The Vice Captain of the Crimson Lions

Much Needed Talks

Ａｇｅ： ２７

Mereoleona stormed into the office, and Fuegoleon looked up from the report he was writing,

"H-"

"We need to talk,"

Fuegoleon sighed and nodded,

"I guess we do,"

Mereoleona sat down on the couch and slouched down,

"Why are you not reacting?"

Fuegoleon winced and shook his head,

"I can not,"

Mereoleona rolled her eyes,

"Come on, little brother, yes you can."

Fuegoleon shook his head,

"My squad needs a level-headed captain. I will-"

Mereoleona stood up and grabbed the collar of his cape,

"No, they do not! They need their captain to cope!"

"I AM!"

"No, you are not! You are holding yourself in here and doing report after report! You are refusing to see this for what it is!"

Fuegoleon nudged her off of him,

"Mereoleona-"

"Yell."

Fuegoleon frowned in confusion,

"Yell?"

Mereoleona nodded,

"Scream. Get mad. I haven't seen you lose your cool once in these past few years."

Fuegoleon sighed,

"Because I can-"

"You can! Hell! Leopold screamed at the top of his lungs when we told him!"

Fuegoleon winced and sighed,

"I don't want t-"

"I don't either! Listen. Fuego. You are my little brother. I am not good with this mushy stuff. She was better at it. Fuegoleon. I lost my best friend, but you also lost your twin sister. So. I need you to get pissed at the world. Get better for her,"

Fuegoleon shook his head and looked down,

"I am fine."

"No you are not! I know you, Fuegoleon. You are far from okay. And that is fine!"

Fuegoleon clenched his fist as flames licked his body,

"LEAVE ME ALONE! I AM FINE!"

Mereoleona put her hand on his shoulder,

"Fuegoleon,"

She pulled him into a hug as he finally broke down. Over two years of hoping...of praying that Mynx was still alive. All gone to the wind when the King forced them to stop looking for her, claiming she was dead.

"I wish I could say I wish I never met her,"

"But you know you would be lying,"

Fuegoleon nodded,

"I would be,"

Fuegoleon finally let the tears fall. He had always been the strong one, the one that had all the answers. The one that others went to for guidance. But right now, in Mereoleona's arms, he was only a man, 27 years old, who had just lost his other half after knowing her for over two decades. He was a grieving brother. He held on by a thread while they searched for Mynx. Mereoleona stood there with her arms around her younger brother, knowing that this hug was something he needed.

Fuegoleon finally pulled away as he wiped his eyes. He looked away from Mereoleona's gaze,

"I...I couldn't save her, Mereoleona...I was right there,"

Mereoleona shook her head and grabbed his shoulders tightly,

"No. Don't you dare blame yourself. You told me yourself that it all happened so fast. You were all in her shield, if you had gotten closer, we might have lost both of you. I still don't want to believe she is gone...but losing both of you would have been so much worse."

Fuegoleon sighed,

"Mereo...I should have known...Ever since we met, we had this connection...I should have known that Mynx was going to do something...I should have felt something, anything! I did not feel anything when she-"

Mereoleona squeezed his shoulder,

"Don't do this to yourself. Mynx wouldn't want you to blame yourself. You must keep going for her. You took the first step in promoting Randall,"

Fuegoleon looked away,

"How am I supposed to truly move forward without her?"

Mereoleona let out a heavy breath, sitting back down on the couch, though her gaze never left him,

"By remembering her. By honoring her. She was fierce, just like you. And if she's truly gone, then she's still out there, pushing you to be the best version of yourself. You know that. She is in the stars looking over all of us."

"I miss her,"

Mereoleona smiled softly at him,

"I do too, Fuego...but we will never give up on her. We will never forget, and we can't allow anyone to do so,"

Fuegoleon nodded,

"I need to start training the new recruits,"

Mereoleona smirked,

"Careful, Leopold is next up,"

Fuegoleon sighed,

"Trust me, I am well aware of how close he is to turning 15,"

"Another year!"

"Yes, I know,"