Over the few days following the Tower of Mana, Lloyd learned how angry Genis and Sheena really were as they proceeded to ignore every other member of the group except Colette. For the night they spent outside the Tower, and the entirety of the day it took to get to Hima, not a word was spoken by those two that was directed to anyone except each other or Colette.

Colette, who couldn't answer, felt horrible, both about not telling them and causing this type of reaction, but that she couldn't do anything about it.

Lloyd understood their anger and was simply keeping quiet, knowing his friends would talk to them when they were just wished he was ready for what was coming, but he knew he'd never be ready to lose that smiling face.

Raine felt horrible for not telling her brother and getting this kind of reaction. She wanted her brother to talk to her- she missed hearing his happy voice. She hated that she was going to have to say goodbye to Colette in less than 24 hours. She hated it all, but at the same time, she couldn't help but wonder if she could have stopped it if she'd tried.

Anna was torn. She loved Colette like she was her own daughter. She would never let Kratos lead Lloyd to his death the way they were leading Colette, but she also knew that Colette needed to- she needed to reverse the mana flow, and in order to do that, Martel needed to take Colette.

Kratos wished he could take someone else- almost anyone else to Martel, but Colette was the closest signature they'd had in millennia and there was a chance that Mithos would actually be revived- that Martel would be happy, that the entire problem would be solved this time. He couldn't let that pass.

So the walk was mostly silent except for an occasional word passed about how much longer it would be. They got to Hima and settled in at the Inn, Kratos telling them they'd leave in the morning. Lloyd headed out to the stables to visit Noishe, while the others split off to do their own things, be it supplies, food, or crying.

As Lloyd stood there with Noishe, he spoke softly, "Am I a bad person?"

Noishe whined and pressed his head up against Lloyd, making him smile a little, "Thanks, Noishe…"

"Lloyd! Lloyd!"

Surprised simply to hear Genis calling his name, Lloyd turned around, but froze at the look of pure horror on the half-elf's face.

"Colette's gone!"

Of course his father would have taken her ahead. Kratos didn't want him to have doubts- didn't want her to have mixed thoughts.

The sheer pain Lloyd felt when he realized she'd been taken away made his decision.

"Come on." He lead Genis out of the building and up the mountain to where Sheena was already climbing on a dragon. Lloyd didn't even blink at her sudden appearance. "Get on with her." He ordered Genis, before paying the dragon seller for his own winged beast and climbing right on. Once Genis and Sheena were ready, they flew off towards the Tower.

To their surprised, they landed there only to find Raine and Anna fighting a group of monsters. The two women turned to the kids with annoyance on their faces.

"You weren't supposed to come." Anna said.

"I had to." Lloyd's face was blank.

Anna angrily jabbed the final monster, knocking him out, and ran into the Tower, "Come on, then!"

Lloyd nodded, and they all followed his mother.

The inside of the Tower was quite homey, situation considered. A long translucent staircase lined the walls, and a teleporter shined in the middle of a stone bridge. The walls were made of the same stone, and below them was a blackness that seemed to go on forever.

Anna didn't stop to look around- she kept running, straight onto the transporter. Lloyd followed his mother, and after only a moment of hesitation, the others threew followed as well.

They made it to the top floor only to freeze. Kratos was standing to the side and Anna walked right to him.,

Colette was floating in the air, her pink wings shining and her red eyes cold.

Remiel stood on the platform, his white-feathered wings still, smiling at the changed Colette.

Genis was about to scream Colette's name, but Raine muffled it by hiding her little brother. Lloyd walked, shocked, towards the angel-girl.

"Colette?"

The angel's eyes snapped over, red rubies glistening with unshed tears.

"Lloyd." Kratos called his son.

Lloyd shook his head.

"Lloyd, come on. We need to go home."Anna spoke, sadness in her voice.

"No." Lloyd spoke.

Suddenly, their conversation was interrupted by a sharp, angry cry from behind them. "Y-you BASTARD!"

Lloyd whirled around to see Genis chanting a spell. A giant spear of fire pierced Remiel's body, spreading to his clothes and burning him. Surprised, Kratos hit Remiel with a low-level water spell to extinguish the flames and turned to Genis as Anna ran up to the coughing Remiel.

"What did you do that for?! That bastard deserved to die!" Genis shouted as Raine held him back.

"Genis, killing someone is never a good decision!" Raine snapped.

"But he deserved it! H-he deserved it!" Genis stammered, as his anger turned into sadness and he collapsed into sobs, Raine pulling him close.

A flash of green suddenly alerted everyone, as Martel appeared, green wings fluttering proud.

"What happened down here?!" she cried, "I heard screaming!"

"Remiel needs medical attention." Anna spoke calmly, "He's alive but badly burned."

"Pronyma!" Martel called, the angel appearing and taking Remiel away. Anna stood up.

"Wait a minute!" Raine said, shocked, "Why- why do you have wings?! Isn't she your firend, Anna? Why does she-?"

Martel turned, surprised, to the shocked half-elf. She spoke softly, I'm sorry…"

Raine's eyes widened even further as Martel took Colette's hand to lead her away until an arrow embedded itself into Martel's shoulder.

Martel shouted in pain as Kratos whirled around to protect her, only to see a huge influx of Renegades stream into the room. One knocked Martel to the side, grabbing Colette, two restrained the struggling Lloyd before finally knocking him unconscious by knocking him up the side of his head with the blunt side of a sword.

"Lloyd!!" Anna screamed, as two ran at her, leaving her stuck trying to protect the currently useless Martel and unable to grab her son as he was dragged away. Seven were surrounding Kratos, and three had grabbed Genis, Raine, and Sheena.

Anna screamed her son's name again as the Renegades disappeared into the teleporter, dragging Lloyd's unconscious body behind them. The scream was cut off abruptly by one of them hitting her with his sword and knocking her unconscious.

I'm not quite sure I want to comment. Review and tell me if I handled it right. Next chapter's half written already, expect it soon.