Chapter Fourteen:

Divergence

Colette struggled futilely as she was lugged about like a sack of potatoes, and placed into one of the washtubs. What was going on? What was her abductor planning? Was she...was she going to die?

Glancing up at her captor's fierce glare, the blonde cringed down, pressing into the far-side of the washtub.

"Relax; I'm not going to kill you."

Well, at least that answered her question.

"What are you going to do to me then?" Colette asked, still feeling nervous. Her captor shrugged in response to the question.

"I'm going to take you where you can't do any harm. Other than that, I'm not really sure."

"You're...not sure where you're taking me?"

"I already said somewhere where you can't do any harm."

"Oh...okay, um, my name's Colette, Colette Brunel!" chirped the pretty blonde, struggling to maintain her positive attitude despite everything that had happened.

Blinking in obvious shock, the pretty, young ninja finally returned Colette's weak smile. "Sheena Fujibayashi."

Turning her gaze to the ground, Colette shuffled slightly.

"Look, I know you don't want to tell me why you're doing this, but I can't just sit by and let you endanger the people of Sylvarant like this!" she said with a small frown.

Her captor, Sheena, sighed lightly before replying. "What if...I could prove to you that what you're doing isn't the be-all, end-all salvation that you think it is?"

Colette blinked in shock. "What do you mean?"

"Will you come with me?"

Eyes roving over the currently-empty water, Colette pondered her situation. Sheena had kidnapped her for a reason she didn't care to disclose, and for that Colette felt nervous, but even looking at Sheena's face, the blonde could see the sincerity in the ninja's eyes. Sheena wasn't going to hurt her. What was the harm? Finally, Colette nodded

"Okay, I'll go with you."

Sheena breathed a sigh of relief. "I'm sorry about everything, please try to understand..."

Colette just smiled. "Don't worry, I'm sure you're acting for a very good reason."

Sheena returned the smile. "Thank you, Colette. I...I didn't want to kill you, that's why I kidnapped you," she admitted with a faint blush. "Now come on, we should get going."

The two young women stepped out of the washtubs, with Sheena brushing off Colette's attempts to tend her wounds—and apologies for causing most of them—insisting she was fine. Turning, they began making their way north-east. Toward what, Colette was not really certain. Sheena knew, however, that they needed help to get to Tethe'alla. Somehow she was going to have to get past Yuan with a living Colette. If the man knew she had the Chosen, he might try to kill her right off. Something Sheena did not want happening. Yet with the Dimensional Transfer System destabilized it was not going to be easy. The question was: was it worth the risk? With the system out-of-sorts, using it could potentially be dangerous. One glance at the blonde girl beside her made up Sheena's mind. They were going to Tethe'alla. If she used the last of her Rheaird's power to get them to Triet, then she should be able to swipe another to get them to Tethe'alla. After that though...well, she could worry about that when the time came.

"Come with me," she ordered, ignoring the startled look on Colette's face as she dragged her into some trees. Freeing her wing pack from her bag, the ninja opened it, allowing the purple Rheaird to pop out.

"W-wow! What's that?"

Ignoring her, Sheena dragged Colette onto the machine behind her.

"Hold on. You don't want to fall off." With those few, quick instructions, Sheena revved the engine and they took off, heading straight for Triet.

Some time had passed since the young kunouichi had kidnapped Colette. The entire group had dissolved into a scene of chaos that Raine and Kratos had barely managed to hold together. Even now, as the camped by the Thoda docks, the younger members looked ready to bolt and look for Colette.

Kratos had had an easy enough time tracking Colette and her captor somewhere into the nearby forest, yet had suddenly lost track of them. That did not bode well. If the girl really came from Tethe'alla, then it was entirely reasonable to assume she had a Rheaird. You could not track someone through the skies. However, he could not exactly go around telling the Sylvarant group that. A fine mess.

"I hate this! We can't just sit here and do nothing!"

Kratos was snapped from his thoughts at the sounds of Lloyd's yell and a fork being thrown echoed around the camp.

"I agree!" Genis chimed in, dropping his own fork onto his plate with a clatter. "Colette needs our help and we're here eating supper! She...she could be dead!" He sounded horrified that he had even voiced the possibility.

"Well what would you have us do?" Raine asked in a cold voice. It was obvious she was stressed, lavender eyes tight and strained. "We've lost their trail and it's getting dark. We're likely as not to injure ourselves if we fumble along blindly in the dark. That or miss the trail entirely."

Well, Kratos figured there was little chance of that, you can't miss what is not there, but she was right about them hurting themselves.

"Then let Kratos and I go!" Lloyd pleaded. Kratos winced. That was coming far too close to admitting they could see in the dark perfectly well. She already suspected.

"Lloyd," he stated firmly, eyes clearly showing he would stand no nonsense, "are you so eager to get yourself killed?"

"Colette's out there! She needs our help!" he growled, eyes clearly reflecting pent-up anger.

With a nod to Raine, Kratos rose to his feet, motioning for the brunet to follow him.

Shooting Genis a nervous glance, Lloyd rose to his feet and followed after his father.

Once they were far enough away from the Sage's too suit him, Kratos turned to give his son a level look.

"Lloyd, use your head, where do you think they are?"

"Uh...well, the Renegade Base, maybe? If she's after Colette's life, then that would be the place to go."

"Why not just kill her right out?"

"Huh?! Oh, well, I hadn't thought of that..."

Kratos sighed. "So it would seem. Now, tell me, that girl, where was she from?"

"I'd say...wait, Tethe'alla?!" Lloyd exclaimed, eyes widening.

"Exactly. If we consider her being from the other world, then it explains everything.

"So, she took Colette—"

"—to Tethe'alla," finished Kratos. "Yes, most likely. The chance of her having a Rheaird is not so unreasonable, either."

"And that's why you lost her trail."

"There's a very good chance of that, yes."

The brunet boy nodded slowly, seeming to finally understand and accept everything. "So then, are we going to act on our own?"

"Likely we will, with time. For now, however, it is best to try to confirm our suspicions. Things will be easier if she is willing as the Chosen, forcing her would cause complications. We should have time, too. If that woman had meant to kill Colette she would be dead now." The biggest time issue was Yggdrasill.

But what if she was just waiting to do it?" Lloyd demanded, eyes glittering angrily.

"She would not, not at the risk we could free her. She is keeping the Chosen One alive for some reason, and that reason is her own."

Lloyd huffed slightly, obviously not convinced. "If you say so..."

Kratos sighed softly, the boy was too stubborn for his own good.

"We should be heading back, and remember to look chastened, I don't need Raine asking more questions."

Looking confused for a second, Lloyd finally nodded, following after Kratos as meekly as he could manage. Which was not very. Kratos would have to keep an eye on him.

Genis would have sniggered or made a witty comment at the sight of a thoroughly-berated Lloyd walking toward him, yet worry held the half-elf's tongue. There were more pressing matters to worry over than making fun of Lloyd.

"I'll take first watch."

Genis did not bat an eyelid at the expected offer from Kratos. He was used to it by now.

He was, however, surprised when Lloyd dropped down right next to him, instead of bugging Kratos to go train. Then again, maybe he should not have been. Who knew what Kratos had said to the boy? The older teen remained silent, however, instead choosing to watch the goings on of the camp as people prepared to bed down for the night. Before long, the two were joined by Zelos. All three silently prepared their own bedding as Kratos took up watch and Raine turned in for the night.

Not long after he had lain down for the night, Genis was roused by a soft shake.

"Pst, Genis, you awake?"

Sitting up at the soft whisper from his friend, Genis rubbed his eyes before speaking just a quietly. "Yeah, what is it?"

"Kratos is gone."

At the matter-of-fact statement from Lloyd, Genis cast a sharp eye about the camp to confirm it.

"W-where'd he go?"

"To look for the trail, I'd say..." Lloyd whispered. "But I don't think he's going to find it."

"You don't?"

"No...look, Genis, can you keep a huge secret?"

"No, Lloyd...!"

At the sound of Zelos' voice, both heads turned to face him.

"Zelos, I was wondering when you were going to join us."

Ignoring the brunet, Zelos carried right on talking. "You can't. Remember what we have to do."

"I know, Zelos." Lloyd stated flatly before turning back to Genis. "Can you?"

Shifting uncomfortably under two intense sets of eyes, Genis finally nodded. "Y-yeah, Lloyd, I'll keep your secret."

"Even from Raine? You seriously can't tell anyone, Genis! No one!"

Genis nodded again at the serious note in Lloyd's tone. "Not a word. To anyone."

Breathing a sigh of relief, Lloyd shot a glance at Zelos before speaking. "I think I know where Colette is, and we're not going to find her here."

"Wait, what do you mean?!"

"Quiet, Brat. Let him talk."

"I'm going to go and try to find her. Can you...help cover for me? Please? I know it's a lot to ask, but I can't just disappear, either."

"What do I say?"

"I don't know, tell them I was kidnapped too, anything!"

Finally Genis shrugged, smirking mischievously.

"No can do, Lloyd. I'm going with you."

"What?! No, you can't!" Lloyd hissed out in shock, and slight anger.

"Why can't I?" Genis demanded, looking from one teen to the other.

"Let him come, Lloyd. You've practically dragged him into the middle of this now, anyway."

"Zelos...wait, come?!"

Zelos raised an eyebrow. "You can't seriously have thought to leave me out."

Lloyd sighed. "No, never."

Genis could have laughed. Obviously Lloyd had just been beaten at his own game. Twice.

"Well then, what're we waiting for?" demanded the redhead, already crawling away to pack his things.

"Indeed. What are we waiting for?"

This time Genis really did snigger softly as he began to pack his own bedroll.

The following morning broke overcast and rainy. It was a very sodden Kratos that jogged into camp some hour before sunrise, having discussed his being away the night with Raine beforehand. They had both agreed that a little extra searching would not go amiss. Just so long as 'the children' were kept out of it. Glancing suspiciously around the camp, the seraph's red eyes narrowed in suspicion.

"Kratos! Good, you're back. They're gone!"

Kratos' jaw tightened at those words, his worst fears realized.

"When?"

"I'm not sure. I woke about half an hour ago to find them gone. All three. I must say I expected something like this from Lloyd or Zelos, but not Genis."

Kratos huffed slightly. Way to make him sound like a bad parent. No, now was not the time for that. There was too much else going on to be indignant.

"Gone!" he barked, coming very near outrage for the first time in a long, long while. He watched as the Sage girl's eyes widened in shock at his outburst, yet he was not about to stop now. Not with fear clamping at his gut like a cold eel.

Something else was worrying him, too. Something he had not found the time to address yet, thinking—foolishly—that he had time.

"Raine..."

The woman in question raised an eyebrow and motioned him to continue.

"Lloyd, he was badly wounded recently. The monster that did it, can you describe it?"

Blinking in shock, Raine nodded slowly. She could all too well remember the pain on Lloyd's face after the giant skeletal creature had hacked him open, and then the mad rush to save his life. Yes, all too well.

"Yes, I have its full description right here in the monster list," she informed him, pulling the log out for him to see.

Accepting the thick book—what did she put in the thing anyway?—he hastily flipped it open, skimming the pages to find the notes on the Sword Dancer.

Finding the page, he carefully read what was there, eyes tightening with each word.

"You're certain—absolutely certain—that it was from the underworld?"

Raine nodded. "It said so itself."

"I was afraid of this. After I heard how bad his reaction was I suspected, but..."

"But what? Spill it Kratos."

"Lloyd is...of unique bloodlines, I'm sure you've noticed. The weapons that that thing wields are of underworld make, and dangerous, extremely so, to one of his blood. Whatever healing and care he's received already may have helped him this far, but it won't forever. If he doesn't get proper treatment...he will die," Kratos muttered, the last part nearly sticking in his throat.

Raine remained silent for a moment, digesting the information, before finally nodding.

"Tell me, Kratos, why do you care so much? To you he should be nothing more than another brat in on this job of yours."

Kratos sighed. Time for a bit of word-twisting on his part.

"I...I knew Lloyd's mother."

Raine's eyes widened. It seemed he had just brought another possibility into whatever ideas she had cooked up already. A relatively safe one, or so he hoped. An old family friend, he was an old family friend.

"So you..."

"Lloyd's mother died when he was three, so I doubt he really remembers that well. I wasn't that old myself, back then."

Raine nodded. She was buying it.

"Well then, we now have all the more reason to bring them back. All four of them."

"So it would seem."

"No point in wasting any time," Raine stated with a sharp nod. "I mean to be off as soon as there's enough light to see three feet in front of me."

Kratos nodded. For now, until he could pinpoint everything, he would just go along with this woman. When he got Lloyd back, however...that boy was in for the spanking of his life!

Genis glared at the backs of his two friends as they strode along ahead of him, conversing in quiet tones. What was so important that the two could not confide in him?! He was a part of this party now, as much as them! If he strained his ears, he could hear the barest of snitches of their conversation.

"...have one...low power."

"...three people...cramped...crash!"

"...suggest?"

"...wings...carry..."

Wings? What were they talking about?

Finally, after several more minutes of heated debate and glaring, the two turned back to him.

"Okay, Genis, seriously, what you are about to see what you are about to see does NOT leave your mouth. EVER."

Slowly Genis nodded, shocked by the venom in Lloyd's voice.

"Good. If we're going to find Colette, we're going to need to get to her, and to do that...we need to fly. You're going to ride with Zelos, on his Rheaird. Don't worry, it's only for a little while. The thing's low on power, so..."

"W-what about you, Lloyd? Can't I ride with you?"

"We discussed that, Kiddo, and decided having you ride with me was safest. Lloyd's known for trying to break his own neck."

Glaring at Zelos, Lloyd sighed. "I'm...not going to be riding on a Rheaird."

At Genis' questioning look, Lloyd just shook his head.

"You'll see soon enough."

"Okay...what is a Rheaird anyway?"

"It's a piece of flight technology developed...in the place where we're going," supplied Zelos with a shrug, and Genis groaned. That was infuriatingly vague.

"Okay, fine, whatever. Are we going now or what?"

"Follow me," Lloyd ordered, angling off to enter a small copse of trees. Once they were well inside, he nodded for Zelos to get his Rheaird ready, which the redhead did eagerly.

Genis' eyes grew wide as the huge machine just seemed to appear out of Zelos' pocket. It was...phenomenal! Rushing forward, he began inspecting the thing all over, eyes still wide with amazement.

Suddenly Lloyd laughed. "Genis, you ain't seen nothin' yet."

Genis could only turn and gape in utter shock as a pair of brilliant, iridescent, sky-coloured wings unfurled from Lloyd's back.

"W-w-whoa! L-Lloyd, you...you're an angel, like Colette!" he shrilled, eyes nearly bulging out of his skull. This was...incredible! Why had Lloyd not told them sooner? He could have helped Colette, right? Then she would not have to be alone.

Lloyd shook his head vigorously. "No way. This is a secret Genis. Nobody can know. Not even you."

Genis frowned. "But Zelos knows..."

"Genis! No!"

At his friend's sudden outburst, Genis nodded.

"Good, Kid, because I'd hate to have to kill you."

Genis shuddered. Zelos had sounded all too serious with that threat.

Walking up to Genis, Lloyd ruffled the boy's hair gently.

"Don't worry, I won't let him; providing you keep your mouth shut. Now shall we be off?"

Nervously, Genis climbed onto the Rheaird with Zelos, suddenly afraid the guy would decide to drop him halfway there.

All worries, however, were washed away by a sudden sentence of Lloyd's, from way back at the beginning of their journey, entering his mind: Do you mean the Seraphim or something?

It all fit too well.

'Oh, Lloyd...what are you?'

Sheena winced slightly as Colette finished wrapping her shoulder. At least she had finally gotten the girl to stop apologizing for causing a few of her injuries.

"I'm really sorry I don't know any healing spells..."

Well, it was the small things that mattered, right?

"Colette, you do not have to apologize for not being able to heal! Or for defending yourself, for that matter! I'll be fine!" she shrilled, feeling slightly miffed. They had had one heck of a time stealing a new Rheaird from Yuan. And then getting through the Dimensional Transfer System had been enough to fray anyone's nerves. They should be dead, they really should have been killed. Yet they had not been. She still felt ready to hurl her guts up.

Amazingly, however, Colette seemed to be mostly unfazed by the whole ordeal. The stomachs of some people.

"I'm sorry..."

Sheena sighed. "You know, most people would be curious about where we are, not spending all their time apologizing." There was a faint hint of teasing in her voice, yet a definite hint of seriousness, too.

"I'm sorry, I just thought you'd tell me when you're ready."

Deciding not to drag the conversation out any further, Sheena rose to her feet, dragging the pretty blonde up with her.

"Come on, we should be off."

Nodding, Colette rose to her feet to fall in behind Sheena, who was more-or-less just relieved to have finally gotten the girl silent for a moment.

The two walked in silence for awhile, for which Sheena was grateful. They had managed to elude death by Yuan thus far, yet who could say how long that would last if she was not careful? The young ninja still was not sure just what she was going to do, either. Why exactly had she brought Colette here, anyway? Well, she knew why, yet that did not help her solve the problems associated with the action. There was no way Sheena could bring the blonde to her home. No way. It was impossible to tell who the people of Mizuho would kill first: Colette, or Sheena herself.

"Um...Sheena?"

The black-haired girl was shocked out of her musings when Colette spoke.

"Huh? Oh, what is it?"

"I was just wondering if you figured out where we're supposed to be going. Sorry if I bothered you."

Sheena was about to comment when she realized where they were. After arriving in Tethe'alla, they had managed to fly as far as the next slip of land—Flanoir was too cold to land in. Once they had arrived, she figured that they had been flying roughly south for a good span of time. Now, if her geography was right, then that meant they were near...Altamira. It was just her luck not to have thought of where to land ahead of time. Well, 'luck' probably was not the right word, but it sounded better than the reality.

"Sheena?"

For the second time in only a couple of minutes, Sheena found herself startled back to reality by the blonde.

"Sorry, I was just trying to figure out where we are."

Beside her, Colette looked over in shock. "Then...you don't know where we are?"

Sheena mentally cursed herself for allowing her unpreparedness to show. Colette was her captive. She needed to remember that; even if the blonde was a fairly compliant, willing captive.

Regaining her composure as best she could under the circumstances, Sheena motioned away toward the south.

"I'd say we're fairly close to Altamira...that's a resort town."

"Oh, so we're going to a resort...?" she asked, having never been to anything of the sort before.

Sheena sighed. Obviously Colette was confused. Honestly, the girl had every right to be. After everything Sheena had said, she then turned around and announced that they were going to a resort? Of course Colette had a right to be confused!

"Yeah, it should be just a few hours of walking from here."

"Oh, so that's where we're going so you can show me...?"

Sheena sighed as the girl trailed off. Had she been a more devious person, Sheena would have acted as though she knew exactly what she was doing. However, the thought never even crossed the black-haired girl's mind as she shook her head.

"No, Altamira's on...well, we're stuck on an island right now."

Colette just looked at her in confusion. "An island...?"

"Yeah, I think I probably didn't plan out where we were going very well."

"Well, we can get away right? To wherever it is we need to be?"

Sheena nodded. "We can just get a ship up around the northerly continent, and down to Sybak. From there it's only a few hours of hiking to the capital."

"Oh, okay! So how long will all of this take?"

Sheena shuddered slightly. She was talking about sailing around a continent, so...

"Um...suffice it to say it won't be a quick trip."

Colette nodded slowly. "But I can't stay for too long, what about Sylvarant?"

Sheena shook her head slowly. It pained her to say it, it really did. "Colette, I-I'm sorry, but you won't be going back." Sheena cringed slightly at the horrified look on the blonde's face at her words.

"Never? But...but I thought I was going to go home after you showed me that the Journey of Regeneration isn't good?"

Sheena could see the doubt and fear in Colette's blue eyes as she spoke of the journey. Obviously that had been hard for the girl to say.

"Colette...I don't want to kill you...I won't kill you! So, so...that means you're going to have to live here."

Colette just looked away, saying nothing.

With a sigh, Sheena fell silent, allowing both girls to get lost in their thoughts.

Lloyd furled his wings, allowing them to dissipate in the breeze as loose mana. They had finally arrived at the Tower of Salvation and the teen was not about to waste any time. They had to get into the tower, reroute the teleport pad, and get back out as quickly as was humanly possible. Getting caught could mean death. Or worse.

"C'mon," he commanded, not bothering to wait for the others as he began creeping forward.

Behind him, Zelos returned his Rheaird to its wingpack as Genis gazed up in awe at the tower looming thousands of feet over their heads.

"Z-Zelos..."

"Let's go, Kid," muttered the redhead, already following after the brunet now that he had deposited his wingpack in his bag.

Lloyd could easily hear the other two as they trotted after him. Gliding up the long staircase on light feet, he motioned them to stay silent as he crouched alongside the door, listening intently for any noises from inside the tower. Hearing nothing, the teen motioned the other two to follow him.

"How are we gonna get in, Lloyd?" Genis asked, looking at the door curiously.

"Like this," replied the brunet as he laid one hand on the stone tablet next to the door. With a loud creak and the sound of stone grating over stone, the doors slide open to reveal the interior of the Tower of Salvation.

"W-wow!" Genis shrilled, gazing inside, shock and confusion written all over his features.

"Shh!" Lloyd hissed in a low tone, motioning the other two to follow him as he crept inside the dark tower and looked around. Finally convinced that there was nobody around to threaten their safety, Lloyd led them to the warp pad at the end of the grotesque hallway, ignoring the shocked gasps emitting from the young half-elf as he followed after Lloyd.

"W-what are those?!"

"Ignore them, Kiddo, and stay quiet," Zelos told him, motioning their youngest member to keep walking.

Waiting until his two companions were on the pad, Lloyd pressed several buttons and braced himself as the familiar glow of teleportation consumed them.

As soon as they touched down, Lloyd tensed and reached for his swords, just in case. Motioning the other two to wait for him, he slunk forward, feet making scarce a sound as they pressed down softly on the stone floor. Slipping in behind one of the stone columns, he looked around, eyes missing no detail as he scanned the area.

Relaxing, the boy nodded back to the other two. The way was clear.

Walking toward the teen, Genis kept his eyes riveted on the ground, too nervous to look around.

"L-Lloyd? Are we going to be here long?"

The brunet opened his mouth to answer, only to be meet with the harsh sound of feet running heavily over stone. Whirling to face the threat, swords already half drawn, Lloyd let out a sharp cry as he was tackled to the ground by a heavy body.

Well, this took longer than I had intended, but I'm happy with it. Life is busy, and finding time to write was not easy. Not between full-time University, two jobs, and a horse. Not to mention trying to have a social life. Can't forget reading all of Death Note in a week either. Then throwing together a Light Cosplay. ANYWAY, here you guys go! Complete with Cliffhanger. XD You know you love me. Heheh.

Once again I'd like to express my gratitude to my beta, without whom this train-wreck of a fic would be more of a train-wreck.

Don't forget people, your reviews inspire me ever so much. I love hearing from you all. I really do. Plus it gets you faster updates. So please, pay the pretty button a visit? –smiles-