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Chapter Text

The universe is a beautifully fickle thing. Nothing is ever constant, except for the swirling, changing nature of itself. Colours intermingle, weaving together stars and galaxies that melt and shift against one another. In the centre of it all was A. At least, that's what Shulk saw when he looked into those eyes. Perhaps to some A was intimidating - the act of perceiving the very essence of being made people shy away. But not Shulk. Shulk found A captivating. A was fate itself, and Shulk had been inextricably connected to fate since the day he'd been born.

A was everything, everywhere, all at once.

A's reappearance had brought a wave of relief, but at the same time, Shulk knew with an intuition that had never left him that this marked the beginning of the end. He wasn't even sure what had changed, exactly. It was a slight shift, a niggling in the back of his mind that told him he didn't have much time to savour this. This, in turn, made his time that much more important, casting a somber attitude across everything he did. When he looked at the group of people he was with right now, sitting around a campfire at the back of Colony 9 with flasks of hot cocoa, Shulk had the strangest of feelings. He knew, somehow, that this group of people, as they were now, would perhaps never be united in this way again. That this feeling of belonging so warmly would soon fade away, even if he didn't understand exactly how that would come to be. The thought makes a solemn smile pull at the corners of his lips as he swirls his cocoa in the mug, studying each of his friends carefully in the low light.

Matthew, a big dumb grin plastered to his face as he pesters Glimmer, leaning over to slap a hand onto her shoulder as she pretends to ignore him with a deep breath and closed eyes - but Shulk can see the beginnings of a smile on her face regardless. Rex, clearly with something stronger than cocoa in his system, talking animatedly to Nikol about some adventure he'd had back on Alrest - and Nikol, wide-eyed and soaking in his every word with his mouth agape in interest. A, sat on the opposite end of the campfire to him, leaning forward to stoke the fire with one hand while A cradles the flask in the other. As A leans forward, brushing the fringe from A's forehead, their eyes meet over the soft glow of the fire - and Shulk can't help but smile. It's then that he understands that his time here is more precious than he could ever put into words - and he knows he must spend it wisely while he still can.

Chapter Text

The sun was high, though hidden above the layer of clouds dusting the sky above the colony, when Shulk runs into Glimmer the next day. She's standing by the side of the street near the gem machine, her hands raised above her head and her neck bent awkwardly downwards, a frown etched onto her face. Shulk is strolling past with a cluster of files when he spots her, and she makes an exasperated grunt, fiddling with something in her hands. Shulk, not yet spotted by her, slows his pace - tilting his head as he analyses her odd behaviour. Now that he's looking closer, he can see the object in Glimmer's hand is her hair tie, which she's fumbling with as her ponytail keeps falling from her grip.

Shulk shakes his head, setting his papers down as he approaches her - she shoots a glare at him from her awkward position.

'What?' She bites, already frustrated and clearly embarrassed at being caught fumbling with something so simple.

'Do you need a hand?' Shulk offers, extending his good hand to take the tie from her. Glimmer considers his proposal for a long moment before dropping the item into his open palm with a huff, then turns around to give him access to the back of her head.

With nimble fingers that Glimmer wasn't expecting, Shulk gathers her hair with one hand, placing the tie between his teeth as he wraps her auburn locks around themselves into a neat little bun at the top of her head - similar to the shape of a rose. Holding it in place, he grabs the tie from his teeth with his mechanical hand and passes it to himself, securing the hairstyle in one swift movement.

'There we go, all done.' Shulk steps out of her space, nodding at his work. Glimmer turns back to face him, bringing a hand up to feel tentatively at the hair-do. Her face is caught somewhere between utter disbelief and being deeply impressed.

'Sorry,' Shulk frowns when Glimmer doesn't speak. 'I just figured it would get in the way less in battle if I -'

'No, no, I get it,' Glimmer waves her hands in front of her as she speaks. 'I just wasn't expecting you to be so... skilled at that. One handed, too.''

Shulk can't suppress his little chuckle. 'What, I'm not allowed to have tricks up my sleeve?'

'That's not it. It's just...' Glimmer walks around Shulk, inspecting his scraggly, unkempt hair and split ends. 'Why don't you look after your own hair? It looks like...'

Glimmer stops herself from saying "shit," aware that that's rude, but Shulk seems to take no offense to her blunt attitude.

'I don't have the time or the motivation, really. It's hard work, and there are more important things to be doing. I suppose I ought to cut it short again, but it's sort of... sentimental, I guess.' Shulk offers. He wasn’t quite sure she would even understand being caught in a stress-induced paralysis of poor hygiene. He also felt rather silly explaining this to a teenager who he's sure doesn't really care. Glimmer didn't seem to care about much - no, that wasn't right. She cared an awful lot, but Shulk could sense that she was just... closed off, as if having emotions embarrassed her. Maybe it was just a teenage girl thing. Shulk wouldn't really know - though he doesn't remember Fiora ever being that way. Though he’d never been the best at reading emotions, he’d become a little better over the years.

'Come on.' Glimmer sighs, catching his arm with her hand and leading him away from the street.

'Uh?' Shulk is taken by surprise as he's dragged along behind her, acutely aware of the documents he'd left behind on the floor. 'Where are we going?'

'I'm going to do your hair.' Glimmer explains, sighing heavily as if the whole thing is an ordeal. Like it's putting her out and it wasn't her that decided to do this in the first place. Shulk knows better than to argue, keeping up the pace as he follows her down the street. There was no getting out of a situation with someone this stubborn, after all.

After picking up some supplies from her tent, Shulk and Glimmer take a stroll outside of the colony, to one of the grassy orange plains of Aurora Shelf. The journey there was mostly silent. Glimmer only speaks up when they have nearly reached their destination.

'Is there a piano in the colony?' She asks, causing Shulk to blink as he looks down at her.

'A piano? Yes, I think there's an old one around the back of the command center, somewhere. I'm not sure if it still works, but I suppose I could take a look. It can't be that different to fixing any other machinery,' Shulk rambles. 'Um, why do you ask?'

'It's just that...' Glimmer stops under a tree, folding her legs underneath herself as she sits, and Shulk follows suit. 'I want to learn how to play. When we get Na'el back, I mean. Matthew said she knows how.'

'Oh? How lovely. I was never very musically inclined, myself,' Shulk admits. 'How's the lute coming along?'

Glimmer shuffles in the grass behind him, setting her hair-cutting instruments out on a checkered blanket she'd brought along.

'I'm enjoying it. A's a good teacher,' Glimmer admits, picking up a small, silver pair of scissors with one hand while she runs through his tangles with the other. 'I'm uh... just gonna trim it a little, okay? All these split ends are really bad for your hair.'

'Sure,' Shulk settles his hands in his lap, staying as still as he can for her. There's a soft breeze, but it doesn't rustle his hair too much, and Glimmer works quickly. 'Maybe the three of you could play songs together. Na'el's piano, A's lute, and your... um...'

'It's a cello,' Glimmer explains, setting down the scissors to brush through his hair. Shulk hisses at a particularly rough tug, and Glimmer tuts. 'Don't you ever brush this?'

Shulk can hear the concern in her voice, and picks up on the genuine question hidden behind her nonchalance - Glimmer was asking him if he was okay. The realisation that she wasn't only doing this to impress him with her skills at hairdressing, (even if that was totally part of it, though she'd never admit it) makes Shulk feel warm. Glimmer had a bigger heart than she would ever let on.

'My arm always gets caught in it. Makes it a little difficult,' Shulk laughs off the comment with a half-truth, not keen on burdening her despite her subtle ask. 'Thank you, by the way. For doing this.'

'Yeah, whatever,' Glimmer returns noncommittally, and Shulk can imagine the redness on her face. 'Someone had to.'

For a long while, the pair sit in the grass together as Glimmer works out the knots in Shulk's hair, tying it carefully up into a ponytail much like her own. The idle chatter about instruments, Shulk finds, really brings Glimmer out of herself, and she talks passionately about incorporating her music into her fighting style. At some point, Shulk's hands get bored, itching for something to do. He finds himself scooping a curved leaf from the floor, bringing it to his lips and blowing softly.

It makes a noise almost similar to a harmonica - and immediately, Glimmer leans around him, peering at what he's got with intrigue.

'Um... what are you doing?' Glimmer deadpans, eyeing the leaf between his fingers.

'Oh, this? I guess I've always done this. I figured out you could do this with leaves when I was travelling - guess I just got bored one night. You have to catch it just right, and...' Shulk raises the leaf to his mouth again, and the soft sound rings out around them.

'Huh, cool I guess.' Glimmer shrugs, turning her attention back to Shulk's hair to hide her enthusiastic interest. She finishes her handiwork, standing up from the floor and looking over her efforts proudly. His hair was much shinier, thanks to the special conditioner she'd put into it, the loose ends were gone and put up into a tidy ponytail - the scraggly bits of fringe that used to poke his eyes cut back and tamed.

'Done,' Glimmer states proudly. 'If it ever gets that bad again, just come find me.'

'Got it. Thank you, Glimmer. That's a weight off my mind.' Shulk peers down at her, not committing to taking up her offer. That existential feeling in the back of his mind was his to bear, but he was content in the knowledge that he'd had meaningful time with her.

'And, um, I enjoyed doing that, I guess. Uh, thanks for letting me, or whatever.' Glimmer admits. Shulk simply smiles at her, watching embarrassment take over her face once again as she closes back into herself - gathering her bits from the grass and taking off towards the colony without him.

'Hah, kids...' Shulk states fondly, running his good hand absentmindedly through his new silky hair as he watches her go.

The next time Shulk sees Glimmer, she's sitting on one of the benches in Outlook Park with Nikol - showing him how to blow on a leaf just so to make a pleasant sound.

Chapter Text

The forest always seems darker at night than the rest of the world. The sun lowers in the orange-pink sky, rays of light cast between the tall, thin tree trunks and illuminating patches of ground. Vermillion Woods had always been gorgeous, a peaceful soundscape of water bubbling, leaves swaying, animals roaming. Every time Shulk sets foot here, he's captivated by the shining orb-like branches on the trees that shimmer in the low light. If he had to guess, he'd reckon that they were some kind of natural ether lamps, like the one that used to shine proudly in the center of Colony 9.

Shulk was not here today to sightsee. Everyone had been preparing for the journey ahead to the Black Mountains in a few days' time. Despite it never being said aloud, Shulk knew that Rex understood his uneasy feeling. They'd privately come up with a plan together, one that ensured that business with the Liberators would run smoothly in their potentially permanent absence after rescuing Na’el. That Matthew and the others were set up to take over their place. The one thing they could not do was tell the others about their premonition – it would only cause problems and hesitation.

This plan involved splitting their party up into small groups over the coming days, with each one having tasks to carry out. Shulk had ended up with Matthew, and they'd gone into the woods together to kill two birds with one stone. The pair were gathering medicinal supplies from the bark of a certain tree that could be turned into a sort of paste to treat wounds. Their second objective was to keep an eye out for any refugees from the City.

Shulk and Matthew had successfully retrieved the bark from the tree, carving it from the trunk in thin, curling slices and depositing them into a jar they'd brought along. They'd searched for City folk to no avail. They did stumble across a cave full of golden sap so thick and gloopy that Matthew thought, at first, that it was honey and had tried to taste it. Shulk had laughed when Matthew's face scrunched up in disgust, and he'd scooped some up into a second jar regardless to bring back to the colony as well. Perhaps it had some benefit they were yet to discover.

Now it was getting late, and significantly harder to see as the trees blocked out the bulk of the dimming light.

'Perhaps we should set up camp,' Shulk suggests, peering up at the canopy of trees above them. 'I hear a stream over there. We can fill up our water, take a nap.'

'What, got no steam left?' Matthew retorts playfully. 'Me, I could go all night.'

'You're forgetting how long it took us to get here,' Shulk reasons. 'If we sleep now we'll arrive back at the colony in the early afternoon.'

'Sure you can't go a few more hours?' Matthew pushes, forever an abundance of energy. Shulk has no idea where he keeps it all.

'If you get too tired you'll get caught off guard. Rest is wise.' Shulk shakes his head, both his back and his feet hurting him, and Matthew sighs.

'Alright, alright. You sound an awful lot like A when you do that, y'know.' Matthew counters, prying a wheezing laugh from Shulk.

'I'll take that as a compliment. Come on.' Shulk leads him over to the patch of grass by a clear stream, shrugging his curled-up bedroll off of his back and setting it down on the floor. He gets to work gathering sticks for a fire while Matthew cracks open the food they'd brought - nothing too fancy, just some sardi meat and a few spongy spuds. Shulk had secretly celebrated the lack of any vegetables in the pack that Panacea had made for them - he'd never been fond of the things. He didn't have a particularly good sense of taste, but he always did hate the mushy texture.

He grunts in frustration as the wood doesn't catch, wishing Rex or Glimmer were here to light it for them. Matthew eventually gets it going, and after a light meal and some spots of conversation, Shulk is lying on his bedroll, closing his eyes. The gentle sound of the river lulls him to a rare dreamless sleep.

Shulk doesn't sleep for long. He wakes up what he assumes is an hour later, judging by the sky, and the fire is still crackling away beside him. He turns his head groggily to peer over at Matthew's bedroll, and upon finding it empty Shulk sits up achingly. Lying on the ground wasn't good for his bones.

'Matthew?' Shulk mumbles, more to himself than anything.

'Yo.' Matthew replies from somewhere to the right of him, and Shulk twists to see him perched on an overturned log by the fire. Matthew shoots him a two-fingered salute when he's spotted, then turns his attention back to his lap. Shulk frowns, unable to see what he's doing as the fire casts him in stark shadows. He pries himself from the ground to join him on the log.

'What are you doing?' Shulk questions, keeping his voice low. He's used to being quiet at this hour, so as not to disturb the others that are usually with them.

'Couldn't sleep. Makin' bracelets.' Matthew explains, voice significantly louder than Shulk's.

'Bracelets...?' Shulk clarifies, peering at Matthew's handiwork. He's got several pieces of coloured tweed in his hands, and he's delicately weaving them into each other and pulling them tight. 'Huh. I wouldn't have expected you to have a hobby like that.' Shulk thinks aloud, unaware of his own bluntness.

'Yeah?' Matthew shifts to look at him. 'What's that mean?'

'You just didn't strike me as the type to enjoy crafts, that's all! I'd expect you to have... big, bold... energetic hobbies. Like yourself. Sports, maybe.' Shulk explains.

'Hah! You got me there,' Matthew offers a lopsided smirk, turning his attention back to the bracelet. 'I do enjoy rock-climbing, actually. And running. On top of the whole martial arts thing. Used to race with the kiddos in the City. But even guys like me gotta relax somehow!'

'I see,' Shulk brings his hand to his chin in thought. 'Where did you learn this?'

'Na'el.' Matthew replies, fondness lacing his voice. 'She loved makin' these. Taught me how when we was still kids, 'n all.'

Matthew talked about his sister with a disposition that Shulk immediately recognised. He understood to an almost scary degree what he was going through right now - thinking you've lost someone, discovering they're still alive, uncertain how much of 'them' truly remains. At least Na'el still remembered him. Shulk believed she was still in there - he was certain of it. He admired how Matthew soldiered on, bright and bubbly as ever. 

Reminds him of Reyn, even. Matthew shared many similarities with his best friend, Shulk had come to discover. He was sure that if Matthew, Rex and Reyn were to meet one day, they’d all get on like a house on fire. It starts up a fondness in his chest as he imagines the chaos they would create.

It was a rare sight to see Matthew so solemn like this. Immediately, Shulk understands how important these bracelets are to him, and he leans in, interested. They’d come to some sort of unspoken understanding, almost – perhaps the bond forged by experiencing similar situations is a given alongside the pain, which helps it to ease in turn.

'Would you teach me?' Shulk asks.

Matthew smiles. 'Course, man.'

It's a little fiddly, and Shulk has some trouble at first with his mechanical hand - but he eventually gets into the groove of it. Matthew has a little pack full of tweed in all sorts of different colours, and he seems to take great pride in showing Shulk how to cut it to the right length, weaving the pieces together in a variety of differing patterns. There’s something very methodical about the process, and it scratched the itch in that part of Shulk’s brain.

‘The colours have different meanings, n’ all,’ Matthew had explained, when Shulk had asked him for recommendations on which to use. ‘At least, s’what Na’el says. I just go with whatever looks nice, really.’

‘Meanings, eh?’ Shulk mused. ‘Care to explain?’

‘Well, lessee which ones I can remember… uh, red for courage, blue for wisdom, yellow for joy…’ Matthew stops working, all of his brain power used up by recalling the meanings. ‘White is calmness, I think? And green, uhm…’

Shulk had spent a long time poring over which colours to use for his bracelet, adamant that they had to have meaning, and eventually he'd picked out lengths in red and blue and white. Shulk finds the repetitive action relaxing, and the pair of them sit in a comfortable silence that was, again, rare for Matthew. Shulk was seeing lots of undiscovered sides to him today.

'I think it would be nice to make bracelets for the whole group.' Shulk eventually speaks up, the weight of his fate on his mind once again. He'd like to leave something meaningful with everyone, and these bracelets seemed like just the thing.

'Hey, great idea!' Matthew's eyes light up immediately, enthused by the thought of matching bracelets. 'Here, help me pick out colours for everyone, would ya? Red for Glim, maybe blue for Nikol... yellow for Rex? Or, no...'

Matthew reaches down to rummage through his supply of tweed, and Shulk sighs happily, content with this newfound feeling in his chest. Shulk had a large responsibility ahead of him, as did Matthew, and Shulk is sure he felt it too. The whole weight of the world looming on their shoulders. Here they were, tucked away in a peaceful corner of the world. A quiet moment of repose with nothing but the sounds of nature around them, creating something so small, so simple, yet so meaningful.

'Thank you, Matthew,' Shulk finds himself saying. Matthew spares a glance at him, single eyebrow raised. 'For all you've done for the Liberators. For all you'll continue to do.'

Matthew leans back on the log, studying Shulk's face intently, as if trying to decipher his true meaning from the words.

'It's the least I can do, man. We're all in this together, us lot. Gotta make it count, eh?'

Shulk understood, with this small statement, that Matthew felt the same way about the people they were travelling with. The thought of losing another family makes his heart ache.

'Ah… Yes, indeed. You're quite right.'

Chapter Text

Shulk is just outside the colony, peering over the side of the cliff where they'd fought the co-joined Ferronises the week before. It's getting late, and he's unsure, really, what brought him out here at this time - but Rex had insisted he get away from the paperwork of the Liberators and come for a walk. Something about poor posture and a crick in his neck. He had to admit, the stress of his role had melted away in the light breeze. Here he stood, inspecting from a distance the burnt crater that the broken machines had left in their wake.

It comes as a shock when there's movement behind him, the slightest of rustles that causes Shulk to tilt his head in the noise's direction. Leaning against the cliff wall, face shielded by darkness, was a figure. If he squinted, Shulk could just about make out that they had their hands shoved in their pockets, peering up at the stars in a nonchalant manner. They turn their whole body towards Shulk when they notice that they've been spotted, still leaning easily against the cliff.

'Hello there.' The person speaks in a low, yet feminine voice, their tone airy as they push off from the wall and step towards him. The moon illuminates their face, revealing fluffy silver hair, golden eyes, cat ears. 

‘You…!’ Shulk gasps, summoning his weapon on instinct. He grips the sword tightly by his side, rolling back on his heels – ready to fight at a moment’s notice.

'Odd. It's pretty rare to see someone out here this late.' She steps forward again, and Shulk tightens his grip, casting an analytical gaze across her. 

She was different from the last time they'd met. Before, she'd been wreathed in a powerful light, and she was so bright that it was difficult just to look at her. She'd been garbed in shining white and red, a mask concealing her face. Now, she was dressed in a simple white sweater, tucked into her high trousers - layered on top was a long brown coat with a large collar.

'I...' Shulk begins, but the woman cuts him off.

'You're Shulk.' It's more of a statement than a question, clever eyes boring into him - almost as if she could see his very soul.

'How did you know that?' Shulk blinks, taken aback. The woman doesn't answer, so he continues; 'You're Na'el? Or… no. Who am I talking to right now?'

'Don't worry, it's just me. Na'el.' She offers a light laugh, a bubbly sound. 'I was interested in the vessel of my Lord's creator. I doubt I'd get another chance to meet anyone in the same situation as me, so... I wanted to see what you were like. Lord Alpha let me come down to say hello. He's very kind to me.'

He twists as Na'el slowly circles him like a Volff stalking its prey. Shulk didn't trust for one second that Alpha had truly let her go.

'Alpha isn't kind. He's taking advantage of you.' Shulk scowls, eyes glued to Na'el as she brushes past him to sit on the edge of the cliff, legs swinging freely.

'Was Lord Zanza not good to you? Or were you just ungrateful?' Na'el inquires, and the assumption makes Shulk's blood begin to boil. He exhales deeply through his nose, coming to sit next to Na'el on the cliff - though a good few feet away, and still with his weapon in hand. ‘To have someone so glorious possess your body… you must have been so ignorant to His greatness.’

'What I know is that anger and hatred blind you, Na'el. Maybe I... I know that better than anyone. I was so spurred on by revenge, back then. But it wasn't really what I wanted. He was just taking advantage of my emotions. And the same thing is happening to you, isn't it?' Shulk pushes.

'No,' Na'el shakes her head, without hesitation. 'I want to help my Lord with his goal. Our thoughts are aligned. There's nothing left in this world for any of us. Me and Matthew - we can start again in a happier world, in a world that isn't so sparking miserable, and - '

'Come back to the colony with us,' Shulk offers, ever kind. 'We can start again there. Build a new life from scratch. From what Matthew has told me, I don't believe for one moment that Na'el would sacrifice the lives of so many people for a better future. She’s too kind for that.'

Na'el seems to hesitate for a long moment, staring at him with watery eyes and a somewhat blank expression.

'Going with you… that's just the same as we've always been doing. Ignoring all the pointless fighting, pretending we aren't miserable. Lord Alpha can fix this...!'

'He's lying to you, Na'el. Everywhere you go, fighting will follow,' Shulk huffs, a self-pitying little sound as he glances down at his dangling boots. 'I learned that one the hard way. It's just... part of our nature, I guess. There is no perfect future. But we can make it as good as it gets, if you'd just leave this behind.'

'You don't get it,' Na'el stands suddenly, her voice on the brink of breaking. She stomps away, whips violently back around to face him. Shulk gets to his feet as well, observing her with upturned eyebrows. 'None of you ever get it! I thought you of all people would understand, I thought you’d want to join me - but I really am alone, aren't I? Everyone I sparking know's left me out in the dirt!'

At this, Na'el drops to her knees, lowering her head as she sobs pitifully into her hands. Shulk sighs, deciding she's not a threat, and carefully he approaches her, his good hand coming to rest on her shoulder. She flinches as she looks up, pink-faced.

'Matthew misses you.' Shulk states simply, and Na'el goes silent at his words.

'That's bullshit,' she spits, 'Matthew's left me like everyone else. All he needs to do is come back to me and we can leave this dump. But he doesn't want to, does he?'

'Matthew cares about this world. About you. Please, have some hope. Give him a chance.'

Na'el begins to laugh through her tears, almost hysterically.

'Hope? The last of that died the moment I lost Chyra. Lost everyone in that blasted attack!’'

'Matthew hasn't given up, you know. He's been searching for you since the day you left,' Shulk informs her softly. 'Have you forgotten all the time you spent together? All the meaningful moments you spent with him, with the children in the City? Would they want you to give up? To destroy everything, just because you’ve been hurt? That’s not the right thing to do.'

'I...' Na'el hesitates. ‘What would you know? You don’t know anything. You don’t know what it's like to lose so much.’

I do, Shulk considers saying, but he knows that would make everything worse.

'Your time is precious, Na'el. There's not a lot of it, and you have to spend it wisely while you can. Come back to the colony with us. Matthew would be delighted.' Shulk extends his metal hand to her.

She stares at it for a long moment, cogs turning in her brain as she considers Shulk's words. She'd been so consumed in her despair that she'd forgotten life held value. Carefully, she takes Shulk's hand, allowing him to pull her to her feet.

'Alright,' She sounds exhausted, wiping her tears with her sleeve. 'Take me back. Please. I'm just so tired.’

Shulk smiles warmly at her, dropping her hand as she finds her footing.

‘It’s not far. Come on.’ Shulk turns, starting down the overgrown path to the colony. They only make it a few steps before Na’el cries out - and Shulk whips around in alarm.

‘Na’el!’ He gasps.

‘No!’ She sobs, her voice raw. Shulk lunges forward, they reach out for one another in desperation. In a flash of light, Na’el is gone. 

Shulk stands alone in the clearing, bewildered at the sudden turn of events. It takes him a moment to process, all having happened so fast. 

‘Shit!’ He roars. In his anger he fires his weapon at the ground. It lands with an awkward clack against the grass, and he kicks it away from him - it skids until it hits the rocky wall. His whole body shakes with rage, and he takes several deep breaths to keep himself from screaming. 

‘Disappointing.’ Shulk hears an achingly familiar voice ring out. He looks around, but there’s nobody to be found.

‘You’re sick, Alpha,’ Shulk spits at the air. ‘Was that your idea of a cruel joke?’ 

‘I simply wished to check on your progress with regards to delivering the boy to me. The meeting took an unexpected turn. But no matter.’ That frigid voice sends a chill down Shulk’s spine, every word calm, slow, enunciated. ‘Bring Matthew to me. We are waiting to depart.’

‘How long do we have?’ Shulk calls out, but the voice is gone.

That dreadful feeling is stifling, threatening to crush him. They’re running out of time.

Chapter Text

The canteen is busier than Shulk has ever seen it, today. Matthew and his City friends had banded together to build tables and chairs, put up a cute little canopy over the storefront, and the kids had even pitched in to drape pretty ether lights across the place. With somewhere reliable to cook and convene, it had quickly become the colony's social centre, bringing it to life in a way Shulk hadn't seen since the old days. 

Today there's a selection of different curries laid out on the long table underneath the canopy - Georgie must have been experimenting with her grandad's recipe. Several groups of people sat around at the tables covered in checkered cloth, handmade by some of the refugees. Liberators, City refugees and rescued soldiers alike, animated and happy as they chattered and drank over good food - a rarity these days, especially so for the soldiers. The whole place buzzed, and Shulk loved it. 

He's currently sitting at one of the tables. Alone, but still soaking in the atmosphere, tucked away in the farthest corner of the canteen. His plate of food was long since finished and pushed to the side. Spread out in front of him now was a large book with thick, yellowed blank pages. Around the book, in organised chaos, were several pieces of seemingly random objects, plants, shells, seeds, rocks. There was also an assortment of coloured pencils and a dispenser of tape by his side. 

Nikol was on his way for lunch, the fragrant scent of curries mixing in the air steering him towards the canteen. He'd been working with Riku all morning on upgrading his workshop, and the exercise had left him more than ready for some well-earned food. He'd inspected each offering with great care, squinting at the hand-written labels that Georgie had left next to each pot. Eventually, he'd dished out a couple spoonfuls of a deep orange sauce and fluffy white rice, then turned around to look for a vacant seat.

The canteen was absolutely packed. It makes Nikol's heart-rate pick up, eyes nervously flitting between the tables for a familiar face. He certainly wasn't going to bag a whole table for himself. He shifts awkwardly between his feet, his tray getting heavy as he begins to lose hope of sitting down at all. Just as he starts to think he'll have to eat it around the corner at their camp, the table furthest away from him catches his eye. Nikol's face lights up as he recognises Shulk, and he almost trips over himself in his haste to walk over to him.

He jolts to halt before he can get there, taking in the large book Shulk had, the pieces scattered everywhere, his head lowered and a look of precise concentration on his face. Nikol stands awkwardly in the middle of the area, cogs turning as natural curiosity takes over. He wonders what all the pieces were for, what they had in common. Shulk looked busy - perhaps he wouldn't want to be disturbed. Before he can go anywhere, Shulk glances up from his work and catches him staring. Nikol's entire body tenses at being caught, his face flushing red as he begins to turn away, stuttering over the word 'sorry.'

Shulk's face warms in recognition, and he beckons Nikol over before he can scuttle away.

'Nikol!' He calls. 'You want to sit with me?' 

'Um - ' Nikol stiffens. He shuffles up to the table, scanning the mess strewn across it. 'I wouldn't want to disturb you...'

'It's not a problem.' Shulk replies, gathering some of his items and dragging them towards him to make room for Nikol's tray. Tentatively, Nikol places it down, hiking his legs over the bench and sitting. 

'Did you have a good morning?' Shulk asks, returning to drawing something into the book with a red pencil. Nikol takes a cautious bite of his curry, decides it's good, and digs in properly.

'Yeah,' Nikol answers, 'I was working with Riku. His workbench was broken, so...'

Shulk hums in response, clearly absorbed in... whatever it was he was doing. Nikol finds himself getting sucked into it too, watching with big eyes as he works. Eventually, he reaches a hand out to touch a small, white, pearlescent orb, and when he retracts his finger it leaves a shimmering powder behind.

'What's this?' Nikol asks, bringing his hand close to his face to inspect the residue.

'That? Oh, I called it a powder pearl. I found it in Aurora Shelf,' Shulk informs him. 'Pretty, isn't it?'

'Yeah. But I meant...' Nikol makes a large sweeping gesture to the entire table. 

'Oh! This is my Collectopaedia.' Shulk's voice immediately brims with barely contained excitement. He flips the book around, leaning forward to push it slightly towards Nikol. He moves his curry off to the side, terrified of staining it orange. It's currently open on a page with Aurora Shelf written in bold letters at the top, and the page seems to be split up into categories. Seeds, mushrooms, gemstones, machine parts, flowers... A small sample of some objects have been taped into the book, while other things - like fruits or animals, have been drawn in. Underneath each item was a handwritten entry naming the object, and a short description of its origins, uses, and any other information Shulk seemed to know. The page is less than half full, Nikol estimates - some sections still look rather bare. 

'Wow...' Nikol breathes out, food completely forgotten. 'This is really cool! Did you do all of this yourself?' 

Shulk looks proud at the praise, and he nods. 'I did! This one still has a ways to go, though...'

'There's more...?' Nikol tilts his head.

Seemingly from nowhere - most likely from the bench beside him, Shulk pulls a second hefty book, setting it down on the table with a thump. 

'This one is finished already. It's from my old world, Bionis.' Shulk takes the other book back, pushing this new one across the table in its stead.

'Can I?' Nikol hovers his hands over it, afraid to overstep a boundary.

'Of course. I'm very proud of it.'

Nikol opens the book gingerly, flipping a few pages and landing on one with Satorl Marsh written at the top. The book is a little dusty, and some of the pages have rips that have been taped back together. Old, and certainly well-loved. Immediately, his eye is drawn to the row of pressed flowers, and he touches the petal of a rather potent white flower called an ether rose. There's a section at the bottom titled "strange," and Nikol's brows furrow as he inspects it, completely and utterly fascinated. Shulk watches his son fondly, as he touches almost everything, thoroughly reading all of the information, feeling out the variety of textures. He's especially enamoured by a shiny red stone dice, aptly named by someone called Reyn as a Dawn Dice.

They sit in a comfortable silence for a long while as Nikol flips through the pages, and Shulk's heart swells as he, once again, realises how much his own son takes after him. He’s lost somewhere in nostalgia as he watches the scene in front of him, heart aching for his old world. It's a shame Nikol would never understand, not in this life, how much this shared enthusiasm meant to him. Someone who just gets it. He could sit here forever like this. 

'I did wonder why you'd always stop and pocket random stuff while we were travelling,' Nikol says, currently peering at a drawing of an Empress Beetle. 'Where did you learn to draw like this? These are... really good.'

'Ahah, thanks,' Shulk waves him off, modest as ever. 'I used to design weapons for a living. Well - I still do, I suppose. Just different circumstances... anyway, I had to draw up the designs and the blueprints for those. Drawings like this weren't too much of a step away from that. Relaxing, too. I like adding all the little details...' He rambles on, and Nikol hangs onto his every word, absorbing it all like a sponge. It wasn't often Nikol got to talk about his interests so freely like this - and he's more than happy to let Shulk do the same.

'It's really cool,' Nikol repeats. He closes the book, and Shulk takes it, placing it back on the seat beside him. 'Can I um, help you with this one? It seems like you still have lots of stuff to stick down...'

'Of course!' Shulk's face lights up in a type of genuine grin that Nikol's never seen from him before - something so pure about it. 'Here, I've already kinda divided up what I've got into sections, so you can take the machine parts if you like... You're pretty knowledgeable about those, right?' 

'Oh, yes please!' Nikol feels excitement well up, reverberating through his whole body as he reaches for the pile of parts to his left and begins to sort them. Between the two of them, the work doesn't take long, all the while chatting excitedly. It really brings Nikol out of his shell, Shulk noticing that he’s no longer stumbling over his words, fear of judgement melting away. Within about half an hour they've finished sticking down all of the things they had, and Shulk's completed one or two drawings. They're still missing quite a few pieces, but the page is looking much fuller with the fruits of their labour.

'You know,' Nikol begins, leaning back on the bench and planting his hands behind him. 'I hadn't put much value into the natural world before... or been able to slow down and look at the scenery around me. With Keves, all that mattered was the fight. We didn't have time for stuff like this.'

Shulk nods solemnly, and Nikol continues; 'I mean, we had a Collectopaedia. But it was nothing like this. Not for fun. It was a practical thing - gathering supplies and trading them, the like. So um, thanks. It’s nice to be able to appreciate the little things.'

As Shulk listens to Nikol talk, it hits him that the book he was working on would likely never be completed. At least, if the uneasy feeling that followed him everywhere recently was correct. He certainly wouldn't have time to go travelling around Aionios with the responsibility of the Liberators, either way. It's then that the idea dawns on him.

'Nikol,' Shulk offers, 'Would you like to keep this book?'

Nikol stops talking entirely, stunned into silence by the offer. He makes a strangled sound, his mouth hanging open.

'I... I mean, yes, absolutely! I'd really love to finish it, but... isn't it yours?' 

'I want you to have it,' Shulk replies in earnest, and Nikol blinks back at him, looking down at the pages again. 'Finish it for me.'

'Well... I suppose so, then...!' Nikol's face breaks out into a shiny-eyed smile that Shulk can't help returning. 'Thank you, Shulk! Really. This is... wow. This really means a lot to me. And such big shoes to fill, too... I hope I can do you justice.' He can't help but worry, even through the excitement - just part of his nature.

'I have every faith in you, Nikol. You're going to be brilliant.' Shulk says, a somber tone to his voice that Nikol can’t quite place.

Nikol gets the feeling he isn't just talking about the book. No; this was something bigger. He supposes he'd figure it out when the time comes.

Whenever that would be.

Chapter Text

The sun was just beginning to peek above the tall cliffs surrounding Colony 9. It was a clear morning. Rays bounce off of the bright white anti-air batteries, casting the whole place in a hazy glow. The sound of birdsong and wildlife in the water below travel through the air, and a soft murmur came from the streets as people began another day.

Shulk was lying in bed in the old warehouse in the Commercial District, that himself and Rex had converted into a shabby home. He stretches as he wakes, his golden hair strewn about around him like a halo, and then rolls over onto his side. A long, satisfied sigh leaves him, allowing himself to revel in the peaceful morning before the hectic day ahead of them.

Tomorrow was the day - they were heading to the Black Mountains to rescue Na'el. The realisation shatters Shulk's peace like glass, washing over him violently. His heart skips an uncomfortable beat that reverberates through his whole body, making his limbs weak. Shulk was nervous. Of course he was nervous - perhaps even scared. Things like this, they never get any easier. Decisions that change the fate of the world sitting on his shoulders. Yet Shulk had to put on a brave face - he had no other choice. There were kids out there, relying on him as an example.

Unable to stay lying down any longer with nerves coursing through his veins, Shulk swings his legs over the side of the bed. He pushes back the hair that falls over his face, scouring the floor for where he'd left his clothes in a pile. He finds them at the foot of his bed, pulls them on slowly, then glances in the full-length mirror to ensure he was at least presentable. He brushes some dust from his pants, nods at himself and leaves the bedroom.

Shulk wanders out to the tiny kitchen area, squinting against the light that filters in through the window. They'd set this room up to have a fridge, cooker, sink, a couple of cabinets, and a rusty iron garden table with two creaky, uncomfortable folding chairs. As he enters the room, he finds Rex already awake. This was no great surprise - Rex, for as long as Shulk had known him, had always been an early bird. He was always up first, busy with something, unable to let himself sit idle for long.

Today, something was definitely off. Where Shulk would usually be greeted with an abundance of energy, enthusiasm and an offering of a hearty breakfast; today Rex was sat at the table in silence, hunched over and gripping his flask of coffee just a little too tightly. Shulk observes him from the corner of his eye as he brushes his teeth and washes his face in the kitchen sink, frowning when he doesn't move an inch the whole time.

'Good morning, Rex.' Shulk sets his toothbrush down on the draining board, padding his way over to the table. He flops down in the empty chair, which protests with a dangerous squeak. If even Rex, with his can-do attitude, was this nervous… Shulk does his best to swallow his feeling of dread, pushing it down somewhere within him that he couldn’t reach.

'Eh? Oh, morning.' Rex mumbles, looking up at Shulk with an expression that suggests he'd just noticed him sitting there. He takes a solemn sip from his flask, not really enjoying it at all.

Shulk huffs a sigh, leaning back in the chair and analysing his friend's pale face, drumming the fingers of his metal hand against the table.

'What's got you looking like a wet weekend?' Shulk tries a humorous approach. 'It's not like you to be sitting in here on such a nice morning.'

Rex doesn't reply for a drawn-out moment, the silence stretching between them, and Shulk's heart picks up again as he fears he's said the wrong thing. He was never particularly talented at reading people.

'Um-' Shulk begins, at the same time Rex exclaims 'Right!'

Rex stands suddenly from the chair, scraping it backwards along the already scarred floor.

'You're right, Shulk. No time to be sittin' around here when there's so much to be done, eh?' Rex always had a very bold presence, and he seems to have bounced back to his usual self - maybe a little too quickly. He grins down at Shulk with a confident twinkle in his eye, but his grin, Shulk observes, is a little strained.

'Now - hang on a moment.' Shulk gets to his feet significantly slower, his knees clicking with the motion.

'Yeah? Something on yer mind?' Rex replies from where he was already gripping the door handle. The unusually stern look on Shulk's face causes Rex to drop the handle entirely, turning to face him fully.

'I should be asking you that. You're acting weird.' Shulk puts bluntly.

'Weird? Sure you're not just worryin' too much as usual?' Rex defends himself. 'Was just a little tired this morning, s'all.'

'Did you have breakfast?' Shulk pushes, folding his arms.

'Ah-' Rex's face freezes in surprise as his brain stumbles over a response, and Shulk sighs.

'Sit down, Rex. We're not done here.' Shulk walks over to him, a gentle hand on the small of his back guiding the taller man back to the table.

They take their seats once more, and Shulk places his elbows on the table, leaning across it to take Rex's hands in his own.

'Look, I get it. I can't say I'm not guilty of it myself. But you don't have to do this, you know.' Shulk reasons.

'Ah, I'll be alright. Wouldn't wanna put you out, or anythin'.' Rex replies.

'That won't do,' Shulk shakes his head. 'Rex, you're always looking after me. Some days it's like you think I'm fragile or something. I mean, don't get me wrong-! I do appreciate it, and I know it's because you care...''

'Course I don't think that!' Rex jumps to correct the assumption. 'You're one of the strongest lads I know. I just... y'know, some days I know you struggle, and I gotta be there for ya.'

'And you never struggle?' Shulk pushes, squeezing his hands. Rex was always extremely attentive, unwaveringly loyal, and this was Shulk’s opportunity to return the favour. 'Talk to me, Rex.'

Rex glances up to meet Shulk’s eye, and the determination behind them causes him to give in. His brows furrow as he tries to piece together his complicated thoughts. Shulk waits with the patience of a saint, his attention never wavering from his partner's face.

'Just stressed about tomorrow, mainly. I dunno, Shulk. Ever since A showed up, I've just had this feeling... not a good one, mind. S'like it's followin' me everywhere.' Rex waves his hand in a dismissive motion, aware that what he's saying sounds ridiculous.

'You feel it too...?' Shulk's interest is piqued, sitting upright in his chair. 'I thought it was just me. How odd...'

'You wish them lot hadn't shown up at all?' Rex asks.

'Is... that a thought you've had?'

'Briefly,' Rex admits. 'S'also the most fun I've had in a long while. Complicated.'

'Complicated, indeed.' Shulk echoes. 'I... I'm nervous too, Rex. But whatever happens tomorrow, we're in this together.'

'Aye.' Rex agrees. Yet the inescapable feeling still lingers over them both, and Shulk reaches for something to dispel it.

'Why don't I make you breakfast?'

'Yeah? Now that's an entertaining thought. You're good at lots of things, Shulk, but cookin' ain't one of them.' Rex's face lights up, clearly amused by the idea.

'Hah, maybe so,' Shulk returns, a playfulness lacing his voice. 'Well then, I'm lucky I've got you to help me, aren't I?'

Shulk pulls Rex to his feet, who strides over to the kitchen counter, lacing his fingers in front of him in a stretch.

'Righty-o,' He announces, in that boisterous way that he does, 'What are we makin', then?'

Shulk's heart feels warm with fondness as he watches Rex, exuding confidence now that he's in his element. He'd always loved seeing him get so excited, the kind that radiates outwards and makes him feel the same way.

'I suppose that depends on what we've got,' Shulk pulls open the rather bare fridge to a drawer full of vegetables and not much else; internally, he cringes at the thought of having to eat them. 'Ah... maybe I could pop out to the supply store?'

'Ah, nonsense!' Rex comes up beside Shulk, wrapping an arm around his waist as he peers into the fridge with him. 'S'plenty to work with here. Think we've got bread, too. We could make a pot of soup?'

'For breakfast?' Shulk replies. 'And I don't like vegetables...'

'Oh, c'mon now. Nothing wrong with eating your greens!' Rex lets go of Shulk to grab a big handful of carrots and parsnips. Shulk notes the distinct lack of green vegetables in his selection, and almost comments on it before remembering it's just a turn of phrase.

'Alright, alright. As long as you're having fun, I suppose I could try some...'

'You always say everythin' I make is good anyway! What's the problem? Don'tcha trust my skills?'

'Oh, I'm not sure if I do...' Shulk offers a lopsided smile, feeling mischievous - and he's rewarded by Rex thwapping him across the head with a carrot.

'Hey!' Shulk laughs, ducking out of the way as Rex, now duel-wielding carrots, attempts to hit him again. Shulk brings his arm up to parry a blow, swiftly grabbing the vegetables from his hands to stop the attacks. Rex retaliates by hoisting Shulk up by the waist from behind, making him yelp as his feet leave the ground and he drops the carrots in surprise.

He wriggles, aware that there's no way to escape Rex's superior strength - but Shulk was determined if nothing else. He attempts to pry Rex's clasped hands around his waist apart to no avail, and nearly escapes as Rex adjusts his hold on him, shifting until he's carrying him bridal style.

'Y'know, I think I've found the perfect ingredient for my soup.' Rex's good eye glints, and Shulk shoots him the most unimpressed look he can muster.

'You are not cooking me, Rex.' He deadpans, and Rex presses a kiss to Shulk's cheek before carefully setting him down.

Shulk immediately crouches to pick up the fallen vegetables, running them under the tap to wash the dirt off of them.

'Ahh, a right shame,' Rex plays along. 'Suppose I'll get my chance.'

'That's only mildly threatening.' Shulk fires back, causing Rex to throw his head back in a hearty laugh. Once again - he can't help himself - he's got both his hands on the sides of Shulk's face, and he leans down to kiss him with surprising softness. The sound of Rex’s stomach grumbling parts them.

‘We’re supposed to be making soup.’ Shulk reminds him, lightly punching him in the chest.

‘Ah, right! That we are!’ Rex whips around to face the counter. Immediately he leaps into action, his experience in the kitchen evident as he moves like clockwork. ‘Here, you cut up them veggies, and I’ll boil the water…’

‘Got it.’ Shulk nods, his attention shifting to the task at hand.

He keeps an eye on Rex as they work, watching him add carefully selected spices to the mix, how he seems to glow with the simple joy of making a meal. The whole thing had cheered him up considerably, and Shulk finds his nerves had dissipated too. Under Rex’s instruction, it takes surprisingly little time to finish – and Shulk has to admit, when he takes a cautious spoonful from the pan – that it’s good. Really good, even.

‘I’m impressed,’ Shulk watches as the words visibly inflate Rex’s ego. ‘Should we share some of this with the others? We made so much, and I’d hate to see it go to waste…’

‘Aye, good idea!’ Rex nods. Shulk turns, opening one of their cabinets to look for something to transport it to the camp with. Before he can find anything, Rex lifts the whole massive pan with his bare hands, and off he goes out the door.

‘Rex!!’ Shulk gawks once his brain’s caught up, scrambling out the door after him. ‘Isn’t that hot!?’

Shulk jogs down the street after him – how is he so fast? – and the others come to greet them, Matthew cheekily dipping his fingers into the pot before Rex can even set it down. They all nab cutlery from the canteen, despite Glimmer and A having already eaten, and lively chatter ensues over steaming bowls of fragrant soup. There’s something different about it when you make it yourself, Rex had once said to him, and Shulk thinks now that he understands what he meant.

Shulk leans into Rex as he watches everyone fondly, Rex’s hand coming up to card through long blond hair. That heavy feeling lifts from his shoulders, letting him breathe.

‘Thanks for that,’ Rex says to him in a low, quiet voice, so the others don’t hear. ‘Really cheered me up, that did.’

‘Of course.’ Shulk replies, resting his head on Rex’s shoulder.

Perhaps everything would be alright. It gave him comfort to know that he wasn’t alone in the way that he felt. The shadow following him seems to ease a little, now that it’s halved.

He knows that sooner, later, now – or perhaps in a million years – they would return to their respective worlds, or to a whole new one entirely, and he’d maybe never see these people again. But to Rex, who has never left his side - he’s eternally grateful.

Shulk was sure he would never forget him. When the time came for them to part, he knew he would do everything in his power to find him again.