Big thanks to Nami schwan for betaing the chapter.
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He awoke to something pressed against his shoulder, and the sound of sobbing in his ears. The forest's canopy filled his vision, and it took him several moments to realize he was on his back. Sunlight poured through leaves almost too bright for his eyes to take. There were songbirds in the nearby branches, singing merrily together.
He blinked as the weight against his shoulder moved, drawing his attention. A small head and familiar curly locks greeted him, catching him by surprise. "Greta..." he whispered.
Two teary eyes instantly looked up at him. "Wolfram!" she wailed, leaping forward and capturing his neck in a tight hug. Wolfram winced at the action as he was made aware of several injuries he hadn't noticed. He struggled to sit up, gently removing his daughter's arms before she strangled him.
"What are you doing out here?" he asked with confusion. She should have been with Yuuri and the others in the nearest town by now. "Where's Yuuri?" There was no way that wimp would be careless enough to let their daughter wander off on her own!
Greta's small hands suddenly grabbed hold of his uniform, fear clear in her eyes. "They got him!" she exclaimed. "They got Yuuri! The Wraiths attacked and got him!"
"Wraiths!" Wolfram felt sick to his stomach. His fiancé-
His mind didn't get much farther than that as his memory suddenly kicked in. Those wolf-like creatures had surrounded him, forcing him into a desperate struggle to fight them off. One of the wraiths had taken him by surprise, getting a clear shot at his chest. All he remembered after that was an excruciating pain in his heart.
He was on his feet in a flash, pulling Greta tightly to his chest. He went for his sword without thinking, only to discover that it wasn't there. "Wolfram?" Greta's questioning voice made him jump. "What's wrong?"
He was breathing heavily, heart pounding against his chest. "I was..." he gestured vaguely with his free hand at the empty clearing and shook his head. "Never mind, we've got to find Yuuri! Do you know where the Wraiths took him?"
She merely shook her head in reply, brushing tears from her cheeks. "No, I-I couldn't-" She broke off, swallowing a lump that appeared in her throat. "I-I didn't see. I'm not even sure if he's alright." The sick feeling in Wolfram's stomach got worse.
He was at a loss of what to do. He glanced anxiously around the wood for a clue, not once expecting to actually get one so easily. An anguished cry broke through the trees seconds later, scaring the birds away. Fear gripped Wolfram intensely as he took off running towards the sound. That was his brother's voice... Conrad...
He was terrified to find out what had caused the soldier to let out such a despairing cry. Wolfram didn't know how many steps it took to get there, but it seemed like an eternity. He burst through the last stand of trees, only to freeze at the sight that greeted him.
"Yuuri..." the name escaped his throat, but his legs were utterly frozen to the spot.
Nestled in the large roots of a nearby tree, was a haggard looking Conrad with Yuuri lying limply across his lap.
It was Greta breaking free of his arms that roused Wolfram into movement again. "Yuuri!" her voice was shrill with panic. "Yuuri!" She raced towards the two half Mazoku, drawing the soldier's attention. Wolfram's throat constricted painfully as his gaze locked with the other. Conrad's...his brother's eyes looked as if all life had gone out of them.
Conrad's gaze only held his for a second longer, before his eyes rolled into the back of his head. Greta screeched to a halt at their side as the soldier crumpled soundlessly to the ground. "Conrad!" Wolfram didn't want to admit it, but his own voice echoed just as loudly as Greta's did.
He scrambled to the side of both half-Mazoku, dropping instantly to his knees. His heart was pounding wildly. "Please don't be dead, please don't be dead," he repeated the words over and over again without realizing. His eyes flickered quickly between the two, assessing as best he could their condition. They were both out cold. While Conrad was breathing deeply, Yuuri was barely breathing at all.
The soldier had quite a few wounds, but nothing that appeared fatal. It was Yuuri's condition that made Wolfram pale considerably. There was a makeshift bandage around Yuuri's waist and from what he could see it was rapidly turning crimson. The blond cursed loudly, grabbing hold of the young Maou. He intended to drag the teen off Conrad so he could get a better look at the young Maou's stomach, but was surprised when found that he couldn't move Yuuri.
Conrad had wrapped his hand tightly around Yuuri's and even though the soldier was out cold, his grip was like that of a vice. Wolfram cursed loudly again, as he struggled to move the teen. It ended with both Conrad and Yuuri on their sides facing each other, with their intertwined hands resting lightly on the ground between them.
Wolfram instantly set to work, not bothering to get a closer look at the wound on Yuuri's stomach. The blond drew a deep breath, forcing as much healing maryoku into his hand as he could. He'd never been good at the healing arts, which was made only worse because he'd considered it a waste of his time when forced to learn what he did know. He very much regretted that decision now.
Yuuri was paler than a ghost, and breathing shallowly. Even Gisela would be hard pressed to save the young Maou's life, and Wolfram already knew he was nowhere close to her level of expertise.
"Come on," he growled through gritted teeth. Sweat beaded on his forehead, the strain growing harder the longer he had to use the healing maryoku. "I didn't march all this way just to see you die!" Greta was sitting tensely beside him, not making a sound.
Time ticked passed, one second slowly slipping into the next. Minutes slowly came and all too quickly piled upon one another. Greta continued to wait quietly at his side, while Wolfram fought to keep his fiancé alive. It was looking quite grim when Wolfram swore he felt, more than anything, a subtle change in the Maou's soul.
It was like a pulse of maryoku, shifting and swirling within Yuuri, though Wolfram was certain that the young Maou wasn't the origin. The strange energy grew stronger and with it, to the blond's relief, the effect of his maryoku. Yuuri began to breathe easier, and moments later the colour returned to his face.
Wolfram let out a relieved sigh, allowing the glow to fade from his hand a second later. He sat back on the grass, letting out a weary breath. "He's going to be alright," he told Greta, closing his eyes.
There was a long moment of silence where neither spoke. "Wolfram." The uncertainty in Greta's voice made his heart stop. "Conrad's not looking too good." Wolfram's eyes snapped open, instantly locking onto his brother. After a sharp intake of breath, he was hastily scrambling around Yuuri to Conrad's side.
The soldier's skin had turned ashen and his breathing was starting to slow dangerously. What in the worlds was happening now? He'd already checked, and Conrad didn't appear to have any life-threatening injuries. The deepest cut the soldier had was on his back and those cuts were only bleeding slightly where they'd been torn open again. The only other wound bleeding was a more recent looking cut, a shallow line on his stomach made by what looked like the tip of a sword. None of those were sufficient to bring Conrad to death's door so quickly.
Unless he'd been poisoned.
Wolfram had never felt his stomach drop so fast. If that was the case, and Conrad was poisoned, there was little he could do for him. Poison was one of those things that maryoku had no effect on. While he could heal the damage done to Conrad's system, there was no way he could purge the poison from the soldier's blood.
His eyes flickered over to Greta, who was staring back at him anxiously. He hesitated for barely a second before he spoke. "Greta, I need you to do something." This was something she shouldn't see. She nodded her head rapidly, making Wolfram give a weak smile. "That's a good girl. I know it'll be scary, but I need you to go look for help. There has to be someone looking for us by now." The last part was said quietly.
Greta was on her feet already, heading quickly for the trees. "I'll be back as soon as I can," she called over her shoulder before she disappeared from sight.
Wolfram let out a deep sigh. Conrad was already several shades paler. The blond reached out, gently placing his hand over his older brother's heart. He could feel the rhythm continuing to slow.
"Sorry." The softly spoken word escaped his lips, startling him as it broke the deadened air around him. He drew a shaky breath, suddenly fighting back tears from his eyes. He called forth his healing maryoku, even though he already knew it was going to do little good. He wouldn't let his brother go without a fight, even if it would only buy a little time. "I'm sorry." And so he sat there, hand aglow, waiting.
Time. Time was an enemy and friend. Wolfram scowled slightly at that thought, but otherwise left it alone. How long had he been sitting here anyway? He knew it had been quite a while, since the sun had moved and was already working its way into late afternoon. Conrad wasn't looking any better, much to Wolfram's dread.
He couldn't believe it. He really was going to sit here and watch his brother die. His stomach twisted as he came very close to being violently ill. He gasped greedily for air, all the while struggling to keep his concentration on the flow of maryoku. One slip up and Conrad's chances of making it through this would be drastically cut.
Wolfram blew out a slow breath, eyes drifting to the trees where Greta had disappeared into. There was a faint hope that she would find someone to help, but in all truth he'd just wanted to get her away from here.
He was going to have to stop using his maryoku very soon or risk killing himself from maryoku exhaustion.
He wondered if the others would understand that. He didn't think Greta would… and Yuuri…
His eyes drifted to the dark haired teen. The young Maou looked so peaceful, lying there among the leaves with the sunlight playing upon his face. Yuuri's life was nowhere near danger anymore. Wolfram just silently prayed that the teen wouldn't wake up anytime soon.
Yuuri had pulled off some amazing miracles before, but Wolfram was certain even the Maou's powers couldn't stop poison. He sighed deeply, forcing his concentration back to the task at hand. Even if it was for only a little while longer, he was going to do everything he could. He owed Conrad at least that much.
"Wolfram!" The shout startled him, nearly breaking his concentration.
He whipped his head around, calling back. "Greta?" His heart twisted painfully in his chest. What was his daughter doing back so soon?
There was a crash of leaves, before Greta appeared, racing towards him. "I found help!" she exclaimed, eyes bright with hope.
Wolfram couldn't find his voice as Gisela came rushing forward. She knelt down beside Conrad, taking over, while simultaneously ordering Wolfram to rest. It was a shock to say the least, and for a few moments Wolfram was certain he was becoming delusional.
He sat there, watching Gisela as she checked Conrad over. "What…" he began, confusion clear in his voice. "What are you doing out here?"
"Well," answered a voice from behind him, making him jump. He whipped his head around to find Yozak, carrying Murata and followed by a very battered looking Gwendal. "After we realized how many of you were missing, we came to help and find out what happened. One of the easiest tracking jobs I've ever done, I must say." He gave a cheeky grin at that, before sobering. "How's the captain?"
"Not good," replied Gisela grimly. "It's like something's draining away his maryoku." Yozak blinked with surprise as the Great Sage tensed ever so slightly in his arms.
"But that's impossible!" snapped Wolfram, sitting forward. "Conrad's only half Mazoku."
"I realize that," answered Gisela calmly. "But it doesn't change the fact he's displaying all the symptoms of maryoku exhaustion."
Wolfram didn't know what to think or say to that. He'd been wrong. Conrad wasn't poisoned, but that knowledge was only a small comfort and did little good to any of them now.
"There has to be something you can do." It was Greta who spoke, small voice pleading with the green haired doctor.
A pained look passed over Gisela's face. "All I can do is delay the inevitable." She bowed her head. "I'm sorry that I can't do more." Her hand still rested against Conrad's chest, a brilliant glowing green of healing maryoku. "This is exactly the same way Julia died." Everyone was dead silent, unable to speak after that. Wolfram felt his eyes burn, making him blink fast, lest tears started to form in his eyes.
"It's not over." All eyes turned to the Great Sage, who had spoken. "Conrad's using his maryoku to anchor Yuuri's soul here. We break that connection and we'll be able to get them both through this."
It must have been the way he phrased it, because Wolfram's mind instantly latched onto a single word. Connection…bond…Conrad and Yuuri…their hands were wrapped tightly around each other's…wait. "Their hands!" he exclaimed, lunging for them. "Separate their hands!"
"STOP!" Murata's sharp order made everyone gathered around freeze. His tugging on Yozak's sleeve was the only thing that caused the redhead to start bringing the Great Sage closer. "Pull their hands apart and you're not going to like the consequences. This situation is very delicate. We can't just turn his maryoku off cold turkey."
Wolfram sat back hard on the ground, suddenly feeling very shaky. "Did this," he began too quietly. He cleared his throat, trying again. "Did this happen because… because of that…the bond they have?"
Murata hesitated visibly before answering the blond's question. "There is more to it then that, but essentially what is needed is a close trust between the two." Yozak set him down just before the two half Mazoku's heads. He reached out, gently gripping both their hands before pulling them towards himself. "Gisela, I need you to keep healing Conrad while I try to break the connection. Gwendal, you do the same for Yuuri."
Wolfram tried to protest, but Murata cut him off. "You've used up almost all your maryoku already. You've done your part, it's our turn now." The Great Sage smiled at him, but Wolfram was still displeased about the whole situation. He didn't say anymore though, knowing full well that time was of the essence here.
Murata took a deep breath, cupping Conrad's and Yuuri's hands within his own. His eyes slowly drifted shut, while he exhaled deeply at the same time. A white glow appeared around the Great Sage, which traveled down the two half-Mazoku's arms before engulfing them completely.
It was an amazing sensation for Murata. The bond between the two was impossible to miss. He'd felt its presence even before he'd completely blocked out the physical world. He was utterly stunned at how strong it was too. They were wrapped so tightly together. Two perfect, complete souls, and it was impossible to tell where one soul stopped and the other began.
The Great Sage felt a stab of guilt at that. He quickly hid the feeling though, hoping that the other two hadn't sensed it from him. That would be the last thing he needed to deal with right now.
Thoughts aside, he set to work quickly, knowing this entire operation hinged on Conrad's maryoku not running out. Slowly he began to pull them apart, all the while projecting a feeling of calm towards them. They relaxed in response, and vaguely Murata could feel the muscles in their hands relaxing as well.
Continuing in a slow systematic way, he gently disentwined their hands. All too soon and with little time to spare, he gently parted the last two fingers, before parting them completely. His eyes slipped open a second later, holding the two hands separately in his own.
The sun was, to his surprise, low in the sky now. It was then he noticed how intently the others were staring at him. He gave them a tired smile in response. "They're fine," he told them, much to everyone's relief. Murata turned his attention to Gisela and Gwendal. "Just keep healing them for another minute or more just to make sure, and then we should be able to move-"
He didn't finish as Conrad let out a groan, startling them. The soldier's eyes fluttered open a second later, much to Murata's surprise. He hadn't thought either of the half Mazoku would be conscious until tomorrow. This could complicate his plan significantly.
An excited babble had gone up, almost drowning out Conrad's voice. "Yu…uri?" he called softly, a fearful note in his tone.
It was Gisela who answered him. "Don't worry, his majesty is alright." She glowered at the other's to hush them. "It's been a long day, get some more rest. There's nothing more to worry about."
Conrad blinked slowly, not completely comprehending what she was saying. His gaze however, managed to find the teen lying beside him. A sigh of relief escaped the soldier, as he saw that the colour had returned to Yuuri's face.
It was however, what happened next that shocked the small group clustered around them. Conrad reached out, tenderly caressing the side of Yuuri's face like that of a lover.
Hidden underneath his hand, Conrad saw Yuuri smile in return at him, whispering his name. That was enough for Conrad to know the teen would be fine. Gently he retracted his hand, letting his eyes drift shut once again. Through it all, Conrad failed to notice that the crowd around them had fallen deathly quiet.
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Hello Hello! And welcome to the end of another Simple Change in Time chapter! I'm the author Alatus, and I've been spending far too much time working on a script for the show I'm directing for college. (shudder)
Okay, now that I've got that out of my system. Hey everyone hope you enjoyed the update. I have to say this was another fun chapter to write. Gave me a chance to play with Wolfram's character, which was a nice change of pace. I haven't written a lot for him, and personally he's not one of my favourite characters so it was a nice challenge.
One thing that came to mind after a wrote this chapter is I don't think I've ever seen Greta and Conrad interact at all in the series or in fanfics for that matter. I wonder why that is. I know with at least this story, though Greta and Conrad haven't really interacted in this, that I had quite a bit of trouble of having her character add something to the story. Like one of the early drafts of the chapter above, I had Greta there the entire time through the chapter and sadly the way it was written I could have taken her right out and nothing would have been missing.
Didn't want to keep it like that, so tossed that draft and wrote another one. I've actually lost track of how many variations I've written for this scene. Oh well.
Just want to give a big huge thanks to everyone who offered to beta read for me. I really appreciate it.
Big thanks also going out to all reviewers. With the last chapter the review count hit over 100, which was a big shock to me. This is officially the first fanfic I've written to hit over 100 reviews while I was still posting chapters. So big thankyous once again!
Anonymous reviews:
incessant insanity: Thank you very much for the high praise. (grins sheepishly) not sure what to say. I've gone on several KKM rampages, devouring every remotely conyuu fanfic in sight. Then I have to sit around for a while and let the archive get some new fanfics. Which sadly takes a while, I wish conyuu was more popular. That battle chapter was actually quite difficult to write. I remember reading a draft of it at one point and thinking that it was really boring. I'm quite proud of it now, I have to say, one of the few chapters I keep going back and reading even though I just posted it recently. With some of the chapters by the time I post it, I can't stand even looking at it anymore. I know with the ending of that chapter I brought tears to my own eyes by one of the things Yuuri says to Conrad, don't remember which line now. Thanks for the beta offer as well. Got a very nice beta working with me, and hopefully the update speed will pick up after this chapter and won't leave you waiting for long periods of time anymore. And by the way, I really love long winded reviews (grins) and I really appreciate you taking the time to write so much about my fanfic and honestly I enjoyed reading every word of it. Thank you so much once again and I hope you enjoyed the chapter!
Twitty: I hope the wait wasn't too long for you and that you enjoyed the chapter. I'm still working on the ending to this story, not sure how I'm going to end it right now. The betrayal arc has so much stuff to play with for a story, especially taking it from Conrad's point of view. Sort of a challenge to myself for this storywriting it from Conrad's perspective, usually with a fanfic I take it from the main character's point of view like Yuuri for example. Those are my two favourite characters as well, I can't stand Wolfram when he's being obnoxious, which was a my challenge for this chapter. The thing I see with Yuuram if (and that's a huge if) they ever did get into a serious relation, which I don't see, Wolfram has to do a lot of maturing and growing up first, which I haven't seen much of. I also agree, Wolfram way to violent and possessive of who Yuuri talks to. Caring through violence, just isn't caring at all. I find it a little creepy sometimes with some of the books and anime I've seen that brushes it off like it's nothing. That's another thing that I thought about playing in a one shot possibly, Wolfram calls Yuuri a wimp and cheater quite a lot and I was wondering if that has any effect on Yuuri. Haven't developed an idea much beyond that though, other than it would be a Conyuu oneshot. Anyway, thank you ever so much the review and really enjoyed reading it and I hope you enjoyed the newest chapter.
Hatori Soma: What can I say? I'm a fan of writing cliffhangers and driving readers nuts. (evil grin) Hope the wait hasn't been too long. Good to know that I've got a good style, I'm always worrying about errors when I'm writing. Though I'm quite pleased with the way this chapter and previous one turned out. Hope you enjoyed the newest chapter and thank you very much for the review.
Blue_Shayde: Tuda! An update and on the very next day too! Hope you've been enjoying the story and thank you very much for the review.
That's it for now! See ya next chapter!