A few months later, time had passed again after Natsu's departure from the Kingdom. The dragon is no longer to be found by anyone after the King made a request to find any clues of his current whereabouts. Right now, there's no more news from anyone regarding any red dragon sightings which ended the search for Natsu.

At the castle of Mercurius, Toma is currently walking in the hallway of his castle with the accompany of Arcadios and Darton.

"How are things with our international relations?" Toma asks Darton.

"We are having some troubles with Veronica and such, but we have continued a strong relations with Bosco, Iceberg and Seven." Darton replied while rubbing a handkerchief to the side of his face. "However we have continuous demands from Isvan and its neighboring kingdoms regarding some rumors that have spread."

"I see.." Toma spoke as he sigh a bit. "it would seem that this is a matter that isn't easily solved."

"Your Majesty." Arcadios looks at the King. "regarding another matter that isn't easily solved.."

"I know." Toma nodded as he frowns. "I know very well about her condition, Arcadios." He sighs and then looks at the knight. "Do your best to look after her condition for now." He looks to the front. "I'll try to think of something to comfort her mood."

"Yes." Arcadios nodded.

The King and his associates walk in the hallway before they stopped as the small ruler of Fiore went and gaze upon the sky from an opened window.

Meanwhile, in the Castle's Garden.

Hisui is found sitting upon the grass all alone while hugging the red dragon scale that Natsu left for her. The princess cradling the object close to her chest as it is the last thing that her friend gave her before disappearing.

"Natsu…" Hisui muttered out softly while crying a bit as she has been missed her one and only best friend in the world. The princess had once stayed in her room for almost a month or so and without any contact with her father, Arcadios, or anyone in any matter. She is only out of her room now after Toma managed to persuade her to come out at least a few times.

Hisui cradles the scale closer as she can feel the warmth of a fire that just emanates from the object.

"Just why did you have to leave?" Hisui asks while shedding some tears that dripped down to the scale. "Why?"

As Hisui just cries in sadness from longing her best friend while being all alone in the garden. Toma and Arcadios were watching her from the sidelines all quietly as they just look at the princess while frowning.

"To lose one's close friend is alike to lose one's precious piece of the heart." Toma spoke out in a wise tone before he sighs while closing his eyes. "and to lose one's precious piece of the heart is akin to lose one's happiness."

"From The Book of the Heart, Your highness?" Arcadios asks and Toma nodded. "I see.." the knight sighs a bit and frowns while looking at Hisui who stood up and slowly walks out of the garden. "truly…meeting that boy made the happiness that the princess once lost to return and yet.."

"With his departure, her own happiness followed after him." Toma said as he frowns even more. "If I was more wise in my decision against Silverspark and his followers…"

"Your Highness, you cannot blame yourself." Arcadios spoke out. "It was without our knowing that…"

"I know, Arcadios." Toma nodded. "but as a Father and a King, I should've prioritize my entire Kingdom's safety." He then looks at Hisui who disappears into a corner hallway. "and that of my own daughter as well."

The time passes as the sky changed from blue to orange.

Hisui passes the time of hers by reading the book of dragons that she had read nearly a thousand times before. The princess is now currently in her room just sitting by her table and reading by her studies.

Gently turning a page, Hisui reads the already memorized content of the book. The princess now reading about how Dragons have the capability to read the human's heart as she looks at the image of a human placing their hands on the head of a dragon who is leaning down to that person.

"reading…the heart.." Hisui whispers before she shed a single tear that she wiped away. "Why couldn't I read yours instead?"

Placing the book to the side, Hisui leans forward then lies her head and arms on the table. The princess seeming to always be sad after the departure of her friend who is nowhere to be found.

"Natsu…just where did you go?" Hisui asks in a soft whispering voice.

Hisui shed her tears that drips and pools up upon the table, the princess cries as she longs for her first friend.

As the princess cries her tears, a dark shadow grew behind her as this shadow is lurking around undetected and slithers like a snake seeking for prey.

"Just where did you go, Natsu?" Hisui whispers. "just where did you go?"

'The answer to that would be in the future.'

a dark voice spoke out from nowhere as this surprised Hisui who stood up and looks around her room.

"Who?" Hisui looks around the room as she tried to find out who had talked to her. "Who is here?"

"Those are questions that has answers in the future, Princess Hisui E Fiore."

The voice spoke as Hisui tried to find the source of the voice while getting herself to a safe position. The princess not knowing that the dark shadow was just lurking below her feet.

"You seek your friend. You seek the dragon who you have befriended, but you will be reunited with him. in the future."

"in the future?" Hisui whispers as she looks around and then sees the dark shadow that lurks upon her shadow. "who are you?"

"My name is of no purpose or use to you, Princess. What matters now is what I can teach you in the future. What matters is your cooperation for the future."

"What do you mean by that?" Hisui asks.

"I am a Shadow. A shadow casted by the time of the future which is soon to come. That is why you must learn what I have to offer and learn to prepare for what is to come to your future."

The shadow lurks around before it grew a form of a pure black human man standing before Hisui.

"Cooperate with me and I can assure you that in the future. You shall be reunited with your friend who you long for."

The shadow man held out a hand to Hisui who watches this very figure.

"How can I know if this is the truth?" the princess asks. "how can I even trust a stranger like you?"

"you can't, but you will."

The shadow man's hand becomes dark for a moment before it materializes a red dragon scale that looks similar to the one that Hisui has in her possession, but this one seems older, dirtier, and rather scarred.

"After all, your friend's very life depends on the outcome of your actions."

Hisui looks at the scale with wide eyes as she just felt rather complicated and rather hesitant to see the scale before she looks a bit determined at the shadow man who revealed a glowing sharp white eye that just stares at her.

"so? what it shall be? Princess Hisui?"

That's a wrap!

Bye bye