Ally: Chizoku Star
A/N: Well this is my first Suikoden ficcy and one shot to boot! I dunno...the part of the game where the hero meets Hoi always bugged me. There wasn't enough to it...or maybe it was just me. Who knows. Anyway I'm here with this ficcy so...I should just shut up and let you read it right?
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On the top of a jutting peninsula, in the territory of the City-State the sun glittered off the tan stones of the newly restored Dunan Castle. Inside it's fortified walls the streets teemed with everyday life, marred only by the guards that stood watch over the fledgling city. What made this castle special was the fact that it was the heart and soul of the Dunan Army and a strategic place to defend, which had been proven many times when the Highland Army tried to over run the now growing army. This cheerful city was the home of the Dunan Army's leader, Lord Riou, and his 25,000 or so troops.
"Umm...Viki?" Riou approached the rather ditzy woman warily. Last time he accidentally scared her she had transported him to Cornet City in her fright. The young lord had one hell of a time escaping the town that Highland had under its collective boot.
"No...that won't work..." Viki muttered under her breath. "Huh? Oh Riou! Where to?" She asked cheerfully and picked up her rod.
"Radat Town." He breathed a sigh of relief when she didn't jump and zap him to who knows where.
"Okay!" She held her rod up, "Shaazam!" There was a strange noise and a flash of light and Riou found himself standing on the outskirts of Radat Town.
Riou swayed on his feet before his balance returned to him, suddenly finding yourself in a totally different place messes with the mind and stomach noticed as he placed one gloved plame over the churning area of discomfort amd blew a strand of brown hair out of doe-like eyes. He causally started into the town, his arms brushing his ever-present tonfa with each sway of his arms.
"Hey everyone Lord Riou is here! He's in the Tavern!" A villager shouted before bolting back to the tavern. Riou quirked an eyebrow but shrugged and followed the man to the tavern to see whom this 'Lord Riou' really was.
"Hehehe! That's right! I gave him this angry scowl!" A rather fat man boasted. His travel worn red and orange clothing almost resembled the real Riou's own outfit in color but that was where the resemblance ended. Even the other man's tonfa looked dull and unused when compared to Riou's own sharp ones. "And then Kiba just kneeled down in front of me and begged me to let him join my army!" The man smirked, "I have that effect on people."
One of the townspeople that surrounded Hoi looked at him anxiously, "And...and then?"
Hoi leaned back from the table, his hands resting on his wide girth. "Well you know I've got a big heart, so I took Kiba by the hand and lifted him up. I said: 'Lift up your head General Kiba. I can't kill such a fine soldier as you'." He grinned, he had the villagers eating out of his hand. "Kiba was so moved, he said: 'Lord Riou, from this day onward my life is yours to do as you wish'."
Riou choked, he didn't think anybody was stupid enough to pull that when the real Riou was in the same room and get the story wrong! "You...Hey you..."
"So anyway, that's how my Dunan Army beat the Highland Army and got General Kiba to join us." Hoi continued, pointedly ignoring the young boy in red. "That's why you've got me and only me to thank for saving this town of Radat!"
Another man looked at Hoi with hero worship in his eyes, "Of course we know that Lord Riou."
Hoi gave the crowd a cheesy smile, "Well so long as you know. After all, the leader of the Dunan Army has got a big heart." He picked up the wooden cup on the table and frowned, "Oh, no more sake left eh? Some new fish wouldn't be bad either..."
And older man pushed one of the serving boys in the direction of the kitchen, "Oh, yes, please. Order as much as you like Lord Riou. Even the fish will be happy to be eaten by such a great hero!"
Hoi laughed. Loudly. Riou would have rolled his eyes at the sappy flattery if he hadn't been busy wincing and rubbing his ears from Hoi's laugh. "Ha, you've got a golden tongue! Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha! That's right! I'm the great hero, Lord Riou!"
Riou flushed with anger, "How dare you--" His rune reacted as it always did when he grew angry, his right hand grew warm and he was enveloped in a sense of calmness. Siris rarely grew angry but since he received the Bright Shield Rune he was always able to remain calm when he should have been boiling with anger. Even when he was in the heat of battle.
"Excuse me, Lord Riou? Can we see the Bright Shield Rune on your hand?" A woman fawned, batting her eyelashes.
Riou wrinkled his nose in disgust, even if he had time for the opposite sex, which he didn't, it wouldn't be her! The woman was plump and silver threaded her brown hair. In short she was old enough to be his mother. Although Hoi did look at least ten years older than Riou's own sixteen years.
Hoi blinked, "Eh? Oh, um, yeah! Sure, I'll show you. But first bring that sake over here."
"Y, yes I'll bring it right away." The serving boy returned with a platter of fish and scurried back to the kitchen to retrieve the sake.
"Good. Well okay, take a look." Hoi held out his left hand for inspection and picked up his fork with this other hand and started shoveling the steaming fish into his mouth.
Everybody leaned in to catch a glimpse of the legendary rune but the sight was disappointing for any who had hoped to be awed, it was dark green and deformed looking. Riou snorted, that child's drawing looked nothing like the real thing! "Huh? That's the Bright Shield Rune?" One of the townsmen questioned, disappointed. "...It looks different than I expected." The man squinted, "Eh? What's that...? It's melting..."
A local man cried out in outrage, "Hey! You fake! It's just drawn on there! You're an impostor!"
Hoi blanched, "Eh..."
The man continued, "I thought something was funny! I knew Lord Riou couldn't be so small!" The now angry townspeople started to advance threateningly.
Hoi looked around panicked, this wasn't suppose to happen! "W, wait...Wait a minute...." His hands came up in a pleading gesture and the crowed murmured in anger. Hoi panicked and ran for the door, shoving people out of this way with his greater weight.
Three more villagers walked inside the tavern and Hoi skidded to a stop to avoid colliding with them. To Siris it looked like the head cook and his three assistants.
"I finally found you!" the head cook snarled. "You're the one using Lord Riou's name and eating and drinking for free! You've pulled the same trick in South Window, Two River, and Rockaxe! Give up you little creep!"
Hoi backpedaled, "W, wait a minute! I've...I've never even been to Rockaxe..."
The three cooks took four threatening steps at the impostor. "Don't try to talk your way out of this one!" The blond assistant growled.
'I should let him get what he deserves...' Riou sighed, but he couldn't, not in his position as a leader. "Everybody wait a minute!" The teenage boy thundered, his voice loud and authoritive despite his small stature.
Hoi spotted the owner of that authoritive yet kind voice, that possible savior and bolted over to Riou. "H, help me please!"
The angry murmur grew to a loud buzz. "What!" An angry man shouted. "Are you a friend of his too?!"
A woman pointed to Riou's dangerous looking tonfa. "He's using tonfa too! He must be one of 'em! Let's kill 'em all!" She shrilled and the mob advanced on the panicked Hoi and alarmed Siris at her mindless urging.
A burly man roared and swung at the two and Riou's battle hardened body instinctively ducked and latched onto his tonfa, whirling them expertly as the man's fist pasted harmlessly above him. Hoi, however, wasn't so fortunate, another man's fist smashed into the side of his head and he fell to the stone floor on a heap. The mob continued to advance on the only one left standing, Riou.
'I can't hurt them.' Siris thought as he began to panic as he continued to back away from the mob ducking and twisting nimbly away from various kicks and punches. Riou felt his right hand start to tingle and then warmth swept through him and his eyes shut, his body ceasing to move as the a green glow surrounded him.
"Wha--?" the villagers shielded their eyes from the bright light that was being emitted from...the image of a shield that shone above the boy's head?
"That's a True Rune!" a man whispered in awe. Everybody dropped their fists and backed away.
Riou's eyes opened, "This is the Bright Shield Rune." He paused. "The real Bright Shield Rune." Siris walked to Hoi and the villagers parted before him, he grabbed the bigger man under the armpits and dragged him outside and propped him up against the tavern wall.
"Lord Riou..." one of the villagers began, his eyes downcast and his expression one of shame.
"Don't tell him." The young lord gestured to Hoi, "Don't tell him who I am."
"Of...of course my lord."
"Good. Thank you." Riou's rune glowed with healing energy, hidden by his leather gloves. Hoi groaned and sat up.
"You fake! How dare you use Lord Riou's name like that?" The cooked screeched at the impostor.
"Im sorry. I was desperate! I'm really sorry!" Hoi cried in mock sincerity. The townspeople couldn't tell that difference but Riou could.
"Well if you've learned your lesson, don't do it anymore!" a man snapped. One by one the villagers left, leaving only Hoi and Riou.
Hoi turned to Siris and scratched his head, "He he he...Big brother...you okay?" He walked over and stood in front of the small teenager. "Damn...but hey...I guess its fate! Let's join forces, huh. How about it bro?"
Riou looked at the con man thoughtfully before nodding. 'Having a thief in the Dunan Army could come in handy. Not that I have any choice. He's a Star of Destiny but why did it have to be someone like him. We're going to have a bad reputation at the end of this...'
Hoi grinned wildly; "Okay it's decided! Let's make up, brother!" He grabbed the smaller male and crushed him in a bone-crushing bear hug.
"...Air...!" Riou gasped urgently.
"Oops," the older man grinned. "Well! Lets go!" Together they, with Hoi half dragging Riou who walked at a more sedate pace then he, left town and stopped when they were a good distance away from all the people.
Riou hand reached inside his tunic and pulled out a small decorative mirror.
"Eh? What's that bro?" Hoi leaned in close to stare at the small non-reflective surface.
"The Blinking Mirror. It'll take us back to my home." Riou touched the surface, it rippled and in a brilliant flash of light Hoi and Riou were standing in the Main Hall of Dunan Castle.
Hoi looked around, startled. "Hey bro, isn't this Dunan Castle, where the real Riou is? This is bad..." He stopped and stared at Riou, the red clothing, the circlet, and the tonfa, a light dawning in his eyes. "Eh? Could it be...Are you the real..."
Riou mounted the first of the four small steps that would take him to the stairs. "Lord Riou! Lord Shu wishes to speak to you." A soldier announced and saluted smartly. Riou nodded and grinned boyishly at the soldier who returned his smile tentatively.
Hoi took a quick step back, "Ha! Ha ha ha...Hey, bro, we're friends right? Ha ha ha ha ha..." Hoi looked panicked and his eyes darted around the hall looking for a possible escape route.
Riou laughed, "Welcome to Alantica Castle. Make yourself at home Hoi." He started up to the Great Hall and turned back to look at the thief seriously, "No stealing while you're here." Then he grinned, full of that boyish charm, "And everyone here knows who I am so don't play around. At least to much."
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A/N: Well did it suck? The ending was a little rushed...but I was running out of creative juices. Sorry. R&R and I'll love you forever.