Author notes at the end

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Taehyung held open the door of his apartment building and let Prince walk in before following him into the lobby, stalling at the entrance as the door sealed shut behind them.

Something was off.

Usually there was some kind of bored looking receptionist manning the front desk, and a few tenants on the other side, complaining about some fault in their rooms or simply milling about; entering and exiting the building as they went about their business.

But now, the place was completely deserted.

He glanced at Prince who was looking at him expectantly and frowned, then walked toward the elevator as the dog trotted along.

"We're going straight upstairs," he told him. "Then I'm going to phone the pound to see if you belong to anyone."

When they arrived at the elevator Taehyung pressed the button, waiting a few minutes- but nothing. He heaved out a heavy sigh and kept pushing until he heard the clink and rattle of pulleys and elevator cables, trying to move but failing; the highlighted numbers not shifting off the third floor.

His floor.

Obviously his brother couldn't fix it and had just given up and gone home.

Typical Namjoon.

Taehyung and Prince headed for the stairs, turning the corner together and into the stairwell, climbing them one by one.

"Look," Taehyung said. "You can stay with me tonight but if I can't find your owner, from tomorrow you're going back to where I found you and you're on your own. Understand?"

Prince barked and Taehyung jumped. His instance response startling him.

"How can I be talking to a dog?" He shook his head. "I've gone crazy."

Prince barked at him again. "Yes, I have. Don't try and reassure me," he snapped and Prince huffed but this time stayed quiet which Taehyung was grateful for.

When they reached the top of the third floor stairwell, they found the faulty elevator. Its doors dinging open then whooshing closed, again and again of their own volition.

They both gave it a wide berth as they rounded into the hallway where they froze.

There were people lying all around the floor with pink stuff all over them. Sleeping but not dead- if the sound of their collective snores were anything to go by.

One of them, Taehyung noted as they passed, was Jay Park, the boyfriend of one of the girls he knew lived somewhere on this floor. His black fringe was cascaded over his forehead as he lay against the wall- his star tatted neck bent in an awkward position.

He sidestepped a few more then spotted one laid on her back, loosely holding the leash of a slumbering Pomeranian.

"That's Bora, our next door neighbour," he whispered. "And her dog, Vincent. What's wrong with everyone?"

Prince started to snarl so Taehyung reached out to sooth his hand over his head.

"Wait here," he told Prince anxiously. "I'm going to see if my brother's okay."

Prince whined but did as he was told as Taehyung creeped toward his apartment.

The hallway was quieter than Taehyung had ever heard it. No K-drama voices radiating out of someone's television set. No muffled arguments through connecting walls over who smoked the last bag of weed.

Just eerie silence.

It was like the beginning of a bad horror movie.

As Taehyung reached his apartment door, he stopped, shocked to find their front door splintered open and hanging from its hinges. And inside, his brother was peacefully snoozing on his recliner.

Taehyung ran over and shook him. "Hyung! Wake up!" he hissed quietly, but all he got in return was a slight incoherent mumble.

He heard a thump coming from the direction of his bedroom, so he left Namjoon's side and tiptoed across the living room to his door, which was just ajar enough to clutch the frame.

He peeked in and found his room in complete disarray. Sheets yanked off the bed, drawers emptied and clothes strewn everywhere and inside were two of the strangest people he'd ever seen. One was massive, the other was small but both looked like they'd come straight from a Halloween party.

The small one waved Taehyung's electric shaver around. "Look at this!"

The massive one took one look at the swinging cord and plastered his back to the opposite wall. "Oh heck no. Is that a snake!?" he shouted and the small one giggled.

"No, silly. It's obviously a deadly weapon of mass destruction."

To prove his point the small one held it by the power plug and swung it around, sending all Taehyung's products scattering to the floor.

The massive one brightened, took the shaver and examined it while the other went back to rifling through Taehyung's closet.

When he turned around he was holding one of Taehyung's superhero action figures. He played with it for a moment, turning it in his hands but squeaked and dropped it when it talked.

"I'm a new generation, Anpanman!"

The small one backed away from it fearfully. "H-Hobi, the little man was dead but now he's come back to life!"

"He must be possessed!" the massive one answered.

"Possessed?" the small one yelped and the tall one nodded.

"By a ghoul. Don't worry, I'll take care of it for you, Jiminie."

Letting out a war cry, the massive one bent over and beat the toy with the razor until its tinny catchphrase eventually warbled and died.

Taehyung couldn't believe what he was witnessing.

What the actual frick was going on here!?

"What are we watching?" asked a deep voice in his ear, and Taehyung tightened his hold on the door frame.

"Those men, I don't think they're human," he blurted softly. "I know it sounds nuts but-"

Wait...

Taehyung paused and slowly turned his head, a gasp escaping his lips when he saw a pair of impossibly large purple irises staring back at him.

"Sup," the male said, and Taehyung screamed then stumbled backward, into the bedroom and right into the massive one who smiled down at him over his shoulder.

"Well, what do we have here?" he asked and Taehyung screamed again, then threw himself at the nearest wall as the creatures surrounded him.

The one from the door strolled over and brandished Taehyung's drivers permit in his face.

"Are you Kim Taehyung, 42-1 Cheongpa-dong, Yongsan-gu?"

Taehyung glanced at it then back up again, putting on a brave front. "W-who wants to know?"

The massive one grinned. "The name's Hoseok, Shapeshifter Pixie. Third son of King Jaejoong and Queen Taeyeon, the greatest Pixie King and Queen to reign in the Ninth Kingdom."

The small one followed suit. "I'm Jimin, Changeling Pixie. Forth son of King Jaejoong and Queen Taeyeon, the greatest Pixie King and Queen to reign in the Ninth Kingdom."

"And I'm Yoongi, Well endowed Pixie."

"Yoongi~ do it properly!" the small one- Jimin, scolded and Yoongi sighed.

"Fine, fine. I'm Yoongi, Illusionist Pixie. Second son of King Jaejoong and Queen Taeyeon, yada yada yada... you got the drill."

Taehyung stared as all three sank into bows, taken aback. "And why can't I wake my brother up?" he asked.

"It's just a little Pixie dust," Yoongi shrugged. "He'll wake up soon."

Talking dogs. Pixies with powers. Magic dust. Taehyung was still processing it all when Jimin stomped his foot and held up a threatening fist.

"Now, tell us where the Prince is very pretty human or we're going to do bad stuff to you!" he threatened and Taehyung stuttered.

"I- I- I don't know what you're talking about."

"Prince Seokjin," Hoseok clarified as if that would clear things up.

"You know, he's about-" Jimin held a hand out for measurement. "-this high, gold fur, floofy cheeks and woofs alot."

Taehyung gnawed his lip, confused. Prince... Is a prince?

Yoongi casually leaned against the wall beside him, eyeing him closely. "Have you ever been stung by a thousand scorpions?" he quipped.

"N-No," Taehyung answered in a small voice.

"Wanna be?" he asked and Taehyung's eyes grew big.

He thought Pixies were supposed to be friendly, cute and playful? These creatures were straight up psychos!

"All right. Don't hurt me. I'll tell you where he is," Taehyung said, looking toward the door. "He- he's here. He's just outside."

"Show us," Jimin ordered. "Take us to him."

Taehyung didn't have much of a choice in the matter because the three of them grabbed him and dragged him from the bedroom and into the living room. The commotion didn't wake his brother, but Taehyung was relieved when they reached the hallway and Prince was nowhere in sight. He'd had the foresight to hide. Just as he'd hoped.

"Where is he?" Hoseok asked, hand still around his arm.

Taehyung looked over at the dinging elevator doors. He had an idea.

"He's over there," he pointed. "He's hiding."

The Pixies dragged him over to it then shoved Taehyung in, letting him go to peer around. When they couldn't find anything they turned to Taehyung, suspicious.

"There's no one in here," Jimin accused and Taehyung pointed at the hatch at the top of the roof.

"He is. He's up there," he lied. "I'll- um, I'll just operate the secret door to show you where he's hiding."

As soon as the Pixies looked up, Taehyung punched the doors close button, reached into the open electrical bracket, wrenched the wires out then ran outside.

The Pixies only saw what was happening when it was too late. Their faces contorting with shock as the doors closed them in. Taehyung could hear them hollering and banging on them from the inside.

He backed away, praying that the doors would hold then turned around to find Prince running toward him from the stairwell. Taehyung held his arms open and hugged him as he jumped up on him with his tail wagging.

"Good boy, you're okay now. We're okay," he said as he glanced back at the apartment.

The Pixies didn't seem like they wanted to hurt anyone. They just wanted the dog. He was sure Namjoon would be fine.

Taehyung looked Prince in the eyes and smiled. "Let's get out of here."

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Quiz - Did you catch the song reference?

Jay Park (Rapper) - The tatted boyfriend
Bora (SISTAR) - The next door neighbour
Hero Jaejoong (DBSK) - The great Pixie King
Kim Taeyeon (Girls generation ) - The great Pixie Queen

Poor Pixies are in prison again 😥

Any questions? Feel free!

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Summary for the title fairytale...

The Tinder Box ~ Hans Christian Andersen

A poor soldier returned home from war. He meets a witch, who asks him to climb into a hollow tree to retrieve a magic tinderbox. The witch gives the man permission to take anything he finds, but he must return the tinderbox. In the tree, he finds three chambers filled with precious coins guarded by three monstrous dogs. He fills his pockets with money, finds the tinderbox and takes it. The soldier enters a large city and buys himself splendid clothing. He makes many friends and lives magnificently. He learns of a princess kept in a tower after a prophecy foretold her marriage to a common soldier. Eventually, the soldier's money is depleted, and he is forced to live in a dark attic. He strikes the tinderbox and one of the dogs appears before him. The soldier discovers he can summon all three dogs and order them to bring him money. Again, he lives splendidly. One night, he recalls the story of the princess in the locked tower and desires to see her. He strikes the tinderbox and sends one of the dogs to bring her to his apartment. The soldier is overwhelmed with her beauty, kisses her and orders the dog to return her to the tower. The following morning, the princess tells her parents she has had a strange dream and relates the night's adventure. The royal couple watch her closely. When the princess is carried away again, they unsuccessfully use a trail of flour and chalk marks on neighbourhood doors to find her. Eventually, her whereabouts are discovered, and the soldier is clapped in prison and sentenced to death. On the day of execution, the soldier sends a boy for his tinderbox, and then strikes the tinderbox and the three dogs appear. They toss the judge and the councillors, the King and Queen into the air. All are dashed to pieces when they fall to earth. The soldier and the princess are united, and the dogs join the wedding feast.

|Named for the faulty elevator- Taehyung and Seokjin's unsung hero|