It took them another couple of days to get back to the ocean, where they easily leapt back in. Sheena, Zelos, Presea and Kratos seemed happy enough to be back in the water, Zelos chasing after Sheena and crying, "Come here, my hunny~!" while Noishe swam around them.

Colette gave a muted laugh, then blinked as Kratos turned to her. He swam over to her, reaching up and gently laying a hand on her neck. She looked a him in confusion before flinching and drawing back, coughing.

"I apologise. However, you should be able to speak now," Kratos said.

Colette looked surprised, then hesitantly said, "Hello?" She gasped in delight as she was able to speak, and swam over to Genis to share the good news.

Kratos watched her a moment then glanced over at Lloyd. He was curled over slightly, sideways and partially upside down as he investigated his tail for any black parts. It was longer now, Kratos realised, about the length of an adult's, and had the secondary dorsal fin now. He frowned; usually Lloyd wouldn't be this far developed until he was at least 21 - Lloyd, if he was correct, was only 17.

Satisfied that everything was fine, Lloyd twisted upright, looking towards the others with a gentle smile. He spotted Kratos and grinned, before swimming forward to join them.

"Alright guys, are we ready to go?" he asked, glancing around. They nodded, and Lloyd grinned. "Then let's do this," he said, starting forward with the others quickly following.

There were more people around this time. The group hid behind a few of the coral buildings, watching the Desians patrolling.

"How are we supposed to get to Yggdrasil with this many Desians around?" hissed Raine.

"Someone will need to act as a distraction," Sheena murmured.

They glanced at each other, not entirely willing to go. "It's going to need to be one of the faster ones, so we're pretty much useless," Genis said finally, motioning to himself, Raine and Colette.

They hesitated, then Lloyd frowned. "I'll do it-"

"No, I'll go," Kratos said suddenly, and the group looked at him in surprise. Lloyd blinked before looking irritated.

"Why you? You're one of the most powerful, we'll need you to help fight Yggdrasil!"

"The Desians know who I am, what I look like. They'll also recognise Noishe, or at least know of a traitor with a green and white dolphin. It'll be more likely that they'll all come after me, because Mithos knows I would try and attack him alone if he aggravated me in the right way."

"Huh? But...why would he know that you'd attack him now, then?" asked Genis.

Kratos glanced at the Desians patrolling. "...He hurt Lloyd. Therefore, he knows I would attack."

The group looked surprised, glancing at Lloyd. He frowned, then sighed. "Fine. But you've got to make it back, alright?"

"I don't intend to miss anything," Kratos replied with a vague smirk, before nodding at Noishe. The dolphin nuzzled Lloyd before following Kratos as the two of them headed into the open. They quickly heard the Desians shouting to each other, soon following after him.

"This way," Presea said, turning and leading them the opposite way. The few remaining Desians guarding the area were easily avoided, and they soon slipped into the huge coral structure.

"Alright, we should be safe for now," Raine sighed.

"Really?" a voice said behind them, and they suddenly turned, automatically going for their weapons.

Yggdrasil gazed at them emotionlessly. "Did Kratos truly take me for such a fool? Thinking I wouldn't realise the rest of you were here when I got word he had been spotted...He has led you all to your doom."

Lloyd suddenly leapt at him, weapons appearing, but they hit the barrier again. He gritted his teeth, glaring at Yggdrasil.

"Ah, boy. I see you recovered from the poison. Quite a miracle, really; I was actually quite certain you would die from that, especially when I broke the second pendant." He smirked. "Even from here I could feel your pain. I'm surprised you withstood it - many would have succumbed in your place."

"I don't intend to die until I've stopped you," Lloyd growled.

Yggdrasil blinked before laughing suddenly. "My! You truly do act like her, don't you! To think, your mother said those exact same words before she died."

"Lloyd's...mother?" Colette murmured, looking at him with a frown.

"You don't have the right to speak about her," Lloyd snarled, attacking the barrier again but still unable to break through it.

"I will admit, she was a strong woman. I may have taken her as my own wife, had she not been human. And, in the end, she may have beaten me...had I not threatened to harm one of the things she truly cared about."

Lloyd blinked, and Yggdrasil smirked.

"She wasn't stupid enough to bring you along, of course, but that didn't mean she had left you far away. In fact, she had that creature which follows Kratos protecting you. A useless effort, of course, though it did try so very hard to stop my men from hurting you."

"Noshy...?"

"And as soon as your father got distracted and went to help you, well, it was easy enough to kill her. And in the end, he couldn't get there in time to help you, either. I thought I'd killed you, in all honesty. I didn't expect you to survive, especially when she died."

Lloyd hesitated, his body shaking as he stared at Yggdrasil. The mermaid chuckled as he gazed at Lloyd.

"And oh, it was such a privilege to see Kratos cry like that. He knew it was foolish to grow attached to anyone, but he still did, and it ended with the death of his wife and loss of his son. I would have killed the dolphin as well, but my sister was always rather fond of it, so I figured I could keep it around."

Anger suddenly surged through Lloyd, and he brought his swords back. Everything was focused on Yggdrasil, all his anger and hate and fury. The water seemed to surge with him as he swung his swords towards the barrier, willing it to break, wanting so desperately to just wipe that smirk off his face...

The barrier shattered, and Yggdrasil's expression suddenly changed, becoming...scared, somehow. Lloyd didn't have time to consider it, however, as Yggdrasil lifted his hand. The water rushed forward, throwing Lloyd back and trapping him. He gave a cry, the water carrying him back. It quickly drew the others in as well, and they cried out, grabbing at each other in a desperate attempt to not be separated.

Lloyd felt someone crash against him and a hand grabbed his arm, but he didn't have time to consider it before they were thrown clear of the water, looking down to see they were going to crash against a boat.

A/N: Sorry for the short chapter (and another cliffhanger)! But really, next bit deserves it's own chapter, so it's just to keep with the flow :)

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