Chapter Text
Megumin ran as fast as she could, until eventually, Yunyun reached her line of sight. She charged towards her at full speed, nearly ramming directly into her but sliding to a stop at the last second.
"AH! M-Megumin! Wh-What's wrong?!" Yunyun asked worriedly.
"I... Oh, um... S-Sorry, I just wanted to know if you... y'know... wanted any help with your training...?" Megumin asked.
"Oh... I couldn't ask you to do that, I'd hate to bother you." Yunyun murmured softly.
"But I WANT to help you!" Megumin insisted. "I just... don't want you to surpass me so easily!"
"Oh... Right... If I learn from you, I guess I will have an easier time surpassing you!" Yunyun realized, Megumin disheartened by the fact that she took it to heart. It was the last reason Megumin wanted her to accept, but... she supposed she would take it. She simply nodded her head as the two headed off towards Yunyun's home.
They walked along the street quietly, Yunyun skipping along with her usual cheery smile. She waved towards a vegetable vendor. "Good morning!" She called out.
The response she received was a faceful of tomato as the thick red sauce splattered against her face. "FAILURE!" The vendor yelled out. Megumin looked at Yunyun with wide eyes, then turned to the vendor with a snarl on her face, a clear threat of violence upon his person that caused him to yelp and hide.
Yunyun was not perturbed in the slightest. She simply pulled a napkin and cleaned herself off. "Thank you very much, sir! Have a good day working!" She called out as she walked away, Megumin watching in stunned disbelief, jaw dropped from how... nonchalant she was after that. Of course her shock didn't stop her from grabbing four tomatoes from the vendor, throwing them all at him as hard as she could and then giving him an obscene hand gesture for good measure as she walked away.
She quickly caught up with Yunyun, who was still merrily skipping down the street, humming a tune with that ever persistent smile on her face. "Hey! What was that all about?!" Megumin asked. Yunyun turned around with that obliviously confused look on her face, and Megumin pointed back at the vendor. "Why are you so nice to some asshole that hurled a tomato in your face and called you a failure?"
"...What's to be mad about? He was just telling the truth." Yunyun replied.
Megumin winced internally, but shoved those feelings aside. "No! You should be mad about that! Like... You should NOT be smiling!"
Yunyun did not lose the smile. "But it's good to smile! If you let everything get to you and don't smile through the pain, all you'll get is sadness and misery! Why brood in a dark corner when you can keep your head up and look at the bright side?"
"What bright side?! There IS no bright side! You got hit with a tomato and called a failure in the middle of the street where everyone can see it!" Megumin argued.
Yunyun shrugged. "I'm used to it though. So it doesn't matter." That made Megumin pause and clamp her mouth shut as Yunyun continued. "I mean, it's been like that all my life. I get ridiculed and laughed at and hated and hit and pranked and hurt all the time, I'm not like everyone else, I'm just a wimp that gets embarrassed at the funny things all the other Demons do. My mother and father were really all I had, and I moved from them to become my own person! So if I don't have anyone to rely on, then I'll just rely on myself! And I don't even have to do that, because I have you. You've always played with me, and talked to me, and studied with me, everything. I'm not alone! I have you! And the bright side is always there, just blocked out by shadow. Like just now. Yeah, I was a bit embarrassed, but when I've mastered all the arts of the Crimson Demons, then they'll all eat their words!"
Megumin fell dead silent at that. Yunyun was bulled... Hurt... Ridiculed... Hated... Literally every ad thing possible. And she KNEW. She KNEW a large majority of that stuff... had been done by HER! She was arguably the BIGGEST source of all of Yunyun's suffering! She had been the one to torture and prank her, the one to bully and demean her the absolute most! The one to constantly hammer in how much of a useless failure she was! A wave of guilt washed over Megumin as her arms fell to the sides. Yunyun tilted her head at Megumin's silence, then waved her hand in front of her face. "Megumin? What's wrong?" She grabbed her shoulder and gently shook her. "What's going on? How come you're all quiet all of a sudden?"
No response.
"Megumin, please! You're scaring me!"
...scaring me!
....SSSSCCCCAAAAAARRRRRRIIIIIIINNNNNG MMMMMMMEEEEEEE....
Megumin shoved Yunyun off of her. "G-Get away!" She screamed out in panic, before seeing the confused and worried look on Yunyun's face. Feeling tears start to form, she did the one thing she could think of. She turned tail and ran the opposite direction at top speed, wanting nothing more than to be as far away from Yunyun as she possibly could. She HAD to be. She didn't DESERVE to be near her! How could she ever even humour the IDEA of marrying her when all she ever did was hurt her and make her life miserable?!
Yunyun meanwhile watched Megumin run off, face stuck in an expression of confusion and worry. Did she say something? Why did Megumin push her off? And why did she look so...horrified? Wait...did what she say make her feel bad for her? That was really sweet of her, but...she really shouldn't have. At all. It wasn't necessary. It's not like she'd be a failure forever, like she just said. Everyone would eat their words when she eventually proved herself. But still...poor Megumin. Her heart must've been really hurt by what she told her has been happening. She'd been so nice to her all day. She'd made her cookies yesterday, gave her kisses, fed her during breakfast, everything. She repaid her...by worrying her. That's...that was no good, was it?
She needed to fix this, but...how? What else beyond the big buffet she cooked could she do to make Megumin feel better?
Off to the side in the shadows, two teens around Megumin's age peeked at Yunyun behind the corner of a building, with faces contorted in anger. One boy snarled. "Damn failure... Can't even talk without scaring someone off, the stupid waste!"
"Right? And to Megumin of all people! Like... She's the best there is, probably the next chief!"
"MAN, Megumin's awesome..."
"Yeah... She's beautiful, she's powerful, she's PERFECT..."
"She's a blessing on this world... And the fact that this worthless trash has the audacity to SPEAK to her, let alone SCARE her... What an insult! An insult to her! To the whole clan!"
"We need to get rid of her... So our dear Megumin can be free of fear, safe from being tainted by her worthlessness!"
"Well, I saw a few slave traders on the outskirts of town, we could get them to get rid of her for good..."
And with that, the two hatched a plan, and once they were done whispering, one stepped out from behind the alleyway. "Excuse me!" He called out to Yunyun.
"Oh, hello there!" Ever naive, Yunyun returned the greeting enthusiastically.
"So what happened with that girl who just ran off?"
Yunyun sulked. "I don't know... I must have said something really bad..."
"Well, my friend and I might have a way to help you apologise, if you're interested!"
Yunyun perked up, immediately intrigued. The teen draped an arm over her shoulder and guided her behind the alley, softly whispering the 'plan' into her ear.
On the subject of slave traders, a certain blue-haired subpar goddess suddenly snapped awake, drowsy and hungover. She looked to her left, seeing a skeleton... holding a beer bottle...? Why was she here again...? "...DARKNESS!" She yelled before getting up and running off to follow the kidnapped adventurer she had just saved, leaving behind the charred remains of the slave trader camp... and its denizens.
Back at Megumin's place, Komekko was humming a soft tune as she washed the dishes. She set a plate down on the side and then moved to the next, before her older sister rushed in, breathless and clearly distressed. Now worried, Komekko rushed to her side. "Megumin! What's wrong?!"
"I...I... I'M wrong! I'm HORRIBLE! I don't deserve to TALK to her, and I wanna MARRY her?!" She collapsed against the wall and let out a choked sob. "I'm a terrible person, Komekko... I've been making her life miserable for years, and just because I'm... I'm... JEALOUS! Just because I couldn't handle the fact that she's so damn perfect! She's getting bullied by everyone else already, and I only made it WORSE! I don't deserve her! She needs better than me! She DESERVES better than me, Komekko!"
"...Why do you think I told you to go follow her?" Komekko asked. Megumin looked up at her with wide eyes, and Komekko shook her head and flicked her on the nose. "I told you to go with her to make it up to her and earn her fair and square. We know you don't deserve her yet, that's why you have to try and win the right to ask her. You can try and make it better. Make her feel better and then get her love and then marry her."
"I'll NEVER deserve her, Komekko!" Megumin insisted.
"MAKE yourself deserve her!" Komekko insisted. "Prove you're better than you used to be! Show her you're worthy, don't just cry and act all lame and sad!" She took her hand. "I'll help too! I'll be a... a wingman, I think that's the word, right?" Megumin hesitated. Should she really...? Did she really deserve to try...?
Before she could decide, Komekko spoke again. "I'll take that as a yes, let's go!" And with that, she dragged the protesting Megumin out the door to find Yunyun again.
Back with Yunyun, the two teens were trudging along a dirt path towards the now destroyed slave trader camp. "Okay, I know we're trying to get rid of her and all, but..." They turned around where Yunyun was staggering around with a huge wooden box. "...Why the box?"
"It's a distraction, we don't want her to suspect anything, do we?" The other teen replied. "It's just a bunch of gravel." He turned back to Yunyun. "Hey! How's it going back there?!"
"Oh, it's fine, I can manage!" Yunyun called back. "But... what's in the box?!"
"It's a surprise to help you apologise to Megumin!" The teen called back.
At that, Yunyun perked right up. "Well then I'd better not fall behind!" With renewed enthusiasm, she hefted the box up and carried it, even if still struggling with the weight. "How much further?!"
"Almost there! Just through those bushes!" One of the boys replied.
Yunyun quickly overtook them, somehow not bothered by the weight and with renewed vigor and a desire to help, and she rushed through the plants, arriving at... a desolate and charred clearing. A single man, severely injured and barely conscious, was crawling along. "Heeeeeelp meeeeeee..." He called out weakly... before some debris from a destroyed mountain nearby fell and landed on top of him, crushing him and leaving only his limp hand sticking out. And then the debris burst into flames for good measure.
Yunyun blinked, looking around at the place. "Uh... What... happened...?" The two teens stepped out, and their eyes widened at the sight.
Both boys scrambled forward. "The hell happened?! The slavers are supposed to be here!"
Yunyun stopped. "S-Slavers? Wh-What do you mean slavers...?" Both teens tensed up and realised they'd spilled the beans. The exchanged a glance... and before Yunyun could react, suddenly, she felt a fist collide with her jaw. She stumbled back, dropping the box in the process, causing it to shatter and spill white gravel all over the ground as she fell to the ground, clutching her face and tearing up.
"Damn it, I dunno what happened, we were gonna sell you off to these guys as a slave, but now we need to make sure you can't scream so the town doesn't hear us!" One of the boys exclaimed.
Meanwhile, with Megumin and Komekko, the two girls were walking through the streets, eyes darting around until they stopped in the middle of a crossing. "Where did she GOOOOOO?!" Komekko groaned.
"...I hope I didn't hurt her..." Megumin worriedly rubbed her arm.
"You didn't, I gurantee you didn't, keep your head on straight and think. Where would she go?" Megumin looked around uncertainly, then randomly pointed... left. Komekko followed her pointer finger and spotted footsteps about the size of Yunyun's shoes. "Oh hey, you're right, footprints!"
"Oh wow, I was just taking a wild guess!" Megumin chirped.
"I know." Komekko said flatly. Megumin chose to ignore her and followed the footsteps, which seemed to be leading into... the forest...
"...Why the hell's she going into the woods?!" Megumin asked.
"No time to worry about that, come on!" Komekko yanked her sister's hand again to get her to follow along. The two rushed through the forest, following the tracks. Then, Megumin held out an arm to stop Komekko.
"...There's other footprints too..." Komekko looked down, and, indeed, there were three sets of footprints. Someone was with Yunyun. The two sisters exchanged a worried glance, then sped up the pace as they followed the tracks into some bushes, and, hiding in the leaves, they peeked through... and saw a sight that made their blood run cold.
Currently, Yunyun was being tied to a burnt wooden pillar, her clothes on the ground nearby. Her skin was bruised, cut and severely injured, her forehead bleeding profusely, and she was limp. Completely limp. Utterly unmoving... And there were two boys with her, tying her down, as one shoved a rock between her jaws. "There... That should keep her quiet."
"So... What do we do now?" The other boy asked.
His partner shrugged. "I don't care. Maybe some other slavers will find her and take her away, maybe an animal will smell her and eat her, either way, she'll be gone. Just... cover the clothes in blood and tear them up a bit so it looks like she died in the forest, she'll be gone, and we'll get off-"
"YOU FUCKING PIECES OF SHIT!" Was all he heard before he turned around just in time for something to slam into his face with so much force that not only was his nose practically shattered into powder, but he was sent flying several feet back, landing on one of his arms with such force that it too was broken.
Megumin kept up however, yelling as she rushed and jumped up at the pleading boy, starting to relentlessly beat his face in with her fists. The other boy watched it happen, and fearfully he tried to run, but stopped when he saw Komekko staring at him coldly. Flapping was heard behind him, and he slowly turned around, spotting a large grey demonic mockery of a bird wearing a hood obscuring its face.
Back with Megumin, the mage was still keeping up the beat down, each hook throwing some blood left and right. Each punch cracked bone, and the teen's skin started to swell up from the bruises. And yet every bruise would soon turn darker until it burst into blood like it's predecessors, because Megumin didn't stop punching. She kept on. Punch after punch after punch after punch after punch after punch after punch. She finished things off with one final hammer fist to the nose, completely obliterating the nasal cavity. Breathing heavily, she glared down at the teen's mangled bloody face. Sighing, she stood up, and for added measure, spat on the beaten up boy. She didn't know if she killed him or not, and she didn't care. At all. The sound of a rock hitting the ground snapped her up, and a raspy voice started talking. "Mmm...What's... going... on...? Wh-Why does everything... hurt so much...? I can't move... Where... is... every...body...?"
Megumin rushed to her side and gently cupped Yunyun's face. "Hey... It's okay... I'm here, you're gonna be okay..." Yunyun looked up at her, one eye forcing itself open as the other remained shut, forehead still red from the blood.
She smiled and leaned her head against Megumin's. "You came back... I'm so glad... I thought I scared you away... I thought you hated me..." Megumin teared up as she frantically untied her, then let her fall into her waiting arms the moment she was free.
"Get her back home, fast!" Komekko encouraged. "Our house is at the edge of town, no one will see it!" Megumin didn't need to be told twice. She rushed off with Yunyun at full speed as Komekko gathered up Yunyun's clothes and followed after her. They rushed through the forest, Yunyun draped over Megumin's shoulder, before they reached their house and entered through the back. Megumin rushed up the stairs with Komekko to her room, and she set Yunyun down on the bed as her sister rushed in with the medical supplies. Megumin immediately took a healing potion, popping it open and pouring it into Yunyun's mouth, watching in relief as the wounds healed and the blood was reversed back into her body.
"I'll leave the supplies right here if you need them..." Komekko murmured softly. "I'm gonna see if there's any food she made that can make her feel better..."
"No, she... She needs to rest first..." Megumin replied softly. And with that, she removed her cape and gently draped it over Yunyun before sitting on the bed and gently resting the other girl's head on her lap, stroking her hair gently. "You're okay, Yunyun, I promise..." She whispered comfortingly. Komekko took the queue and left them in peace as Megumin comforted both Yunyun and herself.
Yes. Herself. She felt her blood freeze when she saw Yunyun back there. Battered, beaten, bloody, everything. Her pained voice when she talked to her. It made her heart clench up. Her words...she thought she hated her...that she scared her off, like she scared her with her spacing out and her outburst on the street...she had no idea why that would lead her to the forest of all places, though. Did those two guys kidnap her? Did she follow them? Yunyun WAS extremely naive....but...why would she willingly go to the forest following two clearly suspicious idiots?
...Oh...
The outburst on the street.
Yunyun likely felt hurt by what she did, felt like she hurt her in some way. So, she wanted to apologize, and the idiots took advantage of that to take her to the forest. It was terrifying how she was practically able to read Yunyun like a book. Her naivety led to...whatever those two did to her. They hurt her, sure, but...how? A dark thought came to Megumin's mind and she immediately shoved it away. No...no, not even they would go that far. Just...she was just beaten up. That's all. Probably...hopefully...
Megumin lifted Yunyun's head into her arms and hugged it to her chest, eyes wide with anxiety and wanting to keep her as close as possible. She couldn't let her get hurt anymore because of her. No. No way.
A single tear fell down her cheek. How had it taken her so long to start caring for Yunyun? To start... loving Yunyun...? And shortly after the came to the realisation, she almost lost her, and now her horrible actions towards her were just becoming more and more apparent. "I'm sorry... I'm sorry, I'm SO sorry..." She spoke softly to the unconscious Yunyun, hoping to calm herself down and hope Yunyun would forgive her... Oh, who was she kidding, of course she would! Yunyun couldn't hold a grudge against ANYONE! She would forgive her whether she deserved it or not, that was just who Yunyun was... A truly wonderful, kind and sweet girl who spent every day of her life feeling inadequate as she smugly rubbed it in her face...
Outside the room, Komekko listened in to her sister repeatedly apologising, then shook her head sadly and walked into her own bedroom. She put her cape away and climbed up into bed. She'd never seen her sister like this before... Megumin, sad and scared... It didn't seem like it could be possible, her big sister, who she always saw as confident, brave and arrogant, now utterly heartbroken and horrified for another person. It was jarring... Scary... Despite how she acted and talked, Komekko was still just a little girl... Seeing someone she looked up to and saw as fearless being so upset also disturbed her... Scared her, even...
Oh yeah... Leaving those bullies at the mercy of her demon bird was certainly the right call. They didn't deserve to live if they upset her big sister like this. She hoped Yunyun would get well soon to make Megumin happy... And maybe Yunyun could... stay with them? If she was just gonna get bullied like that every day, it would be better for her to stay somewhere where there were people that would protect her. So... yeah, here with her and her sister was the best place for her to be. Megumin was sure to agree as well, she wouldn't want to leave her on her own after that. Satisfied with her conclusion, Komekko decided to take a nap. She was tuckered out after the whole mess.
Megumin was feeling more or less the same way her little sister was. She wasn't going to leave Yunyun alone ever again. Laying down next to her, she hugged her close and tried to calm herself down. With a soft sigh, she planted a quick kiss on Yunyun's forehead. "I'm sorry..." She whispered into her ear. Yunyun subconsciously flipped over to hug her close, causing Megumin to blink and tear up, smiling softly as she nuzzled her face against Yunyun. Her breathing calmed, and she found herself growing drowsy before sleep took her...
Things in Yunyun's mind weren't quite as depressing as the cruel reality. In her dream, she was dressed as a princess, dramatically calling for help from a tower as a massive dragon loomed over the building, until the familiar face of Megumin suddenly swooped in on a flying demon, dramatically reassuring Yunyun of her salvation before leaping off the dragon and charging up an "EXPLOOOOOOOOOSION!" as Yunyun frantically pleaded with her to stop. End result? Tower and dragon were obliterated in a blast of brilliant heat, and Yunyun was left charred black in a smoking crater. Yunyun sat up and coughed up some smoke. This was unorthodox, the knight was meant to SAVE the princess, not blast her away alongside the monster... Megumin then crashed down next to her and gave her a toothy grin and a thumbs up. smoking, but proudly giving a thumbs up with a grin.
Yunyun sighed and shook her head... before suddenly yelping as she was scooped up by the flying demon, which took off into the air with her... and didn't take Megumin with her. As both girls yelled at the demon to go back for Megumin, Yunyun finally woke up with a soft hum, letting out a yawn and a groan. "Ugh... What... happened...?" She asked softly. Then she felt something in her arms, and looked down to see Megumin, embracing her tightly. She smiled softly, then nuzzled her head with her face... before her eyes snapped open.
Why was Megumin here?
Why was Megumin in her arms?
Why was Yunyun in Megumin's arms?
WHY WERE THEY IN THE SAME BED?!
Blushing beet red, Yunyun's eyes darted about frantically, looking at her current surroundings. This wasn't her room! It wasn't even her house! And this wasn't her bed, it wasn't nearly as comfy! As chief's daughter, she had the best house and arrangements in town, and this was far more rough... So if she wasn't in her house, and Megumin was in her arms... Why was she in Megumin's house?! What happened?! AND AGAIN, WHY WAS SHE IN BED WITH MEGUMIN?!
Slowly, she attempted to break out of the hold the smaller girl had on her, but Megumin simply groaned in her sleep and held her even tighter, nuzzling her face into her chest. Yunyun's face turned scarlet from the fluster, and she blinked rapidly, trying to cope with her current situation. She felt a pair of small legs wrap around her and blushed at the realisation that they were making skin to skin contact. As if to rub her predicament in even more, Megumin slid up and pressed her face against Yunyun's cheek... before moving back, yawning before nuzzling her face into the crook of her neck.
Yunyun's brain slowly but surely caught up with the whole situation, and her face turned red as a tomato. Why? Because Megumin. Just. KISSED. HER. She got a kiss on the cheek from Megumin, and it was AMAZING! She felt her heart leap in her chest, butterflies fluttered in her stomach, the spot where Megumin placed her lips still cold and wet, She instinctively pulled her in for a tighter hug and rubbed her back, and Megumin hummed and nuzzled deeper into Yunyun's chest. The failure demon was steaming, her body heating up from the sheer fluster.
And worse than that, her body was out of control, as her arms held Megumin tightly, a leg draping around her, all while she frantically tried to stop herself from liking this. She shouldn't like this! She... She was a guest in her home and it was rude, and she was Megumin's rival, and this would get in the way of that, but she DID really like it, but this wasn't the sort of thing that happened between rivals!
Or... was it...? She... had no idea... She'd always tried to be the best possible rival for Megumin, but the fact that it never got acknowledged was a clear sign to her that she didn't really see her as a worthy foe... So she always tried harder and harder, never stopping her studies, trying to surpass her previous skill... She studied everything, from demon summoning to elemental magic, transmutation, everything, staying up all night to memorize every page, every word, every letter in a spellbook.
But Megumin never cared. NOBODY ever cared. It didn't matter who she showed off her newly mastered magic to, all she got were annoyed, distasteful and rude comments, calling her a failure, a waste of magic... She didn't let it get to her, she tried to keep going forward, but nothing changed. And it's been like that for years... Not a look, not a word of support. What was she doing wrong...? What was she missing...? Was she not trying hard enough...? Was she always doomed from the very beginning...?
No... No! She couldn't think that way! She wasn't doomed! She could do it! She could be worthy! She WAS worth something! She knew she was! ...But why didn't anyone else think so...? ...WAS she really worthy...? She HAD to be. She was brave enough to challenge someone as great and wonderful as Megumin! So... why didn't anyone else see any worth in her? What was she doing wrong? Was she trying too hard? Was she not trying hard enough? Was she TOO good at spells and making everyone jealous, or was everyone just so much better at her that not even her one thousand six hundred and twenty seven different available spells could compensate?
As she was getting lost in her thoughts, Megumin shifted in her arms, and she snapped her gaze back to her. The smaller girl was unconsciously sliding up, arms coiling around her head and holding her close as her legs wrapped around her torso, her face nuzzling against her forehead, nose getting a whiff of her hair, the sent causing her to smile subconsciously and tighten her hold, Yunyun only growing redder by the second from the affection she was being shown.
Slowly, against her will, Yunyun's hands moved up. 'Wait... No... Hold on a second... Wait...' Her inner thoughts lost hard, and before she could even process it...
She was grabbing Megumin's butt.
'AH! NONONONONO GET OFF, STOP TOUCHING HER THERE, I CAN'T TOUCH HER LIKE THIS WHEN I'M INVADING HER HOME, THAT'D MAKE ME A DISGUSTING CRIMINAL, THEN I'D REALLY BE WORTHLESS!' Her Yunyun's hands did not heed her pleas, and her fingers reflexively SQUEEZED Megumin's backside, causing her to internally scream from the sheer embarrassment.
"How could this get any worse...?" She moaned. And then Megumin woke up.
Megumin snorted in a very unladylike manner before yawning as she blinked her eyes open. "Ugh... What...? I don't... have a teddy bear... Ugh... Huh?" She looked down and there was Yunyun, staring up at her like a deer in headlights. Yunyun blinked twice... then laughed awkwardly. "Uh... Hey. You uh... sleep okay?"
Megumin immediately shot up. "Holy SHIT, Yunyun, are you good?!" She began inspecting her friend's entire body. "You hurt?!" She squeezed her arms, her legs, her sides, her... chest...
"Eep! M-Megumin, stop!" Yunyun squeaked out. Megumin winced and backed off. Great... She'd hurt her...
Yunyun's jaw dropped in shock. Megumin... listened to her? She NEVER listened to ANYONE when they told her to back off! It was part of her headstrong charm, seeing her submissive felt... wrong. Yunyun sat up, the action causing her to groan softly. "I'm... I'm fine... I'm not... hurt... Um... What... happened...?"
Megumin stared at her. "You... don't remember? Two idiots took you away? Beat you up? Ring a bell?"
Yunyun's eyes widened as it all caught up with her, and she hugged herself with a shover. "They... They were gonna sell me..." She breathed out.
"THEY WERE WHAT?!" Megumin shrieked.
Yunyun cringed and tried to make herself as small as possible. "Ah... I... Sorry, I just... I didn't mean to scare you..." Megumin said apologetically. Yunyun nodded in response and let out a gulp before composing herself.
"...They told me they could help me apologise to you, after what happened on the street, so I followed them and they took me to a slave trader camp... But the camp was destroyed and everyone there was dead, so they hit me, and they started beating me up, and... and it hurt so bad, I... I can't remember what happened after, I just know that someone came to save me..."
Megumin hugged Yunyun tightly. "God I'm so sorry... I'm SO SORRY... So... SO sorry, really, I'm sorry, I really am sorry..." Megumin apologised profusely. Yunyun was confused, but she returned the embrace all the same, patting her on the back.
"It's... it's all right... I'm okay... You didn't do anything wrong... Really... I'm fine... I promise I am..." Yunyun did her best to reassure her. Megumin calmed herself... but she didn't break the embrace. ...It was nice...
"No, you are NOT fine! You were all... broken and bloody and... and it was HORRIBLE! And... And I made you that way!"
"N-No! No, you didn't!" Yunyun exclaimed. "It was just a couple of hooligans, not you!"
"No! It's because of me that you're all... BROKEN like this! Like... Always saying you're sorry when you didn't DO anything!"
Yunyun grabbed her by the shoulders and gave her a light shake. "PLEASE listen!" She insisted. "You were not the one who wanted to sell me away, you weren't the one to take advantage of me being stupid to trick me, you weren't the one to smack me around, they were! It was all them, Megumin! You have to stop blaming yourself or... or I'll be really sad, and you don't want that, do you?!"
Megumin couldn't help but smile slightly when she heard Megumin's cute little attempt at a threat. She couldn't get mad, and she knew it, so sad was the next best thing she could come up with. "It's actually kinda my fault too..." Yunyun admitted. "I shouldn't have just stood there all confused and stupid, I should have ran after you and said I was sorry, so... I brought this on myse-"
Megumin clapped a hand over Yunyun's mouth. "NO. Do NOT say that. No you are NOT, you did NOTHING wrong, and if you say you do, I'm the one that's gonna get sad! I might even cry!" She just couldn't fight the urge to one-up Yunyun, could she...? Yunyun's eyes seemed to widen in horror at the mere idea of Megumin crying because of her.
"W-Wait, no, I'm not ACTUALLY gonna cry!" Megumin quickly remedied it when she saw Yunyun's horror. She embraced her, and tried her best to figure out the proper words. "I just... don't wanna see you hurt like that again, Yunyun... Ever..."
Yunyun smiled softly and returned the embrace. "Okay... You won't... I'll be more careful now... A lot more careful. Don't worry..."
"But I have to worry! I have to worry a lot! Cause I have to fix this! How can I fix anything if I'm not worrying?!" She tightened the embrace. "Just... stay here a bit longer, all right?"
Yunyun blinked, then nodded. "Okay... I'll stay as long as you need me to to feel better!" Megumin responded by pushing lightly against her, bringing them both down to the bed, Megumin lying on top of Yunyun as she continued to hold her close. She let out a yawn, and Yunyun smiled as she gently stroked her hair. "Still tired...?" Yunyun asked. Megumin hummed softly with a nod, and Yunyun gently combed her fingers through the other girl's hair and began to softly hum a lullaby, the same one her mother used to sing when she was just a girl. And within mere minutes, Megumin was out like a light, softly snoring away, her fear and dread forgotten for the time being.
Yunyun eventually stopped her song and looked down at the smaller mage with a soft smile before planting a quick kiss on the top of her head. "Sleep tight..." She murmured before laying her head back down. She stared at the ceiling for a moment before she heard the door creak open. She blinked and looked to see it was little Komekko. She stepped into the room, holding a little demon plushie in her arms. Yunyun smiled warmly. "What's wrong, Komekko? Are you okay?"
Komekko gave her a wide-eyed stare, then rushed to the side of the bed. "Yunyun! Are you okay?! Do you feel better?!"
Yunyun smiled and nodded. "Yes, of course! You and Megumin were a huge help!"
Komekko climbed up onto the bed and gave Yunyun a hug. "I... I was scared... I thought you were gonna die..."
Yunyun gently patted the little girl's head. "Aww, don't worry, I'm tough! I won't die to something so dumb and pathetic..." She cringed at her words. "Okay, that sounded better in my head..."
"Don't practice, rest!" Komekko insisted.
"Um... Shouldn't you be sleeping too?" Yunyun asked.
Komekko fidgeted nervously. "I... I couldn't sleep... Megumin was so scared and sad, and..."
"Aww, why don't you come and sleep with us?" Yunyun offered with a gentle smile. "Your big sister feels much better now!" Komekko smiled, nodded her head rapidly, then climbed in to join them. Yunyun wrapped an arm around the young girl and pulled her in close as she nuzzled up into her side, smiling as she felt Yunyun kiss the top of her head.
Komekko yawned softly. "I want you to marry Megumin... I wanna sleep this comfy every night forever..."
Yunyun smiled at the cute sentiment and gently stroked her hair. "Marrying Megumin... It doesn't sound so bad... But... She'd have to want to marry me too, and... no way does she want that... She deserves better, and she knows it..."
Komekko let out a soft, grumpy huff. "You two are denser than a rock..." She muttered.
Yunyun blinked. "Did you say something...?" The only response she got was snoring. She blinked, then shrugged. "I'm sure it wasn't that important." She laid back down.
But she found she couldn't sleep, as Komekko's words lingered in her mind. She looked over at the sleeping, comfortable and much calmer Megumin, head on her chest, gently exhaling and inhaling through her nose as she rested. It was... cute. Megumin as a whole was cute. She didn't want to directly acknowledge it and let it interfere with the rivalry she was trying to establish, but... her hyperactive personality, her smug prid, her small heigh and big attitude, everything about her brought her warm, fuzzy feelings in her chest.
It started way back when they were younger. When school was just starting for them. She remembered how she, a little and nervous scared girl, trembling like a leaf, walked into the schoolyard of the red prison. She remembered getting pushed to the ground and trampled over by hundreds of students running in behind her the very second she stepped past the metal gate. And then, she appeared. A beautiful, adorable little angel with brown hair, a red outfit and eyepatch, speaking a set of words that touched Yunyun directly in the heart.
"Damn. You look like shit."
From that day, Yunyun couldn't stop following Megumin around. Wherever she was, Yunyun was hiding close by, watching from a stealthy position and observing Megumin be...Megumin. And the longer she watched, the more mesmerized she was by her. She was ADORABLE! The sweetest, cutest, most precious little thing she'd ever seen! And she was in class with her! And it wasn't just how pretty she was. Megumin was also amazing at spells, and her explosion was the coolest thing Yunyun had ever seen cast by a mage in her lifetime!
Even if it WAS cast directly in her face and she was blasted across the country as a result... It was a long walk home after that, but still! It was beautiful! The shiny, bright rainbow of colours gathering around Megumin, the countless shimmering circles surrounding her, Megumin's cool and mesmerizing chant... Aaaand then boom. Right in her face.
And all the other spells Megumin cast were beautiful too! Like... Uh... Like... Ah, um... Well, she didn't remember, but they had to be as beautiful and mesmerizing as Explosion was. And it was for that reason that Megumin was so popular. All of their classmates wanted to stand by her side, all of their teachers regarded her with warmth and smile, she always got extra food in the cafeteria, she always got money... She... always won their games... Yunyun had never one even one... Why did Megumin want to be around a failure like her...?
...Why had Megumin never actually challenged her as part of their rivalry...? ...Being around a worthless weakling like her HAD to be annoying, she even looked irritated when she was around her, so... why not challenge her to a fight and destroy her simply to prove she wasn't fit to be her rival? Wasn't that what rivals did? So... why? It didn't make sense... Why did Megumin never try to push her away and make her quit bothering her?
Was she just unworthy of wasting magic on...? Well, she COULD just beat her up, she was quite spry, after all... No, no, that wouldn't make sense, Megumin wasn't one to let her fists do the talking. If she wanted to prove herself better, she would use her magic. She'd say beating someone up was 'pathetic' and 'unbecoming of a powerful mage like her' or something else to that effect. Besides, she was a wonderful person. Yunyun had a hard time imagining her beating anyone up, for any reason.
Back in the forest, the two teens were being pecked at by crows, as bloody, beaten and quite possibly dead as the two sisters had left them.
Yunyun nodded. Beating someone up was beneath Megumin. She wouldn't hurt her in that way. And... besides... she was clearly sad about what happened... She'd had to tell her it wasn't her fault and she shouldn't be crying...
And that was another thing.
Megumin cried.
Yunyun NEVER thought she'd see the day. Megumin. The beautiful, strong, flawless, irresistible and adorable better-than-Yunyun Megumin. CRIED. MEGUMIN SHED ACTUAL TEARS.
It didn't look good. At all. It looked horrible. Tears didn't belong on Megumin. Ever. She was strong, smart, and independent. Everything Yunyun always wanted to be. To see her cry...it looked wrong! Unnatural!...But...it made Yunyun feel...closer to her. She had always thought of Megumin as unsurpassed and unbeatable. So seeing her cry...like Yunyun had done countless times when the bullying and ostracizing became too much sometimes...it made her look human. It made Megumin feel like she...like she was important to her. Like she was equal to her enough to be important to Megumin.
Those thoughts were so selfish...she should stop, but...she couldn't!
And these thoughts were not unfounded! Megumin told her! She apologised to her! She cried for her! SHE TOLD HER SHE WANTED TO CARE! Who else but her mother and father had cared about her?! And Megumin... Megumin wouldn't lie... Never! She would NEVER tell a lie! ...Definitely...? Yeah, definitely! She was too good to lie or cheat, so she had to care, and that knowledge made Yunyun feel warm... Very warm... Like her heart was literally fluttering in joy. She cared! Her rival cared for her! She was worthy! She wasn't the complete failure everyone thought she was!
She had been acknowledged by the greatest person in the clan! She saw her as someone worthy of her care and concern. Megumin, MEGUMIN cared for her and wanted to keep her safe... Yunyun blushed. That... That felt like a fantasy... Like one of those stories she'd read as a child... About a dashing knight protecting a princess from an evil king or monster... Was... Was that what this was like? Was Megumin her knight, with her being the princess...?
She looked at Megumin's sleeping face, so peaceful, adorable and small... Her big round eyes, that always shone in an awe-inspiring way as she talked herself up, her cheeky little smirk whenever she pulled a successful prank, the genuine joy on her face when she spoke to her little sister... Yes, she'd make a beautiful knight. ...And then she blushed. 'WHAT AM I THINKING?!' She shrieked internally. Yes, Megumin was gorgeous, any boy would be lucky to have her, but... she wasn't a boy! She was a rival! And a girl too! Were girls even allowed to be together?! She had never seen any girls dating one another, ever!
Maybe somewhere else...? In the kingdom, perhaps...? Would two-girl couples be a thing there? WHY WAS SHE CONSIDERING THE IDEA?! She was her RIVAL! ...Ugh... She was so tired of repeating that word in her head... This whole 'rival' thing was such a mess. A giant, tiring, exhausting, annoying mess. She never got anywhere with it, and she always got ridiculed for failing despite trying her absolute damnedest. But... It was what she aspited for her entire life... Could she really just... throw it away when it was what her whole life had been revolving around? What would Megumin think? Would she ridicule her for wussing out?
Okay, maybe she wouldn't, but... she'd probably feel a LITTLE mad... Wouldn't she...? After all... She had gone on for years about wanting to be her rival, and now she was just dropping the whole thing for a... for a crush? No... She had to drop the whole thing! No more crush! Crush go away! ...And then she looked at Megumin's sleeping face, ...No. There was NO WAY she'd be able to drop her crush that easily.
...We definitely need at least a few scenes where Aquarius washes them both away and puts them in a compromising position, whether it's on top of one another or just an embarrassing pose.
All right.
"Huh...? Um... I uh..." Yunyun... genuinely didn't know how to answer, mainly because she had completely forgotten what she had even said. She was distracted by how adorable Megumin's grumpy face was.
"Hey!" Megumin barked. "Don't blank out on me! What. Did. You. Say?"
"Uh..." Yunyun tried to remember, and perked up when she remembered. "Oh! I said I'm... sorry I'm not good enough for you...?"
"...Heh... You... Not being good enough for me... That's a laugh... If anything, it's the other way around..." Megumin snorted bitterly.
Yunyun blinked owlishly. "H-Huh?"
"I said YOU'RE too good for ME!" Megumin insisted. Yunyun just... stared. She stared in utter disbelief. "What? What's with the look?" Megumin demanded. Yunyun regained her bearings to answer.
"What-How?! How can I be too good for YOU?! You're MEGUMIN! You're the best of the best!" Yunyun exclaimed.
"No... I'm... I'm not... " Megumin rubbed her arm. "Okay, so first of all, you're just... You're WAY better at magic than I am! You summon demons, you cast elements, you talk to spirits, and all I do is... make a big boom and pass out!"
"...Wait..." Yunyun realised. "Are you telling me the reason I only see you using the explosion spell is because you don't know any other spells? No... No, you can't have only trained in one spell all these years... Oh my goodness, did something happen to you?!"
Megumin looked down with a glare. "I thought explosion magic was cool, so I just put all my focus on it, okay?! I didn't bother with any other spell because I wanted the explosions to be my whole schtick, and now I can't cast any other magic and the one spell I can do knocks me out..."
"That's not good, Megumin!" Yunyun exclaimed. "You NEED a good variety of spells! You need stuff to fall back on if you're in trouble!"
"That's another thing!" Megumin exclaimed. "You're so damn caring and considerate, and I'm just... I'm NOT!"
"Huh? What are you talking about, Megumin? You're really nice too!" Yunyun was baffled she would put herself down in such a matter.
"Yunyun. I was BULLYING you! How could you NEVER see it?! I say horrible things to you, and I made fun of you behind your back, and I sabotage you, and... and I ALWAYS cheat at all the games we play! Every time! I was cheating! I don't even know how to PLAY half of those games!" Megumin insisted.
Yunyun looked at her with wide eyes. "Oh... You were...? But... But why...?"
"Cause I didn't wanna lose. That's the only reason I did it..." Megumin sighed, her shoulders drooping.
"Oh. Wow. You're... You sure are smart, Megumin." Yunyun said with a smile.
"...What?" Megumin asked flatly.
"Yeah, you know how to trick your way to victory, even when you don't know how to play! You're a skilled tactician! Good job!" Yunyun praised.
"...How the hell do you do it?! You find something good about literally EVERYTHING!" Megumin demanded to know.
Yunyun blinked, then looked down and twiddled her thumbs. "I mean, I kinda have to, cause... if I don't, I think I'll go crazy..."
"What? Why would you go crazy? I feel like I'd go crazy if I constantly had to find something good about everything!" Megumin exclaimed.
Yunyun winces slightly. "I have to find the good where I can, because... a lot of stuff in my life ISN'T very good..."
"...Oh... Right... Because of me..." Megumin looked down.
"What?! No!" Yunyun immediately tried to deny it.
"Yes!" Megumin exclaimed. "It's my fault! It is! I know it is!"
"HOW?!" Yunyun exclaimed. "How could ANY of it POSSIBLY be YOUR fault?!"
"Because I pick on you and that inspired everyone else to do it too!" Megumin replied.
Yunyun raised a brow. "Did you tell any of them to pick on me?"
"...Well, no, but... they still do it because I was and that counts! Right...?"
Yunyun shook her head. "No, it doesn't. They made their choices. Not you."
"But they copied ME!" Megumin insisted. "I mean, I'm the most popular girl in school, in the village even, and when they saw me being awful to you, they thought that was a free pass for them to do the same!"
Yunyun hugged Megumin tightly. "I'm not gonna let ANYONE bully you! Never ever!" She promised.
Megumin looked at her flatly. "Yunyun, you don't stand up for YOURSELF, how can you stop me from getting picked on?"
"I don't know! But I'm gonna try!" Yunyun insisted.
Megumin rubbed her arm and looked at Yunyun, and she saw that she was beginning to tear up. Megumin bit her lip, then pulled her in close and hugged her. "I...I'm sorry... I'm really sorry for like... everything... I'm sorry for being a bully and I'm sorry for cheating and I'm sorry for the lies, I'm just... I'm sorry..."
"I-It's okay...!" Yunyun choked out through her sobs. "I... I forgive you...! For... For all of it! It's all fine! I'm not... m-mad at you, I p-promise!" And then, her crying grew louder. Loud enough to finally wake up a very groggy Komekko, who sat up and saw what was happening. She frowned, rubbed her eyes, then sleepily embraced Yunyun as she cried. She didn't know what was going on, but she liked Yunyun and didn't like that she was sad. All the while, all Yunyun could think was just how GOOD it felt to FINALLY get these bottled up feelings out of her system. She'd been repressing these feelings for so long... She felt lighter the more she vented. "I...I JUST WANT THEM TO TREAT ME LIKE A HUMAN BEING!"
"Well... Well WE will!" Megumin insisted. "Komekko and I! We'll be the first ones!"
Yunyun sniffled and held her tight. "M-Megumin, you two are all I have!"
"...Well... We can help you find more! You'll have a whole gang of friends!" Megumin promised.
Yunyun sniffled again. "No... They'll never like me because I'm not like anyone else..."
"Then we'll just have to leave!" Megumin declared. "Get away from this stupid town and the Crimson Demons and go somewhere else where no one will care about your heritage!"
"Wh-What?!" Yunyun exclaimed, startled. "We... Do you know what you're saying?! We can't just... leave it all behind! What would our parents say?!"
"Your dad knows better than anyone that you're having a rough time of it, and our parents are never around anyway, we can just leave a letter and probably meet in the city!" Megumin insisted.
Yunyun looked down nervously. "Where would we even go?! Who even knows how long it'll take us to reach another civilization, and bringing such a little girl with us is dangerous!"
Megumin gave her a flat look. "You know a ton of spells. Komekko can summon demons. I can make EXPLOSIONS. We'll be FINE. It's only ten miles to the royal capital."
"But... But..." Yunyun scrambled for arguments. This all just felt so... WRONG! "We... Where will we stay when we get there? We can't just go without any plans!" She insisted. "We need to plan finances, we need to figure out work..."
"Adventurers!" Megumin declared. "We'll be adventurers for hire!"
"But then who will look after Komekko? She's WAY too young to be doing stuff like that!" Yunyun protested.
"No I'm not! I'm a big girl, I can handle myself!" Komekko protested, pouting adorably at being underestimated.
Yunyun smiled and patted her head. "Don't worry, of course I know you're the best there is." And then she turned back to Megumin. "As I was saying, it's not safe for her!" Komekko's eye twitched as a tick mark appeared on her forehead, and she lightly thumped at Yunyun with her tiny fists, not to hurt her, just to express her displeasure.
"You don't need to worry." Megumin assured her. "Seriously. We're all gonna be fine! Doesn't matter what happens, we'll be together. We won't leave each other behind. We'll stay together no matter what!" Yunyun was still very unsure. She just... didn't have the words to express her anxieties at this moment... Megumin gently pulled her down. "How about you just rest a bit and we'll figure it out, okay?"
Yunyun was reluctant, but she was happy to be in Megumin's arms... And so, she accepted the offer and laid down against her, closing her eyes. Megumin held her close and gently stroked her hair. Because Yunyun's hair was just so damn soft and silky. Meanwhile, Komekko snuggled up between the two of them. She wanted to relax too.
And so, the three girls rested up, and Yunyun didn't know how they did it, but they somehow managed to get her on board with the plan to move away. It was why she found herself trembling outside Megumin's house, anxiously waiting for Megumin and Komekko to come out and join her.
And when they did? They did so by JUMPING OUT THE WINDOW ON THE SECOND FLOOR. Megumin was holding Komekko's hand as she squealed in joy, and Megumin felt like she was going to have a heart attack as she frantically rushed forward in an effort to catch them, successfully catching Megumin bridal style as Komekko landed safely on her back, piggyback style, as Yunyun just faceplanted... right onto Megumin's thighs.
Megumin blinked. "What's going on down there, you still tired?" Yunyun felt like she was going to pass out. Megumin rolled her eyes. "Ugh... I really have to baby you sometimes..." She moved her head up to rest it on her lap. "All right, you got five minutes, make 'em count."
'WHAT IS SHE DOING?!' Yunyun panicked internally. 'I DIDN'T ASK FOR THIS! ...I... IT FEELS AMAZING, WHY DOES IT FEEL AMAZING?!' She just laid there with her head on Megumin's lap, curled up in a trembling ball as her face turned beet red, and her nose started bleeding when she looked up to see Megumin's thighs close up. They were soft and comfy and thick, she felt like she could melt on them and fall asleep, like a pillow...
"Okay, time's up!" Megumin barked, prompting Yunyun to yelp and shoot to her feet, standing rigidly and blushing intensely. Megumin gave her a flat look. "Really? You have a fever before we've even begun our journey?"
Komekko looked up at her older sister in sheer disbelief. 'You're so DENSE!' She thought. She sighed, then summoned a low level ice demon slime, and the first thing she did with it? Command it to slap Yunyun to cool her off. "She's fine. Let's leave before the town finds out."
"Right!" Megumin gathered Komekko under one arm and grabbed Yunyun's hand with the other and took off down the streets, all but dragging both of them along as they scampered through the streets. Yunyun was the one holding onto their luggage, and... All right, someone had to help, so Megumin took a handful of bags from her using her teeth so she could easily carry them while still not letting go of Yunyun's hand. She... liked having Yunyun's hand in hers.
"W-Wait! Is that gonna hurt your teeth?!" Yunyun called out worriedly. Megumin said SOMETHING, but she couldn't make it out. Because... y'know... She had luggage in her mouth. But still though... It was Megumin, so she most definitely said something smart.
What Megumin said was "I'm fine, I do this all the time, it's easy, it's a good workout, you should be carrying your bags in your teeth too!"
"Oh, okay! You know best, you are the smartest after all!" Yunyun chirped merrily. Megumin smugly flicked up her nose. Komekko just stared flatly.
"They get each other so much and not at all at the same time..." The little girl muttered.
And so, the trio reached the outskirts of their little town, and as they stepped out, they turned around for one last look.
"...It's kinda sad..." Yunyun said softly. "I mean, this WAS still our home, even with all the bad... Do you think we'll ever come back...?"
"Once we're married, why not?" Megumin replied without thinking. "...Wait. no... I... Um..." She turned to Yunyun, who was looking at her with wide eyes, and she looked away and hummed to herself awkwardly. Yunyun twiddled her fingers. So Megumin was considering it too...?
No way, she couldn't be... But why else would she say that...? Maybe she was just...repeating what Komekko had said? To placate her little sister? Yeah...yeah, that had to be it. She shook her head and forced the thoughts out of her mind. "Okay... Um... Well... I guess we should... leave now..."
"YEP, LET'S GO!" Megumin barked out to disperse the awkwardness as she took off... and left them behind.
Yunyun blinked after her, then sighed softly and gently grabbed Komekko to rest her on her shoulders. Komekko let out a delighted squee and snuggled up, nuzzling into her hair. "Yaaay, you give the comfiest piggyback rides, Yunyun!" The sheer cuteness was enough to make Yunyun tear up. Why couldn't she have a younger sibling to dote on? She always wanted one...
Well... She could dote on Komekko instead then! "Okay! Get comfy and enjoy the ride!" She chirped.
Komekko giggled and rested her chin on Yunyun's head before pointing after her older sister. "Onward, steed, and catch that runaway!" Yunyun whinnied like a horse and rushed on after Megumin. It was great fun for both parties involved!
Megumin slowed down to let them catch up, and she looked back to see Yunyun playing with her little sister and being good with her. 'She's really good with kids. She's gonna be a great mom one of these days." She thought with a smirk.
And then that brought back the marriage idea. ...Marriage led to parenthood...
'...Can two girls have a baby...?' She wondered. Then her mind wandered to the process of how that worked...
And then, she crashed facefirst into a tree.
She just stood there for a few seconds, her face still planted against the tree, not even trying to move as she mourned her lost dignity.
Yunyun and Komekko caught up, and Yunyun looked at Mehumin in concern. "Um... Megumin? Why are you hugging a tree?"
Megumin almost answered 'putting in practice for the real thing', but stopped herself to save a little bit of dignity. She simply pulled herself off the tree with a huff. "No reason, just catching my breath."
"Oh. Um... Should we have rested before going...?" Yunyun asked.
"We slept the entire afternoon. Like... Since ten in the morning." Megumin reminded flatly.
Yunyun winced and rubbed her arm with a sheepish smile. "Right, of course... I'm such a moron..." She sighed. Megumin shrugged and picked the luggage she dropped back up...again putting it in her teeth, before grabbing Yunyun's hand and heading off again.
The teeth thing still made no sense to Yunyun, but Megumin was holding her hand... That was nice... ...SHOULD it be nice...? She looked at Megumin with a small blush, then put her attention on Komekko, making sure she was still safely on her shoulders. Komekko was looking down at her with a knowing grin. She responded with a confused head tilt that got Komekko to roll her eyes goodnaturedly. The two sisters were too confusing to understand while on the move... Best just focus on the walk...
And so, they walked. Through the dark, nighttime forest, surrounded by crackling leaves and the sound of crickets. And they walked...and walked...and walked...
Komekko eventually got sleepy, the little girl resting her head in Yunyun's hair and snoring softly as they continued their journey.
And Megumin stopped and turned to Yunyun with a triumphant grin. "We're LOST!" She declared, raising a finger to the sky.
"...What?!" Yunyun exclaimed, eyes wide. "But... No! We have to get to civilization! Komekko will catch her death out here, it's cold at night! Ah... Oh... Um... Megumin, look through my luggage and find my cloak, she can use it as a blanket, we need to bundle her up!"
'Yep. Perfect mom.' Megumin thought.
She complied and helped Yunyun bundle up her little sister. She knew damn well her sister didn't need it, they'd survived on their own in the wild before, but there was something about this gentle, motherly side of Yunyun that she found... attractive...?
Yunyun gently removed Komekko from her back and cradled her in her arms like a baby as she was swaddled up nice and snug in her cloak.
'OK, NOW SHE'S CHEATING! NOW SHE STRAIGHT UP LOOKS LIKE A MOM!' Megumin exclaimed internally.
Yunyun looked up and saw Megumin looking at her with some odd sense of reverance. Before she could ask about it, though, Komekko stirred in her sleep. Yunyun gently rocked her back and forth, humming softly to make sure she remained sleeping soundly.
'...She has GOTTA be doing this on purpose.' Megumin declared internally.
Yunyun looked back up at Megumin with a serious expression. "We need to find a way out of the forest, I'm not putting Komekko's safety at risk like this!"
"Huh? Oh, right... Well, me and Komekko spent some time in the forest before, so I should know this part... I... think..." Megumin replied very uncertainly.
Yunyun bit her lip and let out a sigh. "Well... Maybe if you climb one of these trees, you'll be able to find the right path to the capital?"
"O-Oh. Y-Yeah... Climb the... trees... No problem... Um... I can... do... that..." Megumin turned to look at one of the nearest trees and gulped anxiously. Heights always made her feel sick to her stomach...
Yunyun noticed the clear discomfort on her friend's face, and her expression twisted in concern as she stepped forth and put a hand on her shoulder, using her free arm to hold Komekko. "Would you feel better if I did it? You can hold Komekko."
"No, I'm doing it!" Megumin declined. She had to be brave! Unyielding! And with that, she strutted right up to the nearest tree and began the process of climbing it, repeating 'Don't look down, don't look down' in her head. Of course she couldn't help herself... She looked down, and she immediately began to feel nauseous. She let out a soft gag and attempted to restrain herself from losing her lunch.
"You can do it, Megumin!" Yunyun's voice reached her ears. She looked down, and she saw that her friend was smiling warmly up at her, giving her support. She focused on Yunyun, and tried her hardest not to put her attention on how small she looked down there... She shook her head, then closed her eyes and pushed through, climbing up higher, and higher, and higher... And then, when she opened her eyes... She made it! She was at the top of the tree! Upon the realisation, she took a deep breath she didn't realise she was holding. She looked around to see where they were... They were at the very edge of the forest. She could see the capital off in the distance! So on the bright side, she knew which way to go now. On the downside, it was going to be several miles before they reached their destination... Seemed they would be going to sleep somewhere along the way...
Well... Best get down from the tree now... Megumin moved to climb down... But in doing so, she turned and looked down at the ground below, and was bitterly reminded how high up she was... Of course, she promptly fained, and down she fell, right towards some mud.
Yunyun let out a gasp, then hurriedly used a telekinetic spell to keep Komekko held up before diving to try and catch Megumin... Only to fall facefirst into the mud and end up with Megumin landing on her back with a crack. She let out a pained squeak. She... didn't think she was getting up for a few minutes or so...
But, she couldn't let the two sisters wait in the cold night for her to recover. So, she struggled, got up, and walked as best as she could. Thankfully, Megumin wasn't knocked out for long. She let out a groan as she came to, looking around to process just where she was, before looking down to see she was being carried by Yunyun... Who was noticeably in pain and struggling to keep going. "Holy crap, Yunyun!" Megumin exclaimed, hopping off of her friend's back. "What happened to you?! It sounds like your back is creaking! Agh! Here, lemme just..." She gathered Yunyun into her arms and carried her bridal style. Yunyun let out a squeak, her face turning red as she blushed in embarrassment. Megumin snorted. "Forget the whole 'embarrassed' thing, I'm just looking out for your health here. " She looked her over with a frown. "Geez... I must have landed on you when I fell out of the tree... I'm such a klutz..."
"Um... Megumin... Don't you float whenever you cast spells...? How can you be so scared of heights then...?" Yunyun asked.
""Uh, cuz I'm too preoccupied with being cool to care about heights. Climbing a tree is way less cool than blowing it up." Megumin replied with a light huff. Yunyun tilted her head, then nodded in understanding. Megumin carried her friend and sister in silence for a few minutes, still trying to cope with her humiliation.
"...Um... Would it make you feel better if I climbed the tree with you next time...?" Yunyun asked rather shyly. Megumin looked at her with a raised brow and Yunyun looked down and tapped her fingers together. "It's just... I don't know... It feels less scary if someone you care about is close by when you're facing your fears..."
Megumin closed her eyes with a soft sigh, then gave Megumin a warm smile. "Yeah, well... In that case, I'll be with you to help you with anything you're scared of. Sound good?"
"Okay, sure... Yeah, equal exchange!" Reasoned Yunyun with a smile.
Megumin rolled her eyes. "That's not why I'm suggesting it, dummy."
"Oh... But... But why then?" Yunyun asked.
Megumin gave her a flat look. "Come on, don't be dense. It's cause I care about you, you idiot!"
"Oh... Well, I care about you too! That's why I offered to climb with you so you won't be scared!" Yunyun chirped. She smiled up at Megumin. "So... I guess this means we're really friends now..."
"I wanna be more than just that..." Megumin muttered.
"Hmm? Did you say something?" Yunyun asked, head tilted.
"No." Megumin replied curtly, opting to walk faster and hope that Yunyun wouldn't push the subject any further. ...Though deep down... A part of her did want to keep discussing it...
She continued walking. She didn't even know how long, but eventually, Megumin had fallen asleep in her arms. She looked down at her with a small smile... then looked up to see that she had reached their destination. The city was right before them. She closed her eyes, heaved out a sigh, and stepped forth to enter their new life...