A/N: First, apologies. This term turned out to be far busier than I expected. I have never been so stressed out in my entire life. I've been wanting to begin updating this story for so long, I'm not even finished writing the end yet. The end of this series is coming, I have been struggling to write it, but I WANT to for all the readers who have been waiting patiently. I'm sorry to those who began reading and this fic fell to the wayside. I don't think I've maintained the momentum of the original, but as always, I hope you enjoy.

*

The Great Escape

*

            Wooyoung leaned against his prison cell bars and kept his eyes trained on Taecyeon. A sense of dread filled his mind. While he now had all the means to relieve them of the dreams, it was keeping them altogether that unnerved him the most. They would all need to return back to the first dream or they would be lost in this one for eternity. Would he really be able to get them back? Were they all really asleep?

            “Don’t you feel the least bit conflicted, Ok Taecyeon?” He asked, needing a break from his thoughts.

            “About what?”

            “What has happened within Baxkos of course. Your prince is in such a pitiful condition, aren’t you worried he will die? Do you care so little for those you swore to protect?”

            That earned him a hateful look.

            “Also, you’re going along with a demented bastard. In consideration of what he’s done to your kin, your clansmen, can you truly call yourself a Wolf? How can you live with yourself? Have you no sense of loyalty or pride?”

            The energy around Taecyeon shifted and his eyes began to glow yellow. “Shut up you filth!” He shouted and began stalking towards his cell.

            Good. Wooyoung knew antagonising him would get him not just results but much needed stress relief. Smiling at the approaching canine, Wooyoung relaxed, “did I touch a nerve?”

            The vicious growl from Taecyeon got his blood pumping even faster and he noticed Junho roll his eyes. No matter what happened, he had to try. Wooyoung had to get them out of the dreams at whatever cost, he needed them to be free once and for all. He couldn’t bear to see Nichkhun suffering. If Helios had taken Taecyeon’s memories, he had to feel something was missing.

            “Ever since you entered my life, into the courts of Baxkos, you have been nothing but a nuisance and a pain – and you’ve brought destruction everywhere you have gone.”

            “He’s got a point.” Junho added.

            Wooyoung gave Junho a pout which earned him a middle finger.

            “I did my own part to ease the tensions between Baxkos and Lunaris. I admit to my utter failure in being able to do so, I don’t really know what’s going on. However, you too were hit with a memory curse – as I have been – and you should know how frustrating it is to want to understand, to remember, and not be able to. You have to know how painful it is!” Taecyeon hit his chest and met Wooyoung’s gaze strongly.

            This was an interesting turn. Wooyoung now knew Taecyeon was aware. This was good. He could work with this. He went quiet and then gave Taecyeon a sympathetic look. There was too much suffering here. Marigold, his other self, his mother, Chansung, Junho, everyone was working hard to return everything back to normal, to cease the madness that Helios had subjected them all to. “I do understand, so why don’t you help me correct it?” Wooyoung held out his hand.

            A troubled look crossed Taecyeon’s features and he rubbed his temples. “because I don’t know if what you’ll do will actually help him.”

            “Him?”

            Taecyeon rolled his eyes, “Nichkhun.”

            “What about yourself?”

            “I put him in there. I know his feelings for me, and it’s obvious he was very important to me. I can’t understand why I want him more safe. I...I feel like I...” Taecyeon gripped his hair and looked utterly distraught. “I feel like I’m being torn apart inside.”

            ‘...’ Wooyoung began to panic. “You’re mated.”

            Taecyeon went red, “what?”

            ‘, , ...’ Beginning to pace back and forth, Wooyoung almost began to laugh hysterically. ‘Nichkhun is going to die at this rate.’

            “Well, I see that Helios was right to worry about you.”

            Wooyoung gripped the bars and both he and Taecyeon looked upon Toren.

            “General Toren...”

            This made things for Wooyoung infinitely easier now that he didn’t have to search for this pest.

            “Do you really believe what this monster is telling you? You know what he did to Nichkhun’s parents, what he has done to him. Wooyoung has been nothing but a pain in our lives. I will forget I overheard this conversation if you step back from him, like a good obedient pup, and no harm shall come to the prince.” Toren said as he looked over his nails.

            Wooyoung looked upon Taecyeon once more. “If you want things to change, Taecyeon, if you want Nichkhun to heal and be free, you have to look passed what has happened. You know I’m right.”

            Chansung, prepare yourself. We start now.

            About damn time.

            “Why does Jang scare you so much, General? He’s one man.” Taecyeon asked as he edged back, hand on his sword hilt.

            “You do believe him. I really wish you didn’t.” Toren said as he brandished his own weapon.

            Junho.

            Yes?

            As soon as Toren makes a move, I need you to help me paralyze him.

            Alright.

            “How do you always manage to get passed what Helios has done to you, Wooyoung?” Toren asked him suddenly. “You have nullified all of his attempts to erase your memory, change your history, and destroy these ingrates you’ve attached yourself to. How?”

            Wooyoung shrugged and looked at Junho, then Taecyeon, and Nichkhun. He could feel Chansung all around him, and he had never felt more alive. “I’ve had people who have never given up on me. I would do them immense injustice if I bowed down or succumbed to the ideals of a mad man.”

            Toren smirked and then made to attack Taecyeon. It took everything in Wooyoung’s power to keep him still. As his cell fell open, along with Junho’s and Nichkhun’s, they all stepped out. Feeling Chansung at his side, he noticed Toren’s eyes widen.

            “He was here all along?!” He hissed.

            “Yes, right under your nose.” Wooyoung said.

            “Turina!”

            Wooyoung barely had time to react. Chansung raised a shield around them just in time.

            “Chansung, you have to take them, now.” He ordered, struggling to keep Toren confined. “Leave Victor with me, he should be enough support.”

            Chansung hesitated for only a second before pulling a black gem from his chest and Victor materialised before him. Immediately he blasted Turina with dark magic. Chansung quickly brought Taecyeon and Nichkhun together.

            “Wooyoung, don’t you dare think you can make me leave you.” Junho hissed.

            “I don’t have time for this right now, love. You have to go now.”

            “I’m not leaving your side.”

            “You don’t have a choice.” Chansung said and they four of them vanished.

            Wooyoung deflected a blow from Toren, newly released as Wooyoung could not long hold him alone. He was now back to back with Victor.

            “We have nothing in our way now, Victor. Do not hold back!” Wooyoung hit Toren with a volley of his own blast of dark magic and he was gasping for air. “Hold off Turina for as long as you can!” He raced forward, straddled Toren and pressed his fingers to his temples. “You...You are going to show me where the dream ritual connection is between this one and the previous dream.” He seethed and forced his mind into Toren’s.

            Toren began to scream as Wooyoung ripped his way through his memories, his thoughts and his horrid fantasies. He saw all the things he did to the people of Baxkos, the Wolves of Lunaris, his horrendous torture of the Horvejkul family, and then, the torturing of Junho. He almost couldn’t hear his screams as he began to tear his mind apart. Of all things he had to see, Junho being treated so inhumanely, this was the last straw. Soon, his mind came upon his mansion. It existed in this plane. Wooyoung focused on its location, invoking more pain upon the insidious General as he tried to resist Wooyoung’s mental assault. The conversation in the Council chambers about Astrum appeared and then Toren speaking with Helios about protecting Astrum, and making sure none wandered in.

            “Oh, you careless bastards, creating a second dream from another dream is dangerous enough.” He muttered and exacted a final onslaught of mental damage to Toren, which left him helpless and dazed as Wooyoung stood back. Withdrawing, he looked back to the fight between Victor and Turina exhausted only to watch as Turina struck a fatal blow with a severing spell to Victor’s body. This caused Victor to stumbled back and collapse to the ground.

            “Victor!” He yelled an erected a shield about him. He dodged a spell aimed for his head. Before he could do anything else, black threads began to slither through the air until Turina began to scream. Slowly she was engulfed by a sphere of darkness until she was no more. The heavy aura vanished and he found himself hauled to his feet by Chansung.

            “You could handle it, huh?”

            “Shut up, I’m exhausted.” He grumbled and then made his way over to Victor. Kneeling beside him, Wooyoung ran his fingers over his face gently.

            “S-Sorry...” He gasped.

            “Shh, it’s alright.”

            “N-No, s-she got m-me...”

            Wooyoung closed his eyes tightly and held victor close. “Ever since I’ve met you, you’ve been nothing but amazing, Victor. If Helios made you...it was the one thing he did right.”

            Victor chuckled but then be began to cough and shake. “You make sure now...you s-save them, W-Wooyoung. Free us...from...night...mare...”

            Wooyoung held back a cry as Victor slipped away, and his body began to crumble to dust.

            “Wooyoung, we don’t have time.” Chansung said gently. “Helios is marching on the Lunaris forces.”

            Nodding, Wooyoung rose to his feet and took Chansung’s hand. They warped away from the castle and Wooyoung found them amidst the camp of the Lunaris. Everything was going to move quickly now. Whatever original plan they had it didn’t matter anymore. They had to get to his mansion. Looking up at the moon, its light descended upon the battlefield, and illuminated the freshly fallen snow, slowly becoming covered in blood.

            “Wooyoung! Nichkhun is beginning to relapse!” Junho called out to him. “He’s fading fast!”

            Heart sinking, Wooyoung ran passed Chansung and came to the tent where Nichkhun lay on a cot. Taecyeon did not look good either. Kneeling beside Nichkhun, his skin was paler and slowly becoming covered with blue blotches. Taking his hand into his own, slowly Nichkhun looked upon him.

            “Wooyoung...” Nichkhun whispered.

            “Yes?”

            “No matter what happens to me, you promise me that you’ll...keep Taecyeon safe.”

            Holding his hand tighter, Wooyoung smiled, “you’ll save him yourself.”

            “Don’t...don’t try to console me. It’s too late.”

            “It’s not-”       

            “It is...”

            Wooyoung ran his hand through his hair and shook his head. “You have to believe me that it isn’t, Nichkhun. If you give into the curse, it will spread faster.” It was happening again. Here Nichkhun lay, felled by another scheme of Helios’, except now he was dying.

            “I’ve...I’ve tried everything. I don’t know what I did wrong, Wooyoung!”

            Wooyoung pressed Nichkhun’s hand to his forehead and gasped tiredly. “I’ve...failed you so much, my dear prince...my dear friend. I hope...when I make things right, you will never ever meet me ever again.”

            “Wooyoung...” Chansung said quietly.

            “Don’t say that, Wooyoung.” Junho said and touched his shoulder.

            “I...” Wooyoung looked up and found Nichkhun smiling softly. “I don’t regret meeting you, Wooyoung. Never have, never will.” He whispered, a tear falling from his eye. “I’ve always had to depend on people, because...I’m weak. I couldn’t even confess my real feelings for Taecyeon. I cowered from the wrath of my parents, hid everything, and didn’t try to stand up for anything. I’m a weak person-”

            “No, no you’re not.” Wooyoung pressed.

            Wooyoung gripped Nichkhun’s chin and leaned down. Their foreheads coming together, and Nichkhun reached up towards him. “If you don’t have will, this wound will never heal, Nichkhun.”

            Nichkhun choked on a sob, “I don’t have any left.”

            “I’m not letting you go through any of this ever again.” Wooyoung swore. “Helios has ripped our lives apart because of his own selfishness. It is not too late, Nichkhun. I’m going to save you. I’m going to make things right.”

            Noticing a purple glow between their joined hands, Wooyoung took his hand away only to find the small amethyst gem. Noticing similar lights beginning to glow on Taecyeon and Junho’s person, he covered his mouth. The gems had actually worked.

            “Why am I glowing?” Taecyeon asked. He touched one of the lights but nothing appeared.

            Wooyoung began to feel overwhelmed again from invading Toren’s mind and he collapsed against the bed. He held onto Nichkhun’s hand tighter.

            “You may not believe me, Nichkhun.” He said and looked over the glow between their hands which was not fading. “but this will prove to you how resilient you are, and that this is not the end of your story.”

            “Are those protective gems, Wooyoung?” Chansung asked as he looked over Junho.

            Wooyoung caught the blush on Junho’s face as Chansung tangled their fingers together, looking at the soft glow in his wrist. “Yes,” he said, smiling at them. “I had Junho and Taecyeon retrieve them in the previous dream.” He said and remembered the small stone Junho had given him. “The power of stones, right, Junho?”

            His mage didn’t relieve his hand from Chansung’s, instead he brought him over with him as he sat beside him, forcing Chansung down to his knees too. “My secrets have secrets...”

            Wooyoung kissed him softly.

            “Why doesn’t Hwang have any?” Taecyeon asked.

            “Because...” Wooyoung began and then felt regret. “He was captured by Helios before any could be given.” He said and looked at his beautiful prince. “But...if you remember the real world, I guess you didn’t really need them.”

            Chansung tilted his head. “Well, maybe I did. I remembered nothing in the first dream.”

            “Yes, but Helios used you for a sacrifice...he relieved his hold over you, but he needed you to channel your real self in this dream...because you are the one he is really looking for. He thought he could use me instead, but it never worked. When he finally got his hands on you in the previous dream, he must have realised that your real potential had been sealed...” Wooyoung trailed off.

            Chansung smiled and touched his shoulders. “You are really good at making protective seals, Wooyoung.”

            Wooyoung smiled but turned back to Nichkhun. “I don’t know if it will help you, but it might buy you some time if you accept these memories back, Nichkhun.” He said and held up the small gem. “This will show you...what you have faced, and prove to you we are inside a dream within a dream.”

            “I don’t need proof to know. I believe you as I always have, always will.” Nichkhun said with a tired smile.

            Wooyoung nodded.

            “This is all well and good, and I’m sorry to break up your quality time, but Baxkos is coming for us. You do not have time to idle here anymore.”

            “How do we get to the dream ritual location?” Chansung asked immediately.

            “I have to transport there. It’s protected, but I don’t know from what yet. Teleporting there could be a pain.” Wooyoung informed and felt again for the mansion. “I know where it is though.”

            “Incoming!”

            Large volleys of magic burst all over the camp. The last thing Wooyoung remembered before losing consciousness was falling over an edge, Nichkhun beside him.

*

            Opening his eyes, Wooyoung was floating, and before him was his other self. The box now had cracks in it. “You’re exhausted.” He said forlornly.

            “So are you.” He said and noticed a familiar gemstone in his hand. Holding out his hand, its identical twin rested in his palm.

            “Junho will do anything to protect us. He even gave us the luck back we gave him all those years ago.”

            Wooyoung collapsed to the ground and his other self rose up onto his knees.

            “If Helios knew you were conscious...that would have ruined everything. As we are the bonded of Hwang Chansung, we are a weakness to him.” His other self said and sat back on his heels. “He would reprimand me for saying that...”

            Wooyoung smiled. “Yeah, he would.”

            “We’re lucky to have one such as him so taken with us, you know?” He said and looked over the gemstone. “Both of them...we wouldn’t be talking together right now or making sure Helios disappears forever if not for them.”

            Wooyoung nodded.

            “You have it all within you now. When the time is right, you know the payment for the vanquishing ritual. I’m putting my last resolve within you, my other self. I beg of you, finish him.”

            Wooyoung did not take his attention off of the gem. Without even knowing it, Junho and Chansung had done their part. “I will not fail you.” He said and looked up.

            “I don’t know what will happen to us. I do not know if by changing history that their stories will be better. I just know the world will be better off without Helios in it.”

            Wooyoung shrugged. “It’s alright. I think it is something we will just have to accept, you and I. No one will remember any of this horrid history, or him. I do not know what impact erasing him will have on the world, erasing someone’s existence and changing history no doubt has consequences, especially one as powerful as him. It’ll just be the opening of one of the other parallel universes. I no longer have reservations. I’m just glad I get to see you before we begin the finale of this story. It has run its course.”

            His other self smiled, “I will hold no reservations. I cannot. I ensured we would be able to do this. I cannot go back, my other self.”

            “Yes...”

            “You best wake now...we’ve always had terrible timing, you and I. You now know the vital truths, this story has so many flaws, all created by Helios trying to piece together dream sequences to attain what he wanted, but failed. The fate of our lives rests on your shoulders now. We will make this right, my other self.”

            Wooyoung nodded. He then felt himself falling. A cold wind bellowed about him. Opening his eyes, he gasped and found himself soaring through the air, explosions behind him. Noticing Nichkhun once again, he shot over to him and caught him. Landing, he checked Nichkhun over. He was barely breathing now. Looking back up the ravine, sparks and large volleys of energy exploded across the landscape.

            “There they are!”

            Adjusting Nichkhun onto his back, Wooyoung tied his hands around his neck and slipped his arms under his knees. His energy was still slow so he had no choice but to run. He could just hear Chansung, ‘I told you so.’ Breaking into large bounds through the forest, he carried Nichkhun as quickly as he could. “Show me the way.” He said and a small light aimed southeast. Chansung, where are you and the others?

            Fending off Helios and Changmin.

            I’m running in the direction of Astrum.

            I’ll try to follow as soon as I can.

            I have Nichkhun with me.

            Good, I’ll take Junho and Taecyeon.

            Once I have enough energy I’ll jump to the ritual location. I’m sending you the directions.

            Why can’t you jump now?

            Wooyoung scoffed. Because I’m exhausted and I would splice us if I tried.

            Wooyoung stopped in a tree and looked behind him. He looked over Nichkhun and rested a hand over his mouth. He went into a panic when he felt nothing. “No, no, no!” Wooyoung hissed and brought them down to the ground. Casting several warming and resuscitation spells, Nichkhun began to cough and gasp for air. “Nichkhun, Nichkhun, look at me.”

            Pale grey eyes gazed up at him.

            Wooyoung choked on air and held him close. “You can’t fall asleep. You have to stay with me.”

            “S-So c-cold...”

            “I know, I know its cold, but you have to promise me you’ll stay awake. Only for a little while longer, I promise, Nichkhun. If you don’t we won’t make it back.” He said softly and continued to smooth warming magic over Nichkhun’s body. “Can you feel what I’m doing?”

            “A-A little...” He said, teeth chattering. “Was it so bad...to want peace between our people, Wooyoung? Was it so wrong to deny Helios the means to getting what he wanted?”

            Wooyoung shook his head, “no, of course not.” He brushed his fingers over Nichkhun’s cheeks gently. “Listen to me, Nichkhun. This world isn’t real.” He said shakily. “What has happened to you and what is happening to you now, are not real. It is Helios’s actions against our subconscious, it is the idea he has given us to believe.” He explained.

            “I know...but, I’m so tired, Wooyoung.”

            “I know...” He whispered. “I am too, and that’s okay. But just know very soon you’ll be able to wake us up, and none of this will be real anymore. I’m taking you to where you’ll be able to do that.”

            Nichkhun finally smiled and nodded, “okay...”

            “Don’t close your eyes. Do not fall asleep. Stay with me, alright?”

            Hearing a faint howl in the distance, Wooyoung looked up and noticed a black wolf just beyond. It’s eyes watched them quietly, and Wooyoung set Nichkhun upon his back once more. “Are you here to help me?” He called out.

            The wolf turned and ran a ways, but stopped and looked back.

            “Alright...” Wooyoung sighed and ran after it.

            Wooyoung?

            Yes?

            I can’t sense your location anymore. Wooyou-

*

If anyone has stuck around I know, 'SAM A CLIFF-HANGER AFTER ALL THESE YEARS YOU-' - the next chapter is written I just need to edit it - I promise! Wouldn't be me if I didn't have a cliffy for you guys. It'll be up over my winter break so sometime the week of the 19th.

Thanks for reading. Until next update ;)