The sun rose on a much different Colony 9. Shulk sat alone at Outlook Park, looking around with worry. Fiora's body had been returned to the Bionis in a small, quiet funeral of three people. Shulk looked beside him, at the seat often occupied by Fiora. She had always bothered him, yes… but now that she was gone, it was those very behaviours that he detested were those that he missed. He would like nothing more than to feel her arm around his shoulders, to hear her voice, to wonder pointlessly about some of her quirks.
"The breeze feels so good…" she said. Shulk nodded in agreement.
"Yeah… I've forgotten what this park was like. It's so quiet…" Shulk said.
"That settles it. You really need to stop hanging around Reyn," Fiora told him. "This peace, this quiet… I really hope every day can be like this… you, me, nothing but the tranquillity of the park…"
"Hey…" Reyn said. Shulk looked up.
"You seen Dunban yet?" Reyn asked. Shulk nodded.
"Braver man than me," Reyn said.
"No… he consoled me… it was his sister. I don't understand…" Shulk told him. Reyn sighed. Now was not the time to lecture Shulk on the significance of what happened. His friend often acted as if Fiora's crush on him was completely non-existent.
"I… …suppose that's the type of guy he is," Reyn said.
"Yeah… he's the strongest person I know…" Shulk commented. "Dunban had similar thoughts during the Battle of Sword Valley. He decided not to cry. He had lost a great friend that day, just as we did today. Just as his friends wanted in Sword Valley, Fiora wanted us to be safe. I have decided. I will pursue the Face Malice. I will kill him. And I'll smash his Mechon body into smithereens. And then I will not return him to the Mechonis," Shulk said.
"You and me both… I'm just surprised that you said it first, though," Reyn said. Shulk nodded. He looked in the direction of Tephra Cave.
"Well, if you're coming, get moving," Shulk said, beginning his walk.
"What about food?" Reyn asked. "We're not scrapping any Mechon on an empty stomach!"
"You can eat. I'm not hungry," Shulk said, not stopping. Reyn groaned. He hated eating and walking at the same time.
Fourteen Years Ago
The men, women and one child trudged through the snow and blizzards of Valak Mountain. They were so close to their goal… the door embedded in the crystalline wall in front of them. They pulled the door open, and entered the construct.
A middle aged man followed them. He entered the tower, and a terrifying sight met his eyes. The bodies of the expedition crew were strewn around the room. The man walked through the desolation. He found a red sword with a blue aura. Underneath said sword was the still moving shape of a young child. The middle aged man scooped up this body, and took both him and the blade from the building.
"Hey, Shulk! Where we going?" Reyn asked. They were trudging through Tephra Cave, Reyn struggling to keep up with Shulk. Shulk refused to slow down.
"Colony 6, I suppose. Will you shut up already?" Shulk responded. Reyn recoiled.
"Oi! Shulk! No need for the attitude!" Reyn responded.
"…Hm. Fair point," Shulk said. He didn't apologise. He was too focused on the soldiers he had spotted.
"Huh?" Reyn asked, coming up after them.
"Colony 6 traders… and they weren't killed by Mechon. Just regular monsters," Shulk said.
"Definitely not the most glorious road out. I'm not going to die unless I'm bashing some Mechon heads together," Reyn said.
"They probably had family… friends… siblings…" Shulk commented. "Well, we'd better return them to the Bionis. Whatever killed them is not going to eat them," Shulk said.
After returning the tradesmen to the Bionis, Shulk and Reyn took a brief rest. Reyn had fallen asleep for a bit, while Shulk stayed awake. Reyn eventually joined him, for reasons that both puzzled and didn't bother Shulk.
"Why did the Mechon attack, though?" Reyn asked.
"I don't know why. They killed Fiora. I'm not forgiving them… not ever. The Monado showed me that the Face Malice was going to kill Fiora. But I couldn't do a damn thing about it," Shulk said.
"It's not your fault! Just because the Monado showed you the future doesn't mean there was a thing you could've done! What you did was magnificent. Not something I could've done. You could use the Monado… well… I think it was because of where Dickson found you. Right next to the Monado, with your parents. The Monado must've chosen you!" Reyn said.
"Heh. I guess I never thought of that. Well spotted, Reyn. Well, I'm not keeping up this pretence of anger any longer. Good night," Shulk said, pretty much collapsing on the spot.
"Poor bloke. Wonder if he'd fall asleep so readily if he knew," Reyn said to himself.
Shulk found himself somewhere. Where? No idea. All he saw was a hazy land and an even hazier figure.
"Do you wish to change it?" the figure asked. "The future. It is man's desire to change the future. Is that not so? Even if everything is predestined… will you not oppose it?"
"I…" Shulk said.
"The Monado is now in your hands. It is up to you whether you can use that to change your future…" the figure said. The vision changed. It now looked like the vision he had of Fiora's death. He saw spiders.
The Arachno Queen will use Arachno Crush on Reyn. This will kill him in one blow. You have some hours.
Shulk awoke. Reyn had just defeated some spiders.
"Sorry for being asleep…" Shulk said.
"Never mind that… you looked like you were having a nightmare!" Reyn told him. Shulk thought it over.
"Yeah, probably…" he said. Reyn began moving on through the cave, Shulk following. He wasn't sure how to mention that Reyn was hours away from death.
The pair stumbled across some egg sacs. Shulk inspected them thoroughly.
"They look like Arachno eggs… but there are Mechon parts here, too!" Shulk said. He turned to Reyn, who was encased in web.
"Reyn! But… when did that happen?" Shulk asked. Reyn was pulled up skyward. Shulk started looking around the cave, and barrelled his way up. He found several places to climb. He did not want his second vision to come true. He saw glimpses of him as he climbed, seeing Arachnos begun to swarm Reyn. He ran through the caves, and saw Reyn surrounded by the Arachnos.
"Reyn!" Shulk cried out.
"Shulk! I need help! There's too many! One dies, and ten more take his place!" Reyn responded. He turned to one side. A massive Arachno climbed down one wall, placing Reyn between itself and Shulk.
"Reyn!" Shulk called again. Reyn saw the Arachno Queen, and attempted to block the blow. Shulk turned away, as he felt a whirring in the Monado. A yellow light appeared in his peripheral vision, shooting at Reyn. When Shulk did not hear Reyn's agonised dying scream, he turned back. A yellow aura had appeared around Reyn, deflecting the Arachno attack.
"What?" Reyn asked.
"It's a power of the Monado…" Shulk said. The two of them stepped forward. Time to battle the Arachno Queen.
The Arachno Queen will use Arachno Crush on Shulk. This will kill from this position. You have twelve seconds.
Shulk's vision came back to him, and he focused his spirit into the Monado. Pulling off a Monado Shield at will, he could begin the fight against the Arachno Queen. He jumped on Reyn's shoulders, then onto the Arachno Queen, and the landed behind her. He pulled off a Back Slash. Reyn drew the Queen's anger, and Shulk used a Stream Edge. Reyn followed up with Wild Down, Toppling the Queen.
"Time for a Chain Attack!" Shulk cried out. Basic Defence Force tactics for a downed, powerful foe.
SHULK: Back Slash!
REYN: War Swing!
SHULK: Slit Edge!
REYN: Hammer Beat!
SHULK: Monado Buster!
The Arachno Queen fell to the powerful Chain Attack technique.
"Looks like the Monado works on more than just Mechon. Awesome work, Shulk!" Reyn said, hi-fiving Shulk.
"Yeah… thanks to this, I have learned. The future the Monado shows me… Fiora's death at the hands of Face Malice… Your death at the hands of the Arachno Queen… it isn't set in stone. Whoever tells me about the future in my visions isn't telling me what will happen… he's warning me about how the future will look if I don't act," Shulk said. "I am going to change the future!"
"Fine by me. I reckon it'd be fine by Fiora, too. Let's go change some more futures!" Reyn said.
Shulk and Reyn emerged from Tephra Cave and onto the Bionis' Knee. This place offered quite a majestic view of the green Bionis and brown Mechonis. It was quite an awe-inspiring and beautiful sight. Shulk and Reyn took the time to marvel at this sight, before continuing. Colony 6 was dead ahead. In between… Gaur Plain.
Gaur Plain was filled with all sorts of teeming life forms. It was an impressive sight, equally as impressive as that of the Bionis and Mechonis. However, in the middle of the plain was some smoke. Shulk started to run towards it, Reyn following.
Huffing and panting, Shulk and Reyn arrived at the smoke.
"Someone's left a buggy out here… crashed, by the looks of things. Shulk, can you fix it?" Reyn asked.
"It doesn't look like it's particularly broken… just abandoned. But there's no sign of the driver. Where did he or she go?" Shulk responded. Reyn mulled it over.
"Footprints?" he asked, pointing behind the buggy.
"Yes, they would be nice," Shulk said.
"Good, because there are footprints over there," Reyn told him.
"Oh… thanks," Shulk said. He began to follow them, keeping a sharp eye out. Reyn followed, whistling. He found the footprints, he was satisfied.
Shulk and Reyn followed the footprints to a small waterfall. They were a little winded again, but they saw a young boy being attacked by some Berserk Ardun.
"Who are you?" the boy asked.
"No time for that. Flee. We will fight these guys!" Reyn said. The boy ran off, and Shulk and Reyn took down the Ardun with ease. They followed the boy to the buggy, where Shulk fixed the buggy.
"There you go. Should work now," Shulk said. He had fixed the minor fault the smoke pointed out.
"Great! Thanks for saving my skin. I thought I was a goner… My name is Juju, by the way," the boy introduced himself with.
"I'm Reyn. He's Shulk. Glad to meet you too," Reyn said.
"Where are you two heading? If you have time, you could come back to our camp," Juju said.
"Hm… we'll definitely consider it," Shulk said.
"Great! You should probably speak to my older sister Sharla about the camp, though… she'll explain better than I," Juju said.
"If there's something that needs explaining, count us in!" Shulk said.
"Will there be food?" Reyn asked. Shulk looked at him.
"How can you think about food at a time like this?" Shulk asked.
"How can't I think about food? When did we last eat?" Reyn replied. Shulk shrugged. He had no words for that.
"I'll take you there. Come on, follow me!" Juju said. He hopped in the buggy. Shulk and Reyn quickly grabbed on the back of it, and Juju started to travel forward.
"Follow?" Reyn asked.
"…Sorry…" Juju responded.
Shulk, Reyn and Juju arrived in the Refugee Camp as night fell. A young woman turned around at the sound of Juju's buggy.
"Juju!" she cried out. She stepped towards the group.
"Where have you been?" she asked. Shulk opened his mouth to vouch for Juju, before receiving a vision.
The Mechon M71 will use Tentacles on Sharla. This will kill her in one blow. You have until morning tomorrow.
Shulk returned to the camp, to see Sharla viciously scolding Juju. He missed his chance, but he guessed he couldn't have done anything. Sharla looked up, and ran forward to Reyn, her face in his.
"You must be survivors from the Defence Force! Is Colony 6 OK? Did Gadolt survive?" Sharla asked.
"What happened to Colony 6?" Shulk asked. Sharla turned to Shulk, her hand still on Reyn.
"So… you're not from the colony, then…" Sharla said.
"No. We're from Colony 9. I am Shulk, and he's Reyn. I don't know what you're doing to him, but…" Shulk said.
"Now, hold on, Shulk. If she's in distress, I'm all right with comforting her until we can get the situation sorted out," Reyn scolded. The more and more Reyn saw Shulk around girls, the more and more he realised that Shulk had no idea what intimacy was like.
"Well… come into our camp, and I'll explain what happened," Sharla said.
"Our colony has been occupied by the Mechon. We had been left with a false sense of security after the Battle at Sword Valley. We didn't even notice the Mechon. By the time we noticed the Mechon, we had been surrounded. They ate the people they could find. Juju and I evacuated the children and the elderly. Gadolt and the other Defence Force Soldiers, and most men and women of fighting age, stayed behind. We haven't heard from a single one," Sharla started.
"Strange… Face Malice didn't eat Fiora…" Shulk commented to himself. Reyn gestured for Sharla to continue, but there was nothing to continue.
"Face Malice? What happened to you?" Sharla asked.
"Our colony was attacked by Mechon. Dunban's sister and one of the best fighters in our colony, Fiora, was killed by the Face Malice. I'm going to make him pay for that!" Shulk said. Reyn shuffled closer to Sharla, and whispered the part of the story Shulk missed to her. Sharla hid a small giggle, before continuing talking to Shulk.
"The efforts of Colonel Otharon and Gadolt, and everyone else who fought, were not in vain. We could have only evacuated as many people as we did thanks to them," Sharla explained.
"So who is this Gadolt?" Reyn asked.
"He would have been my Fiora…" Sharla said. Shulk assumed a puzzled expression, while Reyn nodded.
"Husband," Sharla elaborated. Shulk's expression was still puzzled.
"Told you," Reyn said. Shulk looked between Sharla and Reyn, before shrugging off the conversation.
"Anyway… it's getting dark now. Tomorrow, we will go to the colony, and we will try to take as much back as we can. For now... Reyn, ideas?" Shulk said.
"You could stay here with us. I'm sure some of the refugees will be able to prepare some supplies for your efforts. But for now, sleep," Sharla said. She pointed out a good place for Shulk and Reyn to sleep, and they lay down there. Shulk lay awake long enough to hear Sharla eventually follow them and lay down next to Reyn, before eventually falling asleep.
The next morning, Shulk and Reyn awoke. Notably, Sharla was already out of the area. The pair left to see Sharla talking to one of the refugees. Hearing Reyn's elephantine footsteps, she turned around.
"Boys! Juju's gone!" Sharla said. Shulk gasped. Reyn started to eat some of the food laid out for them.
"Reyn, this is serious! Let's get going!" Shulk said.
"But what about your food?" Sharla asked.
"I'm not hungry," Shulk said instantly.
"Shulk, this is the second time in three days you've refused to eat. Sometimes, I think your stomach acts more on the urgency of the situation than your health," Reyn commented.
"If that's the case… Shulk, eat, now. This preparation might be ten minutes lost now, but if anything happens to you when we follow Juju, we'll regret it more. Trust me, I'm a doctor," Sharla said. Shulk started to shove the food down.
"Wait, we?" Reyn asked.
"I'm coming with you," Sharla told him.
"No offense, but what can you do?" Shulk asked. Sharla pulled out a rifle.
"You're in," Reyn said.
Sharla ran ahead of Shulk and Reyn. Sharla knew the way around the Bionis' Leg, and Shulk was simply thinking about the futures he could see. The Mechon were dangerous foes that had killed Fiora without hesitation. He had Monado Shield now, but he was still worried for Sharla and Juju. He hoped he could save them. He looked at his arm. When his attack on Face Malice failed, he had scratched himself. Despite his knowledge of Homs biology, that scratch remained. He called it a reminder. Ever since he saved Reyn, he hoped he would never have a bad future come to pass again. He looked up at Reyn and Sharla, who had just finished a conversation.
"What am I, some kind of Gadolt substitute?" Reyn finished. Shulk raised his eyebrow, but he also noticed Juju's buggy. He ran towards it.
The Mechon M71 will use Tentacles on Juju. This attack will kill him in one blow. You've got thirty minutes.
"Reyn! Juju is in danger! A Mechon will take him. The vision said half an hour!" Shulk said. Reyn nodded.
"Sharla, we have to run. Now," Reyn said. Sharla looked between Shulk and Reyn, but did not question it too much.
Shulk, Reyn and Sharla came up to the enemy Shulk's vision called an M71. Sharla ran forward faster. Shulk held the Monado up. A new symbol appeared on the Monado, as it glowed a dark blue. Shulk activated this new Monado art. Sharla began to dart around the M71's tentacle attacks with ease. The tentacles began to dart around, but with Shulk's visions, he, Reyn and Sharla could take down the powerful M71. Shulk's Monado Speed was a god-send against the tentacles. Reyn pulled Juju from the M71, and saved him.
"Sorry for leaving the camp…" Juju said.
"…Oh, I'm just glad you're all right!" Sharla said. Reyn cheered happily. That happiness was short lived, as a bronze Mechon stood in front of the group.
*I'VE BEEN WAITING FOR YOU* the Mechon said. He revealed his face. This clearly wasn't the Face Malice.
"You Mechon can talk?" Reyn asked.
*AFFIRMATIVE. COMMANDER *bzzrt* INCLUDED VOICE CHIP TECHNOLOGY IN FACE UNITS. OLD FACE MALICE NEVER SHUTS DOWN NOW. ANNOYING,* the Face Smithy said.
*FACE MALICE SCARPERED AFTER YOU, BOY OF MONADO. YOU APPEARED TO BE SCARY MONSTER. PROGRAMMING NOW ASSERTS BOY OF MONADO IS JUST HARMLESS VIRUS. VIRUS DELETING PROGRAM SET,* the Face Smithy said. He pulled out a massive war hammer, and begun the fight.
The Face Smithy will use Swing Beat on Shulk. This will not kill, but it will Topple. You have eight seconds.
The Face Smithy attacked. Shulk, Reyn and Sharla attacked away, but no blow dealt damage. The fight was hopeless, and Shulk took that Swing Beat. The Face Smithy grabbed Juju, and flew away. Shulk got up, to see Reyn and Sharla pick him from the ground.
"Thanks… but what about Juju?" Shulk asked.
"The Face Smithy took him to Colony 6. We'll need to make our stand there…" Sharla said.
"Don't worry, Sharla. We'll find him. Him, Gadolt, Otharon… We will find them all…" Reyn said.
Sharla led the way for Shulk and Reyn to arrive at Colony 6. The colony looked more like a fort. Sharla pointed out the Ether Mine underneath the Colony.
"It's a complex maze that we built the colony on top of. If we want to remain unseen, that is the way to go," Sharla said. Shulk nodded. They decided to head through the mines.
Travelling through the ether mines was hard going. The only way in without entering the colony was through a drainage tunnel. Before Reyn could make a complaint, Sharla quieted him. She looked around a corner, Shulk following her sight. A Mechon unit walked past the tunnel.
"A Mechon…" Shulk whispered.
"I didn't expect them down here… but there's no use going back. They won't be nearly as common down here as up there," Sharla said.
"That, and I don't want to go through those sewers again," Reyn said in a loud voice.
"Reyn, quiet down, or I will throw you into that sewer!" Shulk admonished.
"Right… Sharla, we will find your friends, and we will not get ourselves caught!" Reyn said. Sharla nodded gratefully. She led the way through a portion of the ether mines, before Shulk picked up on a noise.
"A rifle?" he asked. "Sharla, did you?" Sharla shook her head.
"Gadolt!" she cried out. She started running much faster. Reyn could barely keep up, while Shulk was left in the dust. The two burst into a storage room, where a lone soldier was fighting off Mechon.
"Otharon?" Sharla asked.
"Medic?" the wizened soldier Otharon responded.
"Otharon, Gadolt, or Klaus, he is a soldier in trouble. Sharla?" Reyn said.
"Got it. And Klaus?" Sharla said.
"I dunno," Reyn said. The two jumped into the room, and stood back to back. Reyn's driver pierced the Mechon weak points, while Sharla brought them down with Thunder Bullet. Once the room was clean, Reyn, Sharla, and a winded Shulk ran to Otharon.
"Medic? Why are you here?" Otharon asked. Reyn looked at Sharla. Medic?
"Is Gadolt with you?" Sharla asked. Otharon took a deep breath, and pondered the question. Reyn nodded. Gadolt was not with Otharon.
"We have much to discuss. Come with me," Otharon said. Sharla followed obediently, and Reyn and Shulk more curiously.
"More walking?" Shulk muttered.
"So… Juju was taken by the Face Mechon…" Otharon said.
"What about Gadolt?" Sharla asked once more. She must be really desperate to find what became of her man.
"…Gadolt is gone. We planned a surprise attack… and we failed. Gadolt was taken by the Mechon, and I left to die. All I have… is his rifle," Otharon said. Reyn looked at Otharon.
"Taken by the Mechon? So he could still be alive?" Reyn asked.
"He is still alive. I can feel it in here…" Sharla said. Reyn put a comforting arm around her shoulder, and Sharla sunk her head into Reyn's shoulder.
"Fiora is dead. Face Malice showed us that himself. We returned her to the Bionis. Fiora is gone. We have seen no such thing with Gadolt. He may still be alive… and when I find him, I will give every Mechon head within fifty feet of him to you," Reyn said. Sharla smiled.
"Boy, I have seen Dunban wield that blade. We will need its power today. We go to the Central Pit. That will be where Juju is, and Gadolt may not be too far away. We move out," Otharon said.
The ether river of the Central Pit will absorb Otharon into it. He will not survive this. This will occur before day's end.
Reyn and Sharla had moved on. But Shulk remained in the room for a moment. He shook off the vision, and moved along.
"Hurry up, Shulk!" Reyn called. Shulk tried his hardest to move faster, but his legs weren't quite up to the task.
"What's wrong?" Sharla asked. Shulk shook his head. Nothing was wrong, as far as they were concerned. He didn't want to bother his friends with the news. He could barely contemplate his vision himself.
"Guys! We have to turn back!" Shulk said.
"Boy… this battle is for my people. The people of Colony 6. If you cannot handle this burden, give the Monado to Reyn and go home," Otharon scolded.
"No! We… we… we shouldn't rush in head first. We have to observe, we have to plan…" Shulk said. He held back the 'we have to do anything to stop you getting killed!'
"We don't have that kind of time. You have seen these machines in action. All they know is kill, murder, and eat the Homs! You have lost your lover at the hands of them!" Otharon said. Shulk briefly paused to wonder where he got his information.
"I have observed them. I have planned this attack for a month! I know what will happen to my brothers and sisters if I do not act! We will march on!" Otharon said. Shulk fell to his knees. It was just like Fiora all over again. Her screams echoed in his ears.
If I can't stop Otharon from doing this… I need to save him!
"Shulk… what happened? A vision?" Reyn asked. "Who's dead this time?"
"…Otharon. He falls into an ether river. He won't survive the day," Shulk said.
"These visions are nightmares for you, Shulk. The Shulk I grew up with, the Shulk that saw Fiora get killed… that's not the Shulk that's standing in front of me," Reyn said. "You're not pointing the Monado at the Mechon."
"Well, it's better to use your brains than your fists!" Shulk rebutted.
"Shulk. I rush in head first, but I'm using my head at least. You couldn't do a damn thing about Face Malice on your own. You couldn't save Fiora, or me, or Sharla, or Juju, or Otharon on your own. That is why you have me. I may not know why I was put on Bionis, but I promise you, I will make sure that those futures Mr Monado is giving you will not come true… unless we want them to, of course," Reyn said. "Monado shows you something, you tell us. You don't like what he says; we do something about it, as a team."
"Hear, hear!" Sharla said. Shulk looked between them.
"Got it. I'll tell you in the foreseeable future…" Shulk said.
Shulk, Reyn and Sharla arrived in the Central Pit. Shulk looked down, and saw some movement down at the base. The three found an elevator, and plummeted down the Central Pit as fast as possible. There…
"No… they're gone…" Sharla said. The bottom of the Central Pit was covered in blood.
*HERE AT LAST. I HAVE BEEN GETTING HUNGRY…* a mechanical voice called. The Face Smithy landed in front of the trio.
"You took Juju…" Shulk said.
*AH. JUJU? ANNOYING LITTLE HOMS BRAT? PROCESSING… OVER YONDER,* the Face Smithy said. Juju was sealed within a tetrahedronal prison, suspended by Mechon Transport Units.
*UNIT KNOWN AS JUJU IS STILL FUNCTIONING… BUT THIS WILL NOT BE FOR LONG. AS FOR THE OTHER, SIMILAR UNITS… COULDN'T HELP MYSELF. THEY'RE PRESENT HERE… INSIDE MY BELLY. WELCOME TO THE BANQUET HALL. TONIGHT, THE MAIN COURSE WILL BE BOY OF MONADO, LARGE MAN, GIRL WITH BOUNTIFUL FAT, AND THAT JUJU UNIT UP THERE! THE NAME IS XORD. AND I WILL BE YOUR HOST TONIGHT!* the Face Smithy said, revealing a name.
"Xord? You have a name? Do the other Faces have names? Do you think having a name excuses your crimes?" Shulk asked.
*I'M A LOW LEVEL FACE UNIT. CAN'T SAY I REMEMBER MY NAME, NOR ANY OTHER UNIT'S. FACE MALICE MIGHT BE A GOOD UNIT TO ASK. YOU KNOW, IF YOU LEAVE HERE ALIVE!* Xord said.
"Gadolt… I swear I won't stop. Until I've scrapped! Each! And Every! One! Of you!" Sharla roared. She started shooting. Mechon Unit after Mechon Unit exploded. The Monado and Reyn's Driver followed on. Shulk ran forward, and started attacking Xord. The blows didn't work.
"No way!" Shulk cried out. "This isn't working…"
"SHULK!" Reyn called out. Shulk jumped back, as a machine charged at Xord. Otharon was inside it.
It's Fiora all over again! "NO!" Shulk called out.
"Hungry, eh? Chew on this!" Otharon called out, his mecha engaging in a tussle with Xord. Otharon pushed Xord to the edge of the arena. Beneath them… the ether river from Shulk's vision.
"Save Juju!" Otharon called out. Shulk looked at Otharon worriedly. Shulk's vision was going to happen. He ran to a crane in the distance. He had to stop Otharon.
"Reyn! You save Juju!" Shulk called. Reyn looked around, as did Sharla. Otharon and Xord's fight continued. The piece of the arena Xord and Otharon were standing on shattered. Both machine units fell into the ether river. Shulk threw the arm of his crane, and tried to pull up Otharon. He managed to grab hold just before Otharon hit the ether.
"We can change our destinies. Otharon, you will not die!" Shulk said. As if on cue, the crane and the mecha shuddered. Xord had climbed from the river, and was pulling the two in.
*ERROR: DOES NOT COMPUTE!* Xord called up.
"Otharon! Escape! Now!" Shulk said. Otharon did no such thing. He stood his ground.
"Gadolt. Colony 6. This shot is for you," Otharon said. He fired into Xord's Face Smithy. Xord hit the ether river, and fell. The mecha snapped, and Otharon began to fall. Reyn followed him, trying to grab hold. Holding onto Shulk's crane, Reyn had grabbed Otharon at the last possible moment.
We changed the future… together!
Juju and Otharon were safe. The future did not come to pass. Shulk was jubilant. Even Otharon had praised his efforts. But there were still losses today. Gadolt… Sharla accepted Gadolt's rifle. The five Homs went back to the elevator to begin their ascent out of the mines. They jumped on the freight elevator, and began ascending.
*YOU GOI NGT OLE AVE WIT HOU TSA YIN GGO ODB YEH OWR UDE!* what was left of the Face Smithy said. He had clambered from the ether river again, and was on the elevator.
"Not him again…" Reyn said. The trio chopped, drove and shot at Xord, and the shots hit. Whatever armour he had that threw off the Monado no longer existed.
"Chain attack?" Shulk asked. Reyn nodded.
SHARLA: Metal Blast!
REYN: Wild Down!
SHULK: Back Slash!
SHARLA: Thunder Bullet!
REYN: Sword Drive!
SHULK: Monado Buster!
Xord had fallen.
*HUN GRY SOH UNG RYM UST DEF EAT HOM SMU STC ANT DEF EAT YOU RMO NAD OYO UHA VEG ROW NWE LLI LIK EDT HER IDE WHE NIT LAS TED IMG ONE* the Face Smithy said. His words had been lost. What Xord had said was all garbled by the malfunctioning nature of his machinery. Xord collapsed, and fell back into the Central Pit.
Shulk, Reyn, Sharla, Otharon and Juju just made it out of the Ether Mines. The mines had exploded shortly after they escaped.
"Shulk, Reyn, Sharla… I'm so sorry for causing all that trouble," Juju said.
"Don't worry…" Reyn said. Shulk was facing the cliff.
"What is it?" Reyn asked.
"There was no sign of him… the Mechon that killed Fiora…" Shulk said.
*You mean the Face Malice?* a mechanical voice asked.
"Yeah, thanks… wait…" Shulk said. A Mechon appeared from the cliff Shulk was facing. Face Malice. And more Mechon and Face Mechon.
*Pathetic. Xord couldn't even hold you back. He wasn't even worth the voice chip he got,* Face Malice said.
"You can talk now?" Reyn asked.
*Yes. It was so demeaning… I had so many taunts I would have done if I could speak… ah, shame. 'Fiora, stop! You're in mortal peril!' You should have heard yourself. Big Boss got his metallic knickers in a twist when I didn't give him such a delicious morsel… but the look on your faces when I threw that wench at your feet was just too priceless!* Face Malice said.
*SHING*
"Talk all you want. Because those words will be your last!" Shulk cried out. He charged at Face Malice, the murderer of a magnificent warrior.
*The Monado? You aren't going to be scratching anything with that anytime soon. Right, boys?* Face Malice said.
*HAHAHAHAHA* the Face Mechon echoed. Face Malice lightly tapped Shulk, sending him flying.
*Didn't work the first time, ain't gonna work the second time, boy,* Face Malice taunted.
*BANG*
A gunshot. Two figures on a cliff. One of them heaved his rifle onto his shoulder.
"Now. Let 'em have twice the pain and suffering you did, Beast!" Dickson said. Dunban pulled out his katana, and jumped from the cliff. He pierced the nearest Face Unit (which was not Face Malice, sadly) with the weapon. It fell in the one blow. He slashed at some normal Mechon, dismantling them.
"Dunban!" Shulk cried out. He jumped into the battle too. He, Dickson and Dunban defeated all of the regular Mechon in one charge.
"Take this, Face Malice!" Dickson said. He fired a Thunder Flash at him. Didn't work.
"Running out of ideas…" he muttered.
*Tell me, hero of Sword Valley… how does it feel to be so pathetic?* Face Malice spat at Dunban. Dunban charged, and was easily blocked.
*Does it hurt? I bet it does… It hurts that the Monado no longer listens to you, huh?* Face Malice said.
"This guy is really starting to grind my gears!" Dickson said. A green light flashed down, and took out a Face Mechon.
*What the holy B-Mechonis?* Face Malice said. Everyone else turned to face the same direction. A rainbow-winged beast had appeared, and was zapping the Faces.
*A TELETHIA? Sorry, boys… as appealing as it sounds to reunite you with your girlfriend, I think I'm going to be packing my bags and running, now!* Face Malice said.
Shulk saw an unusual vision. There was no soft voice telling him about a future. Instead, he saw a tower… a giant… a wise, elderly figure… a young girl who might just be his daughter… Face Malice… Dunban… himself in anguish…
"You will know the pain and suffering you caused the Emperor and Fiora!" he heard himself say in the future. Just before his vision cut out, he saw another Face Unit… a silver one… but it didn't seem to be trying to attack…
"Another vision?" Shulk asked himself. The group looked into the sky, and saw the 'Telethia', as Face Malice called it, soaring back up the Bionis.