Disclaimer: I don't own Tales of Symphonia, Namco Bandai do.


Today had been no different from yesterday. And doubtlessly, tomorrow would be the same as well.

Walking. Trekking through the forest, the open field, and occasionally a flat, barren expanse of land, where little could live but monsters.

And then they attacked – grasshoppers and giant bugs and wolves. Lloyd drew his swords with the usual shing of metal and charged side-by-side with Kratos. Genis and Raine hung back, gathering mana from the air and casting spells. Colette threw her chakrams, the sharp edges of the metal slicing all it touched.

Lloyd slashed a grasshopper, viscous green fluids spraying out in stark contrast with his red coat.

Some got in his eyes, and he paused to wipe at them. It was only for a few seconds. A meagre time of distraction, but was enough for a wolf to sneak up behind him.

Kratos was too busy fighting off three of them. Raine and Genis and Colette were overwhelmed by a swarm of massive bugs.

Lloyd opened his eyes, the muck gone – though his eyes were still a little red and sore – and span around, intending to re-join the fray.

The wolf leapt, and he didn't have enough time to block, to even defend himself. It went straight for the throat.

Lloyd didn't stand a chance. Red spattered everywhere. On his clothes. On his hair, his face, on the ground.

The wolf grinned, muzzle dripping with red life.

And then its own life sprayed from its body as a sword sliced it cleanly in half.

Several more wolves approached, attracted by the blood and enraged at their fallen pack member. Kratos was livid, and cut them all down.

Raine and Genis and Colette defeated the last of the bugs, and came running.

Kratos cradled the dead body of his son in his arms, as if he were made of the most fragile glass.

Its times like this, you realise that you have to make the most of being alive...

Before your life is stolen away.


I had two ideas for this prompt. Then another one sort of came from nowhere (which is the one I ended up writing out), and the other two never really went anywhere, but I figured I would include this small snippet of one that did get written. It's slightly Kratos/Lloyd (So, if you don't like it, you don't have to read it)

Unrelated Omake:

He curled up at the elder man's side, his face leaning into his neck, one hand tangled in his hair. Taking a breath, the scent of cinnamon invaded his senses.

He could feel a faint thump thump thump – his heartbeat, his pulse. His life.

It was the quiet moments like these that you knew you were really alive, that it wasn't all just a hopeful illusion.

He closed his eyes and drifted back to sleep, his dreams filled with the laughter of a brown haired woman.