Chapter 25: Passion and betrayal
I walked through the hallways of Oeilvert, Surrelus in my hand, I listened to the sound of my footsteps echoing throughout the marble hall. Passing statues of Terrans long past and pictures of places long since reduced to rubble, I was reminded a little of my fragile past and vowed even more to leave it firmly behind me.
Ahead I saw Ilvian walking across, passing from one corridor to another.
“Ilvian!” I called out
He looked up and stopped, waiting for me to walk up to him.
“Yes sir?”
“Prepare the Invincible for immediate launch…and make arrangements for the prisoners to come too.”
“Fury?” he asked in confusion.
“I want them to see how stupid it would be to resist me. How easily their nations will fall.”
Ilvian looked puzzled but didn’t say anything else, nodding at me, he carried on walking down the corridor.
Perhaps I should keep a closer eye on him I wondered He
seems to be developing too much individuality. He could become a problem later
on.
Putting that thought to the back of my mind but not forgetting it, I carried on back to my room, opening the door I found Kitiara sitting on my bed.
“What are you doing here?!”
“Waiting for you.” She whispered
“Get out!”
She stood up, seeming hurt and pouted at me, she walked slowly towards me, moving her hips almost mesmerizingly and bringing one finger to her lips.
“Don’t deny that you want me…I can see it on your eyes.”
“Spare me your delusions and get out of my room!” I yelled, although part of me agreed with what she was saying. She brushed by me as she left and I got a whiff of perfume which sent my senses into overdrive.
“If you change your mind…you know where to find me.” She whispered into my ear.
As she left I slammed the door behind her.
“Damn woman.” I muttered, trying to clamp down on the feelings of…what could it be…lust, love? Such feelings were alien to me and yet so intoxicating, perhaps I could experiment…perhaps I could…
No!
Once this was over I would burn that woman and make her scream in agony as she wished for a quicker death.
I sat down on the bed and reached underneath it for the crystal, fortunately that harlot hadn’t found it and as I opened the bag and let the light bath me in its glow, each time I saw the crystal, each time I let it become a part of me, the feeling, the sensation was indescribable…everything around me became unimportant, there was only one thing that mattered and that was the light coming from the crystal that lay on the bed next to me.
I must have sat there for some time as when the crystal released me of its grasp it was dark outside and inside, I sighed coming down from the high which the crystal had taken me to and put the crystal back in its bag and underneath the bed.
I leaned back on the bed and prepared myself for the night ahead, one that the citizens of the Mist continent would never forget, I had briefed Ilvian and Rhiana on my plans beforehand, albeit vaguely and soon I would put them into operation.
I stood up and began to walk towards the door, suddenly I felt something very wrong behind me and quickly turned around. A dark shape dropped from the ceiling and landed softly behind me, I went to draw my sword but realised in my stupidity I had left it on the bed. Cursing inwardly I darted towards the bed but was tackled by the figure, falling heavily to the floor I landed with her on top of me, I could tell it was a female by her shape and I could see a tail extending from behind her which made her a genome of some sort.
As we landed I looked up into her face and saw that it was her! That damn genome!!
“You!” I hissed as she gripped her hands around my throat, I did the same thing to her throat and squeezed, trying to drain the life out of her before she could out of me.
We lay on top of each other and as the edges of my vision began to darken I looked into her eyes, in the rage and anger that burning within them I saw something that I thought I recognised.
And I felt those feelings I had felt for Kitiara but much stronger, and I could see that she felt them too, and finally I decided that I had to give in, that I couldn’t deny myself these feelings any more and as I looked at her, in those purple eyes, I saw her reach the same decision.
Her faces drew closer and closer until our lips met and we let the fires within us merge.
Stalking through Oeilvert back to my room I cursed the stubbornness of Fury.
“Lesser souls would have given in ages ago.”
I didn’t see the old man until I walked straight into him.
“Why don’t you look where you’re going!” I shouted
He raised and eyebrow and stroked his white beard.
“Because usually I don’t have to look out for bad tempered children throwing a tantrum at me.”
I bristled at his put-downs and raised my hand to strike him but I couldn’t connect, an unseen force gripped my arm and bent it back around and forced it up behind my back, threatening to break it. I gasped and yelped in pain but continued to glare at the old man who started to laugh.
“Hmmm, you certainly have spirit, you remind me of Mithril Yugami…who should have finished by now…”
“Pardon?” I gasped, trying hard to ignore the hurting in my arm.
“What? Oh never mind child…now be on your way lest I get angry at you.” He said, releasing the force which had pinned my arm behind my back. I cursed at him and then stormed off down the corridor, rubbing some life back into my arm.
I have to find the source of Fury’s power I thought and
take it for myself.
We parted from our passionate embrace and jumped apart almost immediately.
“Why?!” she asked an expression of shock on her face.
“Didn’t you feel the same thing?” I returned
She nodded but drew her sword.
“Yes, but now I have to kill you!”
I stood up and walked over to her, confident that she would not harm me, I gently knocked the blade out of her hand and let it fall to the floor.
“Don’t be stupid…now…who sent you? Zidane? That Kuja?”
She shook her head and I managed to connect the dots.
“Lawrence…” I growled “That rat bastard…I knew I should have killed him long ago.”
Domino kept her head bowed, sullen, quiet.
I stood back and thought intently, this wasn’t a part of my plan…this wasn’t under my control. I had brought Kitiara before me as planned, but Domino suddenly falling for me wasn’t something I had bargained on.
Should I kill her? I wondered but every part of my body screamed negatively at that idea.
Then…what?
“Would you…” I began but faltered.
“Would I what?”
“Would you become my queen?”
She quirked an eyebrow at me and said nothing.
“My queen of darkness…a new reign is coming, one of darkness across Gaia…I can see in your eyes that you have embraced the darkness, that you are now like me…therefore what can you lose in joining with me. Our powers combined can be stopped by no other.”
Her tail flicked from left to right as she thought about my offer.
“And what do I get in return?”
“You get me, and the freedom to use that destructive power that you so enjoy.”
Something inside of me screamed that this was wrong, that she wasn’t meant to be like this, that this Domino was wrong. But how could I miss such an chance to snare such a beauty in my web…perhaps my weaker self hadn’t made such a bad choice of wife. Perhaps this would also get Kitiara off my back…perhaps she would leave me alone know and stop trying to seduce me.
This was right…not wrong.
“What other choice do I have?” she asked cautiously
“Well…you could go back to Lawrence…be his slave, carry out his bidding…but could he ever give you the feelings I have just given you? Could he ever bring you the freedom of power I’ve promised you?”
She shook her head and walked closer to me until her chest touched mine.
“No…therefore I give myself to you Fury.”
“You will not regret it Domino…”
She suddenly pulled away and frowned at me.
“My name is Yugami…not Domino…remember that.”
I nodded and pulled her back to me, we overbalanced as we kissed and fell backwards onto the bed, there we let go of our hesitations, let go of our fears and let our passion reach new heights, and there on that bed we made love.
I walked to Fury’s room to tell him that the Invincible was ready, that the prisoners were being transferred across and being placed into force fields on the bridge.
As I drew closer to his room I could her a woman moaning loudly, it sounded as though an act of love was being made in his room. I reached up to knock on the door but hearing the passion within reach new heights I decided to return again a little while later, I presumed it was that Kitiara entertaining Fury, she had shown much lust towards him ever since he brought her over to our side and although I hadn’t seen that lust returned by Fury I presumed that he and her had a private arrangement of some sort.
I was therefore very surprised to meet Kitiara walking out to the courtyard, her black hair tied up in a bun, she had changed clothes into a close fitting black dress and had applied black eyeshadow and nail varnish.
“Kitiara?” I asked in surprise
She turned and frowned at me.
“Yes? Ilvian isn’t it? You’re one of Fury’s genomes.”
I nodded
“Yes…I thought you were with Fury…”
She shook her head and sighed in annoyance
“No…not yet. Why do you ask?”
I shook my head, already knowing I’d betrayed too much.
“Oh…no reason, just wondering.”
She peered at me but said no more and I quickly hurried away lest she try to ply me with more questions that I could not answer without betraying Fury.
After a little while lingering in the courtyard I returned to the door of Fury’s room, there was no noise to be heard inside so I knocked gently on the door.
“What is it?” came Fury’s voice from within.
“It’s Ilvian, sir…the Invincible is ready to go and the prisoners have been transferred.”
There was some muttering from within and then the door opened, Fury stood on the other side, wrapped in a dark cloak, behind him in his bed I could see the female genome Domino covering herself with the bedsheets.
“Very good Ilvian,” said Fury, ignoring my surprise at seeing Domino “Myself and Yugami will meet you at the boarding ramp shortly.”
I nodded and bowed, moving away from the door and back down the corridor rapidly, analysing what I had just seen.
This Domino and Fury together…was it them making love? What had changed between them...Fury had thrown her off the Hildagarde V, he had vowed to kill her and now suddenly he was having sex with her! What had changed?!!
I heard Fury say “Myself and Yugami” and cursed silently, this had not meant to happen! This couldn’t happen!!
She was meant to kill him, not love him!!
Moving from the shadows further down the corridor from Fury’s room, I stormed back to my chamber and examined the formula which I had injected Yugami.
This was nothing wrong with it, it should have worked!! I swore and swept the glass vials and test tubes off the desk letting them smash on the floor, pounding the desk with rage I cursed the name of Mithril Yugami.
If I didn’t watch out my plan would lie in ruins and that fool Fury would succeed!
“No…I cannot lose, I have gambled everything on this…one last chance, I cannot lose!”
I walked back over to the bed and sat down next to her, resting my head on her shoulder.
She chuckled and began stroking my hair.
“So…Fury, what next?”
“With us or with my plan?”
“Both…”
I smiled, despite Domino, or should I say, Yugami’s change of heart, my plan was still proceeding as intended, and the next step was ready to proceed.
“Well…next I intend us to show the Mist Continent just how deadly I can be…so far they have only seen a third of my power. Come with me, my dear, and watch my power.”
I raised my head up and kissed her briefly on the lips.
“I think I shall…in fact, I’m looking forward to it.” She replied
“Many will die.” I warned
“All the better.”
We both chuckled as we thought of the fear we were to spread throughout the land. Then we walked, our arms linked, down to the Invincibles docking bay and onto the Terran ship.
I sat inside the force field with Zidane to my left and Xola to my right, it was the first time I had seen Zidane since our capture by Fury many hours ago. He looked weary and sad but still defiant, testing the force field with his tail and jumping at the shock he got.
“Where’s Domino?” I asked
Zidane shrugged and sighed
“Lawrence took her…I don’t know what’s happened but she’s turned like Thunderchild did, I think he’s injected her with something but she’s serving him now.”
I cursed, that was another nail in our coffin. I then looked around again, the bridge of what Zidane had called the ‘Invincible’, it was a lot more advanced than that of the Hildagarde III and so I took the opportunity to ask Zidane more about this ship.
“The Invincible is a Terran ship, during my fight with Kuja and Necron, I brought her back from Terra to Gaia…I thought she was destroyed when Thunderchild supposedly died, but evidently that too was a deception.”
“That would explain why it’s so advanced.” I said, looking around at the big screen display and control stations around the bridge. A couple of genome guards were at the only entrance to the bridge with particle rifles in the unlikely event we escaped.
Zidane nodded
“Yes…in fact we didn’t know this ship could do half the stuff Thunderchild activated when he came on board.”
“Because he’s Terran…or at least, half Terran.”
Zidane nodded again and grimaced.
“Yes…I hate to say it but Fury has a major advantage over us.”
I heard the doors open behind us and the genomes stand to attention, then I heard Xola gasp in horror and I whirled around to see Kitiara stride on to the bridge.
“Where is he?” she asked
“Lord Fury will arrive shortly.”
She raised her head and tutted in annoyance before striding into the centre of the bridge and examining the control console, either not noticing or ignoring us.
“Kitiara!” hissed Xola
Kitiara turned around and looked at Xola.
“Yes?” she asked, with no hint of what she was doing.
“What are you doing Kit?” asked Xola in a low voice.
Kitiara chuckled and examined her nails.
“I thought that was rather obvious Xola…I’m joining the winning side, you would do well to do so yourself.”
“Are you crazy?!!” I yelled, not believing my ears.
“I am perfectly sane Nagy, and before you ask, no he didn’t inject me with anything…well…I don’t think he did…But that doesn’t matter, what does matter is I’m going to get the power I’ve always wanted and there’s nothing anyone can do to stop me.”
The doors hissed open again and Ilvian and Rhiana walked onto the bridge.
“Move away from the console Kitiara.” Said Ilvian
Kitiara hissed at them
“Make me.”
Both Ilvian and Rhiana pulled out and aimed particle pistols at Kitiara.
“Under Fury’s orders, no-one is to go near the control panel, that includes you…now unless you really want to die, move away.” Said Rhiana in an icy voice.
Kitiara sneered but gently moved away from the console.
“Stupid puppets.” She muttered
Then the doors opened again and Fury walked onto the bridge, staring at Rhiana and Ilvian aiming their pistols at Kitiara he frowned and raised an eyebrow.
“Just what is going on here?” he asked
“Kitiara was examining the control console, we told her to move away, she refused, so we used threatening force, sir.” Said Ilvian
Fury nodded and patting the two genomes on their shoulders.
“Good work, Kitiara, you should have known better.”
Kitiara gave Fury an evil look but remained silent, her back turned to him.
“Looks like trouble in paradise.” I whispered to Zidane, he nodded and smiled slightly, seeing as I did, that there might be a chance to weaken the terse alliance between Kitiara and Fury.
“Come Yugami, come see the power at my fingertips.” Called Fury to someone outside the doorway. I saw Zidane sit bolt upright and then jump to his feet, the name Fury had mentioned struck a chord, a familiar memory and as the person he had called to entered the bridge I could see why.
It was Domino.
“Domino!!!” yelled Zidane, repeatedly smacking the force field with his hands.
Domino turned and glanced at Zidane with a look of utter contempt. Then she joined hands with Fury.
“Domino!!! Listen to me, you’ve got to fight it!!” yelled Zidane.
Domino whirled around and held her hand up, a lightning bolt flew forth from it and struck Zidane sending him flying across his cell until he hit the rear force field and collapsed to the floor.
“Silence reject!” she yelled, making Fury laugh as he began to power up the Invincible.
Impossible, he had chosen her over me. That stupid unattractive genome over myself…I couldn’t believe what I was seeing, sure she had power but was that all he was looking for.
“Stupid fool.” I whispered to myself as Fury turned to Ilvian.
“Is the fleet ready?” he asked
Ilvian nodded
“Ready and able.”
“Good, you shall take the Lindblum fleet, Rhiana you take the Alexandrian…we shall head for Treno.”
What are you planning? I wondered
“Kitiara?” said Fury and I turned to see what he wanted.
“Yes.”
“I want you to watch this…and take note of the land of the Mist Continent for soon you will lead a powerful army into its heart.”
I nearly jumped for joy, this was the first concession of power he had made to me, it wasn’t as much as I had hoped but it was still a significant amount of power.
Perhaps he wasn’t as totally sold to this Yugami as he seemed.
Outside the plains of Oeilvert, close to the Hildagarde III’s crash site, a silver haired genome wandered aimlessly.
Where the hell am I? Wondered Kuja.
As he looked up into the night sky his foot kicked something which gave him a large electric shock.
“PiKA!” screamed Pikachu.
“Whoa…Sorry, I didn’t see you there!” apoligised Kuja to the little brown and yellow mouse who growled at him.
“You’re one of Dominos people aren’t you?” asked a voice behind Kuja, he turned and saw a small cat like creature standing on a rock.
“Domino’s my sister…who are you?”
“I’m Meowth and this is Pikachu.” Said Meowth, indicating the small growling mouse to be Pikachu.
“You don’t look like Mist monsters…but then I haven’t seen many.”
“Pi-Pika!”
“Pikachu says that’s because we’re not mist monsters…we’re from another world…we came through a portal.”
Kuja nodded, understanding that term.
“Yes…the one in the Evil Forest.”
“Yeah, that place sure was evil.” Said Meowth shuddering at the memories.
Kuja knelt down and held out a hand to Pikachu.
“I thought you…Pokemon isn’t it?, Had to have a master or something.”
Pikachu sniffed his finger and nibbled gently on it making Kuja withdraw his finger quickly lest the little creature take a proper bite.
“We do…and we have…they were captured by creatures like you and taken to a castle not far from here.”
“Oeilvert?” asked Kuja
“Bless you.”
Kuja shook his head
“No…it’s the name of the castle…I remember sending Zidane there once…I think I know a secret way in…”
A noise made the three of them look up, in the moon-lit sky above them they saw many airships pass overhead, three V-shaped formations, themselves arranged in a V shape, with a large blue metallic airship in the lead of the first V-formation. The peaceful quiet of the plains were shattered as the noise from the engines of the fleet overwhelmed everything.
“Looks like this Fury has been busy.” Said Kuja as he watched the ships fly past.
“We’re running out of time.” Concluded Meowth.
“Pika-Pikachu.” Squeaked a sombre Pikachu, concerned for its master.