ATTENTION! So, I’ve got a lot of stuff on my plate right now. I know none of you want to hear this and I don’t want to say it, but I’m going to be taking a week off starting Monday (which is why I posted this chapter a day early) and lasting until the following Monday on ALL of my stories. Sorry guys, but the crap load stuff going on in my life off-line needs attention first and foremost. I swear I’m only going to be off for a week, no more and no less.

N was scared. Actually, he was downright terrified. He had no idea what had happened to Hyorin, but he had a feeling that it was all his fault. He’d been the one to send Rina away and she’d been helping Hyorin with her training. Maybe the training was more than just breathing techniques. Actually, not ‘maybe.’ More like ‘defiantly.’

He just prayed that they could find Rina before something really bad happened. He didn’t want to lose Hyorin. He couldn’t lose her. His brothers all felt the same judging by their expression when they saw what was happening to her. They needed to find Rina. That was why every so often he would let his powers deactivate, hoping that she could see Leo flying through the sky and realize that something had gone very wrong.

“I said you would need me.”

N turned to find Rina flying just about them, looking rather displeased to see both demons.

“Please,” N pleaded, “you have to help us. We don’t know what happened. Hyorin just started screaming and we couldn’t wake her up.”

“Lead me to her,” Rina said, “and we’ll see if I can fix this and save your master.”

--

Hyorin couldn’t breathe. The serpent’s tail was wrapped tightly around her chest, slowly crushing her. She could hear the white and black demons fighting against the serpent, trying to free her. But she knew that they wouldn’t be able to stop the serpent before it crushed her. Suho had always been stronger than Tao and Sehun, even when the two teamed up against him. How would things be any different with the demonic beasts that they used to play host to?

Let the girl go.

What that….Rina’s voice? Hyorin wasn’t sure if she should believe her ears or not. She wanted the older half demon to be there, but N had told her to leave. He wouldn’t have brought her back unless he knew that she was in trouble and she didn’t know how he would know that.

Who are you to demand such things, little girl? the serpent hissed. However, its grip on Hyorin loosened slightly and she could finally breathe again.

I am someone like her, Rina said, and I will not allow for you to harm a fellow half demon.

You have no power here, the serpent scoffed, you cannot make me to anything.

Maybe not, Rina replied, but if you cared at all for your former host, Suho, then you will not take his daughter from him.

Do not speak of my former host, the serpent yelled, you do not know anything of my relationship with him.

If you cared about him, Rina said, you wouldn’t kill his child. He loves his daughter deeply, you should know that from watching them all of these years. Killing her would destroy him.

I do not need to hear this from you, the serpent said, tightening his hold on Hyorin once more.

She’s right, the white wolf called out, you still care about your former host, brother. You cannot take his child from him. You know as well as I that it would kill our former hosts to lose their child, to know that we killed her.

--

N sat silently beside Hyorin’s bed. On the other side was Rina who looked to be meditating while holding onto Hyorin’s hand in a tight grip. Just like Hyorin was before all of the troubled started. The rest of his brothers, Yong Guk, and JB sat scattered around the room, all silently watching and waiting to see what would happen next. Not being able to know exactly what was going on was driving them all crazy.

“She should be waking up now,” Rina suddenly said, causing everyone to jump in surprise.

“Is she alright?” N asked, looking down at Hyorin’s face. She looked calm and that comforted him a great deal.

“Now she will be,” Rina replied, getting up just as Hyorin slowly started to open her eyes.

The first to rush to her side was Yong Guk, closely followed by Ken and Hyuk. Hongbin and Ravi hung back until the sound and dream demons had pulled away before hugging Hyorin themselves. Leo followed their example, waiting for the others to back off before tightly hugging the master that they almost lost. JB looked at N before giving Hyorin a hug, silently wondering why the other leader had not hugged his master already.

“What happened?” Ken asked, “I mean, you just started screaming and then your breathing got all uneven and…..we thought you were going to die.”

“I can’t talk about it,” Hyorin admitted, “but I almost did die.” That sent a sharp pain right through N’s heart.

“I shouldn’t have sent Rina away,” N sighed, drawing everyone’s attention to him ,”then this wouldn’t have happened.”

“No,” Rina sighed, “it probably still would have. I can’t explain why, we’re forbidden from that, but it would have happened eventually. It was just worse because I wasn’t right there to put a stop to it as soon as it started.”

“Are you going to stay?” Yong Guk asked.

“Yes,” Rina said after getting a nod from N, “I’ll stay and help Hyorin.”

“I’ll get a room ready,” Yong Guk said, dragging JB and Hyuk with him. Leo excused himself soon after, taking Ken and Ravi with him because he said he would need their help making dinner. Hongbin followed after giving Hyorin’s hand one last squeeze.

“It’s not your fault,” Rina said once she, N, and Hyorin were alone.

“She’s right,” Hyorin nodded, “you couldn’t have known.”

N simply nodded and smiled, but the seeds of doubt in his ability to protect his master had already been planted.

A/N: poor N, it’s not his fault but he thinks that it is. at least Hyorin is safe, right?