Of course I followed them to Altessa's abode too. But there wasn't much I could do, and even less that I could hear from within the snug home of the dwarf. For the time being, everything seemed to be all right.

I was fairly certain that if Mithos wanted him dead, he would have done it by now. For whatever reason, he was keeping them alive.

I still didn't trust the situation. I couldn't just leave them alone with Mithos, but I couldn't exactly walk into Altessa's home either. Lloyd had lost his trust for me.

I winced at the thought, but forced myself to instead find a hidden place I could wait. Sitting on a tree branch far enough away that they wouldn't notice me, I closed my eyes and waited.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

"Don't give him candy! He's only an infant!" Anna said, snatching away the small lollipop from Lloyd.

Instantly, he began to squirm and kick in my arms, tears welling at the corners of his large brown eyes.

"Umm… Anna, I think…" Before I could finish, Lloyd was in tears.

She sighed, handing the small blue candy back to me with an disgruntled glare. "You're already spoiling him."

"Perhaps." I smirked, placing the colorful candy back in Lloyd's mouth. That quieted him quickly.

Maybe I was spoiling him. Just the thought that I had a child to spoil brought a smile to my lips.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

Sometime later, I was awoken by the quiet padding of feet across the grass. A familiar whine brought my attention back down to the ground.

"Noishe?" I brought out my wings and quietly glided down. Fondly, I rubbed her backside, behind her ears, and under her chin. "I brought you here to watch over Lloyd, not come to me."

Another whine.

"What's wrong Noishe?" When she tilted her head backwards, I climbed on her back. She wanted to take me somewhere.

Swiftly, she ran across the field towards Altessa's house. My eyes widened and I ducked lower to her back, lowly hissing. "Noishe! I can't get too close to them!"

Heedless of my words, she ran forward, and just as I was certain she would bust down the very door to Altessa's home, she turned to the right, stopping by where they had parked their rheiards.

Cautiously, I slid off her back, wondering why she brought me here. Finally, I noticed what she wanted me to see.

A rheiard was missing.

Sternly, I looked down at her. "Did Lloyd leave?"

A whine. Oh, it was pointless talking to her.

After petting her one final time, I took to the skies, searching for the missing rheiard.

It wasn't too difficult to find the glowing energy trail of the machine against the nighttime sky. However, I didn't want to get too close just in case whoever was riding it noticed me.

I followed the trail for quite some time until it landed at the otherworldly gate. Why would Lloyd want to visit a place like this?

As I drew nearer, I was finally able to see who had taken the rheiard for a spin. Honestly, it didn't surprise me.

"Raine…" Knowing it was safe enough to speak with her, I landed at the gate, walking up to where she stood, carefully studying the large stones. "You know, it isn't safe to travel here alone."

Shocked, she spun around, then sighed. "Kratos, you startled me… did you follow me here?"

"What do you think?" She was smart enough to recognize a rhetorical question. We stood in silence for a while, the moonlight casting obscurity and fragmented shadows around us. Just as I was beginning to think we might be there all night, she spoke.

"I can't believe it… after all these years of searching, I've finally found them…" She lifted her arms up to the sky, a sad smile on her face. "…I've found them!"

The wind picked up around us, and for the first time, I noticed the bitter tears she had been crying.

I knew Raine was crazy about ruins, but this reaction was drastically different from her others. These ruins meant something to Raine. Something deep and important that she might not want to tell a traitor like me.

Or maybe she would. "These ruins…" She brought her arms down, walking over to rest her hands on one of the large pillars. "…they're the ones I have been searching for… the ones burned into my childhood memories."

Oh no. Not the past.

"This is the place my mother abandoned Genis and me so many years ago." She said, looking sadly down at the stones, and then at me.

"Why do you trust me?" I had to ask.

"What?" She seemed confused.

"After everything I have done, you continue to trust me. Why?" I asked again.

She brushed aside her tears, replacing them with a sardonic look. "It's always about you, isn't it Kratos?"

Before I had a chance to make any meaning out of that, she spoke again. "Well if you must know it's because I l…" Mid-sentence, she stopped.

"You what?"

Looking at me again, I was amazed to watch the anguish melt away from her. "No. It's nothing."

"Raine, that doesn't even make sense." I wanted to say more, but she was staring very intently at me… and yet not at me. She walked forward, looking just above my left and right shoulders. "What are you…?"

"Your wings." She spoke evenly with a small hint of curiosity. "I have only seen them up close once… in the tower of Salvation."

"My apologies." How had I forgotten to put them away? Feeling a little embarrassed, I brought them down, ready to will them away.

"No! Don't put them away yet!" She said quickly, sounding both commanding like the professor she was and like an intrigued little child. She reached out, but then stopped herself, her cheeks just a hint pinker than before. "I mean… can I touch them?"

How did I guess?

Holding back a sigh, I turned slightly and stretched one of my wings towards her.

Her small fingers tickled a little. My wings weren't accustomed to being touched, but I wasn't about to let that show.

"Fascinating! They look so fragile, yet they can lift and support your weight in the air…" Raine said, still prodding at my wings. "To think that a cruxis crystal could create something like this… intriguing!"

It tickled.

It really tickled.

Right before I couldn't take it anymore, I closed my eyes and swiftly whisked the wings away. She looked a bit surprised when her fingers closed in on themselves. "I'm sorry."

"Kratos?" The perplexed look only lasted a moment before she unfortunately put everything together. "Oh, no I should be apologizing. I didn't realize that would tickle."

Embarrassing. Very. "Raine, are you ready to leave?" I asked, thinking of something else to say quickly.

"No," she answered, calmly turning back to look at the ruins. "These are the ruins I have always longed to find. Now that I have found them, I can't leave so soon."

"Did you tell anyone where you were going? You know that Genis will be concerned." Really, why was I asking these things? It wasn't my responsibility if she was lost or not.

"No, I didn't!" She gasped turning around. "Could you tell him…"

I stared at her flatly, pulling out one wing long enough to point at it. "Traitor?"

"Oh, right… they would likely attack you if you went back, especially Lloyd. He really must learn to control his destructive impulses." Raine murmured, musing for a short while. Finally, she turned towards me, a pen and paper (don't ask me where she kept them) in her hands. "But, if you stealthy leave them a note…"

"I'm not a messenger-boy…" Despite my grumbles, I found myself taking Raine's note after she had finished scribbling.

"You owe this to them Kratos. But most of all, you owe it to Lloyd." She said firmly.

Oh no. Did another one of them know I was Lloyd's father??? "Lloyd?"

"Don't tell me you don't know!" Raine placed a hand to her forehead, sighing. "He really looked up to you, Kratos."

Mental relief. At least she hadn't guessed yet.

Raine's expression softened, then grew sad. "I've watched that boy grow up, and I can tell you that he really admired and trusted you. And then… for whatever stupid reason you must have… you took that trust away from him. You even gave him a reason to hate you!"

"You all would have died if I hadn't interfered." Before I knew it, I had spoken. It was a mistake, but at least she wouldn't be able to discern my plans from that.

"Kratos you… I knew it." I couldn't read her expression. It was as if I had lost some second sight, and for a minute, I felt blind. Then, to my relief, she spoke again. "Despite everything, I think I've spoiled Genis. Go give him that letter."

"Very well." She was letting me off easy, but clearly she knew more than she was letting on. At least it seemed she trusted me.

I turned to leave, but didn't want to leave her. I couldn't place what it was, but ever since I had arrived at the ruins, an uneasiness had clung to me. Something was amiss, but I knew that I couldn't persuade Raine to leave.

"Raine." I called forth my wings, but paused before leaving. "Watch your back. Something isn't right."

Without waiting for her to respond I flew off, holding her letter in my hand and wondering just how I was supposed to deliver it to her brother without causing anything short of mass murder.

It wasn't difficult. Eventually, I decided to slip the note underneath the front door. Hopefully someone would find it before Lloyd trampled it in the morning.

Again, I found myself perched on that tree branch, awaiting the morning sun. The lingering itchy feeling in the back of my brain revealed itself to me while I sat alone.

Why didn't I tell Raine that "Mithos" was Yggdrasill?

Perhaps she wouldn't have believed me. To them, he was Genis's first half-elf friend. Then again, Raine would protect her brother despite the cost. Even though she seemed to ritually beat him, her concern and love for her brother was clear.

Was I subconsciously guarding that information from them for my own selfish purposes? I didn't see how it was possible, but perhaps it was.

Determined to protect them in any way I could, I stayed in my treetop perch and listened intently for any signs of trouble within Altessa's home.

Daybreak came. It wasn't long after that I heard faint rustling from within. The front door opened, and as I saw the blonde haired figure emerge from the home, I quickly hid deeper within the trees.

Mithos.

He was holding Raine's note. Apparently he was the first to find it, but after reading it, he glared intently around the clearing.

"Kratos…" His voice was quiet and low, slithering like the trails of a rattlesnake. He knew I could hear him, and he wanted to scare me. It wouldn't work, of course. "I know you're hiding somewhere…"

I stayed silent.

"Fine, stay hidden Kratos. I'll just have more fun with your precious pets." He taunted, then walked back inside.

Maybe it would work. I grew fearful, for if he could keep Kibbles as a pet, there was no limit to what he could do.

Inside, I heard him speak with Genis, waking him to ask him about the letter. "Genis what is that?"

More rustling. "It's… a letter! It's from Raine! Mithos, we have to find her!"

After Genis's outburst, more people were awoken, and finally, Lloyd's disgruntled grumbles followed suit.

The left quickly on the rheiards. Again, I followed them to the gate, and watched as Kuchinawa attacked them. Dramatically, they escaped through the otherworldly gate.

Great. They'd planet-hopped again.

After teleporting back to Altessa's home, collecting Noishe, I brought us both back to Sylvarant.

With a bit of searching, I found them again. Yuan seemed to have convinced them to go to the remote island human ranch. Just what was he thinking?

I knew Lloyd had friends now. I knew they could take care of themselves. Still, my mind was unsettled as I flew towards the ranch.

It was dangerous there, perhaps more dangerous than he knew.

Mithos was on the loose, though he seemed to be letting them live for whatever reason. Rodyle was also in mad pursuit of Lloyd's exosphere.

His group could help him, but they wouldn't be enough if the anyone from the order of Cruxis came after them. With my memory-blanking visions of Anna impeding me, I couldn't be certain I could help them. Thankfully, Yuan seemed to be watching him, and Mithos wasn't raining bloody Judgment on them yet.

A warm feeling pulsed in my chest, like the bitter memory of something that had died long ago. I knew that feeling.

"Not again…"

……………………………………………………………………………………………..

"Kratos, he will be strong, just like you." Anna said it again, a smile on her face as she held up the drooling infant.

"He just cried because he didn't get his candy. I'd hardly say that's strength."

She laughed, the sound instantly filling me with a peculiar offending calmness. "Yes, and I'm sure you never cried as a baby."

"That's not…"

"Just look at him." She stated, thrusting the baby in my arms.

I watched as he continued to drool blue-candy until it dripped on my shirt. Slightly disgusted, I looked to her for help. "He's still drooling."

She rolled her eyes, wiping the baby's chin with a soft cloth. "That's not what I meant. His aura, look at his aura."

I tried to see his aura. I really did. But try as I might, all I could see was our baby Lloyd, his silly happy baby smile, and the bit of drool that again threatened my shirt.

"Anna…I can't see auras like you can." I finally admitted, realizing again that there was more to her than I knew.

"You'll just have to trust me then." She took the baby back, cradling him gently in her arms. "He's strong… just like you."

……………………………………………………………………………………………

"Kratos you're a moron."

The snide voice pulled me from the memory. A feeling of horror replaced the happy fuzzy feeling as I realized just where I was and who was talking to me.

"With the way you've been prancing around this rooftop for the last few minutes, I'd say you've completely lost your mind." Mithos said, boredom in his voice. "You didn't even notice when I set your jacket on fire."

My jacket? I looked down, seeing the charred remains of my white jacket. I must have thrown it off while it was on fire.

We were both atop the remote island human ranch. Mithos was sprawled lazily on the roof, avoiding sun rays with the help of a small parasol. I couldn't remember when he had started using it.

At least he had only attacked my unfortunate jacket, leaving me shirtless for the time being. "Pronymawould love this…" I thought dismally.

"Why are you, my precious Origin seal, wandering around in a daze? I thought you and Yuan both gave up the angel dust centuries ago." He asked, yawning to show his lack of interest.

I chose not to respond. As long as I knew where Mithos was, Lloyd was safe… or was he?

Anna had a gift for sensing auras, the recent memory had reintroduced that to me. Unfortunately, I was never quite able to learn that trick. While she would have been able to detect her son wherever he might be in the ranch, all I could see was stone and metal.

"Your precious boy is safe, if that's what you're wondering." Mithos drawled, yawning again to emphasize his indifference. "His stupid friends have been keeping him alive."

Something was very wrong with this picture. Mithos was bored, irritated by the sun, and certainly not concerned about my well-being… so why was he here? "…you're watching them, aren't you?"

"Why do you care?" He responded, immediately on the defensive.

"Because you want to kill them." I growled, clearly displeased.

Mithos only laughed at my displeasure. "Oh Kratos, you haven't a clue, do you? There are much bigger things that I want. Lloyd is simply a small kink in the great clockwork of my plans."

"You still want to kill them."

"And they would never suspect it." Mithos shrugged, choosing to sit back against the a pillar, stealing its shade. "But I have more important matters that concern me."

"Really. Then the matters at the Remote Island Human Ranch are really important to you?"

"Certainly Rodyle is getting to be a pain but he's not the reason…" He paused, glowering at me suddenly. "I don't have to explain my reasoning to you. Shouldn't you be telling me why you're here?"

"Isn't it obvious?" It was a question, but an answer as well. "Lloyd. Not only for my personal reasons, but for the sake of this world as well."

Mithos frowned, the very mention of Lloyd's name leaving an unpleasant taste in his mouth. "Don't make me hurt you Kratos. If you keep this up I'll have to…" He paused, his eyes flying open from their half-drooped state. Suddenly, he leapt up and flew towards me.

For a moment, I thought he meant to attack me, but he flew past me. Mithos fell to his knees, skidding to a halt, as he looked through the glass roof into the room below us. "Oh shit, oh shit!!"

Not one to ignore obvious trouble, I followed suit. I was surprised to see that they had dispatched of a hideous exsphere-morphed monster that I could only assume was the remains of Rodyle. However, that was far from my greatest concern.

They were trapped in a room, a foot deep in water. The water was rising.

As I was about to break through the glass and find some way to get them out, Botta appeared. Nobly, he told them to escape into the next room while he planned to sacrifice himself and his two men.

"Yuan would be devastated…" I thought. "I have to find a way to save them too."

Lloyd thought he was safe, until once again, the water threatened them. I raised my hand, ready to break through the glass, when Mithos caught it.

"No Kratos. They don't trust you anymore. If you reveal yourself to them now, they might try to fight you. You could all die." He said, firmly placing my hand at my side.

Out of nowhere, Genis pulled out a very familiar panpipe and played a few notes on the enchanting instrument. "Is that Martel's…" I began, but when I turned towards Mithos, he was already bathed in the ethereal white glow of a summon.

"Perfect." He said, an honest smile coming to his lips. The wind circled around his young body, carrying both his arms and hair upwards as he called gently to the sky above. "Aska…"

In the distance, I heard Aska's high pitched cry, the bright wings drawing nearer. Mithos turned to me, the smile still on his face. "They'll be fine Kratos…" Slowly, the smile melted away. "…but they can't see you here."

Without warning, he sent a rush of wind towards me that shoveled me off the rooftop. As I fell towards the water below, I suddenly remembered. "Botta!" Taking a deep breath, I closed my eyes, and willed myself inside the ranch.

Instantly, I was immersed in water. I opened my eyes, the blurry underwater vision of the machine-filled control room around me. Floating in the water, along with odd assortments of desian equipment, was Botta and his two lackeys.

Swiftly, I swam to the three, catching all of their arms. I hadn't tried to teleport this many unconscious people before, I had never needed to. I certainly hoped it would work.

In my mind, I pictured Yuan's cushy room in his desian outpost. The official oak desk, the plush carpeting, and even the silly frilly plants he kept around. There… take us there…

The world went white.

…………………………………………………………………………………………..

"Kratos, you moron, I told you not to overexert yourself."

I groaned, expecting the worst. When I opened my eyes, I got what I expected.

Yuan was frowning down at me, dripping wet from the water I must have brought in with me.

"Are they… ok?" I asked, sitting up and looking around me. From what I could see, the entirety of Yuan's room had received a nice shower. Then I noticed something that made my heart leap.

I was the only person on the floor.

"I… failed…" I faltered, at a loss for words.

"If you mean you failed at keeping my room dry, you're certainly right. But I have a feeling you're talking about Botta and those two lackeys you brought back with you." Yuan smiled, he could tell I was relieved.

"Then where…" Before I could finish, Yuan was eager to explain.

"They're all fine, coughed up a bit of water, but they're fine. Botta is elsewhere, hiding the fact that he's alive from Lloyd, he was just here you know. I sent the lackeys back to work." He fixed me with a stern glare. "You however… used up quite a bit of your mana pulling that little stunt. You've been passed out on the floor for a while."

He held out his hand to me, which I took. Far too gracefully, he yanked me up to my feet. "And you didn't try to help me at all? Thanks, you're such a good friend."

"The best." He admitted, then called up a powerful wind spell to instant-dry everything in the room, including himself and me. "You're not that good at mana manipulation. Thus, the drippiness of my room. You brought most of the water from the ranch along with you."

Though he wouldn't say it, and would only criticize me for it, I knew that Yuan was grateful. I sighed, brushing a bit of residual water out of my hair. "You're welcome." I walked towards the door.

"Stop putting words in my mouth!" I could see his sarcastic smirk in my mind. "Oh and Kratos…"

"What?" I asked, turning around.

"Put on a shirt before Pronyma sees you. I'd hate to think of what might happen."

Even though I couldn't see my face, I could feel an involuntary flush finding its way to my cheeks. Quickly I spun around, deciding to teleport instead of walk. Lloyd could wait for a while. After all, things had become strange enough with Mithos saving him and his friends. I had a little time.

Next stop: My room.

……………………………………………………………………………………………

Marika's Notepad

Oh emm gee… it's been a while. There's a reason I haven't updated in a few months, and that's due to an overwhelming crapload of work. I've voluntarily taken a dive neck-deep into a pile of you-know-what and feel as though I've been hit by a truck every day.

I'd venture to say that Kratos just might be having an easier time right now.

Regardless, I'll still dutifully work on the story of our favorite hero! Please send me your love.