Word Count: 8204

Waking the next morning was difficult because he had spent half the night up. But he couldn’t deny Luhan his daily prayer. He got dressed but left off his shoes and cloak as long as they stayed sheltered inside the cave. He hadn’t forgotten himself just because they had returned his things to him. In fact, Sehun was starting to wonder if he would ever actually like shoes again when this year was over.

After prayer, it was time for breakfast and Sehun chose this time to clean up camp while the others ate. They were already discussing what to do, but Sehun eased their minds when he spoke up.

“You guys don’t have to worry,” he said as he rolled up his own bedroll last. “The Moon Witch came to me last night.” The group looked at him, a look of collective surprise on their faces. Even Yixing turned his head with false confusion to mask how much he knew.

Luhan pranced over to him and leaned over his shoulder with a smile. “What did he say?”

Sehun turned to him with a frown that should have made it very clear what Kai had told him. Luhan giggled at Sehun’s misfortune and Sehun sighed.

“He told me to ask the Seer in the Sky Kingdom,” Sehun groaned. “Told me to give him this.” He pulled out the little sunstone from his pocket. Luhan’s smile brightened further, reaching an almost impossible level of joy. It made Sehun’s heart twist in his chest. How was he going to ever convince Luhan that he couldn’t take the throne he wished him to take? He seemed so certain that the position belonged to Sehun, but Sehun didn’t feel that way.

“Perfect!” Luhan cheered. “Chanyeol needs to go that way anyway. He can take us there.”

Sehun felt the dread fill him so full up that he wanted to bury his head in the dirt.

“Yixing, Baekhyun?” Luhan said, looking over to them. “What do you plan to do?”

Yixing shrugged and continued eating. “I’ve got nothing better to do,” he lied. “I’ll follow you guys around for a little longer.”

Baekhyun snorted and put down his now empty bowl. “I’ll also stay,” he said. “I’ve still got to take care of Sehun’s punishment, yes?”

Sehun was the only one to nod, but he also knew that that wasn’t the only reason Baekhyun was tagging along. He waggled his brow at Baekhyun in a playful manner. Baekhyun was still not amused.

“Sehun, I swear on everything that is holy-!” Chanyeol grabbed the back of Baekhyun's robes and restrained him from lunging. He sat Baekhyun down and looked at Sehun with a frown as stern as his next words were.

“Whatever it is, quit teasing Baekhyun,” Chanyeol said. His voice was low to match his stiff expression. “Do you want more lashes for disrespect?”

“In this case, I don’t think he cares,” Yixing snorted, seeming to know the joke.

“Then another more persuasive punishment should be used,” Chanyeol suggested. Sehun paled. The lashings were already terrible. What could they punish him with that was worse than those for disrespect?

“The threat seems to have been enough for now,” Luhan hummed as he finished up his food. Sehun shrank and said nothing else. Perhaps he would have to knock the teasing down again. He was getting too comfortable.

When everyone finished eating, Sehun scraped a bowl together for himself. When it was time to leave, he dragged his cloak and shoes to the edge of the cave and put them on there. “So, which direction do we go now?” he asked. “The sky kingdom isn’t on the map.”

“No,” Chanyeol conceded, “but there are towns on here had supply lifts.” He pointed out a few random towns and cities with ease. It was clear he had planned a trip there in recent days. “There are a few different ones somewhat close by. One being on the other side of this mountain. But the kingdom won’t be nearby for a few weeks.”

"A few weeks?" Yixing questioned. "That's quite a lot of time wasting, don't you think?"

"Do we have a choice?" Chanyeol questioned. "If we move around too much, we could miss it anywhere. it's always moving."

"True," Luhan sighed. He seemed a little hesitant to sit around for once. But there were fewer options out here. "We can always find jobs again. The city is large for a mountain dwelling. There will be places to stay."

"They're no ordinary mountain dwellers," Chanyeol assured them. "The minor noble in charge is very dedicated to his job and makes sure everyone gets exactly what they need. They also take care of the people who are sick. They have lower levels where they treat their sick so they don't have to battle the altitude. And here's something you'll enjoy, Sehun: it's nicknamed the Windy City."

Sehun perked up at that. He hadn't gotten a chance to play with the wind in quite a while. He might be able to get a little energy out of his system there. "I want to go there!" he chirped, excitement coloring his voice.

"Hold on Sunshine," Luhan told him, bopping him on the back of the head with a soft hand. "We still need to figure out how we're going to feed ourselves between here and there."

"Sunshine?" Sehun questioned in confusion. Since when did Luhan call him that? Wouldn't that fit Baekhyun more? "Uh, I can hunt."

"You can, but remember, food is not as common up here," Chanyeol reminded him.

"We would be better off going back down the mountain," Yixing suggested. "It's easy to get turned around in the storms on this mountain. Let's not tempt fate. It's bad enough that we're up here during winter."

"I agree with Yixing," Baekhyun added. "I'm not even convinced Chanyeol's fire could save us in a snow storm."

"Speak for yourself," Chanyeol scoffed. "My flames are a hell of a lot more powerful than you seem to think they are."

"Not as powerful as my sunlight," Baekhyun challenged with a stare. He was much smaller than Chanyeol, but he was not intimidated by height. They often got in these small arguments, which resulted in play fights. Sometimes there were even displays of their powers. Sehun liked watching these exchanges. He wondered if he would ever have that level of control over all his gifts. Sometimes when he had nothing to do, he would try to imitate Baekhyun's tricks. But he wasn't familiar with the sunlight power yet. And he hadn't picked up with his training with Chanyeol since leaving Rioda.

These days, his practice was up to him if he wanted any. But because he was doing it by himself, he skipped over some other things he found unpleasant. It was inevitable that little accidents happened when no one was instructing him. He shocked Baekhyun once with some electricity. It wasn't a bad shock, but enough to startle him and make him yelp. Sehun had to spend an hour on his knees with his fists raised in the air. They also told him to be careful from then on. He wrote a letter to Jongdae that night as well, apologizing for his slip in control.

Mastering his ability to control the sun's rays was much harder. Baekhyun had spent hours with him trying to get him to hold simple beams and glow and produce heat. One thing he had managed to do was make his hair flash a bright white light that startled Baekhyun.

"You've got it all wrong!" Baekhyun had shouted. He was not one of the more patient teachers Sehun had ever had. But when Chanyeol stepped in and helped him to focus the heat into one spot, he started to make more progress again.

This gift became the most useful gift in his arsenal when he started to grow comfortable with it. He used it to warm himself up on occasion when it got too cold to handle. And now it didn’t burn out of control like it had tried to when he first discovered it.

Sometimes Sehun wondered how lucky he had been to find these people when he did. Even when they fought like this, he could still feel the fondness between all of them. When they expressed anger or dissatisfaction with him, he still felt fond. He knew it was only because they wanted him to be a better person. They also wanted to be sure he didn’t end up dead. Whether by accident or not was not the question.

"Children," Luhan said, stepping between Baekhyun and Chanyeol. "We need to set a good example for the baby, remember?"

The two of them huffed and their argument ended with a laugh. That was one thing that Sehun hated. He hated being the baby. But he was the youngest after all. He only hated the daily reminder of it. Especially when they punished him like a child. Cursing was a no go and he forgot often enough to become familiar with the taste of soap. They put his table manners to the test as well. Not eating at the same time as them allowed them to watch his every move. Now that he knew the rules, he had to drill them into habit. Yixing often slapped his hands with a wooden spoon if he got it wrong.

He sometimes wished they were less demanding, but beggars can't be choosers. It was only the formal rules that got him beatings anyway.

"We'll head down the mountain," Chanyeol finally agreed. "We'll go around the base. It'll take longer, but it'll be safer."

"Good choice," Luhan hummed. Though he said so, he looked to the sky as they left the cave and headed back the way they had come.

"Is something wrong?" Sehun asked Luhan while they walked.

"Nothing," Luhan hummed, giving Sehun a smile. "Timing is just off. Don't worry about it, Sunshine." He said it with light and humor in his voice, but something was bothering him a little.

"Why are you calling me Sunshine all of a sudden?" Sehun asked. "Since when did I say that was okay?"

"You didn't get the option," Luhan teased, sticking his tongue out. "You're always so gloomy. I call you Sunshine because it's ironic. You have the gift and yet you don't have anything in common with it."

Sehun laughed.

"Except when you do that!" Luhan groaned. "Why don't you smile like that more often?"

Sehun's laughter died when Luhan mentioned that. "Maybe because I'm not happy very often," he answered. "And..."

"And what?" Luhan questioned, trying to get it out of Sehun.

"I..." Sehun said with an awkward smile. "I don't feel confident in my smile."

Luhan blinked at Sehun and leaned forward to give him a kiss that Sehun hadn't been expecting. It didn't last long, but it happened and it caused him to break into a smile.

"Your smile is just fine," Luhan said. "I like it."

"Okay, keep the affection to a minimum in public," Baekhyun gagged. "No one wants to see you two getting gross."

"I think it's cute," Chanyeol hummed, putting in his two cents. "They don't do it often."

"They don't do it at all," Yixing corrected. "This is the first time."

"And quit being all virtuous," Luhan tutted. "You had no problem showing off your love bites all the time when it was you."

Baekhyun shut up after that. Sehun wanted to say something, but he had to restrain himself. Instead, he went to walk with Baekhyun for a while.

"That was mean," he muttered. "I apologize on his behalf."

"He's right though," Baekhyun muttered. "I didn't have a problem with it then."

"Are you being safe now?" Sehun asked. "I haven't noticed you go off to find anyone."

"Because I haven't been going off to find someone," Baekhyun said. "I've been trying to change. Like you have."

"Did you find a reason to?"

"Yes," Baekhyun whispered. "That reason brought me to you guys and that reason saved me one of my stupid nights." Then he looked at Sehun with a sad smile. "You were right. I am in love with him." He cast a longing glance at the taller man that walked a short way ahead of the group. "But I don't know how to tell him. No time ever seems like the right time."

"But what happens if the right time never comes?" Sehun asked. "What if he finds someone else?"

"I don't know," Baekhyun admitted. "But right now, I'm too scared to even think about it. I want him to stay by my side for as long as I'm allowed to have him."

Sehun didn't know what to tell Baekhyun about that. He was having his own problems trying to define what he and Luhan were and what they could become. Luhan had lofty expectations for Sehun and they daunted him. He didn't know if he could meet them. And if he couldn't, what then? If he became the king Luhan so desperately wanted, what would happen then? Would Sehun be stuck on a throne for the rest of his life and never be able to have time with the ones he loved?

"Say something to him," Sehun encouraged. "Before you lose the chance." Then he left Baekhyun to his thoughts and went to walk with Yixing for a while. Sehun often went to Yixing when he was feeling overwhelmed. The moon rabbit never put out anything but calm and he was quiet when he needed to be. Sehun often dragged light conversation out of him about the plants and animals. Yixing was his second teacher after they had left Kyungsoo. He wasn't quite the same, but he was knowledgeable on the things that they could eat and what was poisonous. He also knew about natural remedies such as horsetails for stinging nettles. Sehun always found his conversations with Yixing to be very informative.

At about midday, they finally reached the ends of the snow and Chanyeol called for a break. But as he set his things down, he beckoned Sehun over.

"We've been neglecting your practice lately," he said. "We haven't been training you since leaving Rioda. You're starting to lose some of that muscle you had built."

Sehun already didn't like where this was going.

"We've got quite a bit of time to kill between now and when we take a lift up to the Sky Kingdom," Chanyeol continued. "So, I'm putting you through more training."

Sehun groaned and didn't know what to say. Chanyeol wasn't amused.

"You know the rules. Behave and do your best and you will be fine," he warned. "Understand?"

Sehun nodded.

"Verbal responses, Sehun," Chanyeol said with a poised finger.

"Yes, sir."

"That's better," Chanyeol said. "We'll start with something I never addressed in the first place. Touch your toes for me."

This was already not off to a good start. Sehun bent down to touch his toes, but he couldn't even reach them. He pushed until it hurt, but he couldn't quite reach.

"Alright," Chanyeol said, releasing Sehun from the position. Sehun came up with a breath. Chanyeol didn't look pleased with Sehun's lack of flexibility. "I'm making it an order for you to stretch at some point every day. Doesn't matter when. I just want you to do it."

"Yes, sir," Sehun said grumpily. "What will I be stretching?"

"Everything you can think of," Chanyeol advised. "You're stiff as a board even though your born gift is flexible and fluid. You need to watch it or you won't ever be able to handle it with the same grace that I know your mother possessed. As for your lightning, it would benefit you to build and continue to maintain a bit of muscle. I know you don't much care for exercise, but it will put some kick behind your physical attacks. Then you'll be able to protect yourself and others. That was why you agreed to let it in, yes?"

"Yes..." Sehun confirmed. "I never... thought about it that way, though."

"As for your sunlight, it's defensive. But you have yet to master it," Chanyeol pointed out. "You could even manipulate it into a weapon when you've done so. That heat was formidable. But there's no sense in letting it run wild. You need to meditate more and become familiar with it. Do that every day as well until you can concentrate light on your weapon. Baekhyun has already shown you how, but your goal is to maintain the weapon for longer periods of time."

"Then what are we doing today?" Sehun asked as Chanyeol walked by him. His confusion faded when Chanyeol produced Sehun's wooden sword. Sparring was what he had hoped they wouldn't be doing today.

"Let's see how much you remember about posture and grip," Chanyeol said, tossing the sword to Sehun. "Once I'm satisfied, we'll see how much you remember about strategy. Try to keep up."

After Sehun showed Chanyeol that he had been practicing stance in his absence, they moved on. Chanyeol spent the rest of their training session pointing out all Sehun's openings. He was a terrible swordsman even with fake equipment. Sehun should have taken Jongdae up on the offer to teach him when he said he would back at Kyungsoo's hut. But he's also pretty sure Kyungsoo wouldn't have let him at the time. Sehun's arm was still healing back then and it might have been too much pressure on the fractured limb.

But now Sehun was face down in the dirt every few moments. He had new bruises forming everywhere and he still had to get up. He was using muscles he forgot he had and missed the weeks of rest.0

"I'll say one thing for your bony body," Chanyeol said after Sehun had managed one good jab to Chanyeol's ribs. But it hadn't been a hit with a sword; it had been a hit with his elbow. "Your jabs really hurt. But you still leave everything wide open for attack and you're way too slow."

That had been Sehun's downfall this time. He hadn't moved fast enough and Chanyeol had been able to get behind him and whack him on the back. When he stumbled forward, he dropped his wooden sword and ended up in the dirt for the fiftieth time.

"Maybe you should stop now," Yixing hummed as he came over to apply some healing spells to Sehun's cuts and bruises. "He still has to be able to walk. We're not done traveling today."

Sehun breathed in relief and offered up his bruises and the like to Yixing's touch. He felt the relief from the pain, but the ache from his muscles remained. He'd be dead by the time this day ended, but he hadn't incurred any beatings. He wasn't so sure that would remain the same if he was this tired every day.

When they made camp that night, Sehun felt like jelly. They had pushed their travels a little farther than usual and made it to the base of the mountain. They took his shoes and cloak back when they finished seeing snow and he was back to being a shivering, pained mess. At the fire that night, though. Sehun hung about as close as he could get without burning himself and did his meditation there. Luhan sat close by with Sehun's cloak and continued to improve upon his needlework.

Sehun had told him it wasn't necessary to do so, but Luhan insisted. Sometimes Sehun would hear a little hiss as Luhan pricke