Well these updates are coming along nicely, I am warning you now though, these updates will not continue to come so regularly, I just pre-wrote the first three chapters so I'm giving them to you. That and the way the reviews came in I couldn't help myself but put up a new chapter quickly.

Disclaimer: Yoshi owns nothing!!!

Thanks sooooo much for your support.

-M.Y.

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Hours later, Kratos left the runes of Palmacosta. Although he was uninjured, disregarding a few scratches, he was winded and tired. The encounter with Lloyd had left him worn and confused, as of now all that Kratos felt like doing was sleep. Luckily for him, not far from Palmacosta was a House of Salvation. It was less than an hour's walk from the destroyed city, and only a few minutes' flight.

The thing that Kratos did not account for was that every refugee from Palmacosta was heading for the same location as he. Large crowds of people had gathered around by the time Kratos landed, not far from the House of Salvation. They were all injured and without a home, now that their city had been destroyed, Kratos would not take the bed of one who was less fortunate.

The sun was beginning to rise in the east, sending a warm glow across the land, perhaps he would see if there was anything that he could help with before leaving. He wandered in to where a priest was giving orders, "Is there anything that I can help with?"

"…Hmm? Oh, are you with the Tethe'alla emergency hospital?"

"No, a traveling mercenary. I saw Palmacosta was under siege, so I entered the city and tried to help as much as possible, then I came here, hoping to get some rest, although I think I could do more good helping."

"Very good, well-." The priest was cut off when a young girl, fifteen or sixteen years at most, approached, looking awkward. "Can I help you Miss?"

"Um… yes, I was wondering if there were any rations that I could have, I just escaped Palmacosta and I need to go to Asgard, as soon as possible."

"No, unfortunately, all supplies are being rationed for the injured."

"Oh, that's alright, I understand…" she looked worried.

"…" sometimes Kratos hated how disgustingly kind he was, "If you can wait until tomorrow, I'll take you to Asgard."

"Really?! That would be wonderful!"

"Well if that's settled than would the both of you be willing to help?"

"Yes, of course! I'm Marta Lualdi by the way."

"Kratos, a pleasure I am sure."

"Then if the two of you would be so kind as to hand out gels, apple to the lighter wounds and lemon to the worst."

"Very well. I can use minor healing spells, would that be of any use to you?"

"Yes, that would be fantastic, anything minor that you think you can heal, please do. If not, send them inside."

Kratos nodded his agreement and he and Marta set off to relieve the two priestesses that were, at present, working there. They nodded, thanking Kratos and Marta graciously for their help. Marta smiled and accepted their thanks, but Kratos simply nodded vaguely, quickly getting to work.

For the next few hours they worked, Kratos handing out basic healing and Martel passing out gels. It was late morning, almost noon, before they were brought food and told that two beds had opened up for them. They ate with Marta chatting the entire time, Kratos almost regretted his offer, the girl never seemed to stop talking.

They went into the large room where people were being attended, found their beds, and quickly fell asleep. Even Kratos, who had not slept for some months fell into a light sleep.

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It was late afternoon when to two awoke, things had settled down, people returned to Palmacosta, looking to see what was left of their rebuilt city. The weather was cool, but sunny and Kratos decided that he and Marta would set off that afternoon, Marta was ecstatic.

"Thank you so much for taking me to Asgard, I really didn't know what I was going to do if I couldn't get any gels or anything to get me there!"

"…" Kratos nodded, he was exhausted already from her talking.

"Oh, I should probably introduce you two, shouldn't I?" she stopped and Kratos took another step before stopping and turning to see her, apparently talking to the air, "Tenebrae, come out, I want to introduce you to Kratos!"

He was about to ask if she had an imaginary friend when the name she was calling sunk in. Tenebrae. He recalled, four thousand years ago, the Centurion of darkness, Tenebrae. He doubted the darkness incarnate had forgotten him, or would forget him anytime soon. On the other hand, this would be a good test to see if he was recognized.

Although he did not like the thought, it could be used to his advantage. Let her call the creature, one way or another it would not be the end of the world if he was not allowed to travel with the girl. When the Centurion appeared, he was prepared.

"Hello," Tenebrae greeted him, "I am Centurion Tenebrae, charmed."

"Kratos Aurion," he nodded at the ancient spirit, "a pleasure."

"Have we," the Centurion looked at him oddly, "met before?"

"Perhaps, I do seem to recall something to the effect, although I think I would remember better if we had."

"…Yes, you would think."

"Um…" Marta looked between the two of them, "yeah, Tenebrae and I just started traveling together; he's the Centurion of-."

"Darkness, yes. I have heard of them."

"Oh, really?" Tenebrae looked pleased, "One would not expect a traveling mercenary such as yourself to be so adequate."

"…" Kratos grimaced, was it really so unlikely that he would be well read?

"Anyway, how long do you think it will take us to reach Asgard?"

"A week, perhaps two. Are you meeting your parents?"

"…I-No I am traveling on my own."

"May I inquire as to why?" Kratos did not find this overly odd, after all he himself had begun traveling on his own at only eighteen. Granted he hadn't been really alone, Yuan had been with him from the beginning and they had joined with others and eventually Mithos and Martel, but still.

"My mother died in the incident with the Giant Tree and Palmacosta." Kratos flinched, it had not been his fault, per say, he had tried to stop Lloyd and the others but Yuan had gotten in his way. However, despite this, he still felt that it was partially his fault. "And my father… well I…" Marta trailed off.

"…Did you run away from home?"

"Wha? S-sort of…"

"I see." Again, Kratos did not feel that this was an overly strange occurrence, he and Yuan had run away from home, sometimes it was, unfortunately, necessary. "Was there any particular reason that you did so?"

"…Daddy hasn't been acting like himself lately, I was starting to get worried, but when I tried to help, he wouldn't except it. He started doing a lot of bad things so I had to get away."

"I understand, I suppose. Where is he now, do you know?"

"No, Daddy could be anywhere. I was in Palmacosta and I ran away during the attack."

"Will he come after us?"

"He wasn't with me. We should be fine, I suppose."

"Then we shall carry on to Asgard, but I would suggest that we try not to make a spectacle of ourselves."

"Okay."

"This is all very touching, but I think you should have waited to know more about our escort before pouring your soul out to him!" snapped Tenebrae.

Kratos smirked, "I have to agree with your friend here, but do not worry, I will bring no harm to you."

Ironic, he had said something similar on the Journey of Regeneration, only this time he meant it. "I repeat, my name is Kratos Aurion, I am a traveling mercenary. I was in Palmacosta at the time of attack. That is all you really need to concern yourself with."

"Kratos Aurion… Did you know that that was the name of one of Mithos the Hero's companions?"

"Oh, really? How fascinating," Kratos wanted to laugh, cry, and scream all at the same time. The likelihood that he really had been forgotten was getting higher, the fact that he had just been told he was named after himself was insanely humorous, and there was something desperately wrong with Lloyd.

They walked until sundown, mild conversation was taken up between the girl and the Centurion with he himself giving information randomly. Any of his old friends would have been shocked and proud of the fact that he was opening up so much more. That evening they stopped and Kratos began making dinner, he made skewers out of the bit of food they had been given at the House of Salvation. Marta looked over his shoulder, making comment about his skills the entire time.

They ate and then the human girl, angelic man, and Centurion sat around the fire, "Kratos," asked Marta, "Do you have any family?"

"…" Kratos flinched, "I will answer that on the condition that you answer a question of my own."

"Okay, but you first, since I asked first."

"Very well…" Kratos stared unblinkingly into the fire, "I once had a wife and child, however they were taken from me by the Desians, this was many years ago now." Kratos instinctively reached down his tunic for the locket he had once worn, but he blinked, his hand meeting a different charm, a millisecond later he remembered giving it to Lloyd so many months ago now. He had made this mistake so many times on Derris Kharlan.

Instead he pull out a smaller locket, this charm had two pictures in it, one of Anna, her smiling brown eyes and matching hair never ceased to cheer him, and a picture of Lloyd, his full-grown son. Oh how he missed them. He tucked it away before Marta could come over and question as to why his son looked to be only a few years younger than himself. This was the last thing he wanted.

"I'm so sorry," Marta murmured, "I know how it feels to lose someone you love, it hurts, a lot. And most times you just want to rip yourself apart because of it. Nevertheless, sometimes you just have to move on. There isn't anything you can do; you just have to move on and-."

"-And live their lives for them. Yes, that is what a friend of mine said, and I have. At least to the best of my abilities."

"…What was your question?" asked Marta quietly.

"…" Kratos looked away, quite unable to meet her eye when he asked, "Lloyd Irving. I saw him in Palmacosta, but he was not saving anyone, he was murdering. What has happened to him, do you know?"

"Yes, but you haven't heard?"

Kratos shook his head, "I have been… away from society for two years and out of much contact."

"Oh, have you?" hissed Tenebrae, "Prison perhaps?"

Kratos rolled his eyes, "No, not prison, Centurion, I have been doing a lot of traveling and have not had much contact but from the few times I have stopped into towns along the way, and that was very rarely to say the least."

"Humph," grumbled Tenebrae, "I'm sure."

"Be nice Tenebrae," scolded Marta, "I'm really sorry, Kratos, Tenebrae had been asleep for a really long time and he just woke up and is kind of grumpy. I swear he's like a fussy old woman."

"W-what? I am not!" cried Tenebrae, insulted, "I am a Centurion, we are ageless and I hardly think being suspicious of strange men is fussy or grumpy, especially with you being in your position."

Kratos rose an eyebrow at Tenebrae's words, "What is this "your position"?"

"Oh, um…" It seemed the two were keeping more secrets. "It's kinda' complicated," began Marta, "I'm not really sure-."

"Oh, you've already poured your entire life story out to this man, you may as well let him in on this as well!" Tenebrae seemed to be giving in.

"Okay, if you say so, Tenebrae." Marta took a deep breath, "Have you heard of the Summon Spirit Ratatosk?" Kratos nodded, oh yes, he knew the spirit, however, he was not exactly liked by the spirit of the Giant Kharlan Tree. Not that he blamed him, really, after all it would have greatly surprised him if Ratatosk had still liked him after everything he, Yuan, and Mithos had done.

"Well, have you ever met him?"

"What are you saying?"

"Kratos, meet Ratatosk." Marta lifted the bit of bangs from the right side of her face to show a red gem implanted, somewhat like an exsphere, on her forehead.

Kratos stared, at a loss for words.

"Um… yeah, I sort of took this from the Vanguard, who took it from Tenebrae, they wanted to use it to take down Tethe'alla and… Kratos, are you Ok?"

"Fine," he managed.

"Is there something you wanted to say?" asked Tenebrae.

"There are a few things that I would like to say, however, seeing as there is a child present, they would probably be rather inappropriate." Martel would have killed him, had he said what was on his mind in front of this child.

"Oh, well, anyway, Tenebrae explained to me that the other Centurions, as well as Ratatosk being asleep, are what has been causing the disasters around the world. And the only way to stop them would be to awaken the other Centurion's Cores, as well as Ratatosk."

Kratos thought this over behind his shock, that did seem to make sense, however, the fate of the world resting on the shoulders of this young girl was really not something he was in the mood to risk. "Damn it." Was the most intelligent thing he could think to say.

"Kratos, are- is there something I can get you?"

"Oh, for the love of Origin!" He was once again near tears, and he half wanted to laugh at the disgusting, unreal irony of the situation. Ratatosk's protectors were asking one of the people that the spirit himself would love to kill, to help them. Whatever higher spirits still watched over him must be laughing wildly.

"W-what are you talking about?!" demanded Marta. Tenebrae on the other hand was laughing.

"Oh, dear, I don't think the Summon Spirits will be too happy with you, sir."

"They already hate me; I doubt there is much more I can do to increase their disgust."

It seemed Tenebrae was warming up to him. Marta on the other hand was beginning to get worried, "Kratos," she said, "I don't really know what's going on, but-."

"I do apologize, it seems that I have had more stress lain on my shoulders in the past twenty-four hours than I can handle. Despite this, I do understand your situation to a point, please," in that split second he made up his mind, it was what Yuan and Lloyd would have asked him to do anyway, "allow me to offer my services. It is the least I can do if it is indeed the world that is in danger."

"Oh?" Tenebrae raised an eyebrow, "And what makes you think that we would be willing to take you on?"

Kratos thought this over for a moment, he could easily tell them who he was, that he was one of the heroes… in a way. Although, with Lloyd being the antagonist it appeared he was, it would probably not be in his best interest. There was Tenebrae, too, to consider; the Centurion would surly recognize his name, but not himself. This would surly cause unnecessary questions, things that should not be too far looked into.

Then what else could he say?

"If the world is indeed in danger, than should it not be the population who are trying to do something?"

A long shot, but perhaps…

"Ya' know Tenebrae, he's kind of right, I think we should take his offer, I mean, he is really strong, and we could always use another fighter."

"Wha-, but Lady Marta, we know nothing of this man, for all we know he could be-."

"Oh, shut-up Tenebrae. Kratos, welcome to the group!"

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And that's chapter two. Shorter than the last by like, four hundred words but the third chapter's gonna' be longer, don't worry. I hope this answered any questions you had about this "forgetfulness" thing, if not, review and I explain.

R&R Danke

-M.Y.