"LEAVE ME ALONE!"

"STAY OUT OF MY WAY!"

"Just… leave… me… alone…"

—————————————————————————

"Get her into bed! Get her into bed! Careful with her!" Mythra barked orders as she, alongside Brighid and Zeke, rushed into Pyra's hut to give her a place to rest.

They found her… horribly bruised, breathing very slightly, sad, alone, and scared. Much too far out to be considered safe. They only knew about her disappearance thanks to Mythra and hers and Pyra's Driver searching around their living area all night to find her. The children were desperately begging and worried for their auntie Pyra, so the whole crew decided to form a search party in an effort to find her. Pyra finally got her wish in seeing her Driver again after missing him just before work and after bedtime… but it couldn't have gone any worse than this.

"Careful with your fat arms, Zeke! You almost crushed her foot!" Mythra screeched.

"Mythra, we're here now. There's no need to get so hostile." Brighid said very plainly as the three of them placed her on her bed.

"No need to get so hostile?" Mythra mimicked, then proceeded to tear up as she had got as close to her face as possible. "DID YOU FORGET WHO WE SPENT WEEKS AND WEEKS TRYING TO FIND OVER THE COURSE OF THIS MONTH? WHO ARE YOU TO TELL ME NOT TO GET SO HOSTILE?!"

"Mythra!" The ordering tone of Mórag echoed across the room, following her were Azurda, Pandoria, Tora, and Poppi; Nia and Dromarch were rounding up the back and were still a ways away from the village. They all wore concerned faces as Mórag came up to her.

"All of us are upset right now, you're in no position to be screaming at Brighid for trying to help."

"Pyra going to be okay?" Poppi asked innocently.

"Tora not best at working with medicine… but with many herbs in garden, Tora might give shot…" The small little Nopon offered.

Mythra looked around at everyone in the room solemnly and then back to Pyra. Tears still formed in her eyes as she sniffed sharply and turned away violently.

"Do whatever the hell you want! Just leave me alone with her!" She cried. Zeke responded by placing a gentle hand on her shoulder.

"It's alright, Mythra… we're all in this together… everyone else will be here soon…" He gently said. "Tora? Mind showing us to the herb patch?"

"Tora will be much happy to help." He bowed as the rest of the group minus Azurda and Mórag left the room.

"I'm not aware of the words you spoke to Pyra beforehand, lady Mórag. You yourself aren't to blame for this, but I highly suggest you speak to Mythra." Brighid told her Driver just before she left the room.

"Yes… Brighid… thank you." Her Driver said simply, leaving only her, Azurda, Mythra, and an unconscious Pyra in the room.

"Mythra, dear… I'm deeply sorry… I can't help but feel I may have perpetuated this ordeal… mixing your thoughts up like nobody's business…" Azurda apologized.

"She's still breathing…" Mythra announced sadly.

"Mythra." Mórag began. "I'm sorry for this. Truly I am. My only desire was to help you and Pyra with your… ordeals. I see the lot of you out there… sulking about. I won't twist my words this time, please, keep a stiff upper lip and enjoy yourself where you can. Now that you really truly can."

Mythra gave no response. Azurda looked on sadly while Mórag sighed pointedly.

"Quite… I'll give you your alone time with her… and give old… what did you take to calling him… dino boy, was it? My best regards."

Still nothing. Mórag nodded understandingly and walked off with Azurda.

Now Mythra was all alone with Pyra, just overlooking her somberly. What she had gotten herself into or ran into when she decided to run off, she didn't know, nor did she want to know. Any thoughts that ran through her mind, she had to shoo off, they only muddied matters. But they kept coming… and coming… and coming… and coming…

"WHATEVER IS THE MATTER WITH YOU, HUH?! MAKING ME WORRIED SICK DAY IN AND DAY OUT OVER YOUR STUPIDITY?! GOING OFF ON YOUR OWN, WITHOUT EVEN SO MUCH AS A GOODBYE TO ME OR OUR FRIENDS OR ANY OF THE KIDS- WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?!?!?!" Mythra exploded at Pyra, who couldn't even flinch in response.

Seeing Pyra's struggling body immediately took effect on Mythra, who instantly switched herself from being angry to being sad. She threw herself over Pyra and sobbed silently.

"Pyra… please… I know things aren't the best for us now, but you almost got yourself killed… I can't… I don't WANT to lose you…" Mythra sniffed sharply as she let a few tears roll down her face. "Q-quit living in the clouds so much you dumbass… If… If I would've known what would've come from your dream chasing I would've… I would've been right there by Nia…"

"Aye, Mythra. Those're some strong words, comin' from you."

Mythra turned to the sound of the new voice greeting her solemnly. In the doorway stood Nia, a hand on her hip and delivering a sorrowful expression the Aegis' way. Mythra sighed as she turned back around.

"Go ahead… say that you told us so… you've earned it… and when you're finished with your gloating, you can get out of here…"

Nia simply sighed and walked over to Pyra's side, placing her hands over her to begin healing the red-haired Blade. She didn't speak for a moment, simply focusing on Pyra, until she lifted her hands and looked up at Mythra.

"She'll be fine, just some bed rest and then she's right as rain."

"no…no please… don't go… i want… i want another chance… please…" Pyra weakly spoke in her sleep.

"Pyra…?" Mythra reached over to touch her other self just before Nia quickly and firmly, but carefully stopped her.

"Let her be… please, Mythra…"

There was a long stand of silence between the two, each of them staring sadly into each other's eyes, waiting for the other to say something to go on from there. Mythra glanced over to Pyra once again, watching as her already disturbed and pained face was scrunching up further in displeasure, occasionally letting out phrases of… wanting. What that want was, Mythra could hardly guess. Still unsure if this was Pyra's own version of her Foresight, she sighed heavily and turned back to Nia.

"Alright…" She said as the two brought their hands down and looked at Pyra again.

"Good…" Nia still looked conflicted about what she was to say next, before exhaling deeply.

"Nah, ain't a chance for an I-told-ya-so." She stated.

"Oh, quit stringing me along, girl! Just lay it straight, rip it off, and be done with it so we can get back to this never ending cycle of stepping up when someone needs us even if there's nowhere TO step up!"

"No! Mythra, please. I mean it." Nia started with a harsh tone but immediately softened it, which surprised Mythra.

"M-mean what? Though- now that I think about it… it was you who told us to just get up and go cuz we were tired…" Mythra was about to loom over Nia before she thought more about what she said and immediately flopped back over her chair and sighed heavily, "Oh, who am I kidding? You were right, Nia… we… can't afford to lose all of this again… and lo and behold, thanks to the all knowing Aegis, we were so damn close. Hold your applause or some shit…"

"No…Mythra…I was wrong. Just hear me out for once in yer life, please." Nia stared at the blonde Blade intently.

"W-what are you talking about? What brought all this up? How can you say that when the truth of your words is right THERE on her deathbed?!" Mythra was on the verge of tears as she wildly gestured her arms toward Nia then Pyra and then back to Nia again.

Nia took Mythra's hands and held them in her own to try and help calm her down.

"Mythra. It's alright. Pyra's fine. You're fine." She pushed Mythra's hands together as she continued.

"...when I told ya that you shouldn't be dreaming of a better life, I was…projecting a smidge."

Mythra simply looked on in some shock, unable to find any words to respond this time.

"I mean, you could tell clear as anyone, I wasn't happy with where I'd ended up either…still not, really. But because I felt a responsibility to this new world I…" She stopped and held herself back from over-explaining.

"...the gist is, I've turned down being this new 'ruler of Alrest' nonsense. I don't even know why I considered it…it never suited me to begin with, there are plenty of better candidates."

"B-but…" Mythra tried to interject as she was very thrown off by this news. "You…you can figure it out if you try, you don't have to turn it down if you don't want to, I-"

"But that's the thing, Mythra. I do want to."

Nia's words echoed with a sense of agency. Mythra continued to stare at her- both in a sense of surprise and concern. The shorter Blade sighed and took her hands from Mythra's, placing them on her core crystal.

"What's that wacky ability o' yours Mythra, Foresight?" She asked.

"Th-that's right…"

"Put yer hand on your own core crystal… take my hand… and let's try something…"

Mythra looked down to Pyra once again, really thinking about what her own dreams meant and what exactly they were at all. She sighed heavily and did as instructed, interlocking her fingers in between Nia's as the two concentrated very very hard. The space around them changed completely; instead of the cozy little cottage where Pyra slept, Mythra and Nia were in a large room with a round table right in the middle, the former rulers of the lands in which the now laid to rest Titans had gathered… and Nia was right in the middle of all of them.

"What is-" Mythra was cut off by Nia.

"We don't have a lot of time here… just pay attention. I'll see ya in a bit."

"Wait, wha-?"

Nia suddenly vanished from the vision, leaving Mythra by herself, still confused as to what exactly she was trying to show her. Some muffled talking began to come from the room she was in as the faces and persons of the people in said room became clearer and clearer just until it seemed like she was actually there herself.

Mythra was not unfamiliar with this feeling, as the Aegis she naturally had the ability to observe the lives of other Blades as a method of gathering data from them. While this was something she only recently picked up after Pneuma had left them, it wasn't too odd once she got the hang of it. It was still off-putting to have Nia so openly insist on having a memory of hers be seen, however. Even after their adventures together, the half-blade, former Torna member still had a habit of keeping things close to the chest.

Regardless, Mythra simply took a deep breath and heeded what Nia said, looking on at the scene playing out before her. As this was simply a vision of a past memory, she was not seen or sensed by anyone in the room, but she had a clear viewpoint of everyone else.

At the table were the rulers of the respective titans before they had connected into one land mass. Emperor Nial sat at the biggest chair as both the representative of the Mor Ardain titan and the makeshift leader of the coalition, having taken up the position after Zeke had refused it. Mórag sat next to him as his adjutant.

Zeke himself still sat at the table as the acting representative of the Genbu titan and what remained of the Kingdom of Tantal in place of his father, who at the moment was recovering from an illness. Zeke was also the only representative who sat alone at the table.

Across from him sat Queen Raqura, representative of the Uraya titan, along with her two adjutants at either side of her. She was certainly getting along in years and the stress of the events a decade prior and the recovery period since took a mental toll on her, but otherwise she still stern faced. That said her overall demeanor was significantly softer to those who knew her well.

Next to her sat Niranira, representative of the Argentum Trade Guild, the only titan to have not directly connected to the others in the landmass. Despite that fact, their resources and especially their access to transportation through their titan made them even more valued as a trade center than ever before, enough so that they were able to become their own nation. Despite all of this, Niranira still gave the impression of a humble merchant -about as humble as a Nopon could manage, with the only change to his appearance over the past decade being a stylish pair of aviators. They seemed to sparkle whenever he finished a sentence.

Lastly, there was Nia. Now that Gormott was no longer under the ruling thumb of Mor Ardain's military, it was also able to become its own nation once again, with Nia as its acting representative. While she took up the role with confidence initially, over time it became clear to the other leaders that she was not happy being in a position of authority like this, even if Nia herself took a while to come to the same conclusion. This made the topic of discussion at this congress all the more contentious.

Mythra looked over the leaders sitting at the table and couldn't help but think back to the congress from a decade ago where she appeared before all of them to warn them of Malos. Of course, there was no representative for the Indoline Pratorum as Amalthus had been killed and the nation itself was still in disarray. While it may have felt like an eternity ago to them, to her it still felt far too close in the past.

"I guess Nia's kinda in the position I was in, in a way…" She spoke to herself.

After a conversation about coming to an agreement that someone needed to be in charge of all the New World, the leaders, and only the leaders dutifully accepted.

All except Nia.

They all looked toward her with expectant eyes. The decision had to be unanimous, and she would be the final catalyst to it all. Why, with all the experience in travel and knowledge of what the world was before and had become, there would be no one better suited than such a close friend of the Aegis herself, they had all decided. The only ones in the room, barring Mythra, who had genuine concern on their faces were Mórag and Zeke, who turned to each other nervously. Nia wasn't exactly the quietest when it came to her… less than agreeable comfort level with the way things had been turning, personal or not.

"Lady Nia, the decision is in your hands, now. It isn't wise to stay quiet." Nial suggested.

"I…I…"

"Come then, Miss Nia! Think of possibilities! World far too big now to not venture forth and expand for sake of people!" Niranira called.

The room was silent. Mythra's full attention was at Nia as well. Her brow furrowed in concern as she clutched her chest in anticipation… for whatever Nia would say.

"You're all a bunch o' loons…" she said under breath.

"Pardon?" Nial asked.

Nia gripped the pants of her legs tightly as she really considered what she was about to say, especially given what she had told Pyra and Mythra just recently. But…she had to.

"I…I'm sorry but…I decline the offer."

Seeing her like this, Mythra wanted to reach out a comforting hand, for a moment forgetting this was just a vision. A part of her just…badly understood the emotions Nia was going through in this moment.

Nia kept her face down, bracing herself from the barrage of nagging and berating at her for not taking up the role of leading a new unified nation. But after a few beats of silence, she raised one of her ears before looking up to see a table of rather unsurprised looks pointed back at her.

"Y…you lot don't seem very upset, what's up with that?" She started nervously before ending the sentence with more energy.

"Well I…can't say I wasn't expecting this." Nial explained. "Not to be insulting Nia, you're perhaps a greater warrior than everyone at this table-" Mórag and Zeke both nodded in agreement at that statement. That was when he let out a rather surprising admission, surprising to her, at least. "-but you really don't seem to be the leader type."

"I agree, and I'd hate to place such a burden on you when it's clearly not a role you're very passionate about." Raqura added, also shocking the Gormott representative.

Nia mostly just stared back, slack-jawed. This was a much less confrontational reaction than she was expecting, even the most stern and serious people in the room were being very understanding and gentle with her.

"But…you lot kept talking about 'needing a strong, unified nation with a single ruler'! What, were all these past meetings just a farce?!" Nia was now leaning over the table.

"Nia, we're well aware of the fact that you tune out during most of these meetings, I'm not surprised you didn't pick up on the shift in attitude." Mórag pointedly stated.

"I…uh…well…" Nia stammered for a response, only to be met with Mórag's raised eyebrow.

Mórag sighed before she continued.

"It's fine, honestly if you told me we'd take this direction a few years back I would've scoffed in your face. But…we've all done a lot of learning, we're not stagnant beings."

Hearing that comment got to Mythra for some reason, and she placed her hands over her core crystal.

"I'll say it flatly and plainly. It makes no lark of sense to force all of these different nations of different peoples to become one homogenous state. We'd be enforcing cruel, likely ineffective rule over culture and land that are still distinct from each other. The titans being shoved together doesn't suddenly mean they're all one titan, now does it?" Mórag spoke with her usual authority.

"Aye. And the thought of Blades just… vanishing under even more tense and personal strife and conflict as a result is nothing too short of horrifying… but a very real possibility if we did enforce all of this…" Zeke added, earning a nod from Mórag.

"I just…"

"Yes, Nia?" Mórag pressed the question.

"I…I've been thinking the same thing for a while now, you know…I just…never expected you to be the one to say it, is all."

"Well, I suppose I can't blame you. Mor Ardain did spend much of its time oppressing the people of Gormott."

"Yes, but we understand that was out of necessity-" Zeke chimed in.

"But that doesn't justify it." Nial cut him off this time. "We spent too long making the people of Gormott suffer, and frankly we have no more desire to engage in that sort of militaristic enforcement any longer."

Raqura chuckled. "Noble words, though I'm certain the fact that your titan is no longer under immediate threat certainly lightened your attitude."

Both Zeke and Nia stood up in protest of her comment.

"Hey now!"

"Oh buzz off with that, you-"

Mórag slammed her hand on the table to silence them. "Enough! She speaks the truth."

Zeke and Nia slowly sat back down as the former inquisitor leaned back in her chair as well.

"I hope you understand I didn't mean that insultingly." Raqura gestured her hand to Mórag and Nial in a more friendly manner.

"Of course, but you make a valid point regardless." Nial proceeded.

"I simply mean to say that we do not deserve the right to even vote on the idea of taking control over Gormott again. To be honest…I still don't feel comfortable being the head of this congress…"

Zeke was about to interject again before Mórag signaled for him not to do so, as she continued herself.

"All we're saying is that it seems appropriate to leave the unification of our nations to just this alliance. Therefore, we have no need of a single controlling government, and in turn, a single ruler." She gestured to Nia one last time. "Not that we'd be in opposition if the other nations do decide to unite in that manner, but if they would prefer to remain separate, we'd fully support that decision."

"Indeed. The people of tomorrow and the far future deserve to make due with the world as we've left it for them. If it means starting over completely anew, then so be it." Nial said.

Nia loosened up a bit as she realized the floor was hers yet again.

"But…this doesn't make a lick of sense…why were you all so gung-ho about unifying if you didn't really want it?"

"Don't misunderstand us, Nia. We never said we didn't want a unified nation. Mor Ardain is simply morally opposed."

"As for the rest of us, chum, well…the simple fact of the matter is we don't really know what the best path forward is. We could go for a united front, but we could also remain separate nations. Both approaches have their merit. After this decision we'll basically have to play it by ear." He gave her a warm, doofy smile to reassure her.

Nia looked over to the other leaders.

"Well I'm certainly not opposed to Uraya remaining independent." Raqura placed her hand to her chin.

"Meh! And Niranira believes trade with lot of countries could be just as goody as with one big country!" The Nopon merchant chimed, his sunglasses glinting despite the low light in the room.

"And I suppose with Genbu no longer immediately in danger, the Kingdom of Tantal is in much the same boat as Mor Ardain, we don't really have an immediate preference." Zeke added.

Mythra stood in shock trying to do the same. It had nagged at her for a while, over the course of this vision yes but…also over the course of these past ten years.

All of these people she knew, they had all changed so much. The world around them had changed so much. Over the long course of history this time was a relative blip on the radar, but they'd still grown and matured so greatly that…they seemed like entirely different people.

All the while she felt like…the exact same person…

Nia slumped back in her seat, just trying to process all of this.

"I…guess I get it…but…are you really going to place such a big decision on my shoulders?" Nia asked, anxiously.

"Of course not, you doofy kid! We'll put it to a vote!" Zeke leaned towards her, signaling her to keep her chin up. Nia looked across the table, people she once feared confronting in this context now being supportive and understanding.

She simply smiled, then nodded in agreement.

Mythra looked on in equal amazement, so very happy for her friend.

"And so, all in favor of one united nation, say aye!" Mórag announced.

Mythra looked on as not a single one of them raised their hand.

Mórag quietly chuckled.

"And all in favor of remaining separate, allied nations-"

Suddenly the vision ended, whisking Mythra back to where she was sitting with Nia.

The two simply looked at each other, having come close to an understanding already. The off-kilter feeling Mythra had going into the vision had long since passed. Nia put a hand on her shoulder and nodded.

"Recently I took a long hard look at myself and…really thought about everything." She briefly looked down at Pyra again.

"And I realized…I spent…so many years, lifetimes in the eyes of others, running away and living by the wants of other people, never for myself." She looked almost ready to cry.

"Nia…" Mythra still wasn't sure of what to say.

"I…guess I thought when the world changed I would just…automatically be where I'd always hoped. But…no. I'm still changing, I haven't gotten the life I've wanted yet, just the opportunity."

"And the overall peaceful lifestyle doesn't help with that?" Mythra asked.

"No…it feels bad to say it, cuz I don't want to seem ungrateful or selfish…but this peaceful life makes me…too complacent with how things are. It makes me want to ignore the problems I have now instead of fixing them…even more so than when I was running away from those problems."

She now looked up at Mythra with some vigor.

"And the same applies to you. Both of you. And Pneuma! I know the lot of us are still tryin' ta get used to this 'New World' or whatever it is we're callin' it- but that's no reason to just throw away everything that came before!" She softened her gaze again and returned it to Pyra.

"We can't just pretend like the struggles we spent so long grappling with are just…poof, ya know? I know I've come a long way, I know you've come a long way. But…that doesn't mean we have to settle for what's available."

She gripped Mythra's hands tighter as she stared directly into her eyes.

"I'm going to find the life I want. No matter how long it takes. Remember the kinda life I want? I want a kid- my OWN kid! See someone of me own blood growin' up big and strong gettin' ta experience all these new ins and outs together! That's only ONE thing I want! There's so much more I don't even know yet! And I want you lot to find the life that you want in turn!"

Mythra looked at Nia with meaning in her eyes. She began to well up in tears, moved by her words, and felt the smallest twinge of hope well up inside her heart… but that was when her previous unease really struck her down.

Ten years. Absolutely no change. Even her Driver took up the reins of parenthood all by himself… when he wasn't working his tail off, that was, which was more often than not. At least he got to escape the monotony of life for them. She was even jealous of the fact everyone looked physically older, including Nia. Meanwhile she and Pyra were… just the same. Sure, the same could be said for Brighid, Pandoria, Dromarch, and Azurda as well, but the latter two were already old as it was, and the former two weren't burdened with such an intense… desire of… something… something she wasn't quite sure what of herself, but she did know that being torn between a human and Blade life was just the life of the Aegis. The Aegis that everyone, especially hers and Pyra's Driver looked up to and respected… all those expectations and happy faces could just… vanish in the blink of an eye. It was too much to endure, as if Pyra lying right there before them wasn't proof enough already.

And she hated it. She hated it so very much now that she had the time to think about it. Pyra being right there only solidified her opinion.

But how could she tell that to anyone without over-worrying them?

She couldn't. Not after everything they went through as a team.

"Nia, I… I want all that too but… this life, as it is now, isn't about me or Pyra anymore… sure, none of those kids belong to her and I but… I couldn't imagine their faces waking up one day and seeing their auntie Pyra or auntie Mythra just… gone…" Mythra gently escaped Nia's grip and turned around sadly.

"Remember, too, Nia… I… we're the Aegis… we have so many responsibilities still left in front of us that… I'm afraid… I don't know how to start looking for the life I want…" She turned to face Pyra again.

"There are times I just… really feel so… horrendously awful for putting Pyra through everything I should've gone through but… she had the courage and the thought to at least try… but the world itself said she couldn't… I'm jealous of her… really I am… and I'd trade places with her right there if I really could…"

"Oh you…you dullard, you know Pyra wouldn't want that in the first place." Nia shook her head.

"I once said, a long time ago, that I don't want to be anything to anyone… but I'd sure love to be SOMEone… someone other than just… 'the' Aegis… to just be Mythra… JUST Pyra for once…"

"Well…I don't know how exactly it'll happen, but… IT WILL. One way or another… like I said, no matter how long it takes…" Nia regained the vigor in her tone and grasped Mythra's hand a bit tighter. "That's why I showed you that memory of mine…to show you that…we can all change. We can all keep growing, no matter what. Yew can be a human, a blade, a Nopon, a machine, a blade of grass, all of us change over time!" Nia spoke with so much hopefulness and sincerity that Mythra couldn't help but well up again.

However, a response to that statement clouded her mind, and while she didn't say it to Nia, it still ate away at her from the inside.

'That's the thing…I…we…can't change…we can't change or grow like all of you…we're stuck this way…forever…'

Mythra looked down at Pyra again, who was breathing heavily in her sleep, muttering one phrase over and over again…

"Let me choose… please let me choose… please just let me choose…"

"Pyra…" Mythra intoned, hiding her teary eyes from Nia as the room grew deadly silent… until… a youthful but gentle male voice suddenly sounded from the outside.

"Guys… what's goin' on?"