Relief

Posted originally on the Archive of Our Own at http://archiveofourown.org/works/54594199.

Rating: General Audiences

Archive Warning: No Archive Warnings Apply
Fandom: Akatsuki no Yona | Yona of the Dawn
Relationship: slight hakyona
Characters: Original Characters, Son Hak, Yona (Akatsuki no Yona), Zeno (Akatsuki
no Yona)
Additional Tags: Angst
Language: English
Stats: Published: 2024-03-20 Words: 731 Chapters: 1/1
 Relief
by LaWashaWasha

Summary

A dragon warrior copes with the emotions brought by deciding to let their life go.

{Major spoilers for the last few chapters of the manga}

TLDR I've always read AnY with an OC in mind and recently caught up with the manga after
a long time of not reading it. And I just had to write this to cope.

Notes

As summary says, this is just something I wrote up to cope and decided to publish. But
maybe you'll like it, even through the absolute lack of context or any background
information.

For a little bit of context, I conceptualize this OC as the the fifth dragon. They have some
slight shapeshifting abilities (although they lost track of what their "original" body was), and
can light their body on fire. In my OC's tribe, people born with the dragon's abilities are
believed to be possessed by a mountian spirit. They live mostly isolated from the tribe, but
their fire is thought to be sacred and being cremated with it necessary for passing into the
afterlife. Thus, they are asked to perform a funerary ritual (the "ceremony" mentioned in this
text) in which they cremate the bodies of the dead. It is believed that it is best to perform the
ritual in the very last moments before a person's death. Although the people of the tribe view
the powers as a blessing, those which manifest the dragon's powers have long viewed it as a
curse.
As the last remnants of the white beast descended into the chalice in Zeno’s hands, something
in Hei-yuu’s mind clicked.

Of course.

An old memory was reawakened just then, brashly dusting off the shock of the scene. The
feeling of betrayal that had bristled mere instants before was quickly enveloped by a flurry of
bittersweet relief.

Maybe the old man wasn’t completely gone after all.

The last few days of their predecessor were marked by feverish sleep and agonized
mutterings. Most was unintelligible, but they often muttered of a beautiful soul that would
someday break the dragon’s curse. He mentioned it over and over again, and Hei-yuu took it
as his final agonizing over the shackles imposed by their Dragon Blood. They suspected that
the delusion helped him cope with his oncoming demise.

When he finally asked, in a moment of lucidity, to be engulfed in flames one last time, Hei-
yuu complied. He knew his time to turn to ash had finally come, just as all of their
predecessors knew when their time came. He, as all before, asked Hei-yuu for the ceremony.
And Hei-yuu, as all before, performed the ceremony for the very first time then.

“The beautiful soul will come in your lifetime, Hei-yuu. I see it in your flames.”

That was the last thing he’d said before his flesh, finally, gave in to the fire.

Hei-yuu couldn’t hear what Hak and Yona were saying. In that instant, it was all Zeno. And
that chalice.

A beautiful soul, huh.

“So… you are the one that will break this curse?”

Zeno’s eyes met theirs. It was a sorrowful gaze, but clear of that glaze that seemed to always
cloud his eyes. Resolved. He nodded.

Hei-yuu closed their eyes, took a deep breath. This was it… the wish of their ancestors, to be
freed of their curse/blessing… was to be finally fulfilled. Hei-yuu’s wish, too.

I hope you will be freed too, Zeno.

They felt relief, then. Finally.

So why do I feel such sorrow, too?

Soft hands suddenly took theirs. They opened their eyes and met with the glassy eyes of that
person their soul loved most. Yona. She was saying something. What was it?
“…please don’t go.”

Was that it? Then why did it also sound like their own voice, hoarse from tears?

I said that too, all those years ago…

Another memory engulfed in flames, a limp body carefully cradled in their arms. Leaving.
Those beautiful clear eyes, rapidly going dull, a pure smile. One final wish, entrusted to
them.

“…please…,” she’d whispered weakly, “live a long and happy life.”

Hei-yuu’s heart burned at the memory.

They squeezed Yona’s hand, gently. Glanced at Zeno just a few paces away, at Hak. Hei-yuu
smiled, then softly pushed Yona’s hand away. They stepped back, a warmth rushing through
their body.

I’m sorry I couldn’t live as long as you wanted me to.

They almost smelled the whiff of fish roasting by a fire then, the soft light of morning, and
the sound of everyone they loved joyfully sharing a breakfast. They understood their sorrow
then. This meant the days of those joyful mornings were over.

… But I did find a happy life, in the end.

“Hak, take good care of the princess.”

Flames licked at Hei-yuu, then. The tie holding their hair back crumbled in the heat, and the
flaming locks tumbled free.

“Yona…”

The flames did not feel cold, for once. They were warm, like an embrace. They felt their
body began to change, shift into a shape they’d never known before.

“…please…”

The chalice in Zeno’s hand was calling them. It was time to go.

“… live a long and happy life.”

The beaming smile of that cherished person of their youth overtook their mind’s eye then, for
a moment. Those clear eyes, unfazed by her heavy breathing and bruised skin, were the most
beautiful thing in the world. She’d beat Hei-yuu, yet again. And, yet again, they couldn’t
bring themself to be mad about it.

Maybe… I’ll see you again on the other side.

Their body was extending into the sky now, gliding upwards in a wide arc. They faintly heard
the voices of Yona and Hak cry out their name. And then they were headed downwards,
towards the chalice in Zeno’s hand.

Then I’ll tell you all about these people who’ve blessed me with such joy.
Please drop by the Archive and comment to let the creator know if you enjoyed their work!