Jinki's feet landed on the carpet floor of his hallway and he proceeded towards the couch where he sat down with Taemin in his arms. The poor Guardian was still feeling uncomfortable from encounter with Minho. Leaning his head onto Jinki's shoulder as he held him in a loose hug, he suddenly had so many questions to ask.

"Who is he?"

"What?"

"Why does he affect me so much?" Taemin shifted off Jinki's lap in frustration, pulling his knees up to his chest.

Jinki couldn't help but frown, he was starting to think more about Minho and it's not a good sign. "He's bad for you."

"He seems so familiar.." The mark on Taemin's neck pricked in pain.

"No he doesn't." came a stubborn reply.

"But he-"

"Stop talking about him." Jinki was getting upset, he didn't like the way Taemin was being extra persistent in getting his point across. He finally had him by his side and any disruptions now would be unnecessary.

".. Yes Master."

"Don't call me 'Master'" Taemin chuckled and kissed his cheek.

"Make me." the younger smirked, his fangs cheekily as he crawled back towards Jinki. His master grinned as he took his chin and nuzzled his nose, baring his fangs as Taemin crawled onto him. Their lips were about to touch when there was a knock on the door and Luna came in.

'Mast- Oh.. sorry my lords, you seem busy at the moment.' she smiled and leaned against the wall. Taemin stretched his dark wings and flew out of Jinki's embrace towards her.

"Oh hello noona, would you like to join us in our little game?" he whispered slyly into her ear as he landed close behind her, placing his hands on her shoulders.

"Thank you for the offer, My lord but I have many things to do. Oh and master?"

"Hmm?" Jinki was watching fondly as the youngest of them played with his noona's hair.

"They have set off to get him."

"WHAT? What for? After all those times I've tried to persuade them?" Jinki stood up immediately.

"They announced that he has to be punished as well. They feel that he was the one who caused all this and not.." she indicated to Taemin who wasn't paying much attention. "His father refused to accept the fact that his precious son fell so deeply in love with a mortal."

Jinki groaned, he tried his best to prevent it but with his position, there was nothing much he could do. Unless.. he uses force.

"But they musn't kill him.. This foolish child gave that mortal his Light! If they kill him, they would both perish.." Luna sighed deeply, turning around to look at Taemin who was fascinated by how her hair was able to change in colour as her mood changed.

"You poor kid.. I have grown to like you so much.." she hugged the puzzled boy tightly as he frowned in confusion.

"I'll try to stop them before they get to him. Luna, I need you to get them somewhere safe." She nodded and ruffled Taemin's hair before hurrying out of the room to make preparations.

"Hyung? What's wrong?" Taemin asked as he stood awkwardly at the door, not knowing what to do.

"Some dangerous business.. Stay here and be good, alright?" Jinki grabbed his cloak and gave Taemin a hug on his way out. The younger couldn't stop thinking about how jinki returned badly wounded the previous time he went out for 'dangerous businesses'. Without a second thought, he flew out after Jinki and into the darkness of the night.

~ ~ ~

Jinki travelled fast, he needed to hold them back long enough for Minho to get to safety.

He zoomed through the dark forest and arrived at a clearing. He caught up just in time.

'Stop!" He builds up a shadow wall and blocks their path.

"Stay out of my way." The Elder Guardian says as he tears the wall to shreds effortlessly. Jinki sends a cloud of darkness over them and many Guardians cowered in shock, receiving a look of disgust from their leader.

"Useless fools! Cowering from a mere cloud!" His voice boomed at them. Some of them straightened in embarassment while others let out awkward coughs.

"You must not harm the mortal!" Jinki shouted as he approached the Elder Guardian.

"You will not tell me what I should or should not do." The Elder Guardian attempts to walk on but Jinki places himself before him and with a bright beam of light, he was thrown to the side.

"Master!" Luna arrived just in time to see him fall.

Jinki groaned as he stood up again. "Okay that old guy leaves me with no choice." He reaches up and an authentic bow formed in his hands. He shoots up to the sky, a luminous symbol of a skul, identical to the one on Taemin's neck appeared. Wild cries were heard as swarms of dark creatures awaken; night crawlers, werewolves and all those creatures in the movies the mortals watch. Next he aimed at the large army of Guardians and shoots. A streak of purple sends a black arrow through one of them and disintegrated. The Guardian stopped and watched as the arrow disappear. The next second, he fell back without a sound, black and purple spreading across his body until he becomes nothing but dust. Other Guardians turned around, weapons ready to take on the darkness that stretched across the forest.

With a small wave of his hand, Jinki sends his creatures surging forward silently, low growls and fast thumping of paws against damp soil, claws scratching tree branches. The Elder Guardian raised his septor and the Guardians charged forward, roaring.

Jinki weaves through the battlefield towards the Elder Guardian, sending arrows raining in that direction but all were turned away by the light emitted from the Elder's septor. As he steps onto the grass again, he reaches into his cloak and pulls out his black whip, swinging it forward to the septor.

"Your little tricks are no match to me." The Elder Guardian's booming voice echoed over the battlefield.

"Think again." Jinki smirked as spikes appeared on the end of the whip and the septor was caught between them, giving Jinki a chance to take it away. He throws it to the other side of the field and swings the whip again, this time hitting the Elder Guardian hard. The Elder Guardian roared in anger as Jinki continued to whip and injure.

From far, Taemin was perched on a tree, anxiously watching his Master. His heart seemed to ache as he watches Jinki hit the Elder Guardian but he had no idea why. Just then, he noticed a specific Guardian aiming, not at a dark creature but far ahead in Jinki's direction. His eyes widened as the reason for this action came to his mind. He jumps off the branch and flew as fast as he could towards the battlefield.

"Hyung!" He shouts. Taemin saw the white arrow coated with yellow light just a he collided with Jinki and knocked him out of the way. However as he did so, the arrow missed Jinki but got him right in the chest. It did not disintegrate like Jinki's did but it melted into him and a great shock of pain coursed through him. He collapsed onto the ground and lost conscious.

Jinki looked back in horror as he watched the arrow collide with Taemin's chest and pierced into him.

"Taemin!" He cried as the younger fell to the ground.

"Taemin..?" The Elder Guardian steps towards his son but Jinki glared at him.

"All I wanted to do was to prevent you from hurting your son. I thought you would love him enough to listen. I guess I was wrong..' He snaps his fingers and there was a loud crashing sound as vines began to grow from the earth, attacking the Guardians. Screams and gruesome cries were heard as Jinki took out countless Guardians with his signature vines. He holds tightly onto the younger as he throws a last glare at the Elder Guardian before dark clouds swirl around them, taking them away.

~ ~ ~

As they arrive back at the House of Dark, Luna was already back and she got the bedroom ready with necessary potions and some other stuff. Jinki lay Taemin down on the bed and removed the younger's top. The sight of the white 'X' in the middle of his chest sent alarms ringing in Jinki's mind. That mark can never be removed, unless a miracle happens and something more powerful than the Guardian's light appears.

Jinki grabbed a flask containing a blue liquid and poured some into Taemin's mouth, then tracing his fingers over the mark, murmuring in a foreign tongue. The mark itself sizzled and turned black. That would keep the pain away but only for a short while, Taemin will have to take the liquid regularly.

Jinki sighed as he the younger's face.

"You moron.. I could have blocked that." He was truly touched when Taemin took the blow for him, but like he said, it was unnecessary. Now he feels that it was all his fault for being careless. He gently kissed the younger's forehead just as he opened his eyes, revealing the cold grey underneath.

"Hyung.." he croaked then cringed at the sudden shot of pain through his chest. Jinki traced a finger up the younger's chest and drew a line towards the mark before kissing it. It glowed and a warm sensation spread from the mark, soothing the effects of the 'X'.

"I'm alright, now it's my turn to look after you.."

Next chapter is up! Yet another element to add on to his misery.. >< I would say there are traces of Ontae in this story but it was more one-sided in the beginning... Hope you guys like it and Happy Lunar New Year!! Do comment and Subscribe! :D