Dragon Quest XI: Tales of the Second Luminary [Rated PG-13]

Arriving just outside of Aboria, Meri looked around to find that she was just a few steps away from town. She heard the sound of the sword of darkness landing into the ground just behind her & turned to place it on her back. 'Well, at least I have this to defend Mark & the others with.' She thought to herself, when she hears a familiar male squee. "Eee! Oh there you are darling! We've been looking just everywhere for you!" Turning around she sees Silv who runs right up to her to say; "We've all been looking for you for almost 5 minutes darling! Erik is half worried out of his mind & is about to form a zoom search party searching the other towns. I said, that of course you wouldn't go far & I was right! Come on darling, Victoria is just about ready to put poor Erik to sleep until we were able find you." Meri just giggled to smile & nod; "Sorry about that. I had to come out here & get a breath of fresh air. Cause once we get the sword of light, we'll be taking on Mortegon & it's just a lot for me to take in is all." Silv only shakes his head; "Oh honey, I feel you. But we're so ready for this. Come on, the others will be glad I found you. Especially your honey bun."

Meri nodded while Silv hugged her to take her hand in his to lead her back into the town. Once in town, Silv notices Jade come to the center of the town square to say; "Look who I found darling!" Jade turns around to say; "THERE you are! We've been looking just about everywhere in town for you. Do you know how worried both Erik & Mark are? Not including the rest of us?" She asked in a sigh; "I mean, your Erik's whole world Princess. That's just how much he loves you, & all of us rely on you & your magic to protect the luminary & help us when we're in a jam." Meri smiles sheepishly to say; "Sorry Jade, I didn't mean to worry everyone like that." While she blushed thinking about what Jade had said. Seeing Rab walk over she says; "I'll find everyone, Silv found Meri." Rab nods to ask with his arms crossed; "Alright, what's the problem? Why'd you run off like that lassy?" Meri says; "I'm scared.. I mean.. When we finish going up to the three of life, & get the sword of light, we'll be facing off against Mortegon. I just got really scared all of a sudden & had to take a breather. Look, I would never abandon you guys, or the luminary. It's just.." It's in that moment when everyone came into the square that Erik saw Meri, that he ran over to hug her.. Shaking as he did so, almost in tears to ask her in a gentle voice; "Do you know how out of my mind with worry I was? What if some monsters had kidnapped you? Or worse? Meri, I love you." He says to hug her to him tightly, "Please, don't ever disappear like that ever again."

Meri, never knew just how much Erik loved her.. Until that moment. Silv just winks to say, "See, I told you he was worried darling." Meri just giggled to nod & kiss Erik on his lips gently, "I'm sorry I made you, & everyone else worry about me like that. I guess I got nervous thinking about going up to the tree of life.. It's a lot to take in, so I had to go outside for a breath of fresh air." Looking over to the other Luminary Mark, Meri says, "And.. I hope your not mad at me. I'd never willingly abandon your side." Mark merely shook his head to smile at Meri, he knew something more was going on but kept it to himself. Veronica sighs to walk forwards & says wagging her left finger at Meri while winking, "Oh, come on now. We found you & everything is alright. Just don't go doing it again."

Meri nods to say; "I won't. I promise." Taking in a deep breath she says; "But, all of you should know something before we go up to the tree of life." Rab asks; "What's that lass?" Meri says closing her eyes a minute to take in a deep breath & lets it out, looking to all of them; "I too am a luminary of legend. Except; I'm from a different world then this one. A one where Mortegon destroyed the time line & in doing so, tossed me into this one where Mark is the luminary. So for some reason or another, this world now has two luminaries working towards the same goal."

Serena only giggles; "Of course your a Luminary. You have the mark on your forehead instead of your hand like Mark does, it's just yours is a bit lighter then his mark is." Veronica nods to sigh & say winking over at her; "Look we're all friends to both you & Mark. But we've known your the second luminary traveling with Mark this whole time. We pledged our selves to both of you, not just Mark. So don't go thinking Mark's all special or anything."

Meri giggled hearing what Veronica said as tears streamed down her face. She had honestly thought that none of them thought as highly of her as they had the other Luminary Mark, but.. She was wrong.


Smiling Meri nods to say; "Ok, I'll be sure to keep that in mind." Jade just chuckles to walk over & give her a hug; "Oh come now, you should know by now that all of us care about you. You've kept us healed & defend us very well. You should be proud of what you've accomplished. Now, all we have to do in order to reach the tree of light is to go through the middle door to the sanctuary at the top of the stairs." Jade tells her pointing to the top of the stairs in the middle of the town square. Meri nods to say; "Thanks, I got it." Taking in a deep breath, she looks to everyone to ask; "So, what are we waiting for? Let's go!" When Erik placed his hand on hers he says; "Hold up a minute." Meri stops to turn towards him as he asks; "Alright, I've been wanting to ask you this since before we got here.. But.." Kneeling down before her, he gets out a box & opens it to show a diamond ring to ask; "Princess of Phnom Nonh, will you marry me?" The last bit he asked looking right into her eyes. Meri tried to hide the shock of his asking her & the last time she said yes, before he lost his memory the first time around. Meri of course still loved him, but his forgetting her the first time around kind of hurt their relationship to the point that when he remembered her, she gave him back his ring. Because by then.. She'd moved on to be with some one else, some one who wasn't in their group yet. Looking to the ring on her left hand she remembered what she thought to herself, that it didn't matter who she ended up with.. Because she felt that Mark was the important one, but now. She didn't know what to think. Kneeling down she hugs Erik, the first time she had said yes to him. This time, she wasn't sure. "I do care about you & deeply so.. But for now, why don't we wait until we've beaten Mortegon? Then once he's beaten we can get married & the whole nine yards." Erik stood to ask; "So it's a yes?" Meri shook her head; "It's a maybe. Sweetie, Mortegon is dangerous & we don't know if we'll survive the battle against him. I just don't want to promise to something & neither of us make it through the battle. I hope you can understand. But, if we make it through then you can ask me again. When the time is right. Will that be alright?" Erik nodded. "Yea, it just means that we'll have to beat Mortegon extra hard is all." he told her boldly to kiss her gently making her blush slightly. "Still.." Looking at the dark sword on her back, he asks; "Where did you get that sword anyway? I thought you were the good guy." Silv says; "Yes, darling it is quite gosh." Meri just giggles to say shaking her head; "Don't worry about it, it'll help in defeating Mortegon. So, that should be good enough." Every one nods; & she smiles to then head towards the center of town, heading towards the sanctuary at the top of the stairs.