Chapter 13: Trapped In A Memory
"Aura!" cried Lloyd, rushing to her side. Kratos kneeled beside her and gently turned her so she was lying on her back with her head resting on his knee. Her eyes were slightly open, revealing a small strip of blue. Her mouth was also slightly open, and the green Twilight Crystal was glowing dimly, but slowly growing brighter every times she drew a breath. "What's wrong with her, Dad?" Lloyd asked, no longer hesitant to call Kratos by this title. Kratos didn't answer, but he picked up Aura and put her on his back as if giving her a piggyback ride.
"She needs to rest," he said to Dirk. "Where can I put her?" Dirk opened his mouth to reply, but Lloyd cut him off.
"You can put her in my room, but only after you tell me what's wrong with her." He said to Kratos. Kratos sighed exasperatedly.
"You're a stubborn kid, Lloyd." He said. "Just like your mother." Lloyd merely glared at him. "She seems to have collapsed from exhaustion," Kratos told him. "All of this stress must have worn her out." Lloyd said nothing, except,
"Oh." Dirk broke the silence by saying,
"Come on, let's get her to a bed." Kratos nodded, heart pounding, and followed him into the house. While she was being carried, Aura was still half conscious, but she could not see or hear anything going on around her. In her mind, the memory of her death flashed before her. Kratos stood in front of her, sword drawn and he was shaking. Noishe growled at her, protecting a small shadowy figure behind him. A loud roar rattled the air and she found that it had come from her. Then she realized what she was seeing. This scene was familiar, not only because she had experienced it, but because Kratos had told her about this. In a strained voice, she heard herself say,
"Please…Kratos. Kill…me. I don't want to hurt Lloyd…I don't…want to hurt you…I love…you both too much…I don't want to hurt anyone…" Kratos took a step forward.
"No! I can't!" he cried. "I won't kill you, Anna! There has to be another way!" Aura's heart skipped a beat as she heard this. Could she really be…?
"Please…Kratos! Kill me! End this!" Aura heard herself plea. "It will be better this way!" The spirit Aura's eyes filled with tears as she realized that this was the truth. This was what had happened to her. The monster Aura suddenly lashed out with its claws and struck Kratos across the chest. He flew backward, but quickly got up again, coughing. He ran back to her and cried.
"I can't Anna! I love you!" Anger erupted inside the spirit Aura as she saw Kvar behind Kratos, laughing mirthlessly as he escaped. The monster roared loudly, then the past Aura said,
"I…love you…too…but…that's why…I…want you to…kill me. I need you to end this!" Aura's past self explained. Tears came to Kratos' eyes and ran down his cheeks, but he slowly nodded. He stood for a moment, then stabbed out at her monster body with his sword. A howl of pain and rage escaped the monster and it lashed out at him again.
"I'm…sorry…Kratos…" the monster whispered as it hit him. He went flying backward and disappeared into the trees. The monster, now human, fell to the ground, blood gushing from her wounds. She looked like the spirit that was watching the memory, but she was covered in dirt and blood. Noishe stopped growling and ran over to her, whining. Aura watched her past self lay on the ground, taking short, labored breaths. Wishing the memory would end, Aura was startled when she heard a small voice.
"Mama?" The small figure had come out of the shadows. Spirit Aura put her hand to her mouth as she recognized him to be Lloyd. And while she watched him go to his dying mother, she was put down in\\onto Lloyd's bed to rest, a single tear running down her cheek.