Chapter Forty One: Unresolved Battles

 

Domino's POV

My head hurt, a lot, and I began to wonder whether I had in fact died and gone to hell but when I opened my eyes I realised that my fate was far worse than that. I was still alive, and still on the Illustrious. The main view screen was displaying nothing but static and the speakers were hissing and popping which did nothing for my headache.

I slowly sat up and looked around, the bodies of the three other angels of death were scattered around the bridge, I crawled over to them and checked their pulses, and all were still alive.

"Where are we?" I whispered.

The hull creaked slightly and the floor gently tilted to the left and then back to normal. I put my hand up and caught hold of the main control panel and lifted myself up to look at it, but it was no use, all of the readings were totally off the scale, I couldn't get anything sensible out of the computer. Even kicking it a couple of times and punching it did nothing to improve the readings.

I looked at the three other genomes who were still unconscious and then made my decision, whatever had happened to them it was up to me to find out what was going on, and stop Lawrence before it was too late.

I walked off the bridge and out towards where I knew the teleporter to be, it was time.

 

Thunderchild's POV

I ducked and avoided decapitation by a whisker. Jara and I were back to back, fighting the Silver Yugamis, I had at first tried to avoid hurting them until Jara grabbed me and shook me.

"Don't hold back Yissan! It's what Lawrence wants! You're letting your feelings for Domino get in the way! These clones are NOT her!!"

After that little lecture I had put more effort into attacking them and it was with a slight twinge of sorrow that I skewered a clone through the heart and watched her fall backwards, another Yugami taking her place almost instantly. Behind me I could hear Jara sending wave after wave of powerful spells at the attackers, the smell of burnt flesh was particularly overpowering, I guessed that she was using mainly fire spells.

I used Draconus as a pole to vault feet first into a nearby Yugami, and then brought the sword over my head and down straight between her eyes before she could react.

"Jara! There's too many of them!" I yelled as we came back to back again.

"I know!" she replied, her voice quickly followed by a crash of thunder as she used Thundaga to knock out another two Yugamis.

"What do we do?!"

"Keep fighting!"

I swallowed and yelling loudly I charged another group of Yugamis, crashing into their midst.

 

Domino’s POV

I entered the co-ordinates that would hopefully place me directly below the ship and hit the activation button. With a flash of white light the Illustrious disappeared, to be replaced with a dull utilitarian corridor which seemed strangely familiar.

"This...this is my birthplace..." I whispered in recognition.

I touched one of the walls, it seemed so solid but it was impossible, we couldn't be on Terra, we couldn't be in the research labs. Not anymore!

There was a flash of light and a loud explosion from inside an open door far away up the long stretch of corridor, deciding that was a good as place to head for as any I started to run.

 

Thunderchild’s POV

I felt the burning rage inside of me and with the number of Yugamis still left to fight I welcomed it, I felt a strange sensation in my back but the increased reflexes and power was what got my attention. I flicked a wave of fire towards three clones who were charging me and vaporised them.

"Yissan? What's happened to you?" asked Jara

"What do you mean?" I replied.

She reached behind me and pulled something which made me yelp in pain, when her hand came back it was holding a white feather. I blinked, the last time I had sprouted wings was when I had entered Dragon trance a year ago, but since then I hadn't be able to mimic the circumstances surrounding the dragons emergence, and the blind rage and uncontrolled fury which possessed me during the battle in the Crystal Palace in Ankh-Morpork didn't seem to apply this time.

Jara seemed to remember too, she ducked as a clone jumped at her head and as the Yugami went sailing harmlessly past, she pointed at me.

"The Crystal Palace, the fight between the Dragon and the Phoenix!"

I nodded.

"It's complicated!"

"The dragons...I understand now!"

"What?"

But Jara was away, using her sceptre to smash her way through a row of clones, I smiled and turned to the Silver Yugamis who were milling anxiously a short distance away from me, I crouched and flexed my arms, and then I leapt.

 

Domino's POV

There was another loud crash and the wall just in front of the door was smashed apart as something flew through it, I ran across to the wreckage and was more than surprised to come across a double of myself, only with a long silver hair and tail instead of my trademark black with purple highlights hair and black tail.

Before I could look to see any other differences the genome opened her eyes and with a howl threw herself at me, knocking us both to the floor. The genome stuck her hands around my throat and I put mine around hers, squeezing for all it was worth whilst kicking viciously at her legs and then trying to knee her in the stomach but she was tenacious and nothing would break her grasp. Nothing that was until just as the edges of my vision began to go black there was a sharp explosion and my clone fell off to my left, I sat up quickly, coughing and gasping, looking to my right to see who had saved me.

Jara Gedyen stood with her sceptre still smoking slightly, and a grin on her face.

"Come on, we could do with your help!" she yelled, holding her hand out. I stared at it for a moment and then put my dislike of Jara to one side and followed her, joining the fray.

 

Thunderchild’s POV

I swung Draconus around to face another Yugami but realised that this one had a black tail and black hair with highlights I stopped and looked slightly sheepish.

"Domino?"

She nodded and gave me a quick kiss on the lips before high kicking a clone in the face and then flinging a fireball at her as the Silver Yugami fell backwards.

I roared and as time slowed around me I saw a clone just about to collide with me from the side, as she slowly glided through the air I swung Draconus around and cut her in two, dodging the blood and guts as her remains flew past me as time returned to normal.

I saw Domino close her eyes and put her hands out in front of her, a fiery flare surrounded three clones and they turned into ashes as Domino sent three small fireballs out at another clone which staggered backwards and went down.

Jara was moving at such a speed that she seemed to be a blur at times, one moment she was casting a spell, the other she was using her sceptre as a club. I realised that she was using the same power that I had, the power to slow time down tactically. My curiosity was too great to not ask her.

"Jara! Where did you get that power from?"

She turned towards me and in a brief respite from the battle raging around us she answered with a question of her own.

"What happened to Funaho after the battle on Terra?"

I blinked and frowned at the mention of my alien half-sister.

"She went back to Gaia, spent a little bit of time in Alexandria and then left."

"Where to?"

I shook my head.

"I don't really know, she used the portal network, I think she went to see some friends on another world...why?"

"She holds the link!"

I frowned.

"What link? What are you saying Jara?!"

But before Jara could answer a Silver Yugami jumped between us and hissed at me, I pointed Draconus at her and hissed back.

"You picked a bad moment to piss me off clone!" I yelled.

 

Domino’s POV

I saw Thunderchild yell at a clone and then swiftly hack it to bits at a speed it seemed only Jara could match, I began to wonder if this was something that came naturally to all Terrans, the thought only increased my anxiety at the battle against Lawrence.

The number of Silver Yugamis was dwindling rapidly now, I saw Jara jump into the air and fly kick a clone into another one and as both fell she fried them with well placed lightning. The other clones began to retreat towards the only exit, and as they bunched together I saw a chance.

"Thunderchild! Jara! Let’s cast a spell together!"

Thunderchild raised an eyebrow.

"Can we do that?"

I nodded and summoned a Flare attack, Thunderchild seemed to be enchanting something and Jara was following suit.

As the clones began to leave the room my Flare attack created a wall of fire around them, Jaras attack dropped several lightning bolts in their midst and then Thunderchilds materialised a meteor out of the air above them, the small rock smashed into them violently, knocking down several parts of the ceiling and leaving a large crater in the floor.

"Whoa," I said "Overkill much?"

Thunderchild blushed and shrugged before turning back to Jara.

"What link?" he asked.

 

Thunderchild’s POV

Jara once again didn't answer but pointed behind me, I turned and saw the room changing, disappearing as a bright purple light flooded the space around us, I blinked and found myself in a different world, well, a different universe it seemed. The sky was a light purple with clouds of dark purple floating around randomly, the floor seemed to be a mixture of stone and crystal...but all around us grew crystals of all shapes and sizes, I looked over the edge of the platform we were on, the drop had no ending it seemed to continue down to the grey clouds many dozens of miles below us.

"Where the hell are we?" I asked.

"This is amazing...it can't be but it must!" whispered Jara as she looked on in awe.

"What is?!"
"This is the Crystal World!"

I blinked and looked at Domino who shrugged.

"It certainly looks like the world Zidane described."

"Look! It's the Illustrious!" yelled Jara, pointing behind us. I turned and saw the Terran airship, looking extremely out of place as it floated above a platform which seemed miles away.

"Great, there's no way we can get to that...unless..." I looked at my wings

"Yis?"

"I think I can take one of you at a time...I've never used these for flying before...but how hard can it be?"

Domino shook her head.

"I'm not going..."

"Look Dom, I know they don't look safe but..."

She shook her head again.

"No, it's not your integrity...it's Lawrence...he's near and it's up to me to stop him."

I paused and shook my head.

"No Domino, it's not just your job. Let us help you."

Domino turned and looked at the only path off the platform we were on, it was long narrow and twisting and lead towards a large crystal structure in the far distance.

"I thought you'd say that..." she said, crossing her arms.

I sighed and smiled slightly.

"...so I brought this!"

Before I could even react she had dropped a small round metallic ball and turned away with her hands over her ears.

"Domi-!" was all I managed to say before the Terran stun grenade went off and knocked me unconscious.

 

Domino’s POV

There was still a ringing noise in my ears and my vision was slightly blurry but I was conscious, I stared down at the little metallic ball and kicked it off the edge of the platform, instead of falling the ball actually rose upwards into the clouds, I blinked but forced myself not to worry about the strangeness of this world and to focus on my goal, my nemesis, Lawrence Verdion.

I took a deep breath and began walking down the crystal path leading towards where I knew he was, there was no way to avoid this, either I stopped Lawrence now or the whole universe would suffer.

I felt a little guilty about knocking out Thunderchild but this was something I wanted to do on my own.

 

Zidane’s POV

Something slapped me on the side of my face, hard.

"Dagger! I didn't do it...honest!" I protested before opening my eyes.

"Do what?" asked Kuja with a smirk.

I sat up quickly and looked around, we were on the bridge of what looked like the Invincible but without the major damage, and we were one genome short.

"Do what?" repeated Kuja, still smirking.

"I'll tell you some other time...what happened Kuja?"

"I don't know...I think we've been under the control of Lawrence, what do you remember Zidane?"

I drew in a deep breath and stood up slowly, I felt weak and my head hurted but I could stand alright.

"I remember fighting Fury, he was just about to use some big attack when there was a flash of white light and I fell unconscious...what happened after that is hazy..."

Kuja nodded.

"I remember more, I don't know why but for some reason Lawrence’s control didn't affect me as adversely as it did you."

"Well, what did happen?"

"Well, as far as I remember, we were beamed onto this airship and then taken to the Iifa tree where we used some kind of collective spell to open up a gateway to somewhere...I don't know where we are now."

"And you say Lawrence is behind this?" I asked

Kuja nodded almost instantly.

"Yes, I saw him several times, although he left just before I lost consciousness last time."

"Where's Domino?"

 

Domino’s POV

I walked slowly, step by step towards the prominent structure, it grew larger with each step I took, now it seemed massively overpowering, seeming oppressive to the point where I could no longer bear to look at it, I felt sick to my stomach with anxiety but a hidden flame within me gave me the courage I needed to keep walking forwards.

It was because I was looking down at my feet I only realised that I had reached a wide platform when I stepped onto it, and as I realised, a dark shadow fell over me.

I looked up into the eyes of a massive and hideous creature, which looked like a cobra crossed with a millipede.

"Deathguise." I hissed.

"Yes...remember me? I harvested your life, your spirit, once before and now I come again."

I blinked.
"You can speak?"

"By the will of the crystals, my thoughts can now be voiced." rasped the creature in a cross between a whisper and a wheeze.

I took a slight moment to digest the information Deathguise had given, it seemed Lawrence had resurrected the creature who had killed me before, using the power of the crystals around us.

Three years ago, during a battle to save the Phoenix in the Twilight forest, I had sacrificed my life to block a blow aimed at the mythical bird from a Deathguise summoned by Lawrence, who had been seeking to obtain the powers of the Phoenix for his own twisted use. The Phoenix had been touched by my sacrificed and by fusing itself with me, had brought me back from the dead and blessed me with the power of Phoenix trance.

"So...Mithril Yugami...renegade genome...will you surrender willingly or shall I have to harvest you once again?" asked the Deathguise.

I growled gently.

"I took you down once Deathguise, I can do it again."

The creature laughed, sounding like a death rattle.

"Your Phoenix is no match for the power of the crystals."

"You won't say that when I kick your arse!"

The Deathguise wheeled away and came around again, floating in the air above me.

"Come on then Phoenix...try your best shot."

I threw a large fireball at the Deathguise which wheeled away to one side and dodged it easily, before I could summon another, the giant beast smashed the rock beside me with its tail, throwing me to one side. I rolled with the fall and therefore avoided the spew of acid which burnt into the rock.

Dammit, I thought It never used to be this fast!

"What's the matter Phoenix? Finally met your match?" taunted Deathguise.

It was in that taunt I realised the beast’s weakness, its arrogance...its quick temper.

"Meet my match? In you? Ha! I've fought tougher mist monsters than you!" I yelled, my eyes flashing with anger.

"Impossible! There is no greater beast in creation than Deathguise!!" it roared in return.

As it was replying to my taunt I felt the Phoenix rise up within me and I floated up into the air in a whirlwind of fire and energy.

"You are nothing to me; you are an insult to creation Deathguise. You shame me with your presence!" I thundered, letting hidden powers awaken and my phoenix wings and tail emerge from under my skin, painlessly and bloodlessly piercing my skin and stretching to their full length.

Deathguise growled angrily and lunged headfirst at me, I dodged quickly to one side and with a flick of my wings managed to land on its back, I avoided the temptation to grab one of its spines as I knew that they were coated in deadly poison, instead and plunged my fingers into its flesh and pulled myself up its back.

"Where are you Phoenix?!" roared the creature as it twisted left and right, trying to find me.

Small rivulets of blood flowed from where I took handholds and now I knew Deathguise could feel my presence.

"Coward Phoenix! Face me truly!"

I could feel the power of the crystal resonating from within the beast and was temporarily taken aback by the ferocity and the raw energy contained within the crystal itself which I presumed was now either in Lawrence’s hands or almost there. But there was still hope. I focused on that crystals energy, and as Deathguise thrashed about in a vain attempt to dislodge me I absorbed some of the crystals power for myself and then somersaulted backwards away from it. Instantly it turned and charged at me, knocking the air out of my lungs as it collided headfirst with me and knocked me backwards to the rocky ground where I landed heavily.

"Alright Deathguise," I hissed, wiping the blood from my mouth "You wanted to face me truly...then behold the courage of the eternal Phoenix!"

I called upon the power that I had absorbed from Deathguise and allowed it to enhance my Phoenix power, I hovered in front of the monstrous beast, my head held high, my arms stretched out either side of me, fire burning in my hands as my eyes glowed red. For a moment Deathguise hesitated, almost as though it was intimidated but then it reared up on high and sent a blast of burning energy at me. I closed my eyes and folded my wings to cover my face, and milliseconds later felt the burning energy wash over me, it felt like acid burning at my skin but I kept my eyes closed and blocked out the feeling, concentrating on the crystals power within me, putting all of the pain I felt aside and basking in the warm glow of raw power. It felt like taking a red hot shower and when the energy blast stopped and I opened both my wings and my eyes I felt reinvigorated.

Deathguise it would seem felt very different.

"Phoenix! What trickery is this?! That blast should have killed even you!"

"Perhaps you have underestimated my resilience...my will to live?"

Deathguise roared angrily and summoned another energy blast, and another but I simply closed my eyes and wings and absorbed each blast, just keeping the crystals power in my mind and blocking the power of Deathguises blows, and with each raw energy blast which seared through the air around me, which blasted the platform below me into shreds, I felt Deathguise weaken.

When the next energy blast didn't come, I opened my wings and eyes again to see Deathguise hovering raggedly, its breathing laboured and its powerful aura diminished. Finally I knew that the odds between us were even.

"Why, Phoenix? Why are you still alive?" it gasped, with what crystal power it had left.

A fleeting smile of victory crossed my face.

"Like I said...perhaps you underestimated my will to live...it's a mistake you've always made Deathguise...you underestimated Zidane’s will to live, you underestimated the Phoenix’s will to live...and now...you've done it again."

"No..."

"NO MORE!!" I yelled, calling upon all my Phoenix power as Deathguise questioned itself, and at its weakest moment, when energy it could have spent defending my attack was diverted to questioning its own actions, I struck.

Tendrils of purple and blue energy arced out from behind my body and flowed swiftly towards Deathguise, and suddenly the creature was aware of its impending doom, that it had been weakened by its own arrogance, that it had let the gift of almost unlimited power be squandered because it had lost its temper, and for a moment Deathguise regretted the waste of power, the waste of the one opportunity it had had to defeat its opponent.

The purple tendrils of energy smashed into Deathguise, tearing its wings apart and slicing its tail clean off, and with a wail that echoed defeat over decades, it dropped away out of sight into the cloudy depths below me, wailing in anger and fear as it went.

Only then did I slowly sink onto what was left of the platform and let my wings and tail flow back into my body, falling forwards and sprawling out onto my hands and knees as my energy left me, only then did I realise that I still had one more obstacle to overcome...and it could well turn out to be my last. Groaning with the exertion I pushed myself to my feet and wobbling uncertainly, I walked forward and into the towering crystal structure.

 

Thunderchilds POV

The stun grenade had knocked both me and Jara unconscious, but fortunately Domino was an inexperience user of Terran weaponry, despite having being created on Terra, and she had set the grenade wrong. Instead of knocking us out for an hour, it knocked us out for ten minutes. But this was all she needed to get away.

After a lengthy session of swearing which expanded to include the Discworldian language of Klatchian and my original dialect of Terran, I roused Jara and stood up. The world swum around me as the after-effects of the stun grenade began to wear off.

"Ow...damn that genome." muttered Jara as she stood up.

I sighed.

"She could be far ahead of us now...there's no way to find her in this maze."

Jara turned to face me and then raised an eyebrow.

"Err, Yissan..?" she pointed behind me to make me turn around.

"What?" I asked as I turned and then I saw what she meant.

"The Illustrious was definitely further away than that when we were knocked out."

I nodded.

"There must be someone still in there," I concluded "We have to send them a signal, get them over here."

Jara nodded and held her sceptre up on high, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath she summoned a blinding light in the crystal on her sceptre, I noticed that the Illustrious changed direction and began to pick up speed.

"Well done," I breathed "They've seen us."

Jara nodded again but kept her eyes shut and the sceptre glowing to guide the Terran ship in.

Within minutes a white flash claimed us as the teleported of the Illustrious swept us away.

When I reappeared on the bridge of the Illustrious, I was not entirely surprised to see Mikoto, Kuja and Zidane waiting for me.

"Thunderchild...and Jara." said Zidane as a way of greeting.

"Where's Yugami?" asked Mikoto straight away, making me sigh.

"I don't know," I replied with a heavy note of sorrow in my voice "She used a stun grenade on us; she's going to face Lawrence by herself."

"What?!" protested Kuja.

"No! We're her breathen, we should be by her side!" yelled Zidane as he pounded the control panel.

I nodded

"I know, don't you think I think that as well?"

Zidane punched the control panel and sighed.

"What can we do?" he asked.

I bit my lip and drew in a deep breath.

"We find her."

Zidane and I locked eyes for a moment and he knew what I had in mind, he had to have done as he moved across to the control panel and put his fingers on the main controls, I took position behind him and unconsciously Kuja and Mikoto stood to my right and Jara stood to my left.

"Zidane, full power to main engines, scan ahead for any strange power spikes...anything to might indicate where Lawrence is...and where Domino is going."

"Aye, sir."