Disclaimer: I do not own Tales of Symphonia or any of its characters.
Part I: The Seraph and His Wife
Anna
I love one man and one man only. That man isn't even truly a man- he's an angel. He is my angel. My strong, sweet, silent angel, or, as he prefers to be known as, seraph. The title goes well with his name- Kratos Aurion. Whenever I tell him so, he smiles a sort of sad smile- one that is neither happy nor sad. It is impossible to tell, just like it is impossible to read my Kratos. He hides behind a mask most of the time, a mask of silent voice, stony face, and stoic nature. But, I know the true person that lurks behind that seemingly unbreakable mask. I know of the other side of Kratos- the side that is loving, caring, at peace. He rarely shows it, but I know it exists. This is why I trusted him from the start, when I first met him.
Kratos
I love one woman and one woman only, and that woman loves me back. She calls me her angel. How funny…I never considered myself worthy of the title. It sounds too kind, too good. I am not good. I am not kind. I am a fallen hero. A man who was sentenced to eternal life as the price for following a madman. I am not worthy of being loved. And yet, I find myself doing the exact same thing that I told myself long ago would never happen.
I love someone. That someone is Anna. She never told me her last name. I have never asked. Some secrets were meant to be kept. She claims that I hide behind a mask. She tells me that I need to let my real self show more often. Every time she tells me that, I reply with the exact same answer- that I can not do that, that I have locked up my real self for so long that I don't even know who I really am. All I know is my mask- my icy, cool, composed mask. But, she is the only one that has seen the real me, because she is the only one that I will ever show it to. Not even Mithos, or even Yuan, has seen the real Kratos Aurion- the passionate man that only wants to love and be loved in return.
Anna
When I first met him, I was still AO12- human test subject for the mysterious Angelus Project. I met him there, at the human ranch I was being held at. He had arrived there on his superior's orders to oversee the completion of the Angelus Project. I still have nightmares from the ranch. And I still have a reminder from that horrible period in my life- a small, innocent- seeming gem, set into my pale hand. My Cruxis Crystal. Or, at least, that was what it was going to become. I escaped before they could mutate it enough to do so. I escaped…in the arms of my seraphim. I remember that night. I remember staring in awe at those brilliant azure wings, so transparent that they seemed to be made of light. I remember as he took off with me in his arms. His expression was unreadable, but I knew that he cared for me, that he loved me. Otherwise, he would have never dared to overrule his superior's orders and take me away. Take me away on angel's wings. I call it my escape to heaven. He calls it a risk that he should have never have taken. I always laugh when he says that, because I know he does not speak the truth. His eyes give him away every time. I love the way that they are reflected on my Cruxis Crystal- brilliant and blue, just like his wings.
However, he knew that he was truly taking a terrible risk. We had to live on the run, never staying in one place for long. He had to disguise himself, had to make sure that his superior, "Yggdrasil", he said, did not find him. To most it would have been a life that no one would have wanted. I disagreed. I had Kratos, and my angel was all I needed to complete my life.
Kratos
I have never been a man to take risks. I am a man who rationalizes too much, too often. I let logic overrule my heart's desires. However, for just one decision, I let my heart lead. When Mithos ordered me to oversee Kvar's Angelus Project, I did not know what to expect there. I expected the test subject to be a defiant young, strong man- one who could withstand the excruciating pain of the experiments, and with enough spirit to not be broken. I found otherwise. I found a young woman instead. She had just as much spunk if not more than I expected, however. I felt a bond with her at first sight. I felt for her. I realized that this woman should not be allowed to wither away as they drained her body and mind for the Cruxis Crystal. My mind screamed no. My mind told me that I was developing feelings that I did not need. Feelings that would only lead to pain and suffering. But, I let my heart rule. And my heart told me to rescue AO12 and take her away. And that was what I did. I will never forget her amazed gaze as I entered her cell. I will never forget her open- mouth shock when she glimpsed my wings for the first time. That night…was glorious- at least, for a moment. My brain did not register the fact that I had just done what I had done until the next morning- when I opened my eyes from my resting trance to find AO12- Anna- sleeping peacefully next to me.
Life changed for me in an instant. Many, including Yuan, would say that this life was not one that a seraph of Cruxis should be living. But I loved every minute of it. For once, I felt free. For once, I was given my old life back- the one that had ended 4,000 years ago. I had Anna. Anna had me. That was all we needed. That was all we cared about.
End Part I
A/N: I am really into romance right now- how very unusual. With this fic, I'm trying to veer away from light romance and try a little more angsty romance…although I don't know if this counts as angst…maybe I'll have some later from Kratos. Oh well. Please review!