Chapter 9 - Kratos/Anna multipart
Dec. 13th, 2006 11:54 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
seikilosTitle: Currently untitled
Fandom: Tales of Symphonia
Genre: Angst/Romance
Rating: PG-13; later chapters may hit R.
Summary: One woman's take on the untold love story between Kratos and Anna.
Chapter Title: 9 - Love, Trust
Chapter Rating: PG
Words in Chapter: 1239
Disclaimer: I don't own Tales of Symphonia.
Author's Notes: And I'm back on the horse, hopefully with a decent chapter to show for it. It's probably the shortest chapter in the entire fic, but it feels complete, so I'm leaving it as is.
Noishe ran for the remainder of the day, taking a few breaks every once in a while, but for the most part keeping a steady pace. At one point early on, while they were still in the forest, Kratos asked Noishe to stop. Telling Anna to wait, he stepped away, out of her sight, and changed clothing. Instead of the pure white, many-belted outfit he usually wore for Cruxis business, he put on a far simpler affair. This one was purple, the sort of thing mercenaries wore. It was far more suited for travel and would attract much less attention.
When he returned and climbed back on Noishe’s back, Anna looked at him for a few moments before gripping his waist, a little surer than before. She seemed to be recovering from the sight of him changing forms so completely, and for that, Kratos was glad.
It was dusk when Kratos finally called for Noishe to stop running for the night. He could feel his companion’s sides heaving slightly. Getting a good head start on the Desians was important, but if Noishe was not allowed to rest, they would lose whatever distance they had gained.
They had not headed for Luin. Anna had not asked why. After living in the shade of a Desian human ranch for so long, she clearly knew that Luin would be the first place searchers would look. And if the Desians found the citizens of Luin harbouring their most prized experimental subject, the city would be razed to the ground and its citizens turned into host bodies.
In the copse of trees in which they had stopped for the night, Kratos began to look for firewood.
Anna followed him. “Kratos, you haven’t told me how you were able to do that. To—turn into a Desian like that.”
He did not look at her, instead bending over to pick up more kindling. “After we have eaten, I will explain.”
“All right.”
He did not see her face, but her quiet tone of voice told him all he needed to know.
Once they had gathered up enough wood, Kratos set it up and lit it after several tries. It had been many decades since he had last had to make camp for the night; he was greatly out of practice.
After the fire was burning, he dug into his pack and handed Anna some dried meat and fruit, which she took and ate quickly. He himself ate just enough for Anna not to ask him to eat more. He had brought little to slow them down. Once they reached Asgard, they could stock up on more food, as well as more substantial food.
He handed her a canteen of water once she was done.
“Drink sparingly,” he said as she took it. “I have not brought much.”
She nodded and took a few mouthfuls before handing it back to him. To keep up appearances, he took a small sip before putting it away.
He looked at her then, outlined in the firelight that was almost their sole light. The sun had already set, judging from the quality of light that filtered through the trees. Even filthy, scraped, with tangled hair and in the colourless host body clothing, Kratos thought her beautiful.
She looked back at him for a moment before saying, with a tentativeness he had not heard before, “Kratos?”
With a quiet sigh, he recollected himself. “Anna. You wish to know how I was able to change my form.”
She looked down, then back up, straight into his eyes. Her gaze steady, she replied, “I don’t know. Will I like the answer?”
He did not hesitate. “No.”
Her lips compressed slightly. She swallowed. “Tell me anyway.”
“I will show you.”
He rose to his feet and stepped away from her. Anna stood as well.
He closed his eyes and concentrated. On his eyelids, he could see the sudden blaze of light, the blue light interspersed with magic-made feathers that always accompanied the transformation into his angelic form. He heard Anna gasp at the light, heard her step backwards.
He opened his eyes.
Their dying campfire was overwhelmed by the blue light radiating from the wings hovering behind his back, wings made of sky-blue.
Anna’s pale face took on a blue tinge as she stared at him, stared at his wings, brown eyes huge in her face. Her hands were once again pressed against her mouth.
Then, bonelessly, she fell to her knees and covered her face.
“Anna,” he whispered. “No. Never to me.”
He fell to one knee and held out his hand, waiting. After a long moment, Anna looked up at him.
She did not take his hand.
She backed away until she was sitting several feet away from him. She missed the campfire by several inches, not noticing it nearly scorching her shirt.
She opened her mouth; no sound came out. Then, thinly, she said, “You’re . . . an angel.”
He nodded once, slowly. He made his wings disappear, hoping it would help Anna not to be so afraid. Not to be so afraid of him.
“An angel,” she repeated. “I . . . .”
She made a connection then, one Kratos had been hoping she would not.
“You’re an angel, but you were working for the Desians,” she said slowly. “No . . . you lead the Desians. Kvar even bows to you. Why? Do the angels—the angels don’t favour the Desians, do they?”
His head slowly dropped, so that he looked at the debris of the forest floor. “I was working for the Desians, yes.” He made himself look up at her, though he still could not meet her eyes. “No more.”
“No, they won’t let you back, will they?” Her lips pressed together again for a moment. “Not now that you’ve stolen their precious experiment. Not even an—an angel would be forgiven for that.”
Stung, Kratos said, “I have not stolen an experiment. I have rescued a human being.”
Noishe, lying next to the fire, began to whine softly. Neither of them heard it as again, he reached out to her, holding out a hand and again, she did not take it.
“Just one. Just one human being. You ignored everyone else.” Her voice shook slightly.
She stood, brushing leaves from her clothes; Kratos doubted she even realised she was doing it.
“I . . .” He stood as well. “I realised what was being done. I did not understand it.” He stepped closer to her. “I did not understand until I met you, Anna. Not until I fell in love with you.”
Her expression softened then, but only for a brief moment. “. . . I love you, Kratos. But I don’t know if I can trust you. Love and trust are two completely different things, after all.”
He did not have an answer to that.
She turned away, looking into the forest. “I need some time to think. Don’t follow me, please. I need to be alone.”
She started off into the woods, fading into the night.
Kratos watched her go for only a moment before looking at Noishe. “Follow her. Don’t let her get hurt. . . . Please.”
Noishe got to his feet and trotted over to Kratos. He whined again, pushing his head against Kratos’ shoulder. Then he, too, disappeared into the darkening forest, leaving Kratos to tend the fire, alone.
Fandom: Tales of Symphonia
Genre: Angst/Romance
Rating: PG-13; later chapters may hit R.
Summary: One woman's take on the untold love story between Kratos and Anna.
Chapter Title: 9 - Love, Trust
Chapter Rating: PG
Words in Chapter: 1239
Disclaimer: I don't own Tales of Symphonia.
Author's Notes: And I'm back on the horse, hopefully with a decent chapter to show for it. It's probably the shortest chapter in the entire fic, but it feels complete, so I'm leaving it as is.
Noishe ran for the remainder of the day, taking a few breaks every once in a while, but for the most part keeping a steady pace. At one point early on, while they were still in the forest, Kratos asked Noishe to stop. Telling Anna to wait, he stepped away, out of her sight, and changed clothing. Instead of the pure white, many-belted outfit he usually wore for Cruxis business, he put on a far simpler affair. This one was purple, the sort of thing mercenaries wore. It was far more suited for travel and would attract much less attention.
When he returned and climbed back on Noishe’s back, Anna looked at him for a few moments before gripping his waist, a little surer than before. She seemed to be recovering from the sight of him changing forms so completely, and for that, Kratos was glad.
It was dusk when Kratos finally called for Noishe to stop running for the night. He could feel his companion’s sides heaving slightly. Getting a good head start on the Desians was important, but if Noishe was not allowed to rest, they would lose whatever distance they had gained.
They had not headed for Luin. Anna had not asked why. After living in the shade of a Desian human ranch for so long, she clearly knew that Luin would be the first place searchers would look. And if the Desians found the citizens of Luin harbouring their most prized experimental subject, the city would be razed to the ground and its citizens turned into host bodies.
In the copse of trees in which they had stopped for the night, Kratos began to look for firewood.
Anna followed him. “Kratos, you haven’t told me how you were able to do that. To—turn into a Desian like that.”
He did not look at her, instead bending over to pick up more kindling. “After we have eaten, I will explain.”
“All right.”
He did not see her face, but her quiet tone of voice told him all he needed to know.
Once they had gathered up enough wood, Kratos set it up and lit it after several tries. It had been many decades since he had last had to make camp for the night; he was greatly out of practice.
After the fire was burning, he dug into his pack and handed Anna some dried meat and fruit, which she took and ate quickly. He himself ate just enough for Anna not to ask him to eat more. He had brought little to slow them down. Once they reached Asgard, they could stock up on more food, as well as more substantial food.
He handed her a canteen of water once she was done.
“Drink sparingly,” he said as she took it. “I have not brought much.”
She nodded and took a few mouthfuls before handing it back to him. To keep up appearances, he took a small sip before putting it away.
He looked at her then, outlined in the firelight that was almost their sole light. The sun had already set, judging from the quality of light that filtered through the trees. Even filthy, scraped, with tangled hair and in the colourless host body clothing, Kratos thought her beautiful.
She looked back at him for a moment before saying, with a tentativeness he had not heard before, “Kratos?”
With a quiet sigh, he recollected himself. “Anna. You wish to know how I was able to change my form.”
She looked down, then back up, straight into his eyes. Her gaze steady, she replied, “I don’t know. Will I like the answer?”
He did not hesitate. “No.”
Her lips compressed slightly. She swallowed. “Tell me anyway.”
“I will show you.”
He rose to his feet and stepped away from her. Anna stood as well.
He closed his eyes and concentrated. On his eyelids, he could see the sudden blaze of light, the blue light interspersed with magic-made feathers that always accompanied the transformation into his angelic form. He heard Anna gasp at the light, heard her step backwards.
He opened his eyes.
Their dying campfire was overwhelmed by the blue light radiating from the wings hovering behind his back, wings made of sky-blue.
Anna’s pale face took on a blue tinge as she stared at him, stared at his wings, brown eyes huge in her face. Her hands were once again pressed against her mouth.
Then, bonelessly, she fell to her knees and covered her face.
“Anna,” he whispered. “No. Never to me.”
He fell to one knee and held out his hand, waiting. After a long moment, Anna looked up at him.
She did not take his hand.
She backed away until she was sitting several feet away from him. She missed the campfire by several inches, not noticing it nearly scorching her shirt.
She opened her mouth; no sound came out. Then, thinly, she said, “You’re . . . an angel.”
He nodded once, slowly. He made his wings disappear, hoping it would help Anna not to be so afraid. Not to be so afraid of him.
“An angel,” she repeated. “I . . . .”
She made a connection then, one Kratos had been hoping she would not.
“You’re an angel, but you were working for the Desians,” she said slowly. “No . . . you lead the Desians. Kvar even bows to you. Why? Do the angels—the angels don’t favour the Desians, do they?”
His head slowly dropped, so that he looked at the debris of the forest floor. “I was working for the Desians, yes.” He made himself look up at her, though he still could not meet her eyes. “No more.”
“No, they won’t let you back, will they?” Her lips pressed together again for a moment. “Not now that you’ve stolen their precious experiment. Not even an—an angel would be forgiven for that.”
Stung, Kratos said, “I have not stolen an experiment. I have rescued a human being.”
Noishe, lying next to the fire, began to whine softly. Neither of them heard it as again, he reached out to her, holding out a hand and again, she did not take it.
“Just one. Just one human being. You ignored everyone else.” Her voice shook slightly.
She stood, brushing leaves from her clothes; Kratos doubted she even realised she was doing it.
“I . . .” He stood as well. “I realised what was being done. I did not understand it.” He stepped closer to her. “I did not understand until I met you, Anna. Not until I fell in love with you.”
Her expression softened then, but only for a brief moment. “. . . I love you, Kratos. But I don’t know if I can trust you. Love and trust are two completely different things, after all.”
He did not have an answer to that.
She turned away, looking into the forest. “I need some time to think. Don’t follow me, please. I need to be alone.”
She started off into the woods, fading into the night.
Kratos watched her go for only a moment before looking at Noishe. “Follow her. Don’t let her get hurt. . . . Please.”
Noishe got to his feet and trotted over to Kratos. He whined again, pushing his head against Kratos’ shoulder. Then he, too, disappeared into the darkening forest, leaving Kratos to tend the fire, alone.
