iodine

Suikoden series are registered trademark and copyright of Konami. Standard disclaimer applies.
Iodine. Halogen type. Black in solid form, violet in gas form.
This fic is made more than a year ago (12 January 2002, according to my computer) That's before Suikoden III is out. I just found it in my cache.
Timeline: After Rockaxe invasion

---

CLANK! CLANK! Sounds echoed through the Northwindow Castle; sounds of metal clashing to something, sounds that annoyed her very much in her sleep. She stirred. Another 'CLANK!' from somewhere and iodine pupilss opened quickly in annoyance, red puffy eyes, mouth frowned.

"Shut up!" She half murmured, part of her brain still at somewhere else, beyond the dream land.

Unfortunately, the 'CLANK!' voice was still going, didn't answer her protest; it was endless, and it got her nerves to the peak.

"Shut up!" She said louder. "Uh... who's in the name of Blinking Mirror's still wake up in the middle of the night!" With her eyes half closed, she walked with the help of his staff; unconsciously strolling to the source of the sound.

"So noisy." She muttered again, talking to whoever he/she/it was, disturbing her peaceful night. "I just want to take a nap!"

"Nap?" An annoyed voice replied in a cold tone. "It's already pass 1 am. You should pay attention to your sorroundings more..." Followed by another 'CLANK!'; metal nail attacked a stone. "And I don't know too many people who can sleep standing."

"Eh~ Luc!" Viki now was completely opened her eyes, and actually was conscious. "Are you still awake?" Definetly yes. She noticed a hammer, and some craft materials near him. "What are you doing?"

Before he answered, sounds of initial 'CLANK!' roared in the silent hall the hall again. "Can't you see? Erasing a name from the stone tablet."

"Ah! That's Nanami's --- Luc! You're cruel!"

He answered without looking back, without stopping. Determination was over him; after all, a Luc always knew what he had to do. "It's foolish to keep a deceased person's name in the tablet---"

"But Nanami's still alive!" Viki protested, cutting Luc's word.

At that time, Luc stopped engraving, turning his body to face Viki, eyebrows arched. "You don't know that Nanami has died?"

She wrinkled her eyebrows, didn't quite catch the last words. But then she looked the man, trying to re-hear the words. But Luc only glared, and it was enough to assure her. "No..." She shook her head, looked like a child whose favorite toy was taken from her hands. "Nanami's not dead!"

"Listen Viki---"

Viki stepped back. "No! Nanami's not dead! None of us will! Never! We're the---"

Luc's grabbed Viki's shoulders with his strong hands, glaring his copper eyes towards the pure violet ones. "Even though we're the 108 stars, it doesn't mean that we won't die! Viki, this IS war!"

"But... But..."

"Viki, we've battled in the Gate Ru--- Toran Liberation War, and you haven't realized it yet?"

"But, Luc! Gremio's been revived, wasn't he? Then we can---"

"Yeah, because of the other 107's powers. And now how should we revive Nanami when there's no 107!?"

"We're not... one hundred and---" Viki looked to the stone tablet over the True Rune wielder's shoulder. Other than Nanami's name, there was other name... who was also erased by the cold man... that was..."Kiba..."

Luc released his grip from Viki's shoulders, taking the things in the floor and turned back to his previous work. "Viki, bear it."

Reality sure was cruel. Why there was so much people fight in it? Fight for it?
Isn't it more comforting to be in the dreams? Where there is no pain, only colorful rainbows, fully bloomed flowers and laughter of children.
Where the birds were flying and the rivers made a quiet flowing sounds?
Where there only happiness in it...

CLANK! CLANK! As if the sounds were never stopped in this world. An ordinary sound effect, but it was so painful for her. She closed her eyes, trying to imagine her beautiful dreams before that reality sound woke her up. Too bad, huh?

"Luc, if people dies, where will people go?" She leaned her hands to her staff. Her voice was still innocent as usual, but sad... "I heard someone told that it would go to a beautiful place... like the ones in the dreams..."

"That might be true." Short answer, soon drowned by the clashing sound, endless clashing... The only sound in the hall. Well, he could hear his own breathing and the other girl's. She was so silent after it. He was almost sure that she had been sleeping while standing, as usual...

"But why people cries when someone they loved dies? Won't they meet that person again in that beautiful place?"

"Ah." Luc only sighed.

"Luc, will you die too?"

'CLANK' sounds stopped almost quickly as those words were said. He took a breath for a while, and resumed his work. "Maybe."

"Maybe? Won't all people die someday?"

"Yes, that was true."

"Then?"

It was annoying to be bombarded with questions that he even didn't know the answer. But Viki was different... she was innocent, she was not like other girl in the castle... She asked like she had never heard 'death' before...

"Viki, what do you know about death?"

"Huh?" His eyes were gazing at hers again, this time, she was almost nervous. "That's... like we would never met that person in this life again... Isn't it?"

"True, and?"

Viki shut her mouth. Well, she didn't know anything. She knew there was a wonderful place after death, more wonderful than any imaginations, the people who died will go there, waiting for the others... She dreamed of that place, almost every night, every time she slept...

Waiting the time when I will go to that place... Meet with the others...
Waiting for the death.

"Why did you protest when I erase Nanami's name? Do you know when you will die? And if you died, would you meet her again in THAT place you said before? I guess that will answer your own question." Throwing her back the questions she'd asked; giving answers at the same time; flat and informative, done. Those were the words that only a Luc could say. Luc put a sharp thrust to the metal with his hammer, and halted his work, standing only to admire it in a different way. He didn't even wait for Viki's answer.

Why did I protest when Luc erased Nanami's name?
That's...

"Because I won't meet her again." She gripped her rod. "Because I know I won't meet Nanami again, and I will miss her."

"Well, glad that you know."

"Because I won't die!" She half screamed.

Everywhere was silence, even the full moon outside didn't answer her sentence. Luc didn't responded, he didn't need to turn his body to see Viki's expressions. Maybe he didn't know what to do when he turned his body. He didn't want to deal with emotions. When he did, he would screw up.

"I know I won't die... so, I won't meet Nanami again and I will be sad." Viki shook her head. "Just like I won't meet my father, my mother, my sisters..."

"Oh?"

"I didn't have a close relationship with Nanami. But the leader and her reminded me to my sisters... Well, kind of---"

This is absurd!
My ears are fooling me! What in the True Wind Rune's name...

"Well, seeing someone like you in a serious mode is something new for me. You're a type who can't joke this seriously." Luc smirked. "True Rune Wielder?"

"What!?" Viki widened her eyes, screamed a short 'oh', and quickly closed her mouth with her free hand; finaly realizing what she had been doing, "Oh my, what did I do... I mean, well, I must be talking in my sleep... ah... I..."

"Hmm, trying to get back to your usual self. But it takes time when you have recover your usual mask, Viki." He took his tools from the floor. "I won't ask anything, then." After all, he knew how it felt... somehow.

Soundless, he walked away from the room. "Just get some sleep."

The girl closed her eyes again, covering something that someone hadn't seen in usual circumstances, iodine in liquid form. Now melting through her cheeks, to her chin, and then fell to the earth.

She wouldn't forget... The completely erased names in the stone tablet...

"Thank you."