The True Xenoblade Chapter 1

"Oh boy." Noah couldn't help but speak out when he awoke to find himself wearing what appeared to be an extremely light looking hospital robe, and his arms were dripping with a weird smelling substance that made his nose tingle and reject just with a single sniff. He also seemed to be lying in what looked like a pod of some kind.

He grabbed the ends of the pod, using them to pull himself up, and only then did he realise someone was talking to him.

"What is your name, soldier?"

Noah snapped his head to the left, noticing that someone was speaking with him, and frowned when he realised what the woman who addressed him was wearing. A black uniform, holding a clip board, and some kind of helmet with a visor was stuck on her head. She almost looked like-

She repeated herself, a touch of annoyance in her words." I asked you a question, soldier. It would do you good to answer me. What is your name?"

Noah felt the need to snap back, but ultimately just gave her an answer." It's Noah, why the hell do you care?"

The woman ignored his words, just writing something down on her board, and then just pointed to a group consisting of a dozen or so children that were all standing straight as a board. As though they were cadets in the army.

"Join them, you'll be told where to go soon enough." Deciding that was enough information for him, the woman proceeded to simply walk off. Leaving Noah to stand, confused and uncertain, but after a second he did what he was told.

Walking over to the lined up children, Noah began to realise that... they didn't actually look that short to him. Sure some of them were a bit smaller, but most of them were around his height, if not taller-

Noah paused when he finally noticed something very not right about a bunch of those children. Some of them had metallic skin, grey in colour with patches like scrap, whilst others had wings of their heads of many different colours! They reminded him almost eerily of Machina and High Entia from-

A few of them noticed his staring and gave him weird looks, so Noah decided to, for the moment, to ignore the very strange appearances of the group, and stand next to one of the more normal looking boys.

And, for a while, him and the rest of the group just stood there. More children joined them, and when he got a good look of their bizarre appearances, he couldn't stop his heart from pounding. Maybe the grey skin could be fake, if someone was dedicated enough of a prankster to full body paint a huge number of children, but his eyes were keen enough to tell that those wings were real. Which left him to just one conclusion, one that made his chest tighten.

Another masked soldier stood in front of us, his voice thick and piercing enough to steal all of my attention." All of you are nothing but children right now, just starting your first term! But, with our help, you'll become soldiers who might one day survive to your Homecomings!"

Several other people in uniforms converged on his position, uniforms held out in their arms for them all to grab.

Noah froze up for a moment, his spine shivering as he realised where he was- what he was!

The man held his arms out, as though he were welcoming them all." Now, get ready to fight for the glory of Keves, and the glory of our Queen!"

He was in Xenoblade Chronicles 3.

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Noah did his best to maintain a neutral expression, though that was becoming increasingly hard the more he lingered on the idea that he was a soldier, as he walked amongst a sea of stoic child soldiers, tugging at the collar of his Kevesi uniform.

He was slightly out of sync with the footprints of the other soldiers, his stoic mask wasn't as resolute as theirs, and it was only made worst by the fact his mind wouldn't just stop thinking about what he'd need to do. The pressure of being the one responsible for the fate of the entire world bearing down heavily on his shoulders.

He was whisked away with the crowd, finding himself in a group of four with the other members of his group being plainly recognisable for him. A grey skinned Machina boy, Lanz, who looked far more scrawny than he would be in the future. A brown haired girl with white wings on her head, Eunie, her hair much shorter than it would be in the future, she looked almost as though she could be mistaken for a boy but he personally thought she looked quite cute. Finally, there was a pudgy looking green haired boy with hair that covered his right eye, Joran. A future Moebius.

Noah scanned the faces of his new comrades, feeling a weird sense of familiarity with them despite the fact they'd never talked before. It was weird, they all knew nothing about him, yet he knew quite a bit about them.

Once divided, a soldier addressed us all." The three people you've been placed with will be your partners in this war! You will sweat, bleed, and die with them right besides you in this war! Prepare for training on the double!"

Noah frowned, unable to stop himself from showing displeasure as they began to immediately pool into a training area. They had zero chance to talk, zero chance to digest the information they were given, they were just... getting right to training.

Then again, that was the life of a soldier of Aionios. You weren't given the chance to do anything other than fight to the death. An eternity of war, violence, and hatred. Not even death was an escape for the people of Keves and Agnus.

"Come on Joran, don't lag behind!" Lanz yelled from the front of their running group, proving to be the most athletic child in the group, whilst Joran lagged behind, panting uncontrollably like a dog as he placed one foot in front of the other. He was probably just hoping he didn't fall with how little grace he possessed in his strides.

Noah was pleasantly surprised that, unlike Joran, his body was actually pretty athletic naturally. Enough that he wasn't having any notable problems fulfilling the fitness exercises that the sergeant was giving him.

It turned out that, though unrelenting, even the people who ran the training facility weren't dumb enough to just thrust a weapon into the hands of a bunch of hatchlings fresh out of the oven. He could only assume that they'd do Blade training at later dates, after they'd gotten a little bit of fitness training in probably.

Eunie panted a little, but was mostly unaffected as she talked away whilst running." These damn test are nothin', you feelin' the eat' eye... what's your name?"

Noah wasn't even panting, but he still answered the girl." Noah, what's yours?"

"Eunie, and you better remember it! Just make sure to keep up with me and-"

"What's up with the wings?" Noah cut her off, feeling the sudden need to ask about the limbs which sprouted out from her head. It was strange, they didn't seem to serve any practical purpose. They were just kind of... there." Can you fly with them?"

Eunie gave him a weird look." Well no... probably not anyway. Never really tried. But, why are you askin'?"

Noah looked around, his eyes passing over a few of the different children around them, their races, their bizarre features, their futures." No reason really. I just find it bit weird. We're all born so different from each other, and I was just wondering if that actually makes a difference."

Eunie tilted her head a little." Why the spark should that matter though? It's not like it makes a massive difference."

He shook his head in response." I guess it doesn't really. I just wanted to get to know something about all these people, and if these sorts of things are a big deal to them."

Eunie paused for a moment, before she began to laugh, confusing Noah in the process." You're a weird one, Noah. I've known you for a few minutes and I can already tell yer a bit of a weirdo."

Noah couldn't even take offense to that, laughing a little." Well, thank you for the compliment. Being weird means I'm different, and ordinary isn't gonna keep me alive out there."

For the rest of their running, Noah would just talk with Eunie, not really caring about his placement as long as he didn't flunk. He figured that getting to know one of his future Ouroboros better would be a good idea, but the girl proved to just be someone nice to talk to.

Noah didn't get to talk to her for more than half an hour, but he could already gauge a bit of her character, and she didn't seem much different from in the games. She was witty, defensive, didn't mince her words, but none of that made her unfriendly. There wasn't any real bite to her jabs, and she was probably the most easy-going person he was going to find in what amounted to a massive army.

He also got the weirdest feeling that they'd met somewhere before. But, he had no idea where.

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Noah layed in his uncomfortable bunk, staring at the ceiling as he pondered what he'd end up doing in the future. Obviously he intended to become an Ouroborus, but what beyond that? Was his destiny really just to follow some script? Did he want to do anything different? Was he scared enough of Moebius to just do and say whatever guaranteed his future?

Noah turned on his side, locks of dark black hair sweeping onto his face, and he just stared at it for a moment. His hair was never black, his hair was brown. Light brown and curly, but Noah's hair was straight as an arrow and dark as the night. It was a tiny little detail, his hair colour, but somehow it felt like just another reminder that he wasn't himself anymore.

Who was Noah anyway? Not the soldier of Keves/future Ouroborus/the wielder of the Sword of Origin?

Who was he before Aionios?

Noah sighed as he turned away from the legion of other child soldiers- no baby soldiers. They were born just days before, they weren't more than hatchlings. Just four short years of education and training before they were forced into a war like lambs to the slaughter. Biologically they would be just fourteen years old; and chronologically a mere four.

It was tragic on so many levels. Even if they wanted to die, Moebius wouldn't let them. They were doomed to fight, and fight, and fight. And fight... for all of eternity.

Unless he managed to destroy the world, to destroy Moebius, and end 'the endless now'.

Just the pressure alone was enough to make his breaths cut short. He could list so many enemies off the top of his head, all that he'd need to end.

Then, there was the matter of the Sword of Origin, also known as Noah's Monado. Could he even draw it? In the games Monado's were only given to the main characters when they overcame some giant flaw. Be it Shulk relying on his own power, Rex taking on the burden of the woman he loved, or... Noah deciding to destroy the world if it meant him getting the world's freedom back.

Regardless, he knew that without his Monado and the power of Ouroboros he was done for. There was zero in-between.

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Noah swung his caretakers old scrap sword with sweat dripping off his face, dots beginning to cloud his vision as he panted slightly and his arms felt like they were about to drop off, yet he persisted to practice and become like the man he admired most.

"Noah, I think we're done." Shulk spoke kindly to his adopted son, not appearing disappointed in the slightest at his son's work.

Yet, Noah immediately denied his father." But Mr Shulk, I can still keep going! Why do we have to stop?!"

The blonde man just explained simply." I can see your arms, Noah. That scrap sword isn't exactly light-weight, and if you keep going then you'll just tear your muscles and not be able to do sword training at all. You've gotta work hard to get good, that's true, but you've also got to rest hard. Got it?"

Noah though for a moment, them he just sighed as he dropped the sword, having to hold back a groan of relief as he dropped the heavy weapon. He decided to take his father's advice.

Shulk gave a look of approval." Smart move. Seriously though, you've already learned Shadow Eye and Air Slash. I'd teach you more of my own, but it'd be better if you tried to design your own arts, like I did once."

Noah was admittedly only half-listening in that moment, the relief in his arms still filling his mind, but nodded along anyway as he sat down on a log by the woods.

He had to admit, being the adopted son of a legendary hero was... well not boring, but definitely not as exciting as he thought either. He wasn't sure what he was expecting.

He had new brothers and sisters, new cousins, and new parents. They were all kind to him, and accepted him with open arms when his father decided to bring him home.

It was... nice.

Shulk took a seat next to Noah, nearly zero sweat on his form at all despite wielding his man-made Monado in just one arm, and he suddenly said." You know, Noah, I'm glad we did this together. It was nice to spend some time with you like this."

Noah wasn't sure how to respond to that." Yeah, it was... but why did you decide to spend your time on me? What about your... what about your real children? Wouldn't you rather spend time with them?"

Shulk frowned a little at that, and placed a hand on Noah's shoulder." You are my real son, Noah. Maybe not by blood, but you are. I love all of you equally, and nothing will change that."

Noah tries to brush off those words, but can't help but smile a little at his father's words. Though, he does notice something strange-

"Hey, what's that? On your back?"

Shulk was wearing a white shirt, and his back had become sweaty enough to show what appeared to be a massive tattoo on his back. It was shaped like a triangle with blunt edges which appeared to have three crosses embedded near the inside of those ends. The tattoo was also remarkably detailed, it literally captured every minute detail of what looked like a processor.

Shulk hummed, looking over his shoulder and gave a vague answer." It's nothing important. Anyway, we should get back to your mothers. We're all going out for ice cream later."

Noah still felt curious about the tattoo, but didn't linger on it as he followed by his father's side, ignorant of how closely that tattoo would prove to affect his life.

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Noah tried his best to make sense of what he dreamt about, but was forced awake when he heard the footsteps of his fellow cadets below, and decided to get up for the day. He fell off his place on a top bunk with relative grace then he took his shirt, the one piece of his clothing which he hadn't worn for bed, and began to put it on.

"Hey, what's that thing on your back?" Lanz commented, catching Noah's attention as he was about to place the shirt of his uniform over his head.

Noah hesitated as he questioned Lanz." What do you mean?"

The metallic boy gestured over his shoulder." You've got this weird mark on your whole back, it looks super weird, man."

Noah frowned in response, not understanding the boy." What are you talking about?"

Lanz struggled to respond." You've kinda got a... well, what's the word again? It's on your whole back, and it looks kind of like a mark, but massive and it covers your whole back."

Hearing that, Noah took his hand and lifted it over his shoulder before he began to feel the texture of his back. This proved that Lanz was telling the truth, since he felt a... dip in his skin? It was minor, but it felt as though something was engraved into his back. It was a very strange sensation, but it didn't hurt. In fact, now that he was feeling it, the general shape actually felt a bit too smooth for skin.

He'd need to figure it out later.

He quit feeling up his back after a moment, and proceeded to put his shirt and address the Machina boy's concerns." How the heck am I meant to know? I've been alive for like... a few days. It's probably nothing, so don't worry about me too much."

In response though, Lanz quickly denied those words." Like spark am I worried about you! I was just making sure that one day, when you look in the mirror, you won't have a sparkin' panic attack!"

Noah chuckled at Lanz's words. He might have been a child soldier, born at ten years old, but it was nice that he was still childish. That he still had that spark of innocence inside him. At least a little bit anyway.

"Well, thanks for that anyway. Let's go join the others." Noah spoke with finality in his tone as he walked away towards where the other children were going, a grumbling Lanz following him from behind.

Well, only eight more years until he became an Ouroboros. He was sure they'd all but fly by.

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Noah was going to be honest, he wasn't really sure what to expect when it came to the education system in Aionios. He was half certain that they just didn't have one, at least when he woke up, but luckily it turned out he was wrong. Well, if you could call training for war 'education'.

What he was learning in class was, in essence, tactics and skills that they could use in a war. It was just the first day, but they were taught the beginnings of strategy and anatomy... well limited anatomy. They weren't showing a lot of different body parts which were, unsurprisingly, limited to the human organs that didn't involve reproduction. Likely an attempt to keep the soldiers ignorant to how life is meant to be, since for all the rest of them knew they were born in cradles. Sex wasn't a factor compatible with 'the endless now' it seemed. He had a theory that the Irises had something to do with suppressing sexual desire, since, even if they didn't know about it, eventually a group of people driven by hormones would discover life's natural way of reproduction.

Then, they were shoved into doing more exercise, amongst other physical activities, and finally they were given combat training.

Noah stood with his three other squad members, his back straight as a plank, and listened to one of the instructors as they gave him and the other children another task.

"All of you are future soldiers, and a soldier needs a weapon. Pick one of these, and practice for an hour. You'll be taught how to make your own Arts later. By the end of your training you should have a set of your own Arts that you've mastered. You might switch weapons later, but that would mean learning a whole new fighting style. Pick your pick."

He moved to the side, revealing a cache of different weapon types. There were several which Noah easily recognised from the games. There were swords for attackers, Shieldblades for tanks, staffs for mages, and Gunrods for shooters. There were other weapons, but those were obviously the ones I could recognise easily enough.

Apparently none of the classes actually included healing, you had to learn how to manipulate ether if you wanted to heal others, just like how you needed to learn ether if you wanted to use an elemental staff. Which took time. Learning Arts was a whole other level entirely, apparently that took months of practice to come up with and properly form your own Arts.

One by one, groups of children started to pick their weapons. Noah could even recognise a few of them from the game, he couldn't quite remember their names though. There was one cocky looking boy with wings on his head that he thinks was named... Gravel? No, that wasn't a name.

Noah picked up a sword, testing it's weight in his hand, and instantly realised how... right it felt in his hand. It wasn't too light, not too heavy either, and he had the strange instinct to shift his legs just by holding it.

He moved with his group, noticing that the three of them had chosen exactly the weapons he'd expected. Lanz had a Shieldblade, Eunie picked a Gunrod, and Joran picked a... wand?

"So, what the heck are we meant to do with these?" Lanz questioned, holding his massive weapon with both of his hands in a way that suggested he was struggling to maintain his hold. Which, when considering how large his weapon was compared to his frame, he probably was. The other two also looked pretty unsure about what to do, with the instructors not being very clear on what they should train.

Noah looked around, figuring he had to be the one to direct the group. They were in a fenced training area, but the yard itself was very large, it was probably a good hundred or so meters wide and long with a solid concrete floor and, despite over thirty children being within it's confines, it was really quite spacious.

To his left, he could see that there was what looked like a shooting range.

He tapped Eunie's shoulder, getting her attention and ordering the girl." Go practice your aim. You're not meant for close-range fighting, so it'd be best if you can make sure that you're a sharp-shot."

Eunie looked surprised for a moment but then just nodded." Will do." She proceeded to run over to the shooting range, her weapon clutched in both hands.

Next up, Noah turned to Lanz." What exactly do you want to be on the battlefield? A tank, a healer, a mage, or an attacker?"

The Machina boy hesitated for a moment, but responded firmly." I want to be a tank."

Noah knew the answer, but still nodded." If you want to block someone then you'll need to get used to the weight of your own weapon. Don't try to hide it, I can see that you're struggling to lug that thing around. Try to build up some muscle by swinging that thing around, and make sure to get used to it's weight. Find yourself some space and practice."

Lanz was still for a moment, looking caught between wanting to argue with Noah not to tell him what to give him orders, or to just do as he was ordered, but in the end he just settled on." Sure, I would have probably done that anyway though." After those words, he walked off to do as Noah told him to.

Noah's eyes lingered on the retreating form of the other boy for a second, but then he turned to the final member of their little group.

Joran seemed to shift and shrink into himself under his gaze, the boy showing timidness as he stared at the ground, almost scared to meet his eyes. It was hard to believe that someone like this could ever become a Moebius.

Joran wasn't a fighter by birth, that much Noah knew. He was clearly unathletic, shy, and physically weak. The opposite of what you wanted in a potential soldier. Even if he didn't die years down the line, Aionios would have definitely eaten him alive anyway.

But, the boy in front of him wasn't Moebius J. He wasn't a bad person, he hadn't done anything wrong. He was just a boy, one who wanted directions.

And, Noah could give him that.

He let himself smile as he placed a gentle hand on Joran's shoulder, getting his attention as he asked, in a kind tone." What do you want to be, Joran?"