Chapter 18

The Betrayer

Rinoa opened the temple doors. Bright lights filed out through the opening. Everyone shut their eyes and covered their faces with their hands. It died down soon though. Rinoa brought her arms down and looked back at the others.

"Well, here goes nothing…" She stepped forward and into the temple. Her heart was beating so fast. She continued to walk for about another five feet and then yelled out happily, "I'm okay! I knew I had a pure heart!"

Everyone sighed with relief. Next, Squall stumbled in beside her followed by the Amazons. Rinoa looked over at Makita. "Where is the amulet?" Makita looked carefully at her for a moment before looking across the room at a dark pit. "It's down there?" Rinoa asked. She walked towards the pit and looked down. It was pitch black, like an endless cavern.

"The amulet had to be well hidden to be protected. We must hurry if you want to save your friend." She gazed over at Squall who had started breathing hard yet again. "This will be a test of loyalty, bravery, and strength…Are you willing to go?" She asked in a mysterious voice.

Rinoa looked straight into the Amazon's eyes. "Yes, I have to save his life. I will do whatever it takes, even if it means risking my own life!" Squall jerked his head up at this.

"Don't do anything like that Rinoa…ow…I would rather you live on…ah…instead of me…" He grabbed his chest. The pain was getting worse.

"Squall! Don't say that!" Rinoa said.

"But it's true…I would never want anything to happen to you…" Rinoa could feel her eyes beginning to water. She leaned down and gave him a quick hug.

"Well, don't worry because we're all going to get out of this thing together!"

Rinoa stood up and walked back over to the gap in the stone floor. She looked around the room to see if there was anything that could be useful. The room was dark, but lit by torches on the walls, the floor was stone cold, mold was everywhere, and eerie sounds echoed on the walls. On the ground next to a statue of a gargoyle, there lay a rope. Rinoa ran over and grabbed it.

"Hey guys, do you think this will work?" She asked them holding it up in the light. Makita walked forward to examine it.

"It is quite old…and could break easily. It would be very risky…"

"Yeah, but I have to do this. It's the only way. Trust me, I'll be alright." Rinoa took the rope and began to tie one end of it around her waist and into her belt for extra support. Then she handed the other end to the Amazons.

"I'm going to climb down the edge and you guys will lower the rope slowly until I reach the bottom."

"What if there is no bottom?" Makita asked warily.

"There will be…besides, aren't you supposed to know that if you've been guarding it?"

"Well, I've never actually seen the amulet or the inside of this temple. My ancestors just told us the stories…"

"Oh…" Rinoa sat on the edge of the gap and began to lower herself. Squall then grabbed her arm before she dropped down.

"Be careful Rinoa…I love you." He gave her a quick kiss on the lips. Rinoa smiled.

"I love you too Squall." Then she dropped down into the pit completely.

Rinoa could feel herself getting engulfed into the darkness. She couldn't see anything around her. She just kept on going down and down. A few minutes later, she heard a noise. She listened carefully. "That sounds like…" She didn't have time to finish her thought. The rope suddenly ripped apart from old age and Rinoa began to drop into the darkness. She screamed.

The Amazons who were holding the rope felt the sudden drop of weight disappear. "Rinoa!" Makita screamed down. They heard her yells echo throughout the temple as she fell. Then, there was silence. Squall clambered over to the edge.

"Rinoa!" He yelled. "Answer me!" Still there was silence. Squall began to panic, horrible thoughts coming across his mind. "This can't be happening!" He thought to himself.

Rinoa stopped screaming. She had landed on something. It was soft. "I'm still alive!" She said quickly to herself. Then she looked up into the pit's opening and yelled up at the others. "Hey guys! I'm okay! There's a soft landing down here!" She continued to look around but couldn't see anything until all of a sudden, torches began to light by themselves.

When Squall heard her voice yelling back up at them, a huge wave of relief washed over his whole body. The Amazons also relaxed from their tense positions. "Do you think we should just jump down there then?" Asked Shaltwan, the blonde Amazon.

Makita walked back towards the pit and took a closer look at the walls of it. "There are small stones sticking out of the wall. We can climb down some using them and then jump off the rest of the way down…"

"What about him?" Tennetra, the red haired Amazon asked.

"We can lower him on what's left of the rope and then he'll have to drop the rest of the way…" Makita answered. "Rinoa!" She yelled down into the pit. "I'm going to drop Squall down on the rope as far as it will go, but he'll have to fall the rest of the way down…"

Rinoa, who was down at the bottom yelled back an okay. The Amazons tied the rope around Squall and then lowered him as far as they could. "We're dropping you now!" Makita yelled to Squall. They let go of the rope and waited till Rinoa said that he was okay.

The Amazons then jumped onto the pit's walls and began to scale down them until they couldn't see anymore. Then they let go and landed softly at the bottom.

They all stood up and gazed around the new area they were in. The walls were four stories high, with huge columns holding them up. Torches were lit in a straight line across the wall, flickering off the stones. Drapes were hanging on the walls. They would have looked exquisite at the time when it was built, but now it was tattered and torn with age. At the end of the long room, there was a lone light. It was shining on a stand. Rinoa walked forwards and squinted. In the stand was an object. It was the amulet.

"There it is Squall! I told you everything would work out in the end!" Rinoa began to bound happily down the walkway towards the pedestal.

"Stop!" Makita yelled out to her. "There are many traps guarding the amulet!" Rinoa stopped just in the nick of time. Two blades dropped and began swinging right in front of her. If Makita hadn't stopped her, she would have been in pieces right now. She was about two inches away from them and could feel the air rush past her arms.

Rinoa backed up a little and then watched the blades, looking for a pattern in their movements. Then without a warning she ran through them as fast as she could go. Everyone screamed, telling her to stop. She made it past them and turned around to smile.

"It's okay guys, I can handle a few traps!" She turned back around to face the next trap. She didn't see anything trap-like at the moment. Then she looked up at the ceiling. All the way down, till she reached the pedestal, were spikes. "I bet those will come down once I step forward." She thought to herself. "Well, here goes!"

She took a few steps back and then ran as fast as she could. The spikes were coming down pretty fast. She heard one hit the ground behind her. "Don't look back…just keep going!" She said to herself. The others were screaming at the other end of the room. "I have to do this for Squall!" When she reached the end she jumped the last few feet to the pedestal. Just as she did, the last remaining spikes landed, throwing dust into the air.

She stood back up and yelled down the long hall. "I'm okay you guys! I made it!" Then she turned back around to face the pedestal. "This is it…" Her voice trailed off at the end. She had reached her hand out to grab it, but a spear had been slammed down across the back of her hand.

"I don't think so!" The voice said. Rinoa looked up. Her eyes opened in disbelief.

"You!" Rinoa managed to say through her shocked emotions. In front of her stood Reliquan, the black haired Amazon warrior. "What are you doing?" She finally asked.

"Keeping you away from the amulet!" She replied. The smoke around them had finally cleared. Everyone at the other end of the room gasped when they took in what was happening.

Makita was first to speak. "Reliquan! What do you think you're doing?"

Reliquan laughed an eerie laugh. "You are fools. Aren't you? I'm keeping you away from what rightfully belongs to my Queen. After all, she is living inside it!" Makita's face was struck with horror.

"What do you mean?"

"Isn't it obvious Makita? I've been working for Queen Morgana this whole time."

"You…You BETRAYER!" Makita had started to run down to the other end, her sphere out, and screaming. "You will pay for this!" Just as she got closer, the walls and space around them began to contort and swirl around them. Then, there was darkness.

"Not again!" Rinoa thought. Then she caught sight of Squall and the others and ran towards them. She leaned next to Squall and gripped his arm tightly. Laughter began to ring everywhere. Then just as before, a throne appeared. "Here we go!" Rinoa said. Out of the air Crystal appeared and landed on her knee and bowed, then came the Queen.

Makita gasped, as did the other Amazons. "You!" They all said together.