Author's Notes: Merry Christmas, if it's something you celebrate! It's amazing how much I've forgotten about Xenoblade in the year and a half since I last played the game. Here's the rest of this short story.

Shulk stirs only when he starts hearing voices and muffled thumps, his face warmed by the sunlight streaming in from the window. Unbidden, he lets out a muffled groan as he wraps his brain around the idea of being awake. Keeping his eyes tightly shut, he rubs his cheek against his arm in an attempt to rid himself of an unwelcome itch before turning his head to find a more comfortable position to rest. Just a few more minutes...

"Decided to sneak into the girls' room, did you? I expected better of you, Shulk." Sharla's chiding voice causes him to abruptly sit up straight - banging his knee painfully against Fiora's bedside table, ow - suddenly alert and alarmed, rapidly blinking sleep from his eyes.

At the sight of a disapproving Sharla with her hands on her hips, Shulk backs away - or would have, if he hadn't been sitting in a chair - and flails his hands about, not liking the implication lining her voice. His cheeks feel warm, and this time it isn't from the sunlight. "Oh no, it's nothing like that! I just-" It's difficult not to sputter. What should he say?! "This wasn't a problem when we were travelling!"

...Not exactly the best of statements to defend his actions.

Laughing, Sharla flaps her hands, relax, relax, before loosely crossing her arms. "Calm down, Shulk, I'm only teasing. Melia explained the situation. You must have been really tired to have slept through the noise we were making."

Shulk lets his shoulders droop. "I guess so." His cheeks still burn. "Is everyone awake already?"

"You're the last one up."

He pushes himself off the chair despite protests from his limbs. "Sorry." What time is it? Judging by the brightness of the natural light in the room, it must be at least mid morning. "Did I keep you all waiting?"

Sharla shakes her head. "Not at all. We were gathering supplies for our trip. Or at least, we were supposed to. I think we were all exhausted from the battle with Zanza."

"Zanza..." he repeats, gaze sliding from Sharla's. Even after Alvis' explanation, he can't say he understands why someone would want unthinking followers as 'friends'. His and Reyn's bond of friendship wouldn't be nearly as strong if it weren't for their arguing and looking out for each other. "Sharla... If you- No," Shulk corrects himself, "when you find Colony 6, do you plan on living there afterwards?"

"Of course! Colony 6 is my home. I didn't spend all that time helping with the reconstruction efforts to leave it." She touches a hand to her cheek. "Why? This is a strange line of questioning, coming from you."

Shulk shakes his head. "No, it's nothing."

Sharla's hands go to her hips, and Shulk winces, knowing he's made a mistake. "Really, Shulk. You've got something on your mind, so spill it."

He hesitates, turning his gaze towards the window and the sight beyond. It doesn't seem like his place to say, so he offers only part of what's on his mind. "I just think it's a shame we won't all be together any more. We have our own homes to go back to." It wouldn't be fair to keep them from that. During their journey, Riki had said repeatedly he wanted to go back to Frontier Village, despite steadfastly sticking to them - "Because Riki Heropon! Heropon save the day!" - and staying in the fight. All in all, it's a pretty selfish wish to keep everyone with him. Shulk's gaze returns to Sharla. "Still, I'm gonna miss travelling with everyone."

Sharla just laughs, an unladylike snicker that has more in common with Reyn's guffaws than Melia's light chuckles. "You're making it sound like we'll never see each other again. This isn't the last you'll see of us, you know. I'm planning to come back in six months."

"Huh?" Absentmindedly, Shulk curls a hand by his chin. "What's happening in six months?"

Sharla gestures wildly with her right hand. "Fiora, of course! We have to celebrate getting her real body back! And I have to see what she looks like."

He raises his head. What does that have to do with anything? "Why's that so important? She's still the same person, Mechon or Homs. Besides, you've already seen the photos of her around here."

Shaking her head, Sharla puts a palm to her forehead. "Oh, Shulk. You have so much to learn."

His brow furrows - what does she mean by that? - before he changes the topic and says brightly, "You'll be bringing Juju along, won't you?"

A nod before she folds her arms. "Of course. He wouldn't dream of missing out on seeing you and Reyn again for anything." She shakes her head again, but there's a fond smile on her face. "He's taken a real shine to you two, you know."

Shulk blinks in surprise. "Really?"

Sharla lets out a sigh. "You really don't notice the effect you have on people, do you?" She shifts her stance. "Since you two saved him, Juju's calmed down a lot. He used to be a lot more impulsive and he didn't really think about others. Now he's become more thoughtful and hardworking." Shulk grins at the sight of Sharla's broad smile splitting her face. "I'm proud of him. Anyway," she adds with a smile, "I shouldn't keep you any longer. Reyn and Riki are finishing up breakfast. If you hurry, there might even be some left for you."

His stomach lets out an unhappy growl and Shulk grimaces, standing. "Ah... Thanks, Sharla. I'll head down in just a moment."

She nods. "I'll see you later."

As Sharla goes down the stairs, Shulk yawns and stretches, joints popping quietly. He really shouldn't have slept in that chair; his neck is going to be stiff all day now. With one last yawn, Shulk heads downstairs, the creaking of the wooden floorboards drowned out by the cheerful cacophony at the kitchen table courtesy of Reyn and Riki.

"Morning, Shulk." Fiora turns from her sink of dirty dishes, Melia giving him a nod of acknowledgement from beside Fiora. "Did you sleep alright like that?"

Reyn waves his greeting, which promptly results in Riki stealing a fried egg from Reyn's plate. Immediately, a friendly fight erupts. Expressing steeling, Melia sets down her dishrag and strides forward to break them up, and Shulk approaches Fiora. "Surprisingly well, thanks." He focuses his attention on Fiora's face, noting there's colour in her cheeks now. Good. "How are you feeling?"

Shulk can hear Reyn and Riki's racket lessen at Melia's commanding voice, mumbled apologies as she chides them like a couple of schoolchildren. He can't help the corner of his mouth twitching upwards; isn't Melia younger than both of them? She looks younger than them, anyway, but he can't really tell with High Entia. He'll have to ask her age later.

"Great!" Fiora smiles, her entire face practically lighting up, and he mirrors the action. Her metal arm gently bumps against his. "I feel so relaxed, knowing I'll be getting my own body soon."

His smile wavers as he thinks, What if it doesn't work? The Regeneration Chamber is practically rediscovered lost technology. Even the Machina aren't fully familiar with its mechanics and functions. Given how it had been embedded into the Bionis' shin, who knows if it still performs as it's supposed to? What will become of Fiora then? Shaking off his pessimism, he says instead, "Where's Dunban and Sharla? I saw Sharla earlier..."

"Oh, Dunban wanted to get things organised for reconstruction before the others leave. He asked for Sharla to come with him, since Colony 6 has been reconstructed a few times."

"Hm." Shulk tucks a hand under his elbow, considering. "Speaking of reconstructing, I should check on the lab. See if it's still there and see what I can use for repairs."

"What about breakfast?" Shulk follows Fiora's gaze to the plate beside her containing a fried egg and two strips of armu meat. It's a bit less than what would normally grace Reyn's plate, but he's always eaten less than his best friend. "We saved some for you."

His stomach lets out a low growl, so he plucks the plate, turns around and leans back against the kitchen counter. "I'll eat before I go."

He spots a small smile on Fiora's lips before she continues drying the freshly washed dishes. "You can use cutlery you know. We're not travelling anymore."

Shulk pauses, the strip of meat between his fingers already halfway towards his mouth. "It's fine, isn't it? Your food still tastes great."

"Oh, Shulk." Fiora sighs and shakes her head, but there's a small smile on her lips.

Shulk's more than content to soak in the peaceful atmosphere amongst his friends while he eats, so he stays silent, watching the antics of Melia, Reyn, and Riki while listening to the quiet clink of dishes being put away. Once Fiora's finished with the dishes, she stands beside him, mirroring his action of leaning back against the kitchen bench and just basks in the relaxed atmosphere with him. Once he's finished eating, Shulk thanks Fiora for the food and leave the dishes with her before excusing himself from the racket with a fond smile, making his way towards what would have been the old Military District. Taking stock of the technology currently available to them in this new world would help with the repairs to the new colony; after all much of their military technology has also been adapted for civilian use in the past.

It's not until Shulk walks into the old Weapons Development Lab - his lab - that he realises Dickson will never step foot in it again.

Shulk's vision blurs momentarily, and he swipes the back of his sleeve over his eyes, ignoring the trace of dampness on the fabric. Even though he'd only just woken up, he suddenly feels exhausted, as if he's just gone through a week of research without remembering to stop for food and sleep. In the past, sometimes Fiora, or an occasion, Reyn, would find him slumped over on his table. But when Dickson was in Colony 9 and not off travelling the Bionis, it was usually Dickson who would shake Shulk awake and tell him to sleep in his actual bed instead of being a lump of Homs and getting in the way of Dickson's own research.

Barely managing to stagger into his chair, Shulk slumps in it, gaze darting around the lab. It's exactly how he remembers he'd left it. His mug is still on the table, probably in desperate need of a clean since he'd forgotten to wash it after he finished his coffee. A few books still litter the floor from when he'd accidentally knocked them over when Melia had happened upon him during his research into the Regeneration Chamber. Sheafs of reports, research notes, and records are arranged in neat piles on his table, the more poignant ones - usually Monado related, some of it in Dickson's handwriting - are tacked onto the wooden shelves. There's even a pile of Mechon scrap that he hadn't finished taking apart, having originally intended to use it to align one of the anti-air batteries before his plans had been derailed by the Mechon attack. Even though the Anti-Air Batteries no longer exist, he could probably find some use for the scrap, especially when he knows Machina who better understand how all the components function.

Shulk stretches out a leg to nudge the top-most hunk of metal with the toe of his shoe. The metal wobbles, rocking back and forth, before gravity wins the battle and causes it to fall off the pile in a loud clatter. The cracked Mechon armour sits forlornly on the ground, blocking the entrance to the lab.

If Dickson was here, he'd complain about having to step over it to get in and tell Shulk to move it out of the way.

If Dickson was here, he'd also chide Shulk for being in the lab for too long and shoo Shulk out to get some sun.

If Dickson was here, he'd... he'd...

Shulk closes his eyes, shutting out the lab's features from his sight. But he'd grown up in the lab, so the layout of it is practically burned into the back of his eyelids. It wouldn't be so difficult to pretend that Dickson's just gone on another one of his trips to other parts of the Bionis, leaving Shulk on his own for weeks or months on end, but shying from the truth doesn't sit well with him. Not when he personally killed Dickson, for the sake of all life on both the Bionis and the Mechonis.

When he opens his eyes, he catches sight of the machine he uses to clamp scrap in place when he's making modifications to the Defence Force's weapons. A clean, too perfect, diagonal slice had decapitated the top portion of it when Reyn had lost control of the Monado. Straightening out all his limbs, joints popping softly, Shulk stands and approaches the broken machine, hand lightly tracing the complex system of pipes and wires, now exposed. Fiora had stood over there, too, back when she had been all Homs. When he saw Fiora killed twice - once in his vision, once when his vision had come true - it had felt like the metal faced Mechon had carved through his ribs and scooped out his heart both times, leaving a simmering hole in its wake. It was only when she returned that he had felt like that hole could begin to mend.

He doesn't have that luxury this time - Dickson won't be coming back, he'll never be back - and knowing that does nothing to change the gnawing emptiness within his ribcage. It doesn't change the fact that there'll never be that lingering scent of cigarette smoke in his lab ever again, or that gruff voice complimenting or criticising - sometimes at the same time - whenever he bounced ideas off Dickson.

Shulk takes in a deep breath, aware of how his lungs jitter and shake in the process. For the first time in all the years he's practically lived here, the lab just seems too quiet, too empty. His throat feels tight, and he presses the heel of his palm against his right eye and rubs the wetness out of it.

He needs air.

Stumbling out of the lab in a daze, Shulk sets off in a direction that specifically does not take him towards what had been his shared home with Dickson. With the world remade into one that does not reside on the body of a titan, what had once been worn paths are now overgrown in wild grasses. Gently rippling water stretches to shores farther than his eyes can see. While the geography is different because of the changes to the new world, parts of the cliffs look familiar, and if he turns his gaze upwards, he can spot a silhouette that looks suspiciously like Outlook Park.

Shulk turns away from Outlook Park, opting to walk towards the huge, mouth-like cave opening along the opposite cliff instead. The usual path around to get there is overgrown, but his feet remember the way. The cave is still populated with vangs and antols, so he keeps quiet and stays out of their way, not wanting to attract their attention. They leave him well alone, and he plonks himself down on the grass at the mouth of the cave, legs dangling over the cliff's edge.

Back in the old world, this spot would have given him a clear view of Anti-Air Battery 1 and the flock of flamii that had made their home near it. Now, in the new world, there isn't any of that, just huge ripples in the water constantly lapping at the shore. While the wave motion isn't unfamiliar to him, the sheer size of the ripples is unusual. This new world's sea appears to constantly moving and undulating, while the water Colony 9 had resided over had such a calm surface in comparison. It's something very minor, but it's enough to remind him that this is a new world with even more things he doesn't understand.

Even though this is the world he created, it's still full of mystery. Already, he can't wait to start on a new research project, now that the Monado is...

Shulk can remember the first time he touched it, the sensation of the smooth red metal underneath his fingertips, and Dickson's smile when Shulk had told him he wanted to know more about the sword of Bionis.

Back then, he'd thought it was approval of his new research project.

Feeling his nails dig into the palms of his hands alerts him to the sudden realisation he's clenching his fists. Forcing his fingers to uncurl, his hand drifts towards his collarbone where his necklace rests underneath his shirt. On impulse, he tugs his necklace off over his head, holding it by the tarnished circular pendant. The pendant is made of metal in a weaving and snaking design that is distinctly not of Homs make. Dickson had told him it was something he found on one of his journeys through the Bionis. During Shulk's own journey, some of the designs on trinkets found in giants' ruins had seemed remarkably similar to the one on his pendant...

"Shulk!"A voice jerks him out of his thoughts. "Is this where you've been all this time? The others were getting worried when we couldn't find you."

Shulk turns his head, looking around for their source, before looking down below the cliff face. Spotting the familiar figure of Dunban, who shoots him a warm smile, Shulk can't help the corners of his mouth twitching up into a smile of his own.

"Sorry, Dunban. I guess I lost track of time." He closes his hand around the circular pendant of his necklace, hiding it from view. Only the leather strap pokes out between his fingers. "Did you need me for something?"

"I just came to inform you lunch will be ready soon, if you'd like to join us."

As if sensing an opportunity for attention, Shulk's stomach growls once again."Oh, of course. Who's cooking?" As long as it isn't Reyn...

"Riki insisted." Shulk's shoulders drop in relief - other Sharla and Fiora, Riki is the only other person in their group who could can consistently cook well - though he finds himself tensing again at the faintly amused expression crossing Dunban's face. "I believe he's tearing up the colony looking for you. He seemed upset at the idea of you missing out on his food."

Oh boy. Shulk has no doubts there'll be a mess waiting for him when he gets back to the colony. Though his brow wrinkles, his lips turn up into a wry smile. Standing, he tucks his necklace into his pocket before he carefully climbs down the cliff, jumping off at a safe enough height to land softly on the grassy bank a short distance from Dunban. "In that case, I better go find him right away."

"Hold on, Shulk." Shulk blinks up at Dunban, whose gaze burrows into his own, the other man's brow pinched. "You seem troubled. Is something bothering you?"

Silence reigns during Shulk's brief moment of hesitation, water gently lapping at the heels of Dunban's shoes as it rolls up the sandy shore. Shulk ducks his head, huffing out a quiet laugh. "Am I that obvious?"

The corner of Dunban's mouth twitches up into a light smirk as he rests his good hand on his hip. "You've never been very good at hiding things, god or not."

Shulk can't hold back a small sigh. "I'm no god, just one small Homs in a big new world. That kind of power isn't for me."

Speaking with Alvis that final time, he'd realised how limited his view is. There's so much he doesn't understand. What Alvis had shown him, Shulk had the sense of something bigger, something greater that he didn't comprehend. Alvis had thrust upon him the responsibility of being the god of the new world... and Shulk had known immediately he wouldn't be able to handle it. If he just did whatever he wanted, it wouldn't make him any better than Zanza. Even Meyneth, who had been benevolent to her people and was worshipped in return, had it all fall apart around her. Besides, the idea of people worshipping him sat uncomfortably with him. He's a simple Homs who just wants to live in peace with friends, he can't decide absolutely what is best for everyone.

No, the future isn't his to decide; it's everyone's future to decide.

Shulk shakes his head before sitting down on the grass. "No, it's just..." His fingers lightly brush against the pendant in his pocket. "Dickson took care of me all those years. When I think about my parents, I can't remember their faces, or what they sounded like. I actually don't know anything about them, really." But he'd come to terms with that a long time ago. "When I think of parental figures, I actually think of Dickson. He's the one who taught me the ins and outs of most of the machines in Colony 9. But then..."

He killed me... And I killed him.

Shulk pulls his legs towards his chest, folding his arms over the top of his knees. "I can't figure out how I should remember him."

Dunban plops himself onto the grass beside him. "What do you feel when you think of him?"

Shulk drops his gaze to his shoes, letting out a long breath in a facsimile of a sigh. "I..." He breathes in. "So many people died because of him. Not just me. I can't forgive him for what he did." Shulk turns his gaze up at Dunban. "But I feel like there's a big hole in me. Just like when I thought Fiora was killed." He shakes his head and averts his gaze, his mouth pressed into a thin, frustrated line. "It's stupid. I don't even know if I meant anything to him."

"That makes two of us."

Shulk's attention immediately snaps to Dunban, eyes wide. "...Sorry. I didn't mean to- I mean, he was your friend, too."

"It's alright." As Shulk watches, Dunban leans back on his good arm and turns his gaze skywards. A lone pterix glides through the air until it disappears into a thick canopy of trees by the cliff on the far side of this one. Pterix never came anywhere near Colony 9. Yet another sign this place is not quite the same as Colony 9. "I, too, wonder if he valued our friendship as much as I did. But we're past the point of being able to ask him."

His thoughts drift to the necklace in his pocket. Dunban has one of his own, though in a slightly different design. When Dickson had given the necklaces to them, he'd said it was for protection. Shulk hadn't believed it then - the effects of amulets and charms simply aren't measurable - and Dunban had blatantly said Dickson was going soft, but they'd both worn their gift regardless.

"You know..." Shulk begins quietly, "After everything, I was worried about was not being able to put his body to water and return him to the Bionis. Not that there's a Bionis anymore." The corners of his mouth lift in a weak smile, though he isn't really feeling it. "But I just... I feel awful for wanting to take a moment to mourn him when he's the reason for the loss of so many people. It seems... wrong."

"I believe Vanea would disagree with you. As do I."

Shulk is about ready to cover his face in embarrassment. Of course. Egil. As it is, he presses two of his fingers to his forehead, a quiet huff escaping his lips. "...I'm really putting my foot in it today, aren't I?"

Dunban lets out a laugh, deep and rumbling, the corners of his eyes crinkling in amusement. "I'm surprised you're having this dilemma. All this coming from the man who showed Egil and Mumkhar mercy without hesitation."

Shulk's own mirthless laugh is a little quieter as he rests his chin on his knees. "I guess it's easier for me to talk big when it's not so personal."

The corners of Dunban's eyes tighten, his voice firm. "There is nothing wrong with your feelings of grief, Shulk. There's no need to hold on to guilt over your feelings. We knew Dickson longest as a friend, not a killer. We will never know what he really felt about us, but in the end, he helped us be the people we are today."

"It doesn't make up for what he did."

"No, it doesn't," Dunban agrees. "But he was still important to us. We can't forget who he was, both the good and the bad. They're all tied together."

Biting his bottom lip to hide the tremble from Dunban, Shulk abruptly turns his face away as his vision goes splotchy. Something wet rolls down his right cheek and he angrily swipes his sleeve across it. Somehow, the loss of Dickson is worse than when he thought he'd lost Fiora. Back then, he'd turned his grief into rage against the Mechon, turning it into a weapon that cut past the sorrow and kept him going. The simmering, burning anger had fuelled his grim determination to press onwards against the Mechon. But this time, there is no enemy, no distraction, and he's left holding back grief he doesn't know how to handle.

Shulk's throat feels thick when he swallows the lump in his throat and his tongue sticks stubbornly to his mouth like glue, but he manages to choke out, "I miss him, Dunban."

"...As do I."

Shulk buries his head in his arms, hiding his face from view. A solid hand lands on his back, and his shoulders shake under it. He doesn't know how long they stay like that, but eventually he allows himself a long sniff and raises his head, wiping off his eyes and cheeks with his sleeves. Putting a hand in his pocket, he pulls out the amulet from Dickson, the tarnished metal a heavy weight on his palm. When his gaze meets Dunban's, he doesn't say anything about the wetness on Dunban's cheeks glistening in the sun.

"You know... Before our journey, I would have wanted to hang on to this. But I think I understand that Nopon tradition of throwing keepsakes into the Makna Falls a little better, now."

Dunban's brow furrows. "Shulk... Are you certain?"

He nods. "Yeah." Shulk turns his gaze to the sea, stretching out as far as his eye can see. "If it wasn't for our journey, I wouldn't have met so many different people. We, the people of the new world, will move forward to a new future." He returns his gaze to the amulet in his hand and lets it dangle from its strap. Watching the dull metal gleam in the sunlight for a moment, Shulk jerks the amulet back into his palm and walks to the shore, water lapping at his shoes. He tightens his grip on the amulet. "I don't know what really happens to someone when they die for good. But wherever he is now..." Shulk pulls his arm back and lobs the necklace as far as he can. It hits the water with a tiny splash. "...I hope this finds him."

Before he knows it, Dunban is beside him, unhooking his own necklace with his good hand. Shulk turns to look at Dunban, eyebrows rising, but opts to say nothing when he sees the expression on Dunban's face; it is a mix of sadness and pain expressed in a pair of eyes more tired than Shulk has ever seen them. "I cannot forget a man who has saved my life many times. You took a blow meant for me and dragged me back to the field medics during the Battle of Sword Valley a year ago, even though you didn't need to." Shulk's eyes widen; he hadn't known that. "Perhaps there was some truth to this trinket's protective properties. I must thank you for that." Looking closely, there's a wry twist to Dunban's mouth. "After all, I'm the only one left from my old squad."

"Dunban..." Shulk breathes out, half-formed words of sympathy catching in his throat.

Dunban's voice grows stronger with his next words. "But in this new world, perhaps there will be no need for war. We fought our battles, we changed our destiny!" Pulling his arm back, Dunban hurls his amulet into the sea. It lands a good distance further than Shulk's. "And the destiny of everyone who will come after us."

As he watches the second necklace disappear under the surface of the water, Shulk whispers, "Goodbye, Dickson."

Dunban's subdued words follow his. "May you find peace."

Shulk lets out a long breath. While the aching hole in his chest is still there, the tightness there has eased. He can't hate Dickson for what he did; there's just no point in hating someone who's already dead. In the end, Dickson had been just another person. One who had done terrible things, but also one who had raised him reasonably well, regardless of his reasons for doing so.

"Would you like a moment?" Shulk blinks away the blurriness in his sight to look at Dunban as he continues, "I'll let Riki know you're on your way."

"Yeah."Shulk rubs at his face with a hand, fingers wiping away the last traces of wetness from his eyes. "...Thanks, Dunban."

Dunban doesn't reply, simply clapping him on the shoulder before waving lazily as he walks back to the colony. Shulk watches him leave for a long moment, before he turns his attention to the endless sea before him. For the first time, it occurs to him that he doesn't know where Alvis is, or what even happened to him. Shulk can't say he totally understands Alvis' explanation of what he is, other than that he is a machine.

A machine that can look and act like a Homs.

To Shulk, machines are tools, unfeeling and unthinking. Although Machina share many similarities to machines - they malfunction, they are repaired, they require a power source - they have always been people to Shulk from the very first moment he had met them. Mechon are machines, tools whose function had been shaped by their creators, the Machina.

Is that the same for Alvis? There must have been someone else who created Alvis, but he'd said Zanza had destroyed all that remained of the old world. Shulk hadn't understood what had driven the Mechon, but after his travels, he realised that they function much like animals on the Bionis; Mechon merely behaved in the manner they had been created with. In the end, the Mechon had been no different to the machines that made up the High Entia defence systems, unthinkingly following the instructions they had been designed for.

In that case, what is Alvis' function, now that Shulk has given up the Monado?

"Shulk! Riki look all over for you. Make big noise, but you still no come!"

He nearly jumps, startled out of his thoughts by the familiar high-pitched voice. Shulk can't help but grin when he catches sight of the bright yellow Nopon coming to a screeching halt in the sand in front of him. He suspects the Nopon got too impatient and ignored Dunban's message, coming and fetch Shulk personally. "Sorry, Riki. I didn't mean to make you worry. But you've found me now."

"Come!" Riki leaps onto Shulk's shoulders, the height of his leap bolstered with a flap of his ears. Shulk staggers under the sudden weight on his back. "We go eat and then Shulk come home with Riki!"

"Huh?" Shulk cranes his neck trying to look at the Nopon. "Riki, what are you talking about?" Didn't he say he was staying here?

"Shulk forget already?" Riki bounces up and down on Shulk's shoulders before tapping Shulk's cheek with a tiny paw. "When Riki say he become Shulk's daddypon, Riki mean it!"

Ah... He actually thought Riki forgot about that. While he'd been certain Riki had been completely genuine in his offer, the mental image of him actually living in Frontier Village isn't something Shulk pictured as his life after the battle with Zanza. There's nothing quite like climbing up to dizzying heights, only to realise the handrails are too low to stop him from falling off the platforms. He'd been lucky he hadn't been that high up the one time he slipped and fell; he'd only broken a leg, resulting in them staying in Frontier Village a bit longer than they had intended.

Kneeling, Shulk plucks Riki off his shoulders and puts him on the ground so he can talk to the Nopon eye to eye. "I didn't forget, Riki. But I think I'd be too big to live in your house." If it's still there. "I wouldn't be able to get in your door!"

Shulk watches Riki give his statement some thought, body rocking back and forth before he suddenly bounces and exclaims, "Then Riki and Oka and littlepons come here! Make big house, fit everyone inside!"

He can't help but raise an eyebrow at that declaration. "Are you sure that's a good idea? What would Oka think? I imagine it would be a big decision to move all your children." Not to mention the debt he's already in...

"Nopon moved to big Hom Hom colony before! Here no deinos eat littlepon up," Riki argues vehemently, ears flapping wildly. "Eat grill fish every day! Littlepon can have big brotherpon with big Hom Hom brain!"

"You don't need to uproot your life for me, Riki." Shulk shakes his head, smiling. "We're still family, no matter how far we are, right?"

"Riki want family all together! Littlepon must have friends like Shulk!" Riki begins to dance cheerfully. "Bird people, Machine people, HomHom, Nopon, all friends! Everyone happy happy, just like in big dome HomHom village!"

"...You mean like Colony 6?"

Riki bobs up and down, his dark eyes sparkling. "Yes!"

Shulk can't help the huge grin breaking out across his face. "I'd really like to see that." More seriously, he continues, "But I still think you should talk to the rest of your family about it. You shouldn't make big decisions like that without asking your wife and children if they want to move."

"…Shulk right." The yellow Nopon practically deflates, folding over to stare at the ground. "Riki just want to be good daddypon to Shulk."

"What are you talking about? You're already a good father, Riki." Not thinking, Shulk reaches forward and sweeps the yellow Nopon into an awkward kneeling hug. Riki's fur is soft, and tickles his nose horrendously. That's his excuse for his eyes watering a little as he squeezes. "I couldn't have asked for anyone better."

"Oooh, of course Riki best daddypon!" Riki croons. Instead of insisting only girls can cuddle him, like Shulk had been expecting, he feels a soft Nopon ear patting his head. "Heropon Riki try hard for littlepons! Even big Hom Hom littlepons."

Shulk can't help but give the Heropon one last tight squeeze before letting go of him, holding the Nopon's gaze with his own. "Listen, Riki. If you and Oka and all your littlepon want to move here, you're welcome to live in my house. It used to be just-"Dickson and me, he realises with a pang. Shulk forces a smile onto his face. "Anyway, I think it'll be enough space for everyone."

He doesn't expect Riki to leap up at him, jumping up on his shoulders and mussing his hair with his ears. "Oooh, Shulk such good littlepon! Riki so proud!"

Shulk shakes his head. "It's nothing much." His stomach lets out a growl for the third time that day, reminding him of the original reason Riki is even here. "Anyway, what happened to lunch?"

"Riki forget!" Riki bounces on Shulk's shoulders, pointing an ear towards the colony and blocking out half of Shulk's field of view in the process. "We go! Eat lots of Riki's yum yum food!"

Shulk laughs, face breaking out into a huge grin. Somehow, it's always been hard to stay sad in the presence of the bouncy Heropon. "Alright! Hold on tight!"

Lunch is an outdoors affair, of course; when Riki's the chef, if he doesn't have access to his kitchen in Frontier Village, he always cooks outdoors, even when - in Shulk's opinion - there's a perfectly usable Homs kitchen nearby. Sometimes, during their journey, Shulk had sat in on watching Riki prepare their food - like Fiora, Riki doesn't allow any of them to help, for good reason - and like everything else he does, Riki chatters away as he cooks. During their journey, Shulk's learnt that Oka's pollencakes had been what attracted Riki to her in the first place, and that apparently she'd been won over by his delicious meals. He's learnt that some of Riki's children have grown up and moved away, but they still regularly have big family lunch and dinners. Even the youngest littlepon knows how to bake. In Riki's family, food is how they bond.

Maybe he should learn how to cook something other than reheated leftovers.

Miraculously, by the time Shulk arrives on the shore where the others are gathered, there's still some food left for him. The others are all there, their meals in various levels of eaten as they talked amongst themselves. Fiora's the first one to spot him, and as she turns her head, he gives her a small smile and wave.

"Hey. Sorry I'm late."

The others acknowledge his arrival with various greetings and gestures while Riki pops off his shoulders, rushing to where he'd kept Shulk's share of lunch and holding the plate of food aloft with his Nopon ears. There's an entire fire cooked fish laid across a salad. "Shulk, here! Here eat, eat!"

Crouching to take the dish, Shulk says with a smile, "Thanks, Riki."

Given how engrossed the others are in their conversation, Shulk seeks out Reyn, who's, oddly enough, sitting on his own and staring out across the sea. "Hey, Reyn," he greets his friend.

Reyn blinks before grinning. "Look who's finally here."

Shulk lets out a quiet huff of a laugh. "Sorry." He picks at the fish - the flesh is soft and tender and melts sweetly in the mouth - before offering his plate to Reyn in one hand while keeping the fish in the other. "Want some?"

Reyn takes one look at the plate of vegetables and scoffs, but starts eating them anyway, just as he always has. "Who're you going to rope into eating your vegetables when I'm gone?"

"Hmm. I'm sure I'll think of someone." I'll miss you, Shulk thinks, but instead says, "It's going to be really quiet without you around."

Reyn pauses, a leafy green halfway to his mouth. "You're not mad that I'm leaving, are you?"

Shulk tilts his head, confused. "Huh? Why would I be angry?"

"I dunno..." Reyn mumbles, scratching his head. "I guess I thought you'd reckon I was ditching you, or something."

"Nah. If anything, I was worried you might think I'm ditching you for not coming along." Shulk shakes his head. "You don't have to worry about me. I'll be fine." Elbowing Reyn in the arm, Shulk grins. "I should be the one worrying about you; you're the one going off into the new world."

"Hey, I've got Sharla and Melia and Riki with me. We've got each other's backs. But you..."

"Even with Fiora in the Regeneration Chamber, I have Dunban, don't I?"

"That ain't what I mean!"

Shulk blinks. "Then what is it?"

Reyn leans over to stare at Shulk straight in the eyes. "You sure you're okay? It ain't like you to run off on your own like that. I know you wander off and stuff, but usually we can find you easy." He folds his arms. "What's going on, man?"

Shulk tries not so squirm under Reyn's intense gaze, and eventually looks away. "It's just... Dickson."

"...Oh."

Shulk lifts his gaze back to Reyn's. "But it's alright. I've made peace with the fact he's gone now."

There's an awkward pause, before Reyn lets out a long breath through his nose. "Look, if you ever need me, to talk, blow off steam, or whatever, send a message along. I'll come running back as soon as I can, alright?"

Shulk isn't about to point out that mail services might not be functional for a while, given the messengers' lack of geographical knowledge right now; it's the thought that counts. Smiling, he says, "Thanks. I really appreciate it. And if you ever want somewhere to stay besides the barracks, you're welcome to come over any time."

There's a look of something like relief on Reyn's face.

They continue eating Shulk's lunch, until all that's left are fish bones and a light coating of vinaigrette along the bottom of his plate.

"Hey, uh. Reyn?" His grip tightens on the rim of his empty plate. "You don't have to give an answer right now, but even if things work out between you and Sharla, will you be up for another adventure with me, Fiora, and Melia? When things have settled down, Melia plans on looking for relatives of her mother."

Reyn smacks a fist into his palm. "You know me. I'm up for anything with friends."

"Excellent. I knew I could count on you."

"...Wait." Slow realisation dawns on Reyn's face. "What do you mean, 'if things work out between me and Sharla'!?"

"You know what?" Shulk begins to back away, grinning. "I think I should help clean up. See you later!" And Shulk bolts, laughing.

"Oi! Get back here! Shulk!"

He's always been speedier than Reyn, but even after the trials of their journey, Reyn still has far better stamina. Eventually, Reyn manages to catch up to him and put him into a headlock - "Don't you dare tell anyone!" - refusing to release him despite his laughing promises not to tell. Reyn only finally releases Shulk when Fiora finds them both - "Fiora, help!" - and tells them off.

"Come on, you two. The others are leaving soon."

"Alright, alright, we're coming."

Seeing the others off ends up being a rather quick affair. They all say their farewells and promise to visit each other, and Fiora gives everyone leaving a hug. Shulk opts for a smile and wave instead, though Reyn receives a hearty slap on the back, which he returns and nearly bowls Shulk over in the process.

And then they are gone.

Dunban, Fiora, and Shulk watch the empty space Melia, Reyn, Riki, and Sharla had occupied not long ago for a brief moment before Fiora turns to them and says brightly, "Shall we get going?"

It doesn't take them long to make the short trip to the Regeneration Chamber. Though it's High Entia technology, it had been Linada and Shulk who had taken the time to discern its functions and method of activation. Though Linada isn't with them right now, she's already taught him how to use the Regeneration Chamber.

In front of the Regeneration Chamber, Shulk turns, hand reflexively reaching for Fiora's, unable to help the corners of his mouth lifting into a small smile at the sight of her face. "Are you ready?"

The cold metal of her hand squeezes his, warming under his skin, before she turns to face him. "Yeah. I'm as ready as I'll ever be."

Fiora leans in close, her face barely centimetres from his own, and his breath catches in his throat. His gaze flickers towards the light flush blooming across her cheeks, her lips, full and pink under the artificial light - they're such a short distance from his own - before settling on her eyes. But she merely gently bumps her forehead against his - and he smiles, happy but also disappointed but also glad because Dunban's right there, watching with a poorly hidden smile - and steps away. Shulk watches Fiora sweep her brother into what must be a bone-crushing hug - given Dunban's nearly inaudible, "Oof!" - before she lets go of him, her smile as bright as the sun as she steps back and into the Regeneration Chamber.

"I can't wait until you see the new me!"

Dunban tilts his head, good hand on his hip. "See you in six months, Fiora."

Shulk steps forward, towards the control panel, letting his fingers idly trace the buttons. "We'll be waiting."

She nods and takes a deep breath. With a push of a button from Shulk, the Regeneration Chamber whirrs shut, bathing Dunban and Shulk in silence.

Shulk lets out a long breath he hadn't even known he'd been holding. Six months... It's a long time to wait, but Shulk doesn't mind; he'd wait for years, if that's what Fiora needs. They have a future ahead of them, in a world without gods.

The weight of Dunban's good hand falls onto his shoulder. "Come along, Shulk. We have work to do."

Author's Notes: And thus, by getting adopted, Shulk inherits Riki's mountain of debt?! Somehow, I think he's going to end up regretting his offer to house so many Nopon under one roof.

This story was only supposed to be a 2-3k word story about Shulk taking some time to mourn Dickson and then it grew into this monster. Funnily enough, Dunban's conversation with Shulk would have pretty much been covered by Fiora if you took one of the sub-optimal paths in their final Heart-To-Heart on Prison Island.

Thank you for reading, and I hope you've enjoyed reading this as much as I've enjoyed writing it!