Chapter 4

Well... that went well, I guess... here's chapter 4... hope you enjoy it!

I blinked as Shulk finished the last Ancient Machine with a Back Slash Art. "Phew..." he breathed. "Glad that's over."

"Looks like no one's hurt," spoke Fiora, looking over all of us quickly. "Let's hurry back. It'll be dusk soon, and-"

Suddenly, there was a loud explosive noise, nearby. "What...?" Reyn grunted. "The Colony!"

Shulk, Fiora and Reyn all raced out. I followed more slowly. No one's ready to lose Fioira... I thought. Should I tell them that she's going to die...? I shook my head to shake the thought. If I do, they might never leave for revenge...

Shulk gasped. "Look!" He pointed. "Mechon!" Metal Face was flying around, and I heard a choking sound from Fiora.

Fear was flashing explosively in her eyes when I looked at her. "No...!" She covered her head. "This can't be happening...!"

"We've got to get down there," spoke Reyn. "Looks like we'll have to jump into the water."

"You and Andrew go!" shouted Shulk. "I'll be down there with Fiora in a sec!"

"Alright." I ran off, before leaping over the nearby cliff. Reyn jumped soon after, and we landed painlessly in the water. I gasped for air when I surface. "Ah..." I saw a shore nearby, and swam towards it. I could feel Reyn's presence behind me.

We soon reached it. "Eh...?" Reyn cursed as a Mechon came out in front of us. "We have to fight it."

"Our weapons can't affect it though, right?!" I grunted as I drew my claymore. "Reyn?!"

"Uh... right. We need to Topple it... but we need Shulk to inflict Break first," he cursed. "We'll just have to stall."

"Great," I sighed. I swung, but my blade was deflected. "Shoot..." I barely blocked the machine's attack. "Ah..."

"Hah! War Swing!" Reyn was deflected on the first hit. "Eh!" He grunted as he was struck. "That's trouble..."

I heard a splash nearby. "I think Shulk's coming!" I responded. "We can hold out!" I rushed forward, and grunted. "Stab Strike!" With the stab, the Art was deflected. "Ah...!" I skidded back. "We should weapons made out of the armour Mechon use!"

"That would be a pretty good idea... if we survive." Reyn blocked another attacl. "Oil's coming out... from the Bleed effect."

"Great!" Shulk came up from behind us, water around him. "Fiora's behind me! Anyway... Stream Edge!" he yelled.

"Yeah! Now that's what I'm talkin' about!" grinned Reyn. He used his Wild Down Art. "Yeah... Toppled it!"

"Slit Edge!" grunted Shulk. "There! I've made a dent! Hit that spot!" he shouted. "You'll do extra damage!"

"Cross Slash!" The Mechon's eyes went dim. How are we ever going to take on Metal Face...? I wondered.

I saw Fiora head towards Dunban's. "Dunban!" she called, rushing away. "Where are you...?"

"If we can get to the... to the Monado, maybe we can make a comeback," mused Shulk. "We have to head towards the lab...!"

"Right," replied Reyn. He followed Shulk, and I watched our backs. Soon, we made it to a... I don't remember what this part of this game is called, I realized. I have to watch more Chuggaaconroy...

"Fiora! Go find Dunban!" shouted Shulk. By now, a bunch of Mechon were chasing us. "Great...!"

"This is a place I want to find myself in," grunted Reyn. "Ready...?" He turned to his childhood friend. "Shulk?"

"The lab...!" grunted Shulk. It was within view, but a massive rock suddenly blocked the entrance. "No...!"

"Looks like we're going to have to take care of the Mechon behind us," I sighed, drawing my sword again. "Alright. Let's do this!"

"That's the spirit!" Reyn drew his Driver. "Shulk! You inflict Break, and Andrew and I will take it from there!"

"No... CHAIN ATTACK!" he shouted. He drew his Junk Sword. "Only two... STREAM EDGE!" he roared.

"My turn!" grunted Reyn, running up to the Mechon. "Wild Down!" The Mechon collapsed. "Andrew!"

"Right... Cross Slash!" Now, when I looked at Shulk, there was a wild light in his eyes. "Shulk! One more!"

"My pleasure!" Now, it was like Shulk was an entirely new person. Is it Zanza?! I suddenly thought. Taking over?! "Turn Strike!"

The Mechon was completely destroyed, and Shulk's eyes returned to normal. "Wha... what was that?" I heard him murmur quietly. "Anyway... the other one's gonna be toast! Stream Edge!"

Soon, the Mechon was destroyed, but more only came in. "Oh, great," sighed Reyn as we stood back to back. "What a way to go out."

"We're not going out if there;s anything I have to say about it," I growled. "We have to keep fighting!"

"But we can't just use our Arts to inflict normal damage on them all the time!" objected Shulk. "We need...!"

"HAH!" Suddenly, there was a loud yell, and a whole row of Mechon were now smouldering piles of smoke. A bright blue light glowed as the person wielding the Monado revealed himself. "Been... having fun?" panted Dunban.

"Dunban!" cheered Reyn, and the light vanished from the Monado. "What are you doing here, with the Monado?"

"Fighting, of course," he gasped, and placed it back on his back. "Come now, more will rally quickly. We have to hurry." He looked me over quickly, but passed. "Let's go!"

"We have to make it to the Residential District," mused Shulk. "Fiora... she went to find you!"

"Right!" We rushed off. We made to a bridge. This is where Shulk gets the Monado... I thought absently, as Mechon began to pour on the other side of the bridge. Duncan groaned, and the Monado flew away.

He fell on his knees, and coughed up blood. "Dunban, you can't use the Monado anymore!" spoke Reyn in a tight voice.

"I have to!" he grunted, trying to crawl to the sword, but Reyn held him back.

"Rey's right," spoke Shulk. "You can't use it anymore." He raced forward, and grabbed the sword.

"Shulk?!" gasped Dunban. Shulk shouted loudly, and light pulsed from the blade, brighter then when Dunban was using it.

"This time... it's my turn!" Shulk rushed forward. Suddenly, he faltered slightly. He's having a vision, I thought. "AHH!" he screamed, dodging the incoming Mechon's attack. He slashed through it, and faltered again, before jumping to stab through another. "Guys!"

"We've go to assist him." I rushed forward, drawing my sword. "Shulk! Use the power of the Monado!"

"Right! Monaco Enchant!" he shouted. Now, there was a purple glow around our weapons. Reyn rushed forward as I began to swing.

"Ah...!" Duncan grabbed his katana, and rushed forward as well. "Hah!" He swung. "Shulk! You're... using the Monado!"

"Dunban...!" grunted Shulk, straining against another Mechon until I slashed it down. "Did you have a... a kind of vision, when you were using the Monado?"

I fell into a daze, just slashing through Mechon, so the didn't hear the rest of their conversation. I felt energy burst suddenly in my body. My Talent Art...? I thought. Maybe I'll call it Time Slower...

"Chain Attack!" shouted Shulk. "Monado... lend us your power! Monaco Buster!" He cleared the path. "We have to hurry!"

"Yeah!" grunted Reyn. We ran after Shulk as he ran away, entering the Residential District from the long way. "Wait...!"

Suddenly, Metal Face flew down and dropped to the ground before us. "This Mechon... has a face?" gasped Dunban.

"That doesn't mean nothin'!" responded Reyn, drawing his Driver again, clearly ready for another bout.

"He's right!" declared Shulk, drawing the Monado again. "Not when we have the Monado!"

Wrong, Shulk... that's going to change nothing for now... I drew my claymore anyway. "Let's go," I spoke quietly.

"Right!" Shulk rushed forward, but when he slashed, the Monado was deflected. "What?!" He barely dodged a claw attack.

"The Monado doesn't have any effect?!" exclaimed Dunabn. "Impossible! It should slash through Mechon with ease!"

"We just have to keep trying!" roared Reyn. "Until we beat it down!" He began to attack again."Ah...!"

"Rah!" Dunban also charged forward, but Metal Face released an electric attack, which forced them away. "No!" They hit the ground, paralyzed by the attack.

"Dunban! Reyn!" gasped Shulk, distracted for a moment. Metal Face turned to him, and he began to turn towards Metal Face again. "Ah...!" He raised the Monado, but I knew it wouldn't be enough.

"Time Slower...!" Time moved slowly, but Metal Face's claw was still zooming for Shulk. "No...!" I raced forward, and managed to pull Shulk out of the way of the attack.

"What...?" Shulk gasped as Metal Face's attack missed. "Andrew... what was that...?"

"My Talent Art," I responded, turning back to Metal Face. Time returned back to normal. "Not good...!"

Suddenly, there was a blast that hit Metal Face from behind. He turned, and Fiora was in the mobile artillery.

"Yaahh!" she shouted, firing the massive machine. Metal Face began to move towards her.

"No!" shouted the three males. Shulk raced for Metal Face, and I followed him after a moment. "Fioraaa!"

Metal Face turned at his voice again, and I began to run faster. However, it was futile. Metal Face got both of us with the paralyzing attack, and we fell, unable to move. No... I thought. I should've been able to...!

Metal Face, meanwhile, had now clawed off part of the mobile artillery. It glared at Fiora, as red pulsed in those jagged lines again.

"Ah..." Fiora looked back with fearful eyes, before Metal Face's claw dropped again, and the part she was in was thrown away.

"NOOOOOOOOO!" shouted Shulk, looking at Metal Face. I heard Dunban and Reyn gasp, before the Mechon turned to us.

I swear I saw it smile in an evil way.

YEAH! Chapter 4, guys! Hope it was enjoyable! Also... I don't own Xenoblade... should've mentioned that...

Thanks for reading!