(AN: Oh, another fandom fic? Yup, before I uploaded chapter 1 of Treasure Trove, I was working on this!
Lucahjin's LP of Suikoden 1 got me super into it and now I downloaded Suikoden 2.
Cleo, Fu Su Lu, and Tir are the best characters btw.
In fact I love Cleo so much that I want her in some angst. So enjoy.)
The warriors of Toran Castle were alerted when a young child walked up to the steps of the castle, hands of wheelbarrow in hands.
"Master Tir. We have an unknown trespasser coming onto the castle's grounds," Mathiu said.
The child stopped and raised up a horn, blowing on it as a tune played.
"Tir McDohl of the Liberation Army! I have a message from General Teo McDohl of the Scarlet Moon Empire! May I request your time to come down and hear it?" The child yelled.
Cleo bit her lip when she heard the young boy's yells. Pahn still hadn't come back from his duel with Master Teo. Could it be that something happened to him? Perhaps he got kidnapped, or maybe-
No… Master Teo wouldn't…
Cleo could see Tir walk down the steps. Passing by Fu Su Lu and Kirkis, the leader of their army simply had no emotion on his face as he walked. Cleo couldn't take that nobody intervened, so she followed him.
"Young Master…" She began, twiddling her thumbs. "I'm worried about this message. I'm sure you already know that Pahn hasn't come back yet. I-I mean, is the message good? Bad? Perhaps Master Teo has surrendered? Or maybe…. No no, just… please Young Master, I'm getting a bad feeling about this-"
Cleo was stopped by Tir who turned around. The boy simply shook his head.
"I… see… You still plan to see anyway. I guess I can't change your opinion now."
Finally, the two made it to the base of Toran Castle. The young boy looked at Tir, lowering his brows.
"General Teo says this is a warning to you and any other and ALL traitors apart of the Liberation Army."
With that, he left on a boat, leaving the wheelbarrow behind. It was covered in a blanket. Cleo could only guess what was under the blanket. Even the other members were watching from the balconies above.
Tir removed the blanket, and though Cleo didn't scream, what she saw made her drop to her knees and cover her mouth.
It was Pahn's severed head.
Hours had passed since Teo's 'gift' to the Liberation Army had been sent. While Tir requested that Pahn's head be cremated, Cleo was confined to her room.
She was reminding herself what she told Tir after Gremio's death; "Death and war are inseperable…"
Was the same coming true once again? Has she failed to protect the ones she knew best? First Gremio, now Pahn… she knew she was the only one who could take care of Master Tir.
But it felt so hard… At this point, Cleo wanted to throw her knives to the ground, stomp on them, leave the world of fighting and war forever, and live somewhere peacefully. After all, she knew Master Tir was strong enough now to take care of himself.
But that would mean everyone he was close to was now gone… his father, Ted, Gremio, Pahn, and then… her… Not only that, where COULD she go? She knew the Empire would NEVER take her back… perhaps she could come back crawling to Master Teo and join their side like Pahn had…
This was too much for Cleo, shaking her head, she got up from the room she formerly shared with the martial artist, and made her ways to the upper floors of Toran Castle.
"Ms. Cleo?" Marie asked. "Are you okay?"
Cleo ignored the inn lady as she continued walking. She stood in front of Tir's room and cleared her throat.
"Y… Young Master? May I enter?"
No response. That's how she knew it was okay.
"Young Master… I… I just don't know what to say really…" She began. "I feel like crying but I just… can't."
Tir looked at her, no emotion in his eyes.
"I want to believe Master Teo didn't want to kill Pahn… but you saw the "gift" he gave us… it's… it's too much…"
Cleo let her hands run through her hair. "Losing Gremio was painful enough as is… Young Master… please, I beg of you. If Gremio and Pahn were here, they'd have one final wish for me, and that is to take care of you. Please… Tir… I know you're becoming a stronger young man, but I don't want to lose you too…"
Here she was, referring to the Liberation Army leader not as Young Master, but as just… Tir. It only showed her how strongly she felt affected by her close friends' death.
"It's just… this is becoming too much for all of us. I hoped that we'd continue to live happy and peacefully with you, me, Gremio, Pahn, Ted, and Master Teo, but no… everything has to crumble around us and take away everyone we love! And worst of all… I'm just standing at the sidelines doing nothing! And if I keep this up… I really WILL lose you…"
She turned away from Tir. "I'm… sorry. I don't mean to look weak in front of you. I'll just be going now-"
Before she could leave, the young boy hugged her from behind. She was taken back to a flashback, in which a younger Tir hugged her from behind after Teo left.
"Now Young Master, your father will be gone for a brief while. Don't cry, I promise me and Gremio will entertain you. In fact, would you like him to read you a story tonight? I'll be glad to join if you want." She smiled at the crying boy. This calmed Tir down just a little.
"If… if… Only if Pahn can join along too…" Tir replied, wiping his tears with the back of his hands.
"Young Master, you know I don't do well with children's fantasy!" Pahn replied.
"Oh Pahn, just for Young Master?" Gremio asked.
"Fine… I suppose. Besides, if I didn't, then I guarantee you would NEVER let me hear the end of this, Gremio!"
As Cleo returned to the present, she heard Tir say softly.
"I won't go anywhere. I'll protect you too…"
The tears she had been wanting to shed finally rolled down…