Survival

"… and that's why you mustn't dare breathe so deeply again, are we clear? I'm not going to go through all your little whims and I'm also not willing to have these conversations again with you, all right? So don't make me go through this again!"

Kratos had decidedly resorted to ignoring Anna's compulsive chastising and yelling, and everything that she told him came out right through the other ear. But there was a point in which he couldn't take it anymore. Pulling out his wings, he flew away. Or at least, that's what he had hoped to do.

"No fair! No wings!" cried Anna as she gripped the angel's leg and flew as a stowaway. "Now put me down on the floor!"

Kratos could barely believe that Anna seemed not to pay much attention to his beautiful wings, as if everybody had wings. But as he had known Anna these last two hours, she seemed not to pay much attention to anything that didn't matter to her. He kicked and tossed trying to force Anna to let go… and it worked. With a high-pitched scream, the beautiful woman fell down to the woods. Less than a minute after that, Kratos heard a piercing scream come from the woods' edge. Feeling guilty, he flew rapidly down to floor level to see what had happened to Anna. She expected to find her between a bear's jaws, or corralled by evil enemies, but she actually had the situation quite under control.

She had been attacked by Desians that had found the corpses and empty caravan along the road. However, she had obtained a whip from a Desian whipmaster and controlled everything perfectly. It seemed as if she had arranged a choreography herself for this very battle a month ago, practicing daily, for she moved so decidedly, so methodically, that the Desians seemed unable to keep up with her contortions, twists, and puzzling technique.

Crack

The last Desian fell lifeless to the floor. Anna turned around and noticed Kratos.

"Oh. So you decided to come down?" she asked, with such arrogance that made Kratos feel even worse.

"I… uh, I heard you scream, so I thought I'd come check on you," he answered.

"Well, too bad, 'cause I've got this situation perfectly under control. You know what? I can survive without you. Perfectly."

(Cut Scene: Suddenly, daylight seemed to fade away, and the corpses of the Desians started rising again. A limelight illuminated the darkness and focused on Anna.

"At first I was afraid, I was petrified," she sang,

"Kept thinkin' I could never live,

"without you by my side.

"But then I spent oh so many nights thinkin' how

"you did me wrong. And I grew strong,

"and I learned how to get along."

The Desians and Anna danced around the field and lights from the trees illuminated the makeshift theatre.

"And so you're back, from outer space

"I just walked in to find you here with

"that sad look upon your face.

"I should've changed that stupid lock, I should've

"made you leave your key!

"If I had known for just one second you'd

"be back to bother me."

Anna sang as if she lived with Kratos, or had known him from long ago.

"Go on now go, walk out the door

"Just turn around now, cause

"you're not welcome anymore

"Weren't you the one who tried

"to hurt me with goodbye

"Did you think I'd crumble, did you

"think I'd lay down and die

"Oh no not I, I will survive

"Oh, as long as I know how

"to love, I know I'll stay alive

"I've got all my life to live

"I've got all my love to give

"I'll survive, I will survive

"Hey, Hey!"

Here, the undead Desians started playing their musical instruments, and danced along with Anna.

"It took all the strength I had

"not to fall apart.

"Just trying hard to mend the pieces of

"my broken heart

"And I spent so many nights just feelin'

"sorry for myself, I used to cry

"But now I hold my head up high

"And you see me, somebody new

"I'm not that chained up little

"person still in love with you

"And so you felt like droppin' in, and

"just expect me to be free

"But now I'm savin' all my lovin' for

"someone who's lovin' me

"Go now go, walk out the door

"Just turn around now, cause

"you're not welcome anymore

"Weren't you the one who tried

"to break me with goodbye

"Did you think I'd crumble, did you

"think I'd lay down and die

"Oh no not I, I will survive

"Oh, as long as I know how

"to love I know I'll stay alive

"I've got all my life to live,

"I've got all my love to give,

"I'll survive, I will survive…

"Oohhhhhhhh…"

Anna obtained the title of "Survival." A whip, iron nerves, and a bag to keep everything in place. A title for she who fights with careful, mystifying, and methodical tactics, which seem almost as dancing. Such flexibility! Where does she put her bones?

The Desians fell back to death and Anna looked at Kratos with arrogant eyes, waiting for his reaction. Although the poor man wasn't sure of how to react after hearing a song out of the blue.

"The world's going nuts…" murmured Kratos.)

Well, as I said before, Anna had everything under control, until she heard an egotistical voice from behind her. "What is going on here? Why are my men on the floor? Could it be that this human beat them?" Kvar stared at Anna.

Anna turned around and faced Kvar directly. "Yes, I beat them. What do you think about it?"

"A mere woman? But you're—My Angelus Project!"

A rush of memories came flashing through Anna's mind… Thomas… Desians… Luin… Destruction… Screams… Laura… Angelus Project! That was it! The experiment her mother had been taken away for! Anna touched her left hand's back, where a blue, shining, and smooth stone stood mounted. They had put it on her as soon as she was captured, and she remembered how painful it had been; at first, she had felt her life was being taken away, but after a while, she started feeling more powerful, more capable, even as if she had another person inside her.

"I'll capture you, even if I have to kill myself for it!" swore Kvar, as he drew out his lightning spitting staff.

Anna gripped her whip. Taking a deep breath, she waited for Kvar's attack. He charged at her with all his might.

At first the battle went well, but Anna started finding the odds against her after a while. She fell to the floor, exhausted. Then, she felt light steps landing besides her.

"Mercenary, this is my battle," she told him. "Please don't interfere."

"My name is Kratos," he said. "And it's already a lost battle. Let me help you."

Anna's stubborn mind didn't budge. Gripping her whip again, she charged one last time against Kvar, but didn't even make it to the Grand Cardinal, as a lightning struck her mid-way. This infuriated Kratos. Unsheathing his sword, he charged at Kvar, who was already weakened as a result of Anna's efforts. He won the battle handily and softly carried Anna's weakened and hurt body to a cave in which he could heal her calmly.