Hi, I'm back with another chappie! Hope you're still enjoying and will continue to enjoy this story! (OMG WHAT HAVE I DONE TAE PLEASE FORGIVE ME)

Note: Btw in this chapter, there is a monster called Gorgon's Eyes but there is no such monster in Final Fantasy X or Final Fantasy X-2. 

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It was already late afternoon by the time Jimin and company reached the start of Mushroom Rock Road. The journey wasn't arduous--the fiends weren't as strong as they had exprected, but Yoongi had expressed difficulty in managing the blitzball with only one arm. Sometimes, his fingers would just graze the spikes of the blitzball or would miss it altogether. Hoseok also struggled with making his spells hit. Sometimes, his Fira spells flew off course, one time nearly setting Seokjin's cloak on fire and the elder had yelped, dancing around and trying to get rid of the flames. Hoseok had apologized, flustered, with a Watera spell, drenching Seokjin from head to toe.

But other than that, Jimin and company had reached Mushroom Rock Road without much trouble. Nope, not when Jungkook nearly slid off the cliff and into Old Road, and nope, not when Namjoon had got his sword stuck in a Duelhorn's body and needed the combined efforts of Jimin, Namjoon himself and Taehyung for it to come loose. Jimin had tried to catch Taehyung to talk to him during the trip, but the younger avoided him like the plague, pretending to be interested in a flower petal or something or other to add to his collection of items he could mix when Jimin came over, or started talking to Namjoon or Jungkook whenever Jimin tried to initiate a conversation.

It was tiring, of course, and Jimin was tired of it all, but then again, he knew the reason Taehyung was avoiding him in the first place was because of Jimin himself. 

It wasn't that Taehyung was gay and liked Jungkook. No, it was nothing like that. Besides, Jungkook was a Ronso, so there was no chance of a future. The thing was, Taehyung's life was saved by Jungkook when they were out playing at Besaid Falls. Taehyung had gotten too close to a waterfall and tumbled in, revealing a secret passageway. The three of them followed it, and arrived at the lair of a Claret Dragon. 

You do not mess with Claret Dragons.

The Dragon nearly slashed Taehyung's leg off, and Jungkook had to carry Taehyung, sustaining a gash on his forehead. It was now a scar, and a painful reminder of their powerlessness back then. Jungkook had covered it with his hair, and Taehyung had felt extremely guilty. Guilty enough to promise to repay Jungkook. 

"Don't you dare die before I pay you back," Taehyung had said. Knowing Taehyung, he was one to keep his promises, and Jungkook had laughed. "I promise I won't die." 

Jimin smiles as he thinks back to the times when they were still children, running about and stealing food from the villagers, not to mention watching the Besaid Aurochs practice blitzball every other Sunday, sprawling themselves in their secret hideout, where they'd built upon a desecrated building perching atop a cliff overlooking the blue waters and golden sands of Besaid. 

"Earth to Lord Jimin!" Something taps Jimin's temple, and finds Namjoon grinning at him, tousling his hair. 

"Uh...huh?" Jimin shakes his head, seeing the bleak and dull picture Mushroom Rock Road is presenting. 

"There are Basilisks everywhere," Seokjin surveys the area, mostly expressionless but Jimin could see a hint of disgust. 

"Basilisks?" Jungkook looks interested. 

"Snake-like things that will Petrify you," Namjoon says. "Never look into its eyes when they're glowing red. Look at the ground if you have to." 

"Right," Jimin nods, not exactly understanding the term "Petrify", but he knows it's something bad. He sees a white snake thing chewing on some poor Funguar that just happened to be there. The Basilisk looks like it's enjoying its meal, but Jimin feels sorry for the poor Funguar that was being chewed upon. With cautious steps, Jimin and his Guardians dispatched many curious Funguars, Red Elementals and Ipirias. 

It isn't until a while later that Jimin realizes they need to scale the rock walls to reach the top on continue onward. It was more of bouldering than rock-climbing, and Jimin, Taehyung and Jungkook had scaled walls dozens of times, especially when they had to escape from the priest of the temple after stealing some food or something.

After climbing about three walls or so (luckily, without meeting any Basilisks), the group decides to rest and chow down on some Sallet meat sandwich Seokjin had prepared before heading out. Along the way, Jimin is stopped by Yoongi placing a hand on his shoulder. 

"Listen," Yoongi half-whispers. The group falls silent, and Jimin can only hear a faint cracking sound, followed by distant rumbling. 

"Look out!" Namjoon grabs Jimin's shirt by the collar and jumps, dragging the young Summoner with him. Jimin yelps as he almost falls flat on his face, wondering why Namjoon jumped him like that. He looks to the ground and realizes why. The rocks beneath their feet are crumbling into nothing but dust. Jungkook barely manages to leap off a piece of rock when it dissolves, the dust flying into the air as wind begins to whip up. 

Drafts of wind are blowing against their faces, tousling their hair and making it hard for them to see. Jimin hears a yelp, and it distinctly sounds like Taehyung's. 

"Tae!" 

Taehyung was clinging to a piece of rock, and from the looks of it, was about to crumble any second now. Breaking out of Namjoon's hold, Jimin dashes for the cliff edge, earning a "What the h*ll do you think you're doing?!" from Jungkook. 

"Grab my hand!" Jimin yells, reaching towards Taehyung's other hand--the one not holding onto the cliff edge.

Taehyung looks up at Jimin, and Jimin can see it. Fear and guilt swirling in those brown eyes. There was no anger, no hatred. It lasts for only a second, but for Jimin and Taehyung, it went on for a minute.

Taehyung s his hand upwards, and Jimin catches it, but their combined weight was pulling them down. 

"Jimin!" 

Jimin turns back, and his face was met with a tail, knocking him over the cliff edge. 

"JIMIN!" Hoseok cries, and Jimin could hear footsteps pounding against the ground. Either Jungkook or Hoseok are running towards him, or both of them, trying to save them. 

"Get the h*ll back!" Jimin can hear Yoongi's voice. "It's a ing Basilisk!" 

Jimin's world goes black.

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Taehyung awakes, his back feeling as if someone had thrown something of a hundred pounds onto it. He finds himself lying on his stomach, on that cushion he managed to get two items to Mix together to form. It is a Star Curtain mixed with a Water Gem, forming a cushion of water, literally. Taehyung tries to roll of it, but he finds it impossible, especially with Jimin's heavy body on him, not to mention Jimin has planted his head on Taehyung's . 

"Hey, wake up," Taehyung nudges the older with his leg, and Jimin groans, turning his head to one side and snuggling into Taehyung's *ss. Mortified, Taehyung yells, "Yah, Park Jimin! Get the h*ll off me!" 

With that, Jimin awakes with a start, yelping and falling off the water cushion. Face still flushed, Taehyung tumbles off the water cushion too, and lands lightly on the ground. The huge expanse of Mushroom Rock Road is right in front of them. Taehyung looks back towards Jimin, and finds the other looking down at the ground, guilt evident in his expression.

Taehyung doesn't know what to say. The turmoil of emotions in his heart are like a storm pounding at glass windows. He mutters a "Let's go." and walks towards the only path available, with Jimin trailing behind him.

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Namjoon's sword swings and slices another Basilisk's head off. Its head and body fall to the ground, lifeless. Namjoon mutters a curse as the group of five boys trudge on, looking out for any signs of Taehyung or Jimin. There was the risk that they actually lose Jimin of course, and that was the worst thing. A Guardian without a Summoner is....unthinkable. 

The five boys have become interestingly silent as they walk on, not even talking to one another as they drag their feet through the rocky road. 

"Look at that," Jungkook points to the distance. 

There is a large hole, in which the Basilisks are coming out from. It's like there's no end to them. The white things just keep skittering through the rocks in those boneless legs of theirs, only stopping to eat some poor fiend on the road.

"That's the Den of Woe," Namjoon mutters.

"Den of Woe?" Hoseok and Jungkook look bewildered. Even Yoongi looks interested. 

"We passed by this place with Summoner Ontio back when he was still alive, on the way to Luca, then to Kilika. The Den of Woe is a horrible place, with strong fiends only in your nightmares," Namjoon explains. "Let's not go too near it. They say sometimes a strong fiend will emerge from the Den of Woe." 

Seokjin remembers all too well. There is a fiend they had encountered, all because they were in the wrong place at the wrong time. They had barely made out through Mushroom Rock Road alive when they were found by some Crusaders stationed in Luca. He remembers the monster well: the Gorgon's Eye. Sure, it's a one-eyed Basilisk, but its petrifying stare is just as deadly. Their other Guardian, Ikaru, had turned into stone and died at this area.

"I hope we don't meet any fiend..." Seokjin hears Hoseok muttering to himself, almost like a mantra. 

"HEY! JIMINNIEEEEE! TAEEEE!" Jungkook yells into the chasm below, before he's pulled back by Yoongi, the latter hissing. "What the h*ll? The fiends are all gonna attack us!" 

"B-But--" Jungkook looks apologetic, but Yoongi can see the worry in the Ronso's eyes. 

"Relax, we'll find them," Hoseok assures the youngest. 

Jungkook bites his lips, nodding. 

Namjoon pauses in his footsteps, hearing a roar resonate through the whole of Mushroom Rock Road. He heard that roar before. Somewhere...just...where? He looks at Seokjin, and the older's face has contorted into a mask of anger. That expression jogs his memory, and Namjoon suddenly remembers.

He heard that exact same roar before right here at Mushroom Rock Road. 

The Gorgon's Eye. 

Namjoon spies it. Near the Den of Woe--just on the rocky road below the Den of Woe. That golden-coloured fiend, different from the marble white the other Basilisks are coloured. It has only one eye--the other two "eyes" in its skull are fake ones, and the real one is what looks to be a red-coloured jewel in the middle of its forehead. 

"We'd best avoid that one," Jungkook shivers, pointing down at the golden Basilisk.

"Jin!" Namjoon can see the older's eyes trained on the Gorgon's Eye. "Get back here!" 

But Seokjin doesn't. Instead, he continues walking towards the thing, until he's directly above it. However, the rest of the Guardians are smart enough to stay behind. Seokjin grits his teeth as he pulls out his sword and rushes towards the thing.

"Damn you, Jin!" Namjoon rushes forward, just as Seokjin jumps off the cliff, sword aimed downwards at the Gorgon's Eye's head, aiming to split its skull open. Namjoon yells to the rest, "Stay up there and look for any sign of Jimin or Taehyung!" He sees Yoongi stepping forward to protest, but it's too late; Namjoon has leapt down into the depths of Mushroom Rock Road with Seokjin. 

The Gorgon's Eye looks up, and Namjoon can see it readying its Petrifying Gaze. The red jewel is glowing. 

Seokjin yells as the sword makes contact with the Gorgon's Eye, slicing off a bit of its skin. The Gorgon's Eye loses its concentration, throwing its head about and screeching.

"Cut its head off! Now!" Namjoon calls from a ledge above the older.

Seokjin does swing his sword, but he hears a sharp clank as his sword is stoppd. Namjoon realizes just what he's done. 

The Gorgon's Eye's body isn't just coloured gold, its body is made of gold too!

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"You hear something?" Jimin doesn't expect Taehyung to answer. 

"Yeah," the other, much to Jimin's surprise, does. "I hear something. A loud rumbling." 

"I see...Seokjin! He's there!" Jimin cries excitedly, grabbing ahold of Taehyung's hand in glee and rushes the latter over to the golden Basilisk of sorts. "And he's in some kinda battle!" 

"W-Wait, Jimin-ah!" Taehyung tries to wrench his wrist from Jimin's grip. He catches sight of the golden Basilisk seemingly training its eyes on them. 

"Sh*t! Watch out, Jimin!" Taehyung manages to break free of Jimin as the golden Basilisk barrels its way past them, the two of them hitting the two rock walls on either side of them. Taehyung barely manages to get up when he sees the golden Basilisk's red jewel glowing, and Jimin hasn't even recovered from that attack yet. 

"Lord Jimin!" Taehyung hears Seokjin shout. Taehyung's blood rushes in his ears, his pulse is pounding. His heartbeat races and vision is slightly blurred (that's probably a result of the concussion he just sustained rather than the adrenaline rush). He hasn't even registered what his body is doing as he pushes Jimin out of the way, out of the way of the golden Basilisk's reach and gaze.

His whole body stiffens as the glow subsides. It's as if his feet are weighing a thousand tons, and he can't move at all. 

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Jimin wakes up, his head smashed against the wall. There's ringing in his ears, and Jimin vaguely remembers someone pushing him back...or something. He glances towards the only moving creature within five feet of him. The golden Basilisk and...Tae! 

Jimin can't hide his horror. Not this time. 

Taehyung has turned to stone. 

"N-No! Tae!" Jimin cries, picking himself up, head still spinning, and running towards his Petrified friend.

"Lord Jimin! Get back!" Jimin faintly hears Namjoon calling his name.

"Jimin!" 

A blast of fire catches Jimin off guard, blowing Jimin aside, as a ring of fire surrounds the Basilisk. Blue flames. Hot enough to melt the gold of the Gorgon's Eye's body. 

"Now, Namjoon!" 

Jimin looks up and sees Hoseok, his palms outstretched, and Yoongi and Jungkook peering over the edge. Jimin sees a sword swing down at the Gorgon's Eye's head, essentially slicing the thing in two. However, when he expects to see Namjoon behind the body, he sees Seokjin instead for a second before the older leaps out of the ring of fire.

"W-Wait! Tae is--! Tae's stone!" Jimin feels like he's on the verge of tears. His beloved friend since childhood. Since his parents were slain by Sin. Jimin can only watch as the fire engulfs the stone statue of his friend, Taehyung disappearing behind the flames. He feels strong arms gripping onto his underarms, dragging him away from the fire--that's when Jimin realizes his legs are too weak to stand by himself. He lets Seokjin bring him over to the side, over to some rocks, to sit him down. 

Jimin doesn't care anymore. Everything he sees is either blurry or black and white dots. Tears make his vision even worse, and he sobs into his hands, covering his face with his palms, desperately wiping at the tears that are leaking out from his eyes, down his cheeks as he watches Taehyung's final moments play again in his mind. 

And Taehyung pushed him away from the Gorgon's Eye's attack. Pushed him, Park Jimin, who had cursed his friend and insulted Taehyung's loyalty, invoked his fears and used them to his advantage. Park Jimin, who'd yet to apologize for his mistakes. And he'd probably die knowing that Taehyung has never forgiven him. 

"I'm sorry...Tae...so sorry..." Jimin hiccups, the tears creating streaks on his face. He hears three people landing on the rocks not far away. He feels the heat of the flames where the Gorgon's Eye has been taken care of. He feels Seokjin's arms around him, letting Jimin cry into his shoulder. Jimin's body racks with sobs as he repeats the same words over and over again. 

"Tae..."