<3

Sorry for the delay, my weekends are busier than my weekdays! ==’!

(And I have 6, yes, 6 pending fanfics to finish . . . ==’ I got to stop making promises to my friends, they just keep piling up! I’ll never finish!)

ENJOY! Kamsahamnida!

*****

Taemin rolled his eyes as he watched Key launch into a very dramatic and much exaggerated imitation of what had happened. When he had told Key, he had left out the part where the magician had come in. There wasn’t any need for him to worry.

“And then the Prince was just about to shoot!”

Everyone hung onto Key’s words, eating them up. All except for Jonghyun, who just sat there next to Taemin, agreeing whole heartedly with the younger boy how crazy Key was being. Sometimes, Key was so like . . . like a . . . what was the right word for it?

A diva . . .

Jonghyun shuddered.

There was no way he would say that to Key’s face though, he probably would get murdered!

“The sun saved the day! As soon as the last ray disappeared behind the mountain, Taemin touched the ground and that Prince decided not to shoot!”

Hoots and cheers erupted as Key reached the of his story.

“Um . . . oppa?”

Everyone turned their heads at once and at the same time replied:

“Ye?”

If it wasn’t for Taeyeon’s worried face, Taemin would have laughed at how everyone reacted. They were all guys and they were all older than her, so obviously when she didn’t mention a particular name, they all answered.

“I mean, um, Taemin-oppa.”

Taemin stood up but before he left he gave a look at Key, a look that said that Key was to stay and distract everyone while he found out what was wrong.

“Hey guys, I haven’t finished my story!”

Key jumped straight back into it, capturing everyone’s attention again.

Meanwhile, Taemin stepped away from the small fire where everyone was and started walking together with Taeyeon.

As they walked, Taeyeon fidgeted, not knowing what to say. Taemin, sensing her awkwardness, took her hand in his and steered them towards the river, where they walked along the flowing waters.

“It’s been a while since we did this haven’t we?”

Taeyeon nodded.

“Oppa . . . ,” she started,”I-I . . .”

“I don’t like it when everyone does that!” She blurted out.

Taemin blinked and laughed.

“What do you mean? Are you tired of being treated as the Yeodongsaeng?”

“No . . . but, Taemin-oppa is my real oppa . . .”

Taemin sighed and patted her head.

“I know. But we’re all family now.”

“Oppa . . . I’m sorry . . . for everything.”

She lifted Taemin’s hand to her cheek to catch the tears that were dripping down her face.

“Oh, Taeyeon . . .”

Taemin drew her in for a hug and he rubbed her back comfortingly.

“It wasn’t your fault that I’m like this, you have to understand that.”

She nodded and wiped away her tears, sniffling.

“Actually, I came here to give you this oppa.”

She held out the green leaf which still glittered with the gold dust, even in the dark. She pressed it into Taemin’s hands and she gave his hand a tight squeeze before letting go.

“I think . . . it’s the key to the library.”

“To the library?” Taemin asked.

“Then . . . it must have . . . the Book of Forest Law!”

*****

Minho gave one last pat to his horse before tip-toeing out of the stable. It was dark and nobody would notice him sneaking home. All he had to was to make it past the gardens, around the back, through the servants’ entrance where he could safely slip in and climb up the stairs to his-

BAM

He walked straight into something and got knocked back.

“What the-“

His eyes widened.

“My Prince, it was about time you arrived.”

Minho sighed.

“Let me guess . . . my mother wishes to see me?”

“Yes.”

He ran a hand through his messy hair and looked at the butler.

“Can’t you just let this go please, Onew?”

“I’m afraid not. You left your maid in quite a bother this morning when you decided to disappear so suddenly. The Queen would have eaten her alive if I wasn’t there.”

“I know, I know. I’m sorry, alright? Can I just go to bed?”

Onew cocked his head to the side thoughtfully.

“Um, well . . .”

Minho crossed his fingers.

“Well?”

Onew stared straight at Minho.

“Well . . . No.”

Minho glared at Onew.

Dammit.

*****

“We’ll have to wait until the Book of Forest Law is open . . . then we can use its secrets against those swans.”

Eun Kyung yawned.

“Yeah, yeah, appa. Just get me that crown of his and I’ll be happy.”

“His birthday is tomorrow . . . and tomorrow . . . is the day the Library will be opened . . .”

*****

Taemin turned the leaf over and over again, the little poem’s words echoing in his head as he tried to figure out what it could mean.

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.

It was his birthday tomorrow and it meant that the Book of Forest Law could finally be opened. Inside, Taemin hoped, would be the way to break the swan curse on him and his hyungs. The Great Library of Forest only opened once for each person and that was when they came of age, 18.

Wait, came of age . . . coming of age.

When coming of age draws near  . . .

Taeyeon was right. The leaf somehow was the key to opening the library; all he had to do now was to find where it was.

Suddenly tired from the gloomy prospect of tomorrow, Taemin lay down and stared at the stars. How he wished that he was looking at those stars in his bed, at his house back in the village. He missed it: the loud yells of the storekeepers early in the morning, the rumble of carts being carried this way and that, the smell of fresh bread baking downstairs where his parents would be waiting along with his sister.

As he closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep, a random thought drifted into his mind.

Prince Minho actually looked pretty good up close . . .

*****

“Minho, did you hear me?”

Minho stifled a yawn and nodded.

“Yes, yes . . . never go out and to this again, always tell you where and when I’m going somewhere, I’m very irresponsible and I am very sorry.”

“And you will find a girl and bring her to the ball in one week.”

Minho fell off his chair.

“Wait, what? Eomma! What do you mean?”

The Queen directed her steely glare at her son.

“Exactly what I said and if you do not, I will choose a girl for you to marry on that night.”

“But, eomma, I don’t want to get married!”

“Enough! You are already of age, 20 years old and no heir for me?”

Minho blinked, his mouth opening and closing like a fish.

“You mean you want . . .”

“Yes, I’m getting old and tired, my son. Get me some grandchildren so I can spoil them in my golden days.”

Minho choked.

“But-“

“No more buts. I don’t care if you don’t get me any grandchildren, just get married already! You need to settle down! Enough with all this exploring and hunting, you’re going to be a king soon, so start acting like one!”

*****

Taeyeon sat on her bed of grass, waiting.

“You’re still up?”

She grinned and nodded.

“I wouldn’t want to miss this,” she replied.

Jonghyun sat down next to her.

“I’m kind of regretting agreeing to this . . .”

“Well, you’re here and I’m awake, so spill, dino-oppa!”  She teased.

Jonghyun brushed aside his hated nickname and looked up at the starry sky.

“Are you sure you want to know?”

“Yes . . . everyone, all of the oppas here all have some sort of sad story don’t they?”

He breathed out heavily and nodded.

“Fine, I’ll tell you. It started with the day I turned 15. . .”

*****

“Jonghyun! Jonghyun! Don’t go, it’s stupid and you’ll get hurt! It’s just a dare, you can ignore them.”

He ignored Key’s pleas and yells and continued on into the forest.

No matter what, he was going to show those stupid so called “friends” of his just how brave he could be. Key didn’t understand; he wasn’t just doing this for himself, he was doing it for Key too. They had called Key horrible names and thrown rocks at him, chasing him out of the school.

“Hey Jong! If you go into the forest and bring back a feather from one of those mysterious swans, then we’ll let your girly friend go.”

Key had fought but he was no match for their muscles. Key was all light and tall, no muscles at all.

“Fine. Wait and see. I’ll be back, and when I do, you better not touch him again!”

He stomped off into the forest, not once did he look back.

Key waited with them for half an hour, then an hour, then two hours. Eventually after 4 hours, and Jonghyun didn’t return, they left, laughing about how Jonghyun probably got lost and was going to die in the forest.

Key felt his legs give way as they released him.

He was down on all fours, crying and sobbing for Jonghyun to come back.

Soon, his tears stopped and he stood up.

If Jonghyun wasn’t coming back, then he would just have to go get him.

Key walked for hours and hours around the forest; his voice turned hoarse from calling out to Jonghyun, his legs and his feet hurt like hell and his muscles ached. Just when he thought he couldn’t walk any further, he saw it.

He forced himself to walk the last several metres and collapsed next to a snow white swan.

“Jonghyun?” He managed to cough out.

How he knew that it was Jonghyun, he had no idea, but somehow he just knew. Looking at the swan, he could feel that it was his best friend.

The swan bobbed its head once in confirmation, it eyes never meeting Key’s.

Key’s vision started getting blurry and breathing grew hard as his lungs burned; he had been out in the cold forest for too long.

And just when Key thought he was going to lose consciousness, a fairy appeared.

The Fairy appeared.

Seeing his bravery and courage, the fairy gave him two choices.

One was to be healed but to remain forever in the forest.

The other was to be changed into a swan in place of Jonghyun.

The Fairy’s power was limited against the evil magic of the magician who had turned Jonghyun, but she still could twist things her way when she wanted.

Key laughed, wincing at his scorching lungs.

It was easy to make a choice.

He had to pay Jonghyun back.

*****

Taeyeon was in tears by the end of Jonghyun’s story.

“So, is that why your back has those . . . scars?”

“Yes.”

Taeyeon sniffled.

“Key-oppa is so brave.”

“He is.”

*****

Minho let himself drift off to dreamland but a random thought floated across his mind.

That Lee Taemin said that he was originally from the village . . . so what was he doing in the forest? And as a swan?

Tomorrow . . . he will go and find out.

Onew and his mother can’t make him stay tame forever. He was going to use the last week of freedom to the best of his abilities.

Which means more hunting and running away.

Hehe, fun.

*****

Omigod, so dodgily written and unedited!

Please forgive me! The next chapter will be better I promise!

More 2min interaction, wait for it!

<3 Review!

Kamsahamnida!