A/N Bit of light-heartedness to start with - Let's step back from the crazy angst that has already occured and is set to come! XD college tomorrow! NOOOOOOOO!

'Concentrate your mana until you feel it reach its limit,' Genis said, preparing himself as the red runes encircled him on the forest floor.

Zelos rolled his eyes, 'Yeah, yeah I get that bit, its just that my levels drop at the last second. How the hell does a little kid like you manage to retain those kind of mana levels?'

'It's just a balance game, Zelos,' Genis said as he hoisted his kendama into the air, 'EXPLOSION!'

The ground in the clearing erupted into a sea of magma, causing any birds in the area to scatter. Genis, proud of himself, rested the kendama on his shoulder and turned to Zelos.

'You try.'

'Geez, alright. But prepare to be amazed!' Zelos set himself and the same red runes began to appear beneath his feet. The rest of the group were stood by the Rhieards and watched with slight amusement as they waited for Kratos and Yuan.

'Right then guys, here goes. Hope you are ready for this!' Zelos stuck his tongue out, did a spin on the spot and shouted, 'EXPLOSION!'

The ground rumbled slightly as a small amount of magma erupted from the clearing, but not nearly as much as Genis's spell. Zelos looked hurt as Sheena snorted with laughter. Genis's mouth twitched as he tried to stiffle a smile.

'You just have to concentrate more, Zelos,-'

'Shut up, brat.' Zelos said, folding his arms, 'It's because I'm also a swordsman. My powers are spread over my dual skills, I'd like to see you wield a sword and-'

'Maybe if you ditched that accursed spin like I told you to, you would have more success with your spells.' A voice from behind the trees echoed.

The party turned to see Kratos and Yuan wade through the bushes surrounding the clearing. Zelos scowled at the auburn-haired Seraph.

'Aw, come on Kratos, you know I wasn't gonna ditch the spin! Without it, I would move exactly the same way as you do. And you sir, move like a tank.'

'A tank?' Genis asked, strolling over to his sister.

'It's an old piece of legendary Magitechnology used during the Kharlan war,' Raine replied.

'You've trained this guy?' Sheena asked, pointing a lazy finger at the pink-clad swordsman.

'Unfortunately,' Kratos replied, recieving another sulky scowl from Zelos, 'Yggdrasill sent me to train him in swordsmanship when he was a child. He was always prone to sticking his nose where it didn't belong and so the threat of him getting himself killed was always high. Yggdrassil didn't want to lose another Chosen, especially not one with such a promising mana signature.'

'Yeah, well I liked a bit of excitement in my life!' Zelos smiled a toothy grin, 'Then they shoved that crazy rock down my throat and I could use magic...'

'We gave him some Aionis, not that he knew what it was at the time. It gave him all the magic skills he needed, yet he still insisted on that pathetic spin. You know it opens you up to-'

Kratos stuttered as Zelos drew his sword, grinned and spun round to strike the Seraph. Kratos stepped to the side, swept his right foot across the floor, taking out Zelos's legs. He planted a hand between Zelos's shoulder blades and pushed downwards, causing the Chosen to fall facefirst onto the floor.

'-different types of attack.' Kratos finished.

Sheena and Genis laughed as Zelos spat some mud out of his mouth. He picked himself and his sword up, brushed himself down and glared at his former teacher. Kratos just raised an eyebrow.

'Time to go?' Yuan asked, brushing past Zelos to get to the Rhieards. The party followed, leaving Zelos shooting daggers into the back of Kratos's head.

Lloyd landed his Rhieard in a clearing on the edge of the Ymir forest and adjusted his purple beanie. Jumping off the Rhieard, it took him a second to regain his balance and shake off the frustrating headache that had been dominating him for the past few hours.

'Man, I feel like shit...'

Lloyd left the parked Rhieard and headed into the dank forest, blinking as his eyes adjusted to the lack of light.

'Now what?' He asked himself outloud, sitting himself down on a tree stump.

They are around 5 minutes walk from where you are sat

Lloyd jumped as the voice echoed around his head once more.

'They?' He asked, rubbing his temple with his hand, 'How many?'

The Pope, plus four guards. Should be nothing for you, I imagine.

'I'm not strong enough, you know that.'

Trust me. I'll provide you with enough mana to take those guys out.

'I don't want to kill anyone...'

Then don't. But I want the Pope alive. I'm not going to step in you if you fail. Apprehend the Pope and I'll send some of my people down to get him. Good luck!

Lloyd narrowed his eyes as the childish voice left him. He felt guilty for trusting the enemy in such a way, but Mithos's reasoning and the way he spoke to Lloyd made the young swordsman feel that he was doing the right thing, even if it was working for Cruxis.

'I'm doing this for Collette...I'm doing this for Collette...' he told himself.

Proceeding cautiosly, Lloyd began to negotiate the labyrinth of wooden paths, keeping a steady hand on the handle of his sword. He heard some rustling behind a large group of trees, and backed up against an oak tree beside him. Feeling it was his best way of getting a good look at the situation, Lloyd climbed the tree beside him and stood on the wood canopy, gazing down at the group of people before him.

There was a fire going. The Pope was dressed in his full white robes, just his hat lay alone behind him, revealing a large bald patch on the top of his head, reflecting the small amount of light that could escape the grasp of the trees. He was having a discussion with one of the 4 Papal Knights that surrounded the fire, although the sound would not carry up so Lloyd could hear what was being said. the Knight he was in discussion with had removed his helmet, and a strange mess of blonde hair was visible. Two of the other three Knights sat on the opposite side of the fire, with the fourth presumably on guard duties somewhere else in the forest.

Lloyd crept silently over the wooden boards he was walking on, taking a circular route around the camp the Pope had set up. He positioned himself behind the Pope, hopefull hidden enough in the shadows to render him invisible if a guard was to look up. There he waited until the Knight talking to the Pope had left, leaving the Pope to eat what looked like some kind of stew that had been cooked over the fire.

Preparing himself, and praying that Yggdrasill would keep his promise, Lloyd drew his sword and closed his eyes. He felt a strange sensation as his headache left him and he felt more steady. He concluded that it must have been the mana that had been promised to him.

'Here goes...'

Lloyd leapt out of the tree and landed on his feet behind the Pope, who dropped his plate in surprise. Not waiting for the guards to react, Lloyd brought his sword around to the front of the Pope's neck and held the blade to his skin, pushing up onto the Pope's chin to trigger him to stand. The three Knights that had not been on patrol drew their weapons and looked to step towards Lloyd, but a warning look from the twin swordsman and a slight increase of pressure on the Pope's neck caused the Knights to falter.

'Don't come near me.' Lloyd warned, feeling the strength of the mana he had recieved coarse through this body, faintly surprised to realise that he hadn't regained the feeling in his left hand.

'Do as he says!' the Pope shouted, holding his hands up to his soldiers. He turned his head slightly to try and get a glimpse of Lloyd, 'Who are you?'

'That is of no concern to you,' Lloyd murmured, trying to keep his voice as unrecognisable as possible.

'Come on, Yggdrasill, where are your people?!' He thought to himself, 'I've apprehended him, he's alive, now come and get him will you?'

Not while his cronies are there, I'm afraid, came the reply.

'I can't fight them off on my own! The Pope will get away!'

Now now, Lloyd. Who is in the position of power here?

Lloyd's grip on his sword faltered as a purple mist faded in front of him, and a pain in his insides caused him to lurch forward slightly. Yggdrasill had drained his mana again as a warning.

'What's going on?' The guard who had been on patrol had returned. Lloyd gritted his teeth as Yggdrasill's mana returned to him, 'What do you want?'

'I don't believe this...' Lloyd mumbled to himself, pushing the Pope away with the handle of his sword and bringing it down on his prisoner's previously mentioned bald patch, causing the old man to fall unconscious in a heap on the floor. The Knights were slow to react, and allowed Lloyd to hop over the crumpled body of the Pope and into a more advantageous situation. All three of the Knights were close quarter melee fighters, which meant Lloyd would not have to worry himself with troublesome mages or projectile spammers.

Using his newly recieved energy, Lloyd decided it was best for him to make the first move, and leapt into the air, flipping over the three Knights that were stood the other side of the fire. He swung out with his sword and sliced between the armour of the midde Knight, causing him to collapse in pain on the floor. The other two turned and attacked Lloyd simultaneously, causing the teenager to bring his sole sword horizontally across his face to block the attacks. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see the other guard negotiate the paths to his right and draw ever closer.

He pushed against the two swords that had met his own, causing the Knights to stumble backwards. Turning his sword to the flat side, Lloyd swung it round like a bat and struck the helmet-less Knight in the temple, knocking him out instantly. However, the other Knight regained his balance more quickly and swung out at Lloyd's face, causing him to jolt backwards, the sharp end of the Meltokio sword slicing a cut above the teenager's eyebrow. Lloyd cried out and flung himself to the left, making the lunging Knight stumble forwards and headfirst into a tree, joining his comrade on the floor.

Quickly wiping his eye with his sword-holding right hand, Lloyd turned his attentions to the final Knight, who was sprinting towards the make-shift Cruxis envoy like a man possessed. Little did the Knight know, he was heading straight towards the pile of wood that made up the extremities of the fire. Lloyd had steadied himself for an attack, but was quietly breathing a sigh of relief as the final Papal Knight, pride and joy of Meltokio, stood on one of the loose logs, slipping backwards and falling onto his back, laying motionless.

As soon as the final Knight had hit the floor, Lloyd's temporary mana was removed, causing his vision to falter slightly. Tired and weary, the white-clad swordsman fell onto his backside, placing his head on his hand and breathing heavily. He didn't care to notice the four Cruxis angels that had descended to remove the uncoscious Pope. He just sat and fought off the need to be physically sick, ignoring the warm trickle of blood that seeped down his left cheek.

Not bad, Lloyd. It would have been easier to just stab them, though.

Lloyd didn't reply and left himself time to recover from his fight, feelings of guilt welling up inside of him as he heard the congratulations from the leader of Cruxis.

That's one down, one to go. Then I'll give you your key crest and you can defend that friend of yours.

Lloyd was breathing very quickly now, sweat pouring.

I want you to go back to Sylverant.

'Now?' He asked, between breaths, 'I'm too tired.'

That's too bad, Lloyd. For you are going to get weaker and weaker as the time goes on. Better now than when it is too late, right?

'...What do you want me to do now?'

I want the Mayor of Iselia, alive.

'Wha-What?! The Mayor of Iselia?! I can't do that! You know I was brought up there, I can't betray Iselia like that.'

Betrayal? Who said anything about betrayal? I just want you to apprehend the man who discriminated against Genis and Raine for being half-elves. No more Mayor, no more discrimination for them!

'What do you care about them?' Lloyd questioned, 'And what happened to your age of lifeless beings? Your only creating a temporary paradise until you turn them all into some kind of crazy master race!'

But, I'm their friend, Lloyd. Genis's best friend! I'm yours too, so it's only normal for me to look after my friends, isn't it?

'You are a twisted bastard, you know that? You have it all wrong...'

Iselia. Mayor. Alive. No Mayor, no key crest, no protection for the Chosen. Without a key crest, you and Collette have 24 hours. I'll contact you when you reach the village. Do not contact the others.

'Whatever...' Lloyd lifted himself up onto his feet and sheathed his sword, heading back to the Rhieards just as the Knights began to stir.

A/N I have a working title!! Will probably change soon though... Please review!