Well, let's get back to the angst, shall we? n.n'
Disclaimer: I still own nothing, people.
Note: I've fixed some things that weren't good enough...(mutters) Bad Freaky, no cutting corners...
End of Mithos
"DAD!"
Lloyd shouted again, shaking him as the 'teens' head lolled back and forth, falling limp like a rag doll. Lloyd gaped at his father in horror, his
body beginning to shake by itself. No...he couldn't have just... It wasn't... It wasn't fair! It wasn't right! It wasn't fair! It WASN'T FAIR!!
He swallowed as he felt warm tears slip down his cheeks, his eyesight going somewhat blurry. His teeth clenched, beginning to shake with
anger now in conjunction with the sorrow.
That...! This...! DAMN IT ALL! THIS WASN'T-!
Then suddenly, he felt something hard hit him right in the back of the skull.
"Agh-!"
He lurched forward and then instantly turned to face his attacker-
And saw Kratos standing there holding his sword, having hit him with the end of the hilt.
Lloyd's eyes widened, his mouth falling open.
"W-what...?" he choked. "But-!"
"You...idiot..."
Just then Lloyd noted Kratos was barely standing, breathing short and choppy as his limbs quivered. Lloyd gaped and then looked back where
he could've sworn Kratos had just been-...and saw nothing. He looked back, gaping like an idiot, when the Kratos that had hit him collapsed
back onto the ground, landing in a sitting position.
"Hff...hff...are you all right?" he asked wearily, looking at him.
"What...what the hell was that?! What's going on-!?"
"It lured you into an illusion..." he panted, "damn double-edge Mithos must have- agh-!"
Kratos curled up and then ended laying on his stomach on the floor.
"D-!"
"I'm not dead, at least..." he coughed from the floor, "...though I have no idea how I..."
"Don't talk, it's all right," Lloyd said, lifting him up off his face to turn him on his back, supporting him so he was somewhat in an upright
position, "...hold on, I have an elixir in here..."
He began to search through his pack while Kratos twitched. Lloyd flinched. The illusion of his death had been bad enough, but as things were
he might still... No! He wasn't going to let that happen! He didn't want to feel that, not ever again! That damn fake had given him enough of a
heart-attack added to the humiliation, thank you very much!
"Here," Lloyd said, "take it..."
Kratos complied and then gagged a bit, coughing.
"I forgot how awful that stuff tastes..." he muttered, grimacing.
Lloyd smiled as his father sat up by himself, shaking his head as if trying to throw out the foul flavor.
"You feel better?"
Kratos nodded.
"Yes...a bit tired, but the pain is gone..." the ex-Seraph nodded.
"Oh good..." Lloyd sighed in relief.
Whew..he was scared for a couple of minutes there... At least he was okay. Now if only his heart would stop racing....
"...Lloyd? Are you all right?"
The 'elder' shook his head and looked at the teen, blinking.
"Ah...yeah, sorry,"
Kratos frowned.
"...What did you see? Did it scare you that badly?"
"You mean you don't know what I-?" Lloyd gasped.
"What you what? I have nothing to do with whatever illusion fell on you..." he said slowly, "...are you...all right? Whatever you saw...it
didn't...hurt, you too much, did it?"
"W-wait, so...when it let you go-"
"I told you, you just spaced out...I realized what was going on and hit you,"
"...R-right...okay," Lloyd nodded, "it...it wasn't that bad. Sorry, I was just a little spooked."
"...If you're sure," Kratos said.
"Yeah, I am, don't worry about it," Lloyd sighed.
The dual swordsman couldn't decide if he felt, relieved, embarrassed, or stupid. ...Mostly the last.
"...We should hurry onward," Kratos stated, "Mithos should be up ahead."
"Right," Lloyd nodded, getting to his feet.
The two males proceeded without much further incident (though they were both even more wary for any further 'surprises') drawing nearer to
the chamber in which the Great Seed was located. Though...it was rather tense, between them as well as around them. The last thing Kratos
had said before he was trapped in the illusion rippled in his mind again and again. More than anything...he loved him more than anything?
Really? Or was that part of the illusion by then anyway? He glanced down at Kratos, who coincidentally had just glanced up at him. They both
looked away.
"There," Kratos said, "we'll have to be quick, and avoid the arrows at the end."
"Right, count of three..." Lloyd readied himself, "one..."
"Two..."
"Three!"
They raced across, Kratos a step behind the taller man before they reached the end and then swerved to the side to avoid the last trap that
was set before it. Once at the door, however, they found something rather strange. A sword, stuck in the rock....
"...This is..." Kratos trailed.
"What? What is it? Another trap?" Lloyd asked anxiously.
"No, come on, we need to go after Colette,"
"Right,"
They raced in, with Kratos' thoughts dwelling on the sword. Zelos? Zelos had opened the way for them? Not that he was complaining...as he
was now, his mana signature was not angelic and therefore could not open the door. It was a blessing, yes, but Zelos would only put that in
there... He smirked. The philanderer was going to be helping them out after all.
"Do it," Kratos head Mithos say.
"Stop right there!"
Lloyd and Kratos entered with their blades drawn, Lloyd glaring death at the half-elf. Mithos sneered.
"So you two did manage to show up anyway..." he growled, "how you got in here though..."
"Irrelevant," Kratos glared.
"Let Colette go right now!" Lloyd snapped, raising his blades.
Mithos went to attack- and then got hit by a wave of flames, followed by a quick 'Holy Lance'.
"We won't let you lay a finger on him!"
The Sage siblings had appeared from the only other entrance on the terrace above them, both having cast quickly in order to hinder Yggdrasill's
progress. Mithos quickly retaliated by hurling mana blasts at them which were deflected harmlessly by a blur of blue and black.
"Heh," Yuan smirked down at his 'boss', "I always was quicker, wasn't I?"
"Professor! Genis! Yuan!" Lloyd's expression brightened.
"...Show off," Raine muttered with a smirk at Yuan.
"It is my honor to protect a fair lady," the half-elf smirked back.
"Well thank you, knight, but the battle isn't over-"
"STOP FLIRTING!" Genis shouted, red in the face. "You haven't stopped doing that in hours!"
"Don't exaggerate, Genis, it's only been a couple of minutes- and we're not flirting!" Raine scoffed.
"Who's flirting?" a voice inquired.
From the other entrance Sheena appeared Presea and Regal in tow.
"Guys! You're okay!" Lloyd called.
"Yeah," Sheena smiled, "told you we wouldn't miss the main event."
"Damn it...! Pronyma! Keep them busy!"
"Y-yes, my Lord!"
Pronyma and several angels attempted to keep the gang at bay... The Desian Leader, though having been defeated before, put up as much a
fight as she could have. Her 'Dark Sphere' and 'Bloody Lance' attacks kept the group dodging if they were not able to stop her casting. In the
end the group reigned victorious and Pronyma fell to the floor.
It didn't matter, though, that time was just enough to get Mithos what he wanted.
"I've done it! Martel is awake!!"
"Lord Yggdrasill...it hurts...help me..." Pronyma whispered.
Her leader ignored her whimpers from the ground, ecstatic over his victory in reviving his sister.
"Mithos...Mithos please..." she choked, crawling toward his feet.
Mithos turned and glared down at her, fury in his eyes.
"Only my former companions may call me by that name! Get out of my sight!!"
Pronyma's eyes widened in horror as the man she had spent her life serving concentrated mana in his plam and then thrust it into her face, not
even giving her time to scream as her body dissolved into nothing.
"That's so cruel..." Presea whispered.
It was then that 'Colette' appeared out of the machine.
"Dearest sister, you've finally come back to me!"
"Colette...? Colette, you can't be-?" Lloyd whispered.
"Mithos...what have you done?" a voice that was not Colette's asked.
"What? Oh you mean my body...I hastened my growth to have an appearance befitting the Leader of Cruxis," he said, "wait just a moment..."
There was a flash of light in which he switched to his younger form.
"See? Is that better?" he asked.
"No, Mithos, not that..." Martel whispered, "Mithos...I've been watching you, watching everything you've done, have you..have you...?"
"Martel...?" Mithos said slowly.
"Have you forgotten? This is...this is not what we strived for," she choked, "Mithos...what you have done is wrong."
Mithos flinched, his eyes wide.
"W...what are you talking about? After I went through all of that to bring you back to us? To bring you home?"
"Mithos, please, listen to me..." she whispered, "...we did what we did to help people, all people, so everyone could live..."
She closed her eyes, shaking somewhat.
"And you...you turned your back on people just because I died... I thought...I thought you were stronger than that!"
Mithos looked as if she had smacked him.
"B-but-!"
'Colette' flung her arms around him.
"I'm so sorry, Mithos...I'm sorry I wasn't there to stop you...I'm sorry I wasn't there to keep you the same kind person you were..."
She drew back, tears streaming down her cheeks.
"My poor baby brother..." she whispered, "please...stop this, and become your old self again.."
"Martel...are you rejecting me?"
"No-"
"Even you reject me!? No..no! I won't believe that! I WON'T ALLOW THAT DO YOU HEAR ME!?"
They watched in a stunned silence as Mithos began to laugh maniacally, unable to accept what had just happened: even his sister had
'rejected' him. It was then that Zelos made his appearance by leaping down from the terrace and placing Colette's Key Crest (which had been
removed) back over the crystal.
"Wh-what are you doing!? I thought you wanted me to release you from your fate as a chosen!"
"Oh, you know what? I changed my mind," Zelos crossed his arms, "none of that will matter once we beat the living snot out of you anyway."
"Zelos!" Lloyd stared.
"That idiot helped us out of the traps," Sheena told him.
"Heh," Kratos smirked.
"Goodbye, Mithos, this is my final wish," Martel trailed.
Yuan and Kratos both flinched as Mithos let out a wail, begging his sister not to go.
"Returned this twisted world into its true form,"
"Martel-!"
"If things were going to have been like this, perhaps the elves should never have left Derris-Kharlan," Martel said sadly, "if they hadn't, people
like us would never have been born."
With that she collapsed, returning to Great Seed and freeing Colette. Needless to say, Mithos' sanity was already on its last legs. He attempted
to take the Great Seed to Derris-Kharlan, which was quickly noted and protested by Colette, who decreed Martel was crying to beg her brother
to stop his madness.
"Let's take him down!" Lloyd snapped.
"I won't let you interfere..." Mithos whispered dangerously.
There was a brief flash of light in which he regained his 'Yggdrasill' form.
"I will KILL YOU ALL!!!" he shouted.
Lloyd lunged forward, blades at the ready-
And before the rest of the group reacted, he was already engaged in a fierce one-on-one of blades and magic. His friends stood there in shock.
Lloyd was holding his own with Mithos...by himself! And not just holding his own, Mithos looked as if he might even be on the downside... After
the barrage of steel and light went on for a few seconds Mithos took to the air, growling as he glared down at them, one long cut down the
side of his face bleeding.
"Why you-!!"
"THUNDER CRASH!"
Yuan came down at his 'boss' from above with the aid of his own wings, though his attack was avoided when the blond megalomaniac warped
away and then attempted to take out Zelos.
"SHADOW!"
The summon spirit of darkness appeared and raised his hands, causing a dark aura to beat down on Mithos and block him from his path at the
red-haired chosen. Sheena poofed beside him, scoffing.
"Watch your back next time, idiot!" she scoffed.
"Aw! Why thank you my h-!"
"I don't want to have to hit you right now, but I will if I have to!"
"BARRIER!"
A layer of protective mana surrounded the group and Raine quickly began to cast another one while her younger sibling chanted 'spread'.
Mithos caught sight of this and quickly used 'retribution'.
"Gah-!"
Raine stopped casting and curled up, her face flushed with the effects of poison as was Presea and Regal. Still further Zelos and Colette felt
some of their strength drain from them.
"Recover!" Yuan chanted, the green magic flashing around Raine. "Now hurry and heal the rest of them!"
As he said that the blue-head dashed for Yggdrasill again, Kratos coming at the same target from the opposing side. There was a sudden wave
of mana from the blond which blew the Seraphim back, quickly followed by a hastily casted 'judgment'. Those who weren't quick enough to
either dodge or cast a protective spell where soon out of commission.
"Gah-!" Genis hit the floor, having been in that category.
Regal and Sheena joined him soon after, Zelos swearing loudly before going to cover for Raine as she attempted to aid her fallen companions.
Granted this opening, Lloyd charged forward again, beating the dictator back where Presea went to cleave him in two from the dorsal side.
Once again Mithos warped and Presea barely stopped herself before she possibly injured Lloyd, who had almost instantly relocated Mithos and
was after him again. The beat down proceeded until Yggdrasill's guard lowered just enough and Lloyd lifted a blade-
And then Kratos' sword pierced through the half-elf's back.
"...G...ah..." he choked up blood.
"Didn't I tell you not to touch him...?" Kratos hissed, his eyes narrowed to slits.
"..." Lloyd watched, somewhat put off by the abrupt ending to their battle.
"...Heh..."
Yggdrasill fell to the floor, reverting back to his child form seconds before he hit the ground.
"Damn you...I just...wanted my sister..." he choked, his bangs obscuring his face as his fingers clenched at the floor, "why...is that so...hard
to....ask for...?"
Kratos said nothing but watched his former pupil sadly, his eyes misted as they locked on the form of a boy who wasn't much younger than his
current body. He knew this would have to be done, but...
"...You never learned to be independent, did you...? Not ever..." he whispered.
Yuan's gaze narrowed before he snorted and glanced away.
"I can't...die...I'm going home with...my sister..." he whispered.
Then his body disappeared in a shower of bright mana.
"...Idiot," Kratos snorted.
"...Yeah," Lloyd said slowly, sheathing his swords.
"RESURRECTION!"
They turned their heads as Raine revived Genis, then went back to casting to revive the final fallen member, Regal. The young half-elf sat up
and moaned, looking around.
"...We won?" he asked.
Lloyd looked at him a minute before nodding slowly.
"Yeah, we won,"
"...Good," Genis smiled weakly.
"...We still have to destroy the crystal," Yuan said.
It was then they noticed the red gem that was laying on the floor, glinting almost innocently from the ground, such a cruel contrast to what it
held...or maybe not as cruel as most would think. It didn't matter now, really, not now. Kratos slowly picked up Mithos' crystal, a frown on his
face.
"...You idiot," he said again.
"...He-" Lloyd started.
"Mithos just wanted to be accepted, over all," Kratos said slowly, his eyes closed, "he never thought anywhere would accept him, he never
thought anyone would accept him, he thought that there would never be a place where he could live..."
"...He could've lived with us," Lloyd said, "in our world. ...Dammit..."
"...Do you want me to do it?" Yuan offered Kratos, stretching out his hand.
"...I'll-"
Kratos jolted suddenly, his eyes going wide.
"D- Kratos? What's wrong-?" Lloyd started.
There was a yelp from the 'younger' swordsman as the crystal suddenly and violently attacked to his neck, earning a coarse howl of pain from
the Aurion as he clutched at it.
"Damn it!" Yuan shouted, realizing what had happened. "Mithos that-! He's trying to possess Kratos!!"
"What?!"
"P-possess-!?"
"Oh no-!"
Come on, 'Master'! Don't make this hard!
"G-get-!" Kratos grunted through gritted teeth, his face scrunched up in pain.
"DAD!" Lloyd shouted.
The auburn-head's eyes snapped open.
"GET YOUR FILTHY SOUL OUT OF ME!!" Kratos shouted loudly, startling all those present.
Why you-! WHAT?! I-! What the-!?
Mithos' voice was suddenly silenced, to everyone's shock, when Kratos fell onto his knees still clutching at the crystal and a figure began to
form itself out of mana behind him. A floating male with four arms manifested itself and Yuan gawked like an idiot.
"ORIGIN!?"
That is enough it said.
Reaching one arm down it stuck a hand through Kratos and then pulled the ghostly image of Mithos out, holding the half-elven 'boy' by the neck
as he struggled to release himself from the spirit's grip.
W-what?! How did you!?
Origin smirked.
Goodbye, Old Master of the Pact,
You can't-! AGH!!
Mithos let out a final shout as he dissipated into nothingness, Origin taking a more solid form before them. The group gaped like idiots before
Raine finally spoke up, shocked.
"Origin-? YOU are Origin? But I thought you were sealed-"
"I was," Origin smirked, proud of himself.
"He's the King of Summon Spirits?!" Lloyd gawked, staring.
"How did you get out? I thought Kratos needed to release the seal in order to-" Yuan started.
"The seal was made when he was 'older'," Origin smirked, now obviously proud of himself, "therefore when a certain someone used Furkiol, the
seal weakened. I've been working my way out of it for a couple of days now."
"But- Wait! Are you okay, D- Kratos?"
Lloyd dashed over to Kratos side as the teen stood up, panting somewhat.
"Y-yes...I'm fine," he said, "I just...feel funny..."
The 'elder' frowned at Kratos, who did indeed look like something was wrong. He had this spacey, far-off look on his face as if he was
dreaming, or else severely tired. Lloyd's eyes went to the crystal...
"Allow me to remove that," Origin said.
He snapped the fingers on one of his hands and the crystal shattered, as if it was never there.
"..." Kratos swayed, his eyes misted.
"Are you-?" Lloyd started again.
Kratos shook his head violently, looking at Lloyd before shaking his head again and more violently. The auburn head stared at Lloyd and then
looked around at the rest of them, as if puzzled.
"...Kratos?" Lloyd asked. "Are you okay?"
"Huh-? Uh...yeah, sure," he nodded, "but uh...a question..."
There was a long pause as the spiky-head stared at Lloyd. Yuan slowly began to say something when Origin let out a slight sound of irritation
and brought a finger to his chin.
"Ah...well...that must be a side-effect then..."
"Side effect-?" Yuan asked.
"A question?" Lloyd repeated, staring.
Kratos nodded.
"Yeah. I'm fine...."
The teen backed up about a foot from Lloyd.
"But who the heck are you?!" he shouted.
MWHAHAHAAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAh-SNORT-MWAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAH-COUGH COUGH COUGH-!!
Colette: Uh-oh! Calm down! Breathe! Breathe!
Me: Hff...hff...right, sorry...n.n' Oh! Colette! I missed you! (hugs)
Colette: Really!?
Me: Er...no! Not really! (Shoves away) You hugged me, got it? (shifty eyes)
Colette: You're nice, you just don't like admitting it.
Me: Nice...right, that's why Kratos has amnesia! MWAHAHA-!
Colette: You'll start coughing again.
Me: No I-...oh shut up. Anyway, as you can see...n.n I love to mess with people. As you can see, I found more leeway to mess with...but it
won't last much longer anyway. Kratos' memory will be fixed JUST as soon as I do a certain scene I've really been wanting to but until
now haven't had an excuse to do...then I'll wrap it up. n.n Ehehehe...
Colette: Review please? n.n'