Twin Swords Make the Perfect Dual Blade

By: Wonder Chef's Cupcake

Synopsis: Before leaving with Derris Kharlan, Kratos decides to give Yuan a letter. The letter asked that is anything was to happen to Dirk, he wished for him to take care of Lloyd in his absence. And, as fate may have it, Dirk is transformed into a monster, putting Lloyd in the same situation as his father. Yuan, keeping his promise, takes Lloyd into his care…with not-so-open arms…

Notes: Hah, I decided to write chapter 1! I'm going to try to make this as long as possible! (watch it only be like 5 pages….;;) Since I'm making it longer than usual, it may be slow going. Oh yes, cuteness warning and sadness warning. ;; This is going to hard…So please like it, I will try my hardest to fulfill my duties as an authoress! Also, mega uber thankies are due to Dark Magician Fairy for Dirk's death to be the monster transformation. So thank you so much! And here I was leaning toward some cheesy overused deadly sickness. So thank so much again! Want me to dedicate this chapter to you? Nahhh. I'll dedicate it to ALL my reviewer friends! Love you all and hope you enjoy it!

+Chapter One: Myriad of Silent Tears+

"There you are Kratos….where did you go?" Lloyd asked, looking up at the taller man, his reddish brown eyes sparkling. Kratos sat next to the boy and answered, "I needed to give something to Yuan…Sorry for not telling you." Lloyd shook his head, his brown hair rustling side to side.

"Don't worry about it. I'm just glad that you're here."

Kratos smiled softly and said, "Yes, me too. Thank you for bringing me out here. I wanted at least one fond memory with my son before I leave." Lloyd smiled and said, "Yeah…Too bad I'm not still a kid…Otherwise I'd make you carry me." He laughed, and then stared at the sky. Standing up, Kratos grabbed Lloyd's arm, and heaved him off the ground to set him on his shoulder.

"Whoa! Da-…Kratos! Warn me before you do that!" Lloyd yelped, clutching onto the man's reddish hair. He laughed and said, "Lloyd, you still must be a kid then if I can pick you up!"

"No fair!"

Lloyd couldn't help but smiling. All his childhood memories began to slowly come back to him. It saddened him though, because he knew that in the morning, his father would be leaving him forever. But he thought to himself, that it was ok, because he lucky enough to even meet his father, let alone fight alongside him. And it was moments like this that made it all worthwhile.

"Kratos …Thank you…" Kratos looked up at Lloyd and asked, "What for?" "For everything. For teaching me how to fight effectively. For watching out for my well being, even when you weren't with me. For being with me, like you are now. Thank you, for it all. I'm so happy to have met you."

Kratos shut his eyes and looked down, saying nothing. He was overwhelmed with feelings he thought he had lost years ago. Setting Lloyd back onto the ground, he stared at him, a deepening sadness swelling within him. Without warning, he hugged Lloyd, tears rolling down his cheeks.

"You needn't thank me. I need to thank you."

Lloyd, who was shocked by Kratos' kind behavior, awkwardly hugged him back. "Um…sure. No problem…." Getting used to the act of affection, he smiled and hugged Kratos in a much more comfortable manner.

"You're welcome….Dad."

Out there, under the stars, Lloyd realized that his father would always be there with him, no matter what…

+A few weeks later…+

Yuan looked up, brushing his hair out of his sweaty face. It was about two weeks after Kratos had left for Derris Kharlan, and he had decided to see if there was any data on the Aurion family in his archives. He sat in the middle of his office, untidy stacks of research papers piled around him. After many hours of searching, he had just about lost hope. Standing up, he began to place the papers in their respective file cabinets.

Without warning, the door slammed open and a Renegade ran in, holding out a piece of paper. "Sir! Excuse my rudeness, but we found a paper regarding the Angelus Project! We thought you should see it."

Yuan turned around and snatched the paper from the soldier. He mumbled as he read,

"To whom this may concern: As a experiment for the Angelus Project, Lord Yggdrasill has decided to try implanting an exsphere into other life forms beside humans to see what kind of reaction would happen. As our first specimen, we have singled out a dwarf as Host Body 001; name, Dirk Irving. The exsphere was implanted into 001 on 4-25. We haven't any idea how long it will take to create the Cruxis Crystal, or if the project is a failure. It shouldn't take more than a few months though. Lord Yggdrasill will keep a close eye on 001 for any strange behavior.

Sincerely,

Kvar of the 5 Grand Cardinals."

Yuan's face paled and he commanded in a frightened voice, "Get me a Rheaird ready! NOW!" The soldier saluted and said, "Yes sir!" and ran off to the hangar. Putting his hand to his face, Yuan mumbled, "Did Kratos know something like this was going to happen…?"

+At the Irving residence…+

"Hey Dad, are you alright?" Lloyd asked the dwarf, rubbing his back. Dirk hadn't looked well for a while now, which was strange because it was rare for a dwarf to get ill. His dark complex was much whiter, and his chocolate brown eyes were tinted with a red hue. He also had dark purplish bags under his eyes, indicating he hadn't slept in days.

"I'm fine, Lloyd. I probably just have the flu or someth-uggh!"

Dirk was cut of short by a sharp pain in his stomach. He clutched it and fell to the ground, coughing up blood.

"DAD! You need a doctor NOW!" Lloyd said frantically, calling for Noishe.

"No Lloyd, its alright. I'm fine. I just need some rest…"

"No Dad! We need to take you to a doctor!" Lloyd yelled, flailing his arms around.

"Lloyd, theres-ugg….something I need to tell you….While you were on your journey…"

+Sylvarant base+

"Is that Rheaird ready?" Yuan asked frantically, running into the hangar.

"Yes sir! Its ready for take off!" Yuan nodded a thank you, grabbed his dual blade, and hopped onto the small flying contraption.

"Please, let everything be ok…" Yuan said to himself, as he flew out of the base and toward Dirk's house.

+Dirk's House+

"While you were on your journey, a older looking gentleman came here and asked if I wanted to partake in an experiment called the Angelus Project. I had heard of it, because of the information your mother gave me, but I was intrigued. I thought being in an experiment involving exspheres might broaden my knowledge of them. So I agreed. They planted and exsphere into my back and told me that this project was perfectly safe. I, of course, being too trusting, believed them. But ever since that day, I've been in such unbearably pain. I know its too late to remove the exsphere…I only wish I had told them no…"

Lloyd's eyes widened and yelled, "How could you be so stupid!" Dirk looked at Lloyd and said, "I realize it was a stupid mistake, but I realized it much to late. I thought of making a crest, but it would be impossible for me to gather the materials. Besides, I'm an old dwarf anyway. Everyone needs to die someday…"

"NO! Dad! Don't talk like that! I don't want to lose you too! There's got to be a way to stop it!"

Dirk smiled, and said softly, "I appreciate your concern…but its much too late…." A dark purple aura appeared around Dirk and engulfed him.

"NO! DAD!" Lloyd screamed, running toward Dirk. "Stay back Lloyd!" Dirk screamed loudly. The aura shone brightly, than disappeared, leaving a large, lanky monster in the place where Dirk once stood.

It growled and lashed out at Lloyd. Jumping back, Lloyd pulled out his twin swords and said, "I won't kill you Dad!" The monster roared and slashed at him again, cutting his arm. He winced, and stood his place.

"I'm not losing you too!"

The monster seemed to hesitate, and grabbed its head in agony. A pained raspy groaned and said,

"Lloyd…please….end..this..pain…! Lloyd….you've… grown up into… a fine young man…. I'm also… glad to be… called your… father. So let this…. be my… final wish,… and also expiation… for my stupidity;…. let me die at your hands…. so I may rest in… peace…."

"No! Dad! We can treat you! If I could find the professor, we could save you!" "No….By the time you find her…., I would have already killed…. countless innocent people…. I don't …want that….I don't… WANT THAT!"

The monster lashed out again and grabbed Lloyd, tossing him like a doll into the stream. Resurfacing, he hopped onto land and said,

"So, its going to be like it was with Marble for me and Genis…Alicia for Regal…and Mom….for Dad…" Looking at his swords, he asked silently for some help. Any kind of help from anyone….

"LLOYD! ARE YOU ALRIGHT!"

Looking up, he saw a blue-haired man riding on a Rheaird, which hovered above them.

"Yuan! What are you doing here?"

"I'LL EXPLAIN LATER! LETS TAKE CARE OF THIS MATTER FIRST!"

Grabbing his dual blade, he jumped off the Rheaird, causing it to hover away.

"Come on Lloyd, you heard what he asked. He wishes to die without regrets. It'll make him happy to die at the hands of his son…So grant him his wish...I'll help, but I'll just be backup.."

Lloyd nodded, and ran at the monster, a silver trail of tears flying away from him. He began attacking the monster, while Yuan called upon his thunder magic to strike it. The battle waged on for what seemed like ages, until the monster finally began to slump over. "That…was….a…terrific fight…son…please… finish me off…."

Lloyd nodded, and set his swords on either side of the monsters head.

"Thank you…Lloyd…" it said, a shimmering tear ran down the monsters irregular shaped head.

You're welcome….Rest in peace, Dad…" and with one swift motion, he sliced his swords through the monster's head. It fell to the ground with a sickening thud, then began to glow, and eventually disappearing, only leaving behind an exsphere. Bowing his head, he sliced the exsphere, causing it to shatter. Kneeling next to the fragments, he began to sob heavily.

Yuan walked over to him and said, "It couldn't be helped….I'm sorry, Lloyd…" "I've…lost both my dads…I have nowhere to go now…"

Looking up at Yuan, he hugged him, and asked, "What should I do…..?" He sobbed even harder into the man's cape.

Yuan rubbed his back, and said, "Come with me to Sylvarant base. I need to show you something."

Lloyd nodded, standing up. Yuan got up and began to walk toward Iselia forest. Lloyd stared at his house, then at the gravestone. Walking over to it, he said a good-bye to his mother, touched his father's sword, and then, calling Noishe, followed after Yuan into the darkness of the forest.

+End of Chapter 1+

(eyes are all watery) I almost cried writing this…..I'm such a sensitive person! I love how it turned out, I only wish I could have written a better battle scene. I know I made Kratos a uber mega softy, and simply put, OOC. But if anyone's read (or seen) the comic anthologies of TOS, Kratos is a pretty big softy when it comes to Lloyd. Its really cute!J Also, I made Yuan a bit of a softy too, but don't worry, that was temporary. He will be bastard man soon enough. (laughs) Hah, I said at the beginning that this will prolly only be 5 pages. Including this note, it is 5.

I was gonna maybe start drawing this as a doujinshi of some sort, for the fun of it. Give me some feedback on the idea. I am a much better artist than authoress, so it should be a lot of fun. If anyone's interested in seeing my gallery, I'm on and my user name is RikutheCelticCEO. Anyway, I'll try to get chapter two up and going A.S.A.P! Also, I would love to thank everyone for their reviews on my prologue. I was happily surprised to get reviews from new people. Most reviews I get are from my friends! Also, if you're a Wonder Chef or Dark Chef fan, make sure you check out my Ryori no Shinzo: Heart of Cooking story. I also have a Legend of Zelda story, but its not doing very well. Well, in my opinion.

Anyway, thank you for reading chapter 1, and look forward to chapter two.

Luv,

Wonder Chef's Cupcake