Disclaimer: I don't own anything from Kyo Kara Maoh, this is purely fan-made!

Chapter 6: Come, be My Deliverer

"How could this have happened?" Gunter observed grimly, "I heard that King Saralegui was unwell, but for this to happen must mean that there is more to it then I thought. Your Eminence, do you have any idea what happened?"

"I'm afraid not," Murata said seriously, shaking his head, "Berias might know something, but he's too concerned about King Saralegui to tell us anything yet. He hasn't left his side ever since we returned to the castle..." however, he did glance up from the table and observed, "Whatever is going on, I think it has something to do with that unusual aura that appeared around King Saralegui. That was clearly Esoteric power, and for it to be able to effect him right in the middle of Demon Tribe territory must mean that whomever used it is very powerful. Although, I'm not sure what they were trying to accomplish, doing something like that-"

Alarmed, Yuri shot up from his seat and exclaimed sharply, "Wait, you're not thinking that it was Alazon are you? It can't be her! Alazon might have abandoned him out of duty in the past, but she wouldn't do anything to hurt him! Not anymore. Sara is her only child! And remember how Alazon saved Sara's life when Janis was going all crazy? You know, how she blocked one of his attacks that almost hit Sara by using her own body? I don't think she would have done that if she intended to hurt him later on. It has to be someone else! It has to!"

"Calm down Yuri, we don't think it was her," Conrad reasoned, gently pushing Yuri back down into his seat, before he calmly pointed out to Yuri, "But His Eminence is right, that still WAS Esoteric skills and I for one don't know of anyone besides Alazon who has enough power to use it effectively here. There may be someone else that has escaped our notice that can. Who that could be though, I couldn't say. All I can say is that someone is clearly after King Saralegui. We just don't know why yet."

"Could it be another Shinzoku...?" Wolfram asked simply, crossing his arms, "Maybe they're after him because in the end he has become the rightful master of that blasted sword. Either that, or it could just be someone trying to get at Alazon through him. After all, he isn't the only person that Alazon has betrayed when she went in pursuit of the Divine Sword. For all we know, it could be a former member of her court who wants revenge or a surviving member of the White Crows."

"Perhaps," Gwendal nodded before letting out a huge, resigned sigh, "I personally don't want to get involved with any personal affairs regarding the Shinzoku, but knowing His Highness, we're going to anyway. With that in mind, Your Eminence, what do YOU think we should do? I know what I'D like to do, but that isn't likely going to happen."

Everyone looked at him for an answer, and Murata paused as he thought carefully before replying, "I think for starters we have to get to the root of the problem. Berias knows something, but he's afraid of telling us because of King Saralegui's feelings on the subject. Lord Weller mentioned him talking about something to do with his family, and a secret that Berias didn't even reveal to us after we learned that he was a Shinzoku himself AND King Saralegui's uncle. That's where we should start."

Conrad nodded, "Then its settled," then turning to Yuri, who still looked very worried, he smiled, "Everything is going to be fine, just have a little faith, I'm sure that King Saralegui will wake soon and we can figure this all out together."

"I hope so Conrad," Yuri whispered, "I really do..."

"It's raining again..." Yuri said quietly, looking out one of the windows as they made their way to talk to Berias, "I wonder why."

Wolfram of course, not understanding the sentiment, snorted, "That's a dumb question Yuri. It's raining because it's that time of the year here where it rains a lot."

Yuri scowled at him for a moment before stopping in his tracks and stating, "I'm serious Wolfram; this rain doesn't feel right. I can't explain it but...it almost feels like that time when Alazon was here to kidnap me. I just feel like I know it somehow, this presence, because it feels a lot like Sara does-" then, to try and point this out, Yuri went to the nearest window overlooking the courtyard and suddenly clutched the railing and gasped, "Sara!"

Rushing to the window as well, the others gazed down to find the same sight that Yuri was seeing. Sara had woken up, but somehow he had snuck out of his room. In the center of the courtyard, Sara was just standing there idly in the pouring rain, swaying dizzily on his feet and staring into the storm clouds looming above the castle. His eyes glossy with a distant gaze into the heavens.

Something was still wrong with him, Yuri could tell, and so without so much as a warning, he bolted down the hall and called, "One of you guys go get Berias, something's wrong! We have to bring Sara back inside!"

Nodding, Conrad took the task upon himself and called back, "I'll go. Just be careful Your Highness,"

"I will," Yuri promised, although he was unsure of how Sara could be dangerous if he was still sick...

Besides, Yuri wasn't going to let Sara use his powers on him. He knew how to defend himself against it. Still, what was happening to Sara? And why did Yuri feel like...he suddenly wanted to go as deeply into Sara's heart as Sara wanted to go into his? So that he could find the thorn stabbing at Sara's heart and pluck it free, in order to save him from whatever was causing him all this pain?

By the time they reached Sara, Berias and Conrad had joined them as Yuri and the others began to approach Sara slowly.

Sara's long hair was slick with rain and it shimmered like polished glass; clinging to his slender form as it pooled down his back. He was wearing a simple white shirt and pants that they had changed him into after he collapsed back at the springs. The wet cloth clung to his skin and for the second time, Yuri found himself admiring Sara's appearance, despite the situation, and blushed. Thankful for the hushed tone of the sky hiding it from Wolfram.

"Sara...?" Yuri asked carefully, stepping forward, "You shouldn't be out here, you'll catch a cold."

At the sound of his voice, Sara slowly turned, and as he did, Yuri saw his eyes shining an icy blue against the gray-toned landscape of the storm-tossed castle. His eyes were heavy laden, as though Sara was half asleep, and he stared beyond Yuri to Berias, who stood just behind him.

Seeming not to recognize him, Sara whispered in a shaken voice, "Berias...?" and tears fell down his cheeks, masked by the streaks of rainwater trickling down his pale cheeks.

This was the second time Yuri had ever seen Sara so vulnerable. Yuri had always seen Sara as a strong, clever, well-mannered person. But, seeing him like this, so uncertain, Yuri felt the impulse to rush over and hug him, telling him it was ok. That's when it struck Yuri that, somehow, he cared for Sara in a way he had never felt before. And while Yuri didn't know it, he HAD felt the inklings of attraction towards Sara before. And what Yuri was feeling now, the powerful drive to protect Sara from himself, just like he had that time before when Alazon tried to steal the Divine Sword back from Sara.

"Your Highness I..." Berias began desperately when-

Suddenly, the rain stopped falling all around them, as though time had come to a complete halt. Each and every droplet of rain hung in the air like a glittering gem, sparkling in the half moonlight that now sifted through the clouds. And just like before, all sound was suppressed, save for their voices echoing as if from a distance, even to each other.

"What the-!" Wolfram exclaimed, moving closer to Yuri protectively, "What IS this?"

"Is...Sara doing this?" Yuri gasped, touching one of the droplets and watching it disperse with a faint bell-like chime.

Nothing else moved except for them, not the wind, not the rain, nothing but them. And even when they started walking towards Sara, it was like trying to walk through water. The air itself was pressing in all around them, slowing their progress significantly.

Then, just as suddenly as the rain had stopped, a fierce gale blew from behind Sara and the droplets transformed into cherry blossoms. Only, for a moment, they weren't pink blossoms, the petals were forget-me-not blue, and they glistened softly like moon-kissed waves underneath a watchful moon...

As soon as the gale tore past them, they watched as the courtyard elongated abruptly and contorted into Yelshi's manor. Surrounded by those same cherry trees that never stopped blooming. But unlike the blossoms before, these trees were adorned with petals of their usual soft pink hue. The wind softened, and the petals began to fall as softly as snow fluttering down like little fluffs of cloud drifting to the earth...

It was breathtaking...

Yet, there was a sadness that permeated this strange place.

A sadness that expressed that this perfect world, wasn't so perfect...

It was dark there too, although the trees seemed to glow from within. Almost like each of them possessed a heartbeat of their own. And scattered throughout the garden were those same strange blue butterflies that flitted lazily across the garden path without a care in the world. An unchanging world, that was about to change forever.

That's when they saw for the first time, once they returned their attention back to Sara, that he wasn't alone. A mirroring image of him stood next to Sara, holding his hand. And they just stood there, staring beyond Yuri and the others, holding their hands tighter. Although, this was little more then another dream...

"Please," Yelshi pleaded, "Tell him I'm here. Tell him I don't want to be alone anymore. I can't stand this any longer. No more lies. No more deceit. No more empty promises..."

"Two Saralegui's?" Conrad gaped, turning to Berias who just stood there, more horror-stricken then he had ever seen him before.

"What the heck is going on? Where are we?" Wolfram demanded, drawing his sword and pointing it at the two Sara's, "Explain yourself!"

"Wolfram, I don't think he can-" Yuri began when he stared at the two of them as they tilted their heads as if in confusion and smiled innocently, yet apologetically.

"Don't you know you're all dreaming? I was trying to take control this dream, free us both from it, but despite my efforts, for some reason it pulled you into it too," then, as Sara began to droop, Yelshi knelt slowly, helping his brother to the ground, looking at him tenderly, "I didn't mean for this to happen. I didn't think that I would lose control like that when we finally touched each other's hearts. But, I'm so sick of living this lie. I had to find someone, anyone, who could hear me. Please understand, I just wanted to be free. I've been alone for so long. I have to get out of this place before HE comes back. I have to! Because, I learned that I still have a-" suddenly fearful, Yelshi turned back to Sara and hugged him tightly as he cried pleadingly, "-No! Not yet! Don't wake me up yet! I still haven't told him yet, I haven't told him that I'm his-NO! ALARIC! PLEASE DON'T-AH! "

The manor shattered, like breaking glass, and after the cherry trees also burst, they all spiraled into the darkness of oblivion. Freed from the dream, but flung into the nightmare...

As they fell, Berias snatched Sara into his arms, holding him tightly as he unleashed his powers around them all before the darkness could swallow them all. There was a blaze of light, as bright as the noonday sun, that erupted from Berias like a flare. It blazed for a moment until they all found themselves slamming to the ground, back in the courtyard of Yuri's castle. Safe and sound.

Cold rain continued to drizzle heavily down on them and for a moment, no one spoke, as they were all still trying to catch their breath. Then, the clouds parted, revealing the silver light of a full moon as it bathed them. And laced in a halo of moonlight, a blue butterfly fluttered down, resting on Sara's shoulder before it vanished from sight, shimmering ever so softly as it did. As if saying goodbye...

Finally regaining their senses, Yuri and the rest of them rushed over to Sara and Berias, who looked as though he were about to black out...

"Are you ok? Is Sara-" Yuri began fearfully when Berias huffed-

"He's fine. That presence is gone now," Berias then forced himself upright on the ground and turned his attention back to Sara, whispering, "Your Highness? Can you hear me...?"

Sara moaned, and his eyes fluttered open ever so slightly and he smiled tiredly, "I can..."

"Sara!" Yuri gasped in relief, slamming down to the ground beside him and taking his shoulder, "I was so worried! You were-"

"Dreaming," Sara breathed, looking away from Yuri at the stunningly bright moon looming above them, "I was...dreaming about that person again. That place, I..."

"Don't speak," Berias said in a firm yet kind tone, "We have to get you back inside. You'll catch a cold if we don't-" then, unable to bear it any longer, he pulled his King into his arms, hugging him the same way as Yelshi had and breathed, "Your Highness, please forgive me. If I had only realized sooner what your dreams meant I could have prevented this! I am to blame for your suffering! I should have just told you!"

Sara blinked slowly, unsure of what Berias meant by those words and surprisingly found himself hugging Berias back, weakly replying, "I know, Berias, I know. You were just trying to protect me as you always have. Like you always...have..." then his eyes slid closed again just as Sara could have sworn he saw a pair of butterflies spiraling off into the distance as if dancing together, and a tired smile touched his lips as once again, Sara fell asleep...

While Yelshi, on the other hand, was only just awakening...

Yelshi bolted upright with a wild cry only to find his worst fear, Alaric, standing against fireplace and watching him carefully from the far end of the room. Having dismissed the servants keeping watch so that they could be alone together. But once he saw Yelshi was finally awake, Alaric asked coolly, "So, when did you find out?"

Yelshi glared at him and replied defiantly, "That no longer matters much anymore now does it? I know what you've been keeping from me all these years. I'm not as alone as you made me believe that I...was..." he tried to say more but began to cough violently, unable to catch his breath for several long minutes because his throat was so dry and raw.

"Here, let me get you a drink My Lord," Alaric said gently, standing up. He then quickly poured a drink from the pitcher and handed the glass of cool water to Yelshi. Yelshi didn't thank him though as he convulsively drank the water in a few long gulps. Secretly thankful for the relief of the cool water running down his throat.

Alaric was a tall, powerfully built man that hid that fact by hiding his lean armor behind his billowing robes. Some called him a priest of sorts, although Yelshi knew better than that. More likely, this man could be described as a battle mage. A man who knew just as much about sorcery, torture, and the arcane arts of brainwashing as he did of the blade and of the fine art of battle...

His hair, as the usual trademark of his kind, was a soft-spun gold that was tied in a single, tightly woven, long braid that ran down the length of his subtly curved spine. Like the color of warm honey on a midsummer's day with the same eyes to match that cordial hue. But despite that warm color, his eyes were as lifeless and cold as a moonless night when even the stars fled into the darkness. Eyes that reflected his empty soul.

Yelshi flinched when Alaric sat beside him, taking his shoulder in a fatherly manner, and explained, "I came right away when I heard you had collapsed. I've told you before, you shouldn't use your powers excessively like that. It isn't time for you to release it yet, Yelshi, we must wait a few more years and then-"

"-and then WHAT?" Yelshi snapped, shrugging his hand off, "All you've ever done is keep me locked in here, never telling me anything! What is it that you expect of me? If I have all this power, then why aren't you trying to use it as a weapon? That's what you want isn't it? To turn me into some kind of-"

"Enough!" Alaric bellowed, pushing Yelshi down and pinning him to the bed with both hands, his eyes glittering dangerously. "You're wrong about that, Yelshi, I've never looked at you as a weapon. I SAVED you from being soiled and corrupted by those accursed humans who pervaded our land. And I've been biding my time until we might be able to return and set things right. Yelshi..." he leaned down and breathed in his ear, "You are to be our deliverer, our guiding star, therefore I have kept you here in this untouched place so that you might find rapture and serenity that otherwise you would have been robbed of had you stayed in that dying land. What more could you possibly want?"

Trembling as Yelshi tried to gather his courage, he snarled through his teeth, "I want to be free."

Releasing Yelshi from his grasp, Alaric stood and stared down as him coldly, saying, "And you shall have it," then, a feral smile curled across his face and Alaric vowed, "But if you pursue him, your brother, you will come to regret wishing for freedom enough to involve him. He cannot deliver you from this place. No matter what bond you might have forged with him, I will BREAK it..." then, he drew closer to Yelshi again, sliding his fingers across Yelshi's face and over his eyes as he said in a sickeningly sweet voice, "...You belong only to me, Yelshi, and I will burn that fact into your mind where you shall never forget it."

Though Yelshi had mentally braced himself for the pain he knew was coming, a silent scream tore from his lips as Alaric's power drove into him like a white-hot spike. It shot through his veins like a wildfire, making Yelshi's insides go cold. He could feel Alaric breaking through the barriers of his mind as though they were nothing but mist that could easily be brushed away with the flick of his wrist.

However, before Yelshi toppled in agony into oblivion, he smirked triumphantly when Alaric crashed into the one barrier that even he had never been able to breach in all these years. It was there that Yelshi had safely hidden away his new memories of Sara. This was also where their link existed now in this small haven in his mind. And this haven was the only place where Yelshi was safe from Alaric's wrath.

He could feel the dull throbs of pain as Alaric tried to breach it without success. Only to feel his pain double in intensity as Alaric grew more frustrated.

And that small fact, that fleeting moment of defiance, gave Yelshi immense satisfaction. Knowing full well that when he awoke, Alaric would have broken his will. At least for the time being. And Yelshi could only hope, no, pray that his twin brother Sara was alright and would come to save him.