Disclaimer: No, don't own DBZ.
A/N: Many apologies for taking so long to update. Senior year in college. Plus, I was married in December. Yay! But enough excuses, here's the next chapter. Thankyou to all who review, and please, review. I love reading them!
A/N: if Zarbon didn't have red eyes in the anime, well, he has red eyes now cuz I cannot remember what color they are. Sorry!
Neko: You are such a procrastinator.
Sheol: eh... I enjoy it, yeah. But the story will be completed. Leaving stuff incomplete annoys the hell outta me. And I already have new story ideas for three others to do after this one. Ones a romance... with Gohan, a real romance one, not like this one with all the action and death and shit. I like violent stories. The second is a supernatural/ angst/ lots of violence and death, with Gohan. I'm itching to write that one. It will be the continuance I promised to "Heaven Forsake Me" all those many years ago... i was really sick for some years there so I stopped writing my stories, but I'm back. The third, I'm not sure of the genre, I suppose it would be action and adventure, but its with Vejita as a kid growing up on Vejita-sei. I like using DBZ chars, they are fun!
Neko: And how long do you think it will take you to finish all that?
Sheol: ...depends on school load. I'm about to get my practicum and internship so... I gotta write those three though, or it'll drive me insane! I already got the beginning and ending for the first two, I fill out the inbetween as I write... that's the way I always write. I name the ending and then I manipulate the plot from the beginning to get to the desired ending. So, yeah, I already know how this story is going to end, its a matter of getting there... I still haven't decided if Vejita is gonna get Bulma as his woman though. Seriously, I haven't.
Chapter 21- Blurring Lines of Right and Wrong
I groaned as I pushed myself to my knees. I felt Neko's hands near me, but hesitating to touch me. I suppose she didn't want to frighten me again. I must've fainted...
"Just like a human. So frail and disposable." Zarbon hissed in disgust.
I ignored him. "How long?"
"Only a minute. You were only out a minute. Are you okay?"
"Yeah, I'm fine."
Zarbon huffed, and he began to advance on us. I gasped as I began to slide over the ground closer to Neko.
"I grow bored of this petty childs play. As I said before, I don't need faulty equipment or a couple of statistics slowing me down. I'll find Vejita myself. The two of you die now."
The air caught in my throat. My head began to throb some more. I looked to Neko, and for the first time I noticed she was covered in blood. I squeezed my eyes shut and reopened them. She hadn't even begun fighting yet, so how could she?... But she was, sure as day, blood caked into her white fur, deepening in every crevice of her skin- blood lacing her knuckles and the lining her hands, making the image jump out vividly. Neko tightened her fist in anger, causing clots of blood to fall from her fist. Shakily, I turned my head back to the mosaic building and gasped. A corpse laid at the door step, a pool of blood encircling it. A hole was shot clean through the center. The nameless feline corpse stared up to the sky with empty eyes. From his dress, he looked to be an advisor of some sort, or was. It was then that it occured to me that I was wearing his cloak. My gut wrenched at the thought of wearing a dead guys cloak, and I jerked my arm up grabbing the collar- my first instinct being to throw it off. I hesitated though, and looked to Zarbon, amusement dancing in his eyes as he continued advancing on us. I realized then that I'd be naked without the cloak, in front of him, and my skin began to crawl and shiver, like a small convulsion, and I left the cloak on.
Neko began to advance towards Zarbon, her head held high and shoulders squared. Her cat like tail whipped ferociously behind her as her golden eyes danced wildly. "Faulty equipment? I'm not the one who's letting lust for a 'statistic' interfere with my mission."
Zarbon raised his eye brow. "Mission?" He smirked.
"Yes, mission." She stopped a foot in front of him. Zarbon stopped as well, and gracefully tossed his hair over his shoulder, looking at Neko as if she were a new video game that he couldn't unglue his eyes from. Neko narrowed her eyes at this, hissing that he was not taking her seriously. "I will not let another tyrant ruin my people..." She glanced over her shoulders at Lailith, a singe of guilt... yes, a tyrant indeed... and then her eyes ran over Bulma, another singe of guilt for not protecting her. She looked back at Zarbon and tilted her head up further, struggling to even her height with his. "... or my friends."
Zarbon laughed at this, a malicious laugh which was deep and dark. He gritted his teeth at the end and let out a hiss. His red eyes turned a deep blood red as furry burned behind them. Neko's composure faltered as she felt her blood run cold staring into them. In all of her years, this was the first time she could ever remember feeling true fear, the thought that she just may actually die and fail, and it shook her.
"You will not let me ruin your friend, Bulma?" Zarbon sang in a mocking tone. Fury and amusement all entwined in one, his eyes burning into Neko's, begging her to give him a reason to torture her just a little bit more.
Neko swallowed, forcing herself regain her composure, as she stared defiantly into his eyes. She swore to herself this would be one of the hardest things she had ever done. This is for you Lailith, I am truly sorry for my sins. I will not do it again, ever, no matter the cost. I will not... Neko stared into Zarbon's eyes, long and hard... I WILL NOT BE LIKE HIM!! She tightened her fists, more blood droplet fell, and she hardened her eyes to him.
"She doesn't belong to you."
"Number 566 is mine. I was Frieza's right hand. His kingdom belongs to me now."
It was Neko's turn to raise a brow. "His kingdom belongs to the people now. The tyranny ends here."
Zarbon choked back a laugh. "My personal assistant, to satisfy ALL of my needs. I tried her, delicious. Such an expert at-"
Zarbon stopped mid sentence and whipped his hand up to his cheek. He felt it throb slightly under his touch. He looked wide eyed to Neko who was lowering her fist. "Just shut up." She spat.
I could only stare at them. My heart stopped with that punch, and I wished it away. "He's going to kill her for that." I whispered, pushing down the thoughts of her impending death. "Not for me..." She cannot die defending me.
"INSOLENT FOOL!!" Zarbon screamed. He threw a punch hard towards Neko. She ducked easily and swept her foot along the ground in an attempt to knock him from his feet. Zarbon jumped back gaining distance between the two. Neko leapt towards him and let loose a fury of punches and kicks. Zarbon laughed, easily blocking all of them. "Come now, that almost tickled." Zarbon smirked seductively. "I like it when it tickles."
"OOOH!!! PERVERT!" Neko hissed. Her golden eyes lit up and she shot her knee up into Zarbon's groin. Zarbon let out an ear piercing scream. I was surprised his voice hit such a high note from how deep he always spoke. His eyes watered slightly as he dropped to his knees. Neko took advantage of this momentary weakness and slammed her knee into his gut, and let loose an upper cut in his neck slamming him onto his back. A small crator formed in the dirt.
Neko formed a small red orb in her right hand, then scooped some of the energy from it and began shooting small energy blasts at Zarbon while he was on his back. "Does this tickle!!! You like it rough!!! THERE'S MORE WHERE THAT CAME FROM FUCKO!!!!!" A cloud of dust rose up around Zarbon's form and inside the dust I could see Zarbon's shadow jerking on the ground from each blast. A deafening roar like the sound of thousands of bombs being dropped echoed through the air as the crator began to double, triple, and quadrouple in depth with each blast. For such small orbs, the impact was unreal.
Neko shook with rage as the dust cleared. She felt the energy coarsing through her body, and there was a lot left. The dust revealed a deep crator before her. The curiosity overtook me and I rose, walked up to the edge. I looked down and caught a momentary case of vertigo. The hole was deep, very deep. Zarbon's body looked like an ant from the altitude I now stood at. I felt a small pang in my heart, was that, sympathy? My head swam and I felt my knees buckle. Neko grabbed my shoulders to steady me. Her palms were searing hot, and I yelped lightly. She guided me back some from the edge and let go.
The feline walked slightly infront of me, and began toying with her silver ringlets of hair, twirling them tightly around her fingers and letting them go in an agitated manner. Her right eye twitched and her right hand propped itself on her hip and began kneeding her skin in impatience. "What the hell are you doing?! This is a battle field, not a side show! Go gawk from a distance!"
I huffed at the indignity. It wasn't Neko, my mind was frayed. I just... it was too much. "Well excuuuuuse me! You know, on my planet you would be asking permission to speak to me!" I said pointing at my chest.
Neko quirked an eyebrow. "Well, excuse me, your highness. Do you mind removing yourself from the battlefield before you get KILLED!" Her voice was laced with sarcasm. Her look uneased me, and i felt a momentary relapse of repulsion as I began to rub my arms, an attempt to rub myself clean of Zarbon's scent. His scent,... it was still on me, I felt myself dry heave.
I felt soft, now warm, hands on me. "Bulma, you okay?" Neko asked. I nodded, feeling the trembles begin to lessen.
I heard footsteps thud on the ground. We both looked up to see Zarbon. I saw the surprise on Neko's face. She didn't expect him to get up so quickly. Then I heard her silently cursing herself for letting up her assault. Guilt began knocking at my heart again as I realized, she let up because I was on the battlefield.
Zarbon was covered in soote. The blackness rubbed across his face, caked into the lines of his skin. Bloody blisters spotted his body like pockets on his skin, puss streaming from them. The blisters resembled rose like patterns, the redness of a rose contrasting the hues of his green skin. It was then that it occured to me, Neko's unnaturally hot hands, those energy blasts must've been scalding hot. Zarbon hissed, some blood sprayed from his mouth giving him red breath. I looked into his eyes, then I caught my breath. One of his eyes, it was protruding out like a red globe. the texture of it was bubbled with a strange yellow substance running down his cheek. The other eye was filled with a red furry. Blood clotted his dark green hair into ratted knots.
Staring at his soote covered form in tattered clothes, how the blackness mixed with the red of his blood in a strange manner caking it further across his skin, my initial reaction was fear. He stood towering in a firm stance demanding the fear. He was not the slightest bit bent from the assault near submission. It was then that an image crossed through my mind, in a flash, the image of a small, green child in tattered clothing cowaring in his abusive home. His hair clotted with dried blood and knots swelling under his skin with a left eye blackened closed. A wave of sympathy washed over me, and my mind froze.
It was then that a thought whispered far from the back of my brain,... If Zarbon had the love of his parents, if he was never beaten, would he have become this?
Zarbon smirked, eyeing Neko wildly. The redness of his eyes danced with the redness of his blood. "More." was all he said.
Neko stood stunned. She felt as though all the energy had slipped from her body. "You are insane." she muttered in awe, never so sure of anything in her life.
"You said you had more." Zarbon reached out his hand towards her and clawed eagerly at the air. "Give it to me." He then laughed in a deep raspy voice.
I stared at Zarbon, the picture of the child in my mind contrasting deeply with what stood before me now, and yet... I'd fuck my mother if she were alive. His words rang in my ear. Maybe he wouldn't be like this if she had loved him. If so, then he's the victim. But yet,- he's going to kill us! I gripped my head hard, my fingers slipping through my blue hair. But he was just a child, they fucked his mind so badly. A strange urge to save him washed through me as the thoughts ran through my mind. I thought of my father, the pressure to be a great scientist mounting on my shoulders, the pressure to be like him. The hours he spent in the lab away from me, while I silently rocked myself to sleep. My mother, out in clubs at night with other men coming home drunk, on the couch, the familiar smell of alcohol, but she never hit me, no. But still, I was so alone in my room always, and the pressure to be my father.
Him, a child, alone and beaten. The pressure to be like his father, the smell of alcohol, alone. Just a child. The constant insults, the ridicule, the swollen skin. The years of child hood, wiped clean, and thrown straight into adult hood. The accusations "are you going to run away like your real father" and the expectations to be better than his father. Like me, the scientist, to be just like father. I pictured Zarbon, a child, alone and quivering covered in blood from being beaten. Just always alone... wanting yearning for his parents love and approval just like me.
I felt a sudden wave of understanding wash over me, as I began to grasp him in my thoughts. I had to tell Neko, because... just maybe... the notion swept through me and then faded. The bastard raped me, I reminded myself, and you pity him? The mixture of emotions welled up inside and I moaned as I dropped to my knees. "Don't worry Bulma." Neko's voice. I looked up, her eyes danced with a new air. She had renewed her fight. "I will not lose you."
Neko leapt to Zarbon, he swept the air madly with his arm creating a cracking noise, like lightning. Neko sent an energy blast to the ground, raising herself out of his reach, then kicked his head knocking him the full lengths across the crator. Neko landed near his head and fell elbow first towards Zarbon, he rolled out of the way and then slammed his fist into her skull. She moaned, and raised her feet leaping up before he could inflict another blow.
I watched the two fight, a deepening pit forming in my stomach. Zarbon raped me, I should be glad he's getting his medicine, but... he suffered so long. So long in silence. Just like me. And I left Chi Chi there by herself, in that cell to suffer like me, alone. Should I leave Zarbon too.
Zarbon let loose a blue energy ball. It crackled with tiny bits of blue lightening. Neko let loose a similar one except it was white. The two energies met head on, then ensued a battle of who would receive the blast.
This is nothing like Chi Chi, Bulma! This is Zarbon, a rapist! A sick twisted sadistic rapist! I swallowed hard and began clawing at my skull, my hair entertwining with my fingers. But he was once a child, like me, a vulnerable abused child, and he still is... I looked to the battle. But if he wins, Neko loses, and she cannot die for me. She cannot die- she's my friend! But if Zarbon had been loved as a child, maybe he still wants another life even, because maybe,... just maybe,... in another life...
Zarbon's energy blast won out, but at the last second Neko dodged it and let loose another blast of white energy which hit Zarbon in the chest. Neko smirked, expecting Zarbon to fall, but he didn't. He simply hunched over lightly then straightened himself. His wild, firey red eyes blazing even brighter. "More." He growled low, wiping the blood from his lips. A small dribble of blood replaced it cornering his mouth. "I want to feel alive again." He spat, blood lining his breath in the air. Neko whimpered, a cold chill running through her. But she held her stance strong.
"Then come get it." she said motioning him forward. And with that, Zarbon charged her.
Would it be right or wrong to kill Zarbon? I asked myself. Because he is clearly a victim. but so are we! He raped me! The sick fuck! A wave of hatred rose inside of me but quickly washed away to the side as I looked at him, and allowed numbness to enter me. My mind felt so... numb. This is unreal. He is so much like me, yet so different. Why did he have to rape me? I felt sickness over come me. I wanted to puke all of it out of me, all of the filth he put inside of me. I felt myself heave. All of the dirt he reduced me to. I heaved again. The sickness he made me. I heaved once more, and it came out.
Zarbon punched Neko hard into her gut. She leaned forward and gagged. He upper cut into her jaw and knocked her back, but she caught herself before she hit the ground and caught his next punch with her hands. She dug her feet into the ground and sunk her claws deep into the caught fist, then she pulled him forward using his own momentum against him. As he passed by her, she tripped him, and flung him into the ground as hard as she could.
I can't do this. I just can't. I felt my mind fray further towards insanity. Am I insane? Even to think about the one who raped, who raped me!, as a victim, as somewhat innocent and vulnerable. Innocent? I held back a chuckle. But if things had just happened a bit differently... I tried to imagine Zarbon all alone as a child, heaving from the stress. It wasn't that far off, I was certain it happened to him more than just on occasion. I could picture him crying, wanting so bad to be held by his mother. Then the image came to me, of him walking down the streets of his home in Frieza's military uniform dreading the thought of having killed his mother... he killed her out of desire for her love. Is it so far off to think, that maybe he still desires that love, because maybe... maybe in another life,... we could have...
Neko held her arms outstretched over her head. A giant white orb appeared, a red aura shimmering around it. It reminded me almost of a sun. Zarbon leapt to his knees and flashed his claws, red lightning appearing at the end of them. Neko's heart rate shot up and a cold sweat overcame her body. She slammed down the orb hard, just as Zarbon advanced quickly on her and slammed his claws deep into her stomach. The white light overcame Zarbon, searing back his flesh blistering it further. A deafening roar erupted into the air. His body skipped along the ground and stopped some feet away from Neko, steam rising from his body. The scent of burnt flesh floated through the air. His body was now fully black and his long green hair singed. Neko reached up to the wound in her stomach and felt the warm liquid. She pushed her fingers into the wound and it swallowed it up to the knuckle. It wasn't that deep, she had worse. But it still shook her.
Right or wrong? Which one. Black or white.
Neko began to advance on Zarbon's stilled form. She licked her lips and felt them quiver. It wasn't like before. Neko wasn't relashing this like she had with Frieza. This was different.
Zarbon was a child. A tortured child who had his innocence taken a long time ago. He was a victim that needed a voice. Someone alone, like her, who was never given a choice in life. Yet, he was a murderer, a rapist, a force attempting to kill them. A tyrant that needed to be stopped. Right or wrong, black or white, ying or yang.
Neko felt shaken. Never before had she been truly challenged in such a manner. Never before so well matched. And never had she truly fought for something out of material value. This was different, yes. This... this had meaning. If she lost, all she loved would suffer.
Neko stopped infront of Zarbon and began to power up. I stared, my mind on fast track, but then it stopped suddenly and I felt the line between right and wrong truly blur. Because maybe in another life we could have been friends... because Zarbon never chose to live a life without love.
I stood and began to move quickly towards Neko. This was so unreal. I felt like I was outside of my body, like this was not really happening. Like I was watching someone else do these things. This was not me. It couldn't be. I reached out and grabbed Neko's arm. She stopped dead in her motions and just stared at me, her blue aura fading.
"What are you doing?!" Neko cried out. "I told you to stay off of the battle field. Don't you know I'm trying to protect you! for once in my life, I am doing the right thing!" ... I am not being a tyrant.
"You can't kill him." I said. Neko just stared at me confused. "Please, don't kill him. I want him to have a choice."
Neko gave me an 'OMG' matter of fact look. "Trust me, he's made his choice."
I felt surreal for a moment. Maybe I was truly losing my mind. Maybe she was right. But then an image of the child flashed in my mind and I knew I was right. "I..." My voice faded.
Zarbon opened his eyes. I looked at him, and he was staring at me. The look on his face- I couldn't place it. The look was so mixed. He looked surprised, shocked, and angry. The rage flickered fully in his eyes, but there was a softer look behind there that flashed through for a moment before it vanished. A look of desperation.
Then I found my voice. I knew what I wanted, I had always felt so empty like him until... Vejita entered my mind. "I want him to feel alive."
Neko gave me a puzzled look, then understanding overcame her face. She had undergone many battles, I was not surprised by her understanding.
"NEKO!!" I screamed. A pure look of anguish over took her face. I felt my heart drop. How could I have been so stupid! I felt my heart wrench. Neko grabbed her stomach where a giant hole was. Blood gushed down her front as the energy blast exited her other side. blood began to dribble out the corners of her mouth.
I grabbed her shoulders and guided her to her knees. I could hear Zarbon laughing hysterically behind me as he climbed to his feet. I glanced over my shoulders. He stood with no effort, as if his body wasn't completely charred black. As if blisters didn't line his skin leaking blood and puss. As if his eye wasn't swollen red. He laughed, spraying blood loosely from his mouth, his laugh deep and raspy, lined with amusement at this game he decided to call life.
Neko doubled over and moaned. Her breaths became shallow as I was silently kicking myself for being so soft. The blur deepened and it was then that I decided right and wrong were just words, and there was no real meaning in them. After all, who's to say what they mean? My mind finally snapped under the stress and I began sobbing uncontrollably.
"I am so sorry Neko, I am so sorry!"
So this is it, Neko thought to herself, This is really it. Neko felt her body grow cold as the light became dim. Her breath labored, forcefully sucked in with each breath. She gripped her stomach, the blood felt blazing hot against the coolness of her hand. Never let up on an enemy. No matter what, always finishing them off before they finish you. Show no mercy in the face of battle, show no fear in the face of your enemy. The rules of war. And I didn't finish him because of her. Neko stared up into Bulma's face, now cradled in her arms. Her tears fell down onto Neko's cheak and trailed down between her fur. I showed mercy because of my friend. Mercy... I am not a tyrant. I protected her, and now I die for... A smirk formed on Neko's face. For my love for her. I am not a tyrant. My duty is to lead my empire ruled by my people whom I protect. Lailith, you were right.
Her smirked grew as her lips curled. I stared down in shock. She is smiling at death? "Thankyou Bulma."
"For..." I asked at a loss.
"For allowing me to feel truly alive, so many battles fought in claims of protecting my people, and I did protect them, but only their bodies. The battles, the blood, I felt so alive, but not like this. Not alive like this.This is the first one I fought, truly, for another." Neko looked past me for a moment while I struggled to take in her words. I didn't understand her words, didn't she just contradict herself. I felt a claw sink into my neck and a small sharp pain as the nails pierced it skin. I let out a whimper as my muscles tensed and froze. I smelled the familiar nauseating stench of Zarbon as the sickness rose in me. Neko's face looked shocked for a moment, then relieved.
"Vejita! Save Bulma!" Neko cried. Then in a quick flash of white light, Neko vanished, leaving a silver shimmer of empty air in my arms.
A/N: Curious? Well, you'll just have to wait for the next chapter! Heh, heh. I know this chapter was a bit strange, but I need it for my ending.