Long, long ago – when the earth was sighing its first breaths – the gods placed the moon and the sun in the sky. It happened the moment the moon saw the sun: He loved her with a passion so intense it made the evening glow bright. Every moment, he followed her across the sky, but he could never seem to catch her attention. The sun, with her bright radiance, seemed more enthralled by watching the earth below come to life. She smiled at the flowers as they bloomed and gave warmth to the animals and painted the sky with brilliant colors at both ends of the day. The moon was anguished by her lack of attention, and he cried as he journeyed through the darkness. As his tears hit the sky, they set like glittering jewels in the firmament – becoming the stars. As the sun rose the next morning, she noticed the flickering forms of the stars, and it made her heart ache, though she did not understand why. For each morning after, the sun would watch the stars vanish with a frown set on her features; she wanted to understand where they came from.

One day, after countless courses across the sky, the sun was hanging high above the clouds when she heard her unspoken name echoing through the air. She halted her daily walk through the heavens and turned, finding the moon standing behind her. Looking into his eyes across the distance, the moon felt a soft sigh slip past her lips. He was beauty itself with his silver hair and richly bronzed skin. When they met, overshadowing the earth in an eclipse, the passion of their union resulted in the birth of two children: East and West. Their daughter, East, settled among the islands and peninsulas close to her mother’s home. West, their son, found his home on a large island sunk into the sea at his father’s door. The East fell in love with the spirit of the ocean, and soon she had borne him countless shining children – each a tribute to the divinity of their mother. The West fell in love with the spirit of the woods, and together they too had many children. As their parents danced across the sky, the generations continued until both the East and West were the beginnings of great dynasties.

The Children of the West called themselves the Fae, thinking themselves as fair as their moonlit ancestor, while the Children of the East named themselves the Xian, after the bright sun. Centuries melted away as human beings were also born, taking over the world that had once only belonged to the children of the sky; with the passage of time, the Fae and the Xian forgot the other existed. But, fate has a way of uniting two halves of a whole, just as it brought the moon and the sun together. 

~~~

Pain lanced through TOP’s side as he crashed through the thick underbrush of the forest. He skin seemed to be trying to peel away from the muscles that stretched across his abdomen, attempting to escape the heavy weight of the poisonous metal lodged into his side. Collapsing against the trunk of an oak, the brunette splayed a hand across the wound, attempting to stay the spilling of his thick sap-like blood. A howl rent the air, sending a shiver down TOP’s spine and making his golden eyes flash with fear. The dogs were coming. Tightening his grip on his wound, the man pushed off the tree and resumed running as best he could through the pain and darkness. TOP grimaced; his mortal body was so weak. If he were in his most comfortable form – the horse – he would have no trouble outpacing the yipping fleabags pursuing him. But no, his body was not strong enough to keep up that form, not with the poisonous iron in his blood.

I am going to die, he thought. Torn apart by dogs. What a way to go. Scoffing, he continued to stumble on as his legs began to shake. There was no way he would escape the situation; he was doomed.

Except, fate had a different ending in mind for the fae’s story.

In the moment of TOP’s deep despair – the instance in which he was about to give himself over to the dogs – he caught the distinct glimmer of another mythical creature through the trees. A surprised gasp slid past his lips, and he stretched a hand out towards the light. He squinted as the light seemed to intensify in its concentration, the silvery glow flooding the small section of woods around him. The barking of the hounds seemed to melt away and the throbbing of his wound seemed to lessen in intensity as the source of the light at last stepped into sight. At first glance, the creature seemed to be a horse: slim legged, tall, elegant, with a perfectly arched neck. But then other details filtered into Seunghyun’s awareness: sprinklings of silver-blue scales, the twist of a horn in the midst of the forehead, the delicately cloven hooves. Seunghyun had never seen a creature like it before. What was perhaps the most stunning, though, were the creature’s eyes, which were a molten gold that faded out to umber and seemed to reflect a warmth rarely found among the fair folk. Most Fae were cold and calculating, impish and sly; tenderness was rarely their forte. 

TOP felt himself becoming lost in those eyes. It was not until he could see the reflection of himself in those gentle orbs that he realized the dogs were still in pursuit and likely to appear at any moment. His breath hitched in fear, and he broke eye contact in order to stare over his shoulder in anticipation of sharp teeth. The glow at that moment shifted, fading until it was the intensity of a night lit by the quarter moon. As the sound of baying filled the air, TOP felt a light hand on his shoulder. “Can you climb?” a warm, soft voice breathed against his ear.

Twisting, TOP found himself eye-to-eye with a man with beautiful bronze skin and those same gentle eyes. He managed a jerky nod. “But the dogs,” he panted.

The stranger smiled and nodded towards a low-hanging branch. “Get as high as you can. I will deal with the dogs.” A shiver raced down the púca’s spine as he imagined what the dogs would do to the poor creature in front of him, but he could not hesitate. There was no time. Moving as quickly as he could, he hobbled over to the tree and wrapped his blood-slicked hands around the rough bark. He struggled to catch a grip and was surprised when he felt strong fingers curl around his hips. “Jump,” the stranger ordered. TOP did as ordered and found himself hefted up until he was able drag himself onto the branch. “See if you can get a little higher – out of sight.”

When the dogs burst into the clearing, teeth ready to rip flesh, TOP felt a shudder of primal fear rend its way through his body. He wanted to look away – to avoid seeing the stranger being murdered – but his gaze seemed fixed on the ethereal man. But, again, the situation was unexpected. The dogs scrambled to a stop in front of the man, tripping over one another in the process, and one even let out a little whine. And then the fleabags began to wag their tails – just a little. TOP gaped at the vicious beasts, who had been so willing to slaughter him; they looked at the stranger with open adoration. “Come here,” the man laughed, taking a knee. As a body, the dogs pounced: happily the man as though he were a most beloved master come home from a long journey. “Yah, you have to let me breathe!” he teased, scratching and rubbing and petting each dog in turn. “Yes, you are all such pretty hounds – such good puppies.” The stranger even placed a kiss on one wet snout, which just made TOP shudder. He could never imagine being so kind to such awful things. How many Fae had those dogs murdered, and here this man was treating them like precious angels. Ugh.

“Now, my beauties, I need you to do me a favor.” The dogs all sat and turned their ears towards the man, awaiting his order with eagerness. “The one you hunt is under my protection. Can you please lead the hunt away from us so I can aid him?” All of the dogs then turned to their female leader, seemingly discussing it with her, before the she-dog gave a soft woof. “Thank you. In return, I’ve healed what I could of your injuries. I hope it helps!” With a last round of pets delivered, the dogs crashed off through the woods – barking and howling the hunt once more.

TOP swayed on the branch he was sitting on; the poison from the iron was starting to make his limbs sluggish and his mind foggy. With a moan, he slid out of the tree and crumpled on the ground. At least he was not going to be torn apart - that was something of a comfort. Perhaps this stranger would even be kind enough to return his body so he could be properly cremated by his people and find eternal rest. That certainly seemed ideal, since the poison had wrought its deadly witchcraft on TOP.

In an instant, the stranger was at his side and peeling his hand away from the wound. “Why are you not healing?” he murmured, leaning closer so his innate glow could better light the injury.

“Iron,” TOP sputtered. “Poisonous…”

Ripping the Fae's shirt a little, the man exposed more of the wound. “I’ll have to pull the iron from your side, which will make you bleed more, but then I will be able to force the poison out,” he said softly. His gaze lifted to meet TOP’s once more. “It will hurt a great deal.”

“No more than… than dying,” TOP panted.

The stranger simply shrugged. “True.” And then TOP’s world was awash in agony. Whatever the man was doing, it made it feel as though TOP’s insides were desperately trying to become his outsides by clawing their way through every pore of his body. His every muscle was locked so tightly he could not even shriek at the amount of pain; instead, his teeth ground against each other and his body became as stiff as steel. Perhaps, TOP thought, dying would have been the better option. He shuddered as the pain, somehow, managed to intensify.

But then, as suddenly as it came, the agony was gone. TOP was able to open his mouth and gasp, hungrily drawing air into his lungs. The steady throbbing at his side was gone; in fact, he felt wonderful. Every ache in his body, even the weariness from having run, had vanished. Slowly, he pushed himself upright and examined his skin through the tattered remnant of his shirt. Nothing. The skin was perfect and smooth – more so than it had been the day TOP had been born. It was miraculous. Turning to thank the stranger, his mouth fell open once more. Shivering, the man had curled into a tight ball and seemed to be barely breathing. TOP carefully moved to his side and pulled his head into his lap. “Are you alright?” he breathed. The obvious answer was no, and the stranger reflected that in the wan little smile he managed to give.

“Healing is not my strong point,” the man finally mumbled. “It…drains me.” 

“If we can make it back to my home,” TOP said after a quick moment of thought, “you can rest in safety. How long until you will be able to walk?”

The stranger sighed softly. “In a few more minutes, I’ll be strong enough to sit up.” At least his voice sounded better – stronger.

TOP nodded. “In a few minutes, then, I can give you a ride. In this form I would just stumble around in the dark making a fool of myself.”

A soft laugh slid past the man’s lips. “Is that what got you hurt?” His umber eyes had an impish little twinkle in them; he had the audacity to tease TOP. The Fae scoffed a little.

“No.” TOP’s lips drew into a thin line. “I was caught in a trap laid by some hunters. They like to capture my kind and harvest potions ingredients from our bodies.” It was a grim reality in their world: The humans knew the Fae were mystical in nature and delighted in trying to destroy them. Some body parts did have healing properties, certainly, but not the way the humans used them. No, the mortals just destroyed and destroyed - not carying for the harm they wrought. 

“But you escaped.” There was that little sunny smile, slipping its way onto the man’s lips again. “That’s good.”

TOP carefully brushed some of the man’s silvery hair out of his eyes. “If you don’t mind my asking, what exactly are you? I have never seen anything like you before.”

“I’m a Daesung,” he quipped, laughing softly. The movement seemed to exhaust him, though, as he coughed a little. “I am what is known as a Qilin, though the ones who captured me called me a unicorn.” 

 “A unicorn,” TOP repeated. “I don’t think your kind live on this island. I’m certain I would have seen them at the high courts, if they did.”

That made the man – Daesung – laugh again. “I am not from your country,” he agreed, his eyes fluttering shut. “Far from home…”

“Where?”

Daesung opened an eye. “Is it typical among your kind to interrogate someone when they’re trying to rest?”

TOP had the grace to flush in shame. He had not realized he was pressing Daesung with question after question. “Can I ask one more thing?” Daesung gave a little nod. “If you were able to heal me, why can’t you just heal yourself?” His fingers moved to trace a cut along the unicorn’s cheek.

Sluggishly, Daesung lifted his right arm so the púca could see the thin gold band around his wrist. “You’re bad with iron. I’m bad with gold.”

Wrapping his long fingers gently around Daesung’s arm, TOP drew it close and examined the band. He could tell that the flesh was clearly irritated and raw beneath the golden loop; Daesung being in his human form had made the metal fit tighter around his joint, ripping the vulnerable flesh. TOP carefully felt around the band to check for a clasp but frowned upon finding none. “When I get you back to my people, I can see that this is removed,” he promised. “Though if you are allergic to gold, we will have to be careful. My people primarily use natural ore for our crafting.”

Daesung sighed softly. “I am sure you will find a way to –“ he yawned, “keep me safe. Wake me in a few minutes. I will be ready to travel then.” And without waiting to hear TOP’s reply, he fell into an easy sleep.

While the silence stretched on, TOP took the opportunity to examine the – what did Daesung call himself? – qilin? Yes, that sounded right. The word felt foreign even as it wrapped through the Fae’s mind, but he liked something about the weight of it. Unicorn was easier to say, certainly, but there was a certain vitality lacking in the word. Shifting slightly, he examined the strange silk garments the man wore. Fae had a silk of sorts, certainly, but Daesung’s robes were clearly of a finer quality than anything TOP had seen before. Along the neckline he could even make out little embroidered white horses – qilin, most likely – and twists of little reptilian forms. The damage done to the robe – the tears, the mud, the missing chunks – were utterly tragic, in TOP’s mind; but, he could not help but wonder what had caused them.

“The ones who captured me.”

Daesung’s words came surging back to the forefront of TOP’s mind. He had been captured, which probably meant leaving his faraway home had not been his choice. TOP frowned. The man had saved his life; the least he could do would be to see he made it safely home once more. As the inspection continued, the Fae found his gaze returning to the man’s face. Daesung had the same almond-shaped eyes that all descendants of the sky had been blessed with, but his bronze skin and broad features were otherwise unfamiliar. A bit of a smile worked its way onto the brunette’s bowed lips: He had never seen anything quite so beautiful as the sleeping qilin. It felt as though he were looking at the sunrise for the first time in his life.

When Daesung woke, he was able to sit up without assistance. TOP rose to his feet and offered the man a hand. “Lean against the tree while I shift,” he all but ordered. “Then climb on my back.” He was in some ways hesitant to give the man a ride – púca were known to lure evil men to ride them before dragg them to their deaths – but it seemed to be the only way to help Daesung. Besides, only evil men or those without pure intent needed to fear riding a púca. Somehow, TOP knew the unicorn would be fine.

Once on his feet, Daesung flashed TOP an amused little look. “As you wish, master,” he drawled, carefully leaning against the tree. “So shall I do.”

Something about his tone – perhaps the wry amusement hidden in it – struck TOP as being strange. Why would the qilin find their situation so funny? Ah well, such questions could wait for when they were safely among the Fae. TOP took a deep breath and stretched, his body elongating and becoming heavier as he moved into his favorite form. The shift itself was smooth and natural; moving between his various forms was as much a part of him as the golden hue of his eyes. But he could not help holding his head high as he paced closer to Daesung, as though he were begging for the man to admire him. After all, in their equine forms, TOP and Daesung could not be more different. Where Daesung was bright scales and lithe limbs, TOP was pitch-dark fur and heavy muscles. Mortals, when they saw the handsome púca, commented that he looked like one of the horses from Friesland, with feathering at the hooves and waved mane and tail. The comparison at least seemed apt, in TOP’s mind, since the one Frisian he had seen was a very fine looking creature – all muscles and grace.

Daesung, though, did not seem overly impressed. He just smiled a little and wound his hand in TOP’s thick mane. “Can you bend down a little?” he asked in his soft, whispery voice. TOP acquiesced, and in a thrice the qilin was sitting comfortably behind his shoulders. “Alright. I think I am as ready as I will ever be.” The Fae snorted before turning towards the hills at the edge of the woods, where his family held court. At first he moved slowly, picking his way carefully through the forest, so as to not dislodge Daesung from his back. But, once the man seemed more stable, TOP picked up his pace and was soon moving at a liquid run. With each passing moment, Daesung seemed to grow stronger – his thighs tightening around TOP’s barrel. At one point, the man even laughed breathlessly and, keeping his legs tight around the púca, threw up his arms. TOP had never had a rider actually enjoy being on his back; most screamed or cursed until they met their untimely end. But Daesung seemed to be having the time of his life, laughing even when the Fae lept over a fallen tree. It made the púca’s skin tingle everywhere his body came in contact with the qilin.

Their entrance to the Fae realm happened without fanfare: One moment they were moving through the forest, and the next they were among the hills of the fair folk. Little flickering balls of light moved about – the lesser fae – from flower to flower, and some of the little fairies even floated over to settle along the arch of TOP’s neck. He whickered at the creatures, making them giggle brightly. Daesung somehow even managed to have a few settle in his hair, forming a haphazard ring on his head. The fairies could sense the magical nature of the púca’s guest, and each wanted to touch him – to have better gossip than their friends later around the fen-fires. Only when one of the little fairies tried to steal some of Daesung’s hair did a minor kerfuffle arise, though it was quickly settled when the qilin asked the lesser fae to please leave his hair intact. TOP just managed to repress a smile at the gentlemanly way in which Daesung handled the situation.

TOP at last drew to a halt when in the section of the Fae court he called home: a section of the palace that seemed to be simultaneously indoors and outdoors. Wide archways shaped from the twisted trunks of maple trees allowed the púca to pass easily into the room, his hooves quieted by a carpet of moss, and gentle moonlight streamed through the glass panes that made up the ceiling. Tipping his head back, Daesung smiled at the sight of the distant starlight. “I thought I would never see the stars again,” he breathed, almost too softly for even TOP’s sensitive ears to catch.

When the Fae drew to a halt, he knelt once more and allowed the qilin to slip to the floor. TOP immediately shifted and gave the handsome man a smile. “I hope you do not mind that I brought you to my room. I thought you would appreciate the chance to recover and eat a little before meeting the rest of the court.”

Daesung reached over to place a light hand on TOP’s arm. “Thank you. I appreciate your generosity greatly.”

“It is the least I could do,” TOP mumbled. “You did save my life.”

“And you saved mine.” Daesung shrugged lightly before moving to examine the space more closely. What struck the qilin most, besides the unfamiliar aesthetic of the place, was the care with which every object had been placed in the room. Over by the western wall, for instance, there was a wide window with a padded bench in front of it – the perfect place for an afternoon nap. It was obvious that TOP – not some passing servant – had placed each piece in what he considered the most ideal location. This place, with its order and brilliantly colored artwork and elegant furniture told Daesung more about the Fae than any conversation likely could; it was like gazing into the intimate corners of the man’s mind.

“I did not save your life,” TOP protested. “If anything, you risked yours in order to save me. You would have been fine if I had not been injured.”

Daesung chuckled and moved to sit lightly on the edge of the Fae’s bed. “That is not true, my handsome rescuer. I am countless miles from home, injured, and on the run. Had you not brought me here, it is likely that either death or my captors would have found me.” His eyes curved into beautiful little crescents as he smiled at the Fae. “You have given me somewhere safe to rest, promised to remove the gold, and may even be able to help me return home. If that is not saving my life, I do not know what is.”

“Then we are even, I suppose,” the brunette murmured, moving to sit beside Daesung. “But I am still very grateful to you, Daesung. And even if I do not owe you my life, I want to be certain you make it home.” Even if there was a corner of his heart that ached at the thought of being unable to see the qilin's bright smiles or hear the careless sound of his laughter.

“Thank you – “ Daesung laughed suddenly, making TOP’s pulse race. “You know, I just realized I never asked your name. May I know what to call you?” He even tipped his head cutely to one side, making him look like an inquisitive puppy.

TOP just barely managed to avoid blushing. “I am Prince Tiberius Orion Pericles….but most call me TOP.” Because, really, his name was horrid. He blamed his parents every day for giving him such ridiculous names.

Daesung blinked and attempted to pronounce his names, stumbling horribly over each one. Fae and Xian were able to communicate – their innate magics bridging the linguistic divide – but it apparently did nothing for Daesung’s accent. Even TOP managed to be pronounced as “Toppy” instead. The qilin finally ducked his head and admitted, “I am sorry for butchering your name. My tongue seems to be tied in knots over it.”

“You could always come up with your own nickname for me,” TOP said, shrugging. “I wouldn’t mind. You could even use something from your own language.”

Daesung beamed at the púca, nearly blinding him with its brightness. “Could I? That would be most helpful.” He reached over to give TOP’s hand a squeeze. “How about…Seunghyun? It can mean ‘rising shine,’ which reminds me of your eyes.”

The púca felt the blush flaunting itself across his high cheekbones, and he just knew Daesung could see it as well. “Seunghyun,” he said, testing the name out on his tongue. “I like it. But, what does your name mean?”

Wrinkling his nose, Daesung laughed. “Great voice. Which, I suppose is apt. Among my people I am considered a talented singer.”

The brunette’s eyes lit up. “Before you go, I may have to ask you to sing for me.” He ducked his head even as a crooked little smile turned his lips. “I enjoy listening to unique performances, and I would enjoy hearing one of your native songs.”

Daesung ran a hand through his hair. “I suppose I could do that. Eventually. For the moment, though, I think I should lie down. Do you have a preference on where I take a nap?”

Rising, Seunghyun – he liked the name – moved to the head of the bed and pulled down the coverlets. “Here will be more than fine. It’s comfortable, so you should rest well. And I can see about getting the tools I will need to remove the gold.”

Moving carefully, Daesung simply crawled up the bed and disappeared into the coverlets. “Thank you,” came the mumbled reply. Before the púca had finished tucking the man in, the qilin was fast asleep.

“What am I to do with you?” Shaking his head, the man headed for the door. 

---

For the sake of my sanity, I am breaking this into two pieces. I have legit been working on this all day, and I am nearly going crosseyed from it. For some reason, I have been having the hardest time writing lately. I keep feeling like I'm a terrible writing and my stories are worthless... It makes it hard to keep going. Yay depression and anxiety. Anyway, I hope this first half pleases you. Except the resolution for this litle oddity in the next half, which wil be posted...probably later tomorrow evening. Depending on how much this fights me. 

...Sorry for the overall iness of this mess.

By way of random explanation, I decided to use the Western Fae because I love their stories, but I wanted to keep it all in the Kpop family. So, Daesung is going to be calling people by the names he gives them, just so we can keep it clear who is who. :3 Sorry for any confusion or weirdness this causes - just roll with it. And maybe someday I will write the sequel where you get to meet the herd of Majestic Kpop Unicorns. Oh yes.