Disclaimer: I don't own anything from Kyo Kara Maoh, this is purely fan-made!
Chapter 10: Nightmares Return
"Please thank Lady Cecile again for her generosity," Sara told Yuri soon after they reached the docks, "I'm just sorry we weren't able to enjoy the rest of what she had planned due to suddenly taking ill like that."
"She said it was fine," Conrad assured him before Yuri could answer, "Though mother insists that you come visit again when time permits," he laughed softly before adding, "And if possible, she wants you to bring your brother along..."
There was a long pause before Sara smiled and said simply, "Perhaps."
"Are you really sure that we can't help you in some way?" Yuri asked, looking especially troubled.
"You've done more than enough already Yuri," Sara said warmly, "When I needed you, you were there for me. And that's the same way I need to be there for Yelshi now. Maybe then-" he began unsurely, "-when this is over, perhaps I will come back to visit. But first, we have to liberate him from that place; that dream world that hides a terrible nightmare that Yelshi is trapped in. We'll see what happens after that."
"Your Highness," Berias called, "We're ready to depart."
"Alright," Sara called back, turning to give Yuri one last look and knowing that once they met again, everything will have changed. "Until next time, Yuri. Take care of yourself."
Yuri nodded and smiled, "You too Sara."
"Thank you," Sara replied.
Afterwords, Sara had just turned to leave when-after a moment's hesitation-Yuri grabbed his shoulder and said, "Wait-" then he pulled something from his pocket and put it in Sara's hand before telling him, "Here, this is for luck."
Before Sara could ask what it was, Yuri ducked out of sight inside the carriage and he watched them go in silence. Sara still had the object clasped in his hand when he boarded the ship and didn't look at it until they pulled the anchor to begin their voyage. The shoreline had long since receded by the time Sara unfurled his thin fingers to see what Yuri had given him. And what Sara did find there made breath catch...
It was a silver ring laced with blue butterflies encircling it that were touching wingtip to wingtip and etched directly into the soft metal. The butterflies weren't elaborate but still, as Sara examined them they seemed to flutter as if trying to free themselves from the silver binding of the ring. Still, when Sara flipped it to look inside the rim, he saw that it was engraved with the words, 'Promises are Forever.'
Obviously, Yuri didn't realize that was engraved on the ring but Sara still found it ironic. Yuri had bought the ring back on Earth because the blue reminded him of Sara's eyes when they glowed. More importantly though, it was a friendship promise ring that Yuri had been meaning to give Sara the next time they saw each other and thought this was a good a time as any.
Therefore, with an amused smile, Sara placed the ring on his right forefinger before joining Berias inside since it was still rather gloomy outside because of the lingering storm clouds. Even so, Sara couldn't but fold his other hand over his new ring and somehow feel warmth from it despite the cold bite of metal on his already cool skin.
It was strange, but he didn't mind because it had been his first gift from Yuri that was completely personal and not a political favor. That alone made Sara so happy to the point that he realized his heart was pounding strangely loud in his chest. He also felt somewhat hot in the fact and quickly entered his room on the ship where he splashed some water on his face before staring at himself in the mirror that was bolted to the wall.
Droplets of water streaked down his spools of golden hair and for the first time, Sara grasped the idea that as his twin, Yelshi would look exactly like him. The same gleaming eyes, the same delicate frame, everything...
And, still contemplating this, Sara touched the mirror and his reflection did the same. Though the image looking back at him was both himself, and not quite himself. Then, Sara's reflection began to reach out of the mirror towards him as if to pull Sara inside. Smiling at him with the same beguiling softness that Sara used to try and seduce Yuri when they first met. But it was only when their hands closed around Sara's wrists and a bolt of lightning flashed across his window did he pull away with a startled gasp.
"Yelshi..." Sara breathed resting his hand on the mirror again, "...are you trying to call me again?"
After Yelshi's encounter with Lisa, as feared, she too began to shy away from Yelshi but thankfully did not act cold towards him like the others. Though she had been shy from the very beginning, it became blatantly obvious that Lisa had either been 'reeducated' by Alaric, or told some secret that he was not aware of by the servants...
For although Alaric was constantly removing Yelshi's memories of certain events, secrets that he had stumbled upon, or things he had done, Alaric did not do so to the servants because their weak minds were far more easily broken and damaged by his power. So unless they happened upon something they should not and did as instructed, Alaric left them untouched. And one of those orders was never to become emotionally involved with Yelshi.
That was the only thing that could explain how much Lisa avoided Yelshi as much as humanly possible by keeping busy working in area's that he was forbidden to go; such as the outer gardens that bordered on the woods beyond the Manor. Then again, she might have really just been shy. But still, Yelshi knew better than that and so he resigned himself to the fact that he would never be able to even try to befriend the girl.
He had expected this, though, not so soon...
Obviously, something must have changed and Alaric was getting worried. Yelshi wasn't being the submissive, obedient, meek captive that Alaric was used to despite his occasional outbursts that Alaric wiped from his memory. And Yelshi was sure he knew what it was.
It was Sara.
Alaric knew that Yelshi was aware of his twin brother and had even contacted him. Therefore, his grip on Yelshi was slipping and he knew it. Though that still did not explain the reasoning behind preventing Yelshi from bonding with anyone besides himself. Not that they ever had 'bonded' even when Yelshi was still a small child...
Yelshi never cried in front of anyone even when he was a child, and never laughed either, except in front of one caretaker that he had long forgotten. But something happened to her and she was sent away from the Manor, thus deepening Yelshi's detachment to everyone else. For like Sara, Yelshi yearned to be bonded with only one person. Though Yelshi adamantly refused to let that person become Alaric although they had shared some genuinely good times together; but that was before Yelshi realized it was all a lie and that man wasn't his real father.
Despite all the lies and living in this nightmarish dream, Yelshi had always held onto a small hope that he could be saved from it and see the real world. Even if the real world may be much darker and crueler to him, or so Alaric had always taught him. That too, was likely a lie, but sometimes Yelshi wondered if that statement held some truth.
No world was perfect, save for heaven itself. He knew that. So why did Alaric create such a place for him? Yelshi had always wondered, what nightmare could be waiting for him on that day Alaric was waiting for on his eighteenth birthday? But perhaps, if Sara successfully rescued him, he would never have to know.
That night, as Yelshi closed on the final scene of his copy of Gardens of Deceit, a scream tore through the night and Yelshi tossed the book aside in alarm before rushing for the door. As usual, it was locked so he slammed his entire weight against it. It didn't budge, so Yelshi quickly used his power to turn the mechanism which allowed the door to swing open.
He paused briefly to steady himself after a small wave of dizziness hit him before bolting down the hall to the source of the sound. There were very few guards tonight and that unsettled Yelshi because usually when that happened, there was something that Alaric WANTED Yelshi to find or to see without actually saying it. Again, that was just the warped way that his mind seemed to work because he knew that Yelshi would refuse to do anything otherwise.
Yelshi had just made it to the end of the hall when another blood-curtailing scream echoed through the Manor. "Where are all the guards? Can't they hear that screaming?"
He continued to run until finally, Yelshi came upon the sound of whimpering from beyond one of the doors at the far end of the hall and burst through to find Lisa curled up on the ground with Alaric towering over her with his coldest gaze. "You see now? THAT is why I cannot allow you near Yelshi, for he is that dangerous despite his frail appearance. And if you wish to continue working here, you must learn to hate him before you meet the same fate."
Enraged, Yelshi yelled, "What did you do to her Alaric?!" then Yelshi fell down beside Lisa and touched her shoulder, and began to ask if she was alright when-
"Don't touch me!" she screamed, slapping his hand away and shrinking back, "I know what you are now and I won't let you do the same to me! So stay away!"
Hurt and confused, Yelshi stood up and staggered back dizzily, "Do what? I didn't..."
"He tries to protect you..." she began in a shaken voice, "...but you always reject him when he tries to love you like his own child. And even though you hate him, he still does try to protect you even when Master Alaric knows that a monster like you doesn't deserve to be saved! You are condemned! Do you hear me?! Condemned!"
"That's enough," Alaric said soothingly, steadying Yelshi by taking his shoulders in a very fatherly manner and staring down at the frightened servant girl, "I'm sorry about what I had to show you but I had no choice. Now sleep..." he said in his silkiest voice, "...sleep and forget."
Darkness crept into her vision and Lisa soon submitted to his power and fell into a fitful slumber. Meanwhile, Yelshi just stood there trembling and fighting the urge to cry. What did she mean about him being a monster? How was he condemned? It's not as though Yelshi had ever done anything that horrible; and even if he had, some part of him would have known as much even without memories of the actual event...
Wouldn't he...?
Yelshi stared in front of himself with unfocused eyes and asked in a very distant sounding voice, "What in the world did you show her...? Why did she say that I'm...a..." but from the shock, his knees gave out and Yelshi slid to the ground with Alaric's help.
Wrapping his arms around Yelshi's shoulders and hugging him from behind, Alaric apologized, "I'm sorry you had to see this Yelshi, but you fail to understand that I am the only one you should ever come to love. For I am the only one who accepts you for who and what you are. The rest of the world will not be so understanding of your unique power. Not even that darling brother of yours..."
"I don't...understand. Why are you doing this to me?" Yelshi asked in a pained voice, "I wasn't going to fall in love with her, I just...wanted someone to talk to."
"Talk to me then," Alaric whispered blissfully in his ear, "Tell me all of your secrets, Yelshi. Tell me what you told your brother about this place. I'll be your friend..."
"I didn't...tell him anything," Yelshi replied weakly, "I just wanted..."
"Yes. That's right. Tell me everything," Alaric breathed excitedly, but still retaining the hypnotic tone to his voice.
"I..." Yelshi began when an image of his brother flashed before his eyes, imploring him not to say any more with a shake of his head as if to say 'Don't listen to him, Yelshi. It's a trick. Don't believe him.' And once Yelshi realized that Alaric had drawn him into yet another one of his brainwashing traps, he said more firmly, "No. You'll get nothing from me Alaric. My secrets are my own, as few as they are, and I'll never tell them to the likes of you."
For a moment, there was silence. Then Alaric let out a droned out defeated sigh and slid a hand over Yelshi's eyes before saying, "Perhaps next time then..." and proceeded to rendering Yelshi unconscious as he usually did after a failed attempt to slip into his innermost heart.
Still holding the boy, Alaric inclined his head when someone behind him asked, "Another failure I presume?"
"So it would seem," Alaric answered, stroking Yelshi's hair affectionately as he laid the boys head down on his lap.
"You're getting reckless, Alaric. If you insist upon altering the boy's perception of reality, then I suggest you do it sparingly instead of leaving open crevices in his mind every time you do so. Weakening Yelshi's grip over what is real and what is not like this any further will only allow him to unconsciously seek out his brother Saralegui in more earnest looking for help and for him to then slip into the surface of his brothers thoughts..."
"You think I don't already know all this?" Alaric said coolly, "I have been into Yelshi's mind so many times and I already know many of his secrets better than even HE does. All these stolen memories I've taken, and illusions I've made here, they are the only things keeping Yelshi even remotely happy in wake of what devastating power lurks inside of him. If I could, I would rewrite his entire heart more to my liking all at once, but I can't do that with the level of the power he still possesses despite everything I've done to repress it. The only thing I can do is layer these spells on him in preparation for that promised day that is soon to come. And hope that it will finally make him submit to my will and become who I know he was born to be..."
"I sent a message ahead of us telling my sister that we are on our way Your Highness," Berias informed Sara by the next morning, "Though I have left it up to you to tell her the true reason for it."
Sara nodded simply, taking another sip of his cider, "Thank you Berias, but I already decided to leave her out of this until after Alaric is captured. Because as you said before, we do not know the full story behind Yelshi's abduction yet and it would be foolish to give her any false hope of being reunited with her lost child when there is a chance that they could escape with Yelshi again. But if it comes right down to it, and I need to call in my favor, then I will request for her troops to help invade Alaric's Mansion and tell her everything that has happened thus far. Until then, we keep it to ourselves. Understood, Berias?"
"Yes Sir," Berias replied.
Not too long after their discussion, out in the distance, the misty shores of Seisakoku appeared out of the edge of the sea hours later and Berias could not help but stare at it in wonder. Unlike the last two times he had seen his home, the land was no longer a dying wasteland but a flourishing and beautiful country just as he remembered it.
The sea around it was as smooth as glass save for the silver-laced waves lapping the fine dust-like sands on the shore. And lavish gardens once again surrounded the palace that overlooked the glittering ocean. It was truly breathtaking to see his home once again brought back to its former glory. And it was all thanks to the combined efforts of the Demon King and King Saralegui. Without them, Berias may never have seen this day come to pass without more needless sacrifices...
"Feeling homesick Berias?" Sara asked with an amused smile, brushing some of his hair back to follow his gaze, "I suppose it's only natural since you were born in this land. Then again, so was I, for however short a time I lived here."
Berias glanced at Sara thoughtfully for a moment before saying, "Of course a part of me will always belong here, but my place is at your side King Saralegui. This may be my homeland, but Small Shimaron is my home now. Though if I may be so bold Sir," he said, resting his arms on the railing of the bow of their ship and admitting, "As I told you before, I do not associate many good memories to this place either besides those of my childhood and when my sister rescued King Gilbert from the wreckage of his Warship bound for the Great Demon Kingdom. But after Yelshi's death, what remained of my family fell apart, and soon I left even Alazon's side before the end. And I cannot help but feel that we have come full circle by all of us reunited after all these years' apart, thanks once again to the combined efforts of Your Majesty and the Demon King. So perhaps, once we save your brother, we can fix the rift in our family..."
"Berias..." Sara said seriously, "...we'll find him, but I doubt that will change how I feel about my mother. At least-" he added hastily, "-not right away. There are still too many uncertain factors about Yelshi's situation. But you're right, maybe this will help improve my standing with Alazon. And to her people who still may still have mixed feelings about the return of one of their lost princes. Even more so when we reveal that Yelshi, their second prince, is also still alive."