Egil opened his eyes and realized quickly he was on Junks. For a moment, he wondered if that nightmare had been just that… A nightmare. As he touched his chest, though, now free of what had been the power of a Monado, he realized it was all real.

Shulk had been shot, Zanza returned to the world, and Alvis… Alvis had betrayed him, betrayed all the feelings he had trusted him with. All those moments they had shared, everything Alvis had told him… was it all lies?

His heart ached as he thought about it, and he didn't know what to do. What did the others think? How did they feel about his betrayal? Did it hurt as much? More? Less? He had no clue, seeing as he was alone with…

Shulk.

Shulk, laying on a medbay bed, breathing deeply. He was alive, despite being shot, he had made it. One good thing, out of all of this mess, he supposed.

He stood and made his way over to Shulk, running a hand through his hair. It was… soft, he noted. Fluffy, the same texture he thought clouds would have when he was a young boy and his father would describe them.

Egil would have stayed like that for a while, running a hand through Shulk's hair, if he did not hear yelling. That voice… Was it Melia? She seemed to be outside, yelling for something to stop.

He decided he needed to see just what was happening (though, given what he knew, he had a feeling he could guess just what it was), and left Shulk with one more ruffle of the hair. He would get better and they… they could talk then.

Soon enough, he was out the door and saw exactly what he feared. They were in Alcamoth and ether in large concentrations was flowing into the people. They were being turned into the bioweapons they were always meant to be…

And that included Kallian.

Tyrea should have expected this, but as she held back a screaming Melia, she felt sick. Watching as that stuff covered Kallian's body, consumed his lower half and his arms… She wanted to kick that witch Lorithia in the teeth.

"Don't cry, princess!" Lorithia chuckled from the Telethia she had taken harbor on. "This is the fate of all High Entia. If anything, you should celebrate your brother returning to such a beautiful state!"

"The fate?" Melia stared at her, shaking in Tyrea's grasp. "Brother, that can't be true!"

"I'm sorry, Melia…" Kallian's words were so strained it made Tyrea sick. "But it's the truth… The reason Father and I left you with so much responsibility… This is our fate. Only half-bloods such as you can seize our future."

"No!" Melia shook her head. "I won't allow it. I… I will save you!"

"You can't… this cannot be stopped." He shook his head. "Melia, I am so sorry, I-"

"No!" She broke free of Tyrea's grasp and held up her staff. "I will save you, Kallian! I will not let this fate befall you!"

The girl, the fool, began to absorb the ether into her own body. Unable to be transformed, she was trying to delay her own brother's transformation! There was no way that would work! But…

Tyrea couldn't just watch. She stepped forward and gripped the staff, giving Melia a firm nod when she looked at her, and began to assist her. Pulling as much ether as she could into her own body, even as it began to hurt.

This would be a test, she supposed, of the little Homs blood she had. She would see if there was a limit, if this would turn her into a Telethia instead… She supposed that would be better, though.

Better the assassin born and raised only to kill to lose herself than the prince to lose himself. She told herself that as she watched the mutation across Kallian's body lessen. They… they were actually doing this!

"Melia, just a bit more…!" She grit her teeth, focusing the ether into her body. "We can save Kallian…!"

"Ah, yes!" Melia nodded and stood a bit taller. "Brother, we won't lose you!"

Soon enough, Junks had flown out of the danger zone, the women able to drop their concentration. So much ether filled Tyrea she felt dizzy… But Kallian, he was… he was mostly fine.

As she looked at him, she could see he was still himself, even if his body had been transformed partially. She gave him a small smile as Melia fell into her arms, exhausted and overworked for the experience.

"Good, the people can't go losing their prince so soon after losing their emperor, after all…" And with that, she fainted as well.

Kallian's body burned as it changed, and still burned in its new state. Not only did it burn, it felt off, strange. Claws where there had been none, a tail protruding from his backside, legs that had broken and reformed into a new shape…

He was certain he looked like a monster, but for now that didn't matter. For now what mattered was his saviors, his little sisters. They had absorbed near deadly amounts of ether, all to protect him, someone who didn't deserve that much…

He had run to catch Tyrea as she fell, holding both his sisters to his chest, breathing heavily. They had done this for him…? He wished he could understand why they risked so much, but in the moment he couldn't.

Instead, Kallian held them close to him, even as Linada came over to check their condition. He wouldn't let them go, not until he knew they would be okay. After all, that was the least he could do for both of them.

"Please, be alright…" He kissed the top of Tyrea's head, holding back tears. "If you aren't, who will insist I look ridiculous…? And you, Melia… Who would argue with her and say I look fine…?"

He broke down then, burying his face in Tyrea's hair as tears finally fell. He hadn't been able to save them from the burden of their people, as he had wanted. He was a failure.