Happy 15th-anniversary fellow Monster Hunters! As a way to commemorate this special occasion, I've written a one-shot tribute dedicated to my favorite Guild Girl.
The Moga Sweetheart!
Monster Hunter Tri was the game that truly got me into the franchise so I saw no reason not to write about her. That and I find her personality to be great and that she's rather cute and attractive. But I digress.
So, here you go readers. My attempt at writing a romance one shot with the Moga Sweetheart or Aisha as the wiki calls her. Hope I didn't make it too cheesy or anything…
Her Sweetheart
...
The first time she saw him, was when she herself had just started her job as a Guild Receptionist. She was fresh off the Academy and ready to get her assigned village to reside in. Needless to say, she was excited when her boss told her that she was to be assigned to Moga Village. It didn't matter if her grades were lower than normal, or that she has little to no knowledge regarding many things. Her friend and fellow graduate told her to not to worry too much.
She wished that her friend could visit her, but unfortunately, she was assigned to a traveling caravan instead of a village or town. Her other friend had also been assigned to a faraway village in the mountains. It was an unfortunate circumstance, but it would do.
She first saw him as she got ready to depart towards Moga. He didn't catch her eye at first and she simply considered him to be nothing more than an average man. He wasn't that bad looking but he wasn't particularly handsome either. He was also very quiet, leading her to believe that he wasn't much of a people's person. She didn't care much about him…that is until she discovered that he was the hunter assigned to Moga Village.
…
She saw him again at that time, talking to the chief of the village. Their village had been facing a concerning problem regarding earthquakes, which they thought was caused by a Lagiacrus, a large leviathan monster. The chief wanted the hunter to find the source of those earthquakes and put a stop to it, with whatever means necessary.
She chuckled. The hunter had a long way to go if he were to please everyone in the village. So, when he approached her desk, she stifled her laughter and put on a big smile. Just like how they did in the Academy.
"Greetings hunter," she said before proceeding to explain everything to him. How the quests work, rewards, village layouts, and many other things. The hunter simply responded with nods, hmm's, and 'I see". This made her chuckle. "Not much of a talker eh?" was what she said, to which the hunter responded by rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. Looks like we're going to have to fix that. She laughed again before recomposing herself and opening up her quest book. The hunter then immediately left after choosing a quest, a simple task of getting some raw meat from the herbivores in the locale. With a big smile, she waved goodbye to the hunter and watched as he left the village.
She had a feeling that this, was just the start of something remarkable.
…
She had been worried when she heard the news of a Lagiacrus roaming the islands as they speak. She had seen him off to gather some monster livers as part of a quest but never expected to hear that a Lagiacrus had been spotted at the same time. She knew that the hunter was clearly not ready to take on the Leviathan.
Imagine her horror when she saw the hunter walk back to the village in a battered and heavily wounded state. A part of her was relieved that he was somehow still able to gather the livers needed but another part of her was relieved that he was alive. She didn't know why, but this hunter was…special. There was something about him…something that screamed out potential. So, as she waited in her post while the village medics treated the hunter, she thought to herself, "I must see this through. That hunter…he has a bright future ahead of him."
It had been nearly a year after that incident with the Lagiacrus. The hunter was now no longer the rookie she saw him as many months ago. Clad in the armor of the very monster that nearly claimed his life many months ago, she can't help but gaze in awe at him. Compared to the noob he was months ago, now stood a figure of great status and reverence. Not only he was more skilled, but she noticed that he had gotten significantly stronger physically. After all, he was now considered the Hero of Moga for repelling and then slaying the thing that had been causing those earthquakes. It had been a Ceadeus, a massive whale-like Elder Dragon with massive horns, large tail and a bushy beard. The hunter had slain the beast after multiple attempts, finally stopping the tremors and putting the villagers at ease. Needless to say, his feats spread far and wide across the region. That, however, wasn't the only thing that changed for the hunter.
In that time span of nearly a year, she had grown very close to the hunter. They were now good friends who saw each other regularly, both job wise and casually. In the process of getting to know him, she had learned a lot of things about the hunter that she never knew. One of the more interesting things she learned, was the training regimen would be hunters had to go through in order to qualify as a hunter themselves. She was told that it was extremely brutal and harsh and that not everyone would be able to do it. Heck, there had been people who died during the process. Upon hearing this, she was glad that she didn't sign up to be a hunter in the first place. Over time, the hunter opened up to her more and more until the things they had talked about grew very…personal.
She had been told that she was the only other person besides his family that knew about these things. Deep down, she was very happy that she was that kind of person to him. After all, as his fame grew, so did the number of people who were all too eager to see this "Hero" up close. Needless to say, they weren't able to meet up with each other as frequently as before.
…
She was surprised when he had asked her out on a date – just the two of them. He told her that it was his day off and that he had missed the times when it would be just the two of them hanging out. It was to be expected after all. She was a Guild Receptionist and he was Hunter. She would be busy with papers while he would be busy with quests. So, she accepted the proposal without hesitation. Lucky for her, the Moga Village chief was, in fact, ok with this decision. She glared at him when he winked at her and told her to "take as long as you want".
The first place he took her to was a special area he discovered in the Deserted Islands. At first, she was worried about venturing out into the wild, but the hunter assured her that he would keep her safe.
She decided to take his word for it.
Their little trek across the islands was filled with wonder and excitement. They discovered a new species of herbivore inhabiting the islands. Small, fluffy herbivores named Moofah. They were relatively docile with the exception of the males, who kept a watchful eye over them as they interacted with the females and young. Needless to say, she immediately fell in love with these adorable fluffy creatures, who seem to like getting their fur rubbed. Another one of the great things she witnesses during this date, was to be able to witness a hunt up close.
Not a hunter hunting, rather one of the island's predators, the Great Jaggi and its pack hunting a group of Aptonoth. She had never seen one up close so imagine the excitement they felt as they watched from a safe distance away. Of course, as soon as one of the little carnivores saw them, the two of them immediately hightailed out of there. She had squeaked in surprised when the hunter picked her up, bridal style and ran off with her in his arms before the creature could alert its pack.
In spite of the experience, she hasn't asked to go back. Rather, she wanted more. To experience the excitement of wandering through the locales together with the hunter. Instinctively, she clung onto the hunter and leaned her head on his shoulder as they continued to walk, causing the hunter mutter out incomprehensible noises and eliciting a few giggles from her. She felt safe as long as he was with her.
She couldn't contain a loud gasp of amazement when they arrived at the spot the hunter was talking about. It was a medium-sized overlook, hidden from the beasts that roamed the place. The spot presented a gorgeous view of the islands, complete with a view of the ocean, forests, and skies. Birds flew in the sky and she briefly spotted what looked like a Rathalos in the horizon. Down below, she spots a herd of Aptonoth peacefully grazing about.
"Its beautiful isn't it?" said the hunter.
"Yeah, no doubt about it, " was her reply as she beamed at the man beside her.
He told her that he found the spot by accident while he fled from a Rathian that had chased him. He had jumped in the opening the second he got the chance to and here he was. His own secret spot…now their secret spot.
Their hands found each other as the two of them settled into a comfortable silence, quietly gazing at the marvelous view before them.
…
The first time she felt jealousy was when she saw the- no, her hunter being approached by a few women, namely huntresses and townsfolk. She and the hunter were having a day off in Port Tanzia when she spotted a huntress approaching them. She watched as the huntress got a little too close for comfort to her hunter, the woman's eyes gleaming with joy and want. The huntress had asked him to partner up with her for a hunt with the reason being that the monster was "impossible" to solo. Naturally, her hunter agreed to it, seeing that it would help people and he would earn a decent pay from it. This annoyed her quite a bit. One of the things she disliked about her hunter, was the fact that he couldn't resist the call for help. She understood that helping people is a quality worth diamonds, but she hated seeing him take on a task that just might prove to be his last. There's a limit to how selfless one can be.
She quietly glared at the two of them as they left the port on a ship. Even if he had apologized multiple times to her, she still couldn't shake the feeling of contempt; contempt for the woman currently on a hunt with her hunter. For the first time, she was at a loss. She placed her hand on her chest, gripping her shirt tightly. What was this feeling inside her? Why does she wish that the huntress would just fuck off?
The feeling remained even when her hunter had returned from the hunt. When he asked her what's wrong, she simply shrugged him off and went back home.
She sent a message to her friends in hopes they could shed some light on her current mental state.
"It's jealousy, my dear. That's what you're feeling," was Sophia's response, her friend who had been assigned to a caravan. She decided to ignore the last few parts of her message, which was filled with Sophia's ramblings about this "Doodle" and her odd, yet somewhat endearing fascination for Brachydios.
"Man up and tell him how you feel! You're jealous and you know it, " was Konoha's response, her friend who had been assigned to a faraway village called Yukomo.
How do I feel? Am I…in love with him? She thought long and hard about this, day and night, for a consecutive 3 weeks. In that time span, she had grown increasingly distant from her hunter, who was also busy handling some of the tougher requests from the guild. It didn't help that due to a new rising threat, the hunter was forced to purchase a home in Port Tanzia just so he could have easy access to the Guild. Over time, their times spent together began to fade away as the weight of their respective jobs puts a damper on their relationship. Both of them missed the times they hung out, yet they couldn't anything about it.
She missed his short yet amusing responses, the warmth from his hands, the kindness in his actions.
He missed her beautiful smile, her laughter, and snark, the way she teases him on things he rather not talk about.
For both of them, the time spent away from each other felt like torture. Oh, how they wished it would all end.
The first time she realized that she loved him was when she heard that he and a team of hunters were tasked with defending the Guild from a powerful Elder Dragon the Guild named Dire Miralis. The beast was said to have destroyed an entire ecosystem just from EXISTING, due to the destructive power it holds. Legends say that it could quite possibly, be a reincarnation of the mythical black dragon Fatalis.
She had immediately dashed off towards the Argosy Captain and his Neko assistant and practically begged for her to be taken to Port Tanzia to see him off.
"If I remember correctly, aren't romantic relationships prohibited for members of the Guild?"
"Screw that! Just take me to him!"
Seeing the resolve and determination in her eyes, he relented and allowed the young woman to board.
She was relieved to find out that he was just about to leave when she had arrived at the port. Running as fast as her legs could carry, she called out to him.
"Wait!"
He turned around and seconds later, a figure leaped onto him, embracing him tightly, eliciting a yelp of surprise from the hunter. He was left speechless as his arms lay limp at her sides. Everyone around them stared at the duo, though she didn't care.
"A-Aisha? What are you doing here?" he said uncomfortably.
"I've come to see you off you idiot!" She released him and looked up at his face, hidden by his helmet. "You made me worry!"
"You were worried about me? I thought you didn't care anymore."
"Didn't care?! Are you stupid or something?! Of course I do care!" Small tears began to form in her eyes. "Do you realize how horrible I felt when you're not around for such a long time? Do you realize how lonely I was there on Moga?" She laid her head on his chest. "You were my constant. My light in the dark. Someone who sees me as Aisha, not the Guild Sweetheart."
Silence.
She sniffed, "Please…don't go. You'll die fighting it…"
She gasped when she felt a pair of arms encircle around her, embracing her.
"I have to. It's my job as the Hero of Moga. If I don't kill that thing, it will massacre everyone on the island…including you." He said softly as he gently wipes the tears off her face, "Aisha, you have to let me go. For your sake and everyone else's."
He looks at her, "I'll return to you alive. I promise."
She sniffs again and looks him in the eye, "Promise?"
"Promise, " he reassured her.
He gently lets go of her and nods to his comrades, ready to leave. Aisha drops to her knees and watches the man she loves, depart from the dock and towards the Tainted Sea. Almost instinctively, she stood up and ran towards the edge of the dock. She waved and shouted, with all her heart, the very words she wanted to say these past few minutes.
"I-I LOVE YOU!"
She wasn't sure if he heard her words, but for now, that was enough.
…
It was impossible to describe the joy she felt when she heard that he and his team had successfully slayed the Dire Miralis. Such joy is evident from the fact that she, was the very first one to greet their return.
His armour was shattered and he walked with limp, but was otherwise alive. Without hesitation, she jumped onto him and embraced him with all her might, not minding the soot and dust getting all over her uniform.
"I made a promise didn't I?"
"And you kept it. Thank you, " she said, nuzzling her face onto the crook of his neck.
A cough. One of the receptionists spoke, "Excuse me, but do you not remember that romantic relations are- "
"Leave them be, " the Guildmaster said, reassuring the two of them that their public display of affection was not prohibited. "Just this once, I'll give them a pass. He deserves it- no, they deserve it."
Aisha quietly thanked the Guildmaster as she continued to embrace the man she loved. He returned it with an equally loving embrace, taking care not to crush the fragile girl in his arms. Suddenly, he leaned into her ear.
"You know," he whispered, "I heard what you said or rather, shouted at me as we left the docks."
She blushed and fiddled with her hair, "I-Is that so…"
He smiled weakly, his injuries slowly weakening him, "I love you too. I had been for the longest time."
He was caught off guard when she wrapped her arms around her neck, squeezing him tight, "Ack! Too tight Aisha!"
"I don't care…I'm not letting you go anymore…
He sighed and wrapped his arms around her back, "Oh jeez…"
The first time they kissed, was over at their secret spot in the islands. It had been a few days since the Dire Miralis was slain. Her hunter had taken that time to heal and recover before the medics said he was free to go. Of course, the first place they went to was their special spot, just for the two of them.
Aisha sighed with content as she leaned her head on her hunter's shoulder as the two of them sat there, gazing at the view, "I missed this view." Aisha said softly.
"Yeah."
"I missed you too."
"Yeah."
"Hoh, back to your short responses again eh?"
"…Yeah, " he said smirking.
"Heh, I missed that too."
A comfortable silence envelops them both as they basked in the wind.
Aisha broke the silence, "Hey, where do you see yourself in the next few years?"
"I guess…" He looked at the horizon, "I'll still be hunting. What about you?"
"Me? Well…I guess I'll probably be back at the desk. Or…" She smiled up at him, "I'll stay at your house, cleaning, cooking and tending to your furniture. Whenever you return from a hunt, I'll be there greet you. Everyday."
The hunter blushed and looked away in embarrassment. This of course, made her giggle. But suddenly, a new feeling resurfaced within her. She gently placed one hand on his cheek and looked up at him. Their eyes gazed at each other, longing and desire overpowering their every sense. She leaned towards him, her lips moving closer and closer to his. He responded in kind and seconds later, their lips connected.
They kissed each other, gently as their lips moved against each other. They were inexperienced, but that didn't matter. His other hand moved to cup her cheek as well as they continued to kiss, growing slightly more aggressive by the second. She shifted her other leg over his, effectively straddling him. Both her hands gripped his shoulders while his wrapped around her lower back. They kissed and kissed, all their pent up feelings being released all at once. This was what she wanted, no- this was what they wanted. To finally be together. Everything they went through, all released through the act of pressing their lips against each other.
Minutes later, they separated for air, faces red and flushed.
"So, what you were trying to say was…" The hunter said in-between breaths, "You want to marry me?"
"I do, greatly so. I cannot imagine a life without you my dear hunter."
He smiled, "Me too."
…
Reactions were oddly positive upon hearing that they wanted to get married. Everyone in Moga congratulated them and wished them the best of luck. Aisha even got a few letters from her friends, congratulating her as well and the wish to see her soon-to-be husband. The Guild's reactions were oddly positive as well. The Guild master was actually happy for them and that he too wished that he can find a significant other. The receptionists all expressed their delight as well, with most of them teasingly saying Aisha was lucky that her hunter didn't fall for another woman.
Their official marriage came about a few months later due to their respective jobs. It was a traditional ceremony, held in the very village where their relationship blossomed.
The Moga Village chief recited a few prayers as he placed a traditional ornament around Aisha. The women in the village performed a traditional ritual on Aisha, involving some water and flowers that is believed to grant the individual a long-lasting and peaceful life with her significant other. The men on the other hand, performed a traditional sparring contest, which is said to grant the husband the power and capability to protect his bride.
Naturally, the hunter won against every single man in the village, including the Argosy Captain.
The ceremony went on until nightfall when everyone went back to their homes to sleep. The bride and groom entered the little house they purchased a while ago.
"Well, that was tiring."
"You're tired already? A hunter tired? Please."
"Hey, I had to duel every single man here. That's 20 in total!"
"If you're that tired, then I guess we won't have time to…you know."
She began to undress, "Well? How about it my husband? Care to take me now?"
His reaction was to push her onto their large bed and kiss her.
…
Life was great for the couple. After their first night together and more on the following weeks and months, Aisha fell pregnant with their first child. A boy. Months later, she fell pregnant again, this time a girl.
Together, they shaped their new lives. Their children grew and aged and so did they. Their son decided to take up the mantle of a hunter – just like his father, while their daughter sought out to be a Guild Scholar, stemming from her eagerness to explore.
Now in their fifties, the aging couple sat on the porch of their home and waved goodbye to their son as he sets off for a quest. Their daughter had taken training somewhere far away, though she sends letters to them frequently. It was safe to say that they were happy…and they couldn't have it any other way.
So, what do you think readers? Is my first attempt at a proper romance good? Please let me know in the comments.
Any who, for those still waiting for the next chapter of Fire and Ice well…you'll have to wait. I'm currently stuck in a writer's block right now but have no fear! I'm not discontinuing the story at all. Mind you, I'm taking a break.
Besides, I need to learn how to write a proper climactic fight scene because these last few chapters are going to be lit. I do not want a subpar quality chapter to be given to you readers so please, bear with me.
Hope you readers enjoyed this short story I wrote! Thank you for reading and see you next time!
