Oops, I vanished for a bit! I got really caught up in writing the ending of this story, actually. But I'm back! Happy reading!

EDIT: Thanks to SnowNine, who pointed out that My Writing Lacks Continuity, oops. I left a chunk that shouldn't have been in there about Sybak, since I originally wrote this chapter there, then moved it. It's all better now!

By the time the three swordsmen got back to Meltokio, Kratos' mood had not improved. He was still about ten feet ahead of Lloyd and Zelos, resolutely ignoring them. He went inside Zelos' mansion and headed immediately for the bedroom upstairs, paying no attention to the greetings of both Sheena and Colette. Seconds later, Lloyd stormed into the house after him.

"You can't just ignore me!" Lloyd shouted up the stairs. The older man said nothing. "Gah! Stop ignoring me!"

"Lloyd, stop shouting," Raine scolded as Zelos came in behind him. "What's going on?"

"Grr…" Lloyd glared up the stairs as Kratos shut the bedroom door. "He's such a jerk! Thinks he's better than me…"

"Yo, calm down there, bud!" Zelos clapped Lloyd on the back. "Relax. The old man's just cranky. Don't get upset over it."

"Zelos is right," Raine told him. "Lloyd, you trained with Kratos for the entirety of the Regeneration Journey. You used to have this argument with him all the time."

Lloyd frowned. "Yeah, I know, but…"

"No buts." Raine sighed wearily and closed her eyes. "Honestly, you'd think the two of you would be used to each other by now…"

"Kratos is just hard on you because he wants you to get better," Colette reminded him. "Remember,

"Yeah, well, he could do it without being a jerk," Lloyd grumbled. His anger was ebbing away, though, as it always did. He grumbled and headed for the kitchen, mumbling about being hungry. Zelos chuckled as he turned to follow him.

"I gotta say…the old man really did go from hot to cold. Wonder if something's up with him."

With that, Zelos followed Lloyd into the kitchen, ignoring the strange look Raine was giving him.

Kratos spent the rest of the day holed up in the bedroom, poring over his books and making strange notes in the margins. Lloyd stopped in a few times, but Kratos completely ignored him besides the occasional grunt.

No one except for Lloyd seemed concerned about him. Zelos seemed to think that Kratos' attitude fell firmly into the 'not my problem' category, claiming that he would get over whatever was bothering him.

Raine simply said, "It's Kratos, what do you expect? He's never been terribly social."

"Yeah," Genis added, "Remember when we fought Kvar? He didn't talk to anyone for almost two days…"

"Sometimes people just need to be alone, Lloyd." Sheena was brushing Corrine's fur, gently combing through the tangles. "Give him his space."

So Lloyd did just that: he left Kratos alone. Alone to his thoughts, about Yggdrasill and Cruxis and what to do next.

Kratos was sitting cross-legged on the bed, his books spread out around him.

He was unnerved.

For starters, he didn't like how Yggdrasill had caught him off guard. He had known that Zelos was up to something. He should've been more prepared. He should never have gone with Zelos. He should never have put Lloyd into that sort of danger.

Instead, he'd been foolish, and Yggdrasill had gotten the drop on him, reminding him that he had to be on guard at all times. Be prepared, or risk losing…

Kratos gripped his locket tightly. Risk losing everything.

The door creaked open and Lloyd himself came in again, as if summoned by Kratos' concern. He let go of the locket and tried to look as nonchalant as possible. Not an easy task.

Lloyd hesitated, watching Kratos, then said, "Um, dinner's ready, if you're hungry."

"I'm not," Kratos said shortly. Lloyd bristled at the tone and Kratos sighed. "I'm not hungry," he said, gentler this time. "Perhaps I'll stop down later."

With that, the boy retreated, leaving Kratos alone again. He felt his heart thrumming against his ribcage and exhaled slowly. His skin itched; it almost seemed too tight, like armor that he couldn't squirm out of. It suddenly dawned on him, as he sat there and tried to control his own breathing, what he was feeling.

Fear.

Not fear for himself, but fear for his son. Fear that he would lose the child he loved so much. Fear that Yggdrasill would take away the last thing he had left. Fear of the pain and terror he felt that night, so long ago, searching in the dark for a little boy.

Kratos physically shook his head, trying to shake the thoughts out. He needed to focus. He looked back to his books and notes and dove back in. He needed to focus on the Ring of the Pact.

He tapped his fingers nervously against his knee. His first stop, he decided, was Sybak. He needed adamantite, and with the machine he had fixed, there was no trouble to make more. He'd go with the group there.

Then he would have to head for Ozette. He had no idea where sacred wood was found. Long ago, it had been in the dense woods that spread along the eastern half of the continent. No doubt Presea would know where to find it, assuming she would give him more than a blank stare when he asked.

And then…well…

There was only one place left that aionis was found. Right into the lion's den he would have to go. He would have to leave the group to go to Derris-Kharlan; there was no way he would let Lloyd go anywhere near the hell above them.

No, Kratos would have to face Yggdrasill alone. It was only right that Kratos be the one to end this.

No matter what it took.

Morning came and the group headed for the Tethe'alla Bridge. Kuchinawa was waiting for them there, Sheena said, with the EC.

Most of the group was subdued as they walked, sleepy and cranky from the early morning, with two notable exceptions. Colette, who had always been a morning person, was humming as she sauntered through the grass.

"Ugh, Colette, how are you so cheerful?" Genis mumbled. "It's too early to be so pleasant."

"Yeah, it's just unnatural," Zelos added grumpily. "Did you drink a gallon of coffee or something?"

"Heehee." Colette smiled at them. "I'm just really happy! I mean, we get to travel together, just like in Sylvarant! It's so exciting. Right, Lloyd?"

"Huh?" Lloyd glanced up at her, distracted. "Oh, yeah."

He wasn't paying attention to Colette. He was focused on Kratos, who was lagging behind the group a bit. He was glancing around anxiously, his dark eyes narrowed, his hand on the hilt of his sword. He almost seemed…paranoid.

Lloyd slowed his steps while the rest of the group continued. He waited until he was beside Kratos.

"Hey. Are you okay?" Lloyd saw Colette quickly glance over her shoulder, then turn away again. He lowered his voice a bit. "What's going on with you?"

"…Nothing, Lloyd. I'm just…anxious." He frowned at the teenager. "It would seem I'm the only one of us who is on their guard—"

"Kratos. Come on." Lloyd's eyes were narrowed at him, seeing through him, just like Anna's used to do. Kratos had never been able to hide himself well around her. It seemed Lloyd had the same trait. "Just…be honest with me, okay? What's going on?"

Kratos sighed. "Lloyd, this journey is about to get much more dangerous. It isn't like the Regeneration Journey. We're about to go up against one of the oldest and most powerful organizations in history." He closed his eyes and said out loud the thought he had refused to acknowledge for so long. "If you don't take this seriously…you'll die."

Lloyd frowned. "I'm taking it seriously, Kratos. I'm…I'm going to become stronger. I'm going to bring down Cruxis."

Kratos opened his mouth to speak, but he was cut off by…something.

Lloyd glanced around. Everything was grey. Not just everything, but everyone. Raine, Zelos, Colette, even Kratos. They were frozen like statues, blending in with the grey world around them.

"What the hell?" Lloyd whipped around, eyes wide. "What's going on? You guys? Are you okay?"

He went over to Colette, still as ice. It was completely silent, almost eerily quiet, and he reached out to touch her. "Colette? What's—?"

"Your friends are safe," a bored voice called out. Lloyd spun around to see another person. A familiar person. "Though the same can't quite be said for you, can it?"

Yggdrasill. The angel that Kratos had saved them from. The leader of Cruxis.

"Wh...what's going on?" Lloyd demanded. He unsheathed his swords, though Yggdrasill made no movement to attack. "What did you do to my friends?!"

Yggdrasill sighed. "I told you already," he said impatiently. "No harm has come to your friends. I simply stopped time so that you and I could…discuss some things."

"What the hell are you talking about?" Lloyd reached out and grabbed Kratos' arm. He was completely stiff, immovable with unseeing eyes. "Kratos!"

"My, your foolishness astounds me." Yggdrasill stepped towards Lloyd. "I will repeat myself. Your friends cannot hear you; we are outside of time."

"Ou—outside of…?"

Yggdrasill gave an irritated sigh. "Time, yes. I wished to speak with you, Lloyd Irving." The man began to circle him, a predatory gleam in his eye. "I've heard interesting things about you."

"Like what?" Lloyd asked. "What do you even want with me?"

Yggdrasill stalked towards him. "You're a strange human, Lloyd. Most humans would never dream of travelling with half-elves. Especially someone like you."

"Like me?" Lloyd glanced around uneasily. "What's that mean?"

"Orphaned because of half-elves," Yggdrasill mused. "Forced to face a world of terror and fear, all because of the way half-elves hate humans. You should despise half-elves."

Lloyd blinked at him. "…No I shouldn't," he said slowly. "That's not…right."

Yggdrasill stopped walking towards him. "What do you know of right and wrong?"

"Enough to know that hatred for the sake of hatred is wrong."

Yggdrasill gave him a cold smirk. "Spoken like a true friend of the Chosen. Tell me, Lloyd, do you wish for a world of peace and harmony, just as Colette does?"

"Yeah. Of course I do." Lloyd was still tensed, waiting for an attack that wasn't coming. Yggdrasill was watching him, his green eyes narrowed.

"Then I offer you an opportunity." Yggdrasill gestured to Kratos. "Kratos was a very important member of Cruxis. With him gone, I am in dire need of someone to take his place beside me." He moved his hand to point towards Lloyd. "I believe you are the one I need."

"Why me?" Lloyd asked. "I hate Cruxis!"

"And yet," Yggdrasill mused, "we share ideals. I am merely trying to achieve a peaceful world, free from the discrimination of humanity's selfishness."

`Lloyd clenched his fist. "Yeah? And how are human ranches supposed to help you guys do that?"

"With the Cruxis Crystals." Yggdrasill tapped the crystal on his chest. "We will never age, never die, never feel pain. We will eliminate all races and become one type of being. There will be no half-elves, no elves, no humans. Only lifeless beings."

"But that won't help anything!" Lloyd argued. "Discrimination comes from the heart. And, besides, what about all those people who died to make those Cruxis Crystals?"

"Necessary sacrifices," Yggdrasill said dismissively. "I wouldn't expect a child to understand the nuances of creating a new world."

Lloyd glared at him. "I understand plenty!"

"Do you? Imagine, Lloyd," he said, gesturing to the world around him. "A world where you and your friends could live in peace. No more running, no more fighting. Raine and Genis would never have to live in fear. You could go anywhere you wanted. You and Kratos could travel the world on that boat you dreamed about."

Lloyd jolted a bit. He had no idea how Yggdrasill knew about that; probably from someone watching them or from Kratos himself. It was weird how well Yggdrasill seemed to know just what he wanted. He did want Genis and the Professor to be safe and happy. He did want to see the world at peace. He did want to travel without having to worry.

But what was the cost of working with Cruxis? Kratos had lost his wife to them, Colette her humanity, even the Desians that Lloyd himself had killed had paid the price with their lives.

Slowly, he opened his mouth. "…What about Colette?"

"Excuse me?" Yggdrasill spun around, looking as if he wasn't used to being talked back to.

"I said," Lloyd said, getting louder, "what about Colette? Where does she fit into in this new world?"

"The Chosen becomes Martel's new body. The vessel for her soul." He sighed wearily. "Yes, the Colette you know will cease to exist, but she will bring a return to a goddess."

"No, I don't think I like that," Lloyd said conversationally. "I'll stick with my original plan, thanks."

Yggdrasill raised an eyebrow. "So, you refuse my offer?"

"You bet I do." Lloyd raised his swords at Yggdrasill, who sneered at him. "Now, let my friends go!"

"Do you intend to fight me?" Yggdrasill laughed. "So…you wish to die here."

Lloyd set his stance, swords ready to attack. Before he could move, however, there was a loud crack, like a bone breaking, and a flash of light.

"N—no!"

There was a split second where Lloyd saw Kratos, free from Yggdrasill's spell, run in front of him, tearing his sword out of its sheath. He reached out and shoved Lloyd to the ground, planting himself protectively in front of the boy.

Before Lloyd could react, Yggdrasill recast the spell, sealing Kratos out of time. "Kratos…always getting in my way."

The color had drained out Kratos again; he was now frozen, like a guardian statue, his sword and shield up.

"Kratos!" Lloyd jumped up and rounded on Yggdrasill. "Grr…knock it off!"

Before either of them could react, there was another crack; Kratos had broken the spell again, charging towards Yggdrasill. This time, he managed to get a good slash on the angel before the spell was recast. On the ground, Yggdrasill stood up and wiped a thin line of blood from his mouth.

"Heh…I see how it is." He rounded on Lloyd and laughed humorlessly. "Very well, Lloyd. If you are to refuse my generous offer, then I will take my leave."

A pool of light gathered around him. "You coward!" Lloyd yelled, but it didn't matter. Yggdrasill teleported away. His voice echoed in the stillness of the frozen world.

"I'll be seeing you again, Lloyd Irving."

The spell broke, letting all of his friends free. Those ahead of him continued walking, as if they hadn't even noticed they had been stuck. Before he could say anything, however, Kratos made a strangled grunt and lurched forward.

"Kratos!" Lloyd grabbed the older man, who was pale and shaking, a trail of blood trickling down from his forehead. He was struggling to stay on his feet, almost pitching forward as he stumbled to walk. "Are you alright?"

"Hmm?" Raine turned around to see Lloyd, hauling a weakened Kratos to his feet. "What's wrong?"

"Professor!" Lloyd threw Kratos' arm around his shoulders. "It was Yggdrasill, he did something and now Kratos—!"

His friends were staring at him, confused, and Lloyd realized they had no idea what he was talking about. Raine didn't waste any time asking questions, instead rushing towards Kratos, who was rapidly losing consciousness.

"He's going to pass out. Lloyd, hold him still."

She pulled out her staff while the rest of the group crowded around them. Lloyd kept Kratos still while she healed him, then frowned.

"What's the matter, Professor?" Colette asked anxiously. "Is he alright?"

"My healing artes aren't working." She pursed her lips and pressed her hand against his forehead. She stood up, still frowning. "His mana is nearly gone. Lloyd, what happened?"

"Yggdrasill was here," he told her. "Right here, and he froze all you guys. It—it was weird, you couldn't move. It was just me and him."

"What?" Genis balled his hands into fists. "Yggdrasill was here? Lloyd, are you alright?!"

"I'm fine. But Kratos kept…I don't know, he kept getting un-frozen or whatever, and Yggdrasill kept freezing him again. And then Yggdrasill left and…" Lloyd shrugged. "Everything went back to normal."

Raine sighed as she checked Kratos' pulse. "He needs to rest. Let's get to the House of Salvation nearby, and you can tell me what happened."

"I'll go ahead and let Kuchinawa know what happened," Sheena said. "I'll meet you guys there!"

"Got it." Lloyd pulled Kratos up and started to drag him forward. Raine gestured to Zelos.

"Grab his other side," she told him. Zelos grimaced, but hung Kratos' other arm around his shoulder.

"Geez, the old man's heavy," he complained, as he and Lloyd lifted Kratos' limp body. "Let's get going, before I break my back."

Pronyma was waiting for him when Yggdrasill arrived back in Derris Kharlan. He seemed tired, she thought. Almost as if he had been doing battle. Sitting in his throne, he said, "Pronyma. What is it you want?"

"Oh, my lord. I see that Lloyd was not willing to join us?"

"No, not that I expected him to." Yggdrasill shifted, feeling the ache of magic in his muscles. Having Kratos break his spell multiple times had certainly put a strain on his mana. "We will see how he reacts the next time we meet. I may convince him yet."

"My lord…I know it's not my place to question you…" She hesitated. Yggdrasill sighed warily and flicked his hand for her to continue. "However, I must express my concern. Do you really believe that Lloyd can be convinced to become a member of Cruxis? After all, he is human."

"…If all else fails," Yggdrasill said quietly, "then I do have another plan. After all, I don't really need Lloyd. I need Kratos, and he will go where Lloyd goes."

"What is the plan?" she asked. Yggdrasill raised an eyebrow. "My lord," she added hastily.

"It's not important at the moment." Yggdrasill closed his eyes and tilted his head back. "Now go. I need to think."

Pronyma left with a worried glance behind her. Yggdrasill was staring up into the purple sky, green eyes open, chest barely rising with his breathing. She sighed and went into the teleporter, leaving him to his own devices.

Kratos had fallen completely unconscious in the time it took the group to reach the House of Salvation. No one spoke on the way there; they all seemed to be jumpy and paranoid. Genis kept jerking his head around at the noises of the wildlife around them, while Colette kept fidgeting with her chakrams. Raine was worriedly checking Kratos' pulse as Lloyd and Zelos carried him.

"Is he going to be okay, Professor?" Colette asked. Raine's frown deepened.

"I think so. He passed out, but I can feel his mana slowly regenerating." Her eyes flickered to Lloyd. "If it's what it appears—that Kratos was trying to break a powerful spell—then he's lucky he didn't die."

The House of Salvation was quiet in the early morning, with only an older priest up and about, collecting water from the well. He nodded pleasantly at them as they passed, making a gesture of respect to Zelos. They headed upstairs to where the beds were.

"Put him down," Raine ordered. Lloyd and Zelos did as she asked, dropping Kratos onto the bed. "Hmm…his mana is still very low, but I think he's out of the woods. He should wake up after resting for a few hours." She turned her attention to Lloyd, who was staring down at the man. "Lloyd. You need to tell us what happened."

Colette sat on the bed, tucking her legs underneath her. Genis settled on the floor while Zelos leaned against the wall, his arms crossed. Presea quietly sat in a chair, back straight and eyes ahead. Lloyd rubbed the back of his head and began to recount the story.

When he was finished, Genis asked, "So, Yggdrasill didn't try to fight you?"

Lloyd shook his head. "No. He just kept trying to get me to…come join Cruxis."

Raine walked over to where Kratos was lying, while Colette said, "I'm so glad you're okay, Lloyd. He could have really hurt you!"

"It's sort of creepy to think about," Genis said, hugging his knees against her chest. "I mean, I didn't even know anything was happening. Yuan wasn't kidding, that Yggdrasill guy is no joke."

"Yes," Raine mused, "it's disconcerting that Yggdrasill is able to isolate and attack one of us without any of the others knowing."

"Well," Zelos interrupted, "the old man knew what was going on. Sort of…strange, isn't it?"

Raine's frown deepened, but she didn't say anything. Finally, Zelos shrugged and continued, "Well, maybe we should go get some breakfast, eh? I'll go grab some grub from the—"

"No." Raine shook her head. "We stay together. With all this going on, we can't afford to lose anyone else. We stay here."

"I can make us something," Genis said, standing up. "Come on, there's a kitchenette downstairs."

While Zelos and the younger girls followed Genis downstairs, Raine held Lloyd back. "Wait."

"What is it?" he asked. Raine looked more serious than usual, and a bit apprehensive. "Professor?"

"When Yggdrasill approached you," she said quietly, "he offered to let you take Kratos' place, correct?"

Lloyd nodded. He had left that particular piece of information out of the story; it wasn't important. Or at least, he didn't think it was.

"Um…yeah, why?" Lloyd scratched the back of his head. Raine inhaled, as if preparing herself. "Professor?"

"Did you consider it?"

"What do you mean?"

"Did you consider Yggdrasill's offer?" she repeated sternly. "His offer to join Cruxis?"

Lloyd shook his head. "Of course not! Not after everything they've done…"

Raine gave a sigh of relief. "Good. I'll admit, Lloyd, I was worried. Cruxis commands the world's religion. I was afraid that they might be able to command you, too."

"Don't worry, Professor," Lloyd assured her. "After what they did to Colette, I'd never join Cruxis."

She smiled at him. "Of course not. I shouldn't have worried."

Raine turned around to go downstairs. Lloyd glanced back at Kratos' prone body. The man was still unconscious, but his face was twitching, as if in pain. Lloyd hesitated, then went back to sit beside Kratos. "Professor…I'm going to stay here. Just in case something happens."

Raine nodded. "Alright. I'll bring you something to eat. He should be fine, but call me immediately if he starts to shiver." She hesitated, then said, "Lloyd. You owe Kratos a thank you when he wakes up. It's very likely he saved your life today, at the risk of his own."

"Yeah," Lloyd said quietly as he looked at his mentor's tense face. "I know."