Chapter 9: See the Future: Changing the Future: Unlocking Both Monados' Powers

Shulk and Bridget found themselves in a strange place where a thick fog is rolling in.

"Huh?" Shulk blinked. "Shulk… Where are we?" Bridget asked him. "I don't know…" Shulk told her.

Suddenly, a calm voice said "Do you wish to change it?" Shulk and Bridget looked around for who spoke. "Who's there?" Bridget gasped.

The voice said "The future." Shulk and Bridget's eyes widen in shock. "It is every man's desire to change the future. Is that not so? Even if everything has been predestined, will you two not oppose it?"

'I heard that voice before… But where?' Bridget thought to herself. "We…" Shulk stammered. "Both the Monado and the Dark Monado are now in your hands." The two could see a figure in the thick fog.

"The Monado will grow with you, Shulk. But Bridget, beware… if you cannot control the Dark Monado's powers, it will slowly destroy you… If both you and Shulk can find both the True Monado and the Light Monado, the fate of the universe and the future is yours to decide." The figure stated as he slowly walked away.

"The True Monado?" Shulk gasped. "The… Light Monado?" Bridget repeated in confusion. "Shulk! Bridget!" Reyn's voice shouted. Blinking in unison, Shulk and Bridget turned around and saw a vision.

The vision they saw was Reyn being chased by Arachnos. "Reyn!" Bridget gasped in shock. Reyn was running for his life, being chased by the Arachnos. He was cornered. "Damn it! There's too many of them!" Junko gritted her teeth. Suddenly, Maron noticed a giant Arachnos slowly lowering itself with its web behind Reyn, it was the one leading these smaller Arachnos.

"Mr. Reyn! Look out!" Maron gasped in horror. But it was too late, the Arachnos Queen used its pincers to impale Reyn! His blood was splattered to the ground.

The vision ended and both Shulk and Bridget shouted in worry "Reyn!" They woke up and saw Reyn and the others surrounded by Arachnos. "What're ya two playing at!" Reyn yelled. "Give us a hand!" Alice shouted as she fired at a Arachno, killing it.

"T-The spiders are back…" Mai stammered. "Bridget!" Shulk shouted out to her. "Right!" Bridget nodded as the both of them activated their Monados.

Lili slams her fist down a Arachno's skull, its green blood splattered to the ground as it fell down, dead. Maron was stammered as she blocked another attack from a Arachnos, but Alice saved her by firing gun shots at the Arachnos harassing her, killing it. "Thank you, Alice!" Maron bowed in gratitude. Alice nodded as she fired 5 more gun shots at three more Arachnos, killing them.

"Take this!" Junko shouted as she slashed a Arachno in half, the green blood came pouring out of its corpse.

Jean stammered in fear as the remaining Arachnos charged at him, but Shulk saved him and slashed 4 Arachnos that were about to hurt the poor mage.

Bridget shouted "Dark Monado… Buster!" She slams the Dark Monado and it send out a shockwave that killed the remaining Arachnos.

The party were panting heavily after that ambush. "We're sorry, everyone." Shulk apologized. "Don't worry about it. It looked like you two were having a nightmare!" Reyn told them. "R-Really?" Bridget blinked. Suddenly, they remember something.

"Both the Monado and Dark Monado are now in your hands. The Monado will grow with you, Shulk. But Bridget, beware… if you cannot control the Dark Monado's powers, it will slowly destroy you… If both you and Shulk can find both the True Monado and the Light Monado, the fate of the universe and the future is yours to decide." The voice told them in their heads.

"The True Monado?" Shulk said out loud. "And the Light Monado? Were we dreaming?" Bridget gasped in shock. "What's with you two? We better get a move on before more of those things show up." Alice told them.

As most of the party members were leaving the area, Shulk's eyes glowed blue while Bridget's eyes glowed red and they received that horrible vision of Reyn dying at the pincsers of the Arachno Queen. The vision ended.

"Bridget… Did you see it too?" Shulk asked her. "Y-Yes…" Bridget nodded slowly. "It wasn't a dream… Was it a vision?" She asked. "What should we do? We could tell Reyn and the others. But… Bridget, what are your thoughts about telling Reyn and the others?" Shulk asked her. "I don't know…" Bridget stated. "Well, let's not worry about it for now. Let's catch up with the others." Shulk told her, Bridget nodded as they catch up with their friends.

Our heroes walked into a next area that has web cocoons with something in them. "What the?" Lili's eyes widen in shock. "What on Bionis are those?" Reyn asked in shock as he walked up to them. "Monsters' egg sacs… I think… But it looks like there are Mechon parts inside as well." Shulk stated.

"Man… What kind of monsters are they?" Reyn asked. "Probably some type of Arachno…" Shulk guessed as he and Bridget once again received the vision of Reyn's death at the hands of the Arachno Queen. They gasped in shock and they turned to Reyn and shouted "Reyn! Get back!"

But suddenly, a spider's web dropped out of the ceiling and ensnared Reyn, he struggled to get out but the spider's web dragged him up into the ceiling. "Reyn!" Jean gasped in horror. "Shulk! If that vision comes true…" Bridget doesn't want to say it. "I know! We got to find him!" Shulk nodded in agreement.

"What are you two talking about?" Junko asked them. "Nothing. We need to find Reyn before it's too late!" Shulk told everyone. Everyone including Mai who is too scared of the Arachnos nodded in agreement as they rushed into the next area.

The area they were in was called Villa Lake. They saw a corridor above them and saw Reyn being chased by Arachnos. "You things just don't give up, do ya?" Reyn panted as he ran into the next room still followed by the Arachnos.

"Reyn!" Everyone gasped. "We gotta hurry!" Bridget panicked. Shulk noticed vines that looked climbable not far from their current position. "If we can climb up there using those vines, we could reach him." Shulk calculated.

"Good idea, Shulk!" Alice nodded as the party trudged the water to climb up the vines and head into the next area. They party were running down the corridor.

"Shulk! Where are ya and the others!" Reyn's voice shouted. "Reyn!" Shulk shouted in worry, both he and Bridget have their Monados ready for battle.

When they got to the next area which is a Arachnos' nest, they saw Reyn surrounded by Arachnos. "Reyn!" Bridget shouted.

Reyn looked around frantically. "There's too many of 'em! I kill one, and ten more pop up!" He shouted as he dodged a web shoot from a Arachno and ran into a direction. The party climb down and stopped mid way.

"Reyn! No!" Shulk protested as he and the others ran towards him behind the Arachnos. "Not that way!" Bridget pleaded. "Damn it! There's too many of them!" Junko growled as Shulk and Bridget once again received the horrible vision of Reyn's death. "Shulk!" Reyn was cornered.

Then, the Arachno Queen lowered itself from a pillar. Reyn noticed it and gasped. "Noooooooo!" Mai screamed, but then, Shulk's Monado activated and emitted a yellow light, Shulk swung the Monado and suddenly, a yellow energy barrier appeared around Reyn and when the Arachno Queen tried to impale Reyn, the barrier bounced it off!

"What's this?" Reyn gasped in shock as he sees the energy barrier around him. "Reyn's… alive?" Mai's eyes widen in shock. "The power of the Monado?" Shulk stared at his sword in shock and awe as the Monado's blade returned to its blue color.

The Arachno Queen screeched, and charged at Shulk and the others. "Look out!" Reyn got in the way and blocked it with his gunlance shield and energy barrier. "Reyn!" Bridget gasped in shocked as the Dark Monado activated.

"What the?" Junko gasped in shock as the Dark Monado's default blood red energy blade to a dark purple, Bridget got to a safe spot and waved her Dark Monado, suddenly, Reyn feels incredible strength rushing into his body and he pushed off the Arachno Queen like Heracles.

"W-Wha… What was that down?" Reyn gasped in shock. Bridget stared at her Dark Monado in awe. "Could I have… unlocked a bit of the Dark Monado's power?"

"Glad one of use figured out these things would try an ambush." Reyn smirked. "Right! Everyone! Let's do this!" Shulk nodded as he and the others got ready for battle.

Spider Highness: Arachno Queen

The Arachno Queen ordered its offspring to attack Shulk and the others. "Dark Monado, lend us your power! Dark Monado… Infuse!" Bridget waved her Dark Monado and the party members feel the power of the Dark Monado giving them its power.

"Showtime!" Alice grinned as three Arachnos shoot web at her, with amazing speed, she dodged them and opened fire on the spiders with her guns, killing them. Junko slashed 5 more Arachnos with her katana before launching an spirit energy attack at one behind her.

Maron detached her claws and they flew through 3 Arachnos, killing them. Lili punched and kicked 3 more Arachnos to death. Mai infused her fan with fire and slams it on the ground, resulting in a fire wave that burned the smaller Arachnos to death.

Reyn shouted "Bone Upper!" And did a upper cut with his gunlance, killing a smaller Arachno. "Air Slash!" Shulk shouted as he slashed the last small Arachno to death. The Arachno Queen was angry as it charged at the party.

Suddenly, Shulk sees a vision of the Arachno Queen shooting its giant web at the party, trapping them. "Monado… Shield!" Shulk activated the shield again and this time, it covered the entire party. The Arachno Queen shoots its web at them, but the shield protected them.

"Eat this!" Alice shouted as she fired gun shots at the Arachno Queen, giving it small wounds which spurted out green blood. The Arachno Queen tried to impale Shulk with its pincers, but Shulk dodged it and slashed the monster three times with his Monado.

Mai hesitated for a moment, then with a look of bravery, she charged at the Arachno Queen and punched and kicked it three times.

The Arachno Queen tried to stomp Jean with its legs, Jean gulped and braced for his doom, but Bridget rushed in and grabbed him before the legs made contact. Jean opened his eyes and drooled as Bridget saved him from certain doom.

Bridget glared at the Arachno Queen and with a battle cry, Bridget charged at the Arachno Queen and slashed it three times with her Dark Monado.

Reyn shouted "Rage!" Reyn powered up and slams his gunlance into the Arachno Queen's skin, making green blood spurt out of it. He pulled it out and avoided the Arachno Queen's pincers.

"Time to finish this! Monado… Buster!" Shulk activated the powerful attack and slams it down on the Arachno Queen's abomen, huge gushes of green blood came spurting out. The Arachno Queen screeched in pain as it fell on its back, dead.

"We did it!" Maron cheered as she jumped for joy. The others walked up to Shulk and Bridget and asked what happened that made them won this battle. They told them that both the Monado and Dark Monado gave them new abilities.

"Looks like the Monado works on more than just Mechon. I gotta say, that's pretty awesome!" Reyn grinned. "Everyone… Me and Bridget realized something." Shulk began. "What is it?" Mai asked them.

"The future we see… It isn't set. I think it's more like a warning." Bridget explained. "A warning?" Jean blinked. "Yeah… A warning about what will happen. What will happen if we don't do anything, or if we can't do anything." Shulk stated.

"So we can use these powers to change the future. And that's exactly what me and Shulk intend to do." Bridget smiled bravery. "What… Those things allow you to see into the future?" Junko gasped in awe and shock.

"You got my vote. Everyone else agrees?" Reyn smiled at the party. Everyone nodded in agreement. "And if you two really can do that… I think Fiora would have liked it too." Reyn smiled softly.

"Yeah." Shulk nodded. "Right, let's get moving. We're nearly at the Bionis' knee." Reyn pounded his fists together. "OK!" Bridget nodded with a smile.

To be continued…

Next chapter: A New Land: The Half-Elf, Dwarf and Mage

A/N: next up, Nowa and Ymir and Ixia from Slap Up Party will join our heroes in their quest, so stay tune!