Disclaimer:I don't own anything! Kyo Kara Maoh is not mine and neither is Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicles. As always, I am only a huge fan. No profit is made except the pure enjoyment of both series.

Yuko shows them the final events that the mirror wishes to show them. Which ends up being most of the events before the other Yuri escaped to their world. The most dramatic being the murder of the other Conrad and the torture of the other Yuri over his years of captivity. Conrad feels the pain of the death blow to his other self even though it doesn't physically effect him. Soon after that, they see the night of the other Yuri's escape and are brought back to Yuko's shop after falling into the water along with him. There, they find Yuri and Wolfram waiting for them. Yuri telling them he saw the whole thing through his other. Soon after that, Yuko informs them of the payment needed to compensate the level of info that the mirror showed them. Asking for the unused 'keys' inside Conrad, Yuri, Wolfram, and Gwendal and telling them a bit of background about why those body parts were chosen to bear those keys. Afterwords, Sara remembers the lingering threat of Syaoran laying in wait for them and offers to pay the price himself to buy them enough time to release this feather from the other Yuri and keep them both out of harms way. Yuko agrees but says that it had been a long day and they all needed to eat and then get some rest. But instead of going with them, Yuko says that she's going to check on the other Yuri, when in fact, he also had his own wish to ask of her...

Chapter 13

"There are limits to what we can do. Instead of regretting what we cannot do… it is better to do anything we can do. Even if what we do does not bring us to our final goal… it brings us that much closer to it." XXXHolic

The scene then dissolved around them again and a new one took it's place. And again they saw the other Yuri, but at a different age. This other Yuri was older then. About seven or eight years old now. Astride his mare next to a cloaked man. Which they assumed was the other Conrad. That's when they knew the image had flashed forward to the evening that Conrad Leonheart died. Leading up to Yuri's capture.

Yuko began telling them the story of this night, as they watched it unfold. "Unlike your own Conrad, this one can use small magic and so was able to hide them from those who were looking for them. And escape the notice of those who were not."

The other Conrad removed his hood and led his horse and the other Yuri's into the forest, and they followed after him. Staring at his back. And as though he could feel their presence, the other Conrad turned sharply. Making them gasp. The original Conrad especially.

This Conrad, instead of having a scar on his right eye, it was across his face. Starting above his right eye, going across his nose, and ending just below the left eye. Other then that and the actual clothes he was wearing under the cloak, they looked exactly the same. Even age wise.

The original Conrad touched his own face and could feel the scar even though it wasn't physically on his skin. This must be what Yuko meant about feeling what the other feels. As they watched them, the sunlight began to fade and the two made camp. The other Conrad writing runes into the bark of the trees around them. Shielding them from unwanted eyes. Though the only eyes still upon them for now, were Yuko, the original Conrad, Murata, Sara, Berias, Gunter, and Gwendal.

"This is the day it all began. It was this Yuri's eighth birthday, and the two of them were enjoying a brief respite from all of their running. Unaware that they had been betrayed. For their pursuers found the runes, and skillfully altered them and defused the spell around the two of them..." Yuko nodded and they saw figures appear out from the dark. Like living shadows, closing in on the unsuspecting pair.

"How did they find them?" Berias asked.

"By someone from the other Conrad's past betraying them. Because you may not see it, but the world was dying even then. Collapsing in on itself. Eating itself alive or otherwise being torn apart piece by piece. Now, prepare yourselves," Yuko warned, "Things are about to get a little graphic..."

Conrad gasped as the memories of the other Conrad assaulted his mind and body as they watched it unfold. It flickered from him looking on the scene himself, to seeing and feeling it through his other self. The horrifying scene unfolded before their eyes. And none of them able to do anything. They saw the men close in and attack them mercilessly. Killing even the other Yuri's horse before the child's horrified eyes. Then, came the worst moment of all...

Conrad could feel the thoughts and emotions going through his others mind as the blow was struck. They stared as a blade suddenly tore open the other Conrad's back. Rending flesh and bone, shooting unimaginable pain throughout their bodies. Both Conrad's arched their backs as the searing pain lashed across their spines, both screaming as they felt the same pain. The original fell to his knees, sweating heavily, and panting. His spine hot, like it had been branded with fire. Yet nothing had physically harmed him.

"Conrad!" Gunter knelt down next to him but Conrad shook his head.

"I'm alright, I've felt worse. I can endure this." But Conrad trailed off as he and the rest of them watch the next part of the tragic tale unfold.

The other Yuri, covered in the blood of his horse, fell down next to his adoptive father and after a moment to process what had happened, he took the oversized sword from his hands. Desperation, sorrow, rage, despair filled his young dark eyes and he attacked like a wild beast. Trying to at least honor his father by delivering justice upon his killers. But they easily overpowered the boy. And tore Yuri away from his father. Leaving the other Conrad laying there in cold blood.

"This is horrifying...I can't believe that he had so suffer so much. And at such a young age too..." Gunter said, holding back the tears of sympathy welling up in his eyes.

"Unfortunately, this is only the beginning..." Yuko warned. Once more, the scene changed around them. So that they could see the rest of tragic events that followed after the other Conrad's untimely end...

The other Yuri was just a young boy, but he had been through such violent tortures that would have broken the spirit of any grown man. Like being strapped to a barbed chair and then plunged into a glass chamber filled with ice cold water, to the point of drowning. And then pulled back out again. Gasping for air, racked with shivers from the cold waters. Only to be dunked again.

"Oh my god..." Sara covered his mouth in horror as they watched the whole thing. "They did this to a child? Just to wake that power?"

They watched in a horrified silence as the other Yuri endured torture after torture. Until at last, they were forced to stop before it killed him. This went on for a few years, however, they never managed to break the child's spirit. When they looked into his eyes, Yuri's gaze remained strong and determined. No matter what those men tried on him, the other Yuri endured. Since he had a promise to keep.

At last, it flashed forward again to the current Yuri that they knew. To the night that he escaped and came to their world. The other Yuri was sitting in his room when the manor was attacked by old allies that he no longer recalled. Since Yuri had been so young when he knew them. When the manor was attacked, a pair of his captors came to drug Yuri and bring him to a secure location. Unwilling to give up on him just yet.

Conrad and the others watched his bravery as the other Yuri attacked them, even though he was unarmed, knocking one of them against a wall, unconscious, and tackling the other to the ground. They rolled on the ground until the other Yuri punched his lights out violently. But there were recruitment's closing in on him from both sides of the hall. There was no escape.

So the other Yuri did the only thing he could, he turned on heel and lept out the window. Shattering the glass with his body. Landing two floors down with a skillfully light step and a roll to absorb the shock. Just like Conrad would have done. However, that's how the glass had gotten embedded in his feet.

The rest of them were warped outside and followed after the other Yuri. Running in the rain with the same terrible wounds as he had the night that they met him. He rain with no hope of escape, as they were hot on his heels. So Sara and the rest of them watched to see what had happened.

Then, suddenly, like falling into a mirror, they all fell into the water along with the other Yuri. Water pressing in all around them. Pushing and pulling at their bodies like claws, trying to wrench them apart. The world twisted around them. Molding back into the world where Yuko's shop was.

Where the original Yuri and Wolfram were waiting for them. Having seen all they needed to see. Or could, without paying a larger price to learn more. The vision, was over...

When they returned, the original Yuri and Wolfram were there to greet them. Much to their relief. Their faces lit up and heedless of the tragic events they had seen, they all hurried over to the pair of them. Berias helping Conrad since he was still a little out of it from feeling the death blow of the alternative Conrad.

Of course, the rest of them had their normal reactions. Gunter broke out into tears and rambled on and on about how worried he was and how he wanted to bear all his King's burdens and all that. While Gwendal smiled his kind smile and told Yuri how relived he was that he was awake. Keeping his cool, yet there was more tenderness in his eyes. As though this experience made Gwendal appreciate his young King more as who he was.

While Sara, who was still unused to such sentimental feelings, just smiled warmly and nodded to Yuri, "I'm glad, that you're alright Yuri. You had us worried you know..." His eyes became tender as Sara thought honestly about how sad he would have been if they had lost Yuri. Either of them. Especially after learning about the horrors that the other Yuri had lived through.

As for Berias, he cared about the Demon King in regards to how many ways his kindness saved his own King. Though, he too was relived. But something troubled him that had been pointed out before. About how they felt towards the original verses how they felt about the alternate whose future they had just seen.

Berias knew for a fact that although Sara had changed dramatically, he still wanted Yuri for himself. Just not in the same way as before. And then this alternative Yuri shows up. Tempting his King to pursue him just like Conrad was starting to.

Then Murata had found a new found respect for both Yuri's. Never truly seeing just how brave and selfless they both really were until he saw one born under different circumstances remain true to his kind and determined nature. As the Wiseman, Yuri had been his last hope to save their world and the Great One. And neither HE nor the Great One really paid that much attention to who had originally possessed Yuri's soul before he existed.

They had used him and Julia who came before him. Erasing the rest of them from his soul's memories. So it seems that now, one of those people was very important to what was happening now. And it would change the way he thought about his friend and King forever.

And lastly, there was Conrad, who smiled as well when he saw Yuri. Only, his feelings towards him remained the same even after all this. The original Yuri was his King and his Godson. And Conrad only loved him that way. They shared a bond that would never change or fade, one that seemed like it would crossover even to other worlds. However, when their eyes finally met, Conrad discovered that something HAD changed. Yuri seemed determined and filled with renewed vigor. Which Conrad smiled wider about. It seemed that he and Conrad's younger brother had finally told each other their feelings. Mostly because of how much more confident Yuri seemed with himself.

Yuri walked down and smiled briefly at them before his face fell and he looked sad, "You don't have to tell me what you saw...I already know. It was weird, but, when you guys began seeing those certain events near the end, the other me saw it too. And then, so did I. I don't know what to say Conrad..."

"It's fine Yuri. It helped me understand the other Yuri much more and why he reacted so strongly that time he saw me." Conrad reassured his King that he was fine. In fact, now that they were back, he felt much better. So Conrad turned to Berias and said, "I'm alright now, but thank you Berias."

Berias smiled back, "Any time, Lord Weller."

"Now I'd like to ask for the payment," Yuko informed them, "I would have taken it before, however, I did not know how far into his life it would show. It seems I must ask for a greater price then I had supposed..." she rested her hand on her chin, smiling at Yuri with that knowing smile, "I assume that you've taken care of what you needed to with your fiance'?"

Yuri blushed but nodded, "Y-yeah." then he remembered what he just said, "So um, Yuko, what is it that you want? I want to help pay the price too even though I didn't actually go. I want to help out in any way I can!"

Yuko chuckled, "You really are just like them..."

"Eh?" Yuri blinked.

"Never mind that." Yuko said simply, "Now, the things I'd really like from you are still in your own respective worlds. And as I've already informed King Saralegui, as rare as his power is, I cannot accept it since he will need it someday. However, there is something you four can give me." she gestured at Yuri, Wolfram, Gwendal, and Conrad, "You four, were once the keys to something called the Forbidden Boxes correct?"

"Yes, but those no longer work as keys anymore since the Originators are no more." Gunter said, like the rest of them growing tired of questioning how Yuko always knew so much without asking.

"Ah," Yuko smiled, "But they are still keys by nature, and they also have something else embedded in them. With the right magic, they could become new keys to other objects. Sort of like a skeleton key. Now what interests me is that it was no coincidence that those particular parts of your bodies were chosen to bear the keys. They are reflected from events that have or will happen to those other four. Not your alternates mind you, I mean Princess Sakura, Syaoran, Fai, and Kurogane. I believe that King Saralegui told you what Yuri told him about Sakura. So you may already have seen a few connections to things that have happened to yourselves. First of all, the clone Syaoran lost his heart and was controlled by another, being forced to attack those he cared about most..." she glanced at Wolfram who bowed his head, still ashamed every time he remembered that day. But Yuko kept going, "Now remember, the events don't have to be exactly the same, only similar. Next, Syaoran ate Fai's left eye to obtain magic to gather the feathers. And it was the left eye of that one who was that key," Yuko turned to Gwendal next, who just nodded to confirm it, listening quietly. "After that, Kurogane cut off his own left arm in exchange to protect someone he held dear. Being given a new one by a powerful being, so that they could continue to fight." whenever she turned, it was to face the person with the key that reflected these events. And in answer, Conrad unconsciously grabbed his left arm. An arm that wasn't his own. Then finally, Yuko turned to Yuri, her eyes narrowed, "You also bear a key from a reflected event. But you bear more then one event, as you well know. As the other you is an example of this. You, Yuri, are the closest being in nature to the Princess Sakura, who owns these coveted feathers and powers. Beloved by all elements, the power to see the truth, with the power to surpass time and space. It is your key, within your blood, that is of an event that will happen soon. I have no doubt that it will happen to her, I only hope that it will not happen again. That will be the price for the information I gave you about the other 'Yuri'. I will take your 'keys' as payment for that. All that remains now are the prices for the procedure to remove the feather safely and how to return to your own world to face Syaoran..."

"How are was supposed to do this if we can't even get past him?" Sara pointed out, "The other Yuri fought him and even with his newly awakened powers, he was no match for that young man. And our Yuri warned that even his Demon King form wouldn't have been enough. I hate to ask for more at this point but is it possible for us to get something from you that can seal this Syaoran long enough to finish this process?"

"Of course. I'll need payment though." Yuko reminded him.

"Then I'll personally pay for that with whatever I can offer. It's the least I can do to make sure that neither Yuri gets in harms way again." Sara smiled at Yuri but thought to himself, I don't know what this woman means by my powers being needed someday but I want to be of use as well. I owe both Yuri's for protecting us from Syaoran's attacks. And they're both friends of mind as far as I'm concerned. So if I can do this much, then that's enough.

"That is a good point Your Highness," Berias noted, "His magic is foreign to us and so even if we combined our skills, I doubt we could beat him. And as His Majesty says, we can't risk harm befalling King Yuri or his other self during this delicate procedure."

Yuko nodded, "Very well, we will discuss that later. But before that, it's been a long day and I for one need a good glass of Sake'!" she smiled impishly, "You're all welcome to join me in a drink. We have plenty of time to take care of business so you may enjoy a meal with me and then we'll set you up with Domeki, Watanuki's best friend."

"He is not!" Watanuki protested, bursting out of the shop, "I hate his guts! We're acquaintances and that's it!" however, he quickly remembered his manners and cleared his throat, "I've already started on dinner since I didn't know when you'd get back. Is a stew pot alright since there's so many of us? Oh, and we're almost out of Sake' Yuko, however there's plenty of beer and a few bottles of wine left. Want any of those?"

"I'll let our guests choose at dinner. Thank you Watanuki." Yuko walked over to him and offered the mirror, "Put this back in storage. Afterwords, I think I'll check on our patient. So please tend to our guests and I'll join you shortly."

"Ok..." Watanuki raised an eyebrow but knew better then argue with Yuko.

So without another word, Yuko left and the rest of them followed Watanuki once again into the dining room. For now, just glad to be together again and able to relax at least for a little while. The other Yuri needed time to heal and the rest of them needed to forge a plan of action. However, there were a few individuals who had wishes of their own to ask of Yuko. And Yuko was about to speak with one of them...