Title is from The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead

My jams: A Faint Hope (XC2), Elysium in the Dream (XC2), Crossing Swords (XC2), Elysium in the Blue Sky (XC2)

Also! There's mild suicidal ideation in this chapter on Rex's part. It's not too explicit since I have to avoid triggering myself but it's there! It starts after "... he felt himself once again being dragged away." and ends before "You're not going to die, Rex. Not here and not now,"

"The only way to know how long you are lost in the darkness is to be saved from it."

═════════•°• :Gormott, Alrest: •°•═════════

"The boy will do just fine. I was hoping to get that mutt from Torna but a pure Leftherian will suffice all the same,"

Rex groaned, the Indoline Monks surrounding him. He barely had the strength to lift his head, sounds muted by the ringing in his ears. He cracked his eyes open to see one of the monks step forward, lifting his foot with a sneer. Rex closed his eyes as his skull was slammed into the ground by a hard boot. A scream that was felt more than heard tore from his lungs, his nose breaking on impact. When he tried to inhale, all he got was a breath full of dirt. His body seized with coughs, desperately trying to clear his airways. Someone was saying something but he couldn't make out what they were saying. His body was lifted up and carried somewhere.

Rex tried to wiggle out of his captor's grip but his body relaxed against his will, too tired to do much else. He whimpered. He wanted Pyra or Mythra or Nia or Roc to save him. For anyone to save him. He wanted to go home to Auntie Corrine and see all the kids again, to feel the comforting warmth of homemade soup on his tongue. But he couldn't. He was going to die here, a man out of his time.

A cacophony of noise shook his skull as he was abruptly dropped on the ground, muscles and bones groaning in pain. It took Rex a minute to realize that the noise wasn't just caused by his own screams. He expected to feel the vibrations of bodies hitting the ground. But they never came. Rex took a gamble and tried to open his eyes. His vision blurred, the greens, browns, blues, gold's, and whites melding together. The image before him started to focus after he blinked a couple of times, tears clearing his eyes out. It cleared just in time for him to see the last of the warrior monks dissolve into ether. Rex froze, distinctly aware of a looming presence next to him.

"Rex…?" A deep voice asked, almost in surprise. He knew that voice. He really did. But he couldn't think. Grunting, he willed his arms and legs to crawl forward but they just wouldn't move. He cried as strong arms looped under his legs and upper back, pulling him up bridal style. He pushed back but the stranger was too strong.

"Hey. I've got you," The stranger's comments did nothing to assuage his worry. His entire body screamed and bellowed at him, burning and crying as his joints resisted any attempts at movement. He could do nothing as he felt himself once again being dragged away.

At the very least, this person's arms were somewhat comfortable. If he was going to die soon, then at least it wouldn't be at the hands of the enemy. It's not like it would really matter. Pyra and the others would change the fate of the world with or without him. They would grieve but they would move on eventually. Although he would love to live longer, he had kept his promise to Pyra and Mythra. And he had fulfilled it despite the pain he received in return. All he wanted right then in that moment was to stop the pain.

"You're not going to die, Rex. Not here and not now," they (She? He? He genuinely couldn't tell anymore) said. He yelped when his body was jolted violently as they sat down. Rex winced as his hand was grabbed and placed on a hard, chilly surface. It burst to life under his fingers, his entire being tingling pleasantly. A calming cool surged through his hand to the rest of his body, reducing the tension and pain to nothing more than an unpleasant buzz. The high pitched ringing died down, allowing him to hear the sound of water dripping onto the ground. Far in the distance, he could hear the sounds of musicians playing a joyful tune. Loudest of all was the stranger's breathing, slightly cut off and almost metronomic in rhythm.

The cool energy gradually shifted into something that resembled a pleasant warmth, making his body hum with power. It almost reminded him of how Pyra's flames felt when he wielded it. Homely. Peaceful. Large fingers raked through his hair, scratching his head every so often. Their breathing started to relax, matching his own. His legs were hanging off the side of their body, one hand on the chest area and the other tucked between them.

"Feeling better?" They asked. Rex nodded, not trusting his voice. He leaned forward and pressed his forehead against their chest, shivering at the temperature difference. The thing beneath his hand continued to pulse with energy. Come to think of it, the surface felt very familiar. Could it be...?

"I was able to remove most of... whatever that was from your body. We'll have to stay like this while my ether circulates through your bloodstream," they said. Rex felt the ghost of a kiss on the top of his head. "Is that okay with you?"

Rex grunted in approval, not able to do much else. He closed his eyes, drifting into a restless sleep.

Cold water splashing against his exposed, feverish skin was the next sensation he felt. His lips twitched upward painfully, his muscles tightening and writhing with injury. Which made sense, giving the thrashing he had just endured. Some type of soap was being massaged onto his back; it smelled rather pleasant, a smooth earthy smell that took him back to the Lasaria Woodlands and the forest in the lower part of Gormott. His companion obviously knew what they were doing, too, intuitively and meticulously working through all the knots and other sore areas. The tension melted like butter under the ministrations, the aches quieting down. He closed his eyes, lulled into a deep sleep by the repetitive motions.

Yawning, Rex blinked awake slowly. The pain in his back and arms almost felt like a distant memory. Vision blurry at the edges, he peered up curiously to meet a concerned grey gaze. He stared for a second, blinking again, confused as to how he got into this situation. The memories came back to him slowly, his head pounding.

"You're up," Malos said, voice surprisingly soft. "How do you feel?"

Rex rested his forehead against the blade's body, clutching the grooves in his armor. He felt Malos reach right under his jawline, pressing gently into the skin at his pulsepoint. He flinched away, the touch almost ticklish. A sudden wave of exhaustion hit him again, much to his irritation. He drifted off, questions lingering just out of reach.

When Rex fully woke up, he knew it was sometime during the day. He could see the rolling plains of Gormott bathing in the yellow rays of the afternoon sun. Strangely though, the area in their shelter seemed to be partially lit in a purple light. Where was it coming from?

"Your outfit… changed," Malos explained, as if he could hear his thoughts. Rex glanced at him like he had gone mad. "Look."

Rex looked down, and sure enough, it had changed. It was an exact copy of the one Pneuma crafted for him save for the colors; it was black with red accents, the ether decorations now a glowing, deep purple. Rex's brow furrowed again.

"Why… Why did you save me? How do you know my name?" He asked hoarsely, coughing. The Aegis chuckled, offering him water. He accepted and drank from it gratefully despite the cool liquid aggravating his throat.

"I would ask if you hit your head during that little tussle with Indol but, ah, that monk sure spared no expenses in that regard," Rex felt annoyance bubble up at the remark. "Come on kid. You seriously don't remember chasing me all the way up the World Tree all so you could tell me the answer you had found for yourself?"

"World Tree?" Rex murmured, anger fading away. There was no way that the Malos of this time would know about that. He released a breath that he didn't know he was holding, pleasant shivers running up his spine. "You're….. our Malos. The one from the future."

"Took you long enough," The blade said, smirking. He felt a twinge of satisfaction and relief that wasn't his own. Rex stared at the Aegis before breaking out into a wide grin. Well, as wide of a grin as he could manage in his current state. He was right.

"Thank you,"

"Huh?" Rex smiled at the bewilderment in his the blade's (his blade's?) voice. He lifted his head, reaching towards the crystal. He traced the edges lightly where the core met armor. It seemed more vibrant than he remembered. It was a softer tone, too; less like a bottomless pit and more like the color of a Mystic Dahlia under the moonlight. "For what? Saving your life?"

"Well, yes. I certainly would have been dead, or worse, had you not helped me. But thank you for trusting me, to be your driver."

"Of course you would pick up on that. You are annoyingly perceptive, after all," Malos bemoaned, shaking his head. "Let's get you ready for bed. Your body is still recovering and I'm no healing blade."

The next few days consisted of the same routine: Sleep, Eat, and Nap. Malos did make him walk around the area some, to keep his muscles from atrophying but he otherwise rested. Rex made several observations about his new blade while his body recovered. Malos was quiet. Any attempts to engage him in conversation were met with either grunts, one word answers, or straight up silence. He didn't quite know what to make of it. The blade was also perceptive. Oftentimes, he didn't need to voice his distaste for a certain food or his discomfort when his body was twisted a certain way; He just always seemed to know.

Malos was caring, too. Rex knew he would deny it if the subject was brought up, but the Aegis undoubtedly was caring down to his core. And… Well. He was hiding something. Or perhaps not saying something. Rex didn't think it was bad or necessarily malicious; Malos struck him as a person that tended to keep to himself. But there was an underlying tension that never left his shoulders, even when he rested. Almost like he was waiting for the other ball to drop.

And Rex had a sinking feeling that he wouldn't like it when it did.

═════════•°• •°•═════════

A week later and Rex was deemed strong enough to travel. Now that he was feeling better, he couldn't help but worry about Pyra and Nia. They must have been really worried about him, especially given how long he was gone with no communication.

They were especially going to be worried once they realized just who exactly had rescued him.

"Malos!" Rex called. His grin dropped once he realized that Malos wasn't following.

"What are you doing? Let's go!" He asked, anxiety fluttering through his bloodstream. Malos shook his head.

"I'm staying here. I still have some things that I need to take care of,"

"What do you mean? What things do you need to do? Can I help?"

"It's none of your business, Rex. You have your mission and I have mine, There's a ship at the dock that can take you back to Torna," He said, turning back. Rex frowned, starting to follow. Malos attempted to push him out of the way but he ducked, foreseeing the movement.

"What do you mean it's none of my business? You're my blade now," He countered. Malos froze and turned around, glaring.

"Kid, leave it alone, please," Malos said, exasperated. Rex scowled, clenching his fists. The feeling from earlier started to bubble up in his stomach. He pushed it down. This wasn't happening again. Was it?

"No, I won't leave it alone. Stop running away from me,"

"I'm not running away from you. I just have things that I need to do."

"Right. And I can't help you with them?"

"No, you can't."

"Why not?"

"You just can't."

"Oh really now?" Rex said. He felt all his internal organs sink in his gut, weighing him down.

"You just can't," Malos repeated, sighing.

"Why not?" Rex repeated. Malos' frown morphed into a sneer, his body surrounded in a purplish tinge.

"Stop it, Rex."

"No, I'm not going to."

" Rex ."

" Malos . I'm your driver; it's kinda my job to be concerned for you and to help you out."

"What makes you think that you can force your way into my life? You may technically be my driver now but you can't really want this," Malos said. "Besides, traveling with you would only complicate matters on your end even more. I would put you in unnecessary danger because of people after my head."

"But that's my decision. I don't mind traveling with you," Rex said. "No, I want to travel with you."

The ground directly in front of him exploded with ether energy. A shot warning, undoubtedly. The show of aggression made something inside Rex shatter. Things had been going so well. He had thought everything was going fine. That maybe his Architect forsaken luck was improving. But apparently not.

"I don't want to hurt you, Rex, but if you insist on getting in my way…"

He should have known that things wouldn't be so easy.

The emotions positively boiled beneath his skin and exploded out all at once, racing through his joints to the very tips of his fingers. He drew his sword, his grip so tight that the leather fractured and broke under the pressure. He snarled, tears burning his eyes, clouding his vision.

"I didn't rescue Nia for nothing." He said quietly, raising the blade in front of him, the darkness within clawing at its restraints, demanding release. "I didn't stop Bana for nothing." He charged forward, blood rushing through his ears. "I didn't stop Amalthus for nothing." He swiped. Malos dodged. "I didn't follow you and Jin into Morytha for nothing." He was knocked back by the force of the Aegis' swing, his body screaming at him to stop. He kept fighting. "I didn't chase you all the way up the World Tree for nothing. " Malos teleported behind him. He twisted back, their swords clashing. The look of surprise on the Aegis' face made him livid. "I didn't try to spare you after the fight with Aion for nothing…! I did all of those things because I wanted to! I'm tired of you all treating me like I can't make my own damn decisions!"

His blood was scorched with betrayal, engulfing his body in an inferno from within. He jumped back, side stepping in a circle to get a better vantage point. This Aegis was a master of defense but that didn't mean he lacked weaknesses. "Why spare me? You can't seriously tell me that you don't care for me at all if you went to the effort of nursing me back to health! You should have just left me to die if you're just going to walk away like this!"

"Kid. Give it up already," Malos said, pushing forward, his weapon positively buzzing. The sheer force behind the sword caught Rex off guard. He held strong, though, tensing the muscles in his legs, pushing back. He locked eyes with the Aegis.

"Never. I will never give up," He swiftly kicked Malos square in the core crystal with his heel, sending the dark blade flying back, hitting a tree with a loud grunt. The unspoken 'on you' hung heavy in the air. Malos stood up, pushing his sword into the ground for something to lean on.

"I already told you," He rasped, slightly disoriented. "I was born to hate! I was born to destroy things! Nothing can change that!"

"That's not true! You wouldn't have healed me if the only thing you could do was destroy! Stop lying to yourself! Stop running away! Why can't you understand that?!" Rex replied, pulling at his hair in frustration. Why did he always not know what to say….?

"You don't understand me. You barely know me!"

"Then make me understand! Explain it to me since I'm obviously too stupid to figure it out!"

"I destroyed Torna, Judicium, Coeia. I sank several lesser titans beneath the sea. I almost destroyed the entire damn world. Stop defending me, Rex. I know I'm a monster."

"Then why are you going around changing history?" Rex asked, staring at him. He glared when the blade opened his mouth. "Don't try and deny it; You and I both know it would take someone powerful to stop an Aegis from blasting a hole in a titan. If you were such a monster, why are you even bothering to stop your past self? Why aren't you helping him? You could easily take out Addam and… his Mythra. They wouldn't be experienced enough to deal with you at this point, much less two of you."

"I-"

"No. Stop running away . You're doing this because you feel guilty about what happened to Jin. You don't want him to go through the same thing again," Rex said. Malos scoffed. " Stop . It's written all over your face."

"Really now?" Malos asked, his eyes narrowing. "And what makes you so certain of that?"

"You bite your lip when you're about to lie," Rex said. "You shift your weight to your right and cover your chest when you talk about something touchy. I also think that's something you would do. It makes sense to me."

"Well, that's where you're wrong, kid."

" Don't lie to me ." Rex deadpanned. "if you don't want to talk about it, fine. But don't lie to me."

"And if I do? Lie to you? What would you do to me in return?"

Rex sheathed his weapon. "Nothing."

"Nothing. Really?"

"I can't force you to do anything. And I wouldn't want to force you if I could," Rex said, taking small, tentative steps forward. "I'm only asking that you not lie to my face, especially about important matters."

"Tch." Malos said, looking away. It was obvious to anyone with functioning eyes that Malos didn't really want to fight. As skilled of a fighter as he was, he would stand little chance against a blade alone, much less an Aegis. Malos stood up shakily, leaning over his Monado, hunched over. Rex stopped once they were face to face. He brushed some stray hair away from his face, cupping the side of his cheek, admiring the storm of emotion in his blade's vulnerable eyes.

"Look... You just lost the little family you spent centuries building. Patroka, Akhos, Mikhail, Jin." Rex said, leaning their heads together, his heart racing with hurt and compassion. He could feel their breaths mingle together, his lips tingling with the feel of dark ether. "The only one still alive is Nia. Even then, she was only with you for a short time. You're alone in a world that would rather see you dead than alive. I won't even try to pretend to know how that feels."

"What's your point, kid ?" Malos spat, gripping tightly at his shirt. He placed his hand over his blade's, rubbing the knuckles lightly.

"I can't promise you that I'll be a good driver. I can't promise that you will find yourself a family again. The only thing that I can promise is a second chance," Rex said, smiling softly. "You're not an evil person, all things considered. You've made some bad choices, yeah. I won't deny that. But you aren't evil. You aren't Amalthus. And you never will be. Not if I can help it."

If Rex hadn't been staring at Malos he would have missed the ever so slight widening of the Aegis' eyes. The hand around his shirt slowly relaxed, allowing Rex to slip their hands together. He squeezed their joined hands, pulling the two of them up.

"Fuck…"

"Fuck indeed…" Rex murmured, resisting the urge to embrace the Aegis. He didn't think Malos was ready for it.

"I'm not used to people being nice to me. Not without some type of..." Malos said.

"I know. I have a feeling that we'll be fighting a lot over the coming years. And that's okay," Rex replied. "I meant what I said. I'm going to make sure you get a second chance. What you do with that chance is up to you. Just trust in me, alright?"

He winced at a sudden rush of pain in his left knee as it collapsed out from under him, quite literally falling in his blade's arms. Malos glanced at the leg, an unspoken question in his eyes.

"An old salvaging injury. It bothers me sometimes if I… well.. do much of anything," Rex admitted sheepishly, pushing himself up as he kicked his leg back and forth. He made a mental note to do some stretches before bed. "Nothing a good night's rest won't heal."

"Old? Kid, you're like twelve. Just how long have you been in the business?" Malos asked, crossing his arms.

"Since I was nine, actually. I got this injury when I hadn't taken a weapon with me one time and a Skorpex had grabbed me by the leg," Rex chuckled, scratching his head.

"Nine?" Malos echoed. "Aren't there child labor laws in place?"

"Well, I didn't start diving until I was eleven. But there are jobs you can do as a 'salvager' that don't require diving in the sea. Odd things here and there like sorting through materials for tradesmen and such. Even when I got my license and did start diving, I was only cleared for 9 meters or so down. I didn't get cleared for anything deeper than that until I was 13," Rex explained. "Even then, I was hard pressed to get it. The age minimum is 13 but starting so early in your life is.. Well…"

"Deadly?"

"Not necessarily. Er, not any more deadly than for everyone else. It just…. Well.. Exposure to extreme pressure over time stunts your growth. I likely won't get any taller than this," Rex said, gesturing to his body. "I have grown a couple of centimeters since I resonated with Pyra. But I'm unlikely to grow much more. Which I'm fine with. I think I'm one of the only people who actually likes being short, haha."

"Of course you would," He said, shaking his head. "Anyways, I don't know about you but I'm hungry."

Rex's stomach growled in affirmation. "Haha. Guess you already know my answer!"

"Do you want anything specifically?"

"Not really. I've been so sick lately that everything has tasted rather bland. No offense to your cooking skills, of course!"

They settled down at the Hidden campsite after gathering a few Sumpkins, Meaty Carrots, Barbed Tomatoes, Creeping Starpeppers, and Hustle Hyacinths. Rex watched his blade while the food sauteed.

"How did you survive, by the way?" Rex asked. "You faded away in my arms."

"I have no fucking idea. I woke up floating in the Cloud Sea somewhere outside of Gormott," Malos replied, shrugging. "There's a lot I don't understand. I was hoping you and Mythra would know more but I see that it's probably not the case, right?"

"We're clueless as well," Rex said. "For what it's worth, I'm glad you're alive."

"Of course you would be. You would have wanted us all to survive," Malos murmured, shaking his head. "Dinner's ready. Eat up."

Rex wanted to say more but nodded nonetheless. He was getting pretty hungry. The food was warm and delicious, despite his lack of taste. Was cooking something that the Aegis' specialized in? It wouldn't surprise him. (Mythra wasn't a bad cook, all things considered. Not everyone had a natural inclination towards it like Pyra and Crossette. Some people just needed a little guidance and some practice. Architect knows how many times he fucked up before he understood how long to cook things and how to season them).

"Hey Rex." Malos said, breaking the silence as they ate. He hummed in reply. "Can you call me Logos…?"

"Logos? Sure." Rex asked. "That's the name that the Architect gave you, right?"

"Yeah," Logos replied. "You're not going to ask why?"

"If you wanted to explain it to me, you would. I learned that lesson after speaking with you on the Maelstrom," Rex replied. "And it's not imperative that I know the reason why."

"Huh."

"For the record, I am curious. And I do have an idea why you might want to go by a different name. But I can wait until you want to tell me." Rex said.

"...Thanks."

"Anytime."

*slams fist down on the table* LOGOS FINALLY JOINS THE PARTY~

You guys don't know how long I've been waiting for this day. (I wrote this chapter when I was writing Chapter one and two and Epilogue one. It's been a long time coming.). Speaking of long time coming, here's Logos' affinity chart!

Abilities:

Monado Armor: Grants 75% physical and ether barrier to party at max affinity

Monado Speed: Improves Evasion/Accuracy by 150% at max affinity

Monado Eater: Removes a Debuff (ala AC System Reset V for Poppi)

Arts:

Ultra Slash (Back Attack up)

Striker Edge (Break)

Crow Dance (Evasion)

Touch Me Not (Launch)

Specials:

Level 1 Special: Endless Night (removes buffs)

Level 2 Special: Monado Cyclone (AOE, Topples enemies suffering break)

Level 3 Special: Ephemeral Moon (Knockback)

Level 4 special: Heavenly Disrupt (AOE blast)

Field Skills:

Dark Mastery, 5 Levels

? (Unique Skill), 5 levels

Keen Eye, 5 levels.