Chapter Twenty:
Squall could not believe his eyes. The secret room was like some small library, shelves of books on one side and a table on the other. Upon the walls, though, were shelves upon shelves of reagent bottles, flasks, and vials. They were all filled with different colored liquids, from the brightest red, to the most sickening green, to the murkiest black. As he entered the room, several candles had magically lit on their own.
As Squall gazed around in awe, he walked up to the table. On the table was a single book, bound by old, blue, threadbare cloth. He had this sudden, irresistable urge to open it. As he did, a breeze blew upwards from the book in a cloud of dust.
The pages were empty. All of them. And yet.something wouldn't let him close the ancient book, his hands refusing to move, as if waiting for something.
Suddenly words began to appear. It was as if someone were writing in it, but they were invisible. The invisible quill ran across the paper, writing in light, wispy handwriting:
(It seems that you have finally found me, little brother. Of course, you're not so little now.)
As soon as he read them they disappeared into the paper, waiting for a response. He picked up a quill that lay by the book, though he hadn't seen it there before. He wrote:
(Kyonae?)
The response came back quickly. (No. Not Kyonae. Kyonae is not to be found in this hall. She has been placed in the Corridor of Thunder. I am.I am Princess Katarina, as certainly as you are my dear brother Squall. How are you, my brother? Are you well? I sense that you come to seek advice. You always did. How can I guide you?)
(I need your help, Katarina,) he scribbled speedily, (in understanding just what is going on here. Why does Maika want with Kyonae? Is she okay? How can we stop the Sorceress-)
(Please, please! One at a time, brother! Your mind is a jumble of worries and fears. But most of them, sad to say, are worth being worried about. But I will tell you everything I can. There is little time. Maika took Kyonae from the safety of Edea because of Sanya, her deceased daughter. Kyonae had been inhabited by the small girl's spirit, and wanted to perform an ancient ceremony to arise her daughter from the depths of Kyonae's soul and bring her back to life. But Kyonae knew. She'd known ever since she'd left, ever since she'd taken the sorceress' hand. And she also knew that her own soul may have been taken in the process. So she ran away. Sanya's former nursemaid helped her escape, and was slain for it. Kyonae found the nursemaid's body and brought her to the Secret Temple of Osiria. She brought her back to life, but somehow the Necklace interfered with the ceremony, and.)
The words drifted off meaningfully, and Squall gasped.
(Sa-Shenu? Her Guardian Force?)
(Yes. Indebted to her, Sa-Shenu has stayed by her side as a Guardian Force.)
(I don't understand. There was a Sa-Shenu, a nursemaid, in my vision.when I found out how to get here.)
(I know. You were so close to me, to this spot where my body and shade have resided for six hundred years.I could not let you get away, I could not let you leave me. I, like Kyonae, know the feeling of being alone, forgotten, and left behind, little brother.)
(Katarina.why do you call me brother?)
(.Because you are, my brother. Six hundred years ago, you lived the life of a prince. Now you're alive again, and once again you are trying to save me.or, to be precise.Kyonae.)
(What, you mean reincarnation or something?)
(Why, yes. Well, no. I mean.Kyonae is my descendant. A direct descendant. It all starts with your mother, Raine.she is the reincarnation and descendant of my own mother, Queen Lunora. You are my own brother, Ellone my sister, and the one that is Seifer Almasy.he is the reincarnation of my own sweet Darion.and Sanya.)
Suddenly Squall heard footsteps coming down the secret stairs. Fearing that they were intruders, he turned back to the book and wrote fast and untidy. (Someone's coming! Where is Kyonae?)
(I told you, she's in the east corridor!) Katarina had definitely sensed something too, and her handwriting had scribbled also. (I saw Seifer there.but now he has gone from the corridor, and she's still there! Oh, hurry, Squall! Find her quick! She is dying, slowly, but surely. Maika is draining her of her will. Do not let her perform the ritual! If she does, she will let loose-)
The door burst open behind him, and instinctively he shut the book, tossing it back onto the table as he turned to face the enemies.
But there were no enemies-just sweet, beautiful Rinoa.
She looked around the room and found him standing there by the table, her dark eyes alight with relief and joy. "Squall!"
"Rinoa!" They ran into each other's arms, Squall holding her close to him. Whatever fear he had felt before in the dim, strange room was gone. Nonetheless, he pulled her away from him gently and held her shoulders, staring squarely at her, confusion and anger glimmering faintly in his eyes. "What the hell are you doing here? I told you to stay in Galbadia! Do you know how dangerous it is down here?"
"Well, Squall, I- well."
Squall softened, shaking his head as he hugged her again. "Never mind. I'm just so glad you're okay."
"SQUALLY!" Selphie squealed with joy, jumping in the air. "Found you! What are you doing down here, huh?"
"Squall! What happened?" Laguna came near, looking worried. "We saw signs of some kind of struggle. You okay?"
"By Firaga's fountainous firebreath, Leonhart, you scared the hell out of us! Didn't he, Irvy?" Ember said loudly, slapping the cowboy on the back. She did it with such unknown strength that she accidentally knocked him forwards, stumbling as he tried to regain balance.
"Did you find Kyonae?" Ellone asked, looking up at him.
"Kyonae." he remembered what the dead Princess had said. "Kata- uh, I mean-I found out that she's in the east corridor. Seifer went that way."
Everyone in the room silenced, turning toward the blond gunblader, who turned away as if studying the unreadable labels of the ancient textbooks on the shelves, but his eyes were clearly on the floor.
"She can't be in the East, Squall. Seifer told us he scoured the place and didn't find her." Ellone trailed off, glancing at him.
"Maybe you missed a room. We'll just go back and search together..?" Quistis said uncertaintly.
"No," Seifer quietly murmured, lightly shaking his head.
"Why not, Seifer?"
"Because she doesn't need to be searched for, and she doesn't want to be searched for either."
"Seifer.did you find her or not?"
He sighed, his face full of guilt. "Yeah. I found her."
"Then where the hell is she, Almasy?" Irvine blurted impatiently. "Why didn't you say so back in the hall?"
"Because she doesn't want to be found."
"What in the name of Blossoma's bluebonnets are you talking about?" Eve laughed lightly. " If I were in her position, I would want to get out of here as quick as I possibly could."
"You don't understand. She wants to stay. She wants us to go. Simple as that."
"Oh, come on now, Seifer. She couldn't possibly want to.to stay in this horrid place.she.oh, come on! The only way she could ever want to actually remain in this dungeon of horrors is if she were a sorc- "
Seifer's head rose and nodded lightly. Eve looked at him, positively scandalized. "You mean to say.oh, dear.she's-a.a.how did you."
"She told me, how else?"
"Oh-oh my gracious-I.oh, my, I need to sit down." She sank into a nearby chair, her hand over her heart and her other hand clasped within Raijiin's as he tried to console her.
"Seifer.how? Why? When?" Ellone implored.
"Who, what, where?" Ember added, but her humor was not appreciated at the moment.
"I don't know how, or why.she didn't tell me that," he said. "She said since she was a little girl.and I remember." he glanced half heartedly at his knees.
"Oh, Hyne," Zell said with sudden realization. "Kyonae's that kid who was hangin' out in the tree, throwing apples at everybody? Man."
"That's not important," Squall said abruptly. "It doesn't matter whether she wants to go or not. She's coming with us. Come on guys, we're going back."
Squall rushed for the door, but , to everyone's surprise, Seifer pulled out his Hyperion and pointed it solely at him, blocking the path to the door with the razor sharp blade. Squall instinctively unsheathed the Lionheart, and there they stood for several moments, staring at each other in anger but not hate.
"Seifer? What are you doing? Get-out-of-my-way," he seethed, eyes blazing.
"No. You can't go anywhere near her. She doesn't want to be rescued."
"Seifer, dammit! Stop being an idiot and get the fuck away from the door!"
"No, Squall!"
"Seifer!" Squall roared, raising the gunblade threateningly. "My sister is going to die, do you realize that? She is going to DIE if we don't help her! This is an order from your SeeD captain, Almasy! Now move it!"
The blond stared at him for a moment. Squall paused. The look in his eyes betrayed his seemingly tough look. He was weak, ready to break at any moment. "You don't.understand," Seifer whispered.
"Calm yourselves, both of you," Naomi broke in. "We do not have to make pursuit of Kyonae right away. She is obviously under some sort of spell. If we take down Maika first, maybe Kyonae will come to her senses."
Squall thought for a second, then nodded curtly, sheathing his weapon. Seifer did not put away the Hyperion, but with a familiar sulky look on his face he stepped aside.
As Squall wrapped his hand around the doorknob, there was a sharp, loud electric crackle and Squall flew backward into a sturdy shelf of books, slumping to the floor.
"SQUALL!" Rinoa screamed, running to his side.
"Wow, that is the freakiest case of static shock I've ever seen!" Ember exclaimed, though once again her humor was not acknowledged.
Naomi glanced briefly at the fallen Leonhart, then rose her head up to the ceiling, terror distraught on her face. "Thundaga's throat.she has found us."
Silence swept upon all their tongues as the sound of a raging wind rose and fell in their ears, but forgot to blow. Suddenly every candle in the room went out abruptly, plunging them into utter darkness. Then a cold wind attacked them from all sides, forcing them to huddle together. The floor was dropping away from their feet, and they were suspended in a raging void.they could hear the deep chuckle of Maika's voice, vibrating in the space crackling with energy around them.
"Oh, my!"
"Squall, are you okay?! Speak to me!"
"Holy Hyne! Ember, where are you?!"
"What's happenin', ya know?!"
"This is definitely not cool, man!"
"I'm scared, Zell!"
"Daddy! I can't find you!"
"I'm right here, Ellone, just stay by me.dammit, I wish Kiros and Ward were here."
"Irvine, get your hands off me, please!"
"Sorry, thought you were Ember!"
"Right here, Irvy! You know what I said about not being afraid of anything?! I lied!"
"SEIFER?! RAIJIIN?! WHERE?!"
"What's happening?!"
"She knew we were here all along. She knew. Now she is taking us to the Pinnacle. She wants us to watch the ceremony. We are too late for Kyonae, for ourselves. Keep your courage within your heart and protect it well, my friends, for a time of great evil is upon us. She is back to haunt us all."
A/N: Well, this is it. The chapter before the big battle atop Dragon's Pinnacle, the huge pedestal cliff in the middle of that lake. Does it have you on the edge of your seat? Probably not. But even if it doesn't, I need your help desperately. I have decided, after long consideration, to *temporarily* kill off one of the characters('temporarily' being the key word). It could be anybody at all, anyone you would like to see die an honorable death. So don't pick someone you hate to die, because you'll see them die bravely. All you have to do is review and vote for one(Fujiin, Raijiin, Seifer, Quistis, Selphie, Squall, Rinoa, Zell, Laguna, Irvine, Ellone, Eve, Ember, Naomi, or even Kyonae) person, or maybe even two. It can be a contest! And remember, it's only temporary, so if you love the character, don't worry. You'll be seeing them again! So get those reviews in, I'll be counting up the votes on Dec. 16 or 17! P.S. Suggestions on what will happen in the battle or who will win it are welcome too! (
Squall could not believe his eyes. The secret room was like some small library, shelves of books on one side and a table on the other. Upon the walls, though, were shelves upon shelves of reagent bottles, flasks, and vials. They were all filled with different colored liquids, from the brightest red, to the most sickening green, to the murkiest black. As he entered the room, several candles had magically lit on their own.
As Squall gazed around in awe, he walked up to the table. On the table was a single book, bound by old, blue, threadbare cloth. He had this sudden, irresistable urge to open it. As he did, a breeze blew upwards from the book in a cloud of dust.
The pages were empty. All of them. And yet.something wouldn't let him close the ancient book, his hands refusing to move, as if waiting for something.
Suddenly words began to appear. It was as if someone were writing in it, but they were invisible. The invisible quill ran across the paper, writing in light, wispy handwriting:
(It seems that you have finally found me, little brother. Of course, you're not so little now.)
As soon as he read them they disappeared into the paper, waiting for a response. He picked up a quill that lay by the book, though he hadn't seen it there before. He wrote:
(Kyonae?)
The response came back quickly. (No. Not Kyonae. Kyonae is not to be found in this hall. She has been placed in the Corridor of Thunder. I am.I am Princess Katarina, as certainly as you are my dear brother Squall. How are you, my brother? Are you well? I sense that you come to seek advice. You always did. How can I guide you?)
(I need your help, Katarina,) he scribbled speedily, (in understanding just what is going on here. Why does Maika want with Kyonae? Is she okay? How can we stop the Sorceress-)
(Please, please! One at a time, brother! Your mind is a jumble of worries and fears. But most of them, sad to say, are worth being worried about. But I will tell you everything I can. There is little time. Maika took Kyonae from the safety of Edea because of Sanya, her deceased daughter. Kyonae had been inhabited by the small girl's spirit, and wanted to perform an ancient ceremony to arise her daughter from the depths of Kyonae's soul and bring her back to life. But Kyonae knew. She'd known ever since she'd left, ever since she'd taken the sorceress' hand. And she also knew that her own soul may have been taken in the process. So she ran away. Sanya's former nursemaid helped her escape, and was slain for it. Kyonae found the nursemaid's body and brought her to the Secret Temple of Osiria. She brought her back to life, but somehow the Necklace interfered with the ceremony, and.)
The words drifted off meaningfully, and Squall gasped.
(Sa-Shenu? Her Guardian Force?)
(Yes. Indebted to her, Sa-Shenu has stayed by her side as a Guardian Force.)
(I don't understand. There was a Sa-Shenu, a nursemaid, in my vision.when I found out how to get here.)
(I know. You were so close to me, to this spot where my body and shade have resided for six hundred years.I could not let you get away, I could not let you leave me. I, like Kyonae, know the feeling of being alone, forgotten, and left behind, little brother.)
(Katarina.why do you call me brother?)
(.Because you are, my brother. Six hundred years ago, you lived the life of a prince. Now you're alive again, and once again you are trying to save me.or, to be precise.Kyonae.)
(What, you mean reincarnation or something?)
(Why, yes. Well, no. I mean.Kyonae is my descendant. A direct descendant. It all starts with your mother, Raine.she is the reincarnation and descendant of my own mother, Queen Lunora. You are my own brother, Ellone my sister, and the one that is Seifer Almasy.he is the reincarnation of my own sweet Darion.and Sanya.)
Suddenly Squall heard footsteps coming down the secret stairs. Fearing that they were intruders, he turned back to the book and wrote fast and untidy. (Someone's coming! Where is Kyonae?)
(I told you, she's in the east corridor!) Katarina had definitely sensed something too, and her handwriting had scribbled also. (I saw Seifer there.but now he has gone from the corridor, and she's still there! Oh, hurry, Squall! Find her quick! She is dying, slowly, but surely. Maika is draining her of her will. Do not let her perform the ritual! If she does, she will let loose-)
The door burst open behind him, and instinctively he shut the book, tossing it back onto the table as he turned to face the enemies.
But there were no enemies-just sweet, beautiful Rinoa.
She looked around the room and found him standing there by the table, her dark eyes alight with relief and joy. "Squall!"
"Rinoa!" They ran into each other's arms, Squall holding her close to him. Whatever fear he had felt before in the dim, strange room was gone. Nonetheless, he pulled her away from him gently and held her shoulders, staring squarely at her, confusion and anger glimmering faintly in his eyes. "What the hell are you doing here? I told you to stay in Galbadia! Do you know how dangerous it is down here?"
"Well, Squall, I- well."
Squall softened, shaking his head as he hugged her again. "Never mind. I'm just so glad you're okay."
"SQUALLY!" Selphie squealed with joy, jumping in the air. "Found you! What are you doing down here, huh?"
"Squall! What happened?" Laguna came near, looking worried. "We saw signs of some kind of struggle. You okay?"
"By Firaga's fountainous firebreath, Leonhart, you scared the hell out of us! Didn't he, Irvy?" Ember said loudly, slapping the cowboy on the back. She did it with such unknown strength that she accidentally knocked him forwards, stumbling as he tried to regain balance.
"Did you find Kyonae?" Ellone asked, looking up at him.
"Kyonae." he remembered what the dead Princess had said. "Kata- uh, I mean-I found out that she's in the east corridor. Seifer went that way."
Everyone in the room silenced, turning toward the blond gunblader, who turned away as if studying the unreadable labels of the ancient textbooks on the shelves, but his eyes were clearly on the floor.
"She can't be in the East, Squall. Seifer told us he scoured the place and didn't find her." Ellone trailed off, glancing at him.
"Maybe you missed a room. We'll just go back and search together..?" Quistis said uncertaintly.
"No," Seifer quietly murmured, lightly shaking his head.
"Why not, Seifer?"
"Because she doesn't need to be searched for, and she doesn't want to be searched for either."
"Seifer.did you find her or not?"
He sighed, his face full of guilt. "Yeah. I found her."
"Then where the hell is she, Almasy?" Irvine blurted impatiently. "Why didn't you say so back in the hall?"
"Because she doesn't want to be found."
"What in the name of Blossoma's bluebonnets are you talking about?" Eve laughed lightly. " If I were in her position, I would want to get out of here as quick as I possibly could."
"You don't understand. She wants to stay. She wants us to go. Simple as that."
"Oh, come on now, Seifer. She couldn't possibly want to.to stay in this horrid place.she.oh, come on! The only way she could ever want to actually remain in this dungeon of horrors is if she were a sorc- "
Seifer's head rose and nodded lightly. Eve looked at him, positively scandalized. "You mean to say.oh, dear.she's-a.a.how did you."
"She told me, how else?"
"Oh-oh my gracious-I.oh, my, I need to sit down." She sank into a nearby chair, her hand over her heart and her other hand clasped within Raijiin's as he tried to console her.
"Seifer.how? Why? When?" Ellone implored.
"Who, what, where?" Ember added, but her humor was not appreciated at the moment.
"I don't know how, or why.she didn't tell me that," he said. "She said since she was a little girl.and I remember." he glanced half heartedly at his knees.
"Oh, Hyne," Zell said with sudden realization. "Kyonae's that kid who was hangin' out in the tree, throwing apples at everybody? Man."
"That's not important," Squall said abruptly. "It doesn't matter whether she wants to go or not. She's coming with us. Come on guys, we're going back."
Squall rushed for the door, but , to everyone's surprise, Seifer pulled out his Hyperion and pointed it solely at him, blocking the path to the door with the razor sharp blade. Squall instinctively unsheathed the Lionheart, and there they stood for several moments, staring at each other in anger but not hate.
"Seifer? What are you doing? Get-out-of-my-way," he seethed, eyes blazing.
"No. You can't go anywhere near her. She doesn't want to be rescued."
"Seifer, dammit! Stop being an idiot and get the fuck away from the door!"
"No, Squall!"
"Seifer!" Squall roared, raising the gunblade threateningly. "My sister is going to die, do you realize that? She is going to DIE if we don't help her! This is an order from your SeeD captain, Almasy! Now move it!"
The blond stared at him for a moment. Squall paused. The look in his eyes betrayed his seemingly tough look. He was weak, ready to break at any moment. "You don't.understand," Seifer whispered.
"Calm yourselves, both of you," Naomi broke in. "We do not have to make pursuit of Kyonae right away. She is obviously under some sort of spell. If we take down Maika first, maybe Kyonae will come to her senses."
Squall thought for a second, then nodded curtly, sheathing his weapon. Seifer did not put away the Hyperion, but with a familiar sulky look on his face he stepped aside.
As Squall wrapped his hand around the doorknob, there was a sharp, loud electric crackle and Squall flew backward into a sturdy shelf of books, slumping to the floor.
"SQUALL!" Rinoa screamed, running to his side.
"Wow, that is the freakiest case of static shock I've ever seen!" Ember exclaimed, though once again her humor was not acknowledged.
Naomi glanced briefly at the fallen Leonhart, then rose her head up to the ceiling, terror distraught on her face. "Thundaga's throat.she has found us."
Silence swept upon all their tongues as the sound of a raging wind rose and fell in their ears, but forgot to blow. Suddenly every candle in the room went out abruptly, plunging them into utter darkness. Then a cold wind attacked them from all sides, forcing them to huddle together. The floor was dropping away from their feet, and they were suspended in a raging void.they could hear the deep chuckle of Maika's voice, vibrating in the space crackling with energy around them.
"Oh, my!"
"Squall, are you okay?! Speak to me!"
"Holy Hyne! Ember, where are you?!"
"What's happenin', ya know?!"
"This is definitely not cool, man!"
"I'm scared, Zell!"
"Daddy! I can't find you!"
"I'm right here, Ellone, just stay by me.dammit, I wish Kiros and Ward were here."
"Irvine, get your hands off me, please!"
"Sorry, thought you were Ember!"
"Right here, Irvy! You know what I said about not being afraid of anything?! I lied!"
"SEIFER?! RAIJIIN?! WHERE?!"
"What's happening?!"
"She knew we were here all along. She knew. Now she is taking us to the Pinnacle. She wants us to watch the ceremony. We are too late for Kyonae, for ourselves. Keep your courage within your heart and protect it well, my friends, for a time of great evil is upon us. She is back to haunt us all."
A/N: Well, this is it. The chapter before the big battle atop Dragon's Pinnacle, the huge pedestal cliff in the middle of that lake. Does it have you on the edge of your seat? Probably not. But even if it doesn't, I need your help desperately. I have decided, after long consideration, to *temporarily* kill off one of the characters('temporarily' being the key word). It could be anybody at all, anyone you would like to see die an honorable death. So don't pick someone you hate to die, because you'll see them die bravely. All you have to do is review and vote for one(Fujiin, Raijiin, Seifer, Quistis, Selphie, Squall, Rinoa, Zell, Laguna, Irvine, Ellone, Eve, Ember, Naomi, or even Kyonae) person, or maybe even two. It can be a contest! And remember, it's only temporary, so if you love the character, don't worry. You'll be seeing them again! So get those reviews in, I'll be counting up the votes on Dec. 16 or 17! P.S. Suggestions on what will happen in the battle or who will win it are welcome too! (
