Xenoblade Chronicles

Chapter 26 - Duel at Valak Mountain

The next day met the group with a blizzard. It was incredibly cold outside, and they were reluctant to leave Ose Tower, but they had to if they wanted to find Fiora. So, they packed up their things, discarded the remains of their fire outside, and met at the front of the ruins. "Good morning," Alvis said when everyone was assembled. "Did we sleep well?" "I can't feel my face or feet," Reyn said numbly. "What do you think?" "Reyn not tell truth!" Riki said. "Reyn's snoring make Riki think of Orluga!" "Oi! I don't snore!" "Yes Reyn does!" Reyn scowled, folding his arms. Alvis laughed at the childish argument. Regaining his composure, he scanned the group. "Sword Valley is just around the corner," He informed them, and he started away from the tower. Everyone followed. Everyone, except for Dunban. He had a thoughtful expression on his face as he glanced back at Ose Tower, before following the group. They fought their way through the blizzard, and it finally began to die down by mid-morning. Riki wasn't playing in the snow anymore, and a snowball fight like yesterday was possible, but very slim. Everyone was numb, and were trying to avoid monsters as best they could so they didn't have to suffer through fighting with fingers that were like icicles. At long last, Alvis pointed towards the entrance to Sword Valley. He was the only one seemingly unaffected by the cold, and his discovery came with a simultaneous cheer from everyone. For about another mile, the group kept walking, conversations kept to a minimum. Shulk glanced up towards the sky, and froze. Circling above them was Face Nemesis. "That Mechon..." Dunban breathed, also noticing it. She circled around, towards Ose Tower, and looped back towards them, coming for a landing in front of a huge rock. Shulk ran towards her, the front of her armour sliding open. Shulk felt his throat close up as he saw Fiora. "It is you.." He managed. "Hey!" Reyn said, his eyes widening. "That's Fiora!" He and Dunban rushed forwards, followed by everyone else. "Young Heir to the Monado," Fiora said. "We meet again." "Fiora!" Shulk called her name, looking for any recognition in her face. There was none. A confused expression crossed her face, as Fiora processed his words. "Fiora?" She repeated. "Is...that my name? Then you...You know this body?" "So it's true," Shulk looked down. "You really don't remember us at all." He sighed, before looking up at Face Nemesis. "Fiora listen! If nothing else, you must remember your family! That's Dunban over there!" He pointed towards the former user of the Monado, who was staring at the Mechon with a dejected expression. "Family? There is family?" Fiora frowned, before shaking her head, her eyes fixing on Shulk. "Wielder the Monado. There is...a matter I must speak to you about-" She screamed as an ether attack slammed into the side of her Mechon, throwing her into the huge rock formation and sending snow everywhere. Her head slammed against the side of the Machine, the impact knocking her out. "Fiora!" Shulk shouted, running towards her. "What was that?" Reyn demanded, when Metal Face soared from behind, unfolding himself and slamming on top of Face Nemesis. His claws kept the Mechon's face firmly on the snow, and Shulk growled. "Metal Face!" He spat venomously, grabbing onto the Monado. "Stay alert," Dunban ordered, one hand on his katana. "You killed my father!" Melia cried, pulling out her staff. "Get him!" Ordered Reyn, and they rushed towards him. "Get away from her!" Shouted Shulk sprinting towards Metal Face. "Now, now, let's all calm down," Metal Face said sarcastically. "If I slip, I might mess up her hair." "You..." Shulk couldn't seem to find a word good enough to describe Metal Face. He didn't have to, as Melia found it for him. "You're disgusting!" She shouted. "Would you be so kind and hand over that dangerous toy you have?" Metal Face ignored them. His blood-red eyes were trained on the Monado in Shulk's hand. "I could take it after I smash you all to a pulp!" He laughed, waving his free pair of claws through the air. "But we wouldn't want that, would we?" "Alright," Shulk forced himself to deactivate the Monado. "You can have it. But only if you let her go!" He slammed the Monado down in the snow before him and backed away from it, spreading his arms and motioning towards it, telling Metal Face he could have it. "There's a good boy," Metal Face growled. "Always eager to please, Shulk." Shulk clenched his jaw at the Mechon's mocking comment, when the armour surrounding it's face slid open. Revealing a man within it. "But you're-" Dunban gasped, recognizing the man. "How's it going, Dunban?" The man said, a smirk playing on his lips. "Is that...?" Shulk gasped as the man dropped from Metal Face and picking up the Monado. "Mumkhar," Dunban growled, calling the man by name. Mumkhar smirked as he heard his name, slinging the Monado over his shoulder. "I thought it might be, but...You're to blame for all this?!" Mumkhar glared down at Dunban for his ridiculous comment. "I can't tell you have badly I wanted this sword!" He growled. "Has this puny boy even figured out how it works yet?" He bent down to Shulk's height, and glared into the blonde's face. Shulk returned the glare, utterly disgusted. Mumkhar grabbed onto Shulk's collar, lifting him into the air. "What are you willing to do?" He asked as the blonde fought against his strong grip. "Will you even kill a Homs to beat us?" "You dare ask that of us?" Dunban demanded, drawing his katana. He pointed it a Mumkhar, who cast Shulk aside. "Why did you betray us to Mechonis? Why did you kill our friends at the colony? Why?!" "You wanna know?" Mumkhar smirked, and Dunban responded by glowering at Mumkhar. Shulk had never seen the former user of the Monado so angry. "Because it's your home." "You piece of...!" Dunban sliced his katana through the air and charged at Mumkhar, who blocked the attack. At the same time, Metal Face sliced upwards, forcing Face Nemesis upwards, and slammed her forcefully into the rock, keeping a firm hold on the Mechon's face. "Stay where you are," Mumkhar warned. Shulk could see Fiora hanging out of Face Nemesis, her eyes closed. "That thing works by remote. So unless you want me to put a hole in her neck..." He cackled as Metal Face lifted a claw to Fiora's chin, forcing it upwards and exposing her neck. Dunban took a step backwards, cursing under his breath. "So what's it to be, weaklings?" Mumkhar taunted. "Grovel at my feet and beg?" Unknown to him, Melia was charging up an ether attack. The light surrounded her hand, and grew into a large ball. "We will not bow to you!" She shouted, pointing her hand at Mumkhar. A bright light exploded from it, washing over Mumkhar. He cried out in pain, the Monado flying from his hand and Metal Face falling on top of Face Nemesis. "Melly hit bad guy in face!" Riki cheered as Shulk ran forwards, jerking the Monado out of the snow where it had landed. He activated it as Mumkhar clutched at his face, obviously in pain. He glanced over at Melia, who was still glowing with a slight aura. "You'll pay for that, princess!" He growled. He sliced his hands through the air, two pairs of red glowing claws expanding from in-between his knuckles. "You're a traitor, Mumkhar," Dunban said, raising his katana and pointing it directly at the traitor's heart. "And you're not getting away!" A purple aura surrounded the former user of the Monado and he charged slamming his katana into Mumkhar's blades. Sharla circled around behind with her rifle, shooting a powerful blast. Dunban leapt one way and Mumkhar went the other. Shulk came from behind and slammed the hilt of the Monado in between Mumkhar's eyes. He cried out in pain, and the blonde circled behind, coming down with backslash. He leapt back as Reyn took his place and blocked Mumkhar's blows with his driver. He shouted something that sounded like, "Take this you pile of junk!" and jabbed his driver forwards. It bashed Mumkhar in the nose, and the Mechon toppled over. Riki danced on his stomach, slammed his biter into the traitor's face, and then ran off when Mumkhar got up. Melia came around in front of him, raising her staff high. A white aura surrounded it, which grew brighter and brighter every second. While the crown princess concentrated, Sharla shielded her with powerful shots from her rifle, forcing Mumkhar away from her. Melia jabbed her staff into the snow, and ether exploded from the top of it, washing over Mumkhar and forcing him down on one knee. He got up, and attacked the High Entia princess, blasting her backwards. Her staff flew from her hands and skidded away into the snow. She came to a stop, flecks of snow in her hair and wings, and her outfit nearly covered in it. Mumkhar came down for the kill, but Dunban came from nowhere, blocking the attack. He forced the traitor backwards as Melia retrieved her staff, her whole body numb. Everyone stood back as aura around Dunban grew brighter. The former user of the Monado and Mumkhar were equally matched. They each knew what the other would do next and would block it with apparent ease. "You fought beside me!" Dunban shouted, blocking with his katana and jabbing. "At Sword Valley!" Mumkhar blocked his katana with one pair of claws, and jabbed at his side with the other. Dunban turned his body, and raised his katana above his head, blocking the attack. "Why did you change sides?" He demanded, forcing Mumkhar off of him. "Why the Mechon?" "You're as blind as you were then!" Mumkhar raised his weapons in an X, blocking Dunban's slice from above. He forced Dunban off of him and leapt back, his feet skidding in the snow as he met the former user of the Monado's every attack. "I've wanted you dead for years!" The ground started to rumble underneath them as the two fought and parried each other's weapons. "What's happening?" Shulk demanded, losing his footing. "Is the Bionis' moving?" Reyn demanded. "I wanted to get the Monado so I could be the new hero!" Mumkhar shouted, shifting their attention onto him and Dunban. "Is that it?!" Dunban demanded as he chased his rival backwards, slicing and hacking away at him, not even feeling the tiredness in his arm. The purple aura grew brighter with every passing second. "That's the puerile reason you killed all those innocent people!" He sprinted forwards, landing a hard punch to Mumkhar's face. "Ravaged our home!" "I love this body!" The traitor cackled, seemingly unaffected by the attack. "The power!" He jabbed with his claws from below, but Dunban foresaw the attack and spun his katana around in his hand. He blocked the attack, and suddenly raised the weapon, slicing across Mumkhar's arm. Electricity sparked from him arm, and Dunban's rival cried out in pain, clutching it. "Dunban, you'll never win! Get on your knees and worship me!" "Never," Dunban said firmly, turning around to face the Mechon. "I will strike you down and all that you have become, you wretched fool." He raised his katana, putting the point of it in between Mumkhar's eyes. "The Monado will stop you! And then you will know the shame of all you have done, traitor!" He spat at his rival, whose eyes flashed at the glob of spit. "Shut your mouth and come on!" Mumkhar yelled and Dunban charged at him. All at once there was a blast of snow, throwing the men aside. Nine faced Mechon units dropped from the sky, three surrounding Mumkhar, three surrounding Shulk, Reyn, Sharla, Dunban, and Melia, and the final three surrounding Alvis and Riki. Shulk cursed under his breath, glancing up. There was a glow, coming from the sky that was steadily descending towards them. "That light!" He pointed. A Mechon fell out of it, and hit the ground in front of Face Nemesis and Metal Face. "What the...?!" Breathed Dunban as he noticed the Mechon. It was completely golden, with a face that had green light running through it, while the rest of it's body had red light. It had a long tail with a three-fingered fork on the top, and long arms. A deadly-looking weapon was protruding from it's back, and it had long arms that were folded across it's chest. The other face units unfolded themselves and stood with their hammers at the ready. "It's not like the other Mechon," Shulk breathed as everyone grouped up with their weapons at the ready. "You are right, Heir to the Monado," The Golden Mechon agreed, hearing him. "This is the strongest Mechon ever built, controlled by me, Egil. Leader of Mechonis and agent of Meyneth." "Leader of Mechonis?" Shulk narrowed his eyes. "So you're the one who controls the Mechon!" "I am he," The Golden Mechon said, his voice unmerciful and toneless. "We fight to free the world from the tyranny of the Bionis." "Why?!" Shulk shouted. "Why do you trap Homs in machines? What do you want from us? Why make us fight for you?!" "Your questions do not concern me," The Golden Mechon said dismissively. He glanced down at Face Nemesis and raised his hand. It began to glow, and she was lifted into the air. "I must return with this one." "Fiora!" Dunban screamed. "Get your hands off her!" Shulk ordered, as the Golden Mechon, the other generic Faces, Face Nemesis, and Metal Face all rose into the air. "Fiora!" "If you want her come and get her," The Golden Mechon said nastily. "You are more than welcome on Mechonis." Face Nemesis suddenly activated on her own, meaning either the Golden Mechon was controlling her, or she had woken up and decided to go with her leader. "Come and visit anytime, Dunban!" Mumkhar taunted as he too flew off. They shot into the air, away from the group. "Mumkhar!" Dunban growled. "We're coming," Shulk promised. "And we won't give up!" He sprinted forwards, after the machines. "Find us, Monado," The Golden Mechon said softly to himself as he flew. "Sword of the Bionis. We will meet you on the battlefield." "Fiora, we will find you," Shulk vowed tripping slightly. He skidded to a stop, reaching out after them. "Fiora!" * * * Nearly an hour had passed. Sharla had been nursing all the wounds since then, especially Melia and Dunban. Shulk was sitting on the ground by the huge rock Face Nemesis had been slammed into. "Fiora..." He whispered. Melia, who was sitting nearby with Sharla, heard him. She glanced over at him with a sympathetic expression. "Shulk..." "She's..." Shulk's voice cracked. "Get it together, Shulk!" Reyn said, coming up to Shulk and grabbing onto the blonde's shoulders. "We ain't got time to be hanging around here! We've already spent an hour, we can't waste any more time! Besides, I don't know what happened to her, but that was Fiora. No doubt about it. You know what that means?! She ain't dead! We've gotta get her back!" "Get her back," Shulk repeated tonelessly. He shook his head and nodded. "Right! We've come too far to give up now!" "Then we'll go to Mechonis!" Reyn said. "And find Fiora!" "Just beyond there lies Sword Valley," Alvis pointed to a nearby cave. "The Mechon flew in the direction of Galahad Fortress. Fiora may be there. Will you pursue, Shulk?" "Yes," Shulk said. "We will get Fiora back. We're going to Mechonis!"