CHAPTER 10: DEVASTATING DEFEAT.
(POV: Lady.)
"CLASH!"
"CLASH!"
"KLINK! CLASH!"
As those sounds echoed through the projection that was a wasteland, both versions of Thomas were both in a competition of swords. Both trying to outdo the other. Both aiming to kill each other. Though I never told him, or mentioned it to anyone, THIS battle before my eyes was of the exact description of one that was to be a foretold prophecy. One between a man's past and future. One that is so unbelievable that when one hears about it you'd think that it'd be suicide. THIS was certainly that battle and has been a true rollercoaster at that.
"He's improved so much just by fighting this other variant of him!" I thought. "Their attacks are really beginning to mesh. But how long would this last? How long until Thomas catches up with him?"
(POV: Mysterious Narrator.)
As Lady watched the fight between Thomas and his other self, a man with apple green clothing and black hair watched through the orb that Lux-Tembris had, sneering with interest as he saw the fight.
"Not bad, for the brattish squirt that you are, Thomas." He remarked. "But still, I'm quite sure that I can do much better. Very much better. Ha! Ha!"
(POV: Thomas [38])
As I fought the 18 year-old version of myself, I found myself straining more and more with just our swords, as he began to become more and more to my level with swordsmanship.
"Why am I even bothering with a fair fight?!" I asked myself within my thoughts. "If I just use my lightning I can kill him easily, however..." I continued. "If I do that, I may be defeated in something major. No!" I then thought again as I proceeded to kick the 18 year old who I was clashing swords with. "I must end this!"
As I looked at the one who I once was, I got ready to finish him, when he gripped on the handles of his swords once more.
"Darn! How could I be so stupid?!" I exclaimed. "He'll never reach his limit in a fight like this one. In fact, he has far since pasted it. Everything about him is all too familiar. The look in his eyes, focused and determined to take down the foe before him, and the man within him. I know all of that all too well. However." I thought. "He knows that this fight is probably going to be meaningless, and yet he still fights! why?!"
As I began to think more about it, I was not able to come up with an answer.
"In the end.." I then began as I generated my lightning sigils. "Whatever you do won't matter, for you too will end up just like me!"
"CRASH!"
"Such a pity." I remarked as I then saw his now broken Caliburn. "It looks like your spirit outlasted you mana. Now Excalibur is the only sword that you have to fight with, since you can't reforge Caliburn without any. Nevertheless." I went on. "The fight of Thomas Billinton is about to close it's curtain."
"Yeah." He replied. "And in a way, I do get where you come from on the trouble of not letting go of someone. However..." He went on. "That isn't to say that my wish to not have my loved ones die is wrong either. Love is a beautiful thing, and it can do wonders for a person's life. Doesn't matter if it's a spouse, a mentor, family member or just a simple friend in general. There's always going to be someone whom I care about in life, and there's no way I will give up on my choice of protecting them!"
As the 18 year old then declared that to me, old memories that were blurry to me began clear again.
"ARGH! STOP THIS!"
"No!" He replied as he deflected my lightning. "My wish!"
"CLASH!"
"is not!"
"CLASH!"
"A MISTAKE!"
As I then saw him stepping towards me, I got ready to stab him, when some words that forever impacted me as a teen came back to my memory.
"Brother, a social rank is just a rank. All it symbolizes is how much authority you have and how rich you can get. In the end, born of magic or not; light tone or dark; rich or poor, we're all human, and the feeling of love should never be denied. I'm not saying you should go and tell Lady that you love her now, but rather, when you feel like it's right. You truly love Lady don't ya? Then quit saying that you're not worthy and start thinking on your next step. brother, I don't know if you've noticed, but I can tell that Lady deeply cares for you, and may feel the same way as you do with her."
"I see now!" I exclaimed in my thoughts as more memories of my teenage years became more and more clearer. "Why, he's so set on the path he's on. He's just... Determined to keep those he loves close, for love... Is precious. very precious."
"STAB!"
(POV: Mysterious Narrator.)
As the projection of the wasteland disappeared, Lady looked on and gasped as she saw the Thomas of this timeline being the victor of the fight. As he looked at the 38 year old, he pulled Excalibur out of his stomach and looked at him sternly.
"So..." He began. "Will you try to kill me again or..."
"I'll let you and Lady pass." The 38 year old replied. "Besides, you have important business to tend to."
"Thank you." Thomas replied, as he and Lady then darted away.
As they darted through the empty halls, Thomas and Lady were nearing the part where Lux-Tembris would be held up at until...
"Oh Sister!"
"CRASH!"
"Argh! Strea!" Lady called out crossly as she saw her older sister riding on a shadow minion.
"Do what you can, Lady!" She said out nonchalantly. "This one is almost as strong as the one I made the night before, so have fun. AH! HA! HA! HA!"
"Blast!" Lady remarked, as she saw her older sister get away. "Looks like we have no choice but to defeat this thing."
"Agreed." Thomas replied, as he and Lady drew their swords and began to fight the monster.
As they began to fight, Thomas summoned then materialized the armor of pendragon over him, for some extra protection. As he began to bounce about off the walls, Thomas got multiple slashes on Strea's creation, thus dealing a great amount of damage. However, as he did so, the monster was apparently set upon him. Swinging it's massive sword, the minion had the tip of it's blade slash just right on Thomas's shoulder and slashed the arm that had Excalibur within it clean off.
"ARGH!"
"THUDD!"
"Thomas!" Lady cried, as she then finished off the minion. "Hang on! I'll.."
"BANG!"
A gunshot had hit Thomas. As she then saw blood ooze out of the bullet wound as well as where his right arm used to be, Lady looked over and saw a certain man from her days with Burnett.
"Hello again, Lady." Pete Boomer greeted sarcastically. "Such a shame that little boy in blue is so fragile. Heh! Otherwise, he wouldn't be dead!"
Lady scowled, as tears flowed from her eyes, and her hands clenched into a fist. She looked very cross, crosser than she'd ever been. As a dark aura began to appear around her, she stepped slightly and darkly towards Pete Boomer.
"Ooh! I'm so scared! And yet I bet you're going to weep, aren't..."
"CRUNCH!"
"SNAP!"
"THUDD!"
As blood came out of the opening within Boomer's chest, Lady crushed his heart with her bare hand, scowling as her hair began to grow darker. Suddenly the sounds of footsteps were here from the halls, and entering into the room was Lux-Aurea and everyone else. As the goddess saw her daughter, she gave a look of worry.
"Lady? Are you okay?"
"Who... are you?" Lady asked in an emotionless tone, as a figure stepped into the room.
"Well... It appears that somebody tapped into their inner darkness." Lux-Tembris said mockingly as she looked at her sister. "Well Aurea, I guess this means Lady is mine now."
"TEMBRIS!" Lux-Aurea shouted as she watched her daughter being taken away by her sister.
"Thomas! Come on! No! Please! Don't die on us!" Timothy then cried.
As Lux-Aurea turned towards Timothy's position, she gasped at the state that Thomas was in.
"Oh my!" She exclaimed. "That's very fatal!"
"Yes." Billster replied. "However, his arm is a total goner. It's in such a state that it won't do much for him!"
"And with how this is, we need an arm." Lux-Aurea replied. "Oh now what?!"
"Perhaps a donor would be fruitful!"
Everyone looked over and gasped as they saw a certain 38 year old that Thomas had fought earlier. As Lux-Aurea looked at him sternly, the older Thomas spoke in a calm yet collected tone.
"If an arm is needed, then my arm is the one to go for, since we are basically the same person."
"And what about you?" Lux-Aurea quizzed worriedly as she watched the 38 year-old readying to slice off his right arm.
"I'm not exactly human, we shall say." He replied. "And unlike him, I can use the blood that's spilled from my body to make a new arm. Anyways..." He went on. "I'm not the Thomas, whom you all should be worrying about, so no need to give me ANY concern." He then finished, as he pressed his sword's blade against his shoulder.
"SLASH!"
To be continued in the second installment of the Dark goddess trilogy: Darkest Hour.