-Lloyd's Haunted Mansion-
Me: MUSES, DON'T HURT MEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!! This is a one-shot!
Rayman: Shoot. And I had the plunger gun ready, too...
Lloyd: Ok... I was just about to call the Eternal Sword, so less Mana wasted.
Kratos: Hmph. (Sheathes sword)
Doopliss: AWWWWW! And I had already decided on what to turn in to...
Me: Wow. My muses REALLY want a reason to kill me, huh?
Kratos: You've got that right.
Rayman: Heck yeah!
Me: I feel so loved T.T Anyways, this story is the explanation of what I like to call the 'Four Fears'. It only explains three though.
En: Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaand those are...?
Me: KYAAAAAAAAAAAA! En! Whoo, you scared me! Yeah, the four fears are the four things Lloyd is afraid of the most.
Lloyd: Hey, how did you-
Me: I DIDN'T STEAL YOUR JOURNAL!!! ...Oops...
Lloyd: YOU WHAT?!?!
Kratos: Now I will kill you. (Unsheathes sword)
Rayman: Oh, yeah! It's go time! (Loads plunger gun)
Doopliss: Kyahahaha! (Transforms into Koops) You can't touch dis! Nyaha!
En: Heck, why not? (Unsheathes Katana)
Me: NOOOOOOOOOOO! PLEASE, SPARE MEEEEEEEEEE!!!
Doopliss: ...?
Me: PWEEEEASE? (Puppy dog eyes)
Rayman: Ah... Stop that-
Me: (Intensifies pitiful look)
Rayman: Come on! Stop it!
Me: (Even more pitiful than before)
Rayman: Okay! Okay. You win. Stupid puppy dog eyes...
Me: YAY! THANEES! (Hugs)
Rayman: AGH! What are you doing?! Get off!
Lloyd: Uhh... Maybe we should start?
Kratos: Indeed...
Lloyd: Ok. Myra only owns this one-shot fanfic. No flames please!
En: Also, as Myra has forgotten (My sister is so simple minded...), my username on this site is Sukasa192.
Me: LISTEN TO THE BAND THRICE!!! Oh yeah, their song 'Music Box' goes well with this fanfic.
-Lloyd's Haunted Mansion-
The three Aurions had been running for days. The child, Lloyd, still a baby in arms, was having his second birthday. This was not how the family planned on spending the boy's favorite day, since the party had been interrupted by the Desians. They had to leave behind everything that had been made except for one thing. A teddy bear that Kratos had picked out personally. Anna was surprised that Kratos would actually do something so generous, and he replied with a soft grunt. They promised Lloyd that they would stop somewhere later to celebrate, though somehow Lloyd knew that was an unattainable desire. Snuggling against his mother's chest, Lloyd began to fall deep into sleep. It was a short-lived moment, however, as the Desian troops surrounded them again.
"Anna, stay behind me!" Kratos ordered. His wife complied and held the baby close to her chest. Lloyd let out a squeak, then a wail in reply to the sudden strength in his mother's grip. Not only was he crying because he was startled, but he knew exactly what this meant.
It meant Desians. And… death.
Kratos took out the Desians quickly and urged his wife to hurry on. Anna may have had an Exsphere, but she was tiring quickly.
"Kratos… We've been running for days… I can't keep running and carry the baby at the same time." Anna gasped for breath as her son's wails began to die down.
"I suppose we must stop then…" Kratos frowned. "We'll stop at the nearest residence. Meanwhile, you should ride on Noishe for a while." At this, the protozoan gave a whine, then lowered his back for Anna to climb on.
Hours later…
The trio came to an old mansion hidden in the forest near Luin. The actual city was miles away. Anna and Kratos debated on going in.
"Luin is miles from here, and it's going to take a long time to get there. However, this place on the other hand, doesn't look all that friendly and it would be easy to get lost and possibly ambushed by awaiting enemies…" Kratos frowned. "Even if we did keep going, it's getting dark and we wouldn't be able to see by the time we even got close to Luin. I suppose this is the best choice…"
"Well, okay… But let's keep our guard up." Anna's words always helped to encourage Kratos, even through the toughest of times. With his confidence renewed, Kratos took his wife, son, and pet to the door of the mansion. He tapped on the door, and after a few seconds, it creaked open.
"Be careful! It could be a trap!" Kratos unsheathed his sword and Anna gave her son what was known as the 'warning grip'. Lloyd sniffled softly, but kept quiet mostly until his father was sure that it wasn't a trap. "It seems this place is just deserted…" Kratos mumbled as he sheathed his sword. Anna relaxed and so did Lloyd and Noishe. "Be cautious. We still don't know if there's a trap somewhere hidden in here." Anna nodded and the family continued forwards.
"Mommy, I wanna walkie!" Lloyd giggled as he kicked his feet in the air.
"Lloyd, you can walk later. Please-"
"NO! Walkie now!" Lloyd cried, squirming in his mother's arms.
"Alright, alright…" Anna sighed. "Just stop kickin', ya little munchkin!" The two giggled as Anna set Lloyd on the ground. Kratos felt a smile tug at his lips. He loved seeing his family happy like this. Anna held Lloyd's hand as they walked through the mansion. Just as it began to get darker, they passed a torch. Kratos lifted it out of the holder as the three ventured deeper into the hallway of the mansion. But just as they reached the stairs…
A trap door opened up.
Lloyd somehow managed to not fall in, but his parents fell through screaming with Noishe along with them. The trap door closed quickly.
"Mommy! Daddy!" Lloyd cried. "Daddyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy!!!" The boy sat in front of the door crying for many minutes until he calmed down. Hugging his teddy bear tightly, he walked over the door which did not collapse under his tiny weight. He turned the corner and went up the stairs with his bear still in a tight death-grip.
Meanwhile…
"I should've known!" Kratos growled. "It was too good to be true… Lloyd's in danger. We have to get out of here!" He began to cast a spell, then stopped for no apparent reason, cursing to himself. "The walls are made of Polycarbonate. Apparently, someone was expecting us."
"How do we get out?" Anna asked. "What if we… die here?"
"Anna, dear, I'd never let you die…" Kratos whispered as he pulled his wife into a warm embrace. "I promise we'll make it out… There has to be a way out."
"Okay… But we have to hurry. Every second wasted in another second our son is in danger." Anna nodded. The two broke the embrace and began to search the walls for a device that could possibly free them and reunite them with their son.
Back in the upper levels of the mansion…
Lloyd was still clinging tightly on his teddy bear as he walked around the halls. He noticed a door creaked open slightly and made his way over toward it. That's when it happened. A ghost popped out of the wall and made a terrifying face at Lloyd. The little boy screamed and ducked under the bear. The ghost stayed still for a moment before turning and vanishing into another room across the hallway. After a few minutes of crying, the boy held the teddy bear tightly against his chest and slowly walked into the room that was half-open. There were bookcases all over the room, topped off with a nice layer of dust. Lloyd sneezed as he walked towards the center. Looking around at the book shelves, he noticed a small door, exactly his size. Giggling, he threw the door open and walked inside. The hall reminded one of Alice in Wonderland. It had multiple doors just the right size for Lloyd to fit in to. The boy walked down the hall until he found a door beautifully colored black.
"Oooooh, shiny!" Lloyd chirped. He opened the door and it shut quickly behind his back. He looked around to see coffins placed horizontally. "Boxy! I wanna see what's in the boxy!" The boy walked over to one of the coffins. The lids slammed onto the floor in front of the boy, making him squeal and hold on to his teddy bear tightly. A ghost came out and scared the boy with another face and spiders began to circle him as if stalking their prey. They crawled up his legs, on his back, everywhere. He threw a tantrum and began to fling spiders everywhere. If it weren't so terrifying, it would be hilarious.
Meanwhile…
"Here!" Kratos called to Anna. He pushed away a skeleton in the empty room and pressed a brick that had previously been covered by the skeleton's head. A door opened and revealed a stair case leading up.
"YES!" Anna chirped. "FINALLY! Let's go, Kratos. Lloyd's probably scared out of his mind by now."
"Yes, let's." Kratos nodded. "Staying here is not a good idea." The two hurried up the stairs and noticed it was quite cramped. Still, they paid it no mind. That is, until the stairs began to go down.
"What…?" Anna blinked. "Should we turn back?"
"No. We have to move on." Kratos shook his head. "It's not as if there would be a second hidden passage."
Back in the upper parts of the mansion…
Lloyd calmed down as the spiders left and the ghost disappeared. He had rushed into a secret passage he found, accidentally leaving his teddy behind. Some say if you go to that mansion, you could find the bear in the same position it was left in, sadly waiting for Lloyd to find him and bring him home. The boy wandered into the room. He looked around to find a chair facing a rather large window featuring the now stormy sky. The chair was in front of a desk and surrounded by book cases covered in a layer of dust. Shakily, Lloyd approached the chair.
"'Scuse me?" The boy peeked around the chair. "Who is you?"
"Why, hello little boy." A toddler only about two years older than Lloyd smiled as he leaned out of the chair. "It's a great day to be dead, isn't it?" The boy was wearing glasses that apparently used to be longer. His eyes were an eerie green as they looked over the younger child. He wore a black shirt and tan pants that were translucent, meaning he was indeed a ghost. However, baby Lloyd didn't know that.
"Huh? You silly!" Lloyd giggled. "I not dead! You's neither!"
"Hmm? Well, I know I'm dead." The boy frowned. "I died fifty years ago. Are you sure you're not dead too?" Lloyd shook his head. "I think my prayers have been answered!" The boy chirped. "But… What are you doing without your parents?"
"Mommy and Daddy fell down…" Lloyd frowned. "I lost teddy and I'm scared."
"Ah, good. I hate adults." The boy smiled. "What's your name?"
"I'm Lloyd! I know cuz' Daddy told me so!" The younger boy chirped.
"My name's Ethrel." The older boy smiled. "I own this house. You know, it's not a fluke that you made it up here."
"Wuz a fluke?" Lloyd asked.
"What I mean to say is there's a reason that you were the only one who could make it up here." Ethrel frowned. "I hate adults. I was hoping I could find a living boy to raise without adult interference. That's when you showed up." Ethrel smiled brightly.
"Where's Mommy and Daddy?" Lloyd asked.
"Don't worry, you won't miss them." Ethrel smiled. "After all, what could be better than growing up with no rules and no one to hurt you when you make mistakes?"
"B-But…" Lloyd sniffled. "I miss Mommy and Daddy…"
"It won't be long." Ethrel shook his head. "After all… You're going to be my best friend, forever!"
"NO!" Lloyd cried. "I wanna go home! The meanies took me away from my home! Mommy and Daddy said we wewe gonna go home tomowwow! My buwfday is today… Wah… Mommy! DADDY!!!"
"…If I show you your parents, will you calm down?" Ethrel asked.
"…Mo- Mommy?" Lloyd sniffed. "Wewe's Mommy?"
"Come here. I'll show you."
Meanwhile…
It seemed the stairs became even steeper by the second. Kratos had his sword drawn and was ready for all possible circumstances. Except the one he was in. They came to a room that was smaller than the one before it and the door slammed shut. However, this room had no skeletons and had bars that were also made of Polycarbonate. Cursing, Kratos began to attack the cell bars to no avail.
"Agh! I knew something was fishy! This place… This is the mansion of the great magician!" Kratos growled.
"Wait… You mean that one who died performing the great death escape?" Anna asked. "That one who lived fifty years ago, with the wack-job wife who blamed her son for everything and killed him when his father died?"
"Yes, that's the one…" Kratos bit his lip. "People say his son's soul still lurches. I hope Lloyd hasn't gotten anywhere near that boy. He was abused, and that can drive a person insane."
"Are you so sure that he's haunting the mansion?" Anna raised an eyebrow. "I mean, it's just a myth, right? A tall tale?"
"Oh, and I suppose you're going to tell me our son's screams were a tall tale as well?" Kratos asked, crossing his arms.
"He's… screaming?" Anna gasped. "Oh… Lloyd…"
"I hate to break the moment, but I have someone here to see you." Ethrel appeared out of the right corner in front of the bars of the cell with Lloyd next to him.
"DADDY!!!" Lloyd cried, holding his arms out through the bars. "Daddydaddydaddydaddydaddydaddydaddy!!!"
"Lloyd!" Kratos shouted. He ran over to the poles of Polycarbonate, fitted his arms into the holes closest to Lloyd's body and hugged the boy as tightly as he could without hurting him.
"Aww, idn't dat sweet?" Ethrel mocked. He pulled Lloyd away from Kratos' grasp.
"DADDYYYYYYYYY!!!" Lloyd cried, flicking his legs about.
"LLOYD!" Kratos shouted, holding his right arm out to the boy who was struggling in vain against Ethrel's grip.
"Daddy, help me!" Lloyd cried, tears forming at the sides of his eyes.
"He is no longer your father." Ethrel hissed. "I'm your father now." Kratos was enraged at the boy who dared to steal his child from him. He clenched his fists tightly on the bars of Polycarbonate as rage coursed through his veins. Unable to contain his anger, Kratos gripped the bar so tightly that it disintegrated in his hands. He pushed the useless parts aside and slid through the space to grab his son.
"You cannot have him." Kratos hissed, tearing the older boy from his son.
"NO!" Ethrel shouted. "First my mother, and now you! You'll never understand! FINE! You'll never leave this mansion alive!" The boy disappeared into the wall and the mansion began to shake and the walls crumbled under the force. Lloyd let out a squeal and Kratos held Lloyd's head close to his chest.
"Don't worry… We're going to make it out. I promise you, we won't die." Kratos whispered to his son as Anna wiggled her way out from the bars.
"Come on. We have to go." Anna frowned. She began to take Lloyd from his father's arms until the boy wriggled in her grasp.
"NO! I want Daddy! Daddy can save me from the ghosties!" Lloyd cried. The two parents looked at each other, then back at their son. Reluctantly, Anna settled the boy back in his father's arms until the boy was comfortable. Lloyd nuzzled his father's shirt as the Aurions headed for the stair case.
"Wait a minute…" Kratos muttered. "Where's Noishe?" As if he were being answered, Noishe came down the stairs with a whine. "Noishe! How'd you get out without us knowing?" Kratos raised an eyebrow. "Well, never mind. We have to get out of here, now!" The three ran up the stairs and into the room where Ethrel had first been.
"Daddy! Daddy!" Lloyd cried. "Over there!"
"Thank you, Lloyd." Kratos smiled slightly. He and Anna ran over to the passage way, only to find the hall of endless doors. "Lloyd, have you been here before?" Kratos asked. His son replied with a nod. "Do you think you can find the way out?"
"Okie dokie!" Lloyd giggled. He slipped out of his father's arms and ran to the far end of the hall and opened the door. Kratos and Anna crawled through and somehow Noishe followed. Anna really liked her view of the situation, if you know what I mean, as Kratos was right in front of her. She was so absorbed in her thoughts that she didn't notice him stop and rammed RIGHT. INTO. HIS. BUTT.
"A- Anna!" Kratos gasped. "What-?"
"OH! Um… Sorry! I was just… thinking! About, um… STUFF! Yeah, stuff!" Anna smiled nervously as she blushed.
"You were staring at my… backside, weren't you?" Kratos asked, careful not to curse in front of Lloyd.
"What?! What would make you say that?!?!" Anna blushed wildly as she shook her head.
"You really shouldn't do things like that around Lloyd…" Kratos sighed.
"I- I told you, I wasn't staring!" Anna squealed in denial.
"Whatever you say, dear…" Kratos sighed. They continued crawling through the hall, and Anna found herself staring at his behind again. Gee, I've got problems… Anna thought. I can't keep acting like this… But he's so HOT! …Yeah, I've got problems. Anna heaved a sigh.
"Is something wrong?" Kratos asked as he looked over his shoulder. Anna cursed to herself. That pose is way too sexy! I'm going to burst under pressure if we don't get out of here soon… She thought. "…Dear?" Kratos blinked. "Are you alright? Why are you staring at me like that?"
"AH! Err… IT'S NOTHING!!! JUST GO!!!" Anna shoved him and they continued crawling. Oh goddess… WHY DID I HAVE TO SHOVE HIS BEHIND?! Anna thought. I'm glad Lloyd can't see this…
After they got out, Lloyd let out a terrified squeal as a zombie began to make his way over to the child. Kratos quickly got to his feet and slayed the creature easily, scooping up his child as he did so. The three moved on and down the stair case where the trap door was.
"Wait." Kratos held his arm in front of Anna and Noishe. "This is where the trap door is. Anna, take Lloyd. I'm going to jump it, so you're going to have to hold tight." He held out Lloyd and Anna gently took him in her arms. Kratos wrapped his arms around Anna's waist and lifted her gently. Taking a deep breath, Kratos leapt into the air and landed on the other side. Anna kept Lloyd, and they ran out of the mansion.
"YOU'RE NOT GOING TO ESCAPE THAT EASILY!!!" Ethrel's voice boomed out of the mansion as ghosts galore circled them. They were trapped, and the ghosts kept getting closer and closer.
"Anna… I'm sorry." Kratos whispered. "I have to use it… I'm sorry, it's the only way…" He felt the pain of memories rush through him as two blue wings emerged from his back. Silently swearing, he began to chant in angelic language. "Sacred powers, cast your purifying light upon these corrupt souls! Rest in peace, sinners!" Kratos shouted. "JUDGMENT!!!" Multiple rays of judgment rained down on the ghouls, defeating each with a simple touch. Lloyd squealed as the rays hit their target and grabbed a fist full of his mother's dress.
"Even the ghosts cannot faze you… Fine! Why must I do everything myself?" Ethrel sighed as he materialized in front of the family. "For your insolence, I shall cast a curse upon your child! Let your life be filled with misery, pitiful beings!" A ray of blue and red light rained down towards Anna. Not having time to think, Kratos did the only thing he could do; take the blow for his son. Lloyd shrieked as Anna faltered down onto the ground and the bolt struck Kratos. The seraph cried out in pain as he fell to his knees, the bolt still surrounding him. When it subsided, Anna had her mouth clasped as her husband shakily pulled himself off the ground. A black marking had been tattooed on his left arm. "Hrmph. Quite the brave one, aren't we?" Ethrel huffed. "Still, it is as well. That curse won't stop poisoning your life until I'm put to rest. You'll have bad luck until I leave this world!" The boy chuckled maniacally as he left Kratos to face his fate. The marking disappeared, but the feeling of it burning into his flesh remained.
"Anna… Don't worry about me. We have to get to Luin." Kratos held his left arm as he limped forwards. On that note, the terrace above the mansion door crumbled, destroying all hopes of them ever ridding Kratos of his curse. They left with out a word, no other sound beside Lloyd's wailing.
Years later, Kratos thought the curse was gone, but it was still there. Two days later, he killed Anna and Lloyd was adopted by Dirk. Convinced by these events, the seraph returned to Derris-Kharlan, cursing the fact that had he not been so cursed, Anna would have lived.
Me: Aww… That wasn't the ending I expected.
Rayman: You know, Lloyd just went upstairs to get his Material blades…
Me: AHHH!!! He did?! OMG!!! (Shakes Rayman) COVER FOR ME!!!
Rayman: WHOOOAaaaaAAAaaaaAAAhhhHHH!!! Ok! Stop. Shaking. Me!
Me: THANK YOU!!! (Runs inside closet)
Rayman: (Sigh) She's going to have a serious debt to repay to me…
Lloyd: WHERE IS SHE?! I'M GOING TO KILL HER!!!
Rayman: She went that-a-way. (Points to the door)
Lloyd: Thanks! See ya! (Runs off)
Me: Phew! Thank you SOOOOOOOOOO much!
Rayman: Ah, it was-
Kratos: You!
Me: Oh. No. I should've let Lloyd kill me…
Kratos: Prepare to die!
Me: EEK! Guardian!
Kratos: Hurricane Thrust!
Lloyd: Hey, she's not- WHAT THE-?!
Me: Ice Tornado!
Rayman: Oh geez… Which side to pick…?
Doopliss: I got your back, Myra! (Transforms into Kratos)
Me: Yay! Two against one! Nyaha!
Kratos: Hmph. It matters not. Doopliss can barely pull off an action command, how can he possibly use my skills?
All ex Kratos: O.O OMFG!!!
Kratos: …I saw her playing Paper Mario once. She was battling Doopliss.
Lloyd: Okay… For a second there, I thought you played TTYD.
Rayman: Er… Oh man, I'd better stay neutral. Who ever I fight will just kill me afterwards.
En: I'M WITH KRATTY!!!
Kratos: (Sigh) Alright. Just don't hinder me. Got it?
En: YUP! You're going down, Myra!
Me: Ok… Now it's equal-
Lloyd: No it's not! I'm with Kratos!
Me: O.O WHY DID I HAVE TO GET THE ONE WHO MISSES ACTION COMMANDS?! T.T C'mon, Doopliss…
Rayman: Wait! This fight is unfair! I'll fight with you, Myra!
Me: OMGOMGOMGOMG!!!! Really?! This is the best day of my life!!! Let's pwn!
Doopliss: YEAH!
Lloyd: Hunting Beast!
Me: Guardian!
Rayman: Fireball!
Doopliss: JUDGEMENT!!!
Lloyd: O.O OMFG!!!
En: Lightning Blade!
Kratos: Grave!
Rayman: THAT'S IT!!! Oh dark one of the black abyss-
Me: O.O OMG, HE HASN'T LEARNED THAT YET!!!
Rayman: -I demand thee to cast your undying hatred upon thy enemies!
Lloyd: What the…?
Rayman: Burn to ashes! HELLFIRE!!!
Me: O.O Omgomgomgomgomgomgomgomgomgomgomgomgomgomgomgomgomgomgomgomgomgomogmogmomg…
Kratos: What in the…?
(Room explodes into flames)
Rayman: Oh yeah! That's what I call pwnage!
Me: O.O …Review… Omg… Every review I get, Rayman will cast Hellfire on Remiel! BURN STUPID ANGEL!!!