After Twilight

In a room with no portals with which light of the natural world to reach, a mysterious proceeding was taking place by light of candle. Built of stone, the hallowed chamber was great enough to house an army yet only had audience of six. Figures arranged about a circle as points to a star pattern which was also set into the stone as grooves connected to the outer circle. In the middle was a low bowl-like basin that burned with a low green flame.

Each of the figures wore hooded cloaks and bore that of a single blazing basin of which resided a different remaining color of the rainbow. Opposite from the other were Shibuya Yuuri with the red flame, and Murata Ken with the violet flame. Those forming the lower part of the triangle with Yuuri were Conrad and Wolfram, holding the orange and yellow flames respectively. While those consisting of the lower triangle with Murata were Gwendal and Gunter, holding the blue and indigo flames respectively.

All were still and quiet until he who was the Great Sage began to speak, his eyes dramatically calmed by the violet light.

"Spirit of Shinou passed from this world to the next, whose voice lays silent... lend thy ear. You who orchestrated the demise of the shadow of souls, Soushu, as well as aiding your people in our time of need will not be forgotten. Though tainted by the shadow, be freed by the unity of the individual aspects of the ever supportive light.

"He who is Maou, Sun of our people and bearer of the leading color of the rainbow... and I, moon to the Sun, carrying the trailing color of that same rainbow. Proceed forward to meet our middle."

With the subtle clue in place, both Maou and Great Sage approached the middle basin and held their own basins above its outer edge.

"Now receive with neutral middle the sides of both extremes, hot and cold." Without hesitation, both tipped their basins and let the fiery solution flow into the burning green fire below. With the green, flames of both the red and blue danced among it, but equally apart from it. "Know that while apart we exist together, and that light can never be true unless the parts come whole."

There was a brief pause as the last of the fiery solution emptied their respective basins and Yuuri's personal thoughts on the matter came from his mouth before he could think to delay them.

"Mutara... not to be picky but isn't blue more my color?" Yuuri commented as his thoughts turned towards Julia's pendant.

"Shibuya, shhhh." Murata said with his finger to his lips. The light of the collective mix playing in the reflection of his eyes made him all the more impish. "Actuality isn't as important as the concept."

"Huh?"

"Don't mind it, don't mind it." He replied quietly before turning serious once again.

"Lesser legs of the triangle of heat, though not as brilliant in our lives as your pinnacle, stay ready as you are able.

"Mutually and conversely the same to those of the lesser cold. May you support your triangle and aid in the unity of light and its blessings' seal."

Murata raised his hands and nodded to each of the remaining figures, who in turn lowered their basins of fire to raised pedestals at their feet.

"Warm and cool... secure your place and then move as one towards the steps of becoming one. Secure!"

At that command, each owner to the four supporting colors set their respective bowls upon their respective pedestals, where they stayed... burning their color they represented, just as the center remained low and together with the two extremes and middle neutral.

"Colors unify to become what you must in order to banish what only you can. Unify!"

As though in response, an unseen process of gears or weight response in the floor below let those four colors begin to sink, while those of the middle rise, all threatening the grooves beside them as they moved to level standing. Finally, at the even point the fiery solution overstepped its bounded container and poured into what access it could.

From above, the four colors orange, yellow, blue, and indigo sped along their individual grooves laying the foundation of that of the crude four-prong star before meeting with that of the red, violet, and green colors of the middle in what played herald to a great shaking in the chamber, that made all within the room quake in their respective positions. When it had ended, all colors merged became that of light... and light knew less bounds than fire. With everything unrest, the pure incandescence of light spread across the entirety of the star-symbol, and then across various runes and insignia as it swept across the chamber's floor and upward its walls, until all were basked in such a glow that not even a shadow dare to grace the ground.

Yuuri swallowed repressed awe as he looked about the room.

"Wow." He said with a hand shielding his eyes, despite having a hood as well. "So with this were finally done, right?" He finished, directing the question to his friend across from him. Just slightly—finally—the light lessened to a softer brilliance.

Murata smiled. "Not yet. There is one more thing..."

"One more?" said Yuuri in a confused manner.

"Yes... and probably the most difficult of parts remaining that only few strong enough will willingly partake of. But remember that this is for the good of the country... no—the world, so it is of vital importance that you do not waver in what's to come."

"And what is to come?" He looked from his friend to his four companions in hope of answer, lastly settling his eyes on a beaming Günter. "Ah Günter, perhaps you may... know?"

Yuuri trailed off as the man who once held a position of a male model in New York came before him with an ecstatic, if not over-joyed look upon his face—which in Yuuri's opinion—was never a good thing.

"Ah your Majesty," Günter exclaimed with passionate fervor, "now that the shadow has been dispelled we must secure dominance in our souls so that we may never be tainted by such weaknesses ever again. And to do that, we must engage in a practice most sacred and revered throughout the ages, dating to a past even before that of the great Shinou." He glanced at Yuuri from the side of his eyes just below the edge of his hood with the utmost look of seriousness. "And that is..."

"That is?" Yuuri echoed with apprehension of the implied danger.

"...the great art of... skinship."

"Ah," said Yuuri looking relieved. "So that's all it was. Just skin—" His eyes widened as his mind grasped the word and their implied meaning, as well as his present company. Only his predominating fear allowed him to complete the phrase that is taboo to the general male population of Earth. "—ship?

"Wait—you don't mean!"

"Yes," said Günter with tears of happiness threatening his magnificent purple eyes as his hood fell back to reveal his long trailing silvery-hair that drifted upon the non-existent breeze. "That your Majesty would be so understanding! Ah... I'm beside myself with joy!"

As if added to the punctuation of thought, Günter's cloak fell away as easily as a snow pack falls from a warmed slate roof, and proceeded to blind Yuuri's eyes with the sheer radiance of his naked skin.

"Why is there nothing underneath?!" Yuuri declared hastily in a panicked voice as he quickly attempted to advert his eyes unto safer territory, only to set them upon the un-hooded Wolfram, who smiled. There was a sparkle in his eyes that immediately planted a well placed fear in Yuuri's heart. It was a feeling that didn't lie.

Like Günter, Wolfram's own cloak fell off his shoulders just as easily. Again, why there was nothing streaked across his mind.

"Conrad!" Yuuri cried out as he spun around. Surely, Conrad would be safe territory... surely! "Gah~!"

Conrad too! And that innocent trusting smile that he thought could never betray him was flashed just as easily! His eyes!

With once last hope, he turned away... surely—surely!

"AAHHH!! Why Gwendal?!!" Yuuri yelled at sight of the already bare skinned eldest brother. Just what was going on... they weren't serious!

"MURATA!"

He turned one last time to his friend, who was once the Great Sage. Surely if there was any who may contain a shred of rationality in may be he. He would know what to do and that such a blatantly wrong act was truly not an answer to anything that they may think—truly!

"Shibuya." Murata said calmly as he looked at the frantic expression across his friend's contorted face.

His voice was a warm comfort and briefly eased his worries. That he was still clothed with no obvious intentions otherwise was all the more reassuring. A reassurance that Yuuri clung to with frantic anticipation, at the same time while he clung to his would be savior. Surely he would know what to do—!

"Mura—" He started, only to stop at the stern expression that had fallen upon his 'savior's' face... a face which was now inclined such that a glare across his glasses prevented Yuuri's view of his eyes.

It was a seriousness that was never a good thing...

"Shibuya." Murata started in a serious and collected voice. "This is for the good of your people. This is your responsibility as Maou."

With that—and the outstretched hand of his 'friend'—Yuuri felt himself stumbling backwards against his own desire otherwise, somehow now reduced only to an attire of his unfashionable black thong, towards the four pairs of waiting arms behind him... and their bare-skinned owners.

It was like that of a dream/nightmare that he couldn't control. A slow sinking realization that his innocence of fifteen years and the painful steps he had taken so that it would remain untainted by that other than a female was falling upon his conscious and the ramifications of what may come. He was too young... and for the good of his nation... he just couldn't accept it—but it was already too late.

Knowing in full of that fact, a lone tear slid down his left cheek just as he felt the first set of hands upon his back.

Any sensation after that... was lost to the darkness.

*****

With a start, Yuuri's eyes flared open as he bolted to a sitting position in his bed, his chest heaving hard as his heart threatened to burst from his chest.

So it was a dream... such a real thing. But it was true; he was in his bed belonging to his room at Blood Pledge Castle.

He gave a tired sigh as he tried to shake the disturbing images of his dream—no, his nightmare. That it felt so real even now that he was awake. He swore that he could feel the lone tear upon his cheek and the hands at his back even now. That and the weight that pulled him in the dream, he felt even now that his body was heavy. That this feeling...

His eyes narrowed as he put his right hand to his cheek. It was wet. But it wasn't water of a tear...

He cringed as he slowly turned his head to his left, eyes coming to rest on that which he feared most—a blonde headed bishounen whose sleeping could not be disturbed even given such sudden movement from a horizontal position. That and where his hands were... clinging to Yuuri's back. And from his mouth—was that drool? Then the wetness upon his cheek?!

"Mmm... Yuuuuri." Came the distant voice of the still-sleeping as he moved his mouth forward. Such a movement that caused Yuuri to kick backwards with such a force that he fell off the side of the bed. From below he was certain he heard the low murmur of "wimp".

"T-t-t-t-t-teh..." Yuuri sounded as he rubbed the back of his head painfully as he rose to his feet. The still glistening wetness upon his cheek momentarily forgotten as he stared at the unfazed sleeping form of his unintentional fiancé.

That Wolfram... what in that frilly pink bed gown. It was no wonder that such a dream came to being with what was sleeping beside him nightly. Just the thought of it after all this time was still fundamentally disturbing to him... if only he had struck some girl instead. But no... even if he had known of such cultural tradition he would never have the heart to strike a girl. It just wasn't his nature.

He shook his head. No good could come from such thoughts now, he'd just have to use time as a vehicle to implant thoughts otherwise into Wolfram's head or get him to accept heartfelt feelings of a different person.

Was such a thing possible?

Using the back of his hand, he wiped the remnants of saliva from his cheek and went to get changed. If he wasn't mistaken, there were still many things much more important in the way of thinking.

With that decided he gave up on the momentary thoughts of Wolfram and retreated to his closet to change.

After all, he wasn't a king just for show. He had other things to do, and hopefully things that didn't involve mostly naked men.

******

A/N (1/12/09): Originally this was going to continue into a huge story, but since there's the continuation in the anime storyline it isn't needed. It was going to be interesting with a spell causing Yuuri to revert back into Julia to seal his giant powers as Maou. But it became too complicated and time consuming, so I hope you enjoy this oneshot for what it is. Maybe in the distant future I'll be able to come back, but I doubt it.