A/N: Okay, as I said before, these next 3 chapters will be short, but they are meant to be. Each one will highlight exactly what happened to everyone once they went through the Eternal Door. First up: Kratos.
As always, thanks for all of the overly-kind reviews. On with the show!
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Chapter 15: Starry Heavens: Kratos
"Lloyd!" yelled Kratos as he walked about in total darkness. "Sheena! Where are you?"
All of this began to worry Kratos. They had come to Welgaia to forge the Angel Arms, but, instead, they were all separated somehow and plunged into darkness. How was one supposed to forge legendary weapons with conditions like these?
Kratos stopped and brought out his wings, hoping to light up the area in doing so, but had no such luck. "Damnit. What the hell am I supposed to do now?"
"Rest easy, hero," said an echoing voice from seemingly nowhere.
Kratos looked all around him. "Who's there? Show yourself!"
"Worry not, for I am not your enemy," said the voice. "I am one who is bound to the creation process of the Angel Arms."
Kratos eased up a bit. "Alright then, what has happened to my son and the Grand Summoner?"
"You need not worry about them, for they too are also creating their own Angel Arms," said the voice. "I assure you that they are perfectly safe."
Kratos folded his arms, still unsure of what to make of the situation at hand. "I see… so you're here to help me forge my own Angel Arm?"
"Ah…" started the voice. "Your legends may be slightly misleading."
"Misleading?" asked Kratos.
The room began to softly illuminate as the entire space around him was filled with a beautiful scene of space, complete with stars and distant galaxies. The voice continued. "Slightly, yes. Although the weapons are created, they aren't made in the same way as the people of Symphonia are used to. You see, the Angel arms aren't so much a weapon as they are… well… a new you."
Even Kratos was confused by this. "A new me? What do you mean?"
A small ball of light emerged seemingly from the backdrop of stars and began to circle around Kratos' head. Its "body" pulsated as it spoke again. "I mean exactly that: a new you. No mere weapon will be enough to defeat a being as powerful as Nebilim. More than anything, a strong body, a stronger mind, and an even stronger spirit will be required. The Angel Arms are created to help bolster these three parameters that make up a living being, thus creating a new you."
Kratos closed his eyes and brought his hand to his chin. "So it's something like a transformation?"
The ball of light hovered up and down, as if it was trying to nod. "More or less. It "awakens" long-dormant power within angels, much like what the Devil Arms do for those who possess them. Since humans and other "mortal" beings do not possess this kind of dormant power, it is for this reason that true Angels can create their own Angel Arm. Do you understand?"
He nodded. "Yes, I think so. How do I create it though?"
"With your very soul," said the voice.
"But how?" asked Kratos again.
He received no response as he watched the small ball of light fade away slowly.
"Stop!" yelled Kratos vainly. His shout was heard by no one and, once again, he was alone.
"Damnit," said Kratos as watched the area that the light had faded into. "With my soul? How am I supposed to do that?"
"Hmph!" Why don't you use that brain of yours that you just love showing off all the time?" said a familiar voice.
Kratos quickly whirled around and was, to say the least, very surprised to see Lloyd standing there, his arms folded and looking far more cocky than usual.
Kratos took a step forward. "Lloyd? There you are! Did you manage to create your Angel Arm?"
Lloyd shrugged. "What if I did? Is the mighty Kratos going to actually ask his "moronic" son of all people to help him figure it out?"
Kratos was puzzled. He had never seen Lloyd act like this before. "Moronic? Who called you moronic?"
Lloyd pointed directly at his father. "You did, through your actions. Don't you remember?"
Kratos shook his head. "Lloyd I don-"
Lloyd threw his arms outward. "Don't even try to lie to me! Ever since we first "met" back at the temple, every time I suggested anything, you would act as if it was the worst idea in the world. Always treating me like I was some five-year-old kid or something! I hated that! No one's perfect, y'know? Why couldn't you just accept me for who I was, huh! You did all of this knowing full-well that I was your son. How could you do this to me?"
Kratos couldn't believe his ears. He took another step backward. "Lloyd I-"
"You're wasting your time Lloyd," said another familiar voice. "He is a traitor after-all. Why should it come as any surprise that he would treat his own son like dirt?"
Kratos whirled around once again and, with even more surprise than before, saw Sheena standing before him. What made this even more surprising was the fact that, instead of her normal traveling outfit, she was wearing a very beautiful white wedding dress, complete with a veil. "Sheena?"
Bouquet of flowers in hand, she waved it around as she said, "I can't believe you Kratos! You traveled with Lloyd and his friends for so long, myself for a shorter time, only to turn around and backstab us in the end! You claim to care for your son, but, at the Tower of Salvation, you were prepared to idly stand-by whilst you watched Mithos kill him and the rest of us! If it weren't for Botta, we… we…"
She put her head in her hands and Lloyd immediately rushed over to her, now dressed in a fine white with black trim tuxedo. He held her close to his chest as she sobbed softly. "Don't think about it Sheena. The important thing is that we're alive and well now. We don't have to worry about Kratos anymore."
Eyes filled with tears, she looked up at him as he continued. "We've got a wonderful future ahead of us. Marriage, kids, our own home, and so many other great things are waiting for us. We'll work to build a future where we won't have to worry about him anymore. How does that sound?"
Kratos looked down at what he thought was the ground and closed his eyes. "An illusion, just like Welgaia. It has to be. And yet… and yet this feels far more real than what Mithos produced for us in Welgaia. Maybe it is real… no! It can't be! Have I really been this terrible of a man?"
Lloyd and Sheena shared a kiss and began to walk down what appeared to be an aisle between several rows of church benches, upon which were seated all of his other party members and several other people they had met throughout the course of their travels. Kratos just couldn't let this happen without being able to say something. Anything!
"Lloyd! Sheena! Please wait!" he cried as he started to run towards them.
They turned back around and Sheena immediately clung closer to Lloyd. "Stay away Kratos! We don't want you to be in our new life!"
Lloyd held Sheena tightly and shook the fist of his free arm at Kratos. "If I had been just a little stronger at the Tower of Salvation, I would've torn you limb from limb for doing what you did and hurting Sheena in the process! I never want to see you again! Father or not, if I ever see your face again…"
Lloyd was cut off by Sheena pulling him down the aisle. "C'mon Lloyd! Everyone's waiting for us!"
Hesitantly, Lloyd turned away from his father and walked down the aisle with his wife-to-be. They didn't turn back even once.
"No… no… no…" whispered Kratos to himself as he watched the scene through watery eyes. "I've lost my only son? This just can't be real!" He began to run towards the church scene once again. "Lloyd! Sheena! Please forgive me!"
The two lovers continued to walk even as their friends in the audience turned around and began throwing assorted objects at Kratos.
"Hey old man!" yelled Zelos. "Don't you understand "Stay away"?"
"Get lost, creep!" yelled Genis.
"You're a horrible man!" cried Colette.
Raine threw nothing but looked more disgusted than anyone else. "Traitor!"
Regal jumped into the middle of the aisle and yelled, "You shall not disturb our friends ever again!"
"Go away!" cried Presea. "We hate you!"
Assorted other boos and hisses erupted from the other people in the small audience as Kratos slowly backed away. "Unbelievable… I don't want to believe this!" he yelled as he fell to his knees, feeling more helpless and alone than ever before.
"What makes the whole traitor business even worse is the fact that you can't even decide on a single side to work for," said yet another familiar voice. "Pitiful."
Without getting up, Kratos slowly turned his head in the direction of the voice. It was Mithos. Not Lord Yggdrasil, but the child-like Mithos that Kratos had known for four-thousand years. "Mithos? Why… how are you here? Aren't you-"
"Dead?" Mithos shook his head. "Only in their world, but that doesn't matter now. Tell me Kratos… you went to great lengths to do everything you could to help me in my quest to revive Martel. You even went as far as betraying your own son and his friends. All this… only to betray me later. Me! Someone who had remained your friend for four-thousand years! Just whose side are you on anyway, traitor? Hmm?"
Whose side was he on? It seemed like such a simple question. Yet, for some reason, Kratos could not answer it.
"Gah! Why am I being tormented like this!" cried Kratos as he grabbed his head in pain.
Mithos folded his arms behind his back and floated a bit upwards. "It's really not that hard. All you have to do is make a choice. In the end, who do you truly decide to side with: Me or them?"
Kratos began looking back and forth as Mithos continued. "Simple, no? You're a traitor, and yet I will still take you in. We're friends, right? They won't even give you the time of day now. You can't become a part of their lives. Why bother with a lost cause?"
Kratos looked up at his former companion and stared at him long and hard. "Why?"
Mithos nodded. "Exactly. Why?"
Kratos closed his eyes. "Because…" he stood up and took a deep breath. "Because… he's my son and that is going to be his wife!" He began to run towards the church scene once again."
The stars behind Mithos twinkled brightly as he yelled after him. "You fool! They'll never forgive you!"
"I don't care!" yelled Kratos as he ran. "I'd give up everything I have left for them! My life included!"
Mithos continued to yell after Kratos, but he didn't hear a single word of it. He had reached the beginning of the church aisle but not without being noticed by Lloyd and Sheena's friends.
"You again?" said Genis. "Go away!"
Once again, they began to throw assorted objects at him, some of which struck him in the face, causing considerable pain and leaving a number of various marks on his face. Despite this, Kratos didn't put up the least bit of resistance and did defend himself. Perhaps he viewed this as a form of atonement for his past sins. In any case, as calmly as he could, he walked up to Lloyd and Sheena and fell on his knees. The throwing of objects had ceased as the two young lovers turned to him.
"Kratos!" said Lloyd. "What are you doing here! I thought we told you-"
"Lloyd, Sheena," said Kratos as he brought his eyes up to meet his son's. "I ask, no, I beg of you to just give me one last minute of your time. Please."
Sheena hold onto Lloyd's left arm with both of her own. "Lloyd?"
Lloyd thought for a moment, then nodded. "One minute Kratos. Hurry up. After this, I want you to disappear. Got it?"
Kratos nodded. "Understood." He took a deep breath and began. "Lloyd… Sheena… I could ask all day for your forgiveness and still never receive it, as it should be. My crimes against you are far too severe to be forgiven so lightly. If you really want me out of your life, I… I don't want to accept it, but I understand why you're doing what you're doing and I will accept your wishes. Just… before I go, I want you to have something I had prepared for a time like this." He began to fumble around in his pocket as everyone leaned forward to see what he was doing. Finally, he found what he was looking for. "Lloyd, give me your hand."
Everyone began to whisper as Lloyd reluctantly offered his hand palm up. Kratos clasped his own hand over his son and dropped something in it. "This is… my final gift to you." After giving Lloyd his "gift", he stood up and began to walk away. "I wish you a long and prosperous life, Lloyd and Sheena. I hope you two take good care of each other. If you ever need me… I would gladly die for either of you."
Lloyd opened his palm to reveal two silver rings. "Rings?"
Sheena looked at the finely crafted rings and noticed something. "Lloyd, there's something written on the sides. What does it say?"
Lloyd brought one of the rings close to his right eye and examined the fine cursive on the side of the ring… and his jaw dropped.
"Lloyd and Sheena Forever"
"…Lloyd and Sheena forever," said Lloyd quietly as he handed one of the rings to Sheena.
Sheena looked at her ring in disbelief. "But… there's no way he could've made this in just a few minutes. Do you think he… had these made some time ago?"
Kratos was doing his best to fight his own sadness as he continued to increase the distance between himself and the church scene. "I mean that, Lloyd" Kratos said, whispering to himself. "I hope you have the happiest life ever in the history of Symphonia."
"Dad!" cried Lloyd as he and Sheena ran towards him.
Kratos wheeled around and was surprised by what he saw. "What? I thought you-"
Simultaneously, the two lovers embraced Kratos. "Dad, I'm sorry. I guess you really are with us now. Please forgive us."
Sheena gave Kratos a quick kiss on the cheek. "We were wondering if, uh… you'd still want to come to our wedding. If so, uh… would you, um… please walk me down the aisle… dad?"
"Dad! She called me dad!" said Kratos to himself. He was totally overcome with joy. Truly, being accepted as a father to both Lloyd and Sheena was the greatest triumph of his life. To top it all off, in his heart, he had finally abolished the last bit of doubt in his heart as to whether or not he chose the right side. Of course he knew what to do now. His job was to be there for his son and daughter-in-law, no matter what. "I-I would be honored if you'd allowed me such a privilege."
The young couple smiled and let go of Kratos. "Let's go then!" said Lloyd as ran back towards the aisle.
His lovely wife-to-be offered Kratos her arm and a warm, loving smile. "Shall we?"
He was prepared to take her arm when, suddenly, the church scene and everyone with it vanished, leaving Kratos stranded once again in an ocean of stars.
"What? Sheena? Lloyd? What happened to everyone?" he asked as he looked around.
"Interesting," said the voice that had spoken to him earlier. As it did before, the ball of light emerged from the backdrop of stars and other heavenly bodies and circled around his head. "A man once torn by opposing sides has finally found a home for his heart. Well done, Kratos Aurion. Let us begin the creation process."
Kratos stared at the ball of light as it circled about him. "You mean I-"
"Offer your right hand to me, Seraphim," demanded the voice.
Kratos did as he was told and held out his right hand, palm down. Once he did so, the ball of light floated landed on the back of his hand and seemed to absorb itself into his hand. "Be still," said the voice. "I promise this won't hurt."
Once fully absorbed, a bright flash of light illuminated the starry heavens around him and, when the light subsided, he found that his feet were no longer touching solid ground. "Wh-what?" said Kratos, confused.
"The first part of "becoming" the Angel Arm is to make you into a true angel," said the voice.
Once it said this, Kratos' blue, spectral wings came to life and softly illuminated the area around him. He looked to either side of him, not sure of what to expect. Another flash of light blazed through the area and, when Kratos was able to see again, noticed that his spectral wings had been replaced with a pair of beautiful, white, and very large wings made of real feathers. He gasped in surprise. "Whoa! This is-"
"We're not done yet," said the voice again. "Far from it. Now you must be properly outfitted."
Several flashes of light illuminated the area as, one by one, several areas of his body were covered by extremely heavy yet beautiful-looking pieces of armor. First came a pair of gauntlets, then a pair of boots. Next was a pair of grieves (leg armor) and then an even heavier looking torso plate. This was followed up by a beautiful helmet decorated with a wide variety of rare gems and diamond that covered everything on his head save his face. Finally, a very large shield with an ancient rune inscribed on it was set into his left hand. When it was all said and done, his armor looked as if it weighed literally a ton. However, he was able to move about as if it were no heavier than a five-pound set of peasant's clothes.
"How is it?" the voice asked. "Is it comfortable enough?"
Still surprised by this whole ordeal, he managed to nod. "Y-yes. Easily the most comfortable suit of armor I have ever worn."
"Glad to hear it," said the voice. "Now then, it's time for what you originally came for: your actual Angel Arm."
Another flash of light. This time, a blue, spectral sword was clutched in his right hand. It felt as if it weighed nothing and, when Kratos swung it, it left a dazzling trail of stars behind it. "What an amazing blade!" he exclaimed.
"It is called "Polaris", named after the North Star" said the voice. "Just as the name implies, this weapon is meant to be used by one who will serve as a beacon of light to those around him. In this case, just as you wanted to do, it shall be used to defend your two companions from any and all dangers. You shall be the beacon of light they look to whenever they are in fear or doubt."
Kratos closed his eyes as he swung the blade once again. "Polaris…"
"That is not," said the voice again. "To finalize the creation, I must imbed into the strength and knowledge of the ancients. Close your eyes and try to empty your head of all thoughts."
Kratos nodded. "Very well." He did as he was told and waited.
Suddenly, his body began to convulse violently and great pain coursed throughout his body. "Ah! W-What is this?" asked Kratos in pain.
"You must try to relax, Seraphim," said the voice. "Great amounts of both spiritual and physical energy are being synthesized into your body. Try to remain as calm as possible."
"Grr-ahh!" yelled Kratos as he did his best to remain as still as possible. As he struggled with the physical pain, several thousand images of everything imaginable began to flash in his mind. "Wh-what is this?"
"It is the wisdom of the ancients," said the voice. "Soon, you will know more about Nebilim and your world than you ever could have dreamed of."
Shortly after this, the pain in his body ceased and he fell to the invisible ground below him. He gasped for breath as the strength slowly returned to his body.
"It is complete," said the voice. "Rise, Kratos Aurion, Seraphim of Symphonia!"
He did so but held his chest as he did so. "Ah… I feel so weak!"
"Then use your newly-discovered knowledge to heal yourself," suggested the voice.
Kratos closed his eyes. "Yes… yes of course." A great white aura surrounded him as he began to chant. "Sacred powers, shine your soothing light upon our souls! Grant us your strength!" He threw both of his arms up in the air and yelled, "Miracle!"
A beautiful blue and white completely surrounded him and spread out fairly far away from him. He had never before felt such a wonderful light and, as he bathed in it, all of the weakness that once plagued his body was gone in an instant. The light slowly subsided and, once again, only darkness and stars surrounded him.
"Feel better?" asked the voice.
Kratos flexed both of his arms, amazed with what one single spell had done. "I… I've never felt stronger in my four-thousand years of life! This is truly amazing!"
"Then go, Kratos Aurion," said the voice. "You have embraced the light of heaven. Use the power it offers to destroy Nebilim, once and for all! Fare thee well, and good luck, Seraphim of Symphonia!"
The voice faded away as a gate of light appeared before Kratos. He grinned and walked towards it.
"I'm coming Nebilim," said Kratos as he passed through the gate. "Fear me!"
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Huh… that was longer than I thought. About 2,500 words longer than I thought. Oh well. Hope you liked it!
Kratos has passed the trials of his heart and has been awarded with a magnificent amount of divine power. If Lloyd and Sheena pass the trial as well, will their combined powers be enough to stop the demonic menace? Please leave reviews, and thanks once again for reading!
By the way, I have plans for another side-story called "Bridging the Gap" and I was wondering if any of you would be interested in me writing it. What's it about? Ahem…
Bridging the Gap (Tales of Symphonia)
Even after the defeat of Cruxis and the Desians, racism is still fairly common in Symphonia. Despite this, Regal Bryant, a human martial artist, and Raine Sage, a half-elven healer, care deeply for each other. Will their socially forbidden relationship help to bridge the gap between the races of the world, or will, they too, also become unfortunate victims of blind racism? (RegalXRaine, side-story of "Unconditional Love")
Let me know in your reviews if you wanna see this or not!
