A.N.: I'll just warn you now that I don't know how often I'll update this story and put up the next parts. I'm a very busy person, and only write when I have a minute to myself. ^_^;; Oh yeah: This fanfic deals with a character that I made myself as well as people from the show. There may be adult themes as well as graphic descriptions of discrimination against the handicapped. I just want to say that I mean ABSOLUTELY NO OFFENSE to anyone by it. It's just part of the story and I want to make it as real as I can. Thanks, and I hope you enjoy the fic.
Mist
***
"I dreamt I dwelt in marble halls
With vassals and serfs at my side,
And of all who assembled within those walls
That I was the hope and the pride.
I had riches all too great to count
And a high ancestral name.
But I also dreamt which pleased me most
That you loved me still the same,
That you loved me;
You loved me still the same,
That you loved me;
You loved me still the same."
***
Screams of pain and agony rang out in the room as doctors scrambled to deal with a naked Icejin woman in labor. Her child was tangled in the umbilical cord, and the doctors were trying desperately to free it while she screamed in agony. There was a final scream that echoed throughout the area, then silence.
As soon as the baby, which was covered too thickly in blood to identify it's coloring, had emerged, the doctors rushed it to a table and started to work on it. For several minutes, they worked, not even offering a word or glance to let the woman know how her baby was.
"My...my baby! Why isn't it crying?" The female gasped, fighting tears as doctors surrounded her helpless child.
"Please calm yourself, Lady Rain. You have a boy, but he isn't breathing. My men are trying all they can to bring him around."
Rain, a beautiful Icejin that looked like Freeza's fourth form, but with eyes, lips and armor plates like flaming rubies, turned her head in attempt to catch a glimpse of her son. She smiled a little when she heard a weak cry from the child, but the smile faded when the doctors shook their heads.
"What's the matter?" She asked quickly.
"Your son is brain-damaged from the lack of oxygen, Lady Rain; the scans picked it up right away. I'm sorry...but I do not think he is going to survive the night." The doctor said sullenly with his dark eyes lowered. The single unicorn-like horn on his forehead glimmered as he lowered his head, his jet-black skin seeming to darken more.
Tears filled Rain's eyes, so she closed them and swallowed hard. "Let me see him."
"That's not a good idea. You shouldn't bond with him -"
"LET ME SEE MY SON!" She screamed angrily. The doctor jumped, bowed to show his compliance and retrieved the sleeping Icejin baby. Rain stretched her arms out and took her son gently as he was placed into them. While she was occupied with the baby, the frightened doctor left the room, ordering his men out as well.
Rain pulled aside the blanket that her son was wrapped in and looked down at his slightly puffy face. She was faced with a miniature version of herself, but with wrinkled skin, and would have thought the child was a little girl if it wasn't for the obvious male genitalia. Those would retract beneath a sheath of flesh in a few days.
At the scent of his mother, the baby awoke, yawned sleepily and began snuggling closer to the warmth of his mother's skin. Rain smiled, moved him to her breast and watched him latch on to nurse. He opened his eyes to look up at her as he suckled, and she stared down into the shiny ruby depths of his gaze. His eyes were the most beautiful eyes she had ever seen.
After a moment, Rain looked out the window at the foggy weather and smiled, remembering the story about how hard it was raining while she was being born. Wanting to continue the tradition, the beautiful Icejin woman looked down at her son and whispered, "Mist. That will be your name, my son. My little Mist..."
As if he understood, Mist closed his eyes and opened them again. They gleamed in the light, containing an almost surreal beauty. When she saw that look in her son's eyes, Rain knew that he was going to live. He was determined, disabled or not, to live and beat the odds.
"Lord Storm!"
Black eyes opened, and an equally black armor plate shimmered in the dim light. A tall, lean Icejin with perfectly horizontal black horns and white skin, turned his attention to the messenger. His black lips parted, a deep voice rose and he rumbled with a haughty type of accent, "Speak, quickly."
The blue-skinned messenger bowed and spoke up. "Lady Rain has given birth, sir. You have a son."
"Does anyone else know?" Storm's heart lurched in excitement, but he spoke slowly as if the messenger was a little child. "Tell the truth." His white arms rose and crossed over his chest.
"Just your brother. He is on his way and will be arriving any moment. Would you like to send him any messages upon arrival?"
"Hmmm...no." The large Icejin placed his hands behind his back, sweeping his white cape aside in the process, and turned to look out the window. "I'll tell him myself. Just send him in here when he arrives."
"As you command." Trembling, the poor little messenger scurried out.
Storm grinned, the glass of the window he was looking through reflecting the paleness of his mime-like features and double chin. The excitement of knowing that he was a father was almost too much to bear. It made him want to dance through the halls and shout the news to everyone within hearing. Knowing his regal upbringing wouldn't allow it, he allowed himself to sigh a simple, "Finally...a heir to my throne...my brother will be pleased indeed."
The door hissed open a few moments later, and a voice boomed into the room, "Storm, my brother! It has been too long. Congratulations on the birth of your son."
"Indeed, it has..." Storm grinned and turned to face his brother before finishing his sentence, "...Kold."
Miniature fingers wrapped themselves tightly around a larger one with matching flesh. A set of small red lips gaped in a yawn, while a larger matching set pulled into a smile. "You are the most beautiful baby boy there is..." Lady Rain whispered as Mist gurgled softly in her arms. "I love you no matter what does or doesn't happen to you." Mist responded by squeezing her finger and wrapping his tiny tail around her arm.
The door hissed open. Lady Rain looked up and was just in time to see a small form come bounding in on all fours. His purple armor plate gleamed in the light along with the sideways-facing ebony horns, a pair of matching black lips were pulled into a wild grin and his huge ruby eyes were alight with the excitement only a curious two-year-old could posses. Seconds later, those two red eyes were peeking over the arm of the chair, looking up at the pretty Icejin female. "Auntie Wain! Where's my new cousin?"
She laughed lightly, lowering so the excited toddler could see her baby, "He's right here, Freeza. Goodness!"
Freeza's eyes grew larger at the sight of the child, and he wagged his tail excitedly while leaning over the arm of the chair for a better look. "He's all wrinkled like he sat in the barf-tub too long."
"You mean 'bathtub', right?" Rain smiled and reached down to pat Freeza's head gently, "He was in water when he was inside my tummy. So I guess he's allowed to be wrinkled."
"Oh. OK." He grinned, "So what's his name?"
"Mist."
At the sound of his name, Mist awoke and splayed his wrinkled fingers, murmuring softly. Freeza grabbed Mist's hand gently and held onto it, feeling the tiny fingers wrapping around his own pudgy one. "He's so wittle. And to think I was that wittle once. But now I'm a big boy!"
"Yes, you sure are. You're bigger every time I see you." She smiled warmly at his innocent curiosity, then asked, "Where's your papa?"
"Wif Uncle Storm." Freeza spoke nonchalantly as he wiggled the finger that Mist had trapped in his grasp. "Wow! Mist is stwong..." He started to giggle.
"And what is all this giggling about?" King Kold asked from the door, his cape rustling as he pushed it over his shoulder and let it settle behind him.
"Papa!" Freeza laughed, "Auntie Wain has a stwong baby!"
"So it seems." The tall Icejin replied, stepping aside so his excited brother could come in. He stood a full head taller than his younger brother. "And someone is a bit excited..." He chuckled.
"My love..." Storm whispered into Rain's ear as he stood behind the chair she was sitting in. He smiled when he saw Mist open his eyes to look up at him. "My son..." His large hands lowered slowly, and his wife did not object as he took the tiny newborn gently into his arms. "He looks just like you, Rain."
Rain just grinned, "Imagine that." She laughed lightly, then grew serious. "Storm, my dear. When we're alone later, I'll need to speak with you."
Storm nodded, his black armor plate catching the light as he watched Mist sleep in his arms. The newborn's little red lips were pulled into what looked to be a smile, and he had both hands resting against his cheeks. He was all curled up in his father's arms, just as sweet an innocent as a little cherub.
After tittering silently over the child for several moments, he lifted his black eyes to look at his older brother. "Well, Kold. Take a good look at your nephew. Would you like to hold him as well?"
"Why not?" Kold flashed a wide grin and brushed his cape over his shoulder so he could hold the little newborn. The curves of his muscles turned out to be rather interesting pillows for Mist, who seemed to sleep right through being passed from one pair of arms to another. King Kold grinned wolfishly down at the baby, "Well, at least he's not as ugly as you." He teased his brother.
"Hah!" Storm chuckled and played along, "I guess you're right. Only beauty can come from beauty." He looked affectionately at Rain, who was blushing a deep pink while holding Freeza in her lap. Freeza had fallen asleep with his head on her chest and his thumb in his mouth.
"True." Kold smiled, "You're a lucky man, Storm. It seems that I wasn't the only one who's eldest child looked exactly like their mother..." His cheek twitched as he thought of his wife for a moment. "Cooler looks exactly like her..."
"I remember her. You named Freeza after her, didn't you?"
Kold nodded, sighed, then changed the painful subject, "Well, I think we could all use some rest. Seems Freeza's way ahead of us all."
Storm smirked as he reached down and patted Freeza gently on the head, then picked him up without waking him. He smiled at Rain, giving her a little wink as Freeza murmured in his sleep while he was moved. "My love, I'm going to take Kold and Freeza to their quarters. When I return, we'll talk about whatever you wanted to speak to me about."
Lady Rain smiled with her red lips and nodded slowly, reaching up to hold Mist again when Kold handed him gently to her. "I'll be right here with Mist when you get back."
Nodding, the tall black and white Icejin leaned down to kiss his wife's lips, then straightened and ushered his brother out of the room.
The overhead lights glinted off the armor plates of both Icejins as they headed down the long metal corridor to a large, luxurious bedroom. Anybody walking through the halls at the time would immediately stop what they were doing to bow in respect, because both of the brothers were considered kings among their people.
"He shall be a superb heir to your throne, Storm." Kold was commenting as they crossed the threshold and entered the room.
Grinning, Storm turned to look at his brother, "Yes, indeed. Plus, little Freeza here will have a playmate." He nodded down towards the sleeping child in his arms before gently settling him down on the bed. Freeza yawned and stretched in his sleep, then curled up among the pillows with a tiny sigh.
"Splendid." Said Kold, "And they'll train together when they're older. I suppose we could take turns teaching them new techniques. How does that grab you?"
"Just fine. But for now, let's worry about their needs now, Kold." He shook his finger at his brother, "Life isn't a rush."
Kold just smirked and shook his head as Storm headed to the door and walked out with his armor-tipped tail swishing behind him. The door hissed shut automatically, finally locking together with a metallic click. Kold heaved a sigh as this took place and went about unpacking a few of his things.
Lord Storm sat down hard on the chair after hearing the words his beloved wife had just spoken. All the hopes and dreams he had for Mist were shattering one by one like a thousand broken mirrors. He released a long sigh and put his head in his hands. "How could this have happened?"
Lady Rain's pretty red eyes flickered as she shrugged. "He was tangled in the umbilical cord when he was born and didn't breathe for a long time." She lowered her eyes to look down at Mist, "The doctors don't think he'll survive the night. But I don't believe them. Mist is too strong..."
"How long will it be before he starts to show signs of his disabilities?" Asked Storm as he finally raised his head to look at his wife. Deep inside, he was angry. Angry at fate for destroying all the hopes he had for his first son. "For that matter, how bad will it be?"
"Any time, I suppose." Rain sighed and brushed her thumb across Mist's cheek as he nursed from her breast. Already, he was showing small difficulties in swallowing and taking a very long time to swallow each mouthful of milk. "From what they say, it'll be pretty bad. But why should something like this change the way you love him? He's still your son, and he's going to look up to you someday when he's old enough."
The tall black and white Icejin felt his throat clutching up, and he had to swallow before he could speak again, "I...What will I tell my brother?"
"The truth."
"That's what I'm afraid of..." Storm muttered. "Kold will probably laugh me out of this solar system over this."
Rain smiled, "Then he's the one with the problem, not you."
"Count on it. Because he'll have a problem with me."
"Storm..." She sighed, "Keep it clean."
"Humph." His black armor caught the light as he turned to the door.
Little Freeza awoke to the sounds of his father laughing and his uncle warning him to shut up. He didn't know what was going on, especially when the two large Icejins broke out into a fist fight while cussing each other out. All Freeza could think to do when this took place was to flee.
So he slipped out of bed, ran to the door and slipped into the corridor. Lady Rain dashed past his small form as she entered the room to break up the fight. The chibi Icejin realized, upon seeing her, that Mist was all alone. He could hear the tiny newborn starting to cry over the arguing in the other room.
"Mist! I'll pwotect you!" Freeza cried, dashing down the corridor as fast as his little legs would carry him. He tripped and fell, sliding through the door to the room where Mist was screaming his little head off. Shaking his head, Freeza got up, hopped up onto the chair that Rain had been sitting in earlier and reached down into the cradle to pick Mist up. It was a difficult task for the young Icejin. After all, the newborn was a little less than one-third his size.
Finally managing to lift Mist into his arms, Freeza kept one hand under the newborn's rear end and used the other to keep his head from flopping back. Due to the clutching reflex, Mist locked all four limbs as well as his tail around his older cousin, nearly choking him. The presence of another warm body did, however, calm him.
"I know! We can go hide 'till the big meanies stop fighting. Uncle Storm has a lot of pwaces to hide!" Freeza giggled, carrying Mist out of the room. He turned left immediately and dropped to his knees so he could crawl into a small ventilation chute that was just his size. Mist was clinging to Freeza so tightly that Freeza could actually let go to crawl about six feet into the chute until it opened up into an even bigger chute. The main fan was overhead, and several different chutes were arranged in a circular pattern around the little 'room'. Freeza grinned and sat up, holding his little cousin carefully. "See? I hide in pwaces like here all the time when my papa gets mad."
Mist opened his eyes sleepily and yawned with a soft gurgle. His miniature fingers fanned out, then curled once again as he stared up at Freeza with drooping eyes.
Freeza wrinkled his tipped-up nose a little when he felt something warm under Mist's diaper. "Ew Mist! Did you just go potty?" He giggled, "Oh well, I guess I will too." His eyes closed dreamily, then popped open when he felt something running down his legs, and realized a little too late that he didn't wear diapers anymore. "Ooooooops..." He looked down at the spreading puddle he was making and tried to hold Mist up to keep him out of it. "Uh-oh! I guess we gotta go get cweaned up."
There was a crash down the corridor, followed by very loud shouting.
Freeza shrank back a little. "Maybe we should wait..."
Mist had other ideas. His diaper was wet and he didn't like it! Freeza could only watch as his cousin's face flushed and his mouth opened, a loud wail coming forth.
"Missing!?" A slightly-bandaged Storm shouted as Rain looked around and under everything in the room. "How could a two-hour-old newborn just VANISH!?!?"
"I don't know!" Rain shouted back as she replaced the blankets she was peeking under. All of a sudden, she stopped and lowered her ear to the little ventilation grate in the wall. She could have sworn that she heard a giggle from somewhere in there.
"Freeza's missing too!" King Kold, also bandaged up a little, shouted from down the corridor. "Perhaps he has Mist!"
"SHH!!!" Rain put a hand up to silence everyone. Once everyone fell silent, the sound of Mist's crying could vaguely be heard from the vents. She flashed a half-grin to the rather hysterical men before her, "I think Freeza took Mist to a secret hiding place..."
Storm spat out a very obscene word under his breath. "If they're in the central chute, the fan will suck them up and chop them to bits!" He looked frantically at Kold. "I'll go down to the control room and tell them to keep this fan off. Kold, try to get Freeza to come out. Rain, stay here in case they come out."
"Right." Kold replied while Rain simply nodded.
The two tall Icejins exited the room and hurried off in opposite directions.
Freeza tried everything he could to soothe Mist, even making funny faces and obscene noises, but the newborn just wouldn't be soothed. Now, he wasn't just wet, he was hungry too.
"Freeza!" Kold shouted, his voice coming from just above them.
Freeza looked up to find his father poking his head through a large shaft used primarily for cleaning or repairing the main fan. "Hi Papa!" He waved happily, oblivious to the danger he was in, "Watch your step if you come down here. I kinda pottied on myself."
"WAAAAAAH!!!!!" Was all Mist could say at the moment.
"This isn't a game, Freeza!" Kold shouted, his voice echoing in the large chute. His eyes widened when he heard a metallic hiss that meant only one thing. Seconds later, with a metallic whir, the blades of the fan slowly began to rotate.
Storm had been too late. And now, razor-sharp fan-blades the size of a bus were about to be spinning faster than a centrifuge.
Acting quickly, Kold pulled himself through the shaft and dropped down to land on his hands and knees over the two children. He would be too heavy for the fan to lift, but the blades were only a few inches from his back. And this fan had a tendency to drop down a few feet when it was going full-speed.
Freeza, realizing now that he was in danger, began to whimper quietly while Mist continued to wail.
"Just stay here under me." Kold told him as he brought one hand around to clutch his child, who was clutching Mist, preventing both of them from being sucked away by the whirling blades. "C'mon Storm!" He muttered as the fan reached full-speed. He quickly started pushing Freeza towards one of the small chutes and stayed in front of it so the fan wouldn't suck them back out. "Get out of here!"
"Papa!"
"GO!!!!"
Freeza cringed and inched backwards through the chute. Mist was screaming at the top of his lungs, and Freeza let a shriek of his own when he saw the fan blades whirling inches from his father's head. In just two more rotations, it was going to decapitate him.
The blades came around, Freeza screamed and Mist let out a shriek that could shatter anyone's eardrums. There was a loud boom, a crash and another boom as the fan literally exploded and broke down. One of the fan-blades came to stop a mere millimeter from King Kold's thick neck.
Kold, who had squeezed his eyes shut because he thought he was going to die, gulped and looked sideways at the metal that was so close to killing him. "Ugh..." Relieved that he didn't have to block the chute anymore, he let himself fall flat to the floor, only to realize a little too late that he had just landed face-first in the little puddle Freeza had made.
Freeza backed into the chute when he heard the splat. "Um...oooops?"
Sparkling white bubbles popped and fizzed. Freeza sat pouting with his arms crossed and his lower lip sticking out while his father scrubbed him down. He even managed to maintain the posture when he was dunked for a rinse, his only complaint being a gurgling noise as he spit water out of his mouth.
"Freeza, pouting isn't going to make me take off your punishment. You're lucky you're so young, or I'd have beat the daylights out of you. So fess up!" Kold snapped as he lifted Freeza out of the tub by the tail and settled him down on the tile floor. Freeza just snorted, so the large Icejin dropped a towel on him and started to dry him off. "If you don't lose your attitude right now, I'll make it permanent." He said sternly.
Little Freeza's eyes widened, "No chocowate FOWEVER?!?!?"
"That's right."
Chocolate was Freeza's favorite treat. He'd get a chocolate treat once a week whenever he behaved and did as his father told him. It was probably the only way to keep him under control.
"Humph!" Freeza squirmed away from the towel.
"Well, what do you expect me to do when you nearly get me KILLED!" Kold growled, glaring down at the tiny child. "If you go to bed right now and don't make a peep, I might give you your chocolate back. Blasted Earth foods..."
Upon hearing this, Freeza quickly ran out of the bathroom and jumped into bed. Not a sound came from him the rest of the night.
At the same time, elsewhere, Storm was just drying Mist off after a sponge-bath. Mist was squirming, not liking the feeling of being cold and wet. He was voicing his protests with soft gurgles and murmurs, but Storm paid them little concern as he finished drying the tiny, helpless infant off.
"There...now, let's find you a warm blanket, shall we?" He looked down at his son to make sure he was alright as he carried him into the other room. Oh, Mist...why must what is happening to you happen to such a beautiful child? Sighing, Storm unfolded a clean diaper clasped it into place over Mist's little rear end and tummy. Then he carefully swaddled him in an embroidered red blanket.
"Not even a day old and already, he's a troublemaker." Lady Rain grinned from the doorway. "Mist and Freeza...what a duo."
Storm chuckled as he carried Mist to her and let her take him. "True." He let a sigh escape slowly, "But what if what the doctors said is true? What if he dies in the middle of the night."
Rain's fiery ruby eyes twinkled as she looked up at her husband with such serious conviction that he nearly cringed as she spoke, "I wish you had seen his eyes the moment he was able to open them. They have a fire behind them, Storm. Mist isn't going to die any time soon. Maybe in a few days and maybe in a few months. But not tonight..."
With a sigh, knowing it was pointless to argue, Storm placed his hands on her shoulders and kissed her forehead. "I believe you, my love. Do you know how to take care of him? I mean...well...the needs he'll have in the future."
"Let's worry about that when it's time. For now, let's just love our son for who he is." Rain leaned down to kiss the now-sleeping Mist on the forehead, then carried him to his cradle and placed him carefully inside. "Sleep tight, my little one." She whispered as she passed her hand gently over his small head.
Storm crept up to the cradle and leaned down to place a soft kiss on his child's cheek. "See you tomorrow, little guy." After that, he slipped his arm around Rain's waist and walked quietly out of the room with her.
As soon as his parents had left the room, Mist opened his eyes, cooed happily and stretched briefly under the blankets. Then he curled up, placed his thumb into his mouth and quietly sucked on it as he drifted off to sleep.
Lord Storm, Lady Rain and chibi Mist
Chibi Mist and Chibi Freeza, sticking their tongues out at you.