Title: False First Meetings
Author: Teno Hikari
Prompt #: 5 - Fire (for the tos100 livejournal community)
Character(s): Mithos x Lloyd
Rating/Warnings: PG-13
Word Count: 1,000
Author's Notes: Unbetad crack pairing ahoy! Yes p-a-i-r-i-n-g which means Yaoi / Shounen ai, though it's not as evident in this one-shot as it will be in others.

Despite everything he had seen and experienced during this whole crossover World Regeneration, Lloyd Irving couldn't help but stare in horrified shock at the chaos that was once Ozette. This wasn't the first time he had saw homes go up in flames or heard the death cries of those who were trapped in them; it was Iselia all over again. His hands shook at his sides as the same weakness he had felt then filled him now.

When he remembered how to walk, Lloyd moved forward, leaving behind his companions who were still unable to comprehend what had just happened. It was only days ago they were here in this village, even if the residents were far from friendly, they didn't deserve Cruxis' wrath. It made the whole Regeneration group aware what kind of evil force they were dealing with.

"Hello!" the swordsman called out over the sound of cracking flames. How he hated fire. Hated how it consumed everything and left nothing but the ashes of what once was. No one was safe, nothing was sacred. "Hello! Is anyone alive?!"

He prayed to whatever deity existed that there were at least a few survivors. Those prayers seemed to have fallen on deaf ears, as thick black smoke began all visibility. Still Lloyd pressed forward, and raced over to a villager who hadn't been incinerated, laying on the ground and pinned under some smoking debris.

Before he could even shout for Raine to come and heal this poor individual, he stopped dead in his tracks and reeled from the oppressive heat and the rotten stench of charred flesh. This person was beyond saving, disemboweled with their intestines glistening in the fire's hellish glow.

He placed a gloved hand over his mouth, as he tried to force out a scream and tasted bile instead. No. He would not get sick right now. There could still be someone who survived such chaos, someone who still needed to be saved. As he staggered away from the corpse, his eyes spotted another body - whole, this time, much to his stomach's relief - sprawled on the ground a few feet away.

The teen hesitated for a moment, not wanting to get his hopes up and then crushed in the same minute. He counted several heart beats and moved carefully. Earth brown eyes squinted through smoke, and then widened when he saw a blonde head turn to the side, and began to cough. Needing no other indication of life, he sprang forward, skidded to a halt before dropping on to his knees beside the prone figure.

"Hey, are you all right?"

Lloyd didn't bother waiting for an answer, as he called out for his Professor and checked the survivor's torso for any serious injuries before gently turning the other over. Pale blonde locks fell away from a slightly dirtied face, and Lloyd stared down as a pair of innocent sea-green eyes that blinked up back at him. They were then clouded in fear, and it didn't take Lloyd long to figure out why, when he saw the pointed tips on the younger boy's ears.

"It's okay, I'm here to help," he quickly assured the half-elf who didn't look all too convinced. Lloyd watched as the other teenager moved to sit up and reached out to help him. The blonde flinched however, most likely not expecting kindness from a human. It was unheard of in this twisted other world.

"W-who?"

Fear and uncertainty was evident in the half elf's trembling voice as he attempted to back away from Lloyd's scrutiny. It was the first time anyone looked at him with such terror, as if he was a Desian or something worse than one - if such a thing were possible.

"I'm Lloyd," the swordsman managed a friendly smile amidst all the death and destruction around them, "and I'm not going to hurt you."

Tilting his head, the half elf looked at him thoughtfully, and was about to speak until they both heard Raine's cry of warning from a distance. Lloyd jerked his head up, caught sight of the roof of what was once the weapon's shop, coming down on them, and moved. It was a lesson Kratos had drilled into his head, not to be paralyzed by fear. React or die. In such a crucial moment, he called upon the power of his exsphere, wrapped an arm around the half elf and pulled them both out of harm's way.

"Lloyd!"

The said teen turned his head, and saw his friends rushing over to them, and felt the lithe form in his arms moved to be shielded behind him.

"Hey, it's all right, they're my friends."

"Lloyd!" He cringed at the tone of his Professor's voice. "Don't you dare ever rush off like that again!"

"Err... sorry," he then stood up and turned, offering his hand to the other teen and gently helped him up. "Hey can someone use magic or summon something -" his gaze falling on Genis and Sheena, "to put out this fire?"

Mage and Summoner looked at one another. Both wondering briefly why they hadn't thought of doing that first. Finally, Sheena mumbled that she was on it and called forth Undine.

"Hey Lloyd," Genis leaned forward and stared at the pair of eyes looking back from behind his best friend's captive arm, "Who is this?"

"Ah, we just met," glancing over to the shy blonde who was curiously studying both Sage siblings, "so what's your name?"

Blue-green eyes looked at him again and smile spread across the boy's face. "It's Mithos."

Tired and weary after the all events that transpired that day: rescuing Collette, fighting a couple huge man-eating dragons, and the recent attack on Ozette. Lloyd and his company found the rain soothing, and sighed in relief as the fire was finally put out. No one noticed that Mithos had not released their leader's arm, nor did they see his devilish smirk that would set their two worlds ablaze.

The End.

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