"We're still going to have to get rid of Sin somehow," Jimin says, looking towards Sin.

"We're never going to beat it," Seokjin grits his teeth. "We need the Final Aeon! Sin's too powerful!" 

"There! There's a cave there protected by a fayth's power. We can go there first!" Braska points towards a path winding through a crevice in the mountain wall. 

"I've no idea where that leads," Yoongi growls. "But it's got to be better than here. Let's move!"

Jimin summons Ixion to help with the carrying of Hoseok, who's still passed out, and he gets onto Choco with Jungkook; this time, Jungkook's taking the reins, and they run. Seokjin and Namjoon run surprisingly fast, and Braska manages to hitch a ride on Ixion, and Yoongi is holding his own just fine.

There's another roar as Sin releases another swarm of Sinscales, chasing after them.

"In here!" Braska leads them down a secret pathway, leading to below the bridge which leads to Mount Gagazet, and into a tiny cavern. They all duck inside, and Choco has to bend down to enter, her head just barely touching the roof of the cavern. They huddle inside, waiting and waiting, for the onslaught of Sinscales to find them, and the only sound in the cavern is their heavy breathing, as Seokjin and Namjoon reach for their swords, ready to fight if need be.

And the first Sinscale attacks without warning, causing Jimin to shriek and shrink back against Jungkook, moving further into the cave. 

But then, the Sinscale screeches and dissolves into pyreflies the moment it hits the holy forcefield at the entrance of the cavern, then another, and another, until the entrance of the cavern is filled with dissolving bodies and pyreflies. Jimin watches half in shock and half in amazement as each Sinscale disappears, until there aren't any left.

They hear another roar overhead, and when Jimin walks out ("No! There might still be some Sinscales out there!" Jungkook protests, but Jimin argues that he can handle his own.), he sees the shape of Sin flying in the sky, probably off to somewhere else to wreck havoc. 

He looks back at his friends, and they all look fine, if not for Hoseok's passed out form. A few scratches here and there, but otherwise, it's all okay. 

"You said this is a cave with a fayth's power, right?" Jimin asks Braska.

"Uh, yeah," Braska nods. "It's the cavern of Yojimbo, a samurai." 

"I'm going in," Jimin says, turning to his friends. "Can some of you stay here with Braska and Hobi?" 

"Don't you think we all need a bit of rest first?" Yoongi asks, voice a little thick. 

"I'm not asking the fayth to grant me an Aeon. I'm going to ask the fayth how to get rid of Sin's toxin," Jimin says, eyes flaring, obviously not pleased with Yoongi's tone, even though he knows Yoongi means well. "If none of you are coming with me, I'm going in alone." 

"Yah, no fighting," Seokjin mutters, stepping in, and both Jimin and Yoongi turn to face him. "You're the one who starts the most fights!"

"Alright, I'm going in with Jiminnie," Jungkook says, standing up. He's obviously tired, but the determination in his eyes is nothing to be trifled with. 

"I'll come too," Namjoon says, picking himself off the floor, and starts walking towards Jimin, and Jimin waves to his Guardians as the three of them walk further and further into the cavern. 

*********************************************************

"Hey, Jimin-ah." 

"Hmm?" Jimin asks, after the Dark Elemental they've been dissolves into pyreflies. Jimin's tired too, but he has to keep going. Well, apparently the barrier doesn't keep out fiends. Just Sinspawn and Sinscales.

"How do you know...if you like someone?" 

Jimin and Jungkook stare at Namjoon's already flushing face before Jungkook burst out into laughter and Jimin has to turn away, but from the shaking of his shoulders, Namjoon can tell Jimin's laughing at him too. 

"H-Hey! I finally muster the courage to talk to you about this and this is the response I get?" 

"Haha...s-sorry!" Jimin has tears in his eyes from laughing. "I mean...hahah...I mean, you don't look like the type to like anybody." 

At this, Namjoon pouts cutely, "Hey, I have a heart too, y'know!" 

"Yeah well, who can you possibly like, I wonder," Jungkook wiggles his eyebrows. "It's definitely not Seokjin. What am I thinking?" 

"Y-Yah!" Namjoon cries, the red very evident on his cheeks now, even in the dim light. "I-It's nothing like that!" 

"Of course, of course," Jimin wags a finger at him. "Well, Seokjin's totally out of your league, but if you'd treat me to a blitzball game I might consider helping. Helping you get into his league, that is." 

"Y-Yah, this is not funny," Namjoon stomps his foot like a child.

"Never said it was," Jimin manages to keep a straight face now. "Well, when you feel your heart fluttering when that person's near, or when you can always sense the person's essence...or when you understand the other person completely, that's when you know you like them, Joonie." 

"Oh," Namjoon finally manages to get a straight answer out of Jimin. Why did he ask Jimin anyway? The boy's younger than him by about a year.

And besides, how does Jimin know more than him? 

There are just some mysteries that can't be solved. Namjoon walks behind the two chattering boys as they journey deeper into the cavern, coming across monsters and fiends all the same. 

**********************************************************

Hoseok can feel the ache in his head dulling to a slight throb, but he feels good enough to open his eyes, wanting to get a look at the voice of that stranger, whose voice sounds like a melody to his ears. 

"Oh, you're awake," Hoseok first hears Seokjin's voice, as he opens his eyes, blinking rapidly before bringing a fist up to rub at his eyes.

"Where are we?"

"In Yojimbo's temple," Seokjin says. "You know, one of the Aeons." 

"Oh," Hoseok nods. He looks around. Braska's sitting there, laughing as Choco nuzzles his neck, and he turns his attention to the lone stranger sitting there. Someone he doesn't know...or doesn't remember. He's sitting with his back against the cavern, head leaned back against the wall, eyes closed, and his one arm propped up on his knee.

"Who's he?" I ask, as if it's the most natural thing to do, but apparently, Seokjin doesn't think it's all that natural, because his eyes become saucers and his jaw drops. 

"What did you just say?" Seokjin grabs Hoseok's shoulders, shaking him slightly. "This is not some kind of joke, right?" 

"Huh?" Hoseok's getting confused now. Joke? What joke? He really doesn't know who's the handsome, blonde guy sitting right across him.

"He's Yoongi," Seokjin says, pressing the back of his hand to Hoseok's forehead. "D*mn, you're burning up." 

"Yoongi," Hoseok tries it, liking the way his name rolls off his tongue. 

"Must be Sin's toxin," Seokjin says. "He's been with us the entire time--our entire journey." 

Hoseok scratches his head, watching the blonde-haired person, called Yoongi. He marvels at how carelessly he's thrown his head back, how although he looks like he has no worries in the world, it's almost as if Hoseok can tell he's harbouring so much worries in that heart of his.

"Yoongi," Seokjin calls. The blonde opens one eye, looking irritable.

"What?" Yoongi answers back, tone clearly not happy, but then, he catches sight of Hoseok. There's a fleeting moment of shock and relief on Yoongi's face, before his expression turns stoic again. "Oh, you're awake." 

"Yoongi, Hoseok got affected by Sin's toxin..." Seokjin starts, and decides to get straight to the point all thanks to that murderous look Yoongi is shooting him, and Hoseok finds the blonde amusing. "He's got amnesia." 

"Amnesia?" Yoongi looks over at Hoseok. "About what?"

"You were really sleeping?" Seokjin shakes his head. "And...he doesn't remember who you are." 

"Yah, stop talking like I'm not here," Hoseok cuts in, but he can't miss the look of surprise and utter horror on Yoongi's face, but it quickly fades, his indifference showing again.

"You don't know who I am?" Yoongi's voice is quiet. Quieter than Hoseok expected.

Hoseok bites his lip, before deciding to be truthful, "Yeah. I don't know who you are...at all." 

Yoongi sighs. It isn't some kind of exasperated sigh, but rather that of...sorrow. It was a tinge, but it was still there.

"Tell me, then," Hoseok says, moving over to Yoongi. "Tell me what I'm missing out." 

Yoongi doesn't say anything, much less give a good response. Instead, he says, "There's just too much." 

Too much? Too much of what? 

Hoseok's left in the dark as Yoongi turns away, closing his eyes again, and Hoseok has only doubt in his heart.

************************************************************

"Ah, we made it," Jimin grins, seeing the all-too familiar sight of the Cavern of the Fayth, but this Cavern is pretty run-down. Jimin turns to his Guardians, "Wait outside, okay? The fayth may feel a little...intimidated or uncomfortable." 

"Sure, just make sure you don't faint inside," Jungkook calls, as he and Namjoon take a seat on the stairs leading from the Cavern down to the ground, barely a feet off the ground. 

"Hey, do you think Seokjin likes me back?" Namjoon suddenly asks. 

Jungkook's mouth turns up to a grin, "Eyyy, Namjoonie-ah. What makes you think I'd know? I mean, you spent more time with him than me. You should know. Or just go ask him yourself."

"N-No! I can't do that!" Namjoon whines.

"Just do it," Jungkook grins. "Bring him to Luca and treat him to a Blitzball game or something."

"Not helping!" Namjoon groans. "You know I can't last throughout an entire Blitzball game. He's gonna yell at me that I'm not putting my heart into it." 

"Then down like three thousand Hypello Lattes before that," Jungkook suggests.

"Hmm," Namjoon looks like he's considering.

"Or go for so--"

"Wait," Namjoon holds up a hand, shushing Jungkook. Jungkook immediately tenses, reaching for his spear behind him.

Through the darkness leading to the entrance of the cave is a tiny creature covered in brown, yellow eyes full of hate and it's dangling a lantern in one hand. 

The other hand is holding a bloody knife.

"I'm sure this guy didn't come here to chat," Namjoon mutters, but then recognition dawns on his face.

Jungkook, on the other hand, cannot even move. He's rooted to the spot, and he grips his spear tighter, realizing he can't even stop trembling. What the h*ll's wrong with me? Jungkook's teeth are chattering. His heart is beating twice as fast and his blood is rushing through his veins, until all he can hear is the rushing of blood. 

"Sh*t," Namjoon growls, gripping his own sword hilt tightly.

"What...what the h*ll is that?" Jungkook asks through chattering teeth. All he wants right now is to turn tail and run, and it's all he can do to keep himself there instead of fleeing the field.

"We...we won't survive if we try to kill it." Even Namjoon has dread in his eyes, but Jungkook senses no hint of fear from him. "We're just going to fend off its attacks until Jimin comes out, and from there, we'll flee. Got it?"

"U-Uh..." Jungkook has trouble replying.

"The Summoner's safety is our topmost priority," Namjoon says, and Jungkook nods.

Jimin's safety is his utmost priority.

****************************************************************

"Hey," Hoseok prods at Yoongi's cheek.

"What?" Yoongi responds almost irritably.

"Were we friends before I..." He clears his throat. "Lost my memory?"

"No sh*t," says Yoongi simply. 

Hoseok wants to ask the million-dollar question, which he can only deduce from Yoongi's responses. "Were we...something more?" 

"Meaning?" 

"I don't know...? Like...more than friends?" Come on, Hoseok, you weren't undead for 500 years for nothing!

"Hmm...I don't know," Yoongi replies, before turning away to face the inside of the cavern, away from Hoseok.

I don't know? What kind of answer is that? Hoseok thinks to himself as his head starts to throb again. He leans his head against Yoongi's shoulder, and closes his eyes, willing the pain to go away.

He swears that Yoongi's face has turned a bright shade of red.

**************************************************************

It isn't long before Hoseok falls asleep, and Seokjin is pacing around the entrance of the cavern, looking a bit worried. "Why aren't they back yet?"

"I don't know," Braska shakes his head. "Unless...maybe..." 

"Unless maybe what?"

"Legend has it that this fayth wasn't originally here. It was stolen from its temple and placed here by some robber. Then, the person got shot down by Bevelle soldiers in this cave. Then, she turned into a fiend. It's been said that if you fight this fiend, she will exert fear on you, and you be rooted to the ground in fear. You can't attack her. It's all her hate balled up into that one fiend." 

"Hmm," Seokjin hums, looking a little worriedly into the cavern.

"Relax...your knight in shining armour will make it out alive," Yoongi mutters, and Seokjin turns a bright shade of red, almost unseeable in the dim light of the cavern. 

There's a sudden rumbling, and Choco shrinks back against Braska. Yoongi can feel Hoseok snuggling further into his side. 

"What was that?" Seokjin has his sword drawn, ready to attack.

"I don't know," Braska shakes his head. "Is something happening inside the cavern?" 

"No, I'm not gonna stand there and let them die," Seokjin says. "I'm going in!" 

"Stop it, Seokjin! What makes you think that by going inside you're going to help them?" Yoongi snarls. "You're being unreasonable right now! Let them handle it!" 

Seokjin grits his teeth, knowing there's not much argument in the matter.

Braska, meanwhile, looks very worried.

When Yoongi asks, he replies, "The monster isn't called the Unkillable for nothing." 

Hoseok stirs a little, shivering, and Yoongi suddenly has a desperate wish to throw an arm across his shoulders and pull him closer. 

But Yoongi doesn't have an arm on his left.

***************************************************

Jimin opens the door to the Cavern of the Fayth, clearly intending to help his Guardians outside who are definitely in some kind of combat or other., judging by the sounds. 

But he isn't expecting this. The scene unfolds before him where Jungkook is scrambling for his spear that has been knocked to the ground and Namjoon is blocking an attack from a green monster, who's launching some kind of magical attack, some dark pulse or something. 

"What in the name of Yevon is happening here?!" 

"Sh*t!" Jungkook looks up at Jimin's arrival.

"Jungkook! Get him out of here!" Namjoon shouts, turning towards the youngest, and Jungkook jumping to his feet, running over to Jimin and grabbing him in a sort piggyback ride, before hightailing out of there.

"No wait, Jungkook! Namjoon's still there!" 

"I'll catch up! Go without me first!" Namjoon grunts under the weight of the green monster's attack. 

"I can't! Jungkook! Put me down!" Jimin cries, slapping at Jungkook's arm (considering Jungkook's wearing spiked shoulder guards), but Jungkook doesn't make a move to put him down.

"Your safety's our utmost priority, Jimin!" Jungkook argues back. Your safety's my utmost priority. "Don't you understand?!" 

"Yes, but still!" Jimin screams as something flies to their left, hitting the rocks beside them as Jungkook avoids it cleanly, attaching himself to the other wall. 

The impact of the hit from the monster causes a rumbling sound within the cavern, and rocks fall from above. The rocks from above tumble down in a rockfall, trapping Namjoon on the other side while Jungkook tosses the two out of the rock's way, into safety. Jungkook lands heavily on the ground, on his front, so that Jimin doesn't take the brunt of the fall.

Jimin, however, scrambles up from Jungkook's back and runs over to the rock wall, screaming.

"NAMJOON! JOONIE!" 

There's silence from the other side. Jimin's getting desperate. "Jungkook! I'm gonna summon..." 

"Jimin! Namjoon wanted us to get out!" Jungkook holds onto Jimin's shoulder from the back, trying to pull his Summoner back from the rock wall. There's no helping him now, and Jungkook's heart clenches. 

It's all Namjoon's fault, that idiotic b*stard. 

"Jimin...stop...there's no point," Jungkook eases Jimin's hand away from the rock wall, further away from Namjoon. Further...and further... "Even if we manage to break through the wall...Namjoon's probably already..." 

"S-Stop!" Jimin's looking at the floor as Jungkook curls one arm around Jimin's waist, pressing his Summoner's back into his chest, moving Jimin toward the light at the entrance of the cavern. "Stop! Namjoon's gonna be alright." 

"Shh," Jungkook whispers into Jimin's ear, as he manages to help his Summoner through the cavern. Not even the fiends are attacking them, just watching, as the two make their way back through the cavern, until they catch sight of familiar figures and they hear familiar voices.

"You...where's Namjoon?" Seokjin asks, scanning Jimin and Jungkook's face, and his brows furrow, as if he's preparing his heart for the worst.

Jimin doesn't dare to answer, and his eyes look over to Jungkook, who shakes his head. 

Yoongi looks up from where he's sitting, Hoseok still curled up against his side. Braska's eyes are wide with shock and slight fear. Choco dips her head, as if hiding behind Braska.

Seokjin, meanwhile, is staring in utter shock at Jimin as he takes a tentative step backward, and Jimin can barely say anything. He's scared, of course. Scared of what Seokjin can do right now, and he doesn't dare anger the elder any more. He watches carefully, at what Seokjin might do.

But Seokjin doesn't do anything Jimin expected him to. 

Instead, he turns around, and walks out of the cavern. Jimin has a sudden urge to run after him, to stop him, but Jungkook holds Jimin there, firmly, until Seokjin's out of sight. 

"Let him be for now." 

**********************************************************************

"Ow." 

That's the first thing Namjoon says when he wakes up...in a flower field full of...flowers.

"This is most definitely the Farplane," Namjoon says intelligently. "Flowers and pyreflies. Totally my kind of thing. It means I'm dead." 

"Really?" 

Namjoon watches as a lady walks up to him, seemingly out of nowhere. 

"Just saying, you're not exactly dead yet," the lady says, tipping the crown above her head. Looks more like a tiara, though. "You're just on the border between life and death." 

"What?" Namjoon looks confused.

"Means half of you is here and the other half is back in the World of the Living." 

"You're kidding, right?" Namjoon laughs. "If I'm dead just say it to me already. Besides, I don't even know your name. Who are you?" 

"Lesca," says the lady. "Queen of the Farplane...but don't give me any special treatment. Irvirian does that too much and it's getting annoying. I hate being called Your Majesty and stuff like that. Just call me Lesca." 

"Well, friend, mind telling me how to get back to the World of the Living? I can't be alive and dead at the same time. Besides, I've still got a confession to make!" 

At this, Lesca laughs. "Who's the lucky girl?" 

"Boy," Namjoon corrects. "My team." 

"Team, huh," Lesca nods in understanding. "Right, I can keep you alive for the moment, but my power will wane after a while. You'd better pray your...prince comes soon." 

"Prince? He's totally a princess," Namjoon grins. "Besides, how'd I even die?" 

"Half-die," Lesca corrects. "Basically, the thing stabbed you in the stomach and you're losing blood. Fast. But I can stop your blood flow for a moment. You just won't die for a while." 

"Nice," Namjoon nods in approval. "Okay. I'm going to stay here and make myself comfortable." 

"Right," Lesca settles down on the ground beside Namjoon. "I've got nothing much to do anyway. Oh, and good luck for that guy you're trying to propose to, by the way." 

"Confess," Namjoon's face turns a shade of crimson. "It's confess. We're not in that deep yet." 

But then again, what would Jimin and Jungkook tell Seokjin? Will Seokjin come back for him? Or not? Will Seokjin believe that he's dead, and that he can't be saved?

Namjoon shakes his head.

We're a team. He understands me better than anyone else.

With that thought of comfort in his mind, Lesca and Namjoon begin talking about Jimin's pilgrimage thus far.

****************************************************************

Taehyung turns around. It's almost evening, but it still feels that something is amiss. It's almost time to go back to Calm Lands to receive his friends, and his heart soars at being able to see his friends again.

He powers up the airship and takes his seat on the swivel chair, just like he's supposed to, and along with Cid, Buddy and Brother, they head off to Calm Lands.

"Something at three o'clock," Buddy calls to Cid, speaking in Spiran for Taehyung's sake. Taehyung doesn't speak Al Bhed all that well, although Cid and Buddy are trying to teach him. 

"What?" Cid asks.

"Some artifact...think it's a Celestial Weapon?" 

"Probably," Cid mutters. "Could always land to check." 

They're currently in the middle of Bikanel Desert, and Buddy finds a Celestial Weapon? 

"Wait, something's attacking us," Buddy says, looking at the blinking dot on his radar. He scans the outside through the windscreen of the airship, before something hits them from the back, causing the Farenheit to lurch forward. Taehyung's back hits the back of his seat, knocking the air out of him as red begins flashing across the room.

"Tae! Missile number 0004! Now!" 

Taehyung slams his fist down on a red button, before jabbing a few more buttons with his fingers and he sends Missile 0004 straight at the target. 

"Sh*t! We need to land!" Cid calls, but Buddy holds up a finger. 

"Wait!" 

"What is it? I haven't got all day, you know!" 

"It's...it's gone. It flew away," Buddy says. "Reckon it was playing with us?" 

"Most probably," Cid says gruffly. 

Taehyung feels a shiver tremble up his spine as he absentmindedly touches his scar. The scar over his eye that has healed already, thanks to Jimin's white magic, but it is still visible. 

"Tae, something wrong?" Taehyung's met with Buddy's warm, brown gaze.

"U-Uh, nothing," Taehyung shakes his head, but he has a bad gut feeling about that bird that just attacked them. Shaking his head and the feeling away, Taehyung concentrates on his task at hand. To take note of the exact coordinates of the Celestial Weapon so as to be able to find it the next time.

"Well, if nothing's wrong, stop spacing out!" Cid calls out from his seat at the master control. 

Taehyung pouts, before sticking his tongue out at Cid and maneuvering the airship so that it's headed in the direction of Calm Lands.