Epilogue...

If I could find assurance, to leave you behind, I know my better half would fade, and all my doubts is a staircase for you, opened out of this base. The first step is the one you believe in and the second might be profound…

As the weeks and months drew on life began to shift into somewhat of a routine again. It was harder for some than other to adjust to life after the war.

I’ll follow you down to the eye of the storm, don’t worry I’ll keep you warm. I’ll follow you down while we’re passing through space, I don’t care if we fall from grace, I’ll follow you down…

You can have the money and the world, the angels and the pearls, even trademark the colour blue. Just like the tower we never built, in the shadow of all the guilt, when the other hand was pointing at you…

In some ways, knowing that they had a future was both fantastic and absolutely terrifying.

Yeah, the first step is the one you believe in… the second one might be profound…

Kyungsoo wasn’t really sure what to do with himself some days. He had become so used to just trying to live until tomorrow that now he didn’t have to plan ahead, didn’t have to think about someone coming for him in the middle of the night, he didn’t know how to move forward.

It wasn’t that he didn’t want to, but everything that had gotten him to that day was the sheer will for revenge, and now that he had gotten it… well, he wasn’t sure what it was that he was living for anymore. He had never been in a situation where he could live calmly and not have to worry about the woman that killed his parent doing anything more.

Some nights he still woke up in a pool of his own sweat, memories of the war plaguing his mind. He still saw that woman’s nasty smirk behind his closed eyes when he laid down at night, but Jongin would always be there when he woke, to coax him back to calmness and hold him until the fear slipped away and he was able to close his eyes and drift off again.

He knew that he was no longer in danger, he knew that there was nothing he needed to worry about anymore, but it was still hard.

It had taken the cleaners only a few months to restore order to the places that had been left in shambles by the war, and slowly The Normals’ were able to return to their lives and live in peace, all of them knowing nothing of the reality that had gone down whilst they were living their lives and not having to feel worried of what was to come.

Kyungsoo knew that he still had a fair few years to stay at EXO, to be with his friend and family. He knew that even when his time as a student there ended, he would be welcome to stay, as they all would and maybe even help guide new students as they trickled in to learn more of their powers and of the histories that got them to the point that they had gotten to.

He could help future generations understand what had happened in the years that the war had drawn on, he would help them understand what was lost in order to achieve a safer existence for the world.

But it still wasn’t enough to put his weary mind at ease. He was reliant on the feeling of having to survive, taking steps to make sure that he was alive the day after. He had never really had time to live. And now that was what he had to do and he didn’t really know how to.

But he knew that he’d be helped with it all along the way thanks to those around him.

He had known from the start that the war would change him, he just hadn’t realised how much it would do so.

He thought a lot of how he had killed people with his own hands. He had killed people so effortlessly, and though it had been to keep himself alive, there was a small part of him that had enjoyed it, enjoyed the thrill of the surging power that ran through him as he took someone’s life away from them. And that was a secret he knew that he would take to his grave.

He wasn’t an idiot though, he knew that Baekhyun was savvy to his feelings, but the boy never said anything about it. Kyungsoo doubted that he thought any less of him for it, they both had a dark side to them, they both understood one another when it came to that, but it didn’t take away that they both knew it wasn’t a good thing. They both knew that they could never let that darkness take over them because it would only mean that they were letting the people that had caused them so much pain win.

There were days when he could still feel blood on his hands, blood that wasn’t there, but he would still spend hours and hours scrubbing at his body, trying to rid himself of the feeling. Trying to wash himself of the dirtiness that he felt crawling over him.

He would close his eyes and clench his hands as water washed over him as flashing images of The Woman’s dead body lying in front of him in the mud. He didn’t think he would ever be able to forget the way it had felt when he had picked her up and carried her back the battle field. There was a sick sense of loss as he did, though he didn’t like to think about it, because in a sad way, she was the last connection he had to his parents and he had broken it.

Nevertheless, he knew that he had done the right thing. Had made the right choice, and it was that that got him through the hard days, that that made him push through and keep going.

To his upmost surprise, Kris was one of the people that helped him through the most. The elder seemed to just know when he needed that extra lift and was a brilliant distraction. He had all but mastered his powers since the war had forced them to learn more of themselves quickly. He would pull Kyungsoo over to the fire place and set the logs ablaze with Dragon Fire, where he would manipulate the flames into a dancing story, his arms around Kyungsoo as they watched it play out. Little things, nothing over the top, just to bring a sense of warmth to them.

It was days like that that Kyungsoo realised were worth living for. Kris’s flame plays, Jongin’s tender touches. Baekhyun’s laugh. All of those things. His friends smiling, laughing, loving…. That was what life was, he was learning slowly. And there was a part of him that gave into the hope that maybe one day he would really be able to just be content in living life and not surviving it.

I’ll follow you down, through the eye of the storm…

Baekhyun was finding it hard to adjust also. It had all taken its toll on him. For the first couple of months he barely slept a wink. He would lay awake and night and think of everything that had happened, afraid that if he went to sleep, he would wake up to find that it hadn’t really happened and he was still back in a cell as his fourteen year old self, being tortured and pushed to the brink of death.

The times when he convinced himself that it was all real, thoughts of Hani rushed over him and he would have to bite his lip from making any noise as he sobbed into his pillow. It was on nights like that, that Kyungsoo would slip out of his own bed and into Baekhyun’s to just hold him and soothe him. Baekhyun would cling to his best friend, neither of them saying anything, just needing to take comfort in each other. Whilst they had Jongin and Chanyeol respectively, they had a bond with one another that was impenetrable. There was something between them that only they would ever understand and their friends and lovers understood that. They had been through things together that nobody could dream of, and it was only understandable that they were one another’s comfort in the aftermath of their losses.

Baekhyun was sure that he wanted a life with Chanyeol as they went on, he just wasn’t sure how he was meant to get there. He wasn’t sure how he was supposed to just carry on and not worry. Wasn’t sure how to be at ease because it was a feeling that was so very, very foreign to him.

Some days were harder than others. The days when the rain would pour hard and heavy from the sky reminded him of the way that horrible woman’s bones had snapped under Kyungsoo’s hands and how he felt it all. He knew that his friends had felt it too, and whilst he would never begrudge Kyungsoo doing what he had to win, he would be overtaken with nausea when he thought of it. The grotesque noises and screams of pain that sounded through his head would be too much to bear.

On days like those he would be held up in bed and refuse to let anyone other than Chanyeol or Kyungsoo near him. Junmyeon had caught on to the pattern after a few weeks and when the tell-tale drops would fall from the sky, he would shift the clouds away and make sure to keep the storms away from Baekhyun. Baekhyun knew what he was doing, and there seemed to be an understanding between them for which he was eternally grateful to his friend.

The good days were a breath of fresh air, though. The days when the sun shone and Baekhyun felt like he could breathe properly. The days when the twelve of them would sit together at breakfast and share jokes, would laugh.

The days when Chanyeol would smile at him so brightly he was amazed that it didn’t hurt his giant’s face. When Kyungsoo would let them all see him with sparkly eyes as he and Jongin shoved food in each other’s faces. The days when Yixing would talk loudly and laugh without restraint. The days when Luhan would let himself be pulled around playfully by Sehun, who would grin and kiss him all over his face. Days when Tao would slow down time around them all and show them what it all looked like in slow motion. When Kris would turn into weird creatures and make them all giggle or gasp in awe as he showed off. The days when Minseok would turn the grand hall floor to ice and they would slip around and forget about any worries for a while, and Jongdae would create little sparks of electricity in the air like fireworks, putting them all in high spirits.

It was those days that Baekhyun would live for forever.

He knew that it would take time for him to reach a place whereby there would be more good days than bad, he knew that there were times he would need to fight through the bad days and try and see the good. He knew that he’d get there at some point.

It was during the war, though, that Baekhyun realised something. He realised that what he had with his friends was something special. He realised more than that though, how much he wanted Chanyeol to be his forever.

It wasn’t as though he hadn’t known that anyway, but it hit him how much he really wanted it once they knew that they would actually be allowed to have it.

Chanyeol really was something special to him. Just like he had a special bond with Kyungsoo, he hand one with Chanyeol that was just as strong, though so strikingly different.

Chanyeol was someone that Baekhyun realised came around once in a lifetime. He realised that Chanyeol was someone that wanted him to be happy every day and strived to put a smile on his face no matter what. And it went for him too.

There were days when they would both be down, but one of them would push past it to cheer up the other. It was a constant give and take that made it all so, so worth it and Baekhyun knew that he owed a lot of his getting through everything to that.

Don’t worry, I’ll keep you warm…

For the first few months after the war, Yixing barely spoke a word to anybody as the gravity of his parents’ death hit him. As the knowledge that he’d killed so many people finally caught up and weighed down on him.

He locked himself away, not wanting to be a burden on anyone as he let himself fall apart over and over again. But it did nothing to keep Junmyeon away. The water Special would always find him. Would always hold him for hours and hours at a time without forcing him to talk if he didn’t want to.

Sometimes they would sit together for hours in silence, doing nothing but just letting the calming effect of the other take over them.

Yixing began to let himself heal a little more as time went on, as Junmyeon encouraged him to accept that what had happened wasn’t on him. That his parents had loved him and that wouldn’t change no matter what. That the people that had died in the war were not because of him. That the people that he had killed would only have died anyway, be it by his hands or by another Special. They had all done things that they weren’t proud of, but they had done them because had they not, then they would have been right back at square one.

More than anything, though, it was a conversation with Sehun that had pulled Yixing out of himself and forced him back into the world. Forced him back into living.

He had been sat in the library, a book open in front of him on the same page as it had been when he’d opened it. Next to it was a cup of cold tea, untouched from where Kris had left it for him, an empty one beside it that Junmyeon had coaxed him into drinking before letting him have some alone time.

He was glad for that, glad that Junmyeon understood that sometimes he just needed to be alone.

But after the light of the outside sky had long since faded, Sehun hand walked in and sat down next to him. He didn’t say anything for a long time. He simply sat and stared ahead much like Yixing himself.

They had been sat there for maybe half an hour when Sehun spoke, his voice soft and childlike, a tender brokenness to it, “Until it was finally over, it was all like make-believe” he had said, “There was always a distraction to keep me pushing on. Lessons, games, war, Luhan…

 “But now, now that people are doing nothing, now that the cleaners have been in and made it seem like nothing happened out on that ground…. I’ve got nothing to stop me thinking. It’s all starting to hit me”

He had paused then, not looking away from the window in front of them, but Yixing had turned his head to watch Sehun, he didn’t say anything, something told him not to. Because it was clear that Sehun needed to talk.

And it was as he realised that, that he remembered he was supposed to be a healer. He was supposed to be the one that helped people. The one that people could rely on, and it hit him so very hard that Junmyeon had been right, that he also needed to be allowed to heal himself.

Sehun swallowed, his Adam’s apple bobbing with the motion, “I… I’ve killed people. I’ve lost my family. I’ve been so caught up in all of this that I didn’t even stop to think that I’ll never see my dad again. That I’ll never feel my mum’s hugs, or smell her perfume. I’ll never hear their voices, never see them smile or laugh ever again… And I don’t know what to do.” He was crying then, his voice broken and the hurt practically pouring out of him as heavy, unrelenting tears fell from his eyes, though he still didn’t look away from the window, “Hyung, please…. Please, I don’t know what to do…”

Yixing swallowed the lump in his throat as he watched Sehun fall apart for the first time since he had met him, really fall apart, really let himself finally understand the weight of what he had been through. And Yixing realised that…. That Sehun was taking the first steps in letting himself heal, and by default, he was forcing Yixing to do the same.

“I act like I’m fine,” Sehun had continued then, “because I’m trying so hard to convince myself that it’s fine. That I can forget about the sad things and build a life with Luhan so that we can be happy. We… We’re safe now and I should look forward, not back, but I… I’ve lost my entire life without even realising. Everything I knew is gone and I don’t know what to do, hyung. I… I don’t know how I… How I’m supposed to just….” The tears took over him then, stopping Sehun from being about to get the rest of the words out.

But he didn’t need to, because Yixing understood. He understood it so well. He couldn’t stop his own tears as he turned to Sehun and pulled his youngest friend into his arms, holding onto him tightly as he pressed a hand to the back of Sehun’s head.

He heard Sehun gasp as Yixing pulled forward a memory for him, a memory of his parents smiling brightly and laughing with him, his mother’s eyes full of joy and his father’s full of pride.

He could smell his mother’s perfume, could feel the warmth of his father’s arms as he hugged Sehun and his mother tightly.

It was as they grinned down and whispered that they loved him that the memory faded and reality seeped back in.

“I wanted you to have your last goodbye” Yixing whispered, his voice cracking from disuse. “I wanted to give you something back, something that was just yours and theirs…”

Sehun pulled back and looked at Yixing with tear pooled eyes, “Hyung…” he croaked, “You talked…”

“We all have to learn to live again, Sehunnie” he smiled sadly, “Thank you…”

It had been hard, he couldn’t deny it, it had been so very hard to learn to integrate himself back into the social dynamic of life, but he pushed through, and the sheer pride and joy on Junmyeon’s face as he slowly came back into himself was enough to make him know that he was doing the right thing.

I’ll follow you down, while we’re passing through space…

Junmyeon had adapted probably the easiest of all of them by throwing himself into caring for the others. A lot of them had come from pasts that Junmyeon couldn’t even imagine going through, and so by seeing them slowly but surely come out of their shells and fall into a life that they would be able to live comfortably, that was enough to make him know that it would all be worth it.

It had been hard, but seeing his friends – Yixing especially – start to heal, start to come back into themselves, it made his heart swell with pride.

He had been looking out for all of them since the moment that each of them at stepped into EXO, much like Kris had done for him, and to see them all grow into such strong young men, it warmed him in a way that nothing else would ever be able to.

He had seen them all change so much over the years. He had seen Kyungsoo go from someone that refused to talk to anyone other than Baekhyun to someone that would openly stand up for every single person in their group of misfit friends. He got to watch him go from an angry boy with such hatred for the world to a sensible, strong willed young man that would do anything for his friends, that was beginning to realise that the world wasn’t just a bad place, that there were good parts to it, so long as you cared to look for them.

He got to watch as Baekhyun learnt that he was worth something. Watched him grow from a boy that flinched away from a gentle hand on the shoulder into a man that would openly throw himself at you, just to hug you as a means of hello. He had watched him grow into such a powerful young man, and it filled him with so much pride.

He saw the way that Chanyeol had learnt to trust, saw the way that Jongdae had learnt to believe in himself. The way that the light had come back into Minseok’s eyes over the years.  The way that Luhan had grown from a broken child with the world against him into someone that grabbed life by the bollocks and made it bend to his will.

He got to see the way Tao grasped his powers and used them confidently. He was able to watch Sehun and Jongin, who he had known for a little over a year turn from scared children into jovial, free spirited men with a newfound will for life.

He watched Kris take charge and become someone so amazing. He had been able to see his best friend turn from a lost child into a strong, independent adult, and he couldn’t help but feel in awe of his friend whenever he gave him a cheeky grin or a secret smile, that made him feel on top of the world.

And best of all he had gotten to known Yixing. Yixing, who had come to EXO as a polite but cheeky boy with such a positive view of the world. He got to know him, got to see the hidden parts of him that nobody else got to see, and in turn, he got to show Yixing everything of him too.

Yixing was special to him in so many ways, because not only had Yixing grown so much over the time that they had known each other, he had helped Junmyeon grow too.

Junmyeon had always known he was capable of being someone that would make his friends and family proud, but Yixing had shown him that he was also someone that could make himself proud.

Yixing had shown Junmyeon that there was so much more to life than just living it.

Yixing had shown Junmyeon that he could love life, that he could revel in every moment of it and make it into a wonderful memory.

Junmyeon had been given a newfound sense of awe with the world thanks to Yixing, and watching him finally return back to that positive, amazingly beautiful person after the months of locking himself away, it made Junmyeon want to cry with happiness.

It was the small things, Junmyeon had learnt over his life, that made up the most important memories.

He had learnt that it was the people in life that made him love living.

I don’t care if we fall from grace…

After Sehun had spoken to Yixing, had gotten his goodbye, he relaxed somewhat. The war and all that came with it had definitely aged him, had made him a lot more mature and wise to the ways of the world, but it seemed to have worked in his favour in some ways.

Luhan had taken Sehun’s newfound adult-like attitude and worked with it. Their relationship had grown so much stronger in having gone through what they had together.

They had their moments, moments when things would get bad, when they wouldn’t see eye to eye and arguments came from it, but it wasn’t too long before they came back together and made amends for words said that had been out of anger and not out of truth.

Sehun found that sometimes being in a relationship was hard, but he knew that he wouldn’t have changed it for the world. He made a solid commitment to Luhan the day he had put on the bangle, and he would honour that commitment until he took his last breath. Not because he had made it, but because he wanted to.

Luhan was so immensely special to him.

The war had changed his dynamic with Jongin somewhat, also. They remained as close as ever, and of course still looked after one another as they always had, but Jongin had relented under Sehun’s will and loosen the reigns that he had on him.

It had taken Sehun a lot of convincing, but finally Jongin was able to treat him as not only a brother, but as a fellow adult, and it was nice to see that his best friend was learning that Sehun wasn’t that little boy with the lisp anymore. He was his own person and he had more than proved that he was capable of looking after himself.

He knew that neither he nor Jongin would ever be able to let go completely, they would always be keeping a careful watch on one another, but at least they were on even ground now, and they were both able to understand that.

The war, all in all, had taken a lot out of Sehun, it had made him realised just how bad things had been, and had made him understand just how important what they had been fighting for was.

He was so thoroughly glad that he had been a part of creating a better world for the future generation, and even for himself and his friends.

He knew that it would take time for people, he knew that even though it had been months and months since the end of the war, there were still Rogues out there, but they were being tracked down and put away in special prison like facilities by people like Siwon and Changmin.

He had the upmost faith in the guards, but he knew that it would still be a fair while until they would be gone for good.

Nevertheless, he took pride in what they had achieved, and it was that that made it easier to accept what he had lost.  He reminded himself too, that at least in it all he had Jongin, he still had one constant, and he didn’t know what he would have done without that.

He would never understand how it must be for people like Kyungsoo, Luhan or Baekhyun who had gone through so much alone before they had found their rock in the world. Sehun had been so very fortunate to have known Jongin from the off, to have had an anchor since before he could remember.

He reminded himself all the time, how lucky he was to have survived through what he had, and he sought to only remember his past, and not lose himself in the grief of it.

I’ll follow you down to where forever lies….

Luhan was a steady calm in it all. He had lost so much over the years, and he slowly opened up to Sehun about his past in order for them to work towards their future.

A part of him knew that it would have made all the sense in the world for him to regress into himself after all that had happened, after he had lost almost everyone that he had ever let himself love, but Sehun had proven himself to be a solid in a liquid world thus far, so he let himself fall.

He let himself put his all into planning out a long, happy future. He let himself live, and be happy, because he deserved it, and he would be damned if he didn’t make the most of this newfound freedom that they had helped create.

He still thought often of the day he had been found by the old baker in the street, and whilst he mourned the loss of his grandfather for all intents and purposes, he promised himself that he would live a life that would make the old man proud. He would live a life that he knew the old man would have wanted for him.

It had pained him greatly to watch his friends suffer, and whilst he did all he could to help Yixing and Baekhyun and even Kyungsoo, he knew that for them to really move forward it would ultimately be them that let them do so.

There were times when nightmares found him, but on those nights when he would wake, he would simply look around the room and see as Kris and Chanyeol slept in their messy side of the room as usual and Sehun slept beside him, his mouth open and snoring softly, that he was safe. That he was loved and that he was living.

There were times when he hated what he had done during the war, but it wouldn’t be long before Junmyeon or Kris would place a comforting hand on his shoulder and as if by magic the feeling would melt away.

He admired Kris and Junmyeon. The both of them had been with EXO since before any of them, and yet they were so warming. They were like the big brother he had always wanted, despite them both being younger than him.

He looked up to them both, because they were like… leaders. They always steered everyone in the right direction, helped them pave their way through life and leave their mark. They were the calm in the whirlwind of life and somehow pushed away all of their own worries and fears so that they could help others through theirs.

They were something special and Luhan hoped that one day he would be as strong as them. Be as incredible as them.

Hell, Kris had almost died and still he cared more about Tao having a smile on his face, or about Kyungsoo remaining calm.

It was because of his friends, hell his family, that he knew he would be okay. That they would all be okay in the long run and it helped keep him set firmly on looking to a better future for them all.

Without a doubt I’m on your side, there’s nowhere else I would rather be…

Jongdae had been somewhat torn by everything that had gone down. He tired endlessly to push away any bad thoughts that crept in and for the most part he was able to get on with life and normal.

Despite that, though, he had taken to sitting out on the field at night, creating small storms around himself, small enough that they wouldn’t be a blip on Baekhyun’s radar as the last thing he wanted to do was trigger his best friend, but they were strong enough to keep him content.

He did this in the dead of night, below the stars and when there would be nobody else around to hear him as he snuck out.

He liked to let the low grumble of thunder rush through him before he caused lightening to crackle and crash down into the dirt that surrounded him, the pretty flashes calming him somewhat until Minseok would come and coax him back inside where they would both go and sit in one of the spare classrooms for a while where Minseok would make small little snowflakes fall around them to comfort Jongdae.

It wasn’t that Jongdae was sad about himself, it was more that seeing his friends so down was one of the worst things that he could imagine. The only thing he ever wanted was for Baekhyun and Kyungsoo just be able to find a peaceful neutral whereby they could live happy lives and not worry whether there would be some new evil around the corner coming to get them.

He knew that Minseok could see what was eating at him, but he would always come through with whispered words of comfort, or soft kisses in the night before he would bring Jongdae back to his bedroom and tuck him in bedside Baekhyun, who would shift slightly in his sleep before clinging to Jongdae, and helping him fall asleep too.

He would always feel Minseok’s soft lips press against his forehead before he fell into a restful slumber, comforted by Baekhyun’s thin arms around his middle.

From the moment he stepped foot in EXO, Jongdae had been pulled in by the friendship of Baekhyun and Kyungsoo. They hadn’t been open at first, but Jongdae had coaxed them into a tightknit friendship that had become something the three of them thrived on.

He had never had friends like Baekhyun and Kyungsoo before. They had become a part of him, and losing one of them would feel like losing a limb.

When Baekhyun had lost it that day in the woods, he had felt his heart sink, thinking that he might have lost one of his closest friends in the world, but Baekhyun had brought himself back just as he always did, and Jongdae had relaxed somewhat.

And when Kyungsoo had disappeared to fight that woman… when they had been connected and he had felt the surge of anger running through his best friend, he had be so very very scared that Kyungsoo wouldn’t have been able to come back from the sheer rage that had been pulsing through him. But like always, Kyungsoo came back to him.

He hated to admit it, but there was still a part of him that worried one of them would be lost to him, and he knew that if that ever came to be, then he would fight tooth and nail to bring them back.

He was glad to have Minseok as his other half, because the elder was so calm, he was so sure and he was able to make Jongdae feel a comfort that nobody else would ever or could ever bring to him.

He loved his other friends dearly, but there was something special that he had with those three that would never be broken.

I’m not about to compromise; give you up to say goodbye…

Minseok had taken it in stride, the war and all that came with it, because essentially what mattered was that they had won.

Of course nothing would happen quickly, it was all a process of seeing things through to the end and it was a constant struggle, but Minseok had almost died twice in his life already.

Minseok had almost died by his own hand, he knew what it felt like to be at the end of your tether, knew what it was like to feel utterly hopeless, to feel like there was something out to get you until you finally just bit the bullet and got rid of it by getting rid of yourself.

He knew what it felt like to drag a sharp blade over his wrists and feel the life drain out of him. He knew how it felt to feel yourself slipping into darkness, to have your ears feel like they were filled with cotton wool, not letting you hear anything as your head became light and your eyes could only see the dark.

He knew how hard it was to want to come back from that.

Minseok had almost died by the hands of thousands in war. He knew how it felt to have someone else take over his body and feel the anger that ran through them as they beat down then enemy.

He knew how it felt to have a person fall to their death in front of him, to have deep cuts and scratches over his body. He knew how it felt to sleep on the cold hard ground for months, how it felt to not have a proper meal or much water to the point that he wanted to just give up.

He knew how it felt to watch the love of his life pass out before his very eyes and not know if he’d get back up until he did.

He knew how it felt to be on the brink of death.

And it was not a welcome feeling. And so he took it in his stride, because he had almost died twice, he now felt like he could finally live.

He had seen so many bad parts of life, but he had also learn to let himself see the good, and there would always be good to counteract the bad.

He found the good in Jongdae, sweet Jongdae who made him feel like he was worth so much. Jongdae who looked at him like he was made of the stars, like he was the world in human form.

He found the good in Kyungsoo, in Jongin, Sehun, Baekhyun, who had their lives ripped from them, but still were the most wonderfully wholesome people that he had the good fortune of knowing.

He found the good in Kris and Junmyeon, who took it upon themselves to look after them all, to make sure they were all well fed and clothes and just all around in a good state of mental health.

He found in in Tao and Chanyeol, who kept things lively and light with their jokes and tricks.

He found it in Luhan, who after having so much taken from him, still gave so much.

And he found it in Yixing, who always put everyone else first, who had been through so much over the last year, who still managed to find himself again and love with all he had, who helped to heal people not only of their wounds, but of their sadness, of their worries, of anything they needed him for without even needing his power, because he was someone that was just able to make you feel wanted and loved without even having to try.

He found it in himself, because despite it all… He knew that he wouldn’t give up, he knew that they would all make it through, he knew they all had a chance of living, and he knew that when push came to shove… they’d take it.

I’ll guide you through the deep, I’ll keep you close to me…

For Tao, the war had given him somewhat of a sense of purpose. It had helped him to grow into a man that was confident in his powers, it had helped him to learn and to just become someone that he was proud of.

Things between him and Kris had become more comfortable since the war, they had talked about their feelings towards one another and had begun to become something more. It wasn’t a case of them just jumping into things, they were both focussed mostly on getting their heads back on their shoulders after everything that they had been through, and it was a one step at a time kind of deal.

He had, as well, grown closer to his friends in the time after the end of the war.

He had come to learn that it wasn’t just his parents that were his family, it was also these eleven boys that he had grown to love and care for. These eleven boys that had become his family, had become his brothers by circumstance, but had stayed through creating a bond that was so very unbreakable.

Tao had come to learn many things as the months passed by, he had come to learn that you could never fully understand someone’s story, but you could sympathise with it. That you would never fully understand the true tragedy of losing something dear until you went through it yourself, and to have to watch as his friends lost their families, their loved ones, themselves in a way, well it was truly heart-breaking.

But with that came a sense of pride, because whilst he had to see his friends lose themselves, he got to see them find themselves also, he got to find himself too, which was an experience in itself.

Every day they were learning more and more about who they were, about what they could do, and they had come so far.

The highlight had come a couple of months after the war had ended. He had been called to Onew’s office, and as he walked in he was met with the sight of his mother and father sat in front of the head master’s desk, smiles on their faces as they stood up and greeted him with open arms.

Tao hadn’t known what to say, he was very rarely rendered speechless, but in the moment words had been lost to him and all he was able to do was revert back into a small child and let his parents hold him.

They were able to visit now, were able to come and see him on weekends, and after years of not being able to see them, so feel them with him, it was like he was at home at last.

His mother doted on the other boys too, and he didn’t miss the way that Kyungsoo and Yixing would bite back tears at having a mother figure in his life, nor did he miss the way that Kris looked confused at the affection the woman offered him, having never had a mother in his life before, having been surrounded by only men and having Onew as his father figure, Kris was the hardest to make let his guard down, but somehow Tao’s mother had coaxed him out of his shell and had shown Kris what it was like to let a mother care for him.

Everything was getting back on track, and Tao was so immensely happy to know that had been a part of creating this new world. A safe world.

I’ll follow you down, through the eye of the storm…

At first for Kris, things hadn’t been too much different. He was content in the knowledge that his friends were all safe, and as such he sought to make sure that it stayed that way.

He had become a leader of sorts among the group and it was openly accepted.

He went out of his way to make sure that everyone was comfortable and safe. He had learnt that it was the little things that made the most impact. He learnt this quickly too. Each of them had a different comfort, and he was quick to pick up on that.

For Kyungsoo it was little stories made of Dragon Fire when the stress of the world became too much, that would calm him. For Baekhyun it was soft touches and soothing words. For Chanyeol it was a hand on the back of the neck and a mug of hot chocolate.

He had come to learn that to comfort Minseok it was an arm around the shoulders and a chat about anything that wasn’t too serious. For Jongdae it was the promise of his friends’ content-ness, it was seeing that Baekhyun, Kyungsoo and Minseok were safe and happy.

For Tao it was just being by his side or holding his hand soundly. For Luhan, it was making him feel like he was strong and on top of everything that he did. Where Sehun was concerned, Kris had learnt that ruffling the youngest’s hair and telling him silly stories about his time at EXO to make him laugh.

For Yixing it was food. As silly as it sounded, especially for the first few months when the younger would lock himself away, Kris or Junmyeon would slip into his room with food and make sure that he ate, and there was always a calming feeling that flooded over them as Yixing pressed sweet treats to his lips. It made Kris feel like he was helping the healer heal, and it made him heal in turn.

And for Junmyeon, it was being his strength. Junmyeon was always on top of his game, always looking out for them all that he sometimes forgot that he needed to let someone look after him too, and so Kris made sure that he was looked after. He made sure that his best friend knew that it was okay to have his weak moments, that it was okay to indulge in himself too.

Kris was there for them all, whether they knew it or not, he would always be looking out for them, because it was all he had ever wanted to do. He only wanted the best for them, wanted for the to be happy.

Onew had taken note of his leadership skills too, because four months after the war, he had been called into Onew’s office for a talk.

“Kris,” Onew had said, “I want to offer you a role at EXO. Now, it will not be for  some years, and you will have to prove yourself, but I will not be around forever. There will come a time when I will have to leave this school behind me and I need somebody that I can trust to take over as head master of his academy. I need someone strong that will be able to guide the future generations to come”

Kris had looked at him oddly as he asked, “What are you asking of me, here?”

“I want you to lead this school” Onew stated, “I have known you since before you could hold up your own head, Yifan. You are, to me, my own son as I see it and I have all the faith in you. I wish for you to run this place when I see about taking my leave from here”

Kris had been a little taken aback, if he was honest. To hear Onew call him his own son, well that had hit him right in the heart and made him swell with pride, because Onew had been like a father to him all these years, more so than a teacher if he thought on it. “I have a condition” he said rather than giving a straight answer.

There had been a gleam of amusement in Onew’s eyes at that, almost as though he had been expecting it, “Of course” he had nodded, “And what might this be?”

“It’s a split role” Kris had said, “I want to share the role with Junmyeon. He deserves it just as much as I do, and he is more than capable. He… He’s probably the only reason I’ve gotten to where I am now. He’s the reason that I managed to push this far” he explained calmly, “So if you really want me to take over when you see fit, then I can only accept if he is by my side”

Onew had nodded then, “We have a deal” he agreed.

Kris had been a little shocked as he went to tell the news to Junmyeon, who had hugged him with all he had, making them both laugh because they had a future, they had an outcome to look forward to and they would be able to move forward together.

The future was always a scary concept, but with his best friend by his side, Kris had no doubt that he would be able to live well and make the most of every moment.

Don’t worry, I’ll keep you warm…

For Chanyeol, the war ending had both its highs and lows.

It had reminded him of a time that he wanted so hard to forget, reminded him just how easy it was for him to hurt people, to kill people, and no matter how many times his friends told him that he wasn’t a bad person, he couldn’t help but think that even if he wasn’t now, he had been one once upon a time. And those memories would sit with him forever.

He stayed strong in front of Baekhyun, in front of his friends, and waited until he was alone to break down, to cry and let himself have a moment of weakness.

He hit himself away at one of the lesser used ends of the school and just fell apart.

And he kept it up for a long time, until one night Baekhyun found him.

It was like Baekhyun had a sixth sense when it came to Chanyeol, he was always able to find him and coax the truth out of him, he was able to offer Chanyeol a comfort that nobody else could.

Kris helped where he could, and whilst he was able to sooth Chanyeol with his presence and his kindness, he would never be able to take away what Chanyeol had done in his past.

Chanyeol had been sat on the bottom step of the west wing stair case when Baekhyun had walked over silently and sat beside him, it was dark, so dark that he shouldn’t have been able to see, but being a walking light had its benefits.

He didn’t say anything for a long time, he just sat beside Chanyeol and pressed their knees together whilst Chanyeol tried to get a hold of himself.

Chanyeol had opened his mouth to spout out an excuse, but Baekhyun had beaten him to it.

He had said, “This is hard. You think you have to always be here for me and look after me, but it doesn’t work that way. We’re a team, me and you. We’re in this together and if you’re struggling then I’m here to pick you back up and help you through it.

 “I’m not going to lie and tell you that I’m completely okay, because I’m not, so please don’t lie to me and pretend like you are either. I’m here to help you through this just like you’re here to help me. Because we made a promise to stick with one another through thick and thin, through the good times and the bad.

 “Just like I want to be here for your highs, Yeol, I want to be here to help you through the bad too. Because you always over think things. I can see it, you know? You might be good at hiding it from them, but I know you better than I know myself. You think that what you did, what you’ve done… You think it makes you less of a person. Makes you bad, but you aren’t a bad person now and you weren’t a bad person then.

 “Surviving is hard, but when you question every move you made so that you could live to see tomorrow, it makes it a whole lot harder, you know? People aren’t just one thing or another, it’s a lot more complicated than that.

 “You might not completely like yourself right now, but I hope one day you’ll be able to see yourself like I see you. Because you are one of the most amazing people I have ever met and I don’t know how I would even still be here without you.

 “You’re a good person Park Chanyeol, you always have been and you always will be. And the fact this is eating at you so much just proves that, because a bad person wouldn’t even let it worry them”

And Chanyeol had fallen into Baekhyun’s arms then and really let himself go, he had let Baekhyun hold him as he fell to pieces, then felt the way that without even doing anything, Baekhyun had picked him up and pieced him back together. And he had realised then just how much he was glad to have Baekhyun, glad to have his little light, because they really did complete each other.

Baekhyun was like the other half of his soul and he felt like he was truly whole when the other boy was with him.

So he still had bad days, like they all did, only he had realised he wasn’t alone in them, he got through them a lot easier by letting Baekhyun see him when he was upset, by letting Baekhyun coax the sadness out of him and leave room for only the happy things to come.

I’ll follow you down while we’re passing through space…

Jongin had been both lost and found in light of the war. Where he had lost his everything – his family, his parents, hell even his birth mother – he had gained so much more. He had gained life long friends, a new family, a sense of purpose, but above all… He had found himself along the way, and it was becoming clearer each day that he would be alright.

From the moment he had stepped into EXO, he hadn’t known what to expect, he didn’t know if he would last a week, or even a day, but he had.

He had made so many good memories to work through the bad. He had met the person that made his life worth living, he had shared something with Kyungsoo that he would never bring himself to regret and he had learnt that it was okay to be angry, it was okay to want more, it was okay to be selfish sometimes, but more than that, it was okay to let himself be okay.

For the most part he had adjusted pretty well, he still craved his mother’s love and still longed for those times when his father would sit with him and talk about how he’d grown up, how he had fallen so hopelessly in love with his mother the moment he laid eyes on her.

He wanted that and more, but he knew that he would never have it again. It was hard and it would be hard for a very long time, but he knew that by not living life to his fullest he would be letting them have died for nothing. And that was something he was definitely not willing to do.

And whilst it was hard, there was also parts of his life that just fell into place so very easily. The main thing being Kyungsoo.

He and Kyungsoo were stronger than ever in their relationship. They had their moments like with any relationship, but when it came to it, they knew that they would be there for one another without bounds. They had come a long way together and Jongin had high hopes for their future.

He knew that it was hard to plan far ahead for Kyungsoo, so Jongin took on the role of looking ahead. Of course they still had a lot to learn despite having fought a war, they still had a lot more than they could improve upon, and so they remained at the school.

Since the war, it seemed the teachers had become both more relaxed and more stiff. Taemin spoke about their history with newfound vigour, he spoke with pride as he told them that they would one day be the ones he would teach about, that they would be the ones to teach others and it filled Jongin with pride in turn.

Minho was forever teaching them knew fighting skills, but his lessons were slightly more laid back and he allowed them to have a little more fun as they continued to develop their skills. He had even told Jongin that he had the potential to join the Guard if he wanted to, but Jongin had politely said it wasn’t something he would be interested in.

Key, to Jongin’s surprise had taken Baekhyun to one side after everything had simmered down and had cried as he apologised to Baekhyun, he had told him that things had happened to him that had turned him into a relentless person and he wasn’t proud of it. Baekhyun understood, but he explained to Key that some things he just couldn’t forgive and forget. They had a tentative relationship at best, and Key was trying his hardest with them all to make amends for his pitiful behaviour before the war.

Jonghyun had been hurt in the war, he had lost his sight in one eye, and his left leg had been crushed to the point that he was unable to use it again, but it didn’t put a dampener on his high spirits. They day that they had returned to lessons, they had entered his classroom to find it full of treats. He told them that he was proud of them all for making it through, and that for their first lesson back, they were allowed to simply play with their powers whilst they enjoyed delicious snacks. Needless to say, it was clear he would always be one of their favourite teachers.

And Onew did as he always did, he kept the place running and ensured that they were in a place whereby they felt safe. He was there for them if they ever needed him, and he reminded Jongin somewhat of a grandfather doting on his young grandchildren. It had always been amusing to him that Onew would always look twenty-five but act as though he was a hundred.

But all in all, things were getting back to how they should be. Things were simmering down and falling into place, and Jongin was thrilled to know that he would always have a place that he belonged.

 I don’t care if we fall from grace. I’ll follow you…

Kyungsoo laughed loudly as he grabbed Baekhyun around the middle and sent them both tumbling to the floor in a mess of limbs. Only to have Jongdae dive on them both and make Baekhyun squeal out in shock before collapsing in a fit of giggles along with his two best friends.

They were out on the field, taking part in a friendly fight as Minho watched on in amusement.

A mass of water crashed down over them, having the three of them up and scampering away quickly before shooting accusing looks at Junmyeon, who was grinning at them innocently.

“Oh, you are so gonna get it, gramps!” Baekhyun laughed playfully before sending a blast of bright light at Junmyeon and knocking him flat on his .

Junmyeon groaned, “You arse!” he shot back, though there was an amused edge to his voice as Yixing helped him back to his feet.

The healer raised a hand at Baekhyun and a sudden wave of dizziness came over the young light special, making his knees buckle as he fell over his own feet, causing Kyungsoo to snicker.

“Wow Baek, I knew you were a ing clumsy bastard, but that’s a whole new level of stupid” he teased.

Baekhyun glared up at him, blasting a ball of light at Kyungsoo and bringing him down to the floor beside him, “Don’t lost focus, stupid” he smirked, “I’ll end up beating you again”

“You could never beat me” Kyungsoo scoffed, ripping up a handful of grass and tossing it at Baekhyun in jest.

It was at that point that Chanyeol flew over them in phoenix form and Kris in Dragon form as they lunged at one another, both of them crashing into each other and flailing in the sky before Tao slowed time, his hand on Luhan as he did, allowing the telekinetic to bring the flying fools back down to earth before he released his grasp on time and everything went at normal speed again.

“Mother er!” Chanyeol hissed, getting to his feet before flicking a playful handful of flames at Tao, who dodge out of the way, “I think I liked you better when you didn’t know how to use your powers” he shook himself off.

Tao laughed, “Only because then you had a better chance at winning and now you have none” he taunted good naturedly, only to yelp as a blast of icy water hit him from behind, curtesy of Junmyeon and Minseok, who snigged at the sopping wet time controller. “Not cool” he pouted.

Minseok grinned at him, “You were talking too much” he rolled his eyes before ducking out of the way as Jongdae aimed a flicker of static electricity at him, “Missed me, !”

Jongdae laughed, only to be cut off as Jongin popped up behind him and gave him a swift kick to the back of the knees, “Eyes open, Lightening” he grinned and disappeared, appearing again beside Kyungsoo and Baekhyun, who were laughing at the look of shock on Jongdae’s face.

The laughter didn’t last as a large burst of wind sent the three of backwards into a heap on the floor as Sehun flicked his wrist and wind burst out of him.

The eleven other boys were all on the floor by the time he reined it in, a large grin on his handsome face, “And that boys,” he taunted lightly, “Is how it’s done”

A clap resounded from Minho as he walked over to stand beside Sehun as the others got back to their feet, “Alright, you guys aren’t too bad” he approved, “Even when you’re pissing about. Class is over for the day, go enjoy yourselves”

The twelve of them were quick to say their goodbyes to Minho before setting off for the common room.

Most of them grumbled as Kyungsoo was wrapped up in Jongin’s arms before the younger of the pair shot them a wink and they disappeared.

“Lazy bastard” Sehun complained, throwing an arm around Luhan’s shoulders, “One day we need to learn how to block him from doing that”

Yixing sniggered, “I could actually probably do that” he said as Junmyeon took his hand and began to swing it between them, “I could put a block on his mind or something. I’ve been learning how to work my power on the mental stuff as well as physical”

“Dude, that’s so cool” Sehun looked at his hyung in awe, “If you manage to learn fast, please make sure to do it, I wanna see the look on his smarmy face when he can’t poof away like a little ”

Junmyeon rolled his eyes, “The love you and your best friend have for one another will never cease to amaze me, Sehunnie” he said pointedly, earning himself a laugh from Luhan, who was spinning his ever favourite metal balls over his head absentmindedly.

“To be fair,” Minseok spoke up as they climbed the stairs to get to the common room, “It isn’t like Jongin’s any better. I saw him put Sehun on one of the flag poles the other day”

“I had to get him down” Luhan added.

Sehun winced at the memory, “I think my crack will never fully recover from that wedgie”

“So, so loving” Junmyeon deadpanned, pushing through the door of the common room to find Kyungsoo and Jongin lip-locked on the sofa.

Jongdae and Baekhyun pushed past him and Yixing easily to go bother the pair.

“Yah, nobody wants to see that” Baekhyun leant over the sofa so that his face was right next to Kyungsoo’s as Jongin pulled back with a sigh of annoyance.

Jongdae hummed from by the other side of Kyungsoo’s face, “Yeah, it’s bad enough that Yixing put the sight of you two and lying together in everyone’s head...”

“You do have a wonderful , though, Soo” Baekhyun smirked, shooting his best friend a teasing wink.

Kyungsoo smirked before darting his head forward and planting a slopping kiss on Baekhyun’s lips, making the elder squeak in surprise, “I know” he said, “I’ve been told that a few times”

“As much as I’m enjoying the show” Chanyeol said, grabbing Baekhyun around the middle and tossing the light special over his shoulder with a laugh, “I’d prefer you not making a move on my boyfriend. Especially when you have your own”

“I second that” Jongin deadpanned, making both Baekhyun and Kyungsoo laugh.

“Yah, are you gonna put me down?” Baekhyun said from where he was still thrown haphazardly over Chanyeol’s shoulder, reaching down to slap out a rhythm on Chanyeol’s .

Chanyeol smirked slightly as he turned and headed for the stairs, “Not until we’re upstairs” he answered.

“What? Why?” Baekhyun asked confusedly, though made no effort to wriggle free.

“Take a wild guess” Chanyeol said lowly.

Baekhyun frowned, “What? I don’t und- oh…” he grinned, waving at his friends as Chanyeol carried him away, “You may wanna stay out of your room for a while!” he shouted down the stairs to Kris, Luhan and Sehun.

“Lovely” Kris rolled his eyes, “They’re worse that those two” he said, pointing a thumb at Kyungsoo and Jongin, who were once again kissing, ignoring that Jongdae was sat beside them chatting to Yixing and Minseok.

Junmyeon gave him a sympathetic pat on the shoulder, “All’s well that ends well” he reminded playfully.

Kris shot him a withering look, “Sometimes I ask myself why I love these idiots so much” he sighed.

“Because they’re our idiots” Junmyeon smiled fondly, looking around at his friends as he heard the door to Kris’s dorm room close lightly. “Because without them, we’d be worse off”

“They’re a special bunch, aren’t they?” Kris smiled, watching as Luhan, Tao and Sehun played cards by the fireplace, “I don’t think I’d ever change them for the world…”

Junmyeon nodded, “Me either, Ee-Pan” he teased lightly, reminding Kris of the day they met.

“Just call me Kris” he played along.

“Did you just come up with that?” Junmyeon asked, leaning into Kris’s side as the Dragon wrapped an arm around him.

He shook his head with a soft laugh, “No, Minho calls me that when I’m being silly”

“I love you a lot, you know” Junmyeon said suddenly, “I don’t think I’d have gotten this far without you”

Kris smiled down at his little best friend, “Ditto, Junma. Ditto”

“I’m so glad for them all. I’m happy that we’ve become this little misfit family, even if the reasons behind it weren’t that great” Junmyeon said quietly, a far off look in his eyes.

“Hey,” Kris’s voice was soft as he got Junmyeon to look up at him, “We’ve all be one from the start. Before we even knew it. I think it was fate that brought us all together like this. We’re a team. We’re one”

“We are one…” Junmyeon nodded, a sweet smile on his lips as Yixing looked up and caught his eye, offering him a bright grin, “From now until forever, let’s love”

“Let’s love” Kris nodded.

If I could find assurance to leave you behind, I know my better half would fade…

Kyungsoo had lived through a lot of stuff. He'd lived through that much that he was pretty sure there was nothing that could surprise him.

He figured he'd seen it all by the age of nineteen…

But by twenty, Kyungsoo was certain he hadn’t seen it all.

He was certain that there was a whole world out there to discover and now… Now he could, with the people he loved without worry.

I’ll follow you down…

A/N: So we've finally reached the end...
I just want to say thank you for reading and thank you for your kind
words of encouragement through this
I thoroughly enjoyed writing this story.

I have started a new fic, which you can find HERE should you wish
to read anything more by me~

Thank you again!

Love always,
And until next time<3