A Problem of Pediatric Proportions

by Regashi

Due to reasons unknown, Lloyd and the others have found that they have shrunk in age and appearance. Now it's a race against time to solve what happened and how to save themselves... before Cruxis gets to them first. Ch.28 up

26. The Art of Chivalry

An update? Ye gads. It's been quite a while, hasn't it? I'll spare everyone the details because it's a bit longwinded and I'll get a hand cramp, but just let it be known my battle with the computer and the responsibilities of the outside world are still ongoing. Also, I have no plans to surrender, which is nice I think. Also, on another note, I managed to find the last three parts of the latest ToS animation episode and holy nut bunnies was it awesome. I thought they should have more oyako, but since I always think they should have more oyako, I suppose I can't really base anything on my own measuring standards, I guess. Ending was pretty awesome though. Oh, as another mention, I didn't think it was possible to animate that much creepy in one package, but they did with Pronyma. Dear lord, she made Rodyle and Kvar look... normal.

I wonder if the grand cardinal ranking system is based on a creep-ometer reading...

Anyway, enough of my rambling, let's get this gravy train underway.

A big thank you to all those who read, favorited and alerted, or a combination of the aforementioned, especially to ImJustNutty, KF2104, terracannon876, oursolemnhour49, Kiomori, AngelofaWhiteNight, Mizu Hoseki, freakyanimegal, Skye96, kuroXIII, Link Fangirl01, Vesperia Lover, NightElfSentina, silent romantic, chronos-girl twice, Kisa167, TearyBlueMoon, and Lily Violet Oak for reviewing. I really appreciate you all take the time to do so.

So, try as I may, I still don't own Tales of Symphonia or anything of that nature, nor do I own the list used in this chapter, though I can say the definitions are of my own design. Woo, I actually do own something, yet not that much in the grand scheme.

Chapter Twenty Six: The Art of Chivalry

"How did it go?" Kratos inquired the second he shut the shop door behind him with a click. From behind the counter, the head clerk's head popped up from where it had been resting on her palm and gave him a wan smile. Kratos raised an eyebrow. That was certainly a reaction he hadn't been expecting. When last he saw her an hour ago, she seemed so chipper. Surely Lloyd hadn't been that much of a handful. Unless...

The seraph reached into his pocket, pulled out an ancient looking pocket watch and tsked in irritation. According to his fob watch, he'd given the shop clerks two more hours than he'd promised. No wonder she looked so physically drained. She'd been here for hours. Kratos sighed again. Anything time related seemed so trivial when one was well over four thousand years of age. Unfortunately, no one else seemed to have that problem and thus there was no sympathy to be garnered. Still, perhaps he'd done them all a favor. Three hours between three women was certainly enough time to wrangle one boy into three outfits and have them all come out of the endeavor alive.

At least, he hoped that to be true. This was Lloyd he was talking about. Anything was possible. Perhaps there was a reason he unconsciously picked the only shop in the middle district with no second floor window from which to leap.

However, the shop was in one piece from what he could see and there weren't any sort of damaged pillars or walls, so that was a fairly favorable sign. Although, the sign's favorability diminished somewhat when he spotted the other two women marching like soldiers outside the door labeled 'dressing room'. Something told him they weren't doing that solely to make a social statement.

"It was fine, sir." The head clerk reported with a perky, yet exhausted voice. "We had a hard time prying his fingers from the door frame in the beginning, but after the first outfit, he seemed to calm down."

Yes, that sounded like Lloyd. Fighting the urge to pinch the bridge of his nose, Kratos glanced boredly to the side of the shop where the dressing room stood, along with the two haggard women, and nodded.

"He probably figured he was fighting a losing battle." He replied stoically. "Did you manage to find something to suit him?"

"Oh, yes, and might I say, he is quite adorable in it." The shop lady gushed, her cheeks pinker than they had been when he'd left. "He's still inside the dressing room, if you would like to see."

Ah, so that would explain the other two clerks patrolling the door. Kratos sighed again. It really did figure. Lloyd had no patience for that sort of thing, dressing up in pointless outfits and what not. Though, deep down he grudgingly admitted he knew who was to blame for Lloyd's distaste for shopping, especially for clothes. Anna could have shopped for hours in complete bliss. Him, not so much.

Oblivious to his musings, the head shopkeeper signaled for him to follow her with a flick of her wrist and sauntered off in the direction of the dressing room. Kratos acquiesced with nary a hesitation, already anxious to get moving, and annoyed he'd already wasted half a day. Once at the dressing room, the rosy woman quickly shooed the other two away from the door and knocked on the whitewashed piece of plywood three times.

"You've got a visitor." She cooed in a sing song voice through the door. "Come on out and let us all take a look at you."

"No." Came a voice from inside the dressing room. The head shopkeeper blinked in surprise. So did the other two clerks. So did Kratos.

"'No'?" She repeated through the door, completely lost for words.

"No." came the voice again. "I'm not coming out. I look stupid."

"Oh, now he won't come out." The bleached blonde through her hands into her straw hair and moaned, her mascara already runny from stress tears. "We could barely get him in there and now he won't come out? What were we patrolling the door for?"

"Hush it!" The head shopkeeper hissed and turned back to the dressing room. "But you look so cute! Don't you want to want to come out and show off?"

"I don't look cute, I look like an idiot!" The voice through the door vociferated in an indignantly shrill tone. "And no I don't want to come out! Why would I want to come out and show the world how stupid I look? I'm staying in here!"

Once the piercing howl of fury stopped echoing through everyone's ears, an eerie reticence blanketed the four adults and the entire shop like a layer of awkward sediment on the bed of a river.

"... Has it been like this all day?" Kratos finally asked, his eyes never leaving the door.

"Honestly?" The head shopkeeper inquired, her eyes not leaving the door either.

"Mm."

"... maybe a bit."

Kratos internally winced. He'd thought as much.

"And I assume he's referring to the formal wear as what he'd look ridiculous in?"

"I think so." The bleached blonde nodded while poking the side of her temple. "That was the last outfit we rustled him into. And I don't understand why he'd think he looks silly. He looks precious."

The door snorted.

"Never thought I'd have to use a full nelson to get a client into a shirt, though." The third woman murmured, her arms crossed against her chest.

"Yeah, who woulda thought those wrestling lessons would come in handy in retail?" The blonde added sagely.

Kratos groaned. Maybe this whole parenting thing was going to be much harder than he took it, and he took it with a great deal of caution already. This didn't bode well, especially not if Lloyd had battled against three women over a shirt and suffered defeat in a most undignified fashion.

'I'll have to add admitting defeat gracefully as part of my teaching itinerary.' He ruminated, but quickly shifted his train of contemplation aside. That could wait, he had bigger fish to fry. Namely, the barracuda barricading himself in a children's dressing room.

"Lloyd, just get out here and get it over with." Kratos spoke calmly, yet his voice made it completely clear he was in no mood for debate, argument or rebuttal.

'The authoritative parental figure approach, always a classic.' he commented to himself while he waited for the door to respond, preferably with a white flag. When he'd been preparing for fatherhood the first time through, the angelic warlord had spent hours upon hours perusing documents and texts for any hints on how to handle children and this had been one of the more mentioned approaches when handling conflicts of interest. Anna had dismissed his research, having said he would know when his instincts kicked in, but Kratos wasn't so sure he had any instincts left, so research was all he could truly rely on as a guide of sorts.

Perhaps all that reading and research would now actually pay off. If memory served him well, and for the most part it usually did, letting Lloyd know right off the bat who was in charge would lead to a much more harmonious relationship between them. Boundaries and regulations were essential to any relationship, familial or otherwise, and like any good militia or task force, a chain of command had to be installed. All Kratos needed to do now was relay the message that Lloyd was not at the proverbial 'top of the food chain', as it were. That shouldn't be too strenuous, not when he had eons of experience in just that subject. The angelic lord smirked. No, not strenuous at all. In fact, he'd deem it downright easy.

Satisfied with himself, Kratos folded his arms and patiently waited as the message sank into the air of the dressing room. From inside the room, faint shuffling ruffled behind the door and the latch unlocked. The wooden plank of wood then creaked open ever so slightly to reveal a sliver of what looked like Lloyd's face, except his cheeks were bright puce.

"I look dumb. I'm not coming out so everyone can laugh at me!" Lloyd groused. Kratos raised an eyebrow.

"Lloyd, you will not look dumb. Now be a man and get out here."

"Not if you paid me. You left me here with those three vultures. I owe you nothing!" The fuming boy retorted and shut the door with a bang.

Okay, perhaps not THAT easy. Biting down hard so as not to startle the three women with his vast knowledge of profane vocabulary he learned in the army, Kratos pinched the bridge of his nose and let out an irritated breath of air. Why, why had he burned that obedience document back at the inn when Lloyd had been asleep? He wouldn't even be having this problem if he'd just given it a little more thought before deciding to turn the paper into ash. When he'd been at the inn waiting for that little hellion to wake up, Kratos had thought it to be the perfect opportunity to get rid of that document so as not to risk someone else, Yggdrasill, from getting their, his, hands on it. The seraphim figured he'd be able to ride herd on Lloyd if it came to that on his own with little conflict. Apparently he thought wrong.

Still, there was little point on dwelling on 'what ifs' and 'should haves'. He had a job to do. And if he had to break down that door and drag Lloyd out by his ankles, so be it.

However... breaking down a door that wasn't his to break down might not be the most popular way to go about, especially not with the ladies who worked there. Due to the limited amount of time and options, it looked like he had no choice. He'd have to go with plan 'C'.

Kratos didn't like using plan 'C' much, but it came through in the end when he'd employed it, though Anna had threatened to haunt him for the rest of his days if he dared use it more than that one time he'd invented it. He knew she'd find a way to make good on her threat, but desperate times called for desperate measures and at that point, he was just desperate to make a hasty exit, Lloyd or no Lloyd.

"I can handle this." Kratos gazed over his shoulder at the three loitering ladies. "You needn't linger." Nodding politely, the clerks returned to their posts, all in all looking rather relieved. Once they were safely out of earshot, the seraph turned back to the door and folded his arms against his chest. Here went nothing.

"If you get out here now with no arguments and no grief, I might get you a cupcake." He spoke quietly. Lloyd cracked the door open again.

"... with crystal sugar sprinkles?"

"Maybe, if you behave."

The door's gap widening further, Lloyd poked his head through the crack and eyed him skeptically.

"... better be a big one." The skinny six year old murmured, pushed the door completely open and stepped out into the shop for the first time in what Kratos believed to be hours. Lloyd was dressed in a fitted, satin, white shirt with cuffs and a high collar, a red, thick, silk tie that tucked itself into a matching waistcoat, black pants and polished shoes to match. Kratos wanted to smack himself in the forehead, but refrained. From the way Lloyd had been going on, the seraphim had entertained the notion perhaps he'd had been attacked with frills or lace, but there was nary a ruffle on him. Actually, the boy would have looked rather presentable, if it hadn't been for the ungodly scowl plastered on his face.

"Take a good look now, because it's the last time you'll ever see me in this get up." Lloyd groused petulantly, utter disgust permeating through his voice.

"I'll be the judge of that. Now turn around slowly." Kratos responded lacklusterly and indicated for him to spin like a pinwheel. Lloyd frowned, but didn't argue and pivoted on the spot like a very cranky merry go round.

"There, happy now?" The surly six year old inquired, fidgeting with his collared shirt after he'd finished his rotation.

"I'm not unhappy." Kratos replied facilely. "These will do. Go put on the other outfit."

"Fine by me, I wanna get outta this." Lloyd pulled at the tie and gagged like he was being strangled. "These pants are itching me right in the-"

"Don't finish that sentence if you wish to live. Go get changed."

"Okay, okay." Lloyd waved over his shoulder at Kratos and adjourned back into the dressing room. He emerged two minutes later wearing a simple cotton candy apple red shirt with burgundy trim that stopped around mid thigh, a brown leather belt, beige pants, and brown boots to match. While Kratos approved of the overall outfit, it was obvious Lloyd was much thinner than the tunic's capacity, so the shirt's extra fabric bagged. That, and the boots he was wearing were too tall for him, so he'd had to fold them over at the knees. Growing room, no doubt.

"This is weird too, but at least there's nothing itching me." Lloyd reported while messing with the leather belt around his waist.

"Are you telling me you prefer traipsing around in one of the Chosen's dresses?" The seraphim swordsman asked while his eyes flickered to the heap of embroidered dress stuffed unceremoniously in the corner of the dressing room.

"No! No, no, I'm fine. Just fine, thanks." Swallowing hard, Lloyd glanced over his shoulder at the pile of girly wear and then back up at Kratos.

"I don't have to wear the dress anymore, do I?" He asked warily, as if he half expected Kratos to subject him to more lessons in humility. While that was an interesting thought in itself, Kratos figured Lloyd had had enough embarrassment to last him at least a week.

"I'll see what I can do to convince the ladies to let you wear it out of the store." The antiquated angel dismissed Lloyd's obviously lingering thoughts and quickly left to cover the damages for the outfits and any other mishaps Lloyd might have wrought upon the store.

Five minutes later, Lloyd and Kratos both descended the stairs of the middle level of Meltokio, Kratos' left hand forever welded on the hilt of his sword and Lloyd's arms laden with a package bigger than he was.

"Hey." Lloyd murmured whilst dodging a cracked spot on a stair. "Thanks for the clothes... and stuff."

"You're welcome." Kratos replied as his eyes scanned from left to right, checking for any suspicious characters who might be following them. "However, you might want to curb your unhappiness should you find yourself in such a situation like that again. It's undignified how you responded. You're lucky they didn't say anything to you about it."

"I know I shouldn't have, but they wouldn't let me do anything by myself. I mean seriously, I don't need help putting on my pants." Lloyd protested. "They kept treating me like a little kid."

Kratos shot him a flat stare.

"And barricading yourself in a dressing room you consider to be mature?"

"... okay, that's a good point." Lloyd relented reluctantly, "But I don't think they woulda had any breath left for it. They were too busy talking about you to each other and then asking me about you."

Kratos raised an eyebrow.

"Oh? What sort of things did they say?" Lloyd hooked the package haphazardly under one arm and scratched at his ear.

"Well, all sorts of things. How old were you, if you were single, if we were related. Basic stuff." The squirty shrimp shrugged. "So, I said you were just looking after me, y'know as a good cover story, and they turned pink in the face and started giggling like they were having seizures. Dunno why though. Why'd they do that?" Kratos closed his eyes in an attempt to stave off the impending headache heading his way and let out a long exhale when it was clear his efforts were in vain.

"Sometimes, women find things... overly cute. Like male bonding, to be precise. Many of them decide such occurrences are cute, adorable or precious, as they put it, and hence many don't seem to have the capacity to keep their giggle fits to themselves." He explained dejectedly. "It's contrived and irrational, but so are many females." The younger of the two eyed his counterpart, frowned and tightened his grip around the wrapped parcel.

"No kidding." The shrunken swordsman scoffed, resting his chin on top of the package. "Girls sure are weird."

"Women, Lloyd."

Lloyd blinked and regarded Kratos, his eyebrow raised like a mirrored version of his elder companion's.

"There's a difference?"

"There is a large difference. A girl is someone who is younger, less experienced and in many ways deemed inferior, just as boys and children as a collective. Women, on the other hand, are full grown adults capable of making choices, engaging in certain activities and being fully competent members of society, just like men. To call a grown woman a 'girl' is to infer she is not an adult and thus demotes her standing to that of a minor. It can be construed as a grievous insult. One who cares to have proper etiquette must learn such terms so as to avoid such a faux pas."

"That's really complicated." The lilliputian boy held the side of his head, the impromptu lecture having addled his mind. "I don't think I get it, but I got it."

"... if you find you are having difficulties remembering, just use the term 'ladies'. It works in either case and can save you a lot of trouble." Kratos added lightly, rolling his eyes. Lloyd buried his face in his bag and seemed to think for a minute, but truth be told, the ancient angel couldn't really see what the boy was doing all that well because of the bright red package hindering his facial view.

"'Ladies'. That doesn't seem too hard." He murmured into the package. Kratos snorted and returned his gaze forward.

"It isn't if you apply it properly." Nodding, Lloyd peeked over the side of the package at Kratos and let the longer piece of chestnut hair drift over his nose.

"Hey Kratos?"

"Hm?"

"What does 'faux pas' mean?"

---

"Okay, that didn't do us much good." Sheena groaned as she traipsed down the steps of the Sybak Library, "So far all we got was one of Mithos' companions had the same weird flu bug Colette's got. So, if we're gonna get any more info, we've got to sneak into Meltokio, get past the security in the Castle, somehow convince them to let us look at THEIR library, which by the way won't be a walk in the park because we're sorta kinda wanted traitors, and get out without running into the stupid papal knights. All for a stinking book."

"I like books." Colette beamed, trotting after Sheena. Sheena shot her blonde friend a sideways glance and sighed.

"Colette, not to be mean, but... you like everything."

"Urgh, more books." Zelos groaned after them as he too emerged from the antiquated halls of the hall of texts. "I know for a fact the king's a big time Mithos and the Ancient War' buff, so it's gonna be worth it, but just you watch. I'm gonna be a walking paper cut by the time we find the cure for Colette's funky cold."

"That's what you get from taking my book while I was reading it." Raine retorted coldly, stalking after him and smacking him in the head with a book.

"Raine, that book was twice your size and glowing! I was doing you a favor!" The cherub casanova protested hotly. "It's not for kids or adults or... anyone... ever. It's a creepy book. A book of creeps!"

"Well, you are an authority on creeps, guess you'd know." Sheena quipped and punched him in the arm.

"Oy!"

"I wish Mithos hadn't rushed off like that, though. You think he's okay?" Genis asked worriedly when he joined the others with Presea and Regal. Zelos ran a hand through his scarlet tresses and shrugged.

"He probably just forgot some chores or something. He said he knows the way back, and if it'll get your underwear out of a twist, we can check on him later. Don't worry so much, Dude. He's got ten years on ya. He'll be fine." He cajoled merrily and flicked a spike of hair sprouting from Genis' head. Genis growled and batted his hand away, but nonetheless looked slightly more consoled than before.

"He seemed pretty eager to book it though. Wonder what he forgot." The acute assassin pondered against the wind.

"Maybe he remembered where you buried your chest. You think he's got a map?"

"Oh, cork it, at least we have something to go on, so let's get a move on to Meltokio and..." Instead of finishing her sentence, Sheena goggled off into the corner of the street that forked off to the laboratories and narrowed her eyes. "Hey, isn't that-"

"It is. No doubt about it." Zelos craned his neck across to get a better view and sniffed. "What's Blue boy doing here? I thought he left."

Sure enough, Yuan was standing off in the shadows near the fork, talking with someone who looked like a half elf wearing a library uniform. As soon as they seemed done talking, the librarian saluted him and went back to the library as if nothing had happened.

"Was he spying on us?" Sheena curled her fingers into a fist. "Why that low down, no good-"

"Oop, looks like he saw you see him." Zelos pointed at Yuan, who was staring directly at them. Half elf and half pints met each other's gaze for a brief happenstance, until Yuan turned on his heel and briskly strode down the street out of sight, his cerulean hair shining in the dull gray air.

"There goes blue." The second grade swordsman commentated loftily with a hearty air of 'eh'. "Good going, jugs."

"Don't call me 'jugs', you!"

"Yeah, that'd imply you had a chest. My mistake."

"Arggh, you stupid chosen!"

"Ow, not the face!"

"Hey... guys?" Genis looked from side to side and pulled at one of his silver locks. "Where'd Colette go?"

Both bickering brats eyeballed Genis and all sets of eyes ricocheted back to the street where Yuan departed, just in time to see a flip of blonde hair trail behind a corner and disappear.

---

"What did you buy when you were out?" Lloyd asked through a mouthful of cupcake, his legs swinging back and forth against the side of the bed. The pair of them had just recently returned after a detour for a cupcake and all in all, Lloyd was really pleased. Not just with having survived being tortured by the fashion inquisition, but even as a plus, he got Kratos to buy him a cupcake. With sprinkles.

'Now how many people can say that they manipulated a seraphim of Cruxis to get them a cupcake and live?' The short swordsman gloated as he popped the last bit of cupcake into his mouth. He hadn't really intentionally meant to procure a cupcake out of that little drama episode, but as far as he was concerned, this was the first in a long line of victories to make Kratos finally see the light and switch sides. That, and more cupcakes wouldn't be bad either.

"Books." Kratos answered distantly while inspecting the brown package on the table that apparently was much more compelling than actually looking at Lloyd when he talked. Lloyd sank his chin into the hand not covered with frosting and licked at his fingers.

"Why?"

"Before you departed your companion's company, I was accosted by your professor. Apparently she feels that going on a brief reprieve from her watchful eye will mean your studies will deteriorate."

"Like they could get any worse." Lloyd glared off at a space in the corner.

"Regardless, she is correct. You cannot stop learning just because you are without an overseer to lash you into the books." Kratos retrieved one of the books out from under the pile, flicked it open and set it down on the table again. "And that is why I will be taking over your schooling from here on out."

"... yeah, I remember the Professor saying something like that." Lloyd's shoulders drooped. He'd honestly hoped Kratos would have forgotten about that, but no luck. The man had a mind like a steel trap and there would be no weaseling out of it if he remembered too. To be honest, he still wasn't sure about this, Kratos being in charge of his overall schooling, but he had promised Colette he would spend time and listen to everything Kratos had to say, so... alright. He'd do it. He'd study. Even if it pained him greatly, he'd do it, for the sake of everyone else and the fate of the world. He was a man... er, boy of his word, after all. It wouldn't do to do anything less than what he promised. Heck, he might even learn something.

"Alright then. I'm game." Lloyd dusted off his hands of the last few crumbs of cupcake and angled himself so he could see what Kratos was doing. "Exactly what does the professor want me to learn? It's not about... rocks, is it? I don't like rocks much. Not the ones she does, anyway."

"That, she did not specify." The seraphim swordsman responded while he finished adjusting what looked like a tripod artist's easel. "Which is why I have decided to take your education in an entirely new direction. I believe you once said that you learned what you needed to, what you deemed to be practical to use in the real world, and did not want to waste your time on pointless facts and trivialities. Would I be correct in saying this?"

"Uh, yeah. I think so." Lloyd rubbed at his cheek vigorously so sugar crystals bounced off his face. "I mean, there isn't much point in learning something if I'm not gonna use it."

"Correct. A great many people spend years learning immeasurable details of countless subjects, but in the end of their study, none of what they have learned can be applied in real life. That is why I've decided to take a more practical approach." Kratos set a chalkboard on top of the three pronged easel and placed a box of chalk on the bar. "From here on out, you will learn practical lessons that you will be able to apply to your life."

"Seriously? No more pointless lectures?" Lloyd's eyes lit up in hope. This sounded too good to be true. Please, please let it be true. If he had to study, please let it be about something useful, not about stupid rocks.

"There will be lectures, but I assure you there will be a point." Kratos corrected him. "This will also be a hands on experience. I'd rather you learn by doing things firsthand than focusing on theories."

"Sounds fine to me." Lloyd lilted his head on an angle. "But I gotta know. If it's gonna be so hands on, what are the books for?"

"These are the text books."

"You want me to read all of these big books? Wouldn't that take forever?"

"Of course not." The seraphim swordmaster retorted as if he'd just suggested jumping off the castle roof. "That method of teaching has already proven to be a colossal waste of time. There is no point in me trying to force the knowledge into your head. These are solely for my use."

"Oh. Okay then. So what's the first one?" Lloyd inquired dully, his eyes already starting to glaze over. "'The History of Tethe'alla's mountains?' 'Different samples of geological rocks?' 'The structural breakdown of the Balacruf Mausoleum?'

"Proper Etiquette and Decorum for Nobility."

Lloyd eyed Kratos with nonsensical awe. 'Etteakit'? What was that supposed to be, some sort of new grammar law? Or was it one of those foods that Zelos and Regal liked to eat. He wasn't sure. It could be either.

"This will teach you how to act and behave." Kratos continued, despite the gaping fish act Lloyd portrayed with uncanny ability. "You have a good heart and your intentions are pure, but you are unpolished. This will make you more appealing."

Oh. Lloyd's eyebrows shot to the roof. This was about rules and manners and... ooh, boy, what did he get himself into?

"But... isn't this for stuffy rich people?" Lloyd queried tentatively like he was walking on spikes.

"No, this is for anyone who does not wish to come across as a complete troglodyte." The elder man countered crossly. "Proper manners show refined taste and breeding, and that will set you aside from others as a gentleman." Lloyd cringed in his head, but tried his best to keep it off his face. If his tone was anything to go by, Kratos seemed pretty adamant on this 'etteakit' thing, but Lloyd still wasn't convinced. There was probably a good reason for it and all, he got that, but the whole ordeal sounded a bit... foofy, for lack of a better phrase.

"Manners know no age, Lloyd." Kratos cast a sideways glance at Lloyd while he flicked the cover open and smoothed out the pages. "Grimacing will do you no good." Lloyd blushed. "You will learn proper diction, posture, manners and how to conduct yourself in a dignified fashion. Upon completing all these lessons, there will be an exam."

Lloyd blanched. An exam? He never did well on exams. It wasn't like he didn't study... okay, he probably didn't study as well as he should, but he did usually give it some effort. It was just when he got to the test, his mind would go blank and he'd choke.

"However, as I detest grading, it will be practical only." Kratos continued, not having noticed Lloyd's sudden oath of silence, or if he did, ignoring it. "You will demonstrate what you have learned and should you impress me, you will advance. There are no automatic advances with me either. You pass, or you fail. I do not allow those to advance who are not ready. If you are not ready, we will simply stay in the same subject until you are."

That got Lloyd's attention. He wouldn't automatically advance to something else just because of time? That was certainly different. When he'd been at school and hadn't gotten something, the whole class would just keep on going regardless. Occasionally he'd convinced Genis to tutor him, but that was it. If he didn't get it the first time, it was just hard cheese. The situation had gotten a bit better when the Professor took over from the old teacher, but he still struggled.

Lloyd figured it would've been selfish to ask for them to wait, but... this was different. This was gonna just be him. Him and Kratos. That's it. No one else. No one to rush him. He could learn at his own speed and not be pushed ahead when he wasn't ready. He wouldn't have to worry about taking up time. This was HIS time and he could take it all he wanted.

Maybe this whole etteakit thing wouldn't be too bad after all.

"And this is really gonna help me?" The thin boy inquired, leaning over the side of the bed with his palms hooked on the edge for balance.

"Yes. How you act and dress reflects upon not only yourself, but those around you as well." The seraphim swordmaster confirmed, setting down the book. "If you represent your companions, such as your half elf friends, in a respectful and regal manner, people will be more receptive to what you have to say and thus will be more easily swayed to your point of view of equality."

"Really?" Lloyd leaned out more, absolutely ensconced. "You mean if I learned all this stuff, they'd get treated better?"

"In a sense, yes, you could take it that way." Kratos acknowledged wisely, "Besides, how do you suppose Yggdrasill achieved what he did? It wasn't by means of a magic mirror. Most nobles achieve power and influence by their charismatic influence they hold over the hearts of the common folk. That fact alone proves while studying is important in order to keep a sharp mind, facts can only get you so far. One can have all the knowledge in the world and still be a complete flounder in social events. That's why nobles are in power and scientists are holed up in their laboratories."

"You mean like Genis trying to talk to Presea?" The smaller of the two started to put the pieces together. "He's really smart, but can't string two sentences together around her."

"Exactly."

Lloyd's face glowed with ebullience. These lessons would get more people to listen to him and, better yet, help half elves get more accepted? If that was true, he'd give a hundred and ten percent worth of effort and he didn't care if the professor said you couldn't go over a hundred. He'd find a way.

'Guess Colette was right.' The first grade swordsman enthused in his head. 'Kratos DOES know a whole lot of stuff that'll help.' Though, as he thought on, something he'd seen the last time he'd visited the capitol set a funny taste in his mouth, one that wouldn't go away.

"But.. if that's true, then why have I seen a bunch of rude upper class people?" He asked apprehensively. Lloyd knew this was just being semantic of him he supposed, but the nobles in Meltokio always seemed so snooty and rude. That didn't seem very polished at all. Of course, they could have just been that way to him, due to his 'rube-ishness', as Zelos put it, but even so. How polished could someone be if they weren't nice to everyone, not just to people who they thought were worth it?

However, instead of looking aggravated, Kratos folded his arms and gave Lloyd a look of... Lloyd practically swallowed his tongue.

It was a look of approval.

"A very good question, Lloyd." The seraphim responded sagely. "That is because while they are of a high station, they are crass, superficial and thus are not worthy of being called an aristocrat." Lloyd stared in astonishment. Zelos, and Regal to a lesser extent, had always talked of the aristocracy with such zeal that Lloyd figured they all had to have all walked on water and cried diamonds, but here was Kratos, calling them on what they really were, regardless of money or standing. Flicking the rogue strand of chestnut hair out of his face, Lloyd glanced down at his shirt sleeve and grinned.

And to think all this time he thought he'd been the crazy one to think they were all way too proud of themselves for doing all of nothing.

"Lloyd, you must remember that being born in a noble position does not make one a noble." Kratos' voice broke Lloyd out of his stupor and his head shot up at attention. "The actions and the words you employ are what divide the true gentlemen from the collective 'nouveau riche'."

Lloyd raised a eyebrow.

"What's 'nouveau riche' mean?"

"Those who have acquired immense wealth, yet have none of the grace or dignity of their position as they should. Those people flaunt their money and frivolously buy pointless material goods in order to boast."

"Oh. So you mean like that one noble who has that solid gold carriage?" The scrawny six year old hooked a thumb out the window just as the solid gold encrusted chariot that had previously been parked in the noble's quarters lumbered past. Kratos spared it a paltry glance, cringed and pinched the bridge of his nose. Lloyd tried not to laugh.

He failed.

"Yes. That is a prime example." The archaic angelic lord heaved a rankled sigh. "It is imperative you do not stray down such a road." Lloyd drew up his nose in disgust at the mere idea. Him, have something stuffy like that? Yeah right, and he was gonna wear lace underwear. No, that was never going to happen. That over decorated wagon was way too expensive for his pocket money and to be honest, it just wasn't his style. The people carrier was just too frilly and frankly, Lloyd hadn't believed it possible for a carriage to be frilly. However, that nightmare with wheels proved him wrong.

"Like I'd ever do that." He snarked into his palm. "They shouldn't be spending all that money on stupid stuff when there are people who need help in the slums. They should be donating it."

He must've said something good, because Kratos looked at him with that same approving look as before and patted his shoulder before adjourning back to the table and plucking a book from underneath the wrappings.

"Very good." The elder swordsman commented, flipped open the book and indicated for Lloyd to stand. "Let's begin with the first lesson. Posture."

"Posture." Lloyd repeated, sliding off the edge of the bed while eyeing Kratos with a great deal of suspicion. "What's wrong with my posture?"

"It's askew." Kratos replied with half lidded eyes. "You need to stand with dignity and grace. And to be honest, from this angle you appear to be lilting." Lloyd felt his cheeks burn, but tried to keep his attitude and mouth from getting him dish duty again.

"Okay, fine." He admitted after biting down on his first smart remark. "But just how are you going to fix my posture?" Kratos turned back to the table, picked up something long and wooden and held it out for Lloyd to see.

"A ruler? How's that gonna help?" Lloyd asked, confused at what a ruler had to do with etteakit or whatever the heck it was.

"Like this." Ruler in hand, the seraphim swiftly crossed the room and poked Lloyd in the back with it.

"Ow!" Lloyd squawked and glared over his shoulder at the offender with the ruler. "That hurt!"

"The ruler will not move." Kratos explained calmly, despite being seethed at by a first grade version of Lloyd. "If you do not wish to be poked with ruler, stand up straight."

Lloyd wasn't at all happy with this lesson, in fact he was downright agitated, but to be fair, Kratos' method did work. Five minutes later, he was standing much straighter, straighter than he ever remembered himself doing even when he was his normal size.

Maybe there was method to his madness after all. Maybe Lloyd would someday figure it out. That was, if he could figure it out without getting a ruler impaled through his spine.

---

"Wait!" Colette shrieked as loudly as she could after Yuan, though she wasn't sure he could hear her. With the wind billowing through her ears, her shoes clattering on the cobblestones and the constant chatter of the crowds around, her pleas could easily be drowned out if she let up for even an instant. However, the wishes of the mind and the capabilities of the body divided themselves drastically, so before she knew what had happened, Colette clung to a street lamp pole, gasping for breath like a shore bound fish, her sides splitting in furious retribution. As she clamored to the pole, the bantam blonde watched in agonized distress as Yuan's blue hair drifted farther and farther away from her, smocked in a sea of scientists and students.

"He... he can't leave." She breathed through her nose, her back and shoulders wracked with stress. "Not... yet." Despite her lungs burning with air and her legs feeling like lead, Colette couldn't give up her pursuit. The little ring in her pocket was counting on her.

'He's left it before because he got too distracted.' Colette chanted in her head between throbs in her temples. 'I can't let him leave again!' Regardless of what she felt like she wanted to do, the tiny angel yanked her head upward again and scanned around to see exactly where Yuan had left and if she still had a chance. With her eyes hazed and glazed with fatigue, she could barely spot Yuan's aqua ponytail, the man to whom it belonged having stopped to talk with another scientist at the end of the street where the lamps met the sewer manhole. Colette grinned, even though her facial muscles screamed with aches. This was her chance. Summoning what energy she had left, the cherubim chosen forced herself to release her grip from the lamppost, dashed down the stone walk and bounded into the street towards the seraphim commander.

"Yuan, stop!" The tiny cherub bellowed, leapt into the air and clutched onto his cape with a grip that would have choked a stump. Unfortunately, her aim was off and she only managed to grapple onto the end of his cape, which then let her land gracelessly in a mud puddle with an almighty 'sploosh'.

"Yuan, don't move!" Colette gasped between her hard breathing, her hand already shoved into the oversized pocket of Lloyd's spare shirt. "I have something... that... that you left."

"Who the hell are you?"

"Huh?" Colette stopped rummaging. That didn't sound like Yuan. Yuan's voice was much deeper and not so... crackly.

Horrified at what she might see, the tiny kindergardener peeked up from her pocket to see a pockmarked faced teenager with a blue ponytail and a soggy cloak staring back at her, looking none too happy.

"And... uh... why'd you attack my school clothes?" The kid gestured to the cape she was still sitting on and yanked it out from underneath her.

"You mean... you're not..." Colette covered her mouth and squeaked. What had she done? "Oh, I'm so sorry! I thought you were someone else."

"You're sorry? I'm the sorry one." The student yanked the cape up out of the puddle, sniffed at it and moaned. "So much for my new laundry."

"I'm really, really sorry!"

"Aw, leave her alone, Billy. She probably just thought you were her Daddy or somethin'" Another student with a hooked nose prodded the impostor's shoulder. "Besides, you call that clean? I've seen pigs in a stye clean it better."

"Hey, I spent a whole can of freshener on this!" Billy protested.

"Yeah, and it shows along with reeks. Come on, you. I'll even go with you this time to make sure you don't get mauled by any more kindergardeners." The second student, who Colette figured was probably Billy's girlfriend, pointed back at the laundromat across the street.

"Yeah, yeah." Billy nodded and trudged off with his girlfriend back across the street, leaving Colette alone to sit in the mud puddle.

Colette sniffed, a drop of water hanging off the wink of her nose. After all that effort, there she sat, soaked to the bone, too exhausted to think straight and absolutely miserable. She'd tried so hard to get Yuan his ring back to him and in all that confusion 'cause of the crowd, she'd ended up following someone else who wasn't even close. And, to make matters even worse, Yuan was no where to be seen. She'd completely lost him. Now how was she gonna give him his ring back?

'I'm so stupid, how could I have lost him?' Colette admonished herself as she pitifully gandered down her reflection in the puddle, the frigid air of Sybak biting at her face and arms. 'I was so close and now he's gone. Now how am I gonna find him?' Glaring at herself, Colette struck the puddle in disgruntlement and wiped some water droplets off her face with her sleeve. Were they tears? Maybe, they could have been. She couldn't really feel her numb face enough to tell whether or not it was burning with distress, nor did she care. She was far too angry and disappointed with her sub par tracking skills.

As the ripples in the puddle dissipated, the petite angel saw herself come back into view in the stagnant water, but this time something was off about the puddle. Instead of one face peering back at her, now she counted two reflections in the dank muddy water.

One of the reflections was hers and the other had a distinctly bright blue ponytail.

"Colette, why are you sitting in a puddle?" The reflection inquired, though judging from the expression, it didn't really want to know. Gasping, the chosen cherub's head sprung upwards and she beamed.

"Yuan!" Colette crowed, happier than she'd been all day. " I'm so happy I found you!" Yuan wasn't deterred.

"You. Puddle. Why." He repeated. Colette giggled uncomfortably and ruffled her soaked hair.

I was... uh... thinking."

The half elf commander raised one very Kratos-esque eyebrow.

"In a puddle."

"Er... well, I was tired from sprinting and I kinda landed in it... but that's not important. I have something for you." Colette vaulted out of the puddle, re-fished her hand into her pocket and enclosed it around his ring in a tight fist on the off chance she dropped it and had to chase it down a storm drain.

However, Yuan's reaction wasn't what she'd been expecting. He didn't seem interested in what she had for him. Instead he was inspecting her forehead like she'd just whacked it on the corner of a coffee table.

"You sprinted in your condition?" The renegade seraphim drilled incredulously, his palm flat against her forehead. "What on earth possessed you to do that? Do you know how sick you could have gotten?" Sighing in the same vein Raine applied when lecturing a daydreaming Lloyd, Colette peeled Yuan's hand off her water sodden fringe and held it out palms up.

"You forgot your ring." Colette explained, and opened her tight fist so the shiny silver creation could glimmer a hello to its true owner. She then grinned, dropped the ring into the center of his palm and poked him for good measure.

"You shouldn't run off like that. I had it to give for you for days now, but you just ran off without so much as a goodbye." The petite angel chastised, poking his palm again. "The professor's always griping at Lloyd to be more patient, but maybe you ought to listen to her too. A little patience goes a long way to getting your stuff back, y'know." Yuan didn't reply. He was too occupied with staring at the ring, emerald eyes riddled with perplexity.

"... my ring?" The seraphim turncoat finally asked when he managed to locate where he'd hidden his voice. "You had my ring?"

"I didn't have it, Lloyd did." Colette corrected and poked him in the center of his palm a third time. "I asked him for it when we were at his house and he handed it over 'cause it was in his pocket. So, I've been trying to give it back to you ever since, which was about two days ago, and when I saw you here, I couldn't let my chance slide by. Unfortunately, I ended up following somebody else and... kinda ruined his laundry. I still feel bad about that. Why are you here anyway?" Despite her saying all of that incredibly fast, Yuan just nodded periodically between sentences, though never taking his eyes off the ring.

"You were trying to return it?" He murmured, turning over the ring in his palm with a gentle tilt of his wrist.

"Of course I was trying to return it." Colette told him fervently, a little upset he might've thought she'd do anything less. "I remembered the look on your face when I told you about the ring Lloyd found, so it must be really important to you. I bet you missed it a whole lot."

"It is... and I did."

"So, if it's that important to you, I just had to get it back to you. It's the right thing to do. You just kinda forgot about it when the world tried getting eaten, though I don't blame you. It was a really busy day. So, I remembered for you."

Nodding once more in agreement, Yuan slipped the ring onto his left ring finger and inspected it.

"Colette, thank you."

"You're... you're welcome." Colette tried to say, but a barbarous yawn cut her off midway. "I'm happy... I co.. could help." She yawned again into her palm, and suddenly her eyelids felt like lead curtains that threatened to crash down without a moment's notice. Frowning, Yuan gently cupped Colette's chin in his hand and brought it up at an angle so their eyes met.

"Colette, are you alright?" The renegade seraphim inquired, his attention riveted on her irises. Blinking to keep him in focus, Colette tried to nod, but found it particular difficult since he was holding up her chin.

"... I'm tired." She yawned again, eyes barely open. "Sprinting... is hard." Without a warning, Colette's eyes lost focus, her body went limp and she crashed into Yuan's shoulder, soaked to the bone, but out for the count.

---

"Oh, what's taking her so long?" Sheena flustered as she marched back and forth outside the steps of the library. The instant she'd realized Colette had gone after Yuan, the puny ninja had been all for chasing her down, but Raine had stopped her for some reason she couldn't understand. If she'd run out into the bustle of traffic, chances were pretty good someone would've dragged her back by now.

"Why can't we get a move on and go find Colette?" She demanded to Zelos, who lounged about the steps.

"Hell if I know." He responded lazily, his hair draped across the steps like a scarlet octopus. "The professor seems to think she should have a chance to go find the angel fruit cake, though I couldn't tell you what for."

"Yeah, Raine, why are we waiting?" Genis perked from his perch. "If we'd gone after him like that, you woulda had a cow." From where she sat on the stone stairs, Raine peeked up from her book and sent them all a glare that successfully quelled their rebellion on pain of bifurcation.

"There's a perfectly good reason why I do not wish to pursue Colette." The pocket sized professor responded icily. "If you remember Sheena, Colette was very interested in locating Yuan when we were still at Lloyd's house, correct?"

"... yeah, I think I remember something like that." Sheena inclined, scratching at her puff. "But what's that got to do with anything?"

"Obviously Colette has something which she needs to discuss with him. In Private." Raine emphasized as she closed her book and stretched. "And having us listening in at a close proximity might hinder his chattiness. He's already proven to know more than he's telling. He already knew what illness Colette suffered from before Altessa's diagnosis and he even gave me that book with the unicorn cure instructions. If this conversation yields any more pressing information, we'd best not interfere. I'm not risking anything just because no one has any patience, not when Colette's life is at risk."

"And so we just let her meander in and out of the streets by herself in the hopes of catching him, regardless of what may lurk in the shadows." Zelos twiddled his fingers through his hair and snorted. "Do you even listen to yourself?" Raine's nostrils flared.

"... two more minutes and then we'll look." She acquiesced truculently and quickly resumed her place in her tome. In front of the gigantic library lion, Regal stood like a statue, skimming over the crowds of heads for any sign of their wayward friend. Upon letting his eyes pass over a space in the far side of the square, he jumped down with a flump next to Raine and pointed off towards the corner.

"I don't think you'll have to worry about looking for her." The preteen reported. Sheena rubbernecked her eyes at Regal.

"What do you mean?" She pressed.

"He means to say Colette is in the nearby vicinity." Presea elaborated, still perched upon the head of the lion while clutching the white beret that threatened to blow about in the wind. "And Yuan is accompanying her. They will arrive shortly."

"He is?" The slight summoner gaped and quickly swiveled herself in the same direction that Regal pointed. Sure enough, from amidst the waning crowds, she could just barely catch a glimpse of Yuan, who strode towards them with one very limp, very unconscious and very wet Chosen held in one arm.

"'Accompanying'?" Zelos recoiled in disgust as he reached Sheena's side. "More like 'The Half Elf Express, blue line'. I suppose if you're gonna go somewhere, that's the way to go about doing it. Have someone else carry you. That's why I think all those toddlers in strollers have it way too good. Why doesn't anyone carry me?"

"Because your head's too swollen for anyone to lift." Sheena chafed brusquely. "Now shut it." Zelos sent her a none too endearing glare, but for once buttoned it. Sheena tried not to gawk. Zelos actually was paying attention to what was going on without much griping. Still, while Yuan'd helped them just days before, that was then and this was now. They had to live in the moment. When it came to treaties with Yuan and the renegades, they could last for a few weeks or a few hours, depending on his mood. Apparently the dumb Chosen had sensed the situation for what it was as well, a potentially dangerous one, and decided to keep his opinions and comments to himself. A true sign the apocalypse was drawing closer. Or... maybe Zelos was actually maturing. Maybe he was finally acting like an adult.

"Hey, Rhapsody in Blue. Saw you spying on us over there." Zelos greeted wryly with a capricious grin plastered to his boyish face. "So nice of you to grace us with an encore appearance. What happened, you drop your hairspray?"

And maybe she'd put something nasty in Zelos' food the next time she cooked.

"Why are you all still in Tethe'alla?" Yuan snapped at all of them, completely forsaking the insult issued by the philanderous Chosen to be.

"And a hello to you too." Genis grunted, disgusted at the elder man's lack of pleasantries. Yuan showered him with an impetuous black look, but didn't respond. Sheena took in a deep breath and tried not to swallow her tongue. Normally Lloyd would be the one to talk smack with someone like Yuan, but since he wasn't there and frankly, no one else was volunteering besides Zelos who was probably going to get them all killed at the rate he was going, it looked like she was going to be the one to take up the task of filling more than just his spare shirt.

"Alright, I get you're pressed for time, so I'll make this brief." She began while taking a ginger step forward and thrusting one accusing finger at Colette's dozing body. "I want to know what you did to Colette. She was just fine a minute ago."

"She tired herself out trying to chase me down. I did nothing, but slow down." The seraphim renegade commander elaborated stiffly. "You shouldn't have left her to wander about on her own. Anyone in her condition should be under constant surveillance."

"Told you, Raine." Zelos cast a sideways smug grin at the professor, but quickly wiped it from his face when she held up her book and aimed for his head.

"Regardless, you didn't answer my question." Yuan fixed his attention on the puff of the temporary spokesperson. "What are you all still doing here? I thought I told you to follow that book and take care of the illness. Why haven't you gone to see the unicorn? She's still very ill."

"We can't see the unicorn." Sheena replied.

"Of course not, you're in Tethe'alla. Unicorns are only found in Sylvarant." He retorted fractiously.

"There's more to it than that. Even if we were in Sylvarant, there's not a chance we could see the unicorn."

"And just why is that?" Yuan pressed, his tone and cape rankled.

"The unicorn's dead. It died when we were traveling to the Tower of Salvation." Genis spoke up suddenly as he took a step forwards to meet Sheena's front line. "We don't know how much time we have left to go looking for a recipe for a cure, let alone go running around Sylvarant looking for a unicorn that may or may not be alive or old enough to do anything. You see the problem?"

Yuan's eyes widened, his breath hitched and he ran a hand over his face, which teemed with splenetic tension.

"Dammit, now what?" He muttered to himself more than anyone else. "Without that unicorn's horn, it'll be all for-"

"Wait, we have the horn!" Sheena interjected and held out her hand to the paltry professor. "Raine quick, throw me the horn!" In the span of two seconds, Raine dove into her pack, retrieved the horn and pitched it at the slight summoner, who caught it like a fastball and held it aloft for Yuan to inspect.

"See? What do you think?" She pried hopefully, dropping it onto his hand. "You think it's enough?" The cerulean haired seraph eyed the horn for what seemed like eternity, until he eventually affirmed and handed the horn back.

"It should be enough for what you require." He evaluated while still watching the horn in her grasp. "Go to the king's archival study in the Tethe'allan castle. Check in the ancient war section. You should find a book there that will tell you how to supplement the horn with a keycrest." Yuan then made to leave, but a barrier of four other children blocked his way and kept him from departing, especially the one with the beret and the very sharp looking axe.

"Hold on, we're not done with you yet." Sheena tugged on his cape. "And just where do you think you're going with Colette?" Glowering, Yuan carefully yanked his cloak out of her grip and smoothed it out with his free hand.

"If you keep dragging her all around both worlds on a wild protozoan chase, all you will do is aggravate her condition." Yuan divulged, his whole countenance breviloquent and churlish. "What the Chosen requires is rest and she won't be able to get that by galavanting to Niflheim and back with the likes of you."

"Wild... what chase?"

"... It doesn't matter. Just get done what you must and contact me when you have the ingredients. I will make sure she is there for her appointment." He made to leave again, and most of the barrier skirted aside to let him pass. All, except the professor.

"Before you go, I wanna know something." The peremptory professor scowled shrewdly at the angelic anarchist. "The unicorn said that it was alive to heal Martel's sickness. What did it mean? I know you know, Yuan. You knew what Colette's sickness was before we even got her diagnosed. You know more than you're saying."

Yuan's face drained from choleric disdain to nothing more than a stone efface with a breathing body attached.

"... that's ancient history. Just focus on the now." He growled, obviously trying to hold onto any self control he possessed. Sheena took a step back. Yuan was getting angry and she remembered him mildly annoyed when they had broken into his base for the rheairds. It was a little hard to forget. If it hadn't been for Lloyd coming in at the last instant and kicking the wind right out of him with a blow from behind, they probably wouldn't even have been in Sybak or anywhere for that matter. And, to be honest, she really didn't want to see him angry or provoked.

"Now guys, maybe we shouldn't-

"But Martel was sick, right?" Genis refuted, taking a step in place with his sister and scratching at his back at the same time. "How can a goddess get sick? And I remember the unicorn thought Colette was Martel. Did Martel have the same sickness?"

"... Go do what you must. Contact me when you've completed your task. Until then, I have nothing more to say to you." Yuan said through clenched teeth and succinctly strode past Raine, down the road and out past the front gates of Sybak. In his wake, Raine looked disgusted, as did Genis, Regal looked as impassive as Presea, Zelos looked bored, and Sheena let out a breath she hadn't known she was holding onto in the first place.

"Well, he's gone. Again." Thoroughly grateful her impromptu interrogation didn't end with Yuan decapitating anyone for stress relief, the acute assassin sat down on the front step of the library and flopped her chin into her hand. "And now so's Colette."

"Despite my grievances against him, I can't deny he may have a point." Raine cogitated aloud as she joined Sheena on the steps. "Colette shouldn't be traveling around if she's so ill she garnered his, albeit inept and poorly expressed, concerns."

"He did seem rather concerned about her indeed." Regal added as an afterthought. "I may be looking into this a bit much, but if he knew someone who suffered the same sort of illness, old feelings could regenerate themselves in a new incarnation very easily."

"Like Alicia and myself." Presea concluded.

"... very much like that, I'm afraid. You mentioned that the unicorn said its purpose was to cure Martel's illness. Perhaps he knew someone named Martel who suffered from a condition much like Colette's."

"Well, he is technically in Cruxis, so wouldn't that person named Martel be... y'know, THE Martel? The goddess? Her holiness herself?" Zelos pointed out curiously. "Just like the kid said before, how the hell does a goddess get sick?"

"I don't know." The professor sighed. "Still, it's highly possible that a mortal named Martel suffered such an illness. Martel is a popular woman's name."

"So if we go with your theory, Martel was a real woman and not a construct of Cruxis?" Regal pressed.

"It's possible that could be true. Most legends are based in truth, after all. Perhaps Martel is just a symbol used to control the populace, but there is a complete possibility that someone named Martel did live at some point and could have had the same sickness. It's rare, but not unheard of."

"But... the church of Martel has been around for centuries, hasn't it?" Genis asked.

"Way more than centuries, shorty." Zelos circled his finger around in the air. "Try millennia. At least four, from what I remember from those stories the clergy forced down my throat."

"So wouldn't that make Yuan really old? I mean, seriously ancient?" The precocious preschooler gaped. "If he was around to know someone like Martel, he'd have to be older than... well, everything. And I've never heard of an elf that could live that long. He's only a half elf, remember? How'd he pull that off?"

"That I don't know either." Raine pinched the bridge of her nose. "But something tells me we won't get any answers dwelling on it here. Yuan said there was a section on the Ancient war in the library in Castle Tethe'alla. While we look for a cure, let's see what we can dig up when we get there."

"You mean, IF we get there." Zelos corrected. "Remember all the security and crap we've gotta get past. This is gonna take some guts, that's for sure. But, we don't have any better ideas, so take it like you've got it."

"So, we're gonna do what we were doing anyway?"

"Yes, but now we have more than just a theory to go on."

"Okay, I guess. But what if he hands Colette over to Cruxis?" Genis rubbed his back against the side of the stairwell wall. "He could just fork her over to Yggdrasill and then what'd we do?"

"I wouldn't worry about that." Zelos shook his head. "He wouldn't dare try it. He's got too much at stake and can't afford to make any other enemies."

"Then why'd he ambush us back in that forest when we first shrank?"

"I dunno, but whatever it was, it didn't feel like he wanted to ambush us again this time. I think running into him here was more like a coincidence than anything else."

"I can't believe I'm saying this, but I agree with Zelos. He didn't look like he'd been looking for us. Now that I think about it, I think he tried ducking us because he didn't want us to think he was spying. Great how that worked out." Sheena laughed bitterly, but stopped when a thought crossed her mind, a niggling little note that refused to budge. "Though now that I think about it, this is the most interest he's taken in us ever since Lloyd left with Kratos. Didn't he say the first time we actually talked to him that he had use for Lloyd? What if that's why he ambushed us, to get to Lloyd when he was smaller and easier for the picking? If that was it, he wouldn't have any reason for catching us off guard now. Lloyd's not here."

"That's not half a bad idea. But, for what purposes does he wish to acquire Lloyd?" The tiny teacher pondered with her chin perched in the crux of her thumb and forefinger. "His angelic abilities, perhaps?"

"I don't think so. He was after Lloyd long before all that angelly stuff popped up. There's got to be another reason."

"It's not gonna be a nice reason either. I think we can all agree on that one." The casanova to be shuddered. "We should see what we can dig up on that blue bandit when we go to the castle. Maybe there's something there that'll give us a clue. I may not agree with everything, but it's really clear he knows way more than he's saying. I say we do what the professor said, give it the whole college pry and see what we can dig up on him."

"Sounds good." Sheena nodded and held up her hand in the air. "All those in favor?"

"Aye." Everyone chorused, hands raised equally as high.

"Good, then let's get a move on." She instructed and marched out of the town, the others hot on her heels.

Well, almost all the others.

"Genis, are you alright?" Presea glanced over her shoulder at Genis, who still was itching at his back like he had fleas.

"Huh? Oh, yeah I'm fine." He grinned in an effort to reassure her, though it ended up looking like he had a severe case of gas. "My shoulder blade's just itchy."

"I see." She replied after appraising him and patted his shoulder. "You must have dry skin. You should moisturize."

"Hey... you think this is okay, letting him just skirt off Colette like that?" Zelos whispered, tilting his head over over Sheena's clavicle. "She is kinda... important and we can't cure her if she's not here. The whole thing sets my teeth on edge."

"I don't like it either, but if my instincts are anything to go by," The petite puffball returned in a hushed hiss, "I think you should be more worried about him than her."

---

"How long do I have to keep balancing all these books on my head?" Lloyd whimpered as he swayed back and forth in a desperate effort to keep 'Manners in the Summer' from falling on his face. From over in his chair, Kratos glanced up from what he was reading, eyed the flailing boy and returned his gaze to his novel.

"As long as it takes to rectify your posture." He replied, lackadaisically flipping a page. "You have a sloped back when you walk and it takes away from your appearance. You might have mastered standing straight yesterday, but standing and walking are two different endeavors entirely." Overtop his book and the rim of his reading glasses, Kratos could just spot Lloyd giving him a dirty look, yet resumed his careful marching with nary another word. The age old angel smirked to himself while he once again immersed himself in his book. It was certainly a nice change to see Lloyd making progress in controlling that hot temper and tongue of his. Kratos understood all too well what an unbridled temper could do under fire and if Lloyd was to master diplomacy, he'd do well to keep it under lock and key, lest he cause an inferno.

"I remember the professor teaching us that spines are naturally curved in order to help people walk upright." The paltry boy's voice piped across the room "Are you sure I'm not gonna end up breaking something by doing this?" Letting out what seemed to be the eighteenth groan of strained patience, Kratos removed his glasses and ran a hand over his face. For someone as reckless and appentent as Lloyd, when he wanted to be, he could be so paranoid.

"For the fourth time, no, Lloyd. You will not break anything." The seraphim responded, completely exacerbated. "You will be perfectly fine not looking like your spine is a loose spring attached to legs. Keep walking." Probably feeling snubbed, Lloyd mock saluted and resumed walking.

"Yes, your majesty." He retorted, tilting his head back to keep the books steady. "Anything else?" Kratos looked up from his book again and shot Lloyd a gaze that would have curled Yuan's hair.

"Yes. Watch your tone. Snippiness gets you nowhere in life."

"... sorry." Lloyd murmured, though his tone suggested he was anything but. "How am I doing?" Setting down his book on the side table, Kratos briefly appraised Lloyd's posture and nodded once.

"Fair so far. Better than before, anyway." He assessed. "You've yet to land on your face." Lloyd looked less than amused.

"Y'know, if you hadn't left my swords out, I wouldn't have tripped on them."

"And since when are your swords my responsibility? That should be enough for now. You may rest briefly and then we will adjourn to your next lesson."

Letting out a crow of happiness, Lloyd immediately lifted the books off his head and dumped them in a pile. Kratos frowned in disapproval at Lloyd's unconstrained methods of removing balancing materials, but tried not to let it show. If he said anything else, he would just see unnecessarily captious and that was not the point of these lessons. He was going to better Lloyd, not turn him into a paranoid ridden basket case.

"Not that I'm complaining or anything, but why're we stopping this one?" Lloyd asked, massaging his neck and shoulders for all he was capable. Kratos sent a sideways glance at him and smirked.

"Too much more and you may end up with a spine like an accordion." He replied coolly and indicated for Lloyd to sit at the table where a piece of chalk and a miniature blackboard were waiting for him.

The six year old swordsman wrinkled his nose.

"Woo, that'd be just fun as hell." He retorted, his pride chafed, but he did as Kratos instructed and plopped down in the chair facing the larger chalkboard on the wall Kratos had installed.

"Watch your language." The seraph chastised sharply, sending a stern stare directly at the younger boy. Lloyd jolted at the sudden rebuke, but nonetheless capitulated and looked at his lap, thoroughly castigated.

"Sorry."

"Don't be sorry. Just don't do it." Kratos responded calmly while he picked up a piece of chalk and turned to face Lloyd full on. "Now then, it's time you learn the fundamentals of life."

"You mean like the birds and the bees talk?" Lloyd asked.

"Not that, Lloyd." Kratos sighed tiredly, already starting the headache kick in. "Hopefully you've already had that discussion." The seraph paused a moment, lost in thought, and glanced at Lloyd.

"You have... had that talk... haven't you?"

"Yeah, when I was like twelve." Lloyd shrugged. "Of course, they used frogs in a fish bowl as the model in class, so-"

"I don't need to know the rest, thank you." Kratos interrupted, silently grateful THAT subject he wouldn't have to explain. "Anyway, today you will be learning the fundamentals in which to base your life. I'm referring to the Code of Chivalry."

"Oh, you mean that thing you were talking about when I asked you all those questions?"

"Yes, and it's much more than a 'thing', Lloyd." the seraph quickly jotted down 'Chivalry' across the board and underlined it twice for emphasis. "The Code of Chivalry is the list of ethics and values a person should live and die by. With that code comes a promise to uphold those values in the face of life's many trials and even in death." Noting the quiet air, Kratos shifted his eyes from the chalkboard to Lloyd, who waited patiently with his hand stretched up into the air. Heh, so the boy was getting into the swing of things after all. This boded quite well.

"Yes, Lloyd?"

"That sounds great and all, but how the heck is someone supposed to uphold the Code of Chivalry if they're dead?" Lloyd queried. "Why can't they live?" Kratos cast his gaze to the side in thought. Leave it to Lloyd to ask a difficult question three minutes into the lesson. Well, to quote Anna, if he was old enough to ask, he was old enough to know. Just how would he go about answering...

"People fight and die for what they believe in, or for a cause they deem to be important." The archaic angel carefully articulated. "That may include chivalry as well, if they believe in it to a very strong degree."

"But why do they have to die? Is that required?"

"No, it's not required, but I'd be lying to you if I told you it never occurred. Or are you saying some things aren't worth fighting for?"

"Fighting maybe, but dying no." Lloyd rebuffed. "There's no point in dying. If you die, how would you be a good example to others? You can't very well do anything if you're not alive." Kratos went to answer, but stopped himself before he spoke. This topic... hit a little too close to home for comfort. While he knew Lloyd meant nothing by it, the boy had no idea of what awaited in the nearby future, what he would do, what he must do.

The origin seal. What would Lloyd think when he found out about it or rather, what had to be done if the worlds were to be saved. Kratos snorted. Probably not much. In fact, he wouldn't be shocked if there was a hissy fit involved. While he didn't necessarily wish to die, at this point, Kratos hadn't earned any sort of reprieve and it would be insanely selfish to ask for a pardon now. Not after all he'd done in his life. No, he had to go through with it, and there was no backing out. He was the seal and the seal had to be broken. Unfortunately, that meant him too.

Still, while he didn't like talking about things of this nature, perhaps it would be best to begin immersing Lloyd with the topic so it wouldn't be such a jolt to his systems when the time came. If anything, he would make sure he left Lloyd with the preparations and materials necessary to fulfill the task, not just leave him to cope with nothing. He wouldn't dare be that careless. He'd make sure Lloyd was ready, that much he could do for his only son.

"Maybe so, but the legacy they would leave would perhaps make a sizable mark." Kratos suggested, "If someone taught or affected another in a positive light, when that person came to terms and finally... passed on, their student or friend or... family would remember them and carry out their wishes in their memory, should there be any specific wishes they requested. So, in a way, as long as the memory of you lives, you never really die. Not really."

Lloyd wasn't convinced. In fact, he was so not convinced, he looked like his birthday had been cancelled.

"...but... that's not fair at all." The downtrodden six year old shoulders sagged into his chest. "They should live, not die. If it were me, I'd rather be around to see my hard work pay off, not just have someone remember me as an afterthought." Kratos bit back a bitter laugh. No, no it wasn't fair. But, then again, when was his life ever anywhere close to being fair? It would be nice to see hard work pay off in the end, but Kratos had learned a hard lesson millennia ago that idealism was great until the bill came. And there was always a price. He had to be realistic.

"I don't know how many times I've said this, but I'll say it again. Life's not fair." The seraphim swordmaster tapped his piece of chalk onto the rim of the chalkboard. "Sometimes bad things happen to good people and there's nothing to be done, even when you try. Sometimes, especially when you try. Some things you just can't fix."

"I can't accept that." Lloyd rebuked, his childish features wracked with ardent tenacity. "It's not right to expect anyone to die for anything, I don't care what the circumstances are."

Kratos raised an eyebrow.

"Are your referring to the Chosen again?"

"Not just Colette, I mean anyone. Seriously, if I got put in a situation that to win meant I had to make someone give up their life, I'd rather lose."

"... in time, you may feel otherwise. Life isn't always that simple, Lloyd."

"Maybe it isn't, but I don't think you should give up just because things look bleak." Lloyd folded his arms against his chest. "There's always a way. You just need to look outside the box."

While he was rather exacerbated at Lloyd's blatant refusal of the truth as it stood, Kratos had to admire his son's profound idealism when it came to the lives of others. That trait his son carried had to be one of the most aggravating, yet endearing qualities he had. The value of life so deeply ingrained in his head he'd do anything to keep others from sacrificing themselves. No needless deaths. No deaths at all if he could help it. The ancient seraphim half smiled. Had it still been the days when he was young, the boy would have made a fine knight.

"Heh... you're rather wise for one so young, if a bit wet behind the ears." Kratos approbated modestly. Lloyd's ears turned red at the praise, yet he sent the elder man a half baked scowl.

"I'm not that young. I'm almost an adult. And my ears are perfectly dry." He griped, but broke into a sheepish grin halfway through.

"In case you haven't noticed, you're a little far from your original mark. Go through puberty again and perhaps you will have some ground from which to speak about adulthood. Now then, let's get back on track." Kratos admonished equally as half hearted and turned his attention back to the chalkboard. "First and foremost, are the principles of Chivalry, the most basic yet essential blocks of the code."

"'Principals'? But I thought I was gonna have you teach me by yourself." Lloyd interrupted.

"Principles, not 'principals'. Now be quiet and pay attention."

"And where'd you get that chalkboard?"

"I had to do something while you were sparring with the clothing clerks, didn't I?" Kratos retorted impetuously. "Now, chivalry has a long history and tradition within the cultures of Sylvarant and Tethe'alla dating back to the days of the hero Mithos-"

"Whoa, it's THAT old?" Lloyd gawked.

"... yes."

"Yeesh, that's really old, like super old! Older than Colette's grandma old."

Kratos' eye twitched. Again with the old comments?

"She's not that old, Lloyd."

"She is so. I like Phaidra, but you gotta admit she looks like a prune left out in the sun."

"... That's essentially what a prune is, but I digress. For the second time, let's get back on track." Kratos tapped the chalkboard to draw Lloyd's fickle attention span back to the topic at hand. "Now while there are many different aspects of Chivalry, for the sake of time, I shall summarize the main tenants into pieces you can understand without going into a lengthy explanation. Your books may say otherwise, but I am merely paraphrasing and I can safely say my knowledge trumps that of the books' authors."

"So, you really know a whole lot about this kinda stuff, huh?" Lloyd asked, propping the side of his head up with his hand.

"That's one way to put it." The seraphim acknowledged. "Let's just say I've been around long enough to know more about this sort of thing than the authors."

"So a bunch of college students wrote these books?" The younger of the two asked.

"Make that historian professors."

"... you don't look too happy when you say that." Lloyd observed Kratos and cringed slightly at the seraph's suddenly sour... er demeanor.

"Lloyd, I know for a fact that most of their knowledge is hearsay. It's a little demeaning to know that my area of expertise has been rendered into a footnote that isn't even wholely accurate."

"Oh... is that why you never liked it when the Professor went off on one of her rants?"

"That was one reason, yes. Now, focus. The first virtue of chivalry that you need to know is valour. " Kratos quickly wrote down the word and underlined it so to further accentuate the first rule.

"Valour?" Lloyd blinked confusedly. "Isn't that the stuff they make lounge suits out of? Zelos was showing off a few pairs he had."

"No, that's velour, not valour. Valour is in essence courage or bravery, particularly when called to duty or to a task at hand."

"So not being scared of anything?"

"No, not at all." Kratos gestured to 'Valour' on the board. "Though some easily misconstrue its meaning, courage is not fearlessness. Fearlessness leads to recklessness, which then leads to an early grave."

"Oh." Lloyd rubbed the back of his neck. "Then what does it mean?"

"It can mean a variety of things." The seraphim leaned against the chalkboard, eyes locked with his pupil's. "However, to me, having courage is being afraid, yet doing what you have to do anyway in spite of it. Not letting your fear take control and lead you away from what must be done is the true meaning of courage. And, in doing so, valour is upheld."

"Okay, hang on a minute." Lloyd quickly scribbled down on his own chalkboard, dust flying everywhere. "Okay, valour, I've got it."

"Good. Next is justice,and yes I know you hate that word because people use it in inappropriate settings just to further their own agendas. However, that was not for what the word was originally intended, so perhaps you ought to pay attention so as to correct people in the future."

Lloyd gaped at him.

"... how'd you know I was gonna say that?" The slim six year old asked in astonishment, eyebrows on the ceiling.

"Because I know you." Kratos responded, "Justice essentially means to protect those who cannot protect themselves, to oppose evil forces and assist others who are doing so as well."

"... really? No fooling?" Lloyd blinked. "So just doing the right thing and helping those who need it?"

"Precisely, though you could do with a little more polish."

The brown haired boy's chestnut eyebrows furrowed as he delved deep into his thinking.

"So... pretty much do what I've been doing this whole time, but make it look better."

"That's one way to paraphrase, I suppose." The seraphim swordsman confirmed, though he felt he was being rather lax in his own personal standards.

"Paraphrase?"

"A way to shorten something up in a summary, usually one sentence."

"Oh."

Kratos went through the rest of the tenants in that vein, writing them down and explaining them one by one in detail, all the while making sure he expanded on every aspect he could think of.

'I've already covered valour, justice, truth, prowess, loyalty, charity, courtesy, diligence and humility.' The seraph went over his list one by one. 'And Lloyd seems to already possess a great deal of those qualities, so that's at least one aspect I have on my side.' And while that was very true Lloyd possessed the makings of all those qualities, the boy was practically sweating up a storm trying to memorize them all as fast as he could. Kratos frowned. Perhaps he ought to end the lesson before Lloyd's head exploded from the apparent overload of information.

"I think that's enough for now." He announced and, retrieving the eraser from the bar, began to clean the chalkboard. "So, do you have an inkling of the basic concept of what chivalry stands for?"

"I think so, but there are so many things to remember." Lloyd stared at his chalkboard and groaned, his head plastered on his palm. "I don't know if I can remember half of them right now."

"I don't expect you to, Lloyd." Kratos replied offhandedly as he set down the eraser and inspected the board. "These things take time and experience to learn."

"I guess." The bantam boy murmured, though his tone exposed his apprehension like a fox in a hen house with a bell around its neck. "It's just so much to take in all at once."

"That is precisely why practice and repetition in a practical atmosphere are essential to learning the tenants." The stoic swordsman gently removed the personal chalkboard out from Lloyd's death grip and placed it on the bar just below its oversized counterpart. "Once you apply them to your daily routine, they will soon become second nature. Just take your time to learn it right the first time, don't rush, and you'll do fine."

"You think so?" Lloyd peered up from the spot he had been staring at, his cherrywood irises riddled with self doubt. Kratos let out a quick breath of disdain. Did Lloyd really have such little confidence in his intellect that something as trifling as a list sent him practically on the roof with worry? That school he attended must have sent him into quite a state of being if something like that list vexed him so much. If that was the case, he'd definitely have to add 'self confidence in school' to his list of objectives to work Lloyd through. That, and the next time he ran into Raine, she and he were going to have a little heart to heart chat about said schooling which may or may not end with a little threatening here and there. He wasn't truly sure about that just yet though. It would depend on what mood he was in.

"Of course you'll learn it, you're a bright boy. Time is all that is required." Kratos reassured in as gentle a voice he could muster, though for some reason it sounded very much like his deadly whisper inside his head. Thankfully, Lloyd didn't seem to share that opinion, for he just soaked in Kratos' words and for some reason, his eyes were growing larger by the minute.

"You... you think I'm bright?" Lloyd asked, shock reigning through like a cavalry. Kratos raised an eyebrow.

"Yes. I don't bother with people I believe can't follow along with what I'm saying. I thought that would be obvious by this point." He elaborated stiffly. For as long as Lloyd had been traveling around in the same vicinity as Kratos, the seraphim had figured Lloyd had discovered Kratos' impatience with morons, such as the government officials or the desians of any class. And, since Kratos elected to spend time with Lloyd during that excursion, Lloyd should have placed the pieces together that because Kratos didn't mind spending time with him, that in itself would imply he didn't think Lloyd wasn't a moron. However, apparently he'd been wrong to assume so.

'Now that I think about it, it's a tad convoluted and would probably only make sense to me.' The seraphim swordmaster mused wryly. Still, he could tell from Lloyd's fidgeting he still didn't understand the whole equation for what it was really worth. In fact, he looked positively dumbstruck, if he could pardon the term.

"You seem rather surprised I would believe such a notion." Kratos commented loftily, taking the chair next to his charge.

"To be honest... I kinda am." Lloyd returned, letting the strands of chestnut hair sift through his fingers and fall limp.

"And why might that be?"

"... nobody's ever said that to me before."

Kratos rubbed his right temple and tried to not let his sigh of complete disapproval become audible. Had these people really been this inattentive? No one had ever said he was bright? And Yuan said HE had his head in the clouds when it came to parenting. Good lord.

"Lloyd, listen to me." The seraphim gently gripped Lloyd's shoulders and pivoted him so they was locked in eye contact. "You are not stupid. You have never been stupid. You never will be stupid. You see things others don't. In fact, if one were to revisit all the times you mentioned something about what you saw and your compatriots dismissed your ideas, you'd realize they were the ones who could not see the forest for the trees."

"What's that mean?" Lloyd inquired, cherrywood eyes honed in on Kratos' own.

"It means they were so busy focusing on the minor trivial details they couldn't see the big picture at hand for what it was. I couldn't tell you anything, because at that time I was..."

"Pretending to be a mercenary so you could tag along and trying not to get exposed as being an agent of Cruxis?"

"... in a way, but I was paying attention. You were the only one throughout the entire time who really started to see what was happening. You didn't understand the journey, you questioned it, you even wanted to know why this was all happening in the first place. You asked questions, the others did not. So, as far as I'm concerned, you are much brighter than they are."

".. even brighter than Genis?"

"Extremely."

Lloyd's face wanted to break out in a smug grin, but snagged halfway for a look on uncertainty instead.

"But ... I've done some really dumb stuff in the past and hurt a lot of people. How smart can I be?"

"Very smart people make mistakes just as much as people who aren't. It's part of being human."

Lloyd grinned.

"But I'm not."

"You were initially and who you are initially affects who you are as a person now." The seraph replied, mildly irritated. "It's alright to make mistakes, so long as you learn from them. However, making mistakes does not make you stupid or ignorant. Not knowing is not a crime, but remaining complacent in your ignorance and doing nothing is. You'd do well to remember that."

"Now then," Kratos sat back and retrieved his pocket watch. "It seems about time for your lunch. If you would like to go, clean up the remaining detritus around the room and then you may.

The spiky haired boy nodded in compliance, bounced off the chair and immediately set to tidying up the room. Kratos allowed himself a small smile as he watched Lloyd dash here and there in vigorous strides, a newfound spring in his step. That's all he needed. A little attention, a little praise and just look at the instant results. If this was the reaction to just a hint of parental guidance, Kratos' mind leapt with possibilities on what he could accomplish over a longer expanse of time. Lloyd didn't need a ton of strict adherence to his studies like Raine suggested or rather demanded. He would do better with just a little nudge in the right direction, some field experience and guidance when he didn't quite understand. And, if he was perfectly honest with himself, Kratos was much more comfortable with that anyway.

Perhaps he had some lingering instincts after all.

"Kratos, I'm done!" Lloyd surveyed the room for any more signs of disarray and trotted forward. Kratos followed suit and skimmed his eyes over the room which was, for the most part, spotless.

"Well done. Very clean." The seraphim acceded. "Now I believe it's time for lunch-"

"Great!" The skinny six year old pumped his fist into the air, grinning from ear to ear.

"-which will be a wonderful opportunity for you to practice dining etiquette."

Lloyd's hand and mouth dropped to the floor in horror.

"There are rules for food too?" He squeaked.

Snorting in besetment, Kratos landed a hand on Lloyd's shoulder and half nudged, half steered him out the door, and down the stairs to procure lunch.

---

"Okay, I get that you want me to learn manners for food." Lloyd scratched the side of his head as he stared at the myriad of plates situated on the table. "But uh... how do you go about doing that?"

"That's what you're here for, Lloyd." Kratos explained. "It's very important you learn to employ these sort of traits early on and believe me, you've needed to learn how to employ dining etiquette for quite a while now.

"Uh... could you simplify that?" The fervent first grader requested.

"Fine. You need to learn how to eat without looking like a buffoon."

"What? Why? I can eat just fine-"

"If by fine, you mean that of a trash compactor set on puree. You have no knowledge of how to properly conduct yourself in a dining setting, something I wish to rectify." The seraphim proceeded towards the table and folded his arms against his chest. "First, we will start with how to approach the table."

"What, you want me to do a cartwheel?" Lloyd raised an eyebrow wryly. Kratos frowned.

"Don't get smart with me. Approach the seat slowly, yet with the posture you were practicing earlier. A straight back is always key."

"Right, straight back, shoulders squared, head held up high, but not nose in the air." Lloyd steadily listed off the posture rules out loud as he approached the table and looked to Kratos for validation once he reached the chair. "Like this?"

"Very good. Now, grip the back of the seat with both of your hands and pull it away from the table, preferably without scuffing the floor." Lloyd did as he was told and gripped the chair, but the chair didn't want to slide out. It was a tad too heavy for him to slide the chair out like a greased engine piston.

"Okay, question." The slight swordsman gestured to the chair with a jerk of his head, though he made sure to keep his back straight. "What do I do when the chair is too heavy to slide out easily?"

"A good question, Lloyd. Simply put more effort into one arm, while still holding on the chair with both hands, and angle the chair out one side at a time. Then reverse your energy to the other hand and so on until the chair is successfully out." Nodding, Lloyd carefully angled the chair inch by inch just like Kratos had suggested. Sure enough, the chair did budge, but only a little amount. It wasn't until after five minutes of effort did the chair finally move out enough he could settle into it with a varying amount of ease.

"That was hard and really heavy." Lloyd breathed tiredly against the chair, his arms screaming bloody murder.

"For your size I'm not surprised." Kratos replied, not having moved an inch. "However you should be prepared for such things, especially since it is customary for a man to pull out a woman's chair and assist her in seating before doing so himself."

"You mean I have to move more chairs?" The distraught boy gawked and gazed back at his own chair in despair. "Oof. I'm just thankful there aren't any girls-"

"-Ladies, Lloyd."

"-ladies in here." Lloyd hastily corrected himself. "I don't want to have to move more of these hulking things. Okay, I moved the chair out. Now what do I do?" Kratos observed him briefly before he pulled out the second chair situated perpendicularly from Lloyd's and gestured for him to sit.

"Seat yourself and we get started."

The following forty five minutes to Lloyd was the equivalent to meal torture. There were so many rules... for FOOD. When to use certain utensils, the different ways to position the utensils while in use or at rest, basic passing rules, where the napkin went depending on the occasion, how to pace himself while eating, how to actually eat with what Kratos called 'dignity and grace' or as he called it, 'snail's pace', what courses came in what order, what to expect when they came, a bunch of other rules he could barely get his mind around and all of this while keeping a straight back.

By the time the meal was over, Lloyd didn't ever want to look at food again.

"Now, that wasn't that bad." Kratos assessed once the scrawny six year old finished the last bit of his custard and carefully set the dish back on the main plate.

"Says you." Lloyd croaked, flopping his chin on the table in utter defeat. "You singlehandedly killed all love I ever had for food."

"Then my efforts to protect my funds were not in vain." The seraphim quipped lightly. "Sullenness aside, have you learned anything as a result of this exercise?"

"Yeah." Lloyd murmured.

"Care to enlighten me?"

"I now know why all those rich ladies go on diets. It's easier."

---

Ducking behind one of the buildings along the outskirts of Sybak, Mithos rested his head against the concrete and breathed in heavily. That had been way too close for comfort. Of all the times for his personal comlink to go off, it had to have been the very moment he had been engaged with leading Genis and his entourage in the right direction so his sister's vessel could be recalibrated as it were. It couldn't have been when he'd been weeding or helping that automaton do the dishes, no, of course not. Thankfully, he'd put the darn thing on vibrate, so all it had done was send him on the roof instead of alerting anyone to what was truly afoot.

'This had better be good.' The blonde half elf seethed, yanking the comlink out of his breast pocket and flicking the switch on.

"You have one new message." The voice recording played monotonously. Mithos scowled. Of course he had one new message. If he hadn't, he wouldn't have departed so abruptly, sprinted out of the library with some half baked excuse and hidden behind a building's back wall.

"First message, sent today at 3:45 pm."

"Lord Yggdrasill, I would not bother you at such an inopportune moment, but this is of the utmost importance." The breathy cadence of Pronyma simpered through the vocoder. "Protocol six hundred eighty four activated itself. According to your orders, we were to contact you directly if it was activated." Mithos' eyebrows furrowed down into his eyes. Six hundred eighty four? So, someone was tampering with the memory transfer log. How... interesting. Pressing down the redial button, the angelic leader in cognito waited while the dial tone rang through to be interrupted with a click.

"Lord Yggdrasill." The leader of the... she really couldn't be called a leader of the grand cardinals anymore now that the rest were dead as dust, Mithos pondered lightly, answered through the speaker.

"I need a status report on what specifically occurred. Details." He commanded.

"Yes sir." Pronyma replied obediently and probably saluted at the speaker. Mithos groaned. While he appreciated and commanded for protocol whenever engaging with him directly, saluting at a speaker seemed a tad overkill, given the circumstances.

"After a routine world transfer at the base of the Tower of Salvation, protocol six hundred activated. Apparently, someone attempted to reroute and erase that particular transaction, but the main computer override stopped it from erasing the log completely."

"What were the details of the transfer?" Mithos inquired.

"The transfer was completely routine, Lord Yggdrasill. One full sized humanoid and one..." Pronyma trailed off.

"Well?" The ruler of Cruxis prompted.

"One 'humanoid research model of no importance'... sir."

Mithos blinked.

"... that's what it said?"

"Yes sir. I read directly from the log."

"Was their any more information from the operator?"

"We checked, but that yielded little, unfortunately." Pronyma lamented. "The operator is of the standard angel class and only has a memory span of one hour. By the time we arrived, the memory had already been wiped away during hourly mind maintenance."

Damn... that would have been too easy. However, none of this sat well with him, not well at all. The whole endeavor sounded rather fishy from the beginning, but the more he listened to the debriefing, the more Mithos figured the name 'Lloyd' was written all over it. How he managed to pull it off, the half elf didn't know, but that brat wouldn't keep it up for long if he had anything to say about it. That spiky pain in the neck had proven more than once to be a right thorn in his side, but if Lloyd was using his computers to transfer worlds, that was a brand new sort of offense, one to add to his long standing list.

Of course... there was always the notion, as suggested by the presence of a second person, he was being assisted. It figured, it really did, Mithos grumbled under his breath. He should have known something like this would happen... again. Still, what proof could he hope to ascertain that Lloyd was in fact gaining help from an inside agent? He already had a few ideas as to who specifically it was, but until he had definite proof, blatantly accusing could send the would be perpetrator on their guard so he would then garner no answers, or at the very worst, would convince them to help Lloyd out of sheer spite. He had to go about this carefully, like herding an elephant across a tightrope over a pit of lava. One false step and they'd all be toasted.

"Pronyma, which world was the transfer embarkment?"

"Tethe'alla, sir."

"I see. Then have the main computer issue orders for patrol squads in every major city in Tethe'alla." Mithos stated, "I want him found. However, have them patrol, but not pursue after anyone actively. Lloyd needs to make himself known of his own volition and I do not want him alerted to our activities. Let him come to us. Also, do a full diagnostics check on that machine. There might still be more we've yet to recover from its databanks."

"Yes sir."

"Oh, and Pronyma... keep an eye on your little friends, if you would." Mithos grinned coldly at his communicator. "Make a play date."

"Understood." Tapping the end call button on his communicator, the seraphim stretched out his slim forearms to the sky in a stretch and yawned. Strategy and planning, while satisfying at the end of the day, were always so taxing on his system, so now all he could think of was a power nap he planned to have the moment he returned to Altessa's.

'A few hours sleep should be adequate.' He thought as he stepped into the street and made his way through the back alleys towards the exit. True, he didn't really need to nap, since he was a seraphim capable of functioning without sleep, but what could he say? Naps were just one of those guilty pleasures in which he indulged when no one was looking. Napping certainly made the time fly by faster on Derris Kharlan, so there was another perk as well.

'Besides, my naps are always productive when it comes to my work.' Mithos humorlessly smiled once he slid past the back gates of Sybak towards the fields.

Enough nightmares and terrors did lend to one's imagination, after all.

---

Oof, I finally got it done.

Lloyd: Took you a while though.

Me: Don't remind me. I'd originally planned to release this the day the newest episode came out, but it wasn't done and I wasn't about to rush the process. So that plan didn't really work out. That and I was rushed the door before I got to finish.

Lloyd: Why?

Me: I was forced to embark on a long and dangerous journey against my will, riddled with monsters, booby traps and more terrifying sights that can't even be described by a mere mortal vocabulary.

Lloyd: ... what?

Me: I was dragged to the black friday sales... and now they want to go back. Help me.

Lloyd: Eh... you're on your own.

Me: Noo! I won't go! They can't make me! I wanna stay and look for episode pieces!

*claws at floor and is dragged off to sales*

Me: I don't wanna go back! Socks half off are not worth risking a stampede!

Lloyd: Please review... the author'll be back... eventually.