"Judgement" By Luke's Dragon

A/n

This chapter is a little dialogue heavy compared to some, but that seemed to fit the tone better than action scenes.

I've tried (as with Ayda in Chapter 2 and 7) to give one of my favorite lesser-known characters a moment in the sun as well.

Oh and yes, the chapter title is shamelessly stolen from 'Watership Down' as I said earlier Hazel Mcdohl is also a homage to the hero of the book.

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Chapter 8 Trees in November

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"Why are the words 'goodbye', 'I'm sorry', and 'I love you' so easily pronounced but so hard to say?"

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Reo was nowhere to be found Hazel had searched the entire castle from top to bottom. He had been so sure that Reo would have either been in his room or up on the rooftops, but there was no one there. No one had seen him either, all though most people had been gathered outside Dr. Huan's surgery so the last time they had seen Reo was when he had ran away. Hazel wasn't even sure why he was looking for Reo, there was certainly nothing he could say to make it hurt any less. He put it down to it reminding him of Gremio, after that all he had wanted was someone to tell him that it was all going to work out fine, that it wasn't his fault… Instead all he had gotten was a message that they were to attack Scarleta Castle at dawn.

Pretty much out of places to look Hazel was feeling tired, annoyed and increasingly worried about Reo. His body still hurt from the battle at Rockaxe castle, and he was feeling the effects of using too much of Soul Eater's power. Getting close to giving up he walked into the main hall. usually this place was the life center of the castle but today it was totally deserted apart from Luc, who probably didn't care about Nanami and Viki who probably didn't know what a Nanami was.

Hazel supposed it was possible Reo might have asked Viki to have teleported him somewhere quiet so he could be alone, it was a risky plan though given Viki's lack of any accuracy with her chosen art. Hazel had several unpleasant memories of teleportaion, three years ago he had ended up on the roof of Toran castle and recently he had been sent into a building in Raddat where he had gotten into huge trouble for being upstairs when he shouldn't be able to get there. And then there were the tales about the baths. Hazel winced at the thought of Viktor and the… No this wasn't getting anywhere he needed to find Reo.

"Viki, have you seen Reo?"

"Huh? No! It wasn't me"

"What wasn't you?"

"Nothing"

Viki turned away and started studying the floor very intently, Hazel was totally confused. She was just the same as how he had remembered the young, somewhat confused blinking mage in the Liberation Wars, it was strange that she hadn't aged a day since then, still maybe she just had a young complexion. She certainly had a memory complexion.

"Viki, have you teleported him somewhere?"

"Who?"

"Reo"

"Have I teleported Reo somewhere?"

"Yes"

"Yes" Okay now maybe they were getting somewhere.

"Good. Where?"

"Umm… I can't remember"

Hazel looked over to where Luc was killing himself laughing, this was not going to be easy. Swallowing his pride he asked the young mage for help.

"Where did she send him?"

"Not saying"

"Luc, it's important"

"Yeah but watching you struggle with Viki is the most fun I've had in days"

"If you don't tell me right now…"

"You'll what? Set your rune on me? Oh I'm scared"

Hazel glared at Luc, resisting the temptation to actually knock him out, he threw a mock punch at Luc's head, stopping just short of the target.

"Fine if that's how you want it, he went to Toto village"

"Right. Viki teleport me please"

"Huh? Oh right… where to?"

"Toto village"

"Oh where Reo went. Okay it goes like this… I think"

"If you knew that's were Reo went why didn't…"

Hazel's voice trailed off as the spell took effect, he was sure he heard Luc shouting something about hoping he ended up inside a volcano. And then he was gone.

***

No matter how many times he went through the ordeal of being teleported it was never gong to get any easier, the feeling of being reduced to atoms, scattered, flung to some far away location and then put back together before you could even blink was bad enough. Added was the feeling that he always felt like his stomach and legs were left behind meant that it was not his favorite way to travel, still needs must and it was by far the quickest and safest method of transportation available to him.

Taking a moment to focus as to where he was, maybe he hadn't ended up in a volcano like Luc had wanted, but this town looked like it had. Very little was left, scorched earth, burnt out shells of buildings and a sense of despair blowing on the wind, along with the smell of burnt timbers. Hazel remembered Flik telling him about Luca Blight burning several villages down including Toto, so he guessed he was in the right place, now all he had to do was find Reo. There was nowhere really he could be hiding, mainly because there was nothing left to hide in, Luca Blight had done a good job of destroying the place utterly. What he and his flames had left the monsters and looters had taken, there were not even any bodies lying on the streets. Walking on he noticed a small cave partially obstructed by fallen tiles and parts of what could have once been a shrine. Supposing that this was the only place Reo could be Hazel pushed his way into the little cave.

***

After giving himself a few moments for his eyes to adjust to the gloom Hazel could see the cave was little more than a small room with a stone panel at the far end, a figure was sat hunched up in front of it in silence. It looked as if this was where Reo had been hiding, Hazel remembered someone telling him that Reo and Jowy had gotten their runes from this place, so perhaps it was not surprising Reo had come here. Hazel was about to approach, but then paused, he had no idea what to say, at least back in Drakemouth there had been something he could say or do, short of opening up a deep wound and talking about his own lost family there was little he could say. But he couldn't just leave Reo here, much as he hated the idea there was still a war to be won, they needed Reo now more than ever, he couldn't just leave him here. Time may be a great healer, but they had no time, all he had was his less than impressive comforting skills to fall back on. Kasumi would have known what to say, even Flik or Viktor would have been better at this than he was. still they weren't here, it was Hazel who was here, and that meant he had to do something, and if that meant telling Reo about his past then as painful as it was, so be it.

"Reo, I thought I might find you here"

"I want to be alone"

"I know how you feel but…"

"You don't know how I feel alright! Yeah you've lost people too but that doesn't give you the right to tell me anything"

Hazel was taken aback by the anger Reo launched at him, he had hoped it would be a lot easier than this, still he knew how angry he had been after Gremio's death, Pahn's too. All he had done for days was blame himself, think of all the things he could have done differently and it had nearly driven him mad. He still got angry, like in Rockaxe and just let his emotions over take him, still being used as a verbal punching bag when he was trying to help wasn't a nice feeling.

"Fine, you're right I don't know how you're feeling, but I can guess"

"I don't care, I just need some time"

"We don't have time. Reo you know how decided to carry on in Drakemouth… why?"

"Because… because I wanted to make a better world and to stop the war"

"And?"

"And… I… I wanted me and Jowy and Nanami to be together again"

Reo sniffed back a few tears that had started to appear in his eyes.

"It can't happen now though, can it? Nanami's gone and I have to fight Jowy"

"But you have to carry on. You have to keep fighting for those dreams and all their dreams too. Because if you don't then maybe they did die in vain"

"Maybe… but… How am I supposed to carry on without her?"

"I wish I could answer that one for you, I suppose you just do what seems right"

"Haven't you told me that before?"

"Yeah, guess I have… But you have to carry on, for everyone who dies, and for all those left to carry on"

"I can't help thinking it was my fault… That there was something I could have done"

"Don't torture yourself about it. Nanami cared about you a lot, and I think she knew what she was doing too. She was your big sister, I was the only thing she could have done"

"… I wonder what it's like to do that, you know die because you love someone so much. I wonder if I could ever do that"

"I think I could… Reo, it'll be alright you know"

"…Maybe"

"And I'm always here if you need me"

"Thank you"


"Forget about it, and don't worry these things take time, but it'll start to hurt less and less one day. I don't think it ever stops though"

"I suppose so… Hazel?"

"Yes?"

"When we were in Rockaxe, Jowy and me fought together to beat Gourdo, I think… I think that means we might have a chance"

"I hope so, you've come through so much, but you sill have more to do"

"I know, lets go back. I'll use the Blinking Mirror"

"Actually… Let's walk, it'll clear your head a bit"

***

Everyone was gathered in the Great Hall as Hazel and Reo came in, Shu shot Hazel a look as if to ask where the hell he had been with his leader, Hazel blanked him, meetings were his least favorite thing in the world. The discussion however was mercifully brief, it was decided, they would attack Highland the following morning. There would be no really plan, just the Dragon Army versus Highland, the final all or nothing battle. They would wipe out any resistance and storm the capitol. They would fight their way to the throne room, and if it came down to it, they would fight Jowy. Hazel saw a brief expression of pain flash across Reo's face at this point, then it was gone. Reo took center stage and told everyone that together they could do it, that they would win. And then it was all over everyone filed out the main hall, Kasumi paused at the doors, Hazel silently asked her to wait outside for him, he was sure he would need her more than ever when all this was over.

"Are you going to be alright tomorrow?"

"Yeah… I'll be fine, even if I have to fight Jowy"

"Maybe it won't come to that…"

"I'm the leader of the Dragon Army, Jowy is the King of Highland. It's fate"

"Fate… If you ask me it's over rated"

"Maybe, but it's easier that way. But I have to see this through, you said that right?"

"Yeah, guess I did. I'll see you later Reo"

Hazel walked out the hall, pleased to see Kasumi was indeed waiting for him, it would have served him right if she hadn't bothered, and it wasn't as if he'd been paying much attention to her lately. Still hopefully she understood, mainly because he was damn sure he didn't.

"Thanks for waiting for me"

"Did you think I wouldn't?"

"…Well, maybe a little"

"I waited this long didn't I?"

"Yeah, and I'm grateful for it, really I am"

"Do you think we can win tomorrow?"

"We've come through worse, its what happens next I'm worried about"

"Taking the capitol won't be too hard"

"No… After that"

"Oh… You mean with Lord Reo and Jowy"

"Yeah… But with us too"

Silence

Then she smiled, that smile he loved so much, the smile that seemed to lighten up the cold winter night, the smile from the girl he would gladly die for.

"Oh… So there is an 'us' now?"

"Umm… well… I hope so"

Kasumi smiled again and nodded, the grin threatening to break free from her face and take on it's own life it was so large now. And just like that night in Gregminster, just like the night in Tinto, hell just like every time they were together Hazel felt like everything was going to work out all right. Highland, L'Renioulle, Jowy they could all wait until tomorrow, tonight was about the two of them now. Even Soul Eater could be forgotten for a little while, because he was with her, maybe it was just for tonight, maybe he would die tomorrow, but right now that didn't matter to either of them. All that seemed to matter was this moment, they were together and everything seemed right.