(A/N)

I decided to post this chapter a little early (I usually post sometime on Saturday, and for me it's currently very late Friday), since I'm so bored. In fact, I've not really had much to do, so I've written quite a bit on this over the past couple of days. So that's good for you guys.

Oh, and I just want everyone to know that I'm only finding out some of the stuff that happens in this story at around the same time that you guys are. Sometimes I'll write half of a chapter, look back at it, and think "Wait, that wasn't supposed to happen... Well, I guess I've gotta take the story this way now." In fact, that happens quite a bit over the next few chapters. I hope it doesn't mess with where I'm trying to take this story. Well, I actually don't know where I'm trying to take this story - it's more of a train wreck waiting to happen as it diligently follows the vague plot points that I have laid out. I probably should have put more thought into where I was going with this all before posting it online, but here we are.

Anyways, we're back to Zinnia's point of view now. Hope you all remember where she was!

Sorry for the little rant, but enjoy the chapter!

And remember, reviews are always appreciated!

Sighing, I closed my eyes, only to open them immediately. My pointed ears twitched slightly in annoyance at the fly that buzzed around the room as it made a tight lap around my head.

I could swear that I had felt Zephyr's presence for a moment, but the sensation had faded with the setting sun.

I hope they find us soon. I don't know what's going to be done with me if I get brought in, but whatever it is, it can't be good. And it'll be even worse for Elizabeth, since she's the one they're actually looking for.

"Hey Zinnia?" The princess looked up at me as she spoke. Her hair, as always, covered one of her eyes, making me slightly curious as to why she wore it that way. It couldn't be very practical - how could she do anything with half of her field of vision obscured?

"Hm?"

"I was just wondering; why does your other form look so similar to me? We'd never met before Diane found you, so I don't see how you could have looked like that. And what made you chose that form?"

"Hmmm…" Pondering the question, I wiggled a little in an attempt to get more comfortable in the tight ropes wrapped around my torso. "I guess that you could say that I once knew someone who looked just like you - or at least similar enough that when I took her form, you mistook it for yours. You might say that she was like an older sister to me. But, one day, something happened. I knew that I'd most likely never see her again, so, in her memory, I decided to make my human form look like her. Oh, and it was also because I just thought that she was really pretty!" I added, smiling, causing Elizabeth to lightly blush and smile at the compliment. I then quieted my voice to just a murmur, glancing towards the floorboards. "You can't imagine how it felt, seeing you, who look just like she did, for the first time. It was like seeing the ghost of a loved one who was lost long ago."

That's right - even if this Elizabeth looked just like the one from my youth, they're different people. There was very little doubt in my mind that Meliodas was the same person, but I knew that the Elizabeth I'd known was almost certainly gone. The one in front of me was a sixteen year old princess, nothing more. She couldn't even hear Zephyranthes, as the Elizabeth I used to know could.

"Oh…" The other girl's blush faded. "I'm so sorry…"

"It's fine! In fact, It's been so long since I've seen her, I'm sure I would've forgotten what she looked like, had I not kept that form. And, while it was weird seeing you, it was almost like a reunion of sorts." I looked back up again, forcing a smile. "Oh, I guess I should stop using that human form now, so I don't get mistaken as you. We don't want some random fairy being mistaken as the princess. Perhaps I should start thinking of what I want to look like."

"Oh, no! Of course you can keep using it! I couldn't take that away from you." Elizabeth hurriedly told me. "That would be stealing a memento of someone precious to you…"

"Thank you." My smile became genuine for a moment before adding a few words quietly to myself. "But it seems like everything that I have left is a memento…"

Tap… tap… tap…

I tilted my head slightly, trying to hear the noise better. What's that? Are they here; did they find us? Sitting back up and straightening my head, I sighed. Normally, I'd be worried that sighing would draw the holy knight's attention, but I'd been sighing enough that he completely ignored it now. The princes sat across the room from me, looking towards the ground with a muted expression.

I looked up just in time to see the door open just a crack. What happened next happened in a flash. If I'd blinked, I would have missed it.

Meliodas and Harlequin stood in the now-open doorway. Luckily for therm, Griamore was facing out the window on the other side of the room. Harlequin twitched his finger, causing the small teacup that sat on the edge of the table to slip and tip off the surface. As Griamore turned to catch it, Meliodas calmly made his way into the room, right up to the edge of the table. This made him stand face-to-face with the holy knight, who was now crouching near the floor in his attempt to stop the cup from hitting the ground. Upon catching sight of the dragon sin, Griamore grabbed the handle of the sword that was sheathed at his hip. Before he could unsheath it, though, the blonde reached out and grabbed the sword's pommel, stopping it. Meliodas jumped up behind the larger man, chopping at the back of his neck with the side of his hand.

That was the last thing I could catch before the two started swinging wildly at each other. The blows were so fast that they were just a blur to my eyes. Before I knew it, Meliodas had jabbed Griamore's throat, knocking him unconscious. He now held the holy knight above him with one hand, and caught the cup that had been knocked over just a second ago with his other hand before it hit the floor.

"Meliodas-sama?" Sometime in the middle of the fight, Elizabeth had looked up.

"I knew you guys would come." I gave the group a slight smile. "Before we go, could someone please untie me?"

Zephyranthes had not been with the two sins, sadly. I had hoped he would be, but Harlequin told me that Zephyr and Hawk had been sent back to the tavern. And there were some kids with them, apparently. He didn't tell me why he had been sent back, though. Zephyr should have easily been able to stay with them through the shadows.

Harlequin and I took a different route from Meliodas and Elizabeth, just in case we were being followed. While the other pair's path took them straight to the Boar's Hat, ours took us on more of a detour, winding through the hills and a little bit of forest outside of town before going back to the tavern.

So that meant that it was just me and Harlequin. Just me and the Fairy King…

Apparently I wasn't the only one to realize that we were alone, because the other fairy suddenly stopped in front of me, making me almost fly face-first into him. He turned towards me, his face a mere few inches from mine, causing me to back up nervously.

His face was serious when he spoke. "Now that your fox friend isn't here to interrupt, would you mind answering some questions?"

I froze. No no no no no… This couldn't be happening. I was bad at being alone in things. I always needed support, espescially when it came to answering questions. But, if Harlequin was going to start questioning me, that meant that I didn't have any right now.

"Q-questions?" I tightened my arms around my wadded up cloak. I hadn't had time to put it on between being freed from the ropes and making a hasty escape. Though the moonlight made it hard to see, a small amount of sweat dripped down my brow.

"Yes, questions." The fairy King furrowed his brow as he squinted at me through the darkness.

"I-I don't see what questions you have… My name is Zinnia. I'm a fairy that has lived outside the Fairy King's Forest since before you were born. Zephyr - Zephyranthes - is a fox shade that has been living with me since he was a pup. What else do you need to know?" I was now nearly curled in on myself as I curled around my cloak in the air. My face was practically smothered by the fabric, causing my next words to be quiet and muffled, which wasn't helped by the fact that they were murmured anyways. "Why don't you trust me…?"

Harlequin paused at this and his expression softened slightly. "I want to trust you. That's why I ask all the questions that I do."

"But I only met you guys a few days ago, and you all want me to immediately tell you my life's story… And yet, you expect me to be content with not knowing any of yours…"

The other fairy sighed. "I guess I can understand why you're so hesitant. I went ten years without showing my fairy form to the rest of the sins, after all. How about a compromise?" He straightened slightly from his usually slouched form. "One question. I'll ask you one question, and, if you answer it, I won't ask any more."

I took a moment to think it over before answering. It would definitely be nice to get Harlequin off my back on this matter. Him being the Fairy King made him my king as well, and I wanted my king to trust me - no, not just trust, I realized, I wanted him to like me. But if he knew the entirety of my past, I'm not sure if that would be possible.

"Okay, I guess one question won't hurt. What do you want to ask me?"

He seemed to think for a moment before asking me. "Why were you gone from the Fairy King's Forest for so long?"