Leaving was the hardest part.

He'd taken a last look at each of them that night.  Their faces were more open in sleep, and he had paused at each bed (even Jacques had been exhausted enough not to protest), and studied their features, their breathing, their expressions.  Outside, rain beat down on the sparse trees and clacked against rooftiles.  However, the last mission had left all completely drained.  None stirred, even as the boom-crack-boom of thunder pealed.

Perfect.

You'll do fine without me.  Words he had repeated to himself to prepare, just for this moment, over and over.

Won't come back.

Can't come back.

He walked out and away.  No one was there to see him stride into the night, a single tear mixing with the rain.

It wasn't the first time, but sure as hell it had been the hardest.

~~~~~

"I'm going insane."

He'd gotten into the habit of talking to himself, both for the illusion of company and because he really had nothing else to do.

He'd been terribly careful not to use the True Lightning Rune at all – the rain had probably washed out his trail so effectively that not even Aila or Jacques could have found any sign of his departure.  But, using the Rune was dangerously revealing – storm clouds tended to gather around the area, and a massive lightning bolt from an otherwise clear sky…well.

He tended to think a lot more nowadays.

After all, what else was there to do?

He was alone, and the adventures were over.

…right?

~~~~~

Flee.  Flee.

Boots squelch the muddy ground.  Wet, sodden, desperately at a disadvantage.  Clutch the throat, the chest – goddess, it's getting worse, the PAIN.  Felt it before, but not this consuming horrific NEEDLE, and the situation's bad enough as it is.

Standoff.  Damnable hell.  I've gotten CARELESS, this wouldn't have happened even a year ago –

What the hell, make the best of it.

Draw, notch, a gesture so smooth and practiced from years of the doing.  Aim through the muddy rain and-

PAIN

The needle spikes hot white agony, and a sodden bundle of dark fur leaps

Release, hear the choked yelp of dying agony as the creature, chest explodes, but there's another, and another, and another

Teeth, claws, gleaming even through the rain

Darkness, and the thin, despairing, cry of…

~~~~~

"Aila!"

He'd lived long enough by now that the wide blue eyes meeting his own (and that was not something he liked waking up to) didn't make him run screaming like a maniac.  The form hovering over the bed didn't have as much self-control, and Geddoe was granted the odd sight of seeing such alien, powerful emotions as fear and confusion on a face he'd been so used to seeing wiped totally blank.

Of course, there was also the fact that he was face-to-face with someone who he hadn't seen for years.  Add the quirks of said someone hovering in midair, and being totally semitransparent.

Therefore, nothing could stop the former mercenary's sharp indrawn hiss of breath, and the word that was drawn into it.

"Jacques?!"

~-~-~-~-~-

A/N: Mehe.  Don't get it yet?  You will soon.  This was actually meant to be a very short piece, but I guess it can be extended a bit, since the plotline turned a little more complicated than I thought.

My first Suikoden fanfic!  I finally posted! ^.^ Waii!  (You can see on my profile I have lots of plans for others, but most were stuck indefinitely-on-hold.)

See you guys in Chapter 2!  Read and review, onegai?