Author's Notes: 150+ hours in Tears of the Kingdom.
I think I might be finally free...
Anyhow, I'm operating off of the assumption that Blades — prior to Klaus's final actions at the end of Xenoblade 2 — were incapable of producing offspring, regardless of their physiology.
xxxx
Legacies.
An important aspect in Alrest, especially in the aftermath of the events leading to the Conduit's departure.
Whether or not it was out of respect to Jin and the tribulations he had endured throughout his long life, Rex and Company had endeavored to find a way to ensure that Blades could have a legacy of their own, if they chose to seek one.
For Blades with a more humanoid physiology, procreation with other humanoids was a relatively 'simple' solution. (After all, given the sheer notoriety of the Master Driver and the Aegis, the fact his three wives — all Blades — were with child hadn't taken long to become public knowledge.) However, some Blades lacked such an option by nature of their biological makeup; this was also notwithstanding the reality that some Blades had simply been unwilling to participate in the physical processes related to sexual reproduction. (The reasons as to why said Blades had been unwilling to do so were quite varied, but were a separate story altogether.)
The Empire of Mor Ardain, having been the catalyst, instigator, and all-around belligerent in multiple conflicts in the centuries prior to the founding of New Elysium, had tried to atone in its own way. With Indol and the Praetorium in utter shambles following Amalthus's schemes, Mor Ardain had the edge over the other nations in terms of Core Crystal research and technology; the insights obtained from the Architect regarding the nature of the Core Crystals and how they functioned had been invaluable in this endeavor. With this knowledge, Mor Ardain had sought a way for Blades to perpetuate their own data through future generations.
Given that Core Crystals had been engineered as a replacement for their world's olden lifeforms, perhaps it was no surprise that taking the data from two Core Crystals to engineer an entirely new one had been deemed an optimal solution.
Mòrag, ever dutiful and seeking to make restitution for how Mor Ardain had contributed to the world's hardships, had spoken with her two most precious Blades — the Crown Jewels of Mor Ardain — about volunteering for the process.
("This is not a demand, nor an order," she had assured Brighid and Aegaeon. "It is a humble request...yet it could usher in a new era for all Blades on Alrest. It is only proper that those with authority see to it that this process is safe and functional. Taking the risk in the stead of our people...such is our duty. Yet it is also an intensely...personal undertaking. To bring about new life from your data, your proverbial essences...is not an endeavor to take lightly." At this, she simply tilted her head downward: a bow of respect to those that were bonded to her very flesh and spirit. "I leave the decision in your hands.")
Brighid and Aegaeon, to their credit, had thoroughly pondered the proposition.
(Brighid had looked through her old journal with a measure of fascination and bewilderment, coming across as genuinely perturbed. "Apparently, three centuries ago, after a failed assassination attempt by his siblings, Emperor Hector Ardanach gifted my Core Crystal to his beloved Farina upon their wedding day: a measure of protection, in response to treachery. With you serving as the Emperor's Shadow, I was likewise the Empress Consort's Shadow." She flipped a few pages, speed reading all the while. "The imperial courts were apparently quite intrigued about whether there was a relationship between us: a safer topic of gossip, given the dark tragedy with Emperor Hector's family. Alas, my past self was seemingly rather coy about putting the truth to paper." She glanced over at Aegaeon, who simply answered with a noncommittal hum. That about summed up Brighid's feelings on the prospect.)
Alas, even if there was nothing in the way of romantic feeling between the two Blades as they were now, they shared a sense of duty with their Driver. Their decision, such as it was, had been made long ago.
("We will perform our duty to the utmost, whatever may come. If this will help protect the future of your family, then I will do what I must," solemnly vowed Aegaeon. "And I will do so gladly.")
Brighid had been much the same.
("I know not of how such a...'newborn'...will come about," said Brighid with a diplomatic tone. "I will accept whatever arrangement is most fitting for this new Blade, insofar as is reasonable: whether it be treating them as a new recruit, or as a young student, or as a mere child...I will rise to the occasion." With a strange little smile, Brighid's closed eyes nonetheless managed to communicate a mixture of glee and triumph: a sharp sword, hidden within a bejeweled sheath. "I trust that you will do what is best, Lady Mòrag.")
And so the die had been cast.
Though the Titans had long ceased to produce new Core Crystals since merging with New Elysium — the matter of their ongoing sapience was indeed an open question, given that those which had joined the land seemed to have entered an indeterminate state of hibernation — the means of recreating that process had long been an object of desire for the nations of Alrest, if only because of their lust for the power offered by Blades and Drivers. However, the Ardanach Family's new goal had been born from a desire to ensure that Blades as a race would have a future of their own.
The process had also been aided along by Tora, by the Aegis, and likewise by one of Rex's other Blades: Adenine, a voracious scholar who had gleaned great quantities of knowledge from the World Tree. (Even with the space elevator in a ruined state following Aion's self-destruction, the lower floors were still structurally sound. The lack of power, on the other hand, and the databases that had been lost forever...well, listing all of Adenine's complaints about the fate of the World Tree would take all day and then some.) Even so, the materials needed to create Core Crystals (lacking the means that a Conduit-empowered Klaus had wielded as easily as breathing) were...not inexpensive.
Nonetheless, through trial and error, a viable prototype had been forged: a true Core Crystal, far removed from an artificial Blade. Into that blank template, Brighid and Aegaeon had poured their data. Finally, Mòrag had attempted to synchronize with the fledgling Core Crystal: if she — the Driver of Brighid and Aegaeon — could not synchronize with the new Blade, it was very unlikely anyone else would.
Perhaps a day would come when Blades would be able to bring forth new life from new Core Crystals without the aid of a Driver (which was a question in and of itself; would a Blade truly be such if they had no need for a Driver?)...but it was not this day.
From that synthetic Core Crystal — forged by human and Nopon hands; born from the essence of two Blades — a newborn girl had emerged, with Brighid's blue hair (burning, yet not quite as fiercely), and Aegaeon's ether lines (striking, yet somewhat muted in their glow by comparison) imprinted on infant flesh.
Her name would be Sena; it had not taken long before she was hailed as the third Jewel of Mor Ardain: a sterling addition to a storied legacy.
xxxx
Ever since her birth, Sena had been made aware of her uniqueness.
There were some who called her 'Sena Ardanach'. Others, when they thought she couldn't hear, whispered 'Sena Ladair'. (The first time she had told Auntie Mòrag about it, the woman had gotten a...frightfully intense look in her eyes, before going off to speak with Uncle Niall. The Imperial Court had then undergone an extended session with both the Emperor and the Special Inquisitor; after that, it would be a very long time before anyone dared use a surname with her. It wouldn't be until she was much older that the concept of imperial politics — distasteful attempts at currying favor with Mòrag at the Emperor's expense in particular — would be impressed upon her.) However, officially speaking, she was simply 'Sena'.
There had been a certain amount of sense to it; after all, Mama Brighid and Papa Aegaeon didn't have last names either.
(The first time she had ever played with the children of the Master Driver, Sena had not helped but notice that each child's Core Crystal was identical to their respective mother's. She had always heard in passing about how she had been 'born' from Brighid and Aegaeon...yet her Core Crystal didn't match either of theirs. You're not like them, said the little seed in the back of her mind.)
Even so, there had always been a sense of...ambivalence, regarding her place in the world. After all, Sena was far from a typical Blade.
(She, a mere child, had asked why her Core Crystal wasn't like Brighid's or Aegaeon's. The two elder Blades had honestly looked rather flummoxed — as if surprised by the question — before reassuring her that it was because she was special. Yet...what if she didn't want to be 'special', a quiet part of her had whispered.)
Her education had been at the hands of tutors, as it had been with every child of the Imperial Family going back for generations; her training in Arts had primarily been with Brighid, Aegaeon, and Mòrag; her forays into the outside world had been in the company of various members of her 'extended family' (a polite term for Auntie's comrades from before her birth), especially their offspring.
And yet...for all that Sena should've identified with the Imperial Family of Mor Ardain; with Brighid, Aegaeon, or Mòrag; with Mio, Glimmer, Dirk, or Linka...something just didn't click. Her uniqueness set her apart in a way that could not be denied.
(When she had first learned of how olden Blades were electing to partake of the 'Core Crystal Reproduction' process that she had 'pioneered', she should have felt elated by the fact that others like her would be born. Yet none of these 'Blades-born-of-Blades' would have the essence of Aegaeon or Brighid; none of them would have Auntie Mòrag as their Driver; she was truly one-of-a-kind. Oh, how she loathed it, a wretched part of her had hissed.)
Nonetheless, her feelings had not so easily been hidden, in spite of her efforts to the contrary.
("I am your Driver, little Sena," remarked Auntie Mòrag, staring quietly at the ocean's distant horizon; the woman had become rather quiet and focused since contact had been established with another world. "Yet it seems I have become too used to the distinct sensations I feel from my other Blades; so used to our Affinity, that I've neglected to realize your nature makes such sensations...subtle, by comparison." Her expression must have showed her displeasure, because Auntie quickly added, "That's not your fault; merely existing is not a sin, and no one asks to be born...perhaps, in our desire to atone for the sins of the past, to grant some measure of freedom to others...we forgot that you were still a child, with all that comes with it." Russling Sena's hair with a gloved hand, Auntie remarked, "Once this matter regarding the Intersection has been handled...we'll make up for lost time." Her Auntie sounded calm, wise, and understanding...and yet, honestly remorseful for allegedly doing wrong by her. If only you had been easier; less 'you...then Auntie wouldn't feel this way, a treacherous part of her had growled.)
There was no way of knowing, alas, how Auntie and her Blades would have acted after the Intersection...
(She couldn't help but feel a strange sense of dread, as the Intersection approached. Papa Aegaeon stood stalwart, gazing at the sky above; Mama Brighid, meanwhile, acted with a strange softness that belied her usual serenity. "Be strong, Sena; we will face this together. Even to the end." What a mercy, that you'll finally stop feeling like this, a tired part of her had murmured. Yet, Sena did not speak aloud; she simply basked in the warmth of Mama's embrace, hoping beyond all hope that it would be enough to mask her dread.)
...because after the Intersection, and then the Rejoining...so many things had changed-
"Oi, Sena."
"Eh?" retorted Sena with a blink, looking over her shoulder. "Uh...is something wrong?"
Lanz crossed his arms, looking at her with an arched eyebrow. "I was calling your name for like, a minute. You getting all up in your head again?"
"...heh, I guess so," she admitted with a sheepish grin. "Still sorting through stuff, you know?"
...yes; so many things had changed.
xxxx
After the Rejoining, Sena had become strangely...extroverted.
Instead of wistfully pondering the state of their new world, she had begun doing morning workouts with unerring regularity.
From using her distinctive Comet Mallet as a supplement to her fire and water-based Arts, she had taken to using her hammer in training almost exclusively.
Whenever opportunities had arisen to hang out with the children of Auntie Mòrag and Mama Brighid's old comrades, she had taken to Mio to a far greater degree than before...and had become strangely averse to Dirk's presence. (Oh, how little either of them had known...)
Most tellingly, instead of letting her flickering blue hair fall in an elaborate curtain down to her shoulders, she had taken to just bundling it up in a simple ponytail, usually to the side.
These changes had not gone unnoticed.
("Are there times where you feel different?" Papa Aegaeon had asked, one day; Auntie and Mama were both absent, meeting with someone from the other world: a Kevesi Homs by the name of 'Dunban'. "If you ever feel the need to speak, do not hold back on my regard." Where before, a little voice in the back of her head would have spurned such kindness as being undeserved...now, she simply nodded, accepting it for what it was.)
As steps were slowly put in place to fully re-integrate with their separated brethren, Sena had wondered about her memories — if they could even be called that, instead of phantom sensations — of that mysterious world of Aionios.
("You seem to have retained a great deal of development from your time in that place," Mama Brighid had mused one day, whilst they waited for Mòrag and her brother to finish their discussions with Queen Nia and Queen Raqura regarding various matters of importance: the Nopon's seeming willingness to flout established quarantine protocols with Keves; the growing Indoline Diaspora; the increasing number of requests from various Blades to partake in the Core Crystal Reproduction process; and so on. "A shame that I wasn't there to witness it.")
Traces of sadness amidst flickers of contentment: Aionios had not been entirely pleasant. Yet, the experiences had somehow provided a foundation for Sena that she had been desperately seeking all of her life.
Part of that foundation lied not just with Mio, but with other people as well...and one individual, specifically.
("Nia and her Kevesi counterpart seem insistent that certain individuals should meet with each other," explained Mòrag, quietly running a fireproof comb through Sena's hair. For some reason, Auntie had always enjoyed these quietly intimate moments, where expectations of royalty fell away, and she could treat Sena as but a little girl...even if she was now a teenager. "One of them will be travelling here to meet you: a Machina-Homs hybrid, from my understanding. Based on how Nia described it...you two were close." There was a strange wistfulness to her voice. "It's strange. For all that Aionios should not have been, for all the troubles that linger from it amongst our armed forces...it seems some good came from it." At this, Sena could only wonder.)
And so it had come to pass: as Mio and Noah were reuniting at a dinner gathering far, far away...a private party had discreetly arrived at the Imperial Palace, comprised of two Nopon and a young man with skin colored in stark shades of gray.
"Riku need to observe moment of contact between Lanz and Sena," said a Nopon with fur of a greenish blue color, and an impressively robust brown afro. In his hands was some sort of handheld computer terminal. "Need insight into memory catalyst process-"
The older Nopon accompanying him, with feather hair and fur colored shades of cream and blond, rustled his afro. "Meh-meh, Sonnypon Riku acting big for britches! This a happy happy moment for Lanzypon; no need to treat like serious Dinobeast of a problem!"
"Meh! Hair is not for rustling-!"
The seemingly playful argument between father and son faded away, as Sena stared at the eyes of the taller Kevesi. (Like, why was he so tall?) "So...how exactly do we do this?" she asked, even as a part of her screamed to go over and glomp him. (Not tackle; not hug; 'glomp'. It was a very specific word with a very specific connotation, as she had learned long ago from Poppi.)
"You got me," said the young man with a rough accent, his hands running through white hair. Despite his intimidating appearance, his red eyes radiated with empathy. "Maybe just a handshake, to start with? People seem to think we've met before, after all."
"...I guess so." A handshake was nice and simple.
Yet, the moment her hand met his...it was as though an entire world had opened up within her mind's eye, expanding; reconnecting; enlightening.
The wariness in the young man's eyes utterly evaporated, replaced by relief; happiness; joy. "SENA!"
She must have seemed equally excited, because her voice nearly peaked. "LANZY!" she yelled, embracing the taller man in a hug that swept her off of her feet. Naturally, the moment her feet returned to the ground, she returned the favor by practically bear-hugging him upward.
"Whoa-ho!" he exclaimed, feet barely dangling above the floor. "You've still been working out, then?"
"Of course!" she replied, feeling a sense of completeness that she hadn't even known she had lost-!
There was a distinctive sound of a throat clearing. "So...you seem well acquainted." With a blink, Sena and Lanz turned towards Mòrag; while Brighid was hiding her titters with the back of her hand, and Aegaeon was resting a hand upon the hilt of his sword, Auntie seemed...strangely conflicted. "Zeke would probably be laughing at me if he were here to witness this...but I must inquire as to your intentions towards Sena, young man."
At this, Lanz seemed utterly flummoxed. "Eh? What do you mean?"
Sena, who had a lifetime of imperial etiquette and an understanding of royal intrigue backing her up, flushed with embarrassment. "A-Auntie, d-don't! It's not what you think-!"
The utter surrealty of the situation was finally enough for Brighid to loose a joyous laugh.
(And wasn't that a perfect display of Mòrag's emotions at that moment? Brighid, feeling delight at the unadulterated happiness of the family's scion; Aegaeon, intensely troubled and cautious by how familiar the newcomer was with Sena. Truly, a Driver and Blade were one.)
xxxx
Needless to say, the past days had been spent catching up under watchful eyes.
Yet, though they had both been bound by the common fate of a soldier in Aionios, their upbringing in this life had a vast gulf between them. Whereas Sena had been raised in an imperial household, Lanz — born from a Machina father and a Homs mother in circumstances beyond his knowledge — was an orphan who had been a proverbial wild Bunnit until relatively recent.
Sena: born of two Blades into a life of prestige that had nonetheless been surprisingly lonely.
Lanz: born of separate races, bound by hardship with three other orphans, recently adopted by a very gregarious Nopon. ("Can you believe it? Riku's technically my older brother now. How weird is that?!")
Regardless, their joy at being reunited was unquestionable. (Auntie Mòrag's concern about potential romance between the two...well, that was a concern to be pushed aside for now. There hadn't been enough time to wonder about such things in Aionios. But now...? Well, that was a thought for later. She was still riding on the high of having her — workout buddy; fellow musclehead; Ouroboros comrade; there were too many descriptors...! — partner back.)
Alas, as they had tried to make sense of their recovered memories...
("Ooh, we need to find Taion and Eunie! And Noah...I bet Mimi's family loves him!" Mimi's family: Rex, Mythra, Pyra, Nia, Mio, Glimmer, and...oh. Oh. "Mimi's family...her brother...what...?")
...reality had come knocking.
Which led back to the present.
"Still can't believe you grew up knowing Dirk," griped Lanz, walking towards the balcony. The city of Alba Cavanich spread out far below, sprawling over the shoulder of the Ardainian Titan. "Piss, we're high up..."
"Language," sternly remarked Aegaeon, who had taken to serving as their chaperone for the duration. (Sena knew it was necessary, as rumors were already flying about her closeness with the Kevesi visitor; even so, another part of her wanted to shout 'daaaad' and complain that her life wasn't like one of those Tantalese romance novels that Glimglam liked to read!) "And for all your trials against this 'Moebius D' in Aionios, Dirk is the son of Rex and Mythra, and is as much a friend of the family as the other children of the Master Driver. He will be afforded respect for that much."
"Never met 'Rex' or 'Mythra', but sure. Whatever," grumbled Lanz, looking down as a winged Titan slowly set down at another part of the Imperial Palace. "Cripes, is that a dragon?"
"That's Azurda, Rex's grandpa," explained Sena.
"...is Rex a dragon?"
Sena playfully thwacked Lanz on the shoulder. "Rex was an orphan like you. But Azurda helped raise him!"
Lanz cocked an eyebrow. "And how does that work?"
"It's a long story..." She was actually a bit fuzzy on the details; she hadn't had occasion to think about the backstory for Mio's dad for so long. Alas, all thoughts of such faded away, as the party of four disembarked from Azurda. Rex, Mythra, Mio...and him.
"...looks like a kid," growled Lanz, his hands gripping tightly onto the railing. "But I still wanna lay into him real bad."
"He is not the only one struggling with their memories from Aionios," cautioned Aegaeon, roughly placing his hand on Lanz's shoulder. "Not everyone was as blessed in that world as you."
"Wouldn't exactly call it 'blessed'," grumbled Lanz, who nonetheless acquiesced. "But sure, Aegaeon. Sir."
Sena simply watched sternly as the party of four were greeted by Auntie Mòrag and Mama Brighid, unsure of how to feel. So she defaulted for stress relief. "Lanzy, let's go do a workout."
"Eh?"
"If we're too tired and exhausted, then we're less likely to do something stupid if we run into Dirk!" The logic was sound and unassailable.
"...fair enough," admitted Lanz.
Aegaeon intruded on the conversation with a quiet clearing of his throat (practically indistinguishable from how Auntie would sound). "And this 'workout' would be consisting of...?" he asked, almost as a leading question.
Lanz, the poor clod, honestly responded, "Weights, calisthenics, cardio, stuff like that."
"...I see." Aegaeon's face gave no hints as to how he truly felt.
Sena, however, practically felt her hair burn from the utter embarrassment, because she could tell what Papa Aegaeon was implying, but she didn't dare protest out loud, lest she spontaneously combust. So she instead manifested a small orb of water in her hands and washed her face. "Okay! To the weight room!" she exclaimed, blustering past the awkwardness by pushing Lanz along.
"Okay okay, easy easy...!" he protested, complaining about her roughness even as Aegaeon followed along as their stoic sentinel.
(There would be plenty of time to process her feelings about everything later.)
(At least she wasn't alone in that.)
xxxx
Author's Note: We interrupt this Dirkpost with a surprise Sena!
This was a nice way of looking at Sena's canonical struggle with her identity from another perspective.
But in all seriousness, I do think that Aegaeon had a part to play in however Sena came about; notwithstanding the fact that Sena's Core Crystal doesn't match Brighid's (which means Brighid is not the sole Blade involved in her creation, given the genetic dominance we otherwise see), the presence of the ether lines on Sena's skin is another strong indicator.
But that's just a theory.
/a 'game' theory-
/"No. None of that. Shame on you."