AN: I wrote this when I was in a sweet mood. It's cute. No particular time, just a meeting with Merle and Van. Also, it may not fit perfectly with the series, but it's my story, so blah!

"Lord Van!" Merle cried as she ran through the meadow. "Lord Van, you know I don't like this game!" Her reddish tail tufted out and she stalked into the surround wooded area. "Lord Van!"

Her feline eyes darted about angrily as she searched for Van. Where could he be? I hope nothing bad happened to him. Merle thought quietly to herself.

Finally, she exited the trees and came to a small cliff that overlooked a tiny part of Fanelia. A dark silhouette blotched out some of the setting sun. "Lord Van!" Merle shrieked and ran to his side. Van smiled at her, and patted her head affectionately.

Merle sat close to Van and let her furry legs hang out over the cliff as Van was. She buried her small face into his broad shoulder and breathed in deeply his smell; it was a comforting, good smell.

Before she knew it, she was dozing with head fuzzy head in Van's lap. As she dozed, she had a dream...a dream of her past.

A little cat-girl sat crouched in a corner of the dark circular area. Her pinkish fur was damp, and she was shivering. Her feline enhanced eyes scanned her small prison for a way out, but the well was all but impenetrable to her.

Wet tears rolled lazily down her wooly cheeks and clung to her chin. Her clothes were soiled and she had nothing to eat. The water around her ankles was chilling quickly as dusk approach.

"Someone hwelp me pwease!" the little Merle cried, her voice shaking and reverberating on the circular well walls. She received no response as she hadn't for the past day and a half. No one knew where she was. Merle's tears came quicker and she huddled closer against the moist stone wall as she realized she may never get out.

A young boy scampered through a maze of tangled underbrush and trees. He was horribly lost but he wouldn't admit it. His long raven-black hair ran in his face as he pushed through the scraping branches and burrs that attacked him.

He had been outside playing and he had gotten lost in this dark wooded forest. He knew he'd find his way out eventually, so he wasn't too worried. As dusk was started to draw down its curtain, he emerged from the dark trees and into a small clearing. There was a well in middle and he was very thirsty.

He stumbled over to it quickly, his parched tongue stuck in his throat. Swiftly he lowered the bucket down to the bottom with a soft splash of water. "Errrrreeeekkk!" the loud squeal came down from the depths of the well.

Defensively, he pulled his short sword out in front of him, dropping the rope into the well in the process. After a few moments of silence, he peered down into the darkness. "Hello?" he called down into the blackness.

"Hwello?" a small shaky voice responded. "Could you help me out of here pwease? I got fell down and now I can't get out." A small series of sobs followed the plea.

"Who are you?" replied the dark-haired boy.

"Merle; who are you?"

"I am Van of Fanelia." There was a pause.

"Can you help me pwease?" Van decided that this Merle wasn't a threat to him, so he decided to help her.

"Okay, I'm coming down, watch out!" He stood on the rim of the well, took a few deep breaths and jumped.

Thud.

He landed with a splash on the stone floor. He waited for his eyes to adjust to the darkness before seeking out the little girl. Van could barely make out her ragged and thin from hunched over by the wall.

"Come here," he beckoned to the frightened girl. She seemed to hesitate and then crawled over to him slowly. "There, there."

Van then wrapped his arms about her small form, and began the difficult ascent up. He barely made it out with the girl, and lay sprawled on the springy meadow grass puffing tiredly.

"Are you okay?" Merle scuttled over to him and bent her pointy face over his.

"Yeah, I'm—" Van started and then jumped back up to his feet. "You're a—a—a cat-girl!" Merle sat back on her haunches and looked confused.

Van backed up a few paces and Merle finally understood why he was acting so funny. "Are you afwaid of me 'cause I am weird?" she sobbed; this was usual treatment to her by now.

"No, umm, I," Van stuttered. Merle was crying freely and he felt horrible for making her feel so terrible. "It's okay, you just startled me."

Merle stopped walking away and looked back at him. "Well, I should go anyway."

"Where will you go?"

"I don't know." Van thought a moment.

"Why don't you come to Fanelia with me?"

"I couldn't."

"It's fine. Please?" She saw the kindness in his eyes that hadn't been evident before. After a moments' deliberation she decided to go with him

Van made them a camp so they could wait until morning to head out. As she lay her soft head down to rest, she knew she would love Van for the rest of her life.

Merle awoke from her slumber with a start. She propped herself up out of Van's lap and rested her side against his. They both were watching the crimson sun set behind the rustic old mountains.

"Van?" Merle asked softly. "Could I, ask you something?" Van's brow furrowed, Merle wasn't usually so sincere. It made him uneasy all at once, but Merle was his friend. How could he act as such to her.

"Of course, Merle," he replied politely. Merle's eyes took on a blank stare out towards the sun as she continued to speak.

"Do you love me?" The question hit Van like a punch in the stomach. There was no right answer to this question. He did love Merle, just not in the way she was thinking. But he couldn't crush her either. He was all she had.

He turned to face her, and pulled her face towards his, cupping her chin in his strong hands. "I love you like a sister, Merle."

"But, could it ever be something more?" Merle pulled out of his grasp and looked deep inside his cinnamon eyes. Van never knew how deeply she felt for him. How strongly she must care about him.

In seconds, he relayed everything Merle had ever done for him, or said to him. It was so obvious she loved him...why hadn't he noticed? Or had he, and he had been subconsciously playing on that? No, he thought immediately. I would never do that. Not to Merle. Would I?

"I don't know."

"I just wanted to ask." She replied, looking back off into the sunset. He could feel the hurt in her voice, rather than hear it. Merle was crying inside and he knew it. It was tearing him apart as well.

"Merle," he spoke her name with such passion she turned to face him, trying to hide the tears in her deep eyes. "I want you to know something too."

"What?" she choked out, trying to disguise her sadness.

"I will always love you. Maybe not in the way you would like, but I want you to understand that no matter what I do, no matter what ever happens to me. I love you. I truly do."

"Oh Van!" Merle's cheeks were wet with tears and she flung herself at Van and wrapped her arms about her neck. For a long time she cried silently into his shoulder as he remained still and held her.

Then, abruptly, she pulled away from his shoulder and faced him, he face glowing with her old happiness. One of her paws came up to wipe away her tears, and then she bent close to Van and whispered to him, "I will always love you too."

AN: Awww, I love fluffly Merle/Van things. Not romantic, but cute friend things. I hope you enjoyed it; I enjoyed writing it for you!