A long, long time ago....

          The thick tree branch under the wood elf was sturdy and sound, allowing him to free his hands and twist his hair up by using thin twigs to securely keep it off his neck. The sun was about to set, the warm oranges peeking over the tree line and casting his face in a golden light. A deep breath, sure hands running over the roughness of the tree trunk to his left, and a smile pulling at his lips as he dove off the branch. The wind whipped against his face, but the glee remained as a girthy vine shot out to wrap around his hand, swinging him to the next tree. With grace, his feet began to land perfectly on the branch, but for the first time in a while he stumbled, a sharp pain shooting in his chest making him crumble. 

            With one hand clutching his chest, he focused on creating vines to wrap around his ankles, stopping his quick descent. Eyes squeezed shut through the pain as he came to a stop, but when he finally opened them smoke rose in the distance. Animals were screaming in pain, trees wailing in torment. His forest, his home, was on fire. 

            His heart was pounding loud, but the fear of falling was not the reason. Blood boiling anger pumped through his veins as he lifted himself up, gripping the vines and pulling himself upward. Closing his eyes and feeling through the vines between his hands he saw the southern flower field burning, trees being cut down, animals running for their lives. His breathing hitched when he saw who was leading the horde of humans. No... No, Bonwha wouldn’t. He couldn’t . His lover would never hurt his home - hurt him like this. 

            His bare feet were just brushing the ground before he let go of the vines and was sprinting through the thick foliage. The closer he got the stronger the smell of burning wood and flesh was, until finally, he saw the group of humans destroying his home on the edge of the plains. A strong energy presence was rushing from the East, causing him to whip his head toward it. There was Minho, huge antlers spread atop his head, nostrils flaring as he skids to a halt beside him. The spirit of the forest was angry, ready to tear through the humans trampling through the evidence of their murder, but he placed a palm on the huge Buck’s snout. “Lead everyone to the rivers. Guide them away from here.” Minho shook his head, not needing to say his refusal with the look of his big eyes. “I can handle this. I will protect us.”

            “Be safe, Jinki. This forest won’t last without you protecting it.”

            One last pat to the snout and Minho was off north to lead and protect the other creatures who called this forest home. Jinki turned back toward the approaching humans and with a deep breath, he gripped his staff. Dark in color and simple in shape, a simple tree branch carved down to a smooth cylindrical shape. The humans stopped as he approached, his lover stepping forward to walk up to him. Jinki placed his staff directly in front of him, keeping space between them. Immense rage rising within him as he stared at his Lover’s face. Someone he trusted his entire world to. “I hope you have an extremely well thought out explanation for this, Bonhwa.”

            The tall man reached for Jinki, his smile falling when he moved away. “You told me we could use what resources you have for building our homes and setting up a life here.” 

            “Using resources does not include this level of destruction. If that fire keeps going this will be a barren wasteland. Try again.” 

            “Turn around and tend to the wounded and I’ll stop the fire. We just need lumber.” 

            Clenching his jaw, eyes flicking over Bonhwa’s features, Jinki stabbed a finger into the man’s chest. “Take your lumber and go.” 

            “Stupid Elf.” As Jinki began to walk away he heard deep chuckles, ones oddly familiar but lined with an evil tinge. Then excruciating pain as a blade sliced down the expanse of his back, right shoulder to left hip. Everything burned, vision blurring as he stumbled, ending up barely keeping himself off the grass and surrounding flowers. He managed to gaze over his shoulder, betrayal vivid and palpable on his expression to see Bonhwa looming over, the sword dripping with his blood, lifted, ready for the kill. “You don’t deserve all this.”

            “Bonhwa, please.” He felt his bottom lip tremble, tears forming along his lashes as he pleaded, “I love you.”

            “You’re pathetic.” 

            Jinki removed his gaze from Bonhwa’s own, closing his eyes as he growled, tears falling and splashing against the crushed flowers beneath him. “If you do this, you will learn to regret it.” 

            “I cannot let you live.”

            His eyes snapped open, the pain and blood dripping down his back forgotten as he breathed out. “Then, so be it.”

            Just as the blade pressed against his skin once again it was ripped away, thick tree roots erupting from the earth. The screams were mute to Jinki’s ears as he pushed up from the ground, teeth clenched as he leaned heavily on his staff he had fumbled to find. His eyes were tinted green as more roots came forth, growing up the invading humans easily and stopping them from destroying more of the forest or running away. Squeezing his fist closed, the wood around Bonhwa’s sword arm tightened until the weapon clattered from his grasp with a wail. “Let us go!” 

            “Would you have let any living thing that lives here, go?” Slowly he stepped closer, looking up at his immobilized ex-lover. “I should kill you. Strangle every breath from your chest as you plead for mercy that you didn’t have for me.” 

            “You’ll be dead soon enough.” He sneered, spitting straight into Jinki’s face.

            Jinki let the liquid slide off his cheek, not taking his eyes off the man. “Was any of it real, Bonwha? The long nights talking, the love under the stars? Or was it all some big ploy to make me trust you?” As soon as he finished he shook his head. “On second thought, I do not care to know. You will never see the forest or me ever again. I hope you live with the knowledge you betrayed the one person who loved you when you had nothing to your name.. Who still loves you even now.”  

            Moving was becoming ever more difficult, his vision spinning and head pounding with each slow step. He ce more to look at Bonwha as he slammed his staff into the scarred field beneath him, chanting quietly under the loud wind spiraling out of the top of it. As the shimmer of the last barrier fell, splitting him from the future he once thought he had, He whispered, “Goodbye Bonwha.”

            Jinki made it half a step away from the barrier as the sound of loud hooves approaching could be heard. " Jinki!"

            He stumbled, vision blurring completely as he finally fell backward. Familiar faces were hovering above him, voices he knew saying things he couldn’t make out before everything went black.

-----

            “Is his condition any better?”

            Minho gently pressed the damp cloth along the wound on Jinki’s back, before glancing up at the Spirit of the River. “Not in the short time that’s passed since the last time you asked, Taemin.”

            He pushed his fingers through his white hair, black nails were vivid against the paleness of the strands as he stared at their injured friend. “I am just worried, Minho. The sun has risen and set twice since everything happened.”

            “We are doing the best we can.”

            Both men looked over as a stone tumbled down the path leading into the burrow. Coming in was Jonghyun with his arms full of different types of plants. “Quiet down the two of you, I heard you both all the way out by the entrance. He cannot heal with the constant bickering.”

            The two men sitting exchange a look before Minho softly inquires. “How goes the healing of the southern field, Jonghyun?”

            “The wisps have tried to heal it, but even with me aiding them with strength, it seems the damage is connected to Jinki.” Jonghyun softly knelt on the other side across from Minho, Taemin sitting at the table behind him. He sliced open a few of the ingredients before him, mixing the contents in a small wooden bowl. “Until he is healed, the damage will remain.” 

             Taemin shifted slightly causing the wood of his chair to creak softly as he moved. “What really happened? There was a fire and-”

            “It’s not our story to tell.” Jonghyun quicking stated, flicking his gaze up to look at the youngest spirit. “I do not know much about it, but whatever happened did break Jinki’s spirit to the very core.”

            Minho shied away from Taemin’s gaze as it fell on him. “You know, don’t you?”

            “I shouldn’t be the one to tell you.”

            “The other creatures of this forest are wondering what the barrier is, as well as talking about what they think had happened. How are we supposed to stop the panic without the truth?”

            Minho’s brows furrowed. “They are safe, are they not? The homes that were destroyed when the fire happened have been relocated to other parts of the woods.”

            “Minho, please.” 

            The Forest Spirit’s eyes fluttered shut for a moment before he sighed. “Humans were cutting down trees in the south, burning the field and other vegetation as they went. Bonwha was leading them. I suppose he is responsible for this as well.” 

            “Like the Bonhwa? Jinki’s Bonhwa ?” Taemin slipped from his chair, kneeling by Jinki’s head to gently run his fingers through his hair, overly concerned.

            “Much to the same.” 

            Jonghyun squeezed a cloth into his mixture to gently pat on the wound. “I don’t understand. He loved Jinki. Why would he want to hurt him like this? His very being is intertwined with the life of this forest more so than any of us. And Bonwha knew that.” 

            “I do not know everything. Jinki sent me away before confronting Bonhwa. The next thing I knew, I felt the forest dim, the barrier was put up, and Jonghyun and I found Jinki bleeding out in the field.” Minho flicked his eyes between the two men before holding his hands up, “I swear that is all I know.” 

            A growl rumbled from Jonghyun’s throat as his gaze fell back on Jinki. “Bonhwa is lucky I had not been the Spirit who witnessed what you did. I’d have ripped his throat out without hesitation.”

            Minho laid his hand over Jonghyun’s resting against Jinki’s head, smiling when their eyes met. “He will wake up. His heart is strong.”

            “His heart is shattered.” Taemin countered. “If Bonhwa really did this to him nothing we do to heal his wound will come close to healing that.” 

            “He has us. Will always have us.” Minho stood, rolling his shoulder as he gazed toward the entrance of the burrow. “I must go.” 

            “You sense it too?” Taemin asked, pushing off the ground slightly.

            “Go with him. We do not understand this dome completely.” Jonghyun turned to Taemin. “Look out for each other.”

-----

            Taemin landed in the soft grass left untouched beside the scar in the southern field. The barrier shimmered slightly as he approached. His wings flapped rapidly to back up as the opaqueness of the dome disappeared and the other side could be seen. There was no one on the other side, but the picture reflected was not the other half of the scar. The day before when making his rounds he had seen the humans still attempting to get out of the tree roots and concluded they couldn’t see him. He expected to see broken pieces of wood, the black of the scarred field and tree stumps lining the horizon. 

            But staring back at him now was sand, sand as far as he could see. Curiously, he lifted his wing until the first few feathers brushed against the barrier, squawking loudly and pulling it back rapidly as they slipped through the barrier. Minho stood from where he was kneeling further west along the barrier, long brown hair falling into his face. He called out, “What’s wrong?”  

             "The rest of the forest,’ Taemin tucked his wings along his body and looked at Minho directly. " It is no longer here."

            The clay beads along Minho’s neck bounced against his chest softly, as he jogged over to Taemin. He came to a stop beside him and scuffed, “It cannot just disappear Taemin.”

            "Come see. I’m not making up delusions."

            “If this is some type of-” Minho took a step back, heartbeat spiking and hands shaking a little as he stared out at the sea of golden sand. He breathed out roughly, eyes wide as he whipped his head to look at Taemin. “What has Jinki done?”

-----

            The bowl clattered, almost tipping over from the force of Jonghyun dropping the cloth when Jinki began to shift, a groan rumbling from his throat. The thick leaves pressed along the elf’s back flexed as he moved, but none fell from their place keeping the salve against the wound. Slowly his eyes began to open and Jonghyun softly smiled as he ran a hand over Jinki’s hair. “Hey, you coming to?”

            Jinki groaned, eyes fluttering before they opened just enough for him to squint up at Jonghyun. “Wha-what happened?”

            “You were hurt protecting the forest.” Jonghyun gave a soft smile as he moved a strand of Jinki’s hair away that had fallen into his face. “You’re still healing.” 

            Even before Jinki spoke the name, Jonghyun knew he remembered all that happened. The Elf’s voice was soft and almost weak, breathing heavy, “Bonhwa.”

            “I am sorry.”

            “Should have,” Jinki took a deep breath, “Listened to you.”

            “If you are expecting any one of us to say I told you so, you will be disappointed. None of us wished this upon you.” Gently caressing Jinki’s hair, Jonghyuned hummed, “Rest. It will be some time before you can move without breaking open the wound again. By then perhaps we can get you to eat something.” 

            “Not hungry.”

            “I did not ask that.” Jonghyun laughed as Jinki grumbled. 

            He began to push off the ground to start making dinner when Jinki’s left hand shot out to grip his wrist. “No.”

            “What is it?”

            “Stay.” 

            Jonghyun fell back onto his knees before shifting to lay down mirroring Jinki’s pose, cheek squished against his arm under his head. “Alright. I will be here when you wake up.” 

-----

            The dirt beneath Minho’s feet was warm and soft as he stepped deeper into his borrow. Taemin followed soundlessly behind him with a grace he did not understand. As the tunnel opened up to the main section of his home, Minho said, “Alright, Jonghyun we have a BIG problem.”

            “Jonghyun went to get food,” Minho whipped his head toward the deep, quiet voice, releasing a deep breath when he saw Jinki sitting up against a few pillows. His cheeks were still a bit pale, but he smiled nonetheless. “But maybe I can be of assistance.” 

            “Jinki!” Taemin zipped past Minho, knocking his shoulder slightly in his haste, sliding onto his knees to take Jinki’s hand. “You’re awake!” 

            “It’s good to see you again, young one.” Taemin beamed as Jinki fluffed his hair softly. Then the elf turned to Minho. “What is this about a problem?”

            “Maybe we should wait until Jonghyun returns.”

            Jinki hummed, leaning his head back against the wall behind him. “It cannot be that bad to need all of us to deal with it.”

            “The forest has moved.” 

            “Moved?” For a few moments, Jinki’s eyes were closed, his right palm pressed against the ground beside the blanket under him. A soft breath blew past his lips as his eyes snapped open. “It seems it has.” 

            “What did you do Jinki?” 

            “I suppose... when I told him, that he wouldn’t see all this ever again, I made it literal.” Jinki looked over at Taemin when the young man squeezed his hand he was still holding, flashing a little smile. It fell quickly as well as his gaze, before he quietly said, “I must apologize for everything.” 

            “Jinki-”

            He shook his head as he lifted his gaze to meet Minho’s. “You especially. You warned me to be cautious, that he was not all he seemed to be, and I did not listen.”

            “You loved him, you thought he loved you. I will not sit here and make you hurt more than you already are by the notion that I was to right.” Minho sat beside him, pushing back against the wall with his head tilted toward Jinki. He intertwined their fingers between them. “You are more powerful than you like to believe. You moved the entire forest Jinki.” 

            “I did not mean to!” His cheeks had a bit of pink in them as he let his chin fall to his chest. “The animals are alright, right?” 

            “A little spooked, but from what we saw they are going back to living their lives.” Taemin gave a big smile when Jinki looked at him. “There is so much sand outside the dome, Jinki. Very hot and golden.” 

            “Sand?”

            “An entire ocean of it, just dry.”

            “A desert. I moved the forest into the middle of the desert.” Jinki took a deep breath. “And all life is the same?”

            “No plant, tree or blade of grass has died since the dome went up. It seems it protects us from more than just humans.” Minho squeezed his hand, smiling as Jinki shifted just enough to lean his head on him with a soft grimace. “Once you are better we can investigate what it all means together.” 

------

            Jonghyun watched the two men very carefully from his spot on the large rock beside the river that curved toward the east mountains and separated the forest from the field of wildflowers. Minho was in his stag form, helping Jinki move quickly through the forest. He thought it was a terrible idea to bring the Elf back to the field. Seeing the scar and remnants of the memory of his betrayal couldn’t be good for healing, but Jinki had half begged to go. His wound was wrapped tightly with bandages, the light brown of the fabric visible against the dark bronze of his skin. 

            He slowly slipped from the back of Minho, his hand still resting against the soft fur of his back. The two of them walked further into the field until Jinki lowered onto both of his knees. A breeze floating across the flowers lifted his hair off his neck, whipping in the wind. Jonghyun didn’t need to see his face to know how full of sorrow he was. Under him was what remained of the destruction, black and burned where it used to be bright green and full of color. Just to their left were the stumps of the murdered trees. 

            Jonghyun lifted his head from where his chin had been resting on his knee when he heard the flutter of wings and felt the rush of air against his skin. Taemin was quick to sit on the edge of the rock, eyes set on the two across the field as he confessed. “I am worried about him.” 

            “Then you should have agreed with me that this was a bad idea.” 

            “I thought it would help.”

            “After everything, he showed us about what happened, you thought this would do any good?” Jonghyun scuffed. “Yes, because being where your lover almost killed you is so helpful.” 

            Taemin pressed his lips together in a thin line before twisting to look at Jonghyun completely. “It is like Jinki is trying to hold himself together for our benefit. Being reminded of it all could make it all crumble and make him address it. He has not said Bonhwa’s name since it happened. It has been two weeks.”

            “We cannot pretend to know how he is feeling even if we can sense the emotion. It has only been two weeks. Give him some time before you begin dictating how he should mourn this betrayal, Taemin.” 

            “I suppose you are right.”

            “Do not misconstrue my words. I worry for him just as you do. He is apart of my pack, my family. Someone hurt his soul deeply in a way I cannot fix, but I know Jinki. He will come to us when he is ready to put this all behind him.” Jonghyun’s gaze drifted back to the other two men, at Jinki, who was slowly rising from the ground. “Come, they are returning.” 

-----

            It felt good to be in his house, the familiar walls and surroundings bringing a sense of safety to him. Jinki ran his hand over the wide tree trunk that went through the center of the main part of the home, eyes closed as he felt the life thriving through its ancient roots. With a sweet smile he turned toward where he knew Jonghyun and Minho were watching. Taemin was currently making the rounds. Until they knew everything about this dome, one would always be found walking the barrier. “I will be alright. I know you both have items to address.” 

            The two powerful spirits looked at each other before Minho stepped forward. “We just wanted you to know that you do not have to put on a brave face in front of us.”

            “I am sorry?” 

            Jonghyun sighed before stepped forward, clasping Minho on the shoulder before walking until he was in front of Jinki. He gave a sweet smile as he pushes a hair that had fallen from the twisted up bun, “It is alright to be broken. It is alright to not have everything worked out.”

            “I am alright, I promise you.”

            “I know you would like that to be true, my dear.” Jonghyun pressed a hand softly against Jinki’s chest. “I see it, like a wound above your heart swirling as a thunderstorm ready to strike. Let it go, Jinki.”

            Jinki’s lips pressed together, tears forming on his lashes as he shook his head. “I am fine.” 

            Minho was quick to step behind him, wrapping his arms around Jinki’s middle softly with his chin on the shorter man’s shoulder. “You are not, but we have you until you are.”

            Jonghyun smiled reassuringly as the first tear fell, but he rushed forward to join the embrace the moment the abrupt sob ripped from his throat. Jinki pressed his face into Jonghyun’s neck, arms tight around him as both men smothered him from both sides. “I loved him and he - he wanted to kill me.”

            “Let it out.”

            When Taemin landed in the far window a few hours later, he found Jinki sleeping with his head against Minho’s shoulder and Jonghyun laying on the man’s thigh. The only one awake was Minho, who smiled warmly and quietly spoke. “The flood was let loose. It will be alright.”

-----

            Jinki stood at the top of the tallest tree of the forest, eyes closed as the wind whipped at the fabric of his pants from behind him. Tears were silently falling down his cheeks, splashing against his cheeks as they dripped from his chin. A few months had passed since his entire world went up in smoke. His wound had healed, but a scar remained to remind him of what love and trusting a human did. The same as the burned scar in the southern flower field. He could have healed it and made it look like nothing had ever harmed it, but what occurred needed to be remembered. A reminder that humans would only ever destroy. 

            The sun was setting behind the trees of the thick west wood, Speaking quietly, he opened his eyes. “Goodbye Bonhwa. My love for you was true and I cannot forget what you meant to me, but never again will I allow your kind to take and ruin what I hold dear. No human will ever stay in this forest again.”

            His breathing was heavy, stuttering slightly as he took a shaky deep breath. When he finally let it out, he felt lighter. The pressure in his chest lifted and he could smile at the sight of his forest, of home. After wiping his tears with the back of his hands he dove from the branch, hollering as leaves whizzed past him. 

            He felt alive once more.

------