Despite the high hopes and Shulk's certainty, the plan failed. The next morning, three shuttles took to the the skies of the Eryth Sea, searching for the enigmatic Telethia. According to the sensors and cameras embedded in the Diamond City's defense system, all was well. She was safe; the creature had not been seen or detected. The Lighthouse had not been alerted either, which meant Melia was skirting the boundaries. And yet it had troubled Dunban. What if she had left the area and flown to Frontier Village or the Homs colonies, wreaking havoc there and making herself a target? If that were the case, Melia could soon be hunted by all of the peoples of the New World. And saving her would become almost impossible.
But, to his relief, they had found her floating some 50,000 feet above the ether pocket. His chest had tightened at the sight of her, green skin glittering in the sunlight. All the man wanted to do was reach out to her. But who knew if she could see him or hear him for that matter?
As Shulk had planned, the three shuttles stealthily surrounded her, using the sparse clouds as cover, and closed in. Just as the Telethia sensed them, each shuttle dropped a drone, creating and trapping the Telethia in a triangular electromagnetic field. Pulsing blue rays of light shot out of each drone, connecting them together, and an almost invisible shield rose up in a pyramid formation around the Telethia.
The plan was infallible. They were sure of it.
The Telethia had screeched in protest, the frequencies of her screams high-pitched with pain. The sounds tore at Dunban's heart. On one hand, he knew they needed to capture her to ensure her protection. On the other hand, the tormented cries urged him to protest and stop it at once. The last thing he wanted to do was cause her more pain than what she'd already experienced.
With a howl, the Telethia smashed into one of the drones, overwhelming it with a shockwave of electricity. The drone wavered in the air, and the blue and green lights of its machinery flickered. Then the lights died and the blue rays of electricity on either side disappeared. It fell, plunging down into the sea.
The shield had been broken.
With a shrill cry, she darted through the opening, her speed ever increasing as she flew away into the clouds, out of their grasp.
As the Telethia fled, Dunban felt his heart call to her silently. Ask her to turn around, come with them until they could find a cure. But it was not possible. It seemed that Melia was not in control of the beast, if she even existed any more.
Silently, the team flew back towards Alcamoth. Dunban found himself pacing around the cabin of the aircraft, his mind reeling about possible scenarios to catch her. But none proved practical in is mind. Every situation yielded a likelihood for her to escape, and that was not the desired outcome.
An hour later, the team regrouped in Melia's suite, attempting to pull together another course of action. Unanimously, they agreed they had underestimated the Telethia's abilities. An ordinary Telethia would not have been able to disrupt the magnetic force. They had to assume she had other abilities as well that would perhaps impede their goal. After a frustratingly unproductive session, the friends went their separate ways, hoping to come up with ideas in their sleep.
A few days passed, and finally another plan was formed.
Once again, Dunban was hopeful, and could feel the others' excitement. However, there was also a sense of anxiety in the air. In his gut, he knew, just as the others did, that they were running out of time. It would take but one glimpse of her by a High Entia or the city's defense system to bring the might of the High Entia race down upon her.
And so they carried out their plan.
But this one didn't pan out either. She flew from their clutches once more, disappearing into the blue sea of air.
As the sun set, taking all optimism with it, Dunban retired to his suite, face grim, stomach entangled. A wave of nausea overcame him. It had been five days since she had transformed. Five days of praying she wouldn't be discovered and hunted. Five days of keeping the lie that the Empress was ill and unable to leave her suite.
It was only a matter of time before people started asking questions about the Empress' health and why there were no updates on the status of her health.
When he collapsed into bed, Dunban wondered how she was feeling. Was she scared? Hopeless? Forlorn? Was the reason she fought so hard against them was to protect them from herself?
He had no answers. All of these thoughts were simply speculation. His fist crunched the bed sheet as memories floated to the surface of his mind. He knew her to be a person of immense strength. When her father had been cut down by Mumkhar, Melia had not broken down. She had vowed to avenge him. When Kallian had turned into a Telethia and was forcibly merged with Lorithia, she had not hesitated in joining the fight to the death. When faced with Yumea in Telethia form, Melia volunteered to end her stepmother's life, freeing Yumea from the High Entian curse.
In spite of all the hardship she had encountered, the Empress had emerged stronger each time.
That had to mean she still existed inside the Telethia. He wouldn't entertain any other possibility.
But the eternal question that haunted him: would he be able to change her back?
Dunban rolled onto his side and closed his eyes. A sigh escaped his lips as images of Melia swam through is head. He wanted to see her. He wanted to hold her close to him: feel the softness of her skin, the warmth of her breath, the silkiness of her hair. He wanted to hear the rare, carefree laugh she shared only with him and see a smile that lit up her eyes and made her glow brighter than anything he'd ever laid eyes upon.
God, what he wouldn't give to see her walk through his door, returned to her normal state, safe and sound.
The reality of her absence peeled back the skin of his heart, every layer bleeding more than the one before. The despair poured through his veins and into his lungs, burning them, making it hard for him to breathe. His lungs screamed for air as he watched Melia fall over the cliff and into the darkness again in his mind.
The one woman he had grown to cherish had been ripped away from him. Possibly for forever. What if he couldn't find a way to change her back? What if she were stuck as a Telethia forever?
The thought was enough. The dam he'd kept intact for so long burst open. It fell, crushed by the waves of heartbreak and misery; a tidal wave of grief crashed through him, snuffing out every last flame of hope.
A tear trickled down his cheek. And then another. And then another.
Two more days passed; the anxiety grew within Dunban. As he moved throughtout the city, his was constantly greeted by High Entia inquiring about the health of their Empress. While he gave no details, he was heartened to hear about their regard for her. The tide had finally turned, but she was not present to enjoy it.
On her own volition, Tyrea had flown by the ether pocket the previous day and saw the Telethia skirting the clouds just above. It was a small comfort: she was still out there. She hadn't fled into the unknown of the new world.
The next morning, he rose, showered, dressed, and ate. His movements were mechanical and rigid, a bottomless anger driving out all other emotions. Nae'ell was to blame for Melia's altered state And yet, it was his failure to aid and protect the Empress. He grit his teeth as his mind replayed the moment of her fall. If only he had been there seconds earlier, he could have prevented all of this.
The man went to his window and closed his eyes, feeling the warmth of the sun on his face. There was no time to dwell on the past. All energy needed to be committed to discovering a solution. He would not lose hope. Not until every avenue had been attempted.
There was a knock at the door. "Come in." He called.
The door opened to reveal Bella and Sharla.
"We've found something." Sharla said.
That was all he needed to hear. Dunban gestured for them to take seats and he joined them.
"Is this about how to change her back?"
"Yes." Bella confirmed, taking a seat on the sofa again. She tossed a strand of dark hair over her shoulder and looked straight into his eyes. "I think we've found a possible solution."
His heart stilled, but he kept his face emotionless.
"We were talking about the idea of ether crystals and shooting them above her." Sharla began. "But the problem is, ether crystals will only make her, as she is now, stronger. Or eventually kill her. Neither of which we want."
"Anti-ether matter has been a subject of scientific theory for centuries here in Alcamoth. I haven't yet heard of any breakthroughs though, especially if we are running on the hypothesis that we need to suck the ether out of her to change her back."
"That's when I remembered that time we helped Kofuko, the Nopon. Do you remember?" Sharla prompted.
"Vaguely."
"Well, we gathered all of those ingredients for him to get the 'perfect flavor'. And in the end, he gave us each a new pair of armor for our legs. I remember him telling us that these were special. He'd traded them from a High Entian treasure hunter. Supposedly, they would shield us from all ether attacks. Make us immune." Sharla pulled out a tunic and handed it to Dunban. He felt the coarse material in his hands — it did not feel any different from any other garb he'd worn — but did not take his eyes off of the healer. "Reyn and I took a shuttle two nights ago to Colony 6, and I found mine."
Dunban was silent, waiting for them to get to the point.
"Shulk took a couple of the fibers and was able to analyze and isolate the different compounds contained within them." Bella said, her tone factual, though he saw something in her eye that reflected more than scientific observation.
"And?"
"I was able to replicate those compounds and put them through a crystallization process. Granted, the resulting crystal was a low concentration of anti-ether matter. But I took a tiny portion of the Telethia scale and exploded the crystal next to it." Bella produced a petri dish. A puddle of blood had covered the glass bottom.
"Does that mean..."
Sharla smiled. "That means we could turn her back."
His heart skipped a beat.
The hope in his eyes must have given him away. Bella shook her head. "It's not that simple."
"What? Why?"
"This blood lacks oxygen. Meaning it would belong to a dead person."
"So if we did this, we would kill her."
"Not necessarily. The amount of anti-ether in the crystal was small, but the ether in the scale segment was smaller. If we found the right proportions of anti-ether to ether, we could change her back and she would be alive."
"How are we going to do that?"
"We...don't know." Sharla sighed.
Bella removed crystals of various sizes from her messenger bag. "I've created different sized crystals of anti-ether matter. The bigger they are, the bigger they're anti-ether concentration. Be careful. We can't touch them for too long. Otherwise they become poisonous to ourselves."
Dunban picked up one of the larger ones and examined it, turning it in his hand to feel the sharp edges dig into his palm. He could feel the energy pulsing inside the crystal. Where natural ether was a neon green, this was a lavender purple.
"When will you know what crystals we should use?" He asked as he put the crystal down on the table.
Bella shook her head. "I don't. I don't know what the exact ether concentration in the Telethia is. I can only hypothesize what crystals to use."
"And what would be your best guess?"
Bella bit her lip as her eyes swept over each crystal on the coffee table. It was the first time he had seen an expression of uncertainty cross over her usually stern and confident face. Should the worst case scenario occur, Dunban wanted to know which crystal to try first.
"I believe this one would do." Bella pointed to the one in the middle, between the smallest and largest crystals. "We'll run a few more tests. I've never seen compounds like the ones in these pieces of clothing so I can't anticipate how long it will take me to fully understand the nature of these elements. I wonder where the treasurer hunter found these clothes; it would help to know their origin."
"I need to also adjust the settings on my ether rifle to make sure they are compatible. Shulk's going to help me with that." Sharla said.
The man nodded. "Leave a few of these with me. And let me know if you find out anything more."
Both women nodded and rose from their seats. As they made their way to the door, Bella turned, hesitated, and said, "I understand that this is a difficult time for you. Please let me know if there is anything I can help with." And without waiting for a response, she exited, Sharla following her with a skeptical glance.
Dunban understood, but paid no mind. His eyes traveled back to the crystals sitting on the coffee table. One of these, or a multitude, held the keys to Melia's rescue. But they would never be certain what the combination was. It was risky. Too risky. But what other choices did they have?
Sighing, he rose from his seat and headed out of his suite. It irked him that he couldn't do anything to help further the mission of freeing Melia. So he went to find Kiefer. As far as Dunban knew, the Homs Entia was working on rebuilding the ground floor of the school with his team. Maybe Kiefer would have some work for him to do. He needed a distraction. He was itching to do something. Anything at all to keep his mind off of the small chance that she could be saved and the larger chance that she would die while she was.
Dunban...
Dunban...
DUNBAN!
He sat up with a start, the shouts ringing in his ears. His eyes darted right and left to find the origin, but there was no one in the room with him. The sounds rang out in his mind, continuing to echo in his ears. Sweat trickled down the back of his neck. That voice...it sounded muffled, as if the person had been yelling under water. What had he been dreaming about? He tried to remember, pushed and stretched his mind, but to no avail.
And yet he didn't need an explanation. He knew exactly whose voice that was.
Melia.
Dunban rose from bed and went straight to the washroom. Standing over the sink, the man doused his face in cold water. He inhaled and exhaled three times, using his breaths to slow the hammering of his heart. Closing his eyes, he ran his fingers through his hair. Had she been calling out to him? Or was it his imagination?
Be reasonable. It could be either. Melia had confessed that Kallian had spoken to her as a Telethia before his death. So it was feasible that she could be reaching out to him. However, his brain had been occupied solely with her predicament. Perhaps the stress was starting to get to him.
Grunting, the man dressed quickly. There was no way he could sleep after that abrupt awakening. Between the botched capture plans and the lack of concrete information from Bella regarding the possible solution to Melia's transformation, he was itching to do something. Anything. Maybe he would go for a run. The city was quiet at this time of night; he would be uninterrupted, alone with the tranquil silence.
Just as he strode out into the hallway, sirens blared. Ear-piercing sounds broke the silence of the night. The lights powered on, blinding him momentarily. The clamor reverberated off the walls; people began exiting their rooms, covering their ears from the bellows of the alarm. At the end of the hallway, the man spotted Fiora with Shulk, and they advanced towards him.
Dunban gestured to the exit door and walked through to the courtyard. As the cool night air hit him, he walked to the edge and glanced at the city below. The echoes of the same alarm reached his ears; red floodlights passed back and forth over the town square. The whole city would be awake in a matter of seconds. And there was only one reason for that: a very dangerous threat.
His blood turned cold.
"What's going on?" Fiora asked, reaching his side.
"I don't know."
"Do you think..." Shulk trailed off, his face a combination of uncertainty and anxiety.
"It's more than likely. Shulk, gather everyone and meet at the landing bay. Tell Sharla to bring her ether rifle." Dunban turned to Fiora. "Can you go back to my room and get the crystals?"
"Yeah, no problem."
With that, Fiora and Shulk rushed back into the Villa. The worst case scenario, they would have to attempt to change Melia back. He hoped it wouldn't come to that.
The man headed straight for the teleporter, beaming down into the Great Hall. As his body materialized, Dunban swept his eyes over the scene. People were frantic, running left and right. In the center of the hall, there was a group of High Entia adorned in armor gathering together. Only a few spoke; their voices sounded stern and factual. He recognized them: this was the royal guard. And they were mobilizing.
"Dunban!"
The Homs turned to the left to see Shalen rushing towards him, a look of pure horror on her gentle features.
"What's going on?"
"The defense system is going haywire! It's..." She said, her voice wavering. "It's a Telethia!"
His body went rigid.
"Where did you pick it up?"
"Somewhere near Hovering Reef 7. It's just an island away from the Lighthouse. The Royal Guard is flying to meet it." Shalen whimpered. "Oh gods, how did this happen? I thought they were all gone!"
He laid a comforting hand on her shoulder but his mind was elsewhere. He had to get to her before they did. He turned and headed for the landing bay, passing the Royal Guard as he raced towards the teleporter. If they could leave before the soldiers, they would have a head start on getting to Melia first. As he materialized in the gray hanger, a figure came out to the left.
"Did they find her?"
Dunban looked into Tyrea's dark, angry eyes. "Yes. We have to go now before they can get to her."
"What's the plan?"
"We'll make it up as we go."
He hoped that would be enough.