Dragon Ball: Altered Fates
DISCLAIMER: I don't own DBZ or Elfen Lied.
CHAPTER 10: A Power Awakened
Last time on DBAF, Kaede kicked her training up a notch, as she was instructed by Gohan to increase the level of gravity to ten times that of Earth. Elsewhere, Dr. Light hatched plans with a mysterious man who controlled another of the mysterious founded by Kakuzawa. Back with our heroes, Kaede finally worked up the nerve to tell Gohan about her disturbing images, but like a true friend, the Saiyan did not abandon her, but he was worried for his friend. Now, two months have passed, and life has noticeably improved for young Kaede, but can she maintain the hold on her sanity, or will the voice in her mind be her undoing? Find out, today!
Gohan was sitting in his room, trying to study, but it was obvious he was distracted.
Gosh, Dad, what's the deal? the boy thought, staring up at the ceiling. Man, don't you think it's been long enough? Where in the world are you?
"Gohan?" Kaede asked.
Gohan looked over at her, pencil positioned in the space between his nose and his mouth.
"Yeah, what is it?" Gohan asked her, curious to why she had interrupted his thoughts.
"Well, um... I was just wondering what you were thinking about," the girl inquired softly.
"Oh, you know," Gohan said, looking back up at the ceiling. "The usual."
"You were thinking about your father, weren't you?" Kaede guessed.
"Am I that obvious?" Gohan said good-naturedly.
Kaede smiled. "I guess I've just gotten to know you pretty well."
"Well, you're right," Gohan said. "It's just... well, it's been a long time since I've seen my father. What's taking him so long?"
"I don't know, but I do know until he gets back here, I'll be here for you in whatever way I can," Kaede offered tentatively.
"I know," Gohan said, smiling a genuine smile. "You're a good friend, Kaede."
Kaede just grinned happily.
"We should get back to studying," Gohan said.
"Gohan, do you think we can train tomorrow?" Kaede asked him.
"Maybe, if we can make my mom happy," Gohan replied.
"How do you think I'm progressing in my training?" Kaede asked.
"Well, you've learned how to sense ki and to fly," Gohan admitted. "So I don't think that there's anything more I can really teach you. You just have to keep practicing and maybe begin sparring with me, and your strength should increase naturally."
"You're a good teacher, Gohan," Kaede complimented.
Gohan blushed. "Aw, hey, it's nothing."
Kaede just smiled and returned to her textbook.
On Master Roshi's island, the old hermit was sleeping on his lawn chair, a dirty magazine folded over his eyes.
Off to the side, Turtle looked up at Krillin.
"Oh boy," he sighed. "There he goes again."
Krillin was standing on the shore, right next to the lapping waves, palms cupped together. He began grunting as he concentrated ki into those same palms. As he did so, the water around him began frothing rapidly to this.
"Ka... me..." he chanted. "Ha... me... HA!"
Little water jets spouted up alongside Krillin as he shot the Kamehameha out into the ocean, carving a path through the teeming waves.
"Oh yeah!" Krillin exclaimed proudly.
"Look out below!" Turtle warned. "Tidal wave!"
And this was true; a massive tsunami was heading straight for the island!
"Yikes!" Krillin managed just before the wave engulfed them all.
After a few moments, the wave subsided and the water slipped back out to sea, leaving a very soaked Krillin and Turtle behind it.
Still not good enough, Krillin thought.
Covered in seaweed, Master Roshi sat up, now fully awake.
"He's been so serious since he broke up with Marron," Roshi noted.
"No way, that won't cut it!" Krillin berated himself. "Yeah. I've got to turn it up a notch!"
Master Roshi picked up his girly magazine and dusted it off, then glanced over at Turtle.
"You know, I bet I can teach Krillin a thing or two about getting along with the ladies," he said smoothly.
"Getting them mad, you mean," Turtle corrected.
Roshi fell over. Krillin looked up at the sky.
I know you'll be back someday, Goku, he thought, and whatever it is you're called to do, I'll be here to help. I'll be ready.
"Gohan!" Chi-Chi called. "Kaede!"
The Son matron opened the door and entered the room.
"Hey, you two," she said. "There you are. Good."
Gohan pulled up on his chair, looking upside down at his mother.
"Huh, what's up?" he asked, then lost his balance and fell.
"Gohan, are you all right?" Kaede asked frantically, worried for her friend.
Gohan began laughing. "Yeah, I'm fine. You know nothing can hurt me easily."
"Gohan, you're being silly," Chi-Chi said with a shake of her head.
Gohan just laughed some more. Chi-Chi opened the door to reveal a very stern-looking man standing there, whip in hand.
"Gohan, Kaede, we have a houseguest," Chi-Chi introduced. "Say hi. This is Mr. Shu. He's going to tutor your two."
"But Mom, why?" Gohan asked, setting his chair down in the right place.
"It's time to enter a new phase in your education," Chi-Chi informed him happily. "Mr. Shu will help you take your studies to the next level. Oh, this is so exciting. And I assumed that you two might want to get started today."
"Can't we just study harder and forget the tutor?" Gohan said.
"No, Gohan," Chi-Chi said sternly. "Trust me, this is for the best. Once you've both grown up and you've got a decent, high paying job to support your family, you're going to thank me. Besides... it's already paid for."
"Well, if it'll make you happy, Mom, then I guess it's okay," Gohan relented.
Kaede smiled. There he goes, thinking of other people first before himself. Oh, Gohan. Never change.
"And there's the sweet little boy I raised!" Chi-Chi gushed.
Mr. Shu cleared his throat to remind everybody of his presence there.
"Okay, guys, it's time you three got started," Chi-Chi said. "There you go, Mr. Shu," Chi-Chi added, bowing, "they're all yours now."
Mr. Shu nodded. "Very well. I'll do what I can. Madam, I'm very strict. Often times, slow children like this just need a little discipline."
Chi-Chi's entire demeanor changed in an instant. "My Gohan is not slow, Mr. Shu. And neither is Kaede."
Kaede's eyes teared up. It's so great to have Chi-Chi come to my defense along with Gohan. They do care about me. So unlike... back there. Then she frowned. It's going to be hard working with Mr. Shu. He thinks we're slow.
"An insult," the voice whispered. "You should kill him now."
Shut up! Kaede snarled mentally. I won't listen to you!
"Of course not," Mr. Shu scoffed. "Every parent thinks children are prodigies. I'm sure they're brilliant, which is, of course, why you've hired a tutor."
"I hired a tutor because I want them to do even better," Chi-Chi said, now sounding very annoyed. "Is that clear, Mr. Shu?"
"Yes, if you say so," Mr. Shu said, sounding highly doubtful. "Now, if you will please excuse us. We have work to do."
"Of course," Chi-Chi said. She turned to Gohan and Kaede. "Be nice, you two."
And with that, she left the two kids with their new tutor.
At Capsule Corp, Yamcha, Bulma, and the rest sat on the patio.
"So, Yamcha," Oolong suddenly said, smirking like he was going to announce that he was king of the world.
"Yeah?" Yamcha said, looking over at the pig.
"Cat loves food!" Oolong sang suddenly. "Yuh-yeah-yeah-yeah!"
Yamcha doubled over in exasperation.
"Listen, I was going through a hard time," Yamcha protested hotly. "I was desperate and needed the cash."
"You could've just come to me, you know," Bulma told him sourly.
"Hey, a true man never runs away from any challenge!" Yamcha insisted. "I won't ask my girlfriend to help with something I can't solve myself!"
"If you say so," Bulma said dubiously. "Where did you even come up with that song anyway?"
"It's an old song Yamcha used to sing to me back in the days when we were living in the desert," Puar piped up.
"Oh, by the way, I had a weird dream last night that Vegeta came back," Bulma said.
"What, Vegeta?" Yamcha repeated in disgust, obviously seeing his position being threatened. "You dreamt about him?"
"You know, actually, he was pretty nice to me in the dream," Bulma said. "And a good kisser to boot."
"What, you kissed him?" Yamcha said, his voice rising. "You slut!"
Suddenly, a resounding smack echoed all throughout Capsule Corp, and a red imprint was left as evidence of its passing on Yamcha's cheek.
"You insulting, sexist, overly possessive, macho jerk!" Bulma shouted. "You take that back right now or I swear I'm breaking up with you!"
"What?" Yamcha said, now sounding devastated. "Okay, you're right. I was out of line. I'm sorry."
"Well, that's more like it," Bulma said smugly.
Bulma's mother came up with some more drinks on a tray.
"Speaking of Vegeta, your dad said he should be running out of fuel soon," she said.
Bulma sighed sadly. Vegeta's running out of fuel.
She jumped down off the railing and turned to face the sky, looking up into the atmosphere longingly, much to Yamcha's surprise.
Back at the Son household, Mr. Shu was looking over Gohan and Kaede's work.
"I can see two mistakes here," Mr. Shu said sternly, glaring at the two children.
"Aren't you supposed to learn from your mistakes?" Kaede said. "That's what Gohan always told me."
Without warning, Mr. Shu whipped around and brought his whip down on Kaede's forehead.
"Smirking off to your instructor is a mistake that I'll teach you not to make again!" he shouted.
Kaede endured each hit, but inside, the voice was building with each and every hit.
"You should kill him now," the voice whispered. "He's just like all of those other hornless apes. Smug, superior... he enjoys causing you pain. Imagine how satisfying it will be to see his limbs torn from his torso, lying dead in a pool of his own blood."
Yes, Kaede thought, her eyes taking on a strange gleam, he deserves to suffer, just like everyone else who hurts me.
And with that, two strange, ghostlike hands began to rise out of her torso...
"Hey, what are you doing?" Gohan demanded angrily. "Stop that! Stop it right now!"
"Oh, are you mouthing off to me too?" Mr. Shu said. "Take that!"
And he brought the whip down on Gohan, but Gohan caught it in his hands.
"Unhand me, you barbarian!" Mr. Shu yelled, struggling against the boy's titanic grip.
"Yes," Kaede said coldly. "Now you will pay for what you've done."
Gohan looked over. "Huh? What are you saying, Kaede?"
And without any warning, Kaede suddenly lashed out with her vectors, throwing Mr. Shu out the window. Blinking in confusion, Gohan watched as Kaede disappeared, reappearing outside in a flash of super speed. Gohan jumped out his window and stood there, watching in increasing puzzlement. Kaede stood staring down Mr. Shu, who raised his whip threateningly.
"You brat!" he snarled. "Are you challenging me!"
And he brought the whip down, but Kaede reached out with her vectors and grabbed the whip, tossing it out of his hands.
"What?" Mr. Shu said. "How dare you! You impudent mongrel!"
Kaede lashed out with her vectors, smacking one into Mr. Shu's face. He staggered back a step.
"What? What have you done to me?" he demanded.
"Hands?" Gohan said, still blinking. "What are those hands? Are they are a ki technique? I've never seen anything like them."
As he said this, Kaede kept beating on Mr. Shu, and now she wrapped her vectors around his limbs and lifted him up into the air.
"Stop that now!" Mr. Shu yelled, now getting scared. "I order you to release me!"
"You do not give the orders here," Kaede said in a voice as chill as winter. "I, Lucy, the Queen of the Diclonii, give you the orders, you inferior ape."
And she began twisting her vectors, breaking bone and snapping his limbs in half.
"Ahhh!" Mr. Shu screamed. "Maybe... maybe your mother would like to see what you're doing. MISS CHI —"
And lashing out with one vector Kaede reached it into his throat and crushed it completely, leaving him struggling in her grasp, wheezing and panting.
"What's she doing?" Gohan muttered, entranced by what he was witnessing. "I've never seen this side of Kaede before."
Kaede walked away, holding Mr. Shu in her grip, who continued flailing about like a writhing worm on a hook. After a few seconds of watching, the watching Gohan decided he had to do something, taking off after Kaede.
"Wait, Kaede, hold on!" Gohan urged.
And without warning, suddenly, Mr. Shu's left arm broke off in a burst of blood.
Gohan stopped in his tracks, horrified at what he was seeing. He had witnessed plenty of horrors, especially on Namek, and he had no love for the cruel and abusive tutor, but this... this was the kind of villainous act Frieza would perpetrate.
"Oh my God!" Gohan exclaimed. "Kaede, what are you doing?!"
And then his other arm came off, blood exploding out of the wound. Desperate, faint wheezing gasps emerged from Mr. Shu's ripped up mouth. He fell to the ground as Kaede released him disdainfully, looking on in icy rage as the pitiful man tried to scramble to his feet, clearly intent on running away, but whatever force had possessed her would not let him get away.
"And now for the finishing blow," she said with a cold smirk.
Suddenly, a rough pair of hands grabbed her and turned her around, and she almost lashed out with her vectors again.
"Kaede, that's enough!" Gohan said, looking directly into her face.
The girl's smirk turned genuinely happy, albeit in a smug, self-satisfied kind of way. It reminded Gohan of Vegeta.
"Gohan," she purred proudly. "Do you see now what I can offer you? This and so much more can be yours if we were to be mates."
"Kaede, what are you saying?" Gohan said bewilderedly even as Mr. Shu ran away at full speed. "Why did you do that? What's happening to you?"
And then, the smug, superior look melted off Kaede's face, leaving only a blank expression, which slowly morphed into terror. She looked down at the ground, saw the blood, turned her glance to Mr. Shu's arms, and then she glanced back at Gohan, the horror on her face mounting into outright terror and disbelief.
"Oh God, what have I done?" she moaned, grabbing her head with both hands. "What have I done? Oh God! Oh God!"
And the distraught girl fell to the ground, screaming wildly.
"No!" she cried. "No! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO!"
She turned her head and let out one long, drawn out shriek of primal anguish.
"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"
"Kaede, Kaede, Kaede, calm down!" Gohan instructed, kneeling down and grabbing hold of her shoulders. "Calm down, please, Kaede!"
But the hysterical girl was still screaming, so Gohan reached out and hugged her, knowing that would relax her.
"Kaede, please, you have to stay calm!" Gohan said. "I'm here for you. I'm here for you. Please, calm down."
And then, slowly, the girl's shrieks grew quieter and quieter, until fading away completely. With a look of growing apprehension, the girl looked up at Gohan's face, and then broke away from him, looking ashamed of herself.
"Hey, Kaede, please, look at me," Gohan said.
Wincing fearfully, Kaede glanced back up at the boy in front of her.
"Kaede, what happened?" Gohan said, sounding perplexed.
"I-It happened again, Gohan," Kaede said, sounding highly agonized. "I heard that damn voice again, urging me to lash out, to hurt, to kill people, only this time... it... it actually took control of me. Everything that I did, well, it... it felt so right. So totally justified. To hurt the man who hurt me, hurt you, and make him suffer."
And then the tears began, as Kaede gave in to her pain and wept.
"And now... n-n-now..." she sobbed. "Y-Y-Y-You're p-probably g-going to ab-ab-abandon m-m-me..."
"Kaede, you know that's not true," Gohan said. "We're friends now, and friends don't give up on one another. No way."
Kaede looked up, and the tears stopped flowing.
"R-R-Really?" she whispered.
"Really," Gohan said with a determined nod.
Kaede smiled, looking rather shaky, but genuine. "Thank you, Gohan."
"But I'm not going to lie," Gohan said, sounding worried. "This voice is troubling. It's very obvious to me now that there's something... dark inside you, something evil that has to be stopped, something that could actually hurt you and turn you into a monster."
"You're..." Kaede gulped, sounding scared. "You're... not going to kill me... are you?"
"Don't be stupid," Gohan said. "I'd never do that to you, Kaede. Even if something did happen to you, and you snapped, I would do everything that I could to try and save you. Remember, Piccolo was a bad guy once, and he joined us. I firmly believe that the same can happen to you, no matter what you do, as long as you genuinely regret all the bad things you do. So you don't have to worry about that."
"Oh, Gohan..." Kaede whispered, her heart melting. "That's the nicest thing anybody's ever said to me..."
Then her concern morphed across her features.
"But what are we going to do about this voice inside me?" Kaede asked.
Gohan was silent for a few minutes, and then he spoke determinedly.
"One thing's for sure, we have to know what we're dealing with," Gohan said, standing up. "Come on. We're going to see Kami."
And so at last, despite the peaceful life she has been leading, Kaede has finally lost control for the first time, and has claimed her first victim. What is this dark inner voice that haunts her so bad, and will Gohan and Kaede be able to find out what it is from the Guardian of the Earth? Stay tuned for the next exciting update of Dragon Ball: Altered Fates!