Kyumin - The Formphasers 11/?
Title: The Formphasers
Pairing: Kyumin
Subpairing: Yewook, Kangteuk, Eunhae, Hanchul
Disclaimer: I don't own Super Junior...DAMN IT!
Summary: There's a war going on between the canine and the feline. The two have been engaged in war for longer than remembered. The princes of both races want peace. But what cost will it take to get it? The two races are tearing each other apart and there's only so much time until they're wiped to extinction. Written for vainballerina.
The Formphasers
Phase Eleven: The Festival of Summer
Sungmin found it increasingly easy to keep his distance from Kyuhyun while at the Crystal Den. He spent time with other felines, only meeting with Kyuhyun when the situation called for it. The hole in his heart was still raw and tender. Every time he saw the wolf, the wound was reopened.
He was a puppet, merely going through the motions of life. His real self existed before the time of his mating when he thought Kyuhyun felt something for him. He spent most of his time sleeping, not wishing to feel the awful hurt that remembrance brought him.
All of those close to him could see it. Jungsu could see the lifelessness behind Sungmin’s beautiful green eyes. Ryeowook felt the lack of Sungmin’s happy aura that brought much joy to those in the vicinity. Hankyung noticed that Sungmin had not come to see the dance performances at all and he wondered what had changed; Sungmin had loved the dancers.
When the day came for the two of them to leave the Feline Empire, Sungmin debated asking to stay. He knew that it wouldn’t happen and he would end up going to the Canine Fortress anyways but he figured that it was worth a try.
However, he lost the courage right as Kyuhyun appeared around a corner, ready to depart and he found himself reluctantly mounting his horse and walking slowly away from his home. As he turned back to look at the large structure, he was Ryeowook, Jungsu and Jongwoon flailing wildly from the open doorway and Youngwoon, Heechul and Hankyung waving from a balcony.
The forest closed over his friends and Sungmin felt more alone than he ever had in his life, even when Sungjin had died. His younger brother’s death had been a blow to him but this…this was more than that. He had no idea what to do. His love was tearing him apart.
The ride to the canine/feline border was silent even with the ten large cats following in the trees and on the ground. Sungmin and Kyuhyun rode quietly. Sungmin stared straight ahead, fighting the urge to turn and look at Kyuhyun. The Alpha occasionally looked over at his mate. Finally, about a yard away from the border, Kyuhyun stopped.
“Are you well? You seem…different. Is something bothering you?” Kyuhyun asked. Sungmin nearly burst out laughing.
I am just falling more in love with you every time I see you and all I am to you is a burden, but I’m just fine, Sungmin felt like saying. But he didn’t.
“No, I feel perfectly well. Nothing is bothering me at all. Should we continue moving? Ahra will be anxious to see us,” Sungmin even managed a small smile for the canine. Kyuhyun still looked doubtful but Sungmin had already moved on.
It was only sunhigh by the time they had gotten to the border. A pack of dogs stood there, barking in anticipation of seeing their Alphas. The felines relinquished them to the pack and left. Sungmin felt the urge to call after them and beg to be taken back. He wasn’t sure if he could survive the next few days with Kyuhyun being near him almost every day.
“I trust nothing has happened,” Kyuhyun said, looking down imperiously from his horse. A dhole phased and Eunhyuk stood in front of them.
“Another threat has been made on the life of Sungmin. This time, it was an attack on his room. The place was lightly guarded because Sungmin was not there. However, we find it disturbing that they managed to infiltrate defences. Ahra wishes your attendance to a meeting so I suggest we move posthaste!” Eunhyuk reported. Kyuhyun nodded and the group began to move.
The feline noted vaguely that another attempt had been made on his life. Luckily, he had not been there at the time. Perhaps he should wait for this rebel group to find him so he wouldn’t have to feel the awful pain he felt.
Sungmin wondered if he should talk to Ahra about what happened. She knew Kyuhyun better than anyone. If anybody could help with the situation at hand, it would be her. Sungmin decided to ask her about it once he got a chance to speak to her alone.
The group arrived at the Canine Fortress and the two Alphas slipped from their horses. Sungmin followed Kyuhyun, head bowed slightly. The two of them were followed by Eunhyuk into the hall. Sungmin made to leave but Kyuhyun stopped him.
“Eunhyuk, we need more protection for Sungmin. An attempt has been made to murder him and he needs more protection now than ever. Please see to it that he has his own force of guards with him,” Kyuhyun requested. Sungmin wondered why he still cared. What was the point if he didn’t love him?
“Very well my lord. It shall be as you say,” Eunhyuk bowed and left. Kyuhyun kept a tight hold on Sungmin’s arm.
“How did you destroy the poison on your claws? Why did you do it? You could be easily killed!” Kyuhyun asked, staring intensely at Sungmin’s face. The feline pulled back slightly.
“I didn’t want to accidentally kill you. I had to remove the poison because just a light scratch from my claw could kill you,” Sungmin answered, his voice void of the happiness he once felt whenever Kyuhyun expressed concern about him.
“Be that as it may, you now are vulnerable to the attacks of this rebel group. You are more easily killed now than any canine! You are one feline and the entire Canine Kingdom is a pack! Death comes swiftly and silent-” Kyuhyun was cut off by the arrival of his sister.
“Here you are! What on earth are you two doing? You’ve had all this time at the Crystal Den to speak. Kyuhyun, the Festival of Summer is occurring tonight and both Alphas are expected to be there. The dances will take place in the main square. That’s where you will be,” Ahra explained.
“We will be there but we need to have at least ten guards nearby. Sungmin has rid himself of the tainted onyx which makes him more vulnerable and he’s the prime target of this rebel group,” Kyuhyun told his sibling. Ahra turned to look at Sungmin.
“You rid yourself of the poison? How did you do that?” Ahra asked.
“I dipped my claws in acid,” Sungmin shrugged. Kyuhyun flinched.
“Doesn’t that hurt?” Ahra looked concerned.
“It isn’t so bad. After all, it’s not my actual body, it’s just my claws.”
“Even so, to dip anything in acid is to see it fester and burn.”
“It’s happened now and we can’t change it,” Sungmin said.
“You are too considerate. We shall have to do something to compensate for the loss of your weapon,” Ahra decided.
“Yes, we’ll give him more protection,” Kyuhyun determined.
!*!*!*!*!
It was night time and the market was alive with sounds. Large lanterns had been strung around the public place and music played into the air, boisterous laughs and howls of delight adding to the liveliness of the area.
The marketplace was bustling and a banner with the large words FESTIVAL OF SUMMER emblazoned on the cloth. Sungmin felt his spirits lift slightly with the beautiful colours and laughter of the canine. Kyuhyun was smiling and despite Sungmin’s hurt, he felt glad that the canine had something to smile about.
The two of them moved from stand to stand, looking at precious silks, gems and spices. Sungmin felt better as he continued to browse through the canine wares with his mate. He began to relax and enjoy himself.
He enjoyed the sights of the canines who were anticipating the festival. The scent of excitement was in the air. It seemed that this was an even that brought the happiness of many that were attending the event.
There were many contests for children and adults alike. Canines could compete against each other to see who could eat a steak the fastest, who was the strongest and who was the most athletic. There was a beauty pageant for the females who paraded by in their finely cared for fur. Coyotes, wolves, foxes and wild dogs all were walking up and down the long runway.
Children ran past with candy and toys, friendly competition between them on who had the most impressive toy, the fastest legs, the prettiest fur and the best snarl. Most of the children seemed to enjoy one game that involved seeing who had the strongest bite. Sungmin smiled.
“Are you enjoying yourself?” Kyuhyun asked, looking at Sungmin’s happy expression. The feline looked more alive than he had during the beginning of the day.
“I’m enjoying myself immensely,” Sungmin answered, feeling his stomach jump in response to Kyuhyun’s question. He still loved Kyuhyun and decided to forget, just for this night, that the canine didn’t love him.
“Good. The dancing will start soon and we should be there promptly. Come, let us make haste,” Kyuhyun took Sungmin’s hand and Sungmin felt that same crackle of electricity that he always felt whenever Kyuhyun touched him only this time, it was ten times stronger.
He allowed himself to be led to the main square. A space for the dancers had been lit by candles placed in a large rectangle. There were two large chairs reserved for the Alphas on one of the sides. Kyuhyun led Sungmin to their places.
“What sort of dance is it?” Sungmin asked.
“It’s not as exquisite as the dance the felines perform but not one dancer here is mediocre. You shall see what I mean when they begin,” Kyuhyun explained. Sungmin nodded in anticipation.
The candles flickered as the first dancer glided into the middle of the rectangle. Sungmin watched with undisguised amazement as the dancer began to move in time with the beating of the drums.
Canines moved differently than felines and therefore, the dancing was dissimilar to what Sungmin was used to. But the dance was superb in any case. The feline wondered if he would be able to learn the dances these canines were performing.
They were more reserved than the dances of the feline and Sungmin felt that it was just as well. Sometimes, it felt a little odd to be performing a sensual dance for children and adults alike, knowing that such a display usually ended up with kits being fathered, especially during the Sun Festival which fell on mating season.
Ten dancers performed, each as skilled as those in the feline dens. Sungmin knew that most of his kind would be appalled if they knew the dances the canine did were not as fluid or graceful but Sungmin felt it didn’t matter. He applauded each one loudly and sincerely.
“Come, we must retire for the night. We need not be here any longer. We shall be required to stay up later tomorrow night on the second day of the Festival,” Kyuhyun whispered, taking Sungmin’s hand and pulling him away the second the last dancer had glided offstage.
The two made their way back to the palace. They walked across a nearly deserted plaza when the torches were extinguished all at once, plunging the two of them into darkness. Sungmin immediately felt himself get pulled behind Kyuhyun.
“What is it?” Sungmin asked.
“I don’t know. Something’s happening. Where are the guards?” Kyuhyun held Sungmin close. The feline trembled slightly, feeling afraid. Then he felt Kyuhyun get ripped from his grasp.
“Kyuhyun!” Sungmin screamed. He reached out blindly for the canine by pure instinct and was pushed back. He stumbled and fell. He semi-phased, his nearly healed claws growing, ears changing and eyes morphing.
The torches were re-lit and the plaza was filled with five canines who were cloaked in black. One of them was holding a knife to Kyuhyun’s neck. Sungmin stared at the two of them in utter terror. How was he going to keep Kyuhyun from being killed?
“Let him go!” Sungmin ordered, not allowing his voice to shake with fear. The canine holding Kyuhyun laughed. It was a man.
“Let him go? I think not. In fact, as long as we have him here, we can make you do whatever we want. You love your mate right? You wouldn’t want anything to happen to him,” the man pressed the blade harder against Kyuhyun’s neck.
“Please, please don’t hurt him,” Sungmin begged. Kyuhyun looked astonished. The man holding the Alpha laughed.
“Only if you promise to cooperate and do what we say,” the man said.
“You should not be so confident. We have guards who are looking for us at this very moment,” Kyuhyun interrupted. The canine holding him laughed.
“You mean those pathetic fools? They were easily taken out. They were disguised so poorly that anybody they could tell they were protectors from a mile away,” the man said.
“You killed them?” Kyuhyun asked in horror.
“No. Not worth the effort. We merely let them sleep a little.”
“Boss, we need to hurry. We can’t spend all night here bantering with the Alphas. We need to move,” another canine said.
“Very well,” the canine sighed. Then he turned to Sungmin. “You see, felines do not belong in the world. They are an infestation that needs to be deal with. To have you marrying a canine is an insult to the purity of our race and to marry the Alpha…well, that is absolute sacrilege. So you see why we must dispose of you. And if you do not cooperate, Kyuhyun here will die. I am not above killing my ruler to rid the kingdom of a feline.”
“But he’s your kind. He is a canine! How could you kill one of your own?” Sungmin asked, horrified by the thought that Kyuhyun might die.
“If it will rid my kind of you, then I will dispose of him,” the canine answered. “All right. You want to save him don’t you? Well, we want you to phase. Then we shall set ourselves upon you and you may fight back if you wish but it won’t be of much use. We shall bait you as bears once used to be baited. Once you are dead, he shall be free.”
“Very well, I shall do as you request,” Sungmin reached up to remove his cloak. If this would keep Kyuhyun alive, he would die for him. He was about to undo the clasp when Kyuhyun spoke.
“No, let him live. I will do what is required of him. Just let him live. You may kill me in his place,” Kyuhyun struggled to free himself. Sungmin’s mouth fell open. Kyuhyun was giving himself up…he was actually giving himself up. And for him?
“Kyuhyun, what are you saying?” Sungmin asked, forgetting about the rebel group. Kyuhyun looked at him, yellow eyes burning with determination.
“I will not let you die, Sungmin. I can’t do that. I can’t let that happen,” Kyuhyun answered. Sungmin stared at him. Kyuhyun tried to break free. The canine holding him tightened his grip.
“Silence. It is not you we want. It’s your mate.”
“That’s not him. That’s not Sungmin. He’s still in the palace of the felines. There was a matter of urgency there,” Kyuhyun invented wildly. Sungmin was frozen. Why was Kyuhyun bent on keeping him alive? He cared nothing for him.
“This is not Sungmin?” The canine asked, loosening his hold slightly.
“No, Sungmin isn’t here. That is a decoy, intended for keeping you from finding him and killing him,” Kyuhyun said, sounding oddly triumphant.
“He lies! That is Emperor Sungmin! His claws are on his hands!” One of the black clad members pointed. Sungmin tried to hid the claws but it was too late. The leader turned to him.
“Phase! I want to know if you are really Emperor Sungmin,” the canine ordered. “If you are, Kyuhyun shall live.”
“And if I’m not?”
“You and your pretty prince will die,” the canine growled. Sungmin glared at the leader. Then he looked at Kyuhyun and smiled very slightly. He tried to put all of his thanks into that look, trying to convey the gratefulness he felt for Kyuhyun’s attempts to keep him alive.
He undid the clasp of his cloak and let the garment fall to the ground. He stared at the leader, his eyes never wavering from his face. He removed the headpiece around his temples and his rings from his fingers, letting the jewellery clatter to the ground. Kyuhyun looked at him, begging him to stop.
Sungmin closed his eyes and reached for his pelt. Black fur developed from his body. His claws retracted as his hands grew larger, his fingers shrunk and pads formed on his hands. Fur covered the area and Sungmin’s paws formed.
His tail grew, lashing from side to side and he lost his upright position, standing on his four paws. His hair receded and in its place grew black fur. His ears twitched as the transformation occurred. His muzzle grew and his fangs lengthened.
Sungmin opened his eyes and the green was now lighter and his pupils were slits. A snarl rose from his throat. In the place of what used to be a man, now crouched a black jaguar, looking dangerously at the canines around him. He had a half form plan in his mind on how to save the both of them.
“It is the Emperor. It is a black jaguar that stands before us. The whole royal feline family are jaguars,” the leader sounded insanely happy, as though this was what he had been waiting for his entire life. Kyuhyun looked terrified. “Phase! Let’s take him down!” the canine leader ordered.
Sungmin whimpered as the other four phased. It was part of his plan. He would make them think he was afraid of them and then when they were off their guard, he would attack. The leader laughed. He was still holding Kyuhyun but had lowered the knife.
The four canines came towards him. Sungmin could easily take down three. But he had to make sure his plan worked. One was a wolf, the other a fox, another a coyote and the last a wild dog. Sungmin quickly judged who would be the toughest one to beat. He took one look at the coyote and knew that the canine would be the hardest.
The wild dog rushed to him and attacked, quickly followed by the fox. Sungmin growled in pain as their bites sunk into his fur. The pain wasn’t all that great but Sungmin knew he had to make it sound believable. He made desperate swipes towards the attackers but missed. He purposely looked like he was trying to attack but was too inexperienced to do so.
The next one to attack was the wolf who bit down on his paw. Sungmin let out a plaintive meow. The canines began to bark, sounding as though they were laughing. He heard Kyuhyun struggle with his captor.
“Stop it! Stop doing this! Let him go!” Kyuhyun pleaded. Sungmin tried to block out Kyuhyun’s cries. He focused on the dogs surrounding him.
“Kill him!” the leader ordered. The dogs advanced. The coyote attacked, biting his side. Sungmin pretended to yowl in pain. The other dogs howled in celebration. They had let their guards down. Sungmin’s eyes flashed and he immediately attacked the nearest dog.
He bit down on the wolf’s neck with his large incisors and twisted his head. There was a satisfying snap as the dog’s head bent back at an unnatural angle. Sungmin dropped the wolf and went after the fox.
The little teeth sunk into his shoulder but Sungmin barely noticed it. He raised one claw filled paw and swiped the canine from his body. The wild dog ran and tried to jump on top of him but Sungmin turned and caught the dog by his paw, biting down and hearing a crack as the dog’s leg broke.
He didn’t let go. The dog howled in pain. Sungmin locked his jaws , put his paws on the body and pulled. The leg ripped from the dog who yelped loudly as blood poured from the hole where his leg used to be. Sungmin tossed away the limb, unconcerned.
Only the fox and the coyote were left. The wild dog lay whimpering on the ground and the wolf lay dead in the center of the plaza. Sungmin snarled and swerved to the left, sinking his claws in the fox’s side.
The coyote jumped on top of him and bit down in his back. Sungmin released his claws and swore silently. He had forgotten that he had cleansed the poison. The fox wouldn’t die. Sungmin reared onto his back legs and then rolled, trying dislodge the coyote. It worked. Sungmin lashed out but missed. Sungmin felt warm liquid trail from his back.
He ran to a stand and jumped onto the awning that covered it. The two remaining canines jumped at him. Sungmin leaped from his place and went straight for the back of the one holding Kyuhyun. He screamed as he was collided with and he released the Alpha. Kyuhyun scrambled to his feet and immediately phased.
A large silver wolf snarled at the other canines. Sungmin felt the man phase underneath him and snarled in pain as the timber wolf beneath him bit onto his paw. Sungmin buried his muzzle into the chest fur of his opponent. The jaws released and Sungmin sprang away.
He pricked his ears, he could hear shouts of the palace guards nearing the plaza. Sungmin let out a small “mrrow” of mirth. The three canines looked at each other before all of them ran simultaneously towards the feline.
Sungmin was about to attack when a grey wolf attacked the timber wolf. Sungmin was left to deal with the other two. The fox attacked first and Sungmin raised a paw and swiped at the small creature. The fox crashed into one of the stands and lay there, motionless.
The coyote immediately jumped for him and Sungmin ducked but not quickly enough. The coyote bit onto his ear and tore the skin. The jaguar screamed. Sungmin raked his claws down the coyote’s side. The canine snarled and fell. Sungmin wasted no time.
He sank his teeth into the stomach of the canine. The coyote barked in pain and struck out. The claws of the animal scraped at his muzzle, long gashes appearing in the skin. Sungmin kept biting. He tore a chunk of flesh from the coyote, intestines and blood spilling onto the stone of the plaza. Sungmin ripped the coyote apart, blood splattering his muzzle.
“Sungmin! The guards! They’ve arrived!” he heard Kyuhyun call. He turned to see the Alpha in semi-phase, pointing towards the palace guards who had just arrived. Sungmin sighed in relief. He left the ruined body of the coyote behind him and made his way to Kyuhyun.
Red waves rippled in his vision. The pain in his side was absolutely excruciating. Sungmin yelped and tried to remain standing. Warmth spread in sticky waves across his fur. He couldn’t balance and collapsed, breathing heavily.
“I never miss!” the leader of the rebel group laughed. He was in his skin and had one arm extended. Sungmin realized that the reason for his pain was a small knife. A dagger was sticking out of his side. His vision began to darken.
“Sungmin! No, Sungmin!” Kyuhyun screamed. He ran to the feline’s side. The leader phased and ran into the night.
Sungmin’s breathing was low and shallow. His vision was swimming, fading slowly. Kyuhyun ran his hand over his dark fur. Sungmin purred faintly. The ground was turning red; his blood painting the stone.
“The Alpha Mate has been hurt! Get aid! Retrieve the emergency canines!” A guard order upon seeing the two of them.
“Kitten…Jaguar Kitten…stay awake…please stay conscious,” Kyuhyun begged, tears in his eyes. Sungmin wondered why. He felt his energy draining. He felt so tired and his eyes began to close. Right before darkness closed on him, he reached up and gently licked Kyuhyun’s cheek. Then he closed his eyes and felt his body phase into human form. And everything was dark.
!*!*!*!*!
I’m baaaaaack! Why do I always make things happen to Sungmin? I always did this. I think everyone’s going to be disappointed in me again…oh dear. I should give them a happy ending at least once...maybe later...Well, I’m not sure this was the kind of chapter you were looking forward to but I hope you enjoyed it all the same. The next chapter will be the last. Thank you my readers! I love you all!