<3 *does a happy dance*

17 subscribers!!!! YAY! >.<

NEW PICTURE! Thanks to kolmiyo! (Isn’t it epic?)

And new reviewers too! (Replies at the end of chappie!)

Kamsahamnida!

*****

Tatyoon grinned as she watched the magician’s daughter, Eun Kyung, scream and run about. She was hiding in the bushes while watching the rest of her plan unfold. After discovering that Teaming was in danger, and that Jonghyun and Key were too sweet to be parted, she headed to the rest of the flock of swans for help.

FLASHBACK

“Hyo-oppa! Dae Ho-oppa! Everyone!”

The rest of the swans were frolicking about when they saw a panicking Taeyeon run in.

“Aigoo, you look beautiful as ever Yeodongsaeng!”

“Ah, have you come to play with us because we didn’t go to you today?”

The older swans dotted on little Taeyeon who was only 15. They gathered around her, shouting and yelling compliments. Their voices overpowered Taeyeon and she didn’t get a chance to speak. Then their chatter was silenced by a single sentence.

“Taeyeon-ah . . . what’s wrong?”

She turned to face the only swan that had not come and surrounded her. Despite the bad news she carried, she couldn’t help but smile at him.

“Annyeong haseyeo, Hak Kun-oppa.”

“Hm. Are you going to tell us what’s wrong?”

She sighed. He was always so blunt.

“I need your help, oppa. All of you! Taemin-oppa is in danger!”

FLASHBACK END

The swans had promptly disappeared after getting the location of Eun Kyung from her. Curious, Taeyeon hid in some bushes behind where Eun Kyung stood, admiring her reflection in the river. Soon enough, a huge group of skunks appeared and began to spray their toxic fumes into the air, mainly directed at Eun Kyung of course.

“AAPPPAAAA!!!! Help me!!”

The skunks at formed a circle around the choking Eun Kyung and continued letting out bursts of foul air at a steady pace.

“AAAAPPPPPAAAA!!!!!!!!”

Heavy wing beats suddenly announced the arrival of the magician. The skunks immediately got the message and ran off. Taeyeon’s smile disappeared; her cue to leave. She had to go check on Taemin.

“Appa! What took you so long?”

The magician coughed and tried to answer but the smell overwhelmed him.

“I-I was distracted,” he managed to choke out.

He flapped his wings to get himself airborne before reaching down and grabbing his daughter’s outstretched hands by his talons.

“When we get home-I-I think you need a long bath . . .”

*****

Key’s eyes slowly fluttered open.

He looked at his outstretched hands and legs and sighed. It was clear that he was back to being a human, meaning that the sun had already set. He didn’t realise that he would fall asleep for so long. His mind travelled back to what happened before: Taemin having the dream, him flying around all sad, crying all alone, Jonghyun finding him and holding him tight . . .

Wait, Jonghyun? He looked down and sure enough a muscular arm was there, wrapped around his waist. Key’s head whipped around and sure enough, Jonghyun was lying there, happily snoring away.

Key had to laugh at his face. He was drooling with his mouth wide open and his nostrils flared every time he breathed out, reminding Key vaguely of a dinosaur.

A frown appeared on Key’s face as he remembered his dream.

Bit by bit, he stretched his trembling hand out towards Jonghyun’s back. His hands touched the fabric of Jonghyun’s shirt and he could feel bump ridges of the scars on his back. Key’s eyes closed as he tried to imagine the pain Jonghyun would have gone through to get those scars.

They were shaped like an upside down V; a sign that he once had wings too . . .

*****

“One week.”

Onew looked surprised at the statement.

“Are you sure, Your Highness?”

The Queen rolled her eyes.

“You can drop the formality now, Jinki. We’re not in court.”

Onew blinked and brushed off the Queen’s comment.

“Are you sure one week is a good choice?”

“Of course, I’ve been far too lenient on my only son. It’s about time he learned that he must settle down. He can’t always go searching for adventures.”

Onew blinked again.

“I want him to marry, Jinki,” said the queen, finally getting to the point.

“Ohhh.”

Understanding filled Onew’s face.

“Don’t worry, Your Majesty, he will find a beautiful girl at the ball in one week and then all your problems will be solved.”

The Queen massaged her temples.

“I hope so.”

“What would you like to have for dinner, Your Highness?”

The Queen stared at Onew for a while before sighing.

“I suppose . . . well, I feel like chicken.”

Onew’s face broke out into a wide grin.

“Good choice, Your Majesty!”

*****

Taemin reached up and took the crown off his head. He turned it around and around in his hands, staring at it in wonder. The Fairy had been right, it had protected him. His hands ran over the cold silver that encased the shining diamond in the middle.

“Thank you . . . for saving me, I mean.”

Taemin looked up, suddenly realising the Prince was still here.

“I-it was no problem . . . the crown protected me anyways . . .”

The two stood there in a very awkward silence.

“You should-“

“I think-“

They both broke off.

“We could-“

“How did-“

Once again they stopped and looked away from each other.

Eventually, Taemin spoke up.

“You should leave, Your Highness.”

Minho frowned. He was the Prince; he told people what to do, not the other way round. But, despite his pride, he had to admit that the mysterious boy had a point. It was late and his mother would get worried for real and ground him if he wasn’t back in the palace soon.

“Ah, um, the way back is . . . that way?”

Taemin shook his head, a little smile dancing on his lips.

“It’s that way. I’ll take you back, Your Highness.”

*****

Eun Kyung sat and watched her father pace back and forth.

She yawned.

It was just so boring! There were no new pieces of jewellery coming in anytime soon and all the pieces in her box were too old and out of fashion. Maybe a new dress might have helped, but did her father bother to get one this week? Of course not! 

“ . . . that crown must have been from the Fairy . . .”

A small trickle of words reached Eun Kyung’s ear and immediately she sat up.

“Crown?”

Her father suddenly stopped his pacing.

“Yes, crown. He was wearing a crown from the fairy.”

“Did . . . did it have any jewels on it?”

The magician grinned as he caught his daughter’s drift.

“Yes it did . . . it had a sparkling diamond on the front.”

“Can I-“

“You can have it.”

Eun Kyung jumped up and down in delight.

“Really, really, really?”

“But you must help me first.”

She sighed.

“Fine . . . as long as I get that crown in the end.”

“Good girl . . . now all we have to do is to wait for the book to be opened . . .”

*****

Taeyeon headed back to her grove, where peace and security always remained. As she sat down on her bed of soft leaves and grass, she saw something glitter. Inquisitive, she reached out and her hand closed on something soft. Drawing her hand closer to herself, she opened her fingers to reveal a small green leaf.

This leaf was different from the many leaves that were in the forest.

It had some kind of glow to it, like someone had dipped it in gold dust. Taeyeon turned it around and around examining it. Her fingers brushed against a rough patch on the soft leaf and she lifted it up to get a better look. To her surprise, there was a message written.

When coming of age draws near,

And time grows muddled, not clear,

Filled with hope and not fear,

Take flight and go forth,

When you reach the one with mirth,

Use this key to prove your worth.

Taeyeon stared at the leaf for a bit longer before remembering that gold dust was symbol of only one being in the entire forest.

The Fairy.

*****

“Minnie!”

Taemin barely had to react before he was bowled over by his enthusiastic “eomma”.

“Oh my god, are you alright? What did he do to you? He didn’t do anything did he? But I saw he had weapons! Who was he? He looked like the Prince! Did Eun Kyung come? Did he come?”

Key continued ranting while sitting on top of Taemin who was now choking to death from lack of oxygen.

“Key. Calm down, you’re killing the poor boy.”

Jonghyun, who was smart enough to see that Taemin needed saving, stepped in.

Key’s rant instantly stopped. He got off Taemin and pulled him up.

“I’m ok, eomma . . . Yes that was the Prince.”

Key’s eyes bulged.

“What’s he doing here?!”

Taemin winced at the volume of Key’s voice.

“He must have gotten lost or someth-“

Taemin broke off.

“Minnie?”

“He wasn’t lost. He was lead here.”

“What do you mean?”

Taemin looked into Key’s worried eyes and saw out the corner of his eye that Jonghyun was slightly worried too. How could he do this to them?

“Nothing. Let’s go find the rest of the flock.”

Key looked suspiciously at Taemin for a moment but then dropped it.

“Alright, let’s go.”

*****

All the way back, Minho kept his horse on a slow trot. It was probably the first time he had ever made a horse run so slowly. His mind kept on wondering and thinking on other things. Like how he was used as a puppet to (nearly) kill someone; and like how there was such thing as magic. Not to mention the fact that humans could turn into swans, or the other way round. But what stayed in his mind constantly were those beautiful, brown eyes which that Lee Taemin had. Pure innocence and childish-ness as well as a hint of sadness that told Minho that he was never smiling a true, happy smile: that was what Minho had seen.

And despite barely knowing him or interacting with him, Minho felt like he had to go see him again.

He had never seen anything so amazingly perfect in his life.

The way he spoke; the way he moved; everything about him just drew Minho in. Taemin fascinated him, and it wasn’t just the human-swan part he possessed. A smile flittered across his face as he began to pick up the pace of his horse. He had a feeling that this wasn’t the time he was going to meet Lee Taemin. He was just so interesting.

Minho felt the familiar feeling rise in his chest, the feeling he got whenever he wanted something. Odd thing was, he never got it when it came to people. It was only ever objects or animals. Maybe he wanted to keep Taemin around as a pet?

He shrugged. It didn’t matter. He would just get whatever he wanted. He always had, so why would this be any different?

But what if Taemin wouldn’t come to him . . .

Well, what would you do if you wanted something but it didn’t come to you?

Minho laughed.

You would go get it of course.

Lee Taemin, I’ve got my eye on you . . .

*****

SO many REVIEWS!!! <3 please continue to comment!

LuciferGirl97 – your comments are always so funny! Jthey make me smile the most! Be excited! ;)

MushroomxXxGirl – when I read your comment, I swear it was going to be a critical comment about the bad storyline or something! Until I scrolled down and was like  . . . O_O oh . . . ==’ phew!

Mistral – well, timing is . . . everything! :P

marshielisa12 – light and fluffy . . . hmmm, I got reminded of clouds! LOL! Thank you!

sayuriMa – not into taeminnie, eh? Don’t worry, by the end I will make sure you fall in love with him!

kolmiyo – I will do my best! Thanks again for the poster/picture! I keep on squealing every time I see it! <3

Kamsahamnida!