"M'am!"

Hisui turned as two Royal Guards appeared before her, "Renault! Pheo!"

Tomo was sitting with Hisui, having breakfast. Seeing the famished expressions on the guards' faces, Tomo gestured for them to sit, indicating to a nearby maid that 2 more plates would be needed. Hesitation lined both their faces…sit? With the King and his daughter for breakfast?

"It's fine!" Tomo insisted, "Please – sit with us and tell us your news. We're having pumpkin spiced pancakes and pumpkin spiced eggs."

Pumpkin spiced eggs sounded pretty great to the two Royal Guards compared to what they'd seen yesterday. The maid returned, setting new places at the table. Immediately, the two guards dug in.

Tomo and Hisui waited for the guards to situate their plates before letting their curiosity get the better of them.

"Where did you come from?" Hisui asked finally.

Renault, the larger of the two guards poured himself some orange juice, "The Celestial Kingdom. We've just briefed the Celestial King on the status of our mission."

Tomo waited expectantly, "And?"

"We bring this note from Arcadios," Renault passed Princess Hisui the note.

"We have taken the House of Aranthos. Spirits remain relatively positive, although the Ice Demon Slayer and the Water Mage have suffered a dose the reality of what could happen once we reach our destination. We are trying to find the gateway, but will start in the morning. It has been confirmed that demons are searching for the Princess's location. Please vacate the castle immediately and go to Fairy Tail With Renault and Pheo. Fairy Tail will protect you. ~Arcadios~"

"The first stage is completed," Pheo informed them, "We have control of the House of Aranthos."

"But that's not all," Renault added, "The two disguised as demons…they found out there is indeed a bounty out for you. Our orders are to escort you to Fairy Tail through the Celestial Kingdom. Fairy Tail will protect you."

Tomo and Hisui exchanged glances. Hisui slowly lowered her toast to her plate, suddenly not all that hungry.

"I'm not going anywhere yet," Hisui said firmly, "My place is here. The people of Fiore are already panicking with the extra walls being built around each city. If I leave Crocus, wide-spread panic will ensue – and we don't even know that there will be a problem yet. Maybe the next parts of the infiltration will go smoothly and there will be no reason to alarm anyone unnecessarily."

"While I agree with you on some points," Tomo locked eyes with Hisui, "I also agree that with a bounty on your head, it's only a matter of time before the demons mobilize their units and come for you. Whether I'm your adoptive father or not, I am still your father and I agree the safest place for you right now is with Fairy Tail. I will remain here in Crocus to keep up appearances. Security is up and Sabertooth has done an excellent job re-enforcing the city walls. You needn't worry about the people of Fiore. We are strong and resilient."

Hisui's face reflected the worry on her face, "But, Papa!"

"NO BUTS!" the King stood up, still several feet shorter than his daughter, but intimidating none-the-less, "YOU NEED TO GO TO FAIRY TAIL!"

Catching himself, the King realized he was full-on yelling, "I'm sorry, my dear."

Hisui nodded, "I do understand, Papa…but I don't want to leave you. And what about the people?"

"It's only for a little while," he promised, laying a hand on her shoulder, "Just until the threat has passed. The people will see me going about my daily routine and they won't know you're gone. Renault and Pheo just said they're taking you through the Celestial gates to get to Fairy Tail."

"Okay," Hisui said softly, "I'll go."

Pheo and Renault stood up, having scarfed their breakfasts.

"Sir," Renault said, "Our orders were to take you both."

Tomo waved him off, "Your orders were from Arcadios. MY orders, the orders of your King, is take Hisui. I will maintain appearances here at the castle."

"We will protect her with our lives, your Majesty," Pheo promised, bowing to the King.

"I know," Tomo said, hugging his daughter, "I have no doubt that everything will be fine."

Renault and Pheo flanked Hisui on either side. In a flash of light, they were gone.

"Godspeed," Tomo whispered. He turned to the guard at the door, "We need to heighten security even more around Crocus. And please ask Sabertooth to come see me. I need to talk to Sting."


Hisui took her first glance around the Celestial Kingdom in hundreds of years. It was pretty much what the villagers drew pictures of, being that she didn't actually have memories of the place herself. Clouds and grand buildings. Everything was beautiful and full of light. Golden gates lined the perimeter, fencing off immaculate buildings. Emotion flooded her. She didn't want to be here. The sooner they left for Fairy Tail, the better.

"This should have been your playground when you were growing up," a deep, masculine voice said from beside her.

Hisui turned, noticing the Celestial King and Queen standing beside her. Renault and Pheo had both bowed.

"Let's go," she said to Pheo and Renault, "Please take me to Fairy Tail now."

Renault and Pheo went to flank her when her the Queen put a gentle hand on their shoulders.

"Please give us a moment with our daughter," Atria said to them. They obeyed immediately, walking off.

Hisui stared down her parents, unsure of what to say.

"I'm sorry," the Celestial King said, almost forlornly, "This is not how I envisioned our lives."

"I've had a good life," Hisui protested, "I love the people of Fiore and I love Papa. I don't belong here."

"But you do!" Atria exclaimed, trying to pull Hisui into a hug, "You're our daughter and the light of our lives. You belong here with us. Once the threat is terminated, we're going to make everything up to you. We promise."

Hisui ripped out of her grip, "I don't WANT you to make it up to me! I've had a good life! I don't need you and I don't want –" she turned around in a circle, gesturing to the world around her, "THIS. I don't want it! I want to go back to my Papa and serve the people of Fiore!"

"Hisui," the King said softly, "Please…try to give us a chance. I was just trying to protect you from an age-old war that has little to nothing to do with you. You were never supposed to become a pawn in it."

"Did it ever occur to you –" Hisui had tears streaming down her face, "that I don't have to be involved? I can go back to my life, deny that you're my parents, and I'll be perfectly safe."

Atria felt a pang of pain shoot through her. Deny that you're my parents.

This conversation was going much like the previous times the Celestial King and Queen tried to talk to their daughter. When the Celestial King explained Hisui's past to her after Lucy when missing, Hisui was so shocked, she couldn't react. He told her that Natsu would come to her, but then burst into tears. It was highly strange for a Celestial King to come talk to a human directly, let along burst into tears in front of her. By the time he'd finished his story about him being her father, Hisui was numb. She didn't know how to react.

She had seen the celebration the King threw when Atria returned to the Celestial Heavens. Streamers of rainbow danced down to Earthland. Hisui didn't know how to react to it. If her mother was home, why didn't they come for Hisui? Did she want them to?

The second time they'd approached her was at Lucy and Natsu's wedding. They'd tried to catch her as she was leaving Magnolia in her carriage, appearing before Arcadios and her in the carriage, but unseen to anyone else. At that time, she had lashed out. It was unfair that they kept her past from her.

Finally, just a few weeks ago, the King had appeared once more to warn her of the possibility that they would once again be headed to war. His Royal Guard had tracked down and killed a group of demons that had already discovered the location of the princess. Thankfully, it seemed they had gotten to the group before anyone else could be notified, but he couldn't wait any longer. He had to destroy the threat before anything else could happen.

The King's face was solemn, but he would not back down. It seemed persistence was a trait originating from Heaven as her parents faced her.

"Hisui," the King sighed heavily, "We understand why you're angry. Please…please give us another chance. We sent you to Fiore to protect you. In turn, you protected Fiore so many times, we've lost count. You and Tomo have been kind, just rulers of Fiore. We are so proud. But you have another home. We just want a chance to know you."

"Maybe you should have thought about that before sending me away," Hisui spat back, motioning for Renault and Pheo to come back, "Most parents protect their kids by staying with them. Might want to consider that before shoving yourselves in my face. It's a little too late for you to play the good parents."

Turning her back, she marched over to where Renault and Pheo were waiting. In a blinding flash of light, they disappeared.

"She'll come around," the King promised his wife, who was wiping tears from her face.

Atria sighed heavily, "Maybe she's right though. Maybe we should have called for her when I came back. She may have understood then."

"And what would happen to Fiore?" the King groaned, "I knew it was only a matter of time before my brother reared his ugly head. Let's hope that the mission will be a success."

He glanced to his left, his Celestial Eye traveling several miles to show him the Celestial spirits training hard.

"We'll be ready," he promised his wife, "We will support Earthland with every spirit we have. Then maybe our daughter will see how much we love her."