Well, it's time to update this story. It's kind of funny writing this story at the same time that I'm writing a Storm and Yuan fic. They're two totally different relationships, and it's a little weird writing them at the same time. Also, I thought that it would be interesting for everyone to realize exactly how old Storm is in these stories. In this one she's only 16 while Zelos is 22 I think. They get married when she's 17 (Zelos 23) and she gets pregnant at 18 (Zelos 24) and have Anna when she's 19 (Zelos 24-25). When she falls for Yuan she's only 18 and we don't really know how old he is. Anyway, that's the timeline in case you wanted to know. Anyway, here's the next chapter. Hope you enjoy it!


Chapter 9: The Betrayal

The group was about to leave for Altessa's house and Zelos looked over at Storm who was preparing to stay. He wasn't quite sure why she wasn't going, he knew it wasn't because she actually was concerned for Presea. She wasn't usually too concerned with anyone's safety besides her own and Lord Yggdrasil's. He knew better than to believe that little lie she fed to the group.

He came up to her before everyone else was about to go. "Are you sure you don't want me to stay here with you?" he asked her as he looked into her eyes.

"I don't need your perverted little self hanging around me while I'm in this village. I think I'll be fine," Storm told him angrily as she took a step back from him.

"Aw...come on Storm it would be fun," he begged her, getting back into his playboy character for her. He could tell that she liked to argue with him like this, but that she also wanted to see his serious side at times too. Maybe he could try to balance it for her, he liked the idea of having a friend in the world. It made him feel a little less lonely. Of course, he knew that his life would run out for him soon enough and he accepted it. For the time being though, he enjoyed her company.

With his last comment Storm pushed the philanderer away playfully with a little smirk on her face. "Get out Zelos and go with them. I don't need company," she told him. Zelos willingly obeyed as he went to catch up with the group that was already making their way out of the village.

Once they made their way to Altessa's they discovered that they would have to make a Key Crest for Presea to help her. Unfortunately they needed inhibitor ore to do this. Regal suggested to go to the Toize Valley Mine. Zelos recognized Regal right away from some of the parties he'd been to. He was the president of the Lazareno Company and it didn't surprise him that he knew this kind of information.

The group had to camp out about half way to the mine for the night. Zelos was resting peacefully before he realized that Cruxis was trying to reach him. He made his way silently out of the camp and into the nearby woods to hear the news. He threw out his projector to the ground in front of him. He watched as it glowed before revealing Lord Yggdrasil. He stared at the Chosen before beginning to speak.

"The time has come for Storm to leave the group. She will be arriving tomorrow to attempt to recover the Chosen. It is alright if she is unable, but you are to stay with the group either way. You are my inside information and I need to you to tell me where they are all at and what they are doing. I have to contact Storm yet, is she with you?" he asked.

"No, she stayed behind because we were going to the dwarf Altessa's," he informed him. "She's in Ozette and we are going to the Toize Valley Mine tomorrow," he added.

"I'll let her know where the group is. Do not blow your cover until the time is right. I will inform you when it is your own time to leave. Until then, keep up whatever you're doing now," Yggdrasil ordered him before disappearing once again. Zelos picked up the projector before heading back to camp.

"Well there goes my only friend from the group. I didn't even get to tell her good-bye. Hopefully I'll get to see her again before I...," Zelos didn't really want to think about what his fate would be after Cruxis. He just hoped that hers would not be the same. He wondered how she was feeling right now, knowing what was coming tomorrow. She had to be at least a little attached to some of the people in the group, she had been with them longer than he had.

The next day the group entered the Toize Valley Mine and went searching for the inhibitor ore they needed so badly. Once they fought through the countless monsters that resided in the mines they managed to find exactly what they were searching for. As they came out of the cave Zelos knew what was coming next.

He saw that his assumptions were correct when Storm met up with the group not far from the mine.

"Storm, I thought you were waiting in Ozette for us, did something happen?" Lloyd asked, a little confused at her sudden appearance. Storm barely flinched at his question and seemed to be deep in thought at the moment. Zelos could see the confusion and pain in her eyes, he wasn't sure if anyone else could tell, but he definitely could read the emotion behind her hazel eyes by now.

"Lloyd, it's over," Storm simply stated. Zelos looked over to the swordsman and noticed the completely confused look on his face.

"What are you talking about? What's over?" he asked her, trying to comprehend her words.

"This silly quest of yours, it ends here," Storm told him as she began to reach for her sword.

"What are you talking about all of a sudden? You're not acting like yourself," Lloyd questioned. He wasn't sure what was going on, but he was beginning to grow concerned.

"Hand over the Chosen, it's time I took her back," Storm ordered him with her face still completely stoic. The only emotion that Zelos could read was the pain that was radiating through her eyes. When the rest of the group heard her statement the looks on their faces changed from confusion to shock. They couldn't believe what they were hearing, they couldn't believe that she too had been deceiving them for so long.

"You can't be serious, this is some sort of joke, right?" Sheena asked nervously, trying to get Storm to stop what she was doing. She didn't want to believe that one of her new friends had been lying to her for so long. Zelos could sympathize with both sides of this situation. Storm had so many things that she feared and that she didn't want to talk to him about. He was sure that she was hiding something from him, maybe she really didn't want to do this. The other side he could understand the pain of being betrayed by someone they had grown to love and care about as a friend. It was painful to watch, but he knew that this had to be done. He knew he would be in Storm's spot soon enough.

"No, you see Kratos was not the only one who was deceiving you all this time. I am also an angel of Cruxis and I'm here to reclaim the Chosen. Now, hand her over!" Storm commanded as she held out her hand to add to her statement.

"Storm, you can't be serious. You wouldn't betray us too," Lloyd shouted at her, the pain in his voice was obvious and it was apparent that the news was tearing him up inside.

"Yes Lloyd, it's true," Storm told him as she revealed a pair of beautiful blue wings. Zelos stared at the wings in awe. They shimmered as they came out and they shined in the sunlight, but the look on Storm's face let him know that there was nothing beautiful about her intentions.

"No, it's not true!" Lloyd screamed as he stepped backwards a few feet. "You wouldn't do this, I trusted you! You of all people should realize by now that what you're doing is wrong!" Lloyd yelled at her desperately. It was obvious that he was trying to bring back the girl that had once been so kind, so trustworthy. She was gone and had been replaced by this stoic angel of Cruxis that had come to retrieve an object for her master.

Storm became silent for a few moments, Zelos could see the pain tearing at her. He knew that Lloyd had hit some sort of nerve. Something in his statement was tearing her up inside. "Lloyd, right and wrong are only points of view. Don't you understand that my whole life I have been taught that what you're doing is wrong and that sacrificing the Chosen is right. Did you ever think that you're prolonging the suffering of the people of Sylverant as you go on your little adventure. Do you honestly want me to believe that you will find a way to help them?" she asked him angrily.

"There is a way to save everyone. There should be no sacrifices. Everyone deserves the right to live, it doesn't matter who you are," Lloyd defended himself and his ideals. Zelos looked back at Storm and realized that Lloyd had obviously hit yet another nerve of hers and she looked hurt and angry as she came back at him again.

"Okay, and where in this perfect little world are you going to fit me?" Lloyd looked at her strangely and even Zelos and the others were a little confused as to where she was going with this. "My parents were both human, but I can somehow use magic. Not only that, but I'm an angel and have angelic powers without even equipping a Cruxis Crystal. Where in your world can I go? Where will I live where I won't be sacrificed or discriminated against for being different...a freak," she yelled at him, tears stinging her eyes. Zelos didn't realize that she was hiding that much from them, no wonder she always seemed depressed.

"Well...I...," Lloyd began to stumble with his words. He wasn't exactly expecting that kind of response from Storm and he didn't really know how to answer her questions.

"That's what I thought," Storm snapped. "Now, if you don't mind, I'll be taking the Chosen back with me. I'll do it by force if necessary Storm said as she pulled her sword from its sheath.

"I won't let you take her without a fight," Lloyd replied as he and the others prepared to battle her. Zelos didn't really want to fight her, and he could tell the others were feeling the same. They were all apparently hurt by her betrayal and weren't quite sure if they really should fight her.

The group rushed at her nonetheless and Storm didn't even budge as they all came at her. Once they all got close enough she teleported behind them and attacked.

"Lightning blade," Storm yelled as she attacked Sheena from behind with her sword. Storm was about to go after Sheena once again, but heard Genis yell out for his Grave attack. She jumped into the air and flew away from the attack just in time. Of course, she didn't hear Raine cast her Ray attack as she was suddenly shocked by the light and thrown into the ground.

Storm seemed to be avoiding Lloyd, Colette, and Zelos purposely. Zelos could understand Colette and himself, but why was she avoiding Lloyd. Was it possible that she still cared about him, that she didn't want to hurt him. What if there was something going on between the two of them? He was pretty sure though that they were just very close friends.

With Storm distracted as Regal came at her she was suddenly sliced in the arm from behind. She looked behind her and was shocked when she saw that it was Lloyd who had inflicted the wound on her. Storm and Lloyd then began to fight with their swords. Neither of them wanted to give in a bit and it didn't seem as if either was gaining any ground. Storm noticed shortly that the group was beginning to close in around her as she released her Outburst attack to give herself some space.

Sheena came back at Storm after she regained her composure as she began to throw her cards at her repetitively. Storm was able dodge a few, but was struck by enough of them to begin to feel their effects. With Storm distracted by Sheena, Lloyd came up from behind and attacked her with his Hunting Beast attack. Storm screamed out in pain as she flew back and slammed on the ground before sliding back a few more feet. She struggled to her feet just in time to avoid the man quick attacks from Regal. Zelos could tell that she was beginning to grow tired from the battle, but she wasn't even beginning to give in.

Storm was beginning to grow tired of the battle and began to chant an incantation to try and finish off at least of few of them. She was just about to release her Holy Lance attack when she was struck violently in the back by Lloyd's Rising Falcon attack. She screamed in pain as she felt his sword go slice into her. She went down to one knee momentarily before getting back up to face them once again.

Suddenly, the rest of the group heard a voice pierce through the battle.

"Hey runt, Lord Yggdrasil says to forget about the Chosen for now and come back to Derris-Kharlan. It's not worth getting killed over, at least not yet. Now, come on, unless you want to die, it really doesn't bother me either way," the woman yelled. Zelos recognized that woman as the one that had hurt her earlier. Her name was Pronyma and was even more apparent than before that these two didn't like each other as he noticed Storm's angry expression.

"Yes Pronyma," Storm agreed when she looked around at the group Zelos noticed the relief over her eyes. She didn't really want to fight them the whole time, what was going through her mind? "This isn't the last time we meet Lloyd Irving," Storm warned him as she flew off with the angel.

The rest of the group sighed as the watched her fly away. There was silence among the group and Zelos could tell that they were all pained at being betrayed by Storm. Finally, someone decided to speak up.

"I can't believe we were being deceived again," Sheena said sadly as she looked at the ground before sitting down. Everyone looked at Lloyd, all knowing that he was probably most hurt from the discovery. They all knew that he and Storm had grown very close since they were together.

"Dammit, I can't believe I let her trick me," Lloyd said as he faced away from the others to hide his tears. He turned back towards Ozette. "Let's go...," he said quietly as he began to walk back towards the village. Everyone stared at him and each other before they got up silently and followed him.


Well, that's the end of this chapter. I decided to do this one mainly in Zelos' point of view of the situation because we got Storm's POV in the first story. Anyway, I hope you liked it and please review so I know what you think! Thanks!