A World Without - Chapter Two
Name: A World Without
Fandom: SS501 (appearances by Super Junior)
Pairings: KyuMin, 2HJ, 2YS, friendship!KyuSaeng, friendship!MinSaeng
Total Word Count: 33, 000
Chapters: 2/7 + Epilogue
Rating: PG-16
Warnings: Post-Apocalyptic themes, violence
Genre: Adventure, Romance, and a bit of Crack stirred in
Prompt: "A kiss is a lovely trick, designed by nature, to stop words when speech becomes superfluous."
Summary: 40 years after humankind was deemed to have lost one chance too many, the world is still struggling to recover from the effects of the Last War. With humans now exist after being systematically wiped out, and the powerful Order overlooking all, it looked like they would finally be able live in peace. That was before a small caravan of Healers discover something in the ruins that will turn their views on atonement and suffering for the sins of the past upside down.
A/N: This is for my bestie forever, ziippers <3 Originally a one-shot, that idea kinda...died. I'm so sorry, it hardly even relates to the prompt or anything anymore @.@;;; Hope you still like it anyways? <3 /sheepish/ Updates will be every two days. Thank you to the always amazing curionenene for betaing, ILYBB~~~ <3333
There was shocked silence after JungMin's declaration, the nonhumans just staring in a stunned daze.
Then YoungSaeng jumped away, the other two inching back as well. The human blinked at them in confusion, not understanding what they were saying.
"We rescued a human?" HyunJoong wanted to facepalm, but couldn't. They should have just left him there...now what?
"I thought all the humans were killed years ago?" YoungSaeng swallowed thickly, and there was fear in the hamadryad's eyes.
"I guess we missed one," JungMin ground out.
Seeing the griffin's position shift, HyungJoon's eyes widened and he held both hands out in alarm. "We can't just kill him!"
"We can't let any human survive, Joon," HyunJoong sighed. "They'll start spreading again."
"What if he isn't the only one?" YoungSaeng whispered.
The argument was interrupted by a bout of harsh coughing. The human was doubled over, shaking as he pressed both hands over his mouth in an effort to stop the coughing. YoungSaeng's hands started to tremble as he obviously fought against the urge to help, fear of the plague that was humankind keeping him pressed against the caravan wall instead.
"..." HyunJoong watched the man's coughing slowly ease. "Everyone outside now. You too JungMin," he added when the griffin looked ready to protest.
YoungSaeng got up and gave the human a wide berth before grabbing JungMin's hand and pulling the redhead out of the caravan. HyungJoon slowly followed them, HyunJoong looking down at the wide-eyed human for a moment before stepping outside with them.
JungMin was obviously not happy. "We have to get rid of him, you all know that! Who knows what would happen if humans walked the Earth again. We're still trying to clean up their mess!" He waved his free hand at the ruins beside them, his other hand clasped tightly in both of YoungSaeng's.
"But we just finished saving his life!" HyungJoon protested, grasping at straws. "We can't just...kill him after YoungSaeng hyung sacrificed one of his plants to keep him alive."
"Don't remind me," YoungSaeng muttered.
"I'm thinking of a bigger problem." Their attention went to HyunJoong, the drow frowning. "If this man survived, where did he come from? Are there others? In human years he looks about his early 20s, and the Scouts only disbanded 10 years ago," he continued, looking at JungMin for confirmation. The griffin nodded.
"Could a human that young have survived on his own for this long? There might be others." The drow looked up at the darkening sky. "If there is, it's our duty to find them."
"But...we're still going to kill him, in the end," HyungJoon said weakly.
"Joonie...I'm sorry," YoungSaeng replied quietly. "You can see for yourself what the humans have done. Even if you weren't there when it happened...you know as well as the rest of us. We can't let him live."
"But I'm half human too," HyungJoon sighed, looking down. "He's half of my blood."
This had always been the hardest part...explaining why humans couldn't live to HyungJoon. No one could blame him for feeling a sense of compassion towards them, especially considering the torment he went through for being half human, but they could do little more than apologize over and over whenever the argument was brought up.
The other three had all been present for the Last War. HyunJoong had been chased out of his city by the bombs that fell and was nearly recruited into the army before he escaped. JungMin had lost all his immediate family, and was now considered part of an endangered species. YoungSaeng had left his forest just in time, his whole world going up in smoke and fire behind him.
A world without humans was the best thing for them all...a world that could heal.
And yet even with all that, all the reasons to hate humans, they couldn't look HyungJoon in the eyes and tell him that if it hadn't been for his Shadowfolk blood, he would have joined the humans in the mass graves they now resided in.
So once again, all they could do was apologize. "I'm sorry," HyunJoong murmured.
"I don't...I don't agree with this," HyungJoon shook his head, pacing back and forth. "It's not my fault I'm half human. It's not his fault he's fully human. Even if humans have done bad things...why does he have to pay for it? It's a different era now, right? The world is different. Why can't he live in that world too?"
"Joon," YoungSaeng started and was cut off. The youngest had gotten himself riled up.
"Even if he mates, what are the chances it would be with a human, even if there are a handful left? At the most you'd have another halfling like me, and there's nothing wrong with us, right?" He cast a glance at them. "The human gene can be left to disappear naturally, through generations and evolution. Why does he have to die?"
The other three just looked at each other. They hated arguing with HyungJoon...especially when the youngest had a point.
"I think...I might agree with Joon." They all looked at YoungSaeng, the hamadryad looking down at the ground. "He doesn't seem dangerous..."
"It's hard to seem dangerous when you're coughing up radioactive poison," HyunJoong pointed out. "But that is a very valid point...the human DNA would weaken as it's passed down."
"I can't believe we're actually talking about letting him go," JungMin groaned, sitting down in the grass. "The Order will never go for this..."
"We probably shouldn't just let him go," the drow replied. "He might rejoin with other survivors if there are any, and then we'll have a problem. But you're right in saying that the Order won't like this at all..."
"So what do we do?" YoungSaeng murmured. There was silence.
"We can always...not tell the Order," HyungJoon said carefully.
They all stared at him in shock. "Are you serious?" YoungSaeng asked. "You're talking about treason. Not reporting there's a human alive..."
"They don't have to know," the youngest continued. "I mean...even we didn't know he was human until we took a closer look. If we keep him nearby to make sure he doesn't just run off to other humans, we can conceal what he is."
"If he's around us, then he'll be considered part of the Healers' circle," JungMin said slowly, catching on. "No one would think twice about it. There are too few Healers for the Order to screen every single member for human blood. They didn't even blink at Joonie."
YoungSaeng continued to frown. "But then...we would have to always keep him with us. He would never be free."
"I think compared to the alternative, he'd mind this a lot less," HyunJoong said wrily
"And if we're going to leave him alive, being a Healer with us is the best place to keep him," HyungJoon beamed. "Helping the world to recover after what happened...it's like repenting almost, isn't it? That's why I joined."
HyunJoong was slowly nodding. JungMin still looked skeptical and YoungSaeng shifted uncomfortably, but it seemed like an agreement had been made. Truth was...none of them wanted to kill the sickly human.
No amount of racial hatred and fear justified killing in cold blood. It was this sort of thinking that had doomed the humans in the first place.
"I hope we don't regret this," YoungSaeng said with a sigh, standing. "I'll continue to help him heal. HyunJoong, come help me explain?"
The drow nodded. "HyungJoon, JungMin, I think we've stayed in this spot long enough. Let's get moving again." That said, he followed YoungSaeng back into the caravan.
HyungJoon hopped up onto the driver's bench, picking up the reins. When JungMin climbed on beside him, he blinked at the griffin in surprise. "You're not shifting back?"
JungMin shook his head. "I'm not letting the human see what I am. Not yet."
"You're that worried?" the younger man asked, and JungMin snorted.
"Humans used to hunt griffins, you know. That's why we took to living in remote areas. And when we stepped in to stop the Last War, whatever griffins were left...they hunted us again. It's different when they see people like you, HyunJoong and Saengie. You all walk on two legs, and you look like them. They see the similarities, and accept you...or at least, have an easier time accepting."
He picked at his clothing, obviously uncomfortable in this form. "Not us. Griffins, dragons, kappa, manticores...they could never accept us. We're wild animals, beasts. I won't be subjected to that again."
HyungJoon watched the griffin for a moment, then sighed quietly. With nothing he could say that would ease JungMin's mind, he turned back to the horses and clicked his tongue several times, the caravan shifting as they started to move again.
Inside the caravan, the human looked up at HyunJoong and YoungSaeng in confusion, bracing himself against the floor as they started to move. "What's going on? Where are you taking me?"
The drow and hamadryad exchanged looks. Time to practice their Hangul again.
"We're on a mission to heal the dead zone that used to be Seoul and Incheon," HyunJoong said after a moment, sitting down in front of the stranger. YoungSaeng lowered himself down beside the drow, reaching out to touch the leaves of the nearest potted bush out of habit. "We're moving towards the coast. I think there are some things that we need to discuss."
The human slowly nodded, swallowing thickly and brushing his long bangs out of his face. In sharp contrast to how pale he'd been before, his face was now flushed with fever and his brown eyes slightly glazed with it. YoungSaeng looked around for the water, passing a flask full of it to the other man and watching him drink.
"I'm sure neither of us have to explain to you what we are supposed to do to humans we find alive," HyunJoong said carefully. The human paused in drinking the water and slowly lowered the flask with shaking hands before nodding mutely.
"That's why we're giving you two options," YoungSaeng said. He still couldn't believe they were really doing this. "One, we will do as we as supposed to and kill you within the hour, and file a report that will have this entire area searched for humans like you."
"Or," HyunJoong continued, "the second option. You will tell us exactly where you came from, if there are other humans...and you will stay with us and masquerade as a Healer for as long as we deem necessary. Your life will be spared."
The human stared at them. "Really?" he asked, voice hoarse. "You won't kill me?"
"Under the condition that you stay with one of us at all times," HyunJoong warned. "For all we know, you will have to spend the rest of your life doing this. We are taking a risk keeping you alive, so don't try your luck."
The human shook his head and swayed, the movement upsetting what little balance he had.
"You need to rest," YoungSaeng sighed. Shifting closer, he helped the man lie down, the hamadryad's hands shaking at being so close to a human. "There are charms for healing set up around you. The best thing to do is to sleep and let them take effect."
The human coughed again and nodded slowly, eyes fluttering shut. When YoungSaeng leaned back though he opened them again, blinking blearily up at the other man. "What's your name?" he whispered hoarsely.
YoungSaeng looked back at HyunJoong, who nodded. The hamadryad looked back at the half-asleep man. "My name is YoungSaeng," he said after a pause. "This is HyunJoong. The brown-haired man outside is HyungJoon and the redhead is JungMin."
Then he paused again before asking slowly, "what is yours?"
The human's lips curled up into a small, exhausted smile. "KyuJong," he murmured, before his eyes shut and he fell into a feverish sleep.
YoungSaeng looked down at him for a moment before leaning back against the wall with a sigh. "Did the sun set?" he murmured, pressing his arm over his eyes as he felt the exhaustion setting in.
HyunJoong peeked outside the caravan. "Yeah. Why don't you sleep?" He caught the glance YoungSaeng shot at the human, and chuckled. "I'll keep an eye on him and make sure he doesn't try anything funny. Though he doesn't look like he's going anywhere for a while."
Rubbing his eyes, YoungSaeng sighed again and laid down, curled up against the wall with his fingertips brushing the pot his tree was in. "Wake me up if something happens," he whispered, then was out cold.
"Of course." The drow shifted into a more comfortable position, head against the wall. The sound of playful bickering floated to him from outside and he smiled, settling in for a long night.
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They had reached the coast by the time the human named KyuJong was well enough to leave the caravan. Or at least, they thought he was. They compared how fast he healed to the speed HyungJoon recovered, but they were obviously off. When HyungJoon and HyunJoong tried to help KyuJong to his feet inside the caravan, the human swayed before his legs gave out again, nearly bringing all three of them to the floor. JungMin snorted at the tangled pile of limbs, and YoungSaeng smiled despite himself.
"Really though, we need to get you outside," HyunJoong sighed once he'd separated himself from the mess. "We've moved away from the ruins a bit so the water is clean. It will help you."
"He needs to get up first," JungMin rolled his eyes and pulled YoungSaeng out of the caravan.
HyungJoon, as expected, had warmed up to KyuJong first. The halfling was relaxed around their reluctant, human companion, practicing his Hangul and telling him all about what they did as Healers. It was impossible to tell what HyunJoong thought of KyuJong, the drow unreadable as always. JungMin was unpleasant at best and openly hostile at worst, but no one could blame him, letting the griffin warm up on his own rather than force him into conversation with the human. YoungSaeng was highly uncomfortable around KyuJong, and only spoke around him or talked to him when he was healing the sickly man. Outside of that, he avoided being around him, and had even taken to carrying his tree around outside the caravan if KyuJong was awake.
They must have finally gotten KyuJong up, because ten minutes after the human staggered out of the caravan with HyungJoon on one side and HyunJoong on the other. YoungSaeng had already set his tree down and ran down to the shore, bare feet splashing in the water slightly. Hamadryads never wore shoes.
Straightening, KyuJong took in a deep breath of the clean air, seeming to savor it.
"Think you can stand?" HyunJoong asked, seeing the healthy color slowly returning to the man's face. Clean air did wonders, especially when one had been breathing in nothing but the poison-laced air of the ruins for who knew how long.
The human paused and nodded after a moment, and the drow and halfling slowly releasing him. KyuJong swayed, then relaxed when his legs held this time. Slowly, he took careful and halting steps towards the shore.
HyunJoong watched him for a moment. When he was certain KyuJong wasn't going to fall, he turned to HyungJoon and JungMin. "While we're here, I'm going to hunt. When YoungSaeng's done recharging, see if he can find any herbs?"
They nodded and the drow glanced back at the shore. KyuJong was still on his feet, so HyunJoong turned and disappeared into the forest behind them.
HyungJoon looked to JungMin, who was fidgetting. The griffin must be restraining the urge to shift back and fly around with every ounce of willpower he had. There was a nice breeze, and his wings must be cramped inside that form.
But when JungMin noticed HyungJoon watching, he pressed his lips firmly together and shook his head before going to feed and water the horses. HyungJoon sighed and sat down in the grass, twining it between his fingers and watching KyuJong shakily approach YoungSaeng.
YoungSaeng glanced over his shoulder as he heard the light splashing of someone joining him, and stiffened when he saw it was the human. KyuJong smiled hesitantly at him and YoungSaeng looked back out across the water.
"It's nice," the human ventured, looking down at the water swirling around his ankles. YoungSaeng hummed in agreement, not looking at him.
"I...Thank you," KyuJong continued quietly. "I didn't think I was going to be alive to see the coast."
And you shouldn't be, YoungSaeng thought, but he didn't say it outloud.
KyuJong looked at him a little awkwardly. "Can we...call a truce or something?" he asked after a long pause. "I agreed to this, right? I'll help you guys as long as you don't turn me in."
"It's not like we're giving you much of a choice," YoungSaeng spoke finally. "Of course anyone would choose something other than dying. You're bound to us now. You'll never be free again."
"You make it sound like I should hate you for it."
"Shouldn't you? You're practically a slave now."
The human frowned. "I don't think slaves are treated like this. You helped me heal...and you're not mistreating me for being human or anything. Why would I hate you if any other way, I would be dead now?"
"Humans are irrational," YoungSaeng whispered, gaze fixed on the horizon and slightly hazed.
"..." KyuJong ran one hand over his face with a sigh, and smiled. "Well...this irrational human doesn't hate you or any of your friends."
YoungSaeng was silent.
"YoungSaeng hyung!" HyungJoon called. "Are you done? HyunJoong hyung said we need more herbs!"
The hamadryad sighed. "All right, I'm going," he called back and turned to start back towards the caravan.
A loud splash behind him and HyungJoon's shout of alarm drew his attention back to KyuJong. The human had tripped and fallen, reflexes too dulled still to catch himself before he hit the water. Eyes widening, YoungSaeng hurried back to him and tried to pull the human back up, but KyuJong's strength seemed to have given out, leaving the human coughing and unable to get up even with YoungSaeng's help.
More splashing was audible before JungMin joined them, the griffin carefully picking KyuJong up out of the water. "Humans heal so slowly," he mumbled, carrying him back with YoungSaeng trailing after them.
"S-orry," KyuJong got out before coughs stole his breath again.
Once they were back on dry land, JungMin laid KyuJong down in the soft grass rather than inside the caravan. HyungJoon scooted over, eyes worried. "Why is it taking so long?" he asked.
"It's been 2 days only," YoungSaeng sighed. "Radioactive poisoning isn't easy for anyone to recover from, let alone a human. I'll start seeing what kind of plants are around here, there might be something helpful." He walked off into the forest.
KyuJong watched him go, coughing slowly dying down. Once he could breathe properly, he looked at the two remaining. "He's a forest sprite, isn't he?"
"Hamadryad," HyungJoon specified.
"How can he pick plants for medicine then?" The human asked, frowning lightly as he sat up. "Isn't it...against their instincts?"
"It is," JungMin replied sharply. "He's doing it to stop the poison from eating you from the inside out."
KyuJong winced.
"YoungSaeng asks the plants if he can pick them before doing so," HyungJoon sighed, shooting JungMin a look. "And he thanks them, as they should be, just as we thank any animal that we kill for meat. That's probably what HyunJoong hyung's out doing right now."
"Aren't elves vegetarian?" KyuJong asked, looking a little lost.
"They are," the halfling smiled. "But JungMin and I aren't, and I don't think you are either. HyunJoong makes sure the kill is as quick and clean as possible, and actually prefers that he carry it out rather than one of us because he wants to make sure the animal isn't in pain."
"I normally get my own food," JungMin grumbled.
KyuJong looked at him, then back at HyungJoon. "So, if YoungSaeng sshi is a hamadryad, and HyunJoong sshi is a...drow?...then what are you both?"
"I'm a halfling," HyungJoon laughed a little nervously. "Half-shadowfolk, and half-human."
The other man's eyes widened. "Half-human?" When HyungJoon swallowed and nodded, KyuJong smiled brightly, seeming relieved that there was at least one other person with human blood around.
Then he looked at JungMin. "And yourself, JungMin sshi?"
Despite the polite tone, the question made JungMin stiffen. "None of your business," he hissed, standing and walking away.
"JungMin!" HyungJoon protested, then sighed. "Sorry about him...he's not usually this prickly. It's just that you're-"
"Human," KyuJong finished with a sigh. "Yeah, I was guessing that might be the problem." He laid back down and looked up at the sky. "They don't seem to have a problem with you though."
HyungJoon shook his head. "No. They're an openminded bunch. They'll get used to you eventually...JungMin's just overly paranoid as usual."
KyuJong smiled a little but didn't comment, and after a moment HyungJoon lay down beside him. They didn't talk after that, just looked up at the clouds drifting overhead and enjoyed the clean air.
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The group rested in that spot for the night, all of them taking the opportunity to sleep. The next day they would have to tackle the ruins, travelling through it along the coast to reach the other side. JungMin was finally persuaded into his griffin form once KyuJong had fallen asleep and took a quick look around from the air. When he returned, he informed them that it would take 2 days to cross the ruins.
The following morning HyunJoong and YoungSaeng were hard at work spelling the caravan as best as they could, to keep YoungSaeng's tree safe. They also worked out a schedule for each of them to take turns guiding the horses, the others resting inside the caravan to recover from the radioactive exposure when they weren't needed. The horses needed to be spelled as well, as they wouldn't be able to avoid the exposure.
Between all the spellwork, HyunJoong and YoungSaeng crashed the second they were finished. JungMin took up the first shift, climbing onto the driver's bench and whistling to himself as he ushered the horses into the ruins.
KyuJong drew his legs up to his chest, watching YoungSaeng sleep as the hamadryad curled up around his tree protectively. "I guess this is the boring part for us, huh?" he asked HyungJoon. The halfling made a face and nodded.
The ruins were bleak around them, crumbled stone and twisted steel taking up the landscape. As night fell the place turned nightmarish, long shadows cast across their path and menacing silhouettes popping up everywhere. The horses turned skittish, and that was saying something considering they could stand next to dragons and not even twitch.
"Why were you in here, anyways?" JungMin muttered when he and HyungJoon had switched places, leaving him alone with KyuJong in the caravan. HyunJoong was out cold, but YoungSaeng blinked at them sleepily from his corner.
KyuJong shrugged, eyes unfocused as he looked at the shadows outside the caravan window. "I guess you would be curious too, wouldn't you?" he asked quietly. "Curious about what happened that would cause the world to annihilate your entire species."
JungMin could have gotten riled up again at that; he'd certainly gotten angry over far less. But he just sighed, legs drawn to his chest as he looked up at the ceiling, as if he could see through it to the sky. "Yeah. I would wonder, I guess." He had wondered...asked himself over and over why his race couldn't have been given the thousand and one chances they'd given to the humans.
Looking at the redhead for a long moment, KyuJong smiled faintly and rested his head back against the wood, closing his eyes. From his corner, YoungSaeng smiled as well before going back to sleep.
The first day passed without consequence. Sure HyunJoong was sleeping through all of it, but they were used to their leader's sleeping habits by now and knew when he'd lain down after spelling the caravan that he'd be K.O.ed the rest of the way across the ruins. KyuJong on the other hand, had taken to poking the drow worriedly and wondering aloud if he was alive.
They'd had to rescue the human when HyunJoong rolled over and trapped KyuJong between him and the floor.
It was halfway through the second day when they ran into a problem. The path they'd followed along the coast was blocked by a fallen skyscraper. HyungJoon and JungMin set out into the ruins to find a way around it (YoungSaeng tactfully kept KyuJong inside the caravan so that he wouldn't see the griffin flying through the sky).
When they returned, it was with bad news. The detour would cost them another 2 days inside the ruins they wanted to leave as soon as possible. Nevertheless they set out again, since it would take them just as much time to go back.
The following morning, while HyungJoon was helping YoungSaeng tend to his plants, a single leave came off into the halfling's hand. It was wilted and brown. They both looked at each other for a long moment before YoungSaeng hurried to strengthen the spells around the caravan.
It was probably just natural; plants lost their leaves all the time. But none of them wanted to take any chances that the radioactivity might be seeping in through a crack in the spells.
The next day JungMin had started coughing strangely, and YoungSaeng all but dragged the griffin into the caravan and forced him to rest. After strengthening the spells yet again, the hamadryad crashed as well.
Halfway through the night, KyuJong was checking on the two sleeping when he noticed something odd. "JungMin sshi?" he started hesitantly. JungMin didn't snap at him as much anymore, but the redhead was miffed at being made to stay in the caravan and anyone was fair game.
"Drop the sshi, and what is it?" JungMin opened his eyes to see KyuJong peering at the sleeping hamadryad with a frown.
"It looks like...something's wrong with his tattoos."
JungMin blinked. "Tattoos?" Then his eyes widened when he realized what KyuJong was talking about. Scrambling to his feet, he made his way over and crouched down as KyuJong pointed.
"...Shit." The garden under YoungSaeng's skin had started to wilt. JungMin scowled at the sleeping hamadryad. "Idiot. You're supposed to tell us if you're getting sick."
"Is it bad?" KyuJong asked quietly.
"It could be. He's such an idiot. Hamadryad's are bad with poison of any kind." JungMin kicked their sleeping leader. "Help me get sleeping beauty up, will you? We need his spellwork, right now. Before that stuff spreads in YoungSaeng any more."
Eyes wide in alarm, KyuJong shifted to help JungMin shake HyunJoong awake, the drow sleeping like the dead. At any other time the fact that they could literally roll the man from one end of the caravan to the other without any reaction would have been hilarious, but not now.
Finally JungMin grew fed up and kicked the drow in a place where young men of any race should never be kicked. It took HyunJoong a few minutes to recover from that, but considering he was finally awake KyuJong let out a sigh of relief.
The long sleep had replenished HyunJoong's spiritual energy thankfully. "The spell's gone all patchy," the older man noted with a frown, trying not to wince as he shifted position a little to take a look at YoungSaeng. "If I can repair it, the poison in the air should dissolve slowly...how's his tree?"
"There's a few wilting leaves," the griffin replied, shifting the pot around to take a look. "They'll need to be pruned before the rest of the tree is infected, but it doesn't look like the poison's gotten to the soil or anything."
"We're lucky then...it's still early," HyunJoong sighed, then blinked down at YoungSaeng, who had opened his eyes and was looking up at them all questioningly.
"You are a crazy, suicidal tree-hugger," JungMin grumbled, thwacking YoungSaeng off the head and drawing a yelp from the older man. Spotting the worried affection in the otherwise violent action, KyuJong smiled.
Fandom: SS501 (appearances by Super Junior)
Pairings: KyuMin, 2HJ, 2YS, friendship!KyuSaeng, friendship!MinSaeng
Total Word Count: 33, 000
Chapters: 2/7 + Epilogue
Rating: PG-16
Warnings: Post-Apocalyptic themes, violence
Genre: Adventure, Romance, and a bit of Crack stirred in
Prompt: "A kiss is a lovely trick, designed by nature, to stop words when speech becomes superfluous."
Summary: 40 years after humankind was deemed to have lost one chance too many, the world is still struggling to recover from the effects of the Last War. With humans now exist after being systematically wiped out, and the powerful Order overlooking all, it looked like they would finally be able live in peace. That was before a small caravan of Healers discover something in the ruins that will turn their views on atonement and suffering for the sins of the past upside down.
A/N: This is for my bestie forever, ziippers <3 Originally a one-shot, that idea kinda...died. I'm so sorry, it hardly even relates to the prompt or anything anymore @.@;;; Hope you still like it anyways? <3 /sheepish/ Updates will be every two days. Thank you to the always amazing curionenene for betaing, ILYBB~~~ <3333
There was shocked silence after JungMin's declaration, the nonhumans just staring in a stunned daze.
Then YoungSaeng jumped away, the other two inching back as well. The human blinked at them in confusion, not understanding what they were saying.
"We rescued a human?" HyunJoong wanted to facepalm, but couldn't. They should have just left him there...now what?
"I thought all the humans were killed years ago?" YoungSaeng swallowed thickly, and there was fear in the hamadryad's eyes.
"I guess we missed one," JungMin ground out.
Seeing the griffin's position shift, HyungJoon's eyes widened and he held both hands out in alarm. "We can't just kill him!"
"We can't let any human survive, Joon," HyunJoong sighed. "They'll start spreading again."
"What if he isn't the only one?" YoungSaeng whispered.
The argument was interrupted by a bout of harsh coughing. The human was doubled over, shaking as he pressed both hands over his mouth in an effort to stop the coughing. YoungSaeng's hands started to tremble as he obviously fought against the urge to help, fear of the plague that was humankind keeping him pressed against the caravan wall instead.
"..." HyunJoong watched the man's coughing slowly ease. "Everyone outside now. You too JungMin," he added when the griffin looked ready to protest.
YoungSaeng got up and gave the human a wide berth before grabbing JungMin's hand and pulling the redhead out of the caravan. HyungJoon slowly followed them, HyunJoong looking down at the wide-eyed human for a moment before stepping outside with them.
JungMin was obviously not happy. "We have to get rid of him, you all know that! Who knows what would happen if humans walked the Earth again. We're still trying to clean up their mess!" He waved his free hand at the ruins beside them, his other hand clasped tightly in both of YoungSaeng's.
"But we just finished saving his life!" HyungJoon protested, grasping at straws. "We can't just...kill him after YoungSaeng hyung sacrificed one of his plants to keep him alive."
"Don't remind me," YoungSaeng muttered.
"I'm thinking of a bigger problem." Their attention went to HyunJoong, the drow frowning. "If this man survived, where did he come from? Are there others? In human years he looks about his early 20s, and the Scouts only disbanded 10 years ago," he continued, looking at JungMin for confirmation. The griffin nodded.
"Could a human that young have survived on his own for this long? There might be others." The drow looked up at the darkening sky. "If there is, it's our duty to find them."
"But...we're still going to kill him, in the end," HyungJoon said weakly.
"Joonie...I'm sorry," YoungSaeng replied quietly. "You can see for yourself what the humans have done. Even if you weren't there when it happened...you know as well as the rest of us. We can't let him live."
"But I'm half human too," HyungJoon sighed, looking down. "He's half of my blood."
This had always been the hardest part...explaining why humans couldn't live to HyungJoon. No one could blame him for feeling a sense of compassion towards them, especially considering the torment he went through for being half human, but they could do little more than apologize over and over whenever the argument was brought up.
The other three had all been present for the Last War. HyunJoong had been chased out of his city by the bombs that fell and was nearly recruited into the army before he escaped. JungMin had lost all his immediate family, and was now considered part of an endangered species. YoungSaeng had left his forest just in time, his whole world going up in smoke and fire behind him.
A world without humans was the best thing for them all...a world that could heal.
And yet even with all that, all the reasons to hate humans, they couldn't look HyungJoon in the eyes and tell him that if it hadn't been for his Shadowfolk blood, he would have joined the humans in the mass graves they now resided in.
So once again, all they could do was apologize. "I'm sorry," HyunJoong murmured.
"I don't...I don't agree with this," HyungJoon shook his head, pacing back and forth. "It's not my fault I'm half human. It's not his fault he's fully human. Even if humans have done bad things...why does he have to pay for it? It's a different era now, right? The world is different. Why can't he live in that world too?"
"Joon," YoungSaeng started and was cut off. The youngest had gotten himself riled up.
"Even if he mates, what are the chances it would be with a human, even if there are a handful left? At the most you'd have another halfling like me, and there's nothing wrong with us, right?" He cast a glance at them. "The human gene can be left to disappear naturally, through generations and evolution. Why does he have to die?"
The other three just looked at each other. They hated arguing with HyungJoon...especially when the youngest had a point.
"I think...I might agree with Joon." They all looked at YoungSaeng, the hamadryad looking down at the ground. "He doesn't seem dangerous..."
"It's hard to seem dangerous when you're coughing up radioactive poison," HyunJoong pointed out. "But that is a very valid point...the human DNA would weaken as it's passed down."
"I can't believe we're actually talking about letting him go," JungMin groaned, sitting down in the grass. "The Order will never go for this..."
"We probably shouldn't just let him go," the drow replied. "He might rejoin with other survivors if there are any, and then we'll have a problem. But you're right in saying that the Order won't like this at all..."
"So what do we do?" YoungSaeng murmured. There was silence.
"We can always...not tell the Order," HyungJoon said carefully.
They all stared at him in shock. "Are you serious?" YoungSaeng asked. "You're talking about treason. Not reporting there's a human alive..."
"They don't have to know," the youngest continued. "I mean...even we didn't know he was human until we took a closer look. If we keep him nearby to make sure he doesn't just run off to other humans, we can conceal what he is."
"If he's around us, then he'll be considered part of the Healers' circle," JungMin said slowly, catching on. "No one would think twice about it. There are too few Healers for the Order to screen every single member for human blood. They didn't even blink at Joonie."
YoungSaeng continued to frown. "But then...we would have to always keep him with us. He would never be free."
"I think compared to the alternative, he'd mind this a lot less," HyunJoong said wrily
"And if we're going to leave him alive, being a Healer with us is the best place to keep him," HyungJoon beamed. "Helping the world to recover after what happened...it's like repenting almost, isn't it? That's why I joined."
HyunJoong was slowly nodding. JungMin still looked skeptical and YoungSaeng shifted uncomfortably, but it seemed like an agreement had been made. Truth was...none of them wanted to kill the sickly human.
No amount of racial hatred and fear justified killing in cold blood. It was this sort of thinking that had doomed the humans in the first place.
"I hope we don't regret this," YoungSaeng said with a sigh, standing. "I'll continue to help him heal. HyunJoong, come help me explain?"
The drow nodded. "HyungJoon, JungMin, I think we've stayed in this spot long enough. Let's get moving again." That said, he followed YoungSaeng back into the caravan.
HyungJoon hopped up onto the driver's bench, picking up the reins. When JungMin climbed on beside him, he blinked at the griffin in surprise. "You're not shifting back?"
JungMin shook his head. "I'm not letting the human see what I am. Not yet."
"You're that worried?" the younger man asked, and JungMin snorted.
"Humans used to hunt griffins, you know. That's why we took to living in remote areas. And when we stepped in to stop the Last War, whatever griffins were left...they hunted us again. It's different when they see people like you, HyunJoong and Saengie. You all walk on two legs, and you look like them. They see the similarities, and accept you...or at least, have an easier time accepting."
He picked at his clothing, obviously uncomfortable in this form. "Not us. Griffins, dragons, kappa, manticores...they could never accept us. We're wild animals, beasts. I won't be subjected to that again."
HyungJoon watched the griffin for a moment, then sighed quietly. With nothing he could say that would ease JungMin's mind, he turned back to the horses and clicked his tongue several times, the caravan shifting as they started to move again.
Inside the caravan, the human looked up at HyunJoong and YoungSaeng in confusion, bracing himself against the floor as they started to move. "What's going on? Where are you taking me?"
The drow and hamadryad exchanged looks. Time to practice their Hangul again.
"We're on a mission to heal the dead zone that used to be Seoul and Incheon," HyunJoong said after a moment, sitting down in front of the stranger. YoungSaeng lowered himself down beside the drow, reaching out to touch the leaves of the nearest potted bush out of habit. "We're moving towards the coast. I think there are some things that we need to discuss."
The human slowly nodded, swallowing thickly and brushing his long bangs out of his face. In sharp contrast to how pale he'd been before, his face was now flushed with fever and his brown eyes slightly glazed with it. YoungSaeng looked around for the water, passing a flask full of it to the other man and watching him drink.
"I'm sure neither of us have to explain to you what we are supposed to do to humans we find alive," HyunJoong said carefully. The human paused in drinking the water and slowly lowered the flask with shaking hands before nodding mutely.
"That's why we're giving you two options," YoungSaeng said. He still couldn't believe they were really doing this. "One, we will do as we as supposed to and kill you within the hour, and file a report that will have this entire area searched for humans like you."
"Or," HyunJoong continued, "the second option. You will tell us exactly where you came from, if there are other humans...and you will stay with us and masquerade as a Healer for as long as we deem necessary. Your life will be spared."
The human stared at them. "Really?" he asked, voice hoarse. "You won't kill me?"
"Under the condition that you stay with one of us at all times," HyunJoong warned. "For all we know, you will have to spend the rest of your life doing this. We are taking a risk keeping you alive, so don't try your luck."
The human shook his head and swayed, the movement upsetting what little balance he had.
"You need to rest," YoungSaeng sighed. Shifting closer, he helped the man lie down, the hamadryad's hands shaking at being so close to a human. "There are charms for healing set up around you. The best thing to do is to sleep and let them take effect."
The human coughed again and nodded slowly, eyes fluttering shut. When YoungSaeng leaned back though he opened them again, blinking blearily up at the other man. "What's your name?" he whispered hoarsely.
YoungSaeng looked back at HyunJoong, who nodded. The hamadryad looked back at the half-asleep man. "My name is YoungSaeng," he said after a pause. "This is HyunJoong. The brown-haired man outside is HyungJoon and the redhead is JungMin."
Then he paused again before asking slowly, "what is yours?"
The human's lips curled up into a small, exhausted smile. "KyuJong," he murmured, before his eyes shut and he fell into a feverish sleep.
YoungSaeng looked down at him for a moment before leaning back against the wall with a sigh. "Did the sun set?" he murmured, pressing his arm over his eyes as he felt the exhaustion setting in.
HyunJoong peeked outside the caravan. "Yeah. Why don't you sleep?" He caught the glance YoungSaeng shot at the human, and chuckled. "I'll keep an eye on him and make sure he doesn't try anything funny. Though he doesn't look like he's going anywhere for a while."
Rubbing his eyes, YoungSaeng sighed again and laid down, curled up against the wall with his fingertips brushing the pot his tree was in. "Wake me up if something happens," he whispered, then was out cold.
"Of course." The drow shifted into a more comfortable position, head against the wall. The sound of playful bickering floated to him from outside and he smiled, settling in for a long night.
************************************
They had reached the coast by the time the human named KyuJong was well enough to leave the caravan. Or at least, they thought he was. They compared how fast he healed to the speed HyungJoon recovered, but they were obviously off. When HyungJoon and HyunJoong tried to help KyuJong to his feet inside the caravan, the human swayed before his legs gave out again, nearly bringing all three of them to the floor. JungMin snorted at the tangled pile of limbs, and YoungSaeng smiled despite himself.
"Really though, we need to get you outside," HyunJoong sighed once he'd separated himself from the mess. "We've moved away from the ruins a bit so the water is clean. It will help you."
"He needs to get up first," JungMin rolled his eyes and pulled YoungSaeng out of the caravan.
HyungJoon, as expected, had warmed up to KyuJong first. The halfling was relaxed around their reluctant, human companion, practicing his Hangul and telling him all about what they did as Healers. It was impossible to tell what HyunJoong thought of KyuJong, the drow unreadable as always. JungMin was unpleasant at best and openly hostile at worst, but no one could blame him, letting the griffin warm up on his own rather than force him into conversation with the human. YoungSaeng was highly uncomfortable around KyuJong, and only spoke around him or talked to him when he was healing the sickly man. Outside of that, he avoided being around him, and had even taken to carrying his tree around outside the caravan if KyuJong was awake.
They must have finally gotten KyuJong up, because ten minutes after the human staggered out of the caravan with HyungJoon on one side and HyunJoong on the other. YoungSaeng had already set his tree down and ran down to the shore, bare feet splashing in the water slightly. Hamadryads never wore shoes.
Straightening, KyuJong took in a deep breath of the clean air, seeming to savor it.
"Think you can stand?" HyunJoong asked, seeing the healthy color slowly returning to the man's face. Clean air did wonders, especially when one had been breathing in nothing but the poison-laced air of the ruins for who knew how long.
The human paused and nodded after a moment, and the drow and halfling slowly releasing him. KyuJong swayed, then relaxed when his legs held this time. Slowly, he took careful and halting steps towards the shore.
HyunJoong watched him for a moment. When he was certain KyuJong wasn't going to fall, he turned to HyungJoon and JungMin. "While we're here, I'm going to hunt. When YoungSaeng's done recharging, see if he can find any herbs?"
They nodded and the drow glanced back at the shore. KyuJong was still on his feet, so HyunJoong turned and disappeared into the forest behind them.
HyungJoon looked to JungMin, who was fidgetting. The griffin must be restraining the urge to shift back and fly around with every ounce of willpower he had. There was a nice breeze, and his wings must be cramped inside that form.
But when JungMin noticed HyungJoon watching, he pressed his lips firmly together and shook his head before going to feed and water the horses. HyungJoon sighed and sat down in the grass, twining it between his fingers and watching KyuJong shakily approach YoungSaeng.
YoungSaeng glanced over his shoulder as he heard the light splashing of someone joining him, and stiffened when he saw it was the human. KyuJong smiled hesitantly at him and YoungSaeng looked back out across the water.
"It's nice," the human ventured, looking down at the water swirling around his ankles. YoungSaeng hummed in agreement, not looking at him.
"I...Thank you," KyuJong continued quietly. "I didn't think I was going to be alive to see the coast."
And you shouldn't be, YoungSaeng thought, but he didn't say it outloud.
KyuJong looked at him a little awkwardly. "Can we...call a truce or something?" he asked after a long pause. "I agreed to this, right? I'll help you guys as long as you don't turn me in."
"It's not like we're giving you much of a choice," YoungSaeng spoke finally. "Of course anyone would choose something other than dying. You're bound to us now. You'll never be free again."
"You make it sound like I should hate you for it."
"Shouldn't you? You're practically a slave now."
The human frowned. "I don't think slaves are treated like this. You helped me heal...and you're not mistreating me for being human or anything. Why would I hate you if any other way, I would be dead now?"
"Humans are irrational," YoungSaeng whispered, gaze fixed on the horizon and slightly hazed.
"..." KyuJong ran one hand over his face with a sigh, and smiled. "Well...this irrational human doesn't hate you or any of your friends."
YoungSaeng was silent.
"YoungSaeng hyung!" HyungJoon called. "Are you done? HyunJoong hyung said we need more herbs!"
The hamadryad sighed. "All right, I'm going," he called back and turned to start back towards the caravan.
A loud splash behind him and HyungJoon's shout of alarm drew his attention back to KyuJong. The human had tripped and fallen, reflexes too dulled still to catch himself before he hit the water. Eyes widening, YoungSaeng hurried back to him and tried to pull the human back up, but KyuJong's strength seemed to have given out, leaving the human coughing and unable to get up even with YoungSaeng's help.
More splashing was audible before JungMin joined them, the griffin carefully picking KyuJong up out of the water. "Humans heal so slowly," he mumbled, carrying him back with YoungSaeng trailing after them.
"S-orry," KyuJong got out before coughs stole his breath again.
Once they were back on dry land, JungMin laid KyuJong down in the soft grass rather than inside the caravan. HyungJoon scooted over, eyes worried. "Why is it taking so long?" he asked.
"It's been 2 days only," YoungSaeng sighed. "Radioactive poisoning isn't easy for anyone to recover from, let alone a human. I'll start seeing what kind of plants are around here, there might be something helpful." He walked off into the forest.
KyuJong watched him go, coughing slowly dying down. Once he could breathe properly, he looked at the two remaining. "He's a forest sprite, isn't he?"
"Hamadryad," HyungJoon specified.
"How can he pick plants for medicine then?" The human asked, frowning lightly as he sat up. "Isn't it...against their instincts?"
"It is," JungMin replied sharply. "He's doing it to stop the poison from eating you from the inside out."
KyuJong winced.
"YoungSaeng asks the plants if he can pick them before doing so," HyungJoon sighed, shooting JungMin a look. "And he thanks them, as they should be, just as we thank any animal that we kill for meat. That's probably what HyunJoong hyung's out doing right now."
"Aren't elves vegetarian?" KyuJong asked, looking a little lost.
"They are," the halfling smiled. "But JungMin and I aren't, and I don't think you are either. HyunJoong makes sure the kill is as quick and clean as possible, and actually prefers that he carry it out rather than one of us because he wants to make sure the animal isn't in pain."
"I normally get my own food," JungMin grumbled.
KyuJong looked at him, then back at HyungJoon. "So, if YoungSaeng sshi is a hamadryad, and HyunJoong sshi is a...drow?...then what are you both?"
"I'm a halfling," HyungJoon laughed a little nervously. "Half-shadowfolk, and half-human."
The other man's eyes widened. "Half-human?" When HyungJoon swallowed and nodded, KyuJong smiled brightly, seeming relieved that there was at least one other person with human blood around.
Then he looked at JungMin. "And yourself, JungMin sshi?"
Despite the polite tone, the question made JungMin stiffen. "None of your business," he hissed, standing and walking away.
"JungMin!" HyungJoon protested, then sighed. "Sorry about him...he's not usually this prickly. It's just that you're-"
"Human," KyuJong finished with a sigh. "Yeah, I was guessing that might be the problem." He laid back down and looked up at the sky. "They don't seem to have a problem with you though."
HyungJoon shook his head. "No. They're an openminded bunch. They'll get used to you eventually...JungMin's just overly paranoid as usual."
KyuJong smiled a little but didn't comment, and after a moment HyungJoon lay down beside him. They didn't talk after that, just looked up at the clouds drifting overhead and enjoyed the clean air.
************************
The group rested in that spot for the night, all of them taking the opportunity to sleep. The next day they would have to tackle the ruins, travelling through it along the coast to reach the other side. JungMin was finally persuaded into his griffin form once KyuJong had fallen asleep and took a quick look around from the air. When he returned, he informed them that it would take 2 days to cross the ruins.
The following morning HyunJoong and YoungSaeng were hard at work spelling the caravan as best as they could, to keep YoungSaeng's tree safe. They also worked out a schedule for each of them to take turns guiding the horses, the others resting inside the caravan to recover from the radioactive exposure when they weren't needed. The horses needed to be spelled as well, as they wouldn't be able to avoid the exposure.
Between all the spellwork, HyunJoong and YoungSaeng crashed the second they were finished. JungMin took up the first shift, climbing onto the driver's bench and whistling to himself as he ushered the horses into the ruins.
KyuJong drew his legs up to his chest, watching YoungSaeng sleep as the hamadryad curled up around his tree protectively. "I guess this is the boring part for us, huh?" he asked HyungJoon. The halfling made a face and nodded.
The ruins were bleak around them, crumbled stone and twisted steel taking up the landscape. As night fell the place turned nightmarish, long shadows cast across their path and menacing silhouettes popping up everywhere. The horses turned skittish, and that was saying something considering they could stand next to dragons and not even twitch.
"Why were you in here, anyways?" JungMin muttered when he and HyungJoon had switched places, leaving him alone with KyuJong in the caravan. HyunJoong was out cold, but YoungSaeng blinked at them sleepily from his corner.
KyuJong shrugged, eyes unfocused as he looked at the shadows outside the caravan window. "I guess you would be curious too, wouldn't you?" he asked quietly. "Curious about what happened that would cause the world to annihilate your entire species."
JungMin could have gotten riled up again at that; he'd certainly gotten angry over far less. But he just sighed, legs drawn to his chest as he looked up at the ceiling, as if he could see through it to the sky. "Yeah. I would wonder, I guess." He had wondered...asked himself over and over why his race couldn't have been given the thousand and one chances they'd given to the humans.
Looking at the redhead for a long moment, KyuJong smiled faintly and rested his head back against the wood, closing his eyes. From his corner, YoungSaeng smiled as well before going back to sleep.
The first day passed without consequence. Sure HyunJoong was sleeping through all of it, but they were used to their leader's sleeping habits by now and knew when he'd lain down after spelling the caravan that he'd be K.O.ed the rest of the way across the ruins. KyuJong on the other hand, had taken to poking the drow worriedly and wondering aloud if he was alive.
They'd had to rescue the human when HyunJoong rolled over and trapped KyuJong between him and the floor.
It was halfway through the second day when they ran into a problem. The path they'd followed along the coast was blocked by a fallen skyscraper. HyungJoon and JungMin set out into the ruins to find a way around it (YoungSaeng tactfully kept KyuJong inside the caravan so that he wouldn't see the griffin flying through the sky).
When they returned, it was with bad news. The detour would cost them another 2 days inside the ruins they wanted to leave as soon as possible. Nevertheless they set out again, since it would take them just as much time to go back.
The following morning, while HyungJoon was helping YoungSaeng tend to his plants, a single leave came off into the halfling's hand. It was wilted and brown. They both looked at each other for a long moment before YoungSaeng hurried to strengthen the spells around the caravan.
It was probably just natural; plants lost their leaves all the time. But none of them wanted to take any chances that the radioactivity might be seeping in through a crack in the spells.
The next day JungMin had started coughing strangely, and YoungSaeng all but dragged the griffin into the caravan and forced him to rest. After strengthening the spells yet again, the hamadryad crashed as well.
Halfway through the night, KyuJong was checking on the two sleeping when he noticed something odd. "JungMin sshi?" he started hesitantly. JungMin didn't snap at him as much anymore, but the redhead was miffed at being made to stay in the caravan and anyone was fair game.
"Drop the sshi, and what is it?" JungMin opened his eyes to see KyuJong peering at the sleeping hamadryad with a frown.
"It looks like...something's wrong with his tattoos."
JungMin blinked. "Tattoos?" Then his eyes widened when he realized what KyuJong was talking about. Scrambling to his feet, he made his way over and crouched down as KyuJong pointed.
"...Shit." The garden under YoungSaeng's skin had started to wilt. JungMin scowled at the sleeping hamadryad. "Idiot. You're supposed to tell us if you're getting sick."
"Is it bad?" KyuJong asked quietly.
"It could be. He's such an idiot. Hamadryad's are bad with poison of any kind." JungMin kicked their sleeping leader. "Help me get sleeping beauty up, will you? We need his spellwork, right now. Before that stuff spreads in YoungSaeng any more."
Eyes wide in alarm, KyuJong shifted to help JungMin shake HyunJoong awake, the drow sleeping like the dead. At any other time the fact that they could literally roll the man from one end of the caravan to the other without any reaction would have been hilarious, but not now.
Finally JungMin grew fed up and kicked the drow in a place where young men of any race should never be kicked. It took HyunJoong a few minutes to recover from that, but considering he was finally awake KyuJong let out a sigh of relief.
The long sleep had replenished HyunJoong's spiritual energy thankfully. "The spell's gone all patchy," the older man noted with a frown, trying not to wince as he shifted position a little to take a look at YoungSaeng. "If I can repair it, the poison in the air should dissolve slowly...how's his tree?"
"There's a few wilting leaves," the griffin replied, shifting the pot around to take a look. "They'll need to be pruned before the rest of the tree is infected, but it doesn't look like the poison's gotten to the soil or anything."
"We're lucky then...it's still early," HyunJoong sighed, then blinked down at YoungSaeng, who had opened his eyes and was looking up at them all questioningly.
"You are a crazy, suicidal tree-hugger," JungMin grumbled, thwacking YoungSaeng off the head and drawing a yelp from the older man. Spotting the worried affection in the otherwise violent action, KyuJong smiled.