[Chapter 17]

Buried Treasure

“Please don't hurt me!” Tiffany cried out when the swinging double doors squeaked open. Her body shook frightfully, expecting for something bad to happen. She was fully anticipating some sort of physical harm to come her way just so she would be kept quiet about the break in. Maybe a pair of hands grabbing her by the shoulders to drag her away, or maybe even a cold knife ready to press itself tight against her neck to make sure no sound came out of .

However, a gentle chuckle intruded the shop owner's ears as the doors were pushed open completely. “Why would I ever hurt you Fany-ah?” A soft and soothing voice filled the air. It sent a wave of relief flowing through Tiffany's body the moment she heard that one voice; a voice she would never forget.

Slowly lifting her head, Tiffany spotted a pair of white dress shoes. Her eyes followed up the silky white slacks and blazer before eventually resting on the face of a short girl that she longed to see all day. “TaeTae.” She whispered softly.

The Guardian flashed the latter with a heart warming smile. “Yup, that's me. Now c'mon. I want to show you something.” Taeyeon held the door open while side stepping to make room for her Troubled One. Once Tiffany passed her, Taeyeon appeared in front of Tiffany before her eyes could rest on the thing she had brought back to the shop. Although, that didn't help much considering how large the object on the counter was. “I'm sorry that I was gone the whole day but I promise it's for a good reason.” The Guardian maneuvered backwards in the work section effortlessly with her eyes still on Tiffany. It was as if she knew the cafe lay out like the back of her hand. “Dat, da da daa~” Taeyeon presented with a wave of her hands towards the counter top.

On the top of the bar-like counter rested a big wooden treasure chest that was covered in at least a layer of the Earth's soil. It stood tall with its peak reaching Taeyeon's head. The metal outer frame showed some signs of rusting, but it was obviously still durable enough to maintain its familiar shape. “You brought back a chest?” Tiffany questioned while still inspecting the old thing. After finally peeling her eyes from the once buried item, Tiffany spotted her Guardian nodding like a little kid who was way too excited to show their parents of an accomplishment. “Where did you get it?” Tiffany questioned with a tilted head.

Taeyeon pocketed her hands. “Well this is why I was gone the whole day, I had to dig it up myself.” She bit her lower lip gently and locked her eyes on the ground in front of her. “That's a little hard to do when you're dead you know?” The Guardian's lips pursed slightly at the words that had just flown out of . No matter how long it's been, it was always a hard thing to believe. Even for her.

Surprised of hearing her Guardian actually say the word 'dead' caught Tiffany off guard. Obviously Taeyeon wasn't exactly living anymore, but not once had the white clothed girl ever said that word until now. After paying close attention to the latter did Tiffany spot Taeyeon rocking back and fourth on the balls and heels of her feet. This girl was very eager to open the thing she had brought back. “But Tae,” Tiffany finally managed to say. “I thought you said Guardian's aren't supposed to steal?”

The gentle rocking stopped as a small smile crept onto Taeyeon's face. She looked up slowly and locked eyes with her Troubled One. “It's not stealing if you're reclaiming something that once belonged to you.” A gentle chuckle escaped Taeyeon's lips when she saw the look on the latter's face. Tiffany stared at the chest in awe quietly. So then, this was Tae's? Her eyes shifted onto her guardian then back again at the large chest. When she was still...alive? Taeyeon chuckled, catching Tiffany's attention. “It's been a while...a long while, but I think I have a plan and hopefully I can stick around for a little longer.”

The thought of having Taeyeon stick around for even a day longer made Tiffany's heart skip a beat. It surely wasn't something she was expecting but if doing all of this meant keeping her one and only wish for something more important than some financial problem, then Tiffany was undoubtedly going to do what she could. However, something stuck out to the young shop owner. “You actually want to help me keep my wish?” Tiffany's head tilted to one side curiously. It made no sense to the cafe owner. If a Guardian was made to grant good wishes, then wouldn't they want to encourage their Troubled Ones to make the wishes instead of save them?

A smile surfaced on Taeyeon's face. It was something practically every Guardian answered the same way. There was no doubt about that. Staring right into the latter's eyes, Taeyeon let out a soft chuckle and answered Tiffany with, “Well, it's not everyday we get to set foot on Earth you know.”

Suddenly the conversation about Guardians and Genies popped into Tiffany's head. She had almost forgotten about one of the reasons why Taeyeon's kind hated those beings that could grant three wishes per person. “That's right. Guardians can't come on and off Earth whenever they want.” The two then shared a look and immediately Tiffany noticed that there was a bit of an envious spark in Taeyeon's eye. Without a doubt, the Troubled One knew that a red flag topic had lingered into their conversation and about now would be a good time to change the subject.

Tiffany quickly shifted her eyes onto the treasure chest brought back from the latter. “How did you get the chest out?” She questioned without taking her eyes off the Earth covered item. Hopefully avoiding eye-contact for a bit would make the Guardian calm down.

“I dug it up of course.” Taeyeon answered with no hesitation. After all of those hours spent in the dirt, clawing at it and shoving mother nature's soil to the side, she wasn't afraid of saying it out loud. What she did was undoubtedly something not many Guardians would do with their time on Earth. Then again, not many Guardians went out and buried their belongings in the ground.

Hearing the answer puzzled the Troubled One. She figured that with Taeyeon being a Guardian and all that there would be a more mystical way of obtaining it than simply digging it up from the ground. There had to be a catch. “When you say you 'dug it up' you mean you used some unexplainable Guardian magic on it, right?” The cafe owner glanced over her shoulder towards the other girl, quickly looking back to the once buried item before they could lock gazes again.

A sigh intruded Tiffany's ears from the Guardian's direction. Apparently it wasn't that easy as she had expected and Taeyeon knew the real struggle from it all. “I wish, otherwise I would have been there and back before the cafe closed for the night. Aniyo. None of my 'Guardian magic' could be used this time. I had to go back to the basics and do it all from scratch.” Again Taeyeon sighed, rubbing the back of her neck to relax her pained muscles. It sure has been a while since she has done that much physical labor.

Again the latter's answer threw the other girl off guard. No magic? This time, she couldn't stop herself. Tiffany looked over at Taeyeon up and down until they finally locked eyes with each other. “You're outfit is completely mess free though. Did all the dirt just go right through you?” Her eyebrows furrowed intensely as she tried to figure everything out. Subconsciously though, she constantly told herself not to think too much about it. Maybe that's where the 'Guardian magic' part of this whole ordeal came from.

Taeyeon chuckled at the question and shook her head. “Aniyo Fany-ah. I was completely covered in dirt once I was done digging this up.” The Guardian laughed, giving the dirt covered chest a gentle pat.. “It was as if I spent all day just rolling around in the mud.” She smiled, trying hard to stop herself from laughing so much.

Still, no further explanation came from Taeyeon's mouth. She was still too busy giggling at whatever funny image of herself that was running through her mind. However, curiosity couldn't stop Tiffany from asking, “How are you completely clean then?”

Eventually Taeyeon stopped with her chuckling. She was finally able to speak clearly. “It's a Guardian thing. We're supposed to be kept nice and neat for our Troubled Ones. It helps us look professional. Our all white outfits also help my boss know where the Guardians on Earth are. That way he knows which Guardian is assigned to what Troubled One. So when we teleport from one place to the other, we go through a sort of instant dry cleaning.” Taeyeon couldn't help herself from smiling at how silly her explanation had gotten towards the end. Still, it was probably the most accurate explanation she could get at.

Tiffany couldn't help but smile along as well. When that dork of a Guardian would smile, it was practically contagious. Not to mention that explanation was one hell of a visual aid. Now she could only imagine Taeyeon going through some car wash for humans every time she disappeared from one side of the room to the other, sort of like one of those classic cartoons. Before her head could concoct any other outrageous thought, Tiffany shook her head with that wide smile still on her face. “I think it's time we open this present up. What do you say TaeTae?” Her attention went fully on the Guardian beside her.

Taeyeon beamed an eager smile and nodded her head up and down. “I think that's a great idea Fany-ah! I even have the key with me!” The obviously excited Guardian quickly brushed off her hands of any dirt and shoved both of her hands into both of her pants pockets. Each hand grabbed an item and for a split second Taeyeon froze. She was too preoccupied with remembering which pocket had the key. Her slight tense up was so quick that thankfully Tiffany didn't notice it. Pulling out the correct hand with the key, Taeyeon held out the small item by its teeth. “I want you to do the honors in opening it Fany-ah.” The Guardian smiled from ear to ear.

Staring at the key in the latter's hand made Tiffany's eyebrows raise in awe. She wasn't expecting Taeyeon to have gone so far as to even getting the key too. That's when Tiffany knew that whatever Taeyeon was planning with all of this, she was completely serious about it all. “Are you sure Tae?” Tiffany's lips pursed gently as she watched the girl across from her nod, still with that same smile. Before she could protest, the woman in white gestured for the cafe owner to take the key again. There was no talking out of this now.

Slowly, Tiffany reached out and grabbed the back end of the key, careful not to touch her Guardian. Once Taeyeon let go, they both knew that it was time to finally open the time capsule. Delicately, the cafe owner brushed off the loose dirt on the front of the chest, revealing more of the lock and what Tiffany could have sworn was some writing on the metal. There, she spotted one name; Kim Taeyeon. This really is hers. The Troubled One's mouth almost hung open in astonishment. Tiffany undoubtedly confirmed to herself that whatever was in that chest was really her Guardian's when she was alive.

Carefully putting the key into the padlock, Tiffany gave it a quick twist to open it with a click. Removing the one thing that kept the chest close, the Troubled One lifted up the heavy top slowly until the lid swung over by its hinges. Now, everything was finally exposed to the open world of modern times.

The shop owner curiously peeked inside, only to look at the contents in amazement. Full to the brim was nothing more than weapon luxuries. There were swords, hatchets, and even two shields pressed on either side of the longer chest walls. Tucked in the corners were the most basic arm and shin guards. Bows and arrows in a giant leather quiver rested along side one of the shields. Weapons of mass destruction, at the time, were not the only things in there. Metal cups and silverware along with bracelets and other jewelry rested on top of a thick layer of ancient coins, all of which were inside the bed of a wooden hand weaved basket. To Tiffany, it was a wonder how everything fit inside.

Slowly, the Troubled One reached for the chest, only to stop herself just inches away from touching the handle of one of the many swords. Her head turned to her Guardian with pursed lips. “Is it okay if I take everything out?” Her eyebrows furrowed in anticipation as she waited for an answer. With a reassuring nod from the latter, Tiffany carefully grabbed the sword with the biggest handle before delicately pulling it out of the box. It was heavy, but it glinted brightly in the cafe even though the only source of light was from the cheap light bulbs in the ceiling. Tiffany stared at the large object in awe, scanning her eyes down the blade and ending at the sharp point despite how many years it's been. Gently, the Troubled One set down the first item and quickly moved to the next, carefully pulling it out of the rustic time capsule.

One by one, the chest began to get emptied of all of its contents. Every time something would be taken out, Tiffany would stare at it for a good moment in sheer praise of how wonderful it looked and every time she was done admiring the antique, Tiffany would place it in its own small pile that she subconsciously sorted while setting the items down. In the end, she had a pile for weaponry, armor, jewelry, silverware, currency, and...a wooden basket? The last item in the chest threw Tiffany off track for a moment. All the other piles had more than one item to it. This one wooden basket seemed so out of place that it bothered the cafe owner way more than it should have.

However, watching from the other side of the counter was a certain white clothed girl whose eyes never peeled off of the wooden basket the minute Tiffany had taken it out of the chest. “What do you have there Mimi?” The Guardian's head echoed with her own voice as a mini flashback started to play in her head. “My umma said that I could take some for lunch.” Taeyeon stared mesmerized at the basket as a sweet voice she remembered so clearly spoke inside her head. Her eyes mentally restored the antique back to its earlier years when it was still in use. How could she forget? In the Guardian's eyes, she pictured a hand wrapped around the handle of the basket. Eagerly, her eyes followed up its wrist and arm, only to discover that it was an actual hand and not something her mind was brewing up. It was Tiffany. Taeyeon's vision quickly settled on her Troubled One as she was soon knocked back to reality. “Huh?” She questioned with her eyebrows raised.

Tiffany's eyebrows crashed together in a line at Taeyeon's weird behavior. Was she not listening to her? The cafe owner soon got over the sudden ignored feeling from her Guardian. All of this was a chest full of memories. Who knows what the other being must be thinking after seeing all of that at once? It would only be natural for Taeyeon to get drowned in all of her thoughts. With a more relaxed vibe, Tiffany repeated herself. “I said, do you remember why you put this in there? It's so out of place compared to the other stuff that was in the chest.”

Catching the question this time, Taeyeon stared back at the wooden basket. “Yeah. I uhh...” The Guardian paused for a moment as more memories rushed back at her. It was starting to get overwhelming. “Sit down silly. Don't you wanna eat?” More voices from back then filled Taeyeon's ears again. She couldn't get that voice out of her head. The only question she could ask herself at this point was whether or not she wanted the voice to stay. “Tae?” A voice that sounded too real to be in her head but too much like a memory to be real rang through the Guardians ears this time. Was that really Tiffany calling her or not? Either way, Taeyeon knew that she had to answer her Troubled One's question now before acting any more out of the ordinary from when she first got into the cafe tonight. “I uhh. I wanted to use it for gathering food and supplies.”

The Troubled One couldn't help but catch all the unusual behavior Taeyeon was unknowingly displaying. Still, she decided to just leave the other girl the way that she was. This was all a chest full of flashback memories and apparently that basket held a whole bunch of it in its bed. Despite the weird behavior though, Tiffany did find her Guardian's answer the most logical. It's not like she had any of the Guardian powers while she was still alive. The cafe owner simply nodded her head and set the basket aside while staring at the rest of the items. “So this is really yours Tae?” Tiffany questioned once more in disbelief. All the evidence was there though. Her name was truly carved into the chest. Her eyes just couldn't peel off the many fascinating things right in front of her.

Slowly the Guardian nodded, not caring if the latter caught her action or not. Her eyes scanned all of her ancient possessions. “It's been over 900 years since that thing finally became empty.” She murmured lowly. As she glanced from one thing to another, quick memories of her past life flooded her head. With every piece there, she would have another memory come to mind. A bitter sweet memory at that. “I took everything I owned and buried it, thinking that I'd return to dig it up and start a new life...” Taeyeon shoved her hands in her pockets and clenched her fist gently, gripping the one thing from the chest that she had tucked away into her pocket. Remembering what it was made all sorts of different memories intrude her head. This time being the most bitter sweet of all.

In the end, Taeyeon knew that what was done was done. There was no way to erase the past. “I never thought I'd do it 900 years later...” The Guardian mumbled to herself. The last few bits of her time on Earth suddenly replayed back in her head, and once her life had been taken, Taeyeon let go of the ancient artifact which suddenly stilled her mind. “...Now that I'm dead.”

Spotting the strange behavior again from the white clothed girl intrigued Tiffany even more. She only wondered of the thoughts that could be swarming within Taeyeon's head. Were they good thoughts? Was Taeyeon only thinking of the day she died? Tiffany pursed her lips, having questionable thoughts of her own. “Err...Taeyeon?” She finally called out. The Guardian said nothing, only glancing towards her caller to continue. It was easy for Tiffany to see that Taeyeon wasn't exactly...there. It was as if her mind was so cluttered that she wasn't even in reality anymore. In all honesty, this side of the girl startled the Troubled One. What happened to the girl she knew that absolutely loved ice cream? Still, the shop owner knew that she had to continue. “Gwenchanayo?” Her head tilted to the side in both curiosity and concern.

It wasn't until both beings locked eyes did Taeyeon finally come back to her senses. Had she been spacing out for a long time? Regardless of how much time passed, the Guardian remembered that she had to answer with something. “Uhh. Mianhae Fany-ah. Gwenchanayo.” She answered with a reassuring nod. “I was just thinking about...” Taeyeon's eyes shifted away from her Troubled One. Did she really want to say what was truly on her mind? The woman in white settled her eyes on the treasure and an instant cover up popped into her head. “I was thinking about how you should keep everything.”

Bewildered by the sudden turn in ownership of the items, Tiffany's eyes widened. “K-Keep everything?” She repeated. The latter nodded her head finding nothing wrong with her choice. “But TaeTae, this is your stuff. I can't take it.” The Troubled One's lips pursed tightly. This is all Taeyeon has left. Tiffany knew what it was like to lose everything, even the most smallest of things, and in no way did she want to take the final remains of her Guardian's items. Taking Taeyeon's things would be like taking Taeyeon's existence from the real world. Doing that would be something Tiffany would never forgive herself for doing.

However, hearing the opposition made Taeyeon shoo the air of its excuses. There was a reason why Taeyeon did all of this. No way was she going to let Tiffany mess it up just because they belonged to someone who already crossed over. “Take it Fany-ah. I did all of this so you could have it. What am I gonna do with it? I'm dead anyways.” Taeyeon's voice was a low and cold tone. It was always unsettling to her when she would accept the horrific fate that she wasn't a living being anymore.

The way her Guardian spoke struck the Troubled One with reality. Taeyeon was right. She couldn't do much with the stuff except go down memory lane over and over and over again. After witnessing what Taeyeon just went through with the chest, it wasn't hard to figure that she would be troubled by her past. Maybe taking these things away would actually be for the better. Still, one thing troubled Tiffany. “If I take it, what should I do with it? Should I just keep them at home?” The Troubled One looked to her Guardian for more advice with furrowed eyebrows. There was obviously something Taeyeon didn't tell her yet. “I was hoping that I could stick around for a little longer.” The words from before they opened the chest suddenly poured into Tiffany's head. It wasn't long for her to realize that Taeyeon had a plan.

Hearing the question about what to do with everything made Taeyeon's head run through the whole plan she had concocted just this morning. The fact that she would be able to stay on Earth for a little longer with Tiffany evidently plastered a crooked smile on the Guardian's face. Not to mention that it took her completely back to reality now.

Spotting the smile she subconsciously longed for also made Tiffany's lips curve up at their ends. Right then and there did she know that whatever Taeyeon had thought up, it was going to be a plan to save both her cafe and her one wish. Although, in the back of her mind, Tiffany cared more about the Guardian than the wish itself.

The woman in white folded her arms across her chest as she ran through the idea once more through her head. It was practically fool proof! Confidently, Taeyeon stared at Tiffany in the eyes with a reassuring vibe beneath them. “I figured that maybe you and I could go through some stuff and sell it to the antique place you said was around here. I know that rare antiques can really rack up a lot of money and hopefully my things are worthy enough. So I was thinking that we would be able to sell my stuff to pay off those bills.” Taeyeon gave her Troubled One a nod, as if saying that there was no way it could go wrong. How could it? There were plenty of times where the Guardian watched people trade cheap knock offs for hundreds of dollars and if her authentic material wouldn't cut it, then may the big man himself come from the heavens and slap some sense into the people that deserved it.

Despite how flawless of a plan Taeyeon had created, Tiffany was still in utter shock at the Guardian's decision. Sure, having her take the stuff would be one thing, but actually selling it was completely different. If Tiffany still had everything, then Taeyeon would know where to find it. If she sold the Guardian's final possessions then who knows who would buy it, who would sell it, and so on. “Tae...I....I don't think we should do that.” The cafe owner called out sheepishly.

A long sigh slithered out from the being with an all white attire. Just when she thought that everything was going to be smooth sailing, there of course was a big bump in the road. However, Taeyeon didn't exactly expect it to be from her own Troubled One. Wanting to cut the minutes, if not hours, of trying to convince Tiffany with gentle talking, Taeyeon decided that the best thing to do was to get right to the point. “Fany-ah, listen to me. Selling my things is the only way we'll be able to save your cafe and your wish. I don't care much about these things because...” The Guardian paused and looked to the unveiled items. She wanted to take in the memory of everything one last time. “because keeping them locked away underground would be a shame. It may not be much, but I think today's world would really appreciate this, even if it is just going to be sold to an antique shop a few blocks from here.”

All of Taeyeon's reasoning was completely true. Selling it all would benefit everybody. Tiffany would get the money for the bills and save her one and only wish, Taeyeon would get to stay on Earth longer, and undoubtedly there were people out there who are unconditionally passionate about ancient things. This plan really was fool proof. The only way it could get corrupted was if an actual fool was to tamper with it, and right now, Tiffany was that fool. The Troubled One bit her lower lip in deep thought. Was it really going to be okay? Tiffany stared right into her Guardian's eyes after thinking it through just once more. “Arasso. I'll do it.” She nodded. A cheeky smile plastered itself on Taeyeon's features. It was about time they both relaxed over this whole financial trouble. “But I'm worried about one thing.” Tiffany peeped out quietly.

Hearing how only one, possibly minor thing, stood in the way from this plan being executed, Taeyeon knew that she had to fix it right away. “What's that Fany-ah?” Her head tilted to the side curiously. If this thing could be solved ASAP then the both of them could start selling everything by the next day. It even made Taeyeon internally giddy at how everything was going to fall into place perfectly.

Tiffany saw the sheer excitement that she could only imagine building within her Guardian. In the back of her mind, she honestly found it rather...cute. However that thought was brushed away when the question was asked her way. “If we go to an antique place to sell my stuff, don't you think a Genie would be there to try and offer me something?”

Taeyeon's eyebrows lifted at the question before relaxing to their normal positions. Thankfully it's not something completely serious! The Guardian let out a gentle chuckle and smiled. “Fany-ah, if that's all you're worried about then there's nothing to fear. I told you what to look for in a Genie remember? Red. Plus, I'll be with you the whole time and if I so much as sense a Genie in the shop then I'll definitely tell you to stay away from the entire store. So trust me when I say...

...I'll never let anyone hurt you.”

A/N: Annyeonghaeseyo! Here I am again with another chapter for you awesome readers! Did you miss me? I knkow I missed you guys. T^T I'm so sorry that I've been gone for so long! OTL But here's another chapter for all of you! I'm just going to save some time by saying I was busy with home, school, and work! It's the holiday season after all!

Anyways, I hope you enjoyed the chapter! Now that you know what was inside the chest, what do you think Taeyeon was in her past life? Do you think this story is going to be ending soon now that these two actually have a plan on how to pay off the bills??? Let me know! Leave a comment about anything! I really do love reading your comments everybody so please don't be shy! ^^ Until next time!

-Jeo

Yah! Dongsaeng!

Uh-oh... *gulp* Neh unnie?

When you say "work" you mean making people spend their wishes huh?!?

Aniyo unnie! I'm really not a Genie! I swear! T^T

TaeTae! It's New Years Eve for our Dongsaeng! Don't give her so much trouble on the first day of the New Year!

But she's a Genie!!!

Aniyo! T^T

TaeTae! We have to get back to practicing! We have our comeback soon remember?

*sigh* Arasso...I'm still watching you...Genie. =_=

But I'm not. T^T