Strange and sporadic update days fail, I know, I'm sorry. *offers internet cookies in apology*
I should (emphasis on the should) be going back to a Weds/Thurs update now, those two Fridays were anomalies, I promise.
Does anyone here watch/read/know about BLEACH? Do any of the people that applies to know/care about a certain Espada called Ulquiorra? GAH KUBO *waits for chapter 353 whilst biting fingernails*
Sorry about that, all you non-Bleachers, but I have to get it out of my system. I am worried. Very worried.
If anything in this chapter doesn't make sense, it will either a) be explained in the upcoming chapters or b) be blamed upon staying up until 2am writing this. No joke. I've been giving my room the most major tidy-out it has EVER SEEN, so I snuck in writing after tidying/work (work still eats my life, unfortunately). But my Beta (Freakyanimegal) says it's (mostly) ok, so there we go. Yay for tea-induced energy. 2am is surprisingly full of inspiration.
Last chapter of Book 2! Next week we'll have Book 3: Untold Despair. A cookie for anyone who can tell me where that's from. No wait, let's make it a competition. I'll write a short oneshot for the first person who can tell me what it's from XD
100 REVIEWS YAY!
freaky: I know how it feels Never mind ^^
LikeAGlintOfLight: Yes XD Raine doesn't like it either. It's because of their friendship - they gel better than Lloyd does with Raine, since although Lloyd sees her as a friend, she's a teacher first. Forcy is just a friend... Now, at least. Before then, he learnt fast because he wanted to get one up on Forcy.
Ahaha, yes, a lot on that in this chapter ;)
Dieuwtjin: ...That's a hard name to spell, I think I'll copy and paste in future. That was quite possibly the single most awesome review I have ever had, ever, period. Thank you SO SO MUCH. *hugs* I'm honoured that you took the time to type all that out for me. I'm glad you like the story, 'cause it's my baby right now ^^ And the longest story I've ever written. And it's nowhere near finished. *Joy*
Symphoniafan: Heheh, he probs woulda done if Lloyd wouldn't've kicked up a fuss about it. ^^
An interesting point of view - applied emotions, that is. I'll be bearing that in mind. Thanks for the help ^^
sliver: It's Shelloyd, ForcyRaine and GenisPresea, that's what's planned at least. (And, I think, possilby what it says on the first page? I haven't looked at chapter one for months XD) The focus won't be on the romance, really, but it'll be there. Also - yay, you're the 100th reviewer ^^
"Normal speech", thoughts, "~angelic speech~"
Chapter eight: Winds of the Dead
The group departed Luin the next day, heading back to the House of Salvation that was the half-way point between them and their destination. Lloyd had, much to his relief, recovered fully during the night, thanks in part to Kratos' expert healing skills, and he was fighting as well as he normally did whenever they came across monsters during the journey. Forcystus did make a remark to him as they walked about Kratos looking out for him more than usual, but Lloyd brushed it off. If Forcystus knew he'd made such a stupid mistake the night before he would never live it down.
Kratos gave Lloyd the opportunity of another training session when they stopped at the House of Salvation for the night, and Lloyd, despite Kratos' doubts, took it gladly. He noted that Kratos didn't take them too far from the chapel itself, probably in case they were attacked again, but that didn't bother Lloyd too much. He worked as hard as he could, determined to impress Kratos, and the mercenary had a slight smile on his face when he eventually called a halt to the session.
"You did well," he remarked. "Has last night's incident put things into perspective for you?" Lloyd grinned sheepishly, sheathing his swords.
"I guess," he replied. "I just want to be as good as you someday. I want to be useful."
"I am sure you will be more than at my level someday," Kratos replied with a sad smile. I hope you are, for your own sake. Lloyd grinned enthusiastically at him.
"Thanks!" He responded exuberantly, heading into the chapel. Kratos watched him go, a torn look on his face. The more time he spent with the naïve Lloyd, the harder it became to accept that he would have to betray him in the end.
They set off for the Balacruf Mausoleum the next morning.
"My count will be up to six, soon!" Forcystus told Lloyd in an almost amused voice as they walked. "Now, can you remember which summons are left in Sylvarant?" Lloyd frowned thoughtfully, trying to remember.
"Uh…" He murmured. "Well, I think, er, Efreet, and, er, Celsius?" He offered. Forcystus shook his head.
"Half right," he responded. "They visited Efreet's seal while you were still at the Ranch. The one that's left is Luna. She's the summon spirit of light." Lloyd nodded slowly.
"She's the one in the tower of Mana, right?" He asked. Forcystus nodded.
"Yes. To form a pact with her, you'd need to find Aska, a large, two-headed bird summon. I must have mentioned him in passing at least once." Lloyd shrugged. If Aska had been mentioned he didn't remember. "So, this is Sylph. I'm going to presume you've forgotten their names," Forcystus continued, persevering in the face of Lloyd's selective amnesia. Lloyd nodded sheepishly. "Sephie, Yutie and Fairess," Forcystus listed again. "And the opposite of Sylph is Gnome, the summon spirit of Earth. His temple is north of Meltokio somewhere." Lloyd just nodded, trying his hardest to take it all in and failing somewhat miserably. "Would you like me to tell you where the other seals are, or would I be wasting my breath?" Forcystus asked quietly. Lloyd looked up at him and mumbled something incomprehensible, making the half-elf laugh kindly. "I'll tell you. Celsius is close by Flanoir, the snowy city. Shadow is up in the mountains south of Meltokio. Maxwell is in Exire I believe, and Volt is north of Mizuho. I've told you about Origin." Lloyd nodded.
"It'd be more useful if I knew where any of those places are…" He grumbled. Forcystus nodded in understanding.
"But it is good to know. You'll never go to Tethe'alla anyway, I'm sure, but still…" Lloyd sighed.
"Were you looking forward to going back to Tethe'alla?" He asked quietly, feeling a little guilty for taking that opportunity from him. Forcystus made an uncertain noise, looking out at the horizon.
"It matters very little to me where I am, my situation does not change," he replied, his voice soft now, saddened. "Apart from it satisfying some base desire for revenge on those of Sybak… And they are probably different people anyway, now, so it would mean nothing… I have no strong desire to return to my homeland." Lloyd could tell by the look in his eyes that he was lying. He had wanted to go back to Tethe'alla; probably because it was his birthplace. Lloyd sighed. He had no idea where he had been born; apart from that it was on Sylvarant… And he couldn't even be 100 percent certain of that, really, since he had no idea of the background of his parents.
"Lloyd!" Kratos called. "Up ahead is the Mausoleum, look." Genis, Raine and Colette, being at the front of the group, had already had it pointed out. The huge stone structure dominated the horizon, the white pillars of rock at each corner stretching up to the sky, reminding all who passed through of the status of the dead of the Balacruf Dynasty.
"Wow," Lloyd remarked, running up to be level with Kratos. "It's real imposing, isn't it?" Kratos chuckled, looking up at it.
"It is a tomb to honour the dead. It is designed to be imposing," he replied. "The rulers of the Balacruf Empire used to be buried here." Lloyd nodded, wondering how they had managed to build something so huge. Maybe they'd had magitechnology…
"I wonder if Sylvarant was the flourishing one when that Empire existed…" Lloyd wondered aloud, squinting at the building in the distance as if it would answer his question. Kratos glanced at him, a strange look in his rust-red eyes.
"I would imagine so," he replied evenly, just before Lloyd's phrasing registered in his mind. The flourishing one? "…Although your phrasing was strange," he added, frowning. Lloyd cursed himself inwardly for the stupid slip, looking abashed.
"Yeah… Dunno why I said that," he agreed. Kratos' mouth tightened to a thin line, and he glanced back at Forcystus. The amused look on the half-elf's face vanished under the strength of Kratos' glare.
Lloyd knows about Tethe'alla, Kratos thought, turning away from Forcystus to look back at the teen, both he and the half-elf aware that words would be had later. Forcystus must have told him whilst he was in the Ranch… What on earth has possessed him, to tell him something like that? How much does he know? He looked at Lloyd, trying to gauge how odd he had found his initial agreement, but the red-clad boy seemed to have already forgotten the exchange, or wasn't going to mention it because he thought he'd made himself look the fool. That was some comfort – there was no suspicion there.
Kratos quickly went over everything he'd told Lloyd in his head, wondering if there was anything there to warrant suspicion, presuming Lloyd remembered it. Heimdall. He had said he was from Heimdall. If Lloyd knew it was in Tethe'alla… He shot another glance back at Forcystus. He would have to rely on Forcystus having kept quiet, Lloyd's naivety and willingness to believe in his friends, or both. The consequences of exposure would be grave, and not just for him and the half-elf. For all of them.
Lloyd and Kratos both walked in silence all the way up to the entrance of the Mausoleum grounds, both of them looking awkward, Kratos thinking, Lloyd fretting. Forcystus took the initiative, to make sure poor Lloyd didn't die of worry that Kratos thought him an idiot, so he walked up to the both and set up a conversation about Sylvarant's summons with Lloyd that only earned him a disapproving look from Kratos. A very disapproving look, and one that made him stumble over sentences more than once.
"Go up to the altar and offer the map there," Raine told Colette once they reached the middle of the Mausoleum grounds, handing the young Chosen the stone tablet. She took it with a nod and went up to the stone plinth, gasping in surprise as the stone physically opened up, revealing a slot about the same size as the tablet. "The ruin is responding to the map!" Raine enthused, ecstatic about that for some reason. Forcystus was watching this with interest, too; possibly gearing up for an argument with Raine about what kind of mechanism caused the movement. Kratos sighed irritably.
"Place the map in the slot," he told Colette curtly, and she nodded and quickly did so, eager to please to make up for the out-of-the-way visits they'd had.
There was a noise of rumbling that sounded to Lloyd an awful lot like some of the machines at the Ranch, and an Oracle stone appeared from thin air in front of the plinth. Kratos grabbed Lloyd's wrist with a stern glare as he moved towards it, but although his eyes showed nothing but disapproval, he was inwardly concerned that Lloyd would activate it. Kratos would have hated himself for it if he could… Not to mention the questions it would have raised.
"It's an oracle stone!" Genis exclaimed, going up to it. Lloyd glared at Kratos.
"Of course. It is the seal," Forcystus remarked. A grinning Colette placed her hand on the stone, and the stone doors in front of them slid open with another mechanical-sounding rumble.
"Let's get this over with," Lloyd muttered, irritated by Kratos' inhibition and his earlier mistake. He hadn't stopped Genis going up to the stone! Kratos sighed and let go of him, and Lloyd ran into the Mausoleum after Colette.
Inside the temple itself, darkness was the prevailing feature. The sound of rushing wind created an eerie symphony of echoes, like the dead were calling out warning to the intruders upon the sacred burial ground.
Forcystus walked in after Lloyd, looking around approvingly and running one hand over the wall, analysing on instinct.
"This is cool!" Lloyd exclaimed, his mood changing instantly from irritable and bored to excited and surprised. "I feel like an explorer!" Kratos sighed in despair.
"You always start out enthusiastic…" He muttered, wondering how long it would take Lloyd to get bored this time.
They wandered around the seal for a while, with Forcystus telling an only slightly bored Lloyd about the Balacruf Dynasty in between arguing with Raine about the composition of the various pieces of stone they encountered.
"There's writing on this one!" Lloyd exclaimed as they came to one tablet. He tried using the fire from the Sorcerer's Ring on the torch, but the wind blew it out. He regarded the unlit torch irritably.
"Block the wind," Forcystus suggested. "Kratos, you and I could form a sort of barrier, could we not? Then Lloyd can light the torch and Raine can decipher the writing." Kratos nodded curtly.
"That would be best," he agreed, although his voice had a hint of coldness in it. Lloyd shot him a worried look, but Kratos had given Forcystus a nod and they both cast Guardian at once, holding the shield there. Lloyd quickly lit the torch, and Raine set about reading the writing.
"…Lapis Lazuli body…" Raine was murmuring, writing the translation down on the nearest substance to hand, which fortunately was her ever-handy pad which normally contained monster data. "…I've got it. It doesn't seem to mean much, but if we ever need it it's there." Forcystus and Kratos let down their Guardians, the wind rushing past them and blowing out the torch instantly, and Lloyd noted that both swordsmen looked fairly tired.
"Let's move on," Kratos suggested curtly, so they did.
They met two more tablets inscribed with Balacruf writing, both of which Raine wrote down. Eventually, they came to a door, with an unlit torch either side. Lloyd was rubbing his hand, having caught it on the moving spikes as they dodged through them.
"…I don't see what deadly spikes will do to honour the dead," he grumbled at Kratos, who was putting an Apple Gel on the wound as Genis lit the torches with his magic.
"It is to stop others from getting in and raiding the tombs," Kratos replied. "There. You should be fine now." Lloyd nodded.
"Thanks," he murmured. "Are we done yet? Is the seal through there?"
"No, just some fans and another door," Genis called from the other room. Lloyd sighed.
"You have no patience," Kratos scolded him. "Get moving." Grumbling, Lloyd walked through the door with Kratos to see Forcystus deep in discussion with Raine about how to open the door.
"No, look! The fans are all made of the materials mentioned in the writings! If we turn the fans in the order mentioned on the tablets, we should be able to open the door!" Forcystus insisted. "I can set them going with my wind magic, you tell me the order." Raine nodded, pad in hand.
"Ready?" She asked. Forcystus nodded, wind mana gathering around his feet. "Ruby first." Forcystus called up wind magic around it obligingly. "Now Topaz. Third is emerald. Now opal, and Lapis Lazuli last." Forcystus did all as asked, and even Genis was marvelling at his magic control. He had practically set up a miniature hurricane in the room, but no wind had even escaped the area with the fans. Once all five were turning, there were more mechanical sounds and the door slid open. Sunlight edged its way into the room as Forcystus' magic faded away.
"Finally!" Lloyd exclaimed, thoroughly bored now the excitement had worn off, and Kratos sighed in resignation.
"You are hopeless," he muttered as the group minus Forcystus, who had paused to catch his breath, filed up the stairs. "Stay down here," Kratos told him under his breath. "Else Remiel will say something and Lloyd will guess, which will not be good. For either of us." Forcystus nodded, not replying but suitably chastised, and Kratos followed the group up the stairs.
"Wait!" Genis called out to Colette as she approached the seal. "I can sense some really powerful mana coming from the seal!"
"Get back," Kratos ordered her curtly, drawing his sword and walking forwards. "Lloyd, with me." Lloyd nodded, getting his swords out and walking up to Kratos quickly as a huge, spiky bird-like creature formed above the seal. The two swordsmen barely had time to react before it dived at them, but Kratos countered it effectively and Lloyd instantly moved in with a slash. Collette had her wings out, chanting softly under her breath, and Genis was preparing a water spell that he had to cancel and swiftly dodge as bright, spiky feathers shot out from the creature's wings at him.
"Where's Forcystus?" Lloyd asked Kratos as they fought, jumping backwards to avoid a kick from one of the taloned feet.
"Catching his breath from casting that spell," the mercenary replied. "Concentrate!" Lloyd nodded, rebuked, almost turning around when an almost unearthly sound came from behind them – Colette was singing. In Angelic. Marvelling at just how much power she now had, Lloyd forced himself to concentrate on the creature, noting that Kratos was trying to guide him as they fought. The older man always seemed to be thinking of Lloyd's safety, or at least of his training…
Kratos dealt the finishing blow; cleaving a wing clean off the bird-creature and watching it fall to the floor in a glow of mana. He made a derisive noise, then nodded to Colette, who approached the seal nervously.
"Chosen of Regeneration. You have done well in reaching this far," Remiel's voice floated down to them from the sky. "Offer your prayers at the altar." Colette went up and spread her wings, reciting her prayer as a glowing white light drifted down, and Remiel appeared in front of them, flexing his wings. The look on his face when he first looked at Colette reminded Lloyd too much of the look Yggdrasill had given Forcystus. It was pure contempt. "This is the third seal. You have done well in reaching this far, Chosen one, Colette." His voice seemed to betray none of the hatred he had so briefly shown, but Lloyd could see a similar look in Kratos' eyes as he regarded the angel carefully. Lloyd remembered what he'd said about a wing being an angel's weak spot…
If I ever have to fight him, I'll go for his wings, he decided. I never thought we would… But the look in his eyes! And if Yggdrasill is a part of Cruxis… I have to be prepared for anything.
"Thank you," Colette murmured softly. Lloyd saw Remiel's eyes scan the group, as though looking for someone – Forcystus? Kratos murmured something under his breath that Lloyd didn't catch, and Remiel looked back at Colette.
"Receive this blessing of additional angelic power from Cruxis," he told her, raising his hand, and coloured lights glowed around Colette, her wings giving off a vibrant light.
"Yes, father… Th-thank you," Colette murmured, looking at the floor. Lloyd though he saw a flicker of irritation in Remiel's eyes.
"The next seal lies far northwest, in a place that gazes upon the centre of the world," he informed them. Lloyd glanced over at Kratos, wanting anything but the angel to focus on, not understanding his own suspicions. The mercenary seemed irritated, looking at Remiel with a slight frown on his face, a distaste akin to the way he looked at Desians in his eyes. Remiel, on the other hand, was outwardly ignoring the mercenary, his eyes surveying every member of the group but him. Lloyd found this odd, but could find no reason for it, so disregarded it. "Offer your prayers at that distant altar," Remiel told Colette, finishing his instructions.
"I shall do as you say… Lord Remiel," Colette replied obediently, not looking up. Again, Lloyd saw that flicker of irritation in Remiel's eyes.
"I shall be waiting for you at the next seal, Colette… My daughter," he told her, and she looked up then. Light gathered about Remiel. "The end of your journey is close," he added. "Hurry and become a true angel… Do not disappoint me." He vanished in a glow of light and feathers.
"Like Yggdrasill…" Lloyd murmured, not liking the tone he had heard in Remiel's voice.
"A true angel…" Colette murmured, alighting on the floor, her wings disappearing in a glow of light.
"What's wrong, Colette?" Genis asked her. Colette put on her best smile.
"Ah, I was just thinking, when I become a true angel, it'll be amazing!" She replied. Genis nodded, smiling back, but Lloyd frowned.
"…I'm not sure… It's… All that great," he murmured softly.
"All we can do is keep going," Kratos cut in curtly, walking past him, towards the stairs.
"Why don't you like Remiel?" Lloyd asked, seizing the opportunity and catching up to him. Kratos gave him a strange look.
"…I have no opinion either way on that angel," he replied, and Lloyd could have sworn he caught a hint of loathing in the word 'angel', that same flash of distaste in his eyes, coupled with… self-loathing?
"…Are all angels good?" He asked uncertainly as they entered the pinwheel room, where Forcystus gave the group a slight, hopeful smile. Kratos made an undecided noise under his breath, glancing at Forcystus.
"…That is the definition of the word," he replied eventually. "However…" He stopped and shook his head. "I have no idea. The only angels I have ever seen are… Remiel and Colette." The hesitation in his voice was barely noticeable, but Lloyd gave him a funny look all the same.
"…I know one evil angel…" He murmured, and Kratos' eyes narrowed. Yggdrasill again. It had to be. He knew that the leader of the Desians was an angel. Could he blame Forcystus for that? He glanced at the half-elf in question. No… If Lloyd knew that, then events would have been out of Forcystus' control. He would never have let him escape the Ranch otherwise.
"You feeling alright now, Forcystus?" Lloyd asked, concerned. The half-elf nodded, getting to his feet.
"Yes," he replied, waving a hand dismissively. "Is Colette?" Lloyd frowned and looked at her, and she smiled encouragingly.
"…Yeah… Why?" He asked, confused. Forcystus shrugged.
"Just wondered. Let's go," he suggested, giving Colette a worried look. She smiled slightly back at him, and Kratos made an irritated noise at Forcystus' meddling. He was pushing it. Forcystus looked away, aware of that now, not wanting to incite any more of the wrath of an angel than he had already attracted.
"We must press on," Kratos muttered, walking out of the next door without anyone being able to say otherwise. Lloyd shot Forcystus a confused look and ran to catch up with him, wishing he had some clue of what was going on.
They worked their way back to the entrance with minimal problems, until they reached the corridor that lead to the entrance itself.
"Stop!" A voice demanded. The group, confused, stopped, which perhaps wasn't the wisest of moves.
"That voice…" Lloyd murmured, certain he'd heard it before. Where…?
"Oh, no," Genis moaned as the ninja who had harassed them on the Ossa Trail jumped down in front of them. Lloyd made a noise of surprise. It was Sheena!
"This day has finally come. This ancient ruin shall be your graveyard!" She declared, a card in her hand. Lloyd shook his head.
"What? Why are you fighting us?" He asked, going over to her. She held her cards threateningly, the small creature on her shoulder growling threateningly.
"I won't be taken in by you!" She told him determinedly. "You're with her, so-"
"Oh, you're here, too!" The 'her' in question, Colette, exclaimed with a big smile on her face, taking a step forward.
"S-stay back! Don't move!" Sheena demanded, clapping her hands together above her head. A creature formed itself out of smoke, a bird with a hooked beak and a compass on its back.
"Why do we have to fight now we've finally become friends?" Colette asked, confused.
"Sheena! Please! What's wrong?" Lloyd asked, desperate for an answer, seeing the despairing look on Kratos' face, and the frown on Forcystus'.
"Guardian Seals?" The half-elf murmured. "I thought they were only…"
"Since when are we…?" The ninja started to answer Colette's question, before shaking her head to cut herself off. "I have no intention of befriending you! Nothing that has happened in the past will change my mission or weaken my resolve! Prepare yourselves!" Kratos made a slight noise and shot forward, drawing his sword and hitting the ninja in the stomach with the pommel as he did so. She fell backwards with a cry, the creature on her shoulder jumping down to avoid injury. She tried to struggle up, but Kratos met her with a swift kick and had the point of his sword at her throat before she could react.
"Sheena!" The animal exclaimed, distraught, as she looked fearfully at the point of the sword.
"Kratos! No!" Lloyd exclaimed, horrified, running up and spreading his arms, as though it would stop the mercenary finishing her if he chose. Kratos made a disapproving noise, his hand moving ever-so-slightly, but the point of the sword still just shy of Sheena's neck.
"Why… Why can't I win?" The downed ninja murmured, despair and hopelessness in her eyes.
"Goodness and love will always win!" Genis retorted. Kratos looked at Lloyd, who met his eyes defiantly, then withdrew his sword. He kept it pointed in her direction as she struggled to her feet, the creature bounding up onto her shoulder once more.
"Genis, please don't bring up that stupid Dwarven Vow," Lloyd told him irritably. That was the one he hated the most. It was so clichéd… And so wrong. If goodness and love always won, they wouldn't be journeying in the first place.
"Goodness? If you're good, I'm good as well!" Sheena retorted angrily, rubbing one arm with a wince. Lloyd sighed.
"Why is everyone saying such corny things?" He wondered miserably. "Why are we even fighting in the first place?"
"What do you know!?" She exclaimed. "When you regenerate the world, my country will be destroyed!" There was a flicker of shock in the eyes of both Kratos and Forcystus. Colette frowned.
"But… When I regenerate the world… Everyone will be saved… Right?" She asked. Lloyd's eyes widened and he shot a look at Forcystus, who shrugged, a look of slight confusion on his face.
"This world will be saved!" The ninja yelled; her voice catching as she tried not to cry at her failure, and she turned and fled, not looking back.
"Sheena!" Lloyd called, reaching out after her as if to stop her.
"Wait! So you're not alone?" Raine called, but she was already gone.
"…This world…" Lloyd repeated, sounding dismayed, a frown on his face. This world meant Sylvarant. Did that make her Tethe'allan? Was that even possible? She was human, wasn't she?
"That girl…" Kratos murmured; his face puzzled, unhappy. "…Is she…?"
"You know her?" Genis asked, but Kratos shook his head curtly.
"No. Let us get out of here," he replied, sheathing his sword and walking on. Lloyd looked at Forcystus.
"That creature… Was that a summon?" The half-elf murmured. "It's not one I've ever seen or heard of, but it had to be…" Lloyd frowned.
"I thought you said…" He started. "…She… She is human, right?" Forcystus nodded.
"Yes… She's human… It's possible…" He murmured, thoughtful. "Almost unthinkable, but possible… If they had help…" He glanced in the direction Kratos had gone, then shook his head. "…We'll see. Come on." Lloyd bit his lip as Forcystus headed in the direction of the door, just after Colette. The half-elf's timing turned out to be perfect, as he managed to catch Colette as she fell unexpectedly just before the steps. She made a slight noise of shock. "I expected this…" Forcystus murmured, helping her back to her feet, where he continued to support her when she started to sway.
"It's the Angel Toxicosis again," Raine decided. "We must hurry and let her rest."
"I'm sorry to trouble everyone again…" Colette murmured apologetically, trying to move forwards away from Forcystus, but falling instead. Forcystus made a shocked noise and quickly went to her side again, where she was frowning.
"Are you alright?" Genis asked, concerned, and he and Lloyd went up to her.
"Hehe… No, I'm fine, I just blanked out for a moment," Colette replied, her usual smile on her face again. Forcystus frowned.
"We shall set up camp a little further away from the Mausoleum," Kratos murmured. "Forcystus, I shall take Colette." It was not a request. Forcystus looked up.
"…Of course," he murmured, the soft, respectful tone that Lloyd had only ever heard him use when talking to Yggdrasill in his voice as Kratos walked up and picked up Colette, who was looking slightly dazed.
"Forcystus?" Lloyd asked, confused, but the half-elf waved him away, watching Kratos with a slight frown on his face.
"~What do I do~?" He whispered, looking almost lost.
"Forcystus…? Are you alright?" Lloyd asked, concerned. Forcystus sighed, shaking his head as if to clear it.
"…Just fine," he reassured him, waving a hand to dismiss the matter. "Come on. We mustn't let Kratos do all the work." Lloyd, looking confused, followed Forcystus over to where Kratos had gone, now having absolutely no idea what was going on.
Night fell quickly – they had clearly spent longer in the Mausoleum than they'd first thought. Kratos had collared Forcystus, who was sat by the fire, with the grim promise of an interrogation in his eyes.
"~…Lloyd knows more than he says,~" Kratos muttered in Angelic as he and Forcystus watched the teen questioning a desperately evasive Colette about all things angel transformation. Forcystus sighed, running one hand down his face as if it would help him organise his thoughts, or come up with a reasonable excuse.
"~He knows what I have told him, that is all,~" he replied eventually. "~It seemed only fair that he should know a little…~" He trailed off as Kratos glared at him, realising that that had not been the right answer.
"~It would have been better for him to have been kept in the dark. How much does he know?~" Kratos demanded. There was a slightly icy edge to his voice that made Forcystus wince.
"~O-only a little, my Lord…~" He replied uncertainly, running one hand over the one that held his Exsphere, nervous now, concerned. Kratos continued to glare, his eyes cold, but worry in his heart. "~I…~" Forcystus started, before biting his lip and sighing, resigned to his fate. "~He knows that the Cruxis Crystal is a type of Exsphere, and of Tethe'alla, and a bit about the summons…~"
"~You told him about the Cruxis Crystal? How stupid are you?"~ Kratos spat, worry beginning to grow in his heart. He had not suspected Lloyd of knowing so much at all; the possibilities of having let slip that vital piece of information that would break his cover was now suddenly much more likely. "~Not only did you fail spectacularly at keeping him away from our journey, you have…~" He shook his head slightly, frustrated mostly with himself. "Lloyd…" Forcystus made an uncertain noise, not sure whether he was off the hook or not.
"I only told him what he deserved to know. I couldn't have kept him in the Ranch and left him totally in the dark, it wouldn't have been fair," he argued, speaking in the normal language once more. Kratos' glare didn't soften.
"~The idea was that he was left in the dark, so he didn't do anything… Stupid,~" he reminded him darkly. Forcystus looked at the floor, not even looking up as Colette yelped and dropped her mug of coffee.
"~He would have done 'something stupid' anyway,~" he disagreed. "~He's headstrong, and sticks to his beliefs… Much like his father used to be.~" Kratos winced at the reminder of the past.
"~More like Anna than I,~" he responded levelly, willing himself to remain calm, at least on the outside. "~He will try to save the Chosen if he finds out what will happen to her. Perhaps that is for the best. However, I will have to draw my sword against him should he try…~" Forcystus frowned in thought at that.
"~Just as long as he doesn't find out the whole truth prior to the journey to the Tower…~" He reasoned. "~I presume you've planned for what will happen there?~" He made a slight noise.
"I've tried," he replied, in normal language once more. "But he can't learn fast enough. I can't plan for the unpredictable, either. ~I'll have to hold back. Even that may not be enough. I need a way of being distracted to let him actually get a hit on me…~" Forcystus sighed.
"~We'll find something,~" he replied, looking over at Lloyd, who had hugged Colette and now turned to look at the pair. He glanced at his hands then. "~Perhaps I could…~" He frowned. "When he was in the Ranch, he used one of my feathers to ease my pain," he told him. "He knows… at least vaguely… That you can channel strong feelings through the mana in a feather."
"Positive ones, perhaps," Kratos agreed. "But no amount of willing over a single feather will inconvenience me in the slightest."
"But does he know that?" Forcystus shot back. "It doesn't even have to be him. As long as one of them knows that the principle is there… Raine, Raine would instantly see the opportunity when presented with it. They don't know it doesn't work with negative thoughts, or that the effect is only ever minimal. We can find some signal, a sign, and…"
"You want me to… Fake the pain?" Kratos asked, understanding now. Forcystus nodded.
"It works… I know I can make it work," he replied. "Just… Please, trust me once more?" Kratos laughed softly.
"My trust in you did not waver in the slightest, Forcystus, only my opinion on your level of intelligence," he responded. Forcystus looked affronted at that. "But if you can make this work… If you can keep him from being hurt… More than anything, Forcystus, I cannot let him be hurt…" He trailed off and quickly hid the look of worry that had been lurking in his eyes, putting on his emotionless face as the teen in question walked over.
"Lloyd. You should be sleeping," Kratos scolded the teen instantly, and Lloyd glared.
"Then so should you," he retorted, an argument that seemed perfectly reasonable to him. "I'm worried about Colette," he added, somewhat softer, as if afraid she would overhear. Kratos looked out in the direction of said Chosen; she was standing and looking at the stars, hopelessly.
"She seemed to be coping fine until you harassed her," Forcystus remarked, diverting attention from Kratos. Lloyd glared at him instead.
"Did you know? You had to have known!" He demanded. Forcystus sighed, looking away, as Kratos feigned confusion. "Why didn't you tell me what would happen to her?!"
"Because then you would have tried to stop her," the half-elf replied evenly, his voice low. "She wants to go on this journey, Lloyd. She wants to regenerate the world. Even if it means becoming an angel… Sacrificing a little will gain a lot for the world."
"Sacrificing a little?" Lloyd repeated, angry. "How can you… How can you go on this journey knowing?! Watching her just throw away so much of herself!"
"She wants it," Forcystus replied, but Lloyd shook his head angrily.
"No-one should have to sacrifice themselves for the world. Surely there's another way?" He persisted. Kratos sighed, irritated, shaking his head slightly.
"If there was, it would have been found," he told him curtly. Lloyd's glare switched back to him.
"Maybe people haven't been looking in the right place," he muttered darkly. "Maybe we should take the question to Cruxis!" Forcystus went deathly pale.
"No, Lloyd, no," he told him hurriedly, glancing at Kratos briefly in concern. "Whatever you do, you mustn't question…"
"Why not?" Lloyd cut him off. "Remiel's not Yggdrasill!" Forcystus winced as Kratos' look turned to ice once more.
"~You missed a little off your list, it seems,~" he muttered in Angelic, although he had already known that Lloyd knew. "Lloyd, you mustn't question an angel, especially one who has… Guided us so faithfully," he told the teen. "He is Sylvarant's only hope. Without his help we would be lost."
"We would not," Lloyd disagreed with a shake of his head. "We know where the Seals are, Forcystus told us. Haven't you seen the way he looks at Colette? He treats us all like trash – like we're inferior to him." The look in his eyes was challenging them both to disagree.
"Inferior…" Forcystus repeated, a soft sigh escaping him. "Yes…"
"And weren't you the one who said we might have to fight an angel?" Lloyd continued, still angry at Kratos' instant denial of alternatives. Forcystus laughed then, making Lloyd look at him strangely.
"Fight Remiel!" He exclaimed. "That would be amusing. He's a stuck-up pathetic excuse for a living being." He gave Kratos a careful look. "But be careful, Lloyd. Let the Chosen do as she wishes. If there were another way, I would tell you. But there is nothing you can do, save protect her." Lloyd glared at him.
"I'll find a way," he vowed angrily, his voice dangerous, challenging. "There has to be another way, and I'll find it. I don't care how long it takes me!" Forcystus smiled slightly, and Kratos made a slight noise.
"…Do that, Lloyd," the mercenary agreed. "Often, the answers lie where you least wish to look for them. I will help you if you wish." Lloyd looked at him, confused and taken aback by the sudden offer, something unexpected and unasked for.
"…You will?" He repeated, as if saying it again would make it more true. Kratos nodded.
"Yes," he replied. "True hope and determination can change the world, sometimes." There was a saddened look in his eyes, as though he were remembering something from long ago, something that he had tried to forget.
"…Promise?" Lloyd asked weakly, still almost unable to believe it. Kratos nodded once more, a true smile on his face for the first time in a long while.
"I promise," he confirmed, and Lloyd grinned.
"Thanks!" He replied, seeming pleased by his success. "…I trust you, Kratos," he added, the exuberant attitude fading somewhat, before turning and walking over to Colette to wish her good night. Kratos watched him until he lay down by the fire, to go to sleep himself.
"~…You'll regret that,~" Forcystus remarked quietly to the silent mercenary as he did this.
"~…I know. But it is true,~" Kratos murmured. "~No matter what the cost is to me. I will help him.~"
Kratos did not speak again for the rest of the night.
A/N - Can you tell when it starts to get late? XD Anyway, as I said, if anything isn't 100-percent clear, it will be elaborated on in later chapters, promise. (Unless somepne mentions something which won't be, in which case I'll explain it before the start of the next chapter, 'cause I'm nice *shifty look*.)
Please join me in a quiet prayer for Ulquiorra *crosses fingers, touches wood, etc.* and once again, apologies for going Bleach on you if you don't watch it. I know it can be irritating, but... Yeah. Sorry *hides*.