A one-shot to cleanse my palette, so to speak. I've been working on Eine Kleine for so long that I wanted to do something new for a bit before heading back. Of course, that won't really mean anything to you non-Trails fans or those who haven't read it at all.
Blue flames erupted from the twin whipswords and formed the shape of multiple azure fire balls ready to strike their target. The two beings holding one of each of the unique weapons used them to direct the flames as they willed it. One was a tall woman with hair as blue and beautiful as the flames produced by the swords with an elegant dress to match while the other was a young boy equipped with emerald green and white armor that stood in stark contrast to the gloomy environment around them.
"Soulfire!"
With one last movement, the two slowly brought up the whipswords skyward and the flames incinerated the intended destination: a large piece of debris being used as target practice.
With their training down, the woman handed her weapon to the boy. The two were meant to be used as a pair after all.
"Well done, Rex." The woman smiled, applauding the boy's efforts. "It has only been a short while, but you have improved quite substantially when it comes to controlling my power. Consider me impressed."
The young boy, Rex, chuckled as he buckled the two swords onto his waist. He made sure to cross them behind him rather than let them hang to his sides to avoid letting them scrape the ground. He was far too short for that to not happen.
"Thanks, Brighid! Though, I can't even begin to compare to Mòrag. Thanks for bearing with me though!"
"Well, Lady Mòrag is just more used to utilizing my power. That's all. She's been training to be Special Inquisitor her whole life to be precise. It's only natural that you'd come up short to her. However, that doesn't mean that you aren't skilled in your own right. Perhaps it's an innate power of being the Master Driver?"
Rex scratched the back of his head. This whole "Master Driver" nonsense had been going over his head ever since he and his friends reunited with Pyra and Mythra at the Cliffs of Morytha. Following their fierce battle against Jin and Malos, their party all fell down the cliff, leaving him only with Mythra at the time.
The blonde Aegis did her best to explain how their newly acquired powers worked. Something about how by combining her mind with Pyra, they could transform into a more powerful form and provide Rex with unimaginable power as the Driver of the Aegis. However, it seemed like the explanation even eluded Mythra as she struggled to fully convey how their new powers functioned as well. At least he got a new outfit from the deal! His old salvager suit needed way too much mending that he couldn't afford with his own money.
But once the pair found Jin on his own and ran into Brighid, Poppi, and Azurda soon after, they made an incredible discovery: Rex was able to engage Blades that he had not resonated with. As they explored the dark and stormy outskirts of the Land of Morytha, this skill had proven useful against the powerful monsters in the area. Rex was lacking in any sort of skill using the unique whipswords at first but, with Brighid's careful guidance, he had acclimated himself to wielding the weapons with their intended purpose. He was glad too, as it gave Brighid a way to fully utilize her power as a Blade without having to let her fend for herself with no Driver. Mythra was a powerful Blade in her own right, but it didn't hurt to have others to rely on.
As a result, he took the time to train himself more and more with Brighid. He already took a good while to learn how to use Roc's unwieldy scythes - mainly due to his lack of stature compared to his previous Driver, Vandham - so any sort of new experience with unique Blade weapons was something he wanted a hand in learning, even if he wouldn't hold on to this power forever.
"I don't really get it myself," Rex replied, crossing his arms. "But I have to say, it's pretty convenient! I hope you don't mind coaching me some more even after we meet back up with Mòrag, Brighid."
"Of course. I'm rather curious about the Master Driver's power myself, so there will be benefits for both of us." The lady Blade let out a soft laugh. "Do you intend to give Pandoria's weapon a try as well?"
The idea of Rex, the second shortest member of the group, wielding a sword about as big as he was felt nothing short of amusing. But that didn't mean he wasn't still capable. Blade weapons were able to adjust their weight to the preference of its user. It could be as light as a feather or heavy as any Titan so long as the user could wield it comfortably.
"I'll… have to get back to you on that." Even with that knowledge in mind, it must have taken great skill for Zeke to deftly wield a hefty blade such as that; the "Big Bang Edge" as he called it.
"Then what about Poppi here?"
The blue Blade gestured to a younger girl that had watched the entire training session. Her mechanical arms robotically waved in excitement.
"That sound like neat idea, Brighid! However, I'm afraid that not possible. Poppi's specs are suited to Masterpon and Masterpon alone. Plus, weapon types are designed for Nopon use only."
Rex sighed. "That's a shame, but it makes sense. Being an artificial Blade and all, Poppi must play by different rules."
"I see." Brighid rubbed her chin in amazement. "His usual quirks aside, Tora was quite meticulous when designing you. You continue to impress, Poppi."
"Poppi appreciate compliment!"
After a bit more lively conversation, Rex and Brighid continued on with their training. While the young Driver was getting a good handle on how the Blade's attacks worked when he passed the whipswords to her, he wanted to improve his own handling of the weapons. His speed lacked compared to Mòrag's use of them and he needed to learn as much as he could before they could even begin thinking about climbing the World Tree.
Unbeknownst to the trio, however, was that two pairs of eyes peered in their direction, watching their entire exchange.
One was a young woman with shining blonde hair and the armor to match. She sat on the ground in a crouching position with her hands cupping her chin, carefully watching as her Driver practiced using the foreign weapons.
Her name was Mythra.
The other was a man with cold silver hair and matching clothes. He carried a long nodachi on his back with an ominous red crystal glowing on its crossguard. He stood upright, his arms crossed and his back against a wall of debris. He didn't view the training session as intently as Mythra did, but he held some form of interest to keep him watching.
Jin was his name.
"A Driver being able to use other Blades that didn't resonate with him, huh?" Jin mumbled.
He wasn't thrilled at the prospect. It wasn't enough that Blades were already dealt an unfair hand. They were only given life through Drivers and couldn't do much without them. Once their Drivers die, they return to their core crystal and wait till someone else with the potential to reawaken them, with the caveat that they lose all their personal memories of their previous lives. The cycle continues on and on until they die completely and are reborn as Titans, only to be used by humans once more.
If a cruel human were to get their hands on the power of the Master Driver, there'd be no telling what kinds of catastrophes they could wrought.
…Ha, guess he had no place to judge. He sought to destroy the world and the Architect with Malos after all.
He spared a glance in Mythra's direction, who was still intently watching Rex practice and Brighid giving him tips to quicken his movements. It was like she was attempting to record it all within her core crystal's memory.
"What's got you so invested?"
In all honesty, he didn't really care. But he and Mythra were technically old war buddies. Even if he resented how she had Addam seal her away five hundred years ago, he still had some connection to the girl.
"...Mm."
A rather uncharacteristically quiet response. Surprising, to say the least. He expected that from himself, not the obnoxiously vocal Aegis.
His eyes alternated between the girl next to him and the duo in the distance. He saw how intimately Rex and Brighid trained together, with the latter personally positioning the former's arms and legs to a proper form to make the most out of her unique weapons. After a few seconds of looking back and forth, he came to a conclusion.
"...Don't tell me you're jealous?"
Mythra flinched, her body stiffening at the accusation. Her expression morphed into a deadly glare - unbefitting for a Blade attuned to the benevolent element of light - in his direction.
"Wh-What?! No! I am not jealous! Why would you even say that?!"
"You and Brighid used to have quite the rivalry."
"Ugh, who asked for your opinion?!"
Jin ignored Mythra's extreme reaction. Even after five hundred years, he was still used to her abrasive personality. Still, at least it seemed like she matured a little. That had to count for something and he knew exactly the reason why.
"...Tell me, what do you see in him?" He turned his gaze towards Rex. "Is it because he reminds you of Addam?"
"..." Mythra stood silent. Her stiff body relaxed a bit as her thoughts turned back to the young salvager that became her new Driver and partner. "You're half-right."
The Flesh Eater raised an eyebrow, confused at the Aegis's statement. "How so?"
"Rex and Addam are pretty similar. They're both giant goofballs who try to do the impossible, no matter what the odds are, if it means helping someone else. Even when all hope is lost, they always try to find a way. I wouldn't even be surprised if they were related or something." She chuckled. "But… they're totally different people at the end of the day. Something that I… no, we couldn't bring ourselves to appreciate until now."
Rex swung Brighid's swords, releasing its whip functions with a grander grace that he lacked when he first started his training. His eyes were confident and fearless.
"Do you think Addam could have…" Jin asked, but was interrupted by Mythra's conviction. She shook her head.
"Despite how he may have come off, Addam was… afraid. So deathly afraid of my status as an Aegis. Afraid that if he made one wrong move, he'd cause as much destruction as Malos." Mythra let out an empty chuckle. "So what do you think he did? He kept me at arm's length. He had the audacity to treat me like his daughter and still push me away."
Mythra took the time to reposition her legs, now sitting with them crossed to give her feet a well-deserved break from holding up her entire body weight.
"Rex, as naive as he is, was never afraid of me or Pyra. Even after I woke back up in Uraya, he never looked at me like I was a weapon capable of mass murder. He only ever saw a girl who needed help." Her lips formed a soft smile. "Rex welcomed us with open arms while Addam couldn't even bring himself to resonate with a second Blade."
"You know why Addam was scared." Jin stated.
"Of course I did. It's not like I blamed him for being afraid. Kinda comes with the territory of being a legendary Aegis and all. And yet, no matter how poorly we treated him - we lied, kept secrets - he still accepted us. Everyone says that Rex isn't worthy of being the Aegis's Driver, but I beg to differ. It's us who don't deserve him."
Jin took notice of the soft expression that developed over Mythra's face. Her glowing eyes, flushed cheeks, and tender smile. He had never seen her this… content before; so confident in herself that didn't involve massive displays of power.
It reminded him of a better time.
"So… What will you do?" Jin asked.
Mythra stood straight up, her face now resolute and focused. There was no room for fear or doubt within herself. "We're going to stand by his side," she responded, as if it was the most obvious reply in all of Alrest, "and we're going to live no matter what. Not just because Rex asked us to, but because we want to."
"Heeeeyyyy Mythraaaaa!" The two Blades turned to see Rex waving his outstretched hand as he called for the blonde girl. "Come over here for a sec!"
The aforementioned Blade giggled. "Now if you'll excuse me," she ran her hand through her golden locks with a flourish, "my Driver needs me." She strutted off with all the confidence in the world.
Jin watched on in silence.
He had to admit, part of him felt elated that Mythra had found happiness in this new life. After the events of the Aegis War five-hundred years ago, he was afraid that the emotional toll was much too significant to bear. As a result, Pyra came into being - an idealized version of herself to face the burdens that Mythra brought upon the world.
He couldn't be any more different.
He used to be happy too, when he and Lora were traveling the world as mercenaries. By her side was the place he called home. In a way, he still had his "home", but not in the way he wanted. Jin wanted Lora to be by his side… not in his heart.
Meanwhile, Mythra now stands in stark contrast to him. Finding a partner whom she could put her absolute trust and love into. She was once feared as a weapon of mass destruction, but one wouldn't have been able to tell with how genuinely happy she looked now.
"Warms your heart, doesn't it?"
Jin turned his attention to the newcomer: a small white creature that flew on tiny wings that logically should not have been able to carry his weight. He had a look of fatherly smugness, displaying a moment of pride for the ones he looked after.
"How long have you been listening, Azurda?"
"Just enough," the miniature Titan chuckled.
"Weren't you supposed to keep watch?"
"I was, but Roc decided to take over for me. These old bones don't do much good when trying to keep a keen eye." Azurda then turned his attention to Rex and Mythra, the former asking if the latter could help demonstrate ancient Blade combat in a spar. The taller girl sighed as she manifested her large Aegis sword while Brighid readied her whipswords. "Though it doesn't take a keen eye to see the goings-on between those two."
"Hmm." Jin merely grunted in acknowledgement.
The Titan's voice fell to a gentle tone. "Somewhat reminds you of what you had with Lora, doesn't it."
Jin stiffened.
"What you two had was truly beautiful, you know," Azurda continued. "Never had I seen such a genuine bond between a Driver and their Blade before. Even now, I scarcely see such trust. I said Rex once reminded me of Addam, but now… well, he's starting to resemble Lora as well."
"..."
"Jin, you must know-"
"I know."
The Blade removed the nodachi from his back and closely examined it. His fingers brushed across the red crystal near its handle.
"Maybe continuing down this path isn't the answer she would want. She wasn't… She isn't that kind of person. But it's the path that I've chosen for myself. Just as the path Mythra now walks is one of her own choosing."
His hands gently touched the red crystal embedded in his forehead. He couldn't tell if it stopped hurting or if he was just numb to the pain.
He gave one last glance to the young Master Driver who was excitedly watching a friendly bout between the legendary Aegis and the Jewel of Mor Ardain.
"I have high expectations for the boy."
And he meant that.
This was something I really wanted to explore thanks to several inspirations. First, I really like the attention to detail where the main story Blades have a different animation for the Level IV Special when used by Rex. The idea that Rex learns how to use Blades that he's not used to from Brighid was something I wanted to go over.
Then there's the differences between Rex and Addam that are kinda glossed over in the main game, but is often more explored within fan works. It's never to paint Addam in a bad light, but ultimately, Mythra and Pyra's relationship with Rex is far more fulfilling for them than their relationship with Addam. The game does a great job at showing that, but it's hardly explicitly talked about.
And one of the biggest points I love exploring is that Jin and Lora's relationship is a mirror to theirs. Where Jin lost everything important to him after the Aegis War, Mythra gained so much from the aftermath. It's tragic, yet hopeful.
Ah, sorry for rambling. I just really love this game and the 4th anniversary of the game just came and went. Here's to hoping for more Xenoblade in the future.