Been a while hasn't it, I don't know if I'm back for good, but I assure everyone I am not dead, I've just had the worst case of writer's block in history. that being said let's start the show

Chapter 1: Encounters

"Hear… feel…" a young hyur with spiky brown hair heard as he drifted through a void of calming blue light. He walked towards a single mote of light that stood out to him when suddenly a black vortex appeared out of nowhere and from it, came a man wearing a black robe with metal adornments and a red mask that covered the top half of his face. "Hear… feel… think," The sun-like mote moved so that it was in front of the young man along with a second emerald green mote. The motes began to increase in intensity as the man was enveloped by light, when the light died down, he was wearing a set of regal white and blue armor, and two beings were beside him. One was enveloped by a fierce yet comforting fire and the other, in a strong yet protective light. In his hands were two swords that radiated the same energy. He raised them high in the air before running forward to slash the masked individual.

Rex Meteor was doing ok for himself. When he arrived in the desert city of Ul'dah two weeks ago, he would have never imagined he'd be where he is now; between defeating a voidsent and rescuing a noble from the city, the young man had begun to earn himself a reputation as a budding adventurer in the land he called home. He even earned enough of a reputation to catch the attention of the Flame General Raubahn Aldynn and was called on to essentially help plan a memorial for the calamity of the red moon of Dalamud's fall and subsequent release of the elder primal, Bahamut. He subsequently learned that the lalafel noblewoman he helped ended up being the Sultana Nanamo Ul Namo, ruler of Ul'dah.

Now, however, the young man was on his way to the port city of Limsa Lominsa via airship to help with a request put forward to him by the city's branch of the Adventurer's Guild located in the Drownin' Wench, a bar/inn that served as the main social hub of the city populated by various assortments of individuals, ranging from Sea Wolf Roegadyn, Miqo'te, Hyur, and some scattered Nopon traders and merchants. However, Rex had come to the Wench for one reason. He heard of the request put forth by the establishment's proprietor, Baderon Tenfingers "Hey there," Rex said trying to get the attention of the man.

"Welcome to the Drownin' Wench!" the man said with a heavy accent typical of the region. "You're free to sit wherever you like, lad. I'll be with ye in a—"

"I'm looking for Baderon," Rex said cutting off the bartender. "A member of the Twin Serpent informed me that the owner of this place had a job for any willing adventurer."

"Ye be looking for me then, lad," Baderon said, "Unfortunately, some… complications have recently reared their head regarding this job."

"Don't tell me. Someone already took care of it?" Rex asked, dreading the thought that a nice paycheck had been swiped from him.

"No, the request is still there," Baderon said reassuringly, "but something happened, and the reward just got doubled."

"Doubled!" Rex exclaimed.

"It's more like a second client showed up."

"That's a bit unusual?" Rex questioned, tempering his excitement.

"It's unheard of is what it is!" Baderon grumbled. "Those damn Serpent Reavers went and filched from some hotshots bankrolled by some Nopon merchant, not a single newbie's been willing to give the job side-eye."

"Hey, I'm not about to look a gift Chocobo in the mouth," Rex said confidently.

"You'll just head in there without hearing what the job entails?" Baderon asked skeptically.

"Oh right," Rex said sheepishly.

"Are you sure you're up to this boyo?" the proprietor asked, crossing his arms, and questioning his city leader's judgment in favoring the boy. "Well, if the leaders of the Grand Companies are willing to vouch for you as they have. Surely you must have a modicum of skill. Anyroad, normally even without the circumstances being what they are now, an excursion into Sastasha would already be a job requiring four adventurers, at least. But the clients have insisted that they delve into those twelve-forsaken caverns themselves. They merely ask that an adventurer accompany them to help inspect the ship they commissioned to be salvaged."

"I'm guessing that's why they put their coin on top of whatever was being offered," Rex said, putting two and two together.

"Spot on observation there," Baderon praised. "The only other stipulation they had was that they size up anyone who wanted the job personally."

"Alright then, let's get things started then," Rex said excitedly. Baderon then put a finger to his ear to activate his linkpearl and began talking. He told the person on the other end to inform the clients they had someone willing to work for them.

A moment later, a group of five appeared from the inn entrance, immediately catching Rex's attention, "Drivers…" he thought out loud. "And…Blades?!"

The three drivers were Hyur, and the two Blades were very inhuman. The three Hyurs consisted of a well-built man with shoulder-length white hair, fair skin, and blue eyes wearing white and silver clothes, a white horned half-mask, and armor with a long nodachi on his back. The second man of the group was a man who could easily be mistaken for a small Roegadyn with how built he was. His face was very angular with a strong jawline and grey eyes. He had short black hair that spiked upwards towards the center of his head. He wore a black bodysuit that showed off his physique. He was also covered in Far-Eastern-style plate armor that was in various shades of black and gold. The final human of the group was a pale-skinned woman with long black hair and grey eyes. She wore a grey Far-Eastern style coat with grey floral patterns on the hem, along with a pair of red and black armored boots with 6-inch geta soles, and thigh-high stockings.

The other two could only be Blades given their inhuman appearance. The one following the woman looked like a mannequin with white plate armor for skin, an extra set of arms attached to his back and a red cloth draped over his shoulders and waist. While the Blade following the man in black looked almost like a smooth, hornless Amalj'aa and thus reptilian in appearance. Though, while the Amalj'aa were built for power, this Blade looked like he was built for speed and quick movement. He had black scale skin and black armor covering him, and a pair of silver mandibles for his jaw.

"So," the man in black said, pointing a critical eye toward Rex. "This is the kid that caught the attention of the Admiral, the Flame General, and the Elder Seedseer?"

"Easy," the silver-haired man said. "Please, forgive my friend's bluntness, we've just been anxious due to what happened. You see, we had commissioned a group of salvagers to bring a sunken ship from the early Sixth era that I and my associates have been searching for. However, once they did, the Serpent Reavers decided to show up and claim the ship as their own."

"I guess that means the original mission was simply to find the reavers and take them out?" Rex asked, turning to Baderon.

"Good guess laddie." The man answered. "The whoresons had been working with the Sahagin in the Sastasha Caverns to keep going about the old pirating ways since before Admiral Merlwyb came into power." He said, referring to how Admiral Merlwyb outlawed all pirating except against the invaders from the Garlean Empire. "The original job was brought to the Guild by Commodore Hansred in response to a string of raids they committed across La Noscea, killing half the villagers and taking the women as slaves."

"Personally speaking, I wanted to go in there without a care in the world to get back what they stole!" The woman said. "But our fearless leader didn't want to step on any toes."

"I merely wanted to be prepared for when we went inside the ship proper," the masked man said. "Simple pirates and Sahagin would pose no threat to us. The ship, on the other hand, is an unknown, and I'd prefer to be prepared for whatever may be inside."

"So, you thought you'd commission the Guild for help?" Rex guessed

"More specifically, we agreed to take on the original job in return for assistance with an initial inspection of our quarry once the initial job was finished. But Guild regulations prevented us from heading in without a fourth individual from The Guild since Blades don't take an active part in combat, since they give their weapons to their Drivers, along with supplying them ether."

"Sounds easy enough," Rex said confidently. "Alright, then I'll take the job."

"Seriously," the woman scoffed. "Jin, that scare tactic was pathetic. We need real muscle, not some half-pint playing at being a hero."

That ticked Rex off "What in the seven hells! You asked The Guild for help, and I want to help. Is that so wrong?" Any other half-rate adventurer would use what Rex had done in the last few weeks to prop themselves up as if they were The Twelve's gift to man. But Rex was different, simply wanting to help people for the sake of it; a true budding representative of what the Guild stood for. But even his thick skin had its limits.

"Easy Patroka." The man in black said. "The kid is earnest, I like that." His words made Rex ease up a bit. "Though I do see your point. In any case, it should be easy enough to make sure." Faster than anyone could process a bladed tonfa, no doubt his Blade's weapon, was in his hands, Rex quickly swerved out of the way to avoid the attack.

The man jumped back, giving Rex time to draw his sword and shield. The man leaped forward again, and Rex held up his shield, blocking the strike, and was pushed back. Rex leaped forward himself, bringing his sword down, and clashing with the large weapon before the young Hyur was pushed away. "What are you playing at!?" He demanded.

"Malos, are you seriously getting a kick out of fighting with some young punk?" Patroka asked, condescendingly.

"You said it yourself, Patroka, we need capable hands," Malos said, casually.

"Enough!" Baderon shouted. "No fighting inside the bar. Either settle the deal or get out before I call the Yellowjackets on your arses!"

"Fine," Malos said. The aether glow vanished from his weapon, signaling its deactivation. "Besides, now we know. You'll do right enough. Let me guess, Gladiator Guild?"

"That, and a bit of training from back home," Rex said, sheathing his sword and putting his shield on his back.

"Well then, kid, you better work hard." The five of them then headed out. To search for a ship heading close to their destination.

"I won't kick you out since he threw the first punch. But make sure this doesn't happen again boyo." Baderon sighed.

"Right, sorry about that," Rex said, scratching the back of his head in embarrassment. "If it's alright with you, I'd like to talk to the Commodore who got everything rollin'. Get that part of the story from him."

"Diligent aren't ye? Aye, then, I'll call him over."

Towards the far end of the pub, a white-haired Miqo'te woman was nursing a cup of tea before bringing a finger to her ear. "Tataru, patch me through to Nia?" she requested.

After waiting for a second, a new voice came into her ear. "What's up, Shtola?" a brash female voice asked.

"I found them!" the woman said. "They seem to be after something, and they hired the adventurer Thancred had his eye on."

"Tell me where to meet up and I'll be there as soon as I can scrounge up enough Gil." The voice on the other end said.

"Based on their conversation, they'll be meeting up at Aleport in Western La Nocea." The woman said. "Find a secluded spot and wait for me so that you aren't recognized."

"On it, Dromarch, and I will see you there." And with that, the line went silent.

"Now what can you be planning, Torna?"

[Later in Western La Noscia]

The sun was beginning to set as the ship the rag-tag group was sailing on arrived at Aleport, a small port settlement built into the cliff face. In the center of the white stone docks was a statue of Llymlaen, the Navigator, the patron deity of all who partake in the Isle of Vylbrand's maritime trade, depicting her praying for safe travels.

"I'm going to go attune to the aetheryte quick," Rex said to his clients, running off to the large floating crystal a few steps north of Llymlaen's statue.

"They just let anyone in at the Adventurer's Guild, don't they," Pahtroka said, bored.

"Now, now Pahtroka, we already paid for his service, best to make the most use of him," Malos said.

"It's a simple job. All we need to do is collect what the Reavers took and then we'll never have to see him again," Jin said logically. "Still, to find the right kind of person off the bat is good fortune."

"Wait, seriously?" Pahtroka said, flabbergasted.

"It's no surprise you didn't notice. Only Jin and I know what to look for," Malos said before catching himself. "Or rather, we understand the quality of the person we need better than most. After all, we knew the one who's responsible for all of the hoops we have to jump through."

At the same time, Rex was walking up to the Plaza when he noticed too late that someone was teleporting in and bumped into them, causing the two of them to fall over. "Ow, ow, ow…" a female voice grunted as the owner rubbed her head.

"Sorry 'bout that," Rex said scrambling to his feet to offer the girl a hand up.

That's when he got a good look at her. She was a Miqo'te woman, judging by her feline ears and tribal marks. She had short, chin-length silver-grey hair with two locks tied together, framing her face. Her eyes were amber-colored. She had three traditional whisker-like marks on her face: two on her jawline and one in the middle of her forehead. Her outfit consisted of a one-piece yellow jumpsuit with bits of armor on her wrists, shoes, and chest area. A belt hung lazily on her hips that had holsters for a set of knives. A red-trimmed white scarf/hood with cat ears on top hung around her neck to complete the ensemble.

"Do you need a hand?" Rex said holding out his hand to help her up.

"I'll be fine." She said sitting up on her own.

"My lady, I suggest we make haste." A dignified voice interjected, making Rex realize that the girl was not the only one who had come through the Aetheryte network. Accompanying the young woman, was a large white tiger with grey stripes, wearing white battle armor on his chest and legs. The glow on said armor indicated that he was a Blade.

"Yeah, I know, Dromarch." The girl said to her partner. She then put on her hood, mounted her Blade, like a Chocobo, and rode away, leaving Rex bewildered.

"Well, that was something." He spoke before directing his attention back toward the large crystal. "Better finish up and get on over." He said, sending his aether towards the spire to register himself with it.

[Sastasha—depths]

If Rex could describe his trek through the oceanic caverns of Sastasha it would be beautiful but uneventful. Walking through the sea caves was no issue for the group. Though, that was mostly due to his companions being just that competent as a group of fighters. The three drivers had worked together for a long time judging by how synchronized their movements were. Only someone who bore one of the famed soul crystals could compete with their strength. "You guy's made this place look like a walk in the park." Rex complimented.

"Flattery will get you nowhere, kid." Malos scoffed. "Now, since the Sahagin dragged our good Captain Madison into the briny deep, looks like it's up to us to search for our lost vessel."

"Let's split up. Since we took care of the crew stationed here it should be safe to investigate without too much trouble," Jin said.

"Ugh, yawn…" Patrokha whined, walking off to who knows where.

"Not very motivated, is she?" Rex noticed.

She's an acquired taste, but you learn to live with it." Malos said, following her lead to search the nearby caverns.

"Hey Jin, just putting it out there." Rex started, "But could it be possible that the Reavers already nicked everything."

"Most likely not," Jin answered. "At least, not the item we're looking for." He then went off on his own as well.

"I wonder what that means?" Rex thought to himself, as he went off in the last possible direction so that they could cover as much ground as possible.

As he continued, Rex, his sword and shield drawn in case something were to appear, spotted a few possible options for where the Revers might have stored the ship his companions were looking for. However, something happened that stopped Rex in his tracks. A flash of a migraine set in, and he felt his mind go… somewhere else.

Rex remembered this feeling. For the past few days, he'd been getting intense headaches and then he would start seeing events that he wasn't present for. This time his visions had him following the pirate captain that he had just finished dealing with: Captain Madison. The only reason Rex recognized the man was that he had been fighting him not even 5 minutes ago. As for what he was doing. The man was simply walking through one of the many caves of Sastasha. Rex didn't know why he was seeing this, but he had no real way to stop. So, he decided to simply let things play out.

After a few seconds of being figuratively dragged around by the Reaver captain, they reached their destination at the edge of a large lake. After a second something began to breach the water. It was a massive metal ship covered in moss. The lack of light was making the hull look black. After it settled in a metal net to keep it suspended out of the water, a group of Sahagin walked out of the water. The humanoid fishmen walked up to Madison and began to speak "Thissss ssssship is a bad omen. It reeksssss of misfortune and death."

"That just makes it a better mark. Once we plunder it for all it's worth, we'll be rolling in Gil," Madison said, with greed in his eyes. "Who knows what could be inside this beauty?"

"We have our compact, human." The Sahagin leader said. "But you sssshall receive no asssssistance from oursssss"

"Fine by me. I doubt you fish-faces would know a core crystal from a barnacle." The captain insulted earning a hiss from the Sahagin. It was at this point that the vision began to fade.

Rex opened his eyes and, realizing he saw what they were looking for, he began to follow the path that he saw. If for no other reason, than to confirm if the ship was where he saw it. Thankfully, it was. He then reached for his ear to turn on his linkpearl, "Everyone, I found it. Meet me back at the start and I'll show you the way.

After meeting back up, Rex led them back to the lake. "Nice work, kid," Malos said. "And quick. How'd you find it so fast? We weren't even separated for 30 minutes, and you found it on your first try."

"I dunno really, just lucky I guess," Rex said, unsure how to explain his vision.

"I'll admit, I'm impressed," Patrohka said. "What do you guys say we crack this bad boy open and see what's inside before the Yellowjackets get here."

"Sounds good to me," Jin said, as he scanned the room. "First thing we need to do is find the controls for the net so that we can lower the ship. There." He spotted a winch nearby.

"I'm on it," Rex said heading over to the winch, only for Malos to push him back.

"Leave this to me, kid, we need muscle, not speed." The large man said, causing Rex to grumble. Malos then operated the device, lowering the ship enough for them to enter via a ladder on the side of the hull. "Now, let's get to it. You go first." He said to Rex. The six of them started to climb the hull and after about 5 minutes they reached the deck and turned to the back of the ship, where the doors that led further into the ship were located.

A thump was heard, and the metal doors began to warp. Then another bang, denting it further. Finally, a large white isopod broke through the door and began attacking the group, "What the, where did you come from?!" Rex exclaimed drawing his sword and shield on instinct.

"The ship must have become a nest of creatures over all these years," Jin said, drawing his sword. "All the disturbances it's been experiencing must have agitated the wildlife beyond belief."

"Doesn't matter in the slightest," Malos said, already holding Sever's tonfa sword as it glowed with aether energy, while Patrokha fired up Perdido's aether cannon, at the same time. Perdido was drawing a bunch of Blade weapons in each of his hands, a katana, an ax, a lance, and a hammer.

The three sword wielders ran to strike the large crustacean, finding its shell rather tough on impact, all while Patrokha fired at their opponent without a care for their safety.

"Whoa, what the…? Why is she trying to hit us suddenly?!" Rex exclaimed, trying to dodge her shots.

"Oh Great, something pissed her off," Malos said, striking the monster again.

"It could be a good thing," Jin said taking more slices when he could, "It means that she's putting more energy into her attacks."

True to Jin's prediction, Patrokha called out to her Blade, "Perdido!" she threw her weapon into the air and got out of the way of Perdido's line of fire as he slammed his hammer on the ground. The Blade's attack sent a fissure of aether at their opponent, exploding as the attack reached the unsuspecting isopod, and striking its soft underbelly. The final strike was enough to kill the monster, instantly. "And that's one pest down." She said, slinging the cannon back over her shoulder.

As the group settled down, Rex was in awe at seeing just how strong the Drivers were. "Whoa, so that's what Drivers are capable of?" Rex said feeling like a fifth wheel.

"Come on. We don't have time to dawdle," Jin said curtly, as everyone began to file into the ship.

"Right," Rex said, as he caught up with them.

Once again, Jin's assessment of the situation was correct. The interior of the ship was utterly infested with aquatic beasts from crabs to floating jellyfish, and other deep-sea creatures, some of which seemed to have begun to mutate due to the lingering effects of the Calamity five years ago.

"So, where do we go from here?" Rex asked.

"We're looking for something in particular," Jin answered. "Our best course of action is to simply go down and see what's there."

"Alright then, let's get to it," Rex said. The group began their descent into the ship's bowels. They traveled along the steel grating. The ship's design seemed off to Rex. There wasn't much talk about metal ships among sailors. Mostly, because it didn't seem practical. He would have thought that it was Allagan, but Jin made a point to mention it being from the sixth era and it didn't seem to fit the aesthetic of the empire either. Feeling a little bold, Rex decided to prod a little. "So, how did you all find out about this ship?"

"Our organization has been searching for this ship's cargo for a long time," Jin answered quickly. "It was a prototype based on uncovered Allagan blueprints. However, its maiden voyage ended up being the last, as its country of origin was wiped out."

"Really?" Rex wondered. After a bit, they found a console and the device that seemed to power it. Everything seemed to still be in good condition from the outside, so Rex decided to look at it to see if it was still usable.

"Well?" Malos asked.

"Seems to be in working order," Rex said, standing up from examining the device. "All it needs is some fuel. And, if what Jin said is correct, they probably didn't use all of it before sinking."

"Then the hunt is on," Malos said as the group started to look around for the fuel repository. Eventually, they found a bank of tubes full of yellow liquid that looked like they were designed to fit in the holes in the device. All but one tube was empty.

"What is this stuff?" Rex wondered, picking the lone cylinder up. "It's not cerulium, that's for sure."

"It's emitting pure aether," Jin said, getting a good feel for the substance. "Yet its composition is entirely liquid."

"Truly fascinating, but unfortunately we're going to have to put it to use to move on," Malos said flatly.

"Right," Rex said putting the cylinder in a pouch on his belt.

The group found their way back to the device and console and inserted the fuel cell into the machine. The machinery retracted instantly, and the tube it was connected to lit up, bringing the console online with it. "I guess that means we're getting close to the end," Rex said. He proceeded to activate the device, opening a set of doors. Thus, allowing further access to the ship.

Unfortunately, their path was blocked by a rather large monster. Its general body shape resembled that of a shark with green and black skin. However, the addition of a set of clawed front limbs signified that it was a separate creature entirely: an Aligo.

"Looks like we won't be getting past without a fight," Rex said as everyone drew their weapons. "Let's show him a thing or three." He said as he ran forward to put his training at the Gladiator's Guild to work. He performed a double slice across the beast's hide, then a forward thrust, which, while it didn't pierce the beast, still left a good gash across its snout. It may not have done a ton of damage, but it did what he wanted it to do: keep its attention on him alone so that the others could be free to do more substantial damage.

Jin's sword cut into the beast's flesh much easier than the simple sword Rex wielded, a true testament to his sword's quality. Meanwhile, as always, Malos and Patrokha's Blade weapons were doing significant damage to their opponent, bringing their foe closer to defeat.

"Spiral Savate" Malos roared out. The man jumped into a spin in mid-air and brought the weapon's edge down on the Aligo, only for the beast to spin afterward knocking them all away. The battle continued like this for a bit. Patrokha kept getting in potshots until Malos finally had enough "Urgh, persistent bastard! Jin, end this now!"

"Alright then!" Jin said calmly, holding his sword pointed at the ground. He then began to perform a kata, moving the sword around himself in a circular motion, the sword leaving after-images as it did. "Empty Moment!" he yelled, dealing a devastating strike to the Aligo, killing it instantly.

Not even giving the rookie adventurer a moment to breathe, the two older men faced the wall opposite where they came in. "Jin, check this out," Malos said, crossing his arms. "There it is. Addam's crest."

The way he said that caught Rex's attention as he looked at the emblem engraved onto a panel in the center of the wall. 'Addam's crest? What does that mean?'

"You," Jin said curtly. "Open this door. It'll only respond to someone like you."

"What are you talking about?" Rex said the uneasy feeling he was getting from the Drivers was starting to scream at the back of his mind.

"Hurry up and do it!" Malos growled. "We're not paying you to ask dumb questions."

"What the hell?" Rex said, indignantly "You can't treat hired hands like that." At the reminder that he was being paid, Rex reluctantly did as he was told and went over to the door. "Now then, how do we open this thing?" He then noticed, on closer inspection, that the piece of metal the crest was carved on was a different type than the rest of the door and he decided to simply give it a push, causing it to glow.

That did the trick as the door separated into three sections retracting. "So that was a release toggle." He said, feeling proud of himself and he began to move further into the ship's hold. He then noticed that the others weren't following him and looked back. "You guys comin'?" He asked.

"Open that door, too," Jin said, pointing to the wall, or rather door, that had the same mark on it. Rex pressed the symbol again causing the same result to happen. "Let's move," he said, as they finally began to catch up to Rex, the adventurer running on ahead to see what awaited them.

After passing through several archways, Rex finally saw the figurative light at the end of the misty tunnel. "What is that?" He wondered. It was a pedestal surrounded by a light source. In the center of the pedestal was a large pillar, the side facing the door was flat, and covered with engravings. In the center of the pillar was what looked like a glass coffin. The occupant was a woman with fiery red hair, with a chin-length bob. She was wearing a gold tiara with a green triangle-shaped gem in the crown's center, and a pair of green star-shaped earrings. She wore red armor with a gold accent and green ether lines signifying that she might be a Blade. 'Might', being the operative word, due to not having a Driver, yet still having a physical body. Though the green cross-shaped jewel below her collarbone suggested otherwise. The rest of her outfit consisted of a pair of red shoes and gloves, each one having a flap that was decorated with more green gems. She also wore a pair of red, thigh-high leggings with green ether lines at the hem. Connected to the back of her outfit, at the neck, was a pair of capes that draped on either side of her. The one on her right had a green X along the length and the one on her left had a single line.

In front of the coffin was a red sword. It was very asymmetrical in how it was built. It had a handguard that curved up into the rest of the sword, with the back of the sword having three sets of spines. Just above the handle was the same green cross-shaped crystal the girl had.

"It's a… girl?" Rex said, captivated and surprised by what he saw. He then noticed that the gem in the sword was beginning to glow, catching his attention. As if the weapon was calling to him, Rex slowly began to extend his hand toward the jewel. Unaware that the others were behind him.

"Look," Malos whispered to Jin.

"Yes. No mistaking it." Jin said. "That's the Aegis."

"So, that's what all this was about," Patrokha smirked.

They noticed that Rex was about to touch the sword, eliciting a furious reaction from Malos. "Hey, brat!" he shouted, trying to get the adventurer's attention. "Don't even think about touching that!" He caught Rex's attention, but it was too late, his finger had already brushed the crystal, releasing a flash of green light, surprising him.

That's what sealed his fate. Faster than anyone could process, Jin grabbed his sword and practically teleported behind the boy, the sword running him through the instant he appeared again. "B-but…why?" Rex gargled out as his vision began to fade.

"Don't take it personally," Jin said without remorse. "It's an act of mercy. At least you won't be alive to see what's coming." He withdrew his sword, leaving the boy to his collapse. He then swung his sword again, shattering the red weapon.

"Ugh." Malos groaned. "What a waste of time. Let's ship out the Aegis." He said as he began walking towards the coffin. "Patrokha, call the Monoceros!"

[?]

Rex woke up in a grassy field unsure of how he got there, the sound of a bell chiming through the air. As he stood up, he saw that he was in the middle of a meadow with a clear blue sky and a single tree off in the distance, the faint silhouette of the girl he saw earlier beneath it. 'Nothing else here. Maybe she knows what's going on.' Rex got close enough that he was in earshot. "Um, excuse me?"

"It's a mournful sound…" she said solemnly, staring out into the distance, confusing Rex. "It hasn't stopped. Not…Not in all these years."

"Hasn't stopped?" Rex wondered. "You mean that bell sound? Are we somewhere in Gridania? Where…are we?"

"This is…Paradise." The girl said. "The land where, long ago, mankind was the shepherds of the star. Its where… 'We' were born."

"I'm not sure I understand what you mean," Rex said quizzically, reaching the apex of the hill, and seeing the vast, untouched, open landscape in the distance. He then decided to look the girl in the face, getting a good look at her, and seeing that she had kind, red eyes. "Is that a Core Crystal? So, you are a Blade."

"My name is Pyra." She introduced.

"Oh, right," Rex said, getting bashful. "M-Mine is…"

"I know you." She interrupted gently. "You're Rex, right?"

"How did you…know my name?"

"Just now, when we came into contact…"

"Just now?" Rex said, unsure of himself, looking around at the scenery. "Sorry…I can't seem to remember how I got here."

"You were…killed," Pyra said, hesitantly. "Stabbed through the heart by Jin."

That brought it all back to Rex. "Jin. Through the…?" he then covered his mouth, a surge of bile threatening to come out of his mouth, his eyes shrinking in panic. "I remember now! That bastard stabbed me! I knew I should have turned around the moment they started acting suspicious. Who knows what those psychopaths will do!" He began to run down the hill, not thinking straight. "I got to warn the Grand Companies! No, wait! I can't do anything if I'm dead! Seven Hells, if I wasn't dead, I'd kick their arses!"

After a moment of hesitation on her part, Pyra approached the young adventurer. "Rex, I have a request. Can you… take me to this place?"

"What do you mean?" Rex said, questioning Pyra's mental state.

"This world is merely a memory." She corrected. "An ancient, half-forgotten memory of what once was. The real Paradise lies in your world. I don't know where it is, but all I can remember is a voice that says to 'follow the will of the star'."

"Memory?" Rex said, piecing everything together. "So, this is basically an illusion? But how can I help you? I'm dead, remember."

After a pause, Pyra gave her response. "I will give you half of my life force. That way…you can be revived…as my Driver. As the Driver of the Aegis." She put her hand near her Core Crystal as it began to pulse and glow.

"The Driver… of the Aegis?" Rex said in surprise. he knew that Drivers had to have a kind of aptitude to be one, but he was never brave enough to try and test to see if he had the potential. "But what does—?"

"What will you do, Rex?" She asked.

"Is this place really your home?"

"It is."

"And it really exists?"

"Rex, I know what you're thinking, and you are correct." She responded to the unspoken question. "If we find this place, we will be able to save countless lives on the star."

"We…wouldn't have to live…in fear." Rex wondered out loud. A determined smirk spread across his face. "Then there's only one choice." He began to sprint back towards Pyra. "I'm in. Let's go to Paradise! I'll take you there myself!" He finished with a pat on his chest.

"Thank you, Rex." She said lowering her hand so that it was below her Core Crystal. "Now, touch this and we can begin."

This took Rex aback at the way the request was worded before he saw the crystal's glow intensify. Collecting himself he reached out his hand and touched the jewel that was Pyra's essence. The results were instantaneous as Rex felt a rush of power flow into him from the girl, focusing on a spot in the center of his chest. And, as their surroundings began to fade the pair were engulfed in a flash of green ethereal fire.

[Ancient Ship]

All was quiet. Rex's body was laying where it fell, the tiny shards of Pyra's sword strewn around. Then, the formerly lifeless body began to rise as green aether particles started to form around Rex as he regained consciousness. A new X-shaped Core Crystal was now embedded in the center of his chest. The particles danced around the boy before he opened his hand, a copy of Pyra's Core Crystal appearing. Just as soon as it appeared, it flashed and a new copy of Pyra's sword had formed in his hand. With a flourish to his side, the sword split down the middle, a blade of aetheric fire spouting from the gap, with the same happening between the spines on the back of the sword. Rex, with a determined look on his face, opened his eyes and glanced upwards.

[Ancient Ship-deck]

Malos and his crew had finally reached the exit, topside, and were prepared to go on their merry way, nothing stopping them. However, "That's far enough, Torna!" a voice shouted as a group of soldiers made an appearance. Half of the group was wearing yellow jackets and half wearing red military uniforms, all with various weapons trained on the group. At the forefront of the group was a pair of Miqo'te, the girl Rex bumped into earlier. Her Blade was dutifully at her side.

The other, was a young woman with similar chin-length white hair and blue eyes, dressed in a white dalmatica with silver patterns and the mark of the Circle of Knowing on her left arm. She wore blue trousers, and black ankle boots and had a lens-like device around her neck as well as an Archon mark tattooed on the side of her neck. "The Admiral sends her regards." The woman in white said.

"Looks like we were found out," Malos said, slightly annoyed. "Hello again, Nia. How's the life of a traitor."

"Better now that I got a clear conscience you monster!" Nia growled out. "Let's do this, Y'shtola!"

"Wait, Nia," Y'shtola said. "There was an adventurer with you. What happened to him?"

"If you're looking for that brat, he's down below, sleeping with the fishes." Malos taunted.

"My colleague is right you are a monster." The Archon spat.

"Patrokha, end them."

"Gladly." But before the woman could do anything, the coffin Malos was carrying burst into flames, catching everyone off guard.

"What the!" In his panic, Malos threw the coffin across the deck as it erupted into a pillar of flames. A single fireball escaped the pillar and landed on top of the threshold that the terrorists came out of. With an explosion, Pyra was revealed to the world, a piece of her Core missing in the shape of what was now on Rex's chest, while the pillar she created blasted a hole in the cave's ceiling.

Down below, the metal of the deck began to glow red, and a loud shout could be heard, piercing through the air. And, from the molten metal, a second fire pillar burst forth and out of it came Rex, landing in a crouch, and he was pissed.

"No way, that kid!" Nia exclaimed, never expecting the boy she met briefly to be the one Y'stola's comrades had their eye on.

"By The Twelve, is that who I think it is!" Y'shtola gasped.

"You!" Malos screamed indignantly. "And that sword. Can't be!"

"It's kind of low to stab a man in the back," Rex said as he pointed his new sword at the group. He was so focused on them that he didn't notice the group of soldiers. "You bloody psychopath! Pyra!" he shouted, calling to his new partner.

"Here!"

"Cover me!"

"Got it!" and with that Pyra jumped off her perch and followed closely behind Rex.

Seeing the threat Jin moved to grab his sword, but Malos stopped him. "Jin, leave 'em to me." Rex let loose a battle cry as he charged his murderers. But Malos' weapon lit up and he effortlessly blocked the attack. "Sorry, kid." Malos then pushed him away, Rex backflipping onto his feet. "I can't let the likes of you just claim her power for yourself. This is as far as it goes."

Once Pyra landed she began sprinting toward the fight only for Sever, Malos' Blade, to intercept her. "Aegis! Over here!"

"Why don't you guys just go away!" Rex grunted as he continued to clash with Malos. The difference in their skill was evident.

"Knock it off, Malos," Nia shouted, ready to throw her chakrams at any moment.

"You don't have any say in what we do, traitor." Malos seethed. "Besides, this kid has made himself the Aegis's Driver!"

'I knew it.' Y'shtola thought to herself.

"The Aegis's Driver?" Nia said, not understanding the whole picture.

As the fight went on, Malos effortlessly redirected the force Rex was using and began playing with him, swiping at him with enough force that, even when blocking with his weapon, it sent the adventurer flying. Next, he threw the weapon to Sever, and the Blade slashed into the air, sending an aether slash at the boy. Thankfully, Pyra intercepted the attack, creating an ether barrier to block the attack.

"Thanks, Pyra."

"You're welcome. Now, don't let up!"

"Right." The two dashed forward, Pyra protecting Rex with her barrier, allowing Rex to move forward unimpeded. With another battle cry, he clashed with Malos once again. "Everyone, get out of here, now!" That was all the incentive the weaker-willed soldiers needed, after seeing how intense this battle was, they fled the deck. The only two who remained were Nia and Y'shtola.

However, Malos worked to make sure there were no witnesses. "I don't think so!" his weapon straightened to a fine edge, planning to thrust forward, planning to send a blast of wind aether forward.

"Hey, you bully!" Rex said, distracting him. "Over here!" He then made an upward slash, letting loose a blast of fire aether at his opponent before he could hurt anyone.

With a grunt, Malos slashed the incoming blast, creating a blinding cloud of smoke. Using the distraction, Rex, Pyra by his side, jumped over the cloud. The two were holding onto their sword and were glowing with a golden light. The Driver/Blade pair raised the sword and began to emit a torrent of fire. "Burning Sword!" The two let loose a passionate cry as they brought the sword down on their opponent, resulting in a huge explosion, rocking the foundation of the cave.

Everyone left in the vicinity was left stunned at the display of synchronicity and power. Unfortunately, Malos was mostly unscathed, his weapon revealing a hidden feature to split open, becoming a shield. Using this, he caught Pyra's sword, softening the blow. "You brat." Malos said flatly "How can a nobody like you…? Ah, but with those eyes. I guess I should've been more wary from the start!"

"What d'you mean?" Rex grunted as he pushed his weight behind the sword.

"Like I'd tell you!" Malos said as dark energy began to form in his hand. He tried to swipe at his opponents, but Pyra saw the attack coming and pulled the duo away just in time.

The two pairs landed on the deck, the cave, and the ship ablaze from Pyra using her power. The gold energy dulled to a soft blue as the two fighters stared at each other. The four ran to meet each other, the Blades hanging behind so that they could focus on supplying their respective Driver with aether. Now that Rex had a cooler head, and the soldiers evacuate, he was putting his training at the Gladiator's Guild to better use. He forewent his shield since it wasn't designed with Driver combat in mind. Still, he was able to keep up with Malos. As he didn't need to worry about the shield, he wielded his sword with both hands, giving his attacks more strength behind them. He moved fast and proceeded to slash the black Driver twice in the side.

He dodged under Malos's strikes, staying in close to keep the pressure going. He kept clashing with the man, getting in shots where he could since it was clear the man had more skill and experience than him. It was only thanks to Pyra sending aether to him that he was even finding as many openings as he did. As the fight went on, he was feeling more and more power build up inside of him. 'Rex, pass me my weapon!' Pyra called out through their ether link.

"Right then!" He said, tossing the sword to Pyra, a barrier formed around him so that he wouldn't be hurt while the sword was not in his possession.

With Blade in hand, Pyra spun around, her sword spinning around her. "Flame Nova!" she shouted as a ring of fire burst from the sword at Malos, dealing a strong blow to him as the Aegis sword went back to her Driver so that he could continue his assault.

Responding, Malos did the same with his Blade, Sever, sending a miniature tornado at Rex, the sheer wind cutting him all over. "Storm Edge!"

Even with Pyra enhancing him, Rex was still being weighed down by his armor. He couldn't move as fast as a sword like Pyra's required him to. And he certainly was not moving in a way that meshed with the training he had received. Then an idea struck. "Pyra, how small can you make that shield of yours?" Rex asked quickly.

Realizing what he had in mind, Pyra began to generate a smaller version of the shield she had been creating that formed around his forearm. It felt weird, since, by being made of energy, it had no weight, but it was enough for Rex to start relying on his training.

"Cute trick," Malos said. "But it won't help you!" He made another swipe at Rex with his weapon. However, the adventurer's idea worked, keeping the sword in place so that he could easily parry Malos's weapon, throwing it to the side. The tide had shifted, and Rex was finally able to push Malos onto the backfoot, striking him again and again with his new sword.

"And again!" Rex tossed Pyra her sword again, meeting it in midair and bringing it down.

"Prominence Revolt!" This sent a fire shockwave at Malos, finally bringing him to his knees.

"Did we beat him?" Rex asked.

"Guess again brat!" Malos said, quickly getting back to his feet. "You're good, kid. It's no simple feat to control the Aegis like that." He complimented. Rex once again running at Malos. However, the more experienced driver summoned the same dark energy to his hand he had before. "However," he then used the dark energy to harmlessly catch the boy's new sword before punching him in the gut and tossing him to the side.

"Rex!" Pyra shouted as she evaded Sever's attacks, unable to help her driver.

"Don't get cocky, you little shit!" He then charged at Rex, with the intent to end this once and for all.

"Dromarch!" Nia shouted as she got on her Blade's back, the large white tiger taking off like a shot. Thanks to his better speed Dromarch was able to catch up to Malos and he let loose a roar that sent a shockwave of water aether to stop their enemy short. The pair continued their stride until they were in front of Rex.

"Out of the way, Traitor!" Malos said, venom in his voice. "This doesn't concern you!"

"I won't just stand by and let you kill him, Malos!" Nia said defiantly.

"I couldn't agree more, Nia," Y'shtola said as a ball of pulsing earth aether appeared in front of Malos. The mass exploded in front of him, sending him further back as the other woman also got in front of the adventurer. "This one has way too much potential for him to be killed by the likes of you."

"I don't think the two of you understand your position," Malos growled. "You're starting to piss me off!"

However, unseen by everyone, Pyra ran past the group to grab her sword. She made a sharp U-turn to jump at Malos. The black-clad man, for his part, raised his sword in its shield formation to block the aerial strike. After colliding, Pyra shifted her weight so that she was perpendicular to Malos, the man using his superior strength to push her off. He then charged at Pyra the two swinging their swords at blinding speeds, sending sparks all over the place. To get some distance, Pyra started backflipping as Malos began spinning, building up momentum. With enough momentum built up, Malos leaped forward to chase after the girl.

To distract him, Pyra threw fireballs at her opponent to obstruct his view once again. She leaped through the flames, locking her sword with Malos's in a reverse grip. "You're pretty sharp for someone who's just woken up." Malos taunted. The two Miqo'te were stunned by the acrobatic feat they witnessed; Nia was surprised that the red-headed girl could keep up with Malos as well as she was.

"Pyra!" Rex grunted out, still recovering from Malos's sucker punch.

"Takes me back to 1000 years ago," Malos said. "What's the deal with that appearance? I'm guessing your goal is Paradise."

"That…is our…dream!" Pyra shouted.

"Then I have no choice but to stop you!" Malos pushed Pyra back to throw a dark aether swipe. Fortunately, Pyra effortlessly jumped into the air and out of the way. However, the cave began to shake. Outside, a black-metal ship started to pepper the cliffside with bombardment.

A piece of falling debris fell near Pyra, throwing her back towards the center of the ship "No, Pyra!" Rex shouted as he sprinted to the girl's side. "Y'all right?" he asked, supporting her.

"More or less." She nodded.

"We have to get out of here!" Rex exclaimed.

"How?" Nia asked, panicked.

"Thankfully I saw the need for a quick getaway and made some calls," Y'shtola smirked, taking her hand away from her ear. "Our ride should be here shortly." The sound of a propeller moving at high speed was approaching from the side of the ship.

"Need a lift?" a voice shouted over the side closest to the group.

"Come on let's go!" Y'shtola called as she made a break for the edge of the deck, leaping over the side. Nia followed suit. Realizing they had no other options, Rex and Pyra dashed to the edge, jumping over the raised wall. Thankfully, they all landed where their getaway vehicle was parked. "Go. Now!"

"Right-o one getaway coming right up." The pilot said.

"Hang onto something, everyone!" the much larger co-pilot shouted as they took off out of the cave opening.

"Stop them! Open fire!" Malos shouted as the battleship started to fire at the boat. However, because of its size, the smaller boat was able to outmaneuver the shells fired at it.

"It's no use," Jin said, stopping Malos. "Whatever that boat was, it was too maneuverable for the Monoceros.

"Dammit!" Malos growled, punching his palm in frustration. "They gave us the slip."

After a brief pause, Jin spoke up again, "Turn around." He said, heading toward their ship.

"We're not following them?"

"The Aegis is awakened." He responded. "That's enough for now. I'll have Akhos hunt them down.

"Whatever. Waste of time." Patrokha dismissed.

Malos meanwhile, looked out at the sea, annoyed but accepting of the events that unfolded. "That will have to do…"