Chapter 14

It would have been nice if the rest of the day was uneventful. Yeah, uneventful was nice from time to time. But no.

"Heika!"

"Ah… yes Conrad?" Yuuri was a bit out of it from what he felt was rejection.

"Sorry to bother you, but there is a little girl claiming to-"

"Yes. She isn't. Her name is Greta." He sighed and nodded.

"Right." He didn't voice how much more sense that made. "I was wondering if you were ever going back to earth. Ulrike said-"

"Shin Makoku is my home. I don't want to go back if I can help it." Conrad nodded somewhat understandingly.

He didn't voice that Yuuri couldn't help it and would have to go back some time. A certain original king had told a certain priestess that Yuuri needed to go back soon. Said priestess let Gwendal know so he could plan the king's schedule properly.

Now Conrad, (along with everyone else minus Greta and Wolfram) did not know about Yuuri's 'situation' on earth; or at least not the extent of it. Those close to him had guesses, but they still didn't understand his desire to never return to his homeland.

"Now about Greta…"

Yuuri was ecstatic when he found out he could adopt Greta. Not only would she be taken well care of, he'd be able to give her what his adoptive family never did. Love.

Despite all that had happened to her, Yuuri knew it was what was inside that counted. Greta was a sweetheart. He could tell this especially when she sat in the flowers and braided them into a crown that was adorable. It looked a little big for her though.

"Hello Greta." Yuuri spoke softly with a smile. She turned around and stood up happily.

"Hi Yuuri Heika! I made you something!" She put the flower crown on his head, all the while he looked at her in confusion. She pouted once he looked at her funny. "You don't like it?" To her surprise he shook his head rapidly.

"I love it! Now I'm thinking if we should try and make this the official crown. I like it much more than the one they make we wear to special occasions." She laughed as he pretended to gag.

"That wouldn't make very much sense though, it may be prettier but the flowers will wilt and then you won't have it anymore." Yuuri nodded.

"You are quite a smart little girl, aren't you Greta?" She giggled. "I have to ask you something."

"What is it?"

"Would you like to be my daughter?" She dropped the flower she had been playing with in shock. "I mean, I want to adopt you and take care you, but only if you want me to. I know we-"

"Can I call you daddy?" Yuuri shut his mouth and nodded with a grin. "And I can call W-Wool... Woof…"

"Wolfram."

"I can call him papa?" Yuuri blinked a few times before laughing.

"You'll have to ask him that, but I have no problems with it." P-Papa… I guess that makes sense, us being engaged and all. It's so strange to think of it that way though. Would he even agree to marry me? Yuuri shook the thought from his head as he watched Greta dance with happiness. He probably would, but I'm too young to marry anyway.

"Daddy Yuuri~ Papa Wolf~ Daddy Yuuri~" she continued to sing their names since she had managed to pronounce Wolfram's name finally… or at least the first part of it.

Yuuri simply laughed and watched her dance around the flowers.

Yuuri brought Greta to his room and found Wolfram sitting in there reading a book. He waved and Wolfram's face lit up when he saw Yuuri, only to become confused when Greta came out from behind him and he saw the 'crown' on Yuuri's head.

"Yuuri, what's with the crown?"

"Our daughter made it."

"Oh… wait what?!" Wolfram dropped his book and was extremely confused until Yuuri explained.

"And Daddy Yuuri said if you said so that I could call you Papa Wolf! Is that okay?" He couldn't have said no even if had wanted to. I mean come on! Huge brown puppy-dog eyes! He nodded and she danced around happily.

So now all Yuuri had to do was figure out everything legal-wise, but that couldn't be too hard right? He was the king; surely he could adopt a daughter with minimal hassle. (He knew that he had a bunch of paperwork to sign.)

Yuuri finally finished the work to adopt Greta. He was told she was asleep in her own room which he told Gwendal he would have painted pink if she wanted. Gwendal was having a ball, even if his facial expression remained rather serious all the time.

Yuuri was so cute, the way he was acting so loving to this child he barely knew; like she had been his daughter forever. The man held back a blush as Yuuri asked him if he could make her a giant stuffed animal or something sometime (if he got the chance to) because he thought she'd like it (and because Yuuri knew Gwendal loved to knit.)

The stoic glare Master just loved cute things, so when Greta bound into the room and jumped onto Yuuri's lap and interrupted the concentration of them both… he couldn't help but give a small smile. Yuuri looked at the 'matching tiara' she had made for both herself and Wolfram and encouraged her to give it to him. (Gwendal tried to imagine how adorable his baby brother would look in flowers and almost died.)

After she left, Yuuri seemed to double his efforts and Gwendal wished he would take all of his work that seriously.

So now Yuuri was walking through the garden, the long way around to his room. He wanted to see Wolfram (and his tiara) but he also felt a pull. He always followed if his magic pulled… even though the last time it gave him a deadly necklace.

Yuuri walked some more and absently reached into his shirt to grab the necklace in question, but realized his hand hit nothing but the skin on his chest.

"What the-" Yuuri was happy it was gone, but he had stopped watching the direction he was going. He fell into the fountain. "NO!" He wouldn't have minded a 'dip' in the water… no, it was the swirl of doom that made him upset.

Why am I going back to earth?!

Yuuri found himself in a pond about a mile from his school. He could see the large building in the distance. He stood up and looked around to make sure nobody was nearby. He then dried himself instantly and thanked whoever decided to give him partial control of the water element.

He stretched and looked around for a building that might have a clock and calendar in it. He shrugged and walked to a gas station nearby and went inside just long enough to verify that it was Sunday afternoon.

It is so strange that I've only been gone about a day! Time changes so weird here!

Yuuri gave the cashier a smile before leaving. Well, he sure as hell wasn't going home, and he didn't know how to get back… so he decided to camp out in the forest nearby again.

I think I'll go to school tomorrow… Crap I don't even remember what the lesson was about. Yuuri shrugged and began his walk to where he had left his old cruddy backpack in the forest… if he could find it.

Sure it was weird being back on earth, but it was impossible for Yuuri to feel scared here anymore. He looked around the streets he walked on and saw things he had never noticed before; from the crack in the sidewalk to the girls who walked near him on their way to his school talking about makeup and beauty. He internally cracked up laughing.

None of them even begin to compare to Wolfram, and I'm certain we don't have anything like makeup there… if only they could see how foolish they're being. He smiled at the thought of no makeup being in their world. So Greta will never grow up to be one of those people who uses way too much makeup and looks like an idiot!

He lost his smile though thinking about her. He had to leave her and Wolfram without him for who knows how long! Last time a few days on earth was a month for Wolfram! At least they had each other to keep company with.

He walked into the school building and remained quiet, but only because he had nobody to talk to. He saw people laughing at his broken bag and his messy hair. He internally shrugged it off. Wolfram had told him 'forget about what everyone else thinks and be yourself' so he planned to do just that.

He walked the halls with a tiny smile, all the way to the classroom. He was about to walk in even though it was early, but he was stopped by a bully before he could get to his class. They blocked his path and he looked up at them in confusion. He was actually about to say something before they spoke first.

"Hey Fuuri, we noticed you skipped school! You've got balls man, but now we're just gonna pound you harder." Yuuri surprised them by actually looking them in the eyes this time, as opposed to quivering in fear and squinted his eyes shut.

"Leave me alone, I did nothing to you." A few of the many people who had gathered to see the beating gasped.

"Oh my God it speaks! And it's retarded!" The largest boy aimed to punch Yuuri with a smirk.

Yuuri quickly caught the side of his fist with the palm of his hand and spun on his heel so he stumbled towards the wall behind Yuuri. He face-planted into it and cried out in pain even though all Yuuri had done was dodge the attack.

"You little bastard!" The two boys who had mostly been there for 'moral support' ran at Yuuri.

The double-black crouched down and extended one legs before tripping the other two boys who ran at him with a sweep of said leg. To Yuuri, the boys moved incredibly slowly. To everyone else, Yuuri moved so fast they could barely see him.

He stood up and sighed as the bell rang.

"Time for class." He walked inside, completely ignoring the mouths agape at the boy's apparent newfound strength and confidence.

"Shibuya! Did you forget to do your homework again?" Laughter was heard at the teachers question even though he wasn't expecting an answer, he never did.

"My apologies, but I lost my homework. If you gave me another copy I will do it and the make-up work as best I can." The teacher stumbled backwards and was speechless for a full minute. He only spoke again when kids laughed.

"Y-You didn't miss any homework, just a two-day quiz. You can study and make up for it on Thursday and Friday or Monday and Tuesday at the latest." Yuuri nodded and smiled.

He internally laughed; hopefully he could take his studies to Shin Makoku before the test. Then if he was ever forced to some back to earth he would be super prepared for the test.

Yuuri spent the night alternating between clearing his area of leaves and looking at his homework. After an hour of moving leaves by hand he had the most brilliant idea.

"I should use water!"

After that epiphany his little 'camp' area was clean with minimal effort, he made a bed frame out of ice and filled it with the swept up soft leaves and plopped down into it with a smile. He sighed and began to do his school work on his make-shift bed. He wondered why he wasn't cold, but then again… it was his ice.

Yuuri was comfortable. He was on his nice little bed in his safe camp where nobody could hurt him, he had eaten some fruit he had found in the forest thanks to some of his animal friends… he had even been able to get all his work done aside from studying! So why did he feel so… weird?

He couldn't really describe the feeling; it was just like something was… missing. Then, obviousness smacked him in the head like a blunt object.

Wolfram. I miss my Wolf. Yuuri sighed. He hadn't noticed the missing comfortable warmth last night because he had been much too exhausted to realize that that was why his sleep wasn't so… fulfilling? Complete? Restful? Either way, it sucked and now he couldn't even fall asleep.

"I-I don't suppose anyone wants to snuggle?" He asked into the woods.

Yuuri turned his head and laughed quietly when several small animals ran up to him. They might have stayed, but suddenly a mountain lion came up and scared the rest away. Yuuri sighed.

"It's not nice to scare my friends away miss." He knew she was the mother of the child he had saved before. "I don't suppose you want to snuggle?" She swished her tail on the ground before signaling her child to come forward. The one Yuuri had saved. Wow mountain lions grew fast.

It was strange how Yuuri recognized the little one, seeing as he was grey-ish before and now he was as black as Yuuri's hair and eyes. He was also almost as big as his mother; he was almost as big at Yuuri. It looked at Yuuri curiously with its wide eyes that pierced through the dark like it was nothing. (To a felid it was nothing.)

He was probably old enough to leave his mom now; actually he might already have but was just staying with her for some reason. Yuuri shrugged and greeted his friend after getting off of the bed.

"How are you? If you wanna be my friend you're more than welcome to but I'll have to give you a name." He warned jokingly. Had Yuuri not been strong, he would have been completely bowled over (and possibly killed) by the 'affectionate glomp' that he gave Yuuri. "Careful now!"

The mother walked away with what would be a smirk if, you know, mountain lions could make human facial expressions. Yuuri pulled his new friend off of him since he was being licked to death by a sand paper tongue.

"You could really hurt someone if you aren't careful. What if I have been a weaker person? You could have killed me." He looked at Yuuri as if to say he knew he was strong, but Yuuri didn't care. He wasn't angry or anything. "So… how about Kuro?" He guessed the big black cat didn't care either way since it simply padded over to his bed and sniffed it curiously. "Ooookaaayyyy then." Yuuri yawned. "Bed time."

He snuggled up with Kuro as soon as he got on the bed, and even though he was nowhere near as comfortable as Wolfram… and he kept getting fur up his nose... but it was still better than being alone.

Yuuri had no trouble getting up in the morning, in fact he felt extremely refreshed and slept better than ever! And skeletons on earth fly like Kohis.

"I. Hate. This. I'm sorry Kuro, but I'll sleep alone tonight if I still stay on earth." Sure Kuro didn't understand his words, but he knew a 'goodbye' when he heard one.

After de-furring himself and cleaning off, he finally grabbed all his schoolwork and made sure to 'destroy' his bed so it wasn't stumbled upon somehow. Yay. School. He knew he didn't really have to go, but if he didn't… well actually he saw no reason to go other than to have something other than sitting around in a forest and trying to go home.

Aaaannnnddddd now Yuuri was depressed.

I miss you.

For those who are even a tiny bit curious; a Felid is a member of the Felidae family of Felis catus (Cats) but more of the 'wild' type. Most would just say feline, but he isn't a domesticated type of beast! He is a mountain lion, also known as a puma, cougar, panther, or catamount… depending on how your language depicts the beast. Felids tend to have lithe and flexible bodies with muscular limbs.

Now that about wraps up my nerd rant. He's a felid. It's not a typo. *Blows kisses to the people flipping her off for being a smart-ass*

R&R