Judgement by Luke's Dragon

A/n

I know this fic is technically a Mcdohl/Kasumi fic but if you've been reading all of it rather than just dropping in on the end you'll understand why this chapter isn't really about them. It's mainly Reo finishing everything up and a little bit of Viktor & Flik.

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Chapter 10 Final Judgement

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'No three words have greater power than 'I love you'

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It had been less than a day since the fall of L'Renioulle had signaled the end of the war, the Dragon army had celebrated long into the night, and even now there was still the sounds of 'singing' coming from the bar at Phoenix Castle. Still those there were the very hardcore, the one's who had nothing left to do but drink and try to forget. Reo had almost wanted to join them in a way but hadn't been allowed anything to drink. This didn't seem too fair, he had led the Dragon Army and risked his life alongside everyone else and still wasn't allowed anything alcoholic. But anyway Viktor said he wasn't missing anything apart from the headaches, Viktor had said that all the meetings tomorrow would be hell with his hangover. Reo's suggestion that maybe he should just stop drinking were treated with a dismissive roar of laughter.

So he had left the tavern and sat alone in his room, waiting for the knock on his door that would summon him to the great hall where he would be made leader of the newly formed nation. It should be a wonderful honor, but to Reo it felt like waiting for his execution.

That day he had met Hazel and they had gone to Gregminster he had wondered why Hazel had been so afraid of taking on the Presidency of Toran, now he thought he understood. Despite the fact that both Luc and Hazel agreed that the Bright Shield Rune wouldn't give the eternal life of Soul Eater it was still a terrifying proposition. Maybe he wouldn't have an eternity of leadership but it would still be a life sentence, he had so much left that he wanted to do. None of it involved sitting in an office and being called president for the rest of his days. All of it however involved Jowy, Nanami or Hazel, he had desperately wanted to save Jowy and go on an adventure with him and Nanami. And even when that looked impossible he had met Hazel, someone he would have been happy to call a friend, but now he was gone too. It just wasn't fair. Still in a way he was glad Hazel wasn't here, he had always hated long meetings, little consolation but he had to try and look on the bright side… Bright side? Huh that was a joke.

Burying his head in his pillow he thought back to the conversation he had with Cleo in Gregminster. She had asked him what he thought Hazel had gain personally from the war. He had been unable to give her an answer then and even now he couldn't think of one, for Hazel or for himself either. True there was a new hope for the land and maybe there would be peace now, but that didn't really matter to him. Everyone he cared about was gone, most of the Dragon Army would go their separate ways, and he would be left alone to do what? Be some figurehead of state and just do as he was told… No it couldn't end like this. That day when he had the choice to run far away from all this, he had chosen to stay and fight. He had stayed to fight for Jowy, which had been the main reason he had wanted to stay on, so he could have that chance to save Jowy. Then quite out of the blue a flash of memory hit him, fear building in his stomach as they were pursued, and the wind blowing across his face and looking down into a raging river. Then this mark is our promise… We'll make it together.

When the guardsman came to knock on his door, Reo was long gone.

***

"So what now for us Viktor?"

"Guess we could stay here, land nice easy jobs"

"…Really?"

"Nah"

"For a moment I thought you were going to settle down"

"Come on Flik, you know me better than that"

"Yes…"

"Hey! What's that supposed to mean?"

Luckily for him Flik never had to think up a reason, a guard ran straight into them in some panic, it appeared that Reo had vanished and couldn't be found anywhere. After the man had left to continue his search Viktor smiled.

"Well, I guess we should be going too"


"Hold on, what about Reo?"

"I'm not going to stop him"

"But…"

"C'mon Flik, if it was you, you'd do the same"

"I guess so"

"Besides, Viki will have already forgotten where she sent him"

***

By the time Viktor and Flik had discovered he was missing Reo was already half way up the mountain. Besides it would have been futile to have chased after him, he had given Viki a bottle of what he had said was grape juice as a thank-you gift. By the time she had drunk the potent substance she wouldn't remember her own name let alone where he had gone. Maybe it was a little cruel but it was his only option. He had to do this without the interference of his 'friends'

The trip was harder than he would have thought possible, monsters seemed to have made it their task to stop him and the path was tough at the best of time. Half-exhausted he walked up to the top of the peak, and there, just like he had promised was Jowy. But then Jowy always kept his promises.

"Reo… You came"

"Of course"

"Good, I wanted to see you, one last time"

"Jowy… Lets go, somewhere far from here"

"No"

"…No?"

"No. we have to fight"

And then Jowy attacked with fury but, Reo noticed with some degree of difficulty as though he was in pain. It would have been the easiest thing in the world for Reo to have countered, knocked Jowy's staff out of his hands and finished the fight once and for all. But he could not bring himself to attack Jowy, instead he took up a defensive stance just like Genkaku had taught him. 'The Sentinel' an unbreakable defense but useless for attack. Just what he needed now. There wasn't anything he could do apart from block Jowy's attacks and hope he wore himself out.

"Reo! Why won't you fight me?"

"…No"

"Damn it! Come on! Fight me!"

"No"

They were both crying now, Jowy more so but Reo too. It didn't seem fair, after everything he had gone through he couldn't do anything to help Jowy. And then it happened, Jowy fell to his knees, totally exhausted, no strength left. In his eyes Reo saw the same tiredness he had felt in Tinto and the same tiredness Hazel showed whenever he had used Soul Eater.

"Jowy!"

"It's… Its too late…Reo"

"No… Please not you as well"

"I've… I've used too much power trying to stop the beast rune… I'm dying Reo"

And that seemed to be it. Everything he had ever dreamt of shattered just like that. Jowy fell forwards but Reo managed to catch him, holding him in his arms. He noticed just how old Jowy looked and how young at the same time. Reo could feel Jowy's breathing, labored and panicked as his life was slipping away even as Reo held him. There were tears flowing from his eyes now and there was nothing he could do. And then he heard Hazel's voice in his mind and he knew exactly what he could do. you might be able to save him, bearer of the bright shield rune. Back at Toto he hadn't wanted 'power' he had just gone along with it for Jowy, now he wouldn't give it up for anything in the world.

Raising his right hand above both of them he took a deep breath and called on the full power of his rune. Basked in a warm light the power of the Bright Shield and the Forgiver Sign he saw Jowy heal before his eyes. Not just the physical wounds but the ones inside too, his eyes took on the bright shine he always remembered from his childhood. How long ago that seemed now, childhood memories and growing up seemed a world away. But it was going to be alright, because he had Jowy.

"Reo… Why?"

"Because you'll always be my friend"

"Thank you"

"It's alright. Let's go home"

"Home?"

"Kyaro, I want to see it once more, then we'll travel the world"

It had always been Reo's dream to see the world with Jowy, but right now he would have settled for just staying where he was, because he was with Jowy again and for a little while all the pain of the past few months was forgotten. Maybe moving on was going to be tough, but as long as they were together Reo knew he would be alright somehow,

Taking a deep breath Reo walked through the gate of Kyaro town, through the empty streets to the Dojo where he had grown up. Without saying a word he went round the back of the building to the large tree. Nodding to Jowy the two of them started digging until they found a small box. Inside, carefully wrapped up was a painting of three figures stood under a tree. Reo looked up and smiled at Jowy who smiled back with only the slightest hint of sadness in his eyes. Then he gasped and looked truly afraid. Fearing it was someone sent by Shu to bring him back he leapt up and spun around. And looked right into the eyes of his big sister.

***

A short walk away at the burnt out shell of the mercenary fortress Flik and Viktor were considering their options. Since they had already decided that staying wasn't a choice they were considering the merits of just wandering off on some grand adventure. There just didn't seem to be anything else to do.

"But Viktor we can't just go without a plan"

"A plan? Flik just take it easy"

"But where will we go?"

"Doesn't matter, we can always find adventure"

"Yes, whose fault is that?"

"Umm… Lady luck?"

"Who found Reo and Hazel?"

"…"

"Sorry I didn't hear you"

"…Me"

"Right and if we had a good plan then…"

"Plans are boring"

"Viktor we need…. Ah… Okay lets go"

"Huh are you alright?"

"Yes lets hurry"

"Great! Lets go"

Totally baffled by his friends' quick change of heart Viktor didn't even notice the reason Flik had made such a hasty getaway. The reason of course was a fifteen-year old school girl who only stayed behind because she sprained her ankle trying to catch up with them.

~~~

Somewhere else a long way from Phoenix castle two figures moved along a road. Road may have been a little too kind a description, the driving rain had turned it into little more than a swamp. Fallen leaves made up more of the pathway than actual pathway and it was taking them some amount of effort to move through the mire. Of course saying the two figures were moving was a little inaccurate as well. One of them, a young woman of about nineteen was doing most of the walking, supporting a young man on her shoulders. The girl was dressed in fairly outlandish clothes, the sort that were usually associated with Ninjas from foreign lands., the nearest place would have been Toran's Rokaku but that was itself three days away at least. She was hobbling slightly, although whether from a wound across her leg or the weight of her travelling companion it was hard to tell. The boy was probably about sixteen and dressed in what could once have been bright colors. Now like him the colors were a little faded and stained, He had far more wounds than the girl did, and his right arm seemed to hang uselessly at his side as though it was broken.

Deciding to take a break from the trek to wherever they were going the two took shelter under a large tree. Looking closer at the boy, especially his eyes he looked a lot older, as if he had been through far more than anyone deserved in a lifetime let alone his relatively tender years had. Wordlessly the young woman started to try and clean up some of the boy's wounds, sword blows across his chest, bruises and breaks as if a building had fallen on him. There was also a strange wound on his right hand. Set in his palm was a rune, of what could have been a figure carrying a scythe. The rest of his hand though was covered in blood as if the rune its self had been bleeding, almost as if it, like its bearer had used all the strength it had. Like the bearer though it looked like it was recovering slowly.

Finishing her impromptu medical check the girl turned and whispered something to the boy, whatever she said was lost on the wind but he either read her lips or, more likely knew what she had said. He smiled, something that he hadn't done for a while, and it was a smile which seemed to light up the stormy night, one that looked a little bit like lightning in the summer. The girl responded with the same smile, as if one of them had taught the other how to do it. She kissed him on the cheek and then helped him to his feet.

They started walking again, not the walk of someone who was going anywhere in particular, more the walk of someone who didn't care about the destination. What was important here was the journey, the discovery and the adventure, and perhaps more importantly the company. Or maybe a mixture of both, maybe it was something about learning about the person you were with and not having anymore adventures. As they walked the boy tried to hide a slight wince of pain from his friend, pain that came from the wound on his right hand. But like most pain and scars, after a while it stopped hurting so much, and all he could feel on his hand was the warmth of someone else holding it.