Okay here's chapter four…hope I can get this done by Halloween…so many tests -_-

Disclaimer: I own nothing, though I do have hiccups.

No that was not important.

Lloyd dressed silently, not trusting himself to try to think much, just yet. He felt fragile, like at any second he could shatter if he put too much effort even into thinking. Take it one step at a time, some instinct told him, do what he could do first…

He tried to ignore the red and black satin attire that he dressed in, tried to ignore how it was stylized, akin to the outfit she had made him wear, like some demonic noble-

…He was one, some part of his brain reminded him.

He clamped down on it, pushing the thought aside.

One thing at a time…

Lloyd frowned, quietly adjusting the clothes. They fit well, but he'd be out of these as soon as he could find something better. His eyes scanned the room, again, far too fancy for anything he would ever prefer, but still drenched in the vespers of abyssal darkness. There were not that many sounds, just slight, creeping ones, of scuttling, of bones and shuffling undead creatures. He couldn't hear other vamps, they walked too softly, but he could smell them well enough…

Okay….he was dressed. Next step…get out? Get out then what-? Okay no, no just think…before he could do anything he had to at least leave the room. He hesitated and walked to the door, attempting to open it.

Locked.

Damn it, of course….

Now what? Those two words kept coming back to him, it seemed…'Now what? Now what?'

He didn't know.

Maybe…break the door? Or maybe the window would that be better? Go out the window and make a break for it?

What'd be best? What…

His face fell.

Maybe…he should just accept it-

Lloyd jerked, shaking his head violently, his eyes squeezed shut tightly. No! No- no he couldn't think that, couldn't- he wouldn't! Be- besides, he still had-…but..how could he go about helping to save the two worlds, alone? How could he do it helping his friends, when he couldn't be near them? How could he go search for other ways when he couldn't go out in the sunlight?

Maybe…maybe they would be..better off without him.

His throat tightened and he swallowed, lowering his head a bit.

All he was doing now was…dragging them down, putting them in danger. He closed his eyes shaking, his fingers clenched. He…he couldn't do anything, he couldn't do anything to help his friends or the worlds, not until he found a way to …to become human. Why…there had to be another- Kratos' bite had turned him human before, right? But then because of his vampiric heart he couldn't stay human without the blood or ...dying. Then what? What could he do?

He noticed then he had been licking his fangs while he was thinking, flinching, going to draw back his tongue then stopping. A frown set into his face and he slowly licked up the fang again.

Was he…being a hypocrite? Like earlier…about Raine and Genis being half-elves, and Colette being an angel, and he told them it didn't matter. Should- maybe..maybe was Kratos right, if only just about that? Was it okay for him…to be this? He- he refused to – to feed off a human, or a half elf or- or any of those. He wouldn't. He- if he had to, he'd just…eat animals, like..the pig. B- Besides, was it really any different than being human and eating animals? Sure it was a different…sort of…feeding, but…

But- but vampires were demons, they weren't even from this world- she had said it herself. That they were from Neflhiem, that- …wait…but…this world was…originally Neflhiem, wasn't it?

Was he being a hypocrite again? Because…demons or not some other races had been here first and then were locked up when the elves came, kicked out of their own home- was that right? He shook his head, frowning, trying to sort his thoughts. Okay well…right or not, he knew it was done with, and no one alive today had been responsible for it anyway. Everyone in both worlds was just trying to live their lives, just like they were- wait. No. Vampires weren't just…trying to live their lives, right? Because they hurt people- then again, besides her, he'd never seen a vamp hurt a human or a half-elf-…besides…himself and Kratos..

Maybe he…maybe he was wrong? Maybe they weren't all like – her, maybe they were just trying to live too? Maybe it was just his own fault…his own weakness he had never been able to control himself…

If so…couldn't he just learn how to control himself? Couldn't he learn how to stand sunlight and control the thirst just like Kratos had-?

That's when it hit him.

No. …No, there was no controlling it. If there was, it didn't last long, Kratos was the proof of that. Kratos…he obviously had tried, he had tried all this time, and tried with his mother, and tried to keep him human up until now even when it looked like he couldn't be. It was only now, only lately did he give up, once…once he had said he realized there was no other way.

His fingers curled tighter.

But there had to be…

"You're up."

He stiffened, feeling his pulse stop just a moment. Lloyd looked to the door, where Kratos had walked in. His attire was different as well, though reminiscent of the Cruxian garb, though with the dark colors he now wore as well. The teen's throat tightened, trying not to look afraid, not to be afraid..

"D…Dad," he said finally, mustering his courage. "Dad, I-"

"Sit down, we'll talk," he answered flatly.

Lloyd didn't move, neither did Kratos, the pair looking at each other in silence. The teen bit his lip then eyed the chair he had motioned to, hesitantly walking and sitting in it.

Kratos eyed him a moment before taking the chair across from him, scanning his son intently. Lloyd swallowed, trying to control his speeding pulse, knowing full well how clear it would sound in Kratos' ears.

"Dad," he said again. "Look…I-"

"I'm only trying to do what's best for you; you do understand that, don't you?"

He tried to ignore the tightening in his throat frowning glancing down then back at his father.

"I-…Dad I understand that , I do, but-"

"Then what is there left to discuss?" he hissed softly, eyes narrowed.

"Dad, look, I- I can't- I don't want to live like this, you know I don't. I – I just want to go back to my friends and-"

"You can't. Can't you understand that? Can't you see that?" Kratos hissed, his eyes narrowed. "I know it's hard for you to accept, but there's no other path for you now."

"Dammit just listen to me!" Lloyd snapped, a hiss escaping his throat. "Look- just because the other ways didn't' work doesn't mean there isn't a way! I-"

Kratos' eyes flashed red and Lloyd choked, his body tensing up, freezing.

"I've made up my mind," he said, his voice low, final. "You'll thank me, someday..when you understand."

"N-…n…." he choked, trying to force out his words.

"Why are you so insistent on this, Lloyden?"

"I-"

"Is it because of your mate?"

Lloyd stared, whatever he had been planning to say lost itself in his throat. What? What did he- ?

"Is that why you wish to go back, Lloyden?" Kratos said, tilting his head just a bit though his eyes remained narrowed, cold. "You want to go back to your mate? Colette is your bride after all…though it has yet to be made…official."

The teen choked, his throat seizing up tightly . What-? No- no that – that had nothing to do with her and- and she wasn't his bride! It-

"Come now, Lloyden," Kratos said, a small smirk cracking his lips. "Nothing to be ashamed of, you're more than able to take a bride at your age if you wish. Besides, you've already marked her…"

"M- Marked? I haven't-"

"You bit her, and you continue biting her, even without the intent." The king cut him off. "Perhaps that's what you need to be content, Lloyden? Do you want your bride? Then will you be satisfied here?"

Why wouldn't his words come? Why couldn't his thoughts cooperate? All he could do was stare and stammer like some dumb, witless-

"Leave Colette out of this!" he snapped finally, slamming his hands on the table before he had even realized he had gotten to his feet.

Then he was knocked back, his legs stumbling out from under him as he crashed back into the chair. It took him a moment to realize, as Kratos got to his own feet, glaring down at him, that he had been smacked.

"Don't," he breathed, eyes narrowed. "Ever raise your voice to me."

Lloyd trembled, touching his face as he stared up at his father, attempting to gather his wits around him once again. Kratos glared down at him a long moment, his eye blaring red. Finally, the ex-angel turned away, rubbing his face.

"…I'll have some lunch brought," he said quietly.

The teen didn't reply, shaking, finding his thoughts had fled him once again. Once again he found himself unable to move or think, trying to keep himself together by not 'existing' at all.

Kratos returned later, though he wasn't quite sure how much later it had been. His father glanced down at him, his eyes still red, but duller, devoid of the anger from earlier. He placed two glasses on the table between them, a bottle of that red liquid with it.

"It's animal blood," he said simply as he poured it. "So don't try to contest me over this as well, no one was harmed for it."

Lloyd choked, staring as the fluid seeped into the glass, filling it to the brim with tantalizing scent- He closed his eyes tightly, trying to ignore it, trying to find it in him to resist the scent. The…scent…

"There's no point in fighting it Lloyd, you've never once won against it and you never will," Kratos said simply, lifting his own glass to his lips and drinking silently.

"Dad," he said again, trying to ignore the ache of his fangs. "Please…"

"I know you don't want to kill people, Lloyd," Kratos replied. "I'm not going to ask you to, after all, your mother was human, and I loved her…but you need the blood of the living beasts, at the very least, in order to survive."

"Dad, please, I- you just said it, Mom was human, why can't I be-?" the teen contested, finally opening his eyes.

"I had thought you could be, I had hoped you could be," Kratos frowned, furrowing his brow. "But it was wrong of me to believe that, wrong of me to get your hopes up…it's my fault, I apologize…."

"No, Dad! Just-"

Their eyes locked again and Lloyd cut off, staring dumbly at his father. Kratos' eyes were glowing faintly, seated laxly in the chair with the wineglass in his hand. He stirred the glass a bit, making the blood swirl slowly, up and down the sides of the glass…

"Your companions will be fine without you," he said curtly, his eyes not leaving his son's. "You'll adjust, Lloyden…"

Then his eyes left, peering into the glass, where Lloyd's had gone as well, watching the liquid twist and swirl, ebbing and flowing…

"It's time you learn what and who you are and embrace your heritage," Kratos continued. "You cannot change it, so you must accept it, you understand that, don't you? I'm only doing what's best for you."

He brought the glass up to his lips again, sipping slowly, savoring the steady stream that entered his mouth.

"Now finish up, Lloyden…" His eyes flashed red. "I have plans for us."

Lloyd barely realized he had already begun drinking from his own glass.

Yeah I'm not sure I'm going to get this done for Halloween :/ depending on how much is left I'll either continue into November or write the rest of it next year. Sorry about that just classes have been hell lately. Anyway hope you liked. n.n