Shulk was laying on his bed with his legs crossed and hands behind his head, looking completely relaxed as he watched people taking down the festival decorations from his window.
Well, this is it. The festival is over now, and the colony is doing just fine without us. Time to head out for Valak Mountain.
He got ready and went to see who else was up.
It's going to be just Melia and I…
He started to smile and stare off into space as he walked down the hallway. He was too occupied with his thoughts traveling that he didn't notice Melia stepping out of her room. He bumped into her, instantly snapping out of his day dreaming and went to catch her before she fell.
Melia quickly looked around but couldn't find anything to grab on to. She closed her eyes and braced herself, but suddenly felt like she was floating. She slowly opened her eyes and started to blush, she was tilted backwards, with Shulk standing above her and his arms around her to keep her held up.
"Hey…" Shulk said, looking just as flustered.
"Hey…" Melia said back, she stared into his eyes and looked like she was entranced.
"Sorry about that. You okay?" Shulk asked, helping her stand back up.
"It's okay, I'm fine." She said.
They both walked downstairs to see Sharla awake and making breakfast.
"Oh, good morning, you two. I didn't think you'd be up yet. I'll make a plate for you guys." Sharla said.
As they sat down and ate, Shulk and Melia would glance on and off at each other then nervously look away. The tension between them was high since the festival last night and knowing that they were going to be traveling together, just the two of them, only added on to that.
"Hey, is it all right with you two if everyone comes to see you off? Reyn is going to be staying here with me, and Dunban and Fiora stayed the night in the colony." Sharla explained.
"Of course they can." Shulk replied.
Shulk finished eating before them and excused himself so he could pack up what he had. Melia watched him as he walked away.
Sharla grinned at Melia, "Take it your date went well? I seen the way you two have been looking at each other."
"It went very well, actually. Except for one circumstance…" Melia replied and looked down.
Sharla suddenly glared, "What happened, what did he do?"
The two quickly became close after Melia first joined them on their journey, almost like they were sisters. Even though Melia was older, Sharla acted more like the protective big sister.
"Calm yourself, it was nothing like that. What happened- well, almost happened was that he tried to kiss me by the lake, but we were interrupted before it happened." Melia explained.
"Ooh, Melia. And here I thought you were a girl who took things slow." Sharla teased and nudged her arm.
"Like you're one to talk, look at you and Reyn!" Melia shot back.
This was true. After the festival, Reyn asked Sharla to be his girlfriend and she said yes, they were even going to be living together.
"Okay, you got me there. Well, it's going to be just you two for a bit. I'm sure you could make it happen again, no interruptions this time." Sharla tried to reassure her.
Melia nodded and excused herself from the table to pack her things. She put most of her stuff, including Shulk's jacket, into her bag then noticed her DoberCorgi was still on the bed. She picked it up and held it close.
Shulk came into her room and seen her with the stuffed animal. He smiled and leaned against the open door.
"Bringing that with you?" He asked.
Melia jumped, "Oh, Shulk. I didn't hear you walk in. I don't think I have enough room for it, unfortunately."
"I just got here. I travel light, so it didn't take me that long to pack. I came to see if you needed help with anything."
Melia looked at all the things on her bed that she still needed to pack, thinking if there was something she could move around to make room for her DoberCorgi.
"Nothing will happen to it if you leave it here." Shulk said softly.
"I know, but I still cherish it, just like I would any gift you give me." Melia said.
Shulk smiled and pulled her in for a big hug.
Melia realized it would be better to keep the DoberCorgi at Sharla's house and asked if she could hold on to it for her. She agreed, and they left to meet the others; Dunban and Fiora stayed the night at the reconstruction headquarters, while Reyn was already up and at work. Since he was going to be staying with Sharla, he enlisted in the Defense Force for Colony 6. He explained that he wanted to see his friends off and got someone to cover his shift until then.
They walked around the colony for a little while, getting food and other supplies they might need for their journey. Melia was by Shulk's side the entire time, sometimes nuzzling against him or resting her head on his shoulder, which Shulk didn't seem to mind.
With everything done and out of the way, they met with their friends at the entrance gate.
"Come see us when you're done!" Sharla said.
"We will. After this, we should have everything ready to go to Alcamoth. We're going to need all the help we can get." Shulk said.
"We'll be right here. Just say the word when you're ready." Reyn said.
"Hey, Melia…" Fiora started.
"What is it, Fiora?" Melia asked.
Fiora suddenly went up and hugged Melia, "Be safe, and keep an eye on Shulk. He might seem timid, but he gets into trouble easily."
"Shulk being bad? I couldn't even imagine that." Melia said.
Dunban gave a small chuckle, "Oh, he was. He was rebellious and hot-headed when he was growing up. It's not as bad now that he's older, but he can still get like that if he wanted to."
"Is that true, Shulk?" Melia asked and turned to face him.
Shulk nervously scratched at his neck, "Nothing too crazy. Mostly just kids being kids or getting pulled into something by Reyn."
"What the hell, man? Don't go blaming it on me! Geez, I don't know which is colder, you or Valak Mountain!" Reyn protested.
They all laughed and Melia looked back at Fiora.
"Don't worry, I'll make sure nothing happens." She promised.
Everyone waved as they watched Shulk and Melia go.
"Ready?" Shulk asked as they started off.
"As ready as I'll ever be. I'm glad you came with me, Shulk." Melia said.
"And I'm glad you let me. You would've been the first person on my mind to travel with too if I had a long journey ahead of me." Shulk admitted.
"Me? Why is that?" Melia asked.
"I don't know, I just like having you around." Shulk shyly said and started to blush.
"A little cliché, don't you think? A rebel with a sweet side?" Melia teased.
"Ugh, don't remind me." Shulk said.
"Sorry, it's just hard not to think about. You seem so sweet and gentle, I can't picture you being that way." Melia admitted.
"Well, it's true. I wouldn't follow any rule if I didn't agree with it and had a bit of an attitude back then, got into a lot of arguments because of it." Shulk revealed.
"It's still hard to believe! Give me one example." Melia asked.
Shulk thought about it for a few moments, "Would you believe me if I told you I acted that way to your father and brother once?"
Melia gawked at him, stunned in complete disbelief.
"Yeah, I did. I had a vision when you went into the High Entia Tomb. I seen that you were about to be seriously hurt, maybe even killed. Your father and brother refused to let me go there, saying it went against their rules, so we got into a big argument over it. I probably said some things that I shouldn't have, but I wasn't going to just sit there and let that happen. I told them their rules don't apply to us since we're not High Entia and I stormed out to make sure you were okay." Shulk explained.
"You did that because of me?" Melia asked.
"Of course I did. I was worried sick about you." Shulk said.
Melia could feel her heart pounding in her chest. She stopped and almost threw Shulk off his feet as she pulled him closer and into a tight embrace.
"That's so sweet of you!" Melia cried.
"It was nothing, really." Shulk modestly said.
Melia didn't seem like she wanted to let go of him, so Shulk wrapped his arms around her and they held each other close for another minute before she finally released her grip on him.
"We should get going." Melia said.
"Yeah, let's go." Shulk replied.
It was getting dark by the time they made it to the Sororal Statues in Satorl Marsh. They decided to set up camp at the base of the statues and wait until morning. They finished putting up the tent and Shulk went outside, taking a seat by the edge of the bridge.
"What are you doing, Shulk?" Melia asked as she came over.
"Just checking out those statues." Shulk said and pointed to them.
Melia sat down next to him.
"Those statues were made by the High Entia, weren't they?" Shulk asked.
"You would be correct. They're the Sororal Statues, they depict twin goddesses." Melia answered.
"Soltnar and Khatorl, right?" Shulk asked.
"Correct again, Shulk. You sure know your history." Melia praised.
"Remember those books you brought me when I was sick? Some of them were about the High Entia. I wonder why they made the statues here, though?" He asked.
"This place was once used for our Coming-of-Age ceremony. Actually, it was done right over there." Melia pointed to the circle at the other end of the bridge.
"So it's kind of like what you had to do back in the tomb, or you would have done the ceremony here if it was still being used." Shulk concluded.
Melia went quiet, she looked scared and started to tremble slightly.
"Hey, come here." Shulk noticed her trembling and put his arm over her, "You don't have to be scared. I'll protect you, just like I did back then." He promised her.
Melia gave a nod and put her arm around him, "Thank you, Shulk. You all saved my life that day, I'll never forget the debt I owe you."
"You don't owe me anything. I wouldn't let something like that happen to you, you mean a lot to me and I'd hate to see you hurt." He said.
Melia looked up at him with hearts in her eyes, while Shulk felt some color reach his cheeks and was too embarrassed to look at her. She put both her arms around Shulk and cuddled close to him.
"You mean a great deal to me too, Shulk." She mused.
Shulk smiled and hugged her back, "Come on, it's getting late. We should head back inside."
Back in the tent, Shulk pulled another one of his books out from his bag, deciding to read for a bit before bed. Melia sat next to him and glanced at the pages. Noticing that he was reading more about the High Entia, she offered to answer any questions he might have still had about their history or Alcamoth.
After a while, the book suddenly landed into Shulk's lap and his head fell on Melia's shoulder. She blinked and looked over, he fell asleep on her shoulder, quietly snoring away.
Melia smiled and let him lay there for a bit. She slowly reached her arm out to grab the book without waking up Shulk. She looked at the book and the words, "Alcamoth's Imperial Line" were on the cover. Feeling curious now, she opened it to where Shulk's bookmark was, it was at the start of a new chapter titled, "Role of a Consort".
Melia's jaw dropped, she was so focused on gathering refugees and retaking Alcamoth that the idea of taking a consort completely slipped her mind. She looked back over at Shulk and her heart started beating faster, fantasizing over choosing him to be her consort.
This has to be a coincidence. He simply fell asleep as he got to this chapter.
She set the book aside and gently laid Shulk's head back onto his pillow. Melia then made herself comfortable and went to sleep.
The next morning, they quickly packed up and climbed the Sororal Statues, eventually making their way to Makna Forest. The dense trees, warm temperature, and fresh woodland air giving a welcomed change of scenery.
"Hey, Melia, think we could stop at Frontier Village while we're here? We could restock and see if the chief found any refugees yet." Shulk suggested.
"Good idea, Frontier Village it is." Melia replied.
They arrived at Frontier Village shortly after and the first place they went was Riki's house to see if he wanted to walk with them as they ran their errands.
"I wonder how Riki has been doing." Melia thought out loud.
Just as she said that, a ball of fur was seen bouncing towards them at full speed.
"Melly! Melly!" Riki cried and bounced into her arms, "Friends come to visit Riki!"
Melia giggled, "I guess that answers my question. Yes, we came to visit before we left for Valak Mountain. Did you want to come with us around the village, Riki?"
"Yes! Riki join friends!" Riki said, still looking pretty excited to see them.
The three went to see Chief Dunga. He had several High Entia refugees around the village and knew of other's whereabouts, saying they would wait until Alcamoth was reclaimed and head back. They even had a High Entia transport ship they were trying to fix but were not having much luck.
Shulk, Melia, and Riki continued their detour around the village and came across a small Nopon sitting by a ledge high above the reservoir.
"Dabidabi have to do this, but Dabidabi feel afraid. Very high up…" The Nopon said and started shaking in fear.
"What's wrong with him?" Shulk asked.
"Oh, Dabidabi try this before but too scared to do it. Nopon use this as big jump when playing in reservoir below, but also have tradition. Nopon believe that jump also prove how much they love someone. If they brave enough to jump from this high, they brave enough to stay with Loveypon through anything!" Riki explained.
"Sounds more like superstition than tradition." Melia pointed out.
"Sounds like fun, actually." Shulk said and walked up to the plank.
"Seriously, Shulk? Plummeting to near certain death sounds fun to you?" Melia gawked.
"Riki not think Shulk will do it. Shulk brave, but not brave enough for this." Riki taunted.
"Oh yeah? Hold these, Melia." Shulk said. He took off his shirt and handed it to her, along with the Monado.
Shulk walked back over to the ledge and turned around. He was looking right at Melia and grinned as he swung his foot forward and leaned back, falling backwards off the ledge.
"Shulk!" Melia yelled and leaned over the rail.
Shulk turned himself back around as he was free falling. Realization started to sink in on just how high up he was falling from and a look of horror filled his eyes. He could be heard screaming and cursing the entire way down, then there was a splash loud enough to be heard from the platform.
"Shulk? Shulk?!" Melia yelled down to him, but she didn't get an answer or even see him surface.
Melia went into a panic and ran as fast as she could down to the reservoir, looking around frantically for any signs of Shulk.
"Melia! Over here!"
Melia looked over and seen Shulk waving at her. He was soaking wet and standing near the water line.
"Wow, that was such a rush! You've gotta try-" Before Shulk could finish, Melia ran over and threw her arms around him, the impact knocking him back a few steps.
"Don't ever scare me like that again, you dolt!" Melia cried. She pounded on Shulk's shoulder and held onto him as tight as she could.
Shulk's eyes softened and he hugged her back, "It's okay, Melia."
"Okay?! You could have died, Shulk! Stupidity of this caliber is something I would have expected from someone like Reyn. What could have possibly possessed you to do that?" Melia demanded.
"You heard what Riki said, didn't you?" He replied.
"So you did it because of peer pressure? Shulk, that isn't worth risking your life over!" Melia shot back.
"No, not that, the other part." Shulk corrected.
"What other part? I don't recall him saying anything else." Melia said, now looking confused.
It suddenly clicked, "Nopon believe that jump also prove how much they love someone."
Melia stared wide eyed at Shulk and blushed, "The reason you jumped was…"
Shulk grinned and was also blushing, but Riki appeared from behind them before he could say anything.
"Melly worry too much, Shulk fine! Riki take back what Riki said, Shulk bravest of all Hom Hom, maybe even more than Dundun!" Riki said.
Melia turned back to Shulk and looked upset, "I'm sorry for lashing out at you so impulsively."
"It's okay, Melia. I'm not mad at you." Shulk assured and gave her a smile.
Melia started to cheer up a little and noticed that Shulk was still drenched, some water on her too from hugging him.
"We can't have you going to Valak Mountain like that." Melia summoned a fire and two wind elementals, "This should dry you off faster."
Melia started to blush as Shulk came closer for the elementals to dry him off. She ignored the fact that he was shirtless earlier but now started looking him up and down.
Shulk felt like someone was staring at him and looked over. He seen that it was Melia, but noticed something else about her too, she was slightly biting her lip and giving him this look he's never seen her make before…
"Something wrong, Melia?" Shulk asked.
Melia broke out of her trance, "Oh, you forgot this, that's all." She said and threw him his shirt.
Shulk put his shirt back on and they went to the shops to top off their supplies. Riki waved goodbye to them and they made their way to Valak Mountain.
"Valak Mountain is a desolate place. Is there anywhere we should begin our search?" Melia asked.
"I have an idea, but I don't think you'll like it." Shulk hesitantly suggested.
"Where?" Melia asked, noticing the gloomy look on Shulk's face.
"…Harict Chapel."
Melia's expression turned to worry, "Are you sure you're okay to go there?"
Shulk let out a deep breath, "Yeah, I think so." He said, not exactly sure of that answer himself.
Shulk was fully aware now of the horrible things that happened there thanks to Dickson and Zanza. Just the mention of that place would make Shulk feel anxiety building up.
Melia watched Shulk closely as they approached the door to the chapel.
"Shulk, it's okay. You're not being forced to do this." Melia assured him.
"I know, this is something I decided to do on my own." He said. The look in his eyes was clear, even if this was something he willingly chose to do, it didn't change the fact he felt scared to come back here.
They only took a few steps into the chapel and Shulk looked like he was about to have a panic attack. His heart started beating rapidly and he looked pale, his breathing was also heavy enough to hear.
"Shulk?" Melia asked.
No answer…
Melia stood in front of him, "That's enough, Shulk. You're clearly not okay." She put her foot down.
Shulk took a few short, quick breaths, "Okay, you're right." He admitted and started hyperventilating.
Melia took his hand, "It's going to be okay, Shulk. Come with me."
Melia took him outside and Shulk immediately sat down with his back against a wall, he closed his eyes and tried to control his breathing. Melia sat by him the whole time, she held onto his hand and tried anything she could think of to help him calm down.
He finally started to relax and his breathing sounded more controlled now, "Thank you, Melia. I'm feeling a little better now."
Melia gripped his hand a little tighter, "Shulk, please don't hide these things from me from now on."
"Okay, I won't." He leaned into her and hugged her.
Melia hugged him back, "If it's too hard for you to do, I'll go in by myself. I won't be long."
"No, I think I can do this now. I feel like it's something I have to do to help me get over what happened." Shulk protested.
Melia's eyes softened, she really didn't want to see Shulk put himself through this, but she understood why he was doing it.
"Promise me that you will tell me if something is wrong, first." Melia said.
"Okay, I promise." Shulk said.
"Okay, we'll go back in when you're ready. You don't have to feel like you're being rushed." She said.
They sat outside for a few more minutes to make sure Shulk was okay.
"Alright, I'm ready." He said.
Melia held onto Shulk's hand as they re-entered the chapel. His grip on her hand kept tightening as they got closer to the holster that originally held the Monado. When they were standing in front of it, Shulk's grip was so hard that his fingers were turning white. Melia's focus was completely on making sure Shulk was okay, ignoring both his grip and the heavily gloomy aura the chapel gave off.
"This is where everything began." Shulk thought out loud. He took a few deep breaths and loosened his grip as he thought back on everything that happened.
"Are you feeling okay, Shulk?" Melia asked.
"Yeah, I'm fine." Shulk nodded.
He quietly stared at the empty holster while Melia kept a close eye on him.
"Hey, Melia, have you ever thought about how different our lives would be if these things never happened?" Shulk asked.
"Things like what, Shulk?" She asked.
"Like if I never picked up the Monado, or if that whole war between Bionis and Mechonis never had to happen." He answered.
"A few times, I have. But I try not to dwell on it, it's merely not the world we were born into." Melia said.
"I appreciate that you're brutally honest about it. But you're telling me there isn't anything at all you would have wanted to change?" He asked.
"Is there something you would have wanted to change, Shulk?" She said back.
"I never got to know my parents since it happened when I was so young, all those Homs that were here with them also died when the Monado was released. That would have been something I wanted to change." Shulk answered.
"Shulk…" Melia gave his hand a reassuring squeeze, "I'm sorry that had to happen to you. We've all gone through some form of loss, but do you want to know what I've come to believe? No pain lasts forever. No matter how great the loss, the pain will eventually cease. And when it does, someone or some thing will come into your life to fill that void. I lost my family as well, but what I've gained was you and the others. If I had an opportunity to go back and change that, I still wouldn't do it if it meant losing you all as my friends."
"Melia…" He turned to face her and held her in a tight embrace, "You're right. You and the others I met along the way are what I gained. I miss them so much, but I still have all of you here to keep me moving forward."
Melia gently put her arms around Shulk and hugged him back, "I'm sure you had wonderful parents, Shulk. I would have been honored to meet them."
"I'm sure they would have loved you too. Thank you, Melia. Thank you for always being there for me."
"You don't have to thank me for anything, Shulk. I'll always be here."
They slowly broke apart and smiled at each other. They then looked around, noticing there were small groups of High Entia that took refuge inside the chapel.
"Shulk? Shulk! Over here!" One of them called out.
"Zain? So this is where you ended up! Where is your partner, Kurralth?" Shulk asked and walked over.
"He's over at Three Sage Summit. We might have come across the discovery of a lifetime! We found ruins that belonged to the giants here!" Zain cheerfully exclaimed.
"The giants? That's great, I'm happy for you!" Shulk replied.
"If only we could get that gate open, we'd be adventurer legends! Oh, sorry if I sounded like I got carried away. What brings you two all the way out here?" Zain asked.
"We've got something legendary planned as well. We've been traveling to gather High Entia refugees and clear Alcamoth of the Telethia. We have people helping our search, and we're going to Alcamoth very soon." Shulk explained.
A male High Entia across the room overheard them talking and came over. He was wearing Imperial Guard armor and had an insignia over the shoulder.
"Reclaiming Alcamoth, you say? Allow me to assist you. Captain of the Imperial Guard, at your service!" He introduced.
"Nice to meet you." Shulk said.
"This is perfect, a commanding officer to lead the attack on the Telethia is exactly what we need!" Melia added.
"Not just me. Some of the High Entia here are citizens, but others were also Imperial Guards. I can find others willing to join the fight as well." The captain said.
"Actually, if you make your way to Frontier Village, the Nopon have a High Entia transport ship there. If you can get it working, use it to travel freely and ask other areas for assistance. While you're there, tell the Nopon Chief that Shulk and Empress Melia Antiqua sent you, he has other refugees there." Melia advised.
"Good plan. I'll rally what forces I can, and we will meet at the Ether Plant in Eryth Sea." The captain said.
The captain walked back over to the other High Entia, "The time for us to sit around feeling sorry for ourselves is no more! Men, we are taking back the capital! Those of you that can stand and are willing to fight, follow me. We are heading for Frontier Village!"
Soldiers quickly stood up, a sense of drive and vigor suddenly rekindled that could be seen on their faces. They marched behind the captain and left for Frontier Village.
"Those of you that are still here, you have the option to either join the fight or relocate to the Ether Plant!" Melia instructed.
The rest that didn't follow behind the soldiers packed their things and began their hike to the Ether Plant.
"I'll be staying here to inform Kurralth, best of luck to you two." Zain said.
Shulk and Melia left the chapel and traveled back to the upper levels of Valak Mountain, finding a cave spacious enough to make a camp in. They readied the tent and Shulk grabbed some sticks, placing them in a small circle while Melia aimed a fire elemental at it to get a fire started. Shulk got started making dinner and Melia sat by the entrance to the cave, admiring the change in scenery that permeated the area at night.
Shulk walked over with a plate of food and a hot drink in his hands, "Mind if I sit here?"
"Go ahead." She replied.
Shulk handed Melia what was in his hands, then went to grab some for himself and sat down next to her.
"You know, even with all the bad things that happened here, I still think this place looks so beautiful every time I see it." Shulk said as he stared outside.
"Like the chapel and the Faced Mechon?" Melia asked.
Shulk nodded.
"I agree, it does look beautiful here. On the bright side, you were reunited with your loved one in the end." Melia said.
"Loved one? Why do you say it like that?" Shulk asked.
"Well, you and Fiora seem rather close. I figured she was your… significant other." Melia admitted.
She moved her head down to try and hide the hurt look on her face. Even with how close they've gotten over their adventure, she still had doubts in the back of her mind that Shulk might have been taken by someone else.
"Wait, significant other? You mean like my… no no no, you must have been mistaken. Fiora is not my girlfriend." Shulk quickly corrected.
"She's not?" Melia looked up at him with sparkles in her eyes, like a glint of hope was suddenly sparked and could be seen in her eyes.
"No, she's not. I'd be lying if I said I didn't have those feelings for her before, but… I don't love her in that way anymore." He said.
"Why not? What happened between you two?" Melia asked.
Shulk looked back outside and took a deep breath, "After Colony 9 was attacked, and Fiora died…"
Melia rested her hand on his lap, "If it's too painful to talk about, you don't have to, Shulk."
"It's okay." Shulk assured her. He took another deep breath and continued.
"After Fiora died, Reyn and I started our journey around the Bionis. I had plenty of time to think while we traveled, most of it being about Fiora. Eventually, I started to accept that she was gone and I needed to move on. Even though she came back, the feelings I had for her never did."
"I see. I'm sorry you had to go through something like that, Shulk." Melia said somberly.
"You don't have to be sorry. I feel fine now, and it was for the best. Fiora wouldn't have wanted me to stay stuck in the past, regardless if she came back or not. And to be honest, I already have moved on. I've actually had a crush on this one girl for a while now." Shulk said.
"You have? Who is this girl?" Melia asked.
Shulk smiled and stared outside, "I've actually known this girl for a while. When we first met, I thought she was the most beautiful girl I've ever seen. She seems kind of quiet and hard to open up to at first, but once I got past that I realized there was so much more to her. She's also smart, always level-headed, and constantly puts others before herself. I've gotten to know her so much better, and that crush I have just gets stronger the more I find out about her. I don't know how else to say it, I love this girl, I'm in love with her."
"I see. She sounds remarkable, she's lucky to have someone like you in her life, Shulk." Melia said, the sparkle in her eyes started to fade away.
Why did I believe I even had a chance? He's had his mind made up since the beginning. Whoever she is, she sounds much better off for Shulk…
"If anything, I'm the lucky one. I just wish I knew if she felt the same way about me. I've been trying to get her attention, even doing some pretty stupid stuff to do it sometimes." Shulk said.
"Like what?" Melia asked.
Wait, why would I even want to know? I guess I'd be lying if I said this girl doesn't pique my interest.
"A good friend of mine told me they have this tradition back home where they prove how much they love someone by jumping off this gigantic tree and into a reservoir down below. I actually believed it and jumped to try and show her that." Shulk said.
But that was earlier today, I didn't see any other girl around. Maybe I was acting so hysterical after he jumped that I didn't notice?
"Maybe you should try being more direct and just ask her." Melia suggested.
Why am I even trying to help him with this?
"I've thought about that. I didn't ask her because I was too nervous and didn't know how she felt, but we've been spending some time together recently and I'm starting to think that maybe she likes me too." Shulk said.
"Wait, you said 'recently'? When was this?" Melia suddenly asked.
"Just the other day, actually. I finally worked up the courage and asked her to be my date for this festival back at the colony. I even tried to kiss her during this event by the lake but was cut off before it happened." Shulk answered.
His date to a festival? A kiss that almost happened by the lake? No, he can't be referring to…
"Shulk, what's this girl's name?" Melia asked.
Shulk grinned and turned to face her, "Her name is Melia Antiqua."
Melia turned bright red and let out a small gasp, she placed her hand over her chest as she felt her heart skip a beat.
"Me?" Melia asked, still in shock.
"Yes. It's you, Melia." He said again.
"B-but… but why me? I don't feel like I've done anything to deserve that kind of affinity from you. Throughout the course of our journey around the Bionis and Mechonis, I felt like I was just a burden on you all. What could you possibly see in that?" Melia asked.
"That's where you're wrong, Melia. You're not a burden, you've done so much for me and I don't think you even realize it." Shulk answered.
"I don't understand." Melia said back.
"You've helped me through so much in the time we've known each other. I might not have looked like it when we first met, but I was a total wreck and still grieving for Fiora. Being around you helped ease the pain I was hiding from everyone, sometimes I even forgot all about my worries and felt like I could just smile and enjoy the moment I was in. Even after the incident with Fiora, you were always by my side and continued to help me. If you want my honest opinion, I think you're the strongest out of all of us. Even after all the horrible things you've been through, you kept moving forward and didn't let them tear you down like what happened to me. It was something I've always admired about you, and as we kept traveling together and gotten to know each other better, you became more than someone I just admired, you became someone I fell in love with."
Melia moved closer and reached for Shulk's hand. She locked her fingers between his and looked into his eyes, "You're wrong on something too, Shulk. I wasn't fully okay after everything that happened to me. The only reason those things didn't tear me down was because I had you there to support me. No matter what, you were always there to protect me and help me through it. Shulk, I've been in love with you ever since you first came to my rescue, and those feelings I had for you only grew stronger the more we've traveled together. I've never had anyone care about me as much as you have. I love you, Shulk."
"Melia…" Shulk mused. He caressed her cheek with his open hand, "I love you too. Just like you, I've felt the same way for a long time."
He gazed into her eyes for another moment, then leaned in as they shared a soft, tender kiss. Melia put her arms around Shulk and pulled him closer as the kiss deepened and became more passionate.
They broke the kiss and Melia gazed back into his eyes.
"Shulk…" She mused.
"I guess we've always been supporting each other and never realized it." Shulk gave a small smile.
Melia leaned in and hugged him, "It seems that we have, even more than we could have imagined. I love you, Shulk."
Shulk wrapped his arms around her, "I love you too, Melia."
Melia lifted her head up and kissed him again. She stayed nuzzled close to him as they stared outside, watching the glow illuminate over the snowy mountains.
"It really is beautiful here." Shulk said.
"I agree." Melia said.
They sat up after a few more minutes and went back inside. Melia pulled Shulk's jacket out of her bag and put it on, then laid next to him with her head resting on his chest as they drifted to sleep.