Chapter 4. Memories and Truth

Luhan opened his eyes and looked up at the blue sky, the sun shone beautifully down onto the grass and shone through the golden leaves of the oak tree he was sleeping beneath. He looked beside him and saw a younger version of himself sleeping peacefully with small breaths, he jumped and stepped back in shock. The young Luhan yawned and opened his eyes, he smiled and the tree behind him, he seemed to look right through Luhan and he came to the conclusion that he couldn't be seen or heard. Luhan was confused as to why he was here of all places, the young Luhan stood up and waved happily over the hill, "Minseok! Over here!"

Luhan froze, Minseok... he... was here?...

A young boy ran up the hill, panting and breathless with his grey tail dragging behind him, "Lu-ge! I wondered where you had gone!"

Young Luhan walked over to the young Minseok and scratched behind his ear, "silly Baozi! I was taking a nap," he laughed.

Minseok looked at the ground and his face turned red, "whatever Luhan..." he mumbled.

Young Luhan laughed and grabbed his hand, dragging him over to the tree, he sat down and pulled Minseok down with him, "lie down," Luhan commanded.

"What? No!" Minseok protested.

Luhan pushed Minseok's head onto his lap, "sleep Baozi..."

Minseok blushed uncontrollably and curled his tail around himself as he closed his eyes, "Baozi... I think I'm in love with someone... but I don't know how to tell them... can you help me?" Young Luhan blushed.

A flash of jealousy went across Minseok's face but he smiled, "you should tell them how you feel, I also think it's kinda romantic if you kiss them... well as long as they don't reject you..."

Young Luhan nodded and hesitated for a moment, "I... I love you Minseok..." He whispered.

Minseok jumped up with suprise, "Y...y...you..."

Luhan looked at him with hope in his eyes, "Me... me too..." Minseok mumbled with an intense blush.

Young Luhan's eyes lit up and grabbed Minseok cheeks, he pressed his lips against Minseok's and he kissed back, the older Luhan touched his own lips and blushed himself. Young Luhan his Baozi's cheeks and they stayed beneath the tree in silence for a long time until he spoke again, "Minnie..."

Minseok looked up at Luhan, "I want to give you this so you'll always remember me..." He smiled sadly down at him.

The older luhan stared in shock as his younger self pulled out a necklace identical to that of Suho and Kris except with an odd symbol he did not recognise, as he took it off, his younger self had a beautiful flowing light blonde tail and two fluffy ears. He held the necklace out to Minseok, "but it'll hurt me," he winced.

Luhan shook his head, "I read a book on them, it said that if there is someone you love then they can touch the necklace, it is their only weakness."

Minseok cautiously exposed his neck and Luhan fastened the clasp, it lay nicely on Minseok's chest and he smiled, "thank you Lu-ge."

"I love you Baozi..."

Tao sighed as he saw Luhan trapped in his time barrier and lay down in the snow, burying his muzzle in his fur. "What's the human doing in that?" Sehun asked curiously.

Tao looked up at the silvery wolf, "it's a time barrier, he's sleeping and dreaming about the past."

Sehun looked at the dark brown wolf and tilted his head, "your element is time control?"

Tao nodded and Sehun smiled slightly, "I control the wind and sometimes it tells me things, it tells me stories about a wolf who lost his mate and became alone forever, sometimes the stories are really sad..." His smile faded.

Tao looked at him curiously, "can you tell me that story?" 

Sehun nodded and sat beside him, "well... once upon a time..."

 Luhan watched the world around him darken as the happiness of that day vanished and the tree was gone with no Luhan and no Minseok in sight, he walked across the hill until he saw a large gathering of wolves, he walked over to them and watched in shock as young Luhan stood in the middle of them. "Is it true that you have chosen an omega as your mate?!" A huge old black furred wolf yelled at him.

Young Luhan nodded bravely, "I love them and there's nothing you can do about it!"

 The old wolf scratched Luhan's cheek and blood leaked down his face mixed with tears, "who is this wolf!? Tell me now!"

"Never!" Luhan sobbed.

The older Luhan felt a sting on his cheek and the pain that the young Luhan felt, he desperately wanted to go and stop the old wolf but he couldn't be seen, heard and he couldn't touch anything, he was almost like a ghost. The old wolf went to hit Luhan again but suddenly Minseok rushed in front of Luhan and got hit instead, young Luhan and older Luhan both felt a blow to their chest as Minseok got hit. "Minseok!" Young Luhan cried.

"You dont need to defend me Lu-ge," Minseok whispered, "it's me!" He glared at the elder wolf.

"You? Luhan I am disappointed in you, you chose this weak omega male instead of a strong, beautiful alpha female. Minseok... You shall be exiled from this pack! Never to return! And Luhan, you will become human and live among the people with no memories of this place or him. This is your punishment, you're not an alpha Luhan, you're a weakling!" He snarled.

Luhan held Minseok close to him but they were pulled apart and Luhan was carried away while Minseok was shoved away from the others as they all glared at him with hatred. He shifted and ran away from them with tears in his eyes, he treaded up the snow covered hill to where his and Luhan's tree once stood before dying, now only a tiny sapling. He collapsed beside it with tears still streaming down his face, a voice then came from the sapling and Luhan could hear it, "you have been chosen young one... You have been chosen to become the next great wolf... to harness the tree of life's power... and use it to dispel evil like the other great wolves before you... You shall become the great snow wolf... and take over the role of guardian of the tree... allow the legend to live on... and make people believe the great wolf has lived forever... but know that the tree and you will share pain and happiness, joy and despair... and death."

 Luhan watched as Minseok's fur changed from grey to white and his eyes from brown to purple, the legend was wrong, Minseok didn't live forever... He simply took over the role and kept the tree safe. He was Luhan's mate and he didn't remember... He broke his heart and left him alone... it was all Luhan's fault...

"...there was once a young alpha wolf who fell in love with an omega, he loved him a lot but they were torn apart by the other wolves and separated, they both had their lover locked away in their minds though even if the young alpha forgot everything. Then one day they both met again by a of luck... and that's all the wind has told me so far," Sehun smiled at Tao.

Tao nodded, "that is a sad story but... I wonder what happens then..."

Sehun nods in agreement, "we might just have to wait and see..."

Tao looked at Luhan, "what's taking him so long?" He mumbled.

Kai walked over to them leaving huge pawprints in the snow, "that human seems to be having a nightmare or something..." 

Tao saw Luhan tossing and turning, "it's something haunting him from his past..."

"Well what is it?" Sehun asked.

"I... I'm not really sure..." Tao answered honestly.

Luhan watched as the world faded again and he was left at the tree of life in its full glory, he then noticed that Minseok was there, the older Minseok... His Minseok... He walked up the hill and Minseok stared in shock, "how are you?..." 

"Just be glad I'm here silly Baozi!" Luhan laughed.

Minseok's face darkened, "don't call me that..."

Luhan frowned, "Minseok... I remember..."

Minseok had tears running down his face but spoke with a smile, "nevermind, I'm sorry for upsetting you if I did," he said with sadness in his voice.

Luhan hugged him and Minseok buried his face in his chest, "I... I still love you Baozi..."

"You really remember?" Minseok sobbed for the first time in years.

Luhan nodded and his hair softly, "please kiss me again Minseok..." 

He nodded and pressed his lips against Luhan's, they stayed there for a long time until they both pulled away for air, "I'm so sorry Baozi... I have to go... I'll see you soon yeah?"

"Goodbye... Lu-ge..."

Luhan vanished into thin air and floated away on the wind...

"I love you..."