Author's Notes: God, what was the cheesy chapter seven about anyway?? =P And naming the mystery guy "Auxifer". I was sleepy then!!! XP What was I thinking??! Now you'll see what. [But really, the name!! @____@ There is no justification for it!!]

Disclaimer: Suikoden is not mine.

The Great Easter Egg Hunt

Chapter 9: Standing Outside Heaven's Door

            "I want to see all of it!!!" Auxifer declared. He turned to Nanami who was huffing. "Are you tired already?"

            Nanami's cheeks turned red with indignation and frowned. "Of course not!!!" She denied. "Come, let's go to the upper floors, I'll introduce you to everyone else."

            "That can wait," Auxifer said. "I should buy you a drink now."

            "Yeah," Nanami nodded agreeably. "I'll show you the tavern. I'll introduce you to Leona. Oh wait, she's not there, because of…" Nanami bit her lip. The Easter Egg Hunt… I hope they're not too mad at me, boycotting it and all that…

            "Something the matter?" Auxifer asked.

            "Oh no, nothing!!!" Nanami laughed, waving her hands. "Let's go to the tavern."

            "Lead the way," Auxifer gave her a smile, it's radiance melting the frostiness in his ice blue eyes and turning it warm… like the color of the ocean. He took her hand in his.

            "Eh… okay then…" Nanami looked away, feeling her cheeks turn red again, with a completely different emotion this time though. She led him through the halls finally coming down through the main hallway.

            "Nanami-chan!!" Oulan called.

            "Hello Oulan-san!!" Nanami waved, pulling Auxifer with her towards Oulan. "This is my friend, Auxifer-san!!"

            "Good day." Auxifer bowed.

            "Hello. You are new around here, aren't you?" Oulan smiled at him. "Because I would know each and every single person around here. Even under that cloak." She flicked lightly at it. Auxifer yelped and flattened the hood against his head.

            "Yes ma'am, I'm new here." Auxifer replied nervously.

            "You should remove your cloak, Auxifer, we're not in the sun anymore." Nanami said.

            "Ah, is that so…" Auxifer stammered.

            "Hmm, it's okay, not even that hood can hide such brilliant blues." Oulan appraised him, drilling into his eyes. "Not bad… Now I can see why Nanami skipped out on Riou-chama, Templton and Tomo."

            "EEH??!" Nanami's eyes popped and she felt a bead of sweat slide down her forehead.

            "What was that?" Auxifer asked.

            "Nothing!!!" Nanami cried. "We're off to the tavern now, Oulan-san, see you!!!" Nanami grasped Auxifer's hand tighter and dragged him to the tavern.

            I guess everyone's outside, at the egg hunt. Nanami glanced around the empty tavern.

            "Welcome!!" Meilin, the waitress, greeted. "Leona-san is not here right now, but perhaps you would want some orange juice?"

            "Actually, yes, one tall glass of orange juice for me!!" Nanami said. "Oh, oh, what about you, Auxifer?"

            "Just the same thing, Nanami-chan." Auxifer said. "Shall we take a seat?" He took her arm and led her to a tiny table in a corner. He carefully placed the eggs on the table. "What are these for Nanami-chan? You never told me. They look a whole lot like Easter eggs…"

            Nanami bit her lip, looking down at the colorfully painted eggs. That would be a little strange, wouldn't it; ditching the 'perfect team' you were so intent on making to spend time with a 'stranger'… She caught the questioning blue eyes and looked away. A 'beautiful stranger'… How long are we playing this game?..

            "Yeah, Easter eggs… just for fun…" Nanami answered vaguely. "The people here are really into this sort of stuff…"

            "I see…" Auxifer nodded. "They do seem like a really fun batch." He looked around. "You must be very happy, living here…"

            "I am happy…" Nanami mused. "Although of course, nothing can compare to Kyaro…"

            "Of course…" Auxifer murmured.

            "Two glasses of orange juice," Meilin placed a glass each in front of them.

            "Thanks," Nanami said. She waited for the waitress to leave before turning back to Auxifer. "How about you, did you leave your home, not because you wanted to, but because you had to?"

            "………" Auxifer let out a melancholy sigh. "Why do you think I'm here?"

            "I guess we're the same then," Nanami chuckled. "But don't get me wrong… I am happy that I am here in North Window Castle, I am glad to have met the wonderful people around me. And most especially… I have finally accepted the fact that Riou and I are here for a purpose—and I am grateful that we can actually make a change… by working with these people…"

            "I am glad…" Auxifer said. "Glad to see you are doing well…"

            "But what about you?" Nanami asked. "How are you doing… Jowy?"

            "… I guess you know me too well." He whispered.

            " Did you really think that covering yourself with that ridiculous cloak would do it?" Nanami snapped. "And your hair…"

            Jowy tucked the dyed ponytail under his hood. "It was the best I could do."

            "You can take off your cloak for a while." Nanami told him. "It's too warm. Nobody will see you anyway."

            Jowy heeded her advice and threw the cloak over his chair.

            He's wearing his normal clothes… Nanami allowed herself a little smile. I'm glad he's not wearing the pompous Highland noble clothing…

            "You're spying on us, aren't you?" Nanami remarked. "That's really brave of you, but don't you think you're taking too big a risk? A leader shouldn't put himself in such a dangerous position."

            "A leader wouldn't," Jowy said. "But a friend would."

            "………" Nanami swirled at her orange juice, suddenly becoming very interested in it. A friend…

            "I just wanted to see how you were doing—"

            "You saw us at Greenhill didn't you, Riou and I, while you were with that Karayan assassin." Nanami cut in.

            "Yes…" Jowy nodded. "And… I finally understood why it is we are forced to be where we are now… That said, I am glad that you wound up in such a cheerful place, you and Riou, among nice people…"

            "I suppose they are certainly far better compared to the company you keep." Nanami spat.

            "Believe me, Nanami, that is what I once thought of your companions as I compared them with mine." Jowy said. "That is why… that is why I went here…"

            "We don't have a crazy prince around here who treats everyone else like swine and kills without discrimination." Nanami retorted.

            "True." Jowy conceded. "And that is why we disposed of him."

            "DISPOSED OF HIM??!"             Nanami shrieked. "You were his right hand man!!! You lead him into victory many, many times, taking several cities for him, you even married his sister!!!"

            "!!!" Jowy gazed at her sadly. Nanami looked down at her glass, suddenly interested in her orange juice again.

            "The point it, it was MY allies who killed him, my allies—and Riou who finally managed to end his evil!!!" Nanami said.

            "Not without our help." Jowy said.

            "I didn't see this help. I didn't see a single wound on Luca Blight that came from you." Nanami said.

            "I do not like arguing about this, Nanami."

            "What do you want to argue about then?"

            "I don't want to argue at all…" Jowy said. "I just want to see how you are here. To share this life for a little while. I want to take back something of you when I have to go back to Highland again and will myself to fight against you and your allies… for you…"

            "Why did you want to see me?" Nanami demanded, quite outraged, but her heart throbbed more than with the pain she always felt when he was close to her, so close but so far at the same time. It throbbed with longing and hope, hope she had sought for so long to stifle—for she dared not hope and dream about him and him saying what he might just say next. "Why not Riou?? He is your best friend, isn't he?"

            "True." Jowy said. "But you… a friend… and more…"

            For you to say this now!!! "Now you claim to care about me?"

            "I do…" Jowy insisted, looking hurt.

            "Please, for once, just talk straight to me," Nanami requested. "All those past years, you would say things I didn't understand. I don't think you wanted me to understand you anyway. What am I to you?" I just want to hear it from you…

            "You're important to me," Jowy said. "You and Riou, who is like a brother to me. And you Nanami… you are my family… and… Nanami…"

            Just say it…

            "I love you…" Jowy said softly.

            "………"

"And nothing like the way Riou loves you—not a sister…"

            And so he said it. Now what? Nanami looked away. "Jowy… you're married."

            "To the Queen. Because I had to become King." Jowy explained. "That's the only reason—"

            "It doesn't matter," Nanami lied. "You're my friend. And that's how it will stay. Although… it is more difficult now… that we are caught in different sides in a war… But we will still be friends. And that's it. Anything else beyond that doesn't matter to me."

            "… But it matters to me." Jowy said, his blue eyes growing moist. "If it truly doesn't matter to you now, it is the exact opposite with me. Now, more than ever, it matters."

            Why now, Jowy, why?? We had a decade and more to ourselves and you tell me these things now!! When tomorrow, a day from now—anytime soon, you and Riou could be fighting each other to death. Or we could be… Nanami took a deep breath. "But that can't be. You are tied to someone else now, it would be unfair—"

            "What would be unfair is never to let everyone concerned know how I feel…" Jowy said.

            "How can you be so sure…" Nanami stared at him haughtily. "How can you be so sure that I would be concerned?"

            "………" Jowy stared back at her with earnest blue eyes, wincing in pain. "I'm not. I was just hoping…"

            "You won't give up, won't you?" Nanami smiled, but tears were slipping down her cheeks. "You are always like that. You would insist on what you want, only when you have decided you want it. You never think of how other people would feel about it."

            "I'm sorry Nanami…" Jowy apologized, reaching out to touch her arm but she pushed his arm away.

            "Just because… just because you have always known me… you have always seen me as the tough whiny little tomboy… you think you're not hurting me??! That I'm far too callous for that??! A girl doesn't have to be a Highland Princess to be hurt you know!!!" Nanami put her hands on her face and sobbed. "You think you can just think about me last always… always like that?"

            "Is that how you were really feeling, Nanami, all this time??!" Jowy uttered. "I wish I knew… I wish you told me…"

            "And what?? Risk looking like a fool??! Nanami, that fireplug, getting all sensitive because of her little brother's best friend??!" At this point, her voice rose several octaves, and she was wailing outright. Nanami glared at him through her tears. "I wish YOU told me, all these things you're saying now!!!" She stood up and the sudden movement jerked the table and caused her orange juice to spill.

            And then there was silence. All that could be heard was the plip-plip of the orange juice dripping off the table and unto the floor. Nanami was crying, her hands muffling the sobbing sounds and Jowy was looking at her, his childhood friend, his love, the most important person to him…

            "We're a pair of fools, aren't we?"  In one fluid movement; Jowy stood up, pulled her towards him in an embrace.

            "!!!" Nanami kicked him in the shin to release her, but he didn't let go.

            "All this time… here I was thinking you can read what was behind each and every single smile, petty quarrel, my teasing remarks… thinking that you can see through me whenever I worried about you, or went near you…" Jowy hugged her tightly. "I forget, you are too pure and innocent…" He stroked her cheek and smiled.

            "You mean stupid and dense, don't you?" Nanami grumbled struggling to get away from him.

            "You just cut me down again. Can you see now why it's so difficult to say what I really feel to you?"

            "… I guess it is." Nanami sniffed. She buried her face in his chest. "I'm so stupid…"

            "You're a stupid, whiny little tomboy," Jowy whispered. "You're also the kindest, sweetest girl with the craziest and most creative ideas I know, a beautiful young woman and an incorruptible angel."

            "I can't believe you're actually telling me this, that I'm hearing you say it…" Nanami hiccupped. "You… with that cloak and that ridiculous hair dye… coming to enemy camp just to see me…"

            "Shh…" Jowy said in a scolding tone, wagging one finger at her face. "Believe what you see. Isn't that what you used to tell me?"

            "You're right." Nanami smiled brightly, her brown eyes shining, the contrast it made with the tearstains down her face painted an oddly beautiful picture to the man holding her. "I can see Jowy is with me. That's what matters."

            They maintained their positions, the girl wrapped in the boy's arms, resting her head against his chest contentedly. Jowy ran his hands through her silky hair, enjoying the sensation. He then gently wiped the tears off her face. At last, he could touch her… and show his affection. Even for a fleeting moment.

            "Jowy is with me." Nanami giggled. "Jowy… with such an odd color to his hair…" She touches the long ponytail, her slender fingers twining themselves into the strands, playing with them. "All to see me…" The tips of Nanami's fingers moved lightly up the ponytail, to his scalp. Jowy closed his eyes, to better feel her touch upon him.

            "I have no regrets now," Jowy declared. "I have done what I longed to do the most. I am ready for anything."

            "… I'm scared." Nanami admitted softly. And I don't want to let Jowy go.

            "So am I…" Jowy said. "But we can't stop now. We've gotten so far. We can actually… lead this war to a definite end."

            Nanami sighed, and then nodded her agreement. "You're right. I'm being selfish again…"

            "No… you're just being human." Jowy kissed her lightly.

            "The egg hunt will be ending soon…" Nanami whispered. "A-and… you had better leave, before it's over and the others see you…"

            "Yes…" Jowy picked up his hooded cloak. Nanami placed it on him and secured the clasp around the neck. Hand-in-hand, they walked out the pub into the bright sunshine.

            "You take care of yourself." Nanami said. "Or you'll give me grief."

            "I will take care of myself." Jowy promised. "You do that too. And tell Riou I said hi—oh no, actually, don't tell him—"

            "It would be suspicious." Nanami finished for him.

            They embraced one last time. And then Jowy was walking away, his ponytail flapping in the wind, his cloak billowing like a mast. And he sailed across the plains of South Window. Nanami watched him until eventually; he became an indistinguishable speck on the horizon.

Author's Notes again: Aww… ;_; Yes, it certainly veered away from the egg hunt, ne? Although of course, if you hadn't noticed by now, the egg hunt is just an excuse to make a story and get everyone together. Eheheheh!! Anyway, the last leg of the race for the golden egg is coming up!!