Chapter Three ~ Destruction
5000 B.C.
Boom! Boom! Boom! Ka-BOOOOM!!!
Queen Maralana sat upright in bed. Her eyes filled with terror. "I knew it," she whispered.
"YAHD-lug!" King Kashekim exclaimed. "What was that?" He and the queen rushed down the palace steps and out into the street. People were looking about themselves confusedly. "Something bad has happened, Kashekim," Maralana said. "I can sense it... the attack... something went wrong!"
"Don't be silly," Kashekim said nervously. "What could have possibly happened?" Suddenly, the ground began to tremble, and bright red light filled the sky. The Crystal was warning the city of danger. Something had gone wrong, all right. The king had dispatched the Atlantean armada to attack Egypt the night before. Harnessing the Crystal's power could easily have allowed Atlantis to conquer Egypt. But the Living Crystal had other ideas...
"Tidal wave approaching!" a lookout called. "Quick, everyone to the shelters!"
~*~ Kida awoke abruptly. She could hear commotion in
the streets. She sleepily walked to the window and peered out. People were
running and shouting. She saw her parents amidst them. They appeared to be
arguing. She clutched her doll in her hand and, yawning, hurried out onto the
street.
"MAH-tihm, what's going on?" Kida asked. The queen took Kida's hand and pulled her close, but did not reply.
"This way, Your Highness. Quickly!" a servant called. Kashekim and Maralana hurriedly followed him, the queen pulling Kida along. In the commotion, Kida dropped the doll she had been carrying. She reached out to grab it, but her mother pulled her away. Kida frantically struggled, but the queen's grip was too strong.
What is going on? Kida thought. Why can't I have my doll? Why is everyone so scared?
By the time Maralana realized why her daughter was fighting her, they were too far away to go back, get the doll, and make it to safety before the tidal wave struck. "Just leave it, Kida! There's no time!" Kida knew by the urgency in her mother's voice that she was right. But what were they running from?
Suddenly, a red beam of light fell from the sky, freezing Maralana in her tracks. When the beam touched the queen, it turned blue. Maralana's eyes filled with the bright blue light, glazing over. Voices began calling to her inside her head...
Maralana, we need you!
Why?
Only you can save the city from destruction... A force began pulling her into the light.
But my daughter...
Kida will be well. This we promise. Maralana, we need you! The city needs you! You must come now!
The queen squeezed Kida's hand one last time. Kida, my baby, my precious angel... I will love you for eternity, my darling... you will never know... you will never understand... how much... The queen began to rise into the air, but Kida held her back. She desperately clasped her mother's hand, but the Crystal's pull was too strong. Still, Kida would not let go.
Kida, let go! MAH-tihm's voice ordered inside Kida's head. Startled, Kida complied. Her hand slipped out of Maralana's. As she released her grip, the queen pulled a bracelet from Kida's wrist.
"MAH-tihm!" Kida cried as her mother floated higher and higher into the air. Where is she going? Come back! Come back! "MAH-tihm!" Tears began to drip from the frightened girl's eyes. She blinked them away and stumbled forward, arms outstretched. "MAH-tihm!!!" Kida felt her father grab her and hold her tightly.
"Close your eyes, Kida!" he commanded. Kida willingly complied. That's it. Close your eyes. This is not real. It's all a dream. You'll wake up and discover that MAH-tihm is safe at home...
Kashekim watched in horror as Maralana disappeared into the shimmering Crystal. Beams of light shot out, and the city became surrounded by a dome of pure energy. CRASH!!! The tidal wave slammed into the city. But the city was not destroyed! The energy dome protected the city from the wall of water. The island sank deeper and deeper beneath the waves, then came to rest in an air pocket near the bottom of the sea. And that's where it would stay for all eternity...
The dome faded. All was safe and well. But Atlantis was now a lost empire, hidden hundreds of feet beneath the earth's surface!
This is all my fault, King Kashekim thought. Maralana tried to warn me not to use the Crystal as a weapon of war. But I was too stubborn, too arrogant- and this is the price. He looked down into his tiny daughter's eyes. If only Kida knew what evil her father had done that day... now she must grow up without a mother... And it is all my fault. The king began to weep.
When she saw the tears on TAHB-toap's cheeks, Kida knew MAH-tihm was not coming back. She slowly walked to where her doll lay on the ground. I wanted this so badly, Kida thought. But I'd rather have MAH-tihm back. She held the tiny doll tightly in her arms and began to cry. She looked at her wrist. There was an imprint where the bracelet had been.
The bracelet... it was MAH-tihm's. She had let Kida play with it the night before. Kida had pretended that she was the Queen of all Atlantis. She didn't feel much like a queen now.
~*~
King Kashekim looked at the Crystal hovering in the air. He knew what he would have to do. He would hide it. No one would be able to make his mistake again. No one would ever lose a loved one as he had lost his beloved wife. And Kida would be safe, forever spared from her mother's fate. He would remove all traces from their former life, the books, the scrolls, everything. People would soon forget- but he would not.
The king gazed at his little girl. Kida was all he had left in the world...
~*~
"MAH-tihm," Kida sobbed. "You said you would never leave me!"
"And I won't leave you, Kida." Kida looked around. Where was the voice coming from? MAH-tihm was nowhere in sight, but Kida could feel her presence all about her.
"MAH-tihm, where are you?" Kida asked.
"I'm here with you," the queen's voice replied. The voice was inside Kida! "I'll always be here if you need me. I will never leave you, ever." Kida's mouth opened bewilderedly. "Now, listen to me sweetie," the queen continued. "Your TAHB-toap needs you. You have to be there for him. Never give up, do you understand?" Kida nodded. "Good. Be brave, my precious... Be strong..."
"I promise," Kida said. She felt her mother kiss her forehead, but she could not see her. The Crystal pendant around her neck glowed brightly, warming her. MAH-tihm was in her heart, where she would always stay.
Kida smiled. MAH-tihm isn't really gone! She's here with me! I just can't see her, but she's here anyway! At that moment, to Kida, that was the best feeling in the world.
5000 B.C.
Boom! Boom! Boom! Ka-BOOOOM!!!
Queen Maralana sat upright in bed. Her eyes filled with terror. "I knew it," she whispered.
"YAHD-lug!" King Kashekim exclaimed. "What was that?" He and the queen rushed down the palace steps and out into the street. People were looking about themselves confusedly. "Something bad has happened, Kashekim," Maralana said. "I can sense it... the attack... something went wrong!"
"Don't be silly," Kashekim said nervously. "What could have possibly happened?" Suddenly, the ground began to tremble, and bright red light filled the sky. The Crystal was warning the city of danger. Something had gone wrong, all right. The king had dispatched the Atlantean armada to attack Egypt the night before. Harnessing the Crystal's power could easily have allowed Atlantis to conquer Egypt. But the Living Crystal had other ideas...
"Tidal wave approaching!" a lookout called. "Quick, everyone to the shelters!"
"MAH-tihm, what's going on?" Kida asked. The queen took Kida's hand and pulled her close, but did not reply.
"This way, Your Highness. Quickly!" a servant called. Kashekim and Maralana hurriedly followed him, the queen pulling Kida along. In the commotion, Kida dropped the doll she had been carrying. She reached out to grab it, but her mother pulled her away. Kida frantically struggled, but the queen's grip was too strong.
What is going on? Kida thought. Why can't I have my doll? Why is everyone so scared?
By the time Maralana realized why her daughter was fighting her, they were too far away to go back, get the doll, and make it to safety before the tidal wave struck. "Just leave it, Kida! There's no time!" Kida knew by the urgency in her mother's voice that she was right. But what were they running from?
Suddenly, a red beam of light fell from the sky, freezing Maralana in her tracks. When the beam touched the queen, it turned blue. Maralana's eyes filled with the bright blue light, glazing over. Voices began calling to her inside her head...
Maralana, we need you!
Why?
Only you can save the city from destruction... A force began pulling her into the light.
But my daughter...
Kida will be well. This we promise. Maralana, we need you! The city needs you! You must come now!
The queen squeezed Kida's hand one last time. Kida, my baby, my precious angel... I will love you for eternity, my darling... you will never know... you will never understand... how much... The queen began to rise into the air, but Kida held her back. She desperately clasped her mother's hand, but the Crystal's pull was too strong. Still, Kida would not let go.
Kida, let go! MAH-tihm's voice ordered inside Kida's head. Startled, Kida complied. Her hand slipped out of Maralana's. As she released her grip, the queen pulled a bracelet from Kida's wrist.
"MAH-tihm!" Kida cried as her mother floated higher and higher into the air. Where is she going? Come back! Come back! "MAH-tihm!" Tears began to drip from the frightened girl's eyes. She blinked them away and stumbled forward, arms outstretched. "MAH-tihm!!!" Kida felt her father grab her and hold her tightly.
"Close your eyes, Kida!" he commanded. Kida willingly complied. That's it. Close your eyes. This is not real. It's all a dream. You'll wake up and discover that MAH-tihm is safe at home...
Kashekim watched in horror as Maralana disappeared into the shimmering Crystal. Beams of light shot out, and the city became surrounded by a dome of pure energy. CRASH!!! The tidal wave slammed into the city. But the city was not destroyed! The energy dome protected the city from the wall of water. The island sank deeper and deeper beneath the waves, then came to rest in an air pocket near the bottom of the sea. And that's where it would stay for all eternity...
The dome faded. All was safe and well. But Atlantis was now a lost empire, hidden hundreds of feet beneath the earth's surface!
This is all my fault, King Kashekim thought. Maralana tried to warn me not to use the Crystal as a weapon of war. But I was too stubborn, too arrogant- and this is the price. He looked down into his tiny daughter's eyes. If only Kida knew what evil her father had done that day... now she must grow up without a mother... And it is all my fault. The king began to weep.
When she saw the tears on TAHB-toap's cheeks, Kida knew MAH-tihm was not coming back. She slowly walked to where her doll lay on the ground. I wanted this so badly, Kida thought. But I'd rather have MAH-tihm back. She held the tiny doll tightly in her arms and began to cry. She looked at her wrist. There was an imprint where the bracelet had been.
The bracelet... it was MAH-tihm's. She had let Kida play with it the night before. Kida had pretended that she was the Queen of all Atlantis. She didn't feel much like a queen now.
King Kashekim looked at the Crystal hovering in the air. He knew what he would have to do. He would hide it. No one would be able to make his mistake again. No one would ever lose a loved one as he had lost his beloved wife. And Kida would be safe, forever spared from her mother's fate. He would remove all traces from their former life, the books, the scrolls, everything. People would soon forget- but he would not.
The king gazed at his little girl. Kida was all he had left in the world...
"MAH-tihm," Kida sobbed. "You said you would never leave me!"
"And I won't leave you, Kida." Kida looked around. Where was the voice coming from? MAH-tihm was nowhere in sight, but Kida could feel her presence all about her.
"MAH-tihm, where are you?" Kida asked.
"I'm here with you," the queen's voice replied. The voice was inside Kida! "I'll always be here if you need me. I will never leave you, ever." Kida's mouth opened bewilderedly. "Now, listen to me sweetie," the queen continued. "Your TAHB-toap needs you. You have to be there for him. Never give up, do you understand?" Kida nodded. "Good. Be brave, my precious... Be strong..."
"I promise," Kida said. She felt her mother kiss her forehead, but she could not see her. The Crystal pendant around her neck glowed brightly, warming her. MAH-tihm was in her heart, where she would always stay.
Kida smiled. MAH-tihm isn't really gone! She's here with me! I just can't see her, but she's here anyway! At that moment, to Kida, that was the best feeling in the world.