With a relieved sigh, Kharin sat down in one of the many wooden chairs dragged into the village proper for everyone’s use.  She wasn’t the only one taking advantage of it, but the rest were of the older generation, watching the entertainment from afar and listening to the sound of Henry and Zhou Mi’s music as it floated over the village.  Eleanara came over and pressed a cup of cool water into Kharin’s hands while Eun Mi stepped behind her and began to work at the knots in her shoulders and neck.

                “I don’t mind them when they’re getting under foot and into everything, but this part is the worst,” she groaned, knuckling her lower back to relieve some of the tension and then sighing in pleasure and relief as Eun Mi’s hands worked their magic.

                “At least you’re almost there,” Eleanara encouraged with a grin, not even halfway there herself with her third child.  She threaded a stray lock of the other woman’s hair behind her ear in a motherly gesture.

                “Are you sure you can’t do anything about,” she gestured to her whole body, “this?”

                Eleanara laughed in amusement, “What is there to heal?”

                “I’ve got some tea you can try later, Kharin,” Eun Mi assured the taller woman with a comforting squeeze to her shoulder.

                Kharin took another deep breath and cracked her eyes, peering at Summer curiously.  The red head seemed a bit nervous and uncomfortable, though the shadow elementalist couldn’t fathom why.  “You’re awfully quiet, Summer,” she stated, drawing the attention of the other two and laughing when the neutralizer looked surprised.

                “Oh?  Right,” she forced a smile, looking between the three women.  “It’s just…” her voice trailed off while her hands drifted to her abdomen self-consciously, a tentative smile playing on her lips.

                Eun Mi and Eleanara caught on almost immediately, the slightly disgruntled Kharin close behind.  “Really?” Eleanara gasped, her face bright with excitement.

                “I think so,” Summer admitted with a nod, blushing under their gazes.

                Collectively, the three flocked to her with excited cries.  All at once, they tried to talk over each other, “Congratulations!”; “When did you find out?”; “We’re happy for you!”

                Summer laughed and looked over at the men whose attention was now directed at them.  “Keep it down,” she hushed, struggling to hide her grin.

                “You haven’t told him yet?” Kharin asked with an arched brow.

                Mutely, Summer shook her head.  She was both terrified and excited at the prospect and she figured he would be too…  “He’s so nervous around the children,” she started to say before the caught sight of him.

                “He’ll do fine,” Eleanara assured the neutralizer, patting her shoulder and gesturing at the fire elementalist who had been pulled into a bean filled bag toss competition with Siwon versus the twins who had insisted on the teams being even.  Both Eunchin and Mi Young were waiting on the sideline while Kwang Sun clung to Hangeng’s pants, staring in wide-eyed fascination and Yong-Soo cradled Hyun Ki, grinning as he watched the competition.

                At the display, Summer smiled and they all took that moment to watch the others contentedly, both of Summer’s hands claimed by Kharin and Eleanara while Eun Mi distractedly braided the red tresses.

                “What do you think they’re talking about?” Leeteuk asked the wind elementalist with another glance at the grinning women over his shoulder.

                “I have no idea, but they look happy,” Eunhyuk smiled, twisting around to wave at the group.  If anything, the ladies looked even happier and waved back, giggling excitedly around Summer.

                They were distracted by Siwon and Kyuhyun’s return.  “They are ruthless,” the fire elementalist muttered good-naturedly, glancing back at the twins who were facing off against Eunchin and Mi Young, with Hangeng and Chun Hei keeping an eye on them.

                “You did good,” Siwon assured his slightly shorter companion with a slap on the back.

                Kyuhyun shrugged and shook his head until he caught sight of Summer surrounded by the girls and he immediately became suspicious.  “What are they up to?” he queried, looking at the four closely, smiling when Summer met his eyes and grinned back at him.

                The other three shrugged and then watched in amusement as a panicking Yong-Soo headed over to the group with the squalling Hyun Ki in his arms.  He looked both chagrined and relieved when she took the crying infant with an amused smile and waved the others off, heading for the house.

                “He’s been a bit fussy lately,” Siwon explained with a half-smile.  “Mi thinks he’s about to start teething,” the water elementalist shrugged.  It couldn’t be any worse than when the twins had been at the same time.

                “Speaking of that, Summer’s been acting different too.  You don’t think she’s coming down with something do you?” Kyuhyun asked with another glance at the trio.

                As one, the other three elementalists looked at each other with raised brows and sly grins.  “Oh?” Eunhyuk prompted, grinning his gummy smile.

                “What?” the fire elementalist asked, confused.

                Leeteuk laughed and nodded at the women, “The last time Nara started acting different, there was a very good reason for it.”

                Kyuhyun laughed at the absurdity of the idea and then stopped as he considered it.  “Seriously?" he asked, his mouth dry and heart racing.  The other three nodded in tandem and Leeteuk reached out to pat him on the shoulder, both proud and amused.

                “She’ll let you know if that’s the case,” Eunhyuk winked, allowing his attention to be pulled towards the stage where the current song was winding down.  It was amazing how quickly time went by on festival days.  A glance at the sun showed it was already time for them to be settling in for lunch soon.

                “Come on!  Let’s get Henry and Mimi before anyone else can,” Siwon winked, nudging the other men to head that way.  They could see the replacement performers making their way to the platform even as they did.

                Even with their forethought, when the minstrels came down off their platform, they still had to accept the greetings and well wishes of those who had remained to watch them.  They would have fans for the majority of the day but they were practiced at getting around them too so it didn’t take them long to be swept along by the elementalists who guided them to the food in the square where the women were still waiting.  Eun Mi had returned with a much quieter Hyun Ki in her arms and Yong-Soo was holding Kwang Sun who clung to his shirt tightly.

                The elementalists entertained the minstrels, talking animatedly in their break, not quite rude enough to exclude the other villagers when they came by to interject themselves into the conversation around the tables.  Eunhyuk was speaking intently with Henry when he looked up and grinned broadly.  His wind serpent was making its way towards him swiftly, excited.  “Scuse, me Henry,” he bowed out swiftly to the younger minstrel’s surprise, and hurried over to Summer.  “They’re almost here,” he told her, still smiling.

                Summer beamed and extricated herself from the group, rushing to the front of the village.  The others watched her go with amused smiles.  In the time since they’d moved here, her parents had visited fairly often and where their initial relationship had been somewhat strained, it had simply grown stronger over time.  When she returned, she was followed by her parents and their personal servants, a considerably taller Sage and Kangin, the latter of which immediately focused on Sung Ho and his cask of ale.  Sage elbowed him in the ribs with a grin and shook his head.  Still wiry, he at least was as tall as the training master now who smirked at him good naturedly and mussed his hair, to the younger man’s consternation.

                As it was, Amber and Autumn both now resided in the capitol city Lornhaldt with their husbands and Kibum and the rest of Hangeng’s scouts had remained in the manor to keep an eye on things.  The Silverbergs were greeted with much warmth by the villagers and were welcomed into the festivities without hesitation.  Food and drink alike were passed around in short order and to the welcome sound of lively music playing in the background, the village settled in for a spectacular festival.

                Sage taunted Kangin into several wrestling matches, which he lost all but one, though it was enough to earn the training master’s respect.  Leeteuk and Eunhyuk gave it a go a handful of times too, settling for a tie in the four matches they tried.  Kyuhyun bowed out entirely and Siwon managed to coax Kangin back into the ring one more time.  They ended in a stalemate due to timing out for lack of anyone winning or losing in a decent period of time.

                Shortly after lunch, the minstrels resumed their post on the platform with the song Good Friends.  The maypole was decorated soon after by the unattached young women and children who ran a patterned dance around it with streamers, for the entertainment of those present.

                Distracted by the activities and the present company, as well as the ever energetic children, there was little time for Kyuhyun to even think about approaching Summer to ask her anything.  She pulled him out into the area in front of the platform to dance at a slower song, smiling brightly all the while.  They were joined by Leeteuk and Eleanara as well as Siwon and Eun Mi while Eunhyuk remained with Kharin until she pushed him out onto the floor with a laugh.  He blew her a kiss and then gently pulled Ae Sook into the group of dancers, to Dong Min’s amusement.

                The afternoon seemed to pass by in a blur and before they knew it, it was starting to get dark.  As the light began to fail, Kyuhyun felt the familiar nervousness settle in his belly and he took a steadying breath.  Children were gathered up into the arms of their parents, tired eyes fighting to stay awake for the last of the excitement of the day.  When the final notes of the minstrel’s song faded, they dropped their instruments to a resting position and Zhou Mi stepped up.  “Ladies and gentleman.  It has been a pleasure performing for you today, but we have a special performance we would like to announce.”

                 Both minstrels looked into the crowd at Kyuhyun who nodded once to let them know he was ready.  Around him, the rest of the elementalists murmured encouragement or pat him on the back and shoulders.  They knew what he was planning but they had managed to keep it a secret from the rest of the village.  “Your very own Kyuhyun has agreed to grace us with a song this evening.  Not just any song either, but the very song that pulled him up from the depths of despair and breathed new hope into him and his companion.”

                Eleanara reached out and placed a small hand on his arm, smiling at him warmly.  She could do it no justice, but it had been the only thing she could think of at the time.  Kyuhyun smiled in turn and leaned down to whisper, “Thank you.”  He laughed when she pushed him lightly to get him going, warmth suffusing her features.

                The crowd parted as they smiled at him, waiting to hear the sound of his beautiful voice which he did not show them very often.  He didn’t know what to say to follow the minstrels so he opted not to say anything.  Instead, he nodded back at them while they raised their instruments and began to play.  Kyuhyun let the first notes fill him while he organized the words in his mind.  When he opened his mouth, he closed his eyes and let the song take him away.  A hush fell over the crowd as the words of ‘Hope is a Dream That Doesn’t Sleep’ washed over them.  For many, it was the first time hearing it, the beautiful, haunting melody bringing tears to their eyes.

                Kyuhyun found tears staining his cheeks by the end of it too, letting his gaze drift over the friends he had fought together with that day and then simply staring at Summer.  Silence reigned when the last of the words and the notes faded away.  Distractedly, he wiped away the tears and bowed, smiling broadly when the spell was broken and the crowd erupted into cheers and whistles, a roar of applause greeting the end of his performance.  He was right.  It had been good to sing again.

                When he came down off the platform, Summer ran up and threw her arms around him, kissing him warmly, earning further applause and cheers.  So that he wouldn’t be overwhelmed by attention, the minstrels promptly threw themselves into another song, playing mostly by moonlight and the fading rays of the sun now hiding over the horizon.  With the elementalists forming a protective half circle around the couple, the pair pulled apart slightly and Summer took that opportunity to place one of Kyuhyun’s hands over her stomach, covering it with both of hers and looking up at him hopefully.

                He had thought that he might be filled with more nervousness or fear upon learning of such a thing, but after that song, all he could feel was happiness and hope.  Once, he nodded and smiled at her, pulling her close with his free hand and then kissing her tenderly, letting her know without words how he felt about her announcement.

                With a sleeping Kwang Sun resting on her hip and shoulder, Eleanara slid her fingers through Leeteuk’s free hand, the other occupied by Mi Young sleeping in a similar manner on her father’s hip and shoulder, and pulled him after her.  She had to light the ‘torches’ that had been set up around the village and would much rather have company.

                While they headed off, the other elementalists started to get ready for the finale they had planned.  For the moment, they left Kyuhyun and Summer alone and instead found willing volunteers to hold their sleepy or sleeping offspring.  Hangeng and Chun Hei took Jae Sun and Hyun Ae; Eun Mi held onto Hyun Ki and Eunchin was handed off to Yong-Soo.  Slowly, the area around the village began to light up with Eleanara’s light and when at last she and Leeteuk returned, they handed off their son and daughter to Dong Min and Ae Sook before joining the others.

                The elementalists grinned in nervous excitement when Henry stepped up this time, full of energy still.  “Friends and guests!” he called out loudly.  “It has been a glorious festival and we’re not done just yet.  We have but one more song to perform this evening, but…” he paused, leaning towards the crowd until they demanded him to continue.  “We have one more surprise this evening.  I know you’re aware the elementalists have been working on a treat for us this year.  Please!  Allow them to show you the most epic of confrontations; their final showdown!”

                At the foot of the platform in the space cleared for the dancers earlier, the elementalists stood in a circle facing each other.  From their hands rose the power of their elements, all six weaving into the form of a man who they floated up into the sky above them.  “The tyrant Enrhyll would have made himself a god, using the power of the elements he had stolen from the stones of power,” Zhou Mi narrated.

                “In his hall, he brought the elementalists, seeking to convert them,” Henry picked up and as he spoke, the figures of earth and water rose up to face off against him, the symbol of the neutralizer woven between them.

                “Broken and battered, their forces were rallied when allies arrived, emerging from shadow and surprising the tyrant and his men.”  A figure of shadow and wind sprang into existence near them, facing off against the tyrant.  The power of those elements present began to swirl around the Enrhyll figure and the elementalists fought back, flashes of power flying against the whirlwind around the tyrant.

                “It was not enough,” Henry sighed sadly, watching the stalemate.  “They all needed to be present.”  Eleanara grabbed Kyuhyun’s hand for strength and he squeezed it in return.  Even now, the memory of that moment was very powerful.  Together they lifted up their own light and fire figures to emerge behind Enrhyll, circled in a barrier.

                “In a moment of incredible self-sacrifice, the tyrant was vanquished.”  Kyuhyun’s fire figure exploded into flame, consuming the Enrhyll figure and then Summer extinguished it entirely.

                “And a new evil rose in its place.”  Skillfully, the elementalists weaved together a replica of the six headed construct they had fought, frowning in concentration.

                “With incredible bravery and skill, the elementalists fought the new evil, though they had never before faced anything of such strength and magnitude.”  Zhou Mi’s voice carried effortlessly over the hush of the crowd as they stared in wonder at the fight that took place above them while the figures transformed into the constructs they had used that day.  One by one, the heads were snuffed out and with it, the corresponding element until only the body remained.

                “Our heroes had won the day, but at what cost?” Henry asked quietly as even the body was finally snuffed out, the sky dark in their absence with only the symbol of the neutralizer still present.  It drifted around uncertainly, as if looking for something and then paused.  Kyuhyun grinned in triumph as he lit the sky with a brightly burning phoenix, the heat washing over them briefly before it subsided, leaving the man figure in its wake.  One by one, the other powers returned to life, the figures coming together in a circle much like they were now.

                “Reborn from the fires that had consumed him, the fire elementalist forced the power to balance itself by restoring the other five elementalists to power.”  The six elements and the symbol of the neutralizer twirled together up and up into the sky, coming together in a myriad of colors before exploding above the village, raining down motes of power that faded before they touched the ground.

                Elated and grinning, the group looked at each other, faces content with the performance.  It had been taxing, requiring great control, but it had been worth it.  Around them, they heard slow applause at first that continued to build around them as the awe of the presentation wore off.  All knew the story of how they had defeated Enrhyll, but to see any sort of visual representation was breathtaking.

                When at last the euphoria wore off enough that the minstrels could speak again, they announced the final song of the evening.  Gratefully, the elementalists retrieved their children and then crowded back together for the last performance.  Even they didn’t know what the minstrels had chosen but as the first few notes of ‘Happy Together’ were teased skillfully from the violin and hand harp, they nodded in agreement.  They could not have chosen a better song to end on.  With each verse, they agreed, looking at each friend in turn; how far they had all come since they had first left the monastery.  They had been close then, but the challenges and adversity they had overcome had forged incredible bonds between them.

                As they listened to the last line, leaning against each other in contentment and shared camaraderie, they sang along in quiet agreement, to be, “Forever, happy together.”

(a/n  Woohoo!  Managed to finish it with three!  ^_^  How did you like it?  Thoughts or comments are always appreciated.  This has been a blast writing and I can only hope you enjoyed it.  Thank you to my readers and commentors as always and happy reading!  <3)