Will the World be Right?

It was windy that day,but unlike a wind he had known before. It had shifted and was colder now. The upper hand he was so used to using was now stroking the damaged stone before him. His place in this world was questionable. He stared at the poorly carved "X" and heard footsteps behind him. He turned slightly and felt somewhat relieved.

"Riou…you came…just like you promised." Jowy said weakly.

Touching the damaged stone again he realized how much damage was done between the city state and highland. The damage that he himself helped to implement. His sins weighed heavy and he lashed out at his friend,begging for death.

With each blow,Riou refused to fight back and deflected all that Jowy had to offer. The war was over now,there was no sense in fighting.

"We don't need to fight!"

"We DO Riou! We do need to fight!"

Eventually Jowy wore himself out but still demanded why Riou refused to fight back. As a leader,a warrior,this was almost disrespectful. Jowy was confused but could not muster up the strength to fight any longer. So he did the only other thing he could,and begged.

"Please,don't let our dream,everything that we have worked so hard to accomplish! Don't let it be in vain,please,Riou! Please…"

"I can't do this Jowy…." Riou responded,tears already fresh in his eyes.

Then their runes started to glow and Jowy's body began to heal. A fresh start? Before either could question,the seer,Leknaat appeared before them. She had seen them both through the war many times to offer guidance. As a last piece of advice for them both,she told them to see the world that was unknown to them. To start anew. Jowy's sins would lay heavy for the rest of his days but it was no reason to dwell and beg for death so pitifully. With his friends and those he held dear he could always find peace.

6 Months Later

It wasn't enough.

Jowy would often find himself lying awake at night wrestling with himself over nightmares of the war. The faces of comrades lost,casualties sacrificed senselessly. Some of them he didn't even recognize. It haunted him in ways he could not imagine. It would always end the same way. He would stand over a victim and the rune would work its magic against them. The symbol burned onto his hand struck fear into the hearts of thousands,but no one seemed to fear it more than him. It was the power he craved but was still too naive to handle.

"If only I had known then…"

Riou was no different. He had his own inner demons to conquer in the realm of slumber. Even though he had won the war and brought joy to many,he still felt pangs of guilt for leaving his homeland. Despite his adopted fathers past and the status of an outcast,Highland was still his home.

More often than not,Riou would sit up with Jowy and they would stay there in silence until their bodies would give way to exhaustion. Until one night,Riou spoke up…

"I'm sorry."

"Huh?"

"That I couldn't leave the fight when you asked me to. In Greenhill…" Riou admitted. "You know why I couldn't."

"I know." Jowy nodded. "The same reason I couldn't."

Silence fell upon them again. The guilt came down heavier than they wanted and even as best friends they still had trouble talking to each other about it. Not just the war and how they fought against each other. They oddly were able to make peace with that given that their ideals of a better world were nearly identical.

"I can't handle this anymore,Riou! I Just can't! Why the hell didn't you kill me when I told you to?! Why didn't you fight back?!"

"What good would it have done?! Why did you hold back when fighting me you damn coward!"

The boys fought. Childishly as ever. This wasn't a rare occurrence anymore and Nanami stopped ignoring it and would pull them apart.

"ENOUGH! I can't do this with you two anymore! You need to stop being so obsessed by those stupid runes and fix whatever if bothering you so much!"

Jowy forced himself away and threw his hands up in surrender before storming off.

"Here's to you,'great leader'!"

Riou got hit hard by that statement then went off on his own. Great leader…great leader…how he hated that term. He didn't feel great and the title often made him feel so alone. Sometimes the pressure of leading an army and rebuilding a new country felt more than overwhelming. With good reason,he was only in the thick of maturity when the war struck. Being a soldier was one thing,but becoming all that he did and bearing the burdens that he had. If only he had known what he was getting himself into,he may have just turned back. Even if it did cost him his life. The only person that he knew that shared this sort of pain and pressure was Jowy.

"No…there's someone else."

Hours later Jowy had returned from his walk. He blew off enough steam and was reeling in the fact that he had snapped so harshly at Riou before. Stepping inside he smelled a fantastic stew cooking and found Nanami by the stove whistling a cheerful tune. Riou was no where in sight.

"Hey," He called to her,sufficiently taking her out of her cheerful daze. "Where's your brother?"

"Oh." Her face immediately fell into a frown. "He packed a bag,he said he needed to see an old friend from the war. Then he just…left."

"Did he say where?"

Nanami didn't answer at first and tried to turn back to her cooking. Jowy quickly approached the stove and turned her back to face him.

"Nanami," He persisted. "Where did he go?"

"To Banner village…"

Jowy didn't have the time to wait,the journey back to the city state,especially when venturing towards the Toran Republic,was not a one to take alone. How could Riou just go off alone like that? No matter,he would just have to catch up with his friend and walk along side him on his path,as they often did in their lives. A slight burn tingled on his right hand and he unraveled the bandage that he religiously key on it,sealing his rune. He looked at it for a moment and then quickly covered it again,cursing under his breath.

The night was brutal,Jowy had spent time in the elements before so that was no issue for him. It was the nightmares that plagued him in his sleep that were dreadful. More images of death,hell fire and blood shed forced him to wake up early and continue on looking for Riou. His mind often lingered to the nights they would sit up together in silence. Silent or not,the company was always appreciated.

It took two days and very little sleep until he finally reached Banner Village. "Strange" He thought when he saw how plain it was. Just a normal little town,very downplayed compared to the places he had been during the war.

Naturally the first place he went to was the inn. A young woman with red hair stood outside talking to what he assumed were other patrons. She glanced over at him and smiled as if she already knew who he was. She bid farewell to her guests and approached him.

"Hello,you must be Jowy. Follow me."

"How did you know who I was?" Curiosity overwhelmed him.

"Your friend is waiting for you."

"Riou?"

She only smiled and took his hand,leading him to a quiet dock beyond the inn. There was a boy about his own age sitting there fishing. Riou was no where in sight once again. Jowy turned to face the girl but she was already gone. Slowly he approached the dock.

"You're Jowy,right?" The boy spoke up but didn't move or turn to acknowledge him.

"Yes,how did you.."

The boy finally turned and faced him. Jowy was taken aback by his eyes,there was something about them that made him feel secure. Something that made him think of Riou and himself at the start of the war. It was strange,but he felt like he could trust this perfect stranger.

"My name is Tir McDohl. Riou said you would come by,he went to get some more bait. Why don't you sit down? He should be back soon."

Jowy nodded and sat down and Tir handed him a spare fishing rod. He cast his line out and the two of them sat in a comfortable silence. Something about Tir seemed familiar but he couldn't place why or how. Shooting him glances that he hoped had gone unnoticed Jowy couldn't help but be curious of the glove covering Tir's right hand then he looked down at his own bandaged hand.

"He couldn't know this kind of pain…" He thought to himself.

"Does it hurt?" Tir brought him from his thoughts.

"What?"

"That," He gestured to Jowy's right hand. "Your rune."

He looked at Tir,horrified that he knew and insulted that he would even ask such a question! His new companion sensed this and pulled his glove off revealing the soul eater to him. It glowed and Tir sighed before setting the glove down next to him.

"We're not that different. You,me,Riou…we had the weight of the world set on our shoulders and the expectations to act as men before we could finish living out as boys. We'll never know that kind of ignorant bliss again. But you have no regrets do you?"

"I…but…" Jowy was at a loss. "The people that suffered at my hand,my friends my family…"

"Would it have been different had you not acted as you did?" Tir countered. "I'm not here to lecture you,or justify your actions for you. But to give you some peace of mind. You didn't start the war,but you finished it. If you and Riou hadn't done all that you did that Highland Prince would still be out there burning down villages. Had I not done the things I had to do to defeat the empire then there would still be corruption and citizens getting unjustly punished and imprisoned or trying to survive in unlivable conditions. We didn't start our battles,but we ended them for the sake of the people we cared about the most,even if we lost a few along the way we still fought for them."

Jowy,once again was taken aback. It was then that he realized who Tir really was. He had read about him in one of his step fathers books and heard enough about the Toran Republic from officials in Highland. For such a young man Tir was wise beyond his years. Perhaps he would understand this pain. Then a slight grin came about his new friends face.

"Sorry," Tir joked. "I'm not much of a talker normally."

They turned back to their task and started to fish quietly again. Riou finally made it back with the bait and sat down with them. The two old friend looked at each other for a moment and embraced briefly. Jowy handed Riou the last fishing rod.

"I'm sorry,Riou…"

"Me too." Riou nodded.

The sun was beginning to set, Tir caught a few fish and filled his bucket. Putting down his rod he stood up and looked down at the other two.

"I'm going to head back and start cooking these,come and join us when you're done."

"Thanks, Tir." Riou said as he started to head off.

"Hey,Tir…" Jowy called after him then held up his right hand. "Thanks."

"Remember,we aren't perfect. But with just a little bit of hope you can survive and live on." Tir left them with that and went on his way.

The two watched him go then turned back to their lines. They hadn't caught a thing all day. Honestly,they hadn't even noticed.

"So...You planned all that?"

"He just…has a way with words." Riou laughed. "But seriously,I thought if no one else could talk you down,he could. He's just like us."

"It's good to know we aren't alone.

"And we never will be."

Being a visitor to Gregminster and the McDohl household in the past,Riou was all too familiar with the fantastic meals that Gremio would cook up. Even away from their home in the Toran Republic he would cook for his young master while they camped out. Tonight was no different and the heavenly scent of a fish dinner was passing through. Riou stood up and offered to help his friend up.

"Come on,let's go eat."

Jowy stood with him and looked to his rune then up at the sky. Despite the hardships of the war,and knowing that he could never be perfect he felt much more at ease than ever before. Once again with his best friend at his side they could grow and have new adventures together. He didn't save Highland's name but he did save her people. It was not a perfect end,but it was better than any other alternative.

"Come on,Jowy!" Riou called after him. "If you don't hurry you'll have to eat your carrots by yourself!"

Laughing at the memory,Jowy ran after his friend. The world would be all right.