In tribute to friendship…

Spoiler Warning: There are spoilers for LOGH: Golden Wings and the fourth episode of the main series of LOGH. There might be implicit references to some details in the side stories as well. However, the timeline might be messed up.

Disclaimer: I simply could not help myself from writing about Reinhard and Kircheis after watching the Gaiden series. However, I've only watched the English-subbed version of the side stories, the three movies and up to season 1 of the main series. I've also read the Chinese version of the light novels side stories, and book 1 and 2, as well as the Chinese version of the manga. So I have taken details in this story from many of those sources. Anything that you recognize is not mine :)

Come With Me

Prologue

"Come with me, Kircheis," Reinhard had beckoned, extending his fair, delicate hand out to Kircheis. "The two of us will rescue my sister."

Drawn in by his best friend's charisma and indomitable will, pushed by his hope to rescue the fair Lady Annerose on whom he had a crush, and his determination to keep his promise to that same lady, Kircheis had made a decision that would change his life forever. "If that's what you want," he had responded to the golden-haired angel standing in front of him.

From that moment on, Siegfried Kircheis' life had been intricately linked with that of one Reinhard von Musel's, the golden-haired angel who was meant to fly freely amongst the stars.

Chapter 1

And so, here Kircheis found himself some three years later, at the Junior Imperial Military Academy, together with the teenager around whom his life revolved. Casting a sideway glance at the blonde, who was currently twirling a golden curl nonchalantly around a finger even as his brain took in all that the lecturer was saying (no matter that Reinhard disagreed with most of the contents), Kircheis found himself smiling. It was just like Reinhard actually, to pay attention despite his boredom with the subject – it was the reason why the latter was constantly at the top of their class in most of their subjects. In everything academic, including military theory and strategy classes, Reinhard had no competition; simply put, none came close to his creative genius. But of course, no one was perfect, and Reinhard had to settle for second, or even lower in a few of the other classes.

"Let's go, Kircheis. We have shooting lessons now." With a start, Kircheis snapped out of his thoughts to see a standing Reinhard send a teasing grin at him, his ice-blue eyes twinkling in amusement. Apparently, the lecture had ended without Kircheis noticing and even now, the classroom was emptying. Kircheis rubbed his own red hair abashedly, "Yes, Reinhard-sama."

Reinhard-sama. Some, mostly upperclassmen, had sneered when they heard Kircheis refer to Reinhard with that honourific. However, Kircheis was not bothered. When they had first become friends, Kircheis had called Reinhard by his first name alone. Yet, after that fateful day, he had started addressing Reinhard with that honourific, both to show his respect and loyalty. Reinhard von Musel was after all, one of the two golden-haired angels to whom Kircheis had pledged his unwavering loyalty.

"Come with me, Kircheis," On that fair summer day, dressed in the crisp uniform of the Junior Imperial Military Academy, Reinhard had extended his hand of partnership to Kircheis. "The two of us will rescue my sister." Because of her beauty, when she was fifteen years of age, Annerose von Musel had been forcibly taken to the palace to be the Emperor's concubine and gifted with the title of Countess Grunewald. Whilst Kircheis was brooding along in his house about Annerose's fate in sorrowful acceptance, Reinhard had already fought past his own sorrow and came up with a plan to fight against fate – he had even taken the first steps down that path by enrolling in the Junior Imperial Military Academy. And it was that quality which set Reinhard apart from the masses. Since then, Reinhard von Musel had been Reinhard-sama to Kircheis.

Lost in his thoughts, Kircheis almost did not notice when the corridor was suddenly blocked by five students. Uh-oh, he thought, even as he identified the looming figures. They were seniors in the school, in their very last year, and were born into minor nobility. The students in this school were mostly aristocrats; the only commoners in this school were those who had military officers as fathers.

Reinhard glared at the human obstacles in his path with narrowed eyes and clenched fists. Surely the oh-so-wise Rudolph the First did not mean for such specimens to exist when he implemented his genetic selection programme…Reinhard thought sarcastically. The students standing in front of him were, in Reinhard's opinion, the best example of the failure of the first Emperor's programme, for surely if genes were to be blamed for their personality traits, theirs would never have passed muster. Since Reinhard and Kircheis' first year, they had been at odds with the students currently standing in front of them – for the latter had gossiped about Annerose in front of them. Fortunately, things had never before degenerated into a fist fight with this particular batch of seniors, led by one Karl von Schneider.

Unlike Reinhard, who was impatient and quick to anger, Kircheis had better self-control. He had had to be that way in order to fulfil his promise to Annerose to take care of her brother. In the usual course of things, when Reinhard got into an altercation, it was Kircheis who patiently persuaded Reinhard to forgive the other students and to walk away. That time however, Kircheis had been the hard-pressed to hold his temper – like Reinhard, he would never forgive anyone who besmirched the reputation of the fair lady holding an esteemed position in their hearts.

However, it seemed that Kircheis was as kind as ever, or that he, at least, believed in second (or was it the third? Fourth?) chances. "Reinhard-sama, we do have to get to shooting lessons soon." In his usual gentle, persuasive tones, Kircheis advised Reinhard in a round-about manner.

Heaving a mental sigh, Reinhand acknowledged the logic behind his friend's advice. Flipping his blonde fringe back with a tilt of his head, he pursed his lips slightly. "Fine." Then, turning this attention back to the other students, he commanded, "Heard that? We're busy, so move aside."

As soon as Kircheis heard Reinhard's reply, he had shrugged resignedly, even as he took a fighting stance and moved forward. It was not that Kircheis was against fighting. No, as long as there was an insult to Reinhard, on whose reputation Kircheis placed a value far higher than his own, he was more than happy to aid in delivering the consequences. Yet, Kircheis had to weigh the advantages and disadvantages of the impact of their actions to Reinhard. If they got into a fight, there was always the likelihood of detention. Already known as the most troublesome student in the Academy, Kircheis knew the teachers were just looking for an excuse to give his friend detention. And while Reinhard was not a stickler for rules, it would severely hamper his plans to be valedictorian of the school. It was therefore, best that Reinhard walked away from such fights.

Kircheis' had two self-appointed roles; one was to be the shield that stood between Reinhard and the rest of the world, a shield that would protect Reinhard with all his power. His other role, on the other hand, was to soften the abrasive frictions between Reinhard and everyone else. Left on his own, Reinhard, strong-willed and unyielding, would make enemies out of the entire world. With his great intellect and spirit, Reinhard simply had no patience for lesser mortals. But now was not yet the time for Reinhard's brilliance to shine. Hence, Kircheis had to be sheathe to the dangerous, fine-edged sword that was Reinhard.

However…no way were the seniors going to let it go, not after that display of arrogance. Sure enough, Karl von Schneider sneered with an ugly expression on his face, "Don't be smug, brat! Someone who gets his way through his sister's charms should not be so arrogant."

Reinhard's response was instantaneous. "Why you…"

Boiling with anger himself, Kircheis knew that Reinhard would have by now narrowed his now icy eyes in furious rage. How dare they insult Annerose-sama!

"How dare a monkey like you insult my sister!" Upon hearing those words, Reinhard's fury was more than apparent to Kircheis. But Kircheis had no time to ruminate on that; Schneider immediately swung a punch at Reinhard.

And with that, the fight commenced. Kircheis made sure to move in front of Reinhard so that he bore the brunt of the attacks. But it was not for nothing that Kircheis was top in class in hand-to-hand combat for their year. Whirling, ducking and evading, Kircheis used his agility to great effect even as he aimed punches and kicks at his opponents, and most frequently at Schneider. Which was not to say that Reinhard just stood around; out of the corner of his eye, Kircheis caught sight of Reinhard fighting two opponents at once. Although his instinct was to move to protect his friend immediately, logic told him that Reinhard could hold his own – the latter second only to Kircheis with his hand-to-hand combat skills.

Slowly, the scene of the fight shifted from the corridor to the grassy lawn beside it, which contained a beautiful fountain made of white stone. With mounting amazement, Kircheis watched as Reinhard, after having downed two of his opponents with ferocious hits, crossed over to Schneider, and started slowly backing him into the fountain with a flurry of blows. Once the latter finally stood near the extremely low edge of the fountain, Reinhard aimed a high uppercut at Schneider…and over he went. Splash!

Five minutes later, Kircheis and Reinhard stood side by side gazing upon their defeated opponents who were currently lying on the ground (and one in the fountain) with deep cuts and bruises decorating their faces with garish colours. They would think twice before picking a fight again – of that, Kircheis was certain. Especially for Schneider…the humiliation of getting thrown into the fountain must have soaked him to the core. Swiping at a slight cut on his face, Kircheis turned anxious eyes on to his friend. "Are you alright, Reinhard-sama?"

Rubbing gingerly at a small bruise at the back of his hand, Reinhard replied airily, "But of course. These dim-witted monkeys couldn't hurt me even if they tried." Kircheis smiled in response. Sharp-tongued and quick-witted, Reinhard's words could be like the sharpest of knives sometimes. At their first ever meeting, Reinhard's initial words had hurt Kircheis' young, tender sense of pride. "Siegfried. It's a common name, isn't it?"

However, Reinhard had never intended to be malicious, as Kircheis soon found out. "But Kircheis is a good family name, isn't it? It gives a very crisp impression. Yes, it's like the wind that blows through the highlands. From now on, I'll call you Kircheis." Yes, Reinhard's sharp tongue was like a double-edged sword – it was painfully piercing in one instant and gently uplifting the very next. And that is why I believe that one day, Reinhard-sama will be a great leader. But for now, I guess I'll have to put up with the trouble it causes. Affectionately, Kircheis smiled in amused resignation, before gently chiding, "Reinhard-sama."

Kircheis' smile widened at the small pout that blossomed on his friend's face, which was gone in an instant. Then, his friend turned his back and changed the topic. "Hurry, or we'll be late for shooting class. Come on, Kircheis."

"Yes, Reinhard-sama." Kircheis paused for a moment to watch Reinhard walk away from the scene with crisp steps, his golden curls fluttering in the breeze, before following behind. And so it always was, Reinhard leading, with Kircheis following and watching the former's back. I'll follow you anywhere, Reinhard-sama, wherever your footsteps may lead.

A couple of days later, that resolve was tested. Sitting in the cafeteria with some of his fellow classmates, Kircheis could not help but sneak a glance at the golden-haired boy sitting alone a few tables from him.

That morning, the two had had a quarrel. Well, to be truthful, Reinhard had thrown a tantrum; Kircheis felt that he had tried his best to be reasonable. Actually, it was about the fact that Kircheis had been spending quite some time with the two classmates currently sitting at his table, whom he got along pretty well with. Although not ranked anywhere near the top of their year, Samuel Vandenberg and Peter Linz had warm hearts and open minds. Commoners themselves, they held no prejudice towards the nobles, and indeed, had made efforts to befriend Reinhard and Kircheis. While Kircheis had accepted with some enthusiasm, Reinhard remained aloof and distant. Furthermore, he found the fact that Kircheis spent time with them irksome.

"Fine! If you like them so much, go sit with them then, you bloody-haired guy!" Annoyed, Reinhard had finally thrown out those words before storming off in a huff. Slightly irritated himself, Kircheis had not bothered to follow after his friend. Now, a few hours later, Kircheis was already regretting that fact. Despite being apart for only a short time, Kircheis felt the absence of his best friend painfully.

Should he apologize then? Short of that, Kircheis doubted that he could appease Reinhard. He had broached the ideas of befriending others before, but there had been difficulties. Their juniors tended to be in awe of Reinhard, who exuded charisma and brilliance like a sparkling jewel, while their seniors were jealous and disgusted of his talent. Of those in their year, Reinhard usually had no patience for those less gifted. Yet, for those with the necessary intelligence, they tended to see him as a strong rival who held on to the top position in their batch since their first year. Many thought he had achieved that position by virtue of his sister being the Emperor's favourite concubine.

Seen in that light, Kircheis realized how isolated Reinhard truly was. With a flash of insight, he realized how Reinhard must have felt, especially on top of the tragedies in his life. His father had betrayed him by selling his sister to the Emperor. Annerose-sama could not remain by his side. And now you've left him alone? Fool! Silently chastising himself, Kircheis immediately felt a wave of guilt engulf him.

"Hey, Siegfried, penny for your thoughts?" Samuel, who was seated next to him, slapped him on the back genilely, even as he continued to munch on the black bread.

Kircheis was about to reply, but he was interrupted by Peter. "Need you ask, Samuel? He's thinking about Musel, that much is clear." Peter said it jokingly, but Kircheis thought he detected an underlying trace of spite behind the words.

"Ah,I see. Siegfried, don't blame me for being nosy, but truthfully, you hang out with him too much. You should interact with others too, you know, or you'd be seen as being arrogant." Samuel's words caused a slight frown to form on Kircheis' face. Was that how they perceived Reinhard?

Peter, perhaps sensing the change in Kircheis' mood, hurriedly changed the topic with a smile. "Enough about that, Samuel. It's Siegfried's choice, after all. Now, let's see, we're having shooting class again later. Show us those skills, eh, Siegfried?" He nudged Kircheis slightly. However, his efforts were wasted, as, at that moment, Kircheis noticed that Reinhard had finished his meal. Without even a glance at Kircheis, Reinhard then left the hall with quick, crisp steps.

Feeling the keen absence of his friend and the painful breach between them, Kircheis deliberated for a few moments, then…"Excuse me," Kircheis hurriedly said to his companions. Making up his mind, he abandoned his half-eaten meal and hurried after Reinhard. Kircheis had decided. No matter what, if it came down to a choice, he would remain by Reinhard's side.

"Be a good friend to my brother, Sieg!" Since the day he had made that promise to Annerose, Reinhard had been his best friend and companion. Andhe had never once regretted his choice or wavered from this path since then. Hence, Kircheis hurried after Reinhard. Even if Reinhard was going to chase him away in anger, he would endure his friend's anger with a smile until the latter was ready to forgive him.

Stepping out into the corridor, Kircheis was alarmed when he could not see any sight of Reinhard. Something was wrong; it had only been a few moments since Reinhard left the cafeteria! Frantically, he whirled around, searching even as he strained his ears. And there it was! Sounds, that of dull pounding and muffled voices that did not belonged, echoed through the empty corridor. Kircheis rushed immediately towards the source, worry blossoming in his heart. If anything were to happen to Reinhard-sama…

Racing to a brown-coloured door near the corner of the corridor, Kircheis tried to wrench the door open. To his dismay, it remained closed – they must have locked the door. Without hesitation, Kircheis then raised his heavily-booted right foot and aimed a powerful kick at the door knob. Crack! The knob dangled from its socket, even as Kircheis stormed into the room.

It was a disused classroom, dusty and filled with half-broken furniture. Standing right in the centre of the room, surrounded by Karl von Schneider and three of his still-standing goons, was Reinhard. It was as Kircheis feared – they had probably been lying in wait for Reinhard when he left the cafeteria. With his sharp eyes, Kircheis categorized Reinhard's state – bruised left cheekbone, deep panting, tense posture and an icy fire in his eyes. Despite being outnumbered five-to-one by students two years older, those intense, icy-blue eyes held not even a single shred of fear…In that one moment, it struck Kircheis deeply…Reinhard had eyes that knew not fear…As expected of Reinhard-sama…

"Reinhard-sama!" Kircheis put all his worry and distress into that one yell as he leaped over the prone body of one goon that Reinhard must have taken out. Distracted by his yell and sudden entrace, the other students froze momentarily and Kircheis took the opportunity to throw a punch at Karl von Schneider, aiming for the softest part of the human body – the stomach. It connected with a sickening thud and the latter flew backwards.

Turning to the rest of the goons who had just began to recover, Kircheis attacked amidst their enraged snarls and declarations of vengeance. It seemed however, that the previous experience with Reinhard and Kircheis had left them wary, for they did not put in their all and instead, after a few moments, had called for a halt. "Let us go or we'll have you expelled!" One student called, his voice shaking.

While not a threat Kircheis took seriously, it was not in his nature to continue fighting when his opponents had clearly lost their will to fight. Naturally, Kircheis turned to Reinhard for instructions…only to find that the latter was pointedly not looking at him.

Ignoring the goons, who quickly dragged their injured leader and comrade away with them when it became apparent that Reinhard and Kircheis were not going to continue the fight, Kircheis immediately walked to a spot only a few paces away from Reinhard so that he could check on his friend's injury.

"Are you alright, Reinhard-sama?" Kircheis queried, allowing his anxiety to seep into his voice. No thoughts of saving his pride by hiding his concern entered his mind. To him, failing to be there when Reinhard was attacked was already a blow to his pride and a tremendous failure on his part.

A cool silence greeted his enquiry. Guiltily, Kircheis dug out his academy-issued white handkerchief and proffered it to Reinhard. In soft, emotionally-charged tones, Kircheis tendered a heart-felt apology. "I'm sorry, Reinhard-sama." Left unspoken were the things he was sorry for; for leaving Reinhard to face enemies by himself, for not keeping his promise to Annerose and most of all, for fracturing the bond that had been formed when Kircheis had taken Reinhard's hand time and again.

"Come with me, Kircheis." Reinhard had offered. And Kircheis had acquiesced. While the bonds of friendship had been sown on the very first day they met, on that fateful occasion when Reinhard had uttered those words, he had bound Kircheis to him tightly in loyalty and trusted companionship. Deeply regretful, Kircheis made a resolution, there and then. I'll never ever leave Reinhard-sama's side again. I vowed to protect Reinhard-sama with my life, how else can I keep it? Compared to Reinhard-sama and Annerose-sama, what need have I for other friends?

As if in response to those thoughts, Reinhard finally took the proffered handkerchief. Then, he dabbed at his slightly damp face, before lifting his clear blue eyes to meet Kircheis' deep blue ones. For a few moments that seemed to stretch into eternity, unspoken emotions were exchanged, then…

"I'm really sorry, Reinhard-sama. It's my fault that you were hurt in an ambush, please forgive me." Still stricken with guilt, Kircheis bowed his head slightly. Reinhard-sama… Then, he felt a slight tugging on his front locks. Startled, he looked up to see Reinhard's pale slender fingers twirling the strands of his red hair playfully.

"Your hair…it's so beautiful…just like the blazing flames…" Reinhard's light-blue eyes shone gently as they met his own. Kircheis knew that Reinhard's perception of Kircheis' hair changed according to his mood. And with that one sentence that was both apology and an offer of forgiveness, Kircheis smiled.

As Reinhard gazed upon the deep crimson strands of his friend's hair and the gentle smile on his friend's face, he admitted to himself that perhaps the argument was not solely Kircheis' fault…no, he knew that he was the one in the wrong. It was unreasonable for him to demand that Kircheis not have any friends. Yet as always, around Kircheis, Reinhard was as willful as a spoilt brat. In the end, it was always Kircheis who tolerated and forgave everything magnanimously. But Reinhard knew that it was alright, because Kircheis…Kircheis would never leave him. In the end, Kircheis would always come back to him.

Given how obscure this fandom is, I'm not expecting any reviews, but a surprise would be nice?:)