Rising Shadow: A Fanfic by Gyppy

Summary: The Dark Lord Nebilim is spreading the fog of death through the land; a swordsman by the name of Abyssion goes out to find out how to stop this miasma, and also to avenge the death of his parents.

Along the way, he stumbles upon the Eternal Swordsman, Lloyd, and his group, and they work together to help defeat Nebilim and restore peace and tranquility to the land.

Author's Note: This is in an Author's Universe, which means that the storyline has nothing to do with the storyline of the game. There may be a bit of out-of-characterness, and lastly, this is a crossover fic (the concept of miasma is from Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles). There may be a few Original Characters, which are characters the author came up with to put in the fanfic.

Also, there will be some hints at pairings in this fic (sometimes a little more than hints ;) ): the most notable will be LloydxColette, and there'll also be sprinklings of ZelosxSheena, GenisxPresea and, later on, maybe a little KratosxRaine. I won't spoil the rest for you.

There'll be plenty of game spoilers in this fic, however, it is in an Author's Universe, so much of the spoiler content will have to do with relations and such.

Thank you for the review(s).

Disclaimer: I do not own Tales of Symphonia, Namco, Final Fantasy or Squaresoft/Square-Enix. All I own is this storyline, this story and my pathetic, writer's-block-afflicted mind.

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Chapter 4: Learning of a Legend

Abyssion's P.O.V.

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As we traveled westward, we stopped in Asgard to rest and replenish ourselves. While we were in the city, I heard a legend that had been passed down in Asgard for centuries.

"Around the world, in seven distant temples, are the seven seals that guard Nebilim. It is said that one of the Devil's Arms resides at each seal; the eighth is found on the path to Nebilim's stronghold, and the ninth is in the possession of Nebilim himself.

The first seal is located west of Triet; the place burns with Efreet's hellfire, and it is said that the Gates of Hell lay there. The fallen angel guardians at the seal use the flames of hell to destroy any and all opposition.

The second seal is located within the waters of Lake Umacy; an ancient temple of Nebilim was constructed there, and the waters of the lake cannot enter and flood the temple. Located within the seal is the Soul Eater, the cursed blade that was forged by one of Nebilim's ancestors.

The third seal is located near the Balacruf Mausoleum; tornadic winds spin within the temple, and great storm clouds loom over it. Within the seal is Diablos, the mighty ax that is said to bite into its victims.

The fourth seal is located north of the Tower of Mana; within it, lightning flashes, and there are dark rooms illuminated by the lightning and shaken by the roar of thunder. At the seal lays the Evil Eye, which gazes upon the weak and makes them fall with one simple glance.

The fifth seal is located near the Temple of Earth; it is said that a fault line runs beneath the temple, and its collapse has been prevented by the fallen angels that guard the seal. Within the seal is Fafnir, a dagger that was once used to drain the blood of those unworthy... it has taken many lives.

The sixth seal is located west of Flanoir, beneath the snow; the freezing chill of the temple instantly kills those who possess no Exsphere. The seal contains the Heart of Chaos, a cursed staff that was once used to summon evil spirits from the underworld.

The seventh seal is located near the Temple of Darkness; no light may reach the innards of the temple, and the monsters that lurk there are large and ferocious. Within the seal lies the Disaster, which is capable of summoning forth great earthquakes and massive tornadoes with a few simple, quiet words.

After the seven seals have been released, the path to Nebilim's stronghold will be opened; the Tower of Destruction shall rise from the ground south of Hima, and the cursed weapon Apocalypse shall appear at the tower's gates. The path to the top is filled with treachery; those few who have managed to conquer the evil on the way have been crushed by the evil power that lives within this tower.

The Dark Lord Nebilim, the source of miasma itself and the cursed being who resides in the tower, possesses the twin blade that bears his name; he will not give up so easily, and it will take bloodshed and sacrifice to defeat him. He wishes for nothing more than to take this world for himself and transform it into a raging world of miasma and darkness.

Those who choose to fight Nebilim shall perish."

It sounds like a pretty creepy tale, but to tell the truth, it also sounds kinda boring. I mean, Lloyd possesses the Eternal Sword, which has the power to rend the world asunder, and we have a number of seraphim and angels on our side, which may accompany us on our journey.

Well, if we get in trouble on our journey, we can always contact Mithos and see if he can send us some aid. I mean, Vinheim is totally full of angels, not to mention Welgaia and Derris-Kharlan in general. And I doubt he'd refuse to spare us some 'guardian angels'.

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Third-Person P.O.V.

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That night, the group stayed in Asgard; they decided to split up for the night, forming three separate groups that would each stay at one of the inns in Asgard.

Lloyd, Colette and Abyssion stayed at the Fresco; Abyssion had his own room, and Lloyd and Colette shared a room.

However, Lloyd had difficulty sleeping. Colette noticed this and calmly walked over to him, taking his hand in her own.

"What's wrong?" the young angel asked. "You seem to be having trouble sleeping."

"Ah, I was just thinking," Lloyd replied. "I mean, we have to release seven seals to open the path to the Tower... this is gonna be a hard journey."

"I understand," Colette said. "Maybe you'd like me to accompany you for tonight? It might help you sleep."

Lloyd willingly obliged, allowing the angel to climb into bed with him. And while he was there, curled up with Colette, he felt like he was in heaven.

It was then that Lloyd realized... he really liked Colette. Perhaps... even loved her.

"You know what, Colette," Lloyd said, keeping his gaze fixed on the girl that lay beside him. "I've been thinking, maybe there is such a thing as true love... I never thought I'd experience it myself, but... I think I love you."

"Oh, thank you," Colette said, smiling her classic smile. "I was afraid to tell you how I felt, considering the fact that you were always so defiant and I thought you'd reject me... but I feel I've always loved you, from the time I first met you."

"No, thank you," Lloyd said, pulling Colette closer. "Thank you for not rejecting me... you've given me the strength to save our friends and this world a number of times, and I'm glad you feel for me the same way I do..."

With that, Lloyd closed the gap between them with a soft kiss; this did not last long, and it did not deepen, but it served to forge a bond between them all the same.

Once the kiss was broken, Lloyd said, "You're my little blue-eyed angel... and I love you so dearly..."

"Yes, you're right," Colette said softly. "You're loved by your father, but I love you in such a different way... a way neither of us have experienced before."

They eventually drifted off to sleep in each other's arms, and the chill of the night was barely noticeable in the warmth they emitted together.

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Author's Note: Yes, a bit of fluff to spice up this fic! This'll probably be the only fluff for a while, so be on the lookout.

I know it's short, but I'm not exactly the most inspired person around. I just got this random burst of inspiration and that inspired me to write this. Wow, I use the word 'inspire' a lot! T.T

Anyway, PLEASE review... reviews inspire me to write more!