Pyra and Shulk arrived at a small shop at the other end of a small, white stone bridge. She expected that he would take her to a training room, an arena, anything really that resembled a training ground, but perhaps there was something there that he needed to take care of first. She read the large plaque above the door "SHELDON'S PLACE", written in blotchy orange letters, which did not indicate at all what kind of establishment it was. Perhaps the owner could workshop on the title a little more.
They entered the shop, the sound of a bell ringing welcoming them, and Pyra realized that not even when inside the shop she could quite figure out what was sold there. All shelves were mostly empty, with cardboard boxes scattered around. The walls were splattered with colorful ink, though that seemed to be part of the aesthetic more than anything else. Spirits floated around lazily, casually, almost as if Pyra was not there.
She raised her hand as one particular spirit approached her, unsure if she should touch it or not. As she took a deeper look into its multicolored flame, she could see the image of two children, a boy with green hair and a red haired girl, both no older than ten years old and looking at her with expectant eyes. It felt like she was looking into a snowglobe. Or fireglobe, in that case.
"Sheldon, we're here," Shulk called, which broke Pyra away from her trance.
To Pyra's shock, a small creature appeared from behind the dusty countertop, its smooth, yellow body translucent against the rays of light that came through the windows. The creature, who she presumed was this Sheldon that Shulk called for, was wearing a gray shirt and a funny green hat that matched with its mossy green overalls, as well as a pair of golden goggles that made its eyes look especially large.
Pyra had never seen anything or anyone quite like him, but then again, she had been seeing many things that were not quite like things from back in Alrest as of late. To her surprise, one of the kids with tentacle hair, this time a boy that was also wearing glasses that made his eyes look bigger, also showed up from Architect knows where.
The boy looked at Sheldon and said, "Hi, Shulk! How arrre you?" his voice struggled to make that sentence flow.
"Hi, Ignatius! Pyra and I are here to train with spirits for a bit," Shulk said. "Can you ask Sheldon to lend us the practice grounds and maybe one or two spirits?"
"Ah, okay!" Ignatius said with a grin. "But why land?"
"Land?"
"You know, floor," he tapped his foot on the ground. "Why?"
"No, no, lend," Shulk said, patiently. "To lend is to let someone borrow something. We want to borrow spirits and the practice ground."
"Oh, okay, okay! Got it!" Ignatius said.
The boy turned to the patient Sheldon and began talking to him in a language incomprehensible to Pyra, which explained his slightly truncated speech. Ignatius then turned to them again.
"You can get chuu spirits," he said, showing a V sign with his fingers. Ah, he meant two spirits. "And thirty minutes with train."
"Aww, only thirty?" Shulk said. "Don't be stingy, Sheldon."
"He will make twenty."
"Okay, okay, we'll take the thirty minutes," he said, then turned to Pyra. "Is there any spirit here that caught your attention?"
Almost as if by instinct, she turned towards the spirit of the two children that greeted her a minute ago. There was something in that particular spirit that pulled her in, enough for her to not even bother searching for another option. She walked towards the ball of flame and placed her open palm beneath it, giving them a sweet smile. The spirit remained still, just inches above her palm, its flames becoming brighter and more vivid than before
Perhaps it was her imagination, but she could swear that the children smiled at her back. Shulk looked into the spirit and gave an approving nod. "Ah, those are Alm and Celica, they are a novice spirit," he said. "That's good! Since it's your first time using one, it's best if you bond with a spirit less… intense."
She watched him approach a spirit near the countertop, cupping it with both of his sun kissed hands and then both of them were guided by Sheldon to the back door. They reached the training grounds, which could be resumed to a court made of concrete, with a bunch of white lines drawn on the floor and a few rubber training dummies scattered here and there.
Shulk walked ahead, being followed by his spirit of choice right behind him, and stood a good few feet away from Pyra, over the third line on the ground. He turned around and extended his hands, palms up, towards the spirit that floated in front of him. It began to melt away in contact with his skin, washing over his hands like a rainbow colored water, slowly, languidly spreading through his body until he was enveloped by the same aura that she first saw him display at the train station.
"Take a deep breath," Shulk said. "And open your mind to the spirit."
Pyra did as she was told, she took a deep breath and mimicked Shulk's gesture with her hands. She could feel the spirit slowly sinking into the skin, the first contact bringing her a surprising chill down her spin. The chill quickly turned warm, a warmth that first began spreading through the palm of her hands, then making its way through her arms, her shoulders, her chest, slowly taking over every inch of her body until the only warmth she could feel came from the spirit that now inhabited her.
And then it hit her all at once. Memories that were not hers coming like a crashing wave, memories that belonged to the children, but that she felt as if they were her own. Images flashed through her mind, throwing her off balance. The two children reading a book over the fireplace. The two children playing in a field of flowers. The two children sword training with a wiser, older man. The warmth of laughter. The heartbreak of a separation.
Pyra closed her eyes and tightened the grip on her sword, her breath erratic and her legs trembling. She could hear Shulk call out for her, his voice more distant than he actually was. "Pyra, deep breaths," he said. "Don't engage with their memories. Focus on a part of your body, if necessary. Use it as an anchor."
She decided to focus on her incomplete, emerald core crystal that pulsed on her chest and took a deep breath. Then another one. And another and another and another one, until she could slowly feel her consciousness return to her own body. Her thoughts eventually were able to separate what was hers and what belonged to the children and before she could realize, Pyra felt like herself again.
"You okay?" Shulk asked once he saw her opening her eyes.
"Yes, I'm alright," Pyra said. "I was… caught by surprise. Their memories, their feelings… they felt like they were mine for a moment."
"Alm and Celica are good kids, no doubt they helped you sort them out," he said. Pyra could now understand what Shulk meant with her starting out with a less intense spirit. She shuddered with the thought of having to fight off a spirit with intense desires and memories. "You should now have their power assisting you. Try testing it out on one of the dummies."
She walked towards the dummies and got into her fighting stance. Her red, asymmetrical sword, which lay dormant that entire time, opened itself, revealing its flaming blade. With one swift motion, Pyra swung her sword at the dummy, which burst into flames upon contact. The dummy, sturdy enough to not be cut, but not heavy enough to remain in place with the impact, was sent flying away. It hit the nearest wall grid, almost rupturing it, before falling flat on the ground.
"Oh, wow," was all Pyra could say, dumbfounded. "That was certainly something."
"How did it feel?"
"Stronger, definitely," she said, tilting her head to the side. "Though I had to remind myself to not swing my blade the same way I saw Alm fight."
"Good observation!" Shulk said with a smile. "Yeah, you may enter into conflict with spirits with former combat prowess, since you are basically sharing a body with them. Old habits die hard and all of that."
"Are all of these spirits former warriors?"
"No, a lot of them were just ordinary people," he said. "Others were… special, though what special means wildly varies. Some spirits are not even of people or living creatures."
"How is that possible?"
Shulk shook his head, frustrated. He said, "No idea, they simply are. I am curious about how they came to be, though," Shulk then placed a hand on his chin in contemplation. "Where did they come from? What is the extent of their powers? Are we correct in creating a cooperative relationship with them or are there consequences in the long term future? Do WE have spirits like the ones we bond with? As much as I loathe Master Hand, I hope that I can get some answers once we free him from Galeem."
Pyra simply watched the man ramble, amused at how easily he forgot that she was there. It was oddly charming, perhaps because this was the first time that she was seeing Shulk not be a worrywart towards her well being. It took him a while to realize that he had been talking alone and Shulk promptly let out an awkward cough.
"Who is this Master Hand you speak of?" Pyra asked, unable to hide her amusement. "And Galeem?"
"Master Hand is… well, he can be considered the god of this world," Shulk said. "Umm, one of the two gods. His brother, Crazy Hand, is the other god."
"Charming names," she chuckled.
"They are even more charming in person. Or… hand," he awkwardly paused. "Anyway, despite being all powerful gods, they managed to be captured by an invading force that came from… somewhere, from another world."
"And that invading force is this Galeem?"
"Exactly."
"So this invading force is taking hold of the gods of this world?"
"The gods and a bunch of other spirits that we have yet to free from his control," Shulk nodded. "The spirits under his control inhabit the replicas of the bodies of fallen fighters. These are what we call puppet fighters, because in the end, they are being pulled by Galeem's strings."
"It all comes back to Galeem, uh?"
"We did not want to risk you being ambushed by a puppet fighter and being taken out by Galeem, so this is why we wanted to keep you protected," Shulk admitted. "This is why we were so adamant of you leaving our camp."
Maybe it was his earnest honesty, but Pyra could feel herself lower her guard around him just slightly. Still, she couldn't help but ask: "I believe that you and the rest of the Smashers want to keep me safe from Galeem's control, but are you sure that this has nothing to do with wanting my power to yourselves?"
"I mean, we would love if you could help us out on cleaning up the remaining puppet fighters," he said. "But this has nothing to do with a megalomaniacal plan of keeping your power to ourselves. We just need all the help that we can get."
"You mean that me being an Aegis has nothing to do with it?"
"I still don't know what an Aegis is."
"I see."
She had to take Shulk's word for truth, even though she still felt uneasy trusting someone that she just met and who claimed otherwise.
"Pyra, I'd love to help you untangle whatever thought process you're having, but time's ticking and we really should get back to training," Shulk said.
And then, an idea struck her. Shulk and his group were working towards freeing the gods of this world that she knew nothing about, except that it was inhabited by hostile people who would not hesitate to kill her. She had no idea how to return to Alrest, but she had the feeling that if there was anyone who could help her out, it would be these supposed gods.
With absolute resolution, Pyra turned around and said: "Okay, Shulk, I will help you and your group out."
"Wait, really? That's great! So-"
"However, I have two conditions."
She could feel a slight pang in her heart when she saw his face deflate, but now was not the time to feel sorry for a guy who might know more about her than she wished he had. "What is it?" Shulk asked, perhaps a bit too warily.
"If we defeat Galeem, then we will free these gods you spoke of, correct?"
"Yeah, pretty much."
"Then once we free them, could you get me an audience with them?" Pyra asked.
At that, Shulk seemed to relax. "I mean, sure, but I think you would get an audience with them regardless of what I did," he said. "What is the other condition?"
"My other condition is that you don't mention Mythra to the others."
Shulk's eyebrows furrowed and his mouth twisted in confusion. He asked, "What happened between you two? Why can't the others know about Mythra?"
"Nothing happened between us," Pyra said, indignant over whatever he was accusing her of. "I am acting in her best interest by keeping her hidden."
"Why?"
"Because…" she let out an exasperated sigh. For some reason, she could feel another force chiding her for that choice, a force from within. It certainly was not Mythra. "Really, you say you know Mythra, but you don't know why she would like to remain sealed away?"
"Mythra's a cool girl and a capable fighter, I don't know why you are so afraid of her!" Shulk exclaimed, which made Pyra take a step back, her face full of shock. "Mythra, I don't know if you're hearing me, but I'm sure everyone here will accept you. I don't think you should hide behind Pyra like this."
Capable fighter. Pyra could feel a knot in her stomach. She had no doubt that Shulk was being sincere in his belief that Mythra would be accepted. Yet, if they knew what she had done in the past, would that acceptance still hold up? After all, Mythra's biggest sin was the whole reason for Pyra's existence. To seal Mythra away from the world, to reach Elysium, to return home in her stead. It was a burden that she had to carry for her, no matter how much Shulk thought otherwise.
And yet, wouldn't it be nice to feel like she didn't need to carry that burden anymore? To trust that her power was not a danger to those around her? Rex certainly did, but he also was naive. Then again, she was not in Alrest, was she? Could things be different in this world? Perhaps they could.
It was then that Pyra realized that those internal questions were being gently pushed forward by the two children sharing her body. She could not hear exactly what they said, but she could feel them pulling at her heartstrings. Rascals. "Alm, Celica, don't take his side," Pyra muttered, annoyed. "Let's go back to training, shall we?"
She saw Shulk shake his head and unsheathe the red sword strapped to his back, disappointment as clear on his face as the blue sky. Despite his displeasure, he promised to not mention Mythra to the other people of his group, which brought her certain relief. In return, Pyra would do her best to aid Shulk and the others and, once they freed the gods of this strange world, she would get her answers on how to return home.
As the days passed by, Pyra had the chance to get to know these so-called Smashers better. Once she made it clear that she intended to stay until Galeem was vanquished, it was as if a curtain of tension between her and them was lifted. Shulk was still considered responsible for her safety, but that was becoming a more loose assignment the more she interacted with the rest of the camp.
Her days were spent training, socializing, helping out with chores around the camp and occasionally following a Smasher or two on a hunt for a puppet fighter. Most of her hunts were done accompanied by Shulk, who, true to his word, had not brought up Mythra's name not even once in the presence of others, not even Pyra. But every once in a while she would accompany someone like Captain Falcon or even one of the Inklings – which turned out to be the name of the species of the kids with tentacle hair.
When it came to the captain, Shulk was correct in his assertion that Douglas only sounded scary, because when he was not shouting orders or, even more curious, shouting the names of his moves during a battle, he was a surprisingly kindhearted man with a keen eye for the safety of his fellow Smashers. He was usually tasked with going on excursions to hunt down remaining puppet fighters, which made a lot of sense to Pyra once she learned that he used to work as a bounty hunter.
Another former bounty hunter was Samus Aran, the woman of astounding beauty who introduced herself to Pyra by pointing a gun to her head. Unlike Douglas, who, when he was not looking out for any invaders, could hold a conversation, Samus was more reserved, preferring to exchange very few words and going on longer hunts. Pyra could have mistaken her for a cold, almost mechanical kind of person, had she also not seen the little gestures she made to help out others, like helping out one of the Inklings with their equipment or giving small words of comfort to Leaf when she had yet another spat with Red.
Speaking of Leaf, Pyra was surprised by how much the young trainer seemed to have taken a liking to her. Whenever Pyra was helping out Game and Watch – who was a man that looked as two dimensional as the food he cooked – with kitchen duty or when she went to Sheldon's Place to train with the Alm & Celica spirit, Leaf was there to talk to her. She was always being accompanied by one of her Pokemon, usually the grass-type Ivysaur, a sharp contrast to Red, who was usually guarded by the fearsome Charizard, a dragon-like creature with curious fire powers.
One day, she invited Leaf over to lunch as a way to apologize for the day she pointed her sword at her – completely by accident, of course. The way the girl beamed at her invitation was simply contagious and Pyra could not help but smile as she brought them their plates full of 2D looking salad and placed them down the round table.
As their lunch went on, Leaf asked, "Pyra, you once mentioned to me that you're a Blade and that's why you have your glowy crystal, right?"
"That's right," Pyra said, taking a bite of her blackened lettuce. "It's also why you can see glowing lines in my body when I'm fighting. Why do you ask?"
"Ah, I was thinking about what you said about that whole thing about the bond of Blades and Drivers," she said. "Like, how a Driver is the one swinging the weapon and a Blade is the one… powering them up? Is that right?"
"Yes, you got that right."
"But like, how do Drivers and Blades meet? Does a Driver just come to a Blade and say 'hey, I think we should be partners' or something like that?" Leaf asked, twisting her fork on her food.
"Usually, it's through the awakening of a core crystal," Pyra said, pointing at her own incomplete crystal. "A Driver touches a core crystal and that crystal takes form, awakening the Blade. TheBlade is then connected to the Driver for life and they share a destiny, where both Driver and Blade grow strong together. It is only when the Driver perishes that the Blade returns to their core crystal, ready to be awakened by a new Driver."
Oh, dear, she might have over explained. Leaf seemed deep in thought over her explanation, glances exchanging between her food and Pyra's core crystal. She then gave the lettuce a big crunch and, after a dramatic gulp, she looked at her with a very serious gaze and said, "Pyra, you're like a Pokemon."
Maybe it was the way she said what she said without a hint of irony, maybe it was the face of someone who was very certain that they had reached an epiphany, but Pyra could not keep her composure. She laughed out loud, clutching her ribs as her voice reverberated through the quiet veranda they were having lunch in. A single tear formed at the corner of each eye as she continued to laugh, while the girl looked at her, mortified by her reaction.
"W-what? It's true!" Leaf exclaimed, puffing her cheeks. "I mean… not the whole life connecting thing, but like… like…"
She tried to calm down, which resulted in a series of giggles. Leaf looked away, cheeks still puffed, face as red as her own hair. "I'm… he he, I'm sorry, Leaf," Pyra said in between giggles. "You're gonna, ha ha, need to elaborate on that. Haa…"
"I will not!" Leaf proclaimed with crossed arms. "You're gonna laugh at me again!"
She took a deep breath, catching a snort before it could escape. "I won't, I won't," she said. "I promise I won't laugh. It's just that you surprised me."
"Humph! So, as I was saying, your whole talk about the bonds between blades and drivers reminded me of me and my Pokemon," the trainer said. "My Pokemon and I, we share a destiny. I protect them and they protect me. We grow strong together through our battles… just like Drivers and Blades."
Pyra had observed the way Leaf, and even Red to some extent, interacted with and battled alongside their Pokemon. Despite both kids not being fighters, they were the ones responsible for coordinating and instructing their Pokemon to the best of their performance, not unlike what Pyra usually did with Rex. The way the Pokemon Trainers treated their battle partners was nothing short of incredible.
She could see where Leaf was coming from, but the idea still amused her. "So, I'm like a Pokemon, eh?" She asked, placing a hand on her chin. "Which Pokemon do you think I would be?"
Leaf took a long look into her eyes and said, "Well, you have fire powers, you are very pretty and your clothes have pretty colors and you once said that you're like, an uber legendary type of Blade, so… I know! A Ho Oh!"
"What's a Ho Oh like?"
"It's a big, legendary bird that is said to bring happiness to anyone who sees them!" Leaf said, so certain in her answer that she did not notice Pyra's mood deflate ever so slightly. "Yeah, I think that's it."
"I see."
Pyra's smile turned melancholic and suddenly she did not feel like laughing anymore. She told Leaf to finish her salad before it turned soggy and quietly finished her own food. The excited trainer apparently caught on to that sudden mood shift, because she started nervously fiddling with her fork and asked: "Hey, did I say something bad? You didn't like the Pokemon I chose for you?"
"What? Oh, no, Leaf, don't mind me," Pyra forced a smile. "I was thinking about someone."
"Rex?"
"Not this time. It was someone else."
"Okay, but if I say something you don't like, tell me," Leaf sadly said. "Red always tells me I talk too much and sometimes I say stuff I shouldn't, so…"
Pyra smiled and gently nudged her shoulder. She said, "Maybe Red is the one who speaks too little."
Leaf gave her an uncharacteristic shy smile and finally decided to focus on her meal. The rest of their lunch was eaten in silence, though it didn't take long for the girl to bring up another topic she wanted to talk about. This time, Pyra decided that she would simply listen, one part of her focus on Leaf's exciting tale of how she and Samus took down a nasty puppet fighter near the beach, while the other part made plans for the encounter she would have with a certain someone tonight.
