Tales of Symphonia Story, Sylvarant Chronicles (1)

QUIZ START: You saw something sparkle on Kratos' middle finger.
It looked like a ring.
But the Sorcerers Ring...was on his other hand.
"What's that?" you ask. For a second you thought it was a wedding ring, when you remember *Wedding rings aren't worn on the middle finger...Good...it would be horrible if he was married and yet I was acting the way I did...* you manage to keep from sighing out loud.
"A ring?" asked Lloyd "You're married?" Kratos looked at Lloyd like he was an idiot.
"No. This isn't that kind of ring, Lloyd." He pulled off the ring. It wasn't a full ring, sure it went all the way around a person's finger, but it wasn't a solid band. It was small strings of looping silver linked together; there were holes between the silver strands that penetrated all the way down to his finger. The silver was amazing; it was almost as bright as your eyes.
"Hey, I've seen something like that before!" Sheena said "Its called a 'Promise Ring'. You would give someone a ring like that to make sure they keep your promise. But I've only seen those in Tethe'alla.....never a design like that though..."
"Hm. I don't know about Tethe'alla. But an old friend gave it to me a few years ago. When they had me make a promise," Kratos explained, slipping the ring back on his middle finger. A branch snapped suddenly, Noishe barked and whined... A small bird stumbled out of the bushes. It took a minute until its frantically and wildly flapping wings finally lifted it off the ground and it soared up into the canopy, then out of the forest.

WITH THEM: Aura put a hand under Noishe's chin and rubbed his forehead kindly,
"You scaredy dog! It was just a little bird, and you frightened it. You big bully!" she scolded kindly. Sheena petted the dog too.
"So someone gave you that?" asked Lloyd.
"Yes." Kratos confirmed.
"Wow, your friend really trusted you?" the Mercenary was looking at Aura, who was still petting the large dog. Lloyd couldn't see his expression soften slightly, before he responded,
"Yes. They did." then he walked off "We should keep going. The sooner we get out of this forest the better."
"...Was it something I said?" asked Lloyd.

Kratos walked next to you,
"Hey, could I could that ring again?" you asked,
"...I don't see the harm in it." he pulled the ring from his middle finger, and handed it to you. You carefully take the silver ring from him, and look over it in your hands. There was something so familiar about this ring. You turn the ring over, examining it carefully,
"Hm..." You were deep in thought, trying to remember why this looked so familiar to you. When he asked,
"Aura, is something wrong?" asked Kratos, noticing your serious expression.
"No..." you don't want to sound like Raine obsessing over something. You subconsciously throw a question at him, the first thing off the top of your head. "Why did you put the ring on, now?" You weren't exactly listening, still examining the ring, but he answered,
"I put it on to remember the promise I made to you yesterday. I've always had it with me, but I took it off because I didn't want to loose it." you heard his explanation clearly. You look at him, and smile softly. His expression softened slightly.
"Here." you offer the silver ring. Which he took from your outstretched hand,
"Thank you." he slipped the ring back on his middle finger, and you all continue walking.

But as you walked something... happened. Light flashed briefly *?* You look to Kratos to ask if he saw it. But... You stop. His outfit. It was different.
Instead of being purple, it was white, the tails of his cape thinner, and slightly longer.
"!"
"...?" Kratos stopped, and turned back to you. "Aura?" he asked. Lloyd and the others continued through the forest, Noishe following them. The front of Kratos' shirt was covered in belts, one of which secured his sword... His shirt had a high neck and long sleeves that widened just slightly at his wrists, and his gloves were a blackish color. There wasn't any part of his cape covering his shoulders, like there was before, either. Kratos' outfit was completely different. "Is something wrong?" you could barely hear him. You didn't even notice when he moved *What...? What is...?* "Aura." a hand was rested gently on your shoulder,
"...!" you begin to come back to reality "Wh-what?" Kratos had put a hand on your shoulder, bringing you back to reality........briefly,
"Aura?" he asked.
"..." you were still confused...you quickly slip from reality again.
"Aura, what is it? What's wrong?" you didn't respond "Are you in a trance...?" he asked, resting his other hand on your other shoulder. "Are you alright? Can you hear me? Aura!" you look to what he was wearing. It was still white
"What...?" you whisper inaudibly.
"Aura!" asked Kratos seriously. Running out of ideas to wake you up, he began to shake you gently "Can you hear me?! Snap out of it! Aura, answer me!" Light flashed again, and it changed back. His outfit became purple again "Aura!" you shake your head quickly, finally hearing Kratos calling you. He stopped shaking you when he realized you had woken up,
"H-huh...!?" you ask, snapping your head up to look at him. "Wh-what?" Kratos looked at you worriedly, squeezing your shoulders gently.
"You were in a trance...I think." he said. "Are feeling alright? Did anything happen to you?" you nod.
"I-I'm fine, Kratos." you assure "I'm fine..."
"..." he didn't believe you. He squeezed your shoulders just a little tighter... worriedly.
"You weren't responding to anything I said, or did." he told you "It was just like the trances you go into at the Seals."
"W-well..." you say, looking to the side, unsure. Then meet his eyes again, he was waiting patiently for you to answer. You shake your head as a response to his question. "...Don't worry, I'm fine. Really."
"...Are you sure?" you nod again.
"Uh-huh. I just thought I saw something for a second."
"...If your absolutely sure." he slowly pulled his hands from your shoulders, and started to walk ahead.

When light flashed again, you saw it again. His outfit changed to the white one you had seen earlier. But light flashed again quickly, and it changed back to purple.
"Hurry, Aura. Lloyd and the others have continued on." Kratos called.
"..." *What's going on?* Just as he pushed back a branch that spread across the path, he looked back.
"...Aura?" you shake your head once, and jog to his side.
"...I'm ok." you assure. "Really. I've...I'm just a little worried about the Desians, I'm worried they could still be in the forest, I mean."
"..." he just looked at you, hand still resting on the branch. "...You don't need to worry about the Desians, Aura." he assured, finally "If we run into them before we find Lloyd and the others, I'll protect you." you smile kindly at his promise.
"...Thanks, Kratos..."
"You're sure you're alright?" the Mercenary asked again. You nod in response,
"Mm-hm."
"...If you insist... Alright." he agreed reluctantly. "...But,"
"Huh?"
"...I mean no offense." the Mercenary assured "But...after how you've acted for the past few minutes... It will be wise for you not to leave my side until we find Lloyd and the others...who knows when something like that may happen again. Is that alright?" you nod once,
"...Okay. If you say so." you agree.
"Good. Now, lets go. I'm sure Raine, at least, has noticed that we're gone." then you both continue ahead, to find the others.

After a few more hours, the sun was starting to set. But you finally make it out of the forest. Lloyd went running out of the trees
"Yes! Were out! Finally!" you laugh a little as Noishe ran out to him and barked, Genis ran out too
"Man. It feels good to see the sun!" the little elf said.
"Yeah. The forest is nice, but the open is nicer." Sheena agreed
"There is no time for dawdling. We should continue." Kratos said "Not only are the Desians following us, but we need to get to Hima."
"Kratos is right." Raine agreed "Lets go." they nodded, you did to. As you walk, Raine finally finished lecturing you on healing
"Do you understand?"
"Hm... I think so." you say.
"Good. I know that Pietro's disease is very extensive. I will require your help to heal him. Will you?"
"Of course!!!" you tell her.
'Have you learned the technique?' asked Colette, jogging to catch up to you
"For the most part." you respond. She smiled, and everyone knew that meant she was saying 'thats good'.

It was now getting to be ridiculous...Thanks to the time that had to be wasted finding your way from the forest, you still hadn't made it to Hima by sundown. You sat around the campfire after dinner, determined to keep moving and make it to Hima the next day. You turn your eyes upward to see the dark blue, black, dark purple and blood red sky above your head. A few stars were splashed around here and there. You all fell asleep a short while later, ready to wake up early and Keep Moving.