A/N: Greetings! I just want to start off by thanking anyone who stumbled upon this story. I have big plans for it so if you like long stories with action, adventure (and some romance) you've come to the right place.
P.S. - I DO NOT OWN GOD OF WAR, KRATOS OR ANY OF THE ORIGINAL CHARACTERS DEPICTED IN THE SERIES. THE PROLOGUE IS ALSO THE DIRECT SCRIPT (SAVE FOR A FEW WORDS) FROM THE GAME: GOD OF WAR III AS AN INTRO AND WHERE THE SERIES LEFT OFF. I DO NOT OWN IT IN ANYWAY! THANK YOU!
Prologue
As rain began its descent from the heavens, Kratos allowed his golden eyes to examine the destruction he had caused. Zeus was dead; he made sure of that, but at what cost? The world as he knew it was now in complete and utter disaster. The once cerulean sky resembled tar: black and murky while the very ground beneath him shook without ceasing. Even Olympus had crumbled and although he hadn't meant for it to come to an end, he knew that its demise was inevitable nevertheless.
"You have done well, Kratos. Freed from the bondage of Olympus and cleansed in chaos, mankind is now ready to hear my message."
He didn't need to look to know who the light and airy voice belonged to and if he wasn't so weary from his battle, he might've laughed. She certainly had a habit of appearing at the wrong time; a habit that eventually caused her accidental death by none other than himself. He remained silent for a moment before scoffing as he turned to face the green apparition of the Goddess of Wisdom. "Look around you, Athena! The world stands in ruin! What good is your message?"
Athena was about to explain her next course of action, but a disinterested Kratos brushed passed her.
"Go if you must, but first I insist you give me the power from inside the Box."
Her words stopped him. "The Box was empty."
"That can't be true." Athena stated as she closed the distance between them. "I can see it in your eyes. You used my power to kill Zeus. You still have it as we speak! Don't you understand? When Zeus gathered all the evils and placed them in Pandora's Box, I dreaded what would happen if it was opened again. And so, I summoned the most powerful weapon in the world and put it in there as well."
"I told you!" Kratos was becoming irritated. He didn't care that Athena was being persistent, he knew what he saw. "It was empty! Pandora was sacrificed in vain. She died because of my need for vengeance."
"You must be mistaken. You used my power to kill Zeus. I saw you do it..." Athena paused for a minute and spoke again when she realized the sudden revelation. "Unless...of course! When you first opened the Box, you released the evils to the gods; infected them, changed them. Even Zeus himself fell prey to the dark evils. That is why he became so enraged and obsessed with your death. He was consumed by the evil: Fear. I thought the power I placed in the Box was never set free. All these years, I assumed that you drew strength from those evils to destroy Ares, but I was wrong. You did indeed take my power and with it you gained a strength that Zeus could never demolish. Locked deep inside of you, Kratos is hope."
Kratos pondered her words and as he did he felt his left palm tingle with sensation; it was now glowing a mystical shade of blue.
"Hope has remained buried, trapped by the guilt and failures of your past." Athena continued, praying he was listening. "Before you killed Zeus you must have allowed something to awaken it? What was it, Kratos?"
"All I remember is what I have lost."
Athena stretched out a hand and it landed on top of his shoulder. She sympathized with him. Truly, she did, but her power needed to be in the possession of someone who wouldn't abuse it. "That is why you should give me the power. I understand its true meaning and where it belongs. I trust you to do the right thing, Kratos."
"You shouldn't." He shrugged off her fingers and Athena became angry.
"You owe me this, Spartan!"
"I owe you nothing!" He spat back viciously.
"I made you a god!" Athena was in hysterics. She couldn't believe how he was behaving. After everything she had done for him he still had the audacity to disrespect her. She thought that maybe killing her unintentionally and providing him with the Blades of Exile would soften his heart, but like so many times before she had been wrong. "I sheltered you from the wrath of Olympus! I delivered your revenge on Zeus!"
Kratos glanced down and noticed the Blade of Olympus, alone and forgotten. Kneeling to pick up the mighty weapon, he hoisted it in the air and pointed it in her direction. "It is over, Athena."
"You would dare strike me down? Again?!"
"No..." Kratos had had his fill. There would be no more killing from his hands whether they were guilty or innocent. His task was complete. "My vengeance ends now!"
Athena's eyes widen when he swung the sword towards himself. "You can't!"
It was too late. As soon as the words escaped her lips, Kratos had stabbed himself. She watched in horror as the Ghost of Sparta grunted and plunged the blade deeper into his torso. Was he mad? Did he have any idea what he was doing?
"You fool! What have you done?! No!"
At first Kratos thought Athena was distraught about his abrupt suicide, but then he discerned what had upset her. As immense pain began to run throughout his body, the former God of War watched as the power of Hope dispersed itself into the dark atmosphere. After all signs of it had vanished into the wind, he fell to his knees and took a labored breath.
"That power was meant for me. The mortals will not know what to do with it." Athena cried as she made her way to him and lifted his chin. "You disappoint me, Spartan."
She violently ripped the sword from his chest and tossed it aside as he let out an agonizing sound. Why did he have to go and be impulsive? Did he even begin to think that she had a reward waiting for him? One she knew that he wouldn't turn down? Apparently, that was not the case. Athena did her best not to look at the Spartan again as she made her exit. It was such a shame that a warrior such as himself would die this way, but she would not stay here; she would not watch him die.