Lucky number seven

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"Not bad, next time try to make sure you don't lock your elbows when you extend your arm, otherwise you nearly had it perfect."

Lloyd beamed at him and he smiled lightly back, feeling a swell of pride for his son. He really had improved drastically; the skills he was picking up were no easy feat to master after all.

"All right, I can't wait to try it on Sylph!" Lloyd grinned, looking excited at the thought- which he probably was.

He gave him about five minutes until he was bored again.

"We're almost to the altar," Sheena said, stretching out a bit. "I'm just glad it's not hot in here like Efreet's temple…"

"Well I am here too you know, Sheena."

They ignored Zelos and continued on.

They reached the altar within a few minutes, the wind whipping violently through their hair. Kratos frowned a bit in distaste, it was so much chillier with the wind like this…but he wasn't about to complain.

"You said you already made the pact with Gnome, right?" Kratos asked. "This should be another broken link then…"

"Yup, if all goes well…okay, everyone ready?" the summoner asked.

"Of course we are; whenever you are, Sheena." Lloyd smiled

"Okay then…here we go."

Kratos curled his hands tighter around the hilt of his sword, readying himself to unsheathe it. Sylph the trio, archery, swordsmanship and a shield-wielder. Sephie they shouldn't have too much of a problem with, Fairess might be a pain but Presea could probably break her defenses, Yutis…as long as they didn't stay still too long she shouldn't be that much of a problem.

"We are the Sylph, we are the ones whom are bound to Mithos, who might you be?" Sephie asked, examining them all.

"I am Sheena, I ask that thou annulst thy pact with Mithos and establish a new pact with me."

"Very well, we the Sylph shall test thy worthiness."

"Yeah! Let's test out your power!" Fairess cheered.

"Finally we get to do something," Yutis huffed, drawing back her bow.

"Let's go!" Lloyd charged in, swords already at the ready.

Kratos followed his lead with the remainder of the group. He couldn't help but keep an eye on Lloyd as they all fought, despite having time enough where he could be healing some of the others when Raine was having trouble. Still he hovered near Lloyd, more obviously than he would have done previously he realized. There was no suspicion in doing so now, however, as they knew their relationship, so why risk staying further from Lloyd than necessary?

Hm…he really was starting to sound like a father, wasn't he?

Not that he minded.

For the most part he kept his position, maneuvering around when necessary, but keeping near enough to Lloyd but far enough so as not to hinder his son. A few spells here, a few parries and slashes there, they were holding their own very well. Winning, of course, but that was what he had expected. They had all advanced very much since he had last seen them-

Then he saw it.

It was remarkable how in a split second, things could go very wrong. He had lived long enough to know that, and had experienced it many times. It was the second you got relaxed, the second you became hopeful that one little thing fell out of place and your entire world came crashing down around it. It was always a little thing that spelled disaster. A few little things that came together…

Lloyd had dodged a wind spell, then a second after twisted around to parry one of Sephie's strikes, his back exposed openly to Yutis' oncoming arrow that raced for his heart.

If he had been normal, he would have been able to cross the distance. He would have been able to cross the distance, pull his blade and knock the arrow away even, if he didn't have enough time or mana to conjure Guardian. He wasn't normal, though, that is- he was normal now, but not what had become his own 'normal'. So he didn't cross the gap, he didn't block the arrow safely.

Instead he crossed the gap and took an arrow into his shoulder.

"Guh-!" he grunted, unable to stop himself for wincing in the pain.

"D- Dad-? Dad!"

"Dammit!" he cursed, feeling his legs grow week under him, gripping the arrow shaft.

It was inches, just inches away from a vital point. He had gotten lucky, but he wouldn't be able to use his sword-arm. He was useless-

"First Aid!" he heard Raine call.

The green mana surrounded him and he felt the pain from the wound dull, but it was still in no good position. His legs buckled and he cursed himself mentally, damning himself. Now he was useless, a liability, putting Lloyd in danger-

"Hold still!"

Raine was on him in seconds, tending to his wound. Her magic alone wouldn't heal it, not immediately, though it would dull the pain. He knew enough that to move could make the wound fatal, that he had to remain still. Raine had snapped at Lloyd to focus on the fight, as he should have done, had he been able to speak. Luckily the fight finished not too long after, and Lloyd rushed to his side the second Sylph had submitted.

"Dad-! Are you-?"

His russet eyes scanned Lloyd quickly, checking for wounds. He was fine. Good…good he was fine…

So…

"What were you doing turning your back?" he snapped, wincing from the exertion. "Do you realize how close that arrow came to piercing your heart-?"

"Do you know how close it came to yours?" Raine scowled, cutting him off. "Stop talking! You're wounded, don't snap at him!"

"Don't tell me what to do!" he snarled back at her, ignoring the pain, whipping his head back at Lloyd. "You could have been killed! You know better than to turn your back! Isn't that the first thing I taught- that you learned?"

A slip. Another slip. But he had covered it, covered it like all the others before.

So he thought.

"N- No…Dad…." Lloyd whispered, pale, staring down at him. "You didn't…"

He felt Raine's eyes narrow on him and instantly knew he had made a mistake.

"Lloyd," she snapped, her eyes locked on her patient. "This isn't the time to talk, I need to heal him, go over there with the others."

"But-"

"N- No, do as she says, Lloyd." Kratos shook his head, biting his lip. "I'll be…fine…you- you are all right, right?"

The teen hesitated and then nodded, looking down at his father. The former-Seraph relaxed a bit in relief, nodding his head.

"All right…go…I'm sorry I yelled at you."

Lloyd hesitated, giving a weak smile, forgiving him before he ran off. He had barely gotten out of earshot when Raine hissed to him.

"You faltered there," she growled, though tended to the wound.

"…I don't-"

"'That I taught' and then you changed it to 'You learned'." Her blue eyes met his, narrowed, icy.

"I was in pain and concerned for my son," he retaliated, gritting his teeth to abide the wound.

She said nothing, but he knew she hadn't simply accepted that. While there was not much she could get from that, no solid evidence, no proof, no confirmation…it was still yet another thing to add to the growing list of his 'slips'.

Damn it all….

"You're hiding something." Her voice cut in, flat, final.

"…" He closed his eyes, trying to get control of his thoughts. "I'm entitled to my own privacy as you are."

"You know that's not what I mean," she hissed, eying him.

"…You think I would pose a threat to my own child?" he said with just a hint of growl in his voice, meeting her eyes.

She eyed him, but looked away, concentrating once more on his wound. They said nothing, and it was shortly after that the rest of the group approached them anyway.

"Dad, are you okay?" Lloyd asked, frowning.

"He'll be fine with some rest, Lloyd, but any more fighting today is certainly out of the question," Raine stated as she got to her feet, wiping her hands off.

"I'm sorry," Kratos said, frowning. "I've become a burden on you."

"No, don't say that Mr. Scott!" Colette shook her head. "You saved Lloyd!"

"Yeah, you just did what any of us would have done," Genis added with a nod.

"Yeah, Dad, don't worry about that." Lloyd frowned, kneeling down by him. "You just worry about getting some rest okay?"

He observed his son and his companions, his eyes settling back on Lloyd. The becoming-familiar weak smile crept into his lips and he nodded.

"Don't- worry yourself, about me, Lloyd…" he said. "I'm just an old man anyway…"

Lloyd smiled back at him, concern still showing in those big brown eyes. Raine frowned from the side, he noted, but despite her suspicions he had just saved Lloyd's life; she wasn't about to accuse him. At least not right then…

"Well great, he's not going to be able to fly a rheaird with a busted arm." Zelos rolled his eyes. "So going back to Tethe'alla to pact Shadow is delayed I'm guessing?"

"Until his arm heals, then yes." Raine nodded. "However we might as well try to find information on Aska while we're in Sylvarant, though of course we're going to have to go on foot or use the EC…"

"Oh come on!"

"Oh get over it, you idiot Chosen," Sheena scoffed, crossing her arms and shifting her weight to her other leg. "It won't kill you to do some walking for a while."

"Aska…so- oh, I know!" Lloyd snapped his fingers. "That scientist guy that we met during the journey, remember, Professor? They saw Aska."

"Yes, they gave us those pretty-sounding nuts too, remember?" Colette smiled. "Maybe they can help us find him."

"That's our best option." Raine nodded in agreement. "We'll travel around and ask if anyone has seen Professor Nova, hopefully he'll be able to assist us…though still given the amount of time we'll need to locate Aska himself, we should probably still make the pact with Shadow first."

Kratos listened in, attempting to get to his feet with his good arm. It was surprisingly more difficult than he would have suspected, but no one noticed while Raine spoke. Well, of course that didn't' last long.

"Huh- woah! Dad, don't try to do that by yourself, you're hurt."

Before he could protest Lloyd had crouched down, wrapping his arms around his father and helping him get to his feet. Kratos frowned a bit, not pleased with his state, but quickly wiped away the expression when he noticed Lloyd's comforting smile. There was no need to worry the boy further, after all…

"Thank you," he said, trying not to let his uncertainty show in his voice. "I can walk on my own though…"

"Ar- Are you sure, Dad?"

The pain made his body want nothing more than to just sit down, but his pride conflicted sharply with that. It would hurt a bit, but he knew the wound would not worsen if he walked, so long as he was careful about it.

"Yes, Lloyd, I'm fine."

The trek back to the mainland from the temple certainly wasn't anything pleasant, at least not from his perspective. It was one thing to drag a group down, but not being able to even protect oneself and thus having to be protected by them? The humiliation he felt certainly did not know any bounds during that journey. It certainly didn't help much that Lloyd kept constantly asking if he needed to 'sit down for a moment'. Truthfully, yes, he did, but he wasn't going to admit that.

The body was terribly inconvenient as it was. Having to eat and drink, getting worn out by the slightest differentiations in temperature, the aching throb in his gaining bones and muscles. To think he had wanted this, had wanted to know what it felt like. Feh! What foolishness, granted he was an old man, in truth, but it's not like this body fit him anymore than his true one. If he had a body that fit his true age he would have a pile of dust instead of a body at all. Granted…aging would have its good points, it would be nice to finally die…

That is, only after he had made sure his son would not. If this had somehow happened once he had done what he needed to do, once he no longer had a need to raise his sword…yes, that would have been perfect. Still…beggars can't be choosers after all, and despite all the inconveniences this form had, it let him get close to his son.

"What is that you're making?"

Lloyd looked up from his whittling, sitting by him on a large log while the others were occupying themselves with building a fire. On foot they hadn't gotten very far, but that's all one could really expect. The sun was getting low, it'd set soon, thus it was imperative that they had camp up and running by then.

"Oh…I don't know yet." Lloyd admitted, looking at the piece of wood in his hands. "I guess uh..just whatever."

"You don't have a plan for it?" he asked, tilting his head a bit.

"No, I guess, why?"

"…You're just like your mother." He chuckled softly. "I always envied that…the ability to just…'go with the flow' as they say."

"You sound old when you say that." Lloyd smirked, a teasing glint in his eyes.

"Well that could be because I am." He shrugged, letting out a tired sigh.

"Mr. Scott, I have to change your bandages," Raine interrupted, causing both swordsmen to look up from their spot on the log.

"…Yes, of course." He nodded. "Please do, Miss Sage."

She nodded curtly, eying Lloyd as he made some space for her. The half-elf said nothing much, going straight to her task at hand. Kratos expected..something, a look, a hushed accusation, but nothing came; much to his relief.

"You should heal fine if you don't' push yourself for the next week or so…"

A week? He'd have to deal with this for a week?

"Now don't make that face, if you didn't have an exsphere you wouldn't even be able to walk right now." She huffed a bit. "Honestly…"

A thought seemed to occur to the woman, as her blue eyes scanned Kratos and then Lloyd, the gears working away in her mind.

"W- What is it, Professor? " Lloyd asked, fidgeting under her scrutiny.

"Nothing. I was just noting…" she frowned. "Nevermind. Now then, Lloyd, you've been neglecting your homework."

Lloyd choked.

"W- What? Homework? But Professor-"

"No buts, I realize you've been occupied as of late, but that's no excuse." She scowled, crossing her arms over her torso. "I want that math done by tomorrow afternoon."

Lloyd groaned deeply, completely missing the look his teacher gave his father right before she walked away. Kratos frowned. What had she 'noted'? Was she onto something? Or was he just being paranoid, and had she just been noting a resemblance? It was an odd thing, admittedly, to not have to be worried if someone recognized a resemblance between him and his own son.

"I hate math," Lloyd grumbled beside him.

"Most people do," Kratos said, scanning his son. "…From what she tells me you're not exactly very efficient at it either."

The teen fell silent, and for a moment Kratos wondered if he was trying to pretend he didn't hear him.

"I- I just- what's the point of it? Numbers are just numbers, they don't fix anything, they don't tell you how to deal with real stuff," he huffed, crossing his arms in a pout. "Numbers didn't help us find out how to separate the two worlds, numbers didn't help us cure Colette…"

"…You think in terms of things being 'useful', hm?" he mused to himself, scanning his son. "All right then, think of it this way…"

He moved a bit so he could face Lloyd, wincing just a bit at the protesting pain from his shoulder. Lloyd hesitated, concern showing in his eyes again when Kratos cut him off.

"Everything you can learn or learn how to use has value," he said, looking down at his son. "Everything you learn can help you find out how to learn other things. Think of it like… Where is your mathwork?"

"Huh-? Uh-"

"Show me."

Lloyd fidgeted just a bit, a light pink shade coming to his cheeks. Nonetheless he pulled out the papers from his pack, handing them to Kratos and then fidgeting in his seat. It wasn't hard to see why…his math was horrendous.

"...Division," Kratos said, restraining a sigh. "All right…think of it this way…say this is the amount of gald it costs for one pair of swords."

"Uh…okay." Lloyd nodded, eying his father as if he was trying to fathom how he could possibly relate swords to math.

"And this is the amount of gald you have," Kratos pointed to the other number. "If you use division, you can find out how many swords you can get."

Lloyd blinked, staring at his father and then scanning the equation. The aging man nearly sighed, beginning to reconsider his approach when Lloyd's voice interrupted his thoughts.

"Fifty."

"What?" Kratos blinked, looking up at him.

"Fifty," he said again.

Kratos scanned the problem, a faint glimmer of hope that his son had miraculously done it correctly- no, no he got it wrong. The ex-angel sighed.

"No, Lloyd, the answer is twenty-five-"

"No it's not, it's fifty," the boy pouted stubbornly. "You said how many swords you can get. There are fifty swords. You didn't ask me how many pairs, you said swords."

Kratos stared at him. Wait…had he really…? His russet eyes scanned the numbers again. There were rather large, for Lloyd anyway, or so he had thought… To have done it all in his head that quickly and getting a wrong number was almost impressive, for Lloyd. But…no, no he was …right. So he had managed to figure out the number of pairs and also had the sense to realize that doubled the amount…?

"That's still stupid though, why would you need fifty swords?" Lloyd huffed, crossing his arms over his chest. "Math is stupid."

…The boy was an enigma…

Though…it did rather make him happy to see there was in fact hope.

Yaaaaaay I updated itsss hope you all liked, I had a lot of fun with Kratos' little math lesson

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