Chapter 26

A soft knock on the door stole Yongsun's attention from the drama series running on the TV. Sighing, the 26 years old girl slid down from the couch, throwing the remote randomly as she approaches the front door. But after seeing the guest coming to her house, the girl lit up immediately and grinned.

"What brings you here, Byul?"

Standing in the doorway is the younger keeper, in her signature worn down jacket with a soft smile on her lips. Byulyi shifted her weight to one leg before she speaks. "So I heard my sisters are here?"

Nodding, Yongsun led Byulyi into her house. "Yeah, they were. But Mina kinda exploded about something and ran away from the house. Momo's chasing her. I think they went to the park."

"Okay," Byulyi shrugged her jacket off, casually placing it on the rack at the living room as if she's in her own house. "Jeongyeon?"

"Teaming up with Nayeon to beat Jihyo up."

Byulyi lets out a laugh at that. "Is it that bad?"

"Oh, I don't personally know the gravity of the situation," Yongsun plopped back on the couch with Byulyi following close behind, the older of the two offering her snacks to the younger who accepts it gratefully. "But I guess.. it's pretty bad. They were beaten up badly. Nayeon and Sana had nurse Jihyo and Momo. Dahyun's still treating Chaeyoung in her room, right now."

The silver-haired girl nodded. "I see. Have you told Hyejin and Wheein?"

"I have. They still have another class until six so I guess the girls are going to stay a while longer."

As if on cue, Sana sauntered into the living room while bringing a bowl of popcorn, their Anihuman maknae in tow. The chipper phyton smiled when she recognizes Byulyi and sat down at the couch adjacent to the two keepers. "Yongsun-unnie, here!"

Sana gave Yongsun her bowl of popcorn after taking a handful for herself. She then turned to Byulyi, ignoring Tzuyu who curled beside her with her long arms circling Sana's waist. "Byul-unnie, hi! Looking for Jeong and Mo?"

Byulyi mirrored her smile. "I do. But I guess I could wait."

"Mhm!" Sana giggled and leaned to Tzuyu who already has her eyes closed in a quick slumber. "Momoring should really start learning from her mistake, though. She was about to get herself killed for the second time!"

There's a pause from Byulyi that Sana missed. "Did she?"

The phyton nodded as she devours her popcorns. "Yeah, unnie! You should really put some sense into her brain!"

Byulyi only exhaled. Slowly. "Of course."

###

Jihyo is kneeling.

"HOW COULD YOU?!"

The Phoenix has her forehead against the dirt of Yongsun's backyard.

"AND I THOUGHT YOU WERE THE SANE ONE IN THE GROUP!!!"

She was silent throughout Nayeon's and Jeongyeon's yellings.

"WHOSE IDEA WAS THAT?!"

This time, she lifted her face quickly. "IT WAS MOMO I SWEAR."

"But you–" Nayeon jabbed a finger to the younger's nose until Jihyo yelped. "–accepted it!"

"THEY THREATENED ME–"

"YOU ARE THEIR LEADER!" Jeongyeon cuts Jihyo's words easily. The Kodiak bear is walking in circles surrounding Jihyo, arms crossed over her chest with her eyes blazing with fury and disappointment. "You were supposed to steer them into the right way when they started to go astray. You were the one supposed to make the call! You shouldn't let them threaten you!"

"Or at the very least," Nayeon adds, softer than her earlier sentences. "Tell us. Don't jump into the danger all on your own. We're a team, don't we, Jihyo?"

Having nothing else to say, Jihyo opted to return to her previous position. "I'm sorry."

"You understand now?"

"Yes, I won't do that anymore."

Jeongyeon huffed and sat down beside Jihyo, draping her arm over the Phoenix's shoulder. "We were afraid."

Jihyo keeps her silence even when Jeongyeon pulled her up and Nayeon wrapped her arms around the girl's smaller stature. "We thought you might die."

Sensing warmth from the two figures she always regards as her own elder sisters, Jihyo gave in and snuggled into Nayeon's embrace. Her hands gripped the deer's shirt tight as she buries her face to the nook of elder's neck. Nayeon sighs and she raised her hand to caress Jihyo's red hair, eyes focused on Jeongyeon as they communicate silently.

"Jihyo, look," the bear called, making the younger to turn her head towards her. "We're sorry we were angry at you. But I hope you understand. You always are. We were afraid that your escapades will end in your death. Especially with what... Momo went through two eras ago. And I also hope that, from now on, no matter what, you'll tell us everything so we can solve it together. Got it?"

Jihyo nodded. "Yes, unnie."

Nayeon chuckled and bumped her forehead to Jihyo's cheek. "With that said... I'm glad you're okay."

"I'm glad, too," the Phoenix finally smiles, closing her eyes contently. "I learned my lessons. Back at the NML, I myself was afraid that I'm going to die. I can't fight her, like, at all, and the only thing I could do is surrender."

"Taeyeon-sshi is hella strong," the silver-haired girl commented.

"Oh, you bet she is," Jihyo exhales as she pulled back from her members' hold. "But... was our expedition successful? Or was everything a waste?"

"We don't know for sure. I mean, Taeyeon-sshi turned human, but... we don't know. Jessica-sshi said she'll take care of the rest, though."

"Wait," Jihyo sat up straight. "Jessica-sshi? She's back?"

The oldest of the three nodded. "She is. And she's bringing her... what, daughter? I mean, it's kinda impossible because that girl is probably older than 10 but they look similar as ."

"Oh, wow," the youngest was awed. "Holy , Momo's trash talk about 'fate' is accurate."

"Fate?"

"Yeah," Jihyo nodded, her face serious. "Momo told me something about 'fate' and 'a greater force' before we went to the NML. She said she knows that the expedition will never fail because this is what 'fate' has decided for us. I was skeptical as hell because she started talking about Jessica-sshi returning back to the SM Region and some other bull... but, hey, there she goes being ominously correct."

There was silence for a full minute until Jeongyeon gasped.

"That is a ing God."

###

Chaeyoung groaned as she finally opens her eyes, squinting at the bright light assaulting her vision. Her entire body still feels like it's broken in one way or another. She tried to shift to feel her surrounding, but the sharp pain on her back stopped her. The Sabertooth tiger regulates her breathing as she recalled the event that leads to her bedrest when a familiar scent entered her nostrils.

"Dubu..?"

Silence. Chaeyoung gave up on the first try to move her head around.

"Dubu are you there?"

Still silence. Chaeyoung groaned again, her scorched back starting to make itself known by the sheer amount of pain she's enduring right now.

"Dubu, please I– I need you."

There's a shuffling sound from the bed across hers followed by a hand grasping her uninjured hand. Chaeyoung gripped the soft palm by instinct, forcing herself to move so she could take in the view of her friend. But Dahyun runs her other hand over Chaeyoung's hair and the tiger sighed in contentment, happy enough despite unable to see her friend clearly.

"Does it hurt?"

Dahyun asked, very faintly Chaeyoung almost missed it.

"It is," rubbing her thumb over what she thinks is Dahyun's index finger, Chaeyoung smiled. "Better now."

The caress on her hair disappeared, replaced by fleeting touches on her upper arm, still mildly painful despite the bandages covering it. "Does this hurt?"

"Not as much as my back," Chaeyoung answered honestly.

More silence.

Then warmth, from the dark orange aura pressed over her wounds.

"I'm sorry," Dahyun whispered again, her power slowly mending the skin corroded by Taeyeon's fire. "I'm not skillful enough to heal you."

"It's fine. It's enough for me," the younger of the two smiled. The warmth from Dahyun's power slowly soothes her pain and she's grateful for that. The faint buzzing of Dahyun's healing aura lulls Chaeyoung back to sleep, but a hitch on the wave of power around her wounds made her opened her eyes.

"Dubu, it's enough. You can stop."

Chaeyoung notices the laboured breathing from the older Anihuman as she speaks, "Not yet. You have not patched up well."

"Dubu, no, stop," already strong enough to lift her arm without feeling extreme pain, Chaeyoung gripped the kangaroo's wrist and pulled her lightly. "You're clearly tired. I'm fine for now. I'll heal in no time. My skin is closed already. Just a few more hours and I'll be as good as new."

"But–"

"Please," Chaeyoung insisted. She waits until the arm in her grip went slack, until Dahyun sighs, until the warmth from the older's power left her. Chaeyoung exhaled in relief over her friend's obedience. But her injuries made her weak, and she soon shivered as cold washes over her lithe body.

"Can you hug me?"

Dahyun was hesitating. "How?"

"Lay on top of me," the tiger grinned. "Let me hug you."

"No, I–" a pause. "My weight might cause your back to hurt again."

"Please, Dubu," resorting to whining, Chaeyoung tugged Dahyun's wrist repeatedly to chip her resolve apart. "Please, for me?"

Chaeyoung heard nothing from her companion for a few seconds until she shifts. Dahyun carefully hovers on top of the smaller Anihuman, worried over crushing her injured friend as she slowly lowers herself. When Dahyun fully settles, ear pressed over Chaeyoung's sternum, the tiger let out happy voices and she wrapped her arms around the older's back.

There is a dull throb on her back but Chaeyoung blissfully ignored it for the sake of cuddling with her friend.

"Does it still hurt?"

The tiger shook her head. "Nope. Not at all."

"Okay," Dahyun breathes out. Her fingers play with the ashen end of Chaeyoung's almost black locks. "Your hair was burnt."

"Is it?" Chaeyoung hummed. "I'll cut it tomorrow, then."

"What were you thinking?"

"What?"

The kangaroo sighed. "Putting yourself into danger like that. Without telling us. If you told us, we'll help, you know?"

Chaeyoung mulls over her thought. "I don't want you to get hurt."

"That's stupid."

"Yes, now I realize it was stupid," the younger smiled, finding Dahyun's hair and started twirling it. "I'm sorry. Not gonna do that again."

Chaeyoung felt Dahyun nodded against her chest and she found herself grinning giddily as her apology was accepted. Dahyun said nothing after that, opting to silently play with Chaeyoung's hair, listening to the steady beat of the younger's heart under her ribcage. Chaeyoung too, slowly drifted off to sleep, accompanied by Dahyun's regular breathing and the dull throb on her spine.

"Don't leave me," the tiger suddenly said after she yawned. "Stay. Even when I fall asleep. Stay with me until tomorrow morning."

Dahyun nodded. "Okay."

And Chaeyoung blissfully slumbers, a wide smile on her lips as she keeps Dahyun within her arms along with her dream.

###

"MITANG CAN'T YOU PLEASE TALK TO ME?!"

"WE DON'T HAVE ANYTHING ELSE TO TALK ABOUT!!"

"I HAVE AN EXPLANATION!!"

"WELL I DON'T WANT TO LISTEN!"

Meanwhile, at the park near Wheein's house are two canine Anihumans yelling at each other. Mina is walking in hurried steps across the ground littered with fallen red leaves–a sign of the upcoming autumn–with Momo following closely behind, wailing sadly because of the younger's dismissal.

Momo's been chasing Mina around the park since the moment she's strong enough to walk. The she-wolf was missing from the house when Momo woke up. Already knowing Mina's behaviour when the younger Anihuman is upset, the vixen followed her by her scent to the park, only to find her crying silently, crouching under a tree. Momo had intended to calm Mina, but the black-haired Anihuman yelled at her and started running again.

"Mitaaaang," the vixen called tiredly, for they have circled the park for more than twice already. "Please, tell me what made you upset??"

Mina only shook her head, huffing, ignoring Momo as she continues her walk. She heard a grumble from behind her, then a telltale sound of 'zip' as the vixen super speeds her way in front of the younger. Mina stopped, glaring at Momo who appeared right before her.

Blue meets purple as the two emit their power in aggression. After a while, the owner of the blue sighed in annoyance, knowing she has no means to challenge a Legend on her own.

"Mitang," Momo called again, reaching for Mina's wrist but got swatted quickly. She scowled but inhales to stop herself from snapping at her friend. "Look, I'm sorry, okay? You're clearly upset with me and you cried earlier, but you didn't bother to tell me what's wrong! I don't understand, Mitang, come on. Tell me what did I do that made you upset?"

"You don't understand?!" Mina snarled. "Well tell you what? If you really want to die badly, then– just– just die already! I don't care anymore!"

Hearing Mina's words, Momo blinked in confusion. "W-what?"

"Stop throwing your life away carelessly!" the she-wolf continues, rambling madly as she walks in circles with her arms flailing around in exasperation. "You– you jerk! Stop acting like a hero everytime we're in a predicament! You and your tendencies to sacrifice yourself– I hate it! You're not invincible! Stop– just please, stop– ing around with death like that!"

Momo was taken-aback by the sheer amount of emotion Mina is spewing with her sentences, but Mina is not done.

"Don't you know how hard it is for me to see you get hurt, huh?! To see you carelessly, stupidly, ing willingly places yourself in front of the danger for others?! ing around with my feelings like– like– oh, you know what? you. you for being like this! You always make me so ing worried and anxious whether you're going to stay alive whenever you throw yourself into death's jaw but you never ing care! Never ing care about ME!!"

The number of profanities Mina said almost made Momo caught seizures.

"FINE, THEN! If you're going to continue ing with everyone and everything then you! the world, SMR, everyone and me as well if that's what you're going to do for the rest of your life!"

"Is that a request or a–"

Mina threw a twig to Momo's face.

"You goddamn jerk! I swear I ing– I hate you! I hate you with every inch of my being and for every reason I'm alive I swear to the ing God I hate the ing outta your , you uncultured swine! You should have just walked out of my life I don't want to see you ever again you goddamn–"

Mina was never able to finish her monologue when Momo pulled her into a hug, gripping the back of Mina's head to keep her face crushed into the older Anihuman's chest. The she-wolf snarled as she hits Momo's arm to try to wrench her way out of the vixen's embrace. But then Momo tightened her hold, burying her face to Mina's hair, whispering softly into the younger's ear.

"I'm sorry..."

Only by then did Mina realizes the flooding wetness on her cheeks.

"Mitang, I'm sorry," Momo mumbled again, the black locks crowning the younger's head.

The first sob escapes Mina's trembling lips as she repeatedly hitting her fists to Momo's figure. "I hate you! I– I hate you, Momoring I– I–"

She feels Momo nuzzling her neck when she finally weeps openly. "I– you've never– you don't understand –sob– how it feels when I see you– when I don't know whether you'll come back home or not! You– I– I care about you!"

Momo sighed and she Mina's back, listening intently to the younger's wailing.

"Stop– stop sacrificing yourself, I beg of you. You have... you have people that care about you and– and if you didn't return it's– it's hurt and I don't want to–"

The black-haired Anihuman breaks, crying her heart out as she gripped the back of Momo's shirt tightly. She doesn't care about how she ruined Momo's frontside with her tears and her snot, how they're standing in the middle of an empty park minutes away from dusk, how her feet ached by the amount of running she'd done today. She only cares about the warmth from the figure embracing her, about the soft reassurance whispered into her ear and the comfort of the palm rubbing along her spine.

"I don't want to be left behind anymore..."

Momo shook her head. "I won't, Mitang."

Mina sobbed. "Liar."

"No," the older of the two released the younger from her hold, wiping Mina's tears with her thumbs. "I promise I won't. I'm never going to leave you anymore."

Soft hiccuping sounds reverberated from Mina's throat as she searches her companion's eyes for reassurance. "...promise?"

The vixen pulled the she-wolf into her embrace once more.

"Cross my heart."

###

Byulyi ends up staying the night. Jeongyeon refused to go home while Momo decided she'll stay until morning comes, and the silver-haired keeper is unwilling to leave her sisters alone. Especially with the light rain pouring from the skies.

The other Anihumans are also staying. Hyejin called earlier, offering to hail a cab to fetch her sisters because she and Wheein were caught in a sudden, late-night assignment, and they have no other choice than to spend the night at the campus library. Sana refused because she knows that Chaeyoung is already swimming in the dream world with Dahyun on top of her, also snoring. The phyton knows that her keeper-mate needs her rest, so she opted to curl herself on the couch.

Tzuyu and Nayeon saw no profit in coming back home without Wheein, so they stay also. Tzuyu immediately notices Sana's sleeping form and drew a blanket from Yongsun's cupboard, wrapping Sana with it then tucked herself into the same blanket, head resting on the phyton's waist.

Jeongyeon slept on the empty space on the living room in her bear form, with Nayeon draped over her belly. Jihyo was also with them, caught in a headlock by the Kodiak bear's furry arm but managed to fall asleep as well.

Yongsun went to bed early because she still has work tomorrow. She offered Byulyi to sleep with her, but the younger keeper refused as she found herself a vacant bed (supposed to be Jihyo's) between Dahyun's and Mina's. The wolf herself is wrapped under a blanket with Momo sleeping in a sitting position, arms crossed over her chest as she leaned on the side of Mina's bed.

But when Byulyi was about to fall asleep, Momo's hoarse voice nearly made her jumped out of her skin.

"Unnie."

"Momo holy , you surprised me."

The vixen grinned. "I'm sorry."

"No, it's okay," Byulyi laid herself on the bed, propping her head with her arm to look at her younger sister. "I was meaning to talk to you, anyway."

"About?"

"About what I said," the keeper sighed as she ruffles her hair. "I shouldn't have said that. I put you in danger. I put... all of you in danger. Look, Momo you shouldn't take anything by its face value. Try to look over things carefully. And please, stop jumping into dangerous situations on your own."

Momo nodded as Byulyi talks, only speaking once the keeper stopped. "I know that. I was the one taking your words literally, unnie, but that's because I understand that... yes, that was exactly what we're fated to do."

"Momo..."

"Unnie, I understand that I had put myself and my friends in a terrible danger, but–" Momo grinned again. "This is what we are. And your words made me realize, that, I'm able. I might not be strong enough but... fate has its own way. I chose to believe, that everything happened today is by God's hands playing us around. I chose to believe in fate, in you, in myself, in my friends, and this is what I believed in."

The brunette was smiling the whole time she talks, and her eyes brightly lit up in determination. "I apologize for the mess that was today, but I'm not going to apologize for believing. Especially because my belief was right."

A pause for a moment as Byulyi thinks over her sister's words.

"So... Kim Taeyeon has finally returned to the Silver Moon Region?"

"She has," nodding, Momo raised her thumbs up to her keeper. "But as we are, they need time to recuperate. Maybe tomorrow or the day after, I'll ask the other to pay them a visit."

Byulyi finally gave in, reciprocating her sister's smile and it made Momo's grin wider.

"Okay, I won't say anything about that to you again."

Momo pumped her fist, succeeded.

"I'm glad you guys are okay."

"Me too," Momo hummed. "But now I can't help to wonder... how are the rulers? I hope they are all okay. I hope Taeyeon-sshi is able to return to sanity."

Byulyi smiled. "I hope so, too."

To be continued...