Hello everybody! So, I have a renewed obsession with Tales of Symphonia after replaying it, and I wanted to share my love in the form of fanfiction! Thanks for reading, and enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own Tales of Symphonia.

Standing on top of the altar, staring down at the dying angel before him, Kratos didn't look like their friend anymore. He didn't sound very much like their friend anymore, either. His wings shimmered in the light as Remiel begged for his life and Kratos shrugged him off.

"Dammit!" Lloyd shouted up at him. "Just who are you…?"

Kratos' face softened a bit, before he suddenly became closed off again. "Humph. I am an angel of Cruxis. I am one of the Four Seraphim, sent to watch over the Chosen."

"You deceived us!" Sheena accused.

"I knew it," Raine hissed. "I knew you were hiding something."

"But…Kratos, you…" Lloyd's eyes flicked between Colette's blank face and Kratos' hardened one. "Why are you doing this?"

"I have no need to explain to you," Kratos answered coolly, jumping down to their level and unsheathing his sword. "Cruxis will take the Chosen and resurrect Martel. If you value your life, you won't stand in our way. That's all you need to know."

"I won't let you take her!" Lloyd held his swords up, ready to fight. "If you want Colette, you're going to have to go through us!"

"That's right!" Genis said. Kratos watched as the rest of the group all readied their arms. Slowly, he raised his sword and got into a battle stance.

"You earnestly believe you can defeat me?"

The battle was over quickly. Kratos had been travelling with them for months; he knew their weaknesses, their strengths, their techniques and artes. He anticipated Raine and Genis' spells, dodged Sheena's quick attacks, and countered every one of Lloyd's slashes with one of his own. He took down each of his former companions, one by one, until only Lloyd was left standing. A quick parry, and Lloyd was on the ground.

With Lloyd kneeling before him and Kratos' sword hovering above his head, Kratos stopped.

What was he doing? Had he gone mad? He couldn't hurt his son, he couldn't kill Lloyd. He wouldn't kill Lloyd. This wasn't how his plan was supposed to go.

"I should have known that you would not be able to fight such an opponent."

Yggdrasill. Of course. Kratos stared down at Lloyd for a long moment, considering his options. He could yell at his son to run, to go, before he was killed. He could grab Lloyd's arm and run himself. He could fight Yggdrasill, protect Lloyd, most likely at the cost of his own life.

In the end, he ended up doing what he had always done. He knelt at Yggdrasill's feet and waited.

He was a coward.

Yggdrasill towered over the group, his eyes flickering between them. They lingered on Kratos, then finally rested on the boy several feet away from him. "…Are you Lloyd?"

There was something about the way Yggdrasill said his name, dripping with cold disdain and disgust, that sent a chill down Lloyd's spine. He wasn't sure why this man, this angel he didn't know, was looking at him with such hostility.

"Give me your name and I'll give you mine!" Lloyd's knees were shaking with effort as he stood up, swords raised at Yggdrasill.

Yggdrasill gave a humorless chuckle. "One need not introduce himself to a dog."

"What did you just say?" Lloyd growled.

"Fine. I'll tell you my name." Yggdrasill swept his arm upwards. "I am Lord Yggdrasill, leader of Cruxis…and the Desians." A ball of light appeared at his fingertips. "I'll show you the meaning of true power."

Kratos didn't intervene. He stood there, rooted to the spot, watching the battle. Yggdrasill looked almost bored, not breaking a sweat against the already weakened group. By the end of it, Yggdrasill stood above three limp bodies and Lloyd.

Lloyd, who was struggling to stay conscious. He was kneeling, using his swords to keep from falling over. His vision swam, Kratos and Yggdrasill and Colette all fading in and out of darkness. And here, he thought he'd been improving on his sword skills.

"Kratos. I trust you have no objections?"

Lloyd glanced up. This new enemy, Yggdrasill, looked amused, almost bored, even. Kratos looked utterly baffled, as if he had no idea where he was or how he got there. He opened his mouth to reply to Yggdrasill, but his voice hitched. Lloyd seized onto Kratos' hesitation.

"Kratos…you spared me."

It wasn't a question, but a statement. Despite the fight, despite the betrayal, Kratos hadn't been able to kill him. He was holding back.

"You tried…to leave us behind," Lloyd continued. He was panting heavily, his wounds making it hard to breathe. Kratos eyes widened, either in shock or fear, Lloyd wasn't sure. He pressed on either way. "You tried to protect us."

"Kratos' soft-heartedness will not save you," Yggdrasill said coldly. He raised his arm and a purple sword appeared. "He may feel fondness for you, but I do not. Farewell." Lloyd closed his eyes, waiting for the final blow.

And then everything happened at once.

There was a flurry of movement. Kratos attacked Yggdrasill, who hadn't been expecting it and didn't have time to dodge or block. A spell came out of nowhere and nearly hit Yggdrasill, who spun to avoid it. Lloyd fell over with a thud, unable to keep upright any longer. Several uniformed men ran up to them, followed by a familiar face.

"Damn! The Chosen has already become an angel!" Botta directed his men towards the group. "We're going to have to take her back alive!"

The soldiers charged forward, physically picking up the wounded party. Up on the altar, Yggdrasill had recovered and procured a sword. He and Kratos were fighting, their swords flashing as they slashed and guarded. Hatred lined both faces; a deep, old hatred that had festered over the years.

"I knew it," Yggdrasill hissed as their swords clashed against each other. "This is just like before. Just like with that pathetic woman."

"Don't!" Kratos snarled, his face twisting in anger, "you dare call her pathetic." He pulled back and struck a particularly hard blow, hitting Yggdrasill's sword and pushing him back a few feet. Before he could recover, Kratos struck again. And again. Three more times, before he managed to break Yggdrasill's guard.

"Gah!" Yggdrasill was knocked back, forced away by Kratos' attack. A trail of blood trickled down from his brow. "You worthless—!"

"Kratos!" Botta called out from below the altar. He gestured towards the teleporter, where Kratos saw another Renegade go through, an unconscious Lloyd slung over his shoulder. "You cannot stay here!"

Kratos jumped down just as Yggdrasill recovered and shouted his name. There was a brief moment where Kratos looked torn, but it passed. He ran for the teleporter and followed after Botta, turning his head away so he couldn't see Yggdrasill's face as he disappeared.