~Notes: I thought the song I used summed up the Kranna relationship well if ya think about it; every time I listen to it, I just think 'Kranna'. This fic turned out WAY differently than my original intentions, so I hope everything's alright. It's rated for a teeny weeny reference to sex.

~Disclaimer: I don't own any part of Tales of Symphonia, nor the song used as…a theme, I guess…? The song's called 'Alive' by Isayama Mio. I only used the chorus and the very last line of the song (translated into English, which is why it seems a little awkward).

Another world

It may rain always

I don't wanna cry

You're alive by my side

Even if I see all tragedy or darkness

I promise you my dream

Take you in sunshine

----

Anna pushed back the flimsy curtains of the inn room's window and opened it. Almost immediately, she was overwhelmed with the aromas of freshly bloomed flowers that rode on the spring morning breeze. Giving a brief look outside, she witnessed birds flitting from tree to tree singing morning melodies. She smiled, a small look of satisfaction evident on her face. The flowers' scents danced around her as she strode to the desk situated near the room's somewhat uncomfortable bed. Her smile slowly faded as she remembered what she was doing in the room in the first place. Crystal-clear images of someone, a Desian perhaps, standing in wait for the opportunity to strike played out in her head. Fearing someone might have been out there, she walked back to the window and closed it as quickly and quietly as she could, making sure the thin curtains were securely back in their original places. Sighing, she went back to the desk to tend to the few supplies she had to pack away for yet another day of travelling.

As she prepared for her day, Anna reflected on her past few weeks of freedom. Her journey was filled with many days of aimless travelling. Days of fleeing to get as far from the Desians as possible. Days of blindly following a man she barely knew. It was not the kind of life she wanted to live, but it was better than being tortured and starved to the brink of death in the Asgard Ranch. She had seen far too much death in her young life --starvation, suicides, mercy killings, murders-- and was quite happy to be away from it all. She had hastily grown to appreciate the little things in life while she travelled with her 'knight in shining armour', Kratos.

About the man Anna travelled with…she always knew that there was something strange about him the moment she first laid eyes on him. He habitually walked past her cell every day, throwing a kind sideways glance at her every time. Sometimes, he would catch her eyes and hold them there, mesmerizing her, before he glanced away and swiftly departed. He had an aura of power surrounding him, and she knew that he had some status in the Ranch. Despite his authority, he got her out, and she almost felt compelled to follow Kratos wherever he went since then. Her compulsion, however, was not because she needed protection, but because he had many attributes that she began to notice in a very short time. She believed that what she noticed about him might hold the key for her urges of following him. Bringing her index finger to tap on her chin while she pondered, Anna began a mental list; first came his strength, both physical and mental: the Ranch had tight security, and Kratos had to have a lot of brains and brawn to get past it. The Desians, especially in numbers, were no pushovers, after all. Second came his quick thinking and commanding leadership: Anna, who more often than not had a level head, could not think straight when the pair were attempting to escape. Panic had overwhelmed her, practically making her silly putty in Kratos' hands. Though, if it weren't for Kratos' laid out instructions and calm exterior, she would have been an absolute mess.

As intimidating as his presence was, there were the more gentler traits Kratos had. For one, his deep, almost melodic voice was quite soothing and easy to listen to (she was not afraid to admit that she could listen to him speak all day, though he rarely ever said a word). Lastly, there was his striking noble-esque appearance, of course. Can't forget that, she mused. For a face so untouched by age, his dark eyes held many mysteries and the knowledge that only those with seemingly eons of wisdom could possess.

At first, Anna wasn't quite sure why she fully trusted him, even counting his characteristics. Why, out of all the prisoners at the Ranch, did he choose her? Anna never thought much of herself at all. She looked like any regular citizen; just a nobody among nobodies. Turning her head to look at the mirror beside her, Anna observed her shoulder-length russet tresses, jade-green eyes, and sinewy stature (which could have, more or less, be blamed on her past malnutrition due to the Ranch)-- such ordinary, common traits. Anna looked quite the opposite from exotic, in her opinion.

Looking away, she wondered what he wanted with her. Yes, he had saved her life from that repulsive ranch, but for what price? Were there certain favours he wanted in return? She shook her head and mentally scolded herself for having such a childish and disturbing mindset. Not everyone in the world could possibly be as bad as she was thinking. Though he was a man of few words, he never advanced on her--only protected her and catered to her every whim. Anna had nothing but the grimy Ranch-rags on her back when they escaped, and he was quick to buy her a few of the articles of clothing her heart desired ("Not too many,"he had delicately scolded. "We must travel lightly, sweeting.").

'Sweeting'…that was what he called her often, sending shivers of ecstasy to snake up her spine. Though it didn't bother her as much as it should have, she found it peculiar that a man she hardly knew would christen her with such an endearing pet-name.

It was very difficult for Anna to voice her concerns to someone so emotionless, so stoic. How that man was always able to stay composed while she was almost always in a state of worry and panic, she would most likely never know. Kratos was, Anna had to admit, her very foundation; he was there when she needed him. And, as corny as she knew it sounded, he really was her knight in shining armour.

Hoisting her pack up onto her shoulders and walking to the inn room's door, Anna prepared herself to face whatever challenge would emerge today. She never quite knew what lay ahead of her each day, and she wasn't sure she wanted to know, in fact. Perhaps Anna could muster up the courage to question Kratos? She laughed bitterly; she doubted she could ever be ready for that. However, she still hoped for a bright future, and would take everything one step at a time --with Kratos. She really believed that things were looking up for her.

There was one soft knock on her door --only one to signify that it was Kratos and no one else-- that brought her out of her thoughts. Taking a deep breath, Anna reached for the door knob to step out into the world once again…

----

In this world where it lives on…

~End Notes: This took forever, and I think I made Anna a little wimpy (despite the fact that she's almost like an OC). BUT, Kratos is kinda scary. Anyway, I wanted to do something that said a lot in a few words. Lemme guess...I failed? Eheh heh...heh...

Hmm…well, hopefully you enjoyed my little return to actually doing something on this website again (besides complaining about something or another). This isn't the first story I've written for this site, by the way; I deleted the other one because of my 'amateurity'. Now that (I think) I've gotten better, I'll hopefully be able to come out of my shell and submit the other things I've written. Anyway, I'd appreciate a review…*cheesy grin*