Author's POV

"Ahh.. finally! We're home.." Exclaimed the girls in black as their plane started to descend in preparation for landing.

It has been three years since they left the country for their mission. The Hae Dal Chi ladies were sent to Europe to protect the High Council leader's goddaughter, Jung Soojin, who happens to be the only living member of the Jung Clan and believed to be the one to fulfill the Hae Dal Chi Prophecy. Soojin was said to be the only survivor of the assassination of the entire Jung clan eight years ago. She was saved by the current High Council leader and he has treated her as his own daughter since then.

Being the only remaining Jung, Soojin became the leader of the Fire Clan. Despite her young age, she was quite knowledgeable in all the council's dealings as she and her siblings were well-educated by their parents. The hwajaes supported their young leader and assisted her in assuming her new role. However, the fact still remains that she was still a kid and needs to study and train. Kim Youngmin, being her only guardian, has taken over the role for her until she comes of age and finishes her studies and training. He represented her in the High Council. Youngmin, after the death of his brother (Dongwook and Donghae's father), became the representative of the Water Clan and the Fire Clan. Youngmin gained the utmost respect of all elementals and the High Council and was then appointed as the leader of the High Council. Soojin despite agreeing to be represented by Youngmin still joined the council when they convene to learn more about the situation, problems, and other issues of the elementals. She was well-loved by her clan and they have all taught her a thing or two on how to control her powers.

Since the incident five years ago (the one that was discussed by the High Council and the Hae Dal Chi), their enemies increased and many attempted to kidnap or kill Soojin who they know was the chosen elemental of the Hae Dal Prophecy. Their enemies ran amok in their attempts of getting the young hwajae. To protect the humans and the elementals, the High Council decided that the young hwajae must be moved to a different location unknown to their enemies. News of Soojin going abroad spread rapidly and so their enemies' evil activities in the country started to die down. They searched for her and found her when they succeeded in following Kim Youngmin, who was on his way to visit his goddaughter.

Minho and Kyesun died protecting her from a very strong enemy whom Soojin was not able to recognize. Soojin was about to be killed when Donghae and the other Hae Dal Chi arrived just in time to save her. They were accompanying Youngmin but returned to Soojin's place when they received a desperate call from Minho. Soojin mourned the loss of her protectors and good friends. After giving them a proper burial, she was moved this time to a more secure location. The High Council has assigned the new members of the Hae Dal Chi as her protectors. It was agreed upon by the council that only Soojin and her protectors would know of her whereabouts. She would contact the High Council but they would not be able to contact her. This was to ensure that their enemies could not trace her location, at least until she finishes her training and gains full control of her powers. Thus, Taeyeon, Tiffany, Seohyun, Hyoyeon, Yoona and Sunny left the country with Soojin.

As the Hae Dal Chi ladies reminisced and shared their thoughts on being back home, the eldest among them went to the cabin to wake Soojin up.

"Soojin-ssi, we've arrived. The plane's about to land." Said Taeyeon as she stood by the hwajae's bedside.

Soojin heard this but decided not to get up.

"Soojin-ssi, you have to get up and prepare now." Taeyeon continued.

The young elemental turned away from her protector. Taeyeon saw that Soojin was now wearing a frown on her face. She chuckled silently at the annoyed girl.

All of the current Hae Dal Chi were childhood friends of Soojin's siblings. They have all lost family members during the Jung clan assassination as members of the High Council and of the Hae Dal Chi. They all swore to protect and take care of  Soojin in honor of their beloved friends. They treated her as their own sibling and she did the same. However, during important events or whenever they are around other people especially the High Council, they treat her formally as the Hae Dal elemental and Fire Clan leader. She hated this. She hated having to be formal with them.

"Soojin-ssi.." Taeyeon said seriously though with an amused look.

"Aish! Unnie! It's just us here! Why do you have to be like that?!" Soojin said as she sat up with a very annoyed look. She got even more annoyed when she saw Taeyeon with a grin.

"Soojin-ssi.. you're finally up." Taeyeon said teasingly.

Soojin pulled her hair in frustration as she threw a pillow at Taeyeon which she effortlessly avoided. "Unnie!!"

Taeyeon laughed as she regaled at the annoyed look painted on Soojin's face. Soojin became silent as she stood up and fixed her hair. Taeyeon sat down on the bed as she watched Soojin.

"Soojin-ssi..are you mad now?" Taeyeon asked as she poked Soojin's left shoulder. Soojin ignored her and continued fixing her hair.

"Ottoke.. her royal highness is mad at me. What to do??" Taeyeon coaxed.

Soojin stared at her with raised eyebrows then went to the dresser to get her coat. Taeyeon enjoyed teasing the girl whom she treated dearly as her younger sister.

"Fine, if you're going to be that way..Taeyeon-ssi, thank you for waking me up." Soojin said stoically.

Taeyeon had the special ability to sense and manipulate the emotions of those around her. "Aigoo, Soojin-ah! Don't be mad at unnie! I was just kidding!" Taeyeon said as Soojin left the cabin.

"Aigoo.. this kid can't take a joke.." Taeyeon said to herself.

The other girls where laughing and enjoying their conversation when they saw Soojin come out from the cabin, passed by them without a word and sat at the edge of the plane. Soojin sat and stared outside the window as she put on her earphones and drowned herself in music.

"Aigoo... what has Taeyeon done now?" Sunny said as she looked at Soojin worriedly.

Taeyeon came out from the cabin with a sheepish look.

"Yah! Taengoo! What did you do now? Soojin looks very pissed." Tiffany asked as Taeyeon passed by them towards Soojin.

Taeyeon sat beside the still annoyed girl and poked her again. "Soojin-ah.." Soojin ignored her once again.

Taeyeon decided to use her aegyo. "Soojin-ah..I know you can hear me.. Unnie was just messing with you. Please don't be mad at me. I'm sorry."

Soojin sighed as she removed her earphones. She looked at Taeyeon who was looking at her with puppy-dog eyes. "I know that you'd have to be formal and act indifferently when we're around others especially the High Council. Starting today, we'd be around others all the time. I will return to my position as the Fire Clan's leader and Hae Dal Prophecy's elemental. Everyone will be serious and boring around me. Even after how many years, they all still treat me as the fragile kid who lost her family. I hate it. Why can't they be normal around me? Even just those who aren't members of the council?" Soojin said with sadness in her eyes.

"You guys are the only ones who make me feel normal despite my complicated life. If you become one of those drone-like elementals, nothing would keep me sane anymore."

Taeyeon could feel the overflowing sadness from Soojin as she hugged her. "Arasso.. mianhe Soojin-ah.."

Soojin became teary-eyed as Taeyeon hugged her. She composed herself before the older elemental could see her teary eyes and then shooed Taeyeon away.

"Okay.. now that we've settled that.. can I have my alone time now?? I really wanna listen to the songs I've recently downloaded unnie." Soojin said with grin.

Taeyeon stood up as she pretended to be hurt. "Wow. Just wow. We just had our heart-to-heart talk.. then suddenly this?? You'd rather spend time with your music than with your unnie.."

Soojin just smirked at her as she put on her earphones. Taeyeon ruffled Soojin's hair before she went to join the other girls. "Arasso..arasso..go ahead and do your thing."

As Taeyeon rejoined the girls, Tiffany slapped her arm. "What did you do to piss her off like that? Why do you love annoying the kid??"

The girls looked at her curiously as she just grinned in reply. Sunny slapped Taeyeon's other arm. "Aigoo.. you are really so childish. Stop annoying Soojin. You know she really hates it when we act formally around her for no reason. Now that we're back, she's going to have to follow those protocols all the time."

Taeyeon bowed her head as she was being sermoned by the other girls. "Okay..okay.. I get it. I won't do it again..I didn't mean to annoy her so much. We had our heart-to-heart talk already.." Taeyeon said as she raised her hands in surrender.

"You know.." Taeyeon continued as she glanced at Soojin who was immersed in whatever she was listening to. "I felt something different about her this time. I've felt her sadness before, but this time, it's different. I've never felt her so sad like this.. I think.. being back here.. It brings back all the bad memories to her." They all sighed heavily at the same time.

"After all these years, I guess she still hasn't moved on from what happened." Hyoyeon said gloomily.

"Who could blame her though.. We haven't even moved on from what happened.. It has been years and I, myself, am still trying to figure out how to move on from it. She lost her whole family.. Soojin.. she's the only one left." Tiffany said as they all looked at Soojin with heavy hearts.

GOOD AFTERNOON EVERYONE. THIS IS CAPTAIN CHO KYUHYUN. WE HAVE LANDED IN KOREA.

The girls could not hide their excitement as they alighted from the plane. They could not wait to see their family and friends whom they have missed so much.

"Ahhh!! We're are finally stepping on Korean ground! I missed this place sooooo much!" Yoona said enthusiastically.

The girls felt completely energized by the fact that they are now back home.

"Ppali ppali! Put your bags in the limo! I wanna get home and eat! I'm famished!" Yoona said to the older girls. This earned her a wallop to the head from Taeyeon.

"Yah! Im Yoona! Are you ordering us around??" Tiffany said with a raised eyebrow. 

The older girls glared at her. "Aniyo.. I'm just..."  Yoona scratched her head in nervousness from their glare. "Uh.. great.. what to do?? I'm so dead." she thought to herself.

Hyoyeon chuckled at Yoona's confused look. "Okay you three, enough with the glaring. You might succeed in killing her with just those scary look of yours." Hyoyeon said to Sunny, Tiffany and Taeyeon who did not move from their position and continued glaring at Yoona.

Seohyun shook her head and sighed. "You should have just helped them unnie. Come on, let's get these bags in the car." Seohyun said as she dragged Yoona and took the bags of the older girls.

The three girls snickered as they watched their dongsaengs finish the job.

"Aigoo, you three.. you're such bullies." Hyoyeon said which was answered by an innocent look from the three girls.

Soojin was the last to alight from the plane since she was busy doing something on her laptop. She was welcomed by the cool autumn breeze. She paused for a moment and look from left to right.

"I am really here...well.. there's no going back now.." Soojin thought to herself as she continued to alight from the plane.

She snapped out of her contemplation when she felt an arm around her. "Soojin-ah, ready to go?" Tiffany asked the young girl who seemed to be lost in thought.

"Huh? Oh.. yeah.. let's go unnie." she replied. The girls entered the limousine and headed to the mansion.