Dragon's Eyes

By Blue Yukiko

Outside of a white funeral home, a small boy with dark brown hair is standing, silent. Two adults are on the porch, talking among themselves.

"I can't believe she's gone," on of the adults says.

The boy overhears this.

"If only. If only he wasn't born that way."

He grips his tiny hands tightly.

"Maybe she'd still be alive."

"Shut up!!!" the little boy yells. "It's not my fault!"

He falls to the ground, crying. ", come back!"

~*~*~*~

Years later, a young man stands in front of his mirror, his pierced eyes* staring back at him.

"I hate my eyes."

He is standing in front of the door to his house in a school uniform, and calls out, "I'm going to school, Hajime!"

He closes the door behind him, and walks out to the sidewalk.

This is Ryu. His mom died when he was little because of suicide. Since then, he's been living with his older cousin, Hajime.

Someone runs up behind him and hugs his shoulders.

"Ryu! How have you been?"

This is Hanako. She's Ryu's best friend and the first person that wasn't scared of his eyes.

"I'm fine," he says to her, "So can you please get off of me now? I can't breathe."

She says, "Okay," as she jumps off with a smile.

He turns red and his heart pounds in his chest as he walks with the girl with dark, silky hair.

The truth is, Ryu's been in love with her since they first met, but he's too shy to tell her. So he figures staying this close to her is the next best thing. Actually, he doesn't let anyone else, besides his family, get this close to him.

Later that day, Ryu is outside in the backyard, near the forest, staring up into the sky. He let's out a heavy sigh and walks around.

"Tomorrow." he says to himself. "Tomorrow is my sixteenth birthday."

He stops, looking at the ground. "I can't let anyone see me. Not even Hanako."

You see, a long time ago, Ryu's family's ancestor fought a strong lost. Instead of taking his life, the sorcerer cast a curse on him.

"Every five generations, a boy will be born with pierced eyes. Those who survive to the age of sixteen shall live the rest of their lives as a dragon."

A lot of the boys born with those eyes never made it to the age of sixteen by some illness or other circumstance. But those who did, transformed into a hideous dragon that wreaked havoc on the surrounding area, until he was either captured, and/or killed.

"I don't want to hurt anyone, and that's why I don't want anyone to see me." He looked up into the sky, of which the sun had already set, and the moon was out. "Especially Hanako."

~*~*~*~

The next day after school, everyone was outside, going home. Hanako was waving goodbye to a friend when she spotted Ryu walking by himself.

"Hey Ryu!" she called out to him. He didn't even look her way. "I wonder what's wrong. Ryu."

"Hanako."

In the backyard of Ryu's house, he and Hajime were standing face-to-face. "Are you ready for this, Ryu?" Hajime asked.

Ryu answered, "Yeah."
"I'm sorry, Hanako."

Hajime looked at his watch, which said six o' clock exactly. He stepped back from Ryu and said, "It's time."

Just then, a piercing pain went down Ryu's spine. He fell to the ground, panting, with beads of cold sweat dripping down his face and neck. Something was sprouting from his back. Two gigantic spikes were forcing their way out. He screamed in pain. Immediately, he gripped his shoulders. Out from the two spikes sprouted two enormous wings. Slowly, his skin began to change from the creamy pale color it was before, to tough gray scales. His former hands slammed on the ground as claws with thick, three-inch nails. He growled and began to flap his wings.

Slowly, he rose from the ground, floating in mid-air. Not even noticing Hajime standing in front of him, he dashed into the forest at top speed, leaving behind his house.

Hajime looked on and said softly, " Goodbye, Ryu."

" me, Hajime?"

He turned around to see Hanako standing there behind him.

"Did she see?"

"I wanted to know if Ryu's here. I wanted to wish him a happy birthday. Do you know where he is?"

Hajime looked the other way, unable to look her into the eyes.

"I'm sorry, but Ryu is gone."

"Well, when will he be back?"

"He's not coming back."

This was the most painful thing he had to say in his entire life.

A sensation of anguish washed over her. " it can't be true."

She ran to Hajime and grabbed his shirt. She pulled him towards her. "Where is he?! Tell me, please!" Tears were forming in her eyes. "I need to know! I need to find him!"

Hajime was surprised at how much she wanted to see him. Maybe she could help.

"He's." Hanako loosened her grip on him. "He's in the forest, back there."

Just as her said that, she rushed into the forest, tears streaming from her eyes.

Hajime looked back at the forest. "Please. Be safe, the both of you."

"Ryu! Ryu, where are you?!" Hanako screamed at the top of her voice.

~*~*~*~

The dragon Ryu was flying through the forest, the trees beside him just a blur. Suddenly, he didn't notice a branch sticking out form one of the trees, extending farther out than the rest. It tore into one of his wings, causing him to lose maneuvering ability. He crashed into the trees in front of him, falling to the ground. The sound made the birds fly from their nests.

Nearby, Hanako was listening. "What was that noise?"

She ran to the source and saw him lying there, bleeding.

"A dragon?" Just then he opened his eyes. She recognized it.

"Ryu!" she yelled as she ran towards him. She knelt on the ground beside him, asking frantically, "Are you all right?"

He saw her and lunged at her. She screamed in pain as his long, sharp teeth drove into her left arm. Drops of blood coming from her wound.

"." she reached out and touched his scaly head. "I know you're still in there. Please. come back to me."

Something snapped in Ryu's mind and he let go of her arm. Blood dripping from his teeth, he watched Hanako curl to the ground, gripping her bleeding arm.

".." A tear dripped down from his eye and landed next to he limp hand.

He reached out, not his claw, but his human hand, and held her limp one.

She looked up at him in surprise. "'re."

His knees hit the ground. He was there, in front of her, human, crying. He used his shirt to tie up her arm to stop the bleeding. Then, he grabbed her shoulders and pulled her in, hugging her tightly.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry for everything," he said in a quivering voice. "I'm sorry for leading you out here, for injuring you this badly, I'm sorry." Tears were streaming from his eyes. "I can't forgive myself for what I've done!"

Hanako knelt there, in his arms, feeling the pain that he feels. "And if I can't forgive myself, how can I expect you to forgive me?"

Hanako pulled herself away, but not out of his grasp. She held her hand gently too his cheek, wet with his own tears.

"I.I forgive you." Ryu's eyes widened. "I do."

"Hanako."

She smiled.

" did you."

Just then, she collapsed. "Hanako! Hanako, are you all right?"

She laid in his arms, her face red and her body shaking.

~*~*~*~

Back at the house, Hajime was staring up at the sky when he heard something.

"Hajime!!"

He got up. "Could it be."

He saw Ryu emerge from the bushes, out of breath, carrying an unconscious Hanako in his arms.

"What happened? How did you-"

"There's no time to explain!" Ryu interrupted, "We have to get her inside, now!"

Hanako rested on a couch in their living room, a blanket on her, a wet towel on her forehead, and new bandages wrapped around her left arm.

Hajime and Ryu were in the hallway, talking. "She had a fever, but it's going down now," Hajime stated, "As for her arm. it will take some time to heal. The wound was very deep." Ryu stared at Hanako with concern and guilt. Hajime noticed this.

"It's not your fault, you know." Ryu turned to see his cousin. "In the past, our family has done a lot worse." Hajime looked into his eyes. "But , you broke the curse, or should I say." he turned to Hanako's direction, "she broke the curse."

"Hanako." Ryu said to himself.

Up in his bedroom, he was looking through an old tin box with a white plum flower painted delicately on it. He found a scroll and unraveled it. "The spell that was inflicted on my ancestor."

After some time looking through it, he rolled it up again. "There's nothing in here about breaking the curse." He was about to put it away, when a small, rolled up piece of paper slipped out of the hollow shaft that held on to the scroll. "What's this?" He bent down to pick it up. "This looks just about as old as the scroll itself."

He unraveled it and read: If there is a maiden, whose love for the cursed one is greater than evil, then the curse shall be lifted.

Ryu had found it! The reason why he had been lifted from the curse. But that meant.

Ryu went to the living room and sat down at a chair next to the couch that Hanako was sleeping on. "That's 's why she came for me."

Hanako opened her eyes. "She saved me."

"Ryu?" Hanako said, weakly.

He looked down at her.

"How. how did you turn back into a human?"

"It's because of you."

"Me?"

Ryu bent down to just an inch from her face. Her heart pounded so hard in her chest that it felt like it was going to leap out.

"Tell me, I was wondering, do you love me?"

He eyes widened and she blushed bright red. "Well.."

"Tell me the truth," he said to her sincerely.

"I.I do," she relaxed a little, "I really do. I love you, Ryu."

He leaned closer and captured her lips with his. A warm sensation rushed through their bodies. It seemed like forever before he let go. "That's what saved me."

"Huh?"

"Your love saved me. It broke my curse." He leaned in again, this time, holding her hand and resting his head gently on hers.

"I just wanted to tell you, thank you. And that, I love you, too."

pierced eyes*- eyes that looks like a cat or dragon for this matter.