I.
.
Someone…was brushing her hair. That person…Who was it, she wonders. The hands combing through her scarlet locks were gentle, so much so that her heart filled up at every stroke that comfortingly graced her hair. Yona was almost reluctant to wake up, feeling the lull of the temptation to let herself be rocked back into a peaceful slumber by those warm hands. It was with much difficulty that violet eyes parted to stare into a set of equally stunning eyes.
"…Are you awake?" He smiled.
Yona took a moment to take in the situation and jumped to the opposite end of the raft at once.
"W-W-W-Who are you…?!" She squeaked. How did she end up here?! The last thing she remembers had been the sound of Yoon's even breathing beside her as she drifted off to sleep. Had someone kidnapped her?
The elegant man tossed his head back with a graceful laugh. The chortle, however amused he was at her indignation, was a beautiful sound that soothed her with its sheer warmth and light. In the night where the full moon shone its unearthly light upon them and the cherry blossom trees danced with a lingering summer wind, Yona found herself staring with large eyes. The man just seemed so ethereal and beautiful, that she just could not help it.
"Please, worry not about your safety, Princess Yona." The man offered a smile and the slightest of flushes graced his cheeks as if to emphasize his polite, gentlemanly charm. "My identity is irrelevant here, but it is of no interest to me to harm either you or your friends. I just…" A pale hand traced the edges of the raft. His smile glowed in the reflection of the pond. "…wanted to talk with you."
A talk…Yona pondered, staring openly at the man. His dressing belied the air of nobility that he held and his smile appears full of innocence yet hid a depth that suggested his knowledge of greater things than she knew. In a way, he reminded Yona very much of two men: Soo-Won – here, she ignored the familiar twinge of her heart even at the mere thought of him – and now, a person whom she would not have thought of days ago, Zeno. A glint of gold, Zeno's colour, caught her attention.
She lifted her gaze to meet the redhead's eyes – and smiled.
"Perhaps you desired a talk, King Hiryuu, but I doubt that is your only intention in crossing millenniums to meet me." She puffed her chest out, attempting to seem bigger under the wise eyes that hid the flicker of surprise with ease, and leaned in. "That dragon crest…It is Zeno's. Not to mention, your signature red hair is the first thing that gave you away." She tugged her own scarlet locks with a sheepish grin.
King Hiryuu blinked and chuckled into his hand, violet eyes turning into crescents.
"You…are adorable, just like my Zeno." His laughter bated, the King turned his eyes to the moon.
Yona followed his gaze hesitantly, reminded of Shin-ha as she observed the night sky, illuminated by an infinite number of stars and that single, large, lonely moon. Come to think of it, back when they had first met, Yona had thought of Zeno as her sun, all bright and cheerful in the way he effortlessly lifted the spirits of the group. In retrospect, that cheer had probably been built on the two millenniums of suffering he went through…a strength based on the foundation of the pain that they were unable, incapable of protecting him from…a light that was made possible by Zeno's unending kindness and adoration for them all…
"…Don't cry." Hiryuu smiled as his gaze dropped back to her. However, even his brows were slightly crinkled with helpless sympathy.
"I…" Yona sniffled in shame, wiping her tears with the corners of her sleeves. "I just wish I wasn't so…so powerless. I wish I could become stronger…even stronger-!...if only so that I can protect Zeno and the others; So that Zeno would no longer be forced to have that look on his face when he fights. I-I…I just wish I can do something for Zeno to help him…even if it is just a little…"
Hiryuu made no motion to comfort her. She knew that he understood as well as she did that needless comforting would be of no help, especially when the one in pain was their Ouryuu and not them. He was her, and she was him. Zeno said as much, and so, she was certain that they at least share the same feelings for Zeno, for the too kind and gentle, strong and weak, bright but sad Zeno, who underwent hundreds and thousands of years of torment where neither of them were there to support him.
So instead of whispering kind useless words, Hiryuu tilted his head, smile slipping from his lips for the first time as violet eyes glowed magnificently in the moonlight.
"…Do you wish to understand him, Princess Yona?"
She sniffled.
"…Yes." To know what lies beyond the sunny façade he puts up for them. To rescue him from his constant turmoil. To know the sacrifices that Zeno had made for them all, so as to treasure him more. To chase those shadows away from his eyes-
"…Even if it hurts both you and him? Even if your comprehension pushes him further away from you, are you willing to fight to help him? …To save your Ouryuu?"
"Yes! If I can support him just a little…Just like with Hak, I will do everything in my abilities, and if that is not enough to suffice, I'll become even stronger – until I can protect the ones precious to me." Her violet eyes steeled and burnt with determination as her tears dried and hands clenched into fistfuls of her pink dress. The faces of each of her friends – Hak, Yoon, Kija, Shin-ah, Jae-ha, and Zeno – flashed behind her eyes as she made her resolution once more, not just for Zeno, but for each and every one of them.
Hiryuu smiled gently at his descendent and rose to his feet, bringing a hand to pat her head.
"That's a good answer, Yona."
"Wha-…" Violet eyes dulled and she slumped against him.
With strong but thin arms, the king lowered his reincarnation back onto his lap, fingers brushing through the red locks that spilled across his lap like a bed of roses. The corners of his lips perk up as their raft gradually approached its destination: a field of gold as stunning as Zeno's blond locks with cherry blossoms cascading down upon three men who were waiting for him. Shuten grouched as he picked up his weapon. Guen leapt down from a tree branch to greet him with a gruff grin. And Abi, who sat at the base of a tree, picked himself up and sent the blue canaries flying and squirrels dashing off.
"Everyone." He smiles, his descendent laying dead asleep in his arms as he stepped onto the harbour. "Let's go find Zeno."
"Sure thing/Yeah/About time." Three responses, all coloured with each of their respective individualistic personalities, answered him.
The King chuckled.
.
A bead of water plopped to the ground with a clear sound. In the distance, beyond the golden fields and the wisps of scarlet red flames that was King Hiryuu, Yona heard Yoon's voice. The moment those hand had traced the crown of her head, her vision had blurred and faded. Yona recalls no fear, just a slight twinge of confusion before all things disappeared, swallowed by the surge of exhaustion that came so suddenly. Then, Yoon's voice became clear.
"…ona! Yona! Wake up!"
Violet eyes parted with a gasp. Yoon's expression as he leaned over her was one of panic, cold sweat trickling down his face. The air felt refreshingly cool – almost cold – on her face. The sound of droplets hitting ground multiplied and grew in their intensity into a rhythmic drone that would usually have Yoon sending out vicious orders, Shin-ah shivering, and Zeno running about happily with his hands up in the air, almost like a small child…Zeno!
She sat up at once, narrowly avoiding a painful contact with Yoon's forehead. She grabbed her chest as she remembered King Hiryuu and his words. To understand Zeno…His words hinted that it was possible to do just that, but even enough, she was still confused about what he was exactly talking about. But emotions and thoughts were irrelevant currently. Survival, above all else, comes first. Violet eyes danced around them, taking in their surroundings with growing panic.
Surrounding them was an unfamiliar shed, one which they had clearly not fallen asleep in. Their tent had all but disappeared. A few of their belongings and weapons lead around them, but that was it. It was almost as if someone had moved them in a hurry.
Yona released a bated breath when her gaze landed on Hak. Good. At the very least, all of them were here together…All but Zeno, she realized, and her blood ran cold.
"Where is Zeno?" She asks, attempting to calm herself down.
"Hm? Come to think of it…" Jae-ha helped Kija stand. "…We didn't see him."
"It's fine, isn't it?" Hak picked up his weapon. "I'm sure the old man's perfectly capable of taking care of himself. I'd bet he just ran off to explore after waking up."
"That Ouryuu…" Kija sighed in exasperation, a habit Yona noticed he had developed whenever Zeno acts in a manner that challenges his expectations of the four dragons. "…If he had woken, he should have woke us up as well!"
Shin-ah adjusted his mask as usual after he wakes, Ao squeaking adorably on his fur coat as she tried to regain her hold on him. Blue tuffs poked out from beneath the white wolf fur. He stiffened under Jae-ha's overly curious gaze as always, but it was the unusually loud gasp of the Seiryuu that caught all their attention. Hak remained casual in his stance, but his muscles became taut. Kija readied his claws, while Jae-ha took a step forward in anticipation. They had all learnt that Shin-ah's observations are never to be overlooked.
"…B-Blood…W-…What is this…?" A whispered question was stricken oddly enough with grief and horror. It was a question that Shin-ah would never ask, given all he had seen with his golden eyes.
"S-Shin-ah…?" Yona feared for the worse, tightening her grasp over her bow.
Shakily, the blue dragon rose to his feet and stepped forward. Ao was bristling on his shoulder, beady eyes turning to the door with much agitation for unknown reasons. Lightning flashed as the door was opened, and suddenly, everyone understood.
"T-This…"
"Wha…"
"…ngh…"
Yona clasped a shaky hand over her lips in disbelief, eyes widening as she continued to gaze at the sea of blood, the numerous bodies and limbs all strewn in the streets, the bloodied weapons that littered everywhere and any inch of space available. This…This…! Another flash of lightning. This time, she recalled her peaceful talk with King Hiryuu on that raft, their shared understanding about Zeno, and suddenly, in a manner that was more natural than it should be, she understood what was happening.
"Princess…!" Hak grabbed her, covering her eyes from the bloodshed, trying to protect her as always.
"This is worse than Zeno's fight…" Jae-ha commented casually, but even his voice was strained.
"What kind of battle must have taken place here…"
"Just…where are we?" Yoon questions shakily, hugging himself.
Yona knew the answer to that. No, she felt it, deep in her soul. They were somewhere they should not be, somewhere that never existed in their time at all…a place which only belongs in Zeno's memories.
Just then, Shin-ah gave another gasp that had them on guard again.
"Shin-ah, what is it this time round?" Kija flanked the Seiryuu's side as if to provide support.
"Oi, oi…Could this situation get any worse?" Jae-ha forced a smile.
"…Hak, release me." She said with unnerving calm, lips pursued in determination.
"Don't wanna." He replied bluntly.
"…Hak." Her voice showed her decision. Small hands touched the bigger ones covering her eyes and tugged them down gently. Hak relented, but still shielded her vision with his body anyways. Yona breathed and levelled her gaze with her bodyguard's, her friend's. Oddly enough, her voice was strangled as she spoke, filled with more pain than she wanted it to be. "Hak, if I want to understand, I must see this."
"…Princess?" His brows furrowed, as if he sensed something was off for the first time.
"…Zeno." Shin-ah whispered, breaking them out of their trance. A finger shakily rose and pointed in the distance. "…Ze…no…"
Then, he was running, mask covering the desperation which they all heard in his voice even with the rain tumbling heavily down upon them and the red blood which seem to cover every inch of the village's streets. They cried his name as they chased after him. Yoon hastily packed his medicine and the remains of their belongings before Jae-ha lifted him and leapt to the skies and joined them. Yona could hear the pounding of her heart, her violet eyes widening in realization and narrowing with grief as one tiny figure in the distance grew bigger, closer.
It was Zeno. He was Zeno, deniably, as those golden locks could only belong to their Ouryuu and the large turquoise eyes were just the same shade of blue as Zeno's eyes were. But he was six and he was much tinier than any of them could recall him being. He was dressed in unfamiliar rags, lacking the bright shades of orange and green he always wore, which were stained with the ugliest bloody red they all hated being on him. And Zeno, little Zeno, lacked all the cheer and sunshine and warmth that they so naturally associated with him, that it felt like they were looking at someone else entirely.
Their gasps of surprise failed to reach the boy who sat, crying his eyes out. He wailed, ignoring the cold rain which soaked him, turquoise eyes closing as he grabbed fistfuls of mud.
"…Mother…!" He cried, sniffling as he did so.
"This is…Zeno?" Jae-ha asks lightly, doubtful of his own eyes, and Shin-ah nodded.
"Did we go back in time?" Kija asks this time round, blue eyes large as his claws quivered, helpless before his crying comrade. Zeno looks so tiny…so unfathomably weak, unlike the reliable, cheerful countenance he always has on…that Kija wished for nothing but to hold the boy to his chest and comfort him until his tears stop.
"No, we didn't." Yona spoke up for the first time, her voice the only one that held determination amongst all that has thus far spoken up.
She understood. Yona gazed at the boy before her, at Zeno, her jaw sat with determination and just the slightest pain. Zeno was still crying, wailing to the heavens, and even though she wanted so very much to wipe those tears away and plant kisses to his head to quell the pain of the loss of his mother, she knew it was impossible. She took a step forward on the muddy ground, squatting down and leaning in, even though she knew, somewhere in her heart, that it was a futile motion.
"…Princess?" Hak intoned again.
She squeezes her eyes shut and dared herself to wrap her arms around the boy.
As expected, they passed through.
Gasps resounded. Zeno's crying continued.
Yona wanted to laugh but also to curse as she gazed at her own trembling, helpless hands and at the still crying Zeno. Her tears melded with the rain as she closed her eyes in powerlessness. The rain…does not feel damp at all. The sea of red from before had not stained her long cloak with red. She could not touch Zeno, and all she could do was to watch. She voices her understanding regretfully.
"This is…Zeno's memories." She utters, turning to gaze at her friends with a tearful smile. "King Hiryuu said…that it is possible to understand Zeno. I agreed to it even though I did not even know about the means that he was talking about it. I'm sorry, everyone, for involving you."
The silence that resounded as they took in her words seems to echo for eternity. There was another flash of lightning. She drops her head, wrapping phantom hands around the shaking shoulders of the tiny boy protectively, wishing with all her heart that she could touch him, to give Zeno the hug that he needs. When she looks up, her friends had a variation of expressions.
"King…Hiryuu…?" Kija echoed her, stunned.
"If that's the case…then King Hiryuu sent us here to watch Zeno's memories to understand him?" Jae-ha pieced together the given information, glancing to her for confirmation. She nodded after a moment. "I see…This is somewhat troublesome." He sighed, ruffling his own hair.
"If that old man knows, I bet he'll react negatively." Hak commented.
"W-Well, it is Zeno afterall. Even though he talks about those two thousand years so easily, I'm sure he's been through lots of pain." Yoon folded his arms and sweatdropped.
"Two thousand years…" Kija repeated, still dumbfounded.
They remained in a moment of thoughtful silence, heads bowing in thought.
"P'kyuu!" Ao decided to chirp in, gesturing wildly with her hands. It took a fair amount of lowering her body on her part before Shin-ha grabbed her gently and placed her on the ground. Without hesitation, she rushed forward, attempting to jump onto tiny Zeno.
"Ao…" Yona whispers in shock, catching the squirrel when she passed through Zeno. Unfazed, Ao continued to try, even going as far as to extract a peanut from her cheek pouches to use as an offering to the unseeing boy. As always, motherly Ao is attempting to help her distraught charges. Yona giggles into a hand, patting the tiny squirrel on the head. "Thank you, Ao. I'm sure Zeno is grateful to you as well, but he just can't accept your gift."
"P'kyu?" Ao cocked her head.
The men hesitated and gave in with a sigh.
"I reserve the right to know why Zeno's always calling me a 'kid'." Yoon stated in a grumble, looking away.
"I suppose it wouldn't be bad to be able to hold some secrets over the old man's head." Hak smirked.
"We're here to understand him, not to torment him more, Hak!" Yona scolded with a frown.
"Well, I suppose it wouldn't be bad to understand his weaknesses better, then." He amended, still with the same devious grin.
"That's still almost the same thing!" She pouted. Her friend never changes, does he?
"I, more than anything, want to know about his marriage life!" Jae-ha lifted a hand to the skies.
"And the pervert strikes again, huh." Yoon sighed.
"Thanks for the compliment." Jae-ha smiled.
"Yeah, yeah, you perverted green dragon."
"A-As for me," Kija brought his dragon claw to his chest, blue eyes hesitant as he spoke. "I wish to know more about the first generation dragons, as well as how I could further improve my use of my abilities."
Yona smiled. It was a goal that was just like Kija, as always.
All eyes then turned on their last remaining member.
"…Ao." Shin-ah answered simply, meaning he would follow whatever his squirrel chooses.
"P'kyuu!" The squirrel saluted them, and the men burst out in another exasperated squabble.
Yona watched Hak land a kick on Jae-ha, who whimpered in pleasure, garnering disgusted groans, and couldn't help the smile that crossed her face. Everyone is so bright, as usual, even with the rain falling around them and blood soaking the ground. Violet eyes turned to Zeno, who sat quietly, unable to cry any more, and she observed the emptiness in those turquoise eyes. If only they could share a bit of their brightness with Zeno…How good it would be, to repay their sun with the warmth and protection he gave them. Still, it was a great relief to know that everyone was with her and feel the same about their sun.
"Thank you, everyone." Yona whispered. She smiled at them.
Though the words were unheard amidst the rain and the roar of the thunder, they returned the smile, eyes shining bright.
.
It took a moment to recall where he had felt the gentle caress of his hair. Hiryuu…That's right, King Hiryuu is the one who had that habit, so much that his wife often even felt jealous…though embarrassingly enough, it was of King Hiryuu being the one to caress Zeno's hair, rather than her. Those gentle hands feel so nostalgic…even the humming of his voice sounds exactly the same.
He always did have good memory.
Turquoise eyes parted to gaze up at violet eyes, exactly the same as he remembered them. A shade more royal than the Miss', lashes long and casting shadows upon pale cheeks, glowing ethereally with constant adoration for all his dragons each time his gaze lies upon them. Those eyes were the ones he had seen numerous times in his dreams, simply staring quietly, simply observing, before a smile would grace his face and the dream would end, leaving Zeno in tears for more times than he could bother to count.
This must be a dream.
"King Hiryuu." He greeted as he always did before his king's death, sitting up straight. He pushed back his wild locks, lips twisting up into a practiced smile. "How many times must Zeno tell you…Please don't mess with Zeno's hair already; it's messy enough as it is!"
Surprise flickered through violet eyes, then understanding. Hiryuu smiled kindly, gently.
"Your speech pattern has changed, Zeno." His eyes turned into crescents, red locks spilling over his shoulder as he tilted his head in amusement. "But as always, you are adorable in my eyes. That untameable mane of yours is but one of your numerous charms, my Zeno. Just as Shuten's bewildering recklessness is one of his less comprehensible charms in my eyes."
No sooner had he finished that sentence, said Ryokuryuu fell from the skies.
"You blockhead king…What did you say about me?!" Shuten growled.
"That you are endearing and very lovable." Hiryuu's smile grew wider in amusement. "Or am I wrong to say so?"
It was that same smile that always unravelled them, making them into a stuttering, blushing mess, not unlike children before the eyes of the ones whom they admire. Shuten always splutters at that smile, flushing just the lightest despite his manliness, Zeno thought, and as always, Abi would appear in the corner to correct the King in his evaluation of the Ryokuryuu's character, just like now-
"Indeed, my king, his recklessness is a charm. A charm for danger, that is." Noble Abi with his beautiful eyes gazed down at them, lightly trailing a delicate finger down the back of a blue bird that rested on his shoulder. His eyes were uncovered, just the way Zeno recalls them being for the most of their lives.
"What are you…Are you picking a fight with me, huh?!" Shuten flashed his weapon, a tick mark on his face.
"Come at me whenever you're ready, you brute." Abi readied his eyes.
"Oh! A fight?! Let me join in!" Guen shows up, brandishing his claws. The circle is complete.
A resounding clap stopped the usual antics, drawing all eyes to the King. Hiryuu beamed at them, once more leaving everyone guilty with his silent smile, and slowly rose to his feet, brushing the pink petals off his gown. The graceful king glided rather than hopped away from the cherry blossom trees and headed towards that one shed in the distance. Wordlessly, his simple action of looking back at them commanded them to follow, and Shuten and Guen did so with their usual banter between them. The King chuckled as his two strongest protectors flanked his sides and walked alongside him.
"…Are you not coming?" Abi asks silently after leaping off the tree.
Zeno blinked as he lifted his head for the first time and found beautiful golden orbs staring into his eyes, an action which reminded him of that day – when Guen told him to find him, Shuten told him to bring liquor, Abi cried, and he cried together in his heart even as he smiled. The blue bird on Abi's shoulder chirped, and Zeno smiled. Was it real? Was it fake? He did not even know now.
He stood and followed, side by side with Abi as they traced the footsteps of their king and their fellow warriors.
If this is a dream, Zeno will play along with it until he wakes.
.
The scenery changed and suddenly, they found themselves in that same shed as before. This time, the drone of the heavily tumbling water droplets was no longer present. Instead, the light hearted chirps of birds took its place, replacing rain with sunshine, coldness with warmth, darkness with light. Yona blinked, realizing that Zeno was no longer in her arms, and glanced around in search of him. It took no time, considering that Zeno was bandaging himself at the corner of the room.
"I wonder…Does Zeno live in this shed?" She looked around for signs of toys, things which she believed were the essence of all childhood. Instead, she found no balls, no colours, and nothing that indicated that this shed was lived-in by a child.
"The room is quite bland." Jae-ha commented, recalling his own childhood. Even with the chains and the torment, there had at least been some storybooks that the villagers gave to appease his curiosity about the outside world. It was how he learnt about the founding legend afterall.
"It must be difficult, for a young boy to learn how to survive by himself." Kija frowned in sympathy.
Yoon frowned at his words and squatted down to observe Zeno's work instead.
"Mh, it's not excellent, but it's good enough." He nodded. "At least he knows how to bandage his own wounds and prevent possible infections."
"…Ao." Shin-ah shifted his hands nervously. "Don't."
The squirrel had hoped onto a barrel which had previously not been there. With large beady eyes dewy with a familiar look of hunger they were all too used to, the squirrel was trying to chew open the barrel, even when her teeth merely passes through it. Hak scratched his neck as he stared at the barrel curiously.
"I wonder what it is." He said.
"If I have to guess, I'd bet that it is some crops. When we were running out earlier, I saw a farm in the distance. I guess the farmer and his family were also afflicted in the tragedy." Yoon did not lower his eyes in discomfort despite that. Afterall, it happened in the past, and there was nothing they could do to prevent it.
"Huh."
"…Good."
"Eh?" A chorus of confused voices was met with determined turquoise eyes.
Yona found herself taken aback by the look in Zeno's eyes as he patted his now bandaged palms, rising to his feet. Lips pursued and eyes burning with resolution, he picked up a farmer's shovel outside the door of his house and puffed his chest out, speaking to himself with a voice, hoarse from the lack of use.
"…It's time to work." He uttered.
It was only then that they realized. The village was too normal. Where the bodies and weapons had littered the streets, there was now just the faintest hint of blood splatters, but even those were faint and indicative of the effort of somebody to clear up the mess. They turned to Zeno as they began to notice the bandages that were wrapped around small palms, the bright smile with a hint of strength and loneliness, and more than that, the tiny back of the small Zeno as he heave the shovel onto one shoulder.
"Come to think of it, Zeno still hasn't gained the powers of Ouryuu yet, has he?" Jae-ha pointed out, as if reminding himself.
"That is correct. The dragon warriors were only born when King Hiryuu is in danger, but it seems like that time has yet to come." Kija nodded.
"To be more accurate, the time has already went, but we're just looking at the old man's memories of the past, right?" Hak smirked cheekily.
"D-Don't be so fussy about the details!" Kija stuttered, and Hak smirked wider.
"Zeno…is strong." Yona stated, admiring the small back of the boy. "That time, when we were chased out of the castle…Even though I was way older than him when it happened, I had to rely on Hak and others to survive. I couldn't pick myself up without the support of others, and yet, Zeno did it so easily."
"Well, the Princess is different, that's why." Hak stated in a matter of fact manner.
"Eh?"
"That's right, Yona, Kija and you grew up with a sheltered childhood, unlike Zeno or us. It is admirable enough that you guys are constantly pushing yourselves to become stronger and catch up with us." Yoon agreed.
"B-But…" Yona paused. She never thought of it that way. "…Thank you, Yoon."
"Not at all." He smiled.
They trailed after the blond child in silence, watching as he occasionally stop by each house to arrange some items which has fallen out of place. At times, Zeno would kick down a half broken door and carry it away with much effort. Other times, it is just to upright a fallen chair or even just pushing mere furniture in place. It was amusing watching the blond child fuss over the trivial details he came across.
"Zeno is surprisingly meticulous." Yona giggled.
"Well, he does help me arrange my medicine bottles often with surprising speed." Yoon deadpanned. "Sometimes, I wonder if he's being messy on purpose."
"Well, he did seem to be raised by his mother only." Jae-ha blinked at the confused stares he was given and smiled. "Back there, when he cried, he only cried for his mother, remember?"
The mood darkened a little at the memory, but they hummed in understanding.
"That explains why Zeno is so often gentlemanly towards women." Yona chuckles into a hand. "He would always offer to help me carry some firewood and clothes, and he would hold doors open for me. At times, he would even find flowers and offer them to me!"
"Y-Yona…You're compromising Zeno's safety right now." Yoon sweatdropped as he glanced at a dark-faced self-proclaimed Dark Dragon from the corner of his eyes.
"Eh? What did you say?"
"N-No. I didn't say anything at all!"
"It figures why Zeno is as chivalrous as me now, doesn't it?" Jae-ha beamed.
"No…Rather than chivalrous…" Yoon deadpanned, leaving the rest unsaid.
"Don't group yourself with the old man, Droopy eyes. He at least does not have hidden intentions like you."
"How mean…" Jae-ha smiled.
"It unnerves me to ask, but…Just where is Zeno heading for, specifically?" Kija questions as he ignored the light-hearted banter.
"That's…of course…" Yoon's smile faltered, discomfort evident on his face as he trailed around the subject.
With the exception of Jae-ha, whose smile seems strained, Shin-ah, and Hak, the rest of the group were visibly distraught by the faint idea which they already had. Someone had cleaned up the village, and that someone was Zeno. From the looks of things, Zeno must have been working for a long while, and his words just before he left the shed…
Yona's eyes darkened. Was this what Zeno went through? To have to bury his village one by one all alone…She couldn't possibly imagine having to bury her friends all by herself. Why was it that nobody survived to help Zeno in his time of need?
Observing her expression, Hak narrowed his eyes.
Finally, they arrived at their destination, which was just as they suspected. Yona cringed at the ominous sight of so many grave stones sticking out from the ground while Yoon clenched his fist and Shin-ha stared with a partially parted mouth, but Zeno was unfazed as he hopped over, bandaged palms grabbing the handle of the shovel firmly.
"Thirty-five…No…Thirty-eight…?" Zeno pondered to himself, turquoise eyes inquisitive and just the slightest dark. He plopped down on the ground in thought. "Yesterday, there was Kim-Soo, Jonah, and Tae-Wee. There was also the bread shop auntie who made the cow-shaped bun, and the tailorshop uncle who likes blue fabrics and…"
Yona flinched when she gazed at his eyes. The always bright and cheerful turquoise was nowhere to be found, replaced by a murky dark blue that was like the colour of the deepest part of the ocean.
"To remember each and every one so clearly…" Yoon uttered in sympathy. "…It must hurt to say their names."
"But if he doesn't remember, there would be no one who does." Hak spoke, shadows lingering in his blue orbs as he scowled. "There would be no one to remember that they lived."
Yona looked down. Her father would certainly be remembered for history as a foolish king, but will his kindness, his words, and his smile be remembered…?
"Five more, right!" Zeno leapt to his feet with a bright grin. "Five more, and it's all over!"
Something about the way he said it strike her.
"…all over…?" She repeated, trying to understand. She blinked in disbelief. "…Suicide…?"
"Eh?!"
"I-It can't be that, Princess. Afterall, despite his age, Ouryuu is strong." Kija shook his head, but even he appears shaken by the possibility.
"He survived anyways, so if he's really thinking about that, then there should be someone who'd stop him." Hak stated, following after Zeno as the boy began to wander to a different spot. "There's no need to worry."
"Y-Yeah…" But no one could really cease their anxiety.
Everyone is worried, Yona thought. Afterall, if Zeno had really thought about suicide once, would that not mean that he has thought about it many times in the later part of his life? The worse truth possible was that he was granted immortality as Ouryuu despite wishing for death. Despite his constant smiles, Yona found herself once more wondering if the Zeno who had been with them all this time was an illusion, a strong front put up by him for them. She wonders…How broken is Zeno truly, under the many layers of smiles and cheer and warmth.
The Zeno before them was blind to their presence as he picks up the shovel and began digging. A tiny child no older than seven, digging up graves in order to bury the corpses of his village, his family…
"I wonder how Zeno turned out the way he did." Jae-ha thought aloud, and Kija agrees with a hum.
"If only we can support him right now at this moment…" Yona voiced her hopes for the first time and was met with helpless gazes. Of all things the princess desired, this was the one thing they were powerless to grant her.
"We can only watch, Yona." Yoon grabbed her hand. Like that day when they watched the cremation of the child they failed to protect, they watched Zeno pick up the remains of his village and put them into the ground. "This has already happened, so we can't change it. But if there's anything we can do, it would be to watch this, bear the pain, and when we go back to our time, help Zeno with all his unresolved trauma."
"Mh." Yona nodded despite her tearing eyes.
Zeno buried corpses for the entire day, working under the hot sun to dig holes into the ground and gingerly placing the decaying corpses into the holes. They withheld winces at the revolting stench of rotting flesh but comforted themselves with the fact that Zeno must have it worse, being closer to the corpses. The sun went up. Zeno gasped and took a small sip of water before continuing. Almost tirelessly, he worked until the bandages on his hands turned brown and were unravelled.
Sometime into the day, members of the group became aware of a set of eyes watching them. Shin-ah was the first, followed by Hak and Jae-ha, then Kija. Sensing the lack of killing intent, they merely kept a tab on the guy watching them.
It was evening when the man revealed himself.
"Are you alone, boy?" The man asks with a kind smile.
He was a man who was dressed in dark garbs and carried just a single sack over his back. With shaggy grey hair flowing to his neck and heavy bags under the dark eyes that peered out gently at Zeno, it was difficult for them to find him suspicious at all. Zeno appears to think the same as he looked up inquisitively at the man, a grin on his face as he shook his head.
"I'm not alone, Mister!" He beamed. "Afterall, the village is with me!"
"Village…?" Kija wondered if he was referring to the buildings – the remains of a large family torn down by battle – or the people who were now dead and gone.
"This man seems strange." Yoon said wryly, and the four other men shot him discrete looks. So even Yoon thinks the same.
"…I see." The man took a cursory glance at the graveyard and sat down. "My name is Shouyu. May I ask what your name is?"
"He somehow seems suspicious, Zeno. It's better not to-"
"Zeno! My name is Zeno!" The cheerful boy said, oblivious to Yoon's attempts to wisen him up.
Yoon facepalmed and sighed while Jae-ha chuckled.
"It seems like Zeno used to be quite a trusting little boy, unlike a certain someone." He glanced at Hak.
"Is that an admission of your perversion or is it a plea for some pain?" Hak lifted his weapon threateningly.
"Now, now, everyone." Yona smiled at them.
"…Medicine."
"Eh? Shin-ah, did you say something?" Yona titled her head in confusion when he pointed at the man's bag.
"Medicine." He repeated as if willing her to understand.
"He's a doctor, huh." Yoon said, and Shin-ha nodded in agreement. "I wonder what he came here for. Perhaps, he heard of the battle and wanted to help any possible survivors? He also seems like a traveller with his light baggage…"
"Zeno. It's a cute name." Shouyu smiled, and Zeno blinked.
"…Cute?" He cocked his head in confusion.
"…Little Zeno is cute." Yona and Yoon said together after a moment of staring. Ao squeaked and jumped onto Yona's shoulder, snuggling up to her cheek. The girl smiled fondly as she giggled. "Ao is cute too."
"What about me, Princess?" Kija pointed at himself.
"And me?" Jae-ha laughed.
"And me." Hak joined the two dragons in the pointing.
"Kija is cute. Jae-ha is cool. And Hak is not cute or lovable at all." She replied at once.
"It's the first time anyone called my name cute…" Zeno laughed. "Thank you, Mister Shouyu!"
"And so polite too…" Shouyu smiled, the edges of his eyes crinkling. "You are a nice child, Zeno."
Something about his words triggered something in Zeno. The group stilled as they watched turquoise eyes darken to blue and his grasp on the shovel tightened. Zeno turned away, lips forced into a tight smile as he continued his shovelling, back turned to the weird man, Shouyu, who had straightened as well, sensing the effect his words had on the small child.
"I'm not a nice child, Mister." His voice was closed off.
"…Why?"
"I…I abandoned my mother. That time, when the soldiers were attacking the village…My mother told me to run away because her leg has always been bad. Even though I didn't want to do it…I still left her behind. And now, she's dead, like the rest of the village." His shoulders shook slightly as his voice turned tight. "I…I let my mother be killed. And because I was weak…I ran." Light sniffles reach their ears and tears escaped turquoise eyes as he continued to shovel weakly. "I'm…totally not a nice child at all."
"Zeno must have been pretending to be strong." Yona stated, pursuing her lips. "All this time, when he cleared the bodies of his loved ones…It must have been painful…"
Jae-ha thought about his predecessor, about how he had laughed when calling him an idiot, telling him to run away, and he exhaled.
"I don't think Zeno was thinking about suicide at all back there, Yona." He smiled. "Afterall, if his mother really did sacrifice herself to keep him alive, there is absolutely no way our Ouryuu would think about trampling upon her sacrifice by committing suicide."
Violet eyes blinked, surprised.
"Is that why you intend to atone for your crime? …By spending the rest of your life in this ghost town…living in the past?" Shouyu tilted his head. "If that is the case, then it is the same as not living at all. The only way one can live is by facing forward, looking towards the future. Right now, living as you are, you are simply trampling upon your mother's sacrifice, Zeno."
"He's right." Jae-ha nodded in agreement, surprisingly with his sentiments echoed by Kija.
"But isn't that sort of harsh for a child?" Yoon questioned.
"It may be, indeed, but this man – Shouyu – speaks only of the truth. Even within the village of the Hakuryuu, we honour our god by looking towards the future where we can serve the king. We do not linger on the past if it will only compromise our future. That is the rule by why we have lived with to ensure our survival through the years." Kija shared.
Jae-ha paused as he wondered vaguely if this was the reason the village of the Hakuryuu and Ryokuryuu seemed so different. Afterall, the village of the Ryokuryuu had been hanging over the incident nearly nine decades ago where the Ryokuryuu led danger to the village. Thanks to that, they now lack a Ryokuryuu who could potentially protect them in times of need (like Seiryuu does with his own village).
"Even so, this man seems too emotionally invested." Hak observed.
"What do you mean?" Yona furrowed her brows. Hak only stared intensely.
"But what choice do I have? I'm young, and the other villages are scary." Zeno looked down. "This village is the only place I have known for all my life."
"Why don't you come with me?" Shouyu offered.
"So that's his intention, huh." Hak sighed.
"Join me on my journey, Zeno, and we can see the other villages together. It may not be much, considering that I'm often sleeping under the stars and quite frankly, jobless, but at the very least, it's better than living in a ghost town like this."
"…Are you serious, Mister?"
"Very much so." The man chuckled.
Zeno blinked again, sniffled, and wiped away his tears.
"Then…Please take care of me from now on, Mister!"
Shouyu gave a gentle smile and dropped his bag.
"Right! And I'll start by helping you dig!"
"Oh, no, you'll damage your clothes, Mister!"
"It's nothing!"
"Jeez…Who is he to worry about someone else's clothes?" Yoon deadpanned, recalling the numerous clothing he had to mend because Zeno ruined them in a fight.
"Zeno somehow reminds me of you, Yoon." Yona giggled.
"Huh?!"
"Afterall, he's just like how you are when you took care of Ik-Soon." She pointed out, and the boy flushed in embarrassment.
"T-T-T-That's-" Another giggle, and his face turned redder.
Shin-ah frowned as he crouched down over the bag, eyes widening behind the mask at the scribbling on the few bottled medicine. A paper was squashed in the bag, with a single word visible on it. 'Leg'…What was the man doing with medicine for the legs if he is not a doctor?
.
Author's Note: 7294 words 16 pages
#Personality of King Hiryuu: Based on a mixture of Yona and Soo-Won. Believe Yona's comparison between the King and Zeno is legitimate, because after death of the King, Zeno appears to have tried to be more like the King to both comfort his fellow warriors (Abi), as well as to be closer to him. Referencing to adorable; believe is legitimate due to both Yona and Zeno's constant use of 'cute' in AoY chapters
#Use of 'weapon': Hak's weapon, according to wiki, has a complicated and uncommon name. 'Weapon' would be a term more of the audience is familiar with. For Shuten, however, weaponry is a spear and thus henceforth will use said term.
#Shin-Ah: changed from 'Shin-ha' in first draft. Apologies for the confusion.
#Complicated childhood: Much disliked and much difficulty in writing. Once again, apologies for the badly done section. However, it is imperative to explain why Zeno accepts Ouryuu's immortality with the words he used in canon. Dead parents, because he does not appear to have any familial attachment in canon or he would not have felt alone.