It was another sunny, clear morning when the humans and their High Entian companions departed from the city of Alcamoth. They traveled in two vehicles: Shulk's cruiser — which had gotten some sort of wax-like clean given how it shined in the sun to Shulk's delight — and a rover identical to the one Tyrea had commandeered for her and Melia's unsanctioned mission three days before. Although his entire team could fit into Shulk's cruiser, Fiora had opted to ride with the High Entia. Dunban was pleasantly surprised; his sister wanted to take a bigger role on the team through diplomacy. However, it was only a half hour into the trip that Dunban realized his own naïveté. God only knew what Fiora was telling Melia and Tyrea, despite the presence of Zain.

Three hours passed as the vehicles zoomed across the landscape side-by-side, faster than Dunban's team had initially traveled when they first entered Noctilum. The boost to the cruiser's engine that Soren had ordered certainly did its job. From the passenger's seat, Dunban could see the grin Shulk wore from ear-to-ear. The young man was itching to pull over, lift up the hood, and examine the modifications. But Dunban had turned down the request and repeatedly assured Shulk that he would have plenty of time for that when they arrived back in NLA. And so, Shulk contented himself to speeding across the wide, green plains, marveling at the increased capabilities on the cruiser's dashboard.

Occasionally, Dunban would glance to his right at the High Entian rover. Through the curved blue glass of the front, he could see Tyrea driving, a sneer painted across her lips. But past her profile, his visibility was limited. The rover's side windows were tinted, so while insiders could see out, the opposite was impossible.

Disappointment sunk in his gut. Grunting to himself, he pushed it away. He didn't have time to entertain inconsequential emotion. He needed to prepare a strategy for presenting the High Entian delegation to the BLADE leadership. Dunban knew he only had one shot to convince his colleagues of hearing the High Entia out, and he wouldn't let them down.

A pang of fire shot through his right wrist and he hissed.

Shulk glanced over. "Sir, are you alright?"

Dunban flexed his fingers and curled them up into a fist. He rotated his wrist and the stinging resumed. "It's fine. I'll just need to visit the med bay when we get back." Despite that he was ninety percent recovered from his injuries in the fight with the Prone, it seemed his body would not easily let him off the hook. Just his luck. He was constantly reminded of the pain of battle.

"Have you figured out what you're going to do yet, Dunban?" Sharla asked, leaning forward in her seat behind Shulk.

Twisting to face her, the man sighed and shook his head. "Not yet. Right now, my plan is to radio in when we stop to rest. Either get Elma or Vandham on the line and feel out the situation."

"That seems like a plan to me," Reyn shrugged from his seat behind Dunban. "Gotta take it step by step."

"That's remarkably mature of you, Reyn." Sharla raised an eyebrow in surprise.

"I mean, when we get back, I'm hittin' the showers then a nap. Then Reilly's."

Reilly's was one of two bars in NLA. The more popular of the two as it catered to the younger, early to mid 20s crowd.

"That's what I was waiting for."

"What's the problem with that!?"

"Reyn lazy." Riki chimed in as he jumped onto Sharla's lap.

As the conversation devolved into a good-natured bickering match, Dunban turned his attention back to the Noctilum landscape and let his thoughts float from there. They hadn't exactly succeeded in their mission. More than a third of the continent still remained unmapped. But if negotiations went well with the High Entia, the mapping would be unnecessary if their new allies would be willing to share what they learned about Mira. And assuming this was to be the case, then the mission would be considered a success. Not that Dunban needed the win. It was more for the morale boost that it would provide to the people of NLA, his people.

He knew that was a lie. He did need a boost. Not for his ego, but he needed something to feel hopeful about. Now that the threat had been identified — the Ganglion — the urgency to find the lifehold had dramatically increased. The Ganglion was indeed looking for his people, and if they found the lifehold first, they would destroy the last of Earth's people. Dunban couldn't let that happen.

Two hours later, the group decided to stop for a rest on the overlook that Dunban's team had paused at only days before. Reyn and Riki insisted on making a meal out of the stop — to no one's surprise — and roped Sharla into preparations. As everyone began to disembark from their vehicles, Dunban beelined for the trunk of the cruiser and grabbed the radio. Without a second glance back at his companions, he jogged for a few minutes away from the group, ensure he would be out of earshot.

Dunban slowed and eventually stopped, a drop of sweat trickling down the side of his face. The sun shone above, hot and constant. Years ago when his life was much simpler and not teetering between life and death, he would've taken a moment to enjoy the weather. Maybe even headed down to the beach and surfed. He snorted at the thought. When was the last time he'd really relaxed? Five years? Eight? Did it matter?

Taking a seat on the grass, Dunban quickly set the radio up, the movements now second nature to him. Finally, it was ready to go. He turned the nob. Took a breath. And dialed.

"NLA. This is Falcon. ID 02032013. Come in. Over."

Heart thumping in his chest, he held the microphone in his right hand, eyes focused on the black box, waiting for the response.

"Jesus Christ! Where have you been?" Vandham's voice rang out over the speakers.

Dunban breathed a sigh of relief. At least it was Vandham, not Maurice.

"Busy," Dunban responded. "There have been some interesting developments over the past few days. Over."

"Interesting like what!?"

Dunban waited.

"Over. I fuckin' hate that. You know when I stop speakin'."

Dunban chuckled and clicked his microphone once more. But his nerves jerked to attention. This was where the conversation would be a make or break. "Is Maurice with you? Over."

"Nah. I'm here by mahself. Over."

"Good." Dunban took a breath, readying himself. It was now or never. "Is Maurice still against meeting xenoforms? Over."

"Yeah, but everybody else on the council thinks he's an idiot. Over." Vandham's deep, accented voice chortled.

"So we're overruling him? Over."

"You could say that. Especially since Elma brought in the turnip. Over."

Dunban's head perked up.

"Turnip? Over."

"Yeah, right. You not bein' here is weird." Vandham coughed. "Elma got back from her mission yesterday. Brought this short and pudgy creature. Pink like a turnip. Its name is Tatsu I think. Didn't really pay attention. Was thinking about the new Skell designs. But Maurice had a shit fit, but none of us really paid attention, 'specially cause this turnip doesn't look like no harm."

"Interesting...over."

Was Tatsu a Nopon like Riki? Dunban glanced over at the makeshift campsite, his eyes falling upon the furry creature. The man cocked his head to the side and tried to imagine a turnip in Riki's place. It was possible.

"Why? Over."

"I have some xenoforms I'm bringing to NLA. They want to negotiate a treaty. Over."

And there it was, out in the open. Dunban closed his eyes and muttered a curse. The silence felt like it went on for eternity. Finally, the crackling of the radio carried Vandham's voice again. "We're not talking short and stubby, are we? Over."

"One of them is. The others are not. They're like us. Over."

"Well, I can ensure that they won't be arrested on the spot or nothin'. Over."

A large exhale of relief flushed out of Dunban's lungs and escaped his mouth. His muscles relaxed, the tension they'd held slowly receding into nothingness. The High Entia would be safe to enter NLA. He'd have to thank Elma when he arrived. Because if Vandham had indicated differently, Dunban would have sent them back to Alcamoth, and he doubted he would ever see them again.

The thought sent a chill through his blood.

"I'll take your word on that. Over."

"But you trust them? Over."

"Without a doubt. Over."

"Strong words coming from you." Vandham's tone was solemn. "Welp. That's all I need. I'll meet yah at the gate. Over."

"Should be there around seventeen hundred hours. Over."

"What!? What time you'd get started? Over." The incredulity in his voice made Dunban grin.

"Seven this morning. Long story. See you soon. Over."

"Roger that. Over."

The line clicked. As Dunban began to disassemble the speaker system, his mind ran with a thousand different thoughts. The one at the forefront was the likelihood of the negotiations of a treaty between the High Entia and the humans actually happening, much less if a treaty would be brokered. But that was not up to him alone. He didn't even know what the conditions of the treaty were on the High Entian side.

The grumbling of his stomach shook him out of his reverie and as he stood to return to his companions, he met Melia's eyes. She drifted on the outskirts of the group, not quite joining in the festivities, but not completely separating herself from them either. It was as if she weren't sure if it was...appropriate for her to take such action. Dunban was reminded of Kallian's words that Melia had lived somewhat of a sheltered existence. Now that she was no longer in Alcamoth, an environment and set of rules that she was familiar with, Dunban surmised that the princess felt uneasy, slightly out of place, and self-conscious.

Not taking his eyes from her, Dunban strode towards her, his desire to alleviate her discomfort growing with each step. Surprised, he watched as she walked towards him, maintaining eye contact. When they met halfway, they stopped. Neither said anything for a moment, the air between them thick with a strange familiarity coupled with its own awkwardness. But maybe it was his imagination and his eagerness to talk with her was clouding his objectivity.

"How is the drive?" He asked, breaking the silence.

"Well enough. Fiora and Tyrea have become fast friends." Melia commented, pushing a strand of lavender hair behind her ear.

"I assume that's a good thing?"

"To an extent. I fear they will get themselves into trouble."

"That doesn't surprise me." He grinned at her. Melia pursed her lips. Thinking on Soren's attitude towards Melia and Tyrea's mission, Dunban added, "Neither Fiora nor Tyrea is going to do anything to jeopardize your mission. They know it's too important for all of us."

"I'm sure you're right." She relented, a sigh escaping her. Her air of formality slipped a little; he saw the strain of anxiety underneath.

"If you'd like, I could talk to Fiora."

"No, that won't be necessary. I don't want her to think I view her as...difficult like Tyrea."

"She won't. She wants to get to know you."

"Really?" Melia's eyes widened in surprise.

Although his lips threatened to curve into a frown, Dunban kept them from doing so and maintained a relaxed expression and simply nodded. It bothered him that Melia was astonished that someone like Fiora would want to befriend her. Did she not have any friends besides her siblings? Was it that she hadn't had the opportunity to make friends, or their separation from others due to their royal status simply led Melia to believe that others would immediately have no interest in befriending her? That would certainly explain the distance at which she held others.

The princess glanced back towards the group, who was animatedly engaged in conversation as they ate the sandwiches that they'd packed that morning. Dunban watched as Melia studied the various expressions of his team: Fiora was laughing, Shulk was grinning, Reyn winking as he elbowed Riki, who scoffed, and Sharla who observed it all with an amused smile.

What was she thinking?

Abruptly, Melia turned away and gestured at the radio in his hand. "What were you doing?"

"Radioing back to NLA. I usually call in each day, but I haven't since the Prone." He responded as he began to make his way back to the cruiser. She matched his step with hers.

"Is everything alright?"

"Yes. They'll be expecting us. All of us."

"I see."

He glanced at her from the side, but she kept her gaze straight ahead. Her face was unreadable, the perfectly crafted blank expression settled over her fine, angular features once more. He wished she didn't feel the need to close herself off from him.

"I probably shouldn't say this, but you have the upper hand in bargaining." Dunban opened the trunk of the cruiser. "The High Entia has more advanced technology and knowledge than we do. We have very little that you would find impressive."

"I doubt that. I see things that are impressive." She answered.

"Oh?" He closed the trunk and turned. Leaned on the cruiser and met her eyes with a teasing smirk.

Melia gasped and blushed red. "I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to imply..." She trailed off, averting her eyes from his.

Dunban was tempted to continue teasing her but decided against it. "No need to apologize. I understand," He grinned and waved a hand, dismissing the matter entirely. But he was selfishly pleased that there now existed an instance of a definite flirtation between the two of them, even if it was accidental.

"I'm a little hungry. I think I'll quickly eat before we resume." She pivoted and beelined for the group, not waiting for his response.

A shadow of doubt drifted over him. Maybe he shouldn't have teased her. He could still apologize but if he did, he would make the matter a bigger deal than it was, and that could be even worse. The last thing he wanted was to cause their relationship to backtrack. A small bit of anxiety gnawed at him and he heaved an internal sigh. It had been a long time since he'd flirted with anyone he was fully interested in. Perhaps he'd get Fiora's read on the situation, though he knew that could be a double-edged sword. For now, he'd keep things with Melia cordial. That would be all.


It was half-past five when the BLADE tower came into view as the vehicles rocketed to the top of a very large hill. It vaulted into the sky, the pixelated numbers counting down the days left for the lifehold's vitality gleamed against the dark windows. The reminder darkened Dunban's mood. He hoped that the other two were successful in their missions and would bring back news of the possible location of Earth's people.

"Ready to go home?" Sharla said.

"Riki ready!" Riki jumped up and down, waving his paws in the air.

"It's not your home furball." Reyn sniffed.

"Reyn, be nice." Sharla scolded.

"Let's go." Dunban nodded to Shulk. Shulk gunned the engine and rocketed the vehicle forward.

A burst of nervous energy exploded in Dunban's veins as the cruiser descended. Although his conversation with Vandham had alleviated some of his concerns, the man still didn't entirely know what awaited him and his party upon arriving at NLA. Would the High Entia be greeted amiably? Or Ambivalently? Would the council hear Melia out or decide that they did not want to entertain an alliance just yet. He could already imagine Maruice's vehement rejections. But what about Nagi? At least he knew Elma would be on his side.

Miles turned into feet, which turned into inches as the cruiser slowly rolled to a stop just inside NLA's eastern gate. As the High Entia vehicle similarly stopped just behind Shulk's speeder, Dunban perked up at the sight of Elma walking towards them. He hopped out as they neared.

"I heard you were back," Dunban called out. Elma stopped a few feet from him, arms crossed over her chest.

"I heard you disappeared."

"Just made some new friends." He grinned and stuck out his hand.

Elma grasped it and squeezed, her smile lighting up her tan face. "Glad you made it back in one piece."

"Me too. There were times when I didn't think we would. More on that later though." Dunban turned and saw Melia, Tyrea, and Zain standing side-by-side, watching the exchange.

"Elma, I would like you to meet Princess Melia Antiqua of the High Entia." He gestured between the two of them. Melia stepped forward and joined the two. "Elma is part of the BLADE Council, who will be meeting to discuss the treaty. She's also a fine soldier."

"I look forward to speaking with you." Melia inclined her head slightly, her voice was smooth as silk. He noticed it was slightly lower than usual, assuming no doubt a more authoritative tone. "May I introduce Lady Tyrea, my personal guard, as well as Lieutenant Zain, who serves on my father's guard."

Her father's guard. It became clear to Dunban. This was Melia's babysitter, for lack of a better word.

"It's a pleasure to meet you all. I'm sure you're tired from the journey. We've prepared some refreshments so that introductions can be more relaxed." Elma smiled at Melia. Dunban hoped that Melia and Elma would become allies, which would aid in the success of this venture.

As he moved to face Elma again, a sharp pain ripped upward his right arm. He grunted and gripped it with his left hand.

"Dunban? What's wrong?" Elma flicked her eyes between his and his left arm.

"Are you alright?" Melia asked, laying a hand on his right shoulder, her expression morphing into one of worry.

"I'm...i'm fine." He responded. "I think I'm just exhausted." He didn't want Melia to find out just yet how broken he was.

"I'll take you to the infirmary," Fiora stepped forward, her brow also creased in concern.

"No, not now. I'll go after the meeting."

"If you're unwell you should rest." Melia urged. She hadn't taken her hand from his shoulder; her touch was warm and comforting. He resisted the urge to place his hand over hers.

"I need to be there as a BLADE council member," Dunban said, looking into her eyes. That was the official reason. But he knew Melia understood the silent message that passed between them.

"Don't worry, Dunban," Elma interrupted. "I'll keep things in order." Leave it to Elma to read between the lines.

"Take care of yourself." Melia's voice this time was softer, comforting. She gave him an almost imperceptible nod. It only made him want to go to the meeting with her even more.

"Alright then." He sighed and turned to Fiora. "Let's head to the infirmary."

Melia slipped her hand away from this shoulder, her fingers traveling down his arm before completely breaking contact. Immediately he missed her touch.

"I'll see you later."

"Let's go, bro." Fiora interlocked her arm with his good one and guided him away from the delegation. As they ambled down the breezeway, Dunban glanced over his shoulder to see the group rounding the corner towards the BLADE tower out of sight. "She'll be okay."

"I didn't say anything."

"You didn't need to. I'm not blind." Fiora did her signature eye roll.

Dunban set his jaw. The pain in his left arm was growing, rising all the way to his shoulder. Although it hurt, it wasn't what primarily concerned him. He was bothered by the possibility that he wouldn't be able to use his left arm if this kept happening. He'd gone to the infirmary for a check-up before they set out for Noctilum. And now it was just about a week and the pain had already returned.

"You know I'm sure Melia would like a tour of the city. At night. When the stars are out. And no one is around..." Fiora wiggled her eyebrows.

"Is this all you ever think about?"

"No..." Fiora shrugged. "I guess I'm going to have my first report due to my class leader."

Right. He'd completely forgotten this was her first BLADE mission. "If you need help, I'd be happy to look over it before you submit it."

"Thank you, Dunban. That's really nice of you." She smiled up at him.

Despite the pain, he returned the smile with one of his own. Although it had only been a few days, his relationship with Fiora had progressed leaps and bounds from where it was. Of course, war did that. It made you recognize what was most important to you. Who was most important to you.

"I know the trip didn't go as planned, but I'm happy you decided to join me, Fiora."

Her expression morphed from astonishment to awe, then finally to gratitude. "Me too, Dunban. Me too."


The initial meeting went much better than Melia had anticipated. Granted, without Elma or the man Vandham, she wouldn't have left as optimistic as she was. The man named Maurice was completely unpleasant — bordering on insufferable — and someone she wished she did not have to associate with. Commander Nagi, while cautious, was also a fair man from what she could infer. The woman Vera was full of questions, which could be an advantage or disadvantage, she was not certain which it was yet. And finally, a woman named Irina had been recently added to the council. While she had an amicable attitude like Elma, she also had Nagi's caution.

Melia briefly wondered if Dunban was aware of Irina's addition. If she were to guess, the answer would be most definitely not. He would not be pleased about being left out of that decision. No doubt he would make an effort to attend every other council meeting then. She would welcome it.

With the meeting over, the High Entia were being escorted to their accommodations so they could rest before dinner, where they would all reconvene under the guise of simply getting to know one another. There was to be no discussion of the treaty whatsoever, just an opportunity to begin building a bridge between their two peoples. Of course, the young woman knew this was impossible. She could already imagine that Maurice would attempt to needle her into revealing the issues that the High Entia would not give on in negotiations. Nagi would adhere to the directive but Irina would subtly try and learn more about the High Entia's intentions. Not that Melia blamed the curiosity. After all, her father had all but imprisoned Dunban and his team when they had arrived in Alcamoth until he could be sure that they weren't there for a sinister plan of some sort.

"Although we are still assigning residences to our people, I've set you to stay with Dunban and Fiora. Next time you visit, there will be a separate home for you, but for now, I hope you don't mind sharing." Elma explained as she, Melia, Tyrea, and Zain exited the elevator from BLADE tower and walked out into the early evening air.

Melia's heart flip-flopped. Two thoughts crashed against each other in her mind. First, she would be staying with Dunban under the same roof. In close quarters with him.

That did all sorts of funny things to her insides.

Second, although it was under the guise of construction, Melia knew that she and Tyrea and Zain were being watched. Not in a prison-like manner her father had done, but more of security detail. She didn't mind though. It could've been much worse. Especially since Dunban would be the one watching.

Good god what was wrong with her? She'd known the man for less than a few days and his presence was wreaking havoc on her mind and body. She needed to get herself under control quickly, and preferably without alerting Tyrea to what was happening.

A vehicle pulled up in front of them. Elma had called it a...jeep. No roof, four doors without sides: an open air vehicle. And a bench lodged onto the back. Clearly built for rugged terrain but not for long distances. Was this a model that was designed on Earth? It didn't appear too useful. In the front seat was Fiora, and leaning over in the seat next to her was Dunban.

Melia forced herself not to smile.

"Ready to go see the house?" Fiora clapped.

"I'm curious to see what you humans deem as shelter," Tyrea yawned. "And also a nap would be good."

"You'll have plenty of time for that. Dinner won't be for another three hours." Elma commented. "Your things were already taken to the home, so nothing to worry about."

"Thank you," Melia responded. She had kept all important belongings on her person, as she knew that there was a possibility of being separated from her luggage during the trip. She'd advised Tyrea to do the same, but knowing her sister, Melia did not know whether Tyrea had heeded the advice or not. The princess did not want to be suspicious of her hosts, but she knew better than to let her guard down, especially when she was here to impress her father.

"One person will have to ride on the back unless you three want to squish behind us." Fiora gestured with her head to the backseat which clearly only had room for two.

Melia flicked her eyes between the seat, Dunban, and the back. Better to start now with distancing herself. "I'll sit on the back." Without waiting for a response, she moves towards the bench.

Tyrea followed her, making her way around the vehicle and whispered under her breath, "Why are you being weird?"

"I just want to see the city."

"Sure. And I'm carrying Zain's child."

"Tyrea!"

"You have to admit that was funny."

"I am happy to sit here."

"Fine. Be stubborn." Tyrea pulled open the door of the jeep and shut it with a greater force that was necessary.

Unperturbed, Melia pulled the safety strap over her lap and secured herself. Her legs dangled over the edge, feet hovering just above the ground. As the engine revved, she felt the vibrations buzz up her back. The jeep began to pull away and Elma waved. Hesitant, Melia held up her hand and waved back. Elma had been a quick partner, and Melia knew that she was a champion that the High Entia could not do without.

The journey took no more than ten minutes, but to Melia, it took longer. She marveled at the architecture of the city, and the various districts they passed through. It truly was magnificent what they had built despite losing their home. And the diversity of the population is what caught her eye the most. Though they looked back at her with curiosity and wonder, she stared back with the same (though she did her best to not give into her self-consciousness). High Entians didn't have nearly the amount of diversity in ethnicity that humans did and seeing it all in one place was marvelous. She would have to ask Dunban about the history of Earth's peoples. Or Fiora or Elma or anyone else for that matter.

Finally, the jeep slowed and eventually stopped in front of a two-story home with white walls and brown slates of wood running up and down them in a square fashion. The garden in front was ample with wildflowers to Melia's surprise. Though it was small by High Entian standards, it felt cozy.

And there was a woman in a black BLADE uniform waiting by the door.

Melia undid her seat belt and slipped off the makeshift seat as the others disembarked. As Melia rounded the car, she saw that Dunban and the woman were staring at one another.

"Welcome back." The woman walked up to Dunban and embraced him.

Melia's heart sunk as she watched the woman wrap her arms around Dunban in what appeared to be an all-too-familiar manner. This was not something Melia had anticipated, let alone even considered. Given the conversations she'd had with Dunban, Melia had believed that he was unattached and perhaps...well any thoughts of that nature she would have to discard from her mind. Like she'd already planned on doing.

"Vanea," Dunban pulled away from the woman. Did he move away quickly? Did he subtly put a few more inches of space between himself and this woman? Was Melia seeing things that were not there?

Most definitely.

And didn't she just tell herself to ignore and bury all thoughts of such things? She had larger issues to focus on.

"This is Melia, Tyrea, and Zain." Dunban gestured to each of the High Entia. "They are here to negotiate a treaty between us." He turned to them, though his eyes focused only on Melia's. "Vanea is one of our chief medics here in NLA."

"Nice to meet you," Vanea smiled, her warmth genuine.

Now Melia could see her more clearly. Vanea had pale white skin and dark eyes that complimented her long, black hair, which danced along with the breeze. The uniform hugged her figure in a way that made Melia envious. Vanea was certainly beautiful. It would be hard to compete (but there was nothing to compete for obviously).

"You as well." Melia was sure that her response was stiffer than she meant it to be. All she wanted was to sequester herself in her quarters until she had her emotions under control.

"So are you two together?" Tyrea pointed back and forth between Dunban and Vanea.

Melia wished the earth would open up and swallow her whole.

"Tyrea, that's—" Melia began then stopped. She redirected her attention to Vanea, cleared her throat, and resumed, "Please excuse her. Her sense of decorum is lacking. If you do not mind, we've had a long journey and require rest. Fiora, would you mind showing us to our rooms?"

"Of course!" Fiora rushed over and interlocked her arm with Melia's. Melia no doubt believed Fiora sensed the awkwardness that had arisen from Tyrea's pointed question.

"I'm sure we will meet again," Melia nodded to Vanea. Refusing to look at Dunban, Melia strode towards the home, leading Fiora rather than the opposite.

As the door closed behind the High Entian delegation, Fiora pointed up the stairs. "Zain, your room is on the second floor at the very end."

"Good. I will see you for dinner, princess." Zain bowed, then headed in the direction where Fiora pointed. The three women remained silent until they heard the click of the door closing.

Melia spun to face Tyrea. "What is wrong with you?"

Tyrea put her hands on her hips and stared back with a defiant glare. "Don't tell me you weren't wondering."

"We are on a diplomatic mission. Do not put that at stake simply because you want to cause trouble."

"I'm not causing trouble. I'm fact-finding."

"No one asked you to do that. So ergo, you are causing trouble."

"Fine, fine. You're no fun." Tyrea put her hands up in defeat. She turned to Fiora and snickered, "That's only a slice of her temper. It doesn't come out often unless she's really pissed. Usually at me."

Fiora's expression indicated that she was startled by Melia's outburst. Balling her hands into fists, Melia took a deep breath and exhaled, pushing out the anger and resuming her usual neutrality.

"I apologize for the display, Fiora. It was unbecoming."

Tyrea snorted. Melia decided to ignore that.

"It's alright, everyone gets frustrated. I get mad at Dunban all the time!" Fiora joked, diffusing the tension. "But just so you know, they aren't together. Not anymore anyway," Fiora supplied with a wink.

"How perfect." Tyrea leered.

"Fiora, which room may I use?" Melia pointedly ignored the subject.

"Down the hall, to the left. Do you want me to show you?"

"No, I'll be fine. Thank you. I'll see you both at dinner." Then she pivoted and walked down the hall, escaping as quickly as she could.

But as Melia walked into her room and closed the door, a small smile crept onto her face. Wrapping her arms around her sides, Melia leaned her forehead on the door. It was strange. Never before had she felt such an attraction to this degree. And never before had she let it so easily affect her. It scared her, but excited her as well. And all she wanted to do was know him more. Still, she decided to maintain a safe distance from him. She couldn't allow herself to be distracted from her mission. That was how it had to be.


If she were honest with herself, she was quite nervous about the dinner with the BLADE leadership. Her father had given her an important job — one still she did not quite understand given how angry he was due to the unsanctioned mission and her interactions with Dunban and bringing the humans to Alcamoth — but she was determined not to disappoint him. If she were able to secure this deal, she would illustrate her responsible nature and hopefully appeal to resume her position as the guardian of the Roost. Everything that had happened in the past few days had made her almost forget that she was no longer watching over the Roost. And that made her burn with shame. She had become so distracted by the humans that she was beginning to forget the other important parts of her life.

As she earlier resolved, it was time to get back on track.

Head held eye, she exited her room, closing the door behind her, and walked down the hallway. Her black, closed-toed heels clacked against the tile floor, echoing off the walls. As she reached the foyer, she saw Fiora and Tyrea in mid-conversation. But Fiora stopped when she caught Melia's eye.

"Melia, you look gorgeous!" Fiora squealed.

Melia smiled at the compliment. The first step of getting ready for the dinner was adorning her armor. Not literally. But wearing something she felt confident in. Her mother had taught her that. Her choice of clothing each and every day was no casual manner.

The High Entia tucked her hands into the pockets of her black pants that fell straight down her legs elongating them. Panels of purple lights intermingled along the side seams, adding an electric burst of color, complementing the lavender long-sleeved blouse she wore, a bow tied around her neck. Another gift from her mother as well. Perhaps gift was not the correct word, as it was one of the pieces that she had inherited from her mother, and Melia decided to wear it when she came of age.

"Thank you, Fiora. Are you not coming with us?"

Fiora shook her head. "Nope. And I wouldn't want to sit through that boring dinner, no offense."

"Yeah me neither, but I don't have a choice." Tyrea drolled. Melia glanced her over and saw that her sister had changed from travel clothes into her regular stark black army outfit. That was her armor.

"I'm thankful for your company all the same," Melia answered. She hoped to smoothe out the air between them given their earlier argument.

"You changed your hair," Tyrea eyed the high ponytail that Melia sported, revealing her ears and the silver, chandelier earrings she wore. "Impressing someone?"

"Oooh! Now I wish I was going!" Fiora clapped her hands together.

"Both of you!" Melia murmured, her eyes darting around the house.

"Oh, he's not here." Fiora waved dismissively. "He left early to debrief with BLADE before dinner since he wasn't at the meeting."

"I see. But how was the visit to the infirmary? I thought he was healed from his wounds." Melia frowned.

"No, it's not those." Fiora closed her lips into a thin line. Something else was bothering Dunban? Melia wanted to press, but judging by Fiora's expression, it was not her place to say. Melia hoped it wasn't anything serious, and yet it felt like it was.

"How are we getting there? I can't remember where anything in this place is." Tyrea complained.

"Elma is coming to pick you guys up."

"And you're going to hang out with Shulk?"

"What!? No!"

"But you want to." Tyrea wagged her finger at her friend.

"I'm going to hang out with some of my other friends. Then probably go to Station 99."

"What's that?"

"It's this new club they opened while we were gone apparently. It doesn't rival anything like we had on Earth, but at least it's something." Fiora twirled the end of her ponytail.

"What's a...club?" Melia inquired.

"Do you guys not have those? A place where they blast music and you can dance and maybe find someone to make out with or go home with depending on how you roll."

"Oh we have those. But we've never been. Not okay for royals." Tyrea rolled her eyes and exaggeratedly sighed.

"WHAT?!" Fiora exclaimed. She jumped upright. "We HAVE to go then."

"I don't think that's a good idea." Melia shook her head.

"You never do." Tyrea scoffed.

"But seriously, guys. We're gonna go. Not tonight obviously but tomorrow. It'll be great! And it won't matter because no one will know you."

"Fiora, everyone will know who we are." Melia pointed at the wings on her head.

"Oh...right..."

"We can come up with disguises," Tyrea interjected. "We'll have to get Zain distracted though so he won't know and report back to your father."

"Tyrea, we cannot compromise the treaty negotiations simply because you want to visit this...club." Melia needed to shut this conversation down. There was no way that a night out at a club was happening. No matter how enticing it sounded. Not the physical intimacy part of engaging with a stranger, but the dancing. She loved to dance.

"Dancing won't threaten anything, sister." Tyrea shook her head in disappointment. Fiora frowned as well. A pang of guilt reverberated through Melia, but she wouldn't be convinced.

There was a knock on the door that interrupted the awkward silence that had ensued. Hurriedly, Fiora opened it and in the doorway stood Elma, dressed in a longsleeved, collared red shirt and blue pants.

"Hello, Fiora. Melia, Tyrea, it's good to see you both. Are you ready to go?"

"Absolutely. I'm famished." Tyrea gave her a half sneer, half fake smile.

"Where is Zain?"

"Forgot about him." Tyrea shrugged. She turned back into the house. "ZAIN! WE'RE LEAVING!"

Melia clasped her hands in front of her and clenched them together. She plastered on a smile and directed her attention to Elma. "Thank you for your help this afternoon. It was very much appreciated." While the statement was true, Melia hoped it was enough to distract Elma from the gross lack of propriety that Tyrea currently demonstrated.

"I understand what it's like to feel like an outsider. I only hope you don't think too poorly of us." Elma offered a supportive nod.

"Not at all. You all were gracious."

"Everyone except that Maurice anyway." Tyrea sniffed.

"Tyrea." Melia snapped. Her eyes held a warning that not even Tyrea would ignore. Her sister was starting to grate on her nerves, and if Melia needed to pull rank, she would. But it was the last thing she wanted to do.

"It's alright. We all have our own issues with Maurice." Elma sighed. "He lost people in the attack on Earth. But that still doesn't excuse his behavior."

The sound of footsteps alerted them. They turned to see Zain arriving, dressed in his military outfit. Not what Melia would've chosen given this wasn't some sort of battle discussion and she didn't want to send the wrong message. But he looked formal all the same.

"Shall we?"


A/N: This chapter turned out longer than I expected, haha. But I'm glad it's out here now. Oh, and I finally set up a tumblr. Find me: theroseduelist. Basically, I'll be posting updates about my fics, random bits of inspiration, and the like. Anyway, leave some love!