Once the hour has passed and the others are sound asleep, Yongguk leaves his tent with tightened lips and a clenched fist. The Warrior takes a seat on a patch of grass beneath the large oak tree shading the tents from the thin streams of moonlight peeking from the grey clouds above.

He has no way of telling what time it is currently, but he knows there are only a few hours till the morning chases after them. Time is limited he feels and he hates the helpless feeling he has whenever he looks at Zelo.

Almost a month had passed by now since he had rescued the Child from the confines of the Spring King, most of their time together had been through travel and sleepless nights by the river but he was attached in more ways than one.

Zelo was an enigma, silent and stoic in all that he did. His words were sparse but heavy in meaning, Yongguk always worried of whether he was of this world, everything that he was said otherwise.

When he thinks of the supposed Prince of the Moon Kingdom, his mind wanders towards a certain Spirit, fire burned in his soul and reigned through his icy fingertips. He was suspicious in all ways and Yongguk didn't approve of having him near, but Daehyun had insisted. 

Yongguk's mind was a mess. He no longer thought of his duties to his capital, his Civilization, but instead he thought of only the Child's wellbeing, his happiness and his health. What was this feeling?

"I'd advise that you don't sneak up on me like that." Yongguk says without turning his head, the person seems to freeze in alarm before he continues making his way forth, the frozen grass beneath his feet cause the soil around the Warrior to turn cold.

"You seem to be thinking about something quite deeply. The Caverns aren't friendly to those of the light, you should rest up." Youngjae approaches from the shadows but he doesn't leave it to stand in the light with the Warrior.

"I don't trust you." Yongguk replies instead and he shoots a glare at the Spirit with his golden eyes, Youngjae doesn't seem offended in the slightest, if anything he seems amused which only bothers the Warrior more.

"Look, I want the same thing that you do. For Prince Junhong to make it home to his Kingdom, safe and sound." Youngjae lifts his hands in a non threatening manner but Yongguk's eyes slightly glow in the dark.

"He cares for you. Rest up." the Spirit says quietly before he leaves to do something else, Yongguk watches as he freezes an icy bed beneath his tent and slips inside. The Warrior lets out the breath he was holding and runs his hands through his short hair.

The sound of rustling makes him sit up in alarm and he merely sees Zelo coming out of the tent, he doesn't float and he doesn't glow but he holds an aura in on it's own. The air around him seems different for some reason as he walks close.

"Junhong?" Yongguk whispers as the Child approaches him. As usual Zelo doesn't say a single word, instead he sits down in front of the Warrior with his legs crossed, close enough that their knees touch. The contact makes Yongguk's heart race.

"I have been thinking a lot lately, of the tales Daehyun hyung was told when he was a child." Zelo's voice is quiet and he reaches forward to gently take Yongguk's hands in his own. He lets the touch linger for a moment before he holds them again, tighter.

"If I, a Child of the Moon, want to stay by the side of a Warrior of the Sun, what shall I do?" Yongguk knows that the Child isn't speaking with him, he's speaking his own personal thoughts aloud. He feels as though he shouldn't say anything.

"Yongguk, you are like that of the Sun. Bright and warm. I do not feel strong in the Sun." his words trail off in a whisper as he speaks the last part, Yongguk frowns and Zelo's cold hands lay in his own.

"How do I get closer without disappearing?" Zelo looks up into Yongguk's eyes, his expression full of sorrow and innocence like a small child. Yongguk feels as though Zelo is referring to his inability to live under the Sun without fading but he isn't sure.

"The Sun repels me but calls me closer, how unfair." he laughs bitterly and Yongguk doesn't want to see such a helpless look in his mixed eyes, Zelo gasps when the Warrior suddenly intertwines their fingers.

"Stay by my side Junhong." he says confidently, but his hands shake in the hold of the Child's. Zelo tilts his head as he smiles and he glances down to his left before meeting the Warrior's warm gaze.

"I once heard of a tale of a boy who got too close to the light and was burnt. Am I the foolish boy?" his words mingle with his breath and just as Yongguk is about to reply, Zelo pulls away with a frown on his face. He steps back into the shadows and Yongguk looks up at the Sun that begins to shine on his skin.

The two exchange no more words and they remain apart from one another until they're on their merry way, with Zelo shielded under a cloak, hiding from the thing he feared most.

The journey to the Caverns is one ridden with silence. Not one of them knows what is to come. On the third day of travel they begin to grow restless, they cross the ground of where three lands blend. The Sun Civilization, the Spring Fields and the Autumn Caverns ahead.

Yongguk wonders what the Prophet will do for them, Himchan wonders what will happen to Zelo, Zelo wonders where his people are, Youngjae wonders why the Elf won't stop staring at him and Daehyun wonders why the Spirit is so damned handsome.

"I swear to god Daehyun, if you don't stop staring at the Spirit I'll hit you before he has the chance to." Himchan seethes as he whacks the Elven Prince who sits on the back of his horse.

"Hey! It's not my fault Youngjae is so beautiful. Like his features are unreal, and oh those purple eyes, they're even more hypnotising whilst awake." Daehyun huffs with complete adoration and the Spirit shifts uncomfortably.

"I'm right here you imbecile. Have more tact will you? You're a Prince." Youngjae hisses and Daehyun swoons when his eyes glow. The Spring breeze floats past them as they teeter on the borders between the Civilization and the Caverns.

"You're the only real outcome I've ever had through my dreams. I'd always just ignored my Mother when she told me I was gifted as well. But now I believe it." the Elf says with a smile and his boyish smile works it's way into Youngjae's ice encased heart.

"You're an idiot. We're approaching the Caverns." the Spirit rolls his eyes as they move from vibrant green grass to soil and roots. The trees above them rot beautifully, with a mixture of reds and oranges, such warm tones for such a cold place.

"He lives near the border, once we pass the large boulders and mushroom stools we'll see his home." Youngjae informs them and Yongguk has his suspicions of why the Spirit would know a Prophet when the Winter Gallows was on the other side of the Land.

Zelo delicately peeks from underneath his cloak, smiling to himself when he sees that the skies are grey and cloudy. The Child removes the cloak from his head and his white hair flows in the Autumn air.

"Is that it?" Himchan gestures to a small home off to their left, it looks like nothing more than a cabin, from the overall log structure and the small hammock connecting the two trees to the right.

Yongguk narrows his eyes at whom he assumes is an Autumn Ghost casually sitting on his front porch. They all get off of the horses, one by one and the Ghost stands upon seeing them, his eyes squinted.

"I was expecting you. Come, I just brewed some tea." the Ghost says with a smile and Yongguk glances at Youngjae who goes first. The others follow and they wipe their shoes on the knitted mat on the steps before entering.

The home is cozy and definitely small in it's interior, there are loads of little wooden sculptures and small crystals and rocks strewn on the furniture. The Ghost takes a seat at a table already set for six.

"Welcome, General Bang, Kim Himchan, Prince Daehyun, Youngjae hyung, and Prince Junhong." the Ghost's expression begins to dull and only now do they notice that his sclera is completely black, not a speck of white is seen on his eyes and they're like empty black holes.

"I am Moon Jongup, Prophet of the Caverns, Ghost of the Night."

Talk Me Home - Stonefox

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A/N

I actually just discovered this song earlier today aha, it's absolutely lovely and it's probably why this chapter seems so artsy

I really like the interactions between Yongguk and Junhong, I know there aren't many and it's quite slow moving but I like em

Sorry for the wait and sorry for the confusion some of you may have regarding my stories as of late

Thank you for your patience and I hope you enjoy ^^ <3

- Airi

P.S. I had a load of ideas regarding Yongguk and his lil Yamazaki release (his teaser) but I won't do anything with em XD don't wanna mess with too many tropes. I mean CURXE is close enough

On a side note, I really want to be more active here but I feel like no one enjoys my work anymore LOL I know it's a mess and I'm not reliable XD I'm trying, thank you for the many of you who stay with me and read whatever I throw out, it means a lot