Archive of Our Own ^beta

At the light of Nikol's heart, lies trauma within. The awful facets of war, and the insatiable need to kill. Nikol was different than the other soldiers he knew. They were dead now, he would say, despite the bullying he endured for not being able to summon a Blade. But, the worst part was...

He had no idea how to be a kid. He had no idea how to be human. He had been a soldier all in this life that his past life was eliminated upon being in the cycle. He didn't remember that he had a childhood, nor a father that really cared and loved him.

That is until A and Shulk somehow trigger something within Nikol.

A need to feel loved. A need to be cared for and held.

A need to reconnect with Shulk for who he really is - a father.

It's been way too long of a day.

Nikol and Glimmer were partially fighting over something, while Matthew and Rex were talking amongst themselves. A and Shulk however, were concerned about Nikol.

"...Have you been noticing something with Nikol, Shulk?" A questioned.

"Uh uh, I had it first!!" Nikol yells.

"Who said you had dibs on the book, pipsqueak?" Glimmer hissed.

"Oi, knock it off, you two!" Matthew warned.

"...Yeah. He's in need of help on how to live normally again, now that he's free." Shulk commented as the small argument had continued in the background.

Matthew then grabbed both Nikol and Glimmer. "Both o' ya, knock it off right now! You're acting like total children!"

Na'el walked over. "Matthew, put them down, this is no time to be foolin' around and making even more dangerous waves."

"M'sorry, Matthew..." Nikol mutters.

"The hell's goin' on with you, Nikol? You're throwin' fits like a City child who didn't get the candy they wanted." Matthew barked.

A and Shulk then began to observe Nikol with utmost concern.

"B-But, I wanted that book! I had it fair an' square!" Nikol yelled back.

"That doesn't mean you fight to get that book, kid. Somethin' is definitely wrong here." Matthew commented.

Nikol stomped his feet in anger. "Fine! I don' want the book anymore!"

A and Shulk are definitely going to talk to him, as right when Nikol looks at Matthew, he "snaps" out of something...

"M-Matthew, wh-why are you looking at me like that?" Nikol pondered in fright.

"Because you're actin' up an' that's not like you." Matthew then noticed A and Shulk walking over.

"Nikol, would you mind talking to me and A for a bit?" Shulk questioned.

"Y-Yeah, sure..." Nikol nods, reluctantly following them.

Nikol was shaking, thinking he had done something wrong. He didn't mean to fight with Glimmer, even over a book! He didn't mean to! He's so scared he could... he could...!

A sudden cry escapes Nikol's mouth, as he throws his head back and kicks in frustration upon landing on the ground.

Shulk felt that this was definitely strange. He had never seen his own son act out like this. "Come on, Nik, stand up..."

Nikol could barely even keep any weight on his legs. What the hell was happening and why?

"Nikol, please calm down..." Shulk felt slightly irritated, but it felt like deja vu. Had he done this before?

A was knowledgeable on different things, thus they kept observing Nikol. "...Shulk. We need to talk alone."

Nikol then attached himself to Shulk's leg like a cat stuck in a tree in need of rescue. "Noooooo!" he whined between his sobs.

A sighed. "Okay, bring him along too..."

Shulk and A ventured a little ways away from the Colony 9 camp, with Nikol clinging pretty tightly.

After they arrived, Nikol was set down on the grass by Shulk. "Stay put."

Nikol was busy staring off somewhere, as if to look for his Mama Fiora and Uncle Dunban. "Mama...? ...Mamaaaa! Unca' Dunbaaan?"

Shulk was even more intrigued on what was happening. Luckily, A happened to know.

"Nikol is exhibiting childlike behavior. Though, the origin of this is due to something within Origin causing Nikol to act this way." A spoke. "It lines up with what I found out. Nikol has the emotional, mental and behavioral mindset of a 2 year old toddler to a 5 year old child. He was exhibiting a 5 year old's behavior before, then as we left, he started exhibiting the behavior of a 2 year old. This is called a term known as "age regression". It is apparent that his "real" self is trying to take over him, trying to recover all that lost time."

"To help him further, we must prepare him for what is to come. I have devised a shopping list for you and Rex to follow." A gently began to smile.

Shulk smiled as well. "Time for him to reconnect with his childhood."

Shulk was definitely a bit clueless, but what mattered was the fact that Nikol was happy. He just wanted to see his baby boy be happy again. He knew that this was the way Nikol wanted to heal.

"Nikol... come here for a second." Shulk spoke calmly.

Nikol snapped out of it again. "Hmm...? What is it...?"

"Me and A figured out what's going on with you. You're just trying to heal, aren't you? You want to be a kid again. Well... we will teach you how." Shulk gently gave Nikol a pat on the back.

Nikol found himself slipping again, feeling like he could trust Shulk. Though, when he is out of regression, it seems as if he forgets calling Shulk as his father. Unfortunately, there would be no way to remedy this.

His mindset was set to that of a 2 year old. A shy toddler, if any. Nikol grabbed at the air, wanting Shulk to pick him up.

"You want up? Alright, up you go..." Shulk had those old creaky bones, but that didn't matter. "Come on, let's get back to the others. Right, A?"

"Precisely. Then I will watch over him until you and Rex get back." A nods.

Nikol happily laid his head on Shulk's shoulder, hoping to get a nap in before the two were to leave.

"He can take a small nap while we walk. We're not too far off." A followed Shulk, both of them looking at the sleepy boy they adored. "For now, we must give him the life he deserved in the first place."

As they slowly make it back to camp, the other party members were concerned.

"Oi! What took ya so long?" questioned Matthew.

"Sorry, we were just figuring things out with Nikol." A commented, offering to carry Nikol.

Shulk handed Nikol to A. "Go ahead."

A gently began to cradle him close, making sure Nikol was secure. "Shulk, Rex, I will be caring for Nikol until you both come back from the general store."

"A made us a list of things to get for Nikol to help him ease into his new life of being a kid." Shulk smiled softly.

"Alright, we can do that, then. Just hopin' it's not expensive..." Rex looked at the list. "Off we go, then."

Shulk gently approached Nikol and stroked his cheek. "We'll be back, little one. Be good for A."

As the two left, it was only A, Glimmer, Matthew and Na'el.

Nikol gently stretched and yawned, looking directly at A with his soft emerald gaze.

"Oi, mornin' sleepyhead." Matthew smiled. "Didja sleep well?"

Nikol let out a soft giggle toward Matthew, as he did have a good nap.

"He's got such sweet eyes." Na'el crooned. "He really is just like his Mum and Dad."

A gently set Nikol down on the ground. "Want to play a game with us, young Nikol?"

Nikol let out a bit of nonsensical babble, looking at Matthew.

"Oi, I don't speak babble, kiddo." Matthew chuckled, lifting up Nikol from the ground and onto his shoulders. "Want a piggyback ride?"

Nikol happily nodded. "Wan' ride!" he chirped out, clapping his hands joyfully.

Matthew started walking and bouncing around, laughing. "Off we go, little man!"

Nikol squealed with glee as he was having fun. But then, he was distracted by Matt's ponytail. Should he or should he not gnaw and chew on it...

Matthew stopped as he felt a tug at the back of his head. "Oi, what are ya doin back there, Nik?"

Nikol was busy chewing on Matthew's hair, but as he had done that, he was suddenly tired again.

"Oi!! A, help me here!" Matthew yelled.

"Nikol, please let go of his hair!" A spoke sternly, not knowing Nikol had fallen right to sleep and was still chewing on the ponytail.

Nikol whined in his sleep, still wanting to be with his big brother.

"...Best not to bother him..." A backed away. Interrupting the sleepy time of a regressed Kevesi is a battle and half, and A knows it.

"Guess he's teethin' or somethin', A?" Matthew questioned. "Though he needs somethin' better than my own hair..."

"He could be. I do wonder what is taking Shulk and Rex so long. Maybe they're having trouble finding things they need?" A wondered.

A then had an idea. They could possibly create necessary data and turn them into the supplies that Shulk needed! "Let's see... I have a copy of the list here... now to create them..."

All the while Matthew was cradling Nikol gently after getting him off his shoulders. "Still sleepin', kiddo?"

Nikol let off a little whine as he opened his emerald green eyes. Then, he got confused. Mostly on why he has hair in his mouth. He spat it out with no hesitation. "Bleh! Yucky!!"

"Yes, Nik, very yucky. Don't do that again." Matthew reminded him coolly.

Glimmer stopped practicing the lute and walked over to Matthew, who was busy keeping Nikol happy. "...Explain why Nikol is like this?"

"He's missin' out on bein' a kid, so he decided to act like one, what's the big deal?" Matthew answered.

"So? He could get his ass killed this way!" Glimmer hissed.

"Oi! Watch your damn language!" Matthew spoke in a whisper. "He needs us now more than ever. A figured out what was going on with 'im and now we are goin' to make sure he is comforted and loved."

Nikol gazed at Glimmer with curiosity.

"...Why are you staring at me?" Glimmer wondered. It's not that she didn't like Nikol, she just didn't understand why Nikol is regressed.

Nikol happily burbled at her, wanting a hug. "Gwimma... hug...!"

"Awww, didja hear that? He wants a hug from his big sister." Matthew smiled genuinely.

Glimmer gently claimed him from Matthew. "Alright, you can have a hug." No way was she gonna pass up a hug. She wasn't gonna be a cold hearted bitch over a hug, even if she denies that she doesn't want one. In fact, she needed one.

Nikol happily embraced her, letting out a sweet little coo as he nestled into her hold.

Glimmer suddenly felt tears flooding out of her eyes. Sure, the fact that Nikol was talking the baby talk with just his own voice was a little off-putting, but she didn't care.

Glimmer's sisterly instincts reared their head, as she cradled Nikol and let him lay on her shoulder. "It's okay..." she started. "...your big sister is here."

Matthew and Na'el looked as if they could cry, as this moment was so sweet.

Nikol was nothing short of relaxed. He didn't sleep, but he looked as if he could. He was just calm as he looked up at Glimmer and babbled softly.

"Why are you so adorable..." Glimmer sobbed a little.

A was now done making the supplies. Perfect timing, as Shulk and Rex arrived back empty handed.

"Don't worry, I got everything needed for Nikol." A gave a gentle smile.

"Dada...!" Nikol squealed excitedly, clapping his hands.

"There's our little man..." Shulk crooned, gently ruffling Nikol's hair with his right hand than his metal hand. "Were you good for A and everyone?"

Nikol nodded softly. "Mm...!"

A then showed Shulk the supplies they made. "You will need all of this." There were blankets, pajamas, pacifiers, bottles and so much more. All of what is needed for Nikol's chance to be a kid and reconnect with his father. There was even big kid clothing in case Nikol was regressed to 5 years old.

"Alright, come on, little sunshine. Time to get you dressed. Rex, mind helping me out?" Shulk gently lifted Nikol up into his arms.

"Right behind ya, Shulk." Rex smiled kindly, following Shulk into the tent.

A was now preparing dinner for everyone, including Nikol. "For everyone else, we are having some acqua pazza. Nikol's meals will be different according to his current mental age. He is in a toddler mindset currently, so that means mashed fruits and the like."

Matthew nods. "Heh, guess he's eating differently than we are. Lucky lil tyke."

A cacophony of exclamations and giggles came from the tent. "Oi! Stop wriggling, Nikol!" "Rex, that's not how this works, it's not a hat!" "Then you try, Shulk! I've never done this, it was always Pyra or Nia!"

"Are they seriously struggling with getting a diaper onto Nikol?" thought Matthew.

"This damn zipper is intimidating me!" "Rex, come on, this is not that hard, you're making it harder than it should be!" "Why did A settle for footed pajamas and not onesies?!" "Just keep trying, Rex!"

"Never thought two dads would be strugglin'." Matthew laughed.

"Damn it, Shulk, you nearly knocked your face off!" "This zipper really is kind of difficult... you were right, Rex." "What did I tell ya? You thought it was easy, but nooooo!" "Just shut up and help me!"

After a good while, Shulk and Rex finally went out of the tent with a fully dressed Nikol. Only two things were missing to complete this.

"What binky do you want, kiddo?" Shulk questioned, lifting Nikol up to pick one out of ten pacifiers. "Your choice."

Nikol pointed at a blue one that had a glowy green Nopon design, grabbing it almost immediately.

"Aww, good choice. You look so cute." Shulk cooed. "Now, stay put, little one. Dada has a surprise for you."

Nikol was gently sat near A, who gave a kind smile.

"You look exactly how I thought. Hopefully you will sleep better tonight." A gently pat Nikol's head.

Shulk finally came back with a blue blanket and a super fluffy Nopon Archsage plushie. "A soft, cuddly Nopon plushie and a soothing blue blankie for my little sunshine."

Nikol gently grabbed both, nuzzling his blanket while enjoying the snuggly soft fur on his new plushie. The plushie was half as big as he was, ensuring ultimate snuggles during naptime. He happily cooed in thanks, knowing he can be small without repremand or pain.

"Nice baby blue footie pajamas, kiddo!" Matthew nodded. "Pairs well with your pacifier an' your blanket."

Nikol softly whined as he wanted to be picked up again. "Matt...! Up up!"

"You want up? A'ight, three... two... one! Whoooosh!! Up you get!" Matthew chortles as he lifts Nikol up in the air. It was a joy to hear Nikol laughing like he should. "There's my happy little brother!"

Meanwhile Shulk was helping A with Nikol's food. Chopped up Dance Apples, Ruby Pineapples and Humming Plums were mashed up into a paste, with sprinkled in chunks of each fruit that remained.

"This will definitely be good for him. Good choices on fruit, A." Shulk smiled. "Hopefully he likes it."

"If he doesn't, then that's okay. He's exploring his tastes and helping us find out what he does like." A nodded.

After some wait time and a lot of banter from Rex about how dressing up Nikol was a difficult task, everything was all set.

"Alright, everyone, dinner time!" Rex yelled.

Matthew gently sat Nikol down into the high chair. Luckily for him, Nikol was in a good mood enough to be cooperative. "Time for some num nums! Does the little man want some num nums?" Matthew was being a great big brother for sure.

Shulk gently put a bib around Nikol's neck. It had a cute little sun and the text said "little sunshine". "There we go, just so you keep your new jammies clean."

A bowl of mashed fruit was placed in front of Nikol, with A being the one to feed him as they stood nearby.

"Baba!" Nikol squealed, knowing A was his step parent.

A laughed genuinely, ruffling Nikol's hair a little. "Ready for Baba to feed you? Shulk made this for you."

Nikol gently put his fingers in the bowl, getting a small amount of food on them. Maybe he should taste it first. Luckily his pacifier was attached with a clip, so no loss there. He gently suckled on his fingers to get the food.

"Well? How is it?" A questioned. "Is it good?"

"Ni..kol... wan'... mowe... p'ease..." Nikol squeaked out, taking his time talking.

"Good answer, and good job on using your manners." A started to feed Nikol the first spoonful of mashed fruit. "Open wide, young one."

Nikol gladly took the food off of the spoon, happily chewing the bits of fruit. It was definitely sweet, but the fruits were nutritional. A had that in mind when Shulk wanted to make it.

"Here comes another spoonful." A smiled. They were definitely getting the technique down, and Nikol was even enjoying his food.

"T'ankoo, Baba..." Nikol gurgled happily after he swallowed another spoonful.

"Look at you, 2 years old while already saying please and thank you." Shulk smiled proudly. "Good job, little one."

"He's definitely being good. I think he deserves something special after dinner." A gently fed Nikol another spoonful. "You're almost done."

Nikol giggled happily as he was enjoying his dinner. He's never had food like this, this was delicious and so fun to eat!

"Ni...kol... wan'... da spoon..." Nikol pointed at the spoon that A was feeding him with.

"Oh? You want to try feeding yourself?" A gently handed Nikol the baby spoon. "Go ahead, little one."

Nikol dug the spoon into the bowl to get himself some of the remaining food. He managed to feed himself, albeit making a small mess. "I dun it, I dun it!" he cheered happily.

"What a smart little boy you are, good job." A cooed proudly. "Yes, you did such a good job."

Nikol clapped proudly as he finished his food.

"Ready for your dessert?" A held up a bottle filled with chocolate milk. "Have some chocolate milk. My treat."

"Choccy...?" Nikol babbled as he gently reached for the bottle.

A gave Nikol the bottle, and lifted him up out of the high chair and into their arms. "Soon enough it'll be time to go night night."

Nikol looked up at A as he was drinking his bottle.

"You look all ready to go to bed. I will make sure you get to sleep well, okay?" A gently stroked Nikol's cheek. "Sweet little sunbeam..."

Nikol let out a sleepy yawn as he finished his chocolate milk, with A taking the bottle away. It was night time already.

"Time for night night, little one." A cooed, grabbing their lute with their free hand. "How about some gentle tunes to help you sleep?"

Nikol had his blanket and his Nopon Archsage plushie with him just for something like this, while A gave him his pacifier.

A gently put the blanket over Nikol to keep him warm as they began to play the lute. "Go to sleep, little sunbeam. May you find joy and sweet dreams."

Nikol sleepily babbled as he started to close his eyes, the warmth of A's cradling hold having an effect. He felt so soothed. So warm. So loved.

A gave Nikol some soothing back pats as he began sleeping. "Dada and Baba love you with all our heart."

Nikol gently nuzzled against A, burying himself into their hold with a happy sigh to show he was relaxed.

Shulk smiled softly as he sees A and Nikol. "How's he doing?"

"He's very relaxed. I think my position as nighttime cuddler is going to help him in the long run. He's been such a good little one today." A commented positively.

"I'm glad. He deserves the best." Shulk nodded in agreement.

A and Shulk sat near each other as Nikol was sleeping peacefully.

"Fiora would have been proud of him." A commented. "Knowing he's still alive and trying to heal from it all."

Shulk nodded. "She would be. She would have loved to see him heal this way. She'd be crying over the fact that Nikol and I are trying to reconnect as family than mentor and soldier. ...But I know that when he goes out of regression, he forgets calling me his Dad. I can learn to live with it if that happens. Also, you said his "real self" is taking over him?"

"His childhood state was stored in Origin, in a physical body. He was taken by Moebius at 5 years old. He never grew up further than that. That data in Origin is affecting his crystal, and his 5 year old self is hijacking his current self in Aionios. That is why he is regressing back to his younger years in a mental sense. He wants his childhood back, and he trusts us to provide that to him." A explained.

"...Oh, Nikol... you poor little thing..." Shulk felt awful that he couldn't stop them from forcibly taking Nikol when the boy was only knee high to Dunban and Reyn. He hated that he lost Nikol to them.

"Shulk... what matters is you're healing him. We're all healing him, and he thanks you for it. He may not say much, but he is thankful for what you have done for him." A put a hand on Shulk's shoulder. "You get to reconnect with him as a father."

"...I worry I might not be doing it right..." There it was, Shulk was feeling that sense of deja vu, like he had said this before.

"...The way he is now, it's almost like you're raising him again. You have said that before when he was truly young. Before Moebius had taken him. But, Shulk, it's not out of the ordinary to make mistakes as a parent. Parents that know how to care for their children and love them unconditionally... mistakes will be made. Like if you were to accidentally spill something, that's a mistake. You shouldn't let that define you." A looked at Nikol. "Nikol is happy that you are helping him heal. You should be proud of that."

"Thank you, Alvis." Shulk smiled.

As the rest of the party head off to sleep, with Nikol inside his newly built Nopon-themed crib, it had been a perfect day.

That is until late into the night that Nikol started to wail his head off. He was having a nightmare that he luckily woke up from, using the crib bars to assist in him standing up.

A was the one to wake up and hear such a disheartening sound. They entered Nikol's tent and adopted a parental approach.

"Oh goodness... what's the matter, young one? Did you have a nightmare...?" A looked at Nikol with a gentle gaze, wiping away tears from his cheeks. "Ohh, poor little sunbeam. Come here... Baba's got you."

A small whine escaped Nikol's mouth as A lifted him out.

"Shh... it's alright now. Nothing or no one will hurt you." A gently shushed Nikol, bobbing him around to try and calm him.

A sat in the rocking chair next to the crib. Normally A never sits in things like this, but for such a situation as this, they had to. Upon starting to rock back and forth, A decided to try and calm Nikol with soothing back pats and humming a familiar song to him.

Nikol was still a bit fussy, letting out short bursts of crying sounds as A was doing what they could to calm him. He eventually started to calm down after a good chunk of minutes, nuzzling against A as he tried to sleep again for the rest of the night.

"Good night, Nikol. Sweet dreams." A crooned in a whisper as they left the tent after putting Nikol back down for bed.

A new day started as the sun rises, making its presence known. It was the second day since Nikol's regression. He had definitely gotten better sleep, as he woke up with a bright giggle that would send anyone spiraling from the cuteness.

Rex had woken up first, hearing Nikol's giggling upon entering the tent. "Oi, someone's awake. Mornin', kiddo."

"Unca' Rex!" Nikol squeaked happily.

Rex laughed a little. "Yeh, it's yer ol' Uncle Rex. Would you like some breakfast? You must be starvin'."

"Bekfas? Mm-hm!" Nikol nods. He was getting used to talking like a toddler, even if he tripped up on words.

"Alright, let's get ya out and we can eat." Rex nodded, lifting Nikol out of the crib and walking out of the tent with him on his shoulders. "Stay steady, kiddo!"

Nikol squealed gleefully as he felt like he had gotten taller. Uncle Rex was so tall and awesome!

"Raaaah, here comes Rexzilla an' his partner in crime, Tiny!" Rex playfully stomped on the ground, causing Nikol to break into a giggle fit.

Glimmer was secretly smiling at this, thinking it was cute seeing Rex interact with Nikol. She quickly knocked it off upon getting Nikol's breakfast ready as Rex set him into the high chair. "A prepared this ahead of time, it's Armu Barley oatmeal."

"Thank ya, Glim! Hopefully he'll like it." Rex nodded as he set the bowl down toward Nikol. "Go on, Nikol, eat up."

Nikol was determined to feed himself, as he tried to scoop it up with the spoon. It was stuck! "Ah...!" Nikol kept pulling and pulling, trying to free the spoon from its untimely demise.

SPLAT!

"Gaahh!! Nikol!" Rex got accidentally pelted with oatmeal. "Eugh..."

Nikol watched Rex's reaction, slightly thinking it was funny.

"Oi, what're you gigglin' for, tyke? It's not fun-!" Rex got pelted again, this time Nikol purposefully made the spoon become "stuck". "Ah! Right in my good eye!"

Nikol broke into a giggle fit again, his legs kicking with excitement.

Glimmer couldn't help but laugh and give Nikol a high five. "Good aim, kid! Not bad! Haha!"

Rex couldn't be mad at that. Not in a million years. He began to laugh too! "Yeeeah, Glim's right, kiddo. Your aim is quite excellent."

Rex gently cleaned himself off, as well as any messes Nikol made from flinging oatmeal at him.

"Well, today's a brand new day. What's on the adventure agenda today, Shulk? Matthew?" Rex laughs.

"I was thinking we can make our own adventure here." Shulk replies. "It's too dangerous for Nikol to go out fighting monsters in the mental age he's in."

"Oh come on, you're sucha dad, Shulk... loosen up!" Matthew scoffed.

"And get my son in danger?" Shulk questioned.

"...Point taken." Matthew rubbed his neck. "Sorry."

"I think we should have a pretend monster battle." A suggested, dragging a crate full of monster plushies into view.

Nikol crawled over to the crate, grabbing a plush Pippito. "Mine!" he proclaimed.

"Nikol... not the mine phase..." Shulk sighs. "Nikol, give Dada the plushie back, please."

"Nuh! Mine!" Nikol barked back.

"Nikol, you have your own plushie. Let someone have the Pippito." Shulk reminded Nikol.

"Mine!" Nikol screamed.

"Nikol Ortiz, I am not going to take this lightly, give the plushie back to me. You have your own plushie you can use in the pretend battle." Shulk explained more sternly.

"..." Nikol reluctantly gave back the Pippito plushie, engaging into a pout. "Hm!"

"Maybe I was too strict on him..." Shulk thought.

"Ohh, where's the little man's happy face? It went away..." Matthew crooned sadly. "Maybe he needs some cheerin' up."

Matthew gently grabbed the Pippito plushie from Shulk. Maybe this will help him cheer up.

"Look, Nikol! It's a Pippito! Whoooa... you are so lucky!" Matthew spoke in amazement.

Nikol looked at the plushie, curiously gurgling at it.

"I think the Pippito wants some cuddles." Matthew gently made the plushie "walk" over to Nikol and handed it to him.

Nikol gently hugged it and petted it. Then... he looked over at Na'el. "Na... 'el... wan' it?" Nikol squeaked.

"Awww, thank you, little love. That's very sweet of you." Na'el gladly took the plushie.

Shulk was taken aback by this. "...You make me so proud, Nikol."

A stood near Shulk, while Glimmer had picked a Taos plushie.

"Dada's sorry for getting a little too cross with you... you just need to learn to share like you just did with Na'el." Shulk gently pat Nikol's head.

Glimmer shook her head. "Can't believe I'm gonna be playing with toys to entertain Nikol..."

"Let's battle!" Matthew yelled playfully.

Nikol and the party were now engaged in a pretend monster battle, with Matthew taking the lead and winning.

"The mighty Bunnit shall overtake ya!" Matthew laughed.

"Not if I can help it!" Glimmer tried to put on a gruff voice.

Nikol decided to playfully tackle Matthew to the ground, laughing joyfully.

A and Shulk looked at each other with proud eyes. They both loved seeing the whole group be a family.

As night started to fall after some monster battles and getting Nikol's spirits up, it seemed a bit quiet. Nikol had went to bed early as he grew tired from all the fun he had, without any fuss.

Everyone else was still awake, however.

"I'm proud of you, Shulk." A started. "You gave Nikol a chance to reconnect with you. You let him reclaim his childhood like it should have been back when he was little. You gave him what he missed in life. His real self is beaming with happiness. He will forever remember it all."

Shulk smiled even if he was crying. Alvis was right. Nikol did get the chance to heal and reconnect with him. Not as just mentor and soldier, but as father and son. That was what he wanted.

Shulk then entered Nikol's tent, where he was already sleeping peacefully.

Nikol clutched his Nopon Archsage plushie tightly, with its wings lovingly positioned into a hug.

Shulk sat nearby. "...Thank you for letting me be your Dad again, Nikol. You didn't deserve all the damage you accumulated over the years... even as a soldier. You deserved love, kindness, compassion... happiness. You deserved all those things and I am so sorry that I was powerless to where I couldn't save you. I love you so much. That's never going to change."

Nikol slighty stirred a little bit, only to open his eyes. "Mmnn... didn't expect you here... was I too loud?" He was back to his normal age.

"Heh, no... no, you were just fine. I was just... talking." Shulk answered.

"...I'm grateful that you let me heal. I feel like a new Kevesi... but it really did help me. I don't care if I'm wearing these cutesy clothes, it was worth it..." Nikol's eyes teared up. "...Can I be picked up... one more time?"

Shulk gently lifted Nikol out of the crib. "Of course."

Nikol embraced Shulk as he and his father sobbed softly.

"Thank you for everything... Dad." Nikol said, burying himself into Shulk's hold.

Shulk's smile greatened as he cradled Nikol one last time.

"...You're welcome, little sunshine."