I'm alive! I promise! I just...had some writer's block. Then I got really into Dragonball Legends for, like, a solid three and a half weeks.

*Please send help I'm lost in Future Trunks' eyes.*

Anyway, I'm here, and ready to write again! Thanks for sticking with me. I hope you guys enjoy this chapter!

Unsettling was the word, Yuan thought to himself. Derris-Kharlan was unsettling.

He'd come from the Renegade base, which was always a flurry of activity and life. Renegades running around trying to meet his demands, off-duty guards getting drunk and telling bad jokes, the occasional fight that would break out between young men who both fancied the same young woman. Yuan didn't usually get involved in it—too busy, too old, too jaded—but it was jarring to go from such a lively place to…this.

"Lord Yuan. I have been instructed to ensure you arrive to meet Lord Yggdrasill." An angel, unnaturally stiff in his movements, greeted Yuan on his arrival. "Please, come with me."

"I can find my way around myself, thank you very much," Yuan said sharply. "You can go."

"My apologies, sir, but Lord Yggdrasill's orders are absolute. He must be obeyed."

Yuan sighed heavily. "Fine. Lead the way."

The angel did not take Yuan to the throne room, which was alarming. As they continued walking, he felt his stomach drop, as he knew there was only one other place Yggdrasill would be.

The Hall of the Great Seed.

Yuan absolutely hated the room, and he was sure that was why Yggdrasill was there. Punishment. Yggdrasill never went for physical punishments; no, he preferred emotional and mental torment.

Which was how Yuan found himself staring up at the body of his late fiancé.

Even over four thousand years, he never got used to it. Martel was pale, with her beautiful green eyes closed for an eternity, and her delicate arms crossed over her chest. Just like she would had she been placed in a coffin.

Yuan's stomach seemed to rebel against him, so he purposefully turned his gaze away from Martel. He glanced around the room and saw that Yggdrasill was below, staring up at her, his gaze transfixed.

"Yuan. Pronyma has already been to speak to me about what happened in Tethe'alla." He turned around to look at Yuan clearly. "Perhaps you can shed some light on the situation."

Yuan inhaled. He hoped Botta's idea worked. "It's my fault," he admitted. "I tried to capture Kratos and Pronyma got in my way."

"I thought I told you to leave Kratos alone."

"You did. I was…foolish." Yuan folded his arms. "I just think it's a mistake to let Kratos run around freely. Who knows what he could do?"

"…" Yggdrasill walked towards him. "Oddly enough, Yuan, just because you feel a certain way doesn't mean that I do." He stopped abruptly, barely three feet away from Yuan. "Leave. Kratos. Alone. I am keeping tabs on him, so he poses no risk."

"Understood." Yuan didn't say anything more.

"…Your foolishness caused Pronyma to lose track of the Chosen." Yggdrasill folded his arms, as if he were a father scolding his child. "This sets us back."

"I know. I have no excuse, I was…trying to do exactly what you told me not to." Yuan turned his face away, as if he were ashamed. "I won't do it again."

"No…no, I'm sure you won't." Yggdrasill turned away as well, back to Martel. "However, it matters little in the end. Ultimately, Kratos will return to Cruxis and so will the Chosen."

"How do you intend to capture him?" Yuan asked curiously. "It won't be easy."

"I'm not going to capture Kratos. I'm going to convince him."

That proclamation was met with silence. "With all due respect," Yuan said apprehensively, "who do you think could convince Kratos to come back? I didn't get anywhere with him. And there isn't anyone else he's close to in Cruxis." Well, except for…

"I will talk to him myself," Yggdrasill said quietly. Yuan stiffened. "Yuan, tell me something." Yggdrasill turned quickly towards his old friend. "What do you know of Lloyd?"

"…Well, he's Kratos' son. He is 17 years old, he's about five foot—" Yggdrasill waved his hand dismissively.

"Not what he looks like. What his personality is."
"…Personality?" Now Yuan really didn't know where this was going. Why would Yggdrasill care? "From what I've seen, he's arrogant, not terribly intelligent, and is easy to anger. Getting him riled up is not a difficult task." Yuan shrugged. "Besides that? Just everything you know."

"He travels with half-elves." Yggdrasill stared off, lost in his thoughts. "Strange, considering his upbringing and circumstances."

"…" Yuan didn't respond. He didn't know how to respond. "Suppose it is," he said finally.

"Kratos' child, through and through." With that, Yggdrasill started towards the door of the castle. "Don't go after them again, Yuan. I will handle it."

"Of course." Yuan watched him leave, the teleporter humming to life and taking Yggdrasill away. He stayed for a few seconds, staring out at the cold purple sky around him.

Eventually, Yuan turned and left as well. He had work to do.

To everyone's surprise, Kratos found that he and Zelos worked well together as teachers. Perhaps it was simply that the two balanced each other out: Kratos could be harsher and more critical, while Zelos could quickly redirect Lloyd with a joke.

They went out to a clearing not far from the House of Guidance. Kratos deemed it appropriate: flat land, soft grass, few trees around them. To warm up, Kratos and Zelos each sparred with Lloyd, putting him through his paces. Eventually, Kratos gestured for Lloyd to take a spot in front of him.

"Good job. Get into fighting position." Lloyd obeyed, his swords out and ready. "Keep your stance wide and lower your body." Kratos adjusted Lloyd's arms, carefully bending them into proper place. "You want your center of gravity lower, so that it's harder to knock you down."

"Got it." Lloyd obeyed, leaning forward eagerly. "What do I do next?"

"Hmm…" Zelos casually walked up and bumped his shoulder into Lloyd's. Lloyd was knocked off balance and had to take a step back to steady himself. "Don't lean forward like that. It puts you on your toes, and then I can just…knock you down."

"Good catch," Kratos commented. He watched as Zelos pulled Lloyd's shoulders back. "You want to be rooted to the ground. If you start this technique off sloppily, you won't be able to follow through with it."

"How's this?" Both Kratos and Zelos nodded in approval and Lloyd smiled. "Alright! I'm getting the hang of it. Now what do I do?"

"We'll start with the actual technique." Kratos pulled his sword out. "You perform a spiral slash upwards, then hit your enemy with a downward slash." He nodded to Zelos, who procured his sword. "Let's work on the spiral slash."

"You want to jump up," Zelos explained, slowly demonstrating. "Take a step forward with your right foot. You want to put your swords in resting position, as if you were unsheathing them."

Lloyd did so, and both Zelos and Kratos immediately spotted a problem.

"Wait. Not both swords." Kratos indicated Lloyd's left sword. "We've had this problem before. When you use two swords, you deviate from the traditional methods of fighting. Treat your left hand as if it's holding a shield, not a sword."

"Um…like this?" Lloyd held his left sword out awkwardly. "That doesn't seem right…"

Zelos glanced at Kratos. "Listen, bud, maybe we should try a different technique. If you're going to fight with two swords, it's almost like you're fighting with a different weapon."

Lloyd shook his head. "No, no! I want to learn how to do it. It can't be that different."

"In that case," Kratos explained, "we'll have to modify the technique. Hold your left sword close to your body and parallel to the ground."

"Gotta watch out, though," Zelos added. "Keep your hand steady. If your sword slips, you're going to be completely defenseless on your left side."

"Got it." Lloyd did as instructed. "Show me again."

"Alright, you ready?" Zelos lowered his body, demonstrating the correct start to the technique. "Take a step forward with your right leg. Jump straight up and twist your body to the right." He demonstrated an effortless slash upwards, spinning in the air.

"Be careful," Kratos told Lloyd as Zelos landed gracefully on his feet. "This technique is powerful and can incapacitate your enemy, but it leaves you vulnerable."

"Right. If you get hit in the back, you are in for a rough time." Zelos brushed a lock of red hair out of his face. "Ready to try it?"

"Ready!" Lloyd got into the appropriate stance and waited.

"Go!"

Lloyd leapt up, performing the arcing slice. It was shaky: Kratos could easily see a dozen weak points, and he was sure Zelos saw just as many. But for the first time, Lloyd did well. He finished the slash and his feet hit the ground.

He stumbled and landed flat on his face.

"Yikes. Watching a rookie do it, it looks even more painful." Zelos walked over to help him up.

"Wh…what did I do wrong?" Lloyd asked, his face turning red. "I thought I did it right."

"The cut itself wasn't bad for a first attempt," Kratos said. "The hardest part is landing. When you do any sort of attack like this, it puts you off balance automatically. Think of when you attack with Tempest. It took you a while to get your bearings, didn't it?"

"Yeah, but…" Lloyd sighed. "This looked easier."

"Looks can be deceiving." Kratos folded his arms. "Not to mention, we haven't taught you the proper strike downwards. That changes things."

"Pick yourself up, bud," Zelos told him enthusiastically. "Try again. When you land, try to keep your feet staggered, so you have more support."

"And don't be afraid to take some steps forward to steady yourself," Kratos added. Zelos hauled Lloyd to his feet. "Get into your stance."

Lloyd did as he was told, teeth bared and fierce determination in his eyes. Kratos nodded, pleased.

"Again."

By the time the sun had set, Lloyd had a solid handle on the twirl of Light Spear. He was still a bit shaky on his landing—his legs took the brunt of the impact, which sent him buckling, though he no longer fell—but overall, he had a good start.

"Practice it in battle," Kratos told him as they packed up. Zelos was hanging back, watching them both, which made Kratos uneasy. "On weaker monsters, of course. By our next lesson, I'd like you to have mastered the landing."

"Right!" Lloyd grinned and gave him a thumbs up. "No more wobbly knees for me."

"Exactly. You're not an infant trying to stand up anymore." Kratos' face softened at the memory. "Heh. We'd better hurry back. It's getting late."

"You two head off," Zelos told them. "I'm going to take a walk. It's such a nice night out, you know?" He gestured around to the cool air. "Wanna take advantage of it."

"Are you sure, Zelos?" Lloyd cocked his head to the side. "It's dangerous out here. There could be monsters."

Zelos waved him off. "Nah, I'll be fine, bud."

"Alright. Be careful," Lloyd said. "And don't stay out too late, alright?"

"Of course not." Zelos gave him a cheeky grin. "What are you, my mom?"

"Chosen." Kratos stared at him. "You need to be…very careful. Or something bad might happen."

"Hmm. That wouldn't be a threat, would it, old man?" Zelos winked at him.

Lloyd grimaced. "Geez, Kratos, that really did sound threatening. You're so weird."

He started walking through the trees, disappearing into the darkness. Kratos and Zelos stared each other down for a moment, before Kratos said, "Hmph," and turned to follow Lloyd.

Zelos let out a sigh of relief. Call him crazy, but he just couldn't relax when the old man was watching him so closely.

He strolled through the woods, inhaling the heavy scent of damp dirt. It was dark now, with only the moon lighting his path. The wind made the trees move in the darkness. In the stillness, the shadows seemed almost like living creatures.

Zelos unsheathed his sword and swung it around. Its gleaming point was directly underneath Yggdrasill's chin.

The man was calm and composed, not taking any notice of the sword at his throat. "Zelos."

"…You know, one day," he grunted, keeping his sword steady, "I'll be able to take a walk without you crawling up my ass. What do you want?"

"You were just alone with Lloyd and Kratos."

The Chosen raised an eyebrow. "Yeah? So?"

Yggdrasill knocked the sword away with a dismissive wave of his hand. "They trust you. That's good."

"Hmm. I don't know about that." Zelos sheathed his sword, but his eyes stayed on Yggdrasill. "Kratos sure as hell doesn't, and I'm sure he's made it clear to everyone else."

"…If you could, would you be able to get Kratos alone?" Yggdrasill started to circle around Zelos. "Just him, away from the others?"

Zelos shrugged. "Probably not. He's a smart guy, he won't just come when I call."

"I wouldn't expect him to." Yggdrasill hummed thoughtfully. "Well, you can get Kratos and Lloyd alone for training, obviously. In fact…" He smiled, a cruel, cold smile. "Yes, that would be best."

Zelos swallowed. "Whoa, whoa! You're not going to just capture the two of them, are you? That'll cause a few big problems for me."

"Ahahaha!" Yggdrasill's laugh was unnatural, almost mechanical. "What, are you beginning to care for those…ha. Well, I don't intend to harm either of them. No, Kratos just needs to be reminded of what is at stake."

"…Whatever. I thought you needed Colette."

Yggdrasill nodded. "That's correct, but we can't use her at the moment. I'll eventually take her to Derris-Kharlan."

Light started to sparkle around him, preparing to teleport away. "When you reach Meltokio, take the two of them east. I'll find you there." He smirked. "And don't worry your pretty little head, Zelos. I promise I won't harm your friends. Yet."

He disappeared, leaving Zelos with a pit in his stomach. The Chosen rubbed his face, then turned around and headed back to his companions, unease coloring his thoughts.

Kratos was preoccupied, his mind drifting as Lloyd chattered on. He didn't like the idea of Zelos wondering off alone—who knew what he could get up to—but he knew it didn't matter. Zelos was crafty; he would do what he wanted one way or another.

"…Hey." Lloyd glanced up at Kratos, who brought his senses back. "You actually were threatening Zelos back there, weren't you?"

"…Hmph." Say what you will about Lloyd, but his son was perceptive. "Yes, I was. Remember, Lloyd, Zelos is still a double agent. He's probably contacting Cruxis as we speak. Or the Renegades," he added.

Lloyd shrugged. "Well, I trust him. Sort of. He might not be all the way on our side now, but I think he'll come around."

Kratos blinked at him. "…You always see the good in people, don't you?"

"Hehe." Lloyd scratched the back of his head. "You know, no one ever says that like it's a good thing."

"Hmph. Well…it's really not."

"But I don't get it. Why isn't it a good thing?" Lloyd demanded. "I mean, yeah, sometimes people do bad things, but…mistakes can be fixed. People can be forgiven. Just look at you."

"Me?" Kratos blinked. "What do you mean?"

"Well, we forgave you, right? Even though you were going to kill us." Lloyd shrugged. "And I trust you now."

Kratos was struck, once again, by just how much Lloyd reminded him of Anna. Even after all they had been through, the two of them still kept their positivity, their inimitable optimism and trusting nature. Despite his own personal beliefs—that Zelos was not to be trusted, that it was foolish to believe everyone you meet—he found himself smiling at his son.

Lloyd narrowed his eyes. "Um…why are you staring at me?"

"...I pray you never lose that innocence."

Lloyd's jaw dropped. "Uh...Kratos...? Are you okay?"

"I preach vigilance to you, as does Raine," Kratos continued. "We are trying to teach you to be aware of threats and to protect yourself from them. However..." He huffed out what sounded like a laugh. "Heh. It seems you are aware of the risks, you just choose to ignore them."

"I don't ignore them," Lloyd argued. "I fight them differently than you guys do. If I can get Zelos on our side now, isn't that better than fighting him in the long run?"

"Hmph. Well..."

"Dwarven Vow #38: Follow your heart, but take your brain with you." Lloyd's smile suddenly faltered.

"What?" Kratos blinked down at him. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing, I just..." He rubbed his face and sighed. "I miss my dad. I'm just sort of homesick."

Kratos stopped walking, and Lloyd followed suite. "You and Dirk are close." It wasn't a question.

"Well...yeah. He's my dad." Lloyd looked up at the sky, where tiny dots of light were just started to shine through the darkness. "I keep thinking...did I make good decisions? Would my dad be proud of me?"

"Lloyd." Kratos' hand reached out to squeeze his shoulder. "I'm sure your father is very proud of you. You've done remarkable things since the beginning of this journey. Things that...most people would not have the strength to do."

"You mean swordsmanship?" Lloyd glanced over and saw that Kratos was also looking up at the night sky. "I guess I have gotten stronger."

Kratos shook his head. "Not that. Strength of character, I mean. Not many people would show the courage and empathy that you have. It's a rare trait, courage."

Lloyd's face turned red. "Heh...thanks, Kratos. And, you know...you taught me some of that stuff. So I guess I have to thank you for that, too!" He looked back at the older man, who was staring at him with a blank look on his face. "W-what is it?"

"Nothing, Lloyd." Kratos inhaled and started walking again. "Let's get back. I'm sure whatever Zelos is up to, we'll find out soon enough."

"You're taking us through the sewers?!"

The group was standing outside of the walls of Meltokio. It was mid-morning the next day—they'd left early, just after sunrise, to try to get to Meltokio as soon as possible. Now here they stood, at a broken grate that led directly below the city.

"That's disgusting!" Sheena wrinkled her nose while Zelos rolled his eyes at her.

"Oh, please. It's not that bad, we won't be swimming in it or anything."

No one was particularly pleased about it, but as Raine pointed out, they'd been through worse.

"I'd take a thousand sewers before I went through a human ranch again," she said quietly. The rest of the group couldn't argue with that, so into the sewers they went.

It was dark and humid inside, with the sound of running water echoing in the stone chambers. Sheena flinched at the sound of a rat squeaking and made a face. Zelos grinned and took the lead, taking them to a door.

A door that was sealed shut.

"What the hell?" Zelos groaned. "This door's never locked!"

"Hmm…" Raine reached her hand out to examine it. "Someone must have expected us to come this way. But if it can be closed, then it can also be opened."

"A switch, I'd bet." Kratos gestured to the stairs beside them. "Let's take a look around."

They did exactly that, tromping around in the sewers to open the door. They came upon a trash compactor (which elicited grimaces from most of the group, though Lloyd and Colette were both fascinated by it), and used it to make their way through. Finally, they ended up opening the door, where Zelos pointed up to a ladder above them.

"There we go. That'll get us into Meltokio." Zelos stretched his arms above his head and led the way. "You can thank me later."

It was Kratos who heard the ambush. He reached out and grabbed Lloyd's arm, yanking his son behind him as he shouted, "Above us!"

There was a loud crash, and something fell directly on top of Zelos. Or rather, someone.

"Oof!" Zelos was face down on the dirty floor, a foot directly on top of the back of his neck. "Hey, hey, what are you doing?"

A very large, very muscular man was standing on top of Zelos, pinning him to the ground. The man was strangely calm as he spoke, his dirty blue hair hiding his face. "Don't move, or the Chosen dies."

"Whoa, whoa, you think you can do this to the Chosen?" Zelos had to turn his head to speak. "You won't get away with this."

"One who plots the destruction of the world cannot be deemed the Chosen." He pressed harder on Zelos' back as the Chosen tried to wiggle away.

"Uh…hey, Lloyd? If you abandon me here, I'll come back to haunt you."

"…I just had a sudden, violent urge to abandon you."

"Stop fooling around," Raine chastised. She nodded to the man. "Who are you exactly?"

Though he didn't answer, the man stood up a little straighter, and Kratos caught the sparkle of metal.

"A convict," he mused. "He's wearing handcuffs."

"The Pope has ordered me to eliminate you, travelers from Sylvarant. To save Tethe'alla."

Before he could continue, there was a rush of movement. Presea had moved quickly, her axe raised, and she sliced it towards him. He dodged by leaping back from Zelos, who took advantage of his distraction to scramble up and grab onto Lloyd.

"Whew! I thought I was a goner!" He hugged Lloyd, who elbowed him in the ribs. "Let's kick this guy's ass!"
The convict took no notice of the threat. He was staring at Presea, his mouth open in shock. "You're…"

Before he regained his bearings, Genis had started a spell. He dodged it, ducking backwards. He gave one last meaningful look at the girl before he turned away and ran, retreating from the group.

"…What was that?" Lloyd asked. He rolled his shoulders irritably. "Get off me, Zelos."

"Was he trying to kill us?" Raine questioned out loud. She frowned thoughtfully. "He ran when he saw Presea…"

"Thank goodness everyone's okay," Colette said.

Kratos started toward the ladder. "Let's go. It's likely he'll come for us again."

"But…!" Lloyd started to argue, but Raine shushed him.

"Lloyd, this is just like with Sheena. If that man was really sent by the Pope, it won't be the last we see of him."

Sheena nodded. "Right. Whoever that guy was, if the Pope sent him, he'll be back."

"Yeah…I guess you're right." Lloyd glanced up to see Kratos, already the bottom of the ladder. "Hey, Kratos, wait up!"

The group followed after the swordsman, climbing up the ladder and into the light of Meltokio.