Xenoblade Chronicles 2: The Fourth Driver

Book III: Cutting Your Losses

Chapter XVII

     The funeral for Roc was just as Vandham's was. Small, short, and melancholy. Rex was irritated with my brashness in that situation, but couldn't deny that he wouldn't have done the same. We also put a grave for Vale next to his, as to make sure we respected the sacrifices of every blade.

     Soon we got on Azurda and made our way to Leftheria. Rex's Auntie Corinne made us all food and Rex left them with a rather large sum of money. Soon, while everyone was getting set up for the night, Rex slipped out the door, and I followed. I new exactly where he was going. The weather outside was pleasantly cool, which was nice, as I hated the cold. I soon made it atop the hill where Rex was, and Pyra was with him too.

     He was at the cemetery, talking with his parents again. Telling them about Elysium and Mythra, and me. It was charming how much detail he'd go into when talking with inanimate objects, with no real hope of ever hearing anything in return. But it seemed as if he saw them, as if they were standing right there, it made me long to see my own family.

     "Whatchoo doing?" Mythra said suddenly, scaring the living shit out of me.

     "Architect's ass Mythra, don't sneak up on me like that!" I replied, calming down as she giggled.

     "What happened to 'I'm not scared of you'? Is the big bad blonde chick gonna get ya?" she teased.

     I stopped and laughed. "Whatever."

     I turned back around and Rex motioned Mythra and I to him, I guess he heard me, so I went up to him.

     "Sorry Rex, didn't mean to interrupt," I apologized.

     "No, no! I'm actually glad you're here," he replied.

     "When we fought those blade eaters, I couldn't help this thought I've had...," I pondered.

     "Will you and Pyra do a short spar with Mythra and I? Show your parents a thing or three," I winked.

     He laughed. "Sure! I'm sure they'd love to see that."

     "Alright, Pyra and Mythra, I want you both to use exactly fifty percent of your power in this battle," I instructed.

     They nodded in agreement.

     Both Rex and I readied our weapons, and then we clashed at each other. After ten minutes of parrying, I had Mythra join me and Rex had Pyra join him as we both clashed, a large wave of energy was created in the collision.

     "It's just as I thought!" I exclaimed as we separated.

     "What is?" Rex inquired.

     "One more test, Mythra and Pyra," I called to them. "Switch to your True Swords and continue to only use fifty percent of your power. Then Rex, you rush me for thirty seconds, after that I'll rush you for the same."

     They nodded. They weren't sure what I had going through my head, but they trusted me by now. The swords became identical and Rex rushed me at light speed. I parried the blows as they hit, and after he finished, I did the same, and he parried them no issue. Afterwards we stopped.

     "So what was that about?" Mythra asked.

     "Why did you make Pyra in the first place, potato chip?"

     She seemed annoyed that she still didn't know what that meant.

      "I made her to be a form that couldn't use the artifices and didn't have enough power to destroy the world," she replied.