Okay then, let's get it over with, folks. Yeah, I was gone for a while, but I have two good excuses. The first one, I finally have a job. It's a part time one, but still a job, so I'm making money! Yay!
The other reason is that I have found the wonders and the fun of the world…of warcraft. My brother introduced me to it, and I've found it most useful for wasting time. Time that should probably be spent working on this story.
But, putting my life aside, let's get to the story. Last we left off, Kratos had revealed the history behind the blade Neil had seen, named Amatsu-mikaboshi. A guard rushed in at the end of the story, telling them that Magnius was now marching on Palmacosta.
Oh, and one last thing. This chapter is the longest I've ever written, so I hope you have plenty of time to read it!
And now, on with the show!
Speech-normal speech
Speech-thoughts
Speech-Origin speaking
(Speech) Author speaking
Last time, on Second Chance:
"Sir! Bad news! Really bad!" the guard said, running straight to Neil, who was busy organizing the papers that hadn't been destroyed.
"What is it? What's happened?" Neil asked, setting the papers he had in his hand on the table.
"It's Magnius sir! He's moving towards Palmacosta sir! He managed to break through the front lines!" the soldier replied shakily.
Lloyd scowled at this. 'Great. Out of the frying pan and into the fire.'
And now, the story begins…
All was quiet on the path to Palmacosta. The wind blew gently, the clouds rolled by, the sun shone. All was peaceful. Then slowly, but with steadily growing volume, a sound could be heard. Looking far away, one would think they were seeing the horizon moving towards them. But, if one looked closer, one could see it was a mass of many people, clothed in purple and red. They marched in formation, no one breaking out of it for even a second. At the head of the massive populous, walked two figures. On the left walked a man wearing only a vest to cover his chest. He walked armed with a massive axe and shield, both currently attached to his back for him to carry. He wore his blood red hair in a ponytail, in the form of dreadlocks. He led the red-clad Desians, and was named Magnius.
To the right, another man was seen, this one fully clothed. He wore a blue shirt, with what seemed to be shoulder pads atop it. He wore dark pants, as well as dark gloves on his hands. His hair was a pale blonde, and his eyes seemingly shut tight, in the form of mere slits. Yet, he carried an aura of maliciousness about him, making the warriors around him subconsciously shake. He wielded a staff, which was attached to his back in the same manner as Magnius. Three machines floated in a circular pattern above him. His name was Kvar.
"So, explain to me again why it is that I joined forces with you, Magnius?" Kvar sneered, showing obvious disrespect to him. Magnius only smirked and ignored the insult.
"As you know, we've been having trouble with Palmacosta. They've been building an army to combat my own forces. While it is an obviously pathetic army made up by those vermin, I wanted to be certain to eliminate them. They could cause us problems in the future if left unheeded." He explained, grinning at the genius of his plan. He had neglected to inform Kvar that the Chosen had arrived in the town, after being informed by one of his patrols stationed in the city. He had also neglected to inform him of the fact that the army had already caused him trouble, taking out various scouting parties sent by him to monitor the city. But he knew these facts would not affect their chances at victory.
"Right, of course. I suppose I could assist you, seeing as how you provided me with enough subjects to experiment with." Kvar said, grinning evilly at the thought of his "experiments". Ever since the Angelus project had been stolen, Kvar had been desperate to try and replicate the results of it. However, he has so far had no success. As such, he would request Magnius to send him prisoners on occasion so as to have enough subjects to test with. "Of course you need my help, you barbaric imbecile. You and your ragtag soldiers would be helpless unless you had some brains to back up that brawn." He commented, mocking Magnius' army.
A tick mark formed on Magnius' head as he angrily responded. "Oh, be quiet, Kvar! For all we know, that could be all you have going for you: all brain and no muscle. How do we know that it isn't your army that's weak?" He was angry that Kvar would show such blatant disrespect to him in his face. 'Oh, how I wish I could wipe that smug smirk off his face. He's almost as bad as these pathetic vermin I have to put up with!' He thought nastily. Both armies knew there was no love lost between these two Cardinals, and they shouldn't expect anything less. Already, they had started rubbing off on their own armies, causing them to resent each other.
Kvar quickly came up with a retort. "I assure you, Magnius, we can hold our own if needed. This pathetic army of Palmacosta will be child's play for us." They quickly refocused on the road, having exchanged enough words for now. But both were caught up in their own thoughts as they walked.
'Magnius, you are a fool. Your power is far beneath mine, and I know it. And there will certainly come a day when I will prove it!' Kvar thought, smiling to himself. As for Magnius…well…let's just say his thoughts, while more primitive than Kvar's, basically were the same, albeit more violent.
Meanwhile, back in Palmacosta…
After receiving that one bit of news from the guard, Neil immediately acted, calling forth the army that Palmacosta was well known for. He asked Lloyd and the others to assist in gathering them, since they'd be spread out throughout the city at the moment. Within 20 minutes they had managed to collect them all, with Colette and Kratos drawing the most. Colette, because she's the chosen, and Kratos because…well…he was using his bad-assness to get them to obey him.
They were gathered in the center of the city in front of the cathedral, where Neil and the group had chosen to stand so as to speak to them. Neil looked on the army with frustration.
"This isn't good," He remarked, drawing Lloyd's attention, "the army's afraid. Rumors have been spreading among them about Magnius, and they've grown fearful."
"Haven't they seen actual combat before?" Lloyd asked, learning about the army for the first time ever. Before, he merely knew the army existed.
"No. We've only done sparring with each other as well as basic technique work and stances. Hardly anyone here has actually seen live combat, if any at all." Neil replied. 'What were we thinking? We can't take on an army the size of Magnius's.'
Kratos observed the look on Neil's face, and remembered his time during the Kharlan War. One couldn't show fear in the midst of battle, especially if one was supposed to lead. It only spread among the rest of the soldiers. "Neil." Kratos said, making Neil snap out of his thoughts to look at Kratos. "If you want to control this army, you must first control yourself. By showing fear, your soldiers become afraid."
"But how can I not show fear? We're dealing with a massive army here." Neil answered.
Lloyd decided that enough was enough. He walked to the staircase where he could see the rest of the army. They were indeed afraid, with some shaking in their spots as they spoke to one another. "Hey! Listen!" Lloyd said, trying to get their attention. But no one heard him, amongst their own talk.
"I said hey!" Lloyd yelled louder, causing a few soldiers to glance at him, but soon enough they turned back. Lloyd then used his famous temper.
"I SAID SHUT UP AND LISTEN!" Lloyd exclaimed aloud, instantly causing everyone to stop talking and look at the source of the noise. Lloyd stopped for a moment to make sure that he had their attention.
"Listen carefully, all of you. Yes, I know that you are afraid. You're afraid that this might be the end, that you will never see another sunrise because of this coming battle." Lloyd stepped slowly down the stairs as he continued.
"However, you must get past that fear. I'm not going to lie to you by saying that I'm not frightened. I am as well as you are. That army is a powerful one to face, and we haven't many to fight with. However, I'm not going to let that stop me." Lloyd's eyes hardened as he looked at the front most soldiers in their eyes, and they looked on in wonder as they saw wisdom and strength reflected in his own.
"I intend to fight with all I can, down to my last breath. To ask anything less of me would be dishonorable to me and my own honor. Yet, some of you still say that we should turn tail and run, do you not?" Lloyd looked around, and he listened as he saw one soldier remark to another, "Why shouldn't we run? There's no chance to win, not even if the Chosen One were here." He stopped speaking when he realized that Lloyd was right in front of him, his eyes ablaze in fury.
"Is that so? We should run merely because you think we haven't a chance. What a coward you are. You signed up for this army so as to protect your family, yes?" the soldier nodded. "Tell me, can you protect them by running away?" He shook his head. "I want to hear you say it."
The soldier cleared his throat before replying, "No."
"That's right, no. Yet you still want to run. Even if the Chosen One is right behind me, here with us?" Lloyd said among several gasps. Lloyd nodded and walked back to the staircase, beckoning Colette to step forward. "Here she is, the Chosen One. The same Chosen that's supposed to be saving the world right now, who isn't supposed to be concerned with things like battles between cities and desians. Yet here she is, ready to fight alongside you. Will you run now? Or will you be a man and protect your life, your home?" Lloyd ended finally. Colette then began to speak.
"While it is true that I am the Chosen One as Lloyd said, I'm not going to ignore this. If I am supposed to save the world from Desians, then how can I flee from this? I was sent to protect everyone, and that is what I am going to do. I can't make you join me, but I can ask you to. So, will you?" Colette finished. By now, the army was no longer afraid and ready to fight. They had the Chosen on their side, and they would fight beside her to the end.
"Well done, Lloyd. Neil, I believe you have an army to lead?" Kratos said, turning to Neil. Neil nodded and replied, "I sure do."
But before anyone could move, one of the watchmen ran to Neil and asked if he could have a moment. "What is it?" Neil asked, being shadowed by Lloyd and Kratos.
"Sir we have a new report you need to hear. Apparently, the army headed our way is comprised to two armies. One half belongs to Magnius, while the other half belongs to another man. We do not know his name, but he wore blue clothing, and had three machines floating around him. He was leading the purple clad warriors while Magnius lead the red clad ones. What do you think sir?"
Neil was about to reply when Kratos stepped forward. "You said that the leader in blue was leading one half of the army, correct?" The watchman nodded. "This is good news. That would be Kvar from the Asgard region. Looks like Magnius required assistance."
"How is this good news?" Lloyd asked.
"Simple. While the grand cardinals all have the same rank, it is known that they secretly despise each other, and it is in that fact that lays our chance at a victory." Kratos said, turning to Lloyd.
"Wait. Are you saying what I think your saying?" Lloyd said quickly, realizing his father's idea.
"Yes. If we are going to win this battle, we must turn their armies against each other, and I know just how to do that." Kratos said, smirking an evil smirk that was quickly shared by Lloyd.
When Kratos shared his plan with the rest of the group and Neil, they agreed with it as well. With that said and done, the army marched out towards the field outside of Palmacosta, where the battle would take place. Raine and Colette would be staying behind as support for the city, with Raine leading the medical corp., and Colette as moral support for the civilians inside the city.
As they marched, Lloyd bore a stoic expression among the soldiers. Inside his mind, he thought quickly of how bad this situation could go. He knew that he must be strong in order to get past this challenge. His attention was drawn however, to Genis who was right beside him. "Genis, are you all right?"
"To be honest Lloyd, I'm afraid. I'm not at all brave like you are. I shouldn't even be out here right n-" Genis was cut off by Lloyd's hand on his shoulder.
"On the contrary, you are quite brave. You crossed the desert with me to find Colette, lead a rescue attempt to save me at a Desian base, fought against the guardian of Fire, and you survived it all. If that's not brave, I don't know what is." Lloyd said.
"Thanks, Lloyd. I feel better now." Genis said, grinning.
"If it makes you feel any better, I'm a little scared too." Lloyd said, grinning as well. He then noticed that they had stopped marching, and looked forward to see a path cleared for him. A soldier whispered to him, "Neil wishes you to accompany him and Kratos to meet the leaders before the battle." Lloyd nodded his head and quickly ran to catch up with Kratos and Neil. Once he did, he slowed his pace to match theirs, and followed them to meet Kvar and Magnius.
"Now remember the plan, Lloyd. We must turn them against each other, for it's the only way to win this. Understand?" Kratos whispered.
"Got it. Piss them off so much, they turn on each other and hope the armies follow their example." Lloyd said, smiling at the thought of it.
Finally, they met on the field, with Magnius and Kvar on one side, and Lloyd, Kratos, and Neil on the other. Both sides stopped walking and immediately settled for a stare down, each sizing the person opposite them. Well, except for Neil. He didn't have anyone to stare at, so he pretty much settled for trying to look tough, even though it didn't really work.
"So, these are to be the leaders of the rebel army? Truly pathetic, from my view. What say you, Magnius?" Kvar commented. Magnius laughed and replied, "Indeed. These vermin will be squashed like bugs beneath our might."
Lloyd and Kratos merely stared back while Lloyd merely said, "Hmm? Did you say something?" Both Magnius and Kvar formed a tick mark on their heads and Magnius yelled, "Why, you little vermin! Who do you think you're talking to?!"
Lloyd merely turned to Kratos and said, "Kratos, do you hear something? All I hear is this loud, barking noise, like from a stupid, red mutt." Magnius had another tick mark form on his head as Kratos replied, "No, I was busy trying to figure out if Kvar has eyebrows or merely a crayon mark on his forehead." Now Kvar formed another tick mark on his forehead.
"Say, why don't we switch places and see what we think?" Lloyd suggested. Promptly, they switched places and observed their new face, much to the Cardinal's frustration.
"You know, I'm curious. How the hell can you see, Kvar? You have no eyes, only more crayon marks. Were you horribly disfigured in an accident or something?" Lloyd said, which actually made Magnius snort in humor.
"Magnius, you aren't much better off. To be completely honest, I'd fire whoever gave you that hairstyle. It looks like the back of your head exploded and you froze it in mid-explosion. This probably explains why you're so retarded and can't come up with any other adjective for people aside from vermin. Go ahead, try to say another one." Kratos said. Magnius's mouth twitched as he kept trying to form an audible sound, but couldn't speak. "Just as I thought. You poor, poor, demented fool." Now it was Kvar's turn to laugh, settling for an evil chuckle.
Magnius decided enough was enough. "Alright, you've had your fun. Prepare to be annihilated, vermin!" He and Kvar walked off, both equally pissed off now. However, they stopped when Lloyd cleared his throat. "You both know we were only repeating what you've said about each other, right?" They both turned to look at each other for a moment before growling and splitting off to their own divisions.
Lloyd laughed as he walked back to the army with Kratos, while Neil merely looked on as he followed. He nearly face-faulted when he heard one of the soldiers who had overheard everything whisper, "Either that kid's the dumbest person I've seen, or he's got balls of steel." The other guy merely nodded his head in agreement.
Back in line, Lloyd told Genis what had transpired, and he laughed as well when told of their reactions. They then looked out onto the field and across it where the opposing army stood ready. It appeared that Magnius and Kvar had decided to start a war chant among their soldiers, causing a loud, unintelligible noise to filter throughout the air. Lloyd then seemed to notice something, which made him scratch his head in confusion. Genis, noticing this, turned and asked what the matter was.
"Well, it's really just a feeling of deja'vu. I can't really explain it." Lloyd said.
Genis only blinked and said, "Like, in what way, Lloyd?"
"Well, it's as if a long time ago, there was a battle similar to this, except a lot different. Instead of being fought by humans like us, it was between humans and really ugly humanoid things. And on the human side, there was an elf and a dwarf standing here, and the dwarf said that he couldn't see over the people and the wall of the fortress where they were. Then, the elf said he could either get him a box, or describe it to him. And the dwarf laughed, because it was a joke about his height. It's as if I'm the elf and you're the dwarf, and we're repeating it." Lloyd explained, unaware of Genis's humongous sweatdrop on the back of his head.
"Well, it is true that I can't see that well here." Genis finally said.
"Well, I could-" Lloyd started, but was cut-off by Genis.
"It's not that easy to make fun of me, Lloyd, so don't bother." Genis deadpanned. Lloyd snapped his fingers and resumed looking at the field.
(For the love of god, please let someone have understood what just happened. If you do, free cookie for your review for figuring it out!)
Finally, the opposing army charged forward, drawing swords and rushing towards the army. In response, the Palmacosta army began to charge as well, ready to fight for life or death. "And so it begins…" Lloyd said, drawing his swords and charging alongside Kratos.
In Palmacosta
Colette was praying in the church when she heard the loud yells of the battle starting. She began to pray harder, hoping for Martel to protect her friends.
Raine also looked up from the medic tent where she was stationed, and gave only one thought to it. 'Don't you dare die on me, Genis, and Lloyd. Otherwise, I'll give you more homework than you could ever imagine!' With that thought, she went back to work, resuming the preparations for what was to come.
At the battlefield
There was only the loud thud of the footsteps approaching before the battle began. From above, one could see, two large clouds of people charging each other, heading for a collision. Each side rushed the other, with many individuals wondering if they would survive the coming onslaught. No one knew if they would, nor if they wouldn't. All they could do was fight for their life and hope to live.
Finally, the armies met, and the fight began.
The clash of swords and metal became the common sound throughout the air, accompanied by yells and grunts of pain. Blood began to be spilt, showering the once emerald green grass with the red fluid of life. Lloyd and Kratos fought their own battles, taking on soldier after soldier after soldier, and only being able to breath for a moment before another wave would come.
All around them, soldiers fell, both Desians and Palmacostians. Lloyd found himself strangely used to the bloodshed around him, which made him wonder just how much of his innocence was left. He stabbed one soldier through the stomach, and sliced through another one's throat. He defended against one's assault, only to use it to his advantage by making him fall towards him and running him through with his blade before continuing.
Kratos was also swarmed with soldiers, being labeled as one of the leaders of the opposing army. As such, he was targeted by many soldiers caught up in dreams of glory, only to be cut down swiftly by his incredible skill. Kratos had already settled into his war mode, forgoing all emotion save for anger and concern for his fellow warriors. Aside from that, he felt nothing save for the air of the blades as he avoided them, before cutting away the arm that wielded them, with its owner falling shortly after it.
Sheena worked swiftly, using her pyre seals to drive back large groups that tried to swarm her group. She thanked herself for preparing ahead of time by bringing more cards with her than what she originally planned. As she fought, her thoughts went to Lloyd, and she hoped for his safety as well as the others. She didn't understand why she was so concerned for him, she knew him to be a strong warrior. Yet, as the numbers poured on, she couldn't help but feel concern for him. 'Lloyd, please be safe…' She thought as she continued to fight on.
Genis threw spell after spell into the ever-present army before him, much to the surprise of the soldiers around him. Not many expected the young child to be so strong in the heat of battle, rather expecting to see him hide frightfully behind them as he threw only few spells. Instead, here stood a courageous fighter, willing to fight alongside them, to put his life at risk. As for Genis himself, he wondered just how he could go from being an educated student to fighting a huge army alongside the few friends he had. He was grateful to have them, and would do everything in his power to prevent them from receiving harm.
About 20 minutes into the fighting, casualties began to pile up, filled with bodies that were hewn into unrecognizable forms, due to the battle that now filled the air. It became soon obvious that the outcome of this battle would be laced with sorrow among the victory. Lloyd and Genis soon found themselves back to back, each having 10 soldiers to face. Lloyd and Genis looked back at each other at the same time, and nodded. Genis began to cast his strongest Earth spell, Stalagmite, as Lloyd prepped his Demonic Circle. Their opponents charged forward, unaware of the plan until it was too late.
"STALAGMITE!" Genis yelled, the runes surrounding him glowing as a large chunk of the earth in front of him shot up, throwing a few of the first to attack him high into the air and coming down with a loud SMACK and not getting up. One of the desians who hadn't been caught laughed and said, "Ha! You missed!" Genis only smirked as the Desian took notice of the fact that the Stalagmite was still present instead of sinking into the ground. "Now, Lloyd!" Genis yelled before ducking.
"Okay! DEMONIC CIRCLE!" Lloyd shouted as he drew his blades swiftly around him and slammed it down, swiftly ducking as soon as he finished. The energy released from the attack, instead of spreading out, channeled into the stalagmite, causing it to swiftly crack before exploding, releasing large chunks of earth which had become dangerous projectiles. They fired in all directions, eliminating the remaining soldiers that had tried to attack them. Lloyd stood up once the attack was over and gave a thumbs-up to Genis, who smiled as well. Then, Genis noticed Sheena, who currently had to hold back a larger group than before, made up of pieces of the groups she had already repelled back. "Lloyd, we have to help Sheena!" Genis said, causing Lloyd to quickly whip his head in Sheena's direction.
"But how do we get over there? We can't rush to her, we'd get killed!" Lloyd said, trying to think of how to quickly assist Sheena. Genis did some quick calculations in his head before looking to Lloyd and saying, "You're gonna have to throw me."
(Cue the record scratch noise)
"You want me to what?" Lloyd asked. Of all the things he expected him to say, that wasn't one of them.
"I'm light enough, there's a good wind blowing, and she's close enough. Trust me; I know what I'm doing." Genis said, determination shining in his eyes. Lloyd nodded his head before grabbing the back of Genis's shirt and hoisting him up into a throwing position.
"Oh, one thing before you throw me, Lloyd." Genis said. "What's that, Genis?" Lloyd asked.
"Please, just don't tell Raine. She'd never let me live it down." Genis said. Lloyd nodded before taking a few steps back to get a running start, and charging forward to throw Genis. 'Whoa, Deja'vu again. What the hell is with me today?' Lloyd thought before throwing Genis to Sheena's area, which worked better than planned. It was truly a sight to see, to see a half-elf flying through the air and actually landing gracefully. Soon enough, Sheena and Genis managed to defeat the group and repel them away. Lloyd quickly resumed his work at cutting through the Desians, choosing now to seek out Kratos.
He soon found him, surrounded by the corpses of at least 20 desians. Apparently, they tried to attack him all at once, thinking overwhelming numbers would prevail. They've obviously never met Kratos. "Kratos, you alright?" Lloyd asked, rushing to his father's side. Kratos nodded as he sliced through another Desian, choosing to simply decapitate him to save him time. "Yes, I'm fine. Though, I'm curious as to where Magnius and Kvar are. We've been fighting for some time now; we should've come across them by now." Kratos said, searching around for the mentioned Grand Cardinals.
"Then look no further, Vermin!" a voice rang out, and both Lloyd and Kratos turned to see Magnius and Kvar approaching them, each wielding their own weapons. Magnius was ready to fight, eager to get back at Lloyd and Kratos for their comments. Kvar was ready to fight as well, though he was now seriously considering defeating Magnius as well. The buffoon's soldiers had destroyed his machines accidentally, causing him to actually have to defend himself from foolish attackers. The nerve of that fool, bringing in such barbaric warriors who can't even think for themselves!
"Lloyd, you take Magnius, you can handle him in speed. I'll take Kvar." Kratos whispered, pulling out his blade into a ready stance.
"You sure?" Lloyd asked, before looking to see the cold determination in his father's eyes. He knew what it was for, and to stay out of his way. "Okay, if you say so." Lloyd readied his own blades as he stepped to the side away from Kratos, so as to give him room to fight.
"Thank you, Lloyd. Let's just say me and him have an old score to settle." Kratos said. The two waited as the Cardinals approached, who realized they each wanted to fight alone. Adorning an evil smirk, Magnius immediately moved to position himself to face Lloyd, while Kvar faced Kratos. A space seemingly cleared for the fight about to take place, with desians forming a ring around the battlers to prevent others from helping them.
"Well then, shall we begin vermin?" Magnius said, before charging forward with surprising speed. Lloyd predicted his movements, and quickly dodged the swing of his axe before counterattacking, which was blocked by Magnius's shield. They soon became focused only on their battle, drowning out the battling soldiers around them.
"He always did like to jump the gun, Magnius did. What a fool. He is no match for my strength, and neither are you, Kratos." Kvar commented. Kratos bristled with anger, bringing up memories of the past which fed his anger at the man before him. "You will pay for what you did to my wife, Kvar. I promise you that." Kratos said.
"Oh? What I did to that pathetic human is nothing compared to what I plan to do to you." Kvar enjoyed the fact he was making Kratos tremble, though he presumed it to be fear rather than anger. "That waste of space you called a wife was pathetic and certainly unworthy of what I had planned for-" he was cut off as he barely dodged the blow aimed for his head from Kratos's sword. He leapt back and prepared his staff for battle, charging it with electricity for an extra punch. But when he looked up from his staff, he sensed a large amount of mana gathering within Kratos and felt a little fear at its level.
"Never speak ill of the dead in front of me, Kvar. Especially when it's my WIFE!" Kratos roared before assaulting him, causing Kvar to go on the defensive immediately.
Back to Magnius and Lloyd, Lloyd currently had the upper hand in speed, managing to always defend his attacks, much to Magnius's frustration. "Hold still, would you?!" Magnius yelled as he swung his axe again, only to miss barely as Lloyd leapt back. "Nah, I'd rather keep my body intact, thanks." Lloyd then decided to initiate the plan, and said, "Hey Magnius! Want to hear what I heard about you from Kvar's soldiers?" Magnius looked at him in curiosity, wondering what tactic he was trying to pull now. "What do you mean vermin?" he asked as he continued to attack.
"I mean, what the soldiers have been saying about you. Such as when you sleep at night, you sleep with curlers in your hair to keep those dreadlocks, and that you often have a little, shall I say, 'bed-wetting' problem when you sleep?" Lloyd answered, dodging one stroke of the axe aimed for his chest and counter-attacking, managing to score a thin slice along Magnius's arm.
Magnius grunted in pain as he drew back and deflected his attacker's next assault with his shield. 'WHAT! How dare that bastard speak of me in such a way! And how did he learn about my curlers?!' he thought, with ever growing ferocity towards Kvar.
Back to Kvar, Kratos's attacks were beginning to take its toll on Kvar, his arms getting sore from his grip on his staff as he constantly defended himself from Kratos. He finally managed to put some distance between them by shoving Kratos away with his staff, making Kratos flip back to stay balanced. 'Such ferocity from him. He's not one of the strongest warriors for nothing.' Kvar thought, but his train of thought left him when he saw Kratos laughing for some reason. "And what, may I ask, is so funny?" Kvar questioned.
"Oh it's nothing. I just remembered some of the things that Magnius's soldiers say they heard about you from Magnius himself. Like how you have no women within your ranch?" Kratos replied.
"What does that have to do with anything?" Kvar said, confused by his words.
"Simple. That you're a fruitcake, according to Magnius. And thinking about it now, I have to say you fit the description quite well. I pity your soldiers." Kratos laughed, hoping to send Kvar into a fury. 'Three, two, one…' Kratos waited for the explosion.
"How dare he say that about me?!" Kvar yelled angrily, turning to look at Magnius. He almost forgot he was fighting Kratos until he heard the swishing of his sword coming down on him. He quickly blocked with his staff again, sending new spasms of pain through his arms. "Don't forget you're fighting me now, 'fruity'!" Kratos nearly laughed, it was so much fun. He hadn't had fun like this in about 200 years, ever since he once saw Yggdrasill discover an ancient form of dance called "Disco" or something to that effect.
For Kvar, this was the last straw. He leapt back from Kratos and turned to Magnius. "Magnius, you imbecile! You dare to make such statements about me!" He yelled, while Kratos only watched at the ready in case he tried something.
"You're one to talk, Kvar! Spreading rumors about me and my personal life! I should kill you here and now!" Magnius responded, choosing to turn away from Lloyd, who was snickering at the scene. Getting a nod from Kratos, he initiated the final phase of the plan. "That's right, Magnius. He was the one who revealed you're darkest secret!" Lloyd said, making Magnius turn with a horrid look on his face. "No, he didn't! He wouldn't!"
"The fact that you, Magnius, only wield that large axe as a means of compensation, for a certain, shall we say, 'buddy' of yours? He totally blabbed that to his soldiers." Lloyd said, making all nearby soldiers of Magnius suddenly stop for a second before falling to the ground laughing. They were soon killed shortly after.
"WHHAAAAAT! I'll kill him!" Magnius yelled, charging Kvar. Kvar's eyes widened at the sight of Magnius charging him. "Well, Kvar? Are you going to defend yourself? Or are you going to let him prove you really are a fruitcake after all?" Kratos said, knowing it would spur him to action.
"I'll grind that miserable excuse for a cardinal into the ground!" Kvar roared as he charged as well. Lloyd and Kratos stood back as they watched the two leaders combat each other, making their soldiers stop what they were doing and watch. One soldier of Magnius's, deciding to just go to hell with it all, turned and stabbed one of Kvar's soldiers. This set off the rest of the soldiers, causing them to stop fighting Palmacosta's forces and began fighting amongst themselves. The Palmacosta army just stood their and watched as their enemies fought amongst themselves. They turned to each other and shrugged their shoulders before charging again, taking down as many soldiers as they could who were caught up in the frenzy.
"It's working! Our plan is working, Kratos!" Lloyd exclaimed, not believing what was happening. Kratos simply nodded as he watched. "Indeed. It worked better than I had planned. Lloyd, go support the others. I'll hold off the forces here." Kratos said as he redrew his sword.
"Got it. Don't die on me, Kratos!" Lloyd exclaimed as he started fighting his way towards Sheena and Genis, who were looking quite tired. Kratos nodded as he fought on before pausing for a second. 'Wait a minute. That's my line! Dammit, Lloyd!' Kratos thought before resuming.
Back to Magnius and Kvar, the two were exchanging blows, each fueled by their own anger at the other's alleged words. "So, I'm a fruitcake, huh? You piece of garbage!" Kvar yelled as he struck Magnius with a bolt of lightning. Magnius quickly countered with a heavy strike where Kvar stood, sending him flying back. "You dared to reveal my personal secrets, Kvar? I'll make you pay for that, you…you…vermin!" They resumed fighting, with Magnius's axe clashing with Kvar's staff.
"Imbecile!" CLANG!
"Vermin!" SHING!
"Dumbass!" CLANG!
"Vermin!" They soon became dead locked, trying to overwhelm the other.
"Prissy boy!"
"Fruity!"
"Idiot!"
"Vermin!"
"Can't you say anything besides vermin, you ignoramus!"
"VERMIN! VERMIN, VERMIN, VERMIN!" Magnius finally overwhelmed Kvar on the last cry of vermin, sending him back. "Time to end this!" Magnius exclaimed, with runes forming around him. The spear began to fly towards Kvar, but Kvar saw what he was doing and rushed forward to stop him.
"Flame Lance!" Magnius exclaimed, but was thrown off target by Kvar rushing him and batting him with his staff, shocking him and throwing the spear off course.
Lloyd fought onwards through the crowd of soldiers, which was starting to diminish as the battle had now been raging for at least almost an hour now. He was beginning to feel how low his mana level was, meaning he would have to start conserving his energy. He suddenly heard the loud cry of Magnius's voice and turned to see the Flame Lance aimed towards him. He quickly ducked while the spell flew over him, warming him with it's presence as it flew into the soldiers he was fighting and kept going. He looked up to see the spell's path, and his heart nearly stopped.
The flame lance was heading straight for Sheena, who was unaware as her back was turned to it, fighting off soldiers who were trying to force themselves past them. He knew what would happen if that spell connected. He couldn't, no, wouldn't allow it to happen, no matter what! "SHEENA!" Lloyd cried as he suddenly rushed towards her, trying desperately to surpass the spell's speed, but barely unable to due to his fatigue. 'No, it can't happen. I won't let it happen! She will not die, no matter what the cost!' Lloyd thought as he subconsciously pulled out his wings with a bright flash of light. With a new boost of speed from the wings, he rammed his way through the soldiers in his way and stopped in front of Sheena, who had seen the spear coming and froze out of fright. When the bright light from Lloyd's wings had shone, she had covered her eyes, raising her arms to defend herself.
Lloyd stopped in front of her and turned to face the spear. It was gaining power now, coming closer to the ground to finally stop. 'No way is that thing getting past me!' Lloyd thought as he drew his blades and took a ready stance. 'I've only got one shot at this. Let's hope it works!'
He waited until the Lance was nearly upon him, and then he attacked. "Fierce Demon Fang!" He struck the ground quickly and forcefully, launching a powerful wave of energy towards the lance. The two forces met and clashed, until finally the lance gave in and soared upwards, choosing to instead land in a dense crowd of soldiers, who were sent flying due to the extra force that had been put into the spear by the Fierce Demon Fang.
Lloyd panted as he suddenly went down on one knee, using one of his blades as support. He quickly realized his wings had appeared, and put them away quickly. He had put more force into the attack than needed, and was winded. "Lloyd, are you alright? Are you hurt?" Sheena said as she knelt next to him. Lloyd turned to look at her and replied, "That depends. Are you alright?" Sheena nodded quietly. "Good. Then I'm fine as well. Stay here with Genis, ok?" Sheena was about to object, but Lloyd held his hand up to stop her. "I'll be fine. I just needed to stop for a second." Sheena dug into one of her pockets and pulled out a mélange gel and handed it to him. "I don't care. You take this and you take it now, mister." Sheena said. Lloyd smiled and said, "Always this forceful, Sheena?" Sheena blushed at his smile and smacked him upside the head. "Just take care not to get injured, Lloyd. Okay?" She said, turning her head to hide the blush, which Lloyd happened to miss. "Got it."
Lloyd quickly drank the gel and felt it begin to work throughout his body. He stood up, feeling better than before. He turned in the direction where Magnius and Kvar were and his eyes quickly changed to a cold glare. He began to walk towards them, with soldiers wisely choosing to move out of his way. Some had witnessed how he diverted the spear, and that bright flash of light before that suggested he was far stronger than he appeared. They made sure to stay out of his way as he passed.
With Kratos, a few moments before
Kratos continuously hacked through the soldiers as they charged him. To be honest, he was getting bored with this. He was actually considering just using Judgment on them all and be done with them, but decided not to, if only because it would leave him with nothing to do.
It was totally the only reason.
No, really.
He had been fighting for a few minutes now when he saw the rouge Flame Lance fly towards Sheena and Genis, and was about to move when he felt it. That feeling that solely signifies the presence of an angel. His eyes moved and everything seemed to slow as he watched Lloyd dash to save Sheena, and then he saw them. He gasped and felt the grip on his sword slip severely as he saw two enormous wings appear on Lloyd's back, granting him the speed to reach Sheena. He also witnessed how he deflected the Flame Spear. His mind was sent reeling as he realized what this implied.
Lloyd was an angel, just like him. He had angel wings and likely Angelic powers as well. His son, the innocent child he had hoped to grant a normal life, by giving to Dirk, the dwarf. He was so shocked that he nearly forgot that he was still on the battlefield, and that there was a blade swinging for his head.
He quickly reacted, choosing to not only deflect the blade, but then choosing to cleanly split the man in two. He was filled with new energy, and a new desire. He was going to speak to his son about this, and no army of pathetic weaklings was going to get in his way. Kratos raised a glance at an incoming party of people, and they flinched at his look. It was the look, the look of a god of war…
Back with Lloyd in present time
Lloyd quickly found the two Grand Cardinals, who were both in a standoff after Magnius had launched the Flame Lance. Magnius was clutching at his side, caused by Kvar's electrical attacks. He had numbed out some of his muscles, causing him to have to hold off on his attacks until he recovered.
Kvar was in a better state, but only by a margin. After deflecting the Spear, he was left wide open to an assault by Magnius, which left him physically drained. He had managed to stop the assault by electrocuting Magnius, which led to the standoff they were in now. Suddenly sensing something amiss, he looked around and realized what was happening. Due to his and Magnius's actions, the armies had begun fighting each other, causing their numbers to plummet significantly. Now, most of the soldiers are either dead and have run off, signaling to Kvar that the battle was going to end soon, and not in a good way for him.
'I need to get out of here. I am in no shape to take on the Chosen's group, let alone Kratos. This fool, Magnius, can stay if he wants to.' He thought quickly as he started trying to think of an escape plan. His thoughts were put to a stop by the appearance of Lloyd with a cold expression on his face.
Magnius turned to see what Kvar was looking at, and grinned. "Well, well. The vermin returns to die, eh? Certainly boy, you don't think you can take on a grand cardinal by yourself?"
Lloyd made no response, choosing to merely draw his blades slowly and point one of them at Magnius. His hair was drooping over his eyes, shadowing them from sight. Magnius took his silence as a means of ignoring him. "Oy! Didn't you hear me, vermin? I said-" He was cut off in mid sentence as Lloyd suddenly dashed past him, his sword held up in a high arc. He turned slowly to face Lloyd before screaming in pain as his arm detached itself from his body. Lloyd turned to face Magnius, his face contorted with anger. "You nearly killed someone dear to me, Magnius. And for that, you are going to pay!"
Magnius felt fright at these words, and tried to get up and run. But Lloyd stopped him before he could even start, rushing forward and plunging one of his swords into his backside, holding the other one at his throat. Magnius coughed up blood as he heard the final words he would ever hear. "Never mess with my precious people. Let your death be a final lesson to teach into that empty hole you call a brain." And with that, Lloyd slashed his throat, forever silencing Magnius. He withdrew his swords and shook the blood off them before turning to where Kvar was.
Kvar had watched in horror as Magnius was killed so easily in front of him. It was inconceivable, the power the boy was radiating. He knew then and there he would have to flee to live. He turned and started to run, but stopped as his path was blocked. His eyes widened as he saw Kratos stand before him, carrying an expression similar to Lloyd's. "No, not you! Not now!" Kvar gasped. Kratos only drew his sword in response, and charged him. Kvar tried to block with his staff, but Kratos had long chosen to stop holding back his power. He swiftly knocked the staff away, leaving Kvar defenseless.
"Feel the pain…" Kratos whispered, slashing Kvar once across the chest.
"Of those inferior beings…" he slashed again, this time forming an X with his other slash.
"As you burn in hell!" Kratos finished, running the point of his sword through the middle of the X, piercing Kvar's body and killing him. He fell to the ground, trying to form words, but failing to before he passed on to the next world.
The Desian forces were now either dead on the ground or had fled. The Palmacosta forces were quiet, until finally someone exclaimed, "WE'VE WON!" With that, the army gave a loud cheer, celebrating the long awaited victory they had once expected to be doom. Lloyd smiled wistfully as he watched them celebrate. "We did it. We actually won."
He turned to say something to Kratos, but was stopped by his expression. "Kratos? What is it?" Lloyd asked, confused by his expression. Kratos merely walked up to him and said quietly, "I saw it Lloyd. Your wings." Lloyd gasped as he heard those words, realizing he had finally been caught. "I'll talk to you about this later. Meet me in front of the church at Midnight tonight. I'll see you there." With that, Kratos walked off, leaving Lloyd gaping at what had just happened.
Kratos had seen his wings. He had screwed up big time, and this time, he may not be able to fix it. Lloyd quickly shook off his frightened appearance, seeing his friends approach him. He put on a smile and was about to greet them when he was suddenly tackled by both Sheena and Genis, both smiling to see their friend safe. They all laid there on the ground a moment before they burst into laughter. Lloyd put aside his thoughts on Kratos for now, instead choosing to focus on hiding his blush as he realized two certain things were poking into his back from Sheena's grip on him.
One hour later, at the church of Palmacosta
After the medic tent had finally completed their treatments of everyone, and the bodies of the dead taken care of, everyone, both civilian and of the army, gathered in the town's center in front of the church, where Neil was giving a speech congratulating the army for their efforts.
"…and of course, we must thank the Chosen One and her group. For without them, we may have faced a different outcome." Neil said, waving a hand to the group, to which the audience roared with applause. Genis, Lloyd, and Sheena chose to wave to the crowd, while Kratos merely smirked and took it all in. Most of the women in the crowd swooned when they saw how he radiated badassness from his body.
Colette's reaction was the funniest, however. She waved as well and was turning to say something to Lloyd when she suddenly slipped in her usual clumsy manner. She quickly rolled down the short staircase and stopped at the bottom, landing on her butt. "Colette, you ok?" Lloyd asked, concerned.
"Of course! I'm just fine! Remember, I've fallen and done worse, like that wall at Triet, remember?" Colette laughed, having swirl marks replace her eyes, causing everyone else to laugh as well. For the rest of the afternoon and most of the evening, they celebrated with food and drink, which had several amusing points in it, such as when Genis managed to find a beer and became promptly wasted. Or when Kratos kept having to run when several women kept chasing him, asking him to let them bear his children, to which Kratos's reply was to run faster. Lloyd enjoyed the good times, but kept in mind his appointment later on at Midnight.
Later that evening
Lloyd quietly snuck out of the hotel where they were staying and headed for the church. He had spent the last half-hour worried over the whole ordeal. He did not know what he would say to Kratos, how he would react, or anything at all. He decided to just wing it and go with the flow. He soon found the church, and saw Kratos standing there. He didn't have his sword with him for once, and was sitting on the steps.
Lloyd walked up and sat next to him, staying quiet and choosing to let Kratos start the conversation. Though, when he heard Kratos laugh, he thought he misheard him say something. "What is it?" Lloyd asked.
"Those women from the party. They just kept asking to have my kids. They were so persistent; it was as if I was running from all the Summon Spirits at once." Kratos replied, making Lloyd chuckle. It almost seemed as if they had come out here to merely reminisce, instead of such a serious discussion.
"Kratos, I…I have something to tell you. It involves my wings, but there's more to it than that." Lloyd said, choosing to take the initiative. Kratos nodded, letting him go on. "I know…that you're my father." Lloyd said, rushing the words so that he could just get it out of his system. Kratos seemed to nearly fall over at this, but held his composure. "Wh-what do you mean, Lloyd?"
"That's not all, Kratos. I also know you're 4,000 years old, that you're one of the four seraphim, and that you are working with Mithos Yggdrasill to help change the world." Lloyd said, doing his best to keep his calm.
Kratos sat there, stunned at this. He had to be imagining it, he just had to be! But, though it was slow to comprehend, he realized this was no dream, judging from Lloyd's expression, which had become as somber as he was a moment ago.
"But…how? When? Who-" Kratos tried to start, but couldn't from the shock of what his son revealed. He cleared his throat and calmed his mind. "Tell me everything. How you learned of my past, to how you got those wings. And I mean everything. Leave nothing out." Kratos said, standing up in front of Lloyd. Lloyd sighed and began to tell his long tale…
15 minutes later
"…which led up to here. Are you satisfied?" Lloyd said, finally finishing his tale. He had told Kratos everything, just as he had asked, and was slightly worried at how he maintained a normal expression the whole time. Lloyd just sat there and let Kratos think in silence.
"Why?" Kratos mumbled aloud. Lloyd leaned closer to hear him.
"Why didn't you tell me? When we first met, at the temple, why couldn't you have…?" Kratos trailed off; for once confused by all that he had been told.
"You know who I am, what I am, and what I was sent to do, from the very beginning. Why didn't you kill me?" Kratos finally asked. Lloyd sighed and did the most unexpected thing Kratos saw.
He stood up and bonked him on the head with a flat palm, and said, "For once, dad, you're the idiot."
Rubbing his head Kratos looked up and asked, "What?"
Lloyd looked at Kratos and replied, "I'll answer you with this question, Kratos. What would I have to gain from killing my own father? Nothing. I would gain nothing at all for killing you." Lloyd said, as he sat back down.
"But I was sent to lead the Chosen One to her doom. How can you possibly think to not kill me?" Kratos asked.
"Because for one thing, I would lose a valuable ally later on in the future if I killed you. An ally who I owe my life several times over. Then, I would lose my inspiration to become strong. I would stop trying to grow, because the one who had inspired me to grow had already been defeated by me. But most importantly, it's because you're my father. I could never kill a family member, let alone my father." Lloyd explained.
"But, Anna-" Kratos started, but stopped when Lloyd raised his hand. "The only reason you killed mom was because you had to, right? In order to protect me?" Kratos nodded. "Then you should come to terms with it already. I have, though it took me a while to. I realized that even though I should hate you for killing her, I don't because if you hadn't killed her in her monster form, I wouldn't be here today. Besides, you granted her mercy by doing that, so I'm certain she's at peace while you are here fretting over something she's already forgiven you for."
Kratos was quiet, with his mind reeling. His son was wise, very wise indeed. He had spoken nothing but the truth from his heart, and knew it to be what he really felt. In his heart for once, Kratos was happy. He was reunited with his son, who he thought was long lost.
"Tell me, Kratos. What will you do now? Will you still continue with Cruxis because you don't believe my tale, or will you join me?" Lloyd asked. Kratos sat there in silence, thinking it over. He was being given a possible second chance, a chance to redeem himself of all of his sins of the past. It would be foolish to not take it.
But what about Mithos? He had told Mithos he would help him with his goal, and had developed a strange loyalty to the man with a child's soul. He weighed them together, and finally came to a decision.
"The past me, probably would have stuck with Mithos at this point, Lloyd. He would have thought that you were lying, and left you here. However, that is not me. I am a new Kratos, the Kratos of now, and I choose to help you." Kratos finally said, smiling at Lloyd.
"Really? That's awesome! I'm so glad!" Lloyd laughed, making his father chuckle as well. "Of course, you're help is more valuable than you think. I have a plan, but I'm going to need your help." With that, Lloyd explained to Kratos his plan of action, and how he needs help getting the Eternal Sword. Kratos, convinced the plan was a good one, agreed to help him.
Standing up, Lloyd shook the soreness out of his joints for sitting so long. He turned around to say something to Kratos, but stopped when he saw he was standing up as well, holding his arms out. "What are you doing?" Lloyd asked.
"I can't ask for a hug from my son?" Kratos simply replied.
Lloyd stood there a moment before rushing forward into his embrace. Kratos hugged him tightly; glad to finally be reunited with is son. Lloyd embraced him as well, one of his goals he had set for himself this time around fulfilled. He stopped when he felt something wet on his head, and looked up to see a tear streak on Kratos's face.
"What? I'm glad to have my son back, that's all." Kratos said to the unasked question.
Lloyd laughed and said, "You should show more emotion more often, you know that?"
Kratos replied as he walked to the inn, "Are you crazy? And lose the image I've kept up? You really are an idiot, Lloyd."
"Hey! That's not my fault! You probably dropped me when I was younger didn't you?" Lloyd yelled.
"Nope. That's completely your fault." Kratos replied, to which they both laughed and walked off to the inn, both feeling true contentment for once.
Raenef: (Holding his hands in ice water) Oww…so…much…typing… But hey! At least it's done! Thanks for waiting so long! Okay, a couple of announcements for you all. The next chapter will be starting out on another fic, called ToS SC Book 2: Demon's Rise. I'm doing this because it feels like I'll have more room after this chapter.
Also, there will be a time skip in the next chapter. It's not a big one, not at all. I'm only doing this so as to move the story along. All good stories on Tales of Symphonia can run into trouble if they take too long to move along the plot, so I'm avoiding that problem.
Please read and review! And thanks again for reading!