A few notes before we begin...
Tir is 'officially' listed as having been born in Solar Year 441. I...have a little difficulty seeing him as an army commander at fourteen, sooo...I'm just being unspecific about his age.
Secondly...yes, I do happen to ship LucxTir like burning. Whatever gave me away? XD As it is, I tried to leave it open to be interpreted as the reader sees fit. Friendship or lovers, take your pick.
Now, if this story seems a bit...off in places, well, let me say that I've been wanting to write Suikoden fics for probably a decade now, but have avoided doing so for reasons I'm not going to elaborate on. I'll spare your sanity. XD This one, though...it needed to come out. It's been nagging at me since I played III, and I finally said "to hell with it" and wrote it. So yeah, it's been in my head for years, and I kept remembering things I wanted to add, and shoving them in and...yeah. I tried to make it flow. I tried.
Suikoden is, and always has been, my favourite series, so I tried to keep everything as accurate as I could, but it's hard in such a vast world. It's also been a very long time since I've played III, so go easy on me. I did my research, but I'm nowhere near perfect.
Anyway, apologies for the stupid-long babble. I hope you enjoy, and please, feel free to drop a review!
Warning: Major spoilers for Suikoden I, III, mild spoilers for II and IV, mild, hinted yaoi (if you choose to see it that way), and, uh...angst?
Disclaimer: I do not own any of Konami's/Yoshitaka Murayama's lovely characters, settings, or concepts.
oOo
Wind
Solar Year four-hundred seventy-eight; three years. It had been three years since the Second Fire Bringer War. Three years since the one person he had known to fully understand him had fallen. At least, the one person who had understood him back then, back when humanity had not seemed so far away; an illusion. Since then, he had met others who knew, others who got it, but he...he had been the first. Sure, Tir had not known it at the time, but that did not change the facts.
Well, maybe he was being a tad bit hasty. Once all was said and done, Ted had known. Ted had gotten it better than anybody—better than Tir himself got it even now, in fact. Ted...Ted had not been there, though.
Luc had.
It had been twenty-one years since the end of his war and eighteen since the end of Riou's. The end of the Dunan Unification War had also marked the last time Tir had seen Luc. It stabbed at him, now, to realise what he had missed. He should have been there, three years ago, when Luc had so clearly been calling for help. At least, it was clear to him now, but what was it that they said?
Hindsight was twenty-twenty.
Well, twenty-twenty vision was no good to him, now. Luc was gone, and he could not help but wonder if he could not have saved his old friend. If he had just been there...
But no. Fretting over it was useless. He needed to say his farewells and move on. Such was the story of his life, right? Say goodbye, get up...and move on. People just did not come back, Gremio being the sole exception to that law.
None of these facts did anything to stop him wondering, though. It was easy to tell yourself something, but a whole lot harder to make yourself believe it. Somehow, he was certain that had he just been there, spoken to Luc, maybe things would have turned out differently. Maybe...maybe Luc would still be alive.
He knew what the wind-bearer had seen, possibly better than Luc himself, yet he thought that maybe, just maybe, he could have stopped it. In fact, he might go so far as to say he could have, and that sent a stab of pain through his heart.
Maybe it should not have hurt so much, but it did. Luc was a friend, a comrade, yet he had failed him utterly. He had betrayed Luc's trust.
And Luc had betrayed his. He could have just gone to Tir for help, there was no way the young leader would have been anything less than welcoming. Luc had known that, right? It was Tir's nature to want to help people, and Luc had to have known that...right?
Then again...
The bearer of the True Wind Rune had always presented an aloof front, yet if one looked deeper, it was possible to see that the poor boy was just confused and lost. Much like Tir himself would have been without his friends.
It was clear to him now that he had not been there when his friend had needed him most. Needed him. After entering into the Dunan Unification War, it had been made clear to Tir how much Luc had...actually liked him. To Riou, the magician had presented a very cold and closed front, far worse than anything he had ever shoved Tir's way.
He should have known, then, but he had still been a child. He just...had not gotten it.
By the time the Second Fire Bringer War had started, Tir had been off exploring the Island Nations with Riou, Jowy, Nanami, Gremio, and another boy they had met on their journey named Lazlo. He had been too far away to do anything, even if he had known...
Now, he cursed himself for being so blind.
It was too late to save Luc's body, but the bearer of the True Rune of Life and Death was not going to give up that easily. After all, if he were anything less than stubborn, then he would have given up on overthrowing the Scarlet Moon Empire innumerable times. He had not, though, and Toran had been born.
So it was that this very stubbornness had his feet carrying him toward some ancient Ceremonial Site.
Upon learning what had befallen the Grasslands, Zexen, and Harmonia in his absence, Tir had, with the help of his friends, immediately rooted out as many details as could be found. Then he had learnt of Apple's involvement and gone to her. There, he had discovered everything he could have hoped to know.
He should have known before, but nothing would fix that, now.
"Do you want to go in alone?"
Tir was jerked from his revere as Riou's voice rang out, calm and strong as always. Glancing back at his friends, he nodded, relieved to see the understanding in every pair of eyes.
"Thanks, guys." That said, he began slowly picking his way over the rubble marking the monument's centre, his friends disappearing farther back into what remained of the main structure. Left alone, or so he thought, Tir made his way over to what remained of the stone pedestal where the new Flame Champion and his friends had fought Luc's rune.
The platform itself had been partially cleared of debris, bringing a bit of a grimace to the former commander's lips. Part of him was glad someone had taken Luc's body away, most of him was sad at the thought.
There was no blood, yet that did not surprise him. It had been three years, plenty of time for the elements to clean up.
Climbing swiftly to the top of one stone slab, he looked down at what had to be the very spot where his old friend had died. Sighing painfully to himself, he took a deep breath and hopped down, shoes making barely a sound as he hit the ground.
Walking forward a few steps, he finally knelt down, placing his bo on the ground alongside him so both hands were free. Then he removed his worn, leather gloves and leaned forward, both palms resting on the stone cold floor. Then he began to speak.
OoO
Hugo tried to make a habit of visiting the Ceremonial Site every now and again. He had been a True Rune bearer for three years now, and he was...well, he was starting to get it; the visions that had driven Luc to such extremes. So it was that he felt the need to pay his respects to the man, mad as he might have been.
So it was that he was there when an unfamiliar person emerged from the shadow of the ruins to kneel on the platform.
Opting to stay where he was, the bearer of the True Fire Rune was not expecting what came next. This unknown person...he knew. It was painfully obvious from the way the boy spoke to the ground.
He should not be listening, yet Hugo did anyway.
"I guess I'm a bit late, aren't I? Sorry about that, Luc, but...I've really got no excuse. Can't even say I was off fighting another war. Not this time, anyway. Guess I was really just missing one, even.
"I...I should have been here." He paused there, a bitter laugh escaping from a throat that was starting to sound hoarse. "Someone needed to bash some sense into your head, eh? I guess that should've been me.
"I know what you saw, Luc. I mean...I even know why you did it. What I don't get is..." The voice paused again, accompanied by the sound of the teenager sucking in a sharp breath of air. "Why the hell didn't you come to me? We could have talked about this! I thought we were friends! I thought...I thought you trusted me!
"Remember when we met? You decided to sic a stone golem on us, and you and Ted got into a fight. Dozens of them, even. You two could not stop bickering. Even still, after Ted...well, after he died, though, you were there. You pretended you hated everyone involved in the war, but you still came to talk to me. I was losing everyone by that point—Dad, Gremio, Odessa, and then Ted—but you came to talk to me. To just...be a friend. I never told you how much that meant to me, did I? I wish I had.
"I know...that you never granted Riou the same privilege. I should have known from that. I should have seen this coming. I was there when Nanami faked her death. You did not bat an eyelid toward Riou. Even back then, eighteen years ago, you were changing.
"I let you down. I should have known. Maybe you did trust me. Did you want me to see it myself? I'm sorry, Luc. I should have. A leader of men needs to be able to see when those closest to him change, right? Well, I failed. Like I failed Mathiu.
"I swear, Luc, by this accursed rune, I will not be so blind again."
The whole thing shook Hugo to his core. By the time the stranger stopped talking, he was seriously regretting eavesdropping. This had been none of his business, but it was too late, now. He had heard everything.
"You can come out, now."
Hugo nearly jumped out of his skin when that voice addressed him. Swallowing, he stepped out into plain view, running a hand through his hair sheepishly.
"Uh...hi?"
oOo
Tir mentally berated himself for not noticing the boy's presence earlier. He only caught it after he was done speaking, as a slight movement to the side drew his attention. He seriously hoped the boy had not heard everything...yet he doubted his luck was that great. Riou had always been the luckier of them.
"It's not polite to eavesdrop," he bit out, slightly shocked at the venom in his own tone. Somehow, he suspected who this boy was, and that upset him more than anything.
"U-uh...I know. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to. I visit here a lot, though. You just beat me to it today."
"Why?"
The boy blinked. "Well, because I..." He sighed. "Luc."
"You're the one who killed him, aren't you? You're Hugo, the new Flame Champion." Tir was not stupid. He certainly possessed the intellect necessary to see what was going on here. The boy was starting to empathise with Luc, and wanted to apologise, even seek some sort of advice from the past.
"Yes. He was...your friend."
Tir would have rolled his eyes at that statement of the obvious, but long years of combat and leadership had taught him otherwise. Instead, he nodded.
"Yes. Friend, ally, comrade...however you chose to say it, it all amounts to the same thing." Only it did not, and that was what burned most of all. "What I want to ask you is...why. Why did you do it? Why did you let it come to this? He was a good kid, he really was."
"I'm sure he was...Commander McDohl." So, the boy had figured it out. "But the fact remains that he was trying to destroy the world."
Tir frowned at this, but said nothing, simply stared at the younger bearer.
"You know...he once said something about how there was only one person he could really give his respect to. I...had sort of assumed he meant his mentor, but now I'm not so sure. I think...he meant you, didn't he?"
The tears he had refused to allow out before were threatening to fall once more.
Turning away, he sighed, a long, painful sound.
"I failed him."
"I don't think you did."
Tir said nothing, only tilted his head up to stare at the sky. He was suddenly acutely aware of the ache in his knees from kneeling on rock for so long, yet he made no move to soothe them, only listened.
"You gave him at least one person to look up to, and that's worth something. You can't be expected to be there for him his whole life. He made his choice, and it wasn't your fault."
"So you say, but you're wrong. He was crying out for help, and I should have gone. I didn't, though...so I guess I should thank you for stopping him in my place." That hurt to say, but there was nothing else for it. Sometimes, one had to do things that he or she may not like. That was the simple truth.
"You said he meant me when he spoke of one person he could respect." Tir shook his head, black hair falling over his dark brown eyes and tickling his face. "So then tell me: why was a war fought to bring down one man when it—" his voice broke then, though he managed to fight off the tears once more "—when it would have taken only one soul to save him?"
"You don't know that," Hugo shot back, frowning.
"Yes, I do."
"How?"
"I'm pushing forty, Hugo, and for most of those years I've carried this cursed rune," he muttered, voice falling an octave as he raised his right hand. "I know what he saw, and I know why he did what he did. I understood him." When nobody else had bothered to. It might be easy for someone else to say he had understood Luc, but there was a fine line between understanding and empathy that Tir did not believe many truly made the effort to cross. Not even among them.
Hugo's eyes, justifiably, took on a wary air as we watched the eternally-young man. This brought a snort to Tir's lips.
"Don't worry, I've no intention of trying to end the world. Understanding him doesn't mean I agreed with him."
The boy's expression relaxed a bit, yet he could tell by the look in Hugo's eyes that he was not entirely comforted. Then again, who would not be wary in this situation? Out of nowhere, Tir was opening up to him. It likely seemed a bit odd, especially considering how closed the man normally was, yet really it was not. The teenager had already heard everything Tir had had to say to Luc, right? So why hide it, now? Besides, Gremio had heard this rant a thousand times.
So had most of the others, for that matter. He might present a closed front to most, but the other bearers...there was no hiding things from them, just like there was no hiding things from Gremio.
"Then what?"
Tir was startled from his thoughts by the question. Glancing over at Hugo, he smiled sadly. "What do you mean 'what'? What would I have done?" At the boy's nod, he shrugged. "Talked to him."
"And if that hadn't worked?"
"Then I would have bashed him over the head and dragged him away." Seeing the look on the young Karayan's face, Tir shrugged. "What? And what you did was any better?"
The boy looked thoroughly abashed at that, yet Tir felt no guilt over the statement. Still, he also knew he needed to say something more.
"Look, don't get me wrong. You did what you had to do, and I don't fault you for that." He smiled bitterly. "In fact, I think I should be thanking you."
"You already said that," Hugo finally supplied, an obvious effort to throw in some humour in his tone.
"All I've said is that I should be thanking you. I haven't done so, yet."
"What's the difference?"
"Never mind...just...thanks. For cleaning up my mess." There was no point in explaining it, now. The boy just would not get it. Someday, maybe, but not now.
"Sure...just stop blaming yourself for it, okay?"
Yeah right. Life was not that simple. By this point, he had seen too many die for him, die because of him. He knew wholly the reason Ted had not wanted him to have, or even know of, this rune. It brought death at every corner, and there was nothing he could do to stop it. He would grow old, but never age while everyone he cared for died. Someday, he would even lose Gremio again. He had learned to accept that the only ones he would be able to be with over the years were the other True Rune Bearers, and losing one was so hard. Especially that one. Luc had meant more to him than he could admit. Still, he had come to say his farewell, so it was time to move on.
"Yeah," he muttered after a long moment. Calling to his friends to join them, he turned to face Hugo. "You're starting to get it, right? The runes, they grow bored with peace and quiet." As he was speaking, Tir's five travelling companions emerged, all but Jowy giving Hugo a cursory glance before moving on when they realised he was no threat. The blond former king of Highland, however, scanned the boy far more thoroughly, a fact Tir did not miss, despite his divided attention.
"There's a boarder skirmish breaking out between Tinto and the Grasslands." He stared hard at Hugo, knowing full well who the boy was; knowing he was Karayan. "We're going to go take a look. You in?"
After a long moment, Hugo nodded. It was clear he suspected who the others were—well, some of them at least—but as introductions were passed around, Tir did not miss the sharp, curious looks Jowy sent the boy, or the glare Hugo sent Riou's.
Yes, it was going to be hard at first, but the newcomer would learn soon that nationality ceased to exist in this group. They were simply the True Rune Bearers, with those closest to them, doomed to wander the planet for eternity.
At least, those of them who did not find a means of escape.
His right hand throbbed as he pulled the glove over it, drawing a pained smile from the dark-haired man.
I know, Ted. I know. It's over now; I said my goodbye. Just do me a favour? Don't drive Luc too crazy, wherever you two are. Because they would both always be with him, in their own way.
"Hey, Tir! Get your ass over here!"
"Oh dear, you mustn't speak to the Young Master that way, Missus Nanami!"
Smiling at his friends' antics, Tir grabbed his bo and shouldered it, smiling down at the ground one last time.
See you again someday, buddy. Farewell.
As they were walking back into what remained of the building, a gust of air picked up, ruffling the tales of Tir's bandana.
Goodbye to you, too.
OoO
(Sony lyrics removed due to site policy.)