Chapter 10

Reyn was carrying Shulk, as I held the Monado in my hand. Why am I holding this thing? I thought, looking at it. Why can't we just strap it to Shulk's back or something as Reyn carries him? Also, shouldn't I be out of control or something by now?

"Hm..." Sharla picked up a small gem, and tapped it with one hand, kneeling as she observed it. She stood. "Alright, this should do." She loaded it into her rifle, and Reyn set Shulk on the ground. "Stay about 10 feet away," she spoke. "So you're not in the radius of the Ether blast I'm going to fire."

With that, Reyn and I stepped away. Sharla shot up into the air, and I saw what seemed like fine dust through the air, landing around and atop of the wielder of the Monado. He opened his eyes slowly with a groan.

"Ow," he grunted, slowly getting back to his feet. "Wow... that was..." He paused as I threw the Monado at him. Shulk caught it by the hilt, and the light pulsed out of the Monado. "Thanks."

Reyn blinked. "I have a question. How come when we all tried to hold the Monado, we went crazy, but when Andrew held it, he was fine. Why do you think that happened?"

Shulk let the Monado rest on his back again. "Well... Andrew's not really a Homs, remember?" spoke Shulk. "He's something else that just looks like one of us. Maybe that's why he wasn't affected."

"Wait a second..." We all turned to look at Sharpshooter Sharla. "He's... not a Homs? What do you mean?"

Please, not the Justin Bieber song! I thought. "Well... let's just say I'm human, and that I'm here because reasons that..." If I spoke aloud en explosion might occur from how much I would blow your minds...

"That's crazy, and not very much information," observed Sharla.

I shrugged. "We'll just have to deal with it. Anyway..." I pointed to a nearby mountainous area. "What's that?"

"Spiral Valley," spoke Sharla. "That... that might be where Juju is!" She ran off, leaving the rest of us to run after her.

We were soon at the top of the mountainous area. Juju was there. "Juju!" shouted Sharla, rushing forward.

Shulk gasped. "Sharla, NO!" he yelled. As he called out, a massive Mechon descended somehow from above. "What...?" He gasped again, drawing the Monado. "SHARLA! STAY BACK!"

He ran forward, as well as Reyn and I, all of us drawing our weapons. The Mechon had tentacles which it sent flying at Sharla, grabbing Juju as it did so.

"It's too late..." cursed Reyn, but he ran forward anyway to try and prevent Sharla's death.

"No... NOT AGAIN!" shouted Shulk. The Monado's light pulsed into a slightly different shade of blue, but it faltered almost instantly, Shulk falling over as it did so. He was gasping for air. "What...? No, I have to..,!" He looked forward. "Ah... RAR!" The Monado's light returned to the light blue, and the symbol for Monado Speed appeared on the blade.

Sharla gasped as the tentacle zoomed at her, turning around slowly. "Ah..." The blue aura surrounded her, but she was still too slow. As she moved the tentacle still shot up her side, blood bursting from the wound. "Ugh..." She fell, extremely bloody.

"NO!" roared Reyn, running at the Mechon. As he did so, the tentacle ground against his Driver. "You're going to pay!"

"Andrew!" panted Shulk, looking at me. I turned. "Help me up. I have to help Sharla!"

"Alright!" I helped him to his feet, and he staggered as I let go of him. "Are you okay?"

He was covered in sweat. "Probably not, but..." He used his Light Heal Art, and Sharla's wound closed, if at least a bit. "Alright..." Shulk fell to his knees, and I had to help him up again. "It's... just temporary. We have to get her to proper medical attention..."

"Um... she's a doctor," I spoke. "Right?" As I spoke Sharla shot up a huge blast of Ether into the air, which healed her. "Huh." I rushed forward. "Shulk!"

He slowly took a step forward, clearly drained. "Huff. Huff." He still somehow dodged a tentacle as he gasped for air. "Alright... guys, here it comes! Monaco Enchant!" he roared. "Ready?!"

Reyn smirked. "Hell yeah!" He used his Mad Taunt Talent Art, while Sharla was forced to use her Cool Off Talent Art. "Guys, let's rock!"

I grunted. "Hah!" I used Stab Strike, and oil slowly dripped out of the wound I created. "Alright..." I used Slide Edge, managing to get on top of it. "Chain Attack time?!"

"Alright!" Shulk got to the side of the Mechon. "Here I go! Air Slash!" His attack worked. "Reyn, Topple it!"

Reyn nodded. "Wild Down!" He struck, and the Mechon fell, causing me to leap off. "Andrew!"

"Yeah!" I used the Cross Slash Art, which caused Daze. However, it let out a whirl of angry metallic sounds, before ascending to a higher level. "Darn. Are we gonna...?"

Everyone had fallen over, tired. Shulk and Sharla were covered in sweat, gasping for air, while Reyn slowly went over to Sharla. Wordlessly, he touched her side.

"Ow!" Sharla flinched as Reyn did so, and he drew his hand back. "Sorry... it just really hurts..."

Shulk slowly got himself back to his feet. "We... have to... go after that Mechon..." He grunted. "Ready?"

Sharla shot another burst of Ether into the air, healing all of our wounds. "I'm sorry... that I can't... do anything else..." She slumped, unconscious. Reyn, Shulk and I continued onward to continue the fight.

This is crazy, I thought. "Whoa!" I used Defensive Reversal, barely managing to block the tentacle that came at me in time.

Soon, the Mechon was before all of us again. "There's no escape!" shouted Shulk, enhancing our weapons with Enchant again. "Let's go!" He led the charge with Stream Edge. "Ah... it's... not showing the signs of Break..."

"We'll make it somehow!" Reyn used Sword Drive, knocking himself backwards. "Whoa...!"

I shouted, swinging. Fire came from a tentacle and struck me. I staggered back, groaning. "What...?"

Shulk let out a shout, using Back Slash from behind. "Let's end this!" He used Slit Edge from the side. "Use everything you've got!"

Reyn grunted, using War Swing while I used the Time Slower Talent Art. As I did so, however, the Mechon captured Shulk, making him lose his grip with the Monado, however he managed to escape."No... I'm sorry..." He slumped, falling to the ground.

I rushed over. He's fine, I thought. "Ah..." I managed to dodge the Mechon's tentacle, and saw the Monado. If I can use it...! I put my blade on my back and grabbed the sword. "Sorry, Shulk. I'll give it back to you later." I ran in, using Defensive Reversal to deflect an attack the Mechon sent at me.

Reyn grunted, Enchant wearing off on his weapon. "Wait a second, that's...!" He gasped as I slashed, the Monado's light pulsing from the blade. "How...?"

"I don't know!" I shouted, using a single slash to destroy the Mechon. Juju fell from its grip, who Reyn caught.

"Thanks!" managed Juju as Reyn set him on the ground.

"Let's get Sharla to know you're alright," grunted Reyn, directing Juju towards the female Homs.

"Here." I tossed the Monado near Shulk. The power of that sword... if it's that powerful already, then what kind of destructive potential will it have in its second state...? I grunted.

"Thanks..." Shulk managed to stand up again. "That was tough. But now we can return Juju and Sharla back to the camp they were in before..." He kept the Monado in his hand. "Then we can continue on... to Colony 6."

"No can do!" From behind us, a massive Mechon descended. Xord! I realized instantly, drawing my claymore again.

"There's no way, after all, that I can just let you escape like that!" laughed Xord.

"It... it has a face," gasped Shulk. "Just like..." He growled. "YOU WILL DIE!" Light pulsed from the Monado as he raced forward.

Thanks for reading!