Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction ❯ Hidden Pasts ❯ The Light Fantastic ( Chapter 12 )

Chapter Twelve

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.

Epilogue

Sati sat watching the simple ceremony on the Alcauld Plains. After a lot of talks, they had decided that a plaque should be put up in her memory, well Seifer demanded it as he'd had a lot of respect for her, more than he'd had for anyone.

They were putting the plaque on the plains, Sati didn't know why. Maybe Rinoa had wanted that. Naturally neither Squall nor Rinoa had attended, Rinoa hadn't wanted to come and no one had wanted Squall there.

He had loved her, in his own way.

"A lovely day for a funeral," a voice said from behind her.

"I was wondering when you would show up," Sati replied, "you frightened me."

The voiced laughed. A figure stood beside Sati, "You didn't think all the prophecy would come true did you?"

"I was sure you would die Andria, why didn't you."

"My God's decided that there was still something left for me to do, so the sent me back."

Sati smiled slightly, "So, the story is not yet finished, there are still some chapters to read, what will you do."

"I don't know, finish where I left off. I have powers I never thought I had, maybe I should start using them. Good bye Sati, you've been a good friend"

Andria then walked off.

It was better that Squall didn't know. She would miss him, but she could still watch him from afar.

Andria turned to the Garden to say her last goodbyes. That over she walked on to her new life.

*****

Squall was sitting in Andria's room. Somehow it didn't seem right that she was dead, Squall couldn't believe it.

"Squall." Rinoa knocked on the door, "can I come in."

Squall nodded and Rinoa sat down on the bed next to him. There was silence as Rinoa tried to come up with the right words to say.

"I won't pretend that nothing happened between you and her, and neither of us will get over any of it easily, but Squall, when you're ready, tell me. I do forgive you, but before anything happens between us, you have to let go of her."

Saying that she walked away from him there was nothing left to say for now.

Squall sat and thought of what Rinoa had said. A pillow from the bed fell down.

Squall bent down to pick it up when he hit something solid, a chest. Grabbing the sides, Squall pulled it out. It was locked though. Overcome with curiosity, Squall looked closely at the lock.

Checking through his pockets, Squall found what he was looking for.

Holding the pendant like a key, Squall opened the chest. Inside were all of Andria's things, but these were from her childhood, when she was with Squall at the orphanage.

*****

Late that night, Squall stood where everything had started, on the balcony. The pendant clutched in his hand.

Squall stared over the sea. Standing for a few minutes, Rinoa's words echoed. Suddenly he threw the pendant into the sea, throwing away his memories, what did it matter, she was gone. Squall turned his back to the sea, and left, the pendant falling to the icy depths.

To Be Continued…