(A/N) Hello all! I was on vacation, and wrote this in the car. Not my best work, I agree, but I wrote it so I might as well post it here. Criticism welcome. Enjoy if you can- it is fairly juvenile for lack of a better word.

Disclaimer: I don't own the characters, just the pathetic drabble of a plot.

"His One Fear"

Kratos prodded the embers of the growing fire to coax it to life. Camp was set, dark was upon them, and yet the majority of the party was awake and bristling with unused energy. Lloyd, worst of all, was tapping his foot in the packed dirt and shifting restlessly. Evidently they had not seen enough action to warrant sleepiness. Kratos agreed it had been a rather boring day. Lloyd had hit upon the same train of thought and assessed the others curiously.

They had formed the customary circle around the fire, Genis to Lloyd's left, and Kratos to his right. Across the flames, Sheena was flipping through her cards absentmindedly while Raine had just opened an ancient-looking novel to peruse. Colette was staring into the flames to Raine's right, unusually melancholy. Lloyd didn't like a silent campfire.

"Does anyone want to play a game?" He rested his head on his arm, leaning forward as if eager for suggestions. As always, Kratos kept silent and looked on with mild interest. Genis scratched his head.

"Hm. I don't really know any campfire games. What do you want to play?" The half-elf cocked his head to the side. Lloyd rubbed his neck in the sheepish manner that was somehow endearing.

"I hadn't thought of any, actually." His expression dulled, but brightened after a moment's notice. "Aren't there truth telling games?" Kratos observed how easy it was to read Lloyd's moods. Transient and fleeting, they were written plainly on his face for all to see. So very different from his own blank exterior, the expressiveness was one of Anna's defining traits. Kratos saw so much of her in Lloyd.

"Yeah!" Genis had caught on and tested the idea, "Like if you ask a personal question, everyone has to answer it honestly. That way it's fair because everyone reveals something, but they learn something about everyone else. It's like equivalent exchange for privacy." Genis warmed up to the concept. Lloyd's eyes lit up with eagerness.

"Oh, that's a good idea. So something everyone has to answer? Who wants to play with us?" Lloyd glanced around the small group. Sheena nodded, obviously fed up with her cards.

"Sure, I'm in." Raine put up her book, collected as ever.

"I don't suppose I'll get any reading done if you guys are talking. I guess I'll join, too." Colette nodded as well, smiling that vacant smile that translated to any kind of happiness.

Kratos had become uneasy with the idea of truth-telling, but he'd gone so far down the trail of dishonesty, that this was a harmless exploit. As usual he said nothing, and as usual Lloyd took that as affirmation.

"Okay, everyone's in!" He rubbed his hands together excitedly. Silent for a short moment, he thought carefully about what his question would be. "I think I've got it!" Making dramatic eye contact with everyone, he posed the universal question. "What do you fear the most?"

Everyone was quiet for a few seconds before Genis accepted the premise. "That's a good one, Lloyd. You go first, since you got to pick." Lloyd nodded and scrunched up his nose while pondering his greatest fear.

"This is harder than I thought." He began, expression growing more somber. "I guess I fear death, because well- nobody wants to die, right? I'd be scared if any of you died, too. Actually, I think I'm more scared of losing you guys than dying." Kratos blinked. Lloyd was being mature? This was a serious and very grown-up way of approaching his own admittedly simple-minded question. When Kratos realized that he was included in the 'any of you', it struck him deeper than he thought possible. Lloyd then shivered involuntarily.

"And snakes. I hate snakes. They're so creepy. They don't even have legs, but they just-" his face contorted in disgusted horror, "move. Ugh." The corner of Kratos' mouth twitched up. So much for mature, then. Genis nodded, taking it upon himself to go next.

"I get that. Snakes are pretty creepy." Genis agreed good-naturedly, "I think I'd be afraid of dying, too. I'm scared of what Desian's do to people. I think I'm scared of people not accepting me. And I hate those enormous lady-bugs we always run into." His expression remained serious, a sort of terror gleaming in his wide eyes. "They always head straight for me to break my spells, and they're huge. I wish they would stop bothering me." His face became a bit gloomy, but Lloyd patted him on the shoulder reassuringly.

"Yea, I see them go at you. They must hate spell-casters or something." Sheena's eyebrows had shot up in near amusement, but closer to disbelief.

"Ladybugs, seriously?" She shook her head. "You know what, I suppose that's not too bad." She scowled when calling to mind her own fears. "Let's see. I fear-" she paused while gathering her thoughts "death for starters. People dying around me, or because of me. Hm, what else? I fear Tethe'alla's chosen and losing the ability to choose my own fate." She sounded off her list without a hitch, breezily approaching the sensitive topic. Firelight flickered on her midnight bangs, and darkened her expression.

"You fear Tethe'alla's chosen?" Colette asked with an enchanted expression. "Is he really powerful and scary?" Kratos noted that the other children were leaning forward in their spots, anxious for knowledge of the other world. Sheena gave a short chuckle and shook her head.

"No, he's not scary at all. Zelos is-" she appeared at a loss for words, "see, he's incredibly annoying. I'm afraid one day I'll kill him and live the rest of my life in royal prison." Colette looked taken aback, while crickets sounded beyond the dull roar of the flames.

"Sheena, I think I'm afraid of you. Just a little bit." Colette gave that nervous laugh she used too often that covered up nothing. "I'm also afraid that I'll run out of names for the dogs we meet. Pretty soon I'll have to start using you guys' names 'cos I can't come up with any more!" Kratos sighed in exasperation. Tragic, he thought sarcastically. Damn. He couldn't drop the sarcasm, even in his own head? Colette continued on. "I'm afraid of losing any of you, and I'm afraid of you guy's being sad or unhappy." That fit the girl to a 'T' he supposed. Always trying to please others. Lloyd and Genis looked to Raine as the next participant.

"Aah, it's not really a secret anymore, is it? I'm deathly afraid of water. I feel so unstable on a boat, like I have no control. It's illogical, I know, but somehow I can't get past it." She flushed unexpectedly, "and of course I'd be afraid to lose any of my students. Death can never be taken lightly. I suspect almost everyone fears it in some way, if not for themselves, then for others." Raine had the ponderous expression on her face. "I'm afraid history will be forgotten and artifacts destroyed. Without history, it would likely repeat itself. Knowing the past can keep us from making mistakes in the future and-"

Kratos had heard her preach this many times, and was content with zoning out a bit. It wasn't as if he was off his guard, or not paying attention. He was. Just a part of his mind was tentatively exploring the topic Lloyd had chosen.

Kratos gave it some thought. What did he fear? Somewhere deep down in his subconscious he already knew, yet he had never really thought it. To voice a fear was to give it power- or rather to admit a weakness. However, knowing one's weakness gave him the ability to adapt accordingly, whereas playing straight into a fault could have dire consequences. So it would be optimal to acknowledge and analyze his fear. Resolved to attempt to do so, Kratos heaved a small sigh. It wouldn't make the subject any easier to approach. He supposed fear was painful like that for everyone, regardless of experience and age. Vulnerability lay in one's fatal flaw- and his just happened to be his greatest fear.

Secure as the deep recesses of his mind may be, Kratos was still reluctant to plod onwards. He did not fear death. In fact, he rather thought he deserved it. He did not fear pain. Nor did he fear monsters. Or water and fire. Did he fear failure and disappointment from others? He had never really cared what others thought about him. He had once been proud- though that pride had never relied on others for verification. Somehow 'disappointment' hit a hollow note in his chest.

The one- and only- thing left on the worlds that scared him...

-was Lloyd.

Everything about the boy had the strength to paralyze him with terror. He feared losing him to death, to hatred, to pain. He feared crushing his vivacious spirit with deception and betrayal. He feared twisting Lloyd's soul into knots resembling his own. Perhaps most of all, it scared him how much power Lloyd had over his every move. A power he wielded unknowingly. A few words from him could shatter four-thousand years of resolve in a single beat of his frozen heart. Perchance Lloyd held the heart he had forgotten he owned following Anna's death. More likely, he was his heart.

But knowing this did not help him in the slightest. Caring was not an advantage. The tragedy of it all was what made staying with the teen selfishness. In order to help Lloyd, he had to hurt him. If he splintered any last pieces of his soul doing so- then so be it. What he was doing was more important than dread. It was more important to Lloyd, too- he just didn't realize it yet.

Snapping from his silent reverie, he was met by Lloyd's radiant expression.

"Kratos, it's your turn!" He smiled as if the topic were as straightforward and trivial as the weather, "What are you afraid of?" Genis gave him a scowl.

"Lloyd, this is Kratos. He probably doesn't fear anything." The bluntness and assurance in the half-elf's inflection mildly surprised Kratos. Lloyd, though, looked put in awe at the concept of fearlessness. Kratos didn't want to give him the wrong idea. The last thing he needed to be was to become Lloyd's idol- though some sick, naive part of him wanted it so badly. Lloyd was ignorant to how weighty such a question was. It would be so easy to tell him and never leave his side. It could be simpler.

"I can only think of one thing." He began slowly, while trying to correct the admiration in Genis' statement. Another reverently enraptured look from Lloyd made him want to take the beginning back. He didn't deserve this, his mistake could never serve such simple penance. Secondly, he needed- no the worlds needed the mercenary to betray Lloyd. It would be cruel for the both of them if Lloyd trusted him now.

"Well, what is it?" Lloyd inched a bit closer to him, unconsciously seeking what Kratos desperately wanted to give him. Kratos bailed miserably.

"Sitting in circles and discussing feelings." Kratos deadpanned as he recoiled both physically and emotionally. He closed up his walls with practiced ease and stood to walk away before his coarseness was noted on the boy's face.

If he kept pushing Lloyd away, perhaps he could save them both the agony the coming months would entail.

(A/N) I like the seriousness to the end, kind of a character introspection with Kratos. Anyways. I'd very much appreciate reviews, as this is my most viewed story, but I get very little feedback. I'd also like to shamelessly self-promote here and request that you visit my precious multi-chap ToS prequel: The Great Kharlan War. I have several other one-shots on my profile that I wrote before-hand as well if you're interested.

Again, sorry if some parts were too light and poorly transitioned, while others were dark and angsty (my favorite)- like I said, definitely not my best work. Review XD?