"Aww, that's so sweet, Taetae!"

Taehyung sits up, holding the small machine he's made and he shows it to his parents, giggling. He's playing near the entrance to Bikanel Desert. Taehyung grins as he wobbles, walking towards his parents when he sees a dark shadow on the ground. A giant bird shadow.

"Eh?"

Taehyung looks up just in time to scream as he sees a hideous bird descending on him, its massive claws grabbing onto Taehyung's shoulders and lifting him up into the air. Tears begin to roll down Taehyung's cheeks as he tries to struggle from the bird's death grip, but to no avail. The bird continues flying across the Bikanel Desert, carrying Taehyung over the sea...

SMACK!

Something hits the bird and its claws loosen, dropping Taehyung and Taehyung yells, falling through the air. It's all happening so fast he doesn't even know what's happening anymore. He continues crying and crying as he lands hard in a tree, branches and trunks scraping his skin and Taehyung sees red everywhere.

He falls through the branches and lands on the ground, hard. It's amazing he hasn't broken anything. He starts bawling again, hoping that there's someone. Anyone who can help him.

It isn't until nighttime, when Taehyung's stomach is growling hard and he's almost passed out from hunger and thirst does he come across someone. A little boy about his age, and his hair is bright red. He's carrying bread and two bottles of water in his hands, and Taehyung stares at it hungrily, stomach as empty as a...as a...

"Hey, you don't look like you're from around here."

Taehyung doesn't even have the strength to answer. He continues to stare forlonly over at the boy's food.

"Look, I'll patch you up," the boy grins. "And I'm gonna put my food here first. Don't run away!"  He drops the food and water by Taehyung's side and Taehyung looks at the food, but he's too tired and injured to even reach towards the bread to eat a scrap of it. His throat is parched as well, as dry as Bikanel Desert.

Taehyung waits for what seems like forever until he sees the red-haired boy come running back, with bandages fashioned out of silk in his hand, and he rubs some Potion onto the bandages before taping them with some gluey substance onto Taehyung's cuts and slashes. Taehyung looks up at the boy.

"What's your name?" he asks, while peeling off some bread for Taehyung to eat. Taehyung takes it in his mouth, weary from all his adventures today. "I'm Jimin."

"Taehyung," Taehyung answers, throatily.

"Huh, here, take some water," Jimin holds out the water to Taehyung as Taehyung slurps it down, grateful.

"I'll help you to my secret hideout," Jimin helps Taehyung up, and Taehyung hugs the two waterbottles and bread to his chest as Jimin and he hobbles across the land to a tree past a seemingly holy rock, and Taehyung shoots Jimin a questioning look. Jimin doesn't see, though, as he continues to feed Taehyung food, while eating some himself.

After the bread is finished, Jimin grins, "I hope you're not hungry anymore."

Taehyung nods, and Jimin lies down beside him in their torn-up mattress. He drapes one arm on Taehyung. Taehyung falls into a nice, comforting slumber all while listening to Jimin's steady heartbeat.

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

Taehyung wakes up, suddenly from a cold breeze, and he shivers, looking towards Buddy, who seems to be reading a book.

"How long was I out?"

"Ever since I finished the story," Buddy says, closing the book almost professionally. "And the Zuu's gone. Cid told me he'd be a little late. Well, a lot late, actually. It's nearly 9pm." 

"You've got to be kidding me," Taehyung rubs his eyes. He'd dreamed about it. The Zuu, meeting Jimin...is that how it all happened? 

"No I'm not," Buddy says, and just then, they hear the roar of the airship's engine. "It's about time." He stands up, and Taehyung follows suit, the two of them heading out into the desert night, and they are greeted by Cid's Farenheit.

"Jump on board you little sh*ts!" Cid yells, and Buddy and Taehyung climb aboard using the lowered platform.

"Tae!" Jimin greets him with an enthusiastic wave as he smiles, waving back.

"Jiminnie...I need...I need to talk to you," Taehyung gulps, and Jimin tilts his head, looking at Taehyung questioningly as Jungkooks shoots Taehyung a murderous look.

"Oh...okay," Jimin nods and Jungkook's glare becomes even more murderous. "After dinner?" 

Taehyung bites his lip, "Sure."

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

Taehyung walks into Jimin's room and the latter closes the door, "Spill."

"Alright, so...how did you find me?"

Jimin gives him an incredulous look, "Are you kidding me right now?"

"Uh...no," Taehyung says. "Okay, let me phrase it differently. Did you see a big bird in the sky when you found me?"

"Huh..." Jimin thinks about it, eyes rolling up to look at the ceiling. "I don't think so. Plus, it was very dark, so..."

Right, the Zuu has black wings, Taehyung mentally slaps his forehead. The thing is, he really wants to confirm if it was the Zuu that brought him to Besaid (and gave him loyal and great friends). Although Buddy's story makes sense, and it totally matches up to that dream he just had, he still isn't really sure.

But...well, he had parents. Though Buddy said he didn't know what became of them. 

"What's this all about, Tae? Why do you suddenly ask?" Jimin asks. 

"Nothing...I saw a bird just today, that's all, and I...I guess...it reminded me of when I was...kidnapped."

"Kidnapped?" Jimin is staring now.

"Yeah," Taehyung nods. "I've always told you that I had no idea how I ended up on Besaid, and you said that Yevon brought me there, but...I knew Yevon couldn't be doing everything." He gives a cheeky grin. "But...well...I just...remembered when I saw the bird, I guess."

"Tae, are you okay?" Jimin's eyes are filled with worry and concern.

"Yeah, I am," Taehyung nods. "Just wanted...confirmation."

The two sit there in an awkward silence for a while, before Taehyung says, "I'd better get going. Jungkook probably wants his bed back."

"Yup," Jimin nods. "Sleep tight and don't let the bedbugs bite!"

Taehyung manages a small smile as he leaves the room. He's leaving Jimin for now.

But one day, he'll leave Jimin forever.

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

Jungkook tosses and turns in bed, unable to sleep. Not even Jimin's even, quiet snores can lull him into slumber. It's insomnia alright, and it's hitting hard.

Groaning, Jungkook gets off his bed and decides to take a walk to the lavatory. Even Ronsos need to relieve themselves, you know. He bypasses many machina still on-duty at that time in the night, be it managing the laundromat or simply wiping down the railings of the metal walkways.

It's only until he comes to the toilet that he sees light coming from Taehyung's room. Almost as if in a trance, he walks towards the door, pushing it open and seeing Taehyung at the workbench, hammering on something. The workbench is messy, with a mask hung on the chair by its strap and there are bolts and screws everywhere. There's even a few nails and four screwdrivers poking out from a toolbox on the workbench. The lamp is shining bright light on whatever Taehyung's working on, and it's obvious that Taehyung's wearing goggles. There's even a welding machine on his left, placed precariously on the edge of the workbench.

Taehyung seems to notice someone else in the room immediately, and he turns back to see Jungkook, before removing his goggles.

"May I help you?" he asks with that boxy grin.

"I want to know what you wanted to talk about with Jimin."

"Oh...that," Taehyung drawls out the syllables, despite sounding unsure of himself as he twirls the hammer around, apparently finding it lightweight in his hands.

"Yeah, that," Jungkook says, although the words sound like poison coming from his mouth.

"It was nothing much," Taehyung opts to answer with. "It was just something to do with our childhood. Before you came along."

"So there was no kissing or hugging involved?" 

Taehyung opens his mouth to answer, and Jungkook claps a hand over his own, suddenly aware of what he just said. Guess his jealousy is too much for him to handle. Taehyung's lips slide up into a knowing grin.

"So our dear little Kookie has the hots for Jiminnie, eh? Who would've known?" he says it slowly, and Jungkook can feel his face heating up all the way to the tip of his ears.

"Uh...nononono," Jungkook holds up his hands to defend himself. "You've got it all wrong. I just wanted to..." What did he want to do? D*mmit, scr*w his useless brain. He can't lie for his life.

"You wanted to pound me to the ground if I ever laid a finger on Jimin," Taehyung finishes his sentence for him, causing Jungkook to whine. "Taeeeeee~!"

"Fine, fine, whatever," Taehyung laughs. "It's pretty obvious anyways. You're so overprotective of him it hurts to even watch." 

Jungkook narrows his eyes, "And what's that supposed to mean? I'm not overprotective of him."

"You obviously haven't seen yourself."

And Jungkook fixes Taehyung with an irritated look, as the grin on Taehyung's face remains ever-present. "Fine, you got me. I like Jiminnie but!" He furrows his brows. "But! And a big but! You can't tell him." 

"If I could tell him I would've told him long ago," Taehyung says. "It's painfully obvious. Jiminnie's just a dense little b*stard. Relax. Your secret's safe with me!" 

Jungkook nods. "Okay. Just...lemme sort my feelings out a bit." Jungkook doesn't particularly like to sort out his feelings, he likes to keep things bottled up in his heart. Taehyung waits patiently for Jungkook to speak again, and the Ronso does, tail swishing uncertainly.

"Uh...so what do I do?"

"Take Jiminnie, find some romantic place, and kiss the life out of him," says Taehyung simply and Jungkook coughs, almost doubling over.

"Jiminnie's so romantic, in case you haven't figured out," Taehyung continues. "So...uh...kiss him in Zanarkand where all the pyreflies are dancing around you or something."

"In case you haven't figured out, Zanarkand is in ruins," Jungkook points out. 

"Whatever," Taehyung says. "Jiminnie would find it romantic. Anyways, get going. I need to finish up my machine here."

"Whatever is that for?"

"It's a Pathfinder. Yoongi's teaching me how to make one."

Jungkook whistles a short tune as he leaves Taehyung to his work. He finishes up his business and goes back to sleep.

Surprisingly, the moment he closes his eyes, he sleeps.

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

Jimin yawns as he wakes up, and he looks over at the still-snoring Ronso beside him, mouth open and drool escaping the corner of his lips as he has pulled the blanket all the way up to his chin. Well, it's already 8am, as the clock says, so they should be getting up soon and getting ready to find the final few (or is it final already?) Celestial Weapons and power them up. Then they'll continue on their journey to the Zanarkand Ruins.

Jimin kicks his own blankets aside and heads into the shower to take a quick shower and change for their adventure up ahead. Actually, yeah, it is the final weapon. So far, Seokjin, Yoongi, Namjoon, Jimin, Taehyung and even Jungkook have obtained their weapons. The Caladbolg, World Champion, Masamune, Nirvana, Godhand and the Spirit Lance respectively. Now they're just left with Hoseok's weapon, from deep in the sea beneath Baaj Temple, and according to Buddy, it's called the Onion Knight (oh-ni-en knight).

When he's done getting changed and having his staff slotted into his sashes, he wakes Jungkook up and Jungkook opens his bleary eyes, rubbing them cutely before throwing the blanket off him and he greets Jimin with a smile, as if he was in a good mood when he went to sleep, and it leaves Jimin puzzled.

By the time they got ready, Yoongi has already come to knock on their door, calling them for Mission Onion Knight.