Leo Simon
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Taking Up The Xenoblade Chapter 2
🕑 Added 2023-09-30 17:09:40 +0000 UTCIt was just Shulk. The greenery surrounding him and the pitch black bottomless hole he was staring into only served to unnerve him as he wondered what on earth was going on. Shulk's vision was distorted, and thoughts came to him in short burst of incoherent nonsense, however his mind was still active enough to wonder what was happening.
Turning around he was met with the face of a blonde boy. A very familiar one at that.
Ahhh, now he could remember who this was. This was Zanza. The soul of Bionis, an immortal god, and the holder of a Monado. He was also the darker half of Klaus, embodying his ego and god-complex.
For a while he just stood there. Staring into Shulk's eyes as the world around the two of them seemed to flicker out and blip away. Until finally, in a voice more respectful than he thought Zanza could possibly use, he just smiled.
"My life is in your hands, good luck."
Then, before he had a chance to talk back, his mind darkened as he felt his brain shock itself awake.
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"Shulk, give us a hand will ya!"
Hearing Reyn's voice was enough to force Shulk awake as he jolted up almost on instinct, grabbing the Monado just in time to slice through a massive spider that was jumping for his face. He didn't even need to activate the light blade to cleave them in half, it was sharper than it looked.
His brain fully began to activate once he recognised the situation we were in.
Surrounding the campfire, where he was taking a rest in Tephra cave, a horde of tiny arachno were encircling him and Reyn like sharks in bloody water. However, Reyn stood fearlessly in their way, prepared to swat them away at a moment's notice.
The auburn haired young man remarked." Eyes up Shulk, these little buggers just showed up out of nowhere! Give us a hand will ya!"
Immediately knowing what to do, he nodded and felt the knowledge of his Arts come back to him as he moved into a fighting stance." Right. Let's do this Reyn!"
Activating the Monado, he felt a rush of adrenaline begin to kick in as a few tried to jump at him. That wouldn't work out well for them though.
"Stream Edge!" The words left his mouth almost without thinking as he slashed forward and hit one of the arachno's and a sudden wave of blue energy washed over all his opponents, blowing them away like they were nothing.
"War Swing!" He heard Reyn shout a name of one of his own Arts, killing a number of the tiny opponents and giving himself some breathing room.
Holding the Monado in his hands he felt a swell of strength rush through his veins that went beyond just muscle memory or even just the rush of battle. He felt incredible holding the sword, as though he could beat anything.
The blade was a little difficult to hold in just one arm, but still manageable. Cutting through the monsters was remarkably easy, though their numbers were becoming apparent and annoying. The fact they were so damn slippery just made the situation worse;
He felt his breath slow as a familiar symbol appeared on the Monado's hilt. The blade suddenly enlarged itself and he got ready to swing and kill a group of the giant spiders in one swipe.
But, suddenly, he felt like there was a void inside of me. Like there was an orb he could light up. Maybe if he-
The Monado suddenly shined with a white light, the ether blade growing even more intense as he yelled out at the top of my lungs." Monado BUSTER!"
With one massive swing masses of the arachno's were demolished and eaten up by the attack. They disintegrated into nothing but ether, and he was given a moment to pant from exhaustion.
However, he wasn't lucky enough to be given any more time to breathe. Reyn was still dealing with a large number of those arachnids, and he backed up to Shulk's back as he commented." There's no end to these little bastards. The hell do they even come from?!"
Shulk sneered and spoke." I don't know, but a few bugs aren't going to stop us! If we can't even handle these little pricks then forget Metal Face, so let's give them a good Homs welcome!"
Reyn grinned at those words." Don't you know who you're talkin' to? Let's show them what's what. It's Reyn time!"
Hearing that iconic catchphrase was enough to get Shulk pumped, the exhaustion from before fading away as both of them split off and he sliced through a group of arachno in a single swing only for more to take their place.
Adapting to reality isn't a difficult thing when you're technically not yourself. He should have been terrified, and he was at first. But... he couldn't stagnate, not when he knew the future. Not when he had so much that needed to be done.
With a quick application of the Light Heal Art, he shrugged off any physical exhaustion or injuries he felt, and proceeded to use Slit Edge to run the Monado through a hostile enemy, facing the rest of the group directly after.
What reason did he have to worry anyway? The other Shulk won in the end, and he was technically still him. He's stronger than him even. He could do things his way and still defeat Zanza in the end.
Maybe he could even do better than the old me.
Shulk swung the Monado rapidly, putting his back to Reyn's as the world slowed and he mused on if the annoying group of spiders would ever just stay down.
Taking a glance at the Monado, he had to internally curse how little he could do with the legendary weapon. There were eight Monado Arts, and he could use just two. Buster and Enchant were useful against Mechon, but not much else. Enchant in particular is practically useless against non-Mechon.
Feeling a strange bubble swell within his chest, he glared at the enemies and ran forward. He cut through them all one by one, but soon they were starting to overwhelm him. He made them falter and die with a Stream Edge, but still they persisted.
"Shulk! The hell are you-"
He felt the bubble in his chest pop as a new symbol appeared on the Monado, one he recognised very well as wind picked up around him and the Monado pulsed in his grasp. In that moment, his only thought was how annoying having so many bugs crawling over him truly was. The sword seemed to respond to that as the blue ether blade turned pure white.
"Monado... CYCLONE!" He roared the name of the Art at his enemies as a barrier of ether surrounded him, before releasing that built up power in a burst of energy that blew everything around him away.
Reyn remained unaffected, but every other living creature in the room wasn't as lucky. The arachnos were all slain, their corpses fizzling into ether as the rest of them scuttered away in fright at the attack used.
However, Shulk knelt downwards when they were gone. Exhaustion filled his limbs and the Monado felt heavy in his grasp. He sheathed it on his back as he steadied his breathing.
Reyn walked over to him after a moment, seemingly curious as he remarked." What was that, Shulk? I didn't know the Monado could be used like that?"
Shulk didn't answer him right away. He took a deep breath before rising to his feet once again and just said semi-honesty." I don't know. The Monado, it just gave me the power I needed in that moment. I guess that was Monado Cyclone."
Reyn gave an odd look at that." You're saying that the Monado can think? Now you're just-"
"Well what if it really can Reyn." With the adrenaline of battle dying down and the enemies gone, Shulk realised that he needed to figure out a way to rationalise what he knew so that he could explain it to Reyn without being suspicious.
Whilst he didn't technically know him very well... actually that was a lie. He did know him well. He was his best friend, and partner in revenge for a childhood friend that he knew was alive. Yet, he couldn't even tell him that Fiora was alive.
Still though, Shulk wanted to change something. He wanted to be as honest with him as he could.
Starting with the truth of the Monado. Well, more like Zanza's Monado.
Explaining in a way that could make sense on the spot, Shulk quickly explained." Think about it Reyn. The Monado isn't like just any other weapon, it makes sense for it to have some kind of will of it's own. It seemed to reject everyone before me, even Dunban wasn't able to use it like I can. Plus when you factor in the idea that I just happened to get a new Art when I needed it, it just makes for sense for the Monado to have some kind of sentience than anything else."
After hearing that Reyn looked in thought for a moment, then just shook his head." The Monado is one weird sword that's for sure. Though, when you put it like that it does kinda make sense. Wait, are you gonna be getting even more Arts from that thing?"
Shulk knew he would, but just answered." It would make sense. Even before the attack I did make a theory that the Monado had several different layers of glass in it's hilt that held more power. I guess each one must be for a different Art."
Changing the subject, Shulk averted his attention to their way out." We should get out of this cave before those bugs return. I had more than enough sleep anyway."
Reyn seemed to shiver for a moment." Don't need to tell me twice. I hate spiders, the bigger ones are even worse."
Hearing his words, Shulk just laughed a little inside, though his mind was also drifting elsewhere. Namely to the sword that rested on his back.
Cyclone wasn't an Art you unlocked until near the end of the game. Yet, he managed to unlock it purely because he called upon it in his time of need. That meant there wasn't a set order in which he needed to unlock the other Arts. Which was useful to know.
The Monado was a dangerous weapon though. As much as it was useful, relying on it too much would only hurt him in the event Zanza just took his sword back. Shulk needed it, but that didn't mean he should rely purely on the strength of the Monado.
He had a long road ahead of him. He doubted it would be an entirely pleasant one too.
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Nia felt a dark sense of discomfort swell up in her core as she walked behind Malos and Jin to leave the shipwreck they'd fished up with the strange Blade they'd came to collect being moved out on the shoulder of Malos, who was lugging the sleeping pod out with frightening ease. Sever was walking in front of Malos, whilst Dromarch prowled protectively by her side.
Though the Blade they were taking was the last thing on Nia's mind in that moment. Her thoughts were still frozen with horror as she couldn't get the sight of Rex being impaled through the heart by Jin's sword, and the ease at which the white haired man committed the act, out of her mind.
Glancing apprehensively at the leader of Torna, Nia couldn't stop the doubts she had for the man from clouding her mind. Jin wasn't a warm man at all, but to peg him as a coldblooded murderer was something she never thought he was capable of. It wasn't as though he relished in the act, in fact he almost seemed a touch remorseful, but what did that mean when you kill someone?!
The three of them walked at a leisurely pace through the wrecked ship and the uncomfortable silence was almost suffocating, but finally she allowed herself to breathe as they finally emerged out of the dark and dreary ship and into the stormy rain of the night.
Not even a second after they'd exited, and right as the various salvagers they'd hired came into sight, Malos simply spoke." Nia. End them."
The almost casual words of the black haired man took her off-guard. No, surely they didn't mean-
Nia felt her tongue almost become tied when she spoke, but still maintained her speech. Though, she couldn't bring herself to speak with anything more than a hushed tone." End? Like, what?"
Malos responded to her inquiry, not even bothering to look her in the eye." The price of their lives has been paid in full. Now that we've finally obtained the Aegis, any witnesses who know about it puts us at risk. These people? They're all witnesses."
Nia felt a fire of upset lit in her chest when his words registered and her voice levels raised above the hushed tone she used before, her disgust far outshining her fear in that moment." I- I can't do that! These people are all innocent, why do they need to die?!"
The sigh Malos gave in response made her want to strangle him. His voice dripped with a tone one would use to make a child understand something obvious. What do you think we can just let them go? Like I said, everyone here is a witness. And if word got out that we found the Aegis then every nation on Alrest would be coming for our throats. Just do your job Nia, or have you forgotten why you're here to begin with?"
His words made Nia back away a little as she placed a hand on her chest. Where her core was. Where the thing she was most ashamed of was. Where what marked her as an abomination laid, a permanent reminder of what she did to her sister back then.
She joined Torna because she wanted somewhere to belong. Running for Indol for so many years gets tiring, and when she was finally caught and getting shipped off to have her core crystal broken she was rescued. Jin reached a hand out to her and she decided to take it, because what else did she have to lose? At least she wouldn't be alone anymore.
Those were the thoughts running through her head at the time anyway. But, this wasn't what she signed up for.
Her silence and lack of action made Malos show visible frustration." Oh, for the love of... fine, I'll do it myself. Sever."
Malos called for his reptilian Blade and walked past Nia, the casket he was carrying still hung over his shoulder, and Nia felt herself freeze with horror at what he was about to do.
Dromarch tensed, picking up on the situation's atmosphere, whilst Nia clenched her fists and shook slightly with indecision and rage.
Whipping her head around to face Malos, Nia moved her hands to grab her Twin Rings and steeled her nerves to pounce on Malos. She couldn't just let those people die.
Luckily her intervention proved to be wholly unneeded.
The casket on Malos' shoulders sparked to life as orange flames hot enough to warm the rainy air leaked onto the black haired man's armour.
In a rare moment of surprise, Malos' grey eyes widened and he yelled out and threw the burning casket over his head." Ack! What the-"
Nia had to cover her face to defend against the heat, silently thanking whatever god saved her from having to fight Malos, and could only watch on in awe as the fiery casket grew into a raging inferno that exploded into a pillar of fire.
Dromarch jumped in front of her to defend his Driver but Nia continued to simply stand and gape as, like a phoenix, a figure flew out of the casket's remains and landed above the deck of the ship and exploded once again.
Emerging from the ashes of their awakening, Nia felt starstruck as the flames gave way to a beautiful woman with red hair and eyes that burned like fire. However, what really caught Nia's attention, was the shining emerald core that sat at the top of the Blade's chest. The core was missing it's inner half, leaving her core crystal hollow and incomplete.
The fire died down, and right after Nia was just beginning to recover from the shock of bearing witness to the emergence of such a majestic fiery display-
The hull of the ship began to melt, the steel bending in a mesmerizing manner, before it gave way to another giant plume of orange and green fire. It that burned so brightly she had to cover her eyes to defend against the blinding display of power.
But, she couldn't have turned away from what she saw next if she tried.
"AAAAIYAH!" A mighty scream of rage and fury pierced the burning firestorm and, shooting out of the fiery pillar, was a human figure that flipped and crashed onto the floor with strength that would have broken a regular person's bones. Yet, they remained unharmed. As though falling from dozens of feet barely fazed them.
Snapping out of her astonishment, Nia didn't recognise the man in front of her at first. But, that changed the instant she took a closer look. He was clad in blue salvager's gear, a red great sword was held in his right hand that burned with emerald and orange flames, and a cross shaped core crystal pulsated on top of his heart.
But, Nia instantly felt a spark of recognition light in her eyes when he raised his head. Though his face might have been more defined, the general shape and jawline clicked in her mind immediately. His garments and hair bore a striking resemblance to the boy she knew for just a day and, though he stood taller, she could recognise those burning golden eyes anywhere.
It was-
"Rex?!" She couldn't help but yell out, both with complete disbelief at the sight in front of her and relief at the sight of him not being dead.
But, he was stabbed through the heart! What she was seeing just wasn't-
"You-" hearing the snarling words of Malos made Nia turn her head away, only to be met with the sight of Malos looking more pissed off than she'd ever seen him."- so you've gone and made yourself the Aegis' Driver!"
Rex -or at least she thinks- raised his sword in response, pointing it with fearless anger at Malos and Jin and spoke with a much deeper voice than when she last saw him." You bastards stabbed me in the back! You fucking psychos aren't getting away with this shit!"
Breaking his death glare, Rex shifted his eyes upwards towards the red haired Blade who stood above them all, that seemed just as shocked as Nia at the appearance of her Driver, and just asked." Pyra, are you with me?!"
The Aegis broke out of her confusion, and just nodded." Of course!"
Grinning at the confirmation, Rex proceeded to dart forward with powerful strides as he effortlessly held a two-handed sword in just his right hand, and Pyra jumped off where she was perched to join her Driver in combat.
Responding to their actions Jin held a hand up to unsheathe the sword which laid on his back, however Malos held up a fist as he simply ordered." Jin. Leave 'em to me."
Nia felt a shock of life return to her body as she watched Rex slash forward at Malos with his new sword, only for the attack to be blocked as he locked blades with the dark warrior. He managed to keep them at a stalemate for a few moments, but Rex was forced backwards as Malos overpowered him and sent him flying backwards only for Rex to flip and land gracefully on his feet.
Rex grit his teeth at that, but Malos arrogantly proclaimed." You've surprised me kid. Well, you don't really look like one anymore, but a little glow up won't hide what you really are from me! And I can't just let you claim the Aegis' power for yourself!"
Rex scoffed in response as Malos engaged him in combat, their individual Blades keeping each other occupied as their Drivers faced each other one on one." I didn't claim anything you bastard! The hell do you even want with Pyra that you would murder people for?!"
Nia watched on as Malos and Rex began to cut and weave at each other, neither managing to gain the upper hand or injure their opponent. They were quite well matched. Responding to his question, Malos just taunted him." Wouldn't you like to know! Why don't you ask her yourself?!"
Malos swiftly changed his weapon's appearance from a tonfa to a long blade and rained a series of jabs that were aimed to pierce through Rex's skin, each strike aimed to be fatal. Rex managed to avoid the worst of the stabs, but a sudden shift back to a tonfa caught him off-guard and as a result Malos sent him flying backwards with a particularly strong slash.
Rex grunted as he managed to get back onto his feet, only to be met with the sight of Malos throwing his Blade weapon back to Sever above his head, where the reptilian Blade caught the blade and crossed their arms in an X-shape.
"You're done!" With that proclamation Sever uncrossed their arms and sent a powerful blast of wind ether directly to snuff Rex's lights out, with such an attack surely being fatal for most humans.
But, Rex didn't move a muscle in the face of the attack. He remained unflinching up to the point where Pyra stepped in last second, she erected an ether shield that blocked the attack and saved Rex from harm.
"Thanks Pyra. Now, let's take them down!" The salvager thanked his Blade as he prepared to rush forward.
Pyra nodded." Yeah, let's go!"
Rex trailed directly behind Pyra as a green streak of ether connected the two of them by their cores, with the two of them running directly for Malos.
Bearing witness to their actions, Sever let out a condescending sneer as he made a series of slashes that transformed into blades of wind ether that struck against Pyra's ether barrier. Yet, the duo remained undeterred in their advance.
Rex made a powerful jump, the enhancements of having an affinity link empowering his strong movements, as he raised his red greatsword overhead and brought it down on top of Sever.
"Everyone, run! These pricks wanna murder you!" He screamed as his blade battled furiously against the ether barrier his enemy had set up, before he jumped backwards and focused his attention on Malos.
The salvaging team snapped back into reality when they heard his words, and began to frantically clammer their way onto the other ship to make their escape from their possible murderers.
Malos dodged a slash from the red Aegis sword and sneered with annoyance at the sight of the salvagers making their escape. So, with a powerful jump that positioned him in sight of the bridge between their ship and the Monoceros, he called out to his Blade." Sever!"
Catching on, the reptilian Blade threw the tonfa in their grasp to their Driver. Catching the Blade weapon flawlessly and setting his eyes on the bridge, Malos shifted it into a glowing blue sword that pulsated with wind ether.
"I don't think so!" Malos drew his sword back to slash the bridge in half, but was forced to call off the attack in favour of countering the wave of red flames that were shot his way.
Smoke hindered his vision, so Malos wasn't able to react when an anchor caught his leg and with a single pull he was knocked off his feet and toppled over.
Pyra caught onto what Rex was planning and grabbed the sword with him before they both jumped up as one, their eyes sent on Malos as the affinity link between them intensified to the point where they were both shrouded in a thick, luminous golden aura.
Malos gritted his teeth as the Aegis sword's flames intensified and swelled with the power of affinity before being brought down and exploding in a burst of heat and wrath so extreme that it was felt throughout the entire ship!
Nia, this whole time, could only look on in awe at what she was witnessing. What the hell was going on?! Rex wasn't a Driver, he wasn't an adult. He wasn't alive! His heart was torn to shreds and he was left to die. As a healer Nia knew how to tell when someone was dead, and it just wasn't possible for him to have survived.
Yet, she was witnessing the impossible right before her eyes.
As the dust settled, and the smoke cleared, Nia was treated to the scene of Sever holding his Blade weapon up in shield form to prevent Rex and Pyra from cutting down his Driver. The Blade was openly struggling to maintain the hold, but Malos merely rose to his feet once more and glared at both Rex and Pyra.
His grey eyes narrowed at Rex as he stared into the yellow-golden hue of his enemies irises." I shouldn't have underestimated you. You might have been a nobody, but those eyes should have tipped me off. You remind me of him- actually no. You remind me a little more of her than anything else."
Rex still pushed forward to break through the Sever's shield, but did question Malos." And who might that be?"
An orb of dark ether built up in Malos's hand, and he answered with a dismissive tone." It doesn't matter. I'm done underestimating you!" With those finishing words he swiped his hand at Rex, dark ether poised to eat away at the salvager. However, Pyra saw this coming and pulled the both of them back to evade the attack last second.
Finally being given room to breathe, Malos and Sever descended onto the deck below with Rex and Pyra doing the same.
Nia glanced the side and was greeted with the sight of the salvagers separating from the Monoceros and likely heading back to Argentum.
Nia felt a weight lift off her chest at the sight at them getting away safely, but it was placed back down on her as Rex began to dive back into fighting Malos once more. His sword blazing as the core in his chest pulsed.
