The Dragon Queen // (Under Revision)

Special Place

"Who are you going to see when you go home? Since your parents are dead," Naruto asked beside her. Tsuyoi and Naruto were standing on the roof of the monastery. They had climbed up the stairs, and entered the little tucked-away place, and used the overhang to scramble over onto the actual roof.

Tsuyoi was stunned by the sudden edge in his words, but she forced herself not to react right away. Instead, she focused on controlling the golem eagles. Tsuki kept swerving into the trees, and Azayaka's uneven wings kept him at an awkward angle so that every time a breeze went up, he spun out of control. The only one that flew straight was Oboete, and Tsuyoi's attention came to rest on the two faulty birds. She had them all swoop in circles, through and in and around each other.

"Hiromu...Takumi...Mother Hana and Mother Yuki..." Tsuyoi answered through clenched teeth. Maybe three golems were too much for her. There was a cool wind blowing, but still a bead of sweat broke out on her forehead.

After a moment of straining, she realized that the weight on her mind was lessening. Her eyes widened, and she turned her gaze to Naruto. The bright-haired boy had lifted his hands towards Azayaka, biting his lower lip. He was taking control of the golem through her yuimaru.

"Naruto..." Tsuyoi's gaze softened. Then she noticed Tsuki starting to fall out of the sky. Thrusting an arm out toward the bird, Tsuyoi pushed her back up in the air.

"Don't worry, Tsuyoi," he said, eyes focused on Azayaka. "It's not that hard; it's like flying a kite." Happiness scored through their yuimaru, bright and warm, filling Tsuyoi up.

High above, Azayaka let loose a wild cry, reflecting Naruto's emotions. The sound was full and infinite, reverberating through her consciousness. She smiled. Naruto never ceases to amaze me.

After a few more minutes of focus, Tsuyoi found her concentration was paying off. She didn't even need to use her hands anymore; instead, she could focus on the presence of the birds and in short, slowly pass the mantle to them. They were starting to be act more like real birds instead of puppets.

After a moment Naruto said, "I can't believe how life-like they look. What did you do again, exactly?"

"I took the life energy from the air and placed it inside them. But there is still clay beneath those feathers." Tsuyoi looked at the setting sun. "We gotta be fast if we want to get back downstairs in time for dinner."

They continued on, guiding the three birds in silence.

"You know, Naruto..." Tsuyoi started quietly.

"Do I know what?" He shifted his weight, moving a little closer to her. She could feel his eyes on her, but she couldn't bring herself to meet them.

"When I first met you, I don't know why I brought you here. This is my special place. I used to tell myself that this is where I went when I wanted to be alone. But then again...before you came here, I was always alone." Tsuyoi twitched her finger at her side. Tsuki suddenly banked left, back in their direction. To her surprise, Azayaka and Oboete followed her. "What makes this place so special to me? How can a cold, drafty section on a roof being such comfort to a person? I've been thinking about it, and I realize that it was because when I'm out here, it's because I can feel the draft. There's a window in this cage I'm in. The sky can hug me. The stars can smile at me. The moon and the sun can guide me. There's something about out here—" Tsuyoi blinked away a tear. "—that makes me wonder what freedom feels like." She twitched her finger again, and the birds went off on different paths.

Naruto couldn't speak. He just stared. Tsuyoi felt her brow furrow. A new emotion welled in her chest. She didn't know what it was, and it burned slightly, but it coaxed her forward.