The shink of a blade sliding out of its sheath was Genis' solitary warning.

"Guys!" he exclaimed after his heart had stopped racing. "I thought we'd been ambushed!"

"Always be on guard," reproved Kratos.

"That's what the night watch is for!"

Lloyd's boisterous laughter interrupted whatever the other swordsman was going to say next. "If it's such a bother, we can just move farther off, mmkay? You can study your heart out on those avocado equations or whatever. Just know it's not helping your height problem."

"It's Avogadro! And studying doesn't have any bearing on my height!"

Genis scowled, eliciting another snigger from his best friend as he walked away. Kratos followed, but not before Genis caught what could have been a tiny upturn of the lips.

He and Lloyd had been getting pretty close lately.

No, he wasn't jealous… Okay, maybe a little. Just a tad.

He glared daggers at his textbook.

"What's the matter, Genis?" inquired Raine. Her blue eyes held his.

He exhaled and avoided her gaze. "It's silly."

"Nothing that upsets you this much is silly."

A guilt-ridden smile crossed his features. "Well…"

"It's about Lloyd, isn't it?" she prompted gently.

Genis blinked. His book of molecular chemistry lay forgotten in his lap. "How'd you know?"

She laughed. "I've noticed you watching them very intently when Kratos is instructing him. You're jealous he's spending so much time with him. What? Did you think your elder sister wouldn't be aware of that?"

He shook his head ruefully. "I can't hide anything from you, Sis. Yeah, Lloyd is always following him around nowadays. They're always going off to spar together."

"It is rather peculiar. Lloyd was quite antagonistic when we first set off and Kratos did not endear himself to us, especially to him."

"Isn't it? And then suddenly he's always talking to him, pelting him with all these questions, and Kratos not only reciprocates but actually initiates sometimes?" Genis was getting more riled up by the minute, his fair skin reddening. "Then Kvar happens and it gets ten times worse!"

"Kvar…"

"Whenever he wakes Lloyd up, he barely protests. And now they're always skulking off at night. Sometimes they don't even train. Just stare up at the stars and talk."

Raine sat in pensive silence. He gritted his teeth and stomped away to prepare their food.

After dinner, the leftovers were packed into sandwiches and wooden crockery and cutlery scrubbed in the river nearby. Genis had taken his frustrations out on the undeserving dishes. Lloyd had continued to pick Kratos' brains and the mercenary was more receptive than ever. They had kept up a steady stream of conversation throughout the meal.

Now he sat on top of his sleeping roll, distracting himself with homework before it was time for his watch. Lloyd plopped onto the ground beside him, arms behind his head as he stared up at the evening star that had winked into existence.

"What's up?" Genis asked. "I'm the one on first watch. You're midnight; better get some sleep while you can. You can goggle at the stars all you want when it's your turn."

"Eh," Lloyd answered absently. "Not tired yet."

"We've been walking all day and you guys waved your swords around for a whole hour," Genis pointed out dryly.

Lloyd shrugged. "My muscles ache, but it's better than before. I'm getting used to everything."

"Not enough to stop complaining about stuff."

He flushed. "Shut it, Genis!"

Genis snickered, then cut off. He had been mad for hours, but a few words from Lloyd were enough to dissolve that.

He knew he was being unfair. He had known Lloyd ever since he'd come to Iselia. He knew just how irresistible it was to receive Lloyd's friendship. He couldn't fault Kratos for something Genis had experienced first-hand. And he certainly could not criticise Lloyd for the very mindset which had allowed him to befriend a half-elf nerd. Granted, he didn't know about the 'half' part…

"How do you think we'll get to the Tower of Salvation once we reach Hima?"

"Kratos said we can take those dragons that guy was preparing. I'm so pumped!"

Still, it was hard to ignore the green-eyed monster.

"Knowing you, you'll just be bored of flying a couple of minutes in."

"Hey!"

Genis gave a trembling smile at the memory. He'd dreamed about it for years but had never dared to clue him in on the truth. But Lloyd knew the truth about him and his sister now, and didn't care.

And now he was gone.

Alone in Izoold's inn, Genis fished out the unprocessed ore and turned it over in his hands, watching how it scattered red light all over the room. The crimson of his obnoxious jacket, of their dead eyes.

All because of half-elves like him.

When he had travelled with Regal and Colette to collect the inhibitor ore, he had made sure to practise his spells at every opening. The other two had joined him but with much less heat and less frequently. He had left just enough mana to negotiate the mine in relative security. His imagined target?

Yggdrasill.

Genis had been angry at the Desians before for making it so much harder for other half-elves to live in peace, for blurring the line between Desian and half-elf. For a long time, Genis had even been convinced that they were all the same. Sometimes he still believed that when he saw his Tethe'allan kin suffer in the pits of the earth, when he saw Mithos' miserable eyes upon remembering his sister's death, when he realised that all Forcystus and all half-elves wanted was a place to call home.

But, then again, that was all anyone ever wanted—human, elf, dwarf, or half-elf. A place to belong. A people to belong.

Outside, heeled boots clacked on the wooden floor at a medium volume, alerting Genis that one of his companions was approaching. Too quiet meant an ambush; too loud meant a stranger, and loud and fast meant to dispense with stealth: an emergency.

Raine stepped in. Her eyes lingered on the object sitting atop Genis' palm before she set her staff down beside her bed.

He looked down, fingering the ore again. "Colette thinks he's fine."

"Why is that?" Her tone was almost monotonous, yet focused in a way that told him Raine was probing for something to latch onto.

"She said… No, I can't believe it." He almost threw the inhibitor ore, but at the last second thought better of it and placed it on the mattress.

"What did she say, Genis?"

He sighed sharply, blowing his fringe out of his eyes only for it to float back to lie against his forehead. "I don't really know. It was like she didn't know the reason herself. But she mentioned Kratos."

Raine brought a hand to her chin in thought. "Is she under the impression that Kratos is caring for Lloyd?"

"Seems that way." Genis crossed his arms. Blood boiled beneath his pale skin. "But he deceived us! He led us all on a lie! He wanted to sacrifice Colette and he tried to kill us all! He got so close to Lloyd only to turn around and betray Lloyd's trust and I can't forgive that!"

"Genis."

He threw her an ill-tempered look which she returned with a stony expression. Genis sighed again. "Sorry, Sis. It's just… you know I was already jealous of Kratos. I thought—"

His voice broke off. Raine walked over to him, the bed shifting under her weight as she settled at his side.

"I thought I could deal with it. I mean, it was obvious Lloyd saw him as a big brother figure, maybe even a father figure. And I thought Kratos liked him, too. But then, at the tower, he… And then he took Lloyd away from us!"

Raine's thumb was at his cheek, stroking it as she had when he was young. Genis wrapped his arms around her waist.

"He'll come back to us," his sister said. "After everything we've done together, I will accept no other outcome."

Genis grinned despite himself. "Yeah… I can't, either."

They stayed in that spot for a long time. Resting in Raine's arms, Genis' eyes grew heavy. The shape of his half-elf friend formed in his mind.

"Mithos…" he whispered. "Is there something you're not telling me?"

Morning dawned before Genis was ready to face it.

"Five more minutes…" he mumbled, burying his face into the pillow.

The blanket was yanked off, provoking a shivering fit from the boy. He moaned something intelligible.

"As much as I understand that you miss Lloyd, I will not allow you to develop his habits."

Another phrase muffled by the cushion.

"Genis, I am unimpressed by your behaviour. The sooner we leave, the sooner we can have the key crest made."

He opened his eyes at that, forcing himself out of bed. "Lloyd doesn't even sleep in anymore," he muttered as he gathered his garments reluctantly. "Don't blame him."

Raine stared at the light blush on her brother's face. He was getting to the age when children were discomfited in changing in front of their family members. His comportment around Presea was proof enough of that. Her eyebrows lifted slightly in amusement. "Then you should imitate what good qualities he has." She left him to dress in peace.

It didn't take long for Genis to get ready, too used to throwing on his clothes and running out the door for another day of hard walking. That was only this past year, however.

Seven years ago, he had done the same, knowing he would be chased out instead.

A question drifted to the forefront of his mind. One that he had asked himself for years, ever since the world had taught him what it meant to be a half-elf.

Humans accepted other humans. They tolerated elves and dwarves but disliked them more often than not—Genis could see that in Iselia's attitude towards the Sage siblings and towards Lloyd, the adopted son of a dwarf.

So why were half-elves detested so? Was it because of the Desians? What drove the first half-elves to become Desians, anyway?

Were half-elves just destined to be hated for all time?

No. Genis didn't want to believe that. Wouldn't, couldn't, not after what Lloyd had done for him and Raine. Nobody deserved that.

Maybe humans only accepted people like themselves. After all, Lloyd was human. And, just because he wasn't like the Iselians, just because he was raised by a dwarf or had mannerisms they deemed alien or because he hung around with a strange animal like Noishe—or all of the above—they didn't accept him.

Another niggling thought. If Lloyd had never existed, or if he had rejected him… What would Genis have done?

No! He couldn't think like that! There was no point in getting all depressed about hypotheticals. Especially since there was no time to waste: Lloyd needed him, and Genis would always lend a hand to his best friend.

He marched out to greet everyone at breakfast.

They were going to be best friends forever.

"Yuan."

"Kratos."

The half-elf ran his fingers along his hair, sweeping his long ponytail over his shoulder. "I suppose Yggdrasill's sent you to take care of me?"

"He has." Kratos' right hand was on the pommel of his blade, as it had been since he had sighted the other.

Yuan smiled. "Will you?"

Kratos' eyes narrowed ever so slightly.

He shook the dust off his cloak. "I know exactly what you need. The chips will fall into place."

"What do you hope to gain from bargaining like this?" Kratos said. "Mithos holds all the cards."

"Ah, but he doesn't, not really. He'd like us to think so!"

His hand left the hilt and Kratos folded his arms. "Origin and the Eternal Sword."

"He doesn't have the summon spirits anymore and most of his grand cardinals have kicked the dust. We can lift the seal and that's taken care of, you know that very well." Yuan crossed his arms as well and a brow lifted in amusement. "Are you thinking it's not time to reveal your hand yet? Ever the cautious one. But so am I."

"Your cover has been blown."

Yuan winced. "Touché. Although, I still don't know how."

"I suspect that there is another spy in the ranks," Kratos alleged. "That or Lloyd."

Yuan pressed his lips together in an unsuccessful bid to hide his laughter. Kratos' eyebrow twitched.

"What? I'm just… Oh, come on, you think it's funny, too!"

"I do not enjoy your entertainment at my son's expense."

Yuan rolled his eyes. "You haven't even asked about him yet."

He saw Kratos' body freeze. "What?"

"And here I was, ready to give you the breaking news of his latest encounter with his friends." He sighed dramatically.

In less than a breath, Kratos was in his face.

"Hmph, fine. You'll be…"

Genis rubbed his arm in a vain attempt to calm his goosebumps. Whether they were from the chilly winds or from the heady anticipation he'd had since they boarded the rheairds that morning, he didn't know. Either way, he was grateful that his companions had signalled for a break.

They had sighted a convenient plateau among the highlands and had begun to descend for a breather when their rheairds juddered.

Genis' gaze snapped to Sheena, who mouthed, I don't know!—and the aircrafts nosedived.

The next minute was filled with Genis struggling desperately to right his rheaird. He noticed the others wrestling with their controls out of the corner of his eye but the ground was getting closer and closer—

He blinked as it began to correct itself some fifty metres above a grisly death, just enough to send both him and the rheaird skidding across the dirt, battered yet intact.

"Guys!" he yelled in a panic, dislodging himself from the machine.

"I'm okay!" Colette said; her wings fluttered purple against the blue sky.

"Me, too," groaned Zelos. "That wasn't pretty, though. And my hair!"

"Nobody cares about your hair, stupid Chosen…"

Okay, Sheena and Zelos were well enough to carry on with their banter. Moving on.

"Presea!" he hollered, running to her rheaird. It upended itself, revealing the girl in question.

"I'm fine," she told him as Regal emerged from his aircraft. He nodded in relief and turned to see Raine across the plateau, lying on her side.

"Sis!"

She stirred at his voice and looked up, her face awash with confusion. "What happened…?"

Genis shrugged, his mouth opening to relay his stupefaction, but Colette's shriek drew their attention away.

A familiar figure walked toward them.

"Lloyd!"

It was him. It was really him.

"Lloyd!" Genis cried again.

His brown hair was windswept by the mountainous air currents; red boots kicked up dust; red gloves held the hilts of unsheathed swords.

And cold red eyes.

"Please, come back to us!"

Lloyd charged.

"Don't do this!" Colette begged. She swung a chakram at him which he turned aside easily. She wasn't as good a fighter as Lloyd and would not be able to bring herself to battle him properly, but she was not going to let him keep hurting their friends.

She leapt back, throwing her left-hand chakram—"Ray Thrust!"—in hopes of distracting him so she could cast Holy Song. He sidestepped it effortlessly; her weapon boomeranged back.

A card inked with Force Seal whistled past his ear.

He whipped around in the direction of the projectile and hurtled toward Sheena, whose mouth fell open at Lloyd's speed.

"Get out of the way!"

Lloyd's twin swords met a single blade. Zelos grunted before disengaging. The two swordsmen circled one another for a long moment.

"Protect us! Holy Song!"

The men were in each other's faces just as Colette began to speak. White and purple washed over the group, bestowing them with vigour. Zelos feinted to the right and smirked as the other followed.

"Still as gullible as ever, huh!" He smashed his shield against Lloyd's right arm, catching the sword between the shield and the boy's body. He stumbled back but still managed to slash out with his free hand, drawing a thin red line across Zelos' cheek.

He glowered. "I don't care if you're my bud or not, nobody does that to my beautiful face! If this leaves a scar I promise you'll—"

"Save it!" screeched Sheena.

Zelos fell back with a slight pout, allowing Regal to switch in.

"Careful," he called. "He's grown a lot stronger!"

"Noted."

Genis clenched his teeth as he stood with a charged spell. Lloyd was already strong, thanks to Kratos and their journey together, but the Cruxis Crystal imparted unparalleled power. Its parasitic effects meant that one of his greatest weaknesses—the inability to concentrate—was non-existent. It was almost surreal, the way he danced between Regal's strikes with eyes of glass.

An axe cleaved the space where Lloyd's ankle had just been. Genis shrank at the close call. He didn't know how to feel. They could not afford to go easy on him but neither did they want to wound him badly.

Zelos panted as he cast First Aid on himself, sighing in relief as his scratches closed up. "The nice thing about facing only one enemy is that we can swap in and out and spells won't get interrupted. Who doesn't love a breather?"

"The irritating thing is that we can't all fight at the same time," said Genis with a grimace.

As they stood there, feeling helpless, Presea managed to land a blow on Lloyd's side with the dull edge of her axe. He misstepped and Regal drove forward to attack. But Lloyd recovered far earlier than expected.

He blocked Regal's kick with one arm and twisted round before the man could withdraw. Off-balance from the sudden disappearance of Lloyd's weight, he couldn't dodge the oncoming Super Sonic Thrust. It plunged deep into his hip.

Regal crashed to the ground amid panicked shouts, unable to support himself. Blood seeped and agony oozed. Raine was already incanting a healing spell but Lloyd approached to finish the job.

"Ground Dasher!"

The earth erupted under Lloyd's feet. His expression was stony even as he lurched and blood began to trickle down his legs. Presea kicked off toward him, but the adolescent managed to bring a blade up in time. Steel clashed loudly and Lloyd had to support the lock with his second weapon.

"I call upon the disciple of everlasting ice! I summon thee; come, Celsius!"

A bright blue ring coalesced, emitting motes of icy mana. Presea retreated just as the spirit flashed into being.

"It's over!" Celsius bellowed. She slammed the ground, sending giant frozen spikes in every direction.

Thick mist chilled the air, obscuring everyone's view. Those who had access to magic began to prepare while those who specialised in close combat kept their respective weapons up and readjusted their stances.

A shadow bolted at Colette.

Flustered, the girl unleashed her spell before it was ready. "Angel Feathers!"

One rainbow disc materialised, glowing dully, and was easily cast aside in a spray of pink plumes. Lloyd's right sword had been sheathed; he grabbed her with his now empty hand and warded off their friends with the other blade.

"Lloyd, please!" Tears ran down her face. He had never forced her to go anywhere. She had never imagined that he would.

He wasn't—it wasn't him, wasn't his fault—but the callused hand enclosed her wrist in a way they hadn't before. He wrenched her away and her feet worked desperately to keep her upright. (He had always caught her when she tripped). She flapped her wings, trying to gain more traction. She thrashed so much that he turned around.

Colette stroked his face just as Lloyd went to knock her unconscious.

Scarlet irises fell upon her necklace.

A/N: This is my first story with a proper plot, as I've mentioned. Constructive criticism is welcome.