Me: Hey, Everyone. Thank you all for your reviews. I-

Mithos: What the hell did you do to me?!

Me: Oh, hi Mithos.

Mithos: Could you make me more OOC?!

Me: Actually, I could.

Mithos: Please don't…

Me: Disclaimer?

Mithos: Destiny Gamer owns nothing…

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Lloyd laid, curled up under a blanket on his bed, which was about six times his size. His room was right next to Kratos' and, like every other room on Derris-Kharlan, they were identical. A small room containing a large bed and a desk. Silver walls, floor, and ceiling; giving the room a really cold feeling.

He could feel his father's eyes on his back through the darkness. The feeling was strangely comforting, and something he had gotten use to. His father had watched him every night since they came to Derris-Kharlan. It had been about three months now and Lloyd was starting to grow use to the Cruxis life.

Kratos' gaze shifted away as he turned from his son.

"Daddy, don't leave." Lloyd called quietly though the dark. After a few seconds he felt the bed shift as his father sat down.

"Lloyd, you should be asleep. It's the middle of the night." Kratos scolded quietly. Lloyd gripped his blanket.

"Daddy… tell me about mama." Lloyd whispered. Kratos almost sighed, but caught himself before he did.

'He's asked that every night for a while now.' Kratos thought. He was starting to really worry about his son.

"What do you want to know?" he asked.

"… How did mama die?" Lloyd asked, still refusing to look at his father.

"Lloyd-"

"Why won't you tell me, daddy?"

Kratos reached over and picked Lloyd up. Lloyd didn't protest. Kratos held his son to him, as if trying to protect him from harm. "Lloyd, I want to tell you. I really do…" Kratos said, willing his son to understand. "It's just hard. You'll understand someday. I swear I'll tell you what happened someday…" he promised, his voice cracking slightly.

Lloyd looked up and saw tear on his father's face. Lloyd reached up and brushed them away, tears running down his own face.

"I'm sorry… I didn't mean to make daddy cry…" Lloyd whispered. He buried his face in his father's shirt and cried. Kratos held him closer, his hands shaking slightly.

"It's not your fault, Lloyd. None of this is your fault." Kratos told him. Lloyd nodded sadly into his father's shirt.

---

After Lloyd had finally fallen asleep, Kratos went back to his room, where Yuan was waiting for him. Kratos acted like he wasn't even there, and Yuan shook his head.

"You need to tell him, Kratos." He said. Kratos glared at him. "He'll figure it out. He already knows you're hiding things from him. He just proved that."

"What were you doing eavesdropping on me and my son?"

"Kratos-"

"Just leave us alone." Kratos snapped, walking past Yuan and out of the room. Yuan followed him.

"He will find out. Isn't it better that he hears it from his father?"

"He's three years old! How do I tell my three year old son that I killed his mother?"

"… I'm sorry, Kratos, but I don't have an answer for that."

Kratos growled quietly, "Well, when you can give me an answer to that question, I'll tell Lloyd about Anna."

"It's not my job to figure out how to tell him. It's yours."

Kratos turned around a corner, hoping Yuan wouldn't follow him. To his dismay, Yuan continued to follow.

"Leave me alone, Yuan." Kratos snapped in an annoyed tone.

"I had to put up with you for over 4000 years. Now, you're going to deal with me for a few minutes."

"I had to deal with you for over 4000 years, too, Yuan. Go away."

"No." Yuan said simply.

To Kratos' annoyance, Mithos (in his normal form) decided to come up and join the conversation.

"No, what?" He asked Yuan.

Yuan turned to him. "I told Kratos that he should tell Lloyd about killing Lloyd's mother, Anna. He said no and told me to go away. I told him no." Yuan explained. Mithos nodded. He turned to Kratos.

"So why does Lloyd think Kvar killed… Anna?" He asked, looking at Yuan to make sure he had the right name. Yuan nodded.

"We got into a fight with Kvar. Lloyd passed out before the fight was over. Right after Lloyd passed out, Kvar removed Anna's exsphere. Kvar left and Anna begged me to kill her. Lloyd thought Anna was killed in the fight." Kratos explained angrily.

"Is that why Kvar thinks he was the one who killed the human?"

"Her name is Anna." Kratos snapped dangerously, turning on Mithos. "Not that it's any of your business."

"I'm the leader of Cruxis. If I want it to be my business, it becomes my business."

"…" Kratos turned around and walked away, Yuan and Mithos right behind him.

"You have to tell him, Kratos." Mithos said.

"That's what I said." Yuan whispered in an annoyed tone.

"Would both of you shut up?!" Kratos snapped. Mithos grinned at Yuan.

"He's being very out of character today isn't he?"

"He's always out of character…" Yuan sighed.

"Well, actually, he has no character…" Mithos added.

Kratos gave them both a death glare. "Martel, what did I do to deserve this…" Yuan and Mithos both glared at him.

"I heard that!" They both said. Kratos looked away. He sighed and turned another corner, walking over to a warp-pad leading to Sylvarant.

"Kratos, what are you doing?" Yuan asked.

"I'm going to go find Noishe. He fell down a cliff when Anna was killed. I'm sure he's still alive, but I left him on Sylvarant. I'm going to go find him."

"But what about-"

"I'll trust you two to take care of Lloyd." Kratos continued. "I'll be back soon."

He stepped on the warp-pad and disappeared. Yuan and Mithos looked at each other.

"I am no one's babysitter." Mithos said bitterly. Yuan shrugged.

"Okay, I'll watch him." He said, walking in the direction of Lloyd's room. Mithos paused.

"Wait for me!" he called, running after Yuan. Yuan shook his head.

"What is it with you and kids?" He asked sarcastically. Mithos crossed his arms.

"I could ask you the same thing."

On the way to Lloyd's room, they found the three year old Aurion walking around the halls.

Yuan walked up to him and picked him up.

"Lloyd, what are you doing here?"

"Looking for daddy." Lloyd answered sleepily. Yuan smiled.

"Your dad's busy. We're going to watch you for a while." Yuan told him. Lloyd nodded.

"So," Mithos started, "what do you want to do?"

'I'm really going to regret letting him ask that question, aren't I?' Yuan thought.

Lloyd smiled mischievously. "Show me more of Cruxis!" Lloyd commanded excitedly. Yuan sweat dropped.

"Alright. Lets go."

---

"What's that?" Lloyd asked. Mithos looked in the direction Lloyd was pointing.

"That's the warp-pad that leads to my castle." he explained. "We used it before, remember?"

"Why do you have a castle, uncle Mithos?"

"To make himself feel important." Yuan said dismissively. Mithos grabbed his ponytail and pulled on it. "Ouch! Mithos! I told you to stop that!" Yuan yelled.

"And I told you to stop making stupid comments!"

"… they're all true…" yank "Ouch! Mithos!"

Mithos grinned.

Lloyd watched them. Mithos and Yuan glared at each other. "You two are weird…" Lloyd said. They looked at him.

"… we know." Yuan said in a defeated tone.

"Speak for yourself." Mithos added.

--- Back on Symphonia…

Kratos walked around the cliff by the Iselia human ranch. He looked at the grave a few feet away and saw someone standing in front of it.

"Hello?" Kratos called. The dwarf looked up.

"Hello." he said. "What brings you here?"

Kratos looked at the grave. "… My wife." he said quietly.

"Ah. I'm sorry to hear that." he said. Kratos nodded sadly and set the flowers he had brought at the grave, noticing flowers already there. "I put those there."

Kratos cocked his head. "Why? You didn't have anything to do with her…"

"Well, if it were me, I would want someone to do it for me."

Kratos nodded sadly. "Thank you." he paused. "You wouldn't have happened to see a… dog around here, would you?" he asked. The dwarf smiled.

"Ah, he's yours? I found him at the base of the cliff. He was hurt, so I took care of him. He's at my house. Come with me, I'll take you to him."

Kratos sighed in relief. "Thank you."

Kratos followed the dwarf to a small house in the middle of a clearing.

"My name's Dirk, by the way." he said.

"… Kratos."

"Well, Kratos, there's your dog over there." he said, pointing to the side of the house where Noishe was laying, curled up in the sun.

Noishe looked up as they walked over. He whined and walked over to Kratos, limping slightly. Kratos looked at him guiltily. He ran his hand over Noishe's head.

"I'm so sorry I left you, Noishe." he said quietly, kneeling down in front of the protozoan. Noishe pushed his head against Kratos' neck, whining happily. Kratos smiled slightly.

"Why don't you come in?" Dirk offered. Kratos stood up.

"That's really not necessary." he said.

"I insist."

Kratos paused and followed Dirk inside. He sat down at a small table and Dirk sat across from him.

"Why don't you tell me what happened? You seem like you have a story to tell."

Kratos looked away.

"Of course, you don't have to."

"… We were attacked by desians. My wife died, Noishe fell down the cliff, and my baby son was hurt pretty badly…"

Dirk sighed. "I'm sorry to hear that." he said. "How's your son?"

"Lloyd. He's fine, now."

"That's good. It must have been hard on him…" Dirk said quietly.

"He can't remember it…" Kratos told him. He stood up. "He keeps asking about her. I don't know what to tell him… I just want to protect him… I think I go to far sometimes, though…" Kratos said, wondering why he was telling all of this to a complete stranger.

"My opinion might not count for much, but if you want to protect him, you should just let him live his life. Don't try to protect him, let him stand on his own two feet."

"… I should be going. I left Lloyd with some friends of mine."

Dirk smiled. "I understand. I'll take care of the grave, if you want me to."

"I would really appreciate that. Thank you... For all your help…"

"No problem."

They walked outside. "Lets go, Noishe." Kratos called. Noishe limped up to him.

"If you need anything, don't hesitate to ask." Dirk told him.

"Thank you."

"You don't have to keep saying that. It would be my pleasure."

Kratos nodded. He headed back in the direction of Anna's grave, with Noishe right behind him. He paused at the grave. He knelt down in front of it and smiled. "I promise, I'll take care of Lloyd." he whispered. Noishe whined and put his nose against the grave. Kratos got up and made his way back to the warp-pad.

---

"What's this, uncle Mithos?" Lloyd asked, pointing to a computer.

"That controls a prototype for a mana cannon." Mithos said. Lloyd looked at him like he way crazy.

"A what?" he asked. Mithos sweat dropped.

"It shoots mana at things."

Yuan, Mithos, and Lloyd looked over to see who had spoken. They saw Kratos standing in the doorway.

"Daddy!" Lloyd called, waiting as Mithos put him down. He ran up to his father and hugged his leg. "Where were you, daddy?"

"I was… with a friend." Kratos said. "Did you keep Mithos and Yuan out of trouble?"

"Yep!"

Mithos and Yuan sweat dropped. They walked over to Kratos while Lloyd ran off to play with one of the computers.

"So, did you find Noishe?" Yuan asked. Kratos nodded.

"I found Noishe, and did a few other things."

Yuan cocked his head. "Other things?"

"Daddy, what does this do?" Lloyd called. The three looked over at Lloyd and saw him hitting buttons on the computer.

"Lloyd! Don't do that!" Kratos called. Mithos shrugged.

"Leave him alone. He can't do any real damage."

"…"

Lloyd hit a big red button, causing a bunch of lights to start flashing. The screen started flashing and an alarm started going off.

"Whoops…" Lloyd said innocently. There was a loud bang and Lloyd jumped about a foot in the air. The lights stopped flashing and everything got quiet. Yuan walked over to the computer and started typing. After a few minutes, Kratos gave Mithos an annoyed look.

"You were saying?" He said. Mithos sweat drooped.

"That made a big boom!" Lloyd cheered. "Lets do it again!" He said, running to the computer.

"Freeze!" Yuan called, grabbing the back of the toddler's shirt. "I don't think so."

"Aw…" Lloyd pouted, crossing his arms.

Pronyma walked in and looked at Mithos.

"Um… Lord Yggdrasill? We have a problem…" she said nervously. Mithos looked at her.

"What?"

"There was a mana blast… and it kind of hit the chosen of regeneration…" she said.

Kratos smacked his forehead as Lloyd laughed. " 'Oh, leave him alone. He can't do any real damage…' " Kratos mocked, "Is killing a chosen real enough for you?!"

"We need to make Derris-Kharlan child-proof, Mithos." Yuan said.

"Well, how destructive can one little kid be?!" Mithos yelled.

"You never met Anna, did you?" Kratos commented, resisting the urge to laugh as he remembered some of Anna's 'destructive moments.' "He does take after his mother." he continued, taking Lloyd from Yuan.

Mithos sighed. "Great… who's next in line?"

"Some girl from Iselia. I heard she's a klutz…" Yuan said as he read off of the computer screen. Mithos sighed.

"Just what we need. Maybe Lloyd can kill her too…" he said.

"Actually, she kind of reminds me of you as a little kid, Mithos." Yuan said, grinning evilly.

Mithos glared. "Yuan…" he hissed angrily.

Kratos sighed. "Yuan, you need to learn to watch what you say…"

Mithos pulled out his wings. "You're so dead!" Mithos said dangerously. "JUDGMENT!"

"Mithos! Stop it!" Yuan yelled as he ran out of the room. Lloyd watched the judgment attack and smiled.

"That was so cool! Daddy, teach me to do that!" he said happily.

"When you're older." Kratos said. "First, lets go stop uncle Mithos from killing Yuan, okay?"

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Me: I'm still taking ideas for things Lloyd does in Cruxis. Basically any age.

Lloyd: Martel, why?

Me: Because I can. Thank you, Kratos's appreintice, for coming up with an idea of how the chosen before Colette died and for your reviews!

Lloyd: Please review.