✥ One ✥

The Way Home

"Yuuri, hurry up! If you don't get a move on, I'll drag you all the way back to Earth myself!"

Yuuri stumbled as Wolfram grabbed his arm and started towing him up the stairs of the Temple of the Great One. "Hey, cut it out!" He pulled his arm back with an annoyed glare. "Gosh, you sure are grabby today, Wolfram. Remind me again why we're doing this?"

Wolfram stopped at the top of the steps and turned to face Yuuri with an irritated look, hands on his hips. "Yuuri, I told you this already! Your parents are my dear in-laws, and as such, I am obligated to visit them once in a while to see how they're faring." He huffed and turned back around. "Now hurry up, you wimp."

"Don't call me that!" Yuuri called after him, picking up his pace to catch up with the blond. "You could help carry this stuff, you know," he grumbled, struggling with the armload of boxes he was juggling. "It was your idea to get all these presents for my parents, anyway. The least you could do is help out."

"If you're having trouble, allow me to help, Your Highness," Günter said from behind them. He, along with Conrad and Gwendal, had insisted on accompanying Yuuri and Wolfram to the shrine, claiming that the Demon King needed to be protected at all times, lest someone attack them. Yuuri, of course, thought it was a bit pointless since the shrine was very close to the castle, but he knew he couldn't dissuade his friends from coming along.

"No, that's alright, Günter," Yuuri said dismissively. Just because Wolfram was lazy didn't mean Günter should have to suffer for it. "I can handle it." Even so, he almost dropped the boxes several times as they traveled through the shrine, towards the center, where the ceremony would take place. Even though Yuuri now had the power to get to and from Earth of his own free will, Ulrike wanted to perform the ceremony just to be safe, since he hadn't tried transporting anyone other than Murata along with him.

When they reached the grand center of the shrine, Ulrike was waiting for them, along with Murata and a few of the other shrine priestesses. Two familiar squares of fabric lay on the floor, emblazoned with the crest of the Demon Kingdom. These would be used as the gateway portals to Earth. "Welcome, Your Majesty," Ulrike said in her gentle, child-like voice. "We are prepared for the ceremony, and will begin on your command."

Yuuri nodded. "Thank you, Ulrike." He walked over to one of the squares, while Wolfram stood in front of the other. He turned to look back at Gwendal, Conrad, and Günter, giving them a reassuring smile. "We'll be back soon, everyone! Gwendal, you're in charge for the time being."

"Of course," Gwendal said, nodding in agreement.

"We will await your return with joyous anticipation, Your Majesty!" Günter exclaimed happily, that familiar sparkling look in his eyes that he had whenever speaking to his king. "And rest assured the kingdom will be kept safe and tended to while you are away!"

"Thank you, Günter," Yuuri said with a smile. His friends were loyal and devoted to both him and their country, as always. "I appreciate it." He turned back around to face front, noticing that Ulrike's priestesses had already begun the ceremony. "Make sure to take care of Greta while we're away!" Yuuri remembered to add as the portals began to glow gold.

"We will, Your Majesty," Conrad assured with a smile. "Have a safe journey, and please keep Wolfram out of trouble. You know how he can be."

"Conrart! What exactly is that supposed to mean?!" Wolfram exclaimed with a glare, pointing a finger at his older brother accusingly. "It's not Yuuri's job to look after me!"

"Your Majesty, Your Excellency, it is time to enter the portals," Ulrike urged, prompting Wolfram to turn back around with an annoyed growl. "Remember, the set point to return to the Demon Kingdom is the pool in His Majesty's backyard. When you wish to return, you must use that source, as the ritual is set to activate there."

"Got it," Yuuri assured with a smile. "See you all soon!"

Gwendal, Günter, and Conrad chimed their farewells, and Yuuri took a deep breath before he and Wolfram stepped into the portals and were enveloped in golden light.

They emerged, coughing and sputtering, in the baby pool in Yuuri's backyard. Of course, Miko was there to greet them, tugging first Yuuri and then Wolfram out of the pool and smothering them both in hugs and towels. "Mom, you're choking me!" Yuuri whined. He was annoyed, but Wolfram seemed to almost enjoy it, and he was acting as friendly and kind to Miko as always.

"Mother, how excellent it is to see you. It's been quite a long time."

"Aww, Wolf-chan, Yuuri's dear fiancé! I'm so happy to see you, too! Ooh, now we can finally go shopping for wedding dresses together!" Miko exclaimed happily, her brown eyes sparkling in excitement. "Oh, honey, Sho-chan, come quickly! Yuuri's home, and he's brought Wolfram along!"

Within seconds, Shori and Yuuri's father had appeared in the yard, and Yuuri groaned as they all crowded around them. "Welcome back, little brother," Shori said with a smile, ruffling Yuuri's hair. He protested and swatted his brother's hand away with an irritated glare. This trip was already getting on his nerves, and they'd only just arrived!

Later that night, after a large dinner of Miko's famous curry, and the giving out of all of Wolfram's presents, Yuuri lay awake in bed, unable to sleep. Of course, that may have had something to do with the fact that Wolfram was sleeping in his bed, strangling him. Again.

He hadn't thought that his parents would ever let Wolfram sleep in his bed, but in fact, Miko had insisted on it. Oh, it's fine, Yuu-chan dear! After all, it's perfectly normal for two people who are engaged to sleep in the same bed! Besides, we can't let your precious fiancé sleep on the couch, can we? Yuuri's fist clenched in anger just remembering it. His mother sure was something else.

Wolfram made a small sound in his sleep and Yuuri instinctively turned to check on him and see if he was alright. Ever since the incident with the Great One and Wolfram's almost-death, Yuuri had found himself acting strangely protective of the boy, even though he could probably take care of himself better than Yuuri ever could.

In fact, though he may have acted annoyed every time the lord snuck into his bed, he was secretly almost relieved. Having Wolfram close by meant that Yuuri could watch over him and protect him much more easily. He'd even stopped protesting so much whenever Wolfram made him sit still to paint his portrait.

Yuuri's hand tightened against the sheet and he stared out at his blank wall as images flooded his mind. I swore to protect him after that day, so maybe it's not so strange that I don't mind him being close to me anymore. But still... He grimaced in discomfort. I wish he wouldn't hug me so tightly! How will I ever get to sleep with him strangling me?!

In the morning, Yuuri woke with a groan, blinking in the early morning sunlight streaming through the window. His muscles ached from Wolfram holding onto him all night, and he felt a terrible crick in his neck like someone had stepped on it. Speaking of Wolfram... Yuuri pushed himself to a sitting position and let out a noise of exasperation as he saw the blond laying halfway off the bed, still snoring away. "How does he always manage to do that?"

Pushing off the blankets, Yuuri got up with a sigh and wrangled Wolfram back into the proper sleeping position on the bed. He was wearing some of Yuuri's pajamas, which were oddly big on him. Last time they'd come, Yuuri's clothes had fit him perfectly, but it appeared Yuuri must've had a growth spurt since then because the new pajamas hung off his shoulders and completely covered his feet.

Yuuri shook his head with a small smile and walked over to his closet to find some clothes. Since Wolfram wouldn't fit into his new ones, he had to dig through quite a while before finally finding an old set that would fit him. After that was settled, he himself got dressed, deciding to let Wolfram sleep in and heading downstairs for some breakfast.

Miko was at the table, setting out her usual breakfast food arrangement of eggs, octopus sausages, and toast. Sho was already at the table, his eyes only half-opened as he chugged down a mug of coffee. Miko looked up when Yuuri walked in and flashed him one of her bright, motherly smiles. "Oh, Yuu-chan, good morning!"

She peered over his shoulder and blinked in confusion. "Oh, is Wolf-chan not up yet?"

"Mmm-mmm," Yuuri said, shaking his head as he collapsed into a seat at the table. "He's a bit of a heavy sleeper."

Shori snickered. "And a heavy cuddler at that. Isn't that right, little brother?"

"Shut up, Sho-chan," Yuuri muttered, flushing in embarrassment. "It's not my fault he's like that." He took on a more somber look and turned to stare out the window. "After what happened to him, I can't really blame him..."

"Yeah, guess you're right," Shori said with a sigh. "Oh well, at least he's back to normal now, right?"

"Yep," Yuuri said, regaining his smile as he turned to look back at his brother. "And so has everything else in the Demon Kingdom. I was so relieved when the whole incident with the boxes was resolved. But even though that did happen, it really strengthened the bonds of the Demon Kingdom and the other empires."

"That's good," Shori said, taking another sip of his coffee. "Didn't all the alliance members fight against the Originators' soldiers?"

"They did," Yuuri confirmed with a nod. "That's actually what helped me defeat the Great One. Seeing all of them coming together to fight was comforting to me. And ever since then, the Demon Kingdom has gained even more alliance members. It seems they appreciated all of the effort we put into defeating the Originators."

"Alright, boys, enough talk about that!" Miko scolded, setting down the final plate. "Yuuri, why don't you go get Wolfram for breakfast?"

Yuuri sighed, pushing himself up. "Oh, alright." He turned and pointed a warning finger at his brother. "Don't you dare steal my sausage, Sho-chan!" He heard Shori laughing as he headed up the stairs and bristled in annoyance. "I swear if he eats it, I'll send him flying..." he muttered to himself, opening his bedroom door. He let out a sound of chagrin as he saw Wolfram had once again fallen partly off the bed. "Wolfram, what the heck?!"

The blond mumbled something and reached under his shirt to scratch his stomach. Yuuri face-palmed and knelt beside him, grabbing him by the shoulder and shaking him a few times. "Wolfram, it's time to get up now. I know you like to pretend you're a corpse when you sleep, but it's breakfast time, and my octopus sausage is in danger!"

"Mmm..." Wolfram mumbled, swatting Yuuri's hand away and rolling over. This action caused him to completely fall off the bed, and he landed with a loud thunk on his head. "OWWW!" He bolted upright, a hand reaching for his waist, where his sword would normally be sheathed. "What's going on? Are we under attack?!"

Yuuri laughed nervously and pushed himself to his feet, holding up his hands in an attempt to calm down Wolfram. "Well, my breakfast is under attack, but besides that, we're fine."

Wolfram let out a breath and let his shoulders relax. "Oh, I see." He smoothed down his pajamas, frowning as he pulled the fabric up to cover his shoulders. "Yuuri, these pajamas are rather large," he complained, holding out the front with both hands to emphasize the empty space. "Weren't we the same size last time I visited?"

"Yeah, but I guess I grew since then..." Yuuri said, rubbing the back of his neck with a sheepish shrug. "Sorry. At least we'll be heading back after breakfast, so you won't have to worry about it."

"True." Wolfram turned to him, his gaze suddenly angry. "Why did you wake me up like that, you wimp?"

"I didn't!" Yuuri protested with a glare. "That was entirely your fault! You rolled right off. And don't call me that!"

After breakfast, they gathered out back to head back to Shin Makoku. Yuuri's father and Shori began to fill the pool, while Miko stood with Yuuri and Wolfram. "Do you really have to go so soon, Wolf-chan darling?" she asked with a pout. "We didn't even get a chance to go shopping!"

"Don't worry, mother," Wolfram said with a smile. "We'll visit again very soon, and stay for a longer period of time."

"Oh, alright," Miko said with a disappointed sigh. "But don't forget!"

"Alright, the pool's filled!" Yuuri's father said, turning off the hose with a smile. "You two are good to go."

"I'll miss you, Yuu-chan!" Miko said, catching Yuuri in a hug. "You too, Wolfram!" She released them both and they stepped over to the edge of the pool. "Next time you visit bring Ken-chan with you!" Miko said as they prepared to go in. "He's always so very helpful."

"I will," Yuuri assured. "Alright, let's go, Wolfram." They both stepped into the pool, prepared to be sucked back into the Demon Kingdom. But nothing happened. They stood there for several minutes, but still, the water remained still and lifeless. "What's going on?" Yuuri asked, blinking in confusion. He kicked the water. "It's not doing anything."

"Maybe it takes a while?" Wolfram suggested with a shrug.

Yuuri shook his head with a frown. "No, I don't think so. Last time it took barely a second." He knelt down and ran his fingers through the water. "Maybe it's—" Without warning, the water let out a shock of black electricity, knocking Yuuri and Wolfram out of the pool. "Ah!"

Pushing himself to a sitting position with a wince, Yuuri looked at the pool. "What the heck... It shocked me!"

"Oh no..." Wolfram pushed himself up beside Yuuri. "This isn't good."

"What do you mean, Wolfram?" Yuuri asked, feeling a bit anxious now. "Do you know what's going on?"

"His Imminence and Ulrike warned me about this," Wolfram said with a worried expression. "They said that some of the Originators' power may have lurked in Shin Makoku. It appears that is so, and it's causing the portal to temporarily block our passage through."

"So that means..." Yuuri trailed off with a gulp.

Wolfram nodded, confirming his fears. "We're stuck here."