Yay! It's time to update. Well, I know that I haven't updated my other story in awhile, but I will eventually. I just really got into this one again. So, on with this chapter.

Chapter 9: Lost Souls

"There is no way that I'm staying behind while you all go in there and fight Spiritua," Storm said stubbornly as she crossed her arms over her arms.

"Please Storm. You're what she wants and it's too risky to take you in there," Zelos begged her. "I don't want to lose you again."

"Storm, I know that you want to go in there and fight, but I have to agree with Zelos on this one," Kratos told his daughter, but she wasn't about to listen to what any of them were saying.

"I will not sit here while you all go to deal with my problem. I won't let something happen to you all," Storm told them all, letting them know that no matter what they said, she was going with them.

"Nothing's going to happen to us, not if I can help it," Lloyd told her encouragingly.

They all looked at the void as they tried to decide exactly what they were getting themselves into.

"Can't we just forget that she ever appeared?" Sheena asked.

"Well, we could, but then she'd probably come back, we have to finish this," Raine explained to her as well as anyone else who was wondering the same thing.

"Where exactly does this thing lead to anyway?" Genis asked, knowing that no one would probably be able to give him an answer.

"Well, wherever Spiritua's soul is I suppose. Does that mean that there are other souls in there as well?" Yuan offered, adding in the last question after considering it himself.

"Does that mean we're going to heaven?" Sutra asked.

"Or hell?" Zelos added to the question.

"Who cares! I say we get in there and kick her spirit butt!" Storm told them all, hoping to get them all past their doubts. She took a step towards the void, but was cut off by her father who decided to go in first for them all. He took a step into the void and fell down it disappearing completely.

Lloyd followed next, taking Sheena's hand as they went in together. Sutra jumped down after them, followed by Yuan. Genis and Presea went in hand in hand after them. Zelos looked at Storm while holding out his hand for her. Storm looked at him, smiling, as she willingly accepted it. They stepped in together, leaving Raine by herself. She looked to where the others had gone in and shook her head.

"I really had her all wrong," she said to herself as she followed the others into the void.

The landing at the end of the void was not extremely pleasant as Storm and Zelos found themselves landing face first on the ground. Zelos landed on top of Storm who looked up at him in surprise as he smirked at her expression.

"Did I mention there was a lot about you that I missed while you were gone?" Zelos asked as he looked her over. Storm immediately pushed him off of her as soon as she sat up.

"Ow...Storm," he whined as he rubbed his sore head.

"I wouldn't be pushing your luck," Storm warned him as she got off the ground and dusted herself off. Sheena laughed at the two.

"It seems that things are back to normal between the two of them," she said, still laughing.

The scenery in front of the group was very dark and depressing. The sky was a dark shade of purple with swirls of dark blue. The cracked and barren, worse than the Triet Desert, and it stretched on for what seemed like forever. There was no sign of anyone other than their own group from what they could see.

"How are we supposed to find her? This place goes on forever," Lloyd complained as the group began to walk around their new surroundings.

"That's it. Let's see if you can all make it to me after you face all the people from your past," Spiritua laughed as she waited to see if the group would make it to her.

"Kratos...long time no see...and Lloyd and Storm too...what a pleasant surprise," the group heard a voice behind them. Kratos, Lloyd, and Storm knew the voice all too well as all three reached for the swords before turning around to face Kvar.

"What are you doing here?" Kratos growled at him.

"Well, you killed me, where else would I be?" Kvar spat back at him.

"So, we must be in hell then," Storm said with a smirk on her face.

"Almost, but not quite. You see this is where all souls go when they still have unfinished business in the living world. This is the space between the living world and hell. We wander around here, wallowing in our guilt, our depression, and our anger. We strive to work our way back to the living world to put to rest the thing that binds us here. If we can defeat it we can get out of this torturous place and make it into heaven. However, if it defeats us, we will be forced to spend eternity in the fires of hell. Fortunately for me, the thing that's keeping me here has come right to me," Kvar told them all. As he was speaking the others noticed more and more of the spirits coming out of hiding, and there were a few that seemed as if they wanted to speak with someone from their group as well.

"What do you mean, the thing that binds you here?" Lloyd asked him.

"Kratos, you and your children must die," Kvar yelled as he pulled out his sword which was blocked by Kratos who began to fight back. Since they were all in this realm they were capable of touching and fighting with these spirits.

"Ah, the two that sent me to this miserable land," a voice said behind the group. They all turned around and were face to face with Magnius who looked ready to fight. "Yuan, you and Storm sent me to this place and I shall send you both to hell," he yelled at them before launching at Yuan who also fought with him. Storm couldn't believe how many of their enemies resided in this strange place, she wondered who would show up next.

"Raine...you pitiful child...you should have never been born," Raine spun around to see her mother, still cradling her doll even while in this place. Virginia had passed away only a few years ago, still believing that her daughter was a child's doll.

"Mother? I can't believe that you would still say something like that, after all this time," Raine yelled at her.

"Disappear Raine, descend to hell so I may finally rest in peace. My soul is not supposed to be here, it's because you were born that I gained this fate. Disappear..," Virginia hissed at her daughter. Raine covered her ears, trying not to listen to the horrible things her mother was saying.

"Presea, I can't believe that you abandoned me for all those years. I rotted in that house because you never cared. I couldn't rest in peace while I was in that bed for so long while you enjoyed yourself in Meltokio," Presea looked behind her to see her father staring at her accusingly.

"I was not enjoying myself. I was the prisoner of my Cruxis Crystal," Presea explained herself as she touched her crystal lightly on her chest.

"Why couldn't you have been killed instead of your sister?" her father asked her harshly. "She would have cared enough to come and take care of her sick father."

"I had no idea of your condition and was unable to see you. I was trapped," Presea yelled at him.

"You should have died," he repeated himself as he walked towards the young woman.

"Ah, Storm my dear, you look lovely," a voice said behind her. She spun around and faced Forcystus. She couldn't believe who was here. It seemed almost impossible. Luckily, she wasn't being too affected by anything the spirits were saying to her, but she couldn't say the same for some of the others. Forcystus moved towards Storm, closing the gap between them as he placed a hand on her cheek. Storm reeled back in response to his touch which resulted in a chuckle from the half-elf.

"Why have you never accepted my touch Storm? Yggdrasil wanted us to be together so badly, but you would never have anything to do with it. You went to Yuan, why not me?" Forcystus questioned her as he took another step towards her.

"Because you're a heartless jerk who never even cared about me anyway," Storm said as she slapped his hand away once again. Forcystus grew angry at her remarks and decided to finish her off like he intended to.

"Get away from her you bastard!" Zelos screamed at him. Forcystus whirled around and saw the red-head move towards the two remarkably fast. "I don't want to ever see you lay a finger on her ever again. She obviously doesn't want you touching her and neither do I," Zelos growled at him as he pulled out his sword, his eyes blood-shot from his rage.

"You dare raise a sword at me boy?" Forcystus asked him with a cocky smirk on his face as the two began to battle.

"It's a shame Genis, that I couldn't pull you over to my side," an all too familiar voice said to the half-elf. Genis turned around and was face to face with the older version of Mithos Yggdrasil.

"I thought that you changed when Storm killed you," Genis asked, shocked that Mithos seemed to be consumed by darkness once again.

"Ah...yes...my weaker self. He passed on to the heavens, but I remain here to kill off your entire group. You don't seem too busy with anything else so I think that I should start with you," Mithos laughed as he came at the mage. Lloyd saw Genis in trouble and jumped in to help him defeat the half-elf.

"Ah Lloyd, you wish to die by my hand as well?" Mithos asked sarcastically as Lloyd gritted his teeth and began to hack away at the late leader of Cruxis.

Storm stood by herself, not knowing who she should help. She decided that Lloyd and Genis were all right on their own, but her father could use some help against Kvar. She began to run towards him when she was attacked in the side by a sword. She looked over and realized who was coming after her. She felt her rage build up, as she tried to control it when she saw the person standing next to her ready to attack.

Ooh, major cliffie! Who is it and how will they all defeat these spirits? Lots of unanswered questions, please don't kill me okay? Anyway, thanks for all the reviews for the last chapter. I hope that you enjoyed this chapter as well. Sorry I didn't reply last chapter, but I was busy again, I'll try to do this chapter...try... Anyway, thanks for reading, please review!