Hiya everyone, and welcome to my second songfic. I wrote this at about one in the morning, so it may suck, but oh well. This is from Kratos' point of veiw. DISCLAIMER: I do not own Tales of Symphonia.
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I knelt before the stone that marked Origin's resting place, the spot where my former pupil had trickeds the mighty spirit into creating the all powerful Eternal Sword, the blade that could bend time and space. Where my life had been made into the seal to protect Mithos' pact, and where the twisted worlds had been created.
Dreadfully, it would soon mark the battle arena where I would have to fight Lloyd, my own flesh and blood... no... my son, and my grave. The sun beat down heavily upon my body through the forest canopy, but I could not feel it's warmth on my skin.
My mind was to preoccupied thinking of my dear son, whom I loved so much, whom I'd soon be leaving, and my beloved wife, whom I would soon be rejoining. I felt my hands ball up into fists as I regretfully remembered the day that bastard Kvar had forced me to take the life of my wife, Anna.
That hellious day...instead of being gloomy like a dark fairy tale, it had been unnaturally sunny, like right now. My heart felt as if it were being stabbed, and I'm sure that if I were still able, tears would be falling from my eyes.
Sunny days seem to hurt the most
I wear the pain like a heavy coat
"Soon Anna, I'll be by your side once more. Please... forgive me... for leaving our son." I muttered, looking up towards the sky. Thanks to my angelic sight, I could see past the forest canaopy, to the cloudless, ocean blue sky. As if in response to my statement, a gentle breeze swept across the clearing, moving the hair I allowed to hang in my face, and caress my cheek. 'Just like you often did, Anna.'
I feel you everywhere I go
My angelic hearing picked up footsteps approaching the feild, and I noticed their mana signitures. Lloyd's group. I rose to my feet and turned around. "So, you've come." I said as Lloyd and the others entered the feild. Looking at Lloyd, I imagined Anna standing beside him, smiling her soothing smile that could lighten any mood, followed by her gentle laughter. 'Are you really gone Anna? Or do you live on within our son?'
I see you smile, I see your face
I hear you laughin' in the rain
I still can't beleive your gone
"Is there no ther way?" Lloyd asked me, snapping my attention to him. His pain was etched into his face and voice, and he made no effort to hide it.
"Are you still thinking like that?" I asked, biting back the emotions I felt bubbling up. "You'll die if you fight me with any doubt left in your heart..." Could I really do it? Could I strike down Lloyd, my own son? Anna wans't much older than Lloyd when I...killed her.
It had felt like I'd met her not long before that. She was way to young. I would have willing switched places with her, I'd lived way more than my fair share. "...If you want the pact with Origin... then you must defeat me." I finished after a slight pause.
It ain't fair: you died to young
Like the story that had just begun
But death tore the pages all the way
"So...that's your way." Lloyd said after a few moments, finding his voice. He turned to face his companions. "Everyone, leave this to me."
"You're going to fight alone?" I asked in shock. He turned to face me again.
"If it's your wish to settle things with your past, then it's my duty as your son to see it through." Lloyd responded. I couldn't help but feel a bit proud: Lloyd had matured into a remarkable young man. 'Can you see him Anna?' I heard the kunoichi, Sheena, speak up, most likely because of my hesitation.
"You'd better prepare yourself! Lloyd posseses more stremgth than you imagine. He's not the same Lloyd you knew back when you were still with us. But you already know that, don't you? You see his potential." She couldn't have been any more correct.
"Get ready!" Lloyd commanded, drawing his swords. I did the same, raising the blade so that it ran paralell to my body.
"I'm not going to hold back this time." I told Lloyd. As much as I didn't want this, it had to happen. Otherwise, the worlds would meet their end.
"I know." He answered, swinging one of his blades diagonally downwards, before raising it above his head and lowering it slowly, stopping when the tip was pointing at me. "I won't either." He charged at me, and I caught the flash of light his exsphere emmited. 'Anna...' I thought before leaping forward.
God knows how I miss you
All the hell I've been through
Just knowin' no-on could take your place
'What would you do if it were you?'
An' sometimes I wonder
Who'd you be today
Lloyd swung another blow at me, finishing his combo, and I fell to my knees, waiting for the final strrike. When none came, I looked up to see Lloyd just standing there. "You've...grown strong." I told him.
"Thanks to you." he replied. 'No Lloyd, the stregth you've gained was only by your will.'
"Aren't you... going to finish me?" I grunted.
"I defeated Kratos, the angel, the one who betrayed us. And I forgive Kratos, the hero of the war, who helped us. That's all." Lloyd answered gently.
"Humph... and I thought I'd finally earned the right to die... But you're as softhearted as ever." I got up, clutching the would on my torso Lloyd had created, and approached Origin's stone.
"H...hold on! You can't be... are you going to break the seal?" Lloyd asked worriedly.
"That is what you desire...is it not?" I asked, unable to keep the pain I gelt from my voice as I placed my hand on the stone.
"But then you'll-!"
I ignored him, and pulled out my wings. As I began releasing the mana in my body, I reflected, for the last time, Anna's dreams. She at least got to live out half of them. She got to see the world with her son. She wanted to settle down, maybe have another child to love, and raise a family. As things stood now, I would be unable to give her that.
Would you see the world? Would you chase your dreams?
Settle down with a family
I wonder what you would name your babies?
The deep blue sky was the last thing I saw before my vision failed me. 'I'm coming Anna.'
'No Kratos,' I heard a faint voice, her voice, say, 'Live, and stay with our son.' But it was to late to stop the process. The next second, my body shut down.
Some days the sky's so blue
I feel like I can talk to you
An' I know it might sound crazy
I became aware again. I must be in heaven. "-Some of my mana." I heard a familar voice, Yuan's, say. The scent of the Torent forest confirmed I was still among the living.
"Da...Kratos, are you really okay?" Lloyd asked.
"...looks like I failed to die once more..." I muttered. I wasn't sure how to feel.
"You stupid jerk! You can die at any time! But when you die, that's the end!" Lloyd's words were like daggers. I opened my eyes and realized Yuan was supporting me so that I sat upright.
"You want him to live in eternal damnation?" Yuan asked.
"Who said anything like that?" Lloyd snapped. "What will you accomplish by dying? Nothing! There is no meaning in dying!"
"You're right...to think I... had to have my son... teach me... such an obvious lesson." I stumbled on my words. Strange, in his short seventeen years he'd learned a lesson I hadn't in almost four thousand-fifty years. I fely blackness edge towards me.
I wondered why Anna had to die for such a meaningless paracite. After a few seconds, I gave into my fatigue and let the blackness engoulf me.
It ain't fair: you died to young
Like the story that had just begun
But death tore the pages all away
God knows how I miss you
All the hell I've been through
Just knowin' no-one could take your place
Not long after that, I regained concousness to hear Lloyd arguing with Origin. "You who lack the right. I have lost faith in all things. Have you come here to disapoint me as well?" Origin asked.
"Origin. Are you bound by a pact to Mithos?" Lloyd asked. I was about to answer, however Origin beat me to it.
"My pact with Mithos was broken the moment I was freed. Never again shall anyone make use of my power." Origin explained. I looked at him, slightly shocked. Sheena ran forward a bit, looking up at the king of summon spirits.
"Even if we make a vow?" she demanded. "We need the Eternal Sword!" I hadn't expected Origin to refuse a pact. He'd never thought of not making a new one when I was still the seal.
"I want to use the Eternal Sword to reunite the two worlds and revive the Giant Kharlan Tree! Unless we do something, the worlds will never stop vying for mana and everyone will suffer!" Lloyd explained.
"That situation was born from the weakness of creatures who are unable to accept those that are different." Origin said. 'Please Origin. Lloyd isn't like Mithos.' I thought, hoping he could still hear my thoughts. 'No.' I heard him reply in the back of my mind.
"That may be true, but mistakes can be corrected."Lloyd said, pleadingly.
"Some things cannot be corrected." Origin shot back.
"Even so... we have to do everything we can." Colette said, trying to help change his mind. 'Origin, lend them your power, please. They're different.' The only reply I received was a breif glare.
"Exactly." Lloyd continued. "I'm not gonna give up. From the moment they are born, everyone has the right to live. I want to reclaim that. Humans, elves, half-elves, dwarves, and even summon spirits... Everyone has the right to life!"
"Origin." I finally said out loud, walking forward to stand beside Lloyd, "For almost an eternity, I thought the only way to save this world was to cling to Mithos' ideals. Just as you once agreed with Mithos' ideals, I too, thought his was the only way. But Lloyd is different. He taught me that in order to change something, you must do it yourself. It is not enough to merely rely on some one and go along with their ideals."
'Are you sure?' I heard Origin's hasty question in my head. 'Yes.' I replied. "...You who possess the right of summoning. Make your vow."
"Origin! Then..." Lloyd exclaimed.
"I will try once more to beleive in people." Origin explained."I shall do my duty in order to create a world you speak of--a world in which everyone can live equally."
"I, Sheena, have but one vow. To reclaim a world in which everyone can live freely...A world in which no life is sacrificed meaninglessly! That's all." Sheena stated. I really hoped that would come true.
"Then we shall create a pact upon that vow. Now, fight!" Origin commanded, summoning his weapons. As I watched the battle, I realized exactly who my son was, who'd he become. And I was confident he would never go astray, like Mithos.
Which if it weren't for Lloyd and Anna, I realized, I wouldn't be who I am. It made my heart a little lighter knowing that the two people I loved the most were able to make see the errors in my way, and strive to save the world. 'Anna, would you be like our son? Who would you be today?' I wondered.
An' sometimes I wonder
Who you'd be today
Today, today, today
Today, today, today
I finally took notice to the sun's heat on my skin, and looked up. Even though a fair amount of time had passed, it was still just as strong as earlier.
Sunny days seem to hurt the most
I wear the pain like a heavy coat
I mentally shook my head at this, then continued shaking it at my previous thoughts. There was no need to wonder who Anna would have been today. I would be able to see for myself soon, because knowing Lloyd, he would someday, somehow, bring Anna back to us. At this, I felt a small smile curl my lips, hoping that I would be correct.
The only thing that gives me hope
Is I know, I'll see you again someday
Some day, someday, someday
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Well, there you have it. I hope it wasn't too suckish, and that Kratos wasn't out of character, and that you all enjoyed. So yeah... please reveiw!