Chapter 18

Shulk breathed out, studying the Monado. "Why can't the Monado hurt faced Mechon?"

I yawned, leaning against a wall. I shouldn't tell him... he'll find out soon anyway...

He sighed in frustration, strapping it back to his back. "And Reyn's unconscious from what Metal Face did. But alive." He sounded like he was trying to reassure himself. "And Sharla's looking after him... it'll be alright."

I let out a grunt. "Don't you think we should train for next time?"

"Training isn't going to do much when even the Monado can't hurt that Mechon!" pointed out Shulk.

"Well, in general, then." I stood. "Besides... my sword broke. I have the two halves here, but... I'm no good at this."

Shulk stretched. "Pass." I gave him the two halves. "Broken so solidly I can't put it back together," he spoke. "But... I can get the hilt attached to a new blade. Would that work?"

"Yeah." I let my thoughts drift off. Thinking about my former life and what I had done.

"And there." Shulk handed me a new sword, with the same familiar hilt, but with a straight steel blade part attached. The blade was silver with a thin line of red along one side.

"This looks kinda like my old one," I noted.

Shulk groaned. "Well, it's a lot more powerful. See those really small two slots in that hilt?"

I looked at the hilt, and there was indeed two slots. "Yeah."

"You can put certain gems in there," he told me. "Ones that increase the power of the sword... durability... a bunch."

"Huh... thanks," I replied. He nodded, looking over the Monado again. "Can we test this out?"

"For sure," he replied. "I have to get out of the lab sometimes or Dickson will get kinda mad at me."

That guy is going to kill me when there's no one else around, I can feel it, I thought.

"So let's go." Shulk led me out of the lab, into the harsh daylight of Colony 9.

We walked up a hill, and managed to get to the park at the beginning of the game.

The blonde drew the Monado but didn't release its light. "Let's go."

"Not using the light of the Monado?" I questioned, drawing my new sword. It was a bit heavier and longer than my previous one, and I swung it around a little. "Comfortable."

"Nah... I've been trying to also use a fighting style that unleashes the beam for certain attacks, so that I have more range then what enemies think I have," he replied. "Like this." He thrust the blade towards me, and unleashed the beam.

I used my blade as a defense, sliding away. "I see." I let my sword rest over my shoulder.

"Ready?" he asked. As I nodded he rushed forward, the Jump symbol appearing on the blade.

I grunted as he leapt for me, the beam appearing to stab at me. With Defensive Reversal I deflected the stab. "Then..." I rushed up to Shulk, using Stab Strike. He guarded with the Monado, and he slid away.

"Alright..." Shulk's aura around his feet vanished away. "Buster!" He swung at a horizontal at my feet, the beam extending. The Monado Buster attack burst out, and it rushed at me.

"Whoa!" I leapt, dodging. At that moment, the beam vanished and the symbol for Speed appeared on the Monado. "Crap."

"I learned to compress this Monado Art too!" he ran at me, swinging. I used Time Slow and dodged the attack. "Huh?!"

"Too slow!" I swung my new sword, lightly cutting Shulk's cheek. He grunted, extending the beam to gain more range as we clashed.

"You're keeping up with the compressed Monado Speed?!" he exclaimed as we clashed multiple times. "Is that your Talent Art?"

"That's one way to put it." With one last clash we slid away from each other, Speed and Time Slow wearing off.

Shulk smirked. "Well, I'm not done yet!" The Monado flashed red. "Smash!" A red aura surrounded him.

I breathed out. "Now this is what I'm talking about!" I morphed with a shout, an unsuppressed smile coming over my face. "RAH!" I lunged, and we met with equal force.

"So strong..." grunted Shulk. "But..." He used the normal Speed Art, dodging all my slashes. "Hah!" He used Stream Edge, which I blocked, starting to fly up. "That way, huh...?"

"Phew..." I let my form of power release, landing on the ground. "That was fun."

"Nice, Andrew!" declared Shulk. "We should practice like this more!"

"Hm... someone able to equal Shulk while he uses the Monado?" mused Dunban, approaching. "Interesting." He drew his anti-Mechon weapon. "Ready for a quick spar?"

"In a moment, please," I breathed out. "Thanks, Shulk. This new sword is way better then my last one! How long did you spend on it?"

"About an hour," he replied. "You were just daydreaming over there while I worked on it."

I grunted, turning towards Dunban. "My name's Andrew."

"Dunban," he replied, settling into a ready stance. "Before we spar... what was that form you just took?"

"Well... complicated things," I replied. "And I don't care for the history of it. All that matters is that I have it."

Dunban grunted. "Alright, then. Here I come!" He lunged. "Gale Slash!"

"Whoa...!" I blocked, sliding back, and he leapt for me. Not good...! "Ugh!" I used Whip Slash to deflect his Electric Gutbuster. I leapt away, and he followed. "You don't hold back!" I commented.

"If one holds back they never get better!" He used Worldly Slash, and I used Stab Strike to deflect the slash, forcing him off balance. "Hm..." He recovered. "Tempest Kick!"

"Ugh!" A blast of Ether struck me, and I hit a wall. "Ow..." I used Defensive Reversal to meet his stab. "Hmph!" I ran, using Slide Edge, but he reflected my stab as I slid past. I breathed out as I got up. "Worth a shot."

Duane turned around from me. "Serene Heart," he stated. "Now... THUNDER!"

"Ugh!" I gasped as he forced Daze on me. "This has gone well."

Shulk winced. "Dunban! You really aren't holding back!" he called.

"Of course not. I never held back against you either, did I?" He ran up to me, sword drawn back for a killer stab.

I cursed. "Darn... RAH!" I morphed into my Soul Trigger form, my counter strike causing him to stagger from the amount of power. I stabbed at Dunban, who managed to evade with a leap back. "You're not getting away that easily!"

"Hah!" He used Soaring Tempest, and I used my sword to slash it apart. "Ah...!"

"Wow!" exclaimed Shulk, on his feet from the excitement. "Dunban's awesome, and Andrew is...!"

Our blades clashed again, and I stepped back, using Whip Slash to force him off balance. "RAH!" I howled, using my left hand to grab the swordsman by the throat and pin him to the ground. "GRR...!"

"Geh..." grunted Dunban, slashing. He kicked me away. "Hm..."

"Ugh!" I reverted to normal as I got up. What was that?! I wondered. For a second...

I actually wanted to kill him.

Shulk tilted his head somewhat. "Dunban, are you okay?" he asked.

"Fine..." He narrowed his eyes at me for a moment. "Andrew... tell me, what is that other form? It appears to grant you insane new heights of power, speed and the ability to fly. But you didn't hold back at the end there. Is it overpowering?"

I sighed. "Well..." I turned. "I don't know. At the end... I just wanted to kill you."

Shulk's face became one of surprise and shock, while Dunban's remained calm.

"I see," replied the older swordsman. "Can you control it next time?"

Vivid images of unsuppressed times came into my mind, and I... "I don't think so."

"Andrew." Someone sat landed on the ground. "Guess who I am."

"Alder Stormwood," I replied. "Damn, time for another story character to do things?" Sarcasm flooded my voice.

"Only because Simon told me to," he grunted. "Man, in terms of a fair fight, that guy is good with a sword."

"Who are you?" asked Shulk, puzzlement coming into his voice.

"Alder," he replied. "And the hero of the Homs is here as well... hm..."

Dunban grunted. "How do you know me?"

"Storm was hanging around here earlier," spoke Alder. "Before she came to the Mine with Rain."

I groaned. "My life is a messed up."

Shulk blinked. "I suppose you could view it that way."

"Anyway! I'm here now to help you out," spoke Alder to myself. "You've been using that Soul Trigger form too much. So now, if you assume the form now and use it for too long, a dark... well, demon, really, will try and take control of your body. So that's fun!"

This sounds a lot like Bleach, with Ichigo having to control his inner Hollow, I thought.

Alder tossed up two handguns and caught them. "So use that form right now. My guns are loaded with bullets capable of summoning them demons with ease."

"Wait... I never gave you that kind of power," I spoke. "And what happens after it's summoned?"

"I would say plot convenience, because I shot Mr. Simon with them when he rampaged," grunted Alder. "But anyway... I don't know. And when it's summoned, you have to kill it, of course!"

"What is even happening anymore?" asked Shulk.

"Go see your friend Reyn," spoke Alder. "I peeked in the window, and that sniper woman looking after him, was hugging him. He was conscious."

"Really?!" Shulk raced away. "JUMP!" He leapt over the edge.

Dunban grunted. "Well, come over to Reyn's place later," he told me. I nodded and he left.

"Alright... ready?" asked Alder, his guns pointed at me.

"I guess..."

"Oh. Wait a sec..." He threw up the gun in his right hand and used the large blade on his back to cut me slightly. "There." He placed his hand on his back and caught his gun. "That demon is what lets you morph into your Soul Trigger form. You'll have to fight it without. Guess what I just did."

"Give me some of your power so I can kill it?"

"Yeah. It's called the Soul Morph. Truly, you are the best at coming up with power-ups."

"Go away," I muttered. "RAWR!" I morphed, and now my jacket seemed to become a snazzy coat. Still red. "UGH!" I grunted as Alder shot me. A dark aura began to move away, materializing into a demonic person looking like me.

"There! Now, go kill it!"

My wings were gone now, and I used my sword to meet the demon's stab. "RRGH...!" I slid back. "Ugh!" I dodged shockwaves launched from the demon's sword. "Why can't I do that?!"

"Because you haven't unlocked 20% of your true Soul Trigger power so far! But if you beat this thing, you can launch shockwaves if you want! It's not hard to fight, I did it in my fight against my older brother, remember?"

"SHUT UP!" I lunged, and our blades met. "Stab Strike!" I staggered as the demon countered with the same attack. "Okay... now THAT'S funny." I readied myself again.

The demon growled, flying into the air and sending more shockwaves and I used Whip Slash, and they rushed back at the foe, which groaned as they hit him, falling.

"RAH!" I used Slide Edge and impaled it from below. "Yeah!" I then stabbed, but it was gone and behind me. "Wait..." I used Time Slow and our swords met again. "C'mon, really?! The same time slow too?!"

"Heh." Alder stood. "Fine, I'll help you." He stabbed through the demon, and it screamed with agony, fading away. "There. Now, force your hand into the middle of that darkness and condense it."

I did so, focussing my will into it. "RAH!" The dark aura vanished, as did my form. "Huh?" I blinked. "That was short."

"You should be able to use some of your Soul power now," spoke Alder. "Try doing a shockwave attack at me. Just focus energy into your sword."

"Okay..." I held it in a reverse grip like with Defensive Reversal, and an aura condensed on the sword. "Hah!" I swung at Alder three times, orange waves of speeding energy racing at him. "Cool!"

He dodged all three with ease. "And now, you have a Soul Morph and Soul Trigger in one transformation." He began to move away. "Maybe I'll see ya around."

"Thanks, Alder!" I called, and he waved. "I... I'll call that... Aura Wave, I guess. Why not." I shrugged, placing my claymore on my back.

Now, I felt calm. No churning inside me for the first time in days. It felt awesome.

"Phew..." I walked off. "Crap. I have no idea where Reyn lives..." I paused at the realization.

"CURSE YOU, LIFE!"

Thanks for reading!