Chapter LV: A Glimpse into the Past: The Dark History of Atlantis
Nightshroud: I'm popping these chapters out quickly because I already have a sequel of sorts planned out, and I'm excited to start that. Any idea who the main character will be in that one? I look forward to any guesses. Maybe even a prize if you can guess it. And the character is in this story recently. I think that's enough of a hint. Hehe anyway, here we go!
last time
"I think we're here," Reyna said. She put her hand to the door and immediately felt a horrible feeling shoot through her.
"I can do this. This is my destiny."
She charged her hand with light and blasted the doors open. The four stood in the doorway, and tensed when their eyes rested on their final destination.
"So, you've arrived," said Amnael.
"We finally found you! Now you're going to pay for everything you've done!" said Tyson. Amnael smiled.
"You think you can stop me? You're powerless before me. Take a look at all who have come before you."
He waved his arm in front of the altar behind him. Reyna's eyes widened and she felt a horrible feeling grip her. Perfect replicas of people etched into the wall. Looks of horror on their faces.
"Those people..." she barely managed to choke out.
"Yes," Amnael said with a cruel smile, "all the people who have lost their hearts to the Kronos Stone. And once I take yours, the stone will have enough power to open the portal to the Nether Realm. So, why don't you just surrender your hearts, and this will all be over sooner."
"No!" she shouted, "I was given these powers because I was destined to stop you!"
"Poor misguided child, don't you realize you were given those powers because you were destined to be the final sacrifice?"
Reyna took a step back. "No. No, that's not possible."
Amnael laughed. "Once you feel the true power of the Kronos Stone, you will understand. I didn't either, until the day it revealed itself to me."
flashback
A younger Amnael wiped his forehead and looked out the window. He had been working all night on a new alchemic process.
"Black Process Nigredo is a success," he documented before filing away his papers.
"Amnael, sir, come quickly!" Banner, one of his assistants told him as he burst through the door.
"What is it?" Amnael asked.
"It's incredible! It just fell!" he continued rambling. Amnael sighed.
"All right, show me," he said, putting a heavier robe over his lighter robes. Banner grabbed his hand and led him through the city, quiet in the dead of night, till he reached the shore. Amnael's eyes widened as he beheld a meteor of some sort. It was glowing red on the inside.
"It's incredible, isn't it?" Banner asked him. Amnael didn't respond, but went closer. His curious nature overcame his cautiousness, and he touched the surface with his hand. He felt a surge of magical power greater than any he had felt before.
"Quickly, help me get it back to the lab," he ordered his assistant. The two stole back through the city until they made it back to Amnael's royal workshop.
"What do you plan to do with it?" Banner whispered.
"You will see," Amnael whispered back. Banner failed to notice the Amnael's eyes flash a venomous yellow.
"It's finished!" Amnael shouted. Banner rubbed his eyes tiredly. In a moment though, he was standing excitedly next to Amnael.
"It's incredible!" Banner said in awe. Using alchemy, Amnael had crafted the meteor into a blood-red stone, more beautiful than any that had ever been seen.
"Yes, it is," Amnael said, his eyes flashing with excitement. He placed his hand to it and closed his eyes. He tapped his magical sense into the stone, trying to sense something out. In his mind's eye, something flashed before him, and he found himself standing before a red seal with symbols. A voice blacker than any imaginable spoke to him.
"Mortal, I am Kronos. I have a task for you."
Amnael awoke as if from a dream. He noticed the sun out of one the small windows. Banner was standing near him, fanning him.
"What happened?" he asked.
"You were in a trance," Banner exclaimed. "You're eyes were open, but it was like your spirit had left you. I couldn't remove your hand from the stone, so I brought a chair over to rest you down on."
"I must see the king" Amnael said, standing. He ran from the workshop and up to the palace. The guards stopped him at the doorway into the palace.
"What are you doing here?" the one asked.
"I need to speak to the king!" Amnael exclaimed. The guards pushed him back.
"The king is planning for the royal ball tonight. He can't be bothered now."
"This is important. Now let me through!" he hissed.
"It's all right!" he heard a voice exclaim from inside. He looked and saw the princess standing there, smiling sweetly at him. The guards exchanged glances, then shrugged and let him through. The princess giggled and held his hand, leading him tot he throne room.
"Amnael! What are you doing here?" the king asked.
"Your Highness, last night I made an incredible discovery."
"Oh?" the king asked, looking over to his queen.
"And what would that be?" the queen asked in her gentle, quiet voice.
"This," Amnael replied, holding a shard of the stone. The king's eyes widened, then he noticed the sick look on the queen's face. He suddenly felt a horrible feeling creep over him. In those days, the royalty were highly magically aware.
"Amnael, what is the meaning of this?" the king asked, growing alarmed.
"It is a blessing. With the powers of this stone, we can transform Atlantis into a glorious empire, one of unparalled power. With this stone we can break the barrier to other worlds, and take them for our own. You can lead this city to becoming the greatest power ever known!"
"Where did you get these ideas?" the king said, his anger rising.
"From one who would only ask for your allegiance in return," he replied.
"Who!" the king thundered.
"Kronos," Amnael replied. The king stood, his eyes burning fiercly.
"Kronos! Are you mad! Take your evil stone and magic and leave this city at once. Do you hear me! And return on pain of death! GO!"
The king stood and blasted Amnael out of the door with a magical attack. Amnael picked himself up and ran for his workshop.
"The fools!" he hissed to himself. "If the king won't bow before Kronos, then he must be destroyed, and all his tainted line!"
Amnael took a fragment of the stone and held it in his hand.
"Banner!"
Banner came into the room. "Yes, sir?"
"Come here," Amnael ordered. Banner approached, and Amnael turned to face him, his eyes burning a hateful yellow.
"Be honored to be the first to experience the power of the Kronos Stone!"
He held the stone in front of him, and Banner began to scream uncontrollably as darkness enveloped him like a disease. In his place stood a Heartless, the Seal of Kronos burning brightly on its forehead.
"Excellent."
Amnael marched toward the royal palace, with an army of Automaton Heartless behind him. The guards from before saw him approaching and stood in his way.
"You! Where do you think you're-"
Amnael barely gave them a glance before he magically lifted them up and smashed their heads into the wall behind them. He walked past them, his eyes never returning to rest on their dead bodies. As he entered the palace, he marched his forces toward the large and ornate throneroom where the ball was being held.
"It's time."
He threw the doors open and stood at the top of the stairs leading down. All the dancing and music died down as the king and all his subjects looked up. Everything seemed frozen in tiem before the king finally saw the stone glowing around Amnael's neck and whispered:
"Amnael..."
Suddenly the Heartless, out of view behind him, poured down into the throneroom. The people screamed in horror and began to run in different directions. The king quickly turned to one of his young servants, only a young boy.
"Quickly, take the princess to the hiding place. Stay there until it's safe to escape."
"Yes, sir," the boy said, grabbing the princess's hand.
"Wait!"he cried, running up to her father. He out his arms around her and silently cried.
"You must hurry. And just rememberd that I love you."
The queen hugged her daughter with a loud sob, then hurried her off. The boy grabbed her hand and ran with her into the hallway on the side of the thrones. Amnael approached the thrones as his Heartless quickly overcame all the people in the room.
"And now, your Highness, feel all the power that you gave up."
He held his hands forward, and the king cried out as he was lifted into the air by a dark force, coursing around him like electricity, flickering a dark glow.
"Now, die."
"Hurry," the boy whispered breathlessly, leading the princess along. They finally came to a pillar, which the boy tapped the botton of. It swung open, and he guided the princess in. She looked up at him as he stood hesitantly outside.
"Aren't you coming in?" she asked.
"The hiding place is only for the royal family," he said softly. They both heard a crash and a scream, and the boy looked at the princess with fearful eyes.
"Hurry!" she whispered. He nodded and crawled in after her, shutting the little door behind him. The two panted quietly till the cries and screams died away.
end flashback
"That day I took the entire island of Atlantis," said Amnael, his eyes flashing with the recollection. The entire city was alive with the beautiful cries of the hunted people. But I overlooked one thing," he said, his hands clutched into fists.
"That boy had born magical potential unlike any other. And with the power of the princess they were able together to cast a spell so powerful it shattered the seal as Kronos was beginning to emerge. The power of the conflicting forces was so great, it split the very foundations of the island, causing it to sink. I was able to save myself by casting a spell so as to preserve myself until I was awakened. Meanwhile, the two were able to escape to a small uninhabited island nearby, and started civilization again. They were not anger or bitter with what had happened to them. They saw it as their destiny, so they came to name them the Destiny Islands. Then a long while later, while I still lay waiting to be released, a unique and ancient tool, the keyblade, passed on to a young boy named Riku. But the boy longed to see other worlds beyond the one he lived in, and he opened his heart to darkness. He allowed Xehanort toenter into this world, and it was consumed with darkness. When it was, I was freed from my prison and allowed to carry on my ancient plan to revive Kronos. Meanwhile the keyblade passed on to Sora. Although Riku had been originally chosen to wield it by its previous owner, it was Sora's destiny as the ancestor of one of the two survivors of Atlantis to take up the blade. And that same bloodline has given you the pwers of the Angel of Heart. But even though I failed to stop that boy and the princess, I will finally end their bloodline and complete the revenge I planned ten thousand years ago!"
"Not if we stop you!" said Kai, standing by Reyna. Amnael smiled and summoned his aerial blades to his hands.
"You will try!"
He let out a cry and spun through the air, swinging his blades at them.
"Refleja!" Namé called, bringing up a shield to defend them. Amnael smiled wickedly as the Kronos Stone on his forehead and the pendant with the symbol of the Kronos Seal around his neck began to glow. His aerial blades flashed and he smashed through the shield, knocking back the group. They blast scattered them in opposite directions, and Reyna looked up, dazed, as Amnael stood in front of her.
"It wasn't nearly long enough, was it?" he said tauntingly. He swung his blades down at her, but a sword appeared in front of her and blocked Amnael's attack.
"What-" Amnael started, then jumped back as he surveyed the new intruder.
"Heh, pick on someone your own size," Raphael said.
Nightshroud: I hope you liked the little history lesson there. Hope it was fascinating! Anyway the battle starts in earnest next chapter. Make sure you review and let me know how you liked it, as well as any guesses as to the sequel.
Next chapter: The Final Battle: Amnael's True Power