VGA: What up peeps?
Lyude: "Peeps"...? How unprofessional...
VGA: Says you. Anyways, really long update, I know. I have no doubt there will be more in the future, but I'll try my best, really. School and stuff's has really gotten me on edge. Now that it's summer though, I'll try and start writing more. You see, I'm more of an artist than a writer, so I'm drawing more than I'm writing.
Lyude: Really? You don't strike me as the artistic type.
VGA: And why's that?
Lyude: Well, artists are usually calm, polite, inquisitive...sane.
VGA: THAT'S A STEREOTYPE, YOU MAGGOT!!!
Lyude: Eek! (Uses flower magnus shield)
VGA: I don't get how a flower is used as shield... Anyway, announce the chapter you gay-magnus-wielding sap.
Lyude: Ch-Chapter Three...
Chapter Three
Kratos gently ran his hand across the flat surface of the tombstone, which was inscribed, "Here Lies Anna".
"Tell me love, what should I do?" he asked softly. "Lloyd's grown into a fine young man without me. He already has a father, friends, and a place to call home. Who am I to take that away from him?"
"Who said you'd be takin' it away?"
Kratos whirled around with his hand on his hilt on instinct. He stopped himself from drawing his blade when he saw the person who had addressed him was only Dirk.
"Ya quick on pulling out the sword, huh?" the dwarf laughed.
"...It's a bad habit," Kratos said simply.
"Aye, I couldn't help but overhear ya conversation..."
"..." Kratos turned his eyes back to the grave stone.
"Ya know, when I first found Lloyd, he still had memories of ya. For about the first week or so, I remembered he'd sit out on the porch with Noishe for 'bout an hour each day. When I asked what he was doin', he'd say, 'I'm waiting for my Daddy'."
Kratos' heart clenched. If Dirk was trying to make him feel better, it wasn't working.
"Kratos," the dwarf went on. "When a baby bird's learned to fly, it still remains with the flock, ya know? Keep that in mind."
"...I will," the seraph said reluctantly.
"Also, do ya have an idea as to where the boy mighta gone? I haven't seen 'im for awhile."
It had been over an hour since Lloyd suddenly left the house to 'be alone', as he claimed. He had grown strong enough to fend off any beasts that might attack him in the forest, so no one really worried. But now it was dark...
"I'll look for him," the ex-mercenary said, standing up. "I last saw him go into the forest."
"DIRK!! KRATOS!!" a voice yelled from the depths of the forest. Both the parents looked up and saw a panicked Colette running toward them, Noishe close by. She had something long and red clutched in her hand... A sword?
"Colette, did something happen?" Kratos inquired. The blond, however, was too out of breath to speak.
"Aye, girl. Catch ya breath!" Dirk said, a little worried.
"Lloyd! He's gone!!" she shouted suddenly.
"...Gone?"
--
Kratos was entirely filled with worry and fear. It had been about four days since Colette had come bursting out of the woods, grasping the Flamberge and a torn piece of his scarf. He currently was holding said blade in mild disappointment and anger. The sword had protected and aided him for four millenniums, he bestowed it to Lloyd in hopes it would do the same for him. For the first time, it had failed to do so.
He squeezed the hilt tighter and looked into the blood red blade.
Lloyd... Where are you?
Then, out of nowhere, an overwhelming migraine-like sensation seized him and a bright flash wiped out his vision and replaced it with the image of a pier, crowded with several people who were tending sea faring vessels. Then he heard a distant voice say, "Kid, you okay? Kid?"
Before he knew he found himself looking back at the sword, eyes wide and face pale.
"That was..." he couldn't finish his sentence, not knowing what to make of the strange episode he had just experience. When he regained his composure, he sighed and said, "I obviously need to consult this with an expert."
He drew his aqua blue wings and prepared to take off before a familiar whine stopped him. Noishe was looking at the seraph with a expression that said, "And just where do you think you're going?"
As though he completely understood, Kratos calmly answered, "I'm going to visit an old friend. I want you to stay here in case Lloyd appears. I'm counting on you."
He gave Noishe one last pat on the head before finally flying off, leaving a few celestial feathers floating where he once stood that disintegrated moments after they fell to the ground.
--
"Kid, you okay? Kid?"
Lloyd wavered on his feet, suddenly feeling dizzy and disoriented. Gibari noticed him beginning to topple slightly and gripped the boy's shoulder to keep him steady.
"Whoa there, kid. What's the matter?" he asked in concern.
"I-I don't know…" Lloyd stuttered. When his vision began to steady, he noticed all the other people on the dock giving him creeped out looks, eyeing him like he was freak and whispering to one another. He couldn't help but feel embarrassed and flushed from both the humiliation and from the sudden bout of dizziness.
"Maybe you're still a little zoned out from that injury," the fisherman wondered. "I should probably take you back the castle, just to be-"
"N-no, I'm fine," Lloyd said nervously. "S-so, where's your boat?"
"Oh, it's right here," he gestured to a strange contraption that, to Lloyd, looked like something akin to a child's fantasy idea for a boat. Of all the years Lloyd spent with Dirk and his constructions, he had never seen a vessel this bizarre, not even the rheairds could top it. The thing didn't even look capable of floating in water!
Gibari hopped in the "boat" and turned to the teen to say, "You coming in or not?"
Lloyd nodded and carefully eased himself into the back bench. Gibari leaned over the side of the boat to undo a rope that anchored it to one of the pier's worn legs.
"You settled in, kid?" he turned to the teen. When Lloyd nodded, Gibari turned to face the open sea before them and said, "Allright, time to shove off!"
As the boat began to propel forward, Lloyd gripped the rims of it to try and steady himself. He still felt unsteady from earlier, which led him to wonder, What the hell was that?
As he contemplated this, he subconsciously leaned his head back so that he could face the stars. Only a lone few of the celestial bodies managed to emerge from the still lighted, yet dimming sky. With no entertainment from above, he removed the glove from his right hand, placed it loosely into the water, and watched the ripples.
"Geez, am I that boring?" Gibari suddenly spoke up in a playful tone.
"Er, no. I was just thinking," Lloyd explained."Ah. So kid, why don't you tell where you're from?"Crap. Lloyd had expected the question would arise but hadn't prepared an answer for it. Despite Lloyd's "simple" mind, even he was smart enough to know that saying he was from a different world wasn't a good idea. So instead, he answered with the classic, "I don't know."
"You don't know?" Gibari asked in confusion. "How do you 'not know' where you're from."
Then he remembered what the doctor had said.
"I mean, I can't remember. I have… ammesiah?"
"…You mean 'amnesia'…?" Gibari asked slowly.
"Yeah…"
Gibari began to chuckle, shaking his head as he said, "Man kid, you sure aren't that bright!"
"Hey!"
"You remind of a pal of mine. He has one of those one-track minds too."
Lloyd stuck his tongue out (even though it was pointless since the man had his back to him).
"So you don't remember anything? Not even your family?"
"…I remember my father but… He left."
"I see.. Well don't you worry kid. Nashira is a real peaceful village, you'll feel right at home. Hey, you and I should go fishing!""Yeah, that sounds great," Lloyd smiled sadly. He sighed softly and looked into the horizon, faintly wondering about his father, wondering if he was worrying about him.
The bitterness came back.
He probably doesn't even 's probably glad to be rid of me…
Once again, Lloyd caught himself thinking these hateful thoughts.
Goddess, what's wrong with me, how could I think that? He's probably worried sick…
--
It would seem… we have another on our plate…
--
VGA: After all this time, I finally updated… I still have other fics to work on too.
Lyude: Well, it's a start at least.
VGA: Yeah, I guess. Anyway, forgive me if get some Symphonia stuff wrong. I'm letting a friend borrow the game and in exchange I'm borrowing his Metroid game… WHICH KICKS ASS!!! Who knew blasting aliens could be so fulfilling?
Lyude: Are you sure you were neglecting your writing because you were too busy playing video games?
VGA: I called myself Videogamatic for a reason you know. Video games… ARE MY BLOOD!!! Anyway, let us hope for a quick update.