Dubai: United Arab Emirates. 19xx
Takane Lui
Hooter car releasing -300 Celsius liquid from the tanks inside its engine, helping them to get through the wall of flame and reaching the Thunderbird at last.
Now that the giant mechanical bird is laying at the middle of ring of fire. It looked somewhat like a sleeping eagle, laying and spreading its wings on the
burning ground. Only the sound of engines inside the plane-sized bird's body reminded them that it is a spaceship, not a real animal.
One arm Hooter help carrying injured Lui toward the enormous blue bird with a strip of red and white line on its back, passing the beak that is bigger than
their height combine.
" Why won't you come with us?" Lui asked, glancing back at the Hooter who is driving the car and escorted her this far.
" Sorry, but both me and this vehicle's engines are too damaged by the heat to go on. I guess that my sister must bring you to the pilot room by herself."
The chauffeur chuckled.
Lui and one arm Hooter nodded grimly before they will turning their attention back toward the Thunderbird, didn't look back when the car explodes and
consuming the driver in fire.
They reaching the top of the Thunderbird's back and using Lui's fingerprint to open the gate, leading them inside the spaceship, walking passed the long and
surprisingly clean corridor, Hooter finally dropping Lui's on the pilot seat and help her setting the spacecraft controller.
" Since your arm and leg are no good. I guess that we have to go with brain waves control setting. Is there a problem?"
" No." Lui answered, swallowing the pills that can help her endurance to the pain before the Hooter will piercing six needles that attached with electric wire
on her skull.
The pilot seat than closed, locking Lui's body inside the safety capsule.
" I guess this is our goodbye." One arm Hooter said, laughing when seeing the look on Lui's face.
" Every one of my sisters has already dies and my mission already accomplished. I think it's time for me to followed them, even though I don't know if there
will be afterlife for machines like us or not.
You can recreate servant robot like us with the blueprint inside this spaceship database anyway. So, it's not a big deal."
Hooter laughed, ignoring Lui's protests before the safety dome will completely blocking bird woman's vision.
" Oh, and one last request from me." Hooter said, speaking with Lui with the communication device on her hand.
" If you ever reached our people again. Tell them that teaching local with knowledge from our civilizations is not a good idea."
Lui stop struggling inside the pilot seat, remembering how her parents' bodies being cut open and tossing inside the ruins of Mayan pyramid.
" I will." She said at last.
" Thank you. May the Moom's wisdom be with you." One arm Hooter said, walking out of the spaceship and embracing the flame that erupted around her as
the Thunderbird blowing its jets, ready to flight.
…
The Thunderbird fully start its engines twenty jet propulsion from both wings roared as the light erupting from them. The bird eyes glow while it is slowly
getting up on its feet, before the Thunderbird will shrieking into the air, declaring its wake after thousands of years slept.
Fatima
" That's idiot!" Fatima punching the empty car seat in front of her in frustration.
After Kiara has jumped into the walls of flames.
The fire seems to be somewhat slower and letting Pontus to keeping enough distance from it as they are driving for their life out of the city.
" She probably fine! You are the one who witnessed her crawling out of my exploded trailer without a scratch, right? Fire could not kill her." Pontus said,
not sure if he is trying to make Fatima or himself believe in those words.
" The difference between this and that fire is too much. Just because you can swim in the swimming pool doesn't mean that you could being tossed in the
Nile river without a scratch!" Sniper girl objects.
" Well, it's not that- What the f**k?" Pontus swearing as the loud sound that similar to a bird song but thousands times louder suddenly hitting their ears.
He gasp and trying to close his ears with one hand when another oil storage tank exploded, making their ear goes deaf for a moment as the car is scrambling
to running straight on the highway.
The bright sky suddenly goes darker as the black cloud start forming over the burning oil factory. Pontus risk looking at the direction and open his mouth in
surprise when seeing the bird that is as big as plane start flying into the sky. It's look like some sort of long tails eagle that being painted by Red Indian
warriors.
" Is that Kiara?" He gasped, forgetting the running flame behind them for a moment.
" Doubt it." Fatima disagree. " Phoenix is a firebird. But that." She pointing at the dozens of blue lightning bolts that shooting at the bird's massive wings.
"Is thunder bird."
" Maybe it is what those Hooter are trying to get when they attack this city." Pontus guessed.
" What's more important is that it is getting closer!" Fatima warned, seeing that the Thunderbird is flying toward the city's direction.
…
Lui roared inside her pilot capsule as she is controlling the Thunderbird to flying faster, passing a small things that supposed to be human residents under her,
ready to leave this planet for good.
But the speed starts dropping and make hawk lady frowned. The energy inside Thunderbird's core is not enough for them to get out of this planet's
atmosphere. She still need more electricity in order to charge this spacecraft to its fullest power.
After thinking for a moment, Lui then smirked, watching the human city that full of electric poles and power plants. She will gain enough power in no time
by using them.
For some reason, this feel like karma running full circle for Lui. Her people crashing on this planet and teaches these apes their technology in order to help
them making spaceship for bird people to get out of this planet.
But after thousands of years and rebels that wiping her people out.
Humanity finally evolved enough to creating sustainable power plants for her people to get out. Even if it's just Lui alone that will manage to leave this
accursed planet in piece.
Thunderbird flying passed electric pole and sucking power out of every one she finds. But it is not enough. Lui need a higher place in order to controlling both
electricity in the air and from many wires in this city at the same time.
The giant bird looks at the tower of Dubai and grinned, flying on top of it before sitting down, squealing in the air and summoning many lightning bolts to
hitting its body, spreading its metallic wings in order to gain every last drop of power around it.
Three rockets from MIM-23 Hawk surface to air missiles launcher from the local army suddenly hitting the side of Thunderbird's body making it screaming
in rage and glaring at dozen of tanks and fighter jets that flying toward it.
If this is a normal circumstances, Lui probably just running away and taking low profile if this much human are after her head.
But Lui just lose every one of her Hooter, injured and become a Thunderbird in less than 30 minutes.
And she is pissed, really pissed.
Couple of fighter jets unleashed their missiles and hitting Thunderbird, but the lightning god simply using its wings to block the attack and counter with her
own. Releasing massive blue lightning from mouth, which contacted with every metallic part from each plane and tank, making it all exploded.
But the chain reaction has no ends there. It start spreading through electric wire and metal parts from one houses to another, blowing almost everything
within the square kilometer.
The flame erupted across the city as the Thunderbird playing it own song into the sky. Nothing humanity could offer will challenge it at this moment.
…
Takanashi Kiara
Kiara walking in the storm of flames, trying to control it like how she used to cook those chickens in the kitchen. There are not much different from here and
there. Except that the amount of fire here are millions time than normal furnace she used to.
Don't think too much! Think about your friends. You don't want them to being grilled alive, right?
Kiara trying to pulled the fire back. She might not become a Phoenix again for the rest of her life. But fire is still her friend, not enemy.
Without them, Kiara could never become warrior, saving the planet and met Calliope.
Without thinking, Kiara open her mouth and start consuming the flame around her, it is a pathetic attempt considering the size of fire and her body.
But it is the best bet she could think of right now.
The flames pouring inside her body, filling Kiara's stomach with its warmness. The amount of it start increasing and making she feel uncomfortable.
But Kiara forcing herself to keep swallowing them as the flaming wings start growing from her back.
Kiara turns back to look at it and yelling in triumph. But the sound that coming from her mouth is more like a bird squeaking instead.
…
Local Oil Pit : United Arab Emirates
Omar
Omar is staring at the event blankly through his new video camera, unable to move his legs or face away as the explosive from the oil factory is reaching him.
The first thought that occurred him when he heard the boom sounded is to record it and posing them on internet. It didn't occurred to him in the least that
the explosion may actually reaching his home.
So, he has no time to surprised as the sonic boom is running passed him, followed by the flame that coming from the exploded oil pit,
ready to take him away from this world while he is still holding the stupid video camera in front of his face.
But the fire then stop, and being pulled back as Omar is still recording the whole event, unable to comprehend at what's happening as the fire are swirling
above the oil pit and forming into something else. The massive firebird, literally making from flame.
The monster shrieking as if to calling him an idiot before it will flying upward, slowly disappear from Omar and camera's vision.
If he keep following the bird's movements. Omar will see that the Phoenix is slowly separated into multiple flaming rays and disappear behind the dark cloud
that suddenly gathered around the tower of Dubai after the explosion start.
But he is too shock to move. So, the camera can only record his feet as Omar is slowly stumbles down and asking himself.
" What the f**k is that?"
…
Neither Omar or Kiara will knows, but this video will being posted on the internet and being collected into Usada Pekora's flash drive as an evidence of life
beyond our planet and realm.
Decades later, Minato Aqua, Akukin owner, will open this drive and starting the Myth project. The work that will not finish until two centuries later by Ozora
Subaru's hands.
…
Fatima
" Looks! The fire are gone!" Pontus shouted, making Fatima look back and seeing that the flame which keep following them with terrible speed is finally
running backward, as if the whole thing is a video and somebody decide to push the revert button.
" So, Kiara plan is working after all, but where's she?" Fatima asked.
" The hell if I know. Let's hope both she and us will get out of this alive. I mean, looking at that f**ker!" Pontus sighed as they are running toward the exit of
the highway.
Pointing back at the Thunderbird who singing a song as hundreds of lightings are running toward its body. It seem to having it time here while the lightning
storm is surrounding what left of Dubai city, threatening them with the contrast between light and darkness that reflects on Thunderbird's wings.
…
Lui reading the power flow chart and smiles, it is almost 100% now. In a few minutes. She will leave it all behind. Both bad memories and this accursed
human.
She is too overjoyed to heard the warning signal immediately and flinched a little as she saw the flame erupting from the pipes under the street,
forming into a fireball that flying toward the tower, aiming precisely at Thunderbird's body.
Lui controlling the metallic bird to flying away in the last minute and let the fireball hitting the top of the tower, making it explode and sending burning metals
and flame to showering at the city under them.
The flames start forming and being bigger and bigger, turning into the massive firebird which roar at Thunderbird as it is flapping its own wings,
ready to taken off.
" What the f**k! Phoenix? Of all trillion of stars in the universe and you are hiding n this place, trying to kill me?
For Fuanyan sake! Superstitious person might say that I am being cursed of something." Lui is angry enough to start laughing. Seeing that the firebird is
snarling at her, out for blood.
Lui controlled the Thunderbird to flying away from the angry Phoenix, who quickly followed with terrific speed judging by its size.
Thunderbird closing its wings and moving downward, reaching hypersonic speed as it is trying to leaving the enemy behinds, creating multiple lightning bolts
that blowing everything under her as she is going faster and faster, leaving a trail of destruction wherever she goes.
Phoenix roared in frustration and following with the similar speed, consuming every fire that burning on the city by Thunderbird's lightning,
increasing her own speed by enemy's powers.
Thunderbird running passed one of many highway inside city, crashing into them and cutting the road in half, almost making Fatima and Pontus fall down
if he didn't stomping on the car's break in time.
" What the f**k is that? The road are like thousands of miles long and you decided to crashed here?" He protested bitterly.
" Well at least there aren't any other-" Fatima shut her mouth when the temperature suddenly rises up, before the Phoenix will flying passed their head with
supersonic speed, leaving a sonic boom and rain of ashes behinds.
" Don't ever say anything like that again!" Pontus yelled after his clothes seem to being on fire for a second.
" Kiara! If that is actually you. Kick that bastard ass!" But Fatima is already running and shout after the firebird, who seems to turning back and chirp
at them a little before going on with its hunt.
…
Phoenix's mouth shine as it is blasting two fireballs, aiming at the flying enemy in front of them, but the Thunderbird simply changing its direction causing
the balls to hitting twin shopping malls instead, blowing it apart.
Lui controlling her spaceship to moving toward the left, disappear inside the forest of buildings around them and make Phoenix snarled in frustration as the
enemy suddenly gone.
She quickly flying upward in order to start looking for the enemy from the better view, turning her head around and finally seeing the Thunderbird hiding
behind one of the skyscrapers.
Before Kiara could shooting her fireball, shriek or even breathe. Lui controlled the Thunderbird to shooting lightning out of its mouth directly hitting Kiara in
her shoulder, making the firebird spun around and falling like a broken plane.
Lui watch dispassionately as Phoenix is crashing on the ground and releasing a dust cloud that spreading over hundreds of meters for a moment.
Wondering if she should just running way like this or not before changing her minds.
For billions of years. No one could capture Phoenix or its eternal fire before. And the firebird body is gone as soon as it is being killed.
Maybe if Lui could taking this beast alive. She could be the first being who can understand its immortality.
It is not that stupid dream and there are still power left inside her Thunderbird. So, Lui decided to give it a try as she is controlling her spaceship to moving
closer to the fallen Phoenix.
…
Kiara sinking her claws on the concrete road as she is crawling out of the big hole at the middle of it. She shook her head to get rid of the pieces of junks
from her head before she will start looking around herself for the enemy, which is why she didn't see the Thunderbird that hovering from the sky to strike
her like an eagle hunting duck from the pond.
Thunderbird's claws sinking into Phoenix's neck before it will flying forward, slamming the firebird into the luxury hotel and the seafood restaurant as they
continue to fights and struggling inside the Dubai city.
Kiara breathing fire out of her mouth, but Lui controlling the Thunderbird to pushing the Phoenix's face aside, causing the fire to burning multiple apartments
as they keep moving faster into the metropolis area.
Phoenix roared and kicking with her own legs but Thunderbird seem to not feeling the attack as it is slamming her into one building and another,
burying its enemy under the debris and rubbles.
Kiara charging her fire toward the right wings and making it shine brighter and become even more solidified. She keeps squeaking to distract the Thunderbird
before swinging the right wing that is more of a sword at Thunderbird's chest with full force, knocking it backward for 500 meters and crashing into one
skyscraper, collapsing it over her head.
The wounds on Kiara's neck burned and slowly faded away while she is charging her power, releasing a spray of flame that is similar to human flamethrower
but hundred times bigger, burning the debris and Thunderbird that being buried under it alike.
While still being burned, metallic bird screaming in pain and shoot lightning out of it own mouth, pushing Phoenix's body for several hundred meters until she
is being slammed into the construction site, making it all collapsed under her weight. The fire from her mouth blasting everything in the area by accident.
Both monster shrieking unintelligible and wriggle on the ground, blowing pieces of building around as they are trying to get up as soon as possible.
Phoenix is the first one who standing on her legs and takes off.
Flying with supersonic speed toward the cloudy sky that swirling above their heads. Thunderbird quickly gets up too and following the firebird with superior
speed, closing its wings to increase the aerodynamic as they are moving faster than sound and disappear inside the cloud.
Even while hiding in the cloud, Kiara is still having one disadvantage. Her body is literally fire which is mean that the Phoenix has its own personal spotlight
shining from body, urging everyone to know where she is.
And Lui is ready to exploit it at fullness. Thunderbird locking its eyes at the Phoenix before blasting the lightning, making it bounce between the floating ices
inside the cloud and reaching flying Phoenix from different direction, hitting her body again and again, slowing Kiara down while the Thunderbird is getting
closer.
Phoenix screaming again and increasing the power inside her body, speeding up again and consuming the electricity around her as she is flying upward.
Moving toward the thermosphere level at last before glancing back, waiting for the Thunderbird to following her up here.
The sound seemed to be gone as the firebird charging her power, getting brighter and brighter until she is look like a tiny sun, before the Phoenix will diving
toward the Thunderbird with full speed.
The light is so bright that Lui couldn't actually see her opponent for a moment. She blindly shooting lightning at Kiara, but the attack is only cutting parts of
Phoenix's face. Not nearly enough to actually killing it.
Thunderbird roared and spreading its wings, trying to look as intimidating as possible when Phoenix is slamming head crash first into its body,
creating a shockwave from the impact that blowing the clouds away as both flying terror are swirling in the air during their falls.
Phoenix and Thunderbird crying at each other, biting with beaks and slashing with their claws as the friction is ripping them apart, making both of them shine
like a meteor that running toward earth's surface.
Thunderbird blasting lightning out of its mouth and knocking Phoenix away from its body, but Kiara flying back in 360 degrees angle and snatched metallic
bird from behind, crushing Thunderbird's wings inside her claws while they keep diving faster and faster toward the earth under them.
Lui cries in desperation, seeing that the spaceship controlling system is starting to filled with the 'error' warning. She commanded Thunderbird to shooting
lightning around and make it sparking at both her ship and Phoenix.
But Kiara using her enormous beak to biting at Thunderbird's neck, giving the metallic bird its own medicine before she will absorbing every electricity in the
air inside her own body, creating a pulse of bursting energy that blowing in every direction.
Thunderbird who still being holds its wings by Kiara's feet scream as the bursting energy blowing at its back in point blank range, creating enough force to
ripping both of the metallic bird's wings and knocking its body downwards. While the Phoenix is starting to falls too after the power core inside its body is
slowly fading away.
Both wingless and powerless birds start falling faster until they've reaching the surface area at last, head crash first into what left of the oil factory that being
exploded beforehand.
Making the remaining oil from the tanks exploded again and sending the enormous fire that rising higher than 300 meters.
And then, as quick as how it begun, the fire simply dies down, leaving only trail of smokes that floating toward the sun as the dark clouds withering away,
returning the bright and hot day toward what left of Dubai after the quick but destructive fight between two monstrous bird finally ended.
…
The army has reaching the burned city first, following by fire departments. Amidst the confusion and chaos, nobody actually sure about what the hell is
happening.
Some report about terrorists that trying to sabotage the rich oil factory of Arab Emirates. But nobody sure what they expected to gain from destroying parts
of the city along with it.
There are reports about poisonous gas and hallucinations too since some survivors insisted that they were being captured by ' Robotic owl in cheerleader
uniforms.' And the city has been destroyed by Two behemoths that fighting in the sky.'
Either good or bad, most of the evidence about Hooter and other alien influences are being consumed by fire. So, humanity will have no idea of what
happened in this area for a while, at least for the public knowledge.
…
Pontus and Fatima walking in silence among the grim city that being covered in ashes and wreckage. Trying unsuccessfully to looking for their friend.
" Do you think Kiara is still here?" Fatima said, stare at one of the fire truck aggressively blasting water at some remaining fire.
Helicopters float in and out, trying to look for the survivors without much luck.
" I don't know, man. Should we asking for the receptionist over there? Wait, did Kiara is even her real name? Hell, is her data being recorded by government
agencies?" Pontus scratch his neck irritably while still scanning the remaining of the street, searching for orange hair in the middle of grey city.
"Poor girl. If she didn't survived, who will telling me a crazy stuff about the space travel and the like?" Fatima wiping her nose, trying to control her own
voices.
" I will missed her chicken. We has to contact her parents. They must be informed about this. Wait, do you think there is roaming call between here and
Andromeda Galaxy?" Pontus start talking with himself to distract from the fact that their friend might gone forever.
" Are you guy talking about me?" A voice that rushed from behinds making both Fatima and Pontus jumps, before turning back and seeing Kiara crawling out
of the sewer.
Phoenix looks very dirty and tires, but pretty much alive for someone who just falling from thermosphere level into the blowing oil factory, while fighting robot
lightning bird from outer space.
" Kiara! I know that you are still alive!" Fatima running to hug Kiara, surprised both of them. Even Pontus shaking his head and patting his friend's shoulder
too.
" Glad you are still with us."
" Can you turn into the giant firebird and flight us out of this country? We don't have money and reputation left in this city anymore." Fatima said jokingly,
but Kiara looks at her own hands with a sad smiles.
" Sorry. But all those activities draining every last drop of fire inside my body. I don't know if it will be the last time I can use fire magic or not." Kiara trying
to summons a fire on her palm, but what coming out is just a spark of fire flakes that gone as soon as it comes out.
While Kiara feels a sudden dizziness she never experienced before.
" It probably come back later." Pontus said, not sure that it is possible or not. But he have to calm Kiara somehow.
" Forget about it, what do we have left? I mean, money and stuff?" Kiara forcing a smile on her face and questions Pontus and Fatima whose suddenly look
grim.
" Not much money and no cooking equipment or car. Not a good start. I mean, we aren't going to live in slum today.
But unless there's a quick income-"
" Excuse me." Pontus suddenly being interrupted by someone who stand patiently behind them. He is a man in ceremonial uniform, the same one who offered
to bring them toward the tower and cooking chicken for important people in the first place.
" Hello, sir. What do you want?" Kiara asked.
" If I remembered correctly. You guys are those who cooking those amazing chicken menu, right? I have some kind of offer to you guys."
The man clear his throat.
" We're all ears for it." Pontus quickly said.
" Thing is. Duke of Austria very pleased with the grilled and fried chickens you guys cooked. And he has no plan to stop consuming them soon.
What do you guys says about coming to Austria with us and being part of royal cooks?"
" But we want to open a restaurant!" Kiara argue before Pontus could tell her to shut it.
The man chuckled, open a metal case behind him and showing a paper form for them to sign.
" We have been thinking about that too. This chicken might become our…profitable business. You guys can teach our people how to cook those fowls and
being shower by our fund and dividend.
Everything will be the same, just in the greater scale. In a few years. I am sure you guys will sleep on the pile of money."
" Thank, but I rather sleep on the mattress." Fatima comments.
The man raise his eyebrows. " So. Ja or nein ?"
" What do you guys think?" Kiara asking her friends.
" I am in!" Pontus yelled.
" I never visited Austria before." Fatima nodded.
Kiara turning back toward the man. " I guess that is a yes. What we need to do?"
" Easy. Sign on this paper, read first that you agree on our terms or not."
After three of them read it. They finally agreed to sign their name on the paper.
" What should I put on those blank area?" Kiara asks, pointing at the space on top of the paper.
" That's your store name. Writing whatever you want to name it there." The man explained.
" How should we name it?" " No idea." " Anything will goes."
Seeing that her friend couldn't give any idea. Kiara thinking hard before finally writing the restaurant name on the paper.
K(iara) F(atima) P(ontus)
"Seriously, is that the best name you got?" Pontus complained after looking at it for a moment.
" Perhaps I can come up with a better name later!" Kiara flustered, trying to hide her embarrassment. While Fatima seems to not particularly care.
" Now that everything is done, please follow me." The man said, leading them toward one black Mercedes Benz that parking nearby without looking back.
" So, will we have to cooking chicken for the rest of our lives?" Pontus asked while they are following the man towards the vehicles.
" I am sure there will be a place for tea and lasagna in my kitchen!" Kiara laughed, pushing her friends' back forward while she is looking back at the
wreckage of the city she caused.
It is the same all over again. Whenever Kiara trying to help. She always cause more problems than the original one.
Will everything be the same as the time when Calli leave her?
She couldn't count number of deaths. But there probably at least ten thousands of human dies during the explosion and her fight with that metallic bird.
Good! With this much of people killed. The reaper will surely come and checking the situation out. One of them might be Calli.
Kiara quickly shaking terrible thoughts off her head. Nobody deserves to dies for her selfish desires. Not anymore.
" Hey! What are you looking for?" The shouts from behind make Kiara winced. She turned back and seeing that Pontus and Fatima are already sitting on the
car seat, waiting for Kiara to join them.
" Sorry! I will be there soon!" Phoenix quickly running toward her friends, glancing at the bright sky for the last time and reminded herself that it is different
from that time.
Her friends are still alive and she will probably making a new friends on this journey. When Calliope finally met her again.
She will make sure that no one will be lonely anymore.
'Calli. Wherever you are. I want you to know that our promise are almost complete. I have travel among the stars and open the restaurant.
What about you, Calli? Are you still traveling among the thousands of stars and looking for me too?
The sky of course, didn't answering her. But as she is looking at it. The bright sun that shine over them all seems to giving Kiara a bit of hope and comfort.
So, she took that as a good sign.
Former Phoenix looking at the shining star for a moment, before she will quickly running toward her waiting friends.
…
Somewhere near the Orinoco river : Venezuela
Mori Calliope
Calli, where are you?
The small spaceship shook a little as it is running passed the planet exosphere, facing the friction that burning the protection shell of the ship,
making Calliope snapped back from her dream and explore her surrounding again.
She forget what the dream is all about but it isn't unusual, so reaper didn't think twice about it as she is scanning the area.
Mostly just a tropical forest and river. There's no sight of civilizations anywhere near her. Is this the same planet?
Losing in her own reveries, Calliope didn't react as the spaceship crashing into one of the old tree that surrounding her, breaking it apart while her spaceship
is moving further, sliding on the muddy floor and only stop when sinking into another massive tree trunks that lay rottenly on the ground.
" Sh*t! Sh*t! Sh*t!" Calliope open the emergency door, checking the ship's engines to see if there's anything she could savage.
But it is no use. Her spaceship has gone, beeping for a few times before losing its power.
" Screw you!" Reaper kicking the -50% discount explorer ship that the shop owner insist about how durable and easy to control this spacecraft is.
In fact, it is almost impossible to control the spaceship direction when it is coming near planet's orbit and the 'durable' parts is mean 'off after hitting couple
of trees.'
Calli sighed as her high heel shoes is sinking into the dark mud and rotten leaves under her feet. She has been warned about difference terrain on different
planet. But reading the book and falling into one of the densest forest she ever seen is another story.
The sunlight seems to not properly pass through the thick branches above her head and by God! The bugs. Theyare crawling everywhere and every place she
could set her foot on.
From the army working leaf cutter ants to the massive spider with massive webs, butterflies and beetles flying around along with the mosquitoes, gnat,
fruit flies and other creepy crawlers she couldn't described. Calliope wondering how can bigger creature from this planet didn't suffocated by this much of
small things around them yet.
Those bugs aren't giving Calli a trouble, thought. Every one of them running away or simply stay still and Calliope walks pass them.
These creatures may never know what reaper looks like, but instinct told them that the woman in front of them is too dangerous for them to stay nearby for
too long.
Same go for birds that flapping their wings away before Calliope could even get near them. Reminding her why no reaper having hobby as a nature trekking
or animal specialist.
Every living being losing their sh*t when seeing reaper within their sight.
After burying her ship under some branches and big leaves she could find. Mori simply goes on, enjoying silence as her companion while she is observing
the planet that having a rumor about Phoenix whereabouts. Maybe it's just a tall tales, like hundreds of time before.
But Calliope has a feeling that this is a right planet. The place that fills with diversity of lifeforms. The life always clinging to another life, that's the general
rule of the universe.
One twig snapped behind the small bushes, making Calliope interested enough to searching it. Reaper tossing the branches aside and seeing one female
Jaguar snarling at her in defiance. Couple of kittens cuddling under its body, maybe they are too slow to running away when she is approaching.
The mother is visibly shaken while it's cubs shifting uncomfortably under her, feeling something bad nearby.
Judging by the carcass of small deer that lying near them.
It seem that Calliope has interrupted their meal unintentionally.
" Sorry, Mrs. Having your time." Reaper closing the bushes and continue to walking, following the sound of running water until she finally seeing a small river.
The red water running gently while the river bank seems to being filled with sand. Maybe they are being splashed here by running water or something.
The area is being filled with more than 30-40 caiman crocodiles, which laying around and enjoying the sunlight… until Calliope reaching the beach,
sending all of them scattering away and disappearing underwater within a few seconds.
" You know that there's plenty of space left, right?" Calliope laughed, she have experienced this kind of interaction much enough to not feeling hurt by it.
Reaper walking toward the river and washing her shoes, snarling irritably when seeing that there is no reflection of herself in the water. Deep inside her heart,
Calliope still hope that the light from different sun may help her to be able to seeing her own face at last but it seem to be a stupid hope.
The wrongness coming from her own body, not the light.
While waiting for her shoes to dry in the baking sunlight. Calli using some stick that floating from the streams and drawing the picture of Phoenix.
Not that she ever seen one, but there are so many book written about the legendary beast that define the rule of life and death.
Most of them depict Phoenix as a big, scary firebird that grilling reaper and eat them as a breakfast.
But deeper research inform Calli that the Phoenix can transform into everything it want. So, Mori has to be careful here before assuming that everything
here will be her target or not.
A small communication device rang and telling Calli that someone is calling. Reaper open it and seeing that it was Enma that contacts her from different
Galaxy.
" 'Sup!" Calliope answered the call.
" Is that a way to answered your boss?" Small hologram of Enma hugging her chest and complain, but Calliope didn't react. So the red eyes girl simply sigh
and asks something else instead.
"So, you finally reaching Milky Way Galaxy? Any solid trail of Phoenix here?"
" Not yet. But I think this is the right solar system. And good planet to start with too. Neither too far nor too close to the sun. And you won't believe how
many lifeforms I can count in one hour!"
" That's good. But please don't spend too much time 'vacation' on that planet. We don't want branches leader like you to go missing for a very long time,
you know? And there's no fax number so I cannot tell the local reaper on that planet to keep an eyes on you."
" You sound like A-hole boss right now, Enma. But don't worry too much. I will find the Phoenix, cut her head off and then you can employing the new
branches leader on undead planet in no time. Thousands of years as a soul reaping machine is enough for me."
Calliope said, looking at the picture of Phoenix she draws on the sand in order to remind herself why she is here. But the waves that suddenly rising already
erased firebird off the beaches, leaving only the shape of running water behinds.
During the Thunderbird's Last Flight.
Takane Lui
The world seems to become slower as Lui is falling with her spaceship. Fragments of the metallic bird start breaking away from its body. The emergency
ejection is not working but Lui has not surprised. This planet is cursed for bird people like her, and it won't stop until every last one of them dies.
Hell, even Phoenix just pop out of nowhere to blowing her Thunderbird before it could get out of this planet.
If it is try that hard to kill her, ejection failure is not beyond expectation.
The close up picture of the ruins oil factory running at her with terrible speed. Lui having a moment to think of it was a right thing to blowing it, and killing
thousands of apes that probably never heard about her people or not. When the Thunderbird finally hit the ground, crushing its whole body with the impact
and blowing Lui's capsule into the air.
Everything went slowly as Lui is feeling the wave of energy running toward her capsule. If it is reaching her she will die, that's it. No guessing or calculation,
just a simple fact.
Lui closing her eyes and accepting inevitable fate, but in a glimpse of self preservation that running inside everybody's DNA. She is still desperate for help
whatever it would come from.
Please! I will do anything. Just don't let me die here!
' Are you sure you will do anything in order to not dying here?'
A word being send straight toward Lui's brain and making her frowned. What is that? It is not her thought. But something else from the outside.
An unknown factor.
' Your answer?'
I will do anything! Lui screaming inside her own minds, begging for help.
' Then your life will not be your anymore. Swear to my servant, Takane Lui. The rest of your life will existing only to serve me.
And then I will paid my debt with the heart of your desires. If I am satisfied, of course.'
I will serve-
The shockwave reaching Lui's pilot capsule and crushing it into pieces, sending pieces of metal to flow into the air. But there are no parts of Lui's body
anywhere to be seen.
Since she is not there when the crashing has begun.
…
Takane Lui wake up again and realize that she is lying on the empty space that used to be a street, but it is being covered with ashes and burning vehicles.
One car even has fire erupting from it trunk, releasing a warm temperature that winding Lui's face as she is slowly getting up.
In front of the fire. One silver hair girl in long sleeve clothing and massive horn growing out of her head is grilling a chicken over fire.
She turned back to Lui while biting into the animal's thigh, releasing a pleasures sound by doing so.
" Precious. Whoever making this chicken must be the artist!"
" Wait, did you just praising yourself?" Lui questioned.
The woman flustered. " No! This chicken is already been cooked by somebody else. I just reheating it… Want some?" The girl asked, tossing one leg toward
her.
Lui snorted. " Nah! I don't like eating my cousin. But what the heck is this?" Bird woman stretching her arms and legs, surprise that it is not broken anymore.
In fact, Lui even feeling as refreshed as if all the struggles she faced never happened before.
" By swearing to be my underling. My magic power will automatically linking with your body and soul. So it's like being reborn with max HP.
Thinking of that as my bonus." The horn girl chuckled.
" You are a god or something?" bird woman frowned.
The girl laughing even louder. " I am the opposite of that, to be honest. People from this world might call me devil or something like that."
" Whoever you are. You have saved my life and I have to thank you for that." Lui bows her head a little at the girl who tearing chicken with her teeth and
fingers.
" Don't worry. You will paid the debt with body and soul soon. But now that we have eaten our meal…" Laplus tossed chicken bones inside the fire and slowly
get up, brushing dust from her clothes with greasy hands.
" How about leaving this place first? There are too many attention around here." Demon girl said, pointing at hundreds of soldiers who aiming their weapons
at Lui and the girl, back up with half dozen of helicopters that flying above their heads.
" Stop! Showing me your hands!" The one who probably is a leader yelled, aiming his rifle at Lui's face.
Hawk lady looking for a rock to throwing at those soldiers. But the silver hair girl in front of her simply chuckled and walking towards the army,
gaining everyone attention at this point.
" There is nothing to see here, folks. Just a couple of debris and wreckage. Why don't you start looking for something else instead? Like a couple of survivors
over there!"
The soldiers staring at her blankly before the leading unit will start talking with their radio. " Nothing to see here. Pull back."
And just like that, everyone suddenly leave, going on with their business as if Lui and new companion are suddenly being wiped out of their minds.
" So you are magician too?" Lui asked, not exactly surprise at this point.
" Walk first, ask later. I could not fool them forever." The girl with big horn said, waving her hand and controlling the remaining of Thunderbird,
mostly just mechanic parts and power fuels. To float after them like a big balloon.
Which. Somehow didn't grabbed any human attention even though one helicopter has to move away in order to avoid being hit by them.
" I mean. That's cool and all, but why doing that though?" Hawk lady asked.
The girl snorted. " Didn't you wish to get out of this planet one day? Beside, technology inside remaining of the spaceship will help improve our living
conditions. Did I tell you that I am homeless person? Let start serving me by building one."
The girl beating her chest proudly, before she will falls down as she has kicking one small rock by accident, crying from the pain of her toe as the spaceship
behinds them is crashing with the ground again.
" Uhm… Calm down. I will find you some ice." Lui quickly pulled horn girl up and carrying the girl on her back and start walking again, the broken spaceship
slowly follows.
" Sorry for that…" the girl said after they has find frozen soda can to cooling her hurt toe.
"No worry. Ms…..uh. How should I calling you again?" Lui scratch her cheek and lowering herself to looks her new boss's eyes.
The silver hair girl with hair grinned.
" Different people call me with different names. Templar knight used to call me Baphomet when they were still alive. My slave demon called me demon lord of
slothfulness.
Family and friends naming me lap-chan. But I guessed you could call me. Laplus Darkness. Is that easy to remember?"
" Yes, Master Laplus." Takane Lui said, bowing in front of Laplus's feet before she will carrying the injured girl on her back again,
both of them slowly walking out of this burned city. Leaving the trails of destruction behind.