Work Text:
İt was night time, stars were shining brightly, citizens of the Roan Empire were quickly asleep. Even in the Henituse Estate, everyone was sleeping, except for the young master of the Dukedom, Hero of the whole continent.
Cale played a few notes on the guitar he held and when he finished the song he put it down and stopped the recording device.
He was thinking of doing this for a while now, since they defeated White Star, around 3 years ago. This recording he just finished was very important for him. It was for certain people to watch, his family to watch, but not now. When the time comes, he will give it to them.
The redhead was in a bad mood because of the thoughts he had. Cale walked to the balcony, sat on one of the chairs and closed his eyes. He took a deep breath and opened his eyes, watching the now rising sun.
Years later, the same redhead who now had white hair lay on his bed, smiling toward the people by his bed.
"H-human…" The now an adult dragon in his beautiful human form was crying, he was pleading for that human of his not to leave him. It has been so many years and their family broke apart, people leaving one by one. He didn't want to lose one more, his dad on top of that.
"Raon, it's going to be alright." Said the man smiling.
"No it won't! First it was Grandpa Ron and since then everyone is leaving! I will be all alone! Don't leave me!" Raon begged in tears, clutching the hand of the old man.
"Choi Han will be with you, Eruhaben-nim, On and Hong too. Sheritt-nim and some others are still there.. You won't be alone, Raon." Cale patted the dragon's head just as when he was still 4 years old.
Raon cried even more, leaning the touch he loves so much. His insides were hurting so much, he wanted to scream. He wanted to save his human, he wanted to bring back the other family members he lost, he wanted to cry his lungs out, he wanted so many things… But all he could do was to sit and watch as his dad was fading more day by day.
Cale took a breath and opened his mouth. "Raon, I want you to do something for me." He knew his time was coming, he could feel it.
"What is it human? I can do anything! Do you want to scam people? Will you be okay if you do it?" He knew that his human wouldn't be okay even if he did this.
"Raon, I want you to hold something in your possession for me and when time comes you will look into it, okay?" Cale took another breath, his chest hurts.
"O-okay, human." Raon feared that Cale was talking about his death when he said 'when the time comes'.
"It's in my treasure room, in a gold and red chest. You will open it when I'm not here anymo-"
"No! Cale, no! I won't do it! I- I won't!" The dragon cried in despair.
"Raon, please, promise me." Cale begged in the same despair.
Raon cried even harder, but a few minutes later he finally nodded. "Okay, human. I- I promise.."
"Good, you must do it." Cale smiled softly and patted his son's head.
A week later Roan Empire mourned at the news of their hero's death.
Choi Han put his hand on Raon's shoulder, they didn't utter a single word and just stood there for hours. Cale's grave was in the Henituse Territory, in The Forest of Darkness, right next to other family members'.
Eruhaben stood far away, looking at them. "Tch.." He wiped his tears quickly. "You made me drink the damn artifact and now I have to live for a long time.." Without you, was what he didn't say.
Choi Han looked at the red flowers, tears falling uncontrollably. "Choi Han," said Cale just a day before his death. "Take care of others, Raon won't be okay for a while, Eruhaben-nim will be alone too, On and Hong will be desperate, you're the only one I can trust with this. But don't be harsh with yourself, don't forget to eat, don't overdo your training, okay?"
Choi Han's shoulders shook wildly, but a single noise didn't come out.
On and Hong were kneeling on his other side, crying loudly just like Raon. The cat siblings remembered the moments they were with Cale. He gave them a home, food, hugs, a family and everything else. Cale was their family, their dad, their everything and now, he is gone.
Raon finally couldn't take it anymore and screamed, "Cale!" He kneeled, screaming even more, making others cry harder.
They didn't leave the grave for almost weeks..
Raon held a very old video recording device, an ancient one, so to say. He was listening to it even ages later, with the same feelings every time.
He played the record, Choi han sitting next to him. It was just them now, everyone died, even Eruhaben..
"Hey, I'm recording this for my family to watch, for you especially, Raon, Choi Han. It must be hard to live, it will be even harder maybe. When you're in despair, just stop for a moment, think of happy times and when there is someone strong just run away, when you get stronger you can come back and smack them from behind. Don't forget to eat, get a good 8 hours of sleep, don't overdo anything, take care of yourself and the others. It's going to be okay, bad days will end, bad guys will be smacked from the behind, time will flow.. Raon, you're a great and mighty dragon, you're Raon Miru and I want you to live through your name. Choi Han, you're a strong person but you're still a human, don't forget it and take care of yourself. Sigh.. One, two, three..
I remember tears streaming down your face when I said I'll never let you go
When all those shadows almost killed your light
I remember you said don't leave me here alone
But all that's dead and gone and passed tonight
Just close your eyes, the sun is going down
You'll be alright, no one can hurt you now
Come morning light, you and I'll be safe and sound
Don't you dare look out your window, darling everything's on fire
The war outside our door keeps raging on
Hold onto this lullaby even when the musics gone, gone
Just close your eyes, the sun is going down
You'll be alright, no one can hurt you now
Come morning light, you and I'll be safe and sound
Just close your eyes, you'll be alright
Come morning light, you and I'll be safe and sound
…"
The song lasted 4 minutes and at the end of it, both of them were smiling bitterly, tears in their eyes but never falling.
Raon and Choi Han played it one more time, thinking of their family as they were listening.
50 more decades later and finally, Raon closed his eyes with a smile on his lips, his body glowing and mixing in nature beautifully.
Choi Han next to him, closing his eyes at the same moment due to the deal he made with a god ages ago. He is smiling too.
Choi Han opened his eyes again, a red haired woman and a wolf boy smiling at him, stretching their hands out. Choi Han looked behind them, saw a red haired man hugging a little dragon, two cat children on his shoulders. There is an old man next to them, wearing a bening smile that reaches his eyes for the first time. There is more people, a pair of blond twins, a hooded girl, a chief with white gloves, a blond man smiling as bright as the sun, a white haired man with a lunatic smile, a blue haired man drinking madly and a mage that trying to stop him, ten wolf children and so on…
All of them are here, smiling and waiting for him. Choi Han put on his biggest smile and held the hands reaching towards him, joining them.