A/N: Um… hi ^_^ I'm Sholay. I'm new to this whole collaboration thing (not to mention writing TOS fanfiction in general) and so am probably unfamiliar with some of the rules. However, I think this idea of many authors contributing to one fanfic is brilliant, so I just had to try my hand. I hope you enjoy!

Disclaimer: Tales of Symphonia and all related characters are the property of Namco. I own nothing; I just play in the sandbox.

Arc 1; Chapter Nine: Malpractice and Swords

The Captain of the Guards, Lloyd had come to realize, was not a man to be trifled with. Captain Werner's comment that Lloyd was not 'ordinary' had had the Eternal Swordsman spluttering like a four year-old caught misbehaving. After stammering out a response that even he could not remember, Lloyd had dived his nose heartily into his stew in an attempt to mask his burning cheeks.

What little good that had done; questions had danced in the Captain's eyes, though none were given voice. Trusted by both the Chosen and Zelos, Lloyd had the benefit of the doubt for now; but he knew a single misstep on his part would guarantee him a meeting with the pointy end of the elder man's spear.

Lloyd groaned, rolling over on his bed of dirt and grass. A twig dug uncomfortably into his side and he winced, reaching underneath himself and pulling out the offending object—more akin to a small branch than a twig—and tossed it carelessly to his left.

"OIE!"

"Oh!" Lloyd's eyes widened, trying to seek out the voice in the dark camp. "Sorry!" He called.

"Yeah you better be!" An unknown soldier flared. "What do you think you're doing, throwing—!"

"QUIET BACK THERE!" Came the deep bellow of Captain Werner. The soldier grumbled a few more uncomplimentary things about Lloyd's mental state before heeding his superior's words and quietening down.

Lloyd exhaled slowly, glad the incident hadn't turned into a confrontation.

He was surprised at how different it was to be travelling in a crowd of people. There were at least fifty soldiers lying around him in every direction. Zelos and Seles were on his right and the night watch was somewhere behind him. In his old group, he had always slept in the outer ring of the group. Now there were so many people around him, all strangers—or strangers wearing the faces of old friends. Earlier that day, Sheena had barely said a word to him, even though he'd tried, multiple times, to strike up a conversation with her.

Gripped by a surge of loneliness, Lloyd shivered. It was like a hand was tightening around his heart and he curled his knees up to his chest. He held himself. How could he do this by himself? Did he even know what he was supposed to do? This world… It was so different—and so similar. He knew these people: Sheena, Zelos, Seles. But they didn't know him. The things he'd fought so hard to gain didn't even exist here. He was trapped by the very things he had once coveted. Knowledge, bonds, friendship… Friends… He couldn't do this be himself…

'Be calm. Remember what you're fighting for and focus on that feeling. Hardship will obscure your path always. You must train your eye to see your goal and only your goal. Only then will you succeed.'

It had been almost a year since these words, spoken in a soothing monotone, had been told to him. But Lloyd had never forgotten—as he never forgot any of Kratos' lessons—and he followed them even now.

'I'm here to save my world. All the earthquakes, the storms… they're still happening.' Lloyd winced. 'People are dying. I can't—No, I won't let it go on!'

"Origin," Lloyd intoned under his breath. "Origin, come on. I need your help; where are you? What do I have to do?"

But though he pleaded for the Summon Spirit to respond, no answering voice echoed in his mind. Origin, wherever he was, was not responding.

Lloyd sighed. He would have to resign himself to the fact that he was well and truly alone. Breath puffing from his lungs in another long sigh, he went back to trying to find a comfortable spot on the uneven ground.

He had left his world with nothing but the clothes on his back and was now severely regretting that hastiness. 'Genis woulda remembered. So would've Raine.' He could picture his friends in his mind's eye. 'Then Zelos would make one of his silly comments, Colette'd be confused and Sheena'd smack him.' A slow grin was working its way onto Lloyd's face. 'Presea's eyes would be soft; and Regal would just watch, sigh, and probably say something deep and meaningful.'

His mood significantly improved, Lloyd began to feel himself nodding off.

'I'll be back soon guys.' He told them. 'I promise.'

The next morning found Lloyd, fully decked in his suit of armour, clanking down the road leading toward Meltokio. He shrugged his shoulders uncomfortably, trying to bend his neck enough to work the crick out of it but failing miserably due to the stiffness of the helm encircling his head. Breastplates and shin guards didn't make for the most comfortable pillows.

"Urgh, I swear every time I put this thing on it gets more uncomfortable." He groused, flexing his plated hands.

A laugh near his right made him twist his head, then follow the movement with his shoulders when his visor didn't allow him enough leeway to see who was next to him.

"Seles!" He exclaimed upon spotting the teenaged girl. A few years his senior, Seles was still shorter than Lloyd; she had to tilt her head back in order to see past the wide brim of her hat and smile cheerfully up at him.

"Hi Lloyd. You're lagging behind a little; is something wrong?"

Lloyd shook his head—or tried. "No, I—" He abruptly lost his train of thought when his shoulder blade began to twinge

Seles hid her giggles behind her hand as she watched Lloyd dig his hand under his suit of armour, trying valiantly to reach the itch in his back. "You look a little uncomfortable there." She noted innocently.

"No—ugh…" Scratching madly, the feeling of ants crawling across his back gradually faded and Lloyd relaxed, letting out a sigh of relief. "It's nothing. I'm just not used to wearing this thing, s'all."

"Really?" Seles looked honestly surprised. "You seemed okay with it before."

Lloyd thought about that comment. It was partly true. Yesterday he'd worn the suit for hours on end. It had been hot and smelly, but he'd at least been able to bear it. Now he could hardly manage the mere five hours of hiking that would get them to Meltokio.

Honestly, he'd lived through months of travelling with Kratos. The man's stamina was bottomless—a fact Lloyd, Raine, Genis and Colette had learned the hard way while travelling through Triet.

'Probably because he's an angel.' Lloyd speculated glumly. He blinked then as a realization struck him. 'He knew. Even then, he knew and he never said anything.' Of course, Kratos had told Lloyd that he'd figured out he was his father the moment he'd seen the grave behind Dirk's house. But to know that fact and to realize its implications were two entirely different things.

'Was he afraid? Was he… disappointed?' Lloyd cringed in remembrance of how he'd snipped at and gibed Kratos when they'd first met—how he'd been completely humbled by the man's skills; and his subsequent jealousy.

"You're name… is Lloyd?"

"Are your sword techniques self-taught?"

To his oblivious ears these words had sounded mocking, condescending. But now they took on a whole new meaning. Lloyd wondered what it must have been like for Kratos—to have his life practically defined by his sword, then to have seen his son running around, blindly hacking at monsters, wielding two splinters of wood in his hands…

Oh yes, Lloyd knew how bad he'd been.

"Hey, hey, Lloyd, are you all right?"

"Huh?" Lloyd's eyes snapped up from the road and, upon spotting Seles' concerned face, abruptly remembered that he'd been conversing with the girl. "Oh yeah, I'm fine. Did you say something?"

Seles eyed him sceptically, but she didn't pry. "I was just wondering why you don't take off that suit of armour. It's not like you have to pretend to be a knight anymore. I know you don't want Zelos to know you aren't a knight but you could just tell him you're not used to the suit yet." She shrugged one shoulder.

Lloyd opened his mouth to respond but when her words actually registered he found himself considering her point.

"Huh…"

A few minutes later, Lloyd had stripped himself of the suffocating armour, stored it in his wing pack and was now barely restraining himself dashing ahead of the group and sprinting across the field.

"Ahh!" He stretched his arms high above his head, grinning widely. "The wind on my face, the ground under my feet, the open view!" Channelling the Colette within him, Lloyd skipped a few steps, then turned around to face Seles. He clasped his hands behind his head as he walked backwards, smiling at her. "That was an awesome suggestion! You're my hero right now, you know that?"

"I know." The Chosen fanned herself, feigning smugness, but the twinkling in her eyes gave her away as she watched the teen's antics.

Lloyd revelled in his newfound motor freedom for a few more moments before reigning himself back in and moving to walk beside Seles with more decorum. The sun was high in the sky and now that he wasn't weighted down by a ton of metal he could fully appreciate that fact. Training his eyes on the horizon, he could just make out the shadow of Meltokio's outer wall and the castle's turrets. They'd reach the city soon.

'Then I'll save the King, and the Pope and Princess Hilda are going down!' He vowed. 'I wonder if that'll be enough to restore this world?'

"You know," Lloyd's head lolled to the side as he glanced at Seles, who had piped up after a few minutes of silence. "Your clothes are very different."

Lloyd chuckled, looked down fondly at his red shirt and suspenders. "So I've been told." 'Multiple times.' He added with a mental eye roll. It was funny how the person who teased him most about his clothes was, technically, barely ten feet away. Lloyd craned his neck, glimpsing Zelos between the ranks of guards. It was weird seeing his old friend in miniature form. The not-Chosen was bouncing happily next to an amused Sheena and Lloyd grinned as he recognized the puppy-dog expression the redhead was sporting: he'd seen that look enough times on Genis' face when the young mage was around Presea to know what it meant.

"Well, I was just wondering if they're typical of your village?" Seles prodded.

Lloyd shifted, the smile on his face fading. The conversation was starting to take a dangerous turn that Lloyd wasn't quite prepared to brave. Maybe he would have if the Professor were there to reign in his comments, but not on his own. Lloyd had had enough foot-in-mouth occurrences to know that his lies weren't worth two gald.

"Y-yeah…" He stammered evasively. "Sorta."

Seles must have sensed his discomfort, because she let the topic drop. The silence that fell between them this time was heavier and Lloyd cursed his luck. He needed Seles to trust him. If she didn't then she might not believe him when he tells her he has antidote that would save the King.

Or worse… she might think he engineered the entire thing: the King's illness, Zelos' near kidnapping…

Lloyd paled.

"Look, Seles…" He backpedalled. "I'm really—"

"BREAK!" The unexpected call had Lloyd hopping and reaching for his blades. But when the soldiers around him merely halted their stride he relaxed.

"Okay, men!" Captain Werner strode through the ranks of his subordinates, making eye contact with each soldier he passed. "We'll take a half-hour's rest here, then it's on to Meltokio. Rest up, because we don't know what will be waiting for us. If the Princess has indeed betrayed the city then there's no telling how many of the guard she will bring to her side. We must be ready for anything—even battle." The man spoke the last part in a grave monotone.

"B-battle?" One soldier, a thin, gangly man, squeaked.

"YES!" Werner barked and the soldier who had spoken jumped. The Captain sought the man with his eyes and made his way over to him. "Our duty is to the King and to the people of Meltokio. Under no circumstances can we allow Meltokio to fall into hands that would do it ill. Even if that means fighting our own." Captain Werner gazed intently into the eyes of the trembling soldier, as though forcing will and conviction into him through words alone. It seemed to work; and Lloyd watched, amazed, as the soldier drew himself up, steadied himself.

"Yes sir!" The soldier promised.

"Did you hear that?" The Captain called to his company. "Are we all clear?"

"YES SIR!" Came the united response.

Seles noticed the impressed look in Lloyd's eyes and nodded her head. "Captain Werner had been the head of the King's Guard for many years now. He led the Battle of Meliai."

"The what?" Lloyd asked once they had settled themselves on the grass and broken out some bread and water. Ah, the simple food of life on the road: one thing Lloyd had definitely not missed.

"The Battle of Meliai. You don't know?" Seles looked incredulous when Lloyd shook his head, clueless. Seeing that Zelos was heading their way, she made a small gesture to her brother, telling him to go stay with Sheena. The female ninja had yet to prove her trustworthiness but this was a conversation she didn't want her brother listening in on. Besides, he'd still be in her sight and Sheena was surrounded by an entire company of heavily armed and trained guards. Not even a ninja could beat those odds. Still, Zelos spared a glance at Lloyd who, perhaps realizing the severity of what Seles was about to say, also nodded and gestured with his chin at Sheena. The brunet was a lot more trusting of the Mizuhoan ninjas than even she, Seles noted with interest.

"So…?" Lloyd prompted, once Zelos was out of earshot.

"The Battle of Meliai took place at the Meliai Mountains. You know, the mountains that parallel Fooji?" She clarified, upon seeing Lloyd's confused expression.

"Parallel…?" Lloyd's face scrunched and Seles wondered for a moment if the teen in front of her was actually trying to figure out what 'parallel' meant; but then Lloyd's eyes lit with realization. "Oh! Yes! Okay. Yup, what about 'em?" He munched on his bread and his eyes alone bade her to continue.

"There was a man, once, many years ago. It was before I became the Chosen. He… They called him the Butcher of Belladem." She recounted quietly.

"Butcher…?" Lloyd frowned.

Seles swallowed. "It… He led… a group of people. A cult. They were a religious sect… No… The correct term would be atheists. They were nothing but a group of barbaric hedonists." Bolstered by an inner fire, Seles lost her hesitancy and grew determined. Perhaps it was indignation; or perhaps she was drawing on her faith and resolution as the Chosen. The way Seles lifted her chin and squared her shoulders was an exact mirror to the posture Colette had taken when Lloyd asked her to stop the regeneration of the world.

"I'm not going to die. When I become an angel it'll be like my heart is going out and covering the entire world. I'll be able to experience the regeneration with everyone. When I think about it like that, I'm okay."

Lloyd's eyes softened as he gazed at Seles. This journey was going to poke and reopen each of his old wounds, so it seemed.

Seles, impassioned by her speech, did not notice the sad look Lloyd was favouring on her. "They renounced Martel, renounced the teachings. They called the Book of Martel the Book of the Dead. They said angels were lifeless zombies and that we were all fools letting ourselves be blinded by the sun."

Again, Seles was so caught up speaking that she missed the way Lloyd's eyes widened in shock.

"One day, they came to the city of Belladem. In those days, the Chosen, my aunt, lived there with her immediate family. My family. They came and… My mom was having Zelos and…" Her voice broke and she shuddered violently before burying her face into her hands.

"Hey…" Lloyd was shocked by the girl's sudden breakdown and he laid a hand on her shoulder. He could felt her shaking under his touch. "You don't have to continue. It's okay I—" Lloyd swallowed, stole a look around. Fortunately no one had noticed Seles' state, but it wouldn't be long before someone did. And Lloyd didn't think that reducing the Chosen One to tears would be very good for his continuing health.

"No, no it's okay." Seles uncurled herself and sat up straight. She trembled, but her eyes were dry, and Lloyd admired that strength. "It is an important story and you should know it.

"My family was the target of the raid on Belladem but that doesn't mean they were the only ones hurt. The Butcher and his followers razed the city so completely that to this day nothing but rumble and ashes remain. My aunt was killed. So was my mother. Zelos and I escaped. I barely even remember how…" Seles rubbed the bridge of her nose, collecting herself before continuing. "Werner—a commander at that time—led his troops against the Butcher of Belladem and he and his men killed every last one of those monsters. He was appointed Captaincy and hailed as a hero after that. A worthier title, I've never seen." Seles looked fondly at the Captain of the Guard.

Meanwhile, Lloyd was struggling to come to terms with a difficult concept. This wasn't his specialty: taking ideas and forming them into coherency. The Professor was good at that; and Kratos had often known what he was thinking even before he did. Regal was a great sounding board for frustration and even Zelos had some smart things to say every now and again.

But Lloyd was a person driven purely by instinct, impulse and conscience. He rarely had to think his decisions through because he always had a sense of what was right and what had to be done.

This however… what Seles was suggesting…

'The Renegades did much the same thing when they came to Iselia. They killed the priests and they were going to kill Colette. We thought they were monsters, but really they were trying to prevent the restoration of Martel. They were killing in order to prevent more killing. Is that right? It can't be… But when we were on the Journey of Regeneration we killed Desians. To the Desians we were evil… This Butcher of Belladem… Was he a Renegade? But what are Renegades doing in Tethe'alla? Unless…'

A horrible thought came to Lloyd and the emotion expressed itself freely on his face when he turned to Seles.

"You… are you going on the Journey of Regeneration?" His dread was so strong he could barely put any breath behind the words and they came out a choked whisper. He didn't want to hear the answer. He didn't want to hear—

"Why, yes." Seles answered, surprised. "Of course. The Day of the Oracle is supposed to come in a week."

Lloyd's mind blanked. He blinked, stared at the girl in front of him with a mixture of terror, shock and dread.

"What's the matter?" Her face creased in true concern but when she leaded forward to touch Lloyd's arm he recoiled.

"No. No! I won't do it again!" He jerked himself to his feet, stared down at the bemused Chosen. "I won't go through this again! You can't do this; you don't understand! What you're doing is—"

A hand clamped down on Lloyd's shoulder, spinning him around and forcing him to abruptly cut himself off.

"Hey—!" Lloyd started.

"So you're the new recruit, huh?" A vaguely familiar voice inquired and Lloyd frowned, scrutinizing the man before him. In his mid thirties or early forties, the rugged and sturdily build man was like no one Lloyd knew. His black hair was wild and peppered with streaks of silver and there was stubble covering his chin.

"Well?" The unknown man queried.

"Uhm…" Lloyd had completely forgotten his cover story and struggled to remember what exactly the man was talking about. Last night's conversation with Captain Werner slowly floated through his mind and Lloyd understood. "Oh! Yes, I am. Who're you?" A bit of bravado had made its way back into his tone as he stared brazenly into the elder's eyes.

The man laughed heartily, taking his hand off Lloyd's shoulder and stepping back before running his eyes up and down Lloyd appraisingly. "Very good. You've got a spine, boy. The new recruits always need a bit of man-ing up so I'm glad we can skip that with you. Though I'd pretty much pegged you for the brash type after your stunt near Sybak."

"Huh?" Lloyd stared, confused.

Seles had stood up by this time and walked around Lloyd to gesture at the barrel-chested man. "Lloyd, this is Commander Vern. He is in charge of training. Commander Vern—" She was about to introduce Lloyd, but Vern held up his hand.

"We've met." He said, sending Lloyd a knowing smirk.

"We have?" Lloyd was still very confused.

"Yes, I was the one you met near the Meltokio bridge, when you said that you were escorting young Master Zelos to Sybak. Word from the wise, boy, you're a terrible liar. I knew you weren't a soldier the minute you gripped your spear below its centre of gravity. And, no disrespect Milady Chosen," Vern inclined his head at Seles. "But your brother bites like the devil." He held up his right hand gingerly and Lloyd had to stifle a suspicious sounding snort with his hand when he saw the red half circle and tiny imprints of teeth in the fleshy part between the man's thumb and index finger.

"Oh dear! Zelos did that?" Seles cupped her hands around the hand. A few whispered words called forth a soft green light that fell onto Vern's hand before shattering and absorbing into the skin. Vern flexed his now healed hand, amazed at the power of the Chosen.

'Seles can heal?' Lloyd wondered. That made sense, he supposed, since Zelos had been able to heal too. 'But Zelos could heal because of the Aonis, which he got from the Renegades. But Seles couldn't be with the Renegades. Wait… Seles has a Cruxis Crystal, right?' A quick glance at the jewel adorning Seles' neck confirmed that, indeed, she did have a Cruxis Crystal. 'Then, is Seles an angel? But what—how—argh… Too. Many. Questions.' Lloyd could feel his eyes glazing as he confused himself with his thoughts.

"So, boy," Vern turned his eyes on Lloyd, who found himself tensing at the strange gleam in the man's eyes. "How about a quick spar?"

"Commander Vern!" Seles admonished. "We're supposed to be resting!"

"Oh come, Milady Chosen of Mana. This is only a friendly bout between two mates. Right, Lloyd?" Vern cuffed Lloyd on the shoulder and the teen did his very best not to wince and rub the spot. "Besides, if I'm going to take this boy into battle I want to know his level of strength."

The humour had fled from the commander's expression and Lloyd stilled, growing serious in response to Vern's sombre tone. Vern didn't trust Lloyd, but he didn't want him to die either. If nothing else, Lloyd could respect that sincerity.

"Okay," The brunet shrugged. Then, realizing he hadn't had a good, non-life-threatening spar in a long while, he grinned. This could be fun. "Let's do it."

The soldiers had formed a ring. Everyone wanted to see Commander Vern face off against the new upstart. Lloyd wasn't surprised; the soldiers were probably hoping Vern would wipe the floor with him so they could get a few laughs at his expense.

Lloyd grinned as he drew his twin swords. Well, someone would be laughing, alright. In the crowd, Lloyd spotted Zelos looking at him in concern and winked at the boy, flashing him a thumbs up. The corner of Zelos' lips crooked in an unsure smile. The redhead was still painfully shy, but Lloyd's confidence must have been catchy because the tension in Zelos' shoulders ebbed away. Behind the boy, Lloyd spotted Sheena and he sent her an equally bright grin. She hesitated, probably wondering why he was looking at her, and her eyebrows rose. Lloyd shrugged it off; he'd make the ninja come around sooner or later.

Vern had slid his breastplate on, along with his gauntlets and shin guards. In his right hand he wielded a large broadsword with a lazy ease that spoke of years of hard training, and in his left he hefted a circle of metal strapped to his arm. He left the helmet aside, though; Lloyd guessed that he wasn't the only one annoyed by that claustrophobic-inducing metal cage.

"Aren't you going to put on any protection, boy?" Vern called from the far side of the circle.

"Nah." Lloyd beamed cockily and spun one sword in his gloved hand like a baton. "I just got out of that heat-box. There's no way I'm getting back in."

Vern laughed. "Well then, don't run crying to your mother when you get a cut."

An indecipherable look passed over Lloyd's face, "I won't." He promised lowly.

There was no sign to start. No one said 'Go' or even asked the fighters if they were ready. Lloyd and Vern were simply staring each other down at opposite ends of the ring one second and the next they were rushing each other. The audience of soldiers gasped.

"Ha!" Vern cried, slashing his sword forward in a vertical swipe. He aimed the hit to just graze Lloyd's stomach, and was prepared to pull the strike if the boy was too slow to dodge. But what Vern wasn't expecting was for Lloyd to simply not be there.

"Hyah!" Lloyd hadn't even waited for Vern to complete his strike. Exsphere blazing, the teen kicked off the ground and rose into the air with the grace of a bird—much to the crowd's astonishment. But instead of sweeping forward in one of his most devastating attacks, Lloyd allowed himself to fall. He tilted forward, felt himself flip in midair. He aimed a slash at Vern's back, which the man barely blocked, before twisting and landing cleanly on his feet, his back to Vern.

In an instant, Lloyd's sword flashed out behind him, neatly catching Vern's broadsword and holding it.

Vern was impressed, both with the youth's dexterity and his strength. "Well, looks like I'll have to stop holding back then." He commented.

"You do that." Lloyd mocked, smirking.

And Vern switched his grip on his sword, snatching it back out of the lock before jabbing forward. The teen easily hopped out of the way. Then, to Vern's shock, Lloyd struck his two blades together before bringing the right one up in a flourish, brandishing it over his head in show of either deplorably bad form, or taunting.

"C'mon, that's what you call your best? I know rabbits that move faster that!"

Irritation shone in the commander's eyes and Lloyd smiled, knowing he'd succeeded in ticking the man off. Vern looked to be a good fighter, but it'd be no fun if the man was overconfident or holding back. Besides Lloyd didn't need that kind of handicap. But now that he was fighting seriously…

This time, when Vern charged, Lloyd didn't pull any tricks. He ceased all playing and mockery.

'Now this is a fight!'

Steel rasped on steel. Sparks flew as the two combatants spun around each other. Every now and again, a blade would catch the sun and sparkle as it audibly hissed through the air. Zelos was entranced by the deadly dance and behind him he knew Sheena was too. Seles denounced the entire thing as immoral, violent behaviour, but Zelos ignored her. His eyes were trained on Lloyd who, for all the world, looked to be made of water as he slithered under and around Vern's attacks.

Lloyd held two swords to Vern's one—which Zelos thought was definitely a much cooler idea—but it was a strategy that seemed to require a lot of dodging. Vern would just hold up his shield whenever Lloyd attacked, but Lloyd literally had to jump, duck, and roll to avoid the Commander's sweeping slashes.

'Still,' Zelos thought. 'I hope I'll be that cool when I get older.' Although, he mused, Lloyd was pretty old. 'Maybe if I get Lloyd to teach me, I'll become better faster.' Zelos nodded to himself, having resolved the conflict. 'Then I'll be able to protect Seles on her journey.'

Lloyd was thoroughly enjoying himself. The live steel made his blood thrum and the fact that Vern was actually an accomplished swordsman only added to the fun.

Vern was powerful: each swing had more strength behind it than Lloyd could manage himself. But all that armour and the shield weighed the man down. Plus, Lloyd had had a lot of experience fighting opponents who favoured the shield and sword style. Vern had nothing on Kratos' sheer blade technique and Zelos was more agile than this guy.

Threading around another series of strikes, Lloyd brought his sword up, only to have it repelled by Vern's shield. He dodged the man's riposte—moving to the side that held the shield—then kicked his foot out in a sweeping arc.

There was a dull clang! And then Vern was watching amusedly as Lloyd hopped around on one foot. Sheathing one sword, the teen held the instep of his throbbing foot with his free hand.

"Ow, ow… Okay… That wasn't very smart." Lloyd's face scrunched as he berated himself. In hindsight, it had been a stupid idea, but Lloyd really hadn't been considering the consequences when he'd tried to sweep Vern's feet out from underneath him.

"Word from the wise, boy." Vern yelled. "Don't try to sweep the feet of an opponent who's wearing metal protectors."

"Yeah, I know that now." Lloyd grumbled. "Darned Meltokio Knights and their darned, evil, smelly armour—" He had to cut himself off to duck as Vern took advantage of his distraction.

"And never let your guard down either!" Vern continued.

"Oh yeah?" Lloyd retorted, shuffling backward. "Why don't you take your own advice?" And, with the tip of his sword, he pointed at a spot on Vern's neck.

Not understanding, Vern paused mid-stride. He brought his hand up to touch his throat.

"Well, I'll be damned." The man exclaimed, astounded, when his fingers came away bearing the slightest hint of blood. It was a small scratch, barely a nick, but it constituted first blood and thus made Lloyd the victor of the match.

All around, the soldiers were struck dumb at the audacity of the boy who dared defeat their commander. Zelos and Seles cheered for Lloyd, but the brunet eyed Vern warily, wondering what the man's reaction would be.

He was surprised when Vern let out a belly-deep laugh and strode forward to grip Lloyd's hand in a firm shake.

"Well met! I've never seen a lad move as fast as you. Your master must be very proud." Vern meant the remark as a compliment but nonetheless it struck Lloyd in a sore spot.

"I—uh—yeah…" He managed a weak grin, one that was more than made up for by Vern's overbearing exuberance.

"When did you make the hit?" The Commander asked.

"Oh, uh, after the second exchange. When you parried, I slipped my sword over your shield and clipped you." Lloyd explained, recovering from the earlier comment.

Vern considered Lloyd. "So you kept the fight going all this time even when you knew you'd won?"

Lloyd shrugged. "Well, yeah. I was having fun, weren't you?"

The two combatants shared identical toothy grins.

The soldiers were mumbling amongst themselves, sending him veiled glances as Lloyd turned away from Commander Vern. The teen was about to try and find Zelos and Sheena when he nearly bumped nose-first into someone's chest. Looking up, Lloyd saw Captain Werner staring down at him sternly.

"Everyone! Gather your things; we're moving out in five." The Captain called to the group. Then, in a quieter voice, he addressed Lloyd. "I know there's something odd about you, boy. As long as it serves our side, I don't care what secrets you keep. But know that if I get one word that you're stepping out of line, I will take action. Understand?" It wasn't the threat so much as the bone-deep conviction in the man's tone that had Lloyd nodding vigorously.

Werner stared at Lloyd until the teen began to fight the urge to fidget. Eventually, the Captain must have found what he wanted in Lloyd's expression because he nodded. "Very good." He stated. "And maybe next time you would like to spar against me." Lloyd didn't reply; but then, Werner hadn't phrased the comment as a question. It was more a statement of fact.

"Until then," Werner continued, "stay away from the Chosen One."

And he stepped away, leaving Lloyd feeling oddly as though he'd just been raked over a set of spikes.

Meltokio was quiet. Lloyd had been expecting chaos, excitement, maybe a mob or two. But there was nothing. People walked by on their daily business and they greeted the soldiers as jovially as one greets the summer sky.

"Good morning sirs! I hope your outing was peaceful."

"You didn't run into any monsters?"

"Oh! Micha! Don't forget to drop by Izzy's to pick up your tuxedo! And don't forget to get a lilac tie; you have to match my dress!"

A few snickers and a very red soldier were the result of this last comment. But, for the most part, their trek through Meltokio was much too uneventful for Lloyd's liking.

He sidled up to Seles and, after making sure Captain Werner wasn't nearby, leaned toward her ear. "We're going to the castle now, right?" He muttered out of the corner of his mouth.

She nodded. "Yes, we need to figure out the truth about Princess Hilda and the Pope."

Lloyd nodded, then glanced back at Seles as a thought occurred to him. "Hey, uh, how come you're okay with talking to me? Captain Werner—"

"Zelos is a bit naïve, but he has a good heart. And I trust his judgement. Plus," Seles shot Lloyd a wry glance. "I want to know more about my little brother's new hero." Lloyd's eyebrow's shot up and a hand drifted to the back of his head as he laughed off his embarrassment.

"But enough chatting," Seles warned. "We're entering the Noble District."

Lloyd immediately sobered, his face serious as he looked ahead at the lush gardens and sprawling mansions. A hand slipped into his pocket and he palmed the vial containing the antidote that would cure the King. No smart and brilliant plan to administer it was coming to mind, though, and Lloyd sighed.

A hand touched his arm and he looked down in surprise to see Zelos staring up at him.

"The King is going to be fine, right?" The boy asked hesitantly.

Lloyd smiled and nodded definitively. "I'm sure of it."

"That's good." Zelos seemed unnaturally solemn and Lloyd tilted his head in askance.

"The King took me and Seles in after Mom died." Zelos explained. "Everyone else was afraid of taking us because they thought they'd get hurt. And the Pope told the King not to take us, but the King did anyway."

"Seles told you this?" Lloyd asked.

Zelos shook his head. "No."

"Hm?" Lloyd quirked an eyebrow.

"The Angel did."

Lloyd's blood froze and he looked at Zelos in horror. But before he could ask anything else, the group arrived at the Castle gates.

Lloyd swallowed, clutched the vial in his pocket tightly, then nodded to himself.

They opened the doors.

"Quick! Someone! Get her a doctor! There's no time to waste; the Princess is ill! Hurry!"

Princess Hilda had been found unconscious on the floor of the entrance hall and, upon waking, had been delirious, screaming about mind-possessing demons and the Pope. Conveniently, the Pope himself was nowhere to be found.

Everyone was bustling about with such frenetic disorder that Lloyd had no trouble inching around them and passing unnoticed into the King's chambers. There, emaciated and withered, the King of Tethe'alla looked to be in much the same condition as he'd been in the first time Lloyd had seen him in his own word.

Not wasting a second, Lloyd slipped around the side of the plush four-poster bed. The King lay under a heap of silk and down feathers; the show of luxury made him want to stand and gape, but with some difficulty he was able to refrain. Ignoring his surroundings, Lloyd moved straight to the man's head, gently sliding a hand underneath it and tilting it forward.

"W-what?" The King mumbled weakly.

"Shh," Lloyd soothed as best he could. "My name is Lloyd. I'm a friend of the Chosen. I have something that will make you better." He pressed the mouth of the vial to the elder's lips.

"The—The Chosen?" Like magic, these words worked their charm and the King drank compliantly.

Just as Lloyd was feeding the King the last few drops of the antidote, the door to the room slammed open and Captain Werner came barging through.

"You!" He yelled, pointing at Lloyd, who was looking very guilty as he held both the head of the barely-conscious King and the empty vial in his hands. "What are you doing to the King? Guards, seize him!"

"No, stop!" Lloyd cried out, nearly dropping the King as he held up his hands in surrender, but the guards simply grabbed him and wrenched his arms behind his back. One man kicked hard at the back of Lloyd's legs, making him fall to his knees with a grunt of pain.

"Please listen!" Lloyd implored. "I just saved his life! You've gotta—urgh!" His face jerked to the side as he was struck.

"I will not listen to your lies any longer, filthy traitor! First you bewitch the Chosen's brother to your side, then you try your guiles on the Chosen herself! I will not stand for it any longer!" The Captain advanced on the teen and Lloyd was sure that he was about to meet his untimely end when suddenly a small, redheaded blur attacked his side and attached itself to him.

"What—Zelos!" Lloyd cried, recognizing the younger version of his friend. "Get back, you don't—"

"No! I won't let them hurt you!" Zelos let go of Lloyd and, to everyone's shock, he stood before of the brunet and stretched his arms out to either side, blocking Lloyd from Werner's view. "Lloyd is strong. He's brave and he fights really well. He protected me from the Pope's men and I won't let you hurt him. He's a good person!"

"Master Zelos…" Werner faltered, unable to maintain his murderous gaze before an innocent child. "Please, Master Zelos, you don't understand. This person is—"

"You said you gave the King something to help him?" Zelos completely ignored Werner as he addressed Lloyd.

"Yeah—uh, yes." Lloyd nodded.

"Then I think we should check and see what happened to the King." Zelos declared.

"Indeed," A coughing wheeze had everyone gasping and turning to the bed. "Out of the mouth of babes comes the greatest truth. Zelos, good child, could you bring me a glass of water?" Everyone's eyes widened as the King, fully conscious, spoke lucidly for the first time since he'd fallen ill.

Zelos hesitated, looking at Lloyd, who was still being restrained on his knees.

"Go now, child." The King repeated and, dutifully, Zelos dashed off.

Captain Werner seemed to finally kick himself out of his stupor and he staggered to the foot of the bed. "My King!" He protested when the man struggled to sit up.

"Captain, I have always trusted your fair judgement. But this young man just saved my life; are you going to keep him on the floor all day?"

Lloyd was immediately hauled to his feet and, after a menacing order from Werner not to go anywhere, he was ushered out of the room in short order.

"You'll be staying for dinner, right?"

"Well, the King requested it, so…"

"And then you can spend the night! There's a free guest room next to mine!"

"Sure, sure, but I've gotta go cancel my reservation at the inn first. They give you a partial refund if you don't actually stay the night."

"Well, hurry up!"

"Sure, Zelos."

Lloyd chuckled to himself as he left the castle. Zelos was now more intent than ever to spend every moment glued to his side, goodness only knew why. It was strange how things had worked out. The King was healed and Werner had grunted that he was free to go, after which Seles had kindly healed the bruise on his cheek. On the other side, the Pope had disappeared and the Princess was claiming that she'd been mind controlled to do the bidding of the Pope for months. Apparently, the Pope had used some obscure religious ritual to possess her mind or something.

Lloyd wasn't too sure about this last part. Partly, it was because he knew Tethe-alla's entire religion was based on a lie, so that really put a damper on the whole religious ritual idea. Second… Well, Lloyd didn't really have a second, but the first was pretty good all on its own.

As the red-clad teen made his way down the street he failed to spot the figure watching him from above. Haloed by the yellow light in her room, Princess Hilda gazed down at the boy who had saved her father's life. The shadows fell across her eyes as her head bowed. Her arms crossed as she watched the boy disappear into the night.

Lloyd once again thanked the kindly lady at the hotel reception desk who had given him a full refund for his room.

"I'm sorry that I can't stay the night but you should at least—"

"Oh don't worry about it, my child!" The woman was practically shoving him out the door. "Everyone knows about the courageous teen who saved the life of the King! I couldn't take money from a hero!"

Lloyd spluttered—how did people already know about that!—but before he could say anything more, the woman succeeded in pushing him through the threshold and, as she closed the door, Lloyd felt his balance go. He stumbled on a loose cobblestone and bumped right into someone.

"Oh! Sorry, I—" Lloyd cut himself off with a gasp when he saw who was that he'd nearly fallen on top of.

A mahogany eye trained on him insipidly. Auburn hair fell in jagged spikes across a pale face, obscuring the other eye from view.

"K-Kratos!" He stammered wildly. A voice in his head was yelling Dad! But… This was not his… this was not the Kratos of his dimension… But…

A dark stare pierced him with an intensity that Lloyd found painfully familiar. For a moment, uncertainty passed over the elder man's face before it was replaced by a wall of calm. A streetlight above revealed that the man was cloaked in shadow—his old mercenary garb.

"Yes?" Kratos' voice was the same as Lloyd remembered it. Only it was completely void of any recognition. "Who are you to know my name?"

Lloyd's heart plummeted. He hadn't even realized that it had risen into his throat but now it was firmly residing in his boots.

"I-I…" Could he? No… He couldn't… This wasn't his… his father. This was the father of the Lloyd of this dimension.

His father was on a comet somewhere floating aimlessly through space.

"I'm no one." And Lloyd brushed past Kratos roughly, nearly breaking out into a run in his intent to get away from the man.

Kratos eyed the spot where the strange youth had disappeared. How had that boy known him? He hadn't descended to this world for nearly a generation; it was unlikely that anyone still knew him.

Well, the boy had come out of the inn; perhaps he could get a name, if nothing else.

Normally, Kratos would not have been bothered. A random child recognizing him on the street was hardly cause for concern. It was unusual, yes, but Kratos' reputation sometimes preceded him, carried by the wind as frightened voices told stories, warnings, of his deeds.

But there was something off about that boy. His appearance: the shape of his face, his eyes and the colour of his hair, stoked old memories that Kratos often wished he didn't have. It was a human vice to be curious, but the whispers would not leave until he did something about them. And so Kratos surrendered to his weakness and stepped into the brightly lit inn.

The woman at the desk tittered, batted her lashes. Kratos didn't even blink; and he wasted none of his breath. "The boy who just left here, do you know his name?"

She stared blankly at him just long enough for him to wonder if she was dumb, but then coherency returned to her eyes and she gasped.

"Oh, the young lad? He's a hero, you know; he saved the life of the King!" She gushed.

"His name, please." Kratos pressed.

"Yes, right. I have it here," She pulled out a tall, thick leather-bond book, opened it toward herself and turned the first page, scanning it. "It's here somewhere… Oh and it was such a fascinating name; it's just on the tip of my tongue…" She flipped a page, and another page, and another… Kratos felt a muscle in his temple tighten, making his eye twitch.

"Oh, here!" She slammed the book down flat and pointed to a name. Kratos glanced down and abruptly forgot to breathe.

"Lloyd Aurion. Such a nice name, don't you think? And you know he even wanted to pay me for his unused room. As though I could take money from—"

"Yes, thank you. You have been very helpful." Kratos didn't even wait for the woman's response. He practically fled the inn.

Only once he was safe within the dark shadows of a narrow alley did Kratos allow himself to collapse against a wall. Gripping his hair, he tried to inhale, but the breath wouldn't come. He felt like he was suffocating.

'Orgin!' He called within his mind. 'Origin, answer me!'

'Seal of the pact. What do you require?'Origin's voice sounded faded, distant. Kratos had the distinct impression of an elastic being stretched over too long a distance, but he pushed the thought aside for a more pertinent one.

"That boy," He gasped, not even bothering to speak internally. "Did you see him?"

'I did.'

"Who is he?"

'He is as he appears. His name is Lloyd.'

Kratos didn't even notice Origin's omission of a last name. It was only too obvious to him. The hair, the eyes, Kratos had no doubt as to the boy's identity.

"But…" He didn't even realize he'd been sliding down the wall until he hit the ground. His hands fell onto his knees and he stared at his palms.

Thunder. Sheets of rain poured down on the scorched soil. A clawed hand lifted up. Mutated, twisted, the thing dripped puss as it rose into the air.

Kratos' eyes slid shut as memories unwanted filled his mind.

A flash of lightning. The claw slashed downward. A wail of pain—a baby's cry. And then there was only blood.

"My son… is dead."

End Chapter

Note from Baby Kat Snophlake: Thank you, Sholay! :D Awesome chapter! If you would like to take Sholay's lead and write the next chapter, feel free to email it to me at snophoenix at gmail dot com. Remember this doesn't update without everyone's support! Until next time, good luck!