A/N: Once again, I apologize for the slow updates. e.e;; Bah, I need... ::dundundun:: SOMETHING BAD TO HAPPEN! But... what? Well (hehe) you'll see. And so will I. O.o; But I had some ideas go through my head through... REVIEWS! Huzzah. n.n
Disclaimer: GENKI DOES NOT OWN A POT OF CHICKEN SOUP.
Genki: WHAT?! THAT'S NOT RIGHT! ::kicks disclaimer::
Disclaimer: OUCH!
Yuan: You hired a disclaimer?
Genki: He needed to work. O.o; Poor guy...
Disclaimer: Forget this! I'll go disclaim somebody else's story while you get sued! ::leaves::
Genki: Yuan, disclaimer.
Yuan: ::in monotone voice:: Genki doesn't own anything somebody else does.
Genki: O.O; Wow, that was good!
Yuan: It's usually what you say.
Genki: That's why! So... tada!
Just Follow Your Heart
Chapter 4
"WWWWAAAAHHHH!!!!"
"Please stop crying!" The new Dad was trying to get his son to stop crying, but this last comment only caused louder wailing. Now covering his ears, Lloyd walked over.
"What's wrong?!"
"He won't stop!" Zelos whined.
"What's wrong with him?!"
"He lost his stupid toy or something!!"
"Okay, okay, Lance, st-stop crying!" Running over to his bag desperately, he came back with something soft and plushie in his arms. "Here, maybe this will keep you company!" He held it out: A teddy bear.
Quieting for a moment (but hopefully stopping altogether), the small boy reached out and took the fake animal. "This is... for me?" He made a 'hic' noise.
"Yeah, it's for you." Lloyd smiled, and Lance glomped him unexpectantly. Falling back, he couldn't help laughing.
"Damn, he's a better father than you," Genis taunted from behind, skillfully dodging the Chosen's attempted blow. "But where'd you get the bear from, Lloyd?"
"My dad gave it to me once when I didn't stop crying," he explained. "I've carried it around since we left Iselia for the journey of regeneration."
"A... teddy bear?"
"It was from my blood related father."
The half-elf was quiet. "Oh, I mean--"
"Anyway, I thought Lance would like it."
"Thank you, Daddy!" Shoving the bear under one arm, he hugged the swordsman, Lloyd returning the gesture.
"Lloyd, Zelos, Genis!" Colette came running towards the small group, Crystal trying to keep up in tow. "The professor wants to go now!"
"All right, all right," Lloyd chuckled, taking Lance off of him so he could get up and carry the child on his shoulders.
"Daddy, can you carry me too?" the other twin asked, eyes bubbly and arms out to be held.
"Of course!" He picked her up and carried her in his arms.
"...how come they love him more than me?" Zelos whined.
"Because you're dumb," Genis snickered before avoiding another whack.
"And how do you do that?!"
"Because Raine does it too much and you're slow."
"Zelos, Genis!" Lloyd shouted before they ran for him, being sure to keep their distance from each other.
Just Follow Your Heart
"There should be a House of Salvation not too far from here," Raine said, pointing to the map. "We can definitely make it there before nightfall."
"Yay!" everyone including the twins cheered.
"What are we waiting for?!" Genis cried out in joy, and ran off. He halted in motion, eyes wide.
"Genis?" Colette walked over to where he was, as he slowly brought up a pointing finger.
"Professor!" Colette shouted. "There's some monsters heading this way!"
"Okay, everyone pull out your weapons..." she said as she pulled up her staff.
"But, wait, what about the kids?!" Lloyd shouted.
"You'll have to protect them!" Raine quickly made her way to the younger fighters as Zelos unsheathed a sword and joined them.
"Daddy, what's going on?" Lance asked, as he was pulled down and put into Lloyd's arms with Crystal.
"There's monsters... I'll protect you, okay?"
The twins nodded, and Lloyd steadied himself as the team battled two Mandragoras, a Manticore, and a Poison Lily. Zelos took his sword and stabbed the flying Manticore's heart from below, as it roared one last time. He took his sword out and ran out so the Manticore fell unto the ground, dead.
The children were frightened, and clutched onto Lloyd's straps. Trying to comfort them, he patted their heads as he watched Genis set the Poison Lily on fire, and it gave a high-pitched shriek as it slowly burned.
One of the Mandragoras taunted Colette, and tripped her. As the fallen angel tried to get back on her feet, the Mandragora attacked and kept her on the ground. The group, distracted by Colette's inability to attack, didn't notice the second Mandragora lunge for Lloyd. Reacting on sudden impulse, he turned his back and felt a strong force knock him down.
"Are you okay?" he asked from under him. He heard both say "yes," and he gave a sigh before feeling another blow to his right leg. Screaming in pain, he braced himself for the next attack... which never came.
"Lloyd, are you okay?" the younger boy's voice rang through his ears. Lloyd gave a small nod. "What about Lance and Crystal?"
"Yeah, they're both fine. Are they?..."
"The monsters are all taken care of." Genis helped Lloyd sit up as the twins were set free from their shelter. Their faces were red, puffy, and wet: they had been crying.
"Hey, it's okay..." Lloyd extended his arms, and they both went to hug him, when one put pressure on his right leg. In reaction to the tearing pain, he gave a yelp, startling the twins and Genis.
"That's the leg that that stupid Mandragora got, didn't it?" his buddy asked. Lloyd nodded as he remained in his wincing position. "Raine, help!"
Raine ran over. "Sorry, helping Colette. Are you okay Lloyd?"
"Yeah, but my leg..." he pointed to it.
"Hm..." She examined it, avoiding putting any pressure on it. "I don't think it's broken or anything like that... it just got a strong blow to it. You should recover within this next week."
"A week?! How am I supposed to walk then?!"
Next thing he knew, he was lifted by strong arms. "You won't. I'll carry you, my poor injured hunny."
"Oh, gee... I feel special..." Lloyd said, but he sort of did like where this was going...
"Well, we're close to the House of Salvation, aren't we?" Colette piped up. "We might as well let Lloyd rest his leg there for a day or two."
"Wow, that's actually a good idea," Genis said, receiving his whack of the day.
Just Follow Your Heart
The group finally reached the House of Salvation and settled in. Soon the moon was in the sky, and the injured swordsman laid in a bed with both kids, asleep. But someone was missing...
"Lloyd, hey, buddy, wake up," a voice shook Lloyd out of his dream. He opened his eye sleepily and inspected his intruder.
"Zelos?"
"Hey, let's go outside for a little, okay?"
"But--"
"I'll help ya. Come on." But he picked up Lloyd without any consent whatsoever, and took him outside. Behind the building, Zelos put Lloyd down, leaning him against the wall. Lloyd balanced himself completely against his left leg and the wall, giving the Chosen a quizzical look.
"So, what are we doing out here?"
a"Taking a look at the stars," he answered simply, scooting closer to Lloyd's side.
A chill ran up Lloyd's spine. "We're not out here just for the stars, are we?"
"You're smarter than you seem." Pushing off from the wall and standing in front of Lloyd now, he pulled Lloyd in for a kiss, before Lloyd pushed against his chest.
"W-wait! What if someone sees us out here?"
"And who cares?" He was about to go back to his kiss when Lloyd set a hand on Zelos' lips.
"I do! It's--"
"Embarrasing? It's like, after midnight anyhow, no one will see us." Getting impatient, he took off Lloyd's hand and lunged straight into Lloyd's mouth. Oddly settled with Zelos' short excuses-- er, explanations, went with the flow instead of against it.
(A/N: Unintended pun. O.o;)
Just Follow Your Heart
"It's nice to come back from Derris Kharlan, but, really, is this necessary?" a voice asked himself, unheard as he flew through the night sky. "Kratos is an idiot sometimes..."
A House of Salvation came into view, and he looked around each side carefully. He was about done when he noticed a figure-- no, two, up against the wall, unmistakably caught up in each other.
"How... precious..." he remarked. Upon closer inspection (and goddess knows why he was "inspecting" in the first place,) he noticed the figure on top, it was no other than the former Chosen of Tethe'alla. "I guess I'll just have to wait until he's done with that random girl before asking him anything," he sighed, making a landing not too far away, around the corner.
He quietly creeped closer in, watching the two for a cue to come in and interrupt. But Zelos' victim didn't seem to have much of a figure at all, well, a girl's figure, anyway.
Watching them pull away for only seconds, he came in on cue. "Nice night, isn't it?" he greeted, and he heard a gasp or two. The girl shifted in surprise, then giving out a deep, "Ouch, dammit!" But it was too deep. Too deep for a girl.
"Yuan, hello!" Zelos gave a smile and a wave, pulling away from his "girl."
"Zelos, I see your up to your usual..." His voice trailed off when he saw just who had been making out with him. "Lloyd?"
"Yuan, er, hi..." He gave a "I'm-guilty-but-I'll-give-it-away-more-with-this-nervous-response" smile. "Weren't you... on Derris Kharlan?"
"Yes, but Kratos and I have returned," he replied. "But tell me, just what are you doing out here with... him?" He pointed to Zelos, who played hurt.
"Uh, well, we--"
"Are in love!" Zelos gave Lloyd a small hug, not enough to cause (too much) pain in his leg.
"Right... well, you know, Kratos was looking for you, and somehow I get a feeling that he won't be pleased with... that..."
"Oh damn," Lloyd squeaked.
A/N: Holy cow, that was a pretty long chapter. n.n; I guess I owe it to everyone though, seeing as how it's been... like... a while since I've updated. O.o;
Haha, this should be fun. Yuan and Kratos mixed in.... XD How lovely. I guess this brings excitement to those Yuan and Kratos fans! Bwaha. n.n
If you didn't know what those monsters were, I'll give a brief description of each:
A manticore is a lion flying... thinger....
A mandragora is a stupid green girl plant thing....
A poison lily is a giant flower thing.
Yeah... Please review to let me know people are still reading. O.o; Again, apologies for the long time it took to update!