"Tell me, Alvis." Kallian sat on the steps of an important-looking Homs building, looking out across the Colony. "Is it truly alright for you to be here?"

"Hm?" Alvis had his hand on his hip, barely glancing at Kallian. "What do you mean, my prince?"

"You are the Seer, your job is to serve the acting regent, is it not?" His voice was quiet, and he wrung his hands together. "Should you not be with Melia? She could likely use your help!"

He didn't want to admit it, not outloud, but he was worried about the girl. She had looked so firm in her beliefs, so ready to rule… And Minister Lorithia was at her side, of course, but… She wasn't even ninety yet! Leaving her without the help of a Seer just seemed wrong to him.

He wanted to order Alvis to go back, to do his job and assist Melia. But… that would be selfish, wouldn't it? Egil was clearly important to Alvis, important enough for him to leave his post more than once for the Machina. It would be wrong for him to tear Alvis from that…

"Ah, I suppose I should. I apologize, Prince Kallian. I have been… selfish." Alvis sighed and Kallian's attention was pulled back to the current conversation. "I simply wish to see Egil and how he grows, and I completely forgot my duties due to that."

"No worries, I do understand that." He sighed, looking out at the Colony once more. "But as the prince, I am unsure if I should simply accept that or not."

"Then perhaps think of it as you are my friend." Alvis spoke softly, moving to sit next to him. "I want… to stay with Egil, as long as I possibly can. Please, Prince… no, just Kallian, allow me that time with him."

Kallian closed his eyes, letting out a bit of a sigh. Alvis had never been so frank about his feelings like that before. Egil was having a real effect on him, a good effect, though, if you asked Kallian. It was nice, seeing Alvis open up a bit like this.

And maybe that was why he put his own feelings to the side for now. He wanted his friend to be able to experience the emotions of love and care like this, even if it meant he left himself a bit more nervous. Melia… he would just have to trust she would be fine. She was young, but capable.

"I can allow that. There's plenty of time for you to make up for your slacking when this is all over, wouldn't you say?" He chuckled, a smile on his face.

Alvis gave a tight, forced smile, but nodded. "Of course, when all is said and done there will be… plenty of time for me to make up for everything."

"I'm glad you see it that way." He really was, though… he wished Alvis would be a bit more open about his real feelings on matters other than Egil. But that? That would be something to work on another time.


Vanea running up to Egil was never a sight he enjoyed, for one reason or another. And this time? It was definitely because of how panicked she looked, Linada and Sharla following shortly behind her. Something had happened, he could tell that much before she even grasped his arm, and whatever it was, it was bad.

He put his hand on her shoulder, concern coming onto his face as he looked down at her. "Vanea, what is it?"

"It's Juju, Sharla's younger brother…" Vanea swallowed hard. "He… he ran off, towards the mines they have here!"

"Gadolt and I got in a fight about the Machina, and insisted I was crazy to trust you… Juju got scared and ran off…" Sharla spoke up, voice shaking a bit. "The Ether Mines are full of glitching Mechon, we pushed them back there to be safe… But now he's the only one in there and…"

She broke down into sobs, Linada rubbing her back and frowning, looking to Egil with a look that told him all he needed to know. She wanted to go after the boy, and honestly? Egil couldn't blame her, not fully.

If it had been a Machina child to wander off into glitching Mechon, especially if it was…

No! Now was not the time to think like that! They needed to get to Shulk, before he could be consumed by Zanza and before the tragedy of the past was repeated! He felt bad for this boy, but there was no real time to waste on him. They had to keep moving forward!

"I apologize for what happened, truly, but… There isn't much we can do." He ignored the look he could feel on his back from Oka. "We need to move on as quickly as possible."

"The problem is, as long as Juju is down there…" Sharla swallowed hard. "I'm not sure anyone will let you out of Colony 6. Please, just… save him. Then you can be on your way, I'll make sure of it."

"Egil…" Oka spoke, voice quiet. "Oka think we should help Sharla. Sharla give us benefit of doubt, should do same for Sharla."

Egil sighed, knowing she was right. If they couldn't get out without saving the boy, and Sharla had already given them the benefit of the doubt… "I suppose we have no real choice. We will go find your brother and bring him home safely, if at all possible."

"Thank you." Sharla placed a hand to her chest, a shaky smile on her face. "I'll explain to the guards outside that that's where you're going. Come on, then, follow me."


Staring out across the plains of the Bionis, Egil was in awe. It looked so similar to the shoulder as it had been when he visited Arglas, and yet so… different. So unique. He supposed that made sense, just as the Mechonis's various areas looked different from one another.

It was hard, though, putting this into context. The people who lived on his very enemy, on the titan he feared, lived lives similar to his own. With their own areas to explore and their own relationships to be had.

That was hard for him to accept, knowing the truth. For so long he had diluted himself into seeing them as bugs, as Zanza would. Had diluted himself into thinking their lives held little meaning because of the reason they were created. He had even believed that, deep down, as he travelled with Bionis life.

A breath caught in his throat as he stared out. Just how much had he not understood by pulling into himself and his grief?

"Egil." Alvis's voice was quiet, soft. "Come on, then. We should move on."

"Yes… you're right." He nodded, shaking off the feelings for now. "We do not have time to waste."