Times spent alone, By Luke's Dragon
Disclaimer
Sukioden and Sukioden II and all related characters are property of Komani LTD. Also this fic contains spoilers and the occasional bad joke. The little epitaph thingy is from Def Leopard's 'When Love and Hate Collide'. Not mine either.
A/n
A short (slightly fluffy) one shot Mcdohl/Kasumi fic, set between Sukio 1 and 2, a pre-cursor to 'Judgement'. Once again we have the beloved perspective switching, although not really. It's just that the last part is 1st person. That's about all really. Just note as with all my Sukio fics Tir Mcdohl is referred to as Hazel Mcdohl (my name for him during the game) and this fic follows the 'bad ending' from Sukio 1. As always R&R please people.
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Without you one night alone, it's like a year without you baby Do you have a heart at all? ~ Def Leopard
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*** Troford, Harmonia
It was a warm summers day in the Holy Kingdom of Harmonia, the summer had been one of the warmest that even the oldest living soul could remember, the weather, although good for the farmers and children was something of a pain for travelers. This meant that several wanderers had taken up the small rather cramped rooms in The Queens Hairbrush Inn, located in one of the smallest backwater villages in the whole of the world, Troford. The town, although saying that, to call it a village was something of an exaggeration. Anyway whatever the place was, was home to the inn, a few farms, a local shop and about ten houses. It was the only place for miles around and was quite simply the sort of place people went to on their way somewhere else.
It was not the sort of place that usually saw legendary heroes, which suited Hazel Mcdohl nicely. He had heard that war was coming down in the city state of Jowston and had been thinking about travelling back to the south in the coming autumn, but for now all he wanted to do was enjoy the summer sun and rest. The journeys he had been on in the past three years seemed to have taken so much out of him, much more than it should have done really. After all there had been nothing he had fought that had been much of a challenge, the occasional bandit or wolf but nothing like he had seen in the past.
The memories of three years ago, in the Imperial place were still lingering in his mind, but seemed rather unclear. He knew that he had fought the elite imperial guards and the monsters created by sorceress Windy's powers, that they had beaten the Emperor and his rune, and that whilst escaping his good friends Viktor and Flik had been lost saving his life. Following that, and this part he could remember as clear as day, he spent one last night, just looking over the city of Gregminster, trying to say goodbye to all his memories.
And just as he had been about to leave he had been joined by Kasumi, even now he marveled at her uncanny ability to turn up at the worst possible time. Even now Hazel wondered if he had really done the right thing by leaving her and all his responsibilities and everyone who had believed in him behind. No he had done the right thing; there had been no other choice but to leave. Even if he had wanted to stay and lead the Toran Republic (and he didn't) there was the none too small matter of the Soul Eater rune.
Sometimes, well most of the time actually, he wished with all his heart that he did not have the accursed thing embedded within his skin. The rune that would give him immortality at the price of taking everyone he loved from him. It would give him eternity, but it would be an eternity alone, but no matter what his feelings for Kasumi or anyone else might be, it seemed so much safer to keep away from anyone getting close to him. Safer perhaps, but by no means easier.
Looking at the sky Hazel saw that the sun was starting to set over the hills and the air was growing cooler. After returning to his room at the inn and gathering his meager amount of belongings together Hazel set off out of the village, it was time to continue his journey but first of all there was something he wanted to do. He had heard a certain local legend that, although highly skeptical of he wanted to check out, after all, what harm could it do?
*** Rokkaku, Toran Republic
Kasumi was bored. In fact bored did not even begin to describe how bored she was. Kasumi was so bored she was so bored she had discovered that she was also apathetic, in fact she was on the verge of making up her own words to describe how bored she was. The problem was that being vice-chancellor seemed to involve doing anything anyone else didn't want to do.
It wasn't fair, after all she was a highly trained killing machine who deserved better than buying corn and supervising deliveries to the shop. Absentmindedly Kasumi began to doodle on one of the many pieces of paper that littered her desk, one day she was going to get around to reading them all.
It made sense though that nice summer days like this should be much better spent outside rather than cooped up inside like some public official. Not that being outside was much more fun, after all the rebuilding had been completed the ninja village had embarked on a vigorous training program. Which meant that most of her friends were always too busy to do anything even on the rare occasions Kasumi managed to battle her way past the paper demons. God she hated paper demons, despite the fact she had made them up herself for something to do. Paper demons were no substitute for real adventures.
Kasumi sighed pointedly, despite the fact that no one was around to hear her. Three years ago she had fought for the Liberation army, three years ago she had a purpose, and there had been Hazel. She blushed at the memory; such feelings were inappropriate for a ninja to have, especially towards her former leader. Besides what was the point? Hazel had not been seen for many months, and although she doubted much could have happened to him, he was certainly a long way from home.
Sighing to herself again Kasumi turned back to her work, but not before her doodle had caught her eye, a rather badly drawn heart with a few letters scrawled in it without her even noticing. She tore it up, blushing again, but also smiling a smile that someone had once told her was beautiful like lightning in the summer. But of course there was no one around who wanted to see it.
*** Troford Shrine
I don't know why I'm doing this, hiking up a mountain at night just because some slack-jawed yokels think that there is a magic fairy that lives here. But obviously I couldn't not go and check it out, I suppose it's what I get for choosing to wander all over the world looking for trouble. Still, no adventurer worth his salt would pass up a tip off like this.
Not that I think I am a very good adventurer mind, I think I read somewhere that they all have swords and big spiky hair. Me? I've got a staff and I haven't taken my bandana off for ages, but I don't think I've got spiky enough hair. Plus I'm not doing this for the gold, or even for a good deed done, I'm doing this for myself.
I suppose I've always been a little bit selfish, jeez when I was a kid I was a total spoilt brat, I've grown up a lot though in these past three years. Even so I still left everything behind, and despite all the sufferings I've seen on my journey, I haven't helped people out as much as I should. I have the power to do so, one thing about Soul Eater, it does give me power. Its just I'm afraid to use it.
As for this shrine, its supposed to be home to a fairy or something that shows you what your heart most desires. I don't know why I'm bothering, I already know what I'll see and it won't be pretty, besides all it can be is an illusion, and if I wanted to see things, I could just close my eyes and try to sleep.
But I still press on, I guess I must be a glutton for punishment, and suddenly I'm hit with a bout of concern and I'm not sure what my heart wants. It's a very ambiguous phrase and the sort of thing that is more complex than it seems, what I want is all my friends to be alive, no more war and suffering, no more Soul Eater, and Kasumi. Huh not much to ask for is it?
So here it is then, the mystic pool, according to the sign I have to give food as an offering, so I do. I just hope this is worth it. A figure appears in the water, female and ghostly as all spirits like this tend to be, and she speaks in a voice that is surprisingly solid, like a strict school teacher.
"So do you wish to see your heart's fondest desire?"
I nod. After walking all this way it seems pointless to leave now. The woman disappears and the water ripples, first it turns black, deep black and then it clears slightly, revealing a smile that reminds me of summer lightning before the image fades.
It seems like I have a long way left to go then, after all the Toran Republic is a hell of a long way from here, but it seems like I have to go back to where this all started. Because maybe I've been running away, when what I really should be doing is fighting. But I'm sure I'll have changed my mind by the morning. I'll have recovered my senses and decided that it's too risky to do anything about my heart.
Which reminds me, didn't someone make me promise to always follow my heart? Dammnit I don't have much choice then, my father always told me to keep my promises.