Chapter 18: Friends

"Wake up, Lloyd!"

Lloyd jumped up and looked around to trying to figure out who was shouting at him. It was Raine.

"Jeez, what's the matter?" he said, groggily standing up and stretching.

"There's something that Xylek and Setsuna want to tell everyone and I've been trying to wake you up for the past half hour. I was about to have Genis come use his magic to get you up."

"Fine fine, I'll be there soon." Lloyd wondered what they had to say as he went about getting ready annoyed at having been woken up.

…

"So, with the way things have been, we feel it would be a good idea if everyone just took a day to relax. No thinking about Xegros, bad memories, anything. If everyone's mentally exhausted, it will increase the chance that someone will get severely injured, or make a poor choice," Xylek finished with a nod.

Everyone stared at him blankly.

"We can't just relax! Who knows what Xegros is up to right now? We don't have time to-" Lloyd started, but Setsuna interrupted him.

"If you can't release the tension before a fight, you'll make errors. Do you think it would be good for us to go confront him when we're all so on edge? If we can approach him calmly, our odds of success will go up dramatically. Remember, this Xegros is a warped monster of a man. His power is untested, so we have no idea what new things he's capable of doing. He was dangerous enough before getting possessed. We could all use a chance to clear our minds."

Xylek hadn't seen it, but when she emphasized "all," she had motioned towards him. It wasn't that everyone there wasn't ready; it was because Xylek wasn't ready, and Setsuna could tell.

"I think it's a good idea," Regal said, placing his hand on his chin. "There are a few things I'd like to do before we travel to the Ginnungagap again."

"If you are so eager to fight, Lloyd, perhaps some sparring would work," Kratos said. "It's been a while since we've had a good round of practice together. I think I would… enjoy it." It was true. He hadn't sparred with Kratos in over two years.

"Perhaps there are also things people need to get off of their minds first, too?" Zelos said, looking at Sheena and then Lloyd. He received a dirty look from the ninja, and Lloyd didn't even notice the exchange. Everyone agreed that a day to gather their thoughts would be good. Having seen Xegros exhibiting such strength had unsettled many of them.

…

"Xylek!"

The warrior stopped what he was doing and turned around. He raised his eyebrow when he saw that Stacie was standing there, glaring at him.

"How may I be of assistance, ma'am?" he asked teasingly, bowing low.

"Actually… I'm here to apologize for slamming you into the ground the other day." She said this with a downturned face, embarrassed at her previous outburst.

"Haha, it's fine. I deserved it, considering what I had done to your crush."

She blushed at the mention of Regal.

"Of course you deserved it! You deserved more!"

"Correct."

"Especially considering what you did to everyone. How can a person do that to other people? That's just cold-hearted and mean!"

"Uh-huh."

"You- you're not supposed to keep agreeing with me!"

"There's not much else to do. What you say is true. Of course I feel bad about it now, and you bringing it up won't really change much. I've heard it all before, so if you keep talking about it, I'm going to ignore you."

She clenched her fist in irritation, but Xylek just turned around and went back to what he had been doing. She leaned around him, and to her surprise, he was sharpening and cleaning everyone's weapons.

"Does everyone know you raided their belongings to do this?" she inquired.

"No, but I'd rather you didn't say anything."

"I have no obligation to keep my mouth shut," she said mischievously.

"Okay, what if I gave you some advice about Regal, then?"

Her eyes opened wide for a second, but she quickly changed her expression.

"What could you know about Master Regal that I wouldn't? You've only been talking to him for a few days, while I have been in his service for many years!"

Xylek smirked. "You know, Regal most likely noticed your feelings for him long ago." Stacie lost her attitude and listened. "Though, since he is a gentleman, so long as you act like you don't want him to know, he will act like he doesn't. I don't know his feelings for you, but I doubt he'd string you along if he didn't care for you at all."

Sure enough, Stacie hadn't been aware. She thought that she had kept it hidden well enough.

"Was it that obvious?"

"You thought you were being subtle?"

She kicked him in the back, injuring her foot.

"You might want to treat that foot. You'll need it for Xegros."

"W-wait a second! I'm coming?"

"I only assumed so, since Regal was coming. I figured you would want to be there to help keep him from getting injured again. I won't be going out of my way to protect anyone; they'll have to take care of themselves."

"That's a bit cold of you." she remarked.

"I guess that's why I have such an affinity for ice. Perhaps you now have things to tend to, as well? And remember, you didn't see me with everyone's weapons."

"Fine… and thanks for the advice."

He just waved his hand in the air as she ran off to make preparations.

…

Sheena nodded as Setsuna walked into the room.

"I'll excuse myself," said the man that had been speaking to Sheena, who then stood and left.

"What was that about, I wonder?" Setsuna asked, looking behind her as she sat down where the man had been sitting.

"Oh, that was one of the village scouts. He reports that there is a large amount of unusual weather around the Ginnungagap."

"That's to be expected. I didn't ask Xylek how long it would take to open the seal, but Xegros shouldn't be able to do it quickly. We have some time, I'm sure."

"That's good to know," Sheena said with a sigh, relaxing a bit.

"So, what did you want to talk to me about?" Setsuna asked, and Sheena jerked upright again.

"Oh, yes, the reason I called you here… umm, could you close the door? I don't want anyone to overhear."

Setsuna raised her eyebrow, but leaned over and closed the door to the room. "There, nobody will disturb us now, I'm sure."

Sheena wasn't sure where to start, but Setsuna, judging by her hesitance, took a stab in the dark.

"This isn't about Lloyd, is it?"

Sheena's face turned red. Setsuna smiled a bit. "Hmm…"

"W-wait! It's not that! I'm just... worried about him."

"Oh?"

"You two said we would need to be at the top of our game, mentally and physically. Physically, Lloyd will be fine. But, even at his best, mentally, he's kinda…"

"Hot-headed. Rash. A bit of a moron."

"Yes, but you don't have to be so blunt about it!" Sheena put her hand over her own mouth, as she had gotten louder than she had intended.

"No, those can be endearing traits if put in the right situation. Xylek's way of saying things can be very touching or just annoying. It depends on the situation. So, you're worried he's going to get himself hurt against Xegros?"

"Yeah. When we fought Xylek, Lloyd almost got himself killed. Xylek used some sort of sword technique that completely overpowered him, and if it weren't for the fact that Xylek was in a mentally unstable mood, I think he would have killed all of us."

"Unstable? Not quite. He's a bit more empathetic than most realize, and he saw your feelings for Lloyd. He saw how similar you looked to me, thought of his own situation, and he could no longer bring himself to harm any of you at that moment."

Sheena remembered her exact words she had yelled when she had thought Lloyd was about to die, and she would have been powerless to save him.

"I think you should just tell Lloyd your concerns. I'm sure he can occasionally show a bit of intelligence, so telling him to be careful might work."

"What if he asks why I'm so concerned?"

"You're good friends, right? Would you need any more reason that that?"

"I suppose you're right."

"If you need another reason, just tell him that his rashness could get someone else hurt too. That should get him to listen."

"Good point."

"Pardon me for a second, Sheena."

Setsuna stood, opened the door, and closed it behind her.

"Hey, wait a sec! I wasn't- AHHH!"

Setsuna came back in a few minutes later.

"Was that Zelos I heard?"

"Yes. He had tried to sneak in and listen through the walls. You should be more observant."

"Hey, I've got a lot on my mind right now!"

"My sister wouldn't care. If you are indeed from our bloodline, you should strive for perfection all the time, regardless of the situation."

"From Xylek's story, you didn't seem to be anywhere close to 'perfection,' Setsuna," Sheena snarked.

Setsuna coughed and blushed.

"Anyways, I doubt I'm actually related to you. I was adopted when I was found abandoned in the forest outside the village."

"I know. I considered everything, but I still have a feeling you're related. Who would abandon a child so close to the village that was supposedly hidden? Odds are, they were from the village, themselves. Even 4000 years later, you still show a bit of resemblance. My family always had strong genes."

"Well, thanks, I guess? What did you do to Zelos, exactly?"

"Dropped him down the well again," she said with a grin.

Both women laughed.

…

"Ouch!" Lloyd swung his swords in retaliation of the strike he had just received on the leg.

"You should work more on your defense." Kratos' blow had left a rather large red welt.

"My swordsmanship is fine. I just got a little sloppy!"

"And if these weren't wooden swords, your sloppiness would have cost you a leg."

Lloyd grunted and rushed Kratos, who deftly parried the flurry of sword blows. Lloyd had improved much during their separation, though, and Kratos was shoved back. He tried to push Lloyd back, but his attacks were knocked aside as Lloyd managed to land a blow on Kratos' arm.

"Ha!"

"Don't get cocky."

Lloyd was sent flying back from a kick to the chest.

"Hey, that's cheating!"

"I was unaware that I was limited to my sword for attacking. Xegros won't have such limits, either, and a strike on the arm will not be enough to prevent a counterattack. You must consider who your opponent is." Kratos' lecture gave Lloyd an idea.

The two resumed their sparring, and it slowly began to go in Kratos' favor again.

"Looks like you still have room to improve."

"I would have an awfully large ego if I ever thought that I couldn't improve. I'm always striving to become stronger!"

Hearing these words made Kratos feel something akin to pride in his son, but Lloyd was relentless in his attack.

"I'm glad I got to come back and see you again. Though, it looks like Cruxis is now stuck here, for the time being."

"You wanted to leave?"

Lloyd stopped attacking and stood back.

"I didn't say that. I just have to take responsibility for the things I've done. The things Cruxis has done."

"Well, you could just stick around and help protect this world. It seems that the urge to do so runs in my blood, at least."

Kratos smiled.

"Thanks, Lloyd. I'm glad to hear you say that."

Lloyd readied his weapons again and rushed forward.

"No problem… Dad!"

Kratos flinched at the use of "dad," since he wasn't used to being called that, and Lloyd knocked him to the ground with his rush.

"I remembered who my opponent was, so I acted appropriately," Lloyd gloated as Kratos rose to his feet and brushed himself off.

"I see. Perhaps I'll show you some 'tough love' then."

"You can try!"

The two charged each other, grinning.

…

"Ratatosk is worried…"

Emil was talking to Raine and Marta.

"What about?" Raine asked, curious.

"When I spoke to him earlier, he said that Xylek's seal, as strong as it was, would be rather easy to open."

"But it took so much mana to make!" Marta said, shocked.

"Yeah, he said it has nothing to do with the strength of the seal, but the structure. It's made more like a door than a wall."

"I see! That would make it very difficult to destroy, but…" Raine began talking to herself.

"How would that make it hard to destroy?" Emil asked.

"Well, instead of being destroyed to open the path between worlds, it would simply open instead, remaining intact. It would mean that, so long as there is someone who can fight to the seal, they can just close it again instead of having to remake a new seal. So, Xylek made it with the intent that it could be opened? I wonder why…"

Emil and Marta were slightly confused, but they got the gist of what she had said.

"I wonder what Niflheim looks like. I bet it's scary! Oh, I'm getting frightened just thinking about it! Emil, hold me!"

"Don't worry. I said I'll always protect you. Remember, I'm your knight."

"That sounded so manly!"

Emil sighed as Marta glomped him.

…

Everyone was much happier as they sat down for dinner. Regal was ecstatic that he had been voted to be the chef, much to Xylek's dismay. Stacie had counted the ballots, and it was overwhelmingly in Regal's favor. Everyone knew why, but Regal seemed so happy about it they let it slide.

"Oh well, that means I get to just sit here and relax instead of worrying about which spices to use!" Xylek leaned back with a smirk.

"Hey, just because Stacie fixed the votes doesn't mean you won," Zelos said.

Everyone had gotten used to him without his armor, but considering the fact that his clothes were actually his armor in a different form, it still got raised eyebrows.

"So, why don't you ever change your clothes?" Genis asked.

"I do. I change them from armor to casual attire to pajamas. What about everyone else? All I ever see is you all wearing the same things. Mine have special powers. What's everyone else's excuse?"

Everyone looked at him like they didn't know what he was talking about.

"Dinner is served!" Stacie yelled as the food was brought in. Regal walked in and sat down, seemingly tired from cooking. Everyone's mouths were watering as they stared at the food before them.

"I do believe I have been outdone," Xylek said, looking at his plate and probing the food, attempting to discern how it was made.

"Stop playing with it and just eat!" Setsuna said, smacking her husband in the back of the head.

Everyone laughed as he rubbed the back of his head.

"Setsuna, be careful or you'll give your lover brain damage," Sheena remarked with a grin.

"Oh, is that what happened to Lloyd?" she retorted.

Sheena blushed, and Zelos began laughing.

"I don't get what's so funny. Do you, Lloyd?" Colette asked.

"Nope. Not really."

There were several sighs as everyone began eating again.

…

"Well, that was a good meal. Everyone seemed to be in a better mood, at least."

Xylek said this, staring into the night sky. Setsuna, who was sitting next to him, poked him in the side of the head to get his attention.

"If you ask me, it sounded like they consider you a friend now."

"Friends, eh? Never had many of those…"

"I know. You don't really open up to people like that, either. Maybe that's why."

"Probably. You know, people don't tend to almost kill their friends," he said with a sigh.

"Stop beating yourself up about that. It's over. Nobody died."

"Yes, but friends protect each other. I can't let them go fight Xegros, knowing full well that not everyone may come back alive…"

"They're strong. They'll survive." She put her hand on his arm.

"I don't know. This feels like more of our problem than theirs, though. I don't want them to be put in danger. Xegros was our friend. We have to protect him, too. Even if it means protecting him from himself. He would never do the things he's planning on doing."

"I suppose you're right," Setsuna said quietly.

Xylek grabbed her arm and pulled her close, hugging her tightly.

"Hey, are you saying we can't beat his ass by ourselves?"

"One of us could get seriously injured or-"

"Or what? I'd fight anyone and everyone to protect you, and, like I promised, I'll always come back. That doesn't leave much room for an 'or,' does it?"

She smiled and returned the embrace, though she was still uneasy.

"Now, we're already prepared to go," he said, materializing his armor and sword. She did the same. "I just have to do something before we leave." Xylek wandered off to enact his plan.

…

"Guys, we have a problem! A BIG one!"

Genis' frantic yelling brought everyone to where he was.

"What happened to the Rheairds?" Emil asked, looking at the flying machines.

"They've all been severely damaged. None of them can fly," Regal said after examining them.

"Xylek and Setsuna are gone, too!" Sheena said, running to the group. "Some of my scouts said they saw them approaching the Ginnungagap.

"Hey, where are Celsius and Efreet?" Colette asked.

"Eh?"

Nobody had noticed that the summon spirits were also missing.

"Dammit! We need to go after them!" Lloyd said, running to get his stuff.

"We won't be able to catch up. They've gotten too much of a head start," Raine said,

"We can still help them! If they lose, who knows what Xegros will be able to do!" Genis said, having already gotten his things.

"It's fine. We can still make good time. I've already arranged for a very fast ship called a skimmer. It will be able to take us to the Otherworldly Gate from the coast," Stacie said.

"Alright. We need to catch up!"

Everyone ran about, getting ready to chase down Xylek and Setsuna, who had gone ahead, alone.

Xylek: I wonder how close to the end of the story we're getting…

Tiger: One thing we can learn from Symphonia, it's not over until the credits play.