Hello again, everyone! Here we are with the beginning of the main story now! Keep in mind, I don't stay directly with the game - meaning I really just changed some dialogue around and only shifted some minor things. Nothing too bad. But I would like to give a shout out to those who reviewed the prologue:

Marina Ka-Fai

Thanks! You are now my most favorite person in the ToS world! By you reviewing, I figured it would be okay to keep going on with this rewrite. So, with that, disclaimer!

ToS is not mine. Never has been, never will be. My OCs are the only things that are of my creation because NAMCO and BANDAI are far beyond my reach.

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Chapter One_The Mission

Scarlett released the heaviest sigh of the day as she leaned over the railings of the castle in Derris-Kharlan, her long red hair tossed over her right shoulder, trailing down her side until it hit her waist. Her eyes were looking at the dull sky longingly as she muttered, partially sarcastically, "It's never happened before, but a breeze here would be nice every once in a while…"

A breeze on Derris-Kharlan? She might as well have asked Lord Yggdrasill to stop trying to resurrect his dead sister. For fifteen long years, Derris-Kharlan and Welgaia had been Scarlett's home alongside Celeste, Faye, and Sheldon and under the guidance of Kratos and Yuan. All had been trained harshly, given Cruxis Crystals, had been turned into angels…yet the only two that remained were Scarlett and Celeste. She glanced down at the sky blue crystal on the back of her left hand, and her eyes seemed to glaze over as her memories flooded through her mind.

"What, you thought you could just do as you pleased?! Who do you think owns you?!"

"No, please, I'm sorry, Lord Yggdrasill!"

"Oh, no, you're not…not yet… Oh, Scarlett, dear? Come here… I think you'll want to watch this."

"Faye!"

"Scarlett-!"

"Lady Scarlett?"

She took a sharp inhale as she snapped out of her flood of memories and looked at the soulless angel that had just flown up behind her. Giving it no indication she had wanted to hear what this doll had to say, he said, "Lord Yggdrasill summons you immediately."

"…I understand. I will go there right away. Thank you." Scarlett leaned away from the railing and turned, just in time to see the angel flying away, no real destination in mind, even if he could have really thought. She hated the angels. She hated seeing them like this when they were once regular people, now turned into soulless puppets by Lord Yggdrasill. With yet another quick sigh, Scarlett began to walk towards where she knew she would find the leader who had summoned her – the chamber of Martel, where she lay sleeping for eternity, only kept alive by a Cruxis Crystal.

Coming nearer to the door, she raised a hand to knock, but a voice inside already spoke, "Come in."

Scarlett opened the door, quickly shut it behind her, and walked into the room. Lord Yggdrasill stood in the center, his menacing eyes watching her carefully. When she was several feet away, she took a knee, bowing her head low. "My Lord, I came as quickly as I could."

"Indeed? And that was as fast as could you manage? Leave it to humans to be the slowest creatures in existence, even after I so generously turn you into an angel. Oh well, no matter." Yggdrasill turned his gaze towards Kratos, who was standing off to the side of the room, leaning against the wall, arms crossed, no emotion in his eyes. "I have an important mission for you. Rise."

"A mission, My Lord?" Scarlett did as she was told and stood on her feet again, her head raised, though she still found it difficult to look him in the eyes. However, in her peripheral vision, she saw that Kratos had tossed her a quick glance. Already, she could tell this mission would not be an easy one.

"Yes. It is for the Chosen of Sylvarant." A sneer crept onto Yggdrasill's features, reaching to his eyes. "I am going to send Kratos to the land to join with her little group and ensure that she reaches the Tower of Salvation. This Chosen is particularly promising, thanks to her mana levels being extremely high – even more so than Tethe'alla's Chosen."

Scarlett could cringe at the mention of Tethe'alla's Chosen, Zelos Wilder. The only reason she knew him was because he was actually working with Cruxis, though no one who knew him knew that fact. She had met him a few times, and each time, he attempted at making a move on her and would result in him getting hurt. Still, Scarlett knew better than to betray any sign of emotion while she was in Lord Yggdrasill's presence. The last thing she felt like today was "being taught a lesson". She continued listening intently to him.

"However, to prevent any suspicion, I will have you be merely his backup. You will not ever really remain with her group. You will be more of a passerby that will aid in their quest on occasion, and you will remain here on Derris-Kharlan until I tell you that it is time to go, is that understood?" Yggdrasill narrowed his eyes down at Scarlett, awaiting her answer.

"I understand, My Lord. It will be done, and Lady Martel shall return to you." Scarlett gave another low bow, keeping her voice calm and collected.

"Excellent," he practically purred. "You may just finally turn out to be useful, Scarlett. You may leave."

Scarlett wasted no time in leaving the room. She locked eyes with Kratos for one quick moment before exiting, and she could tell he was not entirely bothered by this mission of Yggdrasill's, but she could see that something was different. Perhaps they would talk about it later, before he left. Once the door was shut securely behind her, Scarlett breathed a quiet breath of relief and set off. She would head to the rooms. Maybe she might run into Celeste or Yuan along the way to talk to. It had been a little while since she'd had any alone time with either of them.

Much had changed since all those years ago when she and her three best friends arrived on Derris-Kharlan, especially with her. For whatever reason, Yggdrasill had developed a particular interest in her, though he never gave any leeway on why that may be. Scarlett had her suspicions, but she was never dumb enough to bring it up into light. During all of this time, she had gotten to know both Kratos and Yuan rather well, but they still had plenty of secrets that they would never share with the children. While Kratos had watched over the four of them like a father, Yuan seemed to not be there as much, yet he was always keeping a watchful eye. Scarlett found both of them to be very wise in giving advice, but both had their specialty areas. She also felt more at ease when discussing things with Yuan. While he sat as still and silent as a statue, his presence wasn't as intimidating at Kratos' had somehow always been to her. She knew that he was no one for her to be afraid of, but there was just something about the auburn headed man that set her on edge.

Finally arriving at the hallway that contained the separate bedrooms, Scarlett listened for any activity going on. Faye and Sheldon's rooms were empty, as always… Celeste's room was also rather still. It was late, too, so perhaps she was resting. Shrugging her shoulders to herself, Scarlett opened the door to her room. She was about to close it when a hand pressed against it, stopping its progress. Scarlett looked quickly to see who it was and found it to be none other than Yuan, his eyebrow raised at her. "It appears as though you want to talk."

Scarlett cracked a small smile. "You always know, don't you?" Stepping away from the doorway, she gave a gesture to the half-elf. "Would you like to come in?"

"…I suppose." Yuan accepted her invitation and entered her room, making his way for his usual spot, which was her desk chair. He spun it around and waited for her to be seated at the foot of her bed, where she always sat. The two had their own quirky routines when it came to either taking care of business or just having talks. Yuan leaned back in the chair, seeming like he was going to be prepared for a long chat. "So what's on your mind?"

"Well… Lord Yggdrasill just gave me a mission, along with Kratos."

This single sentence caught Yuan's attention instantly. His eyes widened just a little and he sat very still, almost seeming like he was holding his breath. "Is that so? What mission?"

"I am to go help Kratos…in a way, to bring the Chosen of Sylvarant here. I won't be with them, but I will be around, in the shadows..." Scarlett's gaze shifted down towards the wooden floor.

"…But you aren't sure about this."

"N-no, it isn't that…! I'm more than happy to help Lord Yggdrasill with his goal! After all, he agreed to take us in and gave us shelter…food…and whatnot…," she trailed off, seemingly running out of reasons to give. "I can understand his desire to bring back a loved one… If I could bring back Faye, Sheldon…my parents, I would in a second."

Yuan's eyes flashed with a quick memory, and his thumb rubbed along the bottom of his left ring finger. He knew. He knew better than anyone why Mithos-…why Yggdrasill wanted to bring Martel back. Yuan wanted her back probably more than even her own brother did. Still, Yuan could understand that Martel's life had ended and that she would never really come back. Even if she did, she wouldn't be happy to learn of how many lives had so far been sacrificed for her or that she had been made into a goddess figure. He knew that Scarlett may still have to learn that for herself. She was still very young, after all. "I understand how you feel on that subject…but it is better to leave the dead in peace."

Scarlett frowned with confusion. "I thought Martel was technically still alive? Like how Faye is with me." Her eyes glanced at her Cruxis Crystal, which glimmered in the light. "That's what Lord Yggdrasill says."

Yuan's eyebrow twitched. Of course Yggdrasill had beaten these sorts of things into the children. He had done so since they arrived. They were completely unaware as to the evil nature of the process of reviving Martel…even though they already knew the evil nature of Yggdrasill himself, especially Scarlett. She had gone through so much, yet still managed to hide her fears and worries from the others. Yuan had learned to see the little things, though; those tiny signals that she gave off when something bothered her. "Well… How about this mission? Did he tell you anything else?"

"Not really. I have to wait here until he tells me to go. Kratos is leaving a lot sooner." Scarlett scooted back on her bed a little bit to give herself room to pull her knees up to her chest. "I don't want to lie, but…I'm kind of scared about this. What if I mess up?"

Yuan gave a soft chuckle. Scarlett often doubted herself, but even more rarely revealed it to anyone, even himself. "Don't you know how far you've come in all these years? Have some faith in yourself and you'll do just fine. Besides, Kratos will be there, and…he won't let anything happen to you."

She paused, absorbing his words, but also questioning why he had hesitated before finishing what he was going to say. Figuring that it was nothing too important, she brushed it off and gave Yuan a small smile. "I guess you're right." She looked to the side of her bed, which was where her weapon lay against the wall – a scythe of great size that was named Koikage, which Yggdrasill gave to it. He had Scarlett do the more dirty missions than the others her age. He had seen the spunk in her as a child, as well as her pride and had put it to good use. He had trained her more harshly and more often than her friends and even taught her magic once she gained her Cruxis Crystal. Within the past two years, Yggdrasill had even gone so far as to call Scarlett his own personal shinigami. Looking back at Yuan and pushing those thoughts away, she added, "I'll have Koikage, too. Even though there is a lot of blood on it, it hasn't let me come to harm yet."

Yuan nodded as he stood from his seat. "That's one way to look at it. Now that you've got that in your mind, I believe I will go and have some words with Kratos before going to my room for the evening. Anything else?"

"Mmm… No, I don't think so."

"Okay, then." Yuan reached a hand to Scarlett's head and rubbed it a little, as though she were still just a little kid.

She protested loudly and pushed his hand away, bringing forth a grin as he left her room. She watched the door close and grumbled lightly to herself, "Does he really have to keep doing that? I'm not a little kid anymore…!"

Laying back in her bed, Scarlett kicked off her black boots and moved high enough so that her head could lay rightfully on her pillow. Deciding it wasn't comfortable enough, she sat up for another moment and tugged at the ribbon that held her hair up, letting it fall around her, her bangs sweeping over her eyes. As she lay back down, she looked back at Koikage, which seemed to be like a looming shadow. Taking a deep inhale, Scarlett's eyes flashed to a solid white color while her body then went limp.

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A young dwarf man was running, obviously out of breath, holding a hammer tight in his hand, occasionally glanced over his shoulder to see if he was still being followed. Scarlett was close in pursuit, her legs pushing her as fast as she could run, catching up to the dwarf. While he was in a state of panic, he couldn't see that he was running himself into a corner of the canyon with nowhere else to turn. Scarlett brandished Koikage in her hands, her hair flying out behind her, determination set in her eyes. Yggdrasill had given her the first mission she had ever received, and she needed to follow through with it, no matter what! She didn't even want to think about the consequences if she failed…

Finally, after running for several minutes, the dwarf man ran into a dead end. The shadow of the cliff above him hovered ominously before him. Off to his right was a steep drop into the rushing river hundreds of yards below. His left was blocked by the cliff side. The running footsteps behind him came to a halt, which urged him to turn and look into his doom. He backed up slowly, growling in his throat. "Now listen here… What have I ever done to ya?!"

Scarlett furrowed her brows, trying to stay focused and not listen to the desperation hidden in his voice. Koikage began to feel so much heavier in her hands and she took a few steps closer to him. "You have betrayed Lord Yggdrasill and left Cruxis, refusing to work for him anymore. Betrayal must be punished…"

"So they send a kid like yerself to come and kill me?" A dry bark of laughter came from the dwarf's throat. "How the mighty have fallen. Listen, little missy…I don't think ya want to do this. How about ya just turn around and we'll both say this never happened?"

Scarlett raised Koikage over her head, readying it for an attack. A knot so big formed in her throat that she couldn't even swallow it. "No, I can't! Don't you understand?! You know what he's like… If I go back now…I'll be killed!"

"Even Yggdrasill wouldn't kill a little kid-"

"You're wrong!" she screamed, grief tearing through to her words. Her body began shaking violently as hot tears rushed down her cheeks. Another step closer she went. "You're wrong…! I can't… I don't want to, but… I won't let him kill me yet!"

From the shock of hearing Scarlett's cries, the dwarf had dropped his hammer from his hand. He backed up another step before realizing that his weapon was now out of reach and too close to his assassin for him to make a break for it. Her scythe was too large, too long, and she was more likely quicker than he was. His back hit the cliff wall. "N-now, c'mon now… Let's not, okay-?"

With a strangled yell, Scarlett leapt into the air and brought her scythe down upon the dwarf's body. He instantly fell to the ground, groaning in deep pain, clutching his chest, where the weapon had faithfully struck. As her feet touched the ground, she whispered, "I'm… I'm so sorry… Please…forgive me…"

The dwarf tried to speak again, but his words failed him as his breath rushed from his body. Scarlett turned with horror, her eyes wide and tearing. The longer she looked at his bloodied body, the more she felt the evil of what she had done. She fell to her knees, Koikage clattering to the ground beside her. Her hands raised to her face, then slid up into her hair on the side of her head. Clutching tightly at her hair, she wailed so loud that it sounded like she was screaming all over again.

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Scarlett came to, her eyes regaining their color. She breathed deeply, feeling shaky, as she always did when she woke from a vision. The first thing she saw clearly was Koikage. She frowned deeply and muttered darkly, "…Why would I be shown that again? That's one of the last things I need to remember…"

Sitting up, she wondered how long she'd been out of it. It didn't feel like it was that long, but then again, there was no real way to tell time on Derris-Kharlan. She swung her feet over the side of her bed and walked over to her desk, where Yuan had been earlier. She sat down and opened a drawer, pulling forth a notebook. In her left hand, she picked up a pencil and flipped the book open to the first empty page, which was more than halfway through. With a sigh, she began to write down what she had seen, at what time she thought it was, and on what day.

When she finished, she closed the book and leaned back in her chair. Well…I suppose there's nothing more to do than to wait until it's my turn to join this little charade…

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And that brings us to the end of chapter uno! I hope you all liked it! Let's have a little review party downstairs, huh? Haha, see you all at the next chapter!