MEGA-UPDATE YAAAAY!
*ahem* this chapter is long... Very long. But it gets all the necessary canon out of the way, with a helping of Forcy for good measure. From now on... things will change. For the better. Honest.
In other news... GAH, FF,NET, KEEP MY PAGEBREAKS IN FOR ONCE! *ahem*
Has it ever bugged anyone else that whilst enemies dissolve into mana when they die, if any character central to the story perishes, their body remains intact? It doesn't make sense. If anyone can come up with an explanation I'd like to hear it ^^
Kirimori - Wow, I'm... Touched that you felt my story was that good ^^ I'll admit that my characterisation isn't perfect ^_^" And wow, 14 chapters straight... Just wow.
His past will be explained in much greater detail later, including all the reasons for his angelicness, etc., especially in Tethe'alla. A lot of interesting things are planned for Tethe'alla.
Hitoko - They do still apply... If I wrote Shelloyd and ForcyxRaine. I'm still undecided about the others. Suggestions are welcome! ^^
Archeron - ^^ thankies. It'll be a few chapters yet though, but it's before they leave Sylvarant. That's all I'm saying :P
Symphoniafan - I'm glad someone liked it (Heh...). I'm on half term atm, which is why I had enough time to write such a long chapter... And I'm fully recovered! :D
bdd - thanks! :D
Chapter two: A trap, a betrayal, and Forcystus
They encountered only a few monsters during the walk, and Lloyd and Kratos took care of them in minimal time, with barely any need of support from Genis and Raine. Kratos made a comment or two about Lloyd's sword skills, making Lloyd get a little angry and snap at the mercenary for insulting Forcystus and tell him that they'd served him just fine against a fairly powerful Renegade. Kratos had simply laughed and told him not to get overconfident. Lloyd, consequently, had fought even harder to try and prove himself to the swordsman.
The group ran into Neil as they approached the Ranch. He was stood just off the path in the trees, wringing his hands in a nervous way and generally looking unhappy.
"Chosen!" He called as loudly as he dared, attracting their attention. The group went over. "Please… Turn back," he begged. "I know you are concerned about Chocolat, but…"
"We're not turning back," Lloyd cut in defiantly. "This isn't just about Chocolat. I have to do this. For a friend." Neil sighed softly, still looking highly uncomfortable.
"I know that… This will sound a little… Odd, but…" He mumbled. "Well, you may have been promised Militia help, but…"
"Is something up with the militia?" Genis asked, concerned. "Has there been an attack?" Neil shook his head. He seemed white, and Lloyd could see that he was having to fight an internal battle. He'd seen the look often enough on Forcystus.
"No, no, nothing like that… But…" Neil tried, biting his lip. Kratos sighed.
"So it is a trap," he murmured. "I was beginning to suspect as much."
"What?" Lloyd asked. "How come?" Kratos sighed softly.
"To begin with, the Desians only took one person," he replied. "If they were truly angry at the insult which had been inflicted upon their leader, they would have simply razed the town. It made no sense. And secondly, Forcystus. The entire situation surrounding him seems senseless." Neil nodded.
"As you say," he agreed mournfully. "The Governor-General… Is working with the Desians of this Ranch." He seemed torn as he said it, as though it pained him to admit it. "He has been, ever since… The death of his wife."
"That still doesn't explain why he would hand over one of his own to humans," Raine remarked. Neil looked at her with a frown.
"You mean the half-elf?" He asked. "Magnius gave him to Dorr as a prisoner shortly before they went to… To hang Cacao. They said he had… 'betrayed their trust'." Lloyd's eyes narrowed dangerously.
"That filthy Desian scumbag Magnius!" He spat. "How could he do something like that? Forcystus was their friend, their ally! He…" He trailed off and shook his head. "This is… All my fault…" Neil gave him a strange look, wringing his hands again.
"But, you see now why it is important for you to leave?" He asked. "The Desians want the Chosen… They have been working with Dorr towards this purpose. They wish to kill her." Colette made a muffled noise of shock, hands over her mouth.
"I see…" Kratos murmured, looking troubled. "This is a troubling development indeed. Have you any idea why Dorr would choose to do this?" Neil shook his head.
"No," he murmured. "Even after Clara, he…" He trailed off, looking at the floor.
"I can't turn back!" Lloyd exclaimed suddenly. "I'm not asking Colette to go, but I can't just turn away! This isn't just for Chocolat! If I don't do this… Forcystus will… Will…"
"Ah, they were going to hang him, weren't they?" Neil murmured. "But… You're human. He's a half-elf. Why do you want to save him?" Lloyd's fingers brushed over the feather in his pocket.
"…It's complicated," he replied eventually. Kratos sighed at that.
"…We will return to Palmacosta for now," he decided evenly. "It is nearly sunset as it is. We will ascertain the whole of the situation from Dorr and return on the morrow." Neil bit his lip.
"If… If you think it wise, I can't stop you," he replied. "But… Please take care, Chosen. You are the light of our world, that gives us hope."
"I'll do my best!" Colette promised. "You don't need to worry. I won't let any Desians stop me from regenerating the world!" Neil seemed somewhat reassured by that.
"I will remain here with a small branch of faithful militiamen," he told them. "If anything untoward happens, you will be the first to know. Good luck… Whatever your reasons."
"Thank you," Lloyd mumbled. If Magnius would really harm Colette… He shook his head. Before he made any decisions, he needed to know what was happening. And for that, he needed to talk to Forcystus.
Lloyd glanced back at the Ranch as they left the forest and shuddered. The sunset light bathed it in a fitting deep red glow, as though its walls had been washed with blood.
It gives off an air of evil just by being there, he thought morosely. I wonder why Magnius thought letting one person go worth giving Forcystus to the Palmacostans for? I know what half-elves are like about their own kind… He shook his head, glancing up occasionally for monsters. But he set his troops on Colette before… Unless he expected them to be killed…Lloyd shuddered at the horror of sending people to die. Something's up with Magnius. I've got to talk to Forcystus… I've got to find out what. Something here isn't right at all, not in the least Dorr working with Desians… He broke off his thoughts to stick a giant beetle to the ground with his sword, the thought of Pronyma being left out to be eaten by them on Forcystus' suggestion bringing a slight smile to his lips. And why didn't Forcystus resist against the Palmacostans? Even bound, he could hold his own with magic, they hadn't gagged him… And I don't see why he wouldn't want to cause a ruckus, because he's a Desian… Even if he is different from the rest. Oh… I hope he didn't mind me telling the people of Palmacosta he wasn't a Desian… A hawk fell to Lloyd's blade as he jumped and slashed at it, and a quick Sonic Thrust finished off a wolf jumping for him. Kratos finished off a second wolf with a jumping slash, then supported Genis' magic with a Fireball of his own. And Kratos has elven blood in him somewhere, he has to; Lloyd thought absently, distracted from his thought train. A Giant Beetle fell to Raine's light magic, and the group continued on. We've really been back and forth today, Lloyd thought. The sun was beginning to dip in the sky, and Lloyd was worried. What if they didn't make it to Chocolat in time? He knew how little time it took to process a new Ranch inmate…
A wolf went down to Kratos' sword, they didn't even stop moving. Lloyd could see Palmacosta in the distance, and his danger instinct was running on high. Something really wasn't right. And it wasn't going to end up good for them… Lloyd just hoped that Forcystus wouldn't end up caught in the crossfire.
There was no trouble apparent in Palmacosta when they arrived, but they wasted no time in going straight into the central square. Forcystus had been lashed up on what seemed to be a wooden cross outside the church, arms out, feet bound together.
"…Lloyd," he murmured, and the group went up to him. "Is something wrong?"
"What have they done to you? That's barbaric!" Lloyd exclaimed. An almost imperceptible frown had touched Kratos' face. Forcystus laughed softly, a slight smile on his face.
"I'm a half-elf," he replied. "I'm scum. What else did you expect?" He sighed. "I presume you have a reason for being here?" He asked eventually. "Aside from getting a kick out of seeing a Desian put in his place?" Lloyd cursed softly.
"Shut up," he told Forcystus, who nodded obligingly. "We've been told by Neil – you know Neil?" Forcystus inclined his head in agreement, staying quiet. Lloyd bit his lip. "Um, we've been told by Neil that the Governor-General is working with the Desians, so we came back to question him about it, and we were wondering if you knew anything, so…" Lloyd trailed off. Forcystus had a sad smile on his face.
"You're such an idiot," he murmured. "Risking destroying the Ranch for me. Didn't I tell you to forget the Desians, forget the Ranches? You never listen, do you?"
"I couldn't just leave you to die!" Lloyd protested. Kratos put one hand on his shoulder, cautioning him.
"Too loud," he told Lloyd softly. "Desian, answer the question." Forcystus sighed, ignoring Lloyd's protests to Kratos.
"Well, I have been to Magnius' Ranch a few times," he replied. "One thing is certain; trying to storm the entrance would not be a wise move. It is heavily guarded, and has surveillance."
"Surveyance?" Colette asked, confused, but Forcystus just shook his head.
"Lloyd will tell you. There is a side entrance, but Magnius has changed the passcode since I last came, you will have to get that out of Dorr I am afraid." He frowned slightly, thinking. "Magnius works by warp portals. I'm sure you can find a radar machine to stick your ring into, Lloyd, and you'll need it to reveal the mana on the transporter. Otherwise you'll be going nowhere. Let's see…" He broke off, thinking. "Once you get into the main teleporter area, go west, west, south, north, north, west, north, west, north. I think that's right. That should get you to the control room at any rate, which is where you'll find Magnius." He sighed. "One thing. Someone has been feeding Magnius lies. He believes Colette forsaken." He looked straight at Kratos when he said that.
"Forsaken?" Colette asked, confused. Forcystus sighed.
"It shouldn't matter. Keep your guard up and you should be fine. You'll need pass cards to activate the main teleporter, but I know what you're like, Lloyd, no doubt you'll kill enough Desians to find them." Lloyd grinned sheepishly. "Do not let Colette get hurt. I cannot stress enough how important that is," Forcystus replied.
"…It is my job to ensure that," Kratos replied. Forcystus looked at him.
"…Perhaps," he replied. "But they will not hesitate to kill her. Damn this… I didn't think Magnius would be so stupid as to allow himself to be deceived, but I have little choice in the matter, I suspect." Kratos laughed softly.
"It does not appear so," he remarked. Lloyd jerked out of his grip.
"Forcystus, I swear I'll get you out of here," he promised. Forcystus laughed.
"I'm just fine right here, Lloyd," he replied. "Unless the town militia decide they want to hang me again. That would be troublesome. But at least it would get me out of trouble with Lord Yggdrasill." He sighed and hung his head.
"Who's Yggdrasill?" Colette asked. Forcystus looked up at her.
"My boss," he replied, quite frankly. Lloyd crossed his arms, irritated.
"I'd quit if I had him as a boss," he replied. Forcystus laughed.
"Some people can't quit, Lloyd. Now get lost before the townsfolk start judging you for associating with a half-elf. Go on, get going." Lloyd nodded.
"We'll be back for you," he promised. Kratos gave him a long look, but started to follow Lloyd eventually.
"...I kept him safe," Forcystus whispered. Kratos paused.
"…I will catch you up," he told Raine, going back over to the half-elf. Raine frowned, but nodded despite that and walked after Lloyd. "…Forcystus. What exactly has occurred that would make Lloyd incur the wrath of Lord Yggdrasill?" Forcystus sighed.
"A mistake on my part, forgive me," he replied softly. "Lloyd has… One of my feathers." Kratos raised an eyebrow.
"One of yours, Desian?" He murmured. "Does the bangle not work?"
"I gave it to Lloyd when Kvar visited." Kratos hmmed softly under his breath.
"…Thank you for keeping him safe for me," he murmured. "I did not realise the situation with Lord Yggdrasill was so severe. He will not interfere with the Chosen, however, so perhaps the best situation is that you remain with us. Lloyd seems determined." Forcystus nodded.
"Like father, like son," he murmured with a slight smile. Kratos made an irritated noise, despite the torn look on his face, and he turned and caught up with Lloyd and the others. Forcystus sighed, bowing his head. Lloyd… Forgive me…
The group had snuck in and managed to ascertain that the building was empty when Kratos joined them.
"He'd better not've run off," Lloyd muttered. "I'm not chasing after him this late at night."
"Wait, I think I hear something!" Colette cut in. the group fell silent, straining to listen. "From the basement!" She told them excitedly. "It sounds like people talking."
"I don't hear anything," Lloyd murmured dubiously.
"I hear it," Kratos cut in, as though that decided the matter. "It will do no harm to investigate." He grabbed Lloyd's shoulder as the teen made for the stairs. "To investigate quietly," he amended. Lloyd rolled his eyes.
"Yeah, yeah, I got it," he replied, creeping down the stairs silently. I'll pretend I'm creeping around the Ranch. Easy, he thought, sneaking down into the basement and hiding behind some convenient boxes. Lloyd loved convenient boxes, and convenient empty rooms. They were always there for him when he needed them. Kratos, giving the room a quick cursory glance, stopped just behind Lloyd.
"It's no good," a rough voice demanded. "You were asked to do one simple thing, and you can't do it? Not to mention that you've been giving us less and less Gald!"
"But…" Dorr asked weakly, desperately. "Th-there was a group of people… The Chosen's group… They protested to the people… I thought that, maybe, once you had them, we could use him as a scapegoat, since… Since…"
"Silence!" Lloyd winced at the sound of someone – presumably Dorr – being hit. "There are no 'buts' involved! We told you to kill him, so kill him! Inferior rat…"
"I-if I do this… Will you… Will Clara…" Dorr asked weakly. The Desian made an amused noise.
"Maybe if your next contribution is more fitting, Lord Magnius will consider it," he replied. "You should count yourself lucky that we're even thinking of helping a weakling like you!" There was a pause, and Lloyd bit his lip.
"…I will… Send some men to dispose of the prisoner…" Dorr murmured eventually. "And… I will try to find more money… It's just there are so few places to get it from… The taxes, the church offerings… I don't have any other options, please!" The Desian laughed.
"No need to worry about him," he replied. "We'll deal with him on the way out. Just make sure you don't fail us again, else we may have to cure your wife in a different way." Lloyd's grip tightened on his swords.
"He…" He started softly to Kratos, who nodded, and Lloyd jumped out once the Desian started walking and stabbed him clean through the chest. He looked surprised, trying to form words, but fell silently to the floor as Lloyd pulled the sword out. "Nobody hurts my friends," he spat, and the rest of the group ran down at the sound. Dorr gasped.
"You!" He exclaimed. Lloyd turned.
"What, surprised?" He asked absently. Dorr groaned, looking away.
"…There will be hell to pay for this…" He murmured softly. Lloyd glared.
"Like you haven't already done enough evil!" He protested. A little girl, presumably his daughter, peeked out at them from behind Dorr's leg, a surprisingly evil expression on her face.
"Neil… What have you done with Neil?" Dorr demanded. "You… Imposters!"
"Neil is fine," Raine informed him. "He helped us, warned us of the danger you have imposed on us."
"How could you do this to Palmacosta?" Lloyd demanded. "All these people, they trust you! They put their lives in your hands! You're betraying them!"
"I had no choice," Dorr whispered. "I had to… To save my wife…"
"What's wrong with your wife?" Colette asked, worried, glancing around the room.
"Surely it can't be worth co-operating with Desians for!" Lloyd added. Dorr glared at him.
"You hypocrite," he spat. "You save a Desian's life then accuse me of being evil?" He laughed hollowly. "At least I have a reason! Look what they've done to her!" He pulled the cloth away from one of the cages, and the sight made Lloyd's blood run cold. He heard Kratos' sharp intake of breath, and Genis cry out in horror, but he couldn't tear his eyes away. She was an Exbelua.
An Exsphere victim… He thought. Like… Marble. Oh, Martel, like mom… He felt numb. No wonder he had co-operated…
"You cannot save them when they are like that," Kratos murmured softly. "There is no saving them."
"She's… Crying…" Colette whispered, dumbstruck.
"And you call me evil," Dorr muttered, his voice low, sad. "I had no choice!" That snapped Lloyd out of his numbness.
"No!" He exclaimed. "You had every choice! You could have tried to search for a cure!" He rounded on Dorr angrily. "If you thought it could be cured, why bow to them just because they hold the promise of it in front of your heads? Why betray your people for a chance?! You should have resigned, taken them somewhere safe and looked yourself, rather than abusing the trust of the townspeople!"
"Lloyd," Kratos told him sternly, and he backed down, seething inwardly.
"No wonder you told the townspeople she was dead," Raine murmured. "It is a terrible fate for anyone to suffer…"
"It was fighting the Desians that caused this," Dorr muttered. "If my father hadn't been so militant… Clara, she… She…"
"But you're betraying the city!" Genis protested. Lloyd winced slightly as Kratos put one hand on his shoulder, shaking his head slightly as he started to agree.
"Do not get angry," he told him quietly. "If you get angry, you will say something you will regret." Lloyd made an angry noise. Well, he felt angry.
"This way is better," Dorr declared. "This way is definite." Lloyd winced as Kratos gripped his shoulder tighter to prevent him retorting. "And at least occasionally they let us kill one of them… And you call yourself righteous when you tried to save him? Good riddance to all of them, I say."
"Don't you dare," Lloyd hissed. "I made a deal. Him for Magnius! If I defeat Magnius, I can try and find a cure… If there is one. If you even touch him…"
"Lloyd," Kratos cautioned. The girl by Dorr's side laughed.
"That's great!" She remarked. "You think you can save them! There's no way to save them, surely you should know that by now." And with that, she produced a dagger and slammed it straight into Dorr's back.
"K-Kilia…?" Dorr choked out, falling to his knees. Lloyd couldn't believe what he was seeing. That little girl… Had she just killed her own father?
"What are you doing?" Genis exclaimed, shocked.
"How could you do that to your own father?" Lloyd demanded as Dorr fell to the floor. Losing both his parents meant that family was important to him. He had had Dirk, true, but he still cherished family. He wished he could have had his parents when he was a child. Strangely, the girl laughed.
"That's a laugh!" She exclaimed, and with a glow of mana the girl disappeared, replaced with a purple demon of some sort. Lloyd recoiled.
What on earth…? He wondered.
"I am a servant of Lady Pronyma, leader of the five Desian Grand Cardinals," the demon explained.
"She's the one who should be left out to be eaten by the Giant Bugs," Lloyd explained to Colette and Genis, making the demon glare at him hatefully.
"…I was merely assigned to watch over the new human cultivation technique developed by Magnius," she continued, hatred and scorn in her voice. "There's no way that a superior half-elf such as I could have a fool of a father like this!" Lloyd could feel anger rising in him, but this time Kratos' grip on his shoulder brought him back to earth, making him glare at the mercenary.
"A… Fool of a father?" Colette repeated, horrified. Lloyd could have sworn he heard Kratos murmured something about Remiel at that point, but he could barely hear it.
"Just look at him!" Kilia offered, indicating the dying Dorr. "He didn't even notice his own daughter was dead, because he was too busy chasing after medicine that doesn't exist to try and save his monster wife!" She laughed, a high-pitched, extremely irritating laugh. Lloyd's fist clenched.
"You…" He hissed, drawing his swords. "She's not the monster! You are!" he charged at her, dimly aware that Kratos had drawn his sword behind him and that Genis was chanting a spell, but all he could think about was inflicting as much pain as possible on the demon who dared to so defile a family. Besides, it was also a way of getting back at Pronyma for casting Leonazium on him. That was still a sore point. At least all Kvar had done was grab him… And try to take him back to Asgard… And kill his mom… And… Lloyd cut off his thought train by Beasting Kilia. Haha, Pronyma, Leonazium THAT! He thought triumphantly as the demon-child picked herself up and tried to cast magic. Kratos interrupted her by slashing at her, she jumped back, but Lloyd was ready for her and met her with a thrust. It went straight through her shoulder, and a tentacle sprouted from her back to knock Lloyd to the floor.
"Lloyd!" Kratos and Colette exclaimed at the same time. Lloyd jumped back to his feet.
"She's got nothing on Forcystus," he replied absently, charging again and hacking off the offending tentacle. Kilia shrieked in anger and tried to hit out at Lloyd, but Kratos blocked it and Lloyd stabbed at her. She fell to the floor.
"This… Can't be…" She panted. "Fine, then… I'll just… Set this monster… Free, and… Let it kill you all!" She clawed the lock off the prison cell, then fell to the floor and slowly dissolved in a glow of mana, defeated. The creature in the cage lurched out, making a noise of confusion that just sounded like a scream of anger.
"…No…" Lloyd murmured. "Not again… Do I have to kill another innocent victim?" Kratos' grip tightened on his sword, a look of determination on his face. It wavered slightly as Clara moved forwards.
"Stop!" Colette cried, rushing forwards, and the creature let out a moan and moved forwards. Lloyd stepped out of its way, as did Raine, and it dragged itself up the stairs and away from them.
Mom… How did dad feel… When you turned into a creature like that… And he had to cut you down…? Lloyd wondered. The blame for his mother's death lay with Kvar, he knew that now. How could he possibly blame his dad…?
"Kilia…" Dorr moaned from the floor. Lloyd knelt by him, trying to avoid the growing pool of blood from the knife wound. Lloyd could tell by the way he looked that it was a mortal wound. "Is she… Really… Dead…?" Lloyd bit his lip, glanced up at the others, then shook his head.
"No… She was an imposter. Your daughter is safe," he replied. Dorr smiled slightly.
"Thank… You…" He whispered. "Your… Name's… Lloyd?" Lloyd nodded.
"Don't waste your energy," Raine told him gently, trying a healing spell. The white light glowed around him, but didn't seem to help. Dorr coughed.
"It's… Alright," he whispered. "Please… Be safe." With a shaking hand, he reached into a pocket and retrieved a card key, holding it up with bloodstained fingers to Lloyd, who took it gently. Dorr's arm fell. "They… Wanted you… For something," he managed. "Don't… Let them… Get you. I'm sorry… For Chocolat. She was… Only bait." He coughed, blood spattering his hands. "The passcode is… 3…3…4…1…" He broke off to have another coughing fit. "And please… Although… It may… Seem selfish…" He took a breath, even the act of breathing hard now. "Please… Save… C-cla… Ra…" His eyes closed with one final sigh, and he lay there. None of them moved for a few seconds, Lloyd unable to process what he had just witnessed.
"…Let's get going," Kratos told them. Lloyd stood, angry.
"How can you just say that?!" He demanded. "After everything that's just…" Kratos turned to look at Lloyd, a strange, haunted look in his eyes.
"Settle down, Lloyd," he told him, walking over. "What is it that we must do now?" Lloyd felt slightly patronised by the fact that Kratos was making him talk through it.
"Rescue Chocolat… And the rest of the prisoners… And defeat Magnius. Then we can destroy the Ranch," he replied eventually. Kratos nodded, smiling slightly.
"Exactly," he replied. Lloyd gave him a strange look, one hand going into his pocket, running his fingers over the feather. It seemed to resonate to his touch. "…You're right," he murmured. "I'm sorry." Kratos looked at the feather, an indecipherable look in his eyes, and he nodded and turned, walking out of the room.
"…My healing arts cannot even save one single life?" Raine murmured to herself, still standing by Dorr's body.
"Professor?" Lloyd asked as the rest of them left the room. Raine shook her head quickly.
"Ah, no, it's nothing," she replied instantly. "Let's go, Lloyd. The sooner Chocolat is freed, the better." Lloyd nodded. The sooner she was free and the Ranch destroyed, the sooner Forcystus would be freed…
The air of sadness around them as they left the building was clear, and Forcystus called out to them softly. Lloyd went over to him, but the rest stayed where they were.
"…Lloyd," Forcystus murmured. "The Exbelua…" Lloyd fought back tears.
"Dorr's wife… Clara…" He murmured. "Dorr's… Dead. Pronyma had one of her servants pose as his daughter… His daughter's dead." Forcystus bit his lip.
"That is unusually cruel of Magnius, but, I suppose he does not care so long as it obtains the desired result," Forcystus murmured. "Did you get the passcode?" Lloyd nodded mutely. "Good," Forcystus murmured. "Good luck. I suppose you would have gone no matter, once you learnt of the girl's plight, but I still think you are foolish to take such risks for a Desian like me." Lloyd quietened him desperately.
"The townspeople are only agreeing to this because I told them you aren't a Desian!" Lloyd told him in a hushed voice. "Don't tell them you are, else it may be for nothing anyway…" Forcystus sighed.
"Despite my current predicament, I knew Magnius well, and I could get along with him easier than the other Cardinals. It is a shame he has invited death by attempting to kill the Chosen. Don't let what he says get to you. He will try to use the past against you. Be strong. I know you are strong." Forcystus smiled sadly at him, and Lloyd nodded slowly.
"Next time we come here, the Palmacosta Ranch will be empty," he promised.
"Try rubble. I'm sure you can find a self-destruct," Forcystus replied. "Good luck. May the tree speed your return unharmed." Lloyd nodded, walking back over to the others. Kratos shot Forcystus a look, but the half-elf had closed his eyes and didn't see it.
Forced by the onset of night and lack of energy to postpone their journey to the Ranch, the group set off back there the next day, as the sun was starting to rise.
"Lloyd," Colette started uncertainly, when the Ranch started to come into view over the tops of the trees. He glanced up from where he was impaling a giant bug.
"Yeah?" He asked absently. She bit her lip.
"Um… What's surveillance?" She asked. Lloyd blinked.
"Well, uh…" He scratched the back of his head, wondering how to phrase it. "They've got these things called cameras, right? They put them all around the Ranch, and when people walk past them, they send an image of what's going on to a big computer in the central control room." Colette still seemed a bit lost.
"So… They… Take pictures of people?" She asked. "How?" Lloyd shrugged.
"It's magitechnology," he responded. "It's how me and Genis were caught fighting those guards… Did Genis tell you about that?" Genis looked sheepish as Colette shook her head. "Well, we were trying to stop these Desians from assaulting this guy who was too weak to work. They were, like, whipping him." He frowned slightly. "So, uh, Genis cast Fireball on them, and they came out of the front of the Ranch and I stabbed them. Did a bit of creative running along the top of the gate, too…" He thought about it. "I think the cameras were on the main building, looking at the gate, 'cause they caught me running on top of the gate and jumping off the cliff – that's how Forcystus knew about my Exsphere at least, 'cause I couldn't've jumped it otherwise – and once they figured we were from Iselia, they stormed the place."
"Lloyd, that sounds so dangerous!" Colette exclaimed. "How could you do something like that?"
"I couldn't just leave the guards beating up on that poor guy," he replied with a shrug. "It's not right." Colette seemed downcast.
"But… The Desian who saved you… Forcystus…" She murmured. "Wasn't all that his fault in the first place?" Lloyd blinked, caught out by the sudden question.
"Well… Kind of," he agreed. "No, no, it is, you're right." He sighed. "But… I met a couple of the other Grand Cardinals when I was in the Ranch, and I found out… A lot of the stuff that goes on." He sighed softly, looking off at the horizon absently as he remembered. "Forcystus… Didn't like the way things were done. He was trying to change them… But there's only so much you can do before you're viewed as weak, yeah? Ask him next time we see him. I can't really speak for him."
"They didn't make you do Ranch work though, did they?" Genis remarked. "So you can't really talk about that." Lloyd sighed.
"I did do it once," he admitted. "And I took more than a couple of beatings. And I saw how the prisoners were treated… I wasn't treated that much better than they were. I got the same food; I kept the same kind of hours. They just didn't put me to work, and I only had to wear the standard-issue clothing once." He shrugged idly. "Like I said, ask Forcystus. He'll probably tell you. I don't see why he wouldn't."
They continued on in silence.
Neil ran up to them as soon as he saw them, worry clear in his face. He stopped as he saw them and sighed.
"No… Don't say anything," he murmured. "Just seeing your faces tells me what has happened to Dorr." Lloyd bit his lip.
"He did say… He wanted us to save Chocolat," he told him softly. Neil sighed, bowing his head.
"…Governor-General…" He murmured, looking up with determination in his eyes. "Very well. Please, will you take me along to help honour the Governor-General's last wish?" Kratos and Raine both looked uneasy, but Lloyd nodded.
"Alright," he agreed. Raine sighed.
"Well, at any rate, we'll put that key Dorr gave us to use," she suggested.
"But even if we get in, they won't let us just wander around!" Genis protested. Kratos nodded.
"We must be prepared," he agreed. Lloyd laughed.
"We're as prepared as we're ever gonna be," he replied. "And the sun's setting. If we don't hurry Chocolat is going to be processed and she might be moved to another Ranch. If that happens… It might end up impossible to rescue her." Kratos made an uncertain noise.
"How long does this process normally take?" He asked. Lloyd frowned in thought.
"Normally it would have been done by now," he replied. "But, because they're using her as bait, they'll probably hold off for a while to try and lure us in. Although, from what I've seen of Magnius, there's a limit to his patience…"
"When they process them… What exactly do they do?" Kratos asked, and Lloyd sighed.
"Well, they put them through a physical exam, and then they run the data through the Ranch Selection program and it ranks the Ranches in order of suitability. Normally they're kept at the Ranch they're caught at, and if so they implant the Exsphere the next day, if not they're left and sent off to the Ranch they're best for, and the Exsphere is implanted there."
"…Exsphere?" Genis asked slowly. Lloyd bit his lip.
"Um, yeah. That's what Ranches are…" He mumbled.
"We have little time," Kratos cut him off. "If what you say is true, Chocolat may already be out of our reach. We can discuss this when our current task is complete." Lloyd nodded, despite Colette and Genis' protests that they wanted to know what went on, and Raine walked down the path to the side-door and slotted the card in, keying in the code Dorr had told them. "Do you remember the directions Forcystus told us?" Kratos asked Lloyd, who nodded again.
"West, west, south, north, north, west, north, west, north," Lloyd recited, a grin on his face. Kratos nodded.
"Don't forget it," he told him curtly as they walked in. Lloyd's face fell.
"…Not even a well done?" He murmured, following Kratos with his mood considerably lower.
They crept in, wary for any Desian guards, but the room they arrived in was currently empty. Lloyd scanned it, consulting his practically-complete mental map of the Iselia Ranch for any similarities.
"…Junction or Guard meeting room," he settled for eventually. "Oh!" He ran over to a machine on the opposite side of the room. "If this reacts the same as the one in Forcystus'… Yeah!" The machine whirred and his Ring flashed. "This should help!" He enthused.
"And what, exactly, does it do?" Kratos asked, raising an eyebrow. Lloyd looked at it.
"Uh…" He murmured, activating the Ring. A green glow filled the room, and the light of mana appeared on the teleporter. "Oh, it's the Radar Forcystus mentioned!" He realised. "Don't we need this for the teleporters?" Raine nodded.
"It should reveal anything in the surrounding area that's been masked. That is quite a clever trick," she remarked.
"And if a Desian loses his Radar, quite an irritating one, I would assume," Kratos added softly. Lloyd activated the Radar again as it turned off and went over to the teleporter.
"I'll go through last…" He started.
"How about we all stand on the teleporter at once? Will it catch us all?" Genis suggested suddenly. Kratos examined the size of it.
"Possibly," he replied. "I would suggest Lloyd stand on the outside, in case it does not." Lloyd nodded.
"Gotcha," he replied, standing on the very edge of the teleporter. He could still feel the mana rushing up from it, so he activated his radar and Kratos hit the 'go' button with his foot.
"Did it work?" Lloyd asked as they faded in to an identical-looking room.
"Seems so," Genis remarked as Kratos took his sword to the surprised guards. Lloyd nodded slowly.
"Right… So, where now?" He asked. Raine glanced around.
"We should try the door on the right," she decided. Lloyd's mental map of Iselia's Ranch was failing him miserably here; Magnius' seemed to be of a completely different layout. "Now, Forcystus mentioned that in order to access the main teleporters, we would need keycards. It would be wise to assume that the higher-ranking Desians would have these. Lloyd, do you know how we could recognise them?" Lloyd thought about it. The Desians had never really interacted with him all that much.
"Um, they have rank slides," he replied. "Oh, and the colours on their uniforms vary. I think purple instead of red is a higher rank… I was mostly just around Forcystus though." Raine nodded thoughtfully.
"I see… And what sort of… Rank slide would indicate a higher rank?" She asked.
"Er, anything above two of the pointy lines is fairly high," Lloyd replied dubiously.
"They are commonly termed 'chevrons', if you are speaking of what I believe you are," Kratos informed him curtly. "Come, if we are going we must not dawdle. The longer we spend in this Ranch, the more danger the Chosen is in." Colette looked a little downcast at being the cause of worry, and the group went through the door, only to be confronted with a group of angry-looking Desians, whom Lloyd, Kratos and Genis swiftly dealt with. A quick examination of the bodies yielded no keycards.
"Damn," Lloyd murmured. Raine was examining a machine close to a gap.
"Lloyd, come over here and use the Radar," she instructed, and Lloyd went over and did just that. A blue light appeared above the machine.
"Whoa, that's cool!" He decided. Raine sighed and shook her head, touching the light. Two bridges appeared, one over to the right and one leading upwards.
"To the right appears to be a dead end. If we try there first, we may find something of use," Kratos decided.
"There's a group of Desians over there!" Lloyd observed, pointing. Kratos got his sword out.
"Then let us go and ask them about keycards," he suggested. Lloyd drew his swords, too.
"Sounds good," he agreed with a grin, running across the bridge with Kratos not too far behind him. The Desians were dead before they even knew what had happened. "Here!" Lloyd declared, holding up a keycard. "The Sergeant had it on him." Kratos nodded, taking it.
"Two to go, then," he murmured. "Well done, Lloyd. You dealt with that efficiently," he added, walking back over the bridge and leaving Lloyd stunned.
"A… Compliment? From Kratos?" He wondered aloud. "…Wow… He must be ill or something…" Genis laughed and Kratos pointedly ignored them all. The group quickly made their way across the second bridge and went off to the right, where Lloyd activated the radar and had a look around.
"…Seems pretty pointless…" He decided, but Colette called out suddenly.
"Up there! Something sparkled!" She insisted. "I'll fly up and get it!" Lloyd nodded, holding the Sorcerer's Ring up as Colette flew on to an upper platform and held up a keycard triumphantly.
"It was the light reflecting off the plastic covering," Raine realised. "Good job spotting that, Colette." Colette grinned and flew back down, Kratos taking the card from her as she landed.
"One left!" Lloyd declared. "Only one route left to take, too."
"Don't dawdle," Kratos told him curtly, walking across to the door. Lloyd sighed, deciding the compliment had definitely been a one-off, and ran to catch up with Kratos.
"Cells!" Lloyd exclaimed when they entered the next room. "Man, I hate these things!"
"Look out!" Kratos cautioned as a pair of guards ran at them, and Lloyd drew his swords and cut one down as Kratos swiftly dealt with the other. There was a hushed murmur amongst the prisoners.
"We have to save these people!" Colette exclaimed. Even Raine nodded.
"Yes. When you consider what will happen, we cannot just leave them here," she agreed. Lloyd nodded.
"That's the best way. We should split into two groups," he decided, but Neil stepped forwards.
"Wait. Leave this to me," he told them. "Once the Palmacostan army gets here I can join up with our forces and lead these people to safety." Lloyd nodded.
"Alright. We'll go on ahead and see if we can find where Chocolat's been taken to," he agreed, going over to the cell door and fiddling with the console until the door opened.
"Lloyd! You can use computers?!" Raine exclaimed, a mixture of surprise and delight in her voice. The captives were moving out of the cell carefully.
"Forcystus taught me," Lloyd replied absently. "It was kinda boring, though." None of the group noticed Kratos' slight frown. Neil nodded and led the prisoners out of the room, but one young boy went up to Lloyd shyly. "Hey, what's wrong?" Lloyd asked him, thinking of the boy he'd seen a few times at Iselia Ranch. The boy Forcystus had treated like dirt… But he'd had an appearance to keep up.
"Um…" He started, then he held up a keycard. "I, um, I saw one of the Desians treat this like it was really important, so, um, I picked it up." Lloyd took it off him.
"Hey, thanks. This is really helpful," Lloyd told the boy, who grinned.
"Thanks for saving me, mister!" He told Lloyd, running to catch up to Neil and the others. Kratos smiled slightly as he took the keycard from Lloyd, but the teen didn't look at him.
"That's all three, isn't it?" He murmured. "We can get to the main teleporters now, right?" Raine nodded.
"If the information Forcystus gave us is correct, we should be able to reach the control room," she agreed. Lloyd turned.
"Are you implying he'd lie?" He demanded, affronted. Raine sighed.
"No, Lloyd. I am suggesting that perhaps Magnius has changed things, because Forcystus knows his Ranch. The passcode was changed, after all." Lloyd backed down, feeling slightly foolish.
"Yeah… I guess…" He murmured. Kratos was stood by the door.
"We have little time to stand around discussing this issue," he reminded them. "We must locate the teleporter and find Magnius." Lloyd nodded, getting the feeling he was being ganged up on, and the whole group made their way to the main teleporter, where Kratos slotted the three cards into their appropriate slots. There was a humming noise, but no other indication that the teleporter was now working. Lloyd activated the radar.
"Oh, it's glowing!" Colette observed.
"Yeah, success!" Lloyd cheered. "Let's go!"
Once they were all through the teleporter – Lloyd noticed that Kratos had dealt with five guards in his absence and didn't even appear phased – Lloyd looked around at the room they were in. it was a circular shape, with a different coloured teleporter at every 90o.
"West, west, south, north, north, west, north, west, north," he murmured to himself, heading to the one on the right. "This one first," he told the group, and they gathered on it and went through.
The room they ended up in looked identical.
"Well… We're all here," Raine decided. "So, now which do we stand on?"
"West again," Lloyd replied, pointing. "I'm hoping he means west as in…" He trailed off and indicated the portal with a hand wave. Kratos nodded.
"I would presume so. Come, we have no time to spend dawdling." He walked forwards towards the teleporter.
"Geez, does he always have to be so cold?" Lloyd murmured under his breath.
Once they'd taken the penultimate teleporter, they ran into Chocolat.
"Chocolat!" Colette cried, as Lloyd and Kratos drew their swords.
"Wh- inferior beings in the Ranch! Get them!" One of the Desian guards yelled. Lloyd grinned.
"Easier said than done, Desian. Tempest!" Colette cried out in worry as he launched himself over the hole, but he landed neatly on the other platform and sliced the offending guard in two. Kratos took care of the two charging at Colette with a double demon fang, and Lloyd kicked the one holding Chocolat down the rather large drop.
"Lloyd! That was very foolish of you!" Raine scolded. Lloyd shrugged.
"I knew what I was doing," he replied affably.
"You… You all came to save me?" Chocolat asked, unable to believe it. Lloyd nodded, grinning happily.
"Sure we did. Are you ok?" He asked. She nodded quickly.
"Th-thank you, everyone!" She told them, surprised.
"Be that as it may, we still have Magnius to deal with," Kratos reminded them curtly.
"Yes, Neil should be getting the captives to safety by now," Raine added. Chocolat looked uncertain for a second.
"Um, that platform up there, it leads to this room filled with sparkly lights and magical-looking things…" She offered. Lloyd nodded.
"The control room," Lloyd replied. "With any luck, Magnius'll be there."
"Dorr finally mobilised his plans, didn't he?" Chocolat exclaimed happily. The group exchanged guilty glances. "Let me show you. I want to help."
"It will be dangerous…" Raine started, but Chocolat had already gone over to the teleporter.
"This one, here," she told them. Lloyd activated the Ring, and they all stood on the teleporter, Kratos activating it as he had done with the previous ones.
"This is definitely the control room," Lloyd confirmed as they appeared, looking around at the computers in the room. "And his holograph projector is large than Forcystus'…"
"His what?" Genis asked, but Magnius didn't give Lloyd a chance to answer.
"So, the forsaken Chosen and her entourage of vermin have finally arrived," he observed.
"Forsaken…" Kratos murmured, a slight frown on his face. Forcystus had said he thought that. "Strange…"
"You're the forsaken one!" Lloyd yelled, drawing his swords. "How could you do something so callous to an ally?!" Magnius laughed.
"Forcystus? As soon as he assisted inferior rats, he was no longer our ally!" He spat. "He got too attached to you, vermin, so he paid the price." Lloyd hissed angrily, but Desians appeared from surrounding teleporters.
"You scum…" Lloyd hissed as Magnius pressed a few buttons to activate his projector.
"I even caught some rats trying to escape," he sneered. Lloyd cursed.
"The surveillance… We forgot to tell Neil…" He muttered. Colette's eyes widened.
"Is that one of the cameras that takes pictures?" She asked, awed. Kratos nodded.
"It is an image captured by one, yes," he told her. Lloyd made an angry noise as Magnius pressed more buttons and sealed off their exits.
"You… You Desian scumbag!" Lloyd exclaimed. "You're the Inferior one!" Magnius glared, Lloyd's insult having the desired effect. If there was one thing he'd learnt at Forcystus' Ranch, it was to never call a Desian inferior. Unless you wanted to make them mad.
"Everything you've done is meaningless!" Magnius crowed with a sneering laugh. Lloyd glared, hatred in his gaze.
"We can rescue them after we take care of you!" He spat.
"Big words from someone who caused the Iselia disaster, then befriended a member of the organisation you claim to despise!" Magnius shot back. Lloyd recoiled slightly.
"Th… That was…" He murmured weakly. Magnius laughed victoriously.
"Why don't I recreate with the vermin here? Watch! I'll unleash their Exspheres and turn them into monsters, just like the vermin you killed. Just like Marble!" Lloyd flinched as though he'd been struck.
"You… You don't mean…" Chocolat murmured, horror in her voice.
"You are the monster," Lloyd murmured.
"Oh, I do, my little Chocolat!" Magnius spat, the contempt in his voice clear. "Dear old granny Marble was sent to the Iselia Ranch, where she was killed by Lloyd! Who then proceeded to befriend the owner of the Ranch, who caused her so much suffering!" Lloyd made a noise of protest. "And was it fun to watch them hang him, little rat?" Magnius continued scornfully.
"They didn't hang him!" Lloyd yelled. "I'll save him! He's nothing like you, you filthy Desian scumbag!"
"You… You…" Chocolat stammered.
"No, wait!" Genis protested. "It wasn't like that! The Desians, they turned her into a monster, and…"
"Lloyd killed her," Magnius finished triumphantly. "And you know the very Desian that turned her into that monster is the one you're trying to save!"
"No…" Chocolat murmured, dumbstruck. Two of the Desian soldiers grabbed her.
I guess this is what Forcystus mean by he'd try to use the past against me, Lloyd thought. "Let her go! Desian vermin!" He spat.
"No!" Chocolat replied. "I refuse to be saved by my grandma's murderer!"
"Please, don't say that," Colette begged.
"Dorr will save me!" Chocolat told them confidently, and that was like a knife wound in Lloyd's heart. Dorr. He'd betrayed his city, but they had believed in him… And what had he done? Murdered Marble… And then, there was Forcystus…
"Be strong, Lloyd. I know you are strong." Forcystus was different to the rest of the Desians.
I know Forcystus is different! He told himself determinedly. Magnius was laughing; he'd made some sarcastic comment about Dorr. "Stop!" Lloyd demanded as the teleporter took Chocolat and the Desians away. Magnius indicated them with a hand movement, and the rest of the soldiers rushed them. Fighting back tears of frustration and confusion, Lloyd hacked the first one in half. If they were going to make him angry, he'd take it out on them! Genis cast a spell on another and Kratos dealt with two at once with a Lightning Blade.
"Ugh, dammit! How can you idiots allow yourselves to be defeated by these inferiors?" Magnius demanded as his soldiers died. He lowered his chair to the floor and stood, picking up a huge axe-like weapon from the side of the chair. "Fine! I'll kill this forsaken Chosen and her inferior entourage, along with you fools who can't let go of your elven blood!" Forcystus' sarcastic comments about Genis being an elf, what he'd said, came to Lloyd's mind, but he brushed it aside. Forcystus was different, and Genis was Genis. Even if Forcystus was right, it wouldn't matter.
"Look out," Kratos warned them as Magnius charged, and Lloyd blocked his first swing and jumped backwards, his Exsphere glowing and giving him the strength to do a mid-air back flip. He noticed Raine get out a magic lens and hold it up – she probably had a large supply of them somewhere. Lloyd employed some of Forcystus' more descriptive swearwords when Magnius dodged his Fierce Demon Fang, which made Kratos give him a long look until he apologised.
Seriously, he's scolding me when we're battling a Grand Cardinal? Lloyd thought, bemused. Kratos was certainly strange. Eventually, Lloyd got a hit in on him that made him fly backwards and kneel, one hand on his stomach. It was clearly a fatal wound.
"Im.. Possible… How could a… Superior half-elf like me…" He started. Lloyd pointed his sword at Magnius.
"It's you who is the inferior one," he told him. "You betray your allies and disobey the rule of your leaders."
"You are a fool, Magnius," Kratos added. "Cruxis has accepted Colette as the Chosen."
"She even has a Cruxis Crystal," Lloyd added. Magnius looked up in shock.
"So… You're…" He shook his head. "Then… I was deceived…"
"Forcystus told us as much," Lloyd replied. "You're just a fool who nearly caused the death of the Chosen of Sylvarant and of one of your own loyal allies. Forcystus would never have betrayed you had you simply helped him." Magnius made a weak noise and collapsed to the floor. Raine was over by the consoles, and had changed the view on the projector to show Chocolat being taken away by some Desians.
"Dammit…" Lloyd cursed as Raine pressed more buttons.
"There. That should allow Neil and the prisoners to escape," she told them.
"But there's the Exspheres," Lloyd started. "We can't just leave them on!"
"Can't we take them off?" Genis asked, but Lloyd shook his head.
"It's dangerous to remove an Exsphere lacking a Key Crest," Kratos cut in. "I would imagine… That only a Dwarf could handle it."
"I need to contact my dad anyway, to tell him I'm safe. I can ask him then," Lloyd decided. Raine pressed more buttons.
"I'll program the place to self-destruct," she told them.
"Raine, if you do that…" Genis started weakly. Lloyd went over to the console, glancing at the screen.
"It will deal a major blow to the Desian stranglehold over Palmacosta, and it will give the city proof that Lloyd has done as he promised," Raine replied as Lloyd went over to the next console and pressed a few buttons, ejecting a disk and hitting some more buttons until the screen flashed red. "Remember, Genis. We're not like them. We're different," Raine told him, turning back to the monitor and keying in a sequence. "I've set the timer to ten minutes. We should be able to get back out in time." Lloyd nodded.
"Let's go, then. This place'll be nothing more than a memory in… Nine minutes and forty four seconds!" He declared, heading for a teleporter. Kratos gave him a strange look – He'd noticed the disk – but followed despite that.
As they left, Magnius raised his head.
"I have to… Let Forcystus'… Ranch know…" He murmured. "I've… Been a fool… They'll have to… Fetch him…" A man appeared on the holograph then.
"I'm afraid I have a slight problem with you informing the Ranch about Lord Forcystus and the Chosen. You see, they'd figure out what I was trying to do."
"Rodyle!" Magnius spat. "You… Tricked me…" Rodyle just laughed.
"Collecting Gald, attempting to eliminate the Chosen, disposing of Lord Forcystus… You've been very useful! I hope you enjoy the afterlife!" With a crazy laugh, the holograph went blank, and Magnius made one last futile effort to reach it before he collapsed.
"Lord… Yggdrasill…" He murmured. "Glory… To the coming age… Of half-elv…" His eyes closed for the last time, his wounds too much for him, and he died with his Ranch.
A/N - writing death scenes is always depressing, whether you like the character or not. I recently had to write the death of an enemy-turned-friend in an original story of mine, and it made me cry. Is it wrong to get too attached to characters that only exist in your head? *runs*