The deposit of water-type ether crystals he'd found by Great Makna Falls was enough to satisfy him, and Shulk was grateful for that. Sharla would be happy. The Meowstic gazed up at the sky. Night was falling, and he knew he had to get back to his friends soon.
Suddenly, he heard a soft rustling noise behind him. The feline turned, sensitive ears pricking at the sound. There behind him stood a fox-like creature with nine magnificent tails and silver fur that shone in the moonlight. A shiny Ninetales. And a rather handsome one at that. Despite himself, Shulk felt his navy blue-furred face flush crimson.
"Wh-who are you?" he finally managed out after struggling to speak. The Ninetales began making his way towards him, a soft smile on his face. Shulk could see a key hanging around his neck from a choker.
"Hello there," the vulpine responded, his voice a soft murmur. Shulk said "hello" back to him, a white paw covering his chest to try and still his wildly beating heart. "How unusual," the Ninetales mused, studying the smaller creature with his bright red eyes. "It is quite rare to see someone like you in this region." Shulk fidgeted under his scrutiny, once again trying in vain to form words. The Ninetales only chuckled in response, sitting down in front of him. "I suppose you are wondering why I am here, in that case. Then permit me to introduce myself." He dipped his head in a graceful bow, placing a dainty silver paw over his chest. "My name is Alvis."
"Alvis?" the Meowstic asked. The name sounded somewhat familiar. "Um… my name's-"
"It's Shulk," the Ninetales, Alvis, murmured, cutting him off. He turned to look at him with those piercing red eyes again. "Isn't it?"
Shulk's eyes widened, his blush spreading. "H-how did you know that?"
"Wielder of the Monado. Defender of Colony Nine." There was a note of thoughtfulness in Alvis' voice. "The hero that has every Mechon running. You're famous amongst all creatures."
"I know you from somewhere," the feline whispered to himself, tapping his chin in thought. He'd heard a voice in Tephra Cave asking him if he'd wished to change the future and seen someone on Prison Island in a vision. Of course! It was him, he realized.
"They're here." Alvis' voice broke into Shulk's thoughts. He saw that the vulpine had his eyes on the darkened sky above them.
"Huh?"
"The Monado emits a particular ether wavelength in its ground state," Alvis explained, standing up and pointing his paw towards the large red sword strapped to Shulk's back. "It must have drawn them."
Shulk suddenly ducked as something swooped low over his head. "What are they?" He looked up to see a flying creature charging towards himself and Alvis. Unstrapping the Monado from his back, he called out, "Alvis, get out of the way! I'll deal with this myself!"
The activated Monado's energy blade bathed him in blue light as he rushed to meet the beast in combat. His eyes glowed blue; the Monado was showing him a vision, the direction in which he would soon be attacked. "From the left?" Sure enough, the monster was raising its right claw in order to attack his left side, as the Monado had predicted. "Then I'll go…" The feline started to move to the right, but then, something slammed painfully into his right side; it was the beast's left claw. He was sent flying, and he cried out in pain as he landed in front of Alvis, who stood motionless behind him. "How?!" Shulk managed out.
Another vision showed the flying creature rushing towards him. "Now from above!" Perhaps he could protect himself this time… He raised the Monado upwards to defend himself, but was sent flying again. He had been attacked from below his guard. He landed at Alvis' forepaws, dropping the Monado in the process. "It can't be," he coughed, "I saw its movements before it struck. How can it…?"
"It is a Telethia," Alvis explained from above him.
"Telethia?"
"They can read your mind," Alvis continued calmly. "Whether you have a vision or not, if they know your next move, it's all in vain."
Shulk picked himself up slowly, careful not to hurt himself. His sides screamed in pain. "You know about my visions? How could you possibly-"
"There is only one way." The Ninetales turned his gaze towards the deactivated Monado, lying on the forest floor. "Stop it in its tracks, then dull its perception." His eyes glowed with telekinetic energy, and the Monado was surrounded with a blue aura. With the sword in his psychic grasp, he set off at a mad dash towards the Telethia, his nine tails streaming behind him.
"No, Alvis, stop!" Shulk reached out a paw futilely. "You don't know how to-" But his cry was cut off as the sword began to glow green. A symbol flashed inside the circle on its hilt. Shulk gasped. "A new symbol!"
Alvis continued running, swinging the blade in front of himself. The energy from it struck the Telethia, and the vulpine leapt into the air with a yell, slicing the Telethia's antennae off. Shulk was awestruck as Alvis slashed at his enemy again with another battle cry, then gracefully turned a mid air somersault and dropped lightly to the ground in a crouch as the Telethia exploded in a burst of green light.
"That was amazing!" Shulk cried, stars dancing in his wide blue eyes.
"I suggest you stop staring," Alvis replied, tossing the deactivated Monado to the amazed feline, who caught it. Shulk suddenly felt a paw on his shoulder, and he looked over to see that his companion had suddenly appeared by his side. "The sword is yours to wield," he whispered into his ear. Three other Telethia had begun to circle over the pair, waiting to strike.
"What was that light?" Shulk asked.
"The Monado does not control itself, you control it," the Ninetales responded, removing his paw from the Meowstic's shoulder and stepping back.
"I… control it," Shulk murmured. He activated the Monado, and it glowed with that same green aura. "By the light of the Monado, I will stop them." Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Alvis draw a blade of his own, a claymore. Together, they prepared to engage their enemy.
Shulk stood leaning against the Monado, the adrenaline from the battle beginning to fade. The pair had fought long and hard, but in the end, with the help of the Monado's new power, Monado Purge, they were able to defeat the remaining Telethia. Once again, he felt Alvis' paw on his shoulder, and he looked towards him to see his smiling face.
"Well, do you see now, Shulk?" he asked.
Shulk nodded. "Thank you." He smiled gratefully in return. But then something occurred to him. "Hey, wait a second. More importantly, where on Bionis did you learn to use the Monado?" The vulpine only let out another soft chuckle, gazing out over the water.
"They were not the primary Telethia," he murmured, "merely its spawn." Shulk frowned. What was he talking about? "The primary Telethia dwells elsewhere in Makna Forest. Is it… wounded?" He paused before continuing. "I see… the Telethia is hurt and lies in rest, wounded by a girl."
The feline was confused. "A girl?" he echoed. But Alvis didn't seem to hear him, making his way to where the Monado stood, its blade embedded in the dirt. He rested a paw on the hilt.
"The Monado is a divine sword, capable of disturbing the very fabric of existence," he explained, "of both the material and the immaterial." Shulk stared at the Monado in awe. His Monado could do that?
"Alvis," the Meowstic whispered, "how do you know so much about the Monado? Who are you?"
~fin~
Author's note: I know that the gender ratio for Ninetales is 25% male, 75% female, but I like imagining Alvis as a male Ninetales. Also, if you imagine it, Shulk makes a very cute Meowstic.
A few notes about Xenoblade 'Mon-icles: It is an AU where all the sentient species of Bionis and Mechonis (Homs, Nopon, High Entia, Machina, etc.) are replaced with Pokemon. All other creatures (Telethia, Mechon, etc.) stay as they are in canon. This is the first work in this AU, and I hope to expand on it.