I knelt before Lord Yggdrasill, as he blandly surveyed the three of us from his throne. "The vessel has been taken? What of Yuan?"

"I lost track of him." Kratos replied.

"...Very well. You're dismissed." Kratos stood, turned on his heel, and walked away silently. I quickly followed; however, I caught the last bit of conversation from Pronyma before disappearing.

"Worthless dog."

"Worry not. Kratos is an old friend of mine."

"I'm afraid to ask, but why did you not wipe them out ba..."

When I appeared in Welgaia, Kratos was nowhere in sight.

Damn it.

Chapter Five: Sekai Tougou Hen (United World) Part 1

What am I supposed to believe now?

Following Yggdrasill has been my method of dealing with all of this, but...

My duties have consisted of guarding –spying—on Lord Kratos since I finished my training.

I know what Yggdrasill and Pronyma expect me to tell them, to say he's helping Lloyd's group.

And if I don't, and they hear it from Zelos first, or Pronyma does her own investigating...what's going to happen to me?

I'm terrified.

I wandered Welgaia edgily, my mind on what I should do.

Though Kratos was silent, he had become like an unspoken older brother.

Kratos was more calming than the cold compliance Yggdrasill demanded.

Kratos taught me to fight. He taught me healing spells.

Yuan taught me offensive spells.

What has Yggdrasill done for me...?

Saved me from death...

But it would have been a death caused by him.

He protected me...

But his orders didn't save me from Pronyma...Forcystus did.

...

"!" I screamed wordlessly, my voice echoing in the empty city known as Welgaia.

Dare moga kitsuki itami wo seoutsute
Dare ka wo kitsuki hitahashiru
Hidoku zankokuna kaze ga fuki aretemonao
Yuzurenai omoi sono mune ni himeta mama

Kratos and Yuan stood apart from each other outside of Rodyle's Ranch, bodies littering the outside of the Nest of Flying Dragons, their weapons drawn.

I remained back, hiding behind Kratos, behind a jagged rock.

The two had been fighting for nearly an hour now.

"I call upon thee in the land of the dead, to unleash thy fury of thunder." Yuan began, throwing his Swallow aside, bringing his arm up to his chest.

I gasped, but did not shout, as Kratos had begun to cast as well.

"Sacred powers, cast your purifying light upon this corrupt soul!"

I stood, bringing my tonfa out, ready to cast Guardian at a moment's notice.

"Come forth, divine lightning! Indignation!"

"Judgement!"

I waited until the two spells collided before crying out, "Guardian!" The shimmering green shield enclosed me as thick smoke from the explosion covered the entire area.

The defensive spell faded, and I coughed from the smoke penetrating my lungs.

As the smoke blew away, I glanced around, coughing. "Kratos-sama? Yuan-sama?"

I began searching, the rain drenching my clothing and hair.

I brushed my hair from my eyes, looking under the rubble for Kratos, as well as Yuan.

"Kratos-sama!" I found him lying on his back, barely conscious, next to some crumbling building. I placed my hand over his chest, my palm glowing a light gold, as I assessed the damage. I sighed in relief as his mana evened, a sign he would be alright. "Thank goodness..."

Yuan collapsed several feet away, but I remained where I was. Yuan looked alright but he was no threat now.

"Why?" Yuan coughed after a moment, and Kratos shifted his head, very slightly, towards him. "Why has it come to this? Back then...Is this the future she wanted?" He clenched his fist tightly.

"We were wrong." Kratos stated solemnly.

"How were we..." Yuan began angrily, before calming down, and smiling slightly. He shifted, and sat up, looking up into the rain, "I guess you're right. Maybe we were wrong. You, and Mithos too. They were all mistakes that can't be undone." He began to chuckle.

Kratos just remained laying, staring blankly into the sky.

"They're alike." Kratos sighed, closing his eyes. "Resolved to find a way for everyone...Struggling to find a way, and experiencing pain...Lloyd is the same as we once were."

A bird chirped, as the rain began to let up.

"Lloyd, won't you just end up like me?" Kratos asked quietly. "Or...will you be able to find the right path?"

Yuan turned to us, "Shall we go and find out the answer together?"

The sun came out from behind the clouds, shining on the three. "What?" Kratos shifted his eyes towards the Renegade's leader. Kratos began to sit up, and I assisted, placing my hand on his back to help push him up.

"About your son, and whether he can keep going." Yuan answered.

"Together, neh?" I asked myself, allowing a rare smile to cross my face.

No, I'm not saying I'm sorry
One day maybe we'll make it
No, I'm not saying I'm sorry
One day maybe we'll make it again
No, no, no, no

Yggdrasill was poised, his eyes narrowed, body tense, arm raised, ready to deliver the killing blow when he was interrupted by a familiar voice.

"Kratos-sama...allow me. Howl, o raging wind, and cleave mine enemies with your blade! Turbulence!"

The frozen world returned to colour as Yggdrasill was sent back by the spell, his shoulder bleeding from the winds cuts.

"Yggdrasill." Kratos stated, drawing attention to the three of us. I stood confidently at Kratos' right side, Yuan frowning on Kratos' left. My hand remained up, and I felt the mana gathered in my palm, ready to strike once more.

"Kratos!" Lloyd exclaimed once out of his stupor.

"Lloyd resembles you. Just like how you frantically tried to save the world, he's trying his best to move forward. But there's on critical difference between you and him." Kratos said, ignoring Lloyd.

Yggdrasill shifted his head towards us, his eyes dark. I tensed, and the mana swirled in my palm, glowing a pale green.

"You gave up." Kratos continued, "Not just you, but myself and Yuan as well. We gave up trying because we believed our mistakes couldn't be fixed, but Lloyd believes the mistakes can be fixed." Kratos walked closer to the group, stopping only a few feet away. I followed, hesitantly lowering my arm.

"A world where humans, elves, and everyone in between can all live together. The will of Martel is now being faithfully carried on by Lloyd, not us." Yuan shook his head, standing next to Kratos as well. "I've come to believe this by listening to your debate."

Kratos unsheathed his sword, and Yuan summoned his Swallow. I brought out my tonfa, charging them with mana. Lloyd's group also brought out their weapons. However, the two Chosens of Mana were nowhere in sight.

"I'd hate to interrupt this tense moment, but..." Zelos came from the shadows of the house then, his arm around Colette's neck, his blade at her jaw.

I tightened my grip on my tonfa, the metal swirling with wind-based mana.

"Zelos?" Genis hesitantly asked.

"You! What do you think you're doing?" Sheena shouted angrily.

"If you need shelter, a big tree is better than a little one, right?" He began to walk forward, keeping his arm around Colette's neck firmly.

"You're going to betray your comrades?" Regal demanded.

Zelos paused, "Well, I was a Cruxis spy, so even if you say we were comrades..." He laughed.

"You're lying! It's a lie, right?" Colette turned her blue eyes to the red headed Chosen.

"Why?" Presea questioned.

"I'm just a fool." Zelos waited, his back to them.

"O hellion whose roar chills the..." Kratos held his hand up, stopping me from going further with my incantation.

"As long as I'm having fun, it's all good." His wings slipped out, and he spun to face the group. "There would be way too many issues if the two worlds, which have different cultures and teachings, became one. Plus my carefree life as the "Chosen One" would be gone."

"I'm disappointed in you, Chosen."

"You've always been annoying, but I really thought you had some good points!"

"Thanks for the praise." Zelos stepped back next to Yggdrasill. He stared into Lloyd's eyes smiling, before frowning and muttering, "What is it?"

"I always thought it was strange. You're not a fool, so why do you act as if you are?" Lloyd asked seriously, his eyes boring straight into Zelos'. "You have your reasons, right? Tell me."

"Are you that stupid?" He laughed loudly and suddenly, shifting back again, his arm digging into Colette's neck making her cry out.

"Colette!" Lloyd called out.

"Isn't it time to go, Lord Yggdrasill?"

The older angel stood, and the three disappeared in a magic circle, teleporting to Derris-Kharlan.

"LLOYD!" Colette's voice echoed.

"Colette!" Lloyd cried out, surging forward.

"Calm down. I know where they're going." I spoke up, my tonfa disappearing a flash of mana. "Derris-Kharlan." I looked into the sky, towards the Tower of Salvation. "The land beyond the heavens. Yggdrasill's castle. He'll be there, trying to...resurrect Martel."

"Aren't you going to say anything to him?" Yuan asked Kratos, the three standing off from Lloyd and his group.

"Lloyd doesn't need me right now. Besides, there's something that I –we—" He glanced at me, "have to do."

"So, you've decided."

Kratos didn't answer.

"Alright! Let's go to Derris-Kharlan!" Lloyd announced, pumping his fist in the air. The three angels looked at him, and I smiled slightly.

'You can do it, Lloyd-san. I know you can.'

Ending A/Ns:

Songs Used:

Shikata Akiko – Ta ga Tame no Sekai

30 Seconds To Mars – Closer to the Edge

Someone shall shoulder the pain from a wound for everyone
Someone shall continue to run despite the pain
A cruel wind rages still
Hand over those thoughts in your heart to me