So this is an old story I wrote years ago and recently found. I decided to rewrite it and publish it here for all you lovely Kranna fans. It was intended to be a series about Anna and Kratos' life up until the birth of Lloyd and eventually Anna's untimely death, but I'm not sure I have the motivation anymore to do such a chronicle so for now this will only be one chapter. If I get a lot of positive feedback I might continue it.
Either way please enjoy. I do not own the characters Kratos Aurion or Anna Irving, nor do I own Tales of Symphonia, just the words of a hopeless fan trying to live out her fantasies.
The hall echoed with the dull thud of calloused feet against cold concrete floors. Her brow was already slick with perspiration and her breaths came in an uneven and ragged rhythm. Every so often her head would whip back; it wouldn't be long before they noticed she was gone. When he comes back to see her cell empty he'll surely be upset, even if he doesn't show it.
Her heart ached, she wished she didn't have to sneak away like this, that she could have said goodbye.
Her chestnut eyes stung with tears at the thought, but she simply couldn't stay here any longer lest she be met with a fate of death or worse. Steeling her resolve she wiped the tears from her eyes, today was the day she was finally going to escape this living hell.
"Ouff!" The air rushed out of her lungs as she suddenly collided with a sturdy structure; loosing her balance she was sent flying to the cold hard ground.
Mentally she chided herself; how could she have been so careless as to let her mind wander like that?
She opened her eyes to see a pair of armour clad legs in front of her. Her heart dropped.
Not even out the front door and she was already caught, pathetic.
The brunette grimaced as she slowly turned her gaze upward to see the half elf she idiotically rammed into. However, she was met not with the expected hidden sneer of a pointy-eared soldier, but fiery auburn eyes that peek out through a curtain of shaggy hair of the same brilliant shade.
"Anna?" The man's deep voice cut through her heart like a hot knife, burning in her chest.
"Kratos…" She breathed, a mix of relief and fear churning inside her. He was still technically her enemy, she forgot that sometimes.
In the next moment Anna found herself hauled up onto her feet and pinned between the unforgiving rigidness of a cold metal wall and the even less forgiving well-toned muscle. The mercenaries' large hand covered her mouth preventing her from making a noise. Within the next couple of seconds the sound of a least a dozen steel-toed boots thumping down the adjacent corridor met her ears.
Of course, Kratos was an angel, which meant he had heightened sense twice that of any mere human.
To Anna it felt like an eternity before Kratos deemed it safe enough to remove his torso from hers, although it was only barely. Once again the brunette found herself staring in to the intense gaze of the man inches in front of her.
"If Kvar finds out you tired to escape, he'll kill you." The auburn haired man warned her, speaking quietly so as not to alert any of the hundreds of guards surely swarming around the complex right now. Although he didn't say it, Anna knew he was only concerned about her well-being, even still the thought brought her little comfort. She turned her gaze downcast.
"If I stay here, I may as well be dead," She murmured, but undoubtedly he had heard her even with out his super hearing. "Haven't you been longing to escape too? Don't we deserve to finally be free?" She lifted her head back up, staring unblinkingly into Kratos' auburn eyes.
Who knows how long they would have stayed like that, barely inches away from each other, if the alarm hadn't sounded. Startled out of their state, Kratos was the first to react.
"Quickly, follow me." He said sternly, grabbing Anna's small wrist and towing her along at a brisk pace.
Perhaps it was a blessing that she had run into him, Kratos knew every twist, turn and secret passageway in the infernal place. Anna couldn't help the tiny crack of a smile creeping across her face. Although she was euphoric at the extremely real possibility that she just might actually make in out of this place alive, she knew the real reason she felt so giddy was the man holding on to her.
She had gotten her wish; she was able to see him one last time. Now she could say goodbye, before she disappeared.
Or maybe it was because she now had the chance to ask him to come with her.
Anna's chestnut eyes shifted to the hand around her wrist and slowly trailed up the angel's arm, all the way to his broad shoulder's and finally stopping at the back of his head.
Yes, that was it.
She wanted him to come with her. He was just as trapped as she was, torn between his loyalty and duty to a friend and his personal convictions. She wanted to take him away from all that, but that couldn't happen if she couldn't even free herself first.
"Halt! There she is!" A voice shouted from the end of the corridor.
The pair suddenly stopped in their tracks, Kratos standing slightly in front of Anna, shielding her from the guards approaching them.
"Subject A012 has been found and is in Lord Kratos' custody." One of the guards reported into an intercom.
'They think he's on their side, we might be able to get out of this without a fight after all,' Anna thought as a female guard approached, kneeling in front of Kratos.
"Lord Kratos, please allow us to return the Angelus project back to its cell." She offered humbly.
Anna felt it as every muscle in the mercenaries' body stiffened at the word 'its'.
"No, I shall be escorting her." He emphasized. Warily the Desian soldiers backed off and took their leave.
Just as Anna let out a sigh of relief she felt an arm wrap around her neck and the sharp point of a blade poking through the thin fabric covering her body and into the lower half of her back. They must have being following them this whole time.
"Not so fast, Lord Kratos," A distinctly male voice rang in Anna's ear. "Lord Kvar seems to think you have gotten a little too chummy with the Angelus project. What a laughable concept, one of the four seraphim falling for a worthless inferior being? But, Lord Kvar is simply convinced he can no longer trust you where subject A012 is concerned, so we'll just be taking custody of it now." The Desian soldier laughed hysterically as he pressed the blade harder into the small of Anna's back. She grit her teeth but didn't make a sound, she was used to physical pain after years of abuse in a human ranch.
"The only thing worthless around here is you Desians! All of you, you treat humans like cattle for producing your precious exspheres! You torture us and subject us to barely survivable conditions as though we are your slaves! I won't take it anymore, I am not your property!" The shorthaired brunette cried, hot tears burning at her eyes.
In that moment Anna brought her elbow up and cracked her assailant in the face, causing the soldier to drop his dagger. Swiftly Anna turned and lifted her knee, giving the Desian a good hard kick in the stomach before they could recover their weapon; they dropped to their knees gasping for breath and roiling in pain.
"And my name, is Anna Irving." She sneered before giving the Desian one last kick to the head, knocking him over. She felt a hand rest on her shoulder and looked up to see Kratos wearing a sullen expression.
"She's unconscious." He said to her, his voice soft and calm. Anna's entire body began to shake and the tears began to flow freely, leaving hot streaks down her face.
"I–I don't know what came over me. I'm so –" Kratos pulled Anna to him before she could finish her sentence.
"Don't. Don't ever apologize. You did nothing wrong." He reassured her, resting his head on top of hers in an attempt to comfort her.
However, they didn't have long to recover as Anna's commotion had already drawn more guards to them, Kratos could hear their frenzied shouts in the distance.
"We have to leave." Kratos informed the slightly less distraught woman in his arms. Anna nodded in affirmation, her short, roughly cut hazelnut hair swaying with the movements of her head.
The two once again took off in the opposite direction of the hoards of guards coming for them. With Kratos' angel senses they were able to avoid most of the guards as they made their way through the labyrinth like complex, but it wasn't long before they once again found their pathway blocked by a brigade of soldiers. Stepping forward Kratos drew his sword toward the enemy before them.
"There's an air duct, third corridor on the left, it leads outside. Go." He ordered Anna as she stood behind him, not even sparing a moment to take his eyes off his opponents.
"What? You can't be serious I'm not leaving you! Not now!" She protested loudly. The angels' grip on his sword tightened.
"Go, Anna! Now! It's harder to fight trying to protect someone," He turned to look at her this time. "I know you'll be fine, now please, go." Kratos pleaded with her. Reluctantly Anna nodded and turned to run in the direction she was told. As soon as she turned her back she could hear the clash of metal against metal echoing through the halls and the dull thud of her calloused feet as she ran.
–
The amber sunlight of dusk shone down through the tree leaves and the golden honey rays of warmth caressed Anna's face. Her eyes closed she took a deep breath of crisp, clean air. It tasted completely different than the artificially filtered air she had come to know so well over the years. This is what freedom feels like.
'So why do I feel so empty inside?' She thought as she sat on a hillside only a few kilometres from the Asgard human ranch.
Kratos had yet to show himself and Anna was being to doubt he'd ever come. After all he never said he was coming with her. He never actually said anything at all, despite helping her escape. Anna let out a loud, dejected sigh.
"I can't stay here much longer, they'll be sending out search parties soon." Anna mused to herself as she picked herself up off the ground, brushing off her thin, tattered excuse of a dress.
"Do you often talk to yourself?" A velvety voice mocked. Anna wiped around to find the source of the familiar voice. Kratos stood with his arms cross and a lopsided grin on his face. Anna could feel the heat rise in her cheeks.
"You idiot! Where the hell where you?" She scolded him like a mother would a child, but despite her tone she couldn't hide the relief and joy that was pouring off of her in waves. The grin on Kratos' face grew and suddenly he burst into laughter. It was a soft chuckle and the sound nearly caused Anna's heart to skip a beat.
"W–what's so funny!" She demanded, tripping on her tongue. The brunette was so flustered she found herself unable to even think straight.
"I'm sorry, I just haven't felt this happy in a very long time." He told her, suddenly very serious.
Another wave of warmth washed over Anna at his words, but it was short-lived as his words began to settle in her mind.
Sure he might be happy now, but what about tomorrow, a week from now, or months? The running will never stop; they'll never truly be free. The afterglow of their triumph had begun wearing off and their grim reality settling in.
"Are you really okay with this? I mean… you'll be hunted down constantly." Anna said despondently.
The mercenary shook his head, his messy auburn hair rustling side to side, and took Anna's hand in his own.
"That doesn't matter to me. Beside I couldn't have let you leave on your own. And I doubt Kvar would have let you make it very far if I didn't intersect you." Kratos told her.
Anna stared at him in silence, letting her sluggish brain process his words.
"Are you… saying you knew?" She asked, dumbfounded.
"You weren't exactly discreet about it," He chuckled quietly.
"So, you purposely ran into me. I'm such an idiot," Anna sighed, feeling completely crestfallen. "What gave me away?" She asked, looking up at him.
"Whenever you looked at me, it was like it would be the last." Kratos confessed. Anna couldn't help but lower her head, chagrinned.
Kratos rubbed his thumb repeatedly across the top of Anna's hand, a soothing gesture. She squeezed his hand in response.
"Had I not met you, Anna, I wouldn't have had the conviction to leave Cruxis," Her head shot up, but it was now he who averted her gaze. "They are not what they once were." His voice was so quiet, just barely above a whisper. Anna had never seen him look so defeated.
"But you're here now," She reached up and placed her free hand on his cheek, smiling softly at him. "So don't think about it. Just look at this beautiful world, it's not perfect, but it's ours. From now on this whole world is ours to share, this is our beginning and nothing else matters." She told him, reassuringly.
Kratos placed his hand over hers, smiling to himself.
"You're amazing." He muttered under his breath.
"What?" Anna asked him in confusion, only seeing his mouth move.
He just shook his head in response, removing her hand from his face.
"We should leave, it'll be dark soon and I think we've idled here long enough." Kratos cautioned, effectively changing the subject at hand.
"But where can we go? Luin is the obvious choice, but surely that would be the first place they look. That town is well known for hiding refugees." The brunette mulled over, the uneasiness that gnawed at her growing by the second.
"Don't you want to see your family again?" The mercenary asked abruptly, disrupting her chain of thought.
She had forgotten she had told him she had once lived in Luin. It had been more than a decade since she had seen or heard from her family, she hadn't even the faintest of clues where they were now. Even if they were able to track them down, Anna had no way of knowing how they would react to her return, especially with a unknown man in her tow.
"No, I don't think that's a good idea." She finally said, shaking her head softly.
Kratos didn't press the issue.
"There's a village in the mountains, Hima. It's remote and there's a small inn." He offered as an alternative. Anna's eyes widened.
"Hima? That's so far, we'd never make it on foot!" She proclaimed. Hima was on the far side of the mountains to the south of Luin, accounting for terrain it would take nearly a week to get there whereas Luin was only a few hours trek.
"Who said we'd be going on foot." Kratos chuckled, taking a few steps back.
As a pale blue glow cast itself upon the both of them Anna's face went from dubious to slack jawed awe. A pair of identical luminescent blue wings unfolded before her eyes. They looked nothing like the wings of birds that were found in the etchings in books. They were far more ethereal, segmented semi-geometrical forms constructed a shape reminiscent of butterfly wings.
"They're… so beautiful," Anna murmured. "You really are an angel." Her eyes flickered from his wing to Kratos' face. He looked almost pained by what she said.
"No, these abilities come from the very same stone you have embedded in your skin. I'm merely a man, Anna. Please remember that." Kratos said, shaking his head.
Subconsciously Anna's hand came to touch the unshielded crimson stone protruding from below her chest. Without a key crest the tiny gemstone, rather than grant her extraordinary powers, only served to leech of her. She opened her mouth to apologize but before she could speak a pair of arms lifting her from the ground halted her words on her tongue. Instinctively she wrapped her arms around the auburn hair mercenaries' neck to steady herself as he lifted her in his arms bridal style. Suddenly fear panged in her chest.
"I'm afraid of heights." Anna admitted quietly. She was met with light-hearted laughter that caused her to pout slightly in response. Was he mocking her?
"It'll be fine just close your eyes." Kratos reassured the brunette in his arms. Reluctantly she agreed.
When she felt him push off the ground Anna immediately buried her face in her arm, which being wrapped around the neck of a certain shaggy haired man, also caused her to rest on the crook of his neck. This was the closest she had ever been to him, Anna thought her heart might explode it was beating so fast.
After a few minutes had pasted and she had calmed down, Anna mustered up enough courage to lift her head and peer down at the world flying past them. In the distance she could see the lights of the City of Luin shining in the rapidly darkening world. This wasn't as bad as she originally thought it would be, in fact she found she had actually come to enjoy the sights.
It wasn't long before the lights of Luin had come and passed, leaving them in the semi-darkness of twilight. Dense forests rushed by below, the sporadic sounds of nocturnal life just beginning their day filled the silence. Ever so gradually the trees thinned along with the sounds until there was nothing but the night and open rocky plains in sight. The silence was comfortable, the pair simply relished in their own quiet satisfaction; it was perhaps the first time either of them has felt at peace in years.
Anna hadn't realized she'd begun to drift off until she had been jostled back to consciousness by their descent. Mild relief washed over her as her feet returned to solid ground, legs stiff from being idle.
Light poured out of the windows of the tiny wooden cabin before them, the inn couldn't have had more than 2 or 3 rooms. It looked like someone's home that had been repurposed to accommodate the tourists this spot attracted, which was actually most likely the case.
And that's when it suddenly dawned on her.
"I have no gald." Anna stated aloud, astounded by her own absent-mindedness. She had been kept out of society for so long she had forgotten that currency was essential and she had no way to procure it.
The brunette whipped around when she heard Kratos fighting to barely hold back his snickers. Appalled at his reaction Anna silently glared at the auburn haired man, who was nearly doubled over, arms folded and cheeks burning cherry red.
He was easily amused for a man who had barely smiled before today.
"You don't need to worry about that." Kratos informed her after he had finally regained his composure.
Anna followed the smug swordsman, silently fuming and utterly mortified.
He had paid the innkeeper, who then handed him the key to their room. It was the first door on the second floor. Once inside the relative safety of the room Anna was suddenly overwhelmed with fatigue. She was, in that moment, acutely aware of how long it had been since she was able to bathe and automatically began making her way toward the small bathroom.
Silently she slipped inside and wasted no time as she turned the shower tap in the to hot. Anna peeled off the tattered excuse of a dress she was wearing as she waiting for the water to warm up. Reaching out she tested the water with her hand before stepping into the stream; as the warm water cascaded down her body she couldn't remember the last time she has the luxury of showering in privacy. It felt as if years of grime were being washed off her skin, leaving every pore cleaner that it had ever been in the past 15 years she'd spent in captivity.
When she was done Anna reached for one of the fluffy white towels hanging next to the shower and wrapped herself in it. As she stepped out she noticed the neatly folded fresh set of clothes on the sink that weren't there before, when had someone even entered the bathroom and how had she not even noticed?
Still Anna was grateful and wasted no time slipping on the long cream coloured tunic from the outfit laid out for her. There was also a long red coat and dark grey leggings but seeing as she would be sleeping soon she didn't see much point in trying them on; in any case the tunic seemed to fit her perfectly.
As the brunette exited the bathroom, her chin length hair still damp and clinging to her face, she noticed Kratos sitting on the edge of the only bed in the room, his back to her. He has shed the outer layers of his usual armour and wore only his undershirt and pants. Next to the nightstand was his sheathed sword. It was a strange sight to see the mercenary without a sword on his hip and a scowl on his face.
"Where did these clothes come from?" Anna asked him, keeping her distance.
Kratos looked at her over his shoulder for a moment before turning back to his previous posture.
"The innkeepers wife saw us come in and decided you were in need of some new clothing, she said those no longer fit her and felt them for you." He responded neutrally.
"I must not have noticed her come in then." Anna said, mostly to herself. Something about his attitude had changed since she had left him.
As she stepped closer she caught a glimmer in the corner of her eye, he was holding a dark red stone between his fingers. Her eyes darted to his other ungloved hand that lay resting on the bed and as expected the crest was empty.
"You removed your exsphere." Anna stated as she sat on the opposite side of the bed, her back facing his.
"I decided I don't need it anymore." He replied simply, even though there was no question.
Anna placed her hand over his, her fingers lightly tracing the intricate carvings in the now empty key crest.
"Are you scared?" She asked him.
"Terrified." He replied.
"Me too." She smiled wistfully.
Kratos removed his hand from under Anna's and placed his on top of hers, squeezing gently. The bed creaked as he stood, releasing Anna's hand.
"It's late you should sleep." He told her. Anna turned to look up at him.
"You know I don't mind sharing. Over the year I'd gotten used to sharing small spaces with the other prisoners. I'm just grateful to be able to sleep in a real bed again." She said, sighing contently as she fell back on the springy mattress. It was a welcome change from hard concrete floors of the Asgard human ranch.
Kratos shook his head, his shaggy red hair bouncing side to side.
"I'm not tired," He told her, it wasn't completely a lie but he still couldn't help feeling the least bit guilty.
His cruxis crystal didn't only grant him immense strength, it stop his internal clock completely. When wearing it Kratos didn't age, he no longer felt sensations of hot, cold or even pain and he lost his desire to eat or sleep. Anna was only aware of the powers it gave him and the fact it prevented him from aging, nothing more.
Anna gave him a sleepy smile in response.
"Then just lay with me for a bit. Just until I fall asleep?" She asked him, patting the spot next to her on the large bed.
He complied and lay down on the bed, facing her. Anna immediately took the chance to snuggle up to him, her head resting against his chest. It was a bold move considering how nervous she was just being next to him only a few hours ago, but the circumstances had changed. Everything had changed. In fact so much had changed in such a short time Anna couldn't completely dismiss the voice in the back of her mind telling her this was all a dream.
Kratos, shocked by her suddenly affectionate behavior, lay unmoving at first. Eventually he relaxed and allowed himself to wrap his arms around her and placed his lips to the top of her head.
"I love you, Anna." He whispered. Although he couldn't see it, the brunette smiled.
"I love you too, Kratos." She replied. As they laid there tangled up in each other Anna found herself slowly drifting of to sleep for the first time feeling secure.
–
And so ended the first day of their years together yet to come; years filled with love, new life and fear.
It was, for them, a new beginning and ultimately a tragic end neither of them would see coming…