Taking Over Heaven
(AKA “MEEEEHHH!!”)
By Ceej and Kiara
(Lunar-Draconis and Solar-Draconis)

DISCLAIMER: Spoilers ABOUND within huge document. If you care about Tales of Symphonia spoilers, don’t read, darlings. If you haven’t played the game and don’t care about them, it doesn’t really matter. You can follow fine anyway.
DISCLAIMER TWO: Authoresses have terrible memories and therefore some minor-to-medium details from the game may be off by a litt- ... a lot. Don’t kill us.


Chapter 1: Angels, O Rly?
A flash of lightning lit the sky as an inferno well below raged. Trees ravaged, houses collapsing, people running about in fright. The dark sky threatened to pour rain at any moment, though it seemed to want to let the forest burn longer. Well above the flames on a cliff, overlooking the forest, sat a blond boy in white; who sat on the edge and watched the flames emotionlessly, deep in thought. 'Damn humans...' he mused, listening to the distant screams of the people in the forest. 'Intent on wiping out the elven population in this world, apparently...'
And nearer the flames, drowned out by the sound of crackling fire, a yellow-cream colored horse was galloping out of the forest. Its blonde rider wore quite a lot of green, had a protective sheath over her right arm, and a spear over her back in its own sheath. "Damnit, Brunt, FASTER." she commanded, and the horse leapt over flames before them, finally bursting out of the burning forest and kept going, though a bit slower. The horse looked out of breath, and the female rider looked back at the forest with sad eyes. 'Well... so much for meeting my father...' she thought, clicking her tongue and pulling on the reins. Her horse responded to the command and began walking up the pathway leading to the cliff, where both of them had yet to spot the boy sitting there. The boy's ears twitched and he glanced around as he heard hooves hitting the ground. Standing up, he narrowed his eyes slightly against the dark in an attempt to see whoever was coming before they saw him, but it was useless. He ducked behind a boulder instead, glancing as he went at the inferno below. 'C'mon, sky, raaain...' he thought ancily, looking toward the pathway again from around the boulder. Both horse and rider looked exhausted and rather singed from the fire. The horses’ fur was gleaming with sweat in places; the rider was leaned over slightly. She sighed, climbing off the horse and peeling his saddle off. "Don't worry, Brunt... Rain's coming, it'll cool you off." she murmured as the horse swung his head around and nuzzled her shoulder. She smiled faintly, glancing back at the forest, then at the sky, before approaching the boulder the boy was behind to set the saddle there, not noticing anyone was behind it.
He inched over to avoid being seen, cursing his inclination to wearing white as he did so, as it'd make him easier to spot if lightning flashed again. Naturally, while he was inching, he kicked a pebble to the side and against the boulder, the ensuing clicking noise causing him to look down at his feet, glaring angrily. Damnit!
The rider stopped, blinking. She set the saddle on the boulder and peered around it, spotting the boy rather quickly and blinking. "...Who're you, then? You don't have to hide." she smiled.
He froze, still looking at his feet. He looked up at her, suddenly innocent and frightened-looking. He recoiled away from her slightly, peering at her through curtains of his blonde hair. It was dark, and even with his eyes, he couldn't see well in the shadow of the boulder. Silent for a few moments in which he tried to size up this woman, he noticed something strange about her that he couldn't quite place... might as well introduce himself. "M...My name is Mithos," he muttered, sounding kind of scared. "Who're you?"
"Sendra." she smiled still, backing up from the boulder but keeping him in her sights. "You can come out, I won't do anything to you." she said, also sensing something strange from this boy but not really caring to identify it. Her horse had already lain down in the grass near the edge of the cliff, huffing tiredly.
Mithos paused, and then stepped away from the boulder cautiously, not taking his eyes off of her. Lightning flashed again and he froze, staring. He blinked several times, but the brief flash of light had already vanished. He didn't say anything, still looking frightened.
She smiled faintly, walking past him and reaching into one of the saddlebags. "Did you come from the forest?" she asked, looking over at him as she retrieved an apple from the saddlebag.
He paused, then nodded. "Yes..." he muttered, still watching her. ”M-my sister told me to come up here before the fires spread too far," he invented wildly, glancing quickly at the edge of the cliff before looking back at her. "She was going to help some of the other people. But I don't know if she's still alright..."
Sendra blinked, glancing back at the forest. If his sister was in there, there was no way she'd still be alive... She didn't see that many escape and she was one of the last few out. She chose not to mention that, though. "I'm sure she'll be alright... Apple?" she gestured to the apple in her hand and held it out to him.
He blinked at it, then shook his head. "No, thank you." he mumbled, still staring at her. He jumped lightly and looked at his arm; a drop of rain had hit it. He looked up at the dark and cloudy sky and sighed with relief; it was finally beginning to rain...
She smiled. "The rain will help put the fire out, it should leave some of the village intact." she said, walking over to the edge and sitting beside her horse, who looked very happy about the rain.
He nodded vaguely, looking around and watching her for a moment before walking over and sitting down in the spot he'd been in before, though he was watching her out of the corner of his eye more then the forest below. He didn't trust her; after all, she could be one of the humans who started the fire for all he knew. Then again... he'd never felt that strange aura from a human...
She leaned back against her horse, patting him with one hand and munching idly on the apple with the other. She sighed after a second. "Humans set this fire... I wonder if the rest of the elves know that or not." she muttered.
He paused. She knew humans had set the fire... He turned to look at her. "Probably not..." he said quietly. "The fire started on the outside of the forest, from what I can see. Toward Asgard." he nodded out across the forest, where one could clearly see where the fire had burned its way through the forest.
She nodded, glancing out over the forest. "I had been coming in from that direction and the fire started from behind me. I saw the humans fleeing." she said, smiling calmly as the rain washed over them. She finished the apple and tossed the core away for some animal to finish off, and looked over at the boy. It was then that she noticed that he was relatively unsinged...Hmm.
Mithos looked away from her when she looked at him, staring out across the fire that was now battling with the rain for dominance. He paused, then glanced back at her. "Why were you in the forest?" he asked, wondering now just what compelled this woman to enter the forest of elves.
"My father lived there." she smiled distantly; she doubted he survived, as, while she was riding through the burning village to get out on the other side; she saw the house she knew was his burnt to the ground.
He froze, staring at her. Well, that explained at least part of the strange feeling he was getting from her. "Only your father...?" he asked timidly.
She blinked, pausing for half a second. Crap, had she said too much, or could she get out of that? "Ehh...Yes. My mother died when I was younger than you." she said, watching the battle between water and fire.
He narrowed his eyes gently. "Then... why were you outside of the forest?" he asked, tilting his head to the side cutely.
Blah. Damn smart children. "My mother chose to live in a human town." she said, leaving out the fact that her mother was human.
"...Strange," he muttered, looking back out over the forest. "Your father must not have liked humans much to not go with you and your mother. Can't blame him really..."
She raised an eyebrow. "You talk like you're older than you look." she smiled. But, of course, that was impossible...wasn't it? "He didn't like humans at all, but my mother was tired of living surrounded by trees. She wanted to explore a bit."
Mithos shrugged gently. "I read a lot of books." he mumbled. "Know beyond my years..." he looked at her wonderingly. "So... if your mother died when you were... younger then I am," he asked carefully, "Does that mean you raised yourself...?"
She nodded. "I hadn't learned of my father’s existence, let alone location, until recently... Stroke of bad luck that I decided to come to him today..."
He nodded, smiling very faintly. The rain seemed to be winning now, though the flames had already run their course of damage. He sighed gently. "So much for the elven village..."
She looked over at him. "How long have you been up here?" she asked. Her horse had long since fallen asleep in the cool rain.
He paused. "Um. I'm not sure." he muttered. "Since the flames had only reached the outskirts of the village."
She smiled. "That fire moved pretty quickly, with the wind at its back. Everyone in the village was trying to put it out, and it circled itself around the village and kept going." she said, watching him closely. "I was going pretty fast, and look." she nodded to her leg, which was black with soot and her boot was singed. "You, though...You don't looked burned at all."
"........" he paused again, staring blankly ahead of him. "...Um." he honestly had no reply to that. He cast around quickly for an excuse, but nothing came to him.
She chuckled. "And since you're on this side of the forest, and it started on the other side, you can't be one of the humans that started it." she said, smiling widely, not really believing his excuse of 'I read lots of books' now, either.
He continued to stare blankly ahead of him, thinking of a way out of that. "No, I would never start a fire like that." he muttered, almost feeling indignant at being even momentarily considered to be one of those humans. Almost.
"Oh, I doubt that... Doesn't explain why you're here though." she smirked. Child or not, he didn't have an excuse currently.
He frowned, knowing the excuse he'd used before would no longer work. "Does it really matter?" he said after a moment, finally tearing his gaze from vacant space and looking at her.
She chuckled. "Depends on why you're here. Even children can be dangerous, especially if there is a guiding force behind them. I do not know why you are here, or if you are dangerous to me." she smiled. "And it's not my style to just take someone’s word."
He narrowed his eyes at her, thinking. Wise, he supposed, but annoying. "I don't have a proper answer for you." he said after a slight pause. "I came here to watch the fire. That's all I can really say..."
Her right leg arched and she turned slightly, still watching him. "So if you're not from inside the forest, why're you here watching it?" she asked.
He paused, thinking that over. "I have an interest in the safety of these people." he said shortly. "Not... that I could really do anything to stop this once it began."
"There’s no town close to here either, and the fire started little over an hour ago. The closest town to here is three hours away on foot, at best." she smirked. There was something fishy about this boy and she wanted to know what.
He was really starting to get annoyed with her, for she was too smart for her own good. Or... his own good, maybe. He didn't let it show, of course. "I can't explain that." he muttered after a moment.
She chuckled. "You're far too young to be keeping secrets you can't explain." she said, pausing a second before blinking. Her eyes widened, though she stopped the reaction before it set in on her face. So that's what she'd been feeling... That only confused her more.
Without thinking, he brushed his wet hair behind one pointed ear, as it was getting annoying clinging to his face. He continued to watch Sendra, trying to find a way around this. "Think what you may. I can't explain any further then I have."
She frowned. "What makes it all the more confusing is that you're a half-elf." she narrowed her eyes. Now she wasn't even curious, she was intent on knowing.
He paused. "...As are you," he said shortly, nodding toward her. "What difference does that make?"
"We're rare. And neither humans nor elves like us. As young as you are, the only solution coming to my mind is that you are working with someone much older...And I doubt you even have a sister. You've caught my curiosity." she said, watching him with narrowed eyes.
He twitched. "I do too have a sister," he muttered, glaring at her now. "She's just... not in the village." he had no other answers to her other points, so he let them be in the vain hope that she would as well.
Sendra crossed her arms. "Then where is she?" she said, meeting his glare.
He looked away, huffing gently. "I can't tell you that." he hissed. He was afraid he'd already said a bit too much.
"Why not, then?" she asked, never taking her eyes off of him. She was persistent, and unlikely to give up until she knew.
Mithos sighed, looking back at her just as another flash of lightning flew across the sky. He froze once more, staring at her. So he hadn't been seeing things. "..." he blinked, then shook his head slightly to clear it. He hadn't been able to hide the look of surprise on his face in time, though he tried to mask it now. "You are too persistent for your own good. :/"
"Yes, I am. And I doubt the fact that you act older than you look is attributed to books. Something distinctly un-natural is about you. And I want to know what." She said, turning more so she was facing him rather than the forest.
He looked at her reluctantly again. "I'm not sure you really do." he muttered gently, taking in her features now as best he could in the dim light. That was kind of creepy.
She chuckled. "Information I don't want to know, eh? I've heard that far too many times. No, I really think I do want to know."
He turned as well so he was facing her, arms wrapped around his bent knees. He watched her closely for a few moments. "I am much older then I look." he said slowly, trying to think of the least-impact way to word this. "Older then you, or indeed any of the elves in what used to be the village below."
She raised an eyebrow. It sounded like an out-and-out lie, but it did explain how old he seemed. "Mmhmm, go on." she said, straightening her posture out of habit.
He closed his eyes, looking annoyed and yet contemplative. "You truly want to know, hm..." he muttered. He could think of no way to explain to her satisfaction without saying what he really was. He opened his eyes again, all traces of childlike behavior gone now. "Are you a follower of the Church of Martel?" he asked simply, staring emotionlessly at her.
She chuckled. "Never had any time for religion. No." she said, watching him. He did seem to look older already, perhaps he wasn't lying...
He 'hm'ed lightly, nodding and still having that strange, expressionless expression on his face. "That will make my explanation all the more difficult..." he mused, still watching her unblinkingly as well. "The Church of Martel often speaks of the Angels that ascended to the heavens when the Goddess fell to sleep. Are you familiar with that story at all?"
She smiled. "I am not a follower of the church, but I know the stories from it. Yes, I am familiar. Go on."
He closed his eyes again. "I am one of those Angels." he said simply. He gave no proof of this, indeed he didn't even move at all other then opening his eyes again to look at her.
She raised an eyebrow again "Uh...huh. Never heard of an angel without wings, but if that is true, why are you here?" she said, still wondering if he was telling the truth or not.
"I already told you," he said pointedly. "I came to watch the fire." he stood up, glancing out over the smoking forest, both the rain and the fire having all but died away now. He'd stood up to show her his wings, but upon second thought, figured it'd be more interesting to let her think he was lying.
She twitched a little when he stood, her legs now tensed, just in case. "Mmhmm. And I'd suppose your sister told you the fire was going?" she said, watching him closely again.
He shook his head. "No..." he said slowly. "My sister..." he glanced at her and blanched slightly, then looked away again. That was way too creepy. "My sister is dead." he said quietly, eyes blank as he stared out across the ruined forest.
She blinked, another question rising in her mind. "...Wait, how can you be a half elf and an angel?" she asked, letting her arms drop to her sides.
He looked at her again, surprised at that question. Well, so much for not telling all of the truth. "...All angels are half-elves." he muttered. "Most of them, anyway."
She blinked "...Howzzat possible? Even the humans from the church hate half elves." she said. This story was sounding less and less plausible by the second.
He chuckled darkly. "They don't know that." he said quietly. There was no getting around it now. "You're probably one of the only people on the planet that knows."
She blinked. "How can they not know that? They seem to know everything connected with the story of the Goddess." she said, shifting and standing slowly.
He stared at her levelly. "They know everything they are allowed to know." he said simply. "That's something they aren't allowed to know."
"And who, then, decides what they are and are not allowed to know? The priests are some of the most powerful men on the planet." Sendra stared at the boy. His stories still didn't make sense.
Mithos raised an eyebrow. "...I decide." he said shortly. He chose not to elaborate, as she probably thought he was some deranged little child who liked to tell tall tales as if they were real. If he was lucky, that's what she thought, anyway...
"Angels or not, who in their right mind would allow a child to decide something like that?" she glared at him. "You are hardly answering my questions, only making your situation more implausible."
"I speak the truth," he said, smiling for the first time. "And I already told you: I am not a child."
"Sure as hell look like one, shorty." she nodded to him. His head barely reached her chest.
"Looks can be deceiving," he said, taking a step back from her. She wasn't gonna back off, he knew by now, might as well get her to start believing. He glowed faintly, the glow brightening to a blinding intensity for a few moments, before dying off. Where the child Mithos had stood before, a man now stood, great purple, see-through and sparkling wings flicking behind him as he hovered a few inches off the ground. Equally sparkly wings at his wrists flicked as well, sending shimmers to the ground at his feet. Slightly blank green eyes narrowed at her as he tilted his head to the side, causing his long blonde hair to shift on his shoulders. "Believe me now?" he asked simply, his voice having changed to match his form.

Chapter 2: A Bit of Backstory
Sendra stared at him. "...Stories...making a bit more sense now." she mumbled. Even her horse had looked up from the amount of light, though he seemed relatively uninterested and laid his head back down.
He nodded his head gently. "I am the leader of the organization known as Cruxis," he said, landing lightly and causing the wings at his back to fade, as they created too much light to keep out for long at the moment. "I dictate what goes on in this world and what information is known to any given being."
She blinked, straightening herself a bit. Slightly pink at the fact that the one she had just referred to as "shorty" was now taller than her, floating or not. She watched him a moment, glancing at his wrist-wings a few times. Then she spotted the odd looking...gold thingy on his chest. "...What's that?" she asked, having run out of decent questions (or had them blown out of her mind at the sight of an angel) a while ago.
He glanced down at the green gem on his chest and smirked. "Funny you should ask," he said, looking at her. "That is a Cruxis Crystal. It is the device that turns one into an angel."
She blinked. "...So you weren't always like that?" she asked, either coming to grips that she was talking with an angel, or choosing to ignore the fact because it was seriously too weird for words.
He chuckled. "No, but it's been so long that it hardly counts anymore. I am over three-thousand years old after all. Probably closer to three-thousand, five-hundred, actually..."
She blinked, crossing her arms. That didn't surprise her quite as much, since Elves were naturally long-lived anyway, no telling how long half-elf angels lived. She shook her head, still confused. "This is making sense now but still...weird. :/ How often is it for an angel to visit Earth?"
"Very rare unless I have a specific purpose for them to be fulfilling," he said, apparently not counting himself in that. "They stay in the Holy city of Welgaia, usually."
She shook her hair away again. "If you're the leader you seem to be, then what are you doing here, rather than sending some other angel?" she asked.
"I wanted to see it for myself," he muttered sadly. "The elven population of Sylvarant just took a devastating blow. I wanted to be here to make sure it wasn't wiped out entirely."
She blinked "...That sentence isn't making any sense either. You seem to have a habit of doing that." she muttered the last bit. "’The elven population of Sylvarant’ makes it sound like there are more elves somewhere else. I may have just misheard, though..." she vaguely hoped that that was the case.
He smiled distantly. "Well, you already know way too much. Might as well make it worse." he looked at her levelly. "There are elves in another place, actually. Tethe'alla. The other side to this world; the Yin to Sylvarant's Yang, if you will."
Sendra blinked, silent for a long moment before she took on a defeated look. "I would say that's impossible, but since there just so happens to be an angel standing in front of me, I don't think much is impossible by this point." she muttered.
He chuckled lightly. "No less of a reaction then I expected..."
Sendra crossed her arms, staring at him still. "It seems there is much the...people of Sylvarant do not know." she said, shaking her head. This was still unbelievably weird.
"And I like to keep it that way," he said simply, narrowing his eyes at her briefly. "I am, for all intents and purposes, the ruler of both Sylvarant and Tethe'alla. I control the Church, I control the Chosens..." he smirked lightly. "I even control the Desians. None on either world really needs this information."
Sendra blinked, she knew of Desians, the half-elves who terrorized the population; and didn't care for them, but they had never bothered her- she looked too dangerous for them to try- so she just did her best to ignore them. She blinked up at the man before her once more. "Mm... Despite what you have said, and how much all that information...unnerves me, I am glad you finally stopped being so confusing." she said, slightly quieter than usual.
"Hm... In all technicality," he said slowly, "You should not know any of what I just told you."
She chuckled. "No, I shouldn't. And I would assume that you do not wish me to tell any of that." she smirked. "I'm not stupid enough to, however. Incurring the wrath of the angels is not on my to-do list."
He narrowed his eyes again, though he was smirking. "As you said before... I, too, am not inclined to merely take someone's word for it."
She blinked, slightly afraid of what he meant by that, but she would never show it. "A wise way to live, if I do say so myself, but what, exactly, do you plan to do otherwise? All I can do is give my word."
He watched her silently for a few moments. "...Perhaps..." he said slowly, "Perhaps you would care to join the ranks of the Angels?"
She stared. "...Um. You'd have to tell me exactly what that entails, first." she said, though even as she said it, she glanced at the position of the moon. "...Although, if you're that intent on not taking my word on it, you may just have to explain on the go."
He raised an eyebrow, glancing up at the moon. "I would be happy to explain, but why do you need to run off?"
"I need sleep, and I...have somewhere to be tomorrow morning." she said, nudging her horse with her boot, and he made a grumpy noise, but stood up nonetheless.
"...Ah, of course." he muttered, having forgotten this concept of 'sleep' since it had been so long. He glowed briefly, again turning into that deceiving child. He shook his magically-dry hair from his face. "If you tell me where you need to be, I can just take us there in an instant."
She'd been heading over to collect her horses saddle, but stopped, turning to face him again. She blinked. "...err... o.o I would, if I remembered the places’ name." she turned faintly pink.
Mithos sighed. "Alright, then we ride." he muttered. He glanced at her horse, sizing him up. Seemed like a strong and study animal, which he was, his head held high as Sendra collected his saddle and hooked him up. He didn't seem like most horses, who might hate being ridden, but there was an obvious bond between horse and rider as, once he was hooked up, she moved around in front of him, he lipped her shoulder. She chuckled, muttering to him and he backed off, and took to inspecting the now-boy who he assumed would be going with them.
"What is your horse's name?" Mithos asked, holding a hand out for the horse to sniff at. "He seems to be a very smart creature."
She chuckled. "His name is Brunt." she said, stepping around and blinking at the saddle, then looking back at Mithos. "Perhaps you should ride in front." she said, a slight hint of mischief in her eyes.
He looked up at her. "Um... okay." he said. "It's been a long time since I rode a horse... :/"
She leaned one arm over Brunt's back, nodding to the saddle. "Need some help up, then?"
"................:/" he blinked. "Yes."
She chuckled, holding a hand out to him. "Put your foot on the stirrup and I'll help you up."
He followed the instructions, settling himself into the front part of Brunt's saddle with her help. "Thank you. :/"
She chuckled again. "No trouble." she said, swinging herself into the saddle easily, letting him keep his feet in the stirrups, she didn't really need them. She reached around him and took hold of Brunt's reins, turning him slowly towards the path down the cliff.
Mithos looked around placidly, then smirked. "I'd almost forgotten you'd need sleep to be honest," he said, remembering part of the reason they were heading off. "I haven't slept in years... Rarely do Angels need it."
"Mm... Something to consider." Sendra shrugged. She acted as if it was completely and utterly normal when her horse bolted down the path at an amazing and almost reckless speed when one is going downhill. He sped up once they were on flat ground, his head lowered closer to the ground.
Mithos looked utterly shocked and uprooted, jolted backwards slightly into her as the abrupt speed took him by surprise. Blinking several times and looking around in alarm at the trees zooming by, he swallowed nervously. "Why are we going so fast?" he asked, voice slightly elevated to be heard over the rush of wind.
She blinked "...Why not?" she grinned out of his sight, not minding that he'd been thrown backwards into her. Brunt stayed outside of the forests for now, appearing to follow along a cliff-face over the forest to their left.
Mithos blinked in alarm, managing to sit up straighter now that he was a bit more used to the speed. Wtf, this chick was nuts.
She chuckled, hair whipping about in the wind. Brunt's speed never wavered. It took them less than two hours to finally round the bend around the cliff and see the town, nestled into the cliffs. The city of Asgard. Even as they approached, Brunt never slowed.
Mithos, quite unnerved now due to the speed, was even more unnerved as he saw the town approaching but no slowage. He looked over his shoulder nervously at Sendra. "Are you planning on slowing down at all?"
She made no reply, but urged Brunt onward, concentrating too hard. They erupted into the sleepy town, luckily no one was about to get in their way. They were riding right along a ridge that seemed to drop on forever; neither she nor Brunt seemed to care either,. He leaped up a small flight of stairs, still not losing speed at all.
Mithos was kinda freaked out now. "What ARE you doing?" he asked loudly, clinging to Brunt's neck in alarm.
She laughed lightly, though it was drowned out by hoof beats. Finally, they reached the inn they had been heading for. All-of ten feet between them and the window to the inn, she yanked back on Brunt's reins. He yelled a whinny, and reared back on two legs. Sendra leaned forward so she wouldn't be tossed off, and Brunt's front hooves slammed back into the ground. They were mere feet away from the inn.
Twitching lightly and still clinging to Brunt's neck, he stared wide-eyed at the ground below them. "...Do you do this... frequently?" he asked, voice fairly higher then usual.
She chuckled. "We hardly do it any differently." she said, bracing her hands on the saddle and hopping off behind Brunt. She stepped around and held up a hand to Mithos.
He looked over and stared at her hand, taking it reluctantly after a moment and sliding off. "Interesting. o___o;"
She smirked. "It is the way we learned to ride." she said, leaving the shaken-looking boy and heading for the inn, expecting him to follow.
He shook his head, following her without a word. How bizarre....
She looked over at him a second, then shrugged. If he really didn't need sleep, she doubted he needed his own room. She paid the innkeeper for a room, and headed off upstairs, glancing back to see if he was following.
He still followed, looking around at the quiet inn as he walked and trying to put that wonderfully exciting horse ride behind him. :/
She led him to the one room, unsheathing her spear and setting it by the door, one eye half closing as she stifled a yawn. She shook her head. "Mm. So, what does becoming an angel entail, exactly?" she asked, unclasping the sheath from her shirt.
He crossed the room, settling himself precariously on the edge of a squishy chair next to the window and looking at her. "Certain sacrifices in exchange for certain gain." he said cryptically. "Angels do not have the need for food. We rarely sleep. Many lose the ability to feel temperature or other physical feelings, though most just lose a little bit of sensitivity to said feelings." he tilted his head to the side. "We gain near-immortality, enhanced physical reflexes and stamina... Better sight, better hearing. And the ability, of course, to fly."
She chuckled. "Those're sacrifices? The only one I can see myself missing is temperature." she said, stretching and flopping back on the bed, looking at him upside-down. Dull thuds on the other side of the bed showed that she'd kicked her boots off.
He smiled faintly. "They are for many." he said, choosing to not speak of the personality loss most angels go through. "The loss of sleep and food is something many don't like the prospect of, for some reason."
She shrugged, watching him a second. "...You said your sister was dead...was that true?" she asked. That had been before he properly explained things.
His eyes took on a bit of a blank look as he stared across the room. "...Partially," he said quietly. "Martel is merely sleeping."
She blinked. "...Martel...Goddess Martel?" He was being confusing again. D:
He smiled vaguely. "There is no Goddess." he said flatly. "I made it up when Martel was slain so I could control Sylvarant and Tethe'alla through the Church."
She blinked again. The thought of there not being a Goddess didn't unnerve her much. "I see. So, your sister is just...sleeping?"
"That's the simplest way to phrase it," he said, shrugging lightly. "Surely, you have heard the stories of the Hero that ended the Kharlan war?"
She chuckled. "Any stories I hear are from local drunks, and probably mangled horribly. Best if you explained it anyway."
He found it odd that someone hadn't heard of the stories, but began explaining anyway. "Long ago, the world was in the midst of a war that had raged for hundreds of years. This war was causing the land to die, and the great Kharlan tree, the source of all Mana, was withering."
Sendra nodded. So far, it the drunken-slurred story she'd heard wasn't too far off base, except the tree was in fact an exceptionally large bush and the war was between bunnies and hares.
"As Mana is the source of life, the tree dying was something that would kill mankind itself.” he continued, gazing unblinkingly at Sendra. “A hero and three companions are said to have gone on a long journey to stop the war from destroying the earth. This hero is said to have formed pacts with the creatures known as Summon Spirits, great beings who control the elements, single-handedly fighting them each in turn and gaining their trust and power."
He took a breath and continued. "This hero is said to have brought the leaders of the warring countries together in the Holy Ground of Kharlan for the signing of a peace treaty, ending the war." he sighed. "During the journey, however, the companions are said to have lost one of their number in a great battle."
She nodded again, dots vaguely connecting in her brain. She rolled over so she was looking at him properly...or at least right-side-up.
His eyes were blank when next he spoke. "The story goes that the Goddess, stricken by grief at this loss, ascended unto the heavens, leaving the Angels with the edict of the Chosen that is so well-known I think I'll have to hit you if you haven't heard it." he smirked lightly, only half joking. "Of course, by now I'm sure you're confused again."
She squinted a second. "....I...can barely keep track of what town is what. o.e; Let alone what the Chosen is supposed to be doing. Um."
He rolled his eyes. "The Chosen is the one that saves the world. That's really all there is to the story unless you are the Chosen."
She turned faintly pink. "Was unaware the world needed saving anyway >.>; Go on."
He paused, then chuckled. What a strange woman. Somewhat clueless and a horrible risk-taker. "It is believed that the hero of the war sealed away the Desians when the peace treaty was signed. But as the Goddess sleeps, the world dies, as the edict goes. The Desians come out and ravage the land until the Chosen is able to Regenerate the world, reviving the Goddess and cleansing the land of the Desians." he smiled faintly. "Or so the story goes."
She nodded. "Or so the story goes. I would assume it doesn't, though. Right?"
"I already told you," he said, "There is no Goddess." He settled back in the chair a little more comfortably. "The Hero of that war... is me." he said quietly. "’Mithos the Hero’."
She blinked. "...Knew I'd heard that name somewhere. :/ And...your sister is the one who died?" she looked a little sadder at that.
"Yes," he said quietly. "Due to her Cruxis Crystal, her soul remained alive even without her body. I bound her soul to the only part of the Great Tree that still existed at that point, the Seed... she is still bound there. The journey of the Chosen is the fruit of my effort to bring her back."
"How so? Thought the purpose of the Chosen was to save the world." she said, looking curious.
"It actually serves two purposes." he said vaguely. "To provide a body for Martel, and to reverse the flow of Mana. You see..." he chuckled. "Those warring countries in the story? They were actually Sylvarant and Tethe'alla. That peace-treaty? I made that up to cover up the fact that I split the world in two."
She blinked, taking a moment to remember what the hell Tethe'alla was, but then she nodded slowly. "I see... So, wait, if one of the Chosen’s purposes is to provide a body for Martel, why hasn't she come back yet? :/"
He sighed. "I need a perfect match," he muttered. "A perfect body that matches Martel's Mana signature. I have been manipulating marriages through the Churches of Tethe'alla and Sylvarant for over three thousand years, trying to create the perfect replica... the Mana lineage. Those who become Chosens."
She blinked, something flickered in her mind but she forgot it right away. She nodded. "I see...What about 'reversing the Mana flow'. What's that mean? :/"
"Ah," he smiled. "Tethe'alla and Sylvarant lie adjacent to one another. They cannot see one another. They are on slightly different planes. Once again, Yin and Yang. One is in decline; one is flourishing. Currently, Sylvarant is the waning side, getting less of the already-thin Mana from the Great Seed then Tethe'alla is getting. Should the Chosen from this world complete the Journey of Regeneration, that will be switched. Sylvarant will get more Mana then Tethe'alla."
Sendra nodded. "Mm...’Kay." she rested her head on her arms. "Who were the rest of your companions?" she asked.
"Yuan, and Kratos." he said promptly. "Yuan is a half-elf who was engaged to Martel before she died. Kratos was my human teacher in sword fighting and battle. Now they're both direct subordinates of myself within Cruxis."
She nodded, doubting a lot of this would make sense to her later. She had a memory like a sieve. :/ Especially for names and locations. "So...what's the point of the angels, if all you're really doing is trying to get Martel back?" she asked, that being the only point of all this that she had seen.
He smiled, with his eyes quite blank now, it looked almost crazed to the casual observer. "My goal..." he said slowly. "Is to rid the world of the discrimination half-elves suffer."
She blinked...Well that made some sense, anyway. "I see... and that's why most of the Angels are half-elves?"
"Mostly," he said, nodding. "Cruxis Crystals are made by implanting a blank Crystal into a human body, and it is awakened through that human's pain and suffering. Sadly, it takes very specific humans to cultivate the Crystals. Exspheres, a different and less powerful version of Cruxis Crystals, are cultivated in the Human Ranches that the Desians hold. When the Crystal or Exsphere is removed from the body that created them, the human turns into a monster... and dies."
She nodded, not seeming freaked out by that in the least. "So that's what the ranches are doing, huh. :/ So how do you plan on eliminating the half-elf discrimination?"
The grin returned, still sort of strange-looking. "By eliminating the blood that flows in the veins of the population..." he said slowly. "Everyone will become the same. Discrimination will vanish completely."
She blinked. "...And how's that supposed to work?"
"The Crystal, of course." he said simply. "Angels... are also referred to as Lifeless Beings. Our Crystals nullify what it meant to be human, elven... or indeed, half-elven. We are all the same."
That much made sense, but that wasn't what she was wondering. "Well, yes, but how's that supposed to get rid of the discrimination? :/"
He paused, frowning. "...People discriminate against us because we are different." he said, as if explaining something simple to a hyperactive five-year-old. "We are caught in the middle, neither human nor elf. When there is no middle, that won't be able to happen anymore."
She blinked. "...It isn't blood that makes discrimination, it just starts it. It's the mindset that causes one person to hate another. :/"
He blinked. "Listen to your own words. The blood starts the discrimination. When that difference vanishes, there won't be that motivation to start it in the first place."
She shook her head. "Yes, but the difference is still there even if the blood isn't. Humans and elves hate us because of what they think, not because of what we are. :/"
His brow furrowed. She wasn't getting it. "And why do they think what they think?" he asked pointedly.
Sendra blinked. "...Because we're half elves. :/ But I've known humans who don't hate me because of my blood, I'm employed by one such human." she said, nodding.
He shrugged. "You'll find black sheep here and there. Kratos is one of them." He paused. "...What do you do for a living?" he asked, curious.
She froze for a second, then sweatdropped. "Ehhh...Um....Technically, my job title is... Assassin."
He raised an eyebrow. "An assassin? Interesting. That explains why you didn't flinch when I spoke of the human ranches."
She chuckled faintly. "No one really cares what I am so long as I do a good job...and I do." she smirked faintly. "That's what we're doing here, actually..."
He nodded, not seeming phased by this information at all. "I see. You have a job to do nearby, then?"
She nodded. "Yep. Tomorrow morning, before he's done opening shop. Don't even remember his name. :/ Was just told that he was a rather round man who wore an odd hat."
He 'hm'ed, nodding. "Should be interesting. Perhaps you should get your sleep, then. It's already quite late."
She blinked. "Gonna just sit there until I wake up, eh?" she chuckled, though she did move on the bed so she was actually laying rightways on it. "Since you're so adamant about not trusting me to keep my trap shut. :P"
He smiled lightly. "You intrigue me, actually. That, and I have nothing better to do then follow you around at the moment. Sleep; I'll be fine."
She shook her head, shrugging. "Whatever. Stay-awake well, then." she chuckled, rolling over and curling up into an almost abnormally tight ball, falling asleep immediately.

Chapter 3: A Day in the Life of Sendra
She slept soundly, hardly even moving from the little ball she was in until about four-thirty in the morning, when she stirred and groaned lightly, not liking her internal clock for waking her up that early.
Mithos had kept to that chair and the window mostly, staring out at the sky as it slowly moved along. He looked around as he heard her groan, smiling slightly. "You're up early."
She made some noise that was half a word and half a groan, getting up and stretching across the bed, eyes barely open. "Bleh... A little too early, but ah well..."
He sat back, stretching his arms out over his head in an almost cute way as he did so. He hadn't moved much in the last few hours and was accordingly stiff. "Where does this guy live anyway? In Asgard?"
Sendra nodded sleepily. "Yeah. Owns a shop here or something..." she muttered, sitting up finally and rubbing her eyes with her forefinger and thumb of one hand. "I doubt I'd miss sleeping, but I know I won't miss waking up." she muttered again, a bit quieter.
Mithos smiled vaguely. "Considering my offer, then?" he asked, watching her.
She paused a second, looking up and a little more alert now. "...I suppose...Considering, though." she said, rolling off the bed and standing with odd speed for one who just woke up.
He continued to watch her, nodding lightly. "That's better then outright refusing, I suppose." he said, smiling.
She glanced over at him, putting her boots on. "And what, exactly, would you do if I refused, eh?"
"Oh, I'd think of something." he said lightly. Honestly, he didn't know exactly what he'd do, though there were experiments going on in Welgaia on memory-erasing...
She shook her head, leaving the thoughts there and attached the sheath to her shirt, glancing at the window.
He still watched her, thinking. "So, to avoid myself being nothing but dead weight to you; is there some way I can help you with this job?"
She blinked, picking up her spear from its spot on the wall. "Mm. If you'd like." she looked him over for a moment. "Yes... you could easily get him out in the open." she muttered, reaching behind her to the small excuse for a pack. She retrieved a rather small, ordinary, black-handled dagger from it, and flipped it in her hand so she held the blade. She extended the daggers hilt towards him. "Y'can use that if you like."
He stared at the dagger, standing up and taking it from her. He flipped it up into the air and let it spin once, catching it by the blade, before rolling it around his wrist and catching by the hilt again. He nodded. "What am I to do to get him out, then?"
She chuckled. "Follow me. I've worked here before and he's pretty much the only man awake at this hour, I'll show you what to do." she said, opening the door and not really bothering to be quiet as she went down the stairs.
He slid the dagger into his belt, safely hidden by his cape, and followed her downstairs. Wondering vaguely why she wasn't trying to be quiet and stealthy, but he figured she knew what she was doing.
Once they were out of the inn, it was rather clear that the town wasn't awake yet, since the sun hadn't even come up. Sendra clicked her tongue for Brunt to follow them, and he did, though he didn't stop until he was near the edge of the town. Sendra instead led Mithos up a set of stairs in front of what appeared to be a line of shops, none of which were open. "One of these is his... :/ Anyway. You're smart enough, just get him to come near you, I'll get him to turn around. Once he's facing away from you, use the dagger, and then move out of the way." she said, nodding to a vacant area in front of the shopping complex.
He nodded in understanding, moving out to the area she'd nodded toward and adopting a lost look. Looking around for both their target and to enhance the effect.
She chuckled, walking towards the shops and laying in front of them, looking like she was asleep, and hiding her spear on the side of her near the wall. Within a few minutes, a way-over "pudgy" man with a very strange looking hat on came out of one of the shops, whistling as he wiped off one of the windows, barely noticing either of them.
Mithos looked around as he heard the man's whistling, and blinked. The man seemed harmless enough. :/ Ah well. He cleared his throat in a pitiful way and called out toward the man. "M-mister!" he said, his act wonderfully convincing as he took on a nervousness to add to his being lost. "C-can you help me? I'm lost and don't have a clue where I am. :("
The man blinked, turning around and staring at Mithos for a moment before waddling over in a most amusing way. "Oh my, you poor thing! This is a dangerous place to be lost in! D: You might fall."
When his back was turned, Sendra stood up quickly. "Oi, you!" she called, causing the man to turn around and stare at her, by now, he was very confused.
Mithos slipped the dagger out of his belt and paused for all of half a second before plunging the blade into the man's spine as high up as he could reach, sidestepping out of the way just afterward. He felt strange about that for some reason, but hey, it was for Sendra's well-being. Better to assist a half-elf then some stupid human.
Before the man could even react to that, there was a rather sickening "chunk" noise, and he fell backwards, Sendra's spear sticking out of his head, right between the eyes. Sendra brushed off her hands. "Simple enough. Thank you. :B"
Mithos stared pitilessly at the man, picking up the strange hat that had landed at his feet before the blood could reach it. "You have an interesting profession, Sendra. :/" he muttered, looking the hat over now.
She chuckled, yanking her spear from the man’s forehead. "As I said, it's a profession that doesn't care what I am so long as I do my job well." she said, looking back at the city. "Now, though, is the fun part..."
"Eh?" he asked, looking up from the hat and at Sendra. "Fun part? o.O"
She looked back at him, her face once again looking mischievous "How fast can you run?"
He raised an eyebrow. "Decently. Why?"
She stepped over the walrus-esque corpse, cupped her hands around her mouth and leaned over towards the city. "HELP! HELP! SOMEONE'S DIED!!!" she yelled loudly, echoing off the canyon. She skipped back towards Mithos. "Now's a good time to run~" she said, bolting towards the steps.
He looked vaguely shocked for a moment before turning and following her, running nearly as fast as she did and still holding onto the man's hat, though he didn't really realize he was doing so.
Rather than running down the stairs, Sendra merely used her spear to vault down them, landing gracefully on the ground. Brunt trotted over to them, blinking at Mithos and apparently wondering why the mini-biped was still with Sendra. :/ She'd never traveled with anyone else for so long.
Mithos hopped down the stairs two at a time, miraculously not stumbling as he landed on the grass and looked up at Sendra, not out of breath in the least.
She held out a hand to help him onto Brunt, who was looking back into the city. A few very sleepy looking people were poking their heads out of their houses.
Mithos took her hand and hoisted himself onto Brunt's back, looking over his shoulder at the town as well. It wouldn't be sleepy for long...
Sendra didn't so much as look back, getting into the saddle behind him, and Brunt was off like a rocket, out of the town and heading south.
Mithos had expected the speed this time and therefore wasn't as jolted, though he did nearly lose grip of the hat. He held onto it tighter and blinked, looking at the bizarre garment in his hands. "...Why did I grab this?" he asked blankly. Rhetorical question or not, he still had to wonder.
"Eh, I dunno, but its extra proof that the man's dead anyway. Luke usually takes my word on it, though." she spoke over the sound of hoofbeats and rushing wind.
He shrugged, still holding the hat though he had no real reason to. "Where does this Luke person live anyway?"
"He owns a shoe shop in Palmacosta. Not many know what other business he runs out of the place." she replied, watching the approaching mountains.
"Palmacosta?" he asked, wincing slightly. "Palmacosta is a day and a half away. :/"
"Not on Brunt. Only a day away." she chuckled. "It's a trip we make regularly, and as you can probably tell, he's a pretty fast horse. Good with endurance as well, can run at this speed for at least five hours or longer."
".....:/" he didn't like the idea of being on this horse, going this fast, going over Hakonesia peak. Largest mountain on Sylvarant and only way over that mountain range? No thanks. "How about I just take us there?"
"...Uh. How do you intend to do so? o.O;" she doubted he was any faster than Brunt, and how was he intending to get them there that would be any faster? D:
"Stop the horse and I'll just show you. :/" he muttered, not remembering how horrible that stop had been the previous night.
She shrugged. "If ya say so." she mumbled, yanking the reins again. Brunt hadn't expected to be stopped, and the stop was a bit more violent than the one the night before, but he reared up on his hind legs once again, slamming them down to the ground with a thud.
Mithos, twitching, hadn't been expecting a stop like that either, and had mostly-smushed the hat between him and Brunt as he clung to the horse's neck. "............right," he muttered, sitting up straight slowly and stiffly. What a bizarre woman. He closed his eyes and a thin, rainbow-y mist appeared, encircling them. It became thicker quickly, and within five seconds, blocked everything within vision out. It dissipated instantly afterward, and they were all suddenly standing just outside the main pathway into Palmacosta, the large coastal city.
Brunt seemed slightly startled by that, but he got over it quick enough at the sight of a familiar place. Sendra blinked. "....Would I be able to do that, too?" she said, looking around Palmacosta (which seemed a bit more active at this time in the morning than Asgard. A bit.).
"It's possible." he said. "Not all can, but it's quite possible you will be able to teleport with practice."
She shook her head, mind floating to the concept of being an Angel again. She was still rather iffy about it but...she was the curious sort. She shrugged, and Brunt walked through Palmacosta, not having to go too far to get to a relatively normal looking shoe-shop, that appeared to be closed at the moment.
Mithos looked around; the streets were slowly filling as people sleepily set up shop. He paused as he looked at the shoe shop, narrowing his eyes slightly. "This place?" he muttered.
She nodded, not that he could see. "Aye." she said, hopping off of Brunt from behind, not bothering to tie him off in front of the shop. She looked up at Mithos. "Y'wanna come in with me or wait outside? :/"
"I'll follow you," he said, sliding off of Brunt and attempting to unflatten the hat somewhat as he walked just beside and behind Sendra, who chuckled, patting Brunt's shoulder twice and walking into the dark shoe-shop. "Oi, Luke. Guess who's back!" she called into the shop. "Ya shouldn't leave the door unlocked! Who knows what thieves could be running off with all these shoes!" she joked.
A gruff-looking, very tall man stepped out from one of the back rooms, polishing a somewhat fancy looking shoe. "What the hell're you doing back so soon? Wasn't 'specting ya until...tomorrow...." he narrowed his eyes at Mithos. "Who's the pipsqueak? Don't tell me yeh're goin' all soft an' motherly on me, Sendra." he smirked.
Mithos, having managed to get the hat looking back to normal, tossed it simply at the tall man's feet. "I am merely accompanying Sendra for a few days." he said, not bothering to pretend to be a small and helpless child but looking sternly up into the man's eyes.
He stared at Mithos still, looking slightly confused but nonetheless suspicious. Sendra chuckled. "Kid's with me; don't worry, he helped." she said, leaning on the counter of the shoe shop. "Wha's his name's dead." she nodded to the hat. "I'd assume whoever it was who wanted 'im gone paid in advance, or am I gonna have to go collect from them? You know how much I hate dealing directly." she said, smirking at Luke, who just chuckled. "Yeh, yeh. I know. Don't like dealing with a half-elf no matter what service you're doing. Nah, he paid. Tell the truth I don't think he wanted to have to deal with you either when I told 'im who my prized girl was." he smirked, reaching under the counter and tossing a rather large and loud bag of gald on the table. Sendra narrowed her eyes, but took it.
Mithos watched wordlessly, eyes narrowed as well. Stupid humans...
"Did he ask what I was, or did you just volunteer information...again?" she asked, glaring darkly. Luke chuckled. "Wha'? Afraid I'll ruin your pathetic excuse for a reputation, Sendra? You know as well as I do that you're good at what you do regardless of what you are, but you ain't gonna be able to get another job." he smirked. Sendra sighed. "Luke, you know I don't like people knowing about me. Must you continue to tell them?" she said, staring at the counter now. Luke laughed. "Wha' difference does it make? Blood's still on your spear and money on your belt." he said, smirking. Sendra sighed, turning to the door. "Yeh, but it makes it harder on me the more people who know." she muttered. Luke appeared to not hear, and he retreated to the back room, chuckling.
Mithos grumbled darkly, following Sendra out of the building. "I don't like that man," he said simply once the door had shut behind him. "He’s disrespectful." Mithos didn't notice the sudden, complete and utter lack of anyone in the streets.
She sighed, tying the bag to her belt and not really noticing it either. "I know. Just makes it worse that he's right. I wouldn't be able to get another job, and I can't do anything about him not telling." she said sadly. Brunt seemed to sense this and he nudged her shoulder gently.
"He's just the one who pays me. He likes that I'm efficient, not what I am. Doesn't feel like he has to respect me because he's got a firm hold on my life through my moneybag."
"Seems like a wonderful way of life." Mithos said sarcastically. A shriek from the center of town caused him to look around in alarm. It was then he noticed the total lack of people. "...Uh-oh."
She blinked over in the direction of the shriek. "...What's going on? o.O" she asked no one in particular, petting Brunt's nose.
He didn't answer, merely walked off toward the noise, as there were more shrieks and scuffles breaking out now. In the town center, a good dozen or so people were all being tied up by thuggish Desians in purple clothing, some of the humans looking too scared to say a word, others were fighting.
Sendra followed him, Brunt at her shoulder. She chuckled at the sight of the group of people. "You know, I think I've worked for one or two of those people..." she muttered quietly.
He said nothing, watching emotionlessly as a Desian in a weird hat with a staff addressed the people. He cleared his throat imperiously. "Attention, inferior beings!" he called at the humans, and they all fell silent to watch him in alarm. "You have been selected to become host bodies at the nearby Human Ranch held by Lord Magnius, and as such blah blah blaahhhh..."
Mithos shook his head, sighing. "Best get out of here before they spot us. :/"
She blinked down at him. "Why? Thought you said you controlled the Desians?" she said, though she turned to leave anyway.
"Yes, but those are all low-ranking soldiers and they're unused to seeing me at all, let alone in this form." he muttered, walking alongside her. "They answer to Magnius, who answers to Pronyma, who is my direct subordinate."
"...That last bit was a bunch of gibberish, but okay." she smirked, swinging up into Brunt's saddle and sitting sideways on him as the horse walked beside Mithos. "'Sfar as I know, I don't have another job 'til Luke contacts me again. So."
He chuckled. "I didn't expect you to understand that last sentence. No matter." he paused, looking up at her thoughtfully. "You have a lot of free time, apparently." he mused, thinking about what she'd just said.
"Lucky enough that this business pays well, because seeing as only the well-off can actually pay to have their enemies taken care of; I only really work about two days out of a week. And most of that is traveling." she said, resting her elbows on her knees.
He 'hm'ed lightly. "Interesting. In that case, would you like to take a little trip with me?"
She tilted her head to the side, blinking at him for a second. "Trip....where? o.O;"
He smiled sleekly. "To Derris-Kharlan."

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