[Warning: This chapter has spoilers for Little Monster.]

-Iwatobi High School-Next Morning-

Y/N had spent the night in the girl's locker room at the school's pool, knowing that the others would be able to find her if she returned to the rock, and Makoto had told her how dangerous it was to be outside after dark.

The (H/C) sat up from the pallet she had made from towels in a cold sweat, panting as she shuddered. Awa... The female grasped at the key pendent that hung at her throat, and huffed at the pink haired female's advice given to her in her dream. It'll never work. She shook her head, before getting up. Y/N gasped and stumbled towards the lockers as she began to feel the same pains in her chest that she had when Emilia had first shown up, and she blinked away her tears as she caught an image of the Iwatobi beach, and she gritted her teeth together.

___Quick Time Skip___

As soon as Y/N felt the sand between her toes, she couldn't help but to sigh in relief. At least if she did turn into a mermaid when handing the key over she would be able to get back home safely.

Home. Y/N scoffed and shook her head, glancing over her shoulder in the direction of Haru's house, before pursing her lips together and following three pairs of footprints until she came across the trio who seemed to be speaking carelessly.

"How long is it that we have to wait for this chick?" Mage's gruff voice questioned as he stuffed his hands into his pockets.

Y/N felt a bit intimidated by the other species, but she had been able to find her voice, and she wondered if it was because Emilia was a Guardian as well. For a moment she wondered how the other female was cursed as well, before she shook her head and puffed out her chest to hide her obvious fear. "Not long." The trio quickly looked behind them to see the (H/C) haired human-turned-mermaid standing there with her determined expression.

"Ah, Princess Y/N. I knew I could count on you to find us." Emilia said, grinning as she placed her hand against her chest.

"This is sort of a public area, aren't you afraid someone will catch us?" Y/N questioned, raising an eyebrow instead of reply to the other female's statement.

"As long as the exchange is done quickly, there won't be anything for anyone to witness." Emilia told her, before cocking her head to the side. "Your entourage isn't here with you, it seems. Are you planning a surprise attack, or did they ditch you after learning the truth?" She questioned, causing Y/N to flinch.

"Neither." Y/N stated, straightening her posture, as if she were attempting to size up the werewolf female. "I left them." She told Emilia, hoping that her voice didn't sound strained at the thought of her friends. Were they still her friends after this?

"Ah, I see." the shewolf hummed softly, before she held her hand out. "The Nami Key, then, if you please." She said.

Y/N seemed hesitant, and ran her fingers to the clasp behind her head. "You promise no harm will come to my friends, right?" She questioned, a serious glint in her eyes.

It didn't matter to her if the others had chosen to remain as her friends or not. She would protect them at all costs.

"Of course. We don't care enough about your friends to actually hunt them down, not unless you turn back now." Emilia pointed out, raising an eyebrow as she stared at the other female.

Y/N nodded her head, but before she could unclasp her necklace, she gasped as she heard Emilia shriek, and the mermaid noticed that the werewolf was suddenly soaked.

"You're not taking anything from Y/N!" Emilia's angered expression, as well as Y/N's own shocked one, landed on the group of six males Y/N had befriended, some armed with water guns, and others with water balloons.

"What is this?!" Emilia questioned, glaring at Y/N with a look of betrayal. And, for a moment, she felt a bit of sympathy for the girl, even if she was trying to steal one of the Heavens Keys without much of an explanation.

"I-I don't know." Y/N, just as shocked by the turn of events. Though, there was no doubt that she was horrible at hiding the slight smile that appeared on her features that the males were willing to go up against creatures they had no chance of winning against. For her.

"I think that this counts as a necessary time to use our powers." Mage smirked, beginning to levitate as a glow began to surround him.

"I can't wait to hurt them~" Shiki practically giggled as his wings appeared and he was beside Mage in the sky.

Y/N's eyes widened in horror, and she immediately glanced towards Emilia, the obvious head of the trio. She only felt more terrified when the other female closed her eyes and sighed, as if the whole thing was giving her a migraine, and Y/N knew she wasn't going to be of any help.

I can't let them get hurt, that was the whole purpose of doing this. Awa...Please be right! Y/N desperately thought, before running between the two groups and holding up her hands.

"Wait!" Y/N shouted, her loud tone causing everyone to pause their actions. "I think I have a solution all of us would be happy with." She insisted, standing between the multiple males, and she turned to look at Emilia seriously, a flash in her eyes seeming to shock the white haired werewolf as she seemed to have realized something. "My necklace is the reason I'm human, but it's only timed by the change in color of the gems on it. Give me until the last gem changes color, and I'll hand over the necklace without any fight." She explained, looking hopefully at Emilia.

"We don't have time for that." Mage growled out, only pausing as Emilia held her hand up towards him.

"How much longer till the last gem changes?" The werewolf female questioned.

"Three months. With my recent calculations, it takes two gems to change in one month. I have seven more." Y/N answered, ignoring the pained looks of her friends.

The white haired female seemed to be thinking, before she closed her eyes and groaned softly. "Three months. Then you'll hand over the Nami key." Emilia declared, holding her hand out towards Y/N.

Y/N smiled and shook her hand. "Deal." She agreed. "But...I'd like to know why you're collecting the keys, first." She stated, looking at Emilia quizzically before she could pull her hand back.

"My uncle wants to collect them, and like I had mentioned before, he is not a good man. My companions and I want to collect them before he does, and we'll send them to where they belong." Emilia explained.

"I see..." Y/N murmured. She then bowed. "Good luck, then, Princess Emilia."

Emilia huffed and crossed her arms, looking away from Y/N with a pink tint covering her cheeks, and the (H/C) hid an amused grin. "Whatever. Just get your friends out of here before they do something stupid and get fried or something. My friends aren't all that patient, as you might guess." She warned.

"R-right." Y/N glanced at the two males as they landed back on the ground, Mage glowering at the group and Shiki pouting that there was no blood spelt, before she nodded her head and immediately rushed towards her friends.

She grinned and jumped into Nagisa's opened arms.

"Thank you guys, so much!" She cried, burying her face into Nagisa's chest, and she felt the others join in on the much appreciated hug. The female then pulled back and slapped each of the male's heads or chests, depending on how far she could reach. "Bakas! Next time there are literal demons, do not attack them! Especially with water balloons and water guns!" She scolded, placing her hands on her hips and huffing.

"Yeah, we didn't really think that far." Makoto awkwardly laughed as he rubbed the back of his neck.

"Obviously!" Y/N puffed out her cheeks in a pout, before her face heated up when her stomach growled loudly.

"You said you wanted to eat more of my cooking, so let's go home." Haru said, ruffling the female's already messed up hair, since she had only run her fingers through the (H/L) strands before showing up, and then beginning to walk back in the direction of his house as he leaned his water gun against his shoulder.

"Home, huh?" Y/N murmured, a soft smile gracing her features. She glanced out at the ocean, the trio having already vanished, and she jumped when she felt a hand on her shoulder.

"Is something the matter?" Rin questioned, leaning over her as he raised an eyebrow.

Y/N looked at him, shocked, before she grinned and shook her head. "I'm alright." She declared, before grabbing his hand. "Come on!" She insisted, and began to pull the red head in the direction that the others were, having stopped when realizing the two had fallen behind.