The next day was a sprint across Noctilum. Just before dawn they departed and made only two stops: one to rest, and the other to carefully maneuver around an NLA base at the border, and enter Primordia undetected. The last thing Dunban wanted was to alert BLADE to their movements and quash their plans.

Once into Primordia, they continued their journey, singularly focused on the goal to make it to the desert land before the day passed. Though the general mood was light, a gnawing tension hung in the air of what awaited them.

They made camp at the exact halfway point between their position and the border to Oblivia. The night passed quickly, the anticipation of what was to come weighing heavily on Dunban's mind, and he assumed everyone else's as well. Jokes were at a minimum, conversations even fewer. And as soon as he shut his eyes to rest, he could hear the caws from tiny birds, greeting the early morning light. Efficiently, the team packed their things, piled into the speeder, and drove out once more, their destination nearing by the second.

They arrived at the border between Primordia and Oblivia two hours before midnight and took shelter on an overlook obscured by a large weeping willow-like tree. It was a prime vantage point for any predators that might try to hunt them in the night, as well as any NLA scouts that could happen upon their location.

Hastily, they unpacked items necessary for the evening, a second wind driving them. As they unrolled sleeping bags and set up a fire, Shulk asked, "What's the plan? With BLADE?"

"I'll radio them in the morning," Dunban responded, spreading out his sleeping bag closest to the overlook. He would be taking the watch. "They'll arrive a few hours later, and we'll head out together. I'll advise them to bring a few skells." He glanced towards the recruit and saw Shulk's confused expression. "For recon. Scouting ahead, they may be able to tell us where in Oblivia the Ganglion are." Dunban explained.

And how many of them there would be.

"What if they order us to go back to NLA?" Reyn dropped down onto his bag with an umph.

"Then you don't go," Tyrea stated, unfolding a blanket. "What are they going to do? Shoot you?"

"That's fair."

"There are so few of you left. Unless you were a murderer or the like, there's no reason to kill off your own kind."

"Tyrea," Melia warned, lowering herself onto her sleeping mat and covering her lap with a blanket. He could see she moved with a certain slowness, but he knew better than to bring attention to it while in the larger group. It also gave him an excuse to speak with her privately. They hadn't since their conversation two nights ago. Which had bothered him since he wanted to talk to her, which then annoyed him since he needed to maintain focus on the mission at hand and not his feelings for Melia.

Nonetheless, Dunban's eyes wandered to her lips at various points during the day, remembering the feel of hers on his. He wanted it again. He wanted her attention and affection.

What he really needed was to slow down.

"It's true and you know it." Tyrea dropped onto the mat next to her sister and yawned.

"That is not the point."

Tyrea waved dismissively.

Melia cleared her throat. "There is also the possibility that they will not try to attempt to force you to return to NLA. Considering the lack of information regarding the VITA and its importance, they may wish to increase their odds of a victory by increasing their numbers should there be a battle."

Dunban hoped she was right.

"That doesn't explain what will happen afterward." Fiora bit her lip, taking a seat and warming her hands by the burgeoning fire. Shulk dropped to her side and she gave him a tight smile.

"Again, what's the worst they can do?" Tyrea pulled out a long knife from her pack, turning it over and eyeing it in the moonlight. Riki marveled at the weapon, abandoning his task of sorting the kindling to observe Tyrea.

"We wouldn't be able to be a part of BLADE anymore. No more missions. Just boring-ass civilian life." Reyn grimaced.

"I can't imagine they would actually do something so idiotic." Tyrea scoffed as she began to polish the knife. Riki took a seat next to her, still watching with fascination.

"I wouldn't be so sure. There's one member on the BLADE leadership that isn't my biggest fan," Dunban commented. He glanced at Melia, whose lips twitched into a smile. He felt his own transform into a smirk.

He liked having inside jokes with her.

There it was again. He needed to compartmentalize.

"Riki hungry." The Nopon whined and patted his belly.

"Well, we have more sandwiches." Fiora mused, grabbing a nearby duffle and dug through it.

The Nopon groaned. "Meh meh. Riki want different food."

"Then go hunt something." Reyn rolled his eyes. "Unless you're not up to it, fuzzball."

Riki popped up and assumed an offensive stance. "Riki great warrior! Riki can get food." Then he swayed from side to side, eyes drooping. "But Riki too tired and too hungry."

A ripple of laughter passed through the group and sandwiches exchanged hands.

"Let's play a game," Fiora said, unwrapping her sandwich.

"Never have I ever!" Reyn suggested while chewing.

Shulk covered Reyn's open mouth with his hand. "Gross."

"Sorry, yo." Reyn swallowed. "But yeah, what about that?"

"No. That's a drinking game." Fiora tore off a piece of her sandwich and popped it into her mouth.

"Fiora." Dunban raised an eyebrow.

"What?" She rolled her eyes. "I'm an adult, Dunban. You know I drink."

That was true. They had had a drink together on a few occasions. That didn't mean she wasn't still his little sister. He had a duty to protect her.

"How about two truths and a lie?" Shulk offered.

"That's a great idea!"

Fiora and Shulk locked eyes then looked away. Their interest in each other was growing increasingly obvious by the day, and yet neither of them had made a move. Dunban doubted that would change any time soon. Despite her general confidence, Fiora was fairly shy when it came to relationships. He assumed Shulk was the same.

Were he and Melia as obvious?

"I like the sound of that." Tyrea leered. "So you say two truths and a lie and someone has to guess the lie?"

"Pretty much."

"Simple. Prepare to lose." Tyrea put the knife to the side. Which gave Riki the opportunity to hop into her lap. She scowled but did not remove him and he made himself comfortable.

"Dunban, you start. Figure out Reyn's." Fiora winked.

"Hmm. I like spicy food. I'm good at mental math. I like spiders." Reyn crossed his arms over his chest and assumed a smug grin.

"You hate spiders," Dunban said without missing a beat.

"How did you know?!"

"We literally saw you jump away from a bug you thought was a spider when you were going to bed yesterday." Fiora pointed out.

"Oh yeah. Right." He rubbed the back of his neck, an embarrassed blush spreading over his cheeks, turning his tan skin orange in the firelight.

Tyrea tilted her head to the side, skeptical. Riki copied her gesture. "You can do mental math?"

"Oy! What does that mean?" He glared.

"What's 189 plus 247?"

"436." He responded almost immediately.

"Whoa…" Shulk whispered.

Dunban smiled. He wasn't surprised that Reyn could. His test scores for the BLADE written survival test were high. And it involved a lot of mathematics.

"Too easy," Tyrea growled, leaning forward. "What is 569 times 213?"

"...121,197."

"952 divided by 658?"

He closed his eyes and his brow furrowed. Then he answered, "1.4...468085."

"Wow…" Fiora gaped. "That's amazing!"

"You can say that again." Reyn reclined on his side with a smug grin. "I bet I'm the smartest of all of you."

"Doubtful. You still lost," Tyrea pouted.

"You're just jealous." Reyn snorted, then glanced over at his best friend, "Your turn, Shulk."

"Riki first!" The Nopon bounced out of Tyrea's lap and teetered.

"Riki, we're going in a circle," Fiora explained.

But Riki pouted and Reyn rolled his eyes. "Okay fuzz, your turn then."

Riki crossed his paws over his chest and assumed a contemplative expression. "Riki have eleven littlepon. Riki hate bugs. Riki fastest eater of pollen bulbs in all Mira!"

"This is easy. You don't have eleven children."

"Hehe. Reyn wrong."

Now this time, everyone gawked, including Dunban.

Riki proudly proclaimed, "Riki love bugs."

"Back up. You have 11 children? How old are you?" Reyn questioned.

"Reyn rude!" Riki smacked Reyn's knee.

"Hey! I'm just curious!"

Fiora and Shulk sniggered while Tyrea cackled, glancing at Melia, who couldn't help but smile at the display. Her eyes then found Dunban's and he felt his heart spin. He smiled back at her.

"Reyn jealous he lost and Riki won. Now Riki turn." Riki turned to Shulk and gestured for him to continue.

Shulk sat silent for a moment, his brows knit in concentration. Then he opened his mouth. "I didn't speak until I was four. I'm a good dancer. I've...never had a girlfriend."

"Easy. Shulk bad dancer."

"Oh damn." Reyn laughed.

"Way to rub it in, Riki." Shulk sulked.

"You've never had a girlfriend!?" Fiora exclaimed.

Shulk blushed and looked down at his hands. "No. Not really. A few dates here and there but I've never had a relationship."

Fiora continued to stare at him in wonder. Hopefully, that wouldn't deter Shulk from pursuing her. Dunban thought that Shulk could be a good influence on Fiora. But then Shulk would need to be removed from the team if they decided to date.

He'd worry about that when — or if — the time came.

"They're overrated anyway." Tyrea snorted. Fiora stared daggers at her. It seemed his sister had not been scared off by the revelation. "Also you're not that bad a dancer. You can keep a decent beat. Half those morons at the "club" could barely do that."

"Oh, thanks," Shulk responded in a flat tone. He sheepishly looked back at Fiora. "I think it's your turn."

Fiora chewed on her lip, then pursed her lips. "I don't...I mean I didn't have friends growing up since we moved around a lot. When I was a kid I wanted to be a doctor. I dream in black and white."

Dunban felt a pang of guilt. They had moved frequently because of him; he'd receive a new posting and they'd pick up and go every few years. Sometimes it was every year. Fiora hadn't had any choice in the matter: he wasn't willing to put her in the system or hand her care over to their distant cousins. She'd let him know she was unhappy — actually furious and upset — a few times during her adolescence, then eventually accepted it. To a degree, she even embraced all the traveling. And then he thought it was alright. She was alright.

Still. It wasn't the first time that he wondered if he made the right choice.

"Are all of those so unbelievable?" Fiora grumbled. Shulk still hadn't guessed after a minute.

"No, they're just random."

"That's the point of the game, Shulk."

"I'm gonna go with the...doctor one."

"It was dreaming in black and white." She sniffed and crossed her arms over her chest, indignant. "Is it so weird that I'd want to be a doctor?"

"How was I supposed to know that?!"

Dunban did not envy Shulk's position.

"Whatever. Tyrea!" Fiora pointedly glared at the High Entian, nostrils flaring the slightest.

Tyrea tapped her fingers on her chin, then grinned wickedly. "I was recruited to a secret society while in the military academy. I collect masks. I've been imprisoned."

"Imprisoned?!" Reyn jumped, startled. "For what!?"

Tyrea merely shrugged.

"I think you're telling the truth with a secret society. That checks out to me." Fiora nodded. So did Shulk and Riki. Then she squinted at the High Entia. "I think you're baiting me. It's the masks thing."

"Nope. I have never been imprisoned. Only put on house arrest." Tyrea smiled smugly.

"That's not something to be proud of." Melia expressed, then coughed. She pulled her blanket tighter around her.

On instinct, Dunban moved over to her, shrugged off his jacket, and put it over her shoulders.

"Oh," Melia breathed, startled. "Thank you."

He nodded and sat next to her. When he looked back at the group, he caught Fiora eyeing them with a grin.

"Why do you collect masks?" Dunban asked, changing the subject.

"Mask creation and decoration is considered a delicate and praised art in High Entian culture. We have — had — a large masquerade each year to honor our ancestors." Melia supplied.

"It's also about shedding your sins and adorning a new face, rebirth and accepting purity and all of that stuff." Tyrea finished, blasé.

"I wish we had something like that." Fiora awed.

"Mardi Gras?" Reyn tossed out.

"Reyn, seriously?" Fiora rolled her eyes.

"Carnivale," Dunban added.

"Oh, right," Fiora said, glum. "Never got the chance to go…"

Silence. A gut punch to them all. Dunban immediately regretted his words.

"I guess it's Melia's turn. But Tyrea already knows everything about Melia." Fiora murmured.

"That is false," Melia spoke.

"Right," Tyrea snickered. "This should be fun."

"My father has told me he loves me only once. I didn't get to say goodbye to my mother before she passed. I've been engaged previously." Melia's face was blank, her voice almost perfectly monotone. Dunban could hear a bite to the words, an edge that normally did not lace Melia's words.

Frowns dotted the faces of the other team members and a somberness permeated the air. The admissions were dark, but unsurprising, given what he and the others knew about Melia's relationship with her family.

He reached out and placed his hand over hers. Her fingers moved and they intertwined with his, though she did not look at him.

"You're trying to be tricky. But I know you." Tyrea wagged a finger at her sister. "You've never been engaged."

"That is incorrect. I have been." Melia replied cooly.

Dunban froze.

Tyrea's jaw dropped.

"What? To who!?" Fiora exclaimed.

"I was betrothed at birth. My mother didn't wish for that although my father overruled her. Eventually, she convinced my father to dissolve the agreement when I reached the age of five."

"Which is Melly's lie?" Riki asked, gazing up at her with wide, curious eyes.

Instead of answering, she turned to Dunban and said, "Your turn."

He blinked, waiting to see if Melia would answer, but she said nothing more. Her gaze did not falter, and the light from the flames flickered in her ice blue irises. They hypnotized him.

"Dunban?"

He shook his head, jolting himself out of his trance. "Right. Sorry." Dunban cleared his throat. "Growing up, I wanted to be an architect. I…." He hesitated, considering his next words. He was the captain. His military training dictated that he maintain a healthy, professional distance from his cadets. Yet everything from his actual experiences serving told him to do the opposite. "I will never forgive the man who took our parents from us. I was planning to leave the military before the Exodus."

"Dunban…" Fiora murmured. He shook his head. A conversation for another time. Or never.

"You never planned to leave the military. Your sense of duty, responsibility, and honor is too strong. You want to protect the people you care about." Melia stated. "That's the lie."

"Yes."

Once again, she'd seen right through him.

"Let's play another round." Tyrea leaned forward, resting her elbows on her knees and her chin in her upturned palms.

A chorus of agreement fluttered on the air. But Dunban didn't notice, his attention still caught by the High Entian princess.

"If you'll excuse me, I need to rest after the day's journey," Melia said. She stood and ambled away from the group with her sleeping mat, almost out of earshot.

He watched her go and noticed the heaviness of her shoulders, the dragging in her gait. He glanced at Tyrea, who also studied Melia but turned back to the group, which resumed for another round.

Dunban rose and followed Melia, butterflies buzzing in his gut.

"Are you alright?"

"I'm fine. Just tired." She answered, turning quickly to face him. Too quickly. She swayed, off-balance.

He reached out and steadied her, gently holding her arm. "Melia."

"Dunban. Leave it be." She shrugged him off, her tone sharp. Just like during the game.

His hand fell to his side and he took a step back. It alarmed him more than disappointed him. Something was wrong.

Melia shut her eyes and exhaled, her arms snaking around her chest to hug herself, then falling limply at her sides. Then she opened her eyes. There was a deep weariness set within them. Dunban wanted to provide her with some sort of comfort, anything, but he remained rooted in his spot.

"I apologize." Melia continued, "The subject of my parents is one that requires emotional fortitude that I barely have at the moment."

Inwardly, he sighed. He didn't want her to shut him out, but there was nothing he could do. "If you need anything, tell me."

"I will."

He turned and took a few steps back towards the team.

"Dunban, wait."

Surprised, he stopped and turned back. Hesitant, she crossed to him, leaving only a hair's width between their bodies. She lay her hand on his chest, and he could feel it trembling.

"Melia, are you alright?" He murmured, placing a hand over hers.

She kissed him.

Her lips quivered against his, still uncertain, but also desperate. Needy. And before he could fully register what was happening, she pulled away.

"I apologize. I shouldn't have...without asking." She fumbled, her cheeks turning a rosy pink.

Everything in him demanded he pull her back but he did not give in. He needed to respect her boundaries. After all, if he were in her shoes, he hoped she would do the same for him.

Instead, he gave her hand a squeeze and grinned. "You can kiss me anytime, Melia. I won't complain."

Melia bit her lip but failed to temper the smile that grew on her lips. He liked that shy, bashful smile. It flooded him with warmth instead of the fire the burned him from his rage.

An awkward silence blossomed between them. Neither was ready to separate, but the cool breeze reminded them of the late hour. Melia shivered despite still wearing his coat.

"I think this is unfortunately where we say goodnight." He murmured.

"So it is." She shrugged off his coat and handed it to him. "Thank you."

"You can keep it."

"Are you certain?

"Of course."

"I'll give it back in the morning."

He nodded, wrapping it around her once more.

"Goodnight, Dunban." She said, her voice breathy, sending a shiver up his spine.

"Goodnight, Melia. Sweet dreams."

Simultaneously, they stepped away from one another. With a nod, he turned away and headed past the team, towards the overlook for the watch. As he settled into a comfortable position, his mind wandered back to Melia and the game. And as he looked up at the half-moon shining brilliantly in the night sky, he wondered which one was Melia's lie.


A/N: Things have been crazy busy for me as of late, hence the delay in updating. I know this is a short chapter, but we're about to get back into some intense action, so hang on tight!