Black Dragon

The Fall of Kiyohime

"Don't hurt her Ryokuryuu!" I beg. "She hasn't done anything."

"Let our master go and surrender yourself, Kiyohime!"

I throw my arms in the air. "Fine! Fine. Do whatever to me, just don't hurt her."

Hakuryuu walks over to me and places my hands into restraints, yet Ryokuryuu hadn't released Bora.

"Mother, don't do it," Bora yells to me. "I've looked at every instance, and the one that keeps us all safe is the one where you do nothing!"

"I don't care! If he doesn't let you go, I'll do it!" My blood was already boiling.

In the next moment I was staring into purple eyes that were hidden behind red hair. "Calm down, Kiyohime. Little Bora is safe." He says reassuringly.

"Don't hurt her, please." I beg trying to restrain the tears that threatened to spill.

"No harm will come to her or you or anyone else." He says. He then turns to the four warriors that stood around us. "Is that understood?" He asks them.

It was obvious they wanted to argue but knew they couldn't project themselves this way for long, and that would be time wasted. Ryokuryuu releases Bora and she rushes over to Hiryuu and I and throws her arms around me.

"See, Mother? I was right."

I smile at her, "You're always right."

She looks to Hiryuu. "You're Father, aren't you?"

He raises an eyebrow at her. "How'd you know?"

She points at her eyes. "We have the same eyes."

He kneels down, "You're right, we do." He says with a smile.

"Can you see the same things that I see?"

"Well what do you see?" He asks her.

She leans in closer to him, "I see the future." She whispers.

He raises an eyebrow at her, "Is that so?" She nods her head eagerly, hoping to find someone who was like her. "I'm afraid I can't see as well as you." He says sadly.

Her excitement turned to disappointment. "Oh."

"But that's okay. That's what makes us all unique." He points to Hakuryuu. "You see him? His arm is very strong."

He then turns to Ryokuryuu. "And he has a very strong leg." He looks in the direction of Seiryuu. "He's got really good eyes like you, but he can't see the future. He can see long distances and into someone's heart though."

Bora looks at everyone in amazement and settles on Ouryuu. "What about him?" She asks.

"He has a special power. It's a secret though."

She nods her head. "And I already know what Mother can do!" She states proudly. "But what about you? What can Father do?"

"I'm human, I can't do anything."

Her eyebrows furrow together in confusion. "But Mother is human too."

He smiles and looks at me, then back at Bora, "Your mother is special."

My heart skipped a beat at that. It was the first time he hadn't looked at me like I was a monster.

"Master, Kiyohime and the humans need to be punished." Ryokuryuu says sternly. "Let us exterminate them for their injustice towards you."

Hiryuu shakes his head. "No, I am human now... even though the humans may hate me, betray me... I cannot help but love them. And that includes Kiyohime as well."

"But master, what will stop her from doing this again? She is the one that has caused all this evil."

"You are not wrong, Ryokuryuu. She is evil, but she is also good. And killing her will do nothing. Her soul is immortal as mine is. If she dies, she will only resurrect another form." Hiryuu.

"What do we do then?"

"We leave her be. She is the ruler of this country, and we will leave her to rule it."

He turns to Bora. "You are always welcome in the kingdom of Kouka, little one."

"I am not little, Father." She says sternly.

He smiles at her. "You're right, my apologies."

"Are you not going to stay with us?" She asks.

Hiryuu shakes his head. "No, I'm not from here. I must go back to my home."

"Why can't this be your home?"

"How about you come visit me at my home some time?" He suggests. They both look toward me.

"No, she's not going there. If you want to see her you can come here."

Hiryuu starts to protest but Seiryuu steps in. "If I may suggest an idea, she can stay here for six months out of the year, and the other six months she can stay in Kouka with her father. And we can assure you she'll be safe. Each of us will be giving our blood to a warrior who will protect our master."

"He just threatened her life moments ago! How could you expect me to believe that she would be safe?" I yell pointing at Ryokuryuu.

"I'll personally keep her safe then, but she is immortal isn't she?." Seiryuu says.

"She still feels pain!" I look down at Bora. "Can you see what could happen if you went there?" I ask.

She shakes her head. "I can only see the immediate future."

I sigh. "We'll try it." I say to Hiryuu. "But Seiryuu must protect her while she's there and if I feel any need to, I can retrieve her from Kouka myself be it myself personally, or someone I send."

Hiryuu nods his head and Bora takes his hand and they leave.

Then everything fades to black and Kiyohime appears beside me.

"It seems like a happy ending doesn't it?"

"It's not isn't it?" I ask.

"The six months system seemed to work out well enough so we kept it. During the six months she spent in Kouka when she was fifteen, Hiryuu died. The dragon warriors grieved his death to the point where they all decided to go their separate ways. Seiryuu's warrior tried to take Bora with him to return her to me, but Hiryuu's son Yak-shi had apparently fallen in love with her and refused to let her leave. So I took it upon myself to go get her myself, and as soon as I crossed the border I was arrested and executed for trespassing."

We stood there in silence. She seemed to be lost in thought and I wasn't sure what to say.

"So you see now, right? You understand why I need you to help me?" She asks.

"What exactly do you need me to do?"

She clenches her fists at her side. "I need you to help me kill Hiryuu."