A Broken Shell in Slumber Lies
Vaguely he wonders if it is possible to call and reach out into a broken shell of once former self.
The empty part of himself stirs.
Aches.
It was a forbidden rule to time travel, both to the future and the past. But travelling to the past has the most severe penalty: Erasure from existence.
Everyone is prohibited from travelling through time, even the higher gods themselves are not allowed to flout such order. The Galactic Patrol Force would not dare try to stop him. No. Not even the dormant destroyer god himself would stop him. Like among other things he disregarded; people, events, opportunities and especially, the memories in his life.
So many memories thrown and locked away, shut.
Secrets that only he, would know and keep…
"Are you happy now, Frieza?"
The spider with three eyes upon on its abdomen asked the young, battered prince.
The said prince, in shock and entranced by the mysterious creature. The longer he stared at its eyes, he felt like he was being taken away.
He was.
He fell underwater.
If he wasn't too deadly-tired and all too-confused on what is happening he would probably try to comprehend such events that is occurring at the moment, also on how illogical this situation is. He is floating underwater at standstill and breathe with ease.
But what caught his attention is the massive heap of roots underwater.
It was the godforsaken cherry tree.
Its massive roots held six corpses and bones.
They plead and shout his name, hunting the prince with their pained whispers and harrowing alms for mercy and salvation.
"Frieza..."
The spider before, now reveals itself as a gigantic jellyfish with four glowing slits atop its head, opening, its four dark, indigo eyes.
It calls his name with a deep, calming voice.
"You have unleashed your revenge and taken many lives."
Frieza remained silent. The creature speaks of the truth in his actions earlier.
"You shall be punished harshly for this."
The young prince's hatred flared once more. This creature wrong!
Of all things they did...what they took from him. He was the one to be punished?!
"It's not my fault. I didn't do anything wrong!" Frieza clenches his fists, drawing blood.
"It was their fault!"
"You will not be permitted to go to hell." The deity spoke with vigor and unusual calmness.
"You will remain in the mortal world, to learn the weight of your crime."
Frieza stared at the sea-creature before him. Confused.
The deity continues,"You shall be the very same monsters that you've unleashed your hatred upon, and you shall act as such, no longer free from terror you will cast soon, upon the universe."
The prince looks at him with fear and aghast.
"If you defy this mandate, your freedom and your soul will belong to me in servitude. You will carry the souls of the dead, for all eternity."
With these words, Frieza was returned to the surface.
He stands in front of the very same sacrificial tree.
The injuries and contusions on his body were cleansed, as if they never had them in the first place.
"From now on, you Frieza, shall be the very same devils you so contemned."
The broken part of himself resides here, in the past.
The young Arcosian is sitting, slumped and unmoving in a darkened corner of the infamous "Squall" mothership, his back pressed on the large round window, shrouded by dark shadows. His legs are stretched out before the him, his arms loose and hanging lifeless at his sides. Tail unmoving. Dry tears in the child's eyes.
Slowly, Frieza approaches.
He kneels and reaches out.
Then hesitates.
But then completes the motion.
He touches the unmoving young child. His attention turns to the hooded, glassy eyes and gently tilting the child's chin upwards to face him. He feels a flutter of hope at a flash of poisonous red crimson eyes, bright and alive. It was nothing but an empty gaze, looking right through him, as if he didn't exist.
There is no recognition, no spark of familiarity.
Of course.
You see, the vile, savage creatures, they couldn't wait.
Couldn't wait to get their hands on the young prince.
A child of a goddess, a child of the demon, Arcosian King.
These selfish mortals wanted to be gods of the universe.
So, they killed the goddess, and she died protecting her most beloved creation.
She died in front of the child's eyes. The life drained from her eyes, haunted the prince, shaken to his very core.
It wasn't enough. No, no, no.
They were bloodthirsty monsters.
So, they bring the Arcosian race to its knees, then wiped their planet to non-existence.
They destroyed everything until there was nothing left but a broken child and nothing to show for their butchery.
The young prince would keep his secrets.
As he did.
Secrets of what horrors that the child spew.
Slowly, his thumb trails over the smooth white cheek, then moves to the child's tired eyes, trailing down to wipe at cool, damp tear and vaguely he wonders if it is possible to call and reach out into a broken shell of his once former self.
He hesitates, but only for a moment.
The emptiness in him calls out, listening for an answered cry, reaching blindly for his former shell as he leans forward. He whispers a question.
"Who are you?"
And there is nothing.
No answering call.
Pulling back roughly he stands, the emptiness within himself growing, consuming, transforming into a blind rage of hatred and loss. The loss of something he never dared to acknowledge again, that will always be a part of himself.
Buried. From long ago.
Jaw clenching, he turns and leaves, wrapping himself in shadows against a new, dark impulse growing within himself to exact terror in-kind to those that once took what mattered most to him in this world.
In the darkness, the broken shell stirs.
The young child whispers the answer to now galactic overlord's question.
"I am Lord Frieza…the very same devils I so contemned."
