Keyara growled as the Telethia pushed her down; her sword blocking it's claw's, before Shulk came running over, slicing at it. They, themselves personally, had been given a request by the a Nopon to take care of a small group of Telethia near Makna Falls...it would've been simple if the Nopon had explained that the small group consisted of eight Inja Telethia! Shulk soon activated his Purge, allowing the Purge of ether to stop the Telethia's regenerating power's. Keyara got to her feet and began charging her gloves, before she strapped her sword to her back and held her outstretched arm, keeping it steady.

"Shulk, move!" Keyara shouted and Shulk jumped; Keyara used both arms to steady her Ether-Blast, hitting the last two Telethia, destroying one. Shulk came down on the other, his blade still green as he cut the last Inja in two and Telethia disappearing into ether particles. Keyara panted, and slid to her knee's, unaware of Shulk's Monado, and the strange way he looked at her.

"Shulk, can we leave now? I-if we stay a-any longer, I-I m-might-" As She got no reply, she looked up at him, worried. "Shulk?" She questioned seeing the way he looked at her. He looked at her like she was prey, before his eyes slowly turned neon green and she gasped. Not again!

Looking at the Monado, she winced as she realized what just happened; he was in Purge state again and that wasn't good with how she was lossing her control on the ether. She was putting all her focus on stopping the ether particles of the Telethia from affecting her mind, that she wouldn't be able to defend herself.

Shulk smirked at her, a sadistic smirk painting his face as he rose a brow at her. "Why Keyara, what's wrong?" Shulk asked, sticking his sword in the ground, and leaning against it, still in Purge state. "Shulk...d-deactivate t-the Monado." Keyara begged, sweating...the ether was starting to affect her.

"But why? There's nothing wrong, beside's...I'm still pumping with adrenaline. Wanna help me release it?" Shulk asked, getting into a fighting stance. Keyara paled and tried to stand to get away but she slumped back to the ground; groaning as she struggled to keep her mind together. It shattered when Shulk's Monado sliced her arm, blood seeping from the wound.

'NO!' Keyara thought, before her eyes turned red. Ripping her sword from her back, she swung at Shulk and he smiled at her, his neon green eyes showing malicious interest.

"That's what I was looking for!" Shulk shouted, and the two began fighting. As the fight went on, they both looked at each other bored, obviously having found out the other was playing, and Keyara drew her sword away. "Too easy, too boring!" Keyara complained, before she sighed, and shot a blast of ether at a Deinos, the red ether killing it.

"There was no need for that." Shulk stated, bored, but he seemed interested at the need to blood. "It's fun to kill things though." Keyara said, refilling her gloves with the ether from the dead Deinos. "Fun, eh? Heh, I find it fun killing things as well." Shulk stated, and Keyara looked at him, and smirked, her red eyes showing blood-lusting playfulness.

"Oh really, eh?" Keyara questioned, a smirk on her face. "How about we have some fun around Makna, and kill anything we find?" She suggested, making Shulk smirk at her. "It's such a big place, we're sure to find a challenge eventually." She finished, a crazy look now on her face. Shulk smiled back, a crazy look similar to her's on his face; they both laughed as they ran into Makna, both ready to have some fun for the day.

In Frontier Village: Fiora led the group out of the village, worry written all over her face; the others weren't far behind her as they left with her. "I'm sure their fine Fiora, they can handle themselves. Their adult's." Sharla tried reasoning with the worried, blue Mechon girl.

"I-I know that! B-but still...I just want to check on them." Fiora stated, worry written all of her features and obvious within her stance; thus making Sharla sigh. "Then we'll split up. When we find one of them, search for the others but stick in pairs of two." Sharla said, and they nodded.

"Riki go with Hom-Hero!" Riki shouted, attaching himself to Dunban's shoulder. "I'll go with ya, Sharla." Reyn stated, and she nodded. "Then I'll go with Willow." Melia said, standing beside the black-haired, red eyed Homs.

"Fiora, wanna come with me, and Reyn?" Sharla asked Fiora, but she shook her head. "Nah, I'll be okay on my own. I have a feeling I might know where they are." Fiora said, and before anyone could question her, she took off, her Speed outfit making her faster. "And there she goes." Sharla said with a sigh, before she looked to the others. "Come on everyone, let's go look around." She stated, and they all nodded, heading separate ways.

With Keyara and Shulk: Shulk ripped the Monado out of the dead Orluga, before he killed a Hode charging at him, even as Keyara gave a dark chuckle. They were both covered in blood, not their own due to no tears or cuts but the blood of the enemies they've killed. Dead bodies were every where, and sadly even a innocent Nopon here, or there. "Satisfying, isn't it?" Keyara asked casually, her sword leaning against one shoulder and Shulk nodded, a terrifying smirk on his face.

They heard footsteps and turned around; only to see a worried, shocked, and horrified Fiora, who walked toward them carefully. "Are you two okay?" Fiora asked as she looked away from the massacre to them. "Me and the others came looking for you when you didn't return back to Frontier Village. Are you two okay?" Fiora asked them, and they looked at one another, before nodding at her.

"Yep, we're fine." Keyara stated, closing her eyes, starting to grow restless. "Just peachy." Shulk replied, sticking the Monado in the ground and laying against it again. Fiora gaped at them, obviously unconvinced by their answer. "I highly doubt that. Look at you two! You're both covered in blood!" Fiora exclaimed, and Shulk sighed while Keyara glared at her.

"Please keep it down, would you?" Keyara snapped, her red eyes harsh. "There are still many creature's around that we have left to kill." Keyara said simply, receiving a look of shock from Fiora. "E-excuse me?" Fiora asked, before she felt eyes on her and looking at Shulk, she noticed he was watching her intently...a predatory look once again in his eye's.

"Shulk?" Fiora asked cautiously, backing a few steps away. "You know Keyara, I think these enemies are too weak." Shulk said, standing straight and slowly pulling the Monado out of the ground. "I was thinking the same thing." Keyara replied, before looking at him curiously. "...What do you have in mind?" Keyara asked with a bloody smirk, Shulk with a smirk mirroring hers.

"I say we got more...challenging prey before us." Shulk said, and Keyara chuckled, sending shiver's up Fiora's spine as she took a few steps back. "Keyara, Shulk, what's gotten into you two?" Fiora asked, before she noticed their eyes.

Shulk had neon green eyes, the same color matching the way his Monado looked...what happened? Looking at Keyara, Keyara's eyes had become a crazy, blood red color, and it scared Fiora. The ether took control of Keyara?! She saw Shulk raise the Monado and he struck at her. Fiora gave a small scream and jumped back; thanks to her Speed suit, she was able to dodge the attack, before she regained her footing and jumped up, avoiding Keyara swinging her at.

"This is what I call a challenge!" Keyara shouted as she blocked Fiora's dagger's. 'What's gotten into them?' Fiora thought, before she gasped as she back-flipped away from Keyara, dodging Shulk's Monado. "Hey, watch where you're swinging that thing!" Keyara shouted at Shulk, who glared at her.

"Oi, shut up!" Shulk shot back, before Keyara growled before she noticed movement to her left. "Hey, she's getting away you idiot!" Keyara shouted, red eyes wide as she saw Fiora taking steps backwards. "Oh no, she don't!" Shulk shouted, charging at her, he swung but she blocked. 'I-I can't fight them! I don't want to hurt them.' Fiora thought, frightened at their need for bloodshed.

As Keyara swung, Fiora tried to think of how to get them back to normal? Stab them? No, she wouldn't be able to bring herself to do it. Confuse them? ...No, that'd only aggravate them, and make them more deadly. ...Knocking them out? That could work, the only question is...how? As Keyara jumped at her, Fiora side-stepped and ran off...she had to warn the others.

"After her!" Shulk shouted, chasing her, Keyara right behind him. As Fiora passed Yellow Flower grove, she jumped over a tree, Shulk following not far behind...even as Keyara used her Ether Blast to destroy it. Shulk swung at Fiora when he was close enough but she only jumped forward, rolling a little, before springing forward again.

"Keyara, use your ether to stop her!" Shulk shouted, and Keyara nodded, red ether heading towards Fiora and freezing her. "Wh-what?!" Fiora shouted, before looking behind her and gasping. Shulk struck her and Fiora screamed in pain as the Monado easy ripped through her side, right below her ribs.

Elsewhere: Dunban, Riki, Sharla, Reyn, Melia, and Willow had all gone back to Frontier Village only to noticed that Shulk, Keyara, and Fiora were still missing. "That's strange, their not back yet." Sharla said, worried. "Ooh! Riki feel uneasy...Riki feel like something bad happen." Riki stated with a shudder, and Willow nodded.

"Yes, I too feel...uneasy." Willow mumbled out, sighing. 'Something defiantly happened. ...Something bad!' Willow thought uneasily.

They stiffened as they heard a scream, before they realized it was Fiora's scream. They heard the sound of something exploding, before they heard what sounded like ether, before another scream, this one from Keyara, sounded. Dunban turned toward Yellow Flower Grove, his eyes wide in horror. "Fiora!" Dunban shouted, and headed there, followed by the others.

With Keyara and Shulk: Keyara screamed as Fiora's daggers pierced her skin and Fiora gasped in horror as she saw what she did. "Oh Bionis, Keyara, I'm so-AH!" Fiora screamed again in pain as Shulk's Monado cut her back.

Fiora kicked Shulk away, before she jumped away from Keyara, who growled at her, red eyes seeming to try to melt her. Fiora began trembling, electricity coming from her whole body as her body seemed to reject her. Grimacing in pain, she barely blocked Shulk's Monado and tears came to her eyes.

"Please Shulk...please, wake up!" Fiora shouted, hitting the hilt of her daggers to his head as she side-stepped, and hit the back of his head. He stumbled forward a bit, before he groaned and rubbed his head and looked at her. The Monado deactivated as his eyes returned back to their, normal, blue color.

"F-Fiora?" Shulk asked worried, and Fiora sighed in relief. "You're back to-AH!" Fiora screamed as Keyara's sword sliced her shoulder. "FIORA!" Shulk shouted in horror, before he saw it was Keyara, and he was horrified.

Why would she attack Fiora? What in the name of Bionis was going on? Where did all the blood covering Keyara, and him come from? How did Fiora get so many wounds? He looked at Keyara, worried, before he saw the red eye's, and gasped. The ether...it was...controlling her again? Shulk quickly took action, and used Monado Shield, blocking the attack meant to hit Fiora.

"Grah! Dammit Shulk!" Keyara shouted, before she noticed his eyes weren't neon green anymore. "Humph! Seem's like you've regained your sense's again." Keyara stated, before she struck him, her attack bouncing off the shield. Shulk ignored her question despite his curiosity and struck her, making her block.

"Fiora, try to knock her out!" Shulk shouted, and she nodded, aiming for Keyara's head with the hilt of her daggers. Keyara dodged and kicked Fiora away, before she back-flipped over Fiora; striking, her sword making contact with the shield again.

Keyara went to strike again, but Fiora dodge, and as the others came into the area, Fiora hit the hilt of her dagger's against Keyara's head, sending Keyara, unconscious, to the ground. The others ran over as Shulk used Light Heal on Fiora, healing the wounds she had. "Thanks Shulk." She said with a small smile, and he returned it.

"No problem, are you okay?" He asked as the others got to them, and she nodded. "I'm fine now. Thanks!" Fiora said, giving a bright smile. "What happened?" Sharla asked, and Fiora sighed, nervous.

"S...something happened to...to Keyara! She...she seemed to have been controlled, her eyes were red." Fiora said, keeping what happened to Shulk, a secret...she didn't want him to get in trouble...and Keyara seemed to have known what happened. 'So that was the uneasy feeling. Keyara got controlled by the ether...that doesn't seem to be the whole truth though.' Willow thought, seeing all the blood around the area, and the blood that covered Shulk, and Fiora.

"The ether must've controlled her...I can't blame her. There's a ton of ether around this place." Melia commented, and they noticed all the ether crystals. "I agree...let's get back to Frontier Village." Sharla stated, and they nodded, Reyn picking Keyara up, and they headed back.

'This isn't normal...Shulk doesn't just attack like that. Maybe Keyara knows what happened?' Fiora thought, looking at Keyara, worried. 'Keyara got controlled again...but that's unusual, she usually has better control. I hope everything's okay.' Shulk thought, also looking at Keyara worried.

'Something's off, that's not the whole truth. Something else happened, but it seems no one wants to admit it. Maybe, once things settle down a bit, the truth will be revealed.' Willow thought, looking at Fiora, then Shulk, and lastly, Keyara. Things just got a lot more complicated, and secret's are now being kept. Just what danger's lurk within the shadow's, waiting to be revealed?

This story was inspired by Ether!Keyara and Purge!Shulk, my friend Entr0py did a story on DA about the different forms of the Monado actually affecting him. One of my favorites, by far, is the Purge!Shulk story where Shulk becomes psychotic and attacks Keyara. I did a story in relation to that story called Ether Control, where the ether takes control of Keyara and she attacks Shulk. This story was: "What would happen if Purge!Shulk and Ether!Keyara ever encountered one another? What kind of mayhem would they ensue?" Well, we just saw the results right here!

Anyways, not much else to say except this story always makes me wanna go reread Purge!Shulk and Ether Control. ^^ Enjoy!