FE Frog: I like to think that before the war started between Hoshido and Nohr, that the Kings were kind of friends, and maybe even Ryoma and Xander… I also have an obsession with Ryoma/Xander, so… This story will outline their relationship as friends before the war truly starts. Not saying there wasn't any tension, but keep in mind that in the first few chapters, they're very young and won't really notice if there was any tension.

I have 7 chapters planned. The first 3 are more childish/whimsical, then the last 4 get more serious as they get older.

AU-ish only because they didn't really know each other in the game, but I AM trying to keep everything as close to canon as possible. Which still leaves lots of room for creativity because of the lack of lore... *grumble grumble*

Without further ado, I give you Black and White.

Chapter 1: A World in Colour

It was so bright outside. He wasn't used to so much light. In Nohr the clouds always blocked out most of the sun's rays and brought the never-ending frigid winds through the land. But the breeze that blew through the carriage was warm and smelled like flowers.

Xander pulled at his lace cravat and wriggled in his thick waistcoat. "Papa… It's too hot."

The man who sat across from him sighed and stroked his greying beard. He leaned forward and unbuttoned the boy's waistcoat, then folded it and set it aside. "How is that, my boy?"

Xander took a deep breath, "Much better, Papa." He stood up and got on his tippy toes to peek out the window at the new world they rode through. The grass was so green… However, he was surprised there even was grass. The trees were beautiful too, covered in big, pink blossoms. "Woah…" The most astonishing part of it all was the clear sky above, not a cloud in sight. He'd never seen a sky so blue, or a sun so bright.

"This is Hoshido, son." Garon put a hand on the boy's shoulder, "It is beautiful, isn't it?"

Had he been older, he may have noticed the hint of resentment in his father's voice. But instead, he laughed and pointed at the great birds flying overhead. They even had people on them! "Papa! Look!"

"Those are the Kinshi Knights. They protect Hoshido like the Wyvern Knights protect Nohr." He patted his son's shoulder and sat up, "We're getting close to Castle Shirasagi. Here, put this back on."

Xander huffed, not wanting to put his stupid coat back on. It was so hot, even in his tunic. But he did it anyways, knowing what might happen if he didn't. As kind a father as Garon was, he was strict and sometimes harsh, especially concerning his first son and heir.

When they finally reached the summit of the mountain atop which the Hoshidan Palace sat, Xander was too excited to think about how uncomfortable his clothes were. "Can I meet a Kinshi Knight? Can I ride one of those birds? I wanna ride a kinshi!" He said excitedly as the carriage came to a stop.

Garon pinched the bridge of his nose, "Xander, we are about to meet King Sumeragi. What did I teach you about meeting Kings?" He leaned over one last time to fix the boy's disheveled cravat.

Xander looked down, his excitement dying. "Stand up straight, and don't speak unless spoken to." He couldn't help the flutter in his stomach as his father opened the door of the carriage, but it was too bright for him to see at first. He held a hand over his eyes as he followed his father out onto the hard dirt below. The scene before them slowly came into focus as he squinted. There were many soldiers lining the stone pathway to the steps of the palace. The soldiers had such strange outfits… Xander tugged on his father's sleeve and whispered, "Why are they wearing pajamas, Papa?"

Garon grunted and squeezed the boy's shoulder. Xander winced at the pain. That meant it was time to be quiet.

Together, they approached the great steps. Xander looked up at the palace in awe. Castle Krakenburg extended deep into the earth, whereas this castle reached up high towards the sky. It didn't even look like a castle, with it's colourful wooden pillars and white walls. And the windows! It had so many big, round windows! Krakenburg didn't have any, only small slits in the walls that he would sometimes peek out of and promptly get scared at the sight of the abyss below.

The warm breeze blew through again, this time carrying pink petals with it. Xander caught one from the air and wondered at its softness. "Papa, we should bring some of these home for Mama! They're so pretty!"

Garon was no longer paying attention to his son as he walked forward and bowed to a man in particularly fancy pajamas. Xander's eyes widened at the mane behind the man, and he shyly grabbed onto his father's pant leg. Papa hadn't told him that the Hoshidan King was a lion-man!

"I hope the journey was smooth and comfortable." The lion-man said with a laugh, now embracing Garon in a friendly hug.

Xander tuned them out and looked around. The soldiers in pajamas now stood stick-straight, a hand on the long handle of their swords. Even their weapons were weird. He looked back to the Hoshidan King, then something to the side caught his eye. A boy stood there in white and red pajamas, with a smaller mane—a little lion. And he was staring right at him.

Sumeragi put a hand on the boy's back, "I would like you to meet my son, Ryoma. He's turning six in two weeks."

The mini-lion bowed, "Welcome to Hoshido, King Garon."

Garon chuckled, "He's a spitting image of you, Sumeragi!" He stepped back and pushed Xander forward, "I brought my son along to show him our greatest partner-nation. This is Xander. He is about the same age."

Xander bowed as well, but he didn't say anything. Instead, he peeked up with one eye, and caught the little lion peeking back at him.

"A handsome young man. You and Katerina must be proud." Sumeragi raised his arms, "Tonight we shall feast in honour of our friendship with Nohr! But in the meantime, I assume you and your men would appreciate some rest after so long on the roads."

They were lead through the palace to their rooms. Xander stepped carefully at first, unaccustomed to the wooden floors underfoot. Then he wandered to the side as they walked, touching the walls. Most were some kind of stone, but some were made of… Paper? What a strange place…

"What's that?"

Xander turned, eyes wide. He had been too lost in his own thoughts, until the little lion brought him back to reality. "Huh? What's what?"

Ryoma pointed at his neck and frowned. "That. It looks stupid."

Xander made a face, "Hey! It's not stupid! You look stupid! Don't you have hair-cutters here?"

"My hair is FINE! What's with yours? You look like a curly-head poodle!"

"What's with your FACE?"

"Xander!"

Ryoma stuck out his lip in an angry pout. "At least I don't look like a skinny, stuffy poodle-ghost!"

"Ryoma!"

Both boys crossed their arms and turned away from each other in a huff.

Each father took their son's arms and pulled him away. Garon knelt down, a stern look on his face. "We are guests here, Xander. Be respectful of that."

The boy looked down and kicked at the floor, "Yes, Papa…"

"Now apologize to the Hoshidan Prince."

Xander sighed and turned around to face the little lion. "I'm sorry I made fun of you. I didn't mean it."

Ryoma looked down in shame. "I'm sorry, too." After a moment of silence, he looked up again with a big grin. "Wanna play a game?"

Now he was talking. Xander gasped, excited at the prospect of doing something that wasn't his father's boring King-stuff. "Yeah! What game?"

"Come on! I'll show you!" Ryoma grabbed his hand and together, they ran off.

First, Ryoma took them to his room where he had all his toys. There, he pulled out two wooden… things. They looked almost like hammers, but with bowls. Attached with a string was a red ball. Ryoma said it was called Kendama, and he demonstrated how it was played. He caught the ball on the first try with a big grin. Xander tried, but couldn't get it. Instead, he hit himself in the face with the ball. So he tried again. And again. And maybe gave himself a black eye. Finally, he caught it.

"Good job!" Ryoma exclaimed, catching his own for the hundredth time.

Xander frowned, "This game is boring… Do you wanna play tag?" Before the Hoshidan could answer, he tapped his shoulder and started running. "You're It!"

"Hey!" Ryoma yelled, but still gladly gave chase.

Laughing, Xander ran out of the room and down the hall, ducking under a servant's outstretched arms carrying a tray. The servant shouted after him, but he just laughed and kept running. Soon enough, Ryoma caught up and hit his arm.

"You're It!" The Hoshidan giggled, then continued running down the stairs.

They ran throughout the palace, ducking under and skirting around several servants and guards. Not that either cared. They were having fun—a luxury neither of them got much of. In Nohr, Xander had no siblings his age. They were all babies. Even if they were his age, his father always told him not to bother with them. After all, they weren't the children of the Queen. He was. Playing with someone his age and in his station was an exhilarating new experience.

Once they tired of tag, Ryoma pulled the Nohrian Prince outside where he had some wooden swords. Xander already trained at home, so he felt particularly confident he could beat the little lion at any of his sword games.

Except these swords were weird. They had long handles and slightly curved blades. Xander frowned. "What kind of swords are these?" He hit the ground with it a few times. Seemed sturdy enough…

Ryoma looked at him, confused. "…Swords? You mean Katana? Don't you have them at home?"

Xander shook his head, "Not like these…" He held it out like he had trained with his sword at home. However, with the long handle, his usual en garde felt weird. The little lion got into his own stance, just as strange as the sword, and they began.

To most people, their swordplay was messy, and it was clear that they were inexperienced children. But to them, it was an epic battle. Ryoma had the upper-hand at first, only because he was used to the weapon, but Xander got the hang of it pretty quick. Still, it was clear that Ryoma was the stronger of the two. They never had determined how someone would win, so they kept fighting. Even if that meant that Xander would come away with many bruises.

"Boys!"

They barely heard the voice that came. Nor did they notice the pink hue in the sky.

"Boys! It's time for the banquet!" A woman knelt down beside Ryoma and wrapped an arm around him. "I'm sure you boys are hungry now."

Xander dropped his wooden sword and gawked at the woman. She was… So pretty. She had beautiful, thick red hair and such a kind smile. She reminded him of his own mother.

Ryoma squirmed in her arms as she kissed his forehead, "Mom! Stop!"

The woman smiled and stood up, ruffling her son's hair. "Alright, alright. Let's go have dinner!" She took his hand and held her other hand out for Xander, who gladly grabbed on.

The banquet was boring, as any such thing would be for 5 year olds. Nobody could count the number of times the Kings or Ryoma's mother would tell them to be polite and respectful, or stop them from throwing food, or tell them to stop kicking each other. Each time, the boys simply laughed it away and continued. They wouldn't let anyone get in the way of the one chance either had to play with someone their age.

The next day, they were back to playing. Ryoma's mother—who Xander had learned was named Ikona—had to forbid them from playing inside, as all they would do was run around disturbing the workers. The boys were more than happy to go outside, though. They explored the many lush gardens of the palace, first pretending to be adventurers looking for treasure, then pretending to be ninjas, trying to avoid being seen or caught by anyone. The servant charged with calling them for dinner found the two curled up together under a tree, fast asleep.

By the end of the trip, Ryoma had lost both his front teeth and Xander had torn a hole in the elbow of his best waistcoat (however Garon blamed himself for letting the boy out of his sight in it). Not to mention both were covered in bruises from their brawls, tumbles and other fun.

"Next time, you should come to Nohr!" Xander called out as he went to the carriage with his father.

Ryoma waved back, "I can't wait!"

Garon waved back at his fellow monarch, "Until next time, King Sumeragi. Nohr and Hoshido will prosper from these new trade agreements."

The Hoshidan lion-King laughed, "Yes, yes. Of course! Have a safe trip home, King Garon."

The carriage door closed, but Xander stood by the window and waved good-bye to his new friend. When they had left the palace courtyard and started down the mountain, he sat down and smiled at his father, "When do I get to see them again?"

Garon reached out and ruffled his son's blonde curls, "Soon, I'm sure."