Yuri and Yona of Dawn

Chapter 15 Seiryuu

I just posted the first chapter of the rewrite. I'm ending this story at the end of the anime, but the rewrite should go with the manga. It's titled, Following a Prophecy. Read if you want, the story line and characters are a bit different though.

Yuri just stared at Seiryuu. But her attention was drawn to the cowering man when he cried in fright, "The mask!"

"What's wrong?" Yoon asked, confused as Yuri was.

"You'll turn to stone if you look at those eyes." he warned, cowering.

Yuri blinked, "Stone?"

"He came to kill us!" the other villagers began to back away.

"Seiryuu saved me. He wouldn't kill anybody without reason." Yuri retorted, annoyed.

Yuri and Yoon both stopped as Seiryuu closed his golden eyes. He leaned down and picked up his mask. His eyes still closed, he adjusted his mask and fury back onto his head.

"You have no intention of coming with us," Kija questioned, "What do you want, Seiryuu?"

Seiryuu leaned over and picked up the axe on the floor. He walked towards where Yuri, Yoon, and Kija were standing. Yuri and Yoon walked along the wall, still confused. Kija stood still as Seiryuu raised the axe. Then Seiryuu used the axe to hit the wall next to Kija's head. He began to continually attack the wall as Kija finally understood.

"You! If you came to help us escape, why didn't you say so?" Kija asked, "I was in despair thinking we Dragons would have to fight amongst ourselves! Wait... why are you digging here? The exit is over there." Kija said, pointing towards the villagers.

Seiryuu stopped, "This... leads out... It's quicker to dig here..." he said in his soft voice.

"You should have mentioned that sooner!" Kija cried out. "Himesama, I will start digging now-"

Yuri was already next to him, slowly chipping away at the rock with the knife she grabbed from a villager a while back. "I'll dig too." she said softly.

"You must not. It is we, the Dragons, who have the duty to protect you."

"Kija." Yuri turned to face him, smiling cheerfully, "It's fine. I don't need protecting. I want to hurry and get back to oneesan and Hak. If I dig as well, it'll be quicker. Let me help as well. Let's get out of this place sooner."

A wide smile broke onto Kija's face. "Hai!"

"You guys start digging too if you want to live." Yoon said, holding up one of the villager's knifes.

Yuri and the others began to pound relentlessly. Chipping away the rocks, pebble by pebble. Sweat formed on Yuri's forehead. It was getting harder to see, to breath. Her vision was blurring and her pace was slowing. The only thing driving her now was the fact that she wanted to see Hak and Yona again. As well as meet Ryokuryuu and Ouryuu. Without realizing it, she fell back into two strong arms, the knife slipping from her fingers. She opened her eyes to see Seiryuu's clothing. "Sei...ryuu..."

"Are you okay?" Yoon asked.

"Yes..." Yuri said softly.

"Seiryuu, take himesama to your room. There should be more air there." Kija instructed.

"I'm fine." she said in a weak voice. She tried to smile but her body wouldn't let her.

Before she could protest again, Seiryuu had picked her up and was now walking deeper into the cave to his small room. She couldn't even protest, given the warmth she was receiving from Seiryuu. As he set her down, he wrapped his white fur around her figure. Yuri tried to speak but not sound came out. He then place Ao onto the fur. Ao scurried up and nuzzled her.

Yuri felt tears rising in her eyes. 'He's so kind. Why? Why doesn't anyone try to understand him? Why do they leave him all alone? He probably came out because he was worried about the villagers. I'm sure he was protecting the village all this time too.'

"It's frustrating." Yuri said, finding her voice. She rubbed the tears from her eyes and offered a weak smile to Seiryuu. "I hate to see you all alone. Am I presumptuous to want to help you even though we just met?" She gently rubbed Ao before smiling her strong smile. "I'm okay now. I'll go dig. I can still do more. You know,she asked, as she stood, "I never left my castle in 15 years. Every day without worry, filled with the small happiness I protected in my tiny world. When that was taken from me, I understood. What it's like to be hungry, that some feelings can shatter your heart. But the fact is even then, you continue to breath. You wish to live. It means something for me to live, for you to live. I won't let you say it's meaningless." she had walked to the entrance of his room. Facing him, she spread her arms out. "That's why, I'll help free you from this darkness. I promise I'll bring you somewhere you can be yourself, where you can be comfortable with being yourself."

He stared at her, mouth open a bit, as if to confirm the existence of such a place.

Yuri nodded before she rushed out to help the others dig. 'That's a promise I won't break. I'll keep it. Seiryuu.'

"Himesama, please rest." Kija told her when she was next to the wall.

"I'm fine." Picking up her knife, she began to work away at the rock again. As more time went on, she had one goal. 'I'll free Seiryuu from this darkness.' at that moment, the knife tip broke off, cutting her hand. She winced but when Yoon questioned her, she smiled and said, "I'm fine."

They could suddenly hear clanging sounds from the other side of the rock. Yuri blinked as she stood there. Everyone had stopped their digging and was now wondering what was going to happen, but Yuri knew. "Hak."

A speak head broke through the earth. Rocks went flying everywhere. Kija hurried and wrapped his arms around Yuri, making sure she was not injured.

"Himesan?!" Hak's urgent voice came.

"Yuri?!" Yona called out.

"Hak! Oneesan!" Yuri said. She stood there, staring at the male and her sister, now standing in the light. Hak dug the spear into the ground before he rushed to the smiling princess. Hak and Yona both sandwiched Yuri. She smiled and hid her face into Hak's shoulder, accepting their warmth.

"Hak, how did you know where to dig?" Yuri asked, after they were all out of the village.

"The villagers told us." Yona replied.

"They only revealed their secret when their family's lives were at stake." Hak finished.

"That's good. They weren't people who'd abandon their families." Yuri said.

Yoon replied, "It's human nature to let fear get the best of us, too."

Yuri saw the villagers backing away from Seiryuu but she still smiled at him.

"So, what are we going to do, Yuri?" Yona asked.

Yuri smiled at her sister and replied, "I'm not going to give up. Seiryuu."

She rushed to the male and stood in front of him. "I'll ask again. Let's go together, 'kay?" she held out her hand, inviting him to her family of friends. "I want you to come with us."

"I..." Seiryuu said, staring at her hand.

"You don't have to close your eyes in front of me. Does your power really kill people indiscriminately? Even when Ao is so attached to you? Ao knows you're not destruction." He slowly reached out to hold her hand, but hesitated, fingertips apart. Slowly, he placed his hand into hers and she smiled. She gently squeezed it, and he choked. His lips were pressed together tightly, like he was trying not to let people hear his sobs. But a trail of tears ran down his cheeks. She smiled brightly and hugged him.

"Alright, shall we go?" Hak asked.

Yuri turned and nodded. "Thank you for everything!" Yona and Yuri said together, waving at the villagers. Seiryuu bowed his thanks as Yuri waited for him. His bells fell from his mask but he seemed to be okay with it. Like he knew he didn't need them anymore. And Yuri knew, she smiled and him and said, "Let's go, together, Seiryuu."