The Best Tenkai According To...
By himig
Summary: Inspired by the topic "The Best Tenkai" in CNW; each star from Suikoden I to Suikoden V come together to discuss who the best Tenkai is. Yes, that includes Thomas.
Disclaimer: Don't own Suikoden.
Author's Notes: I was inspired mostly by the Thomas jokes we were pulling while discussing the best Tenkai. Haha, you can guess who's always last on the list. Anyway, this is AN IMPORTANT NOTE: I never played S3 – S5 xD so if anyone's willing to help me...haha.
This was originally "The Best Tenkai According To..." the different stars, but I fell in love with the Tenkai's suddenly XDDD I will insert many stars/characters though.
Warning: HUMOR HUMOR HUMOR. Not so much in this chapter. I'm imagining the castle soundtrack from S2! Oh, and some cursing...
The Best Tenkai According To...
...the TRAGIC past
This is the first part of the story!
TIR MCDOHL – TYPICAL GOOD-NATURED 'COOL' BOY, SON OF A GENERAL
RIOU – QUIET BUT CONFIDENT AND STRONG BOY, ADOPTED SON OF A HERO
THOMAS – AVERAGE SHY BUT RIGHTEOUS BOY, SON OF AN UNCARING POLITICIAN
LAZLO EN KULDES – SPLIT-PERSONALITY BOY, SON OF THE PREVIOUS OWNER OF THE RUNE OF PUNISHMENT
FREYJADOUR FALENAS – DILIGENT AND SMART, OVERPROTECTIVE BROTHER/BOY, SON OF THE PREVIOUS QUEEN OF FALENA
"...I'm not really sure how to start."
"Well," the silver-haired prince said, trying to settle his discomfort with the way he sat. "How come we have to sit on pillows, not on chairs?"
"It's the traditional Japanese style in formal gatherings," the boy with a gold circlet around his forehead answered, completely comfortable sitting on his calves.
He gritted his teeth, pain shaking from his legs. Despite this, he grunted with sarcasm, "Really? I supposed we have biscuits and teas from Britain..."
"No, just tea," the boy answered happily, raising a hot pot of tea from the hearth lying on the centre of the five young men. To emphasize the tea, the sipping of an Island Nation native resounded in the quiet room peacefully.
"This is a tea ceremony, you know," the Island Nations native said, putting down his tea bowl.
The one from Toran looked around the tea room doubtfully. "Shouldn't this place go to Lepant's group, or Tai Ho's..."
"I think there was a mistake."
The Toran and Island Nations looked at each other, then at the last member who has yet to speak.
"Er...! You don't like it?"
The boy from Toran smiled boyishly. "No, I think it's all right! It is peaceful, so I don't mind." The Island Nations native nodded. "It doesn't exactly suit me, but the setting compliments us anyway."
"I love it," the boy with the circlet agreed, nodding with enthusiasm.
"..."
Everyone looked at the prince.
"...I..."
The one from Toran grinned, pointing a finger towards the door. "There is a bathroom..."
"Prince Freyjadour, you don't really have to seat like that..."
The prince looked at the young castle owner, then the pose everyone was holding. A twitching eyebrow glared as he looked again at Thomas, comfortably sitting on his calves. His head hang down.
"I refuse to give up..."
The Island Nation native inhaled the tea aroma pleasantly. "You got your father's Island Nations stubbornness."
"I suppose you have one too, Lazlo?"
He smiled at the prince. "No, I was born before Island Nations Federation was formed." His eyes sparked mysteriously in a shroud of darkness. "I only had cunningness to survive, hehehe..."
"..."
"...I can still feel on my hands Snowe's father's feet and its odious, nauseating scent. Oh, they fed me well, but so many days I couldn't eat...each bite, I felt like I was eating the...the...THING in the middle of those hairy toes...and Snowe. That bastard loved scarring the hell out of me to make me piss my pants..."
The Toran hero was the only one who was too shocked to be able to say something. "I thought Snowe was your best friend."
Suddenly, light gave way from Lazlo's reappearing smile, shooing the ominous blue spirits that were floating around his head. The Toran hero almost fell backwards at the angelic smile on his face.
"Of course he is! Snowe had never posed himself as a master, but as a friend even though I was a servant!"
"Then..."
"—but now that I'm less of a stupid pushover who would believe Nay-Kobolds are spawns from Hell, those memories of heart-threatening misadventures and traumatic situations I was forcibly thrust into makes me want to let him taste it twice...no, three times...hundred times...eternally..." Lazlo shook darkly.
"...okay..."
"We all had dark days," the prince commented. His eyes travelled to the ceiling in thought. "Hmm...well, mine wasn't that traumatic, before the civil war, of course. Before Lym was born or before Lyon was with me, I've always been taken care of really well. I already know my position politically isn't significant. My parents told me that straightforwardly, but no one can just say that. They muttered more against my parents' backs, so I just have to withstand them with patience. My father said I should just remain strong..."
"That's why you're still going to sit like that, Prince?" the Toran hero snickered slyly. The prince, reminded of his sitting position, suddenly turned purple and shook.
The circlet-wearing boy laughed gently, less on the Toran hero's statement. "The Prince and I have similar stories, except it's in a normal village setting. I was bullied because I was adopted...and my sister says it's because I let them...I guess she's right." He stuck his tongue out, rubbing the back of his head. "How about you, Tir?"
Tir smiled at his reminisce. "Well, Gremio really took care of me. There was also Cleo, Pahn, Master Kai...everyone. Though I miss my father from time to time, I'm proud of him. Even when I was kidnapped during the Succession War...well, it was scary, but I know they'd come for me."
Tir then noticed the castle owner's' face falling. "Thomas, what's wrong?"
Thomas looked up, forcing a smile. "Ha? Um...it just made me think of my father...well, I really wanted to know more of my father, but he doesn't really want me..."
Silence.
"I mean...does he really look at me as a son? Did he love me? Loved mother? I didn't really come to him for money, but he's my father, so I thought...I thought I'd find home with him even though we've never really met..."
Prince Freyjadour fixed his eyes at Thomas.
"This hobbit is scoring."
The occupants of the room almost jumped to their feet at the sound of familiar villainous laughter. When they stirred around, they found the source to be Lazlo.
"HAHAHA!" Lazlo slowly stood up, smirking at Thomas. "I grew up as a servant, no parents, no clue who I really was!" One of his swords escaped from its scabbard. Thomas edged away as Lazlo pointed it near his nose. "And it was FREAKINGLY one hundred fifty years—"
"That's my timeline," Tir interrupted.
"Thomas is fifteen years after Riou, and Rio is three years after Tir, so one hundred fifty plus eighteen...that'd be one hundred sixty-eight years..."
Tir blinked at the prince. "You can add?"
"What? It's basic math..."
"No, it's just that none of us here underwent schooling. For some reason, all I was taught was how to wield the staff."
"Did you ask your mentor what the point of algebra is?"
"Yea."
"What happened?"
"He taught me how to wield the staff."
"Pythagorean Theorem?"
"Taught me how to wield the staff."
"Trigonometry?"
"Taught me how to wield the staff."
"Application of pie?"
"Told me to ask Gremio."
Prince Freyjadour was silent. "I think I already lost this round." He looked at the circlet-wearing boy. "You too, Riou?"
'I'm not that stupid. You use pie to hit someone on the face."
"..."
The Prince went back to see if Thomas was still in one piece or not, or if he hasn't broken into tears yet.
"—CONSIDER YOURSELF DAMN LUCKY, YOU WIMP! YOU HAVEN'T TASTED SLIME WITH JUST A SINGLE SNIFF! THE NYA-KOBOLD WILL GET YOU!"
"Wh-what's a Ny-ny-nya-ko-bbbold?"
"THEY'RE SPAWNS FROM HELL! NYAAAA!"
"I think it's time to end this session," the prince said loudly over the swishing of Lazlo's swords and Thomas' cries. "To all Stars of Destiny (aka reader), please don't forget to vote for the Tenkai who has the most tragic past in your comment, just for the heck of it."
"We're going to read the Comment Box tomorrow?" Riou asked.
"Or many, many, months later. It depends if Thomas could still come the next time. My story hasn't been updated..."
"Yea, you didn't get as many reviews," Tir teased the prince.
Riou sighed. "My novelization hasn't been updated at all...I think it's on hold..."
"Wait! Please stop, Laaazzloo!"
"NYAAAA!"