This is a fanfiction commission for Diamond-Rainbow. I do not own Rei Tukiko in any way.
Something was wrong. Something was definitely wrong.
Rei looked out the window of her bedroom only to see that the sky outside was no longer the brilliant blue that it had once been. It was now stained with red while black clouds swirled dangerously above TokiToki City, the sun nowhere in sight. It had been like this ever since Demigra, the Demon God, had emerged from the pits of Hell and now their once bright and bustling city was at the mercy of his hands. Even from the sanctity of her home, Rei could still clearly see the black cathedral that had risen up from the ground a day prior, symbolizing that there was a new ruler in this world and he planned on eradicating anyone who dared to stand up against him. A dark aura pulsed around the castle, and flashes of lightning flashed overhead dangerously. Demigra had made the castle himself using his ethereal powers, and the way it proudly stood with its eerie ambience reminded Rei of a scene right out of a horror movie. If the creepy citadel wasn't frightening enough in itself, there was also the fact that her friends were in that very architecture fighting for their lives.
It had been nearly twenty-four hours since Goku, Trunks, and the Supreme Kai of Time set off to challenge Demigra on their own and Rei deeply regretted that she didn't keep insisting that they take her with them.
"It's too dangerous," Trunks had told her. "If anything were to happen to you, I don't know what I'd do."
"He's right," Goku had chimed in as he took note of Rei's worry-filled eyes. "We can't take you with us because we can't promise that we can protect you from him."
Even the Supreme Kai of Time had been against Rei coming with them to fight the Demon God. "What would happen if he were to put you under his mind control? We would have no choice but to hurt you! Please just believe in us… I promise that we'll put an end to his evil ways and bring peace back to the city!"
Deep down, Rei knew they were right. Demigra was far from the other villains that they had all faced together as a team, and his powers were even beyond her comprehension. He had broken free of his imprisonment in Hell where he had been banished for over seventy-five million years and he intended to bring nothing but chaos onto this world by using his time manipulation powers to alter the past and change the course of history. He was a sick, sadistic being and there was no way he was going to let anyone get in the way of his coldblooded revenge. Goku, a Super Saiyan, would have been the only man in existence that could stand up to Demigra's strength, but even he had been overpowered in their first battle with him. Even so, Goku wasn't the type to give up and he planned on finishing things once and for all. Taking Trunks and the Supreme Kai of Time with him, Goku had charged headfirst into Demigra's fortress and Rei hadn't heard from them since.
Rei really wanted to believe in her friends' strength, but there was no denying the fact that she was wrought with worry. She had seen the way Demigra took control of people's minds when he had brought back Frieza, Cell, and even Majin Buu from their graves and forced them to do his bidding. It was a miracle that she, Trunks, and Goku had managed to escape that fight with their lives, but to think that the ability to take over people's minds was only one of Demigra's omnipotent techniques made Rei's chest tighten with anxiety. It troubled her greatly that they had left her behind, but she knew they were only trying to look out for her. Even though she was half Saiyan, Demigra could have easily seized control over her mind and could force her to turn on her friends. The last thing Goku and the others needed was to have to hurt more of their friends the way they did Vegeta, Yamcha, and Gohan when they had turned into Demigra's puppets.
Since the sky was still the color of blood, Rei could only assume that the battle was still raging on and that Demigra hadn't been defeated yet. Perilous thoughts swirled through her mind as she wondered if her friends were even still alive or not. What if Demigra had overpowered them? What if they were dying and needed her help? There was no way she would know unless she joined up with them.
Rei Tukiko was a Time Patroller and she had been hand-picked by Shenron to help maintain balance of the time stream. There was no way she could just sit back and let her friends fall to the hands of the Demon God while she simply waited for him to wreak havoc on the universe. She needed to find them and help them put a stop to Demigra and his malicious plans before the entire universe suffered the consequences.
"I know what you're thinking, Rei," a calm voice whispered out from behind her. Rei didn't even need to turn around to see who it was. She'd recognize her best friend's soothing voice from anywhere.
Tucking a strand of black hair behind her ear, the slender girl continued to fixate her green eyes on the scenery outside of her window. "If you actually know what I'm thinking, then you'll know that it's pointless to stop me, Yuki."
The figure behind the young woman walked towards her until he was standing beside her. His appearance was far from human since he was a Frost Demon, a member of the Frieza clan, and his long, white tail swayed behind him as his folded his arms over his chest. His red skin was illuminated by the soft glow of the lighting in her bedroom, the gentle blue of his armor clashing with the fiery shades of his flesh. Most humans would have been afraid to stand next to a kinsman of Frieza, but there wasn't a pair alive that was as close to each other as Rei and Yuki. They had been friends for years and Rei couldn't have cared less that his race was despised by most humans. He was a dear friend and a kind-hearted individual, and that was all that really mattered to her. She didn't care what Frieza or his other relatives had done in the past; Yuki was nothing like them and there was no one that she trusted more than him.
"I'm not going to try and stop you," the male said with a sigh as he cast a glance at her out of the corner of his eye. "I just wanted to advise you on the possible consequences of your actions. Goku asked you to stay behind because he's worried about you. With just the flick of his wrist, Demigra could turn you into a pile of ashes and that really is the best case scenario. The worst case scenario would be if he decided to turn you into one of his pawns. Do you really want to hurt your friends against your will?"
The petite woman flinched at the sound of his words, and her jaw clenched tightly as she agitatedly balled up her fists at her sides. "I know, but they've been gone for over a day! Something bad must have happened to them! They haven't defeated Demigra yet so they must be in trouble!" A few tears formed at the corner of her eyes before trickling down her round cheeks. She quickly wiped them away on the long sleeves of her black cardigan, not even caring that her mascara was now smearing a bit underneath her eyes.
"You don't know that," the Frost Demon replied back, trying his best to calm down the anxious woman beside him.
"I do know that! I can just feel it in my bones!" Rei said as her body began to tremble lightly. Her thick bangs fell over her eyes as she sobbed softly, arms wrapping around her curvy body in attempts to quell her quivering form. Never before had the Saiyan woman ever felt so helpless and useless. What good were her abilities if she couldn't even use them to help save her friends?
Yuki inhaled a sharp breath of air before placing a gentle hand on his friend's shoulder. He hated seeing her like this, so frail and fragile, and he knew that there was nothing he could say to ease her worries. He could sense it, too, and even if he tried consoling her, there was no hiding the fact that everyone was in danger. If Goku couldn't stop Demigra, the world would fall into calamity. The demon lord had already sneaked his way into the past and changed very big events in their history to modify the present. Battles that Goku had won in the original timeline had been lost; villains that had once been defeated were now alive again. The world they once knew was crumbling to pieces and not even the Time Patrollers could fix the damage he had done.
After a moment of deliberating, Yuki pulled his hand away from her as he cracked his knuckles. "I guess there's only thing left to do," he said before curving his lips up into a grin, the black markings on both sides of his face stretching just a bit. "We're just going to have to take down Demigra on our own."
Rei slowly lifted her head up to stare wide-eyed at her friend, sniffling just a bit. "You mean you want to go help them fight?" A bit of relief sparked in her emerald eyes, and Yuki couldn't help the rapid beating of his heart underneath his thick body armor.
"We can't just sit around and wait for the world to end, right? I'm sure Goku's going to need all the help he can get," Yuki replied before he shifted his gaze to look out the window once again before his eyes settled on Demigra's cathedral in the distance. It wasn't going to be an easy battle; in fact, Yuki was certain he wouldn't even make it out alive. And yet, he was more than willing to sacrifice himself if it meant that he could redeem his race for the wrongdoings his clan had done to humanity in the past. Although he couldn't personally undo the suffering Frieza had caused so many people, Yuki would have just been happy if he could somehow help save the universe from Demigra's malevolent plans.
Rei turned on her heels and began to prepare herself for the heated battle that awaited them. She pulled back her bangs with a white headband as she shoved her feet into her heavy black boots. She didn't like wearing armor to battle since she felt that it often restricted her movements, so she simply slid a blank tank top over her long sleeved sweater as a purple sailor collar was tied around the front of it. The black shorts she wore fell just above her thighs and exposed the tight muscles of her legs while her thick stockings helped her retain a bit of modesty. She didn't need to bring any weapons; she was a half-Saiyan, after all, and her powers even enabled her to reach a Super Saiyan 2 stage. She couldn't wait to kick Demigra's ass and make him pay for his crimes against humanity!
After finishing her ensemble with a pair of leather gloves, Rei looked up at Yuki expectantly as her eyes gleamed with determination. "Let's do this," she said, before sprinting out the door alongside her friend.
It didn't take long for the pair to reach the gates of Demigra's castle, and Rei would have been lying if she had said that she wasn't afraid. The atmosphere around the tall, ominous citadel was almost suffocating, and every nerve in her body was urging her to run as far away from this place as she could get. Yuki must have been feeling just as anxious as her since he kept fiddling with the straps of his armor around his wrists. Neither of them was certain of what exactly lied ahead of them, but Rei didn't come to Demigra's castle just to look at it. She closed her eyes for a moment, sucked in a deep breath of air, and then pushed open the set of heavy doors that blocked her path.
The doors creaked open and they walked inside, albeit a bit hesitantly. The main hallway was rather dark, save for a few torches hanging on the nearby walls. It looked like your stereotypical haunted castle, the kind that vampires or ghosts would dwell in, and Rei walked rather close to Yuki as the doors closed behind them. Paintings of Demigra decorated the walls, the eyes on all of his portraits watching the duo's every move, as a spiral staircase waited for them up ahead.
"Demigra must be fooling himself if he actually thinks anyone wants him as their king," Yuki scoffed as he held up his hand, only to fire a small, red beam out of his palm towards one of the paintings that glared down at them. The canvas exploded into smithereens from the impact of his blast, and Yuki clicked his tongue in irritation as he headed towards the staircase. "I hate the smug look of his face on all these paintings…I can't wait until I can blow up the real Demigra's head."
Rei traced her fingers along the rails of the spiral staircase, memorizing the elegant engravement of the various designs that had been carved into the wood. Demigra could even create detailed objects and buildings with just the wave of his scepter, and she shuddered to think of what else he could do in the face of battle. She tilted her head back to look up and see that the staircase reached all the way to the top level of the castle. It was easy to assume that Demigra was waiting for them at the top since she could feel his power pulsating from above. His energy was calling out to her, practically beckoning her to step further into his lair, and the pressure of his immense power was beginning to weigh heavily on her shoulders which made it hard for her to even take the first step up the staircase.
There was reassurance in knowing that she wasn't alone. Yuki was by her side every step of the way as they trudged up the tall staircase. It was a bit of a hike, but they finally reached the top only to be shocked at the sight before them.
The stairs had lead them to an enchanting throne room with crystal chandeliers hanging down from the ceiling. The walls on this floor were entirely made of gold while red carpet lined the flooring. Reaching up to the high arched ceiling were large windows that offered a chilling view of the city far below. In the far end of the room sat an exquisite throne where a haughty king greeted his guests with a contemptuous smirk.
Demigra had his chin propped neatly against his wrist as he reclined comfortably in his seat, his crimson eyes never parting from the two individuals that had stepped into his royal chambers. With a golden crown wrapping around his forehead and a fancy staff adorned with jewels resting in his other hand, he was asserting to all that he was in charge of this place whether anyone else liked it or not. His tall, red hair was spiked up in several directions, and the royal blue of his elegant outfit exuded an air of nobility. His appearance was both mystifying and captivating, and Rei could hardly look away from the man as she quivered underneath his steely gaze.
"Welcome!" The demon called out as he outstretched an arm to beckon Yuki and Rei to come closer. "What do you think of my new palace? It's quite magnificent, don't you think?"
Rei's body tensed up as his deep voice echoed throughout the room, causing a flurry of shivers to spiral down her spine. Goku and the others were nowhere in sight, and she couldn't even sense their presence from anywhere in the castle. Her intuition had been right—something had gone horribly wrong. Everything in the castle looked so neat and clean; there were no evident signs that a battle had occurred in here at all. In the meantime, Demigra continued to exchange pleasantries with his new visitors as he crossed one leg over the other. "So nice of you to join me as I bask in the ambience of my victory. It's a real shame you two didn't come earlier. You missed the greatest battle of all time!"
Yuki, unamused by Demigra's arrogant demeanor, took a step towards the muscular demon as his tail swished behind him menacingly. "What the hell have you done to them?!" His voice was nothing but a mere growl as he began to charge up his power. A fiery aura began to swirl around his body as he prepared to launch an attack at Demigra.
"Oh, I didn't do much to them. I simply banished them to another dimension where they will remain frozen in time for all eternity," Demigra responded as he admired the red orb that decorated the tip of his scepter. "Now that Goku is out of the way, there really isn't anyone else alive that can stop me. Not even Beerus, the God of Destruction, can hinder my plans."
Rei bit down on her lower lips as she glared at Demigra through her bangs. She didn't want to believe that her friends had been defeated, but it wasn't as if she could just dismiss the fact that they were nowhere to be seen. "Bring them back! If you don't, we'll be the ones to put an end to your reign of terror!" she cried out, stomping a foot angrily on the floor.
The redhead simply cackled at the girl's attempts at sounding tough as he stood up from his throne, staff still in hand. He lifted a single finger in Yuki direction and a powerful blast emerged from the tip, firing directly at the Frost Demon. Yuki counteracted Demigra's attack by firing a cannon beam of his own in attempts to deflect it, but his power failed in comparison to that of Demigra's. Demigra's beam shot right through his attack and slammed against Yuki's chest. He was slung back by the impact of Demigra's blast, and he was thrown into a nearby pillar.
"Weakling," Demigra grunted as he lowered his hand.
Rei could only watch in horror as Yuki slumped to the floor. His back ached painfully, but he still nonetheless struggled to stand before he charged at the Demon God head-on, fists rearing back so he could punch him in the jaw. Demigra evaded this attack easily by stepping to the side before he gave Yuki a rough kick to his chest. Yuki had been unable to dodge Demigra's kick and he grunted in pain. As he was knocked backwards, he left himself completely vulnerable to a torrent of more attacks. Demigra pounded Yuki's face with rapid punches, and it was impossible for Yuki to defend himself from the opposing male's relentless beating. His armor began to crack and shatter from the blunt force of Demigra's fist; it was plain to see who the superior fighter was.
"THAT'S ENOUGH!" Rei shouted as she could no longer just sit by and watch her friend get beaten to a bloody pulp. With speed faster than a bullet, Rei propelled herself into the air while simultaneously holding her hands out in front of her. "Kamehameha!" She roared out as a massive wave of blue energy burst from her palms and accelerated towards Demigra.
Distracted by his fight with Yuki, the demon didn't even see the girl's attack until it hit him. The beam struck him in the back, and burned through his clothing. Smoke rolled off his now exposed back where his skin had been seared. Demigra didn't so much as even flinch from his wound, and moments later his body began to repair itself from his regenerative abilities. Although it felt like a mere paper cut, her attack had still been enough to knock him off balance which was more than enough to anger him. He slowly craned his neck to look at her, a scowl on his face, as he focused his attention on her.
"I would have never thought that a little girl would have been able to land a hit on me," Demigra said in a cold and chilling voice before he shoved Yuki roughly in the ground. A few cracks broke out into the floor where Yuki landed, and to keep the Frost Demon from getting up again anytime soon, Demigra stomped on his chest roughly and knocked the air out of him. "Not even your pathetic friend managed to hit me even once and I can tell that he's stronger than you."
Rei stood about twenty feet from the demon as she positioned herself into a defensive battle stance with her fists clenched tightly together and knees bent slightly forward. "Don't you lay another hand on him! I'm warning you!"
She had such a fiery spirit for such a weakling, Demigra mused to himself as he stepped over Yuki's limp body. "And what do you think you could possibly do to stop me, little girl?" He chuckled out darkly as he approached her with slow steps, eyes never wavering from her form. As much as she tried to mask her fear with a fierce look in her jade eyes, he could still detect the faint trembling of her body. She was trying so hard to be brave in the presence of her enemy, but it was nothing more than a mere façade.
"I'll kill you!" She shouted out as she refused to allow her fear to get the best of her. She knew that if not even Goku could defeat this man then neither could she; however, she wasn't going down without a fight. She broke into a sprint, advancing towards him with her fists ready to fly. Amusement flickered in Demigra's eyes as he watched the girl aim a punch at his face with such a predictable movement. Didn't she realize that fighting him was futile? All of her friends had failed and she was doomed to die, too, if she dared to rise against him.
Demigra caught the girl's fist in his palm as thrust her arm forward. Turning things against her, Demigra swiftly yanked her arm to the side and twisted it behind her back, making her yelp in pain. He could have easily snapped her arm in two or even pulled it right out of her shoulder, but torturing such a frail woman just yet wouldn't be nearly as entertaining as he could possibly make things.
"Tell me, little girl. What is your name?" He asked as he leaned down to bring his lips just centimeters away from her ear. His hot breath ghosted against her skin, and Rei whimpered softly.
There was something about the huskiness of his voice that made Rei feel compelled to answer him. Perhaps it was that she could hear the malice that leaked from his voice, and she knew he could easily shatter her bones with little effort if he so wished it at that moment.
"I'm Rei Tukiko. I'm a Time Patroller," she answered honestly, cringing as she felt his grip tighten on her arm. She tried pulling away from him, only to be assaulted by a sharp pain in her arm. If he twisted her limb any further, it would surely break.
"A Time Patroller? I see," he answered as he pulled her just a bit closer to his body. "You know, Time Patrollers are very meddlesome. I can assume you want to use your powers and try to fix all the changes I made to history?" The girl was clearly aware of the differences in their strength and soon she knew that she would be sacrificing an arm if she continued to struggle against him anymore.
Choosing to remain silent, Rei could only grit her teeth and bare the pain until the demon decided to release her. He shoved her forward, causing her to stagger a bit until she fell to her knees. With his eyes fixated on her, he stroked his chin lightly in thought as a plan began to reel through his mind. Even though he was now the supreme ruler of TokiToki City, his plans were far from complete. With a Time Patroller on his side, he could easily manipulate all the realms of the universe and bring chaos to every living being out there. The worlds would be at his mercy; even the other gods would have no choice but to bow down to him.
Demigra flashed a wicked smile at her and folded his strong arms over his chest. "Well, Rei Tukiko, what if I cut you a deal? I'll spare your life if you promise to serve me. Having a Time Patroller around could be rather beneficial to me."
Rei was rubbing her arm gently where it throbbed painfully, but she knew nothing could compare to the pain Yuki was experiencing. She slowly looked up at Demigra with a glare as sharp as a knife, before she pushed herself off the ground. "I'll never work for you! Keep dreaming, clown face!"
Shaking his head at her attempts at insulting him, Demigra simply sighed and held up his hand. "I guess that's just too bad. It would have been more fun if you had just willingly decided to work for me, but I guess I have no choice but to take over your mind. I'm sure you'll make a charming addition to my little team of puppets." Dark energy drifted out of his hand and surrounded Rei in a cloud of thick, heavy smoke. She choked for a moment, gasping for air, as she could feel her sanity slowly slipping away from her. She could feel her mental barriers being broken down as if something, or someone, was breaking into her consciousness.
"No! I won't ever give into you!" Rei shouted once more, this time with more determination in her voice.
"You don't have a choice!" Demigra spat as he watched her fight against his spell.
Never before had anyone ever put up such resistance against his mind control abilities. Most people, human or not, often fell victim to his spell immediately and became his slave in seconds. But this girl was still holding onto her will; she wasn't succumbing to his power. Demigra pursed his lips together tightly as his brows curled forward in irritation. "Why aren't you under my influence yet?! You're just a mere human!"
Still in her right mind, a smirk tugged up at the corners of her lips. "I'm stronger than I look," she replied before forcing another Kamehameha wave to eject from her palms, a massive blue beam shooting in Demigra's direction with great speed. "And I'm half-Saiyan!"
The girl's blast hit him square in the chest, and Demigra was knocked off his feet and crashed to the ground. A hole had burned through his clothing, but the damage hadn't been enough to even scar the blue flesh on his chest. Calmly, he jumped back to his feet and kept his expression as blank and neutral as a stone wall. He snapped his fingers and the fibers of his clothing began to regenerate and weave together, restoring it back to its original state. Rei cursed lightly under her breath as she realized that her attack hadn't really fazed him in the least; all it served to do was catch him slightly off guard.
"I'm impressed, Rei," Demigra confessed as clapped his hands together in a slow applause. "Not only did you manage to hit me twice with your Kamehameha attack, but you've also resisted my special technique. I've never seen anyone quite like you before."
She didn't like the way he was looking at her as if she was some kind of rare, exotic specimen. However, she disliked the way he turned to face Yuki even more with a murderous gleam in his scarlet eyes. "Why don't we try this again, shall we?" The redhead suggested as he snatched up Yuki by his throat, fingernails roughly digging into the Frost Demon's tender neck. "Swear your fealty to me, or I kill your friend."
Rei was dashing over to Demigra in seconds, latching onto his arm with such boldness. "Let him go! Don't hurt him again!" she begged as she saw Yuki's face grow pale from the lack of oxygen. He was trying so hard to wiggle out of the demon's grasp, but to no avail.
"What do you say, Rei? Will you join me? Or do I have to strangle him until you comply?" Demigra chuckled as he saw Rei's face contort with a myriad of emotions. She was frightened, worried, and angry all at once. She tugged on Demigra's arm even more, tears spilling out from her eyes, before she finally caved in.
"FINE! I'll do whatever you want! Just don't kill Yuki!" the raven haired girl cried out, unable to handle the pain stricken face of her friend any longer. Keeping up his end of the bargain, Demigra released his grasp on Yuki's throat and watched as the other male slouched to the ground. Rei was by Yuki's side in seconds, cradling him in her arms as she wept over his injured form.
"Yuki! Yuki! Are you okay?! Speak to me!" Each syllable she uttered squeaked with the cracking of her voice as panic began to rise in her chest.
Her friend was cold and stiff in her arms, but luckily he was still breathing. He needed medical attention fast! "Don't worry! I'll get you out of here safely!" Rei reassured him as she cupped one of his hands in hers, offering it a gentle squeeze as she stared down at him.
Demigra quirked a slender brow in her direction, intrigued by her ability to think of someone else when her own life was in danger. He would never understand humans and their compassion, nor did he even want to try. "You won't be taking him anywhere," the demon king interjected as he snapped his fingers together again. In a flash, Yuki's body was no longer resting in the girl's arms. He completely vanished into thin air, and Rei slowly turned to look at Demigra in horror.
"What did you do to him?! Where did Yuki go?! You said you wouldn't hurt him anymore!" Rei bellowed out as she glared a thousand daggers at Demigra.
He simply waved a hand dismissively, shaking his head. "I never said I wouldn't hurt him. I just said I wouldn't kill him," he answered in a voice that was as cold as ice, "I simply banished him into another realm. Whether he lives or dies will be up to fate. However, you have more pressing matters to worry about, my dear. You just swore your loyalty to me, after all. If you try to defy me, I will kill everyone you know and make sure they have a slow, torturous death."
Rei simply continued to sit on the floor, wiping the tears from her eyes as she ground her teeth together. "You bastard," she hissed.
Cocking his head to the side, Demigra brought up his boot and delivered a rough kick to her abdomen, knocking the wind right out of her lungs. She felt a small crack in her ribs, and it was even too painful to breathe at that moment. "You will refer to me as Master Demigra from now on. You will be my servant and obey my every command. You are not permitted to leave this castle under any circumstance. Do I make myself clear, woman?"
Rei hissed in pain and clutched onto her sides, refusing to look at her captor in the face. Even though she had only done it to save Yuki, Rei hated herself for being so weak that she was now giving into his orders. Her pride had suffered a heavy amount of damage and there was nothing she could do to repair it. Unless she wanted him to kill her precious friends, she would have no choice but to do what he said. She wasn't sure where Goku, Trunks, and the Supreme Kai of Time were, but she could only pray that they were still safe and would somehow break out of their imprisonment and come save the day once again. Until then, she was at Demigra's mercy.
"Come, Rei," Demigra said as he sharply turned on his heels, his coat tails swaying behind as he began to walk off. "There is lots of work to be done."
She staggered to her feet, trying her best to brush off the aching pain in her torso, as she nodded obediently.
"Yes, master…"