I'm sorry this took so long to come out! These past few weeks have been chaotic as I had two midterms and a Halloween costume to sew. On top of that, I've worked through three versions of this chapter to get it to a passable point. Still, I hope it doesn't disappoint, I'm finally getting around to answering some questions. Oh, and physics is a bitch. I'm going to blame it for the late chapter.

I'd also like to say that I'm working toward a conclusion from this point. We've a ways to go yet, but we're getting toward the end.

…..

"It's true." The angel smiled sarcastically. "It's been a long time, brat." It was Mithos, this was a certain fact, but he was much different from the last time Lloyd had seen him. His hair was longer and dull, hardly the sleek plate that the Cruxis leader usually kept. His clothes, too, were mismatched and looked too big for him.

Lloyd stared as the green-haired man still hugged him, keeping Lloyd pressed down against the cobblestone streets. "B-but how? What are you doing here! What's going on with Da—Yuan and the war!"

Mithos wrinkled his nose with distaste, "How the hell should I know?" He shrugged scornfully, but with his bedraggled appearance, the effect was rather bizarre. "Noishe! Get the hell off him; let him breathe. This is complicated enough without his brain dying from oxygen deprivation on top of everything!" The child grabbed the man's—apparently Noishe?—shirt and dragged him off of Lloyd.

"Ow!" he protested, stumbling to his feet and tugging his clothing from the angel's grasp. "Jerk. I haven't seen him in ages, let me hug him!" While both taller and more physically mature than Mithos, the man called Noishe clearly had the temperament of a nine-year-old. While his clothes were equally as clashing as Mithos', they fit a bit better, and he in general seemed in better condition. Still, as Lloyd watched him run a hand through his green hair and smile at Lloyd, it was simultaneously impossible, and impossible not to, think of Noishe. The Protozoan beside Lloyd whined softly.

He was clearly not the only one to notice this. "…Noishe is the name of Lloyd's dog…" Raine said softly. "How is it that you have the same name? It's hardly a common title… And you—Mithos, is it?—how do you know Lloyd?" The Professor had taken control of the conversation in one swift move and Lloyd was strangely content to sit back for a moment and let her fish the answers out. He took Zelos' extended arm and hoisted himself back to his feet.

"That's cause I am Noishe, silly!" The man grinned and, Lloyd grudgingly admitted, his eyes looked just like the Protozoan's own. He had the same hair and even a slightly silver skin tone.

The words burst out of Lloyd before he could think them through, "That's not how Protozoans work!"

Everyone was looking at him now, and Lloyd suddenly desperately wished that he hadn't opened his mouth. "Lloyd, what are you talking about? Protozoans are just a legend…" Raine's cool voice cut through the heavy silence.

"Heh," Mithos chuckled coolly. "The opposable thumbs and bipedal abilities are new, but he's the same old mutt." He met the shocked stares with cold indifference. "Now, if you don't mind, we haven't eaten or slept in, oh, a day? Two? Something like that, and you look ready to collapse too. Perhaps we should rest and get off the damn streets before the questioning begins. I've got as many questions as you do, I'm sure."

As the group found themselves working their way back toward Zelos' mansion, Lloyd suddenly realized that this was perhaps the closest glimpse of Mithos the Hero Lloyd had ever and would ever see. Despite the sudden burst of excitement, Genis was practically asleep as he made his way through Meltokio's empty streets. Everyone's eyes were sagging, with the exception, of course, of Colette. She alone seemed fully alert, and yet Lloyd was sure her head was void of real thought.

Zelos let them into the mansion, where Sebastian suddenly ambushed them. "Sir, how good to see you home safely. I've heard such rumors…and you all look exhausted!"

"Yeah, look, what've you heard from the King?" Zelos slumped onto his couch, yawning widely.

"To report any knowledge I have of your movements. The rest of the staff has had this asked of them as well." Even as he spoke, Sebastian seemed to be taking note of how many would need rooms and what food and medical supplies would be needed. "Of course, we've yet to hear anything of value. And, of course, I doubt we will hear anything unless you have any other opinions on the matter, Master Zelos."

The Chosen of Tethe'alla chuckled, "Yeah, I think nothing works for now. Thanks Sebastian. Can I fill you in in the morning? We need sleep, pronto. Long day, you know." There appeared to be something comfortable in the way master addressed servant and within but a handful of minutes, they had all found rooms.

Lloyd flung himself down on his bed; the plush comforter felt absolutely fantastic against his sore muscles. The numb pain slowly eased and he felt his eyes slipping shut.

"Sir Bud," Sebastian cut across Lloyd's almost-slumber and he looked up at the elderly butler. In the half-light, the man looked aged, every wrinkle thrown into focus by the shadows. "…I must express my thanks in your taking care of Master Zelos. From the rumors I've heard, he owes you his life several times over."

"Don't worry 'bout it," Lloyd yawned. "Zelos saved my ass a ton back there. You don't owe me a thing."

"The least we can offer is a safe place to sleep," the butler replied with a small smile. "The staff is loyal to the Chosen—it isn't the King that pays their checks, after all. Rest well knowing this. Goodnight, Sir Bud."

Not bothering to correct him, Lloyd heard the door shut and he sighed blissfully. Already he was beginning to drift off. A few doors down, he heard the sound of a shower burst to life, and a twinge of annoyance flickered in his half-awake mind. He knew he smelled, sweat and sewers had been permeating his nostrils all day, and he felt rather bad for making the freshly laundered sheets smell like shit…

With a sigh, the angel pulled himself up from bed and dragged himself into the shower. That was one of the few things he found he loved about Tethe'alla: showers. The fresh, always-clean, always-warm water pouring down on his back was so refreshing, unlike in Sylvarant where bath water was not guaranteed to be any of those things. Of course, the downside to a shower was that it had all the effectiveness of coffee in waking him up.

By the time Lloyd stepped out of the shower, the large bathroom filled with steam, his mind was reeling. All the strange realities Lloyd's mind had not managed to grasp earlier now whispered constantly, and Lloyd doubted he could have slept if someone had drugged him. Despite that he had promised his friends that they would question Mithos and Noishe in the morning, Lloyd was completely unable to wait until the others were awake.

Pulling on fresh clothes, Lloyd slipped out of his room and moved lightly down the hall, careful not to make any noise, though none of his friends still appeared to be conscious. There was one room, at the end of the hall that still had light seeping out from under the door. Inside, Lloyd could hear the unmistakable voices of Mithos and Noishe. For some reason, his heart began to pound louder as he raised his fist to knock on the door.

His knocks sounded too loud as they echoed down the corridor and silenced the voices inside, but a moment later, the door was opened by Mithos. "…figured you'd be asleep too. What do you want? I thought we were waiting until tomorrow to play twenty questions." Despite his hostilities, Mithos stepped out of the way to let Lloyd in.

"I really don't trust you till morning, Yggdrasill." Lloyd snapped as he strolled into the room with more confidence than he felt. "Tell me what the hell is going on."

Mithos and Noishe exchanged looks, then the latter sighed. "Lloydie, look… we're from the future too."

Lloyd sucked in a breath through his nose. He'd been expecting this answer, if he was honest with himself, but it was still rather shocking. "How? And how far in the future are you from? If you really are Noishe, you're from way farther than I am." It was the strangest feeling—to actually admit to these two that he was from the future. With Yuan, he had been so concerned with convincing the half-elf he was telling the truth, it didn't feel like an admission. Just more stories he had to tell. This was so much different.

The Leader of Cruxis sighed, "Not exactly. Like I said, Noishe's…well, we'll call it his human form is a recent occurrence. He changed while we were falling through time. We're not from the future, we're from a future." There was something so ominous in Mithos' voice; Lloyd almost didn't want to ask, but he was too drawn in now.

"What do you mean…?"

The boy pursed his lips, "I can only theorize, but my understanding is that because of your travels, there is not a set future."

Lloyd could only blink at him dumbly, "…what?" That wasn't possible, and it wasn't the way Lloyd had understood it to work. Raine and Yuan would have told him if something like that were to happen. And if there was no set future, then how could Mithos and Noishe be standing there, in front of him?

"We're from a future. Because every one of your actions and his reactions, or visa-versa, changes the possibilities of what could happen, time tries to synchronize a future to your actions, but then you take a different path and a different future is born. Ultimately, there are many alternate paths, alternate universes, and we've come from one such possible future." Mithos, for once, did not sound bored. His eyes were serious and solemn and his eyes were just as dark. In the half-light of the room, his child's face was creased with deep lines of worry.

The Eternal Swordsman looked between them, "…I don't think that's how it works…Raine and Yuan would have said something! They wouldn't just leave me hanging like this! Or Origin! He would have told me this was a possibility!"

"Lloyd, be logical: you think anyone's attempted this kind of time-travel before you? No. It's too dangerous, and most people don't have the power to in the first place! There were no theories before this because there was never any reason. But already I know things have changed in this course of history compared to ours, which is why I'm in the rather unique position to guess." His lips pulled back again and his words turned scathing. "Aren't I just lucky?"

Noishe sighed and leapt gently to his feet. "Mimi, that's enough. Sit down, I'll talk to him." As the protozoan pushed Mithos toward his bed, he turned to Lloyd with a small, apologetic smile. "Sorry 'bout him, he's been under a lot of pressure lately, this is probably the first time he's had a minute to rest in months… Anyway, what else do you want to know?"

Everything. That seemed a reasonable request at this point. Lloyd almost wished he hadn't come. His head hurt too much, but if this had come out in front of the group…his secrets would have been destroyed as well. It was slowly beginning to dawn on Lloyd just how little he could really handle that. If they knew he'd been lying to them the whole time…this wasn't a matter of race or even sides any more. This was about an all-out war that could destroy worlds. He wasn't sure he could admit to his friends all the things he had done. They would hate him.

"Tell me everything. How'd you get here? What's your future like? Why did you come? I-…wait…" Lloyd eyed the two carefully, remembering something Yuan had said before he left. "When I went back in time, I took over my old life. I became me again, though I kept all my angel powers and stuff. Why aren't you, you know, you?"

"Uh, Mithos? I think this one's for you…" Noishe plopped down beside Mithos on the bed. "Lloydie, take a seat, this could be awhile."

The angel glowered between Lloyd and Noishe. "Look, the best I can understand is that it all comes back to this multiple-universe thing again. You're from what I'll call a 'pure' future. It's set, you've made the choices and the timeline is not going to change. Then, when you went back in time, because you're the original, you took your own place. Noishe and I are, for the purpose of my metaphor, tainted. We're from a universe that isn't set in stone, so we couldn't take the place of our other selves. Believe me, I'd hoped I'd be in a position to squash that treacherous son of a bitch, but the universe had other ideas, as usual."

Lloyd wasn't sure he had understood a word of this, but he nodded and hoped his head would stop hurting. "So…the other questions…then?" It was time to stop thinking and just absorb. That would make this all easier.

He waited for the explanations to begin, but there seemed to be a silent argument going on between the two on the bed. Neither wanted to start explaining. Finally, it was Noishe who lost. "…our future…our version of the future, isn't very bright. Kvar swooped in and took over, attacked Cruxis while the group was in Tethe'alla, you guys had already weakened Cruxis enough that it was easy for the Desians to take over. I wasn't exactly there for this part, but that's when things started to go wrong—"

"He took us down without any trouble," Mithos hissed. "Locked me in my own damn cells and I had to listen to Kratos scream while he was tortured to death. The bastard brought me his effing head!" The blood had drained from Mithos' face, his clean but ragged hair falling in his eyes as he stared down at the comforter of his bed. His nails dug into the palms of his hands. "I never did hear what happened to Yuan. Don't know if he was captured or on the run or was cut down. Didn't get the chance to ask." His voice was so bitter, so full of regret, Lloyd couldn't help but almost feel sorry for him.

When Mithos fell silent, Noishe waited for a moment before picking up again. "The group came in after him pretty fast. I think the Renegades had gotten word to you guys or something. I got to stay down in Tethe'alla. You…you'd disappeared. Side effect of the whole time-travel thing. You disappeared at a point in one universe, you've got to disappear from them all. Your actions are completely unpredictable, so the future can't just insert you—you've got too much knowledge and foresight. Well…anyway… Without you, the group lost. Bad."

Lloyd's stomach was twisting as he listened to Noishe tell the story. The moment Mithos had spoken of his father's severed head, he'd known he couldn't handle the rest of the story. Still, though, he sat, silently waiting for more.

"Sheena was killed in the battle, and there are a few whispers that Regal actually made it out alive, but I've never seen him. If he is alive, he's keeping himself as under the radar as possible. Maybe he was trying to start a rebellion on the few humans left in the worlds, but there's not a whole lot to work with down there after the Desians got their way with the worlds… Um…Zelos…Zelos is still alive, and free, for that matter, but he sort of…" Noishe ran a hand through his green locks. "Um…"

"The snake sold you out," Mithos snapped coldly. "He kept the Church of Martel going, so the few people who're still around can turn to my benevolent sister and beg her for their salvation."

Noishe nodded sadly. "Yeah, pretty much… A-anyway, Colette and Presea both had their key crests taken. They're sort of just husks, waiting to die…" The protozoan's voice seemed to grow softer with every fate he bestowed on Lloyd's friends. "Raine…well, after Kvar realized you never showed up to the battle, he figured you'd gone into hiding. He figured that if anyone knew where you were, it would be your teacher… I think she's still alive, but she's been tortured for information. She won't give anything, but she doesn't know anything. She wouldn't have been alive much longer… And, Genis…" He was whispering now, and when he reached the young half-elf's name, his expression alone told Lloyd more than he wanted to know. There was something more though, more to Genis' story…

"He's dead," Mithos whispered, his face now buried in his hands. His voice was muffled and difficult to read. "Kvar found out fast that I was harder to take down than the rest. I'm an angel, and an old one. He guessed that I might know where you were, but he couldn't get the information out of me, not by any means that kept my heart going. So he figured out another way. I didn't just get to listen to Genis' torture, I got to watch." The words were more gasps now than real sound, but Lloyd listened, transfixed. "The one thing Kvar didn't count on was that Genis was a kid. He only lasted a few hours before he gave in and—…and…" A dry sob shook the Kharlan Hero, his face still buried in his hands.

Mithos Yggdrasill was crying.

As Noishe rubbed Mithos' back, Lloyd realized for the first time that he believed their story. It was impossble, it could easily be a lie, but he knew it wasn't. As impossible as it seemed, Mithos and Noishe were also from the future.

"…Mithos," he murmured, "I'm so sorry…" Guilt tugged at Lloyd's heart—Mithos' suffering and Genis' death were his fault, yet… this apocalyptic future felt utterly unreal. Almost like a story, not something that could actually happen…

The protozoan looked up from Mithos to meet Lloyd's eyes. Noishe's emerald eyes held so many centuries in them, so much pain, and so much light. He shook his head slightly, discouraging Lloyd to bother Mithos. "I think it was a few days later that I found him. I was sort of a dog at the time, so it was pretty easy to sneak around Derris-Kharlan and look for anyone I could help. I managed to break him out of his cell, but we were spotted and had to disappear, or we would have tried for the others. After Mithos' escape, Kvar tripled the guard around the rest of the group. We had to resort to sneaking around Welgaia.

"That's where we found our ticket to the past. See, we had wormed our way into some of the higher-security areas, hoping we could find Kvar and end him, or something like that, when we found it." The it came out so strongly that Lloyd couldn't help be drawn in. "We found a rip in time."

"And, what? You just jumped in? Hoped you'd end up someplace better than where you were?"

Noishe chuckled, "Pretty much, yeah. I hadn't eaten for a week, and Mithos was still weak from being held captive. What else were we going to do? If you'd found a way out at that point, you would've taken it too! And we learned something too. You know how Kvar came back in time?"

Lloyd began slowly, "No… He hinted at a few things, but never gave a real answer. Wouldn't give a real answer… He seemed to think it was more 'fun' this way…" He shook his head. The two mysteries that still eluded him were perhaps two of the most important: how Kvar was alive, and how he had traveled through time.

"That sounds like Kvar," Mithos hissed between the long, pale fingers that still covered his face. "Melodramatic to the very end. You know why he didn't tell you? Because the truth is both scarier and less impressive that what he'd led you to believe.

"You know?" Lloyd demanded. "Tell me!"

Mithos laughed bitterly and Noishe sighed, "Kay, so there are warps in time and space due to…well, Gods know what, that allow for things like time- and dimensional-travel. The idea behind the Eternal Sword's abilities when it comes to things like time and space is that you can create holes and bend space at will instead of the universe doing so at random, 'kay?" Lloyd was already lost. "Well…Kvar somehow survived when you blew up his ranch and he—"

"He waited," Mithos interrupted, his face rising from its bed of fingers and palms. "He waited for Gods know how long, remembering, loathing, plotting how he could have done things differently. Then, one day, a miracle appeared—a portal to another time. Kvar had nothing to lose, he stepped in and it brought him out in the perfect place to extract his revenge."

Lloyd was frozen. The idea of Kvar's plan, his plots, his actions being the result of random chance had never occurred to him before. For a moment, his heart soared. "But that means he's not as powerful as I thought! He didn't make some sort of time machine or have another Eternal Sword! It was just dumb luck!" It had all just been talk! Confidence that had been lost since the failed siege of the Asgard Ranch returned and Lloyd was beaming. "It's fantastic!"

"What's scarier, a villain who can do the impossible by his own hand, or a villain who appears to have luck on his side?" Mithos' voice was riddled with loathing, but behind his words, there was a real sense of horror. "I could do the impossible, and I fell because luck favored my opponents. That, boy, is a truly terrifying adversary."

His stomach plummeted. That was a concept Lloyd had never considered. Dumb luck: the ultimate weapon.

"…so," Lloyd asked quietly, honestly and truly unsure as to how to respond. "Was it luck that kept Kvar alive after Dad stabbed him and we blew him up?" His hands were shaking, Lloyd realized, as he stared down at them resting in his lap. "Because that's something I still don't get…"

Noishe glanced at Mithos, then back to Lloyd when the angel seemed content to stare numbly at the far wall, his anger dying once again to emptiness. "…we'd talked about that a little too, actually…" Noishe said slowly. "See, the thing is Kvar was a bit different from the other Grand Cardinals. Where Magnius intimidated, Forcystus was a hero, and Pronyma and Rodyle manipulated their way into power, Kvar was the best scientist that the Desians had. He'd studied chemistry, biology, and…medicine." The protozoan sighed, "We think he might have somehow patched himself together again after the explosion. Kratos is really good at killing things, but Kvar isn't stupid enough to practically invite you guys to his ranch without a backup plan.

"He could have pretended to be dead after Kratos stabbed him, and then managed to find the safest place in the room to save himself from the explosions. He was suspicious—that's how he's still alive!—and it's totally conceivable that he had a contingency plan all along. After he got out of the rubble of the ranch, he collected what he could and patched himself back together."

"…that's…insane!" Lloyd exploded. "You're telling me Kvar sewed himself back together, then plotted for probably decades about how he could have changed shit, and then a portal just pops up for his convenience? No way! Beyond no way!"

Noishe flipped his green bangs out of his face and sighed, "Lloydie, we're all from the future. I don't think it gets much more insane than that, let's be honest." Apparently confident that Mithos would survive his memories, the protozoan pulled his arm away from the angel and instead wrapped both arms around his knees, which he pulled up to rest on the edge of the mattress. "At least you're not alone now…"

Not alone now? Not alone now? These words seemed the most insane thing Lloyd had heard yet. He felt more isolated than ever! More secrets to keep from his friends, more hints about Kvar and his plans and, perhaps worst of all, the knowledge of what would happen if he failed to kill the Desian. Even listed rather numbly, almost distantly by Noishe, Lloyd felt ripped apart. Each fate was a sword stabbing through his own heart.

And now? Now Kvar was no longer a man, he was a force. A force driven by even fate itself, how could Lloyd compete with that?

His head hung, his hands clenched on his lap, Lloyd cursed softly. A few feet away, Noishe was still babbling some nonsense about how he and Mithos could help. Lloyd knew better than that. He wouldn't force Mithos to face Kvar ever again.

"Noishe…" he muttered. "No. You guys go and rest and stuff. Kvar's my problem…" He ran a hand through his hair in the same way Kratos always had.

"Excuse me?" Mithos said, his voice suddenly brimming with hatred. "I fully intend to see Kvar gutted, with or without your help, Aurion. I will be there to see him die. I will rip him limb from limb with my bare fingers for what he's done to me! So you just try to stop me."

Lloyd was staring again. "Wha—? But Mithos…how do we explain you to the group? Or, you know, your…other self?" Lloyd's head already wanted to explode. "Just stay out of the way."

"Mimi's right, Lloydie…" Noishe said softly, "We're as tangled up in this as you are, and we're going to help you. We don't want our future to…well, suck like it does now. And…Lloyd…speaking of allies…you should tell your friends."

"No way!" Lloyd answered too quickly.

Noishe sighed and shook his head again, and both of Mithos' eyebrows disappeared into his hairline. "Well, well, looks like Kvar did take a toll on you… What happened to the obnoxious brat who believed in his friends? Who knew he couldn't survive without his friends? Brat, you can't get by on your own. You're screwing yourself over if you try it. And you're leading them blindly into danger. Or did you miss what happened to Fujibayashi?"

Lloyd flinched. Somehow, in all of his musings, it had never occurred to him that he was practically killing his friends. He knew he was lying, but…somehow it had never come together the way Mithos said it.

"Well how would you handle something like this? I told Yuan and he didn't believe me! The future him had to write him a letter to tell him I was telling the truth! The guys'll flip! Raine and Zelos won't believe me, Colette and Presea are soulless, and Genis and Sheena'll think I've got insane!"

"You're basing the judgments of your closest friends off the initial reaction of Yuan. You realize that he is perhaps the most skeptical person to have lived, yes? Your friends may take convincing, but they'll believe you and side with you eventually. I know your friends," Mithos sniffed, as if remembering some unpleasant moments with these friends, "and they will support you till death."

They would. Lloyd knew they would. Yet, something held him back: they were still innocent. Cruxis had broken them, yes, but the intricacies of the universe had not yet made their way into his friend's minds. All the same…

"How? Do we tell them everything? About you? Me? The future? And what about Dad and Yuan? They're out there fighting a war, they deserve to know too! How do we tell them?"

Mithos waved the questions aside. "All at once. I have an idea…"

…

Wow that took longer than it should have. Sorry about the wait, guys! Still, hope enough questions were answered that you don't hate me!

R&R

~Yoshi