Disclaimer: Yeah, I still don't own DB/Z/GT.
Author's Note: Phew… it's amazing how one great review can inspire one to churn out 15 pages in a day. I've had several scenes… well, actually most of the chapter in my head and in notes for so long, it felt good to finally write it… And reading that review made me excited enough to just sit down and do it, today! I feel pretty good about it now, but as always, if I find I blundered a spot with poor grammar or redundant sentence structure or something, I'll go back over it.
But for now, Thanks Merifaye! I hope you like this chapter! (Well… as much as one could like a chapter like this, anyway... ^^;)
Chapter Twelve: Briefly Breathing
"I still don't get it," Nappa grumbled irritably, "why do we have to wait for Kakarrot. The action was just getting started and now I'm bored."
"Nappa…" Vegeta hissed, "You were the commanding general of the entire Saiyan army in your day- stop acting like a child."
"Then explain why we can't just wipe everything out to save time before he gets back." He argued, "Tactfully, it really only makes sense."
"Because Kakarrot is a traitor." The prince explained, setting an alarm on his scouter, "He deserves to see everyone he loves taken from him right before his eyes. Deserves to feel how much agony we can inflict and how powerless he is to stop it. We'll take care of him slowly, and after hours of torture, he'll beg us to send him to hell."
Nappa chuckled lowly, a malicious grin slowly sliding across his face,
"Ohh, you're vicious. That's more like it… Now I'm excited!"
"Heh." Vegeta laughed quietly, "That's if he shows up in three hours…"
The hulking giant laughed, gazing in the direction of the four across the field.
"You can have Kakarrot… but let me do the runts and the Namek. I'll have some fun with those weaklings."
"After we make him talk about the Dragon Balls." Vegeta smirked, folding his arms across his chest, "You can do what you will with them afterward. And after witnessing what we're fully capable of, it'll remind her to remember her place. I'll have to think of a suitable punishment for her standing against us."
"Little fool." Nappa chortled, watching the group with a dark grin, "It's almost adorable how she thought she stood a chance with them."
.~*~.
Across the field, the small group crowded around Gohan.
"Y'know, to be fair, it's really only his first fight." Krillin looked up at Piccolo as he spoke for the child, "It's amazing that he's even out here at his age."
"Feh." Piccolo scoffed, not even bothering to look at the small boy who's eyes were steadily filling with tears. "I'm more disappointed in myself for believing in his worthless hide."
This made Gohan flinch, the tears spilling from his eyes and making their escape down the sides of his face. Parseri knelt beside him.
"Hey now, it's alright…" She smiled, wrapping an encouraging arm around his shoulder, "You'll do better next time."
"Don't coddle him." Piccolo snapped down at her.
"M-Mister Piccolo…" Gohan sniffled, "I'm… I'm so-sorry… Can't you train me again w-while we wait for my dad?"
The Namek snarled in disgust, turning his back on the sniveling child,
"I've wasted enough time on you as it is… Just go home."
His harsh words hit him like a ton of bricks. For several long seconds, Gohan stared up at his mentor… absolutely heartbroken. With a loud sniff, he slowly climbed to his feet and began to trudge away in shame.
"Gohan, wait!" Parseri called after him, Krillin joining in.
"You have to stay and show your dad how big and strong you've gotten!"
This only seemed to make the child feel even worse. Gohan's eyes refilled with hot, fresh tears that made his vision hazy as he continued to walk away.
It happened instantaneously and almost without warning. There was the briefest, sharp raise of energy and then the rocky side of a mesa that Gohan had been walking by blew apart, nearly catching him in the explosion. Parseri shot to her feet, scrambling out to the field after him, screaming the child's name.
Nappa howled with laughter, Vegeta chuckling behind him.
"Hey now, little brat! You aren't thinking of running away, are ya?"
"N-no… I…" The small boy mumbled nervously, searching for any ounce of courage within himself.
"Hmm?" Nappa smirked, cuffing a hand around his ear, "What was that, now?"
"I… I said you're a… an indescribably malignant imbecile and a depraved dull-witted display of indecency!" Gohan shouted suddenly.
Nappa looked as if he had been slapped across the face. In an instant he was barreling forward, growling in rage,
"You little piece of shit!"
He skid to a stop when Parseri leapt in front of the boy, flinging her arms out wide and making her body a barrier that would shield Gohan from harm.
The giant stared down at her for a few long moments before he found his humor again.
"Ohhh, I'm scared now!" He barked with laughter as the girl narrowed her eyes at him.
"Back off. Now." She snapped quietly.
"Are you gonna make me?" He took a step forward… but Parseri stood her ground.
"You said three hours, asshole!" She snarled, her gaze snapping to Vegeta who still sat chuckling on the rock behind his comrade. "Or is the word of a 'Prince' worth so little?"
.~*~.
With a scoff, Vegeta rose from his seat again and strode over to stand in front of Nappa. He stood mere feet from her, the closest they had been in years. It was somewhat refreshing to see that pure fiery hatred burning in her eyes up close, a warrior's spirit befitting her Saiyan heritage. He smirked at her, arms still folded over his chest.
"Are you trying to upset me somehow as revenge for getting under your skin earlier? I'm sorry to say you'll need to improve on that art… among several other things, I'm sure."
With an enraged hiss, Parseri bared her teeth, stepping forward to swing her hand as hard as possible towards the short Saiyan's face. Unsurprisingly- but no less infuriating, he caught her by the wrist, his grin growing wide across the face she just tried to slap. Their eyes met, fire scorching coal, and he could practically feel her hatred radiating off of her. Oh how he had missed tormenting her…
"Hey!"
His attention turned to the Namekian who had moved to stand between them, followed by the midget.
"Three hours." He growled through sharp fangs, "Let her go."
He glowered up at the Namek, sizing him up for a few seconds before smirking again.
"Feh. Very well…"
Vegeta released Parseri's hand, who snatched it back as if it had been burnt or infected by his touch. With a grim chuckle, he turned from them to lead Nappa back their spot while the other retreated to theirs.
"Boy that fired me up." Nappa grinned, glancing down at his comrade, "Mind if I go stretch my legs?"
"As you wish." Vegeta chortled, "Just don't do any lasting damage to the planet or we won't get a suitable price if we want to sell it."
With a salute, he turned and leapt into the air, rocketing off to dizzying heights.
.~*~.
As Nappa took off into the skies, heading towards whatever dastardly deed he had set out to do, Parseri collapsed onto the ground beside Gohan in a seated position. Her nerves were shot, legs feeling like jelly…
"Three hours…" She sighed with a wistful smile to the sky, "…At times like these… we'd light a fire…"
"A fire?" Krillin murmured in question, Gohan looking puzzled as well.
She turned to them, her smile growing warm with nostalgia.
"Back home… when the warriors were marching off to battle, the fire dancers would build a fire to raise their strength."
"Ehh?" Her bald-headed friend lifted a brow with a grin, "How would a fire do that?"
"Well…" She sighed in thought, glancing up at the sky again, "The fire dancers would be the ones controlling the fire…" She smiled at them again, placing a hand over her heart and closing her eyes, "We would strengthen them with our spirit."
"Spirit…?" Gohan blinked, tilting his head to the side.
Her grin broadened as she scooted forward to sit before the child, holding up the palm of her hand.
"The warriors leaving for battle would cut their hand…" she dragged a finger across her palm in explanation, "…and drop some of their blood on the wood to be burnt. Then we would do the same. When the wood was lit our spirits would be connected, and we could channel our strength to aid them… and the strength of our ancestors to guide them."
"So… that would really make them stronger?" Gohan asked, still confused as Piccolo scoffed behind them.
"Well… here- it's like this…" She climbed to her feet, hands resting at her hips as she glanced around in search of wood.
.~*~.
Across the field, Vegeta's sensitive hearing had picked up her asinine explanation. No wonder the Faiajins had been so easily wiped out… they still relied heavily on foolish superstitions. He scoffed in disgust as he watched her gather what little she could find of firewood- twigs, mainly. She piled them together before kneeling before the small child, gently taking his hand.
.~*~.
"Now, you'll need to give blood." Parseri smiled gently at him, holding a sharp rock in her hand, "It'll only hurt a moment."
Gohan winced as she cut through his flesh. The cut was shallow, and she gently squeezed his hand to drop a small amount of his blood onto the small pile of twigs.
"And now me…" She murmured, cutting into her own hand to give her own blood to the wood.
As Parseri formed a ball of energy in her hand to set the twigs ablaze, Gohan took off his headband to wrap his cut, watching the flames with interest.
"Now, Gohan…" Parseri smiled at him, still kneeling at his eye-level, "…as long as this fire is lit, we are connected."
.~*~.
Vegeta watched her slowly rise to her feet and stand before the fire. She seemed to wait a moment for something… for what, he had no idea, but soon she began to move- to sway. Her movements were graceful like a dance… though it also felt like she was moving through some form of martial art pattern. As she danced, moving around the small fire, the flames seemed to react to her. She would lift a leg; knee high up against her chest… the fire would swell. As she slid lower; arms gliding gracefully through the air… the fire would sway, flickering pleasantly.
The longer she danced around the fire, the taller it seemed to grow… And looking through his scouter, he noticed with an irritated grimace that the boy's power-level seemed to rise. So this was more than a silly superstition… He was surprised Frieza hadn't known of this- he surely would have capitalized on it.
Taking his eyes off the boy to return to the girl, he felt a strange jolt in his chest. She was… making that face again. Her expression was serene as she moved gracefully, decorated with that smile that he had seen so little of before. With a scowl, he felt his face grow uncomfortably warm as he found he wasn't able to look away. The longer he watched her dance, the harder it was to stop the dozens of images that haunted his dreams from entering his mind.
He tried to push away her lilting laughter, her radiant smile, her slender form, her gentle touch… such fantasies were not suited for the tasks at hand. Such a bothersome distraction she had become… This needed to stop.
As Vegeta stood from the rock he had been seated at, he began to stalk angrily across the field toward them with every intention of stopping her motions. Halfway there, however, she seemed to bend into a crouch momentarily before rising to her feet again, throwing her arms up into the air. He stopped abruptly as the flames swelled to form a large pillar that stretched into the sky.
The fire roared for several moments before fading into glittering embers and dying out completely. She slowly lowered her arms, turning to smile down at the child who was stammering in shock. Even the Namek, who had been disinterested previously, turned to look down at the boy in surprise.
"There you go…" He heard her say, "It would go something like that."
.~*~.
Gohan stared up at her wide-eyed in shock, feeling a power radiate from his very skin.
"W-wow… s-so… Will I keep this power?"
With a chuckle, Parseri ruffled his hair.
"I'm afraid not… It's only temporary. That's why the dancers would typically be left at the village. They would need to keep dancing until the battle was finished, and if the enemy took out the dancers, they would have the advantage."
"Which is why you wouldn't be able to make use of it here when the three hours are up." Krillin frowned.
"Exactly. They'd easily be able to-" Parseri stopped short as she turned to find Vegeta standing halfway across the field. Looking at him, he seemed irritated… angry almost. She scowled, turning to face him fully. Was he intending to break his three-hour promise?
His glared seared her to the bone, but she didn't back down. She kept his gaze stubbornly, fixing him with the dirtiest look she could muster.
Finally, he turned away to stalk irritably back to where he was seated.
"Hmph." Parseri sniffed haughtily, turning back to the group.
"So you did this back on your home world?" Krillin asked.
She shook her head with a frown,
"No… well, almost… I was trying out to finally become a Fire Witch when the invasion started. I would have had to wait another year anyway, since I was knocked out of the race."
"Knocked out of the race?" Gohan repeated.
"There was a Great Race that everyone had to compete in as the final event of the trials. There was that damn Hiito… a stupid boy from my village who shoved me out of bounds and made me lose my footing. I didn't even finish the race…" She sighed, her voice distant, "…Funny how simple those problems seem now…"
.~*~.
It was unfair how cruelly short those three hours seemed to fly by… In no time at all, Nappa had returned shortly after the alarm on Vegeta's scouter chimed pleasantly.
With a quick scan of the group across the field, Nappa frowned,
"Am I early?"
"No… their time is up." Vegeta rose from his seat, removing the scouter with a low, grave tone. "What a waste. But of course the traitor would also be a coward."
Across the field, Gohan roared in anger,
"H-hey!" He raised his fists, "Don't you say that about my daddy! He's not a coward!"
"Then where is he?!" Nappa roared with laughter, pulling his armor off.
"He'll be here!" The child snarled back.
"Such tragic faith…" Vegeta chuckled, taking a glance at Parseri. Her gaze was averted and her face was beet red. It puzzled him for a moment until he heard the loud thud of Nappa's armor hitting the ground. As Nappa began to stretch and warm up his muscles, he chortled with the memory of her reaction to he himself and his shirtless body some years ago.
"Hey. Nappa…" He chuckled.
The giant Saiyan looked to Vegeta, who nodded in the direction of their opponents. Following his gaze, he locked onto Parseri and noticed her current state of anxiety. He exploded into a fit of hysteria that shook the four defenders of the Earth to the bone.
"What's wrong, little girl? Not used to looking at a man's body?" He took a step forward, making her gaze snap to his. He leered at her, watching her eyes widen sharply, "Guess you can go first. I'll need a good warm-up before I take out your little friends."
.~*~.
She felt her heart shudder in her chest as he slowly approached her, chuckling lowly. He was big… he was powerful… he was practically naked- or may as well have been considering after shedding his chest armor he was wearing little more than what could have passed for underwear… and he was coming straight for her!
"Parseri…" Piccolo growled, barely above a whisper. She kept her eyes on the approaching opponent, but slightly turned her head to show that she heard him. "Sorry about this… but keep him busy for as long as you can. I have an idea."
She nodded curtly, sliding into an aggressive stance.
The fiery hybrid leapt forward, not willing to allow him closer to her friends, and met him halfway in the field. It was a clash of forearms and shins, Nappa once again toying with her and blocking everything she could throw at him… but this time he wasn't just on the defense.
He struck her upside the head, a quick jab like a python's strike that left her dazed. Another blow was landed at her side, making her stagger backwards. As he folded his hands together, intending to hammer them down onto her head, she flinched, increasing her energy to zip from view, reappearing behind him.
With a snarling grunt of effort, she swung a leg into his side with all of her might and sent him spiraling forward several yards before he regained his footing, turning around with a smirk.
"Well now. That's more like it."
He faded from view and moved much quicker than Parseri could trace. She only realized he had appeared behind her after his fist was embedded into her back, striking at her kidney. If she had graciously been granted enough time to react to the pain she was feeling, time would have slowed… but she was not given that luxury. A hard fist plowed into the side of her head, a blow that would have sent her flying if he hadn't clamped onto her arm, turning her to shove a thick knee hard into her gut.
The pain was close to unbearable. She couldn't breathe, her ears were ringing, she was nearly retching in agony. She barely registered the voice that called him off.
"That's enough Nappa, you're going too hard."
"Aw, you're right." He dropped her into a writhing heap on the dusty earth beneath his feet as he stepped over her, looking towards the other… two?
.~*~.
Nappa glanced around in alarm after only spotting the child and the short, bald man… where had-
Firm, clawed hands latched onto his tail, gripping it tightly.
"Now! Do it!"
As if Piccolo's voice was a starting pistol, Krillin and Gohan sprinted forward, charging energy in sync and preparing to hurl everything they could at the giant foe while he was in his weakened state… or at least that had been the plan.
Nappa seemed to freeze for a moment before a wide grin spread across his face.
"Nice try." was his simple remark before sending an elbow crashing down atop Piccolo's head. The Namek's body fell limp immediately, halting Krillin and Gohan in their tracks.
Cringing in pain, Parseri watched Nappa toss Piccolo's body forward a few feet with a chuckle,
"Whoops. I guess I hit him too hard. Serves him right though…"
"N-no… Master Piccolo…" Tears of pain filled her eyes as she strained, trying to push herself up. She watched the massive beast make his way toward a shivering Gohan. "G-Gohan… Run…!"
A pair of hands shifted her body, and she soon felt herself being lifted as an arm looped beneath her knees and another secured at her back. Wincing, she looked up to see the familiar smirk of Vegeta, feeling the swaying motions of being carried.
"No… W-where…"
"Shhh. There, there." He crooned down to her in a mocking voice, "Maybe next time you'll last more than five minutes."
"Nngh…" She hissed through grit teeth, "G-go to hell…"
He cackled at her response as he reached the large rock he had been sitting at, but remained standing,
"Oh, I think you'll be the one in a living hell once we get off this mudball. I don't intend to be as much of a gentleman to you anymore."
"Hn." She cracked a strained smile, "You're the farthest thing from a gentleman. And you probably look stupid holding me, short-stack."
The response was immediate, he growled lowly, baring his teeth at the jab at his height before he dumped her unceremoniously onto the ground. Rolling onto her stomach, she opened her eyes to watch Nappa pummeling Gohan. With a grunt, she began to push herself to her hands and knees… She had to get up… She had to help… She had to!
"Now, now…" Came Vegeta smooth voice from overhead. He pressed a booted foot into the center of her back, pushing her back down onto the ground. "You need to learn when to stay down."
With a growl, she attempted to push against the foot keeping her down, only to feel it press painfully harder, testing the threshold of her bones. He laughed down at her efforts, "Be a still, obedient woman and watch the show."
"Gohan!" Parseri screamed, "Somebody do something!"
Her pleas were answered in the form of Krillin landing a hard kick upside Nappa's head, following up with an uppercut to send him sailing into nearby rock and rubble. He quickly pursued him, intending to continue his assault, but Nappa emerged from the rubble and easily plowed a fist into the smaller man, sending his body skidding across the ground.
"Come on, now. Get up! I'm tired of you saps going down in a few hits." Nappa placed his hands on his hips as he cackled. "I thought you'd at least keep me entertained for a little while…"
"You want it…" Krillin growled, staggering to his feet, "You got it…"
Nappa smirked, watching the little man raise a hand high into the air.
"Ki-Enzan!" He shouted, sweat rolling down his forehead as he formed a massive amount of energy in his hand in the form of a spinning disk. He heaved a few angry breaths, glaring ahead to take aim at the rather large target. "Hyahh!"
Krillin hurled the disk of energy toward Nappa, who simply laughed, spreading his arms wide arrogantly.
"Pointless! What kind of weak attack is this?"
Parseri watched with baited breath as the disk soared towards him, hoping that whatever it was would work. With a squeak, she winced as Vegeta pressed his foot harder against her, seemingly out of impulse.
"Nappa- duck!" He roared angrily at him.
Bewildered, Nappa spared a glance at his superior before shifting just enough to move his head to the side. He narrowly evaded the disk save for a small, deep cut where it sliced through his cheek as it continued on it's merry roving way, cutting through trees, cliffs and rock pillars.
"You complete idiot! Why don't you try using your head for once?" Vegeta snarled.
"You…. you…" Nappa growled, completely beside himself with white-hot rage, "You cut me… you miserable little shit! I'll kill you!"
Parseri felt his power spike as he hurled a white blast of energy at her friend, who barely evaded it. As it hit the ground where Krillin once stood, it erupted in blinding flash, burning everything in the immediate area into cinder. Krillin soon found himself caught on the edge of it, feeling the fabric of his gi melting to his body from the heat as he screamed in pain. He collapsed into a smoking heap on the ground, not moving.
"Yeah, you like that, do ya?" Nappa laughed, preparing another ball of energy, flickering white like its predecessor. Before he had the chance to throw it, however, he felt a scorching heat at his back, whirling around with a roar. He was met with cold shock as his eyes locked with Piccolo's, still heaving from the blast of energy he had just fired at the brute.
"Y-you… You were down!" Nappa stammered angrily.
"And now I'm not." Piccolo gave a tired chuckle, "No need to fly off the handle at a little cut. You've got a face only a mother could love, anyway."
Vegeta howled with laughter, his chest rumbling,
"Looks like you're having a hard time, Nappa!"
"Enough!" Nappa howled in rage, "I was going to leave you for last because of the Dragon Balls, but now I'm gonna beat you within an inch of your life!"
"Is that s-" Piccolo started, but suddenly cut off, his eyes growing wide, "Wh… what is that?!"
Parseri felt her breath catch in her throat as she whispered,
"I… I can feel it." She couldn't help but smile, shouting over to Piccolo, "Master Piccolo, I can feel it too!"
Vegeta's gaze snapped down to her, lifting his foot from her back with a grumble,
"What the hell are you talking about?"
She glanced up at him over her shoulder, her voice carrying a cautious tone,
"You… can't feel that?"
"That power is huge! It's… it's my dad!" Gohan cried, smiling with relief, "Hurry! Please hurry!"
"So you have the ability to detect power levels without use of a device." Vegeta smirked down at Parseri as he fastened his scouter over his ear. He allowed her to push herself into a seated position as he activated his scouter, scanning the surrounding area. "We'll see about that…"
Within a few short moments, the scouter began to chimed wildly. Gazing up, she watched Vegeta freeze, his eyes widening in alarm.
"Well?" Nappa smirked, "Are they actually telling the truth? Or was this just a cheap attempt to stall their pitiful deaths."
"No, there's definitely someone on the way, and they'll be here in four minutes." He stared up into the sky, following the scouter's reading. "I don't know if it's really Kakarrot, but I'm reading a power level of five-thousand, Nappa…"
"Wh-what?!" Nappa's shocked expression mirrored his comrade's, "But that's impossible! There aren't supposed to be any guys that strong on this planet! It has to be malfunctioning!"
"It may be… but if it's not, these worthless fools have the ability to vary their power… Meaning five-thousand could just be for starters!" He clenched his fist, baring his teeth in a snarl, "Nappa! Kill them!"
"What?!" Piccolo's eyes widened in shock.
"Kill all of them?!" Nappa looked dumbstruck, "But… But what about the Dragon Balls?!"
"Forget out the Dragon Balls!" Vegeta snapped, "If that guy really is from Namek, then we can just go there to make our wish. We need to kill them now before Kakarrot gets here. Their help could actually make him a challenge… But their deaths might very well shake him up! We could use that edge, now get rid of them!"
"Wait, no!" Parseri reached up to grasp one of Vegeta's gloved hands with a desperate tug, "Please don't do this! I'll do anything- don't kill them!"
He flung her back to the ground without sparing her a glance, watching Nappa move towards the Namek.
"Good enough reason to start the killing in my opinion… You're going first, green man-"
But the hulking brute didn't get the chance- As he approached Piccolo, Gohan appeared at his side. With an angry hiss, the child swung a hard kick across Nappa's face. The kick packed a surprising amount of power that sent him straight into a rocky cliffside, the wall of rock collapsing on top of him.
Vegeta let out a choked sound of shock, Parseri sitting beside him in equal awe.
"Piccolo! You've got to get out of here!" Gohan shouted over to his mentor, "If you die, then Kami will die, too! We'll lose the dragon Balls forever!"
Before Piccolo could respond, the cliffside holding the larger Saiyan exploded. Nappa emerged from the dust and crumbling rock covered in cuts and scrapes. His eyes locked onto the tiny child that doled out that humiliating attack. His massive chest was heaving in rage, barely in control, and when he spoke, it was the mighty, snarling roar of a monster.
"I've had enough of you…!"
An energy swirled around him, fueled by his rage and collecting in his hand. It crackled and spat excess power, glaring white as he roared angrily,
"DIE!"
"NO! DON'T!" Parseri screamed, trying to crawl to her feet. She was immediately snatched up by a chuckling Vegeta, clutching her body to his and leaping into the air as Nappa hurled the sparkling ball of energy at the small child with a vengeance.
.~*~.
Hovering overhead, Parseri watched everything below the two of them be swallowed up by whiteness. She heard an explosion, no doubt the impact against Gohan's little body and wailed, struggling in the iron grip of Vegeta. The white light swelled, seeming to spread wider across the land and into the air, swallowing everything… everything in its wake. As it rose higher, she felt the scalding heat on her bare toes and yelped in pain, earning a tighter grasp around her waist. He shifted her in his arms so that she faced him and turned so that his back would shield her from the brunt of it as he took her higher into the air.
When everything was over she squinted, peering down to the rumbling earth afraid of what she might find. When she saw the smoke clear and Piccolo's massive body had shielded Gohan from harm, she let out a half choked sob, half relieved laugh. Gohan was safe… Piccolo was still standing… there was still hope!
Or at least that's what she thought, until she watched Piccolo collapse, feeling his energy plummet.
"N-no…!" She gasped, shouting down to them, "Master Piccolo!"
Her eyes flew up to the smug, calculating stare of Vegeta's.
"Take me down- Please!" She begged, feeling the scorching sting of tears in her eyes, "Please bring me down and let me go to them!"
"Feh." He scoffed, "You're too attached to these Earthlings and the Namekian."
"Put me down!" She screamed, kicking and punching every inch of him she could reach, though her muscles cried out in protest. Finally, she lurched forward and sunk her teeth into the flesh of where his neck and shoulder met, nearly drawing blood. The shock of her action was enough for him to fling her away in surprise, leaving her to plummet over sixty feet to the ground.
Parseri hit the hard earth with a resounding crash, cringing in agony. She tried to move… to roll onto her stomach to crawl to Piccolo's side, but try as she might, she couldn't budge. Piccolo's life energy was fading fast… and she couldn't get to him. But even if she could, what good would it do?
Vegeta landed beside her, smirking down at her writhing with mild interest.
"You had this coming, you know. You should have been smarter about who you're choosing to side with."
He knelt to pinch her cheek roughly, his tone condescending,
"No matter… A day in a healing tank and you'll be able to make a fresh start, won't you?"
She winced in pain and anger, trying to ignore his snide comments and focus on Piccolo's life energy… but when she felt out for it… it was gone.
Gone? It couldn't be…
But when Parseri heard Gohan's heartbroken wail, she knew it was true. Everything had happened too fast… Everyone was fading from her life again and once more, there was nothing she could do to stop it. She opened her bleary eyes, taking in a shuddering breath as tears streamed down the sides of her face. She gazed past Vegeta's chuckling visage to stare up into the ironically bright, blue sky.
This was the end… she knew it. It was all so hopeless…
Hopeless...
