I watched a detective movie...and I had ideas for this one. The action is going to be kicking in in the next chappy, so enjoy what little peace and laughter you can in this one. So yeah...I hope I don't confuse anyone and hope it is good!

Disclaimer: How many times do I have to say this...I DON'T OWN TALES!


Bonds of Trust
Raine's Arrival

Lloyd, Genis, Mighty, and Edect were all playing a game of cards at the apartment the school kids stayed at. Needless to say, Mighty and Edect were getting to know Lloyd's stupidity and quickly. While playing a game of poker, Lloyd would drop his hand consisting of four different suits and numbers, claiming it was a full house. Genis slammed his hand into his head while the other two boys laughed.

"Lloyd, how can you have a full house out of that?" Edect laughed as Lloyd put down his hand.

"Look, I have one of each kind, and they are a king, a queen, a jack, an ace, and a ten! Tell me how can I not have a full house when I have everything?"

"Lloyd, a full house is when you have three of a kind and two of a kind. That's not what you have." Mighty explained through Edect's laughter. "You're so stupid."

Lloyd glared at him, but Genis sighed. "Lloyd is that way, but it was a good try for not playing before Lloyd. It was a cleaver guess."

"Thanks Genis!" Lloyd said happily as Edect gathered the cards up to play again. When Edect was shuffling, there was a knock on the door.

"I'll get it, since I do that well." Mighty said as he stood up. Lloyd turned to Genis.

"I hate him. There is something about him; he is a smart-ass, and I hate that!"

"Just because he is smarter than you doesn't mean he is a jerk. He is really nice; you just have to get to know him."

"Ha, like I would want to get to know him."

"Well…if it isn't Mr. Irving, or is it Mr. Aurion now?"

Lloyd, Genis, and Edect looked up. Lloyd smiled and Genis got out of his chair. "Raine! Oh my goodness! It's really you!" He ran over to her and nearly knocked her over.

"I see you are happy to see me. I didn't know we would be having guests." Raine said as she looked at Lloyd. "How have you been?"

Lloyd stood up and smiled. "I have been great! Dad bought me a boat and we have been sailing ever since! It's so much fun!"

Raine nodded, but he knew she hated sailing. "That's great Lloyd. I haven't seen your parents. Where are they?"

Lloyd shrugged his shoulders. "Dunno. They tell me to meet at the inn at uh…nine, and I have no clue what came after that."

Raine smiled. "Not much has changed then huh?"

"Nope! So, what have you been doing?"

Genis led Raine to a seat in the lobby area and Lloyd and the other two followed him to meet his sister.

"I have been doing archeology ever since we split up. I do some speeches here and there, but I have been traveling a lot to study different artifacts. It's fun."

"I can tell. I have seen the way you act at ruins, so I can only imagine what your colleagues have to put up with." Lloyd said.

Raine laughed. "Your sense of humor has yet to fade away Lloyd."

"I have to keep something so you can remember me." The group sat and talked until Raine stood up.

"Well, I do have somewhere to be, so I had best be off. I will be here for a few days. If you find something to do Genis, let me know and we will do it." Raine said as she opened the door. "I'll see you guys later."

"Bye Raine!" Genis smiled and waved his sister good-bye.

Lloyd yawned and stood up as well. "Well, I had best be off too. You know my Mom, scared to death about everything. I'll talk to you tomorrow Genis."

Genis nodded and Lloyd left. Mighty laughed. "That kid is an arrogant prick! Who did he inherit that from?"

Genis was confused. "What do you mean?"

Mighty stopped and faced Genis. "You tell me. You said his parents are nice, but yet, I wouldn't get that from him! How can you be friends with that SOB?"

"How can you not? He is so funny! It's okay to be stupid every now and then Mighty." Edect replied. He rolled his eyes and stood up.

"Well, I have to go get something from the store. Wanna come with?"

Genis and Edect shook their heads. "It's okay. We'll wait here."

Mighty smiled and turned around as he reached the door. "Alright, don't say I didn't warn you."

As he left, Edect turned to Genis. "I don't want to be mean or anything, but what is his deal all of the sudden?"

Genis smiled. "He doesn't like Lloyd. You're right; he is more about being smart and can't have friends that are dumb. I like Lloyd. He's a great kid. A peanut sized brain, but a huge heart. That's what I like about him."

Edect nodded. "Guess so. I had best be off to bed. I need to do the rest of my work tomorrow."

Genis looked over at the clock and decided that he too should be off to bed. "Okay, let's go."

-----

"I want him dead, understand me?"

Another man looked at the other and smiled. "I understand completely. What is it you would like me to do?"

"Investigate him. He should be headed that way and leaving in the near future. I want him dead before he does so."

"What about the others? What shall we do with them?"

The leader reached into his pocket and handed a small gadget to the other. "This…use this tonight. If they all die, then so be it. More of a shock. Don't disappoint me."

"Yes sir."

-----

"Where have you been mister? It is quarter after nine! You were supposed to be back at nine!"

"Sorry Mom, I stayed over with Genis for a little while longer." Lloyd replied through a yawn as he reached his room. "You should know by now that I don't come home on time."

"You're right, and then you wonder why I have someone out there looking for you! You need to be more responsible!"

"You've said that like, a thousand times."

"I'll say it until it penetrates your brain. Go to bed. I believe tomorrow will be our last day here."

Lloyd plopped on the bed and slowly got under the covers. "Okay, whatever. Good-night Mom."

Anna rolled her eyes and smiled at her son, who turned his back and acted like he was already asleep. "Good night Lloyd."

-----

Something is not right here. I…I can feel that something is going to happen. I know something is going to happen. But, to who…where, why? I can see two shadows coming closer to me. I can't see their faces and one is holding…a pistol. Why am I standing here? Why can't I move? Someone…he is holding me back! Who is it? Who is holding me back? I turn as far as I could, but his face is pitch black. The other two figures begin to talk…the one holds the gun, it's pointed to my left. Good…he's not aiming at me. A shot is fired…but I hear nothing. Who shot and who did he shoot?

"Don't worry Lloyd; everything is going to be okay." That voice…I have heard it somewhere, but I don't know who. "Say hello to your father when you see him."

My father? What happened to him? No…I can't believe this! That man…he shot my dad! No! I have to wake up! That gun is aimed at me, but not by the one talking. Who is talking to me? His voice is going to haunt me! The man with the pistol hands it over to the other man, and the one who shot my father steps through into the light.

The shadow man with the gun holds it up to me and I brace for the worst. If my father was killed, I was going to see him soon. Just as the shot was going to be fired, I heard the throwing of punches and opened my eyes.

"Dad!" He was alive! I have never been so happy in my life! The gun was knocked from the shadow man's hands, but the other picked it up…the man that talked to me, the man I knew. He aimed it at my father.

"No! Please don't do this!" I yelled. I felt like I was begging for all the money in the world. I couldn't sit here and watched him get killed like this! His finger wrapped around the trigger. "Kvar…no!" Too late…he pulled it.

"Dad!" Lloyd woke up in a cold sweat and shaking unbelievably. Anna ran over to his bedside and wiped the sweat falling from his eyes.

"Lloyd, what's wrong? What happened?"

"Dad…where is he? Tell me!" Lloyd said between breaths. Anna saw the fear in his eyes and tried to get him to calm down.

"It's okay Lloyd. Kratos just went down to the lobby. It's okay. Tell me what happened?"

Lloyd began crying and Anna didn't know what to do. Whatever he saw, it was not pretty. He sat up and she sat next to him. "I…I was in this dark place…don't know where…and these two guys…one was Kvar…the other sounded familiar. Kvar…he shot Dad! He shot him! Right in front of my face! He did it trying to protect me!"

Anna wrapped her arms around him while he cried. "It's okay Lloyd. Kvar is dead. You and your father killed him a long time ago. Nothing is going to happen to him. It was just a nightmare."

Lloyd didn't say anything for a while until Kratos walked into the room.

"What happened?" he asked after seeing Lloyd's face. Lloyd got up and ran over to him and hugged him.

"I was so scared that he killed you! In front of my face! He killed you!" Lloyd cried.

Kratos smiled and tightened his hold on Lloyd. "It's okay Lloyd. I am fine. It was just a dream and it won't happen in reality. Okay?" Lloyd nodded his head, but the image of his father being shot by Kvar couldn't leave his mind. He didn't let go of him until he calmed down a bit. "Now, try to go to bed Lloyd. Tomorrow is out last day here. And don't worry about me son; nothing is going to happen."

Lloyd felt tired enough and agreed with his father and walked over to his bed. He pulled the covers over his shoulders and tried to go back to sleep, but he didn't want to see anymore horrifying dreams like the one he just saw. He closed his eyes and could see everything again. He tried to figure out who that other person was, but he couldn't. Maybe it would come another time…but he was more worried about Kvar. If he was out there…breathing and walking by some miracle, he knew the first person that he would kill, would be…his father.