A/N Thanks to all my reviewers! Keep telling me what you think, its really useful! Sorry more flashies! I just love writing them... Nothing much happens in this chapter, but I love writing Yuan and Kratos!

Disbelief.

Sheer disbelief.

It was the only way Yuan could describe how he was feeling as the afternoon sun shone over the Sylverant Base.

It felt surreal. Surreal that Kratos was laying the body of his son on the bed next to his office. Surreal that he was carring the blood red sword that Lloyd had been using and Kratos had sworn by for 4000 years. Surreal that the events of the morning at the Tower had actually occured.

Surreal that Kratos was yet to react.

He was acting like one of Mithos's lifeless beings. He walked briskly, head held high on his shoulders, auburn hair flowing backwards slightly behind him. Kratos didn't tell Yuan where they were going, he had just carried Lloyd onto a Rhieard and set off, leaving the half elf rushing to keep up with his friend. Steering the craft with one hand and holding Lloyd across his lap with the other, Kratos made haste to the base and walked silently up to the entrance.

The Renegades on guard were startled by the sight of Kratos Aurion from Cruxis, carrying Lloyd Irving, marching up towards the entrance to the Sylverant Base. A brief nod from Yuan as he stumbled off his Rhieard prompted the guards to open the door, and an emotionless Kratos quickened his pace towards Yuan's office.

'Kratos!'

Yuan reached out a hand as the door to the office swung shut in front of him. Yuan let him go for a second, and pushed some sweaty hair off his face. He took a deep breath and marched in through the door.

'Kratos what are you-'

He stopped. Across his office, and through the interconnecting room to his own quarters, Yuan spotted Kratos lay Lloyd on a bed gently. His hands guided Lloyd's limp body onto the soft, deep red coverings of the bed, the teenager's head falling back behind him as it hit the pillow. Kratos brushed some troublesome hair out of the boy's face and straightened his legs. He rested his hands on the bed for a second, hair falling in front of his face, before he turned and walked into the adjacent room to Yuan's office. Yuan followed slowly and cautiously.

Kratos was leaning on a blue, steel desk that was positioned in front of a small window overlooking the main power generator of the facility. He watched as the remnants of the magitechnology of the Kharlan War worked before his eyes. Mechanical arms shook as the large pistons pounded back and forwards, and the mana generated flowed through the small, clear tubes out of the room. Buttons and screens flashed with numbers as a Renegade on duty periodically checked on the apparatus. Yuan stood in the doorway, mentally preparing himself for the worst...

'Kratos...I think-'

'Such a meaningless existance.'

Yuan stammered slightly, as the cold, deep voice shook through him. Truthfully? It scared him.

'The machines exist for a purpose,' the human continued, eyes fixed on the generator, 'the pistons fire back and forth, the mana is generated, the signals are calculated and reported on the screen.'

Yuan opened his mouth to speak.

'What is our purpose in this world, Yuan?' Kratos asked, although his gaze remained fixed on the machine, 'What is the purpose of those lifeless beings in Welgaia? What justice do they bring to the gift of life?'

He looked down, eyes dry. Yuan was stunned to silence, and his eyes wandered over to the open door and the flash of red. He took some steps towards his best friend.

'I think...that our purpose in this world is to do as we see fit,' he stopped a few feet away from Kratos, 'We make our own choices and accept our own consequences...He didn't deserve-'

'We are bound by our fate, Yuan.' Kratos cut him off again, his cold voice quivering slightly, causing Yuan to hesitate once more. Yuan watched Kratos's gaze return to the machinery, and the half elf stopped a few feet away from his friend.

'It is up to us whether or not we accept our fate, Kratos. I'd have thought Lloyd would have taught you that lesson by now.'

Kratos's visibly recoiled at Lloyd's name, and the Seraph closed his eyes. A long silence lingered between them and Yuan clenched his hands into tight fists beside him. Kratos stood straight, brushing a hand through his long fringe and started towards the door. Yuan stared straight ahead as Kratos's shoulder brushed roughly against him. The half elf flinched slightly and closed his eyes, before opening his mouth to address his friend on the way out.

'He didn't deserve it, you know.'

Yuan heard Kratos stop in his tracks not far behind him. The two mutual friends stood back to back in silence at either ends of the room. Kratos had turned his head slightly, as if to look back over his shoulder.

'Life is cruel, Kratos. There is nothing I can say or do that will make that change. Just...Just remember that I'm still here..if you need me, I mean...'

Yuan struggled with his words, voice trailing off slightly. Kratos turned his head back and looked down at the floor, brow furrowing. He took a breath that Yuan could hear from where he was stood, but hesitated once more.

'...I need to go and see Dirk.'

With that, Kratos left the room.

'Yuan, I need a favour.'

'Hm?' Yuan looked up from his desk quickly, long bangs flying back across his face, 'Oh...'

He looked up to see a tall man, clad in white and purple, one hand resting caually on the hilt of his sword.

'Kratos!' Yuan straightened his papers on his desk and stood, chair gliding over the deep red carpet in his quarters in Welgaia. Yuan had always taken some stick for his rather pompous tastes, but he preferred his own quarters to resemble the real world, rather than the bland blue and grey of the angel city.

'I need a favour.'

Kratos's voice was cold and shallow, and Yuan grimaced slightly, shifting his feet. He was wary of aggrivating the human.

'Yeah, sure Kratos. What is it?'

'I need to you to come down to Aselia with me.'

Yuan breathed out and headed to the other end of his room, tinkering with his possessions on a small desk, running his finger round the curve of his swallow blade.

'And why are you supposed to be going to Aselia?' Yuan asked, more cooly this time.

'Mithos has asked me to deal with a few problems with the Desians,' Kratos shifted his weight onto his right leg, knee bending. Wrinkles appeared on his nose, almost as if he was subjected to a bad smell, 'Forcystus is having some issues with...with Kvar,' he hesitated, 'he is worried that...Kvar is too close to the village of Iselia. Forcystus has a treaty with them regarding the safety of the next Chosen. Kvar's men have yet to disperse since...'

Yuan's jaw set as his hands flattened on the cool metal of his swallow blade. He leaned on the sideboard and shook his head before turning to face Kratos, who was staring at the floor, hand tightened onto the hilt of his sword.

'Kratos...' Yuan shook his head again, 'It's been two days. Why did you agree to go?'

Kratos looked up and met Yuan's eyes, 'I didn't. That is why I want you to come with me, I fear for what I may do.'

'Anything you do would be totally justified!' Yuan raised his voice slightly and took steps towards his friend. He was angered at Mithos for requesting this off Kratos a mere two days after he returned to Welgaia, less a son and a wife, 'Mithos is totally out of order! Little bastard...I'm going to see him.'

Yuan took strides towards the door, but was blocked when Kratos stepped across in front of him.

'No, Yuan.'

'But...why? You know too well he did this on purpose. You shouldn't even be working!' Yuan was waving his hands in front of him energetically.

'What would you have me do?!' Kratos raised his voice, croaking slightly.

'Tell Mithos to stick it!' Yuan wasn't going to back down, 'Leave Welgaia for a while, go down to Aselia. There could still be a chance that Lloyd-'

Yuan trailed off, unable to complete his sentence as Kratos visibly flinched, squeezing his eyes shut.

'I searched,' Kratos croaked, 'There is no chance...'

Kratos's head dropped, his chin resting on his chest, hair falling in front of his face. Yuan's face scrunched, trying to ignore the lump that had risen in his throat because of the pain he felt for his friend. Kratos's shoulders were quivering rapidly, and it looked like he was finally showing some reaction to the events near Iselia only days previously. Yuan was shocked at Kratos's lack of emotion when he returned, surprisingly, to Welgaia; it was a matter of hours after Yuan had heard from Mithos what had happened. He remembered his disgust at Mithos's almost grinning face, and ignored the threats as he turned around and stormed towards his quarters. Feeling the anger rising up again inside of him, Yuan raised his arms and placed his hands over Kratos's cheeks.

Kratos flinched and his arms twitched, as if he was going to make to remove Yuan's hands. He settled however, and allowed Yuan to cling to his face, his eyes still shut tightly, still dry.

'I can't imagine what you must be going through,' Yuan whispered, 'but you must not let Mithos manipulate you as he does.'

Kratos's neck muscles relaxed, 'I'm sorry, Yuan.'

Kratos leaned forwards and rested his head against Yuan' chest, sobbing freely. Yuan let go of the taller man's face and wrapped his arms around his shaking shoulders silently. Yuan was angry at Mithos, but relieved Kratos had finally been allowed to let his feelings out.

'I'll go and see that bastard Kvar.' Yuan muttered.

'Kratos!...Yuan, where are you?!'

Mithos Yggdrasill stormed into Yuan's quarters, the wooden door springing round and smashing into the wall. The 'young' half elf was breathing heavily, eyes narrowed almost into slits. Yuan was sat at his desk, tinkering around with some paperwork, not looking up at Mithos and trying to resist the urge to grin manically. Kratos was sat on Yuan's bed at the other side of the room, his left leg crossed over his knee, supporting Flamberge. His right hand was stroking a sponge down the cool red metal of the sword, polishing it to a near reflective quality. The human remained stoic and, like Yuan, failed to acknowledge Mithos at the door.

'Kratos!' Mithos started towards his former mentor, 'I told you to go and see Forcystus. It was an order! How DARE you disobey me!'

Kratos stopped polishing his sword and looked up through his long hair at Mithos. Yuan cleared his throat.

'I think you'll find it was I who disobeyed the order, Mithos.'

Mithos's eyes narrowed and he turned to face Yuan.

'It was not something I asked you to do, Yuan,' he said coldly, 'It was an important job that I wanted Kratos to do.'

'It was done, was it not? Forcystus got what he wanted?' The corners of Yuan's mouth twitched slightly, as if to suppress a smile.

'Forcystus wanted rid of Kvar and his men...' Mithos was not the slightest bit amused at Yuan's cool attitude, 'Forcystus did NOT want Kvar to be beaten around until he could hardly walk.'

Yuan's shoulders twitched and he forced himself to turn back towards his paperwork. Kratos turned his eyes back to his sword.

'I don't think this is funny, Yuan. We now have a problem that Kvar doesn't trust us anymore! How am I supposed to get him to recover the Angelus Project?'

Kratos gritted his teeth as Yuan put down what he was doing and stood up to face Mithos, quite happy with being confrontational with him.

'The Angelus Project?! Do you know how much fucking pain that thing has caused? I don't regret anything I did, Kvar deserved every ounce of discomfort that I gave him.' He turned back and threw himself down onto his chair, 'So don't spout me any of that shite again.'

Mithos cocked his head slightly in anger, before storming out of the door. Yuan and Kratos sat in silence again, faint echoes of Mithos yelling 'PRONYMA!' flooding through the shut door.

Yuan burst out laughing. He rested his forehead on the papers and pounded the desk. After recovering, he wiped his eyes and turned to his friend.

'Ha! Mithos is priceless. I knew he would be pissed, but man...'

Kratos looked up through his hair, and Yuan could have sworn a small smile formed across his face.

'Heh...' Yuan laughed bitterly as he turned the blood red sword over in his hands, remembering the look on Mithos's face. He pushed himself up from the desk he was sat at, the same desk Kratos was leaning against not long before.

He walked over to where Lloyd was lay in the adjacent room, eyes saddening slightly. The teenager had an almost pained look on his face, hands formed into soft fists on his lap, one loosley clutching Kratos's locket. Yuan held the sword out in front of him, running his fingers across the sharp blade.

'Shit!' Yuan exclaimed as one of the points of the flame-shaped blade pricked his finger, causing a small drop of blood to form. He grabbed a tissue from beside the bed and wrapped it around the cut.

'I knew these would come in handy...' he mused to himself as a red stain progressed around the cloth of the tissue, 'I wasn't just being pompous by having tissues in the end, Botta.'

Yuan lifted Lloyd's free hand with his cut one and opened up the fingers. He placed the sword gently in his hand and reformed the fist, turning Lloyd's hand over so his body was fully supporting the sword. He stepped back and grimaced sadly.

'Yuan...?'

A familiar voice made Yuan's ears twitch and the half elf turned to see Raine Sage walk into his office. Taking one last look at Lloyd, Yuan strolled over to the Professor, greeting her as he went.

As Yuan left the room, the small wrinkles on Lloyd's forehead dissappeared and a small smile formed on his lips. White knuckled gripped the sword tightly in one hand, the locket in the other.

A/N Please review! Hope you like the flashies!