Those Stars
***
'Aha! Riou, so here you are!'
Riou turned sharply and smiled at the sight of his older sister coming up from the ladder. He shook his head silently and tilted his head to resume his watch of the star-studded sky. In a few moments, as he'd expected, his sister joined him, seating herself quite comfortably beside him to watch the same sky and same stars.
'It's beautiful isn't it?' Riou whispered his eyes dreamy. It would always be like this. It was Genkaku whom taught him how to love the stars. Somehow, his grandfather loved them, and so, he grew with the love for those shining diamonds in the sky also.
'Uh-huh, but the stars back at Kyaro are better!' his sister blurted. She'd kept serious for a few moments before breaking into laughter.
Riou frowned, 'So you mean we see different stars in Kyaro, then?' he questioned, fixing his gaze on her face. Nanami nodded. He chuckled before quieting down and losing himself to the stars again. 'But…. It is true, you know. The stars here, they look different. At least I think so.'
'They do look different…. Yeah…' Nanami trailed away. Riou turned his head and watched his sister. She had stretched a hand to the sky, as if she wanted to pluck one of those stars to keep in her hand, to examine. For a few moments of silence, she sat there motionless, her hand extended to the sky and then she withrew her hand and stared at it.
'I guess…. It's because we're… we're in the State. You know what some people say… Highland and State, two different worlds…….' She whispered, covering her mouth. Her eyes were fixed on her lap, and Riou watched her.
'Yeah, sis, two different worlds…. I remember what you said in Tinto… I guess I wanted to believe I belong he—'
'But you do belong here!' Nanami protested, 'I guess… I don't…..'
There was a moment of silence, and Riou, knowing the conversation lead to nowhere (but a possible argument), decided to change the subject into something… more important or perhaps, more obvious?
'Tomorrow… we fight.' He began as he ran a hand through his chestnut brown hair, 'You sure you want to go? ….I mean.. what if the situation becomes—' his sister readily cut him off.
'I thought we settled this already!' she cried trying her very best to put on an angry face.
'Yeah… but…'
'So, little—' she purposely stressed on the word 'little' '-brother, I guess we've learned a lot from Shu, eh? If the situation does become out of control… what about you then? Who'll protect you?' she questioned and before Riou could even open his mouth she quickly continued, 'Me, dear Riou, me! 'Sides, who always beats you when we practice?'
Riou lowered his head and muttered something. '—but I was letting you win…' he whispered quietly. No, there was no stopping of this girl. But he knew, he could at least try.
'Oh come on, Riou! I mean.. I know you know you can't stop me. But please… just trust me, okay? I promised Granpa I'll protect you—' Nanami reasoned stubbornly.
'And I promised him I'll protect you.' Riou countered softly.
Nanami shook her head, 'Bleh, whatever! I'm coming, whether you like it or not!' she almost yelled, and immediately Riou hushed her.
'Shh… Shu's room is right beneath us…' Riou whispered.
'No it isn't. It's on the second floor not the third.' Nanami pointed down below, her finger touching the padded roof. 'Remember? The room behind your room?' she was talking in a gradually loudening voice….
'I know.. I know..' He edged closer and clasped a gloved hand over her mouth, 'But with the way you're speaking, I'm afraid you'll wake him… And…'
'He'll drag you down and lecture you about the importance of sleeping accordingly.' She finished for him, pushing his hand away. 'Seriously, you're the leader of the army, why are you under curfew?'
'…..Well, according to Shu, it's responsibility and the fact that me being the leader means I have to be a good example… all those things.' Riou explained.
'Well, I've seen him up…very very very late….. I mean really, really late.'
'So you mean you can stay up that late?'
'….Not really… It's like, I woke up really really early.'
There was a gust of wind and Riou closed his eyes, loving the feeling of the wind against his skin. The topic was closed.
'You know, speaking of all these… I think it's getting very, very late already. We have a long journey tomorrow… Rockaxe…with the army, those things……' he trailed away and smiled at his sister.
'You can stay here for all you want, but I need to go and sleep now… I don't want to fall off my horse tomorrow… We're going to go and take a different route to Rockaxe, remember? It's going to be a long ride through the woods….' He stood up and fixed his gloves before brushing his clothes.
'Hey, Riou… by the way.' Nanami muttered, her gaze fixed to the horizon, her back against his. 'Who'll be going with us? Don't tell me I have to go with that bear of a man…… Bleh…'
'Well, that can't be helped. I've already told Shu I'm bringing him. About the others…. Sir Camus and Miklotov and then Clive.' He explained briefly. Quietly he walked over to the ladder that led down to the dorms.
He was all ready to go down when his sister stopped him again.
'Tell me. Why them?' she questioned. He creased his eyebrows and looked up as if the answers were in the sky.
'Well… I figured Sir Camus and Miklotov knew the castle well… so that'll make our search easier… And it'll prevent us from getting lost. As for Clive… well… I figured guns were cool… And well, I figured we might as well go with at least one long-ranged fighter….' He trailed away and then fixed his gaze on his sister's back. 'I guess it was some sort of strategy that popped in my mind when I chose them…'
'Heh, I guess Shu was pretty proud of your selection then, eh?'
Riou stopped, his features softened. 'Yeah…..' he whispered. He realized; his sister wanted him to stay longer with him. He didn't know what was bothering her… but…
'Hey, Riou. When this war's over, let's go back to Kyaro, okay? Even… even without Jowy. I want to see the stars there and compare them with the stars here… Maybe I'll discover something….'
'Okay….' And he then went down, leaving his sister alone to watch the stars.
Nanami was aware of her brother's leave. She was alone…. Now… She watched the sky and its stars. Almost immediately something caught her eye, it was something bright. It had flashed for a few moments, twinkling several times brighter the ordinary star… maybe even ten times, before disappearing into nothingness. But it was unnoticed. There were thousands of other stars in the sky. The lost of one was of no significance.
It was then that she felt a pang of pain….
She didn't know why, but she began to wonder if she would be like that star…. So many people protected Riou… And even if one of them died….
It wouldn't matter much, would it?
'Would it make any difference?' she asked herself out loud.
There was no answer. And in defeat, she stood up and walked away towards the ladder leading down below to the dorms.
It was time to sleep.
***
Author's notes: This one was just something I felt like writing. What happened in Rockaxe led me to wonder how things were like the night before it happened. Bleh, forgive my writing, I was never really gifted in it… But anyway, let's just say Riou and Nanami were on a rooftop, watching the stars—normal stuff. Hmm… I officially declare this a random fanfic! And, um, I guess I'll put the disclaimer here: Suikoden II, Riou and Nanami are in no way mine. They're Konami's, and I'm just a poor little student who loves them… *huggles Riou and Nanami*
~White Crescent
***
'Aha! Riou, so here you are!'
Riou turned sharply and smiled at the sight of his older sister coming up from the ladder. He shook his head silently and tilted his head to resume his watch of the star-studded sky. In a few moments, as he'd expected, his sister joined him, seating herself quite comfortably beside him to watch the same sky and same stars.
'It's beautiful isn't it?' Riou whispered his eyes dreamy. It would always be like this. It was Genkaku whom taught him how to love the stars. Somehow, his grandfather loved them, and so, he grew with the love for those shining diamonds in the sky also.
'Uh-huh, but the stars back at Kyaro are better!' his sister blurted. She'd kept serious for a few moments before breaking into laughter.
Riou frowned, 'So you mean we see different stars in Kyaro, then?' he questioned, fixing his gaze on her face. Nanami nodded. He chuckled before quieting down and losing himself to the stars again. 'But…. It is true, you know. The stars here, they look different. At least I think so.'
'They do look different…. Yeah…' Nanami trailed away. Riou turned his head and watched his sister. She had stretched a hand to the sky, as if she wanted to pluck one of those stars to keep in her hand, to examine. For a few moments of silence, she sat there motionless, her hand extended to the sky and then she withrew her hand and stared at it.
'I guess…. It's because we're… we're in the State. You know what some people say… Highland and State, two different worlds…….' She whispered, covering her mouth. Her eyes were fixed on her lap, and Riou watched her.
'Yeah, sis, two different worlds…. I remember what you said in Tinto… I guess I wanted to believe I belong he—'
'But you do belong here!' Nanami protested, 'I guess… I don't…..'
There was a moment of silence, and Riou, knowing the conversation lead to nowhere (but a possible argument), decided to change the subject into something… more important or perhaps, more obvious?
'Tomorrow… we fight.' He began as he ran a hand through his chestnut brown hair, 'You sure you want to go? ….I mean.. what if the situation becomes—' his sister readily cut him off.
'I thought we settled this already!' she cried trying her very best to put on an angry face.
'Yeah… but…'
'So, little—' she purposely stressed on the word 'little' '-brother, I guess we've learned a lot from Shu, eh? If the situation does become out of control… what about you then? Who'll protect you?' she questioned and before Riou could even open his mouth she quickly continued, 'Me, dear Riou, me! 'Sides, who always beats you when we practice?'
Riou lowered his head and muttered something. '—but I was letting you win…' he whispered quietly. No, there was no stopping of this girl. But he knew, he could at least try.
'Oh come on, Riou! I mean.. I know you know you can't stop me. But please… just trust me, okay? I promised Granpa I'll protect you—' Nanami reasoned stubbornly.
'And I promised him I'll protect you.' Riou countered softly.
Nanami shook her head, 'Bleh, whatever! I'm coming, whether you like it or not!' she almost yelled, and immediately Riou hushed her.
'Shh… Shu's room is right beneath us…' Riou whispered.
'No it isn't. It's on the second floor not the third.' Nanami pointed down below, her finger touching the padded roof. 'Remember? The room behind your room?' she was talking in a gradually loudening voice….
'I know.. I know..' He edged closer and clasped a gloved hand over her mouth, 'But with the way you're speaking, I'm afraid you'll wake him… And…'
'He'll drag you down and lecture you about the importance of sleeping accordingly.' She finished for him, pushing his hand away. 'Seriously, you're the leader of the army, why are you under curfew?'
'…..Well, according to Shu, it's responsibility and the fact that me being the leader means I have to be a good example… all those things.' Riou explained.
'Well, I've seen him up…very very very late….. I mean really, really late.'
'So you mean you can stay up that late?'
'….Not really… It's like, I woke up really really early.'
There was a gust of wind and Riou closed his eyes, loving the feeling of the wind against his skin. The topic was closed.
'You know, speaking of all these… I think it's getting very, very late already. We have a long journey tomorrow… Rockaxe…with the army, those things……' he trailed away and smiled at his sister.
'You can stay here for all you want, but I need to go and sleep now… I don't want to fall off my horse tomorrow… We're going to go and take a different route to Rockaxe, remember? It's going to be a long ride through the woods….' He stood up and fixed his gloves before brushing his clothes.
'Hey, Riou… by the way.' Nanami muttered, her gaze fixed to the horizon, her back against his. 'Who'll be going with us? Don't tell me I have to go with that bear of a man…… Bleh…'
'Well, that can't be helped. I've already told Shu I'm bringing him. About the others…. Sir Camus and Miklotov and then Clive.' He explained briefly. Quietly he walked over to the ladder that led down to the dorms.
He was all ready to go down when his sister stopped him again.
'Tell me. Why them?' she questioned. He creased his eyebrows and looked up as if the answers were in the sky.
'Well… I figured Sir Camus and Miklotov knew the castle well… so that'll make our search easier… And it'll prevent us from getting lost. As for Clive… well… I figured guns were cool… And well, I figured we might as well go with at least one long-ranged fighter….' He trailed away and then fixed his gaze on his sister's back. 'I guess it was some sort of strategy that popped in my mind when I chose them…'
'Heh, I guess Shu was pretty proud of your selection then, eh?'
Riou stopped, his features softened. 'Yeah…..' he whispered. He realized; his sister wanted him to stay longer with him. He didn't know what was bothering her… but…
'Hey, Riou. When this war's over, let's go back to Kyaro, okay? Even… even without Jowy. I want to see the stars there and compare them with the stars here… Maybe I'll discover something….'
'Okay….' And he then went down, leaving his sister alone to watch the stars.
Nanami was aware of her brother's leave. She was alone…. Now… She watched the sky and its stars. Almost immediately something caught her eye, it was something bright. It had flashed for a few moments, twinkling several times brighter the ordinary star… maybe even ten times, before disappearing into nothingness. But it was unnoticed. There were thousands of other stars in the sky. The lost of one was of no significance.
It was then that she felt a pang of pain….
She didn't know why, but she began to wonder if she would be like that star…. So many people protected Riou… And even if one of them died….
It wouldn't matter much, would it?
'Would it make any difference?' she asked herself out loud.
There was no answer. And in defeat, she stood up and walked away towards the ladder leading down below to the dorms.
It was time to sleep.
***
Author's notes: This one was just something I felt like writing. What happened in Rockaxe led me to wonder how things were like the night before it happened. Bleh, forgive my writing, I was never really gifted in it… But anyway, let's just say Riou and Nanami were on a rooftop, watching the stars—normal stuff. Hmm… I officially declare this a random fanfic! And, um, I guess I'll put the disclaimer here: Suikoden II, Riou and Nanami are in no way mine. They're Konami's, and I'm just a poor little student who loves them… *huggles Riou and Nanami*
~White Crescent