I've been working on some edits to the prior chapters. They're officially up in place of the originals, so if you want to check them out, feel free. There is some extra information and moments that weren't there before, as well as some prose and grammar repairs. I hope you like them.

Xanath pauses as he spies his friend creeping from the schoolhouse, as if trying to avoid being seen. With a smirk, the teenager, dodging fellow students and his instructor, bounds after him. "Hey! Hey, where are you going?"

The boy ahead of him, just a year younger, pivots where he stands. Then he cracks a little grin. "And here I was, hoping that you wouldn't see me." Shrugging, he nods his head in the direction of the Military District. "I have extra training, I can't be late. Otherwise ol' Square-'tashe will kill me," he says with a grunt. The teenager's legs still burned from yesterday's exercises; well, come to think of it, probably last week's exercises as well.

Xanath laughs. "Whatever, Jan. I didn't know you signed up for that."

"You know my dream. This'll just help me on the way to defending the colony. I wish you'd take your training more seriously."

"But what about my dream? I didn't do the extra training because I don't have the time! I thought we were going to get to the Bionis' Leg and keep looking for my parents."

"I'm sorry, Xan—," Jan begins.

"Come on! You promised!"

"Xanath, it's a hopeless search, I'm done trying to find them! It's wasting my time," Jan says. The teenager backs away a little.

Their instructor heads over to the two. "What's the matter that can't be settled tomorrow?"

"M-Mister Dionysis…" Xanath looks away. Tears sting his eyes, but he swallows down his bitterness. He can't let anyone see him break from this waiting game. "It's nothing. Just a solemn swear." His eyes flick up to Jan's face as a glare forms. Jan lowers his head and presses his lips together.

The man, barely cresting his thirties, sighs at the two teenagers. "Jan has obligations, Xanath. So do you. Aren't you supposed to be training as well?"

"Yes, but—!"

"Let the Defense Force soldiers look for your family. Don't worry, they're very capable."

Jan snorts. "Maybe if Vancanth's family doesn't take over his post. His son is already dictating the district, and he's not even twelve yet! I'd hate to see what his son would be like!"

Dionysis chortles, then firms up again. "I know you're worried," he says to Xanath, "but your parents are hardened explorers. They'll make their way back to us."

"But what if they don't?" His voice trembles. "What if they never come back? It's been months!"

"Then I wouldn't suggest seeking them out! Xanath, you're still so young, you can't risk going outside of the colony."

Jan glances pointedly in Xanath's direction. Xanath only scowls and stalks off. "So what! If I find them, then those risks will be worth it," he mutters to himself.

I blink and sigh as I shake my head free of exhaustion. I can't say I understand all of my memories—some feel more vivid than others, some—specifically my own—are hazy and listless. A part of me isn't exactly a fan of that. Another part of me is glad I can't remember my past.

But Xanath's…I don't…like his past.

Inside, I can feel Brodei's buzz of chatter. W-wait, how old is Xanath?

"Old enough," I mutter in reply. I glance over to Mayni's fire before growling in distain. The smell of the meat they're cooking is starting to really irritate me.

Come on, Sung.

"Fine, 67. Are you happy now, Brodei?"

He doesn't reply.

Xanath's huddled form draws my attention as he stretches by the campfire. He gestures into it, and Mayni shakes her head, laughing. It echoes in the silence of Gaur Plains. The only noises aside from us is coming from the spring of water behind us, flanked on either side by a hilled path. It makes sounds in the breeze. Lapping waves, sloshing liquid. I suppose some could fall asleep to it—I know that Anactro has.

I twitch my mouth at his small body pressed against mine as I sit in the niche of one of the sloped sides, away from the campfire enough to where I can just feel its heat on my toes. I guess he didn't want to stay up late listening to Shi's attempts at ghost stories: Mayni's suggestion to keep his mind off the pain.

"The fire creature leaped!" Shi shouts out. He starts to stand, but grimaces and remains on the ground. He keeps his head ducked before breathing in hard and focusing on his friends again.

Xanath cries, "Not the fire creature!"

Mayni screams in delight.

I roll my eyes. Whining slightly, like a baby Brog away from its parents, Anactro pushes his shoulder into my chest as he collapses into my lap, and I grit my teeth when I feel the metal plate start to burn. "Enough, Anactro," I hiss. He doesn't hear me; he's too wrapped up in his dreams.

Dreams. Brodei's dream to reach my home has always perplexed me, but if he wants to do this silly quest, so be it. If it gets me to my new home, then that's all fine with me. I only…hope that he wants to keep going.

And I know you can hear me, Brodei.

Fine, I was trying to keep quiet.

What, so you could hear me think?

Er—

I laugh bitterly, and Mayni glances behind her before Xanath touches her arm and taps his temple, then his chest. Her shoulders hunch as she cocks her head, but then she nods and lets out a tiny "ohhh."

"Yeah," he replies.

I wonder if he's telling her that I'm insane.

With a scowl, I look away from the group, huddled still around the little fire. By now, Shi has fallen silent in his tale and has curled up in his spot. At first, I think he just fell asleep—

—until I see the pus gathering the light from the fire and flaming the wound on his swollen arm a scarlet color.

The green glow collapses from my chest, and before I know it, I'm on my feet and running.

"Shi!"

"Huh?" Mayni looks up. Her exhausted face twists in confusion. "What's wrong, Sung?"

"Brodei!" Anactro moans, pushing himself up. He whimpers and cringes as he stands. The nightmare pounding in his eyes dies away. "Are you okay?"

I drop to the ground and rub Shi's shoulder. "Come on, Shi, wake up!" I say. His ribcage jerks up, then down, but he doesn't open his eyes. "Shi!"

"Shi?!" Mayni rushes over to us and Xanath follows closely behind, choosing instead to run through the raging fire instead of walking around it.

He exhales, slaps his calf, then waves his hand as he winces. "What's wrong with Shi?" he asks.

Anactro is suddenly by my side. He goes to touch his cousin, then recoils away. "Something doesn't smell right," he says.

My chest buzzes in terror as Xanath tugs off a glove with his teeth, then leans down to press his fingertips against Shi's forehead. He yips and pulls his bony hand back. "He's just as hot as my legs are."

He has an infection!

What do I do, what do I do, what do I do?!

How should I know?! Sung screams back.

My breath hitches. "Do you know how to cure an infection?" I ask Xanath, my tone bordering on a whimper.

"N-no!"

We all turn to Mayni. She blinks, then presses her lips together in that way my parents did when they were determined about something. "There's something that I have learned over years of fending for myself. You know what that is, Brodei, Anactro, Sung, Xanath?"

Looking away, Xanath bites his lip, and Anactro begins to ponder. Then he shakes his head, and our new friend shrugs.

"We need to find an adult," she deadpans.

"Colony 6 is just ahead!" Anactro gasps.

"No—," I try to say.

Xanath nods eagerly. "That'll be perfect, if we just go there!"

"Come on, grab Shi!" my brother says.

I can only step back as they struggle to lift my cousin. Mayni grunts as she helps out. A feeling of helplessness floods my body, and I begin to shake, whether from my adrenaline or fear, I don't know anymore. "G-guys—"

"Brodei, help out!" Anactro says. Shi chokes something out and twitches, then pulls his bad arm in close to him as he begins shivering.

I feel tears come to my eyes before I even realize I'm crying. They all stop. Xanath grits his teeth. "What are you doing, Brodei? We don't have time—"

Mayni grabs my hands. "What's wrong?" she asks.

All I can picture is Shi dying as we stare up at the crushed remains of Colony 6.

"We can't go to Colony 6," I say.

The group says nothing save for Shi shrieking out at nothing in particular. Anactro murmurs something and tries to make him comfortable.

"Why?" Xanath asks in a chipped voice.

"Because it's not there anymore, that's why! The Mechon smashed it!" My voice trembles. "It's gone, Xanath."

His eyes widen as he steps back. "Wha— Y-you're saying—"

"Yes, that is what I'm saying! That's where I was when I got made into a Mechon, they attacked the colony!"

They're called Core Units.

Mayni whips her head toward me, her eyes widening. Then she presses her lips together and furrows her brows—her look of determination, though I'm not sure over what.

Sung, silent after his snap, lets loose a shattered titter in my head. We're screwed, aren't we?

From Shi's side, Anactro begins to cry. His hands shake as he moves a stray strand of hair from his cousin's sweat-soaked face. "No, no, I can't lose you too…"

Mayni shoves us all aside and plants her hands onto her hips. "Okay, where are the survivors?" she asks.

I only stare at her, then I stutter. "I-I don't know."

"Well, there has to be survivors, not everyone would have been eaten, Colony 9 was okay, we lived!" Mayni says, gesturing at each of us boys but for Xanath. He looks away.

"But we had the Monado," Anactro says to her.

Mayni falters a bit. "T-there has'ta be survivors, anyway! We are Homs, we are strong! We're better than those scary machines." She nods, and we all nod along, not really believing what she's saying—then again, that could just be me.

Be thankful you have someone like that in your group, Brodei. Something tells me we'd all be lost without her, Sung says with a snorting—and borderline psychotic—laugh.

Let me guess, you're dumbly nodding along as well?

Indubitably.

What?

He continues giggling, and that just doesn't sound right with him.

"Where would they be, though?" Xanath asks, pacing back and forth through the fire. She goes to speak, but stops and can only point to the peeling paint and white-hot glow of his legs. "Oh, it's nothing, they're prosthetics. Like Brodei." His tone turns distracted.

"What would be the best place for them to take shelter in?" Anactro looks up to our friend. She pauses, ponders over this, then slowly starts to rock her head back and forth. Back and forth. "Like, a grove, a—"

"A cave," she says.

Xanath groans in tandem with me. "Not another cave." As he strides out from the licking flames, the grass scalds and blisters beneath his feet.

He goes forward, but Mayni whips around and points a finger at his ankles. "Nuh-uh. Wait until you're cooled off before comin' near me, hot-legs."

The boy smirks at that and adjusts his posture, putting all his weight onto one side. I raise an eyebrow at him. "She's mine," I mouth. Xanath, in reply, merely pushes his black and grey hair back, as if trying to look suave or something. The light from the fire shows the numerous silver strands lacing through the dark hair color—and I realize just how old it makes him look.

Why did his hair grey like that when he still looks our age?

"Anyways," Mayni continues, "they'd find a cave. Something cool to keep the sun off, but something hidden to keep the scary creatures away. Like with me~!" Then she hesitates. "Er, well, after a while I befriended them, they were still there, but whatever!"

I laugh at her snippety self-correction. "So we have to find a cave?"

Anactro glances at me. "Another cave?"

"It'll be fine, nothing's like Tephra!" she says.

Rubbing his jaw, Xanath stutters, "N-nothing's like Tephra?"

"Everything's like Tephra…" Shi moans. "The Monado's…curse…"

We fall silent.

"Shi?" Anactro asks. "You alright? Why're you talkin' about the Monado?"

As I feel a sickening lurch in my chest as it floods green, Xanath jumps and stumbles into Mayni, who screams as his legs brush up against hers. She scrambles away from him, sprawled on the grass. "S-sorry!"

"No more fires for you!"

"If it hurts you, I won't!"

I smile and fold my arms as I watch Shi's unsteady breathing. Anactro goes back to doting on his cousin, muttering frets to himself as he does so. Mayni tugs on my arm, and my smile fades. "Why are you happy, Sung, Shi's gonna die," she says. "Do you know where the survivors are?"

"Nope," I snort. "But I do know some things, um, do you have the time—?"

"No, we need to help Shi!"

"I-I know that." I hold up my hands. "But what he said is very important." My voice shivers.

"You're so insensitive," Xanath mutters.

Frustration wells up in me. Before I could retort something back, Mayni snaps, "Enough! Let's go, we don't have time to fight. Anact, Xani, Sung, grab Shi!"

"Okay!" the three of us blurt out.

"But, Mayni…" I flit in closer to her before moving to Shi's legs and lifting.

"Fine, but when I know Shi's alright." She looks close to tears. She stiffens her shoulders, presses her lips together, and inhales deeply.

I nod, and Mayni smiles. "It'll be alright. I've seen worse."

"Really?"

"Mm-hm," I reply absentmindedly. Oh, have I seen worse.

But I don't want her to know that.

An image of Samuel comes to mind, and I only grimace as I lock Shi's legs around my waist. From his head, Anactro, despite his lanky appearance, holds his cousin up by the armpits without falter. "It'll be okay, Shi," he whispers. Xanath, from Shi's side, locks eyes with me, and I nod in reply.

"Let me go, you can't have me the way you had the others! Sung, I won't let you do this!"

I don't want anyone to know that.

As we walk in the darkness of the grassy plains, Xanath is the first to speak. "Um, how did you get past that door, you know, the one that's always been closed in Mag Mell?"

His question is so erratic it makes me stumble. "What made you think of that?" I ask.

"We always just used a driver to pry that door open," Anactro replies. "We're used to it. Mayni liked living down there, so we'd visit a lot and play in the caves when we got bored."

Mayni grins as she looks up from the piece of meat in her hands.

"And then we'd use the driver to defend ourselves," I add with a short laugh. "But this time the door was open."

"I remember it," Xanath says, his voice quiet and solemn. "I used my knife to get past it."

Me and my brother pause and look at each other, and when Xanath doesn't say anything else, I try to force the conversation along. "When?"

"When I was a Homs. I don't really remember anything else after that 'cept for a few missions Egil sent me on."

By my side, Mayni frowns. "Is that because of your armor?" she asks. "And who's Egil?"

"No." Xanath, with a furrow of his brow, presses his lips together and taps his head. "Linada told me that I hit my head before I fell Asleep."

Something in what he said sends a chill down my spine. "When you fell Asleep?"

"She said that Vanea put me and Sung into a stasis after he crashed Nemesis."

"It wasn't me who crashed Face Nemesis!" Sung snaps through me. I slam a palm over my mouth and practically drop Shi. "S-sorry, Xanath—"

He grits his teeth, and Anactro shouts something out and tries to get between us. "That's what she said, that's what she said when she took me to Linada!" Xanath repeats. Mayni grabs his arm, and he looks down at her as if about to cry. "I'm sorry, Mayni, I'm just tired, I haven't been able to get a good nights' sleep for weeks."

"You haven't?"

"Why—" I go to finish, but Anactro shushes us all. "What is it?"

My brother continues to keep his hand in the air. "There's something in the distance. Something's not right, stay quiet."

I can't believe you four are actually braving the Bionis' Leg at night.

Why not? If we wait 'till morning, Shi may die.

Will he? Or will all of you and he die?

His accusation makes me hesitate. Then I firm up—I'm shocked I actually considered it.

No. If we die, we die as one. I don't want to be returned to the Bionis without my friends, I mentally reply.

Sung remains silent. If anything, I feel a calculating aura come from him, but I'm not quite sure why. However much I'm curious, though, quite frankly, I'm not quite in the mood to ask him about it.

And then, in a curt tone, he says, That's dumb.

I clench my jaw and glance up at Anactro. "What are they?" I hiss.

"Volffs, I think," he answers back. His eyes flicker up to a giant stone building of sorts, then he exhales. "Let's go into the trees, get away from their line of sight."

Mayni nods, and Xanath does the opposite.

"Why?"

"I don't feel right about that." His voice is halting.

"But if Anactro says we should do this, we probably should, he's had Defense Force training. He knows what to do," I say.

An angry look darkens Xanath's face, but he bites his lip and says nothing. I feel Sung laugh inside of me, and my cheeks flush with humiliation despite not knowing what I've done wrong. His cackle sounds cruel and belittling, like the man's laugh in that nightmare I always have nowadays.

"You are but a miserable relic in a world that has moved on without you. What was your name, Sung? Hahaha! I re—"

Sung's interest seems piqued now. Oh? You have those dreams too?

Why not? I reply bitterly. I have everything else that's yours.

He only continues that chilling chortle. Not everything, Brodei.

"Brodei—!" I whip around as Anactro stumbles back and whimpers. Growls fill the air in a discordant hum. "Brodei, what happened, how did they see us?"

"Because Brodei has a messed up body, that's how!" I snarl. Grabbing the driver off of my back, I glance at Mayni. "Take Shi and find a place to hide! I know you want to help, but we can't leave him without someone!"

She gapes her mouth, inhales, and takes my place at Shi's feet. "You better bring Brodei back in one piece!" she warns.

"I know."

Xanath glances at me as he pulls out his own driver, and a dark look flashes in his eyes. "When those Bunnivs attacked in the cave, they didn't hurt you, they only hurt Shi."

I'm suddenly being shoved. Red eyes whip around to face me.

"Go and distract them, Sung, me and Anact will find help!" he says. Footsteps crunch on the grass as his words grow fainter. "Come on! We gotta get moving."

My breathing shudders in my throat. Gaur Plains grow eerily silent around me as they all leave.

As I blink, the red eyes wink into darkness, only to return even brighter than before.

Alright, Brodei, what do I do?

Brodei doesn't answer.

My breathing hitches now.

"Come on, Brodei!" I scream, whatever words I say shaking as I force them out.

You're actually scared, Sung? He sounds surprised.

Wh-what are you doing, stop it, Sam— Let me—!

"I can handle a few Volffs without you."

But you were just repaired.

"Does it look like I care?"

"So what, maybe I am," I say. "Fine, yes, maybe I am, now can we work together for once?!" The abrupt twist of our consciousnesses shifting comes faster than I can expect it, and I feel Brodei right next to me—but not all at the same time. "You never wanted to work together before."

I've never gotten used to two souls working in tandem. It creeps me out.

"What's your plan, then?" he asks. "Synchronize our movements," I reply. My eyes dart into the black of the forest, where growling rises in pitch. "If we can fight as one, we'll be twice as strong— But you'll take over!" I have to take a breath as he cuts me off mid-sentence. "No. No, I won't."

Brodei pauses at the genuineness in my tone, only to cry out. I whip my head up from the ground as a shadow leaps up into the air. Before I know it, we're leaping out of the way as one and shrieking as one. My driver slips out of my hand and goes flying. Heavy paws dig into the dirt by my face, and a maw whips down close enough to where I can smell its last meal—and taste it, too. Hot saliva drips into my eye.

I lay there shivering. My eye burns, but I force my arm to remain by my side, much to Brodei's discomfort. I glance up into the Volff's crimson stare. "Wha…what are you…" Brodei says. He yips as it begins to lick me, and I shout and stumble to my feet, grabbing a stick off the ground in one fluid motion. "Brodei, what kind of freaky hormones are in your body?!" I brandish the wood in the direction of the Volff. "I don't know, what are hormones?!"

The Volff cocks its head before sitting down. The others all emerge from the forest now, and they join the first one in the clearing. The green dies in my chest.

"Sun—" I bluster out an exhale of frustration. I can just feel Sung curled up inside of me. As I glance around, I see the silhouettes of my friends in the moonlight. One peeks out behind a natural bridge arching over a river, and as the reflections of the light on the water cast ripples on his prosthetic leg, I know immediately that it's Anactro. "S-stay there!" I say.

"But I want to help," he replies. His voice echoes across the empty plains. "We can't look for any more Homs without running into the Volffs."

"No, you can't, you're gonna get hurt!"

"I don't care!"

"Does it look like I care?"

A shudder rips through my body.

"No!" I raise my voice louder this time. "Stay there and protect Shi and Mayni!"

"Okay." His voice dips low enough to where I can barely hear it, and his form disappears back behind the land bridge. I can hear Xanath arguing, though I can't make out his words.

Try to lure them away. Sung's voice shakes in my ear. Get them far away from here, make them focus on something else.

"Like what?" I ask.

Don't ask me, he replies.

With a sigh, I roll my eyes and slowly approach the first Volff, the one who sat down before the others did. It dips its head down with a whine before lunging. I choke out a scream and stumble backward, and it follows. Something hot and sticky hits my face—but there's no pain.

I open one eye. The Volff won't stop nudging my cheek with its muzzle, and the more it does so, the more the others get excited.

Oh Zanza, they're going to attack as a pack.

A clawed paw steps on my chest and makes me grunt in pain. Sung shouts something out, and I'm no longer in control of my own body as he rolls me to the side. The Volff growls, and I mutter something sharp to Sung: "You promised."

It hurt, okay?!

I ignore his protests as I sit up and try and calm it down. It yips and burrows its maw into my face again, and before I know it, it's right on top of me, and we're tumbling down the slope in the ground toward the other Volffs. It begins licking my nose and mouth with a sort of energy that's only rivaled by Mayni when she's set about something. I begin laughing.

It's playing.

"Hey, Brodeiii!"

My muscles freeze, and every pair of red eyes whip to face Xanath, standing a few meters away with his driver in hand.

"What are you— Xanath, get away! No!" I make it to my feet and run ahead of the pack. My arms go out in front of Xanath, and the creatures encroach with a lethargic pace that's mocking. "No, he's my friend, leave him be! What are you doing?!" I turn to hiss at Xanath, and he stammers. "Never mind, help me lure them away from here, get them way over there—" My finger points to the far end of the tree line along the rock. "—so we can take shelter in the forest!"

"And how do you propose we do that?"

"That meat you guys made—"

"That was Mayni, she wanted to try ponio neck meat."

"Yeah, that meat, do you have any left?" I ask.

He pauses. "Yeah. Mayni still has some, um, hang on— Mayni! Mayni!"

Xanath sprints back under the bridge, and Mayni's head pokes out. She says something indistinct before he rushes over to me again. The Volffs grow more agitated.

"You have it?!"

"Yeah, 'cept she ate most of it!"

"Just, just give it to me!"

"Fine, take it! It's gross."

He hands the slimy meat off to me, and I wave it in the air. The creatures snort as they jerk up and follow its trail. I take one glance at Xanath, who nods and goes back to the group—then I run.

Every single Volff follows me like a rabid pack, and as I reach the end of the tree line, I whip the piece of meat away from me and cringe as they flood past. The land grows silent save for ecstatic howls from the creatures, and I don't even look back.

"Mayni, Anact, Xan, run, get going, make it to the trees!" I say, grabbing my driver as I pass it by in the grass. I hear Anactro's desperate voice, and within a span of seconds, everyone is coming out of hiding. Shi jerks in Xanath's arms. As Mayni brushes past me, she grabs my hand, and we don't stop until we break out of the forest and into a small, secluded clearing.

My chest pumps, and I wheeze and try to catch my breath. Anactro coughs. The only things I hear through my ringing ears are our gasps.

"Did we do it?" my brother asks.

"We did it!" He cries out in surprise and nearly loses his balance as Mayni tackles him. "We did it, we did it! See, not as bad as Tephra!" she says.

"N-not as bad as Tephra," Anactro repeats, though it's more for her sake than the truth.

"See, we're all safe!" I say to Xanath, who only scowls. Mayni cocks her head and looks toward me, but doesn't say anything. My gaze goes to Shi. "How is he?"

I head over to Xanath, who cradles my cousin against his chest. He frowns. "I don't know, he keeps muttering about a Monado. What's a Monado?"

We fall silent. I feel a smirk twist my features before my chest even floods Sung's trademarked ether-green. "Once we settle in for the night, we'll talk."

He furrows his brow and looks as if he's about to retort something back, but Mayni's caterwauls stop us both. "Looky, looky, Brodei! Look! I told you, see, I told you there would be survivors!" She trips as she hurries down the hill, but she regains her footing and keeps going. At the bottom, Anactro waves his arms and chortles.

As we follow, Shi murmurs, "The Monado's…pain…"