I glared down at the table in front of me, not liking this seating arrangement in the least. I sat at the head of a long table. It was beautiful, that I won’t deny. It had a crystal surface and metal worked to look like three roots sprouting up from the ground as legs. Lining each side of the table were six chairs. It was beautiful, like I said already. But, I didn’t like it. “I need to go shopping later.” I mumbled beneath my breath as I ran a finger across the top of the dining table. No one else heard my mumblings and I felt no need to say it louder as D.O., Suho, and Lay exited the kitchen with platters of food in their hands and my mouth watered at the sight.

I was excited, beyond excited to finally get something to eat. The smell was heavenly as they laid it out in front of me and for a moment, my smile remained on my face, spreading from one ear to the other. That is, until I saw what was placed down in front of me. Sausage, ham, bacon, eggs, pancakes, biscuits, salad, toast, and butter. It looked delicious. All of it. And as I picked up my fork at my side, seeing that no one would begin eating unless I did first, I went to the toast first. As though I had given the green light on drivers with road rage, hands spread out over the food as everyone began to claim pieces for their own plates.

To my left from closest to farthest sat Kris, Xiumin, Lay, Chen, and Tao. The seat between Xiumin and Lay was empty but their side of the table still bustled as Kris threw a warning glance at Chen who was fighting with Tao over the pieces of ham Tao was taking, the number increasing each time Chen let him get his fork at it. Chen, due to Kris’s look, gave up and Tao was allowed to eat as he liked. Xiumin and Lay began to discuss with Suho and Baekhyun who were sitting across from them on the other side of the table the quality of the food Lay, Baekhyun, and Suho were growing, something D.O. had told me about earlier.

This brings me to who was sitting to my right: Suho, Baekhyun, Chanyeol, D.O., Kai, and Sehun. Chanyeol was pestering Baekhyun, causing him to pay less attention to the conversation he was having, about having tomatoes in the salad tomorrow. Kai and D.O. were quietly talking amongst themselves about something I couldn’t hear while Sehun watched the two as though listening in.

Thankfully, the atmosphere was peaceful like this after I persuaded everyone over and over in the training room that what happened was fine. That we were all okay and that was all that mattered. Despite a few scuffs on the faces of Chanyeol and Xiumin, everyone was okay.

“Your highness.”

I was startled out of my daze, drawing my eyes away from D.O., Kai, and Sehun who were all staring at me now, having noticed that I was looking at them. I instead looked to Kris beside me, whose gaze fell to my plate. My plate which had half-eaten salad, buttered toast, and eggs. He had noticed no doubt the thing I tried to keep as inconspicuous as possible. I could feel D.O.’s wide eyes staring at me from down the table as he already knew what Kris’s question was going to be.

“Is that all you’re eating?”

No matter what, it still didn’t feel right. Pancakes and Ham were exclusively for Rank 1. Bacon and Biscuits required me to be Rank 2. I couldn’t bring myself to even touch them with my fork, to even contemplate eating those food items. And D.O. knew but it seemed as though Kris and everyone else was in the dark as to why I hadn’t dared to even touch the plates that contained them.

“I thought you were starving.” Chanyeol asked as he attempted to analyze me with his eyes. To analyze why I was acting the way I was. I turned my gaze to D.O. who looked back at me with a weary look in his eyes.

If you wish for me to cover for you this one time, your highness, I will. But, you cannot hide your hesitance forever.

His thoughts were a voice of reason that I knew was right. I couldn’t keep eating this way and I wouldn’t. I would work myself up to it. Still, they had a right to know why I was holding back now.

“I’m-”

“There’s no reason to explain. If her highness doesn’t wish to eat, then she doesn’t have to.”

I was surprised to say the least at how my words were cut off my Tao’s as he stabbed another piece of ham with his fork and placed it in his mouth before chewing nonchalantly. He realized that everyone was now looking to him in slight confusion and elaborated on his words, “If she wants to eat salad today, she’ll eat salad today. If she wants ham tomorrow, she’ll eat ham tomorrow. We shouldn’t push her.” There was consensus around the room about accepting his words as everyone went back to eating. I picked up my fork as well, looking down at the food on my plate.

And, I’d be lying if I said I didn’t feel guilty. Tomorrow. Tomorrow I’ll eat ham, just like Tao said. I’ll eat it because they’ll be preparing it for me. My eyes drifted upwards towards the plate that contained said meat item and I gulped down.

Your highness.

I recognized the voice that called for me and when I looked up, I found Tao staring back at me.

Don’t push yourself. If you don’t want to eat it, just tell Kris you don’t want to. Be forceful with the giant.

I grinned at his words, having to look down to cover up the fact that I was laughing so blatantly at his words. Kris was indeed tall but to call him a giant seemed uncharacteristic of Tao. It’s as though he said simply with the goal of cheering me up. And it worked.

I’m glad she’s smiling again.

My head snapped back up to catch who said that. And I did. I caught him looking at me with wide-eyes, the realization that I had heard him dawning on him. In truth, I had listened in twice now, his thoughts from earlier most likely not meant for me to hear but intended to be interpreted from his facial expression. Who’s facial expression? D.O.’s as he grumbled beneath his breath about being embarrassed and turned back to his food.

“So, you did think we were cool, right?” Sehun asked suddenly, diverting my attention away from D.O. “Or are you mad like D.O. was?” His upper lip curled in annoyance before Kai jabbed him in the side for his words. He seemed to simply want a reaffirmation of what I said to him earlier and I was willing to give it both to him and everyone else.

“I wasn’t mad. I thought it was amazing. Really amazing.” I should have been scared, traumatized even, but I wasn’t in the slightest. Even now, thinking back on it, I’m awe struck at what I saw. It seemed that I wasn’t the only one mystified as to my reaction to it all. Looks of utter disbelief crossed each and every one of the guardian’s faces who were sitting in front of me. I bit down on my bottom lip as I nodded my head, understanding exactly what must have been going through their heads without reading their minds,  “It’s weird to say that, isn’t it?”

“It is weird.” Baekhyun answered almost immediately, a hint of a playful smile on his face.

“Luckily for you, your highness, weird around here is normal.” Kai smiled. A kind of smile much different from that smirk I saw when I first met him. It was genuine. A genuine smile at how odd I was. At how odd this whole situation was.

I let my eyes leave his face and drift over Sehun’s, Tao’s, Chen’s, Lay’s, Xiumin’s, but then, before I could let my eyes continue onto Kris, I spotted something. I spotted something amongst all the smiling guardians around me now. And though I had made note of it in my mind before, it never really struck me as it did now. As we all seemed to be sharing a kind of “bonding” moment. As we were all enjoying this time together for the first time. All of us here except for one person. Luhan. The only name I had no face to put to, the only face I had yet to see.

My eyes stayed on the empty seat between Xiumin and Lay as I posed a question to all of them, a question that based off of the silence I got back, was expected but not wanted, “Where’s Luhan?”

Kris was the one who answered whilst everyone else remained quiet, and while it would be easier to read their minds to find the answer, I would rather they tell me themselves. “He doesn’t like to come out of his room.” So, Luhan was in his room then. That brought up another question that I had. Another question I felt was wrong to ask. The question of why. Why didn’t he like to come out of his room? Why wouldn’t he join all of us here?

“You should get used to it.” Sehun mumbled from his seat as he looked down at his food, poking at what remained on his plate, “He’s always like this.”

I wasn’t okay with it. Even though I know I should have been, I wasn’t at all. I blamed my more than natural attachment to all of them for it and ignored the voice in the back of my head that told me to seek him out. Because, he must have had a reason for it. And I would respect that reason, whatever it may be.

To each his own after all.

“She asked for you.”

“I heard.” Luhan responded to the person who was in his room now. It wasn’t Kai, nor was it Kris. It was the guardian Luhan considered the closest amongst all of his brethren. It was Sehun. An upset Sehun. Luhan understood it. He knew Sehun had a reason to be upset. Even so, Luhan was going to stand by his decision. Sehun knew this, and instead of pressing the issue further, he decided to twist it. To twist the topic of the conversation slightly.

“She says she wants to watch the fight between Chen and D.O. Even after what happened, she’s all excited to see them go head to head.” Sehun clicked his teeth in dissatisfaction, not looking forward to another scolding from Kris about how he, Chanyeol, Suho, and Xiumin are the ones who got her interested in it all in the first place.

Luhan enjoyed the turn the conversation took and as he finished the last piece of bacon brought to him by Kai earlier, he turned back to his work, “You’re acting as though you aren’t looking forward to that scolding.”

Sehun’s frown curved into a smile as he crossed his arms against his chest. He was looking forward to it. She said they looked cool. Her highness said they looked cool and to Sehun that in itself was worth the scolding. Because, he liked being called cool. He was simple like that. Luhan knew it. All the guardians knew it. And, it wouldn’t be long, Luhan knew, until the Seeress discovered this little fact about Sehun as well. When she did, Luhan knew she would start to grow on Sehun even more.

Despite the tone of Luhan’s voice indicating he was enjoying the conversation he was having with Sehun, his back still faced him. Luhan hadn’t turned around from the crystal orbs that circled in front of him even once. Sehun leaned to the right, peering over Luhan’s shoulder, “What are you doing?”

Luhan answered back, his voice becoming monotone to Sehun as he described what he was doing in great length, “I am cross-referencing data in the system to figure out if there are any inconsistencies amongst other Exotians-“ At least, he would have, it not for Sehun interrupting him mid-sentence.

“Sounds boring.” Sehun faked a yawn as he stretched his arms.

Luhan laughed lightly at himself for not knowing better than to talk to Sehun about the technical details of his work, “It is.”

“You know what isn’t boring?”

Luhan’s smile faded from his face. It was back again. The topic that Luhan did not wish to discuss any further was back again. Sehun noticed the stall in Luhan’s movements and decided that now was as good a time as any to propose to him the idea he had been laboring over all of last night.

“Talking to her highness.”

Luhan turned, only slightly, revealing his profile to Sehun for the first time in a long time of his own volition. Sehun once more slipped his hands into his pockets, pleased with himself that it looked like the plan he had in mind wasn’t being turned down right away.

“Just talking.” He finished, spotting the slight twinkle in Luhan’s eyes as soon as the words left his lips.

Lightning struck the ground as a great thundering noise bellowed against the walls of the room, echoing off of the white plastered concrete. A large fissure formed in the floor, disrupting the rock bed. His facial expression remained neutral. He was unfazed by the great demonstration of power by the sharp-jawed Chen who stood on the other side of the room. This perturbed him. I could tell, as D.O. and Chen engaged in a one on one spar, I could tell Chen was becoming more and more frustrated by the second.

But, why? Anyone looking would think Chen would have the advantage. D.O. even told me as such before they started. So then, why? Why did it seem like he was on the losing side of the fight?

“He’s scared.”

I looked to my left where Kris sat by my side, his arms crossed stiffly against his chest. He didn’t seem at all pleased with the outcome of the fight so far. He apparently felt me looking at him and turned to me as well, a grimace on his face.

“Chen is a top grade amplifier. He aids Chanyeol, Baekhyun, Suho, Sehun, and even D.O. himself. He excels at what he does better than any of us.”

“But,” Tao’s voice came from my right where he was also observing the fight between the two, just as unsatisfied with it as Kris seemed to be, “as an attacker, despite his power over lightning giving him the initial advantage, he is ineffective.”

“His fear rules him. He’s too used to executing his attacks from behind the front lines.” Kris added, to which Tao nodded solemnly.

“Even now, he’s giving D.O. the advantage with every move he makes.” Tao words proved to be true as I was able to figure out what he meant within mere seconds.

As lightning shot down and another thunderous roar filled the air, Chen only created more cracks in the floor. He only created more artillery for D.O. to use against him without the guardian whom I had figured out by now, and if I hadn’t I’d have to question my common sense, could utilize the earth beneath his feet as he wished. He could raise it upwards as a shield, as he had done for me during the partner sparring match this morning. He could send it flying towards his opponent as a projectile. He could send a tremor through it with a simple stomp of his foot. However, the latter of these he had no need to do himself. Chen’s lightning bolts broke up the ground of the room for him with each strike he made.

What happened next caused me to wince, as I could feel just by watching how much pain Chen must have felt. How much pain he felt as D.O. levitated a slab of broken off rock from the floor and sent it flinging at Chen. At Chen who had nothing with which to defend himself with. Chen who could only strike it down with a spark of lightning from the tips of his fingers. But, as he destroyed that single flying piece of rock when it was within a meter of hitting where he now stood, he failed to see that D.O. had sent another right behind it. And the slab slammed into his torso, flinging him back along with it as it impacted against the wall of the large room. That’s why I winced. It is also why Lay at that moment, who was seated beside Kris, almost stood up from his seat, his legs lifting him up slightly before he sat back down upon seeing Chen push himself off of the wall.

“He’s pushing it.” Lay mumbled though I was able to hear it. I was able to hear that and another voice. Except, the second voice was not of the spoken word variety. No sound escaped someone’s throat to produce the statement that floated into my head.

What am I supposed to do?

It was Chen. It was Chen’s thoughts as he looked on, one of his eyes wincing as he attempted to brush off the pain of D.O.’s attack. I didn’t have an answer. I didn’t have an answer for his question and it pained me that I didn’t. That I couldn’t soothe him. His worries. His, as Kris had put it, fears.

This is what I spent all of the rest of the day thinking about. As I watched D.O. ultimately win in his match against Chen. As I watched Chen continue toning himself in the training room right after Lay had healed him. As I ate lunch and dinner with the Guardians before receding back to my room with Kai and Chanyeol by my side, walking me there as though I would get lost on the way back.

“Don’t think about it too much. It’s something he’s dealing with himself and he’ll figure it out.” Chanyeol, as though he were able to read my thoughts instead of the other way around, said to me before sending me in.

And Kai. Kai’s thoughts entered my head despite him knowing I much rather him say it out loud. Despite knowing I much rather him say out loud the words of encouragement he proceeded to give me.

If you really want to help him, I’m sure you will.

I couldn’t sleep.

It wasn’t because I wasn’t tired. I was unbelievably so. I didn’t know the exact reason why. Everything was so different now. I don’t mean just the ham and the bacon and the grapes. I don’t mean just the Guardians and the future of Exo now seemingly lying in my hands. Although this continued to conflict me, it’s not what kept me up at the current point in time. I think, and this is just a hypothesis, that it has nothing to do with everything changing to dramatically around me. It has to do with me. With what this means now for me.

I could feel myself growing more and more attached to the Guardians with each passing moment I spent with them. Fights that should have frightened me caused a surge of pride to rise up within me. Not being able to help one of them caused me to feel useless. I was changing.

This was more frightening than an ice incased fireball.

This is what kept me up tonight.

“Your highness.”

I hadn’t heard anyone come in but it seemed as though the voice came from right behind me. This caused me to turn on my heel, alarmed with the sudden calling of my new title. What I saw there, floating deftly in the air, was a crystal ball. An orb. And instinctively, my lips curved into a smile.

“Luhan.” I murmured his name, not at all expecting him but not looking to turn him away, “What’s wrong?”

Moonlight streamed in through the window in front of me and hit the glass of the orb, reflecting wondrous blues and pale greens across the room. It was beautiful. It was calming. Seeing the lights dance across the walls and the furniture in the room completely mystified me.

Luhan’s voice carried itself out of the glass ball in front of me, not answering my question, something I didn’t mind at all, “Do you like it?”

Like it? Like what? For some reason, I knew he was referring to the refracted lights that left me speechless, despite he himself most likely being unable to see it himself. He only saw through the one orb that floated mid-air in front of me now, three feet away from me. Eye level. As though he were really there. And even though he probably can’t see the lights, I feel like he was seeing them. Like he was there with me, watching it with me.

I nodded slowly, a hint of a smile still on my face. My smile got bigger as I saw the orb bob up and down twice, as though Luhan was pleased with my answer. When the orb went still again, his voiced echoed through the room through it.

“Historically, it is said that the second Seeress of Exo planet requested this window to be installed. She was said to have believed the guardians received their powers from the Sun and the Moon. That the Sun and the Moon bestowed upon the Tree of Life twelve gifts for it to give to twelve Exotians who it deemed worthy of protecting the planet. Though we only have her words to go on, every Seeress and all the guardians who followed her believed it to be true. Since then, the guardians have been given either the power bestowed on the Tree of Life by the Sun or by the Moon. We either have affinity to the Sun, or to the Moon.”

Luhan’s voice, I found, could be akin to the flittering lights that pirouetted from one part of the wall to the next. It was soothing to listen to. And he spoke slowly, each of his words carving themselves into the stone of my memory.

“What about you?” I asked him, curiosity getting the better of me. “Did you receive your power from the Sun, or from the Moon?” There was silence that followed. Silence as the orb remained there and not once did I think of rushing him. I relished in the hush. The peacefulness of it all that made me feel as though changing wasn’t as bad as I had made it out to originally be.

I received my answer to my question then. Then, as I looked on at my crystal reflection in the floating orb, feeling as though Luhan was staring right back at me. Then, as my eyes began to droop, my body no longer seeing a reason to stay awake as my inner struggle with myself came to an end. Then, as I decided I would be fine with changing for them, for the Guardians who so faithfully called me their highness, their Seeress of Exo.

Then, as Luhan responded at last, “The Moon.”

That was the first time Luhan had visited me late at night. And, it wouldn’t be the last. 

A/N:

I like this chapter. Do you? Because I do. 

And that's all I have to say (amazingly). 

Short and sweet. Short like Baekhyun when he stands next to Chanyeol and sweet like Xiumin's baozi face. 

See you all next time!