The sound of swirling energy came from the teleporter as a group entered Alcamoth, with a certain black-haired Homs wincing. The amount of ether within Alcamoth was extreme, and with a High Entia placing a ether barrier around her mind was she able to focus. "Better Keyara?" The High Entia questioned, the black haired Homs, Keyara, nodding.
"Yeah, thanks Nahlia." Keyara said, and she nodded, before she glowed green and blue, going to her half-Telethia form. "Are we all ready?" Willow asked, and everyone nodded. "Okay, Keyara, try to sense Galven." Nahlia asked the ether-controlling Homs, who nodded.
After the incident, and saving the trapped High Entia's in the Imperial Prison, they had been told by one of the survivor's that they had been helped there by a Inja Telethia, and after some searching of ether by Keyara, she state the ether had felt like Galven's. Afterwards, the survivor's asked them if they could 'save' Galven...in other words, put him out of his misery. Keyara had broken down, she didn't want to kill him, not the man who swore to protect her, and became a father to her. They had retreated to Eryth Sea with the survivor's, and, after a lot of planning, went to Frontier Village to restock. There, Keyara had told Nahlia the request they had been given, and Nahlia proposed a different route. After she explained about how the ether turned them into Telethia, she then explained the ether could be reversed, and revert them back to normal. Time is ether, ether is time is how Nahlia explained it. Keyara jumped to that idea, saying if she could do it, they could save Galven. After some training in reversing ether with different things, they headed to Alcamoth, and here they were searching for Galven.
"Keyara?" Melia asked Keyara, as the Homs had been silent for a while. "There are a lot of Telethia here, she's probably trying to single his out." Nahlia stated, looking around. Keyara's eyes suddenly shot open, and she looked toward the Imperial Palace, puzzled. Shulk noticed her puzzled expression, he cocked a brow, a little confused. "What is it Keyara?" Shulk asked, coming to stand beside her.
"Galven, he's below to Imperial Palace, in the training grounds. I don't see why he'd be there, or how he got there." Keyara explained, confused. "If he saved the High Entia we found here, he probably still has some way of knowing who he is. He probably believe's that the training ground is his best place to stay at." Dunban explained, and they nodded. "Let's hurry there then. If we're lucky, he may still have some sort of recognizing us, or Keyara. It hasn't been that long since they've turned." Nahlia explained, and they nodded, heading toward the palace.
Imperial Palace, Training Grounds: It took them longer to reach the training grounds than they expected, but they were finally there...but it was pitch black. Melia hummed, looking around as she squinted her eyes, trying to see the switch. "There should be a switch here somewhere." Melia explained, feeling against the wall for a switch.
Keyara stiffened, the ether warning her about another presence. "Careful, someone's down here with us." Keyara warned, feeling ether, was it Galven like she thought. Melia hit the switch and they saw him; the Inja Telethia that was Galven at the other end of the training ground. He seemed to look at them and before anyone could move, Keyara was yanked toward him and he was suddenly standing before her, in a battle stance against the others.
'He recognizes Keyara!' Willow thought, surprised, it had been different between her and Violet. Galven charged his ether-breathe, and hit the others, and they growled as it hit them. "Oi, what do we do Shulk?!" Reyn asked the blonde seer.
Shulk used Shield, before he activated Purge and hit Galven, making him roar in pain. "Shulk, stop! We can't kill him!" Keyara shouted from behind Galven and made to get around Galven, yet he stopped her. "That's right! Galven still recognize's Keyara, vaguely, but he feels he should protect her, don't attack him!" Nahlia shouted, crouched.
"Then what do we do?!" Sharla shouted, right as the door to the area flew past her. "We got company!" Fiora shouted, entering the room, dodging a claw. "Fiora!" Shulk shouted, grateful he already used his Shield. "What happened?!" Nahlia shouted, looking at them, before she was hit by a different Telethia's ether breathe.
"Nahlia!" Keyara shouted, jumping over Galven, and helping Nahlia up. "Other Telethia are trying to enter the room, what do we do?!" Melia shouted, using her Ether-Flare. "We can't let them in. The ether is still unstable, and Galven could fuse with the others Telethia, that's the reason there are such large Telethia outside the Palace." Nahlia explained, and Reyn nodded.
"Alright, I was waitin' for some action!" Reyn shouted, and hit a Telethia with his Guarder, Willow turned to look at Keyara and Nahlia. "We'll hold them off, you two work on returning Galven to normal." Willow stated, before she turned to help the others fend the Telethia off. "Keyara, I'll freeze Galven in place, while you reverse the Ether around him, be careful." Nahlia explained, before she slammed her claws to the ground, ice heading toward Galven, freezing his feet to the ground. "Alright, here I go. Galven, return to us!" Keyara shouted, and, charging her gloves, shot ether at Galven, before the white ether swirled around him, and he began glowing.
Nahlia looked at Keyara's gloves, watching them carefully; Keyara wouldn't be able to stop once she started and if the gloves empty, the ether within her would leave and she could die. Nahlia knew she would have to refill the gloves with the ether crystals beside her. One sphere went black, and Nahlia turned her attention to the others...they were alright for now. Nahlia could see Riki jumping in joy as one was killed, before he jumped back, avoiding being eaten by one as Willow attacked it, preventing it getting too far in. Suddenly she smelt blood and looked at Keyara panicked, seeing blood trickle down her arms and hit the ground. Gasping in horror, she saw scars appear from the top of the gloves and her eyes widened in horror...what was going on? Keyara winced in pain...it was like the time she wielded the Monado...the ether was so strong, and so resilient in not being used that she felt her whole body getting attacked. She growled, before she gave a shout of pain as one arm completely seemed to be covered in scars, the sleeve being destroyed with the ether attacking her right arm, showing the extent. The whole arm seemed to be covered in scars that instantly leaked blood, but Keyara pushed through, even as blood came from her right arm again and hit Nahlia in the face.
"Keyara, stop!" Nahlia shouted, but Keyara shook her head; the same effect happening to her left arm as another sphere went black. "No, I won't...I-I can't! I want Galven to come back!" Keyara shouted, tears appearing from the pain, and the thought of stopping.
"It won't do any good though if you die!" Nahlia shouted, before blue ether swirled around Keyara, and looking at the group, Nahlia saw it was Sharla. "That should help for a while!" Sharla shouted to them, before she hit a Telethia with Break Bullet. "Keyara, you have to stop!" Nahlia shouted as blood trickled from Keyara's mouth, but Keyara ignored her.
The white ether around Galven grew brighter, even as another sphere went black and Nahlia started panicking. Keyara was bleeding, she had two full sphere's left and Telethia were trying to enter. She grabbed a few crystals and placed them against Keyara's gloves and they disappeared as they replenished an orb. Looking at Galven, Nahlia grabbed a few crystals and they turned to particles as she drained them; she thrusted her claws out and the particles turned white as it mixed with Keyara's ether, helping her reverse the ether around Galven.
"It's taking too long!" Keyara shouted, panic starting to rise within her purple eyes as she felt a wave of pain emit from Dunban. "Keep going! It shouldn't be much longer!" Nahlia shouted, before she used her ether breathe on Keyara, healing some wounds.
Keyara gritted her teeth in pain, tears leaking faster. There was so much ether in the area, that the ether barrier around her mind that Nahlia placed was starting to deteriorate and if it went on any longer, Keyara knew she'd get overwhelmed...and that's the last thing anyone needed. Growling, she pushed more ether out of her gloves, two sphere's going black, leaving one sphere left on each arm. Looking at Keyara like she was crazy, Nahlia grabbed two ether crystals and used them for Keyara's gloves; to her worry only one filled on each.
"Galven...RETURN TO ME!" Keyara shouted, and before anyone could do anything, Keyara's eyes went red, the barrier gone and she shot the rest of the ether in her gloves, and some of her own, at Galven.
The room flashed white, even as Nahlia screamed for Keyara to stop and they heard the roar of a Telethia, before they heard the pained roars from the Telethia that tried to enter. Everyone shielded their eyes, groaning at the brightness of the place, before they heard swirling energy and the light died down. Opening their eyes slowly, they saw a High Entia male on the ground, Nahlia slowly standing, before they saw Keyara fall down, blood...her blood, no doubt, covering a small portion of the area she was in.
"KEYARA!" Nahlia and the others shouted as they went to her side. Nahlia reverted to her original self, before she gently lifted Keyara in her arms; seeing the scars that covered her and seeing the blood soaked gloves that were on her arms. Nahlia tapped her cheeks a few times as Reyn, and Dunban walked toward the groaning High Entia male, Galven, and helped him up.
"You okay?" Dunban asked Galven, who looked at them confused. "What? What happened? How...how-?" Galven trailed off, rubbing his head. "Thank goodness, she's alive!" They heard Melia shout, and looking at the rest of the group, they saw Melia tackle Keyara in a hug, the injured Homs groaning in pain.
"M-Melia, that hurt." Keyara stated weakly, and Melia blushed, letting go, checking to see if any blood was on her Lancelot armor. "S-sorry." Melia apologized, smiling. "Ugh...never again." Keyara groaned, sitting up slowly, even as Sharla used her Heal Round on everyone.
"Keyara?" Galven questioned, and Keyara looked up sharply, before smiling happily. "It worked...it actually worked!" Keyara shouted, and shot up, hugging Galven. "You're back to normal!" Keyara cried in happiness, but Galven was confused. "Normal? What're you talking about?" Galven asked, clearly lost.
"You transformed into a Telethia, and we reversed the effects of the ether, hence, reversing time around you, and turned you back into a High Entia." Nahlia stated, standing, getting rid of the blood on her dress. "Who are you?" Galven asked after Keyara let go. "I'm Nahlia, a good friend of Keyara's." Nahlia said, and gave a small bow.
"It's a pleasure to finally meet the man who Keyara calls father." Nahlia said, and smirked at Keyara's blushing face. Galven smiled at Keyara, and ruffled her hair, before his face turned stern. "What was all the 'she's alive!' about?" Galven questioned, and Keyara paled.
After some explaining, Galven gave Keyara and long lecture about how dangerous ether was, and that she shouldn't be reckless. The conversation soon took a dark turn as Reyn accidentally slipped with the fact that Alvis turned against them. As they got to Frontier Village, Nahlia couldn't get her eyes off Galven...when did High Entia men become so attractive? Sighing, she looked away, blushing...what had she gotten herself into? Looking back at Nahlia, Keyara felt certain waves from Nahlia toward Galven, and smirked? A mother figure, and a father figure...maybe she'd have a full family soon? Smirking to herself more she skipped happily to Frontier Village with the group, happy to have her father-figure back, and happy to realize that Nahlia was, in fact, like a mother to her. Now if only she could get Alvis back, her family would be complete.
Okay, so this is story follows along the original story-line where Alvis betrays the group after Shulk awaken's. Anyways, I realized I needed to upload a little bit more about Galven so people can understand his importance to Keyara as the young ether-controlling Hom's cares for him deeply like a father. Also, Nahlia can control ether...somewhat, as Telethia have the ability to manipulate ether as well, so does Nahlia but they have to be crystallized for her to use them correctly. This story gives a bit of insight on her powers and yes, as found out from Blossoming Relationship, Nahlia does find Galven attractive.
Hope ya'll enjoyed the story. ^^