Deja Vu

[his_angel16]

Title: Deja Vu
Author: his_angel16
Pairings: Luhan/Minseok, Kris/Yixing, Kyungsoo/Joonmyeon, Sehun/Tao, onesided!Jongin/Baekhyun, Chanyeol/Jongdae
Genre: Fantasy, Romance, Angst
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: I own the plot, not the people. Any actual likeness to any given person is purely coincidental.
Summary: Luhan's dreams become more frequent, but they aren’t what they once were. Seeing glimpses of the past, he learns of the potential buried within each of them. Deciding it's best to have them for their fight against Kihwan, they begin drawing them out.



Luhan, you are blessed with the power of telepathy, of eternal mental strength. You have been given this gift, passed down from generations among your family. Heed my warning and you shall triumph over your enemies. Three full moons will pass before the true test begins. Kihwan will return the night where no moon lights the sky. In return, use your own beacon to cut through the darkness, to illuminate the otherwise dark plains. Serve your friends well and find solace in their company. Remember, Luhan, hero of the mind, you will never be alone.
  He awoke in a cold sweat, the dream lingering on his subconsciousness. He wiped his forehead with the back of his hand, frowning as he noticed it was the middle of the night. He pushed back his blanket, slowly climbing out of bed to exit the room. Once he was in the hallway, he felt his way along the wall, heading toward the stairs. He found that a light was on, deciding he would keep whoever it was company until either one was able to sleep again. He followed the light into the kitchen, finding Joonmyeon sitting at the table, nursing a cup of tea.
  “You can't sleep either?” he asked, sitting opposite the younger.
  Joonmyeon shook his head, staring into the lukewarm liquid. “Every time I close my eyes, I see grandpa. But I don't see him laughing and smiling anymore. I see him lying in the hospital bed, cold and unmoving. I can't sleep with that being the last thing I think of,” he replied.
  “Have you talked to Tao or Kyungsoo?” He leaned on his hand, trying to be helpful. If he couldn't figure out his own problem, he might as well give someone else's a shot.
  “No, I didn’t want to wake them. Tao is sleeping in grandpa's room and Kyungsoo is curled up in his bed.” Joonmyeon spoke with his eyes downcast, not wanting to let the elder know how distraught he was. He was certain Luhan knew anyway.
  “I want to say that everything will be fine.” Luhan frowned, scrunching his face up. “But I don't know if things will be.” He reached out, covering the younger's hands with his own. “All I'll say for now, is try not to worry too much. Things that are meant to happen will happen.”
  Joonmyeon offered Luhan a small smile. “Thanks, hyung.” He stared down at his tea for a minute. “I think I'll try to get some sleep.”
  Luhan retracted his hands, watching as Joonmyeon got up from the table and headed upstairs. He didn’t know whether or not he'd choose his own bed or crawl into bed with Kyungsoo, but he decided it didn’t matter. Sighing, he let his head fall to the table, wincing at the little pain it caused. “What did that dream mean? And who was she?” He closed his eyes, telling himself he would only rest his eyes for a moment. He must have been having an overly vivid dream. He felt like he was floating, drifting along gentle waves or lazing around on clouds. There was something warm next to him and he snuggled closer to it, wondering if it was the sun.
  “Shh, you'll wake him,” someone whispered.
  The voice came from above him, but he didn’t know who it belonged to. Scrunching his face up, he reached out blindly, fingers closing around something soft and solid at the same time. He fought to open his eyes, blinking to get them to focus a little. He was confused as to why he could see up Kris’s nose.
  “What's going on?” he mumbled, voice thick with sleep.
  “We found you passed out at the table.” He looked down at the other, smiling. “Tao asked me to take you to your room.”
  Luhan nodded, too sleepy to really pay much attention. He curled closer against Kris, loving how warm he was. He could hear the other chuckle, but he didn’t mind. He probably seemed like a little kid. He hadn’t been babied in a very long time, so he was going to get his own enjoyment out of it. He felt himself being lowered and he opened his eyes, finding Kris setting him in bed before covering him up. The bed was warm, but he didn’t know why. He looked up, blinking twice before his eyelids became too heavy. He was asleep before Kris turned around.
  It was the same woman standing before him, telling him the same thing. He couldn't place the exact feeling he experienced while looking at her, but it wasn't fear. She felt familiar and foreign at the same time and he wondered why. Just as he was about to open his mouth to speak to her, the dream shifted, taking on another form. They were standing on the same property, the ground soaked with blood. He could feel fear gripping him as realization hit. It was their future. He shook his head, unable to believe it. Bodies were everywhere, twisted at odd angles as they littered the ground. He looked down, gasping when he saw his own dead eyes looking back at him. He shook his head, looking up when someone laughed. It was Kihwan, sitting on a pile of bodies, Tao and Jongin by his side. Tao’s eyes looked dead, the chain wrapped around his neck leading down to Kihwan's hand. Jongin had a similar chain leading from his neck to the other hand, but his eyes didn’t seem as dull as Tao’s. There was still a small spark in them.
  “This can't be real,” he whispered. He staggered forward, finding that he was invisible to the others. He looked back at the place he had been standing, tears forming as he realized who was lying under him. It was Joonmyeon, Kris, Yixing, and Minseok. He looked around, trying to find where the others were only to see them hanging from gallows, necks all snapped. “Oh, no...” He felt sick, eyes locked on Sehun, Jongdae, Kyungsoo, and Chanyeol. He could feel the bile rising in his throat and he struggled to push it down. Turning, he paused as his eyes fell upon Kihwan again. He was wearing something, it was draped over his shoulders. It was an animal pelt, a strangely similar light brown. That's when he realized it was Baekhyun, skinned in wolf form. He felt the first hot tears trek down his face, eyes wide. This couldn't be their future, it was impossible. They were all on the same side, the same page, right? He heard Kihwan cackle before someone touched he shoulder. And he screamed.
  Eyes shooting open, the entire room seemed to rattle as things fell back in place. He, too, fell downward, landing back in his bed. He looked over, breathing labored as he saw Minseok there, pushed back against the one wall. He shuddered, looking away. The other came up to him, reaching out to wipe the tears off of his face. He was trying to breath evenly when the door opened, Joonmyeon and Tao standing there. He couldn't help but feel a little anxious at seeing them.
  “What's wrong?” Minseok asked, sitting next to him on the bed. He ran his fingers soothingly up and down Luhan's arm, trying to calm him.
  “What did you see?” Tao questioned, knowing the look in Luhan's eyes.
  “Blood, lots of it. And death,” he replied, voice raspy. “Everyone was dead.” He tried to close his eyes, but all he could see was Kihwan, waiting for the world to fall, to obey only him.
  “That's impossible,” Joonmyeon stated, frowning. “We were able to drive him off the last time. How can he beat all twelve of us?”
  Luhan shook his head. “I don't know.” His voice shook and it took him a few seconds to realize his entire body was trembling. He felt another onslaught of bile rising in his throat and he pushed away from Minseok. He grabbed the trashcan they kept by the desk between their beds, closing his eyes as he heaved the contents of his stomach. It hit the bottom of the can with a wet sound, Minseok scooting away from him a little. Spitting, Luhan kept his eyes closed. “Tao, did the other one, my ancestor, did he have any of these problems?”
  Tao shook his head before sighing. Luhan couldn't see him. “No, he didn’t. Describe what you saw,” he stated, crossing his arms over his chest.
  “There was this woman, she had long hair that she kept braided. She told me the same thing as before. She said that Kihwan will return when there isn't a moon in the sky and that in three full moons, we'll have our first real test.” Luhan slowly opened his eyes, turning his head away from the trashcan. “And then the images changed. Kihwan was sitting on a throne, Tao and Jongin on wither side of him. The rest of us were dead.”
  Joonmyeon frowned. “Tao wouldn't betray us like that.”
  “He has in the past,” Minseok pointed out, shrinking back into the wall. “I'm just saying, that he's turned his back before. What's stopping him from doing it again?”
  “Again with this, hyung?” Joonmyeon sighed, looking at him. “I trust Tao. He's been nothing but loyal to me my entire life.” Joonmyeon shook his head. “No, it's more than that. Even after Zitao left Suho, he remained loyal. I have faith in him.”
  Luhan looked over at them, finding Tao had stilled next to Joonmyeon. His expression was unreadable, but his mind wasn't. He couldn't help but smile at the thoughts running through his head. “Tao, I trust you, too,” he said, smiling a little. “As long as Joonmyeon trusts, you, I do, too.”
  “Thank you,” Tao whispered, eyes shining.
  Minseok sighed. “I'll try to understand, but I’m not promising anything.”
  “Let him explain then.” Joonmyeon looked over at Tao, smiling. “Tell them what you told me.”
  Tao cleared his throat before looking directly at Minseok. “Suho said he forgave all of us, the ones that left. He told me that he understood why we made those decisions, why we were so quick to leave the group. There was a lot of tension, a lot of us constantly arguing. With so many of us, it was hard to keep the peace. So, those of us who always fought left. I met with Suho only a handful of times after that, but the last time we met, a week before he was killed, he told me that he believed in me.” He had to swallow around the lump forming in his throat before he could continue. “He asked that I look after his family, after his son, to make sure the power of water continued on through the bloodline.”
  “What did you do?” Minseok couldn't help it, that he became pulled in by Tao’s story. It was a twisted tale, but it wasn't something he was expecting from the original hero of time.
  “I remained in the tower out back, constantly watching, always close in case something happened. When Joonmyeon's grandfather fought with Kihwan more than fifty years ago, I watched from that tower. Just when I thought they would be killed, I was about to move, but Kihwan retreated for some unknown reason. I’m assuming he felt that the threads of fate were spinning a new web, one that would hold strong before him.” Tao smiled a little. “And how right he was to be afraid. Joonmyeon was able to run him off without much help, but he'll be back.”
  Luhan bit his lip. “Where no moon lights the sky,” he mumbled, frowning. He still wasn't entirely sure what his dreams had meant. If that was their future, what cold he possibly hold on to? He looked up at Joonmyeon. “Do you think you can make me some tea?” He smiled when the younger nodded before leaving. He turned to face Tao, frown back in place on his face. “There's a little more to it than I explained. I think that woman, the dark haired one that spoke to me, I think she might be Kihwan's sister.”
  “What did she look like exactly?” Tao waited as Luhan got up, going to his desk. He pulled out his sketchpad, drawing what he remembered. When he was done, he held it out for Tao to see. His suspicion was confirmed at seeing the other visibly tense.
  “It's her, isn't it?”
  Tao gave a curt nod. “It's Jihye.” He peered out of the door, finding that Joonmyeon wasn't coming yet. Turning back to Luhan and Minseok, he grabbed the drawing from Luhan. “Look, Joonmyeon can't find out about her, okay? He can't know that she spoke to you.”
  “Why?” Luhan's eyebrows pulled together, creasing his forehead. “Isn't she important to all of us?”
  “Apart from giving us these powers, there's another role she played in all of this.” He looked back, frowning at seeing the other coming up the stairs, mug of tea held in his hands. “I'll tell you later.”
  Luhan watched as Tao crumpled the drawing, stuffing it into his pocket just as Joonmyeon arrived. He accepted the hot tea, sipping at it to warm him up. He looked at Tao, the other barely shaking his head before placing a finger against his lips, willing both of them to be quiet. He frowned as Tao slipped away, heading to another part of the house. “I'll be right back.” He handed his tea to Minseok, pushing by Joonmyeon. Looking around, he tried to follow Tao. He pouted when he couldn't find him, looking over as Baekhyun entered the room from the kitchen.
  “Oh, hi, hyung,” Baekhyun said, smiling. “You feeling better? Kris hyung has been complaining all day about how heavy you really are.”
  Rolling his eyes, Luhan turned to him. “Have you seen Tao?”
  “Tao?” He looked at Jongin, standing right beside him, bowl of barbeque chips in his hands. “Didn't he just go outside?”
  “Yeah,” Jongin replied, pointing over his shoulder. “We watched him enter the tower on the back end of the property.”
  “Thanks.” Luhan left them, going out of the front door before rounding the house. He ignored the slightly worried looks Jongdae, Sehun, and Kyungsoo gave him, the three most likely having met for one of their infamous games of tag. He walked up to the tower, finding that the door was unlocked. Going inside, he ascended the stairs. Finding a door at the top, he knocked once before pushing it open.
  Dust covered the sparse furniture, papers and books strewn across the floor. He frowned as he walked to the center of the room, the door creaking closed behind him. Startled, he spun around, facing Tao. The other held a book in his hands, the binding worn and tearing. He was quiet as he offered it to Luhan.
  “This is what you need to keep a secret from Joonmyeon,” Tao whispered, eyes dark.
  Taking the book, Luhan stared down at the cover of it. Kim Family Tree was scrawled across it in Tao’s handwriting. Frowning, he opened to the first page. He frowned when the words were smudged, as if someone didn’t want the others to see them. Looking at Tao, he swallowed. “Who's names are written in here?”
  “Joonmyeon's family. All of them are Joonmyeon's family dating back to Suho.” Tao went to stare out of his window, back to Luhan as he waited. “Go to the third page and look at the name of the woman Suho married. Her picture will be there as well.”
  Luhan gently turned to page three, eyes scanning over the names until he found the box with Suho's scribbled in it. He followed the line that connected it to his wife's box, eyes going wide. There, right in front of him in black and white, was the woman from his dream. “Jihye? Jihye is Suho's wife?”
  “Yes.” Tao kept his back toward Luhan, eyes remembering something from far away. “After she gave us our gifts, she fell in love with Suho and he with her. Long ago, it wasn't customary to marry someone of a different social class, so he fabricated documents, saying she was a princess from a faraway land. In truth, he wasn't far off. Jihye and Kihwan are from a very power family on their home planet. When she chose to remain here instead of returning home, he followed her. It took him nearly five years to get here. But once he saw she had no intention to leave Suho, he became angered.”
  “Kihwan wanted to separate them?” Luhan frowned, staring down at the picture. He ran his fingers over it, seeing the two of them smiling happily. “How can he do that to his sister?”
  Tao faced Luhan, leaning against the wall next to his window. “Because she gave Suho and us their ultimate secret. She unlocked within us a potential that we never knew existed.” He frowned, staring at Luhan. “He tried to kill her, but she disappeared, taking Suho's son with her. When he passed, it was enough to make her want to die, but being a creature of magic, she couldn't. She's similar to me in the sense that she doesn't age.”
  “But why can't Joonmyeon know about her?”
  “Would you want to know that your distant relative was trying to kill you? Joonmyeon resembles Suho so much, it angers Kihwan to no end. If Joonmyeon found out that Jihye is the mother of his family, he might not be able to fight against Kihwan.”
  Luhan sighed. “And we have to fight him or he'll keep trying to kill us. But what does my dream mean? We were all dead while you and Jongin were by his side. Kihwan even went so far as to skin Baekhyun when he was in his wolf form and wear him.” He shuddered, the images too vivid in his mind. “How do we stop it?”
  “We keep watch during every new moon. And after three full moons pass, I guess we face our greatest trial.” Tao walked over to him, ruffling his hair. “We have to protect Joonmyeon, protect what Jihye and Suho would want to protect.”
  Nodding, Luhan set the book down before following Tao from his tower. They went back inside Joonmyeon's house, finding the younger ones watching a movie, the others nowhere to be seen. “Where are the others?”
  “Practicing,” Sehun replied absently, eyes fixed on the television. He laughed as something fell from above the one man, hitting him in the head and knocking him out.
  “Which room?” He sighed when Sehun didn’t reply, too far gone in the movie. He and Tao crossed in front of them, heading for the practice rooms. They found Kris, Yixing, Joonmyeon, and Minseok inside, working on different tactics.
  “Remember, not a word,” Tao muttered, voice low. He didn’t have to look at Luhan to know he understood.
  “So, who's against who?” Luhan asked, stopping near Minseok.
  “Joonmyeon and I against Yixing and Kris,” Minseok responded. He looked over at them. “Tao, you can join, but I want Luhan to take it easy.”
  Luhan pouted as Tao grinned at him, stating he would join Kris’s team. Sitting in the far corner, he sulked quietly. He could feel something pulling at his mind before the room disappeared around him. He was thrown into another world, another time. He looked around, finding that he was in an ancient palace. Frowning, he stood up, walking around until he found something that caught his attention. There was a light coming from a door a little ways ahead. He walked toward it, peering inside the room.
  “You have to leave,” the man said, voice strained.
  The woman shook her head. “No, I won't leave you behind.” It only took Luhan a second to notice it was Jihye, speaking to Suho. He was stunned that Joonmyeon really did look like him, down to the curve of his face. His eyes, however, resembled Jihye's more. “I won't have him grow up without his father.” She had gently cradled her stomach, eyes filling with tears.
  “Sweetheart,” Suho began, cupping her face. He wiped her tears away with his thumbs. “If you don't leave, he won't grow up at all.” He smiled reassuringly at her. “I promise, I will leave you a world to return to. You said that a sacrifice has to be made in order for the true power to work, yes? I would die to keep you and our son safe. Live on, my love, and create the future our family can live peacefully in.”
  Luhan watched as Jihye nodded, hugging Suho tightly before letting go to leave the room. She escaped the palace, fleeing with the royal guards. He found that it was their ancestors, but some were missing. Fire, wind, flight, healing, and time weren’t there. He turned around, eyes going wide at seeing Tao appear out of nowhere within the room.
  “My king,” he stated, kneeling. “She will reach the other land safely. What will you do?”
  Suho smiled sadly. “I will wait here as my time slowly runs out. Go, Zitao, and protect my family. Let nothing harm them. I ask this of you, knowing you'll grant this dying man's final wish.”
  Luhan was in awe, finding Tao nodding before he stood up. He walked right toward Luhan, walking through him. Panicking only slightly, Luhan pat himself down before entering the room where Suho was standing. “You said a sacrifice has to be made,” he said, knowing he couldn't be heard. “What's the sacrifice? Is it different for everyone?” He watched as Suho turned to the windows as the glass shattered in them. Kihwan was standing there, eyes dark and stony.
  “Where is she?” he demanded, sword held tightly in his hand. “Where have you hidden my sister?”
  Suho merely faced him, relaxed and expression calm. “I haven't hidden her anyway. My dear friends have escorted her away. I will remain here, in this forsaken place, to occupy your time. Jihye is long gone now. As your brother by marriage, I ask that you leave her alone.”
  Luhan saw the snarl on Kihwan's face as he raised his sword. “No!” he shouted, moving to stand in front of Suho. He realized that someone else had shouted the same time he had, stepping in the way as the sword came down. It went right through Luhan, but he slowly watched the other man fall, holding his bleeding shoulder. It was the first hero to control telepathy. With wide eyes, he watched his ancestor die before his eyes, the face staring up at him the same from his dream. He blinked, the palace shimmering before fading away. He was back in the practice room, everyone staring at him. He looked at Tao, eyes wide as sweat ran down his face.
  “Is it possible to see the past instead of the future? What I’ve been seeing, I don't think it's our future. It's the past, our ancestors' lives. Tao, did Kihwan ever get you to side with him? Did he ever take you prisoner?”
  Tao shook his head. “No, I have never truly sided with him. Are you sure it's the past you see and not the future?”
  Standing on shaky legs, Luhan nodded. “It's the past.” He looked at Joonmyeon, biting his lip. He didn’t know if he should say it, but he wanted to tell them everything. “My first dream, Jihye came to me, and she warned me about the new moon and the third full moon.”
  “Yes, I though we covered that,” Joonmyeon stated, staring at him.
  Luhan ignored the look on Tao’s face, deciding he should just say everything. “I saw Suho. He was telling his loved ones goodbye before sending them off. I stood there as Tao walked in, speaking with him. He asked Tao to look after his family.”
  “We know this, too,” Kris stated, looking a little bored.
  Feeling a little angry that they weren’t taking it seriously, Luhan felt the words slip out before he could stop them. “Jihye is married to Suho! She left while carrying his child and thus Joonmyeon's family tree took shape. Suho told her that a sacrifice has to be made in order to bring out the full extent of the powers, but I don't know what they are! Kihwan showed up and killed Suho, but I tried to step between them. I did so at the same time my ancestor did and he died protecting Suho.” He took a breath, trying to calm himself.
  “Jihye is married to Suho?” Yixing repeated, looking at Joonmyeon. “She's the mother of your family.”
  “Luhan,” Tao growled, taking a step closer to him. “I told you not to tell him!”
  Joonmyeon looked at Tao, eyes revealing his shock. “Tao, you knew and you didn’t say anything?” He frowned, nails biting into his palms. “How could you keep that part of my history from me?”
  “Joonmyeon, I did it because I thought it was the best way to protect you.” Tao looked at the floor. “Knowing that Jihye is your ancestor, too, knowing that Kihwan is her brother.” He looked up, sadness pooling his his eyes. “How could I make you face him with that knowledge?”
  “It's simple.” Joonmyeon crossed his arms over his chest. “He killed my family. Not just Suho, but grandpa. And who knows how many others. He wants to obtain the powers-” He stopped abruptly. “Wait a minute. Luhan, you said he had killed all of them, right?” When the elder nodded, he frowned. “Then why didn’t he gain their powers?”
  “Maybe that part really is the future,” Minseok mumbled, frowning. “Maybe we all die because we can't get on the same page.”
  “If you don't know your history, it's bound to repeat itself.” Joonmyeon looked at Tao, eyes sharp. “You told me that when I was little. What the hell is going to happen to us?”
  Tao shook his head. “I don't know. When I found that Kris had left, my heart sank. I though everything was falling apart again, like it had in Suho's time.”
  “But he came back,” Yixing stated, reaching out to take Kris’s hand. “And none of us have turned on each other.”
  “There has to be something that we're missing,” Kris said, frowning.
  Luhan nodded. “The first time Kihwan attacked, they didn’t have Jihye to warn them. These dreams that I keep having, they aren’t mine. They're from lifetimes ago, from Tao’s time. What if she's trying to warn us of the past? She doesn't want any of us to die.” He licked his lips, feeling a little overwhelmed. He didn’t really like being put on the spot and this was killing him. “Jihye wanted to end things with her brother when Suho was still alive. She wanted to stay, to fight alongside him.”
  “But he told her no,” Tao added, arms taking their usual position across his chest. “He wanted her to live on, to remain safe for years to come. I’m guessing that as soon as she gave birth to their child, she placed him in an orphanage. That's where he gained the last name of Kim. Years passed, and the magic remained in their blood. Joonmyeon still carries it.”
  “But, you said that she was like you in the sense that she won't age.” Luhan looked at Tao. “Maybe she wants us to find her.”
  “It's impossible. I’ve looked all over the world for her.”
  “But you didn’t have me.” Luhan felt a little self-righteous, but he was being honest. “If she's giving me images of her past, of her life, through my dreams, than perhaps it'll lead us to her without alerting Kihwan.”
  Tao pursed his lips. “In theory, it works.” He held up a hand to stop the others from getting hopeful. “But, we'll have to see. We don't have time to go on wild goose chases.”
  “So, what do we do now?” Minseok asked, looking at Tao. “What's the game plan?”
  “We wait until she gives Luhan hints as to where she is.” Tao clapped Luhan on the shoulder. “Tell any of us if you see something. And I mean anything. The smallest thing might lead to an answer.”
  Luhan nodded, turning to leave the practice room. It was strange, but he felt as if Jihye might be close to them. Shrugging, he went to the living room, joining the younger ones for the remainder of their movie. He could hardly focus on it as something pulled at his mind. It was something Suho had said about the sacrifices. He gasped, the others staring at him as his eyes widened. “Don't tell me that we have to die?”
  “Hyung, are you okay?” Chanyeol asked, reaching his hand out.
  Instantly, Luhan's expression went blank. He was standing in a dark place, a quiet place. Before he knew it, flames surged up around him, but they weren’t burning him. No, they were enveloping him in some sort of barrier. It was gone almost as soon as it had come and he jerked away from Chanyeol. He could see the look in the younger's eyes, meaning he had witnessed it, too.
  “What the hell is happening to me?” Luhan stood up, taking a couple shaky steps away from them. Have I already sacrificed something without knowing it? He tried to think back, tried to replay everything in his life in a mere few minutes. Joonmyeon and the others had come running as soon as one of the younger ones called for them. They were all staring at Luhan expectantly. He looked over at them. “I think I’ve already reached my full power.”
  “Why do you say that?” Minseok asked, hurrying to his side. He frowned when Luhan backed away from him. “Luhan?”
  “Hyung, did you see all of those flames?” Chanyeol's eyes were as wide Luhan's, but his voice didn’t sound scared. He was ecstatic.
  Nodding, Luhan flattened his hands against his stomach. “Chanyeol touched my hand, and we saw the same thing. There were flames everywhere, but we weren’t getting burned. We were being protected from something.”
  “And when I went to wake you up, everything in our room was floating.” Minseok chewed on his lip. “What did you do that made these powers awaken?”
  Luhan shrugged. “I don't know. For Suho, he died in order to keep Kihwan from killing his loved ones. It was his ultimate sacrifice.”
  “Maybe yours was leaving home to find Minseok.” Tao looked between the two of them before looking at Joonmyeon. “Selflessness. That's what the key is to awakening these powers. Suho gave up everything and water flooded the palace, leaving only mud and stone behind. It was around the same time the hero of fire torched the place.” He looked at Luhan. “You said you witnessed your ancestor protecting Suho, getting killed in his place.”
  “Yeah. I did the same thing, but the sword went right through me. It was as if I were a ghost.” Luhan looked at them, head tilting to the side. “But why would my coming here to greet Minseok be considered as selflessness?”
  “Because you left behind the only world you ever knew. You threw yourself into this life completely by coming here without your family, without your friends. You chose this life.” Tao looked over at the younger ones, still sitting on the couch and the floor. “I wonder how many powers have already awoken.”
  “How can we tell?” Yixing asked, looking at the younger ones, too.
  “Luhan said he and Chanyeol shared the same vision. Try touching each of us, see who shares a vision with you.” Tao moved out of the way, Luhan nodding as he walked a little closer.
  He reached out his hand, frowning as Jongdae touched it and nothing happened. “There's nothing,” he stated, voice flat. He looked at Tao.
  “Perhaps his already awakened when Sehun was in trouble,” Yixing answered instead. “The lightning he summoned back then might have been it. But that was for Kyungsoo, not Sehun.”
  “It was for both of them!” Jongdae snapped, pulling his hand away from Luhan.
  Sehun grinned, leaning over to rest his head on Jongdae's shoulder. “Love you, too, Jongdae hyung,” he said, laughing as the elder swatted at him. He held his hand out for Luhan to touch, eyes unfocused. All they could hear was wind as it whipped around them. Dropping their hands, Sehun cleared his throat. “Does that mean something bad is going to happen involving me?”
  Tao reached out, ruffling Sehun's colorful hair. “Maybe not. Luhan wasn't involved in anything bad for his to awaken.” He tried to reassure the younger, but he could see it wasn't really working. “Do you want some ice cream?”
  “Yes!” Sehun jumped up, grabbing Tao’s hand before tugging him along to the kitchen.
  Kyungsoo laughed, shaking his head as Luhan poked his forehead. His laughter died instantly in his throat. The entire world seemed to be shaking, dust making it impossible to see anything except the silhouette of a person inside of the storm. Pulling away, Luhan stared at him.
  “Kyungsoo, you're going to cause natural disasters,” he teased, moving to Jongin. He touched him quickly, pursing his lips. “Jongin's has awakened already. Probably when he teleported Baekhyun here before going to face Kihwan alone.” He pinched the younger's cheek, cooing at him. “Such a selfless little boy.”
  Smacking Luhan's hand away, Jongin frowned. “I'm not a little boy,” he growled, teleporting away.
  Joonmyeon rolled his eyes as Luhan turned to Baekhyun. He noticed the vacant look in their eyes. “Another one?” he asked, biting his lip.
  Luhan nodded. “Yeah, Baekhyun's has yet to awaken, too.” He turned to Joonmyeon, frowning. “So, that makes Chanyeol, Baekhyun, Sehun, and Kyungsoo.”
  “For the hell of it, see if our powers have awakened,” Kris said, holding his hand out. He gasped a little when Luhan touched him, seeing bright, large wings streaking across the sky. “How come some of the younger ones have theirs and I don't?”
  Shrugging, Luhan turned to Yixing. Nothing happened and he smiled a little. “Kris, it looks like Yixing even has his full powers.” He ducked when the other tried to hit him. “Must have happened protecting Jongdae when he was fourteen.” He turned to Minseok, finding that nothing happened after touching him either. “I wonder when yours awakened.”
  “The first practice session,” Joonmyeon supplied, smiling. “He was worried about hurting you.”
  “That's right.” Luhan turned to Joonmyeon, reaching out for his hand. At first, nothing happened, but as soon as he went to release the younger's hand, they were both pulled in by the sound of churning waves. The torrent was so strong, it's all they heard a minute after they snapped out of Luhan's vision. “Your power is still dormant, too.”
  “How many does that make?” Tao asked, coming back from the kitchen. Sehun had a large bowl in his hand, spoon hanging from his mouth as he hummed happily to himself. Tao looked slightly embarrassed, cheeks tinted pink.
  “Six,” Luhan replied. He held his hand out. “Want to see if yours has awakened?”
  Tao shook his head. “I know mine has. It's been like this for years. I don't have any power lying dormant anymore.”
  Luhan nodded, placing his hands on his hips. “I wonder how we can force them to awaken.”
  Jongdae grinned, looking over at Sehun. He touched the younger with his finger, zapping him. Sehun jerked, the bowl slipping from his hands. “Tag!” he laughed, jumping up. “You're it!” He ran from the room before anyone could really comprehend what happened.
  Sehun blinked, looking down at his dumped bowl of ice cream soaking into the carpet. “Jongdae hyung!” Sehun shouted, getting up to follow him. “You're a dead man!”
  Sighing, Tao shook his head. “We might as well join them.” He smiled as everyone stood up, stretching before heading for the door. He followed after them, seeing that they had started sorting themselves into three groups. He hurried over to stand next to Sehun, joining his group.
  “Okay!” Luhan shouted, gaining everyone's attention. “Jongdae is going to explain the rules and the teams, so everyone pay attention!”
  Grinning, Jongdae took a step forward. “Since we're trying to tap into latent power, how about we up the voltage? Use enough power to knock the other person out. Kyungsoo, Sehun, and Tao are on my team. Kris hyung, Yixing hyung, Joonmyeon hyung, and Baekhyun are a team. That leaves Minseok hyung, Luhan hyung, Jongin, and Chanyeol on a team.” He took a step back, falling in line next to Sehun. “Remember, just enough to knock them out, not enough to kill them. Tao, Jongin, Yixing, and Kris are the only ones permitted to tackle.”
  “You just watch how many watts you use, lightning rod,” Chanyeol said, grinning.
  “Same goes for your fire power, Charcoal.” He smiled at Chanyeol, laughing at the way his cheeks turned bright red. “Okay, is everyone ready?”
  “Wait!” Baekhyun shouted, pointing at him and Sehun. “Why are you two on a team if you just shocked him inside?”
  Sehun reached out, taking Jongdae's hand. “Because Jongdae hyung, Kyungsoo hyung, and I make the best combination.” He looked over at Tao. “Sorry, I guess that means you're on your own.”
  Tao snorted. “Fine, fine. Just don't come crying to me once you wake from being knocked out.” He smiled, biting his lip when Sehun nudged him.
  Minseok called go and the world around them became chaotic. Lightning surged through the air, electrifying it as Jongdae tried hitting Chanyeol. Kyungsoo threw up a wall of stone, separating Kris’s team from them. They would focus on one team at a time, eliminating them with their strategy. Just as Joonmyeon's water shot up in large geysers, Minseok released his ice. They froze, large sculptures added to their playing field.
  “Jongin, Joonmyeon is directly behind the center of Kyungsoo's wall,” Luhan said, giving him a heads up.
  Nodding, Jongin took sprinted, smoke puffing every time he teleported to keep himself from being hit. He dove forward, teleporting in midair to tackle Joonmyeon to the ground. He wrestled with the elder, trying to through him off while thinking of the best way to draw out his power. He smirked. “You like Kyungsoo, don't you?” He threw the elder off, turning to teleport onto the other side of the wall, but he was faced with Baekhyun, Kris, and Yixing. Frowning, he teleported away, landing back by his team. “We need to break through their defenses.”
  “Jongdae hyung,” Sehun muttered, standing with his back to him. “I'll go left, you go right.”
  Jongdae nodded, turning to his right as Sehun turned left. Lightning shot from his palms as air whooshed from Sehun's, spiraling toward Chanyeol's team. “They'll be out soon.”
  “Hold on tight!” Jongin hooked his arm through Minseok's, grabbing Luhan's hand. “Chanyeol, grab onto me!” He waited impatiently as he did so, closing his eyes. He had never attempted such a feat before, but he managed to teleport all four of them to right beside Jongdae's team. Minseok hit Kyungsoo with a blast of ice, forcing him to fly backward. He bounced once before rocks jutted out of the ground, hitting Luhan upward. He landed on his back as the elder landed on his stomach.
  “I'm done!” Kyungsoo shouted, hitting the ground with his hand. Luhan walked shakily over to him, kicking him in the shin.
  “That hurt, you ass,” he mumbled, rubbing his stomach. He sat down next to the younger. As the minutes ticked by, Chanyeol, Tao, Joonmyeon, Yixing, Minseok, and Sehun joined them.
  “Come on, hyung!” Sehun shouted, hoping Jongdae would win. Even if they were only doing it to draw out latent power, a win was a win to him.
  Jongdae was facing Jongin while Kris and Baekhyun were to his left. He knew he would have to be careful, Kris was fast when he flew. And Jongin, he could teleport anywhere he wished. His only possible target would be Baekhyun. Nodding to himself, he shot lightning out at Jongin as a distraction. It worked as he made it bounce off of the ground, spiraling toward Kris. He dove out of the way, a grin forming on Jongdae's face. The lightning grew in size, as did Baekhyun's eyes. He was rooted to the spot, unable to move as the electricity barreled toward him.
  Looking over, Jongin saw the look of terror in Baekhyun's eyes. “He can't move,” he mumbled, eyes wide. He glanced at Kris, who was still just barely pushing himself up from rolling out of the way. “There isn't enough time!” A puff of smoke and he was gone. He was beside Baekhyun in a heartbeat, hand on his arm. Just as he went to teleport, the lightning hit. There was a bright flash, the smoke illuminated by the bolts before it cleared. They weren’t on the ground, so Jongdae looked around. Kris began to look around, too, slightly panicked.
  “They're up there!” Luhan shouted, pointing to the sky.
  Looking up, Kris felt his heart stop. Baekhyun and Jongin were both unconscious, falling toward the ground rapidly. Without hesitating, Kris flew into the air. He flew faster than they fell, but trying to catch both of them sent him spiraling downward, too. He had his arms wrapped firmly around them, eyes screwed shut. If anyone dies, let it be me, he thought to himself. I don't want anything to happen to Jongin or to Baekhyun. They're friends, family. Please, let me be able to save them at least. A warmth overcame him, wings erupting from his back. Opening his eyes, he flapped his wings, slowing the three of them down. Their landing was still rocky, Kris’s back hitting before they skidded across the grass. He groaned as he closed his eyes.
  “Kris!” Yixing hollered, hurrying over to him. “Don't move, okay?” He placed his hands on the elder's chest, closing his eyes as he tried to focus. “Luhan! Tell me where the broken bones are. I don't want to move him.”
  Luhan explained where the fractures were, reading the pain through Kris’s mind. Minseok and Joonmyeon managed to get Jongin and Baekhyun off of him, lying them on the ground nearby. Jongdae slowly approached, frowning. Yixing sat back, wiping the sweat from his forehead.
  “Will he be okay?” Luhan asked, crouched by Kris’s head.
  Yixing nodded. “Yeah, he'll be fine.” He leaned back, allowing himself to fall flat on the ground. “Jongdae, the next time you want to pull out someone's power, warn the rest of us beforehand.”
  Jongdae nodded quickly, looking over as Jongin and Baekhyun groaned. “Hey, you're awake so soon?”
  Pushing himself up, Baekhyun felt his head spin. “What happened?” he asked, looking up at Jongdae. “Did I pass out?”
  “Yeah,” Chanyeol answered instead. “Jongin popped in and saved you from taking most of the hit. Don't you remember?”
  Baekhyun frowned. “Jongin?” He blinked, trying to remember. All he felt was a hand grabbing his arm before they were airborne. After that, everything was fizzy. “I remember him being there, but he wasn't even on my team. Why would he do that?”
  “Because I like you, you idiot,” Jongin muttered, sitting up. “Jongdae, since you're the cause of it, go get me something for my headache.” He watched as the elder nodded before rushing off. He looked at Baekhyun, both laughing.
  Yixing looked over when Kris sat up, eyes dazed. “Kris, you okay?” When the elder nodded, he reached out and hit him in the head. “Never scare me like that again! You could have let go of one of them while so close to the ground! You are the most inconsiderate-” He was cut off by Kris kissing him, hand lingering on his neck as he pulled away. “-man I know! If you do something like that again, I'll leave you for death to take!”
  Kris rolled his eyes. “Are you done yet?”
  Taking a deep breath, Yixing nodded. “Yeah, I’m done.”
  “Then come here.” Kris pulled him forward again, kissing him a little rougher.
  Luhan averted his eyes, looking at Tao. “I think we can handle Kihwan once we force the other powers out. If not, we can always sic Yixing on him!” He laughed, running away as Yixing pushed Kris back in order to retaliate.
  Yes, Luhan thought to himself, smile on his face as he ran around Minseok's giant ice spires to get away from Yixing. He could see the blush on the younger's face and it only made him laugh harder. I think we'll be just fine. If we can stay like this, laughing happily even when the world around us crumbles, we can make it through anything.