Xenoblade Chronicles

Chapter 30 - Reuinion

Shulk dreamed he was back home. The air of Colony 9 was calm and a soft breeze blew through his hair. He was a younger version of himself, rummaging through the Mechon scrap. It was one of the few times Shulk was allowed out of the colony, since there had been no Mechon sightings. Most of the Mechon debris still was deposited here, in the clearing, and it was Shulk's favorite place to be. It's been a long time, Shulk found himself thinking. Since I last had this dream. It was an old nightmare that always had Shulk shooting up in bed at night, and Dickson always coming to comfort him. However, Shulk watched the dream unfold as he saw himself rummaging around. I reached out for a piece of scrap metal, Shulk thought, watching as his younger counterpart extended his hand to pick of a metal. And then I fell into the ground. The ground suddenly gave way underneath him. He was grabbing at anything that would help him, but he couldn't grab onto anything. Then, staring into Shulk's soul, was himself. This was the part that had made Shulk wake up in a cold sweat, too terrified to go back to sleep. * * * Shulk's eyes opened slowly, and found himself lying on sand. The rushing of the waves reached his ears and he thought he was back at Eryth Sea, but that was impossible. They had left said place ages ago. He groaned in pain as a searing pain felt like it was splitting his back apart. He gritted his teeth, trying to remember what happened. The fall seemed to jerk his memories out of existence. Forcing himself to get up on all fours, he remembered Face Nemesis falling from the sky and he jumped after her. "Fiora!" Shulk gasped. He glanced around, before spotting her Mechon in the shallows of the endless sea that the Bionis and Mechonis stood in. He sprinted towards it, and splashed through the water. Face Nemesis was in terrible shape. Her arm was floating in the water nearby, one circuit holding it to the rest of her body. The rest of her was submerged in sand and the front armour that concealed Fiora was a few meters away, by a giant Mechon debris. Shulk leaned down, and spotted Fiora, her head bowed and her eyes closed. "Fiora..." Shulk breathed. He grabbed onto her and gently lifted her out of the Mechon. He gritted his teeth and fought against the pain that erupted in his back. Gently lifting Fiora into his arms, Shulk placed her down on the sand and waited for any sort of reaction. When nothing happened, the blonde began to become worried. "Fiora!" He cried her name, shaking her shoulders. He brought his head in close, and felt a soft air brush at his ear. "She's still breathing!" Shulk turned Fiora over so that she was lying on her back, he pulled at a triangularly shaped machine attached to her chest. When it didn't come off, he tried again, harder this time. A red light nearly blinded Shulk and Fiora went limp in his arms. "Wake up," Shulk pleaded. She began to make noises in her throat, signalizing that she was indeed alive. "Come on! Wake up!" Shulk hesitated and heard her parched breathing, and stood up. "She need water." Getting up, he sprinted towards a nearby freshwater spring. kneeling down, he filled up a flask he had in his pocket, and went back to Fiora. Lifting her up so that she was leaning against one of Face Nemesis' legs, sticking from the sand, he poured a bit of the water in the cap of the canteen and brought it to her lips. She didn't drink it, and Shulk hesitated. Shaking his head he lifted the cup and poured it into his mouth without swallowing. Leaning down, Shulk pressed his lips to Fiora's, forcing the water into her mouth. This time, she swallowed. Her eyes fluttered then opened, blinking a few times. She studied Shulk closely and he backed up slightly, keeping one hand on her back to support her. "Fiora," He said with a smile. "You're awake." His eyes raked her face. She had changed so much. Her long hair was now cut short and she was wearing mechanical armour she probably couldn't take off. "Um," He hesitated. "Do you remember? My name is Shu-" He was cut off as Fiora cupped his cheek and forced her to look at him. She was smiling. "I can't believe it," Fiora said, locking her gaze with Shulk. "My first kiss." "You do remember me!" Shulk took the hand that was on his cheek. "Fiora!" "Of course I do," Fiora said. "Shulk..." He wrapped his arms around her and buried his face in the crook of her neck, feeling tears prickle at the corners of his eyes. Fiora hugged him back, caressing the back of his head softly. They sat like that for what seemed like an eternity, the setting sun casting a soft glow on the both of them. Shulk finally broke away from the embrace and helped her up. They headed towards a shaded area of the beach and Shulk gathered some firewood. Since Melia wasn't here, he'd have to light it himself, but he didn't mind. He sat with Fiora under the first stars of that night. "I...I never forgot you or the others," Fiora sat at last, leaning her head on Shulk's shoulder. "Then, why?" Shulk asked. "Because..." Fiora closed her eyes. "I wasn't me anymore. I wanted to call out, but I couldn't." "What do you mean?" "When it happened...When Colony 9 was attacked by the Mechon..." Fiora sighed. "I thought I had died. I felt the Mechon's claw rip through me. I couldn't remember anything. There was no sound, no light, no pain. When I came round, I had the body of a machine. And...it felt like there was someone inside me." "Someone else?" Shulk repeated, turning his head to look at her. "The one who was controlling the Mechon you were in?" "Yes," Fiora said. "That voice that wasn't mine. But...I could still see and hear. I was there all the time. Except I had no control over my body and I couldn't talk." "So that's why it seemed you didn't recognize us," Shulk said, understanding. He gazed up at the stars that had begun to appear as Fiora straightened up and looked at him. "Yes!" She cried. "Inside my heart I was crying out desperately. But you didn't hear me. Nobody did." "We always believed it was you," Shulk assured her, and she beamed at him. "It's okay," She said. "You don't have to say that. It would have confused me." Shulk laughed as Fiora relaxed her position and returned her head back on his shoulder. "But...the person inside you," Shulk said cautiously. "Do you know who it was?" "No," Fiora shook her head. "I heard her voice when she spoke, but I didn't know what she was thinking. There was something she urgently needed to do. I understood that much." "What do you think happened to her?" "Maybe she's sleeping," Fiora said. "Or maybe she's trapped like I was." "I hoped she stays trapped," Shulk said. Fiora glanced up at him shocked. "Hijacking your body, treating it like it's her own." "I...I guess." "I say good riddance," Shulk said, staring out to the sea. "And let that be the end of it." "Um, Shulk?" Fiora said timidly. "I don't think she's totally to blame." "Why not?" "She needed my body for something," Fiora pointed out. "I don't know what it was. I just know it was important. I want to help." "Why would you?" Shulk asked. He hadn't expected Fiora to be so kind to the person who had took over her body after she died. "I knew she was using my body, but I didn't hate her for it," Fiora replied. "She was kind. She was taking care of my body. I could feel it." "Really?" Shulk said skeptically. "Yeah," Fiora gently nudged him. "And she did everything she could to protect you." A moment of silence passed between them, and Shulk leaned against her head. The sun was now almost completely hidden behind the horizon. "So, back when we were fighting..." He said. "Against Egil," Fiora looked down. "She knew what I wanted to do, and did it for me. So I want to help her if I can. Please, Shulk." Shulk smiled and took her hand. She jumped slightly at the gesture. "Alright," He said. "Then we'll do everything we can to find out what she was trying to do." She nodded and scooting away from him to look at his face. "Thank you," She said sincerely. A moment of silence fell between them as they enjoyed each other's company. "Welcome back, Fiora," Shulk said, a grin spreading across his face. "I'm glad to be here," Fiora responded, leaning her forehead against Shulk's. A moment of silence passed and Fiora looked away. "What do we do now?" "We have to find the others," Shulk declared. "I know they're alive. I can feel it. Everyone's gonna be surprised when they see you." "Everyone being...?" Fiora inquired. "Reyn, Dunban, and there are a few others we met along the way," Shulk said. "Sharla, Riki, and Melia. I just know you're gonna like them." "It looks like you've been through a lot as well," Fiora found the scratch across Shulk's back. The cold night air was stinging it, but Shulk really hadn't noticed until now. "Yeah," He agreed, hugging her again. "But nothing's gonna separate us now. Let's start searching." He helped Fiora up and they began to trek through the soft sand. As they walked, Shulk found himself suitably surprised at Fiora's new fighting style. At the first krabble they fought, Shulk automatically noticed that she fought with her duel knives facing outwards instead of inwards. She had also learned her fair share of new techniques as well. By far one of her strongest was something she called 'Double Wind.' Fiora would jab her swords forwards into the enemy and pull upwards. As they journeyed through the new and unfamiliar terrain, Shulk could see Sword Valley from where he was. That could only mean that he was definitely on Mechonis now. Or at least a part of Mechonis. He was so lost in thought that he hadn't noticed Fiora stopping, her expression pained. "Shulk!" Her voice jarred him from his thoughts, and he spun around to face her. "Fiora!" He ran back towards her, looking over her body for any sort of injury. "What's wrong?" "Sorry," Fiora sounded exhausted. "My body feels a bit strange. I think I just need to rest. I'm sorry." "It's okay," Shulk assured her. "We can take a break here." Fiora gave him a grateful smile. Fiora nodded. They found a place out of sight from any monsters or any Mechon that would come after them. Fiora curled into a ball and almost instantly fell asleep, but Shulk had a harder time doing so. The Monado was resting beside him, and he had one arm wrapped around it. "I wonder what happened," He murmured, careful not to awake Fiora. "After the fortress. Where did the others all end up?" He glanced down at the half-Homs half-Mechon sleeping peacefully beside him and picked up the Monado. Raising it, he concentrated with all his might to activate it, but it was to no avail. The weapon's light kept flickering in and out, and the blade of blue light refused to emerge. "No good," He sighed. "The Monado's light is fluctuating. That Mechon really messed it up." But still...I have to protect Fiora." "Shulk?" Shulk jumped as he saw Fiora looking him. Her questioning eyes raked his face, concerned. "Can't you sleep?" She asked. "Sorry," Shulk apologized. "Did I wake you?" "No, it's okay," Fiora shook her head, straightening up. "I slept really well." "You want to eat?" Shulk asked, reaching into his bag for some food. "You must be hungry." "No thanks," Fiora shook her head, which surprised Shulk. "But I'd like some water." "Okay," Shulk frowned, and dug a canteen out of his pack. He poured some of the clear water he had gotten from the spring back at the beach and handed it to her. Throwing her head back as she swallowed the water, Fiora passed the lid back to Shulk. "You should eat," Shulk said. "Even if you're not hungry. You need to get your strength back." "No, I'm fine," Fiora shook her head. "The body has it's uses. I never need to eat. I never get hungry. I just run on water. Don't worry." Shulk swallowed and put the canteen away. "I prefer my old body," She continued, staring up at the sky. "But this one has some advantages." She tried for a smile, but it quickly faded. She wrapped her arms around her legs and sighed. "Shulk," Fiora said sadly. "You can leave me. It's okay." "What?!" Shulk demanded. "I mean," Fiora shifted slightly and turned her head to look at him. "Look at me, Shulk. This body is a Mechon body. So I should live here on Mechonis." She turned away and spoke to her knees. "This is where I belong." "You don't have to do that!" Shulk protested, one hand resting on Fiora's back and the other resting on her hand on her knee. "The Fiora you knew is dead," She said. "Just think of it like that. It's for the best-" "But I can see it's not true!" Shulk cut her off. "I mean...You're right here!" Fiora looked up at him, tears swimming in the corners of her eyes. "I'll never forget how I felt when I thought I lost you back in the colony," Shulk said. "I should have done something! I thought, 'if only I had the power to save you.'" "Shulk..." "No," He shook his head. "No more regrets. I will protect you. Besides," He added. "There's someone else inside your head. We can't leave her there." "I guess not," Fiora agreed, wiping her eyes. The ground suddenly trembled as something huge slammed down onto the pavement behind them. Shulk froze, and grabbed onto the Monado, peering over the edge of the wall. He saw three Mechon units, marching towards them. "Mechon!" Shulk cursed. "No! Not now!" He sprinted forwards and began concentrating as hard as he could, sending all of his energy into the Monado. "Shulk!" Fiora called, struggling towards him. "Let me..." She whimpered slightly as he legs gave way underneath her and she collapsed on the ground. "Fiora!" Shulk turned to look at her. She was staring at the ground, breathing heavily. He turned back towards the Mechon, his throat closing up. "Right!" He muttered. "Come on, Monado! Don't let me down." He continued to concentrate with all his strength, the Monado's light still fluctuating. He remembered Alvis's words, back in Makna Forest. "The Monado bends to your will." "No!" Shulk shouted. "I won't let you take her from me! This time...I will protect Fiora!" The Monado began to glow and the blade made of blue light burst out. Without wasting another second, Shulk ran forwards, ripping through the Mechon with the Monado. It was much harder then he had imagined, but still, he thought as he jumped back from a Mechon's smoking remains. It was worth it if he got to protect Fiora. When the last Mechon fell over, Shulk collapsed onto one knee, breathing heavily. He glanced over at Fiora, who was resting her head against the side of the wall, her eyes closed. "The Monado...It worked...but..." Shulk said in between gasps. "But I feel...worse then before. Whatever that Mechon did to the Monado is..." He cut himself off as he heard something ripping through the air towards them. He tensed up immediately and scooped up the Monado. Two more Mechon units, stronger then the last, dropped from the sky. They circles Shulk and Fiora like hawks, preventing them from escaping. "No..." Shulk cursed. "We're surrounded!" * * * Sharla opened her eyes and groaned. She pulled herself up, and grimaced slightly in pain. She stood up and limped around the area of which she and Reyn had fallen. Last she remembered they fell into a small lake that cushioned their fall. Sharla stayed conscious long enough to pull Reyn out of the water. Then she had collapsed and her mind went blank. She sighed, continuing her search for what seemed like hours, but was only minutes in reality. The area was small, but about a few hundred yards in length, and about fifty yards in width. The lake they had fallen into was sitting near Reyn's unconscious body, and the area was filled with all types of vegetation, all of which Sharla had never seen before. She knew Shulk would have liked to be here, but she didn't see them anywhere. Riki, Dunban, and Melia were gone as well. She heard Reyn groan behind her and turned around as he stood up. "Where are we?" "You're up then?" Sharla said, approaching him and checking for any injuries. She forced Reyn to sit back down when she saw a nasty gash that was oozing a suspicious yellow liquid. "What happened to us?" Asked Reyn as Sharla began to clean out the wound. He winced slightly. "I don't know," Sharla shook her head. The fall seemed to have taken her memories. "I've only just come round." "Where are the others?" "I looked for them, but they're nowhere to be seen," Sharla pursed her lips as she applied some ether medicine. "Oh," Reyn winced again, gritting his teeth against the pain. "Reyn," Sharla said, not looking up at him. Her cheeks were hot with embarrassment. "Um...thanks." "Huh?" "For protecting me, back there," Sharla pulled a roll of bandages from her sack and wrapped them around Reyn's arm. "Yeah," Reyn agreed, clenching his fists. "It got rough, but at least you got out safe." "What is it?" Sharla asked, noticing the gesture. "Look at me," Reyn scowled. "I'm useless. Can't even keep a promise. I promised Fiora I'd look after Shulk. Stupid..." "You promised to protect the guy who protects you?" Sharla raised an eyebrow. "Am I missing something?" "In the old days, Shulk was kinda frail," Reyn explained, hanging his head. "You know, like a little bunniv that gets bossed around by the other colony animals. It was me who used to be there to save him. That's why I promised Fiora. But now look at me..." "Reyn," Sharla said, looking up at him. "He's stronger now," Reyn muttered. "And not just 'cos he's got the Monado. I've done all I can to help him." He paused before adding. "He doesn't need me." "That's not the Reyn I know!" Sharla cried. Reyn looked down, and Sharla sighed. "Do you remember Colony 6?" "Yeah." "The Mechon were always on the doorstep of our home, the colony," Sharla said. "Thinking about it, I realize they were after the ether underneath it." "Yeah," Reyn agreed softly. "I suppose so. If they could stockpile energy from there, they could get to any part of Bionis." "The Colony 6 Defense Force suffered it's fair share of pain," Sharla continued, looking towards the small lake. "And not just physical. Friends and family...alive one day...gone the next. It all became so normal. You end up wondering how you can possibly make a difference when war is so futile. I'm not the only one who felt like that sometimes. But nobody ever gave up. And you know why?" "Because...You were strong?" "We had no choice but to be strong!" Sharla exclaimed. "Everybody had someone to protect. The moment you looked away, you'd lose everyone you loved. So we had to keep looking straight ahead. We couldn't stop fighting." "Man, that's tough," Reyn said. "Puts my problems into perspective. I suppose I should get back to being Reyn." "Don't go doubting yourself, even if things get tough," Sharla advised. "Right," Reyn said, a small smile spreading over his face. "There'll be plenty of time to stare at my feet when I'm old and crooked. Get it?" "I get it," Sharla laughed. "So now what?" "We go looking for Shulk and Fiora," Reyn said. "I might be like a third wheel, but I can still lug around the heavy stuff." "Finally!" Sharla said. "That's the Reyn I know." "Um..." Reyn shifted uncomfortably as they stood up. "Back there, were you talking about that guy, Gadolt?" "Not just about him," Sharla said. "Why do you ask?" "Nothing," Reyn said quickly. "Just...You know...Seems like tough competition for a guy like me." "Reyn," Sharla chuckled. They started towards a climbable wall, when Sharla stopped Reyn. "Do you think Shulk and the others are okay?" "'Course they are," Reyn nudged her gently. "They wouldn't die from something like that." "Back to your old self I see," Sharla said teasingly. "Right, we'd better get looking." They began to climb the ledge and appeared on another grassy plain. Sharla had just started explaining to Reyn how to use an ether rifle, when an explosion sounded from below, followed by the slice of a blade and it being blocked by something else. "What's that sound?" Sharla tensed up. "Someone's in a fight up ahead!" Reyn said. They sprinted down another slope and scaled another climbable wall down as quick as they could. They saw Shulk, fighting two Mechon units that were obviously giving him trouble. "Shulk!" Reyn shouted. "Reyn! Sharla!" Shulk turned his head to look at them, but leapt back as one Mechon came in with a nasty blow to the head. "I got your back!" Reyn promised. "We'll turn them into scrap!" "Right!" Shulk agreed and Reyn and Sharla rushed into battle. Sharla immediately helped Shulk with a series of healing ether crystals she shot from her rifle. Reyn took the attention of the Mechon, giving Shulk a chance to back up for a bit and regain his strength. However, he didn't take it. He circled behind and came down with a vicious backslash, forcing one out of the two Mechon to fall over and explode. All the while, Shulk was making nervous glances behind him, as if watching for someone. Reyn jammed his driver into the final Mechon's circuits, and Sharla was forced back from a powerful bullet. The Mechon made an odd mechanical noise as Shulk swung the Monado in a wide arc, slicing it in half. Then, the Mechon too exploded. Shulk breathed a sigh of relief, and slung the Monado over his back. "Good to see ya," Reyn said, clapping Shulk on the shoulder. I knew you'd make it, Shulk." "Thanks to you," Shulk returned the smile. "Reyn!" Shulk glanced up as Fiora appeared from their hiding place behind the wall. She was stumbling slightly, but a huge grin was spread across her face. "Reyn, it's you!" "Fiora!" Reyn's eyes widened. "She remembers us!" "Yeah," Shulk agreed as Reyn slung an arm over Shulk's shoulders. "She's been through a lot." Reyn scanned Fiora's body up and down, noticing the mechanical armour and the short blonde hair. "I can see," He said. Fiora smiled and collapsed again, groaning in pain. Shulk surged forwards and helped her up again. She was leaning heavily on him for support and her breathing was fast. "If only we could find Dunban," Shulk remarked as he helped her sit down back at their original hiding spot. Sharla and Reyn said next to them, so they were sitting in a circle. "Yeah," Reyn agreed, smirking. "He'll be blubbering at the sight of us!" Fiora burst out laughing and punched Reyn playfully on the shoulder. However, it wasn't very hard due to her exhaustion. "I don't think he'd ever cry in front of you two," She said. "So he does cry?" Shulk said, shocked. "When no one's watching?" Reyn chimed in. "Yep," Fiora nodded. "He's always been like that. He's a big softie, but he hates anyone seeing it." "I never knew," Shulk said. The information surprised him, and no doubt Reyn was probably going to use it to his advantage. "Nope!' Reyn declared. "I don't believe it!" Fiora rolled her eyes and got up, using the wall for support. Sharla stood as well, looking concerned. "Take it easy." "I'm okay," Fiora promised, offering Sharla a smile. "I want to see my brother." She glanced down at the the blonde who was still sitting down. He was currently engaged in a playful argument with Reyn, whether or not Dunban cried or not. "Let's go, Shulk," She nudged him with her foot and he glanced up at her and he and Reyn stood. "If you can't walk, I'll carry you," Reyn offered. Fiora rolled her eyes. "I'm much heavier now," She warned him, gesturing at all the heavy-looking mechanical armour. "I've been pumping my guns," Reyn protested. "I can see!" Fiora said, scanning Reyn and mentally admitting how much he had changed as well. "Reyn, you really looked after Shulk for me." "I wanted to," Reyn sighed. "But it feels more like he's the one who's been protecting me." "That's not true," Shulk folded his arms. "It's okay," Reyn assured him. "I know it, you know it. I'm not here to protect you anymore." "But you are here for something," Sharla pointed out. "Yeah," Reyn agreed. "What I did just now when Shulk was being attacked by Mechon. It don't matter how strong you get, you ain't got eyes in the back of your head! So, I've got your back!" "Reyn, you..." Shulk was so grateful, he wasn't really able to find words to express it. "Reyn, you're like a whole new person," Said Fiora. "What do you mean by that?!" Reyn demanded, looking slightly offended. "I mean..." Fiora frowned. "It's good you've become so dependable." "Was I that un-dependable before?" "Take it as a compliment!" Fiora chided. "You haven't changed a bit," Reyn said. "What would we do without you?" Fiora laughed. "Right," She said, smiling. "Let's go. You wanna see my brother cry, don't you?" "Yeah!" Reyn cheered. "Wouldn't miss it!" They began walking. Despite her pained expression, Fiora seemed to be doing alright with regular check-ups from Sharla. When they had reached a long ladder that led down towards the rest of the area, Fiora nearly fell off of it. Luckily she regained her balance and managed to make it the rest of the way down the ladder. "Come on!" Reyn groaned when he saw another one. "Fiora nearly squashed my face in last time." "It was an accident," Fiora defended herself. "You can't blame me!" "Don't push yourself too hard, either of you," Sharla said, noticing that Reyn's gash had started to bleed again. "I'm going to do a thorough check up on everyone when we get back together and find a safe place to camp out for the night." "Okay," Came the chorus of replies. "She does this regularly," Shulk told Fiora as they started down the second ladder. "Every night, she does check ups on everyone and gets a bit overzealous with her work. Don't get surprised if she wants to try and become a dentist." "I heard that!" Came Sharla's reply. "Thanks for the warning," Fiora tried to hold back her laughs, but failed. They reached the bottom of the ladder and had barely walked ten paces, when Fiora froze. "What is it?" Shulk asked. "I can...hear something," Fiora frowned, straining her ears. "What?" Sharla asked. "I can't hear anything." "Maybe our sense of hearing isn't strong enough," Shulk suggested. "Low sounds," Fiora muttered, still listening intently. "More than one." Her eyes widened and she spun around to face everyone else. "Watch out! Something's here!"