Dreams of the Dead Part 2

"Dwarven Vow #22: Do good, reap good; do evil, reap evil."

Outside Mizuho

Lloyd stopped to catch his breath and was relieved when he saw the children had all spread out, but otherwise remained still. On his left was the child form of Kratos, dressed in a sky blue robe and navy blue sash. On the robe were designs of crescent moons, but the boy himself still retained older Kratos' sad expression and crossed his arms in disapproval.

In front of Lloyd was Martel, dressed in a green robe like Kratos' but had a forest green sash and butterflies flying across in patterns. She stared at Lloyd with even jade eyes and cupped her hands in front of her. Slightly to his right was Luccia. She wore a light gray robe with a black sash. Her robe had etched black spiders crawling over it. She didn't even meet Lloyd's gaze and instead stared down at the grass below.

"How could you?" Kratos' child form asked accusingly.

Martel shook her head and Lloyd could see her eyes mist up. "Haven't you done enough?"

"You care nothing about anyone! You ruined so many lives!" Luccia blurted out angrily, finally raising her head to glare at him. "Didn't you say you loved her?"

Lloyd would've taken a step back, but found his feet routed to the floor. "I-I can't move!"

"You hold regret from your past…it is a painful reminder of the choices you made that resulted in those you care for suffering on your behalf." Kratos said in a low voice. Even though it was that of a child's, it still carried the authority his adult form did.

"You grow and discover your faults, becoming stronger…only to throw all that away?" Martel wondered sadly.

Luccia sighed. "Strings have been cut that were meant to grow…lives have been lost that were meant to live. How do you plan to rectify your mistakes? The future depends on your answer…"

"I…" Lloyd was shocked at the comments. "I don't understand."

"Ignore them." Upon hearing the voice, the three apparitions disappeared.

Spinning around, Lloyd found he could move again and fell backwards when he saw Zaichar standing behind him. "Y-you're Zaichar…" Kratos had informed Lloyd what Zaichar looked like in case the dark elf ever came after Lloyd and Kratos wasn't there…

Standing up angrily, Lloyd prepared to draw his swords and cut down his enemy, but his hands met nothing. Cursing he remembered they were back at Mizuho and was forced to retreat back a few steps instead. "What do you want?"

"Do you know why they appear as children? Because children are the very essence of innocence…untainted from the cruel harsh realities of the real world. But you, Lloyd…" He smirked and took one step forward. Lloyd followed along and took one step back. "You are anything but innocent. Well, not anymore."

Lloyd shook his head. "I haven't done anything wrong."

"Perhaps not yet…" The elf crossed his arms. "But you could be great if you so desire to be. The darkness within you can make you more powerful than you ever dreamed."

"I don't want that kind of power!" Lloyd shook his head. "I will continue to fight and grow strong of my own accord. I won't give in and take the easy way out! Besides, I strive to save the lives of those you seek to destroy!" He accused.

"Not destroy, my boy. Merely put in their proper place. There are some people who are better than others, just like there are some species that are better than others. You wouldn't want mere ants telling you want to do, would you?" Zaichar asked. "It's merely the same with me. We elves came here from Derris-Kharlan and even planted to Great Kharlan Tree to support life on this weak planet. And what do we get in thanks? Our children forced to live in hiding, those with our blood treated like trash because the humans decide they are better?"

"No one's better than anyone else!" Lloyd countered. "We all have hardships we have to overcome. But we come out the other side stronger than when we began. Discrimination is a harsh reality, but one that we can change. No one has to suffer!"

"I quite agree, but even if you were to talk and try to convince every single being on this planet, you would never succeed. They must be made to listen…they must be forced to obey. Power is the only thing they will listen to. I can give you that."

"Shut up!" Lloyd shouted. "I will never join your cause! And when you least expect it, my friends and I are gonna show to you just how strong we are!"

Zaichar laughed and shook his head. "Where are your friends now, then? All I see is you…and you are all alone now…"

Mizuho

Zelos spit sand out of his mouth as he entered yet another cave, slowly making his way higher and higher. "If I wasn't hurting before, I'm definitely feeling it now." He sighed. "Hey, buddy, you still there?"

The cave the warrior entered was smaller than the others and a flash of light made him squint his eyes as an altar materialized in front of him. It glowed a pretty yellow-white as Zelos slowly approached it. Propped in the center was a double-edged sword. In its hilt was a golden exsphere.

"Whoa…" Zelos was at a loss of words as he bent over to touch it. Activated by his touch, a floating image of a man appeared before him and Zelos jumped back, falling on his rear in surprise. "Hey! You could've warned me you were gonna do that!" Dusting himself off as he stood up, Zelos looked at the spirit with a tilt of his head. "So…you were the one who called to me."

The spirit nodded. He had short blond hair neatly combed back and wore a tight blue and gold, long sleeve shirt with pants reflecting the same pattern. "Yes…it was difficult to make the connection, hence your travel up here." He appeared to be about Lloyd's age if not a little older.

Shrugging, Zelos figured he didn't have to be anywhere in particular at that moment, so he tried to make himself comfortable and leaned against the wall. "Well, I'm here. What's your name? I am the Great Zelos Wilder."

"My name is Shinji. I was once the sworn protector to the Chosen One Yukari. I embarked on a similar journey as you and your friends, though mine…ended in failure." Looking down, the boy appeared sad. "I was unable to protect her and I fear I know not what has become of her."

Zelos understood the spirit's pain and nodded. "What happened?"

"During our journey of regeneration, we learned of Cruxis and of Mithos' plans to revive his sister. We were told by the angel Remiel, the mana links would switch and our world would still be saved, but…at the cost of Yukari's heart and memory." The spirit paused. "At the moment of her transformation, I reached a hand out and grabbed onto her, begging her to find another way. She told me, though she could not talk, that she would gladly give up her life in order to save the world and become Martel's vessel. I didn't want her to go…"

Zelos pushed off the wall and walked to stand in front of the spirit. His story was exactly what Lloyd had been forced to go through with Colette. "Go on."

"Remiel became upset and turned on us. My companions…were killed, only I survived. I injured him enough that he prepared to make a retreat with Yukari in tow. I couldn't allow it, so I once again reached out to her, but ended up being teleported with her to Derris-Kharlan."

"I'm sorry for your loss." Zelos offered his condolences. "I'm guessing from the fact that Mithos sent the oracle down and deemed Colette the next Chosen, that Yukari's mana signature didn't match Martel's?"

Shinji shook his head. "No, it didn't, though I did not learn that right away. While I made my way around Welgaia, I was spotted by an angel guard." Looking up, the spirit met Zelos' gaze. "It was the same angel that attacked you at the Grand Tethe'alla Bridge."

"Whoa, stop right here! How do you know about that?" The former Chosen wondered. On top of that, how could one angel kill the five or so humans that were with Zelos that day and fly fast enough to attack the former Chosen himself? It had to be a mistake.

"Because, his name is Saitou, and he was the one who killed me for my trespasses. Killing me was not enough for him though, he wished to see me suffer. So he encased me within this exsphere and hid my sword with it in the breaches of time and space." Shinji took a deep breath, though Zelos knew he probably didn't need to breathe. "Being the one who sent my soul into purgatory, I acquired a special link with him and have learned everything through his eyes and ears. He now works for Zaichar and has become a Dark Angel General, along with Zaichar's other second-in-command, Megami. She controls the dark elves infiltrated all across the land."

"You serious? It is because this Saitou attacked me, that I can see and talk to you?" Zelos asked.

Shinji nodded. "You have been the first one I've been able to make contact with in over two hundred years. Though if we do not hurry, you too will become trapped here."

Zelos nearly feel over in shock. "What? Why me?"

"Right now your friends are your only chance. Zaichar's taint must be purified from your wounds."

"So you're saying if they don't succeed, it's comatose city?" Zelos looked back towards the cave's opening. "Then how do I get out of here?"

"We must combine powers." Shinji replied as Zelos turned back to him. "But first, I have a favor to ask of you, warrior."

"Yeah, yeah go ahead. If it doesn't involve me dying or becoming a vegetable I think I'll agree to anything!" Zelos exclaimed.

"I ask that you aide me in my revenge against Saitou. If I don't, I will be trapped here for an eternity more and will never be reunited with Yukari on the other side. Your battle with him has already been fated by the higher powers in this realm, I merely ask that you allow me come with you." Shinji asked. "In exchange, I will lend you my power in the form of my sword. Please warrior."

Zelos looked at the sword behind the see through apparition. "Doesn't sound like that bad of a deal. Okay, you got it." He agreed.

"I thank you." Shinji's form dissolved and Zelos was left alone with the altar. Take the sword and I will lead you out of here.

Zelos took a step forward, hands reaching for the sword. "I really hope this works." Grasping it, he pulled it from the altar and it glowed golden, before fading down once more. The altar disappeared and Zelos looked at the sword curiously. "So, what do we do now?"

Walk to the end of this cave back outside. Shinji replied.
Zelos kept the sword out and did as told. When he neared the edge, he carefully looked over the side, and saw the waterfall had returned, flowing stronger than ever now more than ten feet below him. "Man this is one wacky dream." The river probably ran underground to this outlet. "Next?"

Jump.

"What?" Zelos stepped away from the edge. "I thought we were trying to get me out of here alive. Not flat as a pancake! There's no way I'll survive a fall like that!"

Trust me.

"Or what?" Zelos argued, staring at the sword angrily.

Or we will both be stuck here indefinitely.

Sighing, Zelos put the sword in his sheath. "Nice options." He looked down the cliffside again, and shook his head. "The others are not gonna believe this when I tell them." Taking a moment to berate himself some more, Zelos raised his arms and jumped down the waterfall.

He withheld from screaming and fell feet first down the massive drop. As he neared the pit, he closed his eyes and prepared for the worst. He felt an odd release of pressure on his body and gasped as he landed safely on solid ground. "Where am I?"

…That would be difficult to explain. Let us just hope your friends are successful.

Looking around, all Zelos could see for miles was endless darkness. "So…what do we do now?"

…Now…we wait…

Temple of Origin

Sheena and Carbuncle found the shrine just like the cloaked figure said, and high above its entrance was a four-sided jeweled diamond. "What is this place?" Sheena wondered.

Carbuncle recognized the gem and bounced excitedly. "This is the seal where Origin was before Mithos created that other seal at Heimdall!"

Sheena gasped. "You sure?"

Carbuncle nodded. "The orb that man talked about must be the Orb of Origin! With it, we can negate the power of Omega and save both Zelos and Lloyd!" She exclaimed happily.

The ninja's heart soured. "All right! Let's go in there and do it!" Pulling open the large double doors that protected the seal, Sheena was shocked such a place was literally invisible to those who lacked the right of summoning.

The room was covered in spotless shining marble and on the sides were large ancient paintings of each of the summon spirits. Sheena eyed Undine, her sword facing down, ready to fight. There was Luna sitting majestically on her moon, and each of the Sylph, flying towards the artist of the painting, each had of their weapon of choice out. At the end of the row was Origin: wearing little armor, the summon spirit was all power and strength, wielding the four massive swords in each of his hands with ease.

Carbuncle walked a few paces in front of Sheena in case anything popped out, and the ninja herself had her cards out a ready. Sheena held up Acalanatha and gave it a kiss for good luck. When no monsters came out to attack them, she began getting suspicious. "If this is a seal, where's the trial?"

Carbuncle shook her head. "This isn't like the other seals. Once a summoner has come this far, Origin tests their strength of will and heart, not their ability and skill with the sword." The guardian replied. "But with Origin already having a pact with Lloyd, there shouldn't be much trouble here."

Sufficiently searching the main room, Sheena sighed and shrugged. "Well nothing here." She turned to the door at the end of the lobby. "Guess we move on." She approached the door slowly and tightened her grip on her Acalanatha before pushing it open and moving inside.

The next room was just as vast, columns of light raining down from unseen holes high above. There were large pillars supporting the roof leading all the way down to the end of the carpeted path. It was there Sheena caught sight of a tall, dark, and slim elven woman, who's skin was ash gray and hair long and silver. "Stop right there!"

Megami turned around and narrowed her eyes at the approaching duo and pushed her arms out to either side of her. Scrapping her long claws against each other, she was clearly caught unaware and very upset about it. "What are you doing here? There's no way you could've traveled up those cliffs and gotten here so quickly!"

Growling, Carbuncle took point in front of her mistress. "So it was you! You were the one who killed the Storyteller!"

Megami laughed and crossed her arms. She still wore the cloak from before, but it was mainly waving behind her. Her body was scarcely covered in black and silver armor, but already her mana was charging up. "It matters not! Because your life ends here!"

Carbuncle jumped up immediately and flipped, activating her barrier. "Don't worry, Sheena! I'll protect you!"

"From me? I think not!" Megami countered.

Sheena grit her teeth as she saw the battle unfold. If she died here, Zelos would die too, along with Lloyd. She couldn't let that happen! "I won't lose to you! My friends are depending on me!" She shouted, charging into battle.

Outside Mizuho

Lloyd stepped back unsure, partially afraid because he'd been stupid enough to leave the village unarmed. "Leave me alone!" He tried to sound intimidating.

Just then his cruxis crystal activated and the image of Lloyd's mother appeared between her son and Zaichar. "You will not lay a hand on him." She said with determination.

Zaichar ceased his approach with this new turn of events and regarded the woman carefully. "So you still exist within his crystal? Perhaps my powers have not yet reached thier full capacity as I had hoped." Anna's see-through form winked out then reappeared. "Or maybe they have." He smiled. "How much longer can you stand it? How much power do you really have left?"

Lloyd was in shock and looked over at his mother. "M-mom? Is that you?" Digging into his shirt, he pulled out the locket Kratos had given him that night at Flanoir and opened it. Inside was a picture of Kratos, Anna, and a baby Lloyd. The picture matched the ghost standing in front of him now. "It really is you…"

Not bothering to turn around, Anna seemed to struggle to keep herself visible, still winking out and reappearing in a steady pattern. "You will never corrupt his soul the way you allowed yours to be." She said with determination. "He is stronger than you will ever be."

Zaichar laughed. "So you say, but even now your power wanes, doesn't it? You can barely affect the real world like you did before…evolving his cruxis crystal in order to germinate the Great Seed. Actually very clever of you, I must say. But in the end, a futile effort."

Lloyd tried to determine what was real and what was false, but his head erupted in more pain and he grabbed his head, falling to his knees. "I can't tell! I can't tell what's real and what's not!"

"Lloyd!" Out of the sky flew down Kratos, sword drawn right towards Zaichar. "Get away from him!" Slashing as he came down, Zaichar had to flip back to avoid being hacked in two. The ground exploded with the power of the attack and the dark elf raised a black barrier in order to protect himself from flying debris.

As the dust cleared, a blue hued shield was visible in front of Lloyd, courtesy of Anna. Landing in front of Lloyd to Anna's side, Kratos glared at the Dark Elf. "You will not have him!"

Zaichar narrowed his eyes and decided his chance had passed. "Let us see how long he can last then, hmm? Sooner or later, he will come to me. He cannot fight against his fate." Growling, Zaichar crossed his arms and disappeared.

Lloyd looked back and forth between his mother and father and finally had too much. Closing his eyes, he fell forward and passed out. Kratos half turned just in time to see him collapse and dropped down to one knee in order to catch him. "Lloyd!"

Anna looked sadly at her son and knelt down by his side. Kratos had seen Anna from the sky, but didn't know if it was really her or not. She caressed Lloyd's cheek and gave him a kiss on his forehead. "I don't have much time." She said sadly. Looking up, she forced a smile for Kratos. "Zaichar was right, my power of influence is waning. Up until I have been able to look over our son and protect him through the power of the exsphere. But now…" She winced and grabbed her stomach.

"Anna!" Kratos, with one arm still around Lloyd, reached out to support her as well, but his arm went through her. Gasping, he saw her recover and shake her head. "How do we stop this?" He asked worriedly.

Sighing, Anna ran her hand over Lloyd's hair in a form of caress. "He must be strong in order to overcome the darkness. We don't know what form it will take, but depending on how strong Lloyd's will is, he may or may not warp and become a creature like Zaichar…bent on nothing but causing others to suffer and the pursuit of more power."

"Never." Kratos was in shock. "Lloyd would never turn out to be something like that." He looked down at his son and held him closer. "I will protect him. I won't let him walk down the path of darkness."

Anna smiled and nodded. "I know you will. I'm glad you decided to live on, Kratos. Someone needs to be here for him, to guide him down the path of light. The power he wields can be rectifying or condemning for not only him, but for everyone on this planet. He does not yet realize it."

"What about you?" Kratos asked worriedly. "Will you be alright?"

Anna met his gaze. "As long as you will continue to guide him here, I will continue to protect him. I have faith…in both of you." Smiling, she leaned in and gave him a phantom kiss on the lips before disappearing completely. As she did so, the glow of the exsphere faded as well.

Looking down at Lloyd, Kratos slowly stood up and held the boy in both arms. "May the future be bright, Anna…for all of us."

Temple of Origin

Sheena jumped back as Megami chanted her spell. "Ashes to ashes, dust to dust…Desecration!" From above Sheena, a black sword made up of mana came barreling down, its edges crackling with dark energy.

"Carbuncle! Guardian Seal!" Sheena shouted.

"You got it!" Carbuncle jumped up and her red stone activated, "Barrier!" The sword crashed down upon the red-hued shield and the massive energy behind it assaulted the shield, causing Carbuncle to be slammed down onto the ground, but she skidded on her feet and bit down hard. "I won't let you hurt Sheena!" She shouted in retaliation, adding more power into her protective barrier.

As soon as the attack died away, Megami was shocked to see Sheena still alive. "Impossible!"

Sheena acted quickly, using the element of surprise, and ran forward with her cards. "You're in for a world of hurt!" She shouted, throwing three cards forward. "Devil Seal!"

As soon as the cards landed on Megami, they erupted with white lightning, sending her into a world of hurt…just as promised. The Devil's Seal was a special attack because it reacted differently, depending on the enemy. Megami screeched and jumped back, throwing off her smoking cloak now full of holes and singe marks. "You may have been able to stop me from taking the orb, but you will not make it in time to save your friends!" She shouted. Disappearing from the room, Megami summoned four of her dark elf warriors and left them to finish the ninja off.

Sheena stood in front of the orb, having yet to grab it, and smirked down at Carbuncle. "You ready for this?" When the guardian nodded, Sheena let out a battle cry and rushed in to face off with the enemy.

Renegade Base: Triet Desert

Yuan returned to his base at just around sunrise, thanking Luccia once more for her hospitality, but telling her than if they even stood a chance of finding Zaichar, he had to return and begin a fresh search investigation. She was reluctant, but said that if he could live for close to a thousand years, he was a big boy and could handle himself.

Upon entering his office, Kiga spun around in surprise, but was instantly happy when he saw it was Yuan. "Lord Yuan! You have returned!" He exclaimed. "And you're looking much better!" The second-in-command knew Kratos had something to do with it and made a mental note to thank the angel the next time they crossed paths.

Yuan smiled at the man's enthusiasm and nodded. "Yes, but now is not the time to relax." He said, turning more serious. "We have to find Zaichar before he can obtain the power of the summon spirits."

"Yes sir!" Kiga happily accepted the order. "I will make contact with our informants and see what they've gathered."

"Very good." Yuan nodded, seeing the man head to the door behind him.

Pausing as the door opened, Kiga turned around. "Um, Lord Yuan?"

"Hm?"

"It may be nothing, but the Dimensional Transfer System (DTS) fluctuated for a while during your absence. It lasted perhaps an hour, then it went away, but the readings are all higher than normal."

Yuan's eyes widened, but he didn't turn towards the other. "Thank you. I will look into it." When he heard Kiga leave, he frowned - disturbed by the information. "With the worlds combined, what could cause it to act up like that?" He wondered. Returning to his desk, he read the recent reports from the DTS machine and leaned back in thought. "At this point, it would be impossible to pinpoint where the fluctuation occurred, so I'll have to keep monitoring it and see if it happens again." He decided. First was Zaichar, because Yuan doubted the two were connected, and the angel clenched his fists in anger at the thought of the man. "The next time we meet, I will not lose to you, Zaichar. I won't."

Gauracchia Forest

Luccia returned to the nursery to check on the children and immediately heard one crying because of a nightmare. Coming to her side, Luccia bent over and slowly pulled the child out of bed, who was no more than perhaps two years old. "There, there. It was just a bad dream."

How can the small flowers grow,

If the wild winds blow,

And the cold snow…is all around?

Where will the frail birds fly,

If their home on high,

Have been torn down…to the ground?

Luccia sang the song softly and rocked the child back and forth, soothing it with her melodious voice. Kamai quietly entered the room and smiled upon hearing her voice. It had been ages since he heard her singing. Coming up behind her, he placed a gentle kiss on her cheek, making her gasp in surprise.

"Don't stop. Keep singing. I've wished to hear this song since forever it seems." He smiled looking down at the baby in her arms.

Lift the Wings

That carry me away from here and

Fill the Sail

That breaks the time to home

But when I'm miles and miles apart from you

I'm beside you when I think of you - a Stoirin a Gra

The last sentence meant "My life, My love" in elven. It was a lullaby Luccia remembered her mother singing to her all those years ago.

How can a tree stand tall,

If a rain won't fall,

To wash its branches down?

How can the heart survive,

Can it stay alive,

If its love's denied for long?

"I remember you used to sing this to her, didn't you? Late at night when we would hear her crying down the hall." Kamai smiled.

Luccia nodded. "I miss her so much. I miss Sheena."

Kamai understood her pain and began the next verse for her.

Lift the Wings

That carry me away from here and

Fill the Sail

That breaks the line to home

Luccia laughed as the tears came down and she struggled to sing the next part.

But when I'm miles and miles apart from you

I'm beside you when I think of you - a Stoirin

Kamai nuzzled her neck and tried to cheer her up.

And I'm with you as I dream of you - a Stoirin

Relaxing into his embrace, Luccia held onto the baby in her arms as she remembered holding onto Sheena. Then both whispered the last line of the song, both feeling the pain of loss, yet struggling to keep faith in the future.

And a song will bring you near to me - a Stoirin a Gra

Mizuho

It was morning the next day and the group was still in surprise when Kratos had returned to the room with Lloyd. Colette apologized profusely for having fallen asleep, but the angel assured her it wasn't her fault. Lloyd was never one to obey doctor's orders. Genis was there as well, sitting by the fire and saying little. The group took it as worry for his best friend.

As everyone was eating breakfast, minus Zelos and Lloyd, Sheena threw open the door and held up the orb. "I got it!" She exclaimed.

"What is that?" Colette asked. "I thought you were going to talk to the Storyteller."

"Um…" Sheena struggled to reply. She didn't want to tell the group about the mysterious man, so instead she replied, "When Carbuncle and I got there…he was dead." She lied. "Carbuncle remembered about the Temple of Origin and we sped there in order to get this!"

Kratos recognized it and nodded. "Presea and Regal, will you hold down Zelos?"

The request was peculiar, but they nodded and went to either side of the bed, proceeding to hold down the warrior's arms. Behind Sheena, Raine walked in and noticed everyone present. "Sorry I'm late…" She looked over and saw Genis looking at her with a smile.

"You missed out on breakfast, but I think there's some left." He laughed.

Raine swallowed hard and looked away. "Oh um…I'm not hungry."

Sheena handed Kratos the orb and he went over towards Zelos. "Here goes." Holding it above Zelos' wounds, Kratos could see the scars light up black, then fluctuate to white. Immediately, Zelos starting yelling and jerking up and almost knocked the orb out of the angel's hand. "Hold him down!" He shouted.

Presea used a little bit more of her strength and held down one arm and one leg, while Regal grunted with the effort. Sheena closed her eyes at the pain her friend was going through and had to turn away. Raine saw Genis smirk in enjoyment, for only a moment, before he too turned away in boredom.

When Kratos pulled the orb away again, the wounds were gone and no more of the black infection remained. Everyone held their breath as Zelos moaned and opened his eyes. "Oh…now where am I?"

Hearing his voice, Sheena whipped around and her eyes watered up with happiness. "Zelos! You're okay!" She pushed passed Regal and threw her arms around his neck.

Carbuncle bounded happily too and placed herself on top of his legs. "I just knew you'd pull through!" She giggled.

Grunting, Zelos struggled out of Sheena's death grip. "I won't last long if I can't breathe!" Sheena instantly released and giggled with a blush, mouthing a 'sorry'. Frowning, Zelos pulled up his right hand and everyone was surprised to see a double-edged sword with a golden colored exsphere on the hilt. "Whoa, so the kid really was telling the truth."

Sheena frowned. "What kid?"

"Long story. Later. Right now I'm hungry!" He complained.

Handing the orb to Raine, Kratos and Colette grabbed a hold of both Lloyd's arms and nodded to the scholar. Holding it over Lloyd's body, the group expected the same reaction, but jumped back when Lloyd not only began screaming, but a black shadow was being involuntarily pulled out of his body.

"What is that?" Genis exclaimed.

Sheena gasped. "It's just like Kuchinawa!"

Lloyd cried out and the shadow struggled to stay safe within its host, but Raine lowered the orb closer and an audible howling could be heard as the shadow was pulled free and disappeared within the crystal orb.

"Lloyd?" Colette asked carefully, having yet to release her hold on his arm.

Kratos also held his breath as his son slowly opened his eyes and winced in fading pain. "Did I try Genis' kendama again? You guys really need to keep me away from that thing." He managed.

Genis laughed and shook his head. "No way man! There's no way I'd let you get your hands on it again! You'd end up choking yourself!"

Zelos smirked, interlacing his fingers behind his head as he laid back in his bed, feeling no ill effects from his previous wounds. "You scream like a girl, dude."

"I do not!" Lloyd countered, regretting it a moment later when the loud noise hurt his head more.

Kratos took a deep breath and stood up. "Welcome back, Lloyd."

"Huh?" Looking up, Lloyd struggled to remember everything that had happened. "Did I go somewhere?"

"…We can discuss that matter later, among other things. For now let's get you both something to eat so that you may regain your strength." Kratos said passing by Raine on his way out. "Hold onto that." He whispered. "We don't know when we may need to…use it again."

She nodded solemnly and stuck it in her pocket, the orb being about hand size in the first place.

"So guys, do you wanna hear this crazy dream I had?" Zelos said, all eyes turning on him.

Sheena crossed her arms. "Would this have anything to do with you going to bed with a sword?"

"It's not mine!" He protested.

"Then who's is it?" Regal asked.

Presea nodded from her side of the bed. "Whom did you take it from?"

"I didn't take it from anybody!"