Here's another update! Like the last chapter, I combined two of the former chapters to extend this one. Just a little heads up: I wanna divide my time revising this and working on some of my other fics (which includes the one I'm working on in Fanfiction(.)net), so don't freak out when I update late or disappear (again). If you feel like you need a news update on me, just go visit my profile page.

Thanks for all the comments lately! I'm happy to speak to new and old subbies! If you have any questions, don't be afraid to ask! Pardon me for any mistakes.

Reminder: No plagiarizing or copying or translating my story! Contact me if you find someone stealing my work!

Repost: 6/20/14

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Snooping About The Castle

Training was a pain in the neck. Literally. There was pain in their necks.

Twelve punished princes were drilled and pounded and exhausted until they were dropping lifeless onto the ground. Their training mentor and instructor rarely gave them time to think, only incessantly barking orders at them and correcting forms. The younger princes—mainly Sehun, Kai, Tao, Kyungsoo, and Chen—were at least given breaks, but their older brothers were not so fortunate.

“Curse that instructor,” Xiumin grumbled raggedly, using his sleeve to wipe the profuse sweat dribbling down his shiny forehead. “I know my reaction is slow. Gracious.”

Chanyeol, who was his sparring partner, was on the verge of fatigue, about to squarely pass out. He was hunched over, panting. “Can’t—huff—breath—huff.”

Their heartless instructor clapped his hands. "Do the sequence again! Your execution is slow and untimely! Opponents can easily dodge it and plan a counterattack!"

"When I become a general, remind me to freeze him into an ice sculpture," Xiumin swore under his breath as he and Chanyeol limply took their positions again. Fire blazed from Chanyeol's hands while frost accumulated over Xiumin's.

On the other side of the field, Baekhyun was trying to destroy Kyungsoo’s rock walls with beams of light. Suho and Sehun were combining their powers to create a hurricane. Tao was practicing a long-term sequence of wushu incorporated with his time control. Kai was endeavoring a weapon-equipped obstacle course, weaving in and out past the weights and bars that swung at him. Yixing traversed from battle to battle to supply his depleted brothers with energy and to heal their injuries.

Yifan had finally pinned down Luhan, his bent knee pressed down against the smaller boy’s chest. For the past half hour, he had been dodging flying projectiles Luhan had shot at him until he had finally veered in and tackled the telekinetic onto the ground.

Yifan helped Luhan to his feet. "This is nonsense," Yifan muttered, a knit between his thick brows. "They act like we're going to war."

Nodding weakly, Luhan huffed, "We weren’t—huff—that bad—huff—were we?" Surely their conduct during the trip with you hadn’t been that life-threatening.

Yifan shook his head. He spoke in a low, suspicious voice. "Something weird is going on. It’s only been a day, and the whole castle seems to be under lock-and-key. Earlier, I overheard a messenger talk about safety protocols in the Capitol.”

Luhan looked puzzled. "Why would they be talking about that? Safety protocols are initiated when something dangerous is happening. Maybe you heard it wrong, Yifan. Besides, Aris and her brothers are at the Capitol."

Yifan was dubious, but all he said was, "I guess."

"Prince Chen! Go practice your lightning strikes with Prince Yifan!" ordered their mentor.

Yifan growled like a provoked beast. "I'll send that teacher flying to the dragons. They'll eat him for dinner!"

"I second that idea," Luhan concurred, and they went their separate ways.

...

In one day, the progress with the ritual had shown some development.

Within a crystal temple on Crescent Moon (one of Two Moons), you dwelled in a large, commodious room where the ceiling was high and the walls were thick—the room itself located deep within the labyrinth-like temple. Neither you nor your brothers knew the way out, but it didn’t matter since Sungmin did—the raven-haired general always on guard duty nearby. The room rose in elevated platforms, higher further back. That was where you sat, cross-legged on the smooth, cool surface of the crystal floor, positioned on the outer edge of a circle outlined with candles and ash writing. Onew, Jonghyun, and Minho were seated just like you, the four of you marking the four cardinal directions of a compass. Key and Taemin were resting off to the side, their heads pillowed by stuffed bags, and their bodies covered by spare blankets. There was no need for light when the natural source of illumination shone from the temple’s lustrous crystal surroundings.

Onew noticed how your eyes were drooping again. He looked concerned. "Aris, you should take a break," he said, focusing hard so he wouldn’t accidentally break his concentration.

"I'm fine," was your bleak reply. Your exhale was brittle and dragged out, but you continued concentrating, being extremely cautious not to screw up on your hand signs. However, your energy was spent.

"Key!" Minho called out. "Can you switch with Aris?"

"Hm?" Key woke up at his name and yawned. "Alright, then."

Since the first day, you and your brothers had established a routine of cycling in and out from the ritual. That way, at least two of you could rest while the other four worked.

Key trudged up to the ritual site and patted your shoulder. "Go rest, Little Sister. You can switch back in again when the next step is ready."

Key sat beside you and formed the hand sign. He muttered a couple of words, and then energy was being drained from him, not you. You released a grateful sigh, shoulders slouching. "Thank you."

Key nodded, smiling faintly.

You dragged yourself over to where Taemin was soundly sleeping. Out of all of you, he had the most energy but couldn't perform the hardest of spells. He had managed to maintain the first few steps of the ritual before he became all zombie-like. You plopped down next to him, glad to be laying down. Taemin blinked open his sleep-encrusted eyes at the movement and smiled sweetly when he saw you resting beside him. He put his arms around you, letting you snuggle against him. He enjoyed the bit of time he had left with you.

Asleep, you dreamt that you were with everyone you loved. Your caring father, your dearest brothers, King Heechul and his wives, and lastly, your fiancés, the EXO princes. You were bursting with happiness and full of life, freely running across the grasslands without a care in the world.

...

"Finally! Training's over!" Baekhyun rejoiced in relief, tossing his numb hands in the air.

"I'm going to murder those blasted teachers," grumbled Xiumin as they all sauntered into their rooms to clean up. Their dead-weight bodies deserved to rest and recharge.

"I told the servants we'll be eating dinner in my room," Suho spoke up, worn and tuckered out. "So after everyone washes up, meet me there, alright?"

"Yes," everyone chimed tiredly.

Twenty minutes later, all the princes had showered and redressed themselves in sweat-free clothes. They trudged over to Suho’s room where a cart had been wheeled in, cluttered with delicious dishes to eat. After fumbling around and finding a place to sit, they began devouring their fill, starved after that excruciating training and the mind-draining lessons they had earlier this morning. It felt weird not eating with their mothers who were constant factors in their lives. Suho and Kyungsoo made sure everyone remembered their manners.

"I wonder what Mother is doing...?" murmured Chen, poking at his food with a spoon.

"She's still in town?" inquired Suho, cocking a puzzled brow. "That’s weird. I thought our mothers would at least return home once to check up on us."

The other princes nodded in agreement. "It's unlike them not to be fussing over us," Luhan mused.

"And Father is super busy," Yixing inserted. "He hasn't spoken to us as of the late, and I haven't seen him once in the castle."

"And Aris is stuck at the Capitol…" Yifan murmured, setting down his glass of citrus water. Everyone was acting indifferent and keeping them out of the loop.

"Why is Aris at da Capitol in da furst place?" Tao asked around a mouthful of cake.

Luhan and Yifan frowned. "We don't know…." Everyone missed you, and they couldn't help but to think that you were unreachable.

"Father never said 'bout takin' Aris to the Capitol," Kai queerly put in, his lips jutted out. He was right, which was bothersome. Nothing added up.

"Strange, huh?" Baekhyun asked out loud, eyes troubled.

Sehun looked sad. "Everwywon is gone..." Luhan patted his brother's head affectionately.

Chanyeol perked up, waggling his brows like a villainous schemer. "How 'bout we go snoop around for some clues?"

“Chanyeol!” Yixing and Suho chastised him in immediate disapproval. The fire prince shrugged unrepentantly.

Yifan looked thoughtful, sharing knowing glances with Luhan. "Actually, that’s not a bad idea..." He looked at each of his brothers in the eyes. "We'll start after this."

...

Dinner was hastily cleared, everyone wanting to hear Yifan’s proposal right away. To ensure privacy, the EXO princes snuck into the secret passageway that connected their bedrooms and crowded themselves in a crusty, old boardroom. As they surrounded the decrepit table, Yixing laid out some paper and ink while Suho spread out the castle’s blueprints that he’d retrieved from the dusty shelves. Yifan, Luhan, and Xiumin were bickering over ideas. Kyungsoo kept dusting everything because he absolutely despised all of the accumulated filth. Chanyeol lit the lamps to illuminate the dreary room. Tao whimpered when he spotted spiders crawling about in the confined space. Chen was placating Tao as best he could. Baekhyun was making shadow puppets, and Sehun and Kai were poking through the shelves and crates for anything interesting.

"Everyone just stand still, please!" Yifan hissed, finally losing his patience at the restless sway of movements. Everyone froze at the irritated leader. "Now, come over here. We've decided what to do." They crowded closer to the table and examined the maps and plans. "Alright, Team One will be Kai, Yixing, and Chen. You'll be shadowing the head messengers—eavesdrop into their conversations and watch their routes. Team Two: Luhan, Sehun, and Kyungsoo will be sneaking around the servants' and guards' corridors. Try to pick up an interesting piece of news. Team Three: Suho, Baekhyun, and Chanyeol. You three will sneak into the mailroom. Read mail sent to and from the Capitol and maybe take a peek at Father's letters. Team Four is me, Xiumin, and Tao. We'll be snooping around Father's office and the boardrooms."

"What happens if we get caught?" Chanyeol asked.

"Try losing only one person per team. If that’s you, then make a cover story to keep up appearances—like say you were heading somewhere or was trying to find someone," Suho reasonably suggested.

"And don't leave any trances behind,” Xiumin added. “Be a ghost.”

"Ghost?!" Tao squeaked fearfully and ducked under Yifan's arm, clinging to him for dear life. Kai and Sehun snickered at the scaredy cat.

Yifan sighed and patted his younger brother’s head soothingly. "Tao, not a real one. And Xiumin, don't ever say that word."

"Roger, that," Xiumin said and mocked a military salute.

"Alright, everyone fan out!"

We’ll get to the bottom of this, Yifan thought resolutely as everyone scurried out the boardroom. Don’t think that we’ll be left behind in the dark.

...

Their footsteps were quick and light as they snuck along corridors and alcoves as they shadowed the messengers that were sparse about the castle. Team One had finally located one of the head messengers and tailed the one that had brought news to the princes yesterday morning (and was also evidently the same man who had delivered news to you prior).

“Kai! No teleporting!” Yixing hissed in severe warning, watching as the teleporter disappeared and reappeared from their side to the other end of the hall in a blink of an eye.

Kai huffed when they discreetly rushed over to his side. “Fine. I’m tired anywayz,” he said unrepentantly.

Chen sighed forlornly. “Please stay with us and not wander off on your own.”

Team Two, consisting of Luhan, Sehun, and Kyungsoo, used the castle’s secret passageways to slip behind the walls of the servants’ quarters. They patiently listened for an interesting tidbit of news as the servants gossiped and chattered tirelessly.

“Pssh.” Kyungsoo and Sehun smothered their laughs abruptly when they overheard a servant complaining about how she freaked out when she found a caged lizard under a pile of junk in Sehun’s room.

“She betta not toucth my lithzard again,” Sehun said, and Luhan clamped his hand over the boy’s mouth when the servants thought they heard something.

In Team Three, Suho was currently helping Chanyeol and Baekhyun get down from a raised air shaft. Clumsy as he was, Chanyeol let out a squealing yelp when he fell backwards from standing on a decorative table. “I’m fine!” he squeaked from his spot on the shadowy ground. The three of them quickly darted over to the other side of the unlit room to slip into another air shaft. This air shaft allowed to them to enter the adjacent mailroom which was apparently occupied by someone, light filtering out from under the door. Luckily that person hadn’t heard Chanyeol’s bout of clumsiness.

In a discreet and cautious manner, Team Four maneuvered themselves within the dirtier and older set of secret passageways. Tao held Yifan’s hand as the tallest amongst them led the way while Xiumin took the rear.

“Are you sure we’re going the right way?” Xiumin asked in a hushed voice. He didn’t raise his voice any louder, fearing that someone might discover their presences on the other side of these crumbly walls.

Yifan nodded quietly as they proceeded into a very narrow tunnel then ducked into a secluded box-shaped room. Supposedly, there seemed to be no more paths to take, but when Yifan faced the left wall and pushed a certain brick, a hidden door creaked open, dusty flying everywhere, and they resumed their wandering.

Tao wrinkled his nose in disgust. “Smellz like stale books and ol’ wood.”

“Shh,” Yifan hushed him, a finger to his lips. He spoke in soft puffs of breaths. “We’re next to the boardroom. It looks like everyone is busy.”

It was vague, but they could hear the chatter of vehement voices. However, nothing was distinct enough to gather information. There was a flurry of fluttering papers and the scratching of ink pens. Footsteps echoed sharply from those who wore classy shoes. The wall had a jutting border on the bottom, so Xiumin helped Tao up on it, giving the smaller boy enough height to, alongside his older brothers, peek through a set of filters as if staring past prison bars. From their vantage point, they were staring down into the room.

“There’s Father,” murmured Yifan. The raven-haired king was seated in a high, stiff chair at the end of an outrageously long table. His crown glinted lustrously in the afternoon sunlight that spilled from the windows on the wall opposite of the spying princes. A serious and hasty expression molded the king’s angular features. He barked out orders in a brisk fashion and discussed other topics to people in a low tone.

“I can’t hear what they’re talking about,” Xiumin muttered, frowning. The din was just a mesh of blabbering voices and indistinctive words.

Yifan took Tao’s hand again, helping the little boy hop down from his perch. “Let’s head further down this hall to the other side,” he suggested.

The trio quietly trekked down the remaining length of the confined corridor and edged around the corner, dust and grime coating their once pristine clothes. Halting at the dead end, they faced the northern wall and peered past the crevices. Now they were staring down at their father’s back.

“Have the troops be stationed here and here,” King Heechul ordered, pointing at the mentioned locations on a large, unrolled map. “Send out an evacuation warning. I want every citizen to be relocated into their designated shelters. Tell them to do so in a calm, orderly fashion. We must have this done within the next two days.”

“An evacuation warning? Being relocated into shelters? Why are they doing this?” Yifan muttered, eyes narrowing.

“What’s happening in two days?” asked Xiumin.

“I don’t understand,” Tao whispered, feeling lost.

They continued to listen, mouths screwed together and hands clenched tight. Yifan was greatly knowledgeable of the martial commands and safety procedures that were being thrown around. The more he heard, the more he grew pale, becoming scared and concerned over his planet’s wellbeing.

…

Team Four had to wait until the mailroom had been deserted and locked up before infiltrating it. Now Suho and Chanyeol had the opportunity to unscrew the filter so they could emerge out of the shaft. They did so and dropped into the dark room, but the darkness was hardly a problem when Baekhyun lit up his hands so they could see. They saw the walls lined with cubbies, binder-filled shelves organized in the room’s center, and a few tables positioned in leftover areas of space.

“Let’s hurry,” Suho urged dutifully in a whisper. “Baekhyun, help me find mail from the Capitol. Chanyeol, keep watch.”

“Got it,” they chorused softly. Standing on a chair, Chanyeol stood on guard by the air shaft, tilting his ear towards it in order to pick up any signs of disturbance echoing from the other room. He prayed that the messengers wouldn’t return in such a short notice while Baekhyun and Suho searched the cubbies for their desired mail.

“Ah! Here it is,” Suho said, finding the correct mail slot by referencing from the scrupulously organized catalog. Baekhyun scanned through the new, unopened mail while Suho skimmed through the saved mail that had been already read.

Baekhyun frowned. “There’s nothing written from Aris, but here’s one from our mothers.” He held up the envelope. “It’s for Father. The rest are from important people and from the military.”

Suho also frowned. “These are all reports about welfare and safety. Something is going on that’s dangerous.” He perused through some of the letters intently and murmured, “Space sectors…shelters…blockades…routes…weaponry… It’s like they’re—we’re—preparing for…war.”

“Did I hear ‘war’?” Chanyeol piped up, eyes wide with interest and shock.

“This is bad,” Suho stressed with a chilly sense of realization. He looked at Baekhyun imploringly. “Don’t open that envelope. I suspect that a messenger will be delivering that to Father soon.”

“Do you think that Mother knows ‘bout this?” Baekhyun asked, disliking the idea of war. He had to rein in his raging curiosity so he could resist the urge to tear open the envelope held innocently in his hand.

Suho nodded once grimly. “Most definitely.” He inclined his head. “Let’s hurry and check the other slots for the mail Father’s been sending.”

…

Cleverly ducked behind a thick set of towering pillars, Kai, Yixing, and Chen were able to eavesdrop into the conversation their target was having with a person who had emerged from a major board room. The person had left the door slightly ajar, and from it echoed out an interwoven rambling of loud conversations and hustling movements.

“Here, this letter was recently sent in from Crescent Moon,” reported the head messenger, handing over the sealed envelope. “Please have the king read it as soon as possible—it was written from General Sungmin.”

The man nodded seriously. “Have you received any mail from the queens yet?”

“No, sir,” replied the messenger. “But I will go ahead and check again.” They both shared terse bows before parting. The man reentered the room and firmly shut the door, blocking out the deafening noise from inside.

Yixing was confused as he whispered, “Sungmin? As in Uncle Sungmin?”

“Why was he called ‘General’?” Chen wondered, brows furrowing as he pondered. “I thought he was just a Military Chief or something?”

Kai looked solemn for once, his lips thinned and eyes dull. “Chen…don’t chu know? If they call him ‘General’…then we’re at war.”

…

Right now, Team Two was frantically rushing towards their bedroom hall at a break-neck pace. Apparently a servant had decided to check up on the princes and was now heading this way.

“Hurry! Hurry!” Luhan shrieked, urging Sehun and Kyungsoo to run faster. He glanced over his shoulder and swore that he heard a set of footsteps echoing at the end of the hall behind him. The three of them stormed into Luhan’s room (since it was the nearest) and vaulted onto his bed (Sehun and Kyungsoo practically squashed under Luhan as he landed on top of them).

“Huh? Prince Luhan? Is that you?” sought out the servant. Seeing that his door was ajar, she peeked inside to see if he was there. With their backs facing her, Luhan, Sehun, and Kyungsoo appeared to be engrossed in reading a book while lying on their stomachs in bed. “Oh, there you are. I wondered where you princes had disappeared off to. But where are the rest of your brothers?” she queried.

Luhan swallowed and glimpsed at her briefly. “Um…I don’t know…everywhere?”

“That isn’t very specific,” she commented with a suspicious look on her face. But somehow, from where she stood, she missed how their clothing was smeared with a fine layer of dust and plaster. It appeared as if they were wearing plain, gray-colored garments rather than clean, color-accentuated ones.

“We weally don’t know,” Kyungsoo said, laying on thick with the innocence as he disarmed her with his cute, round eyes.

She faltered feebly under his trick and pursed her lips contemplatively. “I guess I’ll just search for them, then.” She held up a warning finger at them. “And, my princes, remember: don’t do anything reckless just because the queens aren’t around. Understood?”

“Yes, ma’am,” they chorused and returned to ‘reading’ their book. The servant eyed them skeptically for a second before leaving the room, closing the door behind her.

Luhan immediately dropped the reading act and sighed in relief. “Phew, that was close.”

“Ith’t she da thervant dat found my lithard?” Sehun asked, annoyed that the woman had almost tossed out his pet that one time.

“Forget that, Sehun!” Kyungsoo cried out, panicking. “We gotta go find the otherz! That woman is looking for the rest of them!”

Luhan groaned at the mention of more work, sagging like a lifeless, withering plant on his bed. Face buried in the covers, he whined, “I don’t like this game…”

Sehun poked Luhan’s limp shoulder. “Lazthy!” he accused.

“You’re lucky that I don’t have the heart right now to kick you off my bed,” Luhan mumbled grumpily, voice muffled by the sheets.

…

When it was deemed to be a safe opportunity, Team Two (Luhan, Sehun, and Kyungsoo) reentered the secret passageways again and scrambled off to search for Yifan, Xiumin, and Tao since they should be snooping about within the walls. At the same time, Team One (Kai, Chen, and Yixing) also snuck into the hidden walls, while in the mailroom…

“Mayday! Mayday! Messenger alert!” Chanyeol exclaimed in a frantic, hushed voice, having heard someone open the door of the outer room. He tensed as the person strode over to the locked mailroom, their tapping footsteps corresponding with the thudding of his pounding heartbeat.

Suho and Baekhyun exchanged wide-eyed glances, and they quickly got into gear as they hastily stuffed the stack of mail they’d read back into their respectful cubbies. Baekhyun shut off his light, and Suho helped his younger brothers crammed themselves up and into the air shaft. By the time Suho had just gotten done with refitting the air shaft’s filter cover back into its original place, someone had unlocked the mailroom door and flicked on the lights.

“Huh?” The princes held their breaths as they heard, “Did I hear something? Oh, well.”

That was close, Chanyeol mouthed, and his brothers nodded warily. It looked like they were going to have to wait until the messenger completely left before they could make their escape.

…

“Oof!” grunted two kids when their bodies collided in the narrow hallway. Kai rubbed his sore bottom, and Kyungsoo was wincing as he clutched at his shoulder. The other team members halted behind their fallen comrades.

“Oh, Kyungie! I’m so sorry!” Kai gasped, scrambling to his feet to help his brother up.

“Me fine,” Kyungsoo said dizzily, having knocked his forehead against the rock that was Kai’s.

“Brothers, have you seen Yifan’s team?” Luhan asked, radiating an air of anxiousness. “A servant is trying to find all of us.”

“Really? Now?” Yixing looked troubled. “Guys, we really need to talk. We have some….” His eyes tightened. “…bad news.”

The six of them relocated themselves back into the grimy, old boardroom and decided to wait for the rest of their brethren. Kai, Sehun, and Kyungsoo slumped on crates as makeshift seats. Yixing stared absently at the dim lightbulb hung above the table. Luhan was pacing back and forth along the wall like a restless animal. And Chen thrummed his fingers on the table nervously.

“Do you think Suho, Baekkie, and Channie got caught sneaking into the mailroom?” Chen fretted.

“Suho wouldn’t be that careless,” Luhan assured, but he looked distracted when he said so. It wasn’t directed to anyone specific as he murmured gravely, “And everyone needs to come back quick.”

“I wonder if anyone else found something suspicious or dangerous…” Yixing softly whispered, anxiously rubbing his hands together.

They all perked up at the sounds of scuffing and panting outside the boardroom. In a surge, suddenly six more bodies piled in. Suho, Baekhyun, and Chanyeol were panting, flustered as if they’d run a marathon, their hairlines beaded with sweat and their cheeks flushed. On the other hand, Xiumin, Yifan, and Tao looked like they had seen a ghost, their complexions pale and outlined with fear.

“Yifan, Xiumin, what’s wrong with you two?” Suho asked as they all settled around the aged table.

Yifan shared a long, worried look with Xiumin who shook his head despondently. Yifan cleared his throat, tense all over. He evaded Suho’s query by asking, “So, what did you all find out?”

“Well, it looks like our mothers weren’t lying when they said they were busy,” Baekhyun inputted. A frown crossed his pretty features. “But there wasn’t a hint about Aris or her brothers in the mail at all.”

Though reluctant, Suho said, “The letters were mostly from military officials. It’s like we’re preparing for war. There were repeated topics concerning evacuations, shelters, blockades, battle formations…” Suho trailed off then peered at his rigid older brothers disbelievingly. “Wait, don’t tell me…” He gaped at them. “You discovered the same thing!”

Yixing nodded unwillingly. He indicated at himself, Chen, and Kai. “We overheard the head messenger refer to Uncle Sungmin as General Sungmin,” he confessed.

“We all know that Uncle Sungmin is the head of the army,” Kai intoned in a glum whisper. It was quite worrisome to see his usual brash self be replaced with a dejected and solemn persona. “But during war, people call him ‘General Sungmin’.”

“So, we’re at war?” Kyungsoo summed up, a look of fear flashing across his sweet face. Chanyeol patted his shoulder comfortingly, but that soothing action wouldn’t be able to fend off the brute of Yifan’s conclusion.

The tallest of them heaved a big sigh and tossed back his bangs agitatedly.

“Guys…” he said in a low, halting tone. “We were always at war. It’s just…we’re at a cease-fire right now. Think about it: there is only one enemy out there who would dare fight against us.”

A dreadful, disconcerting silence befell over the princes. The truth finally dawned on them.

Then, Sehun’s small, young voice broke the empty silence, uttering the one word he learned to never like.

“Techas.”

The Techas—our most hated enemy.

…