~MAKOTO~

"Why is Ethan staring at me like I threw him over the table or something?" I questioned, noticing Ethan's intense gaze.

I sat at the island on my pink stool, finishing my blueberry pancakes that Elias and Ethan created for me. I'd woken up in a white chair that was in the corner of the kitchen with an empty glass of milk in my hand.

I wasn't too surprised about that occurrence, as it happened many times back in Minato, but I realized that my knights and Scarlet's friends were all in the kitchen, helping clean up what I assumed was breakfast.

Ryder had come over to tell me to come eat like he usually did when I woke up from my sleepwalking adventures in my designated corner. I obeyed, sitting on my pink stool which I had no idea the boys had brought with them for the trip. All six of our stools were around Junho's kitchen island as if they were meant to be there.

I was going to inquire when they brought them, but wanted to get some food in me – my stomach let the world know I was starving.

"Oh, don't mind him. He's just upset that you threw him over the island this morning." Cece brushed off, a tub of ice cream in her hand as she leaned against the fridge.

"Threw him...over the island?" I inquired, thinking my ears had malfunctioned.

"You did," Midnight announced.

I. Did. Not.

"Yep, you most certainly did," Rose began.

"It was pretty epic," Hope noted.

"It was funny as hell! Hearing him scream was cute," Lily pointed out.

"They took a video. I wanna watch the re-run," Lexi expressed.

Marcus walked over to my side, rubbing my back soothingly.

"It's alright, Mako. It was pretty epic." He chuckled.

"Wait, she threw Ethan?" Kai asked.

"She did. Hold on, let me pull the video." Jaxson laughed.

"Don't play that again," Ethan complained.

Jaxson ignored him, heading over towards us at the island. Scarlet, who returned with Cece in casual attire, joined the little crowd of us in peering over to see the video. Jaxson pressed play.

I gawked at the recording; Ethan attempting to block me from what looked like me trying to head for the fridge.

"Guys, help! How is this girl so strong—AH!" Ethan cried out as I watched sleepwalking me lift him up, turning towards the island and tossing him over the guys and heading straight for the floor.

"AIR!" Scarlet had called out, summoning the wind to catch Ethan. I glanced to look at her.

"Scarlet? You can use the elements? What are you? A mage?" I asked, curious. I could sense her aura was very unique – a mix of multiple colors, but I just assumed she was a magician of some sort.

"Uh...I'm a shifter," she admitted.

"You don't give off a shifter aura, though," I mumbled, returning to the video which stopped right before I reached the fridge.

"Does no one feel sorry for me?" Ethan complained.

"Why? You didn't get hurt," Cece commented.

"Of course, he's hurt. Makoto hurt his man pride," Christian commented; the others chuckled while Ethan groaned.

"Fuck you." Ethan motioned to Christian, Jaxson, and Junho who were still laughing.

"My bad," I apologized, blushing. Oops.

"It's all good, Makoto. It was fun to watch. Junho's going to get you some milk. He was gonna go earlier, but we decided we would get to know everyone a bit more and maybe play an icebreaker game or something? Though, I think we all get along pretty well," Scarlet admitted, glancing around the room.

"What's an icebreaker?" I asked.

"Huh? They are different types of games a group of people play to get to know each other. Like breaking the ice. You've never done it before?" Scarlet asked, frowning.

I shook my head. "Um...no," I replied, frowning.

"It's okay! Why don't I start and we’ll go around?" she replied, giving me a soft smile.

I smiled back, sitting up. Elias came over and grabbed my plate and empty milk glass. I thanked him quickly before returning my attention to Scarlet.

"My name is Scarlet Sinclair. I'm twenty-five and am a rookie at PINC which is a criminal investigation organization down here," she began.

"PINK? As in the store Marcus buys me cute clothes from? Why would a clothing store need criminal investigators? Are they selling illegal clothes?" I pondered.

Junho, who was in the middle of drinking a cup of water, choked, coughing before he started laughing. Marcus and the others snickered. Scarlet grinned.

"No Makoto, PINC as in Paranormal INC. It's just shorter to call it PINC. We hunt down bad shifters," Scarlet disclosed.

"Ah. That makes sense. Wait, does that mean pink is your like color? Is your badge pink?" I asked.

"Well...it's not really our color, but to answer your question, yes it's pink," she replied.

"Shut up! Really? Can I see?" I beamed.

"You like pink, don't you?" Cece asked, continuing to eat her ice cream.

"Yes! It's a pretty color," I announced. I stared at the ice cream tub she held. "Are you going to finish all of that?" I asked.

"Yup," she replied.

"But, you just ate breakfast," I countered.

"Ignore Cece. Her disgusting ice cream habits would lead anyone else to the hospital with how many tubs of ice cream she can eat," Christian mumbled, outstretching his hands and resting them behind his head as he relaxed in his seat at the dining table.

"Fuck you too, Christian. Since the attention is on me, I'll formally introduce myself. My name is Cece Alexandra Rose. I love ice cream and wham bars. I'm pretty good at foretelling what's about to happen in life. The end," she introduced.

"And she has OCD," Ethan whispered.

She glared at him. "Hush up, anxiety boy," she countered.

"Hey. My anxiety is minor compared to your level of OCD," he argued.

"Is this what icebreakers are supposed to lead to?" I asked Scarlet who sighed.

"No. Those two just get into unnecessary arguments from time to time," she replied.

"Why don't we just go around and introduce ourselves without anyone commenting. Ethan continue and go around till we reach Makoto," Jaxson ordered.

Ethan sighed, ruffling his ash blue, ombre hair. "Ethan Roseblade. I'm twenty-four from Australia. My accent comes out sometimes, and I get anxious from time to time. I'm the computer genius in our team and a tad clumsy," he introduced, nodding his head in our direction.

"A tad clumsy? More like clumsy central," Christian mumbled to Junho.

"Christian. Why don't you go next?" I grinned at his frown.

"Fine. Christian Ross. I'm twenty-nine and was born in Ireland. I'm also a part of PINC and pretty much the getaway driver," he explained.

Getaway driver? Like in those Earthala shows Marcus watches?

"Yes, Makoto. Those shows," Marcus replied to my outspoken thoughts.

"Cool! Can we go for a speed ride?" I beamed.

"No," all of them replied in unison.

I frowned. "Aww, why? It looks fun in the movies. There are even explosions," I emphasized, using my hands to demonstrate a huge explosion.

They all gawked at me.

"Hey guys, can we have her?" Christian asked.

"Hey, hands off. She's our girlfriend," Daniel argued.

I looked at Daniel who pulled his glasses off, narrowing his eyes at them and Scarlet's group.

"Aww, he's being all protective of you." Hope's voice sang happily in my mind.

"Right? Boys always act like that when other guys show interest in their girl," Lexi commented.

"So, you are all dating her," Cece pointed out.

I blushed, looking at the guys who began getting flustered except for Kai, who relaxed in his stool.

"Yup, she's ours. So, hands off," he declared, giving her confident smirk.

"Smooth," Ethan commented.

"You should be more confident like that, Ethan," Jaxson commented.

"Guys, introductions? Icebreaker in session," Scarlet reminded, waving her hands.

"Oh, yea," I replied.

She crossed her arms but smiled. "Let's continue. Junho." She gestured to him.

"Junho Bom Suk. I'm Korean, but spent some time in Russia since my family traveled a lot. I'm the owner of a few businesses, particularly car dealerships. A pleasure to meet all of you," he introduced.

I raised my hand, causing him to grin.

"Yes, Makoto."

"Do you have a motorcycle like Marcus?" I inquired.

"Yes, I have owned a few models," he revealed.

I grinned. Maybe he'll let us drive one.

Ryder and Kai snickered, while Marcus shook his head.

"Firefly, you can't tell us your diabolical plans of riding Junho's motorcycle. And no, he won't let you ride one or I'll murder him," Marcus announced.

"Murder is such a strong word," Junho complained, rolling his eyes.

"Darn. Okay next," I announced, looking at Jaxson.

"Jaxson White. I'm the leader of our team at PINC. I also own a few businesses, and I was born in Switzerland. I actually know Ryder from when we were teens," he revealed.

We all turned to Ryder.

"You two know each other?" Marcus asked, shocked.

"Yeah," Ryder replied.

"How? And how come we’re all finding out about this now?" Ethan asked.

"Because he accidentally kicked my ass," Jaxson revealed.

We turned back to face him.

"What?" Scarlet and I said together. We glanced at Jaxson and Ryder; Jaxon's bulk structure and six-six height against Ryder who was five-eight with a slimmer build.

Ryder sighed.

"I came down to Earthala to get something for my mother and ended up delayed. I had to spend the night and decided to go get a drink. Basically, I pissed off a group of crooks and they wanted to teach me who was boss in the dark alleyway of the bar. Jaxson over there came to assist, but I assumed he was a part of the crew and accidentally knocked him out. He wasn't out for long; Agni took over and explained he was on my side and ya. We keep in touch occasionally and go out for drinks when I come down to Earthala," he explained.

"So that's where you go when we come down here," Daniel huffed.

"He couldn't even invite us to come with," Marcus replied, looking hurt.

"Oh, suck it up. You don't ask him to go with you when you come to Earthala every month," Kai brushed off.

I giggled at their exchange.

"I wanna see Ryder fight Jaxson. And wait, who's Agni?" I asked.

"My spirit, Makoto," Jaxson replied. His eyes flickered to a bright amber, a seductive smile morphed on his lips.

"Pleasure to meet you, Princess. Glad to see you’re in good hands."

I gawked at him, glancing at my side to see the others shocked expressions.

"Princess? Agni, why do you call everyone female Princess?" Ethan mused.

"I don't call everyone Princess, and I suggest you all show some respect to Makoto over there. Or should I refer to your real name, Makoto?" he questioned.

The others all glanced at me.

"Real name?" Cece asked.

"Wait, Makoto? You're a Princess too?" Scarlet asked, astonished.

"Too? What do you mean too? You're a Princess?" I replied.

"Uh..." she trailed off.

"I thought they wouldn't find out," Daniel whispered.

"Ya, or at least maybe in the middle of the trip," Marcus whispered back.

I sighed. "We all can hear you," I revealed.

"Maybe, we should skip everyone else and go straight to the details," Cece proposed.

Well, this was unexpected.

~SCARLET~

"Wait....you’re the stolen Princess of Heila! The one in the book that was kidnapped on her sixth birthday who simply vanished with no leads for years?" I exclaimed.

We had moved into the living room; Makoto and her group of men on one half of the oversized room and myself, the guys and Cece on the opposite side.

"Yup. Well, I didn't know I was until four rotations ago...wait, guys aren't we supposed to not tell anyone?" Makoto asked, glancing on both sides; Kai and Ryder sat on her left; Marcus Daniel and Elias sat on her right.

"Only the King and Queens of the other Realms know of Makoto's existence and even those individuals have been limited depending on the realm. Realms Two to Eight and Ten have been notified and they've been sworn to secrecy with magic," Ryder explained.

"What about Nine?" I asked, curious why the realm was left out. We all knew about Realm One which was basically no man's land.

I noticed Ryder exchange looks with Elias; his eyes returned to mine.

"We're dealing with a situation in Miolana. We’d rather play it safe with them for now till that issue is solved," Ryder disclosed.

We all nodded, knowing what it meant by 'dealing with a situation'. It was code for the government or hierarchy can't be trusted.

"So, Makoto’s not your real name?" I asked.

"My real name is Rosalina Heart, Princess of Realm Eight, Heila," she announced with a stern voice.

I felt the power leak off her; my body automatically shivered at her introduction. Holy shit, she's powerful.

"She's definitely royalty. I can sense her power," Aurora acknowledged.

"She hides it well," Serenity admitted.

"Um...do we bow? Cause my body is telling me to bow," Ethan admitted.

Makoto blinked as if coming out of the trance she was in. She shook her head. "No. I'm banning bowing," she announced proudly.

"Um, are you even able to do that?" Junho asked, looking uncomfortable.

"Elias said I could. I don't care, I will make it a law," she argued.

I smiled. For a Princess, she's very humble.

"She wasn't raised in the kingdom," Serenity pointed out.

"Where was she raised then?" Aurora pondered.

"Makoto? Where were you then all this time?" I asked. I noticed her change in expression; a glimpse of sadness flashed in those turquoise eyes.

"Have you heard of the facility?" she asked.

"I read about them. Hidden organizations in different realms that kidnap and experiment on shifters. Once you're in, it's almost impossible to get out alive. Most shifters die behind those walls," I disclosed, remembering my lessons from Cece.

When I learned that such facilities existed, it pissed me off. I could feel the anger in the elements as well, wishing there was something I could do to solve the growing reality to many of our kind around the realms.

She crossed her legs, lowering the hoodie of her unicorn onesie.

"I lived in a facility since I was six cycles, till four rotations ago."

*Silence*

No one said a word, all of us shocked at what she'd just revealed.

She survived the facility? The place where people were tortured daily and got their blood drained out of them till they could barely survive?

I opened my mouth to speak, but was left speechless.

Makoto relaxed in the cushions, seeming unbothered by our silence. She continued, "It's not a big deal. It is what it is. Sure, I'm not gonna deny the fact is was hard. Every day was a fight for my life. Shifters were placed in a room and by the end of the session, there was always one left standing. We had experiments done on us from electrocution sessions, blood withdrawals, and other stuff I don't want to talk about. Do I wish I could get my childhood back? Sometimes...but, I doubt I'd be the individual I am today. Life is so sacred, and humans and shifters take advantage of such freedom. You don't understand how precious freedom is until it's taken away from you," she whispered the last part, staring straight into my eyes.

I didn't think before I acted, standing up to my feet and walking to Makoto. She didn't move, eyeing me as I knelt before her. I reached out and grabbed her hand in mine, my body ready to see exactly how bad her childhood had been. It was as if it needed the validation of what Makoto had been through in order to desire justice.

My surroundings shifted; the bright living room turned into a dimly lit cell. I saw Makoto in the corner of the cell in a brown dress that barely covered her assets. She had chains around her bruised wrists and multiple wounds and blood stains on her arms and legs. The walls were filled with mold and there was only one small window above that showed nothing but darkness outside.

Her eyes glanced up to meet mine; hollow eyes filled with sadness and despair. It was the complete opposite of the girl sitting in the living room in her pink unicorn onesie, who smiled and laughed with ease. My heart clenched for this woman, and the elements within me were just as upset.

I pulled out of the vision, taking a moment to re-orientate myself, overhearing the guys behind me.

"She has the power of foresight. She can see the past or future with a simple touch of her palm," Jaxson explained to the others.

Makoto was silent, staring at me.

I took a deep breath, allowing the words to flow out of my lips. "Princess of Heila. You've grown to be wise and loving, regardless of the multiple obstacles and tribulations. Know that the elements mourn the past you've had to endure for sixteen years. However, understand that the clock has already begun to tick as justice approaches. You will obtain justice for the wrongdoings and years lost. And you will end up victorious. I, the Elemental will ensure that."

I didn't know what power had taken over, but I needed to make sure she knew I would help her any way I could. No one deserved to live a past like hers. I remained in shock that she could smile and appreciate life without a hint of hate in her. She wasn't tainted with inner rage or aimed to destroy the people who contributed to her suffering. She accepted the reality that shit happens, and she'd moved forward and was grateful for being free of those shackles that held her captive for years.

"In stars we trust," she replied; her hand that was in mine glowed a beautiful pink while my hand markings began to glow a bright orange.

Neither of us knew what was happening, but it was as if we'd initiated our own bond. I knew that when the time came, I'd protect and fight alongside her, and she'd do the same for me.

We blinked out of our trance, both of us yawning.

"I'm tired," I confessed.

Makoto smiled. "Me too," she laughed.

I felt a hand land on my back; Jaxson's worried expression met mine.

"You okay? You went into vision mode and then into a trance," he reminded.

"Just tired, but I'm fine," I reassured him.

"Mako?"

I turned to see Daniel inquiring if Mako was okay. She looked fine, just a small sign of exhaustion registered on her face.

"I'm fine. I'm not taking a nap," Mako replied, scrunching her face which caused me to laugh.

Dammit, how is she so cute?

"Princess? How did you get out of the facility then? I know how hard it is to escape," Junho asked; his gaze turned to Marcus for a split second.

I glanced at Marcus who simply nodded, but turned his attention back to Mako.

"Ryder, Daniel, Elias, and Marcus broke in and saved me. Kai was back in Heila keeping guard," she replied.

Kai nodded.

"We're her star knights. We'd somehow all managed to reach Heila when Makoto was kidnapped sixteen years ago. We were told by a fortune teller that we were her star knights and would help her rid the darkness. Since then, we’ve trained in hopes of finding her one day. We discovered a hidden facility, and Makoto was there. Our duty now is to return her to Heila which is six days from now," he explained.

Ryder continued, "We thought it would be a good break for her to come down and enjoy the culture of Earthala."

"Plus, she did get a perfect score at school, so we owed her," Elias added.

"Wow," I commented, needing a moment to process.

Jaxson helped me up, and we both returned to the couch before another question popped into my head.

"Wait so you’re all from different realms?" I asked, curious.

They glanced at one another, turning to Makoto. She nodded her head, giving them permission to continue. Ryder, Daniel, Elias, Marcus, and Kai stood up.

"Ryder Carter, future heir of Realm Five, Minato."

"Daniel Moore, heir candidate of Realm Ten, ArchAilennia."

"Elias Kingsley, future heir of Realm Nine, Miolana."

"Marcus Hunt, heir candidate of Realm Seven, Distala."

"Kai Akiyama, future heir of Realm Four, Phentailia."

They sat back down, waiting for us to say something. I glanced at the others’ shocked expressions, only Junho looking not in the least bit surprised. Ethan pulled out his phone, typing away before he looked at each of them.

"Shit, they're legit," he announced.

"There's an app for that?" Makoto asked, tilting her head in confusion.

"It's not an app, uh Princess? It's a royal directory. I can input a name, and it will let me know if that person is of royal background. We used the same thing for Scar," he disclosed.

Mako turned to eye me. "You're a princess too, right?" Makoto asked me.

"Yes. I only found out recently, but I'm Scarlet Sinclair, future heir of Realm Three Feminara," I announced.

They took a moment to give me a good up and down look.

"Seems legit," Daniel whispered.

"Ya, she does have similarities to Queen Neptune," Elias whispered back.

"The orange hair runs in the family," Marcus whispered.

"You could sense her power too," Ryder noted.

"She's the granddaughter of Queen Neptune?" Kai inquired.

"How are you the future heir when you have a mom who hasn't taken the throne yet?" Makoto asked, looking confused.

I gave her a sad smile. "My mom was murdered," I said simply.

They froze, gawking at me.

"That's...not possible? It's against Starlight Law," Makoto argued.

Christian sighed.

"We know. We kinda just found this out recently, so we're trying to figure out who the culprit is and why it's been accepted by the gods," he explained.

Mako stared at me for a moment, closing her eyes.

I sensed the sudden shift of power in the air, causing all of us to stare at Makoto. "Mako?" I asked.

"This has happened before," Ryder admitted.

"What's happened before?" Elias asked.

"Watch," Ryder replied.

Mako's eyes opened; bright pink orbs meeting mine.

Holy shit; her eyes changed completely.

"Everything happens for a reason. You all may question why events are overlooked, while others receive the maximum punishment. Mother Galaxy works in mysterious ways and even us, the gods, cannot interfere. It's up to you to decide what path you want to take in this life, and those decisions will determine your final destination," she revealed.

I didn't understand why, but my body felt calm with her words.

She continued, "Nevertheless, the clock is already beginning to tick away. Your union is not by accident, nor will the following events that occur in your paths be by accident. Trust your instincts, don't lose sight of your ambitions, and never forget the people who love and cherish you. The gods will assist you when we can," she concluded.

We all exchanged glances, nodding in approval.

"Thank you?" I whispered, unsure who exactly we were currently talking to. I was unsure of Mako's spirits, but this didn't feel like a spirit. No, it felt like a higher being taking control and using Mako's body as a host.

She nodded before her eyes closed; Mako leaned forward. Ryder and Marcus stopped her from falling off the couch.

"Mako?" Marcus asked.

I noticed her slow breathing. "She fell asleep?" I questioned.

Ryder nodded. "Something similar happened recently when we went to visit my family. She went into the same trance," Ryder revealed.

"You think it was a god?" Kai asked.

Elias stared at Makoto before he answered. "I think that was Nightmare," he stated confidently.

Nightmare? The Starlight god of Destruction.

We turned to face him.

"How do you know?" I asked.

He shrugged.

"That's what my gut is telling me," he replied.

Nightmare...that's the god Risuki mentioned.

"I guess that's enough introductions for the morning," Daniel suggested.

Ethan nodded. "Um. So, do you want us to call you by your formal titles?" he asked.

Marcus shook his head. "Nah. Just call us by our names and act as we have been since we've met. It's easier on Mako. She doesn't like the use of formalities. Makes her feel awkward," he explained.

We all nodded. I rose, Jaxson slipped a hand around my waist. I smiled at his gesture to ensure I was okay to stand.

"Why don't we rest for the rest of the morning? When Makoto wakes up we can have some fun. I want her to enjoy this experience instead of dampening on the past," I emphasized, looking at Makoto who was sleeping against Ryder.

The guys nodded.

"Agreed."

Everything happens for a reason...