Running along again, the scene felt very familiar except they were less than they’d begun with.  At the fore, Namjoon’s orb didn’t gleam as brightly and none of them moved as fast.  Seokjin and Jungkook clustered together, helping each other along while Yoongi brought up the rear, his gaze ever vigilant.  The darkness beyond almost felt alive as it continued to shadow them and the further they ran, the more it felt as if their strength and will was being sapped.

                This time, it seemed as if a fell presence had turned its gaze upon their ragged party, intent on driving them into the ground.  Feeling a shift, Yoongi slowed, eyes narrowed in growing concern.  “Wait up guys,” he called, toying with his lighter as he eyed Namjoon’s orb uncertainly.  It did not cast much light at all and he knew they were all winded.

                Seokjin and Jungkook came to a stop first, pausing between the front and the back as they looked to the rear, noticing the way the shadows seemed to stretch when their party became a little more separated.  “What’s up?” Seokjin asked, looking to Namjoon to make sure he paused.

                “Something’s odd,” the shorter man frowned, biting the corner of his lip before he flipped the lighter open, holding it ready.

                Namjoon sent the orb back a few paces and drifted towards them himself before stopping with an uncertain look around.  “He’s right,” he admitted after a pause, fingers moving quickly at his side.  “Something else is here,” he swallowed, backing up towards the others without taking his eyes off the surrounding darkness.

                “I can’t see anything,” Jungkook admitted, pivoting from side to side with his hands at the ready.

                Whispers began to rise from the shadows, dancing around their group, changing in tone and volume as they moved.  “What are they?” Seokjin asked, tense as he stood on the balls of his feet.  “Is it the Curse?”

                Yoongi flicked the lighter and conjured a ball of flame into his hand, letting the orange light warm his face as it waved gently of its own accord.  Holding it out towards the edge of his line of sight, he noticed figures moving.  Shadows blended together and then reformed, blackness moving inside of darker blackness.  “No,” he finally shook his head, backpedaling until he was closer to Seokjin and Jungkook.  He didn’t know how he knew that exactly but he was positive what hounded them now was not that foul thing.

                “We’re surrounded,” Namjoon announced when they became a unit once more.

                “Keep your light going,” Yoongi instructed, pushing gently but firmly at the two in the middle.  “We keep moving until we have to stop.  I don’t think they can come into the light,” he whispered, his voice barely loud enough to rise over the sounds haunting them.

                “We’re going,” Jungkook nodded, still casting about for something to fight, anything to help break the tension.

                Carefully, they continued their slower progress, feeling as if they were moving up an incline which only served to wear them down faster.  Figures flickered at the edge of their periphery and the whispers continued unabated, beginning to unravel their already frayed nerves.  Eventually, they began to sound like words…

                You will all die.

                It’s your fault they’re dead.

                You can’t save them.

                How could you leave them like that?

                Why didn’t you do more?

                She doesn’t want you here.

                You shouldn’t be here.

                They were maddening.  Worse still, none of them were immune.  The taunting voices dug at the core of the boys, tearing at already beaten reserves.  The shadows asked questions they were asking themselves, and twisted the knife more with each comment of failure.  Yoongi felt as if his skin was crawling with each new utterance and his eye twitched at the next one.  “I will save them,” he started to answer back immediately.  “I know!” he snapped under his breath, further blaming himself for the deaths of his friends.  “Do you think we want to be here anymore?” he rolled his eyes, tuning in long enough to hear Seokjin and Jungkook muttering in similar responses.

                At last, one of them had to snap.  “Oh for the love of all deities!  Shut the hell fires up!” Namjoon roared, exploding his orb like a small, cosmic star.  The floating ball erupted into thousands of tiny sparks that arched over their heads and tapered out into the shadows.  But not before revealing the figures that continued to haunt them: faceless humanoids with too long arms that appeared to have no bones at all.  And they themselves were lined against a veritable wall of liquid darkness nearly four meters apart, the likes of which devoured any gleam of illumination.

                “Celestials help us,” Seokjin breathed at the briefest of glimpses before the light all but disappeared.  Whispers turned to quiet hisses and they felt the press of bodies moving in.

                Something brushed against Yoongi’s back, sticky and hard, and he reacted.  Fire arched in a semicircle as he whirled around with an angry yell, trailing an orange tail from his hand.  Unnatural shadows recoiled with roiling limbs jerking in a spasmodic frenzy; the things screamed in a muted sound of burbling liquid and fell away from him.  Freed for the moment, it only took a second for Yoongi to realize the fight had just begun.

                “Get off him!” Jungkook snarled like a savage beast.  The dim light did nothing to deter the comparison for his eyes looked dark and feral in combat.  He was all fury and strength as he ripped the writhing something off Seokjin and tossed it into the quagmire of darkness beyond.  And then he whirled to meet another target, recoiling from the unseen slam that caught him across the face.

                “No!” Namjoon howled, lost in shadows without his light.

                “Hold on!” Yoongi shouted, immediately lunging towards his friend’s voice.  With fire pulsing in his palm, he grabbed the thing tangling with Jungkook and ignited it.  Molecules sparked and traveled as if the creature was tar, incinerating into filaments of ash even before he moved on.  Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Jungkook recovering to defend Seokjin, his position secured again.  “Joonie!” the fire starter roared, planting himself between the remaining parties of his group.  Heat flared while tongues of flame rose around his body in a growing pillar that made the air feel thin as he drew breath.

                The beacon of orange brilliance revealed their enemies once more, forcing those around Namjoon to cower away.  They unfolded from the platinum haired man, oozing back into the wall until he was free at last and gasping for breath.  “ that was close!” he coughed, wiping at his mouth with the back of his hand as he pushed to his feet and stumbled closer.  His face was starkly white and the cuts from the shards earlier showed dark and ugly in his visage.

                “Get back!” Jungkook commanded, his voice followed by a dull thud and a pained cry from one of those things.

                “Come on!” Seokjin urged as he pulled at the younger man to get closer to Yoongi, just staying clear of the wall of fire still surrounding him.

                “You done leading the way?” Yoongi hissed into the resultant lull that fell with the most recent upset.  Tension continued to rise though, and the fight was still going – merely delayed – while he stared right at Namjoon through the orange haze that felt like a second skin to him, though the hungry power also consumed the oxygen nearby, making breathing harder.

                With a shaky nod, Namjoon mutely agreed.  He shifted uneasily on his feet and glanced around once before focusing on Yoongi again.  “You be the light and I’ll be the shadow?” he prompted, swallowing hard while his fingers twitched reflexively.  It looked like he was having a hard time focusing.

                “I can’t maintain this and move but I can give you enough,” Yoongi confirmed, toning the pillar down until it was more his size.  Immediately, they felt the press of shadows beginning to converge again and they took a quick breath in response.  “Ready Kookie?” he looked over his shoulder out of the corner of his eyes.

                “No,” the boy answered immediately, his voice high and tense, head swiveling to either side where the shadow figures milled.  “But I’ll go when you do,” he murmured with a shaky breath.

                “Atta boy,” Yoongi smirked sadly as he shifted the fire more, pulling the light from in front to the rear.  It kept their backs safe but allowed a surge from the path before them.  His gaze dropped to Namjoon’s hands where snake-like coils writhed around his fingers.

                “Get ready,” Namjoon whispered, his body jerking once when a chill traveled up his spine.

                “Now!” he and Yoongi shouted at once.  The fire starter shifted the flame back around to the front so that Namjoon’s shadow loomed long and large over the opponents in the front.  In the blink of an eye, it came alive, becoming solid enough to swing a long arm down the hallway.  Boneless flesh bent over the limb and they were crushed against the wall with a gut wrenching, squishing sound.

                As soon as it stopped, Namjoon sagged where he stood and the shadow became inert once more.  It draped over the fallen and leaned against the wall until Yoongi helped straighten him up and shoved him forward.  “Let’s move!” he commanded, the sound forced and thin, his voice weaker than he wanted it to be.  But, they moved as he spoke, just like he did.

                Namjoon staggered against him for two steps before he regained his footing, the fire in his eyes dull but not extinguished.  Behind them, Jungkook pushed Seokjin forward, throwing quick jabs at anything that foolishly came close enough.  He dare not stop, but hands continued to reach after them, grabbing and clawing at clothes and hair.  “I’m good,” Namjoon whispered raggedly, standing on his own as he dropped back a hair, freed from Yoongi’s support.

                “Be careful,” Yoongi encouraged, making sure to keep pace with their flagging energy.  With the crushing blow from the shadow shifter, their path in the front appeared clear, but more and more of their enemies rose in the back.  Their whispering voices grew to the sound of a low, constant roar as they harried the group like rabid dogs.  Namjoon fell back a little more to help Jungkook keep the rear manageable.  Manifest shadows like whips s back to rip and tear at strange flesh with each attack.  Jungkook shifted quickly on his feet, running one moment and backpedaling the next, but always brushing off questing limbs and hitting back too-eager-bodies.  It was a never ending battle and those had but one end anyway…

                Yoongi tried to keep the light burning bright, just so they’d have more breathing space, but every time the fireball in his palm grew too large, he suffered for it.  The restrictions and consequences of this realm kept any of them from their usual potential and it was more than troubling; it wore away at hope like a sandcastle on the beach when the tide was coming in.

                The fire dimmed and he stumbled.  Seokjin caught him then, bracing his flagging body with an arm around his waist while they moved doggedly on.  “Don’t give up,” he whispered into his ear, sending Yoongi’s heart plummeting at the realization he was close to that point.  “You’re not allowed, remember?” Seokjin purposefully prodded, fingers digging into Yoongi’s side.

                “And why not?” Yoongi barked a pitiful laugh, the sound broken but not defeated.  He dug for something more and kept going, waiting for the answer he knew was coming.

                “Cuz you’re the leader,” Seokjin panted breathlessly.  “You brought us here.  Means you gotta get us out too,” he laughed once, swallowing hard.

                Yoongi snorted at the response and picked his hand up higher defiantly.  “I didn’t twist your arm, you know.”

                “You might as well have,” was the quiet but honest response.  It hit hard.  Like it was supposed to.  And Yoongi winced, his face pinched in the dim light.

                “Jin…” he trailed off, unsure of what he wanted to say.  But he didn’t have time to voice anything else.  Jungkook yelled behind them and they stopped abruptly, whirling around to see.

                The fighter was on the ground, clawing at the surface to gain purchase while limbs held his ankles and pulled.  “Help!” he screamed as fingernails scraped against the ground without purchase; he reached for Namjoon who dove in to grab the outstretched hand.

                “Get off him!” Namjoon snarled while he held tight, legs braced and his free hand swiping the air in front of him with a scythe-like shadow, mowing down those foolish enough to get close.  But his effective range could not extend far enough to free the downed young man; every time he tried, his weapon wavered, becoming insubstantial and ineffective.

                “Guys!” Yoongi shrieked, taking a step back as he raised the fire higher to give Namjoon something to work with.  It flared to life, hot and brilliant for a few seconds only, but it was enough for the light shifter to trane.  Even as Yoongi flagged again, falling to his knees this time from the lack of energy and oxygen, Namjoon managed a light explosion immediately in front of him.

                Yoongi and Seokjin stumbled back, blinded by the light, and Namjoon fell to his knees in front of Jungkook’s head, still holding onto one of his hands.  The creatures screamed and fled as the area was nearly cast into darkness once more.

                “Get up.”  Yoongi didn’t know who was speaking at first.  The voice was muffled and distorted, but then it came again.  “Get up!” Jungkook groaned to himself, kicking his feet against the ground as he stood upright with wobbly balance.  He took a breath and forcefully dragged Namjoon to his feet by the hand that was still clasped around his.  “You too,” he urged, giving him a slight nudge up the path.

                “Come on guys,” Seokjin waved, letting Yoongi go so he could step to the side.  “Get on,” he urged before he stilled, turning to sand that whirled out and out into a much larger form.  The granules expanded into massive wings and a solid, furry body that looked sickly in the pale light of the tiny, flickering flame still cradled in Yoongi’s palms.

                Grabbing onto Seokjin’s fur, Yoongi hauled himself to his feet, relying on the shuffling footsteps of Jungkook and Namjoon to let him know where they were.  His arms felt leaden and lifting his hand was nearly impossible to give them more light to see by.  He inhaled sharply, choking on a warning when he saw tar-like blackness shifting over Jungkook’s shoulder.

                An arm more like a tentacle shot out, looping around Jungkook’s throat.  With a strangled gasp, he grabbed it with one hand while reaching for Namjoon as if to anchor himself.  Fingers latched onto Namjoon’s shoulder sleeve, dragging him back and around as he flailed in panicked surprise, trying to steady himself.  “Kookie!” he yelped, grabbing on reflexively as he pulled back and tried to summon power of some kind to answer him.

                “No!” Yoongi coughed, willing the flame in his hand to burn while his legs trembled and refused to move.  Nothing happened and even Namjoon’s strength failed; little more than a pale sphere of light appeared, translucent and thin before it shattered like so much glass.

                Fueled by panic induced energy, Jungkook managed to rip the limb from his throat, earning his freedom.  But in his haste to get away, he pulled Namjoon towards him too quickly.  “!” Namjoon choked, flailing past Jungkook while his questing fingers pulled at fabric uselessly.

                “Namjoon!” the boy gasped, still gripping to the shirt as he pivoted to follow.

                “Watch out!” Yoongi croaked when he saw more limbs reach from the darkness to enfold Namjoon in their embrace.

                “Help me!” Namjoon screamed in panic, clawing at Jungkook’s arm enough to draw blood when he was yanked back.

                “Hang on!” Jungkook cried with a pained howl, lurching to follow.  Fabric ripped and Namjoon was ripped away, his blunt nails tearing down Jungkook’s arm in the process.  The younger boy barely felt it as he screamed in denial instead of pain when the platinum haired man was swallowed by the darkness.

                “Joonie!” the fire starter panted, gaining enough strength to stumble towards Jungkook instead.  “Dammit!” he snarled, grabbing onto Jungkook’s bloody arm with his free hand to haul him around.

                “Yoongi!  Ididntmeanto- hewasjustthereand- I’m sor- oh gods, what did I do?!” he rambled in a guilt ridden, panicked vomit of words that all blurred together.  His eyes were so wide in his shocked face Yoongi almost feared they might fall out.

                “We gotta go!” he voiced around his exhaustion and closing throat.  Pulling Jungkook wasn’t easy but putting his whole weight against him did work to make the boy start moving.  And then Seokjin was there with his creepy antennae that nearly gave Yoongi a heart attack when they brushed against his body.

                “But Namjo-“

                “Get on!” Yoongi cut him off with panic warring against his heartache.  He could feel the forces around them marshalling and he doubted whatever light he could manage would be enough to overcome them this time.  It was hard to keep the ember in his palm bright enough to see Seokjin, much less illuminate the area.

                Giant wings flapped in nervous worry and the large, horse-sized body bumped into both boys when massive eyes reflected movement off the curved surface.  Startled and afraid, he skittered backwards, many legs scrabbling over the surface.  “Wait!” Jungkook cried, running after with Yoongi at his side.

                Both clambered on while Seokjin slowed enough for them to throw themselves onto his back, using his surprisingly solid wings for support.  Jungkook had to help Yoongi who was struggling with being able to use only one hand, hauling him into place in front of him with adrenaline-filled ease.  Still clinging to the fuzz on Seokjin’s body, they held tight when the giant butterfly turned in place and immediately started to run on all six legs, wings flapping in the confined space. 

                Hissing, brushing sounds rose at their backs, like too many bodies pressed together, trying to move all at the same time.  “What are you waiting for?!” Jungkook yelled aloud, holding onto Yoongi’s waist supportively with one arm and gripping to Seokjin’s fur with his other hand.

                Unable to give an answer, Seokjin flapped again, but it didn’t take them long to realize the tips of his wings kept hitting the top of the wall and he couldn’t get enough of a push to take off.  “There’s not enough room,” Yoongi breathed, twisting to shine his light out further.  Weak flames extended their illumination to the edges of the darkness, confirming the thudding sound beyond their sight was Seokjin’s wings hitting the top.  The butterfly didn’t stop but they got the feeling he was agreeing with him.

                “We don’t know if a space is gonna open up either,” Jungkook thought aloud, his grip on Yoongi tight enough to be uncomfortable.

                “And he’ll tire eventually,” Yoongi winced, feeling exhaustion in his body from using his powers too much already – normally it wasn’t a problem but this place drained them all hungrily.  Holding the larger form would cost Seokjin in time and then they would all be lost if something wasn’t done.  “!” he hissed, pulling at his hair with his free hand when no solution came to him.  He nearly fell off in a panic when Jungkook suddenly let go when he wasn’t expecting it.  “What are you doing?!” he demanded as he swiveled around to watch Jungkook slide off Seokjin’s body, keeping pace on the ground.

                “What I can!” Jungkook answered hastily, his expression a confused jumble of fear and hope and determination.

                “Get back up here now!” Yoongi snapped, inching towards him with his light filled hand outstretched to offer as much illumination and cover as he could.

                “In a minute!” Jungkook responded, tugging on Seokjin’s wing just a bit.  “Slow down, Jin.  I’m gonna give you a boost!” he explained, ducking under the space between the butterfly and the ground as soon as he had the opportunity.

                “Kookie!” the fire starter inhaled, scrambling on Seokjin’s back to try and get a better glimpse of the young man beneath them.  It was impossible to do without falling off though, and he was forced to remain on top or risk being left behind when Jungkook succeeded.  Because he would, dammit!

                Another wingbeat had Yoongi clinging to Seokjin’s body when they rose up more than expected with a defiant growl from Jungkook.  “Up you go, Jin!” he panted, either jumping or pushing up with his arms to give the butterfly more space.  Somehow, he managed to keep moving them forward at the same time, though their speed did decrease.

                The first attempt was awkward and ungainly; wings beat against the wall and gravity pulled them back down without mercy.  “Come on, Jin!  You’ve got this!” Yoongi crowed, staying low on the body.

                “One more time!” Jungkook huffed from out of sight, the sound eerie in the encroaching dark.  With a feral snarl, he shoved them up again, jerking the pair forcefully.  Yoongi flattened out and Seokjin beat his wings hard, the tips still hitting the edges but he pushed past it.  Semi-flexible membranes bent against the wall and the butterfly hovered in the air for a second.  The next flap dropped them with a stomach lurching sensation before they rose another foot.

                “It’s working!” Jungkook cheered from below, somehow hanging on.

                “Great!  Now get your up here!” Yoongi commanded, his heart racing in his chest as he couldn’t see far enough to know if they were in danger or not.

                “I’m trying,” the younger man announced, his movement obviously jostling Seokjin’s airborne balance.  “But we made it, Yoongi!” he cheered breathlessly.  “We made- oh-!”  The butterfly dipped down as wings labored to gain altitude.

                “Kookie?!” Yoongi cried out, immediately panicking.  “Jungkook!” he screamed when nothing answered him as he vainly tried to cast light into the space beneath them.  Nothing but gloom and the departing whispers of those shadow things that stalked them remained.  With his fingers tangled in the pink fuzz of Seokjin’s back, Yoongi stared into the darkness, unmoving.  “Why…?” he whispered, not expecting an answer.  He didn’t get one in return.

                In the air, the darkness around them was complete.  There was no sign of any land or water or anything to break up the never ending night.  As they moved, the wind blew cold air over him, pulling at his hair and digging icy fingers through his clothes.  Yoongi almost felt numb except for the reminder of warmth resting in his hand.  The flame in his palm flickered, teasing with the false promise of light and safety.  As much as he wanted to extinguish it out of spite – it hadn’t kept them safe after all, he couldn’t.  He wouldn’t.

                Shaking from the latest loss, he carefully shimmied his way on Seokjin’s back and anchored himself near the front with his legs hooked under the wings.  They pressed down on his calves with each beat but the uncomfortable pressure almost felt good; it reminded him he was still alive.  “Alright, Jin,” he swallowed hard, grabbing a fistful of fuzz with his bloody hand and holding tight.  “Take us to her,” he whispered, staring ahead until the cold wind in his eyes forced him to blink the tears from his vision.  “We have to…” he trailed off, fighting against the awful pressure in his chest.  “We have to finish this,” he explained in a voice that was thick and unsteady.

                Seokjin couldn’t respond verbally but as before, Yoongi got the distinct impression that he was ready.  They both were.  As ready as they were gonna be.

                “We finish this,” he whispered while the wind tore the words away from his mouth.  “Or die trying…”

(a/n: This chapter took me much longer than expected to complete but here it is!  And as I suspected, I will be running long...  lol  We'll have at least one more chapter and then an epilogue so it should be 5 in total.  Unless the next one runs away with me again.  heh  Thank you for reading though and I'd love to hear what you think.  Please look forward to the next update as well!)