Disclaimer: I do not own Tales of Symphonia or any of it characters.

Path of Ascension

Reviews:
Sieg15: Thanks. I'm also still trying to decide between the pairings. As of now it's open for voting.

BlueIrish: Let's just say that Lloyd knew because he was snopping around inside their heads.

PsychoSpiff: It's not a Colette/Lloyd pairing yet. As I said above it's open for voting.

Fehize: Yeah it would be weird to have four arms after living 17 years with only two. I couldn't handle it that's for sure.

Windsbane: Thanks. I was hoping that the fight scenes in the past were detailed enough.

Lady-Jana-Sparrow: Don't feel bad. I wouldn't even want to imagine what Lloyd would actually be feeling right now.

Spiecas: I actually thought this one up after reading so many Naruto fics where Naruto turned out to be Kyuubi. I started to wonder "what if?" and that lead to this fic.

too-much-inspiration: I won't quit if I can help it. I like this fic, but I bounce around so much that I lose interest for a while.

Chapter 11

When the party reached the Fooji Mountains Lloyd was already complaining. "I can't believe we're going to have to climb that mountain again..."

Genis and Raine both rolled their eyes having known that this was going to happen. Both half-elves loved Lloyd like a brother, but sometimes they just wanted to kill him and this was certainly one of those times.

Raine moved over next to Sheena and they started talking about the current events in their lives. The half-elf knew that she was unsettled about seeing Volt for some reason and she wanted to take the Shinobi's mind off of the Summon Spirit.

"So monsters really started to appear...But the regeneration ritual wasn't complete, so what's going on?" Sheena, like everyone else, understood very little about what was happening in both worlds right now, but she knew that it was wrong and that was enough for her.

Raine started chewing on her index finger. "...If it's not caused by a decline in mana, then it may be the work of Cruxis."

Lloyd perked up, but decided to keep up his act as a brain dead idiot. He turned to Rained and asked, "To try and hurt Colette?"

"Can they do something like that," asked Genis entering the debate. He hated knowing that half-elves were responsible for so much pain and destruction. To the young half-elf Cruxis was just validating everyone's fear and hatred of their kind.

Raine glared at the remains of one monster and said to Genis, "It's just a conjecture. We can't say for certain." The Professor already knew in her heart that Cruxis had been behind this latest event and most likely it was a ploy to flush the Chosen out into the open or make her turn herself in. "To think that I share blood with these monsters…"

With only a few short battles the party made it to the top of the mountain and walked towards the Rheairds. Lloyd tapped Zelos on the shoulder and said, "Hey, Zelos. How are we going to carry these?"

The red head grinned like an idiot and replied too cheerfully, "Oh, I'll show ya. Come over here for a sec."

As instructed the small group, with the exception of Colette, followed Tethe'alla's chosen. Just before reaching the Rheairds an orange barrier quickly encircled them. Lloyd acting on instinct tried to force his way through only to get knocked on his ass. "Ouch that hurt."

A blue haired half-elf walked out from behind some rocks and chuckled. "You've walked right into my trap, fools!"

The entire group turns and looks at Zelos making the Chosen wonder why he suddenly had their attention again.

Lloyd was the first to smirk and said, "He just called you a fool." "Of course it's the truth, but no point in stating the obvious."

The pink-haired axe wielder stared with her lifeless eyes and added, "Zelos…is clumsy."

The red head faked sobbed and whined, "Gah…I am so sad now." To complete his little performance he held his hands up to his face and sobbed some more.

Outside of the barrier Yuan rolled his eyes and marched over to the barrier. Casting a glance to one of his Renegades he barked out orders. "You," he said catching the attention of one soldier, "Retrieve the Rheairds."

While his peons were following his orders Yuan moved closer to the Chosen's group. He smiled at Lloyd and then shifted his view to Sheena. "This is turning out to be a very…fruitful day indeed. My traitorous would-be assassin and Origin all wrapped up."

Sheena knew that Yuan was going to torture her before killing her since she'd disobeyed his orders, but then she realized something. Turning her attention back to her former employer she asked, "Wait, what do you mean Origin? As in the King of the Summon Spirits Origin? The creator of the heavens, etc, etc?"

Yuan nodded. "Yes, it seems that the stubborn old spirit is not only here, but actually masquerading around as a human or half-elf. Origin has either possessed one of you or altered his form to appear human, but I know that you are here Origin." Cocking his head to the side he continued, "Don't make this difficult Origin or else I'll be forced to kill everyone here until you show yourself."

Lloyd and Sheena both look behind the Renegade leader catching his attention. The blue haired half-elf turns to see Pronyma teleporting in. "Oh? Lord Yuan. What brings you to this place?" She knows that he's here for Origin, but wouldn't dare risk admitting to it in front of her. Her orders were to play along with Yuan's deception, but under no circumstances was he to get his filthy hands on Origin or Sylvarant's Chosen.

The Renegade leader watched her for a moment before saying, "I should ask you the same, Pronyma! The role of you Desians is to wreak havoc upon the declining world!" Yuan crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes at her. "And the last time that I checked this world wasn't declining yet. That idiot Remiel died and let her get away from what I've heard."

It was a commonly known fact that Pronyma hated Remiel with a passion since he'd continued to try to turn her interests away from Yggdrasill to himself. That twisted love triangle is actually what landed him in the position of being the Oracle, the most hated position any angel could receive. She grinned thinking of the mental torture that she'd put Remiel through. "Ah yes, good times. To answer your question I have come here on Lord Yggdrasill's order to retrieve Colette. Please turn her over to me so that I may depart this worthless world."

With his goal so close and the certainty that she didn't know Origin was right here he said, "Fine. But in exchange for handing over the Chosen, I am taking custody of the rest of these idiots. I trust that you have no objections?"

In truth Pronyma didn't know that the Summon Spirit was that since she'd been out of contact with her underlings. "I have received no orders in regards to the rest of them; so, please do as you wish, my lord." In a mock whisper she added, "Try not to get too much blood all over you. Martel will be back soon and you wouldn't want to be a mess when she arrives."

To Lloyd's horror Pronyma turned her undivided attention to a defenseless Colette. The incomplete spirit knew that Colette would only defend herself if the half-elf did something to provoke the angel. All that it really took was no weapons or raised voices to keep the Chosen from attacking in her current state.

When Pronyma approached Colette Lloyd shouted, "Colette! Don't go! Run!"

The half-elf laughed at the boy's useless attempts to save the Chosen. "Hahaha. A futile effort. Yours words cannot reach a Chosen who has lost her soul." Upon inspecting the Chosen for any damage that the Renegades may have inflicted her eyes caught sight of a Key Crest. "What is this? Why is there such a crude Key Crest upon the Cruxis Crystal?"

Lloyd smiled as the Leader of the Desian Grand Cardinals turned around and shot him a glare. He had no doubt that Kratos had told Cruxis about his skill with Dwarven technology. The Summon Spirit smiled even wider when Pronyma growled, "This is your doing isn't it?" The smile faded when hers appeared. "Another pathetic attempt to save her and yet all that I have to do is removed this ugly thing."

"Oh hell no! Nobody insults my craftsmanship and gets away with it!" Lloyd wanted just one opening to beat the woman senseless, but couldn't due to the barrier holding him. If only he had regained more of his power then he could have blown the barrier apart, but that had its risks too since his friends were inside the barrier too. One mistake and they would be scattered all over the landscape.

Before Pronyma could remove the Key Crest Colette grabbed her arm and twisted it. "This is a birthday present that Lloyd gave me!" she shouted before throwing the Desian twenty feet away.

Inside of the energy barrier Genis and the others were dumbstruck that Colette had finally recovered. "Colette…you spoke!"

Said blond turned and smiled, "Yep. Why is everyone inside that thing?"

Yuan was shocked that the poorly constructed Crest had had any affect on the crystal. "Impossible! There's no way that pitiful Key Crest could restrain the Cruxis Crystal!"

Lloyd sent Sheena a quick telepathic message and she repeated it to Yuan. "Weren't you warned before about people making the impossible possible."

Yuan's eyes widened and he knew that Origin had told her that in order to mock him. "Origin's making fun of me? That's not like him since he usually has less of a sense of humor than I do?"

The Desian took the opportunity to try to take Colette by surprise and return to Derris Kharlan. "No matter you are still coming with me. Lord Yggdrasill is waiting for you my dear and you shouldn't keep him waiting."

Colette jerked back and landed on top of a weird device place on the ground. She moved away as smoke and sparks came out of the device. "Whoops! I broke something else…again."

They all smiled as the orange barrier dissolved. Lloyd reacted before the rest and went straight after Pronyma. "What was that about my craftsmanship lady? Didn't you say something along the lines of my work being 'an ugly thing'? When was the last time you looked in a mirror?"

"Probably never." said Zelos with a grin. "I mean who would settle for a woman that ugly. Forget the fact that she's a half-elf let's just make it illegal to be that hideous looking."

Sheena shook her head at Wilder's antics. Part of her was pleased given that he'd gotten under the Desian's skin and the other part wanted to smack him. "Eh I'll let it go this time."

Immediately the group came together and went to work fighting off Yggdrasill's henchwoman and in no time she was beat down.

Genis smirked and said, "This is what happens to anyone that messes with our friends and that broken arm is why most people are not stupid enough to insult Lloyd's crafting skills."

"Worthless, traitor…" Pronyma said before teleporting away.

Sheena looked back at Yuan. "Now it's your turn Yuan."

Both assassin and twin bladder charged at Yuan only to have both of their attacks intercepted by Kratos. "Back off Lloyd, Sheena." said the angry Seraphim. "This no longer concerns you."

Yuan knew that if Kratos had escaped then he most likely tipped Mithos off to his plans. "So what now Kratos?"

The angel's glared intensified as if he were trying to kill Yuan with it. "You should know that Mithos has summoned you. Perhaps it would be best if you make it easy on yourself and give up."

The blue haired half-elf knew that by 'give up' Kratos meant 'come along with me so that I can torture you for endangering my son'. "I'll pass on that one, thanks."

Kratos swung his sword only to have it pass through Yuan as he warped away. Sheathing his sword the red haired angel growled and breathed deeply trying not to lose his temper. He then turned around and asked, "Lloyd what are you doing here? Why did you come to Tethe'alla?"

The teen wanted to give the old man the cold shoulder, but his mouth reacted before his brain could stop it. "I heard that there were some attractive ladies here, so Genis and I decided to find ourselves a special someone to have a wild night with."

Most of the group couldn't believe what Lloyd had just said. Zelos on the other hand was applauding Lloyd's response and saying something about 'having a mini-me'.

"He has to be kidding." Kratos privately thought or so he thought. Quickly rebuilding his mask of indifference he asked, "What's the real reason that you are here? Even if you came to save Colette, which you've successfully done, the relation of the two worlds vying for each other's mana will not change. Their positions have merely been reversed by the regeneration ritual."

Sheena as panicked to hear this and asked, "Has Tethe'alla begun to decline?"

The red head shook his head and said, "The Tower of Salvation can still be seen from this world as well. As long as that exists here, it means that this world is still flourishing. Although, in the event that Colette becomes Martel's vessel, Tethe'alla will surely bid farewell to its era of prosperity."

"What can we do to fix it then?" demanded Lloyd feeling his powers starting to strain the limits of his control. One slip up and someone could be seriously hurt. Furthermore he needed to reclaim his power and knowledge that was still sealed inside of Kratos.

Kratos looked down and said, "If you want to do something about it, use your own head. I thought you weren't going to make any more mistakes?"

"Yeah, I'll do it! This stupid system of two worlds stealing mana from each other…I swear that I'll change it!" said Lloyd thrusting his fist in front of himself.

Kratos smiled. "Do your best Lloyd." He started to walk away and then stopped, "Lloyd would you be opposed to my returning to your group?"

Lloyd looked up to see his father's/jailor's back turned to him. The part of him that was Kratos' son wanted so badly to say yes and forgive him everything, but the stronger part wasn't sure that he could trust the Seraphim not to betray them again.

The group stared at Lloyd and could see the internal conflict. Everyone knew that it was Lloyd's decision since Colette would back him on anything that he did and Colette was the reason that they were here in the first place.

After several minutes of silence Lloyd's now blue eyes looked up at Kratos and he asked, "Why should I give you a second chance?"

Kratos answered with one word. "Atonement."