Requited Feelings

"What… the…?"

When I opened my eyes, the sky wasn't pitch black anymore. Instead, it was painted with stars and a crescent moon.

I tried to move my arm but it was stuck. I looked over to see a pile of debris weighing me down.

Wait… wasn't I on a mountain? I remember fighting Ordos and Aurelia.

My mind was a mess right now. I was getting memories of an event I never even participated in and the memories I had while I was with Kage. It seems that after entering and gaining control of my body back with Kage, I've attained his memories. I almost didn't remember who I was but eventually, I matched the pieces up.

I made quite a mess, didn't I? Destroying everything in my path, attacking everyone indiscriminately, ripping apart monsters without even being there, I think I also got a glimpse of my true form from my doppelganger. So I can grow, huh?

Whatever, time to get out of here.

I tried to lift my legs but they wouldn't move. That's when I suddenly felt an overwhelming feeling of fatigue. Crap, I did fight with Kage moments ago, but how does that put a strain on my physical body?

"SEIYA!"

I heard a voice call out my name. I couldn't tell if it was a man's voice or a woman's because my hearing was clogged and my ears were ringing. My vision was blurry as well since I just woke up. I think my two consciousnesses are still adjusting to the body because, well there are two of me. I wonder who is taking over the body right now? Is it me or… m-me…

Anyway, all I know right now is that I am Seiya so I guess I've taken over. God, this is complicated.

"Seiya!"

I would hear a woman's voice as my hearing cleared up. I looked up to see Aurelia running towards me, followed by Ordos and Mia.

I wanted to run towards her but again I had no energy. Actually, why do I feel like I am being grabbed onto?

I looked around to see arms wrapping around me. I was almost freaked out for a second but those arms turned out to just be branches.

"Seiya!"

The fatigue on my body began to fade away but I still didn't have the energy to walk. So instead, I leaned forward and fell onto a pile of debris. Why is there debris everywhere?

"Damn Seiya, are you alright?" Ordos questioned as he lifted me off the ground.

"Yeah… I'm… alright."

"Whew, that's good. Now Aurelia can-"

Suddenly Mia slapped Ordos across the face and I looked at them confusingly.

"Don't say it for her, you dimwit."

"Jeez, don't need to slap me for it!"

They kept arguing and it was getting annoying until Aurelia interfered.

"Guys…"

They both looked at her for a second and then they gave her a smug look. They gave her a thumbs up and began walking away. Then Ordos stopped, ran to me, and whispered into my ear.

"Good luck, dude," he said with a grin. Then he took off.

Good luck? Good luck for what?

"Umm…"

I turned and faced Aurelia who was blushing brightly. Why is she so red?

That was when a picture flashed in my mind and my face immediately turned crimson.

Crap, that's right. She… she reciprocated my feelings. I almost forgot that because it was just so sudden. Luckily, Kage's memory of when he still had control of my body then lost it because of that came in handy.

Now that I think of it, weren't we just on a mountain?

"S-Seiya…"

Aurelia was looking at me with watery eyes and a feeling of guilt filled my stomach. I can't just act like I'm friendly with her after what I almost did to her.

"I'm sorry… for what I did to you. For… for what I almost did to you."

I almost killed her. If only I hadn't gone… whatever happened. I'm still not sure how I became like that. I looked through Kage's memories and the earliest memory from him was that he took my body with an uncontrollable amount of bloodlust after I passed out from the wyvern's assault.

"I-It's alright. I know you didn't mean it."

I slowly back up and looked away from Aurelia. What I did was unforgivable, and I know it. I can't accept her feelings. Even if I wanted to, I knew it was wrong because of what I did.

"I… I just can't…"

"Can't?"

"I just can't accept your feelings after what I did to you. I'm pretty sure that you should stay away from me as far away as possible. I'm sorry, but it is the truth."

Crap, I'm pretty sure I just set off a red flag. But… it's for the better.

I looked down at the ground knowing that my chances were a definite zero. But then Aurelia took my hands.

"Huh?"

"I know you feel guilty for what you did. But I know you didn't do it because of ill intent."

"And how are you so sure?"

"Because, if you did, you would've taken my life by now. But I'm still here, am I not?"

"That doesn't answer the question. I only stopped because you managed to stop me. That doesn't mean that I wasn't about to do it! I… I…"

"It doesn't matter."

Damn it, I don't even know what to say next. Even though I keep retorting, she is still looking at me as if what I did wasn't a problem. Why is she so stubborn? How could she still-?

As I was sinking into my thoughts, I was suddenly pulled forward and my lips connected with Aurelia's.

"Haa…"

I heard gasps coming from the pile of debris near us, but I was too busy to care because of what was happening right now.

Aurelia pulled back and her face reddened.

Doki-doki-doki~!

My heart was pounding and I could feel the heat all around me. I think I just felt something inside my body explode.

D… did that really just happen? She… she just… kissed me… Her lips, they were soft… and chaste. Wait a minute, don't tell me that was her first kiss?

"Was that… that your-"

"Yes… it was."

An even stronger feeling of guilt built up inside me. Crap… wouldn't it be bad if the princess of a nation had her first kiss taken? Shit, I don't know much about this crap.

But… I had to say that was the best kiss I've ever experienced. It was completely different from what I've experienced.

I didn't realize I was burning red and I couldn't even make a move because I was just too shocked.

"T…that was-"

"-my one and only best kiss I've ever had," said Aurelia as she gazed into my eyes and I immediately became flustered.

How could she still act as if nothing happened?

"B-but…!"

"What you did in the past doesn't matter anymore. I know you've gone through suffering."

"Y…you don't know the amount of pain I've gone through."

"Then let me figure it out. No matter how much you are suffering, I will bear it with you."

"A-are you confessing to me?"

"In a way, yes."

This is too much. And here I thought I was supposed to confess to her but instead she's doing the confessing.

Eventually, I just couldn't take it anymore. The feeling inside me that I've been suppressing released itself. I felt all the guilt inside me fade away and the next thing I knew, I was hugging Aurelia tightly. Then I began to tear up.

I never once expected that someone in this world would easily take all the guilt that I've built in the past away just like that. She stole my heart without a fight. Why… why is she so warm? I've felt nothing but emptiness. Then there is her.

Is this what my past self yearned for so much? Well if it is, then I've finally achieved it.

"I… I'm sorry… I'm sorry~" I kept on repeating as I wept into Aurelia's chest.

"It's ok," Aurelia said as she stroked my hair. Her fingers were warm and thin. It's almost as if she had the aura of a gentle kind mother.

***

After I finally stopped crying, Aurelia went to Mia because she was still injured from our earlier fight. Turns out that this happened an hour ago when she indirectly confessed to me. Or was it directly?

"Jeez, why you gotta keep on having her wait?"

I heard Ordos say as he walked from over the debris. Oh yeah, did I mention that this pile of debris that we are resting on is actually the mountain we were fighting on? Yeah, it's a long yet simple story. So it turns out that the impact of a Tyrannical Fist and a near interdimensional slash could send shock waves through an entire mountain. The mountain became unstable and well it eventually collapsed.

Anyway, back to Ordos.

"What do you mean?"

Ordos stared at me bluntly and then rolled his eyes.

"C'mon man, she's already confessed to you and she knows you confessed to her. So why the hell are you suddenly in denial?"

"It's just that-"

"It doesn't matter, dude. Look, all I know about you is that you are an edgy emo guy who's probably had a traumatic past or something like that and you are still thinking about it now?"

"Wha-"

"You've been reincarnated for a reason, and that is to start a new life. Look, if you keep thinking about your past, then it'll affect you currently and you probably won't be able to escape from it."

…

I didn't know Ordos could speak so wisely. Everything he says is true. If I keep letting my past affect me right now, then I'll just be held by the chains of the past.

All I need to do is forget it. However…

"There is no need for me to forget the past."

"Huh?"

"After all, I've already embraced it."

Ordos looked at me curiously and I got up. Then I turned away from Ordos and walked away.

Thank you Ordos, I know exactly what I have to do.

This time… this time I'll do it for real.

***

I approached Mia who was currently healing the bruises all over Aurelia. Mia turned her head and noticed me.

"Oh, hey Seiya."

"Mia."

Mia continued to heal the bruises on Aurelia until she was basically clean of any wounds. Now I think I should take the cue.

"Mia, can I speak with Aurelia, alone?"

"Hmm?" Mia looked at me confusingly, then her face changed and she nodded, "Sure, go ahead."

Mia then left and it was just me and Aurelia alone. Aurelia was looking at me with a bashful look. Huh, looks like her expression has changed.

I think I should say it, after all, there is absolutely nothing to lose now. I should say it properly this time.

"Aurelia."

"Y-yes?"

"I… I love you."

Aurelia's face became bright red and she shied away.

"Y…you can't just say that after I did, idiot."

Oh… my… god… She is so cute.

"But it's the truth. Aurelia, I'm truly happy that I met you."

"S-stop, you're making me blush."

"But I want to see you blush. I think it makes you even more attractive."

I gently placed my hand on her and shifted her towards me. Our eyes locked onto each other and I could feel Aurelia burning up. Her eyes tried to look away, but they eventually met with mine again.

"I... I love you too."

Aurelia's lips were getting closer to mine but I stopped her.

"Huh?"

"Aurelia..."

This time... I want to be the one to kiss her.

"I want to do it."

Aurelia stared at me and then nodded. I would slowly lean forward and then kiss her on the lips.

Only like a few seconds passed, but this moment almost felt as if it lasted an eternity. As I pulled away, my mind began to go haywire. Even though we kissed earlier, actually she kissed me, I didn't initiate it. Even though we did it earlier, it felt like my first kiss. I never felt anything like this. I just couldn't help but get flustered. I began to pull away but Aurelia clutched onto my hand.

"Aure-?"

Then she pulled me in and kissed me again, cutting me off. She was clenching onto my shoulders in order to prevent me from escaping her grasp. I couldn't help but accept what was already taking place and the next thing I knew, I was grabbing onto her waist with my left arm and my other arm around her back.

Eventually, we pulled away from each other to catch our breath. I felt myself heating up as I glanced at Aurelia's bright red face. I was too flustered to even speak. That was bold, even for me. The only thing I did was caress Aurelia's face and opened my mouth to say something. But when I was about to talk, I was interrupted by Ordos' voice.

"-like, he just needs to hurry and just accept her feelings god damn it. I've never seen someone so stubborn. Don't you agree?"

"Totally. My sweet cousin poured her heart out to say that and she just gets that? Has he ever acted like that with you?"

"No, he's mostly all stern and never smiles even once."

...

Do they not noticed us? Are they blind?

"He even got kissed and- oh... hey... Seiya..."

The two finally noticed us and their tone changed. I could hear them gulp as I glared at them.

"Hehe, I didn't notice you guys were... getting at it. Umm, so-"

"Get lost," I growled and Ordos walked away before turning around again and giving me a thumbs up.

Mia looked at Aurelia and gave her a thumbs up which made her cover her face with her fingers. Then she walked away, leaving us alone... again.

"So..." Aurelia uttered but was unable to say anything.

"Aurelia."

"Yes?"

"Will you be my girlfriend?"

"B-but of course. Why are you asking now?"

"Because I promise, I will protect you forever, even if it costs my life," I vowed as I looked up at the moon.

***

The next day.

I had taken back my weapons that Ordos was holding onto and walking through the ruins of what was left of the Mammoth forest.

I was heading over to the lake directly in the middle of the forest. The reason why... was because I was going to face Marth. Our first battle ended with me winning, but I don't think I should count it as my win. It was completely my loss because I underestimated him and it almost cost me a win. And I don't like that.

Eventually, after walking for what felt like an hour, I reached the lake. I spotted a figure standing on a small island in the middle of the lake. The figure turned towards me and then smiled.

"You've finally come, Seiya."

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