"Oh! Why hello there."

Nashi was too petrified to move, or even think clearly. Hesitantly, she looked over her shoulder at the person who had located her hiding spot. Her eyes widened at the sight of her.

She's SO pretty!

The woman crouching in front of the cabinet opening had sparkling blue eyes and long white hair, holding her bangs up was a little pink bow. The woman wore a light pink dress with white ruffles on the border. She was smiling happily as Nashi took in the sight of her.

"How long have you been in here?" the woman asked. The woman seemed nice enough, but Nashi was too nervous to speak. The woman sensed her stress and giggled.

"I'm sorry, you must be frightened. My name is Mirajane, what's your name?" Nashi recalled hearing someone named Mira before and figured she had to be the same person, she did have her overly friendly voice. Nashi whispered her name to Mira, hoping she heard her unfortunately she did not.

"I'm sorry, could you repeat that?"

"Nashi."

"Nashi?" Mira repeated. Mirajane flashed her a lovely smile, "That's a pretty name." Nashi twisted around fully to face Mirajane, however, she did not exit her hiding spot.

"How long have you been hiding in here Nashi?" Mirajane was answered by Nashi's growling stomach. Nashi blushed while Mirajane's giggle rang through the empty guildhall.

"I suppose long enough to be hungry. You really should get home Nashi. Your parents will be worried sick." Upon mentioning her parents, Nashi felt her gloomy attitude return. Mira's eyes widened at the sight of the disheartened girl.

"Oh, I see." Mira speculated about the best way to go about this. Mirajane's snapping fingers startled Nashi as she observed Mira stand, her eyes shining brightly.

"How about this. When I'm done cleaning up around here, we can head over to my place for some dinner and you can spend the night, only if you want to." Nashi thought about it for a time. Mira did seem trustworthy, even though she wanted her daddy. But, she did need a place to sleep AND she was offering dinner. Nashi hesitantly nodded her head and Mira clapped her hands together.

"Great. I'll be done in about ten minutes. You can come out of there if you want to." As Mira walked off to finish her duties, Nashi climbed out from her little hiding spot. Stretching her limbs, Nashi had a pretty good view of the rest off the guildhall. It was a lot bigger than she thought. Tables were scattered everywhere. Nashi could see a second floor above her and a pool area out through the window. She continued to admire the guild's interior until Mirajane walked up to her holding a hand out to her.

"Well, I'm all done. You ready to go?" Nashi reluctantly took hold of Mira's hand as she tightened her hold on Nashi's. Mirajane led Nashi toward the exit, not before flipping the light switch by the bar, turning the hall pitch black. Nashi tightened her hold on Mira's hand. Mirajane led Nashi to the doors, carefully so they didn't bump into anything. As Mira opened the doors, Nashi was met with the light of the full moon and the street lamps of Magnolia. If Nashi thought it was pretty in the day, it was even prettier at night. Mira and Nashi strolled down the cobblestone roads of Magnolia in silence. Nashi stared at Mirajane as the two of them made the way to Mira's home.

"Are you a princess," slipped out of Nashi's mouth before she could stop it. Nashi was met with laughter.

"Well no, but I'm flattered to hear that you thought I was," she said smiling brightly. Not long after that comment, Nashi could see a building that looked like an apartment complex, but what stuck out the most was the sign that said "Fairy Hills." Nashi asked Mira what it meant and she smiled.

"Fairy Hills is a dorm for all the girls in Fairy Tail without a home." She responded.

"And you live there?"

"Yes, I share an apartment with my sister, Lisanna." Nashi's heart stopped for a split second. She had no idea Mira and Lisanna were related. She was starting to regret taking Mirajane up on her offer. Nashi didn't want to hate Lisanna, if anything she was just like her father in this case; she had no idea about her mom's feelings, but she couldn't help but feel saddened and frustrated with the fact that she was the direct cause as to why she grew up without a daddy. By the time Nashi had finished trying to justify her hate, her and Mirajane were entering the Fairy Hills building.

It was very nice on the inside. The halls had nice, clean carpeting and sturdy, wooden walls. Mirajane led her down one of the hallways and toward one of the rooms. They were just about to enter one of the dorms; Nashi and Mira heard another door open and close. Nashi looked down the hallway to see a young woman in her early twenties holding a white cat in her arms. She had long, dark blue hair and brown eyes. She wore a light blue shirt with a white cover-up over it. She also had on a white skirt and white knee length socks with brown boots. The woman saw Mirajane and called out to her.

"Mira-san! It's good to see you. I'm sorry we didn't speak earlier today," she said bowing. Mira waved it off.

"It's alright Wendy. Where are you and Carla going?" she said pointing to the white cat in her arms.

"We were just about to go for a little walk," Wendy looked behind Mira and saw little Nashi trying to hide from her sight.

"Hello, who are you?" she asked. Nashi wasn't as afraid this time as she was with Mira, but still slightly reluctant.

"Nashi."

"Hi Nashi-chan. I'm Wendy and this is Carla," She said looking at the cat in her arms. The cat shook her head in a frustrated matter.

"Honestly child, I can introduce myself." Nashi gasped.

"Your cat can talk!" she said pointing at her. The cat scoffed.

"Of course I can child, have you never seen an exceed before." Nashi was still too stunned to say anything. Carla muttered something along the lines of "Typical". Wendy sighed.

"Well, we'll let you two enjoy the rest of your night," said Mira, "have fun on your walk and see you tomorrow." Nashi waved goodbye to Wendy and Carla as they walked away. Nashi could still hear the two of them before they exited the hall.

"She looks familiar," she could make out Carla saying.

"She smells familiar too," said Wendy.

Nashi didn't hear the end of their conversation because Mira had unlocked the door to her dorm and pushed Nashi toward it. She strolled into the apartment, adoring the furniture and pictures around the living room. Nashi heard a familiar voice coming down one of the halls. A woman who looked almost like Mira appeared. She had Mira's white hair and blue eyes, only her hair was short and pulled into two ponytails. She wore a light purple top that had a net like material near her bust area. She also had on a white skirt that reached her knees with a ruffled bottom. She had yet to notice Nashi's presence.

"Mira-nee, I was wondering where you were. I was about to start Natsu's laundry, but I don't know where the soap is…" Lisanna trailed off once she noticed the extra person in the building. Nashi avoided her gaze.

"Who is she?" Lisanna questioned. Her older sister smiled and patted Nashi's backpack.

"Lisanna, this is Nashi. She's going to spend the night tonight."

Lisanna simply nodded and reached out a hand toward Nashi, giving her a plain smile.

"Hello, I'm Lisanna, Mira-nee's younger sister." Nashi gazed at the hand but refused to touch it. Looking away, Nashi was able to convey to Lisanna that she didn't want to shake her hand. Feeling slightly uncomfortable, Lisanna let her hand fall back to her side. Mirajane didn't notice the tension between the two girls and strolled to the kitchen to make dinner. Nashi removed her backpack from her aching shoulders and placed it by the door. She walked into the living room and took a seat on one of Mira's plush couches. Nashi peered at all the pictures on the coffee table. She saw Mira and Lisanna in most of them, along with a really large man with tan skin and white, spiky hair. Along with those three, Nashi noticed other people with the guild mark of Fairy Tail, many that Nashi recognized from her mother's stories: a man without a shirt, a red haired woman, she saw her father and even her mother in a few of them.

"Those are some of our friends from the guild," she heard Lisanna say. She looked over at the armchair to her left. Lisanna was smiling at her, forgetting about earlier. Nashi eyed her strangely, reviving the awkward atmosphere from when they first met. Once again, Mira saved them by announcing dinners completion. The two girls arose from their seats and went into the kitchen. Now siting at the table, Mira placed two plates of spaghetti in front of the girls then getting one for her. Nashi happily ate the pasta dish; glad she had agreed to come spend the night. When she had almost finished her food, Lisanna finally decided to strike a conversation.

"So Nashi, why exactly are you spending the night here," Mira froze; she could see where this was going. She tried gesturing to her sister to stop, but it was too late, "Won't your parents be worried if you don't get home?" Mira's gaze shifted to Nashi, who was staring sadly at her food. Lisanna finally understood what Mira was trying to say. She was about to tell Nashi she didn't have to share, but Nashi beat her to the punch. She figured they would find out eventually, plus it might make it easier to get it off her chest.

"don't have a daddy," She said softly. Lisanna gasped and Mirajane brought a hand to her mouth, "and my mommy was kidnapped." The room was deathly quiet. Nashi didn't want to cry in front of them, she tried her hardest to remain strong. No matter how hard it was, he would not cry.

"Is that why you came to the guild?" Mira questioned. Nashi nodded her head. Mira placed a delicate hand on Nashi's shoulder and Nashi looked up at her.

"Tomorrow we'll talk to the guild master about this. I promise Nashi, we will find your mother and get her home safely," she said, offering her a sad smile. Nashi let her own smile grace her face. The three of them finished their dinner in silence. When they were done, Nashi helped Mira clean the dishes while Lisanna worked on Natsu's laundry. She imagined her father was too lazy to do his own so he had his girlfriend do it.

"Well that's about it," Mira said as she finished the last plate, "now that this is done, it's about time for you to be heading off to bed. Put on your pj's and brush your teeth." Nashi looked away in embarrassment. Nashi hadn't really thought too much about packing when he left home, all she had brought with her were some of her favorite foods, Mai's map, and her mother's gate keys. Mira laughed at Nashi's embarrassment and led her toward the hallway where Lisanna was doing her boyfriend's laundry. Lisanna noticed them and was surprised by their presence.

"Lisanna, do you know where any of our old cloths from when we were kids are?" Mira asked. Lisanna sighed.

"Sorry Mira-nee, I gave those away to charity. Anything I didn't donate I gave to Levy and Gajeel for Gale." Mira rubbed her chin as Lisanna went back to working on the dirty clothes. Watching her sister gave her an idea.

"Why don't we let her wear one of Natsu's shirts?" Both Nashi and Lisanna were shocked by Mira's recommendation. Nashi didn't know what it was like to wear something of her father's and Lisanna didn't know how she felt about the idea. She didn't like the idea of another girl wearing her boyfriend's clothes. She may have only been eight, but something about this girl made Lisanna feel uneasy. Mira waved her off.

"It's fine Lisanna, Natsu won't mind and you're cleaning them anyway. Just give her one of the less dirty ones." Reluctantly, Lisanna dug through the laundry basket, pulling out a plain black shirt. She took a quick sniff before handing it to her older sister, "This one isn't too bad. Just give it back in the morning so I can get in the wash." Mira thanked her and took it from her sister. The two walked across the hall into the dorms bathroom. Mira gave Nashi the shirt and turned to leave.

"Just put this on. There should be extra toothbrushes under the sink." Nashi thanked her as she closed the door. Nashi quickly undressed and slipped on the shirt. It was pretty large on her, it reached about to her knees and part of it fell off of her shoulder. After brushing her teeth, she folded up her clothes and left the bathroom. She went into the living room to find Mirajane and Lisanna on the couch, already in their pajamas. Mira wore a bright pink button up shirt with matching pants while Lisanna wore a plain white t-shirt and purple shorts with white polka dots. When they saw Nashi, Mira began clapping excitedly.

"OH, aren't you just the cutest in that shirt! Isn't she Lisanna?" Lisanna looked Nashi up and down before turning her head away, "Yeah, cute." Mira stood from her seat and went up to Nashi. She took Nashi's clothes from her hands, saying she would wash them for tomorrow.

"Now, since you're the guest here, you can sleep in my room while I bunk with Lisanna." Nashi nodded her head in agreement as Mirajane led her to the hallway. They stopped in front of a white door that had a dainty sign that read "Mira's room" hanging from the handle. Mirajane turned the knob and pushed the door open, revealing a room better fit for a little girl than a full-grown woman.

"This is embarrassing, I really need to redecorate in here," Nashi heard Mira whisper. Nashi laughed and approached the canopy bed. Mira followed and helped Nashi tuck herself in. Mira noticed a slightly uncomfortable look on Nashi's face and began to wonder if the bed didn't feel right to her.

"If you want to sleep in Lisanna's room instead, we can switch." Nashi shook her head.

"It's not that. It's just, I was wondering…if you could sing me a song." Mirajane was taken back, "Mommy always sings me to sleep." Mira smiled in understanding. Mira nodded a yes and began singing in a sweet voice.

Baby mine, don't you cry
Baby mine, dry your eyes
Rest your head close to my heart
Never to part, baby of mine.

Little one when you play
Don't you mind what they say
Let those eyes sparkle and shine
Never a tear, baby of mine.

If they knew sweet little you
They'd end up loving you too
All those same people who scold you
What they'd give just for
The right to hold you.

From your head to your toes
You're not much, goodness knows
But you're so precious to me
Cute as can be, baby of mine.

N

ashi had to admit, Mira's voice was very soothing and even, but it only made her miss her mommy more. Once Mira completed the song, she kissed Nashi on the forehead and rose from the bed.

"Goodnight Nashi," Mirajane whispered as she flipped the light switch off. Nashi snuggled further into the blankets.

"Goodnight, Auntie Mira." Mira froze halfway as she was closing the door. She gave Nashi one last smile before closing the door gently, letting the darkness envelop the room. Mirajane let out a sad sigh as she once again joined her little sister in the living area.

"Poor girl," she said taking her seat, "No father and her mother's been kidnapped. It must be really hard to bare." Lisanna rolled her eyes.

"Come on Mira-nee, we went through a similar situation when we were younger," she said, removing her pigtails. Mira brought her legs up into her chest.

"Yeah, but we had each other and Elfman; Nashi has no one. She's trying to be brave but it's hard when you lose the most important thing in your life," Mira sighed again, "Hopefully the Master can figure out how to help her." The two let the room fill with a comfortable silence, neither knowing what else to say on the matter. Mira eventually cleared her throat, ruining the peace.

"So, are you going to finish Natsu's laundry?" Lisanna shook her head.

"No, I'll take care of it tomorrow. He won't care if it's a little late, he wears the same outfit all the time anyway." Mira noticed the awkwardness when her sister spoke of her boyfriend. Something was clearly bothering her.

"Lisanna, are you okay?" Lisanna let a sigh slip from her lips.

"I don't know anymore Mira-nee. I want things to go back to normal, like when we were kids, but he's changed." Lisanna rubbed her arm, " ever since she left, he gets hurt just hearing her name."

"Lisanna, he's sad that she's gone. He'll get over-"

"It's been nine years Mira-nee!" Mira was surprised by her sister's sudden outburst, "He has had nine years to get over the fact that she left, and it hurts seeing that he hasn't. It makes me fell insignificant." Lisanna followed her sister's earlier actions and curled in on herself, lowering her head in between her knees.

"I wish he would treat me like her," she said softly, "I wish he would treat me like something precious, like if he lost me, he would lose a part of himself too." Mira let her feet fall back to the floor and began twiddling with her fingers. She bit her lip, knowing her next comment wouldn't mean anything to Lisanna.

"You know, if you feel this way, why don't you just break up with Natsu? Break ups happen all the time and you two have been dating for so long with little progress." Lisanna raised her head, looking into Mira's eyes with an unreadable expression.

"Hope. I still hope that one day, he'll forget about her and we can finally be happy together, and get married like I always wanted." Lisanna no longer felt comfortable with this certain topic and stood, walking to her bedroom. Her sister sat, watching as she left the room.

"But is that what he wants?" she whispered to herself before trailing after her little sister.

The two sisters were unaware of a certain girl who had overheard their entire conversation, even the whispers. Nashi lay on her side, gazing out Mirajane's window. She ran the sisters discussion through her head over and over again.

Does this mean, there's still a chance, she though, staring up into the glowing moon, a chance for us to be a real family, Mommy and Daddy? She liked to believe it was.

Nashi grabbed the collar of her father's shirt and brought it closer to her nose. It smelt of smoke, the good kind that doesn't hurt your lungs and make your eyes sting. Nashi closed her eyes, a content smile on her face.

It smells like home.