Back Home

Back Home (, Xenoblade Side Story - In the Hometown) is a short story for Xenoblade Chronicles described within the pages of the Xenoblade: The Secret File - Monado Archives artbook. It outlines a minor plot arc that would have taken place about in the middle of the game's final chapter.
==Text and translation==
This translation is not intended to be strictly literal, though it will attempt to stick to the source material.
===Blurb===
The Bionis has reawakened, and Telethia threaten the world. The Monado of Meyneth, goddess of Mechonis, has been taken from Fiora. The future of Shulk and the others is to be decided. This is the account of a hidden episode.	
===0===
The world of Bionis — where the earth is laid across the vast remains of a god. Colony 9 is on the right calf, one of the few Homs settlements left. It's said that there used to be about ten colonies, but most of them were destroyed by the Mechon.	
Colony 9 has survived due to its distance from the Mechonis. Sometimes, it is threatened by falling debris from the Bionis above, but it is undoubtedly a safe and peaceful place for Homs. 	
For Reyn, Dunban, Fiora, and Shulk, it was their one and only home... 	
===1===
"Hey Shulk, got a minute?" 	
Dean, a fellow researcher ten years his senior, had approached Shulk in the Weapon Development Lab. He was trying to catch the attention of a widow and had been asking for Shulk's help with it for some time now. His attitude hadn't changed a bit since the last time Shulk was here. 	
Well, I'm not good at this sort of thing either... 	
Unaware of Shulk's thoughts, Dean kept talking. Once he was done, Shulk figured he couldn't just ignore the request for help, so he gave his usual answer. 	
"That doesn't sound good." 	
  	 
It turned out that Dean's request was nice and simple. Especially compared to having to fight through a cave full of monsters, or go all the way up and down the Bionis for some small errand. 	
"I'm glad everything worked out." 	
Dean responds to Shulk with a nod and a smile. He's bad with humour, but a good person. 	
  	 
Shulk stepped up the stairs to exit the building and step out into the Military District. It was fully dusk now. Looks like he wasn't getting his research done today either. It wasn't Dean's fault, he was grasping at straws to begin with. 	
Linada has to be right, but... 	
Shulk crossed the district distracted and frustrated. 	
The daytime workers were heading home, while the Defence Force's night shift was beginning. Watching the people come and go, Shulk felt a sense of familiarity. 	
Not long ago, they were busy fighting the Mechon. But even then, Colony 9 was in the backline. The cold iron soldiers of Mechonis were usually only fought on the plains of Sword Valley. There were occasional rumours of stray Mechon reaching Gaur Plains, but not up to the colony itself.	
But that peace would not last forever. 	
That day, a swarm of Mechon attacked Colony 9 using the occupied Colony 6 as a forward base. A sudden, surprise attack that had broken a year of peace. This was the start of Shulk's (and his friends') journey. 	
  	 
And now, Colony 9 had to be ready for attacks from Telethia, creatures that flew through the air and could strike from any direction. Their purpose was to clean all the life off the Bionis, and there was nowhere to run from them. 	
Everyone had to be ready to defend against the Telethia at all times. But despite this, normalcy was returning to the colony. It was not the peace from before, but the terrible emotion from just after the Mechon raid was gone. 	
We're all stronger now...the colony itself, too. 	
Yes, the colony was stronger, in the same way that people gain strength from training body and mind. The people of Colony 9 had grown strong enough to live their everyday lives without sacrificing their alertness for danger. 	
  	 
Shulk took a deep breath. 	
He and his friends would soon have to enter the Bionis to fight the god within - a fight which they could not be certain of their return. So before moving on, they chose to attend to their unfinished business, so they would have no regrets. 	
One of these tasks was to bring new designs to the Weapon Development Lab. The Machina, the people of Mechonis, had created a Replica Monado. This sort of technology could give the whole Homs army a good deal more power. 	
Dean was shocked and began to look over all the data that Shulk had provided (he understood metal, not cabbage rolls). 	
  	 
Shulk also had another goal in mind, a hope that the Machina doctor, Linada, had provided. A goal that he was absolutely determined to do, no matter how small the odds of success. But unlike the Replica Monados, he hadn't told a soul about it... 	
  	 
Shulk walked out of the Military District, through the Central Plaza, and into the Residential District. He greeted the artist Kenny Rohan as he passed by, but got no response. Sesame seemed to be awake, but not enough to recognize Shulk. 	
He passed by the shop stalls that had opened for the night and reached the colony entrance. 	
Dunban and Fiora's house stood here. Dunban lived here specifically so he could be first to meet danger at the colony entrance. 	
  	 
Shulk opened the door and entered the house, as he'd done many times before. 	
===2===
Fiora's cooking was very good. The meals she cooked while the group was camping out were delicious, but returning home to a kitchen full of proper utensils and seasonings, her skill truly shined. She was happy to see the late-arriving Shulk dig in while she prepared additional dishes. 	
Dunban's house was often visited by guests in the past. Fiora's childhood friends Shulk and Reyn were regulars, but so were Dunban's comrades Mumkhar and Dickson, as well as Colonel Vangarre and Lieutenant Colonel Kantz of the Defence Force. However, after the Battle of Sword Valley, only those who cared for Dunban's health came to visit.	
Now, their new friends Sharla, Riki, and Melia sat at the table. The lively dinner was soothing to Shulk and Dunban. 	
...Until the last bit of food was gone. 	
"Oi, old man, that's mine!" Reyn hollered. 	
"Reyn eaten enough. Riki worked hard today, Riki deserves this." 	
"I did all the work, fuzzball! You just stood in the back and did your poison-fire-spitting!" 	
"It burn many calories. Riki need replenish, or get all dizzy-wizzy!" 	
Riki stuffed more grilled Energy Aubergine into his mouth. Dunban was perplexed. 	
"How does one cram so much food in that little Nopon body?" he wondered. 	
Reyn jumped at Riki and the chase was on. Sharla shrugged. 	
"Honestly, you both need to cool it," she said. 	
Unperturbed, Melia stepped over to the kitchen. 	
"I don't wish to rush you, but I'm fetching the next course now, and I would appreciate less of a rampage surrounding the table." 	
Melia picked up a dish. Fiora was busy stirring a pot, but noticed. 	
"Wait, Melia, that's just for you. I'll pass out Reyn and Riki's stew in a bit." 	
"...I am not starving. There is no need to prioritize my portion." 	
"Oh, that's not it. I put that one aside for you before I added the Spicy Cabbage for Reyn." 	
It was true that Melia rather disliked Spicy Cabbage. But she had been raised to simply eat what she was given, whether she liked it or not, and that it was dishonourable for a member of the royal family to refuse food from a commoner. 	
Reyn had once offered her some of the hot vegetable while they were at Gaur Plain, and of course she forced herself to eat it all. She knew he was just trying to be nice, he didn't mean anything by it. (But then he handed her a second helping with a big smile, and she felt the pull of murderous rage.) 	
"Should I not have done that?" asked Fiora. 	
"No, it's quite fine...thank you." 	
"Oh, you're much more forthcoming now. I like that." 	
Melia was almost troubled by how lightly Fiora spoke. There was nothing worng with it, she just wasn't used to the casual way of speaking, what with her high-class upbringing. 	
Waatching how easily Fiora expressed herself, she wondered if she could ever do the same. 	
"Okay, this is for the big eaters!" Fiora called. "It's got Tasty Sausages and Piranhax Belly Meat, so it'll be pretty filling." 	
Both Reyn's and Riki's eyes lit up. 	
"Really?!" 	
"Oh, Riki love Fiora! Riki let have cuddle later!" 	
Apparently they could indeed get along, if there was enough food. Reyn poured out Riki's helping and they started eating side-by-side. 	
"...Melia, you should get started before it gets cold." 	
"Ah, yes..." 	
Melia took her dish and brought it to the table. She took her spoon and took a sip. 	
"...It's delicious." 	
The lack of Spicy Cabbage in the stew made it much lighter in taste, much better for the High Entia's tastes. Melia had not enjoyed a meal like this in a long time. 	
===3===
That night, Melia's light sleep was interrupted by a restrained but anguished voice. 	
She sat up and looked out the window. Only the ether streetlights were visible in the darkness; dawn was still a ways away. 	
Melia and Sharla were sleeping in Fiora's room, on the first floor of Dunban's house. Fiora was in her own bed, while the other two were in more makeshift accomodations. 	
Sharla was sound asleep; Fiora was the one who was suffering. 	
Melia shuffled over to check on her. 	
Another painful night, I see... 	
It was a few nights in a row now that Melia had woken up to Fiora's pain and been unable to do anything about it. There was no sweat, no fever, as far as she could tell nothing was wrong. Presumably it was something to do with her mechanized body, meaning only Linada would have a chance of helping. 	
Melia took hold of Fiora's hand. First she felt pity for Fiora, then helpless that she couldn't provide any aid, which grew into annoynace and then frustration that- 	
She suddenly caught sight of Shulk outside. He was supposed to be asleep in Dunban's room upstairs. 	
Where does he think he's going at this hour?! 	
The unfocused negative emotions were now aimed directly at Shulk. She knew that just holding Fiora's hand every night would do nothing in the end, yet she'd been doing it anyway. Shouldn't that be Shulk's duty? 	
Of course, it made no difference in reality; hands weren't going to heal a physical ailment no matter whose they were. But Melia didn't care. 	
  	 
While the colony was safe, Telethia could still strike at any time. Melia took no chances and put on some Stellar equipment. She followed Shulk to the lab where he'd spent most of the day. 	
Shulk went straight to the lab, not knowing he was being followed. Melia watched from the entrance as he began to search a bookshelf for presumably some old documents, given how many were already scattered about the room. It looked like he was continuing the work he'd started during the day. 	
Shulk's single-minded focus on his goals was one of his best attributes. It had saved Melia in the past, and would probably save others in the future via his work on the Replica Monado project. But at the moment, Melia felt a need to reprimand him for it. 	
To save many is grand, but to be oblivious to the nightly troubles of the one you are close to? 	
  	 
Shulk had no idea that Melia was here and glowering at him. He was focused on only one thing: the Biological Regeneration Device. 	
It was an ancient High Entia technology that Linada was aware of, but that no living High Entia knew anything of, and supposedly it could solve Fiora's problems. 	
The Machina didn't know enough to replicate the idea, but there was a chance that one still existed somewhere. Shulk was now poring over the records kept by the expedition teams that once investigated the ancient ruins across the Bionis, hoping that there might be a reference to one in the growing piles of books and papers, while he also worked on the Replica Monado project.	
It was at this point that Melia decided to enter the room. 	
"Shulk! What are you doing here?" 	
"M-Melia?!" 	
Shulk was in mid-motion taking something heavy down from the top shelf, and Melia's sudden appearance caused him to lose balance and fall on top of her. This caused a chain reaction as several decades of research started to collapse on them both. 	
"Look out!" 	
Shulk tried to shield Melia from the avalanche with his own body. But then... 	
  	 
Melia spoke to an authentication device. 	
"As successor to the throne, I claim control of this facility." 	
Dunban turns away. He can't be seen crying. 	
"I'm indebted to you once again." 	
Reyn laughs. 	
"I promise I'll protect Shulk 'till then. Leave it to me." 	
Linada makes her recommendation. 	
"This is the best thing for you to do. Please enter." 	
Slowly, Fiora smiled with determination. 	
"I'm..." 	
  	 
"What's wrong, Shulk?" 	
Colour returned to the world, with Melia's face in the middle. She was close to tears. 	
"...Melia, where..." 	
He was back in the familiar laboratoby. Clearly he'd just had a vision of the future. 	
"Oh, I see..." 	
Melia realized that Shulk hadn't passed out from protecting her, but from his unique ability. 	
"You saw the future, yes?" 	
Shulk nodded and explained what he saw. 	
The Biological Regeneration Device, as Linada suspected. The party surrounding Fiora, all happy. Melia opening the door for them... 	
"...So that's what you've been looking for?" 	
"Yeah...somewhere on Bionis, a device that can restore Fiora's body. And now I know where it is." 	
"That means...!" 	
Understanding spread across Melia's face, which turned into happiness. 	
"It's all thanks to you, Melia. It's right here in Colony 9. You're the one who showed it to me!" 	
Melia hopped onto Shulk's back. 	
"Excellent, Shulk!" 	
With joy came a tinge of regret - Shulk had been thinking of Fiora the entire time. Perhaps it was foolish of her to doubt him. 	
===4===
Shulk and the others, as well as Linada from Junks, had gone to the Mag Mell Ruins. 	
"I've seen this architechture before, back in the imperial capital." 	
Melia looked around with a strong sense of déjà vu. The area was oddly similar to the lower levels of the imperial palace. 	
"This is not just an archaeological site..." said Linada. "It's an ancient High Entia ship." 	
The others were surprised by Linada's statement. The Colony 9 Defence Force only ever saw the ruins as a convenient source of ether cylinders, while also being a useful training ground of monsters and automated systems. But apparently it was actually a flying vehicle that had crashed long ago.	
"They developed unique technology from us Machina," she continued, "the Biological Regeneration Device among them. If these ruins are so well intact, then perhaps the device is as well." 	
They reached the hangar where Shulk and the others had collected ether cylinders from. Melia stood in front of the sealed door in the back. 	
"As successor to the throne, I claim control of this facility." 	
The ancient High Entia vessel had sat dutifully protecting itself for untold ages. Its master was long gone, but its master had now returned. For the first time in a great many years, the door opened. 	
The party entered without resistance, reaching further inside than ever before. And there it was, just as Shulk had seen in his vision: the Biological Regeneration Device. 	
"Yes...this has to be it." 	
Linada nodded in agreement. Surrounded by many complex devices was a transparent, person-sized capsule. Dunban began to quiver. 	
"So with this...Fiora can be restored?" 	
"I believe so, yes." 	
"I see...Shulk, I'm indebted to you once again." 	
Shulk tried not to look at Dunban as he turned away. He knew from his vision that he couldn't be seen crying. 	
"So...can I really...?" Fiora murmured. 	
Linada put a hand on Fiora's shoulder. 	
"That's right. While your body has many mechanical parts, you still have some of your original body. This device will take your existing genenic data and use it to recreate the missing parts." 	
"Riki not understand except for part where Fiora become squishy-squishy. And then Riki snuggles be much improved." 	
"Yeah, that's right." 	
Fiora smiled at Riki, but still seemed hesitant. Sharla picked up on it. 	
"Something wrong? What's on your mind?" 	
"Well, um...Linada, how long would this regeneration take?" 	
Linada poked the nearest terminal a bit and then answered. 	
"For your size and situation, I would say...about six months." 	
"Half a year..." 	
Fiora's expression turned downward. Reyn plopped an arm around her to try and cheer her up. 	
"Half a year? I promise I'll protect Shulk 'till then. Leave it to me." 	
"Come on, Reyn, you know I don't need you to protect me anymore," Shulk huffed. 	
"This is the best thing for you to do. Please enter." 	
Linada made the capsule open. 	
"Lie inside and have a good long sleep. In six months, you'll be fully restored." 	
Fiora put her right hand on her chest and smiled with determination. 	
"I'm...I'm not going to." 	
===5===
Shulk and Fiora sat on Tephra Hill and looked down at Colony 9. 	
"Fiora, I'm really glad you-" 	
"Oh Shulk give it a rest. I don't need to repeat myself a bunch of times." 	
Shulk might have been uncertain about Fiora's decision, but she was confident. 	
Her mind was made up - she wouldn't be getting into the regeneration device. At least not now. 	
If she went in now, she would be stuck there for six months. They might not have that long, before the Telethia ravaged the world. They had to destroy the god, Zanza, before that could happen.	
If she began to regenerate herself, she wouldn't be able to help them fight, so... 	
"I've made my decision. I'm fighting in this body alongside Shulk, and I can go back to being myself after that. I'd rather fight beside him than sit around worrying about him." 	
Linada was conflicted. Without the Monado powering her body, there was no guarantee that Fiora would survive long enough to get through the final battle. But Fiora's resolve was set. 	
So, as a doctor, Linada could only do one thing. 	
If that's your decision, I'll do whatever I can to squeeze every last second out of your current body. 	
Reyn and Dunban stood together, looking at the colony below. 	
"We gotta be sure to come back here, Dunban." 	
"Yes, of course...And once the battle is won, Fiora can be restored, and our lives here will continue..." 	
Shulk nodded to them. 	
"Yeah. This is our home." 	
With this, Shulk and the others set out for Gaur Plain on Bionis' Leg, leaving Colony 9 - their only home - behind. 	
==Notes==
On the whole, the story is compliant with the canon established by the game, and adds new details that are otherwise unseen. There are however some holes, rough patches, and outright contradictions. Much like the rest of the artbook, it should be taken with some salt.
* The number of previous Homs colonies is given as about ten, with no timeline for how long ago the others were destroyed. The three known from the game are , Colony 6, and the one that Mumkhar is originally from (which is not named).
* The story claims that Colony 9 was never attacked by Mechon before the in-game raid. This is contradicted by the Revisiting the Past, which establishes that it was attacked at least once in recent history.
* It is implied that Shulk plans to design and/or build Replica Monados for other people. No indication is given of whether this would work.
* The path described for Shulk to go from the Weapon Development Lab to Dunban's house makes no sense. First it says he takes the long way through the , but then he walks by shops opening for the night, which implies the . He also passes by both Kenny Rohan and Sesame, who are only together in the Commercial District later at night (as opposed to early evening).
* It is said that Dunban chose to live at the colony entrance. However, in the Heart-to-Heart Melia's Imperial Villa, Fiora says her mother's room is untouched from when she died. Given their ages and other context from story and Heart-to-Hearts, Dunban would have been underage at the time, and so not really in a position to decide where the family lived.
* Apparently, Vangarre and Kantz think enough of Dunban (and Fiora's cooking) to have visited them frequently before Dunban's injury.
* The text specifies that Melia puts on "Stellar-series armour", which refers to the appearance of the rather than which exact set it is. (Based on the accompanying illustration having the purple/red colours, it's either the Agrius or Rafaga sets.) This is an interesting choice, as they are all medium-weight armour, which Melia cannot put on without help.
* The story describes Shulk as appearing like he passed out while receiving a vision, and is disoriented when it ends. This is contradicted by the game, where time is stopped during a vision and he's generally not disoriented by them, to the point where he doesn't miss a step or break his stride when they come to him.
* It is implied that only Linada's observation is what caused the party to realize that the Mag Mell Ruins are that of a High Entia ship. In the game, Melia recognizes it immediately in the Heart-to-Heart Ancient Wreckage, and even Shulk suspects it might be a vehicle when the player first arrives there.
* The story establishes a method for Fiora's Homs body to be restored, compared to the game not explaining how she's back to normal in the epilogue. However, it is unlikely that this method is what actually happened, as characters in the epilogue behave as if it has been only a couple of days rather than several months. In addition, it is unclear whether the regeneration chamber still exists in the new world, given how so much of the other terrain around Colony 9 is visibly different.
==Gallery==
Category:Xenoblade Chronicles
Category:Plot summaries