Traitor: Chapter One
Tales of Symphonia



Warning: Contains sexually suggestive themes

Traitor. The word made him shudder with despair. Sure, he had misled them into thinking he was someone he was not… But he had never expected his betrayal would hurt them as profoundly like this…His auburn gaze lifted to the window. The drapes sighed heavily against the wooden walls, their solemn graceful moments striking a chord deep in the man’s heart. The light shone through the window, brightly contrasting against the oaken walls.

He squinted against the blinding light…There was really no reason to wince at its golden gaze, for he did not even feel its warmth anymore. No, he did it more so to comfort himself…To dwell back to the days when love and hatred meant something significant to him.

He sighed softly. The audible sound made him start slightly. Even his own breathing seemed foreign to him now. Nothing felt right…not anymore. Sure, it had taken him a couple thousand years to realize that Mithos’ dream of an Age of Lifeless beings wasn’t correct, nor just…. But… even in betraying Mithos for his ludicrous ideas he felt as though in betraying Yggdrasil he had finally cut that last string—the string that he had clung so desperately to—that marked the last fragment of his humanity.

What is a human anyways? The though came to him coated with bitter resentment and self-loathing. He chocked back another sigh of despair and blinked against its foreboding thoughts. One may categories a human as one with a soul…But did he even have a soul anymore?

He touched his fingers to the middle of his chest, his face void of all emotions…though his eyes shone clearly with tears.

What’s a soul anyways?

He drew his fingers together, clutching at his clothes with gnarled, twisted hands, feeling his rage and confusion intensifying. He felt his humanity had left him, but why then did he hurt so much?

A tear traced his smooth pale skin like butterfly wings cross a soft meadow, there for only a moment, to perhaps never touch the same part again. He lowered his face, clutching tighter still to that damning, tangible feeling of helplessness. He forced his eyes shut, stifling back hot searing tears of guilt. It felt good to cry, he knew that, but the painful effort to hold them back made him feel worse…pain he knew he deserved.

The quick rapt on the door caught him off guard and his head snapped up, eyes wide. Forgetting he was holding back crippling tears they slid down his face unnoticed, emphasizing his sadness more clearly.

Raine opened the door and the first thing she caught were the sparkling, almost mystical tears. She stopped and stared in surprise for a moment until she stepped inside and closed the door. Her white feathery hair, pure like her kind soul, fell over the left side of her pale, delicate face. Her dark violet eyes stared with worry, her lips creasing into a soft frown.

“Kratos?” she called softly. The angel turned away from her, brushing frantically at his tear stained face. “Kratos, are you all right?”

The question was obviously all ready answered the moment she had laid eyes on him, but the words left her mouth before she could even think of it. Seeing Kratos crying did numb one senses.

“I’m fine.” Was the expected answer from the mercenary.
Raine shook her head at her stupidity and made her way across the room. “Kratos, I came here to speak with you…” She trailed off….Just his almost cowering stance screamed ‘help me’ all too loudly in her ears. She couldn’t ignore this uncharacteristic show of emotions, even though the man was trying desperately to dismiss them.

She sat next to him, placing a comforting hand on his back. He tensed at the touch, his face curtained by his auburn hair, revealing nothing of what he was thinking.

“Kratos…I…want to tell you something.” She looked around, as if waiting for an answer, which of course, wouldn’t come. “Kratos…even when you left us, I was hurt, I admit that.” She felt him tense further under her hand and quickly she continued, “But I could not deny my feelings for you…I felt like… I really connected with you in those months that we traveled together. You were kind, friendly, and protective… I didn’t forget that.”

He turned slowly to face her, his eyes glossy from tears, but his face remained in that distant, I-don’t-care-about-
anything expression.

“What are you trying to say?” the angel asked quietly.
She flushed, pulling her hand away and twisting her fingers together nervously. Kratos watched her hands silent for a moment, then stood and stared out the window.

“Kratos…I…I think I’m in love with you.”

The angel reached over to the window sill and gripped it tightly with both hands. His face once again bowed don with the weight of his sorrow and softly he replied, “There is nothing of me that there is to love. I’m a traitor, a murderer, and a liar…” His voice was soft, soft…but firm. “I am the epitome of damnation…”

Her hands found his, her body pressed against his as she laid her face gently against his back. Her fingers tightened around his and she whispered, “I’ve had so much time to think about you…About us… That night in Hima… what did you want to tell me?”

Kratos turned around slowly, and Raine stepped back, gazing up into his eyes. He reached up, his hands trembling as he took her face between them.

“I wanted to tell you I was sorry for everything… Not to hate me…and…” His voice broke and tears broke away from his eyes. “I’m so sorry, I never meant… for any of this…”

“Kratos…” She said softly, tilting her head up. “In my heart, I have forgiven you. And more then anything…” His hands fell from her face, trailing down her arms to clench tightly to her wrists. “I want to be with you, I want you Kratos—“

“No…no you don’t.” He gasped painfully, shaking his head violently.

“Kratos, you don’t know what I want!”

“What do you really want!?” Kratos cried helplessly.

“I want you!” She yelled back, wrenching her arms from his hands and reaching up to take his head in her hands. Her fingers gripped his hair tightly and she forced a fierce kiss against his lips. He didn’t react at first, but as her kiss became more urgent, he returned it passionately.

They stayed locked in their loving embrace for a moment until
Kratos forced them apart. He was shaking his head, “You don’t want this.” He whispered softly, sadly.

“I do though!”

“Miss Sage…”

“Don’t call me that!” She said angrily.

Kratos stared helplessly, “Please…you don’t.”

Her fingers tightened in his hair and he winced slightly. “Do you love me?” she asked firmly.

“I…” He dropped his gaze.

“You what, Kratos? What do you want!?” She shook him urgently, and his head bobbed back and forth limply.

“I don’t want to hurt you…” He replied.

She kissed him again, gently though, and tilted her face up towards his. “I promise, nothing you could ever do or say could chance my feelings.”

He was breathing deeply, slowly. Blinking slowly, his face etched with confusion and sadness, he stared. The look was burning a hole of despair into her heart.

“Kratos… I want to be with you.”

She drew him forward, wrapping her arms around his waist and drawing him slowly away from the window. He followed her hesitantly, their eyes locked together.

He had never met a woman more demanding as she. Before Kratos knew it, she had him pinned down to the bed, straddling his hips as she kissed him. Her lips moved across his neck and he moaned softly, gripping her clothes between his fingers.

“Raine…I…” She nipped at his bottom lip silencing him. Her hands felt for his belt, upon finding them she unbuckled them. “R-Raine...”

“Shh…” She whispered softly against his neck. He squirmed under her, sweat beginning to form on his body. He gasped for breath, shaking his head as she nuzzled his neck lovingly.
Her fingers slipped under his shirt and she ran her fingers over his well trimmed body, tracing her digits against his abdomen, causing the auburn haired man to squirm more.

“Raine..?” The voice belonged to neither of them. Both heads turned abruptly to the doorway where Genis, Lloyd, and Zelos stood in mute silence. The voice of the tiny, frightened voice belonged to Raine’s younger brother.

Kratos felt himself flushing crimson and he closed his eyes tightly, clenching his fits at his sides.

“Don’t you guys knock!?” Raine asked, sounding embarrassed and angry.

Lloyd pointed dumbly at the door. “We heard yelling…”

“And moaning!” Zelos added, smirking.

Kratos flushed deeper.

“Raine, what are you doing with him?” Genis yelled aghast.

Awkwardly Raine “dismounted” the man and she fixed her ruffled clothes sharply. “It’s none of your business what I do, Genis.” She replied, attempting to regain some of her composure.

“Why him?!” Genis yelled angrily.

Kratos let out a shaky breath and sat up, pulling down his shirt and shakily fixing his undone belt.

“You’re…you’re smarter then this He’s a traitor! He’s part of—“ Genis started.

“Genis! Shut up! You and I both know that Kratos accepted us more easily then anyone else could have! He protected us…He-“

“That’s because he wanted to keep the Chosen safe! It had nothing to do with friendship!” The half-elf screamed. He looked to Kratos and snarled, “Stay away from my sister, or I’ll kill you myself!”

[Ramirez]



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