Hurricane set off the direction that the guard; it was easy to see where the ground was disturbed and he followed closely until the path stopped at clearing, there was no one there but something catches his eye the bright red blood droplets splatter on the leaves on the floor. His senior comes up behind him; “I guess we were too late…” the commander says as he turns to tell the other searchers to turn back.

“It’s not too late.” Hurricane growls softly.

“Hurricane, that amount of blood… she couldn’t have lasted long unless she knew how to stop the bleeding.” The commander says putting a sympathetic hand on his shoulder; knowing how Hurricane had spent a lot of his time with her.

“It is not over and until I find her.” He says brushing off the commander's hand and starts running with sudden determination as if he knew where she was. He didn’t stop despite the Commanders yells to come back.

He runs around the wood taking a short cut, he ran along the top of a slope towards the back garden; fat raindrops start to fall as dark storm clouds approach the Palace... He was careful about where he stepped knowing how easy it was to fall down the slope with one small step. He would have run straight past until he saw a piece of pale blue material caught in the braces of a tree. He cycled back, “Autumn!” He yelled loudly as he carefully tries to maneuver to the slope, “Autumn?” That’s when he spots her small collapsed figure on the golden leave, her hair matted with blood; making a sickly color with her hair. He runs forward, slipping in his carelessness, but he reaches her and pulls her into his arm, “Autumn!!!” He yells as he tries to wake him up, wiping away the rain that fell on her face, but then he realized it wasn’t rain as he feels another warm tear roll down his cheek and onto her. The forest around them howled as a gust of wind showered their golden leaves on the two of them. Hurricane pulls her closer and screams her name which is lost in the wind. Lost in his own guilt, he didn’t notice Autumn stiffen his arms, “You found me…” she croaked.

“You’re alive!” He says as he looks as her confused eyes, “We saw blood so they thought…”

At the statement Hurricane realized his actions were not appropriate and backs away from her.

“We?” She asks.

“Everyone is searching for you.”

“I see… so ‘everyone’ was worried…” she says as she gets up slowly.

Pain flashed through Hurricane’s eyes as he hears the unspoken part, “I-” He begins but the words don’t come out and he just shut his mouth and scooped her up into her arms when he sees he wince as she put her right foot to the floor.

“What are you doing?” She yells as she hits him, “Put me down. I don’t want your help!”

He says nothing as he carefully covers her from the rain despite her protest to put her down. She eventually gives up and falls asleep, ‘I was worried out of my mind.” He whispers as he looks down at her.

Hurricane refused to leave her side for the rest of the day, even daring to stand by the door in her room, refusing to budge. No one thought much of it, thinking he was just being extra careful. He didn’t take his eyes off her when the doctor came to check her foot and bandages her head wound that came from her tumble down the hill. He didn’t move when Prince Taecyeon and Blaze came to check up on her. He was still there when she dozed off; knocked out by the pain medication.

The next morning Autumn woke up expecting to see him there still. But he was nowhere to be seen. She tiptoes to the door, careful not to put too much pressure on her foot.

“Hurricane?”

The door opens and new face greeted her, “Can I help you Miss Autumn?”

Surprised, Autumn quickly assured him she was fine.

Where was Hurricane? The more she thought about it the angrier she got; how could he just disappear again. He really doesn’t care! But then again Autumn couldn’t get angry; she was the one who told him to go away. Swinging between being angry at Hurricane and angry at herself she went to the hall to go to breakfast; but she stopped when she heard Taecyeon’s voice.

“We really need to thank that guard of hers; without him, we probably wouldn’t have found her.”

“I heard he refused to leave her side until she was fine.”  A softer voice spoke; the queen.

“He stays until he collapsed from a fever-”

Blaze didn’t get to finish his sentence as Autumn stormed into the room.

“Where is he?”

Autumn follows the guards to the palace clinic where Hurricane lay in the white bed; beads of sweat forming on his forehead. Autumn dismisses the guard before rushing to his side. She takes a cloth and wipes his brow. “Stupid…” she says, “Why didn’t you go to the doctor if you knew you had a fever? Standing there in those rain soaked clothes?” She says angrily, but all her words were directly to herself; why didn’t she notice? But most of all; what was she doing? All she has done was cause pain to the both of them. Autumn looks down at his face; she reaches for his face, running her hands softly on his face as if she was mesmerizing it.

“I won’t deny it anymore.”

The next few days; it was Autumn’s turn; she never left his side unless she really had to; everyone assumed she was just returning doing it because he had saved her. Even when Hurricane woke up; he didn’t comment on her presence, but he knew that he had been forgiven; her answer was clear.

A few days later Hurricane was due to be discharged soon and so Blaze swung by to visit to find Hurricane asleep; and Autumn was also asleep, resting her head on the side of the bed. Autumn wakes up as Blaze enters the room.

“Hey…” She says with a small smile.

Blaze smiles back in response as a silence falls between them.

“I guess I was never an option to begin with…”

“Blaze…”

“It’s fine; it really is. It’s just that… I know you belong to the prince by name, but I guess I thought I still had a chance to say your heart belonged to me but I guess not.” Blaze says as he smiles sadly.

“Blaze…I’m sorry, I just-” Autumn says as she reaches for his arm which but he moves away at the last second.

“I’ll be ok, really, I just need some time.”

Autumn watches as Blaze leaves, missing Hurricane’s eyes flicker under their lids.

Hurricane was finally fully recovered and he was back to his position as her personal Guard. He stood a little away behind her as she stood in front of the masses of Earth Court in the Main Plaza.

“Good Evening Ladies and gentlemen; I know there are a lot of events that has happened during the last few days; but I would like to assure you everything is under control.” Prince Taecyeon says addressing the crowd that looked on.

At this Autumn has to try control her shock; she has seen the endless threats still coming each day, she has watched the king become progressively more and more frustrated.

“... But I bring joyous news! As you all know; Miss Autumn and I have already announced out engagement, but today I am happy to announce that we are to wed next month!”

Autumn blanks out… it’s not as if she thought this day would never come; just that she never expected it to come so soon. There was no warning at all; she was not told.

She ushered into the back room as soon as the Prince finished announcing the many celebratory events taking place throughout the kingdom. It was only when she saw his face did she realize why it was happening so soon.

“It’s to calm down the rebellion isn't it?” She yells.

“There is no other choice!” Taecyeon yells back.

‘That's not true! Did you ever stop and think about what they are asking and what could actually be changed?”

Taecyeon presses his lips together.

“This isn’t going to change anything??? And after the wedding? Then what!”

“That not important!” Taecyeon yells.

“Is this what you want?” Autumn asks.

“That’s not important.” He says boredly.

“And what about what I want?”

Taecyeon doesn't reply, and as the silence grows louder a strange energy seems to seep from Autumn’s fingertips.

And when Taecyeon finally speaks again, the energy seems to grow even more. “That’s not important.”

And just like that Autumn slapped him hard, Straight across his face, he didn't even look shocked, Autumn expected him to be angry, but instead there was a sadness lurking in his eyes that made Autumn turn around and started to walk away.

An indescribable anger coursed throughout her body when Taecyeon grabbed her arm, “Let me go…” She says trying to remain calm but her heart beat with energy new to her. But he doesn't listen instead tightens his grip.

“Let.” “Me” “Go!” She yells as fire sprung from her arm causing Taecyeon to jump back.

A shocked silence falls between them. It couldn't be.

“But you’re… Your brother…” Taecyeon tries to say.

He didn't need to explain, she understood what he was trying to say.

That flame was created by her… something only naturals can do. Her brother is a natural so she has seen him create the same flame. But the only thing that didn’t add up to was- there is only supposed to be one natural born into one family.

“It must be a fluke!” She brushes it off quickly and runs out of the room.

She had never had any signs she was a natural. She wanted to run away from this all, she felt as if she was going to lose her mind when a pair of arms shot out and grabbed her, and holding her together. She wanted to tell Hurricane so much, but when she turned to him to speak, all she feels is Hurricanes lips crashing onto her, kissing her passionately as if he was making up for lost time or rather that there wasn’t any time left. When he finally breaks the kiss to breathe he leans his forehead on her.

“I won’t fight my feelings anymore.” He says, his words falling onto her lips.

And just like that everything she was worried about seems to melt away because in that moment, all matters is that he loves her too.