‘We just need to make sure we stay on track.’

Yoongi feels a little bad for leaving the place- especially as he watches how Jungkook looks at the minimizing blue planet with a forlorn expression on his face. The way children do when their parents have to take them back home after a fun day of activity.

‘Well I can say for certain there’s no absolute guarantee to any of this,’ Jn’young is saying as they finalize their plans regarding the bombshell of a revelation to be sent out to the Underverse.

‘No there isn’t, but this is what we’re going to do,’ Ilya says firmly. ‘My biggest concern again, is with Megibīya; and of course, directly related, with Menigišiti.’

‘In what way?’ Namjoon asks curiously, ready to go through the details of their plans one more time.

‘I think it’s unlikely that it would be actively occupied,’ Ilya ruminates, ‘At least, not by anyone from Menigišiti, and from what Camil had said, was unoccupied by anyone from Axudar too. It was simply a drop-off point more than anything. Which then brings in my next question: if the final plan is to take in the New Borns into Menigišiti and hypothetically keep them safe there, what evidence or proof do we have that suggests this is an achievable thing?’

‘Jiminie will get us in!’ Taeh’yung proclaims confidently.

‘Unlikely,’ Jn’young says with a small frown as he glances at Jimin, ‘This is a whole System we have absolutely no analytical information on, no database of updates from Venture Unit agents infiltrating the place; we can’t even look into it and study it. What if it’s all in ruin, when the Verktaë left- if they wanted to create their own fate, would they not have chosen to destroy what they felt was anchoring them to a life they didn’t want? Or what if those who now survive within are hostile? Or what if we end up being the instigators of evil, by invading upon this place with what we think are good intentions?’

‘I was under the impression that all aspects of the plan were discussed and agreed upon by you,’ Namjoon states slowly, eyeing Ilya, Jn’young, and Jimin in turn.

‘Plans regarding exposing Axudar yes, but seeing as I am a New Born myself, the safety and security of others like me is important to me,’ Jn’young states evenly, ‘I do not want us to be used, set up in a way where all we become is collateral in what could only definitely lead up to some form of calamity.’

‘We do have plans on checking in on Menigišiti, right?’ Hoseok asks, looking at Jimin.

‘Also I have questions regarding the whole, attracting fleeing Verktaë into Megibīya,’ Jn’young continues, ‘Obviously we’re gonna be expecting quite a load of Beings fleeing Axudar, not just the Verktaë I’m sure. What’s your plan on greeting them? I don’t think they’re gonna be the easiest to deal with nor the most civil. I don’t know about you, but it almost seems like you’re banking on some information you’re either not telling us, or you’re hoping for an outcome based on something you’re also not telling us about.’

Yoongi inhales sharply, glancing around at Jimin next to him. There’s tension in the air as everyone looks between Jn’young and Jimin. Personally, Yoongi cannot believe that it’s Jn’young who has brought this issue up out of all of them.  

‘When we had first received the emergency request from Megibīya before any of this had started, it did set off alarms in my mind,’ Jimin tells them after a short pause. ‘Megibīya is not left unprotected. Yes, it is a front, designed and portrayed to appear uninteresting, and also risky enough to deter pirates or those who might want to use it as a form of base for unwanted activities.’

‘It seems like Megibīya is the sacrifice for your System or something,’ Sk’jin says bluntly, ’Like pupa here said earlier, it’s almost as though it’s a set up to be used as collateral.’ 

Jimin shakes his head, expression carefully neutral as he reaches for the screen and quickly loads up the projection map for Megibīya.

‘All around Megibīya, placed under the Crescent ring of the planet, are defense charges,’ Jimin continues, undeterred. ‘These charges are a type of uh, generator. Megibīya herself is too far to be constantly connected to out orbital resonance, but she still receives light from it, meaning she can harvest the energy- almost similar to solar-energy panels. These are lined up all around the edges of the Crescent, funneled straight into the generators.’

‘What do these generators do?’ Ilya inquires.

‘The generators stores and directs the resonance from Yino and project shields around the planet- it was also designed to function as a launcher- mainly to be used on asteroids or other spatial debris,’ Jimin explains.

‘Wait,’ Yoongi finds himself cutting in, ‘If Megibīya had this, how were the Red Evil able to overtake it in the first place? They would have been to at least put up some form of fight?’

Jimin sighs heavily, shoulders drooping a little.

‘I believe, that it may have had something to do with the fact that the Wenedi, the ambassadors, of Megibīya, supported and stood by what Ndica wanted to do.’ Jimin states quietly, ‘Prat’tna and Yyna would have prepared Megibīya, they would have been alerted from the start to expect something, most likely Ndica and the other Yishengs. They would have been told not to raise the shields. However, as we now know, the Red Evil got there before they did, much earlier.’

‘Megibīya had remained open and unsuspecting then,’ Ilya sighs, ‘It was almost as though they had readied themselves for the taking.’

Jimin nods, his lips pulled to a straight thin line.

‘So these charges,’ Hoseok says slowly, ‘Is that what you want to use against the Axudarians who will be fleeing to Megibīya?’

Jimin nods.

‘Is this why you asked us if we could set up a barrier in areas around Axudar so that the fleeing Verktaë would definitely head towards Megibīya?’ Ilya asks.

Jimin nods again.

‘That seems quite violent,’ Sk’jin remarks, ‘Are you gonna spring the shield against them in one fell swoop?’

‘No,’ Jimin frowns, ‘I intend on inverting the shields and trapping them within Megibīya.’

‘Trap them inside Megibīya…with us inside as well?’ Sk’jin asks pointedly.

Jimin shakes his head at once, ‘Everyone else will be hidden in the borders of Menigišiti- partially protected and un-seeable.’

‘You’re not about to suggest we use you as bait are you?’ Hoseok asks sharply as Sk’jin sighs under his breath ‘Not this again.’

‘You want to be in Megibīya alone when the Axudarians arrive!?’ Namjoon questions, sounding bewildered, like he hadn’t heard that part of the plan himself.

Jimin gives him a slightly frustrated look that’s mostly exasperated and mainly resigned. Yoongi can feel his stomach sink instantly.

‘They are already expecting me,’ Jimin says bluntly, avoiding his gaze. ‘We know that much from Camil. The only move they can make right now, is to accept my invitation to Megibīya, they know they have no choice once they are exposed. Their only escape is back to Menigišiti, which is through the only surviving gateway left. This is the best tactical choice we can make to guarantee a successful capture.’

‘And then what do we after that?’ Hoseok inquires, ‘Let’s say everything goes to plan, we’re set and on track, and we safely arrive at Megibīya, we activate these chargers if they’re undamaged that is, and we are able to trap the Axudarians-‘

‘-Verktaë.’

‘-yes,’ Hoseok rolls his eyes, ‘The Verktaë, inside Megibīya. And then what? This also brings up another question I wanted to ask about Menigišiti. You said earlier outside that Menigišiti was probably locked up- no one able to get in and no one able to get out. Doesn’t that completely ruin our end-goal for this mission? For the eggs and New Borns? How would we even stay in the borders if it’s not functioning as it should?’

‘There are those Docks we mentioned earlier,’ Namjoon butts in quickly, glancing at Jimin with a little worry, ‘They’re kinda like windows, that allow you to look into Menigišiti to check and see-‘

‘About that- how are we sure that definitely exists?’ Ilya inquires with a small frown. ‘It doesn’t sound like a secret to me, how is it still existing? Or at least, unused by the Verktaë.’

‘I think this is because regardless of their plans, their arrogance, they’re not so out of reach of reality, so to speak,’ Namjoon speaks quickly, ‘They would need an escape plan. Having Megibīya, or this dock still remaining, would not only be a last resort, but also possibly used to spy inside of Menigišiti.’    

‘What do you plan on doing with the Verktaë?’ Jn’young presses, speaking a little louder, leaning in a little more.

‘Please do not make this about giving them a choice,’ Sk’jin whines from the side, ‘Or about fair judgment, or some other basic and cliché good being thing-‘

‘-also, once inside, won’t they be able to deactivate the shields themselves?’ Ilya asks. ‘What do you intend to do about that?’

Jimin doesn’t say anything for a while, his hands shake slightly though, his breaths uneven as he says quietly.

‘I will create a new fate for them.’

*

Yoongi almost does not recognize Megibīya. Not because it has changed visually- but because he no longer felt like he was struggling to walk through a sluggish nightmare where he was being chased by some monster, and his legs and sight were giving up on him. No, rather it’s a strange lightness- as though he woke up from the nightmare, and found that he could indeed stand, that he could see, that his hands held strength in them, and that all monsters were nothing more than, well, nightmares. Nightmares now forgotten as the sun rises, breaking through the dull night.

He knows Jungkook senses it too. The young Vicitra probably can’t explain it, but the tenseness around his shoulders is gone and the almost permanent furrow between his brows as he subconsciously scans the area continuously abates.

Taeh’yung definitely senses it- immediately perking up in an explosion of sparks. Yoongi’s not sure how much Hoseok and Namjoon are individually able to sense it, but Sk’jin certainly did and he didn’t seem too pleased that he could.

The GI- the regurgitated- immediately sense it of course. Their reaction is the most obvious.

Sk’jin had found him fallen out of the Medical Bed, drenched in sea water, coughing it out, without much question. Clearly the Khol’isa has seen more than his fair share of unexplainable things to not ask questions. Yoongi appreciates that.

Waiting for Jimin to return is strenuous. He haphazardly changes, unsure how to feel about everything. He hears something different too- a voice, a song- something reconnecting.

It’s both somewhat amazing and uplifting, and yet somehow Yoongi is terrified.

He’s known for a long time, that Jimin did not speak much of what he thought of, of the conclusions he came to. What rare moments of absolutely raw honesty he allowed himself were during moments of strain and now what Yoongi understands as an overwhelmed breakdown caused by the affirmation of his biggest fears.

And now, with this connection, of something reattaching, so to speak, Yoongi can’t help but wonder, fear, hope, worry, that it will bring with it an onslaught of truths Jimin will be forced to reconcile with, despite the fact that none of this is actually Jimin’s sole duty.

And Yoongi understands this; because he was like this. He might still be, in another circumstance. Which is why Yoongi doesn’t press for answers- because at this moment, he knows that Jimin doesn’t have one. And that if Jimin were to give him any reasoning, it would only be his fears.

Which is why he’s immediately filled with a sense of dread when Hoseok sharply calls for their attention.

‘Hey guys. I think you need to come back to the ship right now- Namjoon, Kookie, Tae. Back, now.’

Yoongi’s not sure why, but he glances up immediately into the permanently sunrise-coloured sky.

‘What’s wrong?’

He looks down from the sky at Jimin- his expression confused, hopeful, fearful.

‘Do you have your screens on you?’

There were wall monitors all over the hangar inside. Yoongi quickly turns to head up the ramp and access one. But before he can, there’s a strange flicker in the light around them. As though some great shadow very quickly shifted over the sun. Something very large.

‘Something’s coming towards us-‘

‘.’ Sk’jin is just outside, Yoongi spots him as he turns back around. Outside is fine- the skies are still clear but-. ‘I didn’t think Axudar would get here so ing soon?’

‘It’s not coming from Axudar’s direction,’ Hoseok tells them quickly, confirming Yoongi’s worries. Jimin is still where he was standing- except this time he’s staring upwards, the rings of his eyes glowing bright.

‘Sunshine?’ Yoongi reaches towards him.

Jimin looks down abruptly, eyes widening as though not realizing what he was doing. He looks displaced- shocked, to say the least.

‘What is it?’ he asks, pleads.

‘It’s coming from Menigišiti.’

Oddly, Jimin smiles, his eyes watering slightly. He glances back up at the sky and adds, ‘They heard me sing. They’re singing back!’

Yoongi quickly pulls Jimin back into the ship gently. His mind is whirring with thoughts.

‘Units spread to net-form 12,’ he orders just as Sk’jin rushes in as well though the Khol’isa is looking back at the direction Namjoon, Taeh’yung, and Jungkook had walked off to. ‘Namjoon, where are you guys?’

‘I’m bumping up the shields,’ Hoseok tells them tersely, ‘- , this is too soon-‘

‘We’re in Udāvana- we’ll stick to the formation with the GI outside- don’t worry about us-‘

There’s a strange ripple in the air and their communication dips, filled with a low humming white noise. But this was something they had all been expecting, so their Comms reconnect, using their shorter secondary local channels.

‘What the is going on?’ Sk’jin demands as he stalks up to them, ‘What do you mean from inside Menigišiti- hey! Princeling brat! What did you do up there?!’

‘I only sent out a song- a message, but not quite,’ Jimin hastens to explain, standing his ground to explain to Sk’jin, ‘You heard me- it was only a- a-…-a hum! It was just-…just a way, a greeting, sending it forward-‘ Jimin stammers, looking close to tears, staring up at Sk’jin.

‘Is it malicious?’ the Khol’isa demands as the GI quietly and speedily move around them, heading out of the ship.

‘I don’t know,’ Jimin tells him honestly, ‘I don’t know what has happened in Menigišiti- I can only hope-‘

‘-hoping won’t fix things,’ Sk’jin says bluntly, ‘I hate to be that Being, but you know we can’t afford to lose more time of any sort at this stage- we need to continue on if we’re expecting Axudar’s arrival.’

‘I know,’ Jimin replies firmly before repeating, ‘I know.’

‘We can keep moving forward,’ Namjoon suggests, voice coming out crackled through the white noise, ‘I can take some of the units-‘

‘There’s no guarantee that whatever’s coming towards us right now is friendly,’ Yoongi says sharply, ‘The units stay in place for protection and defense.’

‘There’s also no guarantee that they’re malicious,’ Hoseok says, surprising Yoongi a little. ‘If this is coming from within Menigišiti which has been completely shut off, now judging from this, out of their own volition and making, then it means they pushed out those Beings who are now living in Axudar.’

‘Sure, that’s one angle,’ Sk’jin purses his lips in frustration, ‘But what will help them differentiate us from Axudarians? What if they come down with, I dunno, creepy Princeling tech, no offence.’

Jimin blinks a few times, digesting what Sk’jin has said before saying, ‘Because they’ll know it’s me.’

‘No one knows what’s happened to you,’ Yoongi finds himself saying, turning Jimin to turn him around to face him, ‘Sunshine- for all they know, you were in league with the Great Council the entire time, upturning the fate of Menigišiti completely.’

Jimin closes his eyes, pained. Of course he knows that this is a possibility. Of course he knows this. But Yoongi wants a reason why they shouldn’t immediately pack up and leave for the moment- at least outside of Megibīya’s spatial borders.     

‘I will go forward to meet them,’ Jimin tells him as he opens his eyes.

‘Uh-‘ Hoseok begins.

Yoongi keeps staring at Jimin- hoping to get some sort of reasoning behind this.

‘Jimin,’ Jungkook actually growls, sounding frustrated.

‘Yeah! Chim, let’s go together!’ Taeh’yung says.

‘Jimin,’ Sk’jin says sternly, almost like a parental figure trying to give their child a firm talking to, ‘Unless you’re planning on doing what you did in Pompa, I don’t think you should be exposing yourself like that.’

Jimin shakes his head immediately.

‘If what you’re suggesting is true, and they think of me as someone who has partaken in this situation that lead my home into this state, then me hiding inside a ship, clearly surrounded by guards, their only option will be to open fire.’ Jimin explains, ‘And I can hear them- they’re singing back. Sk’jin, Yoongi-‘ he reaches out for both of their hands. Yoongi willingly, Sk’jin flinching a little at the sudden contact. ‘Please- these are still my people, they remain in what is left of my home- of the future home of the New Borns and the eggs- I must go out and meet them.’

Sk’jin’s jaw is tense.

‘You’re gonna have to decide that real quick, they’ve just breached the atmosphere. They’re using the sun to block their entry point so I can’t pinpoint their location.’ Hoseok tells them sharply before grumbling, ‘That’s our tactic.’

‘I-‘ Yoongi can’t say anything. He understands what Jimin means.

‘At best, they will distrust me, but I cannot lose Menigišiti- not when the safety of the future of the New Borns relies on this,’ Jimin tells them again, ‘I must guarantee their safety.’

Sk’jin takes a small step back and nods towards the hangar gateway.

‘I’ll come with you.’ Yoongi shifts their hands so he’s holding Jimin’s instead. Jimin just smiles, as though he was expecting it. He shakes his head though, and Yoongi’s expecting it.

‘Hoseok, can you take the ship to the edge of Udāvana? Yoongi, please tell the units to stand down.’ Jimin asks him, ‘Let them continue forward with our plan.’

Yoongi grimaces but he nods.

‘I’ll stay at the center, next to your ship,’ Jimin tells him, not letting go of his hand. ‘I’ll keep the Iris on me. Taeh’yung, stay with Namjoon and Jungkook.’

‘Boo,’ the Zhak’gri complains, ‘Boring!’

Jimin takes a step back, their hands pulling up at his movement. Yoongi knows he has to let go.

‘We’ll be aiming all our weapons,’ Yoongi tells him bluntly.

‘I know,’ Jimin nods.

Slowly, Yoongi lets go of Jimin’s hand.

‘It will be okay,’ Jimin tells him quietly, tells them.

‘I still can’t spot them but I can only assume they’ll be on us at any time now,’ Hoseok tells them tersely, hurrying them on.

Suddenly, Jimin takes his hand up and places it over his chest, right where his heart would be.

‘I’ve thought this out completely. So I’m listening to my heart,’ Jimin tells him, before he turns and leaves the hangar.    

‘You’re gonna wanna secure yourselves for a bit as I reposition us,’ Hoseok warns them over the crackling lines.

Yoongi barely catches the TeorSer Sk’jin throws at him from the side, only just registering the device before it crashes to the floor.

‘Come on,’ Sk’jin nods towards the hangar doorway, ‘Let’s at least be situated in a place where we could be of some help. I’ve got you covered.’

Yoongi nods in thanks.

‘Tae, can you see them?’ Sk’jin asks as Sk’jin takes to randomly pulling out the stacked and stored crates to the edge of the hangar, creating barrier.

‘Hmm-‘ Taeh’yung’s voice comes across the grain of the audio in low quiet hums, ‘It’s interesting.’

‘What is?’ Yoongi asks, pulling up a crate as well and dragging it over to the side as Hoseok lifts them up to the air, slowly turning as they hover. He peers out to find Jimin’s lone figure walking out over the center of the Udāvana.

‘Somehow I thought, as children of Menigišiti, they might be different?’

‘Tae not all of us are direct descendants of the First Children okay,’ Sk’jin grunts, balancing himself as Hoseok steers them a little too sharply. ‘That’s just you.’

‘They’re not any different from well, Namjoonie, or Hobi, or Kookie too!’ Taeh’yung informs them, ‘I think this might turn out well!’

‘Taeh’yung has an uncanny ability to be wisely comforting and simultaneously incredibly crushing so ignore him,’ Sk’jin tells him as he activates his TeorSer, eyes slightly narrowed as he squints in Jimin’s direction.

‘…are you trying to make me feel better?’ Yoongi asks, glancing back at the Khol’isa again, finding it a little funny.

Sk’jin splutters, ‘Oh, so you think it’s unlikely of me to be supportive? Fine, have it your way you puny Human.’

Yoongi snickers as he leans up against the crates, sight locking onto Jimin.

‘But I’m being serious,’ Sk’jin adds in a surprisingly serious tone, ‘I hope you understand we’re all equally worried.’

‘Yeah I know,’ Yoongi mumbles.

‘Princeling is getting better at speaking to us, and I don’t blame him for not telling us ,’ Sk’jin continues in a quiet voice, addressing Yoongi only, ‘It’s not easy being where he is right now. And we’ve only been able to come this far with him because you were able to make him stay.’

Yoongi looks away from Jimin’s slight form through the scope to Sk’jin. Sk’jin is not looking at him, concentrating only at the sight before him.

‘Please Yoongi, Jimin doesn’t need us, we all know that – he could have gotten here, in some form or way, to the same conclusions- possibly safer conclusions in some ways- considering what he’s planning on doing and at such a scale too- he’s more than capable of doing this alone,’ Sk’jin grumbles, ‘The reason we’re here is because of you.’

‘I wouldn’t sell myself so short if I were you,’ Yoongi smiles at the Khol’isa, ‘I mean, after all, aren’t you worth at least 15 million units at this point?’

Sk’jin huffs, ‘I’m priceless.’

‘It’s not only me,’ Yoongi tells him, eyes now fixed on the steadily growing dot high above the ridges towards the east, barely visible through the heat mirage rising up into the sky, ‘We’re here because Jimin wants us here. And because we want to be here too.’

‘Well, I hope Jimin understands that too,’ Sk’jin says lowly, ‘We need to do this together. And sometimes, old fears and worries are hard to leave behind.’

‘It’s getting closer- there’s 3 ships,’ Hoseok reports quickly, ‘I can only visually see them- I can’t track them.’

‘Well, that’s not surprising,’ Namjoon remarks, ‘All units prepare for manual tracking.’

‘It will be okay,’ Jimin says, turning a little to look back at them. Yoongi looks away from the sky, bringing his scope back to Jimin. He’s smiling at him, reassuring and calm. ‘I can hear them singing- it’s clearer.’

Yoongi breathes in slowly and exhales out from his mouth. He feels calm spreading in him, from a point in his chest, in gentle pulses not generated from within himself.

It’s borrowed.

The whole minute it takes for the 3 ships to fully appear before Jimin, above the tree line surrounding Udāvana, feels indescribably long. Yoongi catches himself from humming out loud under his breath.

‘Interesting,’ Namjoon comments, ‘Spatial and aerodynamics are universal after all.’

‘I really hate what he says sometimes,’ Sk’jin sighs from behind him.

The ships that slow to a gentle hover are not stylistically drastically different from what you would see around the rest of the GLA. While the signature GLA designs were missing from the ships, it wouldn’t look out of place in any random System or planet around the Known Universe. Obviously the one thing that differs them from the rest of the ships and Transporters around the Known Universe was that fact that while they could be visually seen, they couldn’t be tracked by any scanning system available to them. However, there is a distinct sheen to the metal of their exterior ship that Yoongi can’t quite pinpoint- an iridescent quality that seems to reflect the nebulous colours of the light they had witnessed when the skies had cleared, allowing them a view inside Menigišiti.

‘They’re preparing to land,’ Hoseok says quietly, ‘They’re not exactly here to attack I don’t think.’

‘It’s too soon to say that,’ Namjoon remarks as they watch the three ships land gently. ‘Keep an eye out for more ships possibly flying in.’

‘What do you think I’m doing,’ Hoseok grumbles.  

‘Being suspicious,’ Sk’jin remarks, ‘With all of your secret transmissions and zero explanation- don’t be a Yoongi.’

‘I don’t appreciate being referred to like that,’ Yoongi tenses as the lights from the ship dip momentarily.

They all wait, holding their breaths.

‘Those are the trading ships from Ma‘ikelawī.’

Sk’jin curses under his breath but Yoongi had heard him stepping in a few seconds ago. Dehin stands behind them, looking at the ships, a curious combination of emotions in his normally passive eyes.

‘Okay, are they normally uh, that geared up?’ Hoseok asks at once.

‘Our interplanetary travel ships were designed to withstand and make use of the orbital resonance, using it as a pathway to connect all of us, energized with Yino’s energy.’ Dehin explains before adding with a rather somber tone, ‘They’ve aged.’

‘Can you hear them?’ Yoongi asks.

‘Yes,’ Dehin replies. ‘They’re singing our resonance.’

Glancing back, Yoongi notes how all of the regurgitated have gathered, their expressions clearer, gazes filled with expectation.

‘We’re found,’ Nineti says.

Yoongi looks back through the scope. Jimin is facing the three ships; he’s dwarfed by their size but he holds himself up, hands held loosely at the side. Yoongi thinks hard, unsure how to think ahead with this unexpected situation they were currently in.

‘For someone who is practically royalty- like, the whole ing Fate of his System, Jimin sure is somehow treated like he’s suspicious- and I don’t just mean it in context to what has happened now,’ Sk’jin remarks, clearly only addressing Yoongi, ‘When he talks about Menigišiti, and how he plans to approach it, sometimes I wonder if he realizes that he talks about it like he’s never really felt like he belonged there.’

Yoongi glances at Sk’jin briefly, a dull throb echoing in his chest.

‘I guess regarding everything he’s said, and what we’re setting out to do once the Axudarians reach us,’ Sk’jin continues to say slowly, ‘Being someone like the Fate, being born and raised with that title, and everyone you ever meet knowing that about you- you would probably second-guess everyone and their intentions towards you, and so would everyone you meet.’

Yoongi can hear his breaths, hear the presence of those around him.

‘I think Jimin’s biggest fear is to lose the trust he’s built with us, regardless of how it’s been made,’ Sk’jin says quietly, ‘And for him, returning as the Fate, taking full control and claiming what that means, destines him to lose that.’

The ships don’t do anything more- just remain there- no sign of activity, but Yoongi is only focused on Jimin.

‘It’s probably why he was so adamant in not telling us about what he could do- at such a scale too,’ Sk’jin continues, ‘And why he never used it; he didn’t want us to see him only as what he could do. It’s also probably why he keeps telling us, maybe even begging us, to step away from all of this.’

‘But we won’t,’ Yoongi replies.

‘What if we took the regurgitated, the ones from here, to follow up after Jimin?’ Namjoon suddenly suggests.

‘What?’ Sk’jin exclaims in his normal irritated voice, ‘Namjoon what the -‘

‘They’re from here, they don’t have the eyes like the ones from Axudar,’ Namjoon explains. Yoongi senses this is just a rough idea the Kutsoglerin is bouncing around, ‘It could be a way to show-‘

‘Maybe, but we should wait,’ Yoongi says quietly, ‘Considering what we found here, with the pyres, I don’t think any of us should attempt to do anything without Jimin clearing things up.’

It was evident, at least to Yoongi, that the survivors of Megibīya were definitely hunted down through many sols of isolation and desolation, probably by the Axudarians and the Verktaë, not to mention clearly by Beings who could have been GI. In a situation of planetary calamity of this scale, regrouping under the alliance of survival would be a high priority. Yoongi does not doubt that the survivors living within Menigišiti would want to check on the state of their sister-planet of Megibīya. And it was possible they came across some terrible things, witnessed horrors, shutting them away inside of Menigišiti.

‘Why aren’t they coming out?’ Hoseok asks impatiently.

‘They’re afraid,’ Taeh’yung chimes in, ‘I think they came here because they heard Jimin- but now they’re afraid.’

Quietly, Jimin starts to speak. But it’s in his native tongue, so they’re unable to understand.

‘Dehin, Nineti- one of you, can you translate?’ Sk’jin asks quickly.

There’s a pause before Nineti speaks, ‘He’s telling them a story.’

‘A story?’ Namjoon sounds intrigued.

‘It’s a fable from Ma‘ikelawī,’ Dehin adds, ‘It’s about-‘

‘-the Sun and the Moon,’ Yoongi whispers quietly to himself.

‘Aw- Yoongi, you’ve heard it before?’ Taeh’yung asks, ‘It’s kinda sad though isn’t it?’

‘Well whatever the story is about, it seems to be working. I see a hatch opening, center ship beneath the left wing.’ Hoseok says sharply.

Yoongi redirects his scope and catches sight of a hatch-doorway sliding open. There’s a spark of light and a thin ray of light erupts and solidifies, appearing almost like water, forming a ramp. After two breaths a tall figure steps out.

They remind Yoongi of Amme in some ways- thin, slender, and tall with 6 arms. Their skin is the colour of fresh saplings, keen angular eyes a mossy green that seems to catch sight of Yoongi at once. It makes his skin prickle at the discomfort of being seen so quickly. But he’s not given anymore attention as the Being steps down the extended ramp.

Jimin performs an elegant bow. After a strained couple of seconds, so does the Being who still stands by the edge of the ramp.

‘He’s from Be’i,’ Dehin informs them. ‘The Be’iji see truths.’

‘Well, one Being’s truth is another’s lie,’ Sk’jin states bluntly.

Jimin says something. They don’t hear a response, but Jimin continues, almost as though in conversation.

‘He’s telling them his name,’ Dehin translates. ‘Who he is.’

Yoongi’s pulse quickens even though he tries his best to remain calm.

‘He’s saying he’s been lost in time,’ Taeh’yung quietly informs them, ‘And that he was buried by the dreams of those who would not wake, and those who cannot wake, and those who will soon awaken. He is looking shelter, and a home for those who are asleep.’

‘I swear to Spaces,’ Sk’jin grumbles, ‘Politicians all speak the same way.’

‘Can we not refer to Jimin as a politician it makes me uncomfortable,’ Namjoon grumbles.

Sk’jin lets out a stifled giggle.

‘Yoongi?’ Jimin says quietly, ‘Can you please come here with one of the eggs?’

‘Sunshine-‘ Yoongi looks back around at the regurgitated nervously.

‘I got you,’ Jimin says quietly.

‘I’ve got you covered,’ Sk’jin tells him, still not glancing away from his scope.

Yoongi nods. It goes without saying that Yoongi leaves behind his weapons. One of the GI is wheeling over the OrTank from the Medical Bay on a gravity-lift, clearly directed by either Namjoon or Hoseok. Yoongi takes the lift from the GI and makes his way to the entrance where some of the regurgitated have shifted aside the crates they had stacked up earlier.

‘And Dehin, Nineti, Yyna, Okorima, Yagal, and Iraṇṭu.’ Jimin adds, ‘Can you please come too?’

Yoongi glances back to the regurgitated standing there almost idly.

‘Remove your helmets,’ Yoongi tells them as he steps down onto the ramp. He feels his every move watched- he’s never been this exposed before. Even in Pompa where he fought in the arenas- Yoongi has never felt more watched, more exposed, more vulnerable. Yet each step forward takes him closer to Jimin who is watching from the distance.

Looking back, the rest of the Regurgitated follow him in step, maintaining a neat distance between each other. They not only removed their helmet, but the bulkier layers of their suits, leaving them in the simplest form of the black GI uniform.

‘, I think Ilya’s trying to contact us,’ Hoseok informs them, ‘Comms are not connecting though.’

‘,’ Sk’jin swears under his breath, ‘Jimin, you gotta progress this quickly.’

Yoongi subtly increases his walking speed, concentrating only on Jimin up ahead. When he’s close enough to really look at Jimin, he finds that he’s not tensed nor was he nervous looking. He doesn’t look emotional either. Obviously, Jimin was very good at keeping his reactions and emotion under check, prioritizing the situation over his own feelings. So Yoongi’s not sure if he should be taking this as a good sign or not. Jimin turns his back, saying something to the Be’iji before him. Yoongi glances at the ships properly. If these were trade ships, they wouldn’t necessarily be stocked with weaponry. But then again, to rephrase Sk’jin, Jimin’s System did have a surprising spectrum of technology. There was no saying that these ordinary looking ships held no defense or offensive mechanisms.

He’s some steps from where Jimin stood but it’s like he hits a physical wall. He steps back quickly, stance switching as he adjusts his bearings, quickly observing the area.

‘Yoongi?’ Hoseok asks worriedly.

‘It’s okay,’ Jimin tells him, voice carrying over with ease. ‘It’s just shields.’

Yoongi stands by the barrier he can’t see carefully, tugging the lift closer to him and angling it so that it hovered by his side. He has to crane his neck upwards a little to look at the Be’iji. With halting motion, the Be’iji steps forward, the edges of their rough looking robes sliding alongside, kicking up a little bit of dust. Yoongi glances at Jimin, checking him again for any signs of discomfort.

The Be’iji stands a little to the side, and then slowly lowers themself to look into the OrTank. A slit for a mouth opens and though Yoongi cannot rightly hear what they’re saying, he feels it rather than truly hears it. Jimin replies back, no doubt answering a question. The Be’iji looks at the OrTank with mossy green eyes for a few long seconds before reaching forward and touching the surface.

Then their eyes invert colours, the sunken pale white pupil expanding, pushing out the green. Their mouth opens, and though there’s no sound, Yoongi thinks he might be screaming. Out of nowhere, there’s a flash of light and Yoongi is knocked over to the ground.

Through the dust he sees that Jimin has fallen over too, but the Be’iji has one of their arms raised, clearly telling the ships to stop. Yoongi is disoriented- he’s not in pain, but he’s disoriented. Looking about, he finds that the other Regurgitated have fallen over too though some are already standing up, stances defensive. Yoongi wildly looks about, concentrating on Jimin but he’s already looking at him.

‘It’s okay- it’s okay,’ he says quickly, ‘We’re all okay-!’

The Be’iji pulls the lift closer, properly kneeling before it. They’re clearly talking, and Jimin is interjecting occasionally.

Suddenly, Dehin says something, and the Be’iji looks up at him, eyes narrowing a little. Dehin continues to speak, as the other Regurgitated stand as well. The Be’iji doesn’t interrupt. Jimin still stands where he had been, unmoving- Yoongi realizes it’s not because he doesn’t want to, but probably because he’s somewhat confined by a similar shield that’s containing him. His anxiety increases, but there’s nothing he can do.

From behind Jimin, the hatch-doorway opens again and 3 other Beings exit. Jimin turns slowly to look at them. 1 of them appeared to be the same species as Jimin and Dehin. The others are not familiar to Yoongi; neither of them appeared to look like any of the Regurgitated.

‘Dehin is talking about his waking days, of his dreams, of his nightmares,’ Taeh’yung tells them quietly as Yoongi watches the three walk down the ramp. Jimin says something to them- it sounds different from the language he was speaking to with the Be’iji. ‘Ah- too fast, uh-‘

They didn’t appear to be armed- considering their shields, Yoongi doesn’t think they’d need weapons in the first place. Dehin appears to be done speaking, and the Be’iji stands straight, taking the lift with him. Yoongi feels a sense of protectiveness over the OrTank- what would they do with it? Unable to contain himself, Yoongi calls out.

‘Jimin?’

Jimin looks around to him, a little dusty and his clothes in slight disarray.

‘It’s okay,’ he says- though Yoongi can more or less only just read his lips.

‘Yoongi I’m gonna need you to take 2 steps to your left,’ Sk’jin says quietly. Yoongi does as he says, hair on the back of his neck standing on end.

‘Jimin’s talking about his hometown,’ Taeh’yung says, ‘He’s asking if it’s still there.’

Yoongi wishes he could just go stand next to Jimin. Out of nowhere, the Be’iji comes to stand before him, blocking his view of Jimin. Yoongi flinches back, shuffling a little to duck around the tall Being’s form to keep an eye on Jimin again.

He hears the Be’iji speak but it’s nothing he can understand- or properly discern. He’s feeling incredibly agitated.

‘I’m not- I’m not from Menigišiti,’ Yoongi says, looking up at the tall Being, ‘I don’t understand what you’re asking me.’

The Be’iji just looks at him, studying him. Dehin says something, Yoongi hears his name mentioned- he was probably being introduced. He wishes he could sidestep this Being, he doesn’t like not being able to see where Jimin was. He’s also pretty sure they’re blocking Sk’jin’s view. Then the Be’iji raises one hand, a slim pale almost transparent finger unfurling like a slender young vine and lightly touches at the spot on his chest where he kept Chaewon’s hairclip.

Yoongi stops breathing.

For what felt like an eternity, he maintains eye contact with the Be’iji. Then they finally walk away, arms folding down neatly. Yoongi exhales the breath he was holding in, quickly finding Jimin who hasn’t moved and is unharmed in any way. He’s just making small talk it seems. The Be’iji then takes the OrTank, and without saying anything else, walks back into the ship. The other 3 step back and reenter the ship as well.

It’s painfully quiet, no one daring to speak quite yet. The ships start up, and smoothly, the take off and fly back in the direction they had come in. Then, almost as though the shield wasn’t there, Dehin walks past where the barrier had been. Yoongi shoots forward towards Jimin just as their Comm Devices reconnect to the main channels.

‘Spaces ing hell I hate everything!’ Sk’jin is cursing.

‘Why did they leave?’ Namjoon asks incredulously as Yoongi reaches Jimin. Jimin takes his hands at once, leaning against him as though tired. He exhales out shakily.

‘Sunshine? What happened?’ Yoongi asks quietly.

‘I well- I introduced myself,’ Jimin tells him, ‘I uh-‘ he huffs out an almost hysterical laugh, ‘-Yoongi-.’

His eyes well up like he can’t help it and he’s curling up into himself where he stands, head nearly in level with where they’re holding hands.

‘Sunshine-‘ Yoongi scrambles to straight Jimin out but Jimin sinks down, face touching down onto his knees.

‘I’m so-‘ Jimin hiccups, ‘-it’s -…I don’t- I don’t know who they are. I couldn’t- they were just- they were just strangers.’

‘Jimin,’ Yoongi doesn’t know what to say.

‘I know that- I know that I’m supposed to…supposed to accept this, it’s been so long- but-‘

‘No,’ Yoongi shakes his head, ‘No, sunshine, please, look at me.’

He gently tilts Jimin’s face up. He tenderly wipes at the tears on his cheeks.

‘Didn’t I say this to you before?’ he asks gently, ‘You put too much upon yourself, expect too much, more than what is yours to begin with.’

‘Midget is right,’ Sk’jin butts in unexpectedly, ‘Regardless of what happened before, what is happening now with the Beings in Menigišiti is something that is out of your control. It’s harsh, but they have lived without you for this long, that means you need to live with that.’

‘Sk’jin,’ Namjoon exhales in exasperation.

But Jimin nods in Yoongi’s hands.

‘It won’t be easy,’ Sk’jin continues, ‘But hey, you’ve got us right?’

Jimin lets out a watery chuckle. Yoongi catches sight of a sparkle of green from the corner of his eye as Namjoon, Jungkook, and Taeh’yung step out of the woods towards the edge of Udāvana.

‘Yeah,’ Jimin smiles, reaching up to take Yoongi’s hands in his, ‘Yeah I do-‘

‘Jimin!’ Jungkook suddenly roars, causing them both to jump in shock.

Out of nowhere, seemingly appearing out of thin air, a Being taller than both of them stands just a little ways behind them. His hair, a starlight like silver characteristic of Yishengs, reaches his shoulders in blunt layers, skin pale but warm. His features, his built inadvertently remind Yoongi of Jimin.

Yoongi cannot move fast enough because he knows there’s no point, knows that there’s nothing he can possibly do to stop the Yisheng before them-

There’s an eruption of energy- a strange force that ripples out of the Yisheng. It burns against his skin and Yoongi finds himself sliding backwards on his feet. There’s an uproar of voices over the Comms, but Yoongi can’t pinpoint what they’re saying. The moment the force lifts, Yoongi falls as he no longer has something to push against. But he’s unable to stand. He turns, twisting on to his side, straining to catch sight of Jimin wherever he was. Everything was spinning around him and Yoongi finds that despite being winded and the superficial pain that was barely skin deep, he’s not necessarily battling against an overwhelming force.

He was simply being restrained. The other GI are similarly positioned, neutral expressions not giving way to show their exertion as they push against the Yisheng’s bind over them.

But Jimin is a whole different story.

He’s on his knees, blood gushing out of his nose and the side of his mouth.

Yoongi doesn’t know what overtakes him as he wildly pushes against the pressure over him but he doesn’t care. The Yisheng is saying something, and Jimin is answering, whole body twisting in pain but he never looks away never bends or lowers his head he-

‘JIMIN!’ Jungkook roars again, leaping through the clearing, the red of his skin bright and dangerous, bounding across on all fours but he’s pushed back almost just as simply as the rest of them.

‘Tae’h-Taeh’yung-‘ Yoongi grits out, ‘Taeh’yung do something-‘

‘Jimin’s got this,’ the Zhak’gri replies simply, ‘None of us should interfere.’

‘ing Spaces, he’s bleeding!’ Sk’jin yells, ‘How the do they have a Yisheng-‘

‘Tae buggy I’m gonna need you to please do something about this, I cannot do anything from here without hurting Jimin or Yoongi and the other GI please-‘

Whatever force the Yisheng was exerting is suddenly gone and Yoongi is stumbling, tripping over twice before he’s on his feet, sprinting towards Jimin. There is also a sudden appearance of ships all around them, appearing almost the same way like the Yisheng did. They look nothing like the ships they had first seen- they’re sleek, strangely shaped, almost impractical in their form and material. But that wasn’t what was important. They’re completely surrounded. The first ships that had come had simply been a decoy, a scout. They had expected the worst when they moved ahead with their plans, but most of the worst centered in around what they were expecting from Axudar: not from within Menigišiti.

Yoongi trusts Jungkook, who was also already moving, and the other GI, to take care of this Yisheng as he pulls Jimin back when Jimin turns around, hands raised towards all of them, shaking his head. His skin is stained with blood, it does nothing but make Yoongi’s heart beat wildly, desperately, in fear.

‘It’s okay-‘ he’s gasping out, ‘It’s okay, I’m okay-‘

The GI nor Jungkook listen, and Yoongi is with them. He’s not going to stop.

There’s a small glimmer of light, golden and warm- familiar, safe. Yoongi knows it because this was what he had seen, this is what came down to him, came down upon him and enveloped him in everything he was missing.

Which is why Yoongi doesn’t understand why he cannot push past it. Why it feels foreign.

‘Sunshine?’ Yoongi is breathless.

He doesn’t understand.

‘Please,’ Jimin pleads to them, ‘It’s okay, I’m okay.’

‘You’re bleeding!’ Jungkook yells.

‘I know, I’ve stopped-‘ Jimin placates them, ‘This was a misunderstanding. Please, Yoongi, please listen.’

‘Jimin-‘

‘You would do the same,’ Jimin’s tears are clear now, creating streaks down the red stains on his face. He glances back at the Yisheng who is watching them with a stony expression. ‘Please, Yoongi, trust me.’

Yoongi cannot answer.

*

No one seems to understand what Jimin means until Jn’young visibly pales, jaw dropping. Then Sk’jin inhales sharply just as both Ilya and Namjoon look at Jimin with something akin to horror.

‘I have thought,’ Jimin says with a shaking voice, ‘I have thought so hard, scenarios and possibilities; and none of them are able to- are able to contain-‘ he gestures briefly, before taking a deep breath and with a steadier voice pushing forward. ‘The reach of Ndica’s plans and actions, the choices made by the Great Council, combined to enable the continued creation and abuse of New Borns, how far and wide they are scattered around the Universe, the extent of this damage, of this evil- not just the Red Evil, but beyond them, spreading into the GLA, the Venture Unit, into you Network,’ Jimin looks at Ilya. ‘All of this stems, ultimately, from Axudar. It stems from Ndica, and what he was able to accomplish by finally getting a hold of Menigišiti, and taking what he needed from it to make his plans work. And the only way to stop it completely, is to take them, the Verktaë, the Great Council, Ndica’s agents and followers, and let them live a new fate.’

There’s stunned silence following this statement.

‘There is no denying that after Ndica discovered Menigišiti and was able to use it for his purpose, the rate at which a strange evil plagued the Universe heightened,’ Jimin continues, his head bowing slowly as though the weight of his words bore harshly upon him, ‘The Alliance flourished even though it seemed to have quelled down. This evil spread further, catalyzing dormant greed, lust, and cruelty among everyone- setting root in the heart. Moons, planets, suns – all diminished and absorbed, worlds torn apart, lives torn apart- families torn apart, so many lives ripped away, their memories simply…simply forgotten. Promises made, and forcibly broken by a wretched wickedness that haunts us all in our nightmares.’

Jimin raises his bowed head slowly.

‘I cannot do anything,’ he says with a slight tremor to his voice, ‘To undo the wrongs of the past that have stemmed directly from my blindness. But I will do what I can now, with my eyes wide open, to stop what I can within my power.’

Yoongi glances over at Namjoon and finds that the Kutsoglerin is also just as shocked by this statement as everyone else. Jimin hadn’t discussed the possibility of this with him before.

‘I ing knew you could control minds!’ Sk’jin seethes, standing up and slamming his hands down on the table. He looks more gleeful than anything. ‘I told all of you!’

‘Yes, now is not the time for I told you so,’ Namjoon clears his throat, clearly trying to pull things together.

‘And now that you all know this,’ Jimin continues as though neither Sk’jin or Namjoon had said a word, ‘Now that you all know what I intend on doing, are you still willing to partake in this mission, with me?’

With me is said with a light emphasis, the words heavy in the implications of what it would mean to continue forward with Jimin.

Jimin understood that what he was intending on doing was not something to be taken lightly- there were so many facets to this conclusion- facets of belief, faith, morals, ethics.

‘I understand completely if you want to step back,’ Jimin says, ‘While I cannot claim responsibility over everything, try to right the wrongs of so many, I will do what I can to at the very least, see that my people no longer partake in what has taken away so much.

Axudar will be freed, at least to the best of our abilities- I trust that Ilya and Jn’young will see to it. And that K’mara, Amme, will see to that too- it is what they wanted after all. Once we arrive in Megibīya, once I arrive there…if you choose to step back, then with the ranking appointed to me for this mission, I release you.’

No one says a word.

‘Like I said earlier,’ Namjoon breaks the silence, ‘Tell us what we can do, and we will do it.’

Jungkook nods quickly, leaning in even more as though to prove his eagerness to continue being a part of all of this.

‘No more lies?’ Sk’jin quirks an eyebrow, leaning over another chair elegantly.

Jimin just smiles, shaking his head.

‘Oh Jiminie,’ Sk’jin chuckles, eyes sparkling, ‘I’ve never trusted you and I doubt I will start now.’

This makes Hoseok snort, uncrossing his arms as he leans back to stretch a little. ‘I don’t know about you guys but I’ve never failed a single mission in my life, nor have I quit one, and I’m not going to break my record even though I’m technically not an active agent anymore.’

‘I thought we all agreed on this before?’ Taeh’yung sounds genuinely confused.

‘We will do what we can as well,’ Ilya says before glancing over at Yoongi, ‘Is everyone with us?’

‘We don’t ask Yoongi when it comes to Jimin,’ Sk’jin waves a hand dismissively, ‘He has literally been reborn just to be here.’

For some reason this is comedic to everyone around the table, trying to cover their grins and smiles badly.

‘Are you…are you sure?’ Jimin presses again. ‘This is not just…not just a low scale attempt at temporarily disarming an arena of Beings- this would be like Khonen, but on a larger scale, permanently.’

‘I don’t know what you’re talking about,’ Jn’young butts in, ‘But I’m honestly all for taking the Verktaë and Ndica’s enablers and torchbearers and neatly incapacitate them. I’m sure that all of the New Borns, eggs, native Axudarians who are victims of all of this, would also stand by me when I say this would actually be nowhere near punishment enough. But then again, these are not my people,’ he shrugs, ‘I have no attachment to who they are, what they might represent to me in your level.’

‘I’m with Jn’young on this,’ Namjoon says unexpectedly. ‘What you’re saying now is not my decision to make, or to enforce- but I will stand by you.’

Jimin doesn’t seem relieved in any sense but he simply nods instead.  

‘What do we do after that? What happens with the Verktaë then?’ Ilya asks.

‘From what I’ve seen of Axudar, at least the records and data, and from what Jn’young has shared with us, we are not expecting a very large number of them,’ Namjoon begins instead. ‘Sizeable, yes. But not overwhelming. And from what we can deduce, Megibīya is still habitable.’

‘So to keep them in Megibīya? Shielded inside?’ Ilya’s brows furrow in thought. ‘They would try and leave- if they they’re being threatened.’

‘The shields can be inverted,’ Jimin tells them. ‘The charges that generate them just simply need to have their functions rewritten.’

‘This is your tech, you’re going to have to teach us,’ Hoseok says thoughtfully.

Jimin nods to that at once.

‘So the fate of Menigišiti, is what is unknown to us- it’s basically the only aspect of this whole plan that is most unpredictable,’ Ilya says slowly.

‘But it won’t effect what needs to be done with Axudar,’ Jimin says quickly. ‘Axudar will be freed, and for better or worse, I do not know, but whatever is happening there will be stopped and revealed. That is for certain.’

‘You’re a good leader Jimin,’ Ilya says with a grave expression, ‘And I am sorry that you have had to make a decision like this.’

Jimin inclines his head in a bow.

‘Thank you,’ he replies with a faint smile. ‘That means a lot from you.’

‘We will keep in touch constantly,’ Jn’young adds before he disconnects his projection, ‘Do not hesitate to contact us on anything- we have a wide and far-reaching network of information at the ready.’

‘Thank you,’ Namjoon stands.

Ilya sends a smile and a small wink at Sk’jin who responds with his own smile and wink before the Ožkan’s projection blinks out.

‘So,’ Hoseok breathes out long and slow. ‘We have 3 days before we reach Megibīya. I suggest we set-up a step-by-step of our plans for the moment we enter Megibīya.’

‘Before that I want to clarify on some points with princeling,’ Sk’jin also stands, stretching a little, fair falling gracefully around his face. ‘When you say you’re going to let these Axudarians live a new fate, does that mean they will basically lose all sense of self? Or will they just suffer from like, a bout of permanent memory loss?’

‘It’s not un- unlike, what happened to Khonen,’ Jimin says quietly, ‘But Khonen had all of his memory intact within him- it was…it was after that, when basically I let his mind into Sleep.’

Hoseok gives him a quick glance before asking, ‘Will they wake from this sleep?’

‘If I intend it to be so, and I speak the Words, then no,’ Jimin replies evenly, not quite looking at any of them. ‘It will be permanent.’

Hoseok clearly has a lot of questions but it would seem like he didn’t quite know how to ask them- almost as though afraid to hurt Jimin’s feelings by inquiring past his words. Because it was evident to all of them, having been with Jimin for this long, based on his actions, his behavior, his words- his denial.

He despised what his words could do- what his words could undo: how the Fate of his System was now so intertwined with that of the rest of the Known Universe.

‘Will it hurt?’ Jungkook asks.

‘No,’ Jimin shakes his head at once, glancing at Yoongi with a strange sort of pleading, ‘It won’t- they…they won’t realize it’s happening- won’t realize it’s happened.’

‘You really are frightening,’ Sk’jin grins as he walks over to the Table. ‘Not flashy at all, but I guess in the end that does make you infinitely more terrifying.’

Jimin just gives him a sort of strained shrug and short nod of head.

‘It’s okay princeling,’ Sk’jin’s tone is surprisingly gentle, ‘I think it’s impressive.’

‘Well, I guess now we just have to work to make sure things stay-‘

‘If you say stay on track one more time I will end you,’ Sk’jin levels Namjoon with a deadly glare. The Kutsoglerin ignores him blithely and continues on.

‘We just need to make sure that we know how to operate the charges,’ Namjoon taps his bionic fingers across the smooth surface of the Table, ‘Learn how to flip the shield, make sure that the GI with us also know how to do it.’

‘There’s no need,’ Jimin says, ‘Nineti and Dehin remember enough. They have already progressed to teach the others what needs to be done.’

‘Oh?’ Sk’jin looks around at the named GI. ‘Say, none of them were plotting against you were they?’

Jimin shakes his head.

‘What about Yyna though,’ Namjoon asks thoughtfully, ‘We could very well see how Prat’tna was born with all of his priorities from the past still somehow intact though it wasn’t always quite him the entire time. Wouldn’t Yyna at some point, try and sabotage what we’re planning?’

‘It’s a possibility,’ Jimin nods in agreement before he falters a moment. He clears his throat before saying, ‘She is not Awakening though- not like Nineti or Dehin.’

‘And about you staying down in Megibīya without anyone else,’ Hoseok adds, ‘We need to change that.’

‘I’ll stay with Jiminie,’ Taeh’yung offers at once, ‘Two lost Children.’

‘That does nothing to make me feel better,’ Hoseok deadpans with a sigh. ‘Like I said, we’re going to have to clearly make some changes once we arrive at Megibīya. Ilya and Jn’young’s participation in our plans is unfortunately the easier part of this whole mess. We are going to have to be flexible.’

‘And of course, let’s not forget that the Omhlophe are still a thing and could be lurking anywhere,’ Sk’jin adds with a small scowl, ‘I trust them to arrive at the most inconvenient time possible.’

‘We could call in the other GI from Lowet to patrol the area around Menigišiti, mainly around Megibīya,’ Namjoon ruminates. ‘I was thinking that if we’re able to somehow manage to find their lurking spots, understand their behavior and patterns, if they could in turn lead us to find more of the scattered New Borns and eggs.’

‘Well,’ Sk’jin says slowly, ‘Not all of the New Borns would need it though.’

‘What do you mean?’ Hoseok frowns a little.

Sk’jin gives him a tired smile.

‘The Universe is a ty place- Beings are ty, selfish, cruel- but sometimes, sometimes it’s not bad. Sometimes, bad things happen just because they can- not as a targeted incidents. Not all New Borns who awake are in ominous peril or danger- some live good lives, with families found and created around them,’ Sk’jin glances over at Jungkook, eyes warm and sad at the same time, ‘Of course these things don’t always last. But sometimes, like what Namjoon saw in Lowet, they are integrated into homes, found and secure.’

‘I guess in a way we are setting this all up so that the eggs that were retrieved from the Gaia Case can find safety,’ Namjoon concludes, ‘And those who will need it- who want it. If everything works out the way we have planned, if we stay on track, and we finish this mission, then our continued mission will be to find the lost eggs and bring them to Menigišiti.’

‘That is assuming the GLA completely give up on us,’ Hoseok sighs, ‘We still don’t know where the Special Jury stand in all of this; won’t be surprised if they want to try and redirect this in their favour or gain.’

‘I like how you don’t mention his name but we all know you’re talking about Haenoon.’ Sk’jin snorts. 

‘Again, that’s too far ahead to make any decisions on,’ Namjoon pulls them back in, ‘I suggest we bring in the GI to scout the area around Megibīya, I’ll contact them now. It’ll be good defense, as well as a good look out for us too. More eyes out and about.’

‘What happens if Menigišiti is not safe?’ Jungkook asks, speaking up for the first time in a long while. ‘What do we do with the other New Borns? The eggs?’

Everyone’s eyes widen slightly at that.

‘If we can’t find a home for them,’ Jimin says after a few seconds, ‘We will make one for them.’

*

The pain that erupts through Jimin is just a little above the point of being unbearable. He falls to his knees at once, and he doesn’t feel it amidst the fire that erupts in his veins. There is blood that pours of out his nose almost at once, blood that pours out through his throat onto his tongue into his mouth. He feels great pressure break in his ears and he knows he’s bleeding there too, his vision reddens, but it’s nothing. It’s nothing compared to who stood before him.

The Yisheng, the S’wezete, stands before him.

‘So the Fate returns,’ he says.

There is anger in his voice. Anger, pain, sorrow. The Breath of Life forced to watch over a System of betrayal, and of heartbreak.   

‘Who was that in that casing?’ he demands.

‘A- a Being, a lost child,’ Jimin coughs out, ‘Persecuted for being born of an evil that permeated the Universe, long before their time.’

‘How is it our responsibility to watch over them? I assume you have brought with you many more, aboard that ship, and these others who are with you as well,’ he gestures briefly.

‘It is not,’ Jimin agrees, ‘But we were born of a promise, a promise that still holds true, a promise of hiding – to escape a wrath that none of should have had to bear.’

He feels his eyes burn but it’s with tears.

‘A wrath none of us should have had to bear,’ Jimin repeats, looking up at his fellow Ma’ikelawen, ‘Life is Continuum, S’wezete, and we have come full circle again.’

He doesn’t say anything, just looks at Jimin for a while.

‘Please,’ Jimin says quietly, a bubble of blood bursting around his lips. ‘They just need a place to be. A place to rest.’

The pain goes away and Jimin can breathe. There’s a kaleidoscope of colours and forms as ships appear all around in the sky. These are the ships Jimin recognizes. Not the simpler trade ships that had appeared before, used mainly to ship cargo between the planets. These were ships meant for travel, speed, now altered for defense. The ships he had travelled in once, so many sols ago, during a life he no longer existed in.     

‘You sang to us,’ the S’wezete says, ‘We all heard you in our hearts.’

‘I didn’t know if…if it would resonate again,’ Jimin tells him, ‘I lost my orbit. What heart beat in me no longer dwells within.’

The S’wezete raises one grim eyebrow, his gaze penetrating Jimin’s soul.

‘Then what beats within you now?’

Jimin hears Yoongi’s steps, several others, headed towards him. This was going to be tricky to try and explain, dripping with blood.

‘Something borrowed,’ he replies before turning to face his heart.

Yoongi looks distraught, eyes wild with confusion, fear, panic, and hurt.

‘You would do the same.’ It hurts Jimin to say this but he does, ‘Please, Yoongi, trust me.’

Taeh’yung appears, slightly out of breath, sparks of green light erupting around him. Jimin feels a ripple in the air before him, a surge of energy pushing against the Zhak’gri. Taeh’yung falters a little, smile never slipping.

‘Hi!’ he waves brightly as he puts his two fingers to form a ‘v’ shape over the side of his face, ‘Nice to meet you! I’m Taeh’yung!’

Jungkook growls, aggressively pulling Taeh’yung away, snapping his teeth at the S’wezete.

‘Are we being threatened? What’s with the cavalry?’ Sk’jin asks.

‘Let me speak to him, to them,’ Jimin says, looking only at Yoongi. ‘I will explain why we are here, what has happened, and what is to come.’

‘Jimin-‘ Yoongi tries again, blinking hard as though attempting to clear his vision because what was unfolding before him surely could not be real.

‘Please,’ Jimin pleads, ‘I am not in danger. None of us are- not from them. They just want answers, and we- we need answers too. To understand what happened, so that we can better receive what is coming from Axudar.’

‘Again, not to in at the wrong time but Ilya is on the line,’ Hoseok tells them, ‘What do we do?’

Jimin spots Namjoon at a short distance, a few of the GI behind him. Sk’jin hasn’t quite moved out of his position by the Hangar gateway.

He slowly turns again to face the S’wezete. He’s looking around the place curiously, eyeing not just them, the new living Beings that came to this planet, but he’s looking around Udāvana with some curiosity, as though studying the changes he could most definitely feel.

‘What Count is it?’ Jimin asks the S’wezete.

‘We are entering the 8^th Cycle of the Akran Count, on the 2/4^th Note, of the 12^th Resonance,’ he replies.

Jimin closes his eyes, breathing out slowly. His calculations were a little off, but not too far from his estimations.

‘It has been 147 Cycles, and 32 Resonance have passed since the Disconnect, if that’s what you were wondering,’ he further adds.

Nearly 1500 sols, Jimin dimly calculates. 1500 sols during which he had been away.

‘Will you tell me, what has happened since?’ Jimin asks.

The S’wezete studies him a moment before slowly shaking his head.

‘I don’t think you have the time for that right now, do you?’ he asks slowly. ‘What you did, with the Megibīyan Sanctuary, linked back the external gateways. If we saw it, then the others most definitely saw it too.’

‘The others?’

The S’wezete nods towards the sky, ‘I don’t know how the name stuck, but we just call them the Heartless.’

‘Did you think I was one of them? The Heartless?’ Jimin asks quietly.

The S’wezete looks at him for a while and shakes his head again. He looks out into Udāvana and says, ‘You are like those who hid here, who escaped here. The Broken.’

Jimin thinks hard and he thinks fast. In all honesty he had not thought that this, this meaning what was happening right now with the Beings of Menigišiti, could have possibly happened. He hadn’t dared to hope. The disconnect he felt, of himself and of Menigišiti had been as though a lifeline had been severed. Jimin had in many ways, assumed Menigišiti was simply dead.      

But what he saw in the Sanctuary had given him some hope, a strange resilient fighting hope that maybe, Menigišiti had someone continued to survive. That she still held within her life. And of course, Jimin had expected whatever life existed within Menigišiti would have continued on without him- and possibly would have been better, and would have been glad of it too. He had expected it, braced himself for the pain of realization, but hadn’t realized how much it would hurt.

Not just because he felt the disconnect twice as cruelly as he did before, but because now, he would have no way to reach in for help. Coming to Menigišiti was always going to be met with some failure, Jimin was sure of that much. He had been away for nearly 1500 sols; what authority did he have in bringing in the eggs and New Borns into Menigišiti now?

How dare he?

But now, speaking to the S’wezete, maybe there was something he could do or say, to at least secure the safety of those created and born into his Fate.

‘I can’t rightly tell but I think they have us entirely surrounded and probably have us all tracked,’ Hoseok is saying, ‘There is no escaping this.’

Jimin looks at the ships all around them.

‘I do not have any desire to cause harm,’ he says, ‘I am unarmed, and so are those who are with me.’

‘The Fate is never unarmed,’ the S’wezete states simply.

Jimin winces, breathing out slowly and as evenly as he could.

‘The Heartless live in a System called Axudar, not very distant from where we are.’ Jimin begins. ‘It exists in the Vaa’r Constellation during the Akramanan winter sky, and in the Aarsil Constellation in the Awọ’nle autumn dawn. This System is the core of where all of this began, and how this dormant evil was allowed to spread. An inherited curse casted upon the Universe that caused Menigišiti to hide, her promise binding our Fate, our Heart; and one that I intend to break- a curse I am already breaking.’

‘How are you breaking that curse?’ the S’wezete asks.

‘Axudar protects itself from the rest of the Universe, using its excuses to harvest a cruel cycle of creation and death, of subjugation and absolute dominance over innocent Beings born by their desire to dictate and control. The Being you have with you, that the Be’iji brought back- they are one of the many millions scattered across the Universe. One of the many who are with me, living and breathing, persecuted by those who fear them, used by those who see them only as assets, destroyed by those who do not understand the sanctity of life.’

Jimin looks behind him, finds that no one has moved from their spots, still agitated, worried- desperately waiting for some resolution or action. Yoongi looks anxious, shifting his weight every now and then, but keeping his spot.

‘One of the many who simply need rest,’ Jimin looks back at the S’wezete. ‘I have exposed Axudar, and all of its vile actions and doings, irreparably laid out. So now, the Heartless, the Verktaë, the Great Council, Ndica’s followers- all of these Beings will abandon their compromised safety and-‘

‘-and they will come here,’ the S’wezete finishes, mouth settling into a grimace. He nods towards the forests, ‘Is that why you are following the paths along the Crescent to activate the charges?’

Jimin nods.

‘And then what?’

Jimin takes a slow breath.

‘I intend on binding them to a new Fate.’

The S’wezete doesn’t react. He doesn’t say anything for a while.

Jimin can hear Jungkook’s impatient huffs, Taeh’yung quiet reassuring sounds, he can sense how Namjoon, Sk’jin, and Hoseok were all listening intently, tensed and coiled, ready to spring into action at any moment- and Yoongi. He can feel Yoongi’s heart beating within his chest.

A few more strained seconds go by until the S’wezete looks around at the ships about them and breathes out quietly.

‘Follow me,’ he says simply and turns to walk towards Udāvana.

A few of the ships slowly begin to land while a few other lift off completely into the sky.

Jimin glances back behind him, finds confused and worried faces looking to him for an explanation of any sort.

‘I’m going to talk to the Yisheng,’ Jimin explains to them as the air around him sinks, dust on the ground waving off gently in the process. ‘I’ve told him a brief summary of what…what we are doing here, why we’re here.’

‘Can I come?’ Yoongi, Jungkook, and Taeh’yung all ask simultaneously in varying tones of worry, anxiousness, and eagerness. None of them move yet though, wary of their surroundings (or at least Yoongi and Jungkook are, seeing as the youngling has Taeh’yung pulled back with a strong grip) and who might be watching from the ships.

Jimin shakes his head.

‘I think it’s best if I speak to him directly, alone.’ Jimin tells them. 

Yoongi takes slow step forward, clearly being careful. He glances at the ships nearby and at the S’wezete’s retrieving back. He seems to think better of it, and with a lot of self-control he stops a few steps from Jimin.

‘Are you sure?’ he asks quietly.

Jimin nods.

‘I think…I think we can continue forward with the charges,’ Jimin tells them. ‘I’ll keep the lines on- short-radio is on. You can hear everything- um, Dehin can continue to translate, Tae too.’

Taeh’yung nods vigorously, shaking Jungkook in the process.

‘Stay safe,’ Yoongi tells him. ‘I’m right here, if you need me.’

Jimin nods and quietly adds, ‘I’m sorry for blocking you there- I uh, it was a tricky situation, I didn’t…I didn’t want you or anyone else to get hurt.’

Yoongi nods, a small smile on his lips.

Taking a steadying breath, and taking the warmth from his smile with him, Jimin turns on his heels and follows the S’wezete into Udāvana.

Jimin has walked the streets of this city many times before. He remembers when it was vibrant with life, Megibīyans walking about, going about their own lives. Jimin remembers the first time he came to Megibīya, the first time he walked through Udāvana- he’d been so young, so amazed. Prat’tna had been there with him, showed him the cities, their forests, their stores, their markets- it’s quiet now.

Grey, quiet- it was a graveyard, and only memories lingered, like the ashes from the pyres that spread outside the city limits. Lingering faintly, but fading to nothing at the slightest breath.

The S’wezete is waiting for him in front of an open doorway, pausing to make sure Jimin was following him before stepping in. When Jimin crosses the doorway, the S’wezete is looking around the crumbling interior for something. Without a word, Jimin looks to the side to the storage panels under the floorboards. Pulling up one of the planks, inside, Jimin discovers incredibly old and dried but still remarkably preserved wood logs.

Fire was revered in Megibīya, and a household like this would have always kept stock at the gathering chamber. He throws in the logs into the dome shaped pit lined with smooth stones and rocks. The S’wezete easily starts up a small fire which catches onto the very dry logs quickly. Jimin finds a short bench like stool and sits before the fire as the S’wezete does the same.

‘You speak their language,’ the S’wezete remarks, adjusting the logs inside the pit for a while before settling in comfortably. ‘How long have you lived out there?’

‘Just a little over a quarter of a Cycle.’

The S’wezete frowns at that.

‘I guess I should tell you from the start, what happened,’ Jimin begins, his heart steady in his chest though his hands seem to shake a little. The fire was a good idea, because Jimin feels a nauseating chill settle on him due to his anxiousness.

He tells the S’wezete of everything. He talks and talks, until his throat is parched, his mouth tired, his voice hoarse. Jimin starts with the day he was called to meet with the Great Council. He tells him of what happened in Megibīya, of the destruction he came upon, the orders he gave to shut down the Sanctuary, of those he laid to rest, of those he lost. He tells him about Yoongi, about how he too was stranded in Megibīya, unknowing of what he had been lead into. He tells him of the Red Evil, their ships, their creations, their destruction, their twisted inheritance of a dream. He tells him of the strange white emptiness, filled with forgotten songs, lost memories, quiet voices, and waiting hands.    

Jimin tells him of the vivid dreams he has, of pain, fire, red skies, loss. And how he Awoke here, in this lifetime, lost and betrayed and hollow.

He doesn’t hold back, as he explains to him the intricacies of the network of power, greed, power, and manipulation of the GLA, the Yisheng Directory, the Venture Unit, the GIU. He connects the seemingly unrelated events of vanishing ships in a stretch of dead space just beyond Ymir, of the battles between Ynqaba and Lowet, of the Pompen Arena, the Alliance.

The S’wezete doesn’t interrupt him even once, the flames between them turning his eyes gold occasionally. His eyes are amber-brown, as Jimin’s would have been had he not been born as the Fate. The same amber-brown as other Ma’ikelawens.

Jimin explains the mission to him, of the Special Jury, of the Court. He tells him of the GI, the eggs, the New Borns, the Regurgitated. He tells him of the Omhlophe, the Axudarians, the Verktaë.

And finally Jimin tells him about them.

He starts with Namjoon, their captain. He quietly goes through the events of what happened in Kutsoglera, of the memories he looked into in their Dreams. He tells him of his world of pain, a world almost child-like in its absolutes because of what he had seen, and what he now bore upon himself as a result. But he also tells him about his quiet observance, of his steadiness, unflinchingly moving forward with a belief that while evil and cruelty existed in every single living Being alive, hope and empathy existed there too. He can’t help but laugh a little, adding funny quirks about how Namjoon just tripped over nothing at times, limbs too long.

There’s almost too much to say when he starts talking about Sk’jin. The S’wezete snorts under his breath as Jimin tells him about his nicknames for him, including but not limited to princeling and little royal . He tells him of the Khol’isa as a whole, of their strange lives, of their rebirth, and of their slow deaths. He describes the Bloodmoon to him, dull yet electric, filled with anguish, dread, and sorrow. Jimin tells him of the Nightmare, of hollowed eyes peering out of the leaves in a dense terrible jungle, of a sacred promise made, a vow- and the desperation of keeping it safe.

Jimin hesitates a little before he starts with Hoseok, voice softening as he looks down at his palm, feeling the flare of fire under his own palm as though the guilt and sorrow of it seared through to his own flesh too. Jimin pushes forward though, smiling a little as he explains how earning Hoseok’s trust had been the most difficult out of everyone there. How they had nearly quite fallen at the seams when Hoseok had left, and how his clear logic and rationale set the foundations of their choices, their move forward.

And Taeh’yung- he can’t even begin to describe the Zhak’gri – but maybe the S’wezete would somehow understand it. Maybe he could see the lingering figures of four, etched into existence despite the passage of time because that’s how they seemed to exist- just beyond time, yet within the boundaries of continuum. Describing Taeh’yung within the limitations of time seemed impossible- he was both young, and incredibly old at the same time- genuine, and yet absolutely apathetic the next second. He was closest to what could be described as one of the Children.

And Jungkook. Jimin further explains the eggs, the New Borns. He describes again the process, or at least what he understands of it and what he has seen of it, the process of their birth and creation. He tells the S’wezete of his prison cell, of the rank, the decay, the rot, the torture. He tells him of his family, his siblings, his mothers – lost and gone in the dim acidic dust that swathed Ynqaba.

‘And-…and there’s Yoongi,’ Jimin looks down at his hands, at the marking on his finger. ‘He’s Human, from a planet called Earth. Strong, gentle, so…so beautiful. He’s…he’s like moonlight. He was…he was taken- stolen. Torn apart, put together, lost and…lost and nearly forgotten. But he awoke, quietly, slowly- waiting and-…’

He pauses, breath somewhat stuck in his lungs.

‘And he came back to me.’

The S’wezete hasn’t moved, the fire between them low and the pit floor drowned in ash.

‘And so now, here we are,’ Jimin swallows with difficulty before clearing his throat. His hands are cold despite the warmth of the fire. He hasn’t stopped shivering, but now it’s calmed to slight tremors under his skin, a strange relief at finally being able to say everything.

‘It’s strange,’ the S’wezete says after a while.

‘What is?’

The S’wezete doesn’t reply just yet, looking away from Jimin to stoke the low flames a little bit more. Jimin shivers, his whole being tensed and coiled, anticipating in desperation for every second that goes by.

‘I wasn’t born during the Disconnect,’ the S’wezete begins. ‘I was born maybe a few Cycles after- we lost time, a lot of it, in a strange suspension of loss, death, rage, and fear. I was born just a little after the Disconnect, when all we could do was try and reconnect, try and stay together.’

The S’wezete hugs his arms around himself, rocking forward and backward a few times before exhaling wearily and saying, ‘My parents named me Lim. They tried to be hopeful.‘

‘Sprout,’ Jimin smiles.

‘They tried to be hopeful- and I was born a S’wezete-, unexpected and unprepared. Maybe there was hope after all,’ Lim shrugs, ‘But the cycles after the Disconnect nearly destroyed us all.’

Jimin shivers, hands twitching. He tries to lean in closer to the warmth of the fire but he’s paralyzed.

‘The Great Council enforced a great migration,’ Lim begins.

Jimin closes his eyes.

‘We were now released from our Fate, and we were now free, they said. Free from our Cycles, from the resonance that bonded us to this place. Now we had that choice, to go past what we were allowed- past what Fate held for us. Long story short, many left. My parents always said it was so strange to see neighbours, people you knew, even family, who followed the Great Council. It was…at first they said it appeared nearly almost entirely peaceful. Confusing, but entirely peaceful. Those who wanted to leave simply left, and those who wished to remain…remained. But something strange started to happen- a restless confusion that suddenly erupted in a strange hysteria from everyone- it all happened so fast and yet with a drudgery that seemed to gnaw into everyone’s minds.’

Lim pauses a moment.

‘It was then that we knew, we had lost our Heart.’

A sharp pain pierces through Jimin’s chest.

‘It reached a fever pitch- and all of our resonance, the Music that held us in time to each other, within each other, just…it just broke. And everything collapsed after that. A few of the Sanctuaries overpowered and exploded- violent eruptions of stored energy spewed in every direction- it decimated over 12 Sanctuaries, and Eimili and Awọ’nle are well…the structure of our System has changed. What once was 11 is now 8; but just barely, because over the Cycles, Űy’ler and Dzmbaal are no longer habitable.’ His voice hardens, ‘And Akramana was…’

Jimin cannot open his eyes, the weight of Lim’s words pulling down on him, rendering him senseless except for his hearing.

‘The first thing that happened was the loss of our resources- some planets were more lucky, but the others struggled. This incited fear, more panic- and…-and that triggered a violent response and we just…we just fell straight into a maddened violence. We were just trying to survive; my parents, my family, so many families- we were just trying to survive. But the Heartless were strangely stranded, taking over the whole of Gorebēti, Ma‘ikelawī, and Akramana. But they were less in number than us- though they had the force of technology from Akramana behind them. And then we just fought. It lasted for over 20 Cycles- my parents hid me, for a long while, but it was starting to become difficult- with lack of food, the Heartless hunting all of us who would not join them in their strange stranded limbo. They were…’ Lim pauses. ‘We managed to gain control back over Ma’ikelawī and Gorebēti. They escaped to Akramana, and for a while, we thought…maybe we could just leave them there- the Sanctuary that connected us to Akramana was scattered at best. We had lost all hope for Megibīya, we assumed it had been overwhelmed as the rest of us. My parents had believed that we lost you, our Fate, there.’

Jimin finally opens his eyes, body trembling.

‘All of Menigišiti believed you were lost- torn apart, shredded from our Resonance- some believed it was intended, purposeful. Some believed the Great Council had you assassinated. Either way, we were now all lost- and with no idea of what lay ahead of us, what fate awaited us.’ Lim leans his head on his hand, watching the fire without really seeing it. ‘For a while we could breathe- they stayed in Akramana, and we recovered as best as we could. It was nearly impossible. I had grown a little then, unsure of what to do, my parents didn’t know what they could do- no teacher remained- the Great Council was out of the question. It was risky, but no life was lived without risk and my parents quietly introduced me to the rest of Menigišiti. I learnt what I could from records- at least what survived of it. The Great Council destroyed so much of our history, our past, our teachings – we couldn’t break from our Fate if we still lived our present based on the past, is what they had said. They would create a new beginning, a new history- and so many records were destroyed.

I don’t know what it was that drove them, what madness took over their hearts, but they attacked one day. They came in great company- flying down from Akramana. Maybe it was food, lack of resources- we never understood what it was they wanted or needed and there was no cohesive pattern. It seemed so…insane. Some of my first strongest memories are of those days.

The surviving Be’iji were dying, unable to bear the calamity around us. We knew we were dying, that this would be our terrible, mad deaths- if we didn’t do something.’

Jimin is barely breathing.

‘The Akramanan who opposed the Heartless took it upon themselves to fix the remaining Sanctuaries- to realign the Cores- at least for a few of the planets. And then we…we were able to reverse engineer a few of the Sanctuaries and we destroyed Akramana.’

The fire crackles, dry wood splitting, bright red deep in the dry heat.

‘We thought that…maybe that was the end of it. Maybe after so many Cycles of pain, loss, hysteria- we could finally try and heal. And for a while we did, several Cycles went by and with the aid of the Be’iji scholars, I learnt what it meant to be a S’wezete. I was just a little older than a youngling when they came back- we were taken by surprise. My parents died in that attack.

So many died in that attack. But at the same time, so many were taken. Rage and horror drove us and we endured 8 more raids until we were able to stabilize enough Sanctuaries to lock us in, and lock them out. It’s unstable, and though there are many gaps, they’re incredibly dangerous to pass through unless you’re controlling the Sanctuaries from within. We tried to find the Megibīyan Sanctuary, but it was too far out.

And so we continued to survive. We were tired and broken, but we pushed forward to what hope we didn’t know. Each new day was a feat, and yet we managed- days to orbits, Cycles to Resonances- and here we are.’

He ends the same way Jimin had. Lim gives him a half smile and shrug.

‘Guess in a way, we were both waiting for something- realization, hope, salvation, guidance, clarity- a reason. And we are both here, empty handed.’

It’s silent for a while.

‘Of course, we had more attempts at raids. Or well…I don’t think the later ones were really raids anymore it was…it was as though they had gone mad,’ Lim explains, ‘It’s rarer now, when I was younger I saw more of them- tried to help in what ways I could if they managed to somehow survive breaking past the barriers. Sometimes they tried coming in in droves- in great ships, but they never could quite break through. Those who did somehow miraculously managed they…they were so altered, so…’ Lim frowns, unable to express it into words. ‘When we looked into their Truths, it was almost as though they had…they had been unhinged.’

Jimin doesn’t know what to say.

‘They were empty,’ Lim says simply, ‘It made me wonder if we were at all, meant to leave Menigišiti. That leaving Menigišiti meant that you were lost, and even if you found your way back, your heart just no longer beats here.’

Jimin’s throat feels constricted.

‘And that made me think, when we saw the Beings you brought with you, maybe those who left are now truly lost,’ Lim says thoughtfully, reaching forward to adjust one of the logs in the pit. ‘And those who need to be found, just need to rest their hearts somewhere, with us.’

Jimin sits up straight at that.

‘We have managed to survive,’ Lim says, ‘We have survived, and now we are living. It’s only 4 planets now, that are entirely habitable. We are doing our best for the other remaining planets but it’s hard. We lack resources, we lack the numbers.’

‘If I can bring that to you,’ Jimin’s voice is hoarse and thin.

‘When we heard you sing,’ Lim says instead, ‘It was almost as though…almost as though we were finally given the relief of a farewell.’

Jimin swallows hard.

‘It was as though he could finally breathe again, a signal we had waited for, for so long- an overturn to something new.’ Lim explains, rubbing his hands slowly over the flame as though to warm himself. ‘We had been in Gorebēti, where we are arranging the dams- it’s how we got here so quickly. It was almost as though we had to rush to the window of our home to wave farewell- we had to see it for ourselves. After so long.’

‘And it’s like I had to turn back around and look,’ Jimin whispers quietly.

‘But what does this mean?’ Lim asks, gesturing briefly to him, ‘This is just my translation. You are here now. Does that mean you will return to Menigišiti?

Jimin just smiles and finally says what resonated for so long hidden within him.

‘I can’t.’

‘Why not?’ Lim looks genuinely curious. ‘You are not empty, nor are you one of the Heartless.’

‘I was lost,’ Jimin tells him as he stands up. ‘But I was found. And I will remain there.’

Lim stands slowly, blinking a few times as he processes his words.

‘It’s as you said,’ Jimin explains, ‘It was a long wait, a long farewell that needlessly stretched on and on- and in it, too much, so much happened. But we are both here now, in this strange border. I cannot cross over. Not anymore.’

‘And what of the fate of Menigišiti?’

‘I do not hold your Fate, yours, or Menigišiti’s,’ Jimin says quietly, ‘It has never really been me. What can I do, what fate can I hold over Menigišiti- the Fate of Menigišiti comes from you, it comes from all of you- you have always controlled it, you have always directed it.’

Lim continues to look at him, eyes unreadable.

‘Very well,’ he nods once more. ‘I do not think I can pretend to understand, all though I feel it in my heart. So I will accept it. Thank you for your honesty.’

‘Thank you for listening,’ Jimin pauses before turning around to leave the house. ‘Lim…’

The S’wezete looks up as he brushes his hands off of any remaining ash.

‘I am in no place to even try and say this to you, but…’ Jimin exhales out slowly, ‘Thank you, for bringing back the heart of Menigišiti to life.’

Lim just gives him a small smile, shaking his head.

‘It’s not just me,’ he says, ‘It’s like you said- this comes from all of us- from me, it comes from your friends, it comes from you. And it will always remain like this, just as it does in here.’

He places his hand over his chest, above his heart.

Jimin holds his hand up to his chest, breathing in and out quietly.

‘I’m being asked if you miss home cooking.’

Suddenly, without meaning to and without being able to control himself, Jimin’s eyes instantly well up with tears. He nods quickly, dabbing at his eyes quickly.

‘Yeah,’ he replies thickly, ‘Yeah I do actually. Really miss ahlun stews.’

‘Farm food,’ the S’wezete chuckles.

‘My parents were farmers,’ Jimin chuckles, ‘I guess I inherited that.’

They slide the dome shield over the grate, snuffing out the flames. They put back the stools where they found them before quietly stepping back out.

‘I forget,’ Lim says looking around, ‘That it’s always sunrise here.’

Jimin looks at the walls above them, rosy sunlight shining gently through the clouds.

‘Time stilled for me the last time I was here,’ Jimin says quietly as they walk in step.

‘And will it now move forward?’

‘I…’ Jimin pauses as they step out of the street. Yoongi hasn’t moved from where he last left him though he’s sitting down now. Jungkook is pacing while Taeh’yung is on the floor, merrily addressing Dehin who was stiffly sitting down next to him. ‘I’m afraid that it already has.’

Yoongi stands up immediately upon seeing him. Jungkook abandons all restraint and sprints forward. Jimin only just realizes he’s only hastily wiped at his blood stained face, not removing it completely so he clearly still looked a complete mess.

‘Is he what you referred to as a New Born?’ Lim asks, nodding in Jungkook’s speedy direction.

‘Yes,’ Jimin smiles, raising his arms up automatically to greet the youngling. Jungkook crouches down more as he gets closer, arms low ready to scoop Jimin up. He holds him tight, angling him away from Lim. It makes Jimin smile. Jungkook puts him down carefully, already roughly wiping at his face.

‘It’s okay Kookie,’ Jimin says, trying to push the Vicitra’s hands away with a small laugh. He catches Yoongi walking up to them but he’s not looking at Jimin. ‘Um Yoongi-‘

Yoongi walks up to Lim and quite calmly punches him across the jaw.

‘Yoongi!’ Sk’jin sounds equal parts scandalized and pleased. Namjoon and Hoseok make twin tired sighs.

Lim is waving at someone somewhere, clearly dismissing something as he stands up straight again, flexing his jaw painfully. His eyes are watery but he doesn’t seem angry. And Yoongi seems to have vented enough as he’s stepping back quickly, posture abruptly relaxed again though his eyes are dancing with irritation.

‘Yoongi-‘

Jungkook stands behind him protectively as Yoongi walks up to him, sleeves pulled down and gently wiping at the smeared dried blood on his face.

‘Ouch,’ is all Lim says, sounding tired though he’s looking at Yoongi with a new curious light. He glances at Jungkook too, not bothered by the deadly glare directed at him, before going back to Yoongi. Of course he could tell- he could see it.

‘Hi!’

Taeh’yung appears in a flurry, all up in Lim’s space, causing the S’wezete to take a step back.

‘I’m Taeh’yung and only the Beings I love can call me buggy so you can’t- not yet anyways,’ he says quickly, ‘I have a really important question for you, can you help me out?’

‘Uh- about what?’ Lim leans back uncomfortably as Taeh’yung presses further in.

‘No like, can you help me out? I’ve been unwell and it’s like I’m clogged up,’ Taeh’yung whines.

‘Uh-‘

‘You’re okay?’ Yoongi asks quietly as he takes a step back. ‘You’re cold.’

‘Yeah- uh, nervous?’ Jimin giggles softly. ‘It’s okay, I’m okay.’

Yoongi takes off his jacket and wraps it around Jimin at once.

‘What about your feet? Do you want shoes?’ Yoongi frowns at his dusty and discoloured feet.

Jimin just shakes his head, fingers automatically entwining with Yoongi’s.

‘I will return later,’ Lim announces.

Jimin turns to him, holding in a slight shiver, feeling better with the warmth of the jacket around him, an anchor in his hand.

‘Thank you for listening to me,’ Jimin tells him, ‘And thank you for telling me. If you will allow it, I will bring what you need.’

Lim just nods and with a slightly hesitant and awkward half wave, walks off towards the closest landed ship.

‘I’m guessing we’re going to be able to continue with the plan?’

‘Yes,’ Jimin replies, watching after the S’wezete, headed back for Menigišiti, feeling a slight pang in his heart. It’s not regret, it’s not painful either. Instead it’s almost akin to relief- relief gained from realization.

There was no return for him. Not in Menigišiti anyways- not anymore.

‘You look tired,’ Jungkook says with a frown, studying his features.

‘Did that Yisheng at the very least heal you?’ Sk’jin demands. ‘That was no ordinary amount of blood when you’re that tiny.’

‘He didn’t heal me,’ Taeh’yung pouts, stomping a little with a sigh.

‘Would that even work?’ Namjoon asks aloud.

‘Your vitals read normal, but it’s best to have you checked,’ Hoseok tells them at once. ‘Yoongi, will you bring Jimin back in?’

‘Yeah,’ Yoongi replies, tugging Jimin closer, looking over him with concern. ‘We’re headed over now.’

‘What happened while I was talking?’ Jimin asks. He’s not sure how long they talk with Lim went on, but he’s sure that several hours would have passed already. ‘Hoseok, you said that Ilya had been on line?’

‘He was.’ Hoseok replies, ‘But it was just to update us on the situation in the Underverse- there’s already traffic headed towards Axudar now- mostly vendors, junkers, and lesser pirates- petty ones at first of course. Agents aren’t probably too far off. Ilya most likely won’t have to try and create a blockade to redirect the escaping Axudarians towards us.’

‘Anything from Šerdesas?’

‘It’s a mess,’ Sk’jin snorts. Jimin can see him by the Hangar gateway of the ship. ‘The Court is practically on fire.’

‘It’s on fire?’ Jungkook asks quietly, worry in his tone.

‘We understood what you were both discussing, partially at least,’ Yoongi says quietly, head angled towards him slightly to keep their conversation just between them. ‘We heard about what happened in Menigišiti.’

Jimin squeezes Yoongi’s hand slightly, leaning in a little more against the Human. He was tired. The shivers have nearly almost faded and his hands were slowly starting to regain warmth again.

‘It was…it was both what I expected, but also…also so different,’ Jimin tells him. ‘It’s just…so…disconnected I guess.’

Yoongi nods in understanding.

‘Did anything else happen while I was in there?’ Jimin asks, taking a deep breath and steadying himself.

‘The GI are on their way,’ Yoongi tells him, ‘They should be here within a Standard day. No signs of the Omhlophe.’

‘The charges?’

‘We’ve found 5 in total that are operational,’ Yoongi replies at once. ‘Now that the forests are cleared, and we can all move forward together, we should be able to, well, stay on track.’

Jimin huffs a short laugh under his breath.

‘Yeah,’ he nods, looking around as the ship slowly take off upwards, the light of the sunrise smoothly gliding over the smooth surfaces of the wings.

‘I think we can expand our movement forward wider,’ Namjoon says, ‘I’ll take the first 4 teams forward to the lower cities.’

‘We wanna come too!’ Taeh’yung declares, pulling at Jungkook’s arm. Jungkook turns back around, as though to ask for permission.

Jimin nods, and is surprised when the youngling looks to Yoongi as well. The Human gives a slight nod and Jungkook smiles before jogging ahead, this time dragging Taeh’yung with him. Sk’jin is still where Jimin had last seen him, though now sitting luxuriously (if that was possible) on a few OrTanks.

‘Good job little princeling,’ the Khol’isa says before giving him an appraising look. ‘I don’t approve of the new look but hey, if it works for the two of you-‘

Yoongi sighs while Jimin laughs.

‘Sk’jin, could you stay here and keep a look out on things? I’ll head down and take the other teams forward as well, towards the uh-‘ Hoseok pauses, struggling to read, ‘-well, that lake place.’

‘Sure, no problem Seokkie,’ Sk’jin snorts. ‘But Amad’la stays with me. What about you two?’

‘I’ll follow after Hoseok a little later,’ Yoongi replies at once.

‘I think I need to wait for Lim,’ Jimin answers. ‘I don’t know when he’ll return, but I think to be safe, I’ll stay here for now.’

Sk’jin nods to that. Jimin can feel palpable relief flooding off of Yoongi.

‘First Med Bay for you,’ Sk’jin claps his hand over Jimin’s shoulders, ‘Let’s get you tanked up on all the right kinda fluids, if you know what I’m saying.’

There’s an audible sigh from Namjoon over the Comms and Yoongi actually shoves the Khol’isa away.

‘Why do you abuse me so!’ Sk’jin wails dramatically, throwing himself onto Jimin with a snicker. Hoseok appears around the corner, shrugging a jacket on. ‘Hobi! Yoongi is abusing me!’

With a snort, Hoseok is lifting his hand halfway to wave when he suddenly stops. There’s a frown forming on his face, looking down at his other hand with the NaviLet. Then suddenly he lets out a yelp that is comically high, making Yoongi wince slightly and making Sk’jin jump just a little, cursing under his breath.

‘What the Hoseok-‘ Namjoon is saying.

‘Are you getting fluids too-?’ Taeh’yung asks in an all too innocent voice.

‘ing Spaces, guys,’ Hoseok stares down at his NaviLet, a myriad of expressions on his face.

‘What’s wrong?’ Sk’jin demands, pushing his way past Jimin and Yoongi and towards the Ngfy’widan.

‘The GLA Courts have made their announcements,’ Hoseok says breathlessly, his eyes sparkling as he looks up to announce to them: ‘They have declared an Alpha-8 level emergency, and are issuing a seize and arrest over the Axudarian System effective immediately.’

*

Yoongi finds himself with Hoseok and Namjoon as Dehin explains to them the charges placed all along Megibīya. It’s not complicated, to their surprise- almost like their Invisibility Cloak/Cloaking Device/Freaky Princeling Tech, it’s strangely easy to operate, and yet seemed to function in a way that was oddly unexplainable.

‘It lines up all along the Crescent,’ Dehin explains to them.

‘Do all of them have to be activated for the shield to work, or do we just need enough to get them going?’ Hoseok asks.

Dehin doesn’t respond for a moment, staring at the projection of Megibīya for a long second before he shakes his head, ‘The charges expand in a network, distributing the energy to 11 points in its direct circumference. Not all of the reactors in the network need to be functioning in order to activate the shield.’

‘So it’s the main charger then- are the reactors for even distribution?’ Namjoon asks. ‘We can use them as projectiles too right?’

‘Not simultaneously,’ Dehin replies.

It takes them some more hours before they’re able to fully grasp the concept of the charges and reactors. Jungkook appears a little later, carrying a tray of drinks with him. Hoseok gestures to him and the youngling waddles over, looking at their projections with interest.

‘I’m gonna check in with Ilya, ask him to scout for the Special Jury and where they’re currently located,’ Namjoon says as he picks up his cup and steps out of the Bridge.

Jungkook listens eagerly as Hoseok explains the charges to him, occasionally asking Dehin for confirmation on certain details. Jungkook was still wary around Dehin, having fought him nearly to death not too long ago. Dehin however, doesn’t seem to be affected in the slightest and explains the reactors to Jungkook with no tension.

Yoongi takes a step back from the Navigation Table they had all been crouched around and rolls his shoulders around for a bit, stretching the tensed muscles there. He hasn’t seen Jimin for a while now. Quietly stepping away from the Table, Yoongi makes his way out of the Bridge and downwards. Just as he’s planning on calling for Jimin Yoongi finds himself quite comically being kidnapped by Jimin as he makes his way downwards. Without an explanation or word, Jimin pulls him into their room, the door sliding close quietly behind them.

It’s a little confusing, but Yoongi is more worried than confused at the moment. Something was wrong.

‘Sunshine?’

Jimin turns around after walking a few steps into the room. His expression is pinched- a furrow between his brows, lips ruddy from biting at them.

‘I uh-‘ Jimin fidgets a little, looking tense. This was different from the way he was at the Bridge.

‘What is it?’ Yoongi asks, taking a step forward.

‘I uh- I was thinking and-‘ Jimin gestures to the bed, telling Yoongi to sit. ‘I was thinking, and I wanted to um, well-‘

‘What were you thinking about?’ Yoongi asks, reaching up for Jimin’s hands as he sits on the bed. Jimin walks up to him to stand in front of him. Their hands slot in together smoothly. Yoongi inhales slowly; Jimin still smells like the salt of the sea, and of the warmth of the sun.

Then Jimin places his hand over his chest, right above his heart.

‘You’re not…are you worried that I might have done something to you,’ Jimin swallows, still looking down on the floor, ‘To make you feel like this?’

It takes a moment for Yoongi realize what Jimin means.

‘No,’ he replies honestly.

Jimin seems to struggle for a moment.

‘I…when we first met, here in Megibīya, I wasn’t sure of who you were, of who any of you were,’ Jimin sounds strained. ‘I did not- I did not do or say anything to manipulate any of you into anything, I never intended on doing such a thing-‘

‘Jimin,’ Yoongi guides him down to sit next to him, pulling him close to his side. ‘Look at me.’

After a few breaths, Jimin looks around at him.

‘You can tell me what happened.’

‘I…I didn’t do anything beyond…beyond just…uh, lowering your guard- for all of you,’ Jimin clarifies, ‘It was only for the first week or so and-‘

‘I figured,’ Yoongi tells him quietly, making Jimin stop. ‘I figured you might have done something like that. And I don’t blame you.’

Jimin shakes his head, ‘Yoongi- uh, maybe you’re biased.’

Yoongi actually laughs out loud, throwing his head back.

‘It’s what I would do. If I could do what you can do, I would have done the same- probably a lot more, to understand more of who these strange Beings were- ugh, I would have turned every tree inside out- I guess that just goes to show I would make a terrible Fate.’ Yoongi chuckles.

Jimin doesn’t respond, body stiff where he sat.

‘Trust me a bit more,’ he nudges the side of Jimin’s head with his own. 

‘I do,’ Jimin says at once. ‘I do, I trust you.’

‘Then believe what I say,’ Yoongi gives him a small shrug.

‘How-…knowing what I can do, how can you trust me?’ Jimin asks quietly, looking down at his lap. ‘Knowing what I intend on doing, how can you…how can you love me?’

Yoongi leans back, bringing Jimin down with him. He presses a kiss down on the top of his head, gathering him in his arms. Jimin holds him back just as hard.

‘You’re beautiful,’ Yoongi says quietly.

Jimin makes a questioning sound, confusion evident in his tone.

He turns them to their sides, still pressing Jimin close against his body. His hand slips under the tunic to feel at the soft bare skin there, relishing in the warmth.

‘Ilya had said you were a good leader,’ Yoongi says quietly, lips brushing against Jimin’s forehead. ‘And you are.’

‘But?’

‘There’s no but,’ Yoongi answers, ‘But that’s not just what you are, who you are.’

Jimin is barely breathing, hand in a stiff grip over Yoongi’s chest.

‘You’re beautiful in every way,’ Yoongi tells him quietly, privately, just between the two of them. ‘Your compassion, your integrity, your loyalty, your love, your mind- everything about you is beautiful – amidst all of this darkness, amidst all of this pain, you’re here and everything is just…everything is just bright, and warm.

You try so hard, to prove yourself, to always right yourself, to listen – you see so much, you’ve seen me, and yet you’re still here…- I’ll be here too. All of us, with you.’

‘Will…will you forgive me?’ Jimin whispers, nearly inaudible.

Yoongi doesn’t even need to think about it.

‘There’s nothing to forgive,’ he replies before he adds in a joking manner ‘Actually, it might have served you better if you had just completely overwhelmed us and-‘

‘No- don’t say that,’ Jimin shakes his head at once, ‘Don’t say that, please- I-‘

‘Sorry, I’m sorry,’ Yoongi reaches up to brush through Jimin’s hair. ‘I didn’t mean it like that.’

‘I don’t want to…I don’t want to do this,’ Jimin whispers, ‘I wish I didn’t have to.’

‘I wish it didn’t come to this…that this decision wasn’t yours to make, but I will stand by you. Stand with you. As will Namjoon, Sk’jin, Hoseok, Taeh’yung, and Jungkook. We will be stand by you, no matter what.’

He cradles Jimin’s face with his hand, thumb along the softness of Jimin’s cheeks for a while. Jimin’s eyes remain closed, a weariness in him that comes from finally letting go.

‘I believe in you,’ Yoongi whispers quietly, holding Jimin tight. ‘I believe in you, and I know that whatever happens, whatever decisions you have to make, the choices you have to make in the future; you will make it work. And you will see it through.’

Jimin finally looks at him, the rings of light in his eyes bright and beautiful and everything Yoongi has ever wanted.

‘And one day, you will find that everything around you has ended in full bloom.’

*

(Author’s Notes)

So yes, our new ysiehgn is in fact Jaebeom from Got7, see that I used his last name in this hehehehehe

I just think he’d make a great Yisheng in the sense of being an untraditional one without the Directory training/doctrine, but rather a genuine healer, and in this case, a leader as well. Because jb is a great leader man. I ams o hyped for their comeback which JinGyeum said would be end of this year!! Maybe they’ll have a winter/Christmas comeback!!!!

Also can we please discuss the disaster that is Aespa

My dudes

When I said I wanted a group with a sci-fi concept this is NOT what I meant

I also cannot believe they already have??????? Fan accounts and fansites???????????? They haven’t released any music yet??? I don’t understand, is this a new thing people do with bands about to debut and I’ve just never known???? Someone please tell me!!!!

What the is SM doing, how do they think this is ethically a responsible business model/plan. I already had absolutely no expectation from SM as a whole, my expectations were ZERO and yet every time they prove that they can go lower

When I first heard about the general concept I was REALLY hoping for a concept like GORILLAZ or maybe even KDA from league of legends but nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Instead we have that comes straight out of the plot of black mirror what THE ACTUAL ???????????

Sm you have more than enough trainees to fill in an 8 member group if you wanted to, ing look at NCT there are like, 23 members in that, you can surely keep 8 HUMAN girls in a group

Also can’t believe some people justifying this whole concept and AI/AR/VR concept by saying BigHit released BTS Universe LIKE THOSE TWO ARE THE SAME OMG

The whole idea of “My-(insert name)” wtf??????????? And sooman explaining????????? How this is like YOUR idol, with whom you can do things that you could have never done with your REAL idols??????? I have so many issues with this I can’t possibly list them

Anyways, moving on from me screaming about how SM is going to lead us into a dystopian future,

God, the past montsh have been a strange roller coaster of a ride for me, so I’m really sorry about not updating sooner. I had huge worrying immigration/visa issues that needed clearing up, a very hopeful job interview and test from hwat I thought was a good company but they ended up ghosting me, coming to terms I might have to suddenly leave Thailand due to a variety of reason that stems mostly from covid, and having to go through all of my stuff and categorise anf organize things for keeping and donating, redoing the apartment as we might have to suddenly leave and then most recently my sister back at home has caught covid and both my parents are immunocompromised and we DO NOT have any facilities or support in the slightest for the pandemic as a country, government, medical level. And its very possible I’ll have to go back under these conditions so yeah, my minds been a little uhhhhh all over the place so I’m sorry T_T

But I hope you enjoy this chapter!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! My dudes things are coming to an end soon!!!!!!!!