Author's Note:
I don't own Xenoblade Chronicles and all characters belong to their rightful owners.
Big news! The amazingly awesome IraOphelia is writing a companion piece for Valkyrie! It's entitled Twilight Eyes and stares the wonderful Rhodri. So if you were curious about him, now's your chance to find out more. She's a brilliant writer and you should go check her out anyway! Another big thank you to her for allowing me to use her characters.
This chapter may not be very long, but by golly, there are just too many feels. It gets me every time.
Enjoy!
Silver eyes slowly blinked open. Pate sat up and found he was in the guest room of Teanna's house.
"Friend awake! Friend okay!" Mogigi jumped up onto the bed beside Pate. Pate jumped slightly at the Nopon's sudden appearance. The sound of Reyn's laughter drew Pate's eyes over to him. He was leaning against the bookshelf. He came forward.
"Feeling alright, Pate?"
"I-I, um…" Pate glanced down to find his arm bandaged. He flushed darkly and pulled the sheet up to try and cover his arms and bare chest. "I…um…"
"Friend not okay?" Mogigi tipped his head, wondering why Pate hadn't answered Reyn's question.
"N-no, I'm alright…" He held his gaze away from them.
"We saw your scars already, you don't have to try and hide them." Reyn spoke gently. Pate slowly lowered the sheet and sighed.
"Y-you want, um, an explanation…don't you?"
"No no!" Mogigi answered. "Friend not say anything friend not want to."
Silver eyes slid over to them in surprise.
"R-really?"
"If you don't want to talk about it, you don't have to. All that matters is that you're okay. That wound should heal up just fine, that's what Teanna said anyway." Reyn nodded. Pate dropped his gaze to his hands clasped tightly in his lap. He bit his lip and whispered.
"Y-you want to know how I-I can, um, turn into a Telethia?"
"Turning into a Telethia wasn't the surprising part, turning back was." Reyn paused for a moment. "Only tell us what you want."
Pate glanced between the smiling faces of his two friends and turned away from them. He felt tears growing in his eyes.
"I…I was, um, captured…by the Bionite Order." Pate began and through shaking breaths explained…
When Pate finally came to, he was in a dark room lit by a blue glow. A member of the Bionite Order was on each side of him, gripping his arms. He lifted his head and looked around. Telethia were trapped inside glass capsules and other High Entia were in smaller ones. The conversation happening stopped and Pate glared at Lorithia as she strode toward him.
"Good to see Tyrea didn't kill you." She took Pate's chin in her fingers. "Pate Thraylyn."
Pate jerked away from her.
"It's just Pate now." He spat.
"That's right, you were disowned." She smirked. "Because of your uselessness."
"As if you had to remind me." Pate stomped on the foot of one of the guards and pulled away from her. He elbowed the other and stood tall in front of Lorithia. "I'm leaving." He pushed past the startled guards and started for the door.
"You have nowhere to go." Lorithia's voice stopped him. "No one in Alcamoth wants you around. You are a waste, an abomination, only useful for one thing."
Pate glanced over his shoulder at her.
"That's one more thing than I've thought of." He started forward once again. He turned and dodged a kick from Lorithia. He threw a punch at her in return, but she caught it. She kneed him in the stomach and Pate crumpled. Lorithia stepped around him as he tried to regain his breath.
"The only useful thing about you is your bloodline." Lorithia's fingers curled around the ridges of his headwings. She violently jerked his head back. Pate let out a cry of pain, tears forming in the corners of his eyes. Lorithia bent down and whispered in his ear.
"Your fighting spirit, I'll gladly break it." She tugged on his headwings again, causing him to whimper.
"Welcome to the Telethia Laboratory."
Tears rolled down Pate's cheeks. Remembering the event caused more memories to flood his mind, each worse than the last. The flashbacks grew in intensity causing more pain to well up inside him. He gripped his arms tightly and tried to tame his gasping breaths. His body quivered from the sobs.
A pair of furry wings wrapped around him and, startled, Pate looked down. Mogigi hugged his side and stared up at Pate.
"Friend okay! Mean Bird Lady not here! Mogigi here for friend! Pate not cry!" His high pitched voice sounded just as sure and demanding as it usually did. Pate's lips pulled into a small smile, in contrast to his falling tears. Pate threw his arms around the Nopon and hugged him tightly, pulling Mogigi onto his lap. Pate squeezed his eyes shut as he continued to weep. Once the tears started, it was always hard to get them to stop.
The bed shifted as someone sat down next to him. A strong arm draped around Pate's shoulders and drew him close. Pate's eyes fluttered open to find himself pulled against Reyn's chest. Pate blushed from all the attention but was grateful for the warmth they showed him.
"She's dead, you don't have to be afraid of her anymore…" Reyn murmured to him. "You're safe now…"
Silver eyes settled closed as tears dripped down his cheeks. Sobs still shook his body, but the cold pain that came along with them lessened. Warmth flowed through him from their kindness. It was a feeling Pate had never experienced before. This new comfort drove away his constant fears and loneliness. Suddenly, two lights shined brightly through the darkness encompassing Pate's heart.
End Note:
More Telethia arts.
3. Ether Storm
A tempest of wind like either throws enemies back
Attribute: Ether
Target: Enemy
Range: Fan shape in front
Distance: Medium
Damage: 1000
Cooldown: 40.0 seconds
Effects:
Empties Talent Guage 15%
Daze
- Effect Time 2.0 seconds
4. Ether Scatter
Rays of ether scatter about the battlefield
Attribute: Ether
Target: Enemy
Range: Circle around user
Distance: Long
Damage: 1400
Cooldown: 20.0 seconds
Effects:
Empties Talent Guage 15%
