Anyway, here is chapter five, sorry about the delay. Also, I haven't replied to my reviews, so I'll just say here instead: I'm glad I was able to make your days! (: Thanks for reviewing as always!

Chapter Five

Unsurprisingly, the following morning was a quiet one. No one really wanted to talk about what had happened yesterday. Zelos himself was still disturbed by his conversation with Pronyma, and thus, was thankful that nobody else was feeling particularly chatty.

Still, in an attempt not to stay too deeply inside his own head, Zelos tried to keep himself occupied by focusing on everyone else's mood. There was nothing much to say about the irritatingly familiar newcomer, Regal, who was leaning against the wall at a fair distance from the others, looking as unreadable as ever. Lloyd, on the other hand, looked as if he'd hardly slept a wink. Zelos remembered slipping into bed before Lloyd had returned, and now he wondered just how long it had taken for the brunet to do the same.

As for Genis, he still looked miserable over the fact that they were going to leave Presea behind.

"Don't look so down, Genis." Raine consoled her brother. "We'll be back soon."

Genis attempted to muster up a smile for his sister, but it was a weak attempt. Sighing, Raine rubbed his back comfortingly.

"Are you sure you're feeling okay, Colette?"

Sheena seemed a bit worried as she and Colette stepped out into the lobby. Their voices drew the group's attention and they looked up in time to see Colette reassuring the dark-haired ninja as best as she could.

"I'm fine, Sheena. Really!"

Sheena's worry did not seem unfounded however. Colette did look a bit peaky. Her face was a shade lighter than her usual, though the bright smile she put on when she spotted the rest of them did wonders for her complexion.

The effect was rather ruined when she promptly tripped over thin air and landed harshly on her face.

"Colette!"

There was a clamor of hurried footsteps as well as a couple of resigned sighs.

"I'm okay…!" The blonde hurried to get back up to her feet.

"Seriously, Colette. Can you get any clumsier?" Sheena sighed, fond exasperation lacing her voice.

Zelos couldn't help it. He snorted out loud. The irony of hearing Sheena of all people say that was far too amusing.

Sheena, following his trail of thought, shot him an annoyed, embarrassed glare. In return, Zelos winked at her, which only made her more annoyed.

"Anyway, are you really okay, Colette? Did you hurt yourself anywhere?" Lloyd asked, as always quick to hover in worry.

"No, I'm fine. Really, I am!" Colette insisted, shaking her head. The embarrassed blush crawling up her cheeks certainly put some color back on her.

Lloyd smiled with relief. "That's good. Just be careful, okay?"

"Hehe, sorry."

At that, Lloyd let out an exasperated sigh. "…Why are you apologizing again?"

"Oops! Sorry," Colette said again, and as the apology slipped past her, she hurried to cover her mouth with a sheepish expression, prompting Lloyd to groan this time.

The familiar, lighthearted exchange helped bring up the group's mood. Even Zelos found himself smiling. But the good cheer didn't last very long. Although they had arrived at Altessa's in record time, their meeting with the dwarf had been dramatically short—he'd kicked them out the very moment he heard them mention Presea's name, refusing to hear another word out of them.

Needless to say, none of them had expected to receive that sort of reception.

Genis was still fuming over what had happened when Tabatha stepped out of the dwarf's house to speak with them.

"I APOLOGIZE. THE MASTER DOES NOT WANT TO GET INVOLVED WITH PRESEA," she explained to them in her measured, monotone voice. Her face was devoid of any emotion even as she bowed to them with a semblance of regret.

Genis was not appeased. He shot her a furious glare as he clenched his fists tightly. "Why?! Doesn't he care if she dies?!"

Raine put a hand on his shoulder to help calm him, but it did little to soothe his temper.

"IT IS NOT THAT," was Tabatha's response to the accusation. "IT IS BECAUSE THE MASTER REGRETS WHAT HE HAS DONE."

The words made the group pause with consideration. A few of them were placated by the sentiment, though none were truly satisfied with the answer.

Colette was the first to speak what was on everyone's minds. "Then please," she said, "help Presea! All she needs is for her Key Crest to be fixed!"

She looked so earnest, her expression open and supplicant. As Zelos stared at her, it was hard not to think about the fact that only a few days ago, his fellow Chosen had been in the same emotionless state as Presea.

Tabatha seemed hesitant to speak at first, but Colette's plea seemed to move her. "…I DO NOT KNOW IF THAT WOULD TRULY BE IN HER BEST INTEREST," she admitted. Her words brought a clamor of confusion among the group.

"What do you mean?" Raine asked, as always eager to get to the bottom of things.

"There's no way that letting her stay the way she is right now is what's best for her!" Genis stomped his foot on the ground.

"Yeah!" Lloyd agreed. He glanced at Colette out of the corner of his eye before holding Tabatha's gaze. "How could anything be worse than living in that cruel condition?"

"Please…" Regal, who rarely spoke without purpose, pitched in. He clenched his hands tightly, the muscles of his arms straining beneath the confines of the shackles on his wrists. "She doesn't deserve this. Let us help her."

Tabatha averted her gaze, but after another brief pause, she seemed to give in. "IF YOU ARE THAT COMMITED, THEN YOU SHOULD SEARCH FOR INHIBITOR ORE," she suggested.

"Inhibitor ore?" Lloyd repeated, taking an animated step forward.

"YES. PRESEA'S KEY CREST WAS NEVER MEANT TO—"

"Tabatha! What are you doing? Get rid of them already!" Altessa's gruff voice cut Tabatha off. The dwarf's booming voice pierced through the walls of his house and Tabatha shrunk in size at his command.

"I APOLOGIZE, I MUST RETURN." She gave them all another bow, the movement stiff. "PLEASE COME BACK AGAIN. I WILL ATTEMPT TO PERSUADE HIM," she told them hurriedly, and although her unchanging expression was hard to judge, she genuinely seemed to mean her words.

After she was gone, the group couldn't help but to stare at the door separating them from Tabatha and Altessa as they tried to process the situation completely.

"Am I to understand then that Presea's Key Crest is actually a fake?"

Raine was the first to break the silence. Her expression grew furrowed as she pieced together all the information that they had on hand.

"What?!" Genis was shocked by the suggestion. "But that's dangerous!" He turned to look at Lloyd, his eyes brimming with fear and worry. "Doesn't that mean that she could end up like Marble?"

Lloyd gave a terse nod, the reminder making his complexion lose a shade of color. But as he opened his mouth to—reassure Genis, or add his own two cents, Zelos interrupted.

"Wait, wait, wait. Care to fill in the rest of us first?"

"Oh, that's right, you guys wouldn't know, huh?"

Lloyd's somber explanation of what exactly happened to the people who wore Exspheres without Key Crests was mainly for Zelos and Regal' benefit as everyone else had seen what happened firsthand back in Sylvarant in one way or another.

"That's... sick." A disgusted grimace spread across Zelos' face.

Regal made a noise of wordless agreement and looked away, his expression growing dark.

"Anyway," Lloyd continued, turning towards Raine with a grimace. "Without the inhibitor ore, Presea's Key Crest is pretty much useless," he said. "If only we were back home… Dad could help us out." His voice grew small, homesickness and helplessness at war in his heart.

As Genis leveled another dark glare at Altessa's house, Regal surprised them by speaking up.

"…There is a mine in the mountain range that extends between Altamira and the Ymir forest. You could acquire the inhibitor ore from there. I could lead you to it, if it'll help Presea," he told them with a quiet type of earnestness that made everyone wonder once again just what type of connection the blue-haired man had with Presea.

Raine brought up that very question just then, but this time, just like previous times, Regal declined to answer.

"W-Well, in any case," Lloyd cut in, wanting to get back on track. "This is our only lead, so regardless of your reasons, we're grateful for your help," he said, not one to look at a gift horse in the mouth.

Raine's lips pursed. Though she wasn't as happy to let the matters drop, she did, for now.

"So… where exactly is this place?" Sheena asked, deciding to follow Lloyd's lead.

"You said it was near Altamira, right? That place is awesome! Let's stop by there on the way!" Zelos pitched in. It had been too long since they had stepped into a proper city, so the idea excited him.

Sadly, he was quickly shot down.

"We don't have time to waste, you moron! There's no way we're stopping at that gaudy resort," Sheena said, throwing him a sharp glare.

"Oh, come on! It'll just be for a little!" Zelos protested. He was going to go crazy if they kept camping out in the middle of nowhere, especially when there were perfectly good establishments around.

"Ahem," Regal interrupted their bickering with a pointed cough, wanting to get back on track. "The mine I know of is across the sea from here, on the southern continent," he told them.

His words caused Raine to groan, a noise that was echoed by Zelos as well.

"Oh, man. We'll have to use the EC's again. What a pain!" he complained.

"Don't whine. Unless you'd rather we leave you behind," Raine warned him despite not looking particularly forward to the experience herself.

There was a moment of silence, and then—

"…When you say the EC's, do you actually mean to say that you've been riding on the Elemental Cargos?" Regal asked, unable to hide the incredulous pitch in his voice.

Sheena grimaced but nodded reluctantly, much to Regal's appalled shock.

"That is… a very interesting method of transportation," he said.

"Isn't it?" Lloyd seemed to be unaware of the group-wide disapproval that the others had towards the EC's. In comparison, he looked absolutely cheery.

"Well, let's get going already!" he declared as he began to lead the way back into the Gaoracchia forest and towards the nearest shore. The others followed him with far less enthusiasm.

"Guys! I found it!"

Genis grinned wide as he held his hand out, showing Lloyd and the rest of the group the inhibitor ore he had stumbled upon. It had been a day and a half since they had set off from Ozette. The mine had been farther away than they had expected—Regal had given a shorter estimate at first, before taking the EC's speed in consideration—and the inside itself had been pretty deep. Thankfully though, they had finally managed to get ahold of the inhibitor ore.

"It's about time…" Zelos let out a tired groan, already fed up about how long they had spent inside the mine.

"Good job, Genis!" Lloyd exclaimed as he moved closer to examine the item. "It's perfect. When we get back, I'll carve a charm into it. It should do the trick until we can get Altessa or Dad to make her a proper Key Crest."

The group seemed relieved to hear that, though Regal couldn't help but to voice some of his anxiety. "Will the process take long?"

Lloyd shook his head. "Not at all. I could do it right now, in fact. But I'd prefer it if we get out of the mine first," he explained. He flashed the others a grin. "Zelos looks about ready to run off without us after all," he added teasingly, glancing towards the redhead.

Zelos blinked, surprised by the unexpected attention. He recovered quickly though.

"Are you sure you're not talking about yourself, Bud? I've heard stories about your lack of attention span, you know," he pointed out just as teasingly.

Lloyd shot the possible guilty parties a brief, wounded look before turning back to Zelos. "I do not have a lack of attention span!" he protested.

"Heh. Suuure, Bud. Keep telling yourself that."

"In any case," Raine cut in before they got any more out of hand, "Lloyd is right. We should head back to Ozette. The sooner we get there, the faster we can cure Presea."

The group nodded in agreement. Genis in particular latched on to Lloyd's arm and began to drag him towards the entrance of the mine.

"Let's go, then!"

"Hey!" Lloyd protested.

Zelos snorted quietly as he watched them go. The beginning of a smile inched at the corner of his lips, genuine and unexpected.

"Looks like you're getting along well," Sheena pointed out in a quiet voice.

Zelos nearly jumped. Sheena had snuck up on him like the ninja that she was. He missed the times when she was more clumsy. And less observant.

Time to deflect.

"He's a bit simple, isn't he? It makes it easy to get along." Zelos shrugged off her words. It was a genuine attempt on his part because he hadn't realized just how much Sheena was right. It was irritating how easily Lloyd could sometimes slip past his guard.

"…Maybe so," Sheena agreed, pursing her lips. "But it's that simplicity that makes him easy to take advantage of. He trusts people way too easily." She gave Zelos a measured look, as if to warn him not to take advantage of that very quality.

Zelos' stomach twisted slightly at her words, and because he didn't want to examine the reason behind that particular feeling, he forced his lips into a teasing grin.

"Sounds like someone has a crush," Zelos said, winking at Sheena, whose face predictably became a bright red within the span of a second. She smacked his arm without hesitation.

"Zelos…!" The growl in her voice threatened further violence, though she forced herself to keep quiet to keep the others from overhearing their conversation.

Zelos rubbed at what he was sure was soon going to become a bruised area before lifting his hands in a placating manner.

"Ugh, you're impossible…" Sheena complained, beginning to pick up her pace a little.

Zelos rolled his eyes at this and hurried to match her pace. "You need to learn to loosen up, hunny," he told her, breathing out an exasperated sigh. And then, because he really couldn't help himself, he added, "Of course, I could help you with that if you'd like, my dear."

He dodged the next blow more easily, snickering with abandon.

"Pig!" Sheena muttered under her breath.

Zelos continued to chuckle for a bit. He felt more at ease now that he was in control of the conversation, so he decided to broach something that had been bothering him.

"Anyway, there's something I've been wanting to get your opinion on for a while now," Zelos told her, keeping his voice low after making sure the rest of the group was well out of hearing distance.

Sheena gave Zelos a wary glance but was gracious enough to allow him to continue.

Zelos got straight to the point. He gave a nod in Regal's direction. "Is it just me, or does he seem sort of familiar to you? I don't know why but it's been nagging me ever since we've met up with him."

"Huh?" Sheena's eyebrows drew together. "Regal? …No, I can't say that he looks familiar to me," she said.

Zelos frowned. He'd been hoping he hadn't been alone in his suspicions but…

"Okay, yeah. I forgot you Mizuho people don't go out much. But still. I can't be the only one here that's connecting the dots, right?" There was a pause that had Zelos inching away as he noticed Sheena was beginning to get annoyed again.

"Oh, don't give me that look!" he protested, huffing. "Okay, listen. Do you know of any other Exsphere mine around here aside from this one?" he asked her and was satisfied when she shook her head.

"Exactly. Now, think for a second about who owns the lands around here."

Sheena frowned as she thought about it. "I guess it'd have to be the Lezareno Company. But so what?" she asked him, her expression puzzled.

Zelos stared at her for a long moment before he let out a sigh. "…Oh, brother. Is your chest the only part of you that's well-endowed?" he muttered exasperatedly and then winced when he earned himself another stinging blow with his words.

"You better shut up before I smack you!" Sheena growled, bristling and looking about ready to hit him again.

"Hey!" Zelos protested petulantly. "Don't say that after you smacked me! Sheesh…!"

"Hmph!"

There's no doubt about it. That's got to be Duke Bryant, Zelos thought as he shot discreet glances at the blue-haired prisoner. There was a scene just at the edge of his memory that he was trying to recall. He knew he had seen the man before.

It was at one of those stuffy parties, Zelos finally realized after a moment, and began comparing the man from his memory with the one before him. The resemblance was uncanny. Despite the complete switch of attitude the man was displaying, in terms of appearance the Duke had not changed at all over these past fifteen or so years.

There was a bit of a scandal a few years ago, wasn't there? Something about the Duke having killed one of his servants? Zelos tried to recall the details as they stepped inside of Ozette. The short meeting they had had with Vharley at the mines had finally helped trigger Zelos' memory and he felt confident about his conclusion.

Tch, it really is just like the Pope to go back on his word, Zelos thought as he continued to think about their confrontation with the Exsphere broker. He was sure that even if Regal had managed to kidnap Colette, back when they had first met him, the Pope wouldn't have done anything to imprison Vharley. Bastard…

It was hard not to let his apprehension show on his face. He muttered a few tired complaints about wanting to rest as they passed the inn, but he wasn't surprised when he was ignored. They were unlikely to take a break until they finished helping Presea recover.

"That's them! The wanted criminals!"

The sudden cry immediately put everyone on the defensive. Zelos' head snapped up and paled when he was one of the villagers conferring with a group of Papal Knights.

"Damn, not them again!" Lloyd looked annoyed but not particularly anxious. After all, they beat the knights in numbers, eight to five.

A clamor of hurried footsteps approaching them had them glancing at the entrance of the village. Lloyd became more annoyed when he spotted several more knights arriving, weapons at the ready.

"Damn, we're surrounded!" Sheena clicked her tongue as she, just like the rest of them, got into a battle stance.

"Well, well, if it isn't Master Zelos. I trust you are well." The head of the Vanguard held up a hand, keeping the rest of the knights at bay as he addressed Zelos. The smarmy sound of his voice really ticked Zelos off.

"Back again for another ass-kicking, are we?" he said coolly.

"Hmph. It would be better if you cooperated with us, Master Zelos. The Pope has been anxious to speak with you."

Has he now? Zelos' expression slipped as a sneer rose on his lips. What exactly did the Pope have to be anxious about? He was the one holding all the cards. The words felt like a slap on the face and Zelos reacted accordingly.

"Not a chance—you can tell the old man he can go to hell!" he snapped back with feeling.

The others were surprised at the level of vehemence in his tone, but they had little chance to process it as the Vanguard let out a displeased noise.

"Well, if that's the case…" He hoisted his weapon and signaled his men to attack. "Get them! And remember to capture the blonde girl alive!"

"As if we'd let you!" Lloyd said as he rushed forward to get the first strike.

It took some effort, but they were successfully able to beat back the Papal Knights. Thankfully, after the Head of the Vanguard had gone down, a few of the more sensible knights that had remained decided that running off was in their best interest.

Good riddance, Zelos thought bitterly.

"We managed to win…" Genis breathed out with relief. They had already been exhausted before the confrontation, so he, like the others, was glad to be able to let his guard down again.

"Is everyone alright?" Raine asked, looking around to gauge who needed her attention.

Zelos grimaced as he gingerly prodded the side of his ribs which had received a nasty blow mid-battle. He felt too exhausted to heal himself at the moment and was grateful when she stepped in to give him a hand.

"Ugh. Why is it that they always show up where we're going?!" Sheena complained. Her sour expression disappeared for a second as she flashed Raine a grin when she stepped up to heal her next.

Lloyd let out a heavy sigh as he put his swords back in their sheathes. "Who knows? But I sure wish they'd quit it," he muttered.

But as they finished settling down, the group suddenly became all too aware of the tension still lingering in the air. A look around them reminded them that it was one of the villagers from Ozette that had sold them out in the first place. The man responsible had already run off to hide from them, but the rest of the villagers were looking at them with fear in their eyes, many scurrying into their houses to hide away as well. At this rate, they'd be lucky to be able to stock up at the shops, much less rest at the inn.

"It's my fault again…" Colette let out an anxious noise as she knotted the fingers of her hands into her dress. The fabric around her chest creased under her grip. "I'm sorry, everyone…" she said, looking down at the ground.

Despite the heavy guilt in her voice, or rather, because of it, Zelos rolled his eyes.

"Don't be silly, Colette," he said, only a little exasperated. He flashed his fellow Chosen a cheeky grin when she glanced up to look at him.

"They're after my life too, remember? Plus, the Professor and Genis are wanted because they are half-elves. Sheena is from Mizuho, now considered a village of traitors. And Regal's got his own issues with the Pope," he reminded her.

Colette didn't look entirely reassured, but Zelos was satisfied to see some of the darkness clouding her expression dissipate.

"I guess you're right. Thanks, Zelos…" she said, flashing him a sincere smile.

Lloyd gave Zelos an equally appreciative look before he turned to Colette, hands on his hips. "You've got to stop thinking everything is your fault," he told her sternly.

Colette looked down at her feet again. "I'm sorry, Lloyd…"

Lloyd huffed, shaking his head with exasperation. "You don't need to apologize for that. How many times do I have to tell you—Colette?" He stopped himself mid sentence when he noticed Colette swaying. The blonde looked shaky and pale all of the sudden and before any of them could react in time, she collapsed, falling forward on her hands and knees.

"Colette!" Lloyd rushed forward.

"Lloyd…" Colette gasped, breathing heavily. Lloyd checked her temperature, noticing her pale face blotched with fever. He let out a hiss and pulled his hand back, shocked by how hot she felt.

"Professor! What's happening to her?"

"I…I don't know. I…" Raine bit her lip anxiously as she tried to figure out how to help. She murmured a couple of spells, passing her staff over Colette's head, but her efforts were in vain.

"Sis…" Genis clutched the side of his sister's tunic as he stared at Colette with worry.

"It…hurts…" Colette let out an involuntary gasp. Her pained voice tugged on everyone's heartstrings. Sheena was about to step in and suggest that they visit a doctor when she was interrupted by a familiar voice.

"Move…"

Genis' head snapped to the side, immediately recognizing the owner of that voice. "Presea!"

The pink-haired girl must have been attracted by all the commotion they had made and climbed up the thick vine that separated her house from the rest of the village to see what had happened. After evaluating the situation, she walked up to them, each step purposeful.

"Please leave this to me…" she said quietly.

After a hesitant moment, Lloyd, Genis and Raine, the ones who had been crowding Colette the most, took a step back and moved out of Presea's way. They all watched as the pink-haired girl walked up to Colette, stopping only once she was right in front of her. Then, before anyone could even think to stop her, Presea swiftly turned around, wordlessly brandishing her ax against them.

"What the—!"

"Presea!"

The fight that they had just come out of had left them with too little energy for another confrontation so soon. Moreover, the shock and confusion of facing Presea at an opponent had them all struggling to keep up with what was happening. They could only dodge and scramble back to avoid her blows.

"Hehehe. Good work, Presea."

Rodyle's nasally voice made everyone glance up and they gasped as they spotted the Desian flying over Ozette atop a couple of dragons.

"Holy crap!" Zelos exclaimed.

"You again! What do you want?!" Lloyd looked far too unperturbed by the fact that a couple of massive dragons had landed right in front of them—Zelos had to hand it to him, when his girl was in trouble, nothing shook him.

Rodyle let out a devious little snicker. He knew he had the upper hand and held it over their heads with a taunting smirk. "I hope you don't mind, but I'll be taking the Chosen One. Presea-dear, if you would?"

The half-elf beckoned Presea over with a wave of his hand and Presea wordlessly picked up Colette, who had fallen unconscious over the last couple of minutes, overtaken by her sickness.

"Presea! No!" Genis stood frozen in place as he stared at Presea with growing horror.

"Stop!" Lloyd took a step forward, his fingers hesitantly tightening around the hilt of his swords.

"Now's not the time to stand around!" Sheena snapped. As she summoned Corrine, the rest of them snapped out of their shock and began to rush forward to get Colette back. The small Summon Spirit managed to knock Presea off her feet before anyone else could do anything else—but Rodyle was hardly affected by this and took off with Colette without even sparing her a glance.

"Hehehehe! I am Rodyle, the most cunning of the Desian Grand Cardinals! Remember this moment, for it'll be the last time you'll see your precious Chosen! Hehehehehe!" The half-elf's wicked laughter rained down on them as he and Colette rapidly disappeared in the distance.

"Dammit!" Lloyd kicked at the ground, not taking his eyes off of Colette until she was well out of sight.

The frustration amongst the rest of the group was palpable. The helplessness of the situation they were in threatened to crush them.

As for Zelos, watching Colette being taken away had felt like a punch in the gut. His face was white in horror as the realization that Colette was finally in Cruxis' hands set in.

No… not this too! he thought as a wave of panic began to rise up in his chest. Dammit!

They ended up staying in Ozette one more night. The inn allowed them room and board without charging them a single glad as if in apology for the part they had to play earlier. Presea—whom they had cured soon after Rodyle had taken off, and had insisted on tagging along to make up for troubling them— decided to join them there. No one was surprised by the fact that she wanted to avoid sleeping at her own house for the night.

"Dammit, dammit, dammit."

Zelos was still feeling out of sorts about everything that had happened. He hadn't expected to watch Colette disappear like that right before his eyes.

I thought Cruxis was going to leave her alone for now since she was supposedly sick. Zelos still wasn't exactly sure what she was sick with, or how that impeded her from being a good vessel for Martel, but nevertheless the fact that the blonde was finally under Cruxis' hands did not bode well for Zelos.

"I hate my life," he muttered.

Well, at least if Kratos is to be trusted, then Rodyle's reasons for kidnapping Colette have nothing to do with Cruxis' goals. Zelos tried to take comfort in that, but he doubted his luck. Pronyma kept a close eye on all the Grand Cardinals, so it wouldn't be long before Yggdrasill got a hold of his fellow Chosen.

Just what is that guy playing at anyway? Zelos thought then, wondering why exactly Kratos kept showing up wherever they were. Like Zelos, the seraphim also appeared to have an agenda of his own, though Zelos had no idea what that could be. He was going to have to find out soon, although at the moment, he could really care less about it.

He sighed heavily and rolled over in his bed so he could bury his face into his pillow. The movement made him pause midway, however. The slight crinkling sound and the presence of something unexpected pressing up against his thigh had him sitting up and reaching into his pocket.

"Huh? What the heck is this?" Zelos stared down the letter he now held in his hand, wondering when exactly this had been slipped into his pocket. He turned the crumbled envelope over in his hand and froze when he saw the Pope's signature seal. He hurried to tear the envelope open and took out the letter concealed within.

Chosen,

Do not think that just because you have been branded as a traitor that you can forget about your responsibilities. If you care about your sister's safety, you will release the Seals.

Also, do not try to go behind my back again, or you will regret it. You are not the only one with friends in Mizuho.

Zelos stared at the piece of paper for one dumbfounded moment, letting the implications of that last sentence sink in as a new bout of helpless frustration welled within him. He crumpled the paper in his hand, shoving it back in his pocket before sliding off the bed so he could pace around the room.

And here I thought this day could not possibly get any worse. A tumultuous expression darkened Zelos' face as he glared at the rickety floorboards of his room.

I have to do something about this, he decided then. He was tired of feeling like a mouse trapped in a cage. He'd been playing his cards close to his vest, and although he wasn't ready to put them all on the table, he needed to do something. He needed to rely on someone. And he knew just who.

As determination cleared the storm on his face, Zelos swiveled towards the door with purpose. But as his fingers reached for the doorknob, the door swung open and Zelos stilled as he came eye to eye with none other than Lloyd.

"Zelos…!" Lloyd blinked in surprise. He had clearly not expected to see Zelos standing right on the other side of the door.

Zelos blinked as well, but he recovered quickly. The grin he put on came easily.

Perfect, he thought as he stepped aside to allow the brunet to come in. Just the guy I wanted to see.