Ah! I love you guys so much! I was not expecting this to be this popular (although I guess we've all been starved of the whole combined universe thing for a while now.) Thank you to everyone who commented and thanks most of all for being patient with me!

Chapter title comes from Audrey Hepburn.

I'm not super proud with the pacing in this chapter but I tried. There's actually a little blurb of XC1 stuff in this chapter too. It's probably not what you're expecting though. Next chapter will be primarily XC1 to make up for that. I can't wait to see what you guys think of what I have planned.

I'm going to try to aim for updates once a month. It should get quicker as the story progresses since I've been working on future chapters a lot. However, I will be attending classes in the fall in some shape or form and they will be the most load intensive to date. So no guarantees.

Special thanks to Archduchess Fayewen Aldivir of the Kingdom of Ramdal. You have been an amazing friend and I can't wait to see you soon!

My jams for this chapter, in order: Disquiet (XC1), The Four Limbed titan (TTGC), Futures that Lie Ahead (XC1)

"The best thing to hold onto in life is each other"

═════════•°• :Cloud Sea, Alrest. •°•═════════

The ship creaked and groaned as rain pelted it from all sides. The wind howled alongside them, eagerly calling for its mate. Lora sat huddled against her blades in the northeast corner of the ship. She glanced outside uneasily, bile rising in her throat. She was certain that she would not be able to see her hand if she stuck it outside.

"I'm sorry, Master Addam. I had no idea that this storm was coming," the pilot's apprentice called nervously, sensing the uneasiness in the room.

"No worries, Gedd. Just focus on getting us to Torigoth," Addam replied, sitting back. He closed his eyes, sighing. "This is the second strong storm in two weeks."

"I've never seen anything like it," Lora remarked, clutching her fingers together. Haze rested her head on her shoulder, placing her hand over her drivers. She didn't share Lora's fear of storms but even she was slightly unnerved slightly by this one.

"Indeed. Alisha must be loving this weather," Addam said softly, turning his head to watch the weather outside. "She loves the sound of the rain hitting the roof. I wish I could be with her right about now."

"Alisha?" Mythra asked, her eyes focused on the downpour, the corners of her lips downturned.

"My wife. She's back home at Aletta now. She'll be due soon with our firstborn," Addam said, grinning. Lora and Haze gasped in unison. Mikhail glanced up, slightly interested in the conversation.

"You have a pregnant wife?!" Lora asked, tilting her head slightly. "Why am I only now hearing this?!"

"Yes, well. We were childhood friends and married young. She's the love of my life," Addam said wistfully, his eyes sparkling with joy. "I'll introduce you all to her when we stop by my homestead."

"Wow. I didn't think you had it in you," Mythra said. He chuckled, rubbing the back of his head. Milton shoved her away, grinning at the indignant squawk she let out.

"Glad to hear the vote of confidence from you, Mythra," He said, his face falling slightly. "Although I'm not sure I have it in me to be a father. I never knew who my father was until I was already married."

"You never knew you were a prince? How?" Haze asked.

"It's a long story. Not one we're going to have time for right now," He said, nodding in the direction of the looming shadow of Gormott. Lora hummed in acknowledgement, leaning into Jin for comfort.

"I'm sure you'll be a great father Addam," the ice blade commented. He smiled cheekily.

"Thanks. We have an Aegis to track down first. I can't rest until I know Alrest will be safe from his brand of terror," Addam vowed. The strength of his convictions set shivers through Mythra's body. She resisted the urge to curl herself into a ball, willing herself to be strong.

Despite the horrid downpour, Gedd had little problem docking the ship. Once the rain lightened up, Lora and her traveling companions disembarked. She landed on solid ground, shivering in delight as her anxiety settled. The sound of someone strumming what sounded like a Torigonda and an Ardanian instrument drew Lora's attention to the square. The traveling musicians smiled at her once they realized she was listening to them. After playing a little jingle, Lora gave a round of applause. She searched through her bag for some coin, offering some as a tip.

"You don't have to do that, lass," the Ardanian said. Lora shook her head, placing the coin in the Urayan's hand.

"I don't mind. I know all too well the pain of being poor," She said. The two musicians looked at each other for a second before nodding.

"Then may we have the honor of knowing your name?" the Ardanian asked.

"My name is Lora. This is Jin and Haze," She introduced.

"What a lovely name for a lovely person. I am Leo and this is my partner Azzarn. Pleased to make your acquaintance, Lora." Leo said, taking a bow.

"Likewise," Haze said, nodding. The musicians gave a bright smile as they started a new song, the melody soaring through the air with unrestrained glee.

"Wow…" Lora said, eye sparkling as she faced the wide open plains of Gormott. There was so much… space. And there was so much green! She couldn't even see the ends of the plains from where she was standing. It was so foreign to Torna yet so familiar at the same time. She couldn't help but want to diverge from the beaten path just to explore what the titan had to offer.

"Wow. I don't think I've ever seen something so big before," Haze remarked, looking around. Jin snorted, standing by his driver. "I can see why Rynea would want to settle here."

"Yeah. I could see myself living here one day," Lora said to herself, a slight breeze caressing her face.

"Mhmm," Jin affirmed, wrapping his arm around her. She leaned into his touch, smiling softly. The two stood in the embrace for a moment, letting the sounds of the musicians and nature cascade around them. She could easily see them building a home together here to live out the rest of their lives.

"Ahem. Am I interrupting something?" Addam asked, his voice dropping low and deep. "Do we need to give you two some space?"

"That… won't be necessary," Jin said, his face tinted red. He immediately backed away from Lora.

"Is that a Lefthierian accent I hear?" Lora inquired, looking at Addam.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Addam said. "Anyways, we're going to be making a slight detour, if that's alright with you?"

"Hmm?"

"There's a newbie driver. Her name is Lyta and she wants to explore Gormott to get stronger. She's a little nervous about setting off on our own, though," He explained. "I offered to let us follow from a distance so that we could step in if things got rough."

"I knew this would happen. I knew we would end up stepping into something like this because of Mr. Goody Two shoes here," Mythra murmured, crossing her arms.

"Come off it now, Mythra," He replied. "So, what do you say?"

"Do they have a plan as to where they want to go?" Jin asked. "We won't be able to follow them forever."

"Yes. They want to head towards Serene Springside first," He said.

"Hmm. That should be somewhere on the titan's back. I doubt it would be far from where we are," Haze said. "I'm okay with tagging along. What about you, my lady?"

"Sure! Why not? I have to admit that I'm kinda curious about the wildlife and the landscape," Lora said. Addam chuckled.

"Awesome! I'll let them know and then we'll be on our way!" Addam started to rush off but was stopped by Mythra.

"Aren't you going to tell them about the others you promised to help?" She asked, smirking. He rubbed the back of his head.

"Well, right. There's a Nopon called Macmac that wants us to destroy Green barrels which contain Red Pollen Orbs. They're considered illegal in the world of Nopon commerce," Addam said. "We've already dealt with the ones around Feltley Village. And I already took care of three that were around the cove."

"Red Pollen Orbs… Green Barrels.. Are you talking about these things?" Lora asked, pulling out a small, crimson orb. Addam nodded.

"And?" Mythra drawled, smirking. The prince sighed dramatically.

"And there's a blade called Krogane that wants us to prove that we can perform Level 2 Blade combos," He admitted sheepishly.

"Is there anyone else you swore to help?" Lora asked, narrowing her eyes.

"That's all of them! I swear!" He defended, puffing his chest out.

"For now," Mythra said ominously. "Come on. We have a driver to tail,"

With Lyta marching ahead several paces, the group set off. It didn't take long before they left the beaten path, heading north towards the Oasis. Lora couldn't resist the jolt of excitement that raced up her spine. She had never seen so many creatures gathered in one place. It was no wonder that this place could give people a run for their money. Luckily, neither Lyta nor their group ran into trouble along the way.

"Newbie driver indeed…." Lora murmured, watching the girl inhale the Deviled Baguettes that Jin had made when they had last camped. Her blade grunted in affirmation.

"If you die here, I'm going to name this place after you," Kaeda scoffed, turning away. "Lyta Oasis has a nice ring to it, doesn't it?"

After sheepishly thanking them, the driver and blade combo started walking along the tree roots. As she walked, Lora reached out and brushed her hand against the root in awe. Torna had trees, of course, but they never grew to this size. Her eyes followed the length of the root where it extended up on top of a cliff.

"I wonder what's up there," Lora said to herself, backing up to get a better view.

"Tirkin, if I'm not mistaken," Addam replied, following her gaze. "They've made a home of the Saint's Practice Ground."

"Tirkin? Like the Tirkin of the Cliff Colony in Aletta?"

"Exactly. They're strong, intelligent little buggers. I wouldn't recommend trying to take them on alone," He murmured, a dark look crossing his face. Lora gazed at him curiously before turning to follow her blades. The group trekked across the plains, narrowly avoiding the Volff and Aspars that prowled around. She moved close to Mythra, watching the creatures out of the corner of her eyes. The Aspars creeped her out; Jin had constantly warned her about the dangers of Aspar venom when they first set out traveling all those years ago. Even when she awakened Haze, that fear never left her. A sudden lack of movement caught her eyes. Lyta and Kaeda had stopped underneath a large tree. While it was nowhere near as imposing as the one that led up to the Practice Ground, it stood proudly and alone in an open plain.

"Amazing," Addam said, looking up. "I thought it looked impressive from the oasis but it manages to be even more expansive up close."

"Like my father. Big, strong, expansive. It's soothing, in a way," Lyta said, smiling. "I'd like to be like that one day. So I'll stop disappointing the people important to me."

"Huh. He sounds like an amazing person," Lora remarked, amazed the length of the branches.

"... We're calling this the Waytree," Kaeda declared, crossing her arms.

"Aha! My dad's name is Wayton!" Lyta beamed. "I see what you did there. You're so good at naming things, Kaeda! It must be your special ability."

"Of course. I have to make sure green travelers like you don't get lost because you can't remember a location," the blade said, her lips twitching.

"The Waytree," Lora repeated to herself, her eyes twinkling. "I like it."

"Yes. It's very fitting," Jin remarked, gazing out towards the direction of Torigoth.

"I have one tiny, last request. Do you think you could follow us up those tree roots?" Lyta asked, gesturing towards the big tree that they had just come from. Addam held in a sigh, not liking the angle of the climb. The joints in his knees were already aching at the thought of climbing the tree.

"I don't see why not," Lora said. "Are you okay with going Addam?"

"Sure," Addam replied, his eyes downturned. "Why not?"

Mythra glanced curiously at her driver, feeling a small jolt of dread surround their ether bond. The group started moving before she could press the issue, however. They backtracked somewhat before walking to the northeast towards the wider of the twin tree branches. The root was indeed steeper than anything that they had encountered thus far. By the time they reached the top, they found Lyta cheering over the corpse of a dead monster.

"Whoa! Did you see that? I totally whooped that monster's butt!"

"Look at you, getting a big head over defeating one monster," Kaeda murmured, no real heat behind her words. The driver giggled, giving her blade a playful shove. Haze glanced at the distant arbor in awe.

"Look! Lancham Cove seems a world away from here,"

"Yeah. We've come quite a ways. As have you, Lyta," Addam said, puffing out his chest slightly. "You should feel proud of yourself."

"Awe! Thank you Mister Addam!"

"Finally. All of this over simple exploration," Mythra murmured, kicking the ground.

"Have patience, Mythra. She will make a fine driver someday. Everyone has to start somewhere," Jin replied, a look of contemplation on his face.

"Oh wow. She really will be a good driver if she managed to get a compliment out of Jin," Haze giggled. Mythra huffed, arms crossing in front of her.

"Everyone. Thank you so much!" Lyta said, jumping up in joy, much to the chagrin of Kaeda. "Once we're done here, we'll find some new places to explore!"

"Which means we might run into each other once more. I look forward to the day that happens," Addam said, the setting sun framing his face perfectly.

"Of course!" With that, the two groups of travelers bid each other farewell. Addam led the group down the way they came and onto the main path, avoiding the prowling monsters. It was getting late and they didn't need to find themselves lost at night in an unfamiliar land.

"I think we should set up camp soon. I don't want to enter Torigoth while it's dark," He said. Lora nodded in agreement.

"I saw a campsite not too far ahead near the Waytree," Jin mentioned, motioning towards the northwest.

"Let's head there, then," Haze said. The prince bit the insides of his mouth. The pain in his knees was starting to go from being a mere annoyance to actually being a problem. He pushed through the pain, focusing on the sight ahead. He breathed a sigh of relief when they reached the top of the hill, the campsite only a few paces away.

"Gormott is a really beautiful place to behold. But that beauty is fraught with danger," Jin murmured as they approached the campsite. Lora punched his shoulder lightly.

"I'm sure that between you and Haze that I will be kept safe," She said, grinning up at him. Addam watched the duo curiously, nostalgia pooling in his gut.

"What's that all about?" the Aegis asked, glancing blankly at her driver.

"What are you talking about, Mythra?" He asked.

"Our bond. What was that feeling?" She explained.

"Ah. It's nothing. I was just… reminded of something, that's all," He replied, taking a seat. The sound of a crackling fire and the sight of the sun falling behind the horizon allowed the two to drift into their own worlds, unaware of the horror that would await them the next day.

═════════•°• Companions Cape, Bionis Shoulder •°•═════════

"Stupid half breed," the guard chuckled, grabbing the beaten boy by his shirt. A knife hovered by his throat, the tip pushed dangerously close to his carotid artery. He cried out, grabbing at the man's hand in an effort to dislodge himself. The guard was too strong for his thirty year old body to overpower. A manic grin spread upon his aggressors face. "Do us a favor and never set foot in the capital again. The royal guard doesn't need dirty little half bloods running around like you own the place,"

He yelped as he was thrown off of the transporter deck, careening towards the sea below. Tears built in his eyes as he watched the water steadily creep closer and closer. With the wind roaring in his ears, he shut them tightly, bracing for impact. He screamed as his body slammed into what felt like solid steel, some of his ribs snapping like twigs. The wounds adorning his headwings burned at the touch of the icy salt water. He blindly swam towards Faras Cave, pain radiating from his core with every stroke. Once he got to shore, he crawled forward and vomited, the pain overwhelming his senses.

More tears blurred his vision, spilling down his cheeks as he tried to stand up. His shaky muscles and the pain were too much for his frail body to handle. He fell back down to his knees with a sharp cry, grasping the ground, gasping for breath. He tried to slow down his breathing, trying to calm his racing heart. He lightly ran his fingers over the wounds to try and distract himself from the pain in his chest. Red, damaged feathers stuck to his fingers. He screeched and thrust his hands in the water, bile rising in his mouth at the sight of his own blood washing away. He grabbed one of his headwings, looking at the extent of his injuries.

A gruesome sight was his only greeting: most of the tendons, thin muscles and blood vessels in his wings had exposed to the open air by the guard's knife. Some of the tissue was completely torn apart, almost unrecognizable. The fragile bones had broken completely in some places and partially in others, creating a mess of . His entire body seized with fright, dread rising at the back of his throat, before he turned towards the sea and hurled what was left in his stomach. His mouth burned with shame and anger. He clutched the wet sand beneath his hands, his head throbbing. If only he were strong enough...

Gael'gar shot up in fright, his heart racing. Sweat rolled down his back uncomfortably. He looked around and took in the familiar surroundings of Companion's Cape before breathing a sigh of relief.

"Just a dream. Just a dream," he murmured to himself, lying back down. He hesitantly touched his wings, a look of relief spreading across his face when he felt the rough smoothness of the skin and feathers. He let the sounds of nature and the sight of the stars calm his frantic heart. Before he could drift off again, he noticed a stray Telethia flying across the sky. He smirked, chuckling to himself.

"Who's laughing now?"

═════════•°• Militia Camp, Aletta Region, Torna •°•═════════

"Erm…" Noowl commented, trying to catch the attention of Kaleena. She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye, a little taken aback.

"Do you need something?" She asked. Noowl gestured at the trio standing in the corner near the tall tower, failing at seeming inconspicuous. All three were wrapped in black, long cloaks with hoods that partially obscured their faces. The figure in the middle was leaning against the tower, wearing an eye patch over his right eye. There was a smaller figure on the left, a hint of a tail hanging below the drapes of the cape. The figure on the right was the tallest and obviously a blade given the almost comical length of the protrusion on its back.

"Who are they? I've never seen them before," Noowl asked, slightly nervous. The militia barely got new members nowadays since Malos hadn't struck a major target in several months. While he didn't want to complain about more help, the trio's behavior was just downright off.

"Oh. Them. We found them stuck in a tree near Ossum Magnum, unconscious. The driver was sick as a dog and delirious to boot," She said. "Mr. Mungo used almost all of our panacellin to stabilize him. He's doing much better but you can tell he's still feeling a little under the weather."

"Driver?" He asked. Kaleena nodded.

"Yeah. He has two rare blades with him, although I seem to remember seeing three blades at one point," she explained. "The shorter one is especially attached to him. Never left his side after he woke up. It's a little annoying, to be honest. We tried to strip him to see if he had injuries but the blade absolutely refused to let us remove anything except his boots."

"Oh? Do we have a jealous lover?" He asked, smirking. "Did she refuse even when you asked a male healer to look him over?"

"Yes! We even offered to bring him to a secluded tent and to leave his shirt and briefs on but she still refused!" She exclaimed. "She didn't answer why when we asked."

"Ah. And Mungo and his apprentices didn't try to force them apart?" He asked. She glared at the ground murderously.

"They tried but apparently both of the blades stepped between them and him. None of us around here are particularly skilled at subduing blades without Addam so we left them be," Kaleena seethed. "We rescued them, gave them almost all of our medicine and they have the audacity to treat us like this? We should have just kicked them out after that..."

"Do they have names? Or did they refuse that as well?" Noowl asked, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"I think Mr. Mungo would have actually tried to murder them if they refused to identify themselves. The driver's name is Zeke. He has this weird accent that sounds vaguely Tornan but I'm not exactly certain. The female blade is Pandoria and the male blade is Godfrey," She said. "They're insane, I tell you. Insane. Ever since they've been up and about, his blades refuse to leave his side. And they stretch together. In sync."

"Huh. That's very… interesting." He commented, a headache starting to form. He noted that the cloud sea was unusually quiet given the storm that had just passed.

"That's one way to put it," she murmured, crossing her arms in front of her body. "At least they've offered to pitch in when we need odd jobs done. You know, to pay us back while they recover. They actually just restocked all of our wild game. The ice blade even froze it solid after preparing it for us."

"All of it...? I know for a fact that we were low on pretty much everything: Armu, Moramora, Tirkin. That's a lot of enemies," Noowl said, his brow furrowing. "Not to mention that the driver is still recovering. How is that possible?"

"I don't know but it was unreal, let me tell you. I actually went with them to see what they were like. And to, you know, make sure Zeke wouldn't immediately keel over in exhaustion. But, oh my Architect. They sliced through the enemies with ease. I've never seen a driver-blade pair that has that much experience with each other. Ever," She said, grinning widely.

"Better than even Addam and Mythra?"

"So much better than Addam and Mythra. Err… Don't tell them I said that,"

"Speaking of Addam, when will he get back from Gormott?

"It will be a while. They should have gotten to the titan by now. Assuming it takes a week for him to finish whatever business he has in Gormott, it will be close to a week and a half travel back here," She explained. "The titans were predicted to be the furthest apart from each other about three days ago."

While the pair chatted away about the estimated arrival of their idol, they failed to notice that the target of their previous conversion had moved behind a support pillar within earshot of them. Zeke hummed softly, thinking. He extended his hand and threw up a sign. The figure standing on top of the homestead disappeared in a flash of red, moving in the direction of the capital.

14/77 Green Barrels smashed.

Armus, Moramoras, and Tirkin: *Are like Level 20-35*

Zeke, Pandoria, and Godfrey: *Laughs in Level 75*

A note about Rare blades: from a plot standpoint, it's really odd for one group of 4 drivers (Tora doesn't count because he can't actually resonate) to have all of the rare type blades in the world. So not every rare blade will be appearing here. I'm sorry if your favorite doesn't make the cut!

As always, feel free to drop a comment down below with constructive criticism or just reactions in general. I try to respond to everyone at least once but I don't always (mostly since I don't always know how to reply to the comment. Or I won't reply if I feel that there is no way to avoid spoiling something.) But all comments are very much appreciated and do help me stay motivated.

PS: You guys will get some brownie points if you can guess which songs the melody that Leo and Azzarn are playing comes from ;)