A/N Decided to stick the game in my Wii this afternoon, played the bit with Zelos at the Tower of Salvation :'( I picked Kratos you see... Anyway, turns out I have been spelling Yggdrasill wrong all this time, I put 2 s's and 1 l! So I have had to update every chapter with a typo replacement... GAY! Also, I warn that the fic from here on in is most likely going to be one huge A-bomb (Angst-bomb) but that is what I enjoy writing so...please review!

'It's futile for us to continue during the night.'

'But Lloyd hasn't got much time!' Collette stopped trailing Yuan and stamped her foot, fists clenched at her sides, 'We can't be sleeping while his mana is slowly draining away!'

'She's right, Yuan!' Genis joined in, shouting at the blue haired Seraph who had asked them all to return to Dirk's house after nightfall, 'He wouldn't sleep if it was one of us...'

'You need some rest, Genis.' Raine replied sadly.

'But Raine-'

'It's alright, Genis,' Kratos interrupted the young half-elf's protests, 'It would be a wasted effort for us to search in the dark. Not to mention we need our own strength to continue the pursuit.'

'A few hours sleep isn't going to hurt the hunt.' Regal added. Genis and Collette's faces fell as the party accepted they needed a few hours sleep before the sun rose.

It was nearly midnight when Lloyd touched down near Iselia. He was really starting to feel the fatigue as he left his Rhieard near the Martel Temple, but tried to shake it off as he headed for the village.

'Let's just get this over with...'

Iselia was like a ghost town at this time of night. The occasional sound of a dog howling was all that broke the monotonous whistle of the wind through the surrounding forest. Lloyd entered the village cautiosly, adjusting his left elbow so his arm was falling in a more comfortable position and he waited for the familiar voice to echo around his mind...

Good. You got there fast.

'How the hell am I supposed to capture him in the middle of the night?'

How else? Break into his house, wake him up at swordpoint and bring him outside. Easy, right?

'Geez you make it sound like some kind of game...'

Strolling as silently as he could through the village, Lloyd wiped the excess blood from the cut he sustained above his left eye, and placed his right hand on his sword. He stopped outside the house containing the presumably ex-mayor of Iselia after the little escapade following the downfall of the human ranch. The wooden steps creaked as Lloyd ascended them and the teenager followed the porch round to the side of the house and guiltily looked in through the window. The Mayor was fast asleep in his bed, a thin red blanket covering him. Lloyd followed the porch back round and stopped in front of the door. His hand hovered over the handle of the door as a thousand thought began to creep back into his mind.

Was he really doing the right thing? What was it he always said? There is always another way. People don't have to be sacrificed to make things easier. Tolerance and education were the ways to a world without discrimination, not ignorance and punishment.

Lloyd placed his beanie-covered forehead on the door.

'I can't do this...'

Are you really that weak?

Lloyd remained still as he ignored the voice in his head. Iselia was his home, no matter what these people did to Genis and Raine, they looked after him when he was a child, and he wasn't the easiest child to cope with. Not to mention they had allowed him to come back to the village after the incident with Marble. Is this how he really wanted to repay them?

You won't survive. By not doing this, you will give up your chances of protecting the Chosen. She will be Martel's vessel and you will be gone.

'You're wrong.' Lloyd mumbled as he stepped backwards from the door and down the wooden steps. He could feel himself sway slightly, almost as if he could feel Mithos's anger.

You will abandon your friend? Abandon all those you hold dear to death? What about Genis?

'They can protect Collette,' Lloyd kept his voice low as he stared at the door in front of him, 'They can protect her just as well as me.'

You know that's not true.

'I don't care, Mithos. Do what you want with me, just leave Collette out of this!'

If you die, I take that Exsphere and I will be unstoppable. You not doing this for me will be like betraying your friends.

'Stop it!' Lloyd raised his voice slightly, bringing his right hand to his face and rubbing his eyes. All this talk made his head hurt.

What about your Father?

Lloyd froze.

Losing you would BREAK him. Who knows what he would do? You are his lifeline, and if you selfishly sacrifice yourself, you will hurt him beyond repair.

'SHUT UP! Leave my family out of this!' Lloyd sank to his knees, his hand still covering his eyes, holding back the tears that threatened to spill over.

Now you know how it feels to be in a position of power. I have to deal with choosing who lives and who dies day in, day out. If you aren't strong enough to make this decision, then I will have to do it for you!

Lloyd felt the voice leave him as he looked up to see a group of clouds collect over the house, forming a large circle. He cried out as a large beam of white light split the clouds down the middle and strike the Mayor's house with a force that sent him hurtling across the floor.

'I don't know what you think you are doing.'

Kratos looked back over his shoulder as he walked to see a familiar blue-framed face standing beside the door of Dirk's house.

'You know what I'm doing, Yuan.' Kratos turned his head again and continued towards the Rhieards.

'He won't let you out alive. There is no point in wasting your life for it.'

'Then what would you have me do!?' Kratos shouted and turned to face the startled Seraph, 'And for your information, if I can at least have a chance of getting some Aionis for my son then yes, there is point in 'wasting' my life for that cause.'

'Look, Kratos,' Yuan started slowly raising his hands in front of him, 'I can't even begin to comprehend what you are going through but I need you to trust me. You can't go storming off to Welgaia and expect to raid the supplies without getting caught. They will be on high alert for you, you know that.'

The two close friends stood silently, both retaining eye contact with one another.

'We still have 24 hours. Yggdrasill isn't going to let Lloyd die without first rubbing it in your face. We spend the next morning searching all the cities and-'

A blinding light interrupted Yuan as both Seraphs covered their eyes to protect themselves. The light was coming from the village.

Kratos stared in disbelief as smoke began to float upwards, 'Indignation...'

'...Judgement,' Yuan finished, 'Looks like Mithos isn't going to let us have any sleep.'

'No... Mithos you son of a-'

I told you I would do it myself.

'But, he'll die!' Lloyd cried as members of the village began to appear from their houses.

He's not dead. But he hasn't got long.

Lloyd gritted his teeth and pulled himself to his feet. He started towards the house, ignoring the cries and screams he heard from the villagers.

You aren't strong enough to get him out. And I'm sure as hell not going to help you out this time.

'I don't care!' Lloyd shouted as he covered his eyes and kicked the door down.

'Kratos, what is going on?' Genis asked, rubbing his tired eyes as he descended the stairs.

'Genis, get your Kendama. Go and wake Sheena and your sister. We will need their magic,' the auburn-haired Seraph replied. The young half-elf nodded and sprinted back up the stairs. Kratos turned to his right, where he spotted the sleeping body of Zelos curled up into a little ball, sucking his right thumb like a child.

'Chosen.' He said bluntly, shaking the red-head's shoulder, 'Zelos, wake up!'

'Wha-!' Zelos jumped at the contact and immediately drew his sword, bringing it up to the surprised Seraph's neck. He took a few seconds to focus before smiling apologetically at Kratos.

'Not bad, Chosen,' Kratos conceded, wiping the blood that had appeared on his neck.

'Just like you taught me, right K-man?'

'Hmph,' Kratos ignored the swordsman, 'Get up. We need your magic in the village.'

Lloyd was blinded by the shining orange flames that had engulfed the Mayor's house. He had his arm over his face to protect his eyes and stumbled blindly through the mess of rooms. Yggdrasill was messing with him, contsricting his view by periodically draining his mana supply. Lloyd tripped over a loose piece of wood and felt something crash into his back. He gritted his teeth, wiped more blood off his eye and used a door frame to pull himself up, wary of his lack of time.

Even if you get out of this alive, you won't be able to protect her.

'I said shut up, Mithos.' Lloyd mumbled as he staggered into the flaming room of the Mayor. The Mayor was pinned, unconscious, to the floor under what looked like part of the ceiling.

Cursing, Lloyd strained to pull the large section of wood off the Mayo with his one good hand. He was careful to to burn himself, and managed to move the obstruction. Blinking the sweat out of his eyes, Lloyd hauled the Mayor up, holding him round the waist with his right hand, and began dragging him to the door.

'Spread!' 'Tidal wave!' 'Help us put out this fire, Undine!'

Zelos, Genis and Sheena got to work on the fire at the Mayor's house. Most of the residents of Iselia had emerged from their houses to witness the fire, noting the possibility that the Mayor was still in there. Raine was at the ready with her healing arts and Kratos was preparing to join the others in lending his magic. Yuan was trying to calm the rest of the residents, while Regal, Presea and Collette were collecting some rebuilding supplies from Dirk's for when the fire was exstinguished.

The fire erupted as a gust of wind flew throught the village, causing the Seraph to cover his eyes. Gasps rippled around the onlookers; it was certainly too dangerous to go in to rescue the Mayor, so they had to concentrate on putting out the fire.

'What's Mithos's beef with Iselia?' Yuan asked his friend.

'I'm not sure...he discriminated against Raine and Genis, but he surely couldn't justify doing something like this,' the Seraph replied, 'Spread!'

'Kratos, there's someone coming out of the door!' Sheena yelled, catching Kratos's attention.

Silhouetted against the flames, two bodies appeared in the doorway, one was supporting the other. Kratos recognised one as the Mayor of Iselia, but the other had a stange mana signature that he couldn't quite recognise...

Lloyd tripped down the front steps of the Mayor's house, letting go of the large man in the process. He cried out as Yggdrasill drained more of his mana, pulling himself onto his hands and knees, left arm laid limp under him.

You would do well to tell your friends not to leave the Chosen so vunerable.

'What...what are you talking about? Argh!' Lloyd gripped his head with his right hand, letting his forehead rest against the floor. Yggdrasill was going to kill him, he was sure of it. The pain in his head was magnified tenfold as he began to rock himself backwards and forwards to distract himself.

My people have captured the Chosen. You have less than 24 hours to survive. I suppose that constitutes failure on your part?

'What have you done with Collette?' Lloyd shouted, not stopping the tears from squeezing through his tightly shut eyes. He was sobbing so hard he didn't feel the hands grip his shoulders, nor the calls of his name.

Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha! Yggdrasill cackled, the sound echoing round Lloyds head, tormenting him.

'GET OUT OF MY HEAD!' Lloyd yelled in desperation, hearing the last echo of the laugh and the feeling of freedom as the clutch on his mana supply deteriorated.

Kratos was stunned to silence as he gripped the shoulders of his shaking son. Lloyd was sobbing like a child, his forehead planted on the singed ground, rocking himself backwards and forwards.

'Lloyd.' He called firmly. The teenager was breathing heavily and continued to rock, his white and purple outfit covered in soot. Kratos was wary of the familiar colours, but put it to the back of his mind as he called for Lloyd again.

'Lloyd, snap out of it.'

The rocking stopped, and the shaking swordsman's grip on his hat weakened slightly, the white from his knuckles fading. He brought his head up slowly and looked up at the person who was supporting his shoulders.

Kratos winced at Lloyd's face, a stream of blood from his left eye covered half of it, and the teenager gaped at him almost zombie-like.

'Kra...Kratos?' Lloyd managed to breathe.

'Lloyd...What happened to you?' Kratos ignored the presence of the others who had surrounded him and Lloyd and stared straight into those familiar dark eyes. Lloyd's head collapsed back to the floor, not being able to take the strain. Kratos's grip on his shoulders tightened briefly.

'Collette...'

'What?'

'He's taken...Collette...'

Lloyd's vision faltered once more and he surcumbed to his fatigue, collapsing onto the dusty Iselia street.