A figure had interceded and received the Black Mamba’s blow with her own sword. The sound of metal on metal rang shrilly through the air. It was the young lieutenant, Jiyeon. Jiyeon’s midnight black cape, the one that Hyomin had given her, billowed handsomely behind the lieutenant as the winds blew.

The young lieutenant sensed that something had been amiss and soon realised that her captain was in pursuit of her elder sister. After warnings from Seohyun came about the warrior S301, Jiyeon had still been in doubts. The lieutenant could not believe that Sunny, the person who was supposed to be dead and who had loved Hyomin so much could have fallen to Jessica’s ploy. But when Jiyeon had reached the helipad, she knew she had been utterly wrong. The lieutenant found her pink-haired captain trapped in a most unfair battle, two strong foes against an injured one.

Hyomin had countless of cuts on her body and was barely holding out, undoubtedly with her iron will. The person that had just torn open the back of Hyomin’s hand must have been Sunny. The characteristically short blonde hair of the fighter’s had been as Hyomin described. However, where Sunny’s warm eyes should have been, there were only stone cold ones.

The other crueller-looking woman that looked similar to Hyomin but radiated so much hatred must have been Hyomin’s infamous twin, Jessica. The curtain of straight black hair that draped past her shoulders and those swift movements by the slender body of hers gave her the exact mimicry of a Black Mamba. Jiyeon was sure that she would have been pretty terrified if she had been alone.

Hyomin looked as if she knew she would be meeting her end soon if she had no help. It seemed like a cruel jape from the heavens that the two people who are wishing her death now shared the most connection to her. The captain had shared blood with one and shared love with the other. She was faltering and yet, Jiyeon had, by the work of some miracle, came to her rescue in the nick of time.

“I promised I would not let you be insulted, haven’t I?” Jiyeon flashed a wolfish grin at the captain.

She channelled her energy into her sword and forced the Black Mamba to retreat by she pushing her backwards. The leader of the Black Mamba let out a frustrated snarl whilst S301 studied the intruder, her face entirely void of emotion as she did so. Jessica and her minion circled around the pair of them who had their backs pressed against each other.

“So, after failing me, you have decided to snug up in the G7 fortress hur?” The Black Mamba mocked. This was the first time she saw Jiyeon in person and as per her mens’ descriptions, the then co-leader of Thanatos was a young and hot-blooded one.

“Well, I just took up the better offer,” Jiyeon said with a shrug, she was glad that she had not seen Jessica before for Jiyeon was certain that she would be certain to mix the Black Mamba up with her sweet captain in her dreams.

“I must admit that was pretty smart of you. Your men however weren’t smart enough,” the Black Mamba sneered.

That statement wiped off the look of nonchalance on the lieutenant’s face and her eyes narrowed to slits as she figured out those meanings. 

“I made sure they become the best preys. Nine cuts on the last of your men, all twenty-three of them perished by my hands,” the Black Mamba japed. “Oh, perhaps I forgot that one of them was slain by S301 herself.” That leering glint in the Black Mamba’s eyes ignited hatred in Jiyeon.

“You!” Jiyeon snarled and had almost launched herself at the vile snake before she regained control of her own emotions. She heard Hyomin’s voice and felt the captain’s hand on her arm. Jiyeon steadied her breath and recovered herself. The lieutenant saw that pompous smile on Jessica melt away when Jiyeon had failed to launch an attack at her provocations. That is right. I must not fall prey to Jessica’s stirring. She who falls victim to hatred will be lost.  

Remembering those words, Jiyeon’s naughty grin made its reappearance on her face. “I’ll take Sunny. No worries I won’t go too hard on her. I hope she is as good as you said she was,” The young team leader joked.

She then felt Hyomin nod and her grin was replaced with a smile that was as bitter as the night was cold. I know it will make your heart ache if I even put a scratch on her.

“Be careful,” Hyomin said and that was enough to motivate the young lieutenant. 

**

Despite the grin and playful remarks, Hyomin could see the strain in her lieutenant’s demeanour. Jiyeon was not a contender for Sunny. The grunts from lieutenant told the captain that she had taken another wound. Sunny please come back. Stop hurting Jiyeon.  

Hyomin hissed as she felt steel cut into her own side, a shallow one.

“You’re not focusing,” Jessica whined and put another wound in her right thigh.

The captain could not put her mind to only her fight, how could two of her people whom she cared about the most was battling each other with their might. She was further distracted by the conversation, or rather the monologue that Jiyeon was giving.

“S301, or rather Sunny, are you sure you have ever truly loved Hyomin? How is it possible to forget someone with such a stubborn personality? Even her monstrously pink hair would have made it difficult to forget, wouldn’t it?” Jiyeon spoke through her teeth as the emotionless warrior rained a series of cuts on her. Sunny’s movements were so quick, it was hard for Jiyeon to see, she could only anticipate them.

Then S301 stopped in her tracks, it was as if someone had pulled a string from her back. Though, the confusion that S301 seemed to be experiencing did not last long, Jiyeon knew it had made an impact.

Jiyeon allowed no time for her opponent to recover her mind. “Hyomin told me you two swore to stop unnecessary bloodshed together, you grabbed her face and kissed her back then, under that great oak tree.”

The pink-haired captain flinched upon hearing those words from her comrade. Hyomin saw the disgust in her Jessica’s face as her twin whisked away her blade ever so swiftly. The sneer in the leader’s face had contorted even more as Jiyeon spoke. 

“You told her that you could defeat Jessica if the two of you were together. You promised her that. That you two would always be together,” Jiyeon was by now half-screaming.

Then Hyomin saw from the corner of the eye that the warrior known as S301 had faltered in her steps. The warrior had forsaken her battle as she clutched the sides of her head, and shook it violently. Jiyeon took the chance to close in and for a moment Hyomin’s heart froze then she saw the familiar playful glint in Jiyeon’s eyes. The lieutenant had merely knocked her opponent out with a hard blow to the side of her head. 

The snake saw that her experiment had been an utter failure. It was a mistake for choosing Sunny as her test subject. The female fighter had been too human and had too much love in her as well, love for the world and for Hyomin. Knowing that she had been outnumbered and possibly at the losing end of this match if she had dragged on, Jessica then decided to first bring down the younger opponent. But first, she had to continue keeping Hyomin occupied and then spring a surprise attack on the ex-leader of Thanatos.

The Black Mamba found it amusing how the former hot-tempered fighter had cared for her fallen opponent and even carrying the failed S301 experiment subject to safety. A sly smile crept into her face when she saw an opportunity. Jiyeon was entirely preoccupied with the failed test subject and now had her back completely turned against the fighting duo as she carefully placed her own cape over the useless Sunny.

Hyomin had realised too late what her evil twin had intended to do for the Black Mamba had slithered away so smoothly and struck so quickly.

“No! Jiyeon, watch out!” Hyomin cried as she took to her heels after her twin.

Jiyeon swirled around swiftly but dodged too late. The scream from the captain pierced through the cold air as the Black Mamba’s sword went through Jiyeon. Yet, even with the sword still in her stomach, the younger girl twisted her body and wrenched the sword free from the Black Mamba’s grasp. The wolfish grin she had on earlier remade its appearance on her face when Hyomin caught her body as she fell.

Large droplets of tears fell from the pink-headed captain’s face as her lieutenant lay in her arms. Blood poured out from the stomach even with the sword still embedded in her guts.

“Jiyeon, you will be fine. I will get help,” Hyomin said deliriously, trying to staunch the flow of the blood with a hand but careful not to move the blade.   

The wounded lieutenant’s bloody hands caught Hyomin’s trembling ones. “She got my vitals, this is the end for me. Go on, the fight isn’t over yet.” Sunny is waking.   

“No! You won’t die!” the captain screamed at her dying comrade.

But I will, Hyomin. I will die but you need not worry because Sunny is coming back. Jiyeon wanted to say but all that came out from were gurgles of blood. She felt her captain’s hands desperately wiping off her blood. Jiyeon only wished the captain would not see her in this state, it broke her heart so.   

The distressed cries from Hyomin and her feeble attempts at comforting Jiyeon seemed to have triggered the laughing mechanism in Jessica as she held her stomach and broke out into uncontrollable fits of cackles.

Just as Hyomin’s thoughts of ripping the monster that was her twin sister engulfed her mind, Jessica’s evil cackle had stopped abruptly, replaced by an odd gurgling sound and when she removed her hands from her stomach, Hyomin saw the tip of the sword protruding from her twin’s guts.

Hyomin watched with her eyes widened as her twin’s body dropped to the ground revealing the assailant, Sunny. Blood, with its colour that was as dark as the night sprayed into the air and landed on the ground in splatters when the former S301 withdrew her sword from her commander.

“She is back after all.” Jiyeon lifted her bloodied hand to her captain’s face as she spoke, fits of bloody cough had interrupted her. Tears flowed from the Hyomin’s face unrestrainedly as she once again wiped away the blood that was dribbling from the side Jiyeon’s mouth. “Your Sunny is back. I am good to go now.”

“No. No. Don’t. Not yet. It’s not over for you yet,” Hyomin pleaded.

“Kiss me,” Jiyeon requested and Hyomin did. A tearful and bloody goodbye kiss.

We will do things together in our next life, Hyomin. I love you and goodbye.

Soulful cries filled the air as the captain saw the last of her comrade’s breath go out from her. Everything felt so cold and the next moment she was engulfed in a most familiar warm embrace, one that she had yearned for for so many nights.

“I am sorry I came back too late.” S301 was gone and her Sunny who was warmer than the morning sun was back, her voice understanding, apologetic and loving, all at the same time.

Hyomin shook her head as tears continue to fall from her eyes. “It is never too late as long as you come back. But Sunny… what should I do? Jiyeon is gone… I caused her death.”

There was silence from Sunny for a moment.

“You will do better to protect others.” Sunny wiped away the tears from the crying girl's face with both her calloused hands and cupped the captain’s face tightly as kissed each of her eyes tenderly. “She did not die in vain. She brought me back to you. When I was S301 she had reached out and spoken to me.”

Sunny covered the lieutenant with her own cape with respect before she wound her arms around the pink-haired captain tightly and consolingly as the captain shuddered while sobbing in her arms.

**

The other G7 members, which had excluded Taeyeon and Tiffany, made their way hurriedly upwards to the helipad.

Together, they were determined to bring back their remember G7 member, Hyomin and the lieutenant alive. They had not thought that Sunny would have been able to recover from her S301 state and that the fight would have ended so soon. The four of the members stood silently as the tear-stained pink-haired captain, was embraced tightly by the former test subject. The cold body of their Jiyeon was still in Hyomin’s arms and they knew it would be hard to make the captain let her go.

The G7 members, now led by Yuri arrived at where the two lovers had been reunited. Yuri placed a hand on Hyomin’s shoulder and the other on Sunny’s one. “It’s time for us to go home. It’s cold out here, let us will bring Jiyeon to a warmer place.”

**

The mass funeral for their fallen comrades had taken place with the attendance of five thousand mourners. Clad in black, the mourners stood in solemn silence and did not flinch even as rain fell on them in sheets, battering them.

The rain soon dwindled into drizzles as more time passed. As the last of the caskets was lowered into the ground and disappeared beneath the mound of dirt, the crowd thinned, slowly and respectfully. All that was left at the site were the families of their loved ones who had given their life to this battle and the G7 members. 

The leader of G7, with her right arm in a sling and with obvious difficulty in even walking observed the entire procession in silence. Her feelings had never been heavier and each time as traces of tears appeared, she quickly wiped it away with the back of her hand. She felt those tears making its appearance again and before she could lift her arm, a hand had interwoven itself into hers.

“Let those tears come and fall. No one can tell you’re crying in this rain.” The voice that spoke was comfort to her ears. Taeyeon looked to her side and found a smiling face upon her. Tiffany was in her new wheelchair and like the leader, she had been keeping silent throughout the day. Having lost their comrades was familiar pain to her but such familiarity would not lessen any pain.

Taeyeon and Tiffany had survived the trap only because Seohyun had found the source of electric supply at the very final moment. The two girls, who had expected themselves to be crushed by the falling concrete found that the ground had stopped shaking. When they discovered each other still very much alive in each other’s arms, they had pressed their lips together so hard it almost drew blood. They kissed each other fiercely until Hyoyeon had found them and complained about their unsightly behaviour.

Now, the two had escaped from their ordeal and had become inseparable ever since. Taeyeon could not spend a moment without caressing Tiffany and Tiffany would not leave Taeyeon unnecessarily. Especially not when Taeyeon had taken a grievous injury to her arm. The entire right side of Taeyeon’s body had also taken some damage while shielding Tiffany from a falling slab of concrete. The lead researcher had initially forbade the leader from attending the funeral procession but since Taeyeon had insisted, Tiffany only gave in if she was allowed to follow.

“Their deaths would not be in vain,” Tiffany said.

“Their deaths would not be in vain,” Taeyeon agreed and winced as a sharp jolt of pain coursed through her body.

Only Tiffany’s hold on her kept her from falling over. The leader offered the lead researcher a weak smile as she straightened herself. That worried look on Tiffany made her realise how she must have looked at Tiffany all those years and felt almost guilty. Taeyeon promised she would not look so worried before Tiffany anymore.  

“Let’s go,” Tiffany commanded.

“A while more,” Taeyeon requested and smiled meekly when she received reproachful glares from Tiffany.

You are a very stubborn leader, Taeyeon. But I love you.

As you are, Tiffany. And I love you too.

Those unsaid words passed between their stares at each other.

“Fine, just a while more,” Tiffany relented unwillingly.

Now I know how you feel and I think I will love you more for it, Taeyeon.

I know you know too, and I will love you as I’ve always did, Tiffany.   

With that, the two lead members of the G7 stayed until the sun had set and until the last of the families have willingly departed from the scene.

**

The captain who was ordered to bedrest could only observe the funeral procession from afar. She had taken wounds to her back, thighs and shoulders. The worst of which was in her back where the sword had bit so deeply into her flesh, it almost reached her bones. The surgeons took nearly a day to mend the captain and warned that even the slightest movement might threaten the wound to split.

“Their deaths would not be in vain, we will make sure of that.” Sunny brushed her soft fingertips against the side of Hyomin’s face as she said so.   

“Thank you for coming back. I did not get to say this before but I will do it now. Sunny, I’ve missed you. I loved you all these times,” Hyomin said slightly abashed and guiltily.

Sunny immediately knew what her girl was thinking. The girl by the name of Jiyeon would, like her, forever live in Hyomin’s heart. Sunny could accept it just like how Jiyeon had accepted it when Sunny had been in Hyomin’s heart. Such an act was a dominion of love.  

“I know,” Sunny hushed. “I love you too, with all of my heart. No matter what happens, my heart will always remember my love for you,” Sunny said as she kissed the back of Hyomin’s hand. 

“But Jiyeon… Sunny I…” With Sunny’s finger pressed onto Hyomin’s lips, the captain knew she was no longer required to further explain. Hyomin should have been able to read Sunny’s love for her better than that. Hyomin swore she would become better because Sunny was back and they were divine with each other.

Together, they learnt that life was worth living for because they knew the love they had for each other would burn and never be extinguished. And as long as there is undying hope, as long as there is unwavering faith and as long as they were the dominion of love, they were indestructible.

**

A/N:

We have finally come to the end of Dominion of Love. So proud to click on that "Mark Story Complete" box xD

Okay so who is the Dominion of Love? Even though the ending seemed to only imply that the SunByung couple were the Dominions... I'd like to think that all of girls were masters in their own unique way ><

And jiyeon... that was a really heartaching moment for me. Or rather... moments since I took pretty long to revise her scene. >< 

Yes, if you haven't read this chapter. I have killed off Jiyeon and brought TaeNy back by some means of deux ex machina. 

Jiyeon has become my favourite character in this entire fiction and I had really contemplated against killing her but at last... I finally still did it because I have planned from the very start that that was her form of love for Hyomin >< I am so sorry MinYeon shippers. 

And so with Jiyeon gone and Sunny reclaiming her love for Hyomin, one would think that SunByung would live happily ever after yet it will definitely not be guiltless. Even though MinYeon has not officially started their relationship, we know there was also some form of reciprocation from Hyomin to Jiyeon and so the young lieutenant would forever live in Hyomin's heart. I guess that MinYeon kiss sealed it. At the same time however, Hyomin's love for Jiyeon and vice versa, would not drive a wedge in Sunbyung's relationship but rather be an integral part of it (does it sound weird?). What I meant is that both Sunny and Hyomin accepts it and is able to look beyond it. 

And also not to forget TaeNy. Even up till the end, those two were rather wishy-washy. Even though they expressed their love for each other only in great peril and through those mind games and stares with each other, they undoubtedly care very much for each other. As I have also mentioned previously TaeNy are also conquerors of love in their very own way. How they first worried about each other. How they initially did not want to burden each other. And how they finally come to terms that love is about being there for each other. 

So with this, Dominion of Love has officially come to an end. :) I hoped you guys could take this ending and had a good time reading it. It is really a darn long chapter xD

I thank all of you for journeying with me thus far. Thank you for all the subscribes, comments and upvotes! Hope to see you guys again! 

Lastly, again, credits to Chantellesyf for the beautiful fighting scene between Jessica and Hyomin xD