Psychometry

~*~A moment lasts all of a second, but the memory lives on forever~*~

~*~Unknown~*~

Shaky fingers stretched out tentatively, their tips hovering ever so slightly over the surface of the ornate gem that rested upon a vanity covered in dust. He didn't know if this was the only treasure within the one thriving Blood Pledge castle, but it seemed to be the only thing that called to him.

Cornelius Padoris held his breath as the gem began to softly glow, its ruby contours even more luminescent in the pale moonlight. He watched with an almost morbid fascination as his hand moved seemingly of its own accord to finally grip the treasure in his hand. It felt warm to the touch and an odd light-headedness overtook him…then the images came.

The night sky glowed red, flames dancing to an enormous height, wrapping around each other like lovers caught in a fast paced dance. The heat was palpable on his face even before he'd even got close to the castle, the winds licking hotly across his face causing a faint smattering of sweat to break out across his brow.

How had this happened?

"Yuuri" he turned to regard his guardian Conrart Weller, who had halted beside him, his eyes wide and disbelieving as he stared alternatively between the roaring flames and his king. Yuuri only spared him a momentary glance before he swung his gaze forward to his castle again.

He was Yuuri Shibuya the 27th Maoh of the Mazoku, the king who had united both the human and the demon tribes, the king who had ensured peace had settled over the demon kingdom. But looking at the blatant act of violence, he suddenly realised that he should not have been so trusting…obviously peace was not something that everybody strove for.

A soft cry pierced through his brooding thoughts and he jerked his head towards the sound, his eyes taking in the sight of Lady Cecilie von Spitzweg carrying his daughter Greta in her soot stained arms. The young human girl trembled softly and clung to the elder woman's neck, her eyes wide with fright and her hiccupping sobs easily heard over the winds.

"Papa Wolfram…papa Wolfram…please let him be ok…he promised he'd be right back…he promised" the girls words were almost hysterically whispered and Yuuri felt his heart clench when he heard them. His accidental fiancé Wolfram von Bielefeld was a fire elemental, surely he would be ok.

But the anguish in Cecilie's eyes as she finally caught his own told him that that may not be the case.

His head of security finally came to halt next to him, Gwendal von Voltaire, his shrewd eyes scanning the small crowds of people as they began to appear from within the courtyard. Maids, soldiers and general dogsbodies, everyone scrambling away from the molten heat that swirled within the air…Yuuri knew however that it was not these people that Gwendal nor Conrart was interested in…it was their lovers whom they were searching for.

"Cecilie, what happened" Yuuri finally managed to ask as soon as the former queen was within hearing range of his voice.

"We were attacked…there were too many soldiers for us to handle and they overrun us…they hung people in the courtyard…I'm so sorry Conrart." Her eyes swung to her middle son, Yuuri instantly understood her meaning and his stomach clenched at the thought of Conrart's jovial lover Yozak Gurrier meeting his end in such a way.

"Once they finished with the people in the courtyard they managed to get inside the castle itself, we tried to hold them off but they had so many houseki stones that they simply overwhelmed us…the first wave of our castle defence was decimated." This time her eyes turned to look over her eldest son and Yuuri knew that Gwendal's over the top lover Günter von Christ had been amongst those lost in that decimation.

Yuuri couldn't believe that two people who he had called friend, as well as two gentle lovers to the men at his sides were gone. He couldn't imagine never seeing Yozack's laughing eyes or smiling face, couldn't fathom a morning without the whirlwind that was Günter invading his bedchambers or his office.

But Lady Cecilie had not finished her recount just yet.

"Finally there were only the women left…and Wolfram" her voice choked on her youngest sons name and Yuuri felt his vision almost swim before him. He wouldn't believe it…Wolfram couldn't be dead, he'd spoken with him this morning, had kissed his lips after finally accepting what his heart had known all along…she was lying…she had to be lying.

When he came back to himself he found his sword pointed straight at Cecilie's neck, her face impassive as though she had almost expected this reaction. He swallowed and withdrew his blade, shocked he'd actually threatened her with it...but her eyes held no fear or anger at the motion, in fact they held a gentle understanding.

She looked down at the sleeping child in her arms, the shock having finally sunk in enough to render her unconscious before looking back up at Yuuri again. Her body seemed to have finally caught up with what was happening and was shaking slightly, but her voice was steady when she next spoke and the words tore straight through Yuuri's heart.

"They killed him, they were after him all along…a message to you…or so they said. They told Wolfram if he went with them they would spare the rest of us, so he gave himself up and I had to watch as they brutalised my youngest son in ways a mother should never have to see…he promised Greta that he would come back, she doesn't know."

Blood roared in his ears as he imagined what his beloved had looked like before his life had finally ebbed away from his body, a riot of broken ivory skin, a patchwork of red and black and blue topped with a bloodied halo of gold.

Emerald eyes defiant and fiery until the end, mangled lips gasping as they took their final breath…then everything would have been still.

Everything surged within him, a wave of heat much stronger than the flames…a rage almost as black as the night sky seemingly taking over every pore in his body. He heaved a breath as his heart pounded and clenched within his chest before finally opening his mouth and screaming out the only word he was capable of.

"WOLFRAM"

Cornelius almost choked as he came back to himself, his pale blue eyes shocked as the stone fell from his now limp hands.

It looked so innocent as it clattered to a stop on the charred remains of what was once the lavishly decorated bedchamber floor. It seemed duller than it had been before though, almost as though it no longer needed to retain a glow now that its message had been seen.

"I see that the bandits are starting to get braver as the years go on…I do recall loving a good spar with such heinous creatures once upon a time" a soft voice broke Cornelius from his musings and he let out a startled yip before turning to look in the direction it had come from.

His gaze landed on a young blond man, dressed in a white shirt and black pants…a pair of dark black leather riding boots covering his feet and just above the calf of his legs. His face held a nostalgic smile and his beautiful emerald eyes a tinge of sadness as he assessed him from beneath lowered lids.

"You're not who I'm waiting for" the blond said at last, his words sounding almost defeated as he uttered them.

"I'm…I'm sorry" Cornelius said at last, not sure what he was apologising for but feeling the need to do so all the same. The response to his words was a delighted laugh as the blond suddenly stood, his movements fluid and graceful as he made his way towards him.

"There is no apology required from you, but I shall expect one from him when he eventually makes an appearance…the wimp." The latter part of the words was said almost lovingly, like the word wimp was an endearment rather than an intended insult.

"You're not alive are you?" Cornelius asked at last, and he was rewarded with a soft yet almost pained smile.

"What is life but a series of events that lead you to where you are supposed to be? I am not a life any more no…I am now a memory" the man said slowly, his face turning so that he could look out of the window towards the first rays of dawn as they broached the horizon…the fiery glow gave his pale skin a warmth that Cornelius thought was handsome.

He wondered if this beautiful man was a shade, a sprit trapped in the last moments of his life until forgotten he would just fade away to nothing. He could think of no crueller fate for such a person.

"A moment lasts all of a second, but the memory lives on forever…my death was the moment but I am the life's memory."

He turned away from his perusal of the morning sunrise to remark on the poetry of the words, only for whatever he planned to say to die on his lips. He shook his head sadly before turning once again he regarded the blood-red sky.

The room stood silent and empty about him…but the memory of the blond man would always be there…the sound of his twinkling laughter an echo that would repeat itself whenever the silence became too much to bear. Carding a hand through his short brown hair he strode from the room, all thoughts of treasure stricken from his mind as he contemplated the poor soul who still wandered here.

Cornelius hoped the blond's wimp would not leave him lonely too long.

AN: I don't usually do requests but my little sister bugged and begged me so much for this that I eventually gave in. It is a Wolfram/Yuuri if you squint hard enough, but what she really wanted was a tragic story…lovers torn apart by death…yes she is a dark one. It gave her enjoyment anyway, so now I shall post it for yours…also in case you're wondering about the title, it means a form of divination derived from physical contact with objects e.g. the gem.