Untold Stories, Unsung Words
Series Summary: (A series of one-shots, some of them being connected, based on headcanons.) The story of the Bionis and Mechonis, the Heir to the Monado, and the creation of the new world has been revealed. But among that story are smaller stories that haven't been shown. To have it accepted to be as truth is an option, but the existence of them being a possibility is undeniable. These are stories untold, words unsung.
3. Dunban, Shulk, Sharla - Renewed Strength
Summary: A follow-up headcanon following the oneshot Necklaces. After the events of Mechonis Core, Shulk realizes the true significance of the necklace he's wearing. Dunban and Sharla need to cheer him up as his revelation is quite grim, and the guilt of simply being alive is devouring him whole... (Takes place before the infiltration of Bionis' Interior.)
Pairings: Dunban x Shulk x Sharla (Friendship), Reyn x Sharla (Minor), Shulk x Fiora (Minor)
Disclaimer: I don't own anything.
Shulk sat upon the edge of the platform of the entryway leading towards Junks with his feet dipped in the water. The Machina Village was eerily quiet and desolate at night despite the fact Junks was always up and running. Additionally, considering the events of Colony 6 and Mechonis itself, everyone is quite shaken up, even here in the Fallen Arm.
It had been about one day since he awoke from his coma. After that insane adrenaline rush after fighting the waves of Telethia and the confrontation with Alvis and Dickson, Shulk collapsed again for a few hours. Good thing it was only from exhaustion this time. As soon as he woke up and the supervision of quite literally everyone in the party, he needed time for himself.
Shulk stared at his own reflection in the water, which was surrounded by the starry night sky above him. Only his upper body was undressed since Linada replaced his bandages earlier in the day. When he excused himself to be alone, he got a few red blushes from Fiora and Melia in passing. He couldn't help but blush himself too, but after leaving them, his face immediately turned grim. While walking towards the edge of the platform of Junks, a thought got to him that made his throat close in on him.
It'll be a long time when that wound fully heals, but a scar will forever be carved onto his chest for the rest of his life. That scar was made by the very person who "saved" his life fourteen years ago, and the person who shaped his interests and hobbies. That person who made him... him.
As soon as he thought of that, Shulk immediately had to sit down and had to cover his mouth, feeling a wave of nausea from that ugly, depressing thought overlapping his disgusting taste of his mouth of anesthesia that hasn't worn off over 24 hours earlier. What's more, that sight of the necklace that he's still wearing above the scar was even more of an insult. A few seconds of simply trying to regain his composure, the awful feeling subsided. The boy sighed.
Suddenly, a spark of pain came about in his chest. Shulk clutched his chest with his right hand over the area where Dickson put a hole in him. "Nngh… how much longer will I have to put up with this…?" Shulk muttered.
His chest still ached from the damn bullet Dickson pierced him with, let alone the surgery he went through by Linada to remove it. He always feels a dull pain with every passing second, but it was bearable. Sometimes, however, a flash of sharp pain may arise out of nowhere, as if a small knife was stabbing outwards. It lasts for a few seconds and subsides, but it was enough to disrupt anything Shulk was doing.
After the pain left him, he sighed and lowered his hand. So many revelations hit him within the last few days. Zanza and Meyneth's conflict, the true history of the world of Bionis and Mechonis, the High Entia and Telethia, the three disciples of Zanza, Fiora's condition. And…
"The days have been hard on you… take it easy." Shulk didn't budge, despite hearing the advice from Dunban a few feet away from him. He also heard another pair of footsteps besides Dunban's getting louder and louder.
"Yeah… I don't want you getting knocked out and scaring us again." Sharla added, the sound of her footsteps and rifle heard alongside each other.
Shulk lightly kicked the water. Droplets splattered around him and he watched the ripples reverberate the lake. Dunban and Sharla sat next to the boy on each side, with Dunban to his right and Sharla to his left. They decided to join Shulk and place their feet in the water too, minus the kicking.
The boy let out a slow breath, still staring at the water. "…Remember the conversation we had back in the cave Melia showed us in Eryth Sea?"
The two nodded. "A very pleasant discussion about our pasts." Dunban answered. "We all got to know each other a little more."
Sharla added, "It was a good time we had. We should have more times like that, you know."
Sharla and Dunban were waiting for Shulk to continue on with what he was trying to bring up, but nothing. He was silent and he stopped kicking the water below him. His face was lowered and his bangs covering his eyes. Dunban noticed Shulk's fingers on his right hand except his thumb shaking a little.
"…It seems… I finally made the connection as to why I was so sick back then... It's a theory, but it seems quite plausible…"
Shulk raised his hand to hold onto his necklace. He gently tugged down on it, making his neck lower a bit. He wanted to rip the damn thing out his neck, but it would require great strength to do so, as the lanyard was really, really durable. After all, he wore it for fourteen years and was still in great condition. Additionally, he outgrew the necklace, so it was so high up on his neck that it would be difficult to simply rip off. The only way to cut it was with a sharp knife. The thought crossed his mind but…
Dunban and Sharla's face grimaced. They were both able to make a connection instantly. A wave of terrible, awful memories of the events in the Mechonis Core began to rush back to them. Shulk obviously doesn't remember all of exact words Zanza and Dickson revealed to them, as he was lying bleeding, in shock, and in pain at the time Dickson shot him, let alone drifting out of consciousness as soon as Zanza left his body. But Sharla and Dunban remembered the words Zanza and Dickson told them, and it echoed back into their minds:
"There was never anyone called Shulk to begin wtih!"
"The people who found the Monado, and freed it, awoke Zanza. He sucked the lives from them so he could live. Shulk was among them."
"…an empty shell. He appeared to live because I became his life force."
"Call that corpse a friend? Don't make me laugh!"
Shulk lightly kicked the water again and he continued. "The theory is that since Zanza became my life force, my body had to accommodate two souls. Let alone myself being a reanimated corpse, the ether required to maintain homeostasis is far too much… Hence all of the illness I've suffered."
After explaining his theory, Shulk realized something. Two souls… He began to grin as a plethora of questions was flooding his mind. "Haha…"
"S-Shulk…?" Sharla was growing confused by the second.
How could he be laughing at a time like this? She leaned to her right and lowered her head to get a better glimpse of Shulk, his head still hung down. She gasped quietly as she noticed something odd. Shulk's eyes were usually shown to be full of vigor and life. But this time, his eyes were a very dull blue… She sat upright again, her lips forming a frown. Those eyes...
Dunban was beginning to frown and his lips were tightening. Dunban, knowing Shulk being somewhat pessimistic, has something witty to say when he is upset.
"So… this "good luck charm" that saved me was only for Zanza's sake… And the hole in my memory of the first four years of my life… it was because I died and never got those memories back… Or should I say, the person before me died…? Was I born after Zanza took over and simply a new personality, which is me, came about? …If I share the same soul as the person who died… was Shulk my name? Was my personality the same…? And if we were two different souls… my parents aren't really my parents… …Oh. Haha… I'll never know…"
Shulk had a painful smile on his face. "A walking, living, breathing corpse. How paradoxical, yet one sits next to you. And this corpse brought upon this chaos of the Telethia, the destruction of Mechonis, and Zanza's awakening... "
That statement stung Dunban quite irritably. Shulk was somewhat pessimistic, as he always thinks of and considers the negative side of things (claims to be realistic). But this has gone way too far. It struck a big nerve. Sharla was frowning as well. She hasn't known Shulk for that long compared to Dunban, but she knew him pretty well to know how his personality worked. This was not him at all.
"Is that your attempt in dark humor and you trying to be witty with those hypotheses? Well, it's not working." Dunban slammed his left fist onto the platform they were sitting on. The loud thud vibrated the platform. Sharla was startled by Dunban's punch and flinched slightly, but Shulk didn't budge.
"Because you're forgetting someone…" Dunban growled deeply. Sharla herself froze at that new tone.
Shulk immediately knew. How idiotic of him to miss that. Additionally, someone else that Sharla was so intimate with was like him…
"Listen to me…" Dunban's voice was deep and low. Shulk stared blankly at the water. "So you'll be referring to Fiora as a corpse now?"
"Mmph…" Shulk closed his mouth and was bracing himself for an earful from Dunban by tightening his grip at the edge of the platform of Junks with both hands. It completely passed his mind about Fiora that she is, in a way, in the same position as he is. Additionally, the fact that he made such an indirect negative comment towards Fiora means he'll be getting "corrected" by him after this long talk.
"A corpse is such a demeaning word. You no longer refer to it as a person. You refer to it as a worthless object. And that is the complete opposite of what you and Fiora are. Also, to be technical, you're alive here and now, aren't you? You can't be a corpse."
Dunban's voice was growing more stern and harsh. "Does a corpse save all of Colony 9 from a Mechon attack? Does it liberate Colony 6 and save its survivors? Does it help a royal High Entia in killing a Telethia? Does it help prevent a Nopon Village being attacked by a Telethia? Does it save the High Entia capital from Mechon invasion? Does it save my sister from a second death? Does it make a Machina turn from his evil ways and save us with his last ounce of strength? Does it save all of the Bionis' living beings itself?!"
A lump was forming on Shulk's throat. That list… it was the achievements that he and his allies have done.
Dunban let out a sigh. He'd been waiting to say this very thought in his mind. He started his little speech in the Alcamoth after finding out about Fiora, and it was time to finish it.
"I'll be honest with you from the bottom of my heart: I could not fill the void that was in Fiora's heart since our parents were killed. For the first four years of her life, Fiora knew nothing but pain and sadness and loneliness. Not even I, her big brother, could comfort her. That was, until you came to Colony 9 with Dickson. You were the very first friend Fiora ever had made, excluding Reyn. And you made her happier than everything I have done for her combined billions of times over. …A corpse doesn't make my sister know and experience true happiness."
"A-Aghh..." Shulk felt the lump on his throat feeling tighter that he had to let out a ragged breath. The boy was suddenly breathing hard and faster and he held his head lower. He couldn't even think of anything after such a revelation. As Dunban was pouring out to him and letting him know about his sister, he noticed how his voice was cracking with each sentence. Such genuine words… Dunban never spoken like this before.
Sharla placed her hands over his shoulders and said quietly, "We have to call Linada, you're hyperventilating-"
"Nngh..." Shulk shook his head.
Sharla understood what he meant, he only needed to compose himself and he wasn't in serious physical pain. Dunban really hit the nail. "Why hold back the tears...?" She muttered to herself.
After a good ten seconds to regain his composure, the boy finally steadied himself. His breaths only now slightly shaky from his own feelings. Sharla cracked her knuckles after that speech. It was her turn. "Yes... what happened fourteen years ago is tragic. Yes… Zanza allowed you to live so he could live. But guess what?"
Shulk, his eyes still looking dull and void of any light, still didn't face Sharla. He continued to look down onto his reflection on the water. Dunban looked at her with expectation, his eyes focused on her.
"That is also his biggest mistake and a great blessing to us all." Sharla cleared her throat, as she noticed Dunban slightly raising an eyebrow. It seemed he was confused with that weird phrasing, but he had a hunch on what she was going to say.
"What Dunban said earlier… All those things you've done… You defied so many horrible futures that lead to our demise... What makes it different now that we can change this future of Zanza destroying us all? We can do it… with your will and strength and our efforts to help you. Zanza is going to regret messing with us, and he made the wrong choice to pick a fight with you."
Sharla took both of her hands and placed them on Shulk's left hand, still gripping onto the platform. She loosened his grip on it and had him let go. She held onto his left hand gently. "I would have died back in Spiral Valley if it weren't for you. I heard from Reyn that you saved him in Tephra Cave… You know, I'm glad that I met Reyn, the bonehead he is..."
She glanced at Dunban for a second, who cracked a smile at the last sentence, and resumed. "Dunban told me he rushed to get better by putting up with some hell of a physical therapy to get better to join you and Reyn as quickly as possible. We would have been in huge trouble with the High Entia if we didn't save Melia back in Makna Forest, and we wouldn't have met Riki…"
The sniper stopped to take a breath. She noticed Shulk's face growing less stern and softening. Additionally, it seems like his eyes were getting less dull. Dunban was beginning smile more too. He himself was getting moved by her little speech.
"This journey has been wonderful… Everyone is so grateful to have met you. There's no doubt about it… We and all of the people of Bionis, owes their life and ours to you and your efforts. And Fiora... especially her, is glad to be able to have someone running all over Bionis and Mechonis for her, let alone having her being the main reason to set out on a journey. A corpse can't achieve such a thing… Only you."
Shulk was grasping Sharla's hand slightly tighter and he slowly lifted his head up and faced her. It was gone. His dull eyes vanished, and his bright blue eyes were back, brimming with contentment. The eyes Sharla missed seeing. She couldn't help but crack a wider smile when she saw a very, very slight tear forming at his left eye, but it seemed to have held back.
"T-Thank… you… Sharla…"
Shulk turned his head to his right to face Dunban and nodded. "Thank you too, Dunban…"
He let go of Sharla's hand, while she herself withdrew her hands too, placing them on her lap. Shulk let out a few breaths with his eyes closed to regain his composure.
Shulk opened his eyes. "You're right… A corpse can't do any of that… We all got this far to…gether…"
Sharla giggled as she noticed Shulk shivered at that last word. It was 2 AM now and it was a little windy and cold out. The poor boy is still topless (yet she herself is wearing short clothes, but she didn't mind the cold at all) and that pep talk took a lot out of the three anyway. It was time to rest.
Dunban stood up, his feet and ankles dripping with water. He stretched his left arm up and turned to face Shulk and Sharla. "Well, that was a good follow-up conversation from back in Eryth Sea. Let's retire now. Shulk, you need to get dressed and sleep. The faster you recover, the faster we end Zanza's tyranny."
Sharla stood up and offered a hand to Shulk. "Come now, let's go."
Shulk nodded no. "Go on ahead. I'll join you in a second."
Sharla raised her left eyebrow and retreated her hand. "Okay then. Rest well."
Sharla approached Dunban and the two walked on towards the rest house that the Machina offered to the party. While walking, Sharla giggled out of nowhere. Dunban, caught off-guard with her laughing, asked, "Sharla? What's going on?"
She grinned widely, saying, "Hehe… Fiora was right… you do have a soft side."
Dunban, appalled, frowned at Sharla's revelation. "She… told you…?! Fiora…!"
Sharla blinked her left eye and replied Dunban, saying in a mocking manner, "Don't worry, I won't tell anyone."
"I'm not so sure I can trust you on that… But that comment on Reyn..." This time, Dunban had a cocky grin on his face. "Don't trust me on that."
"Oh... you'll regret it if you do..."
As Dunban and Sharla continued walking on, Shulk finally stood up and looked at his reflection down at the water again. The boy clutched onto his necklace tightly. Earlier, the necklace was an agonizing reminder of Dickson and Zanza to the point where he wanted to rip it off and toss the thing into the depths of the water surrounding Junks. That thought was long gone now. He stared into the eyes of his own reflection.
"I'll still wear it… Yes, it's a reminder on how you "saved" me that day. But it'll also be a reminder of the day I stopped you and let you feel the pain of all of the people who have suffered… from both Bionis and Mechonis…"
Headcanon: Shulk suffered severe ether deficiency because of Zanza's absorption, reanimation, and the fact that he is to inhabit two souls within his body. Because of this, Shulk was extremely sick since the day he came back to life, suffering illnesses associated with the 4 elements. The hybrid 4 elemental crystal necklace Dickson gave him over time cured all of his illnesses and sickness. Shulk would have lived without the ether crystal and would have eventually outgrown the illnesses since Zanza's soul is what kept him alive, but the crystal alleviated the symptoms and made the healing process faster.
A/N: This is a followup headcanon from the previous oneshot. I was going to toss in another headcanon in there to explore more (which were the questions Shulk kept asking on himself after he realizes what the necklace was for), but oh man… that's another whole bunch of oneshots. Have fun thinking about those.
I'll be honest, I'm not very good when it comes to emotional encouraging talk, in writing and in real life. Oh well, learning is a process...
That second oneshot I was working on is on a huge hiatus, cause it's quite hard to write considering the characters involved. The one in progress is as follows, and another that has started:
-Melia, Riki - Riki's Tenderness / Summary: There's more reason as to why Melia loves to cuddle Riki and vice versa. (Based on a Heart-to-Heart event)
-Entire Party - Dress Up / Summary: After the events of Prison Island, the party is invited by Melia and Kallian to have the late feast for Melia's succession to the throne. Thing is, they have to dress up in High Entia attire. That won't sit well with some party members...
The two shot that is in unsure developments is in progress, but I'm not sure if I will post it here. It's really rough and... I don't know how I'm feeling with the direction of the story so far. Oh well.
I'm currently sketching images for the second oneshot and a few short comic panels for this oneshot. Be sure to check regularly for the time when I actually post them up on my profile. If you want to see how my art style is, take a look at the link in my profile.
Finals are coming up and I'm not doing too well in class. An update for the next oneshot won't be in a while.