The other’s didn’t think they’d ever seen Kyuhyun move so fast, trumping quickly through the knee high snow with everyone, including Siwon, struggling to keep up.

          Anxiety and anticipation ate away at his stomach, and thoughts. He needed to see Sungmin, but more importantly, he needed the older to forgive him, but feared he wouldn’t.

          He had been angry for the longest time, finding his lover’s indifference towards him unfair and uncalled for, he still saw it as such, but he now understood that both of them were in the wrong, and he loved Sungmin, and their son, more than anything in the entire world, so he would choose to be the bigger person and take the blame if it meant he could get them back. He hoped that perhaps with time, Sungmin would open up to him, maybe even apologize. He’d wait however long he had too as long as the older would be with him through it all.

          “Kyu, slow down!” Hangeng’s voice called from somewhere behind him, panting as he tried to keep up with Sunhee in his arms.

          Still the younger pushed forward, numb to the other’s presence, until Siwon shouted out to him.

          “We went the wrong way!” He called, causing the youngest to stop in his tracks. Their surroundings certainly weren’t familiar to him, nowhere on the correct path had he ever seen a ravine as steep as the one to their left.

          Kyuhyun, in his haste, must have taken a wrong turn, and no one had been paying close enough attention to correct him until now.

          “Then where the hell are we?!” He shouted back, irritated that the trek back to the castle, and his lover, had just lengthened considerably.

          “Calm down. All we have to do is turn around and find out where we went wrong.” Kibum calmly instructed, already turning to do so with the other’s close behind.

          Kyuhyun grumbled to himself as he moved to reestablish his position in the lead, skirting the edge of their group to get ahead.

          He felt the ground shift slightly beneath him, and before he could register what had happened, he was falling, tumbling head over heels down the steep slope of the ravines wall, his arms, legs, and occasionally head connecting solidly with the densely packed tree trunks that jutted dangerously from the snow.

          He could hear the other’s shouting his name as he covered what seemed to be hundreds of feet in seconds, until finally the world stopped spinning, and went black.

          “Kyuhyun!” Hangeng shouted desperately for probably the tenth time, he, Siwon, and Kibum gathered perhaps a bit too close to the edge the younger had just fallen from, a huge chunk of snow missing from where it had crumbled beneath his feet. “Kyu!” He tried again.

          “Where did he go?” Sunhee spoke from behind them, standing a few meters away where her father had instructed her too. She was ignored.

          “He may be unconscious…” Siwon suggested, deciding not to add the ‘or dead’ part that weighed heavily on his mind.

          “We need to help him!” the eldest exclaimed, stepping forward as though he were about to overstep the edge. A hand on his wrist stopped him, and he turned to glare at Siwon, the younger eyeing him almost frantically.

          “You can’t, it’s too steep.” He explained, gazing down at the densely packed trees.

          “Then what the hell are we supposed to do!?”

          “We need to get people who can walk the terrain. If we go down ourselves, we could get injured too and we won’t be of any use to him.”

          “Who the hell are we going to find out here!?” Hangeng questioned.

          Siwon was silent, considering their best option, but Hangeng was impatient.

          “Well!?”

          “Stop yelling at him! Calm down.” Kibum defended his lover, placing a hand gently on Siwon’s shoulder “Siwon..?” he began softly.

          “If I hurry I can get to the castle and back within the hour… We need Zhoumi, badly, and a few of my subordinates could greatly help us.” The guard explained, gaze hopeful as he looked to Hangeng for approval.

          “Does he have an hour?” the eldest asked.

          “I have no idea…but it’s our only option. I need to go now, stay here and call to him everyone now and then to see if he’s regained consciousness. I’ll be back soon.” And with one final quick kiss to Kibum, he was a wolf, and then he was running.

          They stood and watched as his tail disappeared around the bend they had passed just minutes before.

          ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
          “Your majesty!”

          Leeteuk glanced up to a guard he didn’t recognize hurrying towards him from across the play room.

          “Sir, Siwon has returned…alone. He says he needs to speak with you right away. He says it’s an emergency.”

          “Alone? What about my brother in law, and-”

          “Kyuhyun?” Sungmin finished, coming to stand beside the king, worry etched in his gaze.

          “I have no idea…I’m sorry, sir. He’s outside at the front of the building. He’s already gathered Doctor Zhou, and one of the other guards.”

          “Why does he need Zhoumi..?” Sungmin asked Leeteuk as the older stood and led him quickly to the door, the young sentry close behind.

          “I don’t know…but we’re going to find out.”

          By the time they reached their destination, Siwon was in the midst of strapping all of the doctor’s supplies atop a dark coated chestnut gelding, a fox they both immediately recognized as Zhoumi sitting atop the pile.

          “How long ago did you leave them?” Zhoumi’s voice echoed in their minds.

          “Thirty, maybe thirty five minutes.” Siwon responded, just a bit absentmindedly as he tried to remember what else he would need.

          “What happened!?” Leeteuk commanded, storming up to his most trusted guard with Sungmin in tow. “Where are the others?”

          “Sunhee, Hangeng, and Kibum are fine but…Kyuhyun…” Siwon trailed, avoiding Sungmin’s worried gaze.

          “We need to leave.” Zhoumi interjected before the older could question them “You said he may be unconscious, and in this weather, if that’s true, it may already be too late.” He motioned to the snow that had begun falling around them.

          The words made Sungmin’s blood run cold “T-too late?” He questioned, his voice just barely above a whisper.

          He was ignored.

          “Wait, we don’t have anyone who can reach him and get him back up the slope.” Siwon explained.

          “What about Namjoon? He’s a cougar.” A new, familiar voice suggested in their heads, and the newcomers realized that the horse must’ve been Onew.

          “Is that true?” Siwon asked, all five sets of eyes turning on the young guard who had retrieved Leeteuk earlier.

          He merely nodded in response, feeling just bit out of place amongst the closely knit friends, and especially the king.

          “Do you think you would be able to carry a human on your back?”

          “Of course.” The boy answered.

          “Good, then we’ll need you to come along and help.” Siwon informed, and the younger nodded, immediately shrinking down into his large cat form.

          “I’m coming too.” Leeteuk announced, just as the group was moving into formation to leave, Siwon at the front, down as a wolf.

          There were no objections to the king’s assistance, despite the fact that he shouldn’t be leaving the castle without adequate protection. They needed all the help they could get.

          “Wait!” Sungmin called, just before they took off. “What happened to Kyuhyun!?”

          “I don’t have time to explain.” Siwon growled, furry head snapping around to send the older a pointed look. He didn’t mean to be as rude as he had, but deep down, he believed Sungmin was partly to blame for the maknaes predicament. If he hadn’t made things so hard on the younger in the first place none of this would be happening.

          “He’s dying Min, and whether you want us too or not, we need to save him.” And then they were gone.

          Sungmin watched them go with burning eyes until they disappeared off in the distance, and only then did he allow his tears to fall.

          “I…I want you to save him…” He whispered to himself, before collapsing down into sobs, his month long pent up anguish finally releasing itself, until he could hardly breathe properly, his heart aching painfully in his chest as he cried alone in front the place he had once called home with Kyuhyun.

          ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

          The wind had picked up considerably since Siwon had left, leaving Hangeng and Kibum to huddle together for warmth, Sunhee crushed between.

          The girl was hardly phased by the cold, practically bred to thrive in it, and was even using what little control she possessed over her wind affinity to deflect some of the stronger gusts, and snow away from her weakening father, and uncle, not that either noticed. In the end she decided to let them believe what they wanted, leaving her father with the opportunity to feel proud for protecting his still ailing child.

          They were silent, both Kibum and Hangeng’s minds saturated with worry for Kyuhyun, while the youngest of the trio was still working to comprehend what exactly had happened. They had even stopped calling out to Kyuhyun, realizing their attempts were futile. If the younger hadn’t responded yet, he probably never would, and that idea sent them straight to the worst case scenario.

          Kibum opened his mouth to speak at last, hoping conversation might be able to rescue him from his darkening thoughts, but was stopped short by a loud screeching sound.

          They all looked up just in time to watch a large, and familiar, white bird go soaring over their heads.

          “Teuki!” Sunhee jumped from between the two men and watched in amazement as the bird circled them a few times, released another air splitting call, and dove down into the tree line, ultimately disappearing from sight.

          There was a commotion behind them as well, and they turned to find a small herd of animals headed full speed towards them, Siwon in the lead.

          They watched as Siwon growled, jerking his head to left just before a fox sitting atop the largest mammals back leapt down onto the tan cat beside it. Siwon and the horse skidded to a stop just before them, while the cougar veered off to the right and disappeared into the thicket of trees.

          “W-who?” Kibum managed to get out, amazed by the groups teamwork.

          “This is Onew,” Siwon motioned to the horse beside him. “The cougar is a new guard, Namjoon, and the fox is Zhoumi.”

          The pair nodded in understanding, before turning to face the trees the animals had just disappeared into. No words were spoken after that.

          Siwon eventually changed into a human, laying a blanket out in the snow and grabbing Zhoumi’s bag from Onew’s back, figuring the doctor would appreciate having his stuff laid out for him.

          They were silent for a few more minutes, until the bird again resurfaced from the trees and into the air, a small red blob carried gently in his talons.

          It dropped the object, which turned out to be the Zhoumi, a few feet from the ground before landing beside it.

          Zhoumi immediately shifted back. “They’re coming up now, and I must warn you, it doesn’t look good.” He informed. “Half of his body was submerged in a small creek and I believe that caused his hypothermia to jump from mild to severe. His head landed on a rock and knocked him unconscious. There wasn’t any blood which is good, but if the impact knocked him out there’s bound to be a concussion as well. I won’t know until I’m able to examine him further.”

          “Are you all alright?” Leeteuk’s voice asked, reminding them suddenly of his presence.

          “Uncle Teuki!” Sunhee grinned, running and hugging the bird that was nearly three times her size.

          “Hey kid.”  He chuckled, and the others could practically see the smile in his eyes.

          The touching moment was broken seconds later when the cougar emerged from the trees, Kyuhyun balanced precariously on his back. He made it a few feet forward before collapsing in exhaustion at their feet.

          Siwon assisted Zhoumi in lifting the maknae’s limp body onto the blanket they had laid out for him, and the doctor immediately set to work, taking his temperature and pulse, checking his eyes.

          “Why is he ?” Hangeng asked halfway through the younger’s examination. He noted just how severe Kyuhyun’s condition must’ve been. He was pale enough to camouflage against the snow, and would’ve succeeded if not for the frighteningly dark blue tint to his lips, ears, and fingers.

          “Because his clothes were soaked through with twenty degree water.” He responded, and then immediately began wrapping the younger in the blanket, before heading to his supplies to gather a few more things he would need “His temperature is below eighty eight, his heart rate is in the forties, and his pupils are barely responding, we need to get him back to the castle now so I can begin treatment.”

          “Wha-what does that mean?” Leeteuk asked.

          “It means his case is severe, and if he doesn’t begin reheating soon, he may not make it.” The doctor broke the news harshly with no time to sugar coat, as he pulled several cloth covered bags from his supplies and began wringing them in his hand, feeling them heat immediately.

          Hangeng and Kibum could only watch in silence as Zhoumi took what they assumed to be larger versions of the hand warmers they had back in their world and place them around the maknae before wrapping yet another blanket atop of them.

          Siwon then, again, assisted the doctor in hefting Kyuhyun up onto Onew’s back to transport him back to the castle.

          Zhoumi climbed up behind him to keep him steady and after a few quick farewells and instruction, the three, as well as Namjoon, and even Leeteuk, who figured he’d need to be there for Sungmin when they returned, set out on the short journey back.

          By the time Siwon, Kibum, and Hangeng, who carried his daughter in his arms, had gotten moving, the others had already disappeared far ahead of them.

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A/N: Please please comment! I only got a few on the last chapter and that seriously brought my motivation down!

PLEASE COMMENT!!!!