TITLE: Price of Redemption
AUTHOR: Echo the Nymph
DISCLAIMER: I don't own the show.
NOTES: There are saiya-jin deities in this story, with only six playing a major part. These deities are: Althea, goddess of love(178 yrs); Calista, goddess of war and wisdom(129 yrs); Cora, goddess of light and innocence(26 yrs); Deirdre, goddess of sorrow(145 yrs); Gemma, goddess of life(136 yrs); Leila, goddess of time(200 yrs); Ardin, leading God(10 centuries). All goddesses are at the biological age of twenty. Ardin has the biological age of sixty-seven.
Chapter 1
A strong shudder shook the citadel to its very foundations, throwing the remaining deities to the ground. They got up, some a little confused. "Calista, what happened?" Ardin roared.
Calista looked at him, confused. An expression that rarely crossed the face of one so wise. "I don't know, Ardin. Perhaps something happened..." She trailed off, unable to sense what was wrong.
Gemma ran to the room from the other side of the citadel. The expression on her face was far from comforting. She halted right where the others could hear her. "Vejitasei is gone! All upon it were killed!" The goddess held back a sob, for their existence had depended upon the survival of their species. With so few left, and even fewer of those knowing of them, they were in as much peril as the rest of their people.
All eyes widened in shock. This could be a big problem, as they were not who they once had been. The ice-jin tyrants that had corrupted the noble ancestors of the race had caused the death of many of the oldest ones. Of all of them, only seven remained. Ardin turned to the one dressed in royal blue. "Leila, how long ago did this happen?" His tone was little more than a growl.
Leila's hands came up to cup around the amulet she wore, causing it to glow with the red of their homeworld's sky. Her eyes moved rapidly underneath her eyelids as the years unraveled before her sight. "Vejitasei was destroyed ten years ago." Her tone shifted to one of wonder. "There are those who still... I can no longer sense them. They are outside of my realm."
Cora stood up sharply, her pastel pink dress moving with her form. Her hands clenched at her cape so hard that her knuckles turned white. "I can sense them. Five hundred of the saiya-jins that were killed in that attack and shortly afterwards still had sparks of light and innocence within their being, still had something of what they were born with. There could be a chance. Deirdre, your mother was the goddess of the underworld. The representatives would listen to you more than any of us."
Deirdre rose to her feet, her deep black dress moving softly. "It won't be easy, Cora. Some of them hold onto grudges more stubbornly than Calista does. I will see what I can do." She picked up her cloak and placed it over her shoulders. The goddess fastened the jeweled clasp before stepping outside. Once under the sky of the otherworld, she cupped her hands about her amulet, bringing forth a glow. "I, Deirdre, daughter of the goddess of the underworld, summon the portal. To the Council of Souls, I wish to go."
Light shimmered around her as the portal took her to the council room. Her vision cleared, and the light of her transport caused the representatives to turn to her. "Deirdre-sama, why are you hear?" a Kanasa-jin demanded. His tone bore the anger that was still apparent, even after the years he'd had to cool down. The others of his race understood that for three of the team that had attacked were not truly evil. He was holding onto a grudge.
"Representative Remus, there is no need for hostility." Her calm tone caused him to back off, tongue-tied. She made her way to the center of the room so that she could have the attention of the entire room. "Representatives of Worlds Destroyed, I come to you under grave circumstances. Only recently did the shockwave of Vejitasei's destruction reach us. This event was calculated to be ten years ago, by Leila. For those ten years, saiya-jins who still had the sparks of light and innocence within their being have been suffering." Deirdre drew a steadying breath before continuing. "As your homeworlds are still there, there is a way for you kind to return. Please, hear me out. I am not asking for unconditional mercy, just for them to have a chance to redeem themselves. What will you set before them as their task?" Her sad obsidian eyes drifted from one representative to another.
Their discussion seemed to be taking so long, but she knew that only minutes had passed when a graceful felinoid stepped forward to declare their decision. "I am Representative Vixen of Coronasei. We understand, Deirdre-sama, that the saiya-jins who attacked and destroyed had little choice. We know now that they had been brainwashed as infants, and by the tyrant, Frieza. Our decision has been reached. To redeem themselves they must save a planet from destruction. This destruction could be genocide or the complete obliteration of the world. Only bonded pairs may go to the same world. They may work with the warriors of the planet or they may not. Those who succeed will be transported to the world that the prince is on. But be warned. It is more difficult to save a planet than to destroy one."
Deirdre curtsied politely, inclining her head to hide her surprise. "Noble representatives, we are in your debt." The light of the portal appeared around her form again. I never thought they would actually set a task before them. Now we have the hope they do. Her vision cleared once again, revealing Ardin. He stood there, glaring at her in his near constant anger. His tail lashed from side to side, indicating irritation.
"What was their decision?" His tone snapped with the irritation of an elder to the younger member of the family.
She met his glare with equal force, but no anger was put behind it. "They must save a world from destruction to redeem themselves. Only bonded pairs may go to the same world." Her explanation was in a matter-of-fact tone, which cooled his jets immediately. Although she was the goddess of sorrow, she knew when to show other emotions. And, more importantly, she knew how to. She left him standing near the inactive portal so that she could go brief the others. They would have to work together to pull this off. And the first step was Cora's.
AUTHOR: Echo the Nymph
DISCLAIMER: I don't own the show.
NOTES: There are saiya-jin deities in this story, with only six playing a major part. These deities are: Althea, goddess of love(178 yrs); Calista, goddess of war and wisdom(129 yrs); Cora, goddess of light and innocence(26 yrs); Deirdre, goddess of sorrow(145 yrs); Gemma, goddess of life(136 yrs); Leila, goddess of time(200 yrs); Ardin, leading God(10 centuries). All goddesses are at the biological age of twenty. Ardin has the biological age of sixty-seven.
Chapter 1
A strong shudder shook the citadel to its very foundations, throwing the remaining deities to the ground. They got up, some a little confused. "Calista, what happened?" Ardin roared.
Calista looked at him, confused. An expression that rarely crossed the face of one so wise. "I don't know, Ardin. Perhaps something happened..." She trailed off, unable to sense what was wrong.
Gemma ran to the room from the other side of the citadel. The expression on her face was far from comforting. She halted right where the others could hear her. "Vejitasei is gone! All upon it were killed!" The goddess held back a sob, for their existence had depended upon the survival of their species. With so few left, and even fewer of those knowing of them, they were in as much peril as the rest of their people.
All eyes widened in shock. This could be a big problem, as they were not who they once had been. The ice-jin tyrants that had corrupted the noble ancestors of the race had caused the death of many of the oldest ones. Of all of them, only seven remained. Ardin turned to the one dressed in royal blue. "Leila, how long ago did this happen?" His tone was little more than a growl.
Leila's hands came up to cup around the amulet she wore, causing it to glow with the red of their homeworld's sky. Her eyes moved rapidly underneath her eyelids as the years unraveled before her sight. "Vejitasei was destroyed ten years ago." Her tone shifted to one of wonder. "There are those who still... I can no longer sense them. They are outside of my realm."
Cora stood up sharply, her pastel pink dress moving with her form. Her hands clenched at her cape so hard that her knuckles turned white. "I can sense them. Five hundred of the saiya-jins that were killed in that attack and shortly afterwards still had sparks of light and innocence within their being, still had something of what they were born with. There could be a chance. Deirdre, your mother was the goddess of the underworld. The representatives would listen to you more than any of us."
Deirdre rose to her feet, her deep black dress moving softly. "It won't be easy, Cora. Some of them hold onto grudges more stubbornly than Calista does. I will see what I can do." She picked up her cloak and placed it over her shoulders. The goddess fastened the jeweled clasp before stepping outside. Once under the sky of the otherworld, she cupped her hands about her amulet, bringing forth a glow. "I, Deirdre, daughter of the goddess of the underworld, summon the portal. To the Council of Souls, I wish to go."
Light shimmered around her as the portal took her to the council room. Her vision cleared, and the light of her transport caused the representatives to turn to her. "Deirdre-sama, why are you hear?" a Kanasa-jin demanded. His tone bore the anger that was still apparent, even after the years he'd had to cool down. The others of his race understood that for three of the team that had attacked were not truly evil. He was holding onto a grudge.
"Representative Remus, there is no need for hostility." Her calm tone caused him to back off, tongue-tied. She made her way to the center of the room so that she could have the attention of the entire room. "Representatives of Worlds Destroyed, I come to you under grave circumstances. Only recently did the shockwave of Vejitasei's destruction reach us. This event was calculated to be ten years ago, by Leila. For those ten years, saiya-jins who still had the sparks of light and innocence within their being have been suffering." Deirdre drew a steadying breath before continuing. "As your homeworlds are still there, there is a way for you kind to return. Please, hear me out. I am not asking for unconditional mercy, just for them to have a chance to redeem themselves. What will you set before them as their task?" Her sad obsidian eyes drifted from one representative to another.
Their discussion seemed to be taking so long, but she knew that only minutes had passed when a graceful felinoid stepped forward to declare their decision. "I am Representative Vixen of Coronasei. We understand, Deirdre-sama, that the saiya-jins who attacked and destroyed had little choice. We know now that they had been brainwashed as infants, and by the tyrant, Frieza. Our decision has been reached. To redeem themselves they must save a planet from destruction. This destruction could be genocide or the complete obliteration of the world. Only bonded pairs may go to the same world. They may work with the warriors of the planet or they may not. Those who succeed will be transported to the world that the prince is on. But be warned. It is more difficult to save a planet than to destroy one."
Deirdre curtsied politely, inclining her head to hide her surprise. "Noble representatives, we are in your debt." The light of the portal appeared around her form again. I never thought they would actually set a task before them. Now we have the hope they do. Her vision cleared once again, revealing Ardin. He stood there, glaring at her in his near constant anger. His tail lashed from side to side, indicating irritation.
"What was their decision?" His tone snapped with the irritation of an elder to the younger member of the family.
She met his glare with equal force, but no anger was put behind it. "They must save a world from destruction to redeem themselves. Only bonded pairs may go to the same world." Her explanation was in a matter-of-fact tone, which cooled his jets immediately. Although she was the goddess of sorrow, she knew when to show other emotions. And, more importantly, she knew how to. She left him standing near the inactive portal so that she could go brief the others. They would have to work together to pull this off. And the first step was Cora's.