A/N: Regardless of whatever you might have thought, I AM still among the 'living'; although my existence the last couple of years has been a roller-coaster ride of back surgeries, medical tests that led nowhere and explained nothing, and worsening nerve damage that now is affecting my left arm and hand as well (although not as badly) as my right.

Still, I am determined to finish this; so, please do not give up on me! I hope to make the remaining chapters worth the 'damnable' wait….

I do not own Kyo Kara Maoh!, nor do I make any profit from its use…I only own the love I have for its characters, its warmth and wit and the hidden truths and gentle wisdom its author has woven throughout the storyline…oh, and 'Ali'…

Chapter 17 "Bait and Switch"

Murata frowned, an uneasy feeling nagging at him that he couldn't seem to shake off.

Pushing his glasses further up on his nose, he stole another brief glance at the other double-black in the room. Yuuri was huddled in an over-stuffed, wingback chair by the window, the failing light of early evening leaving him bathed in deepening shadows and making it difficult to read his expression. He was uncharacteristically quiet; the Sage really couldn't help the smirk that pulled at his lips. He supposed, if one was being 'kind', one could chalk up the subdued behavior to just embarrassment – after all, he had put on quite the 'show' when Weller Kyo had been freed – even Shinou had been amused…

However, the dark Sage had never (in this existence or any other) been accused of having a 'kind' nature; circumstances just didn't allow for it. And knowing Shibuya and his 'luck' as well as he did…he was sure that something else was up…the question was 'what'?

The smirk died away as the Sage scrunched his shoulders against the odd sensation that, once again, crawled its way across the back of his neck; and he sighed tiredly.

No matter which way that he'd looked at it over many lifetimes, the fact never changed – ''Premonitions' all-in-all, sucked – big time. Yes, you got 'advanced' warning that 'something' (usually bad) was coming, but you were never let in on exactly what 'it' was, when or where 'it' would be taking place and, maybe most important of all, who would be involved (although, being connected to the Maoh and knowing Shibuya's penchant for attracting trouble, he could make a well-educated guess). So, more often than not, he was all but helpless to do anything to prevent what would be happening from happening anyway. And then, of course, last-but-not-least, there was the 'nice' little detail that he also was never given a clue as to what the end result was going to be…

The damage sustained could be the equivalent of someone being run over by a child's toy pedal-car…

…Or a full-sized, 200 ton Steam Locomotive…

Inevitably, all he seemed to be able to do was pick up whatever pieces remained and try to put them back together again, the best that he could…

Yes, "Premonitions' definitely sucked.

Closing his eyes for a moment, the bespectacled youth let his mind drift back to what had transpired not many hours before.

Once they had calmed the young King, redressed, and Gisela had cleared their party for travel, they had returned post-haste to Blood Pledge. They needed answers; needed to know how Weller Kyo and Lady Taggert had gotten themselves entangled in the events of the past few weeks – needed clues as to who lay behind it and their motive. It had been decided that the 'debriefing' of everyone's favorite soldier and the female spy held top priority; however, wanting to try to lessen the tension everyone was feeling as much as possible, they had chosen a less-than-formal area in which to hold their get-together. That was the reasoning behind them all being herded (except for the healer, who had excused herself and returned to the Infirmary) into the dusty, much-used Library of the castle.

The Daikenja's attention was drawn out of his reveries and back to the long, heavy-laden table around which the rest of the group had gathered (the exception being Berias, who was standing with his shoulder resting against the far wall, lost in his own thoughts) by a sudden uproar. Von Bielefeld Wolfram Kyo seemed to be giving his second-eldest brother a tongue-lashing – apparently the blond wasn't satisfied with the answer he had gotten to the question he had posed – and was letting the brunet know in no uncertain terms. Said brunet, his hands raised with their palms outward, and a placating smile playing about his lips, was trying his best to clarify his statement and calm his brother down. Yosak was busy acting as 'backup' to his Captain, not trusting 'Little Lord Brat' to keep his 'fiery' temper under control; Gwendal was pinching the bridge of his nose trying to stave off another oncoming headache, while Gunter's face was buried chin-deep in an ancient tome that he had pulled from the depths of the library's copious shelves.

Lady Taggert merely sat there, watching the proceedings with raised eyebrows, her bemusement plain for all to see.

In the midst of this melee no one noticed…

…When Yuuri, his eyes troubled and his face holding a pained expression, slipped silently from his chair and fled the room….

~oOo~

He had been so happy and relieved when Conrad had been freed that he had practically thrown himself at the man; a few split-seconds later absolute mortification had replaced those feelings when he'd realized that, not only was he was bawling like a two-year-old, but plastered seamlessly against the soldier…who was as naked as the day he'd been born!

It was true that Yuuri had seen Conrad semi-naked many times; sometimes when wounded (which was not often, thank goodness!) and in the baths on nearly a daily basis. Even then, the closest that they had ever gotten to each other (due mostly to Yuuri's shyness) was near enough to wash each other's back. The Knight, ever mindful of his place, and always wanting to save the boy any unnecessary embarrassment (or maybe just to preserve Yuuri's 'innocence' for a bit longer) always making sure that 'modesty' was preserved by a carefully wrapped towel whenever he entered or left the water. The dark-haired youth had never presumed to get so 'up close and personal' before, especially in a way that left absolutely no doubt just how much of a 'male' the soldier really was! Even when helping Gisela care for the older half-Mazoku, there were certain 'things' that he had shied away from, for Shinou's sake!

He would have immediately died of sheer embarrassment had it not been for one saving grace – someone had taken the time and forethought to at least dress him in his robe again – when he found out who it was, he was pretty sure that they could name their own reward. Short of it being 'half-of-the-kingdom', he was confident that, whatever it was, the Maoh would definitely make sure that they got it!

Swallowing thickly to try and dispel a rapidly-rising nausea caused by the incessant pounding in his head, he continued his way along the dimly lit corridor towards the Royal Bedchambers, his mind and heart centered on only one person as he remembered, once again, what his Mother had told him a few weeks before in response to his shyly stuttered question.

Her face softening and her brown eyes taking on a far-away look, Miko Shibuya had chosen her words carefully.

"You'll know that you're in love when...you want to know someone's favorite color and how they like their coffee. When you love the way they laugh and you would do absolutely ANYTHING to hear it again, no matter what it might be and how much of a fool it will make you look like while doing it.

You'll know you're in love when all you want to do is put your head on their chest, just to hear their heartbeat...when you want to kiss them in public and want to proudly show them off to everyone you know." Her lips quirked upwards, her gaze sharpening as it came to rest back on her youngest son's anxious face. "You'll know that you're in love when you would move MOUNTAINS to keep that person from being hurt...when you fall in love with their flaws and wouldn't want to change a thing because you think that they are perfect just the way that they are. When that 'someone' is the one person that you would like to fall asleep with each night and wake up to each day; who is the one who makes you question WHY you were afraid to fall in love in the first place..." The warmth in her eyes made them almost glow as she finished, "You'll know that you're in love when you can't imagine a life, or a World, without them in it. THAT'S how you'll know."

In the short, chronologically speaking, space of time that had passed between his finding out about Conrad's 'betrothal' and releasing him from the spell, the teen had had no real opportunity to think over his Mother's words, too lost and worried (and busy) to do so. But while he had been sitting there, totally ignoring the ongoing dialogue between the table's occupants and wanting nothing more than for the meeting to be over so that he could get the male who was at its epicenter alone, said 'conversation' kept playing over-and-over again in his head. With his dark eyes riveted to the handsome soldier's face, he had gone over what he had come to call 'The List', point-by-point, and realized, to his shock, that he was putting a mental 'checkmark' by each one. No matter how many times he went over them or what order he put them in, the result was always the same. After the fifth try, he'd finally faced the inescapable truth; Shibuya Yuuri Harajuku Fuuri, 27th Maoh of Shin Makoku, gawky teenager and baseball boy, was undeniably, hopelessly and helplessly, in love with Weller Conrad Kyo – second son to the ex-Maoh, the greatest swordsman in the land; Knight Extraordinaire.

The realization had simultaneously thrilled…and terrified….him.

That's when the pain had come.

~oOo~

Shock…

There was no other way to describe the emotion that washed over him. Brown eyes widening as his brain tried to register Gwendal's words, said swordsman wanted clarification. "How long...?"

Von Voltaire Kyo sighed tiredly, perpetually-weary indigo eyes coming to rest on the recovering brunet's face as he repeated himself. "A bit over two weeks…" He let a slight smile grace his usually-unbending lips as he imparted the next tidbit of information, "…during which time Gisela…and Heika…took extraordinary care of you; and Lady Taggert, of course."

Lady Celi's eldest son carefully hid his amusement as Conrart's eyes widened even further, watching with more than a little satisfaction as a soft flush quickly stole its way across his half-brother's still slightly-pallid cheeks. He couldn't help his disappointment when a few seconds later it, all too quickly, disappeared. Catching the battle-hardened soldier off-guard was not an easy thing to do – he could count the number of times on one hand that he had seen the other blush; with fingers left over – but he regarded those times as memorable highlights in his sometimes overly-dreary life, and treasured each and every one.

Skin Makoku's top General was willing to admit whenever asked (albeit reluctantly) that he had a soft-spot for all things 'cute'. However, what he wasn't willing to divulge was the fact that,as far as he was concerned, a flustered Conrart fell into that particular category. That was a closely guarded actuality that he doubted he would be letting anyone in on, especially the younger half-Mazoku, any time soon. It was one of very few 'guilty little secrets' that he would be keeping for himself.

"Heika…took care of me…?"

Yosak, blue eyes dancing with mirth, snickered at the disbelief in the Taichou's voice; as smart as the man was, and as observant, one would have thought that he would have picked up on something by now. Instead, his long-time friend was still basically blind to what everyone else saw clearly – that he and the 'kiddo' were head-over-heels for one another – and had been for what seemed like forever. The orange-haired spy grinned. Maybe that was the problem – he was too close to the boy to see the obvious. Receiving a frown and a dirty look from Wolfram, who was standing by his side and still steaming, he merely shrugged it off; however, when he caught the Sage's eye, he gave a devilish wink – his grin widening in delight at the rosiness that suddenly bloomed on the bespectacled double-black's cheeks.

"He did. I only wish he'd put as much effort into Affairs-of-State as he put into taking care of you." The General grimaced as he saw Gunter frown at him out of the corner of his eye. Shinou! He was tired! Tired to the point of being 'bone-weary'; but that was no excuse to break protocol, as the Adjutant's disapproving glare silently reminded him – such personal issues should be kept between the King and his advisors and only addressed in private; and certainly not in front of a Knight who served another Ruler from a far-away country – one, that at the moment, could barely be counted as friend-or-foe. Turning to where Yuuri had been seated to offer a gruff apology, he was stunned to find nothing but an empty chair. The startled expression on his face drew everyone else's attention in the same direction, resulting in gasps from most, and a distinctive wail from a certain lavender-eyed, white-haired retainer.

"Heika!"

~oOo~

At that very moment, the missing teen-aged Monarch was just entering his bedchamber; the fact that the ever-vigilant guards that were normally stationed in front of the massive double-doors were suspiciously absent not even registering. Bathed in a cold sweat, and his face a death-warmed-over shade of white, his thoughts were no longer focused; they tossed and turned, quickly getting lost somewhere between the skull-splitting headache, the queasy feeling in his gut and the prickling sensation that had taken root in the fingers of his right hand and had slowly continued to spread up his arm.

Caught in a spiraling panic, sick and disoriented, he barely made it to the bed before he collapsed, his beautiful, onyx eyes going heartbreakingly dull as the 'here-and-now' faded away.

~oOo~

Damn you, Shinou! Damn! Damn! Damn! Damn! Damn! The curse became a mantra in his head as Ken Murata raced through the ancient stone corridors of Blood Pledge Castle, making a bee-line for the Royal Chambers, logic (and knowing Shibuya's habits) dictating that that was where the wayward King should be. The exertion, mixed with a heavy dose of fear, caused his heart to thud heavily in his chest – even as a rising anger began to burn its way through his blood.

Barely half-a-step ahead of the many footfalls behind him (which he could only attribute to his youth and having a few seconds head-start) the Sage picked up speed as he rounded the corner into the long, main hallway. When the double-doors of Yuuri's room finally came into view, the obviously missing guards, together with one massive door being slightly ajar struck him immediately; leaving him with a bitter taste in his mouth and the uncomfortable feeling that he was, once again, going to be left with the task of cleaning up the aftermath of a situation gone inconceivably wrong.

As he came to a halt, the sound of multiple swords being drawn from their scabbards reached his ears. Without looking back, he quickly motioned for the others to remain where they were. Then, taking a heavy breath to steady himself, he approached the half-open door; peering around the doorframe into the all-too-quiet room, he quickly spotted its lone occupant sprawled motionless across the bed.

Almost in the same instant, his senses were buffeted by a nearly-suffocating 'presence' that seemed to permeate the air; it set his emotions churning and had him gritting his teeth – if this was a small 'taste' of what Shibuya was feeling, then his friend was in serious trouble. There was little choice on how to proceed; at this point, a 'frontal assault' was really the only option they had. So, straightening his back, squaring his shoulders, and adjusting his glasses (for luck) he pushed against the door until it was flush with the wall, and walked inside to 'greet the enemy'.

"Alright, we know you're here. Now…just who are you?" Cackling laughter was all the acknowledgment that he received at first, and he bit his lip at the sound. Seeming to come from all directions at once, it made it impossible to pinpoint the actual source…

…And the madness it contained had the hairs rising on the back of his neck.

Once its echo had died away, a grating voice, thick with hate, filled the room.

"WHO AM I? I AM THE ONE WHO WILL CRUSH SHIN MAKOKU ONCE AND FOR ALL! I AM THE ONE WHO WILL DESTROY THE 'MONSTER' KNOWN AS THE DEMON KING! I WILL TAKE HIS POWER….AND THEN, I WILL TAKE HIS LIFE!"