usually I get my inspiration from random objects, well this time it was the fresh prince of Belhair x3 Anyways, i am typing this at 2 am in the freckin morning xP I just hope I won't get caught! I have to type so slow!

Chapter Three: Curses Of A Crest

Hesaid I'm leaving
Cos he can't take the pain
It's hard to continue this love it ain't the same
Can't forget the things that I've done inside his brain
Too many lies committed too many games
Hefeeling like a fool getting on the last train
Trying to maintain but the feeling won't change
I'm sorry for the things that I've done and what I became
Caught up in living my life in the fast lane
Blinded by lights, cameras, you know the fame
I don't know the reason why I did these things

And I lie and I lie and I lie and I lie
And now our emotions are drained
Cos I lie and I lie and a little lie lie
And now your emotions are drained

"Are we there yet?"

It had taken so long to arrive at Meltokio for a honoary celebration in honnor of everyone for defeating Mithos. Yet Kratos was arrived, and he convinced me to tag along. He had his 'ways'. Anyway, we had took a detour over Latheon Gorge, so this route seemed to take hours. But finally we had arrived. It was a nice day, to say the most. Weatherwise of course. Sighing a bit, I landed my Rheaird next to Kratos'. Glancing back at me from over his shoulder he gave a nod as if he were trying to say everything would turn out fine. I highly doubted it, honestly.

"Do you really think everything will go smoothly?" Questions and curiosity filled my voice as I walked along side Kratos. After his reveal of his crimson wings, I wasn't so sure if he could handle another fall out with his son. But Kratos was as persistent as ever. He always got his way, which sometime I wished he didn't.

"Of course," Kratos chimed as if his cheery attitude to this party would sparken mine as well. So wrong he was. But at the least, it had made me feel less weary of his so called 'illness' which we were still unsure of the cause. The party was at Zelos' mansion, which I had guessed from the start. That house could fit the whole population of Meltokio and still have room to spare.

"You sure you're alright?" I asked, curious to see Kratos' reaction. It wasn't long before Kratos had glanced over at my sudden question. Although he seemed a bit annoyed, I was sure he knew I meant well although I would never come out and say it.

"Of course," Either he was an extremely good liar or he seriously meant he was fine. As of right now I wasn't quite sure which it was. Though I doubted he would delebratly lie to me, again. At least I hoped. We just then arrived at the entrance to Zelos' house. It was sink or swim from here. Kratos looked over at me and saw how nervous I honestly was. With a reassuring hand on my shoulder, I tried to become less tense.

"You really want to go through with this?" To be honest, I think I had made a mistake coming along. The others, I knew, woudln't be to pleased to see me arriving, and with all people, Kratos. But if they didn't approve, or thought, they could go shove it. Ahem. Did I really care about Kratos this much?

"Are you worried Yuan?" Kratos replied. Worried? Of course I was but even Kratos knew I usually didn't confess to anxiouty, nor did he. But we were so different in other aspects. Shrugging, I gave a stiff look at him.

"Yea," I managed. With that said, Kratos pushed open the doors into the room. Everything went silent when we walked in. My stomach lurched, it was worse then I had feared. Flickering eyes starred at me for a few moments, but no one dared to say anything, nothing at all. Complete silence. Kratos gulped uneasily and managed a glance over at me to make sure I was al right.

"Say something," I heard Genis whisper to the others. My ears twitched uneasily. Was it so akward to have Kratos and I together. I did save him from him dieing. So what was the shock. But there was shock, from everyone except Lloyd. I didn't feel right here.

"Kratos! It's good to see you!" Colette finally spoke up. She walked over to us and smiled widely at Kratos. I was suddenely appreative of the blonde ex. chosen. Kratos replied her smile with a small smile. That small interaction seemed to break ice as the others walked over to Kratos, as if I didn't exsist.

"Yuan," Twitching uneasily, I glanced over at Kratos' son. He was the only one who hadn't gone over to warmly greet Kratos. My heart sank. Was he still enraged after what happened. For Kratos' sake, I doped he had let it pass. Gathering my thoughts I replied with the most crude thing I could manage without sending Lloyd over the edge.

"What do you want know?" With that snap I awaited a just as cruel reply, but it was silent between the two of us. It took a few moments before Lloyd replied, defiance still resided in his eyes.

"Tell me what's wrong with Kratos'," It was more of a demand. It startled me to see Kratos' son act so differently then his father. But the years and now, his distance from him could turn anyone sour. Espeically me.

"Kratos is fine," I replied. I was weighing in my mind whether to tell Lloyd about Kratos' condition seeing he was a dwarf, or to lie straight to his face. But staring at the younger version of Kratos, I knew I couldn't lie about his well-being to someone I knew might care about him just as much as me.

"Don't lie," It seemed Lloyd really wanted to know was going on. But I didn't have to time to explain before Kratos walked over at looked from me to Lloyd. Something was on his mind, I was sure now.

"Dad... what's wrong with you," This time it was directed to him, as if I didn't exsist, or wasn't even there. But to hear Lloyd speak to Kratos as father to son, ignoring the current issue, made me feel a sign of relief for Kratos. But Kratos didn't relax one bit, no sigh of relief, nothing.

"Lloyd..." It took a few moments to explain what had happened to him. I didn't dare interfere, afraid of what or how Kratos would feel or re act towards me. After his explaniation, Lloyd seemed stunned but more so tense that I was still near them.

"I can look at your Keycrest if you want," Lloyd asked. I would have expected a nod or agreeance from Kratos but all that came was a sudden shockwave, and he seemed completely flustered. He went pale and shoved his other hand over his expshere.

"It's nothing, I'm sure Lloyd, I don't want you waisting your skills on me," Kratos was lieing, and you would have to be blind not to see that. My worst fear had come true, Kratos had lied yet again to me. But what was he hiding this time? That I wasn't sure of.

"If you don't feel the need, ok," Lloyd spoke shrugging. Had he really fallen for Kratos' lie. I shook my head as Lloyd walked over to Colette. My eyes said it all as Kratos looked back over at me. I could tell I knew something wasn't right.

"Yuan, I have to tell you something," Kratos spoke uneasily. My heart sank but I seemed glad that Kratos was going to tell me what was wrong. But for some reason, I was fearing the truth.

"Let's go someplace quiet," I replied pointing down an abandoed hall. Kratos gave a stiff shrug and nodded as he led the way.

"I don't trust them Lloyd," Genis spoke turning to his older friend. Lloyd gave an agreeing sigh but didn't seem worried.

"But what can we do?" Lloyd spoke with a hint of anger, but didn't speak anything else of it.

"What's going on Kratos? I want to know right now, Damnit!" I spoke angriliy to Kratos as he leaned against the wall, messing with his hair, still hiding his hand that bore his expshere. His issue had to be something related to that. But what?

"Yuan, look," He spoke meekily as he extended his hand that bore the keycrest. I really had never examined his key crest before. But on it bore elven language. My heart sank as I slowly began to read outloud.

"Death shall be of tho fiercest manner if thy be murddered or betrayed, power will be descreased against tho volition until tho be united in death itself.." I finished and examined every word until it became clear. I could barely breathe as I reliezed what was happening to Kratos.

"He enchanted that into your keycrest to make sure if he died you'd follow a slow painful path until you died as well," I clenched my teeth. After Mithos was gone I was so sure our lives would be simplier but this sudden delay was of the worst sort. I just starred at fear at Kratos and reliezed he was slowly dieing, and would be gone if we didn't do something fast.

"Kratos I'm so sorry, I didn't know," I leaned against Kratos in shock. He had this hid from me knowing I would have wanted to live his last days in peace. But I would have never forgivven myself.

"Please, please don't tell Lloyd..." He begged holding me close. How could I tell Lloyd was dieing a slow painful death because he had destroyed Mithos' Cruxis Crystal. I shook my head and could feel Kratos shaking in my grasp.

"But he has to know," I spoke, although my heart didn't want to tell Lloyd. I couldn't let Kratos leave me to live an eternal damnation without him.I was so strong, but the thought of losing him was a horror.

"Yuan, are you alright?" He asked. He was so strong, although the pain he was going through. How long had he been like this. I silently cursed myself for having such ignorance and not reliezing what was happeneing to him. Not once.

"What if we remove your exsphere?" I asked bleekily. It was worth a shot to ask. If an exshpere was removed, the key crest would be rendered useless. But removing an exsphere was not easy.

"Then I have a fifty-fifty chance of dieing or living without this curse..." Kratos spoke as if he feared I would ask that. A fifty--fifty wasn't good enough for me. I wanted a one hundred percent guarnity that he'd live forever.

"That's not good enough for me, Is there another way?" I asked, praying there was a better and safer way to save Kratos. The more Mithos hurt us after he was dead started to destroy my shield I had that blocked out everyone who tried to get close.

"No..." Kratos answered. That was what I was fearing. I closed my eyes tightly.

"You have to tell the others..." I spoke, he just had to.

"No, I only want you with me when I attempt to remove the expshere.." His voice was so frail. He looked like he was on the verge of fainting. I shook my head but then understood how deeply he felt for me.

"I'll never leave you, I promise," I replied looking up at Kratos. He took a huge sigh and shook violently.

"Thank you..." Was all he could manage. I shifted uneasily.

"How long do you have left?"I asked, fearing how short of a time we might actually have left together.

"A few days at the most.." He looked deeply shooken and I knew he wasn't lieing.

"Tell me this is just a joke, please..." I spoke, on the verge of a melt-down. But I had to keep my cool. For both our sakes. I just had to.

"I wish I could, I wish I could..."

Author's Note:
My dear gosh x( When I started writing this I never thought I'd make such a sudden plot twist. ugh, just the thought of my next chapters is killing me inside. And I amwriting those now, but I usually upload one chapter evert day (or every other day) it's simpler and gives people time to review and such. So erm, you'll see what happens in the next chapter. And this story won't be as long as you are thinking, well it would seem it would end, so expect around the same lengh as COAA, which I'm re-doing a few parts in that as well to adjust to Yuan's personality. And now my friends, review.