Shades of Violet

One: Mauve

This is too easy, thought Saralegui, almost contemptuous. His smile masked his inner emotions perfectly, and the soukoku barely an inch away had no clue of them at all.

Yuuri's eyes were wide as they stared into the blonde's calm gold orbs behind his violet-tinted spectacles. The other boy's cheeks were distinctly flushed, even after taking into account their combined body heat and close quarters inside the uncomfortable wooden coffin.

Saralegui banished the urge to smirk in triumph. The Maou was completely in his power, albeit not hypnotically. The young king of Shou Shimaron had more to him than his immense houryoku – he was beautiful, and he knew it. By now, Yuuri knew it too.

It hadn't really taken much work from the blonde himself. Yuuri gave him so many opportunities to get close to the soukoku – that time at the dance in Dai Shimaron, for one. Saralegui had not expected the Maou to attend, and certainly not in a dress. He did have to admit it was a disguise of some merit, though Yuuri's klutziness and voice gave him away too easily… otherwise, the Maou might just have passed for a girl.

Then he'd come to Caloria to visit Flynn Gilbert. Timing his own arrival to coincide with the Mazoku's had not been difficult. An apology, a reminder of their previous meeting and a suggestion of allying Shou Shimaron with Shin Makoku was all it took; Yuuri agreed to come to his kingdom almost immediately.

Once there, Saralegui had worked on him nearly constantly. The day Yuuri and his retainers had arrived, he'd offered them the use of his palace's hot spring baths. Naturally, he'd known very well that only a few would be able to enter the place, as full of houryoku as it was.

At the memory, the blonde had to suppress a grin. Yuuri was just so easy…

(Flashback)

"Sh-sheep?!" The soukoku's eyebrows twitched violently as three sheep brushed past him on their way into the baths.

"Sheep baths are something the Shimaron area is famous for, after all," said the orange-haired man whose name Saralegui had not bothered to remember.

"Indeed, that is the case," agreed the blonde, emerging from the changing rooms behind them. "Yuuri, I apologize for being late, but there were some matters of state…"

"Oh, um, no, don't worry, we're fine, really," stuttered Yuuri, blushing so dark that it was obvious even through the fog of steam that filled the room.

The other soukoku, the one everyone called the Great Sage for some reason, gripped the Maou's shoulder. "Shibuya, I think the heat's getting to you," he said lightly. "Do you feel alright?"

"Um… yes, yes I do…" Yuuri grinned with false brightness at his friends, though the color in his face did not fade.

Saralegui hid a smile at the other king's obvious discomfiture and instead put a worried expression on his face as he drew closer to the Mazoku. "Yuuri, are you sure you're okay? I'm sorry; these baths probably would have such an effect on you, since they're powered with houryoku…"

"No, really, I'm fine." The Maou rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "Sorry to make you worry about me, Sara. Let's go into the water, shall we?"

The blonde smiled, pretending to be relieved. Of course, he'd known that the presence of houseki and houryoku didn't affect Yuuri. "Okay. This is the first pool; the water's temperature rises progressively from this pool to the last one, so that we're accustomed to the heat."

"Just like those huge onsen baths on Earth!" Yuuri happily splashed into the pool, swimming over to the seats built into the walls. "Ah, it's been so long since I've gone to an onsen…"

"There are hot springs in Shin Makoku, your Majesty," the orange-haired man informed his king as the rest of them followed. "You could just have asked."

"But Yozak, it's not the same! They're…" The chatter continued, but Saralegui did not join in. Instead, he sat a little apart from them, soaking silently in the water. Hot spring baths were, to him, a place to relax and think in peace… though it didn't seem that he'd be getting much peace anytime soon.

He could feel Yuuri's eyes tracing his skin and concealed a smirk. Maa… this is part of the plan, and it's working just as I predicted. He's already half in love with me. Flipping a lock of his hair delicately, he closed his eyes in satisfaction, knowing that the Maou watched as if hypnotized. Yes, Yuuri, that's the spirit… fall into my power, dear Maou, and enjoy yourself there.

(End Flashback)

Yes, the much-feared Maou was really such a pushover. Saralegui made sure his inward amusement did not show; it certainly wouldn't do for Yuuri to start wondering why Sara was so happy being hunted down by his own men, now would it?

He was actually quite proud of his earlier display in the fire escape. Yuuri had been entirely convinced that he'd had no idea of Gerald being a traitor, though in truth Saralegui knew well that the old man was in Lanzhil's pay. Still, hugging the soukoku had proven to have less effect than he'd expected; the Maou had surprisingly kept his wits about him.

Either way, Yuuri did not suspect the blonde in the least, instead promising repeatedly that his retainers would rescue them both. His faith in them was astonishingly strong. Fool. All your retainers know not to trust me. Do you honestly think they would rescue me as well? They would much rather leave me to rot. And if I were in your place, I would leave me to rot too. No king would trust another ruler so easily…

Noticing that the Maou was trembling slightly, perhaps from fear, adrenaline, or even anticipation, Saralegui decided to break the taut silence. "Yuuri, what kind of place is your country?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

He'd chosen the question not just because it was totally unrelated to their current situation, therefore ideal for diverting the Maou's thoughts away from their physical closeness (it was the host's duty to make sure his guests felt comfortable), but also because he was genuinely curious. Was it so perfect a country that its king could give his trust so easily?

Yuuri blinked, laughing guiltily in the knowledge that he'd been caught staring. The blonde ignored it, continuing enthusiastically, "Yes! Yuuri, tell me about your castle!"

The soukoku sweatdropped. "What are you talking about at a time like this?"

'A time like this'? In what sense, Yuuri? A time when we're in the same room as soldiers who would have our necks if they find us? Or a time when we're close enough to kiss? Saralegui smiled innocently. "I want to know."

"Hmm… well… It's a warm place," began the Maou.

"'Warm'?" repeated the blonde. Is his castle on the coast, that the weather is always mild? But the way he uses it… does 'warm' have another meaning apart from the one related to heat?

"It's called Blood Pledge Castle," he explained. "A dangerous-sounding name, but to me, it's a precious place. Everyone in the castle is like family to me… Well, I really have a daughter there, but still."

"'A daughter'? You have a child, Yuuri?" Saralegui allowed his surprise to show. I'd only heard of his being engaged, but nothing of a marriage. He shook his head inwardly. A precious place, indeed. It is only the place where you work. Typical of you, feeling affection towards a building and those who serve you there.

The soukoku chuckled. "She's adopted. It's a long story."

Again, typical. You would be the sort to want to clear the orphanages. "That's amazing," he whispered admiringly. "Yuuri, you really are loved by many people."

"It… it's not really like that," protested the Maou softly. Smiling, he added, "My mom always told me to get along well with everyone."

"'Mom'?" The young king tasted the unfamiliar word, slowly rolling it in his mouth. Had he ever used it before?

"Yeah. My mother," clarified Yuuri helpfully.

Saralegui's eyes widened, his control slipping for an instant, and he opened his mouth as if about to say something. Almost immediately, though, he decided against it and closed it again. He looked down, not wanting to meet Yuuri's friendly gaze. Mother…

There was a noise outside the coffin, and both of them stiffened. Someone – several someones – gasped; the searchers seemed to be right next to them. "T-they're not here," said one.

"Yeah," agreed another.

"Let's go!" Footsteps sounded, fading away – the men were leaving. Soon, the sound of the large, main door slamming shut echoed through the room.

They waited for a few seconds, just to be sure, before slowly pushing the lid of the coffin open and sitting up. "Just as narrow as you'd expect, huh," remarked Yuuri ironically. Saralegui didn't reply, and both of them leapt out, landing easily on the floor.

A moment later, Yuuri's revolted exclamation of "Ugh!" called the blonde's attention to the coffin the searchers had left open. Going over, he slid it shut, silently thanking the wasted corpse for scaring away the soldiers… though, of course, he had planned that.

He addressed the soukoku. "It went well, didn't it, Yuuri?"

"Is that okay? I mean, they nearly hit the mark," said the Maou, sounding rather worried.

Saralegui smiled cheerfully in reply. Yuuri blinked and chuckled a little uncertainly; it seemed that the Maou had gotten the hint that the other king had planned the searchers to encounter the disgusting corpse. "And… what do we do now?"

The blonde straightened, puting his hand to his chin in an expression of deep thought. "Hmm…" Yes, my room would be best. I want to talk with him some more before I let him escape and the men take me captive. They'll find us eventually, but there should be enough time for me to hear about his mother.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Carefully, Saralegui pushed his room's door open, quickly checking for intruders. Seeing none, he stepped back, allowing the Maou in.

"Where's this?" asked Yuuri, looking around the red-tinted room with interest.

He closed the door, watching Yuuri the whole time. "It's my room."

The soukoku jumped. "Eh?!"

Saralegui chuckled softly, walking past the shocked soukoku and leaning on the ornate metal rail of the stairs leading up to the large window. "They won't expect me to be in my own room," he explained.

"Ah, I see! 'Missing the forest for the trees', right?" Yuuri smiled brightly and walked into the center of the room. "So this is your room, Sara!" He craned his neck, looking everywhere at once.

The blonde allowed him a few seconds to admire the elaborate decorations before speaking. "Yuuri."

"Hm?" The Maou glanced at him in curiosity.

"About what you were saying before… I'd like to hear more about your mother," said Saralegui. His voice was quiet and earnest. This wasn't part of his plan, exactly, but…

I want to know about his mother. Maybe it's because of his mother that he can trust people so easily; maybe it's because I don't have a mother that… I can't. I… I just want to know… what a mother should be, what I missed in not having one… I want to know…

"Huh?" Yuuri seemed to be taken aback. "Oh, it's nothing that important, but…" Approaching the blonde king, he sat down on the stairs, quite close to Saralegui. "My mother's on Earth… That is to say, very far away."

I decide what is important here, thought the young ruler of Shou Shimaron. And no matter where this place called 'Earth' is, it can't be further away than death… well, not that my mother died… Or did she? I don't know.

The soukoku was still talking. "'When you talk to someone, look at them in the eye!' and 'Make sure to greet people in a loud voice!'… She'd always nag me about those kinds of things."

Saralegui's spectacles caught the light, glinting like mirrors that hid his eyes as he looked down. What are 'those kinds of things'? This is the first time I've heard of rules like that. I learned those on my own. I learned almost everything on my own.

"It really is a pain," said Yuuri after a short but pregnant pause, closing his eyes to emphasize his point. Then, as if it had only just occurred to him, he looked at the blonde in puzzlement. "But why do you ask?"

It was with real pain that made his voice falter ever so slightly as he answered, "I don't have a mother."

The Maou's eyes widened. "What…?"

Saralegui did not meet his concern-filled eyes, focusing instead at a point on the floor in front of him. "I wondered what a mother might be like… My father never talked about it with me. Of course, since childhood, my father was always a distant presence."

Memories flooded him, flashing vividly in his mind's eye. The many faceless maids that surrounded him, hands bearing an extensive variety of toys – none of which interested him. The young lady assigned to be his personal maid, holding his hand as they walked the palace corridors. The envy he felt at the sight of a kitchen girl cradling her newborn and crooning a lullaby, her face alit with affection… and the sense of being lost and alone that blanketed them all.

His lips tightened almost imperceptibly, his smile for once absent from his features. No, I was not envious. Not at all.

"You… don't remember your mother at all?" ventured Yuuri hesitantly.

The blonde's smile reappeared almost immediately, albeit it was a tiny one. "Sometimes I dream about her," he admitted. It was always the same dream, over and over again… "In the dreams, I'm held in someone's arms. I remember the warmth of those arms, and the sound of the sea…"

Everything was white – the sand, the sky, the birds, even the arms that held him. His arms were white. Only that collar… that black collar, and those two green-and-gold spheres that bobbed above him… only those had color. The person who held him was all white, and she seemed to shimmer in the sunlight…

"But I don't know if that's my mother or not," he finished quietly. The pain ate at him, salt on an unhealed wound. His smile had vanished again, but this time it did not return.

"Yuuri, you're always surrounded by people..." The soukoku started, about to say something, but Saralegui spoke first. He closed his eyes in an effort to hide his pain. "But I am always alone." Salt stung at the corners of his eyes; somehow, he managed to restrain tears from escaping.

There was a movement next to him. "I'm here," declared Yuuri, standing. The blonde's eyes opened wide in surprise. "From now on, I'm here. I'm your friend, Sara!"

Saralegui blinked, his mouth falling open in shock. Nobody's ever said that to me. Nobody… a friend… I've never had a friend.

He blinked twice more, fiercely banishing the tears that threatened to make themselves known, then met the Maou's determined gaze. "Yuuri…" A real smile lit up his features, and gratefulness shone from his eyes. "Thank you, Yuuri…"

Their gazes met, and time seemed to slow. An irrational thought slipped into Saralegui's head as he drank in the care, trust and support in Yuuri's eyes – Maybe I could love him. Maybe this is love.

Then the doors slammed open, and the spell was broken. Soldiers rushed in. "They're here!"

Both of them hurriedly backed up the stairs, putting as much distance as possible between them and the soldiers. "Dammit!" exclaimed the Maou, about to dash forward and try his luck at fighting the crowd of blue-uniformed men, but the other king stopped him with a hand on his chest.

Good. They found my handkerchief, thought Saralegui, in his element once again. Exactly according to plan. "Yuuri, run away!" he shouted, shoving the soukoku backwards.

The window, which he had made sure was unlocked earlier, flew open, and Yuuri fell hard onto the roof beneath. "Whoa! Aaaaaaaah!" His cries were fading fast. "Sara~!"

Saralegui, King of Shou Shimaron, watched calmly as the Maou hurtled down the steep roof. Go on, Yuuri. You'll rescue me later, won't you? I'll be waiting – so don't make me wait long.

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A/N: Alright, this is my my second KKM fanfic… hopefully this goes down better than the first. :-X

I've had this bunny for a while, and it just wouldn't leave me alone… so here it is. Saracentric SaraXYuuri, since all the few SaraXYuuri fics I've seen are always Yuuricentric. I hope you like it :-X it's a sort of combination of the first OVA episode and the third season, mainly episode 96 (season 3 episode 18).

Saralegui's kinda slutty here… but that was the impression I got from him. He's the sort who'd manipulate you however he can… (-ahem- hypnosis, anyone?) Also, he has the classic smiling poker face. Yup, the smiling poker face. It's amazing what kinds of thoughts you can put behind it. Hopefully I've interpreted him accurately.

Should I make this a multichapter? I was thinking of going on to the next episode, then making it a bit AU (sorta like LaChoy's fic Close). Tell me what you think!

Please Review!