A/N - I did say the last chap was the last update of 2017 lol hello quick update cos I love Yoongi's arc so much

WARNING: This chap contains major angst that made the author pause due to the feels brace yourselves

"Where in the world could he be?"

Jungkook stretched his back, grunting at how he had to tuck his wings behind his shirt to avoid being suspected. He even had to buy a hat to hide his blonde hair. Compared to Hemel, Vlam's air was much more polluted and dusty, which already made his throat feel itchy. Everything was so dark toned compared to his kingdom in the clouds and even though he had already visited this place before, he is yet to get used to it.

Glancing around the area, Jungkook stared at the tall brick buildings in wonder. He watched Vlamian children run across the dirty streets, using sticks and stones as toys. The angel wished he had the freedom do to the same when he was still a child but the only prince and heir to the throne of Hemel meant that he had to be protected at all costs. And sometimes, he didn't want to be a prince. Sometimes, he just wanted to be a normal citizen, someone who would get to experience what it was like in the outside world without fear and worry.

Jungkook figured that it was the main reason why he had agreed to his mother's suggestion of looking for Taehyung on his own, rather than sending one of the skilled Hemelian generals. It would give him the freedom to roam around, the freedom he never had when he was younger. And it did.

Sighing, Jungkook frowned at how his father wanted him to find Taehyung in order to bring him to Hemel's side and negotiate. The angel knew full well what the negotiation was going to be so he didn't. Instead, he let his friend do what he wanted.

Jungkook hoped that it wasn't a mistake.

As soon as a gust of wind hit his cheeks, Jungkook paused when he heard a light jingle of a bell. Turning around, he recognized the street he had wandered into while thinking. He glanced at the cemented pavement below him until and followed it until his eyes landed on a certain shop behind the two gossiping Vlamian women.

Jungkook knew that this cafe was familiar, the building's orange roof reminding him of a batch of roses he had given to Kiana on her birthday. The wooden signage, which had The Hotspot painted on it with fancy fire patterned letters, hung right above the glass doors and brick walls. Inside, the angel could see Helian soldiers chatting while eating various pastries and drinking cups of coffee or tea.

And at that very moment, while Jungkook imagined the laughter of soldiers and the cries of poor Vlamian workers, he remembered why this place seemed so familiar to him.

"And what will you have, kind sir?"

Jungkook glanced around The Hotspot's interior in wonder, failing to hear the polite barista's question. The angel's eyes were wide, mouth slightly ajar as he took in his surroundings. The chatter of Vlamians was much different than the silence of Hemel's palace and truthfully, he felt envious towards these citizens and their freedom to talk and eat without a care.

"Sir?"

Blinking, Jungkook finally turned his attention towards the dark-haired barista. Tugging on his long cloak and feeling his wings under the cloth, the angel cleared his throat before speaking. "I apologize. I'd like to have a glass of Wildberry Juice please... with extra sugar."

"Coming right up," The barista turned around and Jungkook smiled at his rebellious act since he was forbidden from consuming extra sugar back at home. Whilst the blonde cupped his chin and looked out the window and into the crowd, the barista spoke once more. "You're not from around here, are you?"

Jungkook flicked his baby blue eyes towards the barista, who had his back turned. "What makes you say that?"

Turning around with a smile, the barista placed a large glass of pink juice decorated with a sliced red lime in front of Jungkook, who was watching him cautiously. "I couldn't help but notice your blue eyes. You Hemelians are known for your politeness too. Don't worry, I'll keep your secret safe. Now, are you looking for someone here in Vlam?"

Jungkook went speechless at the Vlamian barista's observance and glanced at his name tag as he sipped on his juice. Of course, panic struck him for a moment because his father finding out about his whereabouts meant instant trouble. Puckering his lips together, he smiled a bit at the sweetness.

However, before Jungkook could say any more, he spotted a suspicious looking figure just outside the cafe's window. At that moment, it seemed like time slowed down for the angel. Squinting his eyes, the blonde stared at the man, who wore a hooded dark coat, his posture and speed standing out out from the crowd. The blonde scanned through the man's side profile and suddenly recognized the pointed nose and tan skin.

"Taehyung," Jungkook breathed and sped out of the cafe, pausing in front of the door when he suddenly lost sight of Taehyung. He looked around desperately, the chattering of Vlamians filling his ears until he finally spotted his friend's dark coat not so far away.

Jungkook muttered out a series of apologies as he bumped into civilians, keeping his eyes on Taehyung, in fear of losing sight of him once more. Once he was close enough, he reached out a hand on attempted to grab the darkness gem bearer by the shoulder.

"Tae—"

Taehyung suddenly turned around with dark eyes and raised a hand coated with purple mist. Jungkook's eyes widened as he grabbed the other's hand by instinct, the clashing of light and darkness causing a spark and a small explosion.

Thankfully, Jungkook hid both of their hands right in time to avoid getting suspected by the Vlamians. After a moment of silence, Taehyung spoke with a sharp tone. "What are you doing here? Trying to talk me into coming back? How many times do I have to tell you that nothing you say will change my mind?"

Jungkook was silent as he stared at Taehyung, trying to find anything from his cheerful best friend. He found nothing but darkness and anger. And that made his heart swell with pain.

"So? Who sent you?," Taehyung snapped as he slapped away Jungkook's hand, glare boring into the angel's skull. "The magic council? My father? Your father? Shay? Kia—"

"I followed you with my own free will," Jungkook cut Taehyung off before he could speak Kiana's name. "Nobody knows that I am here."

A silence. Taehyung stared long and hard at Jungkook, whose eyes were wide with a desperate plea of stay. "Go home, Jungkook. You'll get in trouble once you're caught."

"That doesn't matter to me," Jungkook's voice hitched in his throat when Taehyung wordlessly turned around, intent on leaving. His next words nearly came in a pleading scream. "I didn't come here to stop you. I came to join you."

With that, Taehyung paused in his tracks, the wind blowing and making both of their coats flutter. Jungkook could no longer hear the chattering of the Vlamians. Instead, the angel could hear his own breathing, along with his heart thumping against his rib cage.

Taehyung didn't say anything and Jungkook took this as a sign to continue. "Taehyung, please... I don't know what you're planning to do but you can't do this alone. Let me join you. I'll—"

"No," Taehyung's reply came sternly and Jungkook felt that single word shoot through his chest like an arrow. The darkness gem bearer turned around slightly, only giving the angel the sight of his pointed nose and dark eye. "This is something I have to do alone. All my life, I've been weak. I failed to protect my sister and my mother because I was weak. Weak, weak, always weak... With the situation now, I can't afford to be weak any longer. I have to be strong, it's the only way. To become stronger... I have to leave. I can't wait for a guardian. I have to find the wonders myself. I have to get rid of Father's rule."

"Does it have to be just you?," Jungkook whispered, his hands clutching his coat. "We... we can work together, like we did when we were younger."

"...Yes, it has to be just me," Taehyung whispered back and turned around once more. This time, Jungkook let him go. "You'll only get in the way."

Jungkook didn't reply at first, assuming that the conversation was over, but something about Taehyung's figure slowly fading from his view told him that there was one last thing he had to say. And he screamed out those words, those words that he hoped would reach his friend. "Taehyung... don't make Kiana and I wait too long, yeah?"

Taehyung paused again but now, he was farther away. Still, Jungkook heard his reply loud and clear. "No promises. They're meant to be broken eventually."

"Jungkook! Jungkook, are you listening?!"

Finally coming back to reality, Jungkook blinked rapidly and registered the voice that was calling his name. Turning around, the angel stared at the panting short man in front of him, his blue eyes staring into his head of colored hair. It took approximately two minutes until the blonde recognized who he was looking at.

"Jimin?," Jungkook questioned and watched Jimin bend down while holding his knees, his breaths deep and heavy. "When did you get here?"

"I... I ran," Jimin wheezed and pointed behind him, eyes closed due to the fatigue. Jungkook followed his gaze and saw a trail of smoke on the ground that led to the orange haired man's feet.

"Oh," Jungkook said, not really knowing what to say. "What's wrong? You look a little—"

Jungkook paused once he heard Jimin's thoughts, gasping loudly at what was in his orange haired friend's mind. A Vlamian carriage carrying Helian soldiers passing by the location Jimin was searching. Taehyung and Yoongi inside, unconscious.

"Oh no," Jungkook breathed with wide eyes before he glanced at Jimin, who was looking up at him with a slight pout. He grabbed the shorter man's shoulders and shook him. "Jimin, could you use your super speed again? We have to find the others. Now."

-

Yoongi felt extremely lightheaded the moment he woke up, his surroundings blurry. He felt like all of his blood was resting at the tip of his skull, head spinning as he glanced around. The walls looked dark and rocky, the atmosphere scorching hot even for the fire gem bearer. Groaning, he looked down, eyes widening at the sight.

A pool of bubbling lava was beneath Yoongi, the short distance separating his body from the pit of death making him. Once the fire gem bearer regained his composure, he realized one thing — he was hanging upside down. No wonder he felt so lightheaded.

Yoongi tried to move his limbs around but failed, only hearing the clanging of metal the more he struggled. This made him realize that thick chains were tightly wrapped his body. He then craned his neck upwards and saw that the chains were connected to some kind of machine that was attached to the volcano's opening. The machine was shaped like a mechanical spider, its thick metal legs digging into the volcano's rocky walls. In the center of it was what looked like a round head, chains pressed in between its snappers. The thing had beady purple eyes that seemed to stare right into his soul. It was obvious, this was a death trap.

Suddenly hearing a groan, Yoongi nearly jumped in his own skin. It took a moment for him to notice that something, no, someone was pressed against his back. Someone was tied together with him in these thick chains. And he knew who that someone was. "Taehyung? Is that you?"

"Ugh, huh?," Taehyung replied with a deep mumble, obviously still very disoriented during his newly awaken state. Yoongi frowned when he felt the darkness gem bearer's hand wriggle near his own. "Where are we?"

Yoongi didn't reply because Taehyung's question only made him look around once more. This time, his vision was clear enough for him to see the rock walls and metal ground, confirming the giant pool of lava underneath them. There were more chains hanging from above but the edges were melted off and crusted. The fire gem bearer knew why but he didn't want to think about it. Just across them was a glass window that showed him his own reflection. Somehow, the grey haired man felt like someone was watching from behind it. He could feel a pair of eyes staring at the two of them, waiting.

"In a volcano...," Yoongi's voice trailed as he recalled Jooheon's words, all the pieces finally falling into place. "Volcano! We're in Vlam's castle."

"You sound a little too enthusiastic there," Taehyung groaned and Yoongi felt him move, making him assume that he was trying to look around as well. "Is that a pool of lava under us?!"

"What do you think, smartass?," Yoongi snapped, Taehyung only replying with a scoff. "Listen, we have to find a way to escape. I can't believe I'm saying this but we can only get out of this mess of we work together."

"No shit," Taehyung snapped back before releasing a loud sigh. Yoongi rolled his eyes, already taking back his thoughts about the darkness gem bearer. The man still irritated him to the core and it didn't help that they were tied together like this. "...I can teleport out of these chains and catch you."

"Then do it," Yoongi couldn't believe that Taehyung hadn't done it the moment he woke up. He didn't think there was any reason to stall. "What's stopping you?"

Taehyung went silent and Yoongi was left to imagine what expression the other had on since the way they were tied together forbid them from facing each other. The fire gem bearer stared down at the pit of lava once more, his throat dry as he swallowed. Just the thought of burning to death made his stomach queasy, ironic for someone who owned the fire gem.

"I said I can," Taehyung finally spoke, the chain making squeaking noises as they swung back and forth due to the wind. Yoongi listened closely, his eyes slowly turning orange. "But I shouldn't."

"What are you saying?!," Yoongi hissed, not really up for any indirectness at the moment. Taehyung groaned again, which only added fuel to his anger.

"Look up," Taehyung said through gritted teeth. Yoongi was about to respond sarcastically but the darkness gem bearer beat him to it. "I don't care if you already did while I was out. Look up."

Yoongi figured there was no use arguing any further so he craned his neck and looked up, seeing the machine once more. "And? My neck feels like it's going to break."

"At first glance, it will look like some kind of machine designed to carry chained prisoners but it isn't," Taehyung said in one breath and Yoongi could hear a bit of desperation in the other's voice. Strange. "Look closer."

After thinking for a moment, Yoongi squinted his eyes at the machine and felt like his eyeballs were going to pop out of their sockets at any second. It seemed a miracle had happened because the fire gem bearer saw something shine in between the machine's snappers. It was something circular that sparkled like glass. He could barely see the little arms in it. "Is that a clock?"

"A scale," Taehyung corrected as Yoongi rested his neck back, accidentally bumping heads with the darkness gem bearer, both of them releasing a grunt at the contact. "I've seen this method of captivity back in Hel but instead of lava, prisoners were chained and hung over a pit of bloodhounds. You can register specific weight into the machine and it will use that information to watch the prisoners. To put it simply, the machine's job is to make sure that the prisoners don't try to escape."

"So... what you're trying to say is?," Yoongi replied blankly, not really understanding what Taehyung was trying to tell him.

"It measures the weight its carrying in chains like this," Taehyung released a knowing sigh and Yoongi wondered if he actually understood why he was so confused. "If we get even a tad lighter—"

"It will drop us," Yoongi breathed, finally understanding Taehyung's point. He looked down at the bubbling pool of death once more, a shiver crawling up his spine. "So if you teleport—"

"You'll fall head first into the lava," Taehyung deadpanned, the whole situation making Yoongi frustrated and frightened at the same time. "And the distance between us and the lava is too short. Even if I try to catch you, there's still a chance of me failing. I'm not taking that risk."

"Then why don't you teleport us bo—"

Yoongi was caught off by the machine suddenly dropping them, the two releasing shrill screams out of shock. The fall lasted only for a second until the machine's snappers closed, making them hang even closer to the pool of lava.

With his heart nearly breaking through his ribcage, Yoongi nearly screamed his next words. "What the hell was that?!"

"I don't know, okay?!," Taehyung's voice was laced with panic, something Yoongi rarely heard. "Maybe they changed their minds about keeping us captive and want to kill us instead—"

Another drop. Yoongi was getting dizzy, especially at the sight of the lava below them and it didn't help that the chains felt like they were tightening each time. "Taehyung, teleport us now!"

"I can't!," Taehyung hissed as Yoongi's eyes turned completely orange.

"What do you mean you can't?!," Yoongi snapped, his breath literally in flames. "Just do it! All I can feel is you clenching your ass—"

"Shut up and listen!," Taehyung screamed as they were dropped once more. Yoongi felt like his ribs were about to shatter due to the force. The lava was getting closer and he barely dodged a popping bubble. "There's something in these chains, I can feel it. An enchantment... yeah, an enchantment to prevent me from using my abilities while wrapped in these chains."

Yoongi scoffed mentally, trying to think if the situation he and Taehyung were in could get worse than it already was. The fire gem bearer was frustrated at how helpless they both seemed. He was so tired of feeling like a victim, of being someone who was never in control of the scenarios he was getting into. It made his blood boil in anger. This can't be the end, there has to be a way out of this.

"Ouch!," Taehyung suddenly screeched, the noise somehow irritating Yoongi. "What the hell? Why'd you burn me?!"

"I didn't—," Yoongi was cut off by another drop, the lava only two heads away from them, chain pressing tighter onto his chest. However, at that very moment, the grey haired man realized that there was a way to escape. Of course! "That's it... Taehyung, that's it!"

"What's it?!," Taehyung growled and Yoongi could feel the darkness gem bearer's sweaty back rubbing onto his own.

"Taehyung, listen. I'm going to melt the chains around us. The moment you hear it snap, teleport us to safety," Yoongi enunciated each word sternly and he could tell that Taehyung was a bit taken aback by his tone. "Understand?"

"You better be quick," Taehyung said as a reply before gulping. "Because I don't want to end up as barbecue."

Yoongi closed his eyes and inhaled deeply, concentrating as all the sounds around him faded into soft mumbles. Time slowed down for him as he thought of ways to light his flame, ways to make him burn. He could already feel his body heating up as he gritted his teeth. Come on, Min Yoongi, just a little more.

"Yoongi, it would be the best time to burn right now," Taehyung stuttered out as the machine dropped them once more, the lava burning the edge of his hood. Yoongi could feel the volcano's heat right at the tip of his head. "Yoongi?!"

"Let me concentrate!," Yoongi spoke through gritted teeth, eyes orange and flames lighting up on his arms. He could hear the metal chains sizzling but it wasn't enough. At this rate, he knew he wasn't going to make it.

That is, until Yoongi's stepmother's voice rang across his mind.

"What? You can't do something as simple as escaping, Min Yoongi? If you can't do this, how can you do anything else?"

"Shut up."

"You really are useless. You can't even save yourself. How can you save the world?"

"Shut up!," Yoongi screamed loudly, the sudden noise making Taehyung flinch. His whole body lit up in brilliant blue flames, the chains sizzling and snapping upon contact. At that exact moment, the machine decided to drop them into the lava.

It all happened so quickly. Yoongi felt a pair of arms wrap around him firmly then a gust of wind. Now, he was lying down on solid rock ground.

Yoongi craned his neck upwards as the flames around him faded and saw the chains dipping into the lava, which bubbled and hissed like a grill. The fire gem bearer released a loud sigh as he flattened his back on the ground and noticed that his clothes were smoking. He raised his hand and stared at his gloves, which didn't even have a scratch on them. Minhyuk wasn't joking about the cloth's durability.

"Yoongi," Taehyung spoke with a loud wheeze and Yoongi turned to the side to spot the darkness gem bearer mimicking his position, back flat on the ground and all that. His clothes were burning as well but had some burnt patches and holes them. Still, a small smile was on his face. "I hate you for making me think that I was going to die."

Yoongi released a soft chuckle before rolling his eyes and resting both hands on his chest. "Aren't you supposed to thank me because I saved our lives?"

"I'm sorry but who teleported us?," Taehyung raised a brow as he faced Yoongi, who was frowning at his words.

"Uh, I came up with that plan?"

"Yeah but we would have died anyway if I didn't teleport us."

"Well without my plan that you obviously would never come up with, we would have died without even trying to escape."

"Then I guess we worked together," It seemed Taehyung had shocked himself with his own words because Yoongi saw that the darkness gem bearer's eyes were wide like two ceramic plates. However, this expression left as soon as it came and was now replaced by a his usual blank face. He then huffed before standing up, stretching his arms as we grunted. "Get up. We can't waste time here or we'll get caught."

"...Yeah, yeah, you're right," Yoongi sighed as he got up and dusted his knees. He decided not to push the topic of their teamwork any further since he knew that it would lead back to awkwardness. Instead, he glanced around the area and looked for an exit. He paused when he found two doorways, one at each side of the volcano, the river of lava separating the two. "Hey, Tae—"

A loud gunshot suddenly rang through the air, making Yoongi flinch and nearly slip. However, instead of getting shot, he heard a loud bounce and saw a purple force field in front of him. Taehyung had his hand raised, mist coating his fingers.

"The prisoners have escaped! Catch them!"

Yoongi finally noticed the Vlamian soldiers standing near the doorway across the pool of lava, all armed with guns. Taehyung tugged on the fire gem bearer's sleeve before raising a hand, his staff flying from a far room and into his hand in a flash. "What are you doing just standing there? Run!"

With absolutely no hesitation, Yoongi sprinted towards the nearest doorway, Taehyung trailing behind him with a force field shielding them from the bullets. The hallway seemed endless and it was so narrow that the fire gem bearer's elbows scraped against the walls when he ran. He could hear the Vlamian soldiers' footsteps tapping not so far away.

Yoongi sighed in relief when he saw the end of the hallway but paused when a Vlamian soldier appeared, Taehyung crashing into him and grunting a complaint as a response. Due to that, the two of them barely dodged a bullet. "Stop complaining! We're going to get shot!"

Taehyung didn't reply. Instead, he turned around and pressed his back onto Yoongi's. "We're outnumbered."

"You don't say," Yoongi snapped as a group of Vlamians appeared in front of him and he assumed that it was the same from Taehyung's point of view. His eyes turned orange as he smirked and summoned flames over his palms. "So? Ready to dance?"

"Stop being cheesy," Taehyung rolled his eyes, the snake of head of his staff glowing as he showed off a sly smile. "And please, I'm always ready."

Yoongi shot out of pillars of flames from his palms, shocking the Vlamian soldiers and making them open fire. Taehyung moved the staff, its head in front of the fire gem bearer's face, a forcefield appearing right before he can get a headshot.

Right after the forcefield disappeared, Yoongi stepped forward and uppercutted a Vlamian, making the guard collapse on top of another. A second soldier quickly came up to him with a gun but the grey haired man used his elbow to mess with his aim. The bullet went right through the forehead of a guard Taehyung was fighting.

Yoongi was distracted by the sight of Taehyung somehow twirling his staff around in the narrow space so he wasn't prepared when a soldier pounced at him, the two falling to the ground. He struggled with the Vlamian, who was aiming at his face with a knife, until he suddenly remembered the functionality of his boots.

Slamming his feet together, Yoongi successfully turned on his boosters right before screaming a warning. "Taehyung, jump!"

Taehyung was confused for a moment until he looked behind him and saw Yoongi sliding on the floor with jet boosters on his boots, a Vlamian soldier on top of him. He used purple mist to float in the air as the fire gem bearer slid right under him and crashed into more soldiers, making them lose their balance and fall.

Yoongi continued to use his boosters by effortlessly flipping in the air, throwing the body of a soldier and knocking out the rest. He landed on his feet, yelping when one last Vlamian shot him on the shoulder. With sharp orange eyes, he flung a fireball at the guard, just as Taehyung struck him with a purple laser. The poor guard was knocked out instantly.

With all the Vlamian soldiers passed out on the ground, Yoongi turned around with now brown eyes, facing an exhausted Taehyung, who had a trail of blood on his upper lip and a cut on his cheek. "You're not looking too good there."

"Says the one who got shot. I'm fine," Taehyung replied quietly, using one hand to wipe the blood and the other to attach his staff to his belt. "Let's go."

This time, Yoongi trailed behind Taehyung as they slowly walked through the catacombs, still being aware in case there will be any more ambushes. He rubbed his shoulder, grunting at the pain as the blood seeped through his clothes and glove. Unknown to him, the darkness gem bearer glanced with a bit of worry.

Yoongi stepped over the soldiers' unconscious bodies and finally out of the narrow hallway. What greeted him and Taehyung was some sort of labyrinth, various identical archways surrounding them, the rock structures smoothened to resemble basalt. Each archway was carved with a design or burning flames, some even with thorny vines and red roses. This served as a problem for the two — where should they go?

"The wind," Taehyung said suddenly, his expression serious, eyebrows furrowed together. Yoongi faced him questionably. "The way to find the exit is through wind that comes from the outside. The doorway that blows air the strongest is the way out."

Yoongi didn't say anything at first, mostly because he didn't want to find the exit. He was intent on facing the current ruler of Vlam by himself. He figured by the way Taehyung was looking at him that he knew. Opening his mouth to finally speak, the grey haired man was cut off by a shrill scream and loud footsteps from a doorway at the right.

Taehyung instinctively stepped in front of Yoongi, teeth bared and staff glowing, legs spread. The fire gem bearer glanced at him before summoning flames over his palms and getting into an offensive pose as well, hands raised in a fighting stance, feet positioned in parallel to the darkness gem bearer's.

"What?," Yoongi called out once he noticed Taehyung side-eyeing him with his dark orbs. "I'm not letting you protect me like I'm sort of victim."

A silence fell between the two as shadows started growing from inside the doorway. Taehyung was nearly growling. Yoongi was staring fiercely at the shadows with his orange orbs, waiting for the right time to strike. He gulped a bit at the growing number of shadows, assuming that another group of soldiers were sent to apprehend them.

Yoongi saw a pair of pale hands grab the side of the rocky doorway and braced himself. He didn't expect to see a familiar blonde instead. "Jin?"

"Yoongi? Taehyung?," Jin squinted his eyes at Yoongi, thick lips unintentionally forming a pout. After a moment, the water gem bearer's eyes widened, a bright smile forming across his face. "Yoongi! Taehyung! It really is you guys!"

Not really knowing what to say or do, Yoongi only watched as Jin ran towards the them. The blonde paused in front of a scowling Taehyung before turning towards the fire gem bearer and giving him a big hug. "I thought you guys were dead or something."

"Dying wasn't really an option so...," Yoongi replied awkwardly, feeling a bit uncomfortable due to Jin's hug.

Jin finally let go and tapped Yoongi's shoulders before scanning him up and down. The water gem bearer raised an eyebrow, a smirk on his face. "Nice costume you got there."

Before Yoongi could reply to the compliment, the rest of the team ran into the room upon hearing Jin's exclaim. Jimin entered first, his smile wide and eyes disappearing into crescents. It was almost as if he was glowing. "They're alive! I knew we wouldn't lose any members."

Taehyung scoffed loudly, lips curled into a frown. "Since when was I part of your stupid club?"

"Hush," Jimin raised a finger to his own plump lips, spit flying everywhere as he silenced Taehyung, who wasn't really sure how to react. Yoongi pinched his own nose bridge. "It doesn't matter if you join our activities or not. You're single and that automatically means you're in the club."

Taehyung mumbled something under his breath but it was too soft for Yoongi to understand. He assumed that it was a string of insults mixed with curses. The others poured into the room like water, all showing signs of relief at seeing the two bearers.

Jungkook, to be specific, looked extremely happy to see Taehyung in once piece but at the same time, he seemed to be hesitant about showing his concern. Yoongi stared at the angel's conflicted expression before hearing your voice. "Thank God, the two of you are alive."

Yoongi glanced at Taehyung, who had his lips straightened into a thin line and was obviously not intent on replying. Was he too shy or just not sure of his words? He glanced back at you and saw the worried expression that he knew wasn't meant for him. Seeing the two made him realize one thing. And that made him sigh loudly. Still, he knew what had to be done. "Thank Taehyung. He saved us both."

Taehyung was obviously stunned because he whipped his head towards Yoongi with wide eyes. You had the same expression as you stared at the him with a mixture of shock and confusion. Jin had his jaw dropped, also surprised at his friend's words. Jungkook stared at the grey haired man with squinted eyes before smiling. However, the fire gem bearer merely smirked to himself. He wouldn't mind playing the role of a matchmaker. After all, everyone deserved to be happy.

"That sounds a bit difficult to believe," Emily commented, earning a glare from Taehyung and a light nudge from you. The protector raised both her arms in the air. "What? I'm just stating my opinion."

"...Taehyung saved you both, huh?," Namjoon spoke up, the silence shattering. Yoongi faced the team leader and saw him standing near the doorway with arms crossed, purple hair disheveled and dimples displayed as he smiled. "So you two are finally getting along?"

"I can't believe you just asked them that," Hoseok snickered from behind Namjoon, his mouth forming a heart shape. Jimin was standing next to the air game, eyes wide as he watched the situation unfold.

"I'm not replying to that," Taehyung's words instantly washed away the soft aura in the air and replaced it with the usual thick tension. He glanced at Yoongi, who was flinching because Jin was healing his shoulder. The darkness gem bearer twirled the staff in his hands before pointing towards a doorway, which had the most red paint on its arch. "That's the way to the throne room, I can tell by all those red roses painted around the doorway. You want to confront the current ruler of Vlam, don't you?"

Yoongi nodded at Taehyung and glanced at the others, who all looked worried about him fighting alone, Jin looking the most anxious. Before the fire gem bearer could reply, however, he heard a familiar roar echoing from the doorway his friends entered through. "Holly?"

"Who is Holly?," Yoongi heard Jimin whisper innocently, his face now squeezed in between Hoseok and Namjoon's shoulders.

"His pet dragon," Jungkook replied with a knowing smile, everyone minus Yoongi and Taehyung facing him with wide eyes. The angel had his arms crossed, white wings folded behind his back.

"Pet dragon? Wha— Oh my God!," Hoseok screamed loudly, voice bouncing on the walls as a red dragon flew above his head. The air gem bearer was so shocked that he fell on his ass, both Jimin and Namjoon laughing at the sight.

"Holly!," Yoongi squealed as Holly tackled him, his red wings flapping as he nuzzled his snout onto the fire gem bearer's cheek. He pet his little dragon friend with a big gummy smile as it purred. "You came back."

"Owner. Forever," Holly's words almost made Yoongi tear up and he was just so glad to see his dragon friend safe and sound.

As Yoongi continued to pet Holly and whisper words of endearment to him, Jin stepped forward hesitantly. The dragon crawled up the fire gem bearer's shoulders and hissed loudly. "Holly, it's okay. He's a friend."

Jin swallowed loudly and stared at Holly, who was still staring at him with piercing yellow eyes. The water gem bearer took a moment to ease up and speak to Yoongi. "First a new costume and now a pet dragon... Now that's what I call an upgrade."

Yoongi didn't say anything to that and chuckled instead. He rubbed Holly's head and glanced at everyone, a small smile growing on his face as he walked towards the doorway to the throne room. "You guys should go and take care of any guards that might try to come after me. Holly and I will be right back."

"Be careful," Yoongi froze in his tracks when he heard your voice. He glanced over his shoulder and saw you giving him a warm smile, one that was full of meaning. "Both you and Holly."

"We'll be fine," Yoongi replied quietly as Holly answered with a small groan. It was quiet as his footsteps resounded in the room. The fire gem bearer paused once more, this time right next to Taehyung, who was staring at him questionably. He now understood the reason why you had defended the darkness gem bearer during the argument and now it seemed so obvious to him. And Taehyung — he felt the same, it was a fact. "Take care of Sky, alright?"

Taehyung faced Yoongi with a blank expression, seemingly thinking of a good way to reply to that. Although the darkness gem bearer's answer was vague, nobody would miss the small smile on his face. "Just go."

Yoongi smiled as well and continued walking ahead, hearing the footsteps fade away behind. His expression then switched to one of determination. He was going to reclaim Vlam, no matter what.

-

A/N - unedited 6k words also Yoongi is so selfless here I just wanna scream at him to take care of himself too omg

I had so much fun writing Taegi's dynamic!! They're polar opposites yet they can work together when needed!! Also I hinted a lot and I mean A LOT regarding Tae's arc in here I'm not kidding

I may have hinted the start of a certain ship too 🤔

Anyways Happy New Year y'all!! We're so close to 60 chaps lol and I haven't even started TaeSkyKook's arcs yet rip my ass

See y'all in the next update!! I hope you guys love this chap as much as I did!! Have a fruitful 2018 y'all!!

(Someone ban ARMYs from all pic editing platforms pls bye)