Well it's been a while since I was last here, I've had so much uni work to do, but now im way ahead so im taking a break to get back to writing. Hope you enjoy
It had been several hours since the tramendous battle and Sheena was just coming to her senses. A familiar pain was forming in her head, but it hadn't felt this bad since the day after her 21st birthday. She soon remembered the situation she was in and opened her eyes. Seeing only darkness she understanderbly grew worried
"Lloyd? Kratos? Genis?" she called as she struggled to her feet. Unfortunatly no-one answered.
Deciding against staying where she was she began to stumble around what she assumed was a room below the Seal of darkness. Just as she became more confident with her strides she tripped over a stray rock and fell hard. As she got to her feet a brilliant light began to glow infront of her in the form of a doorway. Finding no good reason to stay where she was, she entered.
"Sheena!" Genis said as he saw her walk through the new doorway
"Genis? Where are we?" she asked getting a shrug for a reply
"I dunno, but Kratos is here aswell." he said turning to the swordsman who was seemingly meditating
"What about Lloyd?"
"I haven't seen him. Man I've got a lot of questions to ask him!" he said making a fist
Before their conversation could continue another brillaint light shone infront of them revealling Verius.
"Verius! What is this place?" Sheena called out to the summon spirit.
"This is the gateway to the heart...Lloyd's heart. It was no accident that the 3 of you all came to help Lloyd. Your bonds to his heart are strong. Each caring for him as a father, a best friend or a lover."
Genis looked over to Sheena and laughed a little "You and Lloyd have..."
"That's not important right now Genis!" Sheena shouted trying to cover her embarresment "If this is Lloyds heart why is it so...dark?"
"All the hope, dreams and determination have been masked by Neblims magic."
"Can we return his heart to normal?" Kratos asked getting into the convosation for the first time.
"No only Lloyd can, but he cannot do it alone. He needs your help"
"How do we help him?" Genis asked getting angrier at the darkness that encased his best friends heart.
"Neblim has taken 3 of Lloyds memories and used these as a way to control him."
"I supose each memory has a particular relivance to each of us?" Kratos asked
"Yes." the spirit replied as three doorways apeared behind them. "Each of these doorways leads to a memory. You must help him overcome the pain that lives in each one."
"So behind each doorway lies a part of his past..." Sheena said looking at the doorway behind her
"Indeed"
"I have spent too long being a burden to Lloyd. It is about time I helped him" Kratos said before entering the doorway behind him
"If it wasn't for Lloyd I wouldn't be able to trust humans. If there is anything I can do to help him I will!" Genis said entering the door way that lay behind him.
"Without Lloyd I wouldn't have been able to move on with my life. Nothing and I mean NOTHING will stop me from doing all I can for him!" she said darting through her doorway
"Those 3 are strong...I just hope they are strong enough." Verius said as he dissapeared once more.
Kratos
Walking through the doorway Kratos immediately reckognised the area he was at. The Iselia forest.
"How did I guess It would be this memory..." he said hoping he didn't have to witness his wifes death once more.
Before he could think of doing something else he saw 2 people running past him. One was holding a child in her arms as she ran.
"Anna keep running!" Kratos 'younger' self shouted as the 2 kept running. Soon a hoard of Desian rangers ran passed the older Kratos persuing the couple.
"Why did you come here?" A voice from behind Kratos asked
He turned to see his son how he was at 3 years old. "Lloyd?"
"WHY DID YOU COME HERE?" he shouted trying to hold back his tears
"I came in search of Dirk. I had heard he could create a key crest that would have protected your mother."
"But mommy died 'coz you came here!"
Kratos looked away from his son trying to hide his tears "I know..."
Before the boy could say anymore the younger Kratos burst through the foliage, sword in one hand and his son in the other. Seconds later the out of control monster that used to be Anna followed throwing it's arms at the 2.
"Anna listen to me!" Kratos shouted as the monster swung at him again "It's me Kratos your husband. Your going to hurt Lloyd!"
"Lloyd?" the monster said in a distorted tone
"Yes...please stop this." he pleaded as the monster seemed to gain control once more.
"Kratos...I wont be able to hold this off much longer...you must kill me."
"Anna...I...I...can't"
"Please Kratos." the monster pleaded before swinging at him once more.
This time it caught him and knocked him back. Kratos momentarilly lost consciousness and lost his grip on his son. The young boy flew into the air. Kratos soon came too and quickly dashed toward the boy, but he was too far away. Luckily Noishe was near by and caught him by the back of his shirt. Placing the boy down Noishe stood inbetween him and the monster Anna had become. Letting out a low growl the protozoan dashed at her only to be knocked back aswell.
The monster then turned it's attention toward Lloyd as he stood up "Mommy?" he asked as the monster began running toward him.
"Anna don't!" Kratos said sprouting his wings and flying toward his wife his sword held out in front of him.
The familiar sound of metal tearing through flesh rang through Kratos mind. As he saw his love fall down.
"W...What have I done?" he asked himself as Kvar came through the clearing
"There you are. Hand over the Angelus Project or..." he said before noticing the dead monster "My Kratos, I thought you would never kill the women you suposidly love" he said with a sick smile.
Kratos felt all his anger and pain rise up him as he dashed toward the half elf "I'll kill you for this!" he screamed brandishing his sword.
With a single cut the grand Cardinal fell to his knees "Yggdrassil should never have trusted you!" he screamed before passing out.
Kratos turned back to find his son, but he was gone as was Anna. With the last of her strength she grabbed her son and decended the cliff in hope of saving him from Kvar and the Desians.
"Mommy died coz of you." the infant said
"I know Lloyd."
"You shouldn't have come to Iseya!" he shouted
"I did what I thought was right. It was the only choice I had. I couldn't leave either of you alone. It was just too dangerous."
"No. Mommy died coz you...coz you..." the little boy said before he began crying. Kratos rushed to the boy who only smacked him away. "No. You hurt mommy."
"Lloyd. Both you and I have done things we thought were right, but have only hurt those around us."
"I wanted to help people, but...but I ended up sacrificing more..." the infant said with an older voice
"I know you did. Everything you have done has been because you thought it was right."
"I thought it was right?"
"Yes. I have the weight of many a sin on my shoulders, but because of you I have found the strength to atone for them. I have found the strength to continue living."
"But mom is still dead."
"That is something I will always try to atone for. I hope one day you can forgive me."
"Kr...Dad..." he said as the infant disaperared along with the Iselia forest leaving Kratos where he started.
Genis
"This is...my house" he said walking out through his front door. Soon after he did several fireballs flew passed him and started to burn his house. He instantley knew where this was leading.
"Do I have to see this again?" he asked as he made his way to the entrance where the Desians were congregating.
Before he did a blade of light skid across the floor hitting Genis knocking him down to his knees
"Don't move!" a voice called from behind him.
Genis turned and saw the Lloyd he once remembered
"Lloyd?" he asked only to get hit by another demon fang
"This was your plan wasn't it! Bring your half elf buddies here to destroy the town!"
"What are you talking about Lloyd. You know that's not true"
"No you tricked me into saving Marble so the Desians would come to Iselia and destroy it!"
"What?" Genis asked completely shocked by Lloyds suggestion
"Do you hate humans that much that you'd risk my life? Colettes life? Marbles life?" Lloyd shouted back
Genis tried to answer, but the words got stuck in his throat. Could what Lloyd said be right. Maybe on some subconcious level he...No This village was too important to him. Both Colette and Lloyd were his friends and Marble...Marble was like his grandmother. He would never hurt them
"Marble died because of you." he said pointing his blade at Genis "As did most of the village"
"Lloyd Irving!" a voice called from the entrance. "Come Forth!"
Genis looked to his side as he saw Lloyd and his younger self run passed.
"You've come to attack the village again! I've had enough of this!" Lloyd shouted drawing his blades
"What are you talking about?" a Desian asked
"He speaks noncence ignore him" the grand cardinal, Forcystus, said as he entered the town "Listen up inferior beings. I am Forcystus, one of the 5 Desian Grand Cardinals. I am a superior half elf who rules over the farm where we cultivate you humans."
"...half elf..." Genis said under his breath.
"Lloyd! You, a human have been found guilty for the crime of violating the non-aggression treaty. Therefore I have brought judgment upon you and this village."
"You violated the treaty too!" Genis shouted "You tried to murder the chosen!"
"Us kill the chosen?" A Desian said with a laugh "I see now. They must be after the chosen."
"They?" Lloyd asked "Are you saying you aren't the ones that attacked Colette?"
"I have no need to explain myself to the likes of you." Forcystus said ignoring the boys words "The only thing that matters is that you, Lloyd Irving, have been in contact with host body F192 and attacked our guards."
The mayor ran up infront of Lloyd with a look of both fear and anger in his eyes. "What have you done! How many times have we told you to stay away from the ranch!"
Lloyd could do nothing more than avoid the mayors angry stare "... I'm sorry"
Forcystus again made his presence known "We've prepared an appropriate opponent for your crime!" he said stepping a side letting the giant monster make it's way into the town.
"What is that thing!" Lloyd asked in disbelief as he stared at the giant
"Now, receive your punishment!" Forcystus shouted as the monster swung its arms knocking the mayor down
"Damn!" Lloyd shouted drawing his other sword
"Lloyd I'll help too!" Genis shouted as he began to swing his Kendama
Genis tried not to watch as he and his friend attacked the monster that they would soon find out to be a freind of theres.
"You see what you've done" Lloyd said from behind him.
"Yes...this was my fault. If I had never got lost on my way to your house I would never have met Marble." he looked down to his feet as tears dropped from his eyes "I would never have caused this damage"
'Fireball!' the younger Genis shouted followed by the familiar sound of decaying flesh.
"I...I was the one that dealt the final blow... I killed Marble." Genis said staring at the scene unfolding infront of him.
"Lord Forcystus! Just as you thought that boy has an Exsphere!" A Desian shouted as Lloyd turned to them
"...It must be from the Angelus Project that we've been searching for! Give it to me!" Forcystus deemanded
"NO!" Lloyd shouted stepping back "This is a memento of my mom's who you Desians murdered!"
"What are you talking about? Your mother wa-" Forcystus began before the dead monster jumped up wrapping its arms around him
"Run...away...Genis, Lloyd..." the monster called out to the two who couldnt believe the voice they heard
"Wh...What was that voice?" Genis asked "It...sounded like...Marble?..."
"...It can't be"
"Uh...ugh...guh... Get away... hurry!... Genis... you were like a grandson to me. Thank you...Goodbye..." she said as her body soon exploded in a ball of light.
Forcystus fell to his knees.
"...No! Protect Lord Forcystus." A Desian shouted running infront of the injured Lord
Forcystus spat some blood from his mouth and looked up at Lloyd "...Lloyd we will always come after you as long as you posses that exsphere." He said wiping more blood from his mouth "Always!"
Genis just stared as the Desians all began to dissapear infront of him. "M...Marble." he whispered before falling to his knees "Marble... NO!"
"Everything...everything was my fault" Genis said "And you have blammed yourself for this" he said turning to Lloyd, but he was gone.
"What have you done!" The mayor shouted at Lloyd "Look! Look what happened to our village! It's all your fault!"
"I'm sorry"
"You think you can fix this by apologizing! The Desians marked you as their enemy! As long as you are here this village will never be at peace. Do you understand?" he asked sounding slightly more sympathetic
"Wait a minute!" Genis shouted "You're going to exile him!"
The mayor looked at his feet. "Yes"
Genis stood defiantly infront of the mayor. "That's not fair! Lloyd didn't do anything wrong! He just saved Marble..."
"...saved Marble?..."
"Any involvemnt with the ranch is forbidden. There are no exceptions." The mayor stated
"So it's ok to let people at the ranch die at the human ranch as long as the village is safe!"
"W...we did the right thing...We saved someones life where as the Desians took them."
"No we caused this by going to the ranch." Lloyd said from behind him.
Genis laughed a little "No...it was not our fault the Desians attacked we did the right thing!"
"The right thing?"
"Yes"
"Genis..." Lloyd said as he dissapeared along with the village leaving Genis back where he began
"Genis?" Kratos said making the half elf turn
"I...I don't think we are helping Lloyd" he said getting a look of confusion from the older man "I think he is helping us."
Kratos smiled "Yes even now, in his hour of need, he has to help others"
"How do you think Sheena is doing?"
"I don't know. All we can do now is wait."
This is as good a place as any to stop, so did you miss me? anyway hope you enjoy please r/r