"Judgement" By Luke's Dragon

A/n

Okay I've gone for a little perspective switching to try and have a few characters thoughts one the same situation. I like the perspective switching.

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Chapter 4 Paths That Merge

"Friendship is the only cement that will ever hold the world together."

*** Hazel ***

Sometimes no matter how much you try and prepare yourself, you can never ever really be prepared for the big moments in life. I just stood there, staring into her face; everything I had wanted to say over the past three years just flew out of my head. I just stood there paralyzed by her face. She looked older than last time, obvious really three years will do that, but her smile still lit up her face, and her eyes sparkled in the sunlight. I didn't know what to say, so I was glad that she took the initiative.

*** Kasumi ***

So we're just stood there, staring at each other like a pair of idiots, I can't believe that my head has totally emptied of any thoughts and anything I wanted to say just vanished into the air. But he looks just like I remember, still that same face I fell in love with, but then again he wouldn't age would he, not with that rune. But his eyes look old, belying all the devastation he has seen, and they look sad too. Not tearful sad, just an overwhelming sense of lose that makes me fall in love again. I don't want to make a move, but I have to do this.

"Hazel…it's been a long time"

"…Yes"

"How have you been, I've thought about you. A lot"

"…I…I thought about you as well"

"Really?"

"Yeah… and I'm glad I could see you again"

"Yeah me too"

He'd been thinking about me too, my heart did a little jump for joy, but now my courage deserted me and I couldn't speak. But somehow that didn't seem to matter we were hear together again and that was all I cared about. Just for a moment I was blissfully happy and everything was right in the world. And then the rest of the group showed up. Why couldn't they just leave us alone? Why do they always have to pick exactly the wrong moment to show up?

*** Hazel ***

She'd been thinking about me a lot? I suppose it was what I'd wanted to hear the most, and dreaded hearing too, it meant I was going to have to face up to things, either tell her how I felt or break her heart by saying I didn't care. Therefore I wasn't entirely upset when the rest of Kasumi's group showing up shattered the moment. Some kid who looked like he had a lot to deal with, two girls who didn't look like fighters and… No way it couldn't be, those two have to be dead, surely it can't be them?

"Viktor? Flik?"

"Hey long time no see kid"

Flik, he still looks the same, same blue gear, same sword and that same look in his eyes. Surprising really how eyes can give you away without you knowing, and Viktor…

"Hazel, didn't think I'd die that easily did you"

And Viktor, well he's still Viktor, only more so, bigger louder and everything else. But yeah I actually did think they were dead, so did everyone.

"You're both alive then?"

"Yep"

"Someone just forgot to tell anyone about it"

Flik shot Viktor a glance which was just replied to with a grin. And that seemed to be all there was to say about it. They were alive, Kasumi was here and it was like being back in time. Apart from our three new friends who were giving me that awe-struck look that kids everywhere always give me. I couldn't help but notice the boy carried a rune on his right hand, the Bright Shield none the less, so this must be that kid everyone was talking about.

History, it seems loves to repeat itself another kid leading an army and like me I can sense pain in his eyes, like he's lost someone dear to him, and it won't be the last time it happens.

"Hazel Mcdohl WOW! It's like such an honor I'm Nanami and this is my little brother Reo, but don't worry he's got a rune like you and this is so cool you're much nicer than your pictures and you can join us and bet the Highlanders and everything will be good and…"

"Yeah, just slow down kid"

"It's Nanami!"

"Whatever. So you're Lord Reo, commander of the Dragon army and bearer of the Bright Shield rune"

"…Yeah"

"Nice to meet you"

"…You too"

Maybe it's something about having a True Rune that makes you absolutely awful at conversations, me and this kid seem to go for the 'say as little as you can' theory whereas Luc just insults people without trying. Have a true rune, eternal life, phenomenal power and lousy conversations. Of course the other girl doesn't have a rune and hasn't said a word, she's just glaring at me, maybe I upset her. But then again she looks the sort who gets annoyed with everyone.

"So Lord Hazel, can I call you Hazel?"

"No" I was starting to wonder if this Nanami kid ever shut up, maybe she was a magical talking machine.

"So anyway Hazel are you going to join us?"

"Well…Umm…Not really…. What the?"

The girl from the Inn is racing up to us as though she is being chased by demons, Oh that was right her little brother got into some sort of trouble. He's not with her and she looks like she's about to burst into tears.

"What's wrong?"

"Kou… he's… he's gone into the forest and I can't find him"

"Damn, there's bandits and all sorts in there"

"I know… please Lord Hazel can you help him"

"… Sure"

I don't like having to fight, much less kill but there are something's that just have to be done. Taking my Heaven Fang Staff I have to go and it looks like I'm going to leave her again.

"Goodbye Kasumi, it was nice seeing you again"

"Wait" That Reo kid, what does he want? This is hard enough

"What is it?"

"This is our fault, that boy helped us so we could see you"

"What? What sort of lousy plan is that?"

"I'm sorry, but I want to help, I'm responsible for this mess"


I'm responsible for this. It takes me back to the day my life changed so much. Those bandits Varkis and Sydonia were going to be put to death because of me. The feelings of guilt that my actions would lead to someone's death were new to me, at least back then. So we went to save them, and that was when I joined the liberation army. Would I change that if I could go back? No the only thing I'd do differently would have been not let Pahn fight my father, maybe if he had lived… Well no sense dwelling on it right now

"Come on kid, Viktor, Flik, Kasumi once more hey?"

Is it just me, or did her eyes sparkle more than usual when I said that?

** Ellie **

I've never been keen on woods, don't know why people can't just chop them all down and make a nice easy road. After all Banner Village is the entry point to the Republic. Well I suppose they must like traipsing through mud and trees all day. Still getting dirty is the least of our worries, giant bugs; rouge samurais and wild tigers roam this place, as well as several groups of bandits. I've often wondered what the monsters eat since you never see any plant-eating creatures around here. Stupid thought really, they probably eat any adventures that are stupid enough to come here.


We had only been walking for about ten minutes, in total silence, Kasumi and Hazel seemed to be poised to try and say something to each other, see Rina I can tell about relationships. Just my own I can't seem to understand. I was starting to grow restless when we ran across a group of bandits. There were at least fifteen maybe more stood about grinning. Maybe these were the same group of bandits who had kidnapped Kou.

Our usual plan of charging in was about to work as well as it usually goes, when a couple of the lead bandits spotted Hazel and Reo.

"That's Reo, the Dragon kid"

"The one who killed Luca Blight?"

"Yeah"

"And that's Lord Hazel!"

"Boss…"

"I'm… I'm not scared of them"

His expression suggested that his was a total lie, Hazel grinned looking very much as young as his body suggested spinning his staff several times, the sunlight glinting off his weapon. Viktor and Flik joined in, drawing their swords and striking a pose that was more than enough to make a good number of the bandits turn tail and flee.

The head bandit, although trying to stay cool in front of his men was starting to look as he was reconsidering the merits of farming over banditry.

Reo, probably prompted by the rest of the guys in the group took a slightly out of character macho pose, spinning his tonfu and finishing with a flourish that made the rest of the group run for safety. Still he did look very much like a real hero, I wish I could have seen his duel with Luca, well I suppose it's a subtle compliment he didn't want me to get hurt.

The leader seeing he was all alone turned to try and follow, however movement whilst being held by Viktor was less than successful, with surprising speed Viktor had grabbed the man by his neck and was holding and choking him all at once.

"Not you" Viktor put the pressure on the man's neck a little more.

"No, no, no don't kill me"

'We won't kill you, if you tell us what we want to know"

"Okay, just let me go so I can breathe"

"Just a little then Viktor. So what happened to that boy"

The look of anger in Hazel's eyes was something else, so intense and with real anger glowing on the surface.

"Yeah, yeah, we had him, but we got attacked by a monster and let him go"

"You left him to a monster!"

"Well we're bandits what do you expect?"

"I expect you to die, Flik"

With speed equal to his name of 'blue lightning' Flik thrust his blade forwards straight towards the heart of the helpless bandit chief. With such skill and timing, I guess that's why Nina is so obsessed over him, he halted the strike, the tip of the blade resting on the mans chest. The bandit chief abandoned any hope of maintaining his dignity dropping to his knees and bursting into tears. Smiling broadly Hazel walked purposely deeper into the forest over towards where the bandits had left Kou. Reo following Hazel not just step for step but trying to copy the purposeful stride the leader of the Liberation army had perfected over the past few years. A good job really that Rina had stayed behind, she would have had weeks of fun with the look I gave him as he walked away.

*** Reo ***

Hazel Mcdohl, leader of the Liberation Army, bearer of the Soul Eater Rune. And along with grandpa Genkaku one of my two heroes. I even named my tonfu after his weapon, now here I am on an adventure with him. After everything I've been through so far nothing can even come close to being as great as this feeling. I don't care who else is with us, it feels like its just Hazel and me as a team. It sorta reminds me of how it used to be when Jowy was still with me. How odd is that? We've hardly said two words to each other and he already feels like my best friend. It's like we have some sort of bond you know?

Just watching him make me feel proud really, proud that I'm following in his steps in a way. The whole kid with rune leads army thing. But I know he went through a lot, almost everyone he cared about died in the war, I think it was Viktor who told me about it once. His childhood friend died because of his rune and his closest friend died protecting him. How heroic is that? Dying to protect the person you care most about in the whole world, I hope that if it ever came down to it, I'd be able to do the same.

I know Shu wouldn't be happy about that though, I mean I know that he needs me for the future of the Dragon Army, but sometimes I wonder if it's me or my rune he really cares about protecting. I told Jowy I didn't want the rune and that all the power that came with it wasn't for me. Guess runes don't really care what you think, once you've got one, your destiny isn't your own any more.

Hey there's that kid, and a worm again? Huh we beat one before, this one is doomed!

And it was, compared to Luca Blight it was little more than a training mission, Viktor and Flik attacking together with perfect timing and unity, something I suppose that comes from fighting side by side for so long. Nanami and myself could do something similar just like Grandpa Genkaku taught us, Ellie using her rune magic and Hazel delivering a crushing combination of blows soon left the unfortunate worm a battered victim. Turning our attention to Kou we almost missed what sounded like a large piece of silk being ripped in half, I didn't even notice what was going on until I heard Nanami's cry of pain.

Spinning around just in time to avoid a strike from a viscous set of talons we were no longer faced with an easy worm but a giant flying bug that had already taken out Nanami and Ellie. Viktor charged forwards, trying to land a fatal blow upon the monster's head, whilst Flik was preparing to unleash a bolt of lightning from the rune on his right hand. They never got the chance; the moth spewed out a cloud of spores, which left both fighters lying on the floor, gasping for breath.

Being a little further back Hazel and me survived that attack, but I noticed he was holding his hand, as if trying not to use the Soul Eater's power. So distracted by this he didn't have a chance to avoid the moth's next attack, a swooping dive to try and take his head from his shoulders. I couldn't speak it all happened so quickly that there was nothing I could do but watch.

Watch as Kasumi jumped into the air and slashed the creature across one of its wings, causing it to veer off course and miss Hazel by a matter of inches.

The next thing I knew I was on the ground choking, the moth had unleashed another spore cloud, this time too close to us all for any chance of avoidance. All I could taste was an acrid, sulfur flavor, far worse than anything Nanami could cook up was. This was mingled with the taste of my own blood in my mouth, I could hardly see, but managed to force myself up onto my feet.

Quite involuntarily the Bright Shield rune started glowing, pulsing with a power I hadn't felt before it fired a blast of white light into the sky, basking in the warm glow I felt so much stronger. Then a flash of memory flew into my mind; images raced across my mind then were gone. Jowy and me leaping off that cliff, the noose around my neck and Rowd's grin. Luca Blight laughing as Ryube burnt to the ground, the smile of a girl, a man in green dying for me… that wasn't my memory, but then it was gone replaced by the sound of hooves across the plains, and then Me, Jowy and Nanami as kids in Kyaro town.

At that same moment I heard a shout right next to me.

"Soul Eater Rune, show your power… Judgement!"

The moth didn't stand a chance, the two attacks connected at the same time, black and white, life and death. Forgiveness and Judgement. There wasn't even a charred corpse of the monster left; just the faint smell of burnt meat.

Turning our attentions to Kou it was quickly decided the best plan would be to take him to Gregminster and see the famous Dr. Luikian. Just for the briefest moment I saw a look of panic flash across Hazel's face, then it was gone as he led our group on to Gregminster.