Mr.Who2123: If I'm REALLY lucky, I could finish this in one day. Or two if I'm just lucky…we'll have to see! Well, I own nothing, like usual.

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Kvar of the Asgard ranch sat on his chair, thumbing old reports. They were reports from over five years ago, when he still held subject 'A012' in captivity. Everything had gone downhill from then. Exsphere production had fallen, and the cities of Luin and Asgard had heightened their defense after the grand escape by the subject, resulting in a loss of prisoners for his own self. Sighing, he picked up a report on his Angelus subject, which was a day before she escaped, and looked over the details. Angrily, he threw it down once more, but his eyes were still on it. An idea dawned on Kvar as he picked it up again and looked at the date it was made.

"The rotten subject must almost be done with her Cruxis Crystal by now…if I don't find her, then someone else will, and take all the credit!" he tossed the paper back onto the desk. His teeth gritted and his thin eyes were fixed at the sheet.

"Oh Kvar, don't get angry now…," a slightly static-sounding voice said from the right. Kvar whirled on it, and saw it was Yggdrasil in a projector, his arms folded and his face a smug smirk. The Desian Cardinal spluttered a moment before quickly kneeling to his master.

"Good afternoon, my lord. What news do you have?" he asked, unusually stiff from the embarrassment. Yggdrasil unfolded his arms, and grabbed for something out of the projector screen range. Curiously, he waited as the Cruxis leader brought his arm back in range with a paper in his hand. On it, there was a security picture, taken by scouting Desians.

"I obtained this from Forcystus, and thought you might like it," he said. It was a dark picture, which was taken at nightfall, and there were two figures sitting against a tree, one on the other. "This is Kratos and his son. It seems he married your Angelus subject." Kvar widened his dark eyes, and smirked.

"My lord, I will take back that Cruxis Crystal with all haste!" he exclaimed. Yggdrasil nodded and put the paper on a table that Kvar couldn't see.

"Don't disappoint me, Kvar," he warned, and the screen was turned off. Kvar grinned deviously as he called his whole strike team right away. Kratos, you pathetic, inferior being…I will kill you and your forsaken family is it's the last thing I do! He grabbed his old reports with one swipe of his arm. Quickly, he stuffed them in old files, and waited for his team.

Five hundred Desians, each one picked by Kvar himself, were now waiting in front of the Cardinal with utmost respect and stillness. They knew that if they made a noise, they could set off a spark in the leader. Kvar's thin eyes looked over the mass of men in front of him, a quick plan forming.

"We are going to the Iselia region to get my Angelus Project. I want you all to come with me. …You!" he pointed at a soldier in the front row. The poor Desian nearly peed his pants at the singling out, but managed to stay calm and attentive. "I want you in charge!"

"…Sir!" he saluted. He almost couldn't believe he was asked to do this, and his surprise made him hesitant to answer.

"Just make sure that regulation moves as normal," he said, giving him a warning glare. The Desian nodded, sweat running down his helmeted face. He was given a book of schedules and tasks for the week, and the Desian lumbered off, ecstatic that he was given the job.

"Stupid Desian…the work is harder than he thinks," he mumbled, watching him with a glare. "Now, come! Let's get my project back!" He walked out of his huge room, and into the portal, with his soldiers behind him.

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The father had walked back into the small campsite at around midnight, his eyes fixed on the dying embers of the coal. They crackled softly with the slowed heat, still orange from the fire. Kratos glanced at Anna, using the embers to see her. She was sound asleep, silently rising and falling with her breathing. Finally, the Seraph let his wings disappear in a mere moment, no longer needing them. He had used them to keep Lloyd warm with mana, and the soft light had lulled the boy to sleep. Now, the boy was in the Seraph's arms, sleeping soundly as well. His arms were around his father's neck, and his legs were supported by his dad.

With the shuffling of feet, Anna heard woke up, and looked up at her husband.

"How is he?" she asked sleepily, rubbing her eyes. Kratos walked next to Lloyd's blankets and placed the boy beneath the numerous sheets. The boy did not stir one bit with the movement.

"He's sound asleep…he knew you're not feeling well," he replied, watching the boy. "He's so insightful…I hope he makes better choices than I did…I want to help take the right path." Anna nodded, smiling at the boy. Together, the mother and father fell asleep, waiting for the morning to come.

Lloyd woke up feeling movement all around him. It took a couple minutes for him to realize that he was the one moving. In fact, Kratos was carrying the young boy easily with one arm while the other held the bags. Anna was sitting on Noishe, who was solemnly watching the path ahead.

It was dawn, just the time before the sun would rise from the eastern peaks. The black and whites of night turned into the soft colors of a new day. The purples were a soft gray with a purple hue lightly mixed in. The grass became minty green and shone in the new light. It was in this time that Lloyd had woken up. He opened his eyes to see a purple shoulder pad move up and down with the movement. It took him no time to know who's that was.

Daddy!" he exclaimed, now completely awake. He gave him a quick hug before asking him to put him on the floor. Kratos gladly complied, and set him on his feet. The small boot clad feet immediately began running forward as he occupied his time with exercising.

"He'll wear himself out before we even get to Iselia," she remarked, smiling with humor. Kratos nodded, watching him carefully…more carefully than normal…

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Kratos was holding Lloyd as he slept. They were under that lone tree, and Kratos watched the sky. The stars were dwindling from the light of his wings the came from the Seraph's back.

A click noise sounded about fifty meters away, but Kratos heard it completely. He stood up, holding Lloyd with an arm, and his sword with the other. But there was nothing in that long plain, nothing but that lone tree, and the father and son.

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He turned his head quickly and looked back at the dirt trail behind them. There was nothing there, as he expected, but he couldn't be too careful. He looked forward once more, towards Lloyd. He was pretending he had swords in his tiny hands, and made slashes at the air, making noises as he did so.

"Ha! Ha! Ha! Take that, bad guy!" he yelled. He jumped, making a downward slash, and landed quite well ironically. Kratos nodded his head in approval while Anna just watched with a smile.

"Keep going, Lloyd!" Anna cheered. Lloyd nodded, making more air slashes as the family walked.

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Iselia was a bright, pretty village. The people smiled often; always greeting the other with full character and willingness to listen. It was the village that would bear the Chosen and bring the world into salvation.

It was this village, which the Aurions entered. They were let in with no problem by the guards, each of them welcoming the group graciously into the land. Anna smiled at the place, looking about all the humble houses with a smile.

"I few can, I would like to settle here when we finish our fight against Mithos," she said. Kratos nodded, looking about with satisfaction himself.

"I could get a good job as a mercenary for various priests that live here. After, the main branch of the church is in this village," he replied. Lloyd ran around, giggling at all the happy people.

Little did the family know that an army of Desians were hot on their heels…

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Mr.Who2123: Well, the last four chapters are going to be ridiculously short…I have to break it to you now. I'm running out of ideas quickly, and can't keep coming up with fillers. Well, please review!!