I'm not entirely happy with this beginning, and I might revise it at some point. But for now I wanted to put it out here and get some feedback. Hope you like it!

Read and Review Please!

Broken Memories

Chapter One

Crystal's last move was over, but the battle was not. She may have been too weak to strike again, but he clearly wasn't. He was bleeding from a wound on his side and a deep gash on his forearm. She had numerous cuts and bruises, and blood was dripping from her mouth.

The battle had taken its toll on her, and she was so weak that she was only on her feet because he held her against the wall. They were outside his ranch, and he had just slammed her head into the wall. Her vision blurred for a moment, and she glared at him through the haze.

She knew it would come to this from the moment it began. This confrontation was expected by both parties. She, Crystal, had planned this from the beginning, and she could tell he was expecting it as well when she came to him.

Magnius.

The night air was cool on her skin as his axe tore through her clothes, but she hardly noticed. His sharp blade was close enough to her neck that she could feel its cold, sleek sharpness cutting her again.

He looked right in her eyes, his scarlet hair brushing against her face. Crystal tried to remain unemotional, but that was nearly impossible-she seethed every time she looked at him. Her clothes were nothing but ribbons at this point, and cuts and bruises decorated her body.

"You know I don't want to do this, Crystal." He purred, stroking the side of her face gently, as a lover might.

"Don't touch me, you bastard." She growled.

His false sympathy quickly faded, replaced by anger once again. The hand on her face quickly pulled back and slapped her, and she hit the ground hard. She only remained there for a brief moment before Magnius picked her up by the throat and held her against the wall again.

"You little-"

"I don't think you want to do that." A deep voice echoed through the room as a tall form stood in the doorway.

"And why would that be?" Magnius asked, turning at the intrusion. A man stood there, waiting calmly for a moment before charging toward Magnius.

Crystal slumped to the ground as soon as the man pulled Magnius away from her, showing just how weak she truly was. She tried to stand again, but found that she was too weak to do much more than hold her head up.

She wished that she could help this man who had saved her, though he seemed to have everything well in hand. Unfortunately she was weak due to blood loss, and passed out mere moments after hitting the ground.

0~0~0~0~0~0

The morning had started as any other; rise before the sun, eat a quick breakfast before going out to watch the sunrise, then make my way into the city for another day before my mother got up.

I rarely saw her anymore, my mother. Ever since my father went to fight in the war, she sat at home all day, looking sad. I couldn't stand it.

Neither could my brother, who left at the same time I did every morning.

Most people would say that a fourteen year old shouldn't walk around alone in a city as big as the one I grew up in, but I could handle myself. And when I couldn't, my brother was never far away.

Sixth sense, I called it. He always knew when I was in trouble, and I always knew when he was. So it came as a complete surprise that on that morning, we were on opposite sides of town when the first wave of Desian soldiers tore through the town.

When I found my brother, we hugged. We both knew what was coming, but it was a relief to see that we were still alive and together for the moment.

Then I saw him; Commander Marcus Kirkson, Palmacosta hero. Savior of the broken and oppressed of Sylvarant. Well, of Palmacosta, anyway. People talked about him all the time. You'd have to be deaf and blind not tot know who he was. He had been out of town on training exercises, so now that he was back the townspeople would feel better.

0~0~0~0~0~0

When Crystal woke up again, she was in a bed in a dimly lit room. She tried to sit up, but as she did so a wave of dizziness washed over her.

"You shouldn't try to move much." Came a deep voice as she laid back down. Crystal looked up, seeing the man who had saved her standing in the doorway. He didn't seem to mind that she didn't answer him, so she took a moment to study him.

He had long red hair and blue eyes, and wore a pink sleeveless duster over a black tank top and white pants. He also had elbow-length pink and black gloves, and his sword was in a sheath on his belt.

"How do you feel?" He asked after a moment.

"Better than I was earlier, but still sore."

"Try to rest for now. I'm sure you'll be weak for a while. When you've recovered we can talk some more." He said, and then turned to leave.

"Wait." Crystal said, and he paused. "I never got to thank you. You saved my life."

"Don't worry about it. It's not like I could stand by and let him kill you."

"Still, I am in your debt. If there is anything I can do to repay you, please let me know. My name is Crystal. What's yours?"

The man seemed to think about this for a moment before responding, and when he spoke again it was only one word:

"Zelos."

Crystal's mind reeled. Zelos? As in Zelos Wilder, the Chosen? He had saved her? Though that begged the question, why was he in Sylvarant? He lived in Tethe'alla. Whatever the reason, she was glad he was there, since he had saved her life.

0~0~0~0~0~0

When Crystal woke up the next time she felt considerably better, though still a little weak. She could get up without feeling dizzy, so she stood and slowly walked to the back wall of the room, where a mirror hung over a dresser.

She didn't look too bad, just a few scratches on her face, most of which were healing. Her ebony hair was a mess, however, so she attempted to brush it back with her hands the best she could. After a few minutes she was satisfied, and turned from the mirror to inspect the room she was in.

The room was decorated nicely, with a wood floor and brown rugs. The dresser was at one end, and there were bookshelves on the other, on either side of the bed. The walls were painted a soft cream, and had intricate patterns etched into them.

As she looked around she saw that her bag was laying by the door, and went to pick it up. A few moments later there was a knock at the door. Crystal went to answer it, and found an older man she didn't recognize standing there.

"Ah, you're awake. Then, please, come this way. Master Zelos would like to see you." He said.

Crystal fell into step beside him, and the two walked down a long hallway. After a few minutes spent in silence the two reached another hallway, and they kept going down that one until the man stopped before a large door. The man knocked on the door, and was bid enter almost immediately.

When they walked into the room Crystal saw Zelos sitting on a brown sofa.

"Winston, you're dismissed." He said, and the man beside Crystal bowed his head slightly and left the room, closing the door behind him.

"How are you feeling?" Zelos asked her when Winston was gone.

"I'm much better, thank you."

Zelos nodded as she spoke, then motioned for her to join him on the sofa.

"Good, good… What do you intend to do now?"

"I don't know. I should probably go home, I guess."

"Yes, I'm sure your parents must be worried about you." Zelos agreed, noting Crystal's young appearance.

"My… parents aren't at home. They're in the ranch." Crystal said, looking away.

"I see. So that's why you were at the ranch?"

"Sort of, yes. He said that if I did a job for him, he would release my parents. But he lied. I guess I shouldn't be surprised, really." Crystal answered, still not looking at Zelos.

"So, if you have no reason to go home, and nowhere else to go, why don't you stay here?" Zelos suggested, and Crystal looked up.

"You… you're not mad that I was working for the Desians?"

"Nah. I figure you had your reasons, and it's not really my place to judge you for it."

Crystal was surprised at that. After all, he was the Chosen, the one who was supposed to defeat the Desians. She was almost his enemy. But he didn't seem concerned with that.

"What would I do here?" She asked after a long moment.

"Just relax for a while. You're still not fully recovered, after all. And if you have no home to go back to, then why not stay here?"

Crystal seemed to think about it for a bit, standing up from the sofa and walking to the window.

"Hmm… spend a few days in Meltokio…?" She murmured, and Zelos looked up.

"You know this is Meltokio?"

Zelos was surprised that she would recognize the city; he had found her in Sylvarant after all, and this was Tethe'alla.

"Yeah. I spent some time here a few years ago."

"What? You spent time here and I never noticed? I find that hard to believe. I would have noticed a beautiful hunny like you, I'm sure."

Crystal blushed at his comment but kept her face turned toward the window, hidden from view.

"It was a few years ago. I was much younger then."

"Well, that must be it then. You must have looked completely different back then, so even if I had seen you I wouldn't remember. So, what do you say? Wanna stay?"

"Alright. I'll stay for awhile. Thank you, Chosen." Crystal said, and was surprised when Zelos flinched.

"Please don't call me that. Just Zelos will be fine."

"Very well, Zelos."

0~0~0~0~0~0

Over the next few days Crystal spent most of her time indoors, finding ways to occupy herself while Zelos was away. As the Chosen he was always busy, and rarely at home. So Crystal spent her time reading. Zelos' mansion had a huge library, and Crystal spent hours upon hours sitting by the fire, reading a new book everyday.

One evening at dinner, Crystal brought up the fact that she still needed to find a way to save her parents from the ranch, and that she was beginning to feel useless at the mansion.

So Zelos promised to look into the matter, and the next day he came to her with a solution.

"There's someone I want to introduce you to. You up for a trip back to Sylvarant?"

So the two went to Sylvarant, to a large structure in the Triet Desert. Once inside, Zelos led Crystal to a large room where a man with blue hair was waiting.

"Yuan, this is the woman I told you about. Crystal, this is Yuan, leader of the Renegades."

"Hello, Crystal. Zelos said you might be interested in working with the Renegades." Yuan greeted.

"Well, I'll need some more information. I don't know anything about your organization."

"Of course. If you're up to taking a walk, I'll show you what it is we do here."

So as Zelos left to return to Meltokio, Yuan led Crystal out of the room and on a tour of the facility, which was even larger than she had ever expected it to be. He explained that he and those who served under him were, as Zelos said, the Renegades, an underground resistance dedicated to fighting the Desians.

He offered her a position within the Renegades, serving directly under Botta, his second-in-command. She didn't need long to decide to accept the offer, agreeing almost too easily for Yuan's liking. But agree she did, so he wouldn't go back on the offer now.

He gave her a form to fill out, with basic questions such as full name, race and age, and more detailed questions about family and former relationships.

She filled it out and went to find Yuan again, and found him in a library she hadn't seen on the tour.

She later found out it was his private library, one that few people were allowed into.

"Lord Yuan…?"

"Yes?"

"I filled out the paperwork." She said, then handed it to him and turned to go.

"Crystal, wait a moment." Yuan called out to her, and she turned.

"Come and sit down."

So she did, and after a moment he spoke again.

"If you're going to work here, there are some things you should know…"

Crystal didn't answer, simply waited for him to continue.

"What do you know about Cruxis?" He asked after a moment.

"It's the organization behind the Church of Martel, right?"

"Not exactly. Cruxis is a front for the Desians."

"What? What do you mean?"

"This is going to be hard to accept, but the Desians and Cruxis are both controlled by one man, Yggdrasill. There is another world beyond Sylvarant that competes for mana."

"Tethe'alla." Crystal put in, and Yuan nodded, surprised.

"Yes. You know of it?"

"Yeah, I… I was born in Tethe'alla."

"Really? Hm… Well, anyway, the one who created this twisted world was Cruxis' leader, Yggdrasill."

"Yggdrasill created the worlds? How is that possible? And if he was the one that created the two worlds, what can you do against someone like that?"

"Very good. You're thinking through this better than most of my subordinates. …Our goal is to stop Martel's revival. Therefore, the Chosen, who would become her vessel, is an obstacle."

"Martel's revival? Isn't she just asleep? She just needs woken up, right?" Crystal asked.

"Not exactly. Martel… isn't a goddess. She is Yggdrasill's sister. That's the next part of this that's going to be hard to accept. You know of the Kharlan War, correct?"

"Yes. The hero Mithos brought about the end of the Ancient War in the Holy Ground of Kharlan. Then he formed a pact with the Goddess Martel to seal away the Desians, who were responsible for causing the war in the first place. At least that's what they teach in the church. But that's not really true, is it? If Martel isn't really a goddess, then what else of that story is a lie?"

"The hero Mithos did end the war in the Holy Ground, but it was a group effort between him, his sister and two friends."

"Who were the two friends?" Crystal asked next, and Yuan hesitated.

"You're one of them, aren't you? You're one of his friends…"

"Yes, I am. The three of us were accompanied by another man, Kratos. We ended the war, but Mithos used his pact with the Summon Spirit Origin to gain control of a powerful weapon, called the Eternal Sword. He used it to split the world in two, and thus end the war."

Then Yuan hesitated, and Crystal could see a shadow of sadness pass over his face.

"If there's something you don't want to tell me, don't worry about it."

"No, it's something you need to know. It's about Martel."

"You were very close to her, weren't you? To all of them of course, but to her especially." Crystal realized, and Yuan nodded.

"That's right. We were… engaged, before she died."

"I'm so sorry."

Yuan remained silent for a long moment, then shook his head and continued.

"It was a long time ago. When Martel was killed, Mithos was just a child, and he took it hard. He became obsessed with the idea of bringing her back, and that was when the Mana lineage was created. He used the Chosens' to find a compatible match with Martel's mana signature, and after all these years he's finally found one that is the closest that we've ever seen."

"So, he's going to guide her on the Journey of Regeneration, and take her body when it's over." Crystal summed up, and Yuan nodded.

"Then what happens to the girl's consciousness when that occurs? Is it still inside her, competing with Martel for control over her body?"

"No, the Chosen will lose her soul at the end of her journey. She will simply be the vessel for Martel."

"And you want to intercept her before she completes the journey, right?"

"Correct. We cannot let Martel be revived."

"Okay." Crystal nodded, and Yuan looked at her quizzically.

"'Okay'?" He questioned.

"Yeah. I'll help stop Martel's revival."

"That easy? You just accept that everything you've ever been taught was a lie, and you're ready to just drop everything to help us?" Yuan asked suspiciously.

"Well, it's not like I have any way to stop the Desians on my own, and if you stop Yggdrasill then you'll stop the Desians too, right? I've been dealing with them all my life, and now I've finally found a way to be useful. I can't say no to that." Crystal explained, and then stood up from her chair.

"Thank you for giving me this opportunity. You've given me something constructive to do in my efforts to stop the Desians. I won't let the Renegades down, Sir, I promise you that."

Then she turned and left the room, and Yuan sat in silence for several moments, thinking over everything she had said. Looking at the paperwork in his hand, he began to go over the answers she had written down.

"'Full Name: Crystal Aurion….? What? How is that possible? Another of the Aurion lineage? That can't be right…" Yuan thought as he read the first line. Deciding to do some research on the matter, he called for Botta.

"I want you to look up everything you can find on the surname Aurion. Find anyone alive at this time with the name, and everyone relating to them." He ordered when his second entered the room.

"Yes Sir. Should I start with Kratos?"

"Yes. Start there and follow his family as far as you can."

Then Botta bowed and left, and Yuan went back to reading.

"Race: Human.

Location of Birth: Meltokio Clinic; Meltokio, Tethe'alla.

Age: Sixteen.

Family: Marcus Kirkson; Father. Christina Kirkson; Mother. Erik Kirkson; Brother. Jocelyn Kirkson; Sister.

Family Status: In a Human Ranch.

Previous Relationships: None."

Yuan read over the rest of the answers, not really focusing on what he read. He was preoccupied with her surname. He could hardly believe that it was true, but he didn't feel that the girl was lying. So he would have to wait and see what Botta's search revealed.