amunyan

[amunyan]

I got the Feeling that I only write Fanfics about my fav Charakters from Black Clover. Unsure how I should feel about this 🫠😵‍💫 but I also think they got way to less Screentime in the original Work. (At least for my taste 😜)

So having the Idea of a modern AU for Christmas in mind, I wrote this little prequel. I hope you like it:)

The Day we meet - Welcome to Clover-City

A modern Black Clover AU

The mechanical voice out the loudspeakers tells you once again to get off the tram - last stop.

But it takes a few more moments before you open your eyes and exit the vehicle with a yawn. Its doors close impatiently behind you, as if they were just waiting for you, before the train starts moving again towards its well-deserved end of the day.

With your eyes half open and a blank expression on your face, you look around you. "This isn't my station," you say, yawning again. Still calm, you try to process the new location. But only until you realise that you've completely overslept your home station. Your eyes widen in fear and shock.

"Shit...", you curse in your head. “This is not real, isn’t it?”

But checking the name of the station again doesn’t help – it is true.

“Why can't I have the magical ability to wake up when I need to? My dear colleague Dorothy doesn't even know how blessed she is". In fact, most of the times she even wakes you up because you both have to get off at the same station and you wouldn’t even notice without her. Best example; The current situation.

But today Dorothy was sick and you were all alone on the train home. You had to work overtime again, even though you only started your new job a few weeks ago. Like a new year, a new me and in conclusion of that; a new job in a new city... And with Dorothy sick, there was even more work to do.

While studying the timetable - realising that your home station was over seven stops ago – and hoping for another train in the opposite direction, you hear a train approaching the station, but on the opposite platform. You pay not really attention to it, and only when the train leaves, you realise that it would have been yours. Not only this – it was the last one for the day. You watch the train silently as it disappears into the darkness before your frustration gets the better of you. "Damn it", you curse loudly and stomp on the ground.

As this was the last train of the day, you had to walk - for better or worse - and for a moment, as you pulled out your mobile phone, you thought about calling your neighbour, Vanessa. "She would be awake - for sure. But I'm not sure she's still sober..."

So you press your finger on the icon for the navigation app to see how far you have to walk to get home."About an hour...", you mumble with an almost disappointed groan. "Fine. I wanted to exercise more anyway."

You close your coat as a cold wind blows through the almost empty station. "Let's start with 10,000 steps in the cold night. Probably good for my immune system too."

Laughing at your own grim sense of humour, you leave the station.

You have been walking for about 15 minutes, having passed through a dimly lit park and now wandering down a residential street - looking around and admiring the old, industrial-looking houses - when you notice a couple of creepy figures coming towards you.

You swallow and your inner voice takes on a conspiratorial tone. "Our mummy told us about this. One reason why she was worried when we left the big city."

The three people, two men and a woman, walk straight towards you. While the muscular man with tanned skin and sandy light-coloured hair, reminiscent of a giant, and the petite woman hold back, the black-haired man stares at you strangely with tired eyes.

"This is not a silly little story," you try to convince yourself, trying to ignore the glares. "This is the big city. There are strange people walking around. They'll ignore me and that'll be the end of the encounter..."

You take a deep breath to calm yourself as your foot bumps into something. Unexpectedly, you lose your balance and fall to the ground.

"What's that? How clumsy. Young lady, may I help you up?"

The man with the black hair looks at you with amusement - his companions are giggling as well - as he holds out his hand to help you. But you notice there's a mischievous glint in his eyes and shake your head: "Thanks, but I can get up on my own."

With your eyes averted, you try to get up quickly. "I'm sure that guy did this on purpose," you think to yourself. "I should get away from them. They really don’t seem very friendly…"

"That's very rude," the giant comments on your action, coming frighteningly close. "He offers to help you and you refuse. My friend is very sad now."

The black-haired friend nods, exaggeratedly offended.

"He tripped me up. He doesn't have to be so friendly," you grumble, narrowing your eyes.

But the giant doesn't seem to like it. His face contorts in anger and he slams into the garden wall next to you. A few small stones and sand drizzle to the ground.

"Well. That escalated quickly," you mutter to yourself as the man shouts at you.

"So you're accusing my dear friend of tripping you? Even though you are too clumsy to walk on your own?"

"Well, I..."

"Can you prove that?" Now the young woman, who had just looked at the situation with blank eyes, says something. Brushes a strand of her strikingly pink hair behind her ear as she continues to chew her gum.

"Um...?!" You are about to open your mouth, but she is right. You can't prove anything. It was just a strong suspicion that wasn't backed up by anything solid. And yet you can see from their faces that you are right.

"Looks like I'm going to have to teach the little one some manners," the giant laughs grimly and raises his right fist.

“Crap - there goes my pretty face,” you think to yourself and duck away, shielding your head and closing your eyes.  Waiting for the burning pain of his blow. “If he can smash a brick wall, I can collect my bones in the garden of this house, whose garden walls he has already smashed”.

"Hey? Why are you being so rude?" A rough female voice sounds close to your ear. "Leave the girl alone. She hasn't done anything.”

Still feeling no bone-crushing pain, you carefully dare to open one eye. To your left you notice a woman with wild, red, curly hair and a fierce look in her eyes. Her right hand held protectively in front of you, blocking the giant's fist.

"Help?! She seriously stopped that rock crushing fist. With just one hand?" You swallow, not knowing if you should be impressed or scared. But sure you are relieved that she's probably on your side.

"The little girl falsely accused my friend," the giant explains with conviction. "She needs to be taught a lesson in respect."

"I think I need to teach you some manners. I've seen you provoke the girl. Besides, the three of you are already minor celebrities in this neighbourhood; you've already annoyed my brothers and their friends. You even seriously injured one of them."

"That wasn't really us," the man with the black hair tries to get out of the affair. The young woman nods in agreement, her gaze still fixed, chewing her gum and even blowing a bubble. She does not really seem to understand the situation. Or she simply doesn’t care.

"I don't give a shit about your excuses," your supposed saviour complains, now clenching her hands into fists of her own. She cracks her knuckles and gives them an almost maniacal look that also makes your skin crawl. Unconsciously, you also take a few steps backwards, through a flowerbed that isn't quite as pretty as it used to be, until you bump into a wall and can't go any further.

"Run. I'll give you a 5-second head start," she threatens the three of them, starting to count backwards from 5 loudly and slowly.

The giant begins to grin happily and says that he wouldn't mind a bit of a fight.

"Neither would I," replies the woman, and for a moment it looked as if she was going to stop counting and go straight for the fight.

But just as they are about to do so, the other man's eyes widen. Startled, he grabs his buddy's muscular upper arm and whispers something in his direction. "Wait! I know that woman. She was a national martial arts champion years ago. She retired, after nobody wants to fight her anymore. But is still considered as the strongest. They still call her the uncrowned undefeated lioness …”

"Uncrowned undefeated lioness?” Far in the back of your mind, that nickname rings a bell. You are not really sure but you might know her…

"Even better," the giant laughs, but the other pulls him on.

"We'd better get out of here. But," he lookes at the lioness with an obscene grin that sent shivers down your spine. "To make up for this unpleasant scene, I'll take you to dinner."

“I don't need a little shrimp, like you, to pay for my food, she replies.

“Oh, what a pity. But come on, Vetto - let's go. I don't want to have to put up with this lady."

Within seconds, the three of them had disappeared into the night beneath Vetto wall of complaints.

 

"Um, thanks," you mumble quietly, and are about to start home when the red-haired woman blocks your way.

"And now for you."

"Wuahh", you jump up like a cat, only to find yourself crouched against the wall moments later as the she now leans over you. As she gets closer to your face, you notice not only her watercolour blue eyes, but also a distinct red eyeliner that makes her a little more sinister.

"How come you can't stand up to flatpipes like that?"

"Um... I... I'm not usually here? And...?" Your eyes wander restlessly, wondering what you've gotten yourself into and whether she'd accept the excuse that you're just a weak little woman. But not even you would accept that sort of excuse. You have spent too long in a martial arts club at your old home. "The three of them surprised me...”, you just say. “I don't react as fast as I did in my glory days".

"Your glory days?" She looks at you questioningly, one of her bushy eyebrows rose. You have to stifle a small sigh before you explain that you were once a martial artist yourself. "But that was a long time ago. In between there was university, work and now a job change. And the new job is really exhausting. So I didn't know that here in Clover City there are actually petty criminals who provoke you at kindergarten level".

"Well, you're funny," she laughed, grunting as she takes a small step back and holds out her hand. Unlike the guy just now, you accept her help with a slight smile on your lips.

"Mereoleona Vermillion," she introduces herself, still holding your hand.

“I knew it was you”, you smile and Mereoleona looks at you in confusion. “Like… I know you from my time, when I was totally into material arts and so on. You were a big name back then. Everyone in my club wanted to fight you - including me. But as soon as I was old enough to fight in the same league, you left". You rub the back of your head and look away, blushing. "And now you have saved me... a bit embarrassingly. And... oh?!" You look back at her. "Sorry - I should introduce myself too; (Y/N)."

"You know what? If you want to fight me so badly, let's meet again. Like next week. "

"What?!"

You can't react fast enough as she takes your mobile phone, which you're still holding in your hand, and taps on it. Then she takes out her own mobile phone and taps on it too.

"If you have any problems, you can always contact me." With a meaningful smile, she hands your phone back to you by way of saying goodbye. Perplexed, you are left alone and stare at your phone. "She actually gave me her number?" you mutter in disbelief. The next moment, the phone rings and you almost drop it in shock.

"Don't forget! Wednesday next week, at 8:30pm!" Reads the message. The phone rings again and she has also sent you the address where you can meet her again.

Nestled between a cute flower shop and a vintage launderette, the modern-looking martial arts school seems a little out of place. Especially with the two grumpy looking men with some sort of extravagant hairstyles standing in front of it. Nervously, you look around and double-check the address. But you are right. This is the address Mereoleona sent you a week ago.

"Maybe she's waiting inside?"

Under the grumpy eyes of the men, you walk hesitantly towards the entrance to reach for the door handle.

"There's nothing more going on here today." You jump at the sound of a gruff voice and turn around. The two men look at you sternly and the one with the long blond hair and prominent beard says: "We're just waiting for one of our mates and then we'll leave.”

"I see," you say, taking another step away from the door. Check it yet again. "But... she wanted me to come here. For sure." You tap your phone once more, checking the time and location, as the two guys come over to you. They might feel sorry for you. Maybe? Surely they have pity on you, a little bundle of misery who does not know what to do now.

"Who do you want to see?" asks the one with the light brown hair.

"Maybe we can help," offers the other, a gentle smile on his lips.  

"Well, um..." you shyly tuck a strand of hair behind your ear and show them the message from Mereoleona. She hasn't written since last week, but her text didn't seem to be a joke. "Mereoleona invited me somehow. I should have been here at 8:30pm for a training?"

“Oh no. Not her…”

"Not the big sister of Fuegoleon..." Both men almost freeze in fear when they learn who the message is from.

“Huh? What is wrong with her?”

But you get no response. The two men, who seemed strong and even scary themselves a moment ago, don't seem to fully understand the information that you are here to meet Mereoleona. They just shake their heads in disbelief.

An uncomfortable feeling creeps up on you, like a cold hand quietly gripping you.

"Girl," the guy with the ponytail leans closer to you. "Run - as long as you can."

At the same moment, you feel a hand on your shoulder and a cold shiver runs down your spine.

"Ruben? Why are you telling my girl to run?"

"Mereoleona..." The man with the long brown hair stammers. "I... I..."

But she ignores him. She looks down at you, a bright smile on her lips. "Hey, (Y/N). Sorry to keep you waiting." Then her gaze wanders back to the two guys, no longer surrounding you, but still waiting in front of the building. "And you? What are you still doing here? I thought your training was over?"

Just as they were about to answer, the lights in the building went out and the door swung open. A young man who reminded you of Mereoleona with his long auburn hair and similar features stepped out into the night, talking to another man who looked a little older than him.

"Yes, that would be a good idea for the next training... Hm? Sister?" His eyes meet Mereoleonas. "What are you doing here? You don't have classes today, do you?"

"Not really," she answers, looking at you with a meaningful smile. "I'm just testing her a bit before I put her in one of my groups."

"Wait? Her groups? Does that mean she is the trainer?" Now it's your turn to go into a bit of shock stares.

"Oh... I see." The brother and the other man step aside to let you two in. But not only they, the other guys look at you with a sympathetic expression. As if you were about to take your last steps.

"Don't worry, (Y/N). I will be gentle with you. Mereoleona says, still with her smile on her lips. Not knowing that her words could easily be misunderstood...

But you just nod silently, never expecting that she would be the one to train you.

With a frightened look on your face, you enter the building - not knowing what you have gotten yourself into...

To be continued...

[amunyan]

Just a small misunderstanding

I’m back with a another little fanfiction :D hakubandoo inspired this one ☺️🤗

Hope you like it

Drops of sweat trickle down your face. It's not just from the strenuous training; At the moment you're fighting Leopold one-on-one, like so often.  

Unconcentrated, you try to evade his clumsy attacks. The emphasis here is on "trying". Because the youngest of the Vermillion siblings is hitting you unusually often today...

"Hey, (Y/N)! What's wrong? You used to dodge so easily?"

You don't react to Leo's words. They don't even reach you. They echo, as if you are far away. Muffled, as if you are under water, in the middle of a wave of thoughts that holds you tight.

"What the hell have I done?" You ask yourself. "Was it really so smart asking her for a private meeting after training?"

"Come on," he literally begs you. “If you carry on like this, we both are going to be punished by my sister.”

"What could she want from me? And why was she so nervous?" Unlike usual, Leo's older sister is pacing restlessly through the ranks of the Order's training knights, like a lion in a cage. On any other day, Mereoleona was extremely alert. She notices any imperfections in the execution of attacks and techniques. Whenever she sees a mistake, her attention was to 100% on that person. Some would call it passionate, when she would start with her loud, fierce and direct manner, calling the person a wimp or a weakling, unable to fight. But most of the knights don't see her in this way...

But today? She walks through the rows, restless and tense herself. Her face is set in a grim expression that demands respect from everyone.  Maybe that's why most of them made an extra effort and didn't want to attract negative attention. But the female Leader of the squad just walks past them all, impassively.

"Why would (Y/N) want to talk to me?" That was the one nagging question in her head. She still has the scene in her mind's eye;

"Captain Mereoleona... Could we… talk today after the training? Maybe? But only if you have time an… if you don’t mind a all. I… I... I have something important to tell you..."

"Something important?" Mereo broods further, letting out a soft sigh as she runs a hand through her wild red curls. The woman known as the Undefeated Lioness was able to read the mana of others. She could sense the slightest change in mood just by analysing their mana. A useful skill in battle. But she was never really able to read the intent or even the feelings behind it.

It was as if she was sometimes reading an open book whose words she couldn't understand or interpret properly.

"Does she mean to complain? Is the training too hard?" Mereo paused briefly. She had resigned herself to always being the brutal and scary one. The one no one wanted anything to do with. Fearing her powers... So the fact that she could hardly inspire anything but fear in people was nothing new to her. But with you? There was no way Mereo wanted you to see her like that. "Although she is so small and petite, she keeps up well. What she lacks in physical strength, she makes up for in speed and technique. “ It was your wild, often untamed water magic, like a thundering waterfall, that impressed her. But also this gentle, almost mysterious side of your magic. Very different. Very calm. Sometimes it can be quiet and still. Like a crystal clear lake in the moonlight.

With another sigh, adding to the uncertainty of the knights, Mereoleona stops and glances over to you.

 

Your magic has turned against you after a failed attack. And now you find yourself sitting on the floor, soaking wet. Leo next to you - ready to roll over and die of laughter at any moment.

Annoyed, you blow air through your nose and wipe away the wet hair that hangs in front of your face like a curtain of seaweed. A few heartbeats later, your eyes meet Mereoleona's.

 

Fuegoleon follows his older sister's eyes with a bad premonition.

He had watched you and her small talk just before the training. Something wasn't right. Nothing at all. Especially when he remembers the last few weeks. How close Mereo had been to you.

"(Y/N) is so quiet and friendly that she probably doesn't dare stand up to my sister on her own. Especially since she's still officially Captain at the moment. Damn..."

He also remembers the sight of you, as you talked to Mereoleona. The nervous kneading of your hands. The thin, almost inaudible and trembling voice. For Fuegoleon, there was only one logical conclusion: You were going to complain to Mereoleona. About her indiscreet behaviour, but you just don't know how to go about it.

The young leader of the order clenched his hands with determination. "I must help her! She doesn't stand a chance against my sister alone."

The training was tiring. Exhausted, you wipe the sweat from your forhead with the back of your hand before giving Leo the usual high five to say goodbye.

As the training ground begins to empty, you stop and look down at yourself. “Still wet and dirty as well…”, you have to admit. For a moment, you consider to abandon your plan. As horrible and also stinky as you are at the moment, you don't want to say those important words to Mereoleona. A deep sigh escapes your lips as you hear footsteps approaching.

"(Y/N)?"

You look up: "Fuegoleon? What's up?"

With a gentle smile, he looks at you and asks if he should accompany you.

"Accompany me?" You look at him questioningly. Turn around to make sure he means you and not someone else. You even point your finger at yourself and look at him forcefully, questioningly. He nods. 

"Why? Where to?" Confused, you look at him. He's still giving you a friendly smile, but under the circumstances it seems almost intrusive.

"Well, you wanted to talk to my sister, if I understood you correctly. I know how unapproachable and sometimes frightening she can be. That's why I want to help you."

"Was he listening?", you ask yourself and as soon as you realise, your eyes widen in disbelieve. "Not good. He got the wrong idea..." With a snap, you raise your hands in defence. "It's all right," you stammer quickly. "I... I'll be fine."

“Fuegoleon is nice and friendly... Yes... But totally inappropriate right now," you shout to yourself in your head. "How can I politely tell him that I want to be alone with Mereoleona?"

At the very same moment you hear a familiar voice: "So this is where you are..."

You open your mouth to answer in the affirmative, but Fuegoleon is quicker: "Not alone. I'm here to back her up."

Mereoleona had approached you and is now standing in front of you two with her arms on her hips. Her eyes wander critically from you to her brother. "Am I disturbing you? (Y/N), I thought you wanted to talk to me."

"What?" It slips out of your mouth.

Mereoleona raises her eyebrows before crossing her arms: "So, what do you have to tell me that's so important, that you need his support? Are you going to complain and now you've got your pants already full?" Her expression darkens more with every moment of silence.

But you can't get a sound out. Her gloomy look, Fuegolen's encouraging smile, who has misunderstood the whole situation...

You swallow deeply and open your mouth. But the words, the words you've been thinking about for so long, don't come out. You can only hear your own heart hammering in your chest. Louder and louder.. The leaden silence around you and the pressure on you become more and more intense. The moments feel like an eternity.

"Wait!"

But then: "Pah," says Mereoleona, annoyed. "This is too stupid for me. You two can play kindergarten alone."

As she turns on her heel, your rigidity loosens. You take a big step, reach out and grab her wrist. Your gaze, bright red, wanders to the ground. You can't even look at her right now. You're too afraid of a disapproving look.

"I... I don't know what your brother is doing here, but..." Your heart pounds harder against your chest. "And  I... I know we're both women. That I probably don't fall into your pattern of prey at all. But still…" You bite your lower lip before summoning the courage to look her in the eye. Your grip on her wrist tightens. But Mereo doesn't seem to care. Her watery blue eyes look at you curiously and a knowing grin appears on her lips.

"I... I've fallen in love with you," you blurt out.

"Please, what?!" Fuegoleon, who can't believe his ears, takes a step back. He shakes his head in disbelief. He glances hastily between you and his sister. But his eyes remain fixed on Mereo. Uncertain and demanding at the same time.

She now began to grin. Her pointed canine tooth flashed: "Oho... What do you say to that?"

You swallow and an uncomfortable silence slowly threatens to settle over you. Your eyes dart restlessly back and forth. You keep biting your lower lip, unsure how to interpret her look and especially her statement.

"Well... I'm sorry if I upset you, Mereoleona... I mean, Captain Mereoleona." You correct yourself, stammering, because you don't have very high hopes.

"Wait, wait!" her brother raises his hands in defence. "So my sister doesn't annoy you, (Y/N)?" he asks, looking at you. "You won't complain or... something like that?"

Slowly, with your eyes back on the ground, you shake your head. "The training may be hard, yes. And Mereoleona seems very frightening at the beginning, especially when she screamed at us at the festival a while ago, when she official took over the order for you. But..." You look at Mereo again. "I've been watching you for a while now. You, too, have that softer side. A hidden but caring side." A smile flits across your lips and your cheeks begin to glow. "That side of you... I'd like to get to know better. Even though you're known everywhere as the fierce, extremely strong - or the undefeated, uncrowned lioness, in my opinion, that's only one part of you. There is much more.”

With a gentle but firm grip, Mereoleona now releases your hands from her wrist. “The little lion cub can read me better than I can read her”, she thinks to herself, not taking her eyes off you, as she counties with a grin on her lips. “I didn't think you had that much guts," she grabs your hand to pull you closer. "But... can you take the heat?"

Her face comes closer to yours. You can feel her breath warm against your skin, her firey scent. But you can also hear her heart beating fast as her mana gets nervous.

In an instant, she closes the distance between you with a passionate kiss.  At first you are completely surprised. Taken by the moment, you close your eyes. Trying not to think about it - your brain would not be able to process it anyway - you feel.

As Mereo let go of your hand to pull you into a warm, intense embrace, her fingers finding their way down your back to your hips, you let your hands rest on her shoulders. The question of whether she was just playing with you is erased the moment she starts biting your lower lip. Needy. Wanting more. Just as she has been suppressing these feelings herself for some time now. A soft moan leaves your mouth as you open it to give her access. As her tongue caresses yours, your fingertips dig deeper into her skin.

Sinking into that feeling. Sinking into this passionate kiss that you never really expected.

As you slowly open your eyes and take a deep, nervous breath, you notice that Mereoleona's cheeks are also slightly flushed. But not nearly as bright as yours.

"You're quite a challenge," you whisper breathlessly against her lips. "But... If you are willing... I will take it."

"Don't worry too much. I thought your element was water anyway..."

"Yes, it is." You reply, not knowing what she means.

But she continues: "You can't get close enough to burn yourself. Not only because I will make sure not to hurt you." She touches a lock of hair behind your ear. "You really surprise me. I thought you were just a cute little lion. Fast and very good with fighting techniques, but also very quiet. So to see that you have the courage to confess your feelings for me, even in front of my brother, is a big surprise, igniting the desire for more..." She comes closer and looks into your deep, dark eyes, like an unfathomable ocean.

"So show me more of your mysterious and brave side..."

She leans in for another kiss, to place her lips on your still red, flushed cheeks.

What's going on here?" Perplexed, Fuegeoleon looks back and forth between you and his sister. "I thought (Y/N) was going to complain that Mereoleona's training methods are far too hard for her." He pauses for a moment to look at you. "And now this? This passionate kiss." The blush crept up his face more and more. He shook his head in disbelief and slowly but surely put his hands to his face. He couldn't and didn't want to see you and Mereoleona exchanging caresses. The gentle banter and the unusually soft side of his usually brutal sister was too much for him.

As a red rinse slowly finds its way out of Fuegoleon's nostrils and the flush gives way to a ghostly white, all life is slowly drained from the young leader.

[amunyan]

Unsure if I should put a warning here. Seriously; When I look at the reactions to the chapters of the other story…

So enjoy the last chapter of this one :D Word Count: around 2480 Warnings: smut

************

The person she trusts most... (3/3)

With eyes full of desire, Mereoleona steps closer towards you. Pulling you close with a gentle touch, she caresses your cheek before planting a brief but passionate kiss on your lips.

You look at her in complete bewilderment as her lips slowly separate from yours. With flushed cheeks, dipped into a bright red, you stammer something incomprehensible. Not really sure if you read the situation in the right way, when she repeats herself. „I still owed you an answer to your confession back then. Fact is; I've always loved you. Unconditionally. You are the person I trust most after you saved me by taking your own blood as an antidote.“ Mereoleona pauses for a moment and her expression changes. It becomes a little darker, almost sad. „I don't know who did you this wrong... if it was even me unknowingly. But it hurt too much to see you beating yourself up all the time. Forcing you to push yourself beyond your limits in an unhealthy way. To see you full of self-doubt, trying to get stronger.“

„I wanted so much to impress you by being able to face you in mortal combat. It was frustrating that you never took me seriously”, you sigh deeply.

„I would have killed you in an instant,“ she replies in her typical harsh manner. „But you have already impressed me - just not with your fighting skills.“

„I did what?“

„Oh? Now you hear me,“ a bright, cheeky smile appears on her lips and she playfully pet your head before caressing your face again. „Remember? I told you so many times - but you never listened. Stubbornly, you tried to become stronger - ignoring that you already were. Just in a different way...“

„And above all; I think I did all for the wrong reasons... I only realised it when you were gone. Ever since the first time we met, all I ever wanted was to be acknowledged by you. Every time you gave me a sign of approval, I was in denial. I waved away everything that I did as nothing special“.

„There is nothing wrong with trying to become stronger and working on your weaknesses. But…”

She sighs, almost unheard, before expressing her regret: „ Maybe I have been too hard on you. But I have told you so many times, and you have never believed me, that I truly adore you. You did not want to see it.

„I guess we have hurt each other in one way or the other,“ you have to admit with a sad smile. „I also realised that you are not always there to protect me or to boost my low self-esteem.

„Yeah. But now you know that's your job,“ Mereoleona adds, and you nod in agreement and repeat the sentence.

„Good. Now that that's out of the way, let's get on with the fun stuff.“

With an anticipatory grin on her face, the Lioness turns and stretches before beginning to untie the rosy-coloured ribbon around her hips and pulls the jacket off her shoulders. „Come on. You too. Take your clothes off!“

„Wait? What? So fast? I mean, we haven't seen each other for months and... Desire, yes, but... Without a warning and... Although that does look a bit like you...“

Mereoleona's frightening gaze meets yours. She looks at you with a raised eyebrow and a doubtful, sceptical frown as you finish your sentence hesitantly. „Straightforwardness...“

A meaningful smile flickers across her lips before she bursts out laughing: „I was just thinking about a nice bath in the hot springs. But...“

She turns back to you. Her hand slides over your shoulders, closing the distance between you. „But I wouldn't mind pleasuring you right here and now.“

It's not just the sound of her voice so close to your ear that makes you blush. It's also the fact that, almost unnoticed, her hand has moved from your shoulder to your butt. When her hand squeezes it firmly, you can no longer suppress a little squeak.

„Still so shy about it? For the one you wanted so much a moment ago...“ She tenderly bites your earlobe. „But first let's go to the hot springs. Can you hold out until then, or do you want me to come on you right now?“

„Yes,  she nods and takes a sip of her sake. „This hidden place was found by Lady Acier a long time ago. She was my mentor and we often trained together here in the volcano...“ Her eyes gaze absently at the night sky, where the first stars are already twinkling. „It was just the two of us. Not many people dare to come near this volcano.“ Mereoleona pauses again for a moment. Her expression seems almost sad for a moment, before she empties her cup of alcohol. „Sometimes... I really miss her. I always thought my attribute had an advantage over hers, but I was never able to win. I wonder if I could now?“

„It's beautiful out here,“ you comment as you slide your aching body into the warm water next to Mereo. It feels good on your painful limbs and you let out a pleasurable moan.

„ I can't imagine you being week to anyone.“

„But that's the way it is. I also had to start somewhere, “she says with a grin. „And I also had to learn that strength is not only about your physical abilities. But enough of me now. Tell me more about your training!“

You smile back, a little awkwardly, and start to talk about your last few months of exercise. Full of setbacks, but also a little bit of hope as your skills slowly improved and you were able to develop a strategy around your strengths. „When I realised that I could use the ability to create the scent of herbs and poisons to my advantage, I suddenly knew where to start. I am physically weak, but creating an odour to weaken my opponent is my only chance of getting the upper hand. So I expanded my collection of herbs and tried to get in better shape and build up my stamina. But now I know, and today's fight showed me, that I still have a long way to go. „

Mereo slaps you playfully on the shoulder. „That's the kind of fighting spirit I like to see. „

Awkwardly, you rub your upper arm and look at her affectionately as she wraps her arm around your waist and pulls you closer. Her other hand brushes a strand of hair away from your face before bringing it to your neck. Her lips touch yours in a tender kiss - unusual for Mereoleona's wild ways, which she always seems to copy from real lions.

„Promise me one thing,“ she whispers against your lips, her eyes still closed. „This time, your self-doubt is over. Please. Once and for all. You are so much more, (Y/N). “

You nod silently and lean into her for another kiss. More passionate than the last. Your tongue slides through her mouth, caressing hers softly but full of desire.

„I see, “ Mereoleona grins. „You really can't wait any longer, sweetheart. “

Her fingers, which had been resting on your neck, slowly move down, gently stroking your back as she leaves a trail of small bite marks on your neck and shoulders with her lips before pulling you onto her lap.

Your hands also wander up and down her back, stroking it tenderly with your fingertips before you wrap your arms around her neck.

„It's a good thing we're already naked, “she comments, „otherwise I'd have had to rip your clothes off. “  

„ Also that needy? “

„Are you surprised? I've missed you too, you know...“

Her other hand caressed your butt before sliding between your legs from behind, knowing you like to be teased in that sensitive area. You lift your hips a little to give her better access to your perineum as she pauses for a heartbeat. „Oh? That wet already? “ She asks with a smirk before continuing more slowly but more intensely. She even slides a finger inside your vagina. „I can feel it even under water. And I haven't even started yet“.

A small moan leaves your mouth and you bite your lower lips. Your fingertips clench tighter, roughening the bare skin of her back. Getting her blood pumping too as you leave your marks. You can tell by the sound, similar to a lion's purr, that Mereoleona still likes to be roughly touched. She also enjoys the fact that just a few touches from her can make you so aroused, even though she likes challenges. But she knows too well that, all thought you get turned on this easily, to satisfy you is an whole other story. She loves teasing you. She loves to touch you and push you to your limits. Both on the battlefield and during lovemaking. And you love the sensations she brings to your body.

„Come on, you know I can make you feel even better..., “the lioness promises as you sit between her legs, pulling your chin up.

„Turn around, “she commands you. Despite liking the way she touches you at the moment and the way your nipples rub against her in this position, you do as she asks. But not without letting out a slight groan as Mereoleona pulls you into an intimate embrace.

With your head tilted back, resting on her shoulder to return her greedy kisses, her hands, which first pulled you into a quick, innocent embrace, now turn to your breasts. The touches she gives them are no longer so innocent. She teases your already hardened nipples, letting herself be carried away by lust so that the squeezes become stronger with each touch.

You moan softly and let go of her lips as your left fingers cling lightly to her shoulders. The other goes to her thighs. Lightly, but deep enough to leave your marks. The desire to touch her too swells inside you. So your hand finds its way back to her bottom. But not properly.

„That's not fair,“ you complain groaning, „I want to touch you too.”

„Later... Let me take care of you first.” She plants a few fleeting kisses on your shoulders and lets one of her hands slide slowly down your silhouette into the warm water. The other remains stubbornly on your breasts, teasing and caressing your sensitive nipples.

Her right hand moves to your vulva, massaging your inner lips and clitoris before sliding three of her fingers inside you.

„You're getting so tight down here, (Y/N). Come on - open up for me,“ she whispers into your ear, biting your earlobe gently. You allow yourself to sink into her embrace. Taking in all the sensation she is giving your body. Whine out loudly.

„Good girl.”

It's not just the thrill she gives you with her fingers filling and touching every inch of your insides, making you scream louder with each rapid heartbeat, but also her hot breath so close to your ear, the intimate embrace, her long lost but still loved scent of cinnamon and hot spices, but above all the warm  water makes the feeling strange but excitingly intense. Your hips move forward, moving to the same rhythm as Mereoleona's fingers. You just can't get enough of her. Her movements speed up. Bringing you closer to release.

„Mereo...”, you cry. „Please... Let me finally come...“

Mereoleona stops briefly.

„Damn... You move way too much. I can't wait any longer.“

„Mereo?!“

Before you can react, she has pulled you out of the water and is pressing your back against the warm ground.

„I want to feel you too,“ she explains, spreading your legs again. „Can you hold on a little longer?“

Her face comes closer to yours and she leans her forehead against yours.

„Not really,“ you answer, tangling your fingers in her hair, „You know how much I want to do this to you too. So...“

You take the opportunity when Mereoleona gives you a confused look to push her down and take the dominant role.

„You know I want to make love to you too. So please - let me. “

The tips of your fingers stroke gently over Mereoleona's damp skin, teasing her nipples before you bend down to lick her breast, your lips finding their way to give them a greedy suck. Let her moan softly, like a snarling cat of prey.

Your hands go deeper, slowly parting her legs so your tongue can lick over her private parts, tasting her sweet nectar.

„I see - you are so wet already, “ you say with a soft smile on your lips, leaking provocatively over your upper lip. „Still so sweet - no one would expect you to be so delicious down there. “

You lower your head again and push your wet muscle into her. You slowly bring her to the edge. Enjoying the feel of her body shaking under your touch and the movements of your tongue. Enjoying her loud moans as her fingers tangle in your hair.

„You are too good. But this isn't what I had in mind when I pulled you out of the water...“

She pushes herself up on her forearms and leans over to you. Her fingers grab your chin and pull you up. Without saying a word, she kisses you hard on the lips before taking the control again. She forces you back down onto the hard but warm floor. Then she lifts one of your legs before slowly pressing her vulva against yours. A warm shiver runs down your spine and you bend your head. Give in to the sensation. You open your mouth to let out a loud sigh that Mereo smothers with a passionate kiss.

Her movements become faster and fiercer again, like a starving lioness. Wanting to feel her more, you move your hips too.

Breathing heavily, she lies down beside you. She puts an arm around your shoulders and plants a kiss on the top of your head.

The movements of Mereoleona, who loves you like a wild animal, accelerate. Increasingly excited by the feeling of naked skin against naked skin. Feeling her most intimate place against yours after such a long time...

„You've really challenged me every time we do this, ‘(Y/N),“ she says exhausted but with a smile on her lips.

„You too, Mereo,“ you reply with a tired chuckle.

„Did I tell you that my younger brother is awake again? I'm no longer the official captain of our squad.  So...“ A thoughtful look crosses her face and she looks at you with expectant eyes. „We could train here together more often, if you like.“ „Or just look at the stars,“ you add with a tired groan, snuggling up to her and planting a soft kiss on her lips before gazing up at the star-filled night sky.

[amunyan]

Lets continue this little story :) I hope you like it.

The person she trusts most... (2/3)

Huddled together, you fall towards the lava, which seems to be the end of you. But when that doesn't happen, you slowly dare to open your eyes.

„Well, aren't you lucky...“ Mereoleona looks at you with a mixture of relief and reproach, „that the volcano's eruptions subside at this time of day, and with them the power of the wild mana. Otherwise you would be nothing more than a pile of ash. That, and that the lava can no longer harm me...“

You look around in confusion, trying to sort out your thoughts.

The flame mage, still wrapped in her flames, more mana than human, had actually managed to catch you in time.

„She didn't even begin to give it her all,“ you say, offended, as she lets you drop back to the safe ground, where your wobbly knees cause you to land on your butt. „She's still got that insane speed. Not to mention the fact that she can still use Manazone after the 'fight'. You let out a deep sigh and cross your arms. But you find it uncomfortable, and moments later you rest your chin on your left hand. „Had all my training been for nothing? Must I train harder? While...“ Your gaze wanders up to Mereoleona. She is more human than Mana now, tucking a short lock of her red hair behind her ear as she looks down at you with a telling smile that shows her fangs. Only now do you notice that she has cut her long mane short.  When you meet her gaze, you swallow - suspecting trouble. But she just grins at you and puts her hands on her hips.

„You've really grown a lot in the last few months, (Y/N), “she praises you. „Your mana feels different. It seems like you have finally found your self-confidence“.

„Maybe... It was hard after you left me all alone.“ You are still a little grumpy when she offers you her hand. Tentatively, you take it and let her help you up. Surprisingly, she pulls you into an intimate embrace.

She is so close you can feel her heart beating. The warmth of her breath on your skin. It has been a long time since you felt her this close.

Hesitantly, you raise your arms, clinging precariously to the fabric of her dark blue jacket, your head resting on her shoulder with bated breath.

„Yes... It was really hard after you left me. And also finding the courage to come here to look for you. I really thought you had forgotten me...“ you whisper in a low, trembling voice.

„How can I forget the person I trust the most? “ Her fingertips claw deeper into your skin as she firmly disagrees. She pulls you closer as you notice she's trembling. „The person who saved me and saw me at my worst. How can I ever forget you? “

„Mereoleona? “

Yes, you were the one who really saw her at her worst...

-A few years ago-

Raindrops beat incessantly against the roof of your homely tent. Thanks to a few magic items and a protective magic circle, it is all snugly warm and dry inside.

„Another stormy night, “ you think to yourself as you sort through the herbs you gathered during the day. Typical autumn weather; nothing special.

You, (Y/N), were well known as a wandering apothecary in the towns close to the borders of the Clover Kingdom. The ability to heal wounds and diseases with magic was very rare in these forgotten corners of the realm. So there was a need for someone like you to help the people. For as long as you can remember, they have welcomed you and your knowledge of medicinal herbs with open arms.

Even though you were not capable of using healing magic, either.

But it is not only herbs that fascinate you, since they are the basis of all your magical powers. You have always been drawn to a darker side. Poison is what has intrigued you since childhood...

Just as you are about to call it a day and extinguish the light of the storm lantern, a disturbing scream echoes through the undergrowth. Startled, you look up. In the distance, you can hear another scream.

„That doesn't sound good. Is it some kind of a fight? “ Unsure, you consider going to investigate.

„There are dangerous creatures in this area... At worst I'll have to pitch my tent somewhere else.”  You listen into the night for a moment. You can still hear the rumbling in the distance. „Damn... I don't want to deal with this...“

But you know it is the safer option, rather than just pretending everything is fine and going to bed. The terrifying creatures that roamed these areas, Chimeras, a mixture of a wildcat and a scorpion's tail, were not only strong and able to fly with their leathery wings, but also poisonous; Manticores.

You had already felt their power in your own body, because you wanted to use the poisonous sting of these creatures for your medicine... Once again, you can do without. But you must go and check anyway.

You reach for your moss-green cloak and throw it over your shoulders. With the large hood pulled low over your face and a queasy feeling in your stomach, you step out into the cold, wet night.

The strong wind whips the chill and rain into your face. But you stubbornly walk towards the sounds of battle through the muddy forest floor.

And indeed, you were not mistaken; it is a manticore that was making the noise. But not alone.

„Someone actually dares to fight that thing,“ you realise in horror. „Is she all right?“

From your position, half hidden behind a tree, you can make out a young woman with long, wild auburn hair. „Almost like a lion's mane...“ you murmur, instantly spellbound. The way she leaps around the winged beast, almost as if gravity does not affect her, and fights with flaming fists. And indeed, she seems to be able to match the Manticore's power. Disturbed but fascinated, you take cover behind the tree and watch the fight. „Even though her movements seem so sluggish, it's amazing that she can do that. But she doesn't seem to know that the thorns are poisonous...“

The young woman seems actually very carefree with her opponent and has no fear of contact. In the short time, you have been watching, you had noticed several times that she had at least grazed some of the poisonous spikes that the creature could fire from its tail like pistol shots, even pierced her a few times.

„And the ones that got stuck don't seem to bother her at all. She just left them stuck...That she is still standing upright? What is she? A superhuman?“ Still, you can clearly see that she has lost a lot of speed since the last attack. The question of whether or not you should help her is slowly but surely coming to your mind... „ At least I could tell her that the spikes are poisonous?“

But one look at her grim face tells you that you'd better not interfere - and she'd probably already realised that information about the poison by herself... This is her fight, accidental or not.

A cold shiver runs down your spine and you shake yourself. „Better not... But I could still stay. Maybe I can bum the poison spike if she really wins against that beast.“

But at the same moment, you hear a pitiful groan and watch wide-eyed as the unknown fighter falls to the ground, badly beaten. She remains motionless.

Almost as a stupid reflex, without thinking twice, you let your guard down. „Hey!“ you hear yourself shout.

Moments later, as the winged beast looks at you, your heart sinks. Startled by your sudden courage, you find yourself forced to act, now in the manticore’s sights.

„My fighting skills aren't really worth mentioning... Damn, what was I thinking?“

With an irrepressible thirst for battle, the Chimera lunges at you. You close your eyes and raise your arms in defence. „Flowery scent of oblivion,“ you mutter, and a foul-smelling potpourri of scents envelops the manticore, which is less than impressed.

Its large, sharp-clawed paws lash out at you. You try to dodge, but they catch you viciously by the hips. You fall to the ground with a muffled cry of pain. You feel the warm blood running down your body and at the same moment a hand grabs your shoulder.

„Get out of my way. How dare you?!“ With a rough motion, the woman pulls you behind her.

„Calidus… Brachium…”Her voice cracks as she reaches out and delivers the final blow to the manticore. The last one needed to finish it... Still completely perplexed by what has just happened, you sit there holding the bleeding wound in your hand.

„At least it's gone...“ you breathe a sigh of relief as you hear an angry noise. You swallow before slowly turning around to realise that you may have another problem - far worse than the chimera.

„Tell me, how dare you, you idiot! That was my fight. And if you're going to interfere, do it properly and don't back down,“ she scolds you as a violent coughing fit interrupts her. She had just been wobbly on her feet. Now her legs buckle and she falls forward towards you. She claws at your shoulders as you support her, startled.

„What a fucking mess,“ she mumbles helplessly.

„You had a bad cold, and on top of that you were poisoned. It's clear that your body didn't simply process it,“ you comment, sinking deeper into the embrace as the memories of your first meeting come flooding back.

You decide to take the still angry woman into your tent to care for her. However, the first challenge you must face before you can care for her is her strength; even though she has been beaten up by a Manticore, is poisoned and suffers from a glowing forehead, she is still stronger than you. She vehemently refuses to be aided by you and wants to walk alone. Preferably far away from you. But as the poison slowly but surely spreads and takes effect, she gives in and let you guide her to your tent, where you put her down in your bed. Almost too weak to resist anymore, she allows you to have a look at her injuries.

„Good girl,“ you praise her as she finally gives in, while you open her jacket to take a closer look at her body. She has multiple cuts on her arms and her white shirt is torn. Less serious injuries too. Nothing that wouldn't heal on its own. But you are concerned about the puncture wounds where the manticore had injected the toxin into her body. Several of the marks, mostly on her torso, had turned dark red and a rash was spreading around them. There was also a sting in her thigh...

All the symptoms of poison were familiar to you, the rash and the shallow breathing. Also the dizziness, which you can observe well... But her high fever alerts you...

You quickly return to your desk, where you were sorting herbs earlier. You reach for your mortar and pestle, your hands slide across the shelf where you have stored the herbs in brown glass jars. Your fingers know exactly where to reach and which ingredients would help the woman. Something for the swelling and rash on her skin, and something for the pain she was obviously hiding.

As you apply a poultice of different herbs to her bumps and bruises, you introduce yourself: „I am (Y/N) and you are?“

„You're not a healer, are you?“ She asks in a deep, trembling voice. Ignoring your question.

Her gaze passes you by. With tired eyes she looks at your herb collection and the brown apothecary bottles on the shelf.

You just nod silently. „I'm a kind of apothecary. An herbalist. Not a doctor or a healer... But I know how to treat wounds and stuff... And poisons.“

„Is this your magic?“ she asks, and you shake your head.

„Herbal magic,“ you answer calmly as you bandage her wounds under her meticulous gaze, carefully - you don't want to hurt her any more - pulling the stinger out of her thigh and finally treating that wound as well. You can sense that she does not really trust you. How much she resents that. At least that's how you interpret it...

„I'm sorry I can't help you with healing magic,“ you apologise, completely unsettled. „You're from near the capital, aren't you? At least judging by your clothes. It looks more noble than what the people wear here on the edge of the kingdom.“

„You have a good eye... My name is Mereoleona Vermillion.“

You could have heard a pin drop.

„Vermillion? She's one of the high nobility. Not only that... If she is that Mereoleona Vermillion, then she's the strongest woman in all of Clover...“ You swallow and fix the last bandage on her body with trembling hands. „I'm sorry, I just...“

You can't finish your sentence because she hits you in the forehead at the same moment.

„Don't act like there's nothing you can do. Here - you mixed the slurry all by yourself, didn't you?“

You nod with an applied look.

„See? Besides, I don't give a shit about provenance and all that. So can I go back when you're done here?“

„What? No!“ You vehemently try to push her back into bed. Explain that she's not going anywhere with her high temperature. „You're drenched in sweat. Besides, the ointment I just applied is only helping with the swelling and the rash. You're still poisoned. Believe me, your body can hardly deal with this on its own...“

„Oh, the little cold, the little poison. I've dealt with worse,“ she shrugs in a hoarse voice and tries to get up. But her body is too weak and shaky. Then she gets a coughing attack. But she stubbornly tries to get up as you push against her.

„It is not just a little cold and a little poison. Even if you're said to be the strongest woman in all of Clover, you'll catch your death out there in the rain in your condition. Don't be stupid.”

You build up more pressure and are about to immobilise her with your herbal magic when the tension in her body eases and you land on top of her, unprepared.

She is so close you can feel her thin breath on your skin. Her pale blue eyes, glassy yet penetrating, are studying you.

„ At least do you have an antidote?“ She pointed her head at the sting, still lying on the low shelf next to the bed. „Are you at least going to boil one?“

„No. Not yet...“ you denied. „And just synthesise one with the sting - forget it. It would take way too long.  But you're not the only one here who has dealt with these chimeras...“ you say calmly and pull yourself up again. Walking over to your desk, you light a candle with matches. Then you take a knife and slowly and carefully heat the blade over the flame...

Yes, you had fought these beasts before. More than once. (And lost every time.) But all you wanted was their stings, which you got. But you never thought of synthesising an antidote.

„Because of my passion, my body has a natural barrier against poisons... Other wounds are more difficult for me to deal with. The bark of the thorn was more important to me than an actual antidote, aside from the milky sap of the poison, which in very small amounts helps with heart ailments...“

Mereoleona looks at you with wide eyes as you slowly bring the knife to your left palm and apply pressure...

Lost in thought, you clench your left hand into a fist, the scar still visible on the palm. „I really thought you were crazy back then,“ Mereoleona whispers.

„Huh?“ You make a questioning noise, but she continues. „That was the worst time of my life... It hit me harder than I ever thought it would. I have never been so sick. Even as a child I was always healthy... Or recovered in a few days. But this?! You really saw me at my worst. But you helped me without hesitation. You were even crazy enough to cut your own hand open for an antidote...“

„It is my passion to explode poisons and herbs. And I'm glad this attempt went well...“

„Attempt?“ She pushes away, still holding onto your shoulders, and looks at you doubtfully. „You mean I was your guinea pig?“

„In a way,“ you admit sheepishly, trying to smile. „It was the only chance I had...  Your fever from the cold was so terribly high and your body so awfully weak. Even when the poisoning was over, the fever stayed and made me worry about you. But you fought a hard battle... You're so indescribably strong. That's what fascinated me about you.“

„So are you,“ she says. „I don't know why, but I knew I could trust you.  The way you looked at my wounds. When you mixed the medicine, your hands knew their way by heart. Even though you always waved it off as no big deal, to me it was. I realised you were strong - in a different way to me.” You remember how Mereoleona freaked out when she learned you didn't have any combat skills. She thought you were a skilled fighter because you lived alone in the forest and travelled from town to town. So she wants you to learn the basics of fighting. It seemed important to her to know that you were safe and could defend yourself if necessary. So you tried hard to impress the fiery woman you were slowly falling in love with.

„ So it hurt even more to see you beating yourself up because you did not believe in your abilities. It seemed you wanted to be as good as me from the start... But with every mistake you made, you doubted yourself more and more. You didn't even see how great you really were. You still are. Worse, you pretended more and more and gave up on yourself completely. It made me so damn angry that the girl I trust with all my heart, the one I love so much, destroyed herself...“

You look down in shame as you realise what she's just said.

„The... The girl you love?“ You repeat, looking at her in surprise.

She looks back with a soft, almost unfamiliar smile on her lips. „I still owed you an answer.“

[amunyan]

Yeah... I go for an other Fanfic again...

The person she trusts most... (1/3)

The air is scorching hot and the disgusting smell of sulphur brings tears to your eyes.

„Ugh, you think to yourself, trying not to vomit. Both the heat and the smell make it hard for you to breathe.

„The ultimate volcano... An active volcano, as we can easily see,“ you mutter to yourself as you watch the lava bubble up again and again. „Yes, I've come to the right place. “

Anyone else would have made you suspicious. You might even have thought you were at the wrong location. But any other person wouldn't have suggested an active volcano as a place to meet. It was even somehow typical of her, Mereoleona Vermillion. You would have been more surprised if she had ordered you to a romantic forest lake with ducks quacking happily.

„She really is crazy, “you remark, still a little paralyzed. „Do I really want to go there?“

You wrap yourself in your magic, keeping it tightly drawn around you to protect you from the high temperatures, but also from the strong mana of your surroundings. To make it a little more bearable, even if you still find it hard to fight the enormous heat with your plant attribute.

“She called it Manaskin...”, you remember. A magic technique that Mereoleona tried to teach you before you split up in a fight.

„If you don't stop beating yourself up, I can't help you. All you do is complain and moan. “

„But my magic is weak. I can't do anything. “

„Nonsense! Your magic isn't weak. You're just full of self-doubt. That's why you can't control it. That's why you've never tried to go beyond your limits. You've never even approached them. “

„But... I'm trying. You see? I train hard to be acknowledged by you. So that you...“ Your voice broke as you looked at her with tears in your eyes. „Mereo… We spent so much time together. We did a lot of training together... we even had an intimate relationship. Mereo... I really love you. I would do anything to be loved by you.”

„You stupid little... It doesn't work that way! Tell me, how can anyone acknowledge your abilities if even you don't believe in them? “

„But... If you just tell me that I've grown... That I'm strong. I would start to believe...“

„That's not my job, “ she replied gruffly. „Try to accept yourself first - not the other way around. And when you've done that, we can talk again. “

With those words she had left you alone. Unclear whether she was just so damn angry with you, or because of the letter she had received earlier that day. A message about her younger brother, who had been so badly injured that she had to take over the order of the crimson lions for him.

Since then, a couple of months have gone by. Almost a year...

You wonder if she still remembers you: "Or has she already forgotten me? The first question I should ask is whether she's even here. Or is she too busy to come?"

Despite these questions swirling in your head, you take the first step onto the hot, rocky ground to search for Mereo, feeling something other than that hellish mana - a warm, familiar feeling that has grown so close to your heart.

„That answers the question of 'if' and 'whether'...“, you consider, „She's here...“ A painful smile appeared on your lips, and with this certainty, at least the first doubts were removed.

„I have to be careful, I know her, she has a tendency to attack you out of nowhere...“ You strengthen your defences and a light scent of lavender and other herbs envelops you; A sweet-smelling potpourri to mask the foul aroma of a completely different herb. An herb whose scent alone is poisonous and intoxicating enough to stun. The foul odour of the golden, but highly poisonous Angelic Taraxacum. Although your trait is herbal magic, you have used your knowledge of plants to find the most poisonous herbs and use them in your magic. What you have acquired is almost comparable to poison magic. You can summon any herb and imitate its scent. Provided you have touched it before and immortalised it in your Grimoire...

„I hope this works...“ you mumble, still unsure and uncomfortable with your battle strategy in this area.

Barely three steps later, a flaming beast rushes towards you as if it came out of nowhere. So fast, you probably wouldn't have noticed it before. But you activate your defences at the right moment and block its playful attack.

„So you actually dared to come here, “a wide smile flits across Mereoleonas lips.

„Of course I did. I wanted to show you that I've grown stronger, “you reply with a thin voice and a narrowed eye.

„Well then... Let's see what you've learned, my sweet. “She jumps back, keeping her distance and allowing her fiery mana to flare up.

You get into a fighting stance too, spreading your legs a little and bending your knees to get a firm foothold. Your heart pounds in your throat. You are nervous. Not only because of Mereo, but also because of your surroundings. „ I have never trained in such an extreme environment. Not to mention fought. One false step and I'll be barbecued. But... I've trained so hard every day for this. I can trust myself and my abilities. I'm ready for this fight!" The grim expression on your face, which you had just used to stare at the lava in fear, turns to pure determination. You show this to your opponent, who gets probably even more energized by this.

„Very nice! I like you like that! You really seem to have grown a lot since we last met. Not just your mana, but your whole aura seems much more confident. But will that be enough for you to fight me? “

„I hope so, “you call out to her as you prepare for her attack. The adrenaline rushes through your veins as she launches her first move. Fast and silent like a lion on the hunt. Her movements used to terrify you. You couldn't keep up. Time and time again you have been defeated by Mereoleona with ease. But today, the rush of adrenaline has only made you stronger and sharpened your senses. You can dodge her attack and launch a counterattack.

„Blossoms of Oblivion, “you call out, and your Grimoire flips to the page with the spell. A split second later, you envelop her in a swirling column of colorful petals. Sharp-edged little leaves, but they can do little harm to the undefeated lioness Mereo.

She swings her flaming fist at you, not only piercing the swirling herbs, but burning them as well. You barely manage to dodge a follow-up attack by diving away.

Stepping aside you and try to improve your manaskin in this harsh environment. To take it to the next level, so that you are no longer tied to the ground by the manazone. „This technique that Mereoleona tried to teach me back then. It took me an awfully long time to understand it and an even longer time to use it. Will I be able to do it here in this mana-rich area? I can't let her down. No... Most of all, I can't let myself down“.

You pushed yourself to the limit. Even keeping your manaskin up in this heat was hard. Even harder in this battle - so many things to focus on just to stay alive. Another attack seems rather difficult to handle. At least for now.

„I just need a little more time to get the hang of it. I don't need to be perfect. Just wait for a good opportunity to attack her. And while I wait, the scent of the herbs will make her tired and make it easier for me. Hopefully...“

The battle continues. Even though you're both mages, you fight with your bare hands. Especially Mereoleona, who more or less only uses her magic to enhance her physical abilities. She's more like a very skilled boxer who fights with flame-covered fists.

It was she who taught you the basics of combat. So your style is quite similar. But not the level of your power. Not even close, as you will now discover to your horror. „Damn it... Her mana rate is increasing way too fast?! I can't keep up my defence. Her mana is completely wiping out mine...”

Panic began to creep in. Even though you had told yourself not to rush, now you are. You want it to be over quickly. The smell of your herbs grows stronger. And a little out of control; because Mereoleona notices it too.

A knowledge smirk crosses her lips. „I see what you were trying to do, (Y/N). Nice strategy. But... Does it really do any good against this? “

You swallow as you notice a drastic change in her mana.

„To be honest, I've been putting a lot of effort into my training too. I've been pushing my bounderis harder than ever for an upcoming battle against some devils...“

„That's not possible, “you stumble and take a few steps back. Your legs and body tremble at the sight of Mereo. She wasn't just covered in mana or in control of it. No. She's become pure, fiery mana.

Your scent of poisonous herbs, which had enveloped her to support her in the duel, was burned away by her heat in a fraction of a second.

Slowly the heat penetrates your defences. You find it harder and harder to maintain. Thick beads of sweat form on your forehead and you begin to feel the first twinges of self-doubt.

"Hey! Concentrate!" Mereoleona shouts at you. "The moment you lose your manaskin, the heat will burn you to a crisp! Don't be afraid of me. You know I would never seriously hurt you. So come and show me all your power!"

Mereoleonas words have jolted you out of your rising despair. You see her challenging gaze, which encourages you to continue. With a silent nod, you concentrate again. You gather your mana tightly around you. One last time for this fight, you try to go beyond your limits. You want to use all your remaining mana for one last attack. Although you expect it to be pointless.

„But maybe it will catch them off guard...“ This thought was enough for you to give it a try.

„Herbs of Doom, “you call again. Your Grimour lights up and flips through the pages, a vortex of blossoming leaves enveloping you.

„Again? I thought you'd learned more? “The scream of the lioness was full of disappointment. But you know better. This attack was not only your defence. The moment Mereos Attack would hit you, the herb storm would grab her. Besides, the little herbs were not only sharp, but also poisonous and caustic to the touch.

„I don't think they could seriously hurt her, but they might give me a chance for a surprise attack...“

Your opponent comes closer. As her punch penetrates your defences, you send a swirl of herbs at her. She wasn't expecting that, and you use the split second it takes for the herbs to turn into small fireballs to catch up and strike with your right fist. You aim for her face. „She'd have no problem taking it, and I’ve already gotten one or two purples from her, “you think, and hit her with everything you have. And you hit her. About half. Your fist grazes Mereoleonas cheek. You don't even feel it yourself because of the heat. And you've closed your eyes because you don't want to see for yourself.

A mistake. A serious mistake. Because of course you can't see how she clenches her fist to counter. The fist lands with full force in the pit of your stomach. You can't breathe for a few moments and water shoots into your eyes. And if you weren't already blinking, you probably would have been now.

The force of Mereos Flame Fist throws you back a few meters. You manage to scramble to your feet, but you stumble and stagger back another two or three steps as you take your final step, unable to feel the ground beneath your feet. Nothing but crumbling rocks falling into the bubbling hot lava beneath you. Frantically, you flail your arms, trying to catch yourself, but the blow of the attack was too strong. Making you lose your balance and fall.

You don't even have to try for a mana zone, as your manaskin slowly dissolves and the heat of the lava welcomes you with its greedy claws.

„That's it, “you think to yourself, “that was the wrong move to turn me into a BBQ. Shit...“

[amunyan]

It took me much longer this time to finish this chapter. But I wantet to bring out all remaining endings at once...

Enjoy reading :)

Love me not him -7c

(coming from 6c)

More than a week has passed since you last saw Mereoleona or Leo. Much more since you spoke to Fuegoleon... Not because you were avoiding them, or because the Royal Knights mission had gone wrong or something. No. Maybe yes. But this was another story. It was your own mission that went horribly wrong and left you half dead...

After Mereoleona left HQ for her mission with the Royal Knights, you went on your own mission; patrolling in another city. But when chaos broke loose, you found yourself fighting your own squad members. Not only that. While you were trying to fight them and not seriously injure them, you also had to protect the inhabitants of the town. Especially a group of little children...

The last thing you remembered before you passed out was an excruciating pain in your spine, sucking all the air out of your lungs, and the sudden heat of a great flame coming to your aid...

Your vision became blurred and you began to throw up. All you vomited was blood. But you noticed the person with flame magic. Though you thought this was the end, there was now a feeling of relief and safety as you collapsed and were swallowed by the darkness...

Your body hurt, especially your chest. Like a burning sword stabbing your lungs, making the very act of breathing difficult and painful. Tingling felt not only in your fingers but also in your head when you opened your eyes. A blur of a wooden and unfamiliar ceiling was the only thing you could see before you sat up under your own moaning voice. The whole room was spinning and your fingers clung to the covers of your bed. Hoping to make it stop. Nausea crept up your throat and you burped, but luckily you didn't throw up.

"Where am I?" you asked yourself, grabbing your head with one hand before looking around carefully - another rollercoaster ride would be too much - to find yourself in a room that looked like an infirmary or something. But not in HQ or the Capital City - you'd recognize those. You noticed a chair next to the bed you were in, when you looked over to the other side.  Sitting on the chair; Fuegoleon.

"What? Fuegoleon?" You whispered and held your breath. "He is here? He is awake? How?" Fuegoleon was dozing on the chair next to the bed, but as he heard your voice he slowly opened his eyes.  A soft smile of relief appeared on his face when he saw you.

"(Y/N)?  You are awake. I am so glad."

"I could say the same. What are you doing here? I thought you are still asleep? I... I thought..." Tears welled up in your eyes. "I thought I had lost you...  I am so happy to see you again. To talk to you again. I... I missed you so much, Fuegoleon." Tears streamed down your face and as he approached you, you could not hold back any longer. As soon as Fuegoleon was close enough, you fell around his neck. Crying and sniffling. He was taken completely by surprise, but carefully, so as not to hurt you, he put his arm around you and sat down on the bed. The hug was tender, yet so tight, as if he was afraid of losing you again. You stayed in that moment for a while. Surrendering to this feeling. You consciously felt him so close to you for the first time. His warmth, the familiar scent of cinnamon and his strong arm. But seconds later, both of you are startled, especially Fuegoleon, who apologizes for being indiscreet and holding you closer than necessary.

But you shook your head and looked at him gently but firmly. "Don't worry about it. I started it. I hugged you first. And..." You blushed a little as you looked away slightly. "It was kind of... comfortable. I liked being held so close to you. Also... I am so glad to see you awake again. Even if it is a bit strange to see you with only one arm." At the same moment you were alarmed by your own words. Ashamed, you turned away and added: "You're alive. That's all that matters. Sorry, I didn't mean to be mean..."

Fuegoleon was about to say something about your rude comment, but you ignored him.

"Fuegoleon... I never meant anything mean towards you. I only wanted to be close to you, to see you happy and to help you wherever I could. I have always liked you more than you can imagine. You made me so happy when you asked me to help you with all the paperwork. You trusted me more than anyone. And yet; it took me so long to find the courage again after failing so badly."

You looked at him again and took a deep breath before confessing your feelings for him. Loud enough not only for Fuegoleon to hear, but also to make him blush. Also the spell he wanted to show you, a arm completely made out of his flame-mana, got a little out of control, so he stopped the magic before burning down the whole room. Still with rosy cheeks, he quietly cleared his throat before looking at you. A gentle smile appeared on his lips.  "You always seem to know how to surprise me, (Y/N). I really like you, and not just because you're so reliable. You've become really strong in the last few years - I'm a bit jealous that it was my sister who helped you, but..."

"Huh?" You looked at him with wide eyes. He felt caught and scratched his cheek a little sheepishly. "There is no need for that now. What I wanted to say was that I am fascinated by your strength. Not only that - it seems you are beginning to believe in yourself and how your self-awareness affects your magic. Miss Theresa told me how well you fought the elves to save some orphans from her church. "

Fuegoleon really managed to change the subject while he actually wanted to give you an answer to your confession. And in such a way that you didn't even noticed. You just sat there, wondering what he was going to say, when your thoughts were interrupted by a knock at the door.

An old lady with a large scar across her face entered the room. You noticed her, despite or perhaps because she was wearing a nun's habit.

"Miss Theresa?" You looked at her questioningly and didn’t understand why she, a former member of the Crimson Lions, was taking care of you. Theresa was surprised to see you awake. With a look of relief, she approached you and the young Capitan and asked how you were feeling. "I'm glad you're still alive, (Y/N)”, she added. "My healing magic is not very strong compared to others and your wounds were quite serious. You were stabbed in the back and your right lung was punctured in the process..."

"What?” Your body started shaking. “That’s why it hurt so terribly and made even breathing so painful.”

Theresa looked at you. She could tell from your thin, shaky voice that you still needed time to fully recover from what had happened to you.

With a bad headache that came with the shaking of your body, you slowly began to remember. Fragments of a fight came back to you...

It was the day, the chaos broke loose. The day Mereoleona set off with the Royal Knights, early in the morning, to defeat the eye of the midnight sun once and for all. You remembered how you still looked after her, how  she was gone for a while and hopefully you had some peace and quiet.

But also had some work to do; a control run in another Town, Nean, were Miss Theresa lived at the church. You weren't really motivated, but your younger companion from the order was. "Because now that the kingdom's strongest mages had left, I had to work at least twice as hard as usual," were his words.  The comrade of the lions was a soft giant with a very delicate steel power. Like his character...

That was a thing you worried about. Was that a good idea? Sending off all the strong mages at once? Perhaps that was the reason for the unease that slowly settled over the city like a gloomy fog.

And your feeling came true when Balbo, the younger comrade from the order, attacked you with his steal magic. You didn’t want to fight him, but you hat do protect yourself.

But his physical strength alone was enough to bring you to the ground. He overpowered you with ease.

You swallowed and a cold shiver ran down your spine as you thought of him again: “He had always been as strong as a bear... but he had never used his powers like this. Not only that he was so much stronger than me, his mana felt strange. As I lay there, he looked at me with hateful eyes. He probably wanted to end it, but his attack failed. For whatever reason... Then, with a scream and a seeming struggle with himself, he ran away. Like as if he was fighting against something inside of him.  As if he didn't want to hurt others... But the other thing inside him was stronger. He lost to this thing inside him and attacked a group of children...”

You, who were on his trail through the narrow alleys of the city, found him in time. Without hesitation, you stepped in to save those children and managed to save them. Even to stand up against your comrade. Long enough to tire him out and reactivate the one spell you thought you had lost forever. You managed to turn your defensive spell into an offensive one. Thinking you had won, you told the children they were safe.  But then you felt this sharp pain in your back.

"At the end, when I felt to the ground and my vision was blurred, there was this person with flame magic who saved me." Carefully, you looked up at Fuegoleon. "If he is awake... Maybe he was the one," you thought. You wanted to believe it. Even though it was no surprise that Theresa was now telling you that she was the one who had found you so badly hurt. The children you had saved live in her church and she takes care for them.

"I managed to defeat this young man with an instant to help you as quickly as possible. I tried my best to save you, (Y/N)".

You gulped and tightened your grip on Fuegoleon’s arm. You did not want to imagine this again. No wonder your brain did everything it could to forget about it...

“But… why?” you asked with thin voice. “Why was he attacking me and even some little kids? Why was is not only him? There were so many people who suddenly fight against friends and loved ones…”

"There was a spell cast by the elves. They managed to bring back the souls and even the power of their dead people. That's why some of us grew this immense power and used it without hesitation against other humans," Fuegoleon explained to you with serious face. “But don’t worry – it’s over now.”

"Oh... I see," you murmured. But then you noticed how Fuegoleon's expression slowly changed from one moment to the next. He was now looking at you like a dog, with a beaming smile, begging for treats. You looked at him in confusion.

"You really did a good job helping those children," he now praised you.

Yet you waved it off. It was only natural to help others. Even if it was stupid of you, weak as you still are. "Besides, I was hurt so badly. If Miss Theresa had not been there to take over, it would not have ended so well. So don't praise me for this stupid action," you replied. Mostly to hurt yourself again with your own words. But it didn't work.

"Hey... Don't do this all the time”, Fuegoleon looked at you hard. “It hurts to see you like this. Don't make yourself worse than you are.” Miss Theresa crossed her arms and looks at you too. She just nod silently in agreement.

"We were all so worried about you. Leo, Mereoleona, Theresa, even Balbo, who hurt you. But especially me," Fuegoleon said. “Please, (Y/N). Believe me when I tell you that you have grown so much. Even if you have been hurt. There's no shame in that. Giving up would be. But as I know you, you will never stop helping others and you will only grow stronger in the process. Just..." He blushed a little, and cleared his throat. "Just one of the many things I treasure about you." You also looked at him, while blushing badly. Than your look wandered to Theresa. She looked back and forth between the two of you before a meaningful smile flitted across her lips. “I think I’m a little redundant here…”

Epilog Fuegoleon waited patiently for Theresa to leave, before he faced you again. „I still owe you an answer“, he said sheepishly. "Like I already said. I cherrish more than your helpfulness towards others. It's only one of so many things." His voice was gentle, while his hand found its way to yours. "You are smart, dependable and always there for others when they need help. People can always count on you. I can always count on you. I am glad to have you by my side. And that we feel the same for each other..."

"Huh?" In disbelieve, with big eyes, you looked at him. Tears well up in your eyes again. But this time because of joy.  

Fuegoleon said he no longer needed to hold back now, that the issues were cleared up, and kissed you gently. You couldn't believe your luck and gave in to the kiss, even though your body still seemed a little too weak to hold on.  It was literally breathtaking and you had to gasp for air far too soon. Even if you had waited too long for this moment and this feeling...

Of course he noticed and gave you a soft kiss on your forehead. "Take all the time you need to recover, (Y/N). Don't push yourself too hard. Even though we both slept for so long, we still have plenty of it. Our time together is just beginning.

Love-Ending with Fuegoleon <3

hank you everyone who read the story to this point or even just the final chapter :) I hope you enjoyed it.

[amunyan]

It took me much longer this time to finish this chapter. But I wantet to bring out all remaining endings at once...

Enjoy reading :)

Love me not him -7b

(coming from 6A)

More than a week has passed since you last saw Mereoleona or Leo. Much more since you spoke to Fuegoleon... Not because you were avoiding them, or because the Royal Knights mission had gone wrong or something. No. Maybe yes. But this was another story. It was your own mission that went horribly wrong and left you half dead...

After Mereoleona left HQ for her mission with the Royal Knights, you went on your own mission; patrolling in another city. But when chaos broke loose, you found yourself fighting your own squad members. Not only that. While you were trying to fight them and not seriously injure them, you also had to protect the inhabitants of the town. Especially a group of little children...

The last thing you remembered before you passed out was an excruciating pain in your spine, sucking all the air out of your lungs, and the sudden heat of a great flame coming to your aid...

Your vision became blurred and you began to throw up. All you vomited was blood. But you noticed the person with flame magic. Though you thought this was the end, there was now a feeling of relief and safety as you collapsed and were swallowed by the darkness...

Your body hurt, especially your chest. Like a burning sword stabbing your lungs, making the very act of breathing difficult and painful. Tingling felt not only in your fingers but also in your head when you opened your eyes. A blur of a wooden and unfamiliar ceiling was the only thing you could see before you sat up under your own moaning voice. The whole room was spinning and your fingers clung to the covers of your bed. Hoping to make it stop. Nausea crept up your throat and you burped, but luckily you didn't throw up.

"Where am I?" you asked yourself, grabbing your head with one hand before looking around carefully - another rollercoaster ride would be too much - to find yourself in a room that looked like an infirmary or something. But not in HQ or the Capital City - you'd recognize those. You noticed a chair next to the bed you were in, when you looked over to the other side.  Sitting on the chair;

Mereoleona.

She dozed a little. But as soon as she realised you were awake, she jumped out of the chair.

"(Y/N)!? You are awake?"

She literally held her breath. Her whole body was tense as she gently, almost incredulously, embraced you. Tender, but also rough, as always.

"Finally. I'm so glad. How do you feel?" Mereoleona pressed you close to her, and you could almost feel her tension ease as she slowly realised that you were indeed awake. She seemed genuinely relieved. But she was still trembling. Something unusual for her. Hesitantly, still not quite understanding what was going on, you moved closer to her. You put your arms around her.

"Yes... I am," you whispered, closing your eyes to give in to the feeling. Leaning your head against her chest. Feeling her warm embrace and her heartbeat.

"I was so worried," she said softly, holding you even tighter.

"You... You are... Mereo... This hurts."

"Sorry..." she replied, but doesn't let go of you. “I thought I had lost you. I thought you were death..."

"Not just you... But I cannot remember what happened. My head hurts too much, even when I try to think..."

"You were stabbed in the back and your lungs were also affected. They told us you were in very bad shape..."

A cold shower ran down your spine and your grip on Mereoleona tightened. Your fingers clung to the fabric of her jacket. You didn't want to imagine...

But brains don't work that way. They don't really know the meaning of the word not. If you don't want to think about something, your brain has already thought about it...

With a bad headache, fragments of memories come back.

Your fingertips dig deeper into the fabric, deep enough to leave marks on the skin beneath. You buried your head against her body.

Snippets of the battles and your comrade from the order slowly but surely were forming a picture.

It was the day, the chaos broke loose. The day Mereoleona set off with the Royal Knights, early in the morning, to defeat the eye of the midnight sun once and for all. You remembered hugging her goodbye before she left. You also remembered that you needed time, which she had thankfully given you.

As you set off on your own mission, your thoughts kept drifting back to Mereo, hoping she would be okay and come back safely. Even though it was her, the undefeated lioness, you had a queasy feeling in your stomach. It made it hard to concentrate on your job.  Fortunately, it was just a control run in another city, Nean, and your companion was much more motivated than you. "Because now that the kingdom's strongest mages had left, I had to work at least twice as hard as usual," were his words.

That was an extra worry for you. Was that a good idea? Sending off all the strong mages at once? Perhaps that was the reason for the unease.

"I didn't know what was happening when Balbo attacked me all of a sudden with his steel magic. I didn't want to fight him. But I had to protect myself... So I had to..." you began to tell Mereoleona.

The comrade of the lions was a younger companion. A soft giant with a very delicate steel power. Like his character...

"But his physical strength alone was enough to bring me to the ground. He overpowered me with ease." You swallowed and a cold shiver ran down your spine as you thought of him again. He had always been as strong as a bear... but he had never used his power like this. "Not only that, his mana felt strange. So much stronger than usual. As I lay there, he looked at me with hateful eyes. He probably wanted to end it, but his attack failed. For whatever reason... Then, with a scream and a seeming struggle with himself, he ran away."

Mereoleona could tell you more:  "There were many people under the control of a spell cast by the elves. A spell, that brought back the dead souls of the old race loved by the Mana, including their strong powers".

"That's why he suddenly became so much stronger...", you realised.

"They were also full of hate for us humans...", she continued with a sigh. "They didn't hesitate to attack anyone who wasn't one of them..."

"More or less," you correct her quietly.  “Because it was as if Balbo was fighting this thing inside him. As if he didn't want to hurt others... But the other soul inside him was stronger. He lost to it.”

You, who were on his trail through the narrow alleys of the city, found him in time. Without hesitation, you stepped in to save a group of little children.

"I managed to save those little kids," you continued quietly with thin voice.  "And I even managed to stand up to my comrade. I was able to hold him off for a long time and even reactivate the one spell I thought I had lost. Turning my defense into an attack to hit him when he started to run out of breath...I thought I had incapacitated him..." Your voice broke and you even started to sob a little. Not only because you have to admit to Mereoleona that this was not the truth. You wanted to make her proud. Your fingers started to tremble and you were about to apologize to Mereoleona when you felt her hand run through your hair.

"Don't worry. I know how well you did. That you actually used your stamina and your defense instead of impatiently attacking with your shimmering little stones..."

You winced briefly. This criticism had hurt more than your ability to put yourself down. Even if it was probably meant in a nice way…

You looked up at her questioningly, still clutching to her forearms. You remembered that powerful flame just after you were hit by a spear of steel magic. And that a person was coming towards you. That flame-magic... Could it be?  Even if you were wrong, you had to resolve the issue. 

"When an attack hit me, my magic evaporated and seconds later there was this terrible pain in my back. I could not breathe any more. I had to throw up... there was blood everywhere... But before I blacked out, there was a flame attack. Could it be that it you, Mereo, who saved me?” It was not just that you had been thinking about her all the time. Your greatest regret was that you may never have been able to answer Mereoleona's question properly. Because in your mind, she was the one who had completely displaced her brother Fuegoleon in such a short time. You bit your lips as you looked at her expectantly.

"No," Mereoleona shook her head. "I would have liked to save you, but I was too far away... But is it just me, or are you slowly succumbing to me?" A meaningful grin appeared on her lips, making you blush. Ashamed, but also a little annoyed, you looked away. She had seen through you way too quickly.

"But... Who saved me then? How did I survive and end up here? In all that chaos, no one would have been around to help me. Or take the time to do so.  And who was responsible for the fire attack?"

As if on cue, there's a knock at the door.

An old woman with a long scar on her face, dressed like a nun, entered the room. You know her; Miss Theresa. A former member of the Crimson Lions and close to the Vermillion family, because of her work as a tutor for their children, especially as Fuegoleon’s.

At first she didn't notice you were awake. She closed the door quietly and turned around.

"How is (Y/N)?" She asked Mereoleona. Her voice sounded a bit sad and monotonous. Routine, as if she wasn't asking this question for the first time. As if she was expecting the same unpleasant news again. But when she noticed you sitting on the bed, awake, relief spread across her face.

"Thank god," she said as she came closer. "How are you feeling?"

"My head and body ache... and it's still hard to breathe," you told her truthfully. "But otherwise... I... Mereoleona told me that I almost died... So... I guess I can be happy that I am still alive and in a fairly good shape..."

"Yes, unfortunately that's true. Luckily, I found you in time...", Theresa started to tell.

It was her magic that saved you. Twice, actually. The flame attack was also hers. The old lady was still a fighter, and all she really wanted to do on that one day was defend the orphans of her church...

"I was so worried that my healing magic would be too weak to save you.... We even had a much better healer look at you, but you remained unconscious. There was nothing we could do, but wait..."

"Just like with Fuegoleon..." you thought as Theresa realised that she has to tell him and Leo right away.  "The boys will be happy too..."

"The boys? You mean Leo and? And Fuegeoleon?" You look at her with a furrowed brow. "But... He's still asleep, isn't he? Is he?" You look at the old lady with a hopeful expression. She knows what you're going to ask. She closes her eyes with a smile on her lips and nods silently as she continues. "He wanted to come and look after you too, but..." She looked at Mereoleona. "She protected you like a lioness protects her cubs. She would never let anyone near you. She was here day and night..."

But Mereo didn't seem to care about Theresa's critical look. She just sighed and the nun mumbled something into her non-existent beard. Something about Mereo was as stubborn as ever.

Epilog

After Theresa had left the room, you looked worriedly at Mereoleona. She seemed distracted, different than usual. Much too quiet...

"Are you all right, Mereo?" You asked carefully. But not carefully enough. She raised an eyebrow and asked: "Is it so far-fetched to take care of someone I love? You did the same for my brother and it wasn't a big deal to anyone. It just annoys me..."

"So much that you're even crying?"

She looked at you, startled. That had really thrown Mereoleona off her stride.

"I'm sorry," you whispered as you wipe away a tear in her eye. "I've kept you waiting and worrying for so long ..."

Her expression changed and she raised both eyebrows into a questioning face.

"I can't help it. After that night with you, I can't stop thinking about you. It's as if... You have erased your brother as a whole in me. I finally realised that it was always you who cared so much for me, and that I am starting to feel the same way. I want to be with you.”

An ominous smile formed on her lips as she ran her right hand through your hair before placing it at your neck.

"You know I will not hold back any longer," Mereoleona whispered against your lips as you nodded expectantly. You both blushed slightly as she placed her lips on yours in a passionate kiss.

Love-Ending with Mereo <3

Thank you everyone who read the story to this point or even just the final chapter :) I hope you enjoyed it.

[amunyan]

It took me much longer this time to finish this chapter. But I wantet to bring out all remaining endings at once...

Enjoy reading :)

Love me not him -7a

(coming from 6D-1or 6D-2)

More than a week has passed since you last saw Mereoleona or Leo. Much more since you spoke to Fuegoleon... Not because you were avoiding them, or because the Royal Knights mission had gone wrong or something. No. Maybe yes. But this was another story. It was your own mission that went horribly wrong and left you half dead...

After Mereoleona had left HQ for her mission with the Royal Knights, you went on your own mission; patrolling in another city. But when chaos broke loose, you found yourself fighting your own squad members. Not only that. While you were trying to fight them and not seriously injure them, you also had to protect the inhabitants of the town. Especially a group of little children...

The last thing you remembered before you passed out was an excruciating pain in your spine, sucking all the air out of your lungs, and the sudden heat of a great flame coming to your aid...

Your vision became blurred and you began to throw up. All you vomited was blood. But you noticed the person with flame magic. Though you thought this was the end, there was now a feeling of relief and safety as you collapsed and were swallowed by the darkness...

Your body hurt, especially your chest. Like a burning sword stabbing your lungs, making the very act of breathing difficult and painful. Tingling felt not only in your fingers but also in your head when you opened your eyes. A blur of a wooden and unfamiliar ceiling was the only thing you could see before you sat up under your own moaning voice. The whole room was spinning and your fingers clung to the covers of your bed. Hoping to make it stop. Nausea crept up your throat and you burped, but luckily you didn't throw up.

"Where am I?" you asked yourself, grabbing your head with one hand before looking around carefully - another rollercoaster ride would be too much - to find yourself in a room that looked like an infirmary or something. But not in HQ or the Capital City - you'd recognize those. You noticed a chair next to the bed you were in, when you looked over to the other side.  Sitting on the chair;

Leopold.

"Leo?" Questioningly, you looked in the boy's direction. He seemed to be dozing a little.  Which was confirmed when he let out a loud yawn as you spoke to him and he slowly lifted his head. 

"What are you doing here?"

"Waiting for you to wake up?" He looked at you with a raised eyebrow as it was obvious what he was doing. "You've been hurt very badly."Just a few seconds later he realized what is going on and his expression changed from almost indifference to surprise to a smile of relief. He jumped from the chair and fell around your neck. Far too wildly. All you could do is let out a muffled groan.

"Oh? Did I hurt you? I'm sorry," Leo apologized quickly and backs away embarrassed. "I'm just so relieved. You finally woke up, (Y/N). How are you feeling?"

"Like half dead..."

"No wonder... You were almost... well, we had little hope that you would wake up again after your serious injuries..." "I don't remember anything... Just..." The memories of the excruciating pain and the battle returned. With them, the vague belief that you were saved by an attack of flames...

You curled up into a ball and clutched your shoulders, as our bodies began to shake. With a bad headache, fragments of memories come back, slowly but surely forming a picture. 

It was the day Mereoleona had left for the mission with the Royal Knights. You had waved her goodbye and told her to come back safe and sound. Or at least in one piece. After giving you a cheeky grin, she left HQ and you got ready for your own mission; patrolling Nean, another town.

Your comrade, Balbo, was similarly motivated. He, because now that the kingdom's strongest mages had left, he had to work at least twice as hard as usual. And you, because you wanted to show Mereoleona and yourself how strong you could be. So together you set off on your mission.

But you couldn't help it, something didn't seem right all the time. Still; you couldn't put your finger on it. Was it the reason that all the strong mages had disappeared, or something else? And then, while you were still pondering and distracted from your work, there was an attack. From your own younger comrade. He has always been a soft giant with a very delicate steel power. Like his character... But from one moment to the next he was like exchanged.

"I didn't know what was happening when Balbo attacked me with his steel magic. I didn't want to fight him. But I had to protect myself... So I had to...”, you began to tell Leopold. "But his physical strength alone was enough to bring me to the ground. He overpowered me with ease."  

You swallowed and a cold shiver ran down your spine as you thought of him again. He had always been as strong as a bear but he had never used his power like this. "Not only that, his mana felt strange. So much stronger than usual. As I lay there, he looked at me with hateful eyes. He probably wanted to end it, but his attack failed. For whatever reason... Then, with a scream and what seemed to be a struggle with himself, he ran away".

"Something similar happened to me," Leo replied and you looked at him. "I was attacked by Randall, our Vice-Capitan. He and many others were under the spell of the elves. But I don't know much more. Just that they wanted us all to die."

"Terrible vision," you whispered.

"My brother saved me in the end. I am still far too weak," he continued, complaining a little.

"Not only you. I was no match for our buddy either.  I followed him and found him behind the narrow alleys. He was attacking a group of small children . I had to step in and fight him. But... I don't know what happened after that. All I remember is so much blood and a burning pain in my lungs. I thought I was going to die... But there was a flame attack before I passed out and I felt somehow saved. But I don't remember how I was saved back then..." You sighed deeply before you realised something. "Your brother saved you? Who? Really Fuegoleon? Not Mereo? Is he awake? Could it be that he saved me too? The mana of the flame attack felt so familiar..." You stared at Leo with wide eyes and must have looked like a puppy wanting some treats. In this case, your treat was the good news that Fuegoleon was awake. Just as you were about to grab Leo, the pain in your body and head intensified. The pain didn't allow you to do so and you convulsed before the pain forced you back into a horizontal position. With a soft, but all the more agonized groan, you let yourself sink back into the pillow.

"Slowly," Leo advised you. His voice trembled a little and he looked at you with a worried expression. "But no, it wasn't my brother who saved you. That was -"

At the same moment, the door swung open and Mereoleona entered the room.

She immediately noticed that you were awake and came at you with full force. "(Y/N)? At last! You're awake." Without hesitation, she embraced you. Roughly as always. "I'm glad," she whispered, and you could almost feel the tension slowly draining from her body, as she held you.

"Yes..." you whispered and were about to wrap your arms around her hips when she suddenly pulled away from you. Her expression changed and you could feel fiery mana filled with rage. Shocked and not knowing what was coming, you looked at her. "Mereoleona?"

"(Y/N)?!" She yelled at you. "What do you idiot think you're doing out there? Being defeated by Balbo? Getting hurt so badly and making us worry so much? Are you serious?"

"I can..." You couldn’t explain. At the same moment you felt the edge of Mereoleona's hand against your head.

"Don't ever do that again," she warned you, wrapping her arms around you again. "You made me so worried... "

"Mereo?! Ow, that hurts," you whimpered quietly as someone else entered the room.

"Mereoleona!" Fuegoleon's loud voice filled the room, and your eyes went past his older sister, who still wouldn't let go of you, to the door. The young captain left his position at the door and walked towards the three of you. "Don't touch her like that," he warned his sister, who finally let go of you. Offended, she crossed her arms and said: "I was worried about that little girl..."

"That's saying something with her," Leo whispered to you with a meaningful look.

"Then don't hurt her anymore," Fuegoleon scolded. He paused as you gently grabbed his sleeve.

"Fuegoleon," you mumbled with tears of joy in your eyes as you looked up at him. "I'm so happy..."

"Not just you," he replied with a gentle smile on his lips. His arm reached for your head to pat you. To stroke your hair before he wanted to take you in his arm.

The emphasis is on the word "wanted".

It was because someone else, attracted by the noise, had come into the room. An elderly lady with her arms crossed over her chest. She had a large scar across the right side of her face and was wearing a nun's habit.

"What do you three think you are doing here? You know that (Y/N) needs rest to recover. So please - don't make any noise. And close the door. After I barely managed to save her, a cold would be fatal. You are all old enough to know that." She let out an exasperated sigh as she pulled the door vigorously, but almost silently, into the lock. As if it wasn't the first time she'd admonished the three of them. "Miss Theresa?" Questioningly, you look in her direction. You know the former member of the Order well. Mostly because of her position as tutor to the two older Vermillion siblings. But mostly Fuegoleons. "You saved me?" You think that you should have recognized her Mana.

"Oh? You are awake? How are you feeling?" She asked as she approached you. Relief was written all over her face.

You told her truthfully that you were still in pain. She nodded. It would take time, after you had been pierced through your lungs. The unpleasant thought made you gasp and your grip on his arms tightened.

"But you managed to save the children I look after in the church. Thank you for saving them," Theresa added with a soft smile on her face. "You fought well too, until -" "Nonsense!" Mereoleona interrupted her. "She almost died." She looked at you with a mad gleam in her eyes. "Don't think you can get away with it. As soon as you can stand, we're off to the hot springs. I'll get you in shape so I don't have to worry about you ever again!"

"But sister... Let her recover properly first. Or she will get hurt again”, admonished Fuegoleon her.

"Don't tell me how to train my staff!"

"You're not the captain anymore," Leo interjected.

"Oh? You think so, Leo? You have eluded me long enough... Let's start with a little special training for you." As she said this, her flamepaw grabbed her little brother and took him away. He protested, of course.

Even though Mereoleona was scary at that moment, and Fuegoleon somehow too, you couldn't help but laugh at their little quarrel. You felt loved by both of them and you didn't want to change that. Not now. Maybe a few details. But it felt good to be with the three of them. And when Fuegoleon looked at you after slapping his hand over his face because of his sister, with a big question mark on his face, you just smiled at him.

Happy Ending with friends

Thank you everyone who read the story to this point or even just the final chapter... hope you enjoyed it. :D

[amunyan]

The end is near. The first of four possible endings to this little DIY FF 🤩🤯

In this last part of chapter 6, one of the storylines comes to an (bad) end... Even though it will be sad, I hope you enjoy reading it... 🤗

Love me, not him  - Part6E

Your choice was made; you had to take responsibility for your actions. For being so greedy for attention and love. For choosing Mereoleona over her brother and ignoring your feelings for him. And now you're even hurting her, because you can't return those feelings...

„Great job, (Y/N),“ you congratulated yourself. „What was wrong with you? Why did you do that?“ The voice in your head shouted in annoyance. „I didn't even drink that much to lose control. Why am I so needy? And why did it have to be his sister? It just makes things worse...“ You were on the verge of tears as you walked down the corridors. Still asking yourself why you had done such a thing.

Were you afraid Fuegoleon would never wake up? Or that you wouldn't be able to tell him how you really felt about the two of you? The fact that Mereoleona confessed to you makes things a lot easier - doesn't it? Or was it the fear of being left alone? Not being able to archive love in your life?

 It was late in the afternoon; the other members of the Order were out training and on some simple missions. So you had plenty of time to say your final goodbyes. But even though your decision had been made and you thought you had no choice, your steps were slow and ponderous. As if your body resisted your decision. Nevertheless, you walked purposefully towards Fuegoleon's room.

You slipped quietly into his room and placed your large, heavy backpack - you had already packed all your essentials to leave after your last visit - in a corner near the door. Then you picked up a chair and lifted it over to Fuegoleon's bed.

You slowly sat down and stared at Fuegoleon's motionless body. It had been a long time since you had been here. Mainly because you couldn't bear the sight of the injured Capitan, just like now. With a stifled sob, you looked away.

„It still feels so unreal. I can hardly look at him. But somehow I'm glad he's asleep. Then he won't have to see me in such an awful shape.“ A tear ran down your face and you quickly wiped it away with the back of your hand. „I really am a crybaby.“

After a few deep breaths, you seemed to calm down. It was strange. All you ever wanted was to be by Fuegoleon's side. You wanted him to be happy, to smile. But most of all, you wanted to be seen by him.

„And now? I'm glad he doesn't see me. He will... never see me again. I will never see him again...“ you thought. „That's so stupid. Especially because I was the one who didn't realise how much he saw me.  He supported me unconditionally. He always gave me the courage I needed, but I could never accept it. Probably because I never understood.”

Memories of your time together came flooding back.

Fuegoleon had caught your interest at first sight. With his long, auburn hair, he was a handsome young man and very popular with the ladies. Always friendly and polite. But you also knew that he would be the next captain after his father. So he was out of your league. On top of that you were about to lose your job. In other words, you were the exact opposite of him.

It was around this time that the two of you were paired up for your first mission together. But he didn't seem to mind at all. He complimented you on your work during the mission. He even intervened to save you from danger, which was actually your fault in the first place...

„Thanks to you, I was able to unlock a new spell... A new spell that saved us both.  What's more, you even stood up for me against the former captain, even though I had put us in danger.”

The moment he stood up for you was the moment you really started to feel something for him. Slowly but surely, your heart began to burn for the young future captain. You even began to hope that he liked you too. The two of you went on many missions together after that. Become close friends. Perhaps even more without realizing it…

Nevertheless, there was this one mocking question in your head: Why did you get involved with his sister? Did it bother you so much that Fuegoleon and you were just sort of close friends? That he never seemed to see the two of you as more than friends? But it was also hard for you to imagine that he would open up to you and show you his feelings - if there were any - at all.

„He was so damn nervous when he asked me for help with the office...” This was shortly after he had taken over the Order. Even though you were just sorting through a huge pile of documents that night, you always remembered it fondly.

„But maybe... he was nervous because he...“ Your cheeks flushed at the thought that his nervousness might be because he felt more for you than friendship. But as quickly as you had formed the thought, you buried it. Even though now was the time to cry over missed opportunities. It would hurt too much to admit these thoughts.

You only wonder how long he could have carried these feelings for you. For you; your feelings have never really changed since back then. They just grow with time, and in that one night, you fell in love with his soft and clumsy side, which he only showed towards you. In public, he seemed completely different. But the way he treated people with respect, no matter where they came from, was also a side of Fuegoleon that you had always admired so much.

But his sister Mereoleona was another story. Loud, rude and wearing her heart on her sleeve, she always said what was on her mind. Quite frightening at times.  But also, like her brother; fair. She never judged you or any other person because of where they came from... She believed in you and showed her affection openly.

„Was that it? Was I really that desperate to get acknowledged? Acknowledgement that Fuegoleon had never given to me. Or at least; not the way I wanted it...“

You let out a deep sigh. Now it was clear to you that he had some kind of recognition for you. In his own way. You, who always wanted to be the woman at his side, but were far too shy and consumed by self-doubt, were actually ignoring him. In fact, because you were so desperate to be seen by him, you overlooked him.

„I'm such a dummy girl. If you don't talk to me like Mereo did and tell me what's going on, I won't understand. But Fuegoleon has always made it clear to me, in his own way, how important I am to him and how much he values me. He didn't just trust me during the first mission, despite my many, many failures before. He trusted me afterwards, even though I had put him in danger. I was the one he asked for help with the office work. No one else. He showed me his vulnerable side. He trusted me and made me his closest confidant. He was always by my side and I by his. I already had everything I wanted. Just because I didn't see it, didn't understand it, I ruined my happiness and my life.”

A tear ran down your nose and dripped from the tip of your nose onto your hands. Then another one. And another. Finally, almost a whole waterfall under your quiet sobs. „Yes... I just didn't… didn't understand him. Wanted him to return my feelings. I wanted him to return my feelings. That's probably why I let myself be influenced by Mereoleona, because she gave me what I wanted...“

Your hands were shaking. They made it difficult for you to untie your cloak. Even the urge to wipe away your tears was gone. When you had opened your cloak, you laid it over the back of the chair, still whimpering softly with a trembling lower lip. It was not only your final farewell to Fuegoleon. It was also a sign that you were leaving the Order for good. A place that had become quite close to you after the long time and the many years you had spent here. The scarlet cloak was also a faithful companion. It showed everyone that you belonged to the Knights of the Crimson Lions. But not anymore…

„I'm so sorry, Fuegoleon,“ you whispered as you stood over him. You fought the urge to kiss him goodbye. But you resisted. It would have been shameless.

„I wish you could forgive me one day. But I can't even forgive myself. So please... Even though this wish is harsh and selfish... Just forget about me.”

 

Bad End - Epilog;

The sun was about to set, and as you looked back one last time. You could see the beautiful colours of the dusk. It painted the Order's building a deep red.

You let out a deep sigh and a sad smile formed on your lips. „If the situation was different, the view would be much nicer...“

In the short time you were standing there, staring into the twilight, you heard quick footsteps approaching you from behind.

„(Y/N)!!!“ That was Leo's voice. He was completely out of breath. It was obvious that he had run all the way up to you.  „I'm glad I caught you. What are you doing? Where are you going?“ His voice was shaking. He looked at you with his eyes half open, his eyebrows furrowed in concern. Showing you his young forehead in a furrow. Swallowing, he asked nervously: „Is this your cloak?“ He held it out to you. „I found it in my brother's room.“

„Yes,“ you replied briefly.

„But why did you put it there? Are you leaving us without a word? “

You looked away in shame. Your lips were pressed together as if you had to stop yourself from apologizing.

„Have you been mocked again?” He raised his voice. „Come with me, if you have a problem, even with my big sister, we can talk about it. I'll be with you!“ Leo grabbed your hand. He was still hoping to convince you to come back. „I'm sure there's a solution.“

But you did not move, for the boy was about to return to the Order with you.

You could see Leo's hope burst like a soap bubble as he froze for seconds.

Slowly, still with a look of disbelief on his face, unable to accept that this was the final goodbye, he turned around. „(Y/N)...?“

You looked at him with big, sad eyes. Then you slowly shook your head. „I'm sorry, Leo. I can't come back. Even though the Order has become my home. Even though I love you and your older siblings so much.

„Yes, you can!“ Tears welled up in his eyes. His body shook slightly.  „If there's a problem, come back and we talk it out together. We can...“

„We can't do this anymore,“ you said in a hushed voice. Truly broken. „I'm leaving the Order because I've let them both down...“

[amunyan]

The end is near. The first of four possible endings to this little DIY FF 🤩🤯

In this last part of chapter 6, one of the storylines comes to an (bad) end... Even though it will be sad, I hope you enjoy reading it... 🤗

Love me, not him  - Part6E

Your choice was made; you had to take responsibility for your actions. For being so greedy for attention and love. For choosing Mereoleona over her brother and ignoring your feelings for him. And now you're even hurting her, because you can't return those feelings...

„Great job, (Y/N),“ you congratulated yourself. „What was wrong with you? Why did you do that?“ The voice in your head shouted in annoyance. „I didn't even drink that much to lose control. Why am I so needy? And why did it have to be his sister? It just makes things worse...“ You were on the verge of tears as you walked down the corridors. Still asking yourself why you had done such a thing.

Were you afraid Fuegoleon would never wake up? Or that you wouldn't be able to tell him how you really felt about the two of you? The fact that Mereoleona confessed to you makes things a lot easier - doesn't it? Or was it the fear of being left alone? Not being able to archive love in your life?

 It was late in the afternoon; the other members of the Order were out training and on some simple missions. So you had plenty of time to say your final goodbyes. But even though your decision had been made and you thought you had no choice, your steps were slow and ponderous. As if your body resisted your decision. Nevertheless, you walked purposefully towards Fuegoleon's room.

You slipped quietly into his room and placed your large, heavy backpack - you had already packed all your essentials to leave after your last visit - in a corner near the door. Then you picked up a chair and lifted it over to Fuegoleon's bed.

You slowly sat down and stared at Fuegoleon's motionless body. It had been a long time since you had been here. Mainly because you couldn't bear the sight of the injured Capitan, just like now. With a stifled sob, you looked away.

„It still feels so unreal. I can hardly look at him. But somehow I'm glad he's asleep. Then he won't have to see me in such an awful shape.“ A tear ran down your face and you quickly wiped it away with the back of your hand. „I really am a crybaby.“

After a few deep breaths, you seemed to calm down. It was strange. All you ever wanted was to be by Fuegoleon's side. You wanted him to be happy, to smile. But most of all, you wanted to be seen by him.

„And now? I'm glad he doesn't see me. He will... never see me again. I will never see him again...“ you thought. „That's so stupid. Especially because I was the one who didn't realise how much he saw me.  He supported me unconditionally. He always gave me the courage I needed, but I could never accept it. Probably because I never understood.”

Memories of your time together came flooding back.

Fuegoleon had caught your interest at first sight. With his long, auburn hair, he was a handsome young man and very popular with the ladies. Always friendly and polite. But you also knew that he would be the next captain after his father. So he was out of your league. On top of that you were about to lose your job. In other words, you were the exact opposite of him.

It was around this time that the two of you were paired up for your first mission together. But he didn't seem to mind at all. He complimented you on your work during the mission. He even intervened to save you from danger, which was actually your fault in the first place...

„Thanks to you, I was able to unlock a new spell... A new spell that saved us both.  What's more, you even stood up for me against the former captain, even though I had put us in danger.”

The moment he stood up for you was the moment you really started to feel something for him. Slowly but surely, your heart began to burn for the young future captain. You even began to hope that he liked you too. The two of you went on many missions together after that. Become close friends. Perhaps even more without realizing it…

Nevertheless, there was this one mocking question in your head: Why did you get involved with his sister? Did it bother you so much that Fuegoleon and you were just sort of close friends? That he never seemed to see the two of you as more than friends? But it was also hard for you to imagine that he would open up to you and show you his feelings - if there were any - at all.

„He was so damn nervous when he asked me for help with the office...” This was shortly after he had taken over the Order. Even though you were just sorting through a huge pile of documents that night, you always remembered it fondly.

„But maybe... he was nervous because he...“ Your cheeks flushed at the thought that his nervousness might be because he felt more for you than friendship. But as quickly as you had formed the thought, you buried it. Even though now was the time to cry over missed opportunities. It would hurt too much to admit these thoughts.

You only wonder how long he could have carried these feelings for you. For you; your feelings have never really changed since back then. They just grow with time, and in that one night, you fell in love with his soft and clumsy side, which he only showed towards you. In public, he seemed completely different. But the way he treated people with respect, no matter where they came from, was also a side of Fuegoleon that you had always admired so much.

But his sister Mereoleona was another story. Loud, rude and wearing her heart on her sleeve, she always said what was on her mind. Quite frightening at times.  But also, like her brother; fair. She never judged you or any other person because of where they came from... She believed in you and showed her affection openly.

„Was that it? Was I really that desperate to get acknowledged? Acknowledgement that Fuegoleon had never given to me. Or at least; not the way I wanted it...“

You let out a deep sigh. Now it was clear to you that he had some kind of recognition for you. In his own way. You, who always wanted to be the woman at his side, but were far too shy and consumed by self-doubt, were actually ignoring him. In fact, because you were so desperate to be seen by him, you overlooked him.

„I'm such a dummy girl. If you don't talk to me like Mereo did and tell me what's going on, I won't understand. But Fuegoleon has always made it clear to me, in his own way, how important I am to him and how much he values me. He didn't just trust me during the first mission, despite my many, many failures before. He trusted me afterwards, even though I had put him in danger. I was the one he asked for help with the office work. No one else. He showed me his vulnerable side. He trusted me and made me his closest confidant. He was always by my side and I by his. I already had everything I wanted. Just because I didn't see it, didn't understand it, I ruined my happiness and my life.”

A tear ran down your nose and dripped from the tip of your nose onto your hands. Then another one. And another. Finally, almost a whole waterfall under your quiet sobs. „Yes... I just didn't… didn't understand him. Wanted him to return my feelings. I wanted him to return my feelings. That's probably why I let myself be influenced by Mereoleona, because she gave me what I wanted...“

Your hands were shaking. They made it difficult for you to untie your cloak. Even the urge to wipe away your tears was gone. When you had opened your cloak, you laid it over the back of the chair, still whimpering softly with a trembling lower lip. It was not only your final farewell to Fuegoleon. It was also a sign that you were leaving the Order for good. A place that had become quite close to you after the long time and the many years you had spent here. The scarlet cloak was also a faithful companion. It showed everyone that you belonged to the Knights of the Crimson Lions. But not anymore…

„I'm so sorry, Fuegoleon,“ you whispered as you stood over him. You fought the urge to kiss him goodbye. But you resisted. It would have been shameless.

„I wish you could forgive me one day. But I can't even forgive myself. So please... Even though this wish is harsh and selfish... Just forget about me.”

 

Bad End - Epilog;

The sun was about to set, and as you looked back one last time. You could see the beautiful colours of the dusk. It painted the Order's building a deep red.

You let out a deep sigh and a sad smile formed on your lips. „If the situation was different, the view would be much nicer...“

In the short time you were standing there, staring into the twilight, you heard quick footsteps approaching you from behind.

„(Y/N)!!!“ That was Leo's voice. He was completely out of breath. It was obvious that he had run all the way up to you.  „I'm glad I caught you. What are you doing? Where are you going?“ His voice was shaking. He looked at you with his eyes half open, his eyebrows furrowed in concern. Showing you his young forehead in a furrow. Swallowing, he asked nervously: „Is this your cloak?“ He held it out to you. „I found it in my brother's room.“

„Yes,“ you replied briefly.

„But why did you put it there? Are you leaving us without a word? “

You looked away in shame. Your lips were pressed together as if you had to stop yourself from apologizing.

„Have you been mocked again?” He raised his voice. „Come with me, if you have a problem, even with my big sister, we can talk about it. I'll be with you!“ Leo grabbed your hand. He was still hoping to convince you to come back. „I'm sure there's a solution.“

But you did not move, for the boy was about to return to the Order with you.

You could see Leo's hope burst like a soap bubble as he froze for seconds.

Slowly, still with a look of disbelief on his face, unable to accept that this was the final goodbye, he turned around. „(Y/N)...?“

You looked at him with big, sad eyes. Then you slowly shook your head. „I'm sorry, Leo. I can't come back. Even though the Order has become my home. Even though I love you and your older siblings so much.

„Yes, you can!“ Tears welled up in his eyes. His body shook slightly.  „If there's a problem, come back and we talk it out together. We can...“

„We can't do this anymore,“ you said in a hushed voice. Truly broken. „I'm leaving the Order because I've let them both down...“

[amunyan]

I can't believe I've got this far into the story. 🫣🤯But now we are nearing the end. This is already the penultimate chapter... Even though there is still a part of chapter 6 and the final chapter in the works. But I am happy that there are at least some people out there who read my stuff. 😅☺️

Wordcount; is somewhere around 3,240 (if anyone cares... )

Love me, not him (6/7)

6C

It was a rough start to the day for you. Not sleeping at all or crying your eyes out over your betrayal.... Neither of these did much to improve your mood.

You were accordingly tired and exhausted when you slurped your way into the common room in the early afternoon. Your vision was still blurred from all the tears and the short night. You also had a sinking feeling in your stomach. It could have been hunger or fear of Mereoleona; you skipped the morning training. But a voice in your head told you that it was all right if no one was looking for you. And because of the time of day, there were only a few other comrades at the tables, but they didn't pay any attention to you.

You were looking around for something to eat when you overheard a rumour that piqued your interest; the Royal Knights had been formed and the mission might start as early as tomorrow morning - much sooner than expected.

The rumour came from Leo, who was disappointed that he had not passed the entrance exam. He sat near the edge of a table and some other comrades tried to cheer him up.

Since you couldn't get any food and Leo looked sad too, you sat down opposite him. The two of you sat there, looking at each other with a deep gaze at the same time, looking down in defeat. He let out a deep sight and started, without words of greeting, to complain about the Entrance exam. „Damn it... I've trained so much, but I'm still weaker than everyone else. Asta made it. So did Yuno and Noelle. This is unfair. I can't believe I'm falling behind them.” He was clearly disappointed. The others had left the table as soon as he started talking. Perhaps he had told everyone this story over and over again, and now you were his next victim. „ And my sister gave me a hard time at training this morning. .... Even though she's supposed to be leading this new unit, she didn't notice how I was improving and that I should be there. She gave me the cold shoulder. Damn it. This is so unfair. I have to get stronger...“

Even though you weren't present at the exam and couldn't say much about the results, you could understand him. Too well...

„Yes,“ you nodded as your thoughts drifted to his sister. „ And I gave her another reason to be mad...“

Leo looked at you with a raised eyebrow. Not sure what to expect next. At the sight of his face, you felt a pang of guilt and quickly waved it away. „I'm sorry, Leo. That was tactless. You complained to me about your misery and I made it about me.“

„No worries,“ he replied nonchalantly, his head shaking as his eyes filled with sympathy. He pressed his lips together and his expression softened even more, as did his voice. „You look terrible too. Looks like my big sister is taking quite a toll on you?“

You flinched for a moment. You felt caught. „If only he knew how true that is,“ you thought to yourself.

„Do you wanna talk about it? You know her. Sometimes she can be very...“ he paused for a moment, seemingly searching for words that would aptly describe his sister but wouldn't be too rude, „...brutal and scary?“ It sounded more like a question, which he was fully aware of, trapped by his embarrassed grin. But you nodded in agreement.

„But she likes you, (Y/N). So does my brother. It must be hard for you too, not knowing if he's going to wake up or not...“

„You must be talking. He's just a good friend of mine,“ you said, blushing. You knew that was far from the truth. But you pulled yourself together and looked at Leo seriously. „He's your older brother. Your mentor. You idolise him more than anyone else and have been emulating him for years. It must be much harder for you, Leo.”

„Somehow; yes. But I know how strong Fuegoleon is. He'll wake up again.“ His voice was firm. He was convinced of it. He has a deep trust in his brother. Like a strong bond that cannot be broken.

„Yeah, I hope so too,“ you whispered, looking out the large window. You weren't as convinced as Leo. Even if you wanted to be.

Leo, however, was still staring at you. You could clearly feel his penetrating gaze. Maybe he really expected you to talk to him about your problems. But no matter how sweet Leo was, you resisted and ruffled his red fuzzy hair as you stood up.

„Thanks for the little chat, Leo“ you said to him before you left.

You know what to do now. You need time to think it all through. So you took the time and the nice weather this afternoon and left headquarters for your favorite secret place by the small river.

*******************************

To which result do you came?

A) „I'm glad Mereoleona leaves me alone for now....“

-> Part 6E, if you left her in the morning

Else; ->Chapter 7

B) „Maybe I should talk to her again?“

-> Part 6D

*******************************

6D

You thought you would find Mereoleona in the office at this time of the day; so you went there in the early evening. You stood a little nervously in front of the door, rubbing your hands together until you felt brave enough for a moment to knock on the wooden door. Mereoleona’s slightly aggressive, gruff voice sounded to invite you in. Shyly you opened the door and pushed your way in.

„Captain Mereoleona? Do you have time for me?“

„Oh, you are?“ She looked up from her desk, cluttered with papers, and asked you the reason for your visit.

*********************

6D-1 ; When you didn’t fight the night before

6D-2 After rejecting the kiss/ Sex

*********************

6D-1

„I don't have much time for someone as weak as you.“ Her voice was harsh and made you look away, guilty and visibly affected. You let out a deep sigh and looked around nervously. Unable to form words or even concentrate on her. Nervousness crept into your chest and constricted your lungs. It grew bigger and stronger when you noticed Mereoleona hammering her fingers restlessly on the tabletop.

„Nothing?“ She asked with raised eyebrows. „Then get lost! I have to do this stupid paperwork for the Royal Knights. This crap here should have been done by now. I still don't know why they need so many forms for a simple mission like that. Or why Nozzle doesn't care. We could just run off and kill the guys from the Midnight Sun. We don’t need those shitty papers.“ She gave an annoyed groan. „I know exactly why I hate this job here.“ She grumbled quietly to herself as a stack of papers felt to the floor at the same moment.

Almost automatically, you bent down to gather the papers.

„Mereoleona seems really stressed out by all the paperwork. „This work is definitely not suitable for her...“ Though you thought of offering her your help, you were still unable to speak normally. You could only stammer a few sounds as you sat down on the floor for the rest of the papers, „Um... it's so..... I...“

A stern look, as if Mereoleona would climb over the desk at any moment to come to you, settled on you. As if you were annoying her even more than the mess of papers. You startled for a moment and you almost crumpled the papers. The sight of Mereoleona, who was now standing up and towering over you, was more than frightening and you pumped your bum. But it helped you to loosen your tongue again.

„About the fight yesterday...“ now you could speak, you felt the urge to tell her the reason for your visit that she had asked about earlier. „I'm... I'm sorry. I wanted to talk to you again. And-”

Mereoleona cut you off in the middle of your sentence: „You don't need to apologize to me. Only to you...“

„S-sure... that's right,“ you whispered understandingly and looked away again. For a few moments there was silence in the room. Only to be broken by Mereoleona, who pushed back her chair and knelt on the floor to pick up the rest of the papers. You looked at her in disbelief, but she didn't seem to mind your gaze. „I can understand that you don’t like fighting this much, (Y/N). Your magic isn't made for combat. But you are a magic knight after all. So…” With a haunting look in her eyes, quite different from her soft voice, she approached you. You couldn't help but crawling back, but the desk got in your way. „Hey... don't gimme that look. Am I so scary to you?“

You bit your lower lip and were about to reply when Mereo let out a deep sigh and stood up again. „You know, everyone has weaknesses,“ she said, looking at the choatic desk. „Everyone just thinks you have to overcome them. But that's impossible. You have to know your strengths to find a way around your weaknesses. To compensate for them. Understand?“

„Yes, ma’am,“ you answer immediately and also get up to hand the papers to Mereoleona. With a soft smile on her face, she took them and put them on the desk. „I want you to be strong enough to fight for yourself. So I don't have to worry about you.“

„Huh?“

„You don't see it, do you?“ As her gaze meets yours, a cold shiver runs down your spine. You never thought Mereoleona could look this sad. „Well, who's surprised? You still see me as a scary person - like everyone else here. But I ...“

She came closer to you, almost pressurized you again like the day before. So close you could feel her warm breath on your skin. Her fiery scent in your nostrils. Your heart began to beat faster, not knowing what would come next.

„Don't worry, (Y/N). I've learned my lesson,“ Mereoleona said in a calm voice, waving her hand through your hair. „ I still like you. More than you can imagine. I've known you for years. I know how your magic works. As I told you, it is good for defence, and with your stamina you could build a great strategy around your strengths. Take this as a hint; after all, it is your job to become stronger and to recognise your strengths. Above all, be proud of them. Find your own way to fight!“ She ordered you and gave you a challenging look.

You just stood there with your mouth open, not knowing what to say as relief overcame you. A smile flitted across your lips and your mouth formed a strong, piercing „Yes, Mereoleona!”

+5 by Mereoleona (you became neutral again...)

-> next chapter

6D-2

(Bonus Dialog if you left in the morning): „I really missed you this morning...“ she adds and you can clearly hear the reproachful undertone in her voice.

„Yeah... I’m sorry I left without a word today and sent you into the unknown...“

You were still rubbing the palms of your hands together, restless. Somehow nervous. Like your gaze. You couldn't concentrate on Mereoleona and your eyes wandered twitchily around the room. A feeling of insecurity crept up inside you. You didn't know how she would react when you told her the reason for your visit.

„I am sure she is not the type of person who likes people who change their minds the way others change their underwear... But I have to tell her how I feel. And it's not like I'm being erratic or worse...“ You told yourself it was all right and took a deep breath.

But as much as you wanted to talk to Mereoleona, to talk about your feelings, you kept quiet. Nervousness crept into your chest and constricted your lungs. It grew bigger and stronger when you noticed Mereoleona hammering her fingers restlessly on the tabletop.

„So, what is it? Split it out? Or do you have nothing more to say to me?” She paused for a moment to gave you a stern look. But since you were not only frightened by her look, but could also imagine her becoming even angrier after you had told her the reason for your visit, you remained calm.

„Then get lost! I have to do this stupid paperwork for the Royal Knights. This crap here should have been done by now. I still don't know why they need so many forms for a simple mission like that. Or why Nozzle doesn't care. We could just run off and kill the guys from the Midnight Sun. We don’t need those shitty papers.“ She gave an annoyed groan. „I know exactly why I hate this job here.“ She grumbled quietly to herself as a stack of papers felt to the floor at the same moment.

Almost automatically, you bent down to gather the papers.

„Mereoleona seems really stressed out by all the paperwork. „This work is definitely not suitable for her...“ Though you thought of offering her your help, you were still unable to speak normally. You could only stammer a few sounds as you sat down on the floor for the rest of the papers, „Um... it's so..... I...“

Again; a stern look, as if Mereoleona would climb over the desk at any moment to come to you, settled on you. As if you were annoying her even more than the mess of papers. You startled for a moment and you almost crumpled the papers. The sight of Mereoleona, who was now standing up and towering over you, was more than frightening and you pumped your bum.

For a few moments there was silence in the room. Only to be broken by Mereoleona, who pushed back her chair with a loud slurping sound to also knelt down on the floor to pick up the rest of the papers. With a little disbelieve you looked at her, but she didn’t mind your gaze

„Will you finally tell me why you are here, (Y/N)? To annoy me? To play my secretary? Come on, if you don't like me and think yesterday was a mistake, you can tell me. I'm not as stupid as you think. I can tell not only tell from your mana how nervous you are. You look and act like a big mess. And there is only one reason I can think of..."

„Huh? Oh. No...“ you shook your head slowly. „ It's not about that. Not really. You surprised me yesterday and I couldn't find any other answer than to run away. I never thought of you that way. I never thought you'd be so open with me about your feelings. I didn't feel ready... As if... No one would believe we were really together...“

„Do you really think that's strange? I mean... We've been friends for years now. We always train together. We even bathe together.“ The two of you exchanged intense looks as Mereoleona approached you. You couldn't help but crawl back, but the desk was in your way. Not only. She had put her hand against the table, making escape impossible. Shyly, you held the papers you had just picked up from the floor in front of your face. Blushing, you looked away as you continued: „We are two girls, two women... This is somehow normal for us... But... Friends don't do things like that... Like kissing...“

After these words, there was a leaden silence in the room for a few moments.

„Mereo...“, you whispered. Still with the papers in front of your face, mostly covering your mouth. But Mereoleona was getting more and more annoyed. With a quick flick of her wrist, she snatches the papers from your hand, only to stand up in the same motion and toss the papers carelessly in her anger onto the desk. You jumped and huddled even closer to the desk as Mereoleona’s gaze lingered on you. Her arms were crossed over her chest, her eyebrows pulled together. But she didn't say anything. She just stared at you.

You swallowed, and it was no surprise that your voice was shaking when you begun to speak again: „I'm not here to tell you that I hate you. If that were the case, I would have already left the order.“ You paused and looked up at Mereo. She was still staring at you. You could feel the tension in the air. Her whole body was tense and she was literally holding her breath.

„No... I wanted to talk to you again. About us...“ Again; there was time for reflection on your words. „But I need time. As I told you; I never thought of us that way. You knew about my feelings for Fuegoleon. I still like him. I like you both. You are both so important to me. It's not just you. Your brother also has been by my side for so long. You have both always cheered me on and encouraged me. I cannot do that now. I cannot choose you over him, without talking to him first. Furthermore...“ You took a deep breath before looking into her blue eyes. She was still standing over you, staring at you in silence.

„I want to be able to return your feelings with all my heart and sincerity. You deserve it, Mereo...“

For a moment, you could have sworn Mereoleona had a blush on her face before she reached out her hand and pulled you up. Strongly enough to pull you into an embrace. „You really are a sweetheart,“ she whispered, her breath close to your skin and ear. „You know... all these years I have been looking forward to seeing you again when I go home for a few weeks. Even if it meant supporting you in your interest in my brother. But as the years went by and I saw no progress, only you getting sadder and sadder, I changed my mind. I wanted to be there for you. To cheer you on. To show you what a great person you are. But maybe I went too far without realising it. Like... I only realised I had gone too far yesterday when you ran away in tears. And I didn't stop. I dragged you into something you weren't quite sure about. I even gave you alcohol. That was probably rash, if not unfair.

„Don't worry. It was my fault too,“ you said in a soft voice, putting your arms around her. „I don't want to lose either of you. You have both given me the strength I have always needed. You both believe in me no matter what. I don't want to put one over the other without talking to both of you. But most of all... I don't want to disappoint either of you. I want to become what you both already know me to be and learn to love it! .... As you both have always done...“

-5 by Mereoleona (you became neutral again...)

-> next chapter

[amunyan]

Another “chapter” of my little DIY story – enjoy.☺️

Wordcount; Somewhere around 1690…😅

 

Love me, not him (6/7)

6B

The rays of the morning sun tickled your nose and the urge to sneeze woke you up. You found yourself naked in an unfamiliar bed, in a strange room.

“The bedrooms for the squad members are much simpler than this noble room”, you thought as you rubbed the sleep from your eyes. „Where am I?” When you turned around and saw Mereoleona lying next to you, you remembered what happened last night...

“Oh... I see...” You muttered as you looked down at yourself and saw all the bite marks, as well as the hickeys. „Last night really was wild, as I can see...“

Your gaze wandered back to the person, who was definitely responsible for this. She was still sleeping, even snoring a little...

**********************************************

a) It was okay for you to be intimate with her (6B-1)

b) Nothing were fine anymore (6B-2)

**********************************************

 

6B-1)

A small smile flitted across your lips when you saw her snoring like that, so you moved closer to her. Slowly you bent over her and could not resist running your hand through her wild red curls.

As soon as she woke up from your touches, she pulled you closer, to give you a good-morning-kiss on the lips. “Good morning, sweetheart...” A bright smile appeared on her face, as she pressed you into the blankets and kneed above you.

It only took this little to make you blush again. And Mereo laughed softly.  “You really are so easily upset. But it's cute. I like it.”  She kissed you on the forehead and her expression changed. A meaningful look appeared on her face. “It's way too early to get up now. But now that we're both awake, how about another round?”

“Huh?”

“Don’t Huh me.  You You really gave me a challenge to satisfy you. I did not expect you to be so needy. But shortly after I was done, you shamelessly fell asleep. So; Do you wanna continue and show me how much you love me?” Mereoleona snuggles tighter against you. She also was still naked, so you could feel her warm skin on yours.

Just as you were about to answer, she let out a loud yawn and let go of your wrists.

“Still tired?” You asked.

“As I said; you took a lot out of me last night” She replied and lay down on her stomach next to you. She really did look a bit sleepy. An unusual picture for you. Leaning on your forearms, you were about to run your fingers through her tangled, yet adorable, bed hair when you noticed all the red scratches on her back.Carefully you stroke her skin, as if your touch were enough to hurt her even more. You even felt a little guilty.

“Was that me?” You asked yourself, loud enough to be overheard by Mereo.

She nodded unimpressed. “But don't feel bad for it. It felt good how rough you got. I didn't think you were capable of it.” She gives you a cheeky grin from below, showing her fangs.  “Your little claws sent shivers down my spine as they dug deep into my skin. That excited me even more. It was as if you were trying to mark me as your own. Just like I did, that everyone could see right away that you were my prey. You belong to me now.”

Your cheeks turned bright red, although her words seemed far away and abstract. Like nothing you ever considered to come true. But when you think about it, all the time the two of you have spent together; the arduous training sessions at the hot springs, only her knowing your little secret, her always being by your side to support you without hesitation and unconditionally.

It was not that Fuegoleon never showed feelings towards you. But Mereo gave you all you ever wanted. First now you realised this. It was always her...

The same time you thought this was strange. Mereoleona, the undefeated and - most of all - proud lioness would never linger around someone like you and begging for their Love. Not only this. She would never be pleased by someone simply just loving her back, because she confessed towards them.

You felt guilty and tears swelled up in your eyes. As you set up on your knees, Mereo did the same and asked you what’s wrong: “Feeling guilty because of Fuegoleon?”

“A little. But also because you told me again how you feel about me....”

With tear-stained eyes you looked at her. She looked at you, unsure what to expect next.

“Mereoleona... It would be unfair of me to give you the same feelings you give me, just because you told me. I honestly want to love you... So please. Give me the time I need. You deserve it. You deserve someone to love you with all their heart.” You paused for a moment to wipe away your tears.  “Besides, I don't think I can switch so quickly between being afraid of you - because that's what I've been all along - and loving you...”

“What?” Mereoleonas bushy eyebrows contracted. “You were afraid of me?” She built herself up in front of you, while you become small enough to hide under a rug. You expected her to rage on. Yes, you told her you didn't love her back. And you even told her you were even afraid of her.

But you felt her hands, wrapping gentle around your waist. “Was I that scary to you?”  She asked, more as a rhetorical question because she answered it herself. “Maybe I was, without realising it. Like… I only realised yesterday that I went too far, when you ran away crying.... All these years I have been looking forward to seeing you again when I go home for a few weeks. Even if it meant supporting you in your interest in my brother. But as the years went by and I saw no progress, only you getting sadder and sadder, I changed my mind. I wanted to be there for you. To cheer you on. Show you what a great person you are. Just like now…“

With a questioning face you looked at her as she pulled you on her lap.

„Don't gimme that look, (Y/N). Don't be afraid of me... I would never harm you. I told you how I felt about you. And you told me the truth...“

The first tear fell.

Mereo wiped it away carefully, before kissing your forehead. „I appreciate your honesty. I adore you for so much more... So I wait for the day when you can love me unconditionally and sincerely.“

Her arms closed tighter around your body as she buried her face in your chest. Carefully, you wrapped your arms around her to feel her warm skin closer to you. The fiery scent of the wild woman rose to your nose and you took it all in. You slowly began to burn for her after the spark had ignited....

(Go to the next Chapter --> 7)

 

6B-2)

A Panic started in your head, as the sight of the naked Mereoleona brought back more memories of last night.

“Shit, shit, shit... How much did I drink yesterday? It was only a small glass of sake, wasn’t it? How did I end up sleeping with her?” Your face turned bright red as you thought about all the stuff she had done to you. “She not only touched me down there, she also...”

You had to suppress a loud nervous noise, what resulted into heavy breathing.  “Even though Fuegoleon and I are not together, have never been together... it feels like I cheated on him...”

Tears of guilt welled up in your eyes and you began to nervously chew your lower lip.

“Mereoleona is no bad person after all. She always supported me. We were close... but I always feared her. I never ever considered such a Situation to come true. But now?”

As quietly as you could, you pulled back the covers and began to search for your clothes. You did not want to wake the sleeping lioness.

“She would throw me out of the window …” You thought to yourself. “She totally would, if I tell her how guilty I feel for this action. That the last night was the biggest mistake in my life so far. And that I cannot return her feelings, because I’m still into her brother.”

With a quiet sigh, you grabbed your clothes and dressed quickly, but most importantly, silently. Before you went to the door to disappear for good, you take one last look over your shoulder. Mereoleona didn’t wake up from the search for your stuff. She was still fast asleep but her snoring sounded threatening, like the warning growl of a lion.

“I need to get out of here.” 

You reached out for the doorknob, turning it, when a horribly loud squeak was heard. As if frozen, you stopped and listen. Nothing to hear. So you turned around and noticed with relief that Mereoleona was still asleep. She had stopped snoring but was only turning to the other side.

“My chance...”

Before she could notice that you were no longer in the bed, you had disappeared into the corridors. You took the shortest way back to your room.

As you closed the door behind you, your legs began to tremble, forcing you to your knees. Leaning against the door, you sank to the floor.

There you sat; no longer able to stand up. Now that you no longer had to hold back, you burst into tears. “I am such a bad Person”, you thought to yourself. “Why did I sleep with Mereoleona? I don't like her in this way. Damn... what have I done? Now I can't confess my feelings to Fuegoleon anymore. I have no longer the right to this.”

Your whole body was shaking at this point. There was nothing you could to do about this. You felt dirty, but you also knew, a long shower wouldn’t change this at all.

“I don’t know what I should do now. Should I talk to Mereoleona again or should I just leave the order for good?”

 

(--> go to 6c)

[amunyan]

Love me, not him - 6A

After a lot of storyline with Mereoleona, this part of chapter 6 will follow the route of Fuegoleon again.

(You came here when you avoided the fight or if you rejected Mereoleona earlier. Or if you read everything… like I also would in these create-your-story-thing…;P)

 It’s just a fluffy flashback, but enjoy :)

Wordcount: 2,129

 

The moon was still high in the sky, but hiding behind some clouds.

You were lying in your bed, unable to fall asleep. Insomnia had taken over and your thoughts were on a rollercoaster since Mereloeona wished you a good night and left.

You thought about the events of the day... or at least tried so. But your thoughts always drifted away to him, to Fuegoleon, while you snuggle deeper into your blanket.

As you were lying there, missing him more with each passing day, more memories came back. One of them; the long night you spent with him...

"It was a while after my failed confession, when he became the Captain of our squad", you mumbled while starring at the ceiling.

 

You knocked on the office door, unsure of the reason for your visit. But there was no answer.

"It's late," you noticed. "God knows why he wants to see me at this unholy hour. Besides; we have hardly spoken since my failed confession some time ago..." You become worried, thinking that Fuegoleon might throw you out of the order for this. "Maybe he hates me now. But I did well during the last missions. Oh dear. Why am I here?" You asked yourself again, expecting the worst. Not even considering how absurd your thoughts were as you began to knead your hands restlessly and bit your lower lip. You thought about just leaving, but you forced yourself to try again and knocked on the door a second time. Again; no answer.

"Good", you said to yourself and were about to turn around as you could hear something after all; hectic noises, slurping on the floor, then a rumbling, followed by cursing. Then the door swung open.

"(Y/N)?!?" A bright smile appeared on Fuegoleons stressed face as he saw you.

"Are you okay, Fuegoleon?" you asked worriedly. Not only the loud noises but also the dark circles under his eyes worried you.  "You look like you haven't slept in days."

"I didn't," he replied guiltily. "That's why I need your help."

You didn't understand what was going on and how you, of all people, could help him. Even less so when he dragged you into the office, closed the door and grabbed you by the shoulders. The young leader of the Order looked into your eyes. "I can only ask you, (Y/N), for this favour. So please help me."

"Huh?"

He let go of you to touch his forehead in shame and averted his eyes. "I didn't expect to have to deal with so much paperwork when I took over the order. While working on reports and planning missions, as well as the actual bookkeeping, I made a mistake. In trying to correct it, and looking for similar reports and other notes that might help me, I unfortunately caused this..."

You looked past him into the room, which was flooded with papers and fallen books, as well as other things that completed the chaos. A chaos you never expected Fuegoleon could cause.

“It’s embarrassing for someone like me”, he said with a low voice, full of guilt.

“Don’t worry”, you answered softy and shacked your head. “It’s no shame to make a mistake. Everyone does. It’s similar to what you always say. The shame comes with not learning from them and with no improvement. I know what I am talking about. I made too many along my way...” You paused for a moment and took a deep breath, before you looked at him with a soft smile. “I’ll help you to fix this mistake.”

"Thank you." With relief in his voice, he wanted to hug you. But when he was already standing in front of you with his arms half outstretched, he changed his mind again and just cleared his throat. You noticed that he even blushed a little.  Although you felt a little sad about this, you couldn’t help smiling.  

“Fuegoleon is such an organized and competent person. Always friendly and also a strong mage. But this side of him, his vulnerable side, he only shows me. As if he knew I wouldn't judge him. As if he knew he is safe with me…”

Over the next few hours, you went through all the paper chaos together. You reassembled documents and reports that belonged together, put them in a logical and chronological order and threw away things that were no longer needed.

"That took much longer than expected," he noted.

You nodded. "But most of the work is done now.  We just have to sort the files back into the shelf and clean up here." As you were about to start, a loud yawn escaped you. Just as you were about to apologize, Fuegoleon yawned too. With an awkward grin, you looked at each other as the young leader suggested: "How about tea? Or better; coffee? We still might sit here for a while."

"Good Idea. I will go and get some." You put the file in your hands into the shelf and were about to go, but Fuegoleon stopped you by blocking the door. "Don't worry - I will. Take a little break, (Y/N)."

"Afraid that you will make a mess again in the few minutes I get us something to drink?” You couldn't help yourself from making a little joke.

"Maybe ", he answered quietly, smiling a little embarrassed at you, before leaving you alone in the office, but you didn't mind.

"He's such an accommodating guy. I'm so glad he likes me. Even though..." The same moment you congratulated yourself on being a happy little mushroom, the self-doubts came back. And with them, the nagging question of "Why?" "Why does he still like me? Why is he asking me for help? After my failed confession and the fact that I never really wanted to see him again. Why is he still so friendly towards me?"

While you ponder these questions, you sort back a few papers and reports on the last missions. "Maybe he really likes me as much as I like him? Maybe we..."

Another yawn undercuts your train of thought. "Fuegoleon is really taking his time. Maybe..." You sit down on the small sofa in the room. “He ordered me to take a little break. Not a bad idea at all – I am really tired by now. It’s past midnight and the past day was full of hard training and work.” The sofa was so warm and soft, you couldn’t help but lying down on it "I'm just resting my eyes until he comes back..." Knowing that this was a complete lie, you closed your eyes and fell asleep in no time.

"I don't know how long I slept on that sofa. But I know I dreamed of him. Sneaking a kiss from me..." Even though you know that Fuegoleon would never do such a thing - kissing a sleeping girl is a reprehensible thing, by the way - it made you giggle a little. No. "He did something much sweeter..."

Without realising it, you wrapped yourself more tightly in the blanket. You hugged it like a soft toy and buried your nose in the fabric. Although it certainly didn't smell like your beloved...

"He gave me his cloak. Covered me up.... I can still remember the scent, warm and sweet, but also a little spicy. Like cinnamon with a fresh hint of ginger..."

When you woke up again, you felt safe and sound. Like being in a warm hug. The smell of cinnamon rose to your nose. A smile flitted across your lips as you opened your eyes. You couldn't tell why you felt so safe, neither how long you had been asleep. But the second you realized Fuegoleon was already back, doing the job he'd actually told you to do, a panic started in your head and you rumbled to your feet. Still wrapped in what you think is a blanket.

"Oh no. I'm so sorry, Fuegoleon. I fell asleep and..."

"Don't worry", he said friendly. "I've finished the work a moment ago."

"What?"

He nodded, putting back the last file of documents. “Also, I told you to take a little break and rest. Everything is alright.”

With a gentle smile on his face and half-open eyes, an expression full of gratitude, he came over to you. "I must thank you again for all your support, (Y/N)." He sit down beside you.

"Oh no, nothing special." You looked away, blushing, still feeling guilty about your little nap. "It's the least I could do for you."

"Nonsense." You jumped as he raised his voice for a moment. "It's not part of your job. But... but you always help me without hesitation. Just one of the many things I appreciate about you. So..." He paused for a moment. "I'm glad you came tonight. I thought I had done something wrong to make you angry. You hardly spoke to me the last few weeks. But you are here now. And that makes me so happy..."

His words pierced your heart a little. They made you want to tell him again how you really feel about him. How much you truly like him. That your feelings even went beyond this. That you were never angry with him. That you were never angry with him. You were only embarrassed that you were always so quiet and had difficulty expressing yourself. For a split second, your courage grew. But when you noticed that Fuegoleon suddenly seemed nervous and even blushed a little, you bit your lips. Unsure what to do, he made you even more insecure when he spoke again. "So... I wonder if I could ask you something, (Y/N)?"

“Of course.” You answered right away, looking at him. Hoping, he would make a move now and tell you how he feels towards you. Like hoping for the best, but not expecting it would ever happen.

"I'm not sure if I'm even allowed to ask you this. If this isn't a bit forward of me. But..." He paused again and turned away uneasily. One could clearly see his struggle. But not the absence of his cloak.

"Maybe he really...“ You allowed yourself to hope a little.

"Would you mind helping me out with these things? I mean - the paperwork." He slowly turned back to you, rubbing his bright red cheeks.

"Oh?" You sounded more disappointed than you wanted to.

“But helping him out from time to time is a good excuse to see him more often. To get closer…” You thought to yourself.

Meanwhile, Fuegoleon seemed a bit ashamed. As if he really thought he was asking too much of you. But you placed your hand on the top of his.

“Of course, Fuegoleon. I will help you. I'm glad you have so much faith in a clumsy little person like me..."

“Don’t make yourself small again. You are reliable, (Y/N). Just believe more in yourself. Please. And thank you for your agreement. This means a lot to me.  But it's late now. Let's discuss the details tomorrow. Should  Shall I accompany you to your room?  You seem sleepy."

"Oh no, it's all right," you smiled and snuggled tighter into the so-called blanket.

As the two of you left the room, wishing each other a good night and about to walk in the opposite direction, you didn't watch your step and tripped over the fabric of the blanket.

You closed your eyes after a startled scream and waited for yourself to hit the ground when you felt Fuegoleon's strong arm wrap around your waist. Concerned, he asked you if everything was all right.

"Yes ... But ..." At that moment you realised that the blanket was Fuegoleon’s cape.

Torn between joy and being flattered and the horror and shock of having damaged his new cape, you don't know what to do.

"I'm so sorry," you whispered. "I didn't realise it was your cape until just now. And now I've broken it..."

"Don't worry. It's not a big deal. I'm glad you're okay."

"I'll fix this for you. I promise." Your voice was full of determination, but also full of guilt as you looked into his eyes while tears welled up in your eyes.

"I managed to repair the cloak for him. Although you could clearly see that my skills were very bumbling if you looked closely, he always wore it with grace. And I was able to sleep in his coat for a few nights. With his scent in my nose and the feeling of a warm embrace..."

You rolled onto the other side of the bed and looked out of the window. The moon had stopped hiding.

"I miss him so much..." you thought with tears in your eyes and hugged the pillow tighter.

[amunyan]

Love me, not him (Part 5.5/7)

Word count: 1.247

Warnings: Smut…

Mereoleona kissed you back. Her fingers got tangled in your hair as she tried to grab your neck to pull you closer. But she didn’t mind. She was kissing you like a starving animal. You could feel her fang and teeth biting your lips.

"Brutal as always...“, you thought to yourself. "But it feels... good?!" You couldn’t help and leaning more into this kiss. Knowing she wants more, you opened your mouth to allow her tongue to enter.

The Feeling of her tongue, stroking over yours was strange; yet exciting. Especially for your first kiss. You even felt confidence enough to go in for a little Battle. Fighting for the dominance.

Mereoleona seemed to like it. She went along with the play for a few moments. But soon enough she definitely won this little battle and you gave in. Letting you be pushed against the back of the sofa and her right hand wandered up your leg.

"Wait...“, you whispered and push her away gentle to stop her, but also to lunge for a deep breath of air. Unable to open your eyes after this wild kiss, you nervously bit your lips.

"Do you really wanna go this far?"

"I wouldn’t mind", she answered right away. "The question is; is it fine for you, (Y/N)."

You did not notice how close Mereoleona had come, she literally whispered in your ear. Her breath was warm against your skin. Giving you goose bumps and pleasant shivers run down your back. Your decision was made.

"Yes, I want to feel you even more...“, you mumbled and look at her.

The next moment, her arms wrapped around you. "Let's continue this in bed..."

Only shortly later you found yourself in Ms big and soft bed. She kneeled over you and can't stop herself from kissing you. Tender, but more demanding.

Her lips slowly let off of yours to wander down your neck and leaving a trail of biting marks, only to stop for the rushed moments she took to unbutton your blouse.

Your heart beat faster and your body started shaking. Mereo grinned at you. "I'll be gentle", she promised in a low voice as she unclasped your bra and brushed her fingertips over your bare chest, making you shiver. You feel her warm skin on yours. Her breath close to yours.

She bended down and starts licking your nipples. A quiet moan escaped your mouth.

"So easily excited?" Mereoleona stopped to look at you with a sly smile. "Don't make it too easy for me. All the fun would get lost..."

As soon as you realised what sounds you were capable of, you turned bright red with embarrassment and wanted to tear your face off. You pressed your hand over your mouth to stop further noises while Mereoleona begun to undress. Her blue jacket slipped over her shoulders and fell silently to the floor. So did her white top.

“But most all...”, she grabbed your hand with which you covered your mouth. "Don't do this. I wanna hear your sweet voice while we are doing it.... Understood?"

“But... I don't wanna be too loud...and... What if the other squad members hear us?"

"I don't care. Everyone should know you are mine now..." She kissed you again. With all their feelings and longing.

Her fingers found their way down your body, deliberately into your panties. Mereo gently stroked your vulva and your breathing quickened. Your fingertips dug deep into her shoulders as you let out a shy sigh. A smile hushed over her lips, and she was about push her fingers deeper inside you. But she paused for a moment, a look of irritation on her face, before she smirked at you.

"You're really easy to excite, aren't you? But it pleases me that your body enjoys my touches so much". She pulled her and out of your panties. "Look, how wet you already got."

You couldn’t help but blushing even more badly as she licked her fingers. "As sweet as you are..."

She did not want to wait any longer. Her hands grabbed your trousers impatiently, trying to pull them off as quickly as possible. Your panties too.

As you thought she would undress herself now, her hand reached out for your arm which was still bandaged. Slowly, with a sad look in her eyes, she unwrapped it to take a closer look at your injury. You could see in her eyes how guilty she still feels.

"Mereo..." You whispered so quietly, she couldn’t hear you being worried. As you try to get up, she starts kissing your injured arm. Gently but passionate.

“I never wanted to make you cry or hurt you in this way...I Love to tease you. Love how easy you get flustered and take everything way to serious..."

"Don't worry, it's..." you tryed to comfort her as she gently pushed you back into the covers. Kissing you to make you shut up

"(Y/N)" she whispered, "I don't want to hurt you anymore. I will protect you... Because..." She leaned in for another kiss, confessing her feelings towards you. Before you could answer she pressed her lips against yours. With all her feelings.

Only now she got herself completely naked. It's not the first time, you saw her like this. You both have been bathing together for years. But it's the first time in such a situation.

You had never noticed how defined her collarbone was, how strong her body and abs were. The desire to touch her overcame you and your fingertips stroked her hips and belly. They slowly started to wander upward. A little hesitant and shy, yet curious, you touched her breasts. Her nipples. You also made her moan a little, which sounded more like a quiet lion's roar.

"You are cute. It tickles.... I'll show you how to do it."

Mereoleona grabbed your wrists. Since you couldn't move, you were completely at her mercy. But you soaked up all the little shivers she gave you by kissing your nipples again. She licked and bit them to make you moan louder with each of her touches.

As the grip on your wrists loosed, Mereo started kissing your body. She clearly wanted to get down to business. Now. She left a trail of hickeys and bite marks all the way down to your hips. As if she wanted to show everyone that you now belong to her....

She parted your legs to reach your vulva again and starts licking it with her tongue. You shuddered and clawed harder at Mereos’ shoulders again. Each time she pushed her wet muscle deeper into you, your fingertips dug deeper, leaving a trail of scratches on her skin as you moaned and gave yourself completely to her, but it seems to you that she is enjoying it...

"You really are so easy to turn on, aren't you?” She said with a smirk on her face. "But let's see if you're just as easily satisfied..."

She ordered you to stand up and kneel in front of her. That way she could embrace you from behind, one hand on your breast, playing with your nipples, while she kissed and bit your neck so that not a millimeter of your skin was left untouched.

"You really love this spot, don't you? You're getting really tight down here. Look..."

She pushed her fingers deeper inside you. A little carefully at first, but soon faster and deeper.

Loving you like the beast she is....

[amunyan]

Love me, not him! (5/7)

The next chapter of my little story; And I am still very unsure about it…😅🫣 Mostly of how I am portraying the characters… Anyway – I still try my best to continue. Hope you like it🤗

„Come in“, Mereoleona said with a little smile on her face and you closed the door behind the two of you.

After the fight she invented you to her room. You expected that she would want to talk about the incident. As you entered the room, however, you first looked around; almost reverently.

Even if you knew her for so many years now, it's the first time Mereo dragged you into her room.

„Didn’t expect it to be this tidy... But it only makes sense; Most of the time she is out in the wilderness, and although she is part of the royal family, she doesn't own that many things - probably because she is always on tour for months at a time “, you thought to yourself.

While you were looking around, Mereoleona had got something to drink.

„Here“, she said handing you one of the two glasses in her hands. „It's the same sake from the last time we got drunk together. I remembered you liked it.“

You were never much of a drinker, nor were you the type to hang out in pubs and bars. Only when you were with Mereoleona.

„Thanks“, you said and she sit down on the deep red sofa, standing in front of the big windows. An old, classic sofa, you also never expected her to have. Shyly, a little unsure what to do, you stood there for a moment, as she called for you: “(Y/N)!? Don’t just stand there! Come, you can sit next to me – you know? “

“Uh? You don’t want me to talk to you about the incident?”

“What? Why? I thought I made myself clear? I don’t care about this shit. So come on – let’s drink!”

“Okay…” Carefully, still unsure what to expect, you sit down next to her, as you gaze fell outside in the night. A beautiful view of the city, with all its lights opened up in front of you.

„Although the headquarter is this close, I never saw this sky. Never hat this view… It’s impressing”, you whispered.

“Really?” Mereoleona looked at you, a little skeptical. “I prefer the sky over the wilderness and in the forests. Anywhere else – far away from the city lights. It's more breathtaking...”

“Similar to the night sky at the hot springs?“

She nodded. „If you want to, I can take you with me on my next trip. For a while... Of course only if my brother wakes up again. Otherwise I am stuck here for the next years.” She angrily took a sip out of her cup, while you were still staring out the big window, still completely overwhelmed and thrilled by the view.

“It’s cute, how easy it is, to impress you…” A laughter left her mouth and you turned around to her. A little embarrassed. Even more when you met her eyes and a soft smile appeared on her lips. “But if it's with you... it wouldn’t be this bad.”

„What? With me?” Your eyes widened and you tried to stifle a nervous laug. „ Oh, come on. I thought I already told you; I’ not that special.”

„I think you don't understanbd, (Y/N). Fuegoleon always told me about you. Mostly how much he can rely on you. So...”

You raised your eyebrows. Unsure what to expected next.

“So... Nothing really happened between you two?”

“What?” Sourly, you contorted your face. You wondered if she really meant it. The next moment you remembered that it is about Mereoleona. She is always serious. She is not the person for funny jokes. Sometimes for jokes, but only unintentionally.

As you told her, Fuegoleon is hardly that open towards you, you let out a deep sigh.. “He is always friendly to me. But also more distant than you. I don't know if this is a good sign. Or...?“ You tried to picture Fuegoleon like Mereoleona; unconventional, loud and direct. Not exactly rude, more like a bad boy…

“No...”, you stopped yourself from your stupid thoughts. “I compare two totally different types of people. Even if they are siblings, Fuegoleon would show his affection different than Mereoleona. Affektion? Wait a Minute.“ The Moment you realised that this thought appererd for the second time today makes you kind of nervous. You looked up and saw in Mereos blue eyes, her gaze at you. Still waiting for an answer.

***************************************************

A: You tried to smile cheekily, winking at her, pressing your finger to your lip. "This is our little secret."

B: You put your drink away to lean towards her and put your hand on her shoulder. „This“, you said grumpy, looking at her with an unhappy face. “This is the only way he shows his gratitude to me. A pat on the back."

****************************************************

A:

„Is this so?” She looked at you with a raised eyebrow. Patterned you very closely. And you hoped that she don't want to have more details. The moment of her, watching you in silence felt like hours. But she seems to be pleased. She closed her eyes and a soft smile appererd on her lips. She sighs softly, as she quietly said: „I can't believe that my brother really found such a loyal puppy.”

“Yes... seems so," you said meekly, unsure of what to answer. The next moment she leaned towards you. She came very close and your heart beat faster for a moment. Her right hand ran through your hair. “But you both need to get your shit together...”

“Huh?”

„When Fuegoleon wakes up, you should tell him quickly about how you feel. Otherwise...” She strokes your cheek and puts her hand to your chin, pulling you up gently, “I can't guarantee anything anymore.”

à continue at AB

B:

“Oh”, she said with a disconcerting undertone and a mischievous smile on her lips that showed her fang. “Is that so?”

The next Moment she also leaned towards you, running with her fingers through your hair. „But you are such a sweetheart. It hurts, to see you always this sad.”

You bite your lips and wanted to back away. But within seconds Mereoleona had put away her glass and had bent above you. Like her pray, you layed now under the lioness, your wrists also fixed by her strong hands.

„Mereo...“ Your eyes widen und your heart beated faster. She seemed to notice and her grin became brighter, as she realised you again. „You are sweet when you do this. It makes me want to tease you even more.”

à continue at AB

AB:

You can't help but blushing badly.

„Mereoleona...“, you whispered. You bite your lips and paused for a moment. Questioned yourself if you really should ask for her reasons. It might was the alcohol, but after a deep breath you tried to formulate your question. „Why? Why is it that you like me. Me? I mean... I am not great at fighting or overpowered strong - like you. Neither am I intelligent nor can keep a cool head in difficult Situations - like Fuegoleon. I am one of the weakest squad-members…

If you got saved the last chapter à See... The fact that you had to save me proves it...”

If you won the fight à And the fight just now… it was only luck…”

She quietly looked at you, seeming unsure about what you wanted to tell her. So you continued and tried to make yourself clear: “Years ago, everyone used to make fun of me. Told me I am not even worth of being a Magic Knight. Even if I always tryed my best. But... Because of beeing clumsy, the opposite happend. I mostly always coused problems and little disasters....“

„Is it because of this, you always try to appear as serious as possible?“

You nodded. Looking away, to hide your sadness. „I don't want to disappoint Fuegoleon...“

„But why are you pretending?“ She asked, looking at you as she took a sip of her sake, unimpressed.

„Why?” You got louder. Even a little angry. “Didn't you hear me? I am a mess of a person.” You pointed your finger at yourself before looking away and crossing your arms in annoyance. “Your brother shall not be ashamed of me, if I am by his side...”

“You have no reason to. Because Fuegoleon trusts you. Even though he is the leader of the Order, you are not his subordinate.”

„But...”

Her voice got louder. It dominated your attempt to contradict „There is no need to work for his trust anymore. You already have proofed yourself. Or why do you think it is, that he relays on you and none of the other members?”

Silence has taken over the room and you need a moment to process this fact, you have been blind for too long.

***When you chose A above***

„He likes you. More than you know, (Y/N). Everyone already knows that you have grown so much since back than. You are the only one not able to see it. It's not just that he relies on you more than he should.... He tried to help you with confidence...”

„Huh?!“

She heaved a deep sigh. Without looking at you, she gently taps you on the shoulder. "Do not disappoint him. That's an order! Next time you confess your feelings to him, speak up. Speak a little louder and be bit prouder. Not for nothing are you a proud lioness...“

à next chapter; 6A

***When you chose B above***

„Not only my brother noticed that. I already told you today, how amzing I think could become. No”, she shakes her head slowly but firmly, “how amazing you already are, (Y/N).”

She bent down to you again and put her fingers in your hair. She looked deep into your eyes before closing them. “The only one left to notice is you.”

The next moment you felt her lips on yours. United in a brief yet gentle kiss.

„This is something I wanted to do for so long now“, she whispered against your lips.

“Did you... did you just kiss me?!” You looked at her, blushing and incredulous.

***************************

Push her away carefully à B-1

Let her have her way à B-2

***************************

B-1:

„I am sorry if I sent the wrong signals to you. But...“ You grabed your lips in disbelief. Than you looked away. Tears come to your eyes, as you thought of Fuegoleon. „I can't. It would be unfair to your brother.... Unless I've never told him how I feel out loud enough, that doesn't mean I don't have feelings for him.” The first tears dropped over your nose down to your knees. You wiped them away quickly.

„I understand”, she said quietly with a pinch of sadness in her voice. „Don't think too much about this innocent kiss.”

She heaved a deep sigh. Without looking at you, she gently taps you on the shoulder. "Do not disappoint him. That's an order! Next time you confess your feelings to him, speak up. Speak a little louder and be bit prouder. Not for nothing are you a proud lioness...“

à next chapter; 6A

B-2

You bit your lips, not able to say anything. The fact that she not only told you about her feelings but now the kiss. Tears begun to swell in your eyes.

„Are you okay?” She asked concerned.

You nooded quietly before you wispered. „Even if we spent more less time together than I spent with Fuegoleon ... I feel so much closer to you somehow. Why is this, Mereo?”

The tears running down your face began to drip from your chin and she came closer to wipe them away. “You really are a crybaby, aren't you? Do you hate me that much?”

„No... I just feel guilty towards him... Also I never thought you are serious about this. I thought you wanted help me out. To get closer to your brother...“

“That's exactly what I wanted to do. But seeing you so sad all the time made me want to protect you. I wanted to show you how special you were to me. But...” Her eyes wandered to your bandaged arm. Her voice grew unusually quiet. Almost guilty. “But I've probably just been hurting you all this time...” “No.” You contradict her quietly, leaning towards her „I am not strong enoght to stand against you. Not only physical...“ Now it was you who placed her lips on hers.

à Go to Chapter 5.5

[amunyan]

Love me, not him! (5/7)

The next chapter of my little story; And I am still very unsure about it…😅🫣 Mostly of how I am portraying the characters… Anyway – I still try my best to continue. Hope you like it🤗

„Come in“, Mereoleona said with a little smile on her face and you closed the door behind the two of you.

After the fight she invented you to her room. You expected that she would want to talk about the incident. As you entered the room, however, you first looked around; almost reverently.

Even if you knew her for so many years now, it's the first time Mereo dragged you into her room.

„Didn’t expect it to be this tidy... But it only makes sense; Most of the time she is out in the wilderness, and although she is part of the royal family, she doesn't own that many things - probably because she is always on tour for months at a time “, you thought to yourself.

While you were looking around, Mereoleona had got something to drink.

„Here“, she said handing you one of the two glasses in her hands. „It's the same sake from the last time we got drunk together. I remembered you liked it.“

You were never much of a drinker, nor were you the type to hang out in pubs and bars. Only when you were with Mereoleona.

„Thanks“, you said and she sit down on the deep red sofa, standing in front of the big windows. An old, classic sofa, you also never expected her to have. Shyly, a little unsure what to do, you stood there for a moment, as she called for you: “(Y/N)!? Don’t just stand there! Come, you can sit next to me – you know? “

“Uh? You don’t want me to talk to you about the incident?”

“What? Why? I thought I made myself clear? I don’t care about this shit. So come on – let’s drink!”

“Okay…” Carefully, still unsure what to expect, you sit down next to her, as you gaze fell outside in the night. A beautiful view of the city, with all its lights opened up in front of you.

„Although the headquarter is this close, I never saw this sky. Never hat this view… It’s impressing”, you whispered.

“Really?” Mereoleona looked at you, a little skeptical. “I prefer the sky over the wilderness and in the forests. Anywhere else – far away from the city lights. It's more breathtaking...”

“Similar to the night sky at the hot springs?“

She nodded. „If you want to, I can take you with me on my next trip. For a while... Of course only if my brother wakes up again. Otherwise I am stuck here for the next years.” She angrily took a sip out of her cup, while you were still staring out the big window, still completely overwhelmed and thrilled by the view.

“It’s cute, how easy it is, to impress you…” A laughter left her mouth and you turned around to her. A little embarrassed. Even more when you met her eyes and a soft smile appeared on her lips. “But if it's with you... it wouldn’t be this bad.”

„What? With me?” Your eyes widened and you tried to stifle a nervous laug. „ Oh, come on. I thought I already told you; I’ not that special.”

„I think you don't understanbd, (Y/N). Fuegoleon always told me about you. Mostly how much he can rely on you. So...”

You raised your eyebrows. Unsure what to expected next.

“So... Nothing really happened between you two?”

“What?” Sourly, you contorted your face. You wondered if she really meant it. The next moment you remembered that it is about Mereoleona. She is always serious. She is not the person for funny jokes. Sometimes for jokes, but only unintentionally.

As you told her, Fuegoleon is hardly that open towards you, you let out a deep sigh.. “He is always friendly to me. But also more distant than you. I don't know if this is a good sign. Or...?“ You tried to picture Fuegoleon like Mereoleona; unconventional, loud and direct. Not exactly rude, more like a bad boy…

“No...”, you stopped yourself from your stupid thoughts. “I compare two totally different types of people. Even if they are siblings, Fuegoleon would show his affection different than Mereoleona. Affektion? Wait a Minute.“ The Moment you realised that this thought appererd for the second time today makes you kind of nervous. You looked up and saw in Mereos blue eyes, her gaze at you. Still waiting for an answer.

***************************************************

A: You tried to smile cheekily, winking at her, pressing your finger to your lip. "This is our little secret."

B: You put your drink away to lean towards her and put your hand on her shoulder. „This“, you said grumpy, looking at her with an unhappy face. “This is the only way he shows his gratitude to me. A pat on the back."

****************************************************

A:

„Is this so?” She looked at you with a raised eyebrow. Patterned you very closely. And you hoped that she don't want to have more details. The moment of her, watching you in silence felt like hours. But she seems to be pleased. She closed her eyes and a soft smile appererd on her lips. She sighs softly, as she quietly said: „I can't believe that my brother really found such a loyal puppy.”

“Yes... seems so," you said meekly, unsure of what to answer. The next moment she leaned towards you. She came very close and your heart beat faster for a moment. Her right hand ran through your hair. “But you both need to get your shit together...”

“Huh?”

„When Fuegoleon wakes up, you should tell him quickly about how you feel. Otherwise...” She strokes your cheek and puts her hand to your chin, pulling you up gently, “I can't guarantee anything anymore.”

à continue at AB

B:

“Oh”, she said with a disconcerting undertone and a mischievous smile on her lips that showed her fang. “Is that so?”

The next Moment she also leaned towards you, running with her fingers through your hair. „But you are such a sweetheart. It hurts, to see you always this sad.”

You bite your lips and wanted to back away. But within seconds Mereoleona had put away her glass and had bent above you. Like her pray, you layed now under the lioness, your wrists also fixed by her strong hands.

„Mereo...“ Your eyes widen und your heart beated faster. She seemed to notice and her grin became brighter, as she realised you again. „You are sweet when you do this. It makes me want to tease you even more.”

à continue at AB

AB:

You can't help but blushing badly.

„Mereoleona...“, you whispered. You bite your lips and paused for a moment. Questioned yourself if you really should ask for her reasons. It might was the alcohol, but after a deep breath you tried to formulate your question. „Why? Why is it that you like me. Me? I mean... I am not great at fighting or overpowered strong - like you. Neither am I intelligent nor can keep a cool head in difficult Situations - like Fuegoleon. I am one of the weakest squad-members…

If you got saved the last chapter à See... The fact that you had to save me proves it...”

If you won the fight à And the fight just now… it was only luck…”

She quietly looked at you, seeming unsure about what you wanted to tell her. So you continued and tried to make yourself clear: “Years ago, everyone used to make fun of me. Told me I am not even worth of being a Magic Knight. Even if I always tryed my best. But... Because of beeing clumsy, the opposite happend. I mostly always coused problems and little disasters....“

„Is it because of this, you always try to appear as serious as possible?“

You nodded. Looking away, to hide your sadness. „I don't want to disappoint Fuegoleon...“

„But why are you pretending?“ She asked, looking at you as she took a sip of her sake, unimpressed.

„Why?” You got louder. Even a little angry. “Didn't you hear me? I am a mess of a person.” You pointed your finger at yourself before looking away and crossing your arms in annoyance. “Your brother shall not be ashamed of me, if I am by his side...”

“You have no reason to. Because Fuegoleon trusts you. Even though he is the leader of the Order, you are not his subordinate.”

„But...”

Her voice got louder. It dominated your attempt to contradict „There is no need to work for his trust anymore. You already have proofed yourself. Or why do you think it is, that he relays on you and none of the other members?”

Silence has taken over the room and you need a moment to process this fact, you have been blind for too long.

***When you chose A above***

„He likes you. More than you know, (Y/N). Everyone already knows that you have grown so much since back than. You are the only one not able to see it. It's not just that he relies on you more than he should.... He tried to help you with confidence...”

„Huh?!“

She heaved a deep sigh. Without looking at you, she gently taps you on the shoulder. "Do not disappoint him. That's an order! Next time you confess your feelings to him, speak up. Speak a little louder and be bit prouder. Not for nothing are you a proud lioness...“

à next chapter; 6A

***When you chose B above***

„Not only my brother noticed that. I already told you today, how amzing I think could become. No”, she shakes her head slowly but firmly, “how amazing you already are, (Y/N).”

She bent down to you again and put her fingers in your hair. She looked deep into your eyes before closing them. “The only one left to notice is you.”

The next moment you felt her lips on yours. United in a brief yet gentle kiss.

„This is something I wanted to do for so long now“, she whispered against your lips.

“Did you... did you just kiss me?!” You looked at her, blushing and incredulous.

***************************

Push her away carefully à B-1

Let her have her way à B-2

***************************

B-1:

„I am sorry if I sent the wrong signals to you. But...“ You grabed your lips in disbelief. Than you looked away. Tears come to your eyes, as you thought of Fuegoleon. „I can't. It would be unfair to your brother.... Unless I've never told him how I feel out loud enough, that doesn't mean I don't have feelings for him.” The first tears dropped over your nose down to your knees. You wiped them away quickly.

„I understand”, she said quietly with a pinch of sadness in her voice. „Don't think too much about this innocent kiss.”

She heaved a deep sigh. Without looking at you, she gently taps you on the shoulder. "Do not disappoint him. That's an order! Next time you confess your feelings to him, speak up. Speak a little louder and be bit prouder. Not for nothing are you a proud lioness...“

à next chapter; 6A

B-2

You bit your lips, not able to say anything. The fact that she not only told you about her feelings but now the kiss. Tears begun to swell in your eyes.

„Are you okay?” She asked concerned.

You nooded quietly before you wispered. „Even if we spent more less time together than I spent with Fuegoleon ... I feel so much closer to you somehow. Why is this, Mereo?”

The tears running down your face began to drip from your chin and she came closer to wipe them away. “You really are a crybaby, aren't you? Do you hate me that much?”

„No... I just feel guilty towards him... Also I never thought you are serious about this. I thought you wanted help me out. To get closer to your brother...“

“That's exactly what I wanted to do. But seeing you so sad all the time made me want to protect you. I wanted to show you how special you were to me. But...” Her eyes wandered to your bandaged arm. Her voice grew unusually quiet. Almost guilty. “But I've probably just been hurting you all this time...” “No.” You contradict her quietly, leaning towards her „I am not strong enoght to stand against you. Not only physical...“ Now it was you who placed her lips on hers.

à Go to Chapter 5.5

[amunyan]

Love me, not him (4/7)

It took me a while to figure out a proper fight choreography… and this for like 4 different scenarios with similar outcames.😅🤯Boy... this was a lot of work, but a also fun, to think - in this case - of magic types and how the fight envolves around them...

Half way throw I cut my first scratch because I thought it was too brutal... 😬🫥 Now I think/ hope it is fine and similar to ordinary Shonen-fights, little mixed with D&D.

I hope you enjoy.🤗

Before you could make a move or even an excuse, the three half-breads had surrounded you. A small group of two men and one woman. You felt the blood running down your face and the pain you tried to wipe away with the back of your hand.

„So much for just a bad feeling...“, you thought as you saw the blood. As you looked up, you saw the wind-mage coming towards you.

The young man, who had attacked you, asked quietly what you were doing there. But you could clearly hear the trembling of his voice. The anger he was trying to suppress: „Why do the Magic-Knights always have to stick their noses into other peoples business?“

"This is our hideout. Our base... Hardly anyone gets lost here... Especially not someone like you..." the girl continued.

"Funny," you muttered to yourself. "I could say the same..."

You made another attempt to walk past them, telling them again that you had seen nothing, when another attack hit you.

 

***********************************************************

What are you going to do?

* A - try to escape   --> 4A

* B - fight back         --> 4B

***********************************************************

4A:

"Oh dear... Shit! I may have walked into something very bad," you began to realise. I have to get out of here as soon as possible! I don't have the time or the nerves for this shit".

You were about to run away as you felt something on your feet.

"A liana? What?" Before you understood what was happening, the plant had curled up against you, as if the sudden fear had taken away any possibility of escape.

"How disrespectful. You stay right here." Looking at you disdainfully, the wind mage had approached you. "Again; tell us what you are doing here!"

You still had no idea what was going on. You were just on your way home and also had no interest in their business. So again, you claimed your innocence: „I don't know what you did. Neither would I care. I just wanted to go home and-" The tendrils tightened up. Your air was cut off. It hurt terribly.

„Yeah“, laughter left his mouth.  "Tell your lies to someone else. If you can after we thought you some manners. "

You saw his evil smile and knew he meant it. You had to do something. Right now! But: "I... I can't. I can't concentrate on my magic." You did your best, but nothing happened. Neither an attack spell nor your armour. You were too scared and wounded in this disadvantaged battle, you are trapped in. As the vines tightened again, you noticed a strange smell in the air. Flowers have bloomed all over your chains. They were beautiful, looking like large orchids with a much longer pistil that emitted that strong and sweet scent. It only took a few moments for the scent to make you dizzy.

„Damn it. I can no longer keep my eyes open. I am getting tired. I can't do nothing more. Those three really went that far? Why?" You looked around and couldn't even tell which of the other two was responsible for which spell. But that wouldn't change anything. The feeling in your body slowly fades. "When I fall asleep, that's it. It is over." Your eyes fell closed. Mentally you were already done with your life, as you heard her voice.

 „Calidus Brachium!“

You felt the heat of Mereoleonas mana and her attack. Felt how the tendrils burned down to ashes. But most of all, you felt safe. With just one attack, she was able to save you and knock out all three of them. You looked up at her with relief. But the moment she turned around, her face still contorted in fury, you knew you had a much bigger problem now.

„What do you think you are doing, (Y/N)?!? “ She shouted at you as she approached you to grab your head with her flame paw. „Are you kidding me? What kind of useless wimp are you? Being not able to fight those brats? Even worse! You almost died! You are lucky that I have already been looking for you and know where to find you. I know your magic is not made for attacking. But this?!? I know you better! I know you can do better. Your stamina and defence are excellent! But why? Why are you running away? are you running away? Do you want me to beat your ass? “

Her voice trembled. Not only because of anger. Also of disappointment.

„I... I don't know... They totally have frightened me. I couldn’t do anything...“, you whispered looking away. „I still don't know what the heck is going on.“

„That's not the point here. The next time shit like this happens, you and I will be talking eye to eye about your abilities as a so called proud lioness of our squad."

You swallow this announcement. And the feeling of losing Mereoleona's sympathy spreads through you.

"I don't know if this is good or bad... but it hurts somehow.

--> Loosing -5 sympathy of Mereoleona and go to chapter 6A. Yes... no chapter 5 for you...

4B:

„No. It's not an option to give up or surrender! Not only I’m a Magic-Knight. After all, I'm part of the proudest squad - the crimson lions. If I escape, Mereoleona would kill me with her own bare hands“, you said to yourself to spur yourself on and clenched your hands into fists. Getting mentally ready to fight. „I still have no Idea what's going on but I am not the punching bag of some came along teenagers. Maybe Leo's, but that’s another story...“

As the three were again about to attack you, you felt the rush of adrenalin in your veins. Your mana increased and you commanded it to condense around your body. Something Mereoleona has thought you in the hell of the volcano, to improve your defense. „ Diamond-skin Armor “, you whispered as you activated the spell, raising your hands in defence. Another thing you have copied from her.

The next attack of wind magic couldn't hurt you. Not even leave a scratch. He flinched back and looked at his friends with disbelief and a little concern before he flashed a provocative grin. "Do you really think you can stand up to us? There are three of us - and you are alone.”

"Yes..." you made sure to sound convincing. "Even if I don't want to fight. But you see, you can't hurt me anymore. It's useless to hit me. Let me go - I didn't see anything. I don't know what's going on. We can just pretend that nothing ever happened.”

But they only laughed at you. "Are you really that stupid? As if we would believe you. You'll probably run back to the Order for reinforcements. We're sorry, but we won't let you get out of here."

„Fine“, you wispered, trying to suppress your worries. With No other options left you summoned your shiny gemstones to attack.

 

***********************************************************

But does your Magic hit?

Roll a dice (1D6)  and find out

Result 2 or lower -->  4B-1

Result 3 or higher -->  4B-2

**********************************************************

4B-1

As you fired your shiny gems, you noticed that something was wrong. „Damn it. I couldn’t concentrate enough. “ The stones were lurching in the air and your opponents easily dodged them. But not the girl; She was apparently hit.

"Good - one less to fight," you thought to yourself, feeling  a little relieved, and took a deep breath. But the next moment you felt something on your ankle. „What? A creeping plant?” You tried to shake it off, but the plant was too fast and way too strong. Within moments, it had wounded itself up your leg. From there it slowly but surely made its way up your body.

„Where is this thing coming from all of a sudden? I need to get it off. Before -“

In the very same moment you were pulled to the ground by the liana. As you tried to get up again, you noticed the girl, you thought you knocked out just moments ago. She was still lying on the ground, but not unconscious. This was her magic... You can tell by the grimoire, overgrown with the very same vines, floated in front of her.

„Damn... I can't move.” Along with the plant, fear was now creeping up inside you. More, as you noticed a strange smell in the air. Sweetish, but very intrusive. An irrepressible tiredness overcame you from one moment to the next. „Where is this coming from? Huh? Flowers? “ Only now did you notice that beautiful flowers had bloomed all over the liana. Beautiful, like large black orchids with a long pistil that gives off this strong, sweet scent. You knew immediately what would happen now; „When I fall asleep, that's it.“ The feeling in your body was slowly fading away. Your eyes fall closed and mentally you have already finished with your life when you hear her voice.

 „Calidus Brachium!“

You felt the heat of Mereoleonas aana and her attack. Felt how the tendrils burned down to ashes. But most of all, you felt safe. With just one attack, she was able to save you and knock out all three of them. You looked up at her in relief.

„Are you okay? “ Mereoleona turned around with worry in her blue eyes.

"Something like that," you muttered, trying to get up when she reached out to help you up.

"Really? " she asked to make sure and  touched your arms and your shoulders to check you carefully.

„You saved me. So, it's okay“, you tried to smile. „Thanks for your help, Cap-“ You saw her face and shake your head. „No, thank you, Mereoleona...“

„Don't worry“, she sighed. „It was also a sort of my mistake. I could tell from your mana how nervous I made you earlier... You are a Overthinker. I only can imagine how much you were affected by my actions and words earlier...“

„Wait? What did she just say? “ You didn't really know if you could trust your ears, but by then she had already changed the subject.

„I know you for over five years now, (Y/N). I know how strong your magic can become. Your stamina and defense are outstanding! Even my brother told me about your strength and the power you released during your first mission years ago.“

„Huh?“

„Don't huh me,“ she said angrily and snapped at your forehead. „ You need more confidence in yourself, (Y/N). Being nervous is no excuse for a bad fight after all.I wish I could, but I'm not always by your side.“

You blushed as she made that kind of confession and couldn't even look at her as you felt something warm around your shoulders.

„You are cold, right?“ Mereoleona had put her cloak around you. Knowing how easily you start freezing. Your face turned even more red, if this was possible. You can't stand it, when she takes care of you. When she shows you her soft and caring side.

--> 4c

4B-2

Despite your doubts and tension you were able to command your gemstone attack properly. You knew a hit of your attack wouldn’t be a big deal, neither hurt anyone badly. But it was a sign; they cannot do what they want with you.

Your attack hit the three of them. The girl and the wind mage were only grazed, but the third, who was lurking in the shadows, took a heavy hit.

„Shit“, the girl shouted. „Tim barely stands any Attack. Why didn’t you back him up? “ She looked at her friend with a dark glace in her eyes. He tried to justify himself. Told her, he was in a rush because of the magic-knight, they suddenly encountered. But she did not seem to calm down. Was upset becouse of her friend.

„Maybe they really try to hide something. But what is so special to them?“, you asked yourself and made a decision. „As I am already part of this stupid plot, I could try to figure this out...“

While the other two started an argument, you tried to sneak past them to reach their little hide beneath the bushes. Next to the unconscious young men you found some bottles of alcohol, but also a little bag. It was heavy and sounded like there was something metallic inside. As you were about to open it, you felt something on your leg. Winding quickly upwards. Before you could realize what happened, a liana had grabbed you ankle and only moments later your whole foot and body. You draped the bag back on the floor, as you couldn’t hold it any longer.

You realized the girl was responsible for this. Showing her grimoire and pressing her palms to the ground.

The plants couldn't hurt you, because of your skin-armour, but you couldn't free yourself either. The wind mage approached you again, grapping the pouch angrily.

„Shit...", he mumbled. Looking nervous to his friend on the ground and then to you.“Who do you think you are? It's not polite to look in other people's things or hurt them like that. Didn't your mummy teach you any manners?”

"It's your own fault," you told him, trying to suppress the tremor in your voice. „You attacked me first. And what’s inside the bag anyway? I sounded like something valuable. The little glimpse I could catch, showed something shiny... like Gemstones. Are you three little thieves or something like this?” You knew exactly what you were doing. You provoked him to get answers. Hopefully... „Maybe I can make them talk that way.“

But the plan did not work. You felt the rage in the mana of the wind mage. Felt his power increase and that he was going for another attack.

„Warding winds - reverse," he murmured, and the strong gust of wind in which he had first wrapped himself now captures you. Escape was impossible because of the tendrills. The little whirlwind tightened around you, trying to hurt you. And with fear in your eyes, you noticed the first scratches on your armour.

"Oh no... can I withstand this attack much longer?"

***********************************************************************

Can your defence withstand the attack?

Roll another dice! (again 1D6)

Result 4 or lower -->   4B-2a

Result 5 or higher --> 4B-2b

**********************************************************************

4B-2a:

As his attack hit you, you felt your gem-armour cracking. You felt the cold breeze sharp against your skin. How it cut deeper than before. You tried to take it. But you used up too much mana and energy in the panic of the sudden attack. „Shit... I can't free myself. And the wind is cutting deeper and deeper. I need to do something. Maybe a counterattack...?“

Being tangled up in the Liana and caught in rotating, razor-sharp gusts of wind, you tried to go for another attack. But as your grimoire turned the pages and your shiny gemstones appeared, the exhaustion took the upper hand. You ran out of mana. Both, your gemstone attack and the diamond-armour disappeared within a blink of an eye.

The next second, your scream of pain echoed down the narrow, overgrown alley...As you were about to pass out, the feeling of warm mana appeared behind you. Strong and hot mana, increasing rage. The other moment you heard her scream.

„Calidus Brachium!“

You noticed Mereoleona behind you, helping you out a little hesitantly. But within seconds she has defeated the remaining attackers.

„Are you okay? “ Mereoleona turned around with worry in her blue eyes.

„Sort of“, you mumbled and were about to get up when she reached out to help you.

„Really?“ She asked to make sure. Touching your Arms in shoulders to check on you carefully.

„You saved me. So it's okay“, you tried to smile. „Thanks for your help, Cap-“ You saw her face and shake your head. „No. Thank you, Mereo...“

„Don't worry“, she sighed. „It was also a sort of my mistake. I could tell from your mana how nervous I made you earlier... You are a sort of Overthinker. I only can imagine how much you were affected by my actions and words...”

„Wait? What did she just say?“ You didn't really know if you could trust your ears, but by then she had already changed the subject.

„But your fight was not bad after all, (Y/N). I know that your magic is not for attack, it is for defence.Besides, your stamina is normally outstanding. Even my brother told me enthusiastically of your strength and the power you unleashed on your first mission years ago. Concentrate on your strengths to find a strategy that blanks out your weaknesses. One day... you will show me the power within you.”

Taken completely by surprise, you just smiled and let out a "yes".

“But… your attacks are bungling despite all this.“

You nodded quietly, when she brought you back down to earth again, still a little disappointed that Mereoleona had to save you. As you let out a deep sigh, because of this fact, you felt something warm around your shoulders.

„Huh?“ You looked up questioningly.

„You felt a bit chilly. I know how quickly you start freezing and I don't want you to catch a cold. So, take my cloak.“

„Thank you“, you wispered and turned red. You can't stand it, when she takes care of you. When she shows you her soft and caring side.

--> 4c

4b-2b:

You were able to maintain your armour. The attack couldn't harm you. Your stamina and defence are stronger than most of Magic-Knights. But you are much weaker in attacking. You sensed that this fight was going to be a battle of attrition; you had enough to do with keeping your guard up.

“Shit... Is there nothing I can do? Something like...“

Fuegoleon came to your mind. And with him, memories of your first mission together over seven years ago. A memory you cherished like a treasure…

 

After a lot of failures, within only two years – whenever you went on missions, your or some of your comrades got hurt – nobody wanted to attempt another mission together with you. Only Fuegoleon didn’t mind being teamed up with you. Your last chance you to prove your worth of being a Magic-Knight. No wonder you were nervous as hell. Your job was at stake. Your source of income including shelter. But Fuegoleon, back than just an ordinary Knight, just like you, was in good spirits.

“Don’t worry, (Y/N). We will finish this mission in no time. After all it’s just a little cave, we have to scout. Nothing to worry about.”

"Are you sure? I'm sure I can turn this into a life-threatening mission too.” But the warm smile he gave you in return was more than enough to motivate you.

In no time, the two of you were done. He was impressed with how conscientious you were with your work and wrote down a lot of information about the dungeon, even a floor plan. And you can't help but feel safe around Fuegoleon. Your initial nervousness was blown away and you could focus on your job.

“Great job”, he praised. “Seeing you like this, makes it hard to believe you're supposed to be the troublemaker. You are doing great here, (Y/N).”

“Thanks, Fuegoleon“, you answered blushing. Knowing it was because of him – he calmed you down. “I hope it stays that way.”

“Don’t worry. We are done here. It’s a small cave and because of your great work“, he pointed with his head to your notes, on which you have also drawn the surroundings in detail. "Your resignation should be off the table. So let's go home.”

“Yeah”, you said smiling and followed him, as loose stone moves beneath your feet. You suspected something bad and swallowed first. Then you turned around slowly. One of the stone walls had opened up and behind it was a treasure chamber. But with it, the guardian of this dungeon also appeared –  a snake-like monster, but much bigger. Surprised by the sudden appearance of the monster, you literally freezed. The snake came closer and was about to bite you, as Fuegoleon jumped in front of you, to save you. He suppressed a loud scream, as the monster bit him. But you tearful cry echoed through the cave, when he collapsed shortly afterwards. He was bleeding badly and you were unsure if he had been poisoned as well.

“I am so sorry”, you cried. “You got hurt because of me. It would have been easy to leave me behind. It would have been better for you and all of the other squat-members.”

“Don’t be stupid”, he contradicts you with a quiet yet strong voice. “You know – we are a team. We help each other out. So please – don’t say things like this ever again. You are a valuable member of our squat, (Y/N). “

These simple words of appreciation had done something with you. Not only Fuegoleon saved you, he also believed in you. You didn’t want to disappoint him…

You didn't remember clearly what happened, after the snake approaches you two. But you managed to save Fuegoleon, after first dragging him into the situation. Also he spoke highly of you to the leader of the Order back at this time. Told him that even though he was injured, you saved him and cleared the dungeon yourself. Convinced him that this wouldn't have been possible without your clumsiness.

 

“Even though he is asleep now, I will not disappoint him and lose this stupid fight. I won’t run away or give in!” You felt the mana within you. Felt how you gained more control over it and your grimoire appeared. It turned to a page, you thought you could never access again....

The next moment, crystals shot up and your guard became both; defence and attack. Like back then.

The moment you broke through the vines, you also hit the wind mage and threw him a few meters away from you with your attack.

„Oh dear” You jumped back in fear and now sat there on the ground. Like a cross between an armadillo and a hedgehog with crystal spikes.

„Are... Are you okay?“ You asked unsure.

No answer.

„Oh no, oh shit... I...I killed him. No... I killed two man. What have I done?“

In the same moment you wanted to start running in panic-circles, you felt something shattering your crystals.

„Are you kidding me? Asking the Person who attacked you, if they are okay...“

„Mereo?!?“

“Yes. You can be happy I came. Can you tell me what’s going on here, (Y/N)? Why are you fighting these pipes?”

“I don't know”, you answered and shake your head. Being still confused.  “I was on my way home and they felt interrupted by my presence alone. But as far as I could understand, they were trying to hide something. But I couldn't figure out what..."

“No”, somebody shouted. It was the wind mage, who struggled to get back to his feet. “She is lying. Or why else would she be roaming around here? She must have followed us after we…” Startled, he covered his mouth. He had already said too much.

Mereoleona turned around and grabed at him with her flame paw. “Come on. Tell me all your outrages. Why are you hurting her? What is so special to you? Tell me, or otherwise I’ll  kill the three of you.”

As the young man saw Mereoleonas gaze, he literally trembled. His body started shaking and he bit his lips. You knew that he, too, could sense her terrifying aura. Only seconds later he confessed everything. He and his friends have robbed a famous shop for magical artefacts and jewellery. “Please. Don’t kill us…. We will bring it back.“ Since Mereo had grabbed him, the young wind mage had clearly become a bit of a wimp. He started crying. He told you that he and his friends live in poverty and have little brothers and sisters to look after. "Besides, my grandmother is sick..."

“Tell somebody else your heartbreaking story”, Mereo let him go, but sent him away flying. Throw him away like a piece of trash.

"You better grab your friends and run as fast as you can," she advised him in a tone that even frightened you.

"Yes... yes..." he said quickly. Within seconds, he had grabbed his two buddies and disappeared into the night.

“Is it really okay to let them go?” Unsure you looked at Mereoleona.

"They can be happy I let them go, after they tried to kill you for no reason. Stupid bunch."

You were about to contradict her when she asked what else you were going to do about it. "Writing reports?" Inquiringly, she raises an eyebrow.

"Maybe," you said quietly as you felt something warm around your shoulders.

"Don't worry. I will take care of it." Mereo had thrown her cloak over you. As you looked up in surprise, a proud smile appeared on her lips. “You fought well, (Y/N). My brother told me long ago about this attack of yours. I am impressed that you have managed to reinstate it after such a long time. Even more so that I was allowed to be there.”

"Thanks," you murmured, blushing a little. "Also for your cape. It is nice and warm."

"I know how quickly you get chilly." You blushed even more when you saw her caring face.

"Let's fight together again soon. But for now - let's go home."

You have clearly noticed that Mereo has a crush on you. “I am not sure if I should be happy or not…?”

--> Gaining +5 sympathy of Mereoleona --> next chapter

 

4C

„But can you tell me what’s wrong, (Y/N)? Why did those three attack you all of a sudden?“

While you stood there blushingly, Mereoleona made her way to the hideout between the bushes. "Did you do something that made them angry with you?"

"Me? No," you said startled. "Or at least I don't know what. I was on my way home and they felt interrupted by my presence alone. But as far as I could understand, they were trying to hide something. But I couldn't figure out what..."

But Mereoleona seemed to have found the reason for this pointless fight; the bag the three of them were trying to protect. Curious to see what was inside, you approached her.

"What a surprise," she grinned. "I was looking for you, but found the idiots who stole the special artifacts..."

„What? “ Instead of solving your questions, another one opened up. But Mereoleona explained it to you;  While she was searching for you, she stumbled upon the information that an expensive magic artifact shop had been robbed. „ I know this shop because my mother used to buy special things there from time to time. Especially jewellery, like pendtants and brooches."

„Wait...wait. Wait...“ It took you a while to progress this new information. „You tell me, these half breads had stolen this stuff and you just let them go?“ On the one side you were impressed. Mereoleona doesn’t seem so, but she took her unwilling job seriously after all.

„They can be happy I let them go, after they hurt you for no reason. I could have killed them...“

„She is the same as always....", you thought to youself, smiling awkwardly.

„Come on, let's head home. I have enough to do for now...“ She clarified and turned to leave. You followed her, yet complained about her methods, as she stopped - you ran into her - and asked you, what you want to do about this. „Writing Reports?“

„Maybe?!

„Don't worry”, she said, strocking through your hair. I'll take care of it...“

--> next chapter

 

 

to be continued in chapter 5... or 6 - based on your decisions