Vanea had watched Sharla talk to the guards and Otharon, convincing them that they couldn't keep the Machina locked up like they wanted to, and watched as most of the group left to explore the colony. The only ones left behind with the medic and the comatose girl were herself and Linada, Linada looking over Fiora's body.

She had thought of going with her brother and the others, but at the last moment decided against it. Sharla was clearly nervous with Linada, watching her so closely as she tried to do her job. She would feel horrible leaving that to grow and fester, and so she remained, sitting next to Sharla on the bed.

"Linada is a wonderful doctor, and has been learning about Homs anatomy ever since we met Alvis." She spoke first, her voice soft as she smiled at the woman. "Fiora is in good hands."

"Huh?" Sharla jumped a bit, looking at Vanea with wide eyes. "I… I didn't think otherwise!"

"Your body language seemed to say otherwise…" Vanea tilted her head to the side with a small giggle. "Do not worry, I understand. I was quite afraid of Bionis life the first time I met them, too."

"You say that, but you act as if this is as natural as can be…" Sharla rubbed her arm. "Seems to me like you're just trying to make me feel better."

"But it's true! When we met the Giants and High Entia all those years ago-"

"Wait!" Sharla held up a hand, mouth slightly agape. "Giants? Just how old are you, Machina?"

"Please, call me Vanea." She placed a hand to her chest with a smile. "The Machina who've had the pleasure to meet you are all well into our second millennia."

"You're all older than two-thousand?" Sharla looked as if she did not believe her.

"Yes, Egil and I's father is even older, six-thousand this very year!" She giggled, hand on her cheek. "Oh, it's always so fun to see other races react to our lifespans!"

"It can't be that fun." Sharla huffed. "Besides, can you blame us? Homs are lucky to make it to one-hundred! You all just go and live… so long."

"Well, not that long! We naturally go offline around the age of ten-thousand, so I suppose our lifespans are just about…one hundred times the length of yours!"

Sharla let out a groan at how casually Vanea addressed it. "That's quite a lot, Vanea!"

"Is it really?" Vanea blinked a few times. "I didn't think it was that much. One hundred years really is such a small amount of time…"

"To you maybe." Sharla poked her in the chest. "But to us Homs, that's a full lifetime, sometimes even less!"

"Ah, I suppose so!" She placed a hand on her chin. "I'm sorry, Sharla, I did not even think of that…"

"It's fine." She shook her head with a sigh. "Just- Gadolt!"

"Sharla, we need to talk. Now."

Vanea turned and saw the man who had interrogated the Machina in that room was standing there. She felt a frown come to her face as their eyes met, only letting it drop when she noticed a boy behind him, likely a Homs child. Looking at all the players in the room right now, well…

Vanea had a bad feeling about all of this. A very bad feeling.


"Tyrea, let's go look at this shop!" Kallian's constant bugging of Tyrea as they looked around Colony 6 was starting to get annoying. "They sell cute jewelry, would you like a necklace? Or perhaps a ring?"

"I don't want any jewelry! I hate jewelry." Her words came out a snap as she turned away from him.

Such fancy things just reminded her of the family she would never truly fit into, no matter how much Kallian tried to dote and fawn over her. He could pretend, but she knew her place. It was in the shadows, not allowed to be at the forefront as long as half-breeds were allowed to run free. Not as long as her mother looked at her as a foolish assassin and nothing more.

It made her sick to look at it, no amount of bought jewelry would change that! The only thing that could come close to being accepted would be one of the royal jewels Kallian wore around all the time, but expecting that? Ha, it would be an idiot's mistake! She wasn't his sister, not truly.

She never would be.

"I see, but…" Kallian's wings drooped a bit. "I thought it would be nice for us to have something that matched."

She took the chance then to try and nip this in the bud. "If you really want us to match, to be siblings, then give me one of those royal rings you wear! Prove to me you truly see me as a sister."

Kallian blinked a few times and she was sure he wasn't going to. She was ready to lord it over him, tell him this was the inevitable turn-out of this. There was no way for the prince and bastard daughter to truly be siblings!

But then, he pulled one off his hand and held her hand, as if trying to judge which finger to place it on before settling on the thumb. He gave her a small smile as she stared down at it, trying to make sense of what had just happened. There was no way he had really done that, there had to be a catch-

"Keep it, it's an heirloom from Emperor Lumian, I think the pink jewel fits you." He pulled his hand away from her hand and ruffled her hair.

"You… you cannot be serious." She shook her head. "You can't simply give this to me-"

"But I can." He frowned at her. "You asked for one, and you are my sister. I would not tell you no."

"You…" Tears bit at the back of her eyes, which she did her best to hold back as she once again turned away from him. "You are an odd one, Kallian."


Egil was staring at a flower, a bit in awe of how it looked. The ones of Mechonis all had a more metallic or stone-like appearance… But the ones on Bionis were so varied! And to see them sprouting from between the walkways… Egil could never imagine that on Mechonis.

"Hm? Egil like flower?" Oka walked up next to him, tilting her head to the side. "Oka not realize!"

"Like… I suppose that is one word for it." He poked at it, frowning as one of the petals fell off. "Ah, it's… very fragile."

Oka pat him on the head with a little laugh at the sight of him pouting and squatting near a flower. "Egil should realize, many things on Bionis fragile. Not as sturdy as metal friends! Must be very gentle!"

"Gentle… I see…" He nodded a bit. "I never truly paid attention to nature before when I came here, it seems I have much to learn."

"That okay!" Oka hopped up and down. "Oka can teach much to Egil! Oka a Nopon, so Oka understand Bionis nature very well!"

"Is that so?" He chuckled a bit, looking over at her. "Nopon do seem to be in tune with nature…"

"Yes, yes! Nopon live in harmony with nature!" She nodded. "Flowers fragile, but rocks not! Oka think Egil should start with rock, learn to hold them gently, then learn flowers gentle hold!"

A rock, those were sturdy, reminded him of some flowers from Mechonis. He could probably hold those without too many problems, but something seemed missing in this plan. Something, well, very important if you asked Egil.

"I suppose that is smart… but should there not be something between those two things?" He doubted he could go from rock to flower too easily. Then again, maybe Oka knew something he didn't…

"Not go straight to flowers, Egil a bit dum dum!" She pat his head with a sigh. "Will go to petting Armus, then smaller animal. Then vegetable and fruit! Flower will be last, flower very fragile."

Oh, well now Egil just felt a bit silly. Why had he assumed he would have to go right from rocks to flowers? Ah, the curse of jumping to conclusions just a bit too often… Something he truly needed to work on.

"I'm a bit nervous to touch your animals, but… I understand." He nodded. "That plan… sounds lovely. Thank you, Oka."

"Oka happy to help!" She smiled. "After all, Egil need more help than most…"

He frowned at that. "What is that supposed to mean, hm?"

"Nothing bad! Oka just make observation!" And with that, she fled before Egil could truly start an interrogation. Smart Nopon...