Chapter Text
Another fic! Sorry if this is a little lousy, I wrote this in 30 minutes 🤣🤣 will be posted in AO3 too 😆
Loud shrieks of laughter rang into the halls of the Super Rock villa. These past days the ambience of the usually silent place has been so bright and cheerful thanks to the kids running around after Raon finally got to learn how to use his human form and just yesterday, Bud visited the villa carrying a bunch of different gifts for them and they were all thrilled.
Hong and Raon are both fascinated by the children's musical instruments and On was eyeing a pair of shoes with wooden wheels underneath. For the next few hours the kids in their human forms were giggling in delight.
One adorable little boy with black hair and bright blue eyes came running to Cale, climbing to the seat he was in and sat atop of his lap. In his hands is an instrument Cale could recognize as a xylophone. Bud showed the little boy how it works and as soon as he learned the sound pattern of it, Mary started teaching him a lullaby from the underground elven city. He has been practicing diligently with Hong, who has two little maracas and a small drum snare.
"Daddy, Daddy! Listen, I got it perfect now!" The little boy enthusiastically called his attention and Cale gave nothing but full of it. The sparkle in Raon's eyes is such a wonderful thing to see that he even remembered his father as Kim Rok Soo who bought him the same instrument when he was a young boy.
Hong ran towards them, his little feet were so light on its steps that no sound could be heard. Hong sat at Cale's feet and put his chin upon the man's knee, waiting with excitement for his little brother's mini performance.
"Our youngest is amazing!" Hong said, reaching up his hand and waving it.
Raon reached back his hand to Hong and giggled as their little fingers wiggled playfully. His children are absolutely sweet and adorable. Cale patted Hong's little red head and held Raon closer.
"Go on." He encourages the young dragon and Raon started to play his xylophone. Cale isn't surprised anymore that he managed to learn playing it in just a day. And when he was done, Raon look up to him with expectation and excitement in his blue eyes. Cale gave him a nod of appreciation and clapped along with Hong.
"That was amazing!"
"You did great, Raon." Cale said in a calm manner and the blue eyes sparkled. Who knew that a dragon who can destroy a continent would be happy enough to hear a compliment from his father figure?
Right at that time, Dodori suddenly popped out of nowhere with a wide enthusiastic smile plastered on his face.
"When I count up to twenty all of you should be hiding!" He burst out and Hong perked his head up while Raon looked up once again to Cale as if asking his permission to play with the older dragon.
"Don't run out of the villa's premises."
"Yes, Daddy!" Hong and Raon jumped away from him when Dodori covered his eyes with his hands and started counting. On who was practicing her wheeled shoes nearby, took off the contraption from her feet and ran barefoot to join the game and hide.
Cale was left at the seat with the xylophone on his hand and had a smile on his face as he watched his children running with big smiles on their faces.
Hmm, maybe he should buy On a new set of cute dresses that suits her current age. She has been using the same clothes she has for 5 months now and Cale notices that she grows taller each month according to their growth wall chart. And maybe another set of shoes from Hong? His little redhead boy is quite fond of his last boots so maybe he should get another one with the same size and then find some more designs that he would like. What should he get for Raon? Another book? How about their resident older dragon?
His mind was full of plans about his next shopping spree for the kids when his fingers absentmindedly touched the xylophone's cold metal bars. Once again, the fond memories of Kim Rom Soo returned to his mind.
Cale... No, Kim Rok Soo remembered the xylophone his father gave him when he was young. He liked them so much and played them for the rest of the day that his mother almost threw it away from being annoyed by it. His father, a man with sunny personality, was a fan of a band named My Chemical Romance since he was in his high school days and he used to play their songs all the time, especially louder when his mother was not around. He remembers them bickering about teaching the young Rok Soo his father's peculiar taste in music. Rok Soo's mother was more of a local korean songs fan and loves the TV dramas.
His father taught Rok Soo the melody of one song he loves the most and as the memory flood into him Cale felt extremely nostalgic. So nostalgic that he found himself tapping the tune in Raon's xylophone. At first he was figuring out where the proper sounds he needed to hit according to the sounds of his humming.
Choi Han, who was always near the redhead, first heard the melody that Cake is trying to play. He also remembers this particular song as it was so famous during his younger times. It was always in the music video channels and the style of the band became a fashion statement for teenagers.
The ringing sound of the metal bars took the attention of all people inside the Super Rock Villa and they are curious about what their young master is doing again. They once heard him sing for fun and they found it adorable but what he sang next was something that made them shake.
Cale on the other hand, was too focused on figuring out the G note and continuously repeated the dramatic opening melody of the song "Welcome to the Black Parade ''.
One more time he hit the G note and sang the lyrics in a calm and lazy manner not caring who would hear his little trip down to the memory lane.
'When I was a young boy
My father took me into the city
To see a marching band..'
Cale tried to figure out the next lyrics and slowly added...
'He said, "Son, when you grow up
Would you be the savior of the broken
The beaten and the damned?"'
As the lines floated in the air, Rosalyn, who was standing almost behind Cale and was on her way to Eruhaben-nim's mini library, froze in her spot as she heard the sad music rings in the silent air.
Young Master Cale as a person is like a very deep ocean for Rosalyn. His understanding of things and life is way beyond what she could think about. He always surprises the people around him with his strategy, his wisdom and his desire for peace and Rosalyn once thought where did this young man learn all about it. Was he just born kind? Is it just his nature?? The fraction of questions in Rosalyn's mind was as if being answered by the lines of his song.
Was he talking about his fond memory with his father, the Duke Deruth Henituse? And was the duke the kind of father that would raise his child full of wisdom?
Eruhaben, who has sharp ears, caught those lines of words and listened more closely. Lock, who was nearby, caught the singing with his wolven ears.
Dodori stopped on his tracks and waited for Cale to continue his singing.
'He said, "Will you defeat them?
Your demons, and all the non-believers
The plans that they have made?"'
Rosalyn gasps and her hands cover her mouth in shock. Did the Duke Deruth really just tell his young son to...
Eruhaben frowned. That human father, this might be the reason why the unlucky bastard was always doing things on his own.
Choi Han on the other hand was just listening nostalgically.
' "Because one day,
I'll leave you a phantom
To lead you in the summer
To join the black parade" '
Rosalyn was conflicted as to whether he should hate the duke or praise him because he raised a young boy who is now known as the greatest hero their nation has ever seen.
'Sometimes I get the feelin'
She's watchin' over me
And other times I feel like I should go...'
Ron, who is hiding in the shadows listening to his young master's rare display of talent, wonders if he is thinking about the mother he lost at a very young age. Did he ever have an illusion that his mother is around even as he knows the reality of his situation?
Deruth did have some shortcomings when it came to raising his firstborn but Ron thought he was not at the proper position to criticise his lordship. He himself is not exactly what you can call a perfect father.
'And through it all, the rise and fall
The bodies in the streets
And when you're gone, we want you all to know, We'll carry on, we'll carry on
And though you're dead and gone, believe me
Your memory will carry on...'
Raon, who was also listening to the corner he chose as his hiding spot, placed his hands upon his heart. He felt like his human-- no his father is saying these words to him. But the little dragon who kept on listening with his sharp hearing cannot even imagine the day that Cale would leave this world. The child has no idea if he can do what Cale has done and carry on after his mother has left him.
On was shaking as she as well imagined what their life would be if her Dad was... Sniff... On look to her side and found Hong with teary eyes as if he also cannot take the idea.
"Noona..." The little boy sniffed once again and On cannot help but to reach for her brother and hug him. She and Hong and even their youngest wouldn't be in this place if not for Cale. Their Dad has given them another chance in life. If not for him, the two of them would still be starving children on the streets and Raon would still be underneath that dark cave.
Lock tried to ground himself even with all emotions bursting in his heart. Their young master who is like a father to them, the one who saved them and gave them a home was saying all these words ... As if...
Cale on the other hand was oblivious to this and paused shortly as she tried to figure out how to play the song key change. He tapped a few times before he figured it out.
'Do or die, you'll never make me
Because the world,
will never take my heart
Go and try, you'll never break me
We want it all, we wanna play this part'
Why don't you just ask for help, you stupidly good, unlucky bastard. Eruhaben thought as he shook his head in exasperation.
'I won't explain or say I'm sorry
I'm unashamed, I'm gonna show my scars. Give a cheer for all the broken
Listen here, because it's who we are..'
Tasha who was there all along and listening to the song opened a video communication device and silently connected it to her nephew, Alberu. With her was Mary and Hannah, the three of them just got back from training another trick using dead mana that could be a good defense mechanism for the dark elves' underground city.
Hannah felt like those words had hit her bulls eye and has never felt more proud for herself, for Mary and the other dark elves. They have been shunned and feared by people just because of who they are but Cale showed them that like the others, they are also a part of this beautiful world. They bleed and they breathe just like the others. They get hurt and they die just like the others. Cale showed the world that they are just regular people who wanted freedom and to be treated normal.
'I'm just a man, I'm not a hero
Just a boy, who had to sing this song
I'm just a man, I'm not a hero
I don't care, we'll carry on...'
Rosalyn's tears fell from her shaking eyes. Duke Deruth is cruel to put all these weights of reality on the shoulders of a young boy. Did Young Master Cale think this is his duty? To protect the others? He is not a hero? Then what are they?
Why do you have to be excessively good, Dad? On thought.
Eruhaben rose from his seat in annoyance. Annoyance because a dragon like him has no idea why there is such an existence as unlucky as this bastard. He was born rich, he could've had all the things in the world yet he chose a path that would make him thread into hardships.
Choi Han on the other hand wonders why Cale stopped his playing and took a peek at the redhead and found the man sipping his tea. The xylophone he was using to play was placed atop the table next to the seat he is in.
Suddenly, a black blur passed his sight and he looked back and forth just to see a half transformed Raon flying towards Cale. The boy might have been stressed and did not care if one of his horns came out. His black wings flutter into the air as he flies to the arms of his father figure.
"What's wrong?" Cale asked in surprise. His hands immediately held and carried the boy in his arms that's as small as a six year old human boy. "What happened?"
The black young dragon sniffed. "I love you, daddy." Raon whispered.
Cale was surprised for a second before laughing in amusement. "Yes, yes. You are my son. I love you too." When he said that, two others rushed on his side and encased Cale to their embrace. On buried her face on Cale's clothes and Hong clings into his other side. Though awkward, Cale extended his hug to his other two kids and even kissed On's head. This little girl is still a baby despite trying to act mature. "I love you, my children."
-.-.-.-
Duke Deruth was silently finishing his loads of paperwork when a golden magic circle appeared into his office floors. Seconds later, A man whom he knew as the ancient dragon Eruhaben appeared, along with Dodori, Rosalyn and Sword Master Holy Maiden Hannah. All of them are staring daggers at him and Deruth wonders what has he done in his life to earn the hate of these ridiculously powerful people.
Deruth raised his hands and calmly said, "I don't know what's happening, but whatever it is, it wasn't me."
AN: last line of Deruth courtesy of Ari Zee san on her comment to my teaser post
haha ╮ (. ❛ ᴗ ❛.) ╭