[What-if] What if Martel was Lloyd's mother? What if he was born a few years before the Kharlan War? What if Lloyd unintentionally became the next Chosen? Tales of Symphonia "what-if", partially follows the game/manga/OVA. [AU]
Chapter three, here it is; my favorite chapter so far, since it has action in it, a little. I don't own Tales of Symphonia (almost typed "Sylvarant" lol. Tales of Sylvarant.) or the characters. Just this fanfiction idea. For some odd reason, I was listening Pokémon XD: Gale of Darkness music while typing this…Oh well, whatever. Review response's are at the bottom as last time. Last note, Kratos having an allergic reaction to tomatoes was funny. I searched the ToS archives to make sure no one else had that idea, but sadly, someone else did. ThePurpleRose, I will credit for the idea then, since I'm not the first.
Enjoy.
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The Goddess's Son of Mana
Chapter 3: Catastrophic Separation
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A couple days after Lloyd turned two years old, the small group of friends decided to leave Iselia and begin their travels again. Kratos didn't really agree on leaving with the young Lloyd in tow and his wife seemingly echoed that. However and somehow, Mithos begged and pleaded, namely saying "Lloyd will have to know what the rest of the world looks like when he gets older, so we may as well take him around now!" comment. It was true; eventually the toddler would grow older and adventure the world alongside his parents of course. Yuan minded as well, not wanting his godson exposed to the dangers of the world yet either, but Mithos was serious about his idea. After some thought, they went along with the suggestion, but would stop in the nearest town if something happened to Lloyd. The day they set off was warm and sunny to mimic the two-year-old's attitude and his uncle's as well.
During the travels from Iselia to Triet, they encountered a strange monster, or rather, a strange species. It was a small bird, appearing like hawks of sorts, but seemed friendly and understood the human language. Strangely enough, the green and white bird flew towards Kratos, perching itself upon his shoulder. The swordsman blinked in curiosity as did everyone else, except Lloyd. He wanted to grab the bird and mangle it with his grubby little hands, as he normally does things. As odd as that was, the green and white bird chirped, making Kratos unknowingly flinch. Deep down, he thought he heard someone talk to him. During his confusion, as with the group's, the bird landed to the ground near Lloyd before assuming another shape?
"Whoa…" Mithos blinked, amazed.
"It's…a shape shifting creature?" Yuan wondered.
"…" Kratos dotted silently. "It's taking on another form." He said, wondering how he knew that.
"This is a protozoan." Martel began, watching as the eyes of her companions quizzically stared at her. "They are ancient creatures that turn into another creature. I believe the first form is a fish, then it's a bird, then it's a dog, and lastly, it can become a human being. I have heard about them when we were in Heimdall."
"In the village of the elves?" Yuan asked rhetorically, with Mithos and Martel looking down. "Hm, that makes sense, but what is this protozoan doing out here?"
"Possibly relocating or migrating." Kratos added.
"Oh wow, look!" Mithos beamed and pointed out. The hawk-like bird creature was now in the shape of a dog-like creature, with mostly white fur upon its body. It had green patches of fur upon its chest, paws and tail. Its ears were wing-like and huge, almost as if it could fly with them. Lloyd squealed in delight and grabbed the protozoan's ears.
"Dwoggy!" He babbled happily.
The creature did nothing but grin. It liked being near this kid, and seemingly liked being drawn to the group, especially to the auburn-haired male. The dog-like creature barked happily, then whined to nuzzle Lloyd with its nose. The toddler giggled when the wet nose came in contact with his face. "Nwoshe!" Lloyd squeaked.
"Hm?" Martel wondered, kneeling down next to her son.
Yuan titled his head as he puzzled the random outburst of his godson's babble. "Noise?" He determined.
"No…he said "Noishe", and I was thinking of that, too." Kratos said, petting the dog's head. "Somehow, I felt it had told me that."
"That's strange." The blue haired half-elf admitted, though shrugged. "I suppose we keep him?"
"He doesn't appear dangerous and he seems to like Lloyd's company after all." Martel added with her usual smile. "All right then, Noishe comes with us." Her son twinkled in delight, being allowed to climb upon the dog's back and squeak happily. Well, that was that. The group of five was now six.
-x-x-x-
"Come on, Lloyd! Try and catch Uncle Mithos!" the blond beamed, running slowly so the clumsy child could catch up. It had been around five weeks since they had befriended Noishe and traveled the through the Triet desert and the Ossa Trail. They were in a bit of a clearing in the open, and Mithos took it upon himself to play with Lloyd as everyone was getting camp together. Noishe, however, was being the self proclaimed "guard dog" to make sure the boys didn't wander too far, and obviously stalked them when they managed to sway from his sight.
"Waaah!" Lloyd cried as he fell down, unable to get an inch closer to his laughing uncle. Mithos stopped, turned around and lifted the brunet to his feet. The toddler was almost in tears due to his stumble, his face lightly covered in dirt as well as his clothes.
"It's okay, Lloyd. You're okay, don't cry." Mithos cooed, brushing the dust off his nephew.
"No wanna pway that game no mwore." Lloyd pouted, crossing his tiny arms.
"Okay okay. We'll play something else. Hm, how about I help you use your wings to fly, Lloyd!"
"Fwy?" The boy repeated, albeit not correctly.
Mithos nodded. "Yeah! You have wings like me, Mommy, Daddy and Uncle Yuan!"
"Rweawy?" Lloyd tilted his head curiously. "How I have wings?"
"Uh, because your mommy and daddy have wings so you got yours from them." The blond tried explaining as easily as he could. Before the boy could ask how, Mithos said, "Now watch me." The toddler in his new red shirt watched as his uncle collected mana from his being and from his back, were transparent, purple-pinkish wings that illuminated in shades of a rainbow. They were shaped like a fairy's more or less, but provided the blond the ability to float and fly. Lloyd clapped in delight, watching his uncle as if he were some programmed television show. Mithos' wings were a sign of purity of his heart, despite his life before he met his friends.
"I wanna try!" Lloyd beamed as he shot up from his sitting position, closing his eyes tight, crunching up his hands into small fists. When nothing happened after one full minute, the brunet gave up. "I can't do it!" He cried.
"You just have to think about your wings, Lloyd." Mithos said quickly before his wailing got louder. "Don't think too hard or you can't control the mana around you."
"Huh? What's mwana?"
Crap. Mithos groaned to himself. He forgot the child had no idea what mana was. He knew his sister and brother-in-law would have told him when he reached a certain age, but now that the topic was on the toddler's mind, it wouldn't go away any sooner than his birthday cake. Scratching his head and with a low sigh as well as bracing himself for more rapid questions, the blond haired half-elf began, "It's the funny little feeling you get when you feel something in the air but can't grab it."
"Why I not grab it?"
Here we go. "I mean, you can't grab it with your hands. You have to think about it, Lloyd."
"Why?"
"Because it's invis—you can't see it with your eyes." He caught himself before he mentioned the word 'invisible'. It would have caused another train of questions and Mithos didn't know how much longer he could keep this up.
"Why?" Lloyd repeated himself, staring curiously at his uncle, who obviously knew a lot. "You know a lot. More than Daddy, Uncle Mitos!"
"Mithos." The blond corrected.
"Mi…tos!" Lloyd chirped. His uncle face palmed, deciding to ignore that incorrect version of his name. Lloyd was learning anyway, so it'd be awhile before he properly learned everyone's name. The boy giggled and for a second, Mithos believed this had distraction the brunet from his rapid questioning of mana. Good so far—or so he thought. "Uncle? Why I not feel mwana? Why mwana not see?" He asked.
I just jinxed myself… Mithos grumbled lightly then smiled. "You can't see it yet because you're too little. But when you get bigger, you'll be able to see lots of mana from everything!"
This caused Lloyd to smile wider. "Rweawy?! I see mwana when I get bigger?"
"Yup!"
"Yay!"
"So, Lloyd. Just think about your wings for now and they'll come out. Try it."
"But. I not know what they lwook like." He admitted. It was true; he had never seen his wings before and vaguely remembered anything that occurred when he was one-years-old.
"You don't know what they look like?" Mithos mused a little, getting an idea. "Okay, Lloyd. Think about wings that look like mine except only blue."
"Bwue? Like sky?" The toddler pointed to the clear sky above them.
"Yup, just like that color! Can you do that?"
The brunet looked down for a second, frowning. "I…I try uncle."
"Okay, go ahead. I'm right here so don't be scared, okay?"
"Mmhmm." Lloyd mumbled, closing his eyes again. His tiny hands didn't ball up into fists this time, but it was tempting to. He thought about his uncle's purply-pink wings, how they looked like, to the best of his ability. He then thought about them being as blue as the sky he had just seen. As he relaxed his body, something began welling up within him. He felt it, and the presence expanded, now leaving a tickling feeling on his back. The feeling then opened up like a story book, one on the left, the other on the right, and connected with the flow of the boy's mana. Lloyd gasped as he jolted his head upward, opening his eyes as quickly as he did. The expression of the tickle feeling caused him to flush in embarrassment. "U-uncle! I felt a tickle on me!" He cried, his eyes watering. He had no idea what just happened.
"It's okay Lloyd! It was just you focusing on your ma—on your powers." Mithos said, catching himself again. He definitely didn't want to repeat the mana questioning episode again.
"Wh-what?"
"Look, Lloyd, behind you."
Reluctantly, the toddler did so, his misting eyes now finding a pair of blurry appendages behind him. They were small, and shaped differently than his uncle's, but they were there! He rubbed his eyes, getting rid of his tears, focusing clearly on his bluish-green wings. They were transparent like Mithos', but had diamond-like patterns sketched upon them. The top portion of his wings were blue, which then towards the center of them, a gradient of light blue, which turned to a light shade of green. The green continued to grow lighter until it hit the bottom of the wings, ending in a pale, light green color, almost white. The colors upon the wings moved like waves did an ocean, glittering and sparkling as well. Lloyd gaped in surprise to see them, amazed.
"Those are your wings, Lloyd. They're pretty, huh?"
The boy turned around from his amazement, beaming brightly. "Yeah! Uncle teach Lloyd how wings grow!"
"Yeah! I did! I'll help you fly next time, okay?"
"Awwh! Why not now?" The boy pouted and complained.
"Well because your mommy and daddy would get very, very mad at Uncle for taking you too high up." Mithos explained carefully, pointing up to the sky as he verbalized. "When Mommy and Daddy say it's okay, then I'll take you. I promise!"
"Okay!" The boy, easily persuaded, chirped. Noishe approached them as they were laughing together, the protozoan nodded for them to follow him. Apparently, the campsite was finished and Martel had made lunch. Mithos placed his nephew on Noishe's back and withdrew his wings. Lloyd quizzically wondered how he did that, staring all the while at the blond. "Uncle? How you do that?" He pointed out as they began walking towards the camp. There were a few trees about and they lit up with the illumination of Lloyd's light from his wings.
"How I put my wings away?"
"Uh-huh."
"Hm, well, Lloyd, you just have to think about it."
"Why thwink?"
"Because it you don't think about them going away, they'll stay out. And then you'll get really, really sleepy if they stay out for too long." Mithos said, explaining mana exhaustion in small words the toddler could understand. He saw Lloyd's pale expression, patting the child on the head. "Lloyd, they won't go away forever if you make them go away. They'll still be there, but just…they'll be playing hide-n-seek for a long time until you want them out again."
"O-oh." The boy seemingly understood. "So, I thwink about them hide?"
"Mmhm. Go ahead."
The brunet closed his eyes again, now thinking of his wings going away and hiding. It took quite a moment for the child to get used to the mana withdrawing back into his small body, remaining still like water does in an unmoved cup. He gasped again, not feeling the wings behind him anymore, but rather, inside him. He shook the awkward feeling away, noticing the light faded off. His wings were gone now. As much as they felt weird, he enjoyed their presence, feeling one step safer and they also felt normal. Now, he felt incomplete for some reason and frowned unintentionally. Mithos smiled proudly at his nephew, rubbing his head affectionately. "Good job, Lloyd. When we're done with lunch, you can show Mommy, Daddy, and Uncle Yuan. And don't worry; your wings will always be there. You just have to think about them."
"Oh! O-okay!" the child giddily exclaimed.
When the three returned to the campsite, they sat down near the fire, Lloyd sandwiched between his parents, Mithos sitting next to Kratos and Yuan next to Martel. Noishe sat by Yuan, who gave the protozoan dog a scratch to the ear. Lunch had been brewed beef stew, without tomatoes, as the last time she made some, Kratos nearly died due to an allergic reaction and Lloyd almost followed suit. The boy got a rash instead of falling over like his father. So, tomatoes were taken off the menu from then on. When everyone had their bowl full of the delicious stew, including Noishe, a conversation started.
"So, where's our next stop?" Yuan asked as he spooned himself with the stew.
"I was thinking we could show Lloyd Palmacosta first." Kratos said as he observed a map in his hands. The boy in question sloppily ate his beef stew, which still caused Mithos and Yuan to cringe. The child had slightly outgrown his messy, disgusting eating habits from a year ago, but they all hadn't gone away. Even with Martel's motherly help, the brunet was still messy.
The blue-haired half-elf nodded. "Ah, the city built on the water."
"Sounds fun!" Mithos lightly beamed, trying to ignore his nephew's slurping. "We should go!"
Kratos looked up from the map. "Martel, what do you think?" The green-haired half-elf smiled lightly as she whipped out her usual wet cloth—though this was a new one—and began wiping down the messy, young angel from his constant spilling. She had been listening and was in the process of thinking. Palmacosta was usually shined upon with great weather and it would be a good idea to show Lloyd the ocean and it would be a great change in their menu to add fish to it. Her pale, gold eyes found her husband's, that smile never fading.
"I think it's a wonderful idea. It would also be a wise idea to show him real boats and ships, too. Learning never hurts." The goddess-like woman laughed angelically. Noishe grunted in response, seemingly agreeing with their traveling plans. The protozoan actually had no objections this far anyway. "Then, that settles it then. Lloyd, do you want to go see the ocean?" The slurping boy looked up from his bowl, clueless.
"What oshen, Mommy?" He wondered, obviously pronouncing the word 'ocean' incorrectly.
"It's a big, big place with lots of water, honey. You'll see a lot of swimming fish and we'll see boats, too."
"Boats? Wike my toy boat?"
"Mmhm."
"So, oshen just big bathtwub?" He asked next.
"Yup! That's all it is!"
"Okay!" He didn't need much convincing. Everyone shared a chuckle after Lloyd's reply, resuming their beef stew for a few minutes again. Once lunch was over, Kratos volunteered to clean off their bowls and utensils at the nearest stream, taking Noishe with him. When the auburn haired man was out of earshot—namely because Kratos was an angel and angels had exceptional hearing—Mithos eyed Yuan and his sister, beginning a new conversation with the two.
"Sis, Yuan. Lloyd has to show you something." Mithos said, smiling.
"What?" Both chimed together.
The blond turned to Lloyd, who was equally clueless. "Lloyd, show them your wings." Getting it now, the brunet giggled, now closing his eyes. It wasn't as tight as before; he appeared relaxed this time though his hands twisted to ball up when he focused. The mana connection hit him like a wave again, exerting itself and expanding, flowing and shaping into the illuminate diamond-patterned, dove-like wings they all knew too well. When it was finished, the boy opened his eyes and arms, laughing. "Ta-daaaah!" He beamed the wings flapped whimsically behind him.
"Look, Mommy!" He chirped as he rushed to her, hugging her. Martel smiled in delight, rubbing his head.
"I see them, Lloyd. They're so beautiful."
"He learned how to release them himself?" Yuan asked Mithos who shook his head.
"No. I showed him how to do it, and then it came naturally, really. Lloyd's really something special, isn't he?" The blond smiled.
Yuan, staring at him, then to Martel giggling with Lloyd, smiled himself. His coveting had returned and he mentally slapped himself out of it. "You're right. He is special. We must take good care of him." The blue-haired half-elf stroked Lloyd's hair after Martel, chuckling when the boy attempted to flap his small wings.
"When I get bigger, Uncle Mitos show me how fwy!" the toddler exclaimed excitedly. He released himself from his mother's grasp and began running around in circles with his arms out like an airplane. The young mother eyed her brother after this, a questionable expression ever-so present on her face. "You're going to show him how to fly?" The blond nodded proudly, a determined expression locked on.
"I know you don't want him to be up so high, Sis. But, look at him. He's very happy. If I tell him no, he'll just cry…"
"Yes…I worry about that. But, Mithos promise me it won't be too high for him." His sister said.
"I won't, I promise."
At this moment, Kratos returned to see everyone sitting around, having ended the light conversation. He also spotted his son running around in circles with his arms out, obviously making himself dizzy. The boy kept running around almost nonstop, however it ended within two minutes. He was, fortunately for his parents, getting dizzy and spun out of control, landing on his rear. The boy's small head lightly spun, trying to snap out of the trance. "Whooaaaahhh I…I feel spinny." Lloyd mumbled, holding his head as much as he could. Sighing, Kratos handed the bowls to Yuan, who took them and began packing them into their traveling bag, and picked up his son. Feeling the ground leaving, Lloyd saw his father's concerned face before attempting to smile. "Daddy, I spin too much." He admitted truthfully. "My tummy hurts."
"Well, you shouldn't have…been running around like that." Kratos half lectured.
The child understood that and frowned. "Sowwy, Daddy." Martel stood up and approached her two boys, putting on a reassuring smile.
"Kratos."
"Yes, Martel?"
"Don't be so stiff with him. He's just a boy, not a soldier." She reminded.
"…Right." The man sighed a little before putting his son upon his shoulders. Instantly, as if a light switch turned on, the child forgot his worries and giggled. "We'll leave first thing in the morning tomorrow."
Hours later, the sun had set and the shadows of the night were casting over them. Noishe had curled up near the new, brimming fire, sleeping softly. Mithos was next to the protozoan dog, simply relaxing. Yuan and Kratos were still awake, being on alert for monsters or the like while Martel was soothing little Lloyd to sleep. The boy exhausted himself, playing with Noishe and his uncle, though persisted to fight his sleep as any young child would. She finally got him to close his beady eyes and fall into a peaceful slumber in her arms using her motherly stroking of his hair, face, back and her angelic humming melody. Eventually Martel lied her son down on her sleeping bag, covering him up with his blanket snuggly. She remained by his side as she watched the three other males quietly.
The silence was cut by Yuan, who brushed his blue bangs from his face. "When do you think he'll lose his ability to sleep?" He asked randomly, though namely at the boy's parents. Martel blinked curiously and Kratos gave an askance gaze.
"I'm…not sure." Martel answered. "Perhaps when he is older, he will. He doesn't have an Exsphere like us, so it may come naturally for him."
"Then, he will lose his eating ability…" Kratos sighed. He had forgotten what being an angel meant, and with his son being one due to heritage, he'd likely lose his senses at a slower pace than he and the others did. What a shame. Martel apparently kept some of her abilities, such as eating and touch. At times, she could sleep, other times she couldn't; but Mithos, Yuan and Kratos couldn't sleep anymore. Were they different angels than Martel? The silence continued as the fire crackled and kept going; only the sounds of crickets chirped and the light breeze of the night could be heard.
Tomorrow…
They would head for Palmacosta, to show Lloyd the ocean.
-x-x-x-
One Year Later
-x-x-x-
"Mommy! Look at this!" Lloyd chirped, running towards a tall tree. It was bigger than any tree he'd ever seen or climbed. Since he had gotten used to his wings, just slightly, the brunet had been climbing every single tree his eyes snapped onto. Lloyd was wearing a long-sleeve white shirt, dark blue shorts, long white socks that stopped below his kneecaps and wore dark brown slip-ons. The small heel of the boy's shoes thundered against the bare ground when it connected, stopping when he paused at the huge tree. Lloyd was three years old now, and his vocabulary improved and increased. It was as if you were talking to a six year old stuck in a three-year-old's body. The child also showed a liking to the angelic language, being taught by his father and Yuan when he turned three years old. Lastly, the boy's vast amount of mana, as Yuan suspected, had doubled. It was not only rivaling Kratos', but barely surpassed the auburn's own.
He knew the boy would need to learn some arts of magic for defense, if the time ever arose. When the blue-haired half-elf approached the situation with Martel and Kratos, they understood, however, Kratos was a little nervous, if one could say, about the effect it would have on the boy.
"What should I teach him? Attacking magic or healing magic?" Yuan asked, eying the parents. "He'll more or less get the hang of the angelic techniques later, but right now, is if we can show him how to use the basics. He'll be more adept in learning them later on since it'll already be registered in his mind." Martel and Kratos exchanged glances before turning back to Yuan. The half-elf man was serious, due to his tone of voice, and would most likely teach his godson magic regardless of their answer.
"…How about both, then?" Kratos asked, Yuan blinking.
"You want him to learn…both?"
"Well, whether we say no or not, you'd show him how to do it anyway." Martel said, smiling.
"…Eh…"
"Yuan. If you want to show him how to use magic, you're more than welcome to. But, please don't do anything reckless..." The goddess-like woman added.
Taking this as a yes, Yuan nodded. "All right then. I'll only show and teach him the basics. Now then, if you'll excuse me, I'll be taking my godson for a walk." He smiled, getting up from his spot. He spotted Lloyd messing with Noishe's ears, calling the boy to follow him. The brunet quickly abandoned Noishe—after saying goodbye to the protozoan—eagerly trailing after his godfather excitedly. Kratos and Martel watched them go, both was deeming the outcomes of what could possibly go wrong. Though, Lloyd was in good hands, and they shouldn't worry.
Since then, Yuan had been teaching Lloyd basic spells such as First Aid and Fire ball. Lloyd mastered First Aid easily but stumbled on the Fire ball spell for awhile. He managed to get it within the few hours Yuan was coaching him.
Today, the group stopped at this particular tree as Lloyd noticed it, gleaming with glee. "It's so big! I want to climb it!" The child giggled.
"No Lloyd, you'll get hurt." Kratos said in his fatherly tone.
"Awwh…" the boy pouted but obeyed anyway.
They moved from the tree into a field of flowers, similar to when Mithos discovered them three and a half years ago. Except, this time, the flowers were yellow instead of white. Lloyd rushed towards them, however, not before clumsily falling down and landing on his face. Martel walked over to him, lifting the child up and drying his light tears from his eyes. She smiled reassuringly and ran her motherly fingers through his wild locks of light brown hair. "It's all right, Lloyd. It's just a small scrape." Martel told the sniffing boy. He was sitting down, his mother holding his leg carefully as a little bit of mana formed into a white ball of magic.
"First Aid," she casted the light magic poured out and began mending the child's minor injury. The sniffing boy stopped, watching as his "owwie" vanished, not even leaving a scar behind.
"Mommy, thank-you." Lloyd said as he dried the remainder of his tears.
Martel smiled, nodding her welcome to Lloyd who resumed his eagerness to get to the field of flowers. Martel, now twenty-three, watched as her son pranced around with Noishe. Mithos, now fourteen-year old, Kratos and Yuan shared the same age, both being twenty-five. All three adults and teenager were on edge, however. Ever since they learned of an oncoming war between the kingdoms of Sylvarant and Tethe'alla, they hurriedly attempted to reach Heimdall, the village of the elves. However, due to the discrimination of half-elves consuming majority of the world and by this, both Yggdrasil siblings was blamed for a misfortune they didn't cause. They were banished from their once-home, now leaving them homeless.
Through another series of events, they tried to save an injured messenger, who had come from the kingdom of Tethe'alla. He left them a few words, mumbling, "Tethe'alla is in danger…Sylvarant will invade soon…"
Just as they feared; a war was coming.
"Sister, we have to do something about this." Mithos said as they sat down. "We can't let the kingdoms fight because of magitechnology!"
"What can we do? We're only a small group." Yuan reminded him.
"And whatever we do, we put Lloyd in danger." Kratos added, trying to subdue his fatherly tone. "I do not want Lloyd to be in the midst of this."
"I want to help, but Lloyd…He means so much to me. To all of us." Martel spoke up next. "I can't put him in harm's way even in the slightest."
Mithos glanced over to his nephew, whom was oblivious to every little thing, then glared at the ground. "I…I want this to be a peaceful world for Lloyd to live in. For all of us to live in. We can't just sit here and do nothing. We have to do something! Please!" He shot up, staring at his older companions. "Kratos, you've been training me with swords. I know I won't be a burden. I'm adept in my magic. I won't sit by and watch as the world crumbles to nothing! Aselia has to live on!"
"Mithos…" Martel quietly spoke his name, watching her brother stand there, determined.
"I only trained you in swordsmanship and toughened your magic up to help us fight in case we were ever attacked without notice." Kratos said, eying the teenager. "Mithos, calm down, we'll…think of something. Right now, we should try to warn the Tethe'allans about the invasion." The blond smiled; at least they were going to do something other than sit on their asses and do nothing.
-x-x-x-
It was all for nothing. Kratos, Mithos, Yuan, Martel, along with Lloyd and Noishe, had traveled so far for two weeks to reach the capitol of Tethe'alla to warn them of the oncoming invasion of Sylvarant, only to be met with rejection; rejection because of their race. They were soon escorted out of the capitol and ordered to never return with their 'outrageous lies'. It was stupid and it fueled more rage into the teenager of the group. "How could they do that to us!?" He roared, glaring at nothing in particular. "How could they ignore us!? We were telling the truth! We wouldn't have come all this way just to lie!"
"Mithos, calm down." Martel tried to soothe her brother. "They have their reasons for not believing us…"
"By outcasting us because we're half-elves?! That isn't justice, Sister!"
"Well, whether we like it or not, they won't listen to reason. If what we heard from that messenger, then we better get ourselves out of this city." Yuan said urgently.
"I agree. I do not want Lloyd to be caught in this any longer than he already is." Kratos added. Said boy was sleeping in his mother's grasp.
"H-how can you both be so calm about this? They just—!" Mithos started but was stopped by Kratos' glare.
"We can't do anything."
"We can intercept it, though." The blue-haired half-elf began, gaining the attention of the others. "I know it won't be much, but if we can manage to stop it even for a little while, perhaps the Tethe'allans will realize it and mobilize their knights in time." He sighed as he caught the glare of Kratos, an extremely worried glance from Martel, and a half-beaming expression from Mithos. Noishe whined to object, however. "It's…a suggestion."
"Yeah." The blond agreed. "If we can slow down Sylvarant's forces, then maybe there can be a way to stop this."
"No." Kratos voiced bluntly. "Any move we make puts Lloyd in danger."
"He'll be with Noishe. He can take him far from the fights!" Mithos attempted, however the father wasn't budging.
"No, I simply cannot allow it."
They were getting nowhere, but eventually, in the end, the group decided to leave the capitol. They couldn't do anything else while being there and it wasn't good for Lloyd, either. It was cold and the boy didn't have long pants either. This was going from bad to worse; how could they stop this all from happening? What could they do now? They were running out of options, and had slim chances of ever finding anymore to boot. Kratos' eyes fell upon his wife and child, recalling the time in which they had all been so happy together. Their smiles, the friendship; was it all going to end soon? No…There was something that had to be done.
Suddenly, as they left the city, Mithos brought up an idea. "We should go make pacts with the Summon Spirits." He began. "We can stop this consumption of mana. The magitechnology…we have to stop it all."
"And what, pray tell, would us making pacts with the summon spirits do?" Yuan wondered, raising an eyebrow.
Mithos looked down, fists clenched tightly. He hadn't been expecting that question. However, he soon thought of something else, a world in which the magitechnology would no longer absorb mana. To preserve the world, but at the same time, separate it into halves so the warring could stop. It was clever, simple, and it could be possible! He turned to the group, smiling. "We split the world in half. I'll make the pacts with the summon spirits. Then, we can split the world in half! That way, we'll be stopping the magitechnology, the war and then…!"
"Are you insane?" Yuan questioned the child.
"No. I'm simple!" Mithos snapped. "I'm only looking out for ours and the world's best interests! Come on! We don't know it'll work until we try! Please!"
"It'll put Lloyd in danger." The parents of the child stated, however Kratos' voice took more hold on it.
"He'll be with us and we can protect him!" Mithos insisted.
"No, absolutely not." Kratos glared.
-x-x-x-
Unfortunately for Kratos, they went along with Mithos' crazy idea of making pacts with the summon spirits, taking Lloyd along with them. Martel was nervous and uncomfortable with the decision herself, having not agreed to it. However, her brother had a point; they couldn't sit and do nothing while the world went to war because of magitechnology. As they were already in Tethe'alla, the group first ventured to the nearest summon spirit's location. First was Volt, the Summon Spirit of Lightning, Gnome, the Summon Spirit of Earth, Shadow, the Summon Spirit of Darkness, and Celsius, the Summon Spirit of Ice. Out of all the Summon Spirits thus far, Lloyd was terrified of Shadow, and Mithos made sure the spirit was as far from his nephew as possible. It was a month later when they were on their way to Sylvarant to make pacts with the Sylvaranti spirits when they learned of Tethe'alla's capitol falling by the invasion of the other kingdom.
This more or less strengthened Mithos' will to continue making pacts in order to fulfill his goal.
Upon reaching Sylvarant, they first made their way towards Triet, to make a pact with Efreet, the Summon Spirit of Fire first. Once the pact was made, the desert around Triet seemingly became hotter for some reason. Not that it affected the group much, except Noishe. He wasn't an angelic being and therefore needed water. Lloyd, despite his inheritance, was grasping for water when given it. This had been his official second time through this desert, however, he had been younger the last time. Grateful they were out of the desert, they resumed their trek towards the next temple that held the next spirit. So far, the fights within the dungeon-like temples were easy, however on many accounts, Lloyd had been nearly targeted by random attacks by monsters. Kratos swore under his breath he would unleash Judgment upon any creature or thing that got within twelve feet of range near Lloyd.
Their next summon spirit was Undine, the Summon Spirit of Water, then Sylph, the Summon Spirit of Wind, the double Summon Spirits of Light, Luna and Aska, and lastly, Maxwell, an ancient spirit that keeps the city Exire aloft in the air. It had been a long and arduous journey, and by the time they were nearing the last summon spirit, Lloyd was nearing his fourth birthday. It was dangerous for him to be with them while they were venturing through the world, fending off monsters and soldiers alike, who would attack them, thinking they were the opposing kingdom's knights-in-disguise. The child grew terrified of every fight that started, but was lead off each time by Noishe as his parents, uncle and godfather fought to protect them. Lloyd had never seen any of the fights, and therefore, remained absentmindedly oblivious to danger. Regardless, he could tell something was wrong each time his family returned from their fights.
Still, his cheery attitude managed to cheer them up, reminding them one reason why they were doing this.
Through difficulties, the small family arrived at Origin's seal, the divine deity of mana eying them skeptically. He had four arms; two crossed over another, the other pair at his hips. He had long, dirty blond hair, narrow, green eyes, pointed ears and large, draconic-like wings behind him. Now this spirit, Lloyd was deathly afraid of, and to prove it, he hid behind his father's legs. Origin stared at each one of them, particularly at the toddler.
"What business do you have with me?" Origin asked.
"W…We have come to make a pact with you, Origin." Mithos answered, fighting off his own fear of the spirit.
"…Why seek me out for this pact, pray tell?"
The blond could feel the spirit's glaring green eyes upon his very soul, but kept strong. This was the last one, and then, they could save the world. "The world is going to war, Origin. Magitechnology is draining mana out of the Great Kharlan Tree, out of the world of Aselia. I've pledged my vow with each pact of the world. I want to save this world. I want to separate it to protect what mana is left in this world and preserve it." Mithos said, putting on a determined face. Origin, having listened to the young half-elf's words, stared half curiously at him. His eyes turned to Martel, then Yuan, then Kratos, and lastly, on Lloyd. The toddler gasped, hiding completely behind Kratos, scared. This man with strange four arms had a huge amount of mana and it was scaring him.
After what seemed to be forever of silence, Origin spoke, "Give me your vow." He was serious? Mithos nodded to Kratos who had to waste a second prying Lloyd off his leg.
"Daddy!" The boy cried as his mother held him instead.
"Daddy's going to be fine, Lloyd." Martel assured him.
"I vow to separate the mana links of Sylvarant and Tethe'alla, to separate both kingdoms into two worlds, to prevent magitechnology from consuming mana. I vow that this will stop the war that is terrorizing the world, and I will use the Great Seed to restore mana back to the world." Mithos said, looking at Kratos. "This is both of our vows. I wish for Kratos Aurion to hold the pact with you, Origin." The king of the summon spirits turned to the auburn haired man, locking gazes before speaking again.
"It shall be done." Origin said as his entire being turned into a flash of light, which fell upon Mithos and Kratos—the latter kneeling down once the vast amount of mana had been absorbed into his body. However, while Mithos was the pact holder, Kratos now became the seal of Origin to further more hold the vow made. Origin reappeared before them, looking down at the group. "I have your vow. Do not break our trust, Mithos Yggdrasil." The king of summon spirits said. The blond-haired half-elf nodded, bowing.
"You have my word, Origin. Thank you."
Kratos stood up from having knelt over, due to the huge surge of mana that flooded into his body. He looked towards his wife and son, the latter having tears in his eyes. The swordsman approached them, hugging them in a tight embrace. Their journey for the seals had been over, and now, it was time to stop the war. This was something Kratos was not fond of, having his wife on the battlefield, should they get involved, and his son nearby where he could get hurt, despite Noishe's willingness to protect him. Yuan, being the silent one in this, stared at the scene of the couple and their son before turning back to Mithos, who was now asking Origin something.
"…To create a sword able to split the worlds apart, is that what you ask for, Master of the Pact?"
"Yes. In order to fulfill the vow, I must sever the worlds." Mithos said with his determined voice again.
"…Very well. It shall be done." Origin spoke, closing his eyes. "Master of the Pact, close your eyes." The blond half-elf did as instructed. A large, ball of mana appeared from nowhere between Mithos and Origin, taking shape very slowly. "This is what I can offer to you, Master of the Pact, Mithos Yggdrasil. This sword, called the Eternal Sword—" the shape of the mana's light now forging into a tall edge, "—shall do whatever you ask of it. It has the power to do any bidding you claim. It will follow your heart's desires." Once Origin stopped talking, the ethereal appearing weapon magically hovered in place, a golden aura emitting from it. Mithos opened his eyes, feeling the instant connection with this sword. This was his now; a weapon capable of nearly anything his heart desired, which included splitting the world in half.
"Origin… Thank-you."
"There is but a promise I must ask of you before you leave." Origin locked gazes firmly with Mithos'. "By having this sword and my pact with your vow, do you, Mithos Yggdrasil, promise to use the Great Seed to restore mana into the world?"
Kratos, Martel and Yuan stared at the blond-haired teenager who nodded. "I swear upon my life that I will."
As if the next thing was impossible, Origin smiled, albeit only lightly. "I have your word, Master of the Pact. Farewell." In a flash of light, Origin vanished, with the entire area's glow dying out and replaced with the light of the setting sun. The Eternal Sword vanished as well, but Mithos knew he could call it anytime he wanted or needed it. After a moment of silence, he turned to his family, smiling.
"It's time to do this. Come on!"
-x-x-x-
"Guuaaaah!" a man yelled as a sword pierced through his heart, falling to his death. The blade was orange-red in color, shaped oddly, but its owner knew it well. The man turned around to find his companion not too far, having slain down another that tried to attack him. This bloodshed was getting them nowhere! But it was necessary.
"Kratos! There's too many of them!" Yuan told the auburn haired man, who barely responded. He was still in shock, not because of the spilled blood that bathed the ground. It was not because of cannons firing mana blasts every ten minutes from the opposing sides. It was not because of people were dying before his very hands, or the fact that fire burned all around them. It had been much, much worse than that. The man gripped his Flameberge, snarling as another soldier tried to attack him foolishly. "Kratos!" Yuan shouted, trying to snap the man out of his deathly daze. Fiery irises locked glances with emerald ones, the blue-haired half-elf glaring at him. "Kratos! She's going to be fine and we'll find Lloyd! Trust me!"
"…" The auburn dotted wordlessly.
"We have to retreat for now! Let us stop this senseless fighting and find Lloyd! Come on!"
"They need to pay. Every last one of them." Kratos replied darkly, anger unleashing with every word. "I cannot believe…they stabbed her. And right in front of him! I'll kill them all I'll—!"
"Kratos! Snap out of it! I'm just as angry as you are, but this won't help Martel! Let's go."
Before the duo could leave, they were attacked by another onslaught of soldiers.
-x-x-x-
Four hours earlier…
-x-x-x-
"Come on Lloyd, run!" Martel said with panic as she grabbed her son's hand and began running off from the battlefield. Yuan, Mithos and Kratos had the soldiers blocked off from attacking her and the child. They were told to run far as they could, and they would catch up. Noishe was behind them, making sure the mother and son were safe.
"Mommy! My…my legs hurt!" Lloyd cried. It made matters worse when he tripped over a tree stump and fell down. "Owwie!" The boy wailed. Martel quickly picked the boy up and continued running, occasionally looking back to see if her husband, brother and Yuan were coming. All she could hear with her angelic hearing were clangs of steel meeting one another, groans of men dying and the cannons firing off in the fair distance. None of these sounds were good news to her, but she remained strong. She knew the three were strong enough and would be coming back. Her thoughts were interrupted by the wailing of Lloyd.
"Mommy! Owww! It hurts! Where's Daddy? Waaaah!" The boy balled out crying.
"Shhh, it's going to be okay, Lloyd." Martel whispered in a hushed tone, trying to calm the toddler down. She ran until she could no longer move for awhile, panting as she put her back up to a tree bark. With her leftover strength, she casted First Aid upon Lloyd's injuries, hoping to keep him quiet and calm until it was safe. "Don't cry. Daddy, Uncle Yuan and Uncle Mithos will be back soon, okay? They're keeping the bad men away."
"Why…Why are the bad men trying to hurt us, Mommy?" Lloyd asked, worried.
Before Martel could answer, voices shouted, "There's someone over here!" The green-haired half-elf woman panicked, her grip on her son tightening as she raised her staff in defense, forcing Lloyd behind her. Soon enough, three soldiers appeared, now grinning when they spotted the woman and her child, along with a growling Noishe. "Well, well, well. Look at what we have here! Looks like some wench and her pet, heh. Now where might you be going?"
"I have nothing to say to you." Martel spoke deeply, her once cheerful face now changed into a serious compression. While she was loving and caring most of the time, nothing would get to her child.
"Oh? What a rude tone you have there. I don't like it." One of the soldiers grunted. Another noticed the shivering, panicking child behind the woman's legs. He noticed the round ears of the child, and the pointed ones of hers, growling. "You're a half-elf, aren't you?!"
"And what if I am?"
"Heh, I didn't know half-elves were capable of stealing human children. I bet it's some way to get into the cities. Well, look here, missy. Hand over the child and we might spare you." This only made Martel's grip on her son tightened, the boy whimpering in fear. The men in armor were scary to him, and were trying to come after him? His eyes began to water again, backing away and closer to his mother as much as possible. "Mommy. I don't want the bad men to take me away!"
"I won't let them, Lloyd." Martel told her son truthfully, keeping her eyes upon the soldiers.
"Well then, I suppose you'll have to die! Haaaah!" The first soldier rushed forward, only to be met with Noishe's huge claws. The second and third soldier raced around him to jab their swords at Martel, only to have the woman avoid with ease, even with Lloyd attached to her leg. The boy was crying loudly, which the woman herself wanted to stop fighting and assure him everything was fine. Unfortunately, she couldn't do that. Martel used the end of her staff to knock one soldier harshly to the ground, then used the upper end to smack the other down as well. She backed up, her pale gold eyes focused on their recovering movements. At least, not for long; a magic incantation circle appeared below her as she began her spell. After the quick chant, she shouted, "Holy Lance!" The light magic spell collided with the two soldiers who attempted hers and Lloyd's life, finishing them.
Noishe returned to her side, having clawed up the first soldier, noticing the wailing boy on the woman's leg, stuck as if he clued himself there. Lloyd had calmed down very slightly when Martel was using her spell in the angelic language, being soothed by it as it reminded him of her singing at night. The half-elf woman carefully pried her son off her leg, holding him gently in her arms as she and Noishe walked away from the scene. "Lloyd's it's all right. The bad men are gone now." The protozoan dog walked ahead, just in case more soldiers tried to ambush them in the thick woods, where they would hide for now. She assured him with a loving smile as always and it calmed the child down for the moment. However, she felt it was not yet over…
"Woman! Hold!" Another round of soldiers flooded from nowhere. This time, they were Tethe'allan knights, which wasn't much a surprise. Lloyd gasped again as once again, Martel held onto him. However, she was now at a disadvantage. She was holding the boy and would have a harder time avoiding their attacks if they ever get past Noishe. It was four of them this time, and would be a lot tougher. Still, she wasn't going to give up. "It's a half-elf! Get her!"
"What about the child?"
"Who cares? Kill him, too!"
The four knights foolishly charged forward, two them mangled by Noishe however, and the other two advanced Martel. She used her staff to block off their attacks, swinging Lloyd onto her back. "Don't let go of me, Lloyd!" She ordered the toddler, who cried and held on as tight as he could. She parried one of the sword swings, using the end of her staff to bash their skulls in like last time. Unfortunately, these knights recovered faster than the last ones; they were getting up, only to be clobbered by Noishe's weight and attack. Good ole, Noishe. "Good boy, Noishe. Now let's get out of here before more come—"
"Mommy!" Lloyd yelled. The half-elf woman spun around instantly, time seemed to have slowed down. The soldier that Noishe attacked earlier had followed them! And in his hands, was his bloodied sword. He stabbed forward as time stopped instantly. Martel gaped, eyes widened as she spat blood from her mouth. The man's blade drove through her abdomen, bursting from the other side with blood. It splattered across the ground, onto the tree behind her and…onto Lloyd. The child had been nearly been dropped from her back, but he held on for dear life. The soldier's sadistic grin widened when he withdrew his weapon, watching the woman fall slowly. Martel landed on her left, cringing and coughing up more blood with the man towering over her. Her beautiful green hair was spotted in red blotches, sprawled out like a wild blanket.
"Ha-ha-ha-ha! Th-thought you got rid of me?! Damn half-elf!" The soldier spat.
Lloyd eventually let go of his mother's shoulders, looking down upon her pale, frail body, terror written all over his face. She wasn't moving at all. The brunet became truly terrified, wondering why his mother was so still. Why was she sleeping? "…M…Mommy?" He whispered, tears forming and rolling down his young face. "Mommy…get up! The bad man is here!"
"It's over, kid!" the soldier blared, laughing. "She's a goner, and so are you!" He reared his foot back and kicked the four-year-old far from the near dying woman's body. Lloyd cried for his life, rolling as he tumbled far. Noishe growled, now standing in front of the child defensively. Inwardly, he was annoyed at himself. How could he have let Martel get hurt? He was supposed to be protecting her! That wasn't all, though. "Martel!" Standing in the distance was Yuan, Mithos and Kratos. All three were in shock of what they had seen; this man had stabbed Martel and kicked Lloyd. The woman's name was called by the blue-haired half-elf.
The scene repeated itself inside Kratos' mind. Martel was stabbed, no—his wife was stabbed! His son was kicked away from his mother. How could this man have done this? How? Why?! The human angel released himself from his shock, furious beyond any man's rage. How dare this bastard of a soldier attack his family! He stormed over towards the soldier in a heartbeat, the Flamberge with him as his death-baring red eyes glared upon him to bring judgment. The Tethe'allan didn't last another second; the flame-based sword was quicker to his neck than a tornado rampaging through a city. New blood spilled and exploded over Kratos and the ground, however he had not a care. He was lost in his rage, lost in his fury, lost in his anger. It seemed as if his soul didn't exist any longer for a blink of a second. Mithos fell to his knees, his eyes watering up, looking at the fallen form of his sister.
Why did that man stab her? She was only with her child! She was only trying to protect his nephew. So, why?
Kratos dropped his sword, falling towards Martel, carefully turned her over, and cradling her body in his arms to see her face pale. He listened carefully and realized she was still alive! She still had time! "Mithos!" the swordsman shouted to the younger half-elf. "There's still time to save her! Hurry! Heal her!" He commanded. The boy shook from his shock, standing up clumsily as he raced over to his sister's presence. Yuan, also enraged at his ex-crush's near demise, went to check on Lloyd. The boy had only suffered a bump to his head, though he was out cold. Still alive, but he wouldn't be waking up anytime soon. The blue-haired man rubbed his godson's face, holding the precious boy close. He had seen everything; his mother being stabbed by the soldier, all the blood. His innocence would be cut deeply in half, and he blamed himself. He should have been there for them…This wouldn't have happened if he was…
Mithos began using his magic to heal his sister's grave wound as Kratos held her up, his grip on her hand tight as hers to his. It was almost like four years ago, when she giving birth to their son. The woman barely opened her pale golden eyes, straining to see her husband holding her close, her brother healing her and now Yuan with the unconscious Lloyd in his grasp. "Is…Lloyd…okay?" Martel asked softly, earning a nod from Yuan.
"He is just unconscious. He will recover, but it will be a little while." Yuan replied. Martel smiled weakly, watching her son for only a moment.
"…Please…bring him to me…"
Yuan obliged, bringing the boy to her level, having to kneel to his knees of course. The green-haired woman looked over her son, running her hand through his wild, light brown locks. She noticed her blood was upon the boy, his white shirt stained, and one of his shoes was missing. With the remainder of her magical power, Martel seemingly poured her soul into the boy, a golden light enveloping him completely. The aura around the child soon turned into a solid encasing of sorts, almost making Lloyd appear in a coma like a cocoon. Kratos, Yuan and Mithos stared in wonder at what she did, clueless and curious. Before they could ask, the solid encasing of Lloyd floated upwards slowly, then shot up into the sky disappearing from sight!
"M-Martel? What did you—?" Yuan mumbled but couldn't finish.
"I gave Lloyd the rest of…my mana." The woman replied weakly, her breath shortening. "…I…sent him…far from here…far away from this…war." She smiled again, placing her hand on Kratos' own. "…He…he will…be safe."
"…Martel."
"Kratos…I'm…so sorry."
"Don't apologize, save your energy. We'll get you somewhere safe to heal you and then we'll find Lloyd." The auburn stated firmly, believing it wasn't over yet.
"Sister! You're going to be fine! We won't let you die here!" Mithos told her, still using his magic on her wound. He noticed it wasn't working, that he was being depleted of mana each second as he poured his will into his sister's wound. Kratos began to help his student, applying magic to healing her grave injury as well.
"Mithos…Kratos…Yuan…" She called to each other their names, each male glancing to her worriedly. "I…wish we can all live in a world, free of discrimination. Where everyone can live happily together, whether they are spirits, elves, humans, dwarves or half-elves; a world in which…everyone can exist…equally."
"Sister, that is why we made pacts with the summon spirits! We are going to make that world, even though we must split it apart!" Mithos urged. "Martel, hang on! Please, please don't leave me!"
She closed her eyes, but smiled warmly. Tears were flooding from her eyes, her grip on Kratos' hand tighter than ever. "Kratos…Do…not give up… I love you, Kratos. Please…take care…of our little Lloyd."
"Martel, I love you too, I—" The man knew his angel senses were failing to keep his human traits off for good. Tears shed down his face, and they wouldn't stop. He felt if they stopped, Martel would disappear and be gone forever. "Martel…don't…don't let…"
"I'm…sorry Kratos…Mithos…Yuan… I'm so sorry… I'll…never forget your kindness, for your support, for your love. You never mistreated my brother and I. You never let discrimination get the best of you… And…Kratos, you gave me…the best gift of life…" She opened her eyes one last time, tears riding down her features. This warming smile was to her husband, her close, best friend. "You…gave me Lloyd. Our precious child…Please tell Lloyd…Mommy loves him so much. He…will be…so…ha…ppy." Kratos stared, horrified, the never-ending tears pouring out of his eyes, as his wife's hand slipped out of his slowly, her eyes closed and her last breath was given. No…No…This…this was a nightmare. This had to be a nightmare.
His heart stopped and Mithos gaped in fear. "Sister? Sister?! SISTER!" He yelled repeatedly, panicking and trying to shake her awake. Yuan looked away, fists clenched tightly together. Why did it have to be her? She was innocent to everything! And Lloyd! Where was he? How would they find him? "Wake up! Open your eyes! Sister!" Mithos cried again, crying. "…Wake up, please! I need you, Sister! I need you with me! Don't leave me! Sister! SISTER! No, come back!" Kratos could only stare at her unmoving body, feeling frozen there, trembling. His wife…was dead and his son was sent somewhere far by his wife's mana. In any way one would look at it, Kratos had virtually lost everything. His heart, his soul, his life… It vanished. If that wasn't the worst, Martel's body vaporized under her husband's grasp, leaving only her pure, blue jewel—her Exsphere.
Mithos gasped, shaking as he picked it up. He could feel her soul residing in it. It was her memento.
Sobbing, sniffing and standing up now, Mithos clutched the Exsphere in his hands tightly, but without breaking it. His mind was wrapped around this and her last words. Yes, he would split Sylvarant and Tethe'alla apart, to stop this war, to stop the magitechnology. But one thing was for certain he would do when that task was finished.
He would revive his sister.
Galdr: Oh my gosh, finally done. I know, it's all so sad, sorry. I was listening to Soul Poetry, a Baten Kaitos: Eternal Wings and the Lost Ocean song for the part where Martel dies. It seemed fitting. And yeah, Lloydie-boy is…gone. Whee! …I'm so evil. I spent from 11am this morning (12/13/2012) to 9:53pm to type all of this. xD It's over 9,000! No seriously.
Review responses!
WakaBakaLaka (Guest): Thanks for the review! Yuan? Forming Cruxis? Erm, that was a thought in my head actually, but I thought I'd keep Mithos on that one. xD Perhaps in another "version" of this, I could try that.
Marina Ka-Fai: Thank-you for your compliment/review! :D I was a little nervous if my interpretation of Martel/Kratos pairing would be…well…accepted in the ToS, uh…group of fan-fics I guess. I'm glad I'm one of your heroes. xD Thanks! Sadly, the Martel/Kratos pairing slightly ends at this chapter (three) but it'll be spoken about throughout the story.
Anyhoots, review this chapter if you all like! Thanks for any story faves/adds and whatnot! I appreciate them!