Title: Across the Battlefield
Author: Arldetta
Spoilers: Season 2 ending
Rating: PG-13+
Summary: It's been a few years since their trip to 1938, when an unexpected event draws Yeon and Shin ju back to the past. In the midst of a bloody war, can they find the one person that binds them all together?
Disclaimer: I do not own Tale of the Nine Tailed/Tale of the Nine Tailed 1938, or any of the characters. I can only say they made some really good characters, cast some fantastic actors, wrote decent storylines and left enough wiggle room for me to play in. ;)
Author's note: This story starts mild but will get rather violent later on. Please be aware. This story does take place during the Korean war. There are hints of MASH in here, but it ended up not being as much as I thought. For those reading this on Ao3, this is the same story no edits. I welcome constructive criticism and comments. And please do not repost this without my permission. If you have any questions I would be happy to answer them. As always thanks for reading, comments and faves! :D
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It happened so fast. It was chaos and fear and pain. Things had not been going well. One moment, they were huddled with their father, explosions and gunfire heard in the distance. The pained expression on their father's face brought tears to their eyes. They could sense the desperation and fear. Barely registering the instructions they were given, both boys protested, begging to stay by his side. Tears streaking down the face of the strongest man they know, it broke their hearts. For a brief moment the trio stared at each other, clutching an arm on each of his boys, the older man whispered brokenly, "I love you."
In the same instant, the pair were thrust through a portal, as an explosion rocked the building. As they fell back, they could see rubble striking their father's back. They cried out, hands reaching toward the man. And then just as suddenly, the portal closed.
It took a few moments for reality to sink in. The instant it did, the brothers embraced each other and wept. When all their tears were spent, the older boy pulled back, looking his brother in the eye. "We have to go." With one arm tucked tightly against his stomach, he managed to gain his feet. He held out his other for his dongsaeng.
The younger boy automatically took the proffered hand and got up. He winced at the pain in his leg. His brother instantly started searching for the source. "You're hurt? Where? Tell me!"
"It was before, when we were running. I think I cut it on some pipe."
"Let me see, Soo-ah." Kneeling down, he pushed on the pant leg that looked like it was ripped. There was a long gash on his calf that was thankfully slowly bleeding. Which meant it was not that deep, but still needed medical attention. Determined now to carry out their father's instructions, he urged, "Come on, we need to find keunabeoji."
"What about appa?!" Cheol-soo grabbed his brother's arm, but instantly pulled back at the pained hiss. "Min-ah, what's wrong with your arm?"
Cheol-min was hunched over clutching at the offending appendage. Tears threatening to fall. It took a few moments to steady his breathing. As they were trying to escape the bombardment, he was bringing up the rear. Another blast hit a little too close. It flung him into a fallen wall, he tried to brace himself, he just wasn't fast enough and hit pretty hard. He heard something crack. There just wasn't enough time that he could let them know. And then they were sent here. Wherever here was. "Nothing," he dismissed.
Recovered enough, Cheol-min looked at their surroundings. If he wasn't confused before, he was very confused now. It was still night, but the alley they were in seemed relatively clean. He grabbed his brother's wrist and headed toward the main street. Cheol-min stopped dead. All the buildings were intact. Yet they looked different from the home he knew. "Something's wrong."
"Hyung, this place is strange."
"We need to find keunabeoji fast." Locking their hands together, Cheol-min hoped he was heading in the right direction. The place seemed familiar even if it looked different. He prayed to all the gods that luck would be on their side. They hurried through the streets trying to find anything they could recognize. The moment Cheol-soo stumbled, he made the younger boy climb onto his back, ignoring the pain in his arm.
The pair continued to wander for several hours, when finally something went their way. Ahead he made out a sign for the snail bride restaurant. Hope spiked for the first time since arriving in this strange world. Standing at the door, the older boy shouted in frustration. The lights were off and the sign said closed. Now what were they going to do?
Cheol-soo slid off his brother's back and waited. The sting of tears threatened again as he watched his brother sink to the ground, draw up his knees, head resting on his one good arm. He could hear his brother's sniffling. "Hyung." The older brother pushed back his emotions, reached out and beckoned the boy to his side. Cheol-soo quickly fell into him, arm wrapping him in love.
They sat there like that for some time, unsure what to do. Exhausted from everything that had happened to them, Cheol-min was fighting the darkness, while Cheol-soo had already drifted off. Just as the older was about to give in, luck found them again. He could hear voices coming from the building in front of him. Hopeful eyes watched, praying he wasn't imagining it. As they got louder, he nudged his brother awake just in time.
The door unlocked and a couple walked out. The woman, they didn't recognize at all. However, the familiar red hair, tall confident stature stirred all kinds of emotions, first and foremost was relief. "Keunappa!" Both boys shouted and bolted to their uncle, clinging to the man around his middle.
Startled was an understatement for the couple. Ji-Ah found herself pushed aside, while two strange boys held on to her husband's waist. Yeon's arms were up, unsure of what was happening. He had no idea who these kids were. "Hey, punks. What do you think you're doing?"
"Keunabeoji! Keunabeoji, you have to help us. We have to find appa! We have to save him!"
Having enough of this, Yeon pushed the children back. Frustrated, he demanded, "Why do you keep calling me that? Who the hell are you guys? And who the hell is your appa?"
Realizing something was off, Cheol-min, pulled his brother closer. Cautiously, he tilted his head, looking at the older man. He then answered the man's questions one by one. "You are our uncle. My name is Lee Cheol-min, this is my brother Lee Cheol-soo."
"Lee? Lee? I can't be an uncle, my brother's…." Yeon took a step back. Shocked, he whispered, "It's not possible."
"Our father is Lee Rang."
What should have been a happy reunion, took a darker turn. Anger filled the gumiho. Snarling, he denied. "What trickery is this? What are you trying to play at? It's not possible!" He advanced on the pair in his anger.
Cheol-min immediately pushed his brother behind him and brought his other up in defense of the approaching fury. Still he wasn't prepared for the strong grip that captured his injured arm. Crying out, Cheol-min missed the first few words, before the white hot pain receded. "Who are you really? Who put you up to this? This is some sick joke!"
Gritting his teeth, Cheol-min reaffirmed, "You are our uncle. Father," his breath hitched, clenching his eyes, he fought the dark spots invading his vision, "Father said, you told him when you first met, there is no salvation for someone who doesn't save himself."
Cheol-soo had come around and was crying and hitting the gumiho hurting his brother. Begging to release him.
Yeon was taken aback by the familiar words, unbelieving he pushed the boy away. "Impossible."
The wounded boy dropped to his knees. Cheol-soo was at his side, crying. The older boy wanted to reassure his brother that everything would be ok. Unfortunately, darkness finally claimed him. Cheol-soo held on to his brother, preventing further injury.
Ji-ah had been standing back, watching the event unfold. With all the strange things they had experienced, she quickly took stock and made decisions. "Yeon, these kids are hurt and frightened. Right now, it doesn't matter who they are. They need help."
The gumiho regarded his wife for a moment then nodded. He moved to pick the older boy up and carry him to the car. Ji-Ah went to the younger boy and promised that his brother would be safe. That they would get his brother treated. Holding out a hand, the younger boy accepted and followed along, limping slightly.
When Cheol-min returned to consciousness, he was in a new place. His head was groggy, like the world was in slow motion. Glancing around, his gaze automatically sought out his brother. Seeing him safely sitting in a chair nearby, he took in the rest of his surroundings. It looked like some kind of clinic. And now there were others here. The new woman seemed vaguely familiar, but he knew his uncle's servant well. Their words finally began to register.
Lee Yeon and Koo Shin Ju were leaning against a metal table talking. "They claim that they are Lee Rang's sons? That makes no sense. They're human."
"I know, but there is something about their scents."
"Do you think he picked up more strays even before Soo-oh?"
Yeon shook his head no. "I don't understand it myself, but look at them. Really, look. I see hints of him on their face."
When they arrived, Shin ju was right behind them. Ji-ah called on the way. While the vet tended to the boys' injuries, Yeon spent his time taking in every aspect of them. He started to see something in them, a hint of mannerisms he knew from long ago. So despite logic, he was starting to believe them.
Shin ju was still trying to work it all out. "Well, if they are Lee Rang-nim's sons, then who is their mother?"
Realization hit the duo at the same time. "The mermaid!"
Which brought a whole new set of questions. "But wait, I thought you said Taluipa said that this timeline wouldn't be affected by what happened back then."
"I know," Yeon agreed. "And if that's true then how did they get here?"
"A portal," Cheol-min decided to chime in. "Appa pushed us through."
"A portal? How?"
"Appa made it." He said matter of factly. Sitting up with a groan, he decided it was time to get answers to his own questions. "This place is different. Why aren't there signs of war? Why don't you know us?"
"Because you are from a different world than ours. In our world, Rang-i," Yeon swallowed hard. "He never found happiness. Could it be that your mother is Yeo-hee?"
Melancholy settled over both those young faces. The younger moved to his brother's side, hugging him, tears sparkling in his eyes. Yeon's heart sank. "What happened?"
"It was one of the first raids. There was no warning. The soldiers, they… dad tried to save her. We almost lost him then too."
Yeon, sighed, closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. He knew that pain, losing your first and last true love. He had experienced that hell first hand. That pain clung to him like a shroud for 600 years. He never wished that suffering on his brother. Did his other self comfort him, he wondered. "I'm sorry."
The heaviness in the air lingered. After a few minutes, curiosity prompted the other fox to question, "You mentioned war, what war is it?"
"The one with the north."
Both men looked at each other, thinking the same thing. "The 625 war?"
Looking back at the kids, Yeon asked, "What time did you come from?"
"It's August 1950."
"How old are you?"
"I'm 11 but I'll be 12 in January."
"And your brother?"
This time Cheol-soo spoke up. "I'm nine!"
Working the calculations in their heads, both men smiled giddily. "That means Rang-nim didn't wait too long to have kids!"
But before anything more could be discussed, there was a knock at the door. Ji-ah went to answer it with Yeon on her flank in case of trouble. In the doorway stood Hyunuoing, whom they greeted and let it. However, they all froze when Taluipa followed him in. "Granny? What are you doing here?"
"My eyes saw something they can't believe."
They all headed back to the main room. If Taluipa was here than this was way bigger than they realized. She came in and stood in front of the boys. The pair watched her curiously, while she examined them. After several minutes, she concluded, "It's true, they are Lee Rang's sons."
Muttering under his breath, Yeon pressed, "But how can this be? They're human!"
"You said the mermaid was a half-breed too, right?" At Yeon's nod, she continued. "Half-breeds are an anomaly already, going against nature. For two half-breeds to conceive, there is no predicting the outcome."
Frustrations started to build. The way they talked about their parents. Dismissed them as mere humans. And that they really missed their dad, and all this talk did nothing to help him. Cheol-min interrupted, "Our lineage isn't the issue right now. We need to find appa and save him!"
Yeon stepped over and squatted in front of the boys. He placed a hand on each of their shoulders. "Jokaduel. We will save your abeoji. But we first need to figure out how you got here so we can get back to him. Understand?"
Remembering the last image of his father before the portal closed, brought tears to his eyes. Cheol-min's bottom lip quivered, "But keunappa, he may be dying right now."
Yeon sighed, dropped his head and closed his eyes. The thought of his brother dying alone, in pain, scared, almost shattered his heart. Looking back up with a strength he wasn't sure he had, he tried to convince them as much as himself. "Your abeoji is strong. He will wait for us." The two boys fell into his arms, hugging him fiercely. The weight, the fit, the love there, just felt right. A tear broke loose. He pulled them in tighter because this was the closest he would get to Rang right now. And he missed his brother.
It didn't matter what timeline or how they got there. They were his family and he will protect them with his life. His brother sent them here, entrusted his most precious possessions to his care. He would not let his brother down. Releasing them, his hand moved up to their cheeks and wiped the tears away. "I promise you. We will find a way to save him and bring him home." He could hear the others question and start to protest. Turning around, he looked at the group in turn, arms wrapped protectively around his nephews. "I don't care how we do it, but we will save him. We will not abandon Rang again."
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So there it is, the first chapter. I currently have 20 written in total with more story to tell. I also have a side story for this that I will eventually get around to sharing here as well. It is being worked on and posted to Ao3.
Let me know what you thought. I am always interested to read your comments. Thanks again for reading! :D