STORY: 'Until the Stars are all Alight'

STORY: 'Until the Stars are all Alight'

SERIES: Kyo Kara Maoh/ Kyou Kara Maou

WRITER: M.L.Patton

DISCLIAMER: There is no claim to ownership rights of original Kyo Kara Maoh plot or characters. This be original fan fiction only.

CONTENT BY ANIME: Henceforth this fanfic includes and references events that occur during the third season. If you have not dabbled this far into the show I am not responsible for spoilers and/or confusion in the story.

CHAPTER SYNOPSIS: In which there is chocolate and startling new revelations about the man Wolfram is sent to meet.

four 'Lamenting Wolfram'

When Yuri awoke the next morning he awoke alone. The first thing he noticed was that it was quiet, still, and gray outside. The second thing he noticed was that it felt late as if the sun had been up for sometime. After a brief stretch he noticed that the right side of the bed was crisp and empty.

"He's gone?..." Yuri shot up right in bed, and peered around his room with sleep glazed eyes. "Oi? Wolf..? Wolfram?"

What time is it? It can't be so late; everyone would have woken me up. HE would have woken me up to say good bye; to wish him a safe trip!

"Goodbye…? Whoa, waitaminute- -He's gone!" Yuri sprung from his bed and dashed through the bedroom door.

He can't already be gone! There's no way! Wait! Wolfram! Don't go!

"Hey Wolfram! WOLFRAM!"

His shouts echoed down the cold empty corridors.

He's Gone!

Many hours before the King awoke Wolfram had gotten dressed and then simply stared out into the gray abyss. Snow was surely on its way so he expected a cold and miserable journey. Yuri's bedroom window was so high up that it seemed the world ended with the balcony. Wolfram had never particularly liked stormy days. It always felt as if the cloak of gray clouds would wrap itself around him like a shell and rain on him forever. The personality in Yuri that the commoners coined 'The Maou' made him feel very much the same way. But not Yuri. Yuri was a bright and sunny day.

Wolfram smiled wistfully at Yuri's sleeping visage. What a curse it was to have fallen in love with such a boyish, immature, and altogether extraordinary man. Yuri was so many things to Wolfram. Annoying. Intimidating. Inspiring. Loveable. Maddening. Everything. He gently brushed away the bangs that were trying to hide Yuri's face. It was soft and silky to the touch; just las Wolfram knew it would be. Yuri's eyelids fluttered as he slept, his eyelashes caressing Wolfram's hand with butterfly kisses. Suddenly yet very slowly Wolfram felt himself being pulled gently down toward Yuri's vulnerable lips and it was all too easy to just close his eyes and sink into need, the covetousness hands of desire at his back pushing him ever forward…

But Wolfram had never been the type to take the easy way. He stopped himself before coming in contact with his King. As he opened his eyes and looked at that innocent face once more, Wolfram could no longer hold back the tears. If he and Yuri were to share one last kiss in this lifetime, he did not want it to be so cheap; so utterly stolen.

Wolfram quickly dried his tears, moved slowly off the bed, and pulled the covers back up over his fiance. He strapped his equipment around his chest and waist, kissed his King's right hand, and left for providence.

Yuri raced down the halls toward the terrace his bare feet slapping against the cold stone floor creating echoes the whispered in his wake. From the terrace he would be able to survey the courtyard and the valleys surrounding the castle. Nothing could hide from such a splendid vantage point; the view stretched for miles.

When Yuri found himself outside, the wind whipping his hair and loose clothing, he hastily peered down at the courtyard. It was empty, the front gate was open, and nothing could be seen for miles.

What am I freaking out for anyway…?

The tension left his body and his shoulders slumped with the sudden relaxation. He rested his quaking hands on the intricate stone balustrade but his strength swiftly gave out so he was then supported by his elbows.

Wolfram has done border patrol lots of times. There's no reason for me to get so bent out of shape. Yeah. I bet this other King is a great guy, like Antoine. They'll talk, make some arrangements… I hope Wolfram is nice... Then I can go met him myself and come back home with Wolfram. Yeah. It'll all be fine. Great even. I just have to wait.

Yuri hardly even noticed the cold as he stared up into the gray sky. Upon closer inspection it had been snowing for some time and the castle grounds were frosted pure white. White. The color of nothingness. The numb flakes melded out of the sky with the tenacity of tree leaves ringing in autumn and showed no signs of halting. It was the same sky Wolfram was riding under, right at that very same moment. Yuri felt his face crease.

The area where Wolfram was headed was only three hours away by horseback. So if he carried out his mission today, he would be back home by tomorrow. That's the logic of it. That's enough of a break… Yeah, I don't want him gone any longer then that.

Yuri's breath hitched.

If that's how I see it why do I feel this way?

He continued to stand cold and alone before the open gate knowing it was too late to go through it; that it was too late to lock it. There was nothing on the other side to catch anymore; it had long since ridden away.

"Do you know what a good cure for frostbite is?"

"What?"

"Shoes."

Yuri barely tilted his head at the sound of the voice and what little sense it made. His eyes slowly turned upward and away from the downed draw bridge. A beautiful blonde woman stood behind him with knowing bottle green eyes and a warm hand on his shoulder.

"Lady Celi!" The former demon queen smiled and giggled. Yuri was suddenly aware the he was indeed still in his night clothes and his bare feet on the cold stone were indeed threatening frostbite but it all seemed so distant and unimportant. Celi advanced a few steps so that she stood beside the boy king.

"You are going to catch your end out here, Your Majesty, and we don't want that to happen, no-no-no. What are you doing out here in the snow looking so cute and forlorn?" she asked as if she did not already know.

"I… was looking for someone." Yuri whispered truthfully still in a daze.

"I see," confirmed Celi. "I hate to break your heart but Wolfy and his soldiers left quite some time ago, Your Majesty."

"I know that but still I…. AHN! I meant...ah…" Yuri turned around to face Celi. The movement sent an unnervingly numb pain up and down his legs and feet. "I'm just sorry I didn't see him off. Ha. Guess I'm just too used to having him around. Silly isn't it?"

"Maybe a little," said Celi. "Now please come inside with me. I was just on my way to have some hot coco with Greta and Anissina. I would certainly not object to having a first-class man like you join our little party. In fact we can even invite Gwendal, Conrart, and Gunter too. HmmHmm. How does that sound, Your Majesty?"

At last Yuri smiled.

"Yeah, that sounds great. Ah ha. I should get some hot water for my feet too. It was really stupid not to put shoes on…" He gingerly limped inside with the renewed vigor and confidence that only a mother's touch could provide. As he brushed past her Yuri did not notice that the cheerfulness had vanished from Lady Celi's face. He missed the fleeting moment in which the mother's eyes quickly and expertly scanned the surrounding hillside searching for her child.

Wolfram…

There was a resident expert on cheerfulness in Convent castle that afternoon and its name was chocolate. It banished all the misery and woe from the hearts of all those who partook in its creamy splendor. During Lady Celi's coco party Anissina announced that a new story book would be ready just in time for Wolframs return so that he could read it to Greta, his adopted and doted upon human daughter. This was met with cheers from Greta and skepticism from Yuri who doubted the contents of Anissina's books were the stuff of fairy tales. As the ex-queen had promised the King's male cohorts joined the gala as well but chose tea over chocolate. However while the woman made merry the men seemed ill at ease. Several times Yuri glanced over at Conrart and saw his eyes dart toward the exit silently telling him that he needed a word in private. It took some doing but the King was eventually able to pry himself away from the ladies and ease out the door where he was unsurprised to see Yozak, his kingdom's superlative scout, waiting in the shadows.

"Hey, Good Afternoon, Your Majesty."

"Hello, Yozak," Yuri replied but could not hide the apprehension in his voice. "You have something to tell us don't you?"

"Ah," Yozak nodded. "You've done this song and dance before. Captain."

Yuri whipped his head around to see Conrart standing barely an inch behind him and Gwendal just behind him. He had never heard them come through the door. The absence of Gunter suggested that he was the noble sacrifice to the girls that enabled the two brothers to slip away unbothered.

"Right then; this way. The hall is no place for conversation." No questions were asked as everyone followed Gwendal to his office, the room of political matters and tactical discussion.

"Oh man…!"

Just as Yuri had been unsurprised to see Yozak, the bringer of secrets, he was unsurprised to see Ken Murata, finder of secrets (or otherwise known as the Great Sage), perched on Gwendal's desk with his legs crossed and a devious grin on his face.

"Hiya, Shibuya! Looks like I'm just in time for some great powwow, huh?"

"Tch. Murata! Who invited you…" It was not a question. The great sage did not need an invitation to anything or anywhere and was custom to appear sporadically at his leisure. No one besides the demon king ever complained. Murata gingerly slid off the desk as the men assembled into their appointed positions within the room.

"So Shibuya, I heard Bielefield-kyo left this morning to deliver a peace greeting to some lofty fellow in human territory."

"That's right," said Yuri, irritated that the subject was brought up again just as his mood had improved. "But we're not here to talk about that, so clam up will you?"

"Actually, Your Majesty, we are," said Conrart.

"Eh?!"

"To a certain extent, that is to say Yozak has acquired some more information on the mock king and his intentions. Information that we did not have yesterday."

Or this morning… Yuri thought. Stay calm. Breath. It could be good news. Keep on the sunny side, always on the sunny side…

"That's right" Yozak confirmed taking a step forward. "Apparently our counterfeit king is a huge Demon clan fan."

"Really? That's great news!" Yuri cried before he could search for a deeper meaning behind Yozak's words.

"Not exactly," Murata said while bent over a solitary chair. "If he's such a big fan why is he trying to take from us instead of join with us?"

"It's as the Great Sage questions," said Gwendal. He gestured toward Yozak. "There is more."

"That there is. Rumor has it that this guy is a real piece of work. So mad he's brilliant you know the type. Dangerous. He's made a lot of hasty decisions but his brigade's success outweighs his impulsive actions. It's said he's a demon fan because we are united under one king (he paused to wink at Yuri) and I'm thinking he wants to do the same with humans if you get my drift."

Murata took it among himself to abridge Yozak's news. "So you're basically saying that he's crazy but luck is on his side." Yozak smiled a humorless smile.

"So it would seem, Your Excellency. Begs a lot of questions don't you think?"

"I'd say!" agreed the Sage. "Shibuya, what do you think?"

Everyone looked to their King. Yuri looked back with steely eyes. Déjà vu…

"What do I think? Now there's a question. Why do I live why do I breath- -Jeez, if this guy is as cracked as you seem to think then there are thousands of people being lead by a man man! We can't let this go on!"

"Whoo hoo, Agreed." Standing straight up Murata walked over to stand beside Yuri and rested a hand on his shoulder. He tilted his head so that those who would look him in the eye could not for the glare of light on his eyeglasses. "Good thing we already sent a messenger, huh?"

"Yeah, it's a good thing we- -" Wolfram!

There was more silence.

"Hey Yozak… what…what happened to the ones who resisted the mock king's forces?" Everyone in the room was thinking it, Yuri was just voicing it.

"Well, You're Majesty, they were either forced into submission, taken as prisoners of war, or…" Yozak illustrated the last point by running a finger across his throat. He was not trying to jest he just could not bring himself to say it.

Conrart and Gwendal both glanced to the side.

"This isn't good," Murata mussed as he scratched his chin. "We could move out and sort out the Mock King ourselves but know they have a powerful piece to play against us."

"Wolfram." Yuri said.

"Wolfram." Murata confirmed.

"This will clearly take some careful thought and planning," Gwendal said. "By rushing in we risk losing everything. Conrart and I will work on a plan. Yozak, bring Gehganhuber here, we'll need him before too long."

Yozak turned heel and with a diminutive wave was gone.

"Yuri." Conrart murmured. "This way." Yuri allowed himself to be lead along by Conrart as if he were a small child. He wistfully looked behind him to see Gwendal and Murata discussing something, he could not hear what. After Conrart took him to wherever they were going, probably to bed it is where he truly wanted to be, the three of them would try to fix his mistake. Yuri felt so small he could not even look at Conrart and instead followed his boots as they clacked on the marble floor.

"Conrad…"

"I know, Yuri." He squeezed the boy's hand. "You didn't know. No one did. But…" Conrart stopped walking suddenly and Yuri bumped into his back. Bending on one knee he embraced Yuri and held him close in a comforting and mournful way. "Stay positive. Please, Yuri, from me and all of your vassals. We will need you, for you, very soon. Fear for Wolfram… but believe in his fortitude. Wolfram is steadfast. We will see it before then end."

Yeah... Wolfram is that way. Why can't I be faithful to the fact that he is a solider and scary powerful mazoku? Would I feel the same way if Conrad was in his shoes? Would I… doubt his success.

Yuri stepped back, smiling a sad smile. "Thank you, Conrad. I believe in Wolfram. Really. I know he'll make a way."

He has to.

"You're Majesty."

"I'll go the rest of the way alone. I'll come back here as soon as I think of a good plan. Ha ha..."

"Tomorrow is another day. Good night, Yuri."

"Good night, Conrad.

Once back in his room Yuri stared into the gray just outside his window. The mist and clouds were so thick it seemed anything could become forever lost in it. He turned over, squeezed his eyes shut, and blindly groped for a pillow to hug against his chest. He felt his hand slide under one but it slipped from his grasp onto something else.

Yuri slowly opened his eyes. The vibrant pink in his hand startled him at first. He slowly held up Wolfram's cherry pink nightgown. Yuri smiled a crocked smile.

This thing…

With the smile still on his face he brought the garment to his face and hunched over from the pain he was suddenly feeling deep inside and softly sobbed into it. The vibrant pink memento of Wolfram juxtaposed brilliantly against the dreary gray backdrop of a winter dusk.

While the Demon King lamented, far away Wolfram Von Bielefield and his contingent stared at the opposing forces. Either they had been forewarned of the coming of the mazoku or they were always on guard against interlopers. They lined along the valley edge in vast quantities of archers, swordsman, runners, and spear bearers. There were undoubtedly some magicians in the fray as well.

There was no way to pinpoint which one was the Mock King, if he was even there, and the reconnoiter Wolfram had send had returned with an arrow in his arm. During the time between the dispatch of the scout and when he had returned enemy hordes had effectively surrounded the mazoku party. Wolfram knew it was happening but had no way to stop it and now there was only one honorable option open to him.

"Remember" Wolfram addressed his soldiers. "When I give the command; flee. That is a order." His soldiers nodded glumly and tensed. "We stand on neutral land. Our magick will work so don't despair just yet."

"Well…." Wolfram muttered to himself as he gripped his reigns and stared straight ahead. "Cheer's, Yuri. Hyah!"

His mare's hoofs beat against the ground and he raised his sword. And it began.

continued.

(Preview of next chapter 5 'War Game' abridged)

Just as the sun was setting, Yuri was tying up saddle bags, and cooing to his mustang, Aou. He was dressed in his Gunter original that bore heavy resemblance to his school uniform back on earth. As he mounted, he once again could not keep the smile from his face.

Just you wait Wolfram… I don't care if you've killed them all…well… yeah I do care…but I'll sweep you off your feet and carry you back home kicking and screaming. You better call me a wimp or I'll never forgive myself.

With that the Demon King spurred his mount and flew from the stables and into the night.

continued in chapter 5 'War Game'