Healing the Wounded Heart

I didn't know I'd be updating so soon . . . but whatever! Not much to say except:

Disclaimer: I don't own Tales of Symphonia, got that?

Raine stood on the bridge by Kratos, frozen with surprise. She had never expected to see him in a place such as Altamira, the "gaudy" resort, as Sheena described it. But then again, she had never expected to see him again anywhere. Though his intentions were still unknown, it made her feel a little better after thinking about him, to see him for real again.

She cleared her throat softly and stared into the man's emotionless brown eyes. How could he keep so calm and still like that? She was tired of looking upon blank faces. People's expressions told a lot about how they felt, but Kratos almost never expressed any emotion, so it made it even harder to analyze him.

She wondered if he could someday express some sort of optimistic emotion in those eyes of his. She wondered how it would look if he actually smiled for once.

The silver-haired woman spoke softly. "We're just here taking a little rest," she said, careful to use "we" as in Lloyd and the others instead of "I". "But we'll be moving on quickly. There's no time to lose."

Kratos nodded. "I assume the Chosen is well?" he asked. He hoped to sound as if he was planning to take her away to merge with Martel's consciousness, so that Raine would think he was really with Cruxis and not suspect that he was actually helping them. But he knew, however, that the professor was smart and could figure things like that out easily. Except, he was an expert at masking his intentions too, so it seemed like a contest in which would succeed: Raine, in figuring out his intentions, or him, at covering up his purposes.

Raine looked even more confused by his question, but she didn't let him see it through her words. "Yes, Colette is doing fine," she replied suspiciously, raising an eyebrow. "Don't tell me, you're planning to take her away, aren't you?"

Kratos felt that he had half-succeeded. She thought he was going to take her away from Yggdrasill, but she was also getting suspicious of him. He made himself sound as cold as possible.

"That is not for you to know."

The woman looked slightly startled and hurt by the coldness in his voice, but Raine was not one to show her fears easily, besides her obvious fear of water. She tried to be casual and asked a question Kratos knew was going to come up, "Why are you here? I didn't know you liked the ocean."

The seraph crossed his arms. "Heh. I didn't know you did either."

At this comment, Raine felt her face growing warm as blood rushed to her cheeks. Her palms grew sweaty. She hated it when people teased her indirectly. Especially a blunt, cold traitor like Kratos.

"B-be quiet," she muttered under her breath, cursing inside. She looked up at him boldly. "You still haven't answered my question. Why are you here?"

His expression looked as emotionless as the dwarf Altessa's automated doll, Tabatha. "I am merely here to take care of some unfinished business," he answered, his brown eyes narrowing.

Raine shuddered a little bit. Those eyes were so cold it almost made her afraid to keep watching him. She almost felt them pierce into her, sneaking up around her, watching her every move.

Despite the pounding of her heart inside her chest, the professor looked at him with a strange look. "Unfinished business? In Altamira?" she murmured, making Kratos look away. "That's odd. Altamira doesn't seem to suit a person like you."

The truth was, the auburn-haired man didn't really know why he was in the Seaside Paradise. It certainly wasn't to enjoy the beach or anything; there was still a world to save, after all. He could've easily gone to Sybak to rest, but he figured that Altamira was closer to the Tower of Salvation . . .

Still, it seemed strange that a serious man like him would be in a place where a person like Zelos would've stayed.

"Do not concern yourself with small details like this," he said calmly with a soft snort. "Focus on what's important." The words almost seemed to come to his mind automatically. He had played his cold act for so many years. He was so used to acting emotionless and saying things that gave nothing away of his intentions.

Raine scoffed at his comment. "Why would you care about what we thought was important?" she said bitterly. "Unless of course, you're helping us. That's been bothering me for a while now. You say you're with Cruxis, yet you still appear to aid us."

"Hmph." He gripped his sword and wondered how he could've been so careless. "You can think about it that way if you want."

There was a slight pause. The silver-haired woman shuffled her feet, her actions depicting impatience and nervousness.

"Alright . . ." she replied uneasily, stiffening. The auburn-haired man always seemed to make her feel funny when she was around him. Maybe it was the way he acted so mysterious all the time? Or maybe it scared her to see how calmly he handled situations? There were so many things about him that her mind couldn't comprehend . . .

Sensing the professor's discomfort, Kratos spoke up. "I will be leaving now," he informed, putting a hand on his hip. "As I said, I have some unfinished business to attend to." He glanced at her before walking away coolly.

After his departure, Raine felt a warm breeze blow across her face, ruffling her hair. She pursed her lips and turned her head to look at the seraphim going off without leaving a trace of what he was up to.

Crossing her arms, her eyebrows furrowed into a glare of frustration.

"For Martel's sake, which side are you on anyway?" she mumbled with irritation in her voice.

The auburn-haired angel stepped silently in front of the ropes which blocked any exit or entrance to Altamira. He grunted softly before letting his shimmering blue and indigo colored wings appear and rose gently into the air. He flew into the starry night, towards the horizon, towards the Tower of Salvation.

He would meet again with Lloyd and the others soon. With Colette's sickness cured, they would soon visit the tower in hopes of fighting Yggdrasill, or in other words, Mithos.

Shortly after, they'd have to fight him to release Origin's seal. Sheena, the summoner, needed a pact with Origin if they wanted to wield the Eternal Sword. And to wield the Eternal Sword, Lloyd would need the Eternal Ring. That's the only reason he was traveling around Tethe'alla, gathering the necessary items to make the Ring of the Pact.

If they released Origin's seal, he would die. He had been living for over 4,000 years, feeling only despair. He wanted to end his life quickly, to get away from all his misery. He wanted to forget all about his past, his grief, his anger . . .

Kratos felt the cool night breeze against his face. He wanted to die. He needed to die. He didn't deserve to live any longer. He had earned the right to die long ago!

If I die, though . . . he thought. What will there be to look forward to? There is no hope in my life. All of the meaning has already been drained . . . I need to die!

You can't die, not just yet. You need to see the worlds become reunited. There are so many things you have not seen yet . . .

Kratos gritted his teeth. Stupid conscience. That was just the thing he needed at the moment, a lecture from a little voice in his head.

But then, maybe it was right. He did want to see the worlds reunited again. He wanted to see peace in the world.

All his life, he had seen nothing but discrimination, misery, violence, war, anything but peace and happiness. People had continuously suffered, and they suffered even more when Mithos created the whole logic of the "Goddess Martel", split the world in two, and made people think that their world was the only world. Many Chosens had suffered with loss of humanity and then had died miserably in attempt to "regenerate the world".

It was all so wrong, so terribly wrong. Mithos had made countless souls suffer with the creation of Exspheres, Cruxis Crystals, and girls and boys who were dubbed "Chosens". He had done it all for the sake of his sister . . .

Losing Martel had been painful, but as his teacher, Kratos had failed to acknowledge him of his mistakes, failed to guide him on the right path . . .

He knew that the world wasn't messed up because of him, but he couldn't help feeling guilt for actually thinking that Mithos' vision of the world was right. In doing so and working with him, he had made the people of both Sylvarant and Tethe'alla suffer.

The thought, and probably the fact, made death seem even more welcoming.

You haven't seen enough, the voice murmured softly.

He flew faster. The Tower of Salvation loomed closer with every flap of his wings. The night sky was fading away as morning approached.

Despite his conscience, which always seemed to be right, he could be sure about one thing.

I plan to die within a short while . . .

Raine made her way back to her room in the Hotel Lezareno in an aggravated mood. She had been trying to figure out Kratos' intentions for so long, she had talked to him alone, and she still couldn't come up with anything that made sense. For one thing, if he was really their enemy, she could've found out what he was planning to do, and for another thing, if he wasn't their enemy, she could tell the others that.

But no, he hadn't left her with even the tiniest trace of information that she could analyze. She hoped she wasn't beginning to go hysterical . . .

Opening the door angrily and slamming it behind her, the professor startled her companions who were inside, previously laughing and chatting together. They all perked up and stared at her until she cast them a glare, then they went back to minding their own business.

Raine plopped herself in the closest sofa and rested her chin on her hands. She had seen so much just a minute ago, yet she still could not figure out anything. This wasn't like her; normally, she could work out anything if she tried hard enough, but it seemed so frustrating that she could not get even the slightest idea of what Kratos was up to . . .

With a sigh, she turned to watch her friends. Lloyd, Colette, and Genis appeared to be playing some board game they had found on one of the shelves. Presea was sitting in a chair behind Genis, watching the game curiously, and it was making her younger brother blush madly. He found it hard to concentrate, and Lloyd and Colette had commented a few times about the redness of his face.

Sheena and Zelos were sitting on the large bed near the corner of the room. The dark-haired summoner had her arms crossed and her head turned away from the Chosen of Tethe'alla. Zelos was trying to bribe her into doing something foolish, but it didn't seem to be working.

"Please, my voluptuous hunny? I know it'll be fun . . ." the red-haired philanderer begged. His voice sounded like something between a plead and a whine.

"No way, you stupid Chosen!" Sheena growled, turning to glare angrily at him. "You really think I'm gonna fall for something like that? And I'm not your hunny!" She turned away from him again.

Zelos sighed and lowered his head. "Man . . ."

Raine rolled her eyes at the red-haired flirt. Whatever he was thinking, she knew he was up to something that would make Sheena angry.

Regal was reading quietly on the couch. From what she could make out, the book was titled, "Healing Arts". He looked very into the book. Raine thought that maybe he wanted to learn to heal without having the amount restored depend on his distance away from the target.

After gazing at her companions, Raine went back to thinking. She let out a short sigh and leaned back in her seat.

Colette seemed to take notice of this. She whispered something to Lloyd and Genis before running up to her.

"Hi, Professor!" she greeted brightly. "Where were you? I was looking all over the hotel for you!" She propped her chin onto her hands and looked at her innocently.

Raine observed the Chosen of Sylvarant's bright, blue eyes. They were so clear and shiny that it made her want to tell her all about her troubles.

But she resisted the temptation. "Oh, I was just out for a little walk," she replied. It was the truth, after all. "I needed a little time alone. I just went out by the beach."

Okay, so maybe only half the truth. She wouldn't tell her about her encounter with Kratos.

Colette nodded. "You seem depressed, Professor," she said worriedly. "Is anything wrong? Please tell us if something's bothering you. We don't want you to suffer all by yourself."

Raine shook her head. Figuring out was Kratos was doing all this time wasn't making her suffer; it was making her hysterical. But if she couldn't figure it out, it was likely that her friends wouldn't be able to either.

"It's nothing, Colette," she assured. "Don't worry about it. I'm fine, really."

The Chosen frowned. "Are you sure?" she asked, still anxious. "It seems like you're frantic about something . . ." She bit her lip.

"No," the silver-haired woman smiled slightly. "I'm okay. I just need to figure something out, that's all."

The blonde cocked her head. "What are you trying to figure out?" she asked curiously. "I've never seen you this anxious. Is it about the origins of a ruin or something?"

Raine decided that it was best to make her think that. "Yes," she said, nodding. "I just need a bit of rest and time, that's all. So don't worry about me."

Colette smiled. "Oh, well, good luck, Professor!" she cheered, giving her a thumbs-up. She held her hands together happily. "I'm going to go play with Lloyd and Genis now. See ya!" She ran over to the boys and their board game and sat down.

A sliver of a smile appeared on the half-elf's face. She continued to watch her companions. They had helped her so much, stuck with her through so many hard times . . . She wished so badly that she could repay them somehow with a bit of information. She needed to figure whose side Kratos was on. It would help them in the sake of their victory . . .

A few hours later, after everyone had said their goodnights, she was left alone in the large room with the large bed all to herself. She was glad to be able to sleep in her own room for once. Genis was sharing a room with Lloyd and Zelos, and she hoped that Zelos wouldn't cause too much trouble for her younger brother. Colette, Sheena, and Presea were also sharing a room together. Raine prayed that they wouldn't spend all night chatting. Regal, like her, had a room all to himself.

She was in her night clothes which consisted of a sky blue long sleeved shirt and pants made of silk. The large windows behind her bed had their curtains drawn except for one, which had its window open. A cool night breeze was blowing in.

Her silver hair swayed slightly and she tucked herself snugly under the covers. Now, with no one to disturb her, was the perfect time to think.

Before she began to organize her thoughts, she remembered what Genis and Zelos had said in unison at the Storyteller's house in Latheon Gorge.

"It's a waste of time to think when you have no ideas."

Was that why she couldn't get anything? Did she not have any ideas? Was what she was doing a waste of time? It was hard to believe that Zelos and Genis had been thinking the same thing at the same time.

But she didn't believe that she didn't have any ideas. Of course she had suspicions! It was just a little hard to organize them with someone as mysterious as Kratos. She needed to think.

Raine blinked a few times to stop her eyes from closing. She couldn't fall asleep yet. It was just about her only chance alone and she was going to make some use of it. What was Kratos up to . . .?

At the thought, her eyelids shut tight and her breathing became deep. Figuring this kind of thing out was tiring.

Before she could stop herself, she fell into a deep sleep.

Dream

The brown-haired swordsman named Lloyd Irving was standing with his feet planted firmly on the ground, his swords drawn out. He was panting, his clothes had bloodstains all over them and his swords were also covered with blood. His brown eyes were filled with determination, but anyone could tell that he was exhausted.

Across from him was the purple-suited mercenary named Kratos Aurion, kneeling on the ground, panting. He was leaning on his sword for support and red blood stained his clothes too. His eyes were sad and he looked away from Lloyd.

Raine's palms grew sweaty at the sight of her companion and the half-dead angel in the midst of a battle. With her rod in her hand, she wanted so badly to heal both of them, but she couldn't. This was a father and son battle, and she couldn't interfere. Sheena, Colette, Zelos, Presea, and Regal were also standing close to her, their eyes wide with horror. Colette looked like she was about to cry.

Lloyd hesitated to finish the seraph off. But he knew that he had to release Origin's seal to save the two worlds. When the decision came down between killing his father and saving the world, anyone would've thought it was a tough choice. But now, with all the people suffering, it didn't seem that he had much of a choice.

He gritted his teeth, gripped his swords firmly, and charged at the angel.

Defenseless and too weak to continue on, Kratos didn't even try to guard against the attack. He had planned to die anyway. He wouldn't run away from death again.

"Aagh!" Lloyd screamed, delivering one final blow to finish him off.

Raine shut her eyes tightly. She couldn't bear to watch any longer.

Kratos' cry was heard as Lloyd stood still, frozen with horror.

Inside, Raine screamed, "No . . .!"

End Dream

"No!" Raine sat up sharply in bed, her eyes filled with fear. She was sweating heavily all over.

Realizing that it was only a dream, tears flowed down her cheeks uncontrollably, not from sorrow, but rather from relief. She slumped back down under the covers, grabbing a tissue from a night table beside her to wipe her tears. She couldn't bear to see anyone die like that, even if it was Kratos . . .

Now, she was totally confused. Why would she dream of Lloyd fighting Kratos, one-on-one? It was the strangest scenario she had ever imagined. And she remembered the look of despair on Lloyd's face, the urge to heal him and Kratos, the pain she had felt when Lloyd had delivered that final blow.

"It's okay, Raine . . ." she soothed herself, closing her eyes. "Only a dream, only a dream . . ."

Yes, only a dream . . .

So how was it? I think I like the way this story is turning out. The plot is in my head . . . I hope.

Please R&R! Thanks!