Omg, I'm soooo sorry for the long absence! But this time, I have a good excuse! My computer recently completely crashed, and I haven't been able to update. But now I'm back and ready to continue! But first the disclaimer: Ok, I don't own Tales of Symphonia. Namco does. I think that everyone knows that by now.

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Chapter 3: Heeeeeres KRATOS!

Before our heroes set off to search for the missing half of the party, they went to the restaurant in the hotel for a nice breakfast of tea and crumpets. Why, you ask? Because they were hungry, and Lloyd is a big whiny crybaby when it comes to food, so they had no choice. So, Genis, Colette, and Presea decided to be productive and discuss the issue at hand while Lloyd was busy stuffing his face. "Hey," Genis said munching on a crumpet, "You think that it could be Cruxis doing this? After all, we aren't exactly on their Best Friend list." Presea nodded. "That is a possibility. But why would they kidnap them instead of Colette? I thought they wanted her to be Martel's vessel." Genis shrugged. "It could be bait to lure us there." Colette shook her head. "Genis, if they could capture Zelos, Raine, Sheena, and Regal, then wouldn't it be easier to capture the almost always Damsel in Distress?"

Genis sighed. "Why am I being portrayed as the stupid one here?" Colette gave her usual idiotic smile. "Don't worry Genis! Whenever you feel like a dunce, you can always compare yourself to Lloyd!" Genis looked over at said Lloyd who was currently stealing crumpets off some innocent person's plate. "Good point. Now I feel like Einstein again." Presea just stared at Lloyd. "Was he… Dropped on his head when he was little or something?" Genis sighed. "Nah, he's just obsessed with crumpets." Suddenly, a waiter came up to them dragging Lloyd by one of the white ribbon thingies trailing from his collar. "Excuse me, is this yours?"

Colette nodded. "Yes, he's our friend. Why do you ask?" The waiter looked at her in a pissed off manner. "Well, for one thing, he's been eating crumpets off of other people's plates, and another, he said I had a big nose." Colette bowed. "I'm sorry; I'll try to keep him on a leash next time." The waiter rolled his eyes. "You do that. Honestly, that boy's as troublesome as the president and his companions were last night." Colette looked up hopefully. "What happened? Where are they now?" The waiter shrugged. "Beats me. All I remember was the president randomly kicking people in the shins, one girl drank herself into a stupor, another was rambling about ruins, and the Chosen was trying to kidnap a couple girls in bunny suits. Then the Ruins lady screamed about Ruins and ran off, with the others running after her." Genis looked up. "Do you know where they went?"

"I think they said something about the Tower of Salvation." Genis got up. "Well, that's all we need to know. Come on guys." And with that, they left with Presea dragging Lloyd behind her. "But I want more cruuuuumpets!" Lloyd whined.

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Due to Lloyd's constant whining, the others bought 500 crumpets to go before boarding the rheihards and zooming off towards the Tower of Salvation. "If Cruxis has done anything to harm my sister, then I'll… I'll… Call them mean names!" Presea rolled her eyes. "Yeah, Genis. That'll help lots…" Colette smiled. "Yeah, Genis! We're counting on you!" Presea sighed and started banging her head against her rheiard muttering "I'm surrounded…" And what was Lloyd doing, you ask? Why, munching on crumpets of course:D Finally, the Tower of Salvation came into view and Kratos, that's right folks, THE KRATOS (Cue screaming fangirls) was standing in front of it. He looked up at the Rheiards coming into view. "Oh no, not those idiots."

They landed their Rheiards and surrounded Kratos. "All right," Lloyd said stepping forward while eating a crumpet. "Where's our friends?" Kratos raised one eyebrow. "What are you talking about?"

"Not talkin' eh? Well, that can be easily fixed! Genis! Lights!" Genis gave a salute and pulled out his Kendama. "Roger! SOME RANDOM DARKNESS SPELL!" And suddenly, the world around them went black except for a small lamp that came out of nowhere shining only on Kratos who was now very pissed off. "What is the meaning of this!" Just then, Lloyd came into view wearing a scary hat, a jacket, and he was smoking a cigar. (Which angered Kratos' parenting instincts, but he showed no sign of it) "Okay, see, we knows that you've got our buds held captive, see, so we want you to start singin." Kratos folded his arms. "I have no idea what you're talking about." Presea stared at Lloyd's…um…Interesting clothes. "Genis, are you SURE he wasn't dropped on his head when he was little?"

Kratos quickly whipped his head around in Presea's direction. "WHO TOLD YOU!" Presea just looked wierded out. "Tell me what?" Kratos quickly turned away embarrassed. "Um, nothing." Lloyd bit down on his cigar. "You gave me no choice, see? I'm going to have to pull out our secret weapon, see?" He rummaged around in his bag until he brought out a radio and turned it on. And lo and behold, Zelos' singing voice rammed into Kratos' ears. (Everyone else had earmuffs on.)

On top of SPAGGHETTI! All covered with CHEESE! I lost my poor MEATBALL! When my cute hunny SNEEZED! It rolled off the TABLE! And onto the FLOOR! Then my poor MEATBALL! Rolled right out the DOOR! It rolled off the SIDEWALK! And into a BUSH! When I found my poor MEATBALL! It was nothing but MUUUUUUSHHH! And then me and my cute hunny made out…

"AAAAHHH! MAKE IT STOP, MAKE IT STOP!" Kratos yelled. "I TELL YOU, I DON'T KNOW ANYTHING!" Colette turned it off. "If Kratos didn't speak after listening to Zelos sing, then maybe he really doesn't know anything." Genis stepped forward. "Well then, if you didn't kidnap our friends, then you're just going to have to help us find them!"

"After making me listen to THAT? Never!" Kratos hissed. Genis smirked. "Oh, you'll help us alright… After you see THIS!" He pulled out a photo. But it wasn't any ordinary photo. No my friends, this was a picture of Kratos… In a purple Maid's outfit. (looking extremely pissed off, mind you.) Kratos face drained of all color. "Wh-where did you get that?" he whispered. "The last time we ran into each other. You dropped it. And if you don't help us, I'm going to make copies of this and makes sure every person in Tethe'alla and Slvarant gets one. Kratos' look of horror quickly changed into one of anger. "You will do no such thing!" and he pulled out his Flamebridge… If he had it that is. Kratos looked down angrily. "What! Where's my sword!" Colette looked up holding it in her hands. "Hm? Oh, I'm sorry, you just dropped it and…"

"Give it to me… NOW!" (Boy, never seen Kratos this pissed, huh?) Colette backed away nervously. "Um… Okay, sorry." Unfortuneatelly, Colette tripped accidentally dropping Flamebridge into the bottomless pit that surrounded the Tower of Salvation. Kratos stared down with a look of horror and anger mixed on his face. There was a long silence between everybody until Kratos gave a sigh of defeat. "Fine, I'll help you find your idiotic friends… For now." He walked up to Genis menacingly. "But mark my words and mark them well, boy. I WILL get that photo back from you and when I do… There will be hell to pay." And with that, he walked off with the others following him nervously.

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Where are the others? Who kidnapped them? And why oh, WHY was Kratos wearing a maid's outfit? Find out in the next chapter, you filthy little maggots. I mean, lovely readers!