Poly Fics

Armed soldiers emerged within a cloud of smoke, scanning their surroundings for any remaining threat.

When confirming the coast was clear, they lowered their weapons. Minutes later, a woman, flanked by two soldiers, appeared on the scene. Each step she took was firm as she moved through the dozen dead bodies scattered on the ground, completely unfazed by the massacre all around her.

“Sergeant, congratulations are in order. You and your team did a fantastic job,” the woman spoke, coming to a halt in front of the Sergeant.

“Commander Fauna,” he saluted, “thank you for your praise, but we wouldn't have been able to do this without your guidance.”

She shook her head, “You give me too much credit, Sergeant; you and your team did most of the work. Anyway, the mission is not over yet. I need all the soldiers to search this place. Please contact me if you find anything of interest.”

The man nodded, leaving Fauna alone so he could go gather his men and carry on her orders.

While the soldiers searched the place, Fauna allowed herself the time to assess the situation.

This was the third laboratory they had raided in just a month. While the thought that they had put a stop to what they were doing in those places was a relief, the fact they kept on encountering more and more laboratories was becoming a concern. 

Their enemies were growing in number, and no matter how many they seemed to take out, more appeared out of nowhere.

“Commander!” a scream resonated all over the area, making Fauna turn around to see a soldier approaching her.

“What is it?” she asked, with a slight hint of concern in her tone upon seeing the soldier approaching her in such a hurry.

“Ma'am, we have a situation. Please come with me,” the soldier managed to say between ragged breaths.

“Lead the way.”

The laboratory was bigger than she had anticipated, so it took them a few minutes to reach their destination.

The area they were at was rather hidden, showing the laboratory personnel didn't want anyone to wander into that place, and it soon became clear why.

They had ventured into a space that was used as a reclusion zone. The atmosphere was somber and humid, and if the empty cells they passed by as they moved forward were anything to go by, that place was designated to keep hostages.

They continued on their way until they encountered the sergeant, standing beside an open door.

“Commander, I apologize for bringing you here in such a hurry, but we don't know what else to do. She won't let us help.” 

The mention of a she caught Fauna's attention. Not only that, but the panicked way her sergeant looked at her let her know that whatever she was going to find inside that room wasn't going to be good.

“Show me,” she ordered.

The sergeant did as she said, leading her inside to encounter what could only be described as a horror scene.

There was another cell inside this room, but it was certainly different from the ones she had passed by. This one was more secure and open to the view of others, unlike the previous ones, which gave the inmates inside more privacy. 

It was also smaller, and while the differences in the cell were an important detail, the only thing that mattered was that it wasn't empty.

Lying on the floor were two women; one of them was unconscious, but the other one was awake. The one that was awake was holding the body of her companion close to hers, almost as if she were shielding her. Fauna only had to look at them once to understand why she would want to do that.

Their state was… There were no words to describe them; they showed signs of torture, their bodies were beaten and bruised, and they looked undernourished as If they hadn’t had a proper meal in days. 

To say Fauna felt pure rage coursing through her veins at seeing the women would be an understatement, not only because of what they probably had to suffer but also because the women were not humans.

The one awake had a tail and horns sprouting from her head.

The other one seemed to be human at first glance, but once you paid close attention to her, you could see gills on each side of her neck.

“Commander, we have tried to help her, but the moment we try to get close, she growls at us.” Fauna heard her sergeant speaking, but she didn't spare him a glance, as her eyes remained focused on the woman in front of her.

“It's alright, Sergeant, she is just scared, you did well on calling me.”

“Here is what I am going to do: I will get inside while you two go look for reinforcement. I need to get them medical attention as soon as possible,” Fauna instructed, briefly glancing at the men.

“As you wish, ma'am, we will be back soon.” The soldier and the sergeant abandoned the room, leaving her alone with the wounded women.

Alright, all Fauna needed to do now was to approach the woman without startling her, which she already knew wouldn't be possible as her gaze was fixated on her, so no movement she did would go unnoticed by her. That became evident once she approached the cell as she started growling at her.

“I don't want to hurt you, neither of you, but I need to get you out of here so you can receive the help you need,” Fauna said calmly, raising her hands to prove she meant no harm. But no matter what she told the woman, the moment she attempted to keep on walking forward, she heard her growling again.

The commander had been hopeful that she would be able to appease some of the woman's worry, but it seemed that no matter what she told her, she would not let her approach. So even if she didn't want to, she knew she only had one option.

Taking a deep breath, Fauna extended her hand. The gesture alone was confusing for the woman inside, whose eyes widened once she saw vines emerging from inside the commander's sleeve, extending over her fingers till they converged on her palm. It was at that point of connection where a bud flourished, a bud that bloomed into a flower moments after.

Fauna could tell the woman was trying to make sense of whatever she was doing, but she didn't get the chance to do so for long since her eyes started to close. As much as she seemed to want to fight what was happening, in the end, she just ended up falling asleep.

xxxx~~~~~xxxx

Kronii couldn't recall the last time she had such a good sleep. Was it days? Weeks? She had no way of telling.

All she knew was that she felt alive, and while that sentiment was missed, she couldn't rejoice in it for long once she became aware that she wasn't supposed to feel that way. Not when they were…

Kronii abruptly woke up, sitting up in alert to any imminent danger, but as quickly as she rose, she fell back, as her body protested against the sudden movement.

All her muscles ached, but the sensation was pleasing somehow. She had been with her guard up for so long that she had almost forgotten what it felt like when all the tension left your body.

Knowing she couldn’t move for a while, she took the chance to scan her surroundings. 

For starters, it was evident she wasn't inside her cell anymore. Instead, she was in some sort of hospital room, and while it certainly looked cozier than one, the machines by her side made it hard to confuse it with a normal room.

Realizing she was in an unknown place should have worried her, but for some reason, she felt rather calm, which was strange.

Her inspection was interrupted as the door suddenly opened and from the outside came in…

“Oh, you are awake.”

Kronii didn't say anything, instead, she just stared at the woman in front of her.

She was the one who had appeared outside her cell, saying that she just wanted to help. Of course, Kronii wouldn't be foolish enough to trust the woman, so she dismissed her words, but then she pulled that trick with the flower.

Speaking of flowers, Kronii could now see that there were some pots with flowers located in different parts of the room. Were they just a simple decoration? Or did they have something to do with the woman?

“How are you feeling?”

Hearing the woman talk again, Kronii pulled her gaze away from the flowers to continue staring at her.

An awkward silence passed between them as Kronii avoided speaking, so the woman had no other choice but to keep talking.

“I have been asking you so many questions, but I haven't introduced myself, so allow me to. I'm Fauna, the commander of this base. You are currently in the medical bay of our facility. May I ask for your name?”

So the woman was a commander, which meant she was probably on a military base.

Kronii didn't know how to feel about that. So far, she was treating her better than the last people she was in contact with. But even if Fauna didn't seem like a threat, she couldn't be sure of the nature of her intentions just yet, but what she could do was at least tell her her name.

“Kronii.”

Fauna nodded. “It's a pleasure, Kronii. I wish our meeting had been under better circumstances, but sometimes things happen.” If by 'things' she referred to being kept captive and tortured, then yes, things did happen.

“I'm sure you have questions, so feel free to ask me anything.” 

“What do you plan to do with me?”

“I have no plans. You were brought here to rest and recover. Our staff has been taking good care of you, and they will continue doing so till you are fully healed.”

Kronii couldn't detect any lies or hidden intentions in her words, but she still had her reservations about the commander.

“So you just want to help me and don't expect anything in return? That seems far-fetched to me.”

“I don't fault you if you don't believe me,” Fauna said, taking no offense to the woman's defensiveness, “but the help you are receiving is not conditional. I don't want anything from you. All I care about is that you heal; that is all.”

“Allow me to doubt that.”

“Fine by me.” It was clear that no matter what Fauna said, Kronii would find a way to argue with her, so she would allow her to think what she wanted to. 

“Is there anything else you wish to know?” Fauna asked.

There was so much Kronii wanted to know. She had questions about Fauna, about what she was supposed to be, what the thing with the flower was, and if any of the flowers in the room were “special”. Then she wanted to ask about her job as a Commander. She had those and many more questions, but what she wanted to know the most was…

“What happened to the woman that was with me?” Kronii asked with a certain fear, afraid that she would receive an answer she dreaded.

“She is receiving medical attention too, unfortunately, she was in a worse state than you, so she hasn't woken up yet.”

Relief washed over Kronii at knowing she was alive.

“I'm so glad to hear that. Can I ask you a favor?”

Fauna nodded.

“When she wakes up, can you take me to her? I just want to be by her side.” 

How could Fauna say no to a request like that? 

“Of course, and when the doctors deem it fit, I will make sure to transfer you to the same room so you can be together.”

“Thank you.”

“There is nothing to thank me for. She means a lot to you, doesn't she? The way you were protecting her when we found you was enough proof for that,” Fauna inquired, as she couldn't take the image of Kronii holding her out of her mind.

“She does.” 

Fauna smiled fondly at that, but her smile was quickly whipped away as her earpiece vibrated with an incoming transmission.

Bringing her hand up to her ear, she pressed a button to listen to whoever was contacting her. Once the one on the other side was done, Fauna acknowledged Kronii again. 

“It seems my presence is needed elsewhere, so I will have to cut this visit short.”

“It's everything alright?” Kronii asked.

“Yes, everything's all right, I just have to meet with someone, that is all,” Fauna said, not giving more details.

“I see. Well, I will see you another time, I guess.”

“That you will, I might come to visit you tomorrow, in the meantime, if there is anything you need, you can just press the red button by the side of your bed and someone will come to assist you,” Fauna explained, pointing at the aforementioned button.

“Also, if anything were to happen with your partner, I will make sure you are told right away. I’ll take my leave now. Rest well, Kronii.” 

Saying goodbye to the woman, Fauna walked to the door, but as she was going to step outside, she was stopped by Kronii.

“Mumei.”

Fauna turned around, not understanding what that meant.

“That is her name, Mumei.”

This time, she understood what Kronii had tried to tell her, but instead of saying anything, she just nodded before she abandoned the room.

xxxx~~~~~xxxx

“Sorry if I called you in such a rush, but I have news for you.”

Fauna shook her head. “Don't worry, Irys. You called me at an opportune time since I also came bearing some news.”

The commander then briefly told her how, moments prior, she had been visiting Kronii, who was surprisingly awake.

Irys excitedly smiled upon hearing that. “That is wonderful. How was she? Did you two talk?”

“We talked for a while, and she seemed okay.”

Irys furrowed her brows. “Isn't that good? You seem troubled.”

“It is good, but I guess I was expecting her to be more…” Fauna trailed off, not finding the right words to describe what she wanted to convey.

“Panicked?” 

“I guess so. After discovering everything they had gone through and knowing how we found them, I expected her to be less collected, but she was rather calm.”

Irys could now understand what had the commander feeling so disoriented.

“Perhaps she isn't acting scared because she has just woken up and could still be processing what happened, or maybe she is just not as affected as you would expect her to. Regardless, we should be glad she is acting the way she is, and if something changes later, we will make sure to give her the support she needs.”

Irys's words offered Fauna the reassurance she hadn't realized she needed, giving her some peace of mind.

“You are right. I shouldn't worry about this and instead, be glad that things are the way they are, but sometimes it gets hard.”

“I know Fauna, and even if you didn't experience what they did, that doesn't mean it doesn't impact you considering-” Irys stopped herself before she touched on a sensitive topic.

“Just know I'm here for you if you need to talk.”

“Thank you, Irys, I know I can always count on you. Anyway, what is your news?”

“Well, they are also about our patients. I just received the results of the latest test we ran on them. Let me read you the documents.” 

Since Kronii had been the one they had been talking about, Irys decided to start with her.

When she was first found, they could only notice the physical abuse she had suffered, but upon further inspection of the lab, they discovered notes detailing what exact type of torture she had undergone.

They had experimented with her, and those experiments were centered on injecting her with different substances and observing what effects they had on her.

Since Kronii was a dragon –a species the Fauna suspected she was based on her characteristics, and that then was later confirmed with the notes in the laboratory– a certain type of toxin had been used on her. This was done to slow her healing process and prevent her from shifting into her dragon form.

That way, she would be too weak to fight, allowing her captors to do with her what they wanted, and it was because of those toxins that she couldn't heal properly till her body was completely detoxed.

Once the medics of the unit had a detailed explanation of what components had been used on the things that were injected into her, they knew what needed to be done to eliminate all the toxins in her body. Based on the report Irys was reading, it seemed there were no more traces of suspicious substances in her blood.

“That means in a few days, she should be completely healed,” Fauna affirmed.

“Her waking up was the first sign that she is improving, so yes, that should be happening in the days to come.” 

“That is great, and what about?” Fauna signaled to Mumei's file.

Irys sighed. “Her case is still complicated. There is progress, but it continues being not what we hope for.”

The reason for Mumei's slow recovery could be attributed to not knowing what she was, as even though she exhibited traits of a mermaid, she wasn't one, or at least, not fully.

She seemed to be a hybrid, and while she was part mermaid, no one knew what the other part was, including her captors.

Because she was considered an anomaly of sorts, her captors developed an interest in her, leading to them being even crueler with their experiments on her than they were with Kronii.

If someone were to ask her, Fauna wouldn't be able to recall everything they had injected her with, all the tests they did, pages and more pages of detailed torture, it was…overwhelming.

And it was because of everything they did that the medics were now having trouble getting all out of her system.

“If the treatment continues this way, will she eventually get better, or will it stop working at a certain point?” Fauna asked.

“I'm inclined to believe her condition won't improve much besides this point. I don't even know if she will manage to wake up,” Irys wished she had a response with a better outcome, but the reality was not what they hoped for.

“So what now? She can't remain in that state forever.”

“I know Fauna, I refuse to let things stay the way they are. That is why I called you over. I think I found a way to help her.” 

“Let's hear it then,” Fauna urged her on.

“As you know, the blood tests we keep running on her show most of the stuff we have been administrating aren't working, and the ones that do only momentarily stop the effects of the toxins but don't erase them.”

“With the current situation, the only alternative I could think of was to find something strong enough to purge her blood, and that something is your blood.”

The commander couldn't believe what she was hearing, “Have you gone insane? My blood will kill her.”

“In theory, it would, but if I process your blood, I would be able to refine it in a way I can transform it into an antidote of sorts, so instead of having a fatal effect, your blood should eliminate all the noxious toxins in her blood,” Irys eagerly explained.

“Are you sure this is going to work? We have never tried something like this before.”

“It's an experimental method, and the only reason I have to believe it would work with her it's because of everything that is on her system. I know the results would be different If it were someone else.”

Irys sounded confident about her plan, and even though Fauna could tell the effectiveness of the treatment wasn't guaranteed, she wholeheartedly believed in the doctor's capabilities.

“Alright, if you think this is the only alternative we have, then, I trust you.”

Hours later, they found themselves in Mumei's room. While Irys got ready to apply the injection with Fauna's blood, the commander stayed a few steps behind, observing the whole process.

“Once I inject her, we should be able to tell if her body rejects the blood up to 15 minutes after, but if it doesn't, that means we are on the right track,” Irys affirmed, grabbing the syringe with Fauna's blood. “Are you ready for this?”

“I guess so.”

That statement was good enough for the doctor, who plucked the needle into Mumei's skin, and in just a few seconds, Fauna saw her blood disappearing into the woman's body.

“Okay, it's done, and now we wait,” Irys said as she threw the empty syringe into a safety container.

Neither attempted to strike up a conversation as time passed, as both were feeling equally nervous but were dealing with it in different ways. While Irys paced from left to right, glancing at her watch every three steps she took, Fauna had her gaze trained on Mumei, watching her chest rise and fall.

After what felt like an eternity, the 15-minute mark was broken, and fortunately for everyone in the room, Mumei didn't show any signs of rejecting Fauna's blood.

“Alright, it seems the hardest part has passed,” Irys sighed in relief “To corroborate the plan has worked, I will run a blood test in twelve hours. We should see an improvement by then.”

“Is she truly out of danger?”

Irys knew Fauna wasn't usually so doubtful, but it was clear she was feeling on edge, and she believed she would continue feeling that way till she saw Mumei awake.

“She is, she won't die from this Fauna, you have nothing to fear.”

The doctor couldn't tell whether her words offered her friend comfort since she didn't say anything, but her silence did let her know that she needed to give her some time alone.

“I still have work to do before I call it quits for the day, so I will go back to my laboratory. Call me if you need anything.”

Only when Irys walked out of the room did Fauna allow herself to let out a tired sight.

The next twelve hours were going to be long.

xxxx~~~~~xxxx

Fauna's slumber was interrupted by a sharp pain in her neck, which jolted her awake. Trying to alleviate the pain, she rubbed her neck a few times before rotating it until she felt a pop.

Once the pain started to subside, she realized she wasn't lying on her bed but had instead fallen asleep on a chair, which explained why she had woken up in such a way.

She was still in Mumei's room. She didn't know when exactly she had fallen asleep, but looking at her watch, she could tell it was almost three am. 

Knowing she still had a few hours left before her day started, Fauna decided to go back to her room to continue sleeping. However, when she got up from her chair, she heard what resembled a small gasp coming from somewhere in the room.

Wanting to know what had caused the sound, Fauna turned towards where the noise had come from, only to freeze immediately once her eyes met Mumei’s.

A few seconds of silence passed by as they just stared at each other before Fauna's brain started to function again.

“Hi, how are you feeling?”

There was much the commander could have said, but inquiring about her state seemed to be the most adequate thing to ask at the moment. However, Mumei didn't seem to think the same since she continued quietly staring at her.

“Have you been awake for a long time?” Again, there was no response.

With Kronii, it had been easier to identify what her silence meant as it was evident that the woman was just wary of her. With Mumei, it was harder to tell whether she wasn't saying anything because she was also wary or because of something else.

A dilemma presented itself in front of Fauna about what she should do next. Should she continue asking questions hoping she would get an answer? Or should she go look for Irys so she could come and examine her? 

As she considered her options, an idea crossed her mind: perhaps if she showed some sense of familiarity the woman would respond to her, and what better way to do that than addressing her by name.

“Mumei?”

Fauna attentively watched her, waiting for her to give her any kind of reaction, and to her delight, it happened as Mumei furrowed her brows.

“How do you know my name?”

Alright, so she understood her and could speak. That was a good sign.

“Kronii told me,” and before she could get the wrong impression, she quickly added, “She is fine; you both are. She is resting and recovering, and so are you.”

“Where are we, who are you?”

“What is the last thing you remember?” Even though Fauna's question wasn't ill-intended, it didn't escape her how Mumei winced once she heard her.

“Forget I asked that, you don't need to tell me anything, instead, let me tell you how you ended up here.”

Not wanting to overwhelm her, Fauna did her best to summarize everything that had happened to them from the moment they found them till then. Of course, she made sure to omit the harsher detail regarding their condition, as well as choosing to not say anything on what exactly had to be done for her to be awake.

The whole time Fauna talked, Mumei remained silent, taking in all the information that was given to her, and once the commander was done, she took a few moments to consider everything that was said before she spoke.

“We are safe,” It wasn't a question nor something she said to Fauna, but rather a statement for herself.

“Yes, Mumei, you are safe.”

Mumei smiled, “Thank you for your help commander, you saved us and for that, I will be forever grateful. I don't want to think about what would have happened if you hadn't found us when you did.”

Fauna didn't want to think about that either, “I appreciate your words but just as I told Kronii, there is nothing to thank me for. I did what I knew was right.”

“Still, you have my gratitude and Kronii's, too. Even though she appears a bit wary, I have no doubts she is thankful for everything you have done for us.”

Fauna chuckled, “It's alright. I know she is wary because she is scared something bad will happen, but I promise that you are safe here, and as long as it concerns me, I will make sure no more harm comes your way.”

Mumei didn't know the woman, and yet, she wholeheartedly believed she would do as she said.

“It feels nice to know we have your protection, can I ask you for a favor?”

“Of course, will you also ask me to take you to your partner?”

Mumei raised her eyebrows. “Did Kronii ask that?”

“I think her exact words were something along the lines of, 'When she wakes up, can you take me to her? I just want to be by her side. ’” Fauna didn't miss the slight blush that began to spread on Mumei's cheeks once she heard that.

“No I-” Mumei coughed, trying to compose herself. “She is probably sleeping by now and the last thing I want to do is to bother her. She hasn't had a proper sleep in a while, so she deserves to rest.”

“My request is more complex than hers, and I don't know if you could help me. Is there somewhere I could go for a swim?”

Fauna almost asked why she would want to do something like that, when she remembered Mumei was part mermaid, so it made sense she would want to be in the water.

“There might be a place, but I will need a few hours before I can take you there. is that okay with you?”

“Yes, I don't mind waiting.” 

xxxx~~~~~xxxx

“Alright, I'm done with your examination. Do you have any questions?” Irys asked once she finished checking the last boxes on Kronii’s report card.

“Just one, how long will I have to stay here?”

Irys had to hold back the need to roll her eyes at hearing the dragon's question. From the moment she stepped into the room, it became clear to her that her patient was less than thrilled by seeing her.

She hadn't said anything nor had she been rude to her, but her face conveyed how annoyed she was feeling.

By the talk she had with Fauna, Irys wasn't surprised by Kronii's demeanor. She knew the woman had her guard up and as such, she was going to mistrust everyone who talked to her. But as long as she allowed her to do her job, the doctor wouldn't mind the lack of friendliness.

“I'm afraid I can't say, it might be days or weeks, regardless, what matters the most is that you are recovering,” Irys hadn't been completely truthful as she had a pretty good idea of when she could be discharged, but she had her reasons to hide that information.

Whether Kronii liked that response or not was something she couldn't say, as moments after Irys had spoken, the door to her room opened, as Fauna stepped inside.

“Hi, did I come at a bad time?” 

“Not at all. We just finished the examination, and I'm happy to tell you she is recovering nicely,” Irys said.

“I'm glad to hear that, will she be able to walk? Or will we need to get a wheelchair?

Irys took a few moments to consider Kronii's condition before she answered, “I tried to make her walk and she was able to move around the room without trouble, but if she has to walk a long distance, I think it will be best for her to be on a wheelchair”

Fauna nodded, “I will bring a wheelchair and then we can…

“Hey, I'm here in the room, you know, and I'm perfectly capable of deciding what I can or can't do,” Kronii interrupted Fauna, as she was getting annoyed by the women talking about her as if she wasn't there.

“Sorry Kronii, my intention wasn't to offend you. I know you are capable of making your own decisions, but I wouldn't want to make you do something that would be harmful to you, that is why I considered the doctor's opinion.”

Kronii sneered but didn't say anything, as she couldn't argue with Fauna when she was thinking about her well-being.

Not wanting the dragon to be sulking anymore, Fauna was quick to clarify why she had inquired about her state. “I just wanted to know whether you will be able to move on your own since I need to take you somewhere.”

“Where?”

“Well, I remember you asking me for a favor yesterday.”

The mention of a favor made Kronii perk up as she could only think of one thing, “Is she…”

Fauna nodded, “She is, now, let me go get that wheelchair so you can go see her.”

Even though Kronii heard Fauna, it was as if her brain had completely zoned out once she found out Mumei was awake, and from then on, she stopped paying attention to the world around her. She was still able to move, such as when she sat in the wheelchair, but she wasn't able to account for what was happening. All she knew was that in one moment she was in her room and in the other, she was in front of a pool.

Her chair had stopped a few steps from the edge of the pool, and before she could get up, a hand came into view.

“Let me help you,” Fauna said as her hand continued to be extended for Kronii to take, and after staring at it for a few seconds, she finally grabbed it.

Once she was on foot, Kronii expected the commander to let go of her, but she continued grabbing her hand as they walked forward, only letting go of it when she was finally standing by the edge of the pool. Not even a second later, she was suddenly pulled into the water.

Her first instinct was to put up a fight, but once she felt two arms circling her midriff, all the fight left her, as she returned the embrace of whom she knew was her partner.

On the surface, Fauna almost had a heart attack when Kronii suddenly disappeared underwater. But as she took a glance at the water and saw the two women holding each other, she just smiled at the image before she moved away from the pool to give them some privacy.

Eventually, both emerged from the water.

“Take this,” Fauna said, handing each a towel so they could dry themselves.

“How are you two feeling? Are you experiencing any discomfort?.”

“I can't speak for Kronii, but I feel anew. Thank you for bringing me here, Commander. I truly needed it.” Mumei was sure her words couldn't truly convey how grateful she was, but she at least needed to thank the woman, even if she had already told her there was no need for that.

Fauna smiled, “I'm glad I could help, and please, call me Fauna.” 

“What about you, Kronii?”

“I'm alright,” Kronii was inclined to leave her response at that, but she decided to be more honest. “My body is starting to ache, but it's nothing that would pose a problem.”

“Alright, just remember you are still recovering, so don't push yourself more than it's necessary. Anyway, now that you are both out, it's time for you to return to your room.”

“Our room?” It was evident Mumei was confused by the use of the singular noun, so Fauna quickly clarified what she meant.

“I forgot to mention this, but when I talked with Kronii, I told her I would put you two in the same room once I had the okay from the doctors. While you were in the pool, I talked with Irys, and she told me you can be moved to the same room, so that is where we are going.”

Even if neither said anything, Fauna could tell both were excited by being able to be in the same space.

Since both were feeling relatively okay, Fauna had discussed with Irys if they could share a room outside the medical area. The doctor agreed to this, but only with the condition that they were put in a room close to it in case something happened, and they needed to receive some medical attention.

Fauna had no qualms following Irys's request, as she was able to find a room that, not only had enough space for Kronii and Mumei but was also located close to the medical area.

“I hope the room is to your liking,” Fauna said as Mumei and Kronii looked around their room.

“Doctor Irys will be here briefly to quickly check how you are but after that, you won't be bothered anymore, if there is anything you need you can just ask her, and she will make sure to give you what you want.”

Mumei frowned, “Are you leaving?”

“Yes, I'm a busy woman, so there are other matters I must attend to. Besides, I'm sure you want to spend some time alone, so I don't want to be a bother.”

Mumei wanted to tell her she would not be a bother, but she didn't get the chance to do so since the commander continued talking.

“I will come to see you tomorrow, there is a lot we need to discuss, but don't worry about that. For now, just focus on yourselves and your recoveries.”

With that premise, Fauna said her goodbyes before abandoning the room, and only when the women couldn't hear her steps anymore did they turn to acknowledge each other.

“So, what do you think of her?” Mumei asked.

“I'm not sure, I'm adamant about trusting her. She has only shown us kindness so far, but it could all be a tactic to manipulate us.”

Mumei shook her head, walking closer to Kronii to cradle her face in her hands, “I know it's hard to trust, but I believe her, she seems so honest so…good, and perhaps she is just deceiving us, but I want to give her the benefit of the doubt.”

Kronii pulled Mumei's hands away from her face so she could hold them instead, “If you feel that way then I will try to trust her too, but even if I struggle, I have to admit she would be a hell of a liar if she is playing with us.”

“A pretty one too,” Kronii narrowed her eyes, clearly not amused by Mumei's comment.

“Come on, you have to admit she is pretty.”

“I didn't say otherwise, but I hope you aren't placing your trust in her just because you think she is pretty,” Kronii was sounding awfully accusatory, so Mumei felt the need to defend herself.

“What do you take me for, my feelings are influenced by my reason and reason alone, whether I find her attractive or not, has nothing to do with that.”

Mumei had been completely truthful with her answer, but Kronii wasn't convinced.

“Okay, let's say I believe you.”

Mumei could have continued arguing, but she decided against it as it was best to drop the subject altogether, but it seemed like Kronii had other ideas.

“So, what do you like about her?”

Mumei sighed, “I should have kept my mouth shut and not said a thing.”