Mr.Who2123: ELEVEN MORE CHAPTERS:0

Kratos: Just ignore her, she'll rant for days straight…and on another note, she owns nothing.

Mr.Who2123: OMG ELEVEN MORE!! I CAN'T BELIEVE IT'S ONLY… (Rants for several days straight)

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Kratos and Anna were asleep together, enjoying their new and very comfy bed. Kratos, however, was awoken by a high pitch scream. Sitting up instantly, and with a knowing fear on his face, he looked to his left to the Cruxis Crystal taking its effect on his wife. It had become almost completely blue, which was the color of a completed crystal. Quickly, Kratos put a reassuring hand on Anna's cheek as the scream subsided, and Anna was back to her normal sleep.

I've got to tell her…and I need to get the materials so I can make her a Rune Crest…Anna, I promise I'll save you, he muttered in his thoughts, a grim expression plastered on his face. Reluctantly, Kratos fell back asleep, hoping to enjoy a few more hours of rest.

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Anna hummed a wordless song as she cooked some eggs that the two had gathered one day in the forest. She flipped the eggs with a sharp movement of the pan, and they started sizzling under the extreme heat. She smiled when she saw Kratos just coming out of the bedroom, his hair much more dismantled than usual. A sleepy frown on his face made Anna laugh as he sat at the table, running his hand through his hair.

"How do you like your eggs?" she asked him, turning back to her cooking.

"No ketchup," was the muttered reply, and Anna laughed even more. This is what made Kratos so reluctant to tell her about her crystal, and how she has a limited time to live before it finally finishes its evolution.

In a few minutes, Kratos had freshly cooked eggs in front of him, and the Seraph began to eat with unusually reserved behavior…even for Kratos. Anna noticed this, but finished her food before approaching the subject. She also noticed Kratos barely ate his food.

"What's wrong, Kratos?" she asked. Reaching out a hand, she lightly touched her husband's own hand, making him tense in reaction. Slowly, her slid his hand away from hers and put it on his lap.

"Anna, you have a limited time before you're Cruxis Crystal finally takes over your body, and it's almost done," he replied grimly. Anna looked down, an expression of horror on her face. She knew her time was short, but not this short.

"How long?" she asked, barely above a whisper. It took Kratos some time before he could look at Anna in the eye and answer.

"From one to five years," he answered. Anna hesitated before leaving her chair to walk across the table. The Seraph made no reaction when he thought she'd leave to her room, but instead, he was surprised to find Anna with her arms around his neck, embracing him in full.

"We'll find a way, right?" she asked softly, her voice choking on coming tears. Kratos looked up and smiled sadly.

"Don't worry, we will. I promise," he answered for her. And he returned the embrace in full, tears on the verge of escaping his brown eyes as well. However, a dark cloud shadowed over his heart, and Kratos wasn't so sure he could accomplish the task which he had promised to fulfill.

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Anna had grown much in a year. Her face became more defined and sharp, while her thin, ragged image of a ranch escapee had vanished into thin air. She was much better fed, and her liveliness had become tenfold. However, inside, she knew she was dying.

Anna hummed softly as she rode on Noishe back to her house. It still looked the same, except for the doormat that said "Home Sweet Home." Kratos still didn't understand why she liked having it there, and argued it was a pointless piece of fabric, but Anna loved it all the same. She liked how it made her home cozier and friendlier. Again, Kratos didn't understand, since he knew that no one would come to visit for security reasons.

Upon seeing the beautiful lake, Anna smiled. She still loved seeing it even after she had lived there for a year.

"C'mon Noishe, if we can get home quickly, we could go for a swim," she said. That's all that Noishe needed for him to move full speed, with his tail wagging and tongue hanging from his mouth. Anna quickly grabbed tighter on the basket she carried, full of groceries, and held onto Noishe with care. While she took these precautions, Anna laughed.

In only a few minutes, Anna and Noishe were at the door, both of them winded from the fast paced run. Rubbing his head, Anna thanked Noishe and entered the house. Inside, it looked exactly the same as the day Sanaro and Yuan had left. So far, they hadn't visited at all, but the couple knew they would be busy and didn't worry.

Quickly, Anna set the groceries on a counter, and sorted out the food, placing them either in the fridge or in the cupboards. She was in a hurry to finish and get to swim in the lake. It was a great fun to go, especially when Anna could see a unicorn in the bottom, apparently asleep. Kratos had told her that they only awake to young maidens with pure hearts, and grant them a wish.

Just as Anna left the kitchen to go change, she caught the sound of a rustling bush. Quickly, she turned around, looking out the window.

Was that Noishe? She wondered, her eyes trying to find the source of the sound. No, it couldn't have been…he's in the house. Her eyes caught onto Noishe, who was looking at her with worry. Anna backed away, heart pounding and mind racing as she moved towards her room.

Maybe it was just a forest creature…yeah…calm down, Anna, you're overreacting… her mind played in her head. Then, as her worry was about to leave, she heard the sound of slow footsteps outside the walls of her home.

"Noishe, someone's here!" she whispered hoarsely. The protozoan understood, and faced the doorway. He bared his large fangs and stooped slightly, ready to tackle anyone that came his way. The footsteps became louder and louder, and faster and faster. Anna hid behind the corner of a wall, desperately hoping it wasn't an attacker. The footsteps stopped, and a moment later, the handle was being turned at the door. Noishe growled even louder, and tensed.

The door opened, and Noishe leaped. It knocked the figure over in a split second, and held the person there until he could see who it was. When he did, Noishe immediately jumped off, and lost the tense and growling expression. He was back to the cute puppy Noishe, who was wagging his tail immensely.

"Please…don't do that again, Noishe," the deep voice said, and Anna knew who it was.

"Kratos!" she yelled, leaving her hiding spot and running out the door to see her love with a bag on his shoulder and a wide grin on his face. Anna embraced him, and he hugged her back. Kratos gave her a kiss on her cheek, and then they left each other's arms to look each other in the eyes.

"How was it?" she asked, her excitement at an all time high.

"Tiring, but I have all the materials now," he answered, lifting his pack from his shoulder to put it in front of him. Anna nodded, and entered the house, filled with joy at seeing her husband after a year. Kratos followed, wiping his feet on the doormat before entering as well.

"It feels good to be home," he muttered, looking at the house with a smile. He sat at the couch, next to Anna, and emptied his materials across a small table. The woman, curious at them, began to ask which each one was.

"Well, this is the Mana Leaf Herb," he began, holding a bundle of strange, green leaves. They were long and thin, but wide as well. "And this is the Zicron." Kratos lifted a wide nosed bottle with a clump of rock inside. It was a shimmering blue color, and had little black specs in it as well. Lastly, Kratos picked up the Mana Fragment, and told her what it was.

"This was the hardest to get. They can only be found in Welgaia, and I had to do quite a bit of sneaking and hiding to get it. If I didn't have to get this, then I think the travels would have merely been a couple months, and not a year," he explained. Kratos then put them back in his bag, sealing it tightly with a string.

Kratos and Anna both looked out the window, and saw the sun setting quickly. Anna then stood up and began to make dinner for the three while Kratos lay back in his chair and relaxed with a smile on his face. In only a few minutes, he could smell the delicious dinner being cooked and could hear the sizzling of chicken on a pan.

This is another reason I missed home…she can cook really well for some reason, he thought, closing his eyes.

"So what did you do while I was gone?" he asked, opening them again and watching Anna bustle about.

"I had gotten a job as a cook for the inn back in Luin, and I pretty much just worked there for a year," she answered, and then a smile came on her face. "And lots of guys wanted to date me there as well." Anna looked back to see Kratos frowning, and the woman began laughing at the expression. He shook off the expression slowly and his serene one took place once again.

Within the hour, Anna had prepared freshly grilled chicken and steamed vegetables seasoned with herbs. She set the plate down in front of Kratos, and the Seraph had to admit he was surprised. Her cookery had increased tenfold, and she was already a good chef. Immediately cutting his knife through the tender meat, Kratos saw Anna get her own plate with her own food. Lastly, she placed the rest of the meat, which was at least three times the size of Kratos' portion, into a dog bowl, and she set it down in front of Noishe. Pleased, the protozoan began gulping his food with great haste.

"Spoiled mutt," he muttered, with a small smile on his face. He then turned back to his food, and began eating. Anna had done so too, and they enjoyed the food together for awhile with no speech or noise except for the soft crunching noises of teeth on food.

"Kratos…," Anna suddenly said. Her face became a deep red, and her eyes were on her food and not her husband. Noticing the embarrassment, Kratos tensed and held his attention on her, completely undivided. "I was wondering…if…we could, you know, uh…" She trailed off, and Kratos still held his attention on her. Anna could feel his worried gaze on her, which made her even more nervous.

"Could we…have a child?" she asked. Kratos dropped his knife in shock, his eyes widened. After a moment, he picked it up once more and set it on the table with delicacy.

"Well…is this what you want?" he asked back. He still held a gaze on his wife, and she had found the courage to look back. Anna nodded vigorously, and braced for an answer.

"If it's what you want…then of course," he replied. Anna couldn't help but grin widely and move out of her chair to give her husband a hug.

"Thank you!" she exclaimed, and kissed him on the cheek. Kratos was merely grinning as well.

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Mr.Who2123: Another type of…filler-y chapter, but at least we know that Lloyd is going to be born! YAY!

Kratos: Please review.