*Rosalba*

I patted my stomach. "Ahh, that hit the spot!" I said.

"How unmannerly," Hyosetsu said, sighing.

I pouted. "Can't you keep that to yourself?"

He smiled slightly. "Sorry, can't help it."

Tetsuya chuckled as he picked up my plate. "Want seconds?"

"I wish, but at my limit. The cinnamon pie was tasty," I said as I wiped my mouth.

He turned away, covering up a light blush. "Thanks. It's one of my favorites."

"We better get going," Teresa said.

"I'll be staying here," I said with a slight smile. I wanted to see if my uncle was fine. He seemed off when he left.

"Same," Setty said.

"Yuko will go with Master!" Yuko said, snuggling up against Tetsu's arm.

That tanuki...

"You're not staying? There's plenty of rooms to spare," Serra said, looking over his shoulder as he washed the dishes. "Plus, it's late."

"True," Teresa said. She smiled. "Plus, it'll give Mom time to rest."

"It'll be like a sleepover!" I said, swinging my arms into the air.

"Well, you got your stuffy already," my big sister said, chuckling as she pointed at bear-woof.

I picked it up from my lap. "She must be excited! The last sleepover we had was ages ago."

"Your dad let you have sleepovers?" Tetsuya asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah. Why are you surprised?"

He rubbed the back of his neck. "Well, he looks like they type who would be too strict to let you go to one."

Setsuko waved her hand and scoffed. "You aren't wrong. All of our sleepovers were at our place."

"Let me put away the leftovers first," Tetsu said, glancing back at the table. He jumped at the empty plates.

A pink haired girl sat on the opposite side from me. "Tasty. Needed that after all that running."

"Piggy?" I said, blinking.

"Piggy!" Tetsu said, appearing behind her. He pulled her up from the chair.

Piggy squealed.

"Oink all you want but I'm not letting go."

I slammed my hands on the table. "Tetsu, let my friend go!"

Tetsu sighed and put her down.

Plum ran over to me, hugging me. "Thank you, Rosa-Rosa!"

I gasped. Wait, Plum used to tell me she had a nephew who would bully her. Not letting her eat. Was that Tetsu?

"Are you Plum's bully?" I asked.

"Huh?"

"He is," Plum said.

"What? I'm not a bully!"

"Yeah, Master's no bully!" Yuko said.

I patted Plum's head. "She said you didn't let her eat."

"Yeah, the whole thing. She would gobble up other people's food," Tetsuya said, shrugging.

Plum burped.

"Oh. Plum, why did you make him sound like a villain?" I asked.

She moved away from me and crossed her arms. "Because he is! Meanie Tetsu-Tetsu wouldn't let me eat yummy food."

"I did. What I didn't let you do was eat all of it."

Plum scratched her head. "There's a difference?"

Tetsu sighed. Yuko patted his arm. "Don't worry, Master. Yuko understands."

Teresa giggled. "Sometimes I wonder who is more gluttonous, Piggy, Halim, or the Archdemon of Gluttony."

Tetsuya shook his head and shrugged. "I'm hoping it's piggy. Can't imagine anyone being more of a glutton than her."

Serra chuckled as he ate a cookie. He gasped as he realized it was gone.

"Tasty!" Piggy said.

"Piggy," Serrano said, a blue aura crackling around him

"Hey, Serra, calm down," Teresa said, watching as the lights flickered and the house shook.

"Here," Plum said, holding up half a cookie. "Plum didn't eat it all."

Serra took it and smiled angrily. "Thanks, but now I'm only half mad."

"Serra," Setty said, sighing.

My cousin blushed. He popped the cookie into his mouth, chewing it slower than usual. Was he savoring it?

I giggled. "Let him eat his cookies, sis."

"I guess. It's basically the only thing he's selfish about."

"You're not wrong about that!" Tetsu said, wrapping an arm around Serra.

Serra blinked. "I'm selfish about other things... I think."

"Like when it comes to your brother?" Teresa asked, smiling.

He nodded. 

"Isn't that selfish selflessness?" Setty asked.

"What does that mean?" Hyosetsu asked.

"Like, he ignores everything and everyone else, in that regard, one could consider it selfish. But he's doing it for another person, not himself. In that regard it's selfless."

Hyosetsu leaned on his chair. "How can one be selfish and not selfish at once? It's one or the other..."

I chuckled. This was my first time seeing him like this. It was kind of cute.

"Hmm, Serra did push me away. At the time I felt that was selfish, but he was doing it for Rosa," Tetsu whispered, lowering his head.

"Wait, does that mean that Rosa-Rosa's Serra-Serra's favorite cousin, not Tetsu?" Plu asked.

"Eh?" Teresa said, looking at Serra.

Tetsu rubbed the back of his neck and chuckled. "Think it's more so a testament to his strong sense of justice."

I smiled at Serrano. "True, Serra's always been that ideal, heroic knight who fights for justice," I said, puffing out my chest.

Serrano turned his face away. "S-stop."

"Ohh! Serra-Serra is embarrassed!" Plum said, giggling.

Tetsu grinned. "I don't know why he is, the one embarrassing herself is the princess."

"How rude," I mumbled, pouting. "Let's go, Bear-woof. We got to prepare our futon."

"You have one?" Hyosetsu asked, glancing up at me.

I smiled and pointed at my hyperring. "Of course. Daddy put all of the things I need to survive in here!"

"Well, that explains why Bear-woof is there," Tetsu said, snickering.

I snuggled my plushie. "You joke, but you're not wrong."

He sighed and rubbed his neck again. "Yeah, you almost died to get it."

I smiled. "Yeah, but it led me to meeting you."

***

[Years Ago]

"Are ya okay?" a voice called out.

I blinked. W-what? I-I was alive? H-how?

"Wait, stay here. I'm gonna get something to stop ya bleeding in a jiffy!"

I opened one eye and saw what seemed to be the back of a ten-year-old boy. 

My bracelet glowed slightly. "W-wait. Don't go," I mumbled. Though, my voice was too soft.

The boy turned around. He heard me? How good were his ears.

"What's wrong? Want me to carry ya? It might be too dangerous," he said, kneeling.

I stared at my bracelet. It was letting out a faint glow.

"Wait, what's that?" the boy asked, reaching for it. His eyes widen as a crimson light covered the two of us. "W-what happened? Your wound... it's gone."

My head dropped to the grass. Everything went dark, but I could still feel as the boy lifted me into his back.

"Hey, this isn't a good place to sleep, princess! Let's get ya someplace safe. Don'tcha worry, it's a nice, comfy place."

He knew I was a princess? How? Was it because of my clothes?

"H-how did you figure it out?" I mumbled.

"Figured what out?" he asked. 

He didn't sound like he was faking not knowing. Had I assumed wrong?

"No answer, huh? Well, save ya strength. Just hang on tight."

I did as he said and pressed my face against the back of his neck. He smelled good. Like fresh cookies. Cinnamon ones. Had he been cooking?

My eyes fluttered open. I was inside of a girly room, but it wasn't mine. My white dress had been changed for a plain looking pastel one.

I turned to my left and right, then back at my arms. What happened to my plushie?

"Bear-woof, where are you?" I tried getting up, but my whole body ached.

"Hey there," a voice called out. The white door creaked open. In came a girl with golden eyes.

"Who are you?" I asked, pulling the covers up. "Better yet, where is Bear-woof?"

"Bear-woof? Is that your stuffy? I put it to wash along with ya dress as it was muddy and grass stained. Well, I was gonna until Ma stopped me. She said the dress had to be hand washed. Your plushie should be out of the washer soon, though."

I sighed. At least Bear-woof was alright.

The girl looked me up and down.

"Something wrong?"

"You're not severely injured. My brother told me you had rolled down a slope, but you don't look like it. Hmph, he was probably exaggerating again."

Brother? Was she referring to the boy who carried me? Oh, then this must be his place!

"Tell your brother thanks," I said, smiling.

"Ya can tell him yourself," the girl said, smiling. "Mom's trying to get in contact with your parents, but she's having some trouble. So you might be staying with us for a while."

I bet. Daddy's the king. A peasant woman contacting him wasn't an easy task.

Would Daddy be mad at me for jumping out of the limo? He had thrown my bear in rage, so I probably made things worse.

"Is the girl awake already?" a brown haired boy asked as he peered into the room. He carried a plate filled with what looked to be pasta drenched in cheese and a cup of tea.

"Yeah. Is that for me?" the girl asked, smiling.

"Huh? Ya already ate. It's obviously for her."

The girl giggled. "Come on, I was just kidding, grumpy pants."

He rolled his eyes and turned to look at me. "Here. I brought ya some food and something to drink. Hope these make ya feel better."

The boy sat the cup by the lampstand and handed me the plate. The pasta was in the shape of bears. It looked so cute. Though, what why did it have a ton of yellow cheese?

"Something the matter?" the boy asked, tilting his head.

I smiled. "No. It's just, I have never had anything like this before."

"Huh? You've never had bear-shaped macaroni and cheese?" the girl asked, eyes wide.

I shook my head. "I've had macaroni, but not like this. It's tubular and curved, and usually served with a creamy white sauce."

"Huh," the boy said, looking up at the ceiling. He grinned. "Say, are ya one of them rich kids? Ya talk kinda funny for a kindergartener."

My cheeks reddened. "I do not! This is how all proper ladies are to talk according to Daddy!"

"Daddy? That's not very formal of you." He leaned forward and snickered.

The girl sighed and grabbed him by the collar of his shirt. "Let's go, brat. She can't eat in peace with us here."

He sighed. "Alright. Enjoy!"

What an odd fellow...

I stared down at the plate. Was my speech truly unusual?

***

['Present']

"Thinking about it, you were a bully as a kid," I said.

"Huh, me?" Tetsu asked, blinking.

Serra nodded. "Yes, you, genius."

He grumbled. "That was rhetorical, genius."

"Don't fight you two," Teresa said, putting a hand on her hips.

Piggy giggled. "That reminds me, where's Con-Con?"

"Is that why you came here? Wait, how did you enter?" Serra asked.

Plum reached to her hair and removed one of her hair pins. "I used one of these to open the door. You guys didn't notice? Seems it'll be easy for Papa to take over if that's all the instincts you have."

I gulped. She had a point there. I didn't feel her presence at all.

Hyosetsu scoffed. "I did notice you."

Tetsu chuckled. "Yeah, right. Why didn't you say a thing then?"

"I wasn't surprised she was here, was I?"

"I don't think so," Yuko said. She giggled. "But nor was Yuko."

"Same here," Setsuko said, shaking her head.

Serra sighed. "Well, at least some of us could feel her coming. Anyway, Con went to sleep after eating. Why did you wish to see him?" He frowned. "You aren't taking him back, are you?"

Piggy shook her head. "No, Piggy wasn't under such orders."

If she were, would she have taken him?

"So you came here to check up on him?" Tetsuya asked, swinging his arms behind his head.

She nodded. "Sel-Sel got a bad vibe when we came here. I accompanied big sis to see your brother."

"Mom's back?" Serrano asked.

"Yup! Though, she heard a strange voice. Hopefully she's alright."

Setsuko looked at the door. "Uncle hasn't returned yet either."

"You think that there might be something lurking outside?" I asked.

"If it's a demon, we should be fine. Takuya put up talismans all over the place. If a demon so much as touches the outside of this house, we would hear its screams."

Plum smiled. "That's one less worry."

"Hmm, wonder if the voice Mom heard was Dad singing. That guy used to sing in the shower all the time," Serra mumbled.

Piggy giggled. "Sounds like Skah-Skah!"

I smiled. "Did you know that I got to duel your brother?"

"Yeah! He told me you tied."

I grinned. "Yup! But next time I'll beat him for sure."

Hyosetsu sighed and stood up. "You clearly don't get it, still." He glared at Piggy. "If this girl were ordered to kill us, I think she would."

"Plum wouldn't hurt me!"

"Perhaps, but would you be fine if she slaughtered the rest of us?"

"No! I wouldn't."

Piggy lowered her head. "Thus far, I don't have such an order. I hope that it won't come. Plus, we're too busy getting ready to fight Margaret."

"The Dragon Pillar, huh?" Tetsuya asked.

She nodded. "Yeah. Papa wants you to replace her."

He clenched his teeth. "I've heard as much from Serra, but I won't do it. I'm a-" He paused and clicked his tongue turning away. "No, I'm not."

"Tetsu," Serra said, furrowing his brow.

Father's reluctance to name him a knight was still affecting him? It was only a title and being a knight was much more than that.

He shook his head. "Even if I'm not one, I'll still protect Zionia with my life," he said, lifting his head.

I clapped my hands. "That's the spirit!"

Tetsu snickered. "Weirdo."

I narrowed my eyes. "You're right, Piggy. He is a bully for sure."

He laughed and ran off. Yuko followed him like usual.

"So childish," Hyosetsu said, sighing.

"Yeah, but let him have his fun," Teresa said, giggling as she watched her brother and Yuko join the others in the living room.

"Let's get this sleepover started!" I yelled, jumping to my feet.

"Oh, are there going to be snacks?" Piggy asked.

"We can make some," Setsuko said, smiling. She narrowed her eyes at Plum. "Though, don't eat them all like last time."

Plum nodded. "I'll try to hold back."

"That's not even a promise," Hyosetsu said, walking away.

I giggled. "Piggy's biggest love is food."

"Indeed," my sister said, sighing as she grabbed a bag of dried corn perfect for popcorn.

Plum beamed at me.

Hopefully, she's right about us not needing to fight. Though, Skah's words continued to echo in my head. It would be great if this war could end soon.

**Solar Note: Hope that you enjoyed the chapter ^^. Thoughts? Theories? Predictions?**