Disclaimer : I claim no rights to Tales of Symphonia.


"I missed Kratos and his intimidating presence, but what I didn't miss was the fact that he treated me like a child instead of his future husband. Honestly, he thinks I can't take care of myself." - Lloyd Irving-Aurion.

Chapter Twenty-Eight : Winter Nights.

Don't get him wrong, Lloyd was overjoyed to see Kratos again. He had missed everything about his soon-to-be husband. From the intimidating aura he constantly displayed to those beautiful ruby eyes that always reflected his emotions so easily and yet could just as easily show nothing at all. But, what he couldn't stand was the fact Kratos took control of his little motley crew as soon as he was able. Kratos went from fighting alongside them to giving them orders in exactly fifteen minutes flat which Lloyd knew was probably record somewhere.

Lloyd shouldn't have really minded Kratos' taking over, because he was, after all, better at giving orders and probably much better at knowing where to go and who to talk to, but his pride got in the way and he didn't want Kratos in control of everything that went on. It was times like these that Lloyd wanted to stomp his foot like a child and whine about how Kratos suffocated him. And yet, another side of Lloyd, that weak, barely heard, vulnerable part of him wanted nothing more than for Kratos to wrap his arms around him and keep him safe and whole. Judging from the look Kratos gave him as they came to a stop just outside the village gate, Lloyd knew that he was a dead giveaway.

"What did you want to talk about-mmpphhhh-"

Lloyd's arms wildly wiggled as his face pressed tightly into Kratos' chest. He couldn't help but shudder as the smell of sandalwood and jasmine took over his senses. He was quickly given reprieve when Kratos released him and took a step back to grasp his shoulders tightly. Lloyd released a shuddering breath when he found himself staring into those ruby eyes that for once weren't filled with the usual impassiveness.

"Are you all right?" Kratos asked quietly, staring into his eyes. "Lloyd? Are you all right?"

"I-I'm fine." Lloyd reached up and clasped Kratos' hand, squeezing it when Kratos tightened his grip. "What about you? What happened with Earl Grants' murder trial?"

"I'm afraid that the Grants family will not get the justice they crave," Kratos replied somberly. "It seems the Pope couldn't care less about what happened to Aster or the fact that Richter has run off." Kratos pulled his hands away from Lloyd's shoulders and looked out into the plains outside the gate. "Tell me, what have you learned so far?"

"Well..." Lloyd launched into the story from his journey from Iselia until up until this point and eagerly watched the expressions on Kratos' face. The expressions went from surprise, anger and amusement and around again. Though, he would have found it funny any other time to see his fiance's face alive with so many emotions, now wasn't really the time to delve more into the matter. He took a deep breath as the last few words escaped his mouth and leaned against the village gate leading into town.

"Well?" Lloyd asked, tilting his head and staring Kratos down with a questioning look. "What are we going to do now?"

"What we're going to do is go to Flanoir and get Glacie's core before Richter does. For if we don't, I have the feeling we're going to be in very serious trouble. But the question is, what does he want with those cores...?"

"I don't know, but will something happen if all the cores are gathered together?" Lloyd intertwined his hands. "Will something be opened or obtained?"

A thoughtful expression flickered across Kratos' features before he replied. "Something will be opened and I should have known better than to forget what it was."

Frowning at his fiance's words, Lloyd realized that Kratos must be really stressed out for something so important to have escaped his notice; he, himself, was probably part of the reason for Kratos' distraction. Knowing the man for only a short while, Lloyd knew it wasn't like him to forget something so easily.

"What's going to be opened?"

"Niflheim."

"Niflheim?"

"A demon dimension that lies in the Ginnungagap, which is an existing gap between dimensions," Kratos elaborated gently. "If that gate is opened then every single demon will go through and spirits of the dead will come back." Kratos' meaningful look as he trailed off clicked for Lloyd before too long.

"Aster," Lloyd breathed. "Richter wants to revive Aster? But…never mind on the why, of course he would want to revive him." Lloyd turned his gaze back to the inn and his heart went out to Emil. "Do you think he knows?"

"Emil has taken care of most of Richter's projects and expeditions, so I am sure that he does. It's possible he's in denial about the matter." Kratos shook his head, his hair covering his eye. "I, too, would be in denial if my husband was trying to destroy the world for one person."

"You're not the denial type," Lloyd blurted, biting his lips shortly after. Oops, he hadn't meant to say that out loud, but judging from the amused look Kratos sent him, his words weren't exactly unappreciated. "You're not really," he continued, smiling when Kratos chuckled softly. "More of the stubborn type."

"Indeed and that would go double for you, Lloyd." Kratos took a step closer to him, lifting an arm and wrapping it around Lloyd's shoulders. "I take my eyes off you for two seconds and you go on a world-saving journey."

"It wasn't on purpose." Lloyd huffed quietly, stepping closer to Kratos' warm body, sighing as the older man tightened his grip on his shoulder. It felt good to be close to him again. "I just wanted to help Richter and Emil.

"And we will, but to do that we must try to get Richter to see the consequences of his actions."

"I think Richter already knows the consequences of his actions," Lloyd said grimly. "He's sacrificing everyone and everything for Aster's sake. He wants to see his friend one more time and if that means destroying all of us then so be it." He bit his lips and continued on, fearful of the answer to his next question. "Would you do it? Would you sacrifice everything for Anna? For me?"

Kratos stared at him for a long moment before replying. "No, I wouldn't," he held up his gloved hand to forestall any of Lloyd's protests and continued, "because I know that neither you nor Anna would want that. You both love life and would do anything to protect it, even give up your own to do so. Am I right?"

"Yeah," Lloyd replied, blushing as thick warmth filled his chest. Though he had been hoping Kratos would say yes, another part of him wanted him to say no because that was the Kratos he had come to know. The Kratos he had come to know would not toss the world away so selfishly for one person even if that one person was one he genuinely cared about.

"Come." Kratos gently led Lloyd back towards the inn, making sure to keep his arm around Lloyd as he did so. "We have much to discuss."


Questioning Emil about Richter was both daunting and stressful. It was hard to see his friend grow distant as he answered Kratos' questions about Richter's actions coldly and his once bright eyes growing dull and almost uninterested. But, they had to do this. They had to make sure that Richter was trying to revive Aster and not anything else.

"You knew what Richter was doing and you didn't tell us?" Raine asked after Kratos had stepped aside. "Why?"

"I wasn't sure about it," Emil replied, lowering his gaze to the wooden floor of their temporary room. "If we had kept Richter here then I would have asked him, but as you can see, he got away before I could get anything out of him."

"I don't think he would have said anything even if we would have captured him," Colette interjected timidly, wincing when Emil shot her a hurt look. She didn't mean to be blunt, but maybe it was time that they were.

"He would have if-"

"Emil." Lloyd held up his hands in a placating gesture when Emil let out a small hiss for his interruption. "I know that you love Richter, but you have to understand and stop denying what he's trying to do. He's going to use the cores and revive Aster."

"I know what he's trying to do!" Emil roared, causing everyone in the room to startle at the level of his tone. "I know that he's trying to revive Aster! I know that he's willing to sacrifice everyone and everything to do it." His voice suddenly cracked. "I know that he's willing to trade my life for Aster, I-"

"Hey," Lloyd murmured, rushing forward and wrapping his arms around Emil's shaking shoulders. "I'm sorry, okay? We'll find a way to bring him home and then we can all go back to Meltokio and-"

"We can't," Emil buried his face into Lloyd's shoulder, trying and failing to withhold his tears, "we can never go back to the way things were."

"Sins can be absolved," Kratos stated gently, "and mistakes can be forgiven, but not forgotten."

"Huh?" Emil lifted his head from Lloyd's shoulder to give Kratos a confused look. "What do you mean?"

"I mean as I said." Kratos gave Emil a small, tentative smile. "Things can go back to the way they were if you try, Emil, and you are never one to give up on Richter. You didn't then and you won't now."

"He's given up on me," Emil protested, "and he's given up on everything else."

"But you haven't," Raine put in gently, "and that's all that really, truly matters, Emil. If you try hard enough then Richter will have no choice but to listen to you. Convince him to stop this madness."

Emil took a small step back from Lloyd, lowering his arms back to his sides. "All right, all right, I'll see what I can do, but what if he doesn't listen?"

"Then we'll make him listen," Genis said, wearing a manic smile that shouldn't have suited someone so young. "If he really loves you then he'll stop this, but if he doesn't then we'll have no choice but to stop him. You have to be willing to draw your blade when and if that time comes, okay?"

Instantly, Emil looked stricken at the thought of killing or even potentially harming Richter, but soon enough, resignation settled across his features and he nodded his head in consent.

"I'll be ready."

"See that you are," Kratos murmured before holding his hand out towards the door. "It's getting late. Why don't we all get some rest?"

Lloyd reached over and gave Emil one last reassuring hug before nudging him out of the room and making sure the door was locked behind them. Whirling around, he turned to Kratos with a question already set on his lips.

"What's happening in Meltokio?"

Kratos raised an eyebrow at the demanding tone before replying. "Meltokio is stable and I have someone taking care of it."

"Who?"

"Yuan."

"Oh." Lloyd scowled at the thought of the half-elf who he had not liked since their first meeting. "You didn't have anyone else?"

"No one is more capable than him," Kratos stated, having a need to defend his old friend for once. "You needn't worry about the state of Meltokio. The only thing we need to worry about is Emil's mental health and stopping Richter." He raised an eyebrow at his fiance. "Surely you can keep up with both?"

Lloyd huffed, stepping towards the bed and pulling off his clothing on the way. "I'm more than capable of watching over my friends, but do you think you can handle not being in control?"

"Pardon?"

"Kratos." Lloyd slipped off his boots and thick socks along with his pants and leaving on his boxers and undershirt. "I don't know if you noticed, but you're a bit of a control freak."

"Control freak?" Kratos repeated, folding his arms and staring down Lloyd. "I am in no way a control freak."

"It's okay," Lloyd continued, pushing the covers off the twin-sized bed. "I'm sure you were raised to be dominate and in control."

"Is this is how the remainder of the night going to be?" Kratos situated himself on the bed next to Lloyd and began to remove his boots clasp by clasp. "Because if it is then I would be happy to put a sleeping arte on you."

"Putting me to sleep like a babe?" Lloyd scooted over as Kratos climbed in, surprising himself when he didn't flush as the duke placed his arms around him. "Shame on you."

"No." Kratos murmured, laying his head on Lloyd's shoulder. "It's perfectly acceptable. Now, go to sleep. We have a long journey tomorrow."

"Right." Lloyd settled in, moving his body closer to Kratos and waited a few moments before asking. "Are you sure Meltokio is going to be okay? What about Zelos and Pronyma?"

"As I said, you needn't worry about them," Kratos replied, his tone already heavy with sleep. "Now, close your eyes and sleep."

"Yes, Dad."

The only reply he received for his words were a snort and a soft kiss placed against his neck.


Departing Asgard the next morning was anti-climatic and for that, Lloyd was grateful and slightly disappointed. Of course, they were asked by the leader of the town about their skirmish, but Kratos lied smoothly enough by telling the elderly man that the altercation was merely a misunderstanding of mistaken identity and nothing was damaged in the process. Nothing was physically damaged, of course.

"Is everyone ready to go?" Lloyd called out, hefting his pack onto his back securely. "It's going to take a couple days to reach Flanoir and hopefully Richter won't cheat by transporting there."

"Of course he's going to cheat," Emil murmured sullenly, coming to stand beside Lloyd with Tenebrae floating by his side. "He only has two cores left, but I do wonder what he's going to do about Tenebrae here."

"He's not going to do anything about me," Tenebrae chuckled, a manic look in his cerulean eyes, "since I have already cracked from my core, I can't really help Richter with his plans."

"Richter is not a stupid man, Tenebrae," Emil informed the centurion. "He'll find some way to use you or your power. You need to be careful once we engage him, okay?"

"Very well, you do know him best."

"Let's get a move on." Lloyd raised his hand and waved at his approaching friends. "Off to Flanoir."

"Off to Flanoir," Colette repeated as she stepped into earshot. "What's it like?"

"Cold. Very cold, but beautiful."

"Oh yay," Genis drawled sarcastically, earning a slap on the back of the head from his sister. "No need to get more violent than usual, Raine."

As another argument commenced between the siblings, Lloyd took a step back and grabbed Emil's arm as the noble passed by. He smiled at the confused look his action earned him and continued pulling Emil behind the group.

"Are you all right? Really?"

"No," Emil murmured, staring ahead, giving Colette a quick smile when she looked back at them with curiosity shining in her eyes. "But, I will be. I know that this hard on you too, Lloyd and I'm sorry I dragged you into this."

"Don't worry about it." Lloyd shrugged, wincing when the straps of his back dug into his shoulders. "This is what friends do after all, but Emil, are you sure you're ready to take Richter down if the need arises?"

"What choice do I have? If I don't then he's going to bring hell to us all, literally. Either way, this isn't going to end well for anyone."

"It doesn't have to be-"

"This way?" Emil finished smoothly, but not without a hint of bitterness. "It's going to end badly no matter how much I or Kratos or you think otherwise and honestly I'll be relieved when all of this over."

Lloyd frowned at how Emil's tone of voice which sounded desperate, sad and angry which, of course, he had a right to be, but something about the way Emil said those words caused a shiver to race down his spine. He didn't know why, but he had a bad feeling about this. A very bad feeling.