Kranna Week Archive: 2019 - 2023

“I'm back, my dear…” Kratos announced, slightly out of breath, before entering their tent.

“Welcome back, honey…” Anna murmured groggily as she sat up from their futon.

“I hope I didn't wake you.” He said, giving her a concerned look before setting his knapsack down on his side of the futon. “And I hope you weren't alone for too long.”

“You didn't, Kratos.” She gave him a knowing but tired smile. “Noishe came by a little while ago to check on me, so I wasn't alone this whole time, either. We took a nap for a little bit, too.”

“I see…” Kratos smiled gently as he sat down next to her. “Then I'll have to thank him with some affection, and let him have one of the fish I caught this afternoon, once he visits us again.”

“Oooh! What kind of fish did you catch, honey?” Anna asked excitedly. “I was starting to get tired of having soup or stew every night, so I'm glad you were able to finally catch something for us to eat tonight.”

“Well, you haven't been feeling well lately, my dear, and those are the best meals to eat when you're ill.” He advised, giving her a soft smile. “And I caught four walleye from the lake nearby. I can cook again tonight, if you want.”

“Oh, we haven't had walleye in a while. I should have a good recipe for it in my bag, honey.” She said as she grabbed her knapsack and took out her recipe book. “It should be a very easy and straightforward recipe for you to follow.”

Kratos took the recipe book from her when she handed it over. “All right then… I should have all the spices I need in my bag. Now, how are you feeling, my dear?”

Anna gave him a knowing smile. “I'm feeling better. I'm mostly just tired today. I should be able to travel a longer distance without you having to carry me when we leave in the morning.”

He reached out with a hand and touched her forehead. “Hmm… Well you don't seem to have a fever anymore, my dear. I suppose all you need is another good night's sleep and you'll be feeling even better in the morning.”

The couple silently smiled at each other for a moment before Anna decided to lay back down on her side of the futon. Kratos left the tent with his knapsack to relight their campfire and prepare dinner for the two of them. About an hour later, just as Kratos removed the cast iron skillet with two garlic and herb encrusted walleye fillets from the campfire’s flame, Noishe appeared from behind a tree.

“Ah, there you are, Noishe.” Kratos greeted the loyal protozoan as Noishe slowly walked over to him.

Noishe let out a happy whine as Kratos gave him a few pets on his head and neck. He then set down a plate with a raw, unseasoned, and deboned walleye fillet in front of the protozoan.

“Thank you for taking care of Anna this afternoon, Noishe.” Kratos thanked the protozoan while giving him more pets.

Noishe barked softly, then quickly licked Kratos’ cheek. Kratos couldn't help but chuckle a little at Noishe’s reaction to him voicing his gratitude. He then watched as the protozoan all but devoured the walleye fillet, licking the plate clean like a typical dog would when he was finished eating.

Once Noishe laid down in front of the campfire, Kratos picked up the plate and placed it back into his knapsack. He quickly plated the other two seasoned walleye fillets and went back inside the tent. Anna sat up and greeted her husband as he entered the tent holding two plates of walleye fillets. The scent of garlic and herb filled the air inside the tent.

“Noishe is back, my dear…” Kratos said as he handed her a plate and fork. “He ate one of the other two walleyes, and now he's sleeping in front of the campfire.”

“Yeah, I could hear your conversation with him from here, honey.” Anna grinned while she took the plate and fork from him. “It sounds like he really missed you today. I hope he's able to travel with us tomorrow.”

He chuckled softly. “I hope so too, my dear. I'll ask him in the morning.”

When the couple finished dinner about half an hour later, Kratos took both of their dirty dishes and forks and placed them in a designated compartment of his knapsack until he could wash them later.

“That walleye fillet was so good, honey.” She commented as she laid back down on the futon. “We'll have to split the other one between us for lunch tomorrow. I think I have another recipe in my book that I'd like to try for it, too.”

“Sounds good, my dear.” Kratos smiled gently before he left the tent again.

He left the tent with his knapsack and began to clean up the campsite. Noishe continued to sleep soundly while Kratos extinguished the campfire and placed the cast iron skillet back into his knapsack. Once the campsite looked clean, and the now extinguished campfire had been covered with dirt, Kratos went back inside the tent with his knapsack and Anna's recipe book in hand.

“Anna, my dear, are you still awake?” He called out as he entered the tent.

“Yes I am, honey.” Anna replied as she sat up a little on the futon. “You know I'm not falling asleep without a goodnight kiss from you.”

Kratos chuckled softly at her response as he set up and lit a candle lit lantern at the corner of their tent near the foot of the futon. After setting up the lantern, he set his knapsack down in the opposite corner of the tent, then reached out and handed over his wife's recipe book.

“Here's your recipe book, my dear.” He said as she took her recipe book from him and he laid down on the futon and pulled the comforter up over himself. “There's something I wanted to talk to you about before we go to sleep tonight.”

“Oh, well, what is it, honey?” She questioned while she placed her recipe book back into her knapsack.

“There's a field of flowers that I walked by on my way to and from the lake where I caught those walleye earlier today.” Kratos replied without hesitation while giving her a soft smile. “I wondered if you might be interested in traveling there tomorrow and perhaps we could set up camp nearby for tomorrow night, my dear.”

Anna laid back down on the futon next to her husband and gave him an interested look after pulling the comforter up over herself. “How far is it from here? And what kind of flowers are they, honey?”

“Hmm… I would say it's about five miles away from here.” He answered thoughtfully. “Do you think you're feeling well enough now to walk that far?”

“Yeah, I think I am. And if Noishe is with us I could always hitch a ride on him if I get tired. Or you could carry me or give me a piggy back ride, honey.” She joked, lightly teasing him. “I mean that's what you've been doing already these last couple of weeks that I haven't been feeling well.”

Kratos sighed and gave her a knowing smile. “All right then, my dear, I understand. And the flowers are poppies, to answer your other question. I won't say what type of poppies they are, because I want to surprise you when we travel there tomorrow.”

“Oh it's been a while since I've seen poppies out in the wild.” Anna commented with a hint of excitement. “I'm excited for you to show me, honey!”

He leaned over and down and gave her a chaste kiss on her lips that she gladly reciprocated. “You should go to sleep now, my dear. You'll need all the rest you can get for our travels tomorrow.”

She suddenly let out a loud yawn. “Well you don't have to tell me twice, honey. Good night, Kratos, I love you.”

Kratos smiled to himself and reached out to gently caress her cheek with his hand. “I love you too, Anna. Good night, my dear, and I hope you sleep well tonight.”

He then rolled over and quietly grabbed his knapsack and took out a small book. For the next half an hour, he read through various pages of the book, a book on flower language, until he started to feel sleepy. Kratos then put the book back into his knapsack and crawled over to extinguish the lantern near the foot of the futon. He then crawled back under the covers and laid down on the futon and his pillow, where he fell asleep within minutes.

_____

The next morning once Anna woke up, Kratos got up and left the tent to prepare a hardy breakfast for the two of them before they left. After setting up a small campfire next to the one that was already buried, he cooked a pot of porridge, along with a few sunny side up eggs and strips of bacon. It was the couple’s go-to breakfast on travel days. He then greeted Noishe and gave him the leftover bacon and eggs once he plated his and Anna's plates.

“Are you going to be traveling with us today, Noishe?” Kratos asked the loyal protozoan while petting his head and neck.

Noishe barked happily and nudged Kratos with his snout.

Kratos chuckled. “I'll take that as a yes, then.”

_____

The three quickly finished breakfast within thirty minutes. Kratos and Anna then spent the next half hour taking down their tent and putting their futon and bedding, along with any other belongings back inside their knapsacks. Once the campsite was cleared of any trace that they'd been there, the three headed off out of the forest. A few hours into their travels, the three stopped on top of a grassy hill to have lunch. Anna decided to take over cooking for the first time in two weeks, and Kratos was internally grateful that he wouldn't have to cook again for a while. When the couple was finished having lunch, the three set off again on their travels toward the field of poppies.

“Thank you for making lunch, my dear.” Kratos thanked his wife as he walked alongside her. “It was delicious, and I'm glad we were able to eat the last walleye I caught yesterday before it spoiled.”

“You're welcome, honey!” Anna quietly exclaimed as she looked up at him and gave him a soft grin. “I thought the recipe was simple enough to use with the last walleye while we were traveling today. Just a squeeze of lemon and a generous amount of fresh ground black pepper.”

_____

The three arrived at their destination later that afternoon. Anna's jaw dropped in awe at the view of hundreds of pink poppies spread out across the field. She dropped her knapsack and turned toward her husband while wearing a look of complete surprise on her face.

“I can see why you wanted to surprise me, honey!” Anna exclaimed as she immediately took his hand in hers. “Pink poppies! I've never seen any in person before! I've only seen illustrations of them in books!”

“Do you want to take a closer look, my dear?” Kratos asked, giving her a knowing smile.

“Yes, let's go!” She declared, pulling her husband along as she took off running into the field of pink poppies. “Noishe, watch our bags, please!”

He couldn't help but chuckle at her enthusiasm as he allowed her to pull him along behind her. Noishe barked loudly a few times before laying down behind their knapsacks. The loyal protozoan watched the couple carefully as they disappeared into the field of pink poppies.

Anna came to an abrupt stop somewhere in the middle of the field. She turned around to face Kratos as she held his hand in hers.

“I know you aren't interested in flower language as much as I am, honey.” Anna said sheepishly, her gaze shifting to the ground, his hand still in hers. “But do you know what the meaning of pink poppies is?”

Kratos took her other hand in his and she immediately looked up at him. “I do now, my dear. Or at least one of the meanings of these flowers. Do you remember that small book about flower language you gave to me a while ago?”

She nodded, not taking her eyes off his.

“Last night after you fell asleep I read the page about pink poppies and all of their meanings in different cultures.” He continued while offering her a sincere smile. “Two of those meanings are compassion and admiration. Over the last few years that we've been traveling together, and over the time that our relationship has evolved from mere strangers to marriage, you've always shown me the utmost compassion, no matter how I've treated you. And I will admit, as I have before, that I wasn't kind to you when we first met. I've always admired that about you, and I've always admired your strength in overcoming any obstacle you've faced during our time together, my dear. Whether it's a sudden illness, or side effects from your Exsphere, you've shown me you can overcome it with relative ease. That is ultimately why I wanted to show you this field of poppies, even though I'm sure you already know the meaning behind this particular variety, my dear.”

Anna had tears in her eyes when he was finished with his speech. Without another word spoken between them, she wrapped her arms around him and hugged him tightly, her hands and fingers digging into his twin-tailed and two-tone indigo colored cape. Kratos, in turn, wrapped his arms around her and hugged her, resting his head against hers as she started to cry. He held her in his arms as she sobbed with tears streaming down her face.

“Don't cry, my dear.” Kratos stated reassuringly after they parted moments later.

He helped her wipe away her tears with his thumbs as he reached up and cupped her face.

“Don't worry, Kratos, these are happy tears.” Anna sighed happily as she looked up at her husband. “And yes, I remember giving you that book, honey. I wasn't expecting you to actually read any of it, though.”

Kratos chuckled a little, then wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her closer to him. “I suppose I can be full of surprises sometimes, my dear.”

She laughed happily as she wrapped her arms around his neck. “I just wasn't expecting you to relate some of those meanings to me. Your words meant a lot to me, honey. And because of you, I had the chance to see all of these wonderful, beautiful poppies today, so thank you.”

He gave her a gentle smile. “You're welcome, my dear.”

Anna looked up at Kratos expectantly. “I love you, Kratos.”

Kratos leaned down and touched his forehead to hers. “I love you too, Anna.”

When she entered the kitchen moments later, she was shocked to find him standing at their kitchen island with an array of ramekins and mixing bowls, along with a couple whisks and spatulas. She then looked over at the counter across from him, and saw that both the rice cooker and food processor were plugged in and ready to be used for whatever it was that he planned on making, along with another bowl filled with what appeared to be mung beans and water.

“What are you doing, Kratos?” Anna asked with a puzzled look on her face as she walked toward him.

Kratos let out an uncharacteristically startled noise, her inquiry pulling him out of his focus.

“Ah, I was hoping you wouldn't notice… I wanted to surprise you, my dear. I'm making a dessert for our anniversary tomorrow.”

She gave him a knowing smile. “Well, now that I know, maybe I could help you make it? What dessert are you trying to make, honey?”

He glanced at her for a moment. “...Well you know how you've been cooking a lot of dishes from that one area outside of Mizuho. This dessert is from that part of the world. They're called Husband and Wife Cakes.”

“Oooh!” Anna exclaimed excitedly. “Then this sounds like the perfect dish for us to make together!”

Kratos let out a knowing sigh and simply nodded in agreement with her. He took out his phone from his pants pocket and handed it to her. “The video with the recipe, along with a screenshot of the ingredients should be readily available on my phone, my dear.”

After watching the nearly seven minute long video and taking a look at the screenshot of the ingredients, she gave him his phone back. “Aw, I love the sentimental meaning behind the filling and the sticky dough of the cake. I'm so happy you wanted to make this for our anniversary, honey!”

He nodded in agreement with her and gave her a gentle smile before turning his attention over to the bowl sitting next to the rice cooker and food processor. “Then let's get started, my dear… I've already soaked the mung beans for an hour in this bowl over here. So the beans just need to be cooked in the rice cooker and then mashed up in the food processor.”

“All right, then how about I go ahead and finish making the filling for the cakes while you make the dough, honey?”

“Sounds like a good plan, my dear.”

Kratos gave his wife another soft smile before walking back over to the island where all the bowls, utensils and ingredients were to make the dough for the cakes. Anna poured the cup of mung beans after draining them in the sink into the rice cooker and cooked them for about ten minutes, or until they were of a soft consistency. While the mung beans were cooking, she walked over to her husband and helped him make the dough for the cakes.

“Are you planning on doubling the recipe for the dough, honey?” She asked as she watched him divide the ingredients for the dough between two mixing bowls.

“Yes, my dear.” He replied as he poured equal amounts of tapioca starch, water, mung bean starch, sugar, vegetable oil, and shredded coconut into each of the bowls. “One batch of dough will have purple food coloring, and the other will have red food coloring.”

“Oh, I was wondering what food coloring you planned on adding to the dough.” Anna commented as she began to mix one of the bowls with the ingredients for the dough with a whisk. “The ones featured at the end of the recipe video were so pretty!”

Kratos put one of the bowls in the microwave above the oven and stovetop once he was finished whisking the ingredients for the dough, and set the timer for a minute and thirty seconds. When the timer on the microwave went off, the timer on the rice cooker went off too. Anna finished whisking the other bowl of dough ingredients, then headed over to the rice cooker and scooped out the now cooked mung beans into the food processor. She then added the correct amounts of water, sugar, vegetable oil, vanilla extract, and a couple pinches of salt to the cooked mung beans. While the food processor blended the mung bean mixture, Kratos took out the bowl of dough from the microwave and stirred it with a whisk until the dough turned into a more sticky consistency. He placed the other bowl that Anna had finished mixing previously into the microwave and set the timer for the same amount of time as the other one.

Once the food processor finished blending the mung bean mixture into a mushy paste, Anna turned off the food processor and began scooping out the mixture with a stainless steel scoop. She then formed the mixture into around three dozen balls with her hands and placed each one onto a plate. Meanwhile, Kratos placed both bowls of now semi-sticky dough individually into the microwave for another minute, before stirring both of them vigorously until both bowls of dough turned into a completely sticky consistency.

“Wow, honey, this is going to create quite a big yield of cakes!” Anna commented as she carried over the plate of mung bean filling to the kitchen island. “I think we're going to need more ramekins for this next part of the recipe.”

“I think so too, my dear…” Kratos said in agreement, giving her a gentle smile before walking over to retrieve the rest of the ramekins the couple owned from one of the upper cabinets.

While her husband retrieved the rest of the ramekins, Anna squeezed a few drops of purple or red food coloring into the bowls of sticky dough. She then whisked in the food coloring with a whisk until both bowls of sticky dough turned either purple or red. Kratos returned to the island moments later and helped her with the next step of the recipe, which was to form the cakes inside the ramekins. They each took a ramekin, scooped out some of the purple or red colored sticky dough with a spatula, and spread it out onto the bottom of the ramekin. Once all of the ramekins had some of the sticky dough spread out onto the bottom of them, they then placed a ball of mung bean filling onto each one and then scooped out and spread another layer of sticky dough over the filling with a spatula. After forming each of the cakes inside the ramekins with a spatula, Anna walked over to retrieve the bamboo steamer from one of the lower cabinets while Kratos placed the two dirty mixing bowls into the dishwasher.

“Okay, so the next step is going to be to steam the cakes until they look translucent and you can see the filling inside them.” Anna commented as she placed a medium sized pot onto the front right burner of the stovetop that she had filled with a couple inches of water just moments earlier. “Can you bring the ramekins over here, honey?”

“Sure, my dear…” Kratos nodded as he grabbed a few of the ramekins from off the kitchen island and brought them over to the kitchen counter next to the stovetop.

Once all of the ramekins were brought over to the counter, Kratos joined his wife at the island and stood next to her while she waited for the water in the pot to boil. A comfortable silence fell between the couple for a moment before Anna turned toward her husband, stood up on her toes, and planted a kiss on his cheek, her hand reaching up to cup his other cheek.

“Thank you, honey, for letting me help you make this dessert tonight.” Anna stated, her voice full of gratitude, after giving him another kiss on his cheek.

Kratos gave her a gentle smile, a faint blush permeating his face. “No problem, my dear… Though I should be thanking you for helping me. It would probably take me twice as long to make these cakes were it not for your help, since you are the expert in the kitchen, my dear.”

She giggled at his comment as she walked back over to the stovetop. “Well I can't argue with that, honey.”

Once the water in the pot came to a boil, she lowered the heat on the stove and placed the bamboo steamer on top of the water in the pot. She then placed as many of the cake filled ramekins as she could inside the two baskets, then put the lid on the top basket.

“There, now we wait for about fifteen minutes and then I'll put the other batch in.” Anna said as she walked back over to her husband's side again. “I can't wait to see how these cakes turn out!”

“Me too, my dear…” Kratos agreed as he began to clean up the island.

Once fifteen minutes had passed, Anna removed the lid on the steamer and separated the two baskets. She then removed each ramekin now filled with a translucent purple or red colored cake and placed them on the counter to cool off. When Kratos was finished with putting the rest of the dirty cooking utensils into the dishwasher, and the tiny food coloring bottles back into one of the upper cabinets, he helped his wife place the other batch of cakes into the bamboo steamer. The couple then worked on transferring the first batch of cakes from the ramekins to a sheet of plastic wrap laid out on the counter.

“So now we just need to wrap the cakes and form them into little squares. That shouldn't take too long.” Anna said as she looked up at her husband. “Can you check on the other batch while I'm wrapping this batch, honey?”

“Sure, my dear…” Kratos obliged as he walked back over to the stovetop.

By the time the other batch of cakes were done, Anna had finished wrapping the first batch into small, individual square shaped cakes. Kratos removed the other batch of cakes and placed all the ramekins on the counter to cool off.

“This batch is ready to be put into the fridge, honey.” Anna said after placing all of the individually wrapped cakes into a rectangular glass container. “Or should we try one of them now?”

“I don't mind if we try one now, my dear.” Kratos answered, giving her another soft smile. “We could just reheat this batch of cakes in the steamer tomorrow after dinner for dessert.”

“All right then, let's do that!” She agreed. “Which one do you want, honey? Purple or Red?”

“I'll try a purple one, my dear.” He replied.

“I figured you'd say that.” Anna lightly teased before handing him one of the individually wrapped purple colored cakes.

After taking out one of the individually wrapped red colored cakes, Anna and Kratos each unwrapped theirs and took a bite. The couple took a moment to quietly savor their bites before voicing their opinions on how the cakes taste.

“Oh wow!” She exclaimed before eating the other half of her cake. “These are so good! Not too sweet, and pleasantly chewy. The shredded coconut also adds a nice texture and extra flavor.”

Kratos softly chuckled at his wife's chef-like review of the dessert. “I agree, my dear, the flavor is nice and light.”

He helped her wrap up the other batch of cakes and place them into another rectangular glass container. Anna then put a lid on both containers and put them in the fridge. She then walked back over to her husband and helped him tidy up the counter and stovetop.

____________

Once the counter and island looked spotless, and the rice cooker and food processor were back in their designated spots on the counter, Anna walked up to Kratos and wrapped her arms around him. He gladly reciprocated with an added kiss to the top of her head.

“Thank you again, honey, for letting me help you make this dessert tonight.” She said, looking up at him with a soft smile.

“Of course, my dear…”

Kratos then leaned down and kissed her forehead before touching his forehead to hers. Anna wrapped her arms around his neck and looked up at him expectantly. He gave her a knowing smile and happily kissed her.

____________

The next day, the couple celebrated their anniversary by having both a special breakfast and gourmet dinner. Kratos helped his wife prepare both meals and set up their dining room table for the celebratory occasion. Once dinner was finished and Kratos placed their plates and utensils into the dishwasher, Anna brought out ten of the Husband and Wife Cakes the couple made together the day before on a serving plate into the living room, and set them down on the coffee table.

“I figured we could have five each between us tonight and have the rest over the next few days, honey.” She commented as she sat down next to her husband on the couch.

He nodded and wrapped his arm around her and kissed her forehead like he'd done the night before. The couple ate the special dessert while enjoying each other's company over the next hour or so. When the serving plate was clean of all of the cakes, Anna let out a contented sigh and snuggled up against Kratos.

“Ah, those cakes are so good.” Anna sighed contentedly. “I'm so glad we were able to make them together last night. And thank you for helping me with making breakfast and dinner today, honey.”

Kratos kissed the top of her head. “No problem, my dear… And thank you again for helping me last night with making this aptly named dessert we had tonight.”

She looked up at him expectantly and he happily obliged her by leaning in and giving her a chaste kiss. He then picked up the serving plate from off the coffee table and headed toward the kitchen to place it into the dishwasher, his wife following closely behind him. Once the plate was in the dishwasher, he turned toward her and took her into his arms, wrapping his arms around her and holding her close.

“Now, my dear, do you remember what the meaning is behind these Husband and Wife Cakes we had tonight?” Kratos inquired, giving her a gentle smile.

Anna looked up at her husband and returned his smile with her own before she replied. “Of course, honey. The dough represents the stickiness of marriage bonds, and the filling represents loyalty between husband and wife.”

He gave her a knowing smile. “And doesn't that sound exactly like our marriage?”

“Well, you are stuck with me!” She joked, then softly giggled. “Just as I am stuck with you. It actually sounds like our entire relationship, for as long as we were nothing more than friends. And by that I mean we've been loyal to each other for that long, too.”

Kratos chuckled and gave her a soft, sincere smile. “I can't disagree with that, my dear. Happy anniversary, Anna…”

Anna looked up at her husband and grinned. “Happy anniversary, Kratos! I love you, honey…”

When he awoke sometime later, he found himself staring up at a wooden ceiling. He jolted upright and looked frantically around the room, immediately realizing that he was inside a cabin based on the view of his surroundings. The window to his right provided a direct view into the forest outside. He looked down at his hands and arms and immediately noticed they were no longer old and wrinkly. In addition to how his hands and arms appeared, he also noticed that he was wearing his lavender colored fingerless gloves and his indigo and white colored arm sleeves that extended from his biceps to his wrists.

He then looked at his spiky bangs, which were now auburn colored instead of silver and white. Was this just a dream? Or was this the afterlife? As he got out of bed, he recalled seeing a bright flash of light shortly after closing his eyes followed by darkness before he woke up. So perhaps this was the afterlife… Kratos quickly walked over to a tall standing mirror near the bedroom door to get a closer look at his appearance. His suspicions about this being the afterlife were further confirmed after looking at his appearance in the mirror.

He hadn't worn his mercenary attire in decades, and judging from his appearance in the mirror, that's exactly what he was wearing. Kratos sighed as he left the room, confused and bewildered as to whether this was just a dream or not. After ultimately leaving the cabin, in search of more proof and answers, he wandered through the forest until he saw a town off in the distance. The town appeared to look exactly like Luin, another detail that puzzled him, because he hadn't visited the town in decades, either.

When he arrived in town a short time later, he approached the nearest person, a man who seemed friendly enough to hopefully give him some answers. He talked with the man for a while, and his suspicions about this being the afterlife were officially confirmed. Kratos was also told the reason he ended up in the cabin nearby, because that's where his beloved wife would be. It now all made sense to him. Anna's hometown was Luin, so naturally, because she passed away long before him, she would end up near her hometown in the afterlife. The man also told Kratos that it was now all up to him to find and reunite with her.

Taking the man's suggestion of going back to the cabin and starting the search for her there, Kratos bid the man farewell and thanked him before he hurriedly left the town and ran back towards the cabin. When he arrived and went back inside, he started his search in the small closet inside the bedroom where he first opened his eyes earlier. The man in town told him that he would most likely find her deep inside what would appear to be a neverending closet. He made his way through all of the articles of clothing that were inside the closet, and quickly found himself surrounded by darkness again. Kratos pressed forward until he saw a light, followed by a vast, grey hued space.

He kept his forward stride as he fully entered the vast, empty space, surrounded by nothing but the color grey. His footsteps echoed off the floor as he continued on for a short while. Then something strange and surreal happened, he suddenly began to levitate a few feet up in the air, and an external, invisible force started to push and pull him forward. Kratos floated along slowly, and allowed this invisible force to carry him wherever it was going to take him.

This invisible force carried him along for a while, until another floating figure appeared in his line of sight. He floated closer, and immediately recognized the floating figure as none other than his wife. His mouth fell agape in shock at the sight of her. Kratos hadn't seen her in her human form since the moment before she was turned into an Exbelua…

He winced slightly at the painful memory as he floated around her. Anna's body was curled up in an almost defensive position. Her knees were fully bent and slightly raised, and her arms were pressed against her chest with her hands clasped together. Her outfit was almost completely intact, from her beige colored long sleeved shirt and pants to the brown colored belt she wore with those pants. The only article of clothing that wasn't completely intact was her beige colored poncho, which had various rips and tears along the hood and hem, plus a slightly large hole in the back. She wasn't wearing any shoes or socks, either, as her feet were completely exposed and bare. Kratos could only guess that this must have been her appearance in the moments before she passed away.

When he floated around to face her, he noticed that her eyes were still closed. Had she been in this vast, empty space this whole time? And had she been waiting for him this whole time, too? There was only one way to find out, and that was to get her to open her eyes so she would see that he was finally here, and that they were together again. His right arm wrapped around her underneath the hood on her poncho and pulled her closer to him. He then gently placed his left hand on the back of her head, closed his eyes and leaned in to plant a kiss against her hair.

“I'm here, my dear…” Kratos murmured against her hair. “You can open your eyes now, Anna. Please…”

She slowly opened her eyes and tilted her head up as he pulled back and opened his eyes again.

“Kratos?” Anna blinked, giving him a quizzical look.

It took her a moment for the realization that he was actually there to dawn on her, but when it did she let out a loud gasp and threw her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly.

“Kratos! Oh, Kratos!” Anna exclaimed while hugging her husband. “Oh, honey, you're finally here!”

“Yes, my dear, I am…” Kratos stated as he returned his wife's embrace. “I apologize for making you wait for me for so long…”

The couple floated down to the floor a moment later and reluctantly released each other.

“Oh, Kratos…” Anna stated as she shook her head with tears in her eyes. “All that matters to me is that you lived a long and happy life. That is all that I wished for, regardless of how long I would have to wait. I am so happy that you're finally here with me, though!”

He cupped her face with both hands and wiped the tears from her eyes with his thumbs, then let out a sigh and gave her gentle, yet hesitant smile. “A part of me is still not sure if I deserve to be here with you, my dear.”

She reached up and cupped his face in return, all while giving him a soft, knowing smile. “Remember when I told you that we would always be together? I still believe that. And now that you're here, that means you've done enough to deserve to be here with me. That's all that matters now, Kratos.”

Kratos paused for a moment to ruminate on his wife's statement before he made one of his own in agreement with her. “I suppose you're right, my dear. We now have eternity to spend together.”

He leaned down and touched his forehead to hers, then gently cupped her cheek. “I'm eternally yours, my dear…”

Her eyes welled with tears again. “Oh, Kratos, I love you!”

“I love you too, Anna.” Kratos smiled sincerely, his thumbs lightly brushing her cheeks. “Now let's leave this place and go back to the cabin. We can talk more there, my dear.”

The couple kissed, and Anna couldn't help but sigh contentedly against Kratos' lips. Both had yearned for this moment ever since death had parted them far too soon. She wrapped her arms around his neck while he wrapped his arms around her waist and deepened their kiss. When the two parted, Kratos took Anna's hand and led her towards the portal of darkness that would take them back to the cabin. They entered the cabin through the bedroom closet a short time later and Anna began to search for a pair of socks and boots.

After finding a pair of socks inside the dresser across from the bed, and a pair of boots near the door, she sat down at the side of the bed to put them on her feet. She then looked up at her husband, who was now standing in front of her.

“I should have mentioned this earlier, but since my death I've always been in that big, grey, and empty room, waiting for you to reunite with me, honey.” Anna commented before looking around the room and taking in more of her surroundings. “So I don't know anything about this cabin or where it is… Is this where you ended up after your death?”

He smiled softly and answered, “Yes, my dear, it is. When I opened my eyes earlier, I found myself in the bed you are now sitting on, trying to figure out where I was. I looked at my appearance in the mirror over there, and that's when I started to suspect that this might be the afterlife. I then went to the nearest town, which turned out to be Luin, in search of more answers. That's where I found a man who told me that this was the afterlife, and also how I would reunite with you.”

She gave him her full attention again at his mention of her hometown. “Oh, I see… So we're near Luin then. I wonder if that's because I arrived here first…”

Her expression turned thoughtful as Kratos gave her a soft, knowing smile.

“That's the conclusion I came to when I talked with the man in Luin, my dear.”

Anna clasped her hands together excitedly. “Oh, I'm so happy the afterlife seems to be similar to the living world! Let's go visit Luin and explore the world again as soon as we can, honey!”

Kratos sat down next to his wife at the side of the bed while still wearing his soft, knowing smile. “Well, my dear, we'll have plenty of time to explore and visit any town that you want.”

She wrapped her arms around one of his and laid her head down on his shoulder. “We have eternity now…”

His lips found her temple, where after kissing her there, he murmured, “Indeed, my dear, we have eternity…”

___________

The couple talked for hours, and Kratos told her all about his life after her death. The good, the bad, and the mundane. He told her that he reunited with their son, Lloyd, a little over a decade after her death. Anna didn't have much to talk about with her husband other than her wish to reunite with both Lloyd and her parents in the afterlife someday.

When the couple’s conversation ended, Kratos stood up and left the room for a moment. Anna stood up from the side of the bed a moment later and walked over to the window. She looked out at the forest and up at the sky, noticing the purple and pink hues that signaled the start of sunset. Kratos entered the bedroom again as she stared in awe at the scenery outside, and wrapped his arms around her waist from behind.

“Maybe the passage of time here is the same as the living world, honey.” Anna commented after her husband kissed her on the cheek.

“Perhaps you're right, my dear, though we have no need for food, water, or sleep anymore.” He murmured in her ear.

She sighed contentedly, “Let's go to sleep later anyway, even if we don't need to. I want to fall asleep in your arms again, at least for tonight.”

Kratos kissed her cheek again. “All right, my dear, if that's what you want, I'll gladly oblige you.”

“Oh, and Kratos?”

“Yes, my dear?”

“I'm eternally yours, honey…”

“And I am yours, my dear…”

When he awoke sometime later, he found himself staring up at a wooden ceiling. He jolted upright and looked frantically around the room, immediately realizing that he was inside a cabin based on the view of his surroundings. The window to his right provided a direct view into the forest outside. He looked down at his hands and arms and immediately noticed they were no longer old and wrinkly. In addition to how his hands and arms appeared, he also noticed that he was wearing his lavender colored fingerless gloves and his indigo and white colored arm sleeves that extended from his biceps to his wrists.

He then looked at his spiky bangs, which were now auburn colored instead of silver and white. Was this just a dream? Or was this the afterlife? As he got out of bed, he recalled seeing a bright flash of light shortly after closing his eyes followed by darkness before he woke up. So perhaps this was the afterlife… Kratos quickly walked over to a tall standing mirror near the bedroom door to get a closer look at his appearance. His suspicions about this being the afterlife were further confirmed after looking at his appearance in the mirror.

He hadn't worn his mercenary attire in decades, and judging from his appearance in the mirror, that's exactly what he was wearing. Kratos sighed as he left the room, confused and bewildered as to whether this was just a dream or not. After ultimately leaving the cabin, in search of more proof and answers, he wandered through the forest until he saw a town off in the distance. The town appeared to look exactly like Luin, another detail that puzzled him, because he hadn't visited the town in decades, either.

When he arrived in town a short time later, he approached the nearest person, a man who seemed friendly enough to hopefully give him some answers. He talked with the man for a while, and his suspicions about this being the afterlife were officially confirmed. Kratos was also told the reason he ended up in the cabin nearby, because that's where his beloved wife would be. It now all made sense to him. Anna's hometown was Luin, so naturally, because she passed away long before him, she would end up near her hometown in the afterlife. The man also told Kratos that it was now all up to him to find and reunite with her.

Taking the man's suggestion of going back to the cabin and starting the search for her there, Kratos bid the man farewell and thanked him before he hurriedly left the town and ran back towards the cabin. When he arrived and went back inside, he started his search in the small closet inside the bedroom where he first opened his eyes earlier. The man in town told him that he would most likely find her deep inside what would appear to be a neverending closet. He made his way through all of the articles of clothing that were inside the closet, and quickly found himself surrounded by darkness again. Kratos pressed forward until he saw a light, followed by a vast, grey hued space.

He kept his forward stride as he fully entered the vast, empty space, surrounded by nothing but the color grey. His footsteps echoed off the floor as he continued on for a short while. Then something strange and surreal happened, he suddenly began to levitate a few feet up in the air, and an external, invisible force started to push and pull him forward. Kratos floated along slowly, and allowed this invisible force to carry him wherever it was going to take him.

This invisible force carried him along for a while, until another floating figure appeared in his line of sight. He floated closer, and immediately recognized the floating figure as none other than his wife. His mouth fell agape in shock at the sight of her. Kratos hadn't seen her in her human form since the moment before she was turned into an Exbelua…

He winced slightly at the painful memory as he floated around her. Anna's body was curled up in an almost defensive position. Her knees were fully bent and slightly raised, and her arms were pressed against her chest with her hands clasped together. Her outfit was almost completely intact, from her beige colored long sleeved shirt and pants to the brown colored belt she wore with those pants. The only article of clothing that wasn't completely intact was her beige colored poncho, which had various rips and tears along the hood and hem, plus a slightly large hole in the back. She wasn't wearing any shoes or socks, either, as her feet were completely exposed and bare. Kratos could only guess that this must have been her appearance in the moments before she passed away.

When he floated around to face her, he noticed that her eyes were still closed. Had she been in this vast, empty space this whole time? And had she been waiting for him this whole time, too? There was only one way to find out, and that was to get her to open her eyes so she would see that he was finally here, and that they were together again. His right arm wrapped around her underneath the hood on her poncho and pulled her closer to him. He then gently placed his left hand on the back of her head, closed his eyes and leaned in to plant a kiss against her hair.

“I'm here, my dear…” Kratos murmured against her hair. “You can open your eyes now, Anna. Please…”

She slowly opened her eyes and tilted her head up as he pulled back and opened his eyes again.

“Kratos?” Anna blinked, giving him a quizzical look.

It took her a moment for the realization that he was actually there to dawn on her, but when it did she let out a loud gasp and threw her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly.

“Kratos! Oh, Kratos!” Anna exclaimed while hugging her husband. “Oh, honey, you're finally here!”

“Yes, my dear, I am…” Kratos stated as he returned his wife's embrace. “I apologize for making you wait for me for so long…”

The couple floated down to the floor a moment later and reluctantly released each other.

“Oh, Kratos…” Anna stated as she shook her head with tears in her eyes. “All that matters to me is that you lived a long and happy life. That is all that I wished for, regardless of how long I would have to wait. I am so happy that you're finally here with me, though!”

He cupped her face with both hands and wiped the tears from her eyes with his thumbs, then let out a sigh and gave her gentle, yet hesitant smile. “A part of me is still not sure if I deserve to be here with you, my dear.”

She reached up and cupped his face in return, all while giving him a soft, knowing smile. “Remember when I told you that we would always be together? I still believe that. And now that you're here, that means you've done enough to deserve to be here with me. That's all that matters now, Kratos.”

Kratos paused for a moment to ruminate on his wife's statement before he made one of his own in agreement with her. “I suppose you're right, my dear. We now have eternity to spend together.”

He leaned down and touched his forehead to hers, then gently cupped her cheek. “I'm eternally yours, my dear…”

Her eyes welled with tears again. “Oh, Kratos, I love you!”

“I love you too, Anna.” Kratos smiled sincerely, his thumbs lightly brushing her cheeks. “Now let's leave this place and go back to the cabin. We can talk more there, my dear.”

The couple kissed, and Anna couldn't help but sigh contentedly against Kratos' lips. Both had yearned for this moment ever since death had parted them far too soon. She wrapped her arms around his neck while he wrapped his arms around her waist and deepened their kiss. When the two parted, Kratos took Anna's hand and led her towards the portal of darkness that would take them back to the cabin. They entered the cabin through the bedroom closet a short time later and Anna began to search for a pair of socks and boots.

After finding a pair of socks inside the dresser across from the bed, and a pair of boots near the door, she sat down at the side of the bed to put them on her feet. She then looked up at her husband, who was now standing in front of her.

“I should have mentioned this earlier, but since my death I've always been in that big, grey, and empty room, waiting for you to reunite with me, honey.” Anna commented before looking around the room and taking in more of her surroundings. “So I don't know anything about this cabin or where it is… Is this where you ended up after your death?”

He smiled softly and answered, “Yes, my dear, it is. When I opened my eyes earlier, I found myself in the bed you are now sitting on, trying to figure out where I was. I looked at my appearance in the mirror over there, and that's when I started to suspect that this might be the afterlife. I then went to the nearest town, which turned out to be Luin, in search of more answers. That's where I found a man who told me that this was the afterlife, and also how I would reunite with you.”

She gave him her full attention again at his mention of her hometown. “Oh, I see… So we're near Luin then. I wonder if that's because I arrived here first…”

Her expression turned thoughtful as Kratos gave her a soft, knowing smile.

“That's the conclusion I came to when I talked with the man in Luin, my dear.”

Anna clasped her hands together excitedly. “Oh, I'm so happy the afterlife seems to be similar to the living world! Let's go visit Luin and explore the world again as soon as we can, honey!”

Kratos sat down next to his wife at the side of the bed while still wearing his soft, knowing smile. “Well, my dear, we'll have plenty of time to explore and visit any town that you want.”

She wrapped her arms around one of his and laid her head down on his shoulder. “We have eternity now…”

His lips found her temple, where after kissing her there, he murmured, “Indeed, my dear, we have eternity…”

___________

The couple talked for hours, and Kratos told her all about his life after her death. The good, the bad, and the mundane. He told her that he reunited with their son, Lloyd, a little over a decade after her death. Anna didn't have much to talk about with her husband other than her wish to reunite with both Lloyd and her parents in the afterlife someday.

When the couple’s conversation ended, Kratos stood up and left the room for a moment. Anna stood up from the side of the bed a moment later and walked over to the window. She looked out at the forest and up at the sky, noticing the purple and pink hues that signaled the start of sunset. Kratos entered the bedroom again as she stared in awe at the scenery outside, and wrapped his arms around her waist from behind.

“Maybe the passage of time here is the same as the living world, honey.” Anna commented after her husband kissed her on the cheek.

“Perhaps you're right, my dear, though we have no need for food, water, or sleep anymore.” He murmured in her ear.

She sighed contentedly, “Let's go to sleep later anyway, even if we don't need to. I want to fall asleep in your arms again, at least for tonight.”

Kratos kissed her cheek again. “All right, my dear, if that's what you want, I'll gladly oblige you.”

“Oh, and Kratos?”

“Yes, my dear?”

“I'm eternally yours, honey…”

“And I am yours, my dear…”