Chapter Text
Shulk opens his eyes and blinks. A groan escapes his lips as a nasty headache washes over him. Shifting his head to look around, he recognizes the steady hums of machinery within the medical bay, the room unlit and not particularly visible.
Despite his aching muscles, he sits up as he recalls the events from the Mechonis Core. They destroyed the Apocrypha Generator, defeated Egil, and then... Shulk pauses in his own thoughts. It is like there is a gap in his own memory, as he tries to recall the series of events that took placed once they made peace with Egil. But if he cannot remember what happened, then maybe he can ask Fiora or Reyn. The next thing that he can remember after that is hazy at best. He remembers being supported by Reyn while walking through the Mechonis, nearly making it back to Junks before he collapsed again and was attacked by the Monado.
The generator was destroyed, so Shulk rules out Melia's hypothesis that the Monado was merely putting strain on him. It probably did not help the issue; however, both times the Monado did attack him, Shulk was hesitant. It is not just that he doubts his own strength, but it almost seems... Not right to wield the blade for some reason. As though the sword is malicious, which if Egil said was correct -- about the Monado and Zanza being one in the same -- then it might very well be.
Shulk shakes his head, trying to pull himself back into the moment. He will have time to think things over later, once he has more information. For now, he needs to confirm whether or not the worst-case scenario has come true or not. Shulk draws in an agonizingly slow, deep breath and sighs out, breath trembling. Looking down to his arms, dim in the lack of lighting, he tries to move them.
Slowly but surely, his arms respond, though like his breath, they tremble with the movement. Not easy to control, but he can move them. He then tries to close his fingers into a fist, though this proves much more difficult. His fingers curl slightly at first, but he is unable to force them closed any further. So far his arms are already in a much better state than Dunban's arm had been when he lost control of the Monado during the Battle of Sword Valley. Feeling some of the weight lifted from him, he smiles weakly. It might not be immediate, but he should be able to recover use of his arms.
Next he decides to test his legs, feeling more confident than before. It takes a moment at a lot of focus, but he is able to at least move his legs slightly. They are not fully paralyzed, but it feels much more labored to move them than his arms. He decides that it is not worth trying to test and see whether or not he can move his feet and toes at the moment, too scared that he will not like the answer. The smile fades from his face as he realizes that he might be in a similar situation to Dunban after all, if not worse than.
It might not even be possible for him to ever walk again. He will be unable to fight, to protect his friends, or even rummage for scrap in the junkyard. He might still be able to work in the lab and do some of the things that he loves, but the evening strolls around the colony, the picnics at Outlook Park, and the play dates with his friends at the beach are all but distant memories now. Memories that he will never be able to revisit again.
Will he be dependent on other people all of his life? Will they have to fetch for scrap and go out for supplies for him? Will those people look at him with pity, as though he is nothing more than a child? Some of his older acquaintances will probably visit him at first, but Shulk imagines that they will stop visiting in time.
Shulk wants to curl up into a ball, but he has trouble moving his legs much at all. He feels his breath catch in his throat and wipes an arm across his face as his eyes begin to water, trying to keep them from falling. His thoughts do not stop racing, and after awhile, he cannot wipe away his tears faster than they fall. Getting lost in the rush of thoughts, his mind trails off, and he does not notice the hand on his shoulder. It is only when he hears his name that he snaps out of it.
"Shulk?" Reyn's comforting voice asks with clear worry. Shulk must have not noticed Reyn sleeping in the room, but there is the faint outline of a chair next to the bed with a large blanket fallen sprawled out across the floor. "What's wrong, man?"
"I--" Shulk's voice catches in his throat as he tries to reply. He tries to keep calm and collected, but somehow the opposite happens. His weeping grows louder, and his entire body is shaking at this point, save for his legs.
"Hey, take your time. It's been a rough day, so ya probably just need a moment to let it all out."
Shulk nods, feeling a little better, grounded by the firm hand still on his shoulder. "Y-yeah. T-t-thanks, Reyn."
"Yeah, buddy. An' in case yer wondering, I already talked to Linada. Hopefully it'll make ya feel a bit better, because the news is lookin' good for you." Reyn says, and Shulk raises his head eagerly.
"W-what did s-s-she say?" Shulk asks, looking up at Reyn, whose face he can make out very slightly.
"She said that ya should make a full recovery. Might take a few weeks for your legs, though, but you should not lose use of 'em."
Shulk gasps, those being the words he would last expect to hear. He feels like a massive weight immediately lifts with Reyn's news, but the sudden onrush of emotions does not subside. Instead, something else plagues his thoughts. Even though he knows he will probably be able to fight again relatively soon, Dickson had... "Dickson."
Reyn's grip tightens on his friend's shoulder before whispering in a breathy voice. "I'm sorry, man. We can tell you about it later, if ya want. But I don't want any of that on your mind, right now. You could use the rest."
"I-I don't t-think I can sleep n-n-now anyways." Shulk sobs. He feels Reyn's hand leave his shoulder for a moment, and in that moment, a wave of disappointment washes over him, wishing his friend would stay there with him. A few seconds later, the blonde shuts his unadjusted eyes quickly as a light floods the room. He blinks a few times, until he feels Reyn's hand return to his shoulder.
"Wanna stay up with me, then? I'm not that tired either." Reyn asks, a reassuring grin spreading across his face. Reyn probably feels really out of it too after everything that happened today, but Shulk knows that Reyn puts on that facade for his friend's sake. There is no one better for cheering another person up than Reyn... Except maybe Riki. Maybe.
"S-sure." Shulk returns the smile, tears still pooling in his red puffy eyes. To the best of his ability with his arms in their current state, he wipes a hand across his eyes and dries them. Feeling a slight pain rising in his stomach, Shulk decides to change the discussion to something more tolerable. "I'm s-starving."
For a split second, Reyn is caught off guard by Shulk's response, but he bursts into a hearty laughter, and he slams his hand against the blonde's back, who is now sitting up slightly. Shulk feels his cheeks grow warm and flush, and he furrows his brow in annoyance. Reyn notices and wipes a hand under his eye, trying to calm himself. "Sorry, man. I thought you were going to sit here all night overthinkin' everything, so I'm glad food was finally on your mind for once."
"What time is it?"
"Just past midnight. Fiora and most of the others have gone ta sleep, but I think Melia and Dunban are still up. Wanna go see 'em?"
"Mhm." Shulk nods, trying to still his voice.
"Alright, mate. I'll go find them and get ya somethin' to eat. Be back in a few minutes." Reyn leaves Shulk's side and disappears down the stairs to the lower part of Junks. Shulk lies back down, with a newfound sleepiness and dozes off. He is not sure how long he rests before he is woken up by Reyn shaking his shoulder. Opening his eyes, the smell of dinner wafts through the air. Melia and Dunban are also there.
"Are you awake?" Melia asks and turns to set up a portable chair alongside Reyn and Dunban. She sits, legs crossed, as Shulk rubs the sleep out of his eyes.
"Yeah... Hey, guys. Is everyone okay?" He looks between the three, whose moods seem more or less normal, though Dunban appears to be keeping a close eye on him.
Melia closes her eyes and sighs. "Yes, everyone is fine. It has just been a long day, so the others are retired for the night. We were expecting you to sleep through the night, though you appear to be doing better than expected. How are you feeling?"
"Not great, but I'm feeling better with you guys here. Thanks for coming by." Reyn sits down next to Shulk and places the food on a small side table that he brought in with him.
"You think ya can eat on your own?" Reyn questions.
"He should probably try. It's best that he exercises in order to restore movement." Dunban says. "I'll probably never gain complete control over my right arm again, but proper physical therapy allowed me to at least make some use of my arm again. It'll help Shulk if he starts now."
"Will he be okay?" Melia's face turns grim with worry, and she fiddles with her hair, twirling it around her fingers. "I mean, will he regain use of his limbs?"
"He'll be fine. Linada already confirmed the results of his checkup, and he should be back to normal in just a few weeks -- sooner if he is dedicated enough." Dunban replies, and Melia's sour expression morphs into one of relief.
"I am glad." She says. The room falls into an awkward silence, and no one seems to want to bring up the topic that has been bothering them this whole time. Melia decides to cut to the chase, otherwise it might not be brought up at all. "Shulk, I want you to know, you are not responsible for what happened in the Mechonis' Core."
Shulk fixes his eyes on hers in confusion, as if asking for some sort of elaboration. "You mean about what Dickson did? Where is he, by the way?"
"Dickson is under arrest and currently secured on the Mechonis' Arm with the Machina." Dunban clarifies, answering Shulk's latter question. He raising an eyebrow questioningly. "But do you not recall what happened after Dickson shot you?"
In the back of his mind, Shulk can vaguely remember their retreat from the Mechonis, and the events that occurred directly before arriving at Junks, but the whole situation almost feels timeless. He cannot estimate how much time passed between those two events, so he shakes his head, assuming that there must have been a gap of time in which he cannot recall.
"Thought so." Reyn adds. He hands Shulk a spoon, and Shulk tries to force his grip closed onto it. It takes a lot of effort, but he is able to hold it at least decently steady, allowing him to eat while the conversation continues on.
Melia taps her foot on the ground in anticipation for the conversation. Shulk is equally anxious, but the food helps ease some of the stress. Dunban clears his throat and speaks. "You tried to attack us. According to Dickson, you were possessed."
"...What?" Shulk mumbles, not sure how to process the information. He had spoken to Egil about the Monado, and Egil mentioned that it had done the same to one of his friends, Arglas. Had the same happened to Shulk too? "Was it the Monado?"
"We think so, but it might be more complicated than that. Also according to Dickson, it might have something to do with the expedition where he found you and the Monado at--"
"Hey, Dunban. I don't think we should be throwing all of this on 'im right now. The man's barely woken up." Reyn protests, seemingly uncomfortable with Dunban's explanation, as though he is prying into a territory that better be left untouched. Dunban seems to take a moment to ponder Reyn's concerns, and visually at least, he seems to agree with them.
"The details are still not known, but we believe that expedition may have simply established some sort of connection between you and the Monado." Dunban decides to leave it there. Reyn seems content with the explanation stopping short there.
"We are not sure if it could happen again. That is what we mostly wanted to talk to you about." Melia says. "If you cannot remember what happened, however, then it might be more difficult to gather information. It seems we are at an impasse."
"We should talk to Egil tomorrow. He's had experience with this before, and he apparently knows Dickson." Dunban speaks but stops as he sees Shulk flinch at the name. The blonde feels conflicted about the man who raised him, but he decides to shove it out of his thoughts and focus on his company. "In the meantime, take it easy. It won't do you any good to fret over it. Maybe after we talk to Egil, you and Reyn can go get some fresh air."
"Okay." With that, the group puts aside the topic for further discussion with Egil, and they talk until they all return to bed.
It is nearly two in the morning before Shulk falls asleep for the night. Not abnormal for him, since he would frequently stay up much later in the lab back in Colony 9, but it is almost noon before Shulk is startled awake by the Colony 6 alarms.
Reyn starts next to him, having stayed with his friend overnight, and he spins around in a frenzy, throwing his blanket off and standing up from the chair he was in. "What on Bionis is goin' on?!"
Reyn rushes towards the stairwell and nearly crashes into Melia. Reyn is about to ask for an explanation, but Melia beats him to it. "It's Telethia! They are headed for the Colony! The defense force is not completely back yet from the attack on the Mechonis, so we are outnumbered. There is an emergency meeting down in the cockpit, so please join us quickly."
"What 'bout Shulk? I can't just leave him on his own."
"You're strong enough to carry him. Let us go. Now." Melia demands.
Reyn hesitates, but Melia coughs impatiently. "Sorry, mate." He picks up Shulk, though Shulk tries to break free, uncomfortable with the situation. However, he gives up, when Melia's glare lands on him instead. In this new position, a burning sensation begins making its way up his injured legs, and he winces from the pain, but it is at least bearable.
They leave the medical bay and head downstairs into the cockpit, where everyone and Juju are gathered. The meeting has already started, and Sharla is trying to provide suggestions for the emergency. "We're either going to have to evacuate the colony or wait for the reinforcements to arrive. In fact, I think our best solution will be a combination of both. If we evacuate the colonists to the mines, then the current members of the defense force can focus on keeping the Telethia at bay."
"Is it possible to protect the evacuees? It won't be easy to protect them while they are all relocating." Vanea questions, with several of the Machina having joined them. The room is quite crowded with just the Homs inside, but the Machina who are already quite large make it even more packed. "Father, could we defend them using Junks?"
"Hmm, no need to worry here. We'll keep them safe, and she's ready to fly." Miqol says.
"Then in that case, Juju, I need you to go make the announcement immediately. Dunban, go inform the defense force that we need to spare a few soldiers to help with the evacuation. The rest with stay and fight. Once Otharon and Kallian are back with their squads, then we should be able to engage the enemy." Sharla orders. Both Juju and Dunban leave, and Sharla continues to take charge, being the most qualified, as it is her own home. "Miqol, I'll trust the rest of the evacuation to you. Everyone else who is not needed aboard Junks, either evacuate with the others or remain and fight."
"Egil. Vanea. Go on ahead with them. We'll take care of everything up there." Miqol requests of his two children. Neither one objects, and if anything, they both almost seem relieved. Shulk listens to the rest of the emergency meeting, but his heart leaps when he hears his name called out.
"Shulk!" Fiora darts forward, entering into the cockpit as a few more people leave for the evacuation. She embraces him tighly, nearly suffocating him, all while metallic plating from her automaton body digs into his sides. It is an awkward hug as is, but given that Reyn is still holding him, it just makes the situation even stranger.
"Fiora!" Shulk feels his cheeks grow warm, aware of the attention in the room turning to the two Homs. He holds his breath, waiting for anyone to continue on with the meeting. Fortunately, Sharla does so.
"I'm glad to see you awake, Shulk. I don't want to keep you in Junks. It wouldn't be safe to keep you in here while it is preparing for combat. I am not comfortable sending you out with the evacuees either, so we'll keep you with us. Reyn, make sure to keep him safe. We'll have your back."
"On it." Reyn nods.
"Shulk, are you okay?! How are your arms and legs? Are you an any pain?" Fiora frets while Sharla and Reyn converse. She places a hand on the side of the blonde's face and puts on a comforting smile.
"I'm fine, Fiora. We should worry about the Telethia first. I just wish I could help you all fight, but I'll just be a burden." Shulk reciprocates Fiora's smile, but her brows furrow in irritation.
"Don't say that! You're not a burden, Shulk, and you never will be. You've done so much to protect us, to protect me, so let us help you for once." Her hand moves down to grasp his own. "Besides, it's just some Telethia. Once the defense force is back, we'll take them down in no time."
"How long until the defense force does get back?" Shulk asks, to no one in particular. Fiora is right. Even if he cannot fight, then perhaps he can at least help with the planning for the mission. The direction the mission will take will depend on the time of their arrival.
"Sometime this evening. It'll be several hours." Sharla answers. "But it's not going to be easy for the defense force to hold off for that long. We can probably evacuate the colonists successfully, but we cannot guarantee that the combatants will last for long. Colony 6 does not have any anti-air batteries like Colony 9 does. The barriers are not going to do much against any aerial attacks either, but it may limit the mobility of some of the Telethia along the ground."
"We should probably hold within the colony, in that case. Even if we do get overwhelmed by the aerial assault, we can try to hold off until the evacuation is complete at least. After which, Junks should be able to return and assist with the battle." Shulk responds, moving his hand up to his chin, though unable to grip it like he normally would when thinking. "We should also arm the defense force with any ether rifles that remain in the armory. It'll be better if we can prevent the Telethia from getting too close to begin with, so I think range will be our best option."
"Got it." Sharla immediately directs several of the remaining defense force members in the room to gather the remaining weaponry and to get into formation. Everyone else moves out as well, and Sharla speaks with Shulk on their way out of Junks. "I want you to stay with the combat medics for now, and Reyn, please stay with him. I'll be there for some of the time, but I'm going to be in and out of the fight as I try to help the wounded. The others will be fighting the Telethia. And don't worry. I'm not going to let any of them get hurt."
"Thanks, Sharla." Shulk says, as they head over to the area dedicated to treating any wounded during the battle. Since the attack is an ambush, not much has been set up, so it is effectively just a large building with people shuffling in and out, bringing supplies to where is needed. The Telethia across the horizon are quite close at this point, and it will be only a matter of minutes before they arrive. Reyn sets Shulk down on a makeshift bed, which really just is a pile of blankets and sits down next to him, weapon in hand.
Placing a hand to his chest, Shulk notices an oddly hot, almost burning sensation arise, and a dull headache spreads across the back of his head. It happens almost as soon as he is put down, so he assumes that it is just from being relocated so suddenly in his current state.
"You okay, mate?" Reyn asks, noticing Shulk's discomfort. Shulk would respond, but a wave of fatigue washes over him, until he quickly passes out amidst the chaos.