Update time. I know that everyone has been anticipating this chapter for some time now, so I didn't want to leave you all waiting. Isn't this super appropriate for mother's day? Sarcasm, sorry... I can't wait for the end of this first story and everyone's reaction to it. Anyway, here's the next chapter. There are only one or two more chapters after this just to let everyone know.

Chapter 18: Mother and Daughter

Storm couldn't believe that she had actually managed to get away with getting the crystal. It was only a matter of time before her friends found out what she had done and discovered that she was a traitor. It didn't matter anymore anyway, she would get Anna back, and soon she wouldn't have to face them. She looked over what was left of Meltokio as she waited for Sutra's arrival. She saw what was left of some of the shops and soon noticed her old house. It was in complete ruins, but Storm couldn't help herself as she walked across the pieces of buildings as she made her way to look at what was left. Storm dug through some of the pieces of the walls as she looked for anything that was left over from the destruction.

She lifted up some pieces and saw tattered remains of some of her family's possessions, but nothing that was really important to her. She couldn't find anything until she lifted up on slab of stone and saw something that she couldn't leave behind. It was the old storybook that her father had given her on her birthday before Anna had been born. Storm couldn't believe that it was still in good shape. It was a little tattered in places, but it was still usable.

Storm picked up the book tenderly as she held it to her chest. She had read the stories in this book so many times to Anna. She had loved them and Storm loved sharing the stories that Mithos, Yuan, and Kratos had once told her with her own daughter. Storm took the book and walked back over to a small, mostly clear area by her house and set it down.

"Maybe someone will find this. Maybe Dad and Zelos will find it," she said to herself hopefully as she placed the book on the ground. She then got another idea as she took off the necklace she had received from her father as she placed it on top of the book. "Now they'll know it's from me," she said.

Storm soon her wings flapping in the distance as she rushed back over to the central area of Meltokio to greet Sutra. Storm pulled the crystals out of her pack and prepared to give them to her enemy. Storm was not wrong in her assumption as she saw Sutra flying in the sky as she landed in front of her.

"Where is Anna?" Storm asked the half-elf.

"She's catching up, just be patient," Sutra told her.

"What are you talking about?" Storm asked, but soon realized the horror of what Sutra was talking about as she watched her daughter land behind Sutra with her own pair of dark crimson colored wings behind her.

"Anna, what have you done?" Storm asked looking over her daughter.

Just before Anna could answer her mother Sutra placed a hand on her shoulder to keep her from saying anything. "She doesn't need to answer to you quite yet," Sutra replied. "Now, where are my crystals. Give me the crystals and allow Anna to do as she pleases," Sutra said as she stretched out her hand to receive what she was looking for.

Storm took the bundle that was in her hand and looked at Sutra's offered hand hesitantly as she slowly placed it in her hand. Sutra snatched the pack and released her hold on Anna's shoulder.

"Okay Anna, you may do whatever you please. You can run off and find your friends or you can help me bring your mother back to Derris-Kharlan," Sutra told her.

"What? What are talking about?" Storm asked, whose eyes were moving between Anna and Sutra as she tried to comprehend the situation taking place.

"Come on Mom, let's go back to Derris-Kharlan," Anna told her.

"You said that she'd be free!" Storm yelled as she backed away from Sutra.

"I said that she could do as she pleases, this is what she wants to do. I still get you," Sutra told her.

"If that's the way that it's going to be then you don't get me," Storm told the two of them as she attempted to grab Anna and get out of there. Anna moved away from her and looked to Sutra.

"Take her by force," Sutra commanded as Anna looked at Storm and prepared to bring her to Derris-Kharlan.

"Anna, stop this right now. I won't fight you," Storm told her, trying to talk a little sense into the young girl's head.

Anna wasn't listening though as she used her Agarasium attack which caught Storm into a spiral of colorful light that threw her in the air and forcefully threw her back to the ground. The attack brought back bad memories to Storm who could still remember Pronyma's deadly attacks. Another memory came back to her as she went flying as Anna hit her with a powerful Leonasium attack. Storm slowly picked herself up from the ground as she made her way back towards Anna who was ready to launch another attack.

"Anna, why are you doing this? What's the matter with you?" Storm asked her daughter desperately.

"It's all because of you Mom. You never really cared about me, you kept all of this power away from me because you wanted it for yourself," Anna yelled at her mother.

"Anna, I kept that away from you because it's a curse to have. I did it to protect you," Storm explained.

"Protect me from what? All of this amazing power?" Anna asked her. "I understand you and I'll make sure you wish that you would have told me yourself," Anna threatened as she launched her Bloody Lance attack, causing a spear made out of dark mana to slice into Storm, throwing her down on the ground forcefully.

Storm refused to fight her own daughter as she tried to get up once again, but was knocked down again and thrown across the ground by her Dark Sphere attack which engulfed her in powerful dark magic. Storm felt as if she had hardly any energy left as she attempted to stand one more time. She hadn't defended herself once and was beginning to feel the effects. She couldn't believe that all of Anna's techniques were dark and rivaled those of her enemy, Pronyma.

"Finish her," Sutra commanded before Anna went to unleash her last attack, Prism Sword. Storm was surrounded by rays of light, enclosed within them until spears of light shot all around her cutting through her until she fell to the ground and didn't try to get up.

Sutra walked over to the now unconscious Storm and placed on hand on her neck to find a pulse. She slowly stood up and looked at Anna. "Good job, she's still alive. I must say that you've done rather well with your training, you will be an excellent student to Mithos," Sutra told her. She then went to life Storm's front end as Anna went for the back end as they lifted her up, unfolded their wings, and flew off for the Renegade base to return to Derris-Kharlan.

"Why would Storm run off like that and not tell us?" Genis kept asking the rest of the group.

"I don't know, but I know one place that she always feels at home at," Kratos told him. "Heimdall, I just know that she's in Heimdall," he told them confidently.

Their group stopped for a break not too far from Heimdall as they stopped at a relatively quiet wooded area with a small creek running through it. Lloyd sat down underneath a large tree as he went to grab some food out of his pack. Professor Raine was going to be cooking lunch and he decided not to risk it today as he looked for his meal. Suddenly, he realized why Storm had left so quickly and silently.

"Everyone, you should all probably get a look at the crystals," he told them.

"What's wrong with them?" Sheena asked almost threateningly.

Yuan was the first to make it over as he reached inside Lloyd's pack, pulling out what should have been crystal shards, but was actually a bunch of rocks.

"I can't believe that she stole them from us, what is she planning on doing?" Zelos asked, shocked by her rash actions. He didn't want to believe that she would do something like this to them, but in his heart he knew that she was capable.

"She's going to turn herself in to Sutra," Raine said softly. The others looked at her, knowing that the Professor's assumption was most likely true.

"Dammit Storm," Kratos said under his breath.

Well, that's it for this chapter. That's another wonderful cliffie. You know, I'm starting to get used to these things. I hope that you liked this chapter and I hope that you like the rest of this story too. Thanks to everyone who reviewed. Sorry I haven't replied lately, I'll reply to a chapter eventually when I'm not quite so busy. I'm working on it. Anyway, please review and tell me what you thought. Thanks!