by SDM (gordon8_26@yahoo.com)
Note: Oh man…where do I start? First off, I've been meaning to update for the longest time, and I'm really sorry that I haven't. The reason I haven't is because I just started sophomore year, and I'm kidding when I say that I've had absolutely no time to write. Combined with a case of writer's block and no inspiration, I've been pressed to do anything…but still, here it is. Part twelve! Oh man, this is going to rock. Hopefully, I'll be able to update a few more times over Christmas break, and continue doing it in my spare time, at least a couple times a month. Disclaimers apply to Suikoden universe, and please review!
Wake up Hugo…
Wake up…
Please…wake up…
In a dark room, a young man's eyes snapped wide open. He tried to sit up, but found it nearly impossible as a torrent of pain barraged his neck and his side. He noticed that he was almost in complete dark, but sunlight had begun to filter through the curtains next to him. The young man sat there in silence for a few minutes, as the sunlight began to pour through. Ten minutes later, the room was illuminated with a bright light, as the young man saw where he was.
He didn't know where he was.
"Hugo…it's good to see you've woken up." The Karayan known as Hugo snapped his face up to see a familiar figure clad in blue and white, sitting at the foot of his bed. His eyes narrowed, and his mouth began to open in query, but the figure interrupted his slow-to-form thoughts and began to speak.
"I know you have a lot of questions, and I'm about to answer them. It's time you learned about everything." Viki's eyes, which normally flashed a bright blue, gave off an aura of sadness.
"First off…just who the hell are you?" Hugo spoke in a harsh tone, as Viki gave a faint little smile. Hugo's mind was shaking off the dust, and was racing at a mile a minute.
"Well, my name really is Viki. That much you know already. What I haven't told you is that I'm one in an order of seven that protects this universe. I represent the Watcher of Time, and it's my duty to watch over every event in history, and interfere in the ones that need interfering in. That is how I've appeared in every major war, from the Toran Liberation to the Dunan Unification without aging a day."
"An order…? Who else is in the order, and how did you come into being?" Hugo couldn't quite comprehend what Viki was telling him. She had always seemed like an innocent, yet ditzy girl…how was any of this possible?
"It's an order that was established at the beginning of time by the leader of the order. Over time, the seven members have awoken from their slumber to join us in our fight to maintain the universe. I am Time, and I am the only one of our order who remains besides the leader. Neclord has killed the other five. You remember Aila? How she mysteriously appeared in Budehuc after being attacked by Yuber? That was her spirit awakening, for her to be one of the order. She was supposed to be the Keeper of the Earth, to protect the spirits and maintain a connection with nature. But no…Neclord has seen fit to kill the others, and hide away the leader. Even I don't know where he is." Viki paused for a second, to slip her shoulder out of her robe, revealing an elaborate tattoo. "This is what signifies my being in this order. My staff allows me to pass through time when needed, and is also handy for whacking grass clumps." Viki chuckled, but Hugo remained stone-faced.
"If you're this great order and all, why did you wait so long to interfere? Why didn't you go back in time and kill Neclord before he ever came into creation, so you could stop this mess?" Hugo's tone remained accusing, as Viki frowned.
Damn. I knew he wouldn't understand at first. "I'm a Watcher. I'm not supposed to interfere directly…I'm just supposed to watch and help when help is needed."
"Well, we sure could've used a lot of damn help before we were all slaughtered by Neclord and his pigs. So much for your order. And where the hell is Chris?" Hugo finally remembered his Zexen comrade, who had jumped into the portal with him.
"…I…I can't give you an answer to what Neclord has done. I can only give my apologies on behalf of our leader. As for Chris, she's talking to the strategist of this time, Mathiu Silverberg. You can find them two floors down---". Before Viki could finish, Hugo had lept out of bed, and was running to the stairs, regardless of his injuries.
"You see, if you grip Barbarossa's forces here and here, you can trap him and force him to surrender his provisions and supplies. That should provide enough weapons for the new influx of troops." As Hugo barged into the room, he saw Chris Lightfellow pointing at a map, with a man standing next to her.
I recognize him…Mathiu Silverberg… Hugo thought to himself, but shook his head and walked over to the two. "Chris. How are you doing?" Chris turned around, when she saw the young man's weary but alert face, she was shocked.
"Hugo! My goddess, I thought you'd never wake up! It's been a week since we got here, and you've been asleep ever since you passed out on the docks." Chris seemed like she wasn't that surprised by where she was, so Hugo felt fit to ask.
"Chris…you do realize where we are, right? Eighteen years---" Hugo started to say, but was stopped as Chris cut him off.
"---years after Barbarossa attacked the Karayan clan! Right, I do. And believe me; you'll finally get your revenge when we attack his troops tomorrow." Chris smiled and covered for the confused Hugo, as Mathiu watched in puzzlement. "Mathiu, take a look at this map again." As the older man looked down, Chris waited before giving Hugo a "don't ask" look before she started pointing out other places on the map. "The areas here and here are heavily wooded, so you can station a bunch of archers there to pick off his troops through guerilla warfare. Unless Barbarossa can tell the future, he'll never see it coming. You should relay the plans to Tir; I have to talk to Hugo for a second." Raising her head away from the map, Chris grabbed Hugo by the shoulder and dragged him to the next room. Once they got there, Hugo voiced his dissent immediately.
"What the hell do you think you're doing? You mean he doesn't know…?" Hugo hissed, as Chris told him lower his voice through gestures and hushed tones.
"He can't know! He can't know that we know about everything that will happen, and we sure as hell can't tell him. It would disrupt all of time as we know it; Viki explained it to me." Chris told Hugo, who wasn't consoled in the slightest bit.
"I don't like this. I don't like this one bit. What are we supposed to do before we get back to our own time?" Hugo asked in a much calmer voice.
"I don't know. Viki said Neclord has somehow disrupted the timeline, and that we have to defeat the Scarlet Empire before she can move us forward in time, and that means winning the war. We have to avoid changing history as much as we can, hard as it may be." Chris said, as Hugo remained silent. "Hugo?"
"We have to get back to the present. We left Viktor, Flik, Tir, Riou, and William alone to face that madman; who knows what he did to them! They may be great heroes, but even they couldn't have warded off a zombie army!"
"Me and ole' Hardass couldn't do what now? A zombie army? Please, don't make me laugh." Hugo and Chris turned, to see a younger version of the bear man that Hugo had seen…well, it seemed like just yesterday. "Mademoiselle, would you like to tell me what you're talking about?" Viktor pronounced the foreign word as may-duh-moy-zill, but Chris had gotten his point.
"Uh…we were just betting on whether you or Flik could beat up a zombie army with your hands tied behind your backs." Chris explained in a hurry, as Hugo rolled his eyes.
Come on, no one could be that dumb--- Hugo thought, but stopped as he heard a loud voice.
"Ah! Well in that case---of course we could! Man, the ladies all dig the V-man, that's what…" Viktor said to himself, as he walked away, more or less content. Waiting until he was gone, Chris craned her neck around the corner to watch his feet disappear before turning back to Hugo and speaking.
"You see? We can't do anything. Now, just bear with me and Viki for a while, and we'll be back before you know it." Before Hugo could protest, Chris walked off, leaving Hugo by himself in the hallway. Hugo sighed, and observed his surroundings.
It's not as nice as Budehuc, but it'll have to do, I guess. Sighing, he began walking towards the nearest end, and found a door. Walking through it, he saw stairs, which he went up. Exiting into the room in front of him, he saw two big stone tablets and a figure that seemed familiar. Walking some more, he saw who it was.
It was Luc.
Hugo almost sprang up in defense, putting his hand on his knife, but he stopped. Right…this isn't Luc from my time. It's Luc from the past. Can't kill him, I'd just mess up time. But goddamn, the urge is there… As if he had heard this, the past self of Luc smiled and looked at Hugo.
"It's lovely to see you too, Hugo."
Dun dun dunnnn! Hopefully, I'll update within the next few weeks. Enjoy, and please review!