The Bridge of the Cleyra was in a terrible state, half of the room was missing, smashed into matchwood by the force of impact, the ships wheel had split in two and one half swung slowly backwards and forwards.
A gauntleted hand reached up out of a pile of wood and pushed some of it away to reveal the form of Thunderchild.
"Ow, I think I broke something.." he said
"Yeah, the ship," said Domino who was slowly walking over to him, she was lucky to have gotten away with a few cuts and bruises, having taken cover when Thunderchild warned. "I hope you don't fly your star ship like that!"
Thunderchild groaned and laughed shortly, pushing himself up he looked around at the destruction.
"Sheesh, when I crash I really crash don't I?"
Domino smiled at him and then knelt by his side
"Are you ok?"
"Yeah, I should imagine I look worse than I feel. Help me up will you?"
Domino grabbed Thunderchilds arm and pulled him up, he looked around again.
"Where's everyone else?"
"Up already, I came back to find you once we realised you weren't outside"
Thunderchild smiled and gave her a long heartfelt kiss.
"Even when everyone else has given up on me, you keep on going Domino. You simply are the best."
Domino blushed slightly, her tail making slight swishes.
"Well, I'm not that good I…"
"There you go again, denying the truth. Domino, I couldn't find anyone who would love me as much as you."
"I should hope not"
"Domino, your love goes beyond…beyond words and feelings."
"I love you Thunderchild"
"I love you too Domino, for now and forever. To the end and beyond."
Thunderchild put his arm around her shoulder and rested his head on her shoulder. She turned and held him close, stroking his hair with her hand.
"Come on Thu, we've got to get you back to the Disc"
Thunderchild nodded and with Dominos help, walked outside through the side of the Cleyra. As they left the ship Thunderchild turned and patted the hull.
"Farewell Cleyra. You served us well."
Domino looked at him, a faint smile on her face.
"They'll build another"
"Yeah, but it won't be the same"
As they talked Zidane bounded over to them.
"There you are Thunderchild!" he exclaimed
"I hope so" muttered Thunderchild
Zidane ignored him and carried on
"We're not that far from Conde Petite. It'll be getting dark soon, so I think our best bet is to spend the night at Conde Petite and then head for Magdelene Forest the next day."
Domino nodded, an idea formulating in her mind. Conde Petite she thought I wonder if he would say yes…
They walked for half an hour, Thunderchild being supported by Domino and Steiner.
Zidane walked on just ahead while some of the Cleyras crewmen followed behind.
"So Steiner…You never told me what you were doing out this far from Alexandria" asked Zidane
"I was sent by the Queen to find you."
Zidane stopped suddenly
"Dagger? What's the matter, what's wrong!"
"Nothing's wrong! She wanted me to pass on this message." Steiner reached into his armour and pulled out a roll of paper which he passed on to Zidane. Zidane eagerly took the note and ran ahead a little way, determined to read the note by himself.
Not that he's missing her or anything remarked Thunderchild to Domino
Domino snorted with laughter causing Steiner to give her a strange look.
Zidane was so engrossed with reading the note that he stopped walking, allowing Thunderchild, Steiner and Domino to catch up with him.
"So, what's it say Zidane?" asked Domino
Zidane started, not realising he had stopped walking
"Oh, err, nothing much. She's doing fine, the kingdoms going well."
"That's true," said Steiner "I've never seen the place look so well and run so fine"
Thunderchild smiled
"That's not all is it Zidane?"
Zidane shot him a look
"It is, pretty much…"
Thunderchild smiled, knowing quite well what else was in the note. He made a mental note to talk to Zidane about Garnet at some point.
"Never mind" said Thunderchild.
They reached the top of a short rocky hill and looked down upon Conde Petite, a small but picturesque village, which Zidane had visited before. As he looked down on the village he was reminded of his marriage to Garnet. It was an arranged marriage, in order to allow them to follow Kuja but it was a marriage nevertheless. He missed Garnet, more than he would let on, he missed her very, very much.
What am I doing? He wondered Spending my life out on the open road, leaving my true love behind.
He wasn't the only one to be thinking of lost love. Thunderchild was quiet too, thinking of Jara, he still wasn't sure if it was just a random illusion or whether it really was her. How she had changed, how evil she was now, and how much he loved Domino.
I love her so much and yet I love Jara he thought but Domino is Jara and yet she's not.
He was so confused, he loved both of them and yet he was scared of what the original Jara had become, a woman who had given him so much love now was so evil to be killing innocent women and children. Thunderchild had done his fair share of killing in his life time, he had been a soldier, it's what he did but he never stooped as low as to kill a woman or a child.
He decided to share his vision with Domino but was unsure of how to explain it…then he remembered their telepathic powers and wondered if he could send a memory to her.
Domino? he thought
Yes?
There's something I want to share with you.
What's that?
Hang on a moment Thunderchild thought long and hard about the vision and tried to think it at Domino, it seemed to work as her eyes suddenly went wide and she stopped abruptly.
"How the hell did you see this!" she asked
"When I blacked out on the Cleyra, I had this vision."
"Mikoto…" she muttered
Thunderchild frowned…Mikoto? Yes, that was the genome from the killing party.
"You know her?"
"Yes, she's a very close friend of Zidane and me."
Now Zidane had stopped too, turning he asked
"Mikoto? What's the matter with her?"
"She's under control of Jara, she's on the Disc…killing people!" cried Domino
"Jara?" asked Zidane
"IT'S ME ZIDANE…I'M JARA…And, yet so is she."
Zidane looked confused.
"See what I mean Domino, everything's gone out of the window." Said Thunderchild
Domino nodded and began to cry
"Hey Dom, Dom…you're not this Jara, you're the Jara I loved on Terra. This Jara, I hate her…I hate her for what she's doing to the Disc, I hate her for what's she's going to do. I hate her because I know that I loved her and that a part of me will always love her. But you're the one I love…I want to spend the rest of eternity with you Domino."
Domino made her mind up there and then.
"Thunderchild…Will you marry me?"
Thunderchild jumped and nearly fell over.
"Marry you? Well, er…"
He took a long look at Domino, at the almost pleading way she was looking at him.
"Domino…nothing would make me happier!"
She shrieked with joy and leapt on him, hugging him and knocking him over at the same time. Thunderchild didn't really know what to do except return the hug…sure he'd had girlfriends before but none who were as serious about him as Domino was…all of the others hadn't been able to see past the whole macho warrior image and had walked away with his money, Domino was different, she really cared. It was something he'd not really encountered before and it moved him. He was rather shocked to discover he was crying.
"Thu? What's the matter?"
"I'm so happy! I've…I've never felt the same way for anyone as I've felt for you and to be married to you, it would just be the ultimate…but where are we going to get married?"
Zidane interrupted
"Conde Petite…well I'll be damned. Congratulations Domino and Thunderchild!" he walked over and helped Thunderchild back to his foot, patting him on the back after he did.
Steiner walked over and offered his hand, Thunderchild took it and they shook hands.
"Congratulations Thunderchild, and Domino" he said and then saluted Thunderchild,
Thunderchild returned the traditional salute with the Terran fighter pilots salute, a closed fist placed just over the heart.
Domino smiled, she'd never been happier than she was now. It had all happened so quickly but it was all so clear cut, no ifs, no buts just decisions made on the spur of the moment, decisions she knew to be correct.
Thunderchilds head span and for a moment he thought he was having another vision but then he realised he was so happy, that he'd never found and never would find another person like Domino, not even her original form of Jara. He knew that getting married to Domino would finally tie him to her and that he would have no connections to whatever Jara had now become. United they would be ready to take on anything but somehow…deep inside of him…he knew that the final battle would be between him and Jara only, that this was something only they could settle.
Looking down at the lights of Conde Petite he wondered how things would all settle out, what the fallout of this would be…looking around at the party members he wondered how many of them would pull through this one alive. He hoped that he would see this one out and that he would be able to settle down on Gaia and live out the rest of his life in peace…but there were too many variables, life so far had taught him that much, that he couldn't predict the future…couldn't even try.
He just prayed for both their sakes that nothing befell him or Domino because if one of them died the other wouldn't be able to continue without them.
I won't ever leave you Domino he promised her
I'll never leave you she confirmed
Together, united they walked forward to their future.
As they approached Conde Petite, Domino with her arm around Thunderchilds shoulder, helping him walk, Thunderchild was thinking to himself long and hard.
Look at me, the way I am now, no healer can fully treat these wounds…I can't defend myself or Domino…I can't even walk! What protection am I going to be for her?
He did want to marry her but was afraid that he wouldn't be able to help her, to protect her as he would like to, he knew that she could amply protect herself but that was not the point…he couldn't protect her, he couldn't protect himself. How was it going to work?
Beside him Domino was worrying that she had pushed him too far. She remembered the shock and uncertainty on his face when she had asked him and realised what emotional turmoil he must be going through having just seen Jara in the vision he had had. She decided to talk to him further about it when they found a room in Conde Petite.
They walked up to the main gate, standing beside it was a dwarf. Thunderchild did a double take when he saw the dwarf.
Bloody Hell he thought They all the look same, Dwarves on the disc and here!
He struggled forward, Domino supporting him and raised his hand in greeting.
"Greetings!" he called.
"Rally Ho!" shouted the Dwarf back.
"Rally who?" said Thunderchild
"Rally Ho!" called Zidane
"What?" asked a completely puzzled Thunderchild
Zidane turned and shrugged at Thunderchild
"It's their sacred words apparently…you need to say it before they'll let you in"
Thunderchild raised his eyebrows slightly
"Oh right, ok, well, err…Rally…err…Ho!"
The Dwarf near enough bounced up and down.
"Rally Ho!" it called out.
Thunderchild just shot the Dwarf a strange look and shook his head.
"Er, look…we've come a long way, mostly in pieces. We'd like somewhere to stay the night, err do you have a inn or something we could stay in."
"Rally Ho! O' course we hav' you ken stay in it fer the night fer no charge. It's good to see yers again Zidane!" said the Dwarf
Thunderchild again shook his head and shrugged, indicating to Domino that he was wanting to walk forwards again into the village.
Zidane stopped behind to speak to the dwarf but Thunderchild was tired and needed to lie down, Domino knew the direction to the inn, Zidane had described the place to her on the way to Conde Petite. When they got there they went straight to the bedroom and Thunderchild collapsed on the bed, exhausted.
Thank you Domino. I couldn't have walked that far without you supporting me.
Well Steiner helped
I know but you've done a lot for me.
And you've done a lot for me
Thunderchild frowned, despite his tiredness he had to discuss this with Domino
Yeah, but Dom…there's not a lot I can do for you now. I mean look at me, I can't even walk without your support, and I can't defend you or anything. I'm quite helpless and it's not right.
What are you saying?
Are you sure you want to marry a cripple Dom? One you'll have to be constantly defending in fights.
Domino looked shocked at this outburst
Of course I do you stupid fool, I don't care what you look like or how you are just who you are. I love you Yissan Gojenta!
Thunderchild was surprised at Domino using his original name but not as surprised as he was by her answer. Domino was worried now, she had put herself on the line and Thunderchild was hesitating.
Look, What's the matter Yissan?
Please Dom, don't call me that.
Domino looked into his eyes
What is wrong? Why aren't you happy for the both of us? We're going to get married! That is…unless…you don't want us to
Thunderchild shook his head
Dom…Dom…I love you and I want to marry you but…
But?
But I don't want to go down the same road I've been down before
Domino shook her head
I don't understand Thu
He sighed, how the hell do I put this? he wondered
While I was on the Disc I met a few other lasses…none of them like you but lasses nevertheless…I gave them everything I could, my love, my time and my money. I showered them with gifts and put them on the highest pedestal I could.
And?
Two of them cheated on me, the other took me, my money and my feelings for a spin. I've been badly hurt with lasses, and now there's the whole Jara thing too. I don't know what to think about love anymore. God I feel so screwed up! he nearly screamed
Domino sat by the side of him and stroked his hair with her hand
Thunderchild…this must be hard for you, but trust me! I won't hurt you, I won't run off with your money, I love you and I wouldn't do anything to hurt you…I promise!
Thunderchild put his hand around the back of her head and drew her face near for a long and passionate kiss during which he thought to her.
I know, but I worry anyway, call it once bitten twice shy…I love you too though and nothing will ever change that.
Domino smiled during their kiss, knowing that the happiest day of her life would be tomorrow, the day when she finally became united with her truest love, Thunderchild.
Thunderchild was smiling too as he lowered his guard against Domino, although he had been hurt before, he didn't believe she was going to hurt him although it would be a while before he could fully open up his feelings to her.
And then there was Jara, what was he going to do about her? And almost as if on cue, Thunderchild felt the dizzy feeling that he had learnt to associate with the onset of a vision.
FLASHHe was standing on the inside of a wide circular room, the floor below him was pitch black marble, and the walls were a dark purple…but they glowed with energy.
Where the hell am I now? He wondered
"Welcome to my humble abode Yissan" said a familiar voice behind him
He turned and saw Jara, she walked towards him wearing the same blood red cloak that she wore earlier, and underneath it he swore that he could see the slight glint of metal armour.
"What do you want with me Jara?" he asked, a warning tone in his voice
"Just to be with you, forever. Reunited," she swept her arms around, indicating the room "in a palace of our dreams, ruling the land as it should be!"
"You're mad Jara, I wouldn't be with you if you were the last person on the world!" he shouted back at her.
This angered her and she slapped him on the side of the face with such force that Thunderchild was sure there would be bruising. Rubbing his jawbone he watched her turn around and walked away from him, her long hair waving side to side as she walked.
"So I see…You have chosen to love a toy instead."
"She is not a toy."
"Alright, an weapon…an instrument. Face it Yissan, that is all she is. She's a machine, made to be controlled. What love is there in that?"
"She is not a machine, she is not a weapon or an instrument. She is my love…my future wife. She is not made to be controlled!"
Jara turned and looked him square in the eye.
"If that is so…Why does she turn against you so easily?" she asked
Thunderchild frowned
"What have you done?" he growled
Jara merely smiled in that cool, calm and infuriating way she now did.
"Yes your majesty, how can I serve?" said a voice from behind him, a voice that Thunderchild knew and loved.
Jara pulled her hood back over her head, throwing her face into shadow.
"Destroy this human Mithril Yugami."
Thunderchild turned and faced his love, his future wife, holding a sword in her hand.
"Domino? What are you doing?" he asked
Domino lunged forward and pierced his chest with her sword, his eyes were wide open as he looked at the red stain suddenly spreading itself through his clothing around her sword blade, he gasped for air, pain flowing through his body as his life blood spurted out of the fatal wound. He fell slowly backward, collapsing onto the floor as Domino pulled the sword back out of his chest. He reached up to her with his right hand as he felt his strength slowly fade away…Domino looked straight back at him showing no compassion, no love as she wiped her sword clean and placed it back in its scabbard. He felt his blood begin to pool around him on the cold and uncompassionate marble floor, a chill ran through his body, caused by the cold of the floor and by the coldness of his lovers gaze.
"Domino…why?" he gasped
His question was answered by Jara as she walked back into view behind Domino and placed her hand on the genomes shoulder.
"As you can see Yissan, she's an instrument…no matter how hard you disguise the tool it's still a tool. She cannot love you, no more than a tree can love you. One command and she'd kill you. Is this love? Remember what we had Yissan? Remember the pilots ball? The night you held me in your arms and promised never to leave me? I'm all yours, all you have to do is to come back to me. You know where I am."
Thunderchild gulped, felt blood building up inside his throat, he coughed and the blood flowed out of the side of his mouth.
"No…I…love…Domino" he managed through short, sharp intakes of breath
Jara stood over him as his vision began to fade. She looked down at him and shook her head slowly.
"Well then, your fate is set…you will die, not at my hands but at the hands of your so-called lover"
Then Thunderchild gasped his last breath and died, his vision slowly fading to black as Jara and Domino turned and as one began to walk away. Just before his vision completely faded he saw Domino turn and look at him and he saw a tear fall from her right eye.