Disclaimer: This is a work of fan appreciation. The Breath of Fire world and concept belong to Capcom, not me.

A/N: Thanks for the reviews and con. crit.! I've taken suggestions and comments into consideration when writing this; I'm very much an amateur writer, so I'm not sure how well I did. But I do know that having two characters named Ryu works a lot better in concept than in words. I'm trying to think of a decent way to keep them distinguished from each other; I'm referring to the child as "little Ryu" for now. It will get repetitive, but I'm trying to come up with a better solution. Suggestions are appreciated.

Hope you enjoy!

You have failed me, beloved.

“I know, my Lady. I’m working to correct this problem.”

Why shouldn’t I take care of it myself, Aldin?

“Give me one more chance, please. I don’t want Teepo and Mika hurt.”

Oh, stop it. You hate that youth with every fiber of your being. False piety does not impress me.

“…”

One more chance, Aldin. It is imperative that child be brought to me. Fail again, and I will do things my way, whatever sacrifices that means. Understood?

“Yes, my Lady.”

Mika hated bringing his little brothers into that seedy, dingy inn in Wyndia, but he had little choice. Money wasn’t an issue. Mirielle had the first Temple of Ladon they arrived at for supplies give them quite a sum of Zenny as well. However, he needed to keep a low profile. Apparently it was common knowledge that Little Ryu was slow, and it was also common knowledge that a Dark Dragon had kidnapped Prince Aldin’s children by now. A Dark Dragon with two Light Dragon children, one of whom was “stupid”, would immediately get the attention of just about everyone who was aware and cared.

As Mika found an empty table close to the back of the common room and directed his charges to it, a Woren waitress sidled up to him. “What can I get you, handsome?” she asked with a wink.

Mika paid her little heed, quickly discovering that getting Teepo to settle in one seat was going to be a challenge. “House stew, a small plate of meats for the older one and a sliced apple for the little one,” he answered above Teepo’s obnoxiousness.

“Uh-huh. We don’t usually do kid-sized meals, but we don’t usually get kids; I’ll see what I can do. Anything to drink?”

“Later,” Mika muttered. “Hopefully food will occupy him long enough to sit down, Teepo,” he growled. As the waitress giggled and bounded away, Mika glared at Ryu. The child had seated himself without trouble, but he seemed to find his older brother’s antics amusing, and made this fact obvious. It was encouraging Teepo to continue hopping from seat to seat.

Mika’s solution was finally to snatch the child as he pretended to settle into one of the two remaining chairs, hold him as Mika seated himself in that chair, and set the boy on his feet. “There. Now there’s only one chair left. Sit down,” he grated at him.

Teepo flushed, laughed merrily, and crawled into the remaining chair. However, once he caught a glimpse of Mika’s somber expression, he simmered down. That was more than just being annoyed with him. Something was wrong.

In the course of fighting with Teepo to get him to behave, he noticed another traveler, sitting in the most shadowy corner of the inn. The traveler wore a dark hood that, between that and the shadows, obscured his face enough that Mika couldn’t be sure, but it seemed that he was watching them. He said a prayer to Ladon that the man was only disturbed by Teepo’s antics, and wasn’t a bounty hunter who had already recognized him.

Teepo decided to try to lighten the mood by speaking rather loudly to him: “I bet you didn’t realize I was going to take your seat all those times! I had you fooled, Mika, I did! See how much fun you can have if you’d just stop being a sourpus? I-“

“Teepo, hush,” Mika said tensely. A glance at his little brother told him that his demeanor was frightening him; he saw that little Ryu was also regarding him with worry and fear on his little face. “You’re disturbing the other guests,” Mika said quietly, trying to lighten his tone. “When we get to our room to sleep, we’ll play whatever fun game you want, okay?”

“Oooookaaaaaaaay,” Teepo responded, feigning sullenness.

The waitress returned with the food Mika had ordered, and placed each plate in front of them carefully. Mika actually got a good look at her now; he had never really noticed girls before, but this girl was something else. Her blond hair was about shoulder-length, with streaks of reddish-brown running through it. Her eyes were a bright green, reflecting merriment and cheerfulness.

His next observation alarmed him in a way that he’d never been alarmed, and he abruptly tore his mind away from how attractive she was and paid full attention to her question. “Water for me, please,” he answered, trying to ignore how his voice cracked. He cleared his throat, and said, “Fruit juice for the older one, and- Ryu, if I get you some meat, are you going to eat it?”

The little boy looked up from his plate of apples, considered Mika’s question, and firmly shook his head. As Ryu munched happily on a slice of apple, Mika told the waitress, “Milk for him, then.”

“You got it, handsome. Be right back!”

As she swaggered away, tail swishing behind her, Mika focused very intently on the slop that this place was trying to pass off as stew. “Hey Mika!” Teepo exclaimed through a mouth full of meat, “why’s your face all red?”

“Don’t talk with your mouth full,” Mika replied sternly, positive his blush had deepened with his little brother’s observation.

Just as the foul taste of the stew allowed him mastery of his hormones again, that same waitress returned, plunking their drinks down. Teepo immediately snatched his glass of juice up and started gulping it down. “Teepo! That’s rude!” Mika snapped, trying hard to focus on the kids instead of this waitress. He observed then Ryu gently and quietly pushing his milk away from him; “You have to drink that,” Mika told him, running out of sternness. “An apple isn’t enough, Ryu.”

The waitress giggled, and said, “They’re adorable, handsome. Are they yours, or do you just know that kids make it easier to pick up chicks?”

Mika cursed the woman in his mind and tried hard to ignore the fact that she was hitting on him. “They’re not mine,” he muttered in return, “and I thought it was babies that women fell all over.”

The Woren girl flicked her tail again, laughing quietly. “Will you be getting a room tonight, or are you just here to sample the legendary cuisine?”

“Legendarily bad,” Mika retorted, picking his spoon out of the sludge and watching it ooze off the utensil.

“Exactly. So?”

The swordsman sighed heavily. “Yes, we’ll be staying here for the night, but we’re moving on first thing in the morning.”

“I see. Got somewhere important to be, huh?” Before Mika could tell her to mind her own business, she leaned down close to him and said, very softly, “I stay here too, you know. Exchange services for rent. My room’s pretty easy to find. How ‘bout you stop by after you put the little ones to bed, hm?”

Mika looked up sharply, astounded by this woman’s directness. “I don’t think so,” he said firmly. “First of all, Teepo is only-“

His beratement of the Woren was cut short by the door of the inn bursting open. Those patrons closest to the door were startled, many of them screaming; Mika’s stomach twisted painfully as he recognized the regalia of the Draconic military. The captain of troop, about ten men in all, looked around the inn’s common room, his gaze finally settling on Mika and the kids. “Dark Dragon Mika,” the captain said loudly, “You are under arrest in the name of the King of Dragnier for kidnapping.”

“Kidnapping?” The waitress repeated, astounded. Mika rose as she said, mostly to herself, “They don’t seem like they don’t want to be with him.”

“He’s brainwashed them, miss,” the captain said harshly, advancing even as Mika stood, setting himself to grab the kids and run, or fight. He knew he wasn’t getting out of this, but he would die before he allowed Aldin to hurt those two the way he had hurt him.

Mika didn’t respond to the accusation that he had brainwashed the children, either. He just glared at the captain, tense. “I wouldn’t try fighting,” the captain said slowly, “unless you want to prove to the lot of these rookies the stereotype that Dark Dragons are selfish savages.”

“I really don’t care what stereotypes they believe,” Mika said in a low voice.

“Mika’s not selfish, either!” Teepo burst, climbing onto the table.

“Teepo, get down,” the young swordsman commanded in a terse voice.

The child paid him no mind. “You guys are selfish people!” Teepo accused, pointing at them. “We don’t want to go home! Daddy’s a jerk, and Mika’s nice!”

The captain stared hard at this child, who seemed ready to jump down and start kicking shins, and said, “You have to understand, Teepo. There are rules-“

“Rules that say a man has the right to brutalize children?” Mika spat.

“Squire Mika, I understand your anger and concern. However, you should know as well as anyone that there are ways of handling these things! Stealing these boys away isn’t protecting them at all!”

“And what ways would those be?” Mika argued hotly. “The ways you used to ‘protect’ me?”

“That’s different. These kids are-“

“Aren’t bastard Dark Dragons,” Mika cut him off bitterly. “Yes, I know how it works.” His eyes narrowed at the troop, and he growled, “You will not take them back to that monster for him to use as punching bags. No.”

The captain sighed. “Restrain them,” he said heavily, “but make sure none of them are hurt.”

As four of the soldiers advanced, Mika tensed once more and the waitress darted away. In the moment that the Dark Dragon was about to draw his sword, though, Teepo emitted an ear-piercing, blood-curdling shriek. It took only a few seconds for Ryu’s small voice to join Teepo’s, the children both screaming as if they were about to be murdered.

The soldiers hesitated, even as the crowd who had thus far simply watched the drama in mesmerized shock moved. Some tried to just leave, to get away from the head-splitting howls of the two children. Others discussed excitedly what would happen next. One of the soldiers who had advanced to apprehend Mika lunged forward. Mika pulled back sharply, realizing too late that he did need his sword.

As the soldier managed to get a firm grip on Mika’s wrist, Teepo’s howls rose in pitch and volume, and the child threw himself at the offending soldier. As his little fists pounded on the man’s back, a voice boomed from the traveler in the shadowy corner, “That’s enough!”

Instantly, the soldiers stopped any advancement in shock. The captain bowed low as the traveler stepped out of the shadows, his hood thrown back and arms crossed over his chest. “My Prince!” the Captain stuttered, his face flushing. “My apologies that this has disturbed you, Prince Ryu-“

“What’s going on, Mika?” the Destined Child demanded, paying no attention to the Captain.

“Aldin’s hurting them,” Mika responded instantly.

“How do you know?”

“Mirielle told me.”

“Good enough,” Ryu said firmly. Then he looked back at the troop, his blue eyes flashing in anger. “You heard him,” the Prince said. “The boys’ mother asked him to take them. That is not kidnapping.”

“All due respect, your Highness,” the Captain replied, “We are under direct orders from your uncle. If Prince Aldin says it was kidnapping, then we have to obey the law as it is written for kidnapping. If Lady Mirielle actually did tell him to take them away, then he will be absolved, but-“

“No ‘buts’!” Ryu spat. “Go back to Dragnier, Captain!”

“Not without our targets,” the Captain snapped back.

None of the soldiers, however, wanted to contradict a direct order from the Destined Child, let alone a member of the royal family they were sworn to obey. They looked at each other in bewilderment, even as the Captain ordered them to apprehend the three fugitives again. This stalemate was ended abruptly by an iron skillet coming down hard at the base of Mika’s assailant’s head. As the soldier crumpled to the floor and the rest of them gaped, Mika’s waitress motioned wildly for them to follow her. “Come on!” she said hurriedly, “you can get out through the kitchen!”

Mika snatched up the child closest to him- little Ryu- and followed the waitress without hesitation. The Prince managed to grab Teepo and run as well; as they banged into the kitchen, much to the dismay of the cooks, Mika heard the captain howl, “Don’t just stand there, you idiots! Get them!”

The waitress shoved the back door open, leading them out into an alleyway. “If we hurry, you’ll get to the road before they have time to let them know to block it!”

“Why are you helping us?” Mika demanded as they ran.

The waitress, obviously not used to running, panted back, “I’m not going to let a bunch of sheep take two kids who obviously don’t want to be taken. Besides; I have a perfect record. I’m not going to let a mark go without nailing him.”

The woman managed a wink at Mika at this last. “You’ve got to be kidding,” the squire muttered to himself, choosing to focus wholly on supporting the child in his arms.

The group ducked down back alleys, quickly descending the hill the city was built on. As they reached the gates, they paused; Mika let little Ryu to the ground, his arms sore from having run so far with him. “We can't stay still long,” Ryu said, gasping. “It sounds like Aldin really wants his kids back. I'm surprised by that.”

“What are you doing here anyway?” Mika demanded between gulps of air.

The blue-haired Prince gave him an odd expression and answered, “What do you think I'm doing? I have the same question for you, Mika. What's going on?”

“I told you,” Mika gasped. “Mirielle caught Aldin screaming at Ryu, and we agreed that the next step is probably beating. She asked me to get them away from him.”

“Uh, guys? I suggest we keep moving,” the waitress said nervously. “Your soldiers were still chasing us, last I saw.”

Ryu nodded, took a deep breath, and stood upright again. “Go back,” he said to her. “I sincerely appreciate your help, but you don’t want to be involved with this.”

“If you’re really the Prince of Dragnier,” the woman replied, eyeing him critically, “you certainly are stupid. If you think those soldiers are going to let me get away with clocking one of them upside the head with a frying pan-“

“Too late,” Mika cut her off tensely. “They’re catching up to us!”

With a groan, Ryu snatched up his namesake and the three of them started running again.

As they reached Eygnock Road, the group paused once again. “Where are you going?” Ryu asked Mika.

“Dauna,” the Dark Dragon answered breathlessly, simply.

“Right. I’m going in that direction anyway; I’ll stay with you until you get there.” He turned to the waitress and asked, “What do you want to do, lady? You’re running out of time to turn around.”

The Woren woman turned on him. “First of all, I’m not a ‘lady’,” she snapped angrily. “Second of all-“

Her yelling was interrupted by Teepo giving a distressed, frightened cry. Ryu turned to Mika, who had stifled his own distress, and then saw what frightened the two. Four giant, living gargoyle now stood in the path leading to the bridge to Rhaphala, all four armed and prepared for battle.

One of the creatures grunted. “There must be some mistake,” it rumbled. “They’re all children.”

“We have our Lady’s orders,” another one observed, sounding agitated. “But I do wonder why the hell we’re going after kids. Why couldn’t the army do this?”

While the four gargoyles conversed amongst themselves, Mika demanded, “What are those things?”

“The Guardians,” the Woren replied in a terrified whisper. “It sounds like they’re after you guys. But why-“

“I am the Destined Child,” Ryu replied quietly, perplexed.

“The Destined Child!” the woman responded in horror and awe.

“He told you that you didn’t want to get involved,” Mika said in subdued smugness. His smirk faded as he observed, “If those things are Urkan Tapa’s weapons, then they’re not going to be happy with just your head, Ryu.”

“I know.” The Prince set his burden down, as did Mika; the children scrambled to each other, shaking in silent terror as the two Dragons prepared themselves to fight. Much to their surprise, the Woren woman joined them, brandishing her claws threateningly. “You’ve got to be kidding!” Ryu exclaimed. “Girl, go back! These things will kill you!”

“Do you think I want these jerks to win?” the waitress responded in astonishment. “They’ll kill you a lot easier than they will me!” She turned her focus back on the Guardians, setting herself in grim determination. “Besides, I can’t go back. We’re surrounded.”

At this Mika and Ryu twisted in time to see the Draconic troop sent to retrieve Mika and the kids close in on them warily. Their immediate concern was no longer the apprehension of the young fugitives; the soldiers watched the Guardians warily. “Prince Ryu,” the captain said quietly, a hint of desperation in his voice, “we are not going to get out of this alive without cooperating. We’re not your enemies. You need to get away. Help us help you!”

“They think all of them together will be able to defeat us!” one of the Guardians chortled.

“Gaw, hush,” said the original speaker. It loomed over them, its stone-like face reflecting thoughtfulness. “Why would Lady Myria be threatened by a bunch of children?” he mused to himself.

“It doesn’t matter!” hollered a powerful, feminine voice from behind the Draconic soldiers.

Ryu groaned in dismay as the whole group turned to the newcomers. A young woman in light battle armor led a troop of soldiers of her own; she brushed a stray lock of golden blond hair back under her helmet as her blue eyes flicked around the scene before her. Her voice and expression were absolutely unemotional as her gaze fixed on the Guardians and she said, “You are trespassing, Guardian Garr.”

“You are interfering with Urkan business, Princess Nina,” the leader rumbled in reply.

The Princess looked over the group again, and then said, “You’re putting me in a very difficult position, Guardian. I see no Urkans in this group.”

The one called Gaw edged forward. “This is pie, Garr,” he sneered. “Let’s just take them out and be done with it!”

“No,” Garr responded. “The Woren is a civilian.” The great gargoyle bowed low to the Princess, and then said, “Let’s go.”

The leader turned and walked away, followed hesitantly behind him. One of the unnamed Guardians, the only one who was silent the whole time, hesitated. Mika, Ryu and the Woren girl all tensed, preparing to defend themselves; the Dark Dragon wasn’t sure if either of his companions saw it as well, but Mika thought that hesitating Guardian looked bewildered, as if he didn’t understand something crucial.

The Guardian’s hesitation lasted only a few moments before he too turned and trudged away. That being settled, Princess Nina immediately set upon the Captain of the Draconic troop. “And what can possibly cause the Draconic Army to chase after their very own Prince?” she demanded, finally advancing into their midst.

The Captain looked at the fugitives, the boys he was sent to retrieve now clinging to Mika’s legs in terror. “We weren’t chasing the Prince, per se,” the Captain replied uneasily, “but rather, his companions. That Dark Dragon has been accused of kidnapping-“

Nina cut him off. “Kidnapping those children?”

“Yes, milady.”

“They don’t look like they’ve been kidnapped to me.”

“They haven’t been,” Prince Ryu interjected. “The children’s mother asked him to take them.”

“So he says,” the Captain argued.

“I believe him,” the Prince retorted.

Nina sighed heavily, putting a hand to her temple. “They’re in Wyndia, in any event, and it’s not kidnapping if a primary parent gives permission for them to be with someone.”

“My lady,” the Captain said incredulously, “they are Prince Aldin’s children!”

The Princess narrowed her eyes at this, her demeanor suddenly sour. “Then Prince Aldin can follow proper procedure to have him extradited back to Dragnier,” she spat. “It’s clear this man has the protection of Prince Ryu.”

“But Princess Nina-“

Nina cut him off coldly. “Last I heard, Captain, Dragnier and Wyndia need each other. Stressing our relationship by barging into my country and attempting to arrest and extradite a man who, according to the Prince, has done nothing wrong, without following proper procedure, is not a good idea.”

“I agree.” The Captain’s tone was icy and formal. “I’ll make sure Prince Aldin forwards the extradition request in a timely fashion, Princess.”

“Thank you.”

The Captain glared at the fugitives, and then ordered his troop to withdraw. The group remaining watched them retreat until they were out of sight. At this, Nina turned her attention to the fugitives completely. “I’m sure there’s an interesting explanation for this,” she said dryly. “From my count, I need to know why a waitress assaulted a soldier with a frying pan, why a Dark Dragon has two royal Light Dragon children without their father’s permission, and why I didn’t know that you were in Wyndia, Prince Ryu. I’m sure I’ll think of other questions by the time we all get to the palace.”

To this, Ryu responded sourly, “Do I have to tell you my every move, Princess?”

“It would be nice.” She smiled at him, and then said, “Let’s go, kids. Don’t worry, no one’s in trouble yet.”