Special connection

Turning over in her seemingly perfect sleep Ariel began feeling a strange presence beside her, She opened her eyes on alert, her heart thumping upon the sight and on pure reflex ended up hitting the person beside her straight on the head,

"Ow what the hell" groaned Lotus unwillingly stretching out of bed while wiping drool off his mouth

"Lotus what the hell are doing, you can't sneak up on me",

Lotus looked around perplexed and still half asleep "I wasn't sneaking up though I was sleeping! Silly girl honestly ". Ariel looked down while trying to catch her breath "Sorry… I just didn't know if you were gonna come back or anything" she said before sitting back on the bed

"My bad, but I had to make sure I was right immediately about my hunch, I got you something too"

"Got me something?" all the tension she was feeling began to dissipate,

"Yes, come sit", Sitting down as the most polite madame ever Ariel began to grow agitated by the extremely loud silence that began to fill the room.

"Go on then show me this gift, I do deserve it after all, waiting patiently and having to cover for you after Christophe discovered your little disappearing act"

"Oh, he found out, how?",

She sighed "I'm sure you'll find out after we go downstairs for breakfast",

"I breakfast" Slowly reaching under the bed Lotus looked up at Ariel as the crimson sword began to glow ever-brightly in the reflection of her iris, she stood up abruptly and her knees almost buckled from the shock "H-how do you have that". "damn, is that the thanks I get after the trouble I went through to get this back for you"

"Lotus, answer me now!"

".. this maiden has no manners" he mumbled playfully "I had a hunch, well more like a feeling that it did not perish but simply couldn't hold form due to overwork, It is a sword capable of killing a dragon after all so I simply went back to the desert and picked it up, hence why I have it haha"

"This boy will be the death of me" she grumbled whilst gently taking it off Lotus' hands She could feel an amount of power surging through her unlike any other.

…

"Lotus what are we gonna do from here, after the time I've been wondering that since the night"

"mm that is a good question, Well, I want to return to my world, there are people back home relying on me"

'mm must be nice to have that' Ariel thought to herself silently, "I assume you want the same thing so let's stick together to accomplish this"

"That part is clear Lotus but I'm asking about the steps to get there"

Ariel looked at Lotus longingly while he pondered silently, 'he looks quite handsome when he's in deep thought' The thought came to her as quickly as it passed.

"Hmm haha we can wait till I get strong enough to teleport between dimensions or whatever we are in"

"… can you be serious for once", "Yeah sorry, I'm not sure but I remember the dragon said something about a stronger being, Maybe 'that' person knows the way so I think we should work to draw their attention and then bingo… I hope, but again I'm as lost as you"

"Very well, I'm willing to follow you on this path of yours, it's not like I have any better ideas"

"Great to have you aboard partner," Lotus said while extending his hand,

Ariel began to flashback to a time a hand was extended to her with similar words. "Ha, thank you for having me then partner"

…

"Woah! What are you doing?" Lotus exclaimed, "Huh I'm getting changed I can't go about my day in robes can I?" Ariel said while proceeding to gracefully allow her robes to glide off her body revealing everything except what little laced underwear she had under, This was the first time Lotus noticed her beauty; soft porcelain skin and, toned yet petite physique to match. "Hey dimwit no one's asking you to stare at me," she said while giving off a weird smirk she couldn't gather why she enjoyed knowing Lotus had his eyes on her at this moment.

"Well you are right but I am a man after all and you are encapsulating"

"Shut up" She rolled her eyes with a slight blush on her cheeks while proceeding to slip on the tight-fitted clothes she found left in the cupboard She kept giving Lotus elusive glances only to realise he was no longer glimpsing at her but was instead drifting back off to sleep

"Lotus you can't keep sleeping You have to show your face to everyone," she said grudgingly knowing she had no desire to interact with the others

"Miss, do you know how exhausted I am after battling hordes of enemies to get your gift, On top of that this teleporting ability is extremely taxing"

"I understand that" Ariels tone was so soft it only added to Lotus' lethargy. "But please can you not be lazy. You can probably come back and nap later".

Suddenly he felt a new burst of energy arise from within.