Within the Palace of the Emperor, soldier guards were stationed in the hall as several were stationed around a chamber.
In the chamber is the Emperor of Lingyue who sat behind transparent bamboo curtains, guarded by four guards on each side. Near the side are Daichi, Yamika, and Kazane, the three sitting down on pillows while having their weapons at their side.
Ikaruga sat in front of the Emperor as she sat in pure silence with her face devoid of emotions.
"as predicted, he came to try and kill you" said the Emperor to Ikaruga who didn't speak a word in reply. "you seemed unbothered by that, niece"
"yes" muttered Ikaruga in a low voice that could still be heard by the occupants within the chamber.
The door slides open as a soldier came in and kneeled down.
"Emperor, Gojin-sama and the others have returned" said the soldier, reporting the message.
"have they captured Daimou?" asked the Emperor.
"no, Emperor. The man caught by them is a mere member of the Rebellion group, it was not him" replied the Soldier as the Emperor sighs.
"order all guards to be positioned around the Palace with a tight guard. Do not let anything or anyone in" said the Emperor as the soldier nodded before exiting the chamber. The Emperor sighs again before turning towards Daichi and the others. "Daichi, Yamika, Kazane, the three of you shall be guarding my niece for the time being"
"yes, Emperor" the three replied before another different soldier came into the chamber.
"Emperor, Haruka-sama has escaped custody" said the Soldier as Ikaruga's eyes widen a bit to hear her daughter fled from the palace.
"that child is as elusive as her own father" said the Emperor with a sigh.
"shall we retrieve her, Emperor?" asked the soldier.
"no" said the Emperor in reply. "that young one has been trying the same thing for the past four days. So troubling. We might as well be rid of her"
"pardon my interruption, Emperor" said Daichi while turning to look at the Emperor. "Haruka-sama is Ikaruga-sama's child, and the grandchild of yourself and Ryujima-sama. It is tradition tha-"
"I am the Emperor, Daichi" said the Emperor. "that tradition is dead the moment I have ascended as the Emperor in place of my dead elder brother. If there is to be a next heir for Lingyue, it shall be my child, not my grandchild."
"but Emperor.." said Daichi but the Emperor clapped his hands once and the soldiers started to move in line for the Emperor who stepped out of his curtains, the man wearing a black fox mask while walking out.
"This discussion is over. I shall be retiring to my quarters" said the Emperor. "Daichi, you shall escort my niece to her quarters while Kazane and Yamika find the child and be rid of her"
"yes" said Kazane and Yamika as they nodded before standing up from their seats and went out the chamber. Daichi stayed on his seat, the monk letting out a heavy sigh before turning to look at Ikaruga who has a very sad and worried frowning face.
"Ikaruga-sama" said a soldier coming near as the pink haired woman nodded before she stands up from her seat, Daichi following before the two exited the room
Daichi escorted Ikaruga to her quarters as orders by the Emperor, they walked down the hall before reaching to Ikaruga's room where Daichi slides the door open for her to enter before closing it.
Ikaruga sat in the room in silence while Daichi stands outside with a frown. The monk soon kneels down while placing his Tetsubo by his side
"I'm sorry, Ikaruga-sama. i.." said Daichi in a low yet humble voice. "…I swore to your father that I shall protect you and those who are your children, but Nagano-sama's orders are as the Emperor and I must follow"
"I know, Daichi-han. I thank you for the years you have guided me during my young days…but please, Daichi-han" said Ikaruga in a low voice as she sat in the room while in tears. "my daughter….please protect her….my heart….it cannot bear to lose another one of my beloved family…"
Daichi knows that she is crying as the monk's face hardened with his gaze as hard as steel too.
"you have my word!" said Daichi in a loud yet low voice.
The day had turned to night as soldiers are patrolling the area of the city while the citizens were present as well.
Haruka is an alleyway as the young girl takes deep breaths after running out of the palace thanks to her transformation magic that transforms her into a small mice which helps her slipped out of a hole in the palace.
The young girl leans against the wall before she heard running footsteps coming as she hides behind some crates. Several soldiers came running pass the alley as one stops to look and checks if Haruka is within the alley.
Haruka didn't make a single noise as she placed her hands over her mouth and nose to quiet down her breathing. The soldier going near as he looks over the crates and hovers over Haruka who prayed that he doesn't look down.
The soldier looks around before he takes a few feet back and went out of the alley then ran to catch up with his group.
Letting out a long relieved sigh, Haruka placed a hand on her racing heart as she has never held her breath for such a moment. The young girl looks up over the crate and sees no soldier in sight, she nodded once and turns around only to be faced with the sight of a green kimono that made her shriek but a hand quickly clamped her mouth shut.
"shush!" shushed a voice as Haruka looks up and sees Ayame. "don't make a noise, I'm not here to capture you, alright? don't make a sound"
Haruka looks at Ayame before she slowly nodded her head and Ayame pulls away from her hand from her mouth.
"listen, I'm here to get you away from the city" said Ayame while kneeling in front of Haruka.
"but…why?" whispered Haruka with a confused face.
"in the past, I vowed to protect and only to be royal to the bloodline of Ryujima-sama, your grandfather. not Nagano." explained Ayame. "I only follow the Emperor's order because I'm ordered by Ikaruga-sama to do so, understand?"
Haruka nodded before Ayame looks up as she hears the voice of Yamika and Kazane coming near.
"this place isn't safe" said Ayame before holding Haruka's hand. "come, I'll take you to somewhere safe"
Haruka nodded before she and Ayame started running down the alley while Yamika and Kazane came into view by the front alley.
The two looks down the alley as there is nothing and no one inside.
"strange, I could've heard some noises from here" said Kazane while squinting her eyes.
"peculiar" added Yamika before the two started walking away to find sights and signs of Haruka in the city. But unknown to the two women, a tile in the alleyway slides to the side and closed as underneath it is Ayame with Haruka within the underground tunnel.
"this way" said Ayame as she takes out a yellow glass ball that glows bright before leading Haruka down the tunnel while holding her hand.
Within the underground oasis bellow the city of the Emperor, Erza and the others keep on walking as they followed the little masked girl riding on top of the large fox.
"just where are we going?" asked Gray
"we've been following her for nearly an hour by now" said Charla as they keep on following the masked little girl.
"look over there, everyone" said Juvia as she pointed forward.
Everyone looks to where Juvia is pointing to as they caught sight of a large edo mansion that has plant roots covering its all frame while in the middle of the mansion, a large yet giant Sakura tree that seems to have grown right from within the mansion itself.
"follow…" said the little girl as she got down from the large fox's head and on the ground before she started walking towards the mansion while the large fox sat down on the ground.
Erza and the others look at each other before they look at the little girl who slides open the mansion's front door then looks at the group.
"follow…" said the little girl while moving her hand slowly in a motion to get them to follow.
Erza and the others are now within the mansion as they followed the little girl who pass by many rooms.
"first the tunnel, then the oasis, and now this mansion? What is it with Lingyue?" said Gray, a bit annoyed that they haven't got answers to where they are.
"follow…" said the little girl as she stops in front of a room which she slides the door open. When the door opens, some small balls of fluff came rolling out.
One fluff ball rolls to Erza who looks down and sees that the ball of fluff had two red eyes on it.
"eh?" Erza made a noise as the fluff ball had little legs and tails to reveal itself as a small pop fox that seems to be smaller than Kiara.
All the fluff balls became Pop Foxes as they all ran back into the room which the masked little girl also entered in.
"that was….awkward…" said Charla with a deadpanned face from meeting the fluff balls.
"follow…" said the little girl inside the room as Erza and the others followed her as she asked.
Erza and the others are now within the room that is a large chamber filled with many Pop Foxes of many sizes.
"this many Pop Foxes" said Juvia as the Pop Foxes in the room looks at the group entering in.
The door to the chamber slides closed by a large Pop Fox who walks away.
"who have come?" a soft feminine voice asked in the air as Erza and the others looks around to who had spoken. They look around and turned forward to the center of the chamber where there is a large round shaped bed that has many small Pop Foxes sleeping on it.
Taking a closer look, Erza and the others sees a white long haired woman who has fox like ears on top of her head and nine fox like tails on her back rising from the bed. The woman is naked as the day she is born that caused Gray's face to go pure red before Juvia closed his eyes.
"Gray-sama! Don't look!" exclaimed Juvia to Gray, not wanting his attention to the fox woman who is somehow inhumanely beautiful.
"ara…this is a rare time to have guests" said the woman as she smiles at them.
"s-sorry…but can you please….w-wear something" asked Wendy with an embarrassed face.
"ara….please pardon me…" said the fox woman who stretched her arms up, Juvia scrunching up Gray's eyes to the point that the man screams in pain. The fox woman yawned before she looks to the side as some pop foxes brought her a white kimono. "thank you…"
"you….you're not a human, are you?" asked Erza, the scarlet knight calm in the situation while eying the woman's fox ears and tails.
"yes…I am not human…I am a Fox…" said the woman while wearing the kimono on slowly. "..or if in human's words..i am a Bakegitsune..a spirit of a fox and a human…" the woman waves her hair to the side as she tied the kimono's string on but it started to loosen around her shoulders, nearly revealing her assets. "pardon me for our first encounter….i was napping with my children…I always nap in my natural wear…"
"children?" said Wendy and Charla in unison.
"yes..my children.." said the fox woman as she laid down and petted one of the young sleeping pop foxes. "…they are all my children…"
"o-okay…" said Erza as she looks around, the number of Pop Foxes in the room has to be a near hundred or even more. She coughs into her fist once before looking at the fox woman. "who are you?"
"my name..is Yuuko" replied the fox woman, introducing her name to the group while petting one of her children's heads with a smile. "Tenko Yuuko, pleased to meet you"
"I'm Erza, Erza Scarlet" said Erza, introducing herself to Yuuko before she looks at the others and they nodded, except for Gray who is icing his pained eyes.
"I'm Wendy Marvell" "Charla" "Juvia is Juvia Lockser" "I'm G-Gray Fullbuster" everyone introduced themselves to Yuuko who nodded with a smile.
"you are all members of Fairy Tail, no?" asked Yuuko while tilting her head a bit to the side.
"how do you know of that?" asked Erza with a slightly cautious look.
"I hear many things from my daughter of you all" said Yuuko in reply as she turns towards the masked little girl who turns into a puff of pink smoke before revealing Kiara. "she has told many great things of you all"
"Kiara!?" said everyone in unison to meet the pop fox yet again. Kiara squealed as she jumps to the bed and sat down.
"so that's why Wendy said you smelled familiar," said Charla with a smile as Kiara squealed with a nod.
"I must say that you people are as what she describes…" said Yuuko while petting Kiara's head. "…boisterous, loving, and friendly people who are very rowdy during celebrations. Especially the one who always strip.."
"is that what she tells you?" said Gray while crossing his arms and looks at Kiara who squeals.
"just where are we, Yuuko?" asked Erza, getting back to the point.
"you are in the Tenko, the land under the palace of the Emperor" replied Yuuko. "this land has existed before the Emperor's city was built above, this land that is sacred to those who are worthy to know of it"
"are you the master of this land?" asked Juvia as Yuuko nodded.
"I'm sure you all have many questions to me, but I am sure that you all want to ask on where Natsu-dono might be of now" said Yuuko as this got everyone's attention.
"Natsu?" said Gray as Yuuko nodded.
"Natsu-dono returned to Lingyue and arrived here three days ago..he asked for my help in taking care of his children" said Yuuko before the sound of some cries is heard within the chamber. "ara..he is awake.."
"this cry.." said Erza as everyone looks at Yuuko who gently pulls away some of her sleeping children on the bed to reveal Ikki, the child wearing a fluffy fox onesies while crying. "Ikki?!"
"yoshi yoshi…" Yuuko picks Ikki up as the child cries and wails. "you had a good nap, no?...yoshi..yoshi…"
Ikki continue to cry before he slowly sniffles as Yuuko gently wiped his tears away while rocking him back and forth.
"so he did brought Ikki-kun with him" said Juvia, seeing the child again after 4 days.
"Natsu-dono is away for now…and Ikki-kun's mother is somewhere we cannot reach….he asks for me to take care of their young children.." said Yuuko as she slowly slides down the right part of her kimono to reveal her right breast which Ikki started sucking on while Yuuko breastfeeds him. "this young one….misses his mother….he misses his mother's milk…I am taking care of him….till he is returned to his parents…"
"i-I see" said Gray while blushing from the sight of the fox woman's revealed breast.
"Gray-sama is blushing so much! Yuuko-san is a LOVE RIVAL!" thought Juvia in rage and in tears.
"Yuuko, what is this place, just where are we and where did Natsu go to?" asked Erza to Yuuko
"that many question…there is so much that you need to know.." said Yuuko while sighing a bit. "I'm sure that your petite and small friends can answer you…I am rather busy with taking care of this young one…"
"petite and small friends?" asked Erza and the others in unison before the door slides open to reveal Levy and Lily, both wearing yellow and black kimono respectively.
"guys!" said Levy with a smile.
"Levy!?" said everyone in unison.
"took you guys long enough to come here" said Lily with a smile.
"why are you guys here!?" said Gray to the two.
"long story, let's take it somewhere we can converse," said Lily while motioning everyone to get out of the chamber which is like a daycare for Ikki and the young pop foxes.
"Kiara, go with them to the other chamber room so that they can converse properly" stated Yuuko to Kiara who squeals before jumping down the bed and runs to Wendy, the Pop fox climbing up to her head and sat down.
Erza and the others exited the chamber as the doors closed gently and quietly.
Yuuko sighs with a smile before looking at Ikki in her arms, the child finished suckling her milk and is slowly becoming drowsy again.
"fate is such a mysterious thing that cannot be unsolved for centuries, no?" asked Yuuko as she gently laid back on the bed with Ikki as some of the young Pop Foxes got on the bed surrounding the two before they all curled up into fluff balls.
Yuuko closed her eyes as she rested with Ikki who yawns before getting surrounded by many fluff balls.
That's a wrap!
Bye bye
