tampered | Log; Complete [Duel of Fates]

Current Mood: indescribable
Current Location: Tenzan Pass
Current Music: Suikoden - War

Log; Complete [Duel of Fates]

When; May 30th, Sunset
Rating; PG, Some Violence?
Characters; Jowy

bright_shield
Summary;
One year of war
Two worlds
Three fates
Nine weeks of running at an end
A promise put on hold
The final battle
This is how it really ended
Log;

The setting sun gilded the branches of the trees that Riou pushed through, his right hand burning quietly, leading him further onward, upward, away from the ever-waiting city.

The northern forest. Again. Like that night the ghosts whispered to him and he found and helped Jowy. Like that day the curse possessed him and he hunted and nearly killed Jowy. No-- he wouldn't think of that. It wasn't going to be that way, no matter how strangely the other boy may have been acting since his return.

Even if it was Jowy who was cursed this time, even if Jowy had truly forgotten everything that had been so painfully learned in this city, it would be all right. Bright Shield was the defender and Riou had been long prepared-- it would be far less shocking than having the shield go against its own nature and attack.

And for perhaps the first time since their arrival in this strange place, the will of Riou and that of his rune were once again one and the same. It had certainly taken long enough.

Black Sword. Riou's rune guided him with unerring accuracy towards their counterpart. Surely, Jowy could sense him coming as well. But what was his childhood friend doing here, of all places? The forest ringed the nameless city entirely, but once, twice, thrice, he and Jowy had been drawn back to this same patch of trees and land.

Is there something here we're supposed to find?

Although Riou didn't remember climbing quite so high the times before. He pushed onward. And as he came to a break within the trees, Bright Shield throbbed upon his hand in warning. Fate. For a moment Riou raised his gloved hand to his eyes as he was blinded by the light of the dying sun, streaming out behind the mountain cliff before him.

He froze.

Not a clearing. Not the one where he'd found Jowy's unconscious body nor the one where they had fought. But a path. To a mountain pass. A waterfall rumbled nearby-- how could he not have heard it before? A river threading through the land far below.

And the familiar figure of Jowy waiting next to an 'X' etched deeply within the towering stone.

Tenzan Pass.

It couldn't be. A memory from a year ago. A lifetime ago.

"If we make it but somehow get separated... Let's return to this spot. That way we'll be reunited. Promise me, Riou..." Sparks flew from Jowy's knife as he slashed it across the face of the stone.

"Forget it... we'll make it together!" Riou reassured his best friend and tried not to think of the deep currents of the river below that had killed older men than they.

"Fine... Then this mark is my prayer that we make it together." Jowy smiled as he completed the X. On the brink of the edge they looked at each other, held hands, and jumped into the abyss. And were driven apart.

He had forgotten.

But he hadn't... he hadn't promised. They were supposed... supposed to have made it through together! He hadn't-- was he supposed to have come back? Here? No, it was all still a trick of the city, he was sure. Something else to play with their heads. They weren't really back... But even still Jowy was here and--

And then more memories flickered through his mind. Of when he had first arrived, confused and lost, and stared deep into the depths of a sparkling fountain and had found... death, death and blood and failure, over and over again, within a familiar mountain pass, beneath a mark in stone that was and was not a promise.

Had he forgotten that as well? No, he had pushed it from his mind. Sometimes the fountain lied and-- here it was. Bright Shield waited. That, at least, was indeed a pledge. To be reunited-- to be one. But it didn't have to end in destruction. He took a deep breath, walked out of the shadowed forest and into a memory he had long given up for lost.

"I'm sorry," Riou called out to the other, his voice breaking the quiet anticipation that hovered about the mountain pass. "It seems I'm a bit late."

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There was something terribly amiss. The words Jowy had thought of saying, his final words as he thought of them, were now all but gone. All that he could find in himself to say was a weak acknowledgment of Riou's presence. "Riou." Quiet but firm. Before this, he had thought about trying to win, maybe, Riou's forgiveness and understanding with words. It was silly and pathetic to do so but in his dying moments - and he knew he was dying - this was all he could think of doing. He didn't want to die knowing Riou's hatred was on him.

Maybe, though, this was for the better.

"This is the final battle..." he declared.

Riou blinked at the sudden statement. Oh yes, the other boy was acting decidedly odd. It seemed to be another duel to the death then-- why the hell did the curses keep doing that? And yet somehow he'd been expecting something else, something more...?

"......right. Exactly why are we doing this again?" he asked Jowy as he casually adjusted his tonfa.

Runes and weapons, Riou had rather hoped that neither would be necessary this day, but there most assurely was a curse upon the city, and so it was that Black Sword and Bright Shield seemed destined to make a beeline for each other once again.

"Why else? This is a battle between the King of Highland and the leader of the Dunan Army--" Jowy had a grave look on his face. "We... need to end it here and now."

"...I see." For once Riou struggled with further words. He had spent the day chasing after people who he knew, who no longer knew him, trying to get them back into their homes, which they had forgotten and then-- Riou sighed. "I know this looks like Tenzan Pass to you, Jowy, but it's not. There's no Highland or Dunan here and no reason for this. And-- and you're going to be feeling really stupid about this tomorrow."

He hoped. Sometimes people lost their memories of the city for good... And Jowy, he had managed to find a way home for a little while. What if Jowy had really returned to this, to what he had once been before? Were these words he spoke now truly so different from the first time they had met face-to-face within the city?

It didn't matter. Riou's resolve --as well as Bright Shield's-- was crystallized. He would not let this end badly. For both his and Jowy's sake.

Riou's words struck Jowy as terribly far from amusing. "Does it matter if this is Highland or Dunan anymore? What matters is that you are the leader of the Dunan Army and I am the last of the Blight line-- We need to fight... Don't you want to end this...?!"

"This... this isn't even our world anymore, Jowy." Riou tried to explain. "We're somewhere else entirely and-- gods, I sound insane even to myself. Look, why don't we both just go down this path and I'll point the City out to you? I assure you, it doesn't look like anything we have back home."

Dammit, why hadn't he stopped by the rune shop earlier and picked up a few Wind of Sleep scrolls? Knocking Jowy out with one right now seemed far more practical than trying to convince the other to give up on their fated duel to the death because of a mass abduction to another world.

"You know, if you had returned a little earlier, we could have had a singing duel? Or dancing... but actually, you probably would have beaten me handily at either, so maybe that's just as well."

"We do need to fight." After that, Jowy just launched himself at Riou in an attack to provoke the brunet.

Riou's tonfa spun as he moved to block Jowy's staff. He had been expecting the attack all along, but even still he had to try-- to try and talk the other out of it. He knew he was far from eloquent... he had many words, but usually they were all the wrong ones, but even still...

At least Jowy was not yet attacking with the Black Sword. Bright Shield gave a slight pulse beneath it's glove covering. It would not come to that. It wouldn't.

"Jowy, I realize that you probably do owe me an ass kicking after what I did last month-- although you probably don't remember that right now either. But I can't let you do something that you'll regret. Please, stop this! Just for today!"

"Why won't you fight, Riou?" Another blow and then the Highland King stepped away. Riou's words made little sense and Jowy forgave him for that, there were more pressing matters at hand. "Think about... all the people who have died during this war, your friends... Lady Anabelle. This needs to end now--" Before finishing, he attacked again.

"I won't fight..." Riou gritted out as he took the blow. "...because there is no reason to fight you!"

He took a deep breath and watched warily as Jowy withdrew slightly. Only attacking with their normal weapons but then... hadn't cursed Riou done the same? At the beginning anyway. But he wouldn't let this duel end the same way as the others... as the ones within the fountains waters had prophesized.

A whisper of heat from Bright Shield.

"And we've had this conversation before! This... this won't bring any of them back! And-- you really don't realize you're in the city, do you? You think that one of us will really die here today but-- we've both got people we have to live for, who are depending on us to be there for them!"

But it seemed his words feel on deaf ears. Riou's tonfa crossed to catch at the slender staff that came whipping towards him. Only defend, again.

"It won't bring them back but this is justice! Why won't you fight? ... You came... all the way here!" The blows came harder and then lost the force behind them. Jowy paused for breathe, his body no longer (or once again no longer) capable of such exertion. "Riou... Are you going to betray their hopes? Nanami...?"

Defend. And again. "I came..." The force of Jowy's attack pushed the slighter frame of Riou back, further towards the stone outcropping with the 'X' scarred across it. It really did look like that stone... that marking. "...to bring you back!"

Before Fuuma or Luca Blight or even an irate Lyra found his friend wandering around the countryside befuddled and with no proper memory of his enemies.

"I've... done everything I can for the people back home. And I'll return to them as soon as I can to make sure that... everything is fine."

Once he had thought that they still needed him. But this city made him question everything and... Now... now he wasn't quite so sure. But he knew he must find a way to return, to be certain. He wouldn't leave them like that, hanging, in the middle of a mission. He had that much responsibility. But he knew one thing at least...

"But Nanami... this is the last thing Nanami would have ever wanted! You know that!"

Riou frowned as the other boy fell back. He hadn't attacked, lashed out, or struck back at Jowy at all but... there was something wrong with the Black Sword bearer. "...Jowy?"

"Do this for me, please?" He attacked again though the effort seemed lacking. Jowy couldn't help it, not with his body suffering from the distinct effects of over-using the Black Sword. "I can't take this... anymore."

Jowy's last thrust was weak enough to slide off his tonfa and Riou caught at the staff with one hand. "What's wrong? What happened to you back home?"

An exhale of breathe. Jowy let go of his staff and his knees buckled underneath him. "I.... used too much power." He tried to find the words to explain. "Our runes are only half of a True Rune... it takes your life. I used it to... keep the Beast Rune at bay. Riou... for you..." He held out his hand. "Take my rune, Riou."

"Jowy!" Riou cried out as his friend collapsed before him, tossing away tonfa and staff as he rushed forward.

A feeling of deja vu... was that the same that had been happening to himself for these past few weeks?

"The Beast Rune? But that was months ago and you've been fine! Don't tell me it resurfaced again? Dammit--" Riou reached out towards the other boy, but froze at Jowy's last words. "If I take that from you now, like this, it will kill you."

"It's only right... please, Riou--" Grabbing one of Riou's hands, Jowy stared into his friend's eyes. "This is for our dream."

Riou gently, carefully pulled his hand away from Jowy. He dropped to one knee in front of his friend, but he couldn't, wouldn't dare to touch him as he was now.

"That dream is perfectly fine as it is. Everyone will be fine... Dunan will carry on... will be peaceful, even with us here. I know... that they can do it. This doesn't need the Rune of Beginning."

He felt the heat rising once again within his right hand. Bright Shield and Black Sword, so close now, their two bearers fated to fight to the death. But he didn't believe in fate. Not like that. And Jowy was hurt, but the only way he could help was... did he really dare...?

"I killed so many people... I'm... ready to end it here, Riou. I'm dying anyway... feel it. Riou, I'm sorry." Sincere words were so easily uttered when one was on the verge of death. With the end nigh, one has no need to fear of repercussions.

"You're only saying that now because you've forgotten. This is a place of new beginnings, Jowy, and if you're truly sorry you'll continue to live and try to change things for the better and protect the ones you love." Riou pulled off his glove to find his hand already glowing with white fire.

I won't hurt him... I won't let this end in destruction... Bright Shield, you are supposed to be the protector, the healer...

"Forgotten?" Jowy spat. "How can you suggest--" A sigh and he shook his head. "Just take my rune, Riou... I can't hold on much longer."

"I can't do that. Believe me, you have forgotten... and you'll understand this tomorrow," Riou replied quietly as he felt the swell of power surge up his arm and through his entire body.

He would channel it... not Forgiver Sign, not the deadly Shining Light that he had once turned upon Jowy, but the healing spell...

Jowy said nothing. There was nothing Riou could do anymore and he accepted that fact. He deserved it. He couldn't imagine living with the blood of so many on his hands. And as cowardly as it might sound, neither had he any wish to. He bowed his head and stared at the ground.

Battle Oath

But before Riou could call upon his greatest healing spell another surge of power swelled over his body, twisted in upon itself and turned... into something else. Scarlet and gold flickered around him-- the shield. In tandem the black sword pulsed around Jowy. The two sigils flared at each other, expanding ever upward and outward and then with a final flash of white light they disappeared.

And a sign burned across the sky above them. Red, black, silver, and gold... the Rune of Beginning. Riou knelt upon the hard ground and gaped upwards at what should have been impossible. It remained there a heartbeat and another, and then with a gasp-- was it him or Jowy?-- the rune sign burst into streams of colored light that faded before they touched the earth.

Gone again. And Riou was once more aware of Bright Shield pulsing contentedly within his right hand. But that other sign seemed to have become permanently imprinted within his eyes.

The Highland King couldn't believe it, but even if he were so adamant to disbelieve, he felt the effect wrought upon him by the new power. "I--" He looked up to give Riou a confused look. "I'm... healed?" It didn't add up. They were supposed to fight until one faltered and ultimately failed, giving the surviving bearer power over the other rune.

"Heh, it's shame," Riou said as he scrubbed at his eyes and carefully rose to his feet, deftly avoiding the pikachu and moogle who were tapdancing down the path. "That I never upgraded Nanami's armour. That makes the happy ending impossible."

Riou stooped to pick up his tonfa before the smurfs could carry them away.
"Also, I could never beat Shilo at Chinchororin, so technically I only have 107 stars of destiny... so I'm afraid you have to die now~.

Oh yeah, by the way, I'm also going out with Shu. And Eilie. And Viktor(for some reason). And a random Highland soldier!"

The will of the two rune halves was to force their bearers to fight until the death of one, thus reuniting the Rune of Beginning. It was fate. Inevitable. So they said. But in the end it was the not the battle that Bright Shield desired the most, but the reunion. Something only possible if their darker half was forgiven. Bright Shield who always spoke to Riou with his own voice. Too bad it had taken him over seven weeks to figure that out.

"Heh," Riou said as he scrubbed at his eyes and carefully rose to his feet. "It seems there was a different way, after all."

Oh yes, he was going to be very smug about that. Tomorrow. When he was sure that Jowy was really all right. Riou smiled and extended his ungloved hand towards the other boy.

Jowy was hesitant at first to accept Riou's outstretched hand. Deep down, he knew he shouldn't accept being far from worthy of such forgiveness, but it would be an insult not to... try to change. To continue living with the knowledge of what he had done and genuinely try to make a difference. "..." He could say nothing as he finally took his friend's hand in his.

There was a feeling that there should have been something more, but this was enough. For now.

Riou took a step back and helped pull Jowy to his feet. He held on to the other's hand but still watched his friend warily. Perhaps the matter of the duel between the two rune halves had been overcome but still... so very much laid in between them now. And who really knew how Jowy would take these developments tomorrow, if his memory returned fully to him.

Jowy had disappeared back to their own world once already. Riou sought a way back himself. It was very probable that they would never see each other again, back there. Even in this strange place, where nothing could be taken for granted, it was still possible that one of them might die and never come back. This might be all the time that was left for them.

Oh hell, why not...

Riou threw his arms around his friend and pulled him close. "You're an idiot. But so am I. What a pair we make," he murmured past Jowy's shoulder.

He took a moment to absorb it all, to take in the fact that Riou had just hugged him mostly, before returning the hug. Did this mean all was forgiven? Jowy knew even if Riou would forgive him, he needed to remember all that had happened. He was thankful, however, of what had been offered to him now. "Thank you," he said weakly and said nothing for a very long while.

"Well, I have missed you," Riou admitted quietly as he slightly pulled back to turn around.

It was probably best not to return to the hot springs just yet. Everything in the city was currently in a state of chaos with half of its citizens having lost their memories. And there was Lyra's threat about killing Jowy if he returned without Kamui, who had yet to make an appearance.

The sun dyed the pass all around them in shades of red and gold as the dark shadow of the mountain lengthened behind them. Riou stared hard at the X upon the stone and wondered...

"So, you've just arrived, huh? I'm afraid that I am really rather late then," he said, half to himself, as the two friends watched the sun set over lands both familiar and strange.

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Log; Complete [Duel of Fates]

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OOC CRACK! (Yes, I will be deleting it. XD)

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