Disclaimer: I do not own Tales of Symphonia. If I did, Kratos would not be allowed to live on Derris Kharlan at the end. Am I the only one who thinks Kratos will go mentally insane and end up killing himself? Don't kill yourself Kratos! You're too good to die…
Thank you for the reviews! emi the cookie monster you rule for reviewing and TheMoonPirate rocks my socks!
I know I said I'd be updating fast but I'm moving soon and haven't had any time to myself between packing and keeping my grades up… And the fact that proofreading is really boring. Anyway here's chapter 3.
Chapter 3 IseliaWhen we reached Iselia, I went directly to the shop with Kratos right behind me.
"Hello miss, what can I get for you?" The shopkeeper asked.
"Well, um-"
Kratos cut me off and said, "We need 6 apple gels, 6 orange gels, 8 life bottles, some food, and a bag."
"…Jerk." I muttered as he paid for everything and walked out of the store, not even caring if I followed him or not.
As soon as I walked out the door, he said "Catch." and tossed me the bag he just bought. I looked inside and half the things he bought were inside, along with 5,000 Gald.
"Thanks, umm… why are you giving me this?"
He scoffed, "I can't have you dying on me." Then he started walking towards the temple.
Even when he's being nice he can find a way to make it backfire. I thought as I followed him. After we walked for a good while we came across 2 wolves and another evil bunny. They are forever dubbed evil bunnies. Kratos went after the wolves while I went after the bunny. I missed the first six times but after that I hit him right between the eyes. A small trickle of blood comes out of his skull. Nice. After the evil bunny dies, I turned to help Kratos with the wolves. One's already dead and as I tried to hit the other, I accidentally hit Kratos in the shoulder.
"Kira…" He started in an annoyed tone as he pulled out the arrow. I 'eeped' and quickly casted First Aid. After First Aid was cast, I learned a new spell called 'Clarity.' It raised Kratos' accuracy and he quickly killed the wolf. He then turned to glare at me. I 'eeped' again and started to slink away. He grabbed my wrist and turned me around.
"If you can't aim properly, then don't try to hit monsters right next to your teammates." He then started walking to the temple again.
Well my heart stopped. I thought for sure he was going to maim me, I thought as I clutched my heart. I looked over at the dead wolves and noticed that they were rapidly decomposing right before my eyes… that's somewhat disturbing. Wait? Why isn't my heart beating? I remember now… demons don't have heartbeats. Am I ever going to return home? Even if I do, there's nowhere I can go… what will I do after this journey is over? I let realization sink in as I follow Kratos to the temple. After this journey is over, I have nowhere to go. If I die no one will miss me. It's not like those thoughts you get when you are depressed and think everyone's life will be better if you just die, people will cry at your funeral even then, no matter what you think. If I die now, no one will care. Kratos will probably rejoice. Right now, my existence is truly pointless. Realization sucks.
I continued to think about what I would do when this journey is over when we reached the temple. The temple looked almost exactly like it did in the game, except it's real. I mean it looked real. The design is the same but you could actually see the stone texture in the steps. The same went for Kratos and the monsters. You could actually see the individual hairs on the wolf and if you looked hard enough, you could see the whiskers on the evil bunnies.
"I hear swords clashing up ahead." I told Kratos as I raced up the stairs. He's a lot faster than me and easily reached the top first. By the time I get up there, they were all fighting Vidarr and it looked like Kratos didn't feel the need to heal anyone. He probably assumed I'd do it. He can be a jerk at times. It's not like I'm the only one who knows First Aid. I thought as I started to heal Colette, Lloyd, and Genis. They quickly jumped back into the battle (except Genis who stayed back to cast spells) and I casted Clarity on Lloyd because most of the time he misses Vidarr completely. Kratos, as usual, didn't need much, if any, help.
After the battle Botta (who is still referred to as ????) retreated and everyone gawked over how great Kratos is.
Kratos ignored the praise and said, "Is everyone all right? Hmm… no one seems to be hurt."
"Yeah, no thanks to you." I muttered. I mean yes, they all would've died if he didn't help fight but the jerk didn't heal anyone… I think he likes to play healer even less than I do.
"Who are you guys?" Lloyd asked as he looks at Kratos and me.
Kratos ignored the question. I continued to sulk about how I have to be a healer and didn't feel like answering.
"How can I ever thank you for saving the Chosen." Phaidra said.
"So this girl is the next Chosen." Kratos stated. Yes, Kratos she is… and the slow one over there is your son. I thought as I started to snicker. Everyone turned and looked at me like I was from another planet… they're not too far off.
Kratos sighed. "Ignore her."
"I have to go accept the oracle!" Colette chirped, "Grandmother, I'm going to undergo the trial now."
Does everyone have to listen to Kratos? I mentally sighed. They really didn't have to ignore me…
"What trial." Lloyd asked.
"The monsters I assume, an evil presence radiates from this chapel." Kratos answered. This is where I tuned them out because they were following the exact lines from the game. I let my mind wander back to the dream I had earlier before Kratos woke me up… by kicking me in the side… He truly is evil.
"Kira."
"Huh? Yeah?" I replied dumbly as I snapped back into reality.
"Were you paying attention?"
"Maybe…" I said with shifty-eyes.
"You are going to be the death of me."
"Hey, my teacher used to say that a lot!"
"…"
Kratos walked into the temple followed by Colette, Lloyd, and Genis. I shrugged and followed them in. The temple is bigger than in the game. It seemed like a waste to only allow the Chosen in here.
"Lloyd… are your sword techniques self-taught." Kratos asked.
"Yeah, that's right."
"…" Kratos gave Lloyd the training manual, and said, "If you are going to use a sword, then at least learn the basics. You want to protect the Chosen, don't you?" He then turned and walked away.
I chased after him while Lloyd muttered something like 'you think you know so much…'
"You could have been nicer, I mean, he is your son."
"Do not tell him or anyone else that."
"Fine Kratty, I won't… if you be nicer to him."
"You won't tell a soul if you value your life." He replied with one hand on his sword.
"Eep." I squeaked, and held up my hands in surrender, "Ummm… I am weak please don't kill me?" I said, uncertainly and ran toward the newest members of our little group. I swore he was chuckling… the jerk.
"You don't get along well with your father, do you?" Colette asked.
"Huh? My father? Who told you that?" I said, completely oblivious to the fact that Kratos is who she was talking about.
"Well isn't Kratos your father? He told us that you were his daughter before we came in." Genis stated in a 'know-it-all tone'. If he keeps using that tone, this journey will get annoying and I may accidentally claw off his face with my new claws…
"He did? That's not like him… well he is my father in every way but blood."
"How can you stand that guy?" Lloyd asked in astonishment. "If I were related to a guy like that, I don't know what I'd do." Shit Lloyd… angels have excellent hearing. I hope Kratos doesn't get that depressed far away look again. No! I'm not going to deal with a mopey Kratos. A regular one's bad enough.
"He's not that bad. You just have to get to know him." I said, in a slightly offended tone.
"Sorry. I didn't mean anything by that."
"It's alright. I call him a jerk at least once a day so it's no big deal." Okay Kira, don't overdo defending Kratos… you don't want it to seem like you actually care about him. Well I do care about him since he saved my life more than once, and he's my favorite tales character but I really don't want them to know that.
We continue through the chapel/temple and the rest of the group figured out we needed the sorcerer's ring to make it to the top floor. We started down a hall and took on 3 spiders and a ghost. Everyone but Genis and me started to charge and take out the monsters. Kratos took on one spider, and both Lloyd, and Colette took on the second one. Genis went for the ghost and I worked on healing everyone. I forgot about the last spider and only noticed it once it bite me.
"Ouch…" I muttered as I bite my lip, trying my best to hold in a scream. I am deathly afraid of spiders and my fear took over me. I started to beat the spider over the head with my bow, ran over to the opposite side of the room, and shot arrows at it like crazy.
"Rapid Shot!" I shouted as I learned a new technique that lets me shoot a barrage of 10 arrows all at once. I continued shooting until someone grabbed my shoulder. I flipped them over my shoulder and pointed my bow at them, an arrow ready to be fired
"Calm down." Kratos said and I realized he was the one I flipped. How does he land on his feet after being flipped? He should be a cat demon.
"Sorry about that Kratos… I'm kinda deathly afraid of spiders." Wow. Demon strength rules! I can flip Kratos. I wonder what else I can do…
He sighed and casts First Aid on my arm where the spider bit me. I didn't notice that I was losing a lot of blood from the wound. His eyes widened slightly when the wound didn't react to the spell. He tried again. It just wouldn't heal. I tried to cast First Aid on myself and it didn't work either.
"Well, I guess I can't be healed using spells." I murmured, looking at my arm. "Why do you think that is?"
Kratos didn't answer at first and handed me an apple gel. I drank the apple gel and looked at my arm, it still didn't heal.
"Why won't anything work?"
"I don't know. It could be because you're a demon." He whispered as he bandaged my arm.
"What are you two whispering about?" Lloyd asked as he ran up to us. "Hey, why don't you just heal your arm using First Aid?"
"Spells won't work on me… I'm special that way." I muttered, lost in thought. What am I going to do if I get a serious injury? I'm gonna die here… well, at least I know death doesn't hurt that much… Oh God I fail at being optimistic.
"Why don't you just use an apple gel then?" He asked again with a confused look on his face.
I didn't really hear him because I was lost in my thoughts but thankfully, Kratos answered for me. "They don't work on her either."
"Wow Kira, if I was scared of spiders I'd be screaming when it bite me!" Colette exclaimed.
Thank you for changing the subject Colette! "Well I uhh don't really like to scream that's all…" I said with a slight blush at the praise.
"Enough talk. Let's move on." Kratos stated. He really can stop any conversation now can't he? Well I'm not going to be the one to complain this time.
We took the stairs that led down to the area where the Golem is. I saw the Golem first and started shooting at it. Kratos noticed and started to attack it and soon everyone else joined in. After we take out the Golem, Colette tripped over… God knows what and dropped the Golem block down to create a path to the sorcerer's ring.
"I get it."
"I see."
"It's kinda obvious..."
Is said all at once by Genis, Kratos, and me. Colette and Lloyd looked at us like we're all nuts. Well, they're right about me at least.
"You get what?" Lloyd asked dumbly when another Golem appears right behind him.
"Lloyd, look out! Rapid Shot!" I yelled as I shot at the Golem before it could crush him.
He turned around and started attacking the Golem and soon it turned into another block.
Kratos pulled me aside afterwards and said, "I told you not to use your arrows around other people. You're going to kill you ally."
"But he was gonna be killed by that Golem!"
"He would be fine. One of your arrows can kill him easier than the Golem."
"Bu-"
He walked down the staircase towards the sorcerer's ring. Leaving me in mid-sentence, gaping at how much he can be a jerk at times.
"Don't listen to him Kira, you're better than he thinks." Lloyd said when he walked up and put an arm around me.
"You think so?"
"Yeah, don't listen to that jerk."
"Thanks Lloyd." How I wish I could actually believe him. Kratos does have more experience when it comes to battles and fighting. Make that a lot more experience.
Genis and Colette are already following Kratos down the stairs and both Lloyd and I started to follow them. "Ummm can you take your arm off of me now?" I asked as I awkwardly tried to shrug it off. I'm really not that fond of people's arms on me. I blame it on a friend of mine who kept on using my shoulder as an armrest because I was the 'perfect height' for it. It's not my fault that I was short. He was even more of a jerk than Kratos. He wasn't a very bright boy either; his arm was mysteriously filled with cuts every time he tried to use me as an armrest… he never learned.
"Sorry Kira." He said as he quickly took off his arm and ran to catch up with Genis. At least he's kind enough to care about my feelings… now, how to get him closer to Kratos… well, I'll just think about this later because we are now at the Ring of Sorcery! A.K.A. the Sorcerer's Ring.
"Is this the Sorcerer's Ring?" Genis asked. You'd think someone who gets grades as high as him would know that yes, this is the Sorcerer's Ring. It's not like all rings glow and float on a pedestal.
"No Genis, it's a puppy." I said sarcastically. He glared at me.
"A puppy! Where?" Colette asked while looking around frantically. That's it. I couldn't take it anymore. I burst out laughing.
"What's so funny?" Lloyd asked.
I tried to control my laughter and answer him but Kratos answered instead. "Ignore her. She has a weird sense of humor."
"Better than having no humor…" I muttered under my breath. "Anyway, can I try it first?"
"No."
"C'mon Kratty why not?"
"…"
"Kratty?" Lloyd, Genis, and Colette echoed.
"Yeah, I call him Kratty sometimes…" I suddenly became serious and looked at them evilly, "What of it?" No one will annoy him by calling him Kratty but me. I can't let him kill them out of annoyance. It doesn't really matter about me and I know when to stop. One can only take so much abuse, and oh how I love to be the one causing the abuse!
"Ummm nothing. Anyway let me try it first!" Lloyd said, slightly intimidated by my evil look.
"Hey wait a minute. I asked first."
"And I said no." Kratos replied as he handed the ring to Lloyd. He then walked right beside me and said under his breath, "Now do you regret your plan of having me play your father."
"Nope. There are too many benefits of having you play 'dad.'" I whispered, smirking evilly, "You better watch your back. I'll have my revenge." I thought of all the chaos I could do while he plays my father. So many tricks I could play without being killed, unless he wanted it to look suspicious. "Muahahahaha" I laughed maniacally. Everyone turned around and looked at me funny. "Ummm… did I laugh out loud just now?"
"Ummm Kira, why were you laughing just now?" Colette asked innocently.
"Somehow I think it has to do with me." Kratos sighed.
You bet Kratos! I wonder if I can get Lloyd to help me. He seems like the type to enjoy playing tricks. I'm now a fox demon after all… playing tricks is in my nature.
We returned to the door where it is sealed and Lloyd used the Sorcerer's Ring to open it.
"Is this all the Sorcerer's Ring does?" Lloyd asked.
"You get bored so easily." Genis stated.
"That's why I should have it!" I yelled.
"No." Kratos replied sternly.
"And why can't I? You really haven't given a good reason."
"Because you're a pyromaniac."
I stopped and looked at him with a shocked expression on my face, "Who told you that?"
"The look in your eyes when you stare at the campfire or when Genis and I cast Fireball is reason enough to keep you away from anything that creates fire."
"Your ability to read me is very annoying…" I sighed and then added, "So you're never going to let me touch the ring. Are you?"
"…"
"Fine be that way… and I'm only slightly a pyromaniac… slightly."
"Wait, how can you tell if he means yes or no? All he did was go '…'" Lloyd asked in confusion.
"Believe me Lloyd, it means 'if you touch the ring, you will regret it.'"
"Wow. You guys really have known each other for 12 years." Colette said.
"Really? It's 12 years? I asked looking at Kratos. He sighed and walked into the warp pad.
"I guess we better follow Mr. Anti-social." I said as I raced after him, with everyone following behind.
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The alter and the Cruxis Crystal looked so much more realistic… I love it! The crystal is such a pretty red color. Lloyd asked if it's the Cruxis Crystal and Colette said she was born with that in her hand. I wonder how the angels pulled that off. Then my favorite annoying angel that acts like he's superior to everyone (Even more so than Kratos) appears. I do not like his whole 'I am better then you' persona. At least we get to kill him later.
"Wh…What is that?" Lloyd asked stupidly. C'mon Lloyd, he has wings. Didn't you learn anything in school?
"An angel, I would assume." Kratos answered.
"I am Remiel, …" Blah Blah Blah. This is when I tuned out the annoying conversation before I get the overwhelming urge to attack Remiel… too late. But I must fight the urge to kill. Some time after I started the internal battle to spare Remiel's life (Or rather, not attack and have Remiel whoop my ass) he stopped talking and left. Since I wasn't paying attention, Kratos grabbed my arm and pulled me towards the warp panel… I am perfectly able to walk by myself…
"We're going on ahead." He said when we warped back with Colette.
"You know, you don't have to drag me…" I muttered as he started to pull me out of the temple.
"If you would stop daydreaming and pay attention, I wouldn't have to."
"It's called 'zoning out' and that is my defense mechanism against boredom."
"I had no idea that you knew such a complex word.'"
"That's insulting." I turned to look at Colette who started giggling behind us. "What's so funny?"
"The way you two bicker… it's so cute." I looked at Kratos and then at her like she's insane. "Well, it is sweet no matter what you think."
"I think I'm gonna hurl!" I blurted out, ran behind some bushes, and make fake gagging sounds. Colette laughed and Kratos put a hand over his face. I think I really will be the death of him… fun!
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Because I know someone's going to bring it up. This is not going to be a Lloyd/OC fic. Putting an arm around someone is a FRIENDLY gesture. If it wasn't then… wow. I can't look at a lot of people the same way. Lloyd has that friendly personality and it did give him a chance to insult Kratos.
Reviewing is good! Reviewing is great! Ummm… Reviewing is... I can't come up with anymore… T.T
Chapter 4 is next and it's called A Ranch, a Dirk, and a Few Insults.