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A boy clad in blue awoke in a grassy plain. In front of him was a hill with a lone tree perched atop it. Above him, blue sky stretched for miles. It was the type of scenery you’d see in a dream, or maybe in a desktop background. A lone figure stood next to the tree. The boy, Rex, made his way to the top of the hill.

The figure was a red-haired girl, a head taller than him and (he tried hard not to stare) extremely well-endowed. He spoke up. “Wh-what is this place? Where are we?”

She turned and faced him, her eyes red like a scorching fire. “This is Elysium. Or, at least, my memory of it. Do you remember how you got here?”

All at once the memories came rushing back to him. The job he’d taken on, searching the abandoned ship, finding a sleeping girl (the very same one standing in front of him, he realized) and then-

“Aw shite, I died! That bastard stabbed me right through the back!”

“Well, that’s one way of putting it. You are correct; you were killed. But just before your death, you made contact with me. That’s why we’re here.”

“What do ya mean, exactly? Are you saying I’m not actually dead?”

“Yes and no. You did die, but you can come back. In order to do it, however, I’m going to have to perform a core transfer.”

“A what?”

The girl looked down and placed a hand on her chest. “It’s a… complicated procedure. Essentially, I’m going to split my core in two and give you half of my life force. You’d come back to life, and more importantly than that, you’d become my Driver.”

“Driver? So, you’re a Blade, then?”

“Not just any Blade. The Aegis. You can call me Pyra, though.”

Rex looked at her with shock. “Me? The Driver of the Aegis? I must be dead or dreamin’!”

He looked at the scenery around them again. “Oh, right…”

Pyra spoke again. “In return, though, I’ll need your assistance as my Driver. I won’t lie to you, things are going to be dangerous. People will be after us, and-“

Rex said sarcastically, “Sheesh, seems like you’re trying to convince me to just forget about it and accept my death.”

“I’m just letting you know now. And I also want you to know that I’ve never done anything like this core transfer either. Theoretically, it should just revive you, but having half of my core inside you could have some… side effects. It might transfer some of my memories to you, or even-“

Rex cut her off again. “I don’t wanna hear it. It’s literally do or die here. It’s not like I’ve got much of a choice.”

Pyra nodded. “You’re right. If you’re ready to start, place your hand on my core crystal.”

Rex’s eyes bulged out of his skull. “Do what now?”

“Just do it!”

He reached his hand to her core crystal—which happened to be in the center of her very large chest—and a shining green light engulfed the two. When the light faded, the two figures on the hill still remained.

Breathing heavily, Rex asked, “D-did it work?”

Pyra noticed that part of the cross-shaped core on her chest was missing, leaving only a glowing X. On Rex’s chest, she saw a glowing green crystal that matched the missing part of hers.

“Looks like it. I’m glad nothing seems to have gone wrong.”

“Uh, about that…”

The glow returned, this time only emitting from Rex’s half of the crystal. In what seemed like an instant, Rex grew a head taller, now seeing eye-to-eye with Pyra. Almost all of that additional height seemed to be his legs.

“Oh no, I didn’t jinx it, did I?”

The glow continued, and Rex’s body too continued to change. The power of the crystal spread over his entire body, leaving smooth, flawless skin in its wake. The power then surged at his fingertips and spread up his arms, narrowing them down and leaving them slightly longer than before.

The energy then spread to his shoulders, slimming them down, before moving up to his neck. He coughed as an itchy feeling emerged in his throat, with each progressive cough sounding higher than before. As the energy engulfed his face, his lips plumped, his nose shrunk, his eyebrows thinned, and his eyes changed to a brilliant golden color.

“Pyra, what the hell’s going-“

Rex stopped himself momentarily, noticing that his voice sounded almost identical to that of the girl before him. “Okay, seriously, what the hell is going on?!”

Pyra averted her gaze. “I-I think my power might be too much. Your body can’t take it, so the crystal’s changing you into a form that can handle it.”

“Which means…?”

“…you’re changing into a form that’s stored in my core crystal’s data. A form that it knows can handle the power.”

It wasn’t hard to piece together. “My voice… is it turning me into you?”

“Um, kind of.”

Rex looked down at his body. As they were speaking, residual energy had already greatly slimmed his waist and widened his hips. He looked back to Pyra. “What do you mean, kind of?!”

“Well, it’s, um…”

Rex’s golden eyes were a dead giveaway to Pyra as to what, or rather, who, he was being transformed into, but she knew explaining it to him would be difficult. Their dialogue was interrupted, however, by a resurgence of the glow from Rex’s crystal.

The wave of energy spread throughout his body, making it much curvier than before. Fat gathered in his thighs, leaving them delightfully plump. His ass soon followed, greatly expanding to match the rest of his legs. As his chest swelled with power, two beautiful mounds emerged, stretching the limits of his shirt. They continued to flourish until they matched Pyra’s impressive size. Speaking of matching Pyra, Rex felt a sudden relief of pressure below his waist. His dick, which had been pressed tightly between his thighs, receded into his body, blossoming into a moist womanhood as Rex resisted moaning in pleasure with all her might.

Rex turned completely red as she looked down at her body, her old clothes looking like a mockery as her enormous breasts practically spilled out of her top. She could hardly look at Pyra. “…Is it done?”

“I…”

“It’s not, is it?”

The question was answered for her as one final massive surge of energy resonated from Rex’s crystal, enveloping her entire being. The power assaulted her mind, sending her into a trance as the final changes washed over her. Long golden locks poured from her head, cascading downwards like beautiful rays of light. Her ill-fitting clothes became immersed in brilliant light as they reshaped around her curvaceous body. A short, ribbed white dress that clung tightly to her form appeared, barely covering her torso as it left her hips and back completely exposed. Massive green gems appeared at her hips as black and gold highlights adorned her dress. A window in the dress exposed her impressive cleavage, and Rex would have been blushing even harder had it not been for the trance she was in.

Another pair of gleaming emerald gems appeared at her shoulders as detached sleeves that matched her dress covered her arms. From her waist, two black and green cloths hung, drifting slightly in the breeze. Just below her new white panties and the end of the dress that barely covered them, a band adorned with yet another green gem formed around her right thigh, indenting tightly into the soft fat. Farther below, her shoes had also shrunk and changed to match her white, gold, and green attire. As radiant green earrings appeared, her new outfit was crowned with a headdress that too displayed a shining emerald adorned in gold. Of all the things Pyra took from observing these changes, her primary takeaway was that a certain someone apparently really loved her emeralds.

As the changes reached their climax, the power continued to assault Rex’s mind, filling her head with memories of a past life. A new personality, a new identity, took root, steadily overwhelming her own. As the Aegis’s power continued to course through her very being, a white and gold sword matching her outfit materialized in her hands.

“R-Rex? Are you okay?”

She leaned on the blade, wearing a pained and confused expression. “I-I feel like…”

“Like…?”

Suddenly Rex stood up, wearing a pout on her face. She placed one hand on her hip and kept one hand on the blade. This sudden change in body language likely meant one thing, and Pyra’s heart sank into her stomach.

The blonde spoke, “Sheesh Pyra, the hell did you do? I feel like my mind got ripped out and placed in another body. You could at least tell me before you decide to do something crazy like this.”

Her words confirmed Pyra’s fears. Rex was gone, completely overwritten by the buxom blonde Aegis that stood before her.

“M-Mythra?”

“In the flesh. Care to tell me exactly what it is you just did? Or why I suddenly have memories of things I know we weren’t there for?”

“Well…”

---------

Mythra was exasperated. “So you just decided our Driver should be the first kid that walks in here and finds us?”

“Beggars can’t be choosers, Mythra. And I couldn’t just leave him to die. You know that, and I think you’d have done the same.”

“So, you decided to just put half our crystal in him to save him, then?”

“Correct.”

“And the half that he got ended up being the half that had me in it, and my power effectively overwrote his entire being with my own, which basically killed him anyway?”

“You don’t have to put it like that! I didn’t even know this would happen to begin with!”

There was a wistful pause before Mythra spoke up again. “…Pyra, I’m sorry. I know you were just trying to help, and honestly, you’re right in that I would have done the same thing. But more importantly, I think what happened here might have actually been extremely beneficial for us.”

Pyra raised an eyebrow. “How do you figure?”

“Well, first of all, we’re two separate beings now, so that’s already better than before. But second of all, you stuck me in a human body, which means I’m basically a Flesh Eater now. Or a Blade Eater. I always got those mixed up…”

“Which means…”

“Which means that, essentially, I’m your Driver now. But I also still have pretty much all my powers from before. I think. Should probably test that out soon…”

“In other words, I’ve got a Driver who inherently understands me better than anyone can, and we don’t have to worry about having to rely on someone else?”

Mythra grinned and placed a hand on her hip. “Damn right. Double the Aegis, double the power, double the asskicking. Speaking of which… Rex got killed by Malos and his gang, didn’t he?”

“I-“

“Wait, why am I asking you? I still have his damn memories rattling around in my head. Anyway, I think it’s about time for some payback. I’m about sure that’s what he would have wanted, and it’s the least we can do for him.”

“You’re right. Let’s go. Just… don’t overdo it, Mythra.”

“No promises, Pyra.”

---------

The members of Torna walked the deck of the abandoned ship, preparing to load up their transport with their prize, a vessel containing a sleeping girl with a particular green core crystal on her chest.

One of them, a dark-haired man, loudly complained, “Ugh, how boring this turned out to be.”

His silver-haired companion replied, “We got what we came here for, Malos, and without trouble. Just because we didn’t get to blow something up doesn’t mean the job was unsuccessful.”

Out of nowhere, a massive, powerful pillar of light energy descended from the sky and enveloped both of them in a massive explosion.

“MALOS, I SWEAR TO-!”

“For fuck’s sake, Jin, you know that wasn’t me!”

They were interrupted this time by a voice Malos was very familiar with. “Huh, so I guess my power still works fine. Good to know.”

Two figures emerged from the cinders: the girl who had been their prize and a familiar blonde whose presence alongside the other girl should have been impossible.

But Malos looked on fearlessly. “Mythra! Glad to see you’ve joined us! And what’s this, you split yourself in two? Are you really that scared of me?”

Mythra held her blade, ready to fight at any moment. “Y’know, I really could’ve gone for another five hundred years without ever seeing your face again, Malos. And to answer your question, yes. I’m surprised you haven’t thought of it, honestly.”

The redhead beside her quickly added, “Mythra, don’t give him ideas!”

“Relax, Pyra, he’s way too damn prideful to do something like that. Believe me, I know this idiot far better than I wish I did.”

“Hey, Mythra, if you’re done talking to yourself, how about we get this damn show on the road?”

Mythra rolled her eyes. “This is just gonna go exactly like it did the last time, you know.”

Malos prepared to charge but was grabbed by the arm by Jin, who looked at him like an admonishing mother. “We’re leaving, now!”

“Oh, come on! Things finally start to get a little fucking exciting and you’re just gonna run?!”

“We don’t stand a chance, especially after that hit we just took. Our chance to retrieve the Aegis is gone. There’s nothing left for us here.”

“All we gotta do to retrieve the Aegis is beat the hell out of ‘em until they’re out cold!”

“Do you really think you can take them? Okay, maybe I could take them, but I know for a fact in your current state they’d probably just kill you, and we can’t take that risk. We’re out of here.”

Jin dragged Malos to their transport, with Malos practically kicking and screaming as he futilely resisted. “This isn’t over! I’ll fucking kill you all next time we meet!”

Their ship fired up and blasted away. With that, they were, in fact, out of here.

Mythra let out a deep breath. “Well, I guess that’s mission accomplished.”

“Mm-hmm.”

“…Wait, weren’t we gonna kill them?”

Pyra shrugged. “Too late now, Mythra. Besides, it’s probably best we figure out our powers again before we engage in a real battle with our arch-enemies.”

A third voice entered the conversation. “Forgotten again… figures.”

Pyra and Mythra turned their attention to a girl that had somehow been ignored by both parties in the heat of the action. Mythra’s eyes lit up in recognition as she recalled an inherited memory from Rex.

“Your name is Nia, right?”

“That it is, but I don’t remember bloody introducin’ myself to either of you. Are you some kinda mind-reading Blade or something?”

“A, uh, friend told me.”

“A friend? Sorry to say, but I don’t got any friends myself. The only people I thought I could trust just left me behind, and then Rex…“

Nia immediately looked at her feet, dejected, unwilling to finish her thought. Pyra looked to her with sympathy. “I think we should tell her the truth, Mythra.”

“You do it, Pyra. It was your idea.”

“Tell me what, exactly?”

Pyra pursed her lips. “Well, Rex…”

---------

“So, Rex is alive…?”

“Um, kind of. He became Mythra, or maybe Mythra took over him, I’m still not entirely sure.”

“But the old Rex is basically gone forever, right? That’s wha’ I’m getting out of this, at least.”

Pyra avoided eye contact. “You know, I really wish people wouldn’t put it like that...”

There was a lapse in the conversation. Nia couldn’t help her curiosity as she took in their surroundings, bits of debris still scattered from Mythra’s prior attack. “Y’know, I have to ask, just what the bloody ‘ell was that light show back there?”

Mythra put on a smug grin as she replied, “Simple. That was my-“

Pyra unsubtly elbowed her in the side and whispered, “Mythra, maybe we should keep that part under wraps for now.”

Mythra continued addressing Nia, “…uh, that was, uh… the Leftherian Aurora…?”

“The bloody Leftherian Aurora?! At this time of year, at this time of day, with this titan movement pattern, in the middle of the bloody cloud sea, nowhere near Leftheria?!”

Both replied with a flat “Yes.”

“…I swear, you two ‘ave to be the biggest pair o’ idiots I’ve ever seen. And you really think you’re gonna be able to manage on your own?”

Both replied with a flat “Yes.”

Nia facepalmed. “And you two ‘ave been on ice for how long now?”

Pyra chimed in, “About five hundred years, give or take.”

“Well then, you’re gonna need someone to show you the ropes. I’m not some kinda geography expert, but I sure as ‘ell know more about modern Alrest than you couple o’ grannies. Count me in to your little quest.”

Mythra waved her arms. “Hey, wait, you can’t just invite yourself like that! You don’t even know what our goal is, anyway!”

Nia’s tone was partly angry, partly somber, and partly hopeful. “…It’s sad to say, but Rex was probably the closest thing I’ve ‘ad to a friend in years. And he gave his life to help you two out from the sound of it, and I’m sure he’d do it again in a heartbeat.”

She turned to Pyra. “All he wanted was a peaceful world, you know. He told me as much, at least. For his sake, I hope both of you are working towards that dream. And if you are, I’m coming too. I’m done wandering through life feeling scared and powerless.”

This time, Nia allowed herself a grin. “Besides, I can’t just let the two most powerful beings in Alrest run around unchecked, can I?”

Mythra spoke up, “Actually, we might be good. I still have those memories from-“

Pyra elbowed her again. “We’d be delighted to have you join us, Nia.”

Just like that, it was settled. With (somewhat) unified resolve, the unlikely trio set off on their journey.

---------

Tall tales spread far and wide of the twin Aegises and their rambunctious Gormotti companion. Many a monster was slain, and many a lecherous man was slapped across the face. Keeping Rex’s dream in their hearts, the three girls stopped at nothing as they pursued a new future for Alrest.

Description
body div#devskin0 hr { }

A boy clad in blue awoke in a grassy plain. In front of him was a hill with a lone tree perched atop it. Above him, blue sky stretched for miles. It was the type of scenery you’d see in a dream, or maybe in a desktop background. A lone figure stood next to the tree. The boy, Rex, made his way to the top of the hill.

The figure was a red-haired girl, a head taller than him and (he tried hard not to stare) extremely well-endowed. He spoke up. “Wh-what is this place? Where are we?”

She turned and faced him, her eyes red like a scorching fire. “This is Elysium. Or, at least, my memory of it. Do you remember how you got here?”

All at once the memories came rushing back to him. The job he’d taken on, searching the abandoned ship, finding a sleeping girl (the very same one standing in front of him, he realized) and then-

“Aw shite, I died! That bastard stabbed me right through the back!”

“Well, that’s one way of putting it. You are correct; you were killed. But just before your death, you made contact with me. That’s why we’re here.”

“What do ya mean, exactly? Are you saying I’m not actually dead?”

“Yes and no. You did die, but you can come back. In order to do it, however, I’m going to have to perform a core transfer.”

“A what?”

The girl looked down and placed a hand on her chest. “It’s a… complicated procedure. Essentially, I’m going to split my core in two and give you half of my life force. You’d come back to life, and more importantly than that, you’d become my Driver.”

“Driver? So, you’re a Blade, then?”

“Not just any Blade. The Aegis. You can call me Pyra, though.”

Rex looked at her with shock. “Me? The Driver of the Aegis? I must be dead or dreamin’!”

He looked at the scenery around them again. “Oh, right…”

Pyra spoke again. “In return, though, I’ll need your assistance as my Driver. I won’t lie to you, things are going to be dangerous. People will be after us, and-“

Rex said sarcastically, “Sheesh, seems like you’re trying to convince me to just forget about it and accept my death.”

“I’m just letting you know now. And I also want you to know that I’ve never done anything like this core transfer either. Theoretically, it should just revive you, but having half of my core inside you could have some… side effects. It might transfer some of my memories to you, or even-“

Rex cut her off again. “I don’t wanna hear it. It’s literally do or die here. It’s not like I’ve got much of a choice.”

Pyra nodded. “You’re right. If you’re ready to start, place your hand on my core crystal.”

Rex’s eyes bulged out of his skull. “Do what now?”

“Just do it!”

He reached his hand to her core crystal—which happened to be in the center of her very large chest—and a shining green light engulfed the two. When the light faded, the two figures on the hill still remained.

Breathing heavily, Rex asked, “D-did it work?”

Pyra noticed that part of the cross-shaped core on her chest was missing, leaving only a glowing X. On Rex’s chest, she saw a glowing green crystal that matched the missing part of hers.

“Looks like it. I’m glad nothing seems to have gone wrong.”

“Uh, about that…”

The glow returned, this time only emitting from Rex’s half of the crystal. In what seemed like an instant, Rex grew a head taller, now seeing eye-to-eye with Pyra. Almost all of that additional height seemed to be his legs.

“Oh no, I didn’t jinx it, did I?”

The glow continued, and Rex’s body too continued to change. The power of the crystal spread over his entire body, leaving smooth, flawless skin in its wake. The power then surged at his fingertips and spread up his arms, narrowing them down and leaving them slightly longer than before.

The energy then spread to his shoulders, slimming them down, before moving up to his neck. He coughed as an itchy feeling emerged in his throat, with each progressive cough sounding higher than before. As the energy engulfed his face, his lips plumped, his nose shrunk, his eyebrows thinned, and his eyes changed to a brilliant golden color.

“Pyra, what the hell’s going-“

Rex stopped himself momentarily, noticing that his voice sounded almost identical to that of the girl before him. “Okay, seriously, what the hell is going on?!”

Pyra averted her gaze. “I-I think my power might be too much. Your body can’t take it, so the crystal’s changing you into a form that can handle it.”

“Which means…?”

“…you’re changing into a form that’s stored in my core crystal’s data. A form that it knows can handle the power.”

It wasn’t hard to piece together. “My voice… is it turning me into you?”

“Um, kind of.”

Rex looked down at his body. As they were speaking, residual energy had already greatly slimmed his waist and widened his hips. He looked back to Pyra. “What do you mean, kind of?!”

“Well, it’s, um…”

Rex’s golden eyes were a dead giveaway to Pyra as to what, or rather, who, he was being transformed into, but she knew explaining it to him would be difficult. Their dialogue was interrupted, however, by a resurgence of the glow from Rex’s crystal.

The wave of energy spread throughout his body, making it much curvier than before. Fat gathered in his thighs, leaving them delightfully plump. His ass soon followed, greatly expanding to match the rest of his legs. As his chest swelled with power, two beautiful mounds emerged, stretching the limits of his shirt. They continued to flourish until they matched Pyra’s impressive size. Speaking of matching Pyra, Rex felt a sudden relief of pressure below his waist. His dick, which had been pressed tightly between his thighs, receded into his body, blossoming into a moist womanhood as Rex resisted moaning in pleasure with all her might.

Rex turned completely red as she looked down at her body, her old clothes looking like a mockery as her enormous breasts practically spilled out of her top. She could hardly look at Pyra. “…Is it done?”

“I…”

“It’s not, is it?”

The question was answered for her as one final massive surge of energy resonated from Rex’s crystal, enveloping her entire being. The power assaulted her mind, sending her into a trance as the final changes washed over her. Long golden locks poured from her head, cascading downwards like beautiful rays of light. Her ill-fitting clothes became immersed in brilliant light as they reshaped around her curvaceous body. A short, ribbed white dress that clung tightly to her form appeared, barely covering her torso as it left her hips and back completely exposed. Massive green gems appeared at her hips as black and gold highlights adorned her dress. A window in the dress exposed her impressive cleavage, and Rex would have been blushing even harder had it not been for the trance she was in.

Another pair of gleaming emerald gems appeared at her shoulders as detached sleeves that matched her dress covered her arms. From her waist, two black and green cloths hung, drifting slightly in the breeze. Just below her new white panties and the end of the dress that barely covered them, a band adorned with yet another green gem formed around her right thigh, indenting tightly into the soft fat. Farther below, her shoes had also shrunk and changed to match her white, gold, and green attire. As radiant green earrings appeared, her new outfit was crowned with a headdress that too displayed a shining emerald adorned in gold. Of all the things Pyra took from observing these changes, her primary takeaway was that a certain someone apparently really loved her emeralds.

As the changes reached their climax, the power continued to assault Rex’s mind, filling her head with memories of a past life. A new personality, a new identity, took root, steadily overwhelming her own. As the Aegis’s power continued to course through her very being, a white and gold sword matching her outfit materialized in her hands.

“R-Rex? Are you okay?”

She leaned on the blade, wearing a pained and confused expression. “I-I feel like…”

“Like…?”

Suddenly Rex stood up, wearing a pout on her face. She placed one hand on her hip and kept one hand on the blade. This sudden change in body language likely meant one thing, and Pyra’s heart sank into her stomach.

The blonde spoke, “Sheesh Pyra, the hell did you do? I feel like my mind got ripped out and placed in another body. You could at least tell me before you decide to do something crazy like this.”

Her words confirmed Pyra’s fears. Rex was gone, completely overwritten by the buxom blonde Aegis that stood before her.

“M-Mythra?”

“In the flesh. Care to tell me exactly what it is you just did? Or why I suddenly have memories of things I know we weren’t there for?”

“Well…”

---------

Mythra was exasperated. “So you just decided our Driver should be the first kid that walks in here and finds us?”

“Beggars can’t be choosers, Mythra. And I couldn’t just leave him to die. You know that, and I think you’d have done the same.”

“So, you decided to just put half our crystal in him to save him, then?”

“Correct.”

“And the half that he got ended up being the half that had me in it, and my power effectively overwrote his entire being with my own, which basically killed him anyway?”

“You don’t have to put it like that! I didn’t even know this would happen to begin with!”

There was a wistful pause before Mythra spoke up again. “…Pyra, I’m sorry. I know you were just trying to help, and honestly, you’re right in that I would have done the same thing. But more importantly, I think what happened here might have actually been extremely beneficial for us.”

Pyra raised an eyebrow. “How do you figure?”

“Well, first of all, we’re two separate beings now, so that’s already better than before. But second of all, you stuck me in a human body, which means I’m basically a Flesh Eater now. Or a Blade Eater. I always got those mixed up…”

“Which means…”

“Which means that, essentially, I’m your Driver now. But I also still have pretty much all my powers from before. I think. Should probably test that out soon…”

“In other words, I’ve got a Driver who inherently understands me better than anyone can, and we don’t have to worry about having to rely on someone else?”

Mythra grinned and placed a hand on her hip. “Damn right. Double the Aegis, double the power, double the asskicking. Speaking of which… Rex got killed by Malos and his gang, didn’t he?”

“I-“

“Wait, why am I asking you? I still have his damn memories rattling around in my head. Anyway, I think it’s about time for some payback. I’m about sure that’s what he would have wanted, and it’s the least we can do for him.”

“You’re right. Let’s go. Just… don’t overdo it, Mythra.”

“No promises, Pyra.”

---------

The members of Torna walked the deck of the abandoned ship, preparing to load up their transport with their prize, a vessel containing a sleeping girl with a particular green core crystal on her chest.

One of them, a dark-haired man, loudly complained, “Ugh, how boring this turned out to be.”

His silver-haired companion replied, “We got what we came here for, Malos, and without trouble. Just because we didn’t get to blow something up doesn’t mean the job was unsuccessful.”

Out of nowhere, a massive, powerful pillar of light energy descended from the sky and enveloped both of them in a massive explosion.

“MALOS, I SWEAR TO-!”

“For fuck’s sake, Jin, you know that wasn’t me!”

They were interrupted this time by a voice Malos was very familiar with. “Huh, so I guess my power still works fine. Good to know.”

Two figures emerged from the cinders: the girl who had been their prize and a familiar blonde whose presence alongside the other girl should have been impossible.

But Malos looked on fearlessly. “Mythra! Glad to see you’ve joined us! And what’s this, you split yourself in two? Are you really that scared of me?”

Mythra held her blade, ready to fight at any moment. “Y’know, I really could’ve gone for another five hundred years without ever seeing your face again, Malos. And to answer your question, yes. I’m surprised you haven’t thought of it, honestly.”

The redhead beside her quickly added, “Mythra, don’t give him ideas!”

“Relax, Pyra, he’s way too damn prideful to do something like that. Believe me, I know this idiot far better than I wish I did.”

“Hey, Mythra, if you’re done talking to yourself, how about we get this damn show on the road?”

Mythra rolled her eyes. “This is just gonna go exactly like it did the last time, you know.”

Malos prepared to charge but was grabbed by the arm by Jin, who looked at him like an admonishing mother. “We’re leaving, now!”

“Oh, come on! Things finally start to get a little fucking exciting and you’re just gonna run?!”

“We don’t stand a chance, especially after that hit we just took. Our chance to retrieve the Aegis is gone. There’s nothing left for us here.”

“All we gotta do to retrieve the Aegis is beat the hell out of ‘em until they’re out cold!”

“Do you really think you can take them? Okay, maybe I could take them, but I know for a fact in your current state they’d probably just kill you, and we can’t take that risk. We’re out of here.”

Jin dragged Malos to their transport, with Malos practically kicking and screaming as he futilely resisted. “This isn’t over! I’ll fucking kill you all next time we meet!”

Their ship fired up and blasted away. With that, they were, in fact, out of here.

Mythra let out a deep breath. “Well, I guess that’s mission accomplished.”

“Mm-hmm.”

“…Wait, weren’t we gonna kill them?”

Pyra shrugged. “Too late now, Mythra. Besides, it’s probably best we figure out our powers again before we engage in a real battle with our arch-enemies.”

A third voice entered the conversation. “Forgotten again… figures.”

Pyra and Mythra turned their attention to a girl that had somehow been ignored by both parties in the heat of the action. Mythra’s eyes lit up in recognition as she recalled an inherited memory from Rex.

“Your name is Nia, right?”

“That it is, but I don’t remember bloody introducin’ myself to either of you. Are you some kinda mind-reading Blade or something?”

“A, uh, friend told me.”

“A friend? Sorry to say, but I don’t got any friends myself. The only people I thought I could trust just left me behind, and then Rex…“

Nia immediately looked at her feet, dejected, unwilling to finish her thought. Pyra looked to her with sympathy. “I think we should tell her the truth, Mythra.”

“You do it, Pyra. It was your idea.”

“Tell me what, exactly?”

Pyra pursed her lips. “Well, Rex…”

---------

“So, Rex is alive…?”

“Um, kind of. He became Mythra, or maybe Mythra took over him, I’m still not entirely sure.”

“But the old Rex is basically gone forever, right? That’s wha’ I’m getting out of this, at least.”

Pyra avoided eye contact. “You know, I really wish people wouldn’t put it like that...”

There was a lapse in the conversation. Nia couldn’t help her curiosity as she took in their surroundings, bits of debris still scattered from Mythra’s prior attack. “Y’know, I have to ask, just what the bloody ‘ell was that light show back there?”

Mythra put on a smug grin as she replied, “Simple. That was my-“

Pyra unsubtly elbowed her in the side and whispered, “Mythra, maybe we should keep that part under wraps for now.”

Mythra continued addressing Nia, “…uh, that was, uh… the Leftherian Aurora…?”

“The bloody Leftherian Aurora?! At this time of year, at this time of day, with this titan movement pattern, in the middle of the bloody cloud sea, nowhere near Leftheria?!”

Both replied with a flat “Yes.”

“…I swear, you two ‘ave to be the biggest pair o’ idiots I’ve ever seen. And you really think you’re gonna be able to manage on your own?”

Both replied with a flat “Yes.”

Nia facepalmed. “And you two ‘ave been on ice for how long now?”

Pyra chimed in, “About five hundred years, give or take.”

“Well then, you’re gonna need someone to show you the ropes. I’m not some kinda geography expert, but I sure as ‘ell know more about modern Alrest than you couple o’ grannies. Count me in to your little quest.”

Mythra waved her arms. “Hey, wait, you can’t just invite yourself like that! You don’t even know what our goal is, anyway!”

Nia’s tone was partly angry, partly somber, and partly hopeful. “…It’s sad to say, but Rex was probably the closest thing I’ve ‘ad to a friend in years. And he gave his life to help you two out from the sound of it, and I’m sure he’d do it again in a heartbeat.”

She turned to Pyra. “All he wanted was a peaceful world, you know. He told me as much, at least. For his sake, I hope both of you are working towards that dream. And if you are, I’m coming too. I’m done wandering through life feeling scared and powerless.”

This time, Nia allowed herself a grin. “Besides, I can’t just let the two most powerful beings in Alrest run around unchecked, can I?”

Mythra spoke up, “Actually, we might be good. I still have those memories from-“

Pyra elbowed her again. “We’d be delighted to have you join us, Nia.”

Just like that, it was settled. With (somewhat) unified resolve, the unlikely trio set off on their journey.

---------

Tall tales spread far and wide of the twin Aegises and their rambunctious Gormotti companion. Many a monster was slain, and many a lecherous man was slapped across the face. Keeping Rex’s dream in their hearts, the three girls stopped at nothing as they pursued a new future for Alrest.