Poly Fics

“I'm seriously starting to regret this,” Kronii said between pants.

It had only been two weeks since Fauna begun their training, and since then, not a day had passed by where Kronii and Mumei didn’t finish their sessions exhausted.

“I didn't take you for a quitter, Kronii. You are supposed to be one of the most powerful creatures, and yet, you can't deal with a simple training.”

“Easy for you to say, commander. You stay there giving us orders while we do all the work,” Kronii accused. “I bet that if we were to spar, you would end up like this, too.”

Fauna crossed her arms. “Is that a challenge?”

“I don't know; are you up to it?” Kronii taunted.

Far from being offended by the blatant provocation, Fauna just laughed.

“Tell you what, tomorrow, when you are all rested and recovered, we will spar before starting your training. What do you say?”

“Sounds like a deal.”

Mumei observed their whole back and forth, thinking to herself how Kronii's boldness would bite her in the ass. No matter how much she loved the dragon, on this occasion, she didn't believe things would end well for her.

Fast-forward to the day after, Kronii, Mumei, and Fauna were once again at the gym, but things were different this time. For starters, Fauna has gotten rid of her commander clothes, choosing to wear something more appropriate for training.

“We should set a few rules before we start. We will only do hand-to-hand combat and the fight ends when someone yields. Does that sound right to you?”

Fauna proposed, and Kronii agreed.

Before their fight started, Mumei positioned herself in a far corner of the room so as not to bother them. Once she was in place, Fauna told her to start a countdown. Not a second after finishing, Kronii charged toward her.

Kronii's fighting style could be described as brute; her main focus was on aggressively attacking her opponents until her punches and kicks began to land. With her strength, she could cause significant damage with just a few hits, which she heavily relied on. Consequently, she neglected to pay attention to other qualities, such as her speed and resistance.

Based on what she had observed in their training sessions, Fauna noticed Kronii would dry her energy rather fast, and even if she wasn't slow, her movements would become sloppy as her energy depleted. 

Knowing how the dragon fought and being conscious of her capabilities. Fauna knew she would never be able to match her strength. So, she instead had to take advantage of Kronii's weaknesses, choosing to dodge her attacks –which she was able to do with ease– waiting for the moment she would start lacking to make her counterattack.

Fauna's slipperiness only made Kronii get mad by the second. It was so frustrating how the commander constantly blocked and dodged her attacks, and nothing seemed to work no matter how much she tried.

She was so frustrated she could have even shifted right there, needing to hold back her emotions before she did. It was at that moment of distraction that Fauna took the chance to attack, throwing her on the ground and positioning herself on top of her.

Kronii struggled under her, but her attempts to free herself were fruitless. She had already wasted too much energy and lost most of her strength.

She was out of breath, her muscles were burning, and she was completely drenched with sweat, having taken herself to an extreme.

Fauna, on the other hand, didn't look like she had been fighting since she had barely broken a sweat.

Kronii found that to be equal parts admirable and annoying.

“Are you ready to yield?” Fauna said in a serious tone, never breaking eye contact with her.

Fearing that her voice wouldn't come out, Kronii growled and nodded. With her victory secured, Fauna got up and offered her hand to Kronii so she could sit up.

“You are strong, Kronii, but if you want to be an apt fighter, you need to rely on other abilities as well as learn to control your emotions so they don't get the best of you. Use your rage wisely, or you will exhaust yourself too fast, allowing your opponent to get the upper hand.”

With that piece of advice, she walked away as Mumei approached them, handing Kronii a bottle of water.

“That was… Something.” Kronii glared at her as she gulped the water.

“Don't look at me like that. Did you truly expect the result of your spar to be anything but this? She isn't a commander for anything, you know.”

“I might have overestimated myself and consequently underestimated her.” As much as Kronii hated to admit it, she could recognize she hadn't been the wisest by pushing Fauna to spar.

“Well, we learn from our mistakes.” Mumei glanced at Fauna, who was occupied reading something on a clipboard.

“Tell me, did being under her feel as good as it looked?” 

Kronii choked on her water, falling into a coughing fit. After she calmed down, she looked at Mumei as if she were insane, but she paid her no mind.

“You are blushing, so I take that as a yes.”

After their spar, Kronii had gained a new resolve. She had to become even stronger so one day she could beat Fauna.

Mumei hadn't fought, but she had also gained something, which was being able to tease Kronii when it came to the commander. She had been a victim of Kronii's teasing for a while, but now it was finally her time for payback.

But sadly for her, it would only take another week for Kronii to get the upper hand again.

In the first stages of their training, Fauna's primary focus had been combat, and since Mumei and Kronii were showing improvement, she decided to teach them new things.

“I brought you to the firing range because I believe you would benefit by learning how to use a firearm. You might never need to use one, but it's a useful skill to have nonetheless.”

The commander gave them a demonstration of how to shoot so both could learn the basics before practicing.

Kronii seemed to have a natural talent for shooting; most of the shots hit the target, showing an incredible accuracy for someone who had never fired a gun. 

Mumei, on the other hand, seemed to have more trouble; her shots were not consistent, and of ten bullets she would fire, only two would connect with the target.

After the 5th round of firing, Fauna decided to give Mumei some extra pointers since she was visibly frustrated by her performance.

“Don't stress yourself; your aim is not bad, but if you want to hit more shots, you need to change your posture. Let's try this: aim your gun, but don't fire.”

Mumei did as instructed, aiming at the target in front of her, but she lost her concentration upon feeling Fauna putting her hand on her shoulder. 

“Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you. I just wanted to correct your posture.”

“It's fine, you just took me by surprise, but please go on.”

Going over the surprise, Mumei got in position once again, and this time, she didn't move when she felt Fauna touching her.

“Your shoulder needs to be lower,” she put pressure on her shoulder, making Mumei lower it to the perfect position. “That way, your line of sight will be more accurate, and also…” She put her free hand on her stomach before applying pressure there too. “You don't need to be so hunched.” 

Having given her the necessary instructions, Fauna took a step back, but even if she wasn't touching her anymore, Mumei could feel her lingering touch.

Even if Fauna had moved back, Mumei had to take a few moments to recover for what had just happened. She was glad the commander couldn't see her face, or she would see how red she had gotten.

The same couldn't be said about Kronii who hasn't missed any details of the interactions and as Mumei's gaze found her, the smirk she was spotting in her face let her know she was fucked.

Fauna, of course, was unaware of what was happening between them. She just continued the training, feeling proud of how the next time Mumei shot, she only missed once.

After that incident on the firing rage, the lovers tried to find new things to tease the other regarding Fauna.

An action that made them blush, a touch that led to a nervous chuckle, a lingering look when the commander explained something. 

They saw it as a game, taking advantage of what both perceived as silly crushes to get a rise out of the other. But what started as a game would eventually take a turn neither had anticipated, making them reevaluate their feelings for the commander.

xxxx~~~~~xxxx

“What are you thinking of?” Irys asked, noticing how Fauna seemed to be lost in her thoughts.

“Mumei and Kronii. I'm proud of their achievements, not only with their training, but also with their interactions with others around the base and their initiative for taking errands to help. But lately, I have noticed Kronii has been acting off.”

“What do you mean?”

“She seems distracted; she is not slacking off, but she looks… Nostalgic.”

“Perhaps she is missing her life of wandering, or it could also be she misses being able to shift.”

Fauna narrowed her eyes. “Why do you believe that?”

“Well, I can't say I met many dragons before, but from what I know about them, they are one of the few species, who, for obvious reasons. Enjoy being in their natural form rather than as bipeds. She has been here for more than a month, and we know they spend weeks in that lab, so a long time has passed since she last shifted.”

When Irys put it that way, Fauna could see how that would affect Kronii, and if that was indeed what was making her feel gloomy, then she would do everything in her power to find a solution.

If she truly wanted, Fauna knew Kronii could shift in the base since it was big enough for her to do so. However, perhaps she was craving having more liberty, being able to fly to her heart's content in an open space. With that assumption in mind, Fauna crafted a plan.

“Hi, Kronii. Mumei isn't here?” Fauna inquired since Kronii seemed to be alone in their room.

“No, she is running some errands and will most likely be busy all day. Do you need anything?”

“Yes, but only from you. Do you mind coming with me somewhere?”

“I have nothing to do, so I guess I will tag along.”

When Fauna had said to accompany her, Kronii had assumed they would be going somewhere around the base, so she was surprised when the commander led her to one of their vehicles.

Kronii wasn't truly worried about where exactly Fauna wanted to take her since she trusted her, but this would be the first time she would be outside after so long, which was exciting but also nerve-wracking.

Leaving the perimeter of the base, they started moving along a road.

There wasn't much to see besides trees and fields. There were neither buildings nor constructions nearby, which Kronii guessed was to be expected since it wouldn't be wise to have any of that near a military base.

But even if there was a lack of sights, she was enjoying looking at the landscape.

They continued moving forward on the route a while longer before Fauna took a turn to a path at the side of the road that led to a flower field.

Stopping the car, both exited it. With Fauna on the lead, they started walking amongst the flowers.

“Why did you bring me here?” Kronii stopped while Fauna continued walking, taking a few more steps before she stopped too.

“You have been acting strange lately, and it has come to my attention that it might be because you haven't been able to shift.”

Kronii moved uncomfortably in her place. “That is my problem to deal with.”

“I know it is, but I don't like seeing you feeling down. That is why I thought I might be able to help you.”

“How so?”

“I know that if you truly wanted, you could have shifted at the base. The reasons as to why you haven't is not something I'm going to pry about, but I was thinking that perhaps, if you were in an open space far from everyone, you would feel comfortable to shift.”

Now it started to make sense why Fauna had brought her there. “So the reason for you to bring me here is for me to shift.”

Fauna nodded. “You don't have to do it if you don't want to, and I apologize if I overstepped by bringing you here, but just know that if you need it, you are free to do so.”

“Take a few minutes to think about it, and if the answer is yes, I will leave and come back for you later.”

Fauna was going to return to the car while she allowed Kronii to think, but she didn't let her get far.

“Why would you need to leave?’

“I just don't want to intrude. This is supposed to be a moment for you, and if I'm here, you might not feel as comfortable.”

As noble as Kronii found the gesture, the prospect of shifting in front of Fauna didn't make her feel uneasy, far from it.

“You wouldn't intrude; you went through the trouble to get me out of the base to do this, and I wouldn't feel okay if I made you leave. If you are willing to wait, I would like you to stay here.”

“I won't leave then.”

Although she had meant it when she said this moment was supposed to be for Kronii, Fauna couldn't deny she was curious to see what she looked like. She had an idea of what her appearance would be like, but there was a difference between what she could imagine and what she would see.

Kronii’s transformation wasn't rushed. Despite her craving to shift for so long, the taste of freedom that had been robbed was too sweet not to enjoy to the fullest, and only when she felt satisfied did she allow her inner self to take over.

Fauna hadn't been prepared for how big Kronii would be, so she had to take a step back so the dragon wouldn't accidentally knock her over. If she had to give an approximation, the commander would say that from head to tail, she was as large as three of their military trucks. However, despite her considerable size, Kronii was not an old dragon, as Fauna knew they could grow twice as big.

Her color scheme followed that of her tail. Her body was covered in white scales except for her belly, which was grayish.

While Fauna studied her, she failed to notice the dragon looking at her, but once her gaze drifted to her head, she met a pair of blue eyes staring back at her.

“You know? This is the first time I have seen a dragon up close.”

Kronii huffed, making smoke come out of her nostrils, before leaning her head toward Fauna till her snoot was right in front of her face.

“Can I touch you?” She huffed again. The warm smoke tickled Fauna’s face, making her laugh.

“I take that as a yes, but if I'm wrong, just brush my hand off.” 

She tentatively put her hand atop her, waiting for any kind of rejection. When it never came, she felt confident to start moving it, lightly scratching her snoot.

Her touch was well received by Kronii, who let out a happy chirp, but as much as both were enjoying the moment, they hadn't come here for that, so Fauna pulled her hand back.

“Take as much time as you need, I will still be here when you come back.”

Hours later, when the sun had begun to set, Kronii descended from the sky to find Fauna, waiting for her just like she had promised.

After such an experience, Fauna assured Kronii that she would take her to the flower field as many times as she wanted, but Kronii rejected the offer. Even though Fauna was willing, she felt as if she would inconvenience her by having her take her there. Besides, she now felt more confident to shift around the base, which meant she could fly to the field if she felt like it.

Fauna was happy to hear that, and since Kronii now felt more comfortable, she decided to offer her to become an emissary, which would require her to leave the base and fly to different destinations. 

The idea pleased Kronii, who was eager to take on her first assignment. Eventually, an opportunity presented itself, and as such, Kronii had to abandon the base for a few days. While she was excited about that, someone was struggling with her departure.

xxxx~~~~~xxxx

Mumei was ecstatic when Kronii told her what Fauna had done and the offer she had made her, as she more than anyone knew how the dragon had been feeling lately. She had no doubt this new change would greatly improve her mood, but she hadn't considered how she would feel once Kronii would be away.

She missed her terribly. Since they met, they had never been apart for more than a few hours, so this whole new experience proved to be more difficult than she had expected.

What made it worse was that Fauna was also out of the base. If she had the commander's company, she knew she would appease some of her loneliness, but without her there either, Mumei felt lonelier than ever.

The only one she could truly talk to was Irys, but it was not the same as with the other two. As such, the only thing that was capable of giving Mumei some solace was to spend most of her time at the pool.

She would practically spend the entire day there, leaving only to eat and sleep, but to her relief, that routine would change with the surprising arrival of Fauna.

“So you were indeed here.” Mumei was startled by the commander as she emerged from the pool.

“Fauna, when did you get back?” Mumei didn't hide her excitement at seeing her.

“I returned this morning. I spoke with Irys, and she told me you might be here. Are you leaving?”

“Yes, I'm feeling quite hungry, so I'm going to grab lunch.”

“That is perfect since I was planning to do the same. Would you like to eat with me?”

“Yes, I would love to. Let me go get changed so we can be on our way.”

They had only exchanged a few words and Mumei could already feel her mood improving, so she was looking forward to spending more time with the commander.

“Do you mind if we go out? I made sure to have a basket prepared for us.” Fauna asked as they walked through the base.

“Not at all. Are you going to take me to the flower field? I admit I felt a bit jealous that you took Kronii there. I wish I could have gone too.”

Fauna laughed. “If you want to go there, we can go later, but I have another destination in mind.”

When Fauna had brought Kronii to the flower field, she had done so for her to be able to shift freely. While taking Mumei there would be a nice experience too, she wanted to take the mermaid to a place which would cater to her.

“Irys told me you have been spending all your time in the pool because you have been feeling down. So, I thought it would be a good idea to bring you to a place where your swimming wouldn't be limited by walls.”

What better place to do that than at the beach?

“This is so thoughtful of you, Fauna. Thank you for bringing me here.”

“It is nothing, I hope this manages to cheer you up.”

Little did Fauna know that Mumei was already feeling good thanks to her presence, but being there would certainly help too.  

The beach had a small dock, which was the place they decided to settle down.

While they ate, they updated each other on what they had been doing these past days. While Mumei didn't have much to tell, she still managed to engage in the talk just fine, choosing to ask several questions that Fauna was more than willing to answer.

Even though it was evident both were enjoying the other's company, Fauna didn't fail to notice how Mumei's gaze would often drift to the ocean.

“Why don't you go for a swim?” Fauna said once they were done eating.

“Will you join me?”

*I think I will pass, but you go ahead. I will stay here at the dock.”

Mumei didn't let her disappointment show. She would have loved to swim with Fauna, but if she wasn't up to it, she wasn't going to force her.

“Do you by any chance have a change of clothes in the vehicle?”

Fauna shook her head. “There isn't one. With how fast this little outing happened, I overlooked the fact you would need one.”

“It's fine. Having to deal with wet underwear while going back won't be much of a problem.”

“Why don't you go in naked?” Fauna blurred, catching Mumei by surprise.

“W-what?” She stuttered.

“There is no one else here, so there is no need for you to be uncomfortable when you have that option, but if you still want to go in with your underwear, I won't stop you.” 

Mumei admired how Fauna was so nonchalant about the whole thing, while she felt her brain short-circuiting.

“Wouldn't it bother you if I did that?”

“Not at all, and you don't have to worry about me. I promise I won't look, so feel free to do what you want.”

Having said her piece, Fauna walked to the edge of the dock. She untied her boots and took them off so she could put her feet in the water before gazing at the horizon.

While Mumei didn't know what to make of their entire exchange, the truth was that she was used to going into the water naked, which wasn't a big deal since she was usually in her other form.

In the base, she always made sure to wear a swimsuit as she didn't bother to change, but since she was now going into the ocean, she felt more comfortable returning to her true form.

While getting rid of her clothes, Mumei's gaze remained trained on Fauna, who, as she had promised, never once bothered to turn to her. As much as that was respectable, a part of Mumei – the one that had a certain longing for the commander – wished she had done so.

“I might lose track of time, so once you feel much time has passed, don't hesitate to call me.”

“Don't worry, there is no rush to get back, so just enjoy yourself.”

With no restrictions, Mumei ventured deeper into the waters, disappearing under the surface.

Back on the dock, Fauna enjoyed the quietness of her surroundings. After having such busy days, it feels good to be able to disconnect for a while.

Hours later, Fauna had abandoned her sitting position in favor of laying down. Without her wanting to, she had started to drift off, but before she could fall asleep, she was startled by a loud splash.

Quickly sitting up, her eyes immediately settled on the water, trying to find what had caused that sound, only to see a shadow moving underwater.

If the water was clearer, she would have been able to see what it was, but all she could make out was some sort of silhouette swimming closer to her.

“Mumei?” Fauna loudly asked, making whatever it was underwater halt their movements.

By that reaction, the commander assumed it was indeed Mumei, but even if she had acknowledged her, the mermaid remained underwater for a few more instants before her head appeared on the surface.

She had expected to see a familiar face, but instead, she found Mumei looking quite different. For starters, her skin was a light brown and covered mostly in scales. Her ears had become fins, and her teeth were sharp and pointy. Her eyes had changed too, as Fauna was now staring into two black pools instead of her usual eyes.

Seeing her like that, Fauna had no doubt she was gazing at Mumei's true form.

“Welcome back. Have you finished swimming?” While Mumei's appearance was unexpected, Fauna chose not to make a big deal of it, speaking to her with total normality.

Mumei didn't answer, instead, she finished closing the distance between them until she could prop herself out of the water and sit by her side.

Now that her whole body was out of the water, Fauna could get a good view of more of her changes.

Her entire body had acquired a brownish tint, just as with her face. She also had some sort of stripe pattern on her arms and part of her torso, which was distinguished by a darker brown, almost black.

Her hands had developed claws as well as interdigital webbing, but they weren't the only ones that had that changed. Her feet were also the same, which was a novelty on its own since mermaids were supposed to have tails instead of legs.

The most interesting part was that she indeed had a tail, but hers was similar to the one Kronii had, as it sprung from her lower back. But unlike the dragon's, hers had a fin on its tip.

Mumei wiggled in her place, making Fauna's gaze return to her face.

“I'm sorry, I didn't mean to stare, that was disrespectful of me.” Fauna seemed ashamed of her slip-up, which wasn't what Mumei intended for her to feel, so she frowned before shaking her head.

“What is wrong? You seem suddenly upset. Is it because of what I did?”

She once more shook her head. 

“Did I offend you?” Another shake. “It would be easier for me to understand what you are trying to convey if you used your words, but I'm guessing you can't, am I right?”

This time, she nodded. “That is interesting; you should be able to talk, but it seems whatever the other part of you is, it makes you lose that ability.”

With each new thing she learned about her, Fauna scrambled all the parts of her brain, dissecting everything she knew about other species to see if she could think of one that would match the non-mermaid traits Mumei was showing. But as of now, nothing came to mind.

“Would you…” Fauna doubted, not knowing if what she was going to ask would come off as rude. Mumei just tilted her head, curious to know what she was going to say, and while the commander could have just dismissed the matter, she still chose to finish her sentence. “Would you let me get a closer look at you?”

Mumei took a few seconds to consider her request before nodding.

With her consent, Fauna carefully inspected the parts of her that caught her attention, always making sure Mumei was okay with what she was doing. She didn't show any signs of discomfort until she got to her tail.

She carefully ran her hand down the appendage without trouble, but when she reached her fin, Mumei tensed. Giving her a questioning look, she waited for her to give her any signs that she wanted her to stop, but when they never came, she went on.

Believing she wasn't being as gentle as she thought, Fauna tried to lighten her touch till she was barely caressing her with her fingertips. That only lasted for a few seconds before Mumei unexpectedly wiggled her tail free from her grasp, almost hitting her in the face.

“Okay, I think that is enough of that.” 

Feeling like she had bothered her enough, Fauna decided to leave Mumei alone so she could change and get dressed.

Returning to the car, Fauna only had to wait for a few minutes before Mumei showed up.

“Do you want to make a stop at the flower field, or would you rather we just return to the base?” The commander asked, remembering the comment Mumei had made before, but her question seemed to fall on deaf ears since the mermaid remained silent.

“Mumei.”

She jumped, “Sorry, what did you say?”

“I asked if you wanted to go to the flower field or return to the base. Are you okay?”

“Yeah, I'm okay, and we can do whatever you want. Either option is fine by me.”

As much as she tried to sound convincing, Fauna wasn't buying it. “Did what happened before bother you? Did I hurt you in any way?”

Mumei frantically denied, feeling her cheeks heat up, recalling their little incident from before. “Not at all. You were extremely careful with me, and you didn't hurt me. I just reacted that way on reflex, but that is all.”

“If it is not that, then what is it?”

She sighed. “The way you acted with me left me deep in thought. Even though it was the first time you saw me that way, you weren't scared or repulsed by my odd appearance.”

Fauna raised her eyebrows. “Why would I have felt that way?”

“Because that is the reaction I'm used to getting from anyone that sees me; either they are disgusted, terrified, or have a morbid fascination like those scientists who only saw me as an object to study at their will.”

“The only time someone looked at me differently was when I met Kronii. She saw beyond my hybrid-ness, showing me I could be more than just an oddity.” 

Mumei stared at Fauna with tears in her eyes. “And now, there is another person who sees me that way, which means the world to me.”

A traitorous tear rolled down Mumei's cheek, which was quickly whipped away by Fauna.

“Thank you for telling me this about you, I was surprised by your appearance and quite intrigued, as you could tell by my close inspection, but never for a second did I feel any kind of rejection towards you and I never will,” she smiled, cleaning a few more tears that had fallen before getting serious. “When it comes to oddities, I more than anyone know what it feels like to be looked at with fear.”

“When I told you guys my story, I omitted quite a few details. Amongst them was how when I was brought back to the base it was argued whether I should remain alive or be executed.”

Mumei gasped, horrified by the revelation.

“My inability to control my powers and my poor mental state made me harm others in a way I didn't want, causing many to die. The scientists who experimented on me were the first ones to perish, and although those deaths didn't weigh on me, the deaths of those who rescued me did.”

“It didn't take long for them to start fearing me, believing I was a lost cause, and as such, the only thing that could be done was to get rid of me.”

“While most were in agreement with that idea, Irys was the only one who fought to keep me alive, and it was thanks to her that I am where I am today.” 

Discovering this about Fauna made Mumei feel conflicted. While she was immensely thankful for the ones that saved her and gave her a home, knowing there was a time when they thought of getting rid of Fauna filled her with rage.

The commander showed her and Kronii nothing but kindness. She was always there for them, gave them choices, helped them train, and even made sure they were comfortable, bringing them to places where they could be themselves freely. So, knowing that someone so kind hadn't received the same treatment from the beginning didn't sit well with her.

“What are you thinking of?” Fauna asked, not missing the scowl now present on Mumei's face.

“I'm angry. You were so vulnerable back then, having been rescued from a hell just to enter another one. You needed support and contention, not people wanting to get rid of you.”

Fauna smiled sadly. “They feared what they couldn't understand; they only saw what I was causing and acted accordingly. I hold no resentment towards them, nor should you, but that experience made me more accepting of those who are different; that is why I can't bring myself to judge you for who you are.”

When Mumei thought there was nothing else that could surprise her about Fauna, she went and said those things, managing to sound so nonchalant while the mermaid felt as if her world was constantly rocked with her words and actions.

How was Mumei supposed to act now? What should she say? Thankfully for her, she didn't need to worry about that because, almost as if it had been timed, a shadow passed over them. This made them look up to see a dragon, which could only be Kronii, flying back to the base.

“Well, I guess I will take you to the flower field some other time.” 

The knowledge that she would be seeing Kronii soon should have left her feeling over the moon, but Mumei's mind was a mess, so she spent the whole ride back to the base lost in her thoughts. She had disconnected to the point she didn't realize they were back till Fauna spoke to her again.

“Kronii should be in the storage zone, reporting on her trip.”

Mumei nodded. “You are coming with me, right?”

“I'm afraid there is something I must do, so I will welcome her later. In the meantime, go see her. I know you are dying to.”

To be fair, Fauna didn't have anything to do, but she wanted Mumei to enjoy her reunion with Kronii alone.

“We will see you later then.”

Just as Fauna suggested, Kronii was indeed at the storage zone, and once she spotted her, Mumei ran up to her, jumping in her arms.

They embraced as if they hadn't seen each other in months, exchanging I love you and missed you between kisses.

“I'm so glad you are back. I can't wait to hear the stories of your trip,” Mumei said once they separated.

“I'm glad to be back too, and although there isn't much to tell, I will happily give you a recount. I'm surprised to see you alone. Has Fauna not come back yet?”

At the mention of the commander, Mumei was reminded of her inner dilemma.

“She came back earlier today, but she’s currently busy. She told me she would welcome you later.”

Kronii frowned. “Were you together before?”

“Yes, we were, and… There is something we should talk about.”

Mumei looked strangely serious, so Kronii couldn't wait to hear what she had to say, and since she had already been dismissed, they wasted no more time returning to their room.

Once there, Kronii remained close to the door, watching Mumei, who had started pacing from left to right. When she eventually stopped, Kronii could have never anticipated what she was going to utter next.

“I think I'm falling in love with Fauna.”