A/N: It's 2.05AM here, and I'm getting dumber as the night goes on...so as usual this chapter is not proof-read, more spelling mistakes because my Words autocorrect stopped working...

Kyungsoo stood in front of a foggy mess, hesitating a bit; he was curious about the fog in the Land of Dream, because it had never happened before, but he has to remind himself over and over again that both him and Jaehwan are not the best magic user, and eventhough Jongin is a first class fighter, weapons are useless against magic. A wrong step might be the end of all of them, and Kyungsoo hesitated again at the thought of dying, especially since dying in the Land of Dream meant not returning to the real world; they will simply perish in the Land of Dream, and their body will be left as empty vessels in the real world and stopped moving shortly after. Kyungsoo shuddered at the thought, shaking his head in fear.

However, someone has to check the fog, and if its not them, who will?

Jaehwan had tried casting simple magic orbs and throw it inside the fog, and the orbs disappeared without a trace. Jongin had tried throwing a stick in a manner that it should bounced back to the thrower, a neat trick he had learnt from Baekhyun, and while they can hear the stick bouncing around in the fog, it never returned outside again. The last stick Jongin had thrown in bounced around before a loud growl can be heard from the fog, making the two Princes yelped in fear, hugging each other tightly as Jongin shielded them from the fog with his body.

Nothing had come out from the fog, but it had thickened a lot, getting darker as time passed...

“I kinda wished I learnt the wind magic from Hakyeon. He said it’s going to be useful, but I didn’t pay him attention because it was a complex magic and I do so hate it when Hakyeon tried to teach me complex magic. He lost his temper too quickly!”

Kyungsoo smiled at the pouting Terra Prince, who had sat on the ground hugging his knees, his brush and inkpad sprawled near his feet; Jaehwan had tried conjuring some creatures to navigate in the fog, but all of the creatures he conjured disappeared as soon as they hit the fog. It made Jaehwan disappointed, Kyungsoo noted, but he has no doubt that the Terra Prince had tried his very best in helping him discovering what’s underneath the fog. While a wind magic might be useful in blowing away the fog, but who knew if it even worked; the fog is too thick and too dense, and a strong wind magic is needed to blow it all away, and neither of them had that kind of power.

Jongin had retired to sit under a tree, but Kyungsoo’s sharp eyes noted that the King was doing something, because he can see the King was holding a sharpened rock in one hand. The King had reasoned that because magic didn’t work, maybe physical attack can, and he had procure several stuff to help him built a strong weapon. Kyungsoo had never seen a weapon made before, and as much as he wanted to watch, he simply stared from his spot; because he knew if he came closer, his eyes would be on the one making the weapon, not the weapon itself.

Kyungsoo found himself turning red at the thought, and he tried composing himself again, not wanting his best friend to read his mind...

But Jaehwan did, and he pulled Kyungsoo down to sit by him, a big grin plastered on his face...

“So...tell me about your handsome Prince Charming~”

Jaehwan chuckled softly as the Aqua Prince turned tomato red...

“Did he treat you well? Of course he did, but if he didn’t, do tell me. I’ll unleash the wrath of Sanghyuk on him. I would have sent Wonshik at him, but Wonshik is his friend, so he might go easy on him”

Kyungsoo laughed; he had heard about Prince Sanghyuk, about how the youngest Terra Prince was also the fiercest amongst the Terra Princes. The youngest Prince would spare nothing when it comes to a brawl; he even had injured Prince Taekwoon and King Wonshik when they were his sparring partners, hence the reason Prince Hongbin or occassionally Prince Hakyeon would be there when they were in sparring session, as healers to the injured Princes. “He...was sweet and gentle. At first I thought...that he would forget about me since the party, because I was...I don’t know...not exactly someone memorable”

“Did you do something you did years ago? Instead of introducing yourself, you just run away and hide?”

“I...did disappeared because we were almost caught by his soldiers, and I can’t get caught, simply because if someone knew my identity that night, I’ll get in trouble with Junmyeon, because he already forbid me to go...but I did tell him my name! Only not as an Aqua Prince. For him that night, I was simply a Kyungsoo, someone in white and gold mask, with his sky blue suit and white pants that he borrowed from his brother because he didn’t have one”

Jaehwan bit his tongue to stop himself from squealing like a girl, but he can’t wipe the big grin on his face; it made Kyungsoo blushed like crazy, and they both started giggling over nothing like two girls talking about their sweethearts. It was then Jongin walked closer to them, one hand holding a harpoon, the other hand holding a long plant vines, an amused smile plastered on his face as he dropped the harpoon to the ground. “Are you guys having fun?” he asked softly as he plopped down next to Kyungsoo, “Am I disturbing your discussion? If yes, I can sit over there”

“You disturb nothing, my King. Jaehwan and I were simply chatting about...the past. By the way, my King, is that...a lance?”

“It’s a harpoon, my Prince. A harpoon is this spearlike weapon, with barbed head, usually used in fishing. A lance on the other hand, is a long rod with leaf-like head, commonly used by horsemen because its easier to pierce someone from on top of the horse. I thought that we can try pierce something from inside the fog and pull it out using this vine, like Prince Taekwoon and his arrows. I am nowhere near his strength, but we can try, right? However...”

“However?”

“I don’t have any other weapon, nor a shield. If there something comes out from the fog, I will not be able to fend it away. It will be too dangerous to proceed with no weapon. I do know how to forge a simple sword or axe, but we don’t have proper forging material and chamber to burn it, as well a good hammer to whittle it to shape”

None of the words made sense in Kyungsoo’s mind, for he has zero knowledge in weapons and forging weapons; he was ashamed to say that he only knew the word ‘forging’ meant weapon making just two seconds ago, but he suddenly has a view of King Jongin in full armor, with a large sword or an axe in one hand and a shield in the other. How handsome the King would look in the shiny Stella armor, made with full gold, because Kyungsoo had seen the Captain and Second Captain of Stella Army in their full armor and he thought they looked ethereally beautiful and strong, unlike Aqua Sages and their robes that provides zero protection against the metal weapon. He caught himself dazing with a silly smile on his face, and a certain King was staring at him with an amused smile, and that made Kyungsoo blushed as he muttered a soft ‘sorry’ and lowered his gazing.

“I...may have a suggestion, my King, but...umm...it’s kinda...”

“Yes, Prince Jaehwan?”

“I was sleeping in Taekwoon’s room as we spoke, and I saw his blade and shield in the room. We can borrow it, for I’m sure Taekwoon wouldn’t mind if I explained to him about this. However, I have to ask you to take a really good care of them, for Taekwoon’s shield is one of a kind; it was buffed with the strongest Terra magic, and it was said to be the war breaker in one of Terra’s folktales. It was a really powerful shield, so with your expertise, it shouldn’t be a problem to bounce any attack”

Jongin pondered for a moment, deeply thinking whether it is wise to hold such an important relics...

“Why don’t you grab another Prince’s shield and sword, Jaehwan?”

“Because going outside the room will require me to wake up, Kyungsoo. I am more afraid that if I wake up, I will not be able to return here, because you managed to come here after the attack because you’re...you, and this place belongs to you. I, on the other hand, is only your summoner, so I might not be able to come back...and you know what that meant...”

Kyungsoo did, but Jongin didn’t; he stared at the two Princes with a confused expression, frowning deeply, and Kyungsoo noticed the look. He smiled at the King warmly, one hand raised to wipe the frown away, mouthing a ‘I’ll tell you later’ as he hold the King’s hand reassuringly. Jongin’s hand is big, he noted, for it took both of Kyungsoo’s hand to cup one Jongin’s hand, and he blushed wildly over that. Jongin only smiled at the blushing Prince, holding his hand back, and received a shy smile in return.

Jaehwan, kneeling on the ground, busy drawing something on the ground with his brush and inkpad, muttering a soft chant as his hand danced around, completing an oval shape with intricate pattern on the sides. Jongin watch with fascination when the drawing slowly turned into a shiny mirror, with golden and moss green frame; it was a very beautiful mirror, around Jongin’s waist height, and the frame laced with beautiful peridots, and Jongin remembered that peridots are one of the rarest stone in Terra, which made this mirror in front of him is no ordinary mirror. Jaehwan adjusted the mirror in the middle of another drawing, which resembled a window.

Speculum ostende mihi viam

The shiny surface of the mirror turned cloudy before it turned dark, and Taekwoon can make out a table and a bed in the mirror...

“Kyungsoo, would you want to be the one, or King Jongin has to fetch them himself?”

“...I don’t think I can held a heavy sword AND a shield in one swipe, Jaehwan...”

“Then...my King, come closer...the sword and the shield are next to the table, so you have to jump in, grab them both in one swipe and leave. Make as little noise as possible, and whatever you do, do not wake me up”

Jongin stared at him, still in confusion, but he didn’t argue; there’s more in the magic than meets the eye, and he felt like it wasn’t his place to argue. Besides, he desperately needed a sword and a shield, and what’s the worst thing that can happen if he goes inside the mirror? He trusted Jaehwan has his own reason to give him such instructions, so he said nothing as he kneeled beside the Terra Prince. “How...do I do this?” he asked timidly, unsure of how to start.

“Here, just dip your legs into the mirror, my King. We are watching from a mirror at Taekwoon’s wall, so its safer to go legs first”

Jongin slowly dipped his legs inside the mirror, expecting some sensation creeping up on him, but there’s none; it more felt like going from one room to another through a door, and Jongin finds himself in a room with light green walls, a huge painting of Terra Royal Family hung on the wall. The first thing he noticed apart from the painting is a huge lump on the bed, which he recognized as Prince Jaehwan based on the messy brown hair, and he can’t hide his smile; the Prince was sleeping serenely, mouth slightly ajar, and Jongin can hear soft snores coming from him.

The second thing he noticed is the gleaming sword and shield placed on a mantelpiece next to the wooden table; Jongin was struck in awe by the beauty of the sword and the shield. He did have a strong affinity for a well-made weapon, and would not hesitate to splurge for a really well-made weapons and shields, and the set in front of him is by far one of the most beautiful set he had ever seen in his life. The blade was sharpened and polished until he can see his own face on it, and the shield looked and feel strong, and Jongin can see a hint of rainbow hue on the golden surface; maybe it was the magic that Jaehwan had mentioned earlier.

He took up the sword and the shield, putting the shield on his left arm and swung the blade with his right; they were heavier and longer to his liking, but that quite understandable, since Prince Taekwoon is taller and stronger than him physical wise, so the Prince must have favored a heavier and longer sword. He was about to bask in his reflection on the mirror, because he did look good with the sword and shield and silently sending his approval to Prince Taekwoon’s choice of weaponry, when he heard a soft patpatpat from outside the room.

“Jaehwan, you’re awake?”

It was Prince Hakyeon’s voice, and Jongin felt panic starting to crept on him as he hurriedly jumped into the mirror again, the door creaking open behind him...

He landed on something soft, face planted on something even softer as the shield and the blade on his hands dropped on the ground with a loud ‘clang’. A soft groan escaped his mouth as he slowly raise himself from the ground, bracing himself on his arms, staring at whatever soft surface that broke his fall.

It was Kyungsoo’s tummy...

And he was hovering over the red-faced Prince on all fours...

One piercing, unmanly shriek later (it was the King’s), Jaehwan found himself giggling at one King trying to hide behind a shield and one Prince trying to hide behind a rock, both were red from top to toe, head hung low. Both were ignoring the Terra Prince, and Jaehwan can’t stop grinning at the two; Kyungsoo was starting to get worried because the King is taking too long in the mirror, so he was craning his neck over the mirror’s surface when said King suddenly jumped from the other side, pushing the poor Aqua Prince to the ground as he landed on him. Jaehwan was glad that both of them unharmed; the heavy sword and shield had fallen to the side instead of on top of them, and it would be fatal if they accidentally stabbed themselves or squished by the heavy shield.

But now he has to deal with two super embarrassed people, who tried so hard hiding away from each other, both sporting a red face...

Jaehwan decided that it’s wise to leave the two for now, and he concentrated on conjuring more creatures to check out the fog; it doesn’t work well, and he knew that, but he has to find something to fill his time in before the other two get over their embarrassment. Jaehwan snickered at the thought; he wished he had drawn the moment, because it would be a good wedding gift when they decided to get married. Jaehwan knew they would, because he had seen them in Hongbin’s predicament; the Fifth Prince of Terra is neither a mage nor a fighter, he’s a healer but he has the power to pierce the future.

The only person with the same talent is Yixing, whom they have sent to Stella to replace their healer that had come to Terra after finding love...

Jaehwan was sure that not even the Stella King realized the hidden talent behind the tea brewing Royal Physician of Stella now, for Yixing is known to drop random hints about the future eithout him even meant to...

“Prince Jaehwan, can you help me?”

A low voice snapped Jaehwan from his stupor, and he turned his head to face Jongin; the King still looked a little bit red and flustered, but he was standing, putting the shield on his left arm and taking the sword in his right hand, swinging it gently to get used to the length and the weight of the blade. Jaehwan get back to his feet, brush held tightly in his hand as he walked closer to the King. “Yes, my King?”

“I...sensed...something huge from inside the fog. Whether it was our friend or our foe is yet to be determined...but, if anything bad happened, grab Prince Kyungsoo and run away as far as you can. Did I made myself clear?”

“What about you, my King?”

“I will try to hold the beast down while you and Prince Kyungsoo escaped. Don’t worry, I’m made of tough material. I will not go down easily...”

Jaehwan frowned, and the same frown can be seen on the Aqua Prince’s face; the latter has finally decided to peek from behind the rock, and he slowly rose from the ground, face still red but a serious expression plastered on his face. “I begged you to reconsider, my King. It’s too dangerous for you to do it alone”

“It is, my Prince, but isn’t it better to retreat than to blindly engaging in a fight we can’t win? Maybe you two can find reinforcement. We’ll retreat to see each other another day, my Prince, because it would be a pity if we died today when we’re yet to...know each other better”

Despite the seriousness of the situation, Jaehwan found himself standing between two blushing individuals, grinning widely...

“I think...it’s better if we left the Land of Dream, should anything comes up. Like King Jongin said, we can find reinforcement. The Land  of Dream isn’t going anywhere, because...”

Jaehwan shot Kyungsoo a look, to which the Aqua Prince nodded absentmindedly; Jongin noticed the look, and frowned...

“Because?”

“This whole area...is a figment of my mind, my King. When I’m not sleeping, everything in the area should be frozen in time. And that’s why the appearance of the fog is very unsettling for us, because someone, or something, had managed to pass my coinscience and develop the fog here...”

Jongin didn’t understand it fully, but he decided to not press the two Princes further; there’s something heavy weighing in both of the Princes’ mind, and Jongin decided that it is not wise to keep digging for now. He picked up the harpoon he made in his left hand, whispering a soft ‘stay here’ to the Princes as he walked slowly to the edge of the fog.

Kyungsoo watched with a worried expression; he slowly closed his eyes, hands clasped together as if he’s praying before his hands glowed light blue...

“Kyungsoo, what are you doing?”

“I’m trying to contact Chanyeol. Should anything wrong happened, he would be the closest to King Jongin to help him escaped the Land of Dream. I – I kinda feel it too...the immense power from inside the fog...and I don’t think it’s wise if we pressed further, Jaehwan, if it’s just us”

“Should we stop the King?”

Before Kyungsoo managed to answer, Jongin threw the harpoon hard into the fog, unaware of the conversation behind him...

A thundering growl echoed around the area, the ground cracking and shaking wildly...

The two Princes hugged each other tightly, face paled as something really huge emerged from inside the fog, and Jaehwan’s voice cracked as his eyes clasped on the monster...

“Cerberus, the three-headed Hound from Hell...”

One of the Cerberus head spit a large fireball directed at Jongin, to which the King reflected with his shield before he jumped away from the large claws swiping at him. The beast is at least three times as tall as Jongin; the claws alone are bigger than the King, and getting hit meant death. He jumped around, shielding himself well behind the shield (he’s glad it was bigger than his normal shield, because he can hide well behind it) as he searched for the perfect opportunity to retaliate. The beast is extremely large, but it’s movement is rather sloppy, Jongin noted, as he jumped high, stepping on the beast paws to get to the highest point he can go.

He thrown himself to the beast, stabbing the middle head hard, right in between the eyes, burying the blade to the hilt...

He was thrown to the ground by the beast shaking wildly in pain, and it was thanks to the shield that he was still unharmed; the beast was stamping its feet wildly and almost stepped on the poor King in the process, but the shield glowed brightly and the glow burned Cerberus right paw, making it howled in pain. Jongin quickly scrambled to his feet, carrying the heavy shield with him as he ran to the two Princes.

“Run!!! We’ll die if it caught us!!!”

An injured beast is an extremely furious being, Kyungsoo decided, as the three headed beast turned the remaining heads to them, baring its teeth in an agitated manner, and it took him three seconds to turn around and running as fast as he can. He’s not a runner, in fact he barely ran in his life, but here he is, running faster than a bullet trying to avoid rocks and trees.

A strong arm wrapped around his waist made him realized that he wasn’t as fast as he thought he is, and it took two seconds for the strong arms to sweep him off the ground, carrying him bridal style...

“Prince Jaehwan! Please tell Prince Taekwoon that I will replace his sword with the finest blade from Stella. There’s no way I’m getting the sword back from that monster”

The King handed the Terra Prince the shield back, to which Jaehwan carry on his back like a turtle shell to bounce any attack from the agitated beast...

“How do we get out of the Land of Dream, my Princes?”

“We have to split ways, my King. That way none of us are in danger of getting mauled by Cerberus. I’ve already ask Chanyeol to help bring you out of here”

“Wait what? Chanyeol? What about you, my Prince?”

“Don’t worry about us, my King. We’ve known this area well, and can go in and out of this area with ease. It’s you we’re worried about”

Jongin lowered Kyungsoo, ready to put him on the grou