A/N: Sorry for the delay! As usual, thanks for all the reviews and alerts!You guys rock!

Chapter Seven

Raine found Crystal in a dark alley behind the government building. She had been expecting—hoping, really—to find Lilly. She knew how to talk to Lilly, but this girl? She had no idea how to go about this.

That was why she had wanted Kratos to speak with Crystal. At least he seemed to know how to respond to her. She even considered finding Kratos and directing him to the girl's location. But she couldn't do that. For the sake of the others, she had to try.

"Crystal…"

The girl's head snapped up when she heard her name called.

"Yes?"

"Are you alright?" That was the only thing Raine could think of, but once the words were out of her mouth she wished she could snatch them back. Obviously Crystal was not alright. Raine felt like slapping herself.

"I'm… okay, I think. Don't worry about me. I'll be fine."

"Really?" Raine questioned skeptically.

"Well… it just… doesn't feel real yet, you know? My father is gone and I know that, but it doesn't feel like it really happened."

Raine didn't answer, unsure of what to say next. She knew that typically, people dealt with grief in one of two ways; either they locked themselves away from everyone and refused any human contact, or they lashed out—sometimes violently.

And Crystal didn't seem like the type to lock herself away.

Deciding to change the subject, Raine spoke again.

"You handled the confrontation with Door very well."

"How could I do anything else? It was like looking at myself in a mirror. A distorted mirror, but still. I did the same thing he did, and for the same reason—to save my family. I would have been a hypocrite if I had condemned him for his actions."

"Perhaps. But you convinced him that he was on the wrong path, something that the rest of us would not have been able to do. You did a great job in that situation."

"It scared me a little, honestly. I mean, that could have been me. I couldn't just ignore it. I had to do something."

Then Crystal turned away. She was silent for several moments, until finally she looked back.

"I'm going to go take a walk. I appreciate you coming to check on me, but I'm fine. Please excuse me."

Raine watched her go in silence, then returned to the inn for the night.

0~0~0~0~0~0

The next morning Lilly rose before sunrise, dressing and leaving her room quickly.

She went to the kitchen for a cup of coffee, but it sat before her at the dining room table an hour later, forgotten and unpalatable in its now cold state.

As she sat there she thought about her conversation with Kratos the night before. She knew it wasn't fair of her to act that way to him, but she had been hurt. She also knew that he hadn't intended to sound as though he didn't care about her but still, it stung.

She knew she had to talk to him about it, but at the same time she was afraid to. What would she say? And how would he respond? What if he was angry? But whatever happened, she knew she had to try.

Leaving the inn, she held up a hand to shield her eyes from the bright morning sun, scanning the scene before her for any sign of the mercenary. When she didn't find him in the immediate area she walked through the streets, eventually arriving back at the docks again. And sitting at the pier much like he had the night before with her, was Kratos.

Taking a deep breath, she moved along the pier until she was mere feet away from Kratos. He didn't look up as she approached, but she was sure he knew she was there. Perhaps he was waiting for her to speak?

"Kratos…" She began hesitantly.

"Good morning. Did you sleep well?" He inquired politely.

"No, actually I didn't." This caused him to look up.

"No? Is something wrong?"

Lilly paused for a moment, simply staring into his eyes before sitting down beside him.

"I wanted to apologize for what I said yesterday. There was no call for it. I shouldn't have treated you like that. You did nothing to deserve it."

"I see. I accept your apology if it means that much to you, but I was not offended by your comments. Perplexed, perhaps, but not offended." Kratos answered.

"Perplexed? Why?"

"I hadn't realized what I had said to upset you at first, and once I did I wanted to make it right. But it seemed I only made the situation worse."

"Oh. I'm sorry for that. I shouldn't have reacted that way. It just… hurt a little, I guess. I shouldn't have let it bother me so much." Lilly said.

The two sat in silence for a few moments, neither sure what to say to the other. The city slowly came to life behind them, even as the sun rose before them. The sunlight made Lilly's eyes shine and her hair glisten, much like it had the evening before, and Kratos couldn't help but think that it was a rather attractive image.

Hearing his name being called, he turned to find Raine approaching them.

"I'm sorry to interrupt, but could you come to the inn for a moment, please?" She requested, and after he assured her that he would be in momentarily she retreated from the docks once again.

Kratos took a moment to sit quietly with Lilly for what was likely the last time that day, then stood.

"Do you wish to stay here?" He inquired, but she shook her head.

"No. if you don't mind, I'll accompany you back to the inn."

So he reached out a hand to help her up, and she took it and was gently lifted to her feet. He pulled her close for a moment, simply staring into her eyes silently, squeezing her hand tightly.

"Thank you." He whispered, then turned to begin his walk back to the inn.

Falling into step beside him, Lilly smiled.

0~0~0~0~0~0

"We may have to stay in town for today." Raine said when she saw Kratos and Lilly.

"What's going on?"

"Lloyd is ill."

Kratos raised an eyebrow at the Professor's claim, knowing that Lloyd tended to over exaggerate everything.

"He's thrown up three times already this morning." Raine stated simply, as if that cleared up any doubt.

"Very well. We may remain in town until he has recovered."

"Is he alright?" Lilly asked, and Raine nodded.

"Yes, I believe it is a mild stomach virus. He will be fine soon enough."

Raine answered, and went to check on Lloyd.

"Well, I think I'm going to get in some early morning training. Care to join me?" Lilly asked, and Kratos nodded.

So they left the inn and headed to the town gate, finding a clear area to spar in. Lilly fought with twin daggers, Kratos with his typical long sword. The two stared at each other for a long moment, mentally preparing themselves for the battle ahead. While they wouldn't fight as though they were enemies, both knew that they wouldn't hold back in this match.

Lilly charged at Kratos and slashed, but missed as he leapt over her. As soon as he landed, Kratos struck to the left, but Lilly blocked. Kratos concentrated his powers heavily on the right-hand dagger, and knocked it out of Lilly's hand. It flew across the clearing and hit the gate with a loud clang.

Both fighters leapt back.

Kratos moved around the clearing, circling Lilly and looking for an opening. He then ran toward Lilly as quickly as he could and attacked, landing a blow on her right shoulder.

Lilly jumped back and picked up her second weapon, and prepared to charge again. Lilly followed suit, and it looked like both warriors were about to clash, until Kratos' strike missed. Lilly stood unscathed, and only felt the wind of the blade as it passed by. The two turned around and eyed each other down. Then Lilly leapt into the air and used an Air Slash.

At the right time, Kratos slammed his blade down on the ground and the wave split in half, both sides going around him in both directions. Lilly's face was painted in shock as she saw her attack chopped in half. Kratos was ready to deliver his finishing move, and Lilly charged him. Kratos followed suit, and both dark colored streaks approached each other at high speeds until the slash of a both swords echoed throughout the clearing.

The bodies of the two fighters stood perfectly still. Both held their blades out. Kratos flinched first, showing that the battle had taken its toll, but it was Lilly who fell to her knees. The battle was over.

Breathing heavily, Lilly looked up at Kratos and grinned.

"That was fun. We should do it more often."

Kratos didn't answer, but held out a hand to help her up. As they headed back to the inn they saw Colette and Genis heading toward the square.

"Hey, guys. Where've you been?" Genis asked.

"Out training. Where are you two headed?" Lilly answered.

"We were going to the school. There's a sign in the window that says they're hiring waiters and waitresses, so we thought we'd see if we could get some work for the day."

"You really think they're going to hire you for just one day? It doesn't usually work that way. Good luck though. See ya later." Then the pairs parted ways and when Kratos and Lilly reached the inn, Kratos went to his room while Lilly went to speak with Raine.

Inside his room, Kratos was standing by the window when he remembered the slip of paper given to him by Marcus in the ranch. He had put it in his pocket at the time, but now he pulled it out and read the words written on it.

"Isaac Aurion. Luin." Kratos didn't know of anyone named Isaac Aurion that he was related to, but then he hadn't known about Crystal either, so he shouldn't have been surprised.

Deciding to speak with Crystal, he left his room and searched for her, eventually finding her in the dining room.

"Oh, Kratos, there you are. I was just looking for you." She said as he entered the room.

"Is there something I can help you with?"

"I spoke with Lilly a few minutes ago, and she gave me this," she told him, indicating an Exsphere she held with her fingertips.

"I thought that maybe Genis could use it. He's the only member of our group who doesn't have an Exsphere besides Colette, so it may be good for him to equip it."

"Do you not wish to keep it? It came from your father, did it not?" Kratos asked, and Crystal hesitated.

"I… don't think I can keep it. I think it would be a constant reminder of what the Desians did to him, and I don't think I want that."

"Very well. It may be a good idea to give it to Genis then. Would you like me to do it?"

"No, I can do it. So, was there something you needed?"

"Yes, I wanted to ask you something. Do you know someone by the name of Isaac Aurion?"

Crystal thought about it for a long moment before nodding, but she seemed unsure.

"Yes, I think I heard my mother mention that name once or twice before she was taken to the ranch. Why? Did you find another relative?"

"Your father gave this to me in the ranch before asking that I take you out of the room." Kratos said, holding out the paper for her to see.

"He's in Luin? Then let's go find him! We'll be leaving Palmacosta in the morning assuming Lloyd is feeling better, so why not head to Luin?"

Kratos considered it for a moment, then nodded.

"Very well, I will speak to Raine."

"And I'll go speak to my mother. She must remember something about him. Hopefully she'll be willing to talk to me."

"Would you like me to accompany you?"

"No, I think that would be more of a hindrance than a help." Crystal said, smiling slightly. At Kratos' confused look, she explained, "If I'm not alone, she will interrogate whoever comes with me. That's how she is, no matter what the circumstance."

So she left the inn and headed to a house near the shopping district where her mother was staying. It was a small house, white with green shutters. It was dirty and rundown, showing signs of neglect.

Standing on the front walk, Crystal took a moment to collect her thoughts before proceeding. This was the house she had grown up in after moving to Sylvarant, but she hadn't spent much time in it over the last two years.

Once her family had been taken to the ranch, Crystal rarely came to the house, so was no one to look after it.

Knocking on the door, she could hear voices inside as people moved about. After a few moments the door opened, and revealed Jocelyn standing there with a grim expression.

"Hey, sis. If you're here to speak with Mother I would suggest coming back at another time. She isn't in a very good mood."

"I can't come back later. We'll be leaving in the morning. I need to speak with her now."

"So, you're not staying? I shouldn't be surprised." Her mother's voice echoed through the room as she entered.

"I have to go. I have to help these people. If they finish their journey they'll defeat the Desians, and we won't have to worry about them ever again." Crystal explained, looking to her mother. When she didn't answer, Crystal continued.

"And I want to find my family. That's why I'm here. I remember you saying something about someone named Isaac Aurion before you were taken to the ranch. I've learned that he's in Luin, and I want to find him. Can you tell me who he is?"

"Why should I tell you anything about him? That no-good lowlife didn't even want you. He put you up for adoption when your mother died." Her mother said, scoffing.

"Put me up for adoption…? He's my father? You knew where my father was and you never told me? Mother why would you keep that from me?"

Christina Kirkson looked around the room—at the walls, the door, anywhere but at her adopted daughter. She even looked to Jocelyn, who stared back with such intensity that she quickly looked away.

She didn't want to tell Crystal the truth—it would break her. She didn't know the truth, the harsh reality of the life her father lived. It wasn't something she could handle.

"Mother? Please, tell me what you know." Crystal insisted, but Christina still hesitated.

"Mother…" Jocelyn joined in.

"Look, your father wanted nothing to do with you. It's better if you just forget about him, okay? It's easier that way."

"Easier? Easier for who? For you? I can't 'just forget'. Not now that I know. Don't ask me to do that, Mother. Please."

Christina turned away from the girls and sighed, running a hand over her hair. They wouldn't stop until they were satisfied, she knew. They had always been that way.

"It's those damn Desians. They're responsible for this mess. They're the reason your father walked out on you. He couldn't handle the pressure." She spoke softly, more like thinking out loud than talking to the girls.

"They were after him. And who wouldn't be? He had obtained forbidden knowledge, about the nature of the worlds and the Desians. They had to silence him, they had to…" She trailed off then, but Crystal had what she needed to press her mother for more information.

"Forbidden knowledge about the Desians? What kind of knowledge?"

Before she could answer there was a knock at the door, and Jocelyn went to open it. Kratos stood there, but before he could speak Christina shrieked.

"You! You're one of them! Get out of my house! Stay away from my daughters!" She cried, looking around the room frantically.

"Marcus! Get in here! You have to help me!"

"Marcus? Mother, dad isn't here. He's gone, remember?" Jocelyn said softly, trying to calm her mother as Kratos stepped back outside.

"What are you talking about? Don't be absurd! Marcus! Get in here now! We need you!"

She continued to scream for several moments, until Crystal put an arm around her and led her out of the room.

"It's okay Mother, he's gone. He won't hurt us." Crystal soothed, knowing that it was better to allow her mother to continue to believe that Kratos was a threat than try to convince her otherwise.

"What's wrong with her?" She whispered to Jocelyn who shrugged, looking as confused and helpless as she did.

"I don't know. She was like this all morning too. She would seem perfectly lucid, and suddenly start shouting about Desians and calling for Erik."

"Do you think the stress of the ranch finally got to her?"

"It's possible. You should go see what Kratos wanted. I'll stay here and try to get mother to rest."

Crystal hesitated at first, but then nodded and left the house. Back outside, she found Kratos waiting nearby.

"I'm sorry about that. I don't know what's wrong with her. What was it you needed?" Crystal said quickly. She didn't really want to discuss her mother's outburst, and she knew that if Kratos had come to the house even after she asked him not to then he must have had a very good reason.

"Did you get any information from her?" Kratos asked, and Crystal told him what she knew.

"It's not much, but at least it's a start." She said when she finished.

"Yes, it should prove useful in finding Isaac, or at least someone who knows him. If he is living in Luin, like your father believed, someone there should know where to find him."

"Yeah. Hey, did you talk to Raine? What did she say?"

"She agreed that we could travel to Luin once we leave here." Kratos answered.

"It'll be a long journey. We should make sure we're prepared before we go."

"You're going to go find your real dad?" Jocelyn's voice sounded behind them.

"That's right. Dad gave us the information we need to find him. He's living in Luin."

"Really? Well I hope you find him. Good luck. If you ever need anything, don't hesitate to come back here, okay?" Jocelyn said, and hugged her sister tightly. When she pulled away, she turned to Kratos.

"You take care of her, you got that?"

"Of course."

Then Kratos and Crystal headed back toward the inn. Once they were away from the house, Kratos spoke again.

"I have a contact who gave me some information about Isaac. Apparently he used to work for the Desians, but he tried to leave them roughly sixteen years ago." He began, his voice low so as to not be overheard by passersby.

"Sixteen years ago…? Then, he left when I was born… but I can't imagine that Yggdrasill would leave him alone. Why wouldn't he go after him?"

"He did try to for a time. From what I could gather, he pursued him for quite some time, but stopped after about two years." Kratos continued.

"Two years? Hmm… my mom said that I was adopted when I was two years old. So, Yggdrasill stopped chasing my dad after he gave me up? What was so important about me? And if he was looking for me, why did he stop?"

"I do not know why he was searching for you."

"But you were there during that time. Did Yggdrasill tell you anything?" Crystal pressed.

"No, he never saw fit to divulge that information to me."

By this time they had reached the inn. Crystal was about to speak again, but before she could the door opened and Colette and Genis walked out.

"Hey guys, back already? How'd it go?"

"It went really well! We worked the lunch shift, and made a lot of Gald, see?" Colette said, holding up a bag full of money.

"Wow… great job, guys! Hey Genis, you got a minute? I want to talk to you about something." Crystal said, and the boy nodded, following the older teen out of the inn.

"I want you to have this." Crystal began, holding out the Exsphere.

"You want me to have it? Are you sure? Shouldn't you keep it? It came from your dad, didn't it?"

"Yes, it did. But I don't want the memories that come with it. I don't need it to remember my father, or what happened to him. So you should have it. You're the only one of us that doesn't have an Exsphere or Cruxis Crystal, so you should take this one."

She pressed it into his hand tightly, then nodded once and turned away. But not before Genis saw the tears gathering in her eyes. He didn't say anything, knowing that she wanted it that way, but stared down at the small gem in his hand, thinking of just what it meant for Crystal to give it to him.

Okay, that's it for this one! Hope you enjoyed it! The next update might be a few days, because I don't even have it written yet.