Broken Wings

by Twilight PhoenixFyre

"Don't die, Lloyd... My son." Five words Lloyd shouldn't have heard. "I won't. I promise." Four words that Lloyd should never have been able to hold to, and yet... He did. Perhaps for the better... perhaps for the worst. Only time would tell. Except, time seemed to be something only Lloyd truly had to spare. (Rating is set to 'T' because of some dark themes in later chapters.)

31. In Memorium

Broken Wings
N.W. 1121
In Memorium

Zelos was apologizing.

It was somewhat distracting, really, and Lloyd certainly didn't want to screw this up... Not that he wanted the redhead to apologize.

He understood. Really.

Because he'd been there before, time and time again. Alicia, Mithos, Presea, Yuan... He'd been there. He'd had to watch, had to put the final nail in the coffin, had to live with the knowledge that those lives had been snuffed by his blade as surely as if he'd buried it in their hearts.

And so he ignored the man behind him, single-minded in his task, and emotionally numb as a new name and set of dates joined the dozen already upon this side of the memorial, just another one among nearly a hundred that littered every side of the stone.

His fingers trailed over the carved names as he hesitated, not wanting to complete his current task. His heart ached as he looked over them, the people who had a place of honor on the front of the memorial, and he wished, idly, that he would never have to add to it again.

And yet... he doubted that he would be so lucky. It was just his nature to hold his friends close, and though he and Zelos were all that were left of those who'd reunited the two worlds... Well, he knew that it wouldn't stop the humans from mucking things up eventually.

He would continue to add to this side of the memorial, he was quite certain of that. Perhaps not soon—he hoped and prayed that his remaining family, biological and adoptive, would remain with him for at least another few millennia—but eventually... eventually, it would be needed.

And right at the top of the list, in a place of honor that he had a feeling the half-elf would have denied that he'd earned, was Mithos Yggdrasill. Lloyd had made his lists very carefully, and when he'd looked over those who would be placed on this side of the memorial, it was clear (to him, at least) that Mithos would be the first name carved upon the stone.

He had made Lloyd who he was, just as much as Dirk or Kratos had. The conditions he'd inflicted on the worlds, his desperate goal that never would have reached fruition...

And it was the very memory of Mithos that gave Lloyd the strength to finish the most recent name on his memorial. Because he would not take Mithos' path. He refused to do so, even as his heart ached, forever broken into pieces that would never fully heal. The ring on his left hand was never so heavy as it was when he finished his work and looked over his list.

MITHOS YGGDRASILL
PRESEA COMBATIR
SELES WILDER
REGAL BRYANT
LILIA LORENCIA
MARTA LUALDI CASTAGNIER
EMIL CASTAGNIER
SHEENA FUJIBAYASHI
YUAN KA-FAI
DIRK IRVING
GENIS SAGE
RICHTER ABEND
RATATOSK
TENEBRAE
RAINE SAGE-ALDERASH

With a deep breath, the dam finally broke, tears flowing freely as Lloyd traced the most recent name on his memorial, a name he had hoped he would never need to carve. He'd hoped that he was enough, that his love would be enough to hold her in this world, and yet...

And yet, he would not have taken this choice away from her.

A part of him, which he failed to keep utterly silent in his heart as he wept, wished that she had come to him instead of Zelos. And though the redhead continued to apologize, to try to get him to speak, Lloyd remained silent, eyes locked on the name still half-covered by the fingers that had carved it.

COLETTE BRUNEL AURION