The story begins

………Chapter 2……….

Bugaksan Mountain proudly stood behind the majestic palace as it kept watch over the land; where nestled safely in the valley laid an ancient Korean palace.  A tall wall sectioned off the palace grounds from the city. Beyond the city were smaller villages and towns dotting the countryside in the west and the forests in the south, along a dusty old path cutting through, connecting the villages to the city.  In the east, a small fishing village and just below that in the southeast and the most furthest away, is where a beautiful heavenly and yet mysterious place lays where a mix of fairytale and reality combine…Let me take you back to where once upon a time, thousands of years ago, on the far end of the SHINee Kingdom laid The Emerald Fields. With great green open tranquil pastures, gorgeous meadow’s; lush tall grass and beautiful gardens filled with flowers sprinkled throughout, trees with the tastiest fruits, and in some sections, a few patches of vegetables.

No one in the Kingdom was ever allowed inside Emerald Fields. The royal family said it was off-limits to preserve all its natural beauty. A recent rule however, from the new leader of the Kingdom, stated all who enter will be locked away or worse: sentenced to death. On the edge of the Emerald Fields was the dark and scary forest called the Black Woods. This of course was also off-limits. They say those that enter never return to tell you their tale from within.  If The Emerald Field was heaven then perhaps the Black Woods was hell…

People may not be allowed to enter Emerald Fields but that doesn’t mean no one lives there. The peaceful and tranquil gardens held a secret… Amongst the tall soft blades of grass gently swaying in the breeze lived a little white fluffy bunny, named Jinki.  He was the only rabbit he knew of but that didn’t make him sad or afraid of being alone... it’s all he knew... or so he thinks... Jinki was the bravest soul in not only Emerald Fields but in the entire Kingdom. The brave little bunny didn’t know there was more than him living in this paradise and that life as he knew it was about to change….

On a bright sunny day with the billowy clouds swimming peacefully across the blue sky Jinki was hopping along nibbling on a carrot enjoying the cool spring weather when he heard rustling in the tall grass behind him. He stopped suddenly and turned around. Facing the towering wall of green blades in front of him he didn’t’ see anything. Curious, an ear flopped to the side with the tilt of his head; he shrugged his furry shoulders and waited, staring in the direction of the sound. He narrowed his eyes, pondering what it could be. Whatever it was, IT was coming closer and at an alarming pace; as the sounds became louder he could see the tall grass swooshing as something rushed in his direction. The brave bunny calmly finished his carrot and tossed the leafy stem behind him over his shoulder. He stood up as tall as his chubby little legs would allow. Soon the grass parted and something darted out, something soft and furry ran right into him, knocking him backwards on his fluffy tail; the tokki’s head thudded against the ground.

He lifted his head shaking it; Jinki looked on his chest. It was a very small black frightened kitten that had ran into him toppling him over; it purred “Oh, I’m so sorry.” Before the tokki could look him in the eyes the cat pounced off him and stood on all fours and shouted. “Hurry run!!”

The white rabbit stood up on his chubby white legs, his right ear flopped down in confusion as he tilted his head.  His pink nose wiggled up and down “Run?”

“Yes, hurry Mr. Rabbit, he will eat us!”  The cat pleaded with his eyes, panic evident in his little feline voice.

The rabbit ran a paw over his ears, combing them back like a human would their long hair. He nodded confidently “I don’t run. I’m not afraid.”

“You’re crazy. I’m outta here. Rest in peace cute bunny.” The cat ran off and hid behind a rock a few feet away.

Squaring his shoulders, Jinki took a deep breath, returning his attention to where the cat popped out from... Standing bravely in his spot, waiting, staring at the grass. He lifted his long ears up, listening and ready to protect.   He didn’t see anything nor did he hear anyone coming. After a few moments he shrugged and hopped towards the cat that was hiding. “Where are you? What is your name?” The bunny hopped on top of the rock, the cat was so small he didn’t see him behind it until…

“Go away; I’m hiding” a cute little black paw swiped at Jinki’s puff ball of a tail.

Jinki giggled “Stop. That tickles.” he cleared his throat and said firmly with a nod “I will just guard your rock.”

“No! He will see you.” A tear slid from the cat's tiny eyes and his voice shook with fear “ Get down and hide behind the stone with me.”

Jinki looked over the rock to see the cat curled up in a ball shaking with fear.

“I am brave. So what is after you? I will protect you.”

“Shh, don’t talk to me. I’m pretending I am dead so it won’t want to eat me.”

Jinki turned away from the black cat to keep watch but suddenly out of nowhere and faster than light a big light brown puppy came rushing towards him. Jinki held up his little paws “Slow down! Let me guess, something is trying to eat you?”

The dog came to a halt and stared at the little rabbit confused. “What? No. What makes you say that? Nevermind. Did you see a cat come by here?”

Jinki crossed his arms and tapped his long foot; he cocked his head, ear falling to the side yet again. “Why?”

“Well, did you?”

Jinki said firmly “I said why?”

“I want to play with him. I’m bored, we were playing chase. And, well, he ran too fast and I can’t find him now.”

He placed his hands on his hips and raised an eyebrow “So you don’t want to eat him?”

“No, ew. Why would I eat him?”

“Did you ask him if he wanted to play with you?”

“No.”

“Next time ask him first. He thinks you want to kill him. You scared him. How dare you scare a cute innocent cat like that? It is not very polite.”

The dog lowered his eyes “I’m sorry.” He looked back up and smiled and started panting happily “I just want to play. ARF! Do you want to play?”He sniffed the bunny while wagging his tail a million miles a minute.

The bunny giggled “Stop. That tickles.” Jinki nudged the puppy’s cold nose off his belly.

“Play with me! Play with me!” The dog jumped around him barking, placing his paws on the bunny’s chest.

Jinki hopped off the rock and past him and over to a tree. He kicked it with his long foot and an apple fell. “Here, go fetch!” He threw it as far as he could in the opposite direction of a certain kitty’s hiding spot.

After the dog ran after the apple Jinki sat down on the rock and said softly. “You can come out now, he is gone.”

“Thank you so much you’re my hero.” The kitty slowly came out from behind the stone. Being really small he was able to climb on top and sit next to his hero, fitting perfectly by his side on the stone.

“It’s no big deal.” he smiled and pet the kitten.

“Yes it is, he is a mean stupid dog that tried to eat me.” The kitten pouted and rested his head on the bunny’s leg, not minding being pet by the stranger.

“He said he only wanted to play. Next time talk to him instead of running. Just in case I am not there to help out.”

“Ok, maybe… but he is still scary though.” He snuggled closer. Taemin felt so calm…the calmest he can ever remember. … even though he never met him before something inside of the cat told him something about the rabbit was safe... trustworthy... something familiar…

They sat peacefully in silence for awhile until the bunny remembered his manners and asked.. “What is your name?”          

The cat jumped off the rock to get a better look at his hero. He faced him and bowed his head formally introducing himself “I’m Taemin” He raised his head “and you?”          

After standing up off of the rock his ears flopped forward, the tips touched Jinki’s toes as he bowed “I’m Jinki” He flung his ears back as he stood straight. They locked eyes finally and their hearts thumped a bit faster and unconsciously smiled warmly at one another. Something seemed familiar to the rabbit but it couldn’t be, because the rabbit had never met a cat before. Suddenly the tokki felt confused as they stared at one another. How did he even know what a cat was if he never seen one before? And why did he feel like he met him before? Taemin was thinking the same as he stared at the handsome tokki. Unknowingly their hearts beat as one: if only they knew their hearts recognized the other while their memoires failed them. Jinki cleared his head by wiggling his ears. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to stare I was just thinking. Where are you from? I can be your just in case the scary dog comes back. Would you like that?”

The cat blinked and glanced away, trying not to stare as well. The cat shyly blinked; he felt safe with this rabbit and his instinct told him to trust this stranger; he answered kindly with a polite bow of his head “Yes I would. Thank you…I’m from…” The cat’s eyes widened in surprise once it hit him. “oh my I ... I don’t know.”

“You don’t know where your house is?”

“Um. I don’t know where I am.” Taemin started to panic and his eyes watered; he looked at his surroundings.

“It’s ok. Calm down…Did you bump your head, making you forget?” The bunny placed his white paws on the black ears and examined his little kitten head.

“No.” Taemin scrunched up his face as the bunny examined his head.

He removed his paws after seeing no bumps “Did he chase you so far you can’t find your way back?”

“I don’t remember. Hang on, let me think….” The cat paced back and forth. His ears perked up “I think I came from that way.”  He pointed his paw where he fell on top of Jinki.

“Yes, but before that.”

Taemin’s little bottom lip started to quiver. “I... I don’t know.”

“It’s ok. Um, well. Let’s just think. Where did you meet the dog?”

“I was drinking water then someone sniffed my .”

Jinki chuckled. “Dogs are weird”

The cat giggled. “Yeah”

“Maybe we need to find the dog, maybe he knows where he found you.”

“ohhh, I don’t wanna. He is too big.” Taemin rubbed his head against the bunny’s leg then buried it in the fur.

Jinki pet his black furry head “He is not big. To you he is big but he is just a playful puppy. I have a feeling he’d never hurt you. He didn’t seem to be harmful; just warm and playful, I don’t know why but my gut tells me so. But I will go with you of course and talk to the doggie for you. I will solve this. Come on, let’s go.” The Tokki ended chipperly.

The cat looked up from the bunny’s leg a bit scared “What? Like right now?”

“Yes, I’ll help you get home. I’m sure you got a mommy somewhere?”

Slightly confused Taemin scrunched up his little brows "I don’t have a mommy." He relaxed his eyebrows and asked curiously "Do you have one?”

Jinki opened his mouth and closed it... “I uh…no actually I don’t think I do. It’s just me by myself in the Emerald Fields”

The kitten tilted his head “Emerald Fields?”

 “Yes, Taemin. Now to know which part you are from is the question. hmmm….” The tokki thought so hard his eyes squinted… “I don’t think it’s the south. You came from the north but you could have been chased so much you got turned around so that doesn’t mean you technically came from there. And the Black Woods are in the south so I doubt you came from there, you are too perfect to be from there. I’m from right here.” He smiled and rubbed his tummy. “I like it here because they have the best carrots and this huge apple tree. Want an apple? I can kick the tree and one will fall down.”

“No Thank you. I must find…”Taemin almost forgot what he was looking for; he pursed his lips together for a second as he thought. Then smiled once he remembered “…My..my home.” but suddenly Taemin trembled as something caught his eye. Taemin quickly hid behind the bunny’s fluffy backside.

Jinki smirked and reached behind himself patting the kitty’s ears. “What is wrong?” Taemin  peeked out from behind the rabbit to see two beautiful sleek eyes  peering around the apple tree. “Meow..over there, look.” He nudged Jinki’s calve with his nose.

Shimmering in the sunlight a bright red fox, with black legs stepped out in to the open. It cautiously stepped closer. “Who do we have here?” The Fox had heard talking and followed the familiar voices and watched them from behind the tall tree. But when he watched them interact he didn’t know who they were and as he spied on them to learn why they sounded familiar his head began to hurt.

“This is Taemin!” Jinki beamed. “I’m Jinki!” He bowed. “Who are you?” he asked then looked behind himself, “Taemin, its ok. We mustn’t be rude.”

The fox tilted his head “I’m Kibum. Where did you two come from?”

Taemin stepped away from Jinki to bow to the fox.

“Strange..” The fox stated.

The rabbit lifted his ears into the air “What is strange?”

“Do I know you animals? You look familiar.”

The three of them looked at one another. Kibum sniffed the bunny then the cat.  With confusion written across his face he murmured “You smell like flowers…You smell like…like Jinki.”

“I smell like a rabbit? But I am a cat.”

“Maybe he is saying I smell like a cat. But hey we smell like flowers so that can’t be bad.” the tokki and kitten giggled together happy to smell the same.

The fox was serious though; he shrugged. “How long have you known Jinki?”

“We just met. Why?”

“I’m not sure. But I am pretty sure cats and rabbits do not smell the same..Nevermind..I have been so confused lately.” The fox began to pace. 

“Oh?” Jinki asked concerned “Are you ok?”

“I’m fine, Jinki. Ok so what is the problem here? I overheard something about looking for something?”

“Taemin is lost. I must help him find his way home. Wanna help?”

 “A lost kitten? Sure I will be happy to help however I can.” The fox bowed respectfully to the teeny cat….And so the journey to discovery began…

……..

As they walked through the tall emerald grass Jinki kept looking down at the kitten. Why did he look and feel so familiar. Jinki thought about the topic of parents.. Why did he have no parents? How is he the only bunny? A bunny doesn’t just pop out of thin air, he must have parents. How come he never realized it before until the cat asked him….“Taemin?”

“mm?”

“Can you remember anything?”

“I think there was a village, I was drinking water from a pond. Then the dog came. But before that..I think I remember other cats. But I couldn’t understand them. For some reason my memory is foggy.”

The fox commented as he crossed over a log with the others following him “Truth be told I am lost too. I just don’t want to be alone..I feel like I am supposed to follow you both.”

Taemin asked “Don’t fox eat rabbits?”

“I don’t eat rabbits I eat kimchi!”

Jinki and Taemin both looked at him strangely and in unison asked “What is that?”

Taemin beamed cutely and added. “Yes, tell us. I have no idea what it is but something tells me it must taste good. I am hungry now since we are talking about food. We should go get some of it for lunch. Where does it grow?” While Taemin asked, Jinki began to think Kimchi sounded familiar too, maybe he had eaten it once or saw it in the garden somewhere; the two of them stared eagerly at the fox to answer.

“It does not grow.. it comes from…. I think it..”  The fox stopped in his tracks..his mind went blank suddenly, he had no idea why he said Kimchi: he had no recollection of ever eating it and apparently had no idea what it was…

Jinki cocked his brow at the fox but then hopped off the end of the log and turned around to help Taemin step down while the fox tried to explain what kimchi was to them.

The fox frowned “My memory keeps getting worse. I think…”

Taemin shout whispered cutting him off “shh! I hear something!” The kitten jumped up into Jinki’s arms. Jinki’s white fur hid him away from danger.

Without thinking the Fox guarded them by jumping in his path and stood in front of them, protecting them as they all stood still, waiting..

“ARF! ARF!” not only could they hear the puppy’s bark floating up from the rustling grass but his feet padding quickly against the dirt.

Jinki felt the kitten shiver and a small whimper vibrate over his white chest. The tokki whispered to his folded arms “Don’t worry I got you, Taem.”

Kibum shot Jinki a look “I take it this is the dog that scared him?”

Before Jinki could answer the dog flew out of the giant blades of beautiful grass. The dog spit out the apple at the tokki’s feet. “Jinkii Jinkiii, your apple.” He wagged his tail so fast you could hear the whoosh of the wind it made.

Jinki and the fox looked down to see a drool covered red apple “um, yeah, ew.” The fox said as he winced, and kicked it away from his new fluffy friend. “I don’t think the tokki wants it back. Would you like me to throw you a stick instead?”

“A stick a stick!”

Kibum bit at the bark of the log, yanking a huge chunk off and threw it with his mouth. “There ya go. Have fun. See ya in a little while.”

“Thank you! Woof woof! Thank you!” The puppy circled around them happily before chasing after the stick.

“Taemin how can you be afraid of that?” Jinki giggled once the dog was out of sight. “He just wants to play.” he said as he let the cat crawl out of his arms and onto the ground. “Kibum took care of it for you this time.”

Taemin meowed “He is too big for me. He will trample me.”

They began walking and had forgotten what they had been talking about before they got interrupted…..

They meandered along for an hour or two, talking about random things until a blue teeny tiny dart frog with pretty onyx colored spots over his shiny little body fell out of a tree and landed on Jinki’s shoulder. “Meow, Jinki! A bug, a bug, get it off, get it off!” Taemin squatted at the blue dot on the bunny’s shoulder.”

A small but deep voice shouted “Hey cut it out! I am not a bug!”

Kibum’s eyes widened “It’s a..its a dart frog! They’re poisonous Jinki! Smack it off him, Taemin!”

Jinki looked at his shoulder unfazed not afraid of anything as always. He calmly bent his long ear for the frog to walk on to the tip. He brought his ear to the front of his face, lifting to eyelevel. He smiled greeting him politely “Hello, there Mr. Frog. You fell really far; are you hurt?”

The frog narrowed his brows at the other two. “I am not poisonous! I do not eat the fruits that would make me poisonous.” he pouted cutely. “I am a nice frog and a little disoriented at the moment.” He smiled at the bunny and continued “May you kindly help me? Where am I Mr. Rabbit?”

“In The Emerald Felids. We were just going on a little walk. Want to join us? We must find Taemin’s home.” he petted Taemin’s little head. Taemin purred automatically but he stopped when he became aware he was making noise; he blushed.

The tiny frog asked “Will you help me find mine along the way too?”

Wiggling his tiny pink nose Jinki chirped cutely “Sure”

“What is your name?” they asked

“Minho.”

Taemin asked “how did you get lost? I’m sorry I tried to hit you by the way.”

“I’m sorry too.” Kibum bowed apologetically along with Taemin.

“I..I don’t ..hmm I’m not sure. I was walking somewhere then it goes black then the next thing I remember is this tree. But I know something is not right. I know that is not my home. I feel I must go north. So I was on my way. Then I fell off the highest branch. I hopped up there to see if I can see anything that looks familiar.” The frog stopped and hopped off his ear and onto the tip of the bunny’s nose. “That is strange..your eyes… have you .. Maybe we have met before?”

Jinki shook his head “I’m sorry I have not met a frog before.”

Taemin scrunched up his brows. “I remember…”

The frog hopped off the rabbit and on to the head of the kitten. It startled Taemin but he relaxed and looked up as the frog bounced off Taemin’s eyebrows to the tip of Taemin’s nose. “Remember what?”

“First off, stop that hopping business, its making me motion sick. And you’re on my nose, you are making me cross-eyed.” The kitten pouted.

“Sorry.”

The two locked eyes…it was familiar as well. Minho jumped off and on to the foxes back. “They smell the same” he whispered. The fox nodded in agreement.  “How is that possible?” Minho asked.

“I don’t know but something is off about this whole day….Anyways Taemin you were saying you remember something?”

“I remember not being able to understand the other cats…how is it I can understand you all and you are not cats? How can any of us understand each other’s language when we are not the same species? Is this normal for us to do so in the Emerald Fields?”

Jinki looked to Kibum for an answer as well. It was something Jinki remembers being curious about when Taemin mentioned it earlier. “I know I am a smart person, but I think I am losing my mind. It seems the other day I had knowledge of many things. But every passing minute I feel it slipping away. I do not have the answer Taemin. I’m sorry. But I have a feeling we are not looking for your home but ours. I think….We most all know each other somehow. I have no family"  he confessed and continued "Jinki has no family, you have no family. I am betting that dog and Minho here, also do not have one. Am I correct Mr. Minho?”

They turned their attention to the littlest one. “I honestly have no idea.” He croaked.

Taemin spoke up again as he trembled. “I’m scared. What is happening?”

“I don’t know Taemin. We will figure it out.” Just then the puppy found them again. He stealthily snuck up behind the fox. “WOOF!” he barked; scaring them all half to death in their serious state. Startled, Kibum screamed automatically “Geez! Don’t do that!”

The dog panted “sorry” he his lips and panted some more excitedly then caught eye of the cat. “Ohh, kitty! hi! I was looking for you!” He grinned. “wanna play now?”

“No, I do not want to play.” The kitty crawled up the rabbit’s body and snuggled in his furry arms once again. “I want to go home.” He purred sadly.

“But we are best friends Taemin.”

Shocked they all gasped and stared at the black ball in Jinki’s arms, the kitten popped his head up from the white fur. “Wh-what?”

“Yeah, you and I live by the big wall.”

“What big wall?” they asked.

The puppy shrugged “I don’t know. But there is a huge wall along this pretty place." The puppy got distracted somehow and changed the subject “This place is great! Has lots of great places to play hide and go seek and sticks to play fetch with.” he wagged his tail “So are you coming Taemin? I wanna play now.”

They were confused beyond belief. “Are we blocked in here?” Asked Minho. “Imma go up the tree and look around again.” The frog leaped off the fox’s back onto the nearest tree trunk.

Jinki placed a paw on the dog’s shoulder. “Jonghyun no more playing ok? This is serious. I need you here with us.”

 Cocking his brow Kibum asked “How do you know his name? He hasn’t told us yet.”

Jinki hadn’t noticed he had called the dog by his name and did not remember just saying it either. “I don’t know his name.” he said flatly and calmly as he watched the frog hop from branch to branch making his way higher. Kibum looked at Taemin giving him a look of worry, Jinki understood the urgency to learn things but how come he didn’t in that moment with the dog’s name? Taemin shrugged.  Had the tokki forgot the importance of needing answers already in a split second?

Jinki shouted up the tree “Minho-ah see anything? Is there a way out of Emerald Fields?”

As he was about to make it to the top of the tree, the frog slipped half way down the tree because when the tokki called him “Minho-ah” a flash of a human man with eyes just like the rabbits  entered his mind; the man was in elegant royal pearl aqua robes, smiling brightly at him. The image in his mind..Perhaps a lost memory.. whatever it was it made Minho feel dizzy and his head began to pound. He groaned at the pain but pushed on. He tried climbing a bit with his webbed hands and feet and yelled back down “I’m trying! I can’t seem to reach the highest branch!”

“Come down Minho! You might fall!” Taemin was worried. “Will he be alright hyung-nim?”

Jinki shivered hyung-nim  Hyung, hyung….hyung.. The title rang through his head and made him stumble backwards and voice shakily. “W-what did you just say?”

Kibum called out. “Minho come down! Something is wrong with Jinki!”

“I said: hyung-nim, is Minho going to be ok?”

Jinki became dizzier; Minho reached the bottom branch and leaped off a leaf and landed softly on Jinki’s chest. “Are you ok hyung?” also using the word; Jinki felt light headed as if he were about to faint “I have to sit down.” Taemin crawled out of Jinki’s arms and jumped on top of the fox’s back for a better view..His new friends gathered around him. Tucking his tail downward “Arf,” the puppy whined sadly, “Are you ok Mr. Tokki?”

“That word is making me feel fuzzy and loopy my head hurts.” the pain brought a tear to his little eyes.

“What word?” They asked softly.

Taemin began to purr with worry.

“Hyung.” Was the last thing Jinki said before he passed out.

“Jinki!” They all screamed. Minho slapped his fluffy cheek “Wake up Jinki! Jinki! Jinki comeback!”

Taemin started crying “Minho do something! Save my Jinki!”

The frog panicked “Master Taemin I am trying!”

“Master?” the word made Taemin have an instant headache; he tumbled off the fox and rolled next to Jinki. “Help me hyung, meow! It hurts.”  The cat had tears in his eyes as he laid very still, clinging onto the white bunny. “meow meowwww” He purred in pain. The fox rushed and knelt down beside him “What is happening to them?”

“ARF! Kibum do something!”

The fox looked over his shoulder to view the dog “I I I don’t know what to do!” He panicked

The dog quickly came up beside Kibum; he tried at the kitten. The frog tried slapping the bunny again. “It's not working, he isn’t waking up!”

“Save Jinki”  Taemin mumbled as he passed out.

Minho hopped on top of Taemin lifting his eyelids. “He is out cold, same as Jinki. Jonghyun find some fruit. Maybe some juice will help them awaken. Kibum keep talking to them.”

The fox nodded and asked them a million questions. “Can you hear me? Where does it hurt? Taemin why did you call Jinki yours? Minho why did you call Taemin master? What is going on?”

Jonghyun ran off in search of fruit. Minho mumbled “save Jinki?” as he stared at Taemin. He felt a slight pain in his stomach and a twitch of pain on his right temple but kept that to himself.

“Why did they pass out? Did you poison them dart frog?” The fox accused out of desperation.

“I would never harm Jinki, ever! They are like family to me.”

The fox started to cry.. “How can that be? We all just met. But I.. I feel the same.” The fox’s shoulders quivered as he cried “What is going on!?” He flung his head back and cried to the heavens. “Help us!”

The dog rushed back with an apple. He spit it out “I found this, sorry its slobbery.”

“It’s fine” Kibum meekly said. He hit it with his paw; cracking it. Not having nimble paws and arms as the cat and kitten, he nudged the fruit with his nose towards Jinki. Rolling it around his lips for the nutrition to seep into his mouth; the fox whined “Please drink. Please wake up Jinki.” 

If you are confused don’t worry, it will all make sense soon enough ;) I want you to be like "whaaaat?" just like ot5 and find out when they do..