Corryn was leaning with his head on his propped palm, eating Pyra's homemade goulash, which tasted incredible.

"So!" She said taking a seat beside him. "How'd I do?" She asked excitedly.

"It's amazing." Corryn said with a blank stare.

"Aww, cheer up. We can't rescue them on an empty stomach. Besides, it's been years since I've cooked up a dish." Pyra said with a proud smile.

"If I'm correct about the ship I saw when we were running, getting in there will be tough. We're wanted criminals, so we'll need disguises or cover." Corryn began, making Pyra pout and lightly punch his arm.

"Don't worry, friends! Tora has an idea!" Tora exclaimed.

•

"Dude you have one cloak that fits Pyra, but before anything my size, a maxi outfit?!" Corryn said rummaging through a closet.

"He has a wha-" Pyra went to ask, holding a map of Torigoth.

"T-Tora save that for special occasion!" Tora shouted.

"I mean... it could work." Corryn said with a hum.

"You'd put that on?!" Pyra asked in amusement and disbelief, peeking over the map to hide a blush.

"What? No. I have someone more suitable in mind. Anyway, we don't have time to find me a disguise." Corryn said calmly, making Pyra slowly raise the map back up and cover her red face.

"I-I found a route we can take," Pyra said calming down and placing the map down at Tora's dinner table.

"This is one of the Grandarbor's roots. It seems to lead to a spot just under the hull of that large imperial ship, where a cargo entrance sits." Pyra informed.

"Security light around that area. No works at night time." Tora agreed.

"Looks like this is our only option." Azurda added.

Tora began to laugh as manically as his cute self could, making the three glance at him.

"Uh, you alright?" Corryn asked.

"Tora have something to show you." He said with an evil grin.

•

The four were looking at a robot girl.

That's about all even I can say...

"You seeing this?" Corryn asked Pyra with exasperation.

"Nobody ever see this before. Secret of Tora! An Artifical Blade!" Tora proclaimed, making Pyra awe, and Corryn look skeptically.

"Artificial?" Pyra asked in shock.

"Tora have always wanted to be Driver of Blade. But Tora... has no potential to awaken Core Crystal. When complete, even no-potential Tora can be a Driver!" Tora said with optimism.

"This is simply incredible. You built this Blade from scratch, Tora?" Azurda asked.

"Hm. It was started by Grampypon and Dadapon. But Grampypon die, and Tora still not know where Dadapon go to... So Tora will finish Blade myself and become a Driver like always wanted!"

"So," Corryn said rolling his neck. "What's left to complete it? We'll need all hands on deck." Corryn said with determination.

"All Tora have left to do is buy missing parts!" He answered.

"You broke?" Corryn asked.

"Immensely." Tora answered.

Corryn sighed, pulling up his sweater, and pulling out something from the back of his coat.

"Here. 100 Gran should be more than enough." Corryn said with a shrug.

"Rin-Rin is loaded! And generous!" Tora cheered.

"You held on to that during the fight?" Pyra asked in disbelief.

"I wasn't passing up one grand gold. Not on my life." Corryn nodded. "Very admirable..." Azurda whispered.

~•~

Tora was on Corryn's shoulders, plugging in the last few wires to transfer power to the artificial Blade.

"O...Kay! All finished!" Tora announced. Corryn picked him up and set him down.

"Now, we draw charge!" Tora said running to a lever beside the Blade.

"Okay, artificial Blade, it's wakey-wakey time!" Tora said trembling as Corryn backed up beside Pyra.

"That won't do, Tora." Pyra interrupted. "What Tora do wrong?" He asked in confusion.

"You can't keep calling her 'artificial Blade!' As her creator, the least you can do is give her a proper name." Pyra suggested.

"Oh... well, actually, friends, Tora did think of name for her. Very good name." Tora said with a nod.

"Well, why don't you introduce us, Tora!" Azurda said with excitement, the anticipation getting to all of them.

"Now...! Wakey-wakey! Tora's very own Blade: Poppi!" Tora shouted, pulling the lever.

In an instant, a bolt of lightning struck the town from the night sky, causing a tremor. Corryn's feet left the ground from it, but Pyra's jolt in fear caused her to keep him in place.

Everyone looked at the smoke, and noticed the faintest twitch from the robot girl.

"P...Poppi?" Tora called.

"How may I be of service, Master?" Poppi asked, kicking her leg up, and placing a peace sign by her only open eye.

"Oh. That's who it's for." Corryn said with disappointment.

"Oh! Oh! Wa-Wait a minute! Forget you see that! Tora must change the settings!" Tora said scrambling with the panel and the lever.

"There's more?" Corryn asked with a chuckle.

"Th-This time should be okay...! Power~ on!" He shouted pulling the lever once more.

Another bolt of lightning struck, wind Corryn began to float again. Pyra grabbed his hand and brought him back down, watching as Poppi woke up in much calmer manner.

"Greetings, Masterpon." She began.

"I... I did it! Tora's masterpiece... World's first artificial Blade: Poppi!" Tora boasted, gesturing to the silent girl.

"Incredible!" Pyra cheered. "That is really quite something." Azurda agreed.

"...How many other setti-" Corryn was silenced quickly by a smack to his head.

"I didn't realize you were so interested..." Pyra said grabbing his cloak and lifting him up.

"I need reference. Anyway! I say we go rescue Nia and Dromarch!" Corryn said with a light fist pump.

~•~

The morning sun was rising, and so was the chances for an invasion.

Corryn used his powers to lift Tora and Poppi about 150 feet upward, towards the cargo entrance Pyra mentioned.

Pyra was next, and she was afraid that he wouldn't be able to handle it, learning of Blade's resistance to his abilities.

Corryn was working on a way around that.

"Here goes..." He said Pyra on his back as he crouched under the pressure.

Building ether in his feet, more specifically his toes and calf, Corryn let the weight consume him for the widest stance he could muster.

"I-I'm sure we can just get Poppi to fly down and-" "Sh. I'm concentrating." Corryn cut her off, and readjust her so she sat comfortably, legs through his arms and her arms around his neck.

With a weird distorted whistle, Corryn leapt up the entire way, and landed as if he walked straight into the entrance, making him smirk.

"Wow! Rin-Rin jump very high! Like Blade!" Tora complimented. "Go~, Rin-Rin!" Poppi said with a fist pump.

Corryn smiled and let Pyra get off, and she checked on him. "Didn't break a sweat, don't worry." Corryn said with a smirk.

"Masterpon, Poppi can feel there is a Blade within the vicinity. If the information is correct, the cells are to our northeast." Poppi informed.

"Then, let's try opening up some of the doors?" Pyra suggested as they walked down the hall. "Well, we wouldn't want to let out any real criminals." Corryn said with a hum.

"If you can feel Blades, why don't we find the cell with the strongest signal." Corryn suggested.

•

Dromarch slowly opened his eyes from his night's sleep, feeling a disturbance close by. He stood up and began walking towards the steel door that was clamped shut, and noticed an alteration in color.

A red glow began to slowly brim from the center, and Dromarch stared in confusion.

Suddenly, it grew immensely bigger, almost the size of a tire. Dromarch's eyes widened, and he threw himself to the floor just in time to dodge a stream of fire.

"Woah! Woah! Don't kill them!" Dromarch heard a familiar voice.

"Dromarch?! You alright?" Corryn asked, peeking in with Pyra and Azurda. "I'm sorry. Hard to judge the power sometimes..." she apologized.

"Pyra! Corryn!" Dromarch said happily.

"Dromarch! It's good to see you alive." Azurda began. "It very good!" Tora peeked in as well. "See, Masterpon? There was a Blade here." Poppi said doing the same.

"Master Titan and... forgive me, but who are they?" Dromarch asked.

"Uh, Nopon is Tora, artificial Blade is Poppi. Now let's go." Corryn rushed.

•

"Do you know where Nia might be?" Corryn asked as they snuck around the ship, currently behind a wall as the soldiers ate in the cafeteria.

"But of course. We are in resonance after all. I feel her presence." Dromarch replied.

"Lead the way." Corryn said watching as the last soldier filed in, and the cafeteria doors shut.

•

"This the one?" A muffled voice said from outside of Nia's cell.

"I'm certain."

"Do we blow this one off too?"

"Not after last time. Almost cooked Dromarch..."

"Dromarch?" Nia asked with a gasp.

With a quiet tink, almost like the drop of a pin, Nia's cell door unlocked, and Corryn opened it with a smirk.

"Hey." He greeted.

"Corryn... you came back..." Nia said in disbelief, Dromarch walking in as well.

"My lady. Apologies for my late arrival." Dromarch said bowing his head.

"Don't mention it. I didn't think anyone was coming at all." Nia said with a smile directed at Corryn.

"Heh. Couldn't leave behind a fellow criminal." Corryn joked, extending his hand. She took it, and stood up.

"Rin-Rin! Tora has found escape route! Hurry! Hurry!" Tora said peeking inside with a pant.

"A Nopon?" Nia asked curiously. "He has been of some assistance." Dromarch responded, seeing Tora wave.

The rest of the crew peeked out from over Tora, and Nia smiled seeing the familiar faces, and brand new ones.

"Well, I think we've overstayed our welcome here. Time to get moving!" Azurda urged.

•

Corryn and the crew were dashing through the main exit, a large cargo space reserved for imports.

Suddenly, a large mace was descending towards them, and Corryn leapt back, using his powers to throw everyone back as far as he could.

With a loud bang, the mace was raised again, falling into the grasp of a rotund and tall set of gold armor.

"Not so fast... Letting a terrorist of Torna out of my grasp would make me look very bad indeed." A man in puffy and regal clothing spat. His brown mustache and curl from under his hat, as well as the waddle it took him to get to his Blade made Corryn scoff.

"Ah~! That emerald core crystal! You must be the Aegis!" The man awed. "Much as it pains me to admit, it seems Mòrag was right on the money." The man whispered.

"The most powerful Blade in all of history, with the power to rend Alrest asunder? Only a fool would know of that power and not seek to claim it! And I am no fool!" He rambled.

"Therefore, I will claim her as my own!" He declared.

"No,"

Corryn held out his hand, a flicked two fingers sideways. With a sudden jolt of green ether, the man and his Blade were flung away and into the nearest wall, the man out of commission upon contact.

"You won't." Corryn said with a blank stare, his eyes dimming.

"Woah..." Nia muttered.

"Let's go. For all we know, reinforcements are on the way." Corryn said running for the large sliding cargo door. He flung them open with another flick of his wrist, everyone following him outside.

•

Spotting a very lackluster amount of security, Corryn and the group made a sprint for the military base's open gate, but a familiar walk of fire stopped their escape.

"Here's to round two..." Corryn muttered.

Walking through these flames, was Brighid, and her Driver, in a elite ranking uniform, with a dark blue and white color scheme, and red accents.

"That's Mòrag, the Flamebringer!" Dromarch informed. "Special inquisitor Mòrag of Mor Ardain. The most powerful Driver in the Empire... and wielder of Brighid, the most powerful Blade." Dromarch continued.

"Maybe that's cause they haven't met us yet." Corryn said with a grin.

"Seems they were waiting for us." Pyra noted. "We certainly got away too easy." Azurda sighed.

"I don't know why I expected Dughall to slow you down at all." The voice of a mature and elegant woman said with a sigh.

"I literally stopped him in two seconds." Corryn shrugged.

"Fine. Fine... That only means a fight beckons. Against the Aegis, at that. That means there is something I must do." Mòrag replied.

"The power to sunder Alrest itself... I cannot allow that to happen again." Mòrag said glaring at Pyra.

"And it won't. You're looking at her Driver." Corryn said stepping in front of her.

"A child? You are her driver?" Mòrag asked in disbelief. "A child wields the power to sink three Titans?!" Mòrag shouted.

"To do what now?" Corryn asked with a twitching smile.

"I can't allow this. Surrender." Mòrag ordered, lashing out her whips and readying for a fight.

"Hell no. I won't let you take my friend." Corryn said spinning the Aegis around and grinning at his opponent.

Pyra held her breath seeing the two face each other down, but shook her head and readied to assist.