((A/N: Five reviews? ... Ohwell. I get a feeling this chapter will be getting more reviews. Neheheh... (I certainly hope so...)
Enjoy!))

Chapter ten, Kratos' P.O.V.
Worries.

Tomorrow, the last phase of our plan would be set in motion. Tomorrow, we would try to make the pact with Origin. Both Zelos' and Sheena's training had been completed. Tomorrow, we would find out if the trouble was all worth it.

Something was bothering Yuan. I could sense it, in a way. A few hours ago, I'd made the announcement that we would head for Origin's seal. Since then, Yuan seemed more gloomy than usual. The way he kept hiding his worries from me was starting to irk me. It was probably his pride that was stopping him from sharing his feelings with me. Then again, it wasn't my place to complain about things like this. I usually tried to hide my pain too.

"Yuan, is something wrong?" I asked, tilting my head slightly to see him clinging to my arm with a slightly anxious expression.

As usual, he was dressed in nothing but a loose shirt and a boxershort. As usual, his long blue hair was down from its ponytail, almost glowing in the darkness. But never, not ever, had he clung to my arm before.

"No." he replied shortly, staring blankly at the wall.

"You're still worried about the plan, aren't you?" I said, knowing I was right. It certainly seemed to have struck a nerve.

"I… Yes." He admitted, not meeting my gaze.

"I told you, didn't I? When all the preparations are complete, the chances of something unexpected happening will be close to zero." I assured him.

"There's always a possibility that I mess up the mana transfer." He mumbled softly.

"You'll be fine if you do it just like we rehearsed."

"Those were just small amounts. If I-"

"Stop." I said harshly, placing a finger against his lips to interrupt his musings. "There's no point in worrying about it now. We'll release the seal tomorrow and see what happens."

"But I…" He looked away, dropping his voice to a whisper. "I don't want to lose you."

"What?" My eyes widened slightly. Did I hear that correctly?

"If I fail to protect you… If you end up like Martel…"

"Yuan. I trust you." I said sharply, causing him to look up again. "Even if you do fail, which I doubt, I'll know you tried your best. Don't blame yourself for things that aren't your fault."

Yuan shivered lightly, moving closer to me and resting his face against my arm. Apparently, his worries still weren't soothed. Stubborn bastard.

I rolled onto my side to face him, pulling him into a tight embrace. "You'll be fine."

Yuan's nails dug into my back as if he were afraid I would disappear. I placed a soothing kiss on his neck. My fingers slowly slipped underneath his shirt, caressing his soft skin. I heard him moan softly.

I wondered if maybe it would be best for us to get some sleep. That question was answered when Yuan shifted in my grasp, kissing my lips feverishly. It would be another restless night, apparently.

That morning, the light of the rising sun streamed through the window, as always. Yuan lay firmly in my arms, his head resting on my chest. His eyes were closed, but I knew he was awake. Sleep hadn't come to us, even after halting our 'nightly activities'.

"It's time." I spoke softly, staring at the ceiling. I could've sworn his breathing hitched for a second.

Breakfast was a messy affair. Sheena, still in a half-asleep state, accidentally spilled a glass of water into my lap. Zelos spent the next few minutes laughing, until he received a Tempest Seal in the face, much to Yuan's amusement. Due to lack of spare pants, I was forced to change into my official Cruxis uniform. Yuan told me many times to purchase a new pair, but I simply despised clothes shopping.

A few hours later, we were finally standing in the center of Torent forest, facing Origin's seal. A rugged stone was all that signified this clearing was special. Nobody would think to look for a summon spirit here.

"So, this is Origin's seal? It doesn't look so special to me." Zelos commented.

I rolled my eyes faintly, not bothering to respond to that.

"I hope I'm ready…" Sheena muttered to herself.

Turning my head to glace at Yuan, I saw that he was scowling to hide his anxiousness. After noticing my stare, he gave a curt, determined nod.

"Let's do this." I spoke, stepping forward.

All eyes were on me as I made the final preparations. This was it. To break Origin's seal… To save the worlds… I'd have to release all mana from my body. I'd have to face death.

My life is in your hands, Yuan.

((Dun dun duuuun!))