A X-mas present for a sorrowful Chosen!
The time passed from the moment in which Lloyd reunited the world and a new world's tree was born with the name of Yggdrasill in honour of Mithos the hero, as well, as the goddess Martel. They lost Mithos back then, who didn't want to let Lloyd and the others reunite the worlds and in the end he was killed by Lloyd, who impaled him with Vorpal, the ice blade, which was a part of the material blade, he received from Dirk. However, they didn't only loose Mithos but Kratos, as well, who decided to atone for Cruxis' sins and he began to travel with Derris-Kharlan, wherever it may go to. That had been already over three years ago. The time can really pass by terribly fast. Lloyd and Zelos travelled together in order to collect all the exspheres, which were still in the land. During that time they didn't meet their friends and didn't even hear anything about them. Everyone was doing their own thing.
"Lloyd!" A young redhaired man called and ran towards the brownhaired boy named Lloyd. Snow fell down from the sky and the sky was darkblue coloured. The few stars, which were shining, were in the sky like crystals.
"Hm? What's wrong, Zelos?" Lloyd asked and turned round to him.
"Finally... I found you..." Zelos said happily. "Come! We have to go back until it gets dark!"
Lloyd looked for a short moment to the sky but then he headed back with Zelos.
At the inn, where they rested, they had just one room with two beds because it was enough for them. They didn't need many rooms like earlier, when the group was still complete.
Zelos and Lloyd arrived at their room and the young brownhaired man fell into his bed.
"Phew... Man... I'm exhausted..." Zelos complained and walked towards his bed, as well.
"Are you really already exhausted? Hehe... I still have some energy!" Lloyd grinned at him and sighed.
"But I'm not you, Lloyd!" He said and sat on his bed looking towards the window. The snow already covered the entire land and it was like a big white blanket.
"Isn't the land with all the snow beautiful?" The brownhaired man said and closed his brownish eyes. Zelos still looked out of the window quietly. Lloyd yawned and almost slept in while he was lying on the bed with closed eyes. "Hehe... Now I'm tired, too... I think I will sleep for a little while. Wake me if something happens, okay?"
"Yeah, I will wake you then, Lloyd."
"Thanks." It didn't take long until Lloyd fell asleep and when Zelos saw, how he was sleeping quietly, he smiled. Zelos closed his eyes for a little while and enjoyed the silence. It was always so loud in the streets because of Christmas but inside the room it was just quiet. During the time Zelos sat there he saw some various things, things of his past. When he saw snow for the first time, when his mother was murdered in front of his eyes, when he was told that he should've never been born...
"It would have been much better if you never have been born..." That's what her last words were... It would really have been better... because I make everyone unhappy and disappoint ever since I can remember... Father, mother, the people of Tethe'alla and Seles, as well... And everyone including all of these girls and women just liked me because I was the one with that cursed title "the Chosen One". My life was just a mistake... Zelos thought and it was hard for him to hold back all the tears he never showed ever since he was a child. All of these reminiscences hurt in his heart. A small warm tear rolled down his cheek and he opened his bluish eyes again. But not everyone hated him or just liked him because of his title. No, not everyone was like that. Lloyd and the others he travelled with. But one thing was quotha true. He once disappointed Lloyd and the others back then when he betrayed them in order to get the Aionis, which was needed to make the Eternal Ring so that Lloyd was able to wield the Eternal Sword, which was the necessary key to reunite the worlds.
While Zelos was preoccupied in thoughts, Lloyd woke up and looked at Zelos. He saw how he had cried, it was all too much and it was wrong from him to arrange everything with himself.
"Zelos? What's wrong?" Lloyd asked and walked towards him and laid his hand on Zelos' shoulder. But Zelos only shook his head.
"It's nothing." He answered and tried to escape the boring look of Lloyd.
"But you were crying! Something has to be wrong! You wouldn't cry without a reason, would you? You can tell me! After all I'm your friend and I listen if you have a problem! Don't arrange everything with yourself!" Lloyd tried to convince him that he can tell him.
"It's nothing, Lloyd! Everything's alright!" Zelos yelled and Lloyd startled.
"Zelos..."
"I'm sorry, buddy... I didn't want to yell at you..." Zelos said and looked to the ground. His look became sorrowfully and he sighed.
"No, it's my fault. I'm the one, who has to apologize. I shouldn't have said anything like that. I'm sorry... I went too far on." Lloyd apologized and both sighed. The mood was dejected and both didn't even dare to say something to the other because they didn't want to argue if they say something wrong.
"Where are we going next? It seems that in Flanoir are no exspheres. But maybe it will get difficult to go to another place during the Christmastime and we unfortunately we don't have our rheairds anymore." Zelos considered.
"We will manage somehow even if it may be difficult." Lloyd smiled and dashed away the tear at Zelos' cheek. "Right?"
Zelos seemed to think for a moment but then he smiled. "You're right. C'mon! We have to see if we can get on a ship!" The redhaired angel already went out of the room while Lloyd was still standing there.
"But for a little moment ago I tried to cheer you up..." He sighed but then he tried to catch up with Zelos. "Hey, Zelos! Wait!" Lloyd shouted and managed to catch up with him.
They talked with one of the marines but he told them that they can't get out of the region of Flanoir until the Christmastime is over and since it's a fjord-like region you can't go away without a ship. And it were still about four days until it was finally Christmas.
Because there was nothing they could do, they went to the viewing platform in front of the church. It was already dusk and the sky was already dark. It was dark and snowing everyday in Flanoir from dawn till dusk. That was because of the summonspirit of ice, Celsius, who used to live around Flanoir until the moment in which Sheena formed a pact with her.
While they were standing there, they didn't even say one single world. It was quiet.
"Do you think the others are okay?" Lloyd asked after a while and observed the town.
"I'm pretty sure that they're fine." Zelos answered and observed the town, as well.
"You think so?"
"Yeah."
After that short conversation it was quiet again. They weren't just by themselves many times; usually the others were around, too.
The cold breeze blew the small snow into the faces of Zelos and Lloyd. The snow lay already high on the ground, much higher than it was before. While Lloyd was standing there, he saw various things. The last time they stood there was right before the betrayal of Zelos. Lloyd regretted that he was unable to save Mithos back then and that he wasn't able to find a solution so that Mithos could also live in their world... as their friend.
"Zelos... Can I ask you something?"
"What's up?"
"You're not going... to betray us once more, are you?" Lloyd asked but obvious he wasn't feeling well while he was asking that.
"Lloyd... Why do you think I would ever do?"
"Well... I mean... um... well..."
"It's because of what happened at the tower of salvation when we went to there to deliver Mithos the final strike, right?"
Lloyd nodded and looked to the ground. Zelos lay his arm around the shoulder of his younger friend. "You're my friend! There's no way I would betray my friends! And as I told ya I did it because it was the easiest way to become Aionis." Zelos explained.
"I know but still..."
"Could it be... that you don't trust me?"
"What? No! I trust you! You are my friend... Of course I trust you."
"Really?" Zelos didn't seem to be confident. "You still have doubts, don't you?"
But Lloyd didn't know what he should answer. Of course he trusted Zelos but he didn't want to be betrayed once more. Surely he still had doubts about it but he wasn't able to admit it. So it was quiet again for some time; both did a lot of thinking. It was hard to find a good answer to all of this.
Zelos looked behind him but no one was there. They were all alone.
"I'm sorry that I began to talk about that... It was such a stupid question. Of course you would never betray us once more." Lloyd confessed.
"No, it's okay. It wasn't a stupid question. It's not strange that you are worried. I was such a fool back then and I should have told ya guys earlier. I will never do something like that again. I promise you."
"Zelos... Thank you." Lloyd began to smile and closed his eyes.
It had been already night and it was much colder than before.
"Anyway let's head back. It's way to cold out here." Zelos began to shiver because of the cold and Lloyd agreed.
"Sure. I don't want to catch a cold."
They walked back and it seemed that it was getting colder with every moment they were outside. When they entered their room, they felt the warmth coming from the oven inside the room. It was the only thing which heated the room.
"Ah! Finally I can feel something different than cold!" Zelos was oblivously happy about it. Lloyd felt the same; the nights of Flanoir were much colder than the nights of every other town. Both had lain down on their beds but they were still talking a bit before they went to sleep.
"Say, Zelos how were you as a child?" Lloyd asked while he was looking at him.
"Well I was handsome and smart. I was a prodigy."
Lloyd's eyes widened. "The people wondered when they saw you, really?"
"It's already scary that you mean that seriously..."
"Hehe. No kidding."
"Well... everyone knew me. Not only in Meltokio but in whole Tethe'alla they knew my name."
"Hm... but there's something that still wonders me. You're funny and all but why do the girls like you that much?"
"First I've been wondering about that myself. But then it became clear."
"So why?"
"Because I'm the Chosen." Zelos explained and his look became serious. Lloyd mulled over it. Was it really only because Zelos was the Chosen?
"I don't think it's just because you're the Chosen. I don't know how to explain it but I just can't believe it."
Zelos was surprised; he didn't expect to hear something like that.
"What's wrong? Say something!"
"Hehe I just didn't expect you to say something like that. But I know that you just want to cheer me up."
"Being the Chosen One is tough, right?"
"Yes, it is seriously tough. It's something you should never wish to be." Zelos' look became tired. "Anyway I'm getting tired. I'm going to sleep now. G'night, Lloyd."
"Yeah. Good night."
Both had fallen asleep very soon. The moonlight was shining into their room and it was the only thing, which gave off some light. The space between the two beds wasn't too big but still big enough that they couldn't lie close to each other.
The night was soon over and the sun was shining into their rooms and woke Lloyd. He rubbed his eyes and yawned and then he saw that Zelos was still sleeping.
Hm... Zelos isn't awake... Maybe I should try to sleep a bit more, too... But then again I'm not tired anymore. So Lloyd decided to get up and he put on his clothes. His look went to Zelos, who was still sleeping.
"Hehe... wait for me, my hunny." He whispered while he was sleeping.
"I really want to know what he's dreaming." Lloyd sighed but then grinned. "Maybe I should wake him now." And he did it. He walked towards Zelos' bed and tried to wake him but it didn't work. "Hey, Zelos! Wake up!"
Zelos grunted and pulled the blanket onto his head so he was completely covert by the blanket. "Let me sleep! I'm tired!" Zelos complained.
Lloyd sighed. "But the night's already over, Zelos."
"Who cares? At least I don't care! So let me sleep!"
The brownhaired young man realized that it was worthless; Zelos would just continue to sleep.
Because he didn't want to sit inside the room until Zelos would finally wake up, he went outside and was looking for a Christmas present for Zelos. He was his friend and he wanted to see him happy. Zelos had such a difficult life and Lloyd wanted to prevent that the rest of his life is going to be that difficult, as well. It took long and it was already forenoon but he didn't find a present, which Zelos could like. He stopped at a shop, where he bought something to eat and then he sat on a bench, while he mulled over what he could buy.
It took still some more time but then he had the perfect idea! He was running through the whole town and was looking through every shop. But he was lucky! He found what he had been searching.
The rest of the days until Christmas were without any special incidents. A special incident happened in the night before Christmas.
"So that's the way it is going to end." Zelos said and grinned derisively.
"Why are you doing that, Zelos? You were our friend!" Lloyd yelled.
"Friend? Can I call it being your friend if you never ever trusted me? You didn't even trust me in the very end. So can I call that friendship?"
"That... that was..."
"Now don't feel bad about it. I mean after all I deceived you guys."
"But... there has to be some kind of explanation for it, right? It's just another joke again, isn't it?" Lloyd tried to get the truth out of Zelos but he wouldn't say anything like that.
"Hehe, I don't know what to tell you. I'm nothing more than a weak, lazy bum. Everything I wanted more than anything else was a fun, easy life, that's it. Nothing more and nothing less." Suddenly golden wings appeared on his back and he took his sword, the last fencer, and ran towards the party and but stopped right before Lloyd.
"Might as well go all out, right?" He asked and grinned at Lloyd.
"How dare you! You bastard!"
"Hehe, call me whatever you like but it won't change anything!" Now the battle began and Zelos attacked the group.
The battle was long and terrible. Everyone was exhausted and had almost no power left but Zelos kept on attacking. They didn't want to kill their friend but if they wouldn't attack him, as well, he would kill them! But it showed them that Zelos, one of their friends, was nothing more than a traitor from the very beginning.
Zelos was about to attack Lloyd and almost hit him with his sword right into his shoulder but Lloyd was able to block the attack. For some reason Zelos suddenly stopped and was like frozen. Lloyd used that moment to deliver Zelos the final strike.
"Zelos... Forgive me!" He whispered and then cutted with his sword right over his body. During that he couldn't hold back his tears.
"Damn... heheheh..." Zelos had fallen on the ground and the blood was flowing down to the ground. Lloyd and the others came near to him and Lloyd's tears fell onto Zelos' body.
"That... that was pretty good..." Zelos said and even though he was about to die because of too much blood loss.
"Zelos..." Lloyd sobbed. He couldn't believe it. He never thought that he would give Zelos such a serious wound, which will end with his death.
"It... it's okay... To tell ya the truth... I was already getting tired of living..."
"Stop talking like this!" Lloyd was already completely sorrowful. His best friend was about to die and he couldn't save him anymore!
"You have to save Colette... She was brought into the hall of the Great Seed."
"Why... why did you fight us?" Lloyd yelled but Zelos closed his eyes a bit. The tears of the young brownhaired man ran down fast and he was unconsolable. He sobbed quietly and looked to the ground.
"Because... my life was... nothing mo... re... than a mistake..." He coughed and the blood was flowing even faster out of his wound. The ground around him was already completely covered in blood. "But once I'm... gone... Seles may... be happ... ier... and then... then they will... finally let her out... of that abby..." Zelos was already at his limits and it wouldn't take long until he would pass from this world.
"You did it all just for that?"
But Zelos laughed. "Heheheheheh... no... not only because of that... it was nothing more than just a bonus..."
"Do you hate it so much to be the Chosen? You would even let... yourself be killed just... just that you... don't have to be the Chosen... anymore?" Lloyd sobbed.
"I can't... stand it... to be the Chosen... That cursed title... it destroyed my entire life... because of that... I was rejected by my parents ... shunned by the church... and was seen as... a threat for the royal family..." Zelos explained. "Make sure... that you will... destroy my... Cruxis... Cryst... al..." Zelos said with his last power and while he was saying that a tear ran down his face. All these years he didn't cry. All over the time he held back all the tears and sorrowful feelings...
"Professor Sage! Please help him!" He yelled and Raine tried to heal him but it was already too late. He had already lost too much blood. It was now just a question of time how long it would take until Zelos would part from the world.
His blood had already reached the hand of Lloyd, which was near Zelos' almost lifeless body.
"Zelos..."
Zelos smiled one last time. He fell on the ground; he passed on. His sorrowful life had found an end in the tower of salvation. He was now free; free from his fate as a Chosen of Mana.
"You... you damned idiot..." Sheena said and Lloyd closed his eyes; the tears were rolling down his cheeks even faster.
"ZELOS!" He screamed and cried out loud.
Lloyd woke up then. He sweated and was breathing fast; his eyes were widened. It was nothing more than a bad dream. When he realized that, he was quite glad but he was relieved when he saw Zelos, who heard him screaming, sitting next to him.
"What's wrong, Lloyd? You were screaming!" Zelos told him concerned.
"I... I just had a bad dream..." He said and felt that he had really cried. Zelos' look became mournfully when he saw how Lloyd's look became tearfully. The redhaired angel hugged his sorrowful friend. Lloyd had to cry again, he just couldn't believe it even if it was just a dream, though. He just couldn't believe the fact that he had let Zelos die so easily and that he didn't save him. He pressed on to Zelos and closed his eyes.
"Everything's okay now." Zelos' voice was very calm.
Lloyd nodded and now it was Zelos' turn to cheer up Lloyd. First he whipped away the tears. "Everything's fine? Come, show me your smile." He grinned and Lloyd had to smile because of it, too.
"Thank you, Zelos. You really are a dear friend." Lloyd opened his eyes again and smiled at Zelos.
"No problem, Lloyd. I mean you were also the person, who helped me not to run away anymore and you gave me also that value that I'm your friend."
The rest of the night was normal again then.
When the sun rose, the people already knew what day was today. It was finally Christmas! Today Zelos woke up earlier than Lloyd and put the present, which he had bought for Lloyd, under the Christmas tree and filled the stocking of Lloyd. Then he walked towards his bed and woke him. "Lloyd! Santa Claus was here." He said and grinned.
Lloyd rubbed his eyes. "Really? He was?" He asked and yawned but then he looked under the Christmas tree. There was really a present.
"Hehe, don't you want to open it?"
Lloyd stood up and opened the present; however, before he looked inside he first gave Zelos his present.
"Zelos, I also have a present for you."
Zelos thought he wouldn't hear him right. "What? A present? For me?"
"Yeah, here!" Lloyd grinned. When Lloyd said that, Zelos smiled and he was happy. That was one of the first times he saw that Zelos was really happy so he was happy, as well.
"Thank you, Lloyd." He said and opened it. First there was a letter inside. He read it. "Dear Zelos. Merry Christmas! I hope that you like and enjoy your present. I'm very happy that I met you. You are my best friend and I will trust you always. I just want you to know that there's nothing that could destroy our friendship. Thank you very everything, Zelos..." He stopped there and some tears ran down his face. Only the letter was enough to touch his frozen heart.
No, I have to thank you, Lloyd. You are my best friend, too, and I don't know how I can make it up to you for everything I did back then. I hope that you won't loose your trust in me again. I will do everything to prevent it! I'm not going to run away from responsibility anymore. Thank you so much. You made me believe that everything can change if I just do it myself and don't run away. I'm lucky that I met you. Because of you I was able to live at least some time of my life without hate. All my life I was seen as someone, who was different, because they said that I was descended from angels and treated me a bit like a half-elf, only because I was the one with the title Chosen One. But you were different because you treated me always as a normal person. Thank you, Lloyd, my dear friend...
The end