Copyright: Take what you will from this, but I own nothing...sadly...
"A stalemate...again..."
"This is just like the battle of Hericho..."
"You and I remember Hericho very differently Yuan." Kratos panted as he healed the gash in his arm, "Then again, we were on opposing sides."
"You and I were both shaped on those fields." Yuan lifted his sword back into his hand, "Right or Wrong, the Kharlan War made us into who we are. Men capable of making impossible decisions...trading one life for many others, staining our hands with blood that did not need to be shed...I suppose that's why we're both here."
"I didn't hear you oppose Mithos' insanity." Kratos pointed out as he readied to continue this sortie, "You were the fiancee of his sister, if you had said anything than he would have listened to you-"
"A fiancee who failed to protect his sister!" Yuan dashed forward and leapt towards Kratos while spinning his blade around his body as if in a dance. Kratos blocked the attack, but was forced on the defensive as Yuan angrily continued his assault, "And then there's your silence about the truth about everything that led to that hour! Did you believe that Mithos wouldn't believe his own master? The only man who he ever considered a father?"
"By the time I arrived-"
"When you arrived, it was already too late!" Yuan ducked down and slashed at Kratos' chest and his blade met Kratos' shield, "And now two worlds, countless generations and the very balance of life itself has been marred forever by the mistakes of three stupid men! That's why I commissioned the Angelus Project to put an end to it all!"
"I knew Kvar wasn't working alone." Kratos said as he pushed back with a force of strength that surprised his former friend, "That means Anna's death..."
"What happened to your woman was not intended. But if only for poetic justice, I am glad that the two of us are even. Your silence took away my Martel and my project took away your Anna."
"We're finished here." Kratos sheathed his sword as Yuan made no attempt to continue their battle, "I can't allow you to make this situation worse than it already is."
"Then why did you give the Rune Crest to the boy?"
"Curiosity," Kratos admitted, "I want to see how he changes this cycle if he can."
"Just like with Anna?" Kratos lowered his head as Yuan sheathed his weapon, "Why do you wait upon others to act? Especially since you could have stopped him long before this day."
"You're in no better position to accuse me, despite your plans." Kratos stated, "Lloyd will not act as you hope."
"How would you know?" Yuan asked spitefully, "Once he finds out the truth about you, he'll lose any respect that he might've had for your word."
"No, I simply know him better."
"Know him? You didn't even know that he was alive until now and that was only when you came to the Chosen's home under Yggdrassial's orders."
"You've set off a chain of events that you cannot possibly predict Yuan." Kratos stared down his former friend with an emotionless mask, on the inside he cried about how it had come to this, "Don't you realize what will happen when Lloyd comes to each of the seals?"
"Actually...I was counting on it."
"What's wrong Colette?"
"Do you want me to tell you what you want to hear?" Colette asked Lloyd, "Or the truth?"
"Colette..." Lloyd grabbed Colette's hand to assure her of his support, "Tell me the truth, even if it hurts...even if it's my fault-"
"No!" Colette cried out as she snapped her face away from Lloyd, "It's not you're fault but...Lloyd...I just don't know..."
"Know what?"
"What I'm supposed to do now..." Colette shook as she leaned on the railing, "All my life, I was raised to always be subservient to the goddess...as the chosen, I was told to put the needs of others before my own. That I would one day sacrifice myself to save this world for it's own good. My whole life was built on this and...I was scared about what I would have to face, but happy that it would bring such good in the world."
"But now..."
"Just before I set out on my journey, I find out that it's all a lie." Colette nearly choked on the last word, "The Goddess...the Journey...my fate as a Chosen...all of it is just part of a cycle of suffering...and my whole life is built on that lie!"
"Hey!" Lloyd grabbed her shoulders and pulled her over to face him, "Your life isn't a lie-"
"How can you say that Lloyd?" Tears were freely flowing out of her eyes, it almost made him want to cry, "I know you're just trying to help but...it's true...Colette Brunel...everything about me, about what and who I am...all that was built on Cruxis' lies!"
"So our bond is a lie?"
"No!" Colette wrapped placed her hands over Lloyd's as if afraid that he was about to leave, "That's not what I-"
"So your friendship with Genis and the professor were lies?" Lloyd continued though it was hurting him as much as it hurt her, but she needed to hear this, "What about your family? Is your love for them a lie? What about for the people of Sylvarant?"
"No...that's not what I meant..." Colette lowered her face in shame, "I'm sorry...I just sounded really selfish didn't I?"
"I'd say that it's about time." Lloyd said, using his hand to gently bring Colette's face up to face his, "The Church of Martel may be a lie, the Journey of Regeneration is a lie, but Colette Brunel is not a lie. You're a good person with people who love and want to help you and you love them. Don't change who you are because something wasn't true. That doesn't mean you're heart isn't in the right place or that who you are isn't who you are. Colette...it just means you have to find a way that is true to what you believe."
"Lloyd..." Colette smiled despite her tears, "Then what should I do?"
"You're not alone in this either." Lloyd affirmed to her, "I'm with you every step of the way, and so is Genis, Raine, Kratos, dad and maybe more! Together we'll find a way to stop Cruxis' plans."
"And save Sylverant?" Lloyd nodded as her mood was raised, "And this other world too?"
"Of course." Lloyd said to her, "What exactly are you supposed to do at the seals?"
"According to the Book of Spiritua..." Colette remembered though Lloyd saw that remembering something from her old life was hard, "The Chosen is to face the guardian of the seal, once they succeed, the chosen must pray upon the alter and receive the blessing of Cruxis."
"To increase the Cruxis Crystal's hold over you." Lloyd said to himself, "Colette, when we get the ruins tomorrow, do not let that rune crest fall from your body, understood?
"You gave this to me," Colette held up the rune crest attached to the necklace that she wore, "I'll never take it off."
"Atta girl." Lloyd gave his friend a pat on the shoulder, "Come on, I'll take you to your room."
"Wait..." Colette grabbed Lloyd's arm and spun into his arms with both facing towards the night sky, "Let's stay here...just for a while..."
"Colette..." Lloyd was unsure of this position...Colette's arms were holding his hands onto her stomach while her head rested upon his upper chest...it was something that he had never done but it was pleasant... "Alright..."
"Where are you?"
"Keep walking." Sheena grumbled as she pulled herself out of the neck deep water of the drain and used a fire seal to dry herself off.
"This better not be a-" Sheena ducked under the swift slash of a heavy spear and went into her stance when she saw her attacker,
"Filthy human!" A desian said while two others flanking him stood by with rapiers,"Take her alive so we'll have something to kill later."
"Bring it on." Sheena pulled out a pair of cards as she jumped onto the desian sentinel's lance and kicked him in his face. She then flipped onto the one of the other desian's shoulder and flipped him onto his back while Sheena landed on her feet.
Though disoriented by Sheena's opening attack, the other desians began to recover as the third fired a fireball. Sheena held out her card to create a barrier which held off the spell. But she was unable to properly counter before a rapier slash from her torso up to the side of her chest. It wasn't a serious injury, but it did cause pain and allowed for the ninja to drop any last reserves that she might have had about killing these people.
She slapped a card onto the man's face, creating a mirror-like image over his eyes that blinded him and allowed Sheena to slap another card onto his face. Said card exploded to create a gushing hole in the desian's body as the other two moved in to attack.
Sheena allowed the spear-desian to graze her shoulder, just so he would be completely open for when she pressed her palm over the man's neck and allowed the card in that palm to send energy from the serpent's seal straight into his air-tubes. As the soldier's face turned a different shade of color, Sheena moved on to the other soldier who slashed across her back. Causing her kimona to fall from her body and blood to flow down her back.
Sheena just smirked, if this guy wasn't an amatuer, that slash would have killed her or worst, paralyzed her for capture.
"Please...don't..." Sheena turned to the now pleading desian and jumped on him, wrapping her legs around his upper back and pressing her thighs around his head.
"Sorry..." Sheena apologized as she twisted her hips and broke the man's spine in at least three different spots, "I can't afford to spare you."
"Sheena!" Corrine jumped out of the water and jumped into Sheena's arms, "Are you alright? I knew I should've helped you!"
"Don't worry, they're just flesh wounds..." Sheena assured her worried summon spirit despite the sting that her injuries gave, "Hey! Where are you?"
"A guard huh?"
"Yeah...three" Sheena answered as she applied an orange gel to her wound, "So hurry up and tell me where you are!"
"You see a lever?" Sheena saw a lever near where the guard was originally sitting, "Pull it."
"Why?"
"You're looking for Efreet...aren't you?"
"How does he..." Seeing no other choice, Sheena pulled the lever and watched a pair of chains rise out of the pool of lava, "Yeah, I am looking for Efreet. Where is he?"
"Sealed, dormant until the Chosen comes." The voice said as a smoked figure was pulled out of the pool, "Why little girl?"
"Girl?" Sheena asked in outrage and immediately turned away upon seeing that this man was completely unclothed, "Do you know how many I've killed to come to this point?"
"And you've attained the pact of the Summon Spirit Gnome." "But it takes more than attainment to mark a pact maker, you have to have their loyalty and respect as well...traveling through a foreign world is not a popular tactic of endearment-"
"I'm not here to impress anyone!" Sheena shouted at the chained prisoner, "I just watched the supposed savior of my world stand by while the new King ordered the death my people! The leader of the attack ravaged one of my only friends before feeding her to his "pet". He would've done the same to me if it wasn't for the renegades..."
"You have been on the run for a long time." The figure said from above the molten lake, "As I said...release me...when the time comes, I can help you form a pact with Efreet."
"How could you help me?"
"Because I once held a pact with him." The man explained, "That pact was broken when the Lord of Cruxis placed this seal upon my body, forcing me to break my vow..."
"So if I take that out, what will happen?"
"I will be released." As the man looked like he was about to say more, he saw a card get thrown onto the object attached to his chest, "That didn't take long."
"We can help each other..." Sheena said as the card glow before exploding, cracking the crystal object and letting pieces and chunks fall into the molten lake, "Now what?"
"Just give me a moment..."
"Are you sure that your report is accurate, Kratos?"
"I am, Lord Yggdrassial." Yggradrassial heard his former teacher report, "Apparently, a masterful illusionist disguised himself as Yuan to fool Forcystus into killing the Chosen."
"That would mean that Forcystus was deceived by a mere trick..." Yggdrassial concluded while studying his teacher's expressions, "As loyal and dedicated a grand cardinal that he is...I highly doubt that..."
"I am only relaying-"
"Are you lying to me Kratos?" Mithos asked as Kratos doubled over while holding his head in emotional agony, "I know for certain that Yuan ordered Forcystus to attack the Chosen. If so, then that would mean that you're lying to me...I don't like being lied to."
"I am only relaying-"
"What you know, I can see that." Mithos stated as he released Kratos from his torment. It was times like this when he strongly regretted placing the Origin Seal within Kratos, "By the way, someone from the other world is in Sylvarant. When you get to the Trient Ruins, make sure that she doesn't interfere...whatever it takes."
"Understood." Kratos agreed, "What about Theron?"
"You need not concern yourself with him." Yggdrassial stated to Kratos, "Just ensure that the Chosen stays on her path and releases the seal. Understood, Kratos?"
"Of course...Mithos."
"Good, I thought that we would have a problem." Yggdrassial knew that there already was a problem, "Oh...and don't hesitate to bring the Angelus bearer to Forcystus if he tries to get in our way."
"To be punished for the cardinal's injury?"
"I have to repay Forcystus somehow..." Yggdrassial smirked as he saw Kratos cringe regretfully, "I've already sent Asbel and Farah to speak with the Chosen of Tethe'alla in case this situation grows worse."
"Asbel? Farah?" Now he had his attention, "Is it not Sylvarant's turn to become dominant in the cycle?"
"It is." Yggdrassial was slowly getting his point across without uttering a single word, "But once the girl is ready to be Martel's vessel, there won't be any need for either world. We Seraphim and our chosen angels from the ages will ascend into Derris Kharlan and go forth to create a new world."
"I...see..." Without a single word, Kratos' newborn rebellion was slain as soon as it was born, "With your leave, Mithos..."
"Very well, Kratos...Her will be done."
"Her will...be done..."
"They still see me as a child sister..." Yggdrassial sadly mused, "They'll never respect me as they should...and that is why they'll always be under my control."
"They've lied to my face for centuries..." Mithos Yggdrassial said while yawning, "Unaware that they're ignorance will only ensure that they're lives will be made that much worst. They treat me like some dark overlord wanting nothing more than to waste everything in my path and leave nothing left."
"But as you said sister," Mithos lied back against his throne, smiling as the threads of fate remained in his control, "If you can't convince them of what you are...give them what they want. They'll regret it soon enough..."
Author's Notes:
As the chosen's party nears the ruins of trient, what will Lloyd decide to do to free Colette from her burden? Can this newly freed prisoner be trusted or will Sheena have to stay on her guard? What is Yggdrassial planning to counter the disturbances in his grand scheme?
This chapter's been a long time in the making because I myself wasn't too sure about what to have in it. So I settled for stuff that would either directly tie into the first dungeon or into the overarching conflict. Overall, I think it turned out alright.
Agree? Disagree? Suggestions? Post in your reviews and enjoy.