1Well, everyone is either sad, angry, or dead from the last chapter so hopefully you are all still reading this. Please don't hate me but things aren't too happy in this chapter...I think. Read and enjoy!

Chapter 10: Giving Up

Zelos walked into Storm's room the next morning in an attempt to comfort her, seeing as how Lloyd was still shook up from it himself. He walked and saw Storm looking down at her necklace as she sat on the end of the bed. Storm didn't make a move to look at Zelos when he walked over to the bed and sat down next to her.

"Storm, you have to talk to someone eventually, please talk to me," Zelos said to Storm.

Storm stayed silent as she slowly lifted her head but continued to stare at the wall across from her. Zelos looked at her and saw that she was still pale and her eyes were red from crying and a lack of sleep. She hadn't eaten anything all day and didn't come out of her room at all. Zelos wrapped his arms around her as she buried her face in his chest and began to cry once more.

"It's okay...I understand, just let it all out," Zelos said as he rubbed her back as she continued to cry.

"Why did he leave me? He left me all alone. He was so much a part of me. I just wish that I could end all of this pain," Storm cried.

"That's no way to talk Storm. Kratos wouldn't have wanted you to act like this, he would have wanted you to live your life for you and him," Zelos replied.

"You don't understand," Storm said as she lifted her head up to look at Zelos. "Without my Dad, I have no life. I'm already dead on the inside, the only thing left is to hurry and join him and my mother."

"Storm! Listen to yourself. What are you talking about? You should never give up that easily! Who put those ideas in your head," Zelos demanded.

"It doesn't matter because I know what I'm going to do and nothing you or anyone says is going to stop me, it's too late for that now," Storm said as she pulled herself from Zelos' grip andran out of the room and left the inn, running past the entire group into the night.

"Where is she going this late?" Raine asked as Zelos ran into the lobby.

"I think she's about to hurt herself, or worse!" Zelos replied as the entire group got up and went for the door to track down Storm.

Nothing matters anymore, I just want to end all the pain, everything else is meaningless. I have to find Pronyma, I can't live for an eternity without my father. It all ends tonight, Storm thought as she ran through the forest, searching for Pronyma.

Kratos woke up bruised and bloody on the forest floor as he tried to recall what had just happened. He remembered Storm becoming upset with him, being surrounded Pronyma and her troops, fighting them, and falling off a cliff. After that though, he had no idea what happened. Apparently, he survived his long fall off the cliff and he had been knocked out for at least a day. He searched for Storm's necklace and was concerned when he couldn't find it. He decided that the best thing for him to do was to find his way back to the inn to rest up and apologize to Storm.

He got up on shaky legs and began to walk back in the direction of the village. He thought back to his encounter with Pronyma.

He looked around him as he was surrounded by Pronyma's troops. There were at least thirty Desians and Kvar, Magnius, and Forcystus also joined her. He looked for a way out but all of his exits were blocked.

"With you out of the way Kratos, your daughter will be so easy to defeat and Derris Kharlan will be mine," Pronyma said as she ordered her troops to attack.

Kratos tried his best to fight off the soldiers but he was quickly overwhelmed and was backed up to the cliff and he was pushed off. He was too weak to pull out his angel wings as he plummeted to the ground.

"I hope Storm is okay," Kratos said to himself as he continued to walk through the forest.

Lloyd was running through the forest, desperately searching for his sister. If he failed to find her and something horrible happened he would never be able to forgive himself. He couldn't help Kratos and now he wouldn't be able to help Storm. He would be the only one left in his family and he couldn't stand the thought of losing his little sister.

Suddenly, he heard someone moving through the brush. Lloyd drew his two swords and ducked behind a tree as he looked to see who was approaching. He hoped it was Storm but he was even more excited when he saw Kratos walking through the woods.

"Dad!" Lloyd yelled as he ran to Kratos and gave him a huge hug.

Kratos took a couple steps backwards, shocked at his son's sudden display of emotion.

"What's wrong? Why are you acting so happy?" Kratos asked.

"Well, duh. We all thought that you were dead. Storm went looking for you last night and she came back with part of your cape and her necklace that she found by a cliff. She's actually taking it pretty hard. I can't believe that you're alive! This is great! You have to hurry and come with me," Lloyd said as he grabbed Kratos' arm and began to drag him through the forest.

"Lloyd, the inn is this way," Kratos said pointing in the opposite direction.

"I know, but we're not going there, we're going to save Storm," Lloyd said as he continued to pull on Kratos.

Kratos made Lloyd stop when he said that. "Why do we need to save her? What has happened?" he asked.

"She ran off talking like she was going to kill herself. I told you she took your death pretty hard," Lloyd replied.

"Pronyma..." Kratos muttered to himself as he began to run with Lloyd to find Storm.

Storm, why did you let Pronyma talk you into something like this. I can't believe that you would care about me that much if I died, especially after everything I've done to you. Please hang on, I'm coming, Kratos thought as he continued to search the immense forest.

"Storm, I'm guessing that you have made your decision?" Pronyma asked as Storm walked into the small clearing she came to the day before.

"Yes, please end the pain for me," Storm replied as she knelt down in front of Pronyma.

"My pleasure, but I think that there is still a little pain left to come. I need a little payback for what you did to me before, then I'll help you," Pronyma replied. "You shouldn't really care anyway, a few minutes of pain for an eternity of peace with your family.

Storm stayed silent and only looked at the ground as Pronyma flew down to her and landed right in front of her. Pronyma kicked Storm sending her across the small field and into a tree. Storm slowly pulled herself off the ground as Pronyma walked over to her and slapped her hard with her hand, knocking Storm back to the ground. Still, Storm's face held no emotion or pain at all as her eyes continued to look hollow and vacant. Pronyma picked her up by her throat and lifted her off the ground, throwing her into another tree. Finally, she had Kvar and Forcystus drag her back into the middle of the field. Pronyma drew out a sword as she prepared for the final attack.

"Leave her alone Pronyma," Kratos yelled as he and Lloyd ran over to where Pronyma was at.

"Kratos! But how? I saw you fall off that cliff," Pronyma replied, shocked at what she was seeing.

"Perhaps you should check to see if the people you kill are actually dead," Kratos smirked.

Storm lifted her head and stared at her father in confusion. At first she wasn't sure if what she was seeing was real or if she was only imagining him. "Daddy?" Storm asked.

"Yes, it's me. I'm okay Storm, you can come back now. Please forgive me for what I did to you," Kratos replied.

Storm smiled as she realized she was seeing her father alive and well. Pronyma drew herself away from Kratos' return and noticed that Storm was still kneeling in front of her and that she wasn't paying any attention. Pronyma took her sword and drew it directly into Storm's stomach. Storm let out a loud scream of pain as blood began to pour from the wound.

"This is what she wanted Kratos, she wanted to die at my hands and it's all because of you, remember that!" Pronyma said as she flew away when she heard the rest of the group coming after hearing Storm's cries of pain.

Kratos ran over to Storm who was clutching her stomach and she began to buckle over from the pain. She began to breath heavily as Kratos ran over to her side. She looked up at her father and smiled at him as he held her closely. As she closed her eyes she heard him say something to Lloyd.

"Get the professor, Pronyma also put poison on this sword,"

Well, that's it. Kratos is alive. YAY! Would I actually kill him off? No way, I love him. Anyway, now we have to worry about Storm. If anyone hasn't noticed, the group hasn't even left Heimdall yet, so in case anyone was wondering where they were. Please review and tell me what you thought.