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.
Slight warning: I think I'll go ahead and tack this on. The rating's gonna be bumped up a bit for sexual references (between Kratos and Colette). I know it's a bit early to be doing this, but... what the heck. It's my fic, I can do what I want. Right?
Disclaimer: I do not own Tales of Symphonia or Namco.
abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz
Chapter 4: Running
abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz
"So Kratos never returned," Genis said, sitting at the table. "Wonder where he went off to now."
"Who knows," Lloyd said. "All we know is that we can't contact him now."
"He took Colette with him," Raine commented. "That has to mean something. Obviously they have some form of relationship, seeing as... well... remember what happened yesterday? I don't think that was mere coincidence."
"We should look for them," Regal suggested from his place in the corner. "It's just a suggestion, but maybe we should go to Palmacosta."
"Why Palmacosta?" Raine asked, turning to face the ex-convict.
"It seems a likely place for them to go," Regal replied. "It's far away from here, and it doesn't take too long to get there. It's probably the perfect hiding place for fleeing companions... well, at least when you consider what else they've been through."
"Then it's Palmacosta," Lloyd said. "But where will we go if they aren't there?"
"You can get pretty much anywhere from Palmacosta," Genis said. "I think it'd be fairly easy to continue to track them down, even considering the fact that we're going there anyway."
abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz
The sun had already started to fall below the horizon by the time the boat arrived in Palmacosta. The bustling city was back to its former glory, even after having been destroyed so many years ago when the Giant Tree went out of control. Colette was amazed at the city's beauty; it had been a while since she'd been there, and she loved practically every aspect of it now.
In the evening light, the city of Palmacosta was even more beautiful. The sun cast a golden-orange glow upon the winding streets of the city, reflecting off the stone and shining brilliantly. The structures within the city were tall and splendid, their shadows being cast upon the streets by the setting sun. The lighthouse had been reconstructed, and this new one no longer bore the curse of the old one, much to the relief of the residents of the city.
Kratos decided to take Colette to the inn, where they were to spend the night. The peaceful little structure was the perfect stopping place for the two travelers; it was small, convenient, and not at all unpleasant despite its size. Colette, of course, enjoyed the interior of the structure, wandering about and enjoying the various decorations.
Much to the dismay of Kratos, however, he discovered that there was only one room available, and it had only one bed. They would be forced to spend the night together, in the same bed.
Colette, however, rather liked the idea.
They waited out the remainder of the day in the inn, watching what was left of the sunset over the ocean. The lights in the city eventually flickered out, indicating it was time to go to bed.
At first, Kratos tried to stay as far away from Colette as possible; then, realizing it was impossible to stay far from her, he decided to move closer. The two huddled together, no longer having to worry about the chill of the night, as their body heat took care of that.
Somehow, by some miracle of thought, or perhaps by Kratos' choice of drink earlier that day, the two continued to move closer. Colette nearly forgot about what it was like to be this close to a person; she was careful not to disturb Kratos, but the seraph instead disturbed her, kissing her fully and passionately. She allowed the thoughts of running to drift off into nothingness as she continued to enjoy the intensity of the seraph before her, the one who had betrayed her and now seemed so close to her.
Colette herself was starting to give in to the effects of intoxication. She knew she loved Kratos, but loving him, to her, was a crime, a sin that could never be forgiven. However, she continued to love him just the same, feeling that he was her last hope in life.
And as that most intense moment was shared during the night in that Palmacosta inn, Colette realized just how close she was to Kratos. As he made love to her, she began to realize just how intimate their relationship truly was... or perhaps it was the alcohol, but she doubted that despite herself.
Their less-than-quiet night of passion was more than enough to bring them together, despite their obvious lack of clearheadedness.
And she thought, despite the fact that she was already an angel, this was the closest to heaven she would ever get.
abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz
The group was heading to Izoold; they had just started their journey south from Iselia, and their next stop would hopefully be Triet. Lloyd was wondering exactly what had gone on between his father and Colette; something seemed off about their relationship, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it.
He was interrupted from his thoughts by Sheena placing a hand on his shoulder and walking up beside him; allowing the thoughts of the two to drift away, he closed his eyes and savored the bliss that he now felt in life.
To him, life was good. He had a daughter, Kaori, who stuck by him every step of the way. He had the one he thought was truly closest to him, Sheena, always by his side. And last but not least, he had friends, not just in the village but from all over the world. He was practically a celebrity.
But as he allowed his mind to drift further into his subconscious, he realized just how screwed up his life was. His former lover had ended up with his father, who was now fleeing from him in an attempt to avoid his anger. He had ended up marrying the Chief of Mizuho, who was grieving over the loss of someone very close to her. And his best childhood friend, a half-elf, had fallen for a human female who had been living sixteen years longer than he had.
Although, the more he thought about it, the more interesting and exciting it seemed. Ten years after their journey, he was finding new adventure, a new realm to explore. And he always remembered his father's wisest words.
"Blame your fate."
abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz
Author's Note: I know I probably totally screwed myself over by making this chapter M-rated, but what the hell, I just had to get that out of my system. At least it wasn't as detailed as that other Kralette fic I read a while ago. If you've read any of my fanfiction in the past, you should know that I tend to be relatively mild with limes and such, so don't worry too much.
Sorry about the short chapter. I'm sorta blocked on this fic, but I had to get this out of my system.
I must admit, the name 'Kaori' spouted from a lack of creativity. XD