Author's Note: So Chappy 8 is up now. I've been debating with myself what to call the 'two-name' OC. So if they're no protests, I think I'll just call her Ysabel from now on.

Disclaimer: Sadly, I don't own Kyou Kara Maou or its characters. But the OC and Plot are mine… xD sliver lining…

Chapter 8

Ysabel was only faintly aware that the tearful Lady Celi was silently ushering away all the spectators. Brief protests from Wolfram were silenced quickly by Gwendal's 'no-nonsense' gaze and soon, the courtyard was empty save for the two.

You cannot tell him the truth… a voice rang in her head …not yet, at least

Ysabel was literally in no position to argue with Shinou. If you say so, she thought back. Wait, how come you can talk to me through the mind?

My powers may be extraordinary and mind speech may not be a stranger to me, but it drains too much of my powers, I'd rather you come to the tree if you need to talk to me.

Ysabel rolled her eyes heavenwards. Modest aren't you?

Very.

"Where have you been all these years?" Conrad asked finally.

Ysabel closed her eyes as if trying to remember. She wasn't going to tell him the truth, but she didn't exactly want to lie to him either. "I can't really remember…"

Conrad raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"How long have I been 'gone'?"

"Nearly one and a half centauries," he said.

"The day I fell into the river… I think… I was saved by Shinou… then the next thing I knew I was washed up on the beach in Big Simaron." Speaking of which, do you ever intend on giving me back my memories?

I should think so. Yes, I think I will. Is now a bad time?

Not really, no, why?

Ysabel suddenly felt lightheaded. Because… you need to be asleep for me to give you back memories. Then, she fell forward.

The door opened and two female figures walked. The older woman had long, azure hair and wore a soft, white robe as her uniform. Her assistant had long, green hair and wore a similar outfit.

"You said she just suddenly fell unconscious?" Suzanna Julia von Wincott asked.

Conrad, who stood outside the room, nodded and asked, "How is she?"

"She's fine," Julia answered. "Perfectly normal if I may add. She's just in a very deep sleep. Though, I'm perplexed as to why she just suddenly fell asleep. Gisela has offered to watch over her until she wakes up."

Gisela von Christ inclined her head.

"It really is her, isn't it?" Conrad said with a smile that neither medic had seen in a long time.

Julia returned the smile. "Yes, it is," she said. "She is the Ysabel we knew such a long time ago."

"I wonder what happened," Conrad mused aloud.

"Conrad," Julia said.

"Hm?"

"I don't think she was lying when she said she couldn't remember anything," she said. "I sensed a great emptiness within her when I examined her."

Conrad's expression was incomprehensive and concerned. "If that's true, can we do anything that'll help her regain her memories?"

"I don't know," she shook her head with dismay. "Maybe she'll slowly regain them after time, but who can say for sure? You could try bringing her to places you two shared together while you were young."

Conrad was temporarily stunned from her suggestion but smiled when recalling some of the memories that they shared. "Her arrival isn't very timely," Conrad sighed remembering the war.

"Actually," Julia corrected. "It's timelier than you think."

"What do you mean?"

"Moods have been so somber of late because of this war. We needed something that would lighten the tension." She motioned for him to follow her back into the room. Once inside, Gisela closed the door behind them.

Motioning towards the sleeping form of the eighth aristocrat, she asked, "What do you remember of her character?"

Conrad thought. "Someone who's strong-willed, determined and follows her heart."

Julia nodded. "People change over time. She may not act like the person we once knew."

Conrad frowned. "So you're telling me not to expect too much in case she's changed?"

Julia nodded again. "Yes," she said. "That and that if she's still the same person, you cannot allow her to participate in this war. Knowing her, she will want to assume her family's responsibilities as soon as possible. She's still too empty."

She sighed and moved to the balcony. As she looked up at the moon, Conrad came up behind her. "Today…" he started.

"There is a beautiful full moon," Julia finished his sentence. "I can feel it even if I can't see it. The moonlight feels so nice."

Conrad staggered as Julia changed the subject of his sentence, but that feeling subsided as fast as it had befallen upon him. "Yes, it's a wonderful moon."

"I wish this tranquil night could continue forever."

"Me too, but a war is about to break out. This time, even my mother can't do anything to stop it. This may be the last night we will be able to see each other."

"Stop saying depressing things, Conrad," Julia chided lightly. "Even if it may be impossible now, I'm sure everyone will be able to live peacefully eventually."

"The Mazoku and humans?"

"Yes," Julia replied. "An age where everyone can be happy living side-by-side."

Conrad smiled at the thought. "Maybe, one day."

Ysabel woke up in the middle of the night. How long had she been out? She looked around the alien surrounding. She had been sleeping in a four-poster bed in a large room. Beside her was the sleeping form of a young woman whom she quickly identified as Gisela.

I need you to come to the tree. Shinou's voice rang in her head. We have some things to discuss. Then the presence was gone before she could answer.

Sighing, she carefully got out of bed so as not to wake Gisela and moved towards the door but paused before her hand could touch the handle.

Light erupted from the little slit below the door. People are still awake. Shadows moved back and forth. And they're still moving about…

Ysabel looked around. Drawn curtains danced soundlessly in the pale moonlight. She walked towards the balcony.

Looking over the edge, nausea gripped her stomach as she was overwhelmed by the height. She quickly retreated back. Steeling herself, she looked over the edge again to see if there was a way down. She saw a possible route and muttered, "The things I'd do for him…"

Ysabel stepped up onto the stone railing of the balcony. Sparing one last glance back at the sleeping Gisela, she jumped down. Reaching the floor, she made her way towards the spoken location.

"Shinou…" Ysabel whispered. She peered around in the gloom. She could barely make out the roots and braches to avoid tripping over.

"Where are you?" she called out again.

"About time," said a grinning Shinou as he materialized from within the tree, yet again causing her to jump.

"Stop doing that!" Ysabel said instinctively even though she knew that Shinou would never take her complains to heart. Forcing herself to calmness, she asked, "What was it you wanted to discuss with me?"

Shinou motioned for her to sit and she did. He eyed her. "Have you accepted the fact that you are who you are?"

Ysabel was silent for awhile as facts raced in her mind, then she nodded. "I have, as least I think so."

"Good, because there's no changing the fact that you are the one and the same girl I saved back then, no matter how hard it is to digest it."

"Why did you save me in the first place?"

Shinou thought for awhile as he considered his words. "You were willing to give your life for another. That act of selflessness deserves something." He ginned. "Plus, I also have a few plans in mind for you."

Ysabel's eyes narrowed suspiciously. Noticing this, he quickly added, "Nothing that wouldn't be in your best interest, of course."

"Of course…" Ysabel said doubtfully. She wasn't the least bit less suspicious but she was content in letting the subject drop. "What about the memories? I don't think I got any back."

"They're there," he assured her. "You just have to remember them."

Completely baffled by his answer, she decided she'd try this 'remembering them' thing herself first before asking what it meant. "Anything else you wanted to discuss?"

"There is the matter of Hoseki that's still on you mind," he said.

Ysabel lit up in an 'oh-yea-I-forgot-about-that' manner.

"You, like all of the other aristocrats, have a considerable amount of maryoku in each and every one of you. Because I sent you to earth for a fair amount of time, you have grown distant from your powers and that's why you weren't affected by hoseki the first time you saw it in Simaron."

Ysabel raised an eyebrow. "And so by coming back to this world, I reawakened the connection?"

"Something like that. Didn't you ever wonder why you were so adaptable to sword fighting?" he asked.

"Not really…"

"You were always a swordsman who showed much potential in training. So by going into training again, even if it was Simaron training, you awakened that instinct within yourself."

"But I don't think I've used any maryoku while I was in this world."

"But on the contrary," Shinou corrected, "You never wondered how Lord von Voltair and his crew survived the waterspout? Or how you and Josak Gurrier managed to 'drift' to a beach in Caloria which was miles off course?"

Ysabel sat stunned. "I did that?"

"After you and Josak fell into the water, a second waterspout immediately appeared to counter the first."

"So," Ysabel said unsurely. "I can control water?"

"No," Shinou smiled.

"Then what did I do?"

"You manipulated the air in the water to form that spout. You would've made a tornado but the water decided to tag along for the ride. Same goes for how you and Josak ended up in Caloria." His smile broadened. "See, I had nothing… well, almost nothing to do with you ending up on a beach."

"Okay…" Ysabel said, letting that subject drop as well. "I'm guessing I still need work on controlling my maryoku."

Shinou nodded. "Which leads us to the main reason why I called you here, I need to get you a teacher before you start accidently tearing down my kingdom." He said the last bit as a jest of course. At least Ysabel hoped so.

He shook his head. "No," he said. "Ulrike is busy enough with the war. Very well then, I'll coach you," he said brightly.

"What—?" Ysabel said. "Here?"

"Of course here, where else?"

"What if someone comes up here and sees you teaching me magic?"

Just then, a bird flew towards them and flew right through Shinou but swerved away to avoid banging into Ysabel.

"See," Shinou said.

Puzzled and stunned from the display, Ysabel said, "No, I don't see."

"You're the only who can see me up here and a noble practicing magic outdoors isn't the rarest sight in the world."

Ysabel shrugged. She had always been pretty fond of magic and if she was going to have the best maryoku user in this world as her coach, she wasn't about to object. "If you insist, I'm not about to say no."

"Good, you should come up here whenever you can." Looking off to the east where the sun was kissing the horizon. "And one more thing before you go."

"What?"

"I am the closest version to 'god' in this world and I, for one, can read minds. You cannot, under any circumstances, try to alter Julia's fate and decision."

a/n:

Eep, what is that Shinou up to? If you ask me, he's being just a little suspicious about something. (hint, hint)

So, um… thanks for waiting for this update, I needed to rewatch the moon scene to remember the words but as you can see, our heroine's presence is starting to have some effect on the Mazoku, not much I'll grant, but it did change.

To Erisabeisuu: I'm so glad you liked the last chapter and I hope you find this one up to your expectations as well!

To i love athrun: Yay, thank you so much for reviewing and your support. At least I know you're one of my very loyal readers.

To Everyone: Well, thanks for reading. It really means a whole lot to me. Though I'd like to bring up a Author's Note from a few chapters back: This is your last chance to recomend a von 'smth' for our heroine! Personally, I'm stuck... um... help? Lols

(Leans over to reader) What's that? You want to know what that sneaky, dead and sarcastic king is up to? Then, stay tuned for future chapters of Kyou Kara Maou REWRITE!

Until my next update,

Forever,

Val.