A/N: I'm continuing the story called Dearly Beloved by Cataclysmic Eclipse.
Disclaimer: I do not own Tales of Symphonia.
The Distraction
Kratos agreed to take a walk with Anna easily enough and for that she was grateful. He was always all too willing to spend time with her which was sweet and yet now it played to her advantage. She felt sick at that thought. She didn't want to be someone that would use someone else and yet here she was right now doing just that. She was using his willingness to spend time with her to have the others informed. The terrain was very rocky, as she walked along it very carefully. It was a blue moon tonight and no light save that of the star shine lit the path in front of her. She didn't regret the reasons why but now it was more real to her to have him so close by. Her stomach twisted in knots of nerves of what she needed to do. I don't know how long I can do thisfor, she thought to herself as she wove her way around the jagged rocks that were strewn about the path.
"You shouldn't have mentioned that the worlds were once one," Kratos said with irritation.
"Why not? What's wrong with telling them what the truth is? And besides, it's not like any of them believed it anyway," Anna countered. Oh, so this is how he's gonna be.
"Humph. I suppose you have a point," Kratos said as he turned away from her. " Regardless, you shouldn't have mentioned it."
"Yes I should have. There's nothing wrong with what I said even if they did believe me. It's the truth, it's not something that's a sin."
Silence settled amongst the both of them and Anna took the time to find a patch of ground that was not very rocky and sat down on it. She stretched out her arms in front of her, and looked up at her husband that gazed down upon her.
"There's no use being mad about it now. What's done is done," she said, and her brain scrambled to find anything to make him stay longer. "Why don't you join me?"
He gazed at her with unreadable eyes before he found a spot none too rocky to sit.
"The stars are rather beautiful tonight," Kratos said and changed the subject as he looked above at them. She was stunned at his sudden change of mood. She shouldn't be surprised, he didn't stay angry for as long as she did.
"Yes they are," Anna said and she looked up at them in awe. There were so many out tonight in the shapes of swirls and constellations of beauty but they were lost on her at that moment. All she could think about was being a distraction. What if he saw through it and found out what she did before it was time? "They're very beautiful."
He brought an arm about her and she stiffened at his touch. Her stomach flared up with nerves.
"Something's wrong," Kratos said astutely as he brought his hand to her cheek to draw her gaze to him. He looked into her eyes as though he were scanning for something that was amiss.
"N-no, no, not at all I'm completely fine," she said very fast and than she wavered and drew her gaze away from his brown ones. Nerves pierced her stomach yet again.
"You're a terrible liar," Kratos said as he brought a hand to hers and squeezed it. "You can tell me about whatever it is that is troubling you."
Anna stared into his eyes that were concerned and curious and took a deep breath. She couldn't lie to him, but there was a way around telling him the truth. "Yeah, you're right. Something is wrong and it's something that I can talk about. It's just that...well...this whole journey is just so hard for me and now Colette lost her voice and now it's finally coming to an end and..."she trailed off. She looked at him again who gazed at her with those same eyes filled with concern, urging her gently to continue. "And soon it'll be over. And soon she will be gone. And soon we'll be gone and apart from one another."
"Yes, I know, soon it will be over and soon we will part ways. For the final time," Kratos said and she looked away from him wide eyed.That's not what I meant at all."I know that this ordeal has been difficult for you not knowing whether we'll be together and be apart and yet you've endured such strife because of the Journey of Regeneration. To witness Colette's Angel Toxicosis and the suffering of the people of Sylvarant and you did it all to be with me," Kratos said and brought a hand to her hair, bringing her close to him. The truth of his words sunk into her mind and soul. She was so caught up in this plan to save everyone that she had forgotten her own reasons for rejoining the Journey of Regeneration in the first place and staying on it. It was for him.
He brought his lips against her hair. "I am grateful for that," Kratos said softly and drew her her closer to him. "You've given me months more of memories with you like this. So full of life and drawn to my affections. I will cherish these memories for the rest of my life." He whispered those last words which meant so much more to him who has lived for four thousand years, and brought his lips down to capture hers in a kiss. His lips were soft as he moved against hers and she let him do these things, despite the unease that had settled inside of herself he expertly calmed her. His tongue slid inside of her mouth, and his lips became heavier against her own. He brought her closer towards himself, and she let him. She felt another arm wrap about herself and enveloped her in his warmth. He suckled on her lower lip before he stopped kissing her. His breath was heavy and hot against her skin.
"I...I..." was all that she could manage. She really was affected by him, even now despite everything? And despite what she just did? Her heart tore. Why do things have to be so complicated?
"I'll miss this. I'll miss you," Kratos said gently and brought a hand under her chin so she would look him in the eye. He studied her eyes and her heart leapt in her throat, as if by looking at her he could scan the truth of what happened out of her. "Will you miss me?"
"What are you talking about of course I'll miss you," Anna exclaimed. "It'll be hard being without you. It was when I was alone with Lloyd and Genis in Luin."
"Do you see the stars that are up above us?" Anna nodded and turned to look to the multitude of stars that shone down at them. "Whenever you look at those stars I want you to think of me. I'll be up there looking down on you. In that way, we'll never truly part."
Anna turned to look at him who gazed at her with eyes full of love, and she felt shock and guilt gnaw at her over what she was doing right now.
"Does that mean that every time you look down upon the worlds you'll think of me?"
"Yes, it does. And when missions take me to descend upon the worlds I will look up at the stars and think of you."
"That's very sweet and very romantic," she said softly and kissed him on the lips. "How long did it take you to think of?"
He chuckled and she felt the vibrations on his chest. "You know me well. I am not one for imagination or sponteneity I have been thinking of that for some time I was simply...waiting for a good time to say it."
"Well now, Kratos, I'd say that's a bit of sponteneity there. You were looking for the right time," Anna said and smiled up at him. He smiled back and captured her lips in a kiss.
"Yes, you do have a point there. Perhaps I can be a little spontanious," Kratos said and kissed her again, and again and again. On her lips, on her cheek, on her nose. She laughed.
"Hey, stop, stop," she said through a laugh. And he did so, but reluctantly. He stared into her eyes with that look like he could see through her very soul. Nerves came back to her and she was reminded exactly why she was out here with him in the first place. It felt wrong. So wrong. But Raine had said it was the only way and she couldn't think of another way to go about it. Maybe he wouldn't be so harsh if she told her. She looked into those eyes that were crinkled in good humour. He wasn't a bad man, and by this time Raine must have told the group everything that Anna had told her. Perhaps now was a good time to let him know. And she still had hope that he would be alright with it.
"There is something that's been bothering me and it's more than just about the Journey of Regeneration," Anna began and Kratos gave her a look telling her to go on. "And well I...well...I don't think that you're going to like what I've done but I think that it was the only way for everyone to live peacefully in the worlds and the only way for Colette to be okay."
"There is no other way, Anna, we've been through this time and time again."
"I know that we have but I was thinking that it could be different now. You're different, you remind me so much of when I fell in love with you," Anna said and this time Anna slid away from his embrace. She shivered in the cold of the night. "A time when you were sure that taking action against what's wrong in the world is the best response like what you've done against the Desians. It means that there's some good in you that can act against evil."
"Good? Evil?" Kratos sighed at her choice of words and brought a hand through his mussed up hair. "There is no good or evil only varying shades of gray. I acted because I believed, and still do, that it was the right thing to do. I cannot stand by and do nothing when I have a chance to act against what I perceive to be wrong," he said and took a deep breath, steeling himself for the argument to come. "I believe that you are wrong about me changing. I have always had the capacity to do this you simply never saw it on Derris Kharlan because of the nature of that place as unchanging. I believe that you are the one that has changed. You've accepted the way of the worlds and have stopped arguing with me about what cannot be changed."
"But it can be changed," she said and ignored the truth of his words and how she had not acted. Guilt because of that gnawed at her, along with the guilt of being a distraction for the group. "It can all be changed. There has to be another way against Yggdrasill and this Age of Lifeless Beings."
He shook his head and opened his mouth to speak but she beat him to it.
"There is another way. I know it. If Sheena can surpass all odds and go through the dimensional field to protect Tethe'alla there is a way to save everyone."
"Sheena passing through the dimensional field of the worlds and saving the world are two very separate matters."
"No they're not. It's the same concept. Surpassing the odds to do the right thing."
"Humph," Kratos said and crossed his arms. "What is it that you've done?"
"Done?"
"You've said that you've done something that I won't like. What is it?"
"I told Raine everything."
His eyes were wide at that. "What do you mean by everything?"
"Everything. The nature of the two worlds and the Ancient Kharlan War, and the Great Kharlan Tree, and the Great Kharlan Seed and Yggdrasill and the Age of Lifeless Beings and-"
"You what?!" He said in rage and got up from where he was sitting, and walked a few steps away from her. Her eyes widened at that tone of voice. She had never heard him talk like that to her. He took a few moments of silence collecting himself.
"She's telling our companions right now," Anna said as she got up and he turned towards her. "Now you can see that there's another way-"
"There is no other way," he hissed at her and turned to look at her. "What have you done? What sort of danger have you put Lloyd in all because of this-of this fantasy."
"It's not a fantasy, it can really happen. And I have not put Lloyd in danger at all—hey" Anna said as Kratos was walking away from her. "Where are you going?"
"To put a stop to this foolishness," Kratos said as he continued to walk quickly and Anna was right behind him silently. Her nerves were through the roof but she knew—she hoped that something her companions could talk some sense into him. Sense that she couldn't talk into him for fourteen years.
