Written for Moonlight_M3lody as part of Parallels Fanfic Exchange 2014.
Clack! Clackclack - thump. "Ow!"
"Got you! Prepare for - ack!"
There was a heavy thud, followed by the sound of two people scraping and scrambling to get up. Genkaku stepped away from the tea set to look into the training ring, a frown deepening on his face when he did. "Nanami! Strike harder! Strike with all your might! Jowy, keep your torso covered and your arms loose!"
"Yes teacher - ah!" Jowy's voice floated in from the ring, only to get cut off again with another muffled thump. Genkaku kept watching for a bit longer, then sighed and turned away, moving back to the table where Riou stared intently at the steeping tea, almost ready for the traditional post-spar cup of tea.
"Come now, that's probably enough time. Let's take this out for the brave fighters, shall we?" Genkaku said with an affectionate look at Riou before walking into the hall and around to the dojo entrance. Riou followed with the tray, careful not to disturb the pot or cups, but not before adding a small bowl of roasted beans to the set for a snack.
"All right, that's enough!" Genkaku called as he strode into the dojo. Jowy and Nanami jumped apart and hastily bowed in respect. There was a darkening bruise on Jowy's right shoulder and red marks on Nanami's legs, a far cry from the light taps they used to hand out in practice. Riou settled down to pour the tea while Genkaku lectured Jowy and Nanami on their form and technique and what they needed to improve for next time until their heads were hanging around their knees. He finally finished up with "...practice your defensive forms, Jowy. But for now...let's take a break and have some tea."
Jowy and Nanami bowed again with a chorus of "thank you, teacher" before straightening and shuffling over to Riou, rubbing at their injuries as they did. Nanami flopped down on the floor with her legs out straight in front of her and cheerfully accepted her cup of tea, Jowy settled down on crossed legs and snuck a few beans before sipping at his. The tea was light and refreshing, with just slightest bit of bitterness, as was typical for Harmonian white tea.
It was quiet for a time, with just the sound of sipping tea and the faint chirping of the birds outside filling the silence. The afternoon light illuminated the dust spiralling through the air and edged the people and weapons in gold. Riou closed his eyes, enjoying the peaceful moment when Jowy suddenly spoke.
"Teacher...do you think that war will come here?" There was no need to specify what war. Everyone was talking about the fight between the City-States and the new Toran Republic, so soon after the revolutionaries had overthrown the Golden Emperor. Men who considered themselves sensible said that the Republic would soon fall, that as a new nation it couldn't keep fighting for long. Would-be generals sat in bars and talked about Toran's remarkable army and how Jowston had clearly underestimated them. And everyone worried about how the price of grain was going up.
"Hm...I doubt it. Jowston got greedy and their hands are being smacked for it. It doesn't seem to have anything to do with Highland." Genkaku settled back on his heels and took a long sip of his tea, his face and posture entirely at peace. "It's sad, of course, but don't worry. I'm sure you won't need to go out and join the army."
The words didn't comfort Jowy, who stared into his tea as if he wasn't seeing it. "My father says that too...but trade's been disrupted, and he also said that if Jowston loses they'll be looking for someone to beat up on to recover their losses."
"Really?!" Nanami jerked forward then, her eyes wide and her tea sloshing out onto the floor. "Ah- Oh darn..." She accepted a small towel from Riou and mopped it up in a trice, and when she finished she looked back up with a cheerful smile. "But if anyone tries to come here Grandpa Genkaku and I will just beat them with our secret techniques! There's no need for Riou and Jowy to fight at all!"
"Calm down, Nanami. You're all too excitable." Genkaku gave her the distinct 'settle down before I /make/ you settle down' look he had perfected over the years, which made Nanami flinch and Riou and Jowy smile. Genkaku continued, his voice deliberately calm and patient. "The last thing Jowston will want to do after losing is attack a powerful nation like Highland. Not like the last war. The border skirmishes will continue, we might see refugees coming over the pass and more bandits to prey on them, but we've kept the peace for this long. It won't turn into an all-out war. The king and the mayor...I'm sure they won't repeat that mistake."
"That's right! So don't worry about it, Jowy. Nothing bad's gonna happen," Nanami said, only slightly more restrained than before.
"Yeah...I hope so."
"All right, that's enough of a break! Nanami, you and Riou practice your forms together. No slacking off, I want to see you sweating by the end! Jowy, you're with me. We need to work on your defenses. Is that clear?" Genkaku set down his tea and stood up, the reassuring grandfather gone and the strict teacher back in place. Riou and Nanami scrambled to get the tea set together and out of the way before they stood up with Jowy, backs straight and strong.
"Yes, teacher!"
L'Renouille was bright, sunny, and quiet. A breeze blew in past the open windows, just barely enough to rustle the curtains but not enough to cool. Sweat slid down Jowy's neck as he stared at the figures and wondered where he'd get 2000 more horses from.
It wasn't just the horses. Even if they had started out with more men than the City-States, the New State Army had the remarkable ability to destroy forces greater than it with minimal losses. Their runes burned carts and food, their spears and arrows maimed and crippled men. Harmonia had promised aid, men and horses and money, then slipped away as soon as the battle turned. Now their missives were filled with rhetorical flourishes and platitudes that were all just an elaborate way to say 'you're on your own now'.
Not even the people of Highland were completely behind the war anymore. At first they'd been able to play the loss of Prince Luca as a rallying call, but as the war dragged on and his presence faded from memory more and more were willing to ask why they were dying in the name of the Mad Prince: The Mad Prince, who was rumoured to have bathed in the blood of children, to have eaten human flesh, to have slaughtered without limit. Now rumours of what happened at Muse had come to even L'Renouille, which meant they were fact in the outer cities. And while it was all right for foreign soldiers to die in battle, to sacrifice an entire city... More and more priests, merchants, and mothers called for peace, for any settlement that would end the war.
But the deaths of the Unicorn Brigade still hung over the people, and the generals and ministers were still united in the dream of complete victory. What was the point of giving up when the chance to finally crush the City-States was at hand? Did those ungrateful peasants forget the deaths of so many soldiers, heroes all? To give up now would be to shame their memory! And so more posters were made, more songs were sung, and the lines at the recruitment offices got ever longer. To try and hold them back would be to hold back the tide. Highland and Jowston would never be able to stop fighting, as long as they both existed, and Jowy could not change that fact.
The King was not as powerful as the view from Kyaro Village made him seem.
There was a soft clink in front of him, and Jowy looked up to see Jillia set down a mug of steaming tea on the desk. She was dressed simply, it was likely she had just gotten back from another morale-raising gathering where Highland citizens could see the Queen coming out from the castle to tend to the refugees and give the appearance of royal ears turned to their wishes. Her expression was too controlled to show anything but perfect calm, but Jowy was beginning to read the hints that peered through a lifetime of living with Luca Blight. His new wife was unhappy.
He picked up the tea. "What's wrong?"
Jillia's eyes flicked to the papers in front of him, then demurely away. "More refugees pour in by the day, fleeing the battleground. They ask me when the war will be over, when they will be able to go back to their villages and farms. The price of food is rising sharply. Already many cannot afford bread."
Jowy took a sip of the tea. "I've drafted an order to the army to help ration the grain supplies. That should help them get bread." They couldn't have a revolt, not now. There was another enemy to fight. Black Sword burned on his hand, a constant, aching reminder of the real war.
"They say that the City-State treats its captured soldiers well. That they welcome refugees, even from Highland. That General Riou has a True Rune and that opposing him is opposing destiny. That we will be destroyed just like the Scarlet Moon Empire." Jillia's voice stayed perfectly soft and even though the speech. Somehow Jowy still felt judged.
"Destiny, huh." It had to be Shu spreading those rumours, Riou wouldn't put himself forward like that. Everyone knew that the tiny, miserable rebellion against Emperor Barbarossa only started winning battles because the Runes demanded it, now they could claim the same destiny lay on Riou. It was a brilliant strategic move, and Jowy was going to have to talk with Leon about not using it first.
Jillia's mouth tightened almost imperceptibly. She was...really angry. "Why did you not sue for peace when you invited them to Muse? All of this could be over, and we would have gained territory. Now we face the destruction of Highland."
Jillia was a wonderful woman, but she still believed there could be peace between Highland and Jowston. Jowy had believed that too, once. Before he'd been dragged before Luca Blight and seen how it really was. "The people never would've accepted it. You don't stop a war you're winning as soon as there's a setback. Now...it's too late. Even if I could convince Riou, I'd never convince his advisers. We're in this to the end." The words tumbled from his lips smooth and practised, exactly how he repeated them to himself in the dark of night when only Black Sword was listening.
Jillia just looked at him, as if measuring how much he actually believed those words. Then she turned away again and spoke, again perfectly calm. "Sir Leon Silverberg believes that it is kindest for war to be quick, no matter how brutal. Isn't that right?"
"Yes. He's got a point." Jowy took another sip of the tea. It was cooling rapidly, but it was still fine Highland tea. He knew where Jillia was going with this.
"When you first came to me after joining the army, you said you would end the war as soon as possible. It has now been two years, and all those men who were to bring in the harvest have been fed to the battlefield. Winter approaches, and will your rationing save us then?" She paused then, as if waiting for him to answer. When Jowy stayed silent, she continued. "My lord, you know I love and admire you. I would not have agreed to follow you this far otherwise. But...how much longer will this war take? Will you bring Highland to ruin simply because you could not bend a knee to your friend?"
"It's not that!" It wasn't that he couldn't make peace with Riou, if he wanted to. There were just so many other things in the way, the war, politics, the Beast Rune, everything. If Riou had just given up at Muse... Black Sword was burning his hand again, and Jowy wrapped his left hand around it as he stumbled out the rest of his excuse. "It's just...this is beyond the ability of one man to stop. Even the King. The people would never accept it. There must be one, unquestionable victor, or all of this will just start all over again!"
It sounded tired and unconvincing even to his own ears, and from the slight line between her eyes it seemed Jillia felt the same. The King of Highland was absolute within the kingdom. The country went to war or peace on his will. But...but it was more complicated than that. Jowy clenched his hand tighter around the Rune.
"I see," Jillia said. "I will leave you to your war, then. Pilika will likely be finished her with nap now; I should go to her." She dipped her head and swept out of the room, leaving Jowy alone.
Clack! Clack-clackclackclackclack-clang!
Tir and Jowy were nearly equally matched. Jowy had more power behind his strikes, but he had been fighting mindless monsters lately. Tir had just met them coming back from the war in the far south with Soul Eater satisfied for the moment, and there had honed his skill against human foes. Their staffs flashed between them, so fast they blurred, weaving attacks, blocks, counters.
A final crash and Jowy's staff was at Tir's head, a perfect match to Tir's staff at his throat. They stood there, the morning light cool around them, long enough for Riou to pour three cups of tea and take a deep breath. Then Jowy tapped his staff against Tir's temple and Tir gave Jowy a shove and they both split apart, rubbing at new bruises and laughing. Tir stretched before wandering over to the bucket they always kept filled with cold water to wipe the sweat away from his face. Jowy just flopped down against the wall next to Riou, waving off the tea until he got his breath under control.
It was quiet in the training hall then. There was some chittering from outside that could've been one of Mukumuku's descendants - Riou had caught a glimpse of a purple cape while he was tossing out the dishwater last night, so they were still around - or it more likely was just a regular squirrel. The flying squirrel squad had been scarce since Mukumuku's granddaughter had died, nearly 50 years ago now. They had their own problems to deal with, after all.
Tir finished cleaning himself up and took a seat on the floor with the pair, taking one of the cups of tea for himself. Jowy reached out for one as well and took a deep drink, humming with something like contentment. Riou added a little milk before he drank, it was a habit he'd picked up in Falena and one he didn't particularly care to break. Slowly the scent of oranges filled the hall and masked, slightly, the ever-present smell of dust.
In the end, Jowy was the one to break the silence. "Sitting here, sparring and drinking tea... It's almost like old times, isn't it? I could almost believe Genkaku's about to yell at us for letting the windowsills dusty, or Nanami..." He trailed off, then coughed and started again, almost too quickly. "Well, anyway, this is pretty nice, huh Riou?"
Riou gave him a nod and a weak smile in return. It did feel nostalgic, like the endless days of their childhood, when training and play were close to the same thing, when war was something far away and when he still thought he'd really grow up.
Higheast was even about to become Highland again, after all the negotiations were finished and the papers signed, and Kyaro was already being draped in the old white and blue in preparation for the coming independence day. It had never been a solid part of Highland before, but what did that matter? They considered themselves part of that old tradition now, and so they celebrated. The scars of the rebellion that had only barely missed becoming a civil war had been wiped away, as if this peaceful parting was what everyone meant to do from the beginning.
It didn't feel like that long ago that they had gone to see the play, the one that ended early when Nanami stomped forward to beat the hell out of the director with her cane, right during the climatic scene when the King Jowy defended fair Queen Jillia from the monstrous invading General Riou. It had taken the director an hour to calm her down while the audience enjoyed the unexpected show and Riou and Jowy stole surreptitious glances at their counterparts. They hadn't even gotten the clothes right. Even Hoi had gotten the clothes right.
But even that had been before the rebellion, when Nanami still tottered around the dojo with her cane and swore that even if she was caught by age, she would never let it defeat her. Before she'd gone to join Genkaku under grass and stone. And that was what really separated this day from those of their childhood, that Tir sat across from them, casually drinking his tea, instead of his sister.
Jowy must have been thinking the same thing, because he had the same dark look on his face. Tir, fortunately, knew when to keep quiet and keep drinking tea. All of them had been through this before.
"Riou...I was thinking." Jowy finally broke the silence, making Riou sit up and blink. "We could start the dojo again, like Nanami tried to do all those years ago. Settle back down here for awhile. We'll have to leave eventually, but...it should be okay for a few years. What do you say, Riou?"
Riou considered it. An end to the wandering...it would be nice. They'd settled down for a bit when Nanami got too old to travel easily, then ran away again when she died, unable to face the empty dojo again. It had been a long time before they had come back. But they were back now...and even if they'd have to leave again someday - they couldn't hide their Runes forever and they couldn't give them up, it would doom some other pair to battle - at least they'd have some time. It...it might be good.
He gave Jowy a stronger grin and raised his cup in agreement.