Dawn arrived, bright and clear with hardly a cloud in the sky; remnants of the night’s dew shimmering in the sunlight.  Already, there were villagers milling about, finalizing a last minute touch or two with their woven flower wreaths and vines.  Brightly colored cloth streamers anointed any spot there was space so that the breeze played with the fabric, twirling them together in a myriad of vibrant spring colors, adding an air of cheer to the everyday structures.

                Dong Min was directing the newcomers while Ae Sook helped to guide those bearing the first round of delights to tables that had been brought out and covered with specially made tablecloths just for the occasion.  Henry and Zhou Mi were not far behind and had already claimed a spot on the medium sized raised platform just outside of the village they would be performing on for the majority of the day.

                The maypole had been raised in the center of the village and circling it were the tables of foods and the casks of drinks.  Hee Jin had fermented honey to craft a tantalizing mead while his competitor Sung Ho had created a deep amber ale, both of which were corked for later enjoyment.  In a larger settlement, the village proper would have housed additional entertainment, but those were scattered around the outskirts, such as a bean filled bag toss, horseshoes, skittles, bowls and a small wrestling circle for the younger men to test their mettle and show off their physical prowess.

                On the far side of the village, in smaller groups, the elementalists began to appear with the rest of the villagers as they filed out of their homes.  Early risers, Eun Mi and Siwon were among the first, the former cradling an infant in her arms and the latter leading the twins by the hands, happy faces grinning as they saw the colorful streamers fluttering everywhere.  “Come on, you two,” Siwon chuckled as they stumbled for the distractions everywhere.  Easily, he kept them from falling and they giggled up at him, hopping and skipping in excitement.

                Eun Mi laughed delightedly, cooing down at little Hyun Ki.  Swaddled in a warm blanket, his feet kicked reflexively and he raised his tiny fists up to reach at a strand of hair that dangled perilously close to his reach.  With practiced ease, Eun Mi tossed her head to send the strand over her shoulder and smiled, “Oh no you don’t.”

                Up ahead, the villagers were gathering, speaking in smaller groups and she could see off to the side, Yong-Soo was talking with Hangeng and his betrothed, Chun Hei.  The blonde pointed over in their direction and immediately, her cousin grinned and bolted off to them.  “Mi!  Siwon,” he greeted, waving as he approached.  He paused to marvel over the newest addition, who he had met for the first time yesterday, in appreciation and then knelt in front of the twins.

                The duo shrieked in delight and tottered forward, “Unka Shoo!”  They were quite able to say his name at this point but the mispronunciation from when they were first learning to speak had stuck and had become a rather endearing nickname.

                “Come here,” he encouraged, sweeping them into his arms and hefting them up to rest against him on either side.  “You’re getting so big!” he exclaimed in mock astonishment, an expression which made them giggle more.  “Can I have a kiss?” he asked of Hyun Ae, who happily obliged by planting one quickly on his proffered cheek.  Jae-Sun shook his head when Yong-Soo looked at him and he laughed when he was kissed on the cheek instead.  “You get one anyway,” he laughed and looked over at Siwon.

                The water elementalist reached out to retrieve his son while his daughter ducked away, clinging to Yong-Soo instead.  “Hah.  She always did have a crush on you,” he laughed, giving him a wink before shifting Jae-Sun in his grip.

                “Where’s Hei Ryung?” Eun Mi asked with a smile as she stepped closer.

                Yong-Soo’s face broke into a huge grin and he laughed, “She’s staying with your mother actually…”

                It didn’t take Eun Mi more than a few seconds to understand and she grinned in turn, “She’s pregnant?”  She couldn’t help her squeal of excitement.

                Yong-Soo nodded his head and accepted Siwon’s clap on the shoulder with an unshakable grin.  “She actually just had him not more than three weeks ago.  I almost didn’t make it but she told me I had better so I could tell her all about it.”

                The other two laughed at that.  “Why didn’t you send word?” Siwon asked, still smiling.

                “I wanted to tell you in person,” Yong-Soo shrugged.  “Or better yet, have Hei Ryung tell you but that didn’t quite work out.”

                “Well.  That is cause for celebration either way,” Eun Mi assured him, looping her free arm through his and pulling him towards the village square where the smell of fresh food was making its way to them.  Yong-Soo allowed himself to be pulled along while Siwon came up beside Eun Mi.  Ahead of them they could see Hangeng and Chun Hei already helping themselves to the breakfast fare, along with some of the other villagers.  The people of Fairmeadow were nothing if not generous.

                Not far behind them came Eunhyuk and a very pregnant Kharin with Eunchin sticking close to his father and holding his hand tightly.  Wearing a comfortable off white shirt and brown pants, Eunhyuk looked over at his wife in a loose light green dress and smiled in mild concern, “You sure you’re up for this today?”

                Kharin looked over at him with a raised brow out of the corner of her eye.  “I’m pregnant, dear, not helpless.”  She reached over and grabbed his hand to give it a reassuring squeeze.  Just because she’d had a bout of morning sickness because her glass of milk hadn’t settled well didn’t mean she couldn’t go out and about today.  “I’ll be fine,” she told him firmly, meeting his gaze squarely.

                “Okay, okay,” he laughed, squeezing her hand in turn and letting the concern fade from his tone.  “If you need anything, just let me know, alright?”

                “I know, Hyuk,” Kharin responded, keeping a tight hold on her tongue.  He was just being attentive…a bit overly so, but he had been that way when she was pregnant with Eunchin too.  “You know I have to be here too, though,” she couldn’t help adding.  The surprise they’d worked on was a collective effort and needed all of them to pull off the way they intended.

                Eunhyuk smiled and nodded before he looked down at Eunchin, who wore a similar version of what he had on, and earned a grin in turn.  “Look daddy!” the little boy pointed at the small cluster of his ‘family’ near the tables in the village proper.  The sound of his voice carried remarkably well and Siwon and Yong-Soo both turned to see who had made it out next.

                At their waves of greeting, Eunhyuk and Kharin waved back and he let Eunchin pull free to run up to them, his legs somewhat awkward as he was still adjusting to his quickly growing four year old body.  “Come on, dear,” he offered, moving Kharin’s hand to the crook of his elbow instead.

                Kharin shook her head and laughed lightly.  Already, her feet hurt and the nausea from this morning lingered, but she was not going to miss this.  Determinedly, she walked forward, her gate resembling that of an embarrassing waddle considering she was in her eighth month; it wouldn’t be long now…  Seamlessly, they joined the growing circle of familiar faces and exchanged hugs and kisses around while the children crowded around their feet or suffered being picked up for additional attention.

                It was the sharp eyed Hangeng who noticed the next pair to arrive; Leeteuk and Eleanara.  The plainly clad earth elementalist was carrying Kwang Sun in his arms while he wriggled to be free, quite anxious to be on the ground, to their amusement.  Eleanara, in a spring appropriate pale pink dress and just the start of a bump forming underneath, held Mi Young’s hand.

                When the curly haired little girl saw the growing group, she tugged on Eleanara’s hand excitedly.  “Can I go mommy?”

                Eleanara let go of her hand to run her fingers through the soft curls and smiled sweetly.  “Of course, sweetie.”

                Before she could take off too fast, Leeteuk stated, “Wait up.  Take your brother too, Mi,” he urged, setting the still squirming younger boy on the ground.

                “Come on, Kwang,” she said as she grabbed a flailing hand and held tight.

                Kwang Sun burbled in delight as he stumbled forward enthusiastically.  He could walk, but he definitely hadn’t mastered running yet.  With a high pitched laugh, they ran forward, Young Mi keeping pace with her sibling with admirable patience.

                Their children thoroughly distracted, and aiming straight for Siwon who obliged by squatting down to catch them, Eleanara and Leeteuk approached at a more sedate pace, arm in arm.  Warmly, they greeted the others, joining the circle and throwing in what bits of conversation they cared to contribute.  Things were still warming up in the surrounding area and while some of the games were finished being set up, no one was attending them just yet.  The celebration wouldn’t officially begin until Henry and Zhou Mi performed their first song and everyone was waiting for that moment with excitement.

                In fact, most were starting to drift to the platform on the outskirt of the west side of the village.  As a group, parents and children alike picked over the food and drinks, snagging pieces that were easy to carry in one hand and lingering long enough to keep an eye out for their last members.  For a little while, it seemed as if they might be late but at last they spotted Summer and Kyuhyun hurrying up, holding hands and looking slightly chagrined.

                “Sorry,” Summer laughed, throwing her unbound hair over her shoulder and fanning herself in the growing heat of the morning.

                “We made it on time,” Kyuhyun gave her a wry smile, completely unapologetic.

                “Glad you did too,” Siwon grinned with a quick gesture at the table.  “Hurry up and get something to eat so we can get moving.”

                “I hear them warming up,” Eunhyuk added with a wistful look in the direction of the platform.  He loved the music of the celebration; Henry and Zhou Mi never failed to amaze and he was just as susceptible to the songs as the rest of them.

                When the two started to oblige, Kyuhyun paused to look down at Mi Young staring up at him.  “Kyu,” she stated simply and raised her hands up, a silent plea to be picked up.

                Summer patted him on the shoulder as he looked decidedly uncomfortable as he always did when one of the children asked him to pick them up.  “Uhh…” he murmured, looking to the others for support.

                “Kyu!” Mi Young stated again, a bit more firmly with the beginnings of a pout on her lips.

                “Ayah…” he murmured and reached down to pick up the little girl, hefting her into his arms to her delight.  “Happy?” he asked her wryly, with one brow raised.

                “Yes!” she nodded exaggeratedly and waved at her parents from her new perch.  They laughed and waved back before smiling at each other and, with a glance, located their son clinging to Siwon’s leg.

                Eleanara walked over and started to reach down to pick him up before Siwon beat her to it.  “Oh no you don’t,” he winked, handing her the laughing youngster easily.

                “Thank you,” she smiled, kissing Kwang Min’s cheek and then turning to find Leeteuk so they could go see Henry and Zhou Mi perform.

                As they headed out, the parents kept an eye on their wayward children.  The twins ended up on the shoulders of the temporary surrogates Hangeng and Chun Hei and Eunchin was riding high with Eunhyuk who bounced him energetically.  Eun Mi still cradled Hyun Ki and Siwon remained close at hand; Summer gravitated towards Kharin with a nervous smile on her lips and Yong-Soo guided the reluctant caretaker Kyuhyun to follow in their wake.  Kyuhyun thought about setting her down but the moment he tried to, she clung to him tighter, laughing all the while as if it were a game.

                “I take it she likes you?” Yong-Soo asked nonchalantly.

                “I don’t know why…” Kyuhyun responded looking somewhat confused.  For whatever reason, whenever he was around, one of the kids inevitably made their way to his lap, or leg, or connived their way into his arms; like this one at present, regardless of how awkward he felt about it.  What if he dropped one?  Or accidentally stepped on them?  Or any number of things that could happen because they were kids.

                With those thoughts tumbling through his mind, he followed along in the wake of the others and looked forward to the performance.  It would be good to sing again.

                The group approached the minstrels as they were playing the first few tentative notes of their opening song.  Most of the village had already made their way to the front and were taking up the space in the immediate vicinity, making getting closer impossible for the time being.  Things would thin out later but for now, everyone was packed right here…

                Simultaneously, Henry and Zhou Mi looked at each other with winning smiles before they teased out the first few notes and then launched into the energetic beat of Shake It Up.  It didn’t take long for the villagers to start reacting and in a matter of seconds, hands were clapping to the beat and some of the younger adults and older kids were dancing in a freestyle form that was all enthusiasm and little skill.

                Curiously, the group glanced over at Eunhyuk, the resident dancer, and by the way he was listening to the music, it was evident he wanted to join in.  Oblivious, Eunchin clapped his hands excitedly with the song and laughed when Siwon stepped over and retrieved the young boy before placing him easily on his shoulders.  “Get out there,” the water elementalist laughed with a nod towards the front of the platform where space had been cleared for those brave enough to dance.

                Elated, Eunhyuk beamed and grabbed a kiss from Kharin, who laughed in unadulterated pleasure, before he eased through the crowd and threw himself into the song.  The minstrels noticed his performance and played to match it with Henry dancing on stage while he continued to play, a feat they all continued to marvel over.  Zhou Mi’s clarion clear voice sounded out over the rambunctious tone and powered out the lyrics, carrying over the crowd and reaching even those few who had not yet made it to the platform.

                As was often the case, the first song wound down far too quickly but the energy had been established.  Applause greeted the final notes and even Eunhyuk, and those dancing with him, earned congratulations in turn for their performances as well.  The minstrels paused to rest their instruments while Dong Min made his way to the top of the platform, weathered face smiling brightly as he shook their hands in gratitude and then turned to face the amassed villagers.

                “People of Fairmeadow!  Welcome to the New Spring festival!”  He gestured to the minstrels again who bowed politely.  “Zhou Mi.  Henry.  Thank you for lending your exceptional talents here to make our festival that much better.  We know you’re very busy men now,” he winked playfully, earning amused smiles from the pair and chuckles from the crowd.  Their performance docket was usually quite booked most of the year through but in the past four years, they had made sure to be present here for each festival.

                “It is our pleasure,” Zhou Mi assured him and those present with an elaborate bow, mirrored by a grinning Henry.

                “We wouldn’t miss it for the world,” the younger of the pair laughed, shooting his fist into the air and shouting with enthusiasm, an action the younger persons in the crowd mirrored, including the elementalists, to his surprise.

                Still laughing, Dong Min clapped his hands and then gestured for the crowd to quiet just a bit.  “I know you’re all ready to have fun so I won’t keep you too long.  As you know, refreshments have been provided and are around the maypole in the village proper.  Please feel free to help yourselves and, if you would, be so kind as to let me or my lovely wife Ae Sook know if there is anything else we can do for you.  Good luck in the games today and may the gods smile upon us in the coming year!”

                Amidst the sound of raucous approval, as Dong Min made his way down the steps, Henry and Zhou Mi picked up their instruments again and settled themselves to play.  As the first strains of Walkin began to float over their heads, the majority of the crowd began to disperse as they made their way to entertain themselves with the games scattered around the outskirts.  More of the older persons clumped together in groups to talk and listen while the younger ran and played.  For a little while, the elementalists watched the minstrels, letting memories flow through them and feeling the notes of the music travel through them, somehow both soothing and invigorating.

                They had looked forward to today for quite some time and they only need look at their children to know they were excited too.  More than ready to play, the eldest children dragged their parents to the games around the village and provided ample entertainment as they tried and often missed the mark by a mile.  When it became apparent, to Eun Mi at any rate, that Kharin needed to sit down, the women collectively convinced their significant others to watch the children.  Eunhyuk had to be shooed away by Summer and Kharin both, who insisted the latter would be fine, and subsequently made their way to the village proper for refreshments and a rest.

(a/n  Ah!  Sorry it took so long for the update.  I've been getting a bit distracted.  lol  I know there are a lot of new names in this one too.  Once I finish up with the next part (presuming it's only a three shot) I intend to do a family tree type thing to show ages and kids including our most recent outliers, such as Yong-Soo and Hangeng.  Here's to hoping I can wrap everything up in one more update!  ^_^  Thanks for reading as always.  <3)