Dawn

The world was dark. A living night without stars or warmth. It ate at him, chapping his skin as he sat in the hungry winter. It was an animal that clawed and scratched and rooted at him. There was nothing but the cold and darkness. He focused on the cold. It was aching and sharp, never fading never numbing always fresh always there.

“Wolfram!”

The cry penetrated the silence that surrounded him. Echoing through the dark through the cold. He felt a shot of heat and agony that struck his core. The cold crept away slightly. He knew that voice, it was important to him somehow; that voice. There was pain in the outcry, he heard it. He felt his heart break; there shouldn’t be pain in that voice.

He had tried so hard to make sure that that voice never cried in pain. What had happened? How had he failed that this voice, his voice, was so filled with pain now? Flashes of color passed in front of him; a rainbow of picture and sound that surrounded him, and pulled him in.

He could see everything in front of him like a macabre play that was being acted out for a second time. The longer it when on the more he already knew what was coming. He felt his heart cry out again at Yuri’s return. He was aware once more of the small flash of jealousy that rose when it had been Greta in his arms and not he.

He relived the overwhelming sense of disbelief and loss and confusion at the sight of her limp body and the blood that seemed never ending. With the scenes a tangible reality he felt too the rising horror of their existence. He could feel himself stir, coming closer to the edge of consciousness; and forced himself to retreat. To run back to the dark; back to the endless winter night. He knew that he would have to face this terrifying new reality soon, but not yet. Not yet. Instead he took solace in the silence of his isolation.

*****

Geisela had called out to the guards as Yuri had stumbled from his own bed towards that of Wolfram’s. One enterprising guard had seen the situation immediately and had run to notify Gunter and Gwendel and the Great Sage. The other guard had entered to assist her in holding Yuri back from interrupting her injured patient.

Geisela was struggling to keep her body between that of Yuri and Wolfram. The Maou though weakened, was still Maou and energized by his agitation was proving to be a formidable force in her sick room. She almost sighed in relief as the trio came through the door. With Gwendel and Gunter taking each side of the Maou and supporting him off of the floor, Yuri soon lost his purchase and they were able to carry him back to his bed.

The Sage met Geisela by Wolfram’s side and they watched as he seemed to struggle for a moment before slipping once more into sleep. Geisela immediately began checking him over to make sure that his bleeding hadn’t started again with the minor jostling he’d received before she and the guard had managed to separate Yuri form the bed. She was aware of the close scrutiny of the Sage and the futile murmurs of both Gunter and Gwendel as they attempted to calm Yuri behind her.

“Will he live?” Murata’s question sounded loud and harsh in the room as it effectively silenced the struggle at the Maou’s bedside.

“He may.” Geisela turned to address the stricken face of her Maou. “His wounds were severe, Yuri, I barely managed to stop the bleeding. If it starts again I don’t know if he can be saved.” Geisela watched as Yuri seemed to shrink in upon himself at her words.

“Can he hear me?” the question came as a reedy whisper from the throat of the Maou, as he stared dejectedly down at his hands.

“I don’t know. It’s possible though.” She answered truthfully.

“Does it really matter Yuri?” Ken’s voice came with disbelief.

Yuri shook his head as his eyes filled with unshed tears.

Murata walked over and grabbed a small chair. He brought it over and sat it close to Wolfram’s side. He then directed his attention to Geisela and asked, “If he sits here, and doesn’t move, is it safe to leave them for a bit?”

“I believe so.”

At her words Gunter and Gwendel helped Yuri to rise and walk over to the chair before helping him take a seat. As Geisela, Gwendel, and Gunter retreated from the room Ken leaned down to whisper into Yuri’s ear. “I know this isn’t what you expected, Yuri, but right now this is what you have. Make the most of it.” He gave Yuri’s shoulder a quick squeeze and then he too left the room, closing the door behind him to seal the two remaining young men in privacy.

“Oh gods, Wolfram,” Yuri’s voice cracked as he lowered his head to stare at the whitened knuckles of his clenched fists. “I never thought-never imagined” his eyes burned as his chest suddenly felt leaden. “I’m so sorry. This wasn’t supposed to happen. I never meant of this to happen.” Yuri tried to control his voice. His hands were numb with the strain of trying to keep them at his side, when all he wanted to do was reach over to Wolfram.

The sight of his friend lying so still and pale amongst the white sheets of the bed was more than he could handle. They seemed to bleach out the pale pink undertones of Wolfram’s skin until he resembled a frail wax doll more closely than one of the ten aristocrats. He hadn’t seen Greta since he’d handed her body to Wolfram. And now seeing how fragile Wolfram looked, he didn’t know if he could bare to see Greta.

The thought of never being able to watch as Greta raced around the castle courtyard laughing with the maids made Yuri squeeze his eyes shut. The heaviness was back in his chest and he raised a hand to absently rub at the pressure. He’d never receive another surprise birthday cake from her. Never hear her cheers of encouragement from the stands as he played baseball with Conrad and the village children. A thousand memories of things he’d never see again; smiles, laughter, hugs. They swirled around him, pointing out in an instant all of the possibilities that had died with his daughter.

Grief draped over him like a woolen blanket in the cold sterility of the sick room. It lay heavy and thick over his heart with a vague prickle of discomfort. Like an itch that couldn’t be scratched or ignored. Yuri blinked his eyes as he forced Greta form his thoughts to look beside him at the still figure. He forced himself to count the seconds between the shallow rise and fall of the sheets covering Wolfram’s chest.

The random thought that he’d never hear Wolfram and Greta squabble over time spent with him ran through his mind. But on the tails of that thought came the realization thata he’d gladly put up with the inconvenience of Greta and Wolfram squabbleing everyday if only he could have Greta back and Wolfram safe. He looked into Wolfram’s face. His eyes tracing the smooth brow and the curve of his cheek. He remembered the first time he’d seen Wolfram. He hadn’t believed at first that it was possible for a boy to be so beautiful. At least until Wolfram had first opened his mouth, then he’d thought he was nothing more than a jerk; a mean jerk.

But that impression hadn’t lasted. Wolfram had his momements where Yuri wanted nothing more than to be able to knock him down or reach over and ruffle his perfectly startched and ordered cravat. If only to see ‘Mr. Superior’ mussed and rumpled. But then there were the other Wolfram moments where Yuri was proud to stand beside him. Where he felt like he could accomplish anything because he knew Wolfram was there at his back supporting him. There were the nights where if he allowed himself to think he felt uncomfortable; but if he just looked into the emerald gaze of Wolfram the confusion lifted and he felt at peace, he felt cherished, he felt as though he’d found a home.

Yuri took the tightness in his chest and throat and tried to reconcile his thoughts to this new reality that lay unmoving before him. ‘No.’ he thought, ‘This can’t happen. I won’t let this happen. Wolfram can’t leave me. I won’t let him leave me too.’ With this conviction Yuri felt his grief leave him. He was renewed with purpose. He had a goal. His body came alive with power as he rose from the chair to center his hand over Wolfram’s chest. He let his hand hover, not willing to touch the weakened body directly. He took a final breath and began to spin and weave his power like a net, letting it drop down to cover Wolfram’s body. As each warp and weft of his power touched Wolfram, he willed it to melt. Trying desperately to feed in as much power and healing energy as he could call.

At the sudden rise of power the four figures that stood in the hall came to attention and there was a moment of silence before they all turned and burst into the room. The room was no longer dark. The brilliance of the shining Maou as he stood over Wolfram glowing with power chased back the shadows of the room. He was a living sun that renewed and brought life.

For a moment they stood frozen at the sight. It was broken as Geisela rushed forward towards Yuri and Wolfram. The others looked and finally saw what had prompted Geisela’s swift movement. Wolfram had gone from looking pale and frozen to now looking ashen and wasted.

“Yuri! Yuri, please you have to stop. Please, Yuri, you’re killing him. You have to stop!” Geisela begged as she tugged ineffectually at his arm, trying to remove the hand that seemed bent on funneling the disastrous energy into Wolfram’s body.

“I’m healing him. He needs power to recover. He can’t leave me, so he has to get better. I’m making him better.” Yuri’s voice came out wooden and hollow. Gunter and Gwendel shared a worried look between them at the sound. There wasn’t time for a lot of contemplation as Wolfram’s body was suddenly wracked with violent convulsions, his form twisting and bending in a series of unbroken torment.

Geisela screamed as she frantically tried to push Yuri out of the way. Gunter and Gwendel were called into action as they rushed to try and hold Wolfram’s arms and legs tight to the table. The light dimmed in Yuri’s eyes as he watched with horror the sight of Wolfram’s pain in front of him. He was frozen. He couldn’t look away, but he couldn’t help either. He felt trapped; unable even to stop the horrible flow of power into Wolfram’s body.

“Yuri!” Murata shouted. It was enough of a distraction to draw Yuri’s gaze from Wolfram, but not enough to halt the flow of energy. Ken took a breath and whispered an almost inaudible, ‘Forgive me.’ Before he let his doubled fist loose and felt it connect with Yuri’s temple.

Yuri slid silently to the floor. The sudden cut off of power marked by a loud ‘POP’ and a curtain of darkness. Gwendel brought light to the room as he willed the candles to life. Geisela ignored the Maou lying in a crumpled heap at her feet and instead focused on the prince lying still once more in bed.

“Get him out of here! Gunter, I need you to stay with me for now. Sage, send Annisinna, Sangria, Lasagna and Doria in to me immediately. Now people!” motivated equally by Geisela’s firm tone and the sight of blood that was quickly seeping through the once pristine sheets that surrounded Wolfram, the sick room became a flurry of activity.

A few hours later Geisela stepped from the infirmary, leaving Wolfram in the maids’ care. She walked in an exhausted stumble to Gwendel’s office. She knew it was a favored meeting spot for both Gwendel and her stepfather. She only hoped that the Sage would be there as well.

When she reached the door the guards immediately knocked on the door to signal her arrival and held it opened so she could weave through. Seeing the three men grouped around Gwendel’s desk she gratefully sank into the remaining chair with a tired sigh before addressing the trio in front of her.

“I don’t know how you plan on doing it. I don’t care how it is accomplished. But you will not let Yuri back into the sick room while Wolfram is recovering.”

Murata immediately opened his mouth to speak, but was silenced as Geisela raised her hand with a cutting motion.

“It is a miracle that we were able to stop the bleeding the first time. I have no idea how we managed it the second time. But there is no doubt in my mind that he will not live through a third. If you are seeking a way to kill him, it would be more merciful to tell me now and I will see that he slips away in a dream.”

Geisela paused for a moment and looked with a steely eyed glare at all three men. “Yuri is Maou, I do not disrespect that. But I am a healer, I try to preserve life. If you do not keep him away from my patient, there will be nothing I can do to preserve Wolfram’s life.” Geisela ended her speech to the three men who now sat back in their chairs as they shared a look between them.

She could tell they needed to talk and would be unable to do so until she left the room. With another tired sigh, which led to an exhausted yawn, she rose from the chair and excused herself from the room; her only goal to reach her room before collapsing in a tired heap. As she reached the door to Gwendel’s office she heard his voice call to her over her shoulder.

“Geisela, thank you for saving my brother’s life.”

She smiled. It was short. It was simple. But it was enough. She found her bed with a contented heart.

**A/N**
To AliceM: see Yuri did try and go Maou to save Wolfie; probably not the outcome you expected though... :)

To LovelaceJayson: Glad you found me again! I know what you mean about losing stories, it's totally frustrating. Thank you for your words of encouragement.

To Luna_the_Lunatic: LOL I love it! You twitch so nicely.

To Moonrosesa: I'll try to work on updating more than once a week, but I make no promises other than I will certainly try. I will elaborate; don't worry. And it's called 'wild and crazy funky monkey sex' because I think that sounds better than 'lemons, lemons everywhere and not a lime to eat' :)

To Chevonne: Mwauhahaha Bring the pitchforks! (insert evil maniacal grin)

To Wendara Jade: Really?!? I am? That's so cool! Although a small part wonders if I should be morally worried that I'm the only one to off the little tyke...hmmm

And as a side note; thank you to absolutly everyone who's stopped by to check out this fiction. I really appreciate it! I also am shamelessly soliciting some reader input here, would you all like to actually see Greta's funeral or would you prefer to pass on it and go straight to(whoops can't put that here, too many spoilers)? Majority rules on this one folks, so let me hear your thoughts on the big Greta send-off.