Me: And here's Part Twenty-three!

April: -sniff- um…I'm not gonna die right…? -sniff-

Me: -pats Aprils back-don't worry, you'll just have to wait and see

April: O-okay…it's not like you'll make me die anyway…

To Understand: Part Twenty-three

Fate of Heimdall II

By Harmony283

Good Reviews: (with 75 reviews and 2359 hits!)

Alaia Skyhawk-And yet another new reviewer! Yay! I'm glad you liked the chapter—and don't worry about being busy…it happens to all of us (besides I think I update a little fast for some people to actually review) but yeah! Thanks for the review! And here's the next Chapter! I hope ya like it!

DraNKa-That's great that you thought it'd turn out like this! I was actually trying to make it so the readers already knew the relationship between April an' Pronyma two (or was it three?) chapters ago. And yeah, everyone's basically like 'WTF' 'huh' (in Lloyds case) or 'I…can't believe it…but they do look alike' (wonder who says that?) Well, anyway, thanks for the review and here's the next Chapter! Enjoy!

Liu Barrowin-Yes things are getting tense…very tense. But…you have computer access during lunch hour at your school? We don't…I just got lucky and woke up early in the morning so I could update…-cough- not that that matters now or anything so…here's the next Chapter! I hope ya like it!

Mizuki hikari-Yes a shocking discovery (unless you already knew of course) and yeah, I was kinda trying to make it obvious…so…yeah. Anyways, here's the next Chapter! Enjoy!

Hiranieas-Ah…so those are their names in Japanese? Well, it figures that Yuans' name'd stay the same. There's always at least one character in any Japanese made game whose name doesn't change…but yeah! I'm glad you liked the chapter and yes, Pronyma will die and yes, Mithos will kill her. As for when…ah, I can't really say. Well, here's the next Chapter: Enjoy!

Viaroura Fox-Hmm, I wonder, is April going to die? You'll just have to read and find out! And yes, Genis is pretty freaked out but he's…very calm about it. And as for everyone else…hmm, I wonder…how will they take it? Well, you'll just have to read an' find out that too! And here's the next chapter! Enjoy!


Me: Well did anyone think last Chapter went as planned?

April: Well yeah, kinda. But the title was misleading -sniff-

Me: But see the 'II' in the title for this Chapter? Well, that's cuz this is still a continuation of last Chapter.

April: Well that makes sense; I'll do the disclaimer now. Harmony283 doesn't own ToS…Namco does. But she does own Feral, me and the plot. Thought the fact that she owns me is now scary

Me: Oh come on! It can't be that bad!

April: Oh it is when your life is on the line.

Authors Note: Well -cough- I guess so…uh, anyway. In this chapter…uh…I can't really say much without spoiling it but I can say that this is a continuation of the next Chapter--meaning this is when Heimdall gets destroyed. How you ask? Well why don't you read and find out?

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Genis' POV

I stared up at the woman holding me.

She was an elf, and yet she was kind to us.

She was Raines childhood friend

And…she was…

Pronymas sister?

That seemed so…so…I couldn't find the word for it. I couldn't rightly believe it. But she had said it herself.

Wow, this meant so much more than just protecting me.

'Yes, it does mean much more, Genis.'

So Feral was back?

'Yes I'm back…though it's painful…that woman wants my other self to wake up…and…I'm sure you already know how deadly that is. Since she got out before she can get out again. I…I…' Feral sounded so scared that it even scared me.

But she was right about one thing.

If her 'alter ego' comes out then…something bad definitely would happen.

When she had taken over, not even an hour ago, I had felt like my insides were being torn out.

But just as quickly as that sensation had come…it had left when she…was about to destroy Mithos' Cruxis Crystal.

His gift to me.

I still had it with me. But since I didn't need it anymore--since we already knew where and what the Aqua ore was--which was in a pendant I had bought in Altimira--I could give it back.

That is…if I ever got a chance to.

And right now definitely wasn't the time to.

"I…don't…care about that…" but Pronyma didn't sound convincing.

"If you don't then why don't you kill me? This boy is important for what you're…going to do next so why are you taking your time?"

"Because I--"

"You said it yourself that you didn't want to dawdle, especially since you don't need to…" April seemed twice as sad as she said this. I could hear the fear in her voice, but…she still wasn't backing down.

Now I wished I could see the looks on my friends' faces.

They were probably stunned/shocked out of belief.

But then again we all should be used to this by now shouldn't we?

I mean, it happens all the time.

'Well yes, it does. But no one we know that's evil is truly evil. Yuan is the Renegade leader, so he's fighting against Cruxis, Kratos, well, he's been helping Lloyd out from the beginning so he definitely isn't evil…and Mithos has saved you countless numbers of times so, even though he's the leader of Cruxis, even he isn't all together bad.'

That made a lot of sense.

And that outright just scared the crap out of me.

Since when did anyone agree with the voice in their head?

'Hey!'

"Pronyma…" I snapped away from my thoughts at the sound of Mithos' voice.

"You stay out of this. If you don't then--"

"You aren't strong enough to kill me, Pronyma. Both you and I know that." His tone was icy, it sent chills down my spin.

I hated it when he was like this. But I knew he had to be. This was, after all, a life or death kind of situation.

"Yes but I am stronger than I was last time."

"Hmm, really? I don't really care to test that out, because, as you can see, we're in the middle of a village…full of elves…need I say more?"

Pronyma seemed to suddenly realize this.

How ironic that I hadn't noticed either.

I mean, the elves were just staring at us now.

It'd only be a matter of time before the village elder would get here.

'And there goes all your chances of ever being allowed back in this village again.'

I really didn't need Feral to point that out to me.

'But it's the truth.'

And I knew that.

"No I don't believe you do need to say more." Pronyma turned back to face April and me.

"Now April, out of the goodness of my heart--and the fact that you're my younger sister and I won't deny that--if you give me that boy without hesitation I will not kill you."

"And if I don't give him to you?"

"You know the answer to that question already, now don't you?"

'Of course she does! The penalty is death! And I'm pretty sure she has a small chance of actually surviving one of Pronymas attacks so that's near definite if she just swings an attack at her.'

Gee, I really didn't need to know that. I mean, who wants to know if their only means of protection is technically as weak as an average human?

'Well I was just stating the statistics'

Statistics I didn't need to know…

"April…please don't do this…" Raine whispered from somewhere behind us. She sounded so scared and worried. And I'm sure she wasn't just worried over my well being, but Aprils as well. I mean, who wanted their close friend to die? Much less watch them die right in front of their--and their younger brothers--eyes?

I looked up when I felt something warm and wet fall on my head.

April was crying.

"Hmph…so you really won't hand him over, will you?"

"No…I won't."

And even though tears were falling from her eyes, her voice never wavered, and her expression was firm.

"Fine then."

And with those words said, Pronyma released the ball of evil energy towards us.

April quickly moved so that her back was facing the oncoming attack, blocking me entirely.

I heard the attack dissipate when it hit something and expected to hear April scream out in pain.

But I didn't.

Instead I heard Raine.

Wait…Raine…?

Extra weight was immediately added, and April only hugged me tighter, choking back a sob.

"Dammit! That attack wasn't meant for you!"

"Professor!"

"Professor Raine!"

"Holy…"

"S…sis…?" I whisper, pulling away slightly from Aprils ever tightening grip.

And I wished I hadn't looked.

Raine was leaning against Aprils' back.

Her own back covered in blood, much like mine had been when Pronyma attacked me.

I was thankful when I saw Raines chest moving slightly.

She was still breathing.

Though barely.

"A…are…you…a…al…right…?" her voice cracked and her words were broken.

"I…I'm…fine…but…please…don't…do that…again." April said, her voice a mere whisper as she buried her head in my hair, choking back another sob.

"Damn it all! Give me that boy! He is the key! I need him!"

Pronyma stepped forward and was about to fling Raine off of April and me.

But Mithos interfered, obviously snapping out of whatever thoughts that had engulfed his mind. He shot the beam of energy from his hand.

And it would have hit if Pronyma hadn't moved.

"Get away from them." Now Mithos was standing in front of us. He was helping Raine up off Aprils' back. I heard footsteps behind me and knew that either Lloyd or someone else was coming forward to help.

And I was right.

It was Lloyd.

"You really…are wasting my time."

I could just barely see over Lloyds' head, and what I saw made me gasp.

While everyone had their backs turned Pronyma had readied another attack.

But…I didn't want anyone else to get hurt!

"Stop it!" I shouted, startling both my friends, Pronyma, and everyone else that had stopped to watch this…episode.

"What?" Pronyma smirked, "What makes you think I'll stop."

I gulped, "I…don't want you to hurt them…so…"

Mithos seemed to be the first to catch on, "Genis! What are talking about? Are you really--"

"If…I go with you then will you leave my friends alone?"

Pronymas eyes widened, "So you'll come with me willingly?"

I nodded my head.

"Genis! You don't have to do that! We can take her on and you know it!" Lloyd shouted, glaring at me with a shocked/horrified look on his face. His eyes, though, showed a mixture of anger and concern.

"I…know…but if you were to get hurt…"

"Lloyd is right. We are strong enough to take her on." Presea said, also a hint of worry in her voice.

"I know that! But she's--"

Then just like that I felt my arm being tugged and before I realized it I was in Pronymas grip.

"Hmph, he wants to come with me on his own free will. So I'll take him with me."

"Genis." Mithos looked so…defeated…and worried.

'He's most likely upset because you're agreeing to this and…since you are, he can't do a thing about it.'

"Mithos, um, don't worry okay? Just…remember that thing that I said I had that you…that would help with…what we talked about?"

Mithos blinked, then nodded his head while everyone just looked between us with confused faces.

"Yeah, I know. It's…in your bag isn't it?"

I nodded my head, "Yeah, and, um, you'll have to tell everyone else about the re--nngh!" Pronymas grip tightened on my wounded hand, making me gasp, and making Mithos clench his fist even tighter.

"Now I'm assuming you're done talking--we will be leaving now." With that said I could feel…my body dissipating.

It felt like it did whenever we used those warp points.

But this time…I felt scared.

--------------------------------

Mithos' POV

I watched helplessly as Pronyma took Genis away. But…I still had something I had to do, or rather, something I had to take.

I turned my gaze back to Genis' friends. They were still watching the area where Genis had been standing, bewildered looks on their faces.

April was the first to snap out of her trance, "Raine…?" she whispered, looking at the limp form of her childhood friend, dried tears staining her cheeks.

"She's still breathing." Kratos murmured, "And she still has a pulse."

"That's…good…I can heal her then." She raised her staff and murmured a few words. The same greenish glow I had seen her use to heal Genis appeared and engulfed the half-elf, curing her visible wounds.

"I…don't know…if this is enough though." She murmured, moving so that Raines head was now resting in her lap.

"But…Genis is gone and…I'm confused." Lloyd said, shaking his head from side to side.

Heh, that was so like him.

He then turned his gaze towards me, "And then there's the question of why you're here."

Well at least we're getting the idle chat done with early.

"I'm here for the same reason I told Pronyma. Genis claimed that he'd find another way to revive Martel. And he did. And that item he…said that he had that I could have…is something needed to revive her."

"And what would this object be?" Regal asked, also seeming to regain face after these events.

"Ah, he said it was in the form of a pendant. He said he bought it in Altimira from a…merchant. The merchant told him that the pendant was made out of a combination of Aqua Quartz--which is said to give water element powers to weapons for a short while during battle--and some time of ore that dwarves used. Genis found out later that it was Inhibitor ore though…"

"I see…but does he still have it?"

"That's what he said, isn't it? It should be in his bag…I'll…go check. Meanwhile I think it'd be best if you moved Raine to a…more suitable environment."

I turned away from them and hurried into the inn, past the inn owner and the smaller elven children that had stopped their play to watch the events that had transpired just a few moments prior.

I turned into the room Genis had been staying in and noticed his bag immediately. I quickly opened it and searched it through, looking up briefly when I heard shouting.

The Elf Elder was here…

I sighed and looked back down, finally noticing something with an eerie blue shine to it.

I pulled it out and sure enough it was the pendant.

And it was very well made.

It even had the pattern etched into it that most exspheres had…

But wait…it was…different.

But then again, it was probably just a design so.

"Ah, you really are here."

I stood up and turned towards the doorway to face the elder.

"Yes I'm here. I found what I was looking for and I will leave."

I walked past him slowly, not really wanting to explain my reasons for being here.

"You know, you've changed. When my grandfather…told my father about you, and thus when my father told me stories…I never expected that you…would come here to aid a fellow Half-elf that betrayed you."

"I have my reasons."

"That boy must be special."

"he is special." I whisper before I could stop myself.

"Hmm? Really now? I've heard he's deft in the magical field--"

"That's not it. Now I'm leaving. I don't really want to think of the possibilities of what Pronyma can do to him…"

The elder just nodded his head, "Well I'm not stopping you."

I sighed and walked out the door, immediately being greeted by Lloyd, who seemed pure and utterly confused.

"Mithos--"

"Yes?"

"…You're going to Derris Kharlan aren't you?"

I nodded my head, "Of course I am. Hopefully I will be able to find Genis before…Pronyma can use him for whatever she needs him for."

Lloyd just nodded his head, "I…yeah…but…" He glanced over at Kratos who was leaning up against a nearby tree.

"But what?"

"I…the Aionis…"

Then it hit me. He had to use the Eternal Sword to get to Derris Kharlan.

He couldn't just teleport there like Kratos, Yuan, or I could.

"I…see. And the only way you can use the Aionis is if you turn it into a ring and equip it while drawing the Eternal Sword."

"But it's still bound by your pact…isn't it? And I…don't think I could…fight you over it since you're being so--"

"--Cooperative?"

Lloyd nodded his head, "Yeah. So what do I--"

Kratos now seemed to notice us talking and moved forward to stand by his son.

"You're talking about the Eternal Sword, yes?"

"Yeah…we…are…"

"Hmm."

"Well, more like what Lloyd is going to have to do since the Sword is still bound by my pact. And of course he doesn't want to kill me now."

Kratos nods his head. His eyes widen slightly, but he doesn't say anything.

"You…know…what has to be done, don't you?" I ask, and he merely runs his fingers through his hair worriedly.

"Yes. But in doing so you would either have to die or break your pact. But as for how you're going to accomplish either…"

"I already said I wasn't going to die."

"So breaking the pact then…but how are you going to--"

That was a good question. How was I going to break the pact? The Eternal Sword was used to split the two worlds, and it's also used to connect Derris Kharlan to the Earth via the Tower of Salvation.

Wait.

I think I just solved the problem.

"I…see…I know what I can do."

Both Lloyd and Kratos, as well as those who had over heard the conversation.

"And that is…?"

"The Eternal Sword, as you already know, was used to create the two worlds. But it also serves as a link to Derris Kharlan."

"So…?"

Kratos' face paled, "You aren't thinking of…destroying that link…the Tower of Salvation…are you?"

"I'm afraid it's the only way I can think of breaking the pact."

"But if you destroy it--"

"I never said it was going to be easy, or that it was…going to be safe. But it's the quickest way. And quite honestly we're running out of time."

"I…know this sounds…cold, but I agree with him." April said from her position on the ground. She still had Raines head in her lap, and she didn't seem to want to move anytime soon.

"Wha--"

"it is the quickest way. But it's also not safe. Who knows what will happen when the tower of Salvation is destroyed?"

"That's…true. It hasn't happened before so…I don't know either. But you really should…get her inside."

April sighed and nodded her head, "I will but it seems that you should take care of breaking that pact first."

Well, yes, she was right.

"Fine then. I'll be leaving now. When you reach Derris Kharlan hopefully Genis will be freed by then and he can tell you himself about what is needed to revive Martel."

I focused my mind on the Tower of Salvation, or, more specifically, the Seal room.

I silently hoped that Pronyma hadn't done anything to Genis yet.

Though the fact that he was the 'key' really…unnerved me.

I teleported away and wound up right in front of the sword itself. I silently hoped that I was doing the right thing…but it was a little too late to be thinking about that.

I walked over to the sword, using my mind to lift it from its resting place.

"Eternal Sword, this is my last wish for you before your Pact is Broken."

'Yes…?' the voice of the sword asked, seeming slightly alarmed but…somewhat calm at the same time.

"I want you to destroy the link to Derris Kharlan."

'I…yes…I will do as you wish.'

The room around me began to shake and I sighed, "Well then I guess I should be getting to Venheim now." I teleported away once more to my castle on Derris Kharlan…

Hoping against hoping that Genis was okay.

That he could still be saved.

All the while I wondered, what exactly did Pronyma mean by Genis being the 'key'?

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Me: And that's Chapter/Part Twenty-three…though I really should have gotten this out yesterday but…

April: Things happen. Though I'm happy you kept me alive…

Me: Hmm?

April: Raine got hurt instead. -whimper-

Me: Ah…um…she'll get better! I promise!

April: She'd better… -glares-

Me: -cough- would I ever lie to you? Now, anyway…R&R please! I love hearing from people!