Kyou Kara Maou Fan Fiction ❯ Yuri Stands Upon the Earth ❯ Apparition ( Chapter 3 )

Disclaimer: Kyo Kara Maoh! isn't mine, though I'm scouring the internet for my own Yuri and Conrad.

 

-----

 

Chapter 3

 

Apparition

 

-----

 

That night Yuri's sleep was restless. He kept tossing and turning; for once his poor sleep was not entirely due to Wolfram's violent sleeping habits. Every time he closed his eyes, Yuri pictured Yozak and Conrad surrounded by soldiers with no way out. He could see the cold determination on Conrad's face melt into detached understanding as he realized there was no way for both men to escape unscathed. He could imagine the set of Conrad's shoulders as he squared himself, preparing for what he knew was coming.

 

Yuri tried not to picture Conrad being forcefully taken in front of Ranjeel, Ranjeel's smirk of triumph, or the cold looks the elite of Dai Shimaron would give Shin Makoku's greatest swordsman. He didn't allow himself to imagine the conditions Conrad would be held in either.

 

By the time the birds began their morning songs, Yuri lay sweaty and exhausted, yet wide awake, in bed. He had forced his eyes to remain open all night in order not to dream. As the first rays of sunlight tumbled through the bedroom's window, Yuri gave a defeated sigh and eased himself out of bed. Looking back, he smiled at the sight of Greta and Wolfram comfortably entangled in a mess of limbs and blankets.

 

Wolfram was protective of Greta, even in his sleep. The thought made Yuri ache. His own sworn protector was prisoner in a hostile nation. But he knew Wolfram and the others would do whatever it took to help him get Conrad back. Nodding to himself, Yuri quietly dressed and made his way to the dining room where he found Murata already sitting at the table.

 

It was an odd picture, as Murata spent most of his time at Shinou's temple. But the expression on Murata's face told Yuri that his friend had been waiting for him. Yuri silently took his normal seat and dished himself a plate of food. Murata continued eating his own meal. The two friends sat in silence for a time. Yuri was glad for the quiet company. He didn't want to talk about what they were doing just yet, but he didn't want to be alone either.

 

Over an hour had passed before Murata finally broke the silence. “Are you sure you're okay, Shibuya?” he asked, setting his silverware down.

 

Yuri paused, looking at his friend for a moment as he collected his thoughts. He knew the question would come eventually and he had been preparing himself. “I'm determined,” he said finally. “I've done a lot of thinking, not being able to sleep and all.”

 

Murata raised an eyebrow but said nothing.

 

“I've been scared—about what's happening to Conrad, and what could happen to me—any of us—if we fail. I've been lonely without his constant presence. And I've been sad. This…” he paused, swallowing against the lump growing in his throat. “This reminds me too much of when Conrad went to Dai Shimaron before. I was scared, lonely, and sad then. But I didn't want to believe he had really betrayed us. I refused to doubt people anymore. And it was that that kept me going.

 

“But in the end, Conrad came back himself. It was nothing I did, except get captured—my specialty—and force Conrad's hand. I felt like all I could do was believe and hope, which didn't accomplish anything. Now…”

 

Murata, ever the perceptive one, knew to let Yuri gather his thoughts so remained silent. Yuri could sense his patience and appreciated it. Of all the things Murata—well, the Great Sage—was renowned for, his calming presence did not usually make the list. But right now, that was Yuri's favorite thing about his best friend.

 

After a few minutes, Yuri spoke again, looking out the window as the new day sprang to life, and many of the castle's inhabitants went about their morning tasks. He smiled as Dorcas ran past the window, Gisela right behind, appearing to be on the warpath again.

 

“I don't ever want to feel that helpless again. I want to do something, anything, to make things right again. Whatever it takes, I'm never going to be helpless like that again, Murata.” He turned emphatically to his companion. “I'm the Maoh!”

 

“Yes you are,” Murata said with a nod. He had a faraway smile on his face. Yuri couldn't place it, but with Murata's store of memories, perhaps he had tapped into something? Shaking the thought off, Yuri shrugged.

 

“I know I'm being selfish,” he said after a moment.

 

“What do you mean?”

 

“I'm doing this to get my knight back. I'm still a selfish kid to put all these resources into rescuing one man,” Yuri elaborated. He had been considering the ramifications of his actions all night, recognizing the selfishness—something a good leader cannot give into—but couldn't bring himself to care. And Ranjeel knew he would do that; that was why he had gone after Conrad in the first place. But still, Yuri refused to sit idly by.

 

“Perhaps,” Murata mused. Yuri deflated slightly, but the other boy continued. “But in the grand scheme of things, Dai Shimaron having Lord Weller is bad for Shin Makoku. As unfair as it sounds, a good ruler understands that some lives mean more than others on the big scale.”

 

Yuri opened his mouth to protest, but Murata cut him off. “I know you believe in the equality of everyone, Shibuya. I'm inclined to agree—or I'd like to, anyway. But you should know that your life means more to the other nations, to your people, than a nameless farmer. The cold hard truth is that Lord Weller is someone whose life is more important in the big picture. That's exactly why he was captured in the first place.”

 

“Murata…” Yuri began, but didn't know what to say.

 

The Great Sage's incarnation's tone softened. “I'm telling you this because, though you might think your actions are selfish, they are serving the greater good of both Shin Makoku and Dai Shimaron.”

 

“Dai Shimaron, too?”

 

“Rescuing Lord Weller has a good chance of preventing an all-out war between our nations,” Murata replied. “Thus, saving countless lives, both human and Mazoku.”

 

The young Maoh studied his best friend and adviser for a time before smiling. “I think you're full of crap, but thanks anyway, Murata. I appreciate it.”

 

Murata's mouth silently worked as Yuri gave him a wave and left the room. As the door shut behind him, Yuri couldn't help but feel a bit better about the mission. Deciding to see if Greta and Wolfram were awake, he headed back to the bedroom, his steps feeling a bit lighter.

 

-----

 

As Yuri left the dining room, Murata shut his mouth and couldn't help but feel a bit smug. Yuri was really coming into his own as the Maoh, and Murata couldn't be prouder of his friend. Shinou had truly made the right decision in entrusting Yuri with leadership of the nation.

 

He could remember Yuri during the time Conrad had been in Dai Shimaron the first time. He had never seen the normally cheerful boy so depressed, before or after (including Sara's recent betrayal), even bringing that emotion back to Earth. That had been the first time he had suspected Yuri's feelings but hadn't thought on it further. Considering Yuri's mindset back then compared to now, Murata was impressed by the maturation.

 

Murata doubted Yuri even recognized his own feelings, but as someone who had seen and experienced it over the course of many, many lifetimes, it was plain as day. He gave a wistful smile.

 

“What some people will do for love… I'm a bit jealous.”

 

-----

 

The rest of the day passed by slowly, by Yuri's reckoning. He had divided his time between his advisers, who were making their own plans for the mission, and Greta, to avoid thinking about what was going on. Murata was absent, having gone to Shinou's temple but promised to be back for their departure the next day. Yuri would have liked to consult with Shinou before going, but decided against it. He needed to be his own Maoh for the Shin Makoku of today, not the Shinou of the Shin Makoku 4,000 years before.

 

As he settled Greta into bed that night, he must have seemed distant because his adopted daughter picked up on it. Wolfram was sitting down on the bed, ready to read Greta a story as Yuri tucked the blanket around her when she looked him directly in the eye.

 

“Yuri, are you okay now?” she asked.

 

Taken aback by the question, Yuri blinked and looked at Wolfram. The blonde was watching him carefully as well. Shrugging uncomfortably, Yuri did his best to reply. “Yes, I'm okay. I think…”

 

“I miss Conrad,” Greta said quietly, watching her father.

 

“Me too,” Yuri agreed. But he smiled warmly at his daughter in hopes of allaying her worries. “We're going to bring him back, Greta.”

 

“Promise?”

 

“Promise,” Yuri agreed. He was not only promising Greta, but himself as well.

 

“Don't worry Greta. I'll be there to look after Yuri so he doesn't get into trouble,” Wolfram added haughtily.

 

Greta grinned. “Good!”

 

Yuri looked over at Wolfram, who blushed and stuttered to reply. “W-what? Someone has to look after you or you'd lose your head.”

 

“Thanks, Wolfram,” he said sincerely.

 

The blonde Mazoku was thrown off by Yuri's reply so looked away in a vain attempt to regain his footing. “Ah yeah, well, I am your fiancé.”

 

Yuri decided not to remind him—as he had taken to doing—that he had broken the engagement. Wolfram's silence was so rare a commodity that he didn't want to ruin the moment. Plus, he really was grateful for Wolfram's concern. He knew very well that without Wolfram at his side, he would have died many times over. He was glad to have the blonde with him on such an important mission.

 

Greta took both her surrogate fathers by the hand. “Promise me,” she said earnestly, “that you won't leave me.”

 

Yuri and Wolfram exchanged surprised glances but nodded.

 

“We would never leave you, Greta,” Yuri told her.

 

“We're your fathers, after all,” Wolfram added definitively.

 

The young girl studied them both a moment before nodding. “I'm glad.”

 

Yuri hugged Greta to him. She was so precious to him, and in his depression he had forgotten about the healing power of family, both blood and adopted. He would miss her terribly on their trip, but a chaotic and unfriendly Dai Shimaron was no place for Shin Makoku's princess.

 

“Be safe, both of you,” she said, lying back down into bed. Her eyes were drooping tiredly.

 

“We'll be back before you know it, Conrad in tow,” Wolfram told her confidently.

 

Yuri nodded his agreement. “We'll all play catch when we get back. You'll barely notice we're gone.”

 

But Greta was already asleep. Yuri smiled fondly at the girl before looking back at Wolfram. The blonde returned the look in silence. They were both contemplating what they had promised their daughter. If only it could be as easy as they told her it would be. But nothing was ever easy.

 

-----

 

Yuri was floating in darkness, weightless. Instinctively he knew he was asleep, now in the world of dreams. He opened his eyes, or at least thought he did in the darkness. It was hard to tell for sure. A dim light appeared in the distance, and Yuri instinctively willed himself in that direction. There was something on the other side of that light that he felt he needed to see, though what that was, he didn't know.

 

As he entered the light, he blinked against the comparatively bright surroundings. While his eyes adjusted, he realized he was in a dimly lit dungeon. Looking around, he didn't recognize it—and he had seen his fair share of dungeons. He might almost consider himself a macabre connoisseur of said locales.

 

There was no natural light—only burning torches mounted on the walls. The walls felt oppressive, as if they were closing in on him. That likely meant the dungeon was well below ground, making it a high security institution.

 

Some unknown prodding turned him toward a cell on the farthest, darkest end of the dungeon. Apprehension gnawed at Yuri's insides as he approached the cell. Peering inside the barred door, Yuri had to squint to make out a shadowed form inside. Recognizing the physics (or lack thereof) of his formless state, Yuri the apparition floated through the door into the cell. Such a thing, he knew, was only possible in his dreams. But something still struck him as odd about the whole thing. As his eyes adjusted to the dark, he gasped in surprise and horror at the sight that greeted him.

 

Conrad sat with his back against the wall, his wrists shackled above his head to the wall. Upon closer inspection, Yuri noticed an assortment of bruises and more serious wounds on the soldier's body. And those were merely the ones visible with his clothes, which were ripped and torn. His wrists were bloody and raw from apparent struggles against his bondage. Dried blood matted Conrad's face and was visible on his disheveled clothing. His head lolled against his chest. If it wasn't for the weak rise and fall of his chest, Yuri would have thought him dead. He had seen Conrad in bad condition on a few occasions, but never to this extent.

 

This was what he had needed to see, he knew instantly. And the sight of his knight in such a state made Yuri's blood boil. He could feel the Maoh stirring beneath his consciousness, ready to pass judgment on whoever had done this to Conrad. But Yuri realized that in his transparent state, there wasn't anything he could do. Grinding his teeth, Yuri longed to touch the soldier, to give him some strength and let him know they were coming to get him. As it was, he could only stare at the pathetic state of one of his closest friends. He was helpless again.

 

Sudden sounds from the outside caught Yuri's attention, and he floated back into the hallway. An entourage of men entered the dungeon, King Ranjeel of Dai Shimaron at the head. Yuri felt something inside his chest twist angrily at the sight of the man. If only he hadn't been rescued when he had fallen overboard into the sea the day Sara had hypnotized Yuri into going berserk…

 

Yuri shook his head emphatically. No, he couldn't think like that. All lives were equally valuable… even if this man had tortured one of Yuri's loved ones out of petty revenge. Everyone had some good in them; just in some it is easier to find than in others. The young king disgusted himself with his sudden cynical turn of attitude. That wasn't like him at all. But Conrad…

 

Ranjeel and his group of soldiers and lords stopped in front of Conrad's cell—the only occupied cell in the room—if it could be called that. Yuri hovered just behind Ranjeel's shoulder in order to watch the exchange.

 

The king banged on the steel bars loudly, and Conrad slowly came to. He looked up, and when he saw who his guest was, narrowed his eyes. Yuri wanted to take a step back from the soldier and he wasn't even visible. It was one of Conrad's Lion of Ruttenburg looks, renowned among both humans and demons alike.

 

“I hope you are enjoying our hospitality, Lord Weller,” Ranjeel mocked. That the man could be so cocky after being on the receiving end of one of Conrad's glares amazed Yuri, despite his captivity. Either Ranjeel was confident in his plans… or a complete fool.

 

Conrad said nothing, refusing to rise to the bait. Disappointed by the prisoner's lack of response, the king continued. “I thought you might like to hear that the Maoh has accepted our invitation to visit. Won't that be nice for you, Lord Weller? You can see the one you were supposed to protect die before I kill you myself.” He paused. “Or perhaps the Maoh should see you, his favorite subordinate, executed before his own death. What a splendid problem to have, don't you think?”

 

Yuri's hand tightened into a fist at the man's words. The Maoh wanted release in order to judge the king. The lords and soldiers behind the king chattered appreciatively. In the cell, Conrad's expression was painfully torn before fear and hatred. It was a look Yuri was not accustomed to on the normally cheerful soldier's visage. It sent shivers down his spine.

 

“I don't believe you,” he said at last. Yuri was shocked that his voice could still be so strong despite his physical condition.

 

Ranjeel smirked. “Your Maoh is a reckless one. And his advisers are just as foolish to let him come.”

 

Conrad paled, and Yuri felt guilt swimming in his stomach. Ranjeel was indeed counting on his recklessness and Yuri was obliging him. Suddenly, Conrad's eyes widened as his eyes went past Ranjeel. For an instant, his eyes met Yuri's, and the soldier mouthed his name.

 

“You're right to be afraid, Lord Weller. This is the beginning of the end for Shin Makoku,” Ranjeel gloated, taking Conrad's transformed expression as a reaction to his news.

 

“We're coming to get you,” Yuri tried to yell to Conrad, but his knight couldn't seem to hear him. “Wait for me!”

 

The room was starting to dissipate in front of Yuri's eyes. He could still see Conrad watching him. “I'm coming!” he yelled one last time before he disappeared, hoping Conrad received the message. The last thing he heard was Ranjeel's mocking laughter.

 

Yuri jerked awake, gasping desperately for air. Had that truly been just a dream? Or had he really just seen Conrad in Dai Shimaron? It had seemed so real… Conrad's wounds had seemed so real…

 

The young king shivered. True or not, he knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that they needed to hurry to Dai Shimaron. Conrad was in trouble.

 

-----

 

The transparent vision of Yuri faded away into nothingness, though Conrad was sure it had been trying to tell him something. Meanwhile, Ranjeel remained in front of him, so Conrad turned his attention back to the king.

 

“I never thought it could be so easy,” Ranjeel was gloating. “And with this, my hold on the throne will be solidified. Without the final true heir to the throne alive, no one can challenge me—the one who defeated the Maoh.”

 

“Aren't you getting a little ahead of yourself, Your Highness?” Conrad asked coolly. “All you've succeeded in doing so far is ambushing me and giving me no choice but to be taken prisoner.”

 

“And it was so easy.”

 

“If you think your victory is assured, you might be very surprised.”

 

Ranjeel rolled his eyes. “My plan is flawless.” His expression turned cold. “I hope you enjoy more of our hospitality before your precious Maoh arrives. Dai Shimaron has much to repay you for, Lord Weller.”

 

Conrad frowned as Ranjeel and his cohorts left the dungeon. He sighed and slumped back into his shackles, wincing painfully. He ached all over and was pretty sure he had several broken ribs. Any movement, breathing included, aggravated his injuries. His head throbbed incessantly and his wrists chafed against his bonds. A wave of dizziness and nausea hit him; he held his breath until it passed. As he caught his breath, he considered the vision of Yuri he had seen.

 

Could it have been real? Conrad doubted it, but then again, Yuri had been known to do seemingly impossible things in the past. The most likely explanation was wishful thinking on his part, but even so… Conrad had a unique connection with Yuri; he wasn't sure how it had come about, but he always seemed to be able to sense Yuri, usually when he was in need of help. Even if transparent, it had felt like Yuri—part of Yuri, anyway.

 

What had the Yuri apparition been trying to tell him? He concentrated on his memory. “`Wait for me'?” he whispered aloud, trying to read the lips of his memory of the shadow Yuri. “`I'm coming'?” That would match with Ranjeel's news that Yuri was coming to Dai Shimaron… but it could also just be Conrad's mind playing tricks on him now that he knew his king was traveling to Dai Shimaron.

 

Conrad frowned. As much as the thought of Yuri coming to his aid appealed to him, he knew it was a trap. His capture had been a means for Ranjeel to get to Yuri. And now Yuri was falling for it? What could the others be thinking? Unless… unless they had a plan. While Conrad seriously doubted Yuri had a plan of his own, the Great Sage and his brothers would undoubtedly be looking after Yuri. Or so he hoped.

 

He only prayed Yozak had made it back to Blood Pledge Castle safely. Those had not been good odds, even for him. They might have promised to allow Yozak to go freely after Conrad's capture, but both fighters knew better than to buy that.

 

Conrad sighed, not for the first time since his capture, and allowed himself to think of the Yuri vision. Perhaps he was losing it, but there could be worse illusions to be beset by.

 

-----

 

Ranjeel looked up in surprise as the doors to the audience room opened to admit Shou Shimaron's young king, Saralegui, flanked by his protector Beryes.

 

This was quite the surprise. Shou and Dai Shimarons were not on good terms at the moment, and for the king of the smaller nation to show himself without even announcing his plans to visit… Something was up. Ranjeel's guard immediately went up as he warily watched the two men approach his throne.

 

But, the opportunist monarch realized, this could work perfectly into his plans. After Shin Makoku, Shou Shimaron was next on his list of places to spread his influence. Shimaron would be one nation, ruled by him before long. The young man in front of him, however, was a bigger threat than he had initially anticipated.

 

As Saralegui knelt respectively in front of Ranjeel, plans began swimming around in his head. He smiled.

 

“Welcome, King Saralegui. What a pleasant surprise.”

 

-----

 

Author's Note: There you have it. Conrad finally appears. Please leave a review; I'll love you forever!