A/N: Oh no! D: It's been over a month since I last updated…now I feel kind of horrible. Especially since I had all these grand plans to crank out another chapter right after I got all the wonderful and inspiring reviews…I'm just making myself feel worse now. But…um…yeah. Thanks so much for all the nice reviews last chapter. I'd give you all cookies, but it wouldn't really work out that well…so yeah. Uh…we have another run in with Emil and Marta this chapter. What fun. Oh, and I own…nothing. Whoopdedoo.

"You know, you're only going to feel worse if you just sit there."

Zelos raised a brow at Sebastian, who was washing dishes. "You're just trying to get me out of the house, aren't you?"

"Of course."

Zelos couldn't help but smile at that, puffing some air out his cheeks, sending some of his hair flying out of his face. "You know, you're supposed to deny that sort of thing."

"Mmm," Sebastian said agreeably, setting a newly washed plate aside.

Zelos leaned back in his chair. "I don't really want to get out of the house. There's too much risk. I'm kinda paranoid, y'know? I just know that a bunch of things are gonna happen the minute I let the house out of my sight."

"You don't trust me and Tokunaga to keep the house from burning down?" Sebastian looked amused. "Zelos, you should relax a little."

"Hey, it's a feeling, all right? Besides, didn't Tokunaga leave a few minutes ago?"

"What's the worst that could happen?"

"Don't even say that. Last time I said that—"

"Yes, yes, I recall. It's a bit of a painful memory. Zelos, you don't even have to be gone that long. You can take a short little walk. Five minutes."

Zelos paused. "Five minutes?"

"Mm-hm."

"And you'll stop nagging me about it?"

"Until tomorrow, at least." Sebastian decided to let the 'nagging' comment go. For now.

"Okay, okay." Zelos stood up with an overly dramatic sigh. "If you insist. But if anything goes wrong, I'm blaming you."

"I can live with that. Have a nice walk."

With a "yeah, yeah," Zelos disappeared out the door.

"Oooph!" Zelos grunted as someone slammed into him. "Damn, where the hell do you think you're—oh," he said sourly upon seeing who it was. Mr. My-eyes-randomly-turn-red-and-I-think-Lloyd-destroyed-Palmacosta. Well, that was just wonderful. "It's you."

The eyes were green this time, wide and staring up at him, as if it was shocking to see Zelos Wilder in Meltokio. This kid wasn't very bright. "It's—it's you!"

"Yeah, it's me. What's your point?"

"U-um, I was just—I'm sorry I bumped into you! I—"

Zelos rubbed the side of his face with his left hand. So…annoying… "Look, just get out of my way. I don't know why you're here, and I don't really care. Now—"

"Your sister got kidnapped!"

"Okay, that's not funny."

"N-no, it's true! Lloyd…Lloyd kidnapped her and—"

"Lloyd most certainly did not kidnap my sister."

"Y-yes he did! And we're trying to find them—"

"I don't believe you."

"Why would I lie about something like—"

Zelos nearly gagged as a foul smell washed over him. The next second, Lloyd came rushing past, Seles hanging off his shoulder, shouting and snapping quite a bit.

"I t-told you!"

"Move it!" Zelos snapped, shoving the timid boy aside and charging after the Lloyd look-a-like. Damn, that cologne. It was probably being used as some secret weapon somewhere.

Growling a curse, Zelos looked around. Figured he'd gotten away. Figured that in the whole two minutes he'd been gone, Seles had been kidnapped and whoever was pretending to be Lloyd had attacked.

"Where did that bastard go?" snarled the kid, running up.

Zelos gave him a quick glance, not sure whether it was more disturbing that he now had red eyes and a complete flip of personality to match, or whether he didn't find it that surprising this time.

"You!" he called to a woman, who looked up, startled. "Did you see where a, uh, guy dressed in red went?"

She shook her head, and fanned some of the air in front of her face, making a sour face at the foul smell.

"Man…" What were the odds, anyway?

"I told you he's evil!" the kid said, glaring at Zelos. At least his voice wasn't quite as whiny now. "Can you refute the evidence that that was Lloyd? Well?"

Zelos sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Look, that wasn't Lloyd, okay? End of story."

"Oh, really." He sounded a bit…mocking. Zelos had to give him credit for trying. "How many suspenders wearing brunets who wear all red are there?"

"He doesn't wear all red," Zelos corrected absently. "His pants are black."

"Whatever!"

"Besides, this kind of thing isn't like Lloyd." He could afford some smugness at this point. "And Lloyd doesn't wear cologne. He's just a country hick. I doubt he even knows what it is. He was shocked at scented soaps, so…" Zelos shrugged. "That's not Lloyd. That's all I can offer you at this point."

"Where're you going?" he demanded as Zelos began to walk away.

"I'm goin' home. You're welcome to come if you promise to not attack me as soon as my back's turned."

"Humph," he huffed, but followed.

"Zelos, I'm sorry," Sebastian said as Zelos entered. "But in the few minutes you were gone—oh. Who's this?"

"The annoying kid who wanted to kill Lloyd," Zelos said, glancing around a bit, wondering what the girl with the annoying voice, Sheena, and Regal were doing here.

"Don't call Emil annoying!" Marta snapped, hands on hips, but apparently didn't feel like pursuing it, as she turned to the blond brat. "Emil…"

Rolling his eyes, Zelos plopped in a chair and folded his hands behind his head. "Why, hello, Sheena and Regal. Can I ask what you're doing here?"

Sheena crossed her arms and grumbled something. Hardly fair, Zelos hadn't even done anything to merit that.

Regal coughed. "It's nice to see you too."

"Mm-hm."

"Um…Zelos!" Marta was suddenly facing him, looking extremely apologetic. "We're really…we have some explaining to do."

"Sorry," Emil mumbled, bowing his head, lock of hair swinging forward like an antenna. Ah. Green eyes again.

"Oh really."

"It looks like the Lloyd we were pursing was actually an imposter. We…we're really sorry…"

"Hn." Zelos couldn't help but crack a smug grin. "I could've told you that."

"What?" Sheena demanded, staring at him. "And just why didn't you mention this sooner?"

"None of you would have believed me." Calmly running his hands through his hair, he raised a brow at the two kids in front of him. "And what suddenly led to you two to this conclusion?"

At that point, they looked at each other and launched into a long-winded explanation that Zelos only really understood half of, as a result of them talking too quickly and interrupting each other, and being occasionally interrupted by a creature that looked strangely like a black and purple dog. Which randomly poofed in and out of existence.

Rubbing his temples, Zelos studied the dog, remembering something Colette had said. And they have a doggie summon spirit named Tenebie!

"You'd be Tenebie?" he said to the creature, who looked positively indignant. The other four snickered.

"Most certainly not! I am the Centurion of Darkness, Tenebrae! It's Tenebrae!"

"That's not what Colette said."

"What, exactly did she say about me?"

"Not much. She called you a, and I quote, 'doggie summon spirit.'"

"Doggie summon spirit?" the creature sputtered. "Well, I—I can't believe—"

"Yeah, whatever." Zelos sighed. Looked like it was gonna be a long day. He glanced at Sebastian, who was keeping an impressively straight face. "Sebastian, one of these days…"

"Yes, of course," Sebastian said politely, seeming every bit the polite, reserved butler. "Hadn't you best be going to rescue Seles? Or speaking to the King?"

"Sebastian, I swear—"

"Lloyd might even be there."

"I'm not even going to reply to that."

Sebastian rolled his eyes, a quick motion missed by almost everyone. "Hadn't you best be going?"

"Yeah, yeah…"

I can't believe I actually have to work with these brats.

Zelos groaned.

Sheena and Regal had just finished apologizing to the alter ego that had seemed positively murderous towards Lloyd. Everyone looked at him then, and Sheena elbowed him, hissing "don't you have something you'd like to say, too?"

Zelos expertly shrugged some of his red hair of his shoulders. "Oh, I suppose. I only sort of hate you now."

"Zelos!" Sheena snarled, smacking him on the arm. Hardly a hard hit, considering.

"Hey, at least I don't despise him anymore, right? Now, shall we be going? I'd like to finish this as quickly as possible."

Sheena glared at him once more, but just gave a huff of exasperation. "Fine! Whatever!"

Calmly straightening his gloves, Zelos flashed a charming grin at Marta. "Shall we be going, my angel dear?"

Marta turned pink and sputtered and Sheena gave him another glare. With bared teeth. Zelos just winked at her.

"Jealous, Sheena?"

"Oh, just shut up, you idiot Chosen!"

"Hey, hey. That doesn't work anymore. You have to call me idiot ex-Chosen."

"Just shut up already!"

"You're so angry already."

"That's your fault!"

"Really? I thought I was just being the nice, polite guy I always am."

"Nice? Polite? You? Yeah, right."

"Oh, yes. Two of my most wonderful qualities, along with my beauty and—"

"Just because those gaudy women can't keep their hands off you doesn't mean—"

"Why, Sheena, you do seem to be jealous!"

She slammed her fist into his arm, generating a loud yeowch from him. "I'll smack you," she warned.

"You already smacked me! The point of warning, my dear Sheena, is that they warn people!"

"I'll smack you again!"

"Okay, okay! Sheesh." Damn. That was going to bruise later.

Marta and Emil were staring openly at the two of them. Regal only sighed.

Some things never changed, did they?

Yuan and Lloyd had a little routinegoing. Every morning, Lloyd would disappear until lunchtime, when he would come back to eat a sandwich. Lloyd always called this sandwich the "king of all sandwiches" as he piled the ingredients on it, seeming to almost see it as another of his projects, the same as the carvings and crafts he made. He'd always turn his nose up at the tomato Yuan half-jokingly offered him, putting lemon in instead. Which Yuan would never understand. Lloyd would then lounge around and then, right at the exact moment that Yuan really got into his book, he was declare loudly that he was bored.

Then do something about it, Yuan would snap every afternoon, and Lloyd would continue bothering him—But I'm bored, Yuan!—for as long as it took him to get bored with that, too.

But lately, Lloyd had been slumping. Right now, for example, he was staring forlornly at the sandwich ingredients, chin resting on his folded arms, kicking the ground every so often, and sighing every few minutes.

Yuan narrowed his eyes at the brunette for a moment, but ignored him in favor of reading his book. Of course, Lloyd would bother him in a few pages—as always—but Yuan could get a little bit into his book.

Fifty pages later, nothing had bothered him. Yuan paused, then glared suspiciously at the red clad hero. Yuan snapped the book closed suddenly, in an attempt to break the silence, but Lloyd continued staring at the bread, not even moving.

"Lloyd, I know what you're trying to do. It's not going to work."

Lloyd very slowly turned his head to look at the blue-haired seraph. "What?" His voice was weary. And tired. So tired.

"You think that by throwing off the routine, you can catch me off-guard, don't you? Did you really think that would work against me? I spent thousands of years with your father of all people! I was a companion to Mithos the—" Yuan stopped, and squinted at Lloyd. "Hey. You sound…depressed."

Lloyd sighed again and returned to staring dolefully at the bread. "I'm not depressed."

Yuan raised a skeptical brow. "It's about not seeing your friends, isn't it?"

"No." A pause. "Maybe a little."

"So go visit them."

"No! They think I'm a crazy murderer! They'd kill me!"

"I'm sure not all of them think that," Yuan said, trying to be consoling. Of course, he really wasn't the consoling type. That was Lloyd's job. That was Martel's job. "You could go…visit Colette. Or that half-elf brat. Genis."

Lloyd was frowning now, which was better than just staring blankly, depressedly off into space. "No. I can't do that."

"They're your friends, aren't they?"

"I don't know anymore." Lloyd was grumbling into his arms now, and Yuan was glad for his angelic senses. "They probably hate me. Colette'd probably kill me or something."

"Somehow I doubt that."

"Genis probably would."

"Wasn't he supposed to be your best friend?"

Lloyd's frown deepened.

"Fine. Then what about…" Yuan paused, trying to remember the names of all of Lloyd's old friends. "Raine? She should trust you."

"She's the least likely to trust me. You obviously don't know her that well."

Yuan was getting fed up with this. A depressed Lloyd wasn't very likable. A bit annoying, actually. "What about Presea?"

"Yuan, no. Have you seen the size of her axe? It's huge!"

Yuan couldn't help but smile at that. "If Zelos were here, he'd no doubt have something to say about that. Oh, you could see him…"

He could see Lloyd's wry grin before it was forced away. "That's disgusting. And—no! No. Just…no. I'm not seeing Zelos."

Jackpot. Yuan leaned back, steepled his fingers, and smiled. "Why not?"

"He thinks I'm a—"

"You trust him, don't you?"

"I trust all my fr—"

"He trusts you, doesn't he?"

"How should I know? None of my friends tr—"

"Weren't you travelling with him? Just the two of you?"

Lloyd groaned, hiding under his arms. "Yuan, can we not talk about this?"

Oh, that was definitely jackpot. "No. We can't. You were acting depressed, and—"

"I'm not depressed anymore! I'm fine! See? I'm smiling!" Lloyd grinned overly cheerfully at Yuan, who gave him a skeptical look.

"Why don't you just duck into Meltokio and say hi to him? It doesn't even have to be a long visit if you dislike seeing him that much."

"No," Lloyd muttered. "I want to see him. I just…don't want him to kill me."

"You want to see him?" Yuan couldn't keep at least part of the grin off his face. Time to move in for the kill.

"So what if I do?" Lloyd snapped defensively. "I like Zelos! He's…a good friend. He's…I like being around him, okay?"

"Well, you'll be happy to hear his sister got kidnapped, then."

"What?" Lloyd sputtered. "No! No, I would not be happy to hear that! That's not a good thing!"

"Well, it'll give you an excuse to see Zelos."

Lloyd stopped, and stared at Yuan for a few seconds before plopping back in his seat, scowling. "I don't believe you. That's not funny."

"I'm not lying. The Vanguard wanted her and the Centurion's Core she had."

Lloyd stared at him, eyes unwavering.

"Her servant apparently thought it was a rare jewel."

Lloyd was thinking it over. Lloyd might not have been smart, but he wasn't quite as stupid as everyone seemed to think, either. Yuan knew Kratos's son well enough by now to tell that Lloyd was trying to decide whether or not the believe him or not. He was leaning towards believing him, of course. Lloyd was too trusting to not. Besides, it was the truth. Furthermore, it was plausible. Even to Lloyd.

"At which point your imposter kidnapped her."

"That bastard!" Lloyd was snarling now. Yuan could tell by the set of his shoulders that he was going to start ranting. "First he destroys towns, looking like me no less, then he kidnaps one of my best friend's sisters looking like me? What a freaking—"

"So are you going to rescue her or what?"

Lloyd stopped in mid-rant. Looked at Yuan, a bit uncertain, a bit troubled.

"You'd get to see Zelos…"

Lloyd's lips twitched, and he looked away.

"And I know where she would have been taken."

Lloyd paused, then nodded. Grudgingly, of course. He was Lloyd. He was stubborn.

"Okay."

And they'd both pretend that it wasn't the fact that it was Zelos's sister that had moved Lloyd into action so vehemently.

A/N: Ugh, writing/rewriting the canon parts is so difficult for me. Hopefully I didn't butcher it too badly… –Needs to go over the rest of the story again- Blah. Till next time, guys. Hopefully less of a wait than this one. (On a related note, writer's block is the evillest thing ever.)

Please feed the Review Monster.