Chapter 22: Epilogue

A baby's cry broke through the halls of the Kouka Palace in Kuuto. Bright red cheeks, black hair like it's mother's and baby blue eyes scrunched up tightly as the newborn gave hearty cries. Looking down at him was a tired looking King Hiryuu who helped the midwife in cleaning him, then wrapping his son in a red blanket. The boy continued to cry in his father's arms as the King brought the child around to lay in Akemi's arms.

"He's perfect." Hiryuu told her as the child latched onto her breast to feed.

"He better be." she told him tiredly. "I'm not going through that again."

Yu-shi Yun snorted from the doorway. "Like you have a say in it." she commented. "The council is already wanting you to give them a princess to use in negotiations with the newly formed country of Xing that boarders the wind tribe."

Akemi groaned. "I'll tell them no." Hiryuu told his old friend who chuckled. "Yak-shi will be a strong boy."

"We'll see." she challenged him as she felt an arm wrap around her waist. Looking up she smiled when she saw Shuten's green eyes barring down upon her.

"So what do we have?" the Ryokuryuu asked, not seeing the Queen as a screen had been erected up between them.

"A boy." he heard the Queen answer him sternly.

"Yes." he said as he grinned. "Guen owes me."

"Who do I owe?" came the white haired mans voice.

"Me." Shuten replied with a broad grin.

"A boy?" he asked causing Yu-shi Yun to nod. "Damn." he cursed.

Abi chuckled as he and Zeno approached them. "You lost the bet." he assumed before looking at Zeno. "This is why it isn't safe to gamble."

Zeno grinned as both men turned towards the Seiryuu. "It's not safe to gamble because you cheat!" Shuten yelled as he pointed at the other male.

"Proove it." Abi challenged him as he pointed his paper fan at him.

"You never loose." Guen countered.

"Good luck." Abi stated smugly.

"Nobody is that good!" Shuten yelled. "You've taken more than a thousand gold coins from me!" he pointed a finger at the blue haired man who raised an eyebrow at him.

"Then don't gamble with me." Abi stated as he waved his fan in front of him.

"I want my money back!" Shuten practically shouted.

Zeno snuck away from the three and closed the double doors as he entered the King and Queen's chamber. "May I see the young Master?" he asked as the muffled voices continued to shout beyond the doors.

Hiryuu brought the child out from behind the screen. Zeno held the baby close to his chest as the boys head was nestled in the crook of his arm. Satisfied from having its belly foo, the baby laid silently in his arms; which made Hiryuu pout. "He screams when I hold him." he complained.

Zeno laughed lightly. "I think it was because he'd been just born and was cold." Zeno told his king.

"Perhaps." Hiryuu watched Zeno hold his son, his heart aching that his youngest warrior would not have children of his own nor would he ever grow old like everyone else around him. "Zeno," he spoke softly causing Zeno to look up at him. "when my time comes for my soul to return, I want you to stay and keep watch over my son and his children."

Zeno cocked his head to the side. "Is his majesty not feeling well?" he inquired, worry etching his face.

Hiryuu shook his head. "No, but I have a feeling my time here is coming to a close very soon." he looked towards the open bamboo windows. "Everything must return to the heavens...eventually." he looked at Zeno. "But this is something I can only ask of you."

Zeno smiled before nodding. "Then I'll do my best to do so." he said. "I promise." Hiryuu felt a weight lift from his shoulders and relaxed as he watched Zeno for a moment or two before the doors opened and the others entered the room, all demanding to hold the new prince too.

Zeno kept his promise to his king, even after his brothers left the Palace and Yak-shi grew up, had his own children and turned into an old man. He felt his brothers die, but sensed other Seiryuu, Hakuryuu and Ryokuryuu; however, he wasn't ready to leave yet. It wasn't until Yak-shi's great-grandson Hak-ku was born with his twin Yu-won that Zeno left the palace to begin his own journey. He went to the villages of his brothers and saw the next generations, but was always chased off by guardians.

He returned to the country capital of Kuuto during a war that had been brought to the country by the generals uprising against their current king. By then it had been a hundred years since he had left the palace. He snuck in, watched the king being behead by his own cousin, Lord Kye-ho of the sky tribe.

Sneaking past soldiers, who mistook him for a servant, Zeno made his way to the family chambers and found the young queen, Shia-lue holding her two year old son. "Miss!" he cried out to her causing her to look at him. Waving his hand for her to come to him, he was surprised that she did so.

"Are you a priest?" she asked, eyeing the medallion he wore.

Zeno smiled, but gave a nod. "Assistant turned priest." he whispered the lie.

"Take him!" she thrusted the boy into his arms before pushing Zeno out of the window just as the doors slammed open.

"Grab the bitch!" he heard men yell before a scuff was heard along with a woman screaming before a thud. "She's dead. Find the boy. He's the last of the Red King's line!"

Zeno's eyes widened before he remembered his promise to Hiryuu. Pulling the boy close, he ran. Dodging looks from servants, screams as women were ravished by enemy soldiers, Zeno rushed out of the burning palace gates towards the city below. He found some clothes hanging in an alley and snagged them for the boy before continuing to run for the forests.

It was only when daybreak came over the mountains that bordered the wind and sky that Zeno finally found a place to rest for them. By then the boy had passed out in his arms. Zeno dressed him in normal clothes, taking the rich silks off the child's body and throwing them onto the cave floor. They rested until mid-afternoon when Zeno sensed the child stir.

It took them four days through the overgrowth of the forest to reach Fuuga, the capital of the wind tribe. Once there he sought out the chief elder, former general Jae-fa. The older male looked between Zeno and the child, easily recognizing the toddler. "My son was on the King's side of things, if you are here, then he may be dead." he stated as he walked over to the child. "Was the city in flames too?"

"Only parts of the palace." Zeno stated. "Do you know who I am?"

"Who you were." the old man said as he poured them both drinks. Handing Zeno one he motioned for him to sit and drink. "You once were known as Lord Ouryuu. The story states you never aged, even after a hundred years after King Hiryuu's death." he gave an old smile towards Zeno. "You were there protecting the old King's line, weren't you?"

"I made a promise." he said as he looked at the boy who was playing with the seat cushions on the matted floor.

"Then as the new and old chief of the wind, or until it's been confirmed that my son has met his death," he began as he spoke to the golden haired youth that was probably older than his grandfather. "I wish to take the burden of protecting this child with my own life."

"The fire tribe might hurt you." Zeno countered.

"The boy will grow up in the mountains near the Holarr village." he gave a grin as the boy began tugging his feathers on his headdress. "He'll be given to a young couple who lost their own child to the fever."

Zeno gave a nod. "He'll grow up without knowledge as to who he is." Zeno said.

"I'll keep a record of it and of his family." he eyed Zeno. "You are welcomed here, you know that, right?"

Zeno smiled brightly shocking the man with his radiance. "I know." he said. "The wind carries its memories of the past through time to the future..."

"...so that those who are of the present remember their past." the elder finished the old saying of the wind before gaining a feeling of nostalgia. "Those words were first spoken by our founder."

"I know." Zeno said as he stood up, ruffled the boys hair before walking away and out of the wind capital to continue his journey.

He kept an eye on the boy over the years, finding him a few months after the incident, then ten years later, followed by twenty years after that. He saw the two children, a boy and girl, playing with the man who carried Hiryuu's looks but had Akemi's dark black locks that was also given to his children. It was another thirty before he saw that the boy had died, as had his wife and daughter. The girl had died in childbirth. The little one was raised by her brother, her husband having abandoned their child to her brother.

Over the next several centuries Zeno kept an eye on the children that came from Hiryuu's line, finding it odd how their numbers were go from dozens to a single living defendant ever three centuries.

The next time Zeno visited the village in the wind was after Kaya's death. It was then that he learned how much time had really passed since he had lost his precious wife, thirty years he had stayed in their home before it had crumbled and she had turned to bones.

He really couldn't feel the need to check upon the King's line this time around, but he did it out of habit. He found a new home built upon the old one. Ten children running everywhere, all brothers and sisters. He found a pregnant woman and her husband who was Hiryuu's exact copy, minus the pitch black hair. He chuckled as he turned away and walked away.

He measured time by the ages of the children after that. Fifty years, the a hundred, then another hundred and another. Children turning into teenagers that then turned into adults who later turned into dust after death.

He kept an eye on other things as well. The political powers, wars and sovereign's deaths. It was two hundred and fifty-six sovereign's later when he saw the red star in the sky and knew Hiryuu was returning. He went to Holarr village, thinking he'd just check on things there. He found that the fever was killing off everybody there. He ran into the mountains to find the current descendant of Hiryuu, a toddler boy was screaming his head off. Dark locks and blue eyes looked at Zeno. Both of his parents were dead, as were his older siblings.

Stripping the boy of his clothes, Zeno wrapped him in his blue vest shirt. He then torched the house to be rid of the sickness. Picking the child up, Zeno went to Fuuga. Arriving at the current chief's home, the one eyed grey haired man took one look at a tired Zeno and obviously sick child and ushered them into the manor. He didn't know who Zeno was, all he saw was two kids needing help.

Zeno Sat in front of the fireplace warming up from having been out in the rain for the last hour when the wind chief, Mundok if he remembered right, entered into the room with a very large book. "I believe this is the book you mentioned." he stated as he placed the old book down. "The wind leaders of the past have had their descendants always keep a record of a certain family that lived in Holarr." he began to go through the book looking for a certain name. "Shang-long and Shu-mai had Han-tao, Hana and Hak." he looked up at Zeno. "All were found dead but the youngest?" Zeno gave a nod. "Hak is the boys name."

"Zeno made a promise a long time ago to protect the children." he said as he took a sip of the warm drink. "Zeno cannot take Mister with him."

"I'll take Hak as my grandson." Mundok announced. Zeno's eyes widening in surprise. "I need an heir. The boy needs a home. Adoption is best for both of us." Zeno was thankful for that. Mundok looked at the book before running a hand over the ancient covers. "I'll add that into this later." Zeno nodded before leaving, his footsteps feeling a bit lighter for some reason as he made his way to Kuuto to find his new master and see what he was like.

Present Time

Zeno looked at the little one in his arms, a tiny blond haired little girl with bright blue eyes was starring directly at him. Cooing softly him as he smiled down upon her. Looking up at his wife, Zeno couldn't believe his luck at finding her. Kaya had returned from the heavens as his new wife Mei-sue. She looked exhausted, but still beautiful with her sweaty black locks.

A knock on the door caused him to give his daughter to his wife. Leaving the door partly open, Zeno went to the front room and opened the doors go reveal Jae-ha, Shin-ah and Kija all waiting outside with their own children playing beyond the doors in the green grass of Hakuryuu village. All three baring their father's powers, all two out of three were girls, Jae-ha and Kija's daughters were both very cute and used it on their father's constantly to get their own ways.

"Well?" Jae-ha inquired, grey hairs and wrinkles having appeared upon his features over the years, much to his irritation.

"Boy or girl?" Kija asked excitedly, his exuberance was the same as always; even if he was starting to slow down.

Shin-ah had finally stopped wearing the mask about a year after their adventure with Yona had begun. His eyes danced with excitement. "Was I right?" he asked quietly.

"You know?" Kija asked with wide eyes, his eyes showing his age.

"I guessed?" he questioned with a clock of his head, his voice betraying a tease.

"Cheater." Jae-ha accused him.

Shin-ah just smiled, suddenly Zeno began laughing being reminded of Yak-shi's birth. "A girl." he announced a grin spreading across his face.

"Why do I have a feeling Yona dear is laughing at us from heaven right now?" Jae-ha inquired with a shake of his head.

"Don't let Mister hear you say that." Zeno said as he nodded towards an older looking man with a young boy and little girl running after them, the children giggling at the older wind elder and the father.

Kija sighed sadly. "I miss her." he said gaining nods from everybody.

"We'll see her one day soon." Zeno stated when he suddenly heard a cry from his daughter.

"Do you have a name yet?" Shin-ah inquired curiously.

Zeno smiled, his hair falling back as he tipped his head towards them. "Yona." he said, knowing that his child would bare that name for the next five hundred years. The contract Missy had bargained for, was for Kaya's soul to return to earth so that Zeno and her could create the new Ouryuu; which meant Zeno would be allowed to die and return to the heavens. A new Ouryuu would be born every five hundred years. No other would ever live as long as Zeno.

They all smiled back at him when they heard a voice behind them. "It's perfect." Hak's voice startled them but his smile made them know he truly did approve of the name.

That night the stars shown brightly as the dragon Kami above approved of the creation of a new Ouryuu.

M-Angel: I hope everyone enjoyed my story here. I am seriously debating in leaving ff due to a horrifying review left on another story. Not worry, I'll finish my stories on here first and then leave message with whatever I decide on my stories. Hope everybody has a wonderful week!