Hidden Pasts Chapter 5
By Katie Herdman
“So
what is this guy looking for,” asked Zell.
They
were in the Headmaster Cid’s office having a meeting.
“The
stone of Viviah,” explained Andria, “legend tells that he was an
evil sorcerer who tried to rid the world of good. He made this stone and
gave it great power. It is full of so much evil that no one good can touch
it, they would instantly die.”
“Do
you have it?” Selphie asked.
“Not
exactly,” said Andria, “ however I did entrust it to someone else
for safe keeping.”
“Well
let’s go find this person, before he does,” said Zell.
“No
need to leave,” said Andria.
Everyone
looked at each other wide eyed.
“It’s
in here,” and from behind her back Andria produced Squall’s Griever
ring.
A
gasp sounded. Squall looked at his hand and back at Andria, shocked.
“What?
How?” Squall stared shocked at the ring, it had been on his hand a minuite
ago.
Putting
it on the table everyone gathered round. With her finger Andria traced around
the image of the lion and then put her hand on top of the ring. She then
took it away and there lay a tiny black stone on the desk. It glinted in
the light.
“How
did you hide it there,” asked Seifer. “My mother did. She gave
it to Edea to take care of. Edea must have trusted you to take care of it
Squall.”
Squall
stared at the ring, unbelieving of what he had seen, and the secret that
his ring had held.
“I
thought you bought it somewhere,” said Zell questioningly to Squall.
“No,”
answered Squall, “the day I left the orphanage, Edea gave it to me,
said I should look after it. I didn’t understand why at the time.”
“So
what do we do with it?” asked Quistis, “destroy
it?”
“No!”
said Vincent loudly, “wouldn’t that do something really
bad.”
“Like
what,” replied Quistis.
“Vincent’s right,” said Andria, “the sorcerer designed
the stone, so that a curse would fall on whoever tried to destroy it. Anyway,
if we were able, then it would need someone with great magic concentration,
or pure evil would be released.”
“Well
that’s apparently gonna happen anyway…” began Seifer, “so
why bother.”
Andria
gave him a withering look.
“No
we have to hide it,” said Sia.
“Well,
it’s so tiny it should be easy to hide,” said Irvine.
“Actually,”
answered Andria, “it acts like a magnet, evil gets drawn to it.”
A
voice suddenly called out from the comm. It was Dr Kadowaki.
“Squall,
we need your help, there’s a creature attacking the students.”
The
voice sounded urgent and pleading.
“On
our way,” he replied.
“I’ll
come with you,” said Andria, quickly picking up a crossbow, “Ling
you and Sia stay here.”
They
started to protest, but were cut short with a wave of her arm. Seifer motioned
for his comrades to also stay and the rest piled into the
elevator.
*****
Running
quickly they arrived at the Infirmary. Dr Kadowaki was attending to a patient.
“Where
is it?” they asked, bemused.
“Didn’t
you call,” asked Quistis.
“What
are you talking about,” said Dr Kadowaki, shaking her head, “you
come pounding in here. Is there something wrong.”
Andria
and Vincent turned and sprinted back to the elevator, realising that Leraikhe
had tricked them. They heard the first shout as the elevator door
opened.
Leraikhe
had lifted Raijin effortlessly off the floor and threw him against the wall
like he was a doll. When Vincent rushed at him, a backhand from Leraikhe
made him join Raijin, unconscious.
Sia
was cowering in a corner, blood pouring from a wound at her temple mixing
with her light auburn hair. Fujin and Ling had pulled out their weapons and
where standing near the door which Squall and his friends now entered. Behind
Andria Squall and Seifer pulled out their gunblades.
“Your
crude weapons cannot hurt me,” snarled Leraikhe.
“Andria
he has the stone,” cried Sia from her corner.
The
blood was flowing more profusely now. It had stained most of her clothes.
“Come
sister, come join us. You were meant to be with us,” Leraikhe taunted,
moving towards her.
Andria
took a step forwards to meet him. Without warning he suddenly launched an
attack at her. Blow after blow he came at her, it was hard for her to block
them they were so fast.
*****
Seifer and Squall were about to join in when there was a clicking noise behind
them. A strange creature suddenly latched itself to Irvine’s leg. He
cried out in pain and fell.
It
was small and black like a bundle of fur. When he tried to grab it, teeth
grabbed his hands and wouldn’t let go. Screaming he beat the creature
off the floor.
The
odd demons also attacked Selphie, Rinoa, Seifer and Quistis.
Seifer
picked up his fallen gunblade and started to slice away at the creatures
that came for him.
Rinoa,
Selphie and Quistis tried to pull them off each other.
Because
some of the creatures went after the unconscious Raijin and Vincent, Squall
and Fujin tried to stop them from reaching them.
Ling
pulled the one off Irvine. He then picked up his gun and tried to shoot them,
but he found it hard pulling the trigger with his wounded
hand.
*****
Andria
wasn’t fairing much better. She was exhausted and Leraikhe was strong
than last time she had fought him. She was frightened now that she might
not live through the battle.
Kicking
him fiercely in the chest, he fell against the table, then turned to her
and beckoned. Not wanting to disappoint him she ran forward and did a flying
sidekick towards his head. He moved swiftly to one side. She landed badly
on leg, but got up anyway.
The
ankle hurt a lot, she had definitely twisted it, but she fighting on she
punched him on the side of the face, but as she brought her hand away, Leraikhe
caught it and twisted it round.
“Hurts
does it,” he sneered, “it won’t hurt as much as when my master
finishes with you.”
“Still
his lapdog,” Andria whispered, trying not to let the pain show in her
voice.
Leraikhe
kissed her forehead then pulled her arm. There was a popping sound as the
arm dislocated. Andria slumped to the floor.
Leraikhe
took a step back and called of his creatures and disappeared again with them,
knowing his master would be pleased at his victory. There would be many
casualties from this battle.
The
only people still standing were Squall, Selphie and Quistis. The creatures
had done great damage.
Selphie
got on the comm. to the Infirmary to call for help.
Seifer
was dragging himself along the floor although he couldn’t do anything,
Fujin and Irvine were bleeding badly from their injuries, and they were literally
covered in blood.
Selphie
ran over to Seifer to try to help him. Rinoa’s wounds flowed with blood
where they had bitten into her. Squall ran over to her, but she faded into
unconsciousness.
“Squall
I need you over here,” called Quistis.
Slowly
he walked over to Andria, not wanting to leave Rinoa.
Andria’s
arm was hanging limply at her side; it was obvious that it was dislocated.
She was in a lot of pain, but not wanting to show it so she was biting her
lower lip to stop herself from crying out.
“I
need you to hold her Squall and make sure she doesn’t
move.”
“What
are you gonna do,” he asked her.
“I’m
gonna pop it back in,” she replied.
Carefully
holding the arm, Quistis checked where it had come out and with a sudden
yank; she popped it back in place.
Squall
realised why Quistis had asked him to hold Andria for when it was pulled
back, she screamed and writhed in agony, then fell
unconscious.
*****
“This
is wonderful, what are we supposed to do now,” shouted Seifer, panicking
slightly.
Almost
everyone was in another meeting, apart from Sia, Irvine and Rinoa. Dr Kadowaki
wanted them to stay a bit longer as they weren’t full recovered.
Everyone
was okay apart from some really nasty bites and some cuts, Andria’s
arm would be fine as she regenerated quickly, although they had to put her
arm in a sling. Vincent and Raijin had nasty bruises from being thrown against
a wall.
“What
were those things,” asked Zell.
“Dark
faeria, nasty creatures,” said Vincent.
Andria
was looking outside, but there wasn’t anything there when he strained
to look. Everyone stared at her.
Looking
back she smiled at them and said, “I have to take a walk, be back
soon.”
She
then walked quickly out of the room. Squall and Seifer stared at one another.
“No
one’s answered Seifer’s question,” said Selphie, “what
are we gonna do?”
*****
Andria
followed the music she heard. She knew where she had to go. Down to the second
floor and along to the balcony. “She” was waiting there.
As
Andria stepped out of the door she saw that there was no one there, but she
knew not to be fooled by her eyes.
“Sati,
show yourself,” she commanded to the wind.
It
blew in a tornado on the deck in front of her and a tall woman materialised.
The tornado then subsided.
Her
long black hair hung loosely down to her waist. Her eyes were dark brown,
almost black. Her clothes, a long white dress right down to the floor covering
her bare feet.
“You
called,” she whispered.
“Only
to ask what you are doing here. Up to your old tricks again, I suppose. What
are you gonna do this time.”
“Maybe,”
said Sati, “I could help you get what you want.”
“How
could you possibly know what I want?”
“I
see your dreams, your fantasies, your desires.” Sati walked away from
Andria in slow graceful movements.
“Alright,
so you know what I think. Listen now, you don’t talk to anybody, or
do ANYTHING.”
Andria
emphasised that last word then turned on her heel and stalked off.
“When
has that ever stopped me,” Sati muttered in her quiet
voice.
*****
“There’s a message for you.”
Nida
shook Andria.
“Thank
you,” she said and smiled at him, “who is it?”
Nida
took a second to think, “…Dr. Odine.”
Could
it possibly be about Genesis, she thought. Thinking about the project. She
followed Nida.
*****
Squall
was feeling dizzy. It had only come about a matter of minutes ago. He
wasn’t sure if he was really standing there or asleep. He felt tired
all over.
Rinoa
had just gotten out of the Infirmary and was hungry so they went to the cafeteria
and now he was standing in the queue for her. The feeling had now got a lot
worse. He closed his eyes for a second, and then he
collapsed.
*****
“Come
quickly, Squall’s collapsed,” cried Quistis to Andria, rushing
to the room.
“I’ll
be there in a second,” said Andria.
She
finished off her conversation with the person on the other end, and then
hurried to the Infirmary.
*****
“Could
this be Ellone doing this,” said Selphie, “well, she did do it
before.”
“It’s
not Ellone,” said Andria, walking in at that point.
“How
do you know?” Quistis said arching her eyebrows.
“Because
I just talked to her after YOU came rushing in disturbing me.”
Quistis
just shrugged her shoulders.
Author’s
Note
The
project that Andria is involved in is not to be found out until the sequel
of this fanfic. Don’t worry, I know what I’m doing for it and it
will be out when this fanfic is finished.
.