BloodyPinkRose - I know I'm sorry, but here is an extra long chapter for you all :D. Enjoy, I DONT OWN KKM!

Chapter fifteen: And It All Goes To Hell

Yuuri didn't think they had ever had such a dull breakfast. Normally breakfast was full of life and happiness and laughter. Here, right now there wasn't even shadow of such events. Everyone was drained of strength, sapped of their energy. And he hated it!

A week it had been and a bloody long week too, by now Murata had to be around two and a half months on. He was about double the size he had been at one months but it wasn't much more than a small protruding tummy. If anything, one would just think he had been eating too much and with all the work and stress going around comfort eating would have been a plausible idea.

Yuuri was very much still in awe of Shinou, he understood that the king was dying; they all did but he was still the one that was keeping them all together. He took over Gunter's research when he was tired and wanted to check on Gwendal.

He played with Greta when everyone else was too busy, he picked herbs for Giesela when she was running low and people were too ill for her to go herself, he carried messages for Gwendal, Yozak and Conrad when they were too busy or even acted as a sparring partner.

He took over Yuuri's lessons and was able to make them so much more fun … of course under the guidance of Murata, he was a constant support for Murata in all ways of the word and he was always happy to let Wolfram paint him or gave him tips on controlling his element.

It was hard to believe and accept that a man that was dying was still giving his all for others and Yuuri couldn't even comprehend the sorrow and grief that Murata was feeling. Shinou probably wasn't bothered about having to die.

He had learnt that he had to accept it but Murata, Murata had just got him back after thousands of painful years yearning and he had to lose him yet again, watch it happen again and then he was expected to continue to live on for more thousands of years, having to watch from the side lines as his children were brought up by others.

"Yuuri!" Wolfram's demanding voice brought him back to earth and he was surprised to see one of the royal guards standing by his side waiting to talk to him. His whole family were watching him worried.

"I'm sorry, please continue" Yuuri smiled weakly and the guard nodded and bowed low,

"Heika I bring word that Lord von Grantz has arrived, as of now we are having him escorted to your Excellency, please forgive us if it disturbs his Excellency's meal". Yuuri had never felt so bad in his life, the guard was shaking and dishing out the complimentary names but his voice remained strong.

Having not responded to the guard must have shaken his confidence.

"Adelbert? He's here?! That's great thank you!" Yuuri grinned as if the guard's words had just hit him; the armoured force bowed again and made a quick exit somewhat spooked by Yuuri's strange behaviour.

"Did you forget Yuuri? Adelbert was coming to see Velma, we still need to make sense of all this" Conrad reminded the boy quietly and Yuuri's expression dropped when he remembered all of the other problems going on at the same time.

Shinou chuckled lightly to himself and put his water down, he pushed his chair slightly and changed his position so that he was at a slight angle. His actions did not go unnoticed and he just smiled charmingly when Murata narrowed his eyes.

"You are acting too strange for my liking today, what are you doing, you refuse to eat anything, even when Sangria brought you a fresh basket of fruit! Now it is like you're preparing yourself for something" Murata mused out load.

Shinou pouted,

"I didn't think you would notice but yes that is effectively what I am doing. Preparation will be very important for today's activities. It pained me to not touch that basket of heavenliness but for now it is dire I leave it" he smiled.

Before Murata could bring up a reply the doors were slammed open and Adelbert stormed in his cloak billowing behind him. Guards ran after him trying to stop him in fear of what he would do considering his foul mood.

His grey haired companion Keenan simply followed at a much slower pace, there was no point in rushing Adelbert would do what Adelbert wanted and wouldn't do anything else until it was done and that included calming down.

"What the hell is the meaning of this!-" he shouted but then he swiftly cut himself of when he saw the blonde that looked very familiar to the fiancé of Yuuri the difference he noticed was the clear blue eyes.

Those very eyes flashed deep within his core and he found himself shaking in anger and storming towards that tall thin form before he could even think about what he was doing. All that was on his mind was revenge. This man truly was the cause of Julia's death.

He grabbed the man by the neck and brought him up close, the other occupants of the room drew n sharp breaths and Murata sat shocked, it couldn't have been that Shinou had known that the other was going to attack him and that he was simply making it easier for Adelbert to do so.

"You! You caused her death!" Adelbert roared shaking the Original King around almost jarring the poor man's neck. Giesela stood up with misty eyes; she understood what Adelbert was trying to say but he was going about it wrong.

"Stop! You will injure him critically, Shinou is very sick his body cannot take large traumas like this" she loudly protested but she quickly quietened and sat when Adelbert only shook harder, she feared he would kill the blonde.

"He should die after what he put Julia through! She was a sweet woman who didn't deserve to die like that. Julia gave her everything, her everything to help everyone else and you, you took that away from her" his rage was increasing instead of decreasing.

"Nobody ever deserves to die, no matter what they have done and I gave Julia a choice, she knew what she was doing when she accepted my words. I gave her the two outcomes and she just happened to pick the better despite it meaning that her life would end" Shinou commented quietly.

Adelbert threw his lithe body against the wall and was quick to draw his sword, his anger was such that his hand shook and his teeth mashed together loudly, almost like he was trying to control himself.

"You knew! Don't bullshit me! You knew that Julia cared more about others than she did herself and that was why you asked her because you knew that she would pick the one you wanted. You manipulated and killed an innocent woman who did not deserve it" he stalked closer his sword raised high.

The others around the table stood with their hands on whatever weapon they could get their hands on but Shinou held a hand up to them to wait. He didn't want them to get involved. From what he had seen Adelbert was going to beat the shit out of him but he needed to be rid of steam.

"I still gave Julia the choice and she picked the ones she needed to, I cannot change fate I can only find ways to beat it the way it needs to go and Julia was one of few that could understand this and my reasoning"

"Well let me give you a choice, how about you sit there and let me kill you or you run around and I still kill you. I want you to suffer the way you made Julia suffer as she had to force herself to her own death" he yelled.

Shinou sighed,

"Very well do as you please but killing me will not bring Julia back and neither will it change the fact that you find it hard to accept that she chose saving the world over staying with you" the blonde softly added.

Adelbert screamed and charged swinging his sword around which only set off a chain reaction.

"Shinou!" Greta, Anissina and Cheri screamed in unison,

"Nooo, Adelbert!" Giesela cried,

"Watch out!" Yuuri and Wolfram shouted

Conrad, Gwendal, Gunter and Yozak moved to draw their swords despite the fact they knew they would never make it over there in time. They couldn't believe that Shinou was really just going to sit there.

"STOP!!!" Murata yelled throwing his hands up as he finally snapped out of his shock and came to his senses.

A great burst of wind swept through the room windows rattled dangerously ready to shatter and doors slammed opened and closed. Conrad, Gwendal, Gunter and Yozak were stuck to their spots, their swords still drawn.

When the wind finally calmed and cleared everyone looked around shocked before they turned their eyes to Shinou. The blonde king was lying either to protect himself or because he was unconscious and Adelbert.

Adelbert's hand was frozen in place and his teeth were grit in frustration as he tried repeatedly to bring down his sword but it wouldn't move. "What the hell is this power?!" he demanded, everyone frowned until their eyes rested on Murata as he stepped around the table.

The double black, himself was glowing blue and black wind whipped around him slowly, his long ebony silky locks were flying madly around his face. His eyes were now completely black; the whites of his eyes couldn't be seen. Not even the red nerves that were usually seen.

This was the first time that any of them had seen Murata use his powers.

"Step away from him! After everything he has done for us, for you. Don't you even touch him. You don't even have the right to look at him!" His voice was deep and it was almost as if he had been possessed by something.

He held his hand up and began closing his fist, Adelbert was lifted from the ground and the heavy burly man gasped and spluttered as his windpipe was cut off. Murata couldn't remember ever being so angry.

Power crackled around the room and rain clouds gathered outside, this was not the way that Murata wanted to show his formidable magical strength but in this case it was unavoidable especially since he was so mad.

"Dai … Azalea … he isn't … he isn't worth it … just calm down now … I'm okay, everything is okay now" Shinou's voice was weak and shaky from being jerked around like a rag doll but he slowly stood and despite being disorientated he staggered his way towards the double black … his double black.

When he got close enough Shinou threw himself at Murata and encased the double black in his arms tightly. Crooning, whispering sweet nothings into his ear until he calmed and let the burly man crash to the ground; coughing and gasping to get his breath back.

Giesela ran over to Adelbert and dropped to her knees, her hands holding his back as she checked his vital to make sure he wasn't suffering any lasting damage. Yuuri followed after her worried about his friend's safety.

Gwendal sheathed his sword and crossed his arms, his eyebrow cocked. That had been an interesting chain of events and the day had barely even begun. He wasn't sure what else could be such a bad omen.

Gunter grinned at him but was still secretly in awe, he had always wanted to see what the sage could do. He knew that to stand next to Shinou in the past and be respected among many he must have been someone so powerful, so amazing.

Murata had surpassed so many of his expectations and he had no doubt that what they had been shown was only a small fraction of the double black's power.

Murata was pacing the large room angrily and quickly wearing a mark in the colourful handmade carpet. Shinou sat in a chair opposite him munching on the fruit he had been waiting to eat since that morning. He had recovered from being shaken like a rag doll.

"Shinou what the hell were you thinking?! He was going to kill you! Did you know that was going to happen, goodness did you even care that was going to happen? Shinou …? Shinou! Are you listening to me?!" the double black hissed stalking over to the blonde king and swiping the plum from his hands.

"Azalea you need to calm down, yes I did know I was going to be attacked, certainly he went further than I suspected but even so I knew that he wouldn't kill me. Mister von Grantz is a lot smarter than people give him credit he would not have killed me. If you paid attention to his aiming it was too off for if he wanted to kill me. You truly worry too much for me" he smiled softly reaching out to caress Murata's cheek.

Murata let out a breath and sighed appreciating the caress,

"If you explained what you were doing before you did it then maybe I wouldn't almost have a heart attack and do something rash. I almost killed him, I have waited years to see you again and I wasn't going to let anyone take you away from me again be it friend or foe" Murata said quietly.

Shinou pulled him in closer for an embrace and rested on his shoulder, "If I told you all my secrets I would make you bored besides do you not think it was time they got a taste of what your powers could do. I didn't want them to think my love was weak"

Murata cocked an eyebrow,

"Even so I think it was maybe too much of a power outlet to use at one time, I may have rendered von Grantz scared of me for life. Yuudai told me it wasn't good for the babies if I used my Majutsu" he frowned thoughtfully and Shinou smiled brightly.

"Didn't you hear them? Our children will be strong, during your power display their voices were intertwined with yours"

"How is that even possible by now they couldn't already be fully developed!" Murata cried surprised and Shinou rolled his eyes and pulled a strange expression. Murata pulled back and when he saw the expression he thumped the blonde and turned his back in a huff.

"I should have known, mating with the Original King nothing is bound to be normal about our children. I hope Yuuri and Wolfram are ready to have their hands full" he pondered out loud, strolling towards their huge bed and sitting on the edge.

"It does make me wonder though, if they are showing themselves now, through you, could it mean that they already know who their parents are? They may not accept Yuuri and Wolfram and in that we may find ourselves with a problem" Shinou swabbed another fruit and sat on the windowsill.

The silence drifted on, it was comfortable but their separate thoughts were so very important.

Giesela worked through her tears as she checked the unconscious man's vitals again just to make sure she hadn't made a mistake and he was damaged in any way. The other nurses and patients looked at her worried, they couldn't stand to see their normally so cheerful healer so down.

Doria nodded to Sangria who nodded to Lasagna, they were going to do something about it and there was one person they knew that could do something about this mood of hers ….

"And you came to me for this?" Anissina yawned not looking at the three head maids as she looked into a cage and then wrote some things down onto her clipboard, the robotic pet idea was going really well, the mouse she had made almost acted exactly like a real mouse.

Only she couldn't quite get it to stop releasing a mating scent, the real mice she had in the same cage were always fighting for a go at the robotic one. She wanted it to be real but she was so sure that mice didn't spend their whole lives at each other.

"Well … yes, we didn't know who else to turn to" Lasagna spoke quietly, wringing her hands together nervously and the vibrant redhead looked up at them for a moment before she sighed and placed the clip board in its holder.

"I don't have the time to look after her, why didn't you go to her father, I have plenty of work to do and with Gwendal telling me that we must be ready for some kind of war I need to make something that will work and will be useful" the woman huffed.

"Lord von Christ is terribly busy with his duties as of late and we cannot pin him down. We also thought that maybe she may wish to have a company of a fellow lady" Doria replied countering the reply. She wasn't going to take no for an answer.

Anissina snorted before she threw her head back and laughed loudly, the sound bouncing off the walls. When she was quite finished she was holding her stomach, tears of mirth streaming down her face, the three maids thought she had lost her mind.

"Gunter? Work? Duties? The three cannot even be in a sentence together but I guess you won't take no for an answer so the burden is left to me. I see, well then I shall do as you wish" the redhead grinned before she took off.

The three maids sighed in relief.

Giesela sat in her own private office and sniffed holding her head in her hands, Julia had been her best friend and she had seen the amazing woman pass on. Julia would never have wanted to cause so much pain with her decision.

It may have been Shinou who gave her the choice but even if he hadn't, Giesela knew that the woman would have chosen the same choice. If only Julia had been able to talk with Adelbert, maybe then he wouldn't be so bitter.

Giesela promised to take care of him and she had failed.

"Stop crying"

A tissue was shoved under her nose and Giesela blinked and recoiled back in surprise she looked up and when she saw the somewhat irritated face of Anissina she gave a watery smile and took the tissue from her.

"Thank you but what are you doing here?"

"A Sergeant never shows her soldiers her emotions; Julia would be disappointed to see you this way!" Anissina may not have been close to Julia or Giesela but she was going to do her best to make everything better.

Giesela nodded sharply and wiped the last of her tears away, she didn't know what had come over her but it felt like she was under a great depression and she didn't know how to get out of it. "I apologise I don't know what came over me"

Anissina sighed and took a seat in one of the comfy black seats in front of Giesela's small modest desk, "There is something ominous looming, I think this may be the reason for many of people's bad feelings but I haven't made anything to test it out yet" she replied.

The silence dragged on after that,

"Anissina …" Giesela started nervously, she had never really had the need to talk to the older red headed woman. The topaz eyed redhead made a sound to show she was listening but made no attempt to make a verbal response.

"I know we don't really talk but I really appreciate you coming up here to talk to me. Lately I've felt so alone, everyone has someone that they can talk to and be comforted by but I don't have anyone so I … well I …" she trailed off not knowing how to finish.

Anissina smiled and nodded,

"That is where you are wrong, they may all have their other half but I know that if any of them knew how you were feeling they would drop everything to come to you. That is how our large, even dysfunctional castle family works"

"B-But .."

"Besides I don't have anyone and even when I'm busy in the lab I don't mind if you wish to have company and just sit there with me. Sometimes you just have to take the plunge and you may find that people surprise you"

Giesela's eyes misted over again and Anissina frowned,

"Come on, don't start crying again!" she complained and Giesela giggled slightly.

"Anissina, thank you!"

"So this is where they are keeping you?!" his voice was silky and the tone somewhat lazy but danger was a serious undertone. The tall, lean man stepped out of the shadows and Velma hissed when she saw him.

"So the dog arrives, where is Adelbert?" she hissed, angrily straining in her bonds,

The man smirked, "Busy. If I'm the dog that makes you his bitch, right?"

"Don't you patronise me Keenan!" she spat struggling harder, the pale haired man just watched her in amusement. He didn't know why Adelbert insisted on her following them around. The leggy redhead had nothing but her sharp tongue and spread legs to offer and she wasn't Keenan's type.

"Don't just stand there you ignoramus, get me out of here!" she shouted and Keenan leaned against the wall, he was going to wait until a guard came with the key and just get him to open. He didn't see the point of busting her out.

"Where is Adelbert?" she asked again giving up on her bonds, Keenan sighed. It seemed he wouldn't even get to wait in quiet. Velma had always been so very annoying when she was bored. He was more the silent type.

"As I told you he is busy."

"Did he send you?" she asked narrowing her eyes as she tried to stop herself from screaming at him. The man seriously knew had to rattle her cage and as soon as she was free she was going to do something about it.

"No"

"Then why the hell did you have to grace me with your less than welcome appearance?" she asked

"Curiosity"

"Didn't you ever hear the saying Curiosity killed the cat?

"Yes. Satisfaction brought him back"

Velma seethed, if only she hadn't been bound, the man was so infuriating.

"Stop replying in monosyllables"

"I'm hinting you to stop talking but I guess being a bitch you're too dumb to realise that" he sighed in pity before turning to leave. He didn't want to waste anymore of his time there when he could find something more interesting to do.

Her light amethyst eyes flashed

"Keenan! Keenan don't you dare leave me down here! Keenan!" the redhead shrieked but the mostly silent follower of Adelbert had already left her down there alone.

The next morning Yuuri woke to loud banging on his bedroom door. Wolfram was startled and launched himself upwards looking at the door in fear; he was still disorientated from being woken up in such a way.

Yuuri frowned and ran over to his door, the moment it opened Gwendal, Gunter, Conrad, Yozak and Murata stormed in and they all looked pissed off. Yuuri rubbed his eyes and plonked himself on a chair while they all stormed around the room muttering about whatever had annoyed them.

"What is going on guys?" Yuuri asked mid-yawn and they all turned to him almost angrily but seeing his half asleep state knew there would be no point to keep at it.

"Someone in this castle gave wind of Murata's present state and of Shinou there is a large crowd outside the castle gates waiting to see him so that they can get his blessings" Conrad explained and Yuuri fell off the chair in shock.

"HEIKA!" Gunter rushed forward to catch him and threw an evil look at Conrad, it was one thing being woken up by banging but to then be shocked while he was still half asleep. They should have gone with his idea and waited until he was fully awake.

"What do you mean someone gave wind? Who could have told people? Murata's present state do you mean about him being pregnant?" Yuuri gasped as he was helped up by Gunter. Gwendal shook his head.

"The news of the sage being with child is still under wraps but as for Shinou everyone in New Makoku will know by now that he is here", Yuuri gulped and looked at Murata; surely his friend would be pissed by this development.

"I am by no means pleased by this but we'll have to work with it. the only way that the news could have got out would be from when Lord von Grantz was shouting this morning he may have happened to alert … the more untrustworthy castle workers" Murata suggested his chin rested on the back of his raised hand.

"How is he taking this?" Yuuri asked almost hesitantly.

Yozak sighed,

"We have yet to inform him, his eminence doesn't think this is a good time to bother him"

Yuuri blinked,

"That is really strange, where is Shinou? Isn't he normally around at this time following you or playing jokes on you Murata?" the Sage's eyebrow twitched dangerously as he thought of all the pranks he had been subjected to.

"He has gone to see Yuudai. I shall think of what can be done to ensure his safety" that was the only explanation he gave before he left the room his purple robes swishing and billowing behind him as he left.

Yuuri cocked his head to the side and Conrad smiled, "Shinou doesn't like to leave Yuudai alone in the tower prison. He always goes up there to sit and talk with him early in the mornings against his holinesses wishes that he stays in bed and rests"

Yuuri nodded, accepting that explanation.

"That still doesn't answer our own problems with the crowd outside!" Gwendal began and the others nodded and soon they were passing ideas around of what they were going to do.

Shinou busied himself around the small room, it was warm but not as to be toasty, Yuudai had always hated it when the temperature changed from warm to toasty, he always complained that his pale complexion would be ruined and that people carried around a repulsive scent.

Whenever he thought it was getting too warm Shinou was sure to slip away and open a window, he wanted to make sure that his brother had the utmost comfort while he was in this strange state. Shinou was glad that he had at least stopped muttering to himself.

He lent back in his lounger chair and sighed deeply, he was really tired and there was still so much that he had to do and it was but morning still. He didn't even know where the days went one minute it was morning and then his day went so fast it was the next morning before he even knew.

"AH HA! So this is where his majesty is hiding" Greta smiled as she skipped into the room pulling the tall leggy blonde ex-Maou after her. Cheri looked to the pale man lying almost deathly still and then gave the Original king an apologetic look to which he gave a forgiving smile.

"I'm sorry Shinou are we bothering you? We can always come back and find you later if you like" she spoke softly as if raising her voice would wake up Yuudai's dormant body. Shinou waved a hand in dismissal and pointed to the other small couch in the room.

"There really is no need, I was just making sure he was alright and he had everything he needed", Cheri nodded smiling softly as if she were feeling sorry for him but he didn't mind. She meant no ill will towards him.

"Why isn't he waking up? Normally Yuudai likes to be up early so that he can sneak to the treasury before people wake up. He made me promise not to tell and said that I could even go down with him but lately he doesn't come to meet me" Greta asked.

Both the ex-Maou and the Original king looked at the girl confused.

"Treasury?" the questioned in unison and she nodded.

"Yuudai told me that quote 'The treasury is the only place I can go because the magic in the artefacts down there will mask my powers at work'. Yuudai insisted that you knew Shinou and that you didn't mind as long as no one else knew" the young girl blinked when they just stared at her.

"B-But how can that be? I heard that he was retired! That he didn't practice magic anymore since the death of his Sun!" Cheri had a hand clasped over her mouth in horror, it couldn't be what she thought could it.

"He is … was retired. He swore never to touch a magic book again. Especially not the magic book, he swore he would never go into that book again but it was stored here" Shinou panicked, he always did when something he hadn't seen happened.

"Greta tell me, does he use a big book, a really thick book that is murky red with a gold trimming on it and there is a picture-"

"-of a little fairy with an alcohol bottle that has a really bad temper when Yuudai slams the book shut. That's the book he uses and he always curses the little fairy when she doesn't hold the things he needs within the book, he told me that over the years she added more spells to the book" Greta cut in smoothly.

Shinou paled considerably, this was extremely bad news. That was the same book that tricked Yuudai into bringing their father back as the ghoulish beast he was as present. It just couldn't possibly end well; nothing could with that book involved.

"Lady Cheri please alert, Gwendal, Conrad, Yozak, Wolfram and Daikenja to hurry to the treasury. I suppose Yuuri will wish to be present so bring him too but tell them to heavily guard him" Shinou then dropped to one knee and looked Greta square in the eye.

"I need you to take me to exactly where Yuudai went every morning alright? I promise you aren't in trouble and neither is Yuudai I just need to have a little look at what he was doing" he murmured and the girl bit her lip nervously before she nodded.

She grabbed Shinou's still pale hand and ran out the room.

None of them even saw the grin on Yuudai's face or the hand twitch.

When the door at the bottom of the tower slammed shut he sat up and shook slightly, a pale sparkly dust erupted and Yuudai pouted before standing up angrily. Every step he made had this sparkly dust trailing him.

"Well this just won't do at all! That scoundrel must have done my spell wrong, how am I supposed to do as he wished when this trail is following me" he stamped his foot and two pale blue eyes opened. He looked down at himself and sighed,

"I guess I won't have to wonder what it would be like to be a guy but he really needs to be a bit more masculine, stupid Yuudai" the Yuudai look alike stomped her foot again before running to the door but instead of stopping to open the door she kept running …

… and ended up flat on their back.

She moaned and grabbed her aching Yuudai like head before standing shakily, "I'll never get used to actually having to open a door" she grumbled slamming the door open before storming down the stairs with a slowly awakening smirk.

"It's been so long but now I can wreck some havoc until that idiot is ready to come back" her laughter was short and quiet but had anyone heard it they would have been running for the hills in fear for what was coming next.