Trials of Love, the Frostclaw Chronicles 10: Road of Redemption by Blood
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"So what else has she hidden from the rest?" Tenchi asked herself when putting the book back where it had come from, reaching down to look through the many already sorted books, scratching her head as every number seemed to only make her more worried what things the yellow dragoness could have produced, "007-Delta, 015-Beta, 042-Lambda. Why always Greek letters?" Tenchi asked herself before hearing a voice behind her, "Looking for something specific?" Tenchi spun around and gasped in fear, noticing Sapphire walking in with a book, "Do not scare me like that!" Sapphire gave a light giggle, "Sorry, I did not know you were so much into looking for whatever you are looking for."
Tenchi grumbled, "Just trying to see if Sasha was hiding something more from us. Why have you come down here?" Sapphire only replied with holding out a book, "I was looking for you, because I found this book." Tenchi took the scarlet red book and read the title, "Experiment 100-Alpha Micro-Organic Rejuvenation. This is rather interesting." Tenchi said as she opened the book, hearing Sapphire speak with a rather calm voice, "You might find it more than just interesting." Tenchi looked confused before reading the book, "Entry one. This is never supposed to be revealed, but when they created me, it was known from the beginning that I would not live for longer than 25 cycles of the planet. My body's composition of deceased reanimations might have given me the ability to regenerate quickly, but my micro-organic cells are decomposing slowly. It must been a fail-safe as a precaution of me going against my intended usage. Why my sisters Tyka and Carolyne does not have this fail-safe is obvious due to them actually being created through the natural act of procreation. I have under some negotiations been able to get a sample of their DNA, which I will study and hopefully find a cure for this."
As Tenchi flipped onto the next page, Sapphire nodded, "I was shocked when reading this, so I am surprised you are taking it so well." Tenchi did not hear Sapphire this time and kept reading, "Entry two. It turns out that Tyka and Carolyne are different from me than I first had expected. Thanks to my body's composition, I have not one type of DNA, but rather over a hundred. Finding the original strain has not been possible and time is growing shorter by every day. I have to acquire a DNA sample from my brother. Perhaps his DNA can provide a clue to where I find my original strain."
Tenchi's eyes focused more, "So she is an actual chimera?" Sapphire nodded, "Yes, a medical one to be correct. And the interesting part is coming up now." Tenchi flipped to the next page before reading, "Entry three. Brother's DNA helped me find one of the strains, which turns out to be half of my real DNA. My theory is that whenever I am altering my shape, my DNA is getting more distorted, speeding up the decomposing even more. By now I expect that I got three years remaining." Tenchi was going a little pale, "By actually altering herself, she is shortening her lifespan?" Sapphire nodded, "Yes, I guess by mixing the DNA, she is also spreading the decomposing parts as well." Tenchi looked down into the book before flipping over to the next page, finding a diagram of sorts and a short entry, "Entry four. I learned from brother that serpents shed their skin and renew their bodies with a new glimmer. Perhaps this is what I can do to neutralize the effects of my condition. I have yet to fully try it out."
Tenchi kept scratching her head from all the diagrams before Sapphire flipped over to the next page and Tenchi was nearly throwing up from what she saw and read, "Entry five. Shedding my skin worked wondrous. I can now reset my own death and live forever, under the circumstances I can remember to shed my skin. The level of decomposition on my old skin was measured to 90.27%. I know that my skin will decompose into nothing more than a pile of rotten flesh, so I have taken a photo to remember it. End log."
Tenchi put the book aside and sat down, Sapphire quickly moving over to grab her shoulders and rub them gently, "That is why I wanted to find you. I know this might sound gruesome, but I got a plan to give mom a new chance on life." Tenchi's face turned towards Sapphire's, pure shock replacing the disgusted look, "Wait, are you saying that you are?" Sapphire nods, "Yes, I am planning to do that. But to do it, I am needing a certain item from a certain location. Mom's Achilles' heel is time itself. By speeding up time, it is possible to accelerate the decomposing, but it also renders her unable to use any tricks she might pull." Tenchi swallowed before nodding slowly, "So, what is it you want me to get?" Sapphire closed her eyes, "The very core, or at least a decent sized fragment from Spiral Gate itself. It would be enchanted with time-based magic."
Tenchi stood up and looked at Sapphire, "Give me a second." Sapphire was a bit confused, but nodded as Tenchi raced out the lab and up to her room, lucky enough that Peridot was not in there right now, but someone else was when Trinity was soon sitting on the bed, "You are planning to use it, are you?" Tenchi stopped in her tracks and bowed to the Creator, "A pleasure to see you here, Trinity. What brings you here?" Trinity was lifting one of her talons to show a stone glowing with a white aura, "I came here to give this. It is a crystallized fragment of the core you planned to visit." Tenchi was taken back by it, but reached to take it before Trinity suddenly disappeared, leaving the confused Tenchi with the fragment in her right hand, quickly making her way back to Sapphire.
Sapphire looked up as Tenchi entered and held out the fragment, "Here you go. A bird gave me it." Sapphire was taken back by how fast it had gone, "But... how? You only were away for about three minutes!" Tenchi giggled, "As I said, a bird gave me it. So, is it up to your standards?" Sapphire checked the fragment, before she began to transmute it slowly working every single detail into it, until Tenchi could see a knife having been made, the aura of time surrounding it only making it appear more powerful and mighty, Sapphire nodding to Tenchi, "Yes, it is perfect. Now, it is time to do it. It is time to set mom free from her curse."
Little did they know that the dark figure sat in the tree outside and had overheard it all, a wide grin spreading on the maw, "Perfect. Soon enough I will have you submit, Tenchi of the Frostclaw Tribe. And then Hauga will be so proud of me." With a wicked laughter, the dark figure disappeared as the sunlight bathed the branch it had been sitting on. Dark times were approaching, one second after the other.

The End.