Prelude – Dawn
Started: June 17, 2002
Finished: June 17, 2002
Warnings: Sorato/Yamara coupling, AU, violence, and maybe more to come soon. ^_~
Disclaimer: *sigh* Not mine...
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"No... get away... get away from me..." the young man whispered in a broken voice, his agony as apparent as the bright moonlight scattering over the silent earth outside. He sat in a crouched position in the very far corner of the bare dungeon, just escaping the moon's silver embrace from the barred window, to the left of him. Blond hair, once a gleaming gold, was now matted against his scalp from lack of washing for weeks, filled from root to end with dust, oil, and dried blood. He spoke up, once more, in the same soft manner. "...get away..."
"Yamato..." She walked closer, and kneeled down in front of him. He did not make any signs of resisting, and she proceeded to undo her cloak to wrap it around his battered body. Hugging him gently, she asked, "Please... let me look at your wounds?"
He bit out bitterly, "What's the use? New ones will be added soon enough."
"But don't you want to survive? To escape? To fly away from this dungeon?" She pleaded, ruby eyes quavering. "Once you give in, there's no returning."
"It's true I don't want to be like you." The reply came out harsh, and instantaneously, he felt the arms around him stiffen. He punched himself mentally, angry that he was not able to hold in his words, and buried his head deeper into his arms. "I'm sorry."
She relaxed, and shook her head. "It's all right. I know that... What's the point of escaping once you've become his fledgling? It would be pointless." Slowly, she leaned down beside his ear and murmured, "The reason I came tonight... I've found an opportunity for you to escape." His cerulean eyes snapped open wide, and he listened attentively to the girl's rushed message. "There will be a summer feast this Sunday. Many people are coming, and he will be too busy that day to notice anything going on in the dungeons. The security will also be a lot easier then."
"This Sunday?" Yamato echoed.
Nodding, she dug into her pockets. Her hands fumbled for a while to fish out a piece of wire, and she placed it onto his hand. "You'll find usage of this... I cannot steal you the key, but I know you can use this. Just be careful to hide it until the time comes."
For a moment, he choked as he grasped the metal tightly; though small, it was one of the big steps that would lead him to freedom. As the girl rose to leave, he grabbed at her hand weakly and smiled, for the first time in days. "Thank you, Sora."
She smiled radiantly in return, dark ruby eyes lighting up in a shimmering, unearthly glow. The distant bell chimed and signaled the arrival of morning.
He closed his eyes.
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A/N: TBC! The next chapter will be much longer, I promise. ^^