Note: Okay, this is my first story that I've put on FanFiction so I want you to critic me, but go easy. I got the idea while defeating the Pest Rat in Two River Tunnel. So I decided to make a story about how Freed Y feels about Lord Granmeyer getting killed. I really am new to this, so if I do anything wrong please tell me.

Disclaimer: Suikoden is no mine, nor are the characters. They belong to Konami, and bless them for making Suikoden!

Flip of the Coin

The sun had long since gone down on Angels Castle, home to the Angelic Army and the leader of the rebellion Lord Auriel. Anyone who happened to visit this headquarters of the new City-State army would be able to feel a strong sense of warmth and strength. It oozed from the newly remodeled walls of the old castle of NorthWindow, used to be home to the vampire Neclord, and it could be seen on the faces of the people that lived here. All but one face, belonging to a man who sat in his room alone, the room he usually shared with his darling wife Yoshino. But tonight Yoshino had gone with Lord Auriel, along with his big sister Nanami, Flik the Blue Lightning, and Victor who was sometimes called 'Bear', along with a few others he didn't know so well. They had taken a boat to Kuskus us where they seemed to be having reacquiring troubles with a group of bandits that attacked groups of women. He had asked his wife not to go, but Yoshino merely told him that she had joined the war to help, and she couldn't help by sitting around and worrying about him. So she had left, leaving him to sit here alone. He had never felt so alone before.

Freed Y, once assistance to Lord Granmeyer of SouthWindow, now a soldier in the rebel army. He had helped Lord Auriel attack and defeat the army of Solon Jhee; he had been there when Lord Auriel had first been named the leader of Angels Castle. He had made many friends, and he was able to live and fight along side his lovely wife Yoshino, and yet he still was unhappy. He ran a hand through his short black hair, sighing as he removed his glasses and set them down on the table in front of him.

The room that he shared with his wife wasn't much; a small room with two beds, a bookshelf filled with their favorite books, a table and three chairs. Freed Y sat at one of these chairs, and with his elbows resting on the table placed his head in his hands. Lord Granmeyer, how long had it been since that horrible hour? After the defeat of the Abomination left behind by Neclord, and Kahn's departed, they had been greeted outside the castle, for back then it was not known as Angels Castle, by Flik and Victor, Leona and a few others. It had been there that Freed Y had first learned of the Highland occupation of SouthWindow and the beheading of Lord Granmeyer. His Lord Granmeyer, taken from him while he was too busy trying to play the part of the hero. All the while, as he had fought along side Lord Auriel, he had thought of how proud Lord Granmeyer would be. If only he hadn't gone with Lord Auriel, if only he had stayed at Lord Granmeyer's side, then maybe he would still be alive today. Maybe the two men would have, by some small chance, become closer then friends. After all, that was why Freed Y had wanted to go in the first place, to show Lord Granmeyer how strong he could be, to show him that he could protect him. He hadn't even been there when he had died. His Lord Granmeyer was gone forever, lost to him as he always had been. First and for most because he was married to Yoshino, and secondly because both Lord Granmeyer and himself were men. Now, now he was dead, leaving Freed Y feeling completely alone.

It was the gently knocking on the door that shook him from his thoughts, and it also made Freed Y realize that he was crying. He stood quickly, causing the chair he had been sitting in to slide back and fall with a loud smash. He snatched his glasses off the table with one hand as he wiped away his tears with another. He then turned, kneeling down and righting the chair again, muttering to himself about how clumsy he was. Though when he stood again and turned to go open the door he found that the person had already opened it for themselves. His hair in it's usual style, wearing his normal outfit though without his coat and scarf, Shu's eyebrows made an arch, his dark eyes glittering as he smirked.

"Having a bit of a problem with your chair, Freed Y?"

Freed Y blushed nervously, fidgeting with his hands as his gaze dropped from Shu to the floor.

"N-No sir, I was just thinking… When you knocked, I hadn't been expecting anyone, so you startled me."

Shu chuckled lightly, taking a step in the room.

"Well, then I guess I owe you an apology, then?"

"Yes sir- I mean no sir! It's just-"

Shu laughed again, raising both his hands.

"Calm yourself, Freed Y, I meant no offence."

"You didn't offend me, sir, I just…"

Freed Y let out a sigh, shaking his head. Confrontation were always hard for him, but not with Lord Granmeyer. With him talking was simple, even pleasant, now it was just frustrating and difficult. Shu seemed to see that he was making Freed Y uncomfortable and he let out a sigh as well. He let his hands fall, his right hand sliding into his pocket as he looked around the room. Freed Y looked up then, shaking his head.

"Where are my manners, here, come in and sit."

"Thank you, Freed Y."

Freed Y sat back down in the chair that he had just picked up off the floor, while Shu moved into the room and took the seat across from him. He removed his hand from his pocket, placing them both on the table and folding them. The two men's eyes locked, Freed Y nodded and folded his hands in his lap.

"Now, how may I be of help to you?"

"Are you unhappy here, Freed Y? Do you want to leave the rebellion and return to SouthWindow?"

Freed Y blinked, for a moment just shocked and then confused.

"I don't understand, sir."

Shu shook his head.

"Your wife, Yoshino, asked Dr. Huan to look after you. She claims that you seem unhappy and that maybe you regret joining the Angelic Army."

Freed Y simply started open mouthed at Shu for a few moments, then shook his head. He removed his glasses, now for the second time tonight, and place them on the table, a hand moving up to massage the bridge of his nose.

"That's not it… that's not it at all, sir."

He looked back over at Shu.

"I love working for Lord Auriel, and I believe that it is the best thing that I can do now! It's just-"

"It's just that you're still sore about what happened in SouthWindow, right?"

Freed Y blinked, puzzled.

"How did you hear about that?"

Shu smirked, leaning back against the chair.

"I heard that SouthWindow was occupied while I was still living rather peacefully in Radat."

"Radat, sir?"

"Yes… as a matter of fact I believe your wife and I were neighbors of some sort, she lived just a little ways away from me, just a quick walk actually."

This only seemed to darken Freed Y's mood. To think of his wife, and then to remember how he had been thinking before. About his thoughts of Lord Granmeyer, and about think how that if only he wasn't married to Yoshino then maybe thinks could have been easier for him and Lord Granmeyer. It made him feel maybe ten times worse to have thought of Yoshino as an obstacle, because he did really love her. Shu seemed to notice that he was having some mental struggle with himself because he merely watched, his dark eyes locked for the moment on Freed Y's face, lined with fatigue and anguish. He wondered just what was going through his mind, to make him look so.

"Do you feel that you could have done more if you had stayed by his side?"

Freed Y blinked up at Shu, but surprised him with just a simple nod.

"Yes, sir, I do believe that I could be more help to Lord Auriel if I had just stayed with Lord Granmeyer. We could have held them off, and then he would have lived, and a stronger force would be able to support the rebellion."

"Lead by you?"

This made Freed Y think for a moment, pondering what Shu was trying to get at. He then shook his head, reaching down to pick up his glasses, then he stopped with them inches from his face. Instead of putting them on he put them back on the table.

"No, sir, I do not think that I would be able to lead such a force by myself."

"You did in the war against Solon Jhee."

"With your guidance, sir, and we would not have one if I hadn't talked the soldiers into becoming traitors and joining us. If I hadn't all that Lord Auriel had done would be for nothing."

"But if Lord Granmeyer would have asked you to command a large force, as I asked you to, would you?"

"Yes, anything for Lord Granmeyer."

Shu nodded, a knowing sigh slipping past his lips as Freed Y reached back down and picked up his glasses. He was putting them on just as Shu stood, heading towards the door.

"Come with me, Freed Y, I have something to show you."

Freed Y blinked, but stood, hurrying after Shu and be moved toward the newly made elevator, waiting inside as Freed Y rushed inside. He then pushed a button and the elevator began to move downward. Freed Y couldn't help himself as he shot a curious glance in Shu's direction.

"Sir, where are we going?"

"You'll see."

Freed Y looked ahead frowning and Shu couldn't help but let out a little chuckle. When the elevator finally stopped they stepped out into the large entry stairwell. It was empty but for Luc, who was standing guard over the Tablets of the 108 Stars of Destiny. Though he did not turn around to look as Shu lead Freed Y past the first staircase, leading back up to the floor they had just been on, and through the small door next to it. They went forward, and Freed Y saw that they were heading towards the port.

"We're going to the port, sir? What for? Did Mr. Tai Ho make a new boat?"

Shu did not answer Freed Y's question, but continued to turn the corner and to go down a flight of stairs, then past a few boxes and through another doorway. Freed Y followed him, no longer asking Shu where they were going, until they walked out onto the wooden walkway and out from under the castle. Freed Y saw Shu stop at the end of one of the walkways, his hands in his pockets as he looked out over the water. Freed Y finally moved to stand beside him and soon looked down. Shu had removed his right hand from his pocket and in it he held a small gold coin.

"Do you see this gold coin, Freed Y? I used these coins when I was a trader."

"Yes, I see the coin sir, but what does it have to do with me?"

Shu turned his head, smiling at Freed Y, before drawing back his arm, and then tossing the coin with such force that it flew over the water and then landed with a loud plop in the water. Freed Y had never known of a coin that landed so loudly in water, but maybe it was because it was made of gold. Shu then returned his hand to his pocket.

"Freed Y, if you ever find that coin then you would have been better off staying with Lord Granmeyer during the occupation."

Freed Y turned to him, utterly stunned.

"Fine the coin, sir? That's impossible! You saw how far it went out! Not to mention the changing currents under the water and the large number of fish and other things that could easily have eaten that coin!"

"Yes, it has rather impossible odds, doesn't it?"

Freed Y was about to agree with him before he stopped, his eyes widening with understanding. Shu smiled, reaching out and laying his other had on Freed Y's shoulder.

"You're doing the best you can with the life that Fate gave you. Your destiny is the way that it should be."

Freed Y suddenly felt his eyes still with tears as he smiled weakly, nodding. He realized then that he wasn't alone, he had people here that cared about him. Yoshino, Dr. Huan, Mr. Shu, they all wanted to see him happy. And he realized that he truly was happy here under the leadership of Lord Auriel. For a moment he was too overwhelmed with happiness and he moved forward, wrapping his arms around Shu in a tearful hug.

"Thank you sir, thank you. I understand sir."

"It's not a problem at all, no problem at all…"

Freed Y then let go of Shu, nodding one final time before turning and moving off towards his room. Shu watched him go before turning back to the water. Shu wasn't surprised at all to hear more footsteps and a light chuckle as someone took the place next to him.

"You never get tired of that old trick, do ya Shu?"

Shu merely chucked, not answering Richmond as he removed his right hand from his pocket, his fingers running over the surface of the gold coin in his hand.

"Sad, I lose so much of my rock collection that way."

There you have it, that's Flip of the Coin, by me. I hope you liked it. Please R&R I want to hear from you!