The Aegis Awakens
/Chapter Twenty-six: Fireflies/
"Regan!" Rex called out, shaking her shoulders. The Elvuenian's eyes remained shut tightly, and the fifteen-year-old then noticed how cold she was. The sound of footsteps approaching the two of them caught his attention. He looked up and spotted the familiar form of Nia, looking both worried as well as confused.
"Wha' happened?" The Gormotti questioned, looking down at Regan's still unconscious body. She glanced over at Vandham and sighed in relief as she saw that he was still breathing.
"I don't know!" Rex exclaimed, watching as Nia kneeled in front of him.
"Hand her over," Nia instructed, and the Leftherian hesitated for a second before he realized that it would be stupid to refuse. Doing as the Gormotti asked, the fifteen-year-old watched as she checked Regan over.
Nia tugged off one of her gloves before reaching her now bare hand to press against the Elf's forehead. Immediately recoiling as her skin made contact with the skin of Regan's head, Nia jerked her hand back.
"What's wrong?!" Rex questioned as he saw Nia's reaction. The Gormotti was quiet for a moment before her ears flattened on her head.
"She's cold as ice," Nia responded, looking up at the sound of multiple sets of footsteps approaching them. Malos was the first to come towards them, with everyone else except for Zenobia close behind him. They all wore a mix of worry and confusion in their expressions.
The Gormotti then looked up at Malos after she glanced at the icy-blue, crucifix-shaped core in the center of Regan's chest. "Do you have any clue what's going on with her?" Nia questioned, and the dark Aegis just shook his head in response. He glanced to his left at Zenobia, who had only now just gotten up
"We should get them back to the inn," Ethan stated, looking back and forth between Regan and Vandham as he spoke. He stepped closer to the mercenary leader before kneeling down and checking on the Urayan. The Elf let out a deep breath before looking up at Malos. "You think you can support him? He's unconscious." Malos quickly nodded his head in response to the question. Moving to Regan's side then, Ethan gently took her from Nia before lifting her into his arms.
All of the group then exited Olethro Ruins, except for Poppi. "Poppi?" Tora turned around to face the Artificial Blade, noticing her reluctance. Staring down at the cracked Core Crystal of Eva,
Poppi eventually reached down to carefully pick it up. Moving to join her Driver, the mechanical Blade continued to clutch the core in her metal hands.
"Will she…wake up?" The Leftherian asked gently as he looked down at Regan's unconscious form on one of the beds in the inn. Nia said nothing in response to the question, now turning her attention to Vandham's body on the bed across from the one holding Regan. Watching the continuous movements of his chest, even if a bit slower than it normally would be, Nia was relieved.
"Nia…?" Rex called out to the Gormotti, causing Nia to turn her attention back to him.
"I don' know," Nia finally responded to his first question before looking at Malos. "You really have no clue wha' is going on with her?" The sudden question seemed to startle the Aegis, who had been leaning against one of the walls in the room they were in.
"I have no idea..." Malos uncrossed his arms from over his chest before approaching the bed Regan was lying on. He looked down at her, a thought crossing his mind as he did so.
"Do you know if she's going to be okay at least?" Maddie asked, approaching him. Malos shook his head, noticing the tear streaks on the Blade's face.
"There is something I can try," The dark Aegis started before quickly elaborating as he saw the hopeful look on Maddie's face. "It will just allow me to talk to her."
The dirty-blonde nodded, looking a little less hopeful. "It's better than nothing," Maddie responded before reaching up to pat one of his armored shoulders. "Thank you, Malos."
"Malos, please tell her I'm sorry." Rex was teary-eyed as he spoke, staring up at his Blade with a mix of sadness as well as guilt in his expression.The Aegis stayed quiet for a moment, unsure of how to respond at first. He eventually nodded, reaching a hesitant hand down to touch his Driver's shoulder.
"I'll let her know."
Gray eyes opening to the memory space of Elvuen, Malos was immediately greeted by the sound of two voices arguing. He was far enough away that he was not able to fully make out what all they were saying. The Aegis sighed before walking in the direction of the dispute. As the man got closer to the voices, he was now able to understand what they were yelling about.
"You really knew what was happening to me this whole time, and you said nothing?!" Regan sounded furious, yet Malos could also hear sadness in her tone as well. Despite the fact that Winter had clearly been arguing back before that moment, the ice Aegis was now quiet. He soon realized that she was looking at him rather than Regan now.
The reddish-brown haired woman stared at Winter before the sound of Malos stepping closer to them caught Regan's attention. The Elf's eyes shot in his direction before the ice Aegis finally spoke. "I knew the truth would upset you," Winter admitted, meeting Regan's eyes with her own. "I'm sorry…"
Regan's shoulders shook as she heard the other woman's words before she shook her head. "That's not enough. You kept the truth from me for almost twenty-one years now," The reddish-brown haired Elf stated, tears welling up in her eyes. "You let me think I was going to die eventually because of it." Placing a hand on the now uncovered icy-blue core in her chest, Regan turned her back to face Winter.
"Just leave me alone. I can't do this right now," Regan spoke softly, sorrow prominent in her tone. The white haired Aegis was quiet as she watched Regan walk away, in the direction of the castle garden. Malos watched as the Elf left as well before his eyes finally focused on Winter.
"She's upset," Malos noted, and Winter let out a sigh at that. Looking down at the ground, she only slightly raised her head when Malos stepped closer to her. He was then able to see the water building up in the corners of her eyes.
"I'm surprised you even want to talk to me," Winter commented, immediately changing the topic. "You know I care about you, right?" The shorter Blade asked, and the dark Aegis looked away from her and to the ground. She added quietly, "I'm sorry for making you feel that way…."
A couple tears slipped down the woman's face. When Malos looked up to meet her eyes with his own, he opened his mouth to speak yet nothing came out. Winter offered him a smile before looking in the direction that Regan had headed in.
"Go talk to her, please?" Winter requested, letting out a sigh as his expression changed. Staring at the other Blade with widened eyes, Malos opened his mouth in an attempt to argue. Winter spoke up again before the dark Aegis could say anything. "She definitely appreciated it the last time…and I think it would be good for her to talk to someone that isn't me."
"Alright." At last, Malos relented before going down the path he had seen Regan on when she was leaving.
Malos continued along the dirt road Regan had been walking on. He could not be sure that she had stayed on the path the entire time, but he would just assume that she had. Eventually, he
found himself in a place of many different kinds of flowers. Towards the far end of the area, opposite to where he was standing, Regan was kneeling in front of some purple flowers.
When the dark Aegis approached the Elf, he saw that she was holding her hands together while having her eyes shut tightly. The man was unsure of whether he should interrupt what the woman was doing. Malos was somewhat familiar with this behavior since he had witnessed her mother doing the same.
Staring down at Regan, the man could see the tear streaks on her cheeks. The icy-blue Core Crystal glowed softly in her chest, the center part of it missing much like his own. To herself, Regan was speaking so quietly that Malos had difficulty understanding any of it. The only word he caught was 'Architect' since she said it a little louder.
"Have you ever heard an Elven prayer before?" Malos's eyes widened a little at the sudden question, looking down only to realize that Regan's eyes were still shut. She was quiet after the question, clearly waiting for his response. The dark-haired man opened his mouth yet no words came out at first. The sudden image in his mind of a reddish-brown haired and green eyed woman made his chest feel tight.
"I didn't hear one. Ant… just told me about it," Malos finally answered, watching as Regan's eyes opened to look up at him.
"Mom prayed a lot more than I did." Ocean blue eyes met steely gray ones before Regan stood up. Considering that she was the same height as his Driver, she had to raise her head a lot just to meet his eyes. "Dad also prayed a lot but not nearly as much as Mom did." Regan ran her fingers through her hair, nostalgia falling over her expression for a moment. It soon turned to one of sadness, and Regan looked away from Malos and to the ground.
"Are the flowers part of the prayer?" The dark Aegis inquired, and Regan wiped at her eyes before nodding.
"Not of all our prayers," Regan explained, looking back to look at the dark purple petals of the flowers in front of her. "Just the ones involving death." Regan pressed a finger lightly against a purple petal, a somber look falling over her face. "We plant flowers to mourn for our dead. Mom's favorite color was purple."
"They're beautiful," Malos commented, his eyes following the movement of Regan's fingers against the flower petals. She moved her hand to wipe away the tears on her cheeks.
"They are…."
The Elf was quiet after that, liquid continuing to well up in the corners of her eyes. In her peripheral vision, she suddenly caught sight of a greenish-yellow glow. Turning her head, Regan smiled as she realized what had caused the light.
"What's that?" Malos followed the woman's gaze, spotting several greenish-yellow glimmers in between the trees. Glancing at Regan's face, he could clearly see the happiness that filled her expression. There was still a hint of sadness, yet whatever it was seemed to have improved her mood.
"Fireflies."
"Fireflies…. I think I remember Ant mentioning them," The man recalled, the memory of her grinning while she talked about them vivid and clear in his mind.
"You want to get a closer look?" Regan asked while staring expectantly at him. She almost seemed to be excited now, despite her tear-stained face.
"I'd like to." Malos followed after her, watching as more greenish-yellow glows lit up the surrounding trees. Going a bit farther, Regan eventually stopped once she reached a clearing just past the trees. The space was filled with even more lights, and the Elf just stood there for a moment. "It's… amazing."
"I remember chasing them when I was a little girl. I would catch them then release them right afterward," Regan explained, closing her hand around a firefly that landed in her palm. A moment later, the woman opened her hand, allowing the insect to fly freely away from her. "When I got older, I usually just watched them light up the darkness of the night. I still love to catch them."
Malos could not help but smile as he witnessed more fireflies fluttering around her. He stepped to where he was now standing next to her. Turning to face him after a moment of neither of them saying anything, Regan's eyes widened a little as she realized that he had moved closer to her.
"Sorry," The Aegis apologized, stepping back from her.
Shaking her head, Regan's face flushed red and she looked down at the ground. "It's alright…. You just startled me." She took a breath before she raised her head to make eye contact with him. "Anything in particular on your mind?"
The woman's question made Malos remember what his Driver had asked him to do. "Rex wanted me to tell you that he's sorry," The Aegis informed her, watching as her expression changed to one of realization.
"He feels guilty for what happened…I guess I should have expected that." Regan let out a sigh at that, clutching her head in her hands. "I need to tell him that none of this was his fault…." She removed her hands from her head, returning her attention to Malos. "You've got something else on your mind right? Did Rex want you to tell me anything else?"
The man recalled his conversation with Winter in his mind, then he shook his head. "I have a question for you, actually…Who are Rosalee and Riley?" Malos asked, noticing the surprised look falling over her face.
"Rosalee and Riley…. They are everything to me." Regan's change in tone was evident, her voice had become much softer. "They are my daughters." She placed a hand on her icy core, smiling as she did so. Through her smile, Malos was able to see the sadness peaking through. "I can tell you more about them some other time…. For now, we should get back to reality."
"Yeah," Malos agreed, looking down at her. He realized that her reddish-brown hair was mostly snow-white now. He had noticed the change earlier, yet he had not processed the meaning of it. He kept his mouth shut, aware that the topic might upset her. He ignored the guilt building up inside of him.
Malos opened his eyes to the inn, immediately meeting the worried eyes of his Driver. Everyone standing in the room gazed at him, almost making the Aegis feel uncomfortable. Their eyes moved from him when the sound of Regan stirring drew their attention.
"Regan!" Maddie looked down at Regan with relief as the Elf's eyes fluttered open. Staring up at the dirty-blonde haired woman for a moment, Regan then looked around at all the other people staring down at her with worry. "Are you alright?"
Staying quiet for a moment, Regan only responded after she was able to understand what was going on. She saw the concern prominent on all of their faces, and she realized that they cared about her. Ethan and Maddie's solicitude for her was expected, yet she was surprised immensely by everyone else. She saw the tear streaks on Rex's face, the anxious look on Nia's face, and Tora's jumping up and down off the floor so he could see her.
"I'm alright…." Regan wrapped her arms around herself while meeting eyes with Malos, who was standing next to her bed silently. She looked away after a moment before turning her attention to Rex. "Are you okay?" She asked when the Leftherian continued to stare at her with tears in his eyes.
"I was just… worried about you and Vandham…." Rex trailed off as he looked over at the other bed, where the unconscious Urayan was still resting. "I was worried that you… wouldn't wake up." The fifteen-year-old dabbed at his eyes with a cloth.
"How is he?" Regan looked over at Vandham's sleeping form.
"He'll be fine. Mythra's sword did some damage to him, but it could have been much worse," Ethan informed her, and Regan teared up at that.
She knew why Vandham had survived, and it reminded her of something. "I'm glad he's alright." Barely resisting the urge to full on sob, Regan looked around the room for a moment and spotted Poppi in the doorway. The Artificial Blade was clutching something in her hands, yet the Elf was unable to see what it was.
"Where's…. Where is Eva's… core…?" The question caused everyone in the room to avoid her gaze, and Regan could not stop herself from crying at that point.
"I'm sorry, Regan. None of us thought to grab her Core Crystal…. We were too worried about you," Maddie admitted before she turned her attention to the entrance of the room as she saw Poppi step forward through her peripheral.
"Poppi?" Regan asked as the mechanical girl walked closer to the bed, still holding something in her hands. Looking closer, the Elf's eyes widened as she realized what the Artificial Blade was clutching. "That-" The woman cut herself off as Poppi offered the Core Crystal to her.
A couple tears slipped down the female Elf's face as she accepted the purple-haired girl's offering. Regan grasped the now dark core in her hands, and she ran her left thumb over the crack. More tears fell down her face before Poppi finally spoke.
"When will Poppi see Eva again?" The question caught Regan off guard, who looked at the girl with wide eyes. Her mind went back to the explanation from Vandham on the way to Fonsa Myma. She realized that despite Vandham's speech that it was the end for a Blade, Poppi still held hope that Eva could be brought back.
"That's not possible, Poppi." Nia's ears flattened back on her head as she spoke. "Remember what Vandham told us?" Pondering the question for a moment, the Artificial Blade shook her head. "Once a Blade's core is damaged, they can't be awakened again."
"That can't be true…. Eva really gone?" The Artificial Blade asked softly, looking around the room in hopes someone would tell her otherwise. When no one did, a dejected look fell onto the purple-haired girl's face. "Poppi didn't even get a chance to protect Eva…." That statement made Regan's heart break even more than it already had from the recent events.
Regan took a shaky breath before speaking gently to Poppi. "Come here, Poppi." The Artificial Blade seemed unsure for a couple seconds, then she moved closer to the Elf's bedside.
The purple-haired girl's eyes widened as she suddenly had arms wrapping around her. Poppi froze for a moment before hugging the Elf back. The sounds of Regan's sobs stirred something within Poppi, who, to the shock of the others, did the same as Regan over the death of her friend.
