A cry to the heavens, A cry to you

Chapter 13

Yuri was set down on the ground gently. As Yuri regained her footing, she looked around at her surroundings. Her face lost all color. The place was frightening, Tsuta Ruins. Everything was covered in moss, there was strange plants and statues, and it had an eerie sound echoing about on the walls, making her shudder. Waka stared at her, as she looked around curiously, fretfully, and scarcely. His brows furrowed slightly, and his blue orbs seemed to hold all the worry he had for Yuri.

"This…place…it's so…repelling…" she noted quietly. Waka walked over to her and picked her up, and set her comfortably on his back again, even though he had just set her down. He felt her lock her arms around his neck again. He blushed secretly, her arms around his neck turning his face a light red.

"Okay Yuri-chan, we need to go, and again, I promise I will protect you" he vowed sincerely. He felt Yuri tighten her arms around his neck, and place her head on his right shoulder. He blushed again, and began to walk. Waka looked over the rocks that he would have to hop across to get to a small entrance in the large statue on the other side of the water. He walked to the edge, and got into a crouching position. He began to leap across the rocks, and he could feel Yuri's body tense. Soon, he was inside the entrance, and in a nice beautiful place where there were plants, water, and everything. Yuri smiled slightly, happy to see such beautiful scenery.

"Yuri-chan, hold on…" Waka whispered quietly. Yuri nodded. Waka began to jump, and it was up the narrow way up to…well ever Waka was going. Yuri felt light-headed suddenly, looking down to see how far away they were from the ground. She whipped her head up when she saw how far away the ceiling was, there was a bright light on the side of an archway. Her eyes squinted slightly as they landed on the arch, and she saw a door. Waka began to walk slowly towards the entrance, the light becoming brighter. Yuri squinted harder this time. Suddenly, she heard the familiar eerie echo, knowing she was outside of the beautiful tranquil, they had just gotten past. Yuri then realized she and Waka were on the outside of the huge statue.

"H-how are we going to get to the top Waka-kun?" Yuri asked ruefully, looking down at the water that surrounded the statue. Waka didn't answer, and Yuri knew he was too concentrated, so she did not ask again. Suddenly, he jumped again, and before she knew it, they were on the statues head.

"That's how we get to the top, Yuri-chan" Waka chuckled and Yuri blushed. She looked around, and noticed that the very top of the statue was missing, so there was just a hole. She glanced up only to see the top of it floating in the air. She shivered.

'What is this place….?' Yuri asked herself mentally, not noticing the flowers with vines.

(I didn't want Yuri to notice them, sorry.)

Waka walked towards the edge of the hole while Yuri was distacted, and then jumped. Yuri whipped her head around only to see that they were falling through darkness.

"Waka-kun!" Yuri shouted through a tight throat, one that was tight with fear. Waka laughed suddenly, and Yuri was confused. Suddenly they began to slow, and they lightly touched the ground.

'Waka-kun did that when, he jumped off that tree in the forest…' Yuri thought. She then felt herself slipping from Waka's back. Her feet touched the ground. When she was on the ground she looked around, not realizing she had her hands gripped on Waka's shoulders tightly. She blushed and snatched them away before he could say something.

"G-gomen, Waka-kun" Yuri apologized quietly. Waka turned to her a smile on his face. Yuri's heart fluttered, and pounded rapidly.

"No need for apologies Yuri-chan" he said softly, smiling still. Yuri looked down, her skin flushed red. She heard Waka chuckle.

Yuri lifted her head, and looked around again. They were in some sort of room. It had a mirror of some sort, and little statues that looked brittle, and could break easily if someone barely touched them. She also noticed multiple spider webs everywhere. She moved closer to Waka.

"W-waka-kun…why are we here?" Yuri asked, fearing the answer. She felt Waka tense slightly, and then relax.

"We are here to see Amaterasu fight against something, and epic battle" he explained, he then stared at a small entrance to a small tunnel. His mouth turned into a tight line. Waka knew he shouldn't have brought Yuri here, but, he needed to. What other choices did he have? Leave Yuri in the forest by herself. He could not do that. That was more risky than bringing her here, but it was also risky bringing her here. Maybe…he shouldn't have come. Now it was too late, they had already gone too far into the ruins. He stared at the entrance a little longer before turning to Yuri.

"Let's go Yuri-chan" he said gently, and bgean to walk towards to the entrance. Yuri blinked, and then followed him abruptly, not wanting to be left behind. She closed in on his back, and kept close as he crouched to walk through the tunnel. His back was bent as he continued, and only Yuri's neck was bent.

Soon they were out, and they were in a dark path to somewhere. Yuri's stomach dropped when she felt an evil lurking within. She pitched over holding her stomach, trying not to puke. She kneeled, taking deep intakes of air.

"Yuri-chan!" Waka exclaimed, panicked, and he knelt in front of her.

"What is in there? It feels so strong…" Yuri whispered as she lifted her head to look at the entrance. She slowly stood still holding her stomach and walked over to the entrance hesitantly.

"I'm guessing we have to go in there, Waka-kun…" Yuri said quietly, as if it was a rhetorical question. Waka walked up behind her, and grabbed her gently by the forearms.

"Yuri-chan, are you alright?" he asked, and the concern was so clear in the voice. Yuri nodded, and the silent gesture assured him a little.

"I'm scared…but we have to do this…" she told him, and turned to face him with a smile. He stared.

"Yuri-chan, we don't…"

Yuri cut him off, "Waka-kun, I must be brave, but not for me, for you, so you can get the important things done on our journey" she said. Her eyes were serious, but understanding, and determined. Waka could not believe that this was shy little Yuri, being so brave, and understanding. He smiled.

"Merci…Yuri-chan" he muttered kindly, the soft smiled on his features. She smiled back, just as softly.

"Let's go!" she exclaimed. She grabbed Waka's hand, and then dove towards the entrance, not caring about the twisting, and lurching movements in her stomach.

'I'm so scared…but…for Waka-kun…I would do anything…even stand up to my fears…' Yuri thought, running down a hallway, leading to what Waka had prophesized, here in Tsuta Ruins.