Written for the talesofexchange community at Livejournal, and based off of the Tales of Symphonia manga.

Imparting Wisdom

“Stand out of the way, Lloyd!”

“Y-yeah!”

The redhead silently watched as Lloyd and that dwarf, Dirk, worked together to eventually forge the Eternal Ring. Even though the dwarf adopted Lloyd, Dirk still treated him like they were blood related. As Lloyd used the Sorcerer’s Ring to light up the fire, the blue flames that the sacred wood flared up in was reflected in Zelos’ stormy blue eyes.

Suddenly the room seemed a lot smaller and cluttered. The redhead muttered a small ‘excuse me’ before leaving out the door to get some fresh air.

As he stepped out, his eyes glanced up at the dark purple sky; a symbol of all their sins. They would set off for the remains of the Tower tomorrow to rescue Colette. After a long journey, the final battle was finally looming in front of them like an ominous storm cloud. The others were already spread out around the house, some sleeping and others just quietly pondering on the events that would happen tomorrow. Zelos couldn’t sleep even if he wanted to.

He’d betrayed them… but they still saved him when he was on the brink of death. They still trusted him, after everything he’d done. Once upon a time, he might’ve called them naïve, but now… His lips lifted in a small smile. He wouldn’t be alive if it weren’t for them. He hadn’t wanted them to save him then, his life had no meaning, but Sheena… She showed him that he did have worth, in the most physical way possible.

By beating him up, in a typical Bansheena style.

“Anna…”

The red-haired Chosen received a jolt of surprise when he realized he wasn’t alone outside. Turning his head slowly, he saw the back of Kratos kneeling at Lloyd’s mother’s, his wife’s, gravestone. Silently, Zelos walked towards him from behind. The Seraph seemed so deep in thought, he wouldn’t have noticed an ogre.

“Our son… Lloyd has become so much stronger,” the auburn-haired man sighed softly. “Perhaps I no longer have a role in all this…”

“…By saying that, do you plan to leave everything up to him?” Zelos asked, his eyes hard as he looked down at Kratos. He, the man who had left his son for dead, the man who had betrayed his only family for Cruxis, the one who still thought his life had no worth. Zelos saw himself reflected in the man of old.

“Chosen…” he murmured, looking startled as he turned around.

Zelos slipped his hands into his pockets, slightly hunched over, as he continued to glare. “So as soon as Lloyd can carry the burden of defeating the enemy, the monster that you helped to create, on his own shoulders, you’re going to abandon him again? What if he can’t take it? What if he dies? What if we all die because you thought that he could do everything on his own?”

“Do not speak of things you do not understan-“

“Oh, I understand just fine!” the redhead chuckled bitterly, cutting in before the other man could finish his sentence. “I never would’ve thought that you of all people would hesitate. You still think of him as your cute, petulant little student, don’t you? The one who looked up to you, and called you ‘teacher’, or ‘master’?”

Before the seraph could do anything more than just to glare, Zelos ploughed on with his tirade.

“Lloyd needs you,” he said firmly. “He’s strong, but wasn’t Mithos too? Right now, he’s probably hurting inside, but there’s still a chance at rescuing Colette, so that gives him hope. But what if something happens to her? What if she dies? How do you know that Lloyd’s strong enough that he won’t turn into another Mithos?”

“I believe in my son,” Kratos replied firmly, a solemn look on his face. It made Zelos want to scream in frustration.

“You’ve got a funny way of showing it,” he snarled, his hand tightening around the sheath of his sword. “I believe in him too. That’s why I’m going to risk my life up there, fighting alongside him to free the worlds from Mithos’ tyranny. And while we do that, what’ll you do? Sit here and pray that he’ll come back alive and in one piece?”

Zelos closed his eyes to calm his sudden fury, and started to feel guilt. Was he this angry, this bitter towards Kratos because of his own parents? It was true that he didn’t want Lloyd to go through what he had; having both his parents leave him, even if they hadn’t ever really been there in the first place. Even though he would fool around, and call him ‘Bud’, Zelos had never really realized how much he and the other boy had in common.

“Parents…” he began quietly, turning to leave. “…Shouldn’t leave their children unless they have to.”

He thought of his own parents. They’d never actually been there for him, loved him, protected him, but he still felt sorrow when they’d both died. He had been sad when his father had died, because then he would have to carry the burden of being the Chosen of Tethe’alla. He had been confused and angry when his mother died, because her dying words were to blame his existence for all their misery.

Truth be told, he hadn’t been sad that his parents died. More like he was sad with all the hurt and pain they’d left him with.

Leaving Kratos to his own thoughts, Zelos turned and went back into the house.

---

The auburn-haired man stared blankly at the spot where the redhead had stood before leaving. The Chosen’s words were still echoing in his mind.

“Parents… shouldn’t leave their children unless they have to.”

If anyone would know that best, it would be Zelos Wilder.

And wasn’t that true?

Kratos sighed as he turned back to Anna’s grave. Anna… Even in death, she had begged him to take care of their son… Even when she had been in pain, she’d pleaded him to kill her so that she wouldn’t harm him or Lloyd. And even now, she still hadn’t truly left Lloyd. It was her exsphere, her loving memory, which motivated him.

And what had he done?

Gone back to Cruxis, the organization that had caused the death of his wife. The moment that he had believed he had lost his family, he’d gone numb. Numb with pain, and wanting to shut life out. He could no longer remember if he had even put up a fight when Mithos… no, Yggdrasill had taken him back to Welgaia.

He clenched his fist. If she had been here, Anna would have scolded him for his brooding.

No, this wouldn’t do.

Standing up abruptly, the man looked again once more at Anna’s gravestone before turning and setting out on the path that would take him back to Iselia. From there, he would set out for Triet, where hopefully, Yuan would be at the Renegades’ base.