Disclaimer: oh, Boy! I love first Xenoblade Chronicles game. Never played it (I wish I could) but saw two awesome let's plays (NicoB's & chuggaaconroy's)! Is the recent remaster a truly definitive one?


Nightwatch

"(...)Just like daddypon, watching over family. Same watch over." – Riki to Dunban regarding the latter's relationship with Shulk and Fiora

At colony 9, Dunban was a father figure of everyone under the age of 17. Whenever he, or they, liked it or not. Fiora was an obvious choice – she was his younger sister. Shulk was easier to manage – basically co-parented with Dickson – howevern in Shulk's case, Dunban felt more like a mother hen next to his stern friend. But Reyn was tough. As a kid, Reyn didn't want cuddles or hugs, didn't want words of comfort – even after his parents died. To this day Dunban remembered the funeral and a fight Reyn had with himself, to stop tears from streaming down his face.

Dunban still remembered those first few nights after Reyn's parents perished. The young boy refused to sleep on his own, and only after two sleepless nights he was allowed to stay with his best friend. Since Shulk's deep slumber was a thing of legend, Reyn cried in his sleep, spiritually, alone.

It was during training when Dunban was able to comfort "his third child". With smack of a wooden training sword, with a push to the ground. Only when Reyn was cornered, pinned, tired or worn out the soon-to-be-soldier's fa?ade would crumble. Only then, Dunban would learn about problems with talking to the girl he liked, the reason behind "the fight" he had with Shulk, teasing at school for "being a colony idiot" or for... for anything really, that Reyn was definitely not.

Just like then, Dunban was ready to raise to his role from comfort of his blanket, as he heard a soft stifled sobbing of the solider. This time, however, his intervention was pre-empted by a pitter-patter of small feet as the Heropon approached the sleeping redhead solider.

However, Dunban was ready to intervene, to cut short any possible teasing from Riki. Not that his remarks were ill-natured, but the heropon was a loose-cannon, sometimes, even tactless.

However, Riki said nothing, did nothing at first. The Nopon just sat by his young comrade side, observing how the solider shook in his sleep, listening to Reyn's soft sobs and pleas.

After a while, he outstretched one of his ear-arms and softly stroked Reyn's shoulder.

Slowly, methodically, silently.

With soft gestures of the heropon, Reyn's anguish subdued. Sobs gradually died down, tension in his shoulders was but a memory long forgotten. Riki nodded and with a peck-kiss at the young solider's neck, he hopped back to his spot by the dying-down campfire.

The Nopon watched small tongues of flame dancing on charred pieces of wood. He threw a log to the fire which immediately took hold on a fresh fuel source.

Melia stirred in her sleep, sighed, relieved, at the extra warmth.