Note: The last part of the fic is finished. It's, unfortunately for some of you, a somewhat happy ending. The characters are still out of character if you think they don't act like this. Obviously this is shonen-ai as the warning from the other two parts say and the game is owned by Konami. Please don't read this if you don't want to read about two males kissing!
Part 3: The Truth
Trying to travel a distance in a few days that may take a week is no easy task, especially on foot. It was times like these when I missed having a steed, but at the same time I was moving faster than I have in days. It actually felt nice to stretch out my legs and run some miles. Maybe I should incorporate a long run into my daily training routine once I return to Brass Castle. Training…just thinking about that makes me realize how little I've done this past month. I hope Borus doesn't notice how lazy I've become without him around to challenge. Did I just mention Borus? Well Borus might be busy with the upcoming wedding, so…
So I probably should tell you where I am. I am in the Plain of Amur, somewhat past Karaya Village, where I stayed last night. Hugo smiled as I showed my face once again in the village that we burned down a year ago. He sure grew up fast in one year, in that war. We all grow too old too fast anyway.
"I guess you needed a month in the Grasslands to want to go home. It's not as good as going into Zexen. One second surrounded by ironheads and I want to go home as soon as I can," Hugo joked as I sat down on one of the expertly weaved mats that covered the hard floor of the hut. Though decorative, it wasn't much of a cushion. Hugo wondered how I could stand small spaces; he said that was uncomfortable. I'd have to say that sitting on the ground was more uncomfortable.
"I don't want to imply that you are a child," I said, watching him frown, "but the problem isn't something you could understand. It hasn't been cured yet." I realized that the reason I returned was based solely on a rumor of Chris's marriage, and I really hadn't spent much time investigating if it was actually true.
"So why are you back then?" he asked with childish boldness. I thought to myself, if I had been like that with my feelings about Borus, then I wouldn't have had so much trouble.
"Um, I heard that Chris was having her wedding soon. Do you know anything about it?" I said, not really answering his question. He could probably figure that I returned on rumor of her wedding from that statement.
"Wedding? Chris? Not a thing," Hugo said, shaking his head. "Chris would have told me. We're good friends." As he sat there trying to recall if she mentioned a wedding to him, I berated myself for acting on my impulses once again. I should have known better than to trust a Calerian, especially a merchant.
"Well maybe she's not going to have one," I said, admitting my possible error. "Anyway, I probably have a lot of work to do after a month's absence. Plus I am a bit out of training right now."
"Oh really?" said Hugo, a bit surprised I presumed. "I haven't been out much either because Mother wants me inside, listening to chiefs' talk." He frowned. "I really don't see the point of all that talking. For all that talk they don't seem to do very much."
I smiled at the kid's annoyance. It reminded me of how I was like as a teen (actually of how I am now) and I knew exactly how it felt. "Well she's preparing you to be a chief," I said, as if defending her. "When you're chief…"
"I'd make them speak to me clearly. No weird stuff," Hugo said, emphasizing the word "weird". I laughed. Hugo suddenly decided he did not want to sit anymore and stood up to stretch. "Since I have the evening off," he suddenly said, "we can have our friendly duel now." I blinked at the randomness of the statement.
"Now?" I said, surprised. "Aren't you supposed to be a bit more hospitable? You're supposed to allow the guests to relax for the evening."
"Oh well," Hugo replied after he realized what I was referring to. "I don't have to treat ironheads nicely," he joked. "They're so mean, rude…"
I mocked anger as I responded. "Do you want to take this outside?" I asked.
"Sure," he smiled. "Let's see who's most out of shape."
I went along with his request. It was actually a great idea, because for once I wasn't thinking about Borus, Chris, or anything else but my blade and my opponent. It was quite enjoyable, taunting the teen and watching him unleash a fury of attacks while I avoided his knife. At first I noticed the difference in size between Hugo and my usual opponents, but it didn't seem to matter. The boy was fast on his feet, and good at pivoting. Unfortunately I was not at the level at the same level as the boy and in 15 minutes he had my throat under the tip of his knife.
"That was fun," Hugo said, removing his knife and sheathing it. "At least I can still beat somebody."
"I should never trust you when you say you are out of shape," I said as I huffed. "You're not even breaking a sweat."
"Well I was the Flame Champion. I better be good," he said, hitting his chest with his fist. "Next time you visit we can rematch. Then you can redeem yourself."
"Next time I'll probably lose in less time," I responded. "Well I'm really hungry," I said as my stomach growled. "Let's go in to eat."
You know what happened next. I obviously had my supper, went to bed, rose up early, and said farewell to Hugo. He waved to me as I left the village.
"I hope you enjoyed your stay. Please come back again," he said. I smiled.
"You sound like an innkeeper," I joked. He started laughing. It was something pleasant to think about before I returned to Brass Castle. As I stretched out my legs for another long run, I didn't notice the figure approaching me from the opposite direction. I must have completely missed the person, because suddenly he was right in front of me. Yes, a man with blonde hair and a beautiful face was right in front of me, and I barely missed colliding with him.
"I can't believe that you lied to Chris! For any reason!" Borus exclaimed as he recognized the person in front of him. Well, it wasn't the first thing I expected to hear from Borus, but it did confirm one of the Calerian rumors.
"Let me explain," I protested. He looked like he was seething from head to toe. I hoped that he didn't strangle me. "But after we go back to Brass Castle. I need to talk to Chris alone." I hoped he still trusted me to have a reason for lying.
Borus stared at me for a few seconds before formulating a response. "Okay, Percival. This is probably your only break," he said. "Next time…"
"I won't do this again, Borus. Thanks for telling me anyway," I said politely, knowing what he was going to say. I hoped I would not have to run away again. Running away was an excuse for children, and I certainly did not resemble one.
It was quite a silent trip back, but I did not want to ask him if he remembered that night when he dismissed me so harshly and "never wanted to see me again". Then maybe Chris made him search for me. Borus seemed kind of dreamy-like, but in a depressed manner. Was he dreading something? Then it probably wasn't a wedding between him and Chris like I had assumed. But what could be worse than the usual ignoring by Chris every single day? Suddenly something popped into my head. Maybe Chris found someone…
"Percival…uh…you're about to run into the castle wall," Borus said as I suddenly found myself only a few inches from the brick of Brass Castle. It was quite strange for Borus to be a bit considerate towards me and prevent me from embarrassing myself. Of course if Leo was here, he'd probably wait for me to smash myself against the wall and feel a bit dizzy before laughing at me. The peculiarity of Borus's actions bothered me. He seemed too formal, too polite with me. I would find out the reason later, if I didn't run into any more walls.
Thankfully I did not, and I even managed to find my way to Chris's door without even trying. Maybe I should admit that all I did was follow Borus's footsteps. That didn't matter when I knocked Chris's door and her ever-so-formal voice invited me to enter.
"Hello Chris," I said simply before she walked up to me and embraced me. It was not the typical gesture one would imagine Chris Lightfellow giving, but for some reason it felt right. I returned the hug, noting how much I remembered her distinct scent, which was pleasant despite the "dirty" work that she did (by that I mean sweaty). I mean, she smelled like a goddess compared to the rest of us.
"Percival," she murmured. "We all missed you a lot." She let me go only to motion for me to sit down. "I think you need to talk. What have you been doing for the last month? And why were you gone for so long?"
I proceeded to answer her questions. I intended to tell her everything anyway. As I began my story from the very beginning (I thought it was more important to answer the second question before the first), she looked surprised when I revealed the true nature of my feelings towards Borus. Though I should have expected that reaction, because she was just as oblivious as Borus was about others' thoughts.
"You've liked him for that long?" Chris said. "But I thought…"
"You thought I was a ladies' man?" I interrupted, wanting to laugh for some reason. "I do like women but Borus…" I then hit a roadblock. What really did I like about Borus? What made him so different from any women, besides being male?
Chris, as if on cue, asked me that same question. She also added, "You mocked him all the time."
"Well…" I began to reply. "he's handsome, for one thing, but I think it's more how he has an unwavering devotion to those he cares about, and the lengths he'd go in order to repay someone he's indebted to…"
"But you always make him angry. How could you imagine a relationship with someone you bicker with a lot?" Chris asked. She would have never guessed my reaction, because I looked like I had won the lottery.
"That's it!" I said a bit loudly. "Even though mocking him was a cover-up for my feelings, for some reason I enjoy seeing him flushed and angry. He's just too serious."
Anyway, we moved on to my trip. Chris asked if I went to Alma Kinan and I replied that I hadn't even thought about it. Then she joked that I wouldn't find anyone there because they are all women, and I laughed. I told her about going to Caleria and meeting up with Geddoe. She brightened after learning that they were doing fine except for lack of business. Then I told her the reason I was back.
"It was only a rumor, but I heard that you were going to marry some blonde-haired man. Is there any basis to this rumor?" I asked.
She blushed, which I took as an affirmative response. "Well, that was the reason why I was searching for you. It was something that was only supposed to be kept within the Knights, but I guess someone leaked it. But I'm not surprised if Nash wanted to stir up some trouble," she said.
"Nash?" I asked, surprised. Sure he flirted with her, but wasn't he married or something? He always said that he had a mistress. He always seemed to piss her off as well.
Even though Chris didn't have a chance to tell me her story, I thought about how they could possibly be together. If he always made her angry, maybe he was yet flattering in his comments. Maybe he was the only one who could make her day interesting. Suddenly I found myself comparing their relationship with Borus and me. I smiled when I realized the similarities. Maybe there was hope…
*****
Chris's wedding was small but wonderful. I must admit, I had never been to any sort of wedding until now. The strange part was seeing Chris in a beautiful white dress with flowers in her hair. She looked absolutely stunning. Chris had me deliver the message of her wedding to Nash last minute to Hugo, who she realized she forgot to invite. Hugo and his mother came, dressed in Karayan clothes, but after the war, no one was offended.
I stood next to Leo and Borus in my armor, which was the cleanest it could be. After the bride and groom kissed and other things happened, I'm sure you know what it is, I found myself sitting across from Leo at one of the tables.
"Hey man, a month without you was so boring! Where did you go?" he asked me. I started to tell him how I traveled to the Grasslands when he interrupted me and asked me the real reason why I left.
"Um…I don't know if you want to hear this," I said, hoping not to reveal this secret of mine to everyone. I had to tell Chris, as my superior, but to Leo…though he is my best friend…
"Don't worry. I'm not a harsh judge," he said, leaning over. "So what's the secret?" he whispered.
For the third time I revealed my feelings for Borus. As soon as I saw Leo's reassuring smile, I began to spill all the details, beginning with how long I've been attracted to him and what happened the night that I left. Leo didn't seem to laugh at my reason for departing. Maybe Leo is more romantic then I thought.
What was even more surprising was Leo's next statement. "Percival, I think what you really need to do is to talk to him and explain everything," Leo said seriously. I blinked. Was that Leo giving romance advice?
"Is this the Leo I knew a month ago?" I said. He nodded.
"Actually I started to think about relationships after you left so suddenly. I saw Borus change from not so caring about your departure to really seeming lonely. Then we were informed two weeks ago about Chris's wedding to Nash. I couldn't understand why she was with him until I asked her myself," Leo replied.
"And?" I prodded. "What did she say?" I never did find an opportunity to ask Chris since I was so busy catching up on my work and training. After the initial "shock", I hadn't even thought much about it.
"She said that she really enjoyed his company. She liked his humor, his sharp tongue, and his kindness. I don't know how he was kind, but that's what she said," Leo answered.
"Oh. So how should I approach Borus?" I said, changing the subject back to my problem. "I'm not even sure if he remembered that night so well, because he seemed a bit drunk."
"Just smile at him. Tell him you have some important things to say. Since you sound like your friendship has kind of been suspended for a while, it's not like you have much to lose," Leo said. Once again he gave me an encouraging smile, and I found the courage to try my best. Leo would probably make his wife very happy if he ever married, I mused.
I found Borus with a little bit of wine in his glass, watching the newly-weds from afar. I smiled at him before asking him if I could sit at his table. He nodded.
"Borus, I really need to talk to you," I said very seriously. He turned his gaze away from the dancing couples and looked at me.
"Percival," he muttered, looking straight at me. Suddenly I watched as some regret washed upon his face. "I'm sorry for what I said that night."
I believed him, because he seemed to speak right from his heart. I nodded and replied, "I also wanted to apologize for my actions. Though I cannot say that I regret the kiss."
"I…I was confused then," Borus said hesitantly for some reason. "Now I…" He looked like he was blushing. Could there possibly be a change in feelings?
"I still love you and I can't change that," I interrupted. "Is that what you wanted to hear?" Suddenly I felt something in my pocket, and after searching for it with my hand, I realized it was the love potion that I had never thrown away.
"Yes…yes that's what I wanted. I…I think…" Borus stammered as he tried to find the words to express his thoughts. I let go of the bottle, which dropped to the bottom of my pocket, but I did not even feel it land. I took both my hands and put them around Borus's, smiling at him.
"Let's start tomorrow, okay?" I said with a smile. Borus smiled back. The radiance of his smile almost blinded me with its beauty, with its rarity and I treasured that moment.
"Okay," he said. That one word was the beginning of our relationship. There would be ups and downs and complications and whatever happened to a typical couple, but I was not deterred.
I at least had a start. Maybe the spark would light up into a warm, burning fire.
Only time would tell me if I was unwanted yet again.
Author's Note:
There are probably many discrepancies in my writing of this three-chapter fanfic. I think I have already stated that my characters have been out of character, as you may believe. I think it is especially true of Chris, Hugo, and Leo. Leo is probably the most out of character. I made him a best friend type of guy who is always there to support you, but I'm not so sure it's true in the game. He also seems devoted and caring, and I decided to make him give the advice at the end because I just needed someone to tell Percival what to do. Hugo was modeled sort of after myself, who as a teenager is quite random and sometimes acts like an adult and sometimes doesn't. I might have made Chris too oblivious (It may show how jealous I am of her having all these men wanting her), but I tried to make her a somewhat soft, kind-hearted character. I think that though she may have killed Lulu (which made me mad, even though I disliked Lulu a lot), she really redeemed herself with trying to save Yun. I think I also made her a bit more light-hearted, but then she could have gotten that from Nash.
Nash…that probably brings up the biggest question. Why did I put those two together? It wasn't because I needed to pair Chris up with someone so Percival could get Borus, but that I truly think that Nash is the best match for Chris out of all the Suikoden III characters. I really thought that Nash really made her day more interesting, made her sharp tongue really work, and just affected her in general. I think they really enjoyed each other's company through all those missions. I can understand a Borus/Chris coupling, because Borus openly shows his affection and devotion towards Chris, but I've never truly believed in a Percival/Chris relationship. And I don't truly know why. It's just that some reason I can only imagine the two as friends. Even before I thought of putting Borus with Percival, I thought that Percival was just trying to make Borus feel angry or something and not really competing with him. It's just my opinion.
But what about Nash's mistress? To tell you the truth, I don't know anything about the mistress. He mentions it, but you never know if he's lying or not. I just hoped that he really didn't have one, or that the two didn't get along (if you noticed how conveniently I didn't explain how Chris and Nash got together).
Lastly I just want to say that I have no idea how to do a wedding scene because I have never been to a wedding myself. That's why I basically cut it out from the plot (which I didn't even have planned).
All I want to say now is that I hope you enjoyed reading my story!