This had to be done correctly. Youngjae being found out and captured by humans could mean a whole new can of worms opening up that none of them needed right now. Especially with Mark here. How anyone found out about Youngjae was beyond all of them. He might have had been spotted at the bar. However it happened, it was now their reality, and they needed to find a way to save him before things got ugly. Humans were not fond of the Zari in any way, rightfully so after what happened, however, it meant the discovery of one among them could cause quite the riot. If there was one, that meant there might be more, and a witch hunt that nobody was ready for could break out in a matter of days. The only chance they had at getting him back was hoping that whoever captured him was smart enough to keep it a secret from the people.

“Jaebum, did you find anything?” Jinyoung asked, walking quickly into his friend's room. Jaebum hardly looked over from his typing, the bags under his eyes the most predominant thing about him.

It was clear he had spent every minute since Youngjae had been taken trying to find a way to break him out. Jaebum had always had a soft spot for the younger male, Jinyoung never questioned it.

Jaebum’s room was designed as all the others only instead of the singular laptop on his desk as Jinyoung had; there were nine monitors all stacked together. Each monitor had a different thing going on. Jaebum tapped a few keys to make all of the monitors synchronize into one image that showed where Youngjae was being taken. They watched the various security cameras in the areas follow where the guards had taken Youngjae before he vanished into a section they had all seen before. One where they dealt with people that had issues, well, conforming to the new rules. It wasn't typical to see someone again after they had been taken behind those giant steel doors.

Hacking into another camera, Jaebum was able to pull up the feed inside Youngjae’s cell. He didn’t look beat up, no doubt because the guards were nervous about the powers he held if he was, in fact, a confirmed Zari. It seemed they had locked him up with another boy Jinyoung had remembered seeing a few times around the floors, but he didn’t know who he was. He had also gone missing a day or so ago. Both of them had the same vibrant purple hair that Mark did, so he must have been another Zari. Mark walked into the room eventually, moving closer to try and get a better look at what Jaebum and Jinyoung were so intently focusing on, squinting some at the monitors before he gasped.

“He… why is he down here? He wasn’t part of the fighting! He was only supposed to come to help clean this mess up.” Mark groaned, moving to run his fingers through his hair before he reached out to touch the monitor as if that would bring him closer to the two being held captive.

“How can we get them out safely?” Mark asked as calmly as he could. Looking over his shoulder as Jackson walked into the room, holding the juice that Youngjae had given them.

“Didn’t want them getting this. Had to sneak it out. The whole bar is being taken over with vines to keep the cops out.” Jackson laughed, Jinyoung moved to look into the container before he made a face. The smell wasn’t bad, but he remembered the taste almost immediately.

“You guys need to keep drinking that,” Mark stated, turning back to Jaebum, gesturing towards his computer.

“May I?” Mark asked, Jaebum looked hesitant before he got up and let Mark take his seat. A moment that made even Jackson’s jaw drop. It was rare people were allowed inside Jaebum’s room, let alone touch his computer. He knew this must be important for Jaebum to hand over control of something he worked so hard to build.

“Drink.” Jaebum growled, not wanting to think about handing over his pride and joy to someone that wasn't him.

Mark took all of 30 seconds to figure out how Jaebum had everything set up. Soon he was able to use the computers in a way that would help them get a better grasp of what was going on inside the holding cell. Mark read as much as he could before he rubbed over his face, letting out a low groan. Every monitor was tapped into things even Jaebum had never seen before. Hidden things going on in their world, he was sure the higher-ups would never want people to know about.

“They don’t know for sure what either of them is. Thankfully their necklaces are still hidden. The hair was why they were brought in, that’s a dead giveaway, though. They are going to be taken to the lower levels tomorrow morning for further interrogation??” Mark turned, not sure what that meant. From everything he was able to hack into there was little to no mention of the lower levels.

“Well… that means they are either going to be forced to work at digging like I was or kept in holding cells and.. ‘Questioned’ as they call it.” Yugyeom looked around nervously because it was not a good time. The very thought of it made his skin crawl. The apparent fear and panic written all over his body language explained everything.

“Is there a way for us to cut power to this section?” Mark asked, turning to look up at the humans surrounding him.

“There is a way to reroute power but not cut it directly. We will be found out if we cut it entirely. They know that is something only Jinyoung and I are capable of doing. We can always say it’s for maintenance, why would we know those two are in there?” Jaebum chewed his lower lip, finishing his drink with a grimace before he moved to the computer, typing over Mark’s shoulder. Jinyoung moved closer watching from the other side.

“Do you think they will be okay? Like they can’t be hurt by human tools, right?” Jinyoung asked Mark. Mark just sighed, turning to look at Jinyoung.

“I don’t know about what the human body they are in can go through, I know if they transform then, no. Neither of them would be hurt, but that’s more dangerous for them because then they will be exposed to the anger of the human race.” Mark sat back some, looking at the cameras with a puzzled look about him before he jumped forward. Both Jinyoung and Jaebum moved back as he typed furiously.

Pulling up random grid mappings of the underworld, Mark looked closely at the maps trying to find an escape for them. There had to be something, right? The humans took the already existing underground subway system and adapted it further and further down below the earth's crust, but that didn't mean all the ground around them was cleared just yet.

“What about the vines?” Yugyeom piped up from the bed, currently downing his third glass. He got up, setting his glass on the end table. Yugyeom started moving towards the monitors pointing to a blank section towards the back of the holding cell areas that hadn’t been mapped out since there was nothing there yet but dirt.

“Can they be used to push through the wall and create a tunnel for them to crawl out of?” Yugyeom asked, turning to face Mark.

“That’s what I was thinking... but the vines would need to be called from the inside of the room, but that also means we have to lead them there. If one of us can get close enough to them to talk to Youngjae or Jimin and have them call for the vines. But how do we get the vines there without bringing attention to ourselves?” Mark added, chewing his lower lip.

“I can do it… I talked to the one up above in the outside world, remember? What if I walk down to that area, pretend to ask about Youngjae. Try and see him. Can he take it from there?” Jinyoung asked, knowing it was risky, but it was an option. Mark seemed nervous that Jinyoung would put himself up like that, chewing his lower lip in thought before he let out a deep sigh.

“It’s a good option. I know no other way to get them out safely.” Jackson said, setting his empty glass next to Yugyeom's.

“I will go. None of you need to be in trouble; the three of us can call them faster since they are of our kind. I just need it to know how to get back to the outside world from there.” Mark sighed, getting up out of the computer chair to think, pacing around the room.

“No. That’s not even an option. You are not risking yourself, your highness.” Jinyoung stated, moving to grip Mark’s bicep to get him to stop moving. Mark looked at Jinyoung for a moment before he turned to face him.

“I’m not your King.” Mark said softly, gently pulling his arm away from Jinyoung’s grasp.

“A King is still a King. You can be royalty here in this world or another; you need to be kept safe.” Jinyoung stated, letting his hand slip into his pocket. The temptation to touch Mark again overwhelming.

“The only other alternative would be risking you; that’s not an option I’m comfortable with...” Mark said softly, caring eyes never leaving Jinyoung’s own.

“You know we can hear you two flirting now.” Jaebum piped up, sitting in the chair with an amused look on his face. Jinyoung jumped, standing more upright and looking away from Mark. A deep blush was covering his neck and the tips of his ears. Mark could only smirk, taking a step back from Jinyoung to look at the map.

“None of us have drunk enough to call these things to us, but you are pure vine thing… and Jinyoung, you’ve drunk the most. Jinyoung, you know the guards from your time fixing things up in there when it first opened… that’s probably our best option.” BamBam finally said, shaking off the aftertaste of the drink, looking into his glass as if he was trying to get a better idea of what he had just drunk.

“Don’t argue this with me; we will not risk sending you in there.” Jinyoung said, looking directly at Mark. He could tell he had more to say, but he seemed to relinquish the fight with Jinyoung looking at him so sternly.

“If anything happens, I am coming in after you.”

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“Jimin?” Youngjae looked in awe as he was thrown into the cell, picking himself up off the ground. The metal door behind them sealed shut, creating an eerie quiet in the room.

“Sir! What are you… doing down here.” Jimin got up, bowing his head before he moved to cup Youngjae’s face in his hands. The two pressed their heads together, a soft glow of gold tattoos came to their faces before they pulled away.

“I don’t know how I was found out, but you must have survived just as long to be here.” Youngjae moved to sit down, looking around the room to spot all the cameras. He figured the others were up to something stupid, which meant all he had to do was be patient.

“I came down after all was said and done, the King wanted people to come help and try to recover the Earth, and I wanted to see what happened. Yoongi came with me, and we discovered that things were, well, this. We’ve been trying to find a way back home. We didn’t know there were any others down here.” Jimin said, leaning back against the door.

“We have one more. The best one. The king is here, and you know how he is. He’s probably already on his way to get us out.” Youngjae said, taking his hat off. His purple hair was falling into his face. He gently pushed it back before sliding his beanie halfway on his head. There was no use in hiding it now.

“The… The king? Mark is here??” Jimin gasped, covering his mouth with his hands. He pushed himself off the wall to move closer to Youngjae, kneeling to put his hands on his knees.

“Yeah! He’s been on earth for some time. He ran into the humans I had become friends with. Don’t know what he’s planning, but he seems to think one of them can fix the earth.” Youngjae smiled, cupping Jimin’s face in his hands.

“The King is most gracious, although they better act soon. I heard the guards speaking… they plan on moving me down below by 7:00 am. With you here now, they surely will take us both.” Jimin sighed, looking up to the clock in the room.

“That only gives us about a few hours.” Youngjae frowned, getting up quickly to walk to the door, looking out of the small glass window to see if anything was in motion.

It didn't take long. Half an hour later, all the lights went off, and he knew it was no accident, thankful that help was on the way he stayed by the window for any sort of sign.

“What’s happening,” Jimin asked, getting up to stay by Youngjae.

The power had been cut, making the entire section going dark. The underworld didn’t have a source of backup lights to help in the event of something like this, but periodic cuts to grids were nothing abnormal. Jinyoung walked by the holding cells with his tool belt on, looking over papers that were more of a jumbled mess than anything. When he got near the holding cells, he was grabbed by an officer, pushed up against the nearby wall. With pretend fear in his eyes, Jinyoung put his hands up.

“Officer, what happened!!” Jinyoung pretended to whimper, looking the man in the face trying to act as scared as he could.

“We have two vital people in these holding cells, turn the ing power back on. Now.” The officer threw Jinyoung into the holding area, nodding towards the computers. Jinyoung brushed himself off, walking over towards the phone set up on the wall by Youngjae’s holding cell. Giving Youngjae a look, Jinyoung hoped that he would be able to hear him through the door of the cell.

“Call to the vines.” Jinyoung said, hoping he’d drank enough that all of the Zari’s were able to communicate with him. Youngjae looked at him for a moment before he nodded his head. Jinyoung moved to the phones, picking it up. However, he knew that with the power cut, the lines were dead.

“Call to the vines.” Youngjae told Jimin, he nodded his head, both of them moved to put their hands on the wall.

A bright light started emitting from their fingertips as they called to the vines; the walls around them began to shake. Jinyoung looked around as the guards began to panic, rushing to unlock the room that held Youngjae and Jimin. Having to think fast, Jinyoung pushed the guards out of the way and went into the room, slamming the door behind him. Pushing the door shut so the guards couldn’t get in, Jimin ran over to Jinyoung and called to a vine to help, sprouting from the wall it started to get into the gate, locking itself. Jinyoung smiled as he stepped back, watching the guards struggle to get the vines under control.

“Who’s this?” Jimin asked, nodding to Jinyoung.

“The King’s new close friend.” Youngjae wiggled his eyebrows, Jimin looked in awe. Giving Jinyoung a good look over before he nodded his head.

"A human, interesting..."

“Shut up, it’s not like that!” Jinyoung shoved Youngjae, who could only laugh in response.

“Where is the King?” Youngjae asked, stepping back as the vines started to poke through more of the cell, slowly creating an opening for them.

“He’s by the exit hatch waiting for us, everyone has been drinking the stuff from the bar. Do you really think we will be okay?” Jinyoung asked. Youngjae nodded his head.

“I can’t leave!!! Not without Yoongi. I got caught trying to come to save him.” Jimin looked around, pressing his hands to the wall, Yoongi had been locked in the stall a few doors down. Jimin managed to send the vines down to his room, crawling through the little tunnel they created. Yoongi looked up as the vines spread through the wall, eyes wide at the sight until he saw Jimin poke his head through, holding out his hand.

“Hyung! Come. The King has come to bring us home.” Jimin smiled, grabbing Yoongi’s hand to pull him up. The two shared a moment, noses rubbing together before they started to crawl back towards the central opening the vines had created.

“STOP THEM!” The officers yelled, getting Yoongi’s main gate open. Jimin waved his hands to create a barrier between them, sealing off the hole they had created as they crawled.

“Go, go! They made it inside.” Youngjae yelled as he started to crawl up, Jinyoung in the lead the way as the vines worked to keep the Zari inside safe.

As they crawled up, the Vines retreated with them, causing the earth to fall as it once was. Their path was now protected as they made their way up several layers of land to the exit. Jinyoung fell out of the hole and onto the floor with a confused look before he saw the others waiting for them.

“Your highness!” Jimin and Yoongi yelled, sprinting towards him. Mark could only laugh, bracing himself for the two to latch onto him, holding him close. Jinyoung helped Youngjae to his feet, heading for the hatch when they heard yelling.

“THEY ARE TRYING TO ESCAPE! STOP THEM!” A voice yelled, Jaebum looked over to see officers running their way, guns pointed at the group.

“GET THE DOORS OPEN!” Bambam yelled. Jaebum started working faster at inputting the codes to bypass security.

“I’M TRYING! SHUT UP!” Jaebum yelled, panic in his voice. The guards getting closer with each push of the button, trying to keep focus, but the sound of a gunshot nearby had him startled.

“JINYOUNG!” Mark yelled, seeing Jinyoung fall to his knees, holding his side. It felt like the world slowed down as Jinyoung cried out in pain, crimson red staining his shirt around where he was grabbing.

Ripping the crystal from his neck, Mark quickly transformed back to his pure form. A wave of anger coursing through his body he hadn’t felt in years. Youngjae, Jimin, and Yoongi were quick to follow their king. All of them transforming to stand at the side of their king, giant wings creating a barrier between the guards and the humans so they could get the doors open in peace. Bullets bouncing off them as if they were being sprayed with water guns.

“You two, go!” Mark ordered, Jimin and Youngjae nodded, rushing from their king's side to knock the officers out. Jackson and Yugyeom watched in awe at how lighting fast they were; in no time, the guards were face down knocked out. A mess of guns laying around them. Youngjae and Jimin called for the vines to cover them up almost like a wall, ensuring their safe escape. It seemed a second wave was coming, alarms blaring all around them as the exit hatch finally opened.

“Go! I’ll take Jinyoung.” Mark ordered, scooping Jinyoung up in his arms, holding him close as They got the humans out safely. There weren’t enough suits for everyone, but that didn’t seem to bother Jinyoung, Jaebum, and Jackson as they moved outside.

“Grab on!” The Zari yelled to the humans. Jaebum and Jackson clinging to Youngjae, Bambam clinging to Jimin, Yugyeom clinging to Yoongi. The Zari took off, mighty wings slicing through the sky and away from the hatches. Looking down, Mark saw a series of humvee’s zooming out after them.

“Where is the ship?” Yoongi called out, ducking under one of the bridges. Yugyeom letting out a loud yelp at the sudden drop. Clinging to Yoongi tighter.

“Observatory! There!” Mark gestured towards the giant glass building, looking down to see the vehicles were tracing them the best they could from the ground. “Stay with me Jinyoung, we’re almost safe.”

Below them, the cars raced through the debris-filled streets, vines trying to take them out, but the humans were quick to blast them away before they had a chance to harden. They got stuck at a fallen bridge, having to take a detour through a few buildings. The explosions down below startling the humans as the Zari kept pushing for the observatory.

Mark took off faster, getting them down on the conservatory floor. He rushed inside with Jinyoung, having hidden the ship in the back courtyard. The vines that had it hidden from plain sight started retreating away as Mark came closer. The hatch lowering to open up as a Humvee came from around the side of the building. Youngjae swooped inside with Jackson and Jaebum, followed by Bambam and Jimin.

“Sir, go! Protect Jinyoung, we can take him out!” Yoongi yelled, setting Yugyeom down, watching him run onto the ship as quickly as he could. The officer driving jumped off, gun in the air. Even if it was useless against them, his resolve to try was commendable.

“Just give us back the humans!” He yelled, Mark vanished with Jinyoung as the engines came to life. Vines fully retracted, exposing the ship that had been waiting to head back home. Youngjae was already in the command center, opening the path to their planet.

“The humans are ours. We’re only trying to help! We want to restore order to your planet, but you won't let us help!” Yoongi yelled, the officer wavered some, looking up at Yoongi before he charged at him full speed. Arms wrapping around Yoongi’s body, sending him flying back inside the ship.

“GO, GO!” Yoongi yelled, the door quickly closing behind them. The officer yelled out, rushing to the door banging on it to be let go.

“Let me out! Don’t kill me! LET ME OUT!” He yelled, in a panic, he pulled out his gun. His body was trembling as Jackson walked in front of the Zari’s.

“Officer, lower the gun. There is nothing you can do now.” Jackson tried, taking a few steps closer. The officer fired a shot towards him. It grazed his leg, making Jackson fall to his knee.

“You !” Jackson yelled, groaning out as he laid back, gripping his thigh. Yoongi walked over, hovering his hands over the cut to start healing it for him. A golden light glowing from his leg until everything was as good as new. Jackson watched in awe, eyes wide.

“Thanks... Uh? I didn’t get your name.” Jackson smiled softly, guilt eating at his chest for being so nasty towards the Zari in the previous days.

“Yoongi, I’m a healer in the general military.” Yoongi smiled, helping Jackson back to his feet.

“Human, relax!” Jimin held out his hand, quickly yanking the gun away from the human before he sent him flying back against the wall. He had him pinned to the metal by some power none of them could see. The officer groaned, his helmet falling to the floor by his feet.

“What do you want with these humans?” He asked, trying not to show how scared he was.

“What is your name?” Jaebum moved to Jimin’s side, putting his hand on his wrist to get him to lower the officer down to the ground.

“S-Seokjin.” The officer said, happy to have two feet on the ground again.

“Seokjin, we went with them willingly. They have plans to help the earth. This.. none of this was supposed to happen. Just listen to them. I know your heart is filled with hate… trust me, I understand.” Jackson came forward, grabbing the gun off the ground, he emptied the bullet chamber and removed the clip, setting everything down on a table near them.

“Fine. I’ll listen.”

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The ship took off moments later, Mark had taken Jinyoung to a sleeping chamber. Yoongi showed up moments later to start the healing process. Mark had started, but having spent so much time on earth, his powers weren’t as charged up as they had once been. Yoongi bowed to his king, asking for permission before he put his hands on Jinyoung. Mark stood by watching, nervously chewing at his lower lip as the gold glow emitted from Jinyoung’s side.

“Sir. This human... Do you think he can save the earth and restore order?” Yoongi asked, looking up to Mark.

“I don’t know. Jinyoung has a mind unlike any other. His knowledge of plants and the way they work is comparable to our own. We are thinking of ways to infuse human technology with the vines to maybe bring a sustainable air back to the earth. With the air restored, maybe the waters would start to clear up.” Mark sighed, reaching out to move some of Jinyoung’s hair from his face.

“That could work, we’ve been trying for years to find a way. They had caught me two days ago. I got into a fight with a human, and they knocked my hat off. Jimin came to my rescue and well. We all saw how that wound up.” Yoongi laughed, looking up from the wound to his King.

“You are lucky to have each other, you two have been together for some time. But you know as well as I do Jimin is not the… brightest with escape plans.” Mark laughed, letting his fingers trace over Jinyoung’s face before Jinyoung came to. A sharp gasp fell from his lips as he shot up. Yoongi jumped back, eyes on the human who looked scared and confused.

“It’s okay! You’re okay.” Mark said quickly, moving to sit on the table, cupping Jinyoung’s face in his hands to help ground him. Jinyoung looked at Mark for a few moments before he let out a long breath, nodding his head some.

“What happened? I don’t.. Where are we?” He asked, confused as he looked around him.

“My ship, we are going back to our planet. You had been shot, but thankfully a trusted medic was with us. You need to rest.” Mark said, removing his hands from Jinyoung’s face before standing up.

Jinyoung waved it off, swinging his legs off the table to stand. Jinyoung felt a little woozy, holding his head with one hand and bracing himself with the other. Yoongi reached out to steady him.

“I’m okay, I want to see everyone.” Jinyoung said, thanking Yoongi for his work before he tried to find a way out of the room.

“Open… please.” Jinyoung frowned, Mark could only laugh as he reached out to touch the door; it opened instantly.

"Of course, it's that easy. You always have that magic touch." Jinyoung grumbled to himself before he walked out. Yoongi could only laugh at the human.

“No wonder you like him, nobody else dares tease you like that.” Yoongi smirked, Mark huffed at that standing up straighter.

“You all better be careful.” Mark said, giving Yoongi a look. The medic just laughed, heading out of the room after Jinyoung. Mark took a moment, looking at the blood that stained the table before he left the room, the door shutting behind him.

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“JINYOUNG!” Jaebum yelled, rushing to his friend once he saw him, wrapping him up in a tight hug.

“Easy, easy with him.” Yoongi said, bracing Jinyoung again before he moved to be next to Jimin, rubbing his nose against the others. Jimin smiled brightly, his arms sliding around the other's midsection to pull him near.

“Are you two like dating?” Jackson asked, cocking his head to the side.

“I guess in human terms; we would be married? We’ve been bonded for hundreds of years.” Jimin said softly, resting his head on Yoongi’s shoulder. Happy to finally be himself again after all those years of hiding.

“Married, whoa.” Jackson said, turning back to Jin, who was looking at everyone with wide eyes.

“Who’s this one?” Jinyoung asked, taking a few steps closer to Jin. The officer put his hands up.

“He followed us onto the ship, thinks we’re holding him hostage. He’s not the one that shot you.” Yugyeom said, sitting up from his spot on the floor.

“You don’t deserve to come with us if you were the one chasing after us.” Jinyoung narrowed his eyes, moving closer to Jin.

“If what everyone says is true, and you’re all here to try and fix the earth, then I want to help! That is as much my home as it is yours. They should fix it for what they did to us!” Jin growled, getting close to Jinyoung.

“We did this to ourselves, that stupid, idiotic leader that decided to compensate for his small by blowing a rocket at the Zari's ships is what got us into this situation. The incompetence of man. They were only ever trying to help.” The more Jinyoung spoke, the more he started to change. The gold tattoos were returning to his skin, eyes fading to violet. Jin jumped back at the sudden transformation. Jinyoung stopped to look at his hands, in awe over the markings on his body.

“What is happening, are you one of them too?” Jin asked, looking around for answers.

“No, he isn’t. He’s been drinking a juice blend from the vines; its effects seem to transform him in some ways.” Mark said, walking over to cup Jinyoung’s cheek, furthering the change. His hair was changing to purple from where Mark’s hand was.

“Your highness, what if that’s the solution. Feeding the humans this drink to help them all adapt to the new world. How can we fix something so beyond repair, when we can teach them how to adapt and overcome instead.” Jimin said, pulling from Yoongi to get a better look at Jinyoung, in awe over the markings.

“He has royal seals, but how.” Jimin’s eyes went wide, fingers hooking in the neck of Jinyoung’s shirt to pull it down, the material ripping under his strong fingers. Jinyoung looked in horror at his now exposed half- body. It was covered in glowing gold markings, not just covering one side but covering his whole torso.

“I don’t know, that’s why I think he’s the key.” Mark said, sitting down carefully. Jinyoung tried to fix his shirt, glaring at the two of them.

“If you’re going to undress me, at least give me one of those dress things! I’m practically !” Jinyoung scoffed, hiding behind Jaebum, who was trying not to laugh.

“This is not a dress.” Jimin glared, pointing to the robe he was wearing.

“Humans and their obsession with clothes.” Yoongi rolled his eyes, walking around the room to try and find a specific trunk, opening it up he dug around before he pulled out clothes to hand over to Jinyoung.

“You can change behind that barrier,” Mark said, laughing to himself as Jinyoung snatched the clothes and made his way for the corner of the room. Mark was happy the blood-stained clothes would be forgotten. They only served as a reminder that he didn’t protect Jinyoung as he should have.

When Jinyoung emerged from the corner dressed as the Zari’s typically were, Mark looked up with wide eyes. His breathing caught in this throat at the sight before him, the feathers on his wings shook slightly. Jimin and Yoongi looked at each other with a smirk. They knew what was going on, even if their King didn’t want to talk about it. Youngjae joined them moments later, raising an eyebrow at the state of Jinyoung.

“He’s changing quickly. Sir, are you… sir... Your highness...” Youngjae said, cocking his head to the side, he waved a hand in front of Mark’s face to get his attention. Mark snapped to, looking over at Youngjae with a scowl on his face as if he’d interrupted something. Youngjae could only smirk, raising an eyebrow.

“Your Highness, we will be home shortly. Do we need to ready anything?” Youngjae asked, unable to wipe the smirk from his face.

“Did you call ahead and tell them we were on our way?” Mark asked, now actively avoiding looking at Jinyoung.

“I did. Everyone is thankful you’re returning home in one piece, they’ve missed their king. Even if your sister has acted in your stead during your trips. From the sounds of it, I believe everyone is ready for the order to restore. Have you been on Earth almost a full human year?” Youngjae asked in awe.

“Has it been that long? Woah. It’s more than time I return home.” Mark let out a long breath, not sure how he lost such track of his time on Earth during this trip.

“It will be good to be home, finally. I’m sure the people wish to have their King safely returned to them.” Youngjae said, bowing his head before he took his leave for the front of the ship.

“Tell me about it, your planet.” Jinyoung said, walking up alongside Mark. His hand reached out to gently touch his shoulder. Mark looked down at the gesture and couldn’t hold back the soft smile.

“Peaceful, happy. During the day, you can always hear the laughter and running around of children. At nights the streets are always so full of people. So much food, dancing. It wasn’t always like this. Kings of old, before my family took rule, the old King ran the planet with an iron fist, everyone lived in fear. There was a great war, similar to that which happened on earth. My great great great grandfather lead the revolution. Though not without bloodshed, the world recovered as he knew it would, but democracy was put in place. Rules, regulations, laws to ensure none were left without food, none were left behind. Of course, there is common crime the same as earth. People over the years unhappy with the state of things, but nothing significant. It’s been a golden age of peace for some time.” Mark sighed, watching the shields come down around the ship, exposing them to the nearby planet. Mark walked over to the window and put his hands on the glass. The more of his world he saw, the more at peace he became.

Mark hadn’t been home in almost a year, even though time worked differently at home. Days, months and years didn’t mean much to them. They had darkness, and daylight much like earth did. The nights were sometimes longer, and the days sometimes never seemed to end. They moved more off the cycles of their four moons—each bringing with it a change in the seasons.

The humans all walked closer to the glass as they neared the planet, jaws’ dropped in awe at the thought of a whole different world. A thriving world. The mix of vibrant green land and blue sea was something earth had never had even before humans started to wreck it.

“How did we get here so fast… how far away are we from Earth?” Jackson said, looking over to Jimin, who joined them by the glass.

“In your human spaceships, it would take 600 years to get to us.” Jimin said softly, smiling the second his home came into view. Yoongi walked up behind him, arms wrapping around his midsection, peeking out from over his shoulder to get a good look.

“We’re home, Yeobo.” Yoongi gave Jimin’s sides a soft squeeze.

“600 years… then… hold up. How did we get here in the matter of a few hours?” Jackson asked again.

“We have ways to get around. We managed to find a way to create tunnels through the universe's dark matter that let us travel as we wish.” Yoongi chimed in, fingers the feathers along Jimin’s left-wing. Jimin let his eyes flutter closed, leaning into his lover's touch.

“Save it for the privacy of your home.” Mark cleared his throat, giving the two a knowing look. The humans looked at each other confused, that didn't seem inappropriate to them.

“Sorry, my King.” Yoongi smirked, resting his hand back on Jimin’s hip.

“This is… beautiful.” Jinyoung said as the ship moved down and along a body of water. Quickly he rushed towards the front where Youngjae had taken the ship off autopilot and was navigating them through their world towards the palace.

“Not many buildings, do you guys live below the trees?” Jinyoung asked.

Looking out, he could see a clearing of trees. Each one taller and thicker than he’d ever seen before, long hanging vines covered in iridescent leaves formed intricate patterns all over the side of the trees. They shined in the sunlight casting a glitter over the world below.

“The trees are our home.” Youngjae smiled, heading down into a clearing for Jinyoung to get a better look.

The world seemed to be set up in this unified connection between nature and science. Between the giant trees were equally as giant buildings, some poking out among the trees, some worked into the trees. Everything worked as nature had set up for it to be. As if iron and vine had lived in harmony instead of fighting each other. Jinyoung thought back to the earth and how plant life would grow even in the most concrete of cities only for humans to rip them out time and time again. Then once a building became too old, too covered in nature, humans would fight back and tear it all down to start anew, but here, things worked as one. They came to a great clearing of crystal blue water, and that’s when he saw it. A castle was seemingly floating on clouds of pink and teal swirls in the middle of the water. It was high enough that waterfalls sprouted from various areas, the clear water fell below. The palace stood out from the harmonious wood and steal cities surrounding it, but not in an intrusive way. It stood as an unmistakable beacon of power—a symbol of hope. Jinyoung could tell that just from a first glance.

The closer they got, the more emotional Jinyoung became, because the reality of it all hit him at once. It was easy in the passing years to think of what happened like a dream. To see the Zari as the enemy of what happened to earth, the bad guys. Looking at what they had created, what they called home, was everything Jinyoung had ever dreamed of and more. Who in their right minds could look at such tranquility and beauty and think of it as anything evil? Despite what happened, Jinyoung felt a strange peace, almost a feeling of being home the longer he looked at the palace.

With the King back, the city was alive again. The hatch door opened, and within seconds there were guards lined up to greet their King. Yoongi and Jimin were off first, welcomed back with hugs and warm smiles from their fellow Zari’s. Youngjae received similar greetings, though everyone stopped when the humans stepped off the jet. The soldiers surrounding them looked uneasy. However, they were not ready to attack. Eyes wide at the sight, almost scared as to why they were there. It wasn’t until Mark and Jinyoung got off did everyone fall to their knees bowing before their king. Jinyoung looked around confused, seeing how everyone around them respected Mark in such a way. They did this not because they had to, but because they loved him. It was apparent the difference by the look on their faces.

“Rise, it’s good to see you all too.” Mark said, raising his hands to show he wanted them to stand. Those around got back to their feet, applauding their King’s safe arrival home.

“Don’t mind them,” Mark whispered to Jinyoung, smiling some as he lead everyone inside through the central court and inside to the west wing of the castle.

“UNCLE! UNCLE!” Little voices yelled.

Before Mark knew it, he was being rushed by two young Zari’s, all bright smiles as they flew up and into their uncle's arms. Mark laughed and kissed their faces happily before his sister glided down from the throne, bowing her head at her brother.

“You’re late.” Tammy scolded, Mark could only laugh. Setting the two girls down, he hugged his sister giving her a thankful kiss to her forehead.

“I got held up. I want my guests cleaned and shown to the best quarters at once. Tonight is a special night for all of us.” Mark said, his sister looked over at the humans and gasped. Her hands were coming up to cover before she walked over to get a closer look. Reaching out, she poked Yugyeom in the head, jumping back when he swatted her hand away.

“Hey!” Yugyeom yelled, frowning some. Tammy reached up and removed the helmet of his suit. Yugyeom tried to grab it quickly, but it was no use, he held his breath and looked around nervously.

“Breathe Yugyeom.” Jinyoung laughed, walking over to his friend. Jinyoung had no suit on, and so far, he was okay. He felt a little lightheaded at first, but his body was adjusting thanks to the juice.

“Sir, I should go to prepare more food and juice for them.” Youngjae said, looking at the humans before turning his attention back to Mark. The King nodded his head, waving Youngjae off as he watched the other humans take their helmets off. Jin was the only one struggling, having never drunk the juice before. He looked rather ill, body not taking well to the change from oxygen to whatever type of air covered the planet.

“Here.” Jaebum offered, getting out of his suit entirely to help Jin inside it. It took a few moments to regulate before the suit filtered the air around them to create oxygen inside the suit for Jin. He took a deep breath and moved to sit down, giving a thumbs up that he felt better.

“What have you brought them here for?” Tammy asked, shooing her children off to play.

“They were the only ones I was able to make contact with. This one has spent his whole life studying plants. The notes I read during my time on earth were as advanced as our own. We think together, same minds. I know that we can find a way to use the vines or something to create a world similar to our own but for the humans.” Mark looked so hopeful, Tammy’s eyes only narrowed.

“Because of the humans, father is dead, or have you forgotten?” She said, standing up straighter.

“Our father is dead because he trusted someone with dark blood. We’ve said since we were children we knew was going to be bad news, especially when he was promoted to a position of military power. We have since put that person away and provided nobody messes up and lets him out. I think we're safe. What happened to father has nothing to do with humans. We destroyed them as a population and ruined their planet. In my eyes, that is a far greater crime on our end than what they did to us." Mark stated a rather stern look about him.

"You will do wise to watch your tone and how you speak of our father as well as how you address me. Little brother or not.” Mark got closer to her as he spoke, not wanting to scold his sister in public openly, but she wasn’t playing fair either. Tammy’s features softened, her wings falling to her side as she nodded her head.

“You better know what you’re doing. Who’s to say they aren’t here to try and seek revenge for what happened?” She asked, peeking from the side of Mark to get a better look at them.

“Of course, humans want revenge for what happened, but nobody standing here thinks it was the fault of any one of you here right now. If you tell us that the man responsible is paying, then we know there is nothing to do but go forward. Help us fix earth, or at least help us find a new way to live.” Jaebum said, pushing forward to stand closer to Tammy and Mark. Tammy sighed, moving closer to the human to get a better look at him.

“You hold such fear in your eyes.” She said softly, cupping Jaebum’s cheek before letting out a soft sigh.

“Sister, it’s time they rest. It’s been a long trip.” Mark said softly, looking at the others before he nodded for Jinyoung and them to follow him.

“Let's get you all cleaned up and dressed. Youngjae will be by to provide a better-tasting juice hopefully."

“I don’t wanna look like that! With the feathers and the hair!” Jin yelped out from the back, still looking as nervous as ever. Jackson shoved him slightly, a scowl on his face.

“Better looking than you!” Jackson teased, removing the helmet of his suit to take in the air. Dizzying at first but not as bad as he thought it would be.

“I’m the most handsome man on the force, don’t kid yourself. I can’t have anything happen to this face.” Jin gestured to his face before he sighed, staying close to Jackson as they moved through the massive castle.

Each human was shown to their room where two worker Zari’s would help them with a bath, get them dressed, and let them relax. Mark lead Jinyoung to his room last. The door was opening as he got closer to it. The two inside bowed their head as he walked in. Mark smiled softly as he gestured to the room.

“I hope this is to your liking; I know it’s not as stylish as your home before.” Mark smirked, letting Jinyoung playfully hit him before he went to take his leave. Mark stopped in his tracks when he felt Jinyoung grab his wrist, turning to look at the human. The servants in the room gasped at the gesture, heading off to get the bath ready and give the two privacy.

“Thank you… for everything. I know there has been a lot of tension and hostility, but you’ve been nothing but kind to us. I wish more than anything… for everything to work, but...” Jinyoung paused, letting go of Mark to walk further into the room, eyes landing on a balcony near where the bed was. He took a few steps outside and let out a deep breath at the sight. Mark followed, standing next to Jinyoung overlooking the world around them.

“I don’t want to go back to Earth. Look at this place… look at how.. Of course, I want to save humanity, but even if we were able to restore the earth, then how could it ever compare to this.” Jinyoung sighed, turning to get a better look at Mark.

“Here? You’d want to stay…” Mark chewed his lip, thinking to himself before he looked down at Jinyoung.

“You don’t want me to stay?” Jinyoung asked, only realizing how it sounded after it came out. The tips of his ears turning bright red as embarrassment set into his chest.

“I….” Mark took a deep breath, unable to tear his eyes away from Jinyoung. He studied his face, his eyes, moving to cup Jinyoung’s cheek with one of his hands.

“I would love that a great deal, I want you to spend more time here before you make up your mind. My world has problems as does your own. Let's fix one planet first before you decide if you truly want to make Nacher your home.” Mark’s thumb ran over the side of Jinyoung’s cheek gently.

“I can feel it in my entire body that this is already more home to me than Earth. I never felt a peace back there, not the one I felt today stepping off the ship and seeing this place for the first time.” Jinyoung sighed, eyes focused on Mark, hoping that he’d take him seriously.

“You’re sweet. You know that, right? I've always loved to visit other planets to see how they lived. Humans, I found to be the most flawed but most eager to learn. Something about you all made me think there was the hope of peace between our two worlds. Gods, the things I could show you Jinyoung. The worlds out there you could explore. Not just my own but so many others. Younger, older, but a majority of them at peace and far developed.” Mark pulled his hand away and smirked, leaning back against the railing.

“I want to visit, I want to know what else is out there, but I mean it when I say I have no desire to return to Earth and be left there to live after knowing all of this is here, after meeting you... I’ll prove it to you, one way or another.” Jinyoung made clear, standing up a little taller. Mark observed him before he smiled, standing upright again.

“I have no doubts you will. Please, get some rest.” Mark said, taking his leave of the room to go about his own business. Jinyoung finally looked around the lavish room.

It was about the size of his entire apartment before the chaos. There was a simple sitting area, a table that contained bottles of what he assumed to be alcohol, and a bed. A bed that seemed like the most inviting thing he’d ever seen before, mixed with the soft breeze blowing in from the windows. Not even his world before the attack looked this inviting. The whole room was decorated in shades of gold and cream, hints of sage green and beige tossed in for a calming feel. It felt safe.

“Sir, your bath is ready!” A smaller woman came from another part of the room, bowing her head some when she saw the human.

Jinyoung smiled at her before he walked into what he guessed would be their version of a bathroom. It wasn’t set up the way they were back on earth. The giant tub sat in the middle of the room. It appeared to be a vast crystal cut in half and hollowed out. Vines were sprouting from the ceiling and hanging down almost like a privacy curtain. He couldn’t spot a visible toilet, but he had his suspicions about the plant-covered area in the corner of the room—something he would investigate before climbing into the bath. The women excused themselves, closing the door behind them, allowing Jinyoung to undress in peace. He looked as more vines covered the tub, secluding it entirely, giving him total peace. Jinyoung appreciated that.

The second his body hit the water, water that was hot for the first time in years, he let out a low groan, sinking further into the tub. It felt fizzy against his skin, which was weird because there were no bubbles to be seen. Perhaps it was something with the water and the crystal. Dunking his head under, he found he could breathe under the water. It scared him at first. Eyes opening some to make sure this wasn’t just a figment of his imagination. Jinyoung stayed under the water for a little while, limbs feeling more and more relaxed as he submerged himself. The tub large enough to fit all of him under with no problem. Jinyoung could probably have stayed there all day, enjoying the feeling of his tight muscles being soothed in the water. Every kink and knot dissolving in the liquid.

However, the need for food won in the end. Coming to the surface, Jinyoung shook his hair from his face and climbed out, looking around for a towel or something to dry himself off. It wasn’t until he looked down at his skin did he notice the water seemed to slide right off his body like he was waterproof, that or it wasn't water. Either way, he knew he was too tired to question it right now. The dirt that covered his limbs from their escape gone, all that remained was soft and warm, clean, glowing skin. The first thing Jinyoung noticed was that every scar, every bruise, including the bullet wound from earlier, was gone. There wasn’t a single imperfection in his skin. He also noticed the gold tattoos that had covered him any time Mark touched him were faint on his skin, not as vibrant as they could be. Almost as if they weren’t ever going to fade entirely again. Drawing back the vines so he could look around, Jinyoung noticed that on a table nearby, clothes had been set out for him. Jinyoung dressed in the clothes provided, which were not the same whimsical robe-like clothes he saw the Zari’s wearing. Instead, he had been left a pair of gold pants made of a soft but sturdy fabric. They hugged tight in all the right places without being uncomfortable. They were roomy enough, especially the band that fit snug around his waist. The top was a similar gold color and material, though had shimmery, almost diamond-like thread worked into the fibers for a slight shine in the light.

Walking back into the bedroom portion of the room, Jinyoung noticed a tray of food and drinks left on the bed. He walked over and read the note from Youngjae about eating up, smiling to himself before he took the tray, and sat outside on the balcony to eat. He watched strange bird-like creatures sore through the sky alongside Zari soldiers, the two species seemingly in complete tandem with each other. Jinyoung looked up when someone landed on his balcony, Getting to his feet quickly. His head cocked to the side at the strange masked Zari. He was dressed head to toe in strange armor. It didn't look like it would protect him, but knowing the Zari's technology, it was most likely impenetrable. The boy had a gold crest fixed to the sleeve on his right arm. It looked similar to how soldiers on earth would show their ranks and titles. The way he landed with such grace, standing on the railing without needing to balance himself, had Jinyoung in awe.

“So you’re one of the humans our King has brought home with him. Fascinating…” The Zari sat on the ledge, peaking closer at Jinyoung.

“Who are you?” Jinyoung asked, setting his drink down on the tray before he moved to take a closer look.

“Jungkook, one of the King's head guards. I’ve been asked to keep an eye on you all.” Jungkook jumped back up to his feet, bowing his head some in a way that made Jinyoung giggle. He bowed his head back in return.

“We’ve always been curious to know what you guys looked like. We only hear stories about your small bodies and odd skin.” Jungkook removed his mask, hooking it to his belt. Jinyoung got a good look at his face before he cocked his head to the side.

“Odd skin? We’re not the ones that look like walking bath bombs.” Jinyoung teased, Jungkook could only laugh, stepping back off the ledge, letting his wings keep him up, so he was floating.

“What is a bath bomb? That sounds like a dangerous human weapon. Rest well, human; the King is planning a lot with you humans.” Jungkook said, and with that took back off for the sky. Jinyoung watched in awe until he was out of sight. Turning back to his food Jinyoung finished everything quickly and made his way for the bed.

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Mark had a lot to go over being back home. Things that transpired during his near year absence. One of which being he needed to pay a visit to the man that made everything go wrong. A trip he was not looking forward to taking. He dressed in all black before heading into the prison, a rock fortress on the outskirts of their plush green world. A place where no tree could grow and no Zari could survive on their own. The destroyed soil a reminder of what violent wars bring to peaceful worlds. Crossing it into the fortress, the guards around him bowed to their King as Mark made his way down to the lowest circle of the prison. Thankfully it wasn’t as full as it was many years ago. These days they were light on life sentence criminals.

Mark first spent several hours talking to a few of the guards about how the last year had gone, he went over the other prisoners and how their sentences had been going. After that, he took the time to observe the medical facility before meeting with a few of the doctors. From what he learned, two of their oldest criminals had moved on to their next life since he'd been gone, and three others had joined. Officers found that had fled after the rebellion, they were treated and moved as far away from the main prisoner as possible. Mark suggested having each one transferred to a different prison on opposite ends of the world to prevent any type of communication. The order was signed shortly after, and the transportation was set up.

Mark could take no chances, especially with humans now on his planet. If the general responsible for the attack caught wind of that, he didn't know what his reaction would be.

Mark met with several others, not high profile cases but criminals none the less. After he'd seen enough, he motioned that he was ready. The trip to the final cell was a long one; it was kept in the depths of their world, similar to how the humans had set up their new living space. There was only one route in and out, guarded at all times by several men. Walking down the narrow path to the cell, there were barriers preventing anyone from getting in or getting out. He stood by the final one, a piece of glass toxic to the Zari if touched for long periods. It prevented prisoners from trying to escape, as doing so would prove fatal to them. Mark looked at the dark cell before he crossed his arms over his chest.

"Stop playing games."

“I was wondering when you were going to come to visit, your highness. How long I've waited for an audience with you, it's been so long. Just where have you been, I wonder?” A voice said from the darkness, Mark stood firm, motioning to a guard who lit the room up with a golden glow exposing a man sitting on a bed in the corner.

“I’ve been to earth, I’ve seen the damage caused. I was trying to find a way to reverse what happened there. I thought it was time to return and move on. I couldn't help but wonder while I was there... Why would you choose such darkness and destruction over all that you’ve been handed? Do you have any idea how easy you had it? Never before did I think you capable of such poison.” Mark asked, arms folding over his chest.

“Can’t you see, this way of life is not real! Everyone is living in such a dream world, it’s making this planet weak. What happens if we come under attack, as the humans did? We would be eradicated as they were. I did what I did to wake you all up. Sitting in your golden tower, unaware of the dangers we are in!” The man finally got close to the barrier that had been keeping them apart, his once golden tattoos had faded to black as betrayal and darkness took him over. Once shimmering, white wings were now black and tattered looking. The mark of a traitor burned into the side of his neck. Mark stared him down unafraid, unwavering in his loyalty to the light.

"Yet we won over your lot in a battle that lasted hours, so your theory is flawed. You held no power over the people and no tact. You know better than anyone how strong our army is, in what world are we weak?" Mark could only scoff, his eyes rolling some.

"Oh, I think the humans have rubbed off on you." The man smirked, making sure to keep his distance from the glass.

“You’ve been poisoned, and because of that billions of innocent lives were lost. I thought there might be any hope of saving you, but I can see now that is lost.” Mark sighed, taking a step back from the man.

“Oh, don’t think that brother. The war has only just started.”

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Jinyoung honestly had no idea what day it was when he woke up; his whole body tensed up seconds after opening his eyes. The unfamiliar surroundings, the dim light was pouring in from the window. Jinyoung sat up quickly, looking around for a moment before he remembered where he was. That’s right; he was on Nacher. Jinyoung rubbed the sleep from his eyes before he got to his feet, venturing out onto the balcony to get a good look around. It was nighttime or near so. The sun had been replaced by a moon, unlike anything Jinyoung had ever seen before. It was gigantic as if it were almost going to bump into the planet. It looked as if it had billions of lights around it, almost as if he were looking at the earth at night time. In awe of what he was seeing, Jinyoung took a moment to revel in the beauty of it before he went to seek out someone he knew.

Walking out of the bedroom, Jinyoung made his way back the best he could remember. He stumbled upon Jaebum first, walking out of his room. Thankfully he looked equally as confused as Jinyoung did. Dressed in something similar to Jinyoung, only his was dark forest green in color. He smiled as soon as he saw Jinyoung, patting him on the shoulder.

“Do you have any idea how long we slept for?” Jaebum asked, Jinyoung just shook his head no.

“Three days.” A voice said from behind them, Jinyoung turned to see Jimin wiping his forehead head off. Yoongi close behind him.

“THREE DAYS?” Jinyoung shouted jaw-dropping. Jimin could only laugh at the human's outburst.

“Not that bad, we expected you all to be out longer. I think the others are still sleeping.” Yoongi said, stretching his arms up over his head, wings fanning out into their full glory before they vanished behind him.

“You two can go to the King’s viewing room, that’s down that way. Come you; it’s time to clean up.” Jimin dragged Yoongi by his wrist away from the humans, the two vanishing down a set of stairs.

Jinyoung watched the two before he sighed, heading off in the direction they pointed. He figured they were in the right place when he saw guards standing outside of the door. Nervous to talk to them, they pushed the door open as they got closer without having to be asked. Jinyoung assumed Mark must have told them to let them in when they woke up.

The room was full of Zari talking and enjoying themselves. There seemed to be endless food and drinks laid out down the left side of the giant room. Music was being played lightly in the corner. Once Jaebum and Jinyoung entered the room, heads turned to look at them. Mark rose from his throne, safely jumping down to walk across the busy room towards the two.

“Sleep well?” Mark smiled, wanting everyone in the room to see how comfortable he was with them.

There was a lot of fear about bringing humans to their planet, not that any of them were armed or could hurt them in any way. Revenge was a powerful thing; most would stop at nothing for it. He didn’t blame them for being nervous. Jinyoung smiled wide, seeing Mark. A familiar face that made him more at ease. Nodding his head at the question, Mark could only smile in return.

“Yes, thank you for taking such care of us, your highness.” Jinyoung bowed his head, Jaebum following.

The air in the room seemed to change after that; everything went back to the lively party it had been before they showed up. Mark lead the two over to a section of the table where he encouraged them to eat and drink—sitting next to Jinyoung to dig into the food himself.

Cocking his head to the side, Jinyoung tried to figure out what any of the food was. He noticed something that looked like a giant bird. Still, he figured it wasn’t chicken. There were several side dishes that no doubt came from plants but were so vivid in color it was unlike anything he'd imagined. Creating their plates, both he and Jaebum took experimental bites. Not bad at all. Mark could only smirk at how cautious they were being, sitting back in his seat sipping on a drink he’d poured for himself.

“Your highness, a few others are awake.” Youngjae said, gesturing to the lost looking Jin and Bambam that had entered the room. Ushering them to sit by the king, Jin looked less scared than he had been when they parted ways.

“I hope you all slept well.” Mark said, encouraging them to eat.

“That stuff we drank, I started to glow in the bath. Is that normal? Also, where are the bathrooms..” Jin asked, pushing his hair from his face. Mark could only laugh, forgetting humans had such specific needs for things like that.

“There are areas in your rooms, the planted section by the tubs,” Mark stated, and Jin gasped in horror at the very thought of doing his business in a bush. Jinyoung had guessed that’s what it was but didn’t want to be right.

“How… are we…” Bambam asked, scratching the back of his head.

“Well I’m not overly familiar with how that works for you guys, Youngjae mentioned something about toilet paper. I guess you can use the leaves? That is how we do what we need to do.” Mark said with a shrug, a slight pink color tinting his cheeks.

“How do you not know?? Weren’t you human while you were on earth?” Bambam said, looking around at the others before finally looking to Mark.

“Only while I was actually with you guys, but even then, it works differently for me as it does for you regardless of what form I take.” Mark rubbed the back of his neck, realizing there were as many differences as there were similarities. Regardless of how much he thought he knew, there was still a lot he needed to learn about these humans.

“This is a topic we can figure out on our own. Can we enjoy that we’re on a strange planet and our host has been very kind to us.” Jinyoung said softly, looking around at his friends, who nodded in agreement.

The festivities carried on as any good party would. There were songs played in the background that Zari’s danced to, there was endless food brought out for all the guests to enjoy, and more to drink. The drinks were far better than what they had been served on earth, though they all suspected it wasn’t that easy to work with what had been leftover in the underworld.

Jinyoung noticed that Mark had escaped from the party and made his way outside for some fresh air. Excusing himself from his conversation with Yoongi, Jimin, and someone he learned was called Namjoon. Jinyoung made his way outside to join the king. The three Zari watched him go before giving each other knowing smiles. It was weird to think affection could happen between the species, but they wanted their King to be happy more than anything. Then again, they all knew that the king was clueless about what was going on between him and Jinyoung.

Jinyoung cleared his throat to announce his presence, not wanting to startle Mark. Slowly turning around, Mark smiled at the sight of him, nodding for Jinyoung to join his side. A soft sigh fell from his lips, looking back out at the world around him. Jinyoung carefully joined his side, hands on the railing as he peeked over the edge, looking down. He was in constant awe of how beautiful the world was, smiling at the lush green life covering the castle in random patchy places. Mark observed Jinyoung, eyes never leaving his body as he took in and enjoyed the sights around him.

“You look so at home here.” Mark said softly, moving to put his hand on Jinyoung’s lower back to get his attention. Jinyoung looked up at Mark at first but noticed the sight of the stars behind him. He gasped, eyes focused on the sky as he stayed close to Mark. He was ignoring that his heart rate had picked up slightly.

“I feel at home here. I meant what I said earlier about when all is said and done I wish to remain here. There is something about this place... I feel like I was meant to be here.” Jinyoung said, eyes finally tearing away from the gorgeous night sky to fall on Mark’s face.

“You’re an interesting one; you know that, right?” Mark could only smile, pushing his forehead against Jinyoung’s own. The golden glow from their skin touching made Jinyoung feel warm all over, his eyes fluttering shut, allowing the feeling to consume him.

Typically he would ignore it, brush away the way Mark made him feel inside. He was supposed to hate the people that did what they did to his planet, and yet… here he was. He felt a fool for not giving them the benefit of the doubt, for not getting angry with the human race instead of the Zari. They didn't do this, the humans did. It was their fault for ing up yet again.

After a while, Mark pulled away, studying Jinyoung’s face as the golden tattoos on his skin seemed to vanish less as the time passed by. Mark brought his fingers up to trace the markings on his skin. Jinyoung’s eyes stayed closed, cheek pushing into Mark’s hand when he felt it cup his face gently.

“I feel that even if I try to tell you no, you will find a way to stay. Although… the more time I spend with you, the more I know my heart wouldn’t survive if it were away from you.” Mark confessed, Jinyoung’s eyes opening slowly to scan Mark’s face. He wasn’t searching for anything but sincerity in his words, desperately needing to know that what he was saying was true. He found nothing but honesty in his features, something that had his heart pounding with a more wild abandon in his chest.

“You reached out to me for a reason; everything that’s happened has to have to lead us here. I truly believe that. I promise to help you, and I promise to help earth… but please. Don’t make me leave.” Jinyoung whispered. Mark took a moment, looking away from Jinyoung for a second before he nodded his head.

“You will remain here after all is said and done, I promise you.” Mark smiled, laughing loudly when Jinyoung reached up to wrap his arms around him in a hug. Nothing he wasn’t unfamiliar with, but it was nicer coming from him. He wrapped his arms around Jinyoung, squeezing his waist carefully.

Truth be told, Mark could put up all the front he wanted to. It didn’t change the fact that Jinyoung meant more to him than anything. His brilliance and passion for the same things that mattered most to Mark let him know that there were forces stronger than he could explain that pushed the two of them together. Everything seemed to line up for a reason. Them being together was meant to happen, and who was Mark to ignore the signs? He’d been told his entire life that everything in life was meant to happen the way it happened. Even the death of his father, he knew one day that he might lose his father, as he did his mother long before.

He mourned for his father, but he knew that if he were around still today, he would be pushing his son to help as he had been. He also took pride in knowing he would have loved Jinyoung.

"I know you slept a lot, but I think you should sleep some more. We will go to the city soon. I promise you." Mark assured, nodding for Jinyoung to head back inside with him.
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The following day all of them woke up, and again it felt as if they were in a strange dream. It was weird to not be on earth, but it wasn’t a bad feeling. They were all comfortable in the warm air on a planet with so much life. Even Earth didn’t have this much life to it. It was evident here that there was more attention paid to making sure that everything was as one. From the Zari walking around to the plants surrounding them, everything was treated as equal, and in so they managed to find a way of life that was so harmonious, it was almost alarming. This was what they had been trying to help humans achieve.

Wanting to get out and adventure around, Jinyoung made his way to find Mark. Walking around the endless hallways, he came to the same room where he had found Mark the night before. The guards let him in with no problem. Thanking them with a bow, Jinyoung looked around the giant chamber until he spotted Mark standing out on the balcony taking in the beautiful day. Jinyoung made his way over, bowing to Mark once he was noticed before he smiled brightly.

"Do you think we can explore today? This castle is huge, but I am ready to get my hands dirty." Jinyoung smiled wide, leaning against the railing nearby where Mark stood.

"Yes, I think so. It would be good for me to go and see the people, see the land. There is much fun to be had, and the rains are not yet here." Mark was pleased. Looking up into the sky, Mark signaled with his hands for someone to come their way.

Jungkook swooped down from his patrol. Landing gracefully at their feet before he bowed to his king, a small smirk on his face when he noticed how bright Jinyoung’s tattoos were getting. Behind them, a few of the others joined. Jackson was finally awake, as was Bambam. They bowed their heads to Mark before nervously looking to the new Zari.

“I wish for you to join us today, we will take them out to explore the world,” Mark said Jungkook nodded his head. It wasn’t like he was ever going to question what the king asked of him. Mark had never lead them astray even through the great disaster that had recently happened. It was the solidifying factor in his becoming their King as peacefully as he did.

“Where shall we take them?” Jungkook asked, wings folding closed behind him. Jinyoung always loved how easily they were able to manipulate their bodies. The wings were forming an almost tattoo-like look on their back, blending right into the skin.

“I think it will be good to take them towards the great stones, on the outskirts of Kerini.” Mark thought.

Jungkook’s eyes lit up at the suggestion. He was nodding his head in approval. Curious glances watched the two, though they assumed that was an excellent place to go from the way Jungkook reacted, which in itself sparked excitement through the humans.

“The perfect place for them, I will go change if that’s okay?” Jungkook asked, bowing when Mark nodded in approval. He took off in an instant, heading towards a different section of the palace. Jinyoung watched him for a moment until his figure had vanished before his eyes returned to Mark.

“What is this place we’re going to?” Jinyoung asked, fixing his robe to feel more modest before he moved closer to Mark.

“An area outside of Great City where it’s all of these huge towering stones have sprung from the water. They are covered in brilliant giant flowers. Bridges connect them in various places to travel from one to the next, or you can fly around them. Most have been hollowed out inside and turned into housing or places to eat.” Mark smiled wide, the way he talked about it with such joy in his eyes had Jinyong a little flustered.

It was easy to think they could be happy here. What did life on earth genuinely offer to any of them outside of heartbreak and headaches? Working several days a week to hardly afford food when there was a world here that thrived on happiness and peace? Not that Jinyoung wanted to abandon the earth, it had to be made right the wrong that was done to it, but that didn’t mean he had to stay once all was said and done, did it?

That was a conversation for a later time.

Following Mark's lead outside, the humans took the time to get a feel for what their surroundings were. This was their first real-time stepping outside of the central palace. Their balconies didn't do justice to being up close and personal. Around the back, there was a giant garden where he could see Mark's family playing around with beautiful looking birds. Out in the distance, Jinyoung noticed several animals of a curious nature, not the most friendly-looking animals, but Mark seemed to think differently. Walking up to one of them, he scratched under its chin and the tip of its nose. If Jinyoung had to guess what it closest resembled, it would have been a hybrid between a lion and a hawk but four times the size.

“These are called Mataki's. They will fly you around with us. They know to follow us and will keep you safe.” Mark said, leading one to Jinyoung.

Frozen in fear as the creature got closer to his face, sniffing around the strange human before it nuzzled its face against Jinyoung's chest. Gasping at the trust, Jinyoung carefully reached out to the animal's nose. The animal seemed so gentle despite its size. More of them came over to the humans to explore. Jaebum seemed the less scared, reaching right out to its nose.

"They are so cool!" Jaebum smiled.

He was walking around the side, trying to figure out how to get on it. The animal lowered itself so Jaebum could climb up. The others following to get all of the humans safely on them. They were able to stand on the base of their wings for support, grabbing onto the soft fur surrounding their neck to keep from falling. Mark jumped into the air, his beautiful wings stretching out before he made his way up. The animals ran through the clearing before jumping up to meet with Mark in the air. Jungkook swooped in from the garden, moving to fall behind the humans, protecting them as Mark lead them.

Jinyoung noticed how a few others joined them as they moved across the land. Familiar faces from the party dressed down in more comfortable clothes. He suspected they joined because they wanted to make sure the humans were all safe as they traveled, which he appreciated.

Once they were out of the capital and back among the people, Jinyoung got a real look at how the trees and buildings worked as one. It seemed not every Zari had wings, which explained the need for bridges connecting everything. He noticed people zooming around on hoverboard type contraptions through the winding passages. A few looked up at them and waved as they passed by. Jinyoung was too scared to let go and wave back.

It seemed that the city would never end, but they pushed through it and towards a clearing. On the horizon, Jinyoung noticed the pillars that Mark was talking about. They seemed small at first, but the closer they got, the quicker Jinyoung realized just how huge they were.

Stretched through a body of water had to be around 50 pillars, giant stones sprouting from the water with various vine bridges connecting each one. They were so thin at the base it was a wonder they were standing the way they were. Vibrant trees and flowers covered the top layers. They all landed on the top of the middle pillar; it seemed to be the central one that all others were connected to. Standing in a garden, on top of a rock, in the middle of a body of water, was a concept that Jinyoung never thought he'd have to grasp.

As they all safely climbed down, Jinyoung noticed how vibrant the earth around them was. Not muddy, but soft under his feet. Taking a few steps away, he started to explore on his own. He was feeling along the trees, touching the vines, getting closer to the plants. Mark pulled him back quickly from getting too close to something that would be dangerous for him.

"Not everything here is friendly to humans. All life with this orange and yellow spotting, I would not recommend getting close to. Think of these as sort of the venus fly traps of our world. Only they could eat anything due to their size. The smaller ones couldn't hurt you, but those bigger ones can." Mark laughed, leading Jinyoung away from them and towards the edge of the rock where the others were standing.

"So I see those orange and yellow-spotted plants everywhere, do they act as a nutritional source for the vines growing?" Jinyoung asked.

"You pick up on things fast. From the water when it rains, to the various things they eat that fall between their petals. The nutrients then get carried down into everything it's connected to. Like a powerhouse almost. Then over there, those plants there, the trees with the teal tops are using the sun to power everything else, which helps us all thrive." Mark's eyes lit up as he explained the geography of his world to Jinyoung. He knew among them all that Jinyoung would appreciate how his world worked.

"That makes sense. The rock isn't getting any nutrients from the water, which means it comes from the top and trickles down. The vines, though, they aren't like the other vines. These look more like ropes?" Jinyoung got closer to the edge, careful in how he leaned so as not to fall over.

"They are holding the rocks up. If even one main vine were to break, all of them would come falling. That's why so many are tangled together around them to keep the ones inside safe." Mark added, reaching out to grab the back of Jinyoung's shirt to keep him extra safe.

"What are they talking about?" Jaebum raised an eyebrow, watching the way Mark and Jinyoung pointed all over.

"Knowing Jinyoung, they are talking about plants and dirt." Jackson laughed, sitting down next to Jaebum, letting his legs dangle off the side of the cliff-like edge.

"ing nerds." Bambam snorted, jumping when he felt a smack to the back of his head.

"Did you just call the King a bad name?" Jungkook crossed his arms over his chest, his wing poking Bambam in the chest.

"I... I... NO! I would never, it's just, they just! GUYS! I have a bird attacking me!" Bambam yelled, running away from Jungkook to hide by Jinyoung and Mark.

"What did you say to anger him?" Mark laughed, holding his hand up to signal for Jungkook to relax.

"I might have, hypothetically, called you both nerds." Bambam hid behind Jinyoung.

Wrong move. Jinyoung smacked him on the back of the head and stepped out of the way.

"He's all yours," Jinyoung smirked, letting Jungkook rush him, knocking the both of them off the side of the rock.

Bambam yelled as Jungkook held onto his wrists, twirling and flying through the sky. Bambam was cursing about not being let go, which made them all laugh before he was left on a rock nearby. Jinyoung watched amused, moving to stand by the vines that connected the two, waving at Bambam.

"How's it going over there?" Jinyoung yelled, a smug smile on his face before he turned back to Mark.

"He's safe over there by himself, right?" Jinyoung asked. Mark nodded his head.

"JUST DON'T TOUCH THE YELLOW PLANT! IT WILL EAT YOU!" Jinyoung yelled across the rocks. Bambam nodded before a look of panic took over his face.

"EAT ME?? YOU BETTER GET THAT MEAN ONE BACK OVER HERE AND SAVE ME WHAT DO YOU MEAN A PLANT WILL EAT ME; NO THANK YOU! HELP!" Bambam jumped away from the plant he was standing next to, clinging to a nearby tree for safety. Jinyoung started cracking up, beyond amused to watch his friend fear a little plant. It was nowhere near big enough to eat a human, but that didn't mean he couldn't have his fun.

"Will you get him?" Mark laughed, looking over towards Namjoon, who had joined Jackson. The two had seemed to become good friends over the last few days, something that made Mark happy.

"Yes, sir." Namjoon laughed, rushing from his spot to fly over and grab Bambam, bringing him back safely before rejoining Jackson's side to continue their conversation.

"You just watch it!" Bambam teased, poking Jungkook in the chest before he went to explore, eventually sitting down with Jin and Jaebum. Jinyoung soon joined them to talk about how things had been for them since arriving, and learn more about what Jin knew regarding the underground world. It wasn't every day you got personal time with an officer, even a lower level one. Jungkook smiled at the humans before he moved to join Mark by the ledge.

"Sir, I was wondering... Remember, when we were younger, we would hear stories about a time when humans and Zari were working as one. We helped them to build such wonderful structures that are still there today, what were they called?" Jungkook asked.

"The Pyramids?" Mark questioned.

"Those! I don't know. What if some Zari stayed behind and migrated towards the other areas of the world. Jinyoung knows so much about plants; he has royal seals on him from drinking from the vines. The others have markings, but those of average people and they only cover half their faces. Is it possible that somewhere down in his bloodline, there once was a Zari?" Jungkook asked, turning to look at Jinyoung.

"It's... it's not impossible." Mark blinked, having never even considered it. He turned to look at Jinyoung, noticing the faint markings covering him then looked down at the similar ones on his arm.

"When we get back, I want you to head into the archives, pull up anything you can about their area of earth, and see if we've ever traveled there in the past. For now, keep this between us." Mark said. Jungkook nodded his head.

"Yes, sir."