Xenoblade Chronicles

Chapter 40 - Meyneth

"Shulk!" Fiora spun around as she watched Shulk grimace in pain and fall backwards, his whole body going limp. Egil moved Yaldabaoth's hand and caught him midair. Fiora, Sharla, and Melia rushed towards him, desperate to save his life. "Dickson!" Dunban roared. "Why?!" "Oi, old man!" Reyn shouted. "Are you completely out of your mind?!" Dickson rolled his eyes and blew the smoke away from the top of his gun, slinging it over his shoulder. "Don't you kids every shut up?" He grumbled. "I'm just doing my job. As always." He glanced over at Shulk. "Right?" "Who are you?" Fiora demanded, turning her head to glare at Dickson. Sharla was in the process of doing CPR to keep Shulk alive. It wasn't working. "It...It's you!" Egil snarled. Dickson smirked. "Yes, now you remember," He said. "It's been a long time, hasn't it Egil? Too long." "Zanza's...disciple!" Egil growled. "Zanza's disciple?!" Dunban repeated. "Egil what do you mean? Dickson, what are you?!" "I don't have to explain anything," Dickson rolled his eyes. "As they say, seeing is believing. Now, witness it with your own eyes. The moment of Lord Zanza's return!" Shulk's body suddenly began to glow brightly, lifting him into the air. "Shulk!" Fiora cried, trying to grab onto him. Meyneth suddenly took control. "Get away from him!" She ordered. "No!" Fiora agreed, her eyes wide. Suddenly, the bright light threw Melia, Sharla, and Fiora away from Shulk. "Zanza!" Egil shouted. "I won't let you do this!" He threw Yaldabaoth's hand forwards, a ball of ether appearing in his palm. In response, Shulk got to his feet and raised his hand, absorbing the attack into his palm. A few seconds later, it burst back out, rebounding upon Egil and slamming him into the side of the core. "Brother!" Vanea cried. Then, Shulk's body began to glow and someone new separated from the blonde. When the light finally disappeared, a new man was floating in midair holding the Monado. Shulk's body hit the floor, his eyes closed. "Shulk!" Reyn called his friend's name, but he didn't respond. Reyn glared up at the man who had separated from Shulk's body. "Who's this guy?" Fiora got to her feet and rushed over to Shulk, cradling his head in her hands. "Zanza!" Egil gasped. "Do not be surprised," The man said, rising into the air. "Everything in this world is dictated by the passage of fate. As all that exists is interconnected, time can flow only towards the inevitable. That is the vision in which I, the Monado, am the origin. That which will be, will be." Zanza's body began to glow and two pairs of wings appeared on his back, followed by a halo circling his head. "This was all predestined," He continued. "Ever since I came to reside within Shulk." "What do you mean?!" Demanded Sharla. "Zanza grew tired from our battle," Meyneth replied. "And then the High Entia ancestors trapped him. His flesh was sealed away on Prison Island. His soul, and hence the Monado, was confined to Ose Tower." "In those ruins?!" Dunban demanded. "But what does this have to do with Shulk?" "Did you forget?" Dickson asked, pulling a cigar from his pocket and lighting it. "Who discovered those ruins? Who happened to be there? Who was the 'survivor' we found? And who brought back that survivor?" "What are you saying?!" Dunban growled. "You planned all of this when you found Shulk?" "Jackpot," Dickson shrugged, taking in a long draft of the cigar. "It was all for this day. In fact, there was never anyone called Shulk to begin with!" "What?!" Dunban gasped. "My soul existed inside the Monado," Zanza explained. "It was fated that I'd be released. It was shown to me in a vision. At last the time finally came. And then…" "The people who found the Monado and freed it, awoke Zanza." Dickson said, stepping off of the transporter. "He sucked the lives from them so he could live. Shulk was among them." "Shulk was already dead?!" Reyn's jaw dropped. He shook his head and clenched his fists. "Thats impossible! We grew up together!" "You grew up with an empty shell," Zanza told him. "He appeared to live because I became his life force. That is until he matured as my new vessel, and became worthy of wielding the Monado allowing me to truly awaken and finally return." "Lord Zanza is the soul of the Bionis, but he still needs a living body," Dickson said. "Just like Meyneth over there." He gestured to Fiora, who had deep red eyes at the moment. "Call that corpse a friend? Don't make me laugh." Meyneth grimaced and clenched her fists. "But why use Shulk?" Melia wondered, her fists clenched. "What was it that made you select Shulk as your vessel?" "There was no particular reason," Zanza shrugged. "Shulk merely happened to be there at the time." "There you have it!" Dickson said. "Anybody would have done! As long as they could swing a sword around, at least." "So then…" Dunban's eyes widened. "Shulk's ability to use the Monado…" "And those visions he used to save us…" Sharla chimed in. "All because of Lord Zanza," Dickson finished, dropping his cigar and smashing it with his foot. "Lord Zanza can see the passage of fate. He simply lead you to the inevitable. The destruction of Colony 9, the death of that pompous old High Entia fool, and that grunt Gadolt's miserable demise. All of it!" "You evil…!" Melia couldn't seem to form words she was so angry. She leapt at Dickson with her staff in hand, but Dickson swung around, slamming his gun into her side and toppling her. She hit the ground painfully and Dickson put his gun to her cheek, ready to fire. "There's more," He growled. "We haven't even gotten to best part!" "What are you going to do, Dickson?!" Dunban shouted. "Don't you get it?" Dickson asked. "You're just in the way. The lot of you. This world was created by Lord Zanza. By the very Bionis itself! Then you things think you can just spring up all over the place." "All life that is born from me must be returned to me eventually to complete the cycle," Zanza said. "For me to continue my existence as before, then all must be restored to it's former order." "In other words, the destruction and recreation of the world," Dickson grinned. "Nothing more to it." "First we must eliminate my greatest obstacle," Zanza narrowed his eyes down at Fiora. "You, Meyneth! The Mechonis!" The Monado exploded in a bright light, taking shape into a new one, with a much more sinister design. The Bionis, meanwhile, threw out it's chest and roared. "The Bionis!" Reyn gasped. The titan stretched its limbs, debris falling from his arms. "Bionis moves!" Riki yelped. Dickson turned and stepped back into the transporter. Reyn threw out his hand to grab onto his shirt, but Dickson was gone. "I've been waiting," Egil shouted. "Waiting for this day! Zanza!" The Mechonis began to move as well, swinging its sword down towards the Bionis. As the same time, Egil rammed his sword down towards Zanza, who blocked it with an invisible shield without turning around. The god turned his head slowly and glared at Egil. "Brother, stop!" Vanea cried as Egil tried again. The Bionis raised its arm to stop the Mechonis' sword as it attacked over and over again. "You're too weak!" "I don't care," Egil growled. "I will gladly sacrifice myself to eliminate Zanza! As long as he lives, there can be no peace for us, or for the people of Bionis!" Zanza suddenly spun around raising his hand and blasting Eigl back into the wall. "Then you shall cease to exist," He said, raising the Monado. "By the wrath of my blade!" The Bionis raised it's hand and a huge sword began to take shape, with a blue hilt and blade, and a red and orange circle near the hilt. "It's…" Dunban gaspd. "The Monado!" "I'll show you the meaning of wrath!" Egil roared, lunging forwards at Zanza. He smirked in response and the Mechonis slammed it's sword into the Bionis' Monado, just as Egil rammed his sword into Zanza's own. Cracks began to spread along both swords as the two fought for dominance. "It's finished!" Zanza announced, cutting Egil's sword in half, while the Mechonis' sword too fell. Zanza lunged, cutting Yaldabaoth in half, as the Bionis sliced off the top of the Mechonis' head. "Brother!" Vanea screamed. "No!" "Why?!" Reyn shouted as Vanea sprinted towards the edge of the platform, where Fiora still sat, holding Shulk's head in her lap. Tears brimmed at the corners of her eyes and slid down her cheeks, but she didn't bother to wipe them away. "Egil and Shulk had put their differences aside!" "Meaningless sentiment," Zanza shrugged. "Zanza!" Dunban growled, and exchanged a look with the man standing next to him. "Reyn! Now!" "Yeah!" He agreed. They raced forwards, joining Vanea at the end of the platform. They were followed by Sharla and Melia. "How could you do this?!" Melia cried, seeming on the verge of tears. Zanza narrowed his eyes at them and a golden barrier surrounded the group, forcing them all down onto their knees or stomachs. "It is from me that all life is born," He said. "It lives only for me. And it shall be returned!" He raised the Monado, while the Bionis' raised it's own, coming down towards them with a deadly strike. Everyone braced themselves, preparing for the end when- In a flash of gold and white, Fiora leapt forwards bursting from the bubble and slamming her swords against Zanza in midair, stopping his blade. Her swords, however, were different then her Mechonis blades. They had grooves in the sword and were glowing with a red light. Zanza laughed. "So, you have finally unleashed your Monado," He smirked. "And there was me thinking you would die with dignity!" "I finally understand," Meyneth said, who was currently in control of Fiora's body. "The futures of our children belong to them alone. Though we are their creators, their lives are theirs to control. Even if the passage of fate is as you have decided, I will teach you the strength of their will to resist." Zanza rolled his eyes and forced Meyneth off of him. She sailed through the air, before doing a graceful backflip and landing on the ground in front of the group. Zanza landed in front of her in a defensive position. "Zanza," Meyneth growled. "If you choose to deny the existence of every living being but yourself, then I choose to fight. To fight for them!" "That's right!" Fiora agreed, taking control again. "We won't let you erase everyone's futures!" She lunged at Zanza with her Monado glowing brightly. The gods fought back and forth parrying and striking. Zanza forced Meyneth away from him and she ducked as he slashed at her with his Monado. While his Monado swooped over her head, Meyneth ducked and lashed out with her foot, but he foresaw the attack and leapt over her head. Meyneth spun around and forced both of her blades forwards. When Zanza attacked with his Monado she grabbed onto the blade and forced him away from the group. She then lunged and parried Zanza's next attack. He pushed her away with so much force that she sailed through the air and nearly reached the remains of what was once the Mechonis' head. She steadied herself and began slicing at Zanza with everything she had in her. "Something wrong?" Zanza asked mockingly as he lazily blocked her blows and ducked underneath her. "Is this the height of your skill? You call yourself a god?! And you talk of sharing this world with me?!" He kicked her in the stomach and Meyneth hit the Mechonis with a scream of pain. She arched her back and Zanza slammed into her. Meyneth barely had time to raise her Monado to block as Zanza forced her back up against the Mechonis. Meyneth grimaced and glanced down at Shulk, who was curled up as she had left him. "So that's why," Zanza smirked, following her gaze. "The dead boy is important to you. The Homs are nothing but bacteria, clinging to my body!" "They are living beings!" Meyneth protested. "If you cannot understand this, you have no right to call yourself a god!" "And who decides that?" Zanza demanded. "A god. Because only a god may decide. This world only needs one god, Meyneth." He sliced at he r and she darted out of the way, his Monado slicing into the Mechonis. She soared down towards Shulk with Zanza chasing her. "May you rot in that shell for all eternity!" He roared. Meyneth dropped down onto Shulk's body, shielding him from Zanza's attack. "Fiora!" Sharla cried. Meyneth ignored her and stood up, facing Zanza. "Face me like a god," Zanza ordered. "If not, then say goodbye to your putrid friends!" He raised his sword, and sliced. A bright light issued from his sword and sailed down towards the group in an X shape. "Zanza!" Meyneth screamed. In one swift motion, she burst from Fiora's body. Fiora threw up her hands to protect her face as Meyneth took the full force of the attack. Fiora dropped her arms and her eyes widened in shock as she saw the Machina goddess in front of her. "Meyneth!" "Such a fool," Zanza lowered his Monado, shaking his head. "This is...what I wish," Meyneth managed. "This world...Belongs to you all. Create a world..." She gazed down at Yaldabaoth's remains, where Egil watched, horror-stricken. "With no need for gods." "Meyneth!" Fiora screamed again, reaching out towards her as she dissolved right before their light faded, and Meyneth's Monado dropped from the sky, falling down towards Egil. The Machina man raised Yaldabaoth's arm to catch it, but they slowly stopped falling and sailed upwards, combining into one sword as Zanza caught Meyneth's Monado. "This is the passage of fate!" He laughed and rose into the air, shimmering and vanishing. "Zanza...disappear!" Riki gasped. "He's gone," Reyn agreed. "And things ain't looking good for us." Fiora hung her head, her hand moving to find the triangular chest piece, but found it gone, just like Meyneth. And just like her Monado.