Disclaimer: Patapon doesn't belong to me in any way.

Ton, Chin, Kan, and Hatapon already went ahead after we finished up. Fighting the Archfiend of Adamance was no joke but we still came through, so I let them go ahead to let them rest. I stayed behind, a strange feeling overcoming me. I wandered around a bit, just looking at the savannah, not really aiming to do anything in particular, when suddenly I saw someone standing from a distance. Just from her back, I could immediately make out who it was. It was Naughtyfins.

For a moment, I just stared at her back, unconsciously taking in her beauty in such a quiet place. It took my breath away for a good while. Beauty? I… When did I start considering her beautiful, I wonder? My mind wandered to the time when she casually helped us, even though it could've potentially made her an enemy to her own allies. I still remembered how my heart skipped a beat when I saw how unusually serious she was and the concern that I heard from the way she spoke.

I smile despite myself. Her "charming" nature aside, she was really beautiful, almost alluring in a way. There was also this one other thing. Every time I saw her, I would feel conflicted. Numerous emotions start to swirl in me and I don't even know what to feel anymore.

I just gazed at her for a while before I noticed how self-depreciating she looked. It was a sad look and it didn't look quite right on her face. I started to walk towards her again but then… I hesitate. I knew she wasn't really bad, in fact, she even helped them out before, but there was this feeling of apprehension that I was feeling. It wasn't distrust, but rather fear and guilt, coupled with a strange sense of longing. I approached her without even a single doubt.

"Are you all right, Naughtyfins?" I ask softly from behind her. She flinches a bit before turning around to face me. She puts up a happy expression but the amount of pain her eyes held made me doubt the genuineness of her expression.

"My hero… I've come to say goodbye…" Naughtyfins said in a really unhappy voice while still keeping up a happy expression. I was startled a bit by what she called me. She always called me by name, but now… I felt I was missing something important. She approaches me sensuously. "It is not our destiny to be joined together." She joked but as I looked closer, I saw some droplets of tears glistening. Before I could answer, she started to walk past me.

"Please save the world." She turns around and gives me such a loving and longing expression that it took me aback. "Farewell… my brave hero…"

At that moment an unbearable pain coursed through my head and heart wrenched in pain. I clutched my head as my memories started to go back. "You are… the princess…" I whispered in realization. She fully turns around and I saw her ashamed expression.

"Ooh… What a surprise… you remember me?" She asks in a joking manner, but the way she constantly glanced at the ground showed how mortified she was. Because of what, however, was the question. Tears start to stream out from her eyes despite her smiling face. "You may remember me, but I am not fit to stay at your side… Not in this form…" She says disgracefully before turning away. My heart wrenched even further at seeing her pained expression. As she started walking away, I heard her sobs fill the quiet savannah.

In a fit of braveness, I went up to her slowly and grabbed her hand tenderly. She stopped walking and looked at me confusedly. I pulled her towards me saying, "You will always have a place beside me." I pulled up my mask, closed my eye, and kissed her. I felt her tense up before she hugged me back. Immediately after she did that, a glowing light surrounded us. When I opened my eye, the darkness hiding her face vanished and I saw the beautiful face that I longed to see once more.

She started crying once again, but this time I could tell it was from joy. "Yarida… you idiot." She said clutching my cape tightly and burying her face into my chest.

"Only yours princess…" I hug her tightly and inhale her sea-scented mask. "After all, every hero needs their princess too, right?"

Just a one-shot about Patapon 3. I've started playing again and I found it hard to even set it aside.

I've always loved the hero/naughtyfins shipping.

xxxYin-Yangxxx out.