FairyV: I based her off of the main character's mother in "For Water or Chocolate" when I was writing this chapter I was reading that book, and she seemed like a great villan, and from all of your reactions she worked out rather nicely.

MoonCanon: Thanks for the complements and steady stream of reviews.And sorry it takes a while for the action to build, but I have this strong urge to write cute/fluff chapters like this one and... Well I promise when I get to the fighting it will be well worth the wait.

ArkNavy: This chapter is not exactly a sandwich treat that you wanted... You'll have to tell me if it's as good though. :)

Serrated Darkness: I'm no master of writing by any stretch of the imagination, so I think now that I have time I'll get to reading :) Oh and if you like what Anna did to Urik you will love what she does to... well to someone who has it commng... OK several someones who have it comming.

Chapter 26

A Gift

Anna squirmed, it was strange really, he was normally in the position where she was in. She hissed as he gently applied a bit of healing mana to her back, and under his hands her bruise fadded, the swelling around the injury disapeared, and the small infected cut in the injuries heart healed. She leaned back into him, sighed, then shivered. It was cold, he had a fire going, but still the cave was freezing. It had been three days after.. after the incedent, three long cold days. Lloyd and Noishe lay, sleeping as close to the fire as they dared, Kratos and Anna were a little ways off. Task done Kratos pulled his glove back on, adjusted it so that he could see the exsphere that rested on the back of his hand. He sighed, considered the gem. It was old, it's power was fading these days as the soul trapped in it tappered off into nothingness. Not that he really needed it's assistence, not with the Cruxis crystal that lay over his heart. That gems power would never fade, so long as Mana existed in the world around him, it would forever feed strength into him. Anna smiled, stood, then kissed him. With a shiver Anna left him and went to the fire. In the back of the cave he thought, he had failed to defend Anna in Izoold, almost failed at Anna's old home...

He recalled Anna's wound and admitted to himself that he had failed, he hadn't been quick enough, strong enough, he had lost control.

He would not fail her again. Never agian.

"Kratos, are you going to sit back their and freeze to the floor?"

"Hmm perhaps."

"Get over here right now, I refuse to go to bed with a cold husband."

Figure Anna to say that. He smiled, rolled his eyes and joined her. At his meek yes dear she snorted.

"You were sulking agian." She acused playfully as she gently guilded his arms around her. She aranged him much like an oversized cloak, then leaned back, looked at his dark eyes. "Kratos, what's wrong?"

"I am just worried, you got hurt and..."

"I was stupid. I lost my head and dragged us into something I should have had the sense to aviod." She closed her eyes, and he gave her forehead a quick peck. She smiled but did not bother to open her eyes, seemed ready to fall asleep in his lap. "I'm sorry beloved, I should have thought that through, I was stupid to hold faith that that... woman would change in time."

"No, you were not stupid, you just held onto your hope and love and prayed that she'd return it. If it is stupidity I think all of humanity needs it inflicted on them a little more often."

She laughed softly, cracked an eye open, and took in his somber face.
"You need to stop sulking, your face will freeze like that if you keep it in that expression."

"It is cold enough for that." Kratos admited, he tried to smile, but her scowl told him that his attempt failed. "I was thinking about your crystal and ex-sphere beloved. Right now they do nothing for you, they are a danger to your health. I dare not take them off for that would kill you. Yet if I am not mistaken your ex-sphere is active."

"Active, what do you mean?" Both her eyes were open as she regarded him in curiosity.

"An ex-sphere drains the energy out of it's victum, saps the very life out of them while it is dormant. When it becomes active it stops draining the life out of them, and if the person does not have a key crest the person's mana will go out of control. This normally happens when someone tries to remove the stone without a crest, but there are some cases when it happens normally. Regardless of how it happens it can lead to insanity, death, and occasionally a monsterous transformation in the victum. If there is a key crest however the ex-sphere becomes a kind of tool. It can enhance the potential in a person, it taps into the dormant potential in a person and makes it accessable."

"I'm lost..."

"It gives you a bit more strength, agility, or perception. Each ex-sphere is different, but with the proper key crest attached they can be very benifitial."

"But didn't a key crest make you..."

"No, it was the Cruxis Cyrstal that changed me, exposure to very high levels of what we call Angelic mana, and... I do not wish to say any more of it but that there is a long complicated rite that one must go through. I had to ingest a certian toxin, endure a few injections of various substances to counter that toxin, and then be imursed in Angelic mana."

"Sounds painful..."

"It was." Kratos closed his eyes. "It was very painful..." He shivered. "There were of course some variants on my ritual that were not carried out on the others because of the negative effects that plauged me. My appitite for starters, the fact I still bleed when wounded, and several other small things that disgust Yggdrasil. Also I had to take a Aonis transfusion so that I could manipulate the mana around me, and so that my Cruxis Crystal could work to its full compasity. There is more, but you will have to forgive me if I do not go into more detail."

"What are getting at Kratos?"

"I can not removed the ex-sphere on you, nor the crystal, but I could alter the angelic writing on your crests... Or beter yet make you an acessory so that they would benifit you."

"Why do you want to do this?"

Kratos closed his eyes, lowered his head, and remained silent for a long moment.
"I failed you Anna, I was barely able to save you from that woman... and if Noishe had not appeared in Izoold you would have died. If I make you this item it will keep you safe, or rather it will alow you to make yourself safe when I can not."

Anna shook her head, though Kratos could not see it he could feel the wavy locks brush across his chest. She leaned into him, for a long momet enjoyed his warmth and presence.

"You never failed me, I told you I was being stupid... If anyone failed anyone I failed myself. But... as much as I hate to admit it... it is a good idea. For the ex-phere that is. Don't even touch the Cruxis Crystal, it's scary enough when it makes me cold from time to time. No offense, but I don't want to tamper with it and accidently become an angel. I don't want to live forever."

Kratos nodded his head, he understood that wish. She only understood a sliver of his existance, and it terrorfied her so much that she would live a mortal's span and leave him someday. He did not be-
grudge her this, he would have been horrified if she wanted to live forever, and would have stopped her from doing so.

"No offense taken beloved."

"Somehow we have to make you back to what you were, I don't want you to live forever beloved, I don't want to see you keep going and suffering like this."

"First we deal with Yggdrasil, we can focus on me when we are done."

"Alright, well since we can't deal with your little problem I think we should take some time to enjoy it a little..."

"Not with Lloyd in the same room. It is dangerous to expose him to Angelic mana when he is so vernable. He has to develop some resistance to mana before we can expose him to anything besides healing spells."

"Mana resistance?"

"Humans at a young age have no defense against the power of mana, they pick it up as they are exposed to the natural world. A massive amount that is drawn on... in say a spell... can be dangerous."

"That's why you've been..."

"Exactly, when I leave I do draw my wings, just so what happened in Izoold does not repeat itself. But to do so in front of Lloyd till he is say five or six, would probably be dangerous for him. I do not recall the exact age, but then when I was learning about mana I never figured I would be having children."

"You never wanted a family, did you?"
"No, the right woman had yet to come into my life and inform me what I was supposed to be doing. As I recal that same woman also hit me upside the head with a frying pan to keep me from hurting her."

"Really, why do I suddenly recall how much fun that was?" She laughed. "The way you were layed out on the floor I figred you would have forgotten that one."

"I remember everything my love."

"Really?" She arched an eyebrow. "Then what's special about today?"

"Well, it's supposed to be a full moon tonight, in Izoold there is a neap tide in effect, Forcystus is to return to Iselia Ranch this eve, and ahh..." Kratos' face turned red. "Happy Birthday Anna?"

"You just remembered, and I had to remind you too?" She mock punched him. "Men are so worthless sometimes!"

Noishe cracked an eye open, and his tail wagged.

"Did you remember Noshy?"

The other eye opened, then it closed in a wink.

"He got me something I might add." Anna smiled. "Not that I really wanted a blue rock, but at least he remembered and fetched it for me this morning."

Noishe winced as if in pain, the movement made Lloyd wake up. He yawned, and rolled over and burried the Protozoan in a hug. Lloyd always hugged the first thing he saw in the morning, which had lead to some rather interesting situations, and lead to several trees being showered with affection. Kratos coughed, tried to think of something to say, or fetch. Fast.

"And of course you forgot... like last year, and the year before that..."

"I did not forget.. umm I have to add something to it and then it will be done..."

"Mm Hmm... I believe you. Well go run outside in the snow and find something then. Maybe you can find me another rock." Anna's lips twitched. "This will be entertaining to see what you do bring back."

"I.. do not need to find anything..."

"Alright then, what do you have for me?"

"Err..."

"Stop digging yourself in deeper Mr. Aurion, just admit that you don't have anything."
"I need to go fetch something outside... I just remembered we are running low on fire wood..."

"You used that excuse last year, remember Mr. I-don't-forget-anything? Well at least don't forget to take the axe out with you this year."

Kratos snatched the axe and went for the cave's exit.

"I wager he comes back with a rock of some type, Noshy."

Noshy barked, and nodded his head.

"Dear if you can't find anything we can do what we did last year, you could cook all the meals for a week."

Kratos all but fled.

Xxxx xxx xxx

"Every single bloody year!" The axe bit deep into the tree, tearing a sizable hunk out of the sappling. "How does she always remember and I forget?" The sappling winced under his next blow, he could have cut it in half with a pass of his sword, but was using the dull axe so he could have something to vent his frusteration on. "I will never understand women!" The sappling had enough, and decided to fall over on the seraphim, or rather it tried. Kratos was agile enough to avoid the small treeling. "The year I actually remember will be the year when the world ends."

He pulled out the rock he had picked up from the nearby river, and considered it. It would match Noishe's rock, it was a deep blue, and was conveinently layed out on a tree stump for him. Noishe had thought of his owner that morning when he had ran out to get his present. Anna wouldn't be mad with him, he knew her well enough to say that safely. She was just disapointed with him. And she had right enough to be. After all he was an adult, he should remember these things without prompting.

"A rock and a week of cooking... What a wonderful husband you are Kratos Aurion, thinking of your wife all the time..." The tree was suffering under Kratos' frusterated axe swings. It was fast becoming logs that they could use to start and maintain thier fire. "Damn it! I have to think of something." He looked at the sappling, the pieces of fire wood weren't giving him any ideas. He sighed, then pulled out the rope that he carried on him and began to bind the wood together, for a moment he paused, checked the bindings, then lifted it up. The stump of the sappling, he considered it for a second, the trees heart was a rich tan with faint whirls of red, so strange a color... It couldn't be natural could it? He let the packet of wood drop, then picked up the axe, it would be a bit late, but he could make Anna something decent with that wood. He wasn't very skilled at wood work, but he wasn't so bad as to totally bloch something that would be simple. Kratos smiled, Anna loved surprises anyways. A late day of birth present, or rather a spontanious gift, would please her. He considered the stump then swung the axe, and for once in a long time, miscalculated his strength. The wood split into three large pieces under his swing, and for a moment he cursed at himself... then he stopped cursing as another idea came to him. Gathering the strange wood, Kratos slid it into his packs. He then picked up the fire wood and the axe. It was time to go back to Anna and get scolded for his rock, then start on dinner.

For the first time in a long time, Kratos whistled a tune that was centuries old, a bit of a smile finding his face.

Xxx xxx xxx xxx

"Hmm you've been secrative lately." Anna commented, they had begun traveling to Hima, having decided to for go a return trip to PalmaCosta. The snows had died down a little, and it was thier first day traveling in a long time. Lloyd was so happy just to be on the road again, he was running ahead of his parents whooping and chasing snowflakes. He was good about his wanderings though, always staying in sight of his parents, so niether Anna or Kratos had decided to rein him in.

"Have I been?" Kratos tried to assume an innocent expresion, Anna laughed.

"Yes you have, and I want to know what's going on."

"That would ruin my secret though." Kratos grinned. Then seeing Lloyd chasing after an animal dashed ahead to save him. Anna only shook her head and sighed with relief. Lloyd, it seemed, had been chasing after a skunk. That could have turned out to be a very nasty surprise and experince.

"Alright Mr. Aurion, you can have your secret for now." She called out to her husband as he scooped up thier son. "But I think Lloyd has a surprise for you too." Kratos turned to her baffled, and at that moment Lloyd dropped his handful of snow on his Daddy's head. Lloyd giggled, Anna laughed, and Noishe pranced around them all barking his strange bark-laugh. Kratos sighed, freed one hand up to wipe away the snow from his hair. His expresion was just a bit pained. Anna laughed all the harder.

Xxx xxx xxx xxx

Kratos considered the rings that lay in his hand. The two rings from that strange, alien, wood. He had polished them, oiled them, treated them, and had cast a spell over them so that they would endure both time and ellement. He had been very carefull about that spell, had woven the mana very far away from Lloyd. It had taken some time to think of an excuse to leave them for a while, and it had taken his consious some time to get over the fact that he had left his family for a handful of hours. Looking at the two rings Kratos considered the effort and slight subterfuge to be fully paid off. The wood, under the various treatments had turned a beautiful gold lined with whorls of rich red-brown, on both rings were marked with various runes in the angelic language. While part of him knew that putting anything on the ring would be damning to him if Yggdrasil came across it he could not help himself. Anyways the runes were not on the outer band, not in plain sight, but were engraved on the inside of the ring, the part of the band that would touch the wearers skin. On top of the rings, which were purely ornamental, Kratos had finished a bracelet for Anna, something that would tap and stabelize the mana from her ex-sphere.

It had taken him a month, a long month of effort, but they were done.

"Kratos, what are you doing standing there in the shadows like that?"
"Nothing!" He kept his tone innocent, and Anna snorted.

She had been doing that a great deal lately.

"I just finished a little something and was gloating over it before I gave it to you... that is all."

Anna's brown eyes seemed to melt as she looked at the rings. She smiled, hugged him, and actually cried a little. He smiled, kissed her, and she rather firmly kissed him back. She then snatched up her ring, admired it, and then ordered him to sit. He did so, a little baffled, he obayed. To his shock Anna curled up in his lap, she all but purred as she weedled the details out of him on what how he had made the rings, and what the writing on the inside ment. Lloyd giggled, and sat on Noishe as his parents cuddled with each other. Noishe whined, looked a little offended to be used as a couch, but then made no more protest. The protozoan's tail wagged slowly as he watched Anna and Kratos hold each other, as he saw them both wearing thier rings. He too seemed happy with the arangement.