Disclaimer: I don't own Kyou Kara Maou

Stay Strong

Chapter 8: Coming Back

"Yuuri!" Conrart shouted as he flung the heavy door like it weighed nothing, eyes desperate to find his godson.

"Yuuri!" Wolfram followed right behind him, so did the rest of the Maou's advisors to Yuuri's room.

Upon entering the room, they saw that Yuuri's bed was empty. Where could Yuuri have gone to? With fear glinting in their eyes for their King's life, hope seemed to melt away from their hearts. Just then, Conrart saw a blue figure slumped down near the window.

"No! Yuuri! No, you better not..." Conrart's voice sounded so panic-stricken, unlike his usual neutral and calm tone. He rushed to Yuuri's side and lifted that limp body.

"Gisella!" Conrart called for the green-haired healer the moment he felt that Yuuri's hand was really cold.

Conrart, a trained soldier he was, could still be overtaken by anxiety. His hands were shaking as he embraced Yuuri protectively. He found that even his knees were too weak to stand up and bring Yuuri to his bed. All he could do was to sit there and stare at Yuuri's pale face.

Wolfram was stunned when he saw his brother clearly displayed his emotion. To Wolfram, Conrart was always a master of poker face, never letting others know what he actually felt inside; a selfless man who was often disregarded simply because he was a half-breed. Yet the look in Conrart's eyes when he held Yuuri, was like telling people to back off and to never dare to threaten Yuuri's life. Consumed by fear himself, Wolfram sat across Conrart and held Yuuri's other hand.

Kneeling beside the King, Gisella started to use her maryoku on Yuuri. Her brows furrowed as a drop of sweat trailed down her temples.

"His pulse is weakening... it's... it's as though his life force is being drained away..." Gisella spoke and she gritted her teeth at her inability to do anything for her King.

"Can't you do something? Anything to help him?" Wolfram responded even though he knew that there was nothing that the healer could do.

"Yuuri..." Conrart whispered, holding Yuuri tighter.

"Guess... there's no other choice..." Murata closed his eyes. He, along with a fairy like figure on his shoulder extended their hands towards Yuuri and Conrart.

A turquoise and gold light twirled around one another and engulfed both Conrart and Yuuri. Within moments, another blinding light shone and nobody was able to see what was happening.

Yuuri watched from the corner of his eyes as Wolfram and Conrart left the room. He gave himself a small smile at his achievement to wake up and say a few words to them. Conrart, without doubt, was always there at a special place in his heart. Conrart was the first man he could fully trust even thought they might have not spent a long time together. Wolfram, starting from who knew when, apparently became another important person for Yuuri too. The selfish brat has turned into a fine prince who could empathise with him. Yuuri was glad for Wolfram's company whenever he was alone. Yuuri realised, that these two people deserved something more from him.

Dragging himself from the bed, he could barely stand on his feet. He felt so weak, all his energy was gone without a trace. His whole body felt so weird, both hot and cold, numb and yet painful when he wanted to move it. Was this how people felt when he was about to die or when their soul was 'snatched away'?

Yuuri sluggishly crawled towards a window, facing the direction of the castle's gate. He could see lights like a firework, but he knew they were something else.

'I don't have any regret. I'm glad I met you all and got to be a part of this wonderful world. I'm sorry if you will hate me afterwards, but I really love everyone and this country. I don't want them to end the beginning of peace in this world. I will protect Shin Makoku like how a Maou should. Let this be my final gift that will ensure your safety from today onwards.'

With such resolution, Yuuri forced himself to extract the maryoku left in him.

"Urhhh..." Yuuri grunted with effort and he finally exclaimed as he let out a blast of maryoku, "I will protect Shin Makoku!"

And the world plunged into darkness...

'Well... I don't mind having such ending...' Yuuri thought to himself, 'At least I'm not a wimp like Wolfram always said and I finally took my responsibility. Gwendal and Gunter better be happy with this.'

Yuuri chuckled slightly when he imagined how Gwendal would be shocked and Gunter would wail because they found out how Yuuri had protected the country with his power at his own will. He did not lose control like what usually happened when he used his maryoku. He also imagined Wolfram would comically bow down to him, admit that he was not a wimp and promise that Wolfram would always obey him from that moment.

Finally, after letting his imagination wander even more, recalling his family on Earth, Murata, and other friends, a picture of one person came to his mind: Conrart.

Yuuri's smile faded away as a stream of memories flowed in him. Conrart's prince-charming smile, Conrart's light-hearted laughter, Conrart's pledge to always remain by his side, Conrart's lame puns, Conrart's warm and fatherly hugs, Conrart's... Everything about him.

A single sparkling tear started to drop. Yuuri could feel it even though he did not see his physical body anymore.

'Eh... I didn't know parting can be this sad...' more tears formed like a river.

Yuuri sobbed as he felt a heavy lump stuck in his chest. Without realising, he started to wonder if there was a second chance; started to wish for it, even though he had made up his mind a moment ago.

"Yuuri!" a familiar voice called up to him.

Yuuri tried to look around the darkness, finding the source of voice he was longing to hear.

"Yuuri!" another voice was heard.

'Con... rad..? Wolfram..?'

"No! Yuuri! No, you better not..."

'Conrad? That doesn't sound like you... Why is your voice so shaky?'

"Yuuri..." this time the voice was so faint, almost unheard.

'No! Please! Don't leave me!' Yuuri grew desperate to hear that voice again. He knew if he was dead, he should not expect such comfort from the world of the living. However, Yuuri could not help it. He just wanted to hear those people he cared for calling for his name, speaking to him.

'No... I... I don't want to die now... Not now...' Yuuri cried out.

Slowly, a bright white light enveloped him and he saw Conrart's face before his eyes. Conrart looked so deep in despair and so did the other people behind him. It hurt Yuuri to witness his friends being sad. He thought he saw his physical hands and he reached out for them, wanting to wipe away those frowns from their faces. As his hands got nearer to Conrart, Yuuri was blinded by another light and he no longer felt his consciousness.

The light in the room faded and soon Murata dropped sitting down on the ground.

"Geika!" Gunter was too late to catch him.

"I'm okay," Murata smiled, "Look," he pointed towards Yuuri and Conrart.

Without the need of Gisella's examination, everyone in the room could tell something was different with their King. The anxiety no longer hung heavily in the air. There was a soothing wind and serenity. There was the life force of their Maou coming back and getting stronger.

"Yuuri..?" Conrart's eyes opened widely.

"Unhh..." Yuuri tried to grip back the hands around his hands.

"Yuuri!" Wolfram could not help but to shout out as tears of happiness blurred his vision. He thought he had lost his fiancé, his important person in life, but that person came back. He was alive!

"Yuuri..." Conrart continued to hug Yuuri as he knew that Yuuri was alive, Yuuri was back to them, back to him. Without anyone knowing, there was a drop of tear from those warm cinnamon eyes.

"Ah Heika..." Gunter clasped his hands and he saw Gwendal's soft smile has replaced his deep frown.

Yozak let out a relieved sigh and Gisella could not help but to shed some tears because she would never be able to bear with the fact of losing her respected Maou, just after he started to reign and be acknowledged by other people.

Everyone moved closer to Yuuri as though to provide him mental support to stay with them. Murata staggered and Yozak immediately helped him.

"Geika, what did you do?" Gunter asked Murata, knowing that the Great Sage surely had a part in bringing Yuuri back.

"Well, all I did was to send an image of our current condition to Yuuri's mind. It was all his effort to stay conscious and to stay strong, to come back to us, which restored his life force. Had he wanted to leave us, our effort would mean nothing," Murata explained with his usual cheerfulness.

With much effort, Yuuri opened his eyes briefly and what came to his view brought a great delight in his heart: everyone was smiling. More importantly, Conrart and Wolfram by his side, supporting him, looked so relieved. That was enough for Yuuri. The joy of his friends was the sole reason for Yuuri to live.

"I'm... tired..." Yuuri managed to croak out as his eyelid were falling again.

"It's okay... Just rest now, Yuuri. We're here..." Conrart's calming husky voice was like a lullaby to Yuuri. Soon he fell into a peaceful slumber with his trusted people around him.

A week passed by and unlike the usual heavy atmosphere that was present when the Maou's retainers were waiting for their King to wake up, there was peace. They could patiently wait until their King fully regained his strength to wake up because they were assured that Yuuri would not leave them. Yuuri would stay here with them.

Until one point...

"Argh... I can't take it already!" Wolfram yelled as he stomped his foot.

"Wake up already, you wimp! Are you happy now that I'm worried sick of you?!" Wolfram said while facing Yuuri, Gunter holding him back so that he would not kick the sleeping Yuuri. Apparently some things were bound to never change.

"I'm not... a wimp..." a whisper quietened everyone, including the hysterical Wolfram.

Yuuri was awake even though he still could not move his body or open his eyes fully. He turned his head to see everyone dumbfounded at his sudden awakening.

"Heika..." Gunter started to wail. Again.

Conrart stepped forward and kneeled beside Yuuri. With his brightest and most joyful smile, he said, "Welcome back, Yuuri."

Yuuri returned his smile and answered, "I'm back, nazukeoya."

The End

Hi readers!

Yay! I finished this story! Hope you like the ending! :) Should I do just one more chapter about what happened to the Harbinger and how Yuuri recovered? Or should I just leave it like this?

Thanks a lot to everyone who review this story from the beginning, especially jayfeather63! Thanks to Bree too!

I've got another idea for Kyou Kara Maou! story. Let's hope I can quickly develop it and start another story! :)

Please review this chapter too! Thank you everyone!

Lots of love from me!