Gaur Plain, Bionis' Leg
Xenoblade Chronicles dimension
It seemed so long ago that he had found himself in Colony 9's weapons lab, fascinated by the legendary weapon he now held. The only thing capable of damaging the dreaded Mechon… and formerly used by his friend Dunban.
That all changed when the mechanical beings attacked. Dunban was left unable to wield the Monado for long, so Shulk took up the blade. But not only did he grant full control of the weapon… it also granted him visions of the future.
These visions weren't ones that showed Shulk's life in later years, not at all. Instead, they served as warnings of incoming threats that would leave Shulk or his allies defeated… or worse.
Shulk had set out with his friends to bring the Mechon to justice. He remembered at one point, he and Fiora were transported to a strange ruined place… where they encountered a particular-looking group.
If Shulk remembered correctly, the first ones to introduce themselves were called Rex and Pyra. Then there was Nia and Dromarch, Tora, and Poppi. Two others were with them, their names being Morag and Zeke.
They hailed from somewhere called Alrest, which was very different from Bionis. In fact, it was a whole other world entirely. Even the portal they used to travel there could only be seen by its respective travelers.
This meant that Shulk could never go to this Alrest place, nor could Rex visit Bionis. Their only meeting point would be at that ruined place. But before further action was taken, a voice caught their attention.
It belonged to something calling himself a Nopon Archsage. He was hundreds of millions of years old and had created the place they found themselves standing on. He had wished to test their unified strength.
Some time had passed since their encounter, and Shulk was now standing in the grasslands of Gaur Plain. The looming figure of the Mechonis was all but recognizable in the distance. And in the young lad's hand rested an envelope, its contents having instructed him to travel here. But why?
Distant booming footsteps made Shulk's breath catch in his throat. Running towards some nearby bushes, he concealed himself inside as something approached. When the source of the footsteps rose over the hill, Shulk was left bewildered.
A horned turtle-like beast with a spiked shell ran along the path, huffing as it did so. Digging its heels into the ground, it came to a stop… and bellowed towards the sky.
To Shulk's confusion, the monster stopped mid-roar, freezing in place as a yellow butterfly fluttered past it. Noticing and smirking at the distraction, Shulk drew the Monado from his back… and activated it, the sword splitting in two and the energy blade snapping to life.
"Huh?" the monster spoke, trying to see where the butterfly flew off to. It looked around from both sides… before turning around, exposing its spiny shell.
Now!
Shulk sprang from the bushes, Monado held behind him.
"Back Slash!"
"What the-" the beast sputtered, trying to turn back around. It was too late, as Shulk sliced downward across its shell. The force of the surprise attack sent the monster flying off into the distance.
"WAAAAUUUUUGH!"
Rising to a standing position, Shulk deactivated the Monado and hoisted it on his shoulder. "Woo! I'm really feeling it!" he told himself. "That was quite a ru-"
His mind suddenly flashed, and his vision was clouded in a blue aura as he turned behind him… a vision.
Two swordsmen, one in blue and the other in green, leaped out and ambushed Shulk. Their combined attack sent him soaring off a cliff, where he would most likely die from the fall.
The world snapped back to normal, and Shulk narrowed his eyes. First being the ambusher, now being the ambushee? Not today!
The swordsmen leaped from the brush, but this time Shulk was ready for them. He flipped away from his assailants, once again changing the future. The blue warrior struck again, and Shulk weaved to his right, barely avoiding the piercing blade close to his head.
The green swordsman swung, and Shulk parried the blow. The blue warrior spun like a tornado, his weapon also contacting the Monado. The green one swung low again, pushing Shulk back as their weapons clanged.
Shulk dodged the next two blows, jumping into the air as they swung upward. Landing several meters away, he brushed his hair away from his face. "Now it's Shulk time!"
Readying the Monado, the central panel flashing with four kanji symbols. On the fifth one, the Monado's blade activated again, the weapon giving off a red aura. Shulk noticed the stunned expression on his attacker's faces.
"This is the Monado's power!" he announced, pointing his weapon to the sky and swinging it in an arc. The blade hummed as he posed, his attackers charging in again.
He punched and kneed the green warrior before slicing upward with the Monado. He followed this up with a thrust, making the fighter stumble back. Looking to seek higher ground, the blue swordsman dashed off towards one of the plain's rock formations and started climbing up.
A blue kanji lit up on the Monado as Shulk smirked. "Speed!" he cried, readying a runner's pose as a similar blue aura covered him. He took off at a full sprint, the green warrior's sword getting lodged in the rock as he missed his stab.
Shulk sprinted towards the rock formation at a velocity slightly quicker than any human. At the top, the blue warrior noticed his approach… and lashed out with his blade. A nearby boulder collapsed into pebbles and began raining down towards Shulk.
A green kanji took the blue one's place. "Jump!" Shulk shouted, extending one hand to the sky and springing up.
He bounded higher than his normal leaping altitude, landing on a fallen piece of rock before leaping off of that. "Air Slash!" he called, cleaving a rock in two in midair. He jumped from rock to rock, reaching the top of the formation in no time. Stepping back, the blue warrior prepared to attack as the green one ran in to climb.
A yellow kanji lit up. "Shield!"
Shulk crossed his arms defensively as the tip of the blade made contact. Instead of excruciating pain, Shulk only felt a stinging sensation. This allowed him to retaliate with a sweep of the Monado. The two dueled against each other while the green warrior reached the top of the rock formation.
A purple kanji flashed on the Monado. "Buster!"
Kicking the blue warrior in the gut, Shulk whirled around to meet the green swordsman, who had leaped into the air to get the jump on him. Instead, the Monado struck him with great force and he slid against the ground.
"Smash!" he yelled, the red kanji taking effect once again. He lashed out with the Monado, quickly downing both warriors in seconds. Groaning, the blue one reached for his sword…
…only for the Monado's energy blade to be pointed at his throat. The green warrior was pinned to the ground beneath Shulk's foot. "Ha!" he barked. "So much for two-on-one! You guys didn't stand a chance!"
To his surprise, the blue warrior only smirked. "So we didn't… and that means you're good enough to join. I'm Marth."
"Er… Shulk." He replied, switching off the Monado and releasing the green warrior. "But didn't you just try to kill me?"
"Kill you? Hmph! What would give you that idea?"
Shulk scratched his head. "Oh, uh… no reason. It's just that you ambushed me after I had just ambushed some beast."
"Always so brash, that Bowser," Marth chuckled. "Looking right ahead instead of all around him. And by the way, my good friend over there is Link."
Upon hearing his name, the green-clad fighter gave Shulk a greeting nod.
"You said something about me joining something. Care to tell me what that might be?"
Marth nodded. "I assume you saw the letters 'SSB' in your letter?"
Shulk was taken aback. "Wha- how do you know about the letter?"
"Because we're the ones who sent it, obviously!" A new voice boomed. The monster from earlier came stomping up the path, knocking his head loose of pebbles. "And know this: when you and I are in the ring, I'M gonna be the one tossing YOU off a cliff!"
"I'm not the one you should blame, big guy," Shulk taunted, keeping one steady hand on his holstered weapon. "After all, you obviously weren't feeling it… and I'm not the one who was distracted by a little butterfly."
Bowser's eyes widened. "WHAT?!"
Marth couldn't help but chuckle. "Oh? Is this true? The great Koopa King pointing what little attention span he has to a small, harmless insect?"
"SH-SHUT IT!" Bowser snarled, curling a fist through clenched teeth. "It just got in my way, that's all!"
"Why, I hardly see why something so graceful would make somebody like you completely stop in your tracks."
"GRRRR! THAT DOES IT, YOU CAPED TWERP!" Bowser roared, stomping towards Marth and pointing a finger at him. "THE NEXT TIME ONE OF THOSE COUNTDOWNS REACHES ZERO, I'M GONNA POUND YOU INTO THE DIRT! THEN I'M GONNA ROAST YOU TO ASHES! THEN, I'M GONNA… I'm gonna… gonna…"
Midway through his angry rant, Bowser's eyes glanced behind them, his arm dropped… and he backed away slightly. "Uh oh."
"Uh oh, what?" Shulk asked, raising a brow. Before Bowser could give some kind of hint… a large shadow passed over the four of them. Confused, Marth and Link followed Bowser's gaze.
The two of them drew their weapons as Shulk felt a chill run up his spine. There were hardly any clouds in the sky… so this could only mean…
"FANCY MEETING YOU HERE… MONADO BOY."
Shulk whirled around with a gasp, gazing up and up at the huge Mechon before them all.
Metal Face.
He drew the Monado, the central panel crackling as it sprung to life. Shulk remembered that Metal Face was completely unstoppable when he attacked Colony 9. Not even the Monado, which was said to be the only weapon that could damage the Mechon, could scratch him. But at least Shulk knew who was inside.
Mumkhar. An old partner of Dunban and presumed dead after the Battle of Sword Valley. His obsession with the Monado caused him to turn traitor and relentlessly seek the weapon. During his attack on the colony, he destroyed all weapons used against him and killed many Homs… Fiora among them.
Well, killed was a bit of an understatement. Shulk and company later discovered Fiora alive… but also turned half-Mechon. She was controlling Face Nemesis, but fortunately regained control of her body and mind upon rescue.
Metal Face lowered his head slightly. "WELL… YOU'RE A FUNNY-LOOKING LOT, AIN'T YA? HOPE I'M NOT INTERRUPTING, BUT I DIDN'T EXPECT ALL THIS RACKET OUT HERE!"
"Uh… friend of yours?" Bowser asked, unable to keep his eyes off the large Mechon.
"I wouldn't particularly call Metal Face a friend," Shulk replied.
"Yeah. I don't think I'd want to get on his…" Bowser stopped, realizing something. "Wait, what? His name is what?"
Before Shulk could give a reply, the Koopa King burst out laughing and toppled onto his shell.
"BWAHAHAHAHA! METAL FACE! THAT IS THE LAMEST NAME EVER! BWAHAHAHA!"
"THINK THAT'S FUNNY, DO YA?" the Mechon boomed. "HOWZABOUT I GIVE YA SOMETHING ELSE TO LAUGH ABOUT?!"
The Mechon began to raise one clawed hand… and Shulk gasped.
"Move! MOVE!" he yelled, bolting away. The claw dug into the earth in a vicious swipe, kicking up rock and knocking him to the ground. "Oof!" Metal Face's other hand slammed against Link's shield, sending him flying, knocking him into Marth and taking them both down.
"MWAHAHAHAHAHA! IT HURTS, DOESN'T IT?!" Metal Face screeched. "BUT I'M AFRAID OUR LITTLE PLAYTIME ENDS HERE, HEIR TO THE MONADO. NOW, YOU AND YOUR LITTLE FRIENDS HOLD STILL NOW… AND DIE!"
Metal Face's Killing Claw thrust forward, and Bowser managed to catch it in his own arms. The force of the arm made him slide back, his feet kicking up dirt and rock. The Koopa King resisted, pushing back against the hand with all his might.
"Listen up, you walking, talking scrap heap!" He bellowed at the Mechon. "Consider yourself lucky that Kamek isn't here to transform me into a giant, or else I'd tear all the nuts and bolts right out of you! But you know what?! I'm still tough enough to do that anyway! HRRRRAAAH!"
Bowser slammed the hand down and climbed on top. Getting on all fours, he began to climb up the arm. Reaching the shoulder despite Metal Face shaking his arm, Bowser curled up a fist and rammed it repeatedly against the shoulder.
"OW! UGH! GET OFF ME, YA SPIKY PARASITE!" Metal Face howled, trying to swat at Bowser with his other hand. The Koopa King leaped off just as the hand struck, landing near the face of the Mechon. Grabbing onto the lower jaw and pulling himself up, Bowser took a deep breath…
…and blasted out a jet of flame right into the Mechon's mouth. Small explosions went off near the head area.
"AAAAAAAAH! YOU'RE GONNA PAY FOR THAT, YOU LITTLE NUISANCE!"
Reaching out with his other hand, Metal Face grabbed Bowser around the torso and held him out, watching as the Koopa King struggled to free himself.
"SEE HOW YOU LIKE THIS!" he yelled, throwing Bowser away and sending him sailing into a large boulder. It completely obliterated on contact, and Bowser hit the ground several times before rolling to a dazed stop.
"NOW, AS FOR YOU LOT… TIME TO CUT YOU DOWN TO SIZE!" Readying his Killing Claws once more, Metal Face activated his thrusters and hovered off the ground. Giving it full power, he dove low and swooped over the ground.
Shulk tackled Marth to the ground while Link dive-rolled to the right, Metal Face swooping past with claws extended. Readying his Clawshot, Link fired at Metal Face's leg. A successful attach carried Link into the air as Metal Face flew off into the air.
The Mechon perched down on two rock formations with a foot on each one. Getting ready to fly in again, Metal Face stopped when he noticed Link below him.
"HUH? HEY! WHAT ARE YOU DOIN' DOWN THERE, YOU?!"
Link's reply was drawing back an explosive arrow… and launching it.
"OW! AGH! CUT IT OUT!" Metal Face growled as arrow after arrow exploded against his shoulders, chest and upper arms. "THAT DOES IT! EXTRA PAIN FOR YOU, GREENIE!" Snatching Link up and restarting the thrusters, Metal Face blasted off back to Shulk, Marth, and the recovering Bowser.
Link managed to free his arms, ready a bomb and toss it at Metal Face's head before the Mechon could drag him across the ground. The bomb exploded and the Mechon raised its arms to its head… dropping Link in the process.
"AUGH!" he cried as Link tumbled along the ground to a halt. Not watching where he was going, Metal Face ended up crashing against a cliffside as Shulk helped Link stand.
"RRRRGH!" Metal Face growled as pebbles rained down and bounced off him. "YOU'RE ALL A STUBBORN LOT, BUT I'LL ENJOY HEARING YOUR SCREAMS OF PAIN! SPIKY BACK, GREENIE, AND SWORD MAN… AND ESPECIALLY YOU, PUNY BOY!"
"You WILL know our names eventually, Mumkhar!" Shulk shouted, pointing the Monado at the Mechon. "And I advise you to get used to them!"
"SHUT UP AND DIE ALREADY!" he screamed, charging up his Grand Shot at the very top of his body. "GRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAH!"
A blue laser blasted out and struck the ground, tracing an arc that kicked up dust and sent all four Smashers tumbling to the ground. With an anguished cry, Metal Face lunged again with a Killing Claw…
"F-f-f-Freezinate!"
The metallic hand suddenly became encased in ice and stopped just meters from the Smashers. "WHAT?! WHO DARES?!"
Shulk turned to the left to see the cause of the intrusion… and his eyes rested on two figures: one Homs and one Nopon.
"Riki dares! Riki save Shulk from bad guy like you!" the Nopon shouted.
"And you are no different from the rest… you traitor." The Homs spoke boldly, a sword in his left hand.
"AH… IF IT ISN'T DUNBAN. I SHOULD HAVE KNOWN." Metal Face said, turning his attention to the newcomers. "IF THE BRAT WAS HERE, I BET THAT YOU WOULD NEVER BE FAR BEHIND."
"I'd follow Shulk anywhere… as you once did for me."
"Leave it to Heropon!" Riki added.
Bowser shook his head, one hand resting on it. "This guy is tough! I'm not sure if even these guys helping us is gonna be enough!" he groaned. Shulk only stepped forward as his friends came up beside him.
"You have doubts? Heh. Just watch." He replied… before activating the Monado and pointing at Metal Face.
"Dunban! Riki! Time for a chain attack!"
The trio dashed forth as Metal Face clenched his fist, shattering the ice around it. "I'VE BEEN WAITING FOR THIS, DUNBAN! TIME TO SLICE YOU INTO PIECES!"
"Let's go, everyone!" Shulk shouted as Metal Face charged towards them. The trio broke off as the Mechon roared past, veering around and digging against the ground as the thrusters shut down. Dashing off towards the Mechon as its claws extended again, Shulk was the first to engage. "Get him, Shulk!" Riki yelled in encouragement.
As Shulk slashed with the Monado with Dunban delivering wild strikes, Riki used his Lurgy Art to spray purple fumes onto Metal Face's chassis.
"Heeeeere Riki go!"
"On my mark!"
"Riki, don't mess up!"
"Riki leave that one for Dundun! Crash! Pow!"
Nearby, Marth called Link and Bowser to his side. "I suppose we can't let those three have all the fun, can we?"
"Let's trash this loser!" Bowser roared, pounding his fists. On Marth's signal, the trio charged with Bowser roaring angrily. Upon seeing them, Shulk jumped out of the way while Dunban grabbed Riki and pulled him away.
Whirling around at the last second, Bowser slammed against Metal Face shell-first. Link and Marth thrust their swords forth in unison. Turning back around, Bowser whaled on Metal Face's leg with both fists.
Turning to his friends, Shulk kept up the attack with Dunban and Riki with wild slashes. Unable to keep up with the sustained attacks from six opponents, Metal Face collapsed to the ground.
"He's down!" Dunban shouted. "Shulk, go!"
Nodding, Shulk let out a sharp whistle. Hearing this, Link crouched down and readied his shield. The Heir to the Monado ran forth. "Let's finish this!" he cried, leaping onto Link's shield…
…and the green-clad hero lifted hard, catapulting Shulk into the sky. Readying the Monado, Shulk gritted his teeth, watching as Metal Face noticed him too late.
"HYAH!"
The Monado's powerful charged slash connected against Metal Face, setting off a series of explosions in his chassis. The man inside the Mechon howled in agony and defeat.
"NOOOOO! THIS AIN'T HOW IT'S MEANT TO GO!" Metal Face roared, the ground beneath him collapsing… and sending the Mechon plummeting down. As everyone gathered near the cliffside, a loud metallic crash echoed throughout Gaur Plain.
"Can you believe the mouth on that guy?" Bowser said. "What a jerk! And those claws! They couldn't have topped mine at that Strikers tournament! Bah! At least he's on top of the junk pile he belongs in!"
"Remind me to ask on where you found your new friends, Shulk," Dunban requested. "They seem like an unusual bunch."
"Well… this 'unusual bunch' has had a lot taken out of it thanks to that mechanical menace." Marth grunted, holding his shoulder in pain.
"Riki fix!" the Nopon shouted, making his way past Dunban. "You Can Do It!"
All was silent.
"That's it?!" Bowser snapped in disbelief. "Some late encouragement? How is that supposed to… wait… wait, I think I'm feeling something."
"As am I," Marth added. "A rather strange healing method, in my opinion… wait, does anyone else hear that?"
Everyone stayed quiet, listening for the noise… which came in the sound of a roaring jet.
"WHOA!" Shulk shouted as something flew past them, nearly blowing them all back. The figure looped around in the sky and hovered to a stop.
"THIS AIN'T THE LAST YOU'LL SEE OF ME, MONADO BOY!" Metal Face warned. "I WILL HAVE THAT SWORD, DO YOU HEAR ME?! IT'S MINE, I TELL YOU! MINE!" With his piece spoken, Metal Face turned and blasted out of there, flying away at the near speed of sound.
Crossing his arms, Bowser turned his head away with a huff. "Jerk."
"All go to plan," Riki commented.
"So… as for this SSB thing you mentioned," Shulk began, turning to Marth. "Do you think my friends and I can take a look?"
Marth only smiled. "Not at all."
…
Back at Smash HQ
"No way!" Sonic shouted in awe. "You fought a giant robot calling himself Metal Face?!"
"Mechon," Shulk corrected him.
"Whatever! I should have totally tagged along! Then I could have showed that creep how good I am at making scrap piles!" He threw two jabs and a kick with fists raised in a boxing stance. "I doubt Egghead could have done any better! Oh, and by the way, Metal Face? Ha! How lame can you get with names? And what did he have? Flamethrowers? Machine guns? Heat-seeking missiles?"
"Giant razor claws, a jetpack, and a big laser," Bowser answered. "And he was a real jerk, too."
"Oh ho, now I'm excited!" Sonic shouted, hopping up and down before throwing more jabs. "When does he get to have round two with the blue?"
"Is he usually like this?" Shulk asked, pointing a thumb at the ecstatic hedgehog. Marth only shrugged. "He's a little on the cocky side."
"And let me get things straight here," Pit butted in. "You say you can see into the future?"
"Visions," Shulk replied. "I see things that don't end well for me and my friends, and I get the chance to prevent those visions. A chance to change the future."
"That sounds cool and all, but…" the angel hesitated. "Isn't there like some kind of timeline where the vision actually happens?"
"That could be the case," Palutena replied. "Even a simple action can create a different timeline. For example, if you were defeated by Medusa, I wouldn't be here today."
Pit raised a brow in confusion. "What does that have to do with anything?"
"In a different timeline, Pit, you lost that fight, leaving Medusa and Hades to rule the world. So every action and inaction creates infinite parallel worlds. This is only one of them."
"Wait," the angel realized. "So… I'm not the only me? And nothing I do matters because another me will do the opposite? Then… THEN WHAT'S THE POINT OF DOING ANYTHING?!"
"Breathe, Pit! Calm down!" the goddess chuckled as Pit clutched his chest in exasperation. Rolling his eyes, Shulk moved away.
"I've just got word from the Announcer," Fox said to Samus as Shulk approached them. "We should have everyone we need for the fourth tournament to begin."
"So we can get this thing underway, then?" Shulk guessed.
"Well… not exactly," the mercenary replied. "There's still one last thing that needs to be covered.
"And what might that be?" Samus asked him.
"I don't know. But the Announcer mentioned something about a planet in this universe said to hold the most advanced race in the multiverse. They… they have the weirdest name."
"What is it?" Falco asked, overhearing this.
Fox scratched the back of his head, eyes closed in thought. "I think he said… me?"
"You?" his wingmate replied with a feather pointed at him. "That doesn't sound right."
"That's probably the point… I don't think he was talking about me in general."
