Memories of Sand Chapter 9

I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!

This took way too long! Everything under the sun got in the way! New job, new place, near-violent fallout with ex-roommate, credit card debt, student loan debt, Dad finally cut me off financially at age 26 (WAAH), boyfriend decided he didn't love me after 3 years together for reasons I wasn't privy too, 4th car accident in 5 years (not my fault this time), and generally struggling at this whole adulting thing…_

I miss being 14. 14 was fun!

Anyhoo, enough angst from me. All that to say that I'm really sorry that this took so long. You've all been super supportive, patient and generally awesome as I try to finish this damn thing!

I promise I will finish this before I turn 50…..now I just jinxed it. DAMN!

Anyway, please enjoy chapter 9 of Memories of Sand!

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Memories of Sand Chapter 9 – To Remember

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When Murata dared to venture out of the small room, he could sense the change in the spiritual atmosphere.

The chaotic activity in the castle reflected this. He emerged to see servants rushing back and forth, orders being yelled at no one in particular. He managed to stop a harried maid carrying a basket of laundry, who hastily told Murata that King Yuuri had collapsed into convulsions and they were desperately trying to treat him. She didn't know anything more.

Murata stood back, closing his eyes and gently reached into the spirit world, feeling for Yuuri's aura and the spell that lingered like a cloak over the atmosphere. When he finally felt Yuuri's life force, his eyes widened when he realized how weak it had become. It was a bare whisper amidst the vector spell that hung on it like a parasite, callously draining Yuuri's magic.

'This isn't good…' Murata thought, trying to further assess the damage done by the spell. The spell had weakened considerably, probably thanks to his breaking Wolfram free of the spell as it would have disturbed the spell's already compromised structure. But the disturbance had also caused to the spell to drain Yuuri even further and would continue to drain him until there was nothing left. They had to act now.

Murata knew that Saralegui would have felt the disturbance in the spell too. He didn't doubt for a second that the human king was preparing to transfer the spell to a new vector. The presence of Voltaire confirmed that Saralegui would cast the new spell soon. Maybe within the day thanks to this new development. It was now a race to see who could cast their spell first.

'We're out of time,' Murata thought urgently as he returned to the room to check on Wolfram. They would have to throw subtlety and secrecy out the window now. They would have to risk being caught. He didn't doubt that Saralegui would have increased security around Yuuri. The number of guards rushing towards the royal quarters proved that.

He found Wolfram sitting cross-legged on the bed. A hard grimness hung about the prince as he stared at the tiny flame in his palm, deep in thought.

Murata watched the prince worriedly. He could only imagine what the ex-prince was thinking. Wolfram had said he remembered everything and Murata inwardly cringed, unable to really comprehend the suffering Shibuya's fiancé had gone through. He hoped that Wolfram would be able to focus on their mission despite going through such mental strife. They couldn't afford otherwise.

Wolfram grunted absently, letting the flame die out and staring ahead at the wall. "This is about as much I can do here." he muttered to no one in particular. " It takes every ounce of concentration just for a stupid little spark. The best I can do is light candles."

When Wolfram went quiet, Murata looked at him in concern. "How are you feeling, Bielefeld?"

The corner of Wolfram's mouth twitched. He stared at a spot on the wall towards a point in space and time that Murata couldn't reach, but could see the turmoil it caused him.. "I remember all of it. I remember the first…..client….I was standing under an awning, trying to stay out of the rain….then this man came up and asked me how much...I didn't know what he meant, at first...he invited me into an inn….I was starving and cold…"

Wolfram cut himself off with a pained sigh. Grimacing at the memory, he ran his fingers through his hair and paused when his fingers touched the bandana that had somehow remained in place through the anti-spell. Wolfram paused, fingers tracing the folds of the cloth, slowly – dreamily – he started to pull the cloth away.

"Bielefeld…" Murata called out gently, out of concern for the prince's emotional well-being..

But Wolfram didn't listen – or rather, he didn't hear Murata as his gaze remained fixed on the wall and far away and the cloth dropped to the floor. In a trance-like state, Wolfram felt the exposed scars.

The scars on Wolfram's face were in full view. The entire right side of his face, stopping right at his cheekbone, had been completely shredded. Three long scars accentuated by a series of finer, smaller ones, rendered the once flawless face of Wolfram von Bielefeld early unrecognizable. The scars sliced through Wolfram's right eye. He almost had no right eyebrow and the healed scar tissue made his skin look leathery and raised, making his eye look slightly swollen and partially closed.

"He did everything he could to break me," Wolfram whispered, still feeling the raised skin. "And then I went and helped him by turning myself into a common whore…"

"Bielefeld," Murata interrupted, putting his hand on the prince's shoulder to comfort and distract him from his own musings. "What happened – then and after – is not your fault."

Wolfram frowned and yanked his shoulder away. "No one forced me! I made the decision!"

"To survive!" Murata countered. "Bielefeld, Wolfram, I know this is difficult and I will never be able to fully comprehend what you went through, during and after Saralegui's torture, but you can't let what he did break you."

"Look at my feet!" Wolfram said in disgust, Murata's word falling on his deaf ears, gesturing towards his bare feet. Murata glanced down. The red, raised rashes were still present and even looked to have worsened since he last looked upon them.

Murata pursed his lips, unsure of how to break his friend from this spiral. "Bielefeld…"

But Wolfram cut him off. "This!" He gestured towards his bare feet. " I have lues! I've had it for months, but I dared not tell the other whores because they would tell all my clients and I couldn't afford a doctor!"

Murata placed his hand on a shaking shoulder. "When this is over... once we've defeated Saralegui, we can go to Earth. We have treatments that can cure this illness. But we have to break the spell first."

Wolfram made choked sob and placed his face in his hands. "That...disgusting bastard took everything from me and now this!"

"Bielefeld," Murata said firmly, trying to break Wolfram from his downward spiral. "There is no time. You must bury your suffering for now. The spell is weak and Saralegui will recast it any moment. Shibuya - Yuuri's life is in danger. I need your help to save him and Shin Makoku."

Wolfram went quiet, seemingly drifting back into his own psyche. Murata could see a thousand thoughts and feelings across Wolfram's gaze as the memories continued to beat him down. Murata saw sadness, pain, disgust, and confusion. But underneath it all, underneath Wolfram's self-disgust and hatred for Saralegui, Murata also saw the telltale anger that steadily grew stronger as Wolfram's mind struggled to make sense of it all.

"Bielefeld," Murata pressed, trying to speak to that very anger. "If you want justice, If you want redemption, I need you to push aside your thoughts for now and help me save the kingdom and Yuuri. Saralegui will pay for what he has done."

Wolfram went silent, staring blankly at a point on the wall, contemplating Murata's words. The sage watched in worry as the minutes ticked by. He understood Wolfram's pain - he really did and he could only imagine the psychological trauma that had just befallen the prince now that he was free of the spell. The realization of what happened to him...it would break a common man. The fact that Wolfram was even standing and coherent was a good sign in itself. If he were weaker, he would have been curled on the floor right now. And Murata wouldn't have blamed him one bit. At a later time, he could help Wolfram heal from his suffering, but now was not the time.

After a brief silence, Murata made to speak, but Wolfram pinned him with darkly green eyes. The prince's demeanor completely changed after coming to some unknown conclusion.

"Yes, he will," Wolfram said with stern finality. "So your Grace, what do we do?"

Murata nodded and continued. "The fact that you can summon your fire - albeit slightly - shows the remarkable strength of your spiritual energy. We can use that to break the vector spell without causing further damage to Shibuya."

Wolfram's eyes widened with worry. "You said his life was in danger. What has the spell done to him?"

"The vector spell continually drains the spiritual energy from the host until there's nothing left. It will continue to drain Yuuri until his body can no longer sustain itself," Murata explained.

"Does Saralegui know this?" Wolfram asked, becoming angry.

Murata nodded grimly. "A spell of this magnitude requires huge amounts of energy. Saralegui probably underestimated the energy needed to sustain such a spell for several years. It has certainly been pushed to its limit and will collapse soon, taking Shibuya's life with it. I suspect that Saralegui will use your older brother to reenact the spell within the day."

"We have to get to Yuuri," Murata continued. "That's our first challenge…"

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He refused to panic. He could not panic. He was a mastermind and he did not panic!

Saralegui didn't hear the hustle of the small army of healers that surrounded him and the vulnerable body of the demon king. He did hear their worried whispers as they tried to explain why the king had fallen into a deep sleep with glazed half-open eyes staring up at the ceiling as he struggled to breathe.

Saralegui sat at Yuuri's side, ever the loyal fiance, running his fingers through dark hair. His once handsome and bright fiance looked wan and petite under the huge pile of blankets stuffed with warmed sand bags. Saralegui touched a sweat-soaked brow. It was cold. The color was gone from the skin, leaving a blue tint to Yuuri's cheeks and darkened circles around his eyes. When Saralegui pressed two fingers to Yuuri's throat, he could barely make out the faint, slow heartbeat.

"We just don't know!" He heard one healer say to a barely calm Weller and Voltaire. "Nothing is working!"

"You need to find something that works!" Voltaire growled from his brother's side. "Don't look at us and say there's nothing you can do!"

Yuuri's retainers bombarded the healers with endless questions and demands. Even the emotionless Voltaire looked visibly disturbed. It was unusual for Saralegui to see such a reaction in his puppets. Though deceived by his spell, they still managed to show undying loyalty for their demon king through the magic haze. Saralegui had to briefly wonder what Yuuri could have possibly done to earn such unconditional love from his servants.

Snorting away such a stupid thought, Saralegui turned his concentration to YuurI. Reaching out into the spiritual realm, Saralegui could feel the tiny spark that was Yuuri's life force. The spell continued to drain away, struggling to maintain itself as it weakened. Yuuri's magic flickered pitifully, too weak to fight the domination of the spell.

Saralegui swore inwardly. That damn sage had obviously managed to hide from his magic senses and had attempted to break the spell. Saralegui knew the sage was probably close by. How close, he couldn't tell exactly but it was too close for comfort. He didn't have time to find out.

Yuuri could no longer support the spell. It would have to be transferred to a different vector immediately or Yuuri wouldn't survive the night.

Saralegui tentatively tugged at the strings of the spell. His puppets were still under his control, thank the gods. But, any undue strain on the spell could ruin it. Saralegui hissed in frustration. The situation called for both delicacy and coarseness. He would have to exert his control onto the puppets and control them completely, overruling the illusion of their free will and outright make them do as he willed. It would have to be done quickly and precisely. There was no room for error.

"King Saralegui," Conrad's voice broke Saralegui from his thoughts.

"What is it?" He said, trying to sound more worried rather than irritated.

"Did you hear what the healers said?" Weller asked, voice barely above a strained whisper as he struggled to remain calm.

"No, I didn't," Saralegui was too busy trying to rescue all the difficult work he had done.

Weller tried to speak, but faltered, collecting himself, he tried again. "The healers say that King Yuuri is fading...They don't know why... He's dying."

"I see…" Saralegui whispered, stroking Yuuri's face. Yuuri barely stirred to the touch, opening blind eyes to stare past Saralegui at his bodyguard and godfather, who tried to gently call out to him, only for Yuuri to sink even further into the abyss.

Weller turned to Saralegui, looking uncharacteristically desperate. "What of your magic? Can you do something?"

An opportunity showed itself to Saralegui. Both Weller and Voltaire looked at him pleadingly, not used to their ever-reliable demon healing failing them. Their need to save their king would aid in Saralegui getting them to do whatever he needed them to do.

"There might be a way…" he began slowly, as if coming to an epiphany.

He immediately got their full attention. "What way?" Voltaire pressed.

"We can revive Yuuri by using someone else's magical ability. It might be enough to sustain him and allow his life force to recover." Saralegui explained, watching the two men's eyes glimmer with hope. "If we prepare now, we can intervene and save the king."

"How do we do that?" Weller asked.

"I will have Berias make the preparations," Saralegui said, rising from his chair. He looked to the brothers. "However, this spell will require you, Lord Voltaire, to offer your magic. It will be demanding and possibly dangerous. But it's the only way that will work."

Without hesitation, Voltaire stepped forward. "Whatever it takes to save his Majesty, I will do so."

Saralegui nodded solemnly. "Then we must hurry…."

Voltaire and Weller nodded in return, moving to make haste and be ready for whatever Saralegui would ask of them. Again, the human king wondered what Yuuri could have done to warrant such blind loyalty from these men.

Whatever. It didn't matter now. Saralegui would only use their devotion to save the hard work he had done to ensure his power.

And once the spell was renewed, he would hunt down the Sage and have him imprisoned to wait until the spell needed a new vector.

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'Daikenja…'

"Shinou?" Murata looked around in surprise. Wolfram looked up at him curiously.

"What?"

"Shh," Murata held up a hand, and focused his attention to the faint call from the spirit realm.

'Shinou?'He sent out into the spiritual realm.

'Ah, there you are,' he heard the voice of Shinou echo inside his head. 'I've come to tell you that you must hurry to break the spell. There's no more time.'

'I know that,' Murata thought exasperatedly. 'I can feel Yuuri's life force struggling,'

'Yuuri is dying,' Shinou explained gravely. 'The spell has drained him empty. He won't survive till dawn. Saralegui has already sensed this and will recast the spell within the hour.'

Murata swore under his breath. 'What do we do then?'

'The time for subtlety and finesse is over,' Shinou said. 'Without throwing all caution out the window, you need to use force.'

'That's without saying,' Murata said dryly, already trying to think of a way to reach Shibuya. He had no idea how they would successfully break into the royal quarters without detection.

'The room where Yuuri is being kept is on the third floor of the castle's west wing,' Shinou offered with a knowing look. 'There is a tree outside the window that can be climbed to reach the window. There are few guards as Saralegui has directed all soldiers to the interior of the castle. The tree is in a distant corner of the courtyard - out of sight. The sun will set soon. Use the tree and the cover of darkness to reach Yuuri. You will have to break the spell then and there.'

'Yes,' Murata affirmed. 'But surely the window will be locked…'

'You have a thief,' Shinou casually pointed out.

Murata glanced over at Wolfram, who was watching him curiously, but remained quiet.

'He's suffering,' Shinou said quietly. 'You cannot let him give in to self-hatred and disgust.'

'I won't,' Murata promised. "And Shibuya won't either.'

'Good. Now move! I will be watching over you and help where I can. I'll keep an eye on Yuuri while you focus on breaking the spell,' Shinou faded into the abyss, leaving Murata to lead their risky operation.

'Thank you,' Murata sent out and then turned his attention to the other demon.

'And you said I could never be a spy,' he heard Shinou's smirk.

"I take it back…'Murata smiled back, glad that they had help from beyond.

"Bielefeld?" Murata turned to the prince.

"Your Grace?" Wolfram answered at attention.

"I know how we can get to Shibuya," Murata sad, moving to gather the tools they would need. "We'll need your breaking and entering skills."

Wolfram gave the slightest of pauses before affirming. "Yes, what is the plan?"

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Once the sun had set over the horizon, Murata and Wolfram snuck out of the servants quarters and made their way to the central courtyard. They snuck past the distracted guards and servants, who were all on point now that word of the Demon King's health had spread. Wolfram ignored the whispers of his fiance's condition as it only added to his already high anxiety.

Wolfram carefully followed Murata. He struggled to concentrate as the returned memories kept harassing his already overburdened mind. The two sets of memories - one from his real life and the other from his time as a ruffian - kept fighting for dominance to the point where he couldn't fully comprehend his own identity. He had two realities and both wanted to be the only one he could remember. If he tried to push away his time as Wolfram the thief and focus on his life as Lord Wolfram von Bielefeld, the other reality would drill its way back into his mind, accompanied by shock, confusion, and overall disgust at what he had become.

He tried not to remember the first time someone bought him. And the second. And the third. And the fourth. The list of nameless faces and grubby hands that were laid on him was endless. He had fallen in and couldn't get out. The money was too good. All the while, he spent his time honing his thieving skills, stealing from anyone and everyone. Suppressing his pain with opiates and alcohol.

He had brought shame to his family and to his fiance.

He focused on Murata's words. It wasn't his fault. This was all Saralegui's doing. But would his family see it that way? What of Yuuri? What of the Aristocratic Families and the lesser nobility? There was no way he could hide his secret forever.

He glanced down at his feet. He had lues - rotten blood. The most common disease for prostitutes and the deadliest for as soon as the telltale rashes appeared, the body would deteriorate within months. While it wouldn't kill him, it would leave him incapacitated and disfigured. Even with magic, it was incredibly hard to treat and that was only if its victims could afford treatment to being with. He remembered warning his fire wielders about seeking gratification with whores when they traveled the country and even giving them information on how to choose a "responsible brothel." He detested prostitution, but didn't think it necessary to forbid his men as patrols were long and lonely. And now here he was. The irony was painful.

He was no longer worthy of being Prince Consort. Even if Yuuri forgave his transgressions and he got treatment, the aristocracy would never allow it. Lues was so stigmatized that if a noble caught it, they were often disowned and left homeless. It was an ignominy. They would forbid him and Yuuri from being together. He would become a pariah.

"Stop thinking about it," Murata cut him sharply out of his thoughts.

"What do you mean?"

"I can tell you're thinking about the past. It will do you no good now. Dwelling on your misfortune will only threaten our chances of saving Shibuya and the kingdom," Murata said sternly, but not without sympathy.

"I'm….trying…" Wolfram replied weakly. The memories, emotions, and remnants of magic hung over him like a thick fog that made him struggle to focus on the task at hand.

"I know," Murata said as they came upon the courtyard. "As I said before - think of your redemption and vengeance. Let that guide you."

Wolfram only nodded absently and continued to follow the Sage. Vengeance, maybe. He was doubtful of his redemption though. If he could have it at all, it remained to be seen. Revenge….yes, he could likely have that as he had nothing left to lose. He would save Yuuri and then give Saralegui a taste of the pain and humiliation he had put him through and finally burn the human king in cold-blooded murder. Then, whatever punishment fate decided he deserved would be worth it. Yes, it would be.

Murata led him to the tree below the royal bedroom window. They managed to sneak past the guards. Still in their servant's clothing, no one gave them a hard glance as they remained distracted by news of the king's sudden illness. The two men had remained careful and stealthy, staying in the shadows and not speaking once and acting casual when the moment called for it. Confidence and relaxation were their key advantages.

They reached the base of the tree, hidden by the shrubbery. Looking to ensure that coast was clear, They climbed, one by one, up the tree. Wolfram was the first to reach the window pane, balancing on a branch to reach the lock. Wolfram took a deep breath. Murata watched him expectantly. The demon prince produced a small copper wire. Concentrating, recalling the thousands of windows and doors similar to this one that he had picked without fail, he manipulated the wire to shift the gears and bolts, listening for that telltale click. The lock only gave minimal resistance and then released, letting them in. The easy part was done.

Both cringed when the window creaked open, afraid of any noise that could give them away. The inside of the room was dim and quiet. Staying hidden in the leaves and branches, Wolfram peeked in to make sure the room was empty. He signaled to Murata that it was clear and they each carefully entered the room.

The room smelled of herbs and medicinal oils. Bottles and medical tools were strewn on every flat surface in the room. Wolfram slowly walked towards the bed were the room's single occupant lay under a pile of blankets and pillows placed there in a vain attempt to retain body heat.

Yuuri looked like death. Wolfram would have even thought them too late, if it weren't for the weak rise and fall of the covers with Yuuri's breathing. The young king's hair splayed about his head in damp tendrils. Dry lips were parted, pale blue against greyish skin. Wolfram dared to touch Yuuri's cheek and immediately felt the clammy skin. He gently stroked Yuuri's temple, but the other man didn't stir.

Wolfram looked to Murata, who was taking out the same objects used to free Wolfram from the vector spell.

"Yuuri is too weak," he announced.

Pausing his efforts, Murata joined Wolfram's side and examined Yuuri for a moment. "I know. But the longer we wait, the less chance we have of saving him."

"He's too weak to go through the spell," Wolfram said firmly, recalling the excruciating pain the removal of the vector spell caused him. "I won't cause him any more pain."

"We don't have a choice," Murata said, still quickly setting up the spell. "If we do nothing, Saralegui will recast the spell and we'll be stuck under his reign for god knows how long and Shibuya will die by morning. We can break the spell now and still save the kingdom, even if-" Murata cut himself off.

Wolfram's gaze narrowed. "Even if what?" Though he suspected the answer.

"Shibuya would want us to save the kingdom, no matter what the cost," Murata said solemnly.

Wolfram reached to feel Yuuri's pulse. He could barely feel it under Yuuri's skin. Letting Murata handle the preparations, he sat on the side of the bed, leaning over to look upon the face of the man he loved and had forgotten. He knew they had to break the spell, but he worried for Yuuri's safety.

Yuuri began to stir. Eyes slowly opened, unfocused. "Hmmm?"

"Yuuri…" Wolfram whispered gently, stroking his hair. "Shhh, it's just me."

Yuuri eventually focused on Wolfram. "William?"

Wolfram began to respond, but Murata suddenly went still and he looked to the sage. Murata stood still as stone, looking deep into nothingness as if listening , or feeling, something in the atmosphere that disturbed him.

Murata came out of his trance and moved into position in more of a rush than before. "There's no more time. Help me get him into the circle," Murata said urgently. "I can feel Saralegui's magic shifting."

Yuuri began to wake up a little more, watching Murata move towards him. "W-what's going on? Wait! What are you doing? William?"

Wolfram moved to comfort Yuuri, shooting Murata a scolding glance when the sage pulled away the covers, which caused Yuuri to stiffen in apprehension. "Shhh...you don't understand, but we're trying to help you."

"Help?" Yuuri was thoroughly confused, and recoiled when they tried to grab his limbs. "Wait! Where's Sara? Where are the healers! Stop!"

Yuuri tried to resist them, but the spell had weakened him to the point where he could only flail pitifully, hardly posing a challenge to them.

"What the hell is going on? William, why are you doing this?"

"You've been under a spell for four years. We're going to break it," Murata chimed in casually.

"Seriously!?" Yuuri cried incredulously. "Are you insane? Let me go!"

"Hush! This will be over soon," Wolfram said. "Please, trust me."

Unable to physically defend himself, Yuuri tried to call for help.

"Guards! Conrad!" he tried to shout but Murata cut him off with a piece of cloth that was quickly tied around his head, turning his shouts into angry muffles.

"Be careful!" Wolfram scolded, not wanting to cause Yuuri any more stress.

"Kneel behind his head, and place your hands on his temples. Hold him still," Murata ordered as they laid Yuuri onto the floor.

Wolfram followed his instructions. "What now?" he asked, carefully grabbing Yuuri's head, even as the king tried to wriggle away.

Yuuri made a pleading noise behind the gag. Wolfram tried vainly to calm him. "I'm so sorry. This will be over soon and you will know the truth." This only earned more confused noises and struggles.

"Don't bother," Murata said. "The spell's hold is still strong enough on him that nothing you say will sway him." Murata stood opposite from Wolfram on the other side of the circle. "Now, I need you to focus your spiritual energy into Yuuri's. Focus the energy through your hands and you should be able to feel his magic with your own."

"How?" Wolfram asked worriedly.

"Think of the meditation exercises in the military," Murata explained. "Concentrate on centering your magic. Tune out everything. Open your vision to the spiritual realm and seek out Yuuri."

Nodding, Wolfram pressed his hands to Yuuri's temples, closing his eyes in concentration and tuning out any noise from the earthly realm.

It was harder than expected. At first, Wolfram felt nothing. He summoned his pure magic down his arms and into his hands. He felt the signature heat from his fire rise to the surface of his palms. He felt Yuuri go still. Breathing deeply, he pushed deeper into his psyche, allowing the spiritual energy to course through him. But he still couldn't feel Yuuri's magic.

"Go deeper," Murata instructed, focusing his own magic.

Deeper he went, to a place beyond consciousness. Into the metaphysical abyss, searching, prodding, feeling, connecting, trying to restore the deep bond he had formed with his beloved wimp so long ago.

After what felt like an eternity, Wolfram saw - felt- that tiny spark amidst the darkness that he knew was Yuuri.

There!

Though he knew of the damage the spell had done to Yuuri, it was still a shock just to see the extent of it. He could sense the aura of the vector spell hanging around them, recoiling at this foreign power that trespassed. He felt it callously draining what little was left of Yuuri's own soul in an attempt to exist. He could feel Yuuri's dying energy twist in distress, fearing that he too was another threat.

"Now merge your energy with Shibuya's. Place it underneath his as a support. Use it to hold him steady," he heard the distant echo of Murata's voice.

"Shhhh, Yuuri. I'm here. I'm here. You're safe.' Wolfram sent through his magic. 'I won't let you go. I'm not letting you go.'

Wolfram let his magic carefully slip into sync with Yuuri, easing the erratic waves into a steady ebb and flow. In his hands, he felt Yuuri's own breath begin to steady and his body slacken. From deep in his psyche, Yuuri relaxed at Wolfram's touch.

"Perfect," Murata said, allowing his magic to intrude and block the spell while Wolfram's magic protected Yuuri. "Stay like that and I will do the rest."

Wolfram barely heard the ancient chants begin, keeping his attention on Yuuri. He dared to look down at his fiance and into wide, dark eyes that watched him in a gradually deepening trance as the spell began. He continued to stroke Yuuri's hair and smile down at him. He felt Yuuri's magic twist and drift, unsure at this new intrusion but not yet panicking.

There were four magical forces now - his own, the spell's, Murata's, and Yuuri's. He felt Murata's magic twist and constrict around the magic of the spell and peel it away from Yuuri's own, though it was so deeply ingrained into Yuuri's life force that the anti-spell had to carefully pull at the threads of energy and locate those that were tangled. It would be a difficult process.

When Murata's spell began to pull, Yuuri began to convulse and his muffled screams of pain broke the tension.

"It's all right. It's all right,' Wolfram whispered, his own magic trying to stabilize Yuuri's own as it began to recoil. "I'm here, wimp. I'm not leaving you."

Yuuri's cries only grew in volume as Murata's magic delved even deeper into the dense tangles of the spell.

"Damn!" he heard Murata hiss in between chants. Before he could ask what was wrong, he felt a fifth presence make itself known - a presence as strong as Murata's that immediately moved the reinforce the vector spell.

Saralegui.

Wolfram braced himself and Yuuri. He pushed even more of his magic to support Yuuri as the intruding magic got into a tug of war with Murata. His priority was Yuuri. He would protect Yuuri.

The battle for dominance became vicious between the forces of Saralegui and the sage. The jolts were so strong as to make Wolfram instinctively jerk away but he instantly returned to his position. The intruding magic rewove the threads of the spell faster than Murata could unweave them. Each one's actions canceled out the other and fell into a violent struggle as Yuuri's life force suffered.

Yuuri's body began to convulse violently. His cries became broken gasps as his eyes rolled back into his head until only the whites were visible. Wolfram grimaced. Yuuri's life force was in a panic. The flow of energy whipped, recoiled, retreated, and clung to Wolfram in a desperate attempt to stabilize itself amidst the fight between Murata and Saralegui as both forces continued to overburden it.

He could feel Yuuri slipping, the king's life couldn't take it. If one of them didn't give in then Yuuri could be lost. He would rather it be them as he doubted Saralegui would recede. "Sage! You must stop!"

If Murata heard him, he didn't acknowledge him, but continued to forcefully shove Saralegui's magic away even as it clung to Yuuri's life force.

"Protect the king!" Murata managed to shout at him.

"Yuuri!" Wolfram gasped. "Hold on! It's almost over!"

Yuuri only continued to seize, making disturbing choking noises, no longer able to breathe properly as his body struggled to keep itself alive. Wolfram concentrated on lending his magic, using it to steady Yuuri's energy amidst the turmoil. Much to his relief, Yuuri's magic clung to his own, finally able to weakly steady itself against being violently unraveled and reassembled. Even Wolfram cringed at the warring forces and struggled to keep Yuuri stable.

There was a pause. Glazed eyes looked up at Wolfram in sudden recognition. Wolfram held his breath. Cracked lips moved before finally making a small sound.

"Wolfram?" Yuuri wheezed.

"Yuuri?" Wolfram responded, daring to hope and smiling down at his fiance.

But before either could respond, a sharp tear was felt in the abyss and Wolfram cried out from the electric shock that surged down his spine.

Everything happened incredibly fast. Wolfram found himself brutally kicked out of the magical turmoil, yanked away from Yuuri's magic that clawed after him but couldn't reach him. The vector spell's magic dragged Yuuri from him. Saralegui's magic gave one final push and Murata was also thrown from the spiritual realm and staggered back. Wolfram watched in horror as he felt Yuuri go limp in his arms and his life's energy go dark. He held a hand to Yuuri's throat. There was no pulse.

"No! No! No!," Wolfram begged in a panic, searching for any sign of life.

The doors were thrown open. The soldiers tackled Murata first, still disoriented from the magical fight, yelling and beating him with their weapons, holding a knife to his throat and binding him in chains. They came after Wolfram next, but he resisted. He would die before he let them touch Yuuri. They dragged him away from Yuuri's prone form. He pulled and cursed and kicked, trying to get back to his side. He had to make sure Yuuri was okay. He had to make sure he was still alive!

He heard his brother's voice. Weller. And others. Christ and Gwendal. And then Saralegui's yells and the human king, running past where the soldiers had him pinned to the ground.

"What have you done!?" Saralegui shrieked , falling to kneel beside Yuuri.

"Get the healers now!" Wolfram heard Weller shout, joining Saralegui at Yuuri's side.

"He's not breathing!" Saralegui yelled and turned a vicious glare onto Wolfram and Murata. "Throw them in the dungeon! Torture them! Make them talk!"

"Yuuri!" Wolfram shouted over the chaos, still resisting the soldiers. "Yuuri!"

'Please, Yuuri!' he sent one last thought into the spiritual abyss. 'Don't leave us. Don't leave me! Fight, damn it!'

All he got was silence.

* * * * * * * * * * * * MOS * * * * * * * * * * * * *

He knew that face.

Through the incredible pain and confusion. Despite losing his very mind. He knew that face.

Those deep green eyes. Wavy blonde hair. That smile. Those hands on his face. That voice.

Finally! Finally! He knew the man that had haunted him for so long. The man that made him question everything about his life.

William….no, not William. It wasn't the right name. Not the right person. Someone else. Someone from his past. Before William. Before Sara.

"Wolfram?"

Why that name? He had never heard it before and yet, that was the name for the man. It fit him perfectly.

The man - Wolfram - smiled down at him. "Yuuri?"

He tried to answer. Tried to ask what was going on. His body felt too heavy, he couldn't move. Couldn't breathe. His chest felt tight. It burned. He couldn't feel his limbs. Couldn't feel anything but the pain of being torn into pieces.

His heart gave out. It was too tired. He was too tired. He went limp. It went dark. Voices. Yelling. The hands that held him were pulled away. He wanted to protest. He couldn't lose him now, not when he finally knew who he was. But he didn't have the energy to speak. No energy to even live.

More voices. More yelling. Sara. Weller. A voice he didn't recognize but felt that he should. The accent was like his own. Hands on him.

"He's not breathing!" came Sara's panicked voice. "-Torture them!...them talk!"

"Yuuri!" Weller's distant voice. "Hold on!"

He wanted to. He tried. But it was too much. He had no life left. Everything was too heavy. Everything was too cold. He was alone in the abyss.

Before he gave in. Before he slipped away. He heard one last voice. In the void.

'Yuuri! Don't leave us. Don't leave me! Fight, damn it!'

'Wolfram….'

'I love you! Fight!'

'...love…..you too…..' He did.

He felt a shock in his chest and then everything was black.

* * * * * * * * * * * * MOS * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Chapter 9 of Memories of Sand! I hope you all enj-

Oh Gawd! Put the gun down! *dodge*

It wasn't supposed to be a cliffhanger but length and pages and words and stuff! I didn't want to keep you guys waiting anymore so I thought I'd split the chapters – oh Jesus! Put the gun down! Look, look, look! I'm writing chapter 10! See? It's all good! * starts to furiously type chapter 10*

We've reached our climax! Yuuri's life is on the line. Saralegui has Wolfram and Murata in his hands! What can be done? What can Wolfram do?

Let me take a moment to thank all of you who have followed, favorited, and reviewed this story and my other stories. The passion and love I've seen for my stories is just astounding. I never thought my fictions would touch so many people! I truly enjoy KKM and its fandom. I'm eternally grateful for all of you to take time out of your days to read my stories. Thank you so much!

Please review and leave your comments! They're always a pleasure to read.