Graduation

The Leaf and the Legends

Adjusting the small black cap sitting upon her brown and curly hair, Mina waited to be lead into the school auditorium. Despite the small size of the graduating class, there was a full planned ceremony and even a guest speaker, but she imagined that it wouldn't last any longer than an hour or so. Her eyes wondering around, she saw her homeroom teacher wave and motion for the first line of students to begin walking. Taking a breath, Mina looked behind her and smiled at Lyn, who stood a few people behind her. After receiving a beaming grin from Lyn in return, she turned back around and followed the students in front of her.

Hearing the music begin to play and walking into the auditorium, an anxious feeling plagued the girl. 

In a couple of hours, she'd be leaving her small town and no longer see all the smiling faces around her. These people she had known for ages, would no longer be a part of her life. Looking into the audience, she spotted her parents. She'd be leaving them too. For the past 17 years of her existence, they were her everything and she'd be leaving them. It was the inevitability of change. The same change she had once eagerly awaited and prepared for now brought doubt and a sense of fear for the unknown. 

Looking away from her parents, Mina blinked in disbelief as she spotted a familiar set of wide eyes scanning the room. Squinting her own eyes, she noticed another with light brown hair, waving at her like a maniac using both his hands. His eagerness to be noticed caused a small grin to appear on Mina's face. She could always seem to count on Chanyeol to make her smile.

The exuberant phoenix stood, or rather fidgeted beside Kyungsoo, Tao and Kris. Noticing that he had finally been seen, Chanyeol began waving more furiously. It was obvious that he was waiting for her to wave back, however he didn't receive a wave back. Instead, he watched as the small smile fell from Mina's face and was replaced by a new look of worry. 

Chanyeol stood out; they all did. Despite their plain clothes, they all stood out in the crowd. Kris's dirty blonde hair was enough to cause him to be the object of attention, but coupled with his height, he stood out even that much more. It didn't help that he was right beside Tao. The time controller had unique dark and intense eyes not normally seen in the town. And even though D.O was slightly shorter than the others, he easily stood out with his curious and innocent gaze. The four of them really, really stood out. 

It was worrisome to Mina. Why did they come in the first place? Did Daniel tell them to come? What if someone began questioning their presence there? 

Stressing out by herself, Mina forgot her other worries about the unknown future and found herself worriedly looking over at the Legends in the crowd, making sure they were not attracting unwanted attention. Sitting down in the chairs set out on the stage, the ceremony began. She was now worried about was crossing the stage. With Chanyeol's excited nature & Tao's tendency to yell and call for Mina whenever he saw her, the two would surely bring unwanted attention to themselves.

Maybe it was her fault they had all come. The other day when she had mentioned graduation, Kyungsoo's interest was piqued and he began asking questions. One thing led to another and soon she was explaining the institution of public education. It was a conversation she never expected to have, but it had happened and maybe that was the reason they now sat in the crowd. 

Although she tried not to keep looking over at them anymore, she eventually gave in and this time her eyes fell upon Kris. She found that he was also looking directly at her. Though the Legend had continued to talk normally with her, his mannerisms towards her seemed to have slightly changed. In particular, the look in his eyes was softer. Even now in the auditorium, she could see that look in his eyes.

Looking away first, Mina realized that Lyn had been motioning to her. The short hair girl had noticed the quartet's presence too and was trying to get her attention. Nodding her head at Lyn, Mina sighed. How did they even know where to go? ​Shaking her head, she was surprised by just how well they had adapted. Given enough time, they could probably survive anywhere they went. Maybe she'd be able to do the same. At the very least she hoped she could.

With the guest speaker finishing up, it was now time for the students to receive their diplomas. That meant crossing the stage. Being in the first row, Mina and the students around her stood and lined up. The anxious feeling Mina felt was immediately replaced with a chilling and ominous dread. She had felt the sensation once before; right before meeting Tao.

Looking out into the crowd, Mina knew the Legends had all felt it too. The Red Force had gathered all around them. Tao's interpretation of Kai's message was correct. The Red Force had followed them all, and it was dangerous. With so many Legends gathered, it was easy for the Red Force to sense them. And their presence brought danger to the innocent and unsuspecting people at the graduation. 

Exhaling, Mina felt time slow down and watched with shocked eyes as everyone around her moved in slow motion, eventually freezing in their places. The room was now completely silent and devoid of motion. Breathless and amazed by what was happening around her, she couldn't move out of shock.

It was undoubtedly Tao who had done this. Watching the four men spread out to different directions in the auditorium, Mina's eyes followed Kris as he moved closer to the stage.

Seeing that Mina was blinking, he moved closer. "You're aware, aren't you?" he asked, jumping onto the stage. 

Silently nodding in reply, Mina was unsure why she wasn't affected. Suddenly, Kris's eyes narrowed and he pulled her into himself, moving her from her original position. Seeing a black shadow pass by her peripheral, Mina caught sight of Chanyeol striking down a Chaser and landing beside the two. 

"Mina's mobile?" the phoenix questioned, fixing his posture.

"It's the Red Force isn't it?" Mina finally asked, wanting to confirm her feeling. 

"That's what Tao said," Kris replied, still holding onto her.

"Don't worry! This is nothing," Chanyeol reassured. "Stay with Kris. We'll take care of it."

"Mina's aware?" Tao yelled out, after making quick work of a low level Chaser."

"Yeah! Kris has her though, let's finish these things off quickly."

Overhearing Tao and Chanyeol's exchange, Kyungsoo hesitated momentarily. "She's not affected?"

"Watch out!" Chanyeol yelled out, jumping off the stage and towards D.O. Though the earthshaker was a proficient fighter, his momentary hesitance caused unforeseen consequences, and he was struck by a second enemy that apariated from behind him.

"Kyungsoo!" Thoroughly enraged by the sight, Chanyeol created a bright blue fire in his palm and slammed it into the enemy, destroying it instantly in overkill. Turning to Kyungsoo, Chanyeol stuck his hand out to his fallen brother. "You okay?"

"I was a bit careless," D.O. replied, taking the hand offered to him.

"Don't worry about it, just don't get hurt anymore, okay?" 

"Right. Let's get rid of these weaklings now." Smiling at Chanyeol, Kyungsoo moved quickly to continue to rid the auditorium of the enemy. 

Watching the Legends move freely about the auditorium fighting and destroying dark figures that resembled shadows of people, while the audience remained frozen in place, was unreal to Mina. By now she had seen and experienced a lot, but this had all happened so unbelievably fast. One moment she was standing to get her diploma, the next, the auditorium became a battle ground for supernatural beings.

And despite being around the dark creatures, Mina felt safe. The Legends were all capable and she knew she could rely on then, she just didn't want to be a burden. Maybe she could find a way to help them in situations like these in the future. The way they protected her and all the others in the room, she wanted to be able to do the same for them.

"These Chasers are weak aren't they?" Kris said, watching the others work. 

"Yeah, but there are a lot of them," Mina replied.

"Tao told me you've seen them before." 

"I saw one once briefly. Tao took care of it though."

"How are your arms today?" Kris asked, slightly off topic.

"They're fine..." Looking up at Kris, Mina frowned. "I've told you and Kyungsoo this multiple times! Don't worry about it. In fact, right now you should be helping them. I'll be okay!"

Unwavering in his hold, Kris frowned disapprovingly at her. "Last time you said that, you ended up falling down a cave."

"Ah... yeah," Mina said embarrassed, "That did happen, didn't it?"

"Yes, it did."

"Right... Well, it all ended well didn't it?"

"I'm not letting you go," Kris replied, looking away from her. "It was a mistake last time. I'm not making that mistake twice."

The way Kris was holding and talking to her, reminded Mina of a strange dream she had before. In the dream, Kris talked like a character from a cheesy romance novel and just like in the dream, she felt her cheeks warm and her heart beat faster.

"I must be dreaming again," Mina concluded out loud. "This one is quite vivid though." Looking up at Kris, Mina saw a look of confusion on his face. "You... Why do my dreams make you out to be this romance hero? It's weird. Stop saying such things! It's embarrassing and messes with my head!"

"Romance hero?" Kris repeated, confused. 

"Yes!" Mina yelled back. "Always holding me like this and saying the things you do. The real Yi Fan is just a stubborn guy that... actually... you two aren't too different." 

"I'm stubborn?" 

"Really, really stubborn! The king of being stubborn! And moody!" Feeling comfortable now believing it was all a dream, Mina began venting about the 'real' Kris to 'dream' Kris. "He stopped talking to me for a day after I fell down that cave you mentioned. He could have just said he was mad at me for making him put me down, but instead he kept it to himself and avoided me." 

"I wasn't mad at you. I was mad at myself!" Kris replied seriously.

"Why would you be mad at yourself? You didn't do anything wrong. I mean, 'real' Kris didn't do anything wrong."

"You're supposed to call me 'Yi Fan'." 

"Man, even in my dreams you're stubborn," Mina sighed.

"And I did do something wrong. I let you get hurt. The marks on your arms are proof of my failure. I won't let it happen again. I promised myself."

Taking in Kris's words, Mina could feel her cheeks warming again. 'Dream' Kris really was too much.  

"All clear?" Chanyeol asked out loud.

"Yep! I think we got them all!" Kyungsoo replied.

"You don't sense them anymore either do you Mina?" Tao asked outloud.

"N... No! I don't..." she replied. "This dream really is detailed," Mina mumbled to herself.  

"It's best if we leave the area now," Tao suggested to the others.

"I really wanted to see Mina graduate though!" Chanyeol complained. "Daniel and Lyn too!"

"So do I, but it's too dangerous, there are too many humans here," D.O. reasoned.

"Yeah, it's  best we go. Right Kris?" Tao asked.

The dragon nodded and let go of Mina. "This place is safe now. We should head out." 

"Wait, what?" Mina replied confused.

"Okay! I'm going to restart time then," Tao began. "Mina, we'll see you back at Daniel's later. We're not leaving completely but we won't stay in here. There may be more heading our way."

"Right..." Watching Kris walk along with the others, Mina was dumbfounded. Pulling her sleeve up, she pinched herself. "Ouw! That hurt!" Rubbing the spot she had pinched, Mina realized it wasn't a dream. The attack had happened and after a few moments, the silence in the auditorium disappeared as the motionless people began moving once again.

Standing in line, waiting for her name to be called, it was still hard for her to believe she wasn't dreaming. Before she realized it, her face was warm again and flushed a light pink color. Of all the crazy things that had just happened, her mind kept repeating the conversation she had with Kris. 

- - -

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AhnCheonsa
[The Leaf and the Legends] That was the last batch of editing. The next Update Alert will be for the new chapter! You might be happy to know I started it!

Comments

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manii0728
#1
Chapter 42: I hope you are doing fine. I miss this. Please update!
PearLee #2
i actually commented this quite recently? guess i really miss this story
PearLee #3
Honestly this is one of the few best written story.. T. T where are you author?
aegyo_bom
#4
will this ever be updated??
Macire #5
Chapter 42: I need to know what is happening!!
manii0728
#6
Hope you can update
Angelz0715 #7
Chapter 42: This story is so good!!!
kevinoppa
#8
Chapter 42: I'm about to lose my mind KRIS YOU FREAKING SAID YOU WONT FORGET ASDFGHJ WHY???? I'm so trash for KrisMin
Lolypop123 #9
Chapter 42: Update if u can ^3^