughts would drown them out. In his mind, Noah slowly counted the time signature of the song, hoping that maybe it would help him find where it was coming from.
One… two… three… four… One… two… three…  four… One… two… three…four.

And then he heard it once again. The melody that brought him here was coming from the direction of the sun.

Noah smiled, and began running towards the music. With each step in the direction, the music grew more coherent. Weaving through the undergrowth forest, Noah’s mind raced as he desperately wanted to meet the person playing the music. He had so many questions to ask them!
“Where did you learn where to play? 

What kind of flute do you use? 

Could you teach me?”
But as the music got louder something was different. Instead of the overwhelming joy he felt when he first heard it, Noah began to feel a small tinge of sorrow. The more he ran, the more he could hear that each note carried a sense of mourning and loss, the entire song carrying the grief of words unsaid. His mind was screaming for him to run away, to stop pursuing, but something inside him beckoned Noah to see it through. 

He failed to notice something sticking out of the ground in the fog. 

"Ahh!" 

Noah yelped as he fell face first into a pile of mud, the wet soil splashing all over his clothes. Feeling the wind knocked out of him, Noah laid on the ground, desperately gasping for air. 

After a panic filled minute, his breathing finally settled. Desperately wanting to clean himself off, Noah attempted to get up. Slightly lifting himself from the mud, he felt a sudden and sharp pain from his ankle. Looking down, he saw that his foot bent awkwardly, caught in a tangle of roots and bushes that jutted from the ground. 

"Ow, ow, ow…", he muttered in pain as he worked to free his foot. After great difficulty, he managed to pry it loose. 

Looking down at his clothes, he groaned as he saw the massive stain that had formed on his shirt and shorts. Noah knew full well that the moment they saw him, he would probably get an earful from his parents, and then would have to scrub the dirt out himself. Eunie would probably laugh at him, asking if he needed a fortune clover for his bad luck. Crys would probably lecture him about keeping his head out of the clouds, to keep his eyes forward and next time not to run in unfamiliar forests. 

As Noah chided himself, a faint blue light danced across his eyes, breaking him out of his thoughts. 

"Wh… What was that?" 

Turning his focus to where the light came from, he saw hundreds of small blue and green orbs, floating gently towards the fog covered skies. Following the trail of orbs down, Noah saw that they actually originated from behind the tree that he had tripped on. 

"Strange…I didn't see them earlier," Noah thought to himself. "And the music's stopped too…"

Limping slowly towards the tree, he saw that the root that caught his foot was not actually a tree root. But rather, the tangled mess that jutted out between the ground was something made out of stone. Upon closer inspection, Noah recognized that the stone piece bearing some resemblance to the armour that the ceremonial palace guards in Alcamoth would wear on parade. 

Looking towards the trunk, Noah gasped when he saw the source of the motes. Sitting at the base of the tree trunk were a pair of blackened stone statues of a man and woman. Both had long hair that framed their still heads, their eyes closed peacefully with smiles on their faces. As he leaned over to inspect the statues, Noah could see they looked older than Crys and Ashera, but younger than his parents. The man looked like a regular run of the mill Homs, but the lady next to him had what looked like animal ears on the top of her head.
Noah thought that was strange. He’d never seen a person with animal ears on their head on Bionis. The closest to such an approximation would be the High Entia wings, but they still shared Hom’s ears. Curiosity overtook Noah, and he moved his hand towards the statue of the lady. As he reached out to touch them, he saw the motes move away from his hands, avoiding his reach. For now, he ignored the phenomenon, and instead forced on brushing the ears of the statue.

The more he looked at the figures, Noah couldn't help but feel sympathy for the two people depicted in the statues. They looked peaceful, but being alone in this silent forest felt like an undignified end of what looked like a very loving couple. At the very least they were side by side with each other.

“Perhaps they were people who died in a battle long ago,” Noah thought to himself. “It would explain the armour.”

As Noah was distracted with his personal theories on who these people were, he failed to notice a blue mote of light from the body of the man floating towards his face. It lazily brushed against his cheek, rolling gently across his skin. The mote felt warm, and Noah found it almost relaxing. 

That was until the point where hundreds of images and voices instantly flooded his head. Clutching his head in pain, Noah screamed as everything came crashing down at once. 

***

We were the last ones left. Our blades clashed in a deadly dance as our friends and comrades laid dead around us. Her white chakrams and my red sword sparked together as we gave it our all to be the last ones standing. Jumping back, I prepared for a final attack. Narrowing my eyes in concentration, I could see she was readying herself for one as well. 

We stood silent as the fires of battle smouldered around us.
In a flash, we both charged forward. I plunged my sword into her chest, and I felt victory as the light in her eyes were extinguished. But it was short lived as her chakrams sliced my neck, and I could feel the blood pouring into my lungs. 

We both collapsed into each other, and I watched as she turned into a husk on my shoulder. 

I shook as I tried to hold back my sobs. Begging you to not go, for we have so much to do. What about our son? 

"I hope that the future will be kinder to you,” you said as I watched your life fade before our eyes. Your hand trembled as our son grabbed it, not fully aware of what was happening. You gave us one final smile, before you closed your eyes and disappeared into the sunset. I held our son tight, not wanting to lose again.
“Daddy, where did Mommy go?” 

"Daddy will have to go soon. All right?" 

I don't want to go. I want to stay! I wanted to see my son grow! But this cursed mark I wore on my right hand told me my time was up. I used the last of my strength to hug him. To tell him his parents loved him very much.

"We're with you… Now and forever."

“Now you can continue on as Moebius. The same as myself.”
You said something to me. I couldn’t hear, or rather I didn’t want to hear. You spoke the truth, but I set us on a path to stay together. Forever.
“Then the one who died was…”
I looked back on the pile of clothes that had been discarded on the platform. My soul mate stood proudly next to my long shadow, as his friends smugly looked at me. A burning rage built in my chest, and I screamed as Ouroboros interlinked. Unsheathing the Sword of the End, I cursed as it slowly sunk in that everything I did was for naught. No.

“All I did! I did it for you!”
“After so long?”

I almost collapsed from my long shadow’s confession. The truth was that I did have friends like them long ago, and I left them out of a selfish desire. I looked up, and saw all of them, their eyes full of forgiveness.
“It’s what you both wanted right? Well then, easy choice!”

I reached out to his open hand, and he grasped mine with ease.

I watched as our hopes begged us to stay, that we didn’t have to sacrifice our lives. But our minds were made up.
“Believe in yourselves. All of you, will certainly reach heights we were unable to.”
We cradled each other in our arms, accepting that this was for the best. To ensure the future that we would never see, yet you still cried out for us. We smiled as we charged towards Z. Our desires for a better future propelling us forward. 

“You guys can surely make it.”

We can barely move from this spot. Our bodies are quickly deteriorating from our last heroic deed. Nothing we can do can prevent our end. 

Perfect. 

"This world is beautiful isn’t it,” the woman by my side whispers. I can tell she doesn’t have much left, but neither do I.
“It sure is,” I responded quietly.
“I’m glad I got to spend my last moments with you.”

I'm too weak to respond with words, only able to let out a low murmur of agreement. I shifted my body to place my head upon hers, trying so hard to keep my eyes open as the sun began to rise over the horizon of this new world. 

“I love you, my Noah.”

That’s right, this is what I wanted. To hear those words one last time. From the woman I loved. Not the Endless Now where we lived forever. Just one final moment together, hand in hand.

Using the last of my strength, I tried to respond. 

"I love you too, my Mi…" 

I didn't have a chance to finish my sentence. My eyes finally closed and I breathed my last, finally letting go. The sounds of a quiet, yet happy and content sigh are the last thing I hear in this life. 

Blue sparks came out of his body, drifting slowly as they floated upwards towards the sky, content at finding peace at last. Soon, they were joined by a flock of Green sparks, a sign that the life beside him had ended. Yet, the two streams of sparks intertwined in the sky, dancing across the stars, content they finally reconciled their regrets.

***

Noah opened his eyes in shock as the vision ended.  

Stumbling backwards, Noah mewled as he finally processed the memories. His legs gave out, and he collapsed onto a nearby tree across from the sleeping figures. Grabbing his knees, he brought them against his chest and held them tight, desperately clinging onto something to keep him grounded.

What was supposed to be a day of fun celebration with his friends had quickly turned into an absolute nightmare. Being covered in cold dirty mud, lost in a foggy forest, and twisting and hurting your ankle was not on his to-do list. But he was 10. He could easily handle that. 

But the images and feelings he saw by touching that mote of light brought him to the breaking point. The young woman who was trying so hard to not cry in bed as she lay dying, staying strong for her son and him. Watching the same young boy, look helplessly as he felt his body slowly disintegrate into that golden light. Seeing that woman alive and well as a city burned around him as she looked upon him with confusion and disgust. Contempt as a party of six stood defiantly in front of him, denying the will of the world. Triumphant victory one moment watching that young man cry over the death of his loved one. The crushing defeat realising that the one who died was yours. 

The soft blue eyes of that young man with raven dark hair who held out his hand in acceptance. The golden eyes of the white haired woman that told him it was alright, and that he could come with them because that's what his loved ones would have wanted. The final battle when he and his love entrusted the future to them. Hoping… No, confident that they would make a better world when they couldn't.
Their final moments as he held his love in his hands as the sun began to rise.The warm embrace that he felt as they finally found peace.

Noah couldn't hold back the tears any longer. He felt them flowing uncontrollably from his eyes, and began to loudly sob into his knees. His cries broke the unending silence of the forest, echoing for metri if anyone was around to hear.

“Why did the man in the memories have my name?" Noah thought in anguish as he laid on the ground. "Why did he look like me? I don’t understand!?”

Nothing made sense. He wasn't sure if those memories were real, but they felt real. The man’s tumultuous life was too sad, and Noah was unsure if he was crying because of  what he  had experienced in that brief moment of time; Or if he was crying for the man also named Noah, he who had lived a life of loss and regret. 

At least his final resting place next to someone dear to his heart. 

Snap

As he tried to process it all, he heard the sound of a twig being crushed underfoot. He covered his mouth instinctively the moment he heard the noise. A useless gesture he realised, as he was bawling for who knows how long. Noah weighed his options. He could maybe hope it was a small bunnit and stay in place. But it could be a volff, or worse, and with his hurt leg he wouldn’t even have a chance of getting away. 

His lower lip trembled in fear as he turned around slowly, hoping with all his might there wasn’t a wild animal behind him. Slowly opening his eyes, Noah expected to see a hungry animal sizing himself up for dinner.

Instead Noah came face to face with a smiling little girl. 

"Um," the small girl nervously said. She held up a hand, and gave Noah a timid wave. "H-hello there!" 

Noah and the girl silently stared at each other. What felt like aeons passed, before the reality of the situation suddenly came crashing down on the young Homs. 

“Ahh!”

"Eep!"

In the confusion, Noah tried to run, but he forgot that his right ankle was hurt. Unable to support the weight, a sharp jolt ran up his legs, causing him to stumble and fall onto his knees. Tumbling on the hard floor of the forest, Noah felt his skin scraping against the roots and rocks. Overwhelmed from the stinging pain from his shins and knees, he began to cry yet again.
“Oh my gosh, are you alright?” the girl asked as she knelt down next to Noah. The mud stained the bottom of her white dress a dirty brown, but she didn’t seem to pay it any mind. 

“N-no…,” Noah sniffs, wiping his eyes and nose. “I-I hurt my ankle…”

"Oh gosh," the girl quietly repeated. Without hesitation, she gently put an arm under Noah’s arm, raising it slightly. “On the count of three, I’m gonna lift you. Are you ready?”
Noah could only nod his head in slight reassurance. He wasn’t one hundred percent sure if this girl could help him up, but Noah didn't have much choice in the matter. 

“Okay!” she smiled, reassuring Noah with her confidence . “One… two… three!” 

Noah slightly opened his eyes wide in surprise as the girl effortlessly lifted him onto his feet. With how little she seemed to be struggling, he briefly mused the thought that she could easily give Lanz a run for his gold.  But nothing prepared Noah when she then swung him around, bringing his knees up, and carrying them underneath.

Before he could fully process what had just happened, she gently lowered Noah onto the side of a nearby fallen tree trunk. After making sure he was comfortable, she then lightly pressed her fingers onto his right ankle. Noah inhaled sharply as he felt the pain go up his leg. Hearing his discomfort, the girl carefully took his shoe and sock off, and pressed her hands together. A shimmer of light in her chest shone as small water droplets began forming around her. 

“I may not be as good at healing as my Mam, but I can manage,'' the girl says. 

"She's healing me without a conduit?" Noah thought to himself. " Who is she?" 

The droplets of water that surrounded her began to glow a light green, and Noah could feel the familiar warmth of healing ether. She then placed them over his ankle, and Noah sighed in relief as ether flowed over his legs. A few minutes later, she removed her hands. "You feeling a bit better now?"
“Whoa…” Noah muttered. He gently placed his foot down onto the soft ground, and felt amazed that the pain was completely gone. A smile formed on his face as he finally stood on his two feet. “T-thank you so much.”

“Rule three of the salvagers code! Make a girl smile, you pass the trial!" the little girl exclaimed. “Well I guess you’re a boy, but maybe it works both ways!”

“The salvagers code?”
The little girl gasped in surprise. “You never heard of the salvagers code?!” she yelled.
Noah shook his head. “Well let me tell you about it then!” she said excitedly. Sitting next to Noah, the girl held up her right hand, raising her index finger. “Rule number One: Swim like a fish, and drink like one too! Not sure why Da says I’m too young to drink though, I can drink milk just fine. Rule number two: Always help others that help you! Rule number three… ”
Noah nodded as she continued listing off these rules. As hard as he tried not to, he couldn’t help but stare at the person who sat next to him.
The first thing he noticed was her gold colored eyes. He had never seen anyone with that hue before, and the sight of them sparkling in the rays of the rising sun looked incredible. She had long, white hair that nearly reached to her waist, the strands swishing gently in the wind. A small braid adorned the right side of her head, a red cord intertwined in it, complimenting the red bow on her neck. 

But as his eyes drifted up towards her head, Noah noticed that she had another defining feature. The girl had a pair of animal ears adorning the top of her head. Just like the lady who died next to the Homs named Noah. 

"Did they know each other?" 

"Something the matter?"
For a moment, memories of that man flashed in his eyes. The thoughts of the similar animal eared a girl nagging in his thoughts. 

"Umm," Noah stammered, caught off guard by the memories and her sudden presence. "Y-your ears. Are they real?" 

As if on cue, the girl's ears flattened against her head. "Wh-what do you mean if they're real?" she spat, her eyes narrowing in annoyance. "They're as real as they come!" 

Noah mentally slapped himself. He probably broke one of her salvagers codes, since she was no longer smiling at him. "S-sorry!" he cried, holding up his hands in defence. "I just never saw someone with ears like yours!" 

Her ears slowly perked up again, but Noah felt it was more inquisitive in nature, instead of one of forgiveness. Cocking an eyebrow at him, she let out a low hum and crossed her arms. "Really now?" she asked, her voice dripping with suspicion. "Where on Alrest are you from where you've never met a Gormotti?"

It was Noah's turn to be confused. "Alrest? Gormotti?" 

He was sure he recognized those names from somewhere, but at the moment Noah couldn't remember where he had actually heard them. The day's events played heavily on his mind, distracting him from any coherent thought. 

Looking down, he hung his head in shame and embarrassment. "I’m sorry, it's just been a rough day for me… "

The girl said nothing. Instead she sat there, studying Noah. After a few moments of silence, she finally sighed. "If it's been so rough, then why don't ya tell me about it then? " 

"Huh?" 

“Mama always said if something is bothering you, it’s best to talk it out, yeah?” the girl said, inching somewhat closer to Noah. "And you look super troubled. So copper for your thoughts?" 

Noah was dumb struck. He had just met this girl, and he was pretty sure he insulted her earlier. If Eunie or Lanz was here, they'd probably tell him to shut up and that she had some ulterior reason for her sudden interest in him. Joran would have just stuttered at the request and would be the first to just grab Noah and run away. 

But there was something different about the girl. He felt like he could trust her.

"Okay." 

The girl smiled again. "Alright, let's hear it." 

Despite this feeling of trust, his mother's advice came to mind. When he was incognito mingling with the populace, he was under no circumstances to reveal his connection to the Royal family. It wasn't a vain attempt at being humble, but rather Melia's attempt to give her children a chance at a relatively normal childhood. People's attitudes change the moment they realise they were dealing with a person they could curry favour with. 

"Well today, it was my Mother's - I mean the Queen's Coronation Anniversary," Noah said, hoping he caught his mistake quickly. "I was out celebrating with my friends around the city, running through the crowd waiting for fireworks. But then I felt something weird, like the whole world stopped for a second. But after that passed, everything felt normal, until…" 

Noah paused. He looked up to see young Gormotti engrossed in his story, and was kinda glad for once someone was listening to him. The girl nodded her head, encouraging him to go on. 

"Well until I heard this song playing in the distance, and ended up here in this forest…" 

The girl suddenly gasped loudly, startling the Homs. "A song? You heard a song too!?" she excitedly whispered, as if she didn't want anyone else overhearing it. "Did it go something like this?"
When the girl hummed the first note, Noah couldn't believe his ears. As she continued Noah had more questions than answers. There were some different bridges connecting the chorus, but it was unmistakable. 

"W-what?!" he stammered, jumping out of his space on the log. "That's the song!" 

"Whoa," the girl murmured, her eyes wide at Noah's reaction. "Kinda incredible we heard the same thing, huh?" 

Noah felt somewhat relieved. Despite them being lost, at least he wasn't alone in this forest now. "I guess so…” 

Admittedly he was reluctant to mention what he had found. The experience was still lingering at the back of his mind, and he didn't want this girl to possibly see the memories of that man.
Noah was just unsure if it was because he didn’t want her to experience the pain, or it was because of a selfish desire to only view his memories.

"But you're still hearing it right?" the girl asked, looking around unsure of herself. "It's kinda getting loud again." 

Noah froze at her statement. He didn’t notice it initially, but he realised that after touching that spark he couldn't hear the music at all anymore. 

" Does that mean the music is coming from them?" 

As he was questioning the source of the music, he heard a sniff come next from him. From the corner of Noah's eye, he saw the girl's ears flickering towards the direction where the man and woman rested under the tree. She slowly got out of her spot on the log, walking slowly towards them. 

"Hey wait!" Noah said. 

In an act of desperation to prevent the girl from experiencing something so hurtful, Noah tried to grab her hand. But a sudden dizzy spell hit him, and he stumbled onto his knees. Disoriented and confused, Noah tried standing up, but it felt like a pair of hands were pushing him down, anchoring him to the ground. 

"Wait! Don't go!" he said, trying to scream at the girl."Get away from them!" 

Lifting up his head with great difficulty, he saw the girl slowly approach the two statues. He could see tears running down her face glistening in the dawn’s sunlight as she knelt in front of the man. 

With all his might against the force, Noah pushed himself up. He could almost feel the pair of hands on his shoulders keeping him down, tightening their invisible grip the more he tried to move, but he gritted his teeth and pressed forward.
" I can't let her get hurt… " he thought, struggling to move. “ Just one step at a time Noah.” 

The sounds of leaves crunched underfoot as Noah slowly inched towards the girl. He watched as she placed a hand on the man’s cheek, moving them slowly over the sleeping figure. A stray green mote from the woman with animal ears drifted slowly towards the girl, and Noah prepared for the worst. She looked at the spark with awe and reverence, letting it dance around her.
“You have to let her see the memories, Noah,” a familiar and soft spoken disembodied voice whispered from behind him. “It’s the only way to entrust that you two won’t make the same mistakes.”

"Are you insane?" he shouted back. He didn't want to turn around, for he feared to face the man standing behind him. "I refuse to let that happen!" 

"Sometimes the best we can do is be there when they get hurt," the man continued. "That's all anyone can ask." 

Noah ignored the words. He had to save her from the pain he experienced. If it was too much to bear for him, he couldn't bear the thought of someone as nice and gentle as her suffering. He tried standing yet again, gnashing his teeth as he fought against the man holding him back. 

"I apologise for this then Noah," the man said quietly. "I hope you forgive me one day." 

As soon as the words were said, the force holding Noah pushed him forward onto the ground. He tried to stand up again, but the weight on his back was so suppressive, it was almost choking him. He could only slightly move his head to check up to the girl. She stood in place, silently cradling the green spark in her hands, a peaceful smile on her face.
"Let go of me!" 

The voice didn't respond.  

He could only scream in anger and sadness as the girl slowly brought the mote towards her chest. A green light pulsed around her, and the sight made Noah wince. For a split moment, he could see a woman with long silver hair standing next to the young girl. The woman gently placed a hand on her shoulder, before disappearing the next. 

He held back his cries as she stood still for what felt like an agonising eternity. Her breathing and slight swaying were the only signs that told him that she was alive.

Until she turned around and faced Noah. 

The girl looked at him in shock. Her hands were still covering her chest, trembling as she slowly walked towards him. Tears streamed down her face, her lower lip trembling with sorrow. As she got closer to him, the girl stumbled, and fell to her knees wordlessly as her legs gave way.

Noah felt completely powerless to help her. He could only watch as she began to sob into her hands, as she violently shook from the memories she saw. 

"Please.. " he begged, his voice hoarse and quiet. He tried to reach out, trying to extend his arm towards her. "Then please, just let me be there for her…" 

To his surprise, Noah could feel the force holding him down gently let go. Without thinking, he carefully stood up, bracing himself in case the man was luring him into a false sense of security. Taking a shaky step forward, he held onto the small hope that he could reach the girl.
Nothing happened.

He gasped in relief, releasing a breath he didn’t know he was holding. Despite being exhausted from the day’s events, Noah summoned what strength he had left and brought his tired and battered body in front of the white haired girl.  

Kneeling down next to her, Noah brought her into a hug and held her tight as he could as she cried, letting her grief flow. She instinctively returned the hug, sobbing into his shoulder. He begane recalling Memories that weren't his , and Noah could feel his own tears forming in his eyes.
The memories of finding love, experiencing loss and yearning for forgiveness over and over again overwhelmed him. He couldn’t hold back his own tears, and Noah began to sob into her shoulder as well.
Amidst their shaking, he felt her arms tighten around him, and in return he tightened his hug around hers. 

For the first time today it felt like everything was going to be okay. 

***

Noah was unsure how long they held each other, but eventually, the two began to calm down. Unlike the first time he saw the memories, this experience felt comforting and he definitely felt better since coming into this forest. Perhaps the fact he had someone to hold onto helped.
Looking over to the girl, he could see she was wiping away the tears on his shoulder. Their clothes were already covered in dirt and grime, so Noah did not mind her doing so. Instinctively he reached a hand around her head and began to stroke her hair.  

"Thank you…" the girl finally whispered, as she held tight to Noah. "Thank you…?" 

The girl pulled away slightly, and clicked her tongue. A sinking feeling formed in his chest as he thought that maybe he went too far somewhere without realising it. The girl noticed his change in demeanour, and made an attempt to assuage his fears by going back into their hug. 
"Don't worry! You didn’t do anything wrong,” she said gently. “It’s just, umm, I never asked your name!" 

His jaw dropped in disbelief. His cheeks felt hot as they shared what felt like a very intimate moment, without knowing each other's names! A let out a small chuckle, which slowly became a full on laugh. "Oh my gosh I never asked yours too!" 

It was now the girl's turn for her cheeks to turn a bright red, and she looked away in embarrassment. It wasn't long though before she joined in the laughter. 

"My name is Noah," he said, flashing a warm smile at the girl. "What's yours?" 

The girl smiled back at him. Her gold eyes met his blue, and in that one moment, everything felt right in the world.  

"Nice to meet you Noah, I'm -"

***

Knock. Knock. Knock. Knock. 

The slow, yet gentle rhythm of knocking  against his bunk awoke Noah from his dream. He groaned and rolled over covering his ears with his pillow. He tried going back to sleep, but he heard the knocking yet again.

Knock. Knock. Knock. Knock. 

"Hey Noah" a familiar voice whispered from the other side of his privacy blinds. "You up yet?" 

"Joran? That you?" he whispered, slight annoyance in his voice. He wasn't mad at Joran, far from it, but the dream he was having felt absolutely wonderful. Poking his head out of the curtains, he came face to face with his best friend. "What time is it?" 

"It's about 08:23," Joran said, stifling a sudden yawn. "We're about two hours away from City 0, so Kino just called via Iris, and told me to wake us up and get ready. Lanz and Eunie were already gone by the time I crawled out of bed, so I assume Lanz is doing his work out, and Eunie is doing a final prep before we meet the Bionis Commanders."

As his eyes adjusted to the light, it looked that Joran had just gotten out of bed as well. He was still in his sleeping clothes, and they were stained dark with sweat. His long hair was untied and unkempt, clumped together in a chaotic fashion. Dark circles formed under his eyes, and he noticed they struggled to stay open. 

"Insomnia again, Joran?" Noah said quietly as he jumped down from his bunk. His bare feet thudded quietly against the cold metal floor, sending a shock that helped wake him up.

“Yeah,” Joran said quietly, rubbing his right arm in embarrassment. “Nothing to worry about though. You know I can’t sleep on the first few nights on Aionios.”
Noah rubbed his eyes, removing the eye sand in his eyes, but also in slight frustration. They both knew that Joran was lying about being okay. Their first trip to Ainios had him crying all night due to nightmares, and Noah had to help him calm down the first few days after that.

“Why don’t you take a shower first then? Should freshen you up a bit.”

He cocked an eyeball at Noah’s suggestion. “I don’t look as bad as you do I?”

“Joran, to be honest you look like total shite.”

Noah brought out his mirror, and showed Joran his reflection. The man cringed as he looked at himself, noticing how unpresentable he was.

“Alright, then Noah, you win,"Joran sighed, shrugging his shoulders in defeat. "I’ll try and leave some hot water for you if Eunie and Lanz didn't use it all up.”

"Okay I take it back, I should go first." Noah pouted jokingly.
"I mean I don't mind either way to be honest. It sounded like you had a rough night too."

Noah was unexpectedly caught off guard at Joran's statement. "I did?" 

"Yeah," Joran said quietly as he began rummaging through his bag for toiletries. "You were kinda crying in your sleep last night. The others were fast asleep so I'm sure I'm the only one who knows. You wanna talk about it?" 

"Maybe…" Noah pondered. He didn’t have a history of nightmares, and the dream he had was far from one. "Did I say anything?" 

Joran shook his head. "If you did, it wasn't coherent."

Noah wrangled his left hand over his right. He never really liked talking about his dreams to others, not even to his family. But for some reason, Joran was the exception. 

Well except for the ones he was really involved. He didn't need to know those ones. 

"I dreamt about Mother's 15th Anniversary…" Noah finally said. "I know it's a touchy subject to talk-" 

"Because I was in a coma for that entire week," Joran said, finally understanding Noah's hesitance. "Yeah I get ya. But I know you weren't crying over me."

For some reason, that little statement stung harder than a wisp. Noah felt a wave of sorrow and regret quickly washed over him. He quickly scrunched his face, prompting a hug and small kiss on the check from Joran. 

"I was joking, dude." 

Noah quickly blinked. "I mean what if I was crying over you?" he replied without hesitation. 

Joran's eyes quickly widened, his cheeks slightly turning a slight shade of red. "Well I mean, you know I don't mind," he stuttered. "Just continue on with your story." 

Noah giggled. Teasing his partner was so easy, especially since he looked really cute when he got flustered. Nonetheless he knew they were short on time, and so he proceeded to tell Joran about everything he could remember. The day of the festival, getting lost in the forest, meeting the Gormotti girl, and the two mysterious statues who looked like them. 

By the time he reached where he woke up, Joran looked at Noah in disbelief. "Are you sure this was a dream?" he asked, cocking an eyebrow, "This sounds way more coherent and memorable than your other ones." 

"I mean it's just as outlandish, isn't it?" Noah said. "Meeting a mysterious girl in the forest, and she looked like a younger version of the girl I've kept dreaming about?" 

"I mean when you put it that way…"

"Plus," he continued. " I heard the lullaby that I wrote down in my dream."

"Really?" 

"Yeah but something was different…" Noah said. He struggled to find the right word to describe the version of the lullaby he had heard. "It's hard to describe without playing it."

"Then why don't you play it for me then?" 

"Huh?" 

"It's still fresh in your mind, isn't it?" Joran said, moving next to Noah. "And I know you brought your flute, even though they said not to." 

Noah's cheeks turned red from embarrassment. Without saying a word, he quickly turned around, reached under his pillow, and carefully pulled out a slim wooden case. By all accounts it was a plain, dark stained wooden box, the only indication of its royal owner was the simple seal of the Antiqua family engraved into the box. Opening it up, he and Joran admired the instrument within. It was a seven hole flute, painted white with gold and blue  accents that ran down the length of the instrument. 

Joran whistled in awe as Noah took it out of its case. It was a beautiful instrument to behold. He watched as Noah placed the flute to his mouth, and prepared himself to listen to him play.

One…Two…Three…Four.

Noah began playing the tune he heard in his dreams. Ever since that day, 11 years ago, it had stuck with him all this time. Every chance he got, he played it to the best of his ability, but he had always felt that something was missing. But in an act that could only be described as a gift from Meyneth herself, the second part to the song came to him in a dream. His fingers glide effortlessly over the holes of his flute, a testament to his mastery over the instrument, and the extreme familiarity of the song. 

As he finished playing the newly created second part, he looped the song back to the beginning. The song worked well as just a simple melody, but the addition of the second part definitely made it feel more complete. 

Starting from the song's second refrain, Noah found himself pleasantly surprised as he heard the sound of humming joining in. He didn’t need to open his eyes to know that Joran had his eyes closed as well, immersed into the music. While it didn’t weave flawlessly through the music, Joran’s fundamentals were still with him after all these years, and for Noah that was enough. 

After a few more repetitions, they both ended the song on a harmonious note. Noah lowered his flute, a smile on his lips. “Thank you Joran…” 

His knight tilted his head. "For what Noah?"

"Just you, being you I guess," Noah smiled back. He gently leaned into the other boy's shoulder, causing him to flinch so slightly at the sudden contact.
Joran immediately covered his mouth, and exhaled sharply. He looked the other way, unable to look at his friend snuggling up on him. "Oh, umm, you’re welcome dude… "  

He was always caught off guard by the cool bite of his partner's skin. 

Noah hummed happily in response. To him, Joran's skin felt warm, and in the chilly room, was Noah's only source of nearby warmth. His steady breathing rocked Noah back and forth, and the flautist found himself almost falling asleep on his shoulder.
After a few moments of silence, Noah couldn't ignore the urge to ask his partner a question that burned in his chest. 

"Hey Joran?" 

"Yeah Noah?
Noah's hands fidgeted over his instrument. He wasn't nervous but he knew what he was going to ask was another somewhat touchy subject between the two. "Have you ever thought of taking up the flute again? " 

As expected, Joran sighed in annoyance. He moved away from the bed frame, accidentally and ungraciously knocking Noah off his shoulder. "You know I’m not good at flute playing or music...Not like you and Crys."
"But what about just now?" Noah asked. "You picked up the harmonics wonderfully just after hearing it once!" 

"I mean let's be real Noah, anyone could do that! Plus they really weren't that great, and I just hummed it out too."

"But-!" 

"I’m sorry Noah,” Joran said, shaking his head side to side. “I wasn’t good enough for the flute then, I doubt I’ll be good now.” 

“Joran…”

Taking a quick look at his partner, he could only sigh. He knew when it came to Eunie, Lanz, and Kino, Noah was the mature, smart natural born leader; the older brother figure everyone could rely on. But when the two shared quiet moments alone, Noah allowed himself to be vulnerable. He wasn't Captain, or Prince Antiqua, he was just Noah.
His Noah.

And Joran felt guilty as hell rejecting him. But he knew how precious playing the flute was to Noah, and he didn't want to be the dead weight that held his partner down. The last thing he wanted was to ruin his passion on account of his clumsiness. 

“Sorry about ruining your morning man,” Joran finally said, trying hard not to look pathetic to Noah. ”I'll take a cold shower to make it up to you.” 

“You don’t have to take a cold shower, or apologise,” Noah replied, grabbing Joran’s free hand with his own. “I should be the one who’s apologising to you.” 

The two stared at each other, unwilling to move. The only sound that broke the silence was the hum of the ship and their breathing. After a few moments though, Joran was the first to crack and let out a little chuckle, leading Noah to do the same. The two closed the distance and rubbed their foreheads together.

“Man, why are we like this,” Joran groaned, rubbing the back of Noah's neck. “We’re hopeless without Lanz and Eunie around.” 

“I guess so,” Noah huffed. “How about we tie each other's hair later, then. Call it even?”
“Uhhg, fine, that works,” Joran said. Satisfied in the agreement, he gave Noah a quick peck on the lips, and they both let go at the same time. “Just make sure to get some food in you, I know how grumpy you get on an empty stomach.” 

“Mhmm, I’ll keep it in mind,” Noah murmured. The two nodded at each other as Joran left the room to take his shower. 

Turning around, Noah placed his flute back in its protective case. Before he closed it, he ran his fingers over the lacquered wood, admiring the craftsmanship. After carefully closing the lid, he placed it on top of his travel case to make sure he wouldn’t forget it later. Letting out a yawn, Noah turned off the lights and headed downstairs, mentally preparing himself for the day ahead.