A/N's: Well... I wonder where I went. Anyway, this is the final chapter. See y'all at the finish line!

RPD

Chapter 25: Angelic Pain

They continued through the forest until everyone heard a loud crack. Noishe growled and the Star Blade vibrated from within it's sheath. Kaylie rested her hand on it. Desians came out from behind the trees and bushes, ready to attack. Unfortunately for them, Kaylie was ready too.

"Cyclone!" she shouted as a green twister cleared away the Desians in front of them. "You guys run ahead. We'll deal with them." Kratos nodded.

"Let's move, Noishe." Noishe barked and sprinted forward. They followed the path as Anna held Lloyd close to her. She this terrible feeling that she was going to be separated from the ones she cared about the most. The mere thought of it tore at her heart. She looked deeply at Lloyd's peaceful, sleeping face. Would she really have to separate from him once again?

Noishe growled and suddenly stopped. Anna could now see that the path split in two here. They could either keep going forward or turn left. But Kaylie had said no detours, which meant that they had to keep going straight. But someone was standing in their way. The mere sight of him made her heart drop in complete and utter fear for her family.

Kvar and a group of Desians stood in their path, preventing them from taking the right road. He smirked evilly and Lloyd twitched within her shaking arms. She couldn't help but think that her few years of happiness were suddenly coming to an end.

"This is it, Kratos. Your little escapade ends here." A tear fell down Anna's face. The exsphere on her hand began to shimmer. It really was over.

"You're not going to stop us, Kvar," Kratos muttered as he unsheathed his weapon and slid off Noishe's back.

"This end's here and now! Lightning!" Noishe ran onto the left path to avoid the spell at top speed. Kvar smiled and turned to his Desians.

"Deal with him! I'll get the mutt." Kratos inhaled sharply.

"Stop!" he shouted but in vain as Kvar ran after Noishe was was still carrying Anna and Lloyd. In anger, he thrust himself into battle.

"Indignation!" Kaylie exclaimed, Killing more Desians. She was out of breath. Procone had taken so many as well. The white bird screeched with exhaustion.

"Lightning!" The final Desian, it seemed, collapsed to the ground. She sighed. They needed to catch up to Anna fast. She could feel it in her bones. Something obviously wasn't right.

"You're not going anywhere..." Kalie gasped as more Desians came out form the trees. She held up the Star Blade. It was still vibrating lightly. She didn't have time to waste.

"Would you really do anything for them?" It was the voice again. She shook her head. She needed to focus.

"Don't you want to save them?" Kaylie stopped. This wasn't any normal voice.

"Who are you?"

"I am Origin, the king of the summon spirits. Help is coming."

"What?" Before she even spoke the word lightning bolts fell from the sky in great numbers, taking out numerous Desians. Still though, many more remained. Kaylie took a few steps back and bumped into the something. It was Yuan and they were now back to back, surrounded be Desians.

"Why are you here?" Kaylie asked defensively.

"To try and stop what may happen," he replied simply, holding up his swallow in attack position.

"And what would that be?"

"It's either we fight together and win or fight against each other and I kill you. Make your choice." Kaylie's jaw clenched but she stood back to back with him anyways. If he'd really wanted to kill her, he would've already.

The Desians ran in, shouting and ready to use their weapons. Procone screeched and took out the first wave with a cyclone. Together, Kaylie and Yuan fought the rest of them down.

Kaylie fell to her knees, panting and thrust the Star Blade into the ground.

"I'm going ahead. You should rest here. Where did they go?" Kaylie hesitated.

"...Up the path. They were headed to see a dwarf passed the ranch and deeper into the forest." Yuan nodded then approached her. He touched the Star Blade. Kaylie expected it to completely fry him or give him a shock at least, but nothing happened. He smiled slightly.

"Magic never lies." The Blade suddenly shrieked.

"No... you've got to be kidding me," Kaylie whispered.

"Let's try to move forward. There's probably more goons up ahead. I'll help you."

Noishe whimpered and Anna gasped. They'd run into a dead end. The Iselia Ranch. Anna began to panic. Where would they go now? She needed to hide Lloyd at the very least. She had to make sure that he survived. She wasn't going to let her son become an experiment that would only end in his death.

"Well, well, well... what do we have here?" Anna's heart dropped again. Noishe growled and barked. Kvar approached them. "Hand the exsphere and your child over. The game ends here." Anna held Lloyd close to her.

"No! I'll never give him to you," she sobbed. Lloyd shivered. He was starting to wake up. Kvar took a few steps closer to them.

"You wouldn't want me to take it by force..." he smirked and Anna's entire body began to shake. It truly was over. She had no choice. She had to surrender otherwise Lloyd would die. They were near a cliff too... they had no where to run. She slid off of Noishe's back and placed him there. She softly touched her son's face then, with tears in her eyes, she her back to them. Noishe whimpered.

"I'll give myself up as long as you promise not to hurt Lloyd and to leave him be," she stated. Kvar laughed sadistically.

"Yes, yes... whatever you wish." Anna walked towards Kvar. Kvar backed up until he was directly across from the cliff, where Noishe and Lloyd were. He wanted to be far enough away when Kratos away but he also wanted to give him a choice. Save his son or his wife. The dog was so close to the cliff, only one spell could send them both over the edge. Noishe began barking and they heard a child's whimpering.

"Mommy...?" Anna stopped before she reached Kvar. When she glanced behind her then turned back and saw Kvar's eyes, she realized what his plans were.

"Anna!" Kratos shouted as he entered the clearing.

"No... no...Kratos!" She shouted in desperation. She tried to run to him but it was too late. Kvar grabbed her wrist and she pulled her towards him forcefully. She should've known. Kvar wanted to kill her entire family. Once she was dead, why would he care about any promise he made to anyone? She screamed.

"Finally, this entire game is over. I have the Angelus Project within reach!" he touched the exsphere and light exploded from it. Anna screamed louder out of fear and pain.

"ANNA!" Kratos bolted towards her but it was in vain. Kvar pulled the exsphere out of her hand. Kvar burst into maniacal laughter as Kratos was forced back by the sudden release of mana. The light blinded them for a moment. When it faded, Kratos felt his hands clam up and he inhaled sharply, not wanting to believe what stood before him.

Anna had turned into a monster.

She heard Anna's scream followed by Kratos shouting her name. She began to shake. She saw the blinding light that filled the skies. Anna was in danger. Someone had taken off her exsphere.

"There is very little time left. What will you do?" the voice echoed through her mind. She stopped running. Yuan turned to her and gave her a curious expression. She looked up towards the sky and felt a raindrop fall lightly unto her nose. It slowly began to rain.

"What can I do to save them?" she said out loud.

"Who are you talking..." his voice faded out and his eyes widened.

"You have the Angel Soul. You're the one who's changed everything. The way things happen depend on your decisions. I don't have much power left but I can help."

"...How?"

"Give up your life and give it to her."

"...What are your reasons for doing this?"

"I made a grave error, long ago." Yuan took a few steps towards Kaylie.

"Origins made contact with you. Do what he says. I'm going to Kratos." He ran off up the path, leaving Kaylie confused and unsure of what to do. Procone collapsed at her feet in exhaustion.

"You don't know what to do either..."

Anna had turned into a monster. She had grown taller and her arms and legs bulged and swelled. Her skin had turned green. Kvar had taken off her exsphere, thus causing this transformation. The monster roared.

"Anna!" Kratos ran to her. "Anna! Calm down!" He tried to reason with her, hoping that something would happen. Kvar laughed resonantly.

"It's too late. She's going to kill you all!"

"Ann-" Kratos was cut off as Anna knocked him away with one of her huge arms. She roared again.

"Mommy..." Lloyd sobbed and started to cry. He was terribly frightened and confused. Noishe whined in an attempt to quiet him down but it was useless. The monster that was once Anna now realized that they were there.

She turned her towards the sound of Lloyd's cries and began to walk towards him. She stomped passed Kratos, who was lying on the ground.

"Anna!"

Kratos... please... He gasped.

"Anna...?" Lloyd cried louder as the monster advanced towards him. Noishe growled and defended the little boy. Then, Anna stopped and roared, her deformed arms holding her head.

Kratos... hurry... you have to kill me. Please.

Kratos felt his heart stop. He blinked. This really couldn't be happening. He was just having a horrible dream. He shook his head and realized that one of the monsters fists was raised and prepared to drop right above Lloyd.

"LLOYD!" Kratos shouted. Noishe jumped into the line of fire, taking the hit and saving Lloyd's life. He collapsed to the ground, howling in pain. Once again, the monster raised its arms to its head.

Kratos...please. Save him!

A howl echoed through the skies. Procone shivered and shifted, but in the end, she couldn't move a muscle. A tear slid down Kaylie's cheek.

"It's up to you now to make your choice... I can't make you."

"But what do I do?"

"The answer lies within you heart. You choose your destiny."

"What...?" But she received no response. She shook her head to clear her thoughts. She remembered seeing a cliff as they entered the forest. She stood and ran back to the entrance. The only thing she could go on were ideas now, as well as her gut instincts.

Kratos stood in front of Lloyd.

"Anna, I can't."

Kratos, you have to, for Lloyd, for me. Please! I'm begging you... please. Kratos shook his head.

"Anna..."

At least, let me die knowing that I didn't kill my own son. At least, let me die... human. Kratos dropped his gaze.

Please... before it's too late... Anna's voice faded out and the monster roared. It raised its arm. Kratos tensed. As the arm came down, Kratos pulled up his weapon, and in one swift movement, thrust the sword through the monster. He pulled it back in horror of his action. He shook as he replaced the sword into its sheath. The monster fell to the ground and slowly shrank as Anna returned to her normal form. He knelt beside her body.

"Anna," he sobbed, "I'm so sorry. Please... forgive me..." She opened her eyes slightly.

"Kratos, thank you. Please, take care of Lloyd. I...love..you.." he voice faded as he laid her next to Noishe and Lloyd. He gave Lloyd a kiss on the forehead.

"Be safe, Lloyd..." Lloyd sobbed and crawled over to hug his dying mother.

Turning his back on his crumbling family, he faced Kvar silently. He was marveling at the Angelus Crystal, the very cause of Anna's death. Kratos unfurled his wings and pointed his sword towards Kvar. In a single, swift movement, he used one foot to thrust his body forward and practically-and quite literally- flew across the clearing.

"Lightning Blade!" he shouted, hitting Kvar. They both stared as the Angelus Crystal flew from his fingertips. It landed, then rolled across the other half of the clearing. Kratos froze as Kvar began gathering mana. The crystal stopped rolling after it touched Lloyd's foot.

"LLOYD!" Hearing his father's call, he turned to look at him, then regarded, quite curiously, what had touched his foot. Oblivious to the danger of the Crystal, he reached for it.

"Lightning!"

To Kratos, everything seemed to slow down. A bolt of lightning hit the ground just before Lloyd. The ground began to shake and crack. The boy began to cry as the ground he sat upon lowered suddenly. In seconds, the ground broke off and Lloyd, Noishe, and Anna went over the edge.

"LLOYD! ANNA!" In blind rage, he stabbed Kvar with his sword and watched him fall to his knees. Kratos glared down at him for a single moment before running off to find his family.

Kaylie gasped as she watched Lloyd, Anna and Noishe fall down the side of the cliff. Her heart suddenly throbbed, bringing her to her knees. She took a deep breath and forced herself up. She needed to save them. She heard Kratos yelling their names out. She hoped he'd be okay. The Star Blade was still shrieking, it not louder. She ran towards them, despite the throbbing her heart.

They weren't too hard to find, which surprised her, when she considered how much foliage had gotten in her way. She collapsed before their still bodies. She was amazed and incredibly shocked to find Lloyd alive. He had used Noishe as a cushion, who was also still alive. The she observed Anna – and nearly fainted.

She was covered in blood. Kaylie crawled over to her and barely got a pulse. Anna was nearly gone and Kaylie had no mana left to use any healing spells.

"Anna." She whispered her name. She had to find a way to save her. She had promised and she couldn't break a promise.

"Only you can choose how this turns out..."

Kaylie say on her knees and prayed.

"To the bringer of life, please, take my life instead of my loved ones and replace their time with mine...please." A single tear slid down her cheek.

Then, the world went white and her body lightly fell to the ground.