Dreams, Memories, Scars and Rubber Duckies

The day had been an early one, Yuri internally noted, a bit winded by the extended morning training-session with Conrad. Today for some reason he couldn't quite fathom, well honestly he did know why but looking back it seemed stupid, he had decided to double the length of the normal routine. He had thought that it would be a good excuse for spending double the time with Conrad he just forgot the consequences of putting his body through twice the rigor.

After all, he wasn't that in shape. Conrad looked at Yuri with a sense of concern. The teen was more winded than to be expected, even pressing his endurance to the limit. He only hoped Yuri wouldn't faint again, as he had once done when they had begun the morning exercise sessions so long ago. The reason for that, of course, was that Yuri wouldn't back down, the teen wanted to keep up with Conrad's set pace. Typically he made note of it and only pushed Yuri as much as the boy's developing body looked like it could stand, had he missed the signs this time though?

He highly doubted it, Yuri had looked fine up 'til that last hill, but now he seemed a bit paler than Conrad was comfortable with. "Would you like to rest for now, your majesty?"

"…It's… Yu…ri." He panted out, he plodded to the ground to continue to fight and regain his breath, it seemed like an uphill battle to his chagrin. The incline killed him, looking back, they had run further out, leaving the castle grounds, taking a scenic tour also Yuri's (stupid) idea.

Conrad smiled sympathetically toward Yuri, "Of course, your majesty."

"YURI!" Yuri corrected a bit short. He sighed, "Sorry, I didn't mean to yell."

"It's alright." Conrad knew he really shouldn't tease the young king and yet couldn't help himself, the teenager's reactions always made him feel warm.

Yuri strengthened his resolve, now that they were just outside the grounds he could have a private conversation with the man. "Conrad, I have a question for you, humor me alright?"

"Alright." Conrad said instantly, he squinted as he smiled, bemused by Yuri feeling the need to ask, after all, Yuri should just know Conrad would do anything for him. For his Yuri he would do anything, master the Japanese language, travel to foreign lands, have scars and wounds inflicted upon his body, betray his younger brother's trust if given even half the opportunity, really he was quite willing so humoring him would be nothing but a drop in the ocean.

"I had this dream last night, but it felt more like a vague memory… but I don't know if I'm just making things up because it was from so long ago, and I was really young in it… plus the timeline seems messed up… but… Conrad, how did you really get the scar on your eyebrow?"

Conrad was shocked. Before he had mentioned it had been from the battle that had made him famous; however, the truth was a bit different. True, he had been wounded near his eye, but that hadn't scarred. 

It was still wounded when he went to Earth though, so he saw more fit in leaving it at that when he returned with the scar there (versus terrifying the future advisors to the would-be demon-king).

"Because in my dream, I saw it happen so vividly… and well, it scared me to see you hurt in front of me. How did you really get that scar?"

Conrad smiled gently, "Did you know when I brought your soul to Earth I remained until it could be confirmed that the soul took?"

Yuri nodded, "Yes I remember, you waited until I was born… you took mom to the hospital in your taxi and gave her the idea to name me Yuri."

He laughed, "I really didn't think she'd use it… though I'm honored that she did."

Yuri feigned a laugh, it was hardly as if the man used it on a regular basis.

"…Truth is, I waited a bit longer to confirm it than technically necessary. I wanted to observe your parents, be sure they were properly situated to handle the new arrival. When you were four months old and still living in America, I happened upon your mother taking you for a walk in your stroller."

"That's when I gave you the rubber duck…?"

"No, not at that moment, I had seen you both from afar and decided to see what you were up to that day."

Yuri nodded, accepting the fact. "Then when did I give you the rubber ducky?"

"Later that day," Conrad said, "I followed you through the park where your mother stepped away for a moment, a nurse from the hospital had taken you from your stroller at that moment and rushed off with you, so naturally I ensued."

Yuri's eyes went wide, even in his dream nothing like that happened. The idea that he could have been kidnapped as a baby was shocking to discover. "And then what happened?"

"Well, the woman who took you went into a store nearby, just moments later that store was robbed under gun-point. There were very few people in there, but I had noticed you were both inside, so I went in. He seemed disturbed, and upon the clerk pressing a security alarm he grew violent. The robber shot out a light fixture over your heads, so I dove to protect you, in the process getting a cut in my eyebrow that subsequently scarred."

"…And then…?" Yuri was now enraptured in the story too much to truly care that the scar-story had ended there, this new development riveting, and equally as important to Yuri as far as the history of the scar went.

"After the glass rained down, I transported you both behind a shelving unit and instructed her to wait there with you, I went after the thief and managed to subdue him enough to make him run from the 

store, he was apprehended by the police shortly thereafter, about two blocks away. I then asked her why she had taken you."

"You said she was a nurse, so was she from the maternity unit?"

Conrad nodded, smiling as Yuri put the clues together. "Yes, she had seen your mother and father have a brief argument over money and thought it was a bad home for you to go to. She really was trying to do what she thought was right, but I convinced her that what she was doing was wrong." Conrad watched the expressions change in Yuri's black eyes, "She was kind enough to treat my injury, and shortly after that I saw your mother outside."

"Mom found us there? Why did she even look there?"

"Probably because she thought you would be in the most danger if you were there. Your mother stumbled across the store looking for you when she heard about the robbery and came in anyway, even though she couldn't have known it was safe. The nurse returned you to me, and I brought you back to your mother, they never saw each other. The police were called shortly I reunited you with your mother, and the woman was arrested. I escorted you both back to the park, your mother was very shaken after the scare. I spoke with her to calm her down, and after half an hour or so I had convinced her you were really alright, it was growing late and after that sort of day your mother simply wanted to get back home with you. As I said my goodbyes to you, you handed me the toy. The next day Bob sent me back to Shin Makoku."

Conrad noticed the color return to Yuri's face, his breathing regular and no longer in huffs, at long last. "Are you ready to go back yet, Your- Yuri?"

Yuri smiled, "Almost." He checked the scenery by scanning left then right, simultaneously enjoying the panoramic view before leaning close to Conrad, kissing his cheek. "Thank you for saving me, even there on Earth. I have to say I liked being your Yuri."

Conrad blushed, he had chosen to omit that he thought of Yuri as his Yuri during his stay on Earth, even after telling baby Yuri just how he viewed him as such. Conrad smiled, "Then allow me to amend what I said back then. Instead of my thinking of you as my Yuri while you were still on Earth as a child, I would like to think of you as my Yuri everywhere, even when I have to share you with the others."

"I'd like that, a lot." Yuri smiled then grimaced, "I'd like to be shared slightly less though, especially if that means we can just spend some time together without my having to run even further. Seriously, that hill was horrible!"

Conrad chuckled before putting his hand on Yuri's shoulder, "It's getting on in the day, we better get back before…"

"They call out the national guard?" Yuri offered.

"…I was going to suggest before we miss breakfast, though Gunter may try just that if we don't hurry back."

The End.