Disclaimer: I don't own anything from Kyo Kara Maoh, Final Fantasy, or Kingdom Hearts.
(Chapter Updated 3/04/2019)
Chapter 3: Drifting Memories...
What lies forgotten;
The turned back of a familiar stranger in the darkness,
Their hand reaching into the light towards yours.
Memories, preserved in the hearts of others who remember, will call him back.
They will call him home...
Once the formalities for the renewal of Small Shimaron's alliance with the Great Demon Kingdom were taken care of and preparations were made to announce it during the ceremony, Sara began to explain the current situation in Shimaron to Gwendal and the others as a gesture of good faith. Although sadly Shori was absent for this since he had decided it was more important for him to go check on Yuri while they talked since he was worried about his brother. Besides, Shori figured he could always ask Murata about what they discussed later when Sara wasn't there to sugarcoat his involvement in all this.
"...and that's all as far as Ranjeel's current schemes are concerned that we know of and have information we can back up the claims with. As for the rest, we may actually need your help with finding out what Ranjeel is up to now." Then Sara admitted, "I won't lie, I wasn't expecting anything to happen to those men Berias sent and I thought the risk was minimal but if he's working with allies that are strong enough and capable enough to make short work of them then I can't afford to lose any more good men like this. And it not easy to tell their families that I don't know what has become of them after sending them on this secret mission. And I think we all know for a fact that King Ranjeel is not smart enough to cover his tracks like this, so its possible that he has found himself a new adviser to replace Janis who is the one pulling off all these disappearances and they're secretly gathering their forces to mount another attack on the Great Demon Kingdom. But without any of Berias's men able to return to testify of this fact, I'm afraid that we've come to a standstill until we learn what has happened to them. They can't have simply vanished. Not without leaving even the smallest traces of a struggle behind."
Murata folded his hands under his chin and sighed. "You're probably right about Ranjeel; Big Shimaron's King isn't that clever on his own. Back when he first ascended to the throne, Ranjeel always made sure he got other people to do his dirty work and used underhanded methods to claim it in the first place by using the White Crows, but then he just ended up being used for their own ends himself so I wouldn't doubt that it could have happened to him again since they know how power hungry he is. You'd think he would have learned his lesson the first time not to put his faith in those kinds of people and expect them to just do as they are told like obedient dogs. Still..." he looked up, "...with the White Crows disbanded and open rebellions from the other nations mounted all around him, I can't help but wonder who King Ranjeel is meeting with who is still willing to back him up. As I recall, there are hardly any other countries left that support Big Shimaron anymore, meaning that it can't be one of those nations secretly meeting with him. At least not likely."
Berias agreed, "We've already questioned several other countries allied to us and all of them agreed that they want nothing to do with Big Shimaron unless he ceases his efforts to start another pointless War that no one wishes for and most of them have cut ties with him politically as well. They said that there is nothing to gain from fighting with him nor fighting against him should a civil war break out, but neither do they want to completely close off trade with them as of yet. It's possible that these meetings are purely economical and have nothing to do with the disappearances. In truth, part of me suspects that something else might be going on that is yet another cause of concern. "
"Really, how so?" Conrad asked.
"To put it simply Lord Weller," Berias explained, "The truth is that my men aren't the only ones who have gone missing recently. There have been scattered reports of people disappearing mysteriously in various places across the country as well and that strange monsters have started appearing and attacking travelers. However, the two rumors might still be related somehow. You see, these other disappearances were seemingly random at first until-"
"Until one of Ranjeel's own council members vanished," Sara told them seriously in Berias's stead. "Everyone in court knew that this man and the King were at odds and they recently had a serious argument before he suddenly vanished from his bedchamber that very same night, which was considered highly suspicious and Ranjeel quickly tried to prove his innocence by organizing a team of soldiers to investigate but they too came up with nothing. But tell me, does that sound random to you?"
"No, it doesn't," Gwendal agreed, "However, we can't rule out that it wasn't a ruse to make King Ranjeel look even worse then he does now or he was caught in a lie and actually did have him killed. As I recall, amidst the other chaos you described earlier, there have been more and more rumors of noble families plotting to steal the throne from him-" his gaze fell sternly on Sara as he added, "-yourself included Your Majesty, meaning that even Ranjeel is being forced to rely on the protection of armed escorts everywhere he goes to escape attempts on his life as well."
Sara accepted that graciously and confessed, "I won't deny that fact. However, I promised Yuri that I would avoid using violence to obtain the throne of Shimaron or my...usual tactics. Besides, here's another interesting fact about this particular man Ranjeel was arguing with. After word got out about the assassinations of the other heirs by the White Crows, thanks to the gallant efforts of the Blue Wind of course, this councilman requested a private meeting with me a few days before he vanished which sadly might be part of the reason he was attacked if that is the case. Out of curiosity, I agreed to do so even knowing the risk to both concerned parties. That's when he told me about part of a conversation he overheard between what he described as a young man in a black coat who met with the King who offered him something -we're not sure what yet- in exchange for his help finding someone."
"Someone...? Who exactly?" Wolfram asked simply. "And is this the guy that Ranjeel's been meeting with or just a messenger?"
Sara shook his head, "I couldn't say. All I know is that the councilman overheard this boy say something about needing to find the person who is the 'true key,' and I've been thinking about that specific detail ever since which why I was wondering if -and forgive me if this sounds brazen on my part- you could tell me exactly who the other two Keys to the Forbidden Boxes were. I know we'll learn that anyway during the ceremony tomorrow, but since its possible that this 'true key' he spoke of has something to do with one of you-" he gestured at Conrad pointedly, "-I'm concerned that that whomever it is they're looking for may be in great danger, and that includes Yuri now too given the fact that like Lord Weller, we know that he IS a Key. And we can't let Ranjeel or this stranger get their hands on that person, whoever they are."
After Geisila finally finished examining him, she looked at Yuri critically and instructed, "Listen, I know you don't feel sick or physically unwell, but, I can tell that you are very tense which is part of what's causing your restlessness. And as you know, stress alone can eventually lead to sickness so please, you need to talk to someone about what's bothering you. All of it," she added sternly. "Keeping those feelings bottled up will do more harm than good and it'll only make us worry more."
"But Geisila, I already did that!" Yuri answered stubbornly, pouting childishly, "I told Conrad everything that happened in my most recent dream, at least as far as I can remember and that didn't help. I feel like there's something I have to DO, and I can't figure out what it is." He clutched Julia's pendant again and explained, "I know this sounds crazy, and I honestly don't know what's causing this, but every time I feel this sort of terrible ache it's almost like something is trying to tell me there's someone out there that's reaching out to me for help since I'm the only one who can. And I want to help them but I have no idea why or who they are or how we're connected. Something about them is so familiar to me that it hurts that I can't remember. And the longer I keep ignoring it it's only going to make things worse and I don't know what I'm supposed to do or what these stupid dreams mean because they HAVE to mean something! I'm not creative enough to just imagine a place like that."
"Well that's-" Geisila began when Shori knocked and peeked in through the door.
"Can I come in?" Shori asked.
Geisila smiled and bowed, "Of course Lord Shori, I just finished. Now if you'll excuse me I have some other errands to finish before tomorrow so please, look after His Highness and try to see if maybe you can talk some sense into him. I think I'm putting too much pressure on him as his medic so it might help him open up more if he could talk to you since you're his older brother. Good luck."
Shori nodded with a warm smile before entering the room and quietly sitting beside Yuri just as she left and an awkward silence fell. Then, Shori glanced thoughtfully at Yuri, trying to gauge his feelings. It was very easy for Shori to tell when he was worried, but this time, this feeling Yuri was dealing with seemed much bigger than that, it was full blown anxiety and frustration. As for Yuri himself, he really didn't know what was happening to him or why he felt this way; all he knew was that this feeling was real. He wasn't imagining this. However, like he kept trying to tell everyone, what he felt now was completely unrelated to the ceremony-
But how could Yuri prove that to them...?
Shori watched as Yuri sighed loudly and ran his fingers through his hair before flinging himself backward on the bed. Yuri laid there for a long time before suddenly blurting out, "Hey Shori?"
"Hmm?"
"What do you usually do when something is clearly bothering you and you don't actually know what it is?" Yuri asked him seriously, "What if talking about it doesn't help? What if there's something that...that you feel that you have to do but you have no idea what it is no matter how hard you try to figure it out?"
Shori blinked, "You're seriously asking me for advice?"
Yuri forced a laugh, "Well yeah, you're the only one here in the room you knucklehead."
Shori laughed too before leaning back on the bed too, twining his hands behind his head, and eventually he replied, "Well personally what I usually do in a situation like this is I try not think about it too hard. It helps to stay focused on what's going on in front of you first because sometimes, the harder you try to remember something important you forgot or to think of the reason you're feeling a certain way, the more difficult it becomes to reach the answer or solution to the problem you're looking for. Sometimes you just have to trust your instincts. In fact, you're the one who taught me that sometimes all it takes to get things done is to follow my heart and not my head. "
"Maybe you're right..." Yuri answered softly, not totally convinced this time.
"What's that?" Shori turned to him and asked curiously, "Did you say something Yuri?"
Sitting up before glancing back down at his older brother and grinning, Yuri shrugged nonchalantly, "Not really. But thanks for the pep talk Shori. I guess it did help to talk to someone who's not directly involved with the day to day stuff over here on this side of the world."
Shori blinked, sitting up too and winked, "I'm your older brother, its what I do. Besides, I'm not going to miss a chance for you to ACTUALLY listen to my advice now am I? Which reminds me, while you're in the mood to listen to my advice let me say this too," he met Yuri's gaze and warned meaningfully, "Do me a favor and promise me you'll be careful around King Saralegui, alright? I know he's your friend, but don't forget what you learned last time he pulled something and keep your head in the game. Believe in him if you want to, but be smart about it because I don't want to see you get hurt again. I mean it."
"I know Shori," Yuri agreed, smiling sadly, "And don't worry, I'll be careful. I promise."
As soon as Yuri and Shori returned to rejoin the others, the rest of the day was spent casually touring the castle and the town at its base with Berias and King Saralegui. They spent countless hours going from shop to shop until later that evening, they took a break in one of Yuri's favorite spots here in the Great Demon Kingdom. It was the hillside with a large tree on a neighboring hill that surveyed the village that once a year was covered with flower fields. And as they sat in the shade of that mighty tree that had seen countless ages and was a landmark unto itself, the leaves cast dancing shadows across his face and Sara watched him closely, wondering if he was only smiling to put their minds at ease or if he was actually enjoying their time together. At least, it had been hard to tell how he felt at first since Yuri kept forcing himself to smile through his fiance' being pushy about talking about what happened earlier and appease him.
As such it took a while for his true feelings to shine through, but eventually Yuri was full of laughter again and seemed to be enjoying himself after taking his brother's advice not to worry so much about whatever was bothering him for the time being to let the answer, if there was one to be had, to reveal itself naturally. It was so easy to talk to Yuri though that Sara hardly noticed the others watching his every move around their beloved King. All that mattered to Sara was that Yuri kept his attention on him, nothing else. Now, if only he could truly be alone with Yuri, then that would make Sara's time with him even better.
"So, if I understood that right, you were pretty much raised by your maids?" Yuri asked innocently, stretching his legs as he did so under the tree on the hilltop they were resting at. "Did you ever have a favorite?"
Sara paused to think about before answering with a laugh, "Well, there was this one but she turned out to be an assassin who was plotting to kidnap me for ransom money. And that was long before I met Berias."
"Whoa!" Yuri exclaimed, his eyes widening, "Seriously?"
Sara nodded, crossing his arms thoughtfully, "If I remember correctly she was hired on to personally look after me during one of those long summers when my father would send me off to our vacation home by the beach with a couple of his trusted servants where I'd celebrate my birthday and I would stay there while he and his vassals surveyed the country as well as the surrounding towns and villages. It happened when I turned about five or six years old. In truth, I really respected her because she didn't lie about enjoying my presence or treated me like I was made of glass and could be easily pleased like the others did, and when no one was watching she openly spoke her mind. She was the only one willing to really look at me as more than an ignorant prince and she urged me to toughen up if I wanted to survive this cruel world. I idolized her..." he paused while visualizing it and continued, "Until I started riding horses once I was old enough to do so on my own I wasn't really one for the outdoors, but I've always loved reading about and visiting the beach; although thinking back now it's probably because of all those dreams I used to have about my mother I suppose. Anyway, while this maid was in charge of taking care of me she used to take me down to the shore and idly watch me play while she drew pictures of this and that. Very cleverly though, she always brought me out further and further away from the direct line of sight of the manor and replaced our guards with hired thugs. And one day, she took me to the most beautiful place; a pool of coral that almost looked like it was on fire in the dying sunlight. It was almost dusk by that point and normally we would have gone back long before then, however, that's when she took me by the hand and as she led me into the forest, just when she was about to reach the meeting place her employers arranged, the other servants had long since caught onto her plans for me and sent the soldiers out to find us. They caught her quite easily after that. But what really struck me were her final words to me as they dragged her away, 'Listen to me boy! Someday, you'll find someone that you'd do anything for, even hurt them because nothing in this world stays pure forever and sometimes you have to do terrible things to save them from themselves! That's why I did this to you and I won't ask for your forgiveness. All I ask is that you understand this to be true. If you ever manage to find someone that will forgive you no matter what you do, someone pure of heart in this ugly world, never let go of them. Never let go of the light. Or you will regret it and fall, just as I have."
"Huh...what a weird thing to say..." Yuri wondered before he trailed off thoughtfully then upon glancing up at the sky and said loftily, "Sara, listen. Do you hear that?"
Sara looked at him curiously, "Hear what?"
"The sound of the leaves swaying in the wind, it almost sounds just like...waves in the ocean. Where have I heard this before...?" Then, Yuri's eyes fluttered closed and before they knew it, he fell fast asleep.
When Yuri opened his eyes, in this new dream he found himself in, once again Yuri was standing on the same far away shore as the dream he had just yesterday. However, the person that was actually standing there, wasn't really Yuri...it was someone else. Unlike the other dream, Yuri felt as though he was watching everything from the soft twilit waves to the breaking of dawn across the ocean completely through the eyes of a familiar stranger. It was like Yuri himself had become nothing but an echo of drifting thoughts; a spectator who was only faintly aware of himself and realized he was watching as someone else's memories came to life through his eyes as if they were one and the same.
"I wonder...if I'll ever see this place again," the stranger asked himself through their shared lips, staring longingly out across the sea.
With the cool waves lapping across his bare feet, and the sky bathed in a pale golden light, they tenderly watched the sunrise; awed by its brilliance. Great shafts of its light began to spread across the surface of the water and crowned with skyline with a white-hot halo. Then, just as the sun fully arose from the glittering crystal clear water, all traces of the night fled beyond its reach; painting the world in fantastic colors and banishing the darkness.
After the sun rose completely, the stranger turned to his best friend who was standing quietly beside them and explained sadly, "Look, I know that this isn't what you wanted and it's been hard to meet up like this the way we used to, but no matter where I end up next I'll always be there when you need me. I'll never abandon you, no matter what, I promise."
His friend, a boy who looked around 16 or 17 years old with violet purple hair and eyes dressed in navy blue clothes, just laughed loudly with contempt and scoffed, "That's so like you; making such easy promises with people," he paused for a moment then added more affectionately, "Honestly, what I really want is for you to let me go with you and for things to go back to the way they used to be. I don't care about the rest. I miss how we used to just sit here on the shore and laugh over nothing, even the stupid stuff." Then, he added grimly, "I know that's never going to happen though. As much as I want you to stay, things have gotten so crazy ever since you became a key-bearer and if anyone found out they'd come after you to use that power for themselves, a power that's meant to protect people. And I know that your power is needed out there more than here with us, but, I never get to see you anymore! I absolutely hate it; I mean, it's been two years since I saw you! And you're already leaving me behind again? Better yet, why won't you let me go with you when it's obvious how lonely you are?"
Kneeling down to let the warm water sift through his fingers as the waves swayed across them, the stranger replied sadly, "It's true that it's been too long since I last came back here," his tone grew earnest though and he told his friend, "But the reason I can't take you with me is because the forces of darkness are spreading even further and faster than we thought and it's only a matter of time before they reach this world too. And when they do, they'll try to plunge this world into darkness unless I do something. I can't risk it. I can't risk bringing you with me when there's so much at stake and I'm scared of losing you too. That's why I can't stay. It's not safe, for me or anyone who doesn't know there's more out there. I shouldn't have even come today but I had to see you one more time because I was afraid I might forget what you look like like everything else. If we're to have any chance of awakening this power within me I have to find out the truth about myself before it's too late! We have to find out where I originally came from and I need to find out who those people from my dreams are. We're connected, I just know it. But I won't find the answer by sitting on my hands."
"I know that. I know that finding the truth is important to you, but..." his friend sighed heavily, turning his back to Yuri, "...but that doesn't make this any easier."
"Make what easier?" the stranger asked innocently.
Sadly, his friend replied, "Saying goodbye again..."
They smiled, "As long as you remember to think of me, I'll always be a part of your heart. That way, I'm never really that far. I'm connected to you too because you're my best friend and you gave me a home when I couldn't remember where mine was. So when you think about it like that this isn't really goodbye, it's just a short farewell until I see you again once this is all over. And I promise, I WILL see you again, you'll see. No matter how long it takes, this is my home too and I'll always find a way back to you."
And just as suddenly as the dream started, it ended just as quickly. Yuri felt himself drifting back to the real world again and he began to forget about this dream, just like all the others. All that remained in his heart was the echo of a bitter sadness, the memory of the sun's gentle warmth, and the brotherly bond that those two people shared. A bond that reminded him of the sort of friendship he wanted to blossom between himself, and a certain King of Small Shimaron.
"Looks like Yuri tired himself out," Shori observed with a slight chuckle.
"Indeed," Conrad agreed with a matching smile, walking over to pick Yuri up. "Well, I suppose it is getting late. We better-"
Conrad paused though when a small gasp escaped his lips as a single tear streamed down Yuri's face. And soon after, Yuri whispered airily, "I'm sorry. In the end...I couldn't keep our promise..."
Concerned, Conrad shook him gently to wake him and called, "Yuri..?"
Everyone watched Yuri closely as he slowly opened his eyes and blinked blearily before rubbing his eyes and yawning and stretching, "Huh...? Did I fall asleep?"
"You did, and I can't blame you Shibuya, its been a long day for all of us," Murata said lightheartedly as he helped Yuri stand up. "Come on, we better start heading back. Its almost sundown."
Yuri still seemed a little dazed though and kept blinking, "What was that just now...? Another dream?"
"Not again..." Wolfram groaned. "You're overthinking things again aren't you?"
Yuri blinked one last time and pondered, "Am I? I don't think so. I don't even remember what this dream was about either, same as before. There are just these strange feelings like I'm missing something," he shrugged.
"At any rate," Berias suggested mildly, "I believe that it is about time that we all retire. Wouldn't you agree Your Highness?"
"Agreed," Sara nodded, turning to Yuri and smiling, "We wouldn't want you to be too tired for tomorrow's event and have to cancel it now, would we? I'm really looking forward to it and I'm sure everyone else is too. So let's go, Yuri."
Yuri looked at each of them in turn before grinning, "Yeah, I guess you're right. And just like Wolfram said earlier, I better not be late for my own party! Besides..." he closed his eyes, "After tomorrow, maybe I can start trying to figure out what the heck these dreams mean. They have to mean something important, I just know it. I think that they're a sign something that's about to change. I just hope that change is something good for once."
