Uh… Once again, I am late in updating. But these days, I haven't had too much inspiration. So please bear with me…
Genis: Yeah, and expect her to be slow on her other updates…
Zelos: Psst, I think school's dragging her down.
FireEdge: Well, no kidding!
Reviews:
Hamano Ayumi: Thanks for sticking with me! And I'll be sure to watch out for your next update!
Amazon Bunny: Awww, I'm so glad that you found that part good! It was really weird writing it, though. Hmm…
Spectre: Oh, that plothole thing was about how Zelos was dead, yet still my muse. Sorry if I got you confused there! It wasn't really part of the story, just a funny afterthought I had.
Miss Raine Sage: Thanks for reviewing!
rice8369: Thank you for waiting for my update! It's nice to have someone there to push at you to update! Hopefully, my updates will be faster and more consistant now. Hopefully…
Ragnarok-legend: At least you reviewed in the end! I AM jealous! You got to go to Egypt while I had to go to school… Anyway, thanks for the compliments, it was really brain-racking, that chapter…
Disclaimer: I don't own Tales of Symphonia.
Midnight Visit
Chapter 8
Small animals darted from tree to tree, rays of sun sometimes shining down from the thick foliage of Torent Forest. All the creatures of the forest were skittish, a tension was in the air. One that hinted at a life-changing event coming.
A dark boot crunched on the gravel path, small pebbles grinding beneath his weight. A gloved hand wiped at the sweat accumulating on his forehead, due to the humidity of the forest.
Shaking his head, locks of hair briefly left his face, but falling back down in place moments later. Kratos sighed and continued walking down the path.
Each step that he took seemed heavier than the last. He wished that it was because that he was tired and stressed, which he was. But he knew the real reason. With every tread that he took, he was closer and closer to what would decide his fate.
He would have to fight Lloyd, his own son. He wanted to lose to him, on purpose. It was a win-win situation, they would be able to release the seal on Origin, and he could finally end his miserable and sinful life. What was there to lose?
Lloyd's respect. Kratos knew that the boy would never allow him to fight at half strength and let him win. He would never forgive him. And even if he let Lloyd win and died, would that memory still haunt him into the afterlife?
Suddenly a small furry animal dashed across his path. It stopped for a moment to look at Kratos. It had large blue eyes and white fur, it resembled a small dog. It shuddered and darted off quickly.
But seeing that animal caused an unwelcoming image to pop into his mind. A quick flash of a delicately built woman, with wispy silver hair and sharp blue eyes. A scowl spread across his features. Why was he thinking about her at a time like this? He silently cursed the animal that had reminded him of her.
Kratos tried to push her out of his thoughts, rather unsuccessfully at that. The same question kept coming back into his head. How would she react if he perished? But right on the tail of that was another question. Why did he care?
Damn it… Why won't she get out of my head! It doesn't matter what she thinks, or how she cares. I'll fight Lloyd if I must, and whatever happens, happens. He thought grouchily to himself.
Turning around a bend, he heard a shifting sound from behind him. Turning around, he saw nothing but a shuffling of something underneath a nearby bush. Releasing the hilt of his sword, he turned back around.
Facing the direction that he wanted to head in, he took a few steps forward. But in only those few steps, a sudden snarling came from behind him and a monster leapt at him, tackling him down.
"Argh!" Kratos grunted, quickly reaching for his blade. Finally fumbling it out, he slashed at the slug like beast, slicing it in two. "Hmph… Stupid creature…" Sheathing his sword, he tried to cleanse himself of dirt and blood, but to no avail.
Letting out another disgruntled sigh, he continued on his way. His mind slightly cleared, after the small struggle. Running a hand through his damp hair he turned another bend, strolling down the right path of a fork.
Without any more interruptions, he finally saw a clearing ahead of him. Finally… The seraphim stood in front of a large slab of rock. Lines after lines of intricate script of an old language were chiselled onto its face.
Placing a hand on the smooth monument, Kratos could feel the cool of the stone seeping into his palm. So pleasant after the long walk here, and everything seemed so quiet in this little clearing.
Of course, silence was his enemy at the moment. For it brought more unwelcoming thoughts. Mixed images of fighting his son, and of a solemn half-elf. And sometimes, Anna crept into those notions. It was almost unbearable.
But he couldn't seem to clear his head. They just wouldn't go away, and the silence was so everlasting. Finally, he couldn't take it anymore. Drawing out his sword, he swung hard and it connected with the slab of stone in front of him.
A loud echoing 'clang' reached his ears. The force of the blade hitting the monument caused his arm to vibrate. The hilt jabbing into his hand. The pain was welcoming, however, since it somewhat cleared his mind.
Letting out a sigh, he dropped his sword to the ground and sank down, his back sliding against the large tablet. He looked through half closed eyes at the trees, their branches waving ever so slightly in the barely tangible breeze. Kratos was sure to focus his eyes and mind on those branches, hoping to keep his brain occupied.
The bending limb, the dancing leaves, and the quiet rustling of the wind. Nothing more to think about. Noth-- His thoughts were once again distracted by the more sharp sound of twigs snapping.
Jumping up, Kratos deftly picked up his sword and turned towards the bushes. The leaves of the plant shook violently and the branches parted slightly to reveal a small animal. The fox like creature stared at Kratos again. Its unwavering blue eyes piercing into the angel's soul.
"Damn it, not you again!" The auburn-haired man snarled, his eyes hardening and glaring back at the creature. The white-furred creature tilted its head to one side and regarded Kratos again.
Kratos picked up a rock and threw it with all his might at the animal, striking it in the side. The furry beast let out a yelp and darted back into the trees. The man unclenched his fist as he watched the animal ran off.
Sheathing his unused sword, he took deep breaths to calm his nerves. But that didn't work too well, since that blasted creature had once again stirred up some memories that he didn't want to recall.
No matter how much he didn't want to think about it, they came back. And it was all the little fox creature's fault…
Everyone was skittish. Looking this way and that nervously. Expecting something to jump out at them any second now. But then again, who wouldn't be tense, creeping through the tense brush in the dark of night.
They didn't have much of a choice, though. Since they had just managed to escape the Asgard human ranch. Of course they had blown it up, like the other ranches they had visited. But there might be some other minions wandering about, and they couldn't afford to fight any more enemies. Not in the state they were in.
During their fight with Kvar, they had used up almost all of their supplies, and they were drained of energy and mana. Not to mention that they didn't exactly escape the ranch's explosion fast enough. They were outside the ranch, but were still caught in the aftershock of it.
Dust, soot and debris had rained down upon them all, some hitting their targets, others not. But they had all been struck by something. Raine had managed to heal most of the serious wounds they had taken, but she was depleted of magic now, and they weren't in full health yet.
Even his own healing powers were drained. He had, after all, been the only healer with Lloyd during their battle with the Grand Cardinal. And right now, it was really needed.
They were tired, beaten up and needed to get to shelter for the night. He could see many of his companions faltering. Lloyd was panting hard, hesitating in his steps sometimes. Genis had half-collapsed earlier on. Colette seemed more disheartened than usual, and Sheena was supporting her, though she was fatigued also.
Glancing a bit further back, he saw Raine trudging along. She was at the back of the group, and she was stumbling a bit further back with every step. With a frown, Kratos let Lloyd take the lead and fell back with Raine.
"Don't fall behind." He simply stated, settling in behind her. She was hardly a proper rear guard, and they had to pay attention to what might be following them.
The woman looked at him, a small grimace on her face. Ashes marred her pale features and her light eyes were dull with exhaustion. Her silvery hair was in disarray and her clothing in not much better shape.
"…I know that…" Was her simple response, turning back to face the direction they were heading in. Kratos gave his usual grunt, looking around once more.
Suddenly, he heard a shifting sound from his right. Twirling around on his heels, he immediately drew a dagger from his belt and tossed it skilfully. He could hear it whiz through the bushes and connect with something before 'thunking' into a tree.
The others turned around at the sound of him unsheathing his dagger, and held their breath as Kratos warily stalked into the underbrush. He returned several seconds later holding a small white fox. It was barely full-grown and was just starting to shed its winter coat.
The small animal was whimpering, its lower back scored with a bloody gash, no doubt from Kratos' dagger. The mentioned was already back in his belt.
"Aww, the poor thing!" Murmured Colette, going closer.
"I can't believe you almost skewered a little fox…" Sheena added with a sigh. From beside her Corinne regarded the animal with interest.
"Hmph. I thought it was an enemy… You can't be too careful these days." He retorted, putting the fox down. He could hear Raine walk up to him, then kneeling down.
"I have enough mana to heal him… Its not fair for this little one to be injured at our expense." The elven professor replied, holding out her staff unsteadily. Closing her eyes, she focused her power into the wound on its back and muttered an incantation.
A white aura surrounded the creature and in an instance, it was healed. Blinking its large brown eyes, the animal stretched its back, regarded Raine and sprinted off into the woods.
"You shouldn't be wasting what little magic you regained." Kratos scolded, seeing that she was looking even fainter than before.
"As much as I'd hate to admit it, Kratos is right…" Genis added with a nod. "You know it can take a long time for you to recover from that much healing!"
"I know, I know. I'm fine. And so is that animal. Let's just keep on go--" Raine was cut off as she suddenly fell.
"Raine!" Cried most of them. Kratos was quickly behind her and caught her as she fell. Genis let out a sigh.
"I told her so, but sometimes she just doesn't listen."
"It doesn't matter now. What's done is done. Let's move on before we attract any unwanted attention." Kratos grunted as he lifted Raine up carefully and started walking forward again. The others hesitated before pursuing.
Raine was very light in his arms, and he hardly felt her there. He would've thought that an adult would be heavier, but she felt almost the same weight as Colette might be. Give or take a few pounds.
His auburn eyes flickered down at Raine's motionless body. She lay limp, except for a steady rise and fall of her chest. Some of her hair had fallen over her face, covering most of her left side. Ruby lips stood out against her pale skin and she seemed so peaceful.
He wished that he could be that way, too. She must have such a wonderful life, compared to his. Since he had lived one of so much sin. If he could only enjoy a normal life, himself. Though he knew that that was impossible for him.
But he knew that she had suffered in her childhood, and that she had raised Genis by herself, when she was barely a child herself, maybe ten or twelve years of age. He didn't have his childhood taken from him. Though he was cursed with eternal life…She was an elf, bestowed with longevity. Maybe they weren't so different.
Maybe they weren't so different. What a naïve thought that had been. It was so stupid of him to think that there could be someone, who wasn't of Cruxis, that could be like him. And if there was someone out there similar to himself, he couldn't help but pity him or her.
He didn't pity himself, however. He knew that this was a punishment. For all the deeds he had committed in the past. A long time ago, that seemed… Some more than 4000 years ago. Some barely seventeen.
And for some reason, he couldn't help but feel a guilty conscience nagging at him. Nagging that he had done something else that made him more worthy of this living sentence he led. But the only thing that came to mind was… Him betraying them. Those with the Chosen of Sylvarant.
Leaving his back against the stone tablet, he let the cold calm him. His back was starting to feel numb now, when a voice suddenly pulled him out of his reverie. Opening his eyes, he saw a group of people standing at the opening of the clearing.
Lloyd… His son, was standing at the front, feet spread apart in a defiant stance. His chocolate brown eyes challenging, yet holding a deep remorse. One that shouldn't be seen in someone so young.
Yet, he knew that it was there because of him. He had caused all of this for Lloyd. Perhaps if he had stayed with Colette, he would've seen such things anyway. But letting Lloyd find out about his past… About everything, it must have weighed him down even more.
He heard a slight shuffling, and his eyes moved to see Raine, her staff had grated against the soil as she settled it in an upright position. Her eyes were averted from him, staring half at Lloyd and half into the deep woods.
Well, now there would be something that definitely made them different. The fact that one of them would live, and the other would not. Life and death, what a grand rift they had between each other. That would now separate them… Or so he thought.
Kratos' eyes fluttered open, they felt heavy and he groaned as he felt a pain shoot up his side. Opening his lids fully, he saw a wooden ceiling and a hard mattress underneath him. Budging his hand, he could feel thick bandages that were swathed around his abdomen.
Suddenly what happened came back to him brokenly. He had… lost to Lloyd. Not on purpose, however. Lloyd, his son, had won with his own strength. How proud he felt right now. But this was not the time to be thinking such thoughts.
Especially since Mithos had come, and taken Colette's body. He would be in Derris Kharlan right now. Kratos sat upright, ignoring the pain in his body and swung his legs off the bed. He realized that this was Lloyd's room.
Looking around, he found his clothes and quickly dressed, buckling his sword belt around his waist. Stomping into his boots, he pulled on his gloves, running long fingers through his long messy hair.
Walking down the creaking stairs, he stopped at the base of it, seeing everyone gathered there. He blinked in surprise, his brows furrowed. For Lloyd was looking at him, a determined smile on his face.
"Nice to see you on your feet. Raine and Yuan thought that you wouldn't be up for at least a day or two… But we wanted to wait for you to wake up before we left to save Colette… Since you would be a big asset to our group." He said, his eyes never leaving Kratos' face.
The angel stepped down onto the main level, regarding his son with interest. He never knew that Lloyd was capable of such a speech… But a small smile quirked at his mouth. He didn't say anything however, for Dirk then came into the room from his forge.
"Ah, Kratos. It's good to see you awake. I'm glad that you'll be going with Lloyd. He may have been through this much already, but he's still a troublemaker."
"Hey!"
"Anyway, I have something for you, Lloyd." The dwarf continued, ignoring Lloyd's protest. Dirk laid a beautiful blade on the wooden table. It was long and flat, a cool blue in colour. It glistened as if it had just come out of the forge.
"W-Wow, Dad!" Gasped Lloyd, staring at the sword, lifting it up to admiring it. "It's beautiful… I'll use it to save Colette… And the whole two worlds…" He murmured, the last part barely audible.
Kratos stepped up to the table. "But you'll need another blade to match it…" Said the tall man, drawing his own sword. A sword of red fire, some said. It almost seemed to match its pair perfectly.
"Thank you… Dad…" Lloyd replied. The remark caused Kratos to open his mouth slightly, his brows raised. When had he decided to call him that?
"Now you have two swords, from both of your fathers…" Came a firm voice from behind him. Turning around, he saw Raine standing calmly, her hand on her staff.
"Yeah. Now I'm unbeatable!"
"Not quite…" Genis rolled his eyes, sarcastic as ever.
"Yeah, we still have to save Colette, remember?" Added Sheena with a nod. "Let's go already! Who knows what Mithos could be doing right now to her!"
"I… agree." Presea nodded. Regal gave a nod also, a small grunt as a comment. Lloyd grinned.
"All right. Let's go then, and save Colette!"
Well, a short and not very eventful chapter… God, I'm getting worst by the chapter…
Zelos: Aww, don't say that. Just consider yourself… having a writer's block. That always works…
FireEdge: …
Genis: Well, um, its going to get all emotional again in the next chapter, right?
FireEdge: Definitely! Since I have the next two chapter planned out perfectly in my mind! And I'm not going to wing it like I did on this chapter… Hehe…
Zelos: In that case, she apologizes for the crappiness of this chapter (again). And she will make the next chapter better (hopefully) or you can haunt her dreams. Please review.
:FireEdge:
