Yui, Yuki, and Nako were standing out in the hallway. They were all in silence, waiting in front of the study for either Sakura or Chaeyeon to step out.

"Is unnie going to be okay?" Nako finally spoke up, breaking the silence between them.

"She'll probably need to rest, but she'll be fine," Yui said comfortingly.

"She regained the memories of her past; it's only natural she'd be in shock."

"Did Juri and the others leave?"

Nako nodded.

"She told me once Sakura-onee-chan decided when she wanted to go see the Hunters' organization leader to contact her."

"And where's Wonyoung?" Yuki asked.

"Back in the garden."

They heard the click from the door opening and saw Sakura walk out of the room.

"How is she?" Yui asked.

"She's fine. She said she wanted some time by herself, to process everything."

"That's understandable. We should let her rest; we'll check up on her later."

They started to walk back to the main lobby, hearing a frantic knocking at the door.

"Who could that be?" Sakura pondered as she walked to the door. She opened it and saw an unfamiliar girl with brown hair and blonde highlights. She immediately noticed the pointed ears, noting her that she was a Fae. "Um, who are you?"

The Fae girl just looked at her nervously, "Um... Is Jang Wonyoung here?"

"You know Wonyoung?"

"I-is she here? Please, I need to find her!"

"Okay, hold on," Sakura reached her hand out, but the Fae flinched slightly. She slowly placed her hand on her shoulder to calm her down. "We'll bring her here. Would you like to come in?"

The Fae girl shyly walked in, lowering her head as she stood in front of the other vampires. Sakura told Nako to go get Wonyoung, sending the small vampire away.

"Hello there," Yui smiled warmly to try and ease the girl's nerves. "So, you're a friend of Wonyoung's?"

"Y-yes..."

"Let me guess, you came to look for her because she ran away from home?" Yuki asked.

The girl nodded, "Yes..."

Sakura could see the girl was tense. Knowing how seclusive the Fae were, she's most likely never come across a Nightling and have only heard stories of them being monsters who attack Fae.

"Don't be afraid," Sakura said calmly. "You can trust us."

She saw the tension in her expression ease up a bit. Albeit, she still seemed very timid.

"Gyuri?!" They all turned their heads as they heard Wonyoung's voice. The purple haired Fae ran towards her friend and hugged her. "What are you doing here?!"

"I was looking for you! Gahyeon told me you went across the border to the human world!"

"Did she say 'kyuuri' (cucumber)?" Nako tilted her head, puzzled.

"Ah, I'm sorry," the Fae named Gyuri bowed her head to the vampires. "I forgot to introduce myself... My name's Jang Gyuri."

"But how did you even find me here?" Wonyoung asked.

"I could sense you were here."

"Fae can do that?" Nako whispered to her sister.

"I think it's similar to how Nightlings can sense each other."

"Anyways, Wonyoung, you have to come home," Gyuri said in an urgent tone. "Your father is building up an army to cross the border!"

"What?!"

"Why is your father doing that?" Sakura asked.

"Because... He's the king."

"What?!" The three vampires other than Nako were shocked by the statement.

"My mother was the Fae Princess and when she became queen and married my father, he became the king. So that makes me the current Fae Princess."

"Why didn't you tell us this?!" Yui asked.

"I don't like making a big deal out of it," Wonyoung puffed her cheeks. "Argh, why does father have to go and do this?!"

"He's doing this because he cares about you," Nako said. "The only way to stop him is to talk to him."

"But there's no way he'd listen to me..."

"Then I'll come with you," Sakura said firmly. "We'll talk to your father together."

"Really?! Will you, Princess?" Wonyoung started to smile.

"Yes."

"In that case, let's hurry," Gyuri said. "He said they'd set out past the border once the moon rises."

"That's not much time!"

"Then let's go now," Sakura said before turning to the others. "You all look after Chaeyeon for me."

Yuki nodded silently while Yui smiled, "Of course."

"Are you alright with that, Nako-chan?"

Nako nodded before hugging Wonyoung.

"Bye, Wonyoung."

"Bye, Nako."

"Good luck, Sakura," Yui said. Sakura nodded and she followed the two Fae girls out of the mansion.

...

Chaeyeon had been laying down on the bed, staring at the ceiling for who knows how long, letting her mind process everything she had just experienced. Images of her past memories were playing in her head, now more vivid than before.

She remembered how happy she felt when she was with Sakura, how deep her love had grown for her, and how painful the despair she felt at seeing her nearly die was.

She let out a sigh, the rush of emotions she had before having calmed down at this point. She slowly sat up from the bed as she heard someone knock on the door.

"May I come in?" It was Yuki's voice.

"Yeah..."

The young woman stepped in, gently shutting the door behind her.

"Are you feeling better?"

Chaeyeon nodded.

"So... Do you remember everything now?"

Again, Chaeyeon slowly nodded.

"It's kind of surreal, to suddenly remember what my old life was like. I remembered back when I tried to save Sakura, I was certain my life was over... But instead I was given a second chance at a new life. I feel a bit guilty that I can't go back to what my life used to be, but at the same time, I'm happy I got to meet Sakura again."

"I know how you feel," Yuki smiled sympathetically.

"You do?"

The woman nodded. "After all, we all nearly lost our lives, and now we've reawoken in what feels like a new world. It's practically a new start to all of us."

"I guess you're right. You all have been with Sakura for longer than I have, so it must feel weirder for you."

"Yes. We all met Sakura under different circumstances, but we shared the desire to stay by her side as her Guardians."

Hearing that, a new thought had crossed through Chaeyeon's mind, making her remember something she was meaning to ask Yuki.

"Hey... Can I ask you something?"

"What is it?"

"How did you become Sakura's Guardian?"

Yuki glanced down to the floor, slowly sitting down at the side of the bed.

"I was... a former assassin."

Chaeyeon's eyes widened, her blood running cold when she heard that word. An assassin. She never thought she'd meet someone like that.

"The group I worked for took me in when I was a child. My parents were slayed by vampire hunters and I managed to escape, but I was lost and alone. When they found me, they trained and conditioned me to become a ruthless killer. When I was assigned a target, I killed them with no mercy, no second thoughts, and no remorse."

Chaeyeon let out a shudder, feeling disturbed by what Yuki told her.

"One day, I was ordered to assassinate a member of the Rose Queen's court. However, I failed to carry out the assassination and was caught. They locked me up in the castle dungeon as punishment, but that night, one of my fellow assassins infiltrated to confront me. They told me that I was weak for failing to kill my target and were going to get rid of me."

"Oh God..." Chaeyeon covered her mouth, her stomach twisting.

"But... The Rose Queen found out he was there and stopped him, saving my life and ordering for the organization I once worked for to be arrested for everything they've done. I indebted myself to Her Majesty, asked her if there was anything I could do to redeem myself. And she told me..."

"Become a member of my court, and when my daughter, the future Rose Queen is born, I ask that you protect her with your life."

"So, I swore my loyalty to her and her yet to be born daughter. And after Sakura was born, I was the first one to be named her Guardian. I vowed not to let any harm come to Sakura. I watched her grow up into a beautiful and kind young woman... And I'm truly grateful that I was able to become her Guardian."

"I see... You all really care about her."

"Of course we do. We're like a family."

"Yeah, I can tell," Chaeyeon smiled, having seen for herself how far Yuki and the others were willing to go to protect Sakura and also make her happy. Then she asked, "By the way... What will she do when she becomes the Rose Queen?"

"Well, she originally came here so she could study abroad, so most likely, when the time for her coronation comes, we'll all return to Japan."

Chaeyeon felt a tinge of sadness when she heard that. She sat in silence, slowly letting those words sink in.

"So... Eventually, I will have to say goodbye to all of you."

Yuki looked at her, seeing the sad smile on her face.

"Are you okay with that?"

Chaeyeon nodded. "Of course I am! I'm happy for Sakura!"

"But won't you miss her? You both reunited after 18 years and you just got your memories back..."

"It's okay, really! We can always keep in touch, right?"

"Yes, I suppose," Yuki smiled. "Still, you should take the time to catch up with her, before we have to part ways. You should talk to Sakura once she's returned."

Chaeyeon raised a brow, "Returned? From where?"

"She just headed out with Wonyoung. She's going to the Enchanted forest."

...

As the three girls walked through the enchanted forest, they could hear the sound of soldiers approaching their direction.

They saw two armored soldiers approaching them.

"There she is!"

Gyuri yelped in fear as she hid behind Wonyoung. Sakura stepped forward, standing beside the Fae princess.

"Hand over the princess or else!"

"Please, I mean no harm," Sakura raised her hands up in front of the soldiers.

The soldiers drew their swords, pointing them at Sakura. She didn't want to resort to violence against them; she just wanted to settle things peacefully.

"We'll ask you again; hand over Princess Wonyoung."

"Please listen to me," Sakura continued trying to reason. "We wish to speak with the king and queen."

"Please, take us to my father," Wonyoung pleaded, still standing behind Sakura.

The two soldiers looked at each other, still holding their swords out cautiously.

"Very well, but we must hold the Nightling into custody."

Sakura sighed, deciding it would be best for now to do as they say. The soldiers placed a pair of cuffs around Sakura's wrists. Once they were locked on, she could feel a strange force wash over her body. She tried to summon her magic, but found that she was unable to.

"Don't think you can try anything on us," one of the soldiers said. "These chains restrict the flow of magic in your body."

Sakura was pulled forward by the chains as they started walking through the forest. She glanced back at Wonyoung and Gyuri, standing behind the two soldiers with worried expressions.

After walking for several minutes, they finally reached the center of the forest, where Sakura could feel a great mass of magical energy surrounding the area.

"Your Majesty, we've secured the Nightling and rescued Princess Wonyoung."

"Good," the man stepped forward and glared at Sakura in disdain. He then approached his daughter, sighing. "I have the right to punish you for running away. I specifically said you were forbidden from crossing the border!"

"But, father, I--"

"No more! We'll talk about this later. For now, we shall deal with the Nightling."

"Wait, your Majesty," Gyuri stepped in. "Please listen to what Wonyoung and Miss Sakura have to say. She truly does not wish to bring harm to any of us."

"That's absurd! All Nightlings are the same! They're vile, invasive creatures who take as they please and attack the weak! They are no different from those awful humans!"

"Father, Princess Sakura isn't like that!"

"Wonyoung, be quiet. I said we would discuss this later!"

"No! I'm not finished talking! So I want you to listen!" Wonyoung firmly stood her ground, her father taken aback by her raising her voice. She turned to the rest of the soldiers. "I want all of you to listen!"

By this point, everyone had fallen silent. Even Sakura was in awe of the young Fae's strong spirit.

"Not all Nightlings and humans are as evil as we believed! Some like Princess Sakura and her friends are kind and virtuous and would never harm us or our home! We've let the fear of losing what's dear to us turn into hatred! But I have seen for myself that not everything beyond the border is evil! There is kindness, there is love! I think it's time we all see that for ourselves!"

"Wonyoung..."

Wonyoung's eyes widened, a familiar voice ringing in her ears.

Sakura saw everyone looking in one direction. Gyuri and the other soldiers started bowing to their knees. She turned their head in the direction she was looking, seeing a beautiful woman with long, shimmering hair and large butterfly-like wings on her back.

"Mama!" Wonyoung smiled and ran to the woman, hugging her tightly.

"Wonyoung, I heard everything. What you said just now was beautiful, and you're right. If you truly trust this Nightling so much, you willingly traveled across the border to meet her again, then perhaps we have let ourselves misjudge those on the outside for far too long."

"My Queen..." Wonyoung's father stepped forward as she broke the hug with her mother. The Queen took hold of the man's hands. "Are you really sure she can be trusted? What if she's simply taking advantage of our daughter?"

"I think our little princess is old enough that she can recognize what is good from what is evil. Besides, if she trusts her enough to bring her all the way here, and she clearly has shown herself as not being a threat to us, we should at least listen."

"Perhaps, but... I simply don't want to lose any of you. This place is so precious to our people. We've protected it for so long... My love, my daughter, I don't want to see it be taken away."

"Father..." Wonyoung approached her Dad. "It's going to be okay. Princess Sakura... She's faced many hardships, too. She lives in a world where Nightlings had to hide themselves to survive. She even nearly lost her life to protect the people she loves. But now times have changed, and if all goes well, she and her friends will be free to live without hiding in fear."

"My love, let us let go of any unfair grudges we may have held in the past and allow this young princess to speak her peace. I believe that's the least we could do."

The man looked at Wonyoung, then the Queen, then to Sakura. So many thoughts ran through his head, many of doubt and fear. But also the desire to want to trust his daughter's word. In an instant, he saw the little girl he wished to protect from the world grow up into a strong-willed young lady, and deep down, he felt pride in seeing that strength from his daughter.

"Perhaps... you are right. If she means no harm to us, we should hear her word." He then turned to the soldiers, "Release her cuffs."

The soldier did as he asked, removing the chained cuffs from Sakura's wrists. She rubbed her wrists as she felt the energy flow of her magic revitalize again, causing a tingling sensation at her fingertips.

"Thank you," Sakura bowed before the King and Queen.

"So... When you had entered the forest the other night, what exactly were you doing?"

"A dear friend of mine was on the brink of death, but her soul was saved and had wandered off into this forest, and was sealed within a stone statue. I merely came to find her and revive her soul."

"A wandering soul, you say?" The Queen pondered. "That sounds familiar..."

"Huh? Mama, do you know something?"

"Hmm... Ah, yes. I remember now! It was 18 years ago. I found a wandering soul lost in the forest. I could hear the soul whisper that they were searching for someone, longing to reunite with them. So I placed it inside a stone statue within a sanctuary to sleep until it could reawaken. Was that the soul of your friend?"

"Yes!" Sakura's eyes widened. "So that's what happened. If you hadn't found her, her soul might've been lost forever."

"I see. So you were able to reunite with her then?"

"Yes, your Majesty. It's thanks to you I was able to find her."

"That's amazing, Mama!"

"Is that all you came for?" the King asked.

"Yes, sir. My friends and I have no desire to harm your people or your home, so I hope that we can part ways on good terms."

"I see. Then, I shall give you something as a token of gratitude and peace."

The Queen pulled out a small pouch and reached inside. When she took her hand out, she revealed a clear crystal bead that sparkled with many colors on the inside.

"This crystal will show you whatever your heart desires. If you ever wish to speak with us again, you may use this to contact us."

Sakura smiled, accepting the gift and bowing before the Queen.

"Princess Sakura! I have something, too!" Wonyoung said, approaching the girl.

"What?"

The Fae girl wrapped her arms around Sakura, embracing her.

"Thank you for being my friend. Good luck when you become Queen."

The vampire smiled, hugging her back. "You too."

...

While waiting for Sakura to return, the four Guardians sat in Yui's study, discussing everything that had happened.

"It's a good thing that Miss Chaeyeon regained her memories," Nana said.

"You're right," Yui said, sipping her tea.

"But, now that things are starting to settle, we'll soon have to make preparations to return to Japan," Yuki said. "The Rose Council will need to know that Sakura and the rest of us have survived."

"Yeah... We've been gone for 18 years, so they might think we've been dead this whole time," Mion crossed her arms.

"I plan on contacting them once Sakura returns from the enchanted forest."

"Thanks, Yui."

"Speaking of Chaeyeon, how did she feel about it? Knowing that Sakura will have to go back to Japan?"

"I can imagine Miss Chaeyeon might be sad about it."

"She said she was happy for her, but her eyes told me she was very sad."

"With all that's happened, it's understandable."

"I wonder how Lady Sakura will feel about it. After reuniting with the one she loved most, she'll have to say goodbye to them..."

"That's true."

Just then, there was a knocking at the door.

"Come in."

The door opened, and Chaeyeon quietly stepped into the room.

"Is something the matter, Miss Chaeyeon?"

"No. I've just been thinking... I wanna ask Sakura out on a date."

"A date?!" All four Guardians' eyes widened.

Chaeyeon nodded.

"After all that's happened, I felt like I wanted to just spend some time with her, before she has to go back to Japan. She's been through some much, so she deserves to just relax. Is that alright?"

They all looked at each other, beginning to smile.

"Of course it's alright."