Chapter Two

Is it You?

"I cannot stay for long Kuon." She told him sadly.

"But why? I don't understand." He begged for an answer.

"I do not know." She replied.

"I'm still looking, I won't give up until I know you're safe." He assured her.

"My sweet Kuon." She sighed caressing the side of his face. "There is no need for you to go to such lengths. You have shown me that love does indeed exist, even if it is only a dream for you. I do not know if I will be able to return to you, I feel so weak right now." She told him breathlessly as he held her tightly in his arms.

"I will find you princess. I promise." Kuon kissed her temple. "I promise with all my heart." He vowed to her. She nodded and buried her face into his chest and took in his comforting scent.

"I love you Kuon." She told him in a tired voice. "I truly love you." She whispered.

"I love you too, my princess." He told her as he took in the scent of her ebony locks and she disappeared once again.

He sighed as he awakened to a view of the ceiling of the small room he had rented for the weekend at the quaint little Kyoto Inn. I know I'm close, maybe that's why she's getting weaker. Today he would spend exploring the surrounding area. He had heard about some ruins near the hill by the little forest where a small stream ran through. He packed and prepared for his weekend of exploration of the ruins nearby and left.

His heart leapt once he saw the stream. "This... It's really real!" The frustration of the past two years dissipated as he searched the small area for anything that would help him further. "Okay.. I can't let this get me too excited. I need to calm down." He said trying to calm himself. He sat on the large boulder near the stream and took out his water and lunch. "Heh, won't do me any good if I pass out from hunger."

He continued up the path to the ruins that he had researched. He would set up camp, rest for the night and continue in the morning.

The little embers danced above the campfire like little beings with a consciousness of their own. "Kuon.." were the whispers. "Kuon she's here..." They told him.

"Who's there?" He called out.

"You must find her." The little dancing lights told him.

"Who's there? I'm trying! I'm doing everything I can!" He cried out in frustration to the darkness.

The lights spun and whirled like a tiny tornado around him then vanished. His heart was pounding out of his chest in fear. I'm close, I know it! Don't think this will stop me! He thought determined to find her as he searched the darkness for the little lights that had tormented him.

"Kuon, I cannot find you!" Her voice called out in fear.

"I'm here princess. I can't see you but, I can hear you!" He told her in a reassuring tone.

"I'm frightened." She whimpered. "I do not understand. This has never happened. I cannot see you."

"It's okay. I think I'm close. I'm coming for you. Please just hold on for a little longer, please." He begged.

"I will try." She promised.

He bolted upright with the rising of the sun, frantically searching around him. Looking for anything that may have given him a clue that she was there. In the distance a blue then amber light flickered and caught his eye. He grabbed a bottle of water from his pack and ran to the spot it had come from. He stopped at the ivy covered cliff face and searched out of breath. Where was it? What was it? He slid down to sit on the ground with his back against the cliff and drank the cool water as he sighed. Maybe he was just seeing things because of stress and the strange dream. He curled his right hand into a fist and slammed it behind him into the ivy covered wall out of frustration.

"It's hollow!" He yelled out in shock. "The cliff is hollow?" He laughed tearing the thorns and ivy away, shredding his hands in the process.

There it was in front of him. A large blue stone embedded in a enormous door behind the ivy and thorny vines that now lay on the ground behind him. He reached with his bloodied torn hands to touch it and prove to himself that it was real. A shock ran through his arms as his blood covered the blue stone and clouded it. His mind reeled with memories that were not his own of others that had been torn to pieces by the now broken stone statues that lay in the ruins. "She's dying, I need to go to her." He cried out not caring of the possible fate that awaited him.

As the doors opened, the tiny little lights that had tormented him the night before flew past him in a WHOOSH. The air was thick and deathly quiet. The long marbled halls lit up with an ethereal glow as he passed by the jeweled pillars not caring of their value. He searched each treasure filled room for his princess not touching anything of monetary value, there was only one thing he valued in this palace and it wasn't gold or, jewels. Beyond the paintings, beyond the jewels and gold, beyond all of the treasures lay one final room. In that room lay his princess. She was as beautiful as the first time he could remember seeing her. He slowly approached not believing his own eyes, her porcelain white skin, her ebony tresses fell about her body in waves. He reached out to touch her to make sure she was real, to be sure that this wasn't another dream or, a hallucination. Her skin felt warm and soft.

"She's real." He whispered as his thumb caressed the soft plump flesh of her ruby lips. "She's really real." A tear of joy escaped as he leaned to capture her scent. Her warmth pulled him closer, her scent clouded his mind and his lips found hers. The honeyed sweetness of her mouth took over all of his senses as his lips finally touched hers. She sighed and ran her fingers through his soft dark hair pulling him closer to her. His eyes popped open and they smiled.

"It's you." She whispered. He smiled and pulled her up from her bed into his arms hugging her tightly.

"I finally found you princess." He held her closely. "I finally found you."

"I remember my name now." She whispered to him smiling. "It's Kyoko. Thank you my sweet Kuon."

"I love you Kyoko." He laughed.

"I love you too Kuon." She smiled and snuggled against him. "I love you too..."

~Fin~