"The Bionis is moving." Egil spoke, each word breaking his heart more and more as he looked down upon the Titans.
The Bionis was slowly moving, its hand coming to grip the sword of the Mechonis, slowly pulling at it. It barely moved, but that did not mean it didn't move. Zanza was pulling the sword out, and given time, he would be free of it. If that happened…
If that happened, he would surely destroy the Mechonis as he had wanted to do for years now. He would kill the rest of Egil's people, and follow up with the life of the Bionis. This was not something he could allow.
"What do we do, then?" Vanea hugged herself, coming to stand next to him on the platform. "Can we… stop Zanza?"
"We certainly have to try!" There was no way he was going to lay down and die now, not after all they had been through! "None of you have to come along, in fact, it may be safer if you don't, but I'll be going!"
"Don't think we'll let you run off on your own." He turned at the sound of Linada's voice, behind him the rest of the group (that hadn't betrayed him, he thought, heart aching as Alvis flashed through his mind). "We're in this together, Zanza's hurt us all."
"I won't let that god just get away with this." Tyrea spoke up, though she still seemed shaky from all the ether she had absorbed. "He turned my people into monsters, nearly took Kallian from m… Melia. I cannot allow it."
"Melia…" Egil looked to Linada. "How is the girl?"
"She's fine, but the amount of ether she took in was greater than Tyrea. She'll be unconscious for a while now, as her body slowly works on dispelling the excess." Linada glanced at the other High Entian siblings. "If anything, I'm worried about those two."
Kallian's body had changed, been twisted into something closer to a Telethia than any modern High Entia. A tail protruded from his back, his legs twisted and covered in fur (along with the rest of his lower half), the corruption spreading onto part of his chest and his face… His wings, the feathers mostly gone, having molted in the extreme of the transformation, replaced with those glowing lights that made Egil feel sick to his stomach.
But he stood tall, holding Tyrea's shoulders. He looked as ready to fight as he had before this had happened to him. As ready to lay down his life for his people and his family as ever, if not more ready.
"I want to fight, as Tyrea does." Kallian spoke up. "I may risk worse than this current fate, but… I can't just sit idly by!"
"You fool!" Tyrea turned to look at him. "You can't risk that much! What if you turn fully?! What if you're lost to us forever?!"
"...Tyrea… I understand, but I can't simply leave this be." He ran a hand through her hair. "Please, you have to understand, this is my battle as much as yours."
"Kallian…"
Linada stepped over to the siblings, placing her hands on Tyrea's shoulders. "Don't worry, Tyrea. If he insists on coming, I'll make an ether regulator of sorts, to ensure too much ether is never a problem."
"Linada…" She placed a hand over the Machina's, going quiet for a moment. "...Thank you."
"Then it's decided." Egil looked at the group, smiling softly as Oka came up to his side. "We will fight, to the very end. We will not allow Zanza to take our future from us."
The six of them would fight to the bitter end-
"I want to come too!"
Shulk stood on shaky legs as he called out to the group, but he did not back down from what he said as they all turned to stare at him. He had been a cause for a lot of this, had allowed Zanza to fester within him… And now? Now he was going to make up for it.
At first, none of the group moved. Shulk did not falter, but he was prepared to argue. If they did not want him along, he would insist. If they would not budge, he would go on his own! He just knew he couldn't sit idly by.
Egil was the first to make a move, stepping towards him and running a hand through his hair, concern on his face. "You were just shot, Shulk. Do you truly believe it's best to step into the action?"
"I do." He nodded firmly. "Zanza has taken from me, too. He's threatening all I love… I can't just sit by knowing that!"
Egil turned to the group and they all seemed to share looks, looks Shulk could not quite read. Were they silently discussing it, then? Discussing whether or not they would allow him to come along?
"I… I know what I did, and how I hurt you all, but…" He spoke again, before they could decide to push him away. "I want to make up for it. It's only right that I do…"
"We understand." Kallian spoke, his voice soft. "You killed Father, but… that was because of Zanza, wasn't it? That's why you spared me?"
All Shulk could do was give a meek nod.
"Then I suppose you better make up for what that god got you to do!" Tyrea placed a hand on her hip. "Don't think this will all be sunshine and rainbows! I'll make sure you're worked until you drop!"
"Oka will too!" Oka nodded. "Oka make sure littlepon make up for everything he do!"
"Welcome aboard, Shulk." Vanea laughed a bit, shaking her head. "You better prepare, these ladies aren't planning on letting you off lightly."
"A-Ah, yes, of course!" He nodded, wringing his hands as some anxiety fell over him. "I'll do my best."
Egil held out his hand to Shulk and gave him a small smile. "Then let's move forward, together, and fulfill Lady Meyneth's wish. A world with no need for gods."
Shulk hesitated for a moment, but took Egil's hand, noting how cold it was. Cold, but not bad… He smiled up at the Machina, nodding. "Yes… let's do this."
"Tyrea…" Kallian's voice was soft as he spoke to the assassin. "Earlier, then you said I was almost taken from Melia… did you almost say something else?"
He had felt she cut herself off, changed her statement at the last moment. He had a feeling he knew what it had been changed from , but… He didn't want to assume. It could be his wishful thinking getting to him, after all!
He watched her, the way she shifted from one foot to another, seemingly in thought. Had he struck a chord asking that, then? He truly hadn't meant to, if that was indeed the case...
"I…" Tyrea looked as if she was about to brush him off, before she looked at her hands and sighed. "I suppose I did."
"May I ask what it was, then?" He crouched down, feeling quite comfortable in the odd position, as much as he loathed to admit it.
"They almost took you from… from me." She hugged herself, looking away. "You're a fool, always getting on my nerves! But… you're also my brother. The first family who hasn't just used me… I… if I lost that…"
Her lower lip trembled and she continued to stare anywhere but at Kallian. She looked so small, so fragile… So different than the Tyrea he usually saw, so stern and angry and powerful. He supposed this was what it was like when she let down her walls for someone.
"Tyrea." He gave the smallest of smiles as he stood, moving to pull her into a hug, his wings embracing her as well. "It's alright, I'm here now. And you won't lose me, I promise…"
"You better keep that promise, you fool." She buried her face in his chest, clinging to him. "If you become a full Telethia, I'll kill you and drag you back into High Entiahood myself!"
He held her close, unsure of how she would drag him back after killing him… but it was the thought that counted, he supposed. Besides, she didn't need to worry about things like that!
"Don't worry, I won't be changing anymore, if I can help it." He chuckled a bit, rubbing her back. "I'll just be your strange looking brother from now on, so long as you don't mind that."
"You could look like a blob of nothing, so long as your personality is intact I'm happy." Tyrea pulled away, wiping at tears that had apparently begun to fall. "That's what makes you your stupid self, after all."
He chuckled a bit, ruffling her hair. "I suppose it is! Thank you, Tyrea. I think that's just what I needed to hear."
"Don't ruin this moment, Kallian!"