"We're going to be late! WAKE UP!"

A sparkling eyed boy looks down, staring right into Jeongguk's soul with those glowing yellow the second Jeongguk awoken from his slumber.

Jeongguk blinks at him, confused, but then his eyes suddenly widen and he shoots up once he noticed the orange sky, twinkling with stars already, "The ceremony - LET'S GO!"

The boy shoots up with Jeongguk hot in tail behind him as they climb down the tree they were resting on, and run off to their village. The sounds of the forest blares the atmosphere - specifically from the wandering enormous animals stomping on the land - but they're not afraid of it.

The two boys knew they wouldn't hurt them.

Soon enough the two boys arrived to the village entrance just as the sun began to set, quickly approaching to where the village members were circling around the fire.

Before the fire, lining with the moon rising in the horizon, stands the chief, and beside him the son - who's next in command.

Today is a special day for their clan.

It's a day that everyone has been anticipating for.

The day when chief passes the torch to his son, and for him to become the new ruler over their people.

It's a day of celebration and joy, mainly because everyone has found the chief's son to be more than worthy of the position.

He has trained far more than anyone else has in their village for this, and best of all, their guardian approves.

He's ready.

The son stands there beside his father with a chest piece filled with feathers and leaves, the representation of their people and the forest. Followed by a head piece settled on his head of green and blue, flowers and vines - an artifact that has been passed down for many years.

A connection to eternal life and a praise to the most high.

His long hair is in braids, tracing down his slender spine and shoulders, and the beauty of his face glows with the line drawings on his face for his initiation.

Before he becomes the next chief, he must first pass through the Guardian's blessing - to which will be during the lunar eclipse.

"There he is, I must go," The other boy looks at Jeongguk, smiling, "How do I look? Do I look presentable?"

Jeongguk looks at the other boy briefly before adjusting his Raven dark hair since it was too shaggy from his sleep. He adjusted his necklace and loincloth appropriately to his toned body, and carefully soften the hard edges of the red and green lines of paint over the contours of his body.

After all, the second in command must look his best.

"There, now go before your father scolds you for being late."

The boy beams and leans to him, pressing a peck to Jeongguk's cheek with his orange eyes and giggles before turning around and rushing to by his brother's side - who glances over to him with a nervous smile, to which the boy responded by holding his hand tightly.

And so the commencement begins.

The chief steps forward, large brown wings outstretching his back, "The time has come for a new chief to come forth for the people."

Everyone is seated on the ground, along with Jeongguk as he closes his eyes - like everyone else is.

Letting his large wings of black ink trace down his spine, along with his braids.

And the village chanted back, "Long live the new king."

"A leader who brings balance to the world."

"Long live the new king," Jeongguk whispers as he digs his fingers on the grass, having the strands twirling around his fingers with a glow. The grass slowly latched onto his body, eventually to his wings, making the feathers glow.

That's when Jeongguk felt it.

The pulse.

The pulse of the world breathing.

The pulse of their guardian.

The Guardian who brought them here. Who created them. Who gave them to purpose to protect the Earth.

The Guardian.

"The king who will bring unity with the people and the forest creatures! Who will defend and protect with the guardian by his side!"

Jeongguk's eyes shot open, revealing the glow of gold in them, "Long live the new king."

The trees and forest all began to glow in light to the eyes of the people. All of the animals circled around the perimeter, screeching and chirping as the initiation progressed. The pulse is loud now against Jeongguk's ears, his heart beating the same beat while the glowing vines traced over his body now, having him become one with the Earth.

With all of them.

One breathing body and soul.

The Chief holds up the Royal spear of his people, his eyes glowing in multiple colors, "We shall rise and praise our guardian, bless the new king!"

"Long live the new king."

The full moon glowing in the sky suddenly began to hide by the shadow of the sun intertwining them together, the lunar eclipse now glowing in the sky with the circle of light of the sun.

Every animal in the perimeter suddenly bowed their heads, just as a bright light descended down from the light of the moon and sun,  appearing before the chief and his son. The holy light was so strong and powerful, making it even shameful to look at for so long to such presence.

Their guardian.

The guardian of life and peace.

The light slowly outstretched and placed a palm on the chief's chest, right before slowly moving it to the chief's son.

"Now the new leading guardian of the Earth," The light spoke, the voice strong yet so peaceful, just like the gentle waves of an ocean, "Protect the people, and above all, protect all that breaths that was created by me, and in return, you shall be protected and have the support of all the life in this world by your side - from the rocks of the Earth, the waters in the ocean, and flames of a volcano. From all that flies the skies and walls the ground, you shall be their king, and they will never abandon your side."

The chief's son looks in astonishment to the light as it spoke, especially the brother from his side, just as the light cascaded over the chief's son face. Suddenly all the lines on his face glowed white, just like his eyes to the blessing of the light, "It has been done. I will always be with you, my child."

And the light suddenly ascended back to the sky. The silence was deafening for a moment as everyone processes the presence of the most high, until the chief's son slowly turns around, revealing the glowing white lines on his face from the light, including those piercing white eyes.

And every single body bowed before him, including Jeongguk with a smile.

"Long live the king."

Jeongguk snapped his eyes open, gasping under his breath before sitting up abruptly. His heart is racing, still feeling the sensation of the vines from the dream wrapping around his body from the initiation.

Everything is so vivid.

Everything he saw.

It was..... It was so real. It felt so real.

And him..... The chief's son-

"Dream?"

Jeongguk startles to the sudden voice, and he looks to the side, taken back when he sees Taehyung.

With bars between them, keeping them separated.

Bars?

Jeongguk just then realized he's in a cage. In a dark and small cage, with cuffs around his wrists. Various of sounds echoed around him, from voices to tongues he was unfamiliar with, along with a lot of movement and..... The stench of blood.

Immediately Jeongguk looks around, suddenly meeting Jimin's eyes from the cage across from his. He doesn't say anything, but his lips are pressed together, laying an elbow on his knee as he sits, staring directly at Jeongguk.

Suddenly Jeongguk is reminded of his dream.

The vivid dream.

The chief's son....

Jimin...

Jeongguk mind kept fusing between the dream and reality, his vision shifting from seeing Jimin with the suit and with his attire from the dream.

Jimin..... The king....

"Forty-five species different planets in this building," Taehyung suddenly says, snapping Jeongguk out of his thoughts, "Three level building. Fighting cage. Fight to death."

A fighting cage conducted by the poachers, just what they needed.

If Hoseok managed to escape, to which no doubt he did, he better pick up the pace to find them.

After all, Jewel is with them.

They can't do anything without Jewel.

Jeongguk huffs and leans back against the wall, "How are you able to detect it?"

Taehyung raised his wrists with the cuffs, nodding over to Jimin, "Help."

Jeongguk slowly drifted his eyes back to Jimin, who's still looking at him with those piercing orbs - focused, entirely focused on Jeongguk.

Only.

This nerved Jeongguk a little.

Did he just so happen to see what Jeongguk saw in his head?

"Jewel say no attack," Taehyung said, snapping Jeongguk's eyes to him, "Watch and wait."

Now this made Jeongguk realize that if Jimin wanted to, he could escape. He could have the Earth swallow him up and take him to another destination. He could disintegrate these bars with just a glance and probably save everyone here. He could unleash all the hell to this world if he wanted to.

And yet.... They're here.

Caged up.

Why?

Why is Jewel waiting? Why is he watching? For what?

Waiting for them to get killed at this rate?

What does he need to see?

Suddenly, yelps and hollers echoed the chambers, followed by heavy footsteps moving down the hallway. Jeongguk tenses up and he slithers a hand to the bars that's dividing him and Taehyung, and Taehyung immediately interlanced their fingers together, a territorial growl erupting his throat as the footsteps approached closer.

Jimin didn't shift his composure, only follows with his eyes the two men dragging a limp body to the cage next to Jimin's, and threw it inside. Now Jimin tilts his head to the body, not fixating his gaze to the guards as they moved down the pathway with no words.

Taehyung waited until the guards were gone before shifting his eyes purple to observe the body, and he cringes a little, "Three broken ribs, dislocated shoulder, broken nose, black eyes."

A ferocious shiver drilled down Jeongguk's spine, thinking of all the possibilities to what they made this person go through, "Blue."

Taehyung's eyes shifted blue, and suddenly his jaw dropped. Quickly he scrambled to the bars holding him caged, gripping it lethally, "Lunar?"

The language suddenly became unfamiliar to both Jeongguk and Jimin. This is probably the first and only time Jeongguk has ever seen Taehyung show.... Himself. He never wanted to speak in his tongue to anyone in the facility, and he rarely ever loses his composure.

Now it's definitely lost.

"Lunar?! Wake up!" Taehyung calls out to it, turning his head to Jeongguk, "M-My planet. Cadet from my planet! He my same team!"

What?!

Jeongguk sits up, just as Taehyung continues to shout to the limp body on the ground.

Jimin still stares at the being with his empty gaze, but then he slowly shifted his eyes, white entirely. Jeongguk noticed this immediately and he gulps, remembering his dream and knowing what comes after -

The body gasps a sharp breath, panting heavy breaths as he shutters before rising his head up. Taehyung breathes in relief, seeming to not have noticed the color in Jimin's eyes - that quickly went back to brown - as his focused remained on the boy - who slowly sits up, confused.

To Jeongguk's surprise, with a human appearance.

Do they all adapt to human features in their planet?

Taehyung grips the bars tightly, "B421 Lunar, Sector 7, head up cadet."

Upon hearing such familiar voice and command, the boy's pupils suddenly thinned grey to who was sitting across from him - surprised and yet relieved. As though he was finally given water to drink after years of being parched in a desert. Despite his pained body, he forced himself to sit up and used a shakily hand to place his fist against his chest, head bowed.

"Commander Zero," Lunar shuttered, tears glimmering his eyes to his pain in his body, the tear patting on the birthmark by the corner of his right eye, "At last, we meet."

Taehyung sits up, eyes widen, "You were looking for me?"

"Yes sir," The kid responds, his hand dropping from his chest, "You disappeared, and so they sent many of us to search for you. Once I came to the Earth's atmosphere, the gravity dragged me to land here."

A small frown of guilt flashed Taehyung's face, his eyes fluttering to the ground, "For how long have you been a prisoner here?"

"I lost track of time Commander," Lunar says back, moving his eyes around, "But long time sir."

Jeongguk didn't like how Taehyung's frown seemed to have gotten deeper than how it was every passing second, but he didn't interrupt their moment. This is the time Taehyung was finally able to communicate with someone of his kind.

Taehyung needed this.

Whether he admits it or not.

Taehyung blinks a couple of times before glancing over to Jeongguk and Jewel, "Have you mastered the human language?"

"Which one?"

"Korean, English, Spanish, Chinese."

"I have mastered all the languages sir."

"Okay," Taehyung suddenly responded in Korean, just so Jeongguk and Jimin would understand, "Status report on this location."

Lunar sits up against the wall, grunting to the pain on his arm, "It's a fighting ring," His speaking is probably even more fluent than Taehyung's and Jimin's combined, "You fight to the death here against others from different planets. It's all about betting and survival. If you either die, or get severally hurt, you are sold."

Jeongguk's blood became ice, growing nerved to the conversation as Jimin suddenly tilts his head back against the wall with a thin frown.

He's been strangely too quiet.

He's never like this.

"If you are still here, must mean you pulled your weight well," Taehyung told him, "Good job cadet."

The boy bows his head in appreciation, but coughs a little. It's a type of cough that stretches to the lungs and feels like one is dying with it, and old. He has probably been sick for a while too.

Jeongguk frowns, "Can't you heal?"

"I'm still young, it takes a while," Lunar coughs back, wincing, "I won't have enough time before they drag me back there again."

Jimin turns his head to look at him, eyeing the bruise on his nose slowly healing, whispering back, "Why you?"

"Because I bring in the money."

The cold reality settled in as to what he meant by those words.

Survive by killing, and they must enjoy his performance too much.

Especially since he's just a kid.

If he's anything like Taehyung, he's already powerful than most beings here.

Taehyung grips the bars lethally tight, lips gritted together, "Is there any way to escape?"

"Believe me sir, I've tried to finally solutions," Lunar shutters, just as his eyes slowly began to heal to it's natural color, along with his jaw, "But... It's impossible. The poachers have guards who can counter attack against anyone. Many have tried, they'd end up dead. To be on the safe side, I haven't tried acting on it."

"Good," Jimin responded, leaning against the wall with eyes closed, "You have strong heart, fierce will to survive. You'll be freed for your pain."

Lunar furrows his eyebrows to the statement, just as his ribs went back into its rightful place, but before anyone could speak, footsteps once again echoed the cage.

Mulitple of them.

And one of those men dressed in black stopped in front of Jeongguk's cage.

Oh no.

"You're up."

Jeongguk's heart stopped beating for a second with this profound fear stretching in his body as Taehyung suddenly screeches from his cage, rattling against the bars, "Don't touch him! Take me! Not him!"

"Oh we will."

Suddenly the doors opened to Jeongguk's cell, along with Taehyung, Jimin and Lunar.

And Lunar's face falls, "No.... four by four?!"

The guards didn't respond, only grabs them individually and dragged them along the pathway. Taehyung screeches and struggles against their arms, especially after Jimin reactivated his cuffs to keep him on the safe side. Jeongguk pleads against them that he's a human, he doesn't even have abilities to protect himself!

They didn't listen, only kept dragging them down the pathway, passing all the other cages.

All through this, Jimin is quiet. He observes all the beings in each cell. Various of those species in their own natural form, watching or making noises to the guards in protest. Many of them terrified, and various of them severely beaten to the point they look more dead than alive. He slowly focuses his gaze back ahead with a deep frown.

After being led to a staircase moving up, Jeongguk is only surrounded by the stench of blood and dirt with the sound of hollers and cheers - drawing closer and closer to it. Jeongguk spares a glance to Taehyung, who only glances to him with a scowl and focuses his eyes ahead.

Just as they made it through an open gate of metal bars.

Before them is an arena, shaped like a dome with a metal fence surrounding it. On the other side, there's people seated, or standing - screaming and cheering while exchanging money or discussing amongst themselves.

Inside the arena is the dirt ground, along with four others standing there.

One of them is a girl entirely formed out of dark rocks. Another is a man who appears as human, but with blazing Indigo eyes says otherwise. The one beside him is a being with gills on his cheeks and seaweed as hair, eyes similarly to a shark in darkness. The last one is another woman, built up strong and taller than all of them combined, muscular and with serpent eyes.

A fight, four by four.

To the death.

Lunar barely stood up right once he was let go, whimpering to the pain on his arm, "My arm is still dislocated."

The guards didn't say anything, only removes the cuffs from the rest of them. Jimin wordlessly goes to him once he was freed, and without warning, he snapped his arm back into place. Lunar howls in pain, whimpering as he gasps to the sudden relieve, but then nods slowly to Jimin.

"Thanks."

Jimin didn't nudge a reaction, only looks around with his empty stare.

Jeongguk is frozen, looking at the other beings to the opposite side of the line that's drawn down the middle, and the fear coating over him like a venemous flame, "I-I can't fight them. They are so strong and I-I'm not... I can't -"

Taehyung turns him around, forcing his back to face them, now staring into his eyes firmly, "Stay by my side. No hurt will come. I will protect you."

Jeongguk still whimpers to the fear, his eyes flickering now as Jimin slowly moves towards where the line is dividing them, analyzing the beings from the other side with a curious gaze.

The girl coated in rocks scowls to him, "Staring isn't nice."

Jimin tilts his head to her, analyzing her physic in fascination, whispering under his breath, "Interesting."

The being with gills steps forward, his black eyes raging to him, "Are you mocking us?"

Now Jimin grimaces slowly as realization settles, displeased, "So powerful, yet so caged.... How disappointing."

Before anyone could say a word to his remark, the announcer suddenly booms over the speakers.

"Now Ladies and Gentlemens', the time has finally arrived to begin what you all have been waiting for. Four By Four!"

The crowd cheers, making Taehyung look around with a frown before turning to Lunar, "What is this?"

"We are a team," Lunar whispers backs, "We must kill the four over there," He said with a nod, "And we must survive."

"Can we choose not to fight?"

"No," Lunar says back, "Either we fight, or they will make us fight. Trust me, you don't want to experience that."

"I do," Jimin says back, turning to them, "I won't kill them."

Jeongguk lifts his head up, just as Lunar looked at Jimin a little desperately, "No, you must-"

"I won't," Jimin restated, his eyes blazed, "I'll make them beg for death instead," And he kept his voice firm to the two, "Attack not to death."

That was all Jimin said before suddenly Jeongguk was barricaded with the Earth shooting up from where he was standing, caging him inside from leaving and from others attempting to kill him.

Jeongguk shrieks and places his hands on the rock, looking to Jimin - who only looks at him briefly before looking at Taehyung.

Subtly asking, no, demanding that this is necessary.

Jeongguk is a liability. If they hurt him, they lose all they have.

Taehyung's loses the love of his life.

Jimin loses his answers.

And Lunar loses his survival.

Jeongguk needs to be kept alive, so this is necessary.

Taehyung gulps and glances to Jeongguk, "I'm not leaving side, this is safety."

Now Jeongguk gets the worse seating in this fight, watching as those he cares about gets their ass beaten.

And not doing anything but watch.

However, he knows Taehyung and Jimin to be able to uphold well themselves, but he's more so concerned about the chances if Jimin gets hurt or killed.

They still have no idea of his capabilities in combat, or to what extent.

Jimin is the priority, and both Jeongguk and Taehyung knew that.

He is the key to life on Earth.

No matter the sacrifice, he needs to be kept alive.

That's why Taehyung nods over to Jeongguk's stare and glances to Lunar, who managed to recover most of his strength, rolling his shoulders and nodding over to his commander.

Jimin narrows his eyes, fists tight with his sharp teeth pivoting his lips, growling under his breath.

Let it begin.

And the alarm suddenly blared.

___________________
A/N:

I'm sorry for the short chapter, there's just a lot that happens here that I really wanted you guys to grasp onto it lol

Any theories?

Next update will be action packed so get readyyyy

I Purple you! <33