Okay, I decided that I should probably update this or else a large mob might show up at my door for leaving everyone in suspense. Anyway, here's the next chapter. This is the beginning of the ending. We're almost there. Enjoy!

Chapter 17: The Last Shard

Storm woke up inside of a small house. She had no memory of what had happened as she looked around the foreign surroundings. She was trying to replay everything that had happened in her head. She wasn't getting much until she remembered Sutra. How long had she been out for? What if her time was up? What was going to happen to Anna? Storm leapt out of the bed as she frantically looked around the room for her pack so she could get out and find that last shard. She had to figure out where she was and what time it was.

Suddenly, a woman walked into the small house with a basket filled with fresh fruits and vegetables walked into the door and saw Storm frantically running around. The woman screamed and dropped her basket, the greens rolling all over the ground. Storm screamed back as her heart jumped from the surprise. Finally, the woman quit screaming as she realized who it was who was moving around. She held her hand up by her heart.

"You shouldn't scare an old woman like that," the woman said as she breathed heavily trying to catch her breath. The woman was wearing a long dress that was very large and ruffled around the bottom. It was a very old style of dress and appeared to belong a few centuries back in the past. She didn't appear to be extremely wealthy, but was rather more like a commoner. The woman appeared to be older and was in fact an elf. That meant that she was in Heimdall, but how did she get there? She had never actually made it there before she passed out.

"I'm sorry. I was just confused. I don't really know where I am or what really happened," Storm apologized, explaining her frantic behavior.

"Well, you're in Heimdall, village of the elves Ms. Wilder," the woman answered in a welcoming tone.

"How do you know who I am?" Storm asked.

"Well, you and your family are very well known around these parts. You're very welcome here so when someone found you completely passed out from exhaustion outside the village we had to take you in," the woman answered her.

"How long have I been sleeping for?" Storm asked hesitantly, afraid of what the answer would be.

"Well, you must have been very exhausted because you've been asleep for almost two days," the woman replied.

"What!" Storm cried out. "I have got to get moving or it will be too late."

"What are talking about?" the woman asked her.

"Oh...it's nothing really. If you don't mind asking, could I speak with the elder. It's very urgent," Storm pleaded.

"Why of course, he wanted to speak to you once you were up anyway. Just go up the road a way and it's the last house on the right," the woman advised her.

"Thank you very much for your hospitality," Storm said as she grabbed her pack, helped the woman pick up her fruits and vegetables, and walked out the door.

Storm walked out into the bright daylight and looked around at the active village of Heimdall. She saw a group of young elves playing with a small ball. There was also a large crowd of women gossiping not too far away from their children as the watched them play. On the other side of the village was a group of men conversing about politics and other important business. As soon as they all caught a glimpse of Storm coming out of the house they all froze as their eyes locked on her. Storm cautiously began to walk through the town as fear crept over her as the countless number of eyes looked upon her. She had almost made it to the elder's house when one of the elves came up top her.

"Ms. Wilder, we're so pleased to see you back. You really should come more often we love to see you and your family. Are you feeling better now?" the man asked as Storm simply nodded in response.

After this, many others came around her, happy to see her and to see if she was doing well. Storm had to admit that whatever the elves had done for her, it made her feel one hundred percent better. She had all of her energy back and felt ready to travel again, but first she needed to find the crystal. Storm figured that the elder would know something about it as she walked into his small house, leaving the other elves waiting outside.

When Storm walked in she looked around the small building, but couldn't see any sign of the elder and wondered where he had run off to. Then, she saw something at one corner of the room that really caught her attention. She looked over as she saw a small piece of crystal sitting on a table with a glass case surrounding it. She knew that it was last shard, she could feel it. She slowly walked up to it and was prepared to take it. It wouldn't matter if they hated her for it. With her deal with Sutra she wouldn't be around for them to hate anyway. She slowly walked up to it and placed her hands on the glass and was about to lift up when she heard the sound of footsteps as she quickly backed away from it. She spun around to see the village elder in the doorway.

"Storm, it's good to see you up and moving. I assume that you are feeling bettter," he said to her confidently.

"Yes, much better in fact. Thank you for all your help," Storm thanked him.

"No problem, but may I inquire as to why you were around our village, especially with all the attacks going on recently?" the elder asked her.

"My companions are searching for Mithos' crystal shards and I was assigned to find the one that was thought to be held here. I see that you do, in fact, have it and I was wondering if I could have it," Storm explained to him.

"Why do you need it?" the elder asked suspiciously.

"Actually, Sutra, the woman launching these attacks against Symphonia wants them, that's why we're getting them. We want to make sure that she can't get them," Storm replied.

"If that's the case then aren't you making her job easier?" the elder ridiculed.

"Well, this way we have a chance to defend them," Storm explained. "So, what do you say, can I have it and be on my way?"

The elder thought it over for a few seconds before he came up with his answer. "I'm sorry Storm, but I cannot allow you to take possession of something of so much importance at a time like this," he replied.

"What! But you don't understand. I need that shard," Storm pleaded with him.

"I'm sorry," the elder apologized as he escorted Storm to the door with her answer.

"I'm going to have to think of a better way to get that," Storm muttered to herself.

Later that day Storm was waiting outside of the elder's house as she waited him to leave temporarily again. After hours of trying to be patient she was rewarded as the elder stepped out of his house to make his way around the village. Storm took this opportunity and carefully snuck into his house. She looked upon the glittering shard inside of the glass case once more, admiring its beauty as she really thought about what she was doing. Everything she was doing was totally against her character and she was having a hard time going through with it. Finally, she placed her hands on the glass and slowly lifted it up. She grabbed the shard inside and placed it inside her pack before setting the glass back into place. She carefully walked back out of the house, but was seen by someone in the village who pointed her out.

"What were you doing in there? That is off limits," someone shouted. Storm looked over and realized that everyone must have known what she was after and knew that she had taken it. Storm immediately began to run through the town as she evaded people coming at her from all over. Finally, she was able to find a spot where she could actually fly out of the city without worrying about hitting any tree branches. She flew out of the city with her prize in her possession.

"Shall we pursue her sir?" a guard asked the elder.

"No, Storm is not one who would steal just for her own personal gain. There is a good reason why she took that. She really does have a good heart, she just has a hard time showing it at times," the elder replied as he walked back to his home to confirm his and everyone else's suspicions.

Storm couldn't believe that she had managed to get away from Heimdall completely unharmed, and actually she felt better than when she had left her companions. She knew now that she would make it to Meltokio just in time. She could still save Anna.

"Well, Anna it's time that we go down to Symphonia once again. Your mother is bringing us the rest of the crystal shards and we're going to be able to bring back Mithos," Sutra said happily.

"Why is she coming? Is she working with us?" Anna asked, upset at the news.

"Well, we're going to convince her to work with us. You're going to bring her back to Derris-Kharlan by force," Sutra told her.

"How will I do that?" Anna asked.

"You're going to show her those new powers of yours," Sutra replied.

Well, that's it for this chapter. I know, I left you all with yet another cliffie, kind of. Anyway I hope you liked it. We're getting close now. What's gonna happen at the end? What's everyone think? Well, anyway thanks for reading, please review and tell me what you thought. Thanks!