FireEdge: Oh my god! That's a lot of reviews! .
Genis: Go figure, people actually like your fic.
Zelos: Do they like me too?
Genis: Who knows, who cares…
FireEdge: And for all those reviewers who said the last chapter was too short, it was because I was sort of testing it out, to see if anyone liked it first. There, now I don't have to repeat myself 100 times.
Reviews:
Josh: Cool, I'm glad people like this pairing too.
AI: Ya, that's why I decided to write this fic, I sort of thought Raine liked Kratos at the beginning also. And you're right, we all have our own opinions about pairings.
YummyTummy: Yes, I think so too.
Heavenly Pureblood: Thanks for the compliment.
Ragnarok: Hey! It's nice to hear from a familiar person! Thanks for the review!
ObsidianIdeals: I completely agree with you.
LateNiteSlacker: Wow, you're the one who got to put a ToS category? I salute you!
Desert Bloom: I know they make a cool couple.
r1y0: Thanks for telling me I mispelled Colette. I fixed it in the other chapter.
anonymous (there was no name): Thanks for the review!
Cerse: Did you happen to eat sugar when you wrote this review?
SilverKidia: I made half your dream came true? Wow.
Lady Serefina: Yeah, Kratos is cool, but he gets me really pissed off sometimes -=cough=- Tower of Salvation -=cough=-
potter29vo: Yeah, we're the only romance writers (so far) cuz we're special. :) You bet we should help each other out! Hmm, I think I've seen your fics in FE before… I've yet to read them, but I heard they're good.
Cute But Psycho: I'm glad you're so enthusiastic! ;;
SweetMisery430: Thanks! Hey, I've seen you in FE too…
AshiCorrine: Thank you, I worked hard on that… I think…
Gaby: Well, here you go: Chapter 2. I hope you won't jump off a cliff this time.
Ebi Ryu: Oooooh, brownies. Oh yeah, anyway, thanks for the review!
Lloydlover26: Hey don't cry, I'm continuing! And I know they make a GREAT couple.
red: Yes, I might do a ZelosSheena one, but not right now. I have too many fics to keep up with at the moment.
zingamaroo: Hmm… how does Regal read…? I haven't figured that out myself…
Sadrilene fa Toren: Thank you!
Tsutanai Shikaku: You betcha!
Kitten Kisses: Yeah, Raine's cool. And about the second part of your review… no comments…
Flint: Really? I can't tell the difference.
Disclaimer: I don't own Tales of Symphonia.
Midnight Visit
Chapter 2
"Raine." She froze, should she act as if she never heard him and walk away, or should she face him. No, I have to face him. Walking away means running away from my problems. I've done enough running already. But that doesn't mean he has to find out the truth…Slowly, Raine turned to face the Seraphim.
"Kratos." She acknowledged him in turn. For a long moment they stood in silence, staring at each other, neither showing emotions that would reveal their proper thoughts.
He looks the same as ever… Were Raine's thoughts. Kratos did indeed look as he usually did. He wore the dark blue outfit from when she had first met him. Red-brown locks hung messily down to his broad shoulders. Long bangs covered one eye, giving him a dark and dangerous look.
In the other's mind, he was slightly confused. Confusion… it was a feeling that he was encountering quite often these days. Now, as he stood staring at the short-tempered half-elf whom he had traveled with before, the confusion was mingled with a different feeling. It was new, yet vaguely familiar. The feeling was uncomfortable, but welcoming at the same time. But before he could ponder his feelings any further, her voice broke the silence.
"What are you doing here, Kratos?" He blinked. At first her voice was just a pleasant tingling sound in his ear. Something he, strangely, wanted to listen to forever. Suddenly coming to his senses, he resisted the urge to shake his head to clear the notion from his mind.
"… I came here to think… the air here is clean and fresh. It clears my mind of unwanted thoughts." Though now, he wasn't too sure if that was true. Raine gave a startled look, that wasn't the answer that she was expecting. She had thought that he was here to perhaps find a way to stop them from interfering with Cruxis' plans. But then again, he did seem to help them here and there. It was hard to tell whose side he was on. Each member of the group had different feelings about him and the advice he gave them. Of course, all the help he lended them was correct and the things he told them never led them astray; but it always seemed to have some sort of catch to it. In fact, she was one of the many that had no clue what to make of the man. He was a traitor, yet he still aided them.
"What brings you out here in the middle of the night?" Kratos cut short her assumptions, curious as to why she was out here by herself. Raine's eyes flickered down.
"Oh… the same reason as you, I suppose…" She answered. Raine looked away, obviously dismissing the subject. Not knowing what was on her mind, and deciding not to pry into her business, he turned to overlook Flanoir once more.
Hearing her footsteps approach him, his head turned slightly to see that Raine now stood next to him on the small terrace. A sad expression shadowed her fair face as she observed the lights of the town below them. Leaning her arms atop of the balustrade, they stood in silence once more.
Looking at her from the corner of his eye he let his mind wander. His thoughts went back to when they had first headed out from Iselia, when no one knew his true identity, when he was just a mercenary for hire. His one job was to escort the Chosen on her journey of regeneration. If only things were that simple. In fact, everything had been quite simple. There had been only Colette, Raine and himself. Everything would have gone perfectly. There was no one to interfere. And he knew Raine wouldn't have been too much of a problem. She was a scholar, it would have been fascinating for her, and everything was going perfectly. That was until Lloyd and Genis found them. Though he had thought that they would be a large burden and slow them down, he was later shown that they were quite useful. But he remembered when they were in Triet, before they left for the Triet ruins, when they were shopping for supplies. The three children had run off to explore the market place, doing who knows what. He was left alone with Raine. The angel guessed that he must have had a permanent scowl on his face when they were together. For the half-elf had asked if he was angry or doubting of Lloyd and Genis. The conversation was still fresh in his mind. She had been quite naïve about it all. Raine had said that he should give them a chance. She said that though they were children, they themselves weren't exactly fitting images of the Chosen's bodyguards. After all she had said that she was simply a teacher of a small village and he was a mercenary. Thinking back on that, he realized that she was quite right. But then again she never truly knew what was really going on. That he wasn't just a sell-sword looking for a job that happened to come by Iselia. That he was an angel there to make sure that the Chosen didn't stray off her path too much. That he was a traitor.
He wondered what she really thought of him now. Lloyd had always held on to a belief that he was good and that he would one day return and help them, that he wasn't truly their enemy. That belief had probably been fed even more fuel when it was revealed to Lloyd that he, Kratos, was his true father. Colette most likely thought the same as Lloyd. She was such a nice girl, clumsy yes, but she was so sweet that it was almost tooth rotting. But that was what made her Colette. That assassin, Sheena, her opinion was obvious. She hated him. He was a traitor. There was nothing more to say. Genis he wasn't too sure off. He couldn't seem to figure out what the boy thought of him. The same went for his sister, the woman that now stood next to him. Their expressions were so hard to read. But at that moment in the Tower of Salvation, when it was revealed that he had deceived them. He thought he had seen a flash of pain across her face. It was on all their faces, but it seemed to show on hers and Lloyd's the most. Kratos had to admit; he did feel guilty for what he did. They had put so much trust in him, only to have him betray it. Suddenly, Raine spoke again.
"Kratos, who's side are you on?"
"Hmm…" It was a question he was asked one too many times. It was a question that he had no answer to.
"Well?" She continued to probe. "Whose side are you on? It's a simple question. Are you with Cruxis, or are you not? You help us, but you always seem to betray us in the end. So why help us in the first place? To herd us like sheep, to make sure we walk right into another Cruxis trap?!" Now her eyes seemed angry. Has she bottled up all the anger this whole time? Kratos wondered.
"I apologize, but I cannot answer that question…"
"Fine then… Would you even hurt your own son?" Demanded Raine.
"Lloyd…" He started, but trailed off. She shook her head.
"Men. All the same… never have an answer for those kind of questions." Her gaze returned to Flanoir. She had received the answer she was looking for, he was a traitor. He couldn't even say anything to prove he loved Lloyd.
"Raine, you don't understand. I love Lloyd, but these feelings are new for me. I don't know how to deal with them."
"Oh yes, that's right. Angels can't feel emotions. Would you know love if it hit you in the face?" She asked icily. His lips tightened, he had never seen her this way before. Of course he had seen her angry in the past, but not like this. What is she getting at?
"Yes… I would…" He replied, this conversation was getting him a bit riled up also. Suddenly her shoulders loosened and she seemed to relax.
"Maybe you're right… You probably could feel love, after all, if you couldn't, then you wouldn't have fallen in love with Anna…" The sadness returned to her face, it also showed in her voice. Why it was there, he didn't know. He stood staring at her as she looked straight ahead, ignoring everything. A cold breeze blew past them. He saw Raine shiver. He could tell that she was cold. But the half-elf always acted tough.
"… … …" He took a step towards her and held his hand out. In a few moments a ball of fire appeared above his palm. Raine turned surprised, to face Kratos. The ball of fire emitted a warm heat. She couldn't feel the cold that had been bothering her during their whole conversation anymore. A small smile tugged at her lips.
"… Thank you…"
FireEdge: I hope that's long enough to satisfy you people, cuz that took me forever to think up…
Genis: Man, half of it is filler!
FireEdge: Is not!
Genis: Is too!
FireEdge: Is not!
Zelos: Hmmm. -=Reads off cue card=- Please review.
--FireEdge--
