A/N:
While Lloyd continues his quest to save everyone, Kratos is about to have a monumentally bad idea, and decides to act on it. What could possibly go wrong?
The game suddenly goes from "Anna died 14 years ago" to "Anna died 15 years ago", implying that Lloyd got older without ever addressing when his birthday is. Granted, Lloyd probably doesn't know his birthday. Anyway, Caradilis urged me to put it into the story somehow as to not confuse readers. I had originally intended to have Alice cheerfully pop into Lloyd's head, wishing him a happy birthday, before deciding to have Kratos stress out over it instead. This also serves to reinforce the fact that you shouldn't bother Kratos in his rooms when he's in a mood like that, unless you want to risk more dead servants.
While they headed down the secret passage, Lloyd questioned Sheena.
"Our vize-chief decided I should accompany you as a watcher", she replied.
"Great", Lloyd replied sourly. "Another one who's watching us..."
Sheena narrowed her eyes at Zelos.
"You'd better keep an eye on him", she said darkly. "He goes after every female in sight."
"That's not true, Sheena!", Zelos protested.
"Oh, really? What was that when I was at the academy, and you sneaked into the girl's bathroom?!"
"That was innocent curiosity - "
"You and innocent?! Don't make me laugh!"
Sheena slapped him.
"Ow! Sheena!"
"Anyway, we're going to see how things play out, I'm not your enemy", she told Lloyd. "And I'll help you save your friends."
They ran almost the whole way to the bridge – they had to take a break to catch their breath once, though. And now, they were racing along the seemingly endless bridge.
Luck was on their side, though – because of their heavy armour, the papal knights liked to march at a rather measured pace, and therefore, they came in sight as Lloyd and the others approached the south-western end of the bridge.
From below came a loud metallic clunk.
"No!", Sheena shouted. "They're pulling up the bridge! They're going to cut us off!"
"No way! Run faster!", Lloyd shouted.
"Are you crazy? We'll never make it in time!", Zelos wheezed.
And indeed, the two parts of the bridge were moving upwards and the gap in between grew wider and wider. Lloyd didn't let that slow him down, however.
"Let us continue our pursuit", Presea said, and dashed after Lloyd and Sheena.
Zelos cursed and followed.
"We'll have to jump!", Lloyd panted.
"You're mad!", Zelos whined.
They jumped. Colette spread her wings and soared across the gap, but the others didn't make it. The other part of the bridge was too far away... They fell towards the water below them.
Sheena raised one arm.
"Undine! Help!"
The Summon Spirit appeared underneath them. Water shot up toward them and formed a protective bubble around them. Sheena ordered Undine to drop them at the other end of the bridge.
Colette came floating down towards them while Presea looked around.
"Saved due to an unknown force. No damage detected", she said in her monotone voice.
Thanks to Undine's help, they had managed to catch up to the papal knights, and Lloyd and the others charged in to rescue Genis and Raine. Colette spread her arms wide, and rays of light rained down onto the battlefield. The papal knights didn't stand a chance.
"Genis! Professor! Are you all right?", Lloyd shouted, worried.
"You – you came for us...", Raine said in disbelief.
"Of course! You're my friends! I'd never abandon you!"
"But – we're half-elves", Genis replied.
"I don't care. It doesn't change anything. I mean, I like Aodhan because he is the way he is and not because he's an elf. Or the other way round – er - "
Raine laughed. "I see what you mean. But – what about the Tethe'allan part of our group? Do you mind travelling with half-elves?"
"I want to go home", Presea reiterated.
"I'm from Mizuho, that's not exactly mainstream, either", Sheena explained.
"Well, I can't say that I'm happy about this", Zelos muttered. "But I don't really have a choice, do I? We're all in this together now."
"Thanks", Genis said quietly.
"So, what are we going to do now? Get the Rheairds?", Raine asked.
"Yes", Lloyd replied.
"Where are they, anyway?", Zelos asked.
"Mount Fuji, where we crashed", Sheena replied.
"Well then, let's go, hunny."
"I'm not your hunny! Say that again, and I'll punch you!"
"How did you manage to escape?", Raine asked Lloyd, trying to ignore the bickering.
"A researcher named Kate helped us. She's a half-elf and responsible for Presea's condition. But she promised to release her from the experiment if we brought you two back to see her."
"What kind of experiment?"
"They are trying to create a Cruxis Crystal in her body. They're using Presea as a host body."
"That's terrible!", Genis exclaimed. "But why is she doing that? Does she hate humans that much?"
"She didn't seem hateful, rather resigned..."
"Kate doesn't have a choice", Sheena explained. "She has to do whatever she's told, or she'll be killed... they only keep half-elves alive if they're useful."
"It's because of that caste system again, right? What exactly is that?", Lloyd asked.
"It determines the value of a person the moment he or she is born. I, as someone from Mizuho, am somewhere in the lower half, but it's not too bad a status. Zelos, being the Chosen, comes right after the royal family. And half-elves are at the bottom. Worthless. If they're not useful, they get cast out or killed."
"This is so unfair!", Lloyd fumed. "Why doesn't anyone do something against this stupid system?"
"Everyone is happy with the way things are", Zelos replied. "Apart from the half-elves. But no one cares."
"We need more people like Alice and Aodhan", Lloyd muttered.
"Alice? You mean Elerína's younger sister?", Zelos asked.
"That's the one."
"A very remarkable person. Graduated from the academy at age 12... A real pity she didn't want to go on a date with me."
"Clever girl", Sheena muttered.
"Hey! What's that supposed to mean?!"
"Means she's more intelligent than all your female groupies!"
Zelos didn't look too pleased.
"Zelos?", Genis asked.
"What is it, twerp?"
"Don't call me that!"
"Whoa there, I'm just joking around!"
"You don't like half-elves, do you?"
"No, not particularly."
"I see..."
"You need to understand that this is the way I was raised and educated. 'Half-elves are filthy creatures who do bad things.' That's what I learned as a child. And then there was that other incident..."
"You can't blame them for that", Sheena protested. "They're not even from Tethe'alla to begin with."
"You know?", Zelos asked, surprised.
"I'm from Mizuho", she replied, as if that would explain everything.
"Well, it's kind of difficult to let go of hatred if you've harboured it your whole life."
"I don't know what kind of problem you had with half-elves in the past, but you can't blame the professor and Genis for that!", Lloyd interjected. "Besides, you only started acting like this since you found out they were half-elves. Before that, you thought them to be all right, didn't you?"
"Naw, I thought Genis was a brat from the beginning", Zelos replied. "But I see what you mean."
"How about you give them a chance, then?"
"I'll try. But it may take time. No one can change overnight, you know."
After reaching the summit of Mount Fuji, they took a little break. The ones who had been best at running and climbing mountains were – surprisingly enough – Colette and Presea.
"They're alike, don't you think?", Zelos asked. "They don't talk, never smile..."
"Colette used to smile a lot", Lloyd replied through gritted teeth. "But now, because of the Cruxis Crystal, she no longer can. So stop saying stupid things like that!"
"Sorry."
Lloyd continued to glare at him.
"I mean it. I didn't know. Becoming an angel – can't be fun."
"We should take care of the Rheairds now", Raine said.
"But we still have no fuel", Sheena pointed out. "How are we going to move them?"
"I'll show you", Zelos said, leaping to his feet. "Just come over here."
They approached the Rheairds, which were still lying where they had left them. Colette, who had been a bit slow to notice what was happening, was trailing several steps behind. The next moment, Lloyd and the others were trapped inside a yellow-orange bubble of light. Colette was the only one still free.
"W-what's that?!", Lloyd asked.
"A barrier created with magi-technology", Raine replied promptly. "If we destroy the generator, we should be able to get out."
"Too bad it's outside", Genis muttered darkly.
"Zelos – is clumsy", Presea observed.
"Oh, I feel so sad now..."
"You walked right into my trap, fools." Yuan jumped off a rock and landed in front of them. "You pulled off a spectacular escape and caused me some grief, but you're out of luck this time. You're mine!"
"What do you want with me, anyway?!", Lloyd demanded to know.
"I feel disinclined to tell you. You two, retrieve the Rheairds", he told his companions.
"Yes, sir!"
Just as the Renegades had warped away, a woman appeared. Lloyd felt that she looked somehow familiar.
"Pronyma! What the hell are you doing here?!", Yuan exclaimed. "The job of you Desians is to wreak havoc on the declining world!"
It was more than obvious he wasn't happy about this turn of events.
"Lord Yuan! Lord Yggdrassil ordered me to retrieve the Chosen One."
"Fine. But in exchange for handing over the Chosen, I claim custody of Lloyd."
She shrugged. "Lord Yggdrassil gave me no orders regarding him, so I suppose it's all right."
Yuan stepped aside and Pronyma – who seemed to dislike walking – floated towards Colette.
"Colette! Don't go!", Lloyd shouted.
Pronyma laughed. "A futile attempt! Your voice cannot reach a Chosen who has lost her soul. What is that? Why is there such a crude Key Crest on the Cruxis Crystal? I shall remove this ugly thing at once."
"No!"
Pronyma ignored him and reached for Colette's necklace.
"N-No! This is the birthday present Lloyd gave to me!"
Colette pushed Pronyma away.
Everyone stared at her.
"Colette – spoke!", Genis exclaimed.
Colette turned her head.
"Huh? Why is everyone inside this thing?", she asked, puzzled.
"Impossible!", Yuan hissed. "How can this pathetic Key Crest restrain a Cruxis Crystal?!"
Pronyma had recovered from the shock and approached Colette again.
"You will come with me!"
"No!"
Colette drew out her chakrams, made an elegant turn and dropped one. The blade dug itself into the generator.
"Oops."
The barrier vanished.
"Oh no! I did it again! I broke it!", Colette said, dismayed.
"Don't worry about it, you just saved us!", Lloyd called, hurrying forward.
"Lloyd! Thank you so much for the present. I was so happy, I just couldn't show it..."
"Hey, you two, the party's not over yet!", Sheena called.
Lloyd whirled around to see that Pronyma was about to attack.
"You shall pay for making a fool of me!"
"Colette, Genis, Raine, to the rear!", Lloyd called. "Everybody else – charge!"
Zelos and Lloyd drew their swords, Sheena pulled out her cards and Presea raised her axe threateningly. Pronyma attacked with dark magic, and they dodged in several directions. Raine deflected the spell while Colette and Genis started a counterattack.
Pronyma was strong, she managed to keep Lloyd and the others at bay, but had no time to deal with them and block magical attacks at the same time.
"If you can't handle a bunch of kids, you should just give up", Yuan suggested, sounding bored.
Lloyd was certain that Pronyma wouldn't get past the others, so he turned to face their remaining enemy.
"Yuan! Let's settle our score!"
He charged. Just as he was almost there, he saw movement out of the corner of his eye. Kratos came running toward them and jumped in front of Yuan, blocking Lloyd's attack with ease. Lloyd disengaged and jumped backwards, startled.
"Kratos!", Yuan called, puzzled.
Kratos gave Lloyd a penetrating stare, then, to his surprise, he sheathed his sword.
"Leave, Yuan. Lord Yggdrassil has summoned you."
"Why all out of a sudden?"
"He intends to attack Heimdall."
"What? Is he mad?! Has he forgotten the last time the elves went to war? Besides, they have Elerína and Alice."
"I know", Kratos replied calmly. "I told him my view of things – I'm against it. Now, he wants to know what you think – and in the end he'll just do as he pleases anyway."
"Very well. Are you going to take the Chosen?"
"No, we're supposed to leave her for the time being. He seems to think it's more important to take care of Heimdall first."
"Well, Alice and Elerína are the only ones who actually pose a threat to us." Yuan turned to look at Lloyd. "Lloyd, I'm afraid our battle will have to wait."
He spread a pair of lilac wings and took off.
"He's an angel, too?", Sheena breathed.
"Yuan! Get back here!", Lloyd shouted, dashing after him and stopping just at the edge of the cliff.
"What are you doing here?"
Surprised, he turned to face Kratos.
"What?"
"Why did you come all the way to Tethe'alla?"
"To save Colette!"
"And what good will saving the Chosen do? The system of the two worlds still won't change. Their positions have merely been reversed."
"Is Tethe'alla already declining?", Sheena asked, worried.
"The Tower of Salvation can still be seen from this world as well", Kratos said, pointing to the north-east. "As long as that is the case, this world is still flourishing. Though, in the event of the Chosen becoming Martel's vessel, Tethe'alla will have to bid farewell to its era of prosperity."
"Yggdrassil is the one who created this twisted world, right?", Lloyd asked, moving towards the others and sheathing his swords.
Kratos didn't seem hostile, and Lloyd didn't see the sense in picking a fight with him – especially since he had back-up this time.
"Lord Yggdrassil doesn't consider it 'twisted'."
"If someone can create a world like that, then surely something can be done to change it."
Kratos' eyebrows rose. "If you really want to do that, then I suggest you use your own head. I thought you didn't want to make any more mistakes."
"I'll do it! This crazy system of one world stealing the other's mana... I swear I will change it!"
"Well, try your best."
Lloyd thought to see the faintest of smiles on Kratos' face.
"Return to Sylvarant", Kratos ordered Pronyma. "Lord Yggdrassil has nothing else for you to do right now."
"Yes, Lord Kratos."
The half-elf warped away. Kratos turned to face east.
"What are you going to do?", Lloyd asked.
"I'm going to Heimdall – before Yggdrassil decides to raze the village to the ground."
Kratos spread his wings and took off.
As soon as he was gone, everyone surrounded Colette – apart from Presea, who didn't seem to understand what was happening.
"Colette! You're back to normal!", Genis exclaimed.
"Yup! I'm so happy! So – you're Zelos, right? And you're Presea..."
Again, Presea showed no reaction. Colette sighed.
"It's like seeing myself, not long ago..."
"Apart from your voice, are the other things back to normal, too?", Raine asked.
"Yes, Professor. I can tell it's windy up here. And – I'm hungry for the first time since the fire seal!"
"That's wonderful!", Lloyd said, grinning from ear to ear.
"Just as I thought, Colette is definitely cuter when she smiles", Zelos muttered to himself.
"So, Yuan is a member of Cruxis?", Sheena asked.
"Looks like it", Genis replied.
"I've seen that Pronyma woman before", Lloyd said. "She was on a projector in the Asgard Ranch, talking to Kvar. She is the leader of the Desian Grand Cardinals."
"And now that Kratos came to interfere, it really looks like Cruxis and the Desians are the same organisation", Raine concluded.
"Argh, this is so confusing!", Lloyd shouted. "In other words, they're all our enemies?"
"Yes. That means we must be careful around all of them, including the Renegades."
"But what do we do now?", Sheena asked. "Since Colette has her soul back, there is no need for us to return to Sylvarant right away."
"We know what we have to do", Lloyd replied. "Search for a way to save the two worlds so there won't be any more chosen like Colette."
"I agree with Lloyd", Colette said. "Besides, I promised Sheena."
"Colette", Sheena said quietly, her eyes softening.
"What about Presea?", Genis asked. "We shouldn't drag her around like that..."
"I... want to go home."
"Shouldn't we go back to that Kate chick?", Zelos asked.
"But they closed off the bridge, and I doubt they'll let us pass if we ask nicely", Raine pointed out.
"I have contacts in Meltokio", Sheena replied. "Let's ask them for help."
"But we're wanted criminals", Genis argued. "Will we be able to enter the city at all?"
Zelos grinned. "Just leave that to me. I know Meltokio like the back of my hand. My sweet hunnies, let's head for Meltokio!"
Kratos made sure the villagers wouldn't see him while he started looking for Alice. Approaching the village now might escalate tensions – they were at war, even if no fighting on any larger scale had happened yet – and Kratos didn't fancy the idea of being chased by an entire village of angry elves. Therefore, he had to wait for her to venture into the forest. Since Kratos could listen to the elves' conversations without much effort, he soon found out she wasn't in the village. The elves didn't talk about where she had gone, just that she had been headed toward the Torent Forest.
Kratos set out right away. However, it should take him a while to find her. Alice had retreated to the clearing where Origin's Seal was and was sitting on the ground, her back braced against the stone. Her hair was down, and instead of boots and trousers she was wearing a dress made from blue and green fabric – the same colours her wings had. Kratos knew she was using a customised Cruxis Crystal, just as the leaders of Cruxis and Colette. Elerína had the standard version of wings.
The customised wings represented the soul of the user. The bigger the wings, the stronger the person's character and will – which meant that Alice was as determined as Mithos to see her wishes fulfilled. The colour blue stood for coldness and closeness, Kratos knew that from himself. But he had no idea what green meant... Maybe it represented the helpful and caring side Alice had – green was usually associated with life, after all.
Alice hadn't brought her sword or bow, but despite that, Kratos wasn't going to underestimate her. From what he had seen at the tower, he knew her magic was definitely stronger than his.
Alice had her eyes closed and was enjoying the gentle sunlight. It was only when Kratos had almost reached her that she looked up.
"I want to talk to you", he said hurriedly, so she wouldn't get the wrong idea.
Alice made an inviting gesture with her right hand without saying anything.
Suddenly, Kratos had no idea where to start.
"I met Elerína yesterday."
Alice must have noticed the tension in his voice, for she sat up straight, alarmed.
"She didn't mention that at all! Did something happen?"
She sounded worried. Kratos frowned.
She must know that I didn't hurt her sister, so why - ?
"Nothing happened as such, but she let something slip she would have rather kept secret. She told me my daughters were still alive."
Alice paled. Whatever it was she had expected, it clearly wasn't that.
"Oh."
"Yes. Oh. She refused to give me any more information, that's why I'm here."
Alice closed her eyes. "Secrets should remain secret. I'm sorry, but I can't give you what you want."
"I don't believe that you don't know anything."
"I didn't say that. I know a lot about your daughters."
"Tell me where to find them! Who are they?"
Alice shook her head violently. "No!"
She jumped to her feet and walked several strides away.
"Why not? I am their father, I have a right to know where they are!"
Alice turned to face him.
"Just as your daughters have the right to stay away from you if the so choose. They don't want you to find them, for different reasons. If you were to meet them, it would lead to all sorts of trouble... Have you ever considered the fact that they might want nothing to do with you – a Seraph of Cruxis?"
Kratos stared at her. He had already feared as much based on what Elerína had said, and now, he took Alice's words as a confirmation.
"Then at least tell me the names they are using! I just want to know who they are!"
"I can't! I swore an oath! And I don't intend to break it."
"If you won't tell me, then - "
"Then what? What do you want to do? Torturing me won't work. And I have no weakness – at least none you know about. You can't force me to reveal something I don't want to."
"Then I'll kill you!", he almost shouted, losing his composure.
She wasn't impressed at all.
"Not a good idea. If you do that, the secret would die with me. Elerína would exact cruel revenge if anything were to happen to me because of you."
Kratos was feeling more and more desperate. For a brief moment, Alice looked pained.
"I have a right to know", he repeated quietly.
"I know."
Alice started pacing while wringing her hands through her hair, seeming torn. After what seemed like forever, she stopped and turned halfway to face him.
"I will tell you. However - " she raised one hand to stop him from saying anything - "I'll decide when and where."
"Do I have your word?"
"Yes. My word of honour."
She approached Kratos and held out her left hand. He stared at it in surprise.
"You're supposed to offer your right hand", he told her, assuming that she might not know this.
Alice arched an eyebrow, seeming amused, and outright refused to follow his advice.
With a huff, Kratos stepped forward and grasped her arm to seal their bargain. Alice's grip was firm, her eyes unwavering.
"Mithos plans to attack you."
"I know. We expected something like that to happen ever since I declared war."
"You don't seem too worried", he observed.
"We are prepared. Now all we can do is wait."
"I tried to stop him."
"I know that as well", she replied, her eyes softening. "It is a good thing to see that at least one of the Cruxis' leaders is using his head. But you needn't worry about us, we don't intend to lose this war."
Kratos hesitated a moment before asking, "Isn't there anything you can tell me? It doesn't have to be terribly important. Just tiny little bits. Please."
"That – would be tricky. I – need to consider and weigh many things here, you know... Oh, but there is something I can tell you, though it does not relate to your daughters."
"Very well. What is it?"
"I managed to convince Larkin to take your money. He was not happy about it, though, and kept protesting the entire time. I may or may not have used some rather underhanded tricks to get him to give in."
"I see. You have my thanks for that."
"You're trying to repay him, aren't you? And atone for the things you did?"
"I am."
Alice let out a huff. "Larkin doesn't hate you, nor does he blame you for what happened."
"That's easy for him to say if he doesn't know the whole truth!", Kratos exclaimed.
"How do you know that he doesn't know?"
"Because he would never forgive me if he did!"
"Are you so certain of that?", she asked, taking half a step closer. "Isn't this just your guilty conscience speaking?"
She lifted her right hand and touched two fingers to his temple. Kratos froze.
Just now, when she'd moved her hand, he'd noticed something. The ring. The same one she'd worn when that portrait in Palmacosta had been painted, no doubt. Kratos had never seen her wear it before, though by now, he was certain that it had to be what she had been hiding underneath that glove. She must have pocketed it before disembowelling that deer.
But why? Why was she hiding it? What kind of significance did it have? It had to be important, or she wouldn't go to such great lengths to make sure no one ever saw it.
"Kratos, your mind is hurting. You need to stop thinking like this, or I fear you will destroy yourself."
"Would that be really that bad?"
Her eyes widened in alarm. "Don't say things like that! Don't you have anything to live for? You have three children, for crying out loud!"
"All of whom apparently detest me", he retorted. "I haven't felt particularly attached to life for a long time."
"I – guess I can emphasise with that", she replied, her eyes full of compassion. "I, too, occasionally wish for death... though, usually, there is someone there to pick me up and remind me of the good things in this world, the things worth fighting for. Even if the future might seem dark and without hope, we must soldier on. If we give up, we will never know what might have been."
"I – guess so", Kratos replied haltingly.
He could understand where Alice was coming from, but their respective situations were very different. There were only two ways to reunite the worlds, after all: Convince Mithos to abandon his plan, or kill Kratos. And, given Mithos' mental state and obsessive attachment to his sister, there simply was no happy ending in store for Kratos.
Alice searched his face, her eyes probing, and was apparently satisfied with what she found, for she retracted her hand.
Kratos was very quick to react. His left hand shot up and closed around her wrist, yanking it towards him. Alice yelped, startled, and lost her footing, stumbling toward him. However, she recovered before Kratos could get a look at her hand and moved into his personal space, reducing his ability to manoeuvrer her arm. And the next moment, they were grappling, trying to overwhelm the other.
"Let go of me!", Alice ground out.
"No. You're hiding something. I want to know what it is", Kratos snapped.
Alice let out a grunt. Kratos had a slight advantage, since he was taller and had control over her right arm, but Alice was not about to make this easy. She kept trying to free her trapped wrist, but Kratos' grip was like iron.
Suddenly, her body went slack, and the next moment, wind magic slammed into him, tossing him halfway across the clearing. Kratos scrambled to his feet, fearing another attack – but Alice was still in the same spot, cradling her right hand against her chest, her shoulders slumped.
Kratos couldn't quite read the expression on her face, but he realised he'd just made a mistake – crossed a line he shouldn't have. Tentatively, he took a step in her direction.
Her head snapped up.
"Stay back!"
Blue flames erupted all around her, and Kratos froze on the spot – he hadn't realised she could create flames that hot. Angel or not, he'd have to stake his life if he wanted to get anywhere remotely close to her.
"I think you should leave!", she yelled over the roaring of the flames. "I no longer feel like entertaining you."
Kratos stared at her for a few seconds, dismayed. Part of him feared that he had just destroyed something, though he wasn't quite certain about the "what", if he was being honest. The flames surged even higher, and Kratos decided to retreat – he didn't think it wise to push her when she was in such a state.
As he passed into the thicket, the flames disappeared. Kratos frowned as he tried to make sense of what had just happened. He had expected her to be angry with him, to launch an attack – instead, she had hidden herself away behind a wall, as though she wanted to protect herself.
But why? Had he violated some kind of elven taboo? Did she react badly to being touched? Kratos couldn't remember her having been very physically affectionate on their travels, she'd always kept her distance from others, except when she'd healed someone. Or maybe – had he triggered something?
A guttural mix of a scream and a sob rent the air. Kratos spun around, but couldn't see anything because of the thick foliage. The small hairs on his arms were standing on ends and he had goosebumps. There had been so much pain in that scream that Kratos was certain he had, indeed, triggered something.
He took a step backwards, then another, before turning and breaking into a run. Somehow, running away made him feel better. He told himself that he wasn't being a coward – neither of them would gain anything if he stuck around. He was doing them both a favour.
Once he felt slightly less stressed out, Kratos warped away. When he reached Vinheim, he shut himself in his rooms, determined not to come out in the foreseeable future.
Upon reaching Meltokio, they saw to their dismay that the gates were closed and two guards had been posted outside. Zelos didn't let that slow him down, however. The men had noticed them, but to Lloyd's greatest surprise, they didn't attack.
"Chosen One... the pope has ordered us to arrest you. Please leave, before someone notices you!"
Zelos sighed. "Too bad. Let's get out of here!"
He turned left and walked alongside the wall. The guards looked after them, but soon lost interest.
Lloyd noticed that there was a large opening in the wall that was barred with thick iron bars. A small drain came out of the city via the gate and on one side, a narrow path led into the darkness.
"Here we are!", Zelos said, grinning broadly. "My private way to enter the city whenever the gates are closed during the night."
"Why were you out so late at night?", Colette asked.
"I can give you a demonstration later, if you like", he replied, winking.
"Zelos!", Sheena spat at him. "Stop that!"
"Isn't this a bit risky – for the city's safety, I mean?", Raine asked.
"I don't think so. It's not that simple to get in. The place is crawling with monsters and there are lots of locked doors in there, you have to know how to open them... took me a while to figure that out."
"Why is there a brook underneath the city?", Genis asked.
"This is the Meltokio Sewer System", Zelos explained. "It's a bit smelly, but better than breaking in through the main gate, don't you think?"
Zelos produced a bunch of keys from his pockets and opened the door to let them inside, then, he locked the door again.
"Does the pope know about this entrance?", Lloyd asked.
"Most likely", Zelos replied with a shrug. "But I doubt he'll get his fat ass down here or send his men – too filthy for his taste."
Zelos led the way. It was gloomy at first and then, it was pitch black. Raine created a globe of light and made it hover above their heads so they could see where they were going.
Zelos had been right about the road not being easy, and the monsters made sure they didn't get bored, either. Without Zelos' help, they would have to force their way through every door, and gotten lost on top of that. After all, they didn't want to pop out right next to the palace.
"We're almost to the Research Academy now", Zelos said.
He led the group alongside one of the drains towards a flight of stairs.
"Good", Lloyd sighed. "This place is starting to annoy me..."
"Lloyd, you're annoying... You always get bored too quickly."
"Shut up, Genis!"
"Do you two always quarrel like that?", Zelos asked, amused.
"Any time Lloyd says something stupid. And that happens a lot."
Lloyd wanted to give a tart reply, but had no time. Ahead of them, several figures emerged from of the gloom. They were dressed in rags and carrying wooden clubs.
"Hand over the Chosen of Sylvarant, or we'll kill you all!", one of them shouted.
"You intend to attack us armed with wooden clubs?", Lloyd asked in disbelief.
He drew his right sword. The attackers stopped, looking slightly uncertain.
"Who are you beggars anyway, and who sent you?", Zelos asked.
"The pope promised to lessen our sentence if we killed the chosen for him."
"That's just great. Now the pope is sending convicts after us..." He took a few steps toward the men. "You know what? Better scurry back to your prison cells before I get angry."
The convicts backed away. And then everything happened very fast. A man jumped down from the platform above, knocked Zelos off his feet and put a foot on his back. Zelos let out a groan.
The man had waist-long blue hair bound into a loose ponytail, he was wearing greaves strapped to his legs and his hands were bound with handcuffs. And he was tall – taller than anyone Lloyd had met so far – and he'd thought that Kratos was tall.
"Don't move. Hand over the Chosen of Sylvarant, or something bad will happen to this Chosen here."
The way he spoke didn't match his looks. He sounded as if he'd at least been to a university.
"Hey, Lloyd, if you abandon me now, I'll come back to haunt you, I swear!", Zelos announced.
"I just felt a strong, violent urge to abandon you", Lloyd muttered, rolling his eyes.
"Presea, don't!", Genis shouted.
Presea ignored him. Raising her axe, she approached the stranger.
"Enemy."
He froze. Presea brandished her axe, and he jumped backwards just in time.
"You!", the man exclaimed, startled.
Zelos got to his feet and dashed back to hide behind Lloyd.
"Phew..."
The man with the handcuffs was still staring at Presea, then, he turned to the others.
"Let us retreat for now."
Soon, the darkness had swallowed them.
"What was that all about?", Lloyd asked, sheathing his sword.
The others shrugged. Raine checked Presea and Zelos for injuries, but both of them were fine.
They climbed out of the sewers and then quickly made their way to the research academy. The academy lay in the outer ring, close to the wall separating the first from the second level. Once inside, Sheena was warmly greeted by several researchers – all of them half-elves.
"Hello, Sheena! And Corinne!"
Corinne made his fur stand on ends. "I hate this place!"
"This is Corinne's birthplace, so to speak", Sheena explained. "He is an artificially created Summon Spirit."
Raine's eyes widened. "Fascinating!"
"Hey, guys, we're in trouble", Sheena said to the researchers. "We need to get to Sybak, but the bridge was closed off. Can you help us?"
"Well, you could cross the sea using an Elemental Cargo", one of them suggested.
"Are you insane?!", Sheena exclaimed.
"What's that?", Lloyd asked.
"Elemental Cargo, typically called EC", Presea explained. "It's a compact transport vehicle controlled by Exspheres. Its maximum load weight is 1.400 kg and its maximum speed is more than three times faster than an upgraded Exsphere-equipped carriage. They are currently primarily used by shipping companies for delivery services."
They all stared at her. Presea had never before spoken this much.
"Hey! What are we, packages?", Zelos complained.
"The Elemental Cargo absorbs mana from the atmosphere and ejects it into the air, producing a counter-reaction that propels it forward", one of the researchers explained. "So, if we use Undine for that, we can get an EC that can surf."
Raine looked as if she was going to get sick just from hearing the word "surf".
"Isn't there any other way?", Lloyd asked.
"You don't have the necessary identifications to use an ocean liner, plus, you're travelling with half-elves."
"Not that again", Genis moaned.
"That's the kind of world Tethe'alla is. We, too, hardly ever get to leave this building. We always greatly enjoy Alice's visits, for example – she also supplies us with raw materials we'd never get from the elves."
"Alice comes here?", Lloyd asked.
"Sometimes. We haven't seen her in a while, though."
"I wonder why everyone can't get along", Colette said.
"Ah, well, there's no point in getting all gloomy", Zelos said. "So, will you modify the EC for us?"
"Yes. Shouldn't take too long. You can come pick it up tomorrow morning."
They decided to spend the night at Zelos' manor. Since Raine suspected that the pope's men would be watching the sewers, they stayed above the surface and tried to blend in with the people milling about. Sheena sent Corinne ahead to check if the route they wanted to use was clear of knights. Some people recognised Zelos, but they either didn't know he was a wanted man, or pretended like they hadn't seen him. Lloyd guessed that Zelos was more popular than the pope.
Zelos' manor was situated not far from the castle. Even though it wasn't as ornately decorated as the palace had been, Lloyd could tell that Zelos' family was very well-off. Zelos instructed his butler, Sebastian, to ready rooms for the guests and have dinner prepared. Lloyd had to admit that the servants were excellent at their jobs, getting everything ready on such short notice, though clearing the dining table of all the gifts Zelos had been sent by various women took a while.
Zelos sat with his back facing a life-size painting of a woman with blonde hair. While he was distracted, Lloyd asked Sheena about this, as he found it odd. Sheena informed him in a whisper that the woman was Mylene, Zelos' mother. Lloyd frowned, but decided not to press for more information. Zelos hadn't mentioned his family so far, and Lloyd didn't want to come across as intrusive.
By now, everyone had noticed that Genis had a crush on Presea. Unfortunately for him, she didn't realise that.
The following morning, they returned to the institute to pick up the EC. One of the researchers handed Lloyd a small satchel.
"Here you go."
"Thanks – but where is the EC?"
"Inside."
Lloyd stared at him. "You've got to be kidding me! You're pulling my leg, aren't you? How on earth should it fit into this?"
"You don't know what a Wing Pack is?", Zelos asked in disbelief.
"They don't have that kind of technology in Sylvarant", Sheena reminded him.
"Oh. Right."
"A Wing Pack can store numerous items as long as they don't exceed the maximum mass capacity", the researcher explained. "Sheena can show you how to use it."
"I think I get it. Anyway, thanks for your help."
As soon as they had reached the ocean, Sheena took the EC out of the Wing Pack. It was a rather large vehicle, and more than big enough for them. Sheena summoned Undine and had her charge the EC with her mana. After that, they boarded and started the engines.
The EC was much faster than the sailing boat they had been travelling on previously – but not as fast as the Rheairds. Within a short period of time, they had reached Sybak.
Upon entering the city, they ran into Kratos. Startled, Lloyd stopped dead.
"Kratos!", he shouted. "Are you trying to take Colette away?!"
The others formed a protective circle around her while Lloyd drew his right sword.
"I have no intention of fighting you inside the city", Kratos replied calmly.
He drew his own sword so quickly, Lloyd had no time to react. The blow knocked him off his feet and he dropped his sword.
"Argh!"
"You still lack the skills to defeat me", Kratos observed while sheathing his sword.
"Don't insult me!", Lloyd shouted, reaching for his sword and jumping to his feet.
"I merely speak the truth."
He rather effortlessly pushed Sheena and Presea aside and stopped a few strides from Colette.
"Chosen One. If you wish to live, you must remove that worthless Key Crest."
"No. I'm never taking it off. Lloyd gave this to me."
"Foolish sentiments."
Kratos turned and left. They looked after him, not quite understanding what had happened.
"He wasn't after Colette?", Genis asked.
None of them could guess what he had been doing in Sybak, so, they decided to ignore that incident and move on.
Kate was rather surprised to see them again, apparently she hadn't believed them at all.
"We've saved our friends and came back with Presea, just as promised", Lloyd said.
Kate took a closer look at Raine and Genis.
"Yes, you are right... the strange mana produced by the fusion of human and elven blood... You really do have half-elf friends."
"I've heard the story", Raine said. "So, Presea's creating a Cruxis Crystal inside her body?"
"Yes, that's correct. We call it the Angelus Project. The Exsphere itself is nothing special. It's just that a special Key Crest is placed on it. It delays the Exsphere's parasitic process, which can take place over a few days or up to several decades. It seems that this can cause Exspheres to mutate into Cruxis Crystals."
"The Angelus Project – that's the one my mum died for", Lloyd whispered.
"Is the parasitic infection the reason why Presea's emotional response is being subdued?", Raine asked.
"So she's just like Colette", Genis said quietly.
Colette looked horrified.
"If we leave Presea like this, what will happen to her?", she asked.
"When the parasitic process is complete... she will die."
"That's horrible!", Genis exclaimed. "Please, save her! What did she ever do to you?!"
"Nothing. She hasn't done anything. She just matched in the compatibility test."
"You promised. You're going to save her, right?", Lloyd said.
"Yes, I know. You didn't discriminate against half-elves... I'll keep my promise."
"Kate! Are you sure?", her colleague asked. "If you do that, you'll - "
"A promise is a promise. In order to save Presea, speak to a dwarf named Altessa who lives deep inside the Gaoracchia Forest."
"There are dwarves on this side, too?!", Lloyd asked.
"Yes. He and I participated in this experiment by the order of the pope."
"Sheesh, not that pathetic old man again...", Zelos moaned.
"Don't call him a pathetic old man!", Kate protested.
"Oh, my. That's unusual – a half-elf siding with the pope."
"I'm – not siding with him. Anyway, have Altessa repair Presea's Key Crest."
"Lloyd, can't you fix it?", Colette asked.
"To be honest, I can't even tell the difference between this and a normal Key Crest", he replied. "It'd probably be faster to search for that dwarf."
"Let's get going, then", Sheena said.
"Yeah. But I wonder – could there be a connection between the pope and the Desians?"
"I'm wondering about that, too", Raine said.
"Don't disturb me unless the world is about to end", Kratos growled at a servant who had the most unfortunate timing in the world. "Otherwise, I won't be held responsible for what might happen to the fool who ignored my orders."
"Yes, Lord Kratos", the angel replied, her face expressionless.
Kratos kicked the door to his suite open and then slammed it shut for good measure before tossing cape and sword aside and kicking off his boots.
Why on earth did he have to run into Lloyd and his posse in Sybak? And why today, of all days?! Fate must really hate him.
Today is the twins' 18th birthday. My son tried to pick a fight with me, and my daughter is hiding from me. Both of them hate me. I almost fondly think back to their last birthday, when I still believed both of them were dead.
Kratos collapsed onto a divan and buried his face in his hands.
"Origin... Why is my life such a damn mess?", he groaned, not really expecting an answer.
Kratos had been struggling with depression for the last 15 years, but it hadn't been this bad in a long time. He had learned to live with the pain of having lost his family – through his own fault, no less. Having discovered that Lloyd had somehow survived had brought him both joy and pain – and by now, the pain was almost unbearable. The fact that his also very much alive daughters hated him as much as Lloyd did certainly not help his mental state.
And Kratos couldn't really expect any sympathy from Yuan or Mithos, either – both of them were too caught up in their own problems to care that their friend was slowly going insane.
Sheena told them that they would have to cross the Gaoracchia Forest to reach Altessa's house, and suggested that they should spend the night in Ozette before continuing on, since they wouldn't make it quite that far before nightfall.
"Isn't Mizuho in this area, too?", Zelos asked.
"Somewhere, yes. But we don't like to have visitors unless it's for trade or an assignment."
The forest was gloomy and creepy, and crawling with monsters on top of that. They were lucky Presea knew the way, as it seemed very easy to get lost.
"Zelos, how many cities are there on Tethe'alla?", Lloyd asked after a while.
"Well, first of all, we got four continents. The Fuji Continent you already know. Our capital is there, as well as the Hot Springs on an island to the north. This here is the Gaoracchia Continent. Here are the villages of Sybak, Ozette and Mizuho – and the Tower of Salvation, of course. To the north-east lie the ice-lands of Flanoir, there's only that one city up there, it mostly thrives on tourism. The last continent is the Altamira Continent. The city of Altamira is owned by Duke Bryant. I'd love to go there again... so many pretty girls... it's like paradise."
"Pervert", Sheena muttered.
Zelos decided to ignored that.
"The last city is Heimdall, but that one is off-limits", he continued his explanation. "The elves are even worse than Sheena's people, you may only enter their territory when you got permission from the king. The elves like to keep to themselves and shroud themselves in mystery. I once tried to get Alice to give me some information..."
"And?", Lloyd asked.
"She beat me up", Zelos said quietly.
"Clever girl", Sheena observed.
"Oh, just be quiet!"
"Please excuse me."
The blue-haired man from the Meltokio sewers had apparently followed them and was now moving towards them.
"You!", Lloyd shouted, moving to stand in front of his friends. "What do you want?"
"I apologise for the circumstances of our last meeting. That girl – you call her Presea, correct? Please – let me speak with her."
"Are you crazy, or did you forget that you just tried to kill us?!", Genis asked furiously.
"I cannot speak for any of the others, I, however, never intended to take your lives. My orders were simply to retrieve a girl named Colette."
"Fine", Lloyd decided. "As long as you don't get too close to Colette."
Lloyd moved to stand in front of her, but he needn't have bothered. The stranger only had eyes for Presea. He approached her cautiously, although she didn't seem to care much. The next moment, he let out a gasp.
"An Exsphere! You are yet another victim?!"
He reached out with both his manacled hands. Presea slapped them away.
"Presea's in danger!", Genis shouted, blasting the man into a tree with a spell.
The convict sagged to the ground, unconscious.
"Genis, he wasn't even touching her!", Lloyd scolded.
"Oops. Sorry – guess I kinda overreacted..."
"Yes, you did", his sister confirmed.
"What do we do now?", Sheena asked.
"We can't just leave him", Colette urged.
"I agree", Raine said. "Besides, I'd like to hear his story. We neither know who he is, how he is linked to the pope nor why he wanted to talk to Presea. We should question him once he wakes up again."
"Fine", Sheena said. "Hey, Zelos, carry the big bloke for us."
"What? I'm supposed to carry that ogre all by myself?"
Zelos couldn't even lift him off the ground, despite his best efforts.
"Wait, Zelos, I'll help you!", Colette announced.
"Thank you, my darling Colette! Us chosen need to look out for one another, don't you think?"
"Yes!"
Colette bent down and lifted the convict off the ground without much effort.
"Oh, he is lighter than I thought. I think I can carry him by myself."
Everyone stared at her.
"Is that because of the Cruxis Crystal?", Genis asked.
"Probably", Lloyd replied.
Raine shook her head. "Men are so useless these days..."
Colette tried to haul him over her shoulders, but since he was so tall, his legs were too long and so his feet dragged on the ground.
"Colette, I think he's waking up", Lloyd said after a while.
With a quiet moan, the man turned his head. Colette carefully put him down at the base of a tree. The others formed a semicircle around him.
"Don't make any suspicious moves!", Lloyd warned him.
"I like to think I'm smart enough not to start trouble when I don't understand a situation", he replied, slowly rising into a crouch.
"You're our prisoner for the time being."
"I see."
"We have a couple of questions", Raine said.
"I expected as much. Well?"
"Who are you, and why are you after Colette?"
"And what business do you have with the ol' pope?", Zelos added.
"My name is Regal. I usually have no dealings with the pope whatsoever, but he promised to punish another criminal if I brought him the Chosen of Sylvarant."
"So, you came after us to capture her."
"No. It is because of that girl – Presea." He gave her a measuring look. "Why is she so – passive?"
"That is caused by her Exsphere – it's turning into a Cruxis Crystal. She's slowly losing her humanity – just like Colette before", Lloyd explained. "Apparently, Presea can be saved if her Key Crest gets fixed, so we're on our way to see a dwarf."
"I see. Would you allow me to come with you?"
"Are you crazy? You're our enemy."
"Lloyd, why don't we let him fight for us?", Raine asked.
"Professor?"
"He has business with Presea. Until he gets a chance to talk to her, he won't try anything funny."
"I see your point. Well, Regal, will you fight for us?"
Regal got to his feet and held out his hands.
"I will. I swear on these shackles that bind me that I will not betray your trust."
"If you do anything even the slightest bit suspicions, I'll burn you to a crisp, got that?!", Genis warned.
"Welcome to our group, Regal!", Colette said, smiling.
It didn't take them long to reach Ozette. Presea suddenly seemed to be in a hurry and ran off.
"Presea, wait!", Genis called.
Genis ran after her, and the others hurried to follow them.
Several people turned to watch.
"It's Presea..."
"That cursed girl..."
Lloyd gave them a surprised look, but had no time to worry about it.
Presea's house lay on the other side of the village – which in itself wasn't very large. Presea was standing in front of the door, talking to a man with purple hair and glasses, who was wearing strange clothes. As they approached, he looked up.
"Are these guests, too?"
"Porters..."
"I see. You may continue with your work now."
"Understood."
Presea disappeared into the house.
"Only Presea can retrieve the Sacred Wood", he said, as if that would explain everything. After that, he left.
"That man – he was a half-elf", Raine said quietly.
"Then he must have some regular business with her, or else he wouldn't be here", Regal replied. "The people of Ozette are known for their extreme hatred towards half-elves."
Genis looked slightly unsettled by that.
"Let's go inside", Sheena suggested.
Presea was busy arranging tools for cutting and shaping wood. Raine stopped dead.
"That smell..."
Presea dropped her tools and opened a door leading into another room. The others followed, noticing that the stench grew more pungent.
The room was occupied by three beds. The two small ones were empty and in the big one lay – a corpse.
Colette let out a shriek and clasped her hands in front of her face. Sheena grabbed her by the shoulders and propelled her out of the room.
"This is horrible", Lloyd whispered.
"Yes", Regal agreed. "It truly is."
Sheena re-entered the room.
"Raine, you'd better check on Colette, she's not feeling well..."
The healer left. Presea was standing next to the bed, apparently unsure what to do. After several minutes, she went back into the other room to continue her work. Sheena approached the bed.
"This body has already decayed by a great deal, he must've been lying here for some time", she said. "He probably died while Presea was unable to realise what was happening. Maybe he was ill, too."
"Is this why the townspeople fear her?", Lloyd asked.
"Perhaps, but I wonder if the Exsphere has other effects on her as well."
Shocked and appalled, they left the house.
As they were having dinner at the local inn, Lloyd overheard a conversation between two serving girls. They were talking about a man who had been visiting the village recently.
"Let me tell you, that guy was really something. A bit earnest, almost sad, but really good-looking."
"Well? Do you know his name?"
"It was a strange one – Kratos."
"Kratos was here, too?!", Lloyd interrupted.
The girls looked at him.
"You know him?"
"Unfortunately, yes."
"What did he want?", Raine asked.
"He was looking for something that could melt the legendary ore Aionis. He said he needed a special kind of wood that burns at a higher temperature than normal wood."
"But that doesn't even exist!", Genis exclaimed. "How on earth does he intend to melt a fictional ore?!"
"He's crazy", Lloyd muttered.
"Hey! Don't say anything mean about Kratos!", one of the girls protested.
"You don't know a thing! Don't talk about things you know nothing about!"
Furious, Lloyd stomped out of the room and retreated upstairs, where he flung himself face-down on his bed.
Dammit, Kratos... Just why did you deceive us like that?!
A/N:
Colette actually has a victory pose early in the game where she drops one of her chakrams instead of catching it after throwing it in the air.
Alice isn't above emotionally manipulating family members to get them to do what she wants. In this case, she understands and empathises with Kratos' need to "make amends" and recognises that this important to her father. She does also understand Larkin's hesitation, but decides to consider Kratos' feelings more important. Besides, she does feel like making it up to Larkin, too, which, objectively speaking, is nonsense, but, you know. Alice is the child who resembles Kratos most.
Usually, Alice is the more rational twin – the one making plans and considering variables and the potential ramifications of her actions, while Lloyd acts on instinct, guided by his emotions. However, Alice has a habit of tossing logic and rationality out of the window as soon as someone who is not an enemy needs help or is hurting. Kratos' bout of self-loathing and suicidal thoughts stress her out to the point she forgets that she has to hide the ring – something she's been doing up until now. Her only focus in that moment is to stop her dad from hurting.
Kratos sure has a habit of putting both of his feet in his mouth whenever he talks to Alice, though this time, it got a little out of hand. Anyone want to wager a guess as to what memory, exactly, he triggered here? Poor Alice.
Also, Kratos is incredibly lucky that he keeps messing up with the kid who loves him unconditionally despite all the things he's done. If he tried pulling this kind of shit on Rína, she'd kill him on the spot.
Alice's blue flames were inspired by Azula, by the way, though I do appreciate Flamebringer references, too.
Running or walking actually helps you de-stress, as running away from dangerous situations is a habit deeply ingrained in our reptile brain, the oldest part of our brain. It is in charge of keeping us alive and controls the fight/flight/play dead reflexes.
The scene with Kratos and Alice received a seizable extension, too – originally, it ended with Kratos warning Alice about the impending attack, and they parted on rather amicable terms. And then I decided this needed more drama.
Girlfriend Commentary
"A very remarkable person. Graduated from the academy at age 12... a real pity she didn't want to go on a date with me." (Yeah, I suspected he would have tried to go there)
"You shall pay for making a fool of me!" (You will pay for your insolence)
"He intends to attack Heimdall." (Lloyd, remember how your sister apparently knows the Lady of Heimdall? Now would be a perfect moment to use that direct line to warn them)
"What?! Is he mad?! Has he forgotten the last time the elves went to war? Besides, they have Alice and Elerína." (Yuan trying his best to not seem too worried about his adoptive daughter)
"I know", Kratos replied calmly. "I told him my view of things – I'm against it. Now he wants to know what you think – and in the end he'll just do as he pleases anyway." (what else is new?)
"Lord Yggdrassil doesn't consider it 'twisted'." (I mean, he does, just for very different reasons, and the reasons he thinks it's a twisted world are not born from what he did)
Kratos stared at her. He had already feared as much based on what Elerína had said, and now he took Alice's words as a confirmation. (Poor Kratos)
"Then at least tell me the names they are using! I just want to know who they are!"(HOW IS HE SO DENSE? I mean, they are using the exact names he gave them…)
"Then I'll kill you!", he almost shouted, losing his composure. (Oh, yeah, killing Alice will surely solve the problem of finding your daughter ALICE)
"Elerína would exact cruel revenge if anything were to happen to me because of you." (You will definitely find out who your daughters are then though…)
"I managed to convince Larkin to take your money. He was not happy about it, though, and kept protesting the entire time. I may or may not have used some rather underhanded tricks to get him to give in." (Liar, that does relate to at least one of Kratos' daughters… Also love it, Alice blackmailing her family)
She lifted her right hand and touched two fingers to his temple.(shit, I stopped breathing) Kratos froze. (Yeah, me too)
"Would that be really that bad?" (Someone punch that self-hatred out of him, please)
"I haven't felt particularly attached to life for a long time." (cue Alice getting even more depressed)
"I, too, occasionally wish for death... (ouch) though, usually, there is someone there to pick me up and remind me of the good things in this world, the things worth fighting for. (I have a suspicion it's Aodhan…)
And, given Mithos' mental state and obsessive attachment to his sister, there simply was no happy ending in store for Kratos. (Oh good grief!)
Kratos couldn't quite read the expression on her face, but he realised he'd just made a mistake – crossed a line he shouldn't have. (nooooo, *pout* you need to hug!)
"I think you should leave!", she yelled over the roaring of the flames. "I no longer feel like entertaining you." (sniff)
Once he felt slightly less stressed out, Kratos teleported to Vinheim and shut himself in his rooms, determined not to come out in the foreseeable future. (Crying now…)
"Hey, Lloyd, if you abandon me now, I'll come back to haunt you, I swear!", Zelos announced. "I just felt a strong, violent urge to abandon you", Lloyd muttered. (Aww, Lloyd likes Zelos so much he wants him to hang around forever…)
I almost fondly think back to their last birthday, when I still believed both of them were dead.(lol)
Kratos couldn't really expect any sympathy from Yuan or Mithos, either – both of them were too caught up in their own problems to care that their friend was slowly going insane.(Aww, poor Kratos, really needs a hug)