Chapter 6

"Kuchinawa… how are you?" Sheena mumbled, unaware of anything that was happening.

"Guys!" Lloyd shouted urgently, "We have to get Sheena out of here!"

But it was too late. A building next to them exploded and a dark cloud appeared in front of the group. "You…!" it hissed, "You're not dead yet… you must die…"
Zelos gently laid Sheena down quickly got up and stood in front of Sheena. "I'm not going to let you touch her!" He pulled the sword out of his sheath. Lloyd then pulled his twin blades out of his sheath, and Colette took her chakrams out.

"I know you all too… so well… I will kill you all…"

"No you won't!" Lloyd shouted. He charged at his enemy.

"Wait, Lloyd! Stop!" Colette cried.

Lloyd stopped in his tracks and looked around. "But Colette, how else do we stop it?"
"It can't be invincible, we'll find a way!"

"Maybe magic will work! Zelos suggested. "Fire Ball!" A small ball of flame appeared and zoomed forward at the cloud, but passed through and hit a pile of rubble behind it.

"Damn!" Zelos cursed "How do we get rid of this thing if everything passes through it!'

"Die…!" the cloud moaned. Red eyes appeared and the three friends looked inside them.

"Mithos!" Colette exclaimed.

Lloyd and Zelos turned to look at her.

"Don't you see? It sounds just like him, and he knows us! It shows in his eyes!"
Lloyd nodded in agreement, "He has a burning hatred for us, that's what I don't understand."

Mithos spun three times and three small laser shot out of it. They were smaller than the others, but each going faster than normal and all zooming at different targets.
Lloyd and Colette jumped out of the way, avoiding two of the beams.

"Zelos, Sheena! Get out of the way!" Lloyd shouted.

Zelos sprung into action. He grabbed Sheena and tried to run, but was hit in the leg by beam. It made a small explosion, reaching up to his waist. He howled in pain and fell to the ground, bloody, dropping Sheena.

"Zelos!" Lloyd screamed.

All of a sudden, the cloud started to sway back and forth uncontrollably. Steam started to arise from it, and it howled in pain and agony.

Lloyd and Colette blinked at the strange sight and wondered what was happening.

"I…" Mithos began, "I won't die until I kill you all… I'll be back…" and disappeared.

Lloyd and Colette ran to their friend's aid. "Zelos, you're bleeding like crazy!"

Zelos shook his head, "Don't worry about me. Sheena and I lost too much blood, I don't think we can make it anyway."

Colette shook her head vigorously. "Please, don't give up hope!"
"Whatever will be, will be. Please, let us be, just for a little while. Please, this is my dying wish."
Lloyd paused for a moment. "Alright." He sad sadly.
"Lloyd!" Colette's eyes widened.

Lloyd shook his head, "It's no use, the hospital is probably destroyed, and by the time we get to the next one in a nearby city, they would have…"

Colette turned to Zelos and Sheena, "I'm sorry," she whispered, and ran across to the remains of another alley.

Lloyd started to follow her, but then stopped when Zelos started to speak.

"Lloyd, make me this promise. I'm not going to be able to avenge anyone anymore, so… please do that for me… no, for all of us. Please make me this promise."

Lloyd turned around. "I will."

"Thanks, man." He smiled a weak smile.

"Zelos… goodbye," and with that, he followed Colette.

When the two were out of sight, Zelos turned to Sheena. "Sheena, are you there…?"

"… thy pact with Mithos and establish a new pact with me…"

Zelos sighed, "I guess not." He brushed the hair out of her face and said, "I've always wanted to do this, but you probably would have given me a good hard smack." Then, ever so slowly, he gently kissed her on the forehead. "It's been really nice knowing you, Sheena. Goodbye, hunny." He laughed and held Sheena's hand tight. Then, for the last time he closed his eyes with a smile on his face.

Next to him, the injured girl snapped her eyes open once again. "Zelos… Thank you for everything." And she too, closed her eyes with a smile on her face.

Moments later, Lloyd and Colette appeared in front of the two.

"They died with a smile on their face…" Lloyd whispered.

Suddenly, Colette grabbed onto Lloyd and burst into tears. "Lloyd, I'm sorry," she sobbed.

Lloyd blinked at her, "Why are you sorry?"

"I'm crying…"

Lloyd chuckled, "Just be happy that you can actually cry."

"Lloyd?"
"Yes, Colette?"

"I'm scared. We're all dying, one-by-one. I don't want to die anymore," she sobbed.

Lloyd patted her gently, "We're not going to die. I'm with you, I won't let that happen."
Colette wiped her tears away. "Thank you, Lloyd. I feel safer when I'm with you."
Lloyd smiled at her, then his smile disappeared and a grave expression came to his face, "If only none of this were happening, if only we could bring our friends, and all the people who died back."