When Kaiser regains sight, he finds himself sitting before a round table, surrounded by knights in shimmering white armor. One of the knights next to him—fair-skinned and feminine, right down to their pink pigtails—puts a hand on his shoulder and smiles. "Are you well-rested, Sir Michael," they ask in hushed tones.

That face, that voice. Could it be… Gabriel? "Uh, ja. I think. Where are we?"

"Why, King Arthur's castle, of course! We at the Round were discussing some very important matters—though it appears you missed it all." Gabriel giggles; though a touch on the masculine side, its soft, airy tones further added to his femininity. "The King is about to embark on another venture, and he wishes for us to watch over his kingdom for him. The usual, really."

"The usual?"

"You really are quite the jester today! While the Queen watches from the throne, our job is to patrol the villages, collect the taxes, and ensure that all is well. You understand all that?" Still in a daze, Kaiser nods.

Gabriel escorts Michael to the castle entrance, where two men—one with wavy ash-brown hair, the other with straight teal—await them. "It's about time you came," the teal-haired one scoffs, his Spanish accent similar to Gabi's. "We've been waiting here forever!"

"Oh, calm yourself, Aitor," the wavy-haired one responds, sporting an Italian accent. "Gabi, you'll be joining me as always?"

Shooting a brief glare at Aitor, Gabriel smiles at the other, then turns to Kaiser. "Sir Michael, you'll be paired with Sir Aitor. Please keep him out of trouble, si?"

Left without a choice, he follows Aitor to the village. With a small pouch in hand, his assignment consists of going from door to door, collecting tax money from the local population. (Apparently, the King is lacking in people willing to do that sort of work.) Based on Aitor's words and his own observations, it's a thankless job that requires more than a little intimidation to get what you need. It'sno wonder people hate tax collectors!

On his route, he knocks on the door of a run-down abode, and is face-to-face with another familiar face. It's Adé, only instead of a school uniform and goggles, he is wearing a simple, brown tunic and a cloth around his forehead. "Forgive me, sir! We barely have enough to spare. My mother—bless her soul—needed medicine, and I spent what little money to buy it. Have mercy, please!"

His single eye staring deep into those pleading brown eyes, guilt wells up inside him. But before he can open his mouth to speak, Aitor reappears, his iron grip tightened around a scrawny lad with red hair tied up into twin tails. "Pay no heed to these miscreants! They're orphans who''ve stooped to robbing the poor." He raises his hand, causing the redhead to wince as his own arm is stretched to its limits. "I caught this one trying to pick our pockets!"

Kaiser gasps in disbelief, then turns to the Adé lookalike. "Is this true? Answer me!"

Tears well up in the peasant boy's eyes as he mutters, "Y-yessir. I'm sorry. I know we've done wrong. We're poor and desperate..."

Aitor scoffs. "Excuses! Bring him to the captain; he'll be sure to offer the worst punishment for them."

With the thieves in tow, they return to the castle, and back into the room with the large, round table that Kaiser woke up in earlier. At the far end of the table is the wavy-haired knight, a stern look on his face. Having heard his subordinates' reports, he orders them to bring in the offenders. Again, they plead their case, appearing even more pitiful than before. Michael turns his head away, unable to stand the sight of it. Might as well bring the axe on them now.

"Very well. We will spare your lives. However, you still must serve out your punishment. Until the King returns to consider further action, you will be serving for us. Report to the stables at dawn tomorrow."

The teal-haired knight sputters, "But Captain—"

"What Captain Riccardo says is law," Gabriel intervenes, his androgynous countenance harsh and cold like winter snow. With a scowl, Aitor turns and storms out the room. As soon as the door slams shut, the rose-haired knight's demeanor softens, his smile warm and reassuring.

An undetermined amount of time appears to flash by without notice. Kaiser is in the stables with Adé, while Eugene—the other new stablemate—runs off to retrieve food for the horses. Adé is grooming the captain's snow-white steed as he speaks. "I'm really thankful for what you did. Even if you didn't say anything, I knew that you wanted to spare us. You understood us, didn't you?"

Not thinking, Kaiser answers, "Yes. When I was just a boy, my father died. Killed by bandits. Mother died of a broken heart shortly after. I was alone and angry—and desperate to survive. I did whatever I could: robbery, assault, even murder. That King Arthur felt the need to spare me still astounds me to this day. He said I have a sense of justice—as if! I just pretend to be brave. Inside, I'm just a weak, sickening worm."

Adé's jaw drops. "You were…? I can't believe it. You, a member of the Round Table…? B-but King Arthur spared you. That means he sees something in you, just like you did me and Eugene! You really are a good person, I know it! You just haven't had the chance to prove it yet!" Though veiled by his shaggy hair, a weak smile forms on Michael's face.

Another blur, and they're outside, welcoming the King. Only, it was not the King of Legend that Kaiser expected. Instead of a tall, broad-shouldered man, a young lad, his purple hair swooped over one golden eye, approaches, riding upon a black horse. His armor is black as night, with gold accents, and his long, flowing cape looks like a floating shadow creeping from his shoulders. His overall demeanor is a mirror opposite of King Arthur's: cold, aloof, and borderline frightening.

The mysterious young man stops to look down at Michael and the stablemates, then turns face and marches on. A chill creeps down his spine. Is this really King Arthur?

"Ben tornato, King Arthur," Riccardo says with a lowered bow. "How was your venture?"

"It was dull," the King answers, his tone blunt and uncaring. "And please, call me Douglas. Just because I bear the crest of McArthur does not make me the King of Legend."

"Er, yes, your majesty."

After stepping down from his steed, he changes the subject. "Captain, I have noticed two new faces in the crowd. Mind explaining?"

"Yes. Those two are the new stablemates I hired. They were caught stealing tax money, so we offered them service until you could consider a proper punishment."

"I see." Once again, he turns to the trio. What he says next makes everyone's blood run cold. "Sir Michael. I want you to execute these two thieves. Personally."

"But your majesty—"

"I don't care what you do with them. Those who steal from the King must pay with their own lives. You have until sunset. It's their lives against yours." Without another word, he disappears, leaving the rest unable to protest.

Sunset quickly approaches, and Kaiser, feeling the weight of his decision, can almost feel time moving faster around him. The blade of his sword quivers, its tip inches away from Adé's chest. Eugene lies on the ground, covered in bleeding, gaping wounds. When did that happen? I never wanted to kill either of them! Am I losing my mind? No… It can't be!

Standing behind Eugene's corpse is McArthur, his blade stained with blood. "I warned you of what would happen, Sir Michael." His expression remains unchanged as his command rings out in the knight's ears: "Finish him, or I finish both of you."

Kaiser turns away from the King's murderous gaze and towards the peasant boy before him. His brown eyes, how dare they stare him with such innocence! Does he not realize the stakes? No… He's telling a different message. The question is: is he brave enough?

He swerves, facing his black-armored ruler. Gripping his sword tightly, his lips mutter, "No."

A twinge of emotion mars his otherwise neutral mien. "What was that? You choose to sacrifice yourself for this whelp? Have you lost your mind?"

Pause. Then, a smirk creeps up on Kaiser's face. "Stupid fool. I have nothing worth sacrificing. You, on the other hand, have much to live for. I believe I've made my decision." Swiftly, he pounces. Sleek steel clashes as the knight and king duel. Their attacks parry and slice the air with blinding speed, far too fast for the mortal eye to see. A cut on the cheek here, a nearly-severed hand there. This is more than mere swordplay: this is a battle to the death, a test of Kaiser's bravery.

As soon as it started, it's over. The King lies on the floor, his opponent's sword sticking from his back. Kaiser, still dissatisfied, removes the blade and proceeds to further mutilate the body. His shining white armor is gradually stained red as he reduces his victim to a bloody pulp. When he steps back, he lets out an uncontrolled chuckle. "Finally… we are free." He turns to face Adé—only to be confronted by infinite darkness.

Now for something completely different! Since this story was built upon different plot bunnies, it's no surprise that some of those would include AUs. As a compromise, I decided to turn the AU plots into dream sequences, to indulge myself without veering too far away from the main plot. And in case you were wondering: yes, this dream does have a meaning behind it, which will reveal itself in time.