It is a sad day for me as this story is now at the end after exactly two years in the making. To everyone who stuck with me, your feedback has meant the world to me and kept me going. I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. But enough chatter and on with the last official chapter of A Tragic Love.
Disclaimer: After all this time, I still don't own Tales of Symphonia and neither do I own the song lyric by Breaking Benjamin.
Breath
So sacrifice yourself, and let me have what's left.
I know that I can find the fire in your eyes.
I'm going all the way, get away, please.
You take the breath right out of me.
You left a hole where my heart should be.
You got to fight just to make it through,
'cause I will be the death of you.
This will be all over soon.
Anna bit her lip as her hand exploded in pain. Felicity laughed harshly as the shattered pieces of the fake key crest fell to the floor.
"Think of it sister," Felicity said, her eyes mad with desperation and evil. "You have failed them all. They will die in a vain effort to save you. Denise will die, bleeding and screaming for mercy. Ahmond will crawl, begging to my feet as the broken people rally around a leader who will give them more power than they dreamed."
Anna looked at her sister, pain making her eyes water. "You are human. You are a pawn. They do not share power. And the Jalisa will NEVER be yours."
Felicity laughed coldly. "You think you can stop me? You think your precious husband will avenge you? Kratos Aurion is a traitor and coward, crouching behind those who are weak. Your son is an abomination. Kratos will lie in the dirt, fixed to the ground by the point of my sword. And Lloyd? Think of how Kvar can use a host body with your blood and the blood of Kratos running through his veins. Farewell sister," Felicity laid her hand over the exsphere, a grin of malice lighting up her face.
It's over. I'm not going to make it out. I will never see Kratos again. I will never see Lloyd, my beautiful baby boy. Kratos...Lloyd...I love you. I'm sorry.
Anna's eyes closed as Felicity closed her fingers around the vile orb of power, bracing herself for the inevitable. Her only regret was that she never got to say goodbye.
An echoing bang resounded around the room followed by a high pitched scream from Felicity. Against her closed lids, Anna saw a blinding flash of light as Felicity screamed again. Sharp bursts of heat radiated from her wrists and ankles and she slipped to the floor, free of her bonds. She scrambled to her feet to look up into the most beautiful pair of brown eyes she had ever seen.
"Kratos!" she shrieked and threw herself into his arms. Kratos dropped his sword and clutched her to him fiercely, burying his face in her shoulder.
"I knew you'd come," Ana said, trying not to cry. "I knew you'd come."
"Always love," Kratos replied. "Always." He gripped her face gently in his hands and kissed her. "I thought I'd lost you two."
"Lloyd!" Anna exclaimed. We have to-"
"Shh," Kratos said putting a finger to her lips. "I opened the cells and Noishe went from him. All of the guards rushed to aid those posted outside in the battle against the Jalisa." Kratos tilted his head, listening. "Noishe has Lloyd."
"Good," Anna sighed and stepped back to look at Kratos. His face was streaked with blood that she knew was not his. His auburn hair was tousled and untidy, testimony to a hard fight. His armor was black with soot in some places and his shoulder was bleeding.
"You're hurt!" she cried, gingerly examining his shoulder which had a broken arrow protruding from the slight gap in his armor. The floor beneath them was covered in blood. "Kratos you've lost too much blood."
"Anna, that's not my blood," he said stepping aside. A trail of blood spread across the entire room.
"Where's Felicity?" Anna asked. Kratos pointed. Anna looked at the threshold and gasped. An arm, a severed human arm clad in a black sleeve lay there, it's fingers curled as though gripping something. Anna's stomach lurched. "You killed her."
"Of course not," Kratos replied. "You and Lloyd are my concern, not her. I just made sure someone had an advantage to do the job properly."
"Daddy!" Noishe bounded through the door Lloyd perched on his back. Kratos spun around so fast he blurred and scooped up his son, hugging the small boy tightly. "Daddy! Too tight!" Lloyd squirmed until Kratos sighed and handed him to Anna who smothered him with kisses. "Ew! Stop!"
"We've got to get out of here," Anna said, petting Noishe, who was barking happily. "If only they didn't keep drugging me! I could figure out how to get out! Augh!"
"Ahem," Kratos said with a wry grin. He pointed at himself and said, "Former angel of Cruxis."
"I wish I was an angel," Lloyd said with a grin. Anna looked at Lloyd in shock and shook her head.
"Oh yeah," Anna muttered, "Just what I need. Another winged man with intolerable arrogance." Kratos actually laughed, overjoyed at having his family back. "Let's go."
They started for the door. They had not gone more than five paces when Kratos flung a hand out. "Someone's coming. Get behind me and cover Lloyd's eyes."
"Why?" Lloyd exclaimed.
"Hush, Lloyd," Kratos said looking back at his pouting son. "If you want to be strong, you have to be quiet." Lloyd frowned, but nodded and covered his eyes as Anna shielded him from sight. A few moments passed.
There was a scuffling noise and man shouted, "Ack! Get that wretched thing from her!" There were struggling noises and the sound of a little girl grunting and protesting at the Desians commands to be silent.
"Don't tell me," Kratos muttered exasperatedly. Two Desians burst into the room, yelling. "Lord Kvar! We found this-" but they stopped when they saw Kratos, who repressed a sigh. The Desians were holding a struggling Hikaru by her arms. They had her lifted and she was kicking every part of them she could reach. One Desian had a tiny sword in his free hand.
"You're not Lord Kvar!" They dropped Hikaru and reached for weapons. In a swift second Kratos had his sword out and pointed at them. They froze in fear.
"You're in my way," he said coldly. "Move if you want to live." One Desian took off as Hikaru ducked behind Kratos. Anna covered her eyes. The other Desian charged. Kratos swung his sword left and slashed it horizontally, cutting the Desians throat swiftly. He was sprayed with blood as the body crumpled to the floor. Pointing his sword at it, Kratos muttered "Fireball." The body became enshrouded with flame and was nothing but ash in seconds.
"Thanks Uncle Kratos!" Hikaru said brightly, picking up her tiny sword. "Hi, Aunt Anna! Hi Lloyd!" she said waving at him.
"Hi!" Lloyd said, smiling at his cousin.
"Hikaru," Kratos said dangerously. "What are you doing here?"
"I snuck into the wagon of medicine," the four-year-old said seriously. "I came to help save Lloyd and Aunt Anna."
"Oh no," Anna muttered. "That was very foolish. It's dangerous here!"
"So we should leave then, right?" Hikaru asked.
"Yes!" Kratos snapped. "Let's go. And Hikaru, you and Lloyd ride on Noishe. And keep quiet."
"Kay!" she said. Lloyd practically jumped out of Anna's arms and bounced over to Noishe.
"Come on," Kratos said, but Anna hesitated, then stooped and picked up the two Desians swords.
"Unarmed?" she said in response to Kratos eye roll. "Yeah right!"
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"Ahmond!" Denise shouted through the clang of weapons. The Jalisa were putting up a strong fight, but they were outnumbered. Everyone knew that there was no victory here, but they fought until they couldn't, until an enemy cut their life short.
Ahmond grimaced and yanked the arrow that had caused Denise's shout out of his leg. "I'm ok," he called, ripping off part of his cape and binding the wound. He wiped his brow and looked around the area. Up on a hill, a dark figure in a cape was hobbling away from the ranch into the forest. Ahmond would now that retreating back anywhere.
"Felicity!" Ahmond snarled, as three Desians besieged him. He growled in frustration and hacked through them with his sword. It was time for him to find Felicity and repay her in kind for all that she had done.
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Kratos ripped his blade from the Desians chest and ducked as one behind chopped at him. They had run into a knot of no less than fifteen reinforcements sent from the Iselia ranch. It seemed strange that they hadn't proceeded to the control room, but they were detained by a group of prisoners, lead by Sei.
"Daddy!" Lloyd screamed as Noishe bounded out of the way of a vicious down cut. Hikaru shrieked and grabbed Lloyd, holding tight to Noishe.
"Noishe!" Anna yelled "Sei! Get the kids and prisoners out of here."
"Right!" he yelled. Noishe bounded down the hall and Sei signaled the prisoners to follow. The Desians started to stop them, but one barked, "It's Kratos and the project we want. Let 'em go!"
Kratos dove for the Desians, his blade singing as it cleaved through the air to find a Desian in his heart. He thrust his palm out to the side, catching another in the nose and driven the broken bones into his skull. His blade free he decapitated two in a hard side cut.
Anna was flipping, punching, kicking and slicing with the best of her. She sweated heavily, her bones aching to the core, but she had to keep going. Pain shot through her exsphere hand as she felt the life leave a Desians body on the point of her sword. Strength that was unnatural and black filled her and she knew she didn't have much time if this fight didn't end soon. The more she killed, the more she had to fight back the exsphere. The more blood that splattered to the floor, the more she had to struggle to hold onto herself.
And at last it was over. She fell panting to her knees, blood staining her body and tattered clothes. She struggled as her mind reeled, demanding more blood.
And Kratos was there, his arms around her as she fought. He spoke, his voice sounding far away. "Anna! Anna what is it? What's happening?"
"It," she rasped. "It's happening. The exsphere's taking over. I can feel it. The crest was broken improperly."
Kratos scooped her up and looked frantically around, holding his wife…his dying wife he tried not to think. But there was no where to go. He needed help now. But how? Who? Where? He could feel Anna's struggle…and it hit him.
She's…she's…becoming an exbelua. Her mana signature wasn't right and now her body is doing the only thing it knows how to do-rebel. He nearly laughed at how much that word was a part of her, even now. If we don't do something, she'll writhe in pain for who knows how long. AND we must get to Lloyd!
"Kratos," Anna said heavily. "Lloyd…"
"I know love, I know." He bit his lip thinking.
Remove it.
"What?" Kratos gasped aloud as Anna moaned.
"Kratos!" she snapped. "Lloyd! NOW!"
Kratos shook himself and set off quickly. Remove it?! That would finish her.
Ah but think, he argued. It dimly struck him that he often had these arguments in his head back when he did evil things or felt guilt and remorse. She'll suffer this way. If you pull it out, she'll likely die. It's better than becoming the monster.
"No…"he moaned. Anna looked up at him and he tried to smile. "I'm trying to decide on the best way to save you."
"Kratos," Anna said softly. "We've been trying to find a way for three years. There is no way. You know that. Not so long as Yggdrasill and Kvar are watching our every move."
"Don't speak like that," Kratos said fiercely. "You've got Lloyd and the Jalisa-"
"I'm dying Kratos, damn you!" she yelled suddenly. "It's time to accept it. Long since time."
"No!" he roared flying through the ranch and out into the woods trying to ignore the tight feeling in his chest. He couldn't do it. He couldn't kill Anna. Not his beautiful sweet strong precious Anna.
"Kratos, stop. I need to rest" Kratos skidded to a halt in a clearing ending in a cliff, nearly sending Anna flying from his grasp. He sat down with her in his lap.
"Sorry. I'm so sorry, my love." Anna looked at him, knowing full well that he was apologizing for more than just jostling her. She reached up and stroked his cheek softly.
"Call Noishe," Anna said. "I want to see Lloyd before I-"
"No!" Kratos practically howled, like a wounded animal. This can't happen. I won't allow it. In what world can I possibly exist without her? She is everything to me. Without her, what are Lloyd and I to do? THIS CAN'T BE!
Anna glared and raised two fingers to her lips, letting out a shrill whistle. "Kratos," she panted. "You said you'd always protect us. Don't you remember?"
"Anna," he begged. "I can't kill you? How do I even begin to contemplate-?"
"Felicity shattered the faulty key crest and if the exsphere is removed to hastily, it will be excruciating," she said. "But you know how to do it so I will not being shrieking in pain." Her lip trembled. "I don't want Lloyd to see me that way." She sighed and fixed him with those famous, piercing brown eyes. "You must, Kratos."
"I-" but he was cut off by Ahmond exploding out of the trees behind him, closely followed by Denise.
"Kratos!" Ahmond bellowed. "Where is she?! WHERE IS SHE?!" He tore at his hair like a mad man. Denise merely glanced frantically around, her face white as she raced off to the left.
"Ahmond!" Kratos gently moved Anna and got to his feet. "Anna's here. Calm-"
"Not Anna!" Ahmond yelled and he brandished a small black cloth under Kratos's nose, which Kratos immediately recognized as Hikaru's cape. "MY DAUGHTER! WHERE IS SHE?!" His eyes rolled madly in his head. "It's Felicity's fault, all of it. The MONSTER! DID YOU THINK I COULD LOVE YOU! COWARD!!! WHERE IS MY DAUGHTER?!"
Kratos could only stare as Ahmond screamed in desperation for his lost child, a broken man, not knowing his daughter was on her way.
"Ahmond," Anna said firmly. "She's with Lloyd, they're coming here with Noishe!"
"HIKARU!" Ahmond bellowed and tore off in the completely wrong direction, determined to find her all the sooner. Kratos clenched a fist. If Ahmond was here, then the Jalisa had fallen at last. More blood to the Age of Lifeless Beings. Martel…the Chosens…the Jalisa…all those people in the ranches…Anna…WHERE DOES IT END MITHOS?! WHERE DOES THE BLOOD CEASE TO FLOW?!
A galloping noise sounded from behind him and he turned to see Noishe entering the clearing, a frighten Lloyd and Hikaru clinging to his back.
"Mommy!" Lloyd ran to his mother, hugging her around the chest. Anna ran her hand through his brown, spiky hair.
"It's okay, baby," she whispered softly. "I'm all right. It's all right. We're safe."
Hikaru jumped off Noishe and ran to Kratos, latching onto his leg. "Uncle Kratos! I'm scared!" She sobbed into his pant leg. "I want my mom and dad! Where are they?"
Kratos swallowed hard, a lump forming in his throat as he looked at Lloyd clinging to his dying mother, who struggled to breath under the child's weight on her lungs. Kratos reached out and picked up Lloyd so Anna could breathe.
"No!" Lloyd cried, reaching out to his mother. "I want mommy! Mommy!"
"Lloyd," Kratos said, holding his son close. "Mommy needs to rest. He kissed the boy's forehead. "It'll be all right." He looked around desperately. Now what do I do? I can't remove the exsphere. Not with Lloyd and Hikaru here.
There was a rustling overhead. Kratos looked up and saw something moving overhead. With a fierce war cry, Felicity, blood gushing from her severed arm, dropped from the trees next to Anna, who tried to pull away. Felicity's fingers curled around the exsphere, a maniacal grin on her face.
"No!" Kratos roared, darting forward, but with Lloyd in his arms and Hikaru clinging to his legs, he was too slow.
Felicity laughed and ripped the exsphere from Anna's hand, blood spraying from the wound, staining Felicity's wicked hand as she laughed insanely while Anna screamed
No! Kratos roared, rooted to the spot, paralyzed by fear, shock, loss and an overwhelming sense of failure. It didn't happen. It can't have happened! Do something you fool! Kill her! Move! Do something!
Hikaru tore away from Kratos and ran at Felicity, furious at the woman who had caused her Aunt pain. Felicity raised her sword.
DO SOMETHING!!!
"FACE ME!" a voice roared, with years of anger dripping in every syllable. Felicity looked… looked toward the only voice that could have ever made her turn around. Felicity's eyes lock with Ahmond's. His eyes were in flames, hate shining in them over his raised bow, the string still vibrating as his arrow pierced Felicity through the heart.
Feeling and desperation rushed back into Kratos as Ahmond scooped up his daughter, Denise suddenly at his side. Immediately, he became aware of Anna screams and looked down. "No!" he moaned as Anna shrieked and writhed in agony. Her eyes flew open and slowly faded into crimson. Her thrashing limbs elongated and bulged, her skin tinged a scaly green. "Ahmond, Denise, RUN! NOW!" He stared in horror as the beast known as an exbelua rose from the ground. Lloyd whimpered for his mother and buried his face in Kratos's shirt as the exbelua raised a deadly claw. Kratos backed away in horror, but the claw swung in. He dodged and raced forward, but some of Anna's reflexes must have carried over in her transformation. Her other claw connected solidly with his back. He flew through the air, Lloyd flying from his grasp and landing at the edge of the cliff.
The monster turned on Kratos, deliver another crushing blow.
CLANG!
Kratos grunted as the flat his sword collided with the claw. Using all of his strength, he pushed the monster away and surged to his feet, staring up at the creature that had been his wife. Lloyd sat behind them, inches from Felicity's body, sobbing as Noishe licked his face. Tears raced down the scaly green face of the exbelua. Somewhere in there was Anna…meaning there was a chance to bring her back.
"Anna!" Kratos yelled, blocking as she charged him again. "Anna, snap out of it! You know me! Kratos, your husband!" He blocked another swipe, cutting her hand open and wincing as green blood coursed down his blade, burning his hand. "You know me. You must! Remember! Remember Lloyd, your son! Your son Anna! Remember the Jalisa! Noishe! Denise! Hikaru! Ahmond!"
The monster halted, staring around. "Kratos…" the disembodied voice echoed with pain. "Lloyd…"
"Yes…" Kratos whispered. "Remember Anna…"
Anna let out a roar and turned, charging toward her son. Noishe leaped at her, but was cuffed aside, hitting a tree and collapsing in a bloodied heap. Anna raised a claw, tears coming thick and fast now, as Lloyd ducked and cried out, "Mommy! Don't!"
"Lloyd!" Kratos raced forward without thinking and lunged in with his sword. An unearthly shriek and a child's cry echoed around the clearing. Blood exploded into the air landing on everyone in drops that burned. The claw crashed into the grounds, rocks flying up. One hit Lloyd, knocking the boy unconscious as Anna slumped to her knees, Kratos pulling his sword from her back. What have I done?!
Slowly, the monster shrank, the green blood turning red as Anna turned to face Kratos, her eyes, brown again, full of tears. "Kratos…" she crawled to him blindly and he rushed to her, ripping Felicity's cloak off and pressing it to Anna's wound. Anna coughed and clutched something in her bloody fingers. Around her neck hung the locket Kratos had given to her what felt like a lifetime ago.
"Kratos…" she moaned. "You must finish me!" She ripped the locket from her and slipped it into his free hand. "Take it…so Lloyd will know what I look like…so you two won't forget me."
"Anna!" Kratos cried. "You're back…you're okay. Surely I don't…have to…"
Anna shook her head and shuddered. "I don't have much time, love," she said, tears streaking down her bloodied cheeks. "It's going to take me again…I can feel it." She looked at him and fixed him with a determined glared. "I won't die on my knees. I can't!" She shuddered again.
"You're not going to die!" Kratos said. "I can't-"
"Please Kratos," she begged. "You must kill me. If you don't...I'll hurt Lloyd again." She sighed and stroked his cheek. "You swore to protect us, remember? Protect me from myself, my love."
He couldn't refuse her, even in the end. He nodded, tears burning his eyes.
Anna reached over and seized the cursed exsphere from her sister's dead fingers. "It will be destroyed with me." She smiled. "Don't forget me. Tell Lloyd I will always be watching over him."
She pushed away and got to her feet, straightening against the pain. Kratos picked up his sword, numbness creeping over him at what he was about to do. He faced her…and she was smiling at him…her face just as lovely as it had been when her first lay eyes on her that night he saved her from himself.
"I'm not gonna hold back this time," she said, as though this was just another spar exercise between them.
Kratos smiled for her…one last time. "I know. I won't either."
"It's funny," she said as her eyes began to change. "We met as foes…we part the same."
Kratos shook his head. "Never! You are my life, Anna Jamison Aurion. My life, my world, my soul, my love. Never my enemy."
"Protect Lloyd. Protect Noishe and the Jalisa." Anna cringed in pain. "Don't let Yggdrasill win, my love." In a flash, the exbelua was back charging him…and he ran to meet it, crying out silently, Forgive me Anna! Forgive me!
The first hit shuddered through his entire body, burning into his very bones. This had to be done…he had to protect their son. He felt the blood burn on his hands as the guilt he knew so well wrapped around him. He was the fallen angel, forced to slay the woman he loved, the woman who had come to grief because of his tainted soul.
The monster swung, Kratos parrying each and every blow. He winced as his blade snaked in and out like lighting, severing flesh, scraping across bone. The monster, for he could not think of it as his Anna, roared in fury, trying to fight him off, but she could not. No one ever could, Kratos thought bitterly. He looked for an opening, the swordsman in his mind controlling him while his heart screamed. There it was. In he lunged, piercing the beast in the chest. There was a roar and a crash as it collapsed, inches from Lloyd.
Kratos lowered his blade, horrified at what he had just done. The monster faded once more into Anna…who was lingering just before death. He collapsed at her side and kissed her wasted lips as her breathing faded. "Forgive me."
"Always…" she muttered. "I love you, Kratos. Forever."
"I love you Anna. For eternity."
Kratos didn't know how long he sat there, waiting for her breath to fade as she lay once more in his lap…but she soldiered on. There was no healing her…and yet she waited to die as Kratos willed Lloyd to regain consciousness.
"Well, well, well!" said a cold voice behind him. Kvar stood there, line after line of Desians troops gathered behind him in the setting sun. "The mighty mercenary kills his lover and his bastard son How tragic." Kratos said nothing…but the smell of blood welled up inside him as his black heart demanded the life of the man who had caused it all. Kvar looked coldly back into Kratos's dead eyes and smiled. "Kill him!"
They charged and Kratos rose, his sword like a song as it whistled through the air so fast, the first fool didn't even know what hit him. "Blame your fate!" Kratos roared as he plunged into the fray. He sliced, hacked, stabbed, kicked, punched, battle his way through wave after wave of lackeys toward Kvar…the heart of everything. And after Kvar fell at Kratos's hands…Mithos would soon follow.
Kvar crept around to where Anna lay dying, looking disdainfully at the pitiful humans. Noishe hobbled over to Anna, growling at Kvar. Lloyd stirred.
"Where is it?" Kvar asked the dying warrior.
Anna smiled. "Gone."
"Gone?"
"Yes…you failed your master." Lloyd opened his eyes and saw the cold man grinning evilly as Noishe growled. "Daddy...Mommy…"
Kvar growled, gathering fiery blue mana in his palm. "Then I have no use for you. Any of you!" There was a flash as he released the bolt at Anna.
"Daddy!" Kratos turned as a flash of blue light illuminated the scene. He stared in horror as three silhouettes were launched into the air, stark against the mana's strong glow. Kratos raced toward his son as Lloyd, Anna, and Noishe plummeted. His wings burst from his back. "JUDGEMENT!" Light exploded from the sky, vaporizing everyone and everything around him. He kept moving toward the cliff, preparing to dive after Lloyd. It worked for Anna…it will work again. He jumped.
"I think not!" Kvar appeared behind him and struck Kratos with another bolt of mana. Kratos crashed to the ground and skidded just short of the cliff, his vision swimming.
"Lloyd," he murmured as his world went black.
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Dirk sighed as a bright flash illuminated the sky ahead. "It's going to rain. Great!" /he trudged forward, determined to get to Asgard before dawn. It was such a long ride back to Iselia and he was wishing he had just shipped the sword to its commissioner, but a good craftsman always delivered his work personally. And he relished in the brief moments he could get out and about.
He twitched his pony's reins and his wagon cleared the trees and passed under a series of cliffs, not to far overhead, even for a dwarf. He looked up at the stars…stars? If he had just seen lightning, there shouldn't be any stars visible, but the sky was perfectly clear. Looking around, he noticed something far more unpleasant: mangled corpses littered the ground. "What the…" He stooped the wagon and clambered down. Approached a body, he saw the glint of armor. They were all dead Desians. Something big must have happened at the ranch. The sooner he got away from here the better. He headed back to his wagon, but stopped, straining his ears. Was that a dog whining? It was and he turned. At the base of the cliff there was a gigantic green and white dog, nudging a fallen body. The dog looked dangerous and Dirk thought about dashing off before it could see him and attack…until the body it was nudging moaned.
Dirk walked over to see the body of a woman, badly wounded and dressed in a prisoners uniform. Clutched in her arms was a small boy, unconscious and with scrapes on his face. The woman struggled to breath and Dirk knew she lingered at death. The child, however, was breathing steadily, only unconscious, not dying. The dog licked the woman and whined.
"Hush," Dirk said. "Miss…can you hear me?" Her eyes fluttered open and looked at the dwarf.
"Please," she whispered. "Lloyd. Please."
Dirk understood. Taking off his traveling coat, he picked up the boy, Lloyd, and wrapped him in it. It was the least he could do for this poor soul, to get her son to safety. It was only a matter of time before the monsters came. The woman grabbed his hand and pressed a shining blue orb into his glove, which he recognized as an exsphere…but one unlike he had ever seen before. "The wanted this. Don't let them get it. It will destroy everything. It will destroy Lloyd. Don't let them have him."
The dog whined. "Look after him, Noishe," the woman told the dog. "You're all he's got now." She fixed Dirk with her eyes as the light slowly faded from them. "Thank you, sir."
"What's your name?" Dirk asked. "So he will know."
"Anna," she murmured. Anna looked up into the sky as the world around her went dark. "I love you." And she was gone. Anna Jamison Aurion, leader of the Jalisa Assassins, the last of her people, was dead.
Dirk took the boy and gently laid him in the wagon before going back for Anna's body. He didn't know the woman, but he couldn't leave a brave soul like that to the pickings of all manner of beasts. Noishe helped Dirk get her to the wagon.
"You're a good one, aren't ya?" Dirk said to the animal. "Maybe you and Lloyd could stay with me. What do you think?" Noishe barked and hopped up beside Lloyd, who snuggled up to the dog, even in his state of unconsciousness.
"Martel grant your soul safe passage, Anna." Dirk muttered before driving off into the night.
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Kratos fought the darkness for all he was worth. He had a shrewd idea of what had hit him, but he'd be damned if he'd fail his wife and son. They were falling and he had to save them. NOW! His eyes flew open and he dove off the cliff, barely remembering to pull out his wings.
Monster and demons swarmed below, feeding on the dead Desians. He ripped out his sword to cast a spell, but realized he could hit Lloyd and Anna and Noishe. Instead he flew close, no sign of them appearing anywhere.
"It can't be," he thought as he scanned the trees below. Nothing. "Maybe they didn't fall. Maybe I imagined it." He raced back to the cliff… but there was nothing there but charred grass and trees and the strong scent of blood. The ranch in the distance was surrounded by bodies of the Jalisa. What became of Ahmond and Denise and little Hikaru?
"They're gone…all of them…gone…" And as he tried to fight it, he realized it was futile and images of what he had just done crashed into his mind. Anna…Lloyd…
Kratos landed and fell to his knees, his chest tight, his body numb. What he wouldn't give to see them one last time. To hear her musical voice. To see Lloyd's innocent brown eyes. To hear them laugh. To hold them close and take them away from this place. To kiss them, hug them, protect them.
He moaned, gripping his head as he fought back the memories and the agony that burst forth from his decaying heart. "This-" his voice broke in something like a sob. "This isn't-it can't be. It isn't real. I can't believe it! I won't believe it." He cowered in agony, his head touching the bloody forest floor.
Lloyd tugged on Kratos's sword, his toothless mouth stretched in a grin
"Lloyd…"
"Emotions just give more fire and passion to the hate, but the hate will always be there!"
"Anna…"
"I don't tell mommy I'm playing with swords?"
"Why…?"
A single tear ran down Anna's cheek. "I can't…" she whispered. "I can't…Kratos…" Anna jumped up and backed away as Kratos got to his feet, staring at her as she met his gaze evenly.
"This…"
Lloyd sat atop his shoulders, tugging on his hair as Kratos laughed.
"…can't be!"
Anna threw herself at him, hugging him as though she thought he might lose him. "I love you too, Kratos Aurion."
"I never meant for this to happen!"
"I knew you were coming daddy!"
"I never meant to fail you both!"
Lloyd nodded, nearly asleep. "I wanna be as strong as you Daddy," he said, clutching his teddy bear. "But I wanna be fast like mommy. That way, I can chase you around like she does."
"How did it go so wrong?!"
"Please Kratos. You must kill me. If you don't...I'll hurt Lloyd again." She sighed and stroked his cheek. "You swore to protect us, remember. Protect me from myself, my love.
"NO!" Kratos roared, slamming his fists into the cold, unforgiving ground. "NO! NO! NO! NO!" He lurched to his feet and flung his sword away. "NO!" He stumbled back to the cliff and looked down into the dark valley, his vision blurred by unshed tears. "ANNA! LLOYD! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" He tripped the ground swaying alarmingly...and then he was falling. He plummeted just as they had, not caring to save himself. He just wanted it to end, all of it to be a dream. To die so he wouldn't have to hear the sickening shriek of agony echoing in his mind. To die so he couldn't feel the steel pierce her through. To die so he wouldn't have to look at his son sprawled bleeding on the ground. To die so that he wouldn't have see her fall and hear his son scream.
"Fool!" yelled Yuan, zooming through the air and seizing Kratos by the collar just before he hit the ground. Kratos hung limp as Yuan deposited him back atop the cliff where he fell to his knees, his head down as tears dripped into the dust. Yuan folded his arms and looked at Kratos, hardly believing what he was seeing. Kratos, cold, indifferent, infallible Kratos brought to his knees by a girl and a child.
Kratos paid no attention. He let the tears run, crying for the first time in four thousand years. "Wh-..." he tried to speak, but to speak would give way to endless suffering, to questions that would never be answered. "Why...?" He looked up and around at the clearing, littered with broken bodies. He clenched his fists, sticky with blood, and tried not to think that his hands were stained with the blood of Anna and Lloyd. But it was no use. He could feel it, a pain so black, so crushing, so complete that it would have killed a normal man...but he wasn't dying. His wretched body refused to let him go. "Why can't...I die?" he gasped. "Why can't I die and let them live? Why do I linger on when they should be here? Why won't I die? WHY?!" He looked up to where he knew Derris- Kharlan lurked out of sight. "Can you tell me Mithos? WHY HER? WHY LLOYD? Why couldn't you just let us die, as we should have 4000 years ago? WHY HER? WHY THEM?! WHY?!!!"
Anna, Anna, my Anna. I failed you. I lost our son. I murdered you. Your village is lost to memory. All because I exist. It's my fault. I helped build this twisted world where you and Lloyd could never have lived freely. And I brought this upon you.
Yuan watched in horror as Kratos cursed Mithos. It was one thing to know that the only weakness Kratos had was Anna and Lloyd. It was an entirely different thing to see him broken, sobbing in a pool of blood that Kratos wished was his own.
Finally Kratos lay still on his back, his eyes staring unseeingly at the night sky. Yuan sighed and walked warily over to him. Kratos didn't move or look at his friend and enemy. He just stared, his eyes and spirit reaching for wherever Anna and Lloyd had gone too.
"It's the price we pay," Yuan said, looking up himself and thinking of Martel. "We should have long since died, to fade into legends because legends force no one to alter their life. We chose immortality and were consumed by it. And for that, we must be alone."
Kratos clenched a fist. "Choice…"he rasped. "Punishment…"
Yuan sighed. "There's only one way Kratos. There is but one way to stop this from happening again. You know it to be true. And think of it: to die and be free of this wretched existence. I envy you." Yuan turned and in a flash was gone.
"To die…" Kratos said. "To die…" He could be with his family again. He could escape this crushing weight. The corners of his vision went dark and Anna's face flashed in the night sky as Lloyd's laughter rang from the stars. Kratos reached for them, trying to touch them one last time. "I will always love you…" he whispered as he sank into shadow. He could almost hear her even now.
Protect Lloyd. Protect Noishe and the Jalisa. Don't let Yggdrasill win, my love.
"I won't…" Kratos muttered falling into unconsciousness.
As ever-review. Oh, and don't miss the epilogue!