Chapter 2

Father and Son

"Roger!" Lloyd couldn't believe it, his Dad was staying AND he was going to train with him "Then, I'll go get my stuff and… " he suddenly realized it.

"Lloyd," Dirk had been listening.

"Dad, I'm sorry… But I have to go," Lloyd's joy left him.

"I understand. You haven't been with your father for fifteen years. You deserve this," Dirk hugged his son.

"Colette! We can all go on the journey I promised to you!" Lloyd was really happy.

"Um… Lloyd, I don't think I'll go with you," said Colette.

"What? But…"

"You need to be some time with your father and I don't want to spoil that" the girl lowered her eyes to the floor.

"Well, if that's what you want…"

"Yeah," Colette hugged Lloyd.

"Well, I think I'll go get my stuff," Lloyd started walking toward his house.

"What? Are you planning to leave right now?" Kratos was astonished.

"Um… Well, I think we can go till tomorrow?" said Lloyd.

"Yeah, that way you can say good-bye to Genis and the Professor," said Colette, almost jumping.

"Yeah, I think that's the best idea," said Dirk.

"Lloyd, take this," Kratos gave back Lloyd's Exsphere.

"Thanks. Then let's go to the village! Will you come, Kra-Dad?" asked the youngster to his father.

"No, I think I will stay here and wait for your arrival," answered the angel, walking away.

"Aw, come on!" started Lloyd pulling the angel's arm.

"Fine, I'll go too… " said the elder following his son who started to chat cheerfully with Colette.

vvvvv

"Lloyd! You're here!" a silver haired kid came running "I thought you wouldn't come!"

"Huh? Why is it so important?" Lloyd was trying to remember if he had promised something to the boy.

"Today's our first day of school after the unification of the two worlds!"

"Oh, yeah… "Lloyd remembered he had promised Genis he would go to school with him.

"Then, let's go!" the half-elf pulled Lloyd's sleeve.

"Okay, okay, hold on. Dad, I'll go to school, will you wait for me?" Lloyd turned around to face his father.

"Kratos? You decided to stay?" Genis looked up at the angel, he had not been aware of Kratos' presence "Don't worry, today's special, you can come to the school with us. Today is Parents Day; you can go to school with Lloyd and watch him work."

Genis enjoyed the moment; he knew Lloyd would get mad at him because it would be embarrassing that Kratos came along with him to school as he did poor in it.

"Genis!" Lloyd slapped the small half-elf in the head.

"Ow! Colette's father, Frank, is coming too. I'm sure the other parents will be pleased to meet you!" Genis' eyes shone with glee.

What would Kratos think if he saw how he worked in school?

"Fine, I'll go..." the angel answered at last and started walking towards the school leaving behind a fuming Lloyd and a smiling Genis.

"Good work, Genis! Now he'll get disappointed in me!"

"It's your fault, Lloyd. If you didn't sleep during class, you wouldn't be so stupid!" Genis crossed his arms on his chest.

"Don't worry, Lloyd, you'll be fine! Kratos will understand!" Colette put her hands together.

Lloyd sighed but walked in the direction of the only school in Iselia.

vvvvv

"Oh, hello, Kratos," greeted Raine Sage as the angel entered the classroom which was full of talkative parents.

"…" Kratos looked around feeling stupid; he didn't know what he was supposed to do.

"Kratos, hello. May I ask you why you are here?" Frank, Colette's father, approached Kratos.

"I'm here to watch over my son," the angel answered feeling even more stupid.

"Yes, of course! You're Lloyd's real father, aren't you?" Frank was way too cheerful for Kratos, just like his daughter.

Lloyd, Genis and Colette entered the building and greeted Frank and the Professor.

"Hi, Professor!" Lloyd approached the Professor.

"Lloyd, you're late! We were only waiting for you. Where were you?" Raine started scolding Lloyd.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I was busy trying to persuade Dad to stay here," Lloyd said scratching the back of his head.

"Dirk? But… Oh, you are talking about Kratos…" comprehension dawning across her face.

"Yeah, and guess what? He's staying!" Lloyd became even happier, but he still was nervous.

"That is good to hear. Now, take you seat," Raine looked around, "Welcome! Today is Parents Day; you will have the opportunity to watch how your sons and daughters work during school days."

All the students took their seats and the parents went to the back of the classroom; Kratos followed them.

"I will start today's lesson by reviewing the events regarding the Ancient War. Of course, the parents are welcome to contribute any information you have in regards to it" the half-elf looked up at Kratos as telling him to say everything he knew about it, "Lloyd, how did the Kharlan War end?"

"Eh… Um… "

"The Great Kharlan War ended when Mithos, the Hero, split the world in two with the power of the Eternal Sword, creating the two worlds of Sylvarant and Tethe'Alla," Kratos said out loud. The entire classroom looked up at him.

"Correct. Lloyd, you should learn from your father," the Professor said and Lloyd blushed "Genis, what happened next?"

vvvvv

"You are Lloyd's father?" a brown haired man approached Kratos as the students calculated a very hard-looking math problem.

"Yes," the angel started to get annoyed. Every father had come to ask where he was during Lloyd's childhood.

"Do you know that Lloyd's grades are way too pitiful?" the man said with a serious look.

"No, I did not know that. I know he isn't the smartest but he is a good boy…" Kratos suddenly became concerned about Lloyd. His grades were pitiful?

"Lloyd, have you finished?" the silver haired teacher asked from behind a huge book.

"Yes, Professor," Lloyd had a tense look on his face; he knew that when Raine asked him if he had finished, she was meaning to tell him to write the problem on the board.

"Then, please…" Raine got up and pointed her finger at the board.

"Yes, Professor," Lloyd let out a heavy sigh; he had indeed finished the math problem but he didn't know how he had done it.

He started writing the math problem with no idea of what he was doing, and the fact that all the parents, including Kratos, were watching him, did not help.

After a few minutes, which for Lloyd were like an eternity, he finished the math problem.

"Correct. Good work, Lloyd!" Raine had been watching how Lloyd solved the problem with a proud look on her face.

The youngster blushed and scratched the back of his head. He couldn't believe he had done a math problem so fast.

"Wow, Lloyd! You're amazing!" Colette's eyes lit up and began to clap. Her father, Frank, started clapping too, and a few moments later every father and mother were clapping.

"Heheh… n-not at all…" Lloyd blushed even more.

"Kids, check your answers," the Professor said "Okay, now we shall start our Art lesson. Take out you materials. If you need more come here and I'll give you some."

Lloyd started making a bracelet with some junk he had found all around the world. He planned on giving it to Colette.

"The parents can go around the classroom and watch as they work," Raine went to where Genis was trying to make the Meltokio Castle with sticks, but he was having a hard time.

"It's not working! Every time I try to make the roof, the entire model collapses!" Genis was getting frustrated.

"Here, Genis let me help you," Lloyd went to Genis' desk and put some sticks together to support the model. Somehow, he managed to make the roof stay where it was supposed to.

"How did you-?"

"Told ya, I'm good at Art."

"Thanks!"

Lloyd went back to his own desk, finding Kratos standing beside it.

"What are you doing, may I ask?"

"Oh, a bracelet for Colette. Want me to make you one? Well, maybe not a bracelet but a ring or something…" Lloyd started digging on his junk pile trying to find something that could be used for a ring.

"No, it's all right. Finish your bracelet first. If you make me a ring, you will not be able to finish the bracelet," Kratos' face turned slightly pink.

"Nah, I'm almost done with the bracelet. I've been working on it for a couple of days. I'll finish it right now and I'll make you the ring…" said the teenager still digging on his pile.

"Thank you…" the angel was grateful to the boy but could not find the appropriate words to express himself.

The youngster added a few crystal-like objects to the bracelet and then wrapped a thin silver string around it.

"Done! Professor, I've finished it!" Lloyd went to Raine's desk to show her the finely crafted item.

"Good work, Lloyd, as usual. If only you were as determined for Math as you are for Art," the half-elf let out a heavy sigh.

"Heheh… Colette, this is the bracelet I promised you," Lloyd gave the blonde girl the silver bracelet.

"Thanks, Lloyd!" Colette's eyes lit up.

"Okay, now I'll make you the ring, Dad," Lloyd returned to his desk and grabbed a rusty ring. He started polishing it.

"Okay, children, time's up!" Raine said out loud.

"Aw, man! Don't worry, I promise I'll finish it before we go tomorrow," the youngster put away the ring.

"Now, it's time for P.E. Let's go outside," the Professor led the parents out of the building. She then went inside again and took an enormous wooden box with her and placed it in front of the school "Pair up with your parents and choose a sport. The ones whose parents didn't come will pair up with Genis and me."

"Hey, Dad! Over here!" Lloyd called out for Kratos. The boy bent down and picked up a pair of swords. Although wooden, they were pretty sharp. Kratos came close to the boy "Let's start with the training right now!"

"Fine. I see you chose to fight with wooden swords… Yes, that's a good idea; it may be dangerous if we fought with our own," Kratos picked up a wooden sword from the box.

"Then, let's start!" Lloyd jumped and attacked his unprepared father, hitting him on the arm, "Hey, don't let the guard down!"

"Good," the angel rubbed his wounded arm but was prepared for the next attack.

Father and son fought as they had done it at the Torent Forest in their one-on-one battle. At that time, Lloyd had to kill Kratos in order to release Origin, the Summon Spirit. Lloyd needed to make a pact with Origin so he could use the Eternal Sword and reunite the two worlds, as well as defeat Mithos. When he was able to beat him, Lloyd asked his father if there wasn't any other way for Origin to appear, but there wasn't. Defeated, Kratos released Origin, giving up his mana as well as his life. But all of a sudden Yuan appeared and shared some of his mana with him, saving his life.

But now, their battle was only for fun. Lloyd attacked Kratos consecutively, but the angel didn't give up.

"Hiya!" Lloyd thrust one of his twin swords into Kratos' chest, but the latter evaded the attack, the boy crashed into the school's wall.

"You need to focus," the angel attacked Lloyd in his back.

"Ugh! You're tough! But you're holding back! That can't possibly be your true power," the youngster looked up at his father with an evil smile.

"Want me to show you my true power?" said Kratos, smirking.

"Of course! Your angelic powers!" Lloyd stood up waiting for the angel to make the next move.

"Fine, then… Sacred powers…"

"Huh? Wait, no! Not Judgment!" Lloyd throwing away his swords, he felt a tiny scratch on his shoulder but paid no attention to it.

"…cast your purifying light upon this corrupt soul. Rest in peace, sinner! Judgment!" Lloyd ducked and covered his head with his hands waiting for the light of Judgment to fall from the sky. But that never happened. He raised his head just to see a smiling Kratos.

"Huh? Why did nothing happen?"

"I'm not going to cast Judgment here. I would raze down the entire village," Kratos said with a smile.

"You're going to pay! I really thought you would reduce me to ashes!"

"No, Lloyd. That'll be me! Explosion!" a small half-elf had come nearby Lloyd silently.

Lloyd fell to the floor and covered his head. Again, nothing happened. He just heard a laugh coming from behind him.

"You guys are mean! Do you enjoy watching me suffer?" Lloyd rose to his feet.

"I'm sorry; it's just that… it's really funny!" Genis started to laugh uncontrollably.

"Right. Whatever. You'll pay for this, Ge- Gah!" a disk had come flying and landed on Lloyd's head, knocking him off.

"I'm sorry! I'm really sorry, Lloyd!" Colette came running and knelt in front of the injured Lloyd.

"D-don't worry, I'm fine," the brown haired youngster rubbed his head.

"I'm sorry," Colette's eyes were full of tears.

"I'm okay, Colette. It's not the first time I get hit in the head."

"But…"

"Don't apologize, I'm fine!" Lloyd rubbed his bumped head more.

"Okay… I'm sorry…"

Lloyd sighed and rose to his feet. Grabbed his twin swords and prepared to fight again, but Kratos was no where to be seen.