Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

This is the future. The world without gods, a world defined by the people. 

And the first thing Shulk saw was darkness.  Then, light. Soft blue flickering light. It felt warm, inviting. 

His eyes snapped open and he heaved a massive breath, his lungs filling with air. He was in a… cave? This wasn't one he had seen before and he had practically gone everywhere on the Bionis. Shulk oriented himself, he was lying flat on the ground on his back, and moved to sit. Where was he? 

The cave was damp, soft trickles of water echoed as droplets dripped from the stalactites hanging on the ceiling. To his left sat a rock formation, glowing green and blue lights flowing from the top, almost like the lights from Valak mountain. Opposite sat a strange statue, seemingly on a shrine of some sort? The scientist inside Shulk screamed to investigate, but he forced himself to focus down.

“... Reyn? Dunban? Fiora” He cautiously spoke, his voice echoing alongside the water drops. 

Nothing returned but his own voice. He huffed, a churning worry forming in his stomach, before standing. A quick check showed that everything was in order, except for his sword. The Monado was nowhere to be found, but then again would he even keep it if he used it like he did? 

Probably not. 

“Sharla? Melia? Riki?” Shulk called once again. 

Once again, no response. Perhaps they were somewhere else. But where? 

“Guess I should probably find my way out of here.” 

A tunnel caught his eye, well more of a doorway illuminated by bright light, in front of him. However a sound echoed behind him. Another tunnel led somewhere else, however it was significantly darker. Without knowing much about the ecology of the area, Shulk wasn't sure about which way he should go. 

Noises means life, but then again the entirety of the Mechonis was filled with clicking and whirring and all you would encounter was the deadly Mechon. Noise could also mean danger. 

The tunnel in front of him was his first choice, as that much light most likely meant the outside. As intrigued as he was with this whole cave, he needed to find his friends first.

“Right then,” He murmured, “Even if it's a dead end I can just turn back around.” 

The young homs took a few steps forward, freezing as something suddenly clattered against his shoe. He looked down cautiously, afraid it was some sort of trap or hazard. 

It looked like the broken handle of a sword, as if it had everything but a blade. Instead of a pommel, however, was a spread of three intricate designs. Where the blade would normally be was a place that looked like it could connect to something, perhaps the blade would be able to be interchanged onto this hilt? 

Shulk simply couldn't ignore such a fascinating piece. Besides, it would make for a better weapon than his fists if something happened.  So, naturally, he took it.

Going from the dark cave to the bright outside is always jarring, he never would get used to it. But this time, as he exited this cave, everything wasn't quite right. A small platform stretched out in front of him, some metal grooves carved into the ground stretching off the edge. Some massive bird-shaped contraptions lingered around the platform, (perhaps some sort of gigantic glider parts?) But other than that the only thing that greeted him was the massive expanse that was the sky. 

“How peculiar.” Shulk muttered, approaching the strange glider. The gliders were designed with the same intricate shapes the handle had, but a pair of strange footprints (at least, that's what Shulk assumed they were) were printed in the center.

“Perhaps that is where you're supposed to stand?” He mumbled to himself. 

He put a hand onto the glider, surprised to find it made of some sort of metallic material.  

“Similar to the mechon armor plating perhaps? If it is a glider piece it would have to be fairly light yet strong to hold someone…”

It certainly seemed to be that way, but another question that occurred to him was why? Why did this place have these here? 

A glance over the edge told him everything he needed to know, and more. 

An entire land rested below him, stretching wider than he could ever imagine past the horizon line. Massive peaks stretched from the land, contrasting the valleys that dipped below. Lakes, ponds and rivers snaked through the winding plains below. Another piece of land rested below him, very much closer than the mass below that.  But what struck him the most was how flat it all was. The Bionis sprawled upwards, not outwards. 

Was… this really the same world he knew? Were his friends even here..? Nothing about this land was familiar, It didn't make sense. But what did make sense now was why these gliders were here. 

“A launching port. I see.” He breathed. 

Shulk had an idea. A crazy idea, one most certainly that would get him killed. In fact, it was most likely something that Reyn would have come up with. He had to get down there. There was more land to cover down there, if his friends were indeed here. He could find another way up here later, perhaps the Junks could help (if he could even find Colony 6). The gliders were surprisingly light for being made of such a metallic looking substance, and it clicked into the groove with a solid *clink*. He placed a foot on top of the bird, the wind blowing his hair out of sorts. It felt exhilarating, in a terrifying, death-inducing way. If these didn't function the way that he thought they did… well, there was going to be one Shulk-sized hole on the ground. 

“Everyone. I'm going to find you. Be brave, and hold on until then.” 

And he pushed. 

The bird slid down the metal groove with a loud screech, picking up speed slowly until eventually… Weightlessness was all Shulk felt for a few seconds until the air finally caught the glider. Shulk couldn't help but laugh with exhilaration.

“This is amazing!” He whooped, adrenalin filling his entire body, “With the density and weight of metal, this shouldn't be possible! No Ether or propulsion, but the weight wasn't too much…” He muttered to himself, caught in his own engineering fantasies.

He flew for a couple minutes straight, the glide bobbing with the wind. His mind was too caught up with the adrenalin of gliding, below him, the island passed. He noticed a temple positioned below, near the edge of the island. Would it be better to land there first and- oh wait, nope, he's too far now. 

“In theory, I should be able to steer with my body weight, but I don't know how much it'll take… I might not even make it tilt…” 

Plink!

“Huh?” Shulk blinked.

Did he imagine that? He could have sworn he heard-

Plink!

There it is! But where is it coming from?

Plink!

Something lit up beneath him… but the only thing underneath him is…

Plink!

The entire glider flashed a bright teal green. What did that mean? Was it actually powered somehow?

Plink! Plink!

The flashing sped up, along with the noise.

“Wait, wait, hold on!” 

He had no choice, he put a foot down a little farther in front of him and pressed as hard as he could without flipping the glider completely over. The glider slowly tilted downwards, picking up speed as it began its descent to the ground. It required a lot more strength than Shulk realized it would. 

Plink! Plink! Plink!

He was still too high. Whatever was going to happen, it was going to happen miles above the ground. And it was going to happen soon. Shulk had honestly expected the glider to just power down and start dropping, or something along those lines. Or maybe even just spontaneously explode. 

That was not what happened.

The glider made one last plink before it simply vanished in a burst of teal light. And yes, Shulk did mean vanish as in spontaneously disappearing from under his feet, leaving nothing but dead air between him and the ground below.  Would you blame him if he screamed? The ground was still so far away, but it kept rapidly approaching. His heart beat so fast, he barely could think. He cut through the low hanging clouds like a stone, falling faster and faster.  Was this it? Was this how he went out? Shulk had traversed nearly the entirety of TWO titans (Two!), felled multiple foes who were trying to kill him in particular (one of which was a literal GOD), and this was how he would die? Well, Fiora did say that his curiosity was going to get him killed one day. She would hate to know she was right. Shame. He wanted to eat her cooking one last time. This time he would tell her everything, not just give her the usual answer. 

He closed his eyes, awaiting the impact that would spell his end. 

SPLOOSH

—---

Link was having a good day, he just finished a long trip around Hyrule gathering ingredients for tomorrow's dinner. While the daytime was reserved for preparations for  the festival the next day, the night would be when Link would prepare a whole feast for him, Zelda and the Sages. No doubt Purah would invite herself without his input, he already planned on making enough for everyone to take leftovers home. It was hard to believe it had already been a year since he beat Ganondorf, Since he lost his arm. (Since Zelda returned to him, but was never the same.) He got a sweet new prosthetic but he really did prefer his original arm. It didn't matter anymore, tomorrow was about their successes, about their progress. Therefore, he was going to prepare the biggest feast he had ever made. Salmon meuniere, pepper steak, all the stews he could even think of, as well as tons of fresh breads and desserts. He even grabbed a bunch of fresh Hateno butter for said bread! He was going to be cooking all day, but Link enjoyed it at least. Even Zelda joined in, she wasn't too bad of a chef herself after he taught her some things.

 He just stopped at a nearby stable, the first one that he had come across as he wandered, when he received word that a stranger had been pulled from the Bottomless Pond- unconscious.   It was rare that someone was recognized as a stranger in this land, as tightly knit as the various communities were, and it was even rarer that someone didn't know how to swim over the age of 6. From what Link heard from the messenger, the man was Hylian and a little older than 18, he was perfectly within that age of knowing how to swim. There was so many lakes and ponds that it was almost unheard of... Unless they happened to be from Hebra, Link supposed.

But Link wasn't one to judge, so he stabled his horse there and set off for the Riverside Stable. A few quick taps on his pad and the familiar fuzzy, tingling feeling of teleportation filled his body as he landed at the nearby shrine.  As he materialized at the Tajikats shrine, Ember was already running towards him. He waved his hand in greeting as Link met him halfway, tilting his head in question. 

“Thank the goddesses you're here. You've heard the latest down the stable chain right?”

“Yeah, someone was dragged from the Bottomless Pond and can't be identified, right? Are they alive? Injured?”

“Yes, Yes! He's breathing at least. Doesn't look like he's injured from what we could see, but he hasn't exactly woken up yet either.”

“That's why he can't be identified… I see.”

“Also his clothes… they aren't anything like I've seen. You think he's from elsewhere? I know that Zelda's been trying to contact other kingdoms from outside Hyrule but I didn't think she was making any moves to invite outsiders in our kingdom.”

Link shrugged, “If he is an outsider then that would be hard to explain how he got past the canyons. There haven't been any unknown ships spotted either on any of our shores from what I've heard. The Gerudo should report anyone crossing the desert from their side and the bridge over the canyon to the north isn't even out of planning.”

“Just where did he come from then?”

Link frowned, “Let me take a picture of him, maybe I can send it to Zel, we can go ask around the villages.”

“Right.” Ember nodded, waving Link to follow as he started back to the familiar horse-headed stable building. 

On the surface, the stable seemed to be functioning like usual. But Link could sense something just below the surface, a sense of worry and unease that lifted as Link stepped into the tent. 

“He's over there.” Ember pointed to a far bed, “we've been mostly leaving him alone, but every now and again someone checks up on him.”

Link nodded his thanks, giving Ember a bright smile.

He cautiously approached the bed, watching the stranger's chest rise and fall gently under the blanket. 

The stranger had a soft face, he really couldn't be more than 17 or 18. His hair was a light blonde, it fell down to his (round?) ears and was gently messed up by sleep. Link could see glimpses of a soft white tunic from under the blanket, likely some spare clothes that Ember had dug from somewhere. The stranger's actual clothes sat folded on the end of the bed, and they were certainly a kind that Link hadn’t seen before. A small voice whispered quiet distrust, this was possibly a Yiga ploy. Link waved the thought away, the Yiga hadn't troubled him or Zelda since the downfall of Ganondorf. But the distrust of stranger's never left his mind, too deeply ingrained to be rid of that easily. Link gently pushed the covers back from the stranger's chin, pulling his pad out to take a snapshot. A small flash of light flickered from under the covers that he had yet to pull back, he blinked. 

What was that? 

He slowly continued to pull the covers back, more than he had intended to, until it revealed his hand. The soft outline of three triangles sat on this stranger's hand. Something pricked in the back of his mind, something familiar. Those three triangles are on nearly every icon in the castle, why did this stranger have them suddenly on his hand? And why did Link feel like this was such a big deal? He barely brushed his fingers across the teen's hand.

The teen snapped upright, coughing and heaving lungfuls of air. 

—---

Warm sunlight filtered onto Shulk's face, he almost didn't want to open his eyes. He could hear gentle birdsong, the grass underneath his back was entirely too soft. 

Wait, grass?

He slowly opened his eyes, vision blurry with sleep. He blinked a few times to clear his eyes before sitting up slowly. A clear blue sky stretched above him, familiar cliffs and hills reached around him. He was on Gaur Plains. 

“How did I…?” He muttered, “Was it just a dream?” 

“My apologies, Young one.” A gentle voice spoke behind him. 

He jumped to his feet, spinning on the grass to look behind him. A glowing golden figure stood behind him, their glow was almost too bright to make out any discernible features. But, almost as if sensing his discomfort, the glow dimmed.The figure was actually a woman, long golden hair trailing down her back. Her skin was ethereal, maintaining the same glow that the rest of her body did. Bright golden wings stretched behind her, it reminded Shulk almost of an insect's own gossamer wings. Her clothes were just as elaborate, wearing a decorated robe that constantly slowly shifted through patterns in the golden material. The only thing not explicitly golden was her eyes, a bright vibrant blue. Not to mention that she absolutely towered over Shulk.

“I didn't mean to frighten you, I apologize.” She bowed her head lightly, “I also must apologize for pulling from your memories without permission, but I thought a more familiar place would help this meeting.”

“This isn't actually Gaur Plains? Who are you?” Shulk had so many questions buzzing in his head, but only managed those two through the unsorted mess in his head. 

The woman smiled, placing a hand on her chest, “I am called many things, but you may call me Hylia. We are currently communicating through your dreams, your body is safe and asleep in the waking world.”

“I'm asleep? How is this possible? It feels so real…”

Hylia giggled, “My my. Such a curious one. You must have so many questions, but I need to hold them for now. I do not have much time. I have a request to ask of you, may I ask you to listen?”

Shulk blinked once with surprise before nodding, “Of course, I'll listen.”

She smiled, lowering herself to be on eye level with Shulk. “Thank you, Young homs.”

She closed her eyes, and the world began to shift as she returned to her full height. Shulk was no longer standing in the familiarity of Gaur Plains, instead he stood in the middle of a bustling town, overlooking a massive building with pointed spires and banners hanging from every tower. The people who lived in the town looked like homs, but as Shulk took a closer look he saw that their ears were pointed, similar to the High Entia. The structure of the town was very different to the ones in the colonies, there weren't any walls from what he could see surrounding the town. The buildings were constructed from stone, wood and some had a grass like material for a roof. 

“These are some of the people of my realm, they call themselves Hylians.”

Her realm? HYLIAns? Does this mean…?!

“Are… you a god?” Shulk found himself whispering.

No, That was outlandish it couldn't-

“That I am. Apologies for not mentioning that earlier, I thought that would be a bit… much this early on.”

Oh. Oh.

Shulk shook his head, Mostly to clear the shock and bewilderment of meeting yet another goddess in such a short time, “It's quite alright, I understand,  Please continue.”

She smiled again, and the surroundings shifted. This time to an area filled with beautiful blue hued buildings. However, the people that lived there looked very different to the last. These were people that reminded Shulk an awful lot of homs mixed heavily with fish traits. Fins and flipper-like feet, complete with tails streaming down like hair from their heads. It made Shulk do a double take as Hylia kept talking.

“There's numerous types of people and creatures who live here, each having their own lifestyles and cultures that shape the world they live in. And I'm afraid that that is all in danger.”

Shulk swallowed his questions as the surroundings changed again, this time to a mountainous landscape. The people who lived here resembled rocks and boulders given form, but they seemed to be a boisterous and jovial species, judging by how they laughed and interacted with each other. 

“A great evil that goes beyond time and space, one that has powers that rival my own.  I worry that my champion's efforts may not be enough this time.”

The surroundings shifted again, this time to a mountainous landscape. A village was built around the cliffs, built in such a precarious way but with sturdy craftsmanship.  In the skies above, a people that seemed more like Tirkins  but more hominoid, flew above Shulk. 

“I've done my best to ensure that this would never have to pass, but I believe your arrival here to be an omen. There are such things that are out of a god's reach. Fate is one such thing.”

For the final time, the environment shifted to a land filled with sand, like an enormous beach. And yet the ocean was nowhere to be seen. It seemed inhospitable, but a town had sprouted up and had people actually living in it. These people had darker skin, but looked similar to the hylians. It was clear though that these people had adapted more for the environment they lived in. 

“So I must ask you this. Will you help me? Help my world? Their world?”

Hylia's piercing blue eyes met Shulk's own, desperation and worry clear in her face. 

There was a lot to process in that moment, but Shulk had learned one thing during his adventure: he was a sucker for people in need. 

“Of course. I'd be glad to. But can I ask one thing?”

Relief flooded Hylia's face, “What is it?”

“My friends, are they okay?”

Hylia raised an eyebrow in confusion, “I apologize, I did not look that far into your memories. May I have your permission to see their faces?” 

She extended a hand, and Shulk took it with a nod. His own hand was tiny in hers, but what caught him off guard was that her hand didn't feel like a homs. Instead it was light, airy, a warm feeling bubbling through his limbs. It wasn't exactly unpleasant but it was unlike anything he had felt before. He thought of his friends' faces, their personalities, their adventures. A twinge of sadness and worry struck his heart. 

He missed them more than he realized.

She let go after a few moments, smiling. “Thank you. You have wonderful friends.”

“I appreciate that. They helped me through a lot. I owe them just as much, if not more.”

Her features narrowed with concern and sympathy, “I cannot feel their presence in my realm, they are likely still in your own. I cannot see into that which I do not have control over. I am sorry.”

Shulk sighed with relief, but a small pit of uncertainty remained in his stomach, “No, No. It's okay. As long as they are safe, I'm happy.”

The Goddess nodded, raising back to her full height. “Our time is becoming short, I fear. I can sense your worry and I ask you to push it aside for now. I will try and have a way for you to return to your friends before long, I will at least owe you that in thanks.”

Shulk couldn't help but beam with happiness, “Really?! That would be wonderful!” 

“Now, I must leave you. I will not leave you alone, however. My champions will help you in return. I will grant you a boon as well, I believe you might find it familiar.” 

She held her hands close to her chest, a bright light forming within her fingers. She pulled it from her chest, holding it towards Shulk. He hesitantly touched it, and to his surprise it burst into little particles and vanished into him. A warm feeling of power replaced his uncertainty,  as he gently rubbed his tingling fingertips on his palm. 

“We will speak again, deep in your future. I trust that you will stay safe until that time comes. Farewell, Shulk.”

Before Shulk could respond, her radiance once again began to blind him. He held up an arm to block the light, but he suddenly felt the ground fall from beneath him. And then he shot up, a soft bed beneath him and a long haired hominoid in front, staring like they had just seen a ghost. Shulk's eyes immediately went to this person's scars, large patches that honestly could have been one large one if it wasn't for the small separations that looked partially healed. It went over the left half of their face, spreading downwards underneath their cloak and shirt. Even a bit of their pointed ear was missing, Shulk noticed. Their eyes were the next thing he noticed, a striking deep blue that contrasted against their scars. Their long golden hair was pulled back into a low Eks-tail. Shulk's eyes quickly brushed at their chest area, but he couldn't help but linger on their arm. It was made with a material that Shulk wasn’t familiar with, brown and gray with orange and blue glowing lines leading throughout the arm and joints. It didn't match the other, the same tone of skin as the rest of him. A prosthetic then?

The person just blinked quickly at Shulk before he regained his composure. 

“Oh, you're up.” the stranger forced out, “Are you… Okay? Do you need anything?”

“Water would be amazing, thank you.” He found himself saying, his throat rasping slightly. 

The stranger nodded, waving his arm as he ran over to a nearby desk. Now that Shulk had a little time, he could see he was lying in a comfortable bed, his clothes draped neatly on the end of the bed. He looked at the replacement clothes, a simple soft cotton shirt and comfortable loose pants, his shoes were laying beside his bed on the ground. The bed had a good view of the area around him, a wooden building with an open area, other beds lined in a circle around a central communal area judging by the other people relaxing. Two entrances were separated by the desk that the stranger had run to, who was now pointing to him as another stranger behind the desk nodded. He looked upwards, seeing this entire place was under a tent like structure, built to be sturdy year-round. A few moments later the first stranger returned with a wooden pitcher of water and a small wooden cup. They poured some water in the cup and handed it to Shulk, who accepted gratefully. He quickly drank the water, feeling the cool liquid soothe his throat. 

“Do you know your name?” The stranger asked as Shulk set the glass on a nearby nightstand. 

“I do, It's Shulk. Might I get yours as well?”

The stranger sighed with relief before his expression twisted into an emotion Shulk couldn't pinpoint for only a split second before returning to normal. 

“Oh, right, but can I offer you some fruit first?” The stranger said, pulling out a strange tablet, “I've got apples, durians, bananas… Anything sound good?”

For some reason, Shulk felt like he had the entire tent's attention from that question. A strange atmosphere of pressure formed, almost like there was a wrong answer to this question.

“A-Ah, what's a durian? I don't think I've heard of that before.” 

The stranger snorted slightly, tapping on the tablet before a very spiky green and brown fruit materialized in his hand, almost seemingly made of the blue ether that had collected beforehand. 

“Woah!” Shulk couldn't help but gasp. 

Teleportation? No, more like instantaneous creation? The stranger put the fruit on the table beside him before a cooking knife appeared in his hand the same way the fruit did. 

“Do you wanna try some? It's a bit smelly, but it's pretty good raw. I prefer it cooked though with a little bit of honey.” 

Shulk’s stomach rumbled, answering before his mouth could. 

“I'll take that as a yes.” the stranger smiled before slicing into the fruit. 

A pungent smell hit Shulk's nose, but it wasn't too bad, at least it wasn't the worst smell he's smelt. He could definitely see how it could turn some people away though. The stranger materialized a plate from that blue ether and placed some of the fruit’s yellow innards on it. The way he effortlessly handled it suggested it wasn't the worst he's smelt either.

“My name’s Link by the way.” He said as he passed the plate to Shulk.

“Pleased to meet you.” Shulk smiled as he took the plate. 

The fruit’s flesh wasn't what he expected, but then again he wasn't sure what to expect from a fruit covered in a shell of spikes. 

“Link, did you have to open that thing up here?” Someone out of Shulk’s line of sight complained. 

Link smiled sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head with his prosthetic arm (Shulk so wanted to get a look at it, to meet whoever designed it to move so smoothly-!), as he apologized. Shulk took a bite from the flesh and his eyes widened at the flavor. It did not smell at all like how it tasted! The flesh was custardry, sweet and a little savory in some areas but it wasn't bad. he'd honestly like to try it how Link suggested, seemed like it would pair pretty good. 

“It's strange,” He simply said at first before taking another nibble of the fruit, “But not bad.”

“I'm glad to hear that, it's not my personal favorite but I really enjoy it when I'm able to prepare it without attracting a ton of monsters.”

Monsters. That strange dream came back to him. He really wasn't in his own world. He couldn't help but feel a wave of anxiety wash over him at the thought of his family, his friends. Hylia had tried to assure him of their safety but… he really wanted to see it with his own eyes. 

“Is everything okay, Shulk?” Link tilted his head as his brow furrowed with worry. 

“Oh! Yes, just a little worried I suppose.” 

“Worried?”

“My friends, My family. I'm… just a bit worried for them. I don’t really know where they're at, Erm.. Kind of.” 

How much could he spin to hide the fact that he's not exactly from here? Was he even allowed to tell people here that? Hylia never exactly made that clear, he didn't want to invoke her anger because he just so happened to break an unsaid law or something. But… It's already a given, he doesn't know anything about this place nor does he know how to fake it. He never was a good liar, He decided it would be better to spin the truth. Not lie exactly but just… change some details. 

“We got separated, and I think I know where they're at, but it's still terrifying to think that they… probably don't know where I am.”  Shulk rambled slightly,  anxiety taking over for a slight second. 

Link nodded, his eyes falling to look at his fists before meeting Shulk's again.

“Yeah, I can understand that. Are you okay to move? We can talk a little closer to the fire if you'd like. I can cook the rest of this as well, if you want it.” Link gestured to the durian.

Shulk blinked with slight surprise. Yeah, he was okay to move, he supposed. His muscles ached slightly and he really wanted to stay under these surprisingly soft comforter and sheets, but he pushed them back and swung his legs over with only a slight amount of effort. 

“Yeah. I'll manage.” 

Chapter Text

Shulk managed to slip his shoes on, gather his belongings and move to the fire outside, allowing him to finally get a glimpse of the world around him.

Honestly, there wasn't much to see. A nearby paddock area filled with Eks-like creatures, only smaller and furrier, sat to the left of where they exited, piles of fresh firewood bundled together to the right along with bundles of fresh hay. The entire tent must be sat next to a river, judging by the sound of running water coming from behind him. 

In front of the paddocks was a ring of logs used as stools and in the middle was an unlit fire with a large cooking pot on top. Link waved him over to the pot, summoning a small piece of flint and a knife with the same blue ether. Shulk took a seat as Link struck the flint, sparks flying and lighting the dry material stuffed in between fresh logs. 

The fire started small, but Link managed to coax it into a gentle blaze, enough to start preparing the cooking pot. 

And they talked. About home, About family, about adventures. As much as Shulk could think to spare without testing his luck. 

Link shared stuff too, Of course. He was an adventurer, a guide, a scavenger, and a lot more. He went from area to area helping his community, his land as it recovered from some kind of calamity that happened two years or so ago. He didn't seem too inclined to share more, and Shulk didn't wish to push. 

The sun was starting to set, their stomachs full of warm food and drink that Link had continued to make throughout their conversation. It was… comfortable. 

“... And then, I swear this is true, Reyn picked up the volff pup thinking it was a lost dog! Boy, their mother was so angry after that I think he still has the scar from where he landed on his arse!” Shulk barely could talk from how much he was laughing recounting that tale. 

Link was in equal amounts of pain, his laughter joining in with Shulk's own. 

“Y’know I don't know what a volff is exactly, but really, Didn't your friend not know that you don't pick up wild animals like that?”

“Reyn's a bit thickheaded like that. He's okay but I doubt he learned from that. He just wants to help whenever he can.” 

“Sounds like my Bo-” Link suddenly coughed, “f-f-Friend, My friend, Sidon. They would get along very well.”

His… Boyfriend? Was that what he was trying to say? Shulk pushed it to the back of his head. Whatever the reason was, he wasn't going to push it. 

“You hadn't mentioned Sidon yet, Who's that?”

“He's the prince of the Zoras, I guess, though he's the king now. Or at least next in line, Politics are confusing. Anyways! He's the brother of Mipha, I mentioned her yeah?”

“Oh yeah. I remember that, Childhood friend right?”

“Mmhm. We became closer after her… passing. It helped a lot.”

“I'm… sorry about your loss.” 

Link smiled sadly, poking the dying fire once with a nearby stick they had turned into a fire prod. 

“It was a while ago. I'm okay now.”

“But it still hurts. Leaves something behind that can't be healed.”

‘Even if they come back to you.’ Shulk added mentally. 

“You've lost someone too, haven't you?”

Shulk nodded, his eyes falling to the fire. “I lost someone close to me as well. She died right in front of me, on top of it.”

His hands tightly gripped the fabric of his borrowed pants, the memory was just as vivid as the day it happened. 

“My home was under attack, I… tried to defend it, to defend my family.”

Screams of citizens being devoured by mechon, the smell of blood and ash in his nose was overwhelming but he stood his ground, The Monado held in his hands as they shook with fear. The Metal Face mechon - No, He knew now that the real identity of that particular face unit was Mumkahr, his blood boiled thinking about it - raised his claw and he tasted his own blood as Shulk was knocked away with one quick swipe. He could only watch as the mechon was about to end it all, to kill Dunban, Reyn and himself. 

“It was too late, though.”

“Shulk?”

The sound of an explosion so clear rang in his ears, Fiora found an artillery unit somewhere and was piloting it. His mind went blank as she sped towards the mechon unit, ramming into it at full speed.

“-lk!”

He had watched her die twice. The Monado had shown him the vision before it happened, but he couldn’t do anything. 

The mechon was too strong, He was too weak, Her screams echoed in his ears as the mechon plunged those terrible claws into the cockpit of the downed unit-

“Shulk!” 

Hands on Shulk's shoulders brought him back to reality, His heart beat abnormally fast in his ears and he just couldn't stop shaking. His face was wet with tears. Link stood in front of him, crouched as to be on eye level with Shulk. He was holding onto his shoulders with his hands, A firm yet gentle grip. 

“Can you breathe with me?” 

The question was so simple, Shulk still struggled to nod. Link let go of Shulk and started to take deep breaths in and out, Shulk struggled to match but managed - somehow. 

It took a few moments of repetitive breathing, but eventually everything managed to calm. Shulk's hands still shook and he felt like was about to throw up, but he was back in reality now. 

“You okay? You got lost there for a second.” Link asked, a worried look on his face.

Shulk released a shaking breath.

“Y-Yeah. I'm fine. I don't know what that was about but I'm okay now. Sorry to worry you like that.” 

Link shook his head, “Don’t apologize. It sounds like it was… a lot, for lack of better words.” 

“It… it was. She was one of my best friends, she died trying to save us.”

Link didn’t respond and Shulk started to shake again. 

“I wasn't strong enough. I wasn't ready and… and…” Shulk's voice barely came out as a whisper. 

“Shulk,” Link's voice brought him back once more, “We can't blame ourselves for our pasts. Don’t blame yourself for being inexperienced.” 

Shulk knew the expression on Link's face as he said this, the expression of someone who didn't follow his own words but knew they came from a place of genuinity. But he didn't say anything, Shulk simply wiped his eyes on his sleeve and nodded. 

“Y-Yes. I know that now. What's important is what we do with the future. What we choose to move forward with now,” He smiled sadly, “I'm sorry, I don't know why I told you all this, I barely know you.”

It was unusual, but there was something invisible that made Shulk trust Link more than usual. An invisible connection that resonated by being near the other person. 

“I know what you mean, But there's this…” Link waved his arms in a vague fashion, trying to put words he didn't have into place. 

“Connection?” Shulk offered. 

“Yeah! But it feels… different. Not a bad different, but… I only have felt this with one other being. He's gone now though, Back to wherever he came from.” Link spoke as he moved back to his seat.

“Huh?”

“It was… uh,” Link rub the back of his head, “A wolf.”

“What's… a wolf?”

Link blinked with surprise. “Kind of like a dog but more… feral?”

“Oh! A volff!”

“What?!... Shulk, Where do you come from where your people call wolves “Volffs”?”

“Ah, yeah about that…” 

The words still got stuck in Shulk's throat, but his hesitance was overwhelmed by reassurance by this invisible bond the two shared. It was like trust and love was poured through it by an unseen person, someone was telling him that this was okay to do. 

A small thought wiggled into his mind.

Could this be Hylia? Could she do that? She did mention her champions, Was Link one of them? Shulk took a deep breath before he spoke.

“I'm… Not exactly from here. I'm from the Bionis, A large dead titan in the middle of an eternal ocean.” Shulk closed his eyes and spat out his words. 

He made sure to especially stress the word “Dead”, More for his sake than Link's.

A small silence stretched between the two before Link finally spoke. 

“Okay… That… Certainly isn't the strangest thing I've heard-”

“From a different world entirely?” Shulk cut in, he opened one eye cautiously.

“Ah. Okay. Strangely enough, Still no. But that does explain a lot.” 

“Huh. Okay.” Shulk simply nodded with slight shock. 

He fell silent as he waited to be struck down, for someone to come tell him he made a fatal error. But nothing happened.

“What's it like?” Link asked suddenly as he pulled his tablet out. 

Some mushrooms materialized, alongside some pointed sticks. 

“What's what like?”

“Living on a titan. It's gotta be way different than here.” 

Shulk hummed.

“It's definitely more… confined? If that makes sense, I mean. The sky here is so big, and the land keeps going forever. On the bionis. you really can only see as far as the body goes. My colony, Colony 9, didn’t have the best view, It was surrounded by walls that stretched up to the sky. It’s located in the right ankle; we'd have to be careful of debris falling from the upper levels.” 

Link nodded as he listened, Skewering mushrooms onto the sticks and placing them on the dying fire. 

“When we first stepped foot on the knee, It was like we were in a completely different place. The land suddenly ended and everything opened up to the ocean. It was more space than I had ever seen in my life, And we still had more to go. I've pretty much seen the entirety of the Bionis at this point, Although I'm sure that isn't actually true. I'm glad though that I left my colony, Meeting my friends and seeing what the titan offered. Lik Satorl Marsh or Eryth Sea! You haven't seen anything until you visited those places at night. They're full of concentrated ether energy that they release at night and everything just... glows.”

“Sounds pretty amazing. I'd love to see it.” Link commented, his eyes wide with a spark that screamed adventure. 

“Perhaps one day, I'd love to show you around. What about you? What's your home like?”

Link looked down at his feet. 

“I don't remember.” He admitted. 

Shulk raised an eyebrow with curiosity.  

“I, Um… That calamity I mentioned earlier? I lost my memories from it. I've recovered bits and pieces but things like home, my family? Still missing.”

“Then tell me about your home now.” 

“Well… I live in a nice house in lower Akkala, Near Tarry tow- Oh wait, sorry uh let me just…,” Link pulled out his tablet, tapping a few times before turning it towards Shulk, “Here, This'll help”

A map of the region was showing on the screen, and it hit Shulk once again how far away from home he was. Link tapped on an area in the upper right corner, pointing to a small section of land in the middle of a lake. 

“This is Tarry Town, I live just a little bit lower… here.” 

He pointed to a nearby section of cliffs just south of the town.

“Oh wow.”

“Anyways, I have another friend, I call her Zel but her full name’s Zelda….” 

Link enthusiastically spoke about his new family and friends for what felt like hours, and Shulk soaked up every drop he could. After seeing how upset he was about his memory loss, it felt nice to see him so happy with new memories. It wasn't until he got to the end Link cursed and placed his tablet down on his lap. 

“What's wrong?” Shulk tilted his head a little. 

“I forgot, I needed to grab one last ingredient for tomorrow. I can make it by myself but I don't want to leave you alone here…” 

“It's no big deal, where do you need to go?”

“Zora's domain, I need to grab some Hearty Salmon. I'd rather not subject you to teleportation twice, would you be okay if I dropped you by my place and I go grab some quickly?” 

Shulk blinked once. 

“You can teleport at will??”

Link flinched, “Oh yeah, it's something my pad can let me do. But I just wanted to see if it was okay first.” 

“Oh-Uh, Yeah. That's fine.”

Link smiled before standing up, tapping a few times on his pad before extending his hand. Shulk stood up and took it carefully. 

“It's gonna be a bit disorienting the first time. Don't worry, it'll pass after a few seconds.” 

“No worries, I've-”

And then everything disappeared into a blue light. This didn't feel like his usual experiences with teleportation, his entire body itched, down to his very bones. And then, they appeared. A different place covered in autumnal leaves and hills. 

“That wasn't too bad, was it?” Link laughed, stepping off the stone sigil beneath them. 

Shulk would answer, but he was too busy fighting off the sudden nausea that came from being transported this far. 

He simply let Link lead him, their hands still linked together, to a bright green stacked house just at the bottom of the hill.

“And here we are!” He proclaimed with a flourish of his hand, “Just give me one second to let us in and you can have free reign over the place, just don't touch the weapons on display.” 

Shulk simply nodded. 

“I should keep some snacks in a cupboard nearby for guests if you want to scrounge a bit,” Link muttered as he unlocked and opened the door, “And voila! I'm gonna head out to grab the salmon, I'll be back whenever. Feel free to sleep wherever you like also, ‘snot like I have room to speak.”

With another nonverbal confirmation from Shulk, Link pressed another time on his pad and vanished into the same blue light as earlier. Which meant that Shulk was alone for a bit. 

He stepped into the home and closed the door with a quiet click. As soon as the door shut, Candles on the walls lit up like magic. The interior was warm and cozy, a round table with low chairs was the centerpiece, and to the sides stood a kitchen, a door that likely led to a bathroom and a set of decorative weapons in a nook to the side. Those were probably the ones Shulk was told not to touch. But Link never said anything about looking. 

He wandered over to the pedestals, four of them to be exact. Each had a different weapon, An absolutely massive club, A set of curved swords with a shield, a trident, and a bow. Similarly, each had a memorial placard on the pedestal. He didn't recognize the other names, but underneath the trident was a placard memorializing Mipha.

‘Same one as Link lost? or a different one? No, it had to be the same, it only made sense to keep a memorial to someone close to you in your home…’ He pondered. 

It didn't matter, these people meant a lot to Link either way, so he bowed his head with respect and moved on. The slowly dissipating nausea led to fatigue, and Shulk found himself wanting to find a bed. He eventually wandered upstairs to find a rather narrow hallway and two sets of doors. Opening the first he came to reveal a bedroom, it was rather empty looking besides a bed and a set of drawers with a mirror. It was probably a guest bedroom.

He didn't think about it much before his head hit the pillow, exhaustion finally catching up from absolutely everything he had experienced. 

All that really just happened, huh? A small part of Shulk couldn't believe it, that this would all be a dream and he would find himself awake in his bed in Colony 9. 

That his entire adventure wasn't real, that he dreamt it up when he hit his head slipping on an oil patch or something. Fiora would still be human, and Sharla's love wasn't dead, and Dunban still had use of both arms because the monado was just a dream-

Shulk took a deep breath inwards, his lungs pushing up against the soft bed. 

Despite everything, He doesn't regret his adventure. If he didn't go, He wouldn't have met Sharla - well, maybe he would have eventually- Or Riki. He wouldn't have ever met Melia if it wasn't for the telethia. 

‘Yeah, I wouldn't change anything for the world…’ He thought as he drifted into soft slumber. 

—-

The morning came with the smell of cooked eggs and meat, gently rousing shulk from a dreamless sleep. 

“I must've fallen asleep in Fiora's place…” He muttered, his mind consumed by lingering sleep. 

it wasn't too unusual when he would go to Fiora's home, he'd fall asleep at the table at dinner time and wake up having been placed in a bed by Dunban… But this time something felt off. The noise from the nearby marketplace was gone, instead replaced by soft blowing wind and birdsong. 

Shulk cracked his eyes open and the familar room from last night came back to him. This is Link's place. He relaxed into his pillow with a sigh. 

“I suppose I'd better get ready for the day.”

He sat up, pulling the sheets back and stepped onto the cold floor. He suppressed a shiver as he found his belongings on the nearby drawer, right where he didn't realize he had placed them. 

All he had was his usual clothes, and that sword handle, but they smelled fresh and clean. Someone must have washed them at some point. He got dressed quickly, tucked the strange handle into his pocket and headed downstairs, where he found Link sitting at the table with a wide spread of eggs and bacon on platters set in the middle of the table. Two empty sets of silverware and plates sat at either end of the table, ready for a meal. Link seemed to be tapping away at his pad, he didn't seem to notice Shulk just yet. 

Shulk cleared his throat as he stepped off the stairs, Link's head turned to look at him with a bright smile. 

“Oh! Morning Shulk, How did you sleep?”

“Surprisingly well, thank you,” Shulk answered as he slid into the opposite chair, “What time is it, if I may ask?”

“A little past 8.” Link replied before grabbing a spoonful of scrambled eggs and passing the bowl to Shulk, “Oh, Sorry if you don't eat meat, I can make something different real fast if you'd like.”

Shulk took the eggs with a grateful nod, “This is quite alright, Thank you for making breakfast.” 

Soon, Both plates were full of food and Link had already started to very nearly inhale his own plate. Shulk didn't really know what to think of the eggs in front of him. They tend to be a bit hit or miss, But he took a careful bite anyway. It would be rude not to. He very nearly melted with how different the taste was. These eggs weren't at all what he was used to, Soft and fluffy, carefully seasoned with cheese melted in between the egg curds. The bacon was no different, Crispy and savory with just the right amount of pepper on it. 

“Oh my bionis, this is amazing.” Shulk couldn't help but sigh, shoveling another spoonful into his mouth. 

Link simply beamed with pride as he helped himself to seconds (Already??). 

It wasn't much longer before breakfast was done and Shulk found himself leaning back with a full stomach and a happy smile. They both sat in comfortable silence, until it was broken by a quiet tone coming from Link's pad. He tapped a few times on it before it stopped and he started talking. 

“Oh hey Zel, What's going on?” 

A feminine voice could barely be heard from his tablet. The voice's way of speaking sounded vaguely familiar to Melia's, at least accent-wise.

“Sorry to bother you, Link, I'm over here at the Foothill Stable and I've heard some reports of Moblin sightings coming from the wilds region up there. Around Tempest Gulch. Can you check it out really fast? I should be there by midday, hopefully.” 

“Yeah, I gotcha. You still have that spare key I gave you, right?”

“Yep, I should be able to get in. Oh- Purah and Yunobo say hi as well.”

“Oh! That's why you're walking rather than teleporting.” 

“Yeah, You know Yunobo's fear. I'm not going to push him to do something he doesn't want to do.” 

Link nodded, “We'll see you soon then, I'll head out now for Tempest Gulch and hopefully be back around the time you're here.” 

With that, The call cut and Link let out a tiny disappointed sigh. 

“Well, Guess I better make this quick. I'll be back in a bit.” 

Link got up from his seat, putting his dishes quickly into the sink. 

“Do you need help?” Shulk asked, standing up from his own seat as he did, “I'm no expert but I can fight as well.” 

Link frowned thoughtfully, humming to himself.

“I guess if you can take care of yourself, then it's not an issue. Just follow my lead. I guess you'll need a weapon to protect yourself with, then…” 

Shulk reached into his pocket, pulling the sword handle out. 

“I found this earlier, But I guess you can't do much with it. Maybe I could attach a knife to it or something along those lines.” 

Link's eyes lit up as he looked at the handle. 

“Oh! That'll do nicely!”

“What do you mean?” 

“Here, Let me show you,” Link summoned a handle similar to the one that Shulk held from the ether, gripping it tightly with one hand as it appeared, “So, the Zonai - The peoples who made this technology- made a lot of ‘Bladeless weaponry’. Blades made of stuff other than metal, No one's really sure what it's made of other than Zonaite. But the trick is to use your whole palm against the handle like so-”

With a flash of light blue light, an intricate blade formed from the top of the handle, each part seemingly floating above another. Shulk had to do a double take because the hue was so similar to the Monado's own ether blade. 

“So it's similar to the Monado's activation then. I understand now.”

Shulk ignored Link's confused expression as he imitated Link's own hold on the sword. He let muscle memory take over, he had activated the Monado so many times that something like this had to work. The ether in his body started to gather, just a small amount, enough to activate it. The sword started to take it, the tip sparking and flickering with a faint, smaller intricate blade of his own. 

But it stopped, The ether felt like it hit a block of some sort and the blade fell quiet.

“Hm,” Link hummed, “That's… not usual. Maybe it's broken.” 

“Really?”

“Maybe. Most Zonai stuff is, nowadays, Don't take it personally. Keep ahold of it, I have a friend coming later today who should be able to take a look at it.” 

“That person you were speaking to earlier?” 

Link shook his head. “No, but they're coming with her. So, What do you prefer? One handed? Two? Or are you more of an archery kind of guy?” 

“I've never even touched a bow in my life, Please don't trust me with one. I'll be fine with a two handed sword if you have one.” 

Link nodded, tapping on his tablet quickly before a broad claymore, adorned with gold detailing along the blade, appeared in his hand. The pommel had lines that seemed almost like golden wings stretching across it, followed by a deep purple handle. It seemed more decorative than a weapon, Shulk thought as Link handed it to Shulk. 

“Here, I've got a few of these so here's a gift from me to you.”

“Are-Are you sure? It looks like it costs a lot…” 

Link waved his hand dismissively, “It's fine, really. Now, We should get going. Hold on.” 

Shulk nodded. They were gonna teleport again, he assumed. Would be the fastest way over, He thought as he grabbed Link’s shoulder. Once again, everything vanished into blue as the two teleported away to their next destination.