>sniffles<

I love how 2 people reviewed even though this story is like practically going down the drain . . .

Sigh. .  . But I will finish this story!

Then I can toss it behind me and write a better one . . .

Kamsahamnida!

Oh, and does anyone want to make a poster for the new Title? (Pretty please?)

*****

RECAP: Without thinking, he leaned up and kissed Jonghyun full on the mouth, cutting his sentence off. When he pulled away Jonghyun slapped him full across the face.

“Don’t think that you can distract me with a kiss.”

Key sighed.

Some things just never changed.

“I’m sorry.”

*****

“Um . . . Jonghyun . . .”

Key managed to mutter as Jonghyun furiously attacked him with a flurry of kisses.

“Jonghyun . . .”

Putting all his effort, Key managed to shove Jonghyun off him.

“Come on! We don’t have time for this! I have to get the book back before the sun rises, otherwise-“

Jonghyun, who had been lying next to Key, suddenly got up and trapped Key beneath him, cutting Key’s sentence off. He smirked as he felt Key’s pulse quicken.

“You have to get the book back?”

Key swallowed.

“Ok . . . fine, we.”

“That’s better.” Jonghyun grinned at Key who just scoffed as he stood up and dusted himself off, a tinge of pink appearing on his cheeks.

“So . . .”

Jonghyun lifted head up and tried to see the top of the tower, but it seemed as if it was so high that it had blended into the sky. The stars shone brightly but their light just couldn’t seem to reach the tower. Jonghyun realised that there was barely anything alive around this area. All the trees were dead and rotting, no flowers or birds; even the lake didn’t stretch here, almost as if the pure water would be disturbed if it did.

“Is this what’s going to happen to the rest of the forest?”

Key nodded.

“Well . . . let’s get going then.”

*****

“Ya, Yeodongsaeng!”

Taeyeon turned to face the direction of the voice and smiled.

“Hyo-oppa! Annyeong!”

“What are you doing in the middle of the night? Shouldn’t you be sleeping?”

There was a light splashing sound of water as the older boy kicked his feet around the lake. He sat down near the edge, his feet still dangling in the water.

“Shouldn’t you?” Taeyeon shot back.

“True, true.”

He patted the grass next to him.

“Come sit.”

Hesitantly she walked over and sat down.

They sat like that for a while before Hyo decided to break the silence.

“What’s going on?”

“Huh? Nothing.”

“You know, none of us blame Taemin for what happened. We’re gonna get that book back. Then, we can continue living like this.”

Taeyeon frowned. She didn’t understand.

“What do you mean? Who’s getting the book back? And even if we get it back, why do you want to stay here? Don’t you want to go back to the village?”

Sighing, Hyo brought an arm around Taeyeon and she laid her head on his shoulder.

“You don’t understand do you, Taeyeon? The rest of us have been away from the village for so long, even if the spell breaks, we’ve all decided to stay here. All our friends and family are gone by now. There’s no point in going back.”

“Oh,” Taeyeon replied sadly, “wait . . . then who’s getting the book back?”

Hyo looked in surprise at Taeyeon.

“Don’t you know already?”

A sinking feeling grew inside her and suddenly Taeyeon already knew the answer before Hyo told her.

“Key’s gone to get it.”

*****

Taeyeon burst in on Taemin who was still talking to Minho via the mirror. She grabbed it from protesting Taemin and waved her hand over it. The mirror glowed before returning to the normal state. She threw it down on the ground and grabbed Taemin’s arms. Taemin didn’t even stop to think that Taeyeon had used magic again before yelling at her.

“Hey! What are you doing?!”

“What am I doing? What am I DOING?”

She towered over Taemin who edged away slightly.

“Do you have any idea where Key is right now? Huh? Do you?”

Taemin looked confused.

“What are you talking about?”

“Key has gone to the magician’s cove! He’s going to try to get the book back!”

Taeyeon yelled, so frantic that she forgot to add the oppa to Key’s name.

Taemin’s eyes widened.

“But-that’s  . . .”

“You have to go find him, before he gets hurt otherwise-“

Taeyeon vision went blurry, her muscles felt tired and all she wanted to do right then was to fall down on the soft grass and sleep. Her head felt heavy and thick and Taemin’s words no longer penetrated and got through to her. She fell forward into his arms.

“Stupid, Taeyeon. Who told you to use so much magic on such a tiny thing as communication?”

Taemin whispered before gently easing her onto the ground.

He stood up after making sure she was comfortable and looked up into the night sky. The countless stars that filled the night seemed further and colder than before as a couple of thin clouds drifted by, obscuring the view. Even if he ran now, would he make it in time?

Taemin shook his head.

No need to think, just act.

He set off in the direction of the magician’s part of the forest.

“Key . . .”

*****

“So . . . this is it isn’t it . . . “

The dim, flickering candles cast an eerie glow on the room and for once, Eun Kyung was silent as she watched her father bend over, examining the book. His face full of wrinkles stretched into a mocking smile as he flipped the page. Vaguely a part of Eun Kyung told her that she loved her father, but the other (bigger) part of her made her want to shy away. She didn’t like it when he was like this. There was once a time where he would have smiled and played with her, but now . . .

“Eun Kyung . . .”

He turned and pointed an old gnarled finger at her.

“Stay still for a while.”

“Eh?”

The tip of his finger glowed and suddenly a beam of red light appeared from his finger towards the necklace she had on. The necklace trembled and glowed red too before fading away. Shocked, she reached up to her neck where the necklace lay and touched it. It felt normal; the sudden jolt of heat that had come with the light had faded. The necklace just felt cool now.

“What did you do to it?! It was my 3^rd favourite necklace!”

She screeched at her father, realising that he had done something to her jewellery.

“Nothing much.”

“Tell me!”

He rolled his eyes at his whiney daughter.

“This is a camouflage. It will help us complete the last stage of the plan.”

“Huh?”

He smiled.

“You see, to me you’re normal, but to the Prince, you’ll look like . . .”

Her eyes widened.

“You mean . . . you want me to . . .”

“Yes, my dear daughter, I want to you to pretend to be Taemin for tonight’s ball.”

*****

Minho sighed and rolled around on his bed.

He couldn’t think.

Well, actually he could. But all he could think about was a particular blonde head with dark brown pools of chocolate and a slim frame. For the first time in a long time, Minho actually pretty excited to be attending a ball. Growing up in the palace meant ball after ball after ball, and so eventually he found all kinds of excuses to miss them. For once, he was going to go to one willingly.

“My lord.”

Minho rolled around to see Onew standing at the door.

“Oh, it’s you.”

“Shouldn’t you be asleep my lord?”

Minho scoffed and rolled his eyes at the formal language the butler used.

“Drop it, Jinki. What did you come here for?”

The butler smiled and walked over.

“Well, it’s got to be a first when Prince Minho finally agrees to go to a boring ball.”

“Ah.”

Minho couldn’t help the smile that rose to his face at that.

“So . . . something happened.”

“What are you talking about? Nothing happened!”

He muttered as he buried his face into a soft pillow. This was too embarrassing to admit it to Onew; plus, what could he tell the butler? That he was in love with someone who was cursed to be a swan during day and human at night? And not to mention that person is affiliated with the forest, magic, etc. But probably worst of all would be the fact that that someone was actually a guy . . . .

“Come on, Minho. You can tell me.”

Minho bit his lip, wondering what to say to Onew.

“Well, I . . . I have already chosen for the ball.”

“Oh, really? Who?”

“Oh, you’ll see.”

Onew thought for a while before shaking his head.

“You’ll still as unpredictable as ever, Minho. Good night, I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Mm. Good night.”

*****

By the time Key and Jonghyun had found a safer way in, the sun was already up. The two of them silently crept into the highest room in the tower, their eyes darting back and forth, in case if they were caught. If they were, Key was sure that they would never see the rest of the flock again. The thought scared him a little and he instinctively tightened his grip on Jonghyun’s hand.

“There!”

Jonghyun whispered pointing to a dusty desk piled high with random papers, quills and ink. On the very top of the stack, balanced neatly, was the Book of Forest Law.

“Jonghyun, we should wait and check before-“

But Jonghyun was gone before Key finished his sentence.

“Jonghyun!”

He hissed.

But the said person didn’t pay any attention. Instead, he gently eased the book off pile and ran back to where Key was.

“You idiot! You could’ve been caught!”

“Well, I didn’t alright? Let’s go!”

Unbeknownst to the two as they climbed back down the tower, there was a small black crow perched on the windowsill; it’s cold, beady eyes never leaving the pair.

*****

Taemin had hung around the tower; anxiously pacing around while wondering whether to go in or wait outside, when he heard shuffling. Quickly he ducked into a bush and waited for the shuffling to approach him. When the light footsteps got closer, he jumped out of the bush.

“AHHH!”

Key screamed while Jonghyun just blinked.

“Key?”

“Taemin?”

“Oh, my baby! What are you doing here?”

Key rushed forwards and glomped Taemin who hugged Key back just as tightly.

“Who told you that you had to go and get the book from the magician?”

“Who told you that you had to go and get the book from the Library?”

They both stared at each other before bursting into laughter.

The happy reunion was broken by Jonghyun coughing loudly. He held up the book to Taemin who disentangled himself from Key and took it with a nod of thanks. As he held it, the crystal in his crown glowed and the book responded with a glow too. Slowly, the pages turned themselves until they reached the page that was needed.

“The chosen one of the Forest Fairy who bears the crown with the water crystal will find power when they find their chosen one. When the two agree, then two shall become one and the power that contains is unstoppable.”

Taemin looked up, confused.

Key squealed with delight and squished Taemin who had no idea what was going on.

“Key, what does it mean?”

“It means you’ll find a way to break all the spells when you, the one the Fairy chose, find your true love! That’s just so perfect! So easy!”

“Huh? How’s that easy?”

Key laughed and poked Taemin on the forehead.

“Because you’ve already found your true love! All we have to do now is to ship you off to that Prince and then boom, PROBLEM SOLVED!”

“Huh?”

Key spun an embarrassed Taemin around while Jonghyun picked up the fallen book. He flipped to the page after the paragraph Taemin read and frowned as he read it.

“But.”

Jonghyun’s voice cut through Key’s rambling and immediately Key dropped Taemin.

“What’s wrong?”

“It says here, if however, the two do not agree and the person confesses love to another, then the magic protection given by the Fairy will lose all its power. The crystal runs on not only determination and courage, but also devotion and love.”

Key’s eyes flashed determinedly and he put an arm around Taemin.

“Well, then we better make sure that he’ll be ready for the ball then.”

*****

GAAAHHH!!

Dodgy place to end . . . . . I know, I’m sorry!

I just recently got a surprise! I submitted this story for a review but I thought I was declined . . .

But then, the reviewer sent me a message telling me that review was done!

:D Go take a read when you have time!

http://www.asianfanfics.com/story/view/31846/20/pro15se-to-13elieve-review-advertising-corner-korean

AND REVIEW AND SUBSCRIBE! <3

K-POP CONCERT IN ONE WEEK! WHOOOOTT!