Heart of Stone: A Fanfic by Gyppy
Timeline: 10 years after Tales of Symphonia
Summary: Colette is left alone in the tragic world that surrounds her, and she seeks help from all her friends and former companions. However, no one wishes to turn to her... so instead, she relies on the one who protected her ten long years ago.
At the time she was traveling, any relationship with this guardian would've been considered despicable. But now, at the age she's reached, her bond with another angel may just deepen even more...
Pairings: KratosxColette, with references to GenisxPresea, LloydxColette and LloydxSheena, and possible hints at ZelosxSheena.
Author's Note: Now, don't get me wrong, I love Colloyd, Sheelos and Kraine, but this time I'm straying way out of the norm. This fanfic follows the Kratos path of the game, in which Zelos is killed.
There are a few reasons I didn't pick Genis for this fic instead of Kratos: one, he's not my favorite character of that respective gender, two, I don't particularly like it when the girl is older than the guy, and three, I am a strict Gesea shipper. I will not ship any pairings involving Genis or Presea outside Gesea. The only reason I'm shipping Sheeloyd in this fic is because of the Kralette and the fact that Zelos is dead.
Don't ask me why I was inspired to write this fic.
Disclaimer: I do not own Tales of Symphonia or Namco.
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Chapter 2: Once Loved, Now Despised
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Since Kratos knew Colette wouldn't want to be around Lloyd, he decided to take her to a different location. Kratos wanted to speak to Colette... he wanted to draw whatever information he could from her.
They flew to a secluded area near the Iselia Forest, each on their own angelic wings. They were careful to avoid attracting attention, so they did it in the calm of night.
There, they spoke alone. This conversation was to remain between them, never to be heard by the ears of anyone else.
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"Why do you hate Lloyd all of a sudden?" Kratos asked as he sat down by a tree.
"He hurt me," Colette replied simply as she paced back and forth.
"How so?" Kratos asked.
"He... abandoned me," Colette replied. "Back during our journey to save the worlds, he cared about me... he'd do anything for me. He protected me to the very end. But... then he just... abandoned me. Not long after the journey was over, he would even make love to me, he would hold me so gently and kindly... and then he left me. He left me... for that... damned Sheena!"
"Calm down," Kratos said, his voice soft and soothing. "He probably did it because he saw how hurt Sheena was by Zelos' death... he wished to comfort her."
"He said he didn't want me anymore," Colette said, tears welling up in her eyes. "Why would he suddenly leave me for Sheena? He'd loved me all that time..."
"Perhaps you and Lloyd were not meant to be together," Kratos said. "As I always used to say in the old battles... 'blame your fate.'"
"I'm... not so sure I can forgive him," Colette said, after a long pause. "I mean... once, he cared for me so deeply, and now... he doesn't even love me anymore."
"It's alright," Kratos said. "Perhaps it was destiny that tore you apart... perhaps it was destiny that Zelos died, to make room for Lloyd's relationship with Sheena. If you'll remember, Sheena once loved Zelos, and Zelos loved Sheena... but they weren't meant to be together, and that may be why Zelos died."
"Your way of putting things is probably the best," Colette said quietly. "But... what will I do about the heartbreak that comes on by losing a loved one to someone else?"
"I'm your only hope," Kratos said, smiling. "I'll protect you... every step of the way. Just like I did... ten long, hard years ago. But this time... I'll protect you in exchange for your love."
"Ten years ago, I would never have been able to love you," Colette said. "But now..." a smile finally crossed her bleak face. "...I think I may just be able to. Thank you, Kratos."
Colette slowly walked over to Kratos and sat down next to him, leaning against the same tree. Kratos put his arm around Colette's neck, and after a while, Colette returned the gesture; together, they fell asleep under the tree, shaded from the moonlight, and in silence.
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The two angels awoke in silence; even the birds were quieted, as if a storm was coming. Even with their enhanced hearing, Kratos and Colette couldn't hear a sound for miles... even the wind seemed to have quieted.
Kratos slowly stood up, helping Colette up gently. The two began to look around, seeking any sign of a coming storm or other abnormality.
As they stepped out from under the shade of the tree, they could feel that the humidity and temperature had risen. Above them, the sky was clear, but off to the west, they could see the faint outlines of towering cumulus clouds building in the distance.
They knew immediately what was coming: it was a cold front. And judging by the drop in pressure and the temperature, which was unusually high for this time of day, it was a very strong one.
Since there was nowhere else to go, Kratos and Colette decided to return to Lloyd's house. Kratos knew Colette wouldn't like going there, but if there was a strong storm, it would be the only safe place to go.
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Just as Kratos had predicted, the storms approached with an intensity unmatched by usual Iselian summertime storms. Usually, the place was meteorologically sound, but for some peculiar reason, the storm system that was approaching was unusually powerful.
During what had to be the third storm of that day, Kratos noticed an unusually ominous color about the sky. Usually, the sky in Iselian storms was a dark gray, but this time it was almost black, with a hint of a color that could only be called green. The clouds also seemed to swirl, and large hail was falling.
Kratos knew what this meant. In his four thousand years of life, he had come to be a very good forecaster, and was able to predict almost any weather condition by the temperature, humidity and appearance. He knew that green-tinted, rotating clouds and large hail were signs of a very bad thing... something that should never be taken for granted.
A tornado was coming.
Kratos knew then why the air had been so warm that morning. This front was far more powerful than most Iselian storm systems, and it was one that could produce tornadic storms. Tornadoes were rare in mountainous regions, but they did happen, and so the seraph's natural reaction was to tell everyone to take cover.
Sure enough, not long after the group took shelter, the loud, ominous roar of wind overtook the place, and the snapping of trees being destroyed could be heard.
The house managed to avoid a direct hit; however, the tornado had torn a massive swath through the forest, and had practically destroyed Iselia. The only structure that remained standing in Iselia was Colette's old house; everything else had been completely destroyed, ripped asunder by the powerful twister.
Once the front had passed, the temperature dropped noticeably. After the skies had cleared, everyone headed out to assess the damage caused by the tornado.
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Author's Note: I must admit, I have a love for weather. Iselia seems like a region that would be relatively immune to most tornadoes, but heck, anything can happen.
And here's a bit of an explanation for the grudge Colette holds against Lloyd.