Have you ever wondered if matters of great importance were happening beyond your reach?

Or that life-changing events kept occurring the moment you were no longer present?

It can be a vexing feeling, akin to the temptation of 'what if'...

...but in the end, every single event was a 'life-changing event', because your life changed at each and every step.

As ever, perspective could be the difference between joy...or despair...

xxxx

Within the bustling city of Alba Cavanich, there was a certain Nopon restaurateur by the name of Manana.

It was only thanks to her exacting standards that she had the staff to handle the 'dinner rush' without her immediate supervision. For you see, she was in a private audience with two visiting Nopon, who she had cooked for personally.

"-hoo hoo!" exclaimed Riki, happily slurping up his meal. "Legendary Doodlenoodles are legendary no matter time and place!"

"Manana pleased as punch by Heropon's happiness! Please be sure to leave five-star review~ " Glancing over towards the other guest, she sweetly remarked, "Seconds, Riku?"

"Riku is savoring. Been many yonks since Manana's cooking has entered my gob." He cut quite the picture of manners by comparison with his father, in the sense that he waited until he was done chewing to speak.

(It had only been by pure happenstance that Riku, during one of his exploratory expeditions on behalf of Queen Melia, had chanced upon rave reviews of a relatively new restaurant in Mor Ardain's capital. When he had visited, Manana had nearly caused a scene due to her burst of joyful crying. She would apologize after the fact for his meal tasting a bit too salty, because she had been unable to stop the tears from flowing. Needless to say, Riku had been more circumspect with his tears; like a proper representative of Queen Melia, he had waited until he was in private to cry.)

"Riki wonder why Manana not go searching for sonnypon?" Slurping up the last of his broth, the older Nopon added, "When Riku tell me of tales of other world, he said many things about Nopon companion-"

"Meh-meh-meh! Words spoken in confidence!" protested Riku.

Manana tittered, apparently pleased by Riku's flustered retort. "Manana knew that searching whole new world would be long and exhausting and hard on moneys! So Manana decided to do what Manana do best, and trust in word of happy customers' mouths to bring you to me! And here you are!"

"Manana sound like smart girl! Smart like Riku!"

Riki's compliment made Manana blush. "Oh, you are too kind for Manana..."

"So, when can Riki and Oka expect grandchildren?"

That reduced Manana to a stuttering mess. Riku looked downright cross with his father. "Dadapon, we discussed before coming here-"

"Oh, but so many of your siblings have started families of their own by now! Nene, Kino, Kiki, Taro, Zuzu, Bebe, Dede, Lele, and Mumu already have three kids each! Riki know that Melly keep sonnypon busy, but wifeypon always worry about firstborn. Is just way of things-"

Riku sighed as he hid his face in his head-wings. Just what Riku deserve for trying to have day away from Hardhaigh Palace. The tension between Lanz and Dirk had been subtle, yet still frustrating enough that Riki had demanded a breather. The opportunity to finally introduce Dadapon to Manana had been a secondary benefit. Can't help but worry that things will go wrong in absence...

(Little did he know, but at that moment, Taion and Eunie had unexpectedly arrived at the imperial palace, only to be greeted by the sight of Lanz and Dirk whaling on each other.)

...meh, things will work out.

xxxx

"...well, that could have worked out better," glumly admitted Lanz, before suddenly wincing at the pressure on his face. "Ow! Take it easy, man!"

"Your form got too sloppy by the end. If your face is bruised, blame your technique," corrected Aegaeon, his hands deftly applying an elastic bandage to the boy's bruised cheek. "Kora is absent, so until Lady Mòrag can obtain the services of a Healer Blade from the palace garrison, you'll just have to contend with mitigating your bruises the old-fashioned way."

Sitting in various spots throughout the relatively tiny medical aid station (which was still enormous by most standards, crammed with supplies for anyone in Hardhaigh Palace to patch themselves up) were Taion, Eunie, Sena, and Mio. Taion's Blade, Nimue, was absent; mostly because Oleg had requested her presence with Dirk (which was a curiosity in and of itself). "Indeed; it could have gone better," cautioned Taion, looking around with an air of disbelief. "You certainly weren't so rambunctious on Aionios."

"Come off it, man," grumbled Lanz, glaring at Taion. "Can't really do all the stuff I'm used to with a training weapon. And no Arts, either!"

Taion dramatically adjusted his glasses. With emphasis. "That sounds like an excuse to me."

"Even bandaged up, I can still fold you in two," griped Lanz.

The delighted giggling from Sena stopped their lighthearted banter. "This feels...nostalgic. Is that weird to say?"

"About as weird as seeing you with your hair down, luv," remarked Eunie, sounding somewhat subdued. (Lanz would say his adoptive sister sounded a bit livelier than normal; Mio and Sena would say she instead sounded very composed for her age; Taion would blithely remark that she simply sounded like Eunie and leave it at that.)

Sena flushed, impulsively reaching up for her shoulder-length hair. "A-Auntie Mòrag wanted to comb it this morning before she left."

"Don't apologize. It's a good look!" said the High Entia girl.

Aegaeon, apparently sensing that their conversation was going to cover more private matters, promptly stood up. "I'll leave you all to it. Feel free to call me if you need further assistance." Aegaeon quietly nodded at Sena — a subtle gesture, yet one that made the blunette Blade's eyes glimmer with joy — before departing the clinic.

"...I'd say this reunion has been long in the making, were it not for Noah's absence," calmly said Taion, taking in everyone at a glance. "And also were it not for the fact that I feel our combined presence is due to a certain individual." Dirk went unnamed; everyone knew whom he was referring to.

Mio glanced at Eunie, somehow managing to frown with empathy. "Eunie...are you okay?"

The High Entia sniffed, brushing her thumb across her nose. "Yeah. I'm fine. Just went a bit cuckoo, seeing D fighting Lanz with his fists."

Lanz impulsively laughed. "Hah. Cuckoo, It's 'cause of your wings, right?"

Eunie's head wings impulsively flapped. "You wanna walk over here and say that, Lanz?"

"I'm serious," said Mio, interrupting the adoptive siblings' banter. "I know that, out of all of us...you had the most difficulties with Moebius D, in Aionios."

Eunie, to her credit, didn't immediately respond. She crossed her arms, her youthful face looking uncharacteristically(?) stern. "I honestly don't know. Part of me wants to kick him in the balls." Taion and Lanz impulsively boggled at her verbiage. "But he's your brother. Which is still weird."

"I've slowly gotten used to it," Mio admitted. "It helps that Dirk is honestly trying." She looked at Lanz, eyes imploring earnestly. "You could tell, right Lanz?"

Lanz huffed, thinking back to his recent 'spar' (well, more of a brawl, really) with the blond...well, 'monster' didn't exactly fit, did it? "He kind of moves the same. But he's frustrated. Not sure if it was more at me or more at himself, to be honest." He looked over at his sister, honestly asking, "Could you ever see it in yourself to give him a chance? You don't have to answer, but...maybe think about it? Like he said to me, we don't even have to be friends or anythin'."

Eunie didn't say anything. She was, rather, contemplative. After glancing at Taion, she added, "We weren't perfect. If we hadn't been set free by Guernica, and the Ouroboros Stone...we would've ended up killing each other, in Alfeto Valley. I'm sure our lives before that didn't pan out any different, either." (Mio inwardly grimaced; of everyone in that room, she had been the only Moebius; her memories reached back far further than theirs.) "But even then, I'd like to think we never stooped to murdering our own allies and collecting their snuffing heads."

The sheer visceral brutality of the image elicited an awkward exhale from everyone in the room. "...not like we were ignoring it, sis." (A flash: of how exultant D was, as he boasted of his 'transcendent' feelings.)

"But you have to have something wrong in you to go that bad," insisted Eunie. "I mean...I was at the old orphanage for years. Before you, Noah, and Joran were even born. A lot of kids came on through; some got adopted. Most didn't before they became adults." Lanz recalled those days; there had always been a strange tension, as resources for the fledgling post-Zanza civilization hadn't been scarce, but not quite plentiful either. (A flash: two older caretakers, bitterly complaining about how the old world of the Bionis had had even more resources than what they currently possessed; then came the matron, verbally sniping at them to remember that resources had been plentiful because there hadn't been as many mouths to feed.) It was only in retrospect, that they realized that their leaders had been devoting all they could to the creation of Origin; compared to preventing their utter annihilation, supplementing societal safety nets had understandably taken a backseat. Eunie's words took him out of his introspection. "The caretakers were honestly pretty good, for the most part; they expected the same out of every kid. But not all the kids reacted the same. Some were downright rotten."

Lanz frowned, recalling a few 'sterling' examples. "...I think I get it. Spark it all, why can't this be simple..."

"...it's weird," murmured Sena, her hands folded in her lap; she had the posture of a prim and proper princess, currently. It was an odd little juxtaposition with her demeanor in Aionios. "When Dirk called me 'Sennie', I almost froze up. But I have memories of him calling me that, in this life. He's...always been a bit of a jerk, but only in a playful sense?" She tilted her head, thinking more deeply. "Yeah...I can't really think of a moment where he's honestly ever been mean or cruel. He takes after his parents in that regard."

"Parents aren't a guarantee of virtue," murmured Eunie, crossing her arms.

"...we're operating on incomplete data," said Taion, finally speaking up after an extended silence. "We know that by the time we faced him, Moebius D was set in his malice. We know that 'Blackblaze Dirk' gloried in his cruelty. Yet from what we can see, Dirk is currently struggling to keep that same mindset from setting in." Looking at his partner, he added, "You raise valid points. But we don't have a full understanding of what eventually led to Dirk becoming the way he was in Aionios; had he always been cruel? Or had it been a steady process of decline? It's possible that he experienced a similar situation as Ashera did."

"...ah." Eunie huffed, apparently conceding the point.

Mio's ears twitched. "Wait, what was with Ashera?"

"Private stuff. Not my place to tell," bluntly said Eunie.

"But Taion knows," pointed out Sena.

Taion kept his mouth shut, even as his eyes quivered with sudden panic. Eunie's frown deepened, even as a slight blush came to her cheeks.

Even Lanz could read between the lines. "Fine, we won't pry into your pillow talk," he said with a grin.

"YOU MUPPET!" roared Eunie, all but diving onto Lanz.

"Ah, stop it Eunie, you're gonna mess up my bandages!"

"I'll give ya somethin' worth a bandage, you git!"

Taion sighed, shaking his head with exasperation. "Eunie, please act your age..."

Sena giggled at the play-fighting, while Mio merely smiled...even though there was a bit of melancholy to it; rhe nature of how Dirk had become D hung over them all like a cloud.

Naturally, at that moment, two certain Nopon entered the room. "We back from dinner!" exclaimed Riki. "Heard that Lanzypon got into tussle! What did Dadapon say about behaving?" Then he realized the other individuals present. "Ah, when did Euniepon get here?"

"Don't drag me into the lecture," grumbled Eunie. "I didn't even do nothin'!"

(Riku stared flatly at Lanz's bandages. "This why Riku not able to have nice things," he muttered under his breath.)

xxxx

Elsewhere in the Palace, within the guest wing, Rex watched his only son pace about like a man possessed. Or rather, like a man with an itch he couldn't scratch, and could only walk off his frustration. "That girl with the head wings. High Entia, they're called, right?" Dirk didn't look up from where he was walking; his face — contorted into a heavy frown — was the picture of distress. "She hates me something fierce. What exactly did I do to her? And why should it matter?"

"Dirk, you're working yourself into a tizzy. Calm down," cautioned Mythra, her eyes following the boy with some measure of irritation.

"Come on Mother, I'm the picture of calm," retorted Dirk, even though the edge to his voice hadn't abided. "I don't know why she in particular is getting to me."

"Maybe you have a crush on her? It wouldn't be the weirdest thing. I mean, the head wing thing is kinda cute..."

Dirk flatly stared at Mythra. "Mother, I'd prefer girls who don't want to skin me alive with just a look. Who do you take me for, Uncle Ozzy?"

"...are you calling Zeke a masochist?"

"After all the stories we've been told growing up? Who wouldn't?"

Mythra huffed. "You know, I can't even refute that..."

Rex was a man of many regrets: his inability to provide more for Fonsett Village when he had first started out as a salvager; all of his mistakes during the journey to Elysium atop the World Tree; the fact he had been unable to stop Torna (Jin and Malos in particular) before they had met their ultimate demise; all of the little missteps and errors that came with being a husband and a father; yes, he had many regrets. But he had grown strong enough to carry those regrets on his shoulders and on his back.

Yet, if there was one regret he felt keenly, it was that he had been unable to find Mio or Dirk within Aionios. That he had been able to free Glimmer from the cycle after their relatively short time together had been blessing enough, he had once thought. However, for all being part of the triune 'Avatar' of Aionios had helped keep the world from breaking apart at the seams — long enough for Ouroboros to rally both Queens and retake Origin from Moebius — it had come with a terrible burden: being able to feel, however distantly or faintly, the condition of a given individual.

Sensing Mio's suffering — withdrawn, quiet, and hidden; not just for her sake, but for that of the man she loved — had been terrible. Feeling Dirk's slow decline into depravity had been a hellish horror of its own, one that had been made more wretched in retrospect once he had gotten the full context of events from Nia and the others.

(At times, he had not so subtly radiated frustration regarding their past ceasefire with Moebius, that he should've just ripped and roared until he had found his family...then Shulk would give some empathic encouragement, while A would quietly snap "please calm down, you're disturbing the ether regulation circuits", and he'd be right as rain for a time.)

It was just one more regret on top of all the others he'd have to carry with him.

Alas, life kept carrying on. Rex turned away from Dirk and Mythra's banter, focusing on the boy's new 'mentor': Oleg was sitting on the floor with crossed legs; his Blade Qíjīlóng was quietly slithering about him in a circular pattern, whilst Taion's Blade Nimue had her little 'Mondo' paper dolls floating around through the air. Both Blades seemed to flicker as they processed the ambient ether in the room. "So, you about done?"

Qíjīlóng hissed. Nimue diplomatically replied, "I believe we have a better sense for young Diederik's ether signature."

Oleg opened his eyes, gazing intently at Dirk. "Young man; come over here and sit."

The banter stopped. Dirk looked plainly at his mother; Mythra jerked her head, commanding him to obey with but a gesture. Sighing, the blond sat down, facing the older Indoline with a glum expression. "Can't say I have any memories of you from Aionios. I guess that's a good thing?"

"I had few encounters with Consul D in my time. Let's just say that my interactions with Moebius were primarily through other members, and we'll leave it that," Oleg cryptically responded. "Tell me, young man: why are you here?"

"...I want to stop feeling like there's some madman who's taken my identity, and done things I'd never do." the blond growled, his teeth gritting together. "I don't care how many people remember this 'D' fellow. I ain't him."

Oleg raised a single index finger. "Your first misconception: that one's actions in Aionios are inherently severed from who they were in their original world, much less what they were capable of. Upon becoming part of that perpetual cycle, you were still but a child; in terms of total time, you have experienced centuries of Aionios. Why then, should this life of yours have any greater weight or merit compared to all those years you spent there?"

Dirk grimaced, fists clenching with frustration. Mythra impulsively protested, "Hey now, that's not a fair question-"

"I would like Dirk to answer, if you don't mind, Lady Mythra," interrupted Oleg. "It's important."

Rex watched quietly as his son struggled to answer; looked quietly at the little earring dangling from his ear, a single little bauble of burnished gold with a white polished stone in the center.

(It had been an odd little request, when the kids had been younger; Glimmer and Mio had wanted to try on earrings, since Pyra and Mythra had rather distinctive jewelry. Even Nia, with her long feline ears, had had decorative baubles looped around her furry appendages. Dirk, not wanting to be left out, had requested one as well. Naturally, they had all started with clip-ons first, to see if the kids were willing to deal with it or not; Mio and Glimmer had complained about the irritation after about a day or two and stopped, which had only prompted Dirk to endure out of some silly sibling rivalry. What irony, that the lone boy of the trio would go on to have his ear pierced...and just one ear, because "two earrings were too girly, but one earring was cool," or however he had described it. Rex had never prided himself on understanding popular fashion, after all.)

Rex wondered how Dirk would react if he realized that the little bit of jewelry hanging from his ear was a perfect match for the baubles that had dangled from the horns on Consul D's helmet. Rather poorly, he imagined; as such, he kept silent on the observation.

Finally, Dirk said, "Because...that war wasn't supposed to happen, right? Why should stuff in a world that shouldn't have existed matter?!"

"...an interesting rejoinder. One contrary to the opinions of Queen Melia and Queen Nia, at that," said Oleg. "Intentions, alas, can often hold less sway than actuality. Aionios existed; therefore, it was real. Culpability for the decisions people made in that world...that is a separate discussion. What isn't up for discussion is the fact that those decisions were made; that paths, however limited they were in number or scope, were chosen." With a severe edge to his green eyes, he added, "In a sense, your situation is similar to the aftermath of the Aegis War: rightly or wrongly, the choices made by the Aegis had drastic consequences-"

Before either Rex or Mythra could respond, Dirk was already on his feet. "Don't you dare call Mother a monster!" Only the presence of the Mondo above his head and Qíjīlóng by his feet — siphoning away at his ether before he could build it up — kept the Brightfire Spears from manifesting. "She ain't a monster; she's a hero! And Dad's a hero! So I can't be a monster!"

"I never called her a monster. Nor you," stoically said Oleg, with his maddeningly calm tone. "But you are nonetheless aware of the history of the Aegis War, and what people thought of the Aegis in the years following. In the face of a power that could sink Titans, were they necessarily in the wrong to think otherwise? That Lady Mythra chose to atone many years later does not erase the fact of her former choices...just like you, who disdain the memories of what you did, likewise cannot erase the fact of your choices."

Rex focused on his son's fists, and how they were practically shaking; with a glance over at Mythra, he made a decision. "The hour's grown late; let's continue tomorrow."

"A good idea," remarked the Indoline man as he rose to his feet. Qíjīlóng slithered up his leg and onto his shoulders, while Nimue gathered her Mondo. "I imagine Dirk has plenty to think about for the time being as it is." Glancing down at the boy, he added, "Do take it seriously."

Rex quietly went to let Oleg out of their guest quarters; before doing so, he lightly grabbed at his bicep. Ignoring how Nimue went still and Qíjīlóng hissed, he looked directly into Oleg's eyes. "I know you were trying to make up a point with Dirk," he said quietly, so that neither his wife nor son could hear. "But you weren't there to see Mythra's struggle. If I hear you bring it up again, you'll regret it."

Oleg calmly took the threat for what it was. "I will keep that in mind, Sir Rex. I imagine tomorrow will be fruitful enough that I won't need to say anything further on that regard." Once Rex released the man's arm, he quietly departed. Nimue gave an apologetic nod before following her Driver's teacher outside.

...well, that could have gone better. Slowly closing the door, he turned back towards his wife and their son; Mythra was quietly whispering to Dirk, who didn't seem too receptive. Mythra's own expression wasn't too sterling, either; regardless of Oleg's intentions, dredging up memories of the Aegis War had never been an occasion for good times. "Let's get ready for bed; I imagine Mio will still be hanging out with her chums for a while longer, yet."

"...that sounds wonderful," said Mythra, giving a tired smile.

Dirk only nodded, not trusting himself to say anything.

Their guest quarters had come with four beds: a perfunctory assignment on the part of the palace staff, since their party had been comprised of four individuals.

That night, Rex ended up in bed with Mythra at his left side and Dirk on his right; his wife shivered only every so often, while his son was a ball of tension even at rest. His arms, fortunately, were enough to hold them tight and close.

(He was strong enough to do that much, at the very least.)

xxxx

Author's Note: Oleg playing a dangerous game, but I guess having a one-on-one standoff with Amalthus does things to change your appetite for risk.

I honestly don't recall if any 'pure' Gormotti have human ears, or have cat ears only; practically all of the models in XC2 have hair which obscures where human ears would be. Some XC3 Gormotti models have human ears visible beneath the hair, but it may just be a 'hybrid' thing (akin to Homs-High Entia having smaller head wings), or perhaps a matter of the base model being reused with just Gormotti bits on top to save time.

I'm just gonna go with Gormotti having cat ears only, Mio included.