A/N Thanks to all my reviewers! I have had some predictions...some are right...some are wrong! Haha. Hope you like it! P.S. I hope the middle bit makes sense!
'Raine...'
Yuan brushed a hand down his shirt, absent-mindedly wiping the dusk that had settled onto the lush red carpet. The Professor was stood in the doorway to his office, facing Yuan who was leaving Lloyd's room. Her eyes were bloodshot and red, but she had a stubborn look etched across her face.
Raine opened her mouth to speak as her eyes wandered over towards Lloyd, but she was interrupted by a hand raised by Yuan.
'Let's not.' He said firmly, motioning her to turn and enter his office, 'Let's talk in here.'
The two half elves sat on an old rustic sofa in Yuan's office, Raine leaning on the back of the chair, almost thankful of the chance to rest. Yuan sat and leant forwards on his knees, his hands forming a cup to place his head on.
'How are you doing?' The blue haired Seraph asked quietly. Raine shuffled in her seat.
'We are coping...' She mumbled, 'Zelos is a godsend. Him and Regal are dealing really well with the girls.' Raine added in response to Yuan's raised eyebrows.
'Where did Genis run to?' Yuan rubbed his eyes wearily.
'Not far, we chased him for nearly a mile and took him home. He's sleeping back in Iselia at the moment, he's exhausted.'
'I understand.' Yuan nodded. A silence hung between the two half elves. Raine turned her head and looked at Yuan.
'Where's Kratos?' She asked, a concerned look on her face.
'He said he went to see Dirk...' Yuan answered.
'I have already spoken to Dirk and told him the...news. Kratos didn't-'
'Show.' Yuan finished her sentence, 'I anticipated as much. He will wander, but I'm sure he will return later, stoic as usual.'
Raine nodded, eyes drifting to her lap and her twiddling thumbs, 'He's really gone, isn't he?'
'You tell me, can you feel any of his mana?' Yuan sat back, 'I'm sorry, Raine. I can't say anything more than that.'
It was cold.
Too cold.
Lloyd shiverred, rubbing his upper forearms with his hands. He was alone, deep darkness stretched out around him on all sides for eternity. He was sat with his knees to his chest, in a small circular spotlight in a vast sea of black. Lloyd couldn't remember when he had got here, nor where he was. All he knew was it was cold, and he was scared of the darkness. Really scared of the darkness.
His hands worked perfectly. It shocked him at first, but he had regained all his feeling. Lloyd held his hands out in front of him and examined them. His skin was soft, there were no callouses on his hands from his sword work, and he was missing a scar he had gained from an angel when escaping from Welgaia. That wasn't the only thing that was missing. Turning his hands over so he could see his the backs of them, his smooth, clear skin startled him.
No Exsphere.
He had no Exsphere.
It was gone.
Lloyd closed his eyes as the panic started to rise up in him again, that same panic he had experienced when he first noticed his Exsphere was gone. The silence was deafening, and Lloyd had to breathe steadily to control his panic and he gripped his hands together tightly. He sat, eyes closed for what felt like an eternity, until a cool sensation withing his gripped hands startled him.
Lloyd opened his hands up, and was shocked to see the small golden locket he wore around his neck, lying there in his hands. Kratos's locket. His locket. His family's locket. Hands shaking, Lloyd opened it up and gazed at the small picture within it.
Kratos was stood on his mother's right, his left arm around her shoulder. He looked exactly the same as he did today, never ageing after 4000 years. A soft, but serious smile was formed on his face, and he looked more relaxed than Lloyd could care to remember. His auburn hair was shorter than it is today, sticking up behind his head with a small amount falling over his left eye. Anna Aurion, Lloyd's mother...her wavy brown hair fell elegantly over her shoulders, a thin fringe framing her heart shaped face. She was smiling, almost sadly, brown eyes shining. In her hands was Lloyd, whom was clutching at a chunk of his mother's wavy brown hair. A sense of nostalgia brewed up within the teenager, and he could almost feel the softness of Anna's hair in his hands once more.
A gust of wind startled Lloyd from the picture, he had to squint at the wind in his eyes. The small circular spotlight he was in was shrinking, cauing the twin swordsman to panic, and curl up tighter, desperate to stay in the light.
'Ah!' Lloyd shouted out, terrified of the oncoming darkness. He squeezed his eyes shut and tried to calm himself, slightly concerned about the irrational panic building up within him. Why was he afraid of the dark?
'Anna!...LLOYD!!'
A voice made Lloyd's eyes snap open, and he found himself sat underneath a large willow tree, still clutching his knees. The voice was recognisable...and a black-clad Kratos sprinted by where he was sat, eyes stern with worry.
'Dad!' Lloyd held out his hand, but Kratos didn't hear him. Lloyd let his arm droop and decided to follow the Seraph through the familiar looking woods. He recognised the area to be the woods near Iselia, only a few miles from Forcystus's ranch. Kratos was moving at quite a pace, and Lloyd struggled to keep up.
'Anna?!' Kratos skidded to a stop at a crossroad in the path, turning to his left and sprinting down the adjacent path. Lloyd followed. He spotted a woman sat beneath a tree with her head leant against it, clutching a fidgeting boy in her arms.
'Oh thank god...' Kratos slowed his run and knelt down beside the woman, softly placing an arm on her shoulder, 'How are you feeling?'
'I'm alright, Kratos,' She said, voice straining, 'Did you get everything we needed?'
'Yeah,' Kratos replied, swinging a small rucksack off his back, 'Apple and Orange gels, as well as enough food to keep us going for a week or so more.'
Anna smiled, and Kratos's attention was drawn to the small boy on Anna's lap. The young-Lloyd was holding his arms out to his father, struggling in his mother's grip.
'Daddy!' He smiled, wriggling his legs to try and get free, 'Daddy back! Daddy back!'
Kratos laughed softly and picked Lloyd up under the arms, swinging himself round and sitting with his back to the tree like Anna. He rested Lloyd on his knee and gave his son a hug. The teenage Lloyd looked on from a few feet away, a sadness filling him.
'Daddy...' he mumbled, wrapping his own arms around his waist to comfort himself.
'Have you been a good boy for Mummy, Lloyd?'
The three year old nodded enthusiastically, his brown spiked bouncing.
'Yes, Daddy,' Lloyd grinned, 'Where's Noishe?'
'Noishe is coming soon, he was looking for you and Mummy with Daddy. You can play with him later.'
'Mhmm...' Lloyd mumbled, curling up on his father's lap as if to sleep.
Anna shivered.
'Are you cold?' Kratos asked her seriously. His face was etched with worry, concerned at the speed of Anna's deterioration over the past few weeks.
She nodded, 'It's okay, though. I'll be alright.'
'No.' Kratos replied sternly. He sat up gingerly, careful not to disturb the sleeping three year old, and pulled his black cloak of his shoulder, leaving him only in a black vest. He covered Anna with it and wrapped his arm around her, pulling her in so she was resting on his shoulder. He kissed her hair.
'Let's rest here and wait for Noishe.' He whispered, earning a nod from his wife.
The teenage Lloyd felt a lump rise in his throat as he watched his family. His younger self had his finger in his mouth and was breathing loudly as he slept. His mother was leaning comfortably on his father's shoulder, contented and relaxed in what must have been a difficult time. His father was calm, but his eyes scanned the area periodically, looking for any threats. Lloyd could have sworn that Kratos's eyes had met his own.
Sighing, the teenager strolled over towards the family and sat with his back to the same tree, only on the other side of it. He placed his head back on the rough bark and felt the same nostalgia he had felt when he saw the locket picture - as if he could remember exactly how it felt to be curled up on his father's lap. He didn't notice his thumb finding its way to his mouth, and Lloyd Irving slept soundly.
Yuan showed Raine to the exit and returned to check on Lloyd. He wasn't sure why he did so, but he felt more and more responsibility to the boy as the time went on.
He shuffled over the red carpet and gazed hopefully at the body of the teen. There was something that told Yuan that there was still hope the boy was alive. Maybe it was him wishing the best for Kratos? Maybe it was his own grief that caused him to hope? The same hope that gripped himself and Mithos when Martel was taken from them. Yuan's face dropped.
'Who am I kidding...?' He sighed and ran his hand across Lloyd's fringe, removing the akward hair from his forehead.
Yuan turned to leave and did not notice the small stream of red mana escaping from his jacket pocket and entering Lloyd's Exsphere. The same jacket pocket that contained Mithos's Cruxis Crystal.
A/N Wow 2 chapters in as many days! As Tyres from the Brit Sitcom 'SPACED' would say...'You Lucky People!' lol. I was listening to 'Eyes on Me' from the Final Fantasy VIII soundtrack while I was writing the middle section, so now I have to go and satisfy the major urge I have to play that game.
Please review!! Next chapter hopefully will be up in the next few days or so!