Yuri peered at the man clad in white several feet in front to him through black cage wirings. A leather glove was stretched open in front of him, and a white ball came soaring in. With a satisfying PUMF, the ball landed in the middle of his glove, and he grinned, taking it with his other hand and throwing it back.

"Batter up!" The umpire roared behind him, and the people out in the field were immediately alert. Another person came out in front of him, holding a bat over his shoulder. He positioned himself, and there was a moment of silence.

The ball came flying through the air once more, speeding towards Yuri's face. His dark eyes hardly flickered as he instinctively snapped his glove over the ball once more.

"Strike one!" The ump called out, giving the signal.

This happened a second time, the ball landing in Yuri's glove, the umpire announcing the second strike.

On the third pitch, however, the ball and the bat collided dead-on with one another, and went soaring out to the field. The batter took off like a bullet, charging at first base.

The field came alive with shouts and movement, and watchers cheered for both teams.

Yuri had abandoned his crouching position, and was standing, alertly watching for the ball when and if it came his way. He clenched his teeth nervously as the batter rounded the third base, and came running home.

Finally, there it was! The glimmering white ball on its usual course, heading for the young man. Grinning, he ignored the runner, jolted forwards, and caught the ball. In that instant, he twisted around, and threw himself forwards in a cloud of slide dust.

He had his eyes pinched shut. Cautiously, he opened one eye, and then the other, and beamed.

"YOOOU'RE OUT!!"

The glove-clad ball was planted on the runner's ankle, a perfect out.

The players out in the field erupted, cheering for Yuri, cheering for their win. They sprinted forwards as the grouchy runner stalked out, giving their back catcher high-fives and friendly slaps on the shoulder.

The black-haired boy gave a modest chuckle, flushing, and scratching the back of his head.

As Yuri wandered out of the ballpark, a boy with glasses jogged up to him. "Way to go, Shibuya!" He congratulated, walking alongside him.

"Thanks, Murata. It was a pretty tiring game." Yuri sighed, smiling wearily.

"And intense! I never jumped around so much before!" Murata laughed, pushing up his glasses and looking up at the sky.

As they continued on, the two became a little calmer. "So...Shibuya. You gonna head back there today?" Murata questioned, looking back at the other boy.

Yuri paused for a minute, tilting his head. "Huh...I suppose I'd better...It's been a few days now..." He flushed, chuckling. "Gunter's gonna be completely freaked out, and Wolfram will be so ticked at me..." He frowned, remembering how angry and worried his fiancée acted when he vanished for too long.

"I'll say." Murata agreed, stretching his arm above his head.

A few minutes later, the two arrived at a house.

"Well, I'll see you later then, Shibuya! Make sure Wolfram doesn't beat you around too much!" Murata called, waving from the driveway.

"Thanks for the reminder!" Yuri responded in a snide, yet friendly manner. He, too, was waving, and the last thing he heard before slamming the door behind him was his friend's amused laughter.

"Ah...Mom, I'm home!" He called out, slipping off his shoes and wandering into the house. Instantly, a short, beautiful woman entered the room. She had bright brown eyes, and her hair was tied back in a ponytail.

"Yu-kun! Welcome home!" She said, immediately wrapping her arms around him in a tight hug.

"Whoa-hi." He gasped, surprised at the sudden, firm embrace. Stepping back, he smiled. "Well, how was your day?"

As soon as he said that, his mother's mouth shot off like a rocket. She talked about her laundry, her mopping, the shower she had, her friend calling, the gum she had stuck to the bottom of her shoe...

Yuri sighed. He knew it was a mistake to moment he asked her the question. Sitting down at the table, he was served a large bowl of rice. With a thanks, he dug into it, and listened to his mother continue.

His mother, nicknamed Jennifer, was quite an interesting woman, actually. Smart, hyper, and totally into fantasy. Her attention was diverted from the pot of rice as Yuri said "Mom, I think I'm gonna take a shower, then I'm going to go back there."

Jennifer froze in mid-sentence, but smiled. "Ah...okay, Yu-kun..." She said, tilting her head, seeming a little disappointed and sad. But she knew that her son had to go at some point.

Sitting up, she walked back to the pot of rice, and did not continue to tell him about her day.

With a farewell, Yuri pried Jennifer off him and headed up the stairs to the bathtub, which he had filled after his shower (like heck he was going to send himself back through the toilet!) Inhaling, he grinned and jumped into it with a loud splash.

The world flashed around him as he headed back to the other place. In moments, he sat up in an elaborate-looking fountain that was in the middle of a temple.

Pulling green vegetation off his head, he turned and smiled at a young girl there, who had long, silver hair and violet eyes. "Hey!"

The girl did not respond back. As a matter of fact, she looked rather worried and kept her distance away from the fountain.

Yuri was confused, but in a moment, he realized why she acted in this manner.

"YOU BASTARD!! YOU COMPLETE AND UTTER FOOL!! WHERE THE HELL WERE YOU?!" A blonde boy threw himself into the fountain, reached forwards, and dragged Yuri out with him by the hair. Snarling, he held the boy up so they could face eye-to-eye.

"Heheh...sorry, Wolfram..."

"SORRY MY ASS!! YOU-" His words were lost in the sudden noise of writhing and splashing as Wolfram threw Yuri back into the water, and began to beat on him. The young girl, now accompanied by a brunette man, gave a sigh, and shook her head. The man just simply closed his eyes and crossed his arms with an amused grin on his face.

"Ow...Wolfram...that really, really hurt..." Yuri whined, pressing an ice pack to the side of his head.

"Shut up, you wimp." Wolf responded bitterly, his nose in the air and his eyes pinched shut.

"It's good to have you back, Your Majesty." The brunette man from the temple said, smiling calmly.

Yuri chuckled. "It's good to be back, Conrad...all except for the lump on the side of my head..."

A group sat at a dinner table, all eyeing the young black-haired boy intently.

To Yuri's left was, of course, Wolf, then came Conrad, Gwendel, and an empty seat. He closed his eyes. This place was practically his second home...

"Your Majesty..? Your Majesty!" A voice mixed with relief and stung with longing called behind them. They all twisted around, and saw a man with lavender hair standing there. There was a mess in front of him, papers and books everywhere, but he paid no mind to it, jumping over it, and charging to the table. Yuri gagged as he was strangled with another tight hug.

"Oh, I'm so glad to see that you've returned safely! Your Majesty...ah..." Gunter whimpered, on the verge of tears, refusing to release Yuri...

"Gunter, knock that off, you're strangling him!" Wolfram shrieked defensively, jumping to his fiancée's rescue. And he was correct; Yuri's face was starting to go blue.

Gunter beamed as he sat in front of his meal, not bothering to dig in. He was content enough having his beloved Maou sitting across from him. Every now and then, he'd take a light sip of his wine, but that was about it.

Yuri shifted in his seat uncomfortably, as he sensed everyone's eyes were on him, happy, content, angered, and numbly relaxed. Before he could speak, Conrad broke the silence.

"Your Majesty, at this point, I'd like to bring up some news you may not have heard of yet." The man said, placing his Spork delicately to the right of his plate. He then crossed his hands over each other, waiting for Yuri to respond.

The Japanese boy sitting at Wolfram's left perked up and grinned slightly. "Yeah? What's that?"

"Well..." Conrad proceeded. "There is a prince of the Northern continent. He has been asking to come visit our country. He simply desired your signature to be sent back with his parchment inquiring you permission." As he said that, he twisted to the side and dug in a pouch on his belt. He drew out a folded sheet of paper and handed it across the table.

Yuri took it and unfolded it, reading these words:

'Greetings, King Yuri. I am Prince Bazel von Lumerora. I live in the Northern continent of Great Flurrizora, and even here, I have heard of your impressive feats performed in your land. May I request your permission to travel to your country? Simply for a visit I ask, if it is not too troublesome.

Please, if you do wish to have me come over, simply give your signature in the space below. I wait eagerly for you response!

Sincerely, Prince Bazel

"How interesting..." Yuri murmured, reading the letter once more. Lowering it down, he began to shuffle around, as if looking for something.

"What're you doing?" Wolfram questioned, blinking curiously.

"Looking for a pen...um, 'scuse me, but may I borrow one from one of you?"

Instantly, Gunter stood, and scampered around the table, walking towards the books and papers he had dropped earlier. "Just a moment..." He muttered, shuffling through the mess. Gwendel and Wolfram stared at him, tilting an eyebrow in both annoyance and amusement.

After a minute, Gunter came prancing back briskly, holding a feathered pen. "Here you are, Your Majesty." He said, bowing.

Yuri smiled. "Thank you..." And with that, he scribbled quickly on the paper. 'YURI...SHIBUYA...' He thought, and made a line under the name.

"Oh...Your Majesty...your signature gets more and more beautiful every time you write it..." Gunter crooned, his eyes fixed on the signature. "And in black ink...how fitting...how perfect..." He did not notice Wolfram's jade eyes fixed dangerously on him.

"Stop!! You little bastard! Return those items immediately!" An angry voice roared in the village surrounding the palace.

There was an enraged group of men chasing a young silver-haired boy, who appeared to be about fourteen. In one pale hand, he clutched a small bag, and in the another, a handful of precious gems.

"In time, my friends! In time!" He managed to scream back to the group of furious pursuers. Skillfully, he flipped himself over a bucket that had been turned on its side, and gave it a sharp kick afterwards. He grinned, watching it speed towards the unsuspecting men, and taking their feet out. They tripped over each other's bodies, creating a large pile. The only sounds that could be heard were of the frightened ducks, hens, and donkeys, and the pained moans of the fellows.

The last that could be seen of the boy was his foot vanishing over the top of a building.

Huffing and puffing, exhausted, the lad slid down a stone wall, finally away from all the people and the shouting. His harsh exhaling was soon replaced by laughter.

"How amusing. The thieves got thieved!" He said, looking at the gems. "Although, these will not provide much entertainment for me for too long...they are small and embedded in silver. Peh..." He dropped them into his pocket. A large smile split his face as he stared at the bag he had snatched. "HahahHA! Time to blow some cash!" He pulled open the small sack, turned it over in his other palm, and a large handful of coins spilled out. He snickered, sliding the coins from hand to hand.

A slight noise made his ears twitch and his eyes widen. "Who's there?" He demanded, yanking a dagger from his belt and holding it, preparing to defend himself. "Come on, now! You can't stand there forever."

The area was still, until finally, a small figure stepped out. It was a little girl, dressed only by a potato sack with holes slit in it. The boy gave a low gasp, comparing his clothes to what she had to wear.

He wore white pants made of white banners he had snatched, and a red vest with yellow markings, which was held by a black band around his throat. He was barefoot, as was the girl, but he knew who was poorer.

Blinking, he slowly slipped his dagger back into his belt and smiled. "Hey...I'm sorry about that." He said in a softer tone. He took a step forwards and the girl retreated behind a pile of rocks.

"Please, don't be afraid..." The boy said, his smile slightly vanishing. The girl peeked out cautiously, and what she saw made her look twice.

The boy slipped the coins back into the bag, lowered himself down to a kneeling position, and held the pouch out to her. "Here...take this with you when you go home tonight." He offered, his voice still as soft and kind as ever.

The girl bit her lip slightly, coming out fully from her hiding place. She walked forwards, keeping her eyes on him, then smiled. She jogged the rest of the way and accepted the bag.

"Thank you..." Her little voice peeped. With that, she turned, and ran away.

The boy smiled after her, feeling better then than when he had the money all to himself. "Huh..." He closed his eyes, grinning. "I should do that more often..."

Yuri rolled over uncomfortably. "Wolfram, if you're going to sleep here, you have to share the blanket...at least!" He pleaded. He had his legs tucked into his body, his arms crossed over each other, and he held a corner of the blanket over his shoulder. It was hardly enough! He shifted once more, pulling his limbs closer.

"Shuddup...I'm sleepy." Came a muffled voice to his right. What lay there appeared to be a large rolled-up, blanket and a tuff of blonde hair sticking out the top. "Plus, it's freezing tonight!"

"Why do you think I want the blanket? Yuri whined, and he sat up and began to yank on the cover.

"Hey! Knock that off!" Wolfram roared beneath the blanket, and a bare leg appeared, kicking at Yuri.

Yuri ignored him and continued to pull at the sheet he desired so much. "I don't want to be a Popsicle in the morning!"

Wolfram finally pulled himself out of the blanket, his face flushed and his nose wrinkled in a scowl. He was dressed in his usual pink nightgown. He leaned to the side and swiped Yuri's pillow from under his head and gave him a slap with it.

Yuri responded with a groan, almost falling backwards. He gripped the bed sheets tightly, pulling them out. He faced Wolfram, who now was sitting up on his knees. The blonde attempted to dive-bomb him, to knock him off the bed, but the dark-haired boy avoided him, crawling to his partner's side of the bed.

"Dammit, wimp!" Wolfram shouted, straightening up and attempted to pounce him again, dragging the sheets along with him. This time, he caught Yuri's legs and tried to throw him off.

"Hey! The ground's far away from the bed! Don't! AHH!" Yuri squealed, falling off, dragging a pillow and another sheet with him. "Ow..." He sat up, rubbing his back tenderly. Wolfram took another swing at his head with the pillow, missing as the other boy retreated under the bed and began to crawl to the other side.

"Hey!" He blonde leaned over and peered after him.

Yuri pulled himself up on the other side and slid back into the bed. Grinding his teeth, now annoyed, he grabbed anything he could get his grip around and yanked. The sheets came out from under the blonde across from him, and he couldn't help but giggle at the scream and loud thump that followed.

His smirk vanished instantly as Wolfram stood, utterly pissed off. "You-!!" He spat and leapt onto the bed, grabbing Yuri and wrestling him. He even attempted to suffocate him!

Outside the room, a guard paced back and forth, a look of complete boredom on his face. Suddenly, he froze, and took a few steps back. He pressed his ear to what was The Maou's bedroom door. He paused, listening, and when sound finally met his ear, his eyes widened and he staggered back. His jaw hung open stupidly as he stared. After a moment, he straightened up, ran his finger across the bottom of his nose the wipe away red streams of blood that escaped it, and began his marching again.

His thoughts were completely different to that of what was actually happening in that chamber...

"Goddammit, Yuri...I hope you're happy now..." Wolfram growled. His legs were tangled in the blanket and the sheets, as were his arms. "I can't move, and I'm wide awake."

Yuri, too, was in the same predicament. "Well...um...yeah...tomorrow night, I'll sleep on the floor..." He responded, closing his eyes, and trying to doze off.

The next day, the two kept getting odd stares from others living in the palace. When Yuri tried to bid them a good morning, the people turned away awkwardly, pretending to shuffle through their work.

The only one who seemed to realize what they were thinking was Wolfram. He kept his head tilted upwards, reserving his pride bitterly. "Just keep moving, you wimp." He ordered and gave Yuri a shove forwards. The dark-haired boy nodded. "Yeah, yeah. It's just that, what wrong with everyone toda-?" He asked, but was interrupted. "SHUT UP, DON'T SPEAK!" Wolfram pulled ahead of him, his face red, and his anger practically spilling out of his pores.

They came up to another room, and saw Gunter sitting at a table at the far end. His face was blank as he worked, but hearing them enter, he straightened up, his face molding to an expression of concern and sorrow.

"Your Majesty!" He sighed, walking over. "How do you feel?" He put his hands on the younger boy's shoulders.

Yuri blinked, then tilted his head, explaining "Well, my muscles hurt a bit. I'm a little stiff, and my rear hurts a little because Wolfram-" For the second time, he was interrupted, but this time by a loud wail from the man in front of them.

"Oh, Your Majesty! Your Majesty!" Gunter bawled, throwing his arms around him and rubbing his head on his.

Yuri blinked, his arms outstretched to the side. "Uh-um...there there..?" He muttered, patting him on the back, and looking at Wolfram for support. But the boy had his nose in the air once more, and his face was bright red.

The Maou just stood there, patting Gunter and feeling completely confused.

After peeling Gunter off, Yuri and Wolfram ventured into the main room, where they were greeted by an amused 'Bow-chicka-wow-wow.'

Yuri glanced to the side and saw an orange-haired man talking with Conrad. Conrad did not look impressed, not at all. His lips were tightly pinched together, and his eyes revealed no emotion.

"Yosak? When'd you get here?" Yuri asked as they approached the two men.

The redhead, Yosak, grinned. "This morning. Are you in pain anywhere, Your-ehehe-Your Majesty?" He tittered, keeping a hand over his mouth.

Yuri shifted his weight to the other foot as he placed a hand on his rump. "You know what, actually, I do hurt around here..." He stated, and Yosak could not control himself. He burst out laughing, wrapping his arms around his waist and staggering to the side.

Yuri frowned. "Okay! What's going on? Everybody's been acting weird ever since Wolfram and I got up today! Are you all planning to pull a prank on me? Where are the wires?" He asked, glancing around to see if he could find the 'prank' he was expecting.

"There's no prank, Your Majesty." Conrad responded, loosening up slightly.

"Then what is it?" The boy placed two hands on his hips and tapped his foot.

At this point, Wolfram was completely fed up. "Agh, god! You are so ignorant!" He snarled and yanked Yuri over towards him. "Listen..." He inhaled and leaned over to his ear, cupping a hand over his mouth. He whispered for a moment, and Yuri's eyes shot open.

"HEHH?! Are you SERIOUS?! That's why everyone was all bugged-out at us?! Ah! That-that-!!" He yelped, jumping away.

Yosak was on his knees now, tears streaming down his face as he continued to laugh. Conrad, now convinced that what the rumors he heard were false, smiled at the two, and gave a nervous chuckle.

Wolfram turned on his heel, snapping at the other three, "Shut up! Ah, you fools!" He stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind him.

Outdoors, the silver-haired boy wandered around, unaware that he was in the castle's courtyard. If he was aware of the fact, however, he paid no mind to it. He stared at the gems he had snatched away the previous day. He had a bored expression on his face. "Gosh, this is lame...I should have grabbed that large ruby when I had the chance..." He complained to no one in particular and dropped the gems back into his pocket.

"Huh...at least this place is nice..." He continued, looking around. He sat by a fountain and gazed at the sky. "Huh...eh?" His aqua eyes caught sight of something in a high window. He tilted his head as a young man, not much older than himself paced in and out of sight. The man had blonde hair, a cute face, and large green eyes. The other boy below was enchanted. He tilted his head to the side, and watched as the person continued his pacing. When he did not reappear in the window once more, he blinked slightly.

"I really have to talk to Jasper soon…I miss him." He murmured out of the blue.

"Yuri, come along. Let's go do some training. It's been a while since we last sparred, and you'll probably want to impress Prince Bazel when he arrives, hm?" Conrad suggested, walking on a stone path with Yuri next to him.

"Yeah, sure. That's a good idea. And it'll get my mind off the awkward events that happened..." The younger boy said, blushing.

"Hey! Just where do you think you're going, you unfaithful jerk?" Wolfram demanded as he sprinted out behind them.

"We're just going to be doing some training, Wolfram." Conrad responded coolly, glancing over his shoulder. He closed his eyes as he saw Yosak come into view.

"Training? What sort of training? You have any ideas, Woooolfiiieee-kuuuun..?" The larger man teased, leaning over the blonde's shoulder and smirking at him. This received a nasty punch in the chin. "Keep your repulsive thoughts to yourself!" Wolfram snapped, only causing Yosak to laugh at him even more.

"Now, now, settle down, children." Conrad snorted with a smile on his face, and this silenced the two. (Although they did make rather childish faces at each other as they continued to walk.)

Shortly, the group came up to a small open area. "Here is good." Conrad said with a smile, nodding lightly. "Now, here, Yuri, take a sword and let's get started."

The younger boy obeyed and the two began to spar. Yuri's sword skills had definitely improved since he first landed in New Makoku, but he still could not surpass Conrad.

Wolfram watched them, gritting his teeth whenever the two got too close. He tapped his foot, and glanced around impatiently. "Hmm…" He grumbled, but his pouty face vanished when his eye caught a slim figure at the far end of the yard. His eyebrows cringed slightly as he strained to see.

"What is it?" Yosak asked beside him. The man had matured out of his moment of juvenile bliss that had occurred earlier on, and held a face that was somewhat bored, but alert.

Wolfram glanced at him, and then out to the figure. "Oh!" He murmured, realizing that the figure had vanished completely from sight. Had his eyes tricked him? Ah…no matter. He gave his head a shake. "Nah. It was nothing." He crossed his arms and closed his eyes calmly.

Yuri and Conrad's training proceeded for several more minutes before Yuri decided to call it quits.

"Whew! That was exhilarating enough for me!" He said, running a handkerchief across his brow and face. "Shall we head back in?"

Conrad gave a light nod as he ran his arm across his forehead. "Yes, let's go then…heheh, Your Majesty…you certainly improved in the art of the sword." He chuckled, turning to him and placing his hand on his shoulder.

With a thanks and a warning cough from Wolfram, the group started to walk down the trail back towards the castle. They carried a light conversation as they trekked towards the palace opening, but a curious noise from Yuri made them stop.

He had his head cocked to the side and a finger out in front of him. "Who is that? Is she new in the palace?" He asked bluntly.

Conrad, Yosak, and Wolfram looked at the newcomer standing there, a suspicious gleam in their eyes. Conrad's fingers tickled the top of his sword, but he made no move to draw it out.

"You, young lady, please state your name and your purpose of being here." He demanded politely, tilting his head to the side.

There was silence, and Wolfram gave an impatient growl. "Hey, he said something, missy! Who are you, and why are you here?" He snarled, crossing his arms bitterly.

The girl made a big show of checking behind herself, then turning back with a mockingly oblivious look on her face. "Well, I can't seem to find who you're talking to! I don't see a girl here!" She said, shrugging. Instantly, she dropped her arms.

"I'm a boy, morons."

Each man, Yuri, Conrad, Wolfram, and Yosak, gave a surprised noise, exchanging looks that matched quite well with one another. Conrad scratched the back of his head, flushing a bit. "I'm sorry. But, please, do state who you are."

Unfazed by this, the boy simply smiled and responded with, "My name is- -"

He froze, his mouth hanging open, and his eyes fixated on Yuri as if the boy was made of gold. He remained like that for a brief moment, before a smile crept onto his face.

"Eh? What's with this guy-AHH!" Yuri squawked, as something seemed to zoom past him like a sudden rough gust of wind.

"Yuri!" Conrad looked at his king defensively, but saw no apparent damage to him. "Huh…?" But something appeared to be missing off of him…

A blue necklace…the perfect, blue, tear-shaped pendant that he had given Yuri when they first met had vanished!

Behind them, a strange little laugh was heard. The party wheeled around to see that strange boy standing there, holding the pendant very delicately in his fingers. "Ooh…such a pretty…" He crooned, tilting his head. "I like this. I think I may keep this for a while!" He laughed and slid the string over his head.

"Hey! Return that immediately!" Conrad demanded, twisting around and clenching his fists.

The boy chuckled, flicking his hair over his shoulder. "In time, my friends! In time!" His voice was flecked with laughter and amusement as he responded with his obnoxious little quote.

"Bastard! Give it back!" Wolfram shouted and sprinted towards him. The boy simply gave another playful giggle and pranced side to side, skillfully avoiding Wolfram's grip.

'I…I can't believe this kid!' Wolfram thought, as his accurate attempts failed him.

When he shot his arms out to what could have been the perfect snatch, the boy backflipped, and he distinctively heard him mutter "Huh…you're the guy I saw in the window…"

This distracted him, and a bare foot came in contact with his jaw. He staggered back, more shocked than hurt.

Finally, the little thief stood on his own two feet, shaking his head. "Well, that's what you get for scaring me." He spat, saying no more, and no less. In less than a moment, he vanished over a fence and into the trees. Everyone remained still and silent, all in frustration, but mostly awed.

Conrad paced to and fro impatiently. "I can't believe what just happened…I can NOT believe this…." He repeated to himself over and over. "That boy…I hardly saw him approach His Highness, let alone slip the pendant off his neck…it is strange…"

Wolfram was impersonating what his brother was doing (pacing), cursing the thief. So many swears! One should have to teach him a large vocabulary. No one stopped him, however, as they all felt the same way, only in smaller proportions. Upon hearing this, Gunter sobbed, but was happy, as he knew that his dear king was not harmed.

Speaking of the Maou, Yuri sat at a table, staring at it. It felt so strange. With his pendant missing, he felt as if a part of himself was with it. He possessed that special necklace ever since he came to New Makoku and now it was gone. He drummed his fingers on the desk, feeling hopeless. When he looked up again, he noticed that Conrad had left the room, and Wolfram was sitting at the end of the table.

"Oh…" He blinked, searching around for the vanished man. "Where has Conrad gone?"

Wolfram sighed and dropped his chin into his hand. "I wouldn't know. He just stalked out, not saying a word." He told, and shrugged. "He probably went to get a group of men to go out to find the necklace." This made Yuri jump up. "I want to go with him as well!" He demanded, clenching his fists.

"No, you cannot." A voice from the other end of the room told sternly, but patiently. Gwendel stood there, looking exceptionally exhausted. He began to walk towards them slowly. "Conrad did not want to put you through that danger. For all we know, the thief could be one of the most dangerous there is. Correct me if I'm wrong, but you hardly noticed when he stole your necklace, right? Imagine how he is as a fighter." He stopped by the table and shook his head. "Also, it's dark and cold outside. You could fall ill if you went."

Yuri had a look on his face that told he did not agree fully with what the man just said, but he knew better, and Wolfram tugging his arm brought him slowly back down into his chair. He gave a peeved groan and shook his head. "Dammit. I hope they know what they're doing! I don't want any unnecessary injuries occurring on their mission!" He said after a moment of silence and tapped a finger on the table.

Gwendel and Wolfram had the same look on their face. "Conrad'll be fine-" The brothers stared at each other as the words escaped both of their lips in union. Yuri couldn't help but chuckle.

The next day, Yuri paced around in front of the castle, waiting. He hadn't seen Conrad all morning, so he presumed the man had been out all night. He had been out there since the crack of dawn, as he had only slept lightly the night before. "Huhh...where are they..?" He murmured, looking up at the clouds. At his words, the sound of whinnying reached his ears, and he turned around.

There he saw a group of horses, and on the lead one, he recognized Conrad. "Conrad!" He called out, and began to run towards the group. Conrad blinked bitterly. He had dark lines under his eyes. "Your Majesty? What are you doing up so early?" He asked, stifling a yawn.

Yuri didn't seem to notice that he, himself, had been up since dawn. "I was just waiting for you! So, did your search go well?" He asked, crossing his arms and looking up at the man.

Conrad sighed, and shook his head slowly. "No. I'm sorry, Yuri. We couldn't find the thief." He told, feeling as if it were his fault the necklace got stolen. He cracked his shoulders and lowered him off his horse.

Yuri blinked, his smile faltering. "Ah...that's too bad." He murmured, his eyes turning to the ground. He shifted his weight to the other foot and thought. "Hm...I suppose the search will continue today?" He asked after a moment.

Conrad nodded. "Yes. My men'll start it up again immediately." He stated, putting a hand on his stallion's neck.

He was hushed instantly by Yuri's finger waving in front of his face." Nuh-uh! You guys are going to rest before you to out there again!" He affirmed, putting his hands on his hips like a strict mother. "And I'm going with you next time!"

Conrad shook his head. "No, Your Majesty. That thief- -" He started, but Yuri interrupted.

"Could be dangerous?" He had a grin on his face and he crossed his arms. "Nah, I don't think he'd be too bad. I mean, if he was as dangerous as you think, wouldn't have slain us the minute he took the necklace? Plus, he seems to be the same age, no, younger than I am, so how bad can he be?" He laughed, smiling.

Conrad sighed. "He's a demon, they age slowly, remember, and you can't judge an appearance, Your Majesty..." He said, shaking his head. However, he let a smile cross his face as he concluded with, "But you are correct. He could have killed us, yet he did not." With that, he turned and told his men that they could rest for a while. This made Yuri chuckled, and he turned, heading back into the palace.

"So...are you sure you want to come along, Your Majesty?"

Yuri felt several pairs of eyes on him. It had been Conrad who asked the question and got a simple nod for an answer.

"I'm coming too." Gunter claimed, tying his hair back. "I cannot stand His Majesty being continuously pulled away from me."

The group consisted of Wolfram, Conrad, Gwendel, Yosak, a group of both Conrad and Gwendel's soldiers, and Yuri himself. Speaking of the Maou, he had a bright look on his face as he sensed good things to come. "Alright then! You all know your positions! Get out there, and good luck! Don't forget: Expect the unexpected!" He said, saluting them off, and getting an obedient "Yes Sir!" from the men.

That was that. The parties searched every inch of the area, keeping a sharp eye out. They swore not to stop until Yuri gave the word. But for hours, the search continued, and the black-haired teen began to grow weary. "Ah...just a second, guys." He said to his team and he stopped, pulling his legs up as if to relieve them of weight.

"Ugh, this is hopeless. We've been out here forever and there's still no trace of that little creep!" Yosak claimed, looking around and shaking his head. "I'm starting to think he evaporated!"

Yuri shook his head. "Don't give up! He couldn't have gone too far!" He claimed, dropping his leg and casting a glance towards the forest around him.

Gunter gave a romantic sigh. "His Majesty is truly amazing, as you can see..." He said to one soldier, and continued on with his silly words.

Yuri turned around as he scanned the trees. "Huh..? His dark eyes caught something. He squinted...there it was again! A light flash of blue...what could it be? There was only one way to find out. Without a word, he started towards the glimmer, his eyes focused. The only one who wasn't concentrating only on the mission was Wolfram. "Huh..? Yuri?" He said.

When his fiancée did not answer, he became immediately frustrated and started forwards. "Yuri! Where do you think you're going? Yu-ri!" The two exited the area and trudged forwards.

The Maou stood there, looking at his surroundings carefully. "Huh...I'm sure it was around here somewhere. Hmmm..." He muttered and closed his eyes. A light noise reached his ears. He blinked and turned his head. "Hm?" He walked forwards and noticed a slim figure behind a tree. A red vest, silver hair...

"Heeeyyy, there..." He teased, leaning around the tree and looking down at the thief. "How's it going?"

The boy gave a loud yelp and fell to the side, but quickly regained his posture. "You! How did you find me?!" He squeaked and took a step back.

Yuri simply smiled. "That honestly doesn't matter at the moment. But, I need to ask you something, okay?" He asked kindly. "I need that necklace back. It's really special to me." He walked towards him, holding a hand out.

The boy flushed and gripped the blue gem that was around his neck. "U-um...yeah...I'm sorry...It was just so..." He gave his head a shake. "I couldn't help myself..." He stammered. "I'm sorry..."

Yuri shook his head. "It's okay." He promised, standing beside the boy now. 'Heh, I knew he wasn't dangerous...' He thought.

"Hey! It's that little thief!" A voice shrieked behind them. Wolfram stood there, his face an unrecognizable mask of fury and bitterness. He stormed forwards. "Give back the necklace, you rat!" He demanded, not hearing Yuri trying to call him off.

The boy staggered back, shivering. "I-I- -I'm-" He gagged and without another word, pinched his eyes shut, turned around, and fled.

"Wofraaaam..." Yuri sighed, shaking his head.

The blonde turned, completely steamed up. "What? What, you wimp? What're you about to say?!" He gripped him by the scruff.

"N-nothing! I didn't say nothing!" Yuri responded fearfully, ignoring completely his terrible grammar.

The boy had his head down and continued to run. He only stopped when he came to a wide, open field. There he stood, his hands on his knees, taking in a great lungful of air. He coughed for a moment before straightening up. "Aww...geeze...I shouldn'ta allowed myself to get scared so easily. Ah...so DUMB!" He whined and kicked himself in the shin. He shook his head and crossed his arms.

"Damn right you're so dumb..." A voice snickered nearby.

The boy gasped and looked up, seeing the same group of thieves he had tangled with the other day. His look of shock and surprise vanished quickly as he realized who they were.

"Bokotsu...what the hell do you want...?"

The head thief, Bokotsu, gave his head a jerk, flipping his bangs from his eyes. "Hmph, just thought I'd pay you a visit. You don't have to be so rude." He said and stepped forwards. He had a look on his face that totally defied the offended sound of his words.

This made the silver-haired boy grit his teeth together and clench his fists. This was going to be trouble...

Yuri and Wolfram came through the trees at a light jog, carrying on an argument. "He wasn't going to harm anyone! And by the sound of it, he was going to return the necklace!" Yuri defended the boy.

"I'm sure! You don't just trust thieves! They're cunning. You oughta know that by now!" Wolfram snarked as they came through the trees.

"Wolfram, you're just so-wait a sec- -" The black haired male started, but stopped in mid-sentence, seeing a group of men, and the young boy. "Bingo, there he is!"

Wolfram blinked. "Huh, he didn't get too far, did he? I don't like the look of that gang there." He said plainly.

Yuri nodded. "Me neither..."

When the boy caught sight of the two newcomers, he gasped and approached them bashfully. "I'm sorry...I..haha..." He closed his eyes and scratched at the back of his head. "Hey! Are you just going to ignore us?" Bokotsu demanded, and he was correct in his words.

The boy shifted his weight to his other foot as Wolfram lectured him. He responded with each statement with "I know," but remained patient throughout the grilling. Finally, when Wolfram was done and was trying to catch his breath, he inhaled deeply, brought himself back, and crossed his arms.

"So, do you have a name, or should we call you Thief while we know you?" He asked. Yuri smiled at him.

Completely ignoring Bokotsu's angry voice behind them, the boy perked up with a grin and said, "I'm Ezekiel! You can call me Zeke, my boyfriend does and so does everyone who knows me! Who're you guys?" He rocked on his heels childishly.

Yuri chuckled. "I'm Yuri, and this is Wolfram!" He told, directing to the blonde.

Zeke's eyes widened with an excited glow. "W-wolfram and Yuri...? King Yuri..? You're the ones that are engaged...?" He stammered, squeezing his hands together.

Yuri nodded. "Yuh...why..?" He asked, and instantly, Zeke took his hands and he was thrown into a small dance.

"Oh, that's so cute! Your two are so adorable. And I don't only mean the two of you together! You've both got cute faces and cute voices and cute butts..." This continued for a while, the boy dancing around with Yuri and naming everything under the sun that was cute about them.

Wolfram's eye twitched. "Hey, hey, HEY! Quite enough of that!" He shouted jealously and pushed Zeke away from the other boy.

The little thief giggled. "I'm sorry...so this thing...is the Maou's necklace- -" He said and his eyes widened. "The Maou's..?" A wide grin split his face and he pulled off the pendant.

"Hear that, Bokotsu?! I stole from the Maou! That's far more valuable than any of the crappy gems you ever got off with!" He laughed, waving the gem around.

Yuri tilted his head. 'Whoa...one minute he's so feminine, the next he's all masculine...what an oddball...' He thought.

"Speaking of which, take them back! I'm bored with those things I took from you the other day!" Zeke continued, sticking his hands into his pockets and throwing necklaces and rings and trinkets at the group of thieves.

The whole incident got Bokotsu's temper flaring. "You cocky runt! You've got quite the nerve to shoot off your mouth like that. Besides, where's that money you snatched from us?" He demanded, ignoring the jewelry that was thrown at him.

Zeke's face went solemn. "I gave it to someone who deserved and actually needed it. A little girl in town." He growled in a threatening manner. "She needs it more than you or I. I bet now that she's even able to buy herself a set of shoes."

Instead of growing furious, Bokotsu simply grinned evilly, cracking his knuckles. "Then I suppose we'll just have to take something else, won't we? How about that necklace?" He hissed, pointing, and his group sniggered evilly. "I think it may look good with a red stain on it. How about your blood to make that stain?" He suggested, pulling a spear off the belt on his back.

Zeke immediately posted a defense. "This gem is not yours nor mine, and I have to return it to its owner!" He said simply and dropped the necklace into Yuri's hands. He gave a strong stance and crossed his arms, challenging Bokotsu.

Now, the man grew angry. "Fine. Maybe a life, then? Yours? The Maou's? The hot blonde's? Or maybe..." A sly expression appeared on his face. "Or maybe spilling the blood of your beloved-?"

As soon as the words escaped his mouth, Zeke used his inhuman speed to sprint across the field and strike the man across the face.

"How DARE you threaten Jasper, you hideous scumbag?! You will not harm a hair on his head!!" A shriek filled the air, and Yuri could hardly believe that it belonged to Zeke, who, just seconds ago, displayed such a sweet and charming performance. He gasped as an angry set of thieves began to sneak up behind him.

"Look out behind you!" He called, and Wolfram drew out his blade.

"I'll handle this!" He claimed and started forwards. The two of them strung a nerve-wrecking battle, two against eight. Wolfram could hold his own against the thieves through years of training and discipline by his older brothers, and Zeke held out as well, but his stamina was not as great as the boy beside him. He started to get a little slower and hisattacks were deflected several times.

Finally, his major mistake caused him a punch across the face:

He had swung his dagger forwards, and the thief he stabbed at dodged, wheeling around afterwards and throwing his fist at the boy's face.

"Hey!" Wolfram tried to help, but he was mixed in a battle that was far too rough to just abandon. Gritting his teeth, he managed to throw his opponent away, and he turned on his heel sharply and charged towards the man attacking the other male. With a battle cry, he kicked the man, twisted around, and swung his blade.

As perfect as that maneuver had been, he could not protect Zeke from what happened next. Through the din, Bokotsu stood, waiting, ready, his spear tightly in his bear-like hands. A wicked grin crossed his face as he lunged forwards.

Yuri gasped as all time seemed to stand still, other than that of the speed of sound. The noise of piercing flesh reached his ears and he gagged. He shuddered as he attempted to take what just happened in.

There stood the youngest thief, a spear head deep in his waist. Blood spilled around the head and down his leg, causing red streams that were all too visible on his white pants. Yuri could hardly blink as the boy hit the grass like a rock.

The boy's face was so blank, he could have been dead, but when a low moan escaped him, the black-haired king let out a low sigh of both relief and anger. When he looked up, his face was a furious grimace.

But what truly got him angry occurred when Bokotsu simply laughed, spat at Zeke, drove his spear into the boy's shoulder, and threw him to the side. "What'sa matter, kid? Your scrawny little body can't take a simple wound?" He teased cruelly and gave the injured person a harsh kick in the leg.

He scoffed bitterly as he watched his victim tumble. "Pathetic. He thinks just because he managed to steal from a brainless king, he's the better thief. As if..." He swung his spear around, flicking the scarlet blood off the pointed head. In that single motion, he also brought it to the side. "May as well die. You're no fun anymore." He hissed and drove his spear downwards, aiming at his delicate throat...

Through his boasting, he hardly noticed as Yuri pushed through the dangerous people. "No you don't- -" He jumped forwards, pinching his eyes shut.

Seeing this, Wolfram's eyes widened to an extreme. "Yuri!!" He shrieked, ignoring his opponent and attempting to run towards them he staggered to a stop as a low gasp escaped him.

There, Yuri stood, holding the spear as tightly as he could, keeping it from penetrating Zeke. His knuckles were white as he grasped it, not fearing the threat of splinters (although they did pinch through his flesh.) He had his teeth bared and his eyes focused. There was no way he would let Bokotsu kill the kid...

"You- -." Bokotsu snarled. "Stronger than you look, eh? Let's put it to the test." He took a step forwards, attempting to push his enemy back. The king pinched his eyes shut, growling as his heels dug into the earth and he slid back slowly.

"N...no...you can't..." He groused, feeling his hands scream with pain as splinters dug deeper in. "You can't hurt him...I won't..." He murmured, but a loud scream caught his attention. He turned his head just to see Wolfram flying through the air and a sickening sound was heard as his head came in contact with the thick bark of an old tree. His body crumpled to the grass, motionless.

"W-wolfram!" Yuri gasped, his heart plummeting to his stomach. Bokotsu threw back his head and laughed, his voice cold and heartless, as the boy in front of him held a hopeless expression on his face.

"Hurry, men! Take that side! Move it!"

Yuri blinked at the voice. "Conrad...?" He murmured, turning his head, and sure enough, there was the man and the others. His soldiers sprinted out, taking the thieves by storm. They gave angry shouts and attempted to squirm away from the soldiers, but they held them with a firm grip. When a man took Bokotsu, Yuri was finally able to examine the splinters in his hand. He winced at the large pieces of wood in them, and also at their stinging sensation as he ran a finger over them.

"Your Majesty. You aren't hurt are you-? Ah! Your hands! Your poor, beautiful hands!" Gunter cried as he ran up to the boy, and clasped his wrists gently. "Ahh….Geisela will have to look at those…they'll get infected if they just stay like that…who could have done such a wretched thing to them? Oh…." He closed his eyes and gave his head a light shake.

The younger male in front of him did not seem to notice his sympathetic speech. "How's Wolfram? Is he okay?" He asked instantly, trying to peer around the man.

Gunter sighed, closing his eyes. 'I wish that I had you worrying over me like that….' He thought with a second sigh. He watched Yuri sprint towards Conrad and Gwendel, who had dropped by their brother's side and lifted him up.

"Is he okay? He isn't hurt badly, is he?" He asked, breathless.

Gwendel turned. "He is fine. Just unconscious. He's bleeding, but it's simply because the bark on the tree scraped him." He explained in a monotone voice. But, what made Yuri shiver was the vengeful glint in the frightening man's eye. Conrad turned, and he saw that he, too, had the sort of look as well.

"I am glad to see that you're all right, Your Majesty." He said and turned towards him, holding Wolfram's limp body in his arms. "It seems we have two young men and a criminal to take to see Geisela, hm?"

Yuri blinked. "Don't call Zeke a criminal." He said bluntly and glanced towards the younger boy, who of which Yosak and Gunter were taking care of at the moment.

Conrad stared at the dark-haired lad, sighing. "Yuri, he stole from you. That's a highly unacceptable crime, even if he is just a boy, or if he's not dangerousl." He explained slowly.

Yuri gritted his teeth. "But he returned it, see?" He pulled the pendant out to show the men. "And he truly isn't bad! He apologized and everything! He also had stolen money from those guys, and gave it to a little girl. Please, you can't throw him into prison or anything like that!" He clenched his fist, praying that Conrad's normally hidden coldness wouldn't pull through in this conversation.

It didn't, but the man kept a look that was illegible. "Hm…" He turned away. "We'll have to wait and see what happens." Without another word, he began to walk towards Gunter and Yosak with Gwendel following.

Yuri stood there for a moment, looking down at his hands, and then followed them as well.

The group carried on a brief conversation, to which he hardly paid any mind to. He kept glancing around, looking at the remaining soldiers and the captured thieves. He kept his eyes mostly on Bokotsu, however, and the man returned the looks, mouthing curses at him.

He sighed and finally looked back at the other men when Conrad announced their time to return to the castle. They then traveled back, tired and silent.

Wolfram blinked as he came into consciousness once more. Everything around him was blurry. He could hardly make our where he was, but the soft blanket over him and the bed below him told that he was back at the castle. As he regained his vision, it was immediately taken away once more as his brain finally realized the pain of his head injury and let his body know about it. He gave a low moan and bit his lip.

"How do you feel?" A soft voice asked. Wolfram recognized the deep male voice.

"Conrad…?" He slurred and opened his eyes once more. "I'm…fine, I guess…." He muttered and blinked. His brother's face came into focus, and the pain receded. He slowly sat up and looked around. He saw Yuri sitting in a chair up against the wall, smiling, although his hands were in bandages.

"I'm glad he woke up. I was getting worried about him!"

Wolfram turned his head, and saw a young girl with green hair and glasses. It was Geisela, but what he focused on most was a silver-haired boy in the bed she was by.

"Hey! What's he still doing around?" He demanded, immediately returning to his usual self. He lifted his arm and looked at it. "And what's with these ugly pajamas?" He grumbled more to himself than to the others, as he would have preferred his pink ones more.

Conrad chuckled. "Well, let's just say that Yuri had a stern decision on this." He said nonchalantly. He turned and glanced at the boy, almost with a pride glowing off him.

Wolfram sighed, closing his eyes and crinkling his brow. "Oww…." He flopped down and got a little 'take it easy' from his brother, who also leaned over and adjusted the bandages in his hair.

Yuri leaned on his hand. "I can't believe that you've been unconscious for six hours now…" He said, looking at the other boy. "I was fortunate enough just to get those stinking splinters, but you got cranked in the head…." He frowned and clasped his hands together.

Wolfram simply scoffed, turning his face in the other direction. "It's nothing. It'll be fine."

Geisela came around, smiling. "So…now we just have to wait for one more to wake up." She said and sat next to Yuri. Her face fell slightly. "I have no idea how long that's going to take, though. Hopefully we haven't lost him completely…" She felt a warm hand on her own, and she looked at it, seeing a gauze-covered hand overtop it.

"Don't worry. I'm sure he'll be okay." Yuri said, smiling. "I can tell. He is a thief, after all, and thieves don't give in without a fight." His words made the girl next to him smile.

But they made the blonde boy in the bed sit up and glare at them. "Hey! Keep your hands to yourself! What do you think you're doing?!" He snapped, and his face morphed instantly to a pained expression. He gave a low groan and put his hands into his hair as he fell back onto his pillow.

Conrad blinked, his eyes widened and his eyebrows cringed slightly.

"I thought I told you to take it easy!"