So you might've seen this before but... I deleted it and decided to just straight up reupload due to my inability to leave the first couple chapters alone and kept editing them orz. I'll hopefully not be doing that again, so here we go again, expect this to catch up to ao3 over a few days + the side story being uploaded here.


Long ago, two Titans, the very worlds people lived on, began to fight. The Bionis and the Mechonis clashed, and many lives were lost… Locked in a battle that only ended as their souls began to drain.

An attack devastated the lives of both Titans, leaving them all with more wounds than any would like to admit. But a shaky peace was found, in the middle of what was now known as Sword Valley. The leader of the Machina and the last of the giants came to an agreement; Zanza would be forever locked away, and they would live their own lives. Sword Valley would be neutral territory, only the Mechon on it allowed to remain. For if anyone from the Bionis or the Machina were to step foot on it, the peace would be broken.

The distance would be closed and the curse of Zanza would rear its ugly head once more.

That was the way they lived now. Machina in Agniratha, living as peacefully as they could. Praying to their Lady Meyneth to keep them safe should things ever go wrong… Though they seemed to believe it never would.

Well, most of them did. Egil, however… For him, things could never be right. The deaths still plagued him, the voices of those dead haunting him wherever he went… But Miqol and Vanea had noticed that. They pressed him into visiting the doctor Linada. Her constant questions, the ways to try and cope… He was getting better, slowly but surely, Linada would say with a smile. Given time, he would be back on his feet.

But Egil didn't feel like he was getting better. He felt just as stuck in the day where everything had gone wrong as before. The only difference now was his want for revenge had been tempered, just a bit. Held in place as he remembered his sister's smile at hearing Linada's reports.

Vanea, one of the only ones he had left. One of the only people who kept him from totally closing in on himself and trying to do something about the Bionis. One of two bits of hope that kept him from being consumed by his own fear.

He sighed, pushing the thoughts away as he walked into his lab as he had plenty to do, prototypes to work on. New Mechon to make the lives of Machina even easier than they already were… Plus, it was a way to avoid his father's questions about friends and even a "potential special someone".

He rolled his eyes just thinking about that. He didn't care how much of the Machina had died, he had no interest in a relationship to help bolster their numbers. Not after what had happened to him

Arglas. His heart ached thinking of his friend, his first love. Someone who was long dead now, smothered under the grasp of Zanza's soul. No longer existing in the body that once spent its days with Egil.

No tears, he never let tears fall. He didn't cry, not anymore. He had cried enough the day his people had been attacked. Had mourned for every lost one around him. That was enough, now he just had to focus.

If he could make life better for those who remained, perhaps it would make his fallen brethren quiet.

"Egil." Looked like that plan fell through quickly as Miqol made his way into the lab. "I thought I would find you here."

"What is it, Miqol?" He didn't call him father anymore, not since that day, and Miqol didn't react to that anymore. It was just their new normal. "I was just about to start my work for the day."

"You've spent too much time doing that recently." Miqol clicked his tongue. "Really, you need to get out more! Interact with the people around here!"

"There's no need for that. I can do more for the people here." Egil didn't move from his spot, trying to drown out his father and begin on his work. "I'm not much for conversation, either way."

"Egil, perhaps I shouldn't be suggesting and should be ordering." Miqol sighed. "You're the son of the chief, after all. You should connect with the people."

"Who you are has no bearing on who I am…" He sighed, and relented. "But if it will get you to cease this yammering, I will go."

Miqol gave him a smile that he did not return, hand on his hip. "Good, I knew you would see things my way."

"You always get your way, old man." He rubbed the bridge of his nose between two fingers. "Try not to break anything while I'm out."

"Of course I won't!" Miqol laughed. "Did you forget who taught you everything you know?"

"...I haven't forgotten, but you're getting old." He shrugged. "Never sure if I can trust you around delicate machinery anymore."

And with that, Egil made his exit.


Linada worked hard, being one of the few remaining Machina with any actual medical knowledge. But sometimes, even she needed a break. That was probably why she found herself spending some time with Vanea, away from her clinic.

She and the other Machina had grown closer during Egil's treatment time as Vanea had just been curious at first, about how her brother was doing, how his healing from the trauma he experienced was going along…

Linada had always been happy to keep her updated and it had developed from there into more of a friendship. The two often finding time to speak and chat. Linada would call this a casual friendship, someone she wouldn't mind talking with, but no one who would need to know anything in depth about her.

She appreciated that Vanea's focus was so squarely on Egil and his health that she didn't seem to want to pry too much more into Linada or who she was on a deeper level. That was fine for her, she could tell the siblings were close, and the last thing she wanted was to distract from that.

"Ah, Egil." Speak of the devil, the man walked over to them, standing next to Vanea and looking out across Agniratha. "You aren't out and about usually."

"Miqol told me I needed to get out more, and I didn't feel like hearing his arguments." He sighed, shaking his head and looking so tired.

Linada was a good few hundred years older than the both of them, but Egil always seemed so old . So weary and torn by the events that had transpired… The person affected the most, Linada supposed.

She couldn't blame him. Not when it was his friend that had slaughtered his people.

"You seem like you may need more sleeping aids, Egil." Linada spoke up, trying to keep her voice light. "I could get you some."

"No, Linada, thank you." He shook his head. "I don't need those, they… they never do work quite correctly."

"We can always try other sleeping aids-"

She was cut off as Vanea gently raised a hand and shook her head. "Linada… that's enough."

"Ah…" She glanced to Egil and saw how tense his shoulders were. "Of course. My apologies, Egil."

"Think nothing of it, Linada." Egil let out a shaky breath, his shoulders relaxing just a bit. "I am not angry with you."

"If you are sure…" Linada shared a look with Vanea, who simply gave her a bit of a tense smile. "If it keeps bothering you, though, feel free to bring it up at one of your appointments."

"Ah, yes, of course." The blank tone of voice told Linada he definitely wouldn't be doing that, but… Oh well. She supposed that was to be expected. Egil liked to keep to himself to his own detriment.

Just thinking about how long it had taken her to get him to reveal he had hallucinations following the trauma made her heart hurt. How much more was he trying to hold together on his own? Did he even tell Vanea of how he was feeling?

"Linada." Vanea spoke again, a hand on Egil's shoulder. "I would like to speak with Egil alone for a moment, is that alright?"

"Ah, of course." She picked up what Vanea was saying. "I need to check on the clinic, anyway. You two feel free to drop by when you're done."

"Thank you, Linada."

And with that, Linada made her way towards her clinic, sparing some glances back at the siblings who stood in silence.


It was a while later when Vanea spoke up, her voice soft. "Remember when you got out of your pod before I did? And I was so upset…"

"Ah, of course I remember." She had cried so much that day, when Egil grew large enough to survive outside of it. "You begged me to stop growing so quickly, and said you felt left behind."

"I did, didn't I." She laughed a bit. "You were just gifted from such a young age, I felt like I couldn't keep up."

Egil frowned and turned to her. "Don't you dare say that."

"But-"

"You're just as gifted, Vanea. You would spend hours with me, just listening to me reading textbooks. Always so curious and asking questions, making the reading turn into long-form debates…"

"You…" She blinked a few times, and it looked as if she was about to cry. "You remember that?"

"Of course I do. It's one of my most precious memories." He looked back out over Agniratha. "I also remember when you first stepped out of your pod. Your legs shook and you clung to my hand…"

"And you cried, didn't you?" Vanea's voice was quiet. "I still don't understand why you did."

"I saw how much you struggled, being left in your pod while I grew out of it so quickly in comparison. Your smile was so bright as you finally took your first steps… I couldn't help but cry."

"Egil…" She felt tears forming again, though she tried to hold them. "Will you promise me something?"

"Hm?" He looked at her. "What is it?"

"Promise me that we'll make more memories like that. More memories you'll remember and that we'll look back fondly on as we grow older." Her voice caught in her throat. "I know memory has been a problem for you, but-"

"Vanea." Egil placed a hand on her head, cutting off her frantic words. "I promise I won't forget anything else we've done together. Things… they're better now, I…"

"Egil…" She finally broke into tears, covering her face. "I'm sorry, you're the one struggling, you shouldn't have to see me like this."

"You are my younger sister, Vanea, if only by a short span of minutes…" He pulled her into a hug, rubbing soothing circles into her back. As he had done when they were children. "It's only right you rely on me sometimes, wouldn't you think? After all, you're always so strong for me."

She didn't reply, simply let her shoulders shake as she cried into his chest. Cried like she was a little one again, begging for Egil to not leave her behind. And he dried her tears as he always had, ever the caring older brother.