A.N: Hello.Welcome. Back to normal length chapters now. Only a few to go as well, we're almost the end folks.

Btw, I apologise in advance if there are more spelling/ grammatical mistakes than usual. I have an bad cold at the moment and I keep sneezing, which makes my eyes water. A lot. So I can't see too well at the moment...I may have missed any mistakes more than usual.

Anyhoo, thanks for the reviews. Enjoy the chapter.

Easier to Run

Dawn broke over the world, heralding a new day that would be the beginning of the end for the reign of the Saloth'sarians.

Or so they hoped anyway.

The mass marched across open plains, Kratos and Lloyd at their head guiding them to the centre of the world.

The last training sessions had finished at midnight with the eighth group who had since had 4 hours of rest before the march had begun. Kratos had slept for four hours for what had to be the first time in two weeks, finally getting a break from the nagging worry that had plagued him since Raine had been kidnapped. His sleep had, thankfully, been uninterrupted by dreams this morning.

"I'll have to leave in an hour to fly back to Saloth'sar for the morning shift." Lloyd informed his father as he strode alongside him.

Kratos nodded. "You'll inform everyone of what's occurring?"

"Course. Zelos and Sheena are almost finished with the tunnel though."
"But the scientists still need to work on it correct?"

"Yeah. It'll only get us one more day though."
"We'll have arrived at the base by tomorrow morning."

"If we pick up the pace." Lloyd commented, looking at the half-elves behind him pushing a rather slow pace.

"…The half-elves at the back have only had four hours of rest. If I push them too harshly now, they may not have the energy to fight tomorrow."

"Wow you actually understand what 'being harsh' means?"

Kratos smiled grimly "That's why I'm so good at it."

Lloyd snorted in vague amusement, tilting his head up to watch the rising sun as they made their way east to the Giant Kharlan Tree.

--

10 o'clock.

Kratos stood on the rock formation, watching the sun before turning back to look at the straggling line of half-elves staggering up the hill.

"Sequoia!"

The girl looked up at the name, yellow eyes catching the light. "Yeah?"

"Pass a message down the line. We're taking a break once everyone has reached the top of the hill.

She nodded and ran off to spread the message as Kratos sank onto a rock, being joined shortly by a group of half-elves proving themselves to be quite adept.

"We're stopping?" One asked, settling himself onto a rock opposite Kratos.

Kratos nodded absent mindedly.

"The others will take ages to catch up and rest."

"Yes. But we don't have any other choice."

"We could leave them behind."

Garnet eyes strayed slowly to the half-elf. "Not if you don't want to be slaughtered within the first five minutes."

The young man turned away, arms crossed. "We'll never get there at this rate."

Kratos stood abruptly, standing on top of the rock like a sentinel, sharp eyes watching the nearest half-elves trudge up the hill before swapping to the ones who were the farthest away. Half a mile.

At least.

Shaking his head he turned his attention to the way they'd be going and he sighed heavily.

The halfling was right. They wouldn't make it in time.

--

Zelos coughed heavily, trying to expel a cloud of rock dust that he had just breathed in.

"It's collecting in my lungs, I swear." He gasped out to Sheena between coughs. Sheena responded by thwacking him heavily on the back.

"Not helping!" he choked.

"Take a break!" A voice called from the back of the group. "All of you."

"Thanks boss." The ex-chosen gasped, flopping to the floor in an attempt to cough out all the dust from his lungs.

Lloyd knelt down beside him, a hand on his shoulder to help steady the red head as he continued to cough, eyes watering steadily now.

"You're not gonna be able to work down here much longer if you carry on like this."

"Oh no! Don't say that Lloyd, I love working here!"

Sheena rested a hand on Zelos' other shoulder. "Fine, but think about what else they could reassign you to if you can't work down here."

"…Fair point," He wiped a stream of tears away "But...aren't we almost through anyway?"

"It will take approximately 3.6 hours to complete the tunnel." Presea stated, joining the small group at the end of the tunnel.

"So that'll be what time exactly?" Lloyd asked, hand running through dusty hair.

"5:50 pm."

"What?! It's like 2 o'clock! I have to do this for another 3 hours."

"That's what she just said Zelos." Sheena stated.

"But…but!"

"We start working again in 10 minutes." Lloyd stated, watching the rest of the team as they sat around the tunnel chatting in their break.

"Lets just hope that Kratos will get here in time."

--

Light. It fell through splinters in dull brown rock walls, illuminating a dull passage previously lit by the unsteady flicker of oil lamps.

Zelos slammed his pickaxe into the split in the rock, watching with a satisfied smirk as more material fell away, white light now pouring in through the widening hole.

"We're almost there guys!"

"I'd think that's obvious Zelos." Sheena griped, pulling a large chunk of rock away with her bare hands, producing a head sized hole.

"Just trying to boost morale, Sheen."

"Zel look around," she gestured to the other workers as they worked on the rest of the wall, creating their own gaps as they angled the tunnel steeply upwards. One of them grinned at Zelos and Sheena tiredly, clearly relieved and satisfied that the end was now in sight.

"Morale's already high."

"Well then, we better get on a make this hole bigger huh?"

The pickaxe swung up, loosening another chunk, Sheena doing the same on his left until the gaps in the rock face were interconnecting, until there was no rock face anymore.

Just open air above them.

Blue sky.

Sheena grinned widely for the first time in weeks, feeling fresh air drift into the tunnel, the smell of salt water washing down onto them.

"Boss!"

Footsteps, two pairs, light and quick echoed down the tunnel, their creators catching up with the noise a second later as they rounded a slight bend.

"Whoah! That's…"

"The tunnel is completed."

"So…" Zelos settled into his usual cocky pose, something he hadn't done since having his hair cut "Can we go up?"

"Uh…I think I have to go first." Lloyd answered, merging into the back of the group to look up out of the hole.

"I shall return to the guards and inform them of our progress."

"Presea?"
"If one of us does not report soon they will become suspicious. They will want to move the scientists down soon too."

"…Alright. These guys are coming up with me, right?"

"Yes. They'll be allowed to rest before…returning to the main base."
"Which will be when?"
"Tomorrow. At noon."

Lloyd grinned. "Yeah…of course they'll be going back to main base…"

"Don't give anything away, Lloyd." Presea warned, before turning on her heel and walking back into the dark of the tunnel, taking a small oil lamp with her.

"Alright guys," Lloyd clapped loudly, drawing the attention of the group. "Shall we get some fresh air?"

Cheers ran around the group at Lloyd's suggestion and they grew as Lloyd got a boost up from Zelos, grabbing onto the ledge and pulling himself up before turning, helping Zelos and Sheena up before pulling each of the workers up in turn.

Sheena breathed in deeply, gazing up at a blue sky, a single white cloud drifting lazily across it.

"God it feels good to be out in the open for a change."

Murmurs of agreement and appreciation met her comment.

"So, boss," Zelos started, running his fingers through heavily knotted hair. "Where now?"

The young swordsman pointed to a hub at the far end of the spit of land they had come up on. The former mana cannon stood a few feet away, surrounded by islands that were formerly part of Tethe'alla's geography.

"We're supposed to go in there. You'll be fed and they should let you rest before we 'return' tomorrow."

"Well I won't say no to that." Someone commented from amongst the group. Lloyd nodded.

"Let's go."

--

It was white inside the hub, stark white and filled with machinery, loud, ugly and battleship grey….but this was a working area.

Lloyd sidled over to one of the half-elven scientists who had been transported over here months ago, nodding to Zelos and Sheena to go with the rest of the workers to the 'habitation' areas.

"How long do you think it'll take once the rest of the scientists are here?"

"Excuse me sir?" she shied away "I…I'm not sure if…"

"Don't worry. Just tell me…I'm trying to help."

She made a noise that probably would've been a snort of derision if she hadn't been terrified of him.

"Honestly." He murmured, watching out for any guards "See how pleased those other half-elves looked, even with me as their 'boss'?"

"Well yes but…"

"There's an escape plan."

"What?"

"Tomorrow. A group of fifty half-elves led by…an angel will come here. They'll take out the soldiers and get all the prisoners, you guys included back to safe ground."

"…when?" she whispered, eyes starting to brighten with hope.

"Around nine o'clock."

"What do you need me to do?"

"Stall the project, spread the word…and be ready to run."

"What about…we can't leave the project running."

"Sabotage the machines when I give the signal…"

"Which is?"

Lloyd shrugged. "Probably something along the lines of 'hey look, an angel'."

"And we're to tell the other scientists from the main base once they arrive?"

"Exactly…you ok with that?"

A small smile, hesitant, graced her lips.

"Yes, sir."

--

Kratos tilted his head as he looked up into an orange sky, dimming light highlighting the clean lines of his profile.

Night was drawing in and they were just on the edge of the remains of the Tower of Salvation.

The seraph watched out of the corner of his eye as a trail of exhausted half-elves filed past the chunk of fallen tower he was standing on, the last few dregs stumbling past him.

Sequoia had taken them to the area of the plateau that would serve as camp for the night and Kratos was merely bringing up the rear.

Waiting until he was sure the last few would be able to make it to the camp with no problems he drew out his wings and took flight, retracing the path they had taken to get here, scanning the path for any of the recruits that may have fallen behind. He had counted one-hundred-and-forty-eight as they had walked past him, but it didn't hurt to check. Besides, it gave him a chance to think to the morning ahead without interruption.

Everything was planned, ready to go ahead. The troops had arrived safely, if exhausted. The tunnel should be completed. Lloyd should be ready for action, as well as Regal, Presea, Zelos and Sheena. The only doubt that now remained was as to whether the person he was desperate to rescue was alive…or whether she was still the person he remembered.

Garnet eyes drifted shut as he remembered the last time he had seen her, a hazy view of blue and white as both of them were dragged away before he had been enveloped by darkness.

Was she safe and well? Had she been abused to the point of breaking?...he doubted it, Raine was far too strong a person for that to happen easily but…all it took was the right method, the right issue and a person could shatter like glass.

He should know. He had caused that to happen so many times before at the will of Mithos…

Shaking his head he opened his eyes, scanning the ground below before pulling up in the air and turning. He had already travelled miles…there was no way anyone could be left any further behind than this.

He turned his thoughts back to tomorrow morning, flying at a more leisurely pace.

At roughly seven o'clock in the morning a contingent of approximately fifty of the recruits, led by Colette and Coe, would fly to the mana cannon by Rheiard. Once there they would infiltrate the base, wipe out any soldiers and evacuate the half-elf captives.

Any remaining captives who were willing to fight back against the Saloth'sarians would then join Lloyd, Zelos, Sheena and the original party of recruits in returning to the main base of Saloth'sar, attacking them from the inside.

That would be approximately half past nine in the morning.

Whilst the smaller party left for the mana cannon, the remainder would prepare to attack the Saloth'sarian base and would do so at approximately nine o'clock…and that would be where everything could go wrong…

If timing was off, they could lose a good percentage of their own ranks at the initial attack.

Sequoia was to go in first, on her own, to act as a decoy, hopefully drawing off the main guards posted at the gates. She would lead them into an ambush, neutralising them whilst Kratos led the remainder of the troops in for the main attack.

The main problem would be just how many of front guard followed Sequoia in the first place. If they didn't all leave, it could leave the remainder fighting off the guards left, who could easily call for back-up…and Kratos wanted to be well into the compound before that happened.

Which of course meant they would have to get the gates open, without forcing them, to get in relatively un-noticed.

The only option Kratos had in that regard was to simply fly over the gates and see if there was an opening mechanism in place that needed to be activated in order for them to open…something Lloyd had been unable to find out.

Regal couldn't very well have gone about asking into the mechanisms of gates to the compounds without raising suspicions and so they were simply winging it on that front.

Something the ex-mercenary didn't like doing in the slightest. He was already un-easy about the fact he would have to reveal his wings to the half-elves unless he was very very lucky and somehow got away with it. And a bunch of people you didn't know that well suddenly discovering you're an angel was not a good thing, considering the reactions of:

'Oh my God! An angel of Martel has descended to cast judgement upon us!'

that he usually got.

Of course, he usually did cast judgement on them after that…although not in the sense they were thinking of. Unfortunately, he simply couldn't afford to do that here, so he was going to have to reveal himself, deal with the initial consequences…and then hide out in some remote mountains for the next fifteen years.

Kratos grunted, at the thought, rubbing a hand tiredly at his temple.

This was of course, the initial stage of the plan. The 'making an entrance' stage.

After that they would probably have to fight their way through a rather large number of Saloth'sarian guards, before meeting up with Zelos, Sheena and Lloyd who should have already freed the human captive blocks.

Once that was done they were to travel to the main housing blocks and free the half-elf captives, which meant splitting up into two groups again.

The housing sections of the main building were split in two, one side for males, one side for females. The first three floors were taken up with cells and housing, as well as mess halls and work-areas. The floor above that was the laboratories.

Following the freeing of the captives in the main tower, Regal, Presea and Sheena would accompany the freed captives out of the immediate area, seeing them through the worst of the fighting, whilst escorted by the recruits that Kratos and Lloyd's respective teams had brought with them.

And then the final stages of the plan.

Infiltrate the building that housed the leader…and find Raine. And Genis, of course. Assuming they hadn't been with the main group of half-elves.

Even if they had, once they had been found, there was one more issue to be taken care of.

This so called 'Leader' of the operation.

Kratos would be very happy to deal with that racist…

The seraph bit his lip. They would deal with the leader. They would see the half-elves out of the area, ensure the project was fully sabotaged and leave.

Whether they would live happily ever after or not remained to be seen. Although, Kratos fully intended to drag the Renegades into the rehabilitation of any of the captives that were suffering from any form of shock or trauma. He himself was not particularly good at that…even after four-thousand years of life, he didn't have the patience or compassion required to deal with people suffering from that form of abuse.

Unless he had a particular bond with said person…or was forced to help them recover. Like he had been with Anna. Not that he regretted that but he could all too easily recall the struggle it had been at first, to act like he genuinely cared for a complete and total stranger.

He had been lucky in that respect. He had grown to like and eventually love Anna. It was unlikely that that was going to occur if he was stuck helping a random group of half-elves recover from trauma or, god-forbid, Stockholm Syndrome.

Kratos banked, avoiding a thermal pocket in the air that would send him higher if his wings caught and descended gradually until he could land safely, a suitable distance from the camp before he walked to them.

He supposed a rousing speech would be called for given the situation, but as he entered the camp and looked around at the recruits, most of whom were already curled up next to each other on tattered blankets and drifting off to sleep, he decided it could wait until morning.

Colette, sitting by a fire, noted the entrance of the fellow angel and called him over to sit with her and Sequoia.

"Are we all ready for tomorrow?" Sequoia whispered as Kratos sat on a rock, taking a bowl of stew from Colette as she offered it to him.

"Assuming everyone is well aware of the plan."

She nodded, violet ponytail bouncing. "Yeah. But…you should probably go over it in the morning once everyone's woken up."

"I shall do."

"You should give them an inspirational speech too!" Colette chirped, waking a nearby half-elf who punched her tiredly in the leg in an attempt to stop her from being so shrill.

She apologised profusely before turning back to Kratos. "Really, you should."

A smile played across Kratos' lips at the young woman's enthusiasm and naivety, though it wasn't done unkindly. Rather, it was a genuine display of satisfaction that there was something that still remained so innocent in this world.

Kratos doubted if anything could take that from the blonde, having maintained it after all she had seen and been through.

"I understand that the situation would call for that typically but…I am not the best person for delivering speeches that rouse people to great acts of nobility…"

"Uh, Professor," Sequoia called his attention over to her "you inspire people to study, I mean genuinely want to study angelology. Surely you can make them want to go into battle?"

"Kratos…Lloyd left this for you…just in case you couldn't think of anything to say." Colette handed him a folded piece of paper and Kratos slowly opened and read his son's hand-written words, smiling and shaking his head at what was written.

"Lloyd could pull this speech off…I couldn't."

"Why not?" the blonde asked, genuinely bemused.

"Because no-one would ever believe me if I said to them 'I know you're all scared and believe me, I'm scared too'."

Sequoia grinned. "Maybe not."

"Maybenot?" Kratos asked, one eyebrow lifted.

"Ok definitely not." She replied, before staring at Kratos quizzically as his face took on a rather bizarre expression before he covered his mouth with his hand and spat something out into it. He stared down at what was in his hand with an expression of pure disgust.

"Oh my gosh Kratos! I'm so sorry!" Colette squeaked, suddenly realising what was going on "I forgot you don't like tomatoes!"

"…Why…why are there tomatoes in stew?"

"I…was trying to make it more interesting."

"…I think you succeeded…"

"Maybe you should give a speech about the evils of tomatoes." Sequoia quipped and Kratos rolled his eyes, flicking the offending fruit from his hand in a random direction. Some poor half-elf would probably wake up the next morning to find it stuck to his or her head.

"I'll find something to say, I'm sure…"

--

Dawn.

Kratos had woken then. Four o'clock in the morning and thought about what to say to the troops...and he still had nothing.

It was now approaching seven o'clock.

The mana cannon contingent was getting ready to move and most were looking exceptionally nervous. He bit his lip, knowing he had to say something that would assure their participation.

"Nothing?" Sequoia asked.

"No." he replied shaking his head "But I'll attempt it anyway."

Striding over to a large peak of stone he whistled sharply, calling the attention of the recruits and slowly they all gathered around the rock, looking up at their leader expectantly.

He cleared his throat.

"I know you're all expecting some rousing, inspirational, heart-felt speech from me about how you can do the task that lies ahead…some series of cleverly spun words that tell you to be brave and go forth, or to prove yourself, or be noble and willing to sacrifice for the good of your race because it'll save the children…

"Well. I'm not going to. I'm not going to tell you how you'll go down in history as heroes because you won't. Think about Mithos the Hero, how he made a pact with the Goddess Martel…he didn't do that alone. He had companions, loyal friends and soldiers following him…and yet I'll be not one of you can name his closest companions, the ones who tried their best to aid him through thick and thin."

Silence.

"Exactly. Some of you may die and you won't be remembered by the world for it. So I won't tell you that you will. I'm certain the majority of you would see the words for the hollow, superficial nonsense they would be.

And my words alone will not inspire you…it is your own strength, will and beliefs that will give you the courage you need to complete the task ahead. So instead, I ask each of you to take a moment to think about why you're here…what you're fighting for."

He paused, watching expressions change, some hardening with resolve, others crumbling with indecision and he lifted his voice again.

"I'll share something with you though, for those of you struggling to find a reason to do this. I'll give you myreasons.

"No doubt a lot of you are wondering why I'm here so this is it…I'm doing this because…I want to rescue someone I've come to realise I care deeply for….it's only her absence that has made me realise it…" his voice had suddenly dropped to a whisper and he jerked his head up.

"But…she's not the only reason.

"I'm here because I need to prove to myself that…I amthe person I've strived to be since I was a child. Or rather, that I can still become that person, no matter my sins and crimes.

"I can't change the wrongs I've done; I can't remove the pain I've caused people. If I could, I would. In a heartbeat. But I cannot.

So I must look to what I can do no matter how much I remember the darkness in my past or the memories I wish I didn't have. No matter how much I wish I hadn't moved on so that those events couldn't be my past.

That cannot happen and what I want to do is wash everything aside, everything that drags me down so I can pretend I'm not that person.

It would be easier to do that. To run….But the person I want to be, Ineed to be for the sake of the people I love wouldn't do that. So I will not either."

Kratos paused again, looking over the crowds to see if the words that were now springing to his lips easily were doing anything.

"What I'm attempting to say is…for those of you that fear what is to come in the next few hours…it is easier to run. Right here. Right now. It's the easier option to take…but it will haunt you, you'll torment yourself with guilt for years and you'll become exactly what I am bow. What I'm trying not to be.

So now you decide...honestly think about it and then tell me it's easier to run."

He waited, finding his breath coming in gasps as he hoped for a response.

"Who's willing to take on the Saloth'sarians with me?"

And it was with a sense of sheer relief and excitement that he saw one-hundred-and-forty-eight hands lift in unison.

So there you have it. Next chapter, the invasion begins.

Now, there's something I'd like to mention that you might find interesting Kraine fans, if you don't already know. Basically, there's a Kraine forum filled with...well, Kraine (d'uh) stuff. Pics, fan fics, discussions etc etc. What you'd expect from a forum, really, that desperately needs some new blood. It's a great site, it just needs a few more people. I'm already a member (under the name Tourniquet1960) and I occasionally post new work there before I post it here.

If anybody's interested, please contact me for the address/ make a note that you want me to send it to you in a review - a signed one (hint hint). I would post it here but ff seems to have a major problem with address codes unfortunately.

Hope you don't all know about it already and are interested. Because the Kraine forum on here is dead.

Anyhoo. See you next chapter.