Needless to say hopes were high the next morning. Lloyd was up very early for once. Vyse was afraid he had come down sick. Out of the entire team, Lloyd and Cloud were the most excited. In Sybak lied a possible solution to their problem. Both warriors would glance at Colette on the way to Sybak, constantly questioned if they were ok. The two always responded, "Better than usual!" Lloyd bounced along at the head of the group as Cloud was singing what he explained to be an old Cetra celebration song. "When Colette wakes up, I'll make up for not being there for here the past 16 years of her life!" Cloud said excitedly, "I'll even teach her some of these old Cetra songs!" "Colette loves to sing and she has the perfect voice for it!" Lloyd replied dreamily. "I think you have a crush on the little blonde beauty, bud..." Zelos said slyly. "That's a bit obvious, Zelos. Lloyd's liked Colette since they first met." Genis said. "That's right and after we get her back she'll know exactly how I feel!" Lloyd yelled.A few battles and a long trip across an enormous bridge later. Raine was concerned about something but no one knew just what. If allowed Cloud or Aeris would have probed for it but Raine wouldn't have it. "I'm uncomfortable enough with the fact that you two read people's minds, I don't need you two to be searching my mind for something that isn't there!" she yelled. "I'm sorry, Ms. Raine I didn't mean anything by it... I only wanted to help!" Aeris apologized. "No, I should apologize... I didn't mean to snap, it's just that ever since the Tower of Salvation nothings felt right." she said depressingly, "I know it's crazy, but I think I might actually miss Kratos!" Everyone stopped and turned to look at her. "I don't know if this was obvious, but Kratos betrayed us, Raine..." Genis replied sarcastically. "I don't want to hear that name again..." Vyse said calmly out of anger. "I didn't like him, but I trusted him, he'll pay for betraying us and consequently almost killing my daughter!" Cloud yelled in a rage. "Lets forget him!" Lloyd said merrily, "He's got nothing to do with us anymore and if we ever see him again we'll kill him for his treachery..." "Under the circumstances I agree with your reckless motives behind this outburst against Kratos, but I ask you to reconsider this..." Cloud retorted calmly. "Why?" Lloyd asked. "There's a very good reason that you'll learn in good time..." Cloud told him. "I can't believe I almost told him, even if Kratos betrayed us I can't betray his trust... I have to keep his secret! It's part of this curse he left with me!" he thought.

The town of Sybak was smaller than expected, the entire town was a college campus. "Man, there are no cute girls in this town... Just a bunch of nerdy geeky kids..." Zelos whined. "We're not here to find you a date, you stupid philandering idiot, we're here to find a cure!" Cloud shouted. "I don't care about any stupid cure, I'm here to make sure that no matter what you don't cause Tethe'alla any trouble!" Zelos yelled back. Cloud grabbed the idiot Chosen by his collar. "How would you like me to deprive you the chance to ever have kids?" Cloud shouted threateningly. Cloud threw Zelos against the ground and continued, "If you even touch my daughter, you'll wish you were never born!" He then walked away from Zelos, a mixture of unspeakable joy and incredible rage flowing through him. "I don't think I've ever been so confused... I don't know if I'm happy or angry!" Cloud thought. "Do what you want..." He said to the still frightened Zelos. Fearfully Zelos followed the much older swordsman to the main research center which the others had gone ahead to. When Cloud and Zelos got to the research center Lloyd wasn't crying but Cloud could tell that all his hopes had been bashed against a wall.

"Lloyd, I'm so sorry..." Cloud said. "No, it's fine. There was no way to be absolutely certain..." Lloyd said. "I'm sorry too, Lloyd..." Sheena, who had recently come back, told him. "Wait I almost forgot there might be a way to save her..." a researcher replied. "Please," Lloyd begged, "Tell me I'll do anything!" "All you need is a Key Crest..." "Does anyone have a spare?" Lloyd asked desperately. The others were regretful when they had told him there was no spare Key Crest between them. "I know! The shop manager outside might have some inhibitor ore!" the researched exclaimed. Lloyd was so excited that he left without further word. "Thank you so much for helping my daughter, I'm in your debt..." Cloud told the researcher. With that Cloud walked away after Lloyd. The stingy man who ran the shop was unreasonable when Lloyd and the others talked to him. "Please!" Lloyd asked. "I'm not taking more than 100,000 gald for it!" the shop-owner told the red-clad swordsman. Then he noticed the navy-wearing blonde warrior standing behind Lloyd and Colette. "I told you all not any less than 100,000!" he said sternly. He started to notice a sickening sound as the enormous Buster Sword slid from it's sheith. "One way or another we'll end up with it, you might as well make things easy on yourself and just give it up... Why waste you life?" Cloud said with a threatening power in his sly voice. "Take it!" the shop-owner said practically throwing the inhibitor ore at Cloud. Cloud smiled and the group walked away.

"That wasn't right, Cloud!" Lloyd lectured. "We got what we need, didn't we? I agree that the method I used was wrong, but it got us something we wouldn't have gotten otherwise..." Cloud told Lloyd, "Sometimes in order to complete a task we must do unsavory things..." With that the group checked into the inn. Lloyd worked all night carving the Charm into the ore. Morning came and they began discussing their plans, to go back to Sylveraunt to talk to Dirk about something. Lloyd had attached the Inhibitor Ore to Colette's necklace and put it around her neck. Just as they had finished discussing their plans they were surrounded with guards. "Papal Knights!" Zelos exclaimed. "We heard your plans, Chosen and we're going to tell the Pope! Until then you're all under arrest!" one of knights yelled. "So sorry you caught me in a bad mood!" Cloud yelled as he started sword-fighting the guard closest to him. He had just disarmed the guy and was preparing to finish him, when he heard something. "Ask yourself something; what's more important? The life of your friend or taking the life of mine?" one of the knights said holding his blade to Aeris. "Alright, you win... I surrender! Coward!" Cloud said insulted.

"Sir, we have a match!" another guard cried out. "A match for what?" Vyse asked. "Like it's any of your business, but if you must know the penalty for half-elves impersonating humans is instant death! It looks as if these two are half-elves. Take them away!" the guard shouted. "You can't be serious Genis is just a child!" Cloud yelled in outburst. "The law does not distinguish between youth and age..." "Yet it distinguishes between human and elf?" Cloud boomed back, "I suppose it distinguishes between human and Cetra as well?" "What the hell is a Cetra?" "Trust me, dude. Don't mess with these guys!" Zelos said. Without further delay the knights left a lone guard to hold the rest of them, while the others took Genis and Raine away! "Somehow, someway! I will find a way to save you guys!" Lloyd's voice boomed after them. "Genis..." Presea mumbled.