[Now Yuan breaks in, and although it's later than Kratos could have wished, at least he establishes their position from the outset. More Yuan's than Kratos's, really. Yuan is the real rebel, here. Kratos is just a traitor, in so many ways.]
Yes, the pacts are broken. They would claim to already have a pact, but I doubt any of them will object to an annulment.
[Though possibly they will to Kratos's presence -- some of them. They should start with Undine; she's among the more level-headed of them, and once established to one that Kratos is there to help, the others might be more amenable. Lloyd breaks in before Kratos can warn them of that, though, his expression confused.]
I don't understand. You said -- you said you knew them, back then. But if you did, why didn't you do anything to stop Mithos?
[Ah. Here is the painful part. Kratos manages not to look away, but his head unconsciously dips just enough to shade his eyes, so it appears as though he's looking at Lloyd when he isn't. He doesn't know how he'd manage to get through this, if he had to look Lloyd in the eyes right now.]
You remember -- at the water seal, I told you that I made a terrible mistake?
[Even without seeing Lloyd's face, Kratos can see the rising tension in him, the way he shifts forward to stand between Kratos and Colette.]
Yeah, I remember. But what's that got to do with anything? There's a difference between making a mistake and letting someone do something evil right in front of you!
[Kratos's head moves to the side fractionally, like a head-shake aborted before it begins.]
It -- wasn't like that. Not at first. Mithos promised to reunite the worlds. He promised to save the worlds, to regenerate the worlds, to ensure that no one would have to suffer again. And I believed him. I believed him over and over. That was my mistake, Lloyd. I let someone else shoulder a burden I should have shared.
[He'd even done it with Yuan, centuries ago. He'd always let someone else shoulder the burden. The same way Lloyd has been letting Colette shoulder the burden of the Chosen, without bothering to question.]
no subject
Yes, the pacts are broken. They would claim to already have a pact, but I doubt any of them will object to an annulment.
[Though possibly they will to Kratos's presence -- some of them. They should start with Undine; she's among the more level-headed of them, and once established to one that Kratos is there to help, the others might be more amenable. Lloyd breaks in before Kratos can warn them of that, though, his expression confused.]
I don't understand. You said -- you said you knew them, back then. But if you did, why didn't you do anything to stop Mithos?
[Ah. Here is the painful part. Kratos manages not to look away, but his head unconsciously dips just enough to shade his eyes, so it appears as though he's looking at Lloyd when he isn't. He doesn't know how he'd manage to get through this, if he had to look Lloyd in the eyes right now.]
You remember -- at the water seal, I told you that I made a terrible mistake?
[Even without seeing Lloyd's face, Kratos can see the rising tension in him, the way he shifts forward to stand between Kratos and Colette.]
Yeah, I remember. But what's that got to do with anything? There's a difference between making a mistake and letting someone do something evil right in front of you!
[Kratos's head moves to the side fractionally, like a head-shake aborted before it begins.]
It -- wasn't like that. Not at first. Mithos promised to reunite the worlds. He promised to save the worlds, to regenerate the worlds, to ensure that no one would have to suffer again. And I believed him. I believed him over and over. That was my mistake, Lloyd. I let someone else shoulder a burden I should have shared.
[He'd even done it with Yuan, centuries ago. He'd always let someone else shoulder the burden. The same way Lloyd has been letting Colette shoulder the burden of the Chosen, without bothering to question.]