Work Text:
Present
Gahyeon stepped carefully through the rubble, her eyes scanning the dark horizon. It had been weeks without sun now. The light was gone, and people were going insane. If there was a way to remedy this, to calm everyone, if there was, the only way to know it was to go back to the Tree. The Tree of Language. She had to find the sacred words inside of it and free everyone.
The legend said that the inside was different for every person. And when the time would come, you'd be given a hard choice, and there was no return.
She sighed and then slid down the hill. From the great wide plains, with dying plants littering the grounds all around her, to the lake surrounding the Tree. Ruins stood around her, holding secrets of the world she never got to know. The cracked white columns told the tale of lives before hers.
Gahyeon padded forward, careful with every movement, trying to keep quiet as she walked toward the lake but, before she could get any closer, she heard the sound of gravel and footsteps. She turned, gasping, she tried to defend herself but it was too late, and she was smashed into the ground by another form. Gahyeon yelled, her attacker turning her, pressing her back into the gravel as quick hands tied her wrists above her head. She let out a shout and kicked her feet, but the person on top of her stepped away. But then a sword came down, driving into the gravel between her arms. She gulped, looking at it before turning her eyes to her attacker.
She really didn't need to think about who it was. There was only one who carried a sword these days.
"Sua...." She whispered as the knight of the tree stepped closer, then she knelt.
Sua settled her hips over Gahyeon's, staring down at her. The younger gulped, her eyes holding fear, but not of death. Of scolding. And of how the dress left as darkened slot between her legs as Sua crouched over her.
"I have been tasked to protect the Tree," Sua whispered. Her fingers lifting and slowly stroking Gahyeon's cheek. "So what are you doing here? It's not safe." She whispered, a faint smile on her lips, as Gahyeon quivered under her.
In the young girl's eyes stars shone as she looked up into her eonnie's eyes. She sniffled, hands curled into the blade as she rose up a bit.
"Eonnie... We can't leave Jiu in there. Someone has to stop this! And we can't leave the world like this. Jiu might have failed but-"
"I won't lose another person!" Sua yelled as she shook the handle of the blade, leaning over her dear friend. There were tears gathered on her long lashes. "Don't make me force you, Gahyeon. Turn back now. Yoohyeon is still waiting for her, for Jiu, for her love. I don’t want to lose you and make another wait. Dami has already given up. Who knows where Siyeon ran off to… " She said faintly, gaze rising and falling on small area sheltered by the columns. Dami was asleep there like she always was these days. Gahyeon looked away, tears on her lashes as well. She knew the pain of losses too. They were her sisters, her friends too.
"What choice do we have, Sua? What can we do otherwise, Eonnie?" She asked before she looked back at Sua, her heart fluttering as she looked at her. "Let me do this. For everyone. There's something missing and it won't be fixed unless we go in there." she shook and pursed her lips. "But Sua, if this is the last time we meet as allies, I won't hide it. I have always admired you. Always... Liked you. We are sisters, our love must remain equal to be strong but, but I've always felt more for you. Like Yoohyeon felt more for Jiu." Gahyeon whispered.
The words echoed in Sua’s mind, like a bird song. Her own repressed feelings finally being given a place to grow. And grow they did, as she leaned back, eyes teary and heart fluttering and aching.
She did love her. She always loved Gahyeon, but it wasn’t so easy. She had a duty. She thought she could remain neutral, like always, but Gahyeon's sweet face was in front of hers, and it made it so different. Before she could understand it herself, she leaned forward and kissed the younger.
Gaehyon gasped, clutching the blade between her arms so hard her fingers bled as they were sliced open. But she didn't dare to stop. Because she did love Sua more than she should, and it wasn't in the same way of every one of her sisters. But she did love with all of them. But with Sua it was different. It was a spark, in her stomach, which rose up her throat and burned her tongue as she held it there. But now that it was free, it was like her entire insides were made of fire, one that burned only for Sua.
Sua panted and slowly rose up again, her hands shaky before she gasped as she saw how much blood Gahyeon was losing from her hands. She pulled the sword away and untied her arms, Gahyeon leaning into her hands, movements quiet and shy. Sua sniffled before she ripped her long black dress. Slowly tying little bandages around Gahyeon's palms to stop the bleeding.
"I'm sorry. I should-." Sua was interrupted by Gahyeon lips on hers. She breathed softly into the kiss before she sat back, her eyes sad. "You're still going to try, aren't you?"
"I have to." Gahyeon whispered softly, and her smile felt like the quiet of a long night when the wind starts telling the tales of winter, in the midst of fall. She kissed Sua again before pressing both hands to her chest. "Let me do this."
And Sua, how could she say no to her precious Gahyeon?
"Promise me you'll return, and I will let you in." Sua whispered, her heart melting as Gahyeon smiled wide. She let out a small noise or surprise, as the younger embraced her and nuzzled her neck.
"Thank you, Sua. I will return. And with Jiu. I promise. I can't leave us alone anymore." She whispered, reaching up to cup the other's cheeks with her bloodied hands. "Trust me, I'll make us whole once again."
Sua was quiet, hearing the unspoken word. The whole didn't mean six, it meant seven. Why seven, they had no idea, but there was someone who was missing, and only Gahyeon acknowledged it after Jiu went missing. Sua gently kissed the young girl's palms before she nodded. "Go. I'll be here. As I always am."
Gahyeon smiled and kissed Sua once more before he stood and began to run down the gravel embankment, into the lake that surrounded the tree of language. Sua watched the other go sadly, her eyes following her figure before she shook her head and turned away, moving toward the ruins where she stood before. She walked to a large column and she bent down, next to a sleeping form of a young woman.
"Dami, I know you hear me in there. You have to go to Siyeon. You have to tell her … Gahyeon is trying again. Tell her to use her power to either stop her…. Or Keep her safe. Please." Sua whispered before brushing aside the hair in Dami's face, the woman having been asleep for a very very long time. The longer the red sun was gone, the less Dami seemed to be in the waking world. Most nights she could only speak to them in dreams. But maybe that's what they needed. A dream. For inside every dream was a wish, and every wish had hope. So Sua did what she could… and Hoped.
Past
Yoohyeon was quiet, but the disapproval in her eyes was loud and clear. And that gaze never left her form as Jiu moved around, packing for the trip to the Tree of language. The air was full of tension as Jiu continued to ignore the glare on her back. But she could not withstand the constant glaring forever, so she turned and lifted her chin, facing up to Yoohyeon.
"I won't let you intimidate me into not going. We all agreed I was the best to go. I'm the leader. I must shoulder the risk." Jiu said as Yoohyeon lifted her own chin and then looked away, hair whipping around her as she was unable to face Jiu.
"You shouldn't go. It's unsafe." Yoohyeon repeated, her folded arms quaking. Jiu sighed, reaching up to cup her cheeks before facing her eyes back into Jiu's.
"The sun is gone. The six of us must fight to save the world. Before everything will turn in evil and pain. The earth will freeze. It will all become a frozen hellscape. We must stop it." Jiu whispered. She slowly traced her fingers down the other's cheeks. A quiet sigh left her as she pulled the other close and held her in her arms. "Don't be afraid. We won't fail. We six sisters can do this."
It always felt weird on her tongue. Six. Jiu and Yoohyeon never gave it much weight, why it always left a Deja Vu like feeling. Like something was missing. Someone. But they never spoke of it, like an unspoken rule that held them all together.
Yoohyeon sighed and gently pressed closer, her forehead pressing to Jiu's as she stared into her eyes. "Vow to me that you'll return." She whispered.
Jiu's eyes grew sad, reflecting back Yoohyeon as he reached and squeezed at her wrists. Jiu hissed faintly, Yoohyeon's lips quivering before she slowly laid her out on the bed. Breathing slowly over her, sweetly, Yoohyeon pinned an arm above Jiu's body as she hovered over her. Jiu let out a sigh and reached her other hand up to cup her dearest sister's cheek. She knew their love should not be more or less than that of her sisters but... She truly... She did love Yoohyeon. Jiu cupped her cheek, and Yoohyeon's long lashes held unshed tears as they looked at each other.
"Don't leave me Jiu... I need you." Yoohyeon whispered, the tears gathering like glistening chandeliers, glowing before their fall. In the middle of the shards of her love, and her life. And as those wet little shards fell across Jiu's cheeks, she reached up and kissed her gently, deeply, lovingly. For this was most likely their last night before Jiu would enter the tree to try and find a way out of this endless night.
Yoohyeon breathed softly on Jiu's soft lips, ruby red lips that shone like molten diamonds. It was a quiet request, a simple ask for consent. And Jiu gave it, meeting her lips halfway as she lifted into it. Delicate fingers slid back over Yoohyeon's cheek before the digits tangled themselves into her hair and held her in place as they kissed deeply.
Kisses and soft touches flowed down Jiu's hips and chest, fingers light and quivering as she slowly moved a bit. Yoohyeon tossed her hair back, throwing it to one side as he kissed over Jiu's neck, fingers lifted to touch against the other's cheek. She sighed faintly and then kissed Jiu again, softly like she always dreamed, and deeply like she always wanted. And Jiu reciprocated with the same passion, their hearts slowing until the felt like they beat as one.
Buttons gave way and zippers disappeared as the boundaries between them slowly fell away. They cradled close, the cool of the night tingling in their skin, soothing breath of love on a pained wound of loneliness. Their legs intertwine as they laid on the bed, Jiu's face pressed against Yoohyeon's collarbones, tracing the soft slopes as she listened to her heart beat.
She sighed faintly. "This won't stop me, Yoohyeon. But let this be a promise from me... I won't let this be our last night. I don't want to give you up. I just want to save this awful and pained landscape."
Yoohyeon was quiet, again, disapproving of the whole scenario, but if anyone could understand what was in the Tree of Language, it was definitely Jiu. She sighed faintly and wrapped her arms around Jiu's head with a sad sigh.
"Okay. I trust you. Just... Just come back." She whispered into the full moon's light shining down on them.
Future
Siyeon stands alone, in the mists of the swamp she had come to hide in. She curled his fingers into her arms, her eyes staring into the water as it splashed across her feet and ankles. Her reflection stared up at her, distorted and shaking, quivering like the fear she had in her heart. She clutched her arms, feeling the chill of the night reach her. Something she hadn't felt in a very long time.
She sighed before she felt the prickle of the presence of a dream, a message. Siyeon stood, water dripping from her skirt as she looked at the sky. She closed an eye, her mind falling into a half asleep state, a dream coloring her vision. And before her, in the dream side of her vision, stood Dami, geometric-like ambiance behind her as she moved closer and then touched Siyeon's arm. Siyeon could only feel it like it was half in a dream.
"Dami." Siyeon whispered, one of the only in the group with the ability to move between the sleep state and awakened state. Dami shook her head before she squeezed the other's arm as she opened her mouth and spoke, the words coming out discordant to the mouth movements.
"Siyeon! It's Gahyeon. Sua just told me, she's trying to go into the tree!" She said. Siyeon sucked in a breath and her eyes went wide. When they vowed to go to the tree to find answers, they were united as one. But as Jiu entered, they waited as one by one they each left till Yoohyeon was left to watch on her own, her scream echoing across the land as the tree sealed the door up, showing the sign of a failure to find the exit in time. From there, people went their own ways. Well, in a way. Dami ended up staying at the entrance of the lake, now too weak to move on, and fell asleep there. She stayed under almost all the time now. Sua stayed to protect the tree, as she was told to do before. And Yoohyeon... Couldn't get herself to leave.
Siyeon shook as she stepped back and placed a hand over her heart, eyes wide. Gahyeon was their baby, the youngest of them. The one they all cared for the most. She covered her mouth and shook, scared to lose another to this tree that offered no answers to the loss of the sun.
"Siyeon, you have to use your magic. You're the only one with power left." Dami said as she reached out and touched Siyeon again, incorporeal and a mere dream. But she still tried. Her hands shook Siyeon, the witch's body reacting despite it being just a dream. "Please Siyeon! You're the only one who can stop her, or help her! You have to! You have to help her or something! Please-"
"I can't Dami!" Siyeon yelled as she pushed the other away. Her hands went through the form. Dami sucked in a breath before going still, her eyes staring at Siyeon.
"What do you mean? You can. You just don't want to. It's because I sided with her! It is, isn't it! When we asked for you to look in for Jiu, you wouldn't do it and now you blame-" Dami yelled before Siyeon screamed and shook, her head shaking.
"No! Damn it Dami, no! I can't do it because I can't! I can't use magic! I don’t have any, anymore!"
Siyeon quaked before she held both palms into her eyes, letting out a quiet and broken sob. "I noticed it depleting once Jiu went in. From there, it was just... It was just a matter of time. I couldn't ..." She whispered before the tears fell down her cheeks and she breathed in. Dami stood still, staring at Siyeon from within a dream before shaking her head.
"Why didn't you tell me?" She asked, brokenheartedly. "I wouldn't have pushed if I-"
"Well you haven't exactly been around!" Siyeon yelled, stepping through the muck as the water splashed around her ankles. "You've been in the dreams! Looking for answers! You've left me alone, all this time. Leaving me to figure things out... Out on my own." She said before she stopped and slowly wiped her eyes. A heavy heart sat in Siyeon's chest, weighed down by her own inability, her own helplessness strangling her. She sobbed and Dami stepped into view, laying her hands on Siyeon's head.
"I'm sorry. I didn't realize this hurt you so much." Dami whispered faintly. Her hands quaked before she gently gripped Siyeon. "I'm sorry. I didn't want to hurt you. I wish I could be here, in the physical world. But I just can't. I can't stay awake..." Dami whispered before sniffling. Siyeon lifted her head and blinked her one eye at the sight of Dami crying. The woman quaked and wiped her lashes.
"I want to be back. I want this to be over. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry..." She said softly. Siyeon shook a bit before reaching up, cradling Dami's face in her hands. She could only barely feel it, but she still held on. "It's okay. I'm sorry. This must be as hard for you as it is me." She whispered. Siyeon wished she could fully feel the hands on her cheeks, feel the warm touch to wipe away her tears. But that was not meant to be. Not meant to happen.
Siyeon sniffled softly, her hands quaking before she clenched her fists, a weak sob escaping her with the anger before...
Her hands burst into purple flames, the magic she thought lost flowing into her. Siyeon's body quaked before her head lifted and she looked to Dami, seeing the other glow with the flow of magic to her. A gasp left their lips as the fire burned through their veins, and their voices ripped through their throats in a collective sound. She could feel her sisters again, and their power surged to its full extent again.
"It's back- No, Gahyeon succeeded," Siyeon said, looked at Dami one last time, her hand reaching for her before she disappeared, probably finally awakening across their world. Siyeon looked to her hands, feeling the magic bubble under her skin, new knowledge from outside sources entering her mind. Visions, memories, worlds of machines, and horrors flowed through her, showing her prophesies that have passed and prophecies that will soon come to pass. Then, the echoing shout.
"Handong!"
And with that, the flow of memories came back, of their dear sister. Echos of her from other worlds, her smile loving and her joy infecting. And the realization that to feel whole again, they needed her. Their separated sister. Only then, with her help, the sun would return, and reunite as 7 Dreamers.