Well this should be fun X3
Yeah…..I guess I was excited about this so you get it quick. You're welcome. Lol.
Disclaimer: I own nothing
The Tower of Salvation.
They approached on the dragons, Sheena riding behind him as the beast ruffled and snorted under them, carrying them to their destination. There was a feeling on the wind that he didn't like…there was a churn to his stomach that told him nothing good was going to happen. He didn't like the feeling, as no one would, but he locked it away, hoping that somehow it'd disappear on its own.
He should have known better, really, seeing as that hadn't worked at all lately.
Colette and Kratos had gone ahead, so they were left chasing after them. They entered the tower onto a long translucent pathway, running across it before they realized something was there.
Lloyd's legs buckled.
"Gah-" he choked, his skin breaking out in sweat as he fell to his knees.
"Lloyd-? Lloyd what's wrong?"
That feeling again, that choking, smothering- death. That was it. He felt death. His eyes snapped open and he looked around, panicked, then spotted the objects swirling below them.
"Coffins," he choked, his eyes widening.
"What-?" Genis stared, the noticed where he looked. "Ah-! Wh- why are all these bodies here-?"
"They must be the Chosen that have failed up to this point…" Raine frowned. "Or…"
"W- We need to hurry," Lloyd coked, getting to his feet. "I- I can't let Colette end up down there."
He took a few shaky steps, then hurried off, racing to the transport at the end of the path, his friends close behind him.
Colette was already at the altar, her head bowed in prayer, Remiel above her overseeing her actions. That circle under her- it made his head hurt- something was dreadfully wrong here. He could feel it, he could feel something he couldn't quite describe, could feel …pain, could feel fear, could feel- Colette. Colette was afraid, Colette was in pain! What should he do- what could he do? He didn't eve know what was really going on, what he was feeling, what-
"Your heart and your memory, by giving them up of your own free will, you will become a true angel!"
"Her heart and…?" he repeated, his eyes widening.
"Colette's going to forget about us?" Genis choked up.
"Her human life will now end, and she'll be reborn as an angel," Raine stated solemnly.
"P- Professor, what are you talking about?" Lloyd asked, his voice barely coming out above a whisper.
"I'm sorry, she made me promise not to say anything…" Raine frowned. "Colette will give up her life to regenerate the world, becoming an angel…means dying."
Dying.
His eyes widened and all he could think of was that. Death. The claw piercing through his heart, falling to the ground, blood gushing from his body, the pain-
Death. Death- death!
No!
Before he even realized it he had run up to Colette on the altar, grabbing her by the shoulders.
"Colette-!"
It's okay, Lloyd, everytime I met Remiel I felt that…he was not my real father.
Her real father? What? When had they said that? Had he really missed that much in that brief moment of shock? Had it been more than a moment then? Now that he thought of it, yes…he had heard voices, questions, Remiel's cruel retort. It just all seemed so redundant, nothing mattered, the only thing that mattered was Colette, smiling at him while she was dying…
"Colette- Colette if you knew then why-"
You can hear my voice? I'm so happy! I'll be able to say goodbye to you in the end…
"Colette- no- don't' die- please don't die, I can't- I can't let you-"
It's okay Lloyd…it's okay….
"No- Colette it's not-" he shook his head, his entire body shaking along with him. "No Colette! Don't-"
I'm sorry Lloyd…
"No-! Colette-!"
It looks like it's time…
"Colette-!" he choked, reached for her as she began to hover out of his reach.
Goodbye…
This feeling. No. It wasn't death. But it was horrible, so horrible. It was like being alive and being dead at the same time, like being surrounded in death but being alive screaming that you wanted to live. He staggered, feeling his knees wobble, clutching at his chest as his breath began to elude him. No- stop it- make it stop- what was this-? MAKE IT STOP!
"The vessel is complete! Martel's vessel is finally complete!"
Laughter. Who was laughing? How dare they- how dare they laugh at something like this, how dare they laugh at a fate such as this, something worse than death, how dare they laugh….
"I have no further use for you! Be gone!"
"Lloyd!" he heard someone call.
He felt the heat approaching, saw the light zooming toward him from the angel's hand…
How dare he laugh.
The ball of light mana distorted and twisted, falling apart at the massive gust of wind that met it. Remiel scowled in anger and fear, his companions freezing in their tracks. Lloyd's fists clenched at his sides, turning his gaze onto the 'angel' that had done this horrid act.
"Monster," he hissed, his voice dropping an octave.
His rage ignited in his chest like a burst of flame, burning through his veins, engulfing his body. That feeling from before, the inferno in his being…
"HOW DARE YOU!" he roared, his voice shaking the platform.
Lightning cracked with the wind, the earth shaking beneath them. Remiel gasped, struggling to keep in the air as the wind buffeted him, and the boy before him began to writhe.
"Ah- ah!" he choked and gasped, clutching at his heart, his eyes shut tightly.
It hurt- it hurt- make it stop-!
His fingers dug into his skin, feeling his heart pound, the world getting blurry. He screamed, throwing his head back and then- just like that- cut off.
It stopped.
The pain…the pain was gone, but the burning was not. The rage was not, the power was not….
He exhaled slowly and lowered his head, the brown locks shifting to bright crimson, his body heightening and broadening, the white cloak and black armor appearing on his body. Slowly he opened his eyes, the milk white irises locking on the petrified Cruxian.
He was going to enjoy this.
"Wh- what- what are you-?" Remiel cried, going pale.
Lightning flashed, the wind whipping around, screaming in their ears. His eyes narrowed and he snapped casually, Remiel's right wing erupting into flame. The angel screeched in pain, floundering and falling onto the ground, unable to fly. The crimson locks flicked around his face, the cloak billowing behind him as he approached calmly, simple, slow steps.
"You found that amusing, did you?" he spoke, his voice low, booming despite its softness. "Depriving someone of their life when they are still alive?"
Remiel stammered, his eyes wide, petrified in fear as he tried to scramble back.
His hand closed around the angel's throat, lifting him up off the quaking ground.
"Because I didn't," he snapped, his eyes narrowed. "I didn't find that amusing at all…"
"N- No- please-!"
"Allow me to finish your life for you."
His eyes narrowed and the struggling peon choked, falling limp in his grip. The blonde's eyes stared, panic flicking in them as his skin began to shrivel up around him, his hair falling out, the feathers molting, the limbs falling useless as the bones reduced to nothing. The last flick of life evaporated from his eyes right when his body fell to dust on the ground, the wind wiping it away.
He felt no remorse.
"L- Lloyd-?"
He heard growling, Corrine, most likely; felt the stares, the horror…
"You need to change back, Lloyd."
The voice came, flat, final, calm… His milky eyes located the source quickly, as the wind and the quakes died around them. Kratos, standing there, looking down at him from the platform.
"He'll be here soon, if you're seen like this it will endanger you," the man said, his eyes misted somewhat.
"Kratos," he spoke simply, scanning him, then Colette. "…You were in on this."
"Hmph, very perceptive," Kratos stated, unfurling his wings behind him.
"W- what-? Kratos is-" Genis blurted.
"He's an angel too?" Sheena stared.
"You did this to her," he continued, the wind beginning to pick up again, blowing their hair back.
"When the Chosen merges with Martel the world will be saved, is that not what you all wanted? She knew this would happen, she allowed it, can you really place the blame on me?" he said curtly, but the cold tone did not match the hollow look in his eyes.
"You lied to us."
"You need to change back, Lloyd, and you need to leave, or you'll all be in danger."
"Don't you dare order me!"
He leapt up on the platform, striking at Kratos with his fist, which had been coated suddenly in a sharp piece of ice. Kratos quickly met it with his blade, shattering a bit of the ice but nicking his blade in turn.
"Your friends will die, Lloyd!" Kratos snapped, his russet eyes locked on his student's. "You need to leave!"
He choked.
Die- no- no, no more, he couldn't take anymore, no more death, no more horrid abominations near death…
"Lloyd," Kratos whispered, his expression softening as he bore into Lloyd's eyes. "Please…"
What- please? That look- that face- what was going on? He was mad- furious- he was furious with him! He would kill- no- no something wasn't right…he couldn't kill him…why? Why couldn't he- no. He couldn't.
He staggered back, feeling the weakness leeching back into his being. The shaking in his leg, the pain in his chest… What was going on? He didn't understand…
His knees hit the ground, the familiar dark fabric covering them, the red jacket and suspenders on his torso. Lloyd gasped and clutched at his heart, doubled over, trying to reclaim his breath.
"You- you bastard-" he choked, attempting to get back on his feet. "You lied- you lied to us- it was all a lie! All of it was a big lie! Give her back!"
"Leave, Lloyd-"
He let out a cry, drawing his blade and charging the man again, only to get knocked back again. Kratos went to speak, to warn him again, to beg him to flee, but it was too late. In a flurry of light and feathers Yggdrasill appeared, looking down with disdain at those assembled.
"Lord Yggdrasill…."
Kratos bowed down to him and Lloyd shook, attempting to get to his feet, attempting to come to grips with what was happening. 'Lord'- this was their leader. This was the guy that had been behind all this, that had done this to Colette-
"Are you Lloyd?"
He tried to speak, tried to retort, but he couldn't find his voice. Couldn't find it in him to speak, the heart-wrenching feeling still hadn't subsided….
"G- So what if I am?" he snapped, though his voice didn't come out nearly as brave as he wanted.
"Are you afraid, boy?" Yggdrasill smirked down at him. "Good, you should be."
"Give her back…" he choked.
"What was that? I didn't hear you."
"Give her back you bastard!" he roared, charging at the angel, who merely smacked him into the nearby pillar.
Everything blacked out.
He was there again. In that emptiness, his feet in the shallow 'water' as it shifted and rippled beneath him. No- no, was he dead again? Had he died for real this time? Had he even really …died the first time?
"No…" he whispered, his voice echoing of the infinite abyss. "I can't …"
Colette…his friends..he had to get back. He had to save them, he had to save Colette from that…that…hell that had befallen her. There was nothing to see, nothing to do here….what could he do? What was he supposed to do?
He sighed and turned again, choking as he saw his reflection in the water once more. The white eyes, the red hair, the cloak, the armor…. Lloyd shook, backing up a step, the water distorting again under his feet. It rippled and waved, blurred, then slowly set back into clarity, showing the reflection- his reflection. He let out a deep sigh of relief, seeing the brown-haired, brown-eyed reflection looking back at him. That was better…that was what he was supposed to see-
Wait…
He choked, looking at his arms, the white sleeves, the dark gauntlets, the too large hands.
No-!
NO-!
"Lloyd!"
He jerked upright, panting, looking around his surroundings rapidly. Where was he? It- it didn't look like the tower- it wasn't. Okay..okay…he was alive, his friends were here, they were alive….
He shuddered and buried his face in his hands, rubbing it.
Okay…okay…calm down…
"Lloyd, are you okay?" Genis asked.
"I- y- yeah," he nodded, swallowing. "I'm fine…
The teen took a few deep breathes and then look up , scanning his companions. Yes…everyone seemed fine-
"W- where's Colette?" he blurted, whipping his head around.
They parted, allowing him to see the unresponsive maiden as she stared into nothingness. He leapt to his feet and rushed to her.
"Colette-!"
"She doesn't respond to anything we say…"
No…
"Colette…I'm going to save you…okay?" he whispered, his hands on her shoulders. "I'm going to get you back…"
He felt a jolt in his heart. Somehow then...he knew that she heard him.
How many times could his entire world fall apart….?
Yeah…..…I plead insanity? Or did I say that already…whatever, hope you liked
Review if you want please! It makes me a happy bunny n.n