Shared Feelings
Written by Terra Trepe

Chapter 25: Descendant of Past

The air so soft and calm Flowing on her lungs, in and out with the speed of her featherlike breathing.

Quistis felt something touching her arm, softly, almost as trying to wake her up with the warm tousle against her fair skin. She was awake, but feared to open her closed eyes She feared what her eyes might see if she would open them Quistis didn't understand this feeling, but it started to grow too strong for her not to give it any attention

The fingers-like touch started to fade away slowly when it went up against on her arm, twinkling her every sense with the soft touch. The touch faded into the thin air, when she finally dared to open her eyes up. Her eyelids flickering softly against her tired up eyes, her gaze was endured to watch the flowing like air, so white that it almost blinded her.

A quick flow of the delicate air passed into her lungs, when she raised her upper body up from the invisible floor and took a deep, but very cautious inhale of air. Her long pale golden hair flipped down on her shoulder when she looked around her surroundings. This was like one of those dreams of hers, except this time everything was holy white

Slowly, a smooth almost shivering touch caressed her face with one simple and long stroke across her cheek. She shivered completely and her eyes closed up, when she took another deep inhale that this time was shivering and nervous.

Quistis opened her eyes slowly up when the touch was gone again. Her gaze was peaceful, almost like dozed off, when she stared the white coloured emptiness around her. The silence was thick around her sitting form, but somehow she knew it wouldn't stay that way for a long time anymore.

With a quick turn of her head, Quistis turned to look behind herself, when a noise, similar to footsteps, started echoing behind her. Her eyes widened with scare, when she couldn't see anything. There was nothing but air, but still the footsteps went on.

Who are you? The confused blond stood up quickly from the ground, surprised to see how easy it was to do so. There was no answer and the tiny footsteps continued, almost like that someone was continuing its slow and very gracious walking.

Quistis called after the noise with her calm voice as she reached up to the air with her other hand, almost like hesitating to run after the footsteps that started to fade into the silence.

She landed her hand softly to rest on her chest, when she closed her eyes up, trying to gather that courage to ran after the steps that would soon be gone. She ran towards the emptiness and this time the every inch of hesitation that she had before was now gone. The footsteps became louder, as she was getting nearer. A form of a little girl started to become visible from the haziness.

Quistis was only few steps away from the girl, when the little child started to go away, this time, her steps going in the speed of hasty running. Please! Don't run away! Quistis hastened her already fast steps, when she started to lose the form of that girl away from her sight again. The white light swallowed the tiny girl up, but Quistis could still hear the footsteps.

She wasn't going to give up She had to find that girl and speak with her. Perhaps she could help her

Quistis ran and ran, but couldn't see her. Her legs started to get tired from the running and she felt an incredible pain aching in the every part of her body. She closed her eyes, trying to find the strength and will to keep on going Giving up wasn't an option, and she knew it perfectly. Quistis just had to find that girl again. She just had to

She opened her eyes slowly so that she could look more properly in front of herself. Her mind had drifted away for a minute and she hadn't noticed that the sound of those tiny footsteps had already stopped, now the only sound being heard was her own heavy steps and tired breathing. The white air around her faded away in an instant and the form of that little girl standing on the middle of a cave appeared just before her steps. Quistis shrieked with a low muffled breath and almost stumbled up with her feet when she was trying not to crash up with that girl.

Quistis got her balance corrected and now raised her eyes from the rocky ground below her to the little girl before her. Pale, almost golden locks of hair caressed down to the tiny back of that little girl. Quistis examined her carefully and she recognised something very familiar from this blond girl.

The girl continued to look in front of her, her gaze targeted towards the dark wall of this suddenly appeared cave. What was she looking at? Quistis raised her eyes up from the girl to the wall and she couldn't see anything.

She lowered her gaze back down to the girl, who hadn't moved even an inch. Quistis took slow, very cautious steps next to the motionless girl. She kept her inquiring, but very scared gaze on the little girl. Her face, that tiny slightly round face, was so soft, so innocent when Quistis laid her gaze on the porcelain skin, trying to recognise the face. Her breathing slowed down gradually and her heartbeat started to half its speeding down. The ground under her feet made cracking noises when she took three more steps, and when she finally stepped before the girl, she lost her breath away and her heart didn't bound anymore.

Oh Hyne There she was. Those soft curls of golden locks cascaded down against her soft expressions on her face. Those inquiring blue eyes, filled with innocent she had lost throughout the battles of her life.

She wasn't just a girl She was actually Quistis herself, age of five or so

Slowly, the girl lifted her eyes up to meet her older ones staring down to her, shock bolted up to those very same azure eyes. And then, the light came back and swallowed the girl with only one gulp. Quistis felt this light touching her arm slightly when it surrounded her again, this time more tightly than before. She sighed deeply, this time feeling even more confused than ever before.

You are starting to remember, Quistis

She turned around quickly, wondering where the voice had come from. There was no one.

Don't be afraid Again, the voice spoke It was so soft that Quistis didn't feel afraid at all

W-who are you She asked the question warily, slowly turning around on the same spot as still trying to track the vessel of this voice. I'm here because you called my help, Quistis She stopped up with her steps and raised her gaze to look above her, confusion still written on her face. What do you mean, I called you?

There was a silence for awhile, before the voice continued: I'm your Guardian

Her eyebrows shot up, not understanding even a word.

I'm here to give you the answers you've forgotten throughout this time

Please child, let me speak Quistis shut her mouth, deciding to trust the voice.

That's better If Quistis hadn't been so confused, she would have been sure that there was hint of amusement on her voice. Yeah, the voice sounded like a woman. Like a woman, who was full of mysteries.

Your powers, it seems that you have found them again

Again?

Yes, I can sense it But you still don't understand them, am I right?

Quistis sighed deeply, lowering her gaze down to air below her. She had just learned that she was a sorceress, but she couldn't believe it How it had happened? Had she just born with the power? Or had someone passed it to her? She was full of questions but with no answers Tell me about my past

Past is insignificant, Quistis What matters is right now the present Quistis fell in silence again. The voice didn't continue her echoing words, and just when Quistis was sure that the voice had stopped talking, it continued slowly, almost cautiously

You're the True Descendant of Hyne That's why Ultimecia is after you

Quistis mind stopped to its track. The true descendant of Hyne She asked this softly, raising her confused gaze up to the flowing air above her head. Tell me Who are you? Quistis whispered after finding her voice again. She wasn't sure how to go with all of this Should she ask more questions, or just let the past be

I can't answer that

Why not Quistis' voice rang with a sound of despair. She needed answers and she needed them very quickly.

I'm what you seeI have no form nor identity People knows me as Eternal Force I'm a Guardian of Miracles

Quistis jaw sank down as she wasn't really sure what she had meant with that Guardian of Miracles?

Oh, thanks a lot That really helped me The snort left from her mouth before she could even stop it. She just couldn't take these strange answers anymore They didn't help her at all, but just made her even more confused if possible.

The silence overtook its place on the air, when no reply came from the Guardian of Miracles'. Quistis gulped soundly. Had she made her own Guardian mad at her? Oh, could things go any more wrong?

All of a sudden the air crackled up. Quistis raised her gaze up to the air, when she felt an incredible wind coming through the suddenly appeared opening. She gasped loudly, and her eyes widened when she saw something black starting to spread away from that opening to the air that used to be white, transforming the holy light into something horrendous black. Almost like sin compared to the holy

Sudden voices started to sang their song Sinful words chanted by the voices of the dark menace

Fithos Lusec Wecos Vinosec

Quistis' eyes were filled with scare when she just stared the darkness engulfing the warm white with freezing black. The voices continued their familiar sounding chanting and Quistis felt like she could threw up That chanting So familiar Her pale lips trembled when she uttered this. What was happening all of a sudden?

We have no time to waste

What do you mean? What does this mean Quistis started to back away from the black light. She shivered completely and she felt like she couldn't control herself anymore. Some cold drops of sweat appeared to her pale skin She had cold and still she was sweating like this place was blazing with fires These droplets of sweats were cold and they just confirmed that she was nervous Really nervous

This is Ultimecia's doings Quistis, she is trying to destroy everything you have to stop her...

Her voice wasn't calm anymore. She felt like loss of control, and that if anything made her scared. How could she stop Ultimecia if even Squall wasn't able to do that? This voice claimed that she was the one with the powers to save this all from destruction, but how would she be able to do that?

Seifer is with her right now He is trying to win her, but it is impossible, there's nothing that he can do... Quistis raised her eyes up to the air now. Seifer was with Ultimecia? Oh god She needed to go and help him

He is going to die, Quistis This whole Universe as you know it, will be destructed if you don't stop Ultimecia right now...

Seifer is going to die?

The darkness started to crawl towards her and Quistis backed up with nervous steps, trying to run away from the darkness that started to hasty its speed. But she knew there was no way out She couldn't run away forever

Quistis, I will send you there with him and Ultimecia I know you're scared, but you're the only hope we got Your powers hold the key to resolve all this You must use it before it's all too late Quistis bit her lips when she felt a white light surging throughout her body, grazing along her soft curves. She took a breath in, feeling a little more secure now I can do it Trust me I will stop Ultimecia She breathed softly, her voice still shivering with a sound of real fear

The light encircled her with its soft touch and she closed her eyes up peacefully. And before she could even think straight, she felt her body falling backwards. The blackness started to fade away from her sight, when she kept on falling through the circular hole and when she couldn't see it anymore, she felt her speed getting faster and she closed her eyes, somehow knowing that everything was going to be alright

I will stop Ultimecia I just don't know how, but I will figure it out I have to

The white light became even brighter and when it was on its highest, Quistis felt the air around her beaming up. And before she could even blink, the air engulfed her falling form, and then, she had suddenly disappeared

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TO BE CONTINUED