This chapter is dedicated to exosupershine.

 

Minho had finally found his best friend Onew outside eating chicken.  He couldn’t help wondering when his friend didn’t eat chicken, but that’s beside the point.  Interrupting his friend’s meal he put the page he ripped from the book he found in the library.

 

Staring at it for a minute Onew couldn’t help being confused.  “It’s a mouse,” he wanted to know what his friend had in mind when he put the page in front of him.

 

“No the Great Animal,” he clarified.

 

“Kinda small,” taking a bite of his favorite food.

 

Minho covered the picture of the mouse with that of a fierce dragon.  “Until it changes into this.”  That made Onew go slack jawed.  Just what could his friend be thinking?   “An animal that can change its shape, going from harmless to ferocious.”

 

“Does it mean it could be anything?”

 

“Anything.”  A fly flew near Onew’s head and he couldn’t help freaking out due to Minho’s words.

 

2min

 

Taemin was swimming in the lake with Kevin riding on Dongho’s shell.  “Taemin I apologize for the way I’ve been acting.”

 

“That’s all right Kevin.”

 

“No!  This is very, very important.  All I can do is think of myself.  I feel so selfish.”

 

“But everyone does that,” a confused Taemin couldn’t help reassuring his friend.

 

“Please Taemin, don’t make this more difficult than it already is.  Please accept my apology.”

 

“Okay, I accept.”

 

“Good, now I think you should give me a kiss to show there are no hard feelings.”

 

“Kevin!” shouted both Taemin and Dongho in disbelief at their friend’s actions.

 

“What?  What did I say that was wrong?”  His two friends could only roll their eyes.  Dongho even knocked the frog off his shell.  Eli chose that moment to appear.

 

“Attention!  It is time to put our plan into action troops.  Taemin prepare for take-off.”

 

“Yes Sir!” he confirmed as he swam towards his place of take-off.

 

Not missing a beat, “everyone has their assignments.  Is everyone ready?”

 

Dongho immediately, “ready for action hyung.”

 

“How about you Kevin?” turning his attention to his web footed friend.  He was ignored.  “Kevin?”  Still ignored.  “Your highness,” he mocked with a bow.

 

“Yes!” excited that someone saw him as royalty.  “I am ready.”

 

“Take off,” Eli ordered.  He flew from his troops to the princess.

 

“Good luck hyung!  Have a nice flight!” encouraged Dongho as he waved goodbye.

 

“Remember if anything happens to you two I’ll have you whipped, stacked, then tortured in my dungeon!” shouted the worried Kevin.  After all the bird was beginning to grow on him.  The two birds just continued their flight.  “And your back legs fried in butter!”  Dongho just kept waving goodbye.

 

2min

 

“Why are we traveling through a creepy forest Minho?”  Onew stared in slight fear as he tripped over a tree root.  Looking at the winding black trees really creeped him out.  Everything they passed looked dead or decayed.

 

“Where else would the great animal be?  He’s in here Onew, I can feel it.”

 

“How will you know the great animal when you see it?”

 

“I just will.  You better stay close,” no sooner those words left his mouth that his friend was close beside him.

 

“I-if you say so.”  They began sneaking around the forest looking for any signs of the great animal.  With their backs turned to each other while they walked they ended up going in different directions.

 

Realizing his friend wasn’t beside him Onew couldn’t help being worried for his friend.  “Minho!  Minho where are you?!”  He didn’t receive an answer.  He stopped as he realized he was in big trouble.  That is until he heard a *SHHHH* *SHHHH*   Minho continued the direction he was traveling with his bow and arrow raised.  A dragon fly stopped Onew from following due to his fear it could change its form.  He clumsily shot an arrow of his own and instead of hitting the bug it went into the sky.

 

2min

 

“Do you think Minho could be down in that forest?”

 

“Please Taemin.  I can smell a human from a mile away,” Eli reassured.  The arrow flew straight up it barely missed Taemin and Eli who were flying above.  *AHHH*  “Where did that come from?”  The birds heard noises and a commotion coming from below.

 

The noise gave the princess hope.  “Minho!  He’s here,” he couldn’t help being excited.

 

Eli tried to take control of the situation.  He grabbed ahold of the princess.  “You will not lose control.  You will follow the plan.  Acknowledge.  Ack-acknoledge!” he sqwaked as Taemin flew in the direction the arrow had come from.  “Taemin!”

 

2min

 

Unknowing of who was coming for him Minho still searched the forest.  A few rays of light broke through the trees.  One ray covered the prince.  Hearing a noise he jumped out of the way with his bow raised in case of danger.  Turning around he saw the light catch on something flying past him.  Whatever it was it stopped flying and landed when it caught sight of the hunting prince.  It was a swan.

 

2min

 

Meanwhile in another part of the forest Onew had a mouse cornered.  His arrow raised he pointed it towards the rodent.  “I’ve got you now.  Now change.  Change!  I’m not afraid of you.”  At those words the mouse let out a squeak.  Onew jumped and ran away into parts of the forest unknown.  Such a courageous fellow.

 

2min

 

Minho could only stop and stare at the swan.  The light hit the swans wings making it glow.  *GASP*   “A swan?  Of course.  It’s not what it seems,” he whispered so to not alert the beautiful bird.  Readying his weapon he continued to whisper on repeat, “closer, just a little closer.  Come on.  Come on.”

 

*GASP*  “Minho,” whispered Taemin.  He started to fly towards his love.

 

Pulling back the string of his bow Minho yelled, “this one’s for Taemin!”

 

“Taemin!” Eli screamed in warning as the arrow flew through the air.  Just in time he pushed his indebted out of the arrows way.  Quickly the birds flew up.  “Whew that was close.  It’s working!  The plan is working.  He’s following us.”  Noticing the swan was flying faster he yelled to his companion, “slow down!  You’re going to lose him.”

 

“You don’t understand.  He’s too close.”

 

“Too close!?!  He can’t even see us anymore.”  An arrow missed Eli by a centimeter.  “Speed up.”  Minho was hot on their trail from below.  “That boy of yours can move.”

 

“I told you.  He’s faster than you thought.”

 

“Don’t worry Taemin.  I know just what to do in this situation.”  Minho readied another arrow.  “When an archer has you in his sight, blind him using sunlight.”  They did just that by flying into the suns path of light.  Minho was temporarily blinded.  That is until the sun began to lower.  At that the birds flew harder and faster towards their true destination.  With Minho chasing them the entire time.

 

2min

 

The sun was lowering and a slim moon was rising.  Dongho and Kevin were waiting for their friends with fireflies near them.  “No sign of them yet hyung.”

 

“They should have been here by now.  I’m definitely going to fry that birds legs in butter if he keeps me waiting any longer.”

 

Looking up the turtle sees what he was keeping lookout for.  “Incoming!”  At that the frog grabbed some of the fireflies and used them as landing signals for the two birds.

 

Eli saw the lights.  “There they are!”  They landed by their friends as Minho arrived by the lake.  He just looked around at the abandoned castle grounds.  “It’s almost time Taemin.  Look,” he pointed towards the rising moon.

 

In a moment of desperation Taemin told his friend what he had been thinking since the chase.  “I can’t do it Eli.”

 

“You have to!”

 

“He’ll kill me!”

 

“If you don’t do it now Taemin you’ll lose your chance forever.”

 

Looking at his friends the princess made up his mind.  “Alright.  I’ll do it.”  He flew towards the lake and landed on the water.  Minho saw the swan and raised his weapon.  The clouds covering the moon moved out of the lights path just in time.  As the prince was about to release an arrow the light hit the princess.  Magic and light swirled around the swan, turning him from a bird into a human.  Minho was too stunned to move.  His missing love was standing in front of him.