Stars

Prologue

Diamonds gathered around the moon in the soft black velvet sky that night. They all wanted eagerly to see the unforgettable scene about to unfold beneath them. Not even the clouds dared to block the heaven's view of the new life on the earth below. Of the gentle smile on the new father's face.

The man slid his sword holster over and off his shoulder, letting it drop to the damp grass below before running to her side. The blonde-haired woman smiled at him weakly. "You got home just in time."

"Thank Martel," The husband replied, panting from his frantic and harried run through the woods leading to town. "Is it…?"

"A boy." The woman replied, systematically clutching the child closer to her chest. A small fist appeared out of the swaddle of blankets and pet at her neck. The man smiled, eyes crinkling up at the sides and went to her side, not even pausing to slip his red boots off at the door. The wife scolded immediately. "You'll track mud in again."

"I don't care." He grinned softly. The brunette grabbed a nearby chair and pulled it to the bed's edge. His attention centered on the small nose and eyes that shone coddled in his wife's arms. They were nearly red, and the baby was quiet.

"He reminds me-"The man started.

"Of Kratos?" The blue-eyed woman suggested softly, raising one bare hand to run a thumb over the baby's flushed cheek. Then it cried, and clung to her hand as best it could.

"Lloyd, what do you want to name him?" Collete asked.

The dual swordsman stared at the small thing as if it was the center of his universe. Above them, the moon laughed softly. He knew already, what they would name him. It was so simple.

"What about Kratos?" Collete stole the words off his lips.

Lloyd smiled, eyes glittering like the stars. "That's perfect."

Collete smiled at Lloyd's sincerity and nodded. Wordlessly, she shifted upwards, moving into a sitting position. She leaned forwards carefully, and nudged Lloyd's arms into the right position. Lloyd sat awkwardly, clearly uncomfortable and awkward with the idea. The baby quieted for a moment as he gazed up at his father, hands waving in the air in a plaintive call to get closer. Lloyd nestled him closer.

"Absolutely perfect." He murmured again. "I just wish your grandfather was here to see it…" The baby cried then, and clutched at Lloyd's collar. Collete smiled brightly then.

"Then I have good news, Lloyd-Kun."

Chapter 1: Returns

The dry air of Triet's outskirts was stifling during the day, and the Irvings almost literally dragged themselves through the hardened sand. Collete clutched the small Kratos' hand in her own nervously. The small boy was partially stumbling, partially being carried by wife and husband. He suffered quietly, and clung to both of the parents. Lloyd sighed suddenly and hiked his pack over his shoulder. He grabbed Kratos around the waist and hoisted him into his arms. Collete smiled tiredly at him as they trudged past the gate's guards.

"C'mon buddy, we're nearly there." Lloyd said. Kratos stared at him with bright red eyes. Lloyd grinned. "You're doing fine, aren't you?"

Kratos reached up and pulled at his hair. Lloyd flinched. "Careful, careful."

Collete seemed distracted, and was staring out across the boiling air. "He'll be later today, Lloyd."

The brown-haired man sobered down immediately. He turned his attention out towards where the blonde woman was looking. Heat waves obscured most of their vision, but he could still spot the splotch of purple, the wavered maroon hair. The serious blood red eyes approaching. Closer and closer.

"Martel." Lloyd said almost silently, holding the small boy to him. "He's here now, Collete…"

Collete blinked. "Of course he is…"

The two watched in nervous silence as the figure strode closer. It really was him. It was hard to mistake that expression of all things. It never changed. Never seemed to change.

Kratos Aurion stared out across a great black, empty space. Not a living thing moved or breathed around him. Here, it was supposed to be beautiful: Derris Kharlan, the city of Elves, and angels. However, everything was… wrong. Not a single star sparkled in the overbearing sky. Spiraling trees and flowers of crystallized energy lay dead and dying across the surface, looking like someone had thrown black ink across them.

The man sheathed his sword and stepped forward carefully, staring around himself. It was quiet. Incredibly quiet… but not quite quiet enough. Something nearby was off and wrong.

Someone coughed behind him. Kratos turned towards the noise, sword already half way out of it's sheathe before he recognized the noise maker. The man kneeled sprawl on the crystal floor, one hand over his mouth. He was still hacking violently, his whole body spasming with every choking noise.

Kratos' eyes flashed in surprise, then fury, then melted to concern. Sheathing his sword again, Kratos knelt down in front of the other man. He gripped his shoulder. When the man didn't respond, he shook him, hard.

"Yuan!" he called over the blue-haired man's coughing. "Why the Hell are you here?"

It took a minute for Yuan to get his breathe and respond. "Thought you needed some company." He lifted his head a fraction of an inch to meet the brunette's eyes. "Deciding to come here alone… Must have been a… hard decision…" The renegade leader was breathing hard, and had to continuously stop for more air before he could speak.

Kratos frowned in deep-rooted concern. "You shouldn't have come."

Yuan propped himself with one shaking arm. "Well I did."

His face met crystal when Kratos hit him across the head with one gloved hand. Yuan spluttered, and then began coughing again abruptly. Kratos stood up.

"You know you can't breathe here," he said tersely, eyes dark. He was staring out across the barren landscape. "We may as well be in space, there's no air."

"You don't you need to tell me that, angel boy." Yuan coughed. He pushed himself back up into a sitting position, then onto his feet. Kratos caught his arm as he swayed. "So let's get to Origin and destroy those exospheres before I pass out, alright?"

Kratos stared at his once best friend. "You're a fool."

"Always have been." Yuan smiled behind his cascading bangs.

Smaller Kratos pulled at Lloyd's hair again. "Who?"

Collete glanced at the small boy. He was so young and could already speak simple words. His rate of learning was almost concerning. Perhaps he was just smart, like his namesake.

Lloyd hiked the boy up in his arms again, holding him closer to himself. "That's… Kratos…"

The young boy looked at him, confusion clear in his small shining eyes. "I'm Kratos." He protested impatiently. He pulled at Lloyd's hair again, and Lloyd winced.

Collete smiled softly and moved to wrap an arm the young boy as well. "That man over there's your grandfather." Kratos' eyes widened in wonder, and he nestled further into Lloyd's arms. They waited, in sand ridden silence, as Kratos approached them. The brightest of their eyes belonged to the small Kratos, who clutched at his father's collar nervously.

"Daddy…" Kratos said suddenly, tugging at Lloyd's hair. "There's someone with Grandpa. Who is it?"

A woman accompanied Kratos, linked arm in arm. Previously hidden by the whirlwind of sand, the woman was donned in ragged clothes. Her long, deep brown hair splayed out in a cloud to her left, and even as they watched, Kratos paused, as if unaware of their stares, to tuck her hair behind her ear. She smiled up at him and said something. A soft smile tugged at the edge of Kratos' mouth.

"I don't know…" Lloyd growled, his eyes flashing. Collete joined her husband, wrapping an arm around their son protectively.