Disclaimer: You actually think I own Suikoden? o.0
Nope. Not me. So please don't sue... ^_^
A/N: Well, this fic takes place approximately two years after Suikoden III. The ideas have been bumping around in my brain for awhile now, and I've finally figured out what the story is going to be about... hurrah! ^_^ I think the entire fic, when completed, is going to be around 10 chapters long... significantly longer than anything I've tackled so far on fanfiction.net. Yay for me!
Chris has the True Water Rune, Hugo Fire, and Geddoe Lightning (just important info that you may want to know ~_^). Oh, and thoughts are in single-quotes (ack, I can't remember what they're called!). Anything else I wanted to say? *thinks* Errr... I don't think so.
* * * *
I am the Silver Maiden, the White Hero, the Lady Chris, the White Maiden... heck, I am even the she-devil. But I am only Chris Lightfellow. And most people don't seem to see that.
I have until the end of time to be a knight... I want to know more, to -be- more than an aimless champion, a needlessly celebrated hero. How can I hope to protect them if I don't know them? How can I accept their praise when they don't know me, when they hear what the council wants them to hear, and little else? Their view of me is a construction, and they play up to it as soon as I am around. They celebrate and cheer, but why? I want to know their minds, to see the real world, the real people, not the Vinay del Zexay the council has manipulated and constructed. My work and my life is to serve the council, but my heart needs the truth.
It has been two years since the end of the war, and everything is... quiet. The peace treaties were successfully and uneventfully signed. The knights' duties now consist of guarding against thieves, and safeguarding the Zexan highways (expecially those leading into Vinay Del Zexay), so as to boost trade. Merchants are coming from farther afield now that they don't need to fear the monsters and beasts when they take our roads.
The council has (finally, in Borus' opinion) decided, as a reward for our "courage and skill" in the war, that the six Zexen knights are to be given time off. A month, to be exact. And I am going to use my time well.
*
She had been waiting for this opportunity. When she wouldn't have to worry about being bogged down by responsibility and fame, and would have enough concentration and time to succeed in her 'plan.' When she could have time to herself. To BE someone else.
The idea had come to her nearly two months ago, seemingly out of the blue. Chris knew well that her True Water Rune held the power of healing and restoration, but she had never considered exploring, venturing beyond the obvious spells it cast. Once she had thought it through, however, her 'idea' seemed to be the perfect solution. She would disguise herself and live at one Vinay del Zexay's many inns for her month-long break, living as a citizen instead of as an icon. Which was just what she needed. To be a plain woman for a short time, not to be recognised everywhere she set foot, to understand the people, to see what they saw. To calm her fears of drowning in publicity, fame, wealth and responsibility.
And she finally figured out what would help her achieve this: the True Water Rune.
That night, sitting alone in her room, she decided to start small; with a lock of her silver hair. She had freed her hair it from it's usual braid, and had haphazardly brushed it out, letting it fall whichever way it wished. Selecting one small section, Chris closed her eyes in concentration. She sat cross-legged on her bed, focusing all of her energy on the lock of hair, trying to invert the power of the rune. To distort instead of restore.
She found that she could -feel- the shape, texture and colour of the hair in her mind, as if it were there instead of clenched in her right hand. She willed it to do something, -anything-. She could feel the rune within her hand warm, glowing faintly, and release a trickle of energy.
Nothing happened.
Clenching her teeth in slight frustration she tried again, willing more specifically, for the colour to change. 'Perhaps if I just give the rune some guidance...' She felt it release another thread of energy and power. But the trickle hovered, as if unsure of direction. 'Darker.' She silently commanded. And to her great surprise, it obeyed. The trickle grew to a steady flow, and the former slight warmth in her right hand rapidly grew to an alarming heat. But she could -feel- it working. Chris could sense the rune's magic pushing the hair's natural colour to darken, as if it were building on what was already present in the small lock she held.
She felt light-headed and exhausted when she opened her violet eyes to view her work, but Chris beamed with satisfaction when she looked in her hand- mirror. The small lock of formerly silver hair had become a very solid, very -real- looking black-brown colour from root to tip.
Placing the small mirror gently on her bedside table, she flopped backwards into her pillow, chuckling softly, immensely pleased with herself. Through the fog of quickly approaching sleep, she silently asked the rune to revert the piece of hair to it's normal state.
Feeling a small drip of warmth, Chris cracked open one eye to check.
The inky colour was completely gone, leaving no trace of its presence.
Chris felt like cheering, whooping for joy, doing some sort of strange victory dance in celebration of her discovery. Instead she just grinned with pleasure... and promptly fell asleep.
*
'The two months have gone so quickly...' Chris mused as she stood before the inn's door. Taking a breath, she entered, her gaze falling immediately on the table to her right. Borus, Percival and Leo were chatting loudly, evidently lightly disagreeing over some thing or another. She grinned as she walked over. "I knew I'd find you here, drinking away your first evening off the job."
"You are too cruel, Lady Chris!" Percival grinned cheekily at her.
"And you quite deserve it, Percy!" She grinned as he scowled.
"Besides, it's Friday. We're allowed." Borus smiled, and then gestured to an empty wooden chair between Percival and himself. "Aren't you going to take a seat?" Chris shook her head.
"I thought I'd just check up with all of you... we only just got off this afternoon- I can't believe you!" She glared jokingly at the mugs of beer in the men's hands. Borus and Percival smiled guiltily. "Well..." 'Goodbye for now...' Chris knew she wouldn't see them again before she left: her disguise was to begin Saturday morning. "I have so much packing and preparing to do... I probably won't be able to leave until Monday morning!" She had lied and told the other knights that she was going on a vacation, travelling alone around the continent for the month. They had protested at first, but once she had drilled the fact in that absolutely no one was going to join her, they reluctantly agreed that it -would- be an interesting experience. She felt guilty for lying about her 'travels' and her departure time (in reality she intended to leave much earlier, so as to not encounter anybody in her disguise), but she firmly reasoned that it had to be done.
"Leaving us so soon?" Borus asked, laughter in his voice. "You only just walked in!"
"I am not having a drop of that drink, Borus," Chris raised an eyebrow. "I have too much to do!"
"All right then..." He hesitated and tried to read her violet eyes with his own, to uncover what she was hiding from them. "Oh! I wanted to-" He was abruptly cut off by a rough backslap from a slightly intoxicated Leo.
"You go pack, milllllllady!" Leo either didn't notice or blatantly ignored Borus' glare. "We'll be there when you're ready ta leave. Our Lady Chris ain't going anywhere without us sayin' goodbye!"
Chris mentally winced. "Ah... indeed." She smiled warmly at the group and turned to the door. "Goodbye, then."
Borus chorus goodbye with the other two, and watched her exit. "She's acting-"
"-Like she's hiding something?" Percival continued for his friend.
"Yes... But I can't figure out what it could possibly be."
"I suppose we'll find out eventually. She's never been good at hiding important things from -us-." Percival puffed his chest out jokingly, and then deflated with a laugh as he saw Borus' eyebrows raised. Percival sighed. "We'll just have to be patient."
"Heh. Easier said than done."
* * * *
A/N:
Well. Not my best, that's for sure. Was it confusing? I'm sorry if it was- things are going to be elaborated on later, if that helps any. ^^;;
The chapters are pretty much all going to be in this format: the beginnings will be 1st person, probably from Borus or Chris, although you never know who else might turn up there.
I'm sure I took quite a few liberties with the whole "True Rune" concept. But I figured that (because it's so powerful) it may not be limited to four 'spells,' and four spells only. Oh well... I'm being 'creative.' Heh. ^^;;
Now -you- can do me a -really- big favour: Please please please (x10000) review! I need to know if I should continue or not... So please tell me in a review? *hopeful look* This chapter needs help, so if you have any suggestions, please let me know- constructive criticism is very welcome. ^_^
A/N: Well, this fic takes place approximately two years after Suikoden III. The ideas have been bumping around in my brain for awhile now, and I've finally figured out what the story is going to be about... hurrah! ^_^ I think the entire fic, when completed, is going to be around 10 chapters long... significantly longer than anything I've tackled so far on fanfiction.net. Yay for me!
Chris has the True Water Rune, Hugo Fire, and Geddoe Lightning (just important info that you may want to know ~_^). Oh, and thoughts are in single-quotes (ack, I can't remember what they're called!). Anything else I wanted to say? *thinks* Errr... I don't think so.
* * * *
I am the Silver Maiden, the White Hero, the Lady Chris, the White Maiden... heck, I am even the she-devil. But I am only Chris Lightfellow. And most people don't seem to see that.
I have until the end of time to be a knight... I want to know more, to -be- more than an aimless champion, a needlessly celebrated hero. How can I hope to protect them if I don't know them? How can I accept their praise when they don't know me, when they hear what the council wants them to hear, and little else? Their view of me is a construction, and they play up to it as soon as I am around. They celebrate and cheer, but why? I want to know their minds, to see the real world, the real people, not the Vinay del Zexay the council has manipulated and constructed. My work and my life is to serve the council, but my heart needs the truth.
It has been two years since the end of the war, and everything is... quiet. The peace treaties were successfully and uneventfully signed. The knights' duties now consist of guarding against thieves, and safeguarding the Zexan highways (expecially those leading into Vinay Del Zexay), so as to boost trade. Merchants are coming from farther afield now that they don't need to fear the monsters and beasts when they take our roads.
The council has (finally, in Borus' opinion) decided, as a reward for our "courage and skill" in the war, that the six Zexen knights are to be given time off. A month, to be exact. And I am going to use my time well.
*
She had been waiting for this opportunity. When she wouldn't have to worry about being bogged down by responsibility and fame, and would have enough concentration and time to succeed in her 'plan.' When she could have time to herself. To BE someone else.
The idea had come to her nearly two months ago, seemingly out of the blue. Chris knew well that her True Water Rune held the power of healing and restoration, but she had never considered exploring, venturing beyond the obvious spells it cast. Once she had thought it through, however, her 'idea' seemed to be the perfect solution. She would disguise herself and live at one Vinay del Zexay's many inns for her month-long break, living as a citizen instead of as an icon. Which was just what she needed. To be a plain woman for a short time, not to be recognised everywhere she set foot, to understand the people, to see what they saw. To calm her fears of drowning in publicity, fame, wealth and responsibility.
And she finally figured out what would help her achieve this: the True Water Rune.
That night, sitting alone in her room, she decided to start small; with a lock of her silver hair. She had freed her hair it from it's usual braid, and had haphazardly brushed it out, letting it fall whichever way it wished. Selecting one small section, Chris closed her eyes in concentration. She sat cross-legged on her bed, focusing all of her energy on the lock of hair, trying to invert the power of the rune. To distort instead of restore.
She found that she could -feel- the shape, texture and colour of the hair in her mind, as if it were there instead of clenched in her right hand. She willed it to do something, -anything-. She could feel the rune within her hand warm, glowing faintly, and release a trickle of energy.
Nothing happened.
Clenching her teeth in slight frustration she tried again, willing more specifically, for the colour to change. 'Perhaps if I just give the rune some guidance...' She felt it release another thread of energy and power. But the trickle hovered, as if unsure of direction. 'Darker.' She silently commanded. And to her great surprise, it obeyed. The trickle grew to a steady flow, and the former slight warmth in her right hand rapidly grew to an alarming heat. But she could -feel- it working. Chris could sense the rune's magic pushing the hair's natural colour to darken, as if it were building on what was already present in the small lock she held.
She felt light-headed and exhausted when she opened her violet eyes to view her work, but Chris beamed with satisfaction when she looked in her hand- mirror. The small lock of formerly silver hair had become a very solid, very -real- looking black-brown colour from root to tip.
Placing the small mirror gently on her bedside table, she flopped backwards into her pillow, chuckling softly, immensely pleased with herself. Through the fog of quickly approaching sleep, she silently asked the rune to revert the piece of hair to it's normal state.
Feeling a small drip of warmth, Chris cracked open one eye to check.
The inky colour was completely gone, leaving no trace of its presence.
Chris felt like cheering, whooping for joy, doing some sort of strange victory dance in celebration of her discovery. Instead she just grinned with pleasure... and promptly fell asleep.
*
'The two months have gone so quickly...' Chris mused as she stood before the inn's door. Taking a breath, she entered, her gaze falling immediately on the table to her right. Borus, Percival and Leo were chatting loudly, evidently lightly disagreeing over some thing or another. She grinned as she walked over. "I knew I'd find you here, drinking away your first evening off the job."
"You are too cruel, Lady Chris!" Percival grinned cheekily at her.
"And you quite deserve it, Percy!" She grinned as he scowled.
"Besides, it's Friday. We're allowed." Borus smiled, and then gestured to an empty wooden chair between Percival and himself. "Aren't you going to take a seat?" Chris shook her head.
"I thought I'd just check up with all of you... we only just got off this afternoon- I can't believe you!" She glared jokingly at the mugs of beer in the men's hands. Borus and Percival smiled guiltily. "Well..." 'Goodbye for now...' Chris knew she wouldn't see them again before she left: her disguise was to begin Saturday morning. "I have so much packing and preparing to do... I probably won't be able to leave until Monday morning!" She had lied and told the other knights that she was going on a vacation, travelling alone around the continent for the month. They had protested at first, but once she had drilled the fact in that absolutely no one was going to join her, they reluctantly agreed that it -would- be an interesting experience. She felt guilty for lying about her 'travels' and her departure time (in reality she intended to leave much earlier, so as to not encounter anybody in her disguise), but she firmly reasoned that it had to be done.
"Leaving us so soon?" Borus asked, laughter in his voice. "You only just walked in!"
"I am not having a drop of that drink, Borus," Chris raised an eyebrow. "I have too much to do!"
"All right then..." He hesitated and tried to read her violet eyes with his own, to uncover what she was hiding from them. "Oh! I wanted to-" He was abruptly cut off by a rough backslap from a slightly intoxicated Leo.
"You go pack, milllllllady!" Leo either didn't notice or blatantly ignored Borus' glare. "We'll be there when you're ready ta leave. Our Lady Chris ain't going anywhere without us sayin' goodbye!"
Chris mentally winced. "Ah... indeed." She smiled warmly at the group and turned to the door. "Goodbye, then."
Borus chorus goodbye with the other two, and watched her exit. "She's acting-"
"-Like she's hiding something?" Percival continued for his friend.
"Yes... But I can't figure out what it could possibly be."
"I suppose we'll find out eventually. She's never been good at hiding important things from -us-." Percival puffed his chest out jokingly, and then deflated with a laugh as he saw Borus' eyebrows raised. Percival sighed. "We'll just have to be patient."
"Heh. Easier said than done."
* * * *
A/N:
Well. Not my best, that's for sure. Was it confusing? I'm sorry if it was- things are going to be elaborated on later, if that helps any. ^^;;
The chapters are pretty much all going to be in this format: the beginnings will be 1st person, probably from Borus or Chris, although you never know who else might turn up there.
I'm sure I took quite a few liberties with the whole "True Rune" concept. But I figured that (because it's so powerful) it may not be limited to four 'spells,' and four spells only. Oh well... I'm being 'creative.' Heh. ^^;;
Now -you- can do me a -really- big favour: Please please please (x10000) review! I need to know if I should continue or not... So please tell me in a review? *hopeful look* This chapter needs help, so if you have any suggestions, please let me know- constructive criticism is very welcome. ^_^
