Title: Leave Out All the Rest
Author: Arldetta
Spoilers: Episode 16
Rating: PG-13
Summary: After Yeon and Imugi fall into the river, things for Rang were a little more difficult. And this is a hint of a Song fic: Linkin Park – Leave Out All the Rest.
Disclaimer: I do not own Tale of the Nine Tailed, or any of the characters. I can only say they made some really good characters and storylines and left enough wiggle room for me to play in. ;)
Author's note: So this is the last, so to speak, in my little head canon going on that still falls in line with the series. I may have a few more plot bunnies coming, but can't promise anything right now. Please enjoy this story and a review or favorite would be awesome. Thanks again for reading!
-t-o-t-n-t-
It was late, as Shin Joo sped his way through the city. The call through his Bluetooth kept ringing. Voicemail for the third time. His concern was growing. He pulled into the parking garage and noted the few cars he knew were Lee Rang's still sitting in their spots. His concern spiked to all out worry now.
Rang was supposed to join them for dinner but never made it. Yuri had tried calling her savior several times and got nothing. Shin Joo could see the sadness on Soo Oh's face as well. They had both been living with Shin Joo since he gave Rang the phone with Yeon's message. That was a few weeks ago.
While it seemed Rang was slowly recovering from his brother's death, it worried Shin Joo that the half breed may relapse into the bottle once more. They had been having Rang over as much as possible so he wasn't alone and this seemed to have been working. However, the lack of response from the younger fox, was really worrying the vet as he dashed up the stairs to Rang's apartment.
He started beating on the door and calling for the little brother as soon as he arrived. He paused for a moment to listen. Silence. Not wanting to waste another minute, he punched in the code for the door. "Rang-nim! Rang-nim! I'm coming in!"
The immediate room he entered was dark and empty from what he could make out. As Shin Joo moved further into the shadowed space, he looked for anything out of the ordinary. A little bit of moonlight filtered into the living room from that central atrium. Both areas were empty. So he rounded the corner to head into the bedroom and stopped. On the floor was a mass in the silhouette of a person. His heart skipped a beat. "Rang-nim!"
Quickly he fell to the figure's side and tried to shake him awake. "Rang-nim! Rang-nim!" After several minutes of no response, Shin Joo hauled the man on to his back and went into the bedroom. He settled Rang on the bed, turned on the lights and started his examination. There didn't appear to be any obvious wound, just a slight touch of blood at the corner of his mouth. He also noted a slight fever which is why he went and got a basin and wash cloth.
Carefully, he dabbed away the blood and placed the cool cloth on his forehead. Shin Joo sat back and noticed how pale the man looked. Almost as bad as the Eodok Sini incident. Tsking he muttered, "Rang-nim, Lee Yeon-nim would be very upset with you right now for being unconscious with no cause. And what am I supposed to tell Yuri and Soo oh?"
"Nothing," a strained, raspy voice answered, startling the vet. "Tell them nothing."
"What do you mean nothing? This looks very much like something."
Rang tried pulling in a gulp of air into lungs that didn't seem to want to do their job. He felt tired and weak. His head felt thick and slow. And there was a memory of pain in his side. For a few moments he simply tried to focus. Eventually he felt like he was getting nowhere and stopped worrying about it. He managed to get his hands under himself to push him up slightly against the headboard so he could look at his brother's servant. "It's nothing you need to concern yourself with," he whispered.
"Aish!" Shin Joo stood up, frustrated. "How can you say that in such a state? Lee Yeon-nim commanded me to look after you. And I am most definitely concerned! What's wrong? Did something attack you?"
Coughing, he replied, "No, it comes and goes. I just need to rest. I'll be fine by tomorrow."
Disbelieving, the vet argued. "You must have been out for hours. That isn't fine. What's wrong?"
"Shin Joo-ah, what do you know of the lifespan of half breeds?"
Confused, the mythical creature/doctor answered, "They are significantly shorter than a full bloods, why?"
"It's been 600 years, don't you think that is a bit long for someone like me?"
"But apart from recent events, you have always appeared healthy and strong. Why so sudden?"
"There's nothing sudden about this. For a while my body has been trying to reject the human side of me, because it is dying. That traitor that bound me by contract kept me alive with the Chinese Lantern flowers. That's why Yuri was so adamant about using them."
"If that's true, you have been stealing human lives."
"Not by choice," Rang corrected him. "That bastard would not release me from my contract. He forced me to use them. I would have rather died and spared everyone the aftermath. Then maybe Lee Yeon would still be here."
"Don't say that! You don't know what the outcome might have been. It's useless to speculate."
"That may be true, but without the Lantern flowers, I most likely have less than a year to live. So what was his sacrifice for?" Unshed tears stung his eyes, threatening to fall.
"He did it to protect those he loves, his family."
"I was a thorn in his side at best. I told him I wasn't worth it."
At that Shin Joo slapped the man across the face. In truth it wasn't that hard, more a way to snap the man back to his senses. Still the vet admonished harshly, "How dare you? You were his little brother that he loved very much. You may have had your issues but he never stopped loving you. And he would be angry to hear you say that now. He wanted you to live. So if a year is all you have left, live to your fullest and make it worthy of his sacrifice."
For some long minutes the two waited out the silence. Allowing the words, emotions and thoughts to ebb and flow and settle in their hearts and minds. Rang made a decision and nodded. "Thank you Shin Joo –ah. You're right , I should make what's left of my life have meaning." He went to push himself up and out of bed, only to find his muscles failing and fell back with a groan.
"Rang-ah," Shin Joo gently chided, "You aren't well. You should rest for now." Rang relented a little too easily and sank further into the bed. Concern flared again in the vet. "Are you sure there is nothing we can do to prevent this?"
"No. I looked into it not too long ago, before this whole Imugi mess started. I may be lacking the energy now, but this isn't so bad yet."
"Yet? You mean this will get worse?"
"It starts with dizziness, weakness and dull aches. They will eventually become rather painful I'm afraid."
"Is there anything I can do to help? Perhaps some medicine…."
But Rang was already shaking his head no. "I don't want to dull my mind. I will need my wits about me if I am to save hyung. And a drug filled haze is not my ideal way to go."
"Is that what you plan to do then? Find a way to save Lee Yeon-nim?"
"Yes."
"Even like this?"
"It should give me enough time to bring him back."
"Are you sure about this? Perhaps you shouldn't be alone."
"I've been dealing with this for longer than you know. I'll be fine. Just keep Yuri and Soo Oh with you for now. And don't tell them about this. I fear Yuri may suspect soon enough."
Reluctantly, Shin Joo agreed to Rang's terms for now. And this was only the first of several instances of finding Rang unconscious on the floor. Their frequency and severity progressing over the next month and a half. The last incident that Shin Joo dealt with changed his position drastically. When he arrived the fire alarm was shrieking, smoked filled the kitchen and Rang had a nasty gash on his head. It was only because he was able to revive Rang so quickly that he was able to ward off the emergency services.
Shin Joo put his foot down after that and insisted Rang move in with them so he could keep a better eye on him. Fortunately, Yuri's marriage request aided his argument. And Rang begrudgingly agreed, however, he preferred the story being that he had gotten bored being by himself and wanted to see what playing house felt like. Yuri and Soo Oh were thrilled to have him around, while the vet soon regretted it. As he was the only one with an actual job, he quickly got tired of cleaning up after the lazy bunch.
Things started getting a little better when Soo Oh started school. Rang began dedicating the times when pain and fatigue didn't plague him to searching for a way to bring Yeon back. They all soon settled into a routine. Rang accepted some minor medications that allowed his body to be more functional, however he continued to manage the pain on his own. Which in a full house often resulted in frequent showers. The running water barely covered the tears and moans. Yuri started looking at her savior with sad eyes. She recognized the signs.
When he was strong enough to escape the house before the pain got too much, he would drive to some obscure place to ride out the agony. It came to a point where it was easier for him to just leave in the morning and come back by supper so they didn't have to worry about him. Either way, they didn't have to hide their melancholy expressions when he was around and when he was feeling well enough his search would continue unhindered.
It would be six months after Yeon's sacrifice that Rang would finally get a good lead. It was obvious how much his body had deteriorated considering the small group he was intimidating managed to get a few good hits in before crushing them. But even more surprising to him was finding Ji Ah just outside his final destination. In a way it was fitting.
Some time ago, they were at a similar booth. Only then Rang had handed his brother over for the Tiger's brow, while Ji Ah had saved Lee Yeon with the fox bead. It was now Rang's turn to sacrifice so that Yeon may return to Ji Ah once more. While he wished he could have lived the life Yeon wanted him to, his time was quickly running out. And what better way to be remembered? Yuri and Soo Oh had Shin Joo. And Yeon had Ji Ah. If his last act was for his family to live happily, he could accept that. After all the hurt he had caused, it was the best he could offer.
It was a matter of luck, the timing of getting Ji Ah to leave the tent and call the guys. A few moments later pain shot through his side. It took all his strength and will power to not scream or pass out. As it ebbed away, it left him breathless. For a moment, he forgot where he was until he was able to focus on the underworld god. Glancing over his shoulder to make sure Ji Ah had not come back, he returned his gaze to the King of Hell. "Why? Why did you accept my life when you must know…"
The older man regarded the fox thoughtfully before answering. "True, you don't really have much time left. You could be weeks, days, hours from death. But for each minute, I can see how much you treasure even that fraction of time with your family. You can finally live and love freely and it has become so precious it even outshines your last visit here. And that is why it is valuable."
Rang allowed the words to sink in, nodding. Once more his gaze drifted over his shoulder and then back to the hourglass. With each grain of sand he could feel a piece of him slipping away. He had to make this meaningful. Quickly, he pulled out his phone to record a message for Yeon, since it was only fair he return the gesture. Of course there was too much to say that could never fit into a minute long message, and the words may not have been exactly what he intended, he could only hope Yeon could hear what he was really trying to say.
Don't be afraid. I've taken my beating, I've shared what I've made. I'm strong on the surface, not all the way through. I've never been perfect, but neither have you. Please forget all the hurt you've learned to hide so well. I'll stop pretending someone else can come and save me from myself. I can't be who you are.*
Another spike of pain left him gasping. When he looked up, the sand was almost gone. Desperately, he hoped to see them one last time. His heart flared when he heard Yuri's voice calling his name. They came. Rang turned to see the group running toward him. And for the first time in a long time, he felt content. How he wished he could tell them with words, but he knew his time had run out. So he could only send his final wish with his heart.
When my time comes, forget the wrong that I've done. Help me leave behind some reasons to be missed. Don't resent me and when you're feeling empty, keep me in your memory. Leave out all the rest.
Leave out all the rest.
As they faded into the underworld, he smiled.
-t-o-t-n-t-
Hope that wasn't too far off. I do want to give one more final note on the lyrics, I did alter them a tiny bit so they made a little more sense sentence-wise. I will say this again, there are several Linkin songs that fit really well with Rang's thoughts, struggles and issues. Who knows, the muse may be compelled to try another one. Lol. Hope you enjoyed it. Comments and kudos welcome! And as always, thanks for reading,