"You don't know about your father's plan. I know it, Mira. Come with me." Laxus told her during the last time they met. It was after the day of dethronement. He said these sentences with calmness, asking her to come with him because he didn't want to become enemies, and she knew that.

"You're going to kill my father after everything is back to normal," Mirajane started stating simply, "Strauss Clan will be eliminated, right? including me." She said painfully. Her father, General Strauss, helped Prince Ivan to remove King Makarov from his King position. Her lover, Crown Prince Laxus was removed from his position because he declared against his father. He hated her father, too.

"Can't you see what's right and what 's wrong?" He asked in annoyance, as he ran his right hand through his hair. "You're innocent, but he isn't."

"I can't betray my father." She looked him right in the eyes, and she could see the tinit of hurt in his eyes.. and most of all, anger. She wanted to cry, but she kept this situation She had to choose between her family and her lover... and she chose her family without hesitation. He smirked painfully, "Then we have nothing to talk about," then he walked away from her.

      The twinkling stars in the sky looked like they were mocking her. 'Can the stars feel my pain?' She asked the stars silently. For the first time, she wished to become a simple girl so that she could love him unconditionally. But she knew that it was just a stupid wishful thinking.

•••••

     After their breakup, she never saw him again. What did her luxurious powerful life mean when she couldn't be with her lover? She was destined to become Crown Princess since she was young. She liked him since her childhood and she had been dating hi. for six months. Being the heiress of the Strauss Clan and one of the strongest female warriors of her generation, everyone looked upon her.

     However, since that day, she became the enemy of her lover and the subject of local gossip. 'I thought she is an upright person, but I was wrong. She was a power-seeking idiot.' 'She is brainwashed by her father', 'Served her right' and other hateful gossip were directed towards her. To defend herself from rude remarks, she didn't hesitate to hit or scare the people who provoked her.

The majority of Magnolia people hated her family because of two reasons; her father started the Kingdom wars again which were temporarily stopped for three years, and her father was the main helper of King Ivan. She knew that her father and King Ivan allied with the dark guilds. Even so, she couldn't stab her father in the back. He was her father, and she had to protect her younger brother and sister. Thus, she chose to turn her back on someone she truly loved. Her father didn't know about her suffering because he was at the border for the war.

After two years of living as a demon lady or a laughing stock of the commoners in Magnoluia, she was tired of her life. She begged the King to send her to the border to help her father. After numerous pleadings, King Ivan agreed by appointing her as Military Strategist and sending her to the border. Her brother Elfman Strauss turned 17, so she let him take care of Strauss Clan with the help of the clan's advisor Rustyrose. Staying in Twilight town and engaging in battles and strategies was more comfortable than living in Magnolia. Her father went back to Magnolia frequently.

After three years, Lord Fullbuster went to Sabertooth and discussed political marriage to stop her father. His majesty and her father allowed Lord Fullbuster because they were very sure that the man won't succeed. However, the stupid king Eucliffe fell for his persuasion and agreed to the marriage between the Fairy Tail prince and his daughter. After Lord Fullbuster came back, he announced to the whole Kingdom about political marrige under Crown Prince Jellal's order. To her surprise, the prince who would marry the Sabertooth Princess wasn't Jellal but Laxus Dreyar.

[A/N; Lord Fullbuster wasn't an idiot, Mira. He planned perfectly that the future crown princess would be... Well, forget about it now. Let's continue]

Of course, as soon as she heard the news, she was frustrated, sad, and most of all... angry. Never in a million years did she think he would marry an enemy princess. No.. his marriage was nothing to do with her. What else could she expect from him? She was his past anyway.

• • • • •

March 20th, X524 (10 AM)
Strauss Manor, Magnolia

"Nee-chan, nee-chan, are you alright?" Her sister Lisanna asked her worriedly. Maybe because the younger girl thought she was still not used to Magnolia. The truth was, she was thinking of her past while standing in her manor's garden. She looked at her sister, "I'm fine, Lis. Just thinking about my past," Lis turned 17 two months ago, and she has grown into a beautiful girl. Based on the younger girl's outfit; the purple knee-length dress and a big purple flower made of purple gemstone, she could guess that her sister came to ask her permission. "Are you going somewhere?" She asked with a smile.

"Pegasus restaurant. I know you missed your favourite spicy braised eel, nee-chan," Lisanna replied.

     Mirajane smiled again, because of her sister's great care. She arrived Magnolia three days ago but she always stayed in the manor since then. Even so, she wanted to eat her favourite curry, but she never planned to go outside.. maybe not this week. "Why don't you order someone to buy, Lis?" She asked. "I want to go and buy it for you," was her younger sister's answer.

        It was a moment of realization that she understood her actions; she didn't do anything wrong, yet she was hiding in her manor like a coward. "I'll go with you," Mirajane said, feeling fresh to see her sister's 'Nee-chan, are you kidding me' look. "I need to get changed before we go to the restaurant," she added as she walked back to her room to change her clothes.

• • • • •

10:35 AM
Pegasus Restaurant

     Magnolia downtown was as lively as three years ago. After Mirajane and Lisanna had entered the two-storeyed restaurant, the two girls could feel that everyone on the ground floor was looking at them, and their looks weren't the admiration look. Her servant girls were waiting neat the restaurant. Luckily, a table at the left corner was empty, so they went there and sat. A waiter came and greeted them, and they ordered their favourite dishes. While waiting for their takeaway, they heard three men around 30, one being fat and the other two being tall and thin, from the next table talking loudly so she could hear them.

       Mirajane knew that they intentionally talked about Sabertooth Princess to provoke her; how beautiful Princess Lucelia was, how caring Prince Laxus was that he sent Titania and two young masters to protect her, and how this royal marriage was a blessing for two Kingdoms. She pretended not to hear their conservation. They deliberately talked that someone (referring to her) cried her eyes out, or the said person should stay away from Prince Laxus and Princess Lucelia, or that she should stay in border town forever because she was spreading an evil aura in the capital. It was beyond her patience.

• • • • •

10:45 AM

      Lisanna knew what they said was intended to offend her sister, hence, she also didn't need to hold back. She headed to that table and kicked a thin man with extreme speed, the attack which the said man couldn't defend himself and fell backwards. The giant man hit the table with his fist angrily and started punching the younger girl continuously. She dodged each punch skillfully, but the last punch made her balance unsteady. It was when her nee-chan stepped into the fight, and she single-handedly beat them without using her takeover magic and threw them out.

      Lisanna went outside and watched the fight as she cheered for her sister. Then, the owner apologized to Mira on behalf of his customers. She could guess that her sister would be satisfied hitting them, and thus would end the fight. She felt the presence of something near her so she turned around to see what it was. To her surprise, it was a small orange cat.. no no. it looked like a lion cub on a pegasus statue. She was awed by its cuteness and hugged it. But that animal scratched her arm with its claws and jumped onto the pegasus's back again. She screamed in pain as she pressed her bleeding wound lightly.

••••••••••

(Earlier) 10:27 AM
Princess Lucelia's room, Scarlet Manor

"My beloved master, I miss you so much," Leo the lion said as he passed through his gate with his magic to stay in the human world. "Leo, don't use your magic too much. Go back to the spirit world please. I'll summon you." Lucy said concern for her friend was obvious on her face.

"Nuh, If you summon me, I can't stay in this world longer," Leo replied as he put his front leg onto the table and took a glance at the snacks. "I'm hungry. I want to eat Magnolia food."

"Haha, what a foodie cutie," Lucy pat the lion's head lovingly and gave him some pancake, "I've got these pancakes right now." Eating his snack quietly, Leo was wondering why a little bit of familiar magic pressure was trying to reach out since he stepped into this world. It was like a fading but rhythmic magic pulse and he couldn't ignore it. The more he focused on it, the more he realized that it was calling him.. 'moshi moshi' he heard a male whisper.

"I've to check something, Lucy," the lion said before running out of the room rashly. Two gardeners from the Scarlet clan saw the giant lion and shouted in fear. Leo immediately transformed into a small lion. With his small form, he could run very fast. He exited the manor's gate, and ran in the direction that he could sense the magic.

• • • • •

10:50 AM
Downtown Street

      Leo had been wandering for about ten minutes but he couldn't find the exact location easily since there were other magic auras in the city. He concentrated more calmly and tracked the remaining trace of magic. He randomly guessed if the magic he felt was from another zodiac key. He could feel that he was getting nearer. He saw a crowded group near him. A moment later, he found out that the item was in a white pegasus statue. He jumped onto the sculpture and checked if there was a hidden switch on its back.

      Suddenly, he was hugged tightly by a girl, like he was her own pet. Annoyingly, he scratched her arm with his claws. The white-haired girl screamed and told her sister to kill him. A girl with long hair attacked him with her leather whip, and Leo dodged very fast. Worrying that the whip might break the statue, he jumped high and landed on an empty space. 'Can't they leave me alone?' he thought, and he knew that the girl wouldn't stop the fight. The cub roared as he transformed into his battle form.

      His opponent could use the whip very skillfully, but he didn't get a single hit. 'Maybe she's testing him,' Leo guessed. Out of nowhere, she disappeared quickly and reappeared in front of him as she kicked him hard, resulting in him being thrown backwards. The girl swung her whip and launched a powerful strike toward the lying lion.

       Before he got hit, the whip was stopped by something he knew. The brown leather whip was intertwined with another blue whip which had orange-white light twisting around the whole length. He saw his master was standing near him. The lion stood up and walked towards her.

     Lucy glared at Mirajane with a fierce look on her face. "Are you okay, Leo?" The blonde asked, and Leo nodded quickly in response.

^_^