Another Journey Begins

by Dabish95

Zanza is defeated and everyone is now free to live as they choose. Shulk and his friends return home but they still have one last thing to decide, something they've all had on the back of their minds during their journey, "What happens now?" How will everyone go about their lives now that it's all over? (Mature content is kept minimal but still rated M due to it's nature.)

14. Together Forever

"It's difficult to believe this all happened in such a short time."

Melia was overlooking the view of Alcamoth from her Villa's balcony and smiling as she gazed over the city.

She looked up to the sky, still wearing that smile, "Are all of you still watching? It's been three years since our home was attacked by the Telethia. In just those three short years, Shulk and I have done more than restore Alcamoth to its former glory. This city is in the best shape its ever been, even compared to how it was before the attack, but everything is still continuing to grow, both the city and the people. I'm sure you would all be proud if you were here to see it."

Melia's smile began to fade, a frown taking its place as she sighed and leaned over the rail.

"Shulk…" She softly mused.

While everything else was going perfectly, there was one thing weighing on Melia's mind, and it was Shulk's strange behavior for the past week. He was spending more time than usual at work, and when he would finally come home, he would seem zoned out and distant.

Maybe he's stressed over something at work? Perhaps I'll go visit and ask him.

Melia threw herself together and stopped to pick up something quick for them to eat before going to M.S.I.T.

Denise seen Melia walking inside the main lobby and waved, "Hey, Melia!~"

Denise had been getting to know Melia and the rest of the group better with how frequently they would come visit. Even with how close the two girls have been getting, however, Denise wouldn't slack off to gossip or even address Melia by just her first name unless the lobby was empty.

Melia politely smiled and came over. There was no one else around so she figured she could stay and chat for a few minutes, but her attention kept getting drawn back to Denise's smile. Melia stopped by pretty often to visit, but Denise was practically beaming and more excited to see her than usual.

Melia's curiosity finally piqued and she raised an eyebrow, "You're certainly euphoric today."

"I mean, how could I not be? It's a slow day at work so I get to lounge around, it's nice out, and I even got to spend some of the day outside to see for myself. The others came by to visit Shulk before they went back home, and they asked if I could go on break and tag along with them around the city." Denise replied.

Denise's bright expression suddenly changed and she looked a bit guilty, "Oh, I'm sorry, Melia. We would've invited you to come with us, but I figured you were busy since you weren't with the group, or…"

"It's okay, don't worry yourself about that." Melia assured her.

The smile Melia was wearing turned into a teasing one, "It sounds like you're getting along pretty well with the others, and from what I've heard, with Dunban in particular."

Denise turned bright red, "The others keep mentioning that too, but even you think that now? I mean… sure, he comes by more often than the rest, but…"

"You don't see that as a bit of a coincidence? I doubt that he would visit so often just to see Shulk." Melia smirked as she kept teasing her.

"Like you're one to talk! You're here every other day visiting your husband!" Denise shot back defensively.

"Wait… my husband?" Melia asked and blushed from her comment.

Denise suddenly squeaked and covered her mouth, "I-I mean, I know you two aren't married, it's just the way you act around each other makes it seem like-"

Although she didn't mean to, Melia started to stare off into space, smiling warmly as the sound of Denise's rambling gradually lowered until it went mute.

Married? Me and Shulk?

Denise cut herself off and put on a relieved smile, seeing that Melia wasn't paying attention anymore.

"I've taken up enough of your time. Go on ahead, he's in the same place as always." Denise said, her voice snapping Melia out of her daze.

Melia nodded and went to walk down the hall, but she peeked back at Denise from around the corner.

"Your affairs are no one's business but your own, but I believe that Dunban might share the same feelings you do." Melia said.

"Don't you have somewhere you need to be?" Denise replied, feeling too embarrassed to talk about it.

Melia shot Denise a grin before finally leaving her alone. After she was gone, Denise groaned and rested her head in her hands.

"You idiot! How could you almost let that slip?" Denise quietly said to herself.

Up on the second floor, Melia opened the office door and seen Shulk with his back turned to her. He didn't notice her come in or even hear the door open, only blankly staring at one of the Telethia carcasses in its preservation tube.

Melia set the bag of food on a nearby table and walked up behind Shulk, covering his eyes before he could turn around.

"Guess who?~" Melia playfully asked.

Shulk smiled and placed his hands over hers, "Wait, don't tell me, I know this one! Hm… her name's right on the tip of my tongue… what was it? Hang on, maybe if I describe her it'll help me remember. Let's see, she's about half a foot shorter than me, she's really cute and has wings on her head…"

Melia started to smile and her wings brushed against Shulk as she leaned closer to his ear.

"What else do you remember about her?" She cooed.

"She's also someone really important, not just to the people she governs over, but also to me. Wait, I remember now!" Shulk moved Melia's hands away and spun around, pulling her into a tight hug.

"Her name is Melia Antiqua, empress and love of my life." Shulk said.

"Right answer." Melia giggled.

Melia reached up and the two shared a tender kiss before Shulk pulled her into another hug.

"Hey, Angel. What are you doing here?" Shulk asked.

Melia untangled herself from his arms and held up the bag, "I brought you something to eat. Do you think you could take a break from what you're doing?"

"Yeah, I could do that." Shulk said.

Melia smiled and carried the bag as they headed for the door. She noticed that Shulk had stopped walking and turned around, seeing him staring back at the Telethia carcass.

Maybe it really did have something to do with his work. He's so focused on those specimens…

Shulk snapped out of his trance and hurried back over to Melia's side, "Sorry about that, Angel."

The two held hands as they left the institute and found an empty sitting area on the outer ring of the second floor. They sat at the bench and Melia reached her hand inside the bag, pulling out a wrapped sandwich and handing it to Shulk.

"Sorry that it's not great quality. I just picked up something quick before coming over, and you know I'm not much of a cook." Melia apologized.

Shulk opened the wrapper and took a bite. He then looked over at Melia and gave her a reassuring smile, "Don't worry about that, Angel. Besides, I've been eating the same junk food for the past few days straight at work, literally anything else tastes like five-stars to me right now."

Not long after, Shulk was back to how he'd been acting for the past week, staying quiet and only picking at his food.

Melia could see that look on his face like something was bothering him. She set her share of food to the side and rested her hand on his lap.

"Boo, is everything okay?" She asked softly.

"Yeah, why wouldn't it be?" Shulk replied.

Melia's hand moved up to his cheek and she gently turned his head to her.

"You just seem… occupied lately, and you even have this look like you're stressed about something." Melia said and caressed his cheek.

"It's just something at work…" Shulk vaguely answered and turned his eyes away from her.

"You can talk to me about these things, Shulk. I might not understand everything that you do there, but I at least want to try and help." Melia said.

"I know you do, Angel. I'm sorry I haven't said anything sooner, it's just… I was nervous about how you would react." Shulk said hesitantly.

"Why would you feel nervous about that, Shulk? Talk to me, what's wrong?" Melia pressed.

Shulk let out a sigh and slouched forward, resting his arms on his knees and staring blankly ahead of him.

"Melia, have you heard of something called 'DNA splicing'?" Shulk asked.

Melia raised an eyebrow. Why would he ask something as strange as that?

"No, I haven't." She replied.

"It's where you cut a bit of one organism's DNA, then replace it with DNA from a different organism. The two pieces will then recombine, making a modified version of the original with an added trait from the foreign DNA. I know that sounds complicated, but does that make sense?" Shulk explained.

"I think so, but what does this have to do with your work?" Melia asked.

"Well, normally this wouldn't be something you could do on humans. DNA splicing has uses in other ways, like in producing medicine or helping to grow crops, but human DNA is too complex to put under that same practice. But… we've been working on something that might make it possible." Shulk lifted his head and looked over at Melia with a sense of shock and awe, "Melia… we might be able to literally alter someone's genetic makeup. If this works, we could even splice High Entia DNA with other races and give them the extended lifespan that your race has."

Melia could only stare, completely dumbfounded at what Shulk was telling her.

"I… I don't know what to say about this, Shulk. Do you remember when we talked about letting Teelan continue his mentor's research as long as it didn't violate anything ethical? What you're saying sounds like it goes against that." Melia commented.

"We discovered this while we were working on a cure for the mutation. You remember Lilith, the head of M.S.I.T? We brought her all the data we had on this and she allowed us to continue working on it." Shulk said.

"That doesn't make it inexorable, Shulk. Her word is not law. Just because she gave you permission does not mean it can bypass me or the example I tried to set forward with Teelan." Melia replied sharply.

Shulk let out another sigh and stared down at the ground.

"You're right, I know you are. You have every right to be mad at me, but there's more to it…" Shulk started.

Melia kept quiet, even glaring while she waited for Shulk to say something. He already admitted they were doing this behind her back, so what else could possibly make it worse?

"That wasn't just an example I gave you earlier, about splicing High Entia DNA to extend someone's life. That's what M.S.I.T is actually trying to do… and I told them I wanted the first person they tested it on to be me." Shulk revealed.

Melia's glare instantly left and she felt her heart pounding in fear. She reached for Shulk's hand and squeezed it tightly.

"Shulk, why would you want to do something like that? Is this even safe? Aren't you happy with the life you currently have?" She asked in a barrage of questions.

"I'll answer anything you want to know, Melia, just please try not to panic." Shulk started, "We've been studying and testing this for a while, it's progressed far enough to try on humans. I asked them to do this voluntarily, and I'm doing it for the reason I mentioned earlier, to increase my lifespan."

"But have you given any kind of consideration to what that entails, Shulk? You'll outlive the rest of your friends, it's a harsh reality that even I struggle to cope with at times. Do you honestly believe you could bear that, let alone if this operation works to begin with?" Melia demanded.

"I'm aware of that. I've been constantly thinking about what it would mean if this works. And who knows, maybe the others would soften up to the idea and think about going through with it themselves." Shulk answered.

A strange, almost grim smile appeared on Shulk's face, "Besides, if something does go wrong, it's not like I've been alive to begin with, remember? I've been living on borrowed time…"

For the first time in her life, Melia started to feel deep anger towards Shulk. She remembered Lorithia's last words to him and she flung her arm away as she let go of his hand.

"That's it? That's all the resolve you have for something as serious as this? Just because Lorithia told you that your life doesn't matter, you instantly believe it to be true and are willing to throw it away?! You were given a second chance at life, Shulk, some people would be considered blessed to have that, and you're going to sit here and tell me that it doesn't matter?! Well, I think it matters! I think all the time we spent together mattered, or that I even got to know you at all! But I guess you don't care about any of that, do you?!"

Shulk froze, a numbingly strong sense of shame and guilt being the only things he could feel as he saw Melia break down crying.

"Melia, wait… that isn't what I was trying to say. I-I just…" Shulk tried to put his hand on Melia's shoulder, but she batted it away and stood up.

"I'm sorry, Shulk, but I need some time alone…" She whimpered.

Shulk caught a glimpse of the tears running down Melia's face before she turned on her heel and stormed off.

"Melia, wait!" Shulk called out.

Melia wouldn't stop and tears began to form in Shulk's eyes as she left his sight. Once she was gone, Shulk gripped his hair in frustration and looked down at the ground.

Damnit, damnit, DAMNIT! Out of all the ways you could've brought this up to her, that was the one you went with?! You hopelessly-oblivious idiot!

Shulk suddenly released his grip and placed a hand over his chest, feeling his heart racing and like it was getting harder to breathe. He took a few breaths as deep as he could and looked back up, but fear began to fill his eyes as everything around him felt like it was changing… almost like it was becoming too real.

No… no, not now. Not when she isn't here…

"Melia…" Shulk whimpered out her name and covered his face, crying as he felt a panic attack coming on.

Only a few minutes had passed, but it felt like an eternity to Shulk. He wiped his tears and closed his eyes, trying to focus on his breathing to help him calm down. He could feel his heartbeat starting to slow down and placed his hand back over his chest, but this time his hand hit something in his coat's chest pocket.

Shulk opened his eyes and reached inside, pulling out a thin, rectangular wooden box. He placed his hand on the side of the box and flipped it open, revealing a case of Dickson's old cigars.

Shulk couldn't help but chuckle softly as he looked inside the box, noticing one of the cigars was facing upside-down.

"You and your friends had the power to change the future, yet you still did this as a sign of good luck." Shulk said to himself.

Shulk paused for a moment and looked closer, seeing a small matchbox was also inside the case.

I'm not much of a smoker, but right now… I could use anything to help me relax.

Shulk took out the upside-down cigar and held it on the edges of his lips. He struck a match and brought it closer, puffing the cigar and trying to get it to burn evenly.

Shulk coughed after a few puffs and held the cigar between his fingers as he stared ahead of him.

"Like stepfather like stepson, huh Dickson?" Again, Shulk couldn't help but laugh a little as he reminisced. Any image he still had of Dickson growing up would show him with a cigar resting on his lips.

Shulk took another puff of the cigar and looked up to the sky, "You'd do more than just beat my ass if you were here, wouldn't you dad? After making Melia cry like that, I wouldn't even stop you, but I'll make this right, just watch."

Ever since what happened to the two of them, Shulk and Melia felt a deep spiritual bond with their parents. Every now and then, they would even look up to the sky and talk as if they were speaking right to them.

Shulk finished as much of the cigar as he could and put it out, he then looked to his side and remembered the food Melia brought for him was still there. He picked back up the sandwich and silently ate by himself before going back to M.S.I.T.

Throughout the rest of the day at work, Shulk was either thinking about Melia or trying to keep himself calm before triggering another anxiety attack. Before he went back home, he used the emergency shower at work, brushed his teeth, and changed into a spare set of clothes. He wasn't sure if Melia would still be mad at him, but he didn't want to make it worse if he came home smelling like smoke.

Shulk had a bit of time to clear his thoughts as he walked back to the Villa. He opened the front door and looked around while he kicked off his shoes, but there was no sight of Melia in the bits of the house that he could see.

"Melia, are you home?" He called out.

No answer…

Shulk checked around the house and found Melia laying in their bed, wearing his jacket and cuddling the Dobercorgi he gave her all that time ago. Her back was turned to him and she looked over her shoulder, still not saying anything even though she was surprised to see him.

"Melia…" Shulk hurried over and knelt down at the bedside.

Shulk held Melia tight and sniffled into her shoulder, "I'm sorry, Melia, I'm so sorry. This operation has had me scared and stressed out for the past week, and I said something stupid that I didn't mean because of it. I've been thinking over and over about the things we said to each other since you left, and you were right on all of it. I love you with all my heart, Melia, and nothing matters to me more than you. I don't ever want to lose you or fight like that again."

Melia gently broke out of his arms and sat up. Tears started streaming down her face and she pulled Shulk back into a tight hug.

"I'm sorry for what I said too, Shulk. I was so scared that something bad might happen to you and I lashed out. I've lost so many others that I cared about, and I was worried that you might be next…" Melia hid her face and began to whimper at the thought of it.

Shulk took a shaky breath and lifted his head. He kissed the top of Melia's head and gently rocked her in his arms.

"Listen to me, Angel." Shulk said softly, "Nobody is 'next', and nothing bad is going to happen. I made a promise that I would never leave your side, and I'm not turning back on that."

"But… what's going to happen with the operation you had planned?" Melia asked.

"I'm still thinking of going through with it…" Shulk answered.

Melia's grip around him tightened, "But why, Shulk? Why are you so insistent on doing this?"

"There's a reason for it. I was going to camp out in Makna Forest to clear my head before the surgery, come with me tomorrow and I'll explain it there." Shulk said.

Although it wasn't the answer Melia wanted to hear, she knew neither of them had the energy to press the matter. She nodded and tried to sit up, but Shulk pulled her back to him and held her tightly.

Something isn't right. The only times I've seen him act clingy like this was when…

"Shulk, are you okay?" Melia asked softly.

Shulk didn't say anything back, but she could feel him trembling and his pupils were dilated when she looked up at him.

"…Shulk?" Melia asked again.

Melia placed her hand over his chest to feel his heartbeat, but all she felt was something hollow in his coat pocket. She reached inside and pulled it out, and Shulk didn't stop her as she opened the box.

"Dickson's old cigar box, and one of them is missing..." Melia commented and looked up at him, "Shulk, did you have one of these?"

Shulk shamefully looked down, "I'm sorry. It's just that… I started feeling anxious after the things we said to each other and it turned into a panic attack after you left. I wanted to give you some time alone like you asked, and… I just needed something to help me calm down since you weren't there."

Shulk's lip started quivering and his eyes turned bloodshot, looking like he might cry again while Melia felt her heart breaking at what he just said.

"Look at me, Boo." Melia kept her voice soft and gently lifted his head, "I'm not mad, and I'm not going to reprimand you over this. I understand the reason why, but you don't need nicotine to help you relax. No matter what happens from now on, Shulk, I want you to come get me right away if you ever feel like that again."

Shulk only gave a small nod.

"I want to hear you say it, Shulk. Promise me that you will." Melia said, her voice firm but still soft.

"Okay. I promise I'll come get you no matter what happens." Shulk said.

Melia nodded and set the cigar box on the nightstand. She pulled Shulk in for a hug and started to sniffle with her face buried in his chest.

"I'm so sorry, Shulk. I left you all alone when you needed me most…" She whimpered.

"It's okay, Angel." Shulk said and rubbed her back, "You're here now, and there's still something you can do if you want to help."

"And what's that?" Melia quietly asked.

Shulk lifted her head and caressed her cheek, "By not crying. It'll help me feel better knowing that you're okay."

Melia nodded and gave him another hug before sitting back up. She tried bringing herself to smile, and although it wasn't that big or bright, it was still enough for Shulk.

"Come here, Boo. Lie down and try to relax." Melia said and patted the bed.

Shulk nodded and stood up. He changed his clothes and Melia opened her arms as Shulk crawled into bed, letting him rest his head on her chest. She kissed the top of his head and soothingly stroked his hair while she cradled him in her arms.

I guess now would be a better time than any…

A few weeks ago, Melia found some books about anxiety and panic attacks after finishing the novels Dunban gave her. While it was true that Shulk's last attack happened so long ago, she still got them on the rare chance that it would happen again. She remembered that the authors left some tips on what to do to help someone relax, and there was one that stood out in her mind: Keep them talking.

Melia went with anything she could think of to casually strike up: How the rest of his day was, if there was anything else he was working on at M.S.I.T, how exactly the staff he made for her works. It didn't matter what it was, as long as it kept Shulk talking and didn't sound like she was purposely trying to distract him.

Shulk didn't say much at first and mostly gave short replies, but he gradually started talking more until it got to the point that he was going on tangents. It actually became more of a challenge to get him to stop, but Melia didn't care either way, she was smiling warmly and thought it was working while happily listening to him rant.

Shulk finally stopped talking and began to yawn as he snuggled next to Melia.

"Tired, Shulk?" Melia asked.

"A little." He answered sleepily and nuzzled closer.

Melia looked down at him with a warm smile, "You can still lay here if you want. It's been a long day, I might do the same and go to bed soon too."

Shulk reached up and the two shared a tender kiss before he laid his head back down on her chest. He made himself comfortable and soon went to sleep while Melia stayed up for a bit longer, gently pressing his head closer to her heart while he snored away.

Melia tried her best to stay awake and keep Shulk soothed, but her eyes started to grow heavy and she felt like she couldn't keep them open much longer.

"Goodnight, Shulk." Melia kissed the top of his head before falling back onto her pillow and going to sleep.

The next morning, Melia's arm reached up to her chest like she was feeling for Shulk in her sleep. Sensing that he wasn't there, she started to stir and sat up a bit, groaning sleepily as she rubbed her eyes.

"Shulk?" She quietly called out, still sounding half-asleep.

Moments later, their bedroom door opened and Shulk stepped in, using his leg to keep the door open while he held a tray of food and a glass of orange juice in his hands.

"Oh, you're up." Shulk came over and set everything on the nightstand, then leaned down and gave Melia a hug and kiss.

"Good morning, Angel." He said.

"Good morning. What are you doing up so early?" Melia asked drowsily.

"I've been getting everything ready. I came back and seen you were still asleep, so I figured I had time to make you breakfast." Shulk answered.

Shulk propped the pillows for Melia to sit up and she slowly started waking up as Shulk set the tray in her lap.

"Just keep in mind that I'm not much of a cook either. Premade rations and basic stuff are about all I can make." Shulk joked, "I made some for myself too, I'll be right back."

Shulk left the room and came back with another tray of food. He climbed back into bed and set the tray down so they could eat together.

"How long exactly have you been up, Shulk?" Melia asked.

"A couple hours at most." Shulk said and wiped his mouth, "I told you already, I've been getting everything packed so we could go to Makna Forest right when we got up."

"You're that eager to go?" Melia chuckled.

"Of course. A nice little getaway with just the two of us, how could I not be?" Shulk answered.

Melia smiled from his comment and went back to her food. Shulk was practically scarfing his down and finished before her, and he stopped Melia before she could get the tray off her lap.

"Let me get that, Angel." Shulk said and got up to clear everything off for her.

"Thank you, Shulk, but you don't have to do all of this." Melia said.

"Actually, I do~" Shulk protested playfully, "You're not going to be lifting so much as a finger today unless you have to."

Melia didn't say anything back, only giving a soft smile over Shulk's pampering of her, even if it was a bit insistent.

Shulk leaned down and gave Melia another hug and a kiss on her cheek, "Anything you need to do before we head out?"

"Other than a shower and getting myself ready, I think that's it." Melia answered.

"Alright. Allow me~" Shulk grinned.

Shulk reached his arms underneath Melia and she let out a startled yelp as he lifted her out of bed. She started to playfully giggle and reached up, nuzzling closer as he carried her.

"What's gotten into you today, Shulk?" Melia asked.

"What, do I need a reason to spoil you every now and then?~" Shulk replied.

"No, it's not that, I'm referring to the way you're acting. You're so upbeat and energetic today, more so than usual, and you seem very excited about going. What's in Makna Forest that has you like this?" Melia pressed.

"I guess you'll see when we get there, won't you?~" Shulk teased back.

Shulk carried Melia over to their walk-in closet and pulled her into a deep kiss after he set her down. He broke the kiss and went to leave, but he stopped at the door and looked over his shoulder.

"I'll clean up and make sure we have everything while you're getting ready." Shulk said and walked out.

Melia picked out a set of clothes and walked into the bathroom. She stepped into the shower, but just stood motionless and looked down as the water ran over her body.

He's done something like this before, keeping things vague and leading me along like that surprise date at Eryth Sea.

Melia leaned to the side and rested against the shower wall, a slightly suspicious look on her face as she zoned out and contemplated.

You're acting the same way as you did back then, Shulk. You're planning something… but what?

An eager grin started to show as Melia stood upright and she reached for one of the shampoo bottles.

"Alright, Shulk, I'll play along~" She said to herself.

Shulk was cleaning up around the house and brought their trays into the kitchen while Melia was getting ready. He set the trays into the sink and suddenly paused, letting out a nervous sigh as he reached into his pocket. He pulled out a small black box and held it in his palm, staring at it for a few moments before he clenched his hand shut.

Shulk brought the box closer to his chest and looked up, "Wish me luck, guys."

"Shulk, did you say something?"

Shulk jumped as he heard Melia's footsteps getting closer and he dug the box back into his pocket.

"N-no, Angel." Shulk called out.

Shulk managed to get the box out of sight before Melia came into the room. He turned around and blushed at the sight of her, both because of her outfit, and what he was planning had him looking at Melia in a whole new light. Her outfit was slightly more revealing than what she normally wore and left parts of her back, shoulders, and midriff exposed, but it still fit her perfectly. She had on the floral headdress Riki made for her, a crop top with sleeves and purple straps that were visible over he shoulders, a short skirt, sandals, and different colored stockings with garters on her legs. Everything she had on was sporting fur and small decorations were put on to complete the set, such as flowers at the ends of her sleeves and feathered tassels around the skirt.

"Well, look at you~" Shulk grinned.

Melia looked down nervously, but Shulk could still see a smile forming in the corners of her lips.

"You've seen me in this before, Shulk. It's the same thing I've worn to Makna Forest." Melia said shyly.

Shulk smiled and came over, throwing his arms around Melia and pulling her into a hug, "I still say you look adorable in it~"

Melia blushed and returned the hug. She looked up at Shulk after they broke apart, "Don't you need to change too? It might be too hot in Makna Forest for your usual attire."

"I know. I just finished up, so I was going to change and we should be ready to go if there's nothing else we need." Shulk answered.

Melia nodded and Shulk went back to their bedroom. He let out a relieved sigh as he walked down the hall.

Alright, I don't think she seen it. But either way, no more slip-ups like that from now on. She came so close to finding out…

Shulk shut the door behind him and stepped into the closet. He pulled out the box along with everything in his pockets and quickly got ready, worrying that Melia might notice it this time if he took too long.

Shulk finished getting changed but found himself getting lost in thought again as he stared back at the box. He hastily snapped out of it and put everything back in his pockets before leaving the room.

Shulk found Melia waiting for him in the living room. She started to blush as Shulk came over, even biting her lip as she eyed him up and down. Just like hers, Shulk's outfit showed a bit more skin, but his was only on the upper half of his body. Shulk's outfit was covered in blue and purple and consisted of a feathered band by his ear, a sleeveless vest with no shirt underneath, fingerless gloves with fur cuffs over his arms, and a baggy pair of pants with open-toed shoes. He also had a belt loosely hanging around his waist with the High Entia emblem on the buckle, and a patch of gray fur secured underneath it to make a pair of faulds.

Shulk seen the looks Melia was giving him and grinned, "I was going to ask how it looked, but judging from the look on your face, it's safe to say it's okay?"

Melia came closer, blushing even more as she rested her hand on his abs and gazed into his eyes.

"Better than that, it's captivating~" Melia purred.

Melia leaned in and kissed him, feeling his abs while Shulk's hands glided over the exposed parts of her body.

Shulk broke the kiss before they got carried away and took her hand, "Can't be getting distracted, Angel~ Come on, everything's ready."

The two held hands as they left the Villa and headed for the hangar. The captain was stationed at the door to their ship and he stood at attention as Melia boarded first.

The captain then relaxed his stance and placed a hand on Shulk's shoulder as he walked past, stopping him before he could board the ship.

Shulk looked over at the captain, seeing a smirk appear on his face and sounding like he was trying not to snicker.

"Go get her, Tarzan." The captain said and covered his mouth before he broke out laughing.

Shulk didn't look as amused, "You just couldn't help yourself, could you? Now's not the time for jokes, captain, you know that."

"Oh, lighten up, will you? You and her have been together for years now, do you honestly think she's going to say no?" The captain shot back.

Shulk didn't answer and nervously looked away.

The captain could see how badly Shulk was stressing over this and placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder, "Relax, you got this. I could tell from the way you two act that you were practically made for each other and that it was only a matter of time until this happened. For all that we know, she might have been waiting for you to ask."

Shulk nodded and lifted his head back up, feeling a surge of confidence that even the captain could see written all over his face.

"That's what I like to see. Now, quit making the girl wait and get out of here." The captain said and pushed Shulk into the ship.

Shulk walked into the cockpit and seen Melia already set to go. She looked over and could see that look on Shulk's face too as he came over and sat in the pilot's chair.

"Everything all right, Boo?" Melia asked.

Shulk turned to Melia with a bright smile, "Never been better. You ready?"

Melia nodded and the two prepared the ship for takeoff. Once they were in the air, Shulk took a quick detour and circled over the city for a perfect aerial view.

Melia took one last glance at Alcamoth before looking back ahead. She reached for Shulk's hand and smiled eagerly as they changed course, heading in the direction of Makna Forest.

Time to reveal what you're planning, Shulk~

Shulk added a bit more speed, hoping to get there while he still had his rush of confidence, but none of that seemed to matter as they flew above the forest. Even from in the air, they could both feel the calm and peaceful vibe the area gave off. Shulk could even hear the songs that the Nopon would play from the village inside his head and soothingly listened along as he looked for a spot to land.

Shulk flew closer to the entrance of Makna Forest and Melia looked out the window as he set the ship down. Where they landed was just below the ground level and had a walkway back up, but she also noticed there was a beach nearby with water falling into it from the floor above them.

Shulk took out the ship's activation key and headed outside to open the loading bay doors. Melia followed behind him and tried to help carry some things, but Shulk stopped her and took her hand.

"What did I tell you, Angel? You're not lifting a finger today." Shulk said.

"Come now, Shulk, I can't just leave you to do all of this by yourself." Melia protested.

The two began to argue again but it was in a playful way this time. Shulk suddenly lunged forward and wrapped his arms around Melia, lifting her off her feet while she laughed and wrestled against his grip.

"Shulk, what are you doing?" Melia cried.

"Same thing I was doing earlier, unloading everything." He answered.

"That doesn't include me, Shulk! Put me down!" Melia shot back.

"Alright, fine~" Shulk playfully whined.

Shulk carried Melia over to the beach and set her down.

"Just stay here for a minute and relax, Angel. You can help me set up everything once I get it out, but nothing else until then or I'll toss you into the water next." He joked.

Melia rolled her eyes and grinned, knowing she got her way even though Shulk was trying to play it off. She let him have it though and sat down by the beach, looking out at the water while she waited.

Melia caught a glimpse of Shulk finishing up and looked back ahead before he noticed her. Shulk came over to get her, but Melia could tell where he was without having to look by using her ether sense. She grinned as Shulk came closer, then pounced when he was right behind her, pulling him to the ground and getting on top of him.

The two playfully rough-housed for a bit before Shulk gave up. He wrapped his arms around Melia and pulled her down to him for a hug.

"That's what you get for not letting me help~" Melia teased.

"Alright, I got it. Message received." Shulk chuckled, "You can help now, Melia. That's actually what I was coming over here to tell you, but somebody decided to attack me instead."

"Oh, don't be so dramatic~ I wasn't being that rough~" Melia teased back.

Shulk started to feel a warmth in his chest as he looked up at Melia, seeing that bright and playful smile. He smiled back and reached up, giving her a tender kiss.

They broke the kiss and Melia got off him, holding out her hand and helping Shulk to his feet. She kept a hold on his hand as they walked over to the pile of bags and began setting up a campsite.

They finished getting their camp together around early afternoon and Melia went back over to the beach, taking a seat by the coastline. Shulk came up with a flower he picked in his hand and sat behind Melia.

"Flower for the beautiful lady." He said and added it to her headdress.

Melia smiled and leaned further back, resting her head in Shulk's lap.

"I can see why you picked a place like this to relax, Shulk." Melia commented.

"Yeah? What makes you say that?" Shulk asked.

"Tropical weather, a perfect spot to camp right by the water, and even the friendly Nopon around here can brighten anyone's mood if you don't mind their nature." Melia answered.

"Well yeah, all that stuff is nice, but that's actually not the main reason I chose to come here, those are just added bonuses." Shulk said.

"Really? Then what else could there be?" Melia asked.

"If I'm looking for a place to relax, I prefer areas that I feel like I have an attachment to or good memories around it. That's actually what lead me to picking that spot in Valak Mountain on your birthday." Shulk replied.

"Is that so? What is it that you feel attached to here, then?" Melia pressed.

Shulk started to smile, "A memory here. Sure, a lot of memorable things happened on our journey all that time ago, both good and bad, but I'd say the memory I have here is actually the best one out of them all."

"Sounds like you speak pretty highly of this certain memory, but what is it?" Melia asked.

Shulk's smile grew brighter and warmer as he gazed out at the lake, "I met a girl here. She ended up changing my life in more ways than I could've imagined, and all of them were for the better."

Melia's eyes grew wide and she turned bright red, "You're referring… to me? This is where we first met?"

"Well, not the exact spot. The others were keeping an eye on you not too far away from here while you were unconscious, and I came down to this lake looking for ether crystals to help revive you. I figured this spot was close enough to warrant that, plus the view is a lot better." Shulk pointed out with a small laugh.

Melia smiled and reached her arms up, wrapping them around Shulk and pulling him down for a hug.

Shulk leaned closer and returned the hug, "Just having you here is more than enough for me to relax. I love you, Melia."

"I love you too, Shulk." She mused.

Their eyes met as they left each other's embrace. Shulk gazed into her eyes for another moment before leaning back down, giving her a gentle kiss and looking back out at the lake.

"You know, before Riki left to travel, he told me about a second spot he knows around here. He spoke pretty highly of it too, want to go check it out?" Shulk offered.

"Is that right? After the last place he recommended to us, I'm a bit curious to see what this other one is like. Let's go." Melia answered.

Shulk stood up and took Melia's hand. They headed out on foot and went to the southwest side of the forest, noticeably getting deeper in as thicker trees and even caves entered their sight.

Shulk guided her through one of the caves and a bright light emerged from the end of the passage. Melia shielded her eyes as they walked through, then her breath was taken away at her new surroundings. In any direction she looked, they were surrounded by giant waterfalls that stretched out as far as the eye could see and roared as they dropped for what seemed endlessly.

"Shulk… it's so beautiful here!" Melia cried.

The ground they had left to walk on was much smaller, only having a small plank of it that got narrower the further up they went. Melia walked to the edge and took a panoramic view of the area before looking down, seeing the waterfalls connecting to a lake below them with a lone island in the middle.

An array of colors forming in the sky caught Melia's attention and she watched with starry eyes as a rainbow began to appear. The scope of how high they really were started to sink in as she could see the rainbow forming right in front of her, she might have even been able to touch if only she could walk a bit further.

Shulk came up behind Melia and wrapped his arms around her waist as the rainbow finished taking shape.

"Not even all of this compares to how beautiful you are, Melia." Shulk mused.

Melia's heart skipped a beat and she held her hands over Shulk's, locking their fingers together as they watched the rainbow and listened to the roaring sounds of the waterfalls.

Shulk could feel his heart pounding as his revering gaze began to leave, his expression being replaced with one that looked both serious and nervous.

"Melia…" Shulk started.

"What is it, Shulk?" Melia asked and turned around, noticing the look on his face.

"It's about yesterday. I told you that I would explain why I'm doing this surgery." Shulk said.

Melia's eyes softened and she could almost feel a frown starting to form on her lips, but something about Shulk's demeanor kept that from happening. He looked so serious, but somehow gave off this warm and welcoming aura at the same time.

You may be oblivious at times, Shulk, but I'm sure even you would know not to bring that up at a time like this without good reason…

"And that reason is?" Melia asked.

Shulk closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He then held Melia's hand, clasping both his hands over it as he looked her right in her eyes, "I know that we've already talked it over, and you're still right on what you said, but there's actually something that both of us missed. The amount of chances we get in life isn't what's important, it's what you have to live for that makes it mean anything. I've been thinking about what that could possibly be for a while now, and I have my answer… it's you, Melia. You're what's most important to me and gives my life meaning, but I knew in the back of my mind that it couldn't last forever because of the differences in our lifespans. I just… I just can't picture having to eventually leave you like that, Melia. When we all created this new world, we did it so that everyone could have a chance at the future they wanted, and the future I want is one with you and where we can always be together. The real reason I've been so insistent on having this operation isn't just to increase my lifespan, it's because I want to be with you for as long as I can and make that future possible. That's why I still want to go through with this, but before that happens, I've had something I've been meaning to ask you…"

Melia turned bright red and sparkles appeared in her eyes. His words kept repeating in her mind and her heart would start fluttering at every word.

I'm… I'm his purpose? He's doing something this drastic because… he wants to stay with me? And what he said about wanting a future together and having something to ask me… Shulk, you can't possibly mean-

Melia's train of thought suddenly froze, even time itself had felt like it stopped as she watched Shulk get down on one knee. She covered her mouth and felt like she couldn't breathe as Shulk reached into his pocket.

Shulk took his hand out and held a black box in his palm, "After this surgery is over and my lifespan increases, I want to spend every day of that added time with you. And I want to stay at your side as you lead the High Entia, but I want it to be more than just as your consort… I want it to be as your husband. Melia Antiqua, will you marry me?"

Shulk then opened the box, revealing a platinum engagement ring with diamond accents and a halo surrounding a blue, oval-shaped crystal in the center.

Tears filled Melia's eyes and she gasped at the sight of the ring, "Shulk… yes! Yes, I will!"

Shulk beamed and stood back up, taking Melia's hand and sliding the ring over her finger. Melia couldn't bring herself to stop crying and threw her arms around Shulk, hugging him tightly and soaking his clothes in tears.

Shulk lifted Melia's head up to try and wipe her tears, but she suddenly lunged forward, pressing her lips to his and giving him a passionate kiss. Shulk returned the kiss and pulled her closer, deepening it as strong waves of joy surged through them.

Shulk broke the kiss and managed to wipe away Melia's tears. He smiled brightly as Melia wrapped her arms back around him and hugged him as tightly as she could.

"I love you, Melia." Shulk mused.

"I love you too, Shulk! I love you so much!" Melia cried.

Shulk held Melia in a close embrace and wouldn't let go until she stopped crying. They shared one more deep kiss before leaving Makna Falls and went back to their camp.

---

Late into the evening, Shulk and Melia were sitting outside and cuddling close by a fire they made. Shulk sat behind her with his legs opened while Melia sat in between them.

Melia was constantly looking down at her hand and smiling. Shulk caught her staring at the ring and smiled as he placed his hand underneath hers, locking their fingers together.

"I'm glad you like the ring, and I'm so happy you said yes, Melia. You wouldn't believe how nervous I've been about this for the past week." Shulk said and laughed softly.

"Of course I would have, Shulk. You didn't have to be nervous." Melia assured him.

Melia held up her ring hand, "Though, I'm a bit curious about something, Shulk. This blue gemstone in the center, it doesn't appear to be sapphire."

"You're right, it's not. It was made from those ether crystals I took back with us in Valak Mountain." Shulk replied.

"From when you wanted to learn how to use ether?" Melia asked.

"Well, yeah…" Shulk answered nervously, "I needed a jeweler to help me make it, but I decided to use those crystals instead because I wanted your ring to be special, something that a meaning behind it."

"Shulk…" Melia mused.

Melia glanced down again at her ring and seen it in a completely different light now, and she noticed that same change in Shulk as she looked back up at him. Their eyes met and they both started to blush, seeing sparkles appear in the other's eyes as they gazed into them.

Melia placed her ring hand over Shulk's chest and thought he must have felt the same way with how fast his heart was racing. A warmth enveloped them and everything began to fade into the background until all they could focus on was each other.

Their blushing grew as Melia leaned closer, and she stopped right before their lips met.

"It doesn't matter if you solely made it or not. I love the ring, and I love you, Shulk." Melia cooed.

Shulk placed a hand over hers and wrapped his other arm around her waist, "I love you too, Melia."

They closed their eyes and Melia leaned in as they shared a passionate kiss. The warmth they felt grew with the kiss as it deepened, and so did this feeling of wanting to be even closer to each other. It became too much for Melia to control and she leaned further into Shulk, pushing him onto his back.

Melia climbed on top of Shulk and he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her down to him and into another deep kiss.

Shulk could feel everything going hazy as Melia softly moaned into his lips, but he broke out of his stupor as her hand went lower down his body and inside his pants. He broke the kiss and pulled Melia's arm away before she could go any further.

"Wait, Melia, someone might see us out here." He murmured.

Just to mess with him a little, Melia glanced around the area before looking back down at Shulk.

"I don't see anyone around, do you?~" Melia grinned.

"Well… no, but other travelers or merchants might come by, or…" Shulk nervously stammered.

Melia placed a finger over Shulk's lips, "It's okay, Boo. I don't sense anyone else's ether nearby, it's just us here."

Melia put on a mischievous smirk and came closer, "Besides, you said you came here to relax, didn't you?~ I have something in mind that might help~"

Melia moved her finger away and leaned in, kissing him softly as her hand began moving down his body again. Her fingers slid underneath the waistline of his pants and she paused, seeing if Shulk might stop her again. He did reach out and grab her wrist, but instead of pulling her hand back out, he guided her lower and urged her to keep going.

Their tongues began to swirl over each other's while Melia's hand slid between Shulk's thighs. She gently took his balls into her palm and played with them while Shulk's hands caressed her slender body as they moved up.

Shulk slid his hand underneath Melia's top and cupped her breasts from the inside of her bra. Melia faintly moaned from his touch and broke the kiss, giving a mischievous giggle as her hands followed suit and traveled up his body. She removed his top and her eyes blazed at the sight of his abs on full display.

Their eyes locked onto each other and Melia bit her lip before leaning down and kissing him aggressively. Shulk returned the kiss and tried to remove her shirt, but Melia grabbed his wrists and pinned them above his head.

Melia broke the kiss and shot Shulk a grin, "We're here for you, remember?~"

Shulk's heart began to race as Melia leaned closer to his neck. She kissed and left hickeys on the side of his neck before moving up to his ear, making Shulk eagerly shudder as her lips brushed against it.

"Be good and keep your hands up here, and I might have something special for you~" Melia whispered.

Melia brought her lips closer and gave Shulk a deep, passionate kiss. She nibbled on his bottom lip after they broke the kiss and moved down, kissing sections of his body as her head traveled lower. She stopped at his waist and sat up a little, grabbing the edges of his pants and removing them to reveal his manhood.

Melia wrapped her hand around Shulk's dick and began stroking it, starting out slow and listening to him softly moan as he grew harder.

Melia's eagerness became more irresistible with every throb from Shulk's cock in her hand. She looked down at his cock and licked her lips before gazing back up at Shulk.

"Remember, Shulk, no touching~" She teased.

Melia repositioned herself and brought her lips closer to his cock, kissing and gently swirling her tongue over the glans. She took his cock into her mouth and hollowed her cheeks, moaning softly as her head bobbed up and down his shaft.

"Melia~" Shulk mused and arched his back.

Melia opened her eyes and looked up at Shulk. She quietly giggled to herself, seeing how much he was enjoying it and how tempted he was to put his hand on her head.

Melia then closed her eyes and readied herself, thrusting her head further down Shulk's cock and trying to control her gag reflex as it hit the back of her throat.

The quick rush of pleasure was too much for Shulk and he felt like he couldn't take it anymore. He moaned and tried to place his hand on her head, but Melia seen it coming and batted it away as she took his cock out of her mouth.

"Mm, mm, mm!~" Melia playfully wagged her finger side to side and pointed behind him, "Put your hand back where it was, Shulk~"

Shulk did what he was told and Melia traced a finger up his body as she came closer. She paused as their lips were about to press together and splayed her hand over his chest, raising her fingers up into a clawing position.

"I better not catch you doing that again~" Melia purred.

Melia leaned down and gave Shulk an aggressive kiss, making him moan into her lips as her nails raked across his chest and left marks.

Shulk broke the kiss and nibbled on Melia's bottom lip, giving her a smirk after he let go.

"You're making it tempting to see what happens if I do~" Shulk teased.

"I think you'll like what I have planned better if you behave~" Melia teased back.

After another kiss, Melia lowered her head back down near Shulk's thighs, not even hesitating to take his cock back into her mouth. She had always been a girl who felt more comfortable being in control, and seeing how she had Shulk in the palm of her hand like this only spurred her on more. She could hear her blood roaring in her ears and her juices were practically dripping out as she tried to bring Shulk to his climax.

The intensity of Melia's arousal became too much to ignore and she slid a hand inside her skirt. Her hand reached into her panties and she thrusted a finger inside her wet entrance, desperately trying to seek relief as her lips glided faster over her fiancés cock.

"Melia!~" Shulk cried out and tilted his head back.

Melia could feel Shulk tensing up and she moved her head away. She wrapped her hand around his dick and kept stroking as she looked up at him.

"Are you getting close, Boo?~" Melia purred.

"I-… I'm almost there~" Shulk pleaded as everything around him began to blur.

Melia smirked and took her hand off his cock. Her hands moved to the edges of her shirt and she took it off, revealing a laced, purple bra.

"You've been good for the most part~" Melia purred.

Melia reached behind her and unclipped her bra. Her breasts subtly bounced from the freedom and she cupped them in her hands, pressing them together and making them bounce more to spur Shulk on a little.

"Ready for your reward, Shulk?~" Melia cooed.

Shulk could only eagerly nod and Melia leaned down, moving her breasts further apart before clasping his cock in between them. She squeezed her breasts together and began to move them up and down his shaft.

"Oh my God~ Melia!~" Shulk purred.

Time felt like it slowed as Shulk's eyes rolled back. The soft touch from Melia's breasts sent waves of pleasure throughout his body as he blissfully moaned.

The sounds of his moaning was like music to Melia's ears and made her wings start fluttering. She desperately wanted to hear more and leaned her head down, gently swirling her tongue over the head of his cock as she clasped her breasts tighter around his shaft.

Melia got more than what she was hoping for as Shulk's moaning grew heavier. He reached for the first thing that was closest to him, grabbing tightly onto one of the tent's beams as his whole body shook.

"Melia, I'm cumming!~" Shulk cried out.

Melia moved her lips away and her eyes blazed as she looked up at him.

"Cum for me, Shulk~" She pleaded softly.

Shulk's vision turned to a white light and he gave one last thrust, reaching perfect bliss as he hit his climax and covered Melia's breasts in hot cum.

Melia licked her lips at how much of his cum shot out while Shulk took a second to recover. His vision started to clear and his body shuddered as he tried to catch his breath.

"Feeling better now, Shulk?~" Melia cooed.

"Much better~" Shulk breathed out.

Melia softly giggled as Shulk's head fell back onto the ground, still feeling too dazed to move.

"Here, let me clean you off~" Melia purred.

Melia took Shulk's cock out from between her breasts and leaned down, taking it back into her mouth.

"Melia~" Shulk was overly sensitive from his orgasm and his hips started bucking as Melia's reddened lips slid over his shaft. His moaning grew husky and he placed his hand on Melia's head, the last of his cum seeping into her mouth as her tongue spiraled around his cock.

Melia swallowed his cum and kissed the head of his dick before sitting back up. She cleaned herself off and reached for her clothes, but Shulk suddenly sprung himself up, grabbing Melia's wrist and lunging forward to give her a passionate and aggressive kiss.

Melia easily sunk into it and closed her eyes, feeling that burning desire for him coming back as she returned the kiss. As it deepened, Shulk's hands went down to Melia's waist and he removed her skirt, leaving the last two things she had on to be her stockings and a matching pair of laced, purple panties.

Melia broke the kiss and her eyes grew wide, seeing a deep purple glow covering Shulk's arms and legs.

"Your turn~" Shulk grinned and wrapped his arms around her thighs.

Melia let out a startled yelp as Shulk easily lifted her up. She held tightly onto him as he carried her and pinned her against a nearby tree.

Melia reflexively hooked her legs around Shulk after her back hit the tree, but her eyes were fixated on that strange glow surrounding him.

"Shulk, what is that?" Melia murmured.

"It's fine, Angel, look behind me." Shulk grinned and nudged his head.

Melia looked over Shulk's shoulder, seeing his sword on the ground next to their tent and covered in the same glow.

"The Monado is what's doing this?" She murmured.

"I'm the one controlling it, but yes, that's where it's coming from. The Monado affects my body too, so I got a bit 'creative' on what I can do with it~" Shulk purred.

"Creative as in…" Melia asked again.

Shulk put on a suggestive grin, "Let me show you~"

Still keeping Melia held up, Shulk took a step away from the tree and fixed his grip on her. Using the glow from the Monado to increase his strength, he easily lifted Melia up higher and rested her legs on his shoulders.

Shulk rested Melia back against the tree and she started to blush after she came out of her shock, seeing his head between her legs and how close he was to her pussy.

Shulk looked up at Melia with a grin, "What do you think?~"

Melia eagerly bit her lip and ran her hand through Shulk's hair before grabbing a cluster of it, "Impressive, but how about you show me what you can do with your tongue~"

Melia moved her panties to the side and parted her lips as she pulled Shulk closer, yanking him by his hair and shoving his head in between her thighs.

Shulk closed his eyes and took a long lick at her folds. He softly moaned from the sweet taste of her juices and started lapping his tongue.

"Shulk~" Melia closed her eyes and tilted her head back, moaning blissfully from the pleasure.

Shulk stopped lapping his tongue and he delved deeper inside, getting a feel for Melia's inner walls as he tried to find her sensitive spots.

Melia's moaning grew louder and she tightened her grip on Shulk's hair as he went deeper. His tongue hit one of her spots and her body began to shudder as she dripped with precum.

"More, Shulk!~ More!~" Melia begged.

Shulk started to feel intoxicated and like he was going dizzy as he swallowed Melia's precum. He moved closer to her clit and teasingly flicked his tongue before swirling over it, moaning softly and licking faster as a rush of lust-filled adrenaline shot through his body.

Melia released a loud whimper and her body started to tense up. She tightened her thighs around Shulk's head and grinded on his face, his tongue feeling like it left trails of fire as her climax came closer.

"Oh my God, yes!~ Right there, Shulk!~ Don't stop!~" Melia cried out.

Shulk swirled his tongue as fast as possible over Melia's clit, feeling spurred on and wanting to give her an orgasm worthy of her loud moaning and pleading.

"Shulk!~" Melia blurted out his name as loud as she could and shoved his head harder in between her thighs, drowning in pleasure as she reached her climax and coated Shulk's lips in her cum.

Shulk flicked his tongue over Melia's slit while she was still basking in the afterglow, sending small jolts of pleasure up her body as he swallowed her cum.

Melia's breathing was still hitched but she was gradually recovering while Shulk cleaned her off. He swallowed every last drop of her cum and gently began to lower her off his shoulders.

Shulk brought Melia down to his level and she suddenly hooked her legs around his waist, refusing to get back on the ground just yet. Their gaze met and Melia wrapped her arms around Shulk's neck while he fixed his grip, placing his hands underneath her to keep her held up. They shared a passionate kiss as Shulk pinned her back against the tree, deepening it as his hands reached further up to give Melia's ass a firm squeeze.

Melia broke the kiss and let out a faint gasp as she felt a throbbing between her thighs, seeing Shulk's cock resting against her slit from the outside of her panties. The warmth from it and the throbbing over her pussy began to spur her on and she eagerly bit her lip.

"Ready, Angel?~" Shulk grinned.

Melia nodded and moved her panties again to the side, spreading her folds apart as Shulk lined his cock up to her wet entrance. She wrapped her arms around him and they shared another kiss as Shulk's cock slid inside, making Melia dig her nails into his skin as he went deeper.

Shulk could tell Melia was still sensitive from her previous orgasm and started with slow, gentle thrusts. He leaned closer and hid his face by the side of Melia's neck, kissing and biting at it as his cock repeatedly disappeared inside of her.

"Shulk~" Melia mused and tightened her legs around him.

Shulk began to feel spurred on as Melia's moaning grew heavier and her walls clenched around his cock, but he fought back the urge to break the slow pace he set. He knew Melia didn't have as high of stamina, so he wanted her to rest before pushing herself too hard.

Melia moved closer to his ear, "Harder, Shulk~" She softly purred.

"But, Melia…" He murmured hesitantly.

Melia lifted his head and gently pressed her forehead to his, "Don't worry, Boo, I'm okay now~"

"Are you sure?" Shulk murmured.

"Mhm~" Melia purred and grinned eagerly.

Melia gave Shulk a soft kiss as he pulled his hips back, leaving the head of his cock right by her entrance. She broke the kiss and braced herself, and in one quick motion, Shulk gave her ass a tight squeeze and slammed his hips back against her, burying his cock deeply and roughly back inside her.

"Shulk!~" Melia mewled and raked her nails across his back.

Shulk's eyes grew wide with worry, thinking he might have been too rough on her.

"Are you all right, Melia?" Shulk bleated out.

Melia pulled Shulk closer and pressed her lips to his, giving him a kiss that was just as rough. Their tongues swirled over each other's and Melia used her legs to bring Shulk's hips closer, trying to get his cock to go deeper as she moaned into the kiss.

Melia broke the kiss and their gaze met. Her wings began to flutter and her eyes blazed as she looked into his.

"Keep going, Shulk~ Just like that~" Melia pleaded.

Shulk grinned and leaned in for another kiss. After the kiss broke, he shoved Melia harder against the tree and gave her ass another squeeze as he thrusted, burying his cock so deep that he was hitting her womb.

"Yes!~ More, Shulk!~ Give me more!~" Melia cried out.

Shulk felt spurred on and gave her just what she wanted. He kept a firm grip on Melia's ass and repeatedly slammed his cock deep inside her tight entrance, making her body shudder as she moaned from the pleasure.

Shulk's stamina finally caught up with him and his thrusting slowed down. His breathing started to hitch and fatigue set in as a layer of sweat sheened over his skin.

"Shulk, put me down for a minute." Melia murmured.

Shulk paused to take a deep breath, then gently set Melia back on the ground.

"Let me take care of you while you catch your breath~" Melia purred.

Melia gave Shulk a quick kiss before sinking to her knees. She placed her hands on Shulk's hips and shut her eyes as she leaned closer, taking his cock into her mouth.

"Melia~" Shulk rasped and put his hand on her head.

Melia felt like her brain had short-circuited as she tasted her own juices on his cock. She wrapped her hand around his dick and quickly stroked as her head bobbed faster up and down his shaft.

"Oh, God~ Melia!~" Shulk cried out.

Just like Melia, Shulk's mind drew a blank and everything began to blur from the pleasure. Any coherent thoughts the two of them had were gone, with the only things they could understand being how badly they needed each other and desperately wanting to hit their climax.

Shulk's eyes rolled back and he held Melia's head in place as he fucked her mouth, his moaning growing husky as he hit the back of her throat with each thrust.

Melia was drowning so deep in lust that she didn't need to focus on her gag reflex. Her hands reached behind Shulk, squeezing his ass and pulling his hips closer as he thrusted.

Melia could feel Shulk's cock pulsing in her mouth and she stopped him before standing back up, "Don't cum just yet, Shulk~"

Melia turned around and grabbed the edges of her panties, pulling them down and letting them fall to her feet. She kicked them to the side and bent over against the tree, leaving the last bit of clothing she had on to be her fur-covered stockings.

Shulk was practically entranced at the sight of Melia's ass on display. He positioned himself behind her and rested his hand on her soft ass, giving it a squeeze followed by a loud slap.

Melia bit her lip and started to moan as Shulk repeatedly smacked her ass, leaving red marks on both sides.

"You like that?~" Shulk teased and smacked her ass harder.

Melia shoved her hips back against him, pressing his cock against her ass and she started to grind on it.

"I do, but I can think of something else I'd like even more~" She teased back.

Melia spread her legs further apart and Shulk lined his cock up to her pussy. He parted her folds and buried his cock back inside, giving her ass a firm squeeze as he thrusted in and out of her tight entrance.

"Melia~" Shulk softly purred as her walls clenched around him.

Melia suddenly slammed her hips back against Shulk, making him moan louder as his cock went deeper and sent a quick jolt of pleasure through his body.

Melia giggled and continued moving her hips, angling his cock to hit her sensitive spots while she fucked him back.

"Careful, Shulk, someone might hear you~" Melia teased.

Melia's giggling stopped and she quietly gasped, her eyes growing wide in surprise as Shulk tightly squeezed her hips and held her still.

"That's how you want to play, huh?" Shulk purred.

Shulk yanked Melia's hips closer as he thrusted back, slamming his cock inside of her as deep and rough as possible.

"Shulk!~" Melia mewled. The sudden and intense rush of pleasure shot through her like a bullet and she let out a moan even louder than Shulk did.

Shulk grinned mischievously while he gave Melia a second to recover. He could hear her moaning breathlessly and she was shaking slightly as her juices ran down his cock.

"Careful, Melia, someone might hear you~" Shulk teased back.

"I don't care…" Melia quietly murmured.

Shulk's ears perked up and he froze.

Did… did I just hear that correctly?

"I don't care who sees or hears us anymore, Shulk!~ The only thing that matters right now is me and you!~" Melia cried out.

Shulk's heart started fluttering and Melia slammed her hips into him again, breaking him out of his stupor and making him moan as his cock disappeared inside of her.

Melia turned her head so she could see him in her peripheral, "Shulk, please… I need you~"

Shulk's heart continued to race as he looked at Melia. Even though he could only see a small portion of her face, it was more than enough to notice that pleading expression she had, like she was begging for him to stop hesitating.

Shulk composed himself and fixed his position. He rested his hands on Melia's hips, squeezing them as his thrusting gradually ramped up until he was at max speed.

"Yes, yes, yes!~ Don't stop, Shulk~ I'm almost there!~" Melia pleaded.

Both of them began to moan loudly and frantically, losing themselves in the moment and not having a care for anything else but each other as their climax came closer.

Shulk could feel Melia's walls clenching tighter and he reached his arm around her, circling his fingers over her clit and trying to have her finish first.

Melia's entire figure shook from his touch and she leaned more against the tree, barely able to keep herself up as her climax came crashing down hard.

"Shulk~ I'm cumming!~" Melia cried out.

Melia's body tensed up and her eyes rolled back, letting out a satisfied moan as the tension suddenly released and she came.

More lust-filled adrenaline shot through Shulk's body as her cum ran down his cock. Before Melia could catch her breath, he pulled out and turned her around so they were facing each other, then kissed her aggressively as he shoved her back against the tree. Melia didn't seem to mind how rough he was being, even feeling spurred on from it as she returned the kiss.

Shulk broke the kiss and hooked his arm around Melia's thigh. She eagerly bit her lip as Shulk lifted her leg up and lined his cock to her entrance, then shuddered as it disappeared inside of her.

Melia let out a loud moan and her breasts subtly bounced as Shulk's cock ravaged her tight entrance. She reached her hand between her legs, frenetically rubbing her clit as every thrust from Shulk sent shockwaves of pleasure up her body.

Shulk was already spurred on by Melia's moaning, but her walls tightly clenching over his cock were what sent him over the edge. His cock pulsed back against her walls and he moaned as he felt his climax coming on.

"Melia, I'm cumming!~" Shulk cried out.

Melia's head tilted up and her body quaked from the pleasure as Shulk thrusted as fast and hard as he could. She could feel another orgasm building up and tried to match Shulk's pace as she rubbed her clit, but he pulled out before they could reach a climax at the same time.

Melia's leg dropped back onto the ground but she could barely keep herself standing from Shulk's last assault. She rested against the tree to stay held up and looked over at Shulk, excitedly biting her lip at the sight of him frantically stroking his cock.

Melia played with her clit while she watched Shulk, her soft moaning being masked underneath his. Shulk's hand started moving faster across his shaft and he let out one last moan as he reached his orgasm, with Melia gazing hungrily as his cum shot out.

Shulk's stroking slowed down as he finished his orgasm and panted while he tried to catch his breath. He could hear moaning in between his breaths that sounded like it was getting louder and he turned his head in the direction of it, seeing Melia with her eyes closed and her head arched up while her fingers were racing over her slit.

Melia could feel his gaze on her and looked over. She was already spurred on from watching Shulk, but her eagerness only grew as their eyes locked onto each other.

"Shulk…" Melia mused.

Shulk grinned and came back over to Melia. He moved her hand out of the way and took over, kissing her deeply as his fingers rubbed over her slit.

Melia moaned into his lips before breaking the kiss and she pressed her forehead to his.

"Shulk… I still need you…" Melia begged softly.

"I know, Angel. Let me help you~" Shulk cooed.

Shulk leaned in and gave Melia another kiss as he slid two fingers past her folds. He slowly moved them inside of her, trying to keep a steady pace and build up to one last climax.

Shulk's fingers gradually started moving faster as they deepened the kiss. Melia released a needy moan into his lips and her walls clenched around his fingers as they thrusted in and out of her entrance.

Melia's hips bucked against Shulk's fingers and her precum leaked over them. She let out another moan into his lips before breaking it and they gazed into each other's eyes.

"Shulk…" Melia pleaded.

Shulk could tell how badly Melia needed more just from the look in her eyes. He took his hand out from between her legs and leaned closer, giving her a tender kiss as he gently rested her back against the tree.

Shulk broke the kiss and gazed back into Melia's pleading eyes, "I know, Angel. Just lay back and relax, I'll take care of the rest~"

Melia eagerly bit her lip and placed her hand on Shulk's head as she watched him sink to his knees.

Shulk took a slow lick at Melia's folds and played with her juices, then delved his tongue inside and tried to focus solely on her more sensitive spots.

"Shulk~" Melia closed her eyes and her head tilted upwards, moaning blissfully as Shulk's tongue sent waves of desperately-needed relief around her body.

Melia's mind became so hazy from the pleasure that she didn't notice her hips bucking or that she was shoving Shulk's head harder in between her thighs. Shulk didn't seem to mind either way, even feeling spurred on from it as he moaned and lapped his tongue.

Wanting to be a bit of a tease and build up her climax more, Shulk brought his tongue closer to her clit and slowed down his pace a little as he flicked over it.

Melia released a needy whimper and she started to shudder anxiously, "Shulk, please, don't tease me like this~"

Shulk could feel how close Melia was to her climax and figured he'd kept her waiting for it long enough. His hands reached behind Melia before she could say anything more, pulling her hips closer and tightly squeezing her ass as his tongue buried deep inside of her.

Melia faintly yelped in surprise, then she was suddenly hit with a rush of ecstasy as Shulk's tongue found one of her spots. She lustfully moaned and gripped his hair tighter as he focused solely on that spot.

"Right there, Shulk!~ Right there!~" Melia cried.

Shulk didn't let up his assault and lapped his tongue as fast as he could, wanting to bring her to one last and explosive climax.

"Shulk~ I'm cumming!~" Melia cried out.

Melia bit her lip and tensed up as a mix of moaning and whimpering escaped through her teeth. Her eyes rolled back and even her jaw flew open, leaving her tongue hanging out as a burst of pleasure brought her to her climax and she came.

Shulk's tongue continued lapping as he tried to swallow all of Melia's gushing orgasm. He finished cleaning her off and stood back up, but Melia was so overwhelmed with pleasure that she collapsed and Shulk threw his arms around her to catch her.

Melia was left breathless and her wings began fluttering as Shulk pulled her closer. She stayed in his arms and nuzzled against him while Shulk waited for her to regain her energy.

"That was amazing~" Melia exhaustedly purred.

"It was~ I love you, Melia~" Shulk mused and kissed the top of her head.

"I love you too, Boo~" Melia cooed and weakly wrapped her arms around him.

Melia finally caught her breath and Shulk let her out of his arms. They stumbled as they went to pick up their clothes, feeling so exhausted that they could barely coordinate.

The two went inside their tent and Melia immediately fell into bed while Shulk set their clothes down in a pile, both of them too tired to even redress.

Shulk was crawling into bed and Melia suddenly threw her arms around him, pulling him down and causing him to lose his balance.

Shulk caught himself before he fell and instantly blushed once he got his bearings. He was sitting right above Melia, and the way he placed his hands to break his fall made it look like he had her pinned down.

Melia giggled tiredly and mischievously as she hooked her legs around Shulk. They locked eyes and she started to blush as her arms moved up to his neck.

"Again? What's gotten into you, Angel?" Shulk chuckled.

"I don't know how to explain it, Shulk, I just want to feel you closer to me~" Melia purred and pulled him down to her.

"Are you still tired?" Shulk murmured.

"Only a little, but I'll be all right if I lay down for a minute." Melia purred.

Shulk gave Melia a small kiss and softly gazed into her eyes, "Alright, Angel, I'll take care of you while you rest~"

The two shared a deep, passionate kiss as Melia unhooked her legs from him. Shulk broke the kiss and Melia placed her hand on top of his head while he traveled lower, leaving kisses down her slender body as they continued into the night.

The next morning, Shulk woke to the sounds of birdsong and light seeping through a small opening in their tent's door zipper. He groaned softly and shielded his eyes as they slowly opened.

Shulk groggily reached his arm out and fully closed the door. He planned on going back to bed and turned over, but his eyes grew wide and he instantly started to blush at the sight of Melia. Neither of them were dressed and the only thing concealing them was the blanket they slept under, but it was only covering the lower half of their bodies, and he seen Melia fast asleep with her bare breasts exposed.

We couldn't have even bothered to get changed afterwards? How late were we up till?

"Melia." Shulk said quietly and nudged her, gently trying to wake her up.

Melia mumbled in her sleep and moved closer to Shulk. She threw her arms around him and pulled him closer to her chest, cuddling him like one of her stuffed animals.

"Melia! Come on, Angel, wake up!" Shulk said a bit louder and laughed about it, even though he was feeling smothered by her.

Melia tiredly sighed as her eyes slowly began to open.

"What is it, Shulk?" She asked, still sounding half-asleep.

"Other than the fact you were about to suffocate me?" Shulk chuckled and broke out of her grip.

Melia was too tired to answer while Shulk laid on his back next to her. Some sunlight seeped through the material of their tent and she covered her eyes.

"So bright..." Melia mumbled and clung on to Shulk.

"It's morning, Melia, how can you still be tired?" Shulk asked.

"We haven't even been asleep for that long, Boo. We went to bed when the sun was close to rising." Melia tiredly replied.

"Wait, seriously? We were up that late?" Shulk gawked, "That can't be right. After we came back into the tent… it was just that one last time then we went to bed, right?"

Melia began to smirk, it made her look so adorable coupled with her tired eyes.

"Not just once, Boo, it was four times~" Melia purred.

"…Four? Four different times?" Shulk gawked.

Melia softly giggled and nuzzled closer to Shulk.

"I guess we just couldn't get enough of each other~" She teased and kissed his collar bone.

"Four times…" Shulk quietly repeated to himself, still trying to understand how that was possible.

Melia was about to doze off but she opened her eyes back up, still seeing that worried and confused look on Shulk's face.

"Stop stressing over it, Shulk." Melia whined in a cute and tired voice, "You're just having a hard time remembering because you're still tired."

Shulk tried to let it go and turned onto his side so he could face Melia.

Melia playfully tapped her finger on his nose and latched back on to him, nesting her head by his collar bone.

"Back to bed, Shulk. You'll feel better when you wake up." Melia said.

"Okay, Angel." Shulk gave in. He held Melia close and kissed the top of her head, "Good night."

"Good night, Boo. Sweet dreams." Melia cooed, smiling softly as they both drifted to sleep.

A few more hours had passed and Shulk began to stir. It was still bright outside and he looked down, seeing Melia was awake and cuddling him while he slept.

"Good morning. Feeling better now, Shulk?" Melia asked and left a kiss on his chest.

"Morning. And yes, much better now." Shulk answered.

"Told you so~" Melia smiled and gave him a hug.

Shulk returned the hug and gently pulled her head closer to his chest, "We should be getting ready soon, but we can stay like this for a bit longer if you want."

Melia nodded and they cuddled for a while longer before finally getting dressed and out of bed. They took down their campsite and loaded everything back into the ship before taking off, with Melia constantly looking down at her ring and smiling during the ride back home.

Back in Alcamoth, Shulk and Melia went to their Villa so they could unpack and relax for a bit, then got ready and headed to the hospital for Shulk's operation.

Shulk had to stay in the hospital for three days prior to the surgery to monitor his health and make sure he was okay to undergo it, and Melia was at his side the entirety of the wait.

On the day of the operation, Melia had a group of Imperial Guards take a transport ship and fly to Colony 9. She wanted to inform their friends about Shulk's surgery and offer them the chance to come visit, and little to her surprise, every one of them had shown.

It became rather crowded in Shulk's room before the operation was about to start: Their friends were all there, with Melia and Fiora sitting on either side of Shulk's bed, a High Entia medical team lead by a surgeon named Dr. Nagoya, and Lilith was also present with two administrators from M.S.I.T to assist the surgeon and record the results. The administrators looked similar enough to each other to assume they were brothers, and the names on their tags read, "Zane" and "Caine".

The rest of their friends were gathered around the medical team and asking questions, while Reyn glanced over at Shulk's bedside and looked puzzled.

"I'm not exactly an expert on how this works, but why isn't Melia in a hospital bed? Ain't she needed for this splicing or whatever you call it?" Reyn asked.

"Not necessarily." Dr. Nagoya answered, "We're not using a High Entia as the splicing sample, and even if we were, the empress would be the last person we'd consider putting at risk."

"So, if you're not using another person, then how is this going to work?" Sharla asked.

"As I'm sure you all know, there are no more pure-blooded High Entia. All of the current High Entia are mixed with other heritages, and we want to keep the splicing sample as close to genuine High Entia DNA as possible. So, to do that… we're using a Telethia as the sample." Dr. Nagoya answered.

"Wait, a Telethia?! Where are you possibly going to find-" Sharla suddenly cut herself off and covered her mouth as images of the Telethia carcasses at M.S.I.T flooded her mind, "Oh my God…" She fearfully whimpered.

"Wait, that's why you had all those Telethia laying about your guys' office?! I thought you said they were to work on a cure?!" Reyn demanded.

Zane stepped forward to answer him, "They were. We already have a prototype of the cure ready in a syringe, but we have no way of testing it since there are no more living Telethia. The ones you saw in the lab are being kept in those tubes so their bodies don't decompose, and we kept the carcasses on the rare chance of getting to test the cure. If for whatever reason the cure didn't work, we would still have the carcasses to extract more data and make it so the cure does work."

"Then why are you using the carcasses for other experiments if they're that important?" Dunban asked.

"We found something peculiar about the Telethia's anatomy while we were developing the cure. The ones you saw in the lab are confirmed to be dead and we've been using samples from them to work on the cure, but overtime, they would regenerate anything we removed from them. We wanted to see how far their regenerative abilities could be pushed and gradually removed more from them, we even took out entire limbs and organs, but the Telethia would still grow back whatever we removed. Even though they're dead, so long as we can keep their carcasses from decomposing, the Telethia could be a practically unlimited resource." Zane explained.

"So you're just going to keep using them for whatever twisted experiments you want until a living Telethia miraculously appears?" Sharla hissed.

Even Melia started to glare, knowing there was truth in her friend's words.

"We're not forcing the consort into any of this. In fact, we advised to have someone else undergo the surgery, but the consort was insistent on the first patient being him. We've been taking every last precaution before possibly putting him at risk, we even picked which of the Telethia would be best suited for the operation and have been keeping it in prime condition for the past year and a half now." Zane said.

"Wait, a year and a half, you said?" Reyn interrupted.

A glare appeared on Reyn's face and he stormed over to Shulk's bedside, slamming his hands down on the rails, "You've had this planned even way back then?! Why the hell didn't you tell us that, Shulk?!"

"Classified information… and I didn't want you guys to worry." Shulk answered softly and lowered his head.

"You kept something this serious hidden from us because you thought we'd be worried?! Well, you don't have to be so concerned with us, Shulk, because you're the one who's about to have something to worry about!" Reyn snapped.

Reyn raised his fist and tried to hit Shulk, but Dunban and Sharla stepped in, grabbing his arm and pushing him away.

"Who even are you anymore?! The Shulk I know wouldn't keep something like that hidden from his friends! All you're missing is the lab coat and I would've sworn I was talking to Zanza!" Reyn yelled.

"That's enough, Reyn!" Dunban shouted back.

Reyn didn't pay any attention to Dunban and threw his head in the direction of the medical team and M.S.I.T staff.

"You people are sick! You're telling me you don't see anything wrong with what you're trying to do here?! How are you going to live with yourselves if something were to go wrong? What if he turned into a Telethia or something, how would you be able to even look at yourselves after something like that?!" Reyn demanded.

"Shulk could… could turn into a Telethia?" Melia's voice broke as she spoke up and she tightly gripped onto Shulk's hand.

Shulk looked over and caught a glimpse of how terrified Melia looked before she moved her head down. She started visibly shaking and her lip quivered as tiny whimpers escaped.

"No, that won't happen, Melia. Come here." Shulk quickly stated and pulled her into a hug.

Melia leaned over Shulk's bedside and hugged him tightly while she cried with her face buried in his shoulder.

"Shulk, please… please don't do this. I don't want to lose you, not in the same way I lost my brother." Melia sobbed.

"Look at me, Angel." Shulk said softly. He lifted Melia's head and wiped her tears as she looked into his eyes.

"Melia, I promise you that won't happen. I wouldn't even think of going through with this operation if I felt that it would end badly. I'll be okay, and transforming into a Telethia isn't going to happen." Shulk assured her.

Melia didn't say anything back, only hiding her face again and refusing to let him go while she cried.

Shulk protectively cradled Melia in his arms and glared at everyone in the room.

"All of you, knock it off! She's been scared about this as it is, and you're all making it worse by arguing and putting thoughts like that in her head! If you have anything else you want to talk about, then do it outside!" Shulk growled.

The room went silent and everyone froze for a few moments before shamefully lowering their heads.

Shulk turned his attention back to Melia and tried to calm her down, but he suddenly tightened his grip around her and glared as Lilith approached Melia.

"Before you say anything to her, I want you to stop and choose your words very carefully." Shulk hissed.

Lilith took his precaution and paused for a moment, not out of intimidation, but sincerity for Melia. She could see how scared the empress was of losing her consort, and she felt a deep sense of sympathy and compassion for Melia after she brought up what happened to Kallian.

"I'd first like to apologize, your highness." Lilith started.

Melia gently broke out of Shulk's grip and wiped her eyes before facing Lilith.

"I-it's okay. I… I accept your apology." Melia said, her voice still breaking slightly.

"You have our word that the consort will be okay, empress. My research team and I have been in close contact with the medical staff and we've gone over every outcome imaginable. Any one of us will tell you that the chances of the consort transforming into a Telethia are practically zero, and we've made this as low-risk of a procedure as we possibly could. The Telethia gene will become inactive once it's in the consort's body due to his Homs ancestry, just like us High Entia of mixed heritage." Lilith assured her.

"See, Melia? Nothing bad is going to happen." Shulk said softly and took her hand.

"But, Shulk…" Melia said nervously.

Shulk gently pulled her closer and into another hug. He held Melia's hand up against his and her ring gave off a glimmer from the light.

"Just remember why I'm doing this if you ever start to feel scared. I want to be with you for as long as I can, Melia, and this operation is going to make that future we wanted together possible. I promised you that I would never leave your side and I'm not turning back on that, in fact, this operation will make it so I can keep that promise." Shulk said.

"Shulk…" Melia's heart skipped a beat and she hugged him tighter as more tears fell down her cheek, but this time it was from relief and joy.

"I love you, Shulk." Melia said through her crying.

"I love you too, Melia, and I have something I want you to do for me." Shulk said.

"Anything." Melia replied.

Shulk lifted Melia's head up and wiped her tears. He gave her a smile as he gently placed his finger over her lips.

"I want to hear you say that again after I come out of surgery. Can you do that for me, Angel?" Shulk asked.

Melia gazed into his eyes and her expression began to change, putting on a reassuring face as she gave him a nod.

"I will. I'll say it as many times as you want." Melia answered.

Even with everyone watching, Melia placed her hands behind Shulk's ears and pulled him into a deep kiss. Another nurse came into the room, but she remained silent until the two broke the kiss.

"Everything is ready." The nurse finally spoke.

The operating staff gathered around Shulk, checking his IV and unlocking the wheels to push his bed to the other room.

"You can walk with us up to the operating room doors if you'd like, empress." The nurse offered.

Melia nodded and kept her hand on the bed rails as they left the room.

Shulk reached over and placed his hand over Melia's as they walked through the halls, eventually coming to a stop in front of a set of doors.

"This is as far as we can take you, empress. We can give you two another moment if you'd like." Dr. Nagoya said.

The staff took a few steps back so her and Shulk could have some space.

Melia leaned down and her and Shulk held each other close in one last embrace.

"I love you, Shulk. Please be safe…" Melia whispered.

Shulk soothingly stroked her hair, "Of course I will. I love you too, Melia, and I'll see you in a bit, that's a promise."

The two reluctantly let each other go and Melia let the staff know she was ready. They wheeled Shulk into the operating room and he looked back as the doors opened, giving Melia a reassuring smile.

"Stay strong for me, Melia." Shulk softly called out to her.

Melia nodded and gave a smile back, but it quickly faded after the doors were shut.

The staff wheeled Shulk into the center of the room and a frown appeared on his face as they prepped for surgery.

"I'm sorry for how I acted back there, Lilith." Shulk said.

"Don't worry about it. I mean, what am I going to say back to you? You're technically my superior even though you work for me." Lilith joked.

Shulk laughed softly before his frown reappeared, "Still, that doesn't make it right…"

"I told you already, don't worry about it." Lilith assured him and came up to his bedside, "Even with everything that was going on, you were focused solely on protecting the empress, and I understand that's why you lashed out. I've heard about all the things that happened to her, that poor girl has been through so much in her life…"

"Yeah, she has…" Shulk added and let out a sigh, "I don't exactly know how to put this. I know the rest of our friends will be there for her, but even then… I'm all that she has left."

"I understand." Lilith said softly.

A nurse came over with a vial and syringe filled with anesthesia. Lilith nodded to the nurse then looked back down at Shulk while she administered it into his IV.

"Just close your eyes and try to relax. We'll get you back to her soon." Lilith said.

Shulk could only nod as his eyes grew heavy. Everything began to blur and he soon drifted to sleep as the medical staff finished their preparations.

Melia was still out in the hallway, sitting against the wall and close to the operating room doors.

"Shulk…" She softly mused.

Fiora came around the corner and seen Melia sitting there with an anxious look on her face. She came over and kneeled down by Melia, giving her a tight hug.

"I'm sorry for making you come look for me. It's just… I'm so worried about him." Melia said quietly.

Fiora rubbed and patted her back, "It's okay, Melia, we understand. Come on, they probably won't let you wait out here."

"But… I…" Melia began to whimper and looked panicked at the thought of being separated from Shulk.

Fiora smiled warmly and held out her hand, "We're not going anywhere without you, Melia. If you want to stay here, then we'll wait with you, but we'll have to do it in the other room."

Although she was reluctant at first, Melia took Fiora's hand and stood up, giving one more glance at the operating room doors before they turned the corner.

The two girls went back to the others and they all agreed to stay at the hospital with Melia. They all walked into the waiting lobby and also found Denise sitting there. She was notified about the operation and came to lend support, and everyone took seats in the lobby: With Denise and Dunban sitting next to each other and talking amongst themselves in the adjacent row, Reyn was close by and reading magazines to keep himself occupied, and Sharla and Fiora sat on either side of Melia, trying to keep her distracted while they waited for any news on Shulk.

"He'll be okay, Melia." Sharla soothed and laid her hand on Melia's lap.

"Yeah, Shulk's been through plenty worse than this. He'll pull through and be back on his feet in no time." Reyn overheard them talking and added on as he turned the page.

"You think so?" Melia asked quietly.

Reyn lifted his head from the magazine and showed Melia a reassuring grin, "I know so. I mean, look at me, do I seem even the least bit worried?"

The smallest hint of a smile started to form on the corners of Melia's lips, "Confident as always, Reyn. If you're that sure, then I'll follow your lead."

"Atta girl." Sharla said and patted Melia's lap.

Reyn's stomach started to growl and he stood up, "Speaking of following, how's about we all head down to the mess hall? I'm getting a bit hungry."

"Damnit, Reyn. Just when you were on to something too…" Sharla muttered.

"Yeah, but you can't help but admire that carefree attitude of his sometimes." Fiora chuckled, "Maybe he's right, though. We've been sitting here for a while and it's starting to get late, maybe we should consider getting some food."

"Well, at this rate, we might be staying the night here. Do you feel like you could eat, Melia?" Sharla asked.

Melia gave a small nod and they all went to the hospital's cafeteria for dinner. Although they tried urging her to, Melia wouldn't eat much and only picked at her food, feeling too worried about Shulk to keep anything down.

After passing some more time in the cafeteria and wandering around the recreational areas of the hospital, they all went back to the waiting lobby and walked up to a High Entia girl sitting at the front desk.

"How's Shulk doing?" Sharla asked.

"He's still in surgery, but he's doing just fine. They're giving me routinely updates on him, so I'll let you know about every little change in his condition the moment it happens." The girl answered with a warm smile.

"Hear that, Melia?" Sharla asked.

Sharla didn't hear anything back and looked around the lobby. She found that Melia wandered off and was standing by the waiting room window, frowning as she watched the sun setting.

Sharla came over and gently placed a hand on her shoulder, "Melia?"

Melia faintly gasped and turned around the second she was broken out of her daze, but her frown reappeared as she realized it wasn't the person she was hoping for…

"Oh, I'm sorry." Melia said softly.

"You don't have anything to apologize for." Sharla said and gave her a reassuring smile, "They said that Shulk is doing fine, and they're constantly checking up on him."

Melia nodded and gave a smile in return, but it soon faded away.

Everyone else was still gathered around the front desk and the girl behind it noticed the sun setting.

"It's getting late." The girl spoke up, "The consort might not be out of surgery until late night or tomorrow morning. If you're all planning on staying the night here, I can have pillows and blankets brought out to you."

"Yes, please. Thank you." Fiora replied.

Everyone sat back down and a few staff members came out with pillows and warm blankets. They all made themselves as comfortable as they could for the night and Sharla looked over at Melia, checking up on her one last time before she went to bed.

"You'll be able to see him tomorrow, Melia. I know it'll be hard, but try and get some rest until then. Shulk wouldn't want to see you looking sleep deprived." Sharla said.

Melia only nodded and Sharla patted her lap.

"The quicker you fall asleep, the quicker it'll feel like time passes. Good night, Melia." Sharla said.

"Good night." Melia replied, her voice barely above a whisper.

Sharla gave her one more soft look before closing her eyes and going to sleep.

Later into the night, Melia looked around the lobby and noticed she was the only one still awake, except for Denise who got up and hasn't come back yet.

"Shulk…" Melia quietly whimpered.

All Melia wanted was to be alone ever since Shulk went into surgery, and she realized this was the closest her friends would allow her to get to that. She lowered her head and covered her face in her hand, trying to make as little noise as possible while she helplessly cried.

Denise appeared from around the hall and noticed Melia trembling, knowing full well she was crying even if she couldn't hear it or see her tears. She went down the hall again and came back with a box of tissues as she approached Melia.

"Here." Denise whispered and held out the box.

Melia took it and wiped her tears while Denise leaned down to give her a hug.

"It'll be okay, Melia. Shulk is going to be fine, I'm sure you know that." Denise whispered by her ear.

Melia didn't say anything back, only giving a small nod and muffling her crying in Denise's shoulder.

"There, there." Denise softly mused and rubbed Melia's back, "Is there anything else I can do to help?"

Melia shook her head no and Denise held her close the entire time she cried, only letting go once she stopped.

Melia lifted her head from Denise's shoulder, "Thank you." She whispered, her voice still breaking.

"Of course, Melia. If you ever need anything else, even if I'm asleep, come get me, okay? I'll be over by Dunban." Denise replied.

Melia nodded and sniffled as she wiped her eyes.

"Only a few more hours left to go, Melia. It's already early morning." Denise said.

Melia only nodded and Denise gave her a warm, reassuring smile before going back to her seat.

A short time had passed and Denise soon went to sleep, leaving only Melia once more. She didn't feel like she could stay awake for much longer, though, it was becoming harder to keep her eyes opened and she felt drained from her crying.

"Shulk…" Melia mused before closing her eyes. Her head fell on Sharla's shoulder and she finally went to sleep.

Light soon shined in through the window of the waiting lobby and it made Melia start to stir. She lifted her head up and groggily stretched as she looked around, noticing that it was morning and everyone else was awake and moving around the lobby.

Sharla seen Melia waking up and came over with a cup of coffee, smiling warmly as she held it in front of her, "Good morning, sleepy head."

"Good morning." Melia answered as she took it from her.

Sharla sat down next to Melia and took a sip from her own cup, "We've only been up for a short while before you. They said they're going to give us the news about Shulk's operation really soon."

Melia started to perk up slightly and nodded before taking a drink.

Denise came over and sat in the other open seat next to Melia, giving her a big hug.

"Did you get any sleep at all?" Denise asked.

Melia's eyes softened, "Only a little."

"It's better than none at all." Denise assured her and let go.

About an hour had passed and another man came into the lobby from the staff doors. It took everyone a second to recognize who he was since he was changed into scrubs and had on a surgeon's mask with gloves, but they could see the resemblance to Zane and figured it was his brother.

They all gathered around and were sure that it was Caine, but he wouldn't say anything and kept his stare at the ground.

"What happened? How's Shulk?" Sharla asked.

No answer, nor would he lift his head.

Everyone's eyes filled with panic with each passing second of Caine's silence, but Reyn was starting to grow impatient with him and glared.

"You better say something, bud." Reyn growled.

Caine's shoulders began to shake and they could hear him making a faint noise… almost like he was cackling. His laughing grew louder and he took off the surgeon's mask, throwing his head triumphantly up to the sky.

"We did it! The operation was a complete success!" Caine exclaimed.

Everyone's hearts started pounding in relief and the other girls crowded around Melia, giving her a big group hug.

Reyn kept his glare on Caine, hiding his relief underneath it, "You could've said that to begin with instead of making it all dramatic!"

"Do you have any idea as to what this means?! We're one step closer to being able to literally alter the building blocks of life! Who else knows what we could find with this new data?! The possibilities are endless!" Caine said, going on a tangent and not seeming to pay any attention to Reyn.

Zane walked up and took off his gloves as he came over, smacking Caine upside the head and breaking him off his ranting.

"My apologies, my brother can be a bit… infatuated with his work. I take it from the looks on your faces that he already gave you the news, or at least in his own way." Zane said.

Dr. Nagoya then came through the staff doors and everyone gathered around him.

"Yeah, we could hear it from back there." Dr. Nagoya commented, "I'll give you all a bit more information, but do you mind if we step outside first?"

The group nodded and followed Dr. Nagoya outside. He pulled out a pack of cigarettes from his coat pocket once they were a short distance from the hospital.

"You all don't mind, do you?" Dr. Nagoya asked.

"No, it's okay." Melia replied.

"Thank you." Dr. Nagoya said and lit his cigarette, "I apologize for making this look unprofessional, especially in front of you, empress, but I just feel like I really need one of these right now. It was a bit of a stressful procedure, not made any easier knowing this has never been done before, and on a member of the royal family of all people."

"Don't sweat it. I bet dumb and dumber back there didn't make it any easier on you either." Reyn joked, referring to Zane and Caine.

"Believe me, I deal with people like that on an almost daily basis." Dr. Nagoya chuckled, "It's honestly a bit ironic with how opposite those two are, Zane being more of a people-person while Caine is the more work-oriented. Those two are definitely eccentric, but good kids nonetheless, and they play off each other's strengths and weaknesses."

Dr. Nagoya took another puff before he continued, "Like those two said, Shulk is doing just fine. The operation was successful and he's in stable condition."

"So, what does this mean for Shulk now that the operation is over?" Sharla asked.

"You'd have to talk to those brothers again if you want to know every little detail, but from what I can tell you, this means that Shulk is essentially half High Entia now." Dr. Nagoya said and took another puff, "Honestly, the only difference between us and him now is that he had it synthetically engineered. In every other way, he's identical to us and shares the same traits that we do, including the longer lifespan like he wanted."

"Is… is Shulk allowed to have visitors?" Melia asked hesitantly.

"You can all see him, but I'm afraid it won't be in the way you were hoping for." Dr. Nagoya replied.

"What do you mean?" Melia asked.

"Like I mentioned earlier, Shulk is in stable condition, but given the nature of this operation and the fact that he's royalty, we've taken some extra steps to ensure he'll be okay before discharging him. We're putting him in isolation for a minimum of twenty-four hours and he's being monitored routinely while he rests, both via machines and by my staff. You'll only be able to see Shulk through a window from a small room connected to it, and I can't guarantee you that he'll be awake. He's coming off the anesthesia right now, but his body was put under a lot of stress and he may be unconscious for a while. Our estimates suggest it could be approximately one week before he regains consciousness." Dr. Nagoya explained.

Melia's heart sunk and she looked down at the ground.

Sharla came up and wrapped her arm around Melia's shoulder, "Hey, the most important thing is that he's okay, right?"

Melia only nodded in response.

"Your friend is right, empress. Shulk is okay, he just needs to rest." Dr. Nagoya repeated, "When he wakes up, we'll see what we can do about discharging and leaving him in your care. Was there anything else any of you wanted to know?"

Everyone shook their heads as Dr. Nagoya finished his cigarette.

"Alright, let's go find our two favorite brothers and I'll take you all to Shulk's room. They'll be able to answer any other questions you might have when you see him." Dr. Nagoya said.

Everyone followed behind the doctor and they found Zane and Caine still in the waiting lobby.

"My little brother has something he'd like to say before we go." Zane said.

Caine stepped forward and bowed in front of Melia, "I apologize if I caused you to worry."

"You're forgiven. I just wanted to know if Shulk was okay, there's no more issue now that we've been told." Melia replied.

"Thank you, empress. I can assure you that it won't happen again." Caine said.

"You're right on that, because I'll be here to lob you upside the head again if you do." Zane smirked. He locked his arm around Caine's neck and dragged his knuckle over his head.

For the first time today, Melia put on a genuine smile and chuckled softly, "You two remind me of Shulk and Reyn."

"Um, I'm still here…" Reyn pointed out.

Sharla laughed and took Reyn's hand, "She's got a point though, Reyn. Even I can see the resemblance in these two."

"I don't know them well enough to know if that's a compliment, but I'll take it as one." Zane replied, smiling back at Melia and Sharla as he let go of his brother.

They all walked to Shulk's room in one group: Melia and Dr. Nagoya in the front, the brothers in the back, and everyone else in between them.

After walking through a few more hallways, a group of Imperial Guards came into view that were stationed around a door with an isolation sign painted on it. They all cleared the doorway and stood at attention as the group went inside.

Dr. Nagoya turned on the lights, illuminating a small office space with monitoring equipment, but most notably a wall on one side that was completely glass.

Everyone walked over to the glass wall and Melia's heart broke at the sight. The doctor did mention that Shulk would be hooked up to machines, but the design to them and how many there were made it look far worse than what it really was.

"They're just to monitor him, empress, none of them are vital to his life. Shulk is perfectly fine, he'll be off most of those machines and out of this room in about twenty-four hours." Dr. Nagoya said softly, knowing that Melia would fear for the worst once she saw him.

Melia frowned and nodded back, but only because she felt a knot forming in her throat that made it hard to reply.

"You know, Shulk talked about you before we gave him the anesthesia, and even after we gave it to him while we waited for him to finally fall asleep." Dr. Nagoya chuckled.

"He did?" Melia asked.

"Yep. He was more concerned about you than he was for himself. I'm sure he wants to see you just as badly as you do right now." Dr. Nagoya assured her.

Melia gave a soft smile in return and looked back into the glass.

Reyn raised an eyebrow and moved his head around, trying to get a better view of Shulk from all angles.

"What gives, Doc? I thought you said Shulk was the same as you guys now, so where's his wings?" Reyn asked.

Sharla and Dunban gawked at him, others facepalmed, and Melia was too focused on Shulk to notice anything else.

"Did you expect them to just instantly sprout out of his head or something?" Dunban asked and raised an eyebrow.

"I mean… I don't know…" Reyn said defensively.

Zane came up to the group, "Actually, we were wondering about that ourselves. It won't be immediate, but we do believe he'll grow head wings. We can't estimate the size or shape of them, however; They might be longer and aimed downward like pure-blooded High Entia, or they could be smaller and off to the side like us that are half High Entia."

"Not only that." Caine jumped in, "The consort also has better ether prowess now. He can control ether much more fluidly when channeling it and can even sense other people's ether like we can."

"Hear that, Melia? For all that we know, Shulk can probably sense that we're here right now." Sharla commented.

Sharla didn't hear anything back and looked over, seeing that Melia was still staring into the glass with a heavy frown on her face.

"Shulk…" Melia placed her hand on the glass, just wishing that she could be next to him. Her ring softly gleamed and she started sniffling as she tried not to cry again.

Sharla came over and held Melia close, "What's the matter? Shulk's right there, don't you see him? The doctor told you he's going to be okay."

Melia nodded and tried to keep it together as she hugged Sharla tighter.

"Can… can I have some time alone with him, please?" Melia quietly asked.

"Of course, princess. Anything you want." Sharla replied.

The two girls broke apart and everyone cleared the room for Melia, leaving just her in there with Shulk on the other side.

Fiora frowned after they closed the door behind them, "Poor Melia, it's like she's a completely different person without Shulk around."

"I noticed that too, she just wants to be by herself more and will barely talk." Sharla added, "Even though Melia wants to isolate herself, I don't think we should let her."

"I agree. We should all stay here and give Melia our support while we wait for Shulk to wake up." Fiora replied.

The rest of the group nodded and looked back over to Sharla.

"Alright, then it's settled. We'll all stay here and spend some time with Melia, with one person being responsible for her each day then we'll rotate." Sharla said.

Before going back in the room, everyone agreed on what days they would be keeping Melia company throughout the week.

Four days later into Shulk's recovery and it was Reyn's turn to be with Melia. He went to her Villa and could physically see how badly this wait was starting to affect her; With her energy being considerably lower, and tasks that would normally be effortless were starting to be a strain on her. It hurt him to see someone as strong as Melia like this, so he took her to the hospital and let her have some more time with Shulk.

Dr. Nagoya deemed it safe for Shulk to be in contact with others after his isolation period and had him moved to a new room where people could properly visit him.

Reyn stayed out in the hall while Melia went into Shulk's room. She let out a sigh of relief after the door closed, feeling grateful to see Shulk longer and that Reyn actually understood.

Melia pulled a chair closer and sat down, resting her arms on Shulk's bed while she held his hand. He was hooked up to only basic monitoring equipment now, and the only thing left to do was wait for him to wake up.

"Boo, how much longer am I going to have to wait? How much longer until I can see you open your eyes? I miss you so much, Shulk; That smile, having you there with me every night, even that innocent and oblivious attitude of yours… I miss all of it. I just want you out of this hospital and back home with me…" Melia's lip started to quiver and it became increasingly harder to say anything more.

Melia leaned down and hid her face near Shulk's thigh, but just before she felt like she was going to cry, she felt something frail moving against her hand. She gasped and lifted her head, seeing Shulk's arm weakly flinch as he tried to squeeze back against her hand.

"M… l… ia…" Shulk faintly whispered. His eyes were still closed and he weakly squirmed as he tried to move his head.

Melia's heart started to flutter and she jumped herself up. She squeezed his hand back and came closer to him.

"Shulk? I'm right here, what's wrong? Can you hear me? Shulk… Shulk?!" Melia grew more anxious by the second as she waited to see if Shulk was waking up, but he wouldn't say anything back and kept trying to move his head.

Reyn heard Melia raising her voice and rushed into the room, "Melia, what's the problem? What's with all the yelling?"

"It's Shulk, he just tried to say something!" Melia replied urgently.

Reyn's eyes grew wide as he seen Shulk weakly squirming. He came over and shook him as he gripped his shoulders, "Shulk, you waking up? Come on, man, say something!"

"…Ngh …loud…" Shulk groaned and threw his head in the other direction.

Reyn's eyes softened and he let go of Shulk, "Oh, I see what it is now."

"What? Reyn, tell me, is Shulk going to be okay?" Melia asked anxiously.

"Relax, princess, he's fine. Shulk's just talking in his sleep like he usually does." Reyn answered.

"…In his sleep?" Melia frowned and looked downward.

Reyn could see the hurt look on Melia's face, knowing she must have been upset that Shulk wasn't really waking up.

"Hey, it's not all bad. You want to know something interesting about all this?" Reyn asked, trying to steer her attention away from it.

"What's that?" Melia asked, only trying to be polite and not ignore him.

"Check this out." Reyn said and turned back to Shulk, "Yo, Shulk, I never got the chance to apologize to you yet, did I? I'm sorry for how I acted and for what I said before you went into surgery, I was the one in the wrong."

"It's… okay…" Shulk exhaustedly muttered back.

Reyn turned back to Melia and grinned, seeing the shocked look on her face and her wings perking up.

"Pretty cool, ain't it?" Reyn asked.

"I've known that Shulk talked in his sleep, but he sounded like he understood you and even replied… Shulk can hear us right now?" Melia gawked.

"Shulk's been able to talk with people in his sleep for years now. I found this out when we were kids; We were staying up late one night and just talking to each other, and when I looked over at him, his eyes were shut and he was still talking like normal. I didn't even realize it, but I was talking to him in his sleep for like the past hour that night. So yeah, he can hear us right now, but it's a little weird on how it works. I've purposely talked to him a few more times in his sleep and I think I can piece together a few things, though." Reyn explained.

Melia started to smirk, "I can't tell which is more strange, Shulk's sleep-talking or how knowledgeable you sound about this." She teased.

"Be nice, Melia." Shulk said. He sounded much easier to understand this time and turned his head to the other side.

"Yeah, you tell her, Shulk." Reyn laughed and crossed his arms.

Melia nervously blushed, "You said there were other things you noticed about Shulk, what were they?"

"You know how there's different stages of sleep? Well, Shulk's talking changes depending on what stage he's in. In some stages, he's much easier to understand and pauses less when he talks. In other stages, he'll either pause more, say some weird stuff, or won't even talk back at all." Reyn said.

"Shulk was talking perfectly fine the last time he spoke, as if he were actually awake, what stage would that mean he's in?" Melia asked curiously.

"Well, that's something I haven't figured out yet. I know his talking changes depending on the sleep stage, but I have no clue on how to tell them apart." Reyn answered.

"I see. That's okay, Reyn, all of this was still helpful." Melia assured him, "Is there anything else you can tell me about it?"

"Well… here's where things get a bit negative." Reyn started, "Shulk can understand us right now and talk back, but he doesn't remember anything he said when he wakes up."

"I see…" Melia frowned.

"Hey, don't look so gloomy about it. Shulk might not be able to remember what he says, but he'll still talk to you the same way he would if he was awake. He was talking just fine a minute ago, you might still be able to say a few things to him before his next sleep cycle." Reyn assured her.

Melia's frown faded away, a reassuring smile taking its place as she nodded to Reyn.

"Go ahead and give it a whirl. I'll be outside, come get me whenever you're ready." Reyn said and walked out.

Melia wasn't sure why, but she started blushing again and felt more nervous the closer she got to Shulk.

"Shulk, can you still hear me?" Melia asked hesitantly.

Shulk didn't reply, only centering his head and softly snoring away.

"You… you haven't forgotten our promise, have you? You'll still be by my side, right?" Melia asked nervously.

"Of course I will… I promised you… that I would." Shulk answered.

Melia beamed and wrapped her arms around Shulk for a tight hug.

"I'll be waiting until then." Melia mused, "I have to go, Shulk, but I'll come visit you again soon, okay?"

Melia fixed Shulk's pillows and gently laid him back down. She blushed slightly and played with his hair, turning redder as she noticed she was using her ring hand.

"Sweet dreams, Boo." Melia cooed.

"Only if you're in them." Shulk said back.

Melia giggled at his answer, "Are you saying you dream about me, Shulk?~"

"All the time." Shulk replied. His voice began to sound softer and drowsier, like he might be going into his next sleep stage soon.

Melia's heart skipped a beat and her wings started fluttering.

"Here, maybe this will help~" Melia leaned down and gently kissed his forehead before going to the door.

"I'll see you again soon, Shulk." Melia said.

"Mel… ia…" Shulk quietly called out.

Melia's ears perked up, hearing him trying to say something before she left the room.

"What is it, Shulk?" She asked.

"I… lo… y… u…" Shulk mumbled.

Melia could understand what he was trying to say and smiled warmly, "I love you too, Shulk."

Melia stepped out of the room and found Reyn slouching against the wall.

"How'd it go?" Reyn asked.

"I was able to say a few things to him before his speech became muddled." Melia replied.

"Good to hear, and you can always try again later the next time you see him. Were you ready to go?" Reyn asked.

Melia nodded and the two left the hospital.

---

Although it was relieving to still be able to talk to Shulk, Melia slowly sunk back to feeling worried and depressed as time went on. It was now seven days into his recovery and Shulk still hasn't woken up.

Melia was lazing around the Villa while she waited for Fiora to come by. It was her turn to be with Melia for the day, but it was past the time that she said she would be there. Melia didn't mind and assumed she was just running late, and all she wanted to do anyways was stay at home or visit Shulk.

Melia tried to keep herself distracted by doing some things around the house, but regardless of how much time passed, Fiora was still nowhere to be seen. It also became harder to stay focused on anything as she grew more anxious about wanting to see Shulk.

Melia reluctantly sighed, "I'm sorry, Fiora…"

Melia had to summon enough effort to throw herself together and get ready to go the hospital by herself. She packed her lunch in a paper bag and left the Villa, and although she felt guilty for leaving Fiora to come find her, her anxiousness got the better of her and she couldn't wait any longer to visit Shulk.

All the hospital staff that walked past her could see how drained Melia looked. They would stop and give her a warm smile as their paths crossed, but Melia was so deep in her own mind that she barely noticed them and subconsciously kept walking towards Shulk's room.

Shulk, it's been a week, the doctor said you should be awake by now… I'm trying, Shulk, I'm really trying to be strong, but… I can only keep that up for so long without having you to fall back on. All I want… is to be in your arms and see you open your eyes again.

Melia walked up to Shulk's door and paused for a brief moment as she clenched the knob. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, trying to stay calm and convince herself that everything would be okay before triggering a stress-induced breakdown.

After a few moments of silence, Melia tried her best to hide her worried look and slowly creaked open the door.

"Hey, Angel!"

The expression Melia was trying to hide behind was blown away and her wings stood up as that voice rang through her ears. She felt paralyzed and gasped in disbelief as she seen her fiancé sitting up, smiling warmly at her as those blue eyes she'd hoped to see gazed back into hers.

"Shulk…" Melia regained the feeling like she could move again and ran over, throwing her arms tightly around him as she came up to his bedside, "You're awake! How long have you been up? Are you feeling okay? Do you need me to get a nurse for you?"

"Whoa, Melia, slow down." Shulk laughed and returned the hug.

Melia lifted her head and her shock began to wear off as she looked up at him. Her breathing sounded shaky and her eyes turned red as she pulled him into another hug.

"I've been so worried about you, Shulk… I missed you so much." Melia whimpered right before she broke down crying by his collar bone.

Shulk cradled Melia in his arms and started to smile warmly as he rubbed her back.

"I missed you too, Melia. It's okay, I'm here now. Just let it out." Shulk said softly by her ear.

Shulk did everything he could to calm her down and Melia stopped crying after a few minutes, but she was still shaky and kept her arms tightly around him.

Shulk gently cupped Melia's chin and lifted her head up. Their gaze met and his eyes softened as he leaned closer, pressing his lips to hers and giving her a tender kiss.

Melia's eyes widened for a moment and her heart started fluttering. The touch from his lips was so soft and gentle, and it made her worries melt away as she sunk into it and returned the kiss.

Shulk broke the kiss and pulled Melia closer, soothingly stroking her hair while he held her in a warm embrace.

"Feeling better now, Angel?" Shulk asked.

"Mhm~" Melia mused. Her wings started lightly flapping and she nuzzled closer to him.

Shulk smiled and gently broke out of the hug. He patted his hand on the bed, "Come here, Angel. You can sit next to me if you want."

Shulk was still a bit frail and slowly moved over for Melia. She climbed into his bed and curled up next to him, smiling as she put her hand up to his cheek and felt a thick trail of facial hair.

Shulk chuckled as Melia brushed through his newly-formed beard, "Noticed that too, huh? How does it look?"

"It's just strange seeing you with a beard. I'm not exactly used to it." Melia replied.

"I mean, I've been asleep for about a week now, I couldn't exactly do anything about it. I'm more surprised with how scruffy it's gotten in such a short time." Shulk joked, "At least, that's how long the nurses told me I've been asleep for. I might get rid of it whenever they let me leave, though."

"They told you how long you've been asleep for? They know you're awake?" Melia asked.

"Of course they do. Who do you think brought me this food tray?" Shulk asked and pointed to the nightstand on his side.

Shulk reached for his food and set it in his lap, "You can have some of mine if you want."

"That's okay, Shulk, I brought my own." Melia replied and held up the bag she brought with her.

"Oh, did you? What'cha got?" Shulk smirked and stuck his head in the bag.

"It's just something I made before coming here." Melia answered.

Shulk stopped rummaging through the bag and gawked as he looked up at Melia, "Did I hear what I think I did? You're the one who made this?"

"Yes, I did." Melia answered, starting to sound nervous from Shulk's surprise, "Our friends are still here in Alcamoth and I've been spending some time with them while I waited for you to recover. Fiora knows I'm not much of a cook, but she was insistent that I help her with practically everything she made. We had some leftover ingredients from when we cooked dinner for everyone, so I piled them all together and found a recipe for a stir fry I could make with them."

"So did you make this by yourself or did Fiora help you?" Shulk asked curiously.

"I made it myself." Melia replied and nervously ran her hand through her hair, "It's probably a good thing Fiora wasn't around when I did, she might have gotten mad at me for following instructions out of a cookbook."

"I'd believe it. Fiora tried teaching me how to cook a long time ago too and she wouldn't even let me use measuring cups, told me just to free-fall everything." Shulk chuckled.

Shulk looked back at the bag, "Mind if I try some of it?"

"I mean… if you want to. It might not be as good as anything Fiora can make, though…" Melia said.

"That doesn't matter, I'm more interested in the fact that you made this yourself." Shulk assured her, "Besides, I've already been a test rat for genetic research, being a test rat again for food doesn't sound like much of a stretch." He jokingly added.

"Okay, if you're sure…" Melia replied nervously.

Melia opened the bag and pulled out a plastic container, but she could feel it getting cold as it rested in her hands.

"Hang on, let me warm it up for you." Melia said.

Melia opened her palm and summoned a small fire elemental. She lowered it into the container and slowly guided it around, trying to heat everything evenly.

Shulk licked his lips as the smell filled the room, "Give me a big scoop of meat with it!"

"I'll see what I can do for you, Shulk." Melia giggled.

Melia dispersed the elemental and spun a piece of her food around her fork. She blew on it and brought it closer to Shulk, blushing a little as she fed him.

Just to tease her a little, Shulk started making overly-dramatic and critiquing faces as he tasted it.

"Well? How is it?" Melia asked anxiously.

Shulk finally dropped the act and swallowed it down, looking pleasantly surprised, "Actually, it's not bad, Melia!"

Melia blushed more and shyly looked down, "You're not just saying that, are you?"

"No, it's actually pretty good! Mind if I get another bite?" Shulk asked.

Melia picked up another serving and brought it to Shulk's lips, smiling warmly as she fed it to him.

"I'm impressed, Melia, you're definitely learning from her!" Shulk praised, "The only complaint I got so far is that you gave me nothing but veggies with that second bite."

"Do you always have to be picky when you're sick?" Melia teased.

"Hey, I'm in the hospital, for crying out loud. I think I can get a pass for being picky." Shulk joked.

Melia smiled and nuzzled against him, "You may be a baby sometimes, but you're my baby~"

Shulk turned bright red and felt his heart skip a beat as he hugged her.

Melia reached up and was about to kiss him, but she suddenly stopped and laughed.

"Hang on, you got some of it in your beard." She giggled and wiped it away.

"I told you that I'd get rid of it once they discharge me, whenever that is." Shulk said.

"We can ask about that later. I'm just glad to see that you're finally awake, Boo." Melia smiled.

They shared a tender kiss and Melia sat closer to him as they went back to their food.

Shulk pushed his tray slightly over to Melia's side, "I took some of yours, so you can have a bit of mine too."

"No, that's okay, Shulk." Melia said and took a bite of her stir fry.

Melia suddenly stopped eating, "Oh, wait, you were actually tested on for three things."

"I was?" Shulk asked, looking confused.

"Shulk, did you know that you talk in your sleep?" Melia started.

Shulk seemed nervous and turned a little red, "Yeah, I knew about that… I didn't say anything weird, did I?"

Melia giggled, "No, Boo. Although, you did admit that you dream about me pretty often~"

Shulk turned a brighter red and looked away while Melia teasingly pinched his cheek.

"I mean… I would've told you that even if I was awake." Shulk murmured.

Melia started to blush and her wings fluttered as she hugged him, "Aww~ That's so cute!~"

Melia turned his head back over and kissed him. She stayed close to Shulk as they finished their food and cleared everything off the bed.

"Oh, there's actually one more thing I needed to tell you." Melia spoke up.

"Haven't you embarrassed me enough?" Shulk joked.

"This isn't like that, Shulk." Melia smiled.

Melia sat in front of Shulk and rested her hand on his chest. They both began to blush and Melia could feel his heart beating faster as she came closer, and it started to flutter as their lips pressed together and they shared a passionate kiss.

Melia broke the kiss and sparkles glimmered in her eyes as she gazed into Shulk's and caressed his cheek.

"I love you, Shulk." Melia mused.

Shulk paused for a second, then his eyes grew wide as it finally clicked, "You remembered…"

"Of course I did. And I'll say it as many times as you want, just like I promised I would." Melia smiled.

Shulk smiled along and pulled Melia into a tight embrace, "Could you say it one more time?"

Melia gently kissed his cheek and moved closer to his ear, "I love you, Shulk~"

"I love you too, Melia~" Shulk said back.

Their hearts began to flutter, neither of them wanting to leave their partner's warm embrace.

"Melia, could you do one more thing for me?" Shulk asked.

"Anything, Boo." She answered.

Shulk let Melia go and pointed to the nightstand on her side of the bed, "They put my stuff in a bag and left it in the top drawer. Open it up and take that bag out."

Melia nodded and reached over, placing the bag in her lap after she got it out.

"Was there something in here you wanted, Shulk?" Melia asked.

"Sort of. Open it up and look around." Shulk replied.

Melia looked a little confused but nodded and reached inside.

"You never said what it was in particular that you wanted out of-" Melia paused as her hand brushed against something in his bag that seemed out of place.

Shulk started to smile, "Sounds like you found it. Take it out and see for yourself."

Melia slowly drew her arm from the bag and pulled out a small black box, similar to the one Shulk had in Makna Forest. She opened it and inside was a platinum ring with a matte brushed finish, and a single row of blue crystals that went vertically along the band.

"Shulk, is this…" Melia asked.

"It's my half of the engagement rings. I wanted you to help me put it on." Shulk answered and held out his hand.

Melia's heart began to race and she blushed as she took Shulk's hand, gently sliding the ring over his finger.

Shulk turned his wrist and smiled as he looked at the ring, but he didn't get long to admire it before Melia dived closer and gave him a tight hug.

"I love you, Shulk. I love you so much." Melia said.

"I love you too, Melia, more than anything." Shulk said back and returned the hug.

The two locked eyes and Melia held their palms against each other's as they shared a soft, passionate kiss.

Melia broke the kiss and fixed her position, laying curled up on her side and resting her head on Shulk's chest.

"You don't mind if I lay here, do you Shulk? It doesn't hurt you or anything?" Melia asked.

Shulk looked down at her with a smile and stroked her hair, "You don't have to ask, Angel. You're not hurting me, and you can lay there for as long as you want."

Melia reached up and gave Shulk another kiss before laying back down on his chest, listening to the soothing sounds of his heartbeat as she drifted to sleep.

Shulk began to frown as he cradled Melia in his arms, "My poor Angel. You haven't been getting any good sleep because of me, have you?"

Shulk stayed up for as long as he could to keep Melia soothed while she slept. Just before his eyes closed, the door to his room opened and he seen Fiora looking panicked as she hurried in.

"Melia, are you in-" Fiora suddenly froze, both from the sight of Shulk being awake and seeing Melia laying in his bed.

One of Melia's ears were already blocked from the way she was laying on his chest, but Shulk covered the other one with his hand and put a finger to his lips.

"Shh. Don't wake her, she just went to sleep." Shulk said quietly.

"Oh, sorry." Fiora whispered.

Fiora came over and sat in one of the chairs by his bedside, "I've been looking everywhere for her, I was running late and got worried when I found she wasn't home. I should've figured this would be the first place she'd go."

Shulk stroked Melia's hair while she slept through their talking, "Melia told me that you and the others have been keeping her company while you waited for me to recover. Thank you, Fiora, it means a lot to me."

"She's our friend, Shulk, we weren't going to just leave her like that and all alone." Fiora assured him.

Fiora noticed a glimmer coming from Shulk's hand as it moved through Melia's hair. She followed the glimmer and seen a ring, one that looked similar to Melia's.

"They're beautiful. The rings, I mean." Fiora commented.

Shulk held up his hand for her to see, "It's the only thing I've done right lately. I've been so busy over the past week making sure this operation would go smoothly, and I didn't realize I was making her feel ignored because of it. We even got into a fight before you guys came over…"

"Things like that can happen, Shulk. Relationships can't always be perfect, and even the closest couples can argue at times. If anything, it's more of a surprise how you two went this long without fighting." Fiora assured him.

Shulk only gave a short laugh before his smile left and he looked back down at Melia.

"Stop it, Shulk, I can tell when you're overthinking things." Fiora commented, "You know she still cares about you, maybe even more than you realize."

"What do you mean by that?" Shulk asked.

"Would you believe me if I told you this is actually the second time we've caught her sleeping in here?" Fiora replied.

"Second? When was the first?" Shulk asked curiously.

"Well, more specifically, Dunban caught her the first time. It was two days ago and he was going to be spending the day with Melia, only to find her in here, fast asleep and laying next to you like she is now. We've been giving her some time to come visit you, and I guess she was here for so long that she climbed into your bed and spent the night here." Fiora explained, but started to softly laugh right after, "Well, that and apparently you were talking in your sleep again. From what Melia told Dunban, you're actually the one who offered her to stay the night."

Shulk felt a warmth in his chest and gave a smile reflecting it as he looked back down at Melia.

Fiora's eyes softened, "Whatever you two were arguing over is none of my business, but it doesn't matter anymore, Shulk. You know she still loves you. She's been worried sick about you too, to the point where she hasn't been eating or sleeping well lately, so I'm not going to wake her up. She needs the rest, and there's no need for us to keep her occupied now that you're awake, so I'll leave her here with you."

Fiora stood up and went to leave, but she stopped at the door and looked over her shoulder, "Congratulations, by the way, both on the engagement and your operation. You'll live longer now because of it, and I wish you two the happiest in that added time."

"Thank you. You know, the operation is available for the rest of you too, if you're willing to take it." Shulk offered.

"After the scare we had with you doing it, we might need some time to warm up to that idea." Fiora softly chuckled.

"Well, take your time and think it over. The option's ready for you guys whenever you want." Shulk replied.

Shulk caught a glimpse of a frown on Fiora's face before she looked back ahead.

"Fiora… are you okay?" Shulk asked softly.

"I am now that I see you're awake." Fiora replied.

You know that isn't what I meant, Fiora…

Shulk didn't want to push her to talk about it and reluctantly nodded.

"Always worrying about others before yourself, it's nice to see that hasn't changed." Fiora softly laughed, "I'm fine, Shulk. You should be focusing on getting better, if not for your own, then for Melia's sake. Get some rest, I'll let the others know you're awake and we'll stay here for a few more days if it's all right with you."

"Of course you can. I don't think Melia would mind either, but we can sort all that out later." Shulk said.

Fiora gave a soft smile and left the room, and Shulk's attention turned back to his sleeping fiancée after she was gone.

"Shulk…" Melia mused in her sleep, reaching her hand up to his shoulder.

Shulk's smile started to come back and he held his hand over hers.

"Even when you're asleep, you always know when something's bothering me, don't you Angel? And just like how you can always tell, you always know how to make me feel better." Shulk said soothingly and placed their hands together over his heart, "I'm probably just overthinking things again like always. I know you won't let our engagement get between the two of you."

Shulk lifted Melia's hand and kissed her ring. She started to stir and mumbled softly in her sleep, but she didn't wake up as he placed her hand back down.

Shulk quietly laughed after Melia stopped moving in her sleep, "I guess we both need some rest, don't we?"

Shulk slowly laid on his back, trying to get comfortable without waking Melia up. He looked down at her one more time and started to blush as he nested her under his arm.

"Good night, Melia." Shulk mused as his eyes began to close.