Dawn

***A/N***
Okay, first off a huge ginormous 'Thank You' to everyone who's reviewed. To AliceM, KuroiShinigami, Chevonne, and Wendera Jade; thank you-thank you-thank you for temper tantrums, threats of death and pitchforks, and your kind reviews. I cannot tell you how freakishly perky my happy dance of joy was at your words. Seriously good stuff. And so to end the questions of the last chapters cliffy, I give you this: (hopefully it's not dren.)
*****


Wolfram stood frozen. He’d seen another flash at the corner of his eye, but when he’d turned his head to look he’d heard Greta gasp. When he’d looked back to see her still in Yuri’s arms it had taken a moment for his mind to comprehend what it was that he was seeing. It was like a puzzle of color and shapes that was there in front of him, but completely unrecognizable for its composition. When his head finally stopped screaming the shapes took form and Wolfram watched as the blood spread in a widening stain from the arrow shaft across Greta’s back.

Suddenly with the sight of Greta’s blood his hearing returned. It was a cacophony of sound as people ran and screamed, trying to escape the courtyard and garden for the safety of the castle. He could hear Gwendel as yelled for the castle guards. He could even hear the scuffle of gravel as it was crushed underfoot. In a distant way he heard his own voice as he called out Greta’s name.

With an almost audible pop, his limbs were released into motion. He felt his body rush forward to take the crumpled form of his daughter from Yuri. He saw Yuri stand as he released Greta into his care. Wolfram pulled her close as he again whispered into her hair, “Greta-Greta, don’t leave Greta. It will be okay. The healers will be here soon. You can’t leave yet, Greta. You can’t leave me.” He pulled away to brush the hair at her temples away from her face. He felt the utter limpness in her body across his lap. And unwilliningly he looked into her sightless eyes.

They were still open. Wolfram imagined they held shock in their depths. He gave a cry of anguish and clutched her closer in his arms. “You promised not to leave me alone, Greta. You promised not to leave.” After that his throat was swollen with heat as he choked through his tears. He didn’t care who was there, or if they saw him or heard him. His world was lying in his arms, dead. His world, his being-it was a moment in time. And that moment stretched. It felt like he had been there since the beginning of time and he knew he’d still be there when time ended. It was agony. It was a hot burning pain in his heart. He felt like he’d been gutted. There was nothing but disbelief and despair. No, that wasn’t right. There was anger. The second he thought it, the anger became larger a living thing that he latched onto.

The anger filled him, it gave him something to feel that didn’t hurt, didn’t confuse. He pulled the anger close and let it grow. He fed it rage, and felt his body come back to life. His mind snapped into clarity and he stood, carrying Greta’s body in his arms. He looked around the courtyard and saw that it had been evacuated. He could see the Maou standing across the way holding a man by the neck as he glowed with power. He saw Gwendel and the castle guards as they watched the Maou’s actions and stood ready with arms to assist.

Wolfram took a few steps out of the water garden and then he crossed through the courtyard and garrison, heading toward the chapel. As he neared the chapel he could feel eyes on him, watching him as he made his trek. Once he reached the chapel he kicked open one of the double doors and entered, as he did so an attendant rushed to his side.

“Your highness? What-“ she broke off, seeing the broken and bloodied form Wolfram held in his arms. “Oh, my lord, is she-“

“There has been an assassination. Send a runner for Gunter and then seal the doors. I wish to be alone.” Wolfram didn’t even pause as he walked passed the attendant towards the raised grey stone alter. After he reached the alter he tried to place Greta’s body upon it, but found his sleeve snagged by the shaft of the arrow. Giving a soft growl he grasped the arrow with a swift pull removed it. He gave a soft growl and glared at the tip that glowed with the obscene light of a small chip of esoteric stone.

*****

Success! It had been a plan blessed by the gods. His arrows flew straight and true, he could see as they shot towards their goals. As soon as they hit, the screams of fear and confusion from the people in the courtyard fell upon his ears as though they were the sweetest of hymns. He smiled in pure joy as he watched the stains of blood appear upon his targets. This-this was the culmination of all of his planning, his subterfuge. The endless hours of waiting for his instructions, of devotion to the cause; it was all for this. And to know that he had been successful, just as his countless brethren were now in this same moment also successful, ahh, it was wonderful! Nothing could stop them now. Nothing.

*****

Yuri didn’t know what was happening. He was holding Greta in his arms laughing at the joy of finally being back where he was needed, back where he should be. And then a sudden jolt as Greta went limp in his arms. He felt the soft puff of air from he lips as she seemed to wilt. He looked up in confusion and saw as the lady next to Gwendel collapsed. He saw blood as it appeared on Gwendel’s arm and felt his eyes turn to seek out Wolfram.

He saw blood on Wolfram’s uniform as he ran towards him. But his gaze caught on the gleeful smile of the man standing almost hidden over Wolfram’s right shoulder. The man seemed so happy, in that courtyard full of noise and blood. It didn’t seem right. Yuri released Greta into Wolfram’s waiting arms as he stood up and began walking towards the smiling man.
He could feel the power as it rose in him, filling him up. He could hear his thoughts as they drowned out the cries around him. ‘Doesn’t seem right, to be standing and smiling while everyone else is screaming and running.’ Yuri now stood in front of the smiling man. He cocked his head slightly, looking at the pale face that shone with a mad light. He noticed the smiling man’s glazed eyes and suppressed a shudder.

“It worked!” the smiling man said. “It worked! Just as we planned. Just as we timed.” He almost shouted the last, as if he couldn’t contain his voice or his excitement.

“What do you mean?” Yuri heard himself ask. “What did you plan?”

The man grinned, “The plan worked, demon, and now nothing will stop it; nothing will stop us!” he began to laugh then, the sound a shrill injustice to Yuri’s ears.

‘Injustice’ Yuri thought before he felt the power overwhelm him. His vision clouded and his body grew. His hand shot out to grab the laughing man by the throat. The laughing man’s laughter cut off abruptly as the Maou raised his arm and lifted the man off his feet. As the man began to gasp for air the Maou could feel the man’s memories seep into his skin from the contact.
Pictures rushed in front of his eyes. Whispered assignations, schemes, plots all played out like a macabre slide show before him. The rest of the world was gone, the only reality the Maou knew was what was before him now. This man, this smiling laughing man and his cohorts, hiding in the shadows; plotting, planning, conspiring the demise and destruction of so many. It wasn’t rational. It wasn’t fair. It wasn’t just. And with that the Maou’s mind was made up.

He didn’t bother with words or explanations. In the face of such madness, they would be useless. Actions spoke louder than words anyway. The Maou lifted the man even higher and looked on him with eyes that glowed black with power. He felt it rise up like a tidal wave, spilling out through his hand into the man before him. He felt it seep into the man and like a steady current, reach beyond the single man to everyone aligned with him. Every man or woman who’d called themselves united, everyone who’d hidden in dark places and whispered dark plans, every single person that had waited to give word or receive it or act on it. They all became like the man currently in the grasp of the Maou, and he felt his power, like an ocean, like the steady inexorable power of water as it ebbed and flowed and ate away at the cliffs and land.

And he felt it as his power reached them all. He felt it fill them. He felt as it overwhelmed them. He felt as his power turned from water to fire. And then he felt as it destroyed them. “Justice be done!” The Maou stated as his empty hand fell back to his side, he absently wiped the dust from his fingers as he turned to face the people standing behind him. He looked at their faces and nodded as he saw that they were all his people. And then the Maou felt his body sink to the ground as exhaustion claimed him.

*****

Gwendel took in the fallen king before him. He felt the pain in his arm from where the arrow had pierced him, and he could feel the pain spreading as he stood there. But he was frozen. Frozen by the sight before him. By a missing king now returned, by ruthless acts of violence of the past few minutes, by the actions of the missing king. Gwendel shook his head.
“Guards! Secure the castle and grounds. Aid the medics and healers with the injured and have Gunter see to the guests, and notify Conrad and Yozak that they are to return to the castle immediately.” He strode forward and lifted the crumpled form of his king before he turned and began walking towards the infirmary.

*****

Gunter heard the screams in the courtyard as was running. When he reached the castle door he found his way barred by the stream of people seeking to escape the madness and carnage outside. As he tried to push his way past them he could see as a castle guard closed the door and then he heard the sound of the latch sliding shut. When he turned to push his way through the people and find another exit he felt a shapr tug and his side. Looking down he could see a distraught runner that catching his gaze began to shout his name over the crowd.

“Lord Von Christ! Lord Von Christ! Please, you have to come sir. It is most urgent!”

“I have to get to the courtyard now!” Gunter attempted to brush off the hand clinging to his cape.

“No! Sir, you are needed most urgently in the chapel. His highness requested you, sir, by name. There’s been an assassination-“ the runners words were cut off as Gunter’s hand was immediately slapped over his mouth.

“Never-I repeat-never, are you to shout the words ‘his highness’ and ‘assassination’ together in a sentence in a crowded hallway. Do you understand me!” Gunter hissed.

The goggle-eyed runner nodded in terror.

“Good.” Gunter removed his hand form the runner’s mouth. “Now take me to his highness.”

*****

Wolfram was leaning against the edge of the stone alter lightly running his fingers over the curve of Greta’s cheek. It had a small smudge of blood at the corner of it. He wrinkled his brow, she hadn’t had blood there before he’d carried her in here. He wondered briefly where it had come from. Things were getting more difficult to think about. Wolfram couldn’t hear the sounds from outside anymore, there was just a low hum in his ears. He felt a little light headed, but was sure that was to be expected. Wasn’t it? Was anything to be expected when the world ended? He didn’t know. It hurt to think about anything really.

He just knew that he was here with Greta and that Gunter would soon be on his way. Gunter knew about these things. Gunter was older. He’d had to arrange funerals before. Gunter had a daughter too, although Gunter would probably never have to arrange his daughter’s funeral. Wolfram raised a hand to his forehead. His thoughts were becoming more disjointed and the hum in his ears was now a faint buzzing.

“Your Highness! Gwendel!” Gunter’s voice rang loudly across the marble floors of the chapel as he entered the building.

“Gunter.” Wolfram turned his head to watch as Gunter raced towards the alter, bounding up the stone steps until he was standing, looking down at tiny bloody body.

“Wolfram! I don’t underst-“

“She’s gone, Gunter. She’s left. I wasn’t sure what to do, that’s why I called for you.”

Gunter reached out and laid a hand on Wolfram’s shoulder. “What happened?”

Wolfram looked up, “There was a man in the courtyard, at the reception, he started shooting.” Wolfram nodded towards the discarded arrow on the floor at the base of the alter steps, before turning once more to gaze at Greta’s face. “He shot Greta. I think he was aiming for Yuri, but Greta was in the way. She was in Yuri’s arms when it happened. By the time I reached her, she’d already gone.”

“What! Yuri! But how did-“

Wolfram turned tortured eyes to Gunter, “What do I do now Gunter? What am I supposed to do now? I think I should know, but it’s getting so hard to think.” Wolfram raised his hand to rub at his head, trying to brush the confusion away and silence the buzzing in his ears. He didn’t feel himself wobble at the movement.

Gunter’s eyes rounded. He noticed the blood on Wolfram’s hand again and noticed that it seemed that Wolfram was standing in a growing pool of blood. “Wolfram, where did all of this blood come from? Is this all from Greta?” He reached out to turn Wolfram away from his vigil and saw the blood that soaked the right side of his uniform. He followed the dark stain to Wolfram’s groin and hip where he saw the glowing tip of an arrow as it peeked through the torn cloth of his trousers.

“Wolfram were you hit?” Gunter had a hold of Wolfram’s shoulders steadying him as the younger man’s head suddenly lolled to the side. “Wolfram! Wolfram!” Gunter gave him a sharp shake.

“Don’t feel so-“ Wolfram’s head came forward as his stomach emptied itself, before he lost all color and went limp in Gunter’s hold.