Chapter 31 - Saturation Of Morals

Its time was coming. It could feel the power flowing through it and it was only a matter of time until it could be released. Soon, it wouldn't even need it's supplicant to perform special tasks for it, it'd be able to do it itself. Only one more thing was needed for its freedom...


Blood covered the floor, highlighted by the multitude of different-coloured lights coming from invisible sources. They came to take it away, two figures dressed in black carrying a stretcher between them, a clean blanket folded neatly atop it. Setting the stretcher beside the corpse, one of the men took her legs, the other taking her arms and they heaved her bodily onto the stretcher, fresh gouts of blood pouring from the wounds. Grabbing the blanket, one of the men was about to cover her with it when he stopped.

"What the fuck? I swear her eyes were closed a moment ago..."

Quickly looking into the glassy eyes, the other one shook his head. "Probably rolled open when we moved her. It happens, nothin' to worry about."

Shrugging, he draped the blanket over her, it quickly becoming saturated with blood. Softly at first, a scratching noise reached their ears, quickly increasing in volume. Spinning around, they both saw a red sword spinning around on the spot, the hilt rubbing against the steel floor, marking it eternally. Slowly, it lifted from the ground still pirouetting, the pace picking up as its circles became wilder and wilder, the point wobbling up and down. Backing away from the stretcher, the two men shared nervous looks as the sword stopped, dropping down to the floor with a clatter. Nervously, they inched back to the stretcher. In a non-existent breeze, the edge of the blanket lifted from the corpse's face, revealing a small smile on her lips, her eyes closed.

"What the hell is going on here? Her eyes were definitely open!"

Jaw-achingly slow, she sat up on the stretcher, the smile gone from her face. She held one arm palm-first to the man standing by her feet. Dropping to his knees screaming, he clutched at his temples, the pain in his head not subsiding as he felt his brain vibrating, smashing it repeatedly against his skull. Blood started running from his ears and his nose as his screaming became ever-more loud and painful. Her eyes shot open as his head exploded, a fine mist of blood spattering her, the floor and the walls, a few skull and brain fragments mixed in as well. The other man back-pedalled until he hit the wall, pressing himself up against it in a feeble attempt to merge into the background. Creaking, Destiny's head turned round to face him, the rest of her body staying completely still. The last thing he saw was the emptiness of her pitch black eyes...


Training wasn't going at all well for Crono, Frog and Ayla. Spekkio was pushing them far harder than they could take. They were near exhaustion whilst Spekkio, the self-proclaimed God of War, was still going like he'd just started.

"One more time you guys, then you can take a rest alright?"

Wearily, they dragged themselves into their fighting stances, but just as Crono went in to attack, Spekkio signalled him to back off. Walking past the fatigued threesome, Spekkio walked into the main room to be confronted by a gruesome sight.

"Holy shit! What happened to you?"

Hearing voices, Crono, Frog and Ayla came out as well, shock registering on their faces when they saw Destiny stood before Spekkio, leaning against the lamppost, a trail of blood leading up to where she was.

Desperately, she tried to speak, but her voice failed her. Finally, a sound came forth: "Eepoc. Nowwww."

"What's going on Destiny?" asked Crono as he stepped towards her. Without looking at him, Destiny raised a hand, sending Crono flying into the wall, the impact driving the air from his lungs.

"Eepoc. Nowwww."

Spekkio's eyes opened wide as he realised what was going on. Stepping away he started casting the Luminaire spell but to no avail. Destiny lunged forward, ramming her fist through his chest. He could feel her groping around inside him, searching for the remote. Ayla jumped at her, but Destiny swung her free hand round, catching her in midair, sending her flying into the lamppost. Frog swung down the Masamune with as much force as he could muster, aiming for the arm deep inside of Spekkio but he froze in mid-swing, his muscles all tensing as he struggled to move. Finally, Destiny's hand emerged wrapped around the remote as Spekkio toppled over backwards to the floor. Hitting the summon button, she crushed it in her hands, particles as fine as dust pouring through her fingers. As the Epoch arrived, she dragged herself aboard it, sealing it shut and launched it through the space-time continuum...


It was coming and he knew it, all of his plans were coming to fruition. He could feel its presence drawing ever nearer. Lighting up a cigarette, Lazarus took a pull as he put his feet up his desk, leaning back in his chair as he laughed softly to himself...


She had arrived where she wanted to be and her target dead in her sights. She knew instinctively that the ship was made of the one material she needed it to be. Dreamstone. Setting the Epoch mk.2 to full speed and aimed it for the top of the Hand of Kronos space station. Travelling close to light speed, it flew straight and true, like an arrow from a bow...


Satisfied the job would be done, it removed itself from the young woman's mind. Destiny, the young man had called her. If it had had a mouth, it would have laughed at the irony...


Destiny's arms slumped from the controls, her head lolling to the side as the alien life left her body. Her life had left her body on the cold floor inside the Atria of Time, but that was neither here nor there. The fact was she was dead and that was that, but it wouldn't stop her. The Epoch flew inwards, the sensors only picking it up in the last few seconds, too late to do anything about it. Onwards it flew, shards of metal flying off into space as it carved into the Mammon Machine. Giant balls of red and yellow flame rolled outwards as oxygen sprayed out through the massive tears in the space station's shell. The ship itself continued through the building, smashing its way through several decks as flames engulfed it, burning Destiny's body to a crisp.

The Dreamstone that the ship was made of reacted forcefully with the Mammon Machine, setting up an energy overload. Power coursed through it into the Lavos brain, giving it the energy it needed. A vortex appeared around it as it disappeared from the station. Power coursed through it into Lazarus, giving him the extra energy he needed. A fiery inferno erupted around him, as he arched his back, giving into the power flowing through him. Suddenly, he imploded in a flash and was gone...