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Disclaimer: I don't own Tales of Symphonia

Chapter Thirty-Seven: Blade of the Angels

Crystal's eyes flew open. It took her a moment to remember why everything was upside down, until she felt the stream of fire piercing her body. She grunted and clasped the spear. It was hot, but didn't burn her hand.

"Crystal! She's awake!"

Crystal could hear her group murmur but was only vaguely aware of them. Her stomach muscles hurt as she used them to curl towards the spear instead of away from it. She tugged, trying to get it out of her abdomen, but it felt stuck for good. The pain started to increase now, as did the heat, and sweat beaded her forehead.

She tugged and tugged, for what could have been minutes but felt like days. Each tug zapped her strength but she knew that shed never get out alive if she gave up. Finally, the spear moved, ever so slightly enough to give her hope. But after that brief moment, nothing could make it move again, and her arms ached to the point of breaking. Her breath ragged, she flopped back into her arch, unsure if she could remove the spear or if she was going to die at the alter.

"To hell with this!" a voice said angrily. A moment later, two red-gloved hands grasped the spear, and then flew back as if burned.

"N-no…" Crystal gasped. "You'll hurt…yourself."

"You're worried about me at a time like this?" Lloyd said incredulously. "I am not standing by watching you in pain anymore."

Crystal reached up and put her hands back on the spear. She spoke with a voice like sandpaper. "You cannot touch it…only I can…pull it out."

"Then I won't touch it, I'll hold your hands and give you my strength," Lloyd said, clasping Crystal's hands. "You aren't doing this alone."

Crystal gave a weak laugh, although she knew he wouldn't be able to help her. "Fine, fine, I'm…too tired…to argue."

With her last bit of strength, Crystal pulled on the spear with all her might. Her bones ached, and her shoulder and stomach muscles screamed in protest at the relentless use of energy. In her mind, she started to think it was useless, until suddenly the spear began to slide upward.

Lloyd's hands tightened and his teeth were clenched as she helped Crystal pull. Then he moved his hands away from Crystal's and grasped the spear himself. Smoke started to rise from where the spear singed his hand, but he didn't let it go. He kept pulling right alongside Crystal, sweat dripping down his forehead.

Crystal felt the burning start to leave her body and then, in an instant, it was gone, the spear of out her body and in her hands. Lloyd, seeing the accomplishment let go of the spear and watched as the light mana around Crystal gently lifted her to her feet. The spear transformed in her hand, shining a blinding white and shortening, sprouting two wings at the hand and finishing itself in a point. The light dimmed down, and a surface of reflective silver glinted in the remaining light.

As the glow faded under her skin, Crystal held out the sword and stared in wonderment. She moved it back and forth, getting used to the feel of it and realizing that was no more but an extension of her arm. She sliced the air in front of her and then spun around, twirling and moving the sword in a flurry. She spun to a stop, her arms crossed, her weight on her back leg and her front foot pointed, lightly touching the ground, ready for action. Then she straightened up and looked at Lloyd, who looked stunned.

"What kind of sword is that?" he asked, walking towards Crystal to get a closer look.

Crystal held out the sword so that the inscription engraved in the blade could shine in the light. "Midina's sword—the Blade of the Angels."

"You mean…that's the sword your ancestor used against Rinoa?" Raine asked, also coming towards Crystal. "How is it here?"

"I think it was locked away in a dimension between this world and Veluna," Crystal said. "Somewhere that could be accessed from my planet or this one."

"But why here? And how long could it have been sealed?" Raine said, her manic researchers glint in her eyes.

"For centuries I would imagine," Crystal answered. "The knowledge of this place must have been passed down through the Yami the Sundrith family. That's why—" she stopped short, unsure of how much of her trial she should reveal to her companions. Her mind was still reeling too much to absorb it all.

"Why what?" Zelos asked.

Crystal looked at him steadily and decided what piece of information she would keep to herself in the time being: Anastasia's other name. Crystal shook her head. "Never mind, I can tell you all later in better detail what just happened. I'm a little tired right now."

Crystal felt a hand on her shoulder and turned to see Lloyd's concerned expression. "Are you okay?"

It was the first time she found his eyes familiar and knew why. Her chest tightened even more than it usually did, but she smiled regardless. Her smile felt weary. "I am. I'm closer to my fate, and whether its good or bad, I'm okay right now. I'm happy to know more about myself." She looked back at the statue of Midina and saw the solemn gaze of her ancestor's likeness. Staring straight ahead as if…

"Wait a minute…" Crystal said, a thought striking her. "Guys, wait here."

Without waiting for anyone's reply, Crystal brought out her wings and flew up towards the face of the statue. The topaz and onyx eyes were staring at a very specific spot in the opposite wall. Crystal ran her hand across that wall and felt a strange narrow slot. She looked at the sword in her hand and pushed the tip of the blade into the wall. It slid in like a key and she turned it once and withdrew it. A rumbling came from deep within the wall and the section with the slot pushed back and parted in the center, revealing a small cavern.

"I found something," Crystal called to her companions. "It's a secret cave. I'm gonna check it out, I'll be right back."

"Be careful," Sheena called back.

Crystal slowly walked into the dark cavern, using light mana on her fingertips to provide light. The cave had smooth stony walls but they were not decorated like the rest of the structure. To one side, by a wall, there were remains of cloth and straw, and at the very back was a desk with a short burned out candle, an old quill, and dried ink and wax all over the surface. A beat-up, leather-bound book lay on the table, a few pages falling out of it.

Crystal picked up the book and opened it to the front. The name in the front was Anna I. Sister…Crystal opened the diary and found that most of the pages had been ripped out, and only the loose ones remained. Portions of the writing were damaged or torn but the rest of the entry was intact. It read:

…couldn't believe it. The secrets of this world and the great war are too dangerous indeed. I should not have found this out. To think that Rinoa, our family's enemy was holding Martel's life in her hands. Martel of all people, the one that the people here worship as an angel. Yuen must be angry…he'll know that found his secrets. He's doing everything for Martel. Why? What is going on in this world? I fear that I have sealed my fate. I have to find out what's going on before the weight of it is put on poor Crystal…she has to face this horrible destiny by herself. I don't know if I can do anything though. If the Desians find me, I won't be much help.

Blood rushed in Crystal's ears and pounded though her veins. Her breathing grew heavy again as the implications of the entry crashed over her. She clutched the edge of the desk and tried to clear her mind and focus on breathing in and out, but the air in the cave was stifling as it was.

"Crystal!" Zelos called from behind her. She turned to see that he was at the entrance of the cave. He approached her quickly. "Are you okay?"

"How'd you get up here?"

"I'm good at climbing," he said dismissively. "What'd you find? You look as pale as a ghost?"

Crystal stared at him and wordlessly held out the entry. Zelos took it and read, confusion painting his expression at first. As his eyes darted across the page his expression transformed into disbelief with a hint of horror. He looked up at Crystal.

"You mean—" he began, weakly.

Crystal nodded. "She's…she's been the cause of a lot more pain than I realized and…there's a reason Yuen's acted the way he has."

Zelos searched her face for a moment and then moved towards the exit. "C'mon, lets get out of here. We have a lot to talk about."

Crystal moved to follow him and took the page from the diary, but when his back was turned, she threw the diary aside. She didn't want to risk anyone seeing the name.

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