Chapter 20
Hidden Powers
Queen Morgana's laughter went on and on. She waved her arms above her, forming a hologram of the planet Earth. "You can see for yourself. The people of your world are kneeling down before me!"
Rinoa looked up at the hologram. Her eyes opened in horror. "No…this can't be happening…" The world was completely covered in darkness, not a single light.
"Why don't you just give up? You couldn't possibly defeat me all alone. Your friends are no longer beside you. Join me and you will be free from pain and save your friends…What do you say?"
"I…I…" Rinoa's hands began to tremble as tears ran down her face. "I will never join you! And I will never give up!"
"Poor little girl. You must still be confused. Save yourself the pain and come with me…"
"For the last time, I won't! My friends are counting on me! I can't just desert them! I will fight as long as there is a breath in my body!"
"Such a pity…very well then. If that is what you desire…Than you can join your friends!" Morgana began shooting fire once again. Rinoa jumped to her left, but not soon enough. Just as she jumped, another stream of power scraped her arm. She could feel warm blood trickling down.
Rinoa struggled to get up. Morgana shot another fire bolt at her. It hit straight on her left leg. Rinoa fell to the ground, gasping. More blood was falling. "I can't give up…" She whispered slowly to herself. "Everyone's counting on me…Squall…Makita…Shaltwan…Tennetra…I promise I'll set you free." She squeezed her eyes shut. Her fists tightened, her knuckles turning white.
"Ha ha ha ha ha ha! It looks like the little princess is hurt to bad to get back up again. It's your own fault." Morgana began to walk from her throne towards Rinoa. She continued to laugh until she was right above her limp figure on the ground. "Look at you…you're pathetic. Now you are kneeling at my feet!" She laughed wickedly.
Just then Rinoa could feel a strange heat building up inside her. She felt as light as air. Energy began to glow around her. Her body pulled itself off the floor and hovered above the ground. She hunched her back. Wings sprout out behind her and lengthened themselves. White feathers flew in every direction. Her body was enveloped in white light.
A pure white dress morphed onto her, the skirt stopping at mid-thigh, ending in a point. Golden bands wrapped around her arms, ankles, and neck. Around her waist, a golden belt with a red jewel in the center appeared, glowing.
Morgana closed her eyes in surprise. "What's happening?" She cried out. The bright light dimmed, and she uncovered her eyes. "What? How can this be?" Rinoa stood hovering in mid-air, her hands together in front of her chest, her eyes closed. White wings spread out behind her back and a flowing pure white dress blew in the wind.
When all the light had gone, Rinoa's feet touched back down onto the ground. "You have tried to conquer and destroy my world. You have tried to eliminate my friends. Those are actions that can never be forgiven!" She opened her eyes and glared over at the Queen.
Morgana looked shocked. "How…what…what are you?" She asked in an angry tone.
Rinoa smiled. "Your eliminator!" Rinoa ran forward and attacked the queen. She flung her fist right on the side of her face and jabbed her leg into her stomach with a powerful blow, knocking the breath right out of her. Morgana fell to the floor, gasping for air. "That was for Squall!" Rinoa yelled down at her.
Morgana began to laugh. "I won't be so easily defeated, girl. I am Queen Morgana! Ruler of the Underworld and darkness! I will make you bow before me!" She stood up off the ground and dark energy surrounded her, clouding her from view. Rinoa waited patiently.
When the energy faded, Morgana's clothes had changed. She now wore skin tight black pants and matching long-sleeved shirt. The boots and gloves were black as well, making it harder to see her in the already dim room. "San-ka!" Morgana yelled. At these words, a sword appeared in her hands.
"Be prepared to meet your doom!" She said while laughing manically. "This will be your downfall!" She sprung forward.
Rinoa closed her eyes, her eyebrows furrowing in concentration. She thought deeply in her mind for help. "I call upon the great forces within the amulet; bestow upon me your powers. Lend me your strength!" Just like Morgana, a sword appeared in the air in front of Rinoa. She opened her eyes and gazed at the sword. It was encrusted at the top with the same red jewel that was on her belt. There was no more time to think on it as the Queen came ever closer with her own sword in hand.
She reached forward and grabbed the sword just as the Queen's struck down at her. In a flash of light, the swords met, blocking each other. The two women glared. They pulled the swords apart and Rinoa ducked down, throwing her leg around in a circular motion, knocking the Queen's feet out from under her. She fell to the ground with a thud, but quickly jumped back into action.
As Rinoa attacked her once again, Morgana caught her off guard. She turned her sword sideways, where she slid it right across Rinoa's face. Rinoa felt her flesh getting warm, knowing she had been cut. In anger she swung her sword around till it cut Morgan's arm.
"You will pay for that! No one disgraces Queen Morgana in her own realm!" More dark energy surrounded her the angrier she became. She threw her head back in laughter and sent waves of darkness in all directions. Rinoa hadn't been prepared for this. Each wave of energy cut through the ground like a razor, going in seven directions. Rinoa screamed as two of them hit her right on. Pain was creeping through every bone in her body.
"As I told you…I cannot be defeated." She grinned and stared up into Rinoa's screwed up face, fighting the unbearable pain. "Awe, it looks like you're in pain. I think I can fix that for you!"
Morgana pushed her hand out towards Rinoa and then over at the left wall. As if she were a puppet, Rinoa was thrown into the wall. She screamed at the impact and fell to the ground. She pushed her hands against the cold stone floor and tried to get back up, but fell back down in defeat. She groaned as she tried yet again, but failing all the same.
"If you had joined me you would have been saved by the pain that is creeping up inside of you at this very moment. Now it looks like you'll be joining your three friends!" She laughed once more.
Rinoa gazed up from the stone tiles into the Queen's evil and twisted face. "What do you mean…my three friends? You have captured four!"
"My poor dear…I mean your three Amazon friends."
"The Amazons! What about Squall? What are you planning to do to him? You've already made him suffer enough!"
"Squall? I plan on making him rule by my side, once I dispose of you!"
"What? You will never get away with that! I won't allow it!" Rinoa's anger was at the boiling point now. She couldn't take it any longer. Energy began to slowly wrap around her, her wings lifted her off the ground, to be standing in front of the Queen yet again. "This battle is not over yet!" She yelled.
The Queen's eyes opened in shock. "Why is this happening?" She thought to herself. "She should be down for good now. It's like every time I finally think I'm going to win, something else unexpected always happens in the end! I can't give up though! I've waited to long, being stuck in this stupid amulet. The world is almost completely mine, and it will be!"
Rinoa was glaring daggers at Morgana now. With a loud scream, the room was engulfed in a bright white light, the Queen shielding her face.