Chapter 25

It was night when the group around Baekhyun saw a fire in the wood. The night sky shined in dark purple and the stars they could see shined orange. The only natural color had the big moon that was hanging in the sky, shining down on them spending light and making the trees of the wood look like a dark wall. This wall only was broken with the fire shining from the inside of the wood.

They were wandering around for almost a half day, Kyungsoos condition began to get worse and they had to find Yixing fast. “I hope this fire belongs to them…”, Baekhyun mumbled while they carefully entered the wood.

“It has to. This is our last chance. Kyungsoo is fighting so hard right now but his fever is getting worse.”, Chanyeol whispered. “If this fire doesn’t belong to Yixing…”

“Don’t say it.”

“Baekhyun, when we traveled to the lost planet we knew that things wouldn’t be easy. Have you never thought that there’s a small chance that not everyone of us will make it out alive?”

“We’ve already lost Kris.”

“We lost him the day the red force controlled him.”

“It’s already enough. I’m not willing to let Kyungsoo go.” Baekhyun had a hard time trying to control his voice that neither Kyungsoo nor Jongin who was a few steps behind would hear them.

“Neither am I.”

“Then we should end this conversation, Chanyeol. We can’t lose him, we have to do anything possible.”

Chanyeol nodded but not without a deep sigh. “I know, Sun. And we will…”

“Guys? Have you ever thought that we are walking right away into trap?”, Zitao who was behind Jongin asked. “I mean…look…the last time we were in the woods, we nearly got pierced by roots and branchs. I don’t think that Junmyeon would have made them walk into this wood again.”

“This is our only sign of were they could be. So let us check this, Tao. If they aren’t there, we will leave the wood again.”, Jongin said. “But we have to hurry, Kyungsoo is shivering…”

Baekhyun turned around. Jongin was looking at Kyungsoo full of regret. He managed to save us all, but his love… Baekhyun could only imagine the feeling whirling in Jongin.  “I’m sure, the fire comes from them. This is a sign for us to find them…”

Jongin looked up to Baekhyun and nodded with a light smile that showed he wanted to hope.

“If this world wouldn’t be so dangerous it would be beautiful, don’t you think?”, Chanyeol asked and looked at the shining flowers on the ground.

“It looks a little bit like Avatar.”, Baekhyun said and agreed. “I loved the nature in this movie.”

The nearer they came to the fire the clearer voices could be heard. When they made out the voices as some from the other guardians their feet began to move faster. Coming to the fire they jumped out of a bush, making Jongdae to fire a lightning at them. They should have been grilled but all Baekhyun could feel was a shock like if you would touch an electrified perimeter. “Jongdae…!”

“Ups…but as you see I’m more like a living socket than like a lightning.”

“You could have killed us!”, Chanyeol demanded.

“Then why are you coming out of a bush? Of course I would have to fire something at you.”

“We have no time. We have to hurry. Where’s Yixing?”, Jongin said who was still carrying his boyfriend. “Kyungsoo got hurt.”

The moment Jongdae clicked his tongue and looked uncomfortable at his back, Baekhyun knew something was off. “What happened?”

“Suho is with him. They are a little apart from the fire. But you can sit down with us. The fire will warm you.”

“Jongdae, what happened?”, Baekhyun asked again although he was sure he didn’t want to hear the answer.

“You know there was this monster in the water around the castle. It attacked us. I thought I could handle this, but as you’ve seen my power here is more like a joke article. Suho couldn’t control the water because the beast already did, wind and telekinesis were useless…we tried everything to escape but suddenly there was this huge bang, we were thrown over a large distance and…yes. We haven’t got any other choice than to camp here.”, Jongdae tried to summarize what happened the moment they parted.

“And Yixing…”

“He got hurt badly. We’re hoping he will be able to heal fast enough, but he’d lost too much blood and all Suho is doing right now is trying to make him stay…”

“No…”

“No, we need him!”, Jongin screamed. “He has to help Kyungsoo. He’s internal injuries, we can’t do anything about this here.”

“I’m sorry. But as for now…Yixing can’t do anything.”

“Where is he? I will show him Kyungsoo, he will find strength to do it. He has to!” It was more despair than fury that was making Jongin talk and all of them knew this.

“Jongin. I bet Kyungsoo is freezing. You should sit down to the fire. I will go, check for Yixing, okay…?”, Baekhyun suggested and brought Jongin to the fireplace.

“What…what happened…?”, asked Sehun who was holding a sleeping Luhan in his arms.

“We met the red force…” Chanyeol wanted to sit down when he saw Minseok sitting right in front of the fire with the jackets of Jongdae, Sehun and Luhan. “Aren’t you overdoing it a little Minseok…?”

He got a light grin as answer and nothing more.

“I will go to Suho and Lay.”, Baekhyun whispered and kissed Chanyeols forehead. “Take care…”

“Be careful as well, Sun. Nothing seems to work like we want to…”

When Baekhyun found the other guardians, he was taken aback. Yixing lend at a tree, he still was bleeding somewhere, because his upper body was covered with blood. Baekhyun could see that Junmyeon must have tried to stop the bleeding, because his pullover was ripped and wrapped all around Lays body. The leader sat next to his boyfriend holding his hand and talking to him when Baekhyun approached them.

“Hey…”, he whispered.

“Baek…”, Lay said and smiled lightly. “Have you…found…anything…?”

The blonde gulped. “Yes.”, he sat down behind Suho. “We’ve found a diary. We think that we can find the tree with it.”

Yixing nodded lightly. “We’ve found another monster…”, he whispered and laughed what caused him to cough blood.

Baekhyun looked terrified at his friend. “Don’t laugh until your wounds have healed…”

Again, a small smile on Yixings lips. “Let me laugh…This will be my final destination…so…”

“No. Don’t say that…”, he said with teary eyes. “There is still so much to do…”

“I’m not healing…Baekhyun..nie…”

The younger looked to Suho in fear. He didn’t want to believe this, but the other guardian nodded lightly.

“It’s not getting better. It’s getting worse…”, he whispered. “That’s why we brought him here.”

“Some…romantic space…before I will...watch you from the…sky…”

“Don’t…”, Baekhyun cried. “You can’t leave us alone. This is not fair!”

Slowly Lay stretched his arm out. The fingertips of his shivering hand touched Baekhyuns chest lightly. “I’m…always with you…always…”

“No…” Teardrops fell on the Chinese hand, making the older smile lightly again.

“Don’t cry. You used…to be…hope. Don’t cry…for an…unicorn…”

“How can there be hope, when fate even takes a unicorn away from me…?”

“I’m not…leaving…you alone…I’m…” Suddenly Yixing began to cough more, he gasped for air and took Suhos hand to squeeze it with the rest of strength in him.

“Shhh….”, Junmyeon whispered. “It’s okay. Baekhyun understands, he knows that you will be with us.” The leader with his hands trough the hair of the injured. “He’s sad, but he understands…” Suho managed to keep his voice most of the time, but sometimes Baekhyun could hear his voice shaking. He was losing his second half in the next minutes and Baekhyun knew he would go mad if it was Chanyeol lying there and not Yixing. He admired how Suho was controlling his feelings now. But he also knew he should let them space to say goodbye.

“I think…I should look for the others…” Baekhyun wanted to stand up but was held back by Yixing.

“Stay…it’s nice of you that you want to give us some…space…but Suho…needs someone…when I’ve…crossed…the line. Would you…can I…ask you…” It was getting heavier for Yixing to speak with every breath he took.

Baekhyun nodded. “I will…” He sat back and tried to be as unobtrusive as he could be.

“Yixing…”, Suho whispered. “Stay…just a little longer…”

“You have to…find the tree. You can’t lose time…”

“I can’t lose you…”

“You…have said farewell to so many guardians...you can…”

“I haven’t ever said farewell to you…”

“Then…let it be an…until…we meet again…”

Suho smiled lightly. “It may take a long time…”

“I hope…it will…”

“Do you remember the first time we met…?”

Lay nodded as much as his losing strength let him. “I knew…you will be…my future…right away…”

“I knew it, too. When the tree of life introduced me to you and I saw you for the first time…with your deep brown eyes and your dimples…I thought you must be the most beautiful being on earth. I asked myself how someone so beautiful like you could be a guardian with power able to destroy or to protect life. But then I found out that your power was far away from chaos. It was healing. Of course you must have been the perfect guardian for something soft like this…You’ve healed us so many times, but not only physically. I don’t know where I would be if it wasn’t because of you. Me being able to meet you, Yixing…this was fate…”

“…”

Suho smiled sad when he