Disclaimer: I do not own Tales of Symphonia or any of it characters.

Path of Ascension

Chapter 1

Scene: In the Tower of Salvation just after the fight with Remiel.

"Lord Kratos, have pity on me. Please...lend me your aid.", said Remiel as he struggled to reach the mercenary. Lloyd's group was shock speechless by this declaration.

Kratos glared down at the dying angel and replied, "Have you forgotten, Remiel? I was once of the inferior race...a human. "Does the Ultimate being seek help from that which he dispises the most, he said with a sneer. Remiel died and Kratos was then approached by Lloyd's party.

The first the speak was Lloyd, "Kratos...who are you?" Kratos started to glow and he revealed his angel wings. "...I am of Cruxis, the organization that guides this world. I am one of the Four Seraphim, sent fourth to keep close watch over the chosen.

The thought going through all their heads at this was "Kratos is an angel, too!". Sheena angrily accused Kratos, "You deceived us!"

The Seraphim lifted an amused brow and replied, "Deceived? If the Chosen merges with Martel, she will awaken, and the world will be saved. Is that not what you wanted?"

Raine finally spoke in a sad tone full of regret, "Once her body is taken by the Goddess Martel, Colette will truly die.

"No. She will be reborn as Martel" Kratos stated.

Lloyd could no long take it and challenged Kratos. "...Dammit! You think I'm going to let you do that! Colette is our friend!" Lloyd blindly struck out at Kratos while he felt something growing inside of him, but the Seraphim still dodged his attacks with ease. To Lloyd the angel was just mocking him and probably causing the strange feelings in him as a distraction.

Sheena, Raine, and Genis shook off their stupor and joined into the battle. Sheena opened up with Pyre Seal while Raine attacked at the same time with Photon. Kratos smirked at both women as he deflected their attacks back at them. Genis, having been around someone as insane as Lloyd, jumped between their attacks and launched a Grave directly at Kratos. The Seraphim disappeared from Genis' point of view when the attack connected throwing stone everywhere. Everyone shielded their eyes from the flying rocks and gathered around ready to resume the battle when their target presented himself.

As the dust cleared Kratos was nowhere to be seen. Everyone instantly went on guard, but for Genis it was too late. Kratos appeared directly behind him striking him in the back of the skull with the butt of his sword. Sheena started to summon Udine while Raine ampted the party's power with Acuteness. Lloyd managed to engage Kratos in battle, but the angel was meeting him blade-for-blade with a bored look on his face telling Lloyd he wasn't even trying. Lloyd unleashed an Omega Tempest only managing to scratch Kratos on the hand suprising the angel. Kratos knew the blade never actually touched his skin, but knew he had been hit as the young swordsman had managed to draw blood.

Kratos returned his attention to the party just as Sheen was about to finish summoning Undine Kratos teleported in front of her and punched her hard in the stomach dropping the summoner to the ground in pain. Kratos then turned his attention back to Lloyd who had used this opportunity to try a surprise attack on the angel. He scoffed at the boy's predictability and soon found Raine striking at him with the same intensity as Lloyd.

Finally Kratos had enough toying with the two remaining fighters and slashed Raine's staff in half before unleashing Judgement on his opponents. Raine was barely managing to stay conscious after having taken the blunt of the attack while Lloyd got clipped on the right shoulder and through the back of his left leg missing the bone barely. Raine and Sheena could only watch as Lloyd refused to give in and resumed his fight. Kratos knew the stubborn boy would choose death before giving up, so when the boy jumped towards him Kratos teleported directly under him and attacked Lloyd using Lightning Blade.

Lloyd dropped one of his swords and struggled to use the other to keep himself from falling to the ground. He squeezed his eyes shut as he felt another rush of pain throughout his body, but he also felt like his blood was on fire and the thing from before was growing...expanding throughout his body. Before he had too much time to think about this he saw Kratos appear in front of him drawing his sword back to strike. As Kratos moved in Lloyd fell to the ground in pain. He tried to suppress it, but the burning sensations increased.

Kratos was unsure what was happening. Sure he knew he hit the boy hard, but from the Lloyd's body language the source of the pain was his entire body. Nothing done to Lloyd should have caused that kind of damage, at least he thought. (Interesting adding this in because it hints that Kratos wanted to incapacitate and not kill Lloyd, but you did it subtle) Contemplating what to do he almost failed to notice a light appear from above them. He turned to the light as it transformed into a blonde angel with wings much like Kratos' own. "I guess not even you could bring yourself to fight against such an opponent."

Lloyd tried his best to keep his eyes on the angel whom had just spoken, but found it difficult even though the burning had let up to only slightly agonizing. He watched for Kratos' response and was not disappointed. "Lord Yggdrasill." "Who is this guy and why does Kratos show him such respect?" Lloyd thought. He also heard Sheena mumble, "Great, another angel." He was suprised that the summoner like Raine was still conscious . It made him wish Genis was still awake and that everything would just go back to normal.

The new angel glanced at Lloyd amused at how the little human still had a look of defiance in his eyes even though he was beaten. "Are you Lloyd?", he asked catching him off guard.

Feeling the need to piss this guy off he replied with his usual greeting for people like him. "Give me your name, and I'll give you mine!" Lloyd's expectations were disappointed and he himself was angered by the angel, "Ha ha...people need not introduce themselves to mere dogs."

Raine and Sheena shared Lloyd's feelings of disgust as this angel talked down to Lloyd. The burning increased again focusing on his shoulders and around his arms as he shouted, "What did you say!"

Enjoying the boy's reaction he decided to give him his name, "Fine, I shall tell you my name, wretched human. I am Yggdrasill. Leader of Cruxis...and the Desians!", finishing the last part with a smirk.

Digging into any and all reserves of power he had left he lauched himself at Yggdrasill after collecting one of his swords knowing he would have to fight him alone. During the fight he got a strange flash he could only compare to a vision of someone, but all he could make out were strong, cold blue eyes staring back at him. It frightened him a little, but oddly enough he felt comforted by them. He snapped out of his daze and noticed he had somehow managed to not only put up a good fight against Yggdrasill, but push the angel back a little.

Yggdrasill noticed the boy space out and thought it was be a quick end for Lloyd, however the boy put up a good fight like he had centuries of experience such as his own and Kratos. He watched as the brat in front of him came back and had had enough of this. He summoned a sword with a purple aura around it and watched it release a burst of power knocking Lloyd through a pillar. He then turned to Kratos and said, "Kratos, I trust you have no objections?" Kratos did not reply, he just looked away with sadness in showing in his eyes for the first time in over a decade. Turning back to Lloyd Yggdrasill said, "Farwell."

Before Yggrasill could do the deed however a burst of fire flew past the angel missing him. Yggdrasill turned his attention to Botta and his soldiers as Kratos stepped beside him. Botta saw Colette and cursed his luck, "Damn! The Chosen has already become an angel! We have no choice. We're taking all of them back with us alive!"

Seizing this opportunity presented by their distraction Lloyd managed to throw himself into one last strike. "For Colette", he thought. Before he could reach Yggdrasill Kratos moved between them and out of sheer instinct sent his sword flying into Lloyd's heart.

For Raine and Sheena it all appeared to go in slow motion. They could do nothing more than watch the look of pure horror that flashed across Kratos' and Lloyd's faces as Lloyd screamed in pain. Lloyd spit up blood on Kratos' sword before falling back off of it and landing on the ground with a thud. Both girls knew then and there that the glazed over look in Lloyd's eyes, his facial expression, the sounds...all of it would haunt them until their deaths.

The mercenary was caught up in shock and to a lesser extent so was Yggdrasill, suprised at both Kratos' and Lloyd's actions. Botta knew this wouldn't last long so he had his men grab up Lloyd's party. The soldiers had no problem getting the three girls and Genis, but when two of them moved to get Lloyd his body glowed and just disappeared causing both Seraphim to snap out of it. Furious Yggdrasill released three bolts of pure mana at Botta's men while the rest of them teleported away with Colette and the rest of Lloyd's party.

Sensing that Kratos would not speak he did, "...Renegades...as irritating as ever. Still, it is of little consequence. Kratos, Let us leave."

Kratos managed to suppress his emotions using all of his centuries of experience to do so before he answered the other angel. "As...As you wish..." With that Yggdrasill teleported away while Kratos remained for a few moments staring at the blood on himself and the floor, but what bothered him most was looking at his sword. He walked over to one of the windows and threw the disgusting thing out before leaving himself. "Please forgive me, Lloyd."