Jowy’s Story - Chapter 3. A New Family (Suikoden II Fan Fiction)

Suikoden II - Jowy's Story

A Fanfiction by Joanna Sherlyn Dunlap

"Suikoden" and all its characters therein are trademarks of Konami Co., Ltd. © 1995-1998.

English Translation © Konami of America, Inc.

Writer-Creator: Yoshitaka Murayama (Murayama-san, arigato!)

Notes

I debated forever about how I wanted Pilika to talk. In the games, she refers to herself in third person: “Pilika tried really hard.” From my understanding of Japanese culture, it is more polite to refer to people by name, and not by pronouns as we do in English. This may be why she speaks the way she does. I noticed other characters using a similar speech pattern and that lead me to believe that Pilika’s speech might have been due to translation error, and not an actual personal trait of her speech.

Though this had always made her more endearing to me in the game, the speech can seem out of place in a written work. So rather than copy her first-person speech patterns as used in the game, I decided to let her use pronouns. I felt it was more important to get across the concept of Pilika’s childhood innocence in the way that would be most appropriate for the language she’s speaking. In this work of fanfiction, she speaks English. I wanted her to speak as a child would, and therefore use pronouns like most English-speaking children. However, children occasionally make grammatical and syntactical errors. I wanted to include some of that charm into her speech. I hope this is a worthy substitute for those of you that cherished her first-person speech.

Chapter 3: A New Family

Jowy found Pilika sitting at the bank of the river. She was talking to a duck.

“…so, if you see him, Mr. Duck, please come and tell me, okay? Uncle Jowy really wants his friend back.”

Jowy was taken aback at these words. Just how much had this family sacrificed for him these past few days? Only now it occurred to Jowy that he had woken up in the only bed in the house. Joanna had been doting upon him like a mother. Marx, of whom Jowy had only heard speak, had watched out for his mental well-being from the beginning. Now this little girl, no higher than his waist, was out leading animals in a search for his friend. He was so thankful, and his heart was instantly knit to the little family.

He came up next to Pilika and sat down quietly. “Hi, Pilika. You talking to Mr. Duck?”

“Uncle Jowy!” she threw her little arms around his waist and buried her head in his chest. You’re awake! I was real worried.”

“Oh, I’m alright, Pilika, Honey,” he laughed. “I had you and your mom and dad and Mr. Duck to take care of me.”

Pilika unburied her face from his chest. “So you’re all better now, Uncle Jowy?”

“Yep. Uncle Jowy’s all better now. See?” Then he leapt up, ran to a grassy bit behind them, and did a cartwheel. Jowy, sharp and agile, stuck the landing. “Ta-da!”

Pilika applauded with joy, “Hooray, Uncle Jowy!” and then, “Look! I can do it too!” She bounded next to him and attempted to copy his acrobatic feat.

She was a little awkward, and Jowy could tell that cartwheels were not something she practiced regularly, but he cheered for her madly nonetheless. Pilika beamed.

“That was great, Pilika! Well done! Was that your first cartwheel?”

“Mm-hmm,” She nodded. “I’m just like you! We can both make wheels! Let’s do it again!”

“You want to do cartwheels together?”

“Yeah! Come on, Uncle Jowy.”

“Ok,” he lead, “now don’t stand to close. You don’t want to hurt anyone. You ready? Put your hands up. Now one, two, three!” They both wheeled on the grass and shouted “Ta-da!”

Jowy ran back to the bank. “What did you think of that, Mr. Duck? Weren’t we amazing?” He put his ear close to his beak, careful to make sure that “Mr. Duck” didn’t think it was a snack. “Mm-hmm. Uh-huh. Gotcha,” he nodded in pretend response. Then he walked back to Pilika. “Mr. Duck says that you were fantastic, but I could use a little work.”

Pilika looked at Mr. Duck, horrified. “Mr. Duck, don’t say that! That’s very rude! Uncle Jowy is that best wheeler in the whole world!”

Jowy laughed. “Now, don’t be so hard on Mr. Duck, Pilika Honey. He was just trying to tell you how good you did. Maybe you should tell him “thank you.”

“Thank you, Mr. Duck!” she shouted. “Uncle Jowy, could you show me how to make a wheel better?”

“Sure!” He exclaimed. Then he got an idea. He put on a playful commander voice. “Stand up straight, young soldier. Today, we teach you the art of the cartwheel.”

Pilika played along, standing at attention. She seemed to like the game. Jowy couldn’t keep his commander ruse up for long before crumbling to Pilika’s sweetness. Through the afternoon they laughed and played, perfecting Pilika’s new skill. He taught her to hand-stand up straight without falling, stressing the importance of good balance. He held up her legs until she could hold the position on her own. He taught her how to get a running start, and how to put one hand down after the other.

They were putting the finishing touches on a simple routine when Joanna called them in for dinner. Pilika begged for her to watch before they went in. Joanna agreed and called to Marx so they could both witness “The Grand Circus of Pilika and Jowy.” Unfortunately, Mr. Duck, who had long since swam away, had to miss out on the show. When the circus had concluded, Joanna and Marx cheered for her daughter’s new talent, the proudest of parents.

“You seem to have your energy back,” Marx commented to Jowy over a supper of vegetable stew and bread.

“Yes, thanks to the hospitality of you and your wife - and Pilika of course,” he added, looking over at the girl, beaming at the comment.

“Pilika Honey, did you thank Uncle Jowy for teaching you how to cartwheel?” Joanna asked.

“Thank you Uncle Jowy for teaching me how to make the wheel,” she politely responded to the prompting.

“You’re welcome, Pilika. It was my pleasure. Do you know,” He asked Marx and Joanna, “that Mr. Duck thought Pilika was more talented in the art of cart wheeling than I?”

“Is that so?” Marx asked Pilika.

“Yeah,” the girl answered between forkfuls, “but Mr. Duck isn’t really that smart.”

This sent everyone laughing.

* * *

Days went by. Jowy continued to live with the family, and in return helped out wherever he could. Marx was away often. He was a trader, and traveled to many towns and cities to do business with the merchants there. This left Jowy to get to know more about the shy, sweet Joanna, and the perpetually energetic Pilika.

He would garden with Joanna, and play with Pilika. They both seemed to enjoy it when he would use his staff to whack pesky vegetable-stealing moles on the heads. He tried his hand at cooking, but after burning soup one day, he decided that he better leave food preparation to the expert. Joanna, of course, showed no hint of anger at the situation. Pilika found it all quite entertaining.

Whenever Jowy went out to explore the village, Pilika latched onto him, following him wherever he went. His bubbly shadow kept a running commentary of everything they passed by. It didn’t take him long to learn that the village, Toto, had two nice dogs, one mean dog, many kids, a general store that “selled” delicious sweets, a smithy run by a giant man with a loud voice, a bridge with a monster living under it, and a very naughty boy that always pulled Pilika’s hair whenever he saw her.

Pilika stressed how important it was that Jowy stay away from him, but changed her mind when Jowy suggested that he whack him on the head like the garden moles. Pilika thought this was a very good idea. From then on, she referred to the child as “Mole Boy,” and giggled whenever she saw him.

Jowy mentally noted the different kinds of shops there were in town. He was a bit surprised to find that a shop intended for clothing also sold simple kinds of armor among the normal leathers and cloth.

The arms of war were long and ever-reaching, so even this small river village felt the need to boost their defenses. Perhaps he was closer to the border than he thought. If he was close to the border, it would be easier to get back home to Kyaro. Perhaps Riou had found his way home.

He thought it wiser to check along the river and the surrounding area first. So every day, he made time to walk it up and down, going further each time, looking for a sign of Riou. He asked people in town about him, but there was no sign of him. No one had heard of him. Jowy was getting more and more nervous every day that he would never find his friend. Even Marx would ask about him on his travels. When he came home, he regretfully told Jowy that he had heard no news of him. Still, he kept searching.

Days passed until Jowy had been in Toto for nearly two weeks. As frightened as he was for Riou, he found himself falling in love with the little family.

One night, after dinner, Joanna pulled Pilika away to help clean up. She pouted and protested, wanting to stay with Jowy, but finally, she angrily gave in.

This left Jowy alone with Marx. He was glad for it, since he hadn’t had the opportunity to spend as much time with him as the rest of the family. Marx suggested that they take a walk, and Jowy agreed.

Most of the shops were closed by now, and Jowy could hear sounds of laughter and shouting from inside homes and the tavern - the lone business still open. This sound mixed with the chatter of bullfrogs and the buzzing of insects, creating a comforting symphony of country life. The moon was waxing, near full, and the stars danced bright in their celestial ballroom. Jowy noticed how peaceful and beautiful it was. It was a refreshing opposite to the city life he had been raised in.

As the sounds of the town grew quieter, enveloped by the sounds of rushing water, Jowy and Marx stopped. They found a place to sit by the riverbank where he and Pilika had held their circus. The sound of the crickets were overwhelmingly louder here, a lovely complement to the night.

Jowy looked around at the transformed surroundings and hoped that Mr. Duck wouldn’t be too angry that a rather large bullfrog now sat croaking on his rock.

“It’s really nice out here,” Marx commented, settling down into a comfortable knoll.

“Yeah, the air’s nice and warm,” Jowy added.

“The water too. Though I still wouldn’t have jumped into the water with all my clothes on myself.”

So, it hadn’t taken Marx very long to get to the heart of the matter at all.

“Yeah, about that,” Jowy started, then he was at a loss for words.

“Don’t get me wrong, son. You have shown us that you’re a very nice, trustworthy young man. Pilika just loves you. But a man can’t help but be protective of his family - especially these days.”

“So, you could tell that my staff wasn’t made for fishing, huh?” Jowy laughed nervously, still not quite sure what to say, but knowing that Marx wasn’t going to trust him blindly any longer.

“Listen, Jowy. I respect you, so I’m going to talk to you straight.” You’re arrival here was very unusual. I was hesitant to trust you at first, but we couldn’t just ignore an injured man. Now we’ve let you stay for as long as you have mostly for the sake of our daughter and the umbilical-cord-like attachment she seems to have developed with you. And while you’ve been with us, you’ve been very helpful and kind. But you’ve more than recovered now. We’ve respected your privacy up till this point, but we do live in a border town in the middle of a war. So I need to ask you to tell me who you are, where you’re from, and who your friend is. Otherwise, I’ll need to ask you to leave.”

There it was. Jowy figured this would come up sooner or later. As a matter of fact, he had wondered why it had taken this long before anyone brought it up. He had almost begun to think that Marx was a bit too trusting. But he didn’t look like a stupid man. He was the head of his family, a trader. He was obviously savvy enough to deal with up-scale merchants, including those in the cut-throat metropolis of Muse he had heard about. Marx couldn’t easily be duped. Jowy decided he had kept cautious for long enough. He felt he could trust this family.

Jowy stood, turned to Marx, and saluted. He lowered his pretense and spoke clearly in his natural Highland accent. “Jowy Atreides. Unicorn Youth Brigade. Highland Army.” He dropped his arms and slumped his shoulders. “Or, at least, I was.” He lowered his head. “There is no more Unicorn Brigade.”

Marx stood, breathed deep, shoulders raising, as if he was holding in emotion. After a short while that made Jowy nervous, he spoke. “Thank you for your honesty, soldier. I honor your decision to fight so boldly for your country at such a young age.” Jowy’s nerves eased. This was not the reaction he expected from Marx. He continued, “ Now, who is ‘Riou?’ Tell me honestly, Jowy,” he said sternly. “Is he really a lost friend of yours, or is this some code name to bring in your troops? I don’t want you to have to betray your king and country, but I must keep my family safe. If you are a spy, and this village is in danger, allow me to remove Joanna and Pilika from harm’s way.”

“I could never wish harm on any of you, Marx. You needn’t fear me, for I am no spy, and I am no traitor either. I have been betrayed. We - all of us in the Youth Brigade were betrayed. Riou is my best friend. We grew up together and joined the Youth Brigade together. I always watched out for him. The Unicorn Brigade had set up camp in Tenzen, and when the massacre happened, we were the only ones to escape. We jumped into the river. That’s the last I saw of him. I swear on my mother’s life this is true.”

Marx noticed Jowy shaking from suppressed rage, and nodded to him, signaling his belief in his story. Marx stood beside him, and put one sincere hand on his shoulder, calming Jowy a bit. “I am sorry for your situation. I will ask no more of it. As long as you promise us no ill will, we will continue to harbor you, and help you look for your friend.”

Jowy looked to the sky and the mass of stars above, and sighed, choking back long-overdue tears. Then he turned and started back to town. “It’s been nearly two weeks, Marx,” Jowy said over his shoulder. “I truly doubt he is still alive.” Then the tears came. He didn’t attempt to hold them back any more. He let out a long sob.

He felt he was in his own private world until he felt Marx’s warm hand again on his shoulder. “You must never give up hope, son. You never know what tomorrow will bring.”

Jowy’s Story - Chapter 2. Found (Suikoden II Fan Fiction)

Suikoden II - Jowy's Story

A Fanfiction by Joanna Sherlyn Dunlap

"Suikoden" and all its characters therein are trademarks of Konami Co., Ltd. © 1995-1998.

English Translation © Konami of America, Inc.

Writer-Creator: Yoshitaka Murayama (Murayama-san, arigato!)

Notes:

For those that are wondering, it is common politeness in Japan to call older unrelated males "uncle" (and likewise, calling females "aunt"). This may be why Pilika calls Jowy "Uncle Jowy."

-JSD

Chapter 2 - Found

Jowy was dreaming. He and Riou were sparring again. Blow after blow, neither gaining any advantage over the other. They were a perfect match for eachother. They fought hard, completely absorbed in their little game. Riou smiled at him, his face mingled exhaustion and energy. Jowy smiled back and swung his staff at him. Riou just barely dodged the blow. Still, no one had the upper hand. The dream seemed to last an eternity with Jowy and Riou battling on.

Then the sky went red. Both boys dropped their weapons to their sides and looked up at the black clouds overhead. A bloodthirsty roar tore through the air and Luca Blight's terrible mad face appeared right in front of Jowy. He jumped back in surprise. He went to bring up his staff, but it was missing. So was Riou. Luca still howling, Jowy desperately looked around for his friend, but he was nowhere to be found.

"What have you done with him?" he screamed at the prince, but he couldn't hear his voice under Luca's laughter. Jowy spun around, looking more mad than the stationary prince. "Riou! Riou!"

A disturbing ferocity took over Jowy and he lunged, weaponless at Luca. At this, the laughter stopped. The prince looked down at him, as one would at a stupid child, an produced his massive sword from thin air. He looked sideways at his blade, then hurled it directly at Jowy. Jowy had to no time to slow down or dodge, but he didn't have to. The great sword fell at his feet, stuck in the earth before him.

All was silent. Luca was gone. Jowy looked at the sword. It seemed to taunt him, daring him to take it, same as when it was stuck in the fish barrel. It was easy. He could take it, Luca was practically giving it to him. If he wanted it, it was his.

Suddenly, he felt as if he had been submerged in water. He woke up in shock. He was in the river, splayed against a rock. He was close to a bank, and the current was light. He pulled himself farther onto the rock. Every muscle protested the movement in pain. After settling on the rock, he allowed himself to rest. He blinked and took in the sights around him. The sky was blue and calm. The sounds of sweet water, singing birds, and laughter played in the air. Exhausted, Jowy sighed -

- and sat straight up, "Riou!"

"Aaaah!" He had sat up and shouted in the face of a little girl. She stumbled back.

"Oh!" he corrected, "No, no. Don't be frightened. I'm sorry. I -" but he fell - for he had tried to move to the girl - and splashed again into the shallow water.

The little girl laughed and Jowy got up again, slowly this time. It was painful, but he managed. He scanned everywhere within vision for Riou, but he was nowhere. He walked slowly to the laughing girl and bent down to her. "Hi. I'm sorry I scared you. My name's Jowy."

The girl stifled her laughter. "I'm Pilika. Why are you all wet?"

"I, uh…that is…" Jowy couldn't tell this innocent little girl the truth. "I was going for a swim with my friend Riou. But we got separated. You haven't seen another boy around here, have you?"

"No," she answered. "I haven't seen anyone else. I'm sorry."

"Oh," Jowy's heart fell. He hoped Riou had made it. He looked around for signs of him - his bandana, a tonfar, a ragged piece of red cloth, anything - but he found nothing. What his did find was his own staff. It had gotten caught up among some reeds and rushes. He was happy not to have lost it, but he would have given it up for Riou. "Oh, that's my staff," he pointed it out to Pilika and began to hobble to it.

He was so incredibly weak. It only hit him now how foolish it was to try and walk again, but he had no chance to remedy the situation. Just steps before reaching the staff, his knees buckled, and his legs gave way. He fell again, and this time, he hit his head on a rock. The world went dark.

--

Jowy felt something wet on his forehead. He knew he must be in the river again, until he realized that the rest of his body was dry and warm. He opened his eyes. He was lying on a comfortable bed. The girl, Pilika, was sitting beside him.

"Uncle Jowy! You're awake! Mommy, Daddy, he's awake!"

And suddenly, Jowy was surrounded by chatter, hands, and a bowl of warm stew.

"Eat up now," the woman said, "It's rabbit in there, and spices. Pilika picked the spices herself, didn't you Honey?"

Jowy was grateful, but he felt very claustrophobic. He wished he could wake up and get up in his own time. He took a few bites to settle his empty stomach – the stew was delicious – and then returned it to the woman. "Thank you. It's wonderful," he said weakly.

"Would you like some more?" the woman asked. "If you're too weak, I could spoon feed you. Not to imply that you're weak or anything, I just thought – "

A man's voice interrupted her, "Joanna, let him be. The boy is exhausted." Jowy was thankful for the voice. He saw a man standing in the doorframe and he assumed that the voice belonged to him. The woman, Joanna, walked back to the man with the half-eaten bowl. Jowy turned over and closed his eyes. He heard the man whisper, "Don't worry Darling, your stew is delicious. Come now, we'll eat the rest." Jowy smiled and sighed. He hoped that Riou had found as good of luck as he had, and he swore that he would do what he could to find him when he regained his strength. But for now, with food in his stomach and sore muscles relaxing, he fell again into a dreamless sleep.

When he awoke again, he was alone. It was quiet but for the faint sounds of distant laughter and conversation. Sunlight pealed through the window, and Jowy sat up. He had been wrapped in a colorful quilt upon a meager bed. The small wooden room he was in was clean, and smelled of flowers. In the corner, on a small chest, was a pile of neatly folded blankets and pillows. This bare little room had a delightful charm about it that would be very out of place in his father's large house in Kyaro. He wondered where he was now. South of Tenzen, most likely, since the river ran south from Highland in the north down to the southern City-States of Jowston.

So, he was in the City-States. Jowy thought it wise not to reveal to anyone that he was a Highlander just yet, and was immediately thankful that he was skilled with accents.

He stretched and groaned from stiffness, and got out of bed. He was wearing white cotton nightclothes. His own clothes were clean and folded on a small chair in the corner by the door. His staff leaned up against the wall beside it. He changed his clothes and then made the bed. He folded the nightclothes and put them on the chair, but left the staff for now. He trusted these people. He figured that if hey meant him any ill will, they would have done something about it already.

He ventured out into the main room. There was something delicious cooking. Joanna was standing at the stove, creating her aromatic masterpiece. "Hello," Jowy said in the voice of a City-State citizen.

Joanna turned around happily, "Oh, Mr. Jowy! You're awake and walking! How wonderful! How do you feel? You were asleep for days. Here, come sit down and have something to eat. You must be starving."

Jowy smiled She sure liked to talk a lot. She reminded him of Nanami, only a better cook by the smell of it. "Three days? Yes, well, um…" he walked to the table and sat. "I feel…better. Thank you."

Joanna set a heaping plate in front of him. "Eat up now. That's salt-and pepper potatoes and carrots with honey-and-rosemary sauce. We have a garden. Pilika and I spend a lot of time out there. Sorry we don't have any more rabbit. We usually have fish, you know, living by the river and all. I'll cook some up for dinner tonight. And here's a glass of water for you."

Jowy could only smile at this kind, eager-to-please woman. He gently interrupted her, "Thank you. I am pretty hungry. This smells fantastic, I can't wait."

This pleased Joanna and she blushed. "Oh no, it's nothing. Just my mother's recipe. I hope you like it." Jowy took a bite. It tasted as amazing as it smelled. Joanna was quite a cook. Then Jowy realized that though they knew each other's names, he hadn't formally introduced himself. "The food is delicious, thank you. I'm Jowy."

"Oh yes, I know. Pilika told me. Oh!" Her hand flew to the mouth in shocked embarrassment. "I'm sorry. How rude of me to say your name without an introduction. It's wonderful to meet you, Jowy. I'm Joanna. My husband, Marx is out right now, and you've already met my daughter, Pilika. She's taken right to you, you know. These past few days she's either been by your side or out by the river looking for your friend. She said you went swimming?"

Jowy took another bite. "Yes, that's right. But don't worry. I'm sure he'll turn up." These people had already done enough for him. No need to burden them with the truth.

Joanna looked at him sideways. Jowy isn't sure if she believed him or was just politely ignoring the lie, but her eyes seemed to say, "Don't worry Honey. I won't ask any questions. You just tell me when you're ready." Jowy wondered how people could be so trusting with a war going on, but he was eased by her look and ate some more.

"Your daughter is a very kind girl. You must be proud of her," he said after swallowing.

"Thank you, Mr. Jowy. We do our best with her."

"Oh, please just call me Jowy."

"All right then, Jowy. Thank you."

"I'm sure she picked up her kindness and hospitality from you."

Joanna blushed at the compliment. "Would you like some more food, Mr. Jowy?" She was obviously trying to change the subject. Jowy still had carrots on his plate; he wasn't fond of carrots, but it was true that he hadn't eaten for days. Plus, he didn't want to seem ungrateful, and since no one else was around to eat the meal, Jowy guessed that she had probably prepared it special for him.

So he accepted. He even tried the carrots. They were actually very good cooked with the honey and rosemary. He had three plates total, and five glasses of water by the time he was finished. Joanna tried to offer him a fourth plate, but he graciously declined, already bursting at the seams.

"Why don't you go down to the river?" Joanna asked while taking away his empty plate. "I bet Pilika is there. She'd love to see you out and about."

Jowy liked the idea of stretching his legs and thanking his savior. "I think I will. Thank you for the food, Mrs. Joanna. Can I help you clean up before I go?"

"Oh no!" she laughed, "I can do it. You just enjoy yourself. I'll see you back here for dinner, Jowy."

And he left the little house with a full belly and – despite the worry he felt for Riou – a strange new contentment that gave him a level of happiness he had not felt in a long time.

Jowy’s Story - Chapter 1. The Lie and the Promise (Suikoden II Fan Fiction)

Suikoden II - Jowy's Story

A Fanfiction by Joanna Sherlyn Dunlap

"Suikoden" and all its characters therein are trademarks of Konami Co., Ltd. © 1995-1998.

English Translation © Konami of America, Inc.

Writer-Creator: Yoshitaka Murayama (Murayama-san, arigato!)

Chapter 1 – The Lie and the Promise

Jowy Atreides was excited. Finally, he was going home. Not that he wasn't proud to be a member of the Highland army's Unicorn Youth Brigade, he was just anxious to get back home to Kyaro.

Riou's probably anxious to see Nanami, he thought looking out across the countryside. The view was beautiful high in Tenzen Pass where they were camped. It was a quiet, secluded place, and so peaceful tonight. The air was cool, the stars shone brightly, crickets chirped and he could hear the faint rush of violent water in the distance.

It must be hard on Nanami. First Old Genkaku dies, then the war with the City-State happens and both Riou and I are shipped off. She must hate being alone in that dojo. I bet she jumped for joy when she heard about the peace agreement. She probably jumped so high she broke the roof! Jowy suddenly thought of his friend, Nanami dangling from the roof, only her kicking feet visible, and he had to chuckle to himself.

"Hey, Jowy," he heard his fellow soldier, Max. Jowy politely turned to listen. "Jowy, listen to this. It was my turn on watch tonight, but the Captain said to forget it. It's the peace agreement, I guess."

"Yeah, I guess. And he's so strict too. I bet he's just lax because he's sick of the war and ready to go home like us."

"No kidding. I can't wait to see my mom again. I miss her cooking! I'm sick of this slop we keep getting."

"One more night, Max, one more night."

"Hey!" Jowy looked around for the source of the new voice. It was Alex. Jowy rolled his eyes. Alex always tried to act big. "Hey, Jowy! Max! Go to sleep or the Captain will get mad!"

"Whatever," he whispered to Max, "Good night. I'm gonna see what Riou's up to. If I don't catch you tomorrow, then see ya later," he got up and jogged in the direction of his tent.

"Yeah! You too, Jowy!" he shouted after him, "Catch ya later!"

Riou was just finishing packing away his Highland uniform when Jowy came in. He had changed into his red tunic. His favorite yellow bandana that had been Master Genkaku's was tied around his neck. Both their tent-mates Michael and Daji were already asleep. Michael was snoring again.

"Riou, you changed already? You're sure in a hurry."

"Yeah," Riou blushed at being caught. The youth soldiers weren't supposed to be out of uniform till tomorrow morning. Then Riou's embarrassment left his face when he saw Jowy who had too had changed prematurely, dressed in his blue shirt and white pants. "Well, look at you," he motioned at Jowy.

"Yeah, me too," he admitted. "I thought about going back to Kyaro and I couldn't wait to get out of that uniform," he itched at spot where his helmet always chafed. "Hey Riou, Nanami is probably waiting for you to come back, huh? Since you're her only family since Master Genkaku died and all…If not for this war…" Riou's eyes widened at the mention of Genkaku and Nanami, and Jowy decided to change the subject. "So anyway, should we go to sleep soon? Or should we go outside? It's a nice night."

"Nah," said Riou. "The sooner we go to bed, the sooner it will be tomorrow."

"You're right. I want to go back to Kyaro at first light anyway." He was so anxious to go home, he hopped into bed with his clothes on. He smiled to himself when he noticed that Riou had done the same. "Good night, Riou."

"Night, Jowy." And then, "I wish Michael would shut up. His snoring's keeping me awake." Jowy laughed at the randomness from his friend, turned around in his bed, and fell asleep.

Jowy dreamt of sparring. It was a re-occurring dream. He and Riou were in front of Master Genkaku's dojo, younger. Nanami was pacing nearby. Jowy dodged a blow from Riou's tonfa and thrusted his staff back at Riou, who ducked out of the way and came at Jowy again. He felt his cheek sting where Riou's weapon made contact. Jowy retaliated by spinning his staff expertly and slicing the air above Riou's neck --

"Surprise attack!"

The dream rushed away and Jowy sat bolt upright. Michael and Daji were running out of the tent, strapping on gauntlets an pulling on helmets. Jowy swiftly turned to Riou, who's face had already committed to panic.

"Surprise attack?" Jowy shouted over the deafening cacophony outside, "But what about the peace treaty with the City-State?"

Riou got up, "We'd better check it out."

Jowy grabbed his dragon-tipped staff without even glancing at his armor. Riou had his tonfa in both his hands and he nodded at Jowy. Together, they ran out of the tent and into the inferno.

The entire camp was on fire. Everyone was screaming and crying. Jowy saw Alex making sounds he never thought he could make as his tent suddenly collapsed sending sparks and embers everywhere.

"Oh God…" Riou breathed beside him.

"Riou! Jowy!" It was Captain Rowd rushing toward them, the face of a soldier.

"Captain Rowd, what is this?" Jowy asked.

"It's a surprise attack by the City-State! They've broken the peace agreement, those scum!" He banged his fist on an imaginary table and spat on the ground. "It looks like we're surrounded. Take the mountain path to the east and save yourselves! Hurry!" the captain shouted before running off.

Jowy looked at Riou. His face was still a picture of panic, his shoulders heaved in anger, but his feet were stable and secure. "Let's run, Riou. We can't die here. Nanami will be all alone."

Riou nodded, his face suddenly strong, and they ran east.

Tenzen Pass was in pandemonium. Their fellow soldiers were everywhere: running, pushing eachother, wailing in agony on the ground. Jowy saw Max motionless in the arms of another boy. He was shouting at him. "Hey! Open your eyes! Max! Don't die on me, goddamnit!"

Jowy fought the urge to go to him. Getting Riou and himself out alive was the priority. He kept running. Riou stayed, looking at Max.

"Riou! Come on! Nanami!"

"Right!" Riou answered, looked down at Max once more, and followed after Jowy.

Catch ya later, Max, Jowy thought, not looking back.

Another two soldiers were trying to run away. One was injured so badly he couldn't walk, and the other was trying his best to support him. "Ah! It hurts!" the injured one cried.

"Don't worry," the other said, "I'll save you. We're pals, right?"

Jowy passed them, determined. He looked over at Riou to make sure he was still with him, thankful that he and his pal were not like the other two. They kept on eastward, continuing on unaware of the fire in their legs, until they reached the woods.

Jowy stopped, bent over to breathe, and looked deep into the woods. "Wait, Riou."

"What is it, Jowy?"

"Don't you think it's strange, Riou? The only way out is through these woods. The enemy must know that too. They might be waiting in the woods to ambush us."

Riou's eyes lit up in surprised understanding.

Jowy continued. "Let's go back, Riou. Let's tell Captain Rowd."

Riou did not argue. They ran back the way they came, harder and faster than they had run away. Why were they running back to what they had just run away from? The irony was so incredible, Jowy almost laughed.

Any potential for laughter ceased when Riou and Jowy saw the two friends laying still on the ground. Hadn't they just been fighting to continue a minute ago? Had they given up hope so soon? Riou stopped and knelt by them, his eyes watering.

"Riou! Damnit! We don't have time! If you want to save the others we have to go now!"

Riou looked up sharply at Jowy like a defensive animal. Jowy had never known him to behave so alpha before. It caught him off guard. But then Riou turned back at the boys, laid a hand on each of them and got up again. It didn't take but one second for him to catch up to Jowy. It seemed like everyone who was previously clinging to life was now gone. They passed Max and the other boy again, this time neither of them were moving, and both Riou and Jowy cast a prayerful eye toward them as they ran. I'll pray for his mother when we get out of this. Hell, I'll pray for all of our mothers when we get out of this.

Then Jowy heard something that made him stop dead in his tracks.

"It's just as we planned, Prince Luca. Everyone fled east through the woods." It was the voice of Captain Rowd.

Jowy grabbed a running Riou by his bandana and pulled him down behind some charred barrels of fish. The smell was awful, but Jowy thanked the heavens they weren't barrels of oil. "Shhh! Get down Riou!" he whispered vehemently, "Do you hear that?"

Riou looked at him, eyes wide. "Captain Rowd," he agreed. They looked up, concealed by the barrels, and continued to listen.

"The ambush worked perfectly, My Prince."

The Prince laughed violently. He was a terrifying young man with glistening armor and long shaggy black hair. He had the unfortunate reputation amongst some Highlanders as Mad Prince Luca, and now Jowy could see why. The prince seemed almost euphoric with the news. His mouth was the wide, split smile of a scarecrow, and his whole body shook with the laughter. "Poor victims of the State's 'betrayal,' eh? I wish I had joined the ambush. All I've had to fight lately is that old man. I'm getting rusty." He swung his hefty sword at a barrel, red fish heads spilling out of it like someone's intestines. Jowy again thanked the heavens that they were hiding behind the other barrels of fish.

"Y…yes," Rowd hesitated, "I mean no, no. Prince Luca's swordsmanship is truly unmatched. My men would look like fools."

Luca didn't bother to turn to Rowd as he spoke. He slashed through burning thing after burning thing around him, marking every other word with a blow so strong, it would utterly devastate whatever he was hacking into. Rowd and his men flinched every time. "Yes, well, the young men served their country well enough. Now we don't need a peace treaty with those State weaklings!" Jowy froze and could feel the hair on the back of Riou's neck stand up as Luca got closer and closer to their hiding spot with every swing. They ducked down further, making themselves as invisible as possible. Luca's swing rate seemed to be increasing. "I'll prove they're no match for the power of Highland!" He howled the last word like a demented wolf, and stuck his sword straight down into the barrel of fish hiding Riou. Jowy instinctively turned his eyes - too afraid to move his head - to Riou, who was staying still, obviously frightened out of his wits. Jowy sent another silent, desperate prayer to the heavens.

But the Mad Prince didn't notice the two boys. He laughed the Laugh of the Insane and practically danced back over to a terrified Captain Rowd.

"I agree sir." Rowd finally got the courage to say, "With you in command, Prince Luca, Highland can finally earn the glory it deserves!"

Luca stopped his dance as if stunned, and walked slowly over to Rowd, eyes crazed. Jowy saw a pool of wetness appear on the ground at Rowd's feet where there wasn't one before. Rowd's body trembled with each step the prince took. Then he bent down, twisted, and stuck his face so close to Rowd's their noses almost touched.

Then the prince laughed. Again. Right in Rowd's face.

Rowd nearly fell in relief and began to laugh himself a tired, frightened laugh. He looked over at his men pleading, and they all joined in the feigned laughter too.

Jowy knew that in this moment the prince and Rowd were loud and distracted, but the moment wouldn't last long. "What the hell?" he whispered at Riou.

Riou spared no moment. "Let's get out of here, Jowy."

"You're right, Riou. But if we go east, we'll be killed. That leaves the cliff to the north. Maybe we'll be able to escape if we climb up the cliff. Run north, Riou!" Jowy fought the stupid, juvenile urge to steal the prince's sword before running fast as an elf to the north. He didn't look back.

As the boys ran the winding uphill road of the once peaceful and beautiful Tenzen Pass, Jowy's mind was a blur of questions and confusion. What the hell was Rowd doing? The Liar! He had trusted him as his captain! They all trusted him! And the prince! What was the prince doing attacking his own country? His company! For god's sake, they there they Youth Brigade! They were boys - children! And now everyone was dead! He looked over at Riou, running like a champion, not once showing a hint of complaint. Everyone but me and Riou, he thought. They can't get us. They will never get us. Though Jowy felt his perfectly established world crumble around him, he knew this fact would always stand firm.

They stopped at the cliff, doubled over heaving and gasping. "Are…you…ok, Riou?"

Huffing, Riou looked up at Jowy and smiled weakly. Jowy smiled back, satisfied that his friend was okay. Then he caught enough breath to stand and case his surroundings. The cliff before them was a steep drop to a deep, fast-rushing river. The waterfall of Tenzen Pass pounded down the opposite cliffside in warning, making white water where it joined the river below. That wasn't good.

Jowy looked up at the cliff above him. It was too high, too steep, too smooth, and it was too dark out to risk climbing it. Besides, the cliffside going up was perfectly visible from the firepit that was once the camp. If Luca and his men stopped laughing long enough to notice them…well, they couldn't climb fast enough without rope and tools to make it to the top before meeting an arrow from one of Highland's Finest.

Highland's Finest. He scoffed at the thought.

Either way, they couldn't go up. He looked back down at the river below…

"That's it. Okay, Riou. We have no choice. We have to jump for it."

Riou stood and took a second to look around. He sighed and met Jowy's eyes, determined. "I guess there's no other way."

"Okay." Jowy took the biggest breath of his life and sighed out all of his fear. He knew very well what could come. He walked over to a large monolith at the base of the rising cliff. He raised his staff, with dragons crafted out of metal at each tip. The dragons looked up at him, waiting for their command. With one swift downward move, he made a diagonal mark in the monolith. Then he turned around slowly, and looked back at Riou. "If we make it…but…somehow get separated, let's return to this spot. That way we'll be reunited. Promise me, Riou." His request was half a command, half a solemn pleading void of all emotion. He would allow himself to break down later, but right now, he had no room for emotion.

Riou took his Twin-Fang Tonfar and walked to the monolith with the nobility of a king. He raised one tonfar and looked pointedly at Jowy. It was the second time Riou's looks had caught Jowy off guard that night. Without breaking his gaze, he sliced through the rock, like soft cheese, leaving a mark crossing over Jowy's in a grand "X."

Riou put down his tonfar and was himself again. Jowy gathered himself back up from Riou's pointed gaze and became himself again too. "Let's go, Riou."

And together, the two childhood friends walked to the cliff as men, looked again at eachother, for neither knew when they would see eachother next, gripped their hands together, nodded in unison, and jumped into the white water of the Tenzen River below.

Notes:

Damn, I really felt Luca breathing as I wrote this chapter. He has always been a menacing bastard, and now I'm seeing how fun it's going to be to write him. I hope you all enjoyed Chapter 1 (completed 9/8/08) Stay tuned for Chapter 2 coming soon!

-JSD ;)