A/N: I've been wanting to write this story for a long time. So I finally did. O.o; Its short and all, but I like it. I didn't intend to make it an epic. -.-; I'm trying to finish a new chapter of both Anna and Memories before New Year's. But yeah, its kinda hard to be creative when my head is all foggy from a cold. u.u;

The group walked into the city and a horrible sight met their eyes. Ruins, all of it. Kratos' heart beat faster as he took in his surroundings.

Anna...

The inn, where they had shared their first kiss, was destroyed.

He had been afraid, he remembered, afraid to fall in love with her. And she had been embarrassed.

"This is my first kiss..." she whispered.

"Mine too," he replied in a shaky voice. Then their lips met, and it was like a static shock. And he knew that not falling in love was no longer an option, because he'd already jumped off the metaphorical ledge.

The group walked up the path. Lloyd was holding onto Colette, who was distraught. Genis touched the side of a house and the whole thing caved in; Raine grabbed him and yanked him backward, scolding him for not being more careful.

He just stared forlornly at the little cave. Not really even a cave, just a dugout, but there were memories here too. He remembered standing here, in this same spot, as Anna pretended to be a Katz and made him laugh. But it was destroyed now, and there wasn't a Katz to be seen. Kratos sighed as the ruined little flag waved in the breeze.

They went further into what was left of the city and saw Sheena collapsed and bleeding in front of the fountain...Oh, the fountain! It was completely destroyed.

As the rest of the group ran to help her, Kratos lagged behind, staring at the fountain in horror.

He heard her laughter in his head. It was like a beautiful bell. So close, as if she would come walking around the corner any second and begin splashing in the fountain as she did on that day so many years ago. How he longed for it to be so...

"I'm so happy!" she giggled, splashing him with some water. "So happy, just to be alive and be here with you."

He smiled at her and pulled her close to him. "I'm so lucky that I found you, Anna," he said, kissing her nose.

She shook her head. "No, I'm the lucky one. To be rescued by such a gorgeous man---I must be the luckiest girl in all of the world!" She broke away from him, and laughing merrily, twirled around the square, her long brown hair flaring out behind her.

"You're so silly!" he laughed, running after her. "But I think that's why I love you. We're like two halves of a whole."

Had Kvar done this? Obviously. It was the only explanation. Kratos hated him so much. It was Kvar who had left Kratos no other option but to...to murder her, his one true love. It was Kvar's fault that he hadn't been able to watch Lloyd grow up. It was Kvar's fault that Lloyd didn't even remember him. And now, the bastard had destroyed the one place where Kratos could feel her presence so strongly that it almost seemed like she was there with him.

As if...as if he would blink his eyes and time would reverse. She was there, smiling at him, so beautiful. And Lloyd, his precious son, was small again. He was just a baby, cradled in his mother's arms. For a moment, all the world was right. Everything was OK; he'd been given a second chance! And he was happy...so happy.

"...Kratos? Yoohoo, Kraaatooos!" said Lloyd, waving a hand in his face, waking him up from that wonderful daydream. "C'mon, Kratos, what's wrong with you?"

"Nothing...nothing," he said, running a hand through his hair. "Just...thinking."

"There'll be time to think later!" said Lloyd. "Right now, we have to save the people of Luin!"

"Yes."

"I think we should get married," she said suddenly, matter-of-factly, as she rested in his arms on a bench in front of the fountain.

"What?"

"Marriage," she said, sitting up. "You know--wedding bells, holy matrimony, ''till death do us part'...marriage."

"I know what marriage is!" he said, laughing. "But...do you really wan't to marry...me?"

"Yup!" she said brightly, picking a flower and dropping to one knee in front of him. "Kratos Aurion," she said loudly and comically, holding the flower out to him like a ring, "Will you...make me your bride?" her voice had dropped to a whisper.

He took the flower from her and picked her up, embracing her tightly. "Nothing would make me happier, my love," he whispered in her ear. "But...I think I'm the one that's supposed to ask you."

"Well," she laughed, kissing him, "We can do it over, if you'd like..."

"Kvar," he said to himself, as he followed the group out of the destroyed city. "You will pay for what you have done. I am coming for you. And I will kill you."

A/N: By the way, his memories are from different times. In other words, they didn't decide to get married on the same day that they had their first kiss. That'd be...really weird. O.o