"If only the evil forces didn't become this strong so fast, we could have a comfy bed to sleep on for a longer time..." Sunny lamented to Taeyeon, as she packed their stuff nicely into a bag. Taeyeon, however, was sitting on the bed and spacing out.

"If only I didn't let my guard down after unleashing Lightning Dissonance, I could have protected you and the others from the evil creatures... It's my fault I got overconfident and let you guys down..." Taeyeon sighed, as she thought about the battle that had just taken place. Taeyeon started hitting her own head, saying: "I'm so useless! I'm not fit to be the leader. If only I was as strong as Sooyoung unni..."

"Aigoo, my Byuntaeng! Stop hitting yourself! It's not your fault, you pabo!" Sunny told Taeyeon in a comforting tone, as she moved over to Taeyeon's side to stop Taeyeon from hitting herself. However, someone beat her to it...

"Did someone mention my name?" Sooyoung smiled, as she materialised out of Taeyeon's shadow. She gripped Taeyeon's hands and forced them behind Taeyeon's back to prevent Taeyeon from hitting herself. "Aigoo, my cute little baby Taeng! Everyone makes mistakes, so don't worry! Just learn from it and make sure you don't make the same mistake again. Also, you must have confidence in yourself! You are the leader not because you're the most powerful, it's because of your personality and your leadership skills that make you a great leader. So just believe in yourself and everything will be alright!" Sooyoung advised Taeyeon, before hugging her tightly and giving her a kiss her forehead.

"YAH!!! Hands and lips of MY Byuntaeng!!!" Sunny shouted at Sooyoung, eyes blazing with rage and sparks arcing across her body.

"Oooh... Somebody is jealooous!!! She's your byuntaeng, but she's MY cute little baby Taeng!" Sooyoung stuck her tongue at Sunny while hugging Taeyeon again and then Taeyeon's hair. "But don't worry, I love her as a baby sister only!" Sooyoung quickly added before Sunny went berserk. Hearing that Sunny relaxed a little.

Taeyeon, feeling better after listening to Sooyoung's advice, suddenly wrapped her hands around Sooyoung's waist and kissed Sooyoung on the cheek, before smiling mischievously as she saw the shocked expressions of the other two girls. "Sooyoung unni, I think I love you too..." Taeyeon started.

"YAH!!! BYUNTAENG!!! Are you ditching me for her?!!" Sunny shouted at her partner, feeling extremely hurt.

"... As a mom!" Taeyeon completed her sentence, stuck out her tongue at Sooyoung, before running behind Sunny for protection.

"YAH!!! KIM TAEYEON!!! I'm NOT old, if that's what you are trying to imply!!! If you have a death wish, I can grant it, you know..." Sooyoung glared at Taeyeon.

Sunny, feeling happy that Taeyeon did not have a change of heart, stuck her tongue out at Sooyoung and shouted: "Mehrong!!!"

"You two dashins are asking for it!!!" Sooyoung said through gritted teeth. However, once she saw the two girls in front of her showing her their puppy eyes and pouting cutely, she just melted. "Aish... Why do I have a soft spot for short, cute little girls..." Sooyoung looked away, resisting the urge to pinch their cheeks, as she felt her heartbeat increasing tremendously.

Changing the topic to get rid of the awkward atmosphere, Sooyoung asked the girls: "So what are you two going to do for the rest of the day? I see that you two have already finished packing."

"We were thinking of going back to our hometown, since we probably won't be able to go back for very long time..." Taeyeon told Sooyoung, subtly hinting that they hoped that Sooyoung can bring them there by shadow jumping.

Sooyoung saw the pleading looks of the two girls and her heart melted again. They had their hands clasped together and placed under their chins, with their puppy eyes and cute pouts. Sooyoung bit her lower lip and looked away, as she felt that her heart will explode if she looked at them any longer.

"W-W-What do you guys want from me??" Sooyoung stuttered, as she tried to calm herself down.

"Sooyoung unni!!! PLEASEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!" Sunny and Taeyeon asked her, using their sweetest and cutest voices. Then, at the same time, Taeyeon kissed Sooyoung on her left cheek, and Sunny on the right. Sooyoung felt like she was in paradise and she had no choice but to agree to bring the two girls back to their hometown.

Five minutes later, after Sooyoung finally regained her composure...

"We're here!" Sooyoung said as the trio materialized out of the shadows in front of the most famous restaurant in Sunny's and Taeyeon's hometown. Sooyoung laughed at the petrified expressions on Sunny's and Taeyeon's pale faces and teased: "Oops! I forgot to tell you that when we jumped through the shadow, we might meet many scary, shadowy creatures..."

Sunny and Taeyeon glared at Sooyoung, who just stuck out her tongue at them in response. "Oh well... You girls run along and have fun! If you need me I'll be in the restaurant trying out everyone single food on the menu!" Sooyoung told the two girls and gave them a pat on their heads.

Still angry at Sooyoung for scaring the wits out of them, they just nodded and walked off, holding hands. Meanwhile, Sooyoung happily walked into the restaurant and ordered everything on the menu. Sooyoung thought: "Taeyeon's so much like him... The way she acts and her personality... Maybe that's why my heart skips a beat everything I see her... If only he was here..."

Sunny and Taeyeon decide to visit Sunny's home first. Sunny's parents were overjoyed to see Sunny again and as Sunny's family hugged each other, Taeyeon could not help but feel a little left out. "Hey, what about me??" Taeyeon pouted. Hearing Taeyeon's question, Sunny's family smiled and dragged Taeyeon into their group hug.

After that, the four of them chatted about the events that have passed since Sunny and Taeyeon left the house. Sunny's parents weren't too happy to find out that Sunny had gotten injured because of Taeyeon, but on the whole, they were proud of what the two girls have achieved so far.

Sunny and Taeyeon then bade farewell to Sunny's parents and went over to Taeyeon's old home. Unlike Sunny's parent's bungalow, Taeyeon's family lived in a humble, little cottage, just nice for the three of them. As the cottage came into view, Sunny chuckled to herself as she thought "It's small and cute, just like my Byuntaeng!".

"I hope you don't mind dust, 'cause I'm sure that with no one cleaning up the house while I was gone, it will definitely be covered in a thick layer of dust..." Taeyeon told Sunny apologetically.

"It's okay! We can clean it up together!" Sunny replied with a smile, as Taeyeon opened the door to her house. The pair entered the house and were shocked to find that the house was sparkling clean. "What SOCERY is this???" Taeyeon exclaimed, eyes wide in disbelief.

"It's just us! We came back first to clean up the house to welcome you girls back home!" Taeyeon's mother said as she and Taeyeon's father walked out of the kitchen carrying plates of Taeyeon's and Sunny's favourite dishes.

As they placed the dishes on the dining table, Taeyeon's father told the girls: "We also cooked some of your favourite dishes, so come try them! We haven't cooked for years, so hopefully the food is alright..."

"Umma, Appa! Thanks a lot!" Taeyeon shouted as she hugged her parents, not forgetting to drag Sunny into the group hug. "Now let's EAT!!!" Taeyeon exclaimed enthusiastically, as she rubbed her hands in anticipation before sitting down at the table and tucking into her food. The rest followed suit and while they ate, they chatted happily about old times and training.

At this time, Taeyeon's neighbour walked over to see what was going on, as he had heard noises coming from Taeyeon's house and he was sure no one was in the house for the past month. As the door was not closed, he poked his head in to take a look. His heartbeat immediately shot up when he saw Taeyeon, as it was does and started worrying about how he looked when Taeyeon turned her head and saw him.

"Oh, it's you! Phelios oppa annyeong!!! Come join us!" Taeyeon smiled and waved. Phelios was sure everyone could hear his heart hammering in his chest from five metres away, nevertheless he tried to act calm and walked to the dining table.

"Annyeong Taetae! How have you been?" Phelios asked in a shaky voice. "I missed you sooo much..." He said in a softer voice, hoping that Taeyeon would not hear the last line. Unfortunately, Taeyeon heard him and saw his face turning bright red. She knew he liked him since long ago, even though he didn't know that she knew it. Taeyeon was very good at reading expressions, which is one of the reasons why she is a good leader.

"I heard that you know..." Taeyeon giggled and Phelios's looked away out of embarrassment. Taeyeon giggled again before standing up and hugging Phelios tightly and whispered into his ear: "I missed you too!" Phelios felt giddy with happiness and he hoped the moment would last forever.

However, there was a very jealous Sunny, who didn't like her partner going around and hugging other people. "YAH!!! KIM TAEYEON!!! ARE YOU A PLAYER?!! First you hug and kiss Sooyoung, now you hug some random guy?!!" Sunny yelled furiously, sparks arching dangerously across her body, ready to arch over to Phelios.

"Looks like our little Taetae is as mischievous as ever!" Taeyeon's father said with a laugh.

"Yeah, she's a player just like you!" Taeyeon's mother added, punching her husband playfully on his arm. As he rubbed his arm and pretended to be mortally wounded, Taeyeon's mother rolled her eyes at her husband and told Phelios: "Oh and do you only see our little Taetae in your eyes? You haven't greeted the rest of us since you came in..."

"UMMA!!! You're supposed to be on my side!!!" Taeyeon pouted, as she ran over to hug Sunny and give her a peck on the cheek before whispering into her ear: "Don't worry, I love only you. He's just a very nice oppa who has taken good care of me when I was younger. He's our neighbour, so he always came over to play with me when I was bored. So don't be jealous, okay?"

Taeyeon showed Sunny an innocent expression an blinked her eyes a few times. Sunny could not ever remain angry at Taeyeon once she did that, so with a sigh she said: "Aish... I can't ever stay angry at someone as cute as you, can I?" Sunny smiled and hugged Taeyeon back.

"Actually, I purposely hugged both Sooyoung unni and him to make you jealous... You look super cute when you get jealous, you know?" Taeyeon whispered into Sunny's ears.

Sunny glared at Taeyeon and told her in a soft but dangerous tone: "If you EVER do that again, I swear I will KILL you!"

"Yes ma'am! Your wish is my command!" Taeyeon replied in a dorky manner in an attempt to make Sunny laugh. However, Sunny just rolled her eyes and stuck her tongue into her cheek.

As Taeyeon ran over to hug Sunny, Phelios realised for the first time since he stepped into the house that there actually was other people besides Taeyeon in the house. In a stuttering voice he replied Taeyeon's parents: "Y-Y-Yes, I c-c-could only see my T-Taetae" Phelios felt like digging a hole and hiding in it for saying something so stupid and quickly added on: "I mean I know that the rest of you were present and sorry for forgetting to greet the rest of you..."

Taeyeon's parents were trying hard to control their laughter, while they put on straight faces. Taeyeon's mother pointed out that he still haven't greeted them, which made Phelios mentally facepalm himself, as he greeted Taeyeon's parents and Sunny. Phelios thought: "Arghh... Whenever my Taetae is around I can't function properly... I'm so useless... If only I was half as good as her..."

"Ahem... Taeyeon is MINE, so she's not your Taetae!" Sunny stated firmly when she heard Phelios refer to Taeyeon as 'my Taetae'. Phelios was petrified by Sunny's glare and could only mutter an apology. Phelios was sure that he could feel a murderous intent in Sunny's glare.

Taeyeon sensed a very strong dark aura just before its owner appeared. Even though Sooyoung's soul has a very strong dark aura as well, Taeyeon could tell that the soul did not belong to Sooyoung, as it was not as strong but was filled with malicious intent. "Sunny weapon form NOW!!!" Taeyeon shouted and Sunny immediately transformed into her weapon form in a flash of blinding yellow light.

Then, it appeared out of dark portal. It was a demon with huge demonic wings, eyes that were black, with crimson red pupils that were like red slits down the middle of each eyeball. It had black horns, dagger-like teeth, an arrow-tipped tail that was crimson red, sharp claws that were the colour of blood, extending from each finger and toe and its body was as black as night. It was also wearing a white tuxedo over a white shirt with white pants, with a red bowtie and a blood-red rose in its shirt pocket.

If its look wasn't scary enough, its demonic aura was so strong, it lowered the surrounding temperature by a few degrees and darkened the surroundings as well. It also nearly made Phelios pass out due to its strength. Thankfully, it kept its soul in and masked it completely, so it would seem like it was a normal human soul, so the surrounding temperature and brightness went back to normal soon after.

Phelios, wanting to show off to Taeyeon, immediately stepped in front of Taeyeon and spread out his arms to shield Taeyeon from the demon. Taeyeon, however, was worried about his safety, so she pushed him behind her and told him to stay out of trouble, since he had no weapon and stood no chance against such a powerful opponent. Phelios did what he was told, while Taeyeon's parents stepped forward to Taeyeon's side, weapons ready. All for them were still trembling in fear at the mere sight of the demon.

"Woah! Weapons down! I come in peace!!!" The demon said as he put his hands up in a show of non-aggression. "My mistress, Choi Sooyoung, Blade of the Shadows, Maiden of Death sent me here. I'm sure you know her right?" The demon questioned.

"P-P-Prove it!" Taeyeon shouted back at the demon.

"Look at the rune on my tail, it says: 'Personal Bodyguard to the Maiden of Death'." The demon flicked his tail forward and showed them the rune on its tail. Taeyeon's parents, who knew how to read ancient writings, saw that the demon was indeed telling the truth, so they lowered their weapons and motioned for Taeyeon to do so.

"Ahh... That's better!" The demon said with a grin, before introducing itself: "My name is Syngch and I am a First-Class Elite Royal Demon and I am Sooyoung's personal bodyguard. Nice to meet all of you."

"First-Class Elite Royal Demon? So you're one of the most powerful demons in existence? From what I've heard, there are only less than ten in existence." Taeyeon's father questioned.

Syngch nodded and replied: "Yes, you're correct. In fact they are only three of us and I'm the eldest and most powerful. The other two are Sjnch, the second eldest and second most powerful, who is the Personal Bodyguard to the Angel of Death, Choi Soojin and the last one is Dth, the Gatekeeper of Hell. He's the youngest and the least powerful, but he could probably defeat all of you even when he's half asleep."

"Ah, I see..." Taeyeon replied then she asked: "What about Yonghwa and Yuri? They are demons too, so what are their ranks?"

"Erm... Let's see, Yonghwa is a First-Class Elite Demon, while Yuri is a rank above him, as she is a Third-Class Royal Demon. If they grow stronger their rank may increase." Syngch replied.

Taeyeon nodded and asked why Syngch was here. Syngch then told them what happened at the restaurant.

[Flashback Start]

Sooyoung was happily eating her food, when a stunningly beautiful girl sat down on the chair across the table. Sooyoung smiled when she saw the other girl and greeted her: "Unni annyeong! What brings you here?"

"Appa wants to see you now." Soojin replied with a smile.

"Now? As in right now?" Sooyoung questioned, puzzled.

"Yes, right now." Soojin replied in an affirmative tone.

"Okay. I'll be there in a moment, I have to make sure the girls are taken care of first." Sooyoung told her unni, as she wiped clean and paid for the bill. Soojin nodded her head in acknowledgement, spread out her angel wings and disappeared in a flash of dazzling white light. "Show off..." Sooyoung mumbled under her breath, as she walked out of the restaurant.

"Death Is Imminent. All Hell's fury unleashed on Earth. First-Class Elite Royal Demon, Syngch. Personal Bodyguard to the Maiden of Death. ARISE!!!" Sooyoung recited the enchanment. As soon as she finished, a portal opened and her bodyguard stepped out.

"Oppa annyeong!" Sooyoung greeted her bodyguard with a hug. It was like an older brother for Sooyoung when she was young, always playing with her, while protecting her. Sooyoung, Soojin, Syngch and Sjnch were very close, just like siblings, in fact.

"Annyeong, my Baby Soo!" Syngch replied, as it ruffled her hair.

Sooyoung glared at it and retorted: "I'm NOT a baby anymore!"

Syngch snorted and replied: "You'll always be my baby!" Sooyoung stuck her tongue out at it and it stuck its tongue back at her.

"Anyways, I need to meet my appa now, so go over to Taeyeon's house and bring them back to SM when they are done. Make sure no one gets hurt by your demonic aura OR ELSE!!!Especially Taeyeon... If I find out that she is hurt in any way, no matter how minor or major it is... You'll get it from me. Understood?!!" Sooyoung instructed.

"Yes ma'am!" Syngch replied. Sooyoung rolled her eyes and glared at Syngch one last time, before disappearing into the shadows. Syngch chuckled silently and teleported to Taeyeon's house.

[End of Flashback]

"And that's why I'm here." Syngch completed his explanation.

"So you're my daughter's transport back? Hmm... Why don't you join us at the table for now. We aren't going back anytime soon." Taeyeon's mother replied.

Before Syngch could reply, Taeyeon cut in and enquired: "Can't umma and appa bring us back?"

"Well they can only teleport from one place to another in the Realm of the Dead and not on Earth and since they can't bring you to the Realm of the Dead, unless you died, they can't bring you and your partner back. On the other hand, I can teleport anywhere I want, so I can bring you girls back." Syngch replied, before continuing: "And I would love to join you guys and girls at the table! My appetite rivals that of Sooyoung, you know?"

"In that case, STAY AWAY from the table." Everyone except for Phelios, shouted. Seeing his puzzled expression, Taeyeon explained to Phelios about how big Sooyoung's appetite was.

"Aww... Damnit... Me and my big mouth..." Syngch whined as it sulked in a corner watching the rest eat.

Finally, they were done. Taeyeon and Sunny bade farewell to Phelios and went with Syngch back to SM, while Taeyeon's parents cleared the dishes with the help of Phelios, before going back to SM. Phelios smiled to himself and whistled a happy tune as he walked back home, happy that he had spent time with his beloved Taeyeon. "If only she was my girlfriend..."Phelios thought, but he was content that Taeyeon was leading a happy life with Sunny.