Hey everyone. I'm just rewriting this. I hope you like the new version. I am trying to make everyone in character.

An InuYasha AU.

YuuRam

Chapter 1

Wolfram sighed to himself.

The kingdom of Shin Makoku was quiet and peaceful at night. The night sky was clear and the beautiful stars was fully on display.

Wolfram tugged the blanket tighter around himself. His eyes was directed up at the pretty stars in silence. After ten full minutes, he closed his eyes and sighed again.

'I saw this coming,' he thought, 'I just didn't expect it to hurt so much…'

He smiled at the irony. Was the world unfair? Or was it himself? Wolfram knew there was mistakes in their relationship but he didn't expect something like this to happen. He thought they could have worked through their relationship problems.

But it seemed Yuuri did not want to even try.

'Why do I love him so much?' Wolfram questioned himself. He placed a fist to his chest.

Wolfram had tried so hard to change. He thought maybe if he changed for Yuuri, then he would give him a chance but…it was effortless. Nothing was going to change Yuuri's mind.

He had heard them…just hours before hand. Before, Wolfram would have stormed into the office and demand for answers. He would have even called Yuuri a wimp for not coming to him and speaking to him face to face…but Wolfram didn't.

Wolfram had turned around and walked away. He had walked with his head down and a horrible stone weighing in the pit of his stomach.

It took a lot of courage to do what he did, but Wolfram did it. He thought it could save him a lot of pain.

'Maybe I will go back home?' Wolfram smiled weakly, "Back to Bielefelt…"

"Hopefully Uncle will welcome me back…" he said.

Wolfram had made sure the papers was transferred. He knew he was expecting a rude awakening tomorrow morning from his eldest brother. He could only imagine his families faces when they read the divorced paper work.

He had to just get away from it.

No.

He needed to get away from Yuuri. Away from his heartbreak.

Everyone will be fine without him.

'I don't have a part in the castle, never have,' Wolfram frowned, 'Especially now that I am no longer tied to Yuuri. I have to leave this place.'

Wolfram pressed his shaky hand to his chest again, "I have to leave this place before the wound on my heart becomes worse."

He shook his head. Wolfram was able to make it back to his old bedroom without being detected. Not one person even looked at him as he passed them. Not one guard or maid. They had kept their eyes to themselves.

"Nobody even cares about me," He said, "Would they even miss me?"

It was at that moment, Wolfram felt a cold rain drop land on his face. He blinked in surprise. The sky didn't have a single cloud, but it was beginning to rain?

'I love the rain because nobody could tell if your crying'

Wolfram could only think that somebody up there felt such pity for him that he was blessed with a sobbing sky and a beautiful starry sky.

Somebody was crying for his mother's pain. Wolfram cracked a smile at the thought, he remembered thinking that when his mother kicked his cheating father out of the castle.

He found himself thinking of his mother. He compared himself to her, she had her heart broken many times and had even broken hearts. She must have felt this pain before…right?

She had kept searching for the feeling, but she'll never get it. Something he had accepted long ago.

"I would like to say love doesn't exist but then…" Wolfram trailed off, "My heart hurts…"

He thought he was lucky enough to find his.

Wolfram thought Yuuri was the one, but he was dearly mistaken. It only took two years for it to sink in for him, really. He should have seen this earlier. It was right in front of him and now thinking back on it, he couldn't help but think only a moron would have missed it.

Sadly it would seem that moron was himself.

It took him awhile, but he realized it.

Everyone had a purpose but him. His dear brother, Gwendal ran the country for Heika. Gunter spent hours teaching Heika, advising him and gushing at his every damn word. He never hated his Big brother, he was just… afraid, that is all. That he would leave for war and never come back, his brother made it quite clear that when war strike up he would leave to fight and the blonde wasn't stupid.

…When somebody leaves for war, they never returned. His Big brother even had an important role, Heika's godfather one minute and his personal guard the next.

"I am useless," Wolfram mumbled.

Wolfram's eyes teared up. He tried to scrub at his eyes to stop the tears but they kept coming.

"Lord brat," Wolfram hiccupped, "That is me. The brat, the spoiled and stubborn ex-prince…."

Everyone called him names. But they didn't know. They don't have a clue.

Wolfram just felt.. scared. Scared all the damn time. He didn't want to be left behind by everyone.

The problem wasn't them. It never had been.

"It's me," Wolfram said, "I am the problem."

Wolfram sat at his old bedroom window. He allowed himself to feel the pain, to feel the shame, to feel it all and just let himself cry. He hadn't cried in a long time.

It was what he needed.

He cried for a long time. He cried until his eyes was blood red and swollen. Until he no longer could.

Wolfram inhaled sharply and sat up straight. He rubbed his sore eyes, he pulled at his blanket and finally stood from the window.

"I want lemon tea," he mumbled.

Lemon tea was perfect to drink after crying.

Wolfram eased himself onto shaky legs. His knees buckled and he grunted as he stumbled out his bedroom.

It did not take him long at all to get to the kitchen. Wolfram used to sneak into the kitchen at night when he young, so this was no problem. He easily made himself lemon tea with extra honey.

Wolfram found himself outside with the tea. It had stopped raining, but it was cold.

He sat on the fountain edge. The very same fountain Yuuri would travel through. He sighed deeply as he peered himself in the water, and lightly pulled at the skin underneath his left eye. His green eyes was very red.

Wolfram was not used to crying. When he did cry, his eyes always took the brunt of it.

"Ugh, crying," Wolfram said.

He sipped at his tea quietly. He even hummed as he took in the castle. The castle he had grown up in.

"This might be my last night here…" he said softly, "I want to remember it all."

He won't be coming back for some time. Not until his heart no longer hurt.

Wolfram went to take another sip of his tea when he heard something. Something unfamiliar.

He blinked and frowned. He wasn't sure if he should be on guard or not. It wasn't like he could anyway, he didn't bring his sword. The only thing he had to defend himself with was his fire

Wolfram swallowed a thick lump in his mouth. He pushed himself up from the fountain and peered around the courtyard. He narrowed his eyes.

He lifted his hand and in the palm of his hand came an ball of light. The size of a small tennis ball. It floated just above his skin. It was a red and orange fire-ball.

Wolfram lifted his head further. The ball of fight lighting up the side of the castle.

Soft, define scratching.

That's what he could hear.

Wolfram scanned his eyes around the area once more. He could not see anything but he could definitely hear the scratching. He was a soldier after all, there was no point in being afraid if he had to fight.

He turned towards the castle wall. He carefully stepped towards the area the sound was coming from. He followed the sound. Wolfram was half expecting to see somebody around the castle corner but there was none. Just the soft scratching. Wolfram let out a troubled sigh he had not noticed he was holding.

"I'm a soldier," Wolfram whispered, "I am a soldier. I have faced worst things then…then scratching…it is just sound. I am a soldier."

Wolfram rested his back against the wall, hand on his chest. For some odd reason he felt such terror. It was almost like something unnatural, inhuman, un-Mazoku-like, was hiding.

He waited a good ten minutes. He turned to look at a small pathway that was barely visible. It lead into the forest around the castle's rear.

Something was hiding in there. In the darkness.

'I'm a soldier,' Wolfram thought, 'I can do this.'

'I am a soldier.'

Wolfram walked up the trail. He winced from the sloppy mud underneath his bare feet.

He climbed over a fallen tree trunk. Every footstep he made, scratching was becoming louder and louder. He briefly stopped and rested against a rather large brown rock.

The scratching…

The owner was behind the rock. He felt silly for coming all this way out here by himself. It had to be an animal, right? ,

Wolfram just thought a small adventure would do him wonders. To take his mind off his broken heart and the pain.

"Ha! Caught you, you little pes-" Wolfram said.

He moved quickly. He jumped out from behind the stone and immediately the scratching had stopped.

It was beautiful. The moonlight made the tiny area glow.

Trees, plants, and a few animals but none with claws to make the scratching sound. Wolfram doesn't recall ever coming to this place before. In fact he didn't even realize this place was behind the castle.

"I didn't know it was back here," Wolfram scratched at his head, "This…reminds me of those shrines back on Earth."

Wolfram walked towards the small hunt like building in the middle. He had not seen anything like it in Shin Makoku before.

"Like the shrines in…j-ja-pan?" Wolfram said.

The shrines Yuuri had shown him that one time. Those shrines looked completely different to this one. The shrine looked old. It had wooden patterns with old carvings of things Wolfram did not understand.

Wolfram frowned. The carvings was strange. He doesn't remember seeing those pictures before. Not in Shin Makoku, maybe back on Earth?

A half-animal thing? A giant spider with a woman's body? Fish people? Dragon people? Gruesome and ghastly creatures.

They was repulsing.

It was just an old shrine, nothing more, nothing less. Wolfram couldn't even recall knowing about this shrine, it was empty for most parts with a boarded up well. The well was covered in old symbols.

Wolfram peered at the markings with a frown.

"They almost look like the markings in the books Yuuri showed me," Wolfram said, "Back on Earth…jap-anese? I think they're used to keep something out?"

How strange?

Wolfram shook his head. He tried to searched the floors for animals but couldn't see anything.

What had been making the scratching?

It was then that he felt something brush up against his ankle. Wolfram bit back a scream and looked down.

A pair of yellow, slit eyes stared up at him.

"Meow!"

A small black cat.

Black.

Wolfram doesn't remember there being black cats in Shin Makoku.

Wolfram shook his head again. He released the ball of fire. Yuuri must have brought the cat back from Earth and had tried to hide it or something.

"That is so like him, that wi-" Wolfram began before he cut himself off.

Wolfram winced. He crushed his lips together and shook his head. He had not called Yuuri a wimp in a long time. No more will he even utter those words for the King.

He scooped up the small feline. It was so soft, and warm.

"Hello," Wolfram smiled at the kitty, "So you're the pest that had been scratching?"

The cat let out another meow and licked his nose. It even pawed at Wolfram's face. Wolfram was too distracted by the adorable black kitty, that he did not notice the pink light shining through the cracks of the well behind him.

Wooden splitters shattered. The small shrine filled with a gush of cold air. Before he could even react to what was transpiring around him, Wolfram felt hands.

He felt five, no, six hands grab him from behind.

Wolfram's eyes widened. He froze. Something that had never happened to himself before. He froze as the hands grabbed onto him. His bare lost the feeling of the shrine's wooden floors underneath them.

He was pulled backward.

It felt as if hands, many, many hands, were touching him. He hated being touched, it made him feel sick and disgusted. He hated it when people got to close to him.

A long white leather-like hand reached out and grasped his face.

Wolfram flinched. His face was tugged around to face a woman. A woman who had not been there before.

She was pulling him down the well. He couldn't fight her. He dropped the kitty as she easily pulled him closer to her, and their surroundings disappeared into bright blue light.

The woman was beautiful. She had a sickening beauty with her long black hair. The black hair looked like long spider legs, but at the same time looked like it was made from feathers. It suited well with her pure white skin.

She had slit black eyes, and full cherry red lips. But what surprised him more than anything was the fact the woman wasn't just naked, but her human-like body disappeared into a red centipede-like body.

Why did she have to have so many arms? All of which was holding onto Wolfram.

The woman disgustingly twisted her body around. She rolled her head back and cried out loudly in pleasure.

"Alive! Born to be alive once more. Oh the pleasure! I recognize my strength." She moaned loudly.

Wolfram's face twisted with disgust and horror. Especially as she dragged him closer to her. She wrapped her long body around him with.

"Oh my god!" She squealed, "I feel it! That power! It's making my body shudder and tingle!"

A long pink tongue leaves her lips and licked up his cheek.

Wolfram gasped. He clenched his teeth together and shoved his hand into her face.

"Get off me!" He hissed.

He was expecting fire to erupt from his hand but was silenced into shock when the dancing red flames didn't answer his call. He tried to call for the passion of the flames once more, but one again it ignored him.

He looked up and gasped when suddenly bright pink light spilled from his hand. The light burned Wolfram's eyes and amazingly blasted the woman from him.

The woman let out a painful howl.

"You wretched boy!" She shrieked as she disappeared.

'Wretched boy?' Wolfram thought.

Wolfram stared with blank eyes. He only blinked when he realized he was laying on cool soil. He stared up at the bright blue sky.

What just happened?

Wolfram placed a hand to his head. Had he dreamt it? Had he sleep walked outside the castle? That is just what he needed…especially considering the day before. Wolfram could already hear the whispers, the gossiping maids and guards.

'The spoiled ex-prince fell asleep outside? Right the King dissolved their engagement! I bet he is having an affair! Maybe that's why Heika broke their engagement!'

"I don't need that on top of everything," Wolfram mumbled quietly.

He laid still, just enjoying the silence. He enjoyed the peace and quiet before he had to face the thunder.

It was then that he felt something crawl along the side of his face and at first, Wolfram thought nothing off it.

Probably a bug.

…It wouldn't be the first time he had woken up with a ladybug or spider or anything crawling innocently over his face.

However, it was cold. Like ice was touching his skin…but it was moving. It was almost like the bug was dancing. Something was moving down his skin, and then it touched his chin.

Wolfram's eyes widened. He turned his head to see something long and white. It had long twitchy fingers and an icy palm, it tried to grasp onto his face.

"What in the Shinou!" Wolfram shrieked.

He sprung up in fear. He gapped with shaky shoulders and crawled backward into a wall.

An arm. A long arm that looked like it had been ripped off. It was twitching and twisting back and forth. It was an sickening white colour.

How…how was it still moving?

"Moving with-without a body?" Wolfram grimaced in disgust, "W-Wait…is that…that from the centipede woman?"

It wasn't a dream?

Wolfram looked around himself. He was enclosed inside four walls, the space was small and Wolfram is sure if he tried, he could touch both walls easily.

"I am…" Wolfram said, "The bottom of the well?"

Wolfram rubbed his eyes. He was hoping he was dreaming but when he looked, the wiggling arm was still there.

"I…I have to get out of here…" he muttered.

He shook his head, and grabbed ahold of one of the few vines attached to the well wall. It took him some time, but Wolfram was able to haul himself up. He climbed the vine carefully.

He was a solider after all, something like this was no problem.

Just as Wolfram reached the top of the well, a rather large coloured butterfly moved past his face. It's wings long and wide, it was a strange shade of purple and red. Something he had not seen before.

Not in Shin Makoku and not on Earth.

He found himself in the middle of a wide luscious clearing. Stacks of trees surrounded the well.

It was completely different from before…

"Where's the castle?" Wolfram said.

He should have definitely be able to see the castle. Wolfram gulped a thick lump in his throat as he swung his legs over the well hedge.

"Where am I?" Wolfram said, "Is…is this another way to Earth?"

At the thought of the well being another bridge to Earth like the fountain, made Wolfram look over his shoulder. His eyes peering back down the well and grimaced at seeing the arm still moving.

"It wasn't a dream," Wolfram said, "It really happened…I was dragged into the well by a…monster."

Wolfram's eyes dropped to his hands. They shook and his fingers twitched.

"Why hadn't my fire came when I called for it?" he wondered, "I called for it, but it didn't come…it's never came before…it's never abandoned me like that before…"

He clenched his hands into fists, "What was that pink light?" he said.

Wolfram held his hand out. He waited for the familiar feeling of fire to sliver up his palm.

Only... It never did.

"What?" Wolfram gasped.

Wolfram's jaw dropped. His eyes widened in disbelief. He tried to summon fire again and again, and again.

Why? Why can't he summon his fire?

He looked down at his hand. He felt empty, he felt like there was nothing inside him. That the warmth and heat of fire that had always been there wasn't.

…It terrified him.

Wolfram could feel tears swelling up once more. This had never happened before, ever. Not even when he was young child struggling to learn how to control his power…

The large butterfly landed on his hand. Wolfram stared down at it.

"Am…Am I defenceless?" he whispered, "Have I…I lost my fire?"

Was he really useless? Completely useless…

He sat there on the well edge for 10 more minutes, he just felt so lost…so confused. His fire had never…not worked before.

It was considered a disgrace if an Makoku suddenly couldn't use their power.

"I need a glass of wine," Wolfram muttered, "And my bed."

Wolfram sighed deeply. He got up from the well edge and dusted his hands off. He looked around the area once again with a frown.

To have his bed and a nice glass of wine, he needed to fine the castle. Wolfram needed to figure out where he was and how to get back home. He was just too drained for something like this.

"The grass is soft," Wolfram said, "That's…strange…"

He looked down at the lush grass around his bare feet. He even wiggled his toes. It was not just the grass which was unusual, the nice breeze smelled great. Almost like lemons.

"Smells so different to Earth," He sniffed, "Almost as good as the wind back home…"

Wolfram shook his head. He pushed his hair out his face and turned back to where the castle should be standing. Wolfram is certain he should be able to see the building but instead he saw a strange coloured tree.

A big tree.

Much bigger then the other trees. It certainly stood out.

Wolfram couldn't help but think it looked familiar. Almost like he had seen it before. However he couldn't put his finger on it.

A habit he had inherited from father was chewing his bottom lip or top lip when he was nervous or afraid. Wolfram had tried so hard to kick the habit as to not look weak but at times it surfaces without him realizing.

Now is one of those times.

Wolfram was unnerved, so…so…well, just so afraid that he jumped when a damn bird flow above him. It was just a bird! A damn innocent bird! But Wolfram felt like he was about to jump out of his skin.

He decided he couldn't stay there in the clearing, standing in the middle of an unknown area. He was basically a sitting duck at this point.

It was not safe.

If he couldn't rely on his fire magic, that what could he do? He doesn't have his sword with him either. If something did happen to come across him, Wolfram is sure he would be cut down…

Wolfram cursed his luck.

He was a solider after all, so Wolfram tried to go about it like a solider. He walked in the direction the tree was in hopes of coming across another Makoku or even human at this point. He isn't picky right now.

The thought made Wolfram snort. He wasn't picky? In the past he definitely would be. He would have rather run himself through with his sword then have to rely on a pesky human.

Times have changed.

He had changed as well.

Yuuri had changed him. Wolfram admitted it, he would always admit it, Yuuri had changed him into a better person.

Yuuri…

Wolfram wished Yuuri was with him right now. He wondered if this is what Yuuri felt when he first came to Shin Makoku?

Scared of an unknown place.

Wolfram pushed an branch out of his way. However it snapped back at him, and hit him square in the face. He jumped and rubbed his sore cheek.

"Just my luck, to be engaged to a damn tree," Wolfram sighed deeply, "I really have no luck with engages."

This day or night just keeps getting better and better.

Wolfram was trying not to feel sorry for himself. He tried to focus on climbing over unusually large roots, logs and little bugs. He grimaced as he almost stepped on a slug.

It took him longer then it should for him to travel through the thick forest. He almost tripped over a root as he finally got to the large monster-beautiful tree.

The tree was massive. It was large. It had to be the biggest tree Wolfram had ever seen. It towered over him.

Wolfram suddenly felt calm.

It was strange, he felt like he was home. That he had spent all his life around the tree, but that couldn't possibly be true.

Wolfram had never seen the tree before now.

"Whoa," Wolfram breathed out.

The tree had rather strong look branches. The branches spread out and took up the whole of the area with long roots spreading out to the other trees around it. The leaves had a range of red to purple colours.

Between the tiny gaps of the leaves, the sunrays shined a bed of beautiful and sparkling halfmoons.

Wolfram felt his heart skip a beat.

He slowly walked around the tree, just admiring it. Just as he got to the other side of the tree, he froze. Wolfram paused in step and felt his face pale.

"Y-Yuuri?" he whispered.

Wolfram's eyes widened and his lips broke into a smile. He wasn't alone!

"Yuuri!" he called, "You're here too?"

He had to climb the large roots to get to Yuuri, but he did it. He struggled, but he did it. He pulled himself up onto the root and somehow was able to gain his balance. His heart fluttered and his cheeks flushed as he got closer to Yuuri.

"Yuuri? Hey?" Wolfram frowned, "Don't ignore your fiancé!"

Err…Ex fiancé!

"Ah, well…still don't ignore me wimp!" Wolfram snapped.

He was about two steps away from Yuuri when Wolfram stopped. He stared at Yuuri with unmoving eyes.

Yuuri wasn't even reacting to him. Not moving, not even looking at him. Yuuri didn't even show any acknowledgment towards Wolfram.

"Y-Yuuri?" he whimpered.

This was not Yuuri. This boy was not Yuuri but he looked exactly like Yuuri.

Minus the black ears and tail.

Wolfram would have thought it cute, adorable even if he wasn't so horrified.

The boy had an arrow in his chest. An arrow that pinned his body to the tree.

"Who…" Wolfram whispered.

He reached a shaky hand out and gently touched the boy. He looked so much like Yuuri that if it wasn't for the ears or tail, Wolfram would 100% think he was Yuuri. He gently touched the boy's cheek and looked at his face.

The boy's eyes was closed. He wasn't moving, not breathing.

"Are…are…" Wolfram bites his lip, "Are you alive?"

No…

The boy was cold. He was freezing cold to the touch. He wasn't alive.

"Who are you?" Wolfram wondered, "Where am I?"

Why was the boy killed? Why was he pinned to a tree by an arrow?

An arrow that Wolfram wondered if he could pull out?

"Get away from there!"

Wolfram blinked in surprise. He wasn't expecting a voice to scream at him. Wolfram turned his head to find a small group of men glaring at him.

"You!" one of the men yelled while swinging a spear.

"Get away from there you witch!"

Wolfram blinked again. Witch? Was they calling him a witch?

Really?

Men in clothes Wolfram doesn't quite recall ever seeing before.

"Hey!" Wolfram yelped.

He shielded his face when one of the men tried to shoot him down with an arrow. An arrow! He felt his blood boil with anger. His anger only grow when the man tried to shot him with another arrow.

Wolfram throw his hand out to fry the arrow before it could even leave the bow.

Nothing happened.

Not even a small flame left the palm of his hand. Instead the arrow narrowly missed scraping Wolfram's cheek and hit the tree.

However it did in fact surprise him. Wolfram gasped, and lost his footing. He fell. Wolfram fell down the root.

Wolfram landed on his backside with a loud thud.

"Ow," Wolfram whined.

He whimpered, and whined from the pain. How embarrassing. He had fallen right out of a tree and landed on his backside. It was something that Wolfram wouldn't allow to happen in front of anybody.

Failure made Wolfram want to cry and he had experienced it many times while training…but never in front of anybody.

He had tried so hard.

Wolfram broke out of his thoughts by footsteps. He sprung his head up to find all the men quickly circling him, surrounding him and holding their weapons out at him. They was pointing them at Wolfram.

"I, er, um," Wolfram shuddered.

"Up on your feet witch!"

Wolfram blinked once and then twice. He felt something press against his throat.

"On your feet!"

"We will take him to the wise healer!"

Wolfram gulped. He got to his feet after deciding it would be safer to do what these men wanted then fighting. Wolfram is pretty sure he could take maybe half of them before becoming overwhelmed by their numbers.

"Alright, alright!" Wolfram huffed, "Stop pushing me! I'm going!"

"Shut your mouth wench!"

Wolfram rolled his eyes but kept his mouth shut. He walked, allowed the men to practically drag him along with a rope around his wrists. It was hard, but this was hardly the first time he had been captured and forced to walk a long distant.

Wolfram glanced over his shoulder back at the boy pinned to the tree. His heart skipped a beat as he gazed back at the boy before turning to focus on his feet. He did not want to trip over his feet.

It was a long journey, longer then the walk Wolfram made to the tree from the well. The sun was high in the sky, and Wolfram could feel himself sweating. Not just that, he kept stabbing his feet on pointy stones.

A village.

A rundown village.

Wolfram was brought to a small village. Wooden buildings with hardly no animals, but there was a large rice field next to the village with a few famers working on it. The streets of the village was slowly crowding with people coming out to see him.

The villagers was whispering to one another. All staring at him and frowning. Wolfram was able to hear some of the whispering thought.

"He could be a Katonah?"

Katonah?

Wolfram frowned. What was a Katonah?

"Nah. Those shape-shifting cat demons wouldn't waste their time in our village."

'A cat demon?' Wolfram thought in confusion, 'No way…'

He was definitely was not on Earth.

It is worse then Earth. At least when he was on Earth, he had Yuuri there to help him but Yuuri wasn't here. Wolfram was alone and in some ways that might be a good thing but…

The boy that looked so much like Yuuri but wasn't him…Yuuri didn't have animal ears or tail…and as far as Wolfram knew, Yuuri was not pinned to a tree by an arrow.

He was labelled many things by these people.

Woman or man?

Demon or human?

Witch?

Monster?

"Why was in he in the demon's forest?"

Wolfram blinked at that. Demon's forest? Are they referring the boy pinned to the tree? Well he didn't look like a normal person…or Makoku.

"Make way for the high healer!"

Wolfram watched as the sea of villagers parted. A young woman was walking up to him. He stared at her as she approached.

A woman with short green hair and pale skin. She had wide green eyes and wore unfamiliar clothes like the villages. She held a long staff in her left hand.

"Gisela?" Wolfram wondered out loud.

It was definitely Gisela. It had to be. He knew his old childhood friend anywhere. His heart skipped a beat and didn't even wonder when she had cut her hair or that she suddenly was smothered in freckles.

It was Gisela!

Gisela crouched down in front Wolfram. She throw water and salt at his face.

"Would you cut that out!" Wolfram yelled.

Gisela frowned thoughtfully, "Not a demon. Holy Flower holds no power over him," she said.

Automatically the villagers burst into whispers again.

"But that does not explain why he was found in the forest of demon," Gisela added while staring at Wolfram.

There it was again. Demon. They had been talking about the boy pinned to the tree.

"He could be a spy from another village?"

Gisela shook her head, "In that case, he would be a fool. Who would invade such a poor village like ours...?"

Wolfram jumped when Gisela suddenly grabbed his face. She turned his face side to side, as if she was studying his face. She makes a deep hum like sound before she finally drops his face and stands up straight.

"Cut him free," she ordered, "Hurry now."

It was strange. Wolfram watched as the villagers rushed to follow her orders.

Wolfram breathed deeply as he stood up. He rubbed his reddish wrists with a small frown. He looked around the villagers still staring at him weary.

What was they up to now?

"Follow me," Gisela said, "We must talk."

Wolfram stared after her in silence.

"Well?"

Wolfram flushed from embarrassment. He gulped and quickly stumbled after her as what else could he do? He had no other choice but to follow.

Gisela led Wolfram into a small hut near the back of the village.

"I hope you will not hold a grudge against us. I am very sorry, but I hope you will see my village means no harm," she said as she opened the door to the hut, "In the troubled times of war, no stranger can be welcomed into our village without deep distrust."

Wolfram swallowed a lump in his throat, "It's…understandable," he muttered softly.

The space that Gisela brought him into wasn't big, and the wooden panels of the floor was old and worn out. In fact Wolfram was a little worried the hut would collapse at any given moment.

Gisela walked into the room and carefully placed her staff down. She then walked to the large pot in the middle of the room, there was a small fire underneath the pot. She gestured for Wolfram to join her.

Wolfram approached and he was able to peer into the pot. It was a rather lovely brown colour soup with chunks of meat and carrots. Or that would be what he originally thought, but he couldn't be sure as the meat and carrots was different colours.

Either way, it smelled good.

War?

Wolfram was no stranger to war. He might have been to young to go and fight in the war, but he had to witness Conrad leaving for the war. He had seen the damage the war had brought but sometimes war was necessary.

"Stew?" Gisela offered.

Wolfram looked at the pot again, "Oh. Um. Sure, thank you," he said.

He bowed his head like the gentleman his mother raised him to be. Despite the fact he was tied up and held captive, Wolfram believed the village didn't mean to course any harm.

"Where are we?" Wolfram said.

Gisela clocked her head, "You don't know where you are? Perhaps you are from the outer hills," she said.

Wolfram frowned. He thought about just telling her about Shin Makoku, her home but just as that thought went through his brain…Wolfram realized this couldn't be Gisela.

"You…You're not Gisela, are you?" he mumbled.

Gisela tilted her head, "Gisela? I do not know that name."

"My name is Giliana," she added with a smile, "I don't believe we have met before."

Wolfram opened but then shut his mouth, "Giliana," he repeated softly.

Giliana, he hadn't heard that name before.

This is not Gisela. This is Giliana…

"Oh," was all Wolfram said.

It hurt. More then it should honestly. Wolfram had an suspicion after all.

"I'm sorry?" Giliana said.

Wolfram winced, "N-No. It's alright…" he awkwardly said, "You just…remind me of somebody is all."

Giliana looked like she was going to say something but when she opened her mouth, she was rudely cut off.

A loud, earth shaking, crash erupted from outside. The crash was followed by screams.

"What was that?" Wolfram asked.

Giliana's eyes widened, and she frowned. She looked worried, weary and anxious all of a sudden. She carefully eased herself up onto her feet and quickly went to retrieve her staff.

"This is bad," she said.

Wolfram frowned himself. He heard another thud, followed by even more screams and cries.

"What's going on?" he questioned.

Giliana shook her head. She throw the wooden door open to reveal the outside world.

A familiar shrilly laugh filled the air and Wolfram shudder. He had almost forgotten. Almost had thought it was just a dream.

"It's a monster!"

More screaming followed.

"She has returned," Giliana said.

Wolfram raised an eyebrow. What had returned? He was about to ask when the priestess disappeared through the door. He didn't want to be sitting alone with such sounds coming from outside, Wolfram decided to try and follow the woman.

It was chaos.

Villagers was running back and forth. Men was equipping themselves with weapons and badly put together armour. Woman was trying their hardest to prevent buildings from fully collapsing. Children was crying from fear.

A woman. A woman with a long centipede body.

She had damn horse in her fanged mouth. A fully grown horse!

"She's real," Wolfram whispered, "It wasn't a dream."

Giliana held her trusty staff up, "Mrs Centipede has returned from the curse well!" she said loudly.

Cursed well?

"There is a cursed well?" Wolfram said.

He had climbed out an well…and the centipede woman had pulled him into a well. They must be the same well.

Wolfram shook his head to clear his thought. His eyes widened as he saw a small child. A little boy standing still in the middle of the street.

The kid must be in shock.

Wolfram could see Mrs Centipede twist herself once more and throw the horse across the village. As she moved, her long tail destroyed hut after hut.

Wolfram found himself running. He was bumping his legs towards the child. His heart leaped. He wrapped his arms around the child, and held him tightly to his body just as both of them moved out of harm's way.

"Are-Are you alright?" Wolfram panted.

The little boy sniffled. He rubbed his dirty face and then looked up at Wolfram with a teary smile. He nodded his head mutely.

Wolfram smiled in return. He had seriously just saved a life. A small precious life.

The child after a few more seconds pulled away, and followed other children to safety. Wolfram watched him go before he looked back up at Mrs Centipede.

"She's missing one of her arms," Wolfram gasped, "The hand in the well. It was hers?"

Red slit eyes turned in his direction suddenly. Mrs Centipede arched her body and groaned loudly.

"You!" she shrieked, "I've finally found you again!"

Wolfram gulped. He grimaced.

"I can feel it!" she moaned, "I can feel it rushing through your body! I want it! I want it so badly!"

"Give it to me!"

Wolfram let out a yelp as she swished towards him. He barely had time to duck, she was moving so fast. Much faster then anything he had ever seen before. She flow straight over him and into another building.

"Oi!" Wolfram yelled, "Don't just stand there! Get out of the way!"

The few villagers watching with fearful expression shook their heads. They broke out of whatever trance they was in, and quickly ran away. Other villagers with weapons tried and failed to attack Mrs Centipede.

Mrs Centipede bellowed with laughter. She wrapped her arms around her body and twisted her body with another moan.

Giliana appeared from the chaos, "We must lure Mrs Centipede back to the cursed well!" she said.

Wolfram gulped, "The cursed well, the one I climbed out off. It's in the forest right?" he asked.

"You climbed out off it?" Giliana gasped, "Yes. The well is in the demon's forest."

Wolfram nodded furiously, "Right! Which direction is the forest?"

Mrs Centipede seemed to be after him. If anybody can lure her back to the well, it would the one she was desperately trying to get a hold off.

"Is it where the lights are shining?" he asked.

Wolfram turned to look at the crowd of trees to the south. He could see bright pink lights shining from the tree tops. It spread out across the night sky.

"Wait," Giliana called.

Wolfram was running towards the lights. He could hear the sound of something big chasing after him, and it didn't a genius to figure out what that something was.

'Somebody will save me, right?' Wolfram thought anxiously.

He might have even laughed at the irony of the thought. All his life Wolfram had been so angry at the thought of somebody helping him, of somebody saving him. He was the type to bare his teeth at anybody who would even suggest helping him.

Why?

Wolfram didn't want to seem weak in front of others. He didn't want to look like he struggling.

He wanted to prove he could do it. He could become a soldier, somebody who was useful without needing anybody to help him do it.

…but right now, he needed help. He needed somebody to help him and it killed him.

'Anybody!' Wolfram thought, 'Gwendal? Conrad?'

"Yuuri!" Wolfram cried out.

Wolfram peered over his shoulder. Wolfram's eyes widened and his stomach clenched tightly.

Mrs Centipede was charging after him. Her long black spider-like legs hair ruffled through the air as she advanced faster and faster.

"Whoever you are? Somebody please help me!"

Wolfram felt his body tremble. He clenched his eyes shut as he ran, breathing deeply until his throat was burning. He felt something leave his body, but Wolfram didn't check.

He was closing in to the forest. He was almost there, he could see the forest's tree line up ahead.

Wolfram ran up the trail into forest.

"I must have it! That power!" Mrs Centipede shrieked.

She twisted herself again. Unlike all the times before, Mrs Centipede lunched forward and crashed herself into the ground in hopes of hitting Wolfram. However, Mrs Centipede missed and only hit the ground behind Wolfram.

It was enough to send Wolfram flying.

Wolfram went flying. His body spun through the air and he bounced along the ground in a way nobody should. He landed on the back of his shoulders with his legs over his head, his butt in the air.

"Ow," Wolfram groaned, "How embarrassing…"

He unwrapped himself and eased himself up. He rubbed the back of aching neck with a whimper.

"Power?" he sighed softly, "What power?"

Wolfram glanced back over his shoulder. He couldn't see Mrs Centipede but he is sure she's somewhere out there and will probably find him soon enough.

"Your blood," a voice snorted.

Wolfram blinked once and then twice. His nose crunched up and his eyebrows knitted together.

Who had just talked? In a familiar but yet not voice.

"She wants your blood. I can smell it in your veins," the same voice added.

Wolfram lifted his head and was expecting to see a villager, but no. No he didn't. It wasn't a villager at all.

He found pure black eyes staring at him.

Eyes with no pupils at all.

"What…" Wolfram breathed out.

Wolfram's breath leaped into his throat. He felt like he couldn't breathe. His chest tightened and he felt like crying.

'Yuuri?' Wolfram thought.

"You know…you look pretty stupid like that…" the boy said, "However, I have a feeling you don't want to be squashed so you might want to get a move on. She's almost here."

"…unless you are hurt? Aw poor lamb."

Wolfram felt frustration want to surface. The familiar feeling of annoyance mixed with relief but yet a hint of anger wanted to climb to his face.

"Oh, shut up!" Wolfram found himself snapping back, "You're one to talk! You look a little dumb pinned to a tree like that!"

The Yuuri-look alike snorted again. He tilted his head a little and raised an black eyebrow. He raised his hand to the arrow in his chest and just as he was about to touch said arrow, pink light crackled around the arrow end.

It looked like it had burned his hand, however when he opened his hand, there was no burns visible.

Wolfram swallowed a thick lump.

"She's almost here. You might want to get a move on, otherwise, she'll mate with you," the Yuuri-look alike said quietly.

Wolfram blinked again, "What?" he let out, "Mate?"

The dark haired boy frowned deeply, "Yes. Mate. You know, sex, breeding and other things. Hmm, you're pretty cute so I guess I can sort of understand," he said quietly.

Wolfram would have flushed from such words but he was still a little nervous. Still scared, and anxious about what was happening.

"She's here," the boy suddenly said.

Wolfram froze. Heat coated through his body and made his hairs stand up on end. From the tree branches above him came Mrs Centipede. She immediately wrapped herself around the tree and succeed in crushing Wolfram to the tree and by default the Yuuri-look alike.

"Ah," Wolfram yelped in surprise, "Why is crushing me!"

His head was pressed into the boy's shoulder. Mrs Centipede let out another bellow of laughter, enjoying seeing Wolfram suffer.

"Let go of me!" Wolfram cried out.

Mrs Centipede tried to grab onto Wolfram. She tried with all her might to pull him from the tree, but Wolfram did the only thing he could think off. He blindly reached out and grabbed onto the first thing he could reach.

"Ow! Ow! Ow!" the boy pinned to the tree growled, "You let go!"

Wolfram held desperately onto the boys hair. He was trying really hard not to let Mrs Centipede take him away.

"Give me the power!" Mrs Centipede shrieked, "I want the power! I want it!"

The dark haired boy hissed, "Don't let her bite you. If she gets her fangs into your body, she will drink your blood and retrieve your power," he said.

"What power?" Wolfram wanted to ask but instead throw his left hand out.

He tried hard to summon his fire. To hopefully burn the thing, to make her let go of him. Instead of his fire, the pink light appeared from his hand again.

It hit the half woman and half centipede in the face.

Mrs Centipede screamed. She let go of Wolfram and flung herself back from the tree with all her hands over her face.

Wolfram fell to the ground again. He rubbed his backside and looked at the screaming Mrs Centipede. He had to move out of the way of the flaring centipede body. He watched as more human arms burned off the body and fell to the ground.

"I did that…before too…" Wolfram mumbled, "Is…is that the power she was on about?"

Wolfram looked down at his hand. It looked normal. He felt normal, well other then the burning on the side of his stomach. He almost pressed hand to his side.

"Don't stay there!" the boy suddenly said.

Wolfram looked back up at him. Before he should say anything, Mrs Centipede reappeared and once again twisted around the tree. She wrapped her long centipede body back around Wolfram and once again pinned him back against the tree.

He found himself pinned to the Yuuri's look like's body. This time his face directly into his chest.

The dark haired boy sighed deeply, "I did tell you," he said.

Wolfram's eyes twitched. He glared up at him.

"You're not being helpful!" he snapped before groaning in pain, "She's crushing me again!"

The boy frowned, "No. You let her bite you!" he grumbled, "I told you not too! Now look what you've done."

Wolfram frowned, "No I did-" he paused.

His stomach was burning. The left side of his stomach felt like there was acid digging into his skin. Like he had been stabbed. Wolfram was barely able to lift his head to look down.

Blood. He cloud see it staining the left side of his shirt.

"When did she bite me?" Wolfram wondered.

He doesn't remember her biting him…unless it was when she tried to pull him off the tree…

"Yes! My Power!" Mrs Centipede groan loudly in pure pleasure.

Wolfram watched as her body shook. His nose scrunched upward in disgust as the white skin of her body burst off and red puss oozed out of her. Her once pretty face was now demented and her hair had withered away leaving a being that was just bone and muscle.

It was disgusting.

"I-I, my, what," Wolfram gasped in shock, "I did that?"

"Haha!" Mrs Centipede laughed, "I heard rumours of a half demon sealed here. That is you, isn't it? I can smell you a mile away."

The Yuuri look alike snorted, he rolled his eyes, "Half's all I need to kick your ass. Anything more would be a waste of my time," he said with a shrug.

Mrs Centipede just laughed.

Wolfram grunted. He could feel her centipede's body crushing him even more.

"Oi! Listen," Wolfram said. He even pulled at the boy's black cat ear, "You talk big but can you back it up?"

The boy blinked in surprise, "What?"

Wolfram swallowed, "Can you or can't you?"

The boy's mouth opened as if he was going to say something but nothing came out.

"What can he do? Pinned there like that," Mrs Centipede laughed again, "Or you for that matter. You're both too powerless to stop me, much less anything else! You're both helpless!"

Mrs Centipede laughed more. Her long gross tongue peeked out of her mouth as she laughed.

"Hey," the dark haired boy said, "Can you pull out this arrow?"

Wolfram blinked. He looked down at the arrow. He bites his bottom lip as he recalled the pink light that had burned the boy's hand.

"Pull the arrow out?" Wolfram said, "I-I don't know…"

He slowly lifted a hand. His fingers was about to touch the arrow.

"No! Do not do that!" a familiar voice said.

Giliana panted. She was out of breath, and her face was flushed. Most likely from running all this way.

"Do not pull that arrow out. He will be free and he will ruin us," Giliana said, "He's bad. Much worse than Mrs Centipede."

Mrs Centipede hissed. Her long tongue flaring at Giliana, but she instead of leaping to attack Giliana, she let out another laugh. A laugh that is more mocking then anything else.

The boy glared at her. It was strange to see on a face so much like Yuuri. Yuuri had always been kind and gentle, he never had such an expression like that.

"Don't be stupid," he said, "At least with me you've got a chance, with that thing, you're all dead. It's going to eat you, but if you prefer to die that way then am I to get in the way?"

Wolfram twitched. He couldn't believe the words had even left somebody who was so much like Yuuri.

"I d-don't want to be eaten," Wolfram said.

Wolfram looked at the arrow again. He breathed deeply, and grabbed onto the arrow. Unlike with the Yuuri look like, there was no pink light preventing Wolfram from touching the arrow. He held it in his hand for a few seconds before he yanked as hard as he could.

Pink light erupted from Wolfram and the look alike. It burned Wolfram's eyes, and he shut them tightly until the light faded away. The arrow even disappeared in the flash of light.

He did it. He pulled the arrow out.

Had it freed the boy?

Wolfram felt himself shudder. He had the sinking feeling he might have made the wrong decision.

The laughter from Mrs Centipede suddenly stopped. She let out a sound of fear and the centipede body loosened briefly before tightening, trying to crush Wolfram and the demon boy.

Wolfram felt fear run through his body. He could feel the pain in his body intensive from the way Mrs Centipede was trying to kill them. It only lasted a few seconds before the pressure was moved from his form.

He felt himself being shoved backward. He landed on his backside, and looked up in time to see large meaty chunks rained around him. Red rain also burst from above him.

Giliana gasped, "The seal…it's gone…" she said.

Wolfram curled up as he stared at the meat closest to him. He felt his face grimaced as he noticed it was twitching.

It was parts of Mrs Centipedes, centipede's body.

"Did he do that?" Wolfram wondered out loud.

Wolfram stared at the boy. The boy that looked so much like Yuuri but just couldn't be him. His cat ears was on end, and his long cat tail looked like a snake in that moment. He was angry, Wolfram could tell.

"Ha, what was that about being hopeless?" the boy said.

His voice sounded almost evil. It rubbed Wolfram the wrong way. Not just that, the boy even had a twisted smirk on his face. It didn't look right on his face.

The only part of Mrs Centipede that wasn't ripped apart, was the human part.

Her long tongue moved through her paper-like lips. She let out a roar and charged at him, her mouth opening wide like a shark's mouth. A mouth full of sharp, pointed teeth.

"I'll rip your guts out and make soup with them!" she screamed.

The dark haired boy snorted. He twisted backward, and lifted a clawed hand. He pounced like a cat, moving quicker then Wolfram could keep up. He was just a black blur, zapping through the air and bring his glowing blue hand down upon Mr's Centipede.

He easily charged through her body. He quite easily ripped her body apart, his claws slicing through her without any real effort.

Mrs Centipede screamed.

In all his years in the military, and then protecting Yuuri, going to adventure after adventure…Wolfram had never seen much blood. Never felt so much blood on him.

"H-He…he really is strong…" Wolfram said.

He wondered if he was as strong as Yuuri, or stronger. Wolfram had no doubt Yuuri could do what his look alike had just done.

Giliana quickly made her way to his side. She carefully helped him up to his feet.

"Why…why would I have blood wanted by them? By her?" Wolfram asked, "By demons?"

Wolfram had grown up believing Mazoku meant demon. That he was a demon. But seeing what demons was like here…they was completely different to Mazokus. Wolfram hated to say it, but Mazokus paled in comparison to them.

What is Mazokus here? Were they any different to humans?

Could all Mazokus do that pink light thing?

Wolfram imagined what everyone would do if he had brought Mrs Centipede home. A real demon…? Or this Yuuri look alike? Well he could only imagine how that would end…

Yuuri is the demon king after all…so what does that make his look alike?

"More demons will come," the Yuuri look like said, "Your blood has already filled air. It's probably already spread more then a mile, can't you smell it?"

Wolfram tried to smell the air. He couldn't smell anything.

"Smell alone isn't enough to give a demon power, they need blood," the boy added, "They will come for it. Weak demons and powerful demons. Demons will cut enough down to get to you."

Wolfram stared at him, "W-Wait…are you saying Mrs Centipede wouldn't…"

"She wouldn't have killed you," the boy said, "I said she was going to forcefully mate you. That why you would be hers and she can keep feeding off you without you dying right away. Of cause other demons will try to kill her but if she's feeding off your blood, she'll get stronger and stronger."

Wolfram grimaced at the thought. He lightly touched the wound on the side of his stomach. She had bitten him, but didn't drink enough blood to defeat the Yuuri's other look alike.

Wolfram wasn't sure if there was other Mazoku around. Was Giliana a Mazoku, human or…a demon? He wasn't sure. She did not look or act like Yuuri's look alike. She didn't have cat ears, tail, claws or fangs like him.

"Wait, why aren't you after it?" Wolfram suddenly said, "You're a demon too, right?"

It probably was the stupidest thing for Wolfram to say.

The boy turned to look at Wolfram. His black eyes stared at Wolfram, looking right through him. Ever so slowly, his lips twisted into a smirk.

"Who's to say I'm not?" he asked.

Wolfram felt his stomach flop. His eyes widened and he stepped back. Something really wasn't right.

"I, what?" Wolfram mumbled softly.

The boy lifted his clawed hand. It cracked as he moved it.

Wolfram tried to take another step back when his foot hit one of the centipede's bones. The impact throw him to the ground in time to miss another flash of blue light. Wolfram was thankful to miss the attack but he couldn't help but feel….

He doesn't care this wasn't Yuuri. It looked like him, had the same face, voice, even their eyes was similar. Hell, Wolfram had a feeling they might share the same sweet smile he loved so much.

It was Yuuri.

In that moment, all Wolfram could think was 'Yuuri just tried to attack him'.

"You really just tried to hit me!" Wolfram yelled, "You tried to attack me!"

The dark haired demon boy pounced at him again. He jumped from tree to tree.

Wolfram couldn't help but find this ironic. In all his life he had been chasing 'Yuuri' and now here he is, running from 'Yuuri'.

The boy was super-fast, and Wolfram knew he could not out run him. What was he supposed to do? In Shin Makoku Wolfram would have used his fire.

Could he used that pink light power thing? The thing he had used to hurt Mrs Centipede?

"Prepare yourself!"

At least he warned him.

Wolfram cried out when three blue lights slashed at him. It bounced of trees and rocks, splitting the trees in half and crushing the rocks. The impact sent Wolfram hurling through the air and landing on his stomach.

It was all to much. Everything was so overwhelming for him. He felt like he could cry any given minute.

He thought about trying to summon his fire but before he could even try, he was flipped over. The demon boy was above him, hovering over him and easily pinning him down.

"Let go of me," Wolfram said.

He tried to kick the boy off, but the demon boy used his knees to pin him down.

"The more you struggle, the more pain you'll be in," the boy said quietly.

Wolfram froze. He felt teeth pierce his neck. His eyes widened. The boy, Yuuri's look alike, was biting him.

It hurt! A lot!

"Y-You're hurting me!" Wolfram screamed.

Wolfram was able to wedge his left hand free. He smacked him across the cheek, and knocking him off him in surprise. As soon as the demon was off him, Wolfram scrambled back while holding his neck.

He stared at the dark haired boy who stared back in return. He was holding his cheek with large familiar sweet eyes.

"Y-You bit me!" Wolfram squealed.

The boy tilted his head, "And you smacked me," he stated.

Wolfram's eyes widened. He felt his insides tighten.

"I-I didn't mean too!" Wolfram said.

He wasn't about to find himself in another engagement. Not straight after breaking the one with Yuuri and most definitely not with somebody who looked identical to Yuuri.

"It doesn't mean anything," Wolfram added nervously, "It's not…not a-a..."

Oh god. Wolfram wanted to slap himself.

"I mean, d-don't, um…"

Suddenly the look alike licked his lips and a smile spread across his face. A familiar sweet and innocent smile. One that made Wolfram's toes and fingers curl. It made his heart skip a beat.

He let out a sweet and innocent laugh.

Wolfram felt his face flush.

"Why would I want to do that?" the boy asked quietly.

Wolfram's eyes widened before they narrowed. He clenched his hands and pressed his lips together.

"You accepted it," the boy added.

Wolfram's eyebrows pulled together, "What?" he asked in confusion.

Giliana walks towards them. She had a surprised expression and was lightly pulling at her short green hair.

"He marked you as his mate, and you accepted it by slapping him," she said, "Mating and engagement."

Wolfram spun his head around to look up at her, "W-What, no, I mean," he gasped, "Mating?"

"It is the demon way of engagement," Giliana said.

Wolfram stared at the black haired demon. He simply smiled so sweetly back at Wolfram.

"You're mine now," he said.

Wolfram felt a shudder run up his spine. He felt like he was about to cry. How could he let this happen again? Happen with somebody who is exactly like his ex-fiancé. Wolfram's heart is broken. He can't handle this…

Giliana suddenly twisted her trust staff. She bumped the end firmly against the demon's forehead. It made the boy to yelp and cover his forehead.

"Don't get too full of yourself demon," she huffed, "That does not excuse you trying to hurt poor Wolfram."

The boy frowned deeply up at her. He childishly stuck his tongue out at her.