Chapter 7: Clawman

A/N: Last three chapters sad? This'll make you laugh or your money back!

"Bloody swamps. I hate swamps. Always have, always will," Mumkhar said as he trudged forward.

It was noon in Satorl Marsh and the air was so muggy that Mumkhar wasn't sure if we was more wet from it or his sweat. The fog was so thick that even with the enhanced senses granted to him by Lord Egil, he could barely see past his feet. As he pulled himself along, his metal body aching, he felt an Upa splashing at his feet.

"Standing in my way, eh? What, expecting a pity party, you sad thing?" He gloated, bending down to the Upa. "Well, guess what- life isn't kind to small little fishies like you! I'm the big fish in this pond!"

As he punted the Upa, a startled Coppice Quadwing swooped down with a screech and slashed at his face with its talons.

Mumkhar grabbed the monster and tried to extend his claws, graciously given to him by Lord Egil, but they still weren't extending. Most of his higher functions broke in the crash. Irritated, Mumkhar punched the Quadwing, killing it in a single blow.

"Eh? What's this? Little birdy thinks he can hurt me? I'm bigger than you! More powerful than you!" He shouted at the bird's corpse. To his side was a small Nopon merchant camp. From that direction, he heard a voice call out.

"Uhm, excuse me, but would you be willing to assist us? We are very willing to pay you for you every request you ful—"

"Shaddup! I'm bigger than you! Bigger fish wins!" He yelled.

"W-What?" The Nopon merchant asked, stricken with confusion. Mumkhar looked at him and yelled at the Nopon.

"Don't you get it! Let me make it clear! 'Me bigger! Me stronger! Me no do what you say!' Bloody savages," he said, using a mocking, high-pitched voice in his imitation of the Nopon.

"Sir? That's uh, that's kind of rude, sir. I would very much appreciate it if you apologized," the Nopon replied.

"Don't make me kill you. I don't want to get fur on my fists," Mumkhar sneered.

"No, uh, sir. This is really uncalled for. You don't ha—"

"SHUT UP!" Mumkhar shouted. Finally making things silent, he trudged on. His foot slipped and he fell off the wooden walkway, going knee deep into the muck of the swamp.

"Damn mud! Don't you know who I am? I'm the strongest there is! Mumkhar the hero! Feel...my...WRATH!" He screamed as he struggled uselessly.

As Mumkhar flailed and grumbled in the bog, two reptilian figures emerged from the fog.

"Bloody Ignas! Savages all over the place! Can't Zanza keep his body clean?! Well, here to take me on, you worthless pile of scales?!" Mumkhar roared.

One Igna looked to the other.

{Should we kill him?} He asked in their hissing language. The other one shook his head.

{No, make him a prisoner. Then piss on him. Then kill him.} The other replied.

{Good idea.} The two began to approach him, swords out.

"What?! You dare to fight me?! I'm Mumkhar, Hero of the Mechonis! I'm a bloody legend! You should just fall on your knees and worship me! If you do it now, I'll only cut off one limb each," he ordered proudly.

Then one of them hit him with his sword.

"Haha! That did nothing at all!" He laughed loudly as he tried to punch the creature. It moved out of his range. Oh, right. They had swords. He couldn't reach them. His legs were stuck.

They hit him again.

"T-That didn't hurt at all! COME FACE ME LIKE MEN, YOU COWARDS!"

They hit him again. And again. And again.

"I-I-I'll kill… you!"

And again and again and again and again and again they hit him.

And that was how the proud Mumkhar became the prisoner of the Satorl Ignas.

Having left Hode to watch over the Nopon survivors, Shulk departed alone the following morning. He'd already said his farewells. Riki had absolute confidence in him and even went so far as to give the Hompon his old biter. He wouldn't be needing it anymore. Although Shulk's current biter was something he made himself, Riki told him that this biter had been passed through the family for generations.

How could he possibly refuse?

With a cute-looking biter on his back, Shulk was fully prepared to face the darkness outside Makna. A short trip through the Bionis' interior and he'd be in Satorl Marsh. Once through there he'd reach Colony 6. He'd need to ask them first about giving shelter to his people. However, he had one last stop to make.

"Mamapon, Dunga… I'm going," he said in front of the two stones embedded in the ground. Unlike the Homs, who returned the deceased to the ether that flowed through the Bionis, the Nopon lived in the ether-rich Makna and only had to bury their dead. Even though the real corpses were back in the ruined Frontier Village, nobody dared to return there. It wasn't safe. So, for now, these mock graves would have to do.

"I'm sorry. If I was stronger… if I was faster… I might have been able to do something. I beat him up, though. The one who killed you is gone and I still don't feel right," Shulk said. His voice was beginning to crack. "H-How could this happen? We didn't do anything... You deserved better. I promise the both of you… I won't let anybody else important to me die. Even if I have to give up my own life."

Shulk smiled as tears began to streak down his face. "So, until then… please wait for me."

"...Shulk," A voice called out. He turned his head to find Melia standing there, tears welling in her eyes. She stomped towards him and slapped him hard across the face. He held his hand to his face in shock. Melia looked like a mess. Her once beautiful robe was covered in dirt and her eyes were red. Overall, her complexion looked pale and the dark circles under her eyes showed she hadn't slept at all last night.

"Don't you dare say that!" She yelled.

"Wha—"

"They died so you could live, Shulk! I'll not have you go out with a death wish!" She scolded. Then, with her small amount of strength, she pulled him into a hug. "What about the person you die to save? What about the people left behind? Does that mean nothing to you?!"

Shulk's eyes widened in surprise. That's right. Melia had lost her second home. Frontier Village was a place where she could be herself without having to fit the princess mold or be hated for her heritage. She lost it and she wasn't even there to help or see anybody's final moments. He was her pupil. One of the few people she had remaining. And… it would spit on Mamapon's sacrifice to die so easily.

"I'm… sorry, Melly…" He whispered. Her figure, which to him had always been bigger and stronger than him, seemed so incredibly small that it felt like she would disappear. So he held onto her as well, silently promising to let the vision he saw never come to pass.

"Promise me something. Promise me that, no matter what, you will live," Melia's said into his chest. Her voice was muffled somewhat, but he heard her loud and clear.

"I promise," Shulk assured her. Separating from him, Melia frowned.

"I do not believe you. So, to make sure, I'm going with you. If you dare try to make me stay, then I will be forced to show you that your teacher still has a few tricks up her sleeves." Melia smirked as she twirled her staff in front of her. Shulk cracked a smile as he nodded. He could think of no better travel companion.

"Then, Ms. Antiqua, would you mind teaching me on the way?"

Chained to the wall in Exile Fortress behind the grand throne of Reckless Godwin, the leader of the Ignas, was Mumkhar. Beaten and bruised, rage still shined brightly in his eyes. He wasn't done yet. No mere creature could possibly beat down a superior being like him. He was positive he could break free all on his own. If only…

"Pssst. I have a plan. Let's break out."

If only this…

"Come on, angry eyes, stop giving me the silent treatment. We can escape together…"

If only the damn ball of fur would shut up!

"My name's Kacha. Let's be friends, future-partner-in-escape," the Nopon scientist said as it pushed its thick glasses up. Of course, it wasn't chained up like him. No, they just let the bloody thing stand there and talk about breaking out all day long. Then again, what harm could a tree-loving potato like this thing do? Mumkhar got the feeling that if it tried to punch an Igna, the tiny creature's hand would be deflected off the scales and it would end up hitting itself in the face.

"The day I need help from a furball is the day I need to choke a cat to death," Mumkhar replied irritatedly. Kacha frowned at this.

"Sir, I believe you have deep-rooted psychological issues. Would you like to talk about it as we plan our escape? Tell me, did your father never love you and how should we try to break those chains on you?" Kacha asked. Mumkhar didn't even know if this thing was male or female. They didn't have apparent parts like Homs or even bunnits. How the hell did they reproduce? Mumkhar briefly imagined the sight and sound of two balloons colliding against each other before dismissing the thought.

"You have stumps that you call legs, right? Then walk your fluffy ass out of here. They don't seem to be stoppin' you," Mumkhar replied as he pulled on his chains. They didn't give way. Then again, the mud and damage the Ignas delivered to his body reduced him to roughly 10% his strength. Even if he wanted to, he couldn't kill them.

"Oh my, you'd let a poor, beautiful, young damsel in distress like myself walk to my death? No, sir knight, please help me in my time of need!" Kacha begged in a melodramatic voice as she (he finally figured out her bloody gender) bowed before him. Mumkhar tried to kick at her with his mud-caked foot, but he was slow enough for even her to dodge him. One of the Ignas in the "throne room" laughed at this. Mumkhar glared at it.

"You're first," he promised. From the side, Kacha sighed.

"Deep-rooted psychological issues. Tell me, did you kick puppies when you were a kid? Fart in a bottle and make others sniff it? To think you'd try to kick a poor damsel in distress begging your aid. Let me try another angle," Kacha said as she changed her posture and pushed her hair high up.

"Kacha future Heropon! Kacha save you if work with Kacha! No bitey-bitey! Friends be happy!" She exclaimed in a high, shrilling voice reminiscent of a certain Nopon from Frontier Village.

Mumkhar was, to say the least, unmoved.

"Let me out of here, you reptilian scum! If you don't, I'll bloody kill this hostage of yours and turn her into a winter coat!" Mumkhar roared. At this point, Kacha slapped him.

"Now that. That was just insensitive," she admonished him. "I'd make at least a fancy blouse and mittens. Scientifically speaking, I have enough surface area for it."

Mumkhar banged his head against the wall behind him and knocked himself out.

"This is a Sunflower Rogue," Melia began, pointing to a bright yellow flower. "It may appear beautiful, but it is also very delicate. If you sever the stem, it will immediately wilt."

Since Satorl would be a long slog through unpleasant wetlands, Melia had decided that now was as good a time as any to begin her teachings on the road. Shulk continued to stare ahead as they trudged through the muddy water.

"...Yellow flower," Shulk said. "It's yellow and dies like a flower. I'm calling it Yellow Flower."

"Now, now, Shulk. High Entia scholars spend years arguing over what is the most ideal name for flora or fauna." Melia countered. "The name must be unique. How else would you distinguish when you are discussing a Sunflower Rogue from any other yellow flower?"

"There are other yellow flowers?! What are they called?! Yellow Flower #1? Bright Sunshiney Flower?! Why don't we call them all yellow flowers?!" Shulk shouted as he clutched his head. It made no sense!

"Shulk, you should know that." Melia shook her head. "You were raised in Makna Forest. There is a whole grove of the actual Yellow Flower species there. And it would be very confusing if we referred to different species by the same name. High Entia zoologists still regret using the antiquated 'Deinos Sauros' name for a species that is not even in the Deinos family."

"Melly, I'm going to call it Yellow Flower," Shulk said sternly.

"No! Stop being so stubborn!" Melia scolded him.

"You can't stop me!" Shulk cried as he ran off. Melia, of course, chased after him.

"That's incorrect! You can not do that!" She shouted.

"I'm a utilitarian, Melly! Tell me what the proper usage of the yellow flower-thing is and then maybe it deserves a name! You're just making names up because it's fun!"

Before Melia could counter him, she suddenly spied a stone fortress not too far from them.

"Shulk, perhaps it's wise to continue our lesson elsewhere. We are rapidly approaching Igna territory."

"What's so scary about a bunch of lizards?" Shulk chuckled as he continued to run ahead of her. "I have to deal with Deinos back at home, and they're much bigger!"

Before Melia could answer him, five Ignas began sprinting in their direction, primitive swords in their claws. Shulk pulled out his biter and began to run to meet them in glorious combat.

...At least, that's what he thought would happen. The Igna then veered off to the side once they saw Shulk and Melia. They seemed almost… joyful to see them. Shulk was confused at first, but then he realized that these Igna weren't running towards him. They were running away from something.

Shulk turned in the direction they were fleeing from to see a titanic, steel creature whirling towards them. Its mechanical tendrils whipped around as it approached red lights in place of its eyes flickered as it registered the Homs and High Entia in its path and it raised a clawed tentacle with a mechanical click, ready to eliminate them.

"This one has tentacles! It's just like Melly's hidden books!" Shulk exclaimed happily as he looked towards Melia.

"S-Shulk?! I told you before, it was research! Definitely not anything else! W-We were just analyzing bio-... organic… weapons…" Melia trailed off, her face bright red as she tried to form excuses. "Anyway, just focus on killing it!"

"Yes, Melly!"

Shulk whipped his staff, casting Summon Flare five times on his inherited biter. Melia followed his lead, whirling around her own staff to summon a wind elemental to give both of them a burst of speed. The metal beast brought its tentacles down, but both Shulk and Melia rolled out of the way, the edges nearly grazing them.

"Melly, let's do the thing!" Shulk shouted. Melia looked at him confusedly.

Shulk launched himself into the air, striking the Mechon with his foot.

"Ah, that thing!" Melia exclaimed in surprise. "Specificity is key in cooperation, Shulk!"

As he landed, Melia slid in with her Starlight Kick to bring it to its knees The boy darted behind it, smashing his biter hard into its back, gouging out chunks of metal as he tore his weapon away. The mechanical creature unsteadily rose to its feet, oil pouring from its wound. With a sudden burst of energy, lashed at Shulk with a giant tendril, sending him bouncing along the ground and straight into the murky water.

"Shulk!" Melia screamed. "Pay attention!"

Melia twirled her staff and sent a gust of wind slicing through a few of its tentacles. The metal appendages writhed as they hit the ground. Almost as if it was enraged, the metal monster whirled on Melia, prepared to attack her with several tendrils it had remaining. As it prepared its attack, its back suddenly exploded.

Once more it shifted its gaze to see a mud-covered Shulk leap high into the air and remove the red blade on his back. With a huge vertical slash, Shulk cut the Mechon in two as he fell back to the ground. The two halves fell apart, sparks and oil shooting out them before the Mechon was finally silent.

Continuing the conversation, Shulk answered, ""It's too hard, Melly! I can't stop thinking about Yellow Flowers! Why?! Why give them different names?! What purpose does it serve?!"

{Thank you, mighty assholes!}

Melia and Shulk heard a hiss as the Igna quintet emerged from the boulder they hid behind. The bowed their heads, making the earlier incomprehensible hiss make sense to the duo.

{We have been waiting many moons for some other asshole who could defeat the metal assholes.} The lead Igna gave a raspy sigh. {We've lost many of our strongest bitches to them.}

Shulk nodded with each hiss, as if he understood… But the confused expression on his face said otherwise. Melia sighed.

"Don't act like you understand… They're grateful," Melia said, summarizing what she could see from the Igna's body language.

{You nincompoop!} Another Igna scolded, slapping the first. {The assholes don't speak our tongue, otherwise they'd be bitches!}

{Owww… Fine then, you handle it...} The slapped Igna rubbed his head and groaned.

{We will take you to the boss, male asshole and feathery asshole,} the second Igna continued as he stepped forward pointing to the fortress. As a further gesture of friendship, he sheathed his sword in a crude leather harness attached to his armor and nodded.

"Follow you… and no killing each other? Okay, sounds fair," Shulk said happily. Ooh, maybe they could become friends with the Igna and the Nopon could live in the fortress! That way, they'd be protected and have a home!

"Shulk, this seems like a bit of a detour," Melia argued. "And besides, even if they put on a friendly demeanor now, Igna can be… troublesome at best. They hate everyone."

In response, the Ignas clasped their hands together and gave the duo a look that could only be compared to the Nopon Sad Eyes… Though a lot less cute on the scaly, muscled, clawed, sharp-toothed grunts.

{Just keep making this face and the assholes will believe us,} The leader said while attempting to make his hisses especially cute.

{I adopted an orphan kitten once!} Another claimed. {I raised the poor thing all by myself, for real! How can't they trust an asshole like that? I mean, what kind of asshole doesn't eat a perfectly good kitten?}

"We~ll, I don't think they'll lie. They're grateful, right?," Shulk told Melia. "Dadapon always said that the more friends you have, the happier you are. And besides," he continued as he lowered his voice, "if they are big liars, then I could always use their teeth and claws for something!"

The evening sun barely shone through the thick fog as Shulk and Melia followed the Ignas into their fortress. The exterior, built with dirt-caked rocks, blended into the cliff. Inside, dust swirled around in the scarce light pouring in. A row of guard Ignas were lined up along each wall, as if the wall itself was made of Ignas. In the center of the room on a grandiose stone throne rested an Igna noticeably larger than the rest. He lifted his head as the five Ignas approached the throne.

{What are you bitches doing!?} He rasped angrily. {You know it's my nap hour right now. This better be good or else I'm chopping you up and feeding you to the Quadwings!}

{Boss! We have a situation!} One Igna responded, cowering at the Reckless Godwin's threat. {These assholes scrapped a metal asshole! We saw it with our own eyes!}

{Good, powerful assholes make for very good slave assholes. It's about time we found worthy assholes. The last asshole we found made more noise than carnage.}

{Should we throw them in with the other assholes?} The same Igna asked with a pleading look in his eyes.

{Not yet,} answered the head of the Ignas. {Let's suck up to the assholes first, then show them the other assholes. Then they'll have to kill all the metal assholes so they don't end up as caged assholes.}

"Huh?! Where the hell— Release me, you scaly vermin!" Somebody suddenly shouted in a language Shulk could understand. He began to walked towards the area behind the throne absentmindedly. Two of the Igna lining the wall stepped forward to stop the boy.

{Stop, asshole. This area is off limits!} The guard declared. However, Shulk didn't understand a word he said. The intent got through, though, so Shulk grinned as he removed his biter. Melia bit her lip. If he started a fight here, things could very easily go bad for them. They were surrounded and had no idea the leader of the Igna even was.

"Hey, guy who shouted earlier! Would you like to be released?" Shulk asked. There was silence for a bit before the voice replied.

"W-Who are you?! Of course I want to be released! Do it quickly and I might even reward you!"

Shulk looked at Reckless Godwin with a bright smile on his face.

"Imprisoning others is mean. Let him go," Shulk ordered. Melia sighed. This was going to be another fight, wasn't it? Reckless Godwin loomed over Shulk as he snorted in rage.

"Homs asshole! I am boss! I give orders! You don't tell me what to do! Now, we make you our prisoner!" Reckless Godwin shouted, this time in a language Melia and Shulk could both understand. The blond haired man nodded and looked towards the resigned Melia.

"Teeth and claws, Melly. Teeth and claws," he reminded her. Following that statement, Shulk hefted his biter and swung it with all his strength into the first guarding Igna. The biter would have sent the first guard flying, but he impacted with the second one, sending both of them against the wall. The room froze in shock. With glee, Shulk leapt onto the throne and over it, flipping in the air to land in front of the prisoner.

The Homs was Homs from the chin up at least. Everything else below was black and gold colored metal that was caked in mud. Steel led up from his body and stretched across his face towards his eyes before stopping just short of them. More of that black metal stretched above his eye towards the outside of his face and stopped right before his hairline. With his brown hair slicked back behind him, Mumkhar was the oddest mixture of man, machine, and style that Shulk had ever seen (as well as the only one).

"So cool! You're cool!" Shulk exclaimed with stars in his eyes. Then, without wasting any more time, he freed the man by breaking the chains with his biter. Looking to the side, he saw they also had a Nopon, but she wasn't in chains. The Nopon waved. Shulk waved back. What a nice Nopon.

"Ahahaha! Good job, brat! It looks like somebody knows how to recognize excellence!" Mumkhar said pointedly, glaring at Kacha. "Name's Mumkhar. Now get me the hell out of here and we'll discuss the reward!"

At this time, the Igna realized they were supposed to be freaking out and attacking the Homs. Reckless Godwin roared.

{THE ASSHOLES ARE WORKING TOGETHER! BITCHES, FILL THESE ASSHOLES WITH YOUR SWOR—}

Reckless Godwin was cut off as flames exploded against his chest, sending him straight into his thrown. Surprised, the other Igna looked at the culprit, Melia, who still had her staff extended.

"You should watch your tongue. It is a lesser known secret, but ether can be read. I've known everything you lot have said. If you are unable to manage your language, then I'll be forced to silence you myself," Melia said as she twirled her staff behind her. Then, Shulk and Mumkhar leapt out from behind the throne. Shulk swung his biter into an Igna, caving in its chest and allowing Mumkhar to grab the dropped sword. Of course, his eyes and full attention were drawn towards the red sword on Shulk's back, but he said nothing.

The Ignas lined against the wall continued to emerge onto the center of the fortress as if they were statues that had come to life. Two of them swarmed over to Shulk, but the clever Homs rolled out of the way, causing the pathetic duo to crash into each other.

{Watch where you're going, bitch!} One of them screamed at the other.

{You're the one who needs to keep your eyes on the assholes, you-} But before it could respond, both Ignas slipped on a slick liquid at their feet and slammed hard on their backs.

"Lemon Stone nectar!" Shulk proclaimed as he bashed both of the fallen Ignas over the head with his biter. "Delicious AND useful! Let's see that Sunflower Rogue make half as useful a pod!" More of the Igna began to charge in Shulk's direction, their feet scrambling to avoid the gooey substance spilled on the floor.

"Hey! Sunflower Rogue's are very useful! You can... You can look at them and they're very pretty!" Melia countered as she summoned a great ball of ice that struck the Ignas in front of her. Their sharp claws froze over and their scales were covered in frost as they shuddered from the cold and recoiled.

"I'm more of an Ether Rose fan myself… Because they can do this!" Shulk hurled a white capsule at the incoming horde of Igna. The pod struck the Igna in the lead straight on the forehead, the force of the impact opening it up and releasing a powdery white gas. As it spread, the reptiles coughed and winced at a noxious smell that could only be described as a cross between an Orluga's armpit and decomposing Brog meat on a hot day.

An Igna's head sailed in front of Melia's eyes all of a sudden. Looking to her right, she saw Mumkhar wielding one of the cruel blades.

"Would you stop talking, brats?! This is a battle, not couple's bloody aromatherapy!" Mumkhar shouted as he leapt at another Igna, slashing at it with mad glee. Reckless Godwin finally stood back to his feet and roared.

"I. AM. LEADER. I AM GODW—"

He was suddenly cut off as a foot slammed against his scaly throat, cutting off the air to his lungs. Looking up in terror, he saw that blond asshole from earlier.

"M-Mr. Mumkhar, we're not— I mean, me and her—...We're not… a couple," Shulk said shyly as he ground his heel into the Igna leader's esophagus. "Teacher and student… Shulk and Melly not couple… yeah…"

"GRAAGRGagGgagAGAGAHGAHA! I'LL KILL YOU!" Godwin shouted as he pushed the boy's foot up with all his strength. Shulk looked towards Melia, but she didn't seem anywhere near as flustered as he was. Probably because five Igna were attacking her. Forcing the heat from his face (or trying to, rather) Shulk looked down at Godwin.

"Under these circumstances, it might not be ideal, but, could you answer a question for me? How does… How do your people… attract, um… females?" Shulk asked, forcing his foot down harder. Godwin couldn't believe it. He was the strongest of all the Satorl Igna. In fact, he once believed himself to be the strongest creature on Bionis, but this kid… even though his frame was slim he was somehow even stronger than Godwin?!

"Ass...hole… I'll… run my sword… through…" Godwin tried to threaten the boy, but it was getting rather hard to breath. In fact, he was beginning to have the onset of hallucinations at this point. Was that Mamaigna back there? Holding a basket full of fresh-cooked bitch-bread?

"Run sword through asshole?" Shulk asked, his expression in pensive. As if he got an idea, Shulk nodded. "Just like with Dadapon and Mamapon, huh..." Then, with a smile, Shulk said to Godwin, "Say you're sorry and I'll let you go."

Godwin, now half in the land of bitch-bread and fetishized Igna and half in the land of being choked out by the people slaughtering his kin, could only make a gasping, sputtering sound. Shulk sighed. Bad guys really didn't want to learn, did they?

With a heavy heart, Shulk raised his biter. He removed his foot from Godwin's throat.

"Last chance," he offered. Godwin spit in his face. Sighing for the final time, Shulk swung his biter.

Thus ended the self-declared reign of the self-declared king of the Igna, Reckless (self-declared) Godwin.

"Thank you very much for helping me escape!" Kacha happily thanked them. She looked towards Mumkhar one last time, stuck out her tongue, and then turned away, leaving the trio alone outside Exile Fortress. Mumkhar rolled his eyes at the Nopon.

"Sentient fleabag. I hope it gets eaten on the way back… bloody annoying potato..." he muttered under his breath, just quiet enough that the others didn't pick up on it. He then turned his attention to Shulk, who was still staring at him with a spark of excitement.

"Mr. Mumkhar," Shulk began, practically jumping in place. "Can… Can I fix you up?!"

Now, Mumkhar was slightly wary of this offer. With the furs and vest with no shirt underneath, Shulk seemed wild. Not just that, but everything about him screamed "I just came from Makna!" Of course, he needed that Monado, but he was too weak to take it in his current state. In fact, he might have a bit of trouble even at full power without his Face, but he didn't dare admit it. So, the question was…

Should he let the obviously insane wild boy mess with his parts for a chance at the Monado?

"Shulk," Melia admonished, "It's rude to ask that. You're not just going to put your hands in some stranger's body that's been heavily mechanized for reasons I can't possibly imagine." Turning to Mumkhar, Melia bowed her head. "I'm sorry, sir. He's not one to know boundaries. Having been raised by Nopon, he's not quite used to the concept of having personal space," she finished, glaring at Shulk at that last bit.

He tilted his head in confusion. "But Melly, I already told you, all Nopon are fine bathing together. Why can't we share one too? It helps friends grow closer."

Melia's face reddened, but she ignored Shulk. They've already been through this conversation before.

"You two… You make me tired. Fine, I'll let you try to fix me up, but if you dare put your hands where they don't belong or break anything… I'll kill you," Mumkhar said as he rubbed his head, He was getting a migraine from all the idiocy surrounding him. It was, to say the least, the most stressful day he ever had.

Shulk's eyes sparkled as he reached into his tool bag. Melia put a hand on his shoulder to stop him.

"Let's head back into the fortress. It'll be safer and you'll be able to work in peace. We could move forward, but it's starting to get late. Strong monsters come out at night in Satorl. I'd rather not chance having the misfortune to encounter one," Melia advised. With a smile, Shulk nodded in agreement.

"I get to sit on the throne!" Mumkhar declared proudly. "That is my one condition!"

Melia sent a speculative look at Mumkhar, examining him for a moment.

"You… Okay. I will not question that. If it makes you feel more important, then I see no need not to allow it," Melia said. Then, under her breath, she added, "Even though the princess should sit on the throne…"

"Oooooooh, it is good to be the best," Mumkhar proclaimed as he sunk into the stone chair. Melia nearly glared at the mechanical Homs, but managed to suppress the urge as she looked to Shulk.

"Shulk, do you have everything you need here?" She asked.

"I think so," he answered as he began to pull leather pouches out of his tool bag. "Let's see… Kelp Mushrooms seem like a good start." He pulled out several dark green mushrooms that nearly slipped out of his hands. He then crushed them up in his hands and approached Mumkhar before wiping his greased-up hands over Mumkhar's knuckles and letting the juices drip into the crevices on them.

"You said you had something important stuck in those holes on your knuckles, right?" Shulk asked for confirmation.

In response, Mumkhar held up his right arm. A row of long claws popped out, sharp enough to slice through skin and bone with ease.

"I'm back in business! Oh, if only that pathetic lizard could have tasted these claws!" Mumkhar laugh-ed with twisted delight. Shulk's eyes widened.

"Clawman! So cool!" He exclaimed. Mumkhar's pride swelled. Finally, somebody who appreciated him. It was a shame the boy had the Monado. He didn't even seem to know what it was. Perhaps he didn't have to murder the boy.

Shulk next took out a jar filled with a black liquid as thick as jelly.

"Sticky Mucus!" Shulk explained. "I'm glad we gathered some of these from some Brogs on the way here." Mumkhar winced at the name of the substance.

"Get that filth away from me! I'll not have you rub spit on my beautiful body!" Mumkhar complained loudly..

Listening to his patient and then promptly ignoring him, Shulk approached Mumkhar and began slopping the goop on his steel body anyways. It was pungent and the scent burned Mumkhar's nostrils worse than the old moustache cream Vangarre used to use.

"Brat… I've fought in a war, seen countless dead… smelled burning hair and flesh… but that slop is the most foul thing I've smelled," Mumkhar gagged.

"It goes away after it hardens…" Shulk assured Mumkhar as he used the natural adhesive to glue some of the torn metal on his arm back into place. "Well, that's what Melly told me anyway."

Hopeful, Mumkhar looked to Melia. The princess shrugged as she held her nose closed..

"Either that or it burns away your sense of smell until it is virtually useless. The texts never gave me a straight answer…" She trailed off ominously. Mumkhar looked worried for a moment, before rage overtook his visage.

"If I lose my sense of smell…"

"You'll kill me, Mr. Mumkhar?" Shulk finished with a smile, not even worried. "No offense, but you shouldn't threaten the person fixing you up after they saved you and after you promised them a reward."

"Put his legs on backwards," Melia suggested. Shulk's smile brightened considerably.

"I hate you," Mumkhar said as he spit off the side of the throne. Melia, amused by this, moved over to the wall. Having lived in Makna with Shulk, she was more than used to having to camp outside every now and again. In fact, having a solid wall to lean against could be considered a blessing.

"I'd be more concerned if you liked me," Melia countered, much to Mumkhar's ire. With a victorious grin, she closed her eyes. "Keep watch you two. Early to bed and early to rise, makes a High Entia healthy, wise, and etherized."

As Melia faded away into the land of dreams, Mumkhar's eyes refocused on the Monado adorning Shulk's back.

"Brat… where did you get that sword?" He asked. Shulk continued to move Mumkhar's parts back into place as he replied.

"Dinobeast gave it to me when the Mechon attacked my home. I killed Bord with it… Or was it Hord? Mord? Something like that. I don't really know how to use a sword, but it cuts through Mechon very easily," Shulk answered with a smile. Dinobeast? Did this kid really kill Xord?! The Monado wasn't supposed to work on them! Was Lord Egil wrong? Did he send them to their deaths?!

"Brat… that sword. Do you even know what it is?" Mumkhar asked. Shulk shrugged.

"No, I don't. But I don't think that matters. This sword could be the most powerful item in the world, but what matters isn't the weapon. It's the person using it," Shulk replied solemnly. "Mr. Mumkhar, you have a powerful body. You are a weapon and no doubt more experienced than me. As for me…" He trailed off, sending a lonely glance towards Melia before continuing.

"I'm just a brat that was too weak to save his family and too scared to travel without endangering what remained of it. I need to be stronger. I don't need to improve my skills with a weird, powerful weapon. I need to improve myself. They elected me the Heropon. Even though I'm not a Nopon, even though I'm so weak… they put their faith in me. I'm not going to rely on this sword. I'm going to rely on my own power, the power they believed in. However… I'm still weak," Shulk finished with a weak smile as he looked up to Mumkhar. "So, for at least a little longer, I need to rely on it in a pinch."

Mumkhar's face softened slightly at this.

"Shulk… you could be a hero with that, you know?" Mumkhar offered up, his voice breaking. In Shulk he saw his antithesis. Ever since Dunban climbed to fame in the war with that sword, Mumkhar's heart was clouded with envy. Mad, ravenous jealousy that even made him abandon his comrades.

He wanted that sword. With every fiber in his metallic being he wanted it.

He wanted to be the hero.

He wanted people to look at him. Just once, he wanted to be the person people looked up to.

He wanted to be his own person, not hidden in another's shadow.

He didn't want to die as "Dunban's comrade". He wanted to leave something behind. A legacy.

Envy? No... Perhaps it was fear. In his core, Mumkhar was scared of being forgotten.

'Shulk, how will you answer this? You make no sense. Is it even possible to live like you?' Mumkhar thought with a stormy expression.

"A hero isn't somebody who uses a fancy sword, Mr. Mumkhar. I don't think they even need to be that strong. As long as you can protect at least one person, then you're a hero. Of course, I have some expectations to live up to, so I can't set my goal as low as that," Shulk answered. with a smile. Then he rubbed the back of his head embarrassedly. "Sorry, we got into some very deep stuff. I think it's better if I just hurry up and fix you up now."

"It was… no problem…" Mumkhar murmured. Once Shulk finished, he went outside to go fetch something. Left alone on the throne, Mumkhar sighed.

"'As long as you can protect at least one person…'" He quietly repeated. Turning his head, his eyes fell upon Melia. Then he let out a small chuckle. "Not a couple he says… how stupid."

'When was the last time I helped somebody for a stupid reason like it being the right thing to do?' Mumkhar thought. But no matter how many times he called it stupid he couldn't put his whole heart into it. He'd kill that boy for making things so complicated.

But once again, he couldn't put his whole heart into it.

Some time later, Melia was shaken awake. Judging by how tired she was, she highly doubted it was morning already.

"Melly, look at this! I found a back door!" Shulk said excitedly as he picked her up in a princess carry. She was too tired to even register what was going on until he brought her over to the large opening in the wall.

"Wha… Shulk? What are yo—" Melia cut herself off with a yawn before continuing, "—u doing…?"

"Melly, look!" Shulk whispered with wonder.

The half awake High Entia princess wearily rubbed her eyes as she forced them open. The sight that greeted her stole her breath away, forcing her to full attention. While she had seen Satorl Marsh at night in books and paintings, they could only somewhat capture the beauty that lay out before them. Purple mist swirled through the air, giving it a dreamlike atmosphere. The trees, woody and bare before, now glowed with ether orbs that floated into the air like stars. The once muggy air was now crisp and refreshing, and the murky waters were now as clear as the water in the fountains of Alcamoth, their surfaces sparkling as they reflected the light of the ether.

"Oh my… It's lovely, Shulk…" Melia murmured, still caught up in the stunning view. Her eyes watered slightly. Such beauty could be found in such a desolate place. Everything had a purpose, even the disgusting marsh could be beautiful… While filled with such hopeful thoughts, Melia even forgot Shulk was still holding her.

"I never saw anything like this back in Makna," Shulk explained, also staring ahead. "Sometimes there'd be purple mist in the trees, but it was nothing like this."

It only took one day for everything to come crashing down. And in the days that followed, Shulk planned on being strong, to never let his smile fade. But here, alone with Melia as Mumkhar gently snored in the background… in front of this peace…

Melia felt rain fall onto her robe. Still too tired, she looked up at Shulk's miserable expression.

"If we didn't kill that Mechon… it would have destroyed this too. Melly, why do they do this?" He asked quietly. Melia smiled gently as she placed her hand on his cheek.

"Nobody knows, Shulk, but we have no way of finding out. All we can do for now is keep on fighting," she comforted him. They stayed there, staring quietly at the starry marsh below before Melia spoke once again, slightly more awake this time. "Why did you save that man? Why are you repairing him?"

Shulk sighed.

"I don't know if you'll believe this, but that red Ponado thing showed me a vision when I grabbed it. He was there with me and Hode and he wasn't broken and injured," Shulk explained. "Besides, I think it was the right thing to do anyways. I would have helped him even without the vision."

Melia accepted Shulk's explanation quietly.

'The Monado… I've heard of it, but only slightly. Whatever secrets it hides and however Shulk got it… perhaps it might be best if he and I don't pry too deeply into such matters…' Melia thought.

And, after a near eternity of looking at the beauty, they decided to turn in for the night. Shulk put his weapons in a pile with Melia's staff and fell asleep on the stone floor. Mumkhar stopped his fake snoring once he heard their quiet breathing. His parts now granting him much more movement than before (which was limited to standing, hobbling, and leaping at Ignas), Mumkhar walked over to the Monado.

He could take it right here.

Nobody was watching.

Nobody could stop him.

"So, for at least a little longer, I need to rely on it in a pinch."

Mumkhar snorted. It would be too troublesome now, he supposed. They'd chase him and he still wasn't at 100%. Besides, the brat only plans on using it a bit longer. After that, he could even ask for the weapon and receive it effortlessly. And taking it while they were asleep? Too easy. No challenge for somebody as great as he. No, he should have it presented to him.

That was right. He wouldn't steal it. They'd simply give it to him while also protecting him as he traveled with them. After all, there was no way he'd let them leave with the Monado.

Mumkhar went to sleep constantly making reasons for why it would be much wiser to wait.

For some reason, the decision to not steal it felt really good.

Mechonis

Xord: Dead.

Metal Face: Destroyed.

His face units that he worked so hard to create went down so easily. Egil frowned as he stared at the screen. Impossible.

In the Mechonis, there was one Machina in charge. One Machina creating Mechon and Face Units, waging a war alone against the Bionis. His humanoid body was black and silver steel, forming intricate patterns dotted with orange lights. His face was human-like in nature, but it was formed of steel, lacking any compassion. There was only way to describe his countenance, his hand-crafted design.

Regal.

With all the others abandoning him, he stood alone at the pinnacle of power, ruling over the Mechonis in solitude. However, that wouldn't be for long. Soon he could give Meyneth, the goddess who was the Mechonis, a body all for herself. He just couldn't find the perfect match.

"I sent the Mechon forward, expecting the Colony 9 Mechon to reinforce our hold on 6, but… it appears the wielder of the Monado interrupted. I suppose this is my fault for not perfecting them before sending them out…" Egil said aloud. His words echoed in the empty city of Agniratha. What used to be a place filled with life and movement, was frozen still and covered in the scars of war. The buildings were tombstones, and the Mechon he made that patrolled the area were lifeless. Unintelligent.

Yet his rage drove him onwards.

"Zanza… I will have my revenge…"

And again, nobody answered.

A/N: A mostly light chapter to help lesson the drama and sadness. Hopeful too. We're slowly drawing closer to Colony 6. What will our heroes find there? Well, you won't find out because we get to see the Defence Force next time (and maybe this odd trio as well depending on the chapter length).

KoZ: I am really happy with my Mumkhar lines and Egil description. I wrote literally all of Mumkhar. I guess I do hog the writing stick a bit too much…

Shay: Hey, as long as I get to write some things. Writing the Ignas' dialogue with you was an absolute blast.

KoZ: I came up with assholes, she finished it with the bitches… That previous sentence is perfect.

Question of the Chapter: How many times was the word "asshole" used? No cheating with Ctrl+F!

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