I was playing through the Suikoden series again (am actually working through IV right now) when my head exploded with various drabbles and ideas. So I decided to write them down (when I'm not busy staving off a war and recruiting stars of destiny).

Disclaimer: I don't own Suikoden. I only own the thought processes that went into this story.

In Regards to Viki
Young Viki and Hugo
SE 561

It was at a council meeting nearly one hundred years after the Second Fire Bringer War ended that he ran into the young teleportress again. He had been attending a Ambassadorial summit in Harmonia, as a representative of the Grasslands, when he noticed her in the halls walking away at a brisk pace.

"Hey, Chris? Doesn't that girl look like the young Viki?" Chris Lightfellow, the ambassador for Zexen, looked the direction that the Karayan chief had pointed and gasped.

"You don't think...?"

"Why wouldn't I? With everything we've seen over the years, do you really find it incredulous that someone besides us would have a True Rune?"

"Well no. But...Viki?"

"Ah...well...hmm. Okay, I see your point Lady Knight," he replied with a grin. "But, I suppose odder things have happened."

"Truer words were never spoken. Oh well. I don't suppose we'll ever know the truth though." Chris stopped walking when she realized Hugo was no longer beside her in the long hallway. A glance behind revealed him standing there, eyebrows scrunched together in thought. "What is it?"

"I was just recalling something that happened during the war and trying to put the pieces together." When Chris did nothing but raise a solitary eyebrow he continued, "Did I ever tell you HOW we met the younger version of Viki?"

"No, I don't think you ever did. We were all really busy at the time if I recall correctly," she replied with just a trace of sarcastic humour in her voice. "And you were too busy being young and despising the ground for holding me upright." Hugo laughed.

"Yeah, I suppose so. Well, towards the end of the war, there was a small party of us that were heading for La Buque. Before we had even gotten started ascending the mountain trail Viki had one of her infamous sneezing fits and completely disappeared. Standing where she had just been was this very serious little girl. I was fairly sure Sergeant was going to have a heart attack. She knew who I was, summoned Viki back, and gave me the Blinking Mirror with the words 'I guess I should give this back to you'. Of that entire encounter, that last bit had always confused me the most. I had never owned the Blinking Mirror, so what had she meant by 'give it back'."

"You don't think...she's from the future?"

"Well, sure, I guess. I mean it makes more sence than other things that have happened in our lifetimes. The grown up Viki could teleport us ANYWHERE and had, on a least a couple of occasions, teleported from somewhere else entirely. I'm thinking its entirely possible she's accidentally sneezed her way through time. ESPECIALLY if she's got a True Rune." Hugo smiled at some unvoiced thought. "Ya know? I think it might also explain the drastic differences in their personalities."

"You mean from serious, book-loving, no nonsense Viki to our more...free-spirited, sunshine, unicorns and bumbling mistakes Viki?"

"Exactly. If she was sneezing her way through time...then I think it would be entirely possible for it to have messed with her psyche." Hugo paused and after a couple of seconds nodded to himself as if reaching a decision. "You know what? I think I need to go find her and give her something back." Hugo turned to head down the hallway they had seen the young girl disappear through. "I'll catch up!"

"Don't be to late Hugo! You know how Sasarai gets!" Chris yelled after him.

As he came running around the corner she had turned down Hugo had to come to a complete stop to avoid crashing into the very person he was seeking. Viki had stopped in front of a statue that, Hugo was embarrassed to notice, was of himself and the other three True Rune bearers of the war. Viki slowly turned her head to study the man who had intruded upon her solitude.

"You're Hugo the Flame Champion, aren't you?"

Hugo almost laughed through the deja vu. "And you're Viki."

"How'd you know that? I've never met you personally." Hugo smiled.

"I've heard of you. The shining new teleportress with limitless potential is talked about amongst the people I know. I wish to gift you with something that will aid you in the...years to come." Hugo slowly reached into his traveling bag and pulled out the ancient hand-held mirror. It had been wrapped in silks and tied in cord over the years to protect it's clear, mirror surface. They hadn't been able to use it since the adult Viki had disappeared a hundred years ago, but he carried it with him always. "I'd very much like for you to have this."

"What is it?" Viki slowly unwrapped the cords with a child's quizzical look.

"It's a blinking mirror." Viki's eyebrows shot up in surprise.

"I've only heard of one of these to be in existence. It first appeared during the Island Liberation War. How did you come to be in possession of this?"

"A friend gave it to me during the war and it proved to be invaluable." Hugo looked up at the statue and before he could blink there was a loud popping noise as if air was being sucked out. When he looked back there was an adult Viki standing in front of him with a very confused look on her face and a young Viki nowhere to be seen.

"Hugo? Weren't we just in the mountains? How'd we get here?" Hugo wanted to laugh.

"Hi Viki." And then she was gone again.