Shulk was a little unnerved, and that was never a good sign. Usually being in Hidden Village had a type of calming effect on him...but not today. Nearly no one was around, except those at the bridge, and the shop keeper's...but no one else. The group stayed on Junks, not wanting to wander around...except Keyara, who left earlier that morning. Shulk was worried about her, she had become unusually silent ever since they got to Agniratha, and he feared something terrible had happened to her.
'I wonder where she is.' Shulk thought, and left the village, ignoring the alarmed look from the villagers.
Even when he was outside the Hidden Village, he still felt uneasy, and that worried him. What confused him was that none of the villagers were outside like usual.
"That's strange. Usually I see Eiz, and one of the others, but today everything just seems...dead." Shulk said to himself, before shrugging and walking off.
As he neared Digit 2, he heard a bone-chilling scream that hit him to the core. Running toward the sound of the scream, he heard it again, and as he entered the scene, as he saw was a flash of red, and shielding his eyes, he heard the scream stop abruptly. When the flash faded, he opened his eyes, and saw someone dead, and his eyes widened in horror. A machina, one he didn't know; laid face down, unmoving, with the torso shredded, and multiple cuts...even a hole in the chest.
"What the hell?" Shulk mumbled, kneeling down to the dead Machina.
"What happened here? Whatever attacked this Machina obviously can pierce their skin, and is skilled." Shulk stated, seeing the weapon the Machina once had, before inspecting the hole.
"And is looks like a blast of some sort." Shulk mumbled, before he saw a little bit of ether.
"Ether? ...No, don't tell me Melia, Sharla, or Keyara did this." Shulk mumbled to him, and thought things over.
He suddenly realized that Melia and Sharla were still within Junks, and Keyara was out and about. But Keyara wouldn't do this! She loved the Machina, loved Meyneth! Why would she do this if she loved them? Shulk suddenly felt fear enter him...if this was a monster that could use ether...then Keyara was...! Shulk shot to his feet, and looked around. Keyara was in danger, she could control ether, use it, sense it, see it! What if the monster went after her? Shulk knew she could protect herself, but ether easily overwhelmed her, and if she meet someone who control ether like her...?! Shulk couldn't bear to think what would happen. Running off, he searched for any signs of her, even calling out her name.
"Keyara! Keyara, where are you?! Keyara!" Shulk shouted as he neared the Giant Mechon Wreckage.
"KEYARA!" Shulk shouted, when suddenly he felt someone watching him.
"Shut up, I hear you." A females voice stated, and turning around, he saw Keyara leaning against one of the legs casually, her sword half hidden beside her leg.
"Keyara, are you okay?" Shulk asked her, and she chuckled, and looked away.
"Yeah, why?" Keyara asked innocently, and Shulk was confused.
Certainly Keyara would've seen the Machina...or even the monster that attacked it? And if not, she should've seen the flash of red light! Someone seemed off about her, she seemed...too relaxed, unlike he's ever seen her.
"Okay, and did you notice anything strange?" He asked cautiously, and she looked at him, eyes lidded.
"Notice anything strange? What do you mean Shulk?" She asked, and even though she sounded relax...the way she spoke...unnerved him.
"Did you feel anything with the ether? Or...see any light?" He asked warily, reaching a hand for the Monado.
"Shulk, what're you trying to do?" Keyara asked, eyeing him intently...like he was prey.
"Did you see anything strange on Digit 2?" Shulk asked, pulling the Monado to his side, worried.
Keyara seemed to understand as she looked toward Digit 2, before a smirk overcame her face, and she laughed...not a laugh of hearing a joke, but one filled with malice.
"On digit 2? I was just there, had some...business to take care of." Keyara said, and looked at him, and he noticed the slight edging of red around her iris.
"But certainly you saw it, didn't you?" Keyara asked, and stood straight, bringing her sword out from beside her leg.
"Did you-?" Shulk went silent at seeing blood splattered across the sword, and his eyes widened as he looked at Keyara.
Her eyes were no longer purple, but where now red, and a crazy look entered her eyes as well. Shulk backed up, even as she stalked toward him.
"Did I kill that machine? Of course I did! She knew too much about me, my past, and what I did, so she had to go!" Keyara stated, and Shulk glared at her.
"So?! That's no reason to kill someone!" Shulk shouted, bringing the Monado before him.
On which Keyara would usually flinch backwards at the Monado, she stared at it as she stood before the tip. Then, faster than he could react, she smacked it aside with her own sword, before she sped toward him, the Monado going upwards with her arm, both face-to-face, feeling the others breath on their face.
"But killing someone is so much fun! Besides, when they fight back is when the real thrill begins." Keyara said, before looking at their swords above their heads.
"Makes me wonder...what about you?" Keyara said, and Shulks blood froze...does she seriously think-?
Shulk screamed in pain as Keyara knocked the Monado out of his hands, and struck, her sword cutting his shoulder. Shulk kicked Keyara back, before lunging for his sword, and grabbing him, rolling away even as Keyara struck again. Keyara growled, and turned, watching Shulk as he ran around her, and struck.
'I don't want to hurt her, but if she really did kill that Machina, I'll have to be careful. I don't know how to stop the ether controlling her, I can't control it.' Shulk thought, using Monado Shield to protect himself, and stopping Keyara as she growled.
'If I can knock her out, that might work. Willow did say knocking her out while in this state will reverse the effect of the ether, so maybe that'll work.' Shulk thought, before hissing as Keyaras' sword sliced the area below his ribs on the right.
"Your not fighting Shulk. Are you weaker than you let on?" Keyara asked, malice heavy within her voice.
Shulk barely dodge the blast of ether heading her way, and realized where the light came from. Red ether exploded upon hitting the Giant Mechon Wreckage, and his fear was confirmed. It, indeed, had been Keyara would had killed the Machina, even though she admitted it. Looking at Keyara, he could tell she wasn't consciously doing this, the ether had closed off her mind, so she was unaware of the destruction she was causing. As they fought, Shulk knew he couldn't keep going...he was lossing stamina. Rolling behind her, he saw her stumbled, and took the advantage. Throwing his sword arm back, he slammed the hilt of the Monado into the back of her head. Keyara stopped, before falling to her knee's, and Shulk sighed in relief, gasping for breath. Kicking her sword out of reach, just in case, he knelt beside Keyara, and picked her up a bit, tapping her cheek.
"Keyara. Hey Keyara, wake up." Shulk said gently, before he used Light Heal.
That worked as Keyara stirred, and groaned, her eyes fluttering open. Shulk was relieved to see the red leave her eyes, before Keyara groaned, sitting up slowly.
"Ow, my head. What hit me?" Keyara asked, trying to focus.
"Are you okay?" Shulk asked again, and Keyara looked at him quickly.
"Sh-Shulk?" Keyara asked, and he nodded.
"Yeah, are you okay?" Shulk questioned, and she thought for a bit, before nodding.
"Yeah, I'm fine, don't worry." Keyara said, before she noticed his wounds.
"Oh my Mechonis! Shulk are you okay?" Keyara asked, seeing the various wounds.
'She doesn't remember? That's unusual...Galven said she usually remembers what happened.' Shulk thought, but he smiled to reassure her.
"Yeah, I'm fine. I went looking for you, and got attacked by some broken Mechon. I found you unconscious around here, and tried waking you up." Shulk said, and she seemed confused.
"Unconscious?" Keyara mumbled out, obviously confused.
"What happened?" Shulk asked, to stop her from thinking too hard.
"Well...I left the village, needing time to think for myself. The ether started acting really strange, and I tried to ignore it. I must've collapsed at some point, because as I reached Digit 2, everything went black." Keyara said, before sighing softly.
"My head really, really, hurts." Keyara mumbled, and Shulk stood, before helping her up.
"Let's get you looked up. You need medical attention." Shulk stated, and she glared at him.
"So do you, mister!" Keyara stated, and Shulk laughed, helping her to the Hidden Village.
'Next time we go to Alcamoth, I'm going to have to ask Galven a few things. He needs to know about this.' Shulk thought, worried about the ether, and worried about Keyara.