A/N:
The Journey of World Regeneration is finally drawing to a close.
Lloyd woke with a start in the middle of the night to find that Kratos was missing. Looking out of the window, he saw the mercenary move away from the inn.
Where's he going at a time like this – again?
Lloyd quickly got dressed and grabbed his swords.
From his previous nightly encounter with Kratos he had learned to keep his distance and so, he followed him as soundlessly as possible.
Kratos was standing next to Noishe, stroking the dog's head.
"You'll have to continue looking after Lloyd in my place", Kratos was saying. "There are things I must do..."
Even though Lloyd was pretty confused by Kratos' words, he had no time to worry about them, for the air next to Kratos shimmered and a figure appeared. A ball of lightning manifested before the stranger's right hand.
"Kratos! Look out!", Lloyd yelled, dashing forward.
Kratos spun round and struck the stranger with his sword. The man let out a cry of pain and warped away.
"Lloyd. Thank you."
"Ah, don't mention it. But who was that?"
"An assassin, I believe. He managed to get away, but I gave him an injury he will not soon forget."
Lloyd spotted something in the grass and bent down to pick it up. It was a ring with strange carvings, but it was too dark for him to be able to see them properly.
Did it belong to that man? Anyway, I'll hang on to it – it might be a lead.
"Lloyd."
Lloyd looked up. "What is it?"
"Don't die."
"Er – wait, what's with that all out of the sudden?"
"Don't worry about it."
Kratos turned and walked back to the inn, leaving a rather confused Lloyd behind.
How can he tell me not to worry after saying something like that? I just don't get this guy...
Shaking his head, Lloyd followed him.
Lloyd woke the next morning when someone hammered against the door of his room.
"Lloyd! Get up!", Sheena shouted.
Lloyd pulled on his jacket, then, he opened the door.
"What happened?"
"Colette and Kratos are gone!"
Genis and Raine came out of their room, already fully dressed.
"They must have left for the tower", Raine said.
"We have to hurry if we want to catch up with them!", Genis added.
"Let's go!", Lloyd replied, remembering Kratos' words from the night before. "I have a bad feeling about this..."
Lloyd shut the door again and got ready to leave in record time
Since Lloyd and Sheena were better at running than the siblings were, they reached the dragons' cages before them. The dragon tamer was already waiting for them and helped them climb on.
The dragon took off and Lloyd steered it towards the tower.
"It's just as I thought – the barrier's gone", he said.
Sheena's grip around his waist tightened.
"What if we're too late? What if she has already regenerated the world?"
"We can't be too late!"
They landed on the vast plain in front of the Tower of Salvation, Genis and Raine arrived moments later. They hurried up the stairs leading to the entrance to find the door ajar.
Inside was a narrow corridor leading toward the centre of the tower, the floor was made of what appeared to be glass. Large roots of a tree or some other plan were growing inside the tower and below them, strange shapes were floating.
Sheena gasped. "Are those – coffins?!"
"Those must be the successive generations of chosen who failed to regenerate the world", Raine muttered.
"This is terrible!", Genis exclaimed.
"If Colette fails, she'll end up here, too!", Lloyd concluded. "We have to hurry!"
They dashed down the corridor and reached a teleporter. It brought them to the end of yet another corridor, and at its far end was a large circular room.
Colette was kneeling on a raised dais that was shaped like a crescent moon, stairs leading up to it on each end. The perimeter of the room was marked by pillars, but there were no walls. The roots were here as well.
Remiel was already there, hovering over Colette. Kratos was nowhere to be seen.
"Now, my daughter, release the final seal! In doing so, you will complete the final sacrifice of your human existence – your heart and your memories! By doing so of your own free will, you will become a true angel!"
"Sacrifice her heart and memory?", Lloyd asked in disbelief.
"Colette is going to forget about us?", Genis asked.
"Colette's human life will now end, and she will be reborn as an angel", Raine explained.
"Professor Sage, what is he talking about?!", Lloyd demanded.
Raine hid her face in one hand. "Lloyd, I'm sorry. I promised Colette not to say anything... Colette will give up her life in order to regenerate the world. Becoming an angel means dying."
Lloyd stared at his teacher in horror.
"That is not quite correct", Remiel said. "The Chosen's heart will die, and her body will be offered to the Goddess Martel. By offering her body, Colette will revive the Goddess. This is the true nature of World Regeneration! The revival of the Goddess Martel – is the revival of the world itself!"
Lloyd stared at him. "That – that's..."
"Lord Remiel", Raine said, recovering and taking a step forward. "We have learned that a world named Tethe'alla lies parallel to Sylvarant."
"That is not for you to know."
"You kept it a secret because it is true, correct?"
"From whom did you learn of it?", he asked, a dangerous edge in his voice.
"Can't Cruxis make both worlds peaceful?", Sheena pleaded.
Remiel paused for a moment. "If that is what the Chosen wishes, she can lend her power to Cruxis by becoming an angel. Once the Goddess is revived, surely the worlds will achieve peace, just as the Chosen wishes."
Colette looked up at those words, letting out a soundless gasp.
"Is that true, you ask? You know why you have come here."
Colette got to her feet.
"You can't... are you really planning on dying?!", Sheena asked, a desperate note in her voice.
"Colette, stop!", Lloyd called. "If you sacrifice yourself, your friends who love you... and your family... and – and me – we'll all be sad! It's the same as sacrificing all of us!"
Lloyd rushed forward, but Genis grabbed him and held him back.
"Genis! Let go!"
"I don't want anything to happen to her either, but what else are we supposed to do?! The people of Sylvarant are suffering, too!"
"But..."
"The sacrifice of one single person, the Chosen, will save the world", Remiel said. "Are you saying you would choose the Chosen's soul over the entire world? Now, Colette, come join your father."
Colette turned away from them and walked towards Remiel. A magic circle appeared underneath her feet and her body started to glow. Lloyd broke free from Genis' restraint.
"Wait! Remiel! Is there really no other way? Colette's your daughter! Surely, you don't want her to die, either!"
Remiel's eyebrows rose.
"My daughter? Don't make me laugh! When I came down to play the role of guardian angel, you inferior beings just started calling me her father on your own!"
"Wh-what?!"
"I merely placed the Cruxis Crystal on that sacrifice, who was supposed to become Martel's vessel."
Lloyd jumped onto the platform and turned Colette around to face him.
"Colette!"
"Lloyd, it's all right. I realised what was going on. Every time I met Remiel, I felt – that he was not my real father. But still, for some reason, I still feel like I want to cry."
"Colette! If you realised what was going on, then why...?"
Colette took his hands, a look of surprise on her face.
"Lloyd, you can hear me? I'm so happy! I'll be able to say goodbye to you in the end."
"Colette... I'm sorry... I couldn't save you... I'm so sorry! I promised I wouldn't make any more mistakes, but it looks like I have again..."
"No. Thank you, Lloyd. Because of you, I was able to find the courage to protect this world. Because of you, I could find the strength to live those sixteen years to the fullest. So please..."
"Colette!"
The glowing intensified and Colette started to rise into the air.
"Looks like it's time... Goodbye..."
Colette closed her eyes. Feathers whirled around her as she spread her wings. And when she opened her eyes again, they had turned purple, as had her Cruxis Crystal.
Remiel started to laugh. It wasn't a pleasant sound.
"I've done it! Martel's vessel is finally complete! With this, I shall become one of the Four Seraphim!"
"Wait just a minute!", Sheena called. "What are you going to do with Colette?"
"He's going to take her to heaven", Raine replied.
"You bastard!", Lloyd shouted. "You'll pay for this! Cruxis, the angels, the Goddess Martel... it's all a big lie, isn't it?! Let her go, now!"
"That, I cannot do, for she is Martel's vessel. This is Martel's new body, which took years to complete. I have no further use for any of you! Begone!"
He pushed Colette aside and shot a strong energy ball at Lloyd. He managed to shield, but was blown off the platform in the process. Sheena, Genis and Raine were unharmed and started a counterattack.
Fighting an airborne enemy who didn't have to come close to attack them proved to be difficult. Lloyd attacked using shockwaves, Sheena tried to get in hits as best as she could. Genis and Raine used their magic.
The angel was frighteningly strong and soon, Raine had to start healing the others. Lloyd's Exsphere started to glow in a bright blue light and he thought he heard his mother's voice. His next shockwave was strong enough to smash Remiel into one of the pillars. Sheena was there in an instant to attack him with close-range attacks, and Lloyd hurried over to help her.
"Stalagmite!"
It was a perfect hit. Remiel was thrown into the air and hit the floor hard, bleeding from several wounds.
"Impossible", he rasped. "How can an angel, the ultimate being, lose to a group of humans?"
Lloyd decided to ignore him.
"Colette! Come back to us! I promise to restore you to your true self!"
She didn't respond in any way.
"Colette... have you already forgotten me?"
"You are wasting your time", Kratos said, stepping out from behind one of the pillars lining the raised platform. "Not only did she lose her memories, but also the soul to listen to your words. Now Colette is merely a puppet standing before death's door."
"Kratos!", Genis called.
"Where have you been?", Lloyd asked, agitated. "What are you saying?!"
"The Chosen desired the regeneration of the world and chose this path herself. By the summoning of the Chosen to Derris-Kharlan, the seal will be broken and the regeneration will be complete."
"Kratos? What are you talking about?", Lloyd asked.
"We will take the Chosen as the new body for Martel."
"What are you talking about? Answer me, Kratos!"
Remiel had, in the meantime, managed to crawl towards the raised platform and reached his hand up in supplication towards Kratos.
"Lord Kratos... please have pity on me... lend me your aid..."
Lloyd felt as if he'd been punched in the gut.
Kratos turned his head to look down at Remiel, a look of distaste on his face.
"Have you forgotten, Remiel? I was once of the inferior race – a human. Does the ultimate being seek help from that which it despises the most?"
Remiel made a strangled noise and collapsed. Kratos simply ignored him.
Lloyd rushed forward.
"Move out of the way", Kratos ordered.
"Kratos... who are you?!"
Kratos raised his left hand in front of his face. Feathers whirled around him as the gem fused with his hand began to glow.
"I am of Cruxis, the organisation that guides this world." A pair of wings, blue and bigger than Colette's, grew from his back. "I am one of the Four Seraphim, sent forth to keep close watch over the Chosen."
"Kratos is an angel, too?", Genis breathed.
"You deceived us!", Sheena hissed furiously.
"Deceived? If the Chosen merges with Martel, she will awaken and the world will be saved. Is that not what you wanted?"
"Once her body is taken by the Goddess Martel, Colette will truly die", Raine said.
"No, she will be reborn as Martel," Kratos corrected her.
"Dammit! You think I'll let you do that?", Lloyd shouted, pointing his right sword at Kratos. "Colette is our friend!"
"Do you honestly believe you can defeat me?", Kratos asked in a tone that sounded somewhere between disbelieving and mocking.
He drew his sword and attacked. His first target was Raine. Even though the others tried to protect her, they couldn't stop him from incapacitating her.
Kratos easily fended off Sheena's and Lloyd's attacks, Genis' spells he deflected with his shield charm. Sheena collapsed, unconscious. Soon after that, Kratos had knocked out Genis as well. Then, he slowly turned to face Lloyd. He wasn't even out of breath.
Lloyd shifted into a defensive stance, blood pounding in his ears. His brain desperately tried to remember all the things Alice and Kratos had taught him, and then his stomach sank when he realised that Kratos knew how he fought.
Lloyd bit back a curse, not wanting to let on just how terrified he was.
Dammit... he's so much stronger than me... only a miracle can save us now.
Kratos was having Lloyd, who was cowering on the floor, panting, at sword point, his swords were lying several strides away. Defeating their little group had been laughably easy – Kratos had been travelling with them long enough to know the fighting styles, strengths and weaknesses of Lloyd, Genis and Raine, and seeing though Sheena's moves hadn't been too difficult, either.
Kratos had taken out Raine first, to prevent her from healing the others. He then had taken turns fighting the three children – Lloyd had been the one to be left standing in the end.
The Sage-siblings and Sheena were baldy injured and unconscious, Lloyd wounded and too exhausted to fight back.
The boy slowly raised his head to look up at Kratos, his eyes full of hatred.
"Traitor!"
That single word left a wound that was deeper and worse than anything Kratos had experienced in his life.
"Coming here was your decision. Had I had my way, you would have remained in your village", Kratos replied quietly.
"The Desians burned down the entire village because of me, and just in case you've forgotten, I was exiled! Besides, I was worried about Colette – rightfully so, as it turns out."
"Your presence here changes nothing – you cannot oppose fate."
Kratos raised his sword above his head. And yet, Lloyd was still glaring at him defiantly – even though he was beaten, even though he knew that he was about to die, he still refused to submit. Kratos had to grudgingly admit that he was impressed.
However, much to his own surprise, Kratos hesitated. On the one hand, he knew that he had to kill them – those were his orders, and they knew too much. On the other hand – this was his son, and all that was left of his beloved wife...
Anna... What am I supposed to do? I can't kill my own child...
Seconds seem to last forever as Kratos just stood there, as though paralysed by his son's hateful glare.
A sudden movement behind Lloyd snapped him out of his stupor. A dark spell came racing towards him, followed by the caster, who had a sword in each hand. His eyes widening a fraction, Kratos threw up a shield before shifting into a defensive stance to block the attack that was sure to follow.
Lloyd flinched and almost fell over when the spell whizzed over his head and smashed into Kratos' shield. The newcomer leaped over Lloyd and both her blades collided with Kratos'. The impact was strong enough to rattle his body.
Kratos found himself looking right into a pair of pale blue eyes that resembled glaciers. The stranger's mouth twisted into a rather wicked grin.
"Surprise!"
A well-aimed kick in the gut sent Kratos flying across the room. He hit the ground hard and then slid across the floor, his sword had fallen from his grip. Slowly, he pushed himself up on his elbows to regard his new opponent, who was standing between him and Lloyd.
She had about waist-long white-blonde hair that was braided back in a complicated style, exposing her pointy ears, and fell down her back in a long braid. She was dressed mainly in white and light blue – boots, trousers, a tunic and a knee-length coat that had slits on both sides and was laced up under the arms. The blade in her left hand had been forged from darkness, its counterpart from light. An interesting combination, to be sure, and magical blades were not to be underestimated – while the light sword wouldn't have any particular effect on Kratos, he'd better stay clear of the other one.
The girl pointed her left-hand sword at him.
"Get up! Come on, get up! I'm not going to attack an old man who is lying defencelessly on the ground, that would be dishonourable!"
Kratos picked up his sword and got to his feet while not taking his eyes off her even for a second. Lloyd, who was still cowering on the floor, looked up at her.
"Who – who are you?"
"The name's Elerína. I believe you already met my younger sister, Alice."
Lloyd tried to get up, but Elerína nudged him back down with a boot.
"No offence, but you're neither a match for his skill nor his strength. Just leave this fight to me." Again, she gave Kratos that creepy smile. "You have no idea how long I've been waiting for this, Kratos Aurion!"
Without warning, she charged. Her fighting style strongly resembled Lloyd's, just that hers was much faster and more vicious, and she used simple spells in between blows as well. Unlike Lloyd, she mostly led with her left hand, and Kratos realised she must be left-handed. An unusual trait for a sword fighter, and it made containing her blows harder.
After a while, Kratos managed to get some distance between them.
"You fight well. Who trained you?"
"My father taught me the basics. But I believe I have surpassed him by now."
"And who trained him?"
"How should I know? I've only known him for a short time. But I most certainly didn't come here to discuss my family history!"
Totally baffled, Lloyd watched the duel between Elerína and Kratos. Both of them moved with astonishing speed and Lloyd realised that Kratos had always been holding back until now. Still, he had a hard time handling Elerína, who seemed to have specialised on speedy attacks. She certainly managed to keep him on his toes.
I don't understand... Why did Kratos attack us? Why did he try to kill us?
Confused, he closed his eyes. Elerína and Kratos were currently taking a break from trying to kill one another, and she used this to shout some nasty insults at him.
Do they know each other? She sure seems to have it in for him.
Suddenly, Lloyd sensed something strange – warm and cool at the same time. It was the feeling healing magic caused. He looked over toward Raine, but she was still unconscious. Despite that, someone was currently working healing magic on him.
But who else could it be? Perhaps – Alice?
Lloyd started to hope that maybe, they might make it out alive of this after all.
After exchanging several more hard blows, both Elerína and Kratos needed a break.
"It – seems that – none of us – can win", Kratos managed, feeling rather out of breath.
"Don't – talk such nonsense! I'll kill you – just you wait!"
Kratos frowned. He'd never met this Elerína person before – and yet, she seemed to harbour an extreme amount of hatred for him. Kratos was used to being despised by the elves – but this was something else. It seemed almost personal.
However, they were interrupted before they could continue their fight. Rays of light filled the room and a ball of light, pulsating in different colours, descended toward them. And Kratos immediately knew who the newcomer was.
In a bright flash of light, Mithos Yggdrassil assumed a physical form. He looked around, one eyebrow raised, then turned to face Kratos.
"I'm surprised to see you having trouble disposing of a bunch of children, Kratos."
"The Chosen's companions aren't the problem, she is."
"Oh? And who might 'she' be?"
"I am Elerína, Lady of Heimdall and ruler of the elves. I'm terribly sorry, but I can't allow you to take the Chosen – and we'd also prefer to keep Lloyd alive, thank you very much."
Clearly amused, Mithos tilted his head to one side. "You want to take on the two of us at the same time?"
"Not at all. I brought someone else for you to play with."
Kratos heard the sound of soft footsteps and turned around. Alice stepped out from behind a pillar and approached them slowly. Behind her, Raine rose to her feet.
"I already healed Lloyd. Take care of the others!", Alice instructed.
The half-elf nodded and set to work.
Passing Lloyd, Alice placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Don't worry, I'll make sure to get you out of this alive – and if it's the last thing I ever do! I promise."
"Be careful with your promises, Alice, since you tend to take them very seriously", Elerína said, sounding annoyed.
"Well, that's what promises are all about."
When Alice had appeared after that angel who had a disturbingly strong resemblance to Colette (apart from his eyes being green instead of blue), Lloyd let out a sigh of relief. If Alice was here, Aodhan couldn't be too far. However, he was getting more and more irritated by the minute.
"Can somebody finally explain what the hell is going on here?!"
The angel turned to look at him. "Are you Lloyd?"
"Give me your name and I shall give you mine!"
Elerína let out a snort while Alice's mouth twitched. The angel, however, didn't find this amusing.
"People need not introduce themselves to a dog."
"What did you say?", Lloyd shouted, outraged, jumping to his feet.
"Fine, I shall tell you my name, wretched human! I am Yggdrassil, the leader of Cruxis – and the Desians! And you all made a big mistake by crossing me."
He spread a pair of wings, bigger than Kratos'. They were pink and lilac, just like Colette's.
"Are you trying to frighten us?", Alice asked, sounding bored. "It's not working."
"Insolent girl! Do you really intend to fight an angel?"
"Why not? I believe you are underestimating me."
She exchanged a look with Elerína. The half-elf spread a pair of wings just like Remiel's. Alice was surrounded by shimmering feathers and then, wings burst from her shoulders – as big as Yggdrassil's, but the colours were different: blue and green. Waves of light moved from her shoulders into the tips.
Lloyd let out a startled gasp.
"Y-you're angels?", he asked in disbelief.
"Don't worry, we're not with Cruxis", Elerína assured him. "We're independent."
"We're here to help you", Alice added, before turning to face Yggdrassil. "I was the one who defeated and killed Magnius in single combat. Your people call me 'The Angel of Death' – though I don't particularly like that name."
So, I was right after all. And if she could defeat Magnius, her powers must be considerable.
Despite that, Kratos didn't dare to hope that Lloyd and his friends would stand a chance. A stronger opponent would only make Mithos use his secret weapon – and then they'd all die.
Mithos had apparently grown tired of talking and attacked Alice with magic. Kratos and Elerína soon forgot about their own duel, too fascinated by what was happening here.
Mithos was an excellent mage, but Alice wasn't bad, either. And Kratos noticed that Raine had used their distraction to heal Sheena and Genis. Lloyd quickly retrieved his swords and then, he and his friends watched the fight in awed silence.
Just like Mithos, Alice was using level 3-spells of all elements, with the exception of light and darkness. Mithos used some dark spells at first, but stopped after a while. Even though Alice – being an angel – should be weak against dark magic, it had no effect on her, so Mithos stuck to the same six elements she was using.
Their strategy was actually rather simple: throwing magic at the other while at the same time blocking or evading enemy attacks. They did that for about ten minutes, during which none seemed to have an advantage.
I see. Alice never used her full potential before now, either.
"Enough with this game!", Mithos suddenly called. "Let's fight for real!"
The seal burst into pieces and a huge, purple blade appeared above it. Waves of light continuously moved from the hilt to the point. Within Cruxis, this blade was known as the Eternal Sword, and it had the power to control time and space.
Kratos' heart sank.
So, this is how their journey will end.
While Lloyd and his friends exchanged puzzled looks, Alice and Elerína knew what this meant.
"This is unfair, Yggdrassil!", Elerína protested. "We didn't drag Thor's Hammer all the way here!"
Kratos was a bit surprised she knew about the Mana Canon that had been used during the Ancient War – but then again, she knew the Renegades.
"Unfair? So sorry to disappoint you, but life isn't fair. And it's really your own fault – no one forced you to come here."
A huge shockwave burst from the sword and smashed Genis, Raine and Sheena into pillars. The others had been lucky – for now.
"Damn – Alice, we need to get out of here!", Elerína shouted.
"We can't! There's too many people to transport by ourselves, and I doubt I'll have the time to summon anything!"
Mithos' next attack hit Elerína. The half-elf collapsed, unconscious and bleeding from several wounds. Alice's furious scream echoed throughout the room. Mithos had picked her as the next target, but she managed to dodge. Horrified, Kratos saw that the next shockwave was aimed at Lloyd.
"Nooooooooooooo!"
Alice threw herself in front of Lloyd, taking the blow that would have killed him. Being an angel, she could take more damage than him.
His face white, Lloyd turned her onto her back. Her eyes were still open, but it was obvious that she was in great pain.
There was a blue flash of light and Lloyd jumped to his feet.
"You bastard!"
Mana burst from his body, and a ray of light smashed into Mithos – which, of course, had no effect on him. Kratos stared at his son in disbelief.
What Lloyd lacked in finesse, he made up for with sheer, raw power. However, he had no restraint or moderation and, at the rate he was going at, he was going to exhaust himself.
Next to Lloyd, Alice let out a small gasp, her eyes widening, before fainting.
Lloyd finally broke off the attack and stood there, panting, though Kratos couldn't tell if it was from anger, or exhaustion.
If Mithos was surprised by the sudden attack, he was excellent at hiding it.
"You humans really have no idea how to use magic, or else you'd know that light magic is ineffective against angels! That aside, how comes that you – a lowly human – can even use magic like that?"
"I – I don't know. Just until now, I had no idea I could do something like that."
"I find that hard to believe", Mithos said dryly. "But it matters not – I'm growing tired of you, Lloyd Irving. Time for you to die. Kratos, I trust you have no objections?"
Kratos didn't reply, but couldn't stop a small gasp from escaping him.
"Farewell."
Another burst from the Eternal Sword smashed Lloyd into a pillar and he fell to the ground, unconscious.
Just as Mithos was about to deliver the final blow, the room was suddenly full of people, and a familiar-looking elf shot a dark spell at Mithos, who managed to dodge just in time.
"I'll take care of Alice and Elerína, you take Lloyd and his friends!", Aodhan called.
Within seconds, the Renegades accompanying him had spread across the room to retrieve their targets. Aodhan grabbed the sisters and warped away.
Mithos tried to stop them with magic, but they had been prepared for this. Part of their group shielded while the others seized Lloyd and his friends, including Colette, then warped away.
Mithos stuck his sword into the ground.
"Renegades... as irritating as ever. Still, it is of little consequence. Kratos, let us leave."
"As you wish."
Mithos vanished and Kratos looked around the now empty room.
Heh – saved by the Renegades. Don't die, Lloyd.
The first thing Alice noticed was pain – a strong indicator that she was – miraculously – still alive. Slowly, she opened her eyes to find that she was in her room. Turning her head, she spotted Aodhan, who was sitting by her side.
He smiled. "Welcome back."
"How long was I out?"
"We arrived at Heimdall about eight hours ago."
"Elerína?"
"She's fine. My mother is looking after her. She said she'll wake up soon."
"I see. Ayleen is an excellent healer, so I'm sure she'll be all right. What about Lloyd?"
"The Renegades took him and his friends, I couldn't possibly take all of them to Heimdall. I suppose they'll be in one of Yuan's bases, most likely in Triet."
Alice let out a sigh. "They should be safe there. I just hope Yuan won't try to harm Colette..."
She closed her eyes and sank back into the pillows, feeling completely worn out.
"Lloyd? Lloyd! Thank goodness, he's waking up!"
Lloyd blinked his eyes open and looked up at Raine.
"Professor! What happened?", he asked, sitting up abruptly.
"Apparently, we were saved by the people of this base. They resemble the Desians, but I doubt that they actually are Desians..."
"They're a force opposing the Desians – and Cruxis – calling themselves 'Renegades'", Sheena explained. "They were the ones that informed our king of the entwined worlds and helped me to get here."
"It's hard to believe that the Desians and Cruxis are led by the same person – that Yggdrassil", Genis said.
"And what about Kratos?", Lloyd asked.
"It's possible that the Desians and Cruxis – holy beings worshipped by the Church of Martel – are in fact the same organisation", Raine replied.
Lloyd stared at her. "But how could that be possible?"
"Lloyd, hear me out. If we think of the Desians as part of Cruxis – or their pawns – everything makes sense."
"Now that you mention it, didn't Kvar say that his leader's name was Yggdrassil?", Genis asked.
"And Yggdrassil himself said that he was the leader of Cruxis and the Desians."
"But if the Desians and Cruxis really are the same organisation, then what about Kratos?", Lloyd pressed. "It's hard to believe he has anything to do with the Desians – he really seemed to hate Kvar, you know. But still – he obeyed Yggdrassil's orders."
"He's our enemy! He deceived us!", Sheena said. "He admitted it himself. He said that he is one of Cruxis' Four Seraphim!"
"Kratos is likely a subordinate of Yggdrassil", Raine assumed. "He probably joined us to make sure Colette didn't stray from her path to regenerate the world – or was killed during the journey."
"Then – are the Renegades the ones who killed the previous Chosen?", Genis asked.
"That's possible", Sheena replied.
"So, we were deceived from the very beginning", Lloyd concluded. "By Remiel, the Cruxis, even Kratos!"
"Kratos... I always thought he knew too much about some things, but I would have never thought him to be a traitor", Raine muttered. "Especially whenever I watched him talk to you – there was warmth in his voice and eyes."
"Warmth? In Kratos?Professor, you're pulling my leg..."
Lloyd got up from the bed and looked around. The room was richly furnished and decorated, reminding Lloyd of something...
Then, he spotted Colette, who was standing in the middle of the room, staring at nothing.
"She doesn't respond to anything we say", Raine said quietly, following Lloyd's gaze.
Lloyd walked over to her and wrapped his arms around her.
"I'm sorry, Colette... I couldn't protect you..."
She didn't react.
"You are very brave, Lloyd Irving. I wouldn't dare approach the Chosen in her current state."
Lloyd whirled around.
"You!"
The man smiled thinly. "I see you remember our last meeting."
"So – you are the Renegades?"
"Yes. My name is Yuan, and I am their leader."
"We are an underground organisation dedicated to fighting the Desians, or rather, the Cruxis", Botta, who had followed Yuan into the room, added.
"So, Cruxis and the Desians really are the same organisation!"
"Correct. Cruxis controls the Church of Martel in the open and operates the Desians from behind the scenes. The Desians are a subordinate organisation within Cruxis."
"The church is nothing more than an instrument created by Cruxis to rule the world", Yuan added. "Those who call themselves 'angels' are in truth half-elves who've evolved using a special kind of Exsphere called Cruxis Crystals. They aren't gods or anything of the sort. Of course, the church and the chosen know nothing of that."
"They're half-elves, too?", Sheena asked in disbelief.
"Yes", Botta replied. "Most of the Desians, as well as Cruxis and ourselves are half-elves."
"So, you are the ones that tried to kill Colette at the temple", Raine stated.
"That is correct", Yuan replied.
"How can you say that so calmly?!", Lloyd shouted. "I won't let you - "
"I have no intention of harming the Chosen right now. She is merely a puppet programmed on self-preservation and would kill any aggressor immediately. We had planned to kill her before she had completed the angel transformation, but Alice thwarted our plans..."
"What do you mean?"
"Alice had her spies keep tabs on you the whole time. She knew when you would arrive at the tower, and what would await you there. So, when she knew the time had almost come, she set out for the tower along with Elerína while sending Aodhan to ask for our assistance. Alice prevented us from arriving before the Chosen's transformation was complete by giving us a wrong time. I would have never thought she'd put her own life on the line like that."
"Why did she do that?"
Yuan shrugged. "She knew we'd try to kill the Chosen before the transformation was complete, and probably assumed we wouldn't dare to try afterwards."
"And where are Alice and Elerína now?", Lloyd asked, worried.
"I believe Aodhan took them to Heimdall."
"I see. So, then, what is Cruxis trying to do? Are they doing all this just to rule the world?"
"Do you intend to have us explain everything?", Yuan snapped. "How about you use your own head a little?"
"Their intent is to revive the Goddess Martel", Raine interjected. "They send oracles to those of the mana lineage and control their marriages to create chosen who then become the vessel. It seems meaninglessly complicated and drawn out."
"Well, well, I am impressed", Botta replied.
"There is another world beyond Sylvarant that competes for mana", Yuan said.
"Tethe'alla", Lloyd replied.
"Yes. And the one who created this twisted world was Cruxis' leader, Yggdrassil."
They all stared at him in disbelief.
"Creating a world? That's ridiculous! No one could possibly do that!", Genis exclaimed.
"If that is what you believe, then our conversation ends here", Yuan replied, turning away.
"Wait", Lloyd called. "If Yggdrassil was the one who created the two worlds himself, then what can you possibly hope to do against someone like that? And that's not all. You tried to kill Colette and me. You're certainly not on our side. Yet, for some reason, you saved us. Why?"
"You're not as stupid as you seem", Yuan replied, turning back around.
"Excuse me?!"
"Our goal is to stop Martel's revival", Botta explained. "Therefore, the Chosen, who would become her vessel, was an obstacle."
"But since she completed the angel transformation, we would no longer dare lay hand on her", Yuan added. "Fortunately, we now have the key to stop Martel's resurrection. We no longer need the Chosen! What we need is you, Lloyd Irving."
Lloyd stared at him. "Me?"
The expression on Yuan's face didn't bode well.
"What's so special about me?"
"That's none of your concern."
Lloyd felt his temper rising. "You sound just like Kratos! He never explained anything, either!"
"Take that back!"
"No, I won't!"
Yuan rushed at Lloyd, but didn't get far before Sheena summoned Corinne, who jumped into Yuan's face, using his claws and teeth.
"Let's get out of here!", Sheena called.
They hurried out of the room and down a passage. Lloyd was relieved to see that Colette was following them.
"Why are they trying to revive Martel?", Lloyd asked.
"What I would like to know is why Martel needs a body to be her vessel. Because that would mean she has no body of her own", Raine said quietly.
"Wait", Lloyd said. "If you don't have a body – if all that is left is your soul – can you still live?"
"Colette is currently living even though she's lost her soul. Maybe the opposite is possible as well."
Yuan had apparently activated some kind of alarm because soldiers came looking for them and soon, Lloyd and the others were busy fighting them off. Raine told Lloyd to stay close to Colette since the Renegades were reluctant to get near her. They managed to break through the enemy lines and made a run for it.
"What's so special about me?", Lloyd complained. "Those Renegades need to hurry and make their freaking minds up whether they're our enemies or not!"
"But what are we going to do now?", Genis asked.
"We've got to save Colette somehow. She's going to die if she's made into Martel's vessel", Lloyd replied.
"But what can we do?"
"Sheena, where did you get your Exsphere?", Raine asked.
"Well, that came out of nowhere. I got this before I came here – they attached it to me at the Imperial Research Academy."
"Is it normal for people to equip Exspheres in Tethe'alla?"
"No, not at all. The technology was originally brought over by the Renegades. Nowadays Exspheres are mainly attached to machines."
"Wait a second", Lloyd interrupted. "So Tethe'alla and the Renegades are on the same side?"
"I'm not sure if you could say that. But the Renegades were the ones who brought us the knowledge about the nature of the two worlds. And the plan to assassinate the Chosen was their idea as well. They talked the king and the pope into it. 'If you desire for Tethe'alla to prosper, kill the Chosen of Sylvarant.'"
"That's horrible!", Genis exclaimed.
"Lloyd, I suggest we go to Tethe'alla", Raine said.
"Why Tethe'alla?", her brother asked.
"Don't you remember what Yuan said? Angels are half-elves that evolved using special Exspheres called Cruxis Crystals."
"Oh, I get it!", Lloyd said. "So, Colette's current condition is caused by the Cruxis Crystal!"
"Since Tethe'alla is studying the Exspheres, they may know something about Cruxis Crystals as well", Raine said.
"That's a good idea", Sheena agreed. "I'm pretty sure they're studying the Cruxis Crystal that belongs to our Chosen at the Imperial Research Academy."
"Oh, that's right, you have a Chosen, too", Genis said.
"Yup. Two worlds, two chosen."
"But if they've been carrying out the regeneration that many times, why hasn't Martel's vessel been completed already?", Lloyd asked.
"I'm curious about that myself", Raine replied. "Perhaps the corpses lined up in the Tower of Salvation were – no, never mind."
"Yeah. They're too many things we don't know", Lloyd stated. "Cruxis' objective, the Renegades', the method to save Colette... So, let's just start with what we can do now."
"So, we're going to Tethe'alla?", Sheena asked.
"Yeah. That's the only lead we have right now. And this time, I'm going to fulfil my role. I'm not going to let Colette bear the burden all by herself any more!"
"Wait a minute", Genis said. "That's great and all, but how are we going to get to Tethe'alla?"
"I'm sure Sheena knows how to do that", Raine said.
"My understanding is that you can travel to Tethe'alla by passing through a distortion in space. As far as I know, crafts called Rheairds are the only things that can do that. Come this way!"
Sheena led them down another corridor until they reached a large hall with gigantic doors at the other end. Sheena operated a computer terminal and several strange machines came up through hatches in the floor.
Sheena quickly explained how to use the Rheairds, then she input another command into the computer that opened the large door. Climbing onto the Rheairds, they started a new journey into a world completely unknown to them...
A/N:
And thus, Kratos met his third child. Family reunions are the best.
Rína's feelings for Kratos are a bit complicated at this point – while it's true that she's been holding on to her hatred for him those past 2.000 years, she's had Alice around for the last 14. And, if there's one thing Elerína absolutely doesn't want to do, it's causing her baby sister pain. If it weren't for Alice, Rína might have stormed Vinheim ages ago to put Kratos out of his misery. As it is, she can't just go and pick a fight with him – however, nothing stops her from trying to kill him when presented with a good excuse, such as "Look, Alice, your twin-brother was about to die, I had to save him – unfortunately, I killed Kratos in the process. Whoops."
Also, Kratos thought he could tank Rína. He was wrong.
The game actually gives you the option to either win or lose against Kratos – the following cutscene will play out slightly different depending on how you conducted the battle, but the overall story is not affected. Mithos, however, just shows up and wipes the floor with you in no time flat. On my first playthrough, I defeated Kratos, just because I could. However, I subsequently realised that this is a very unrealistic scenario, and chose to lose against him ever since – besides, I don't want to waste items in a fight I don't have to win – life bottles are expensive.
The only way I could see Lloyd winning this fight is if Kratos allows him to kick him around – and at this point in the story, Kratos doesn't really have a reason to want to die right now. Nothing would stop Mithos from having someone else seal Origin again – I bet Pronyma would volunteer.
This chapter only underwent some minor changes due to me misinterpreting/misremembering certain things. Though I did try to delve a bit deeper into Lloyd and Kratos' minds during the scene at the tower, and to drive home the terror Lloyd must've felt when his teacher turned on him.
Trivia:
The twins' middle names were originally "Luna" and "Sole", the Italian words for "moon" and "sun". Caradilis suggested that I change this, which was quite the challenge – I couldn't really find any sun/moon related names for twins that didn't have a mythological background – and I was not going to call them Artemis and Apollo, even though that would have fit in nicely with the overall naming theme. While I could find some sun-related boy's names, I found zero moon-related girl's names, and nothing that would have sounded good as a pair. In my desperation, I turned to Parf Edhellen as a last resort – and lo and behold: I found some ancient elven words that made for nice names. The problem? Silmea sounded a lot like Stelmaria, which was Rína's original name (and yes, I took that name from His Dark Materials). As a result, I changed her name, too. Parf Edhellen once again came to my rescue here, since I wanted something to go well with "sun" and "moon".