Another filler chapter! Uhoh…I'm afraid I'm making a habit of this…

This time…we have a little (I mean, LITTLE) taste of what happens in the mind of our favorite angsty seraph: Kratos! Though it's not in first person, you get the idea.

I don't own Tales of Symphonia. If I did, Botta would've never died…I'm sad now.

Kratos gave a loud heave of air as he sat down in the forest floor; it was comforting to the seraph that something as simple as cool grass beneath him could unwind his tense muscles. He massaged his sore legs attentively, thinking back on the day's events.

The day had been stressful, to say the least.

Not only had almost have of the party suffered from poisoning, but his son had thoughtlessly thrown them into another dangerous situation with the elite from the underworld. Genis had been uselessly weak, and Colette, one of the valued light-users, was still with Mithos.

If that hadn't been enough, once they had defeated the foe, Lloyd accidentally broke a Dark Bottle, sending legions of monsters after them. Kratos was still shuddering from the memory of a wyvern finding the near-defenseless group; if it wasn't for Raine and her healing, they would've undeniably been killed.

Raine…The auburn haired man looked to where the professor was reading through a book, obviously too engrossed to notice anything else. Kratos felt a soft sigh escape his lips.

He had always been fascinated towards the healers. Martel was the first person that Kratos had ever seen use the healing arts, and he instantly was drawn to her. He had requested to learn some of the mantras she knew, and with every new healing spell, he had fallen more in love with her. Unfortunately for the auburn haired man, his half elf friend Yuan was attracted to her as well, and Martel accepted his feelings.

"Because I'm a half elf." She had explained to the swordsman after he had asked why she wouldn't acknowledge his love, "Other humans would treat you worse if you were personally involved with one."

Kratos had accepted that excuse, and even as Martel's lifeblood flowed from her, the auburn haired man had stood by and not once opened his mouth to speak to her; permitting Yuan and Mithos to spend the last moments talking.

After all, they were the ones she loved.

Then, 4011 years later, he had met Anna.

Anna was a human; she couldn't perform any type of spell, healing or no. But she was a nurse working at a hospital before she was taken to the Human Ranch, and she knew how to treat wounds of any kind of range and severity. When she had bandaged a gash that one of her fellow prisoners had received during one of Kratos' many visits, the seraph immediately became interested in the test subject.

How can one so spirited and rebellious be so tender and caring? It was a question the auburn haired man wanted to answer as he observed Anna growingly.

Of course, their love ended in her death.

And now…Kratos shook his head, sending his thick auburn bangs to sway along. What good would falling in love again prove? It was if the seraph had a curse to have every woman he ever loved die a horrible death. What if the same thing happened to Raine?

The purple clad man again glanced at the half elf, half expecting her to fall to the floor lifelessly.

But to Kratos' relief, the silver haired woman was as lively as ever, setting her book aside to obviously lecture Lloyd on whatever she had just read. The poor brunette looked physically ill as he swayed his arms side to side, apparently trying to convince her to stop.

Through half lidded garnet orbs, the swordsman watched the scene with twisted amusement.

"…also, Lloyd, you must remember that when the poisons of a certain plant are released in the air…" The professor droned on, deliberately ignoring the twin swordsman's protests to her lesson.

"Prooofesseeer!!" Lloyd whined, holding his head in his hands, "Why aren't you teaching everyone else?"

"Because Genis already knows this, and Colette's not here," Raine responded without any mercy. "And everyone else is already out of school."

"Nnnnoooooo…"

The seraph quietly laughed. No, Raine was to stubborn; too tough to just give up and die pathetically. She wouldn't sacrifice herself without a cause; she wouldn't turn against them, forcing them to strike her down.

And that; Kratos realized with satisfaction, is what he loved about her.

"Oh!" the professor lifted a finger in the air signifying she had remembered something, "It's my turn to cook tonight!"

What?

The purple donned man presented a fleeting look to the other members of the party, who gave the impression of being just as surprised and/or disgusted.

"I think I'll make spaghetti!" the silver haired woman concluded with joy.

Lloyd groaned loudly to show his distaste, but Kratos lifted his eyes towards the heavens.

And he loved her…why, again?