Echo's Destiny (Edited/Rewritten Version)

Six - The Fal'Cie

Autumn was sat eating her breakfast with her brother when her phone rang. Sighing she pushes her bowl of porridge away and shoots Ashton an apologetic look as she reaches for the phone. "Hello?" She says as she brings the phone to her ear. After listening for a few minutes she speaks again "Okay, I'll be there as soon as possible."

"What's up?" Ashton asks, watching Autumn pack her bag hurriedly.

"Some school trip turned up after we canceled all of them and now two of the kids have gone missing. They need help finding them."

Ashton also stands up "I'll come too, any extra eyes are good."

Autumn just nods in response. The twins rushs to leave the house in silence. Each packed a small bag of supplies they might need, including food and a flashlight. Neither spoke, both lost in their own thoughts as the city whizzed by. They caught bits of conversation from the many people on the streets. A group of business women catching up on the latest office gossip over breakfast outside a cafe. Two boys laughing as they discuss what class they are skipping while they kick a ball between them. Ashton sighs. The boys reminded him of himself and his best friend when they were younger. "Look where that got us." He mutters to himself. "I can't get a job and you're off somewhere singing to a bunch of teenage girls."

Autumn glances at him oddly "What's that?"

"Nothing, just reminiscing."

She snorts "Since when do you reminisce?"

"I was thinking about Luke." Autumn nods in understanding, the bond between the two boys was greater than the bond that they shared as twins. "I last spoke to him last week. He said he was coming home but I haven't heard anything since."

"Ring him then."

"Nah, he'll talk to me when he is ready." The pair descends back into silence listening to the wailing of a siren in the distance. They passed several more people on their way to the laboratory, some on their own talking quickly into their mobile, some is pairs chatting about what happened yesterday, others walked in large groups messing about on the pavement. Ashton resented them all.

It take them ten minutes to get through the traffic in the city and onto the driveway of the laboratory. Set back from the road, the laboratory is the only way to get into the western side of the Waterscape. The building itself is 6 stories tall with even more hiding below the surface. Autumn and Ashton stare up at the glass building as they enter it. "Somewhere in there are two missing girls." Ashton says thoughtfully.

"Not if they have left the building and are somewhere in the Waterscape. Hopefully they are just exploring the building but this could get dangerous." Autumn replies concerned.

Once inside they were immediately greeted by dozens of worried faces. The receptionist ran to greet them. "Autumn.... we need you to search the lowest floor. The girls may be in danger if we don't find them soon."

"Calm down." Autumn says trying to remain calm. "Tell me more about the girls."

"Their names are Echo and Felicity and they are both 17. Echo has ginger hair, green eyes and is about 5'7. Felicity has brown hair, lilac eyes and is slightly taller at 5'9." The receptionist replies ticking everything off on her fingers.

"Okay, thank you." With that Autumn strides off leaving Ashton to trail behind her. He follows his twin past several corridors, each emptier than the last. They don't stop until they reach a set of stairs leading down. They went down one floor, then another, then another.

"How many floors are there?" Ashton complained.

"10 in total, though the bottom one is never used. They never explained why though." She shrugged "Guess we'll find out in a minute."

"You mean you've never been down here?"

She shook her head "Only the higher ups ever come down here." They slowly walk down the final set of stairs into a dim, dusty corridor. There was a single door that stood ajar at the end of the corridor. In the poor lighting the twins could vaguely see two figures slumped on top of one another through the door. "Hello?" Autumn called out "Are you okay?" Neither figure moved.

They crept closer to the door and carefully opened it. The pale light shines on the two bodies. The description of the two matched the description that the receptionist gave them. "What happened?" Ashton whispers.

"Let's see." Autumn says stepping over the two bodies into the room. Ashton, not wanting to be left behind quickly follows. Yet no sooner had they stepped inside the room they fell to the floor unconscious.

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Ales floated several feet over the four who had entered his chamber. Silently he spread it's tentacles to the two new intruders and began the same process he had with the first. The process of giving them a fate. Though four was not enough. Not for the task he had in mind. One more, that was all he needed, though somehow he knew he would not meet that extra person here. Yet he could not move. He had to find some other way.

Removing his tentacles from the twins, he stopped and thought for a moment. He was the Fal'Cie of the Waterscape, he could not leave it. Yet if he could just get through to another Fal'cie then they might find one more for him. Ales had to try. Expanding his mind he sought out the other Fal'Cie in the city. Telepathically trying to send a message to them. There was no reply. All Ales could do was float and wait for his heroes to awaken.