You aren't here, not anymore
Falling. Shulk was falling. He was falling and falling and he'd been falling for awhile. He'd jumped after Face Nemesis. It had been a pretty dumb idea, but the fortress had been collapsing and he would've fallen sooner or later. So now, he was plummeting toward the ground and there really was nothing he could do about it.
He hadn't been able to catch up to Face Nemesis like he'd hoped. He saw it crash into the beach below. He knew it was his turn next and that there was nothing to break his fall.
He closed his eyes and hoped for a miracle.
0o0
Fiora opened her eyes. It was the first time her mechanical body actually obeyed her. She was still in Face Nemesis, who had crashed into water.
She took a moment to orient herself. She saw that there was a beach nearby and decided to go there. The water was only about waist deep, so she was thankful for that. She knew how to swim, but she was too exhausted to do it. She waded through the water until she reached the beach.
She looked around for any signs of life. The only things she could see that fitted that description were flamii and krabbles.
She spotted a figure laying in the sand and ran toward it, hoping that distance was playing a trick on her.
0o0
Shulk could taste blood. He coughed, not needing to touch his lips to know it was there
Everything hurt. It hurt to the point that he felt numb.
He looked toward the water, where he could see Face Nemesis. He could only hope that her landing had been smoother than his.
Something had indeed broken his fall, but a sharp piece of debris, either from the fortress or that had been there previously, had impaled him and broken his fall.
He was amazed he was still alive, but he also knew that he didn't have that much time left.
He didn't want Fiora to wake up and see him like this. He wanted to see her though. Everything he'd done so far had been for her. At first, it had been to avenge her death. Then, it had been to get her back. He hoped that she'd at least survived the fall. Because then, even if she didn't remember him or the others, she would be safe.
He wasn't sure how much time passed, but he saw Fiora leave Face Nemesis and head to the beach. She looked around and her eyes fell on him. She ran toward him.
0o0
Fiora kneeled next to Shulk. She tried not to panic, but she did anyway.
"Shulk…" she said, looking at his wounds.
"Oh good," he replied, surprising her. She'd thought he'd been dead. "You remember me."
"Of course I remember, I never forgot you or the others." She pushed back tears, knowing that she needed to be strong for him.
He raised his hand and she took and cradled it, since she couldn't cradle him like she wanted to.
She knew there was nothing she could do. There were no doctors nearby and even if there were, he'd lost too much blood. There was no way to move him without causing him even more pain. All she could do was make him as calm as he could be, considering his position.
Though she told herself not cry, tears fell anyway. Shulk tried to wipe them away, but winced in pain.
"Don't move," she told him, "it'll only hurt more."
"I missed you Fiora," he said.
She held back tears, but they wouldn't stop falling. She knew she had to be strong. Be strong for Shulk. She didn't want her crying to be the last thing he ever saw. She dried her tears, telling and forcing herself not to cry. She could cry when Shulk was dead. For now, even if it wasn't for much longer, he was alive.
"Me too," she gave him a reassuring smile. "Is there anything I can do?"
0o0
The world was starting to blur at the edges and everything was spinning. He had to get her out of here. He was scared of being alone, but he didn't want her to see him go. He didn't want her to see him die. He'd seen her die in front of his eyes and he didn't want her to feel the same way he had back then.
He was barely aware of what was going on.
"Is there anything I can do?" she sounded so far away.
This was his chance. "Some water would be nice," he managed to say.
"I'll be right back," she said, putting her forehead against his.
0o0
Fiora couldn't bring herself to tell him to hang in there. She couldn't tell him that things but be alright, because they wouldn't, and they both knew it.
She looked around and found a flask. She saw a spring a little further away and headed there.
0o0
Shulk watched Fiora leave with the flask she'd found. He turned his gaze to the sky and looked at the stars. It was so beautiful.
The shore of another world. That was where he was. That was where he'd die. He was strangely alright with it. He'd accomplished what he'd wanted to do.
His only regret was that he wouldn't be able to spend more time with Fiora.
0o0
Fiora returned to where Shulk was only a few minutes later.
She kneeled next to him and immediately realised that something was wrong. He wasn't breathing.
"Shulk! Shulk wake up. Please wake up. I have water for you."
She knew it was no use to call his name. He was gone. There was nothing she could've done. When she'd found him like that, she'd known that he wouldn't make it through the night.
She put the flask down and finally allowed herself to cry.