1.

Rex was alone in a vast, empty darkness, complete black, save for one dim, flickering orange spark in the distance.

He coughed, stumbling forward, walking on nothing. His limbs, his lungs, his heart ached, and he fell, crawling, pain wracking him, towards that flickering orange spark, reaching for it, not knowing why-

And suddenly, the spark ballooned in size, racing towards him. It was the burning Ardainian Titan, explosions rocking its surface, its skin cracking open to reveal great, oozing wounds of lava, its cities ablaze, its dying cries the screams of all its citizens.

Rex gasped as guilt and shame so complete raced through him, a crushing mountain of it, flattening his thoughts, feeling almost as if it was stopping the very heart in his chest. He gasped for breath – he couldn't get enough air, no matter how much he breathed in, his head felt like it was in a vice, his heart felt as if it were being slowly squeezed – how could he have failed so badly, so completely, how – how many dead because he wasn't strong enough, how many lives snuffed out -

Morag swam into his vision before him, broken, pale, her eyes, normally calm, filled with a madness of loss he couldn't possibly fathom, her accusing stare piercing through him, and he wanted to cry out to her, wanted to tell her he was sorry, but what could he possibly say, what words would ever be enough for her to forgive him for the blood on his hands, he wanted to say something but he just couldn't breathe -

And now Malos loomed before him, looking so disappointed, disgusted with him, contemptuous of him, and Rex felt something within him breaking. "I'm...sorry," he managed to frantically force out, between ragged gasps, "S-sorry..."

"Sorry isn't good enough, Rex," Malos replied, his eyes burning with dark flame. "You need to be stronger. If you can't take the pain, how can I know that you will be ready to do what it takes? How can I know that you'll be ready to die, if necessary?" And suddenly, Malos melted into the dark, became a hole in that darkness, a void, darker than the dark, a great, yawning pit, an eternity of emptiness, that grew larger, and larger. "Duty," came Malos' voice from somewhere within that void, "Demands it of you. Will you simply be a boy, or will you be a man, Rex? Will you complete your mission?" His voice grew large, grew into something more, became the void itself speaking, demanding of Rex's soul obedience. "FULFILL YOUR OATH. YOUR DUTY."

That void was everything, that void was forever. Rex shook with fear as it grew, closing in around him, but he closed his eyes, and tried to be brave. If this was what he needed to do, damn it, he could do it. Even if he was too much of a coward to face it without shaking, even if he was too weak to face it without fear, he could do this, he could -

Suddenly, there was an insistent tugging, almost like a hook in his chest, and Rex felt himself yanked….upward, outward...he didn't know...away from the void, away-

And then he was gone, gone away from the dark, away from the void. He was...on his feet. In Amalthus' throne room. Though it was….different, somehow. Darker. The shadows stretched towards him, menacingly, the gold and white stone seemed tarnished, filthy. Through the large, arching windows, the sky was full of lightning and flame, bathing everything in a dull, orange glow. The Praetor was there, seated in his golden throne, and Rex could not meet his gaze. It howled judgment, all the world turned within it and bore down upon him.

"A harsh lesson," Amalthus said, his voice soft, but shaking the walls around him with sheer power. "In the price of failure. But ever will it be so, for us, Drivers of the Aegis, Rex. We are given the power to change the world. Shape it, as we see fit...and if we fail...if we do not seize the power given to us...if we refuse the gift, out of some false sense of humility, or we fail to utilize it properly, out of weakness...the blood of nations will be on our hands. You had to learn the hard way, I suppose. The ghosts of Mor Ardain are your burden, now." He smiled primly. "Don't think it will get easier. That burden can, and will, grow larger. Mine certainly is."

And Rex stepped back in shock and horror as an endless stream of souls rose above Amalthus, countless, innumerable, crowding the throne room, rising to the high, shadowed ceiling, the endless legions of souls that haunted the Praetor, and the weight of it, the horror of it, was enough to make Rex reel. How could Amalthus stand it? How could he bear the weight of those souls and still keep his sanity?

For Amalthus hardly seemed concerned by them at all. Whatever burden it placed upon him, he bore it with incredible strength, with resolve and will beyond what Rex could imagine. Amalthus was simply...more. The Praetor raised a hand, pointing one finger at Rex, authority and power radiating from him. "What will you do to change the world, Rex? What are you willing to do? What sacrifices will you make?"

"Anything," Rex answered, clenching his fists in determination. "I'll do anything to make it better. Anything. Even if it means my life."

The Praetor considered him coldly. Those eyes, gateways to an abyss of depths Rex could not possibly fathom. "It is easy," Amalthus said softly, his whispers working their way into Rex's head, plucking strings within his very mind, "To decide to give up your own life. Especially when you are young, and you cannot truly fathom what death means. No, Rex. The decision to die to change the world is not really a decision at all. The real question is not whether you will die to change it. The real question is...who will you kill to change it?"

And then those souls, the endless tides of faceless dead surrounding the Praetor howled, a chorus of such pain and loss, a terrible melody of the wound inflicted on the world, and Rex fell to his knees as the chorus grew, and Amalthus rose from his throne, but he was more than the man, there was something rising with him, some shadow, some roaring darkness out of history, some beast, something, he was more than Rex was, he was simply more-

"Death, Rex," the thing that was Amalthus and yet more, Amalthus-in-shadow, whispered to him. "Death has a certain power. Beyond the mere removal of an enemy from the battlefield, beyond the mere conquest of a foe. To impose your vision is a test of will, and death fuels it. Enables you. To refuse its power is cowardice, it is a gelding of the self. You will not escape it. History, this world, demands it of you. It is a choice that you, alone, can make. Ultimately, that is what we are, Rex. You and I, the both of us, alone. No others understand our responsibility, the power granted to us. You must look into the shadow, you must steel your will, and draw your strength from it, alone."

The shadow grew larger, and larger, swallowing Rex, until he spiraled into that darkness, into that quiet, calm dark, for what seemed like forever, until...

Rex awoke with a shout, drenched in sweat.

Slowly, he looked around, blinking against the light that burned painfully into his eyes. Where was he? Where...he was…

He was in his room in Fonsett village, the gentle midday sun streaming in through the window, birds chirping peacefully. Rex tried to remember how he got there, but he could not. The last thing he could remember…

The last thing he could remember was Mor Ardain burning, and Malos telling him that he would do what needed to be done. And then a memory of pain so horrific that it made Rex shiver just to recall it. What….what had happened? Was everyone okay?

He looked around himself curiously. He was laying in his bed, his clothes gone, and surrounding him were...dozens, no, hundreds, of brightly colored flowers, covering him almost like a blanket. They were….he had never seen flowers like these. He could recognize the type, but they were so incredibly vibrant, the life in them so vital that it was almost as if they glowed. He winced as he recognized what they meant from Nia's book of flowers, as well.They were a storm of conflicting emotions and messages.

Fool. Stubborn fool. Reckless fool. You're beautiful. Idiot. Brave, courageous dullard. Please recover. Please get better. Moron. I love you.

Rex paused. That one flower, unique among all the others, a rose of brilliant red, lay near his pillow. As he rose to his feet, he plucked it up and placed it within his pocket.

And then he glanced around, and made his way to an aged wooden dresser, complete with a mirror, to give himself a good look-over. He...looked alright. He looked fine, actually. And physically, he felt fine, he supposed….but….there was the aching, incredible sense that he just had something missing. It almost felt as if he had lost an arm, or a leg, except, no, he still had two each. What...what could it be?

He shook his head, spotting his salvager's suit folded neatly in a chair beside the dresser. He should get dressed-

Suddenly, there was the sound of the door opening, and Fan's voice spoke: "Oh! My, Rex, you're awake!"

He whirled around, desperately covering his shame, blushing furiously, his eyes wide with shock. There in the doorway was Fan la Norne, holding a tray of soup with a steaming cup of tea, looking at him with some surprise. If she was embarrassed by his nudity, she certainly made no sign of it. In fact, she made no move to leave; instead, she walked forward calmly, setting the tray down on the dresser, and then peered at him intently. "Remarkable!" she murmured. "Nia really is extraordinary." She placed a cool hand on his forehead, frowning slightly. "A bit flushed, but no sign of fever-"

"Miss Fan!" Rex finally managed to force out, in a strangled voice. "Please! Let me get dressed!"

Fan la Norne gave him a small bemused smile. "Oh. Is that what you're worked up about? Rex, I have seen plenty of nudity in my patients. It comes with being a healer. Do you have body image issues? Let me assure you, you have nothing to be ashamed of. You are quite cute-"

"That's it!" Rex cried, his face going crimson. "Turn around! Turn around right now!"

Fan sighed, as if she was indulging him, and then spun around, folding her arms as Rex quickly tugged on his clothes as quickly as he could. "What...happened?" he asked, as he dressed.

"What is it that you remember?"

"I….I remember Mor Ardain." Rex zipped up his salvager suit, adjusting a few loose flapping buckles and straps, and then knelt to pull on his boots. "And then...Malos fighting Mythra? That's it, really...is everyone alright? What happened to Mythra?"

Fan paused for a moment before answering. "Mythra...was driven off. Everyone else is….alright, at least, physically. Morag is….quite devastated, as you might imagine. Brighid is doing her best to console her, though I think she is...distraught...herself."

"All that, and we didn't manage to capture her," Rex muttered. "I bet Malos is in a state over that. You can turn around."

Fan sighed, when she turned, giving him an odd look. "Malos is….not here."

"Not here?" Rex frowned, confused. "Then...where is he?"

Probably searching for another driver, a nasty voice within him said. Why would he stay with you, after you failed so badly? After you were so weak? After so many died because of you?

Rex gasped as suddenly Fan La Norne wrapped her arms around him in a comforting embrace. "Rex, you must know that what happened was not your fault," she murmured, almost as if she could read his thoughts.

Rex looked at himself in the mirror, and was shocked at the hollow look of despair on his own face, the tears that stained it. "I-I'm fine," he said shakily, awkwardly embracing her back. "Really. I'm...hah. I don't even know why I'm crying. Really, I'm fine." But there was a part of him which remembered the Praetor's voice from his dreams. The ghosts of Mor Ardain are your burden now.

And Fan slowly released him, holding him at arm's length, her eyes weary with a deep, long sadness, one that had been there for a very long time. "You remind me so much of him, right now," she murmured. "Trying so hard to hide that pain in your heart. Not wanting to share it with anyone."

"Who?"

Fan's smile communicated more sadness than any tears and weeping could. "Why, Amalthus, of course."

2.

Rex made his way down the stairs, cautiously, Fan following quietly behind him. He couldn't shake the feeling that he might trip and fall, that there was something just missing from his body that would throw off his balance...it was an odd sensation, one that he couldn't quite explain.

As he he reached the bottom of the stairs, a small girl with flashing eyes and a mess of dirty blonde hair with dozens of ribbons of various colors tangled into it passed into the hallway, frowning intently at a piece of paper she held in her hands. She looked up, seeing Rex, and her eyes went wide.

"Now….Lisa," Rex said, holding his hands up, "Let's be calm-"

"AUNTIE CORINNNNNNNNNE! REX IS AWAAAAAAAAAAKE!"

"Oh no," Rex muttered, as from all over the house there came the stampeding of small, pattering feet, enough to shake the walls, and he found himself tackled, at the center of dozens of tiny faces, hands reaching out to embrace him.

"I knew you weren't dead! Lisa you owe me an ice cream. He's not dead."

"Rex did you really fight the Aegis?"

"No stupid! He got hurt in the war!"

"Rex...is it true? Is the Empire really gone? Gone for good?"

"CHILDREN," Corinne roared, appearing at the end of the hallway, her eyes flashing, angrier than usual. "Get over here. Give Rex some space. He just woke up, we don't know how delicate he is."

"Ah, Auntie, it's fine," Rex laughed, rubbing the back of his head as he got up and the children scattered away from him. "I'm not delicate. I'm fine, really."

Fan and Corinne exchanged concern glances. "No...no." Corinne walked forward, peering at him sharply. "No, you aren't, child. Nia said you weren't, and I believe her. I want you to take it easy, Rex. And," Corinne shook a finger directly beneath his nose, "You listen to Nia. You'd be dead if it weren't for her." Suddenly, tears shone in her eyes, and she desperately wiped them away. "Rex, the state you were in...I thought you were gone. I thought I lost you. That girl stayed by your side until the life in you returned. Ah, Architect." She sighed, hands still on her hips, then gave him a sly smile. "Climbed right in that bed with you. Insisted it was necessary. I wasn't so sure about that, but hey, she's the healer."

The children tittered as Rex's face burned. He thought of the rose in his pocket. Nia…

"Rex, did Gramps really take down a whole Ardainian battleship? He kept bragging about it!" one of the children shouted, snapping him out of his reverie.

"Ah. Yeah, he did actually," Rex replied, and the children gasped in awe. "Where is Gramps, anyway?"

"He's out, flying patrols around the island," Corinne said, her voice deceptively light-hearted. "Making sure we don't get any….unwanted visitors."

"Unwanted visitors?" Rex frowned. "Why? Who? Has there been trouble-"

"Don't you worry about that." Corinne sighed, then glanced around at the children. "Well. I was just in the middle of making this unruly mob some lunch. Why don't you have some too?"

Rex nodded, and then considered. "Actually...could I take a sandwich to go? I...uh...I guess I should talk to Nia. Thank her, and all that."

Corinne and Fan exchanged looks once again, and Corinne gave a small, knowing laugh. "Yeah...you two have a lot to talk about, I think. I'll get you a sandwich. And...Rex?"

"Yeah?"

Corinne's expression was so slyly happy that it was almost silly. Her eyes sparkled as she rubbed her flour-stained hands on her apron. "I don't think I have to tell you," she murmured, "But that girl cares about you a lot. So just...if she has something surprising to tell you, keep that in mind. Never doubt that she cares."

3.

Rex chewed thoughtfully on his sandwich, wiping crumbs away from his mouth, as he made his way into the forest surrounding Fonsett. Corinne had told him that there was a spot here that Nia liked to go to, and he'd probably find her there.

The shadows of the forest were soothing, calm. There was a real tranquility here, a peacefulness, in the winding, well-shaded paths. The breeze was like a gentle caress, There was little sound except for that of the wind rustling through the leaves, the occasional chirp of a cricket, or the echoing cry of a songbird. It seemed almost unreal, to Rex, really. That there might be somewhere so peaceful in the world, so soon after what was certainly one of the bloodiest days in Alrest's history.

He shook his head. He...every time he thought of Mor Ardain, of what had happened, there was this black claw that reached into his chest, something that squeezed its wicked barbs around his heart. He had held it off, so far, mostly by just...not thinking about it. But it would not be denied forever, he knew. He would have to reckon with the dead who could be laid at his feet. He wondered if this was what Amalthus felt like all the time. He wondered-

And then, abruptly, this train of thought was interrupted. He dropped his sandwich to the ground in shock, and dashed behind a tree, peering around it cautiously.

There, just a bit ahead of him in the forest, in a small clearing, was Nia. But...she looked...different. Her ears much taller, her hair much longer, tied back in long, loose twin tails, and she was dressed in white robes, inlaid with brown, black, red and gold, that spread around her like the petals of a flower, a small red cord tied around her waist. The dress left her shoulders bare, and there in her chest….Rex's eyes widened. A core crystal, mottled red. A...Flesh Eater's core crystal?

She sat at the edge of a crystal-clear pond, fed by a gentle waterfall trickling down a nearby cliff face, a pair of white boots lying discarded next to her, dipping long, very bare legs into the water, swinging them idly. Rex's face burned as he realized he was staring at those legs. All around her, flowers of every color, of incredible life and vitality, bloomed gorgeously. Rex's mouth dried. She was….achingly pretty. Was this really Nia…? She seemed almost...surreal, almost too beautiful to be real, like some seductive spirit of the forest, like some-

As he watched, a koi fish, flashing white and orange beneath the crystal clear water, swam up to Nia, nibbling curiously at her legs. "Hey," she snapped, picking up a stick, poking the fish. "Get. Get out of here." She frowned after it as it swam away, offended. "Stupid fish," she muttered.

Well, that settled that. This was definitely Nia. There was nothing for it, he supposed. He stepped out from behind the tree, slowly approaching her.

Nia's ears twitched, and suddenly she was looking up at him, a small blush upon her cheeks, those yellow eyes so sweet and wide that Rex almost stumbled. Architect, she was pretty. He had always thought she was, from the moment he first saw her, but...now, she set his soul on fire. "Rex," she gasped, and then she was bounding gracefully towards him, those long legs flashing, and Rex furiously struggled to keep his eyes on her face. She took his face in her hands upon reaching him, soothing and cool, running a hand across his forehead, checking him for fever, her light touch drifting down his neck, to check his pulse. "You're awake, Oh thank the Titans," she murmured, peering at him intensely. "Of course the first thing you'd do is go stumbling about the forest, of course. Of course. You stubborn...I...you are….hmnngh...I...Rex, I'm...so happy you're okay. I…." with a small cry of frustration, she flung her arms around him, and she smelled so sweet that Rex struggled to think clearly. "I'm happy to see you up," she whispered. "I'm...really happy."

Though it was the last thing he wanted to do, Rex finally broke the embrace, though she held onto his arms. "Nia," he said, "You're a…."

Nia's ears flattened. Here it was. The moment she had been dreading. "Yeah," she said quietly. "A Flesh Eater, yeah."

"Why didn't you tell me?!" There was concern, hurt, in that voice. The hurt that Nia had been afraid would be there.

She looked down, her face burning with shame, unable to meet his gaze. There was no explanation she had that was going to be adequate. "I...I just didn't, okay?"

"No! It's not okay!" There was anger flashing through Rex – he just didn't like being lied to – but more than a little sadness, too. "I...did you not think you could trust me? I...Nia, I would have never thought less of you, I..."

"No!" Nia finally bought herself to meet Rex's eyes, meet the confusion and hurt there. "Rex, I do trust you, it's...I was hiding for so long, and...I don't know. I'm sorry. I should have told you, I...I wanted to so bad, but I couldn't bring myself to….it was stupid, I know, I just...I'm sorry."

Rex's eyes shone with hurt and confusion for a long moment. And then he sighed, and shrugged. "Ah. Well. Look, we can talk about it later. Just...man, Nia, you can tell me these things." He shrugged again, and suddenly there was no longer any hurt or confusion in his eyes. "Ah well. Whatever."

Nia stared at him for a long moment. And then she burst into laughter, a relieved, merry laughter that filled the woods around them. "That's it? I was….so worried….for so long," she murmured, when her laughter had died down, laying a hand alongside his face. "So worried about how hurt you'd be...and that was it. Oh...I should have known. I should have known my Rex wouldn't make a mountain out of a molehill."

Rex blushed a bit, hearing her call him 'my Rex'. "Well. I wouldn't exactly call it a 'molehill.' You know, I am a little annoyed, still. But, well...I'll get over it, I suppose. Just as long as you don't hide things from me again."

"As long as we're talking about why we're angry with each other," Nia said, becoming more serious, "I...have something I'm angry at you about." She paused for a moment, and suddenly her eyes shone with the beginning of tears. "Rex, how could you," she whispered. "How could you let him hurt you that badly? You almost died, damn you!"

Rex looked away from the hurt in her eyes. "It...wasn't all that ba-"

"Don't you dare!" Nia cried, grabbing his face in her hands, unable to stop the tears. Malos...it had taken everything, every ounce of strength she had to save Rex from the holes torn in him by Malos. It was the first thing she had ever encountered where she truly was uncertain whether she would have been able to heal someone back from their wounds. And she hadn't been able to completely – Rex was fine, now...but she could still sense the awful, horrific wounds torn inside him. He didn't know it, yet. But he would need her healing just to stay alive, now. If she didn't regularly treat those wounds, they'd fester, eat him up from the inside, in ways she didn't even truly know, didn't even truly understand. She still didn't know if they would ever truly heal. She tried not to think of how many years of life Malos may have robbed him of. If she thought about that her heart might shatter. "Don't you dare! Damn you, you stubborn, reckless fool, I know! I know what he did to you! Don't you ever try to hide it from me! I know, Rex...I...saw the pain, I know he...Rex, I know it was so bad that by the end of it...you didn't even want to...Rex, oh, damn you, damn you, damn you, how could you let him? How can you bear it?"

Rex was looking down at the ground, shame written clearly across his features. "I...know," he murmured. "I was too weak to fulfill my duty. I know."

Nia looked at him with horror. He loves death more than you, whispered a small voice within her, much smaller than it might have been in the past. But she shook her head, driving that voice from her mind, and drew him into her, until their foreheads were touching. "Never," she whispered to him. "It is never...never your duty to kill yourself for Malos. Never. Do you have any idea what it did to Corinne? To all those kids in the orphanage, when they saw how bad you were? To Gramps? Damn you, do you have any idea what it did to me? How could you, Rex, how could you break my heart like that?"

Rex finally met her gaze, his eyes so close to hers, filling her vision. There was a sadness there, a grim determination. "It's not for Malos," he said, "It's...to stop Mythra. To stop things like Mor Ardain from happening again. If I'm the only one who can, then..."

"No. No. No, no, no." Nia's soul ached. Malos had put this damn stamp, this brand, this oath, on Rex, her Rex...but that wasn't quite right, was it. It wasn't just Malos. It was something in Rex, too. Something in him that loved death. But it wasn't just him, either. Maybe this was in all the soldiers, all the warriors of the world, this fascination with their own deaths. She could not truly say that Malos had put it in him. He had only taken advantage of it. "You have a duty to the people who love you to live," she whispered sadly. "That's it. That's your duty to Corrine, to Gramps, to...to me." Her blood boiled with anger, her heart ached, as Rex blushed once more with shame. "Swear it. Swear it to me."

Rex was silent, that grim determination in his eyes a howling void, a rent torn in his soul. "You sent Malos away, didn't you," he murmured.

"Swear it!" Nia cried, her hands trembling against the sides of his face. There was something in Rex's stare that terrified her. Architect, how could he be so dedicated to his own death? How could his soul burn with such sweetness and at the same time, he had this mad love of death?

Rex sighed, and then slowly reached up, taking her hands away from his face, clasping them in his own. "I suppose another oath wouldn't hurt," he said quietly. He was serious, now, no trace of humor in him. "I vow to you...if I can live, I will. I owe you that much."

Nia drew in a deep breath, closing her eyes. "And I vow to you, I will...wait. Ach. I suppose I should...ask..." Suddenly, she felt her face burning, and she couldn't meet Rex's curious gaze. "I...Rex...I...want to be your blade. I want you to be my driver." she could feel the blush traveling to the tips of her toes.

"My...blade?" Rex murmured curiously. "I….does it work like that?"

"Ah...not normally, no. Normally blades don't get to choose...but I am a Flesh Eater, and...not since my old driver...but we have actually….shared a bond before. A few times...without me controlling it, we've…." Nia braced herself, and then reached out through the ether, until a golden cord extended between herself and Rex, until she could feel Rex's soul blazing through it, still so bright and strong...even with the awful holes ripped in it by Malos, still enough to overwhelm her, to cloud her thoughts, to make her feel as if she could barely control herself. You're alone with him, that hungry voice within her said coyly. All alone, in the forest, where no one can hear. But she pushed that voice aside for now. "Titan's foot," she gasped. "This...this is what a real ether bond is like. I want to show you what it's like to have a proper bond, to...have a real connection with your blade, not that...twisted bullshit Malos has, you deserve to know-"

"Nia," Rex said, and Nia forced herself to look at his face, and his smile was so blazing, so pure, it made her weak in the knees. "Of course...of course I'll be your driver."

Nia felt a silly, stupid smile spread across her face. "My driver," she murmured. "You're my driver. Mine. You're mine."

"And you're my blade," Rex replied quietly.

Nia shivered, her ears twitching happily. It...felt...so right to hear that. Like something she had been missing for a long, long time had finally fallen into place. She blazed with happiness, with sheer joy, with a burden long bearing down upon her being lifted. She felt light, almost as if she was floating now that that weight was gone. "Say that again," she laughed, the joy within her bubbling over, as she drew Rex into her once more, wrapping her arms around him, face mere inches from his, his eyes, oh, those beautiful eyes filling the world.

"What?" Rex laughed. "That you're my blade?"

Nia thought her heart might lift right out of her chest with sheer exuberance. How could simple words make her so happy? So ecstatic, so mad with joy? "Again," she beamed, her eyes shining with adoration.

The smile Rex gave her was a sly trickster's smile. "I think," he said knowingly, "It's something else that you really want to hear from me."

"Oh yeah?" Nia challenged, even while she felt as if she was floating in his arms. "What's that, smart guy?"

"I love you," Rex replied, and kissed her.

Nia felt as if electricity ran from the tips of her ears to her toes, as if every fiber of her burned with happiness. Her mind soared, going blank, barely even aware that she fiercely returned the kiss. She felt Rex's soul burning brightly, an inferno of sweetness, of beauty, roaring through their bond, and she felt her own roaring in return, her eyelids fluttered, and everything was joy, joy, joy. Architect, she had been right. It could be beautiful.

When she could think straight again, when she was aware of anything more than the kiss and her joy, she was held in Rex's arms, trembling slightly, her head resting against his chest, breathing in the scent of him, panting for breath. "You," she breathed, smiling fiercely to herself. "You thought that was so smooth, didn't you."

"Well," Rex said, "I mean...a little. C'mon, it was a little smooth."

She reached up to lay a hand against his face, her eyes shining. "I'm your blade," she beamed, "And I vow, I'll protect you...and...Ah!" She drew him in to kiss him again, unable to resist. The world spun around her. "And..." she gasped, finally breaking free, "I'll heal you…" Once more, she couldn't stop herself. She kissed him again, her blood fire, her heart alive with simple, pure joy. "Titans...damn you..." she breathed, when she broke free once again. "You have...to let me finish."

"Nia," Rex laughed, and he was so happy, she could feel it through their bond, and it made her happy to see him happy, she had made him happy, and he her, and it rebounded through their bond, each feeling the echoes of each other's happiness, each feeling the simple delight they had at being able to make someone they love so happy. "You're the one kissing me."

"You're not alone," Nia continued, trembling with the effort of restraint. "We're in this together, we'll do this together, it's not just your burden, and...oh, I can't...I can't believe you did this to me, I love you, I love you!"

And she gasped as he kissed her once more, the world spun, their hearts twinned, burning bright beneath the shaded trees, burning bright against the darkness of the world. She ran her hands through his hair, her body pressed hard into his, heart fluttering in her chest, and his hands trailed down her back, and where they touched her bare skin it was as if she caught fire. She could feel his desire for her, a burning, hungry, beautiful desire, shining through the ether bond, and she knew he must feel how desperately she desired him, to feel his skin upon hers, her heart, her body sang a song of yearning, until she broke the kiss, and blushing furiously, to the tips of her ears, whispered, "Rex, I want you."

Rex held her face in his hands, smiling, and said, with innocent obliviousness, "You want me to what?"

Nia gawked at him.

He was blushing furiously, but the corner of his mouth twitched in barely contained mirth, and his eyes beamed mischievously. "You want me to...go grab you a sandwich? You want me to get you some lemonade? You-whoa! It's a joke, a joke!" he laughed, as Nia balled her fists.

She laughed unsteadily, wildly. "A joke," she said, her eyes flashing. "A joke, he says. Oh, I'll joke you. I'll joke you black and blue. I'll-"

But he silenced her with a kiss, and they laughed, love roaring through their ether bond, as they sank slowly into the tall grass beside the pond, together.

4.

Some time later, when the sun had begun to set in the sky, and the forest was darkened with the gentle gloom of dusk, they began to make their way back through the quiet paths between the trees, hand in hand. Rex wore a crown of flowers on his head that Nia had made for him. Nia couldn't help but laugh softly to herself, as whenever he looked at her he would blush, though truth be told she felt the heat rising in her cheeks whenever she looked at him as well. If he was blushing now, she thought, just wait until he got back and looked up what some of those flowers in his crown meant.

They could not travel very quickly, routinely stopping to pull each other aside and kiss in the shade of a tree when the mood struck them. Nia felt almost silly, how often she wanted to do that. She would have never thought of herself as the type to get worked up over a kiss. But...it was just fun, with Rex. And feeling his emotions shining through the ether bond, she couldn't help but want to.

She might have worried what this would mean for them, how this would change things. But though Rex looked at her with love shining from his eyes, there was...still the same old Rex there. Naive, honest, a bit sly, a bit of a joker, a little competitive...all the little things about him were still there, that wouldn't change.

The sun had almost disappeared completely behind the horizon as they were walking back, when suddenly, mere feet from them in the gloom, two blazing orange lights like beacons snapped on, blinding them.

Rex shouted in shock, stumbling backwards, tripping and falling as those lights advanced towards them, revealing...Poppi, walking out of the twilight, smiling happily at Rex. "Hello!" she chirped cheerfully.

"Sheesh, Poppi, you scared me half to death," Rex muttered, pulling himself up and dusting himself off, glaring at Nia as she snickered at him. "What are you doing out here?"

"Poppi heard that Rex was up! Poppi wanted to speak to Rex when he awoke," the robot girl explained, stepping forward until she was very close to the both of them. She seemed...delighted, in a way that they hadn't seen her before. "But before Poppi could, Rex went off into the woods to go kiss Nia all day."

Nia's ears twitched mischievously, she swayed her hips, looking away slyly at the ground. "Heh. Yeah. Kissing."

Poppi gave her a flat, dubious stare. "Nia. Poppi knows exactly what you were up to. Poppi was trying to be delicate." She crossed her arms, giving an exasperated electronic sigh. "Poppi not stupid."

Nia and Rex looked at each other in shock, Rex's eyes widening, raising a hand to cover his mouth, Nia's face blazing crimson, until she buried her face in her hands out of embarrassment.

"Nia not be ashamed!" Poppi cried, rushing forward to grab her hands. "Poppi is happy for you finally taking Rex and-"

"Poppi, what is it you wanted to talk to me about?!" Rex interrupted, in a strangled voice.

"Oh. Yes." Poppi dropped Nia's hands and turned, looking into the sky, as Nia mouthed a silent 'thank you', to Rex. "Poppi….was thinking, about something Nia said before we leave Praetorium." She spun again, facing Rex now, her eyes flickering in what Rex could only assume was a sign of enthusiasm. "Rex….Poppi unsure how to explain. Rex have...great belief that world can be better. And...some think that because of this, Rex is...naive." She held up a finger, ticking off the points as she made them. "Or childish. Or stupid. Or short."

"Wait, what does that have to do with-" Rex snapped.

"Or greasy," Poppi continued.

"HEY!"

"I know! Is very silly. All humans greasy. Rex not unique in this regard." Poppi shook her head at this foolishness. "And...Nia say, you can't do this alone. And Poppi spend considerable processing power thinking about this...thinking...everyone thinking him silly, or foolish, just because he think world can be better place...he must feel very alone." She held a hand clutched to where her heart would be, if she had one, sadness crossing her face. "Even...Malos, Rex's own blade, not really believe…"

"Ah..." Rex said, giving a small smile. "It's no big deal, really. I don't think about it too much. I-"

"Stop," Nia said softly, reaching out to hold his hand. Rex glanced at her in surprise. "One thing you're gonna have to get used to," she continued, squeezing his hand, "Is that with a proper ether bond…I can tell how you're really feeling. And I know, Rex. I know...it does make you a bit sad. You do wish others would believe more."

"Exactly. Rex hide feelings beneath smiles, not wanting friends to worry." Poppi nodded solemnly. "But that what Poppi want to tell you." She took his other hand in hers, cold metal gripping through the fabric of his glove. "Poppi want to tell you...you not alone! Poppi thinks Rex is right. Poppi...really, really believes. She believe it can be better than this! In fact, she think it silly not to think so!"

Rex stared at Poppi for a moment. Then, slowly, a small, happy grin spread across his face.

"You won me over, too, you know," Nia said quietly, her heart soaring to see that smile. "I...I wanted things to be better. But I didn't know if they could be. But….I don't know. Now I do. I don't think things are hopeless. I think we really can make things better. Even with all that's happened….I know we can. I know we can do it." She shook her head, laughing, wiping a small tear from her eye. "We can, and I don't care who thinks we're stupid! It can be better."

And as Rex looked between the two of them, eyes glimmering in the dusk, Nia could feel through her ether bond, the great relief that was washing over him, the relief of a burden he thought he might carry alone forever, against all doubt and forlorn hope, the sheer relief and happiness he felt at knowing that actually, he was not alone in his belief, the one light he held on to through everything, through all the horror they had seen. "Thank you," he said quietly, his voice hoarse.

"Poppi can see it," the artificial blade murmured, closing her eyes. "Poppi can see world where clever minds like masterpon's don't have to spend time building weapons. Where all their cleverness not wasted on tanks, and bombs, and things meant to kill. World of beautiful creations, of towers that reach up to touch sky! World of endless inventions, and no war! And it...beautiful. Poppi wants to see that world. Poppi wants to help make that world. And Rex...makes Poppi think she can. And when Poppi think of it...her ether engine process at higher capacity! It not make sense, but Poppi not care! It fill Poppi with….Poppi not know how to describe it! Poppi feel strong, she feel happy, like world light as a feather!"

And with a sudden shout of joy, and shouts of confusion from Rex and Nia, Poppi hoisted them both up, as if they were indeed light as a feather, seating them each on one of her shoulders. They cried in alarm that slowly turned to laughter, clinging to each other, and to Poppi, as the artificial blade twirled them around, utterly happy.

Finally, she put them down, grabbing them both by the hands once more. "Poppi...wants to teach her Tora to feel this way," she said. "This feeling..."

"Hope," Rex replied, beaming in the dark. "It's hope. And I want everyone to feel this way. I'm...you have no idea how glad I am I could help you see it." He squeezed Nia's hand, looking at her. "I'm really happy," he murmured, "that I'm not alone."

He had not known, until now, just how much the world had begun to beat him down. Losing Vandham, seeing the horrors of Brionac in Mor Ardain, and then the sheer darkness of Mor Ardain's ruin. It...had worn him down. It still did. He still had to reckon with the sheer magnitude of Mor Ardain's loss. It was...so, so hard to keep hope alive in the face of all that.

But it was easier when the ones you loved shared that hope as well.

Poppi nodded, determined. "Then...three of us. Poppi, Rex and Nia. We start with that. And we help show others."

And so, in the woods of Fonsett, while Mor Ardain yet burned beneath the Cloud Sea, the flame of hope against the shadow crawling across Alrest's history grew.

Note

This is a shorter chapter – one of the shortest, in fact – but it's basically some of the stuff I considered adding as an epilogue to the last chapter. I could have made it part of a larger chapter, that would include more scenes that you will see in the future, but I figured that the story could use a more hopeful chapter after the last one, so I decided to end on this note rather than include some of the scenes that you'll see in the future, even if it is a bit corny.

I know some people like relationships in which there's a lot of will they-won't they right up until the end, but that wasn't something I ever planned on doing with Rex and Nia in this. I always wanted there to be the hints of romantic attraction from the beginning, slowly building into something more, and I hope I achieved that. The start of a romantic relationship doesn't necessarily mean all the tension is resolved or the conflict goes out of it, and I hope you can see, from this chapter, that just because they've admitted their feelings for each other it doesn't mean the end of development for Rex and Nia's relationship. I do hope that if you read this for Nia/Rex that this was satisfying for you. I do enjoy writing them, and I do aim for them to still be fun to read, with a lot of push back and forth, not just dissolving into mushiness because they are romantic with each other. And part of that is because, well, in my experience, that's what romantic relationships are actually like.

Anyway, as I said in the last chapter's notes, I wanted to get this one out quickly, but after this, I am going to be adjusting my schedule so updating this fic is not so burdensome for me, and you can probably expect slower updates in the future. Please stick around – I do plan on finishing this, although it will take me a while – and if you've read this and enjoyed it, and you know other people who enjoy XBC2 fanfics, let them know! I do basically little to no advertising of this fic on my own (I spend more than enough time just writing it).

And again, thank you for all the comments, thank you to everyone who reads this, thank you for sticking around through the long absence.