Okay, hello. My other fanfiction, Moonlight Magic, is stuck fast, and I've run out of Ideas for it, but I don't think I'll delete it quite yet. As for this one, It's also a multiple chap fic, but because I'm not attempting any strange adventure in it, I think it'll be okay. Please read it and review, i really need to know what you think about this one.

SUMMARY: Gunter's life. Before his family's death, during it, and after it.

Standard Disclaimers do apply.

"Brother Gerald! Can I come and watch today too? Please?" The little boy with violet eyes asked his brother.

His brother smiled at him. "Alright. And if you want, we can spar a little afterwards, okay Lilac?"

"Okay!" Gunter's childish eyes glowed with pleasure. He took his older brother's hand in his and pulled him outside to where his father was waiting to give his brother his fencing lesson.

o0o0o0o0o

Lord von Kleist was one of the, if not the best swordsman of the time. Gunter longed to learn from him, but everyone said he had to wait until 'he was old enough' and that he was 'Much too young to learn'. However, Lord von Kleist had promised his younger son that they could start a month before he was forty years old (that would be eight wouldn't it?), so Gunter was waiting for that day impatiently.

"Just sit over there Gunter." his father said dismissively when they got there. He turned to his elder son. "So, Gerard. I'm going to teach you another disarming trick today. Watch carefully, it's a little difficult." He demonstrated the move slowly. "Watch my arm, that's where the trick lies. You move in, like a normal thrust, then twist your wrist -like this- and move your sword right there...that's it." True enough, when he showed it to him in real-time Gerard's sword clattered to the ground. "Your turn."

Gerard started sparring with his father again. Gunter was watching his every move carefully. "Now." His father commanded. Gerard moved in, feinting a thrust, then against the hilt. His own sword clattered out of his hand. His father smiled. "Told you it was difficult. Try again." And so, Gerald tried. Half an hour later, panting and tired, he still hadn't managed to do it right: He had managed to disarm his father, but kept dropping his sword at the same time.

"I give up. I can't get it." He said, thoroughly exhausted by his attempts to disarm his father.

"You still don't see your mistake?" Lord von Kleist asked, his lavender eyes looking disappointed and amused. His son shook his head. "Then we'll try again tomorrow. You can go now."

"No, I promised Lilac I'd spar with him a bit."

"Alright then." He walked up to his castle.

"Gerard, now can we fence?" Gunter asked, his eyes sparkling.

"Sure. Go ahead Lilac."

Gunter unsheathed his light-weight sword, a present from their father. Of course, he didn't look like much. 'An adorable little child who wants to play make-believe.' That's what his mother's friends all said about him, and with his perfect Lilac eyes and hair, Gunter certainly fit the 'Adorable' part of the description. However, Gerald knew that his brother didn't want to pretend to fence, he wanted to really do it. And he was quite capable of it too.

Gerard pulled out his sword, and began to spar with his brother. There was no doubt about it, his brother was good. He managed to block him effectively, and soon enough, he stopped going easy on him. After a few minutes, he managed to disarm him.

"That's not the one you learned today." Gunter pointed out, pouting because he'd lost.

"Yeah, I know. I still didn't get that one, remember?" They started sparring again. Sudenly, Gerard felt his sword drop out of his hand. He stared in astonishment at Gunter.

"That's the move he taught me today..." He said weakly. Gunter grinned.

"I know what mistake you made. He took his brother's hand in his. You're twisting your wrist too far, so you lose your grip. Turn your arm a little bit at the elbow so you don't have to turn your wrist so much."

"Gunter?" Gerard still couldn't believe it. His baby brother, nearlytwenty years younger than him had... "Maybe you should start your lessons from father now."

Gunter looked down at his feet, his sword hanging limply at his side. "Mother won't let me will she?"

"Gunter!" The brothers looked up, to see their father standing on the balcony. He'd been watching them. "Come up here."

o0o0o0o0o

Gunter was very very very happy. His father had promised to give him swordfighting lessons. Of course, his mother had not been very pleased. "Why does he have to start so soon? You only started with Gerard when he was sixty (twelve?)..."

But in the end, Lord von Kleist managed to talk his wife into it, after promising her various things, including some unrelated things that included buying a new crystal chandelier... As for Gunter, she tried to make him promise to grow his hair out. It was the thing they most often argued about, with her going on about 'how adorable it would look' and Gunter yelling about how 'long hair was for Girls' and so on.

It took three days for them to finish. When it finally ended, Lady von Kleist had her new crystal chandelier, a diamond necklace and two new maids, but hadn't managed to convince her son to grow his hair out.

The Fencing lessons were much more enjoyable for Gunter, and for Lord von Kleist, because Gunter was a fast learner. He was soon better than Gerard, and seemed to have a natural talent for it.

"Okay, that's it." Lord von Kleist told his panting younger son one day after their lesson. "But I have a question for you Gunter."

"What is it?" Gunter looked up, eyes full of curiosity.

"Why are you going to wield your sword?"

"I...what?" Gunter asked confused.

"The sword is a remarkable tool, not a toy. Aren't you going to fight for something? You can fight for what you love, what you want, to protect...destroy... for revenge. Sometimes, it can give you everything you want...and at other times, it will feel useless, because it can't give you what you want."

Gunter was fingering the hilt of his sword, and he answered rather hesitantly, "I...don't know..." Everything now seemed to be bigger...with so many possibilities.

"Think about it." Lord von Kleist said, although he knew his son was already thinking about it. He walked away. When he turned back, he saw Gunter holding his sword in both hands, staring at the shiny blade curiously, with a little confusion, and maybe a drop of fear.

You fight for something....everything you want...useless...His fathers words were echoing in his head. He ran his finger lightly over the edge of the blade, and for the first time, he saw what would happen. He saw the shining metal turned dull red, stained with blood, saw himself, driving it through another man. He saw the pain in that man's eyes, and in them, he saw the memory of a warm fire, a cosy hearth. Smiling children and a woman...he saw them crying...crying for this man, the one before him...the one he had driven his sword through. He saw how that man had not wanted war. How he had only wanted his country to stay free, not under a superior rule, and if his king said the only way for that to happen was to eradicate the demons, he had followed. It wasn't his decision. He saw the light, the life, go out of the man's eyes, and he realised what his father had meant. The sword in his hands, which had seemed only so perfect, was now...useless. Because no matter how hard you tried, you couldn't bring about peace with a sword. Which really meant, that war could not bring peace, so everything that had happened since after Shinou's time was...completely wrong. It was one of the messages his father had meant to give him. The other message, took a long time for him to understand.

o0o0o0o0o

That night after dinner, they were all sitting together in the drawing room. It was warm and cosy, Gunter was curled up in a large armchair, with a book, Ancient Shin Makoku Legends and Myths. The book was a gift from his uncle. Gerard and Lord von Kleist were playing Chess, and Lady von Kleist was lost in thought, gazing into the fire. The room was silent, except for the sound of chess pieces, and the occasional rustle of Gunter turning his page.

"Checkmate." Gerard said suddenly, breaking the silence.

Lord von Kleist laughed lightly, "I fell for it again, didn't I?"

"Fell for what?" Gunter asked curiously.

"The Queen Sacrifice. Or, as it's more commonly known, the von Wincott Sacrifice."

"The what?"

"The von Wincott Sacrifice." Lady von Kleist said, almost dreamily.

"Why?" he asked.

"Yeah." Gerard added, "Did Lord Wincott discover the move or something?"

"No. It's an old story."

"Many years ago, during the 200-year war," she began, and as always, her voice was clear, and ethereal, inviting you to listen closer.

"there was a brave and noble commander, the most powerful of his time. He was smart, and he led his soldiers to victory after victory. It was Lord von Wincott. The opposing human kingdoms were wary of him, and somehow, one of their spies managed to gain his trust. This spy, gave away Lord von Wincott's plans, compromising the safety of all of Shin Makoku. Lord Wincott realised this much too late, but to save the Kingdom, he fed a false plans to the spy, explaining that he and a group of trusted men would be attacking the opposing millitary camp without warning, to hopefully kill or capture at least a few very important officers. The spy dutifully carried accross these plans, not knowing that while Lor Wincotts men attempted to break in, the rest of the Shin Makoku army would attack, because the human army, delighted in it's chance to defeat its most powerful enemy, and believing that it would soon win the war, would be lulled into a false sense of security. The one thing soldiers must never feel is secure, because with it comes slackening of defences, and lack of concentration. Everything went according to plan. Lord von Wincott, and his men (who volunteered for the job, died, and Shin Makoku won the war." she finished. There was a light in her eyes, like there always was when she was telling a story.

Gunter and Gerard both looked horrified.

"That's...terrible." Gerard finally managed. Lord von Kleist smiled.

"There are many more terrible things in life, Gerard. You enjoy playing chess. You understand that coins must be sacrificed to win the game don't you? Can you win without losing a single coin if your opponent is strong?" Gerard shook his head. "War, is the same. Lives will be sacrificed, and wether you win or lose..." he trailed off.

"Do all the simple every-day things have a story like that behind them?" Gunter asked.

"Almost all of them." Lady von Kleist answered. "But not all of them are sad." She, like her brother, enjoyed myths, legends, and stories, and she believed it had passed down to her younger son as well.

"Would you like to play Lilac?" Gerard asked his brother, motioning towards the chess board. Gunter shook his head no, and continued reading his book. Shrugging, Gerard set the pieces on the board again, to play with his father.

Lady von Kleist watched both of her sons, they were both totally engrossed in their tasks. It was hard to believe the two were relaxing before bedtime. "Why won't you grow your hair out longer Gunter?" She asked, as her gaze fell on her son's hair.

o0o0o0o0o

Thankyou for reading! Please, Please, Please Review! I really need to know. And, if possible, could you please answer two questions?

1. What are flames?

2. What is angst.?

Thankyou So Much! I will try my best to update as soon as possible.