Hidden Pasts Chapter 4
By Katie Herdman
“Who was that man?” asked Vincent.
They
were back at the Garden. Seifer and his posse had come with them.
“You
mean YOU don’t know,” shrieked Selphie.
“It
was Leraikhe, my brother,” muttered Andria, the memory too painful to
think about.
“What!?
Andria, why did you never tell us,” said Sia, hurt a little by her
friends’ secret, “we’re supposed to be your friends.”
“I
know. I’m sorry, but I just couldn’t.” Then Andria ran out
of the room. She didn’t want to see anyone at the moment. Her own brother
had killed someone, someone she needed.
Then to top it all off Seifer spoke up, “Picked a great girl there Squall.
She’s supposed to help you. What a basket
case”
“Shut
up,” Zell growled. “Chicken-wuss is ordering me about,” Seifer
said, smirking at his success to get a rise out of Zell. “I told not
to…” Zell shouted, his voice getting louder. Quistis then quickly
intervened, “Both of you, pack it in.”
*****
Andria walked round the garden, not really caring. They didn’t understand
what had happened. The running and the hiding in case he found them, her
own brother trying to kill her. In a way, he had
succeeded.
“Andria,” a familiar voice cried out. “Edea, wow, you seem
pleased to see me.”
“Well
usually I wouldn’t be, but this is too much for them to understand,
or cope with.”
The
former sorceress sighed and continued, “ one thing though, don’t
try to make Squall remember, last time you left he was heartbroken, I don’t
want it to happen again.”
“Maybe
it would…” Andria trailed off as Edea shook her head.
“I
don’t like you here at all, but we need your help. After that you can
go on your way, and they can forget about you
again.”
“Well
it’s nice to see you welcome me,” Andria remarked as Edea walked
off.
*****
Squall was looking for Sis, but she was no where to be found. As he came
to the front of the Orphanage, he saw a tall woman talking to Matron and
there was a small girl hiding behind the woman. She peeked out to look at
him, but then quickly hid again when she saw him looking at her.
Curiosity
got the better of her and she looked round again.
“Hi,”
she said faintly, then ducked back.
Squall
walked round the back of the woman and got the fright of his life when she
screamed and ran away.
“What’s
her name,” he asked Matron.
“Andria,”
replied the stranger, smiling. Around her neck was an odd necklace. It seemed
to dance in the fading sunlight. A flash of light then made him close his
eyes.
*****
He awoke with a start. For a second he didn’t know where he was and
then he realised that he was in his own bed and it was the middle of the
night. He couldn’t stay in bed any longer, he had to get
up.
*****
Walking round the Garden usually relaxed Squall, but tonight there was something
else there, evil and unseen. There were too many things buzzing around in
Squalls head. Questions, without answers. Why was he dreaming about
Andria at the orphanage, she hadn’t even been there.
A strange sound woke Squall up from his thinking. Footsteps, in front of
him. There was someone there, trying not to be heard. Squall silently reached
for his gunblade and quietly walked after the sound.
Along the 2F corridor and up the stairs Squall followed the sound. Because
it was dark here, Squall couldn’t see the person in front of him. The
figure opened the door leading up to the balcony and stepped through. Keeping
his gunblade in front of him, Squall followed and opened the door, ready
in case of combat.
“Hello Squall.”
The
silent person turned out to be Seifer.
“What
are you doing out this late?” asked Squall carefully.
“Well
you know I decided that I would join the other team and become evil again
as I was so good at it the last time.”
A
look from Squall made him shut up.
“Really
Squall, I couldn’t sleep any more and I got up for a walk. Seeing you
made me want to pull a joke on you,” Seifer said, although there was
something he was holding back.
Seifer then turned and looked at the sea. They were riding over it. Squall
prepared to retreat when Seifer said something that made him freeze, “You
like Andria, don’t you. There’s something about the way that you
look at her, like you know her really well.”
“Shut up Seifer,” said Squall, then turned to leave.
“Be careful Squall, you don’t want to hurt
anyone.”
Squall ignored him and left.
*****
“Everything
is in order, soon the light will fall,” Leraikhe said, “the traitor
is dead as you willed.”
“Yes,
but I desire the stone of Viviah. She must have it. The ritual cannot be
completed without it.”
The
voice answering Leraikhe was deep and raspy. That voice sounded out the screams
of a thousand tortured souls begging for salvation.
“As
you wish,” replied Leraikhe, “how many do you wish dead for me
to get to it, I could destroy all her forces, if you
wished.”
“Only
kill who you must, but leave her alone, we need her
alive.”
“It
shall be done,” said Leraikhe.
The
stone was the most important thing to his master, along with his sister.
For as long as there is good, there shall be evil. One cannot live without
the other.
*****
Walking
towards the cafeteria Ling was only thinking of one thing, coffee. She
hadn’t slept well in the SeeD’s beds, probably because she didn’t
sleep well wherever she was.
“Morning
Ling, come and sit down.” Andria pointed to a chair next to her.
Picking
up a cup Ling sat next to her.
“Ling
are you okay? You look really tired,” Andria said.
“I’m
fine,” she replied, brushing off her friends concern, “you know
how well I sleep, or rather don’t.”
Rinoa
then entered the cafeteria. She looked at Ling and Andria, then turned and
walked to a table at the other end of the room.
“She
really doesn’t like you,” said Ling.
Andria
smiled slightly and nodded.
“She
was wrong about Purson. It’s always hard for a person to admit that
they’re wrong.”
“How?
It was never hard for me” asked Ling.
A
scream made them abandon their coffee.
*****
Drew had been walking to the Quad for some fresh air when someone grabbed
him from behind. Something cold held onto his neck.
He
screamed, it was the only thing he could do as terror had invaded his body.
He closed his eyes, wanting to shrink away from the feeling. A voice suddenly
made him open them.
“Leraikhe,
let him go.”
Andria
saw Drew look at her weakly. Leraikhe was gripping his throat tightly, not
wanting to let go.
“Andria,
I will kill him unless you give me the stone.”
“What
stone?” asked Ling.
Andria
just swallowed.
“How
does it feel sister, to be helpless all of a sudden, to have to make a hard
choice. You always act so tough and carefree. What shall you do
now.”
“I don’t have it,” she said.
Leraikhe
laughed bitterly, “Your lies will not save you his time.”
Andria
grew whiter. She could not give up the stone. It had enough power to destroy
the world, and Andria knew that Leraikhe knew that.
“Your call,” he said and so he snapped back Drew’s head.
Drew’s
lifeless body slumped to the floor. With a laugh, Leraikhe disappeared.
Andria and Ling rushed to Drew, but it was too late, he had died. His cold
eyes rested on Andria. A tear dropped on his forehead from Andria. Crying,
she closed his eyes.
Behind
her and Ling, Rinoa looked on. She shivered for a cold breeze came over her.
Evil had invaded their Garden once more. There was a puzzle here, but Rinoa
didn’t know how to solve it.
*****
Later
Drew’s body was lowered to the ground. As both Andria’s and
Squall’s group gathered round Andria turned to them all.
“Drew
was never meant to die now. Because of this I will not stop fighting. I will
rid this world of evil, or if I can’t then I will die trying. I ask
you all now, will you help me?”
Ling,
Vincent and Sia nodded.
Andria
then looked at Squall, “ How about it, wanna save the world again.”
A
yes shouted out from Irvine, Selphie and Zell.
Squall
glanced at them and then at Rinoa, it looked like she didn’t want to.
Rinoa read his mind and said, “I will help.”
Quistis
nodded and Squall turned to Andria, “We will
help.”
“What about us,” asked Seifer, “puberty boy’s group gets
to help.”
“Didn’t
think you wanted to help save the world, last time you helped try to destroy
it,” muttered Zell.
Seifer
was about to respond when Andria stepped in, “ Seifer, I would greatly
apreciate your help.”
“Not again,” moaned
Raijin.
.