The Memory Keeper

Prologue: Tinkering with the Past

Mithos sat on his throne, pounding the armrests. He growled angrily, watching as Lloyd and his group entered Heimdall. He grabbed the viewing orb and threw it onto the ground. They were after his Eternal Sword. Now that Kratos with them, it was inevitable. He stood, grabbing the orb and shaking it. He needed to see how much time he had left to plan. "So, they are resting for the day." A day or two. That was all he had left. He growled again, dropping the orb. "Had Pronyma not died, I would have used her to prolong Origin's release. Stupid woman. And then they destroyed that doppelganger I created, and there is no way to create another now…" He sighed, shaking his head. So now what?

Well, they were after the Eternal Sword. With its power, he could make one final attempt at stalling them… "With its power of time and space, time shall become distorted and space shall become corrupt." He looked downward, gathering his thoughts. "I need to create a world for my sister and me… But…" He shook his fist. "If only I could have stopped that… that human… from killing her… But what would that do? I'd lose all of this… power! All of this power!" He shook his head, grabbing it with his hands. "Damn that Lloyd! If only he had not convinced Kratos to go with him, the seal would always be intact! Time… Space… Time… Space… Time!" He raised his hands up, shouting.

"That Lloyd! Everything is his fault! Why that group of his spent so long opposing me, why Kratos left me, why my henchmen are all dead, why I'm about to lose the Eternal Sword! If only he would just-!" Mithos' eyes shot open. If only Lloyd would just vanish… or join him. He was the son of Kratos, yes? Why was he never with Kratos in the first place? He laughed. "Ah, that's right. His damn mother took Kratos from me first. Had they not separated, I could have had them both serving me… To think all of this would go back to that event… The irony."

He smiled. Why had he not thought of it sooner? Everything that happened was because of Lloyd. Without him, their group would be nothing. Kratos would not betray him again. The Eternal Sword would be his. His alone. "Yes, time… Time is limitless. This time did not work out. If I cannot have my world, they cannot have theirs. I'll just abandon this world for a new one." he said, floating over to the warp pad. "And I know just where to start."

He glanced at his throne room one last time before warping to his outer castle. Now then, where had he placed his sword? "Ah yes, the tower. Well then, I believe it is time I fixed what I left broken." He closed his eyes, concentrating on the interior of the Tower of Salvation. Opening his eyes, he turned around and spotted the Eternal Sword planted into the runes. "Just where I left it." He grabbed the hilt and held it into the air. "Eternal Sword! Take me back in time fourteen years ago, before the son of Kratos fell off the cliff!" He vanished.

Mithos opened his eyes to find himself within the Iselia Forest. "Now then… Ah, it would not do to be seen like this." he said, closing his eyes and releasing his power to return to his older form. "That is better. Kratos would have found it rather… odd if he saw me like that. Now then, I should conduct my search." He turned his head to the sound of fighting. "Perhaps it would be easier to spot the cliff." He lifted himself into the air, finding the cliff face to the northwest. He flew in that direction.

Landing at the bottom of the cliff, he did not see any bodies lying around, though if the sun rose while he waited, he would have to restart again. "I suppose I could fly up and see if Kratos is still up there." He floated upward, making sure that he would not be spotted. When he reached the top, he could see Kratos and Noishe running toward him, Lloyd in Kratos' hands. Mithos smirked, floating downward.

"End of the line, Kratos! Now give me back my Angelus Project!" Kvar said, pounding his staff against his hand.

"No! You shall not have it!" Kratos threw the exsphere over his shoulder; it landed close to the edge of the cliff. He set Lloyd down behind Noishe and unsheathed his sword. "Now then, this forest will be where you die!"

Kvar laughed, throwing his hand out toward them. "Alright men, after him! Capture that pathetic Kratos and kill the boy and creature!" Kvar stepped back as his men charged at them.

Kratos held out his sword and slashed across the ground. "Double Demon Fang!" He charged forward, hoping to give himself enough distance away from Lloyd to keep him safe. Noishe was weak from fighting Anna, but he would be able to defend Lloyd well enough.

Lloyd cowered behind Noishe, turning away from he heard the desian's scream fill the air. He opened one eye, spotting the exsphere Kratos threw earlier. "I keep it safe for Daddy." He nodded his head, walking over to the exsphere. He picked it up, holding it in his hands.

Kvar pointed his staff at Noishe and Lloyd. "It seems that you have an opening, Kratos!" He fired a wave of electricity at them.

Noishe jumped in front of Lloyd and took the hit, blasting off his feet. Lloyd turned around to see Noishe ram into him, knocking him off the cliff. "Ah! Daddy!" He grabbed Noishe's neck, closing his eyes as they fell. Suddenly, he no longer felt like he was falling and opened an eye. "Huh? Why we going up?"

"Because I caught you." Mithos said, smiling. He raised himself over the cliff, landing on solid ground.

Kvar gasped, stepping backward. "Lord Yggdrasill, what are you doing here? I was just about to get the Angelus Project for you."

Mithos glared back at Kvar. So it was Kvar that caused all of his problems. "Leave, Kvar, before I decide to kill you. You are to stay away from them, or you shall not breathe again."

Kvar gulped again, turning around. "Men, you heard Lord Yggdrasill! Let's go!" He ran into the forest, his remaining men following him.

Kratos watched as they ran off deeper into the forest. He instantly turned around, running toward Yggdrasill. "Yggdrasill! Let them go!"

"Certainly, Kratos." He set Lloyd and Noishe onto the ground and flew backwards. His smile never left his face. He tilted his head, watching Kratos raise his eyebrow. "Now then, is that what you say to someone who just saved your child's life? How rude, Kratos. I could have just let him fall and die."

Kratos sighed, sheathing his sword. He lowered himself as Lloyd ran into his arms. He lifted Lloyd up, settling him on his shoulder. "…Why did you save him? Last I knew, you wanted him dead."

Mithos ran his hand through his hair. "I did some thinking and I had a… change in heart. He, unlike that… woman, does have angelic blood in him, after all. He may still be human, but he is above them because of that." Mithos grinned, stroking his chin. "And for me saving him, I do believe that puts you in my debt, Kratos."

"What are you still doing up? You have to rest for tomorrow."

Lloyd rubbed the back of his head. "How did you know it was me?" He walked over to Kratos' side, sitting next to him. "I even made sure I was quiet."

"That would not do you know much, Lloyd. I can tell when it is you." Kratos looked back up to the stars, or what he could see of them. The trees above them covered much of the sky. "I gave you my word we would walk to Origin's Seal together, why did you come see me?"

"I just wanted to talk to you for a bit." Lloyd turned toward Kratos, a frown on his face. "Do we have to fight? I want to prove myself to you, but not like this!"

Kratos scoffed. "How am I supposed to atone for my sins, then? All of the things I did, I did to push you onto your own path. Ever since I first betrayed you in the Tower of Salvation, it was to make you correct my errors."

"What are you talking about?"

Kratos sighed, turning away. "You mean you never questioned anything I did? I tried to keep you away from Cruxis. My betrayal at the tower was to ensure that you would hate me… and hate Cruxis."

Lloyd gasped, leaning forward. "You tried to keep me away from Cruxis… Because you knew I was your son?"

"Yes. Had Yggdrasill brought you into Cruxis, he would have probably not have waited in killing all of your friends and capturing Colette." He leaned back, falling onto the grass. He folded his hands behind his head. "Of course, he let you go freely because Colette had her disease. That or he simply did not care enough to go after you, figuring you would eventually wander back into his grasp."

Lloyd leaned back as well, gazing at the sky. "Who knows? But you're avoiding my question."

Kratos chuckled lightly. "So you noticed. Why do you not want to fight, then?"

"Because… W-Well, this isn't a normal battle. I want to prove to you I can beat you, but you made this life or death! Why do you have to die for your sins? You aren't going to be alive to learn from them! And that's…" He clutched his fist, shaking. "That's stupid!"

Kratos shook his head. "Lloyd, this is something I must do, even if you feel that way. How else are we going to release Origin?"

Lloyd grunted. "Can't you just release your mana without having to fight?"

"Regardless of whether or not we fight, I will still die. I would like to die knowing that you are capable of wielding the Eternal Sword."

"No!" Lloyd turned to the side and smacked Kratos in the face. "There has to be some other way! Why can't you see that I want you around?" He grunted, his fists falling to his side. "I want you to see the world we worked so hard for! I want to go sailing on that boat we promised we'd make! I-!"

"Lloyd, calm down. You aren't making things better for yourselves if you keep shouting at him." Yuan said, walking up behind Lloyd. "And Kratos, why must you act like everything's your fault? Geez, you two are a pair of idiots." Lloyd gasped, biting his lip. A tear slid down his face. He remained silent, looking away. "Now then, are you ready to hear what I have to say?"

Lloyd turned to Yuan, shifting his eyes. "Is it good news?"

"It'll solve that little dispute you just had, if that counts for anything." Yuan sighed, shaking his head. "After Mithos ruined every plan I had and after I helped you, I did some research. I mean, I figured you wouldn't want Kratos to actually die with your whole pro-life belief."

"And?"

"It is possible for Kratos to live after he releases all of his mana." Yuan heard Lloyd and Kratos gasp at the same time and planted his hand onto his forehead. "Why did that not surprise me? You know, Kratos, if you didn't want to live anymore, you shouldn't have gone and had the kid. He's your responsibility, even if he's basically an adult now."

Lloyd shook his fists. "Come on already, Yuan! Just tell me!"

"Alright. Once all of Kratos' mana has been released, I can give him some of my mana. That should re-stabilize his mana shortage and keep him alive. It will take a while for our mana to recover afterwards, but other than that, there should be no side effects."

"That's great! That way, we don't have to fight…" Lloyd sighed, turning to Kratos. "Look, I know you're okay with dying, but I'm not. Can't you do this one thing for me?"

Kratos sighed, lifting himself up. "I will give it some thought. Either way, you should at least go and get some rest. We do have a busy day." he said, getting up. "Yuan and I will discuss what we will do while you sleep. Come, let's go. Oh," he said, whacking Lloyd harshly on the back of the head, "that was for smacking me across the face." Kratos walked back to the inn, leaving Lloyd and Yuan behind.

Lloyd growled, shaking his fists again. "Why does he have to be like that?" He looked down, closing his eyes. He rubbed the back of his head, wincing when he touched a tender spot.

"Lloyd. You go and rest. I'll try to talk some sense into him." Yuan walked past him, turning around. "He may not say it, but I'm sure he wants to listen to you. It's just his nature to be an idiot." Yuan walked toward the inn. "I suppose it runs in the family."

"Hey!" Lloyd ran after him, hurrying back to the inn. He sighed; there was nothing left he could do, anyway. Walking beside Yuan, they crossed the bridge, spotting Kratos and Colette waiting nearby. "Colette? What are you doing up?"

Colette blushed, looking away. "I woke up because I was thirsty. So as I went to get a drink, I noticed you weren't in bed and… I was worried." She threw her hands behind her back, tilting her head. "Is everything alright?"

Lloyd smiled. "Yeah. I just went out to have a talk with this guy here," he said, pointing to Kratos, "about something when Yuan showed up. Everything's okay for now, so I was going to go to bed."

Colette nodded her head. "Okay! I'll go to bed too!" She turned to Yuan and Kratos, bowing her head. "Goodnight, Kratos! Goodnight, Yuan! Let's go, Lloyd!" She turned for the inn, walking inside.

Lloyd chuckled, running up the stairs beside her. "Alright. Goodnight, you two." They walked into the inn and turned for the beds. Lloyd placed his hand onto his forehead, rubbing it gently.

Colette looked at him. "Is something wrong, Lloyd?"

Lloyd shook his head. "No, my head just hurts, is all. Man, I must be tired after all. Sorry for worrying you. Goodnight, Colette."

Colette giggled softly. "Okay. Goodnight, Lloyd."

"You want me to… raise Lloyd in Cruxis?" Kratos said, raising his eyebrow. "You expect me to believe that after how you felt about him earlier?"

Mithos nodded his head, a smile on his face. "Yes, I do. I was angry when I said that. Once I had some time to compose myself and think it through, it all made sense in the end." He floated closer to them, turning his head to see Lloyd. He was amazed at how vulnerable Lloyd was right now; how he could crush his little skull to pieces and be done with it, but that left Kratos to deal with. "I am not so inflexible that I will not make a compromise."

"This compromise of yours only benefits you, Yggdrasill. Lloyd is the one to suffer from it."

"Oh, Kratos, you simply must stop viewing this proposal in such negative light." Mithos floated around Kratos once before returning to his spot. "Think of all the advantages of returning to Welgaia."

Kratos stared at Mithos, biting his lip. "And what advantages would those be?" His will must not falter. He must keep Lloyd away from Cruxis. He had to.

"Whoever said that he would be secluded to Welgaia? If you wish to let him have some sunlight, he may." Mithos rubbed his chin with his hand, staring back at Kratos. "You would have full immunity from Desian interference if you do decide to come down. I assure that they will not bother you." He floated over and placed his hand on Kratos' chin, pulling it closer to his face. Mithos could see the doubt cloud Kratos' eyes. "And I would like to think that you would like to have a hand in shaping who your son becomes, not hand him over to someone else, am I right?" He saw Kratos nod his head slowly. "You would not have even gotten that chance had I not saved him, now would you?"

Kratos pulled his head free from Mithos' grasp. He gritted his teeth, looking away. Yggdrasill was right. "You are correct, but…"

Mithos put his finger in front of his mouth, silencing him. "I know I am correct. And these are only the lighter benefits of my offer. Accept, and I would not be forced to kill him." He saw Kratos' eyes widened considerably. "See, Kratos? You keep overlooking the benefits." Mithos raised his arms, his smile growing. "I insist that you agree to my proposal."

Kratos looked down at Lloyd. Surely giving in to Yggdrasill would bind him – and Lloyd – to Cruxis indefinitely. Yet the idea was definitely… tempting. He would be able to do things more freely, without worry from any Desians bothering them. He bit his lip harder. He had to remain strong.

"You know, Kratos, this would settle the little debt that you owe me. Either way, it really is your choice, but you are returning tonight – empty handed or not."

Kratos sighed. There was no way around it. He stroked the back of Lloyd's head, a smile on his face. He looked up to Yggdrasill. "Alright. We will go."

Mithos smiled, tilting his head to the side. "A wise decision, Kratos. Now then, why not go to your quarters and let him rest up for the remainder of the night? I shall contact you in the morning."

Kratos nodded his head, whistling. Noishe walked over, sitting down beside Kratos. "I understand. We shall take leave now." He knelt down and grabbed Noishe. He closed his eyes as they faded into a ball of light, shooting up to the sky.

Mithos smirked to himself. He laughed, unable to contain his joy. "I cannot believe how easy that was. To think that Kratos would be so easily manipulated once I saved Lloyd. Either way, the Eternal Sword shall remain in my hands indefinitely. The deed has been done." He snapped his fingers, the Eternal Sword appearing before him. "Eternal Sword! Fast forward this new time to the beginning of the Regeneration Journey of Colette Brunel!" In a flash of light, he vanished.

What's sad about this one chapter is that it is longer than the original first three. Wow. No comment. And I'm sure you're thinking - "Why am I redoing this one?" Well, I liked the plot. I tweaked it a bit more and found that I loved it, so I wanted to get back into it. Plus I'm the writer. :D Review at will.

Edit: I fail. I forgot to fix my line breaks. I use the actual line breaks in my document, so I had hyphens and random phrases in it's place. Whoops. Sorry about that guys.