DAY 3: 21:00 P.M.

~SCARLET~

I opened my eyes; the soft scent of cologne greeted me.

"Christian?" I mumbled, my voice barely a whisper. I felt utterly exhausted like I'd gone to war and returned.

"Hey, baby. You okay?" Christian's hand went through my hair; his lips lowered onto mine. We enjoyed a slow, passionate kiss before we broke apart.

"I feel like I got hit by a truck. Well, I guess we were close to getting hit by an energy ball. I think that's almost the same," I rambled.

Christian sat up, putting the nightstand lamp on before returning his attention to me. I turned to my side, noticing I was only in a loose white t-shirt which I knew was Christian’s from the smell of the cologne he normally wore.

"You scared us, Scar. Never seen Junho freak out like that since...well, the bomb incident," he revealed; his voice grew lower as he glanced away.

I could see the worry in his amethyst eyes. I slowly sat up; Christian helped me before pulling me into his arms.

"I'm sorry. I didn't think it was gonna escalate like that. Everything happened so fast. One minute, Mako and I were gonna head to the showroom for the auction. Next thing I know, we're on Cassandra, trying not to get blown up or shot at," I confessed.

"Cassandra?"

"Mako's Suzuki Hayabusa 5033 dual-quad motorcycle."

"...she names her cars?" he asked.

"Yup. She likes naming things. I think it's cute," I commented.

He grinned. "Everything about Mako is cute. I think her people will love her when she returns to Heila. She will bring new life to the realms," he confessed.

"Are the other realms that bad?" I questioned.

"They aren't bad. It's just many realms are old school. They don't like change. Only a few like Winterlya, Feminara, Heila, and Distala are open to the idea of changing rules and updating their way of life. There are still many areas in the realms that follow the basic ways of living. Since Blair Aspen’s attempt in domination, the other realms, besides us, aren't in any rush in the development or usage of technology. To be honest, I don't think they would have been accepting of phones and stuff if it wasn't for Marcus' pushing," Christian explained.

"Oh. I hope they warm up to new change eventually. I guess with everything that happened in the past, I don't blame them for being so stingy," I replied, resting my head on his bare chest. "We're you able to arrest any suspects?" I asked.

"Only two survived and are currently in critical condition. They're all different shifter races so I'm assuming it was a plan to steal...uh Cassandra," Christian explained.

I smirked at the mention of Mako's new toy. "I guess they didn't expect us to steal it and spoil their plans." I giggled.

Christian’s fingers played with my hair. "Nope. That was a surprise for all of us," he admitted.

"How did you know we needed you?" I asked.

"Well, I got a call from Junho who was freaking the fuck out. I was chilling with Ethan and Elias, who was sleeping until he literally jolted awake. Within a minute we were swerving onto the highway and tracking you guys down. I had to shoot down some reinforcement that was trying to cut you guys off," Christian explained.

"Can Marcus and Elias communicate telepathically? And if you were shooting, who was driving the car?"

"Elias and the others have a special bond communication. They explained to us when Makoto had her sleepwalking episode with the milk. They were gifted the ability to communicate telepathically by the gods as Mako's star knights and are able to communicate regardless of distance. Just difficult the further away they are," Christian explained, allowing a moment to pass before carrying on.

"And Ethan was driving."

I lifted my head up to gawk at him.

"Ethan? Our computer whiz, clumsy Ethan? Who hates when you go past eighty miles per hour was driving like THAT?!" I emphasized, stunned.

"Yup. I made sure Elias taped it for future reference. He did a good job." Christian nodded in approval.

"I'm impressed," I agreed, resting back on his chest again. I yawned, feeling exhausted again.

"You sure you're okay?" he whispered.

"I'm fine, Christian. I'm sorry for worrying you all. I'm still a little unstable from everything that happened. Oh snap! Risuki! Where did he go?" I asked, lifting my head again.

Christian eased me back onto his chest.

"Relax. He's in the corner over there." Christian motioned to the corner of our room – Moonlight was cuddled up with another ball of fur – Nightmare's three tails wagged slowly back and forth. She must have noticed our gaze, opening her mismatched eyes to peer at us.

"Mew?" She stayed in place, tilting her head.

Moonlight didn't move, looking like he was fast asleep.

"Oops. Sorry, Nightmare. Go back to sleep," I encouraged, feeling bad for waking her up.

She relaxed, closed her eyes and cuddled next to Moonlight; her tails glowed a light pink before they wrapped around the both of them.

We stayed silent for a few moments, till we knew she was asleep again.

"Did you take a picture?" I asked, quietly.

Christian grinned, nodding.

"Have a full album and a few Polaroid shots." He winked.

I giggled. "Best boyfriend ever," I joked.

"I know, thank you." He grinned, proudly.

I slapped his chest playfully, before leaning in to kiss him. He relaxed; his hand slid around my waist. We didn't deepen the kisses – just kept them short and sweet.

"You should sleep. You and Mako are supposed to go hiking with Ethan and Elias tomorrow, remember? Then, we're having a campfire in the evening," Christian reminded.

"I remember. Ya, I think I need a bit more sleep," I confessed. What time is it?

"Nine in the evening," Aurora announced.

You're like a biological clock.

"It's just easy for us to tell the time," Serenity revealed.

I shifted slightly in Christian's hold, feeling comfortable in his warm embrace.

"We get to have alone time when we go to the mall this week, right?" I whispered.

"Yup. Cece said after you guys go for milkshakes with Makoto and Eli, she and Vinzent will keep watch to make sure Mako doesn't buy the entire mall and we can have a little date."

"She wouldn't buy the entire mall...wait, could she?" I asked curiously.

"Only daughter of Arthur and Catherine Heart, who are probably the richest royal family in all the realms. Therefore, she certainly could," Christian explained.

"She doesn't realize what a powerful position she's in does she?" I wondered.

"She lived a life never knowing she was of royal background. She appreciates life and for what it is, precious. It can be taken away from you in the snap of your fingers. Many royals don't think of life that way. To be honest, I'm impressed that Marcus and the others are humble. They're all powerful individuals who may rule one day. But, they respect one another and the people they meet. Rare to see in the realms."

"Will I notice? When I visit Feminara one day?" I whispered, letting my eyes close.

"Maybe. But, your grandma is an excellent ruler and I know when you're ready to face that stepping stone, you will be just fine. I can always hide a few bodies if anyone bothers you.”

"Christian."

"A few. Just anyone who bothers you," he defended.

I let out a soft giggle, trying my best to stay awake. "Thank you, Christian," I whispered.

"For?"

"Just being you. I'm glad to have you and the others in my life."

"We're happy to have the opportunity to share you, Scar. We wouldn't want it any other way," he consoled; his hand continued to play with my orange locks.

I relaxed, enjoying the slow rhythm of Christian's heartbeat and the gentle tugs of his fingers playing with my hair. Before I knew it, I was asleep.

~MAKOTO~

"Kai, I can feed myself," I mumbled.

"Princess, you can't even keep your eyes open."

"Yes. I can," I argued, opening my heavy lids for three seconds before they closed again. "See..." I mumbled.

Kai sighed. "I doubt I'm getting any food in ya. I pray to the gods you don't lose weight, or Karen's gonna lecture us," Kai exhaled.

"Hmm. No, she won't," I mumbled.

"Uh huh," Kai retorted.

I heard something cling before the squeak of the bed. I relaxed against the headboard, trying not to doze off. I think I failed, opening my eyes again to find myself nestled in Kai's arms; my head relaxed against his bare chest. The night lamp was on, and his sketchbook rested on his right knee. I silently watched him sketch away – an image of Ryuu holding Lexi in an embrace; his lips pressed against her forehead. In the background was a beautiful red and orange dragon on Ryuu's side and a purple dragon with a mixture of black scales on Lexi's half; the two dragons had their foreheads pressed against each other as the sun began to set in the background.

"It's Lexi's dragon. Is that how Marcus and Ryuu look in dragon form?" I whispered.

Kai paused drawing, looking down at me; I lifted my head to meet his gaze.

"Hey."

"Hi."

"Yes. That's how Marcus and Ryuu look when they shift. It depends on his mood though. They sometimes alter colors," Kai revealed.

"Because he can use ice?" I wondered.

"Marcus is a rare breed. He's a mixture of fire and ice dragon. I think it's due to his mom being an ice dragon and his father, a fire dragon. Either way, his fireside is strong enough to do major damage with little effort. I wouldn't want to see what his ice dragon could do," Kai admitted, continuing to shade Lexi's dragon.

"Kai." I paused as he looked back down at me.

"What's wrong?" he asked, giving me his full attention.

"Why are you so accepting of me? Like...not to say the others aren't...but, we had time to understand one another. With you, it's only been a little over three weeks, yet you treat me like we've known each other for cycles. Why?" I asked.

Out of all my knights, he seemed to be the one who dove right into this relationship with no hint of hesitation. It always lingered in the back of my mind if it was due to our bond or if he was truly okay with sharing me with the other knights.

"Should I not be so accepting?" he countered.

"Well...Ryder knows me from when we were kids. Daniel...is struggling with his past, Marcus confessed he was interested and cared about me, and both Elias and EliaseAnne have been forthcoming. I just...don't get how from day one, you were fine with everything about me. I'm weird...or I guess unique, but not everyone can accept such a change, let alone be willing to date or share that person with four other people," I explained my thoughts.

"Makoto. Your uniqueness is one of the many qualities I love about you. I come from a family where everything you did had to follow a set of rules laid down before you. I didn't have the freedom to do as I pleased. Even your partner is chosen for you, who you'd have to cherish and care for regardless if you loved them or not," he began.

"An arranged marriage?" I asked.

He nodded. "My parents were arranged and though they eventually put away their differences and genuinely loved one another, I didn't want to be put in the same situation. When I was called to be a star knight, I was scared. Not only would I be appointed to protect someone I'd never met, but I'd have to protect them while dealing with the reality of being forced to marry someone when my time of leadership came."

I laid there quietly, wanting to know more.

"I guess you can say, I put the idea in the back of my mind for the longest time. But, when we began the search for you, training day by day, I wondered what this Princess would be like. I could sense Ryder's love for you, even as children. I couldn't fathom how he'd known you for such a short period of time, yet, he adored you and was working till he'd collapse just to get stronger."

He paused, turning his sketchbook to a blank page and started sketching aimlessly while he continued.

"As time went on, and we continued our quest, I wondered what you were like? Of course, we'd seen a picture of your younger self, but I still didn't understand what kind of a child you were. So, I started asking around. It began with the boys, each of them thinking of how you'd be like, then I talked with the staff, the maids, Matthew and Karen, even Winterlya had a memory of you as a child. Anyone I asked had only positive memories and as I gathered more and more information, I began to picture you in my mind and wished to meet this wonderful Princess who was able to warm the hearts of many in the castle."

I turned back to the image on the page – a little version of me with big turquoise eyes, brown hair and a little crown on my head. She was in a puffy pink dress and Nightmare was in my arms, looking up at me.

"It's me?" I asked.

"Yes. There's an image of you in this pose with Nightmare in the castle. It's in the private section where your parents and close family members stay."

"How did you get in there to see it?" I asked.

"Catherine Heart, your mother. I guess she'd heard of my little investigation and decided to show me around the private corridors of the castle. Kade joined in and had tons of stories of all the mischief you'd caused, and he and Xavier would get blamed for it." Kai chuckled as I blushed.

"I was an amazing child," I mumbled, attempting to defend myself.

"Of course. Your sleepwalking self managed to wrap half the castle in toilet paper one night."

I gasped, looking up at him. "No."

"Yes, Princess. They have photos." Kai laughed at my astonished expression.

"Oops?" I shrugged.

"I bet it was worth it," Lily commented, the only spirit currently awake.

I bet it was.

"Anyways. When Ryder and the others finally found you, I was relaxing in my room, drawing away. In one moment, I could feel their relief and adoration all flood in at once. It left me confused as to how all four of them could be affected just by discovering you. Then when I finally got to meet you, in the cutest way might I add, all my fears faded. I knew, regardless of if I had to devote my life to protect you or if I fell in love with you, I would have no regrets," he finished.

I opened my mouth to speak, but I closed it again. He stopped sketching; his hand brushed my cheek as a tear rolled down it.

"Makoto. I know you're struggling to figure this all out. Wondering how everyone is willing to stay by your side. We aren't doing this for personal benefit. We want to be here and enjoy every moment being in your presence. Regardless of the good or bad. I'll never abandon you, and I have no doubt in my mind that the others will not leave either. Including Daniel," he reassured me.

"Thank you, Kai," I whispered, the last set of tears flowing down my cheeks.

He brushed them away, putting his sketchbook and multicolor mechanical pencil on the nightstand. He turned the light off, changing positions so we laid on our sides. His arm tightened around my waist, bringing me closer to him.

"You’re welcome, Princess," he replied, leaning forward to kiss me.

I closed my eyes, enjoying the softness of his lips against mine as we kissed. I pulled away to ask a question. "Kai? What about your spirit?" I asked.

"Hinotori?" he asked.

"That's your phoenix’s name?" I asked.

He nodded. "Yup. Hinotori Akiyama. He's shy." Kai grinned. His eyes flickered – glowing amber ones took over.

"I'm not shy. Good evening, Princess of Heila," Hinotori greeted.

I smiled. "Hello, Hinotori. Your name means...phoenix?" I asked, remembering I’d read the word in a Japanese book.

"Yes. Have you heard of it before?" he pondered.

"I read it in a book of Japanese history and mythological shifters when I was in the facility," I explained.

He nodded, frowning. "I wish you hadn't had to learn about my culture in such circumstances, but if you ever want to know more about Japan or me, just let me know." He smirked.

Damn, that confidence.

"Me like," Lily mumbled.

Do you want to say hi?

"No," Lily replied.

I could feel her embarrassment. I grinned. "Lily wants to talk to you, but she's beyond sh–" I began until Lily shoved me aside, taking over.

"I'm not shy! Just...um...hello," she greeted, blushing.

Hinotori’s smile widened. "I wondered when I'd get to meet you," he whispered; his hand brushed gently against our cheek.

UM, you guys want alone time? I can ditch, you know, I pointed out, giggling.

I felt Lily roll her eyes.

"Makoto's teasing me," Lily muttered.

Hinotori chuckled.

"Don't worry, Kai does the same when I don't take full control. Let's chat more when we reach Heila," he suggested.

Lily nodded. "I'd like that," she replied.

They both smiled in farewell before giving us both control.

I blinked a few times, shaking off the seconds of disorientation before meeting Kai's amused expression. We both broke out into laughter.

"Does that mean I get to learn more about Kai when we get to Heila?" I asked.

"Is there something specific you want to know?" he asked.

I took a moment to ponder; the image of the pink rose mirror popped into my mind. "Why do you carry that pretty mirror with you?" I asked.

He gave me a sad smile, causing me to frown. "It's a rather long story. Also, I don't want to make you sad," he replied.

"You'll tell me when we're in Heila?" I pushed, hoping he'd tell me eventually.

He nodded. "I promise I will," he confirmed.

I nodded, snuggling closer to him. He pulled up the blanket, pressing me against his chest before he relaxed.

"Makoto."

"Yes, Kai?"

"No matter what the future has in store for us, know I'll always be by your side."

"No matter what," I repeated.

He patted my back, gently. "No matter what. Rain or shine, good or bad, I'll always be by your side and never give up on you," he vowed.

"Okay," I whispered, closing my eyes as I smiled.

And I'll always be there for my Kai.