1Okay, I know you are all probably pulling your hair out by now so I'm sorry I haven't updated I have been at work all day (7:30-5:30) I'm tired but I have decided to try my best to update. Please don't kill me. Here goes.

Chapter 8: The Importance of Trust

Storm woke up in a bed at the inn feeling sore in every place imaginable. She was feeling stiff all over and when she moved to get up she felt the pain of fresh wounds flow through her body. Despite her pain, she got out of the bed with the plan to go out and try to find Pronyma and stop her before it was too late. She managed to sneak out of her room and down the hallway. She didn't want anyone to see her because she knew none of them would let her leave the inn in the shape she was in. She managed to tiptoe her way to the door, she put her hand on the doorknob, but just as she was about to pull the door open a hand pushed on the door, keeping it shut. She looked at the person who was keeping her locked in the inn and saw that it was none other than her father.

"Where do you think you're going?" Kratos asked.

"I was just going to get some fresh air, that's all," Storm said casually.

"I don't think so. If I know you well enough, and I think I do, you were planning on finding Pronyma," Kratos replied.

"Maybe..." Storm said as she looked at the ground sheepishly.

"You shouldn't go looking for a fight now," Kratos advised.

"Yeah Storm, you got yourself beat up pretty good out there," Lloyd said as he flashed a stupid grin.

Storm shot him a death glare. "Shut up Lloyd, I didn't see you beating the crap out of everyone eitther,"Storm replied.

"He's right though, in the condition all of us are in at the moment we shouldn't be out asking for trouble," Kratos replied.

"Okay Dad," Storm said as they began to walk toward the lobby. While Kratos' back was turned Storm shot a mana burst at Lloyd and hit him in the back of the head.

"Hey!" Lloyd shouted as he turned around, holding the back of his head.

"What?" Storm questioned as she continued to follow Kratos out of the room.

Later that day, after the group had relaxed awhile and let their bodies rest Storm and Zelos went outside for a walk. Zelos was given the job to keep Storm's mind off of Pronyma for the day so she wouldn't run off to find her. They were walking along the forest of Heimdall when suddenly they heard someone in the trees. The two looked up and saw Pronyma sitting up in one of the trees.

"Pronyma!" Storm yelled as she sent Zelos to find the others. Zelos was reluctant at first to leave Storm to fend for herself.

"Don't worry hunny, I'm not here to fight you, not today at least. I'm still licking the wounds from yesterday, I'm sure you are as well. I was just curious. How long are you planning on living your pointless life?" Pronyma asked.

By this time the rest of the group had made their way to the scene that was unfolding.

"What are you talking about?" Storm asked.

"Well, if you don't die now are you really planning on living forever? You don't seem like the type that would enjoy an eternal life," Pronyma replied.

"What are you babbling on about?" Storm persisted.

"You mean your father hasn't told you yet?" Pronyma asked, shocked at what she was hearing. She already knew Kratos had kept it a secret but after years of working for Cruxis she was very skilled at lying.

"Told me what?" Storm demanded.

"That Mithos discovered that you would live forever," Pronyma announced.

"What!" the entire group replied.

"That's right. When Storm hits the age of eighteen her internal clock will stop permanently, causing her to live forever," Pronyma replied.

"But, Dad would have told me...," Storm started.

"Pronyma, stop this madness now!" Kratos demanded.

"I'm not the one in the wrong here Kratos, you are. You hid this from your daughter for a long time now, and you were planning on hiding it from her for a long time weren't you," Pronyma yelled.

"Is that true Dad? Have you been hiding it from me?" Storm asked.

"Well, I...," Kratos was speechless.

"It's true Storm, he's known since before Mithos was killed, yet he failed to tell you something that was your own business to begin with. I just thought I would ask you how you were planning on using that life should you win this war, but I guess you haven't had the time to think of that," Pronyma said as she flew away.

Storm was facing away from the group and she had tears forming in her eyes, daring to flow down her cheeks. She looked down at a necklace that wasaround her neck. She looked at the gold necklace and remembered back to when she received it.

It was Storm's seventeenth birthday, the first that her and her father had truly spent together for many years. They had just recently settled back into Derris Kharlan.

"Here you go Storm, I hope you like it," Kratos said as he held out a small box to his daughter.

Storm took the box carefully and opened it to reveal the gold necklace, at the bottom of the necklace was a moon and star charm. Storm loved to look at the night sky and she immediately fell in love with the necklace.

Kratos took the necklace and placed it around her neck. "When you wear this necklace you can take comfort in knowing that no matter how far away you are from someone you love, as long as you look up at the night sky, you can be sure that they will always be looking up at the same sky and thinking of you," Kratos said. "Your mother always used to tell you and Lloyd that when you were little."

"Thank you Dad," Storm said as she wrapped her arms around him.

"Remember, you can always trust in me, I'll always be there for you," Kratos said.

She looked down at the necklace, thinking of the broken trust now between them. She unhooked the necklace from behind her neck . She walked over to Kratos and took his hand. She opened his hand and placed her necklaceit, then closed his fingers around it as she ran back towards the inn.

"Dad, she'll forgive you," Lloyd said.

"Let me alone to think for awhile everyone," Kratos replied as he walked into the forest.

Once he got deep enough into the forest he sat down under a tree and stared at the necklace. The tears began to flow down his face as he thought about the trust he had just broken. He knew Storm had a hard time trusting people and now he knew the one person she relied on the most had just let her down. He felt so horrible inside. Unfortunately, Kratos didn't notice that he was being surrounded by Kvar, Magnius, Forcystus, and all their men. Once he finally looked up he realized what was going on but it was far too late for him to escape. Pronyma jumped off her perch from above as she walked toward the seraph.

"Kratos, what are you doing here, and all by yourself," Pronyma said as the large group closed in on him.

Well, that's it for here, I hope that you liked it. Next, we find out what happens to Kratos, oh no. Will Pronyma succeed? Who knows, she actually might! Review for me please!