Another Chronicle
(also found on AO3 here) is a Xenoblade Chronicles 2 fanfic written by Other Red. Described by the author as a "sort-of retelling/sort-of AU", it serves to ask one simple question: what if Nia became the Aegis's driver rather than Rex? With Nia leading the party through the events of the game, not everything will play out quite the same.
Another Chronicle contains examples of:
- Armor-Piercing Question: When Mythra is shouting at Nia for freezing up in the middle of a fight after Dromarch's death, Rex asks a question which stops her rant cold and makes her realize that her anger is only hurting Nia worse.Rex: She'd just lost Dromarch. How was she supposed to react?
- Ascended Extra: Corvin, an Optional Party Member only added to the game via DLC, gets promoted to the main cast when he becomes Rex's Blade.
- Big Damn Heroes: Rex rushes in to attack Jin just before he can finish off Nia, distracting him and buying enough time for Dromarch to heal her.
- Contrived Coincidence: Lampshaded. Several plot developments only occur due to unlikely happenstances, such as characters conveniently being in the right place at the right moment to encounter each other - and Nia notices almost every time this happens, to the point where she theorizes that the Architect is meddling in her life.
- Curb-Stomp Battle: Tora's attempt to go head-to-head with Malos goes very poorly, with his opponent easily seeing through his attacks, distracting him, and literally kicking him across the battlefield.
- Death by Adaptation: Dromarch dies during the battle at Fonsa Myma, when he survived all the way to the end of the game.
- Epic Fail: Zeke's first attempt at using Ultimate Lightning Fury Slash somehow manages to be even more embarrassing than it was in the game - he slips on a dead fish, of all things, bashing his head into the ground and instantly knocking him unconscious.
- His second attempt at the attack also ended in a humiliating defeat during his fight with Vandham - he misjudges the area behind him during his attempt and falls into the Cloud Sea.
- Eye Scream: Akhos gets slashed across his right eye by Dromarch's ring blade, and several chapters later it's revealed that he couldn't heal the wound and had to take up wearing an eyepatch.
- For Want Of A Nail: It's the entire premise of the story. Nia chooses to walk into the room holding Pyra's sword before Rex does, and that single decision gradually spirals outwards. The first chapter is even called "A Small Change".
- Heroic BSoD: Nia is totally crushed when Dromarch is killed, going practically unresponsive and simply standing there as Malos and Akhos try to kill her. Mythra's awakening snaps her out of it long enough to finish the fight, but as soon as it's done, she quickly breaks down again. It takes a heartfelt conversation with Rex the next morning to keep her going.
- Lampshade Hanging: When Nia first sees Pyra's outfit, she immediately wonders if it gets chilly on windy days.
- Mythology Gag: Fan la Norne mentions that camping out with the protagonists feels oddly familiar, a reference to the camp mechanic from Torna ~ The Golden Country.
- Parental Substitute: Although true to some extent in the original game as well, this story goes out of its way to emphasize Dromarch's caring and protective attitude towards Nia, and how she often leans on him for emotional support.
- The Promise: When Dromarch first met Nia, he promised to "always stand by her side, to support her whenever she needed him, no matter what", and he takes that duty very seriously. He isn't able to keep it on account of dying.
- Role Swap AU: Instead of Rex being Pyra/Mythra's driver, Nia becomes their driver instead while Rex is simply another party member.
- Smarter Than You Look: Corvin may have the general demeanor of a cocky, impulsive teenager, but he's a lot more perceptive than he seems. He repeatedly notices small details which other characters might overlook. Mythra even acknowledges this when he easily picks up on the hidden meaning behind a question Pyra asked.
- Sorry That I'm Dying: When Dromarch is fatally wounded, his first thought is to apologize for failing his promise to always stand by Nia.
- Spared by the Adaptation: Vandham survives his canon fate, due to not even being present at the battle that would have killed him.
- Tap on the Head: Malos punches Nia in the head hard enough to instantly knock her unconscious, and though she has a headache when she wakes up, she's otherwise fine.
- Worthy Opponent: After realizing that they're more-or-less evenly matched during their duel, Zeke and Vandham mutually acknowledge each other as skilled opponents.
