Part 1
This fic came about on a whim after Thomas was browsing around, listening to Chumbawamba's "Mary, Mary". I hope you like this fic. It was fun to do. Originally, this fic was going to be a one-shot spoof but Joan insisted I write more, so... maybe later when I have time. ^^ Suikoden III and all characters are (C) Konami. This fic was made by a fan for fans. Please don't sue.
Ear-deafening, pulsating noises unlike Thomas Kent had ever heard blasted in his ears. He shook his head and opened his eyes to find himself in a place like he had never seen before. Several lights, shining in a building without candle light, like rays from sunlight, beamed down upon travellers dressed in strange clothing. If there was one thing he recognised, it was the stench this room emitted... a smell much like beer and unsavory kind. He looked down at his table, created by shimmering material Thomas had never seen before.
He was in a tavern of some sort with burly men twice his age. Where was he? Thomas had never before seen places that had such ear-deafening music - was it music? More like pounding drums seemingly coming from black boxes. In the center of the room was a long stage made of hard, silken wood and suppored by brass poles. Better question yet, what was he doing there?
When suddenly, if it was even possible, the roar from the crowd grew even louder. Whistles and wolf calls pierced the air as the stage's red curtains parted, revealing a girl clad in a red robe with feathery trim. She was a tall girl, but other than that, she kept herself well hidden underneath that robe. Two beams of light shone upon her as a voice ten times louder than the crowd screamed, "Let's welcome our star for tonight! Don't be fooled by her sweet face. She is ready to give you all a beautiful show. Let's give a warm round of applause for..."
Her name was drowned out by roaring applause. Never before in his life had Thomas heard such loud noise. He thought his ears would burst at any second. But then, the girl slipped her robe from her head and off her shoulders.
Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee.
Blessed art thou amongst women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb Jesus.
Holy Mary, mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the end of our death.
Amen.
A distinctive song began to play. Long, blond hair cascaded down her shoulders, reaching to her back. Large blue eyes twinkled at the audience, her pink lips forming a sexy smile. Her face was round and soft, yet mature. She winked to the audience and as she placed her fingers upon her lips, Thomas felt a rush like he had never felt before. She was the most beautiful girl... beautiful, yet strangely familiar. He had seen her face before, and perhaps a certain resemblance to a certain girl he knew made her all the more attractive.
'Wait... these features...'
She blew a kiss to the audience. Those lips, so soft and yielding... so tempting...
'She couldn't be...'
She strode foward towards the audience with absolute assuredness, her hips sashaying in a provocitave manner. Even from under that red robe, her generous curves protruded, teasing her prospective audience. The crowd whistled and went wild, growling in a manner animals would when calling a mate. Still, she kept smiling, continuing her dance. However, to Thomas, her lovely appearance struck a recognition in him.
'Cecile?!'
No virgin me for I have sinned.
I sold my soul for sex and gin.
Go call a priest, all meek and mild
And tell him, Mary, no more a child.
She twirled around and threw her robe behind her. She was clad in the smallest of small red undergarments, barely covering her feminine virtues. Thomas nearly fell off his chair in shock. If this was Cecile, she had certainly grown up! She was much taller - exemplified by her long legs - and definitely older. Despite everything, Thomas lost herself in her, believing that it was Cecile in front of her. She was beautiful... pale skin covering a curved body accented with well-toned muscles. Her hair brushed her tight rear ever so teasingly as she swayed her body in a manner that Thomas never thought possible.
And despite himself, he felt a tingling rush build up inside of him. Was this truly Cecile? If she was... how did she age so quickly?
It's raining stones, it raining bile
From the luxury of your denial.
So I don't deny, I don't make do.
I'll press alarms, place bets on truth.
She raised one of her long legs high upon a brass pole and leaned back, smiling sweetly. Her silken hair sweeped down, caressing her shoulders as it fell behind her back. A hand not belonging to her reached up to graze her soft skin and Thomas felt a burning rage of jealousy fire inside of him.
Jealousy? Yes, it was jealousy. How dare that lowlife touch Cecile like that? Cecile deserved much better! He had the urge to get up right then and there to teach that low-life a lesson until he realized that said man was twice as tall as Thomas himself. All he could do was watch helplessly and worriedly...
... secretly hoping she would come his way.
I'm so up-and-down
And I love what's not allowed.
I was lost, now I see
And now I'm growing old disgracefully.
She slid downwards on the pole.
What ever happened to Mary?
What ever happened to Mary?
What ever happened to Mary?
What ever happened to...?
Her rear fell in the awaiting hands of several men who were more than eager to touch her. But instead of making moves, as Thomas believed they would, they slipped paper into her undergarments and in her shoes. Thomas blinked. What kind of establishment was this? Much to Thomas' relief, several men dressed in blue suits and black hats dragged the rowdy ones away.
Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee.
Blessed art thou amongst women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb Jesus.
Holy Mary, mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the end...
With the grace of a dancer, Cecile leapt from the stage and onto a table full of more rowdy men. Tapping her feet to the beat and waving her body provocatively, she caused more men to growl and cheer like low-life animals. Then, she turned her head Thomas' way.
He blushed.
Smiling in a way he had never seen her smile before, blue eyes shimmering, she strode over to Thomas' lone table. The music seemed to diminish into the background and his heartbeats grew louder as she perched herself upon his table, leaning her head towards him. Droplets of sweat trickled down her body, accenting her smooth curves and toned muscles even further. He stared at her face. Those eyes... that smile... she looked so much like Cecile!
"Cecile... is that you?"
Thomas' soft voice was barely audiable over the music and the roaring audience, but she seemed to hear him just fine. "What was that, darling?" she asked sweetly.
That voice. That was her's! It had to be Cecile! "What are you doing here?"
"Tee hee hee... Sit back and enjoy the show. Or aren't you enjoying yourself, handsome?" Ever so lightly, she wrapped her arms around his neck and brushed her body upwards, her well-endowed breasts bouncing in front of his eyes.
Thomas' face grew an amazing shade of red. By that time, his confusion had gone and all he saw in front of him was beautiful Cecile. How he longed to take her home, take her away from this place...
... and touch her...
Mary, Mary, Mary quite contrary.
Mary, Mary, Mary quite contrary.
Mary, Mary, Mary quite contrary.
Mary, Mary, Mary quite contrary.
She leaned her head on Thomas' shoulder and whispered teasingly in his ear, "Now... won't you wake up and find me, Mas-ter Tho-mas?"
His amber eyes flew open in shock. She giggled and brushed her sweet rear just inches before his face before she returned to her dance onstage. Thomas blinked.
'Cecile...? Is that really Cecile...?'
His heart raced. His head grew dizzy and everything around him seemed to swirl around... the establishment... the crowd... Cecile... a much older Cecile... and everything. Returning to blackness, he closed his eyes, swearing he heard Sebastian's voice calling to him.
"Master Thomas... Master Thomas...!"
"Master Thomas! Oh, Master Thomas, do wake up. You've overslept yet again. And might I say, you look ill."
Thomas opened his eyes abruptly. Birds chirped outside and he was greeted to the scent of fresh air. He was back in his room at Budehuc Castle... So was that all a dream? He put a hand to his forehead. His brow... his entire body... was covered in sweat. Beside his bed was Sebastian, present as always.
"Master Thomas! Are you sure you're all right? Perhaps I should send a messenger to find Dr. Tuta..."
"I'm fine, Sebastian. Just had a strange dream, that's all." Thomas smiled shakily, forcing himself to get out of bed. He wore only a long shirt and undergarments, but Sebastian wasn't bothered in the slightest. "Has Garrison Commander Cecile returned yet?"
"I'm afraid not." Sebastian frowned, shaking his head.
Thomas placed a hand to his chin. "That's odd... She left a week to deliver a message for me. It shouldn't take this long to go and return from Vinay Del Zexay, is it?"
"Perhaps it had everything to do with that so-called oracle that came last week!" Sebastian exclaimed. "You remember her, don't you, Master Thomas? She showed up unexpectedly to tell us all our fortunes. Piccolo was raving mad!"
"I think I do... Unfortunately, I was sealing a business proposition so I wasn't around for her to tell me my fortune."
"And you very well shouldn't believe in that nonsense! I don't know why Piccolo does what he does, but I don't believe in fortune telling. They are simply good at reading others faces, that's all. Who's to say that these predictions come true?"
Thomas chided Sebastian with a gentle wave of his hand. "I remember one of the last things that oracle said was she would forget an item of her's. That would be... a red robe..."
He paused.
'That dream... she was wearing a red robe! She looked so much like Cecile, but older...'
But he continued the conversation quickly before Sebastian found another reason to fret. "Cecile offered to return it to her. That was last week." He looked at Sebastian, eyebrows tilted upwards. "I'm worried about Cecile. I'm going to go find her."
"But Master Thomas! If you leave, who will take care of affairs at Budehuc Castle? I understand your concern for her, but she can take care of herself. Perhaps back then it would have been fine, but now Budehuc is a full-fledged community, you need to be here in case anything bad happens."
"I understand..." Thomas muttered disappointedly. "I guess I have no choice but to stay behind. Umm... Sebastian, perhaps you could ask Juan to take Piccolo and look for her."
Sebastian jumped. "But sir...! Sending our dojo master and our resident fortune teller away on such a... a... whim?!"
Thomas smiled softly. "Don't worry about it, Sebastian. Just do as I say, okay? Pretty please?"
"Ooohh..." Sebastian slumped his shoulders. Even though Thomas was one of the most polite masters he had ever met, Thomas had one heck of a stubborn streak. If he made up his mind about something, nothing changed his mind. Sighing in defeat, Sebastian left the room.
The second Sebastian closed the door, Thomas slumped back down on his bed. Truthfully, he didn't feel like getting up that day. It was true, Cecile hadn't been seen since a week ago. At first, Thomas thought she had gotten lost or she was simply sightseeing. But as the days passed, he began to worry. Now, that worry had grown into panic - blind panic at this rate. Which is why he was a bit relieved to have that dream. It meant that in some way, Cecile was still alive.
And God, she was beautiful. For a moment, Thomas felt like the luckiest young man in the world.
"What a way to start the day..." Thomas muttered to himself. He laid down, placing his head on his pillow, and before he knew what happened, he fell in a state of unconscious once more.
"Thomas Kent. So we meet again."
Thomas blinked. He found himself in a room completely white. Had he fallen asleep again? At least he was in a scape less stranger than his last dream. Standing across from him was a girl who appeared half Thomas' age. However, looks were deceiving. Truth be told, she was hundreds of years old and could see even farther beyond that. She sat by a round table covered by a red robe. No other objects were nearby.
"You're that oracle... the one that visited us a week ago." Thomas finally said.
The woman nodded. "Yes, that's right. Come closer, child. I won't hurt you."
Thomas tentatively moved forward.
"Have a seat."
To his surprise, he had stopped right in front of a chair. He looked inquisitively at the woman, but she gestured once again for him to sit. He did so, but looked uncomfortable.
"You come seeking the girl, is that correct?" she spoke.
Thomas abruptly rose to his feet. "Where is Cecile? Do you know where she is? I'm so worried about her..."
The woman chuckled. "Please... sit down, Thomas. All will be revealed in time."
Reluctantly, Thomas sat back down. Already, he wished he could get up and leave. But even still, if he left, what would happen if he ran into trouble? He wasn't very strong like Juan and Cecile, or had magical protection like Piccolo. All he was was an ordinary boy. An ordinary boy with a heart, he was told, but still very ordinary.
"Tell me your problems, my child." the oracle continued. Thomas was about to open his mouth when she held a hand to silence him. "Your face speaks volumes... deafening, even. You feel like you're not really special in any way. You've experienced a war and yet, you don't believe you're much of anything... not a person that anyone can look up to."
"Well... yeah..." Thomas muttered. "What does that have to do with Cecile?"
"You believe that as of now, you can't protect her."
Slowly, Thomas nodded.
"Ah, but that's where you're wrong. You can protect her. You see, Thomas, you are unlike any other in this world. Your powers, although dormant, had not the chance to be awakened... that is, until now."
"My... powers...?" Thomas repeated. "You must be making some mistake. I have no special powers of my own."
"What if I tell you that its these same powers which will allow you to find Cecile? Will you still deny yourself then?"
Thomas bit his lip, gazing at the red robe which covered the table. There was no mistaking it, this was the same red robe which Cecile wore in that dream. 'The oracle has a point. However, everyone has some unique ability in the world. What makes me any special? I bet it's only something anybody can do...'
"You may not understand them now as they should not even be awakened yet. They cannot be put to effective use until far, far into the future. However, circumstances have caused your abilities to awaken and it is these same abilities which will let you find Cecile. You may not know how to use them now, but you will have full control one day. For now, please rely on your instincts. If you need me to offer a measure of proof, please go ahead and look at yourself. You shall find a mirror to your right."
Thomas did as he was told. Just like he said, to his right was a full-length mirror. He looked at himself and to his surprise, he found himself much taller and older than he had known himself to be. His face was still somewhat the same, however, his hair was much neater, trimmed and cropped a little to give a windswept look. He was clad in some sort of form-fitting, sleeveless attire which showed off a well-defined body... one that he never dreamed of having. He looked down at his hands and then his arms to find that he truly wasn't seeing a phantasm. His body was different. Older...
Just like Cecile...
"Have you had any strange dreams lately?"
The young man nodded slowly, trying to absorb the oracle's words. "Just one from last night... And now this one."
"Ahh... but perhaps these dreams are more real than you expect them to be."
The oracle looked up. Her violet eyes glowed with a crystal clear shimmer much like a glass ball. When Thomas looked in them, he could hear her thoughts, see what she had seen and what she will. "Your beloved, Cecile, is trapped in a place where space and reality collide. You, Thomas Kent, are the only one who can save her."
"Eh? Just me? Why only me?"
"Because, Thomas Kent. You are... The One."