When Yoongi wakes, he's lying in a bed with the small prince hovering beside him. Taejoon stares down at him with a blank, almost expectant face. But this changes the moment the older male's eyes open, bringing a small smile to his lips.

"I thought you were dead, but your friend said you weren't. I thought he was being nice—sometimes people lie because I'm young and they don't want to upset me." The boy tells him as Yoongi sits up. "But you're awake now, so you must be alive. Unless you are a ghost."

"I'm not a ghost." Yoongi groans, rubbing his sore legs. He's pushed himself hard to escape plenty of times, had plenty of near captures, but he's never pushed as hard as he did today—never had a life clinging to him, that he feels the need to save more than himself. "I just ran too hard."

The boy nods, understanding, "When Taehyung and I used to play and run around the castle, we'd fall asleep afterwards because we were so tired." The mention of his name reminds Yoongi that he has to return to the castle, both to rescue Taehyung and to keep an eye on Jungkook. He might be wanted, but he can't stop protecting the king—he can't let the uncle get to him. He'll protect Jungkook to the end of his life, if he has to.

So he pushes himself from the bed, causing Taejoon to take a step back to make room for him. But, as he begins to move around, the boy becomes his shadow, following him everywhere. Eventually Yoongi has to stop, turning to the small brunette still watching him expectantly, "You're going to have to stay here. My friend, the man you met earlier, will take care of you. But you cannot leave this house, no matter what, okay?"

"Okay, Yoongi." When Yoongi takes another experimental step, he's pleased to note the boy doesn't follow. But he does speak up, "You're going back, aren't you?"

"I have to. That's where your brother is." Taejoon nods.

"Good luck, Yoongi."

*  *  *

Rage is coursing through Jungkook's veins, filling his entire being with a near murderous intent—though it may have already passed 'near'. Tears, though beginning to grow more angry, are still wet on his cheeks but are falling far less. All he feels is hatred, hatred for a man he trusted and allowed to lead him. A man he almost allowed to dictate his entire life. A man he allowed to throw away his love. A man who killed his parents.

Jungkook barges into the hall where the uncle stands, talking to a supervisor. When they look up, noticing the king, the other male is waved away so it is just uncle and nephew. The dark haired male comes to a halt, glaring at the older man.

"Jungkook, what's the matter?"

"I know what you did." Jungkook is shaking, unable to control the trembles that run through his body. He can feel his powers waking up, growing hungry. "You lied to me. You lied to me time and time again." He pauses, watching as a confused expression takes over the older man's face. "Has anything you've ever said to me been the truth?"

"Jungkook, I think you're confused." The speckle-bearded man closes the gap between them and places his hand on Jungkook's shoulder. It may be supposed to look like an act of comfort, but all the younger can feel is him digging his claws in, attempting to maintain control. He's close now—uncomfortably close. "You thought you loved someone, they've broken your heart and now you're looking for someone to blame, someone to get angry with. That person isn't me—I have dedicated my life to caring for you."

"Lie." Jungkook spits as he pulls himself free, glowering at him. His amulet grows warm against his chest and he takes a step back, fearing danger from the older man. The heat doesn't leave. "You can't lie to me any longer. I've seen the true you. I know you hired Yoongi, Taehyung, god knows who else. And I know you killed my parents. You're a murderer!"

"Jungkook, you need to calm down and stop making such absurd accusations. This behaviour isn't fitting for a king."

"I don't want to be king—I never should have been a king at this age." Jungkook all but screams back, the tears really flowing now. He looks at his uncle, but is unable to see the man he once might've cared for. All he feels is burning hatred, spreading like wildfire through his entire being. "You took away my childhood. You took away my parents!"

Now, realising he's really been caught out, the uncle starts forward. Whether to attack Jungkook or escape for the door, it's not clear, but the boy retreats all the same. At the same time, there's a whizzing noise cutting through the air, before an arrow embeds itself into his uncle's thigh. He groans upon impact, stumbling forward. There's another whizzing but the older man is prepared this time, forcing himself to move forwards. When the arrow lands, it hits the ground and the uncle escapes. Jungkook takes a brief moment to glance up at the rafters, where the light doesn't quite reach and shadows bloom, before chasing after the murderer.

The uncle has hidden himself in his bedroom, door locked from the inside (curse the paranoid for their clever planning). There's silence on the other side as the young king screams at his relative, with the only indicator that someone is inside being that Jungkook saw him enter. Still, he doesn't stop trying to push the door open, no nagger how impossible it seems. He throws himself against it desperately, ignoring the pain the follows with each impact. He can't let the man on the other side get away, not with all the pain and suffering he's caused.

As he's struggling, futilely, the noise attractions Hoseok (though he would argue his parental senses were also tingling). He runs around the corner, coming to a halt when he sees Jungkook. The boy is glowing, literally, as the dark purple all but consumes him. His veins are severely more prominent, almost bulging with his power. Even his eyes look like they're burning. The sight, the power he can feel flowing from him, freezes him up for a moment.

"Hoseok," Jungkook begs, watery eyes turning to his adoptive father, "please. Please help me, he can't get away—he killed my parents, got rid of Yoongi—please, he can't get away, I can't let him get away with this."

And Hoseok obeys. He approaches the door, pulling a set of lockpicks from one of the many pouches. After pulling the younger away from the door, he sets to work picking the lock. Thankfully, he has had far too much practice, and the door doesn't provide too much of a challenge. But it is still far too long, in Jungkook's opinion.

When the door swings open, the pair barge in. The uncle stands by the window, struggling to break open the bars. In an instant, he feels the raven king's powers surround him—powers Jungkook can barely control, struggling between his need to stop him and worrying desire to kill him. The boy, too focused on reigning in the darkness inside him, falls behind. All he can see is dark, with one bright patch that is his target. And not a good target... the darkness wants to take a life.

As the uncle attempts to run again, without really thinking, Hoseok throws his sword at him. It slices through the older man's side, though not deep enough to cause any severe damage. Not that the kookaburra lets that worry him, as he pulls a knife from its sheathe and prepares to throw that inside—this time with more care, better aim.

"Hoseok, don't you dare." A stern voice scolds, as Namjoon enters the room. He'd been passing by, his 'my dear husband is about to do something stupid' senses tingling.

"He killed the King and Queen! He was going to kill Jungkook too," protests Hoseok as he glances behind him, bewildered expression resting on his face.

"And killing a royal will just cause more trouble—let the Council deal with him." The jester unwillingly sheathes his knife, grumbling under his breath. Thinking the group is distracted, the uncle attempts to make another run for it; attempt being the key word. Hoseok instantly sticks his foot out, bringing the weakened man to the ground. When he tries to get back down, he's suddenly struck with the inexplicable sensation that something incredibly heavy is weighing down on him. Of course, there is nothing but a combination of Hoseok and Jungkook's powers.

With the uncle taken care of, all attention turns to Jungkook. Namjoon sits beside the boy, worriedly muttering to him. The purple veins bulge against his neck, against his forehead, everywhere. The darkness is consuming him, a danger that even the amulet can sense as it burns white hot against him. Convulsing, he coughs—which turns into choking, before vile black bile rolls up his throat and past his lips. Both Namjoon and Hoseok struggle to calm him, to figure out what is going wrong.

Until suddenly, the door swings open again to reveal the knight in shining armour... Or, well, knight in cloth, closely followed by the old healer. The healer wastes no time crouching beside the boy, silently checking the state of his body. Yoongi stands to the side, unable to watch as Jungkook suffers, and instead keeps his attention on his employer. He gives the trapped man a small nudge with his foot, purposefully touching the shirt that's stained red.

After a few seconds of checking, the healer reaches inside Jungkook's shirt and pulls the amulet out. It is hot to the touch and glowing darker than normal, almost looking alive. He pulls this off the boy's neck, throwing it across the room. The improvement is almost instant, as the young king calms, head growing limp in his father's lap. Namjoon uses his sleeve to wipe some of the black liquid from his lips, cleaning his now peaceful face.

"His body was showing no signs of damage, though his power was clashing with the amulet. They're both dark magic, both strong too—too strong for his small body." The healer gives the boy a fond pat on the arm, small smile on his tired face. "Give him some rest, some food, and he'll be better in no time. I think he's outgrown the amulet too." The old man gets back up to his feet, bones cracking and body groaning as he does. He turns towards Yoongi briefly, "You protect him, okay."

"Yes, sir." The magpie nods, shuffling awkwardly. He can feel Namjoon and Hoseok's eyes on him, but tries to ignore them.

With his final instructions given, the healer leaves, returning to his room. Namjoon clears his throat, getting Yoongi to look at him. The younger male smiles nervously, trying to diffuse the tension in the air. The owl frowns at him lightly, but it quickly softens.

"You heard him." Namjoon says, collecting Jungkook in his arms as he stands as well. "Take him to his room, make sure he rests, and protect him. We'll take care of him."

Yoongi nods, taking Jungkook as the boy is transferred between him. His smile grows a bit more genuine.

"Thank you." Namjoon gives him a nod, Hoseok pats his shoulder, and Yoongi thinks he's been forgiven. He hopes so—he thought he'd done good earlier, shooting the uncle and getting the healer.

"I knew it was you," Jungkook will groan later, when he wakes briefly to see Yoongi sitting exactly where he expected—in the seat beside his bed, "I knew you were hiding in the ceiling." He'll give the older male a tired smile, patting at the bed beside him, before falling unconscious again. Still, Yoongi will lie down where he pat, awkwardly at first. But then he'll get a little less on edge, and wrap an arm around Jungkook. He can relax now, worry later.

And then he'll remember, with alarm, that he forgot about Taehyung.

* * *

"Please accept this gift as both a present, and an offering of peace." Taehyung says, as his younger brother holds out a small wrapped box. The pair of them are dressed up in the colours of the Hawks, matching gold circlets that look like the wind wrapped around the tops of their heads. He smiles at Jungkook, who accepts the present with a matching smile.

"Taehyung picked it." Taejoon pipes up, before reaching into a pocket within the folds of his clothes. He pulls out a much smaller parcel, holding it out to Yoongi. "I picked this one, but it isn't a wedding gift. This is a thank you." Yoongi accepts the gift with a thanks, which makes the young hawk laugh. "You don't say thank you to a thank you. You say 'you're welcome'."

"Oh, uh... you're welcome." This seems to satisfy the boy, who gives a nod. The newly wedded couple are then hurried to open their gifts in front of them, before the two Hawk Kings are forced to move so another group can give their congratulations. Jungkook and Yoongi open their gifts simultaneously, both smiling at what is hidden in the centre. From the box, the raven pulls two separate pieces of fabric that could serve as a scarf or a similar accessory.

"They're so soft." Jungkook marvels as he runs his fingers across one of them.

"Hand dyed too. And embroidered." Taehyung pipes up. Sure enough, the pair's initials are stitched in gold in the corner. "That cost extra."

"They're beautiful." Jungkook thanks them, wrapping one around his shoulders and throwing the other over Yoongi's head. This is naturally followed by the younger's loud laughter.

"Thought you weren't going to marry him." Taehyung says to Yoongi as the older male unwraps his gift. The magpie pauses, glancing up at him. "You had my hopes up for a second—thought I could swoop him, marry him by being the only suitor left."

"What about Seokjin?"

"Really? Everyone knows he and Jimin have a thing—even Jungkook." Supporting this, the Raven nods. This briefly directs attention to the peacock who is, sure enough, chatting with Jimin. The pair look like a couple, standing close and talking quiet, brushing hands or touching more than necessary. "So, what changed your mind?"

"Nothing. I still don't deserve him." This statement rewards Yoongi with a punch in the arm, as Jungkook mutters something about life saving. "But Jungkook won't take no for an answer, so I'm happily married but punching above my weight." Another punch in the arm.

"You're taking too long to open it." Taejoon complains as he snatches the half-opened parcel from Yoongi. He immediately unwraps him, ripping the coloured paper open, and hands the gift inside back. It's a gold bracelet with small lock-heart and a key charms hanging off it. It looks a lot more romantic than the gift was intended, but Taejoon explains his choice with, "You saved me from that cell, carried me all the way to that house. I will always be grateful, Yoongi."

"It's alright. Just be better than your father—don't go starting wars." Taejoon nods, smile spreading across his lips again.

"I think, if Jungkook can marry a magpie, I can marry a seagull." Seokjin speaks up suddenly, almost absentmindedly as he watches the couple still accepting gifts. Jimin startles at the implications of the comment, looking up at the prince. There's a small smile on his smiles, but it's not joking, and he looks at his guard, "Date, at the very least." Jimin can't stop his own lips curling into a smile as Seokjin takes his hand, pressing a kiss against his dusty pink cheek. "No more wooing ravens."

"No more wooing ravens." Jimin repeats, a giddy happiness bursting in his chest. Looking back towards the couple, he sends a silent thanks to Yoongi. Maybe you're not so bad after all.

"Aw, look at that!" Seokjin exclaims as his attention is also returned to Jungkook and Yoongi. He catches the pair during a break, as the younger pulls his new husband closer. Even Yoongi looks startled to be pulled into a kiss, but he quickly melts—as does the rest of the audience.

And, with True Love's Kiss to seal their fate, they all lived happily ever after. (Except the uncle and the previous hawk king, who spent their days in uncomfortable, cold cells).

THE END

The old man closes the book that looks almost as aged as him, if not worse. He looks at the small girl, significantly younger than him, curled up on her bed. She doesn't seem impressed, frown resting on her brow.

"How was that?" The grandfather asked, placing his precious book on his lap. His finger traces the cover fondly, memory returning to the many times he'd read it.

"Terrible! What kind of story is that?" The girl complains, throwing her arms up in the air before flopping them back down on her doona. "Where's the realism, the development? The– The climax?" The grandfather glances back down at the book; he could have sworn two of those three were then when he read it.

"It's a fairy tale, sweetheart."

"A fairy tale is hardly an excuse for poor writing." Noticing the grandfather's disappointed expression, the girl softens. "I did like the bit with the birds, though."

"You did?"

The girl nods, "Yeah. And, maybe, I just need to hear the story again. You can... come around and read it again, if you'd like."

"Well, if you'd like. I have plenty of stories here." He pats the thick book. "Maybe one of the others will suit your taste better."

The girl gives him a hug, wrapping her small arms around his body, and smiles at him. She's pleased to note that he looks considerably brighter now.

"I think I'd like that."

NOTE: I've wanted to have one of those "and it was all a dream!" kinda stories for ages but I've always been talked out of it, because it annoys people, so I've compromised. Hopefully you're not too annoyed ^^;

Feel like I should credit the two other scenes from Princess Bride:

(That chase & fight)

But, I'm kinda sad this story's come to an end. Writing it was fun & I like the characters and the world. I think my biggest regret is not going into more depth with the world (sometimes I'd forget they had wings). Maybe one day I'll a story in the same universe, or something similar, and actually go into more depth ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ (no promises)

But thank you guys for reading this & sticking with it. The support that this story has gotten never fails to amaze me

Have a great day / night