Forbidden

Amazon Bunny: Yo! What's up, everyone? You've reached Chapter 4! There is a warning: this chapter will be severely OOC (for Kratos). Click the "back button" to chapter 3 and read the preview...You'll see why! Anyhoo, all Kraine fans (you all should be...I think, or why else read this story?) click on my user profile to get the link to the ultimate Kraine website. Bug that clumps words together still on the computer; bear with me! Updates for "Forbidden", "Broken Valentine", and "What is this Thing Called Love" will be set on hiatus for a while, as in I'm going to be out of town and because of school. I promise I haven't abandoned "What is this Thing Called Love", I'm just on a major writers block, and I have no idea how to continue. If anyone has ideas, I'm open to all of it. Well, enough babbling! I'm sure you're all bored to death and want to get on with the story...
TALES OF SYMPHONIA DOES NOT BELONG TO ME IN ANY WAY. IF IT DID, KRAINE WOULD HAVE BEEN AN OFFICIAL PAIRING.
-There has always been a tale about the famed Aurion estate. How the current master's late wife still walks amongst the living. Hauntingly beautiful, with brawn and brain to boot, everyone says "no one can replace her". As soon as the second Mrs. Aurion steps into the house, she feels a presence that was lost, but not forgotten, a phantom preserved as perfectly as if she were alive; as she treads in the shadows of her predecessor, she is determined to uncover the lost, chilling tale of Anna Aurion.
They?

Who exactly was they? I thought. I decided to ask.
"Kratos...Who is 'they'?"
"The servants," he said coolly. "I daresay you'll feel right at home with them."
"Servants?" Dear Martel, I hadn't even considered servants.
"Yeah," he said. "There's a few. Three half-elves and an elf. They're all pretty friendly, except for-"
"The elf," I finished. Wasn't it obvious? While some had excepted half-elves, the majority of the elves hadn't. He nodded in agreement.
"Her name is Divine, but you'll have to call her 'Mrs. Casper'. Don't ask about her husband- she hates it." He swung down from the dragon with ease.
Mrs. Divine Casper, eh? Sounds like things were beginning to get interesting.
Kratos extended his hand to help me down from the dragon. I willingly let him; the moment I felt my feet land on solid ground, my knees gave way- they had been asleep- and I fell into his chest.
"Whoa...Sorry, Kratos," I blushed harder than ever. He smelled so good...
"Heh, it's fine. Are you okay?" He blushed a little, too.
"Yeah..."

The great doors creaked open, and two girls poked their heads out.
"Master Aurion! You're back!" The doors swung open, and the two girls skipped out. They stopped and bowed to us. "Welcome back, sir. And she is?" They said in unison. They had little maid dresses, much like the one Colette had, except they were black. They looked like sisters; one with light crimson hair and spicy green eyes, and the other with pale purple hair and the same green eyes. Both seemed in their late teens.
"Your mistress," Kratos said, smiling slightly. "Her name is Raine. Say hello."
"Hi!" They both greeted enthusiastically.
"This one is Mona," he said, pointing the the girl with crimson hair. "And this one is Frieda." The purple haired girl waved cheerily. "Mona, Frieda," he said commandingly, "You'll be looking after Raine."
What was I, a child?
"We're cousins," Frieda bubbled. "It'll be fun to have another one of usin the house!"
I smiled sheepishly and shook their hands.The two girls bounded up the stairs and yelled, "Ms. Casper! Jack! Guess who's back? It's Master Aurion!"
A tall, burly looking guy hurried out of the mansion. "Good evening, sir and miss," he said in a deep voice. "This dragon will be tended to?"
"Returned," Kratos corrected. "To Dragon Tours. You can take it to Hima; it's closer."
Jack nodded and scrurried past us.
Kratos motioned for me to follow him, and we climbed the stairs to the giant house. "It's been a while since I've seen this place," he commented nonchalantly.
I nodded, looking around at the place. It was huge, with a massive chandelier and arched stained-glass windows. The ceiling was dome-like, painted gold, and royal-looking. "I take it you are of noble descent?"
"Yes," he answered, striding up another staircase. "Let me show you around- Ah, Ms. Casper."
A thin, old woman stood at the top of the staircase. Her mouth gave an involuntary twitch, as though we were disgusting little cockroaches that needed to be squished. "Welcome back, sir," she said.
I had thought Ms. Casper would be a nice old lady, a grandmotherly type of person, but she was exactly the opposite. She had large hazel eyes too big for her face, a slightly hooked nose, and a mouth that always was turned downward. Her face was gaunt and sunken, like a skull. "A visitor?" she said coldly, staring at me with those huge eyes. "Let me show you to the parlor."
"Actually, Raine here is your new mistress," Kratos said calmly. "You may show her around, if you please. I will be in the den," he said to me, kissing my hand goodbye. "Ask the girls if you can't find your way around."
And with that, my husband-to-be disappeared amongst the many doors.
I stared up at Mrs. Casper. She stared back at me, those eyes of hers narrowed and loathing. "Mistress, huh..." I heard her say. "Well, Mistress," she pronounced my title heavily, as if it disgusted her. "Let me show you around the house."

After many rooms (all fantastically furnished and lavishly decorated), we came upon my bedroom. "Thiswill be your room," she said stiffly. "I hope it is to your liking."
Of course it was to my liking. With that beautiful decor, how could it not? A large,sky-bluebed sat in front of the large window, plump pillows sitting comfortably against the light-brown headboard. On either side of the bed was a nightstand, one with a small lamp upon it, and the other, a record-player of sorts. The record-player was a rare find; thought to have disappeared when the Giant Kharlan Tree had whithered away. It was a great product of magitechnology. That was good; I had grown fond of singing to myself when Genis passed on. A cute vanity perched in the corner, a silver loveseat opposite it, and a room that I assumed lead to the bathroom.
"It's very pretty," I said slowly. "Very bright."
Of course, if it was me, I would have added a bookshelf filled with books, just in case.

She led me to Kratos' room. His was very much like mine, although the vanity was replaced by a desk, and the loveseat became a cream-colored, leather couch lined with black fur. The bedcovers were dark red, and the bedframewas a rich mahagony.
"Like it?" Mrs. Casper saidcoldly. "Mrs. Aurion designed it herself."
I was just bursting to ask questions about the former Mrs. Aurion. "Did Anna used to sleep here, too?"
Mrs. Casper froze. I could tell the question caught her off guard.
"I'm sorry, forget I said anything," I said hastily.
"Mrs. Aurion did not sleep in the same room with Mr. Aurion," Mrs. Casper said acidly. "She preferred to sleep alone, as far as I know."
"And why is the house still occupied when Kratos has been away for years?"
"It was Mrs. Aurion's wish. She thought it would be better for those half-elves to live in here than out in the open to discrimination."
"Mrs. Aurion seems like a kind character," I said, feeling a bit sad.
"She is," the housekeeper said, her nostrils flaring impatiently. "See that vanity?" She changed the subject. "The Master used to brush her hair there. She had such lovely hair," she said, turning to me. "Lovely brown hair. They were such an item, such a happy couple. Until her death, at least. And then..." She broke off, walked to themirror and held up a brush. "This used to be hers. You can see that her hair is still here. I can just picture it again. She would come here every morning, laughing, and saying 'Kratos, dear, would you brush my hair again?' and he would laugh along with her, and brush it for her. They were inseperable."
If she was trying to make me feel bad, she definently was."I see," I said softly.
"And," she continued, probably thrilled by the aspect,"Everyone thought they were such the perfect couple. Brawn, brains, and beauty, she had."
"I've heard," I said stiffly, liking Mrs. Casper less and less. And I didn't like her in the beginning to start with. "Please, can you take me to another room?"
"Very well," she paused, as though she wanted to keep talking about Anna. "Another room."

The room she chose was the room across the hall. Anna's, from the way she described it.
Her room was even more fantastic than the others. Large, with aplushblack carpet, blood-red bedframe, and white bedding, it reminded me of the grand Meltokio castle.A bookcase stood by thelace-curtained windows, and a wine-coloredchair beside it.
"She was a beauty, that girl," Mrs. Casper said, and for the first time, her voice revealed a gentleness within. "Big blue eyes, brown hair, anda laughing face. Everyone loved her. She knew just what to say, just what to do. If you were interested in art, she would walk with you through the gardens, chatting about the greatest artists the world has seen. If you were interested in animals she would talk animatedly with you about animals in the sitting room, the family cat at her heels. Of course, the cat died years ago," she said, seeing my face, a wry smile on her thin lips. "And if you were interested in dancing-"
I drifted off into my own world; I didn't want to hear about Anna anymore; just the thought of her made my stomach churn uncomfortably in my stomach.
"I'm sure you've heard about Lloyd?" I was abruptly brought back to earth. "The Master's son?"
"Yes, I have," I said. "I knew him very well."
"I see," the housekeeper looked disappointed. Apparently, she was trying to catch me off-guard. It seemed she did not like me at all... "Well, his room is next door."

Lloyd's room was what every child could only dream about. A wallpaper of bunny rabbits, little bears, and other cute furry animals plastered the walls, a lush green carpet to give the illusion of grass. His bed was miniature, with little sides to keep him from falling out, a big box of toys at the foot.
"Lloyd was a brilliant child," she said. "Very clever."
Apparently, Lloyd may have been a genius at one point, but when he fell down the cliff after his mother's death, he must have hit his head one too many times. He definitely was no genius when I met him. After all,I had to write his name on his hand the first day of school to keep him from forgetting it, and had to send two Iselians to accompany him back to Dirk's, because he got lost in the school. If he could get lost in the school, I had thought, he would have without a doubt gotten lost in the woods.
Mini-dragon models perched on the fluffy, edge-less, neon-pink table. Whoever had bought that had to notice that it clashed horribly with the rest of the furnishings.
"It's...er...cute," I struggled to find words that fit the table.
"You think so?" The old woman's eyebrows raised into the tufty gray mass that was her hair. "My my, what strange tastes you have." A malicious smile tugged at her lips, her eyes widening ever so slightly.

It was a nightmare, really, to be led around the house by Mrs. Casper. Finally, when the tour of the house had finished, I made my way to theden to see what Kratos was up to.The door had been left ajar. I peered in, and saw Kratos him standing by the window. He turned around, and a smile flickered on his face.
"Raine," he greeted me. "Finished with that tour, I presume?"
"Yes," I said, trying not to think about Mrs. Casper's malicious face. "Very nice. Very pretty home."
"I'm glad you feel that way," he continued quietly. "How does a honeymoon to the Hot Springs or Altamira sound?"
"That sounds lovely," I said softly, joining him beside the window. It overlooked the woods. "I think I like the Hot Springs better than Altamira." The thought of a gaudy resort and a casino did not thrill me. "More privacy."
"I thought you'd say so," Kratos ruffled my hair. It was rather...uncharacteristic...of him, I should say. Treating me like a child when I was a hundred and twenty two. It made little sense; perhaps he was hiding something? "It'll be tomorrow, so be sure to get a good night's sleep."
Seeing the anxious look upon my face, he leaned down to kiss the top of my head. "I get it, this isn't your idea of the perfect wedding. You wanted a great, lavish wedding, completed with me making love to you.That's what you wanted, is it not? Don't worry, Raine. I'll make it up to you."
That wasn't exactly the answer I wanted.

I didn't go to bed until past midnight. I know, I should have taken Kratos' advice or else I'd have bloodshot eyes the next day, but I was feeling disappointed. This wasn't at all what I expected. Not at all. Knowing Kratos, I had thought it would be a pretty detailed marriage, nothing too romantic (he wasn't the romantic sort, I thought) but at least something I could actually remember other than "Will you marry me?" and "yes". It was abrupt, plain and simple. I looked to the record-player. A book was laid beside it. Funny I had missed it earlier (my eyes were rather keen to spotting books back then). I opened it curiously, and read the inside flap.
To my dear Kratos...from Anna.
Feeling sick, I shut the book and set it back. This must have been misplaced, I thought. It had to, it had to...
Tears came to my eyes, but I blinked them back. Anna's handwriting was oddly familiar, oddly eerie.
Her handwriting was slanted, elegant, and refined. The handwriting of someone taught at a first-class school, of someone high-class. Compared to mine, my own writing seemed far outstripped. My own writing, that of a second-rate student.
The 'A', tall and dark, towered over the next letters of her name, as if the writer was impatient and shook her pen so that the ink could flow freely.
I laid down on my bed and tried to sleep. The page burned in my mind, etched there like graffiti on a wall. I sighed, opened the book again, and tore out the page, crumpled it, and threw it into wastepaper basket in the corner. Trying to sleep again, the page still popped frequently into my mind. Slipping out from underneath the covers again, I grabbed a pack of matches in the fireplace. Lighting a match, I tossed it into the paper basket. The flame comforted me, flickering against the darkness of the room. The page shriveled, the large, dark A was the last to go, crumpling rapidly. I doused the flame with a splash of water from the washbasin. With that, I could finally sleep. Tomorrow, certainly, someone who would clean my room tomorrow would find the puddle of ash and water and wonder what it was and where it had come from.

The next morning I awoke to the blinding sunlight streaming through the curtains. I flipped over, groaning, as I struggled to open my eyes. Rubbing them, the fuzzy scene that was my bedroom soon became clear.
"Ugh..."
Oh yeah, today was the "honeymoon". Groaning, I threw off the covers and groped around for my slippers. Sliding my feet into the fluffy slippers, I trodded down the steps into the breakfast room.
Kratos was already there, peeling a tangerine."Good morning," he greeted me, and resumed peeling. He gestured to the plates. "Help yourself."
It was quite bewildering, how much food there was. Seeing how Kratos only had fruit, toast, and some eggs for breakfast back in Luin, I couldn't quite comprehend what this massive amount of food was for. It was enough to fill the apetites of twelve rather large men.
On the dining table was plates of crisp bacon, ham, scrambled eggs, toast, hash browns, and pancakes. A steaming pot of porridge sat on the heater, along with a clutch of boiled eggs. Tea, coffee, orange juice, and milk were on the table opposite the room.
I helped myself to a piece of toast and some tea. "Sorry I'm late," I apologized, and mumbled something about not being about to start the bath properly. He gave me a wry smile.
"Think nothing of it, my dear," he said. It was awfully strange to hear someone like Kratos call me of all people 'my dear'. He wasn't much of a romantic... "We'll leave for the Hot Springs at ten fifteen- I've arranged for rheiard."
"Oh," I said plainly, and sipped my tea. "Well, that's nice. Better than dragons anyway."
"Yeah."
The conversation was going downhill. I tried to pick it back up. "How's the weather outside?" Of course, it was the lamest pick-up line in the history of forever, used a billion gazillion times by the lamest people in the history of forever. I felt like taking a sledgehammer and smashing myself to bits.
Fortunately, Kratos followed it up. "It's nice. Pretty sunny outside."

Kratos was right- it was pretty sunny. Fortunately, when the world became one again, the Hot Springs wasn't too far away from this continent. However, at the speed we were going, the wind whipped my hair all over my face, and my mackintosh streamed behind. It was cold, I'd have to admit; especially when you're just wearing your bathing suit underneath.
"We're here," Kratos announced, and landed the rhieard gracefully outside the monastery. "I've pre-paid; we don't have to go through all that hassle."
"How come this place is empty today?" I exclaimed. "It'susually packed!"
"I've reserved it."
"Oh...," I let my voice trail off.Hejust thought of everything, didn't he?
"Come on, now," he said, taking my hand and leading me around the boards.He shrugged his shoulders loosely, and hung his outfitonthe board. As he did so, I noticed a sour, almost scared-look in his eyes. Ihungmy clothesright next to his.
The steaming water wassoothing; it had a calming effect on me.I sunk in so that the water was just barely above my chin and closed my eyes.I felt an arm around my shoulders.
"This reminds me of a time long ago...,"he whispered in my ear. His voice was strange, distant.I turned to face him. His eyes werelike ice."When she was still alive."
"Kratos...," I whispered back. "Kratos..." I couldn't find the right words.
"I left for Derris Kharlan in hopes I could die there," he muttered. "Because I didn't want to love anymore."
"To live a life without love is worse than a life than death, don't you think?" I asked softly, stroking his auburn head.
"I thought it was all over on Derris Kharlan. I thought I had nothing left for me. Everyone was gone. I was alone. Lloyd's words couldn't register in my mind anymore. I had seen enough, been through enough. I came down to Symphonia to see it one last time. Until I saw you." His voice was low, barely even a whisper. His skin had gone unnaturally pale, his eyes empty and hollow, as if someone had taken a spoon and scooped out all the life."I thought I had seen an angel." His hands trembled as they took mine into his. They were like a glacier, ice cold.
"Darling, I love you. I love you, I love you, I love you!" I wrapped my arms around his shoulders. Where had the other three 'I love you's come from?
"Do you?" His voice was like a little child, lost and afraid. "Do you?"
"Yes," I said sincerely, closing my eyes and resting my head on top of his. "I really do."
We stayed this way for a few minutes, or, at least, it felt like a few minutes. It could have been an hour and I wouldn't have known the difference.
Kratos looked up, like before, like nothing had happened. The strong Kratos I knew was back.
He acted as if nothing had happened. "So, where would you like to go and eat lunch?"
I decided not to push his limits. "Um...anywhere is fine."
"Then we shall go to Asgard. We can shop there, too, if you'd like." I knew shopping was hard for men, especially when it came down to clothes, so I declined the shopping trip.
"No?" A smile tugged at his lips. "But I want to make my dear wife happy..." He kissed my forehead.He cuddled me in a fashion a child would cuddle a teddy bear."Fine, then, we shall go lunch in Asgard and then head to Altamira for a bit of the night life."
I shrugged. Somehow, I had a dreaded feeling, like a rock plummeting through your stomach.

To my reviewers...

Fenrir Hellfyre- I'm glad I could make it interesting. I tried to make this story suspenseful. Well, I'm off to read your story!

Luray123- Thanks! Well, this chapter is up; I'm sorry it took so long to make!

ShimaGenki- lol! well, thanks for the review! Coconuts? Well, that IS interesting! I hope you enjoyed this chapter! It was really hard to make it, I kept contradicting all the previous stuff XD

Yukashi Tenshi- Sweet name! Well I updated! I promise I'll get the next chapter up ASAP!

Zelos the Swordsman- ACK! I'm sorry I didn't update sooner! Hope you had a parachute! lol Gooooooooooo Kraine!

Scarlet Kratos- Okay, I updated "Forbidden" instead of "Broken Valentine"! So please please please update "Roadtrip Rampage"! It's hilarious! Oh, and those who like to read my "To My Reviewers" and don't know what "Roadtrip Rampage" is, I highly reccomend it! It's funny and has Kraine in it! WHOO KRAINE!

IBnBandgrl- The white roses will come into the story later. I can't reveal it now(okay, I haven't thought out the meaning of white yet, but I promise White Roses will be a part of the story later). Heheheheh, you'd better post all of your stories from the Kraine Site to this site...You'd get loads of reviews! They're THAT good!

RWT- I'm sorry...lol My sister was born in the "dumb month" too, then, lol I hope you liked this chapter!

Miss Raine Sage- Yep...Really perdyful house, that it is...Enjoy the chapter, lol

Hamano Ayumi- SQEEEEE! YOU UPDATED "GUARDIAN"! IT'S A MIRACLE! YESH! heheheh, I love fluffy fluff scenes...

Kwahaii- Sorry... I couldn't fit the others into the story plot, and I couldn't just leave them out, so I killed them, lol XD They will be mentioned more in the story later!

Guinea Pig Lover- Thankies! Scarlet Kratos is a good writer too! (read my thanks to Scarlet Kratos for details)! I'm sure you'd be a good writer too! Or wait...did you make a story here on If you did, leave me the title and what it's about (aka. Tales of Symphonia, Soul Calibur, etc etc etc)! Oh, and the Catagory (Game, Anime, Movie...)

HealingWind- Wow! You reviewed to all my stories! lol I thought the same thing too, when everyone "died". I was like "NO!" but it's all good now, lol

Amazon Bunny: So...WHAT'D YA THINK! (too high on pepsi, as you can all tell) It's a bit longer than most of my chappies!
Okay, just straight off the bat, I'd like to say that I PROMISE that I will update "Broken Valentine" and "What is this Thing Called Love?" before I make another chapter for this story. I knowthat some of you are coated with six inches of dust and gathered cobwebs and stuff (or probably not, lol but just for emphasis...), but wait no more! Okay, might have to wait a little longer for What is this Thing Called Love, because I'll probably update Broken Valentine first.
However, bad news. I won't be able to update regularly and very often, because I'll be finishing up mountains of homework and be at school and doing stuff.
Bad news 2-(PAY ATTENTON KRAINE FORUMS PEEPS) I will not be able to get on the Kraine forums for a while- it takes a long time to check all the stuff, and I don't have that time right now. I promise I'll try to get on soon. So if anyone wonders why I'm gone for like...2 months, now, it's because of the time issue. I haven't quit or anything, no worries.

PREVIEW:
"What did you do with the pieces?" Kratos asked, his voice half amused, half anxious.
"I put them in the box...In the library," I said quietly. I felt like a criminal being interrogated by the police. "They're all in the envelope."
Mrs. Casper looked amused. "Is that so? It sounds like something a-"
"Are you honestly going to finish that sentence?" Kratos said swiftly, cutting her off.
Her gaunt face looked shocked. "Of course not," she said darkly. "I was just ranting. Forgive me, sir." She bowed and retreated to get the pieces of the vase.
"Much better," he said, once she had gone. "But really, Raine, it does sound like something a part-timeservant would do here."
I nodded, ashamed at my behavior. Years of being alone in the world really took a toll- not only was I shy, but I was timid and afraid of the smallest things- like my own shadow."I'm sorry."
I wished I could be in my former skin- the bold, tough Raine. That's what I wanted to be again.

So...like the preview? Stay tuned!