Chapter Warnings: Spoilers for episode 39, Mild themes.

Author's Notes: Well...I really have no idea what to say. I mean, it's been over a year since my last update, and I sincerely doubt that anyone is going to get back into this story after such a long hiatus, but...well, here it is. I was inspired yesterday to start writing again, and I had an idea for this chapter (I had such severe writer's block) and it's much better than what I originally intended.

I do apologise if the work isn't as good as it used to be because I haven't written any type of story in a year, so it might be a bit dodgey. In any event, I hope you all enjoy. Also, thank you sooo much for the 198 reviews! It means so much to me. I logged on to this site yesterday to read Mikage-chan's updated fanfic, and I thought to go and check how many reviews I had, and when I saw the number...It truly inspired me. Thank you all, once again!

I hope you enjoy! And I do apologise for any typos!

Disclaimer: I don't own KKM.

Abstraction: 1.an impractical idea; something visionary and unrealistic. 2.the act of taking away or separating; withdrawal.


- In The Face Of Anger -
Chapter Nine: The Abstraction

"Yuu-chan! Come here! Quick!" My mother shrieked at me from inside the castle, and rather than questioning what she was actually doing inside Blood Pledge Castle, I raced inside. Her voice sounded panicked!

I had previously been playing baseball with Gwendal – for whatever reason – who didn't seem too impressed that I was abandoning our game. He mustn't have heard Mom's cry...Actually, how did I manage to hear her shriek from outside? Eh...

I sprinted as fast as I could through the corridors, somehow feeling that I was about to reach my destination, and then all of a sudden I'd become lost in more winding hallways. I couldn't feel the perspiration running down my face, the thudding of my feet against the floor, the strain on my lungs or anything. This whole situation feels very surreal...

I glanced down at my hand and noticed a sterling silver ring on my finger as I slowed down to stand still. What was this doing here? I never wear jewellery, so what...? Eh?

Suddenly the ring disappeared. This seemed to alarm me for whatever reason – like the ring held some great importance to me – and I fell to my knees, scavenging around to find it.

"Yuu-chan!" I turned around and found my mother standing before me, looking very out-of-place in her Earth clothes against the corridors of the castle. I got to my feet when she held her hand out to me, and I lifted my own extremity up to take the ring she had sitting between her thumb and index finger. "Be careful next time. You don't want to lose this!" She said, sounding both chipper and serious at the same time, which was fairly odd. None of this was making sense at the moment...

Mere seconds passed and then the same thing happened again, in which I dropped the ring and then Mom randomly appeared with the item in her hand. I took it from her once again and slid it on my ring finger, in which she reiterated, "Be careful next time. You don't want to lose this!" She vanished as quickly as she showed up, and I was once again left with a frown on my face as I gazed at the ring on my finger. The more I stared at it, the more aware I became of my erratic heartbeat.

I seemingly drifted into another room, which wasn't a room found inside Blood Pledge Castle. It was, in fact, the living room back at my home on Earth. I was seated on the couch, gazing deeply into the emerald eyes of my fiancé, Wolfram. The rest of the house seemed to be deserted, which wasn't that unusual, but it was definitely unusual to have Wolfram sitting with me on this particular couch.

Wolfram's eyes appeared to be very cloudy and dazed, because I couldn't pick out the different hues of green like I normally could. He was strangely out of focus, like I was staring at a blurred photograph of him rather than the real Wolfram. Except he was moving...closer to me, in fact.

I leaned in and pressed my lips against his cheek, which felt far too ordinary to be real. This whole situation can't be real. I allowed my eyes to close as Wolfram pushed his mouth against mine, and suddenly things were becoming very hot and heavy, as if steam was oozing out where our mouths connected...

And then Mom was yelling at me from inside the castle because she'd found that cursed ring that I'd lost again...


What...the hell...was that?

I found myself staring up from out of my bed, not really paying attention to the intricate designs on the ceiling. I was at Blood Pledge Castle, in my royal bedroom, where I had fallen asleep in last night like I normally do. A dream, I concurred inwardly, closing my eyes to avoid the sunlight filtering in through the window.

My hands moved to allow my head to rest on them, and I stared at my eyelids for several minutes, stirring my dream over in my mind. I could feel heat radiating off my cheeks...Has that dream made me flustered? I only ever get flustered over nightmares, and that most certainly wasn't a nightmare...Er...Well, that is to say, it's not a pleasant sort of a dream...but it was different, all right.

The fact that I kissed Wolfram in my dream doesn't surprise me. In truth, I've had many dreams where I've just leaned over and kissed Wolfram, either on the cheek, forehead or lips. Of course, those kisses were chaste...It was Wolfram that kissed me so passionately. I didn't instigate it, and it was a dream, so of course I was gonna go along with it! I would never consciously make-out with the guy...Maybe I should stop thinking about this now, 'cause I think my cheeks are getting warmer...

I let out a long, dreary sigh and opened my eyes slowly. I was greeted with messy blonde hair and sleepy emerald eyes, and it took me a few moments to register that Wolfram was hovering above me. Hmm...Wait a minute...

"W-Wolfram?" I stuttered in alarm. I can't handle the close proximity at the moment...

Wolfram gave a great yawn, covering his mouth with his left hand while leaning on his right, which was located on the other side of my body. He suddenly pressed his left palm to my cheek, and leaned in ever so slowly, and murmured, "...You're hot."

It took all of my willpower not to screech like a little girl and start hurling random objects at him (Which would have resulted in more injury to me than to him, because he tends to retaliate a lot more viciously). I sat up and nearly smashed my head against his in my attempt to scramble away. Did he just say I was hot? As in, sexy? As in hot stuff? What the heck? Ohh, I must be still asleep...This isn't making sense...

"What the hell, wimp?" Wolfram snapped, my sudden movement waking him up a little. "What's got you so worked up?" He demanded.

"Er..." I replied blankly. Suddenly the image of Wolfram approaching me with his lips slightly parted filled my brain and I felt as if sweat was going to start trickling down the sides of my head. My cheeks were going redder as I became more flustered. "It's...it's nothing!" I exclaimed wildly, eyes wide in panic.

Wolfram glared at me in that 'You-Are-The-Biggest-And-Most-Dramatic-Idiot-I've-Ever-Met' type of way, and I merely squeaked in response. "I said you were hot," He said slowly, as if he was speaking to a person who had a hearing disability. "As in your cheeks," He unintentionally corrected, reaching out to place a hand against my cheek again. "You really are quite warm."

I stumbled over my sentences for a moment, trying to absorb what he had just explained. I almost laughed in surprise. "Oh. Right. Of course."

Wolfram's eyes merely narrowed, but not in the 'You-Are-The-Biggest-And-Most-Dramatic-Idiot-I've-Ever-Met' way. "Do you have a fever of some sort?" He turned his hand to place the back of it against my forehead, looking mildly concerned. It's nice to know he cares.

"No, no, I'm fine, Wolfram. Really," I confirmed with a smile. "I just had a weird dream and it got me a little worked up."

"A dream?" He inquired interestedly, and I suddenly became nervous. "What about?"

I backed away from him a little. I really, really don't want to go there..."It's nothing. Don't worry!"

"Yuuri!" Wolfram growled, obviously keen to know. Somehow I think that if I tell him that I had a dream that he and I made-out he would be more than pleased. I can't let him know. I just can't.

"It's nothing!" I said again. "It was just a bad dream! A nightmare! I'm over it now, so don't worry about it."

"What was it about, Yuuri?" He pestered, clearly determined. His eyes were lit up with a flaming intrigue that made my stomach turn to jelly.

I can't tell him... "Nothing. I was attacked by, um, a Bear Bee!" I lied, and Wolfram raised an eyebrow testily in response. He's not buying it, so I've got to make it sound convincing... "It was scary, Wolf! It had the face of those vicious Goalas and was leering down at me. I thought I was gonna die! It was so real!"

"Are you serious?" Wolfram looked extremely sceptical. "That sounds quite similar to that short story that Annissina wrote," He pointed out observantly.

"Er...yeah!" I gave a fake, nervous laugh. "I guess that must have been what inspired it! My imagination can run wild sometimes, honestly..." I continued my nervous chuckling while Wolfram glowered, still looking at me with disbelief.

Eventually he sighed (But it had sounded a lot like a growl) and affixed me with an 'I-Can't-Believe-A-Wimp-Like-You-Is-The-Maou' look. "Whatever, Yuuri. It's embarrassing that you got yourself so worked up over a dream about a Bear Bee," He informed me with a shake of his head. "Wimp," He added for good measure, much to my relief. At least he's gonna drop the subject now...

Wolfram swung his legs off the side of his bed and got to his feet. My eyes followed him as he headed over to collect his nicely folded, clean uniform that was sitting on the dresser. He began running his fingers through his blonde hair as he gazed at himself in the mirror, and eventually I looked down at the mattress, lost in thought.

A promise to Shin Makoku...Does it really mean that I have to give up my life on Earth? It's perfectly clear to me why everyone wants me to do it, but surely there's some other way to secure the country. I don't leave that frequently, and not for a long period of time (Even if two weeks or so pass in this world, I don't consider that to be too long), so I don't understand why everyone has to be so stern about me leaving at all. As the King, don't I get some pleasures? I mean, ruling this Kingdom becomes tiring – exhausting, even – and I deserve a breather once in a while.

And, of course, the Maou is allowed to miss his family. Wolfram, Conrad and Gwendal have their mother living in the castle with them, so it's not like they can empathise. Murata is in the same situation as me, though; if I give up my home, then he can't return to Earth either. Is he that willing to give up his life on Earth? What about his family? He's quite fond of my Mom, too...Won't he miss her?

I frowned at the thought of Murata. He was the one person I hadn't spoken to since the little meeting at breakfast five days ago. I can't stop thinking about that incident...It just won't leave me alone, and for good reason, I suppose. I picture my Mom, Dad and Shouri glancing out the window at that inflatable pool, half-expecting the water to start swirling when I make my unceremonious return to Earth...but I just never, ever come back.

Murata isn't even allowing me the chance to return to Earth in the months leading up to my birthday, 'cause he's afraid I'll opt to stay there and never return to Shin Makoku. I'd never have the opportunity to tell them I can't go back, and then they'll never know the truth...They'll just think I've abandoned them, or I've died, or something like that...Not knowing would be so much harder. The whole situation would be so much worse for them than it is for me...because at least I'd know I'd never see them again...

Wolfram's pink negligee caught my eye as he swept past me without a word. He was about to put his hand on the doorknob to head to the baths when I stopped him. "Hey, Wolfram..." I began uncertainly. What could I say? I don't know what I want to say, but I have this overwhelming desire to speak with him. I think...Hm...

"What is it?" Wolfram responded, obviously more eager to go and beautify himself in the baths than to have a conversation with me.

I looked at him in the eye as confidently as I could muster, and asked him the question that had been plaguing me for a little while now. "Wolfram, this promise I have to make to Shin Makoku..." I trailed off, watching as his face changed to show he had become more interested in what I had to say. "Well...I was wondering, just...What do you think I should do? That is, um...What would you do if you were in my position?" I sincerely would like to know, 'cause he was probably the only person who was neutral about whether I should give up my original home or not.

I gazed at Wolfram's contemplative face, very curious as to how he'd answer. If it turns out that Wolfram would give up his family for the sake of the Kingdom, then...then I wouldn't know what to say. He'd sound an awful lot like Gwendal, or the way Wolfram used to be...Surely Wolfram wouldn't be so cold as to reject his old home...?

"I can't say for certainty what I'd do," Wolfram told me carefully, obviously trying not to encourage nor disagree with my views. "That other world of yours is a charming place, but I would be more willing to give it up simply because I wasn't raised there. I can't entirely empathise with you because I've never been in a situation like yours," He admitted, and my heart sunk just a little. "The Maou is required to do what's best for his Kingdom-"

"But why do I have to give up my family?" I cut him off in frustration, raking my fingers along my scalp. "It seems so unnecessary! Why can't I just make a promise to be around the Kingdom more often, or strengthen the ties with our allies, or something like that..." I paused hopelessly, and Wolfram sighed.

"Because it's not that simple. A promise like that isn't going to fill your people with confidence, Yuuri. Just because you say you're going to make less frequent visits to your other world doesn't mean you will. You always have a tendency of leaving at very bad times, too, and before you interrupt me again-" He added impatiently when I opened my mouth to defend myself, "-We are always in bad times. Sure, there's a reign of peace at the moment, but it's dangerous for the Kingdom if the King disappears at all. Where does that leave everyone? What would we do under an attack? You're certainly not going to command us to retaliate, so what would we do? Sit around and let them take control of the Kingdom? If we began a war that you didn't approve of, we'd be in a lot of trouble.

"And strengthening ties with the Kingdom isn't an appropriate promise. The leaders of other nations are out of your control, and they can choose to turn on you at any second. You can't make a promise like that when there's no way you can declare with absolute certainty that your allies are going to remain loyal." Wolfram stopped for a few moments to breath a little, and I just stared at him in awe. The more he spoke, the more logical everything seemed, and the more I understood why the measure had to be so drastic. But...but...I just...I don't want to give them up...

"Yuuri," Wolfram said sternly, his eyebrows knitted together in seriousness. "If you promise to not return to the other world that means you will always be around to protect your people in case something goes wrong. Not just most of the time, but always. That is what makes this promise so appropriate."

I allowed my face to fall in my hands in defeat, exhaling slowly. This isn't right...Why do I have to give them up...? I don't want to give them up...I can't give them up, because they're the ones who give me strength...

"So, you do want me to make that promise then?" I inquired, feeling as if I already knew the answer.

Wolfram offered me a grim smile, which I had no intention of returning. "For the sake of the Kingdom, definitely," He admitted, and my chest ached just a bit. "For your sake..." I looked up at him, momentarily confused. For my sake...? "For your sake, Yuuri...I wouldn't dream of this on you. You should know that from when I told you to return to Earth after you defeated Shinou."

Wolfram looked sad – no, pained – as he stared at me, his lips curled downwards. It's as if he's suffering with me, and at that thought, the loneliness I've felt for the past two weeks since Greta left had disappeared just a tiny bit.

"I appreciate you saying that, Wolfram..." I told him solemnly. I really, really appreciate you in general, Wolfram... "I just...I don't get the chance to explain to my family what's happening. I never get to say good-bye to them."

Wolfram turned slowly to face the door, reaching for the doorknob and twisting it. "They'd surely protest at the idea, especially that older brother of yours," Wolfram reminded me, opening the door. Ah, Shouri would never forgive Murata or any of them for making me stay here permanently... "But I understand where you're coming on," Wolfram continued, pausing in the doorway to finish his sentence. "It makes the situation worse when you don't get the opportunity to say good-bye." And with that mysterious sentence, he vanished behind the door and headed off towards the baths.

I sat there for a while to ponder what he said, but the question kept popping up in my mind on what exactly he means when he talks about never getting the chance to say good-bye. To what? To who? When was this? What is he talking about?

Maybe I'll never know, but I won't give up on working it out so easily. Hm...it seems that Wolfram is always a nice 'distraction' from all of the problems I'm having in the real world.

It makes me appreciate him even more.


"Conrad!" I proclaimed loudly as I entered my godfather's study. I noticed his form over by the shelves beside his desk, where he appeared to be holding a little rubber duck in his hands. Before I could ask him what it was, he placed it carefully back on the shelves and headed over towards me, a kind smile on his face.

"Your Majesty," He greeted, using that annoying formality again. Sure, I can kinda understand why he calls me that around other nobles and whatnot, but we're in private. This is a moment between a guy and his godfather, not a King and his servant.

"Don't call me that, Conrad," I reprimanded him as usual, and he just smiled wider. "Call me 'Yuuri'."

"Of course," He said apologetically, bowing his head just a little. "And just what can I do for you, Yuuri?" Hm, that's an interesting question...

"It's not so much you need to do anything for me..." I trailed off, not knowing whether to go on or not. Damn it, I've already approached him and I choose to become shy! I spent an hour rehearsing how this conversation would go, and already I'm opting to just run out of the room...And he's smiling me in that prompting sort of manner, so I have no choice but to go on...

I cleared my throat nervously, sweat starting to form on my forehead. "Conrad, I want to talk to you about something that's been bothering me," I said, speaking slowly to avoid bringing up the subject quickly. I want to delay this as much as possible.

Conrad fixed me with a serious stare, and urged me to go on. "What do you want to talk about, Your Highness?"

I ignored the formality and decided to just say it. "Conrad, I...I had a dream last night."

There was an odd silence as Conrad's expression went from serious, to confused, to bemused. "I see. Do you think it was a prophetic dream?" ...NO. NO! Not a prophetic dream. If that's a prophecy, then Wolfram and I will...we'll...eeek!

"No, not at all!" I shook my head furiously, my face becoming hot. "It wasn't a prophecy at all!" No way was that a prophecy...Oh God, my cheeks are flushed again...

"Then...it was a nightmare?" Conrad looked very bewildered, obviously expecting something a tad more serious.

I shook my head again. "No, no! It wasn't a nightmare, not a bad dream...It was a good dream, really! I just...wait, no, I take that back. It wasn't a good dream, but...I guess it wasn't a bad dream, so it definitely wasn't a nightmare...It's kinda hard to explain..." I rambled on, becoming more and more flustered as the conversation went on. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea...It was just a dream, after all...

"Then what was it about, Your Majesty?" Conrad said patiently, raising an eyebrow at my bizarre behaviour.

"Err..." I stuttered, kicking at the ground anxiously and glancing down at my shoes. The laces are untied on one of them...Maybe I should do it up now, to prolong the moment before I completely humiliate myself...No, no, I gotta say it! "Well, it was about my Mom, and this ring...and Wolfram was in it," I explained simply, and Conrad was eying me strangely.

"Alright then...What happened that has you so alarmed?"

"W-well...Uh...First of all, Wolfram wasn't there for a lot of the dream, he just kinda appeared at the end...Oh yeah, and Gwendal was in the dream too; he and I were playing baseball..." Conrad looked rather amused at the thought of seeing his older brother playing baseball with me, but I was too embarrassed to see the humour in it. "So, yeah, Gwendal and I were playing baseball, and then my Mom was screaming at me from inside the castle, like she was in trouble or something, so I dropped my mitt and ran inside. So...so I was running around trying to find her, and then I looked down and there was this ring on my finger.

"And it was important to me for some reason, and somehow it fell off and I was trying to find it. Then my Mom randomly showed up and found it for me, and told me to be careful with it. A few seconds later I lost it again, and she appeared and found it for me and said the same thing. And...and then I was at my home on Earth, in the living room, and Wolfram was there."

I don't want to go on. This isn't a good idea. Is it even appropriate to talk about these sorts of things with your godfather? Is it even necessary to talk to anyone about this? It was a dream, after all...It's not like it actually happened...!

"Yes?" He encouraged, still offering me a kind smile.

I sighed heavily, as if the weight of the world was residing in my heart. "Wolfram and I...well, I kissed him," I blushed profusely. "And then...and then he kissed me back, but with...er..." I really, really don't want to say, 'With tongue'. "He kissed me...very passionately..." I expressed lamely, closing my eyes tightly and pretending to disappear into thin air so I didn't have to experience this ridiculous moment.

There was a pregnant pause, and then Conrad cleared his throat. "Ahem. Yuuri, I don't mean to sound rude or unintelligent, but...I feel as if I'm missing the tragic nature of this incident," He informed me, and when I finally looked up I saw his eyes shining with mirth. "Truly, Your Highness – what is so bad about this dream?"

"Conrad, he kissed me!" I squeaked, my face turning beet red. "Surely you can understand why that freaks me out! I don't like Wolfram in that way, so why would I dream of something like that? I don't want him to kiss me, Conrad! Why did that even happen?" I whined pathetically, my body becoming overwhelmed with the desire to sink into a miserable puddle on the floor. "Is it supposed to be some twisted fantasy? Damn it, this must be Murata's fault..." That Great Wise Man must be putting thoughts into my head...!

"Your Majesty, calm down," Conrad pleaded, smiling with amusement. "This truly isn't something to get worked up about. A dream is a dream, and as far as I know, kissing a person in your dream doesn't necessarily mean you want to kiss them in real life." Oh, yes, please tell me more, Conrad...Reassure me that I haven't lost all sense and have fallen in love with that Prince...

"Is this the first time you've dreamt of kissing Wolfram?" Conrad inquired.

"Well...technically, no..." I muttered shyly, and Conrad's eyebrows lifted up in interest. "That is, well...I've kissed him before, but never at that..." I paused to think of the right word. "...intensity. Conrad, what's wrong with me? Why am I having these dreams? The other dreams where I have kissed him have never been so lucid, so why...? I mean," I felt my cheeks growing even hotter, "I woke up this morning and...my face felt really hot, and I was sweating a bit...Wolfram thought I had a fever."

"Yuuri, you mustn't worry so much about what goes on in your subconscious," Conrad said wisely. "Dreams are confusing to decipher, so don't add extra stress to your mind. Kissing a person can mean a lot of things, but usually it just means that you hold a level of adoration for the person you kiss, and not on a romantic level." Oh, thank you, Conrad...I'm starting to feel so much better... "It can also mean that there is a quality that Wolfram possesses that you wish you had. Truly, Your Highness, don't worry yourself about this. You have enough to think about at this stage in your life."

"Yeah..." I murmured, my blush slowly ebbing away. "That's true. I just...I'm just worried about a lot of things, and romance is just going to make things difficult..."

"So then...you have thought about having a romantic relationship with Wolfram?" Conrad questioned, frowning a little.

I flushed. "What-? No, of course not-! I mean...Argh...I don't know," I declared in frustration. Really, everything is so weird at the moment, especially between him and I..."Things are getting strange between Wolfram and I, and I don't know if it's because of Greta's real father showing up, or my birthday, or what..."

"You're both young; it's difficult to decide on things at this stage," Conrad said sympathetically, and I smiled thankfully. "I know how hard things are on you at the moment, and I don't mean to be too presumptuous, but..." I gazed at him curiously, as he inhaled deeply before going on. "What do you feel for my younger brother?"

Feel...for Wolfram? Wh-what? What does he expect me to say? 'No, your brother is just a friend, but I am yet to break the engagement' or, 'I am deeply in love with your brother. I am plotting to elope with him as we speak. Don't tell Günter...He'll pass out again.' Like, really...! "Conrad, Wolfram is my friend. You know that, right?"

"I do, Your Majesty," Conrad admitted solemnly. "I have another question, then. How much does Wolfram mean to you?"

Eh...eh? I... "Well...he means a lot to me," I told him blushingly. "He's come to mean a lot more to me recently, but in the past he's still been very important to me..."

"Another question, and I promise this is the last one: What would you do to make my brother smile?"

I paused for a long time then, having no idea what to say. Wolfram meant a lot to me, and I know that I meant a lot to him...What would I do to make him smile? Well...he seems to be angry so often, seeing him smile is like a breath of fresh air. It's a lovely smile, I admit to that...I like to smile at him and see him smile in return, instead of his usual angry bark or insulting remark.

That scene of him smiling down at me as he held onto my hand as I dangled off a clip appeared in my mind. Everything had seemed so hopeless back then, Conrad having betrayed me...and my body had been so exhausted from transforming into my other personality...I had no energy to pull myself back up. I was seconds from giving up and just falling to my death, and it hadn't fazed me in the slightest.

And then, he appeared and grabbed my hand right when I needed him. "Finally, I caught you." He was smiling, his eyes illuminated with joy that he'd located me. The fact that he had been searching for me still bewilders me in so many ways...The smile he wore back then...He doesn't show it often, but when he smiles like that...I want to see him smile a lot, because when he does, he's just so...

"I'd do anything to make him smile," I confessed earnestly. When he smiles like that, he becomes truly and unmistakably irresistible...

Conrad smiled gently at me, clapping a hand on my shoulder. "Well, Yuuri, I think that it might be better if you do give those dreams of yours some deeper thought." His eyes softened at my confused expression. "A dream is created out of your subconscious, and you're free to interpret it how you wish. What do you really think it means? What is it about this dream that has alarmed you so much that you've come to speak to me about it?"

Wolfram...and I...We...

I gave a great heavy sigh, bowing my head. Everything was becoming so confusing...

"I honestly don't know, Conrad."


Author's Notes: And that's the conclusion of chapter 9, which took me a year to upload (And about 5-6 hours to actually write T.T;;). Once again, I'm so sorry for making you all wait so long. Oh yes, just to ease anyone's mind, I have no intention of discontinuing this fanfic. It might take me a while to finish it, but it will - someday - be complete. I have another idea for a YuuRam fanfic too, but that won't be coming out until I've completely finished writing it beforehand...

So, what did you guys think? I think that it's steadily becoming more serious, which is appropriate. Did you guys enjoy it? I'd very much enjoy a review, since they really do inspire me. It's nice to know what people think of my writing style and the way I represent Yuuri's character development.

If you still love me, then REVIEW!

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