Hidden Pasts Chapter 12
By Katie Herdman
Squall knew now, he knew where Andria was and he started to lead his team
to her.
“How
do you know where to go Squall,” Quistis asked him.
“I
don’t know how, I just know where.”
They
followed the passages until Squall led them to a big hall. There was a door
at the other side and Squall could hear chanting.
“In
there,” he whispered, pointing to the door.
Pulling
out their weapons, the group burst through the
doors.
“Squall,”
cried out Ling. She was glad to see that he was all right. The ritual was
nearly over and all Abaddon had to do know was give the sacrifice.
When
his followers had found them, they had brought them here so that they could
watch “the end of the world” as he had described.
Squall
rushed forward to the altar.
Finishing off his sentence, Abaddon gripped the handle of his dagger and
cut Andria’s wrists sending blood seeping into the goblet. Leraikhe
had already been cut. Squall had been stopped by some of his gremlins, so
he had precious seconds to complete his work.
Abaddon
combined the blood and speaking, poured the goblet in a pool, previously
hidden. Using his powers he then disappeared, just as Squall reached to stop
him. But it was too late; the Ancient Ones had been called.
The
pool started to emanate a strange light, then closed up. Whispers from somewhere
echoed. The walls seemed to cave in, and the floor seemed to
shake.
“It’s
gonna collapse. Quistis,” Squall shouted, “get out. Seifer, Vincent
help me carry Leraikhe and Andria.”
Grabbing the comatose bodies. They dragged them outside. As Quistis was the
only one with any medical knowledge, she took a look at Andria.
“Squall,
it’s not good,” she sighed, “the blood won’t stop flowing.
They’re both gonna die.”
Leraikhe, who was barely conscious, reached over and held Andria’s hand.
“Look,”
motioned Ling.
Leriakhe
grunted in pain, then let go of her hand. Everyone was confused, Seifer stepped
close, instead of keeping watch.
“What
did he do?” he whispered. Quistis wiped the blood on Andria’s wrists
away. The wound had healed completely.
“Andria,”
Quistis whispered, trying to wake her up. After a few seconds Andria opened
her eyes, she was confused and clueless where she was.
Andria
dragged herself over to Leraikhe. He was breathing shallowly, blood surrounded
him.
“Andria,”
he whispered, it was a struggle for him to speak, “you are so beautiful.
I’ve missed you growing up.”
Andria
couldn’t hold back any longer. Life was cruel. Only now was her brother
being returned to her, at the end. It simply wasn’t fair.
“Don’t
go,” she sobbed, “I can’t do it alone; I can’t fight
by myself.”
“You
can.” He was fighting to speak his last words. “Fight… and
win.” With one last breath Leraikhe died in his sister’s arms,
finally redeemed.
*****
“Do
you know where you’re going,” Seifer asked.
“I
know,” she said and kept on walking. No one knew where she was leading
them, but they knew it was the final showdown; this was
it.
Walking
round a corner of the maze that they were in, Seifer walked into a huge hall.
Abaddon
sat at a throne, his creatures around him. An oily pool with a bridge separated
them from the evil that they would soon fight.
“Stay
here and watch my back,” commanded Andria, she was now in charge. Something
was driving her on now; Squall knew that.
The
liquid in the pool now swirled round as if it was alive and the whispers
returned.
“Andria,”
roared Abaddon, “you are in time for the final chapter of the prophecy,
your death. No one left to save you now.”
Andria
stepped forward onto the bridge and strode purposefully forward. “The
prophecy is not yet finished, there are still chapters to be
read.”
Bringing
her hands together, a white light surrounded her. All the creatures hung
back afraid.
“Attack
her,” ordered Abaddon.
They
hesitated for they did not know what was happening. A flash from the light
in their direction made them vanish in an instant. Andria walked further
towards the remaining few. With one last look they turned and fled.
“You
have been forsaken, they wish that you must die for you sin.”
Abaddon
laughed bitterly, “No child will command me, the Ancient Ones have been
summoned, they are here.”
A
mist rose from pool. Two yellow lights shined. Focusing round Andria, they
swirled in a vortex, faster and faster, crushing her.
Squall
was thrown back against the wall, but his eyes watched the battle in front
of him. He had felt the power; it had ripped through his skin, his very soul.
He wanted to shrink away from the horror that he felt invade him.
Images
he couldn’t understand flashed. He was lying on a table, robed figures
chanting, he was fighting Andria with skills he had never known before. Laguna
and Andria were arguing, and then Squall saw pain, he saw suffering, eternal,
something he never knew existed.
The
water from the pool whipped up and Andria was lost from
sight.
*****
Andria felt its desire; it’s hunger for destruction, for death. Andria
was loosing the battle once more. Her power, her light was fading in her,
she couldn’t summon any more. The only thing she could do now was sacrifice
herself.
If
she called for help, she might win, but to do that she would have to cross
to the nether world, give up her life. Maybe I’ll be remembered for
this, she thought. There is one last thing to do.
Summoning
one last amount of energy, Andria directed it at her group, and thinking
one more time of Squall, she called to her God’s.
*****
“What’s happening,” Zell asked.
A
white light had come down from the sky and was centred over the ruins. It
was like the barrier before. Zell, Selphie and Rinoa were on the inside.
Zell found that he could walk out, but he couldn’t walk back in.
The
ground started to shake violently.
Rinoa
fell over; the movement was so bad she couldn’t stand up. Everything
started to get darker. The sun was going into eclipse and the light got brighter,
the only source of light in the whole of the world.
A
crack formed in the ground next to Rinoa, mist started to escape. Rinoa saw
yellow eyes. The mist started to come together into one shape. It formed
a man, like no one Rinoa had ever seen before. Unable to speak, she watched
him look round, his eyes still burning.
Fixing
his eyes on Rinoa he floated towards her. His feet didn’t touch the
ground.
Rinoa
looked towards the Ragnarok, it was only a few metres away if she could get
to it quick enough. Sensing her plan, the being stared at the ship. It started
to shake, then unbelievably it disappeared, it was gone.
Backing
up Rinoa turned to run as fast as she could, but she never did. It
started to roar in pain. The light was pulsating and growing, it got
caught in the lights path and disintegrated.
The
light was now getting closer to Rinoa, if it kept on expanding then it would
get her too. She couldn’t escape it though. And within seconds, Rinoa
was taken too.
*****
Squall opened his eyes slowly; he was lying on the ground. Seifer was next
to him rubbing his eyes.
“Huh?”
Seifer looked confused, “how did we get here?”
Squall
sat up, where was Andria; she wasn’t with them. Something was in
Squall’s hand, opening his hand Squall saw Andria’s
pendant.
.