Wind Blows And Water Flows
By Windy McDohl
Disclaimer: All characters belong to Konami CE. The law prohibits stealing. Thank you for reading this warning.
Warning: SPOILERS! Hint of shounen-ai. *Whacks himself*
_________________________
Chapter 3: The Last Glass
The glass stood empty on the small wooden table, dressed in fine silk. Two figures sat directly opposite each other, staring into space, lost in their own thoughts.
It was a perfect scene for an artist to immortalize with shades of colors, and yet the mood was grim.
McDohl sat crossing his legs, staring out through the frames of the large open window, savoring the sweet scent of the open air, and the twinkling of the city lights below him. Le'Renoille was a wonderful city, there was no doubt about it, and the palace was one of its many luxuries. He shifted his garnet gaze to the man in front of him.
"It's very beautiful, this castle of yours," he began. The man grinned at him, showing his pearl white teeth.
"Yes, indeed, compared to the sties of those filthy State pigs," he replied haughtily, reveling at the uneasy look that registered in his companion's youthful face. Luca knew how strong his companion really was, but there was something in his eyes… something he couldn't exactly pinpoint -- it made McDohl look vulnerable enough to be intimidated by words, pained by sorrow, and that was a few of the many things that Luca Blight loved most about him.
"It's been three years, Luca," he whispered slowly, dragging his words out painfully, as if he had been wounded by the words Luca had uttered. "And you have not changed a bit."
"Neither have you," replied Luca, fixing his gaze intently on the Soul Eater positioned before him. "Still young, still refined. When I heard that you left for Banner, I thought that you would have picked up the rude ways of those worms living there..."
He stretched out his hand to flick an obscuring lock of hair away from McDohl's face. "But it seems that I was wrong."
"You're never wrong, remember?" McDohl pushed his hand away. "You were always right; I was always wrong. You were right that I would never get over my past by dwelling in peace; I was wrong in running away to Banner, and joining the 'State pigs' in a war…"
"You weren't wrong in the joining the 'State pigs' war', ma chere, you were wrong in running away from me," Luca leaned forward, tugging at the youth's chin temptingly. "Come back to Le'Renoille, my little pig, and I'll give you your life and happiness."
McDohl laughed at the irony of the words expressed. A wolf and a pig getting along together in a war? Not likely. In fairytales, the wolf would end up killed and the pig the killer. And that was also what war really was all about. He stopped and smiled at Luca angelically.
"You can't. I don't treasure happiness through vengeance and spoils of war. What I really want is…"
"If you come back to Le'Renoille, there will be peace and shelter from the war, McDohl. But if you come back to me, there will be peace worldwide."
McDohl looked up, stunned. "Y… You'll stop fighting?"
"No… I cannot do that for the world, my little pig. But I can do that for you, if you wanted it…"
"What's the catch?" The bargain was a tempting one, or rather, it sounded so, and it seemed safe, but there was something wanting, and McDohl knew better than to take Luca's words literally for what it was, or what it sounded like.
Luca laughed; gone was the tone of haughtiness and the twisted, demented emotion usually found in it - it was replaced by genuine appreciation of a good joke, or so more to say, as twisted as his mind itself to see one through untrusting words as those voiced by McDohl.
"Oh, it's nothing. Just a small, very undemanding requirement…"
__________________
General Seed was walking along the silent corridors when he saw the flickering shadow of a small figure in the halls ahead. He stopped short when he perceived who it was.
"Master McDohl?"
"Hello, Sir Seed," the youth smiled at him. He looked normal, fit as ever… but there was something he was hiding behind that sweet smile, and the redheaded general could feel it.
"What is it?" he asked. He could read the youth's mind as easily as he could sometimes read Luca's. McDohl peered up into the eyes of the young man, and sighed wistfully.
"Nothing…"
"If it were nothing, you wouldn't be so unhappy as that."
A voice boomed across the halls, smooth like silk, and as steady and composed as a strategist's ought to be. But a strategist he was not. He was a general, and like Seed, he could read the youth's mind.
"You two haven't changed even the slightest," he smiled back. "But this is my problem, and I will face it alone."
"…Listen, if you think you can --"
"Seed," the silver-haired general held his friend back. He glanced at McDohl, studying the tired expression on the leader's features. "Young Master, it is our duty to ensure the best for our guests. It is hardly midnight, and you are our guest till then. We'll not have you look so forlorn. Tell us, what is…"
"What's bugging you?" Seed interrupted impatiently. "That's what he means, anyway, to cut that short. You're our pal, so we've got all the right in the whole dam -- OW! -- Okay, the whole wide world to know!"
"Maybe you do…" McDohl smiled in affirmation. "But let this be discussed over a glass of wine, shall we?"
"YEAH! THAT'S THE SPIRIT!" Seed cheered. Culgan shook his head at his friend's enthusiasm.
McDohl smiled at the scene. Unknown to the two generals, this would be his last glass of wine in Le'Renoille.
To Be Continued…
By Windy McDohl
Disclaimer: All characters belong to Konami CE. The law prohibits stealing. Thank you for reading this warning.
Warning: SPOILERS! Hint of shounen-ai. *Whacks himself*
_________________________
Chapter 3: The Last Glass
The glass stood empty on the small wooden table, dressed in fine silk. Two figures sat directly opposite each other, staring into space, lost in their own thoughts.
It was a perfect scene for an artist to immortalize with shades of colors, and yet the mood was grim.
McDohl sat crossing his legs, staring out through the frames of the large open window, savoring the sweet scent of the open air, and the twinkling of the city lights below him. Le'Renoille was a wonderful city, there was no doubt about it, and the palace was one of its many luxuries. He shifted his garnet gaze to the man in front of him.
"It's very beautiful, this castle of yours," he began. The man grinned at him, showing his pearl white teeth.
"Yes, indeed, compared to the sties of those filthy State pigs," he replied haughtily, reveling at the uneasy look that registered in his companion's youthful face. Luca knew how strong his companion really was, but there was something in his eyes… something he couldn't exactly pinpoint -- it made McDohl look vulnerable enough to be intimidated by words, pained by sorrow, and that was a few of the many things that Luca Blight loved most about him.
"It's been three years, Luca," he whispered slowly, dragging his words out painfully, as if he had been wounded by the words Luca had uttered. "And you have not changed a bit."
"Neither have you," replied Luca, fixing his gaze intently on the Soul Eater positioned before him. "Still young, still refined. When I heard that you left for Banner, I thought that you would have picked up the rude ways of those worms living there..."
He stretched out his hand to flick an obscuring lock of hair away from McDohl's face. "But it seems that I was wrong."
"You're never wrong, remember?" McDohl pushed his hand away. "You were always right; I was always wrong. You were right that I would never get over my past by dwelling in peace; I was wrong in running away to Banner, and joining the 'State pigs' in a war…"
"You weren't wrong in the joining the 'State pigs' war', ma chere, you were wrong in running away from me," Luca leaned forward, tugging at the youth's chin temptingly. "Come back to Le'Renoille, my little pig, and I'll give you your life and happiness."
McDohl laughed at the irony of the words expressed. A wolf and a pig getting along together in a war? Not likely. In fairytales, the wolf would end up killed and the pig the killer. And that was also what war really was all about. He stopped and smiled at Luca angelically.
"You can't. I don't treasure happiness through vengeance and spoils of war. What I really want is…"
"If you come back to Le'Renoille, there will be peace and shelter from the war, McDohl. But if you come back to me, there will be peace worldwide."
McDohl looked up, stunned. "Y… You'll stop fighting?"
"No… I cannot do that for the world, my little pig. But I can do that for you, if you wanted it…"
"What's the catch?" The bargain was a tempting one, or rather, it sounded so, and it seemed safe, but there was something wanting, and McDohl knew better than to take Luca's words literally for what it was, or what it sounded like.
Luca laughed; gone was the tone of haughtiness and the twisted, demented emotion usually found in it - it was replaced by genuine appreciation of a good joke, or so more to say, as twisted as his mind itself to see one through untrusting words as those voiced by McDohl.
"Oh, it's nothing. Just a small, very undemanding requirement…"
__________________
General Seed was walking along the silent corridors when he saw the flickering shadow of a small figure in the halls ahead. He stopped short when he perceived who it was.
"Master McDohl?"
"Hello, Sir Seed," the youth smiled at him. He looked normal, fit as ever… but there was something he was hiding behind that sweet smile, and the redheaded general could feel it.
"What is it?" he asked. He could read the youth's mind as easily as he could sometimes read Luca's. McDohl peered up into the eyes of the young man, and sighed wistfully.
"Nothing…"
"If it were nothing, you wouldn't be so unhappy as that."
A voice boomed across the halls, smooth like silk, and as steady and composed as a strategist's ought to be. But a strategist he was not. He was a general, and like Seed, he could read the youth's mind.
"You two haven't changed even the slightest," he smiled back. "But this is my problem, and I will face it alone."
"…Listen, if you think you can --"
"Seed," the silver-haired general held his friend back. He glanced at McDohl, studying the tired expression on the leader's features. "Young Master, it is our duty to ensure the best for our guests. It is hardly midnight, and you are our guest till then. We'll not have you look so forlorn. Tell us, what is…"
"What's bugging you?" Seed interrupted impatiently. "That's what he means, anyway, to cut that short. You're our pal, so we've got all the right in the whole dam -- OW! -- Okay, the whole wide world to know!"
"Maybe you do…" McDohl smiled in affirmation. "But let this be discussed over a glass of wine, shall we?"
"YEAH! THAT'S THE SPIRIT!" Seed cheered. Culgan shook his head at his friend's enthusiasm.
McDohl smiled at the scene. Unknown to the two generals, this would be his last glass of wine in Le'Renoille.
To Be Continued…