Hey everyone! Miika here after a looong time of being gone. Don't worry, I can promise you I've been busy writing and brainstorming! And doing other things too, like family and roller derby. No big deal (kind of is). They're my rocks for support. What are we waiting for? On with the story! Warning: strong language.
DISCLAIMER: The following is a non-profit fan-based work of fiction. Dragon Ball, Dragon Ball Z, and Dragon Ball GT are all owned by Funimation, Toei Animation, Fuji TV, and Akira Toriyama. Please support the official release.
Chapter 24: No Pain, No Gain
The wind brushes past me, and I flick a white tendril futilely out of my face. I have no regrets. I know why I'm doing it, and the brothers will understand, I hope. At least I know Vegeta understands, though he may be reluctant to admit it. I watch the body-switched Ginyu try to gain control over Raditz's body. I rush quickly to grab him, but he pulls me down with him to a small island with a plateau.
"Cheap shot," he says as he wipes some residual saliva-blood mixture from his mouth. "But it's interesting to feel how this body works. And these heightened senses are something else, as well."
My jaw clenches as I attempt to reign in my emotions as much as possible. A couple choice veins throb on top of my enclosed hands as they round closer together. Fortunately, I have these blue wrist cuffs to prevent them from dripping with more sweat than they do as is. I can't help but think about Raditz and how he may never be in his original body ever again. I shout out in fury and throw him back up into the sky. Seeing his face contorted with such hostility causes me to remember when he first came to Earth. I don't believe his face had been that bad back then. It's too sinister for my heart to handle, if I want to get mushy. Then again, this is no time for that.
I shoot myself back up in the air, colliding a solid fist with Raditz-Ginyu's jaw. My knees and fists work like lightning against him, but I somehow feel slower as though my body is holding back on purpose.
'Hayashi, what are you doing?' I hear Goku's voice ask me incredulously.
'Taking advantage of a double-opportunity,' I respond blankly. My speed barely changes, but it gives Raditz-Ginyu the break he needs to charge through my offense. His head makes forceful contact with my stomach, and begins his flurry of attacks. 'Damn it, Goku! You just had to ruin a good thing!'
'Need help?' he asks. He's not usually one to ask me of all people if I need help; he knows I can handle my situations fairly well. If he's asking, I'm looking worn, and I may need a break. Or my form is slipping.
'Jump right in,' I say. I block a few more kicks to my shins before Goku appears. Once my friend gets his attention, I slink away over to Raditz.
"Do you need a bean?" I ask him, not even checking to see if we have a spare bean.
"It'll heal this body, not mine."
We watch the double fight going on, with Vegeta dominating Jeice nicely, and Goku taking on Ginyu in my mate's body. I guess I feel bad since this should be my chance to get revenge on Raditz's body, but that can wait until later. I need to rest my body and mind. No, wait, that's a bad idea. I can't fall asleep on the battlefield!
"Anything I can do to relieve some of the aches and pains for you then?" I ask with a little snark slipping through my question.
"You can shut up and watch," he answers back.
I take a breath while continuing to watch Goku fight. "You're mad, right?"
"I'm pissed," he says in a calm voice that can only proceed to make a person nearly defecate. "You used emotions to judge your actions-"
"I had your best interests in mind-"
"And you fight too dirty," he finishes with a struggled growl. "These vocal chords are ridiculous." He sighs and looks away from me. "Maybe I should have let you switch with Ginyu instead of saving you."
"A Saiyan gets stronger once they recover from near-death. You're no different," I say. "I could have let Vegeta spill the beans all over the place with his loud exclamations about how proud he is to be a Saiyan Prince and all that, but I didn't. I attacked Ginyu for your benefit."
Raditz scoffs at me. "You didn't have to do me any favors." He crosses his arms over his chest like a child going through a rebellious phase.
"Well, fuck, you're welcome, any time." I bite off harshly and speed towards the battle. I've had enough sitting on the sidelines, and I bring my knee up to crash into Ginyu's face. My fists and feet make solid contact with him in my rage-induced beating. The words I want to tell him- the fact that I couldn't care less if he wound up fucking himself- remain stuck in my throat, but on the front of my brain as I continue pummeling my enemy in the air.
"Hold on," I hear him say with a gurgled cough. "Time's up."
"Good, now back in your own body," I demand with my hand grasping his chin. "I mean it too." I glare at him with as much fury as I can muster. I release his chin roughly and float to his side.
'Raditz, get ready in case he tries any funny business,' I say in a much more calm tone compared to earlier. He doesn't respond vocally, but he changes his position, a sure sign my message had gotten to him.
"Body Change, now!" he cries out with his hands above his head. I look to his line of sight to ensure he's keeping good on his end. I should have known better.
He's aiming for Goku. If these times weren't so serious, I'd pinch the bridge of my nose or slap my forehead with the palm of my hand. Ginyu-Raditz moves in to intercept it, and I watch the golden beam from the body change enter his mouth. Only after a minute does the light fade away, and Raditz's ki feels back to normal for his standards. I hear his sigh of relief, though I'm not sure if he meant for it to be loud enough for me to overhear.
"Feel better?" I ask cautiously. He narrows his gaze at me from the corner of his eye. He harrumphs as he focuses back on Captain Ginyu. "I'll take that as a 'yes'."
"Quit your damn talking, Arugelle," he grumbles at me. His focus doesn't leave the purple-skinned freak of nature dressed in the armor only known to be affiliated with Frieza's personal army.
Goku moves over to us, and the only sound we hear is Vegeta's banter towards Jeice as they continue fighting. The wind rustles through our hair gently as we stare down range from our common enemy.
"Heh, you know, it's funny," Ginyu says with a grin. "I didn't expect my own body to feel stronger than that of a Saiyan." He begins to chuckle. "Even within an inch of my life, I could still probably kill you, weakling."
"The joke's on you, Ginyu, because anytime a Saiyan- what the Hell, Arugelle!" Raditz sputters at me while I try to cover his mouth.
"What is up with you guys and spouting off about our greatest advantage?!" I shout at him. "So, keep your mouth shut this time." I turn my gaze to where Ginyu continues to float- oh, he's in my face. Much closer than I originally expected.
"Keep your eye on the target at all times," he says viciously through a menacing grin, and his arms come down over head. Pain shoots through my back and shoulders, and between half-lidded eyes, I watch the sea of green come closer before it steadily turns to black.
Father had told me about a warrior who spoke of betrayal. He had said that the warrior had lost his mind after witnessing the locals tearing his comrades apart. Weren't they on Kanassa though? Nothing makes sense. I want to believe my father, but at the same time, I feel something terrible is about to happen.
Forgive me, Father, but I have to know. I have to go.
I quietly leave my home for the last time and drift in the direction of the space pod bays. The hospital isn't too far away, but I know my cousin is no longer there. My father became angry after Uncle had told him about his death. Angry at the crown for seeing him as a threat instead of an asset, he had accused the royal family of being "paranoid", whatever that means.
My scouter hugs my left ear tenderly, the turquoise-tinted glass turning the rusty dirt fields into something similar to a darker green. I breathe through my nose in an attempt to hold back any sense of loss. I won't see my father again. I haven't seen Mother in ages. Miss Rooto was taken away from us a quarter of a moon ago. Raditz…
My torso hurts thinking about him. My stomach feels heavy, my heart's thumps feel stronger against the inside of my chest, and it feels more difficult for me to breathe properly. My mind wants nothing but to think of only him.
Yellow pops up over my left eye. A written message?
'Arugelle? I hope you're reading this as soon as you get it. I know about the rumors about my father going around, and I can't say I'm ashamed of him. He's a man of honor, truly. I believe him. If what he says is true, head to the space pod bay, take a pod and head to these coordinates. It should only take a couple years to get there. Also, you won't be the only one.
I'll be back for you later.'
Coordinates follow the message, and I commit them to memory: 29XJW; 47YJS. I've seen this sequence before. But, when?
I continue to float towards the pod bay closest to the hospital when a series of bright flashes appear above. No, it's happening. I can't take my time anymore. I land on the ground and begin to sprint. Pod bays, 29XJW and 47YJS. I need to focus. Yellow-white bulbs of ki light up the night sky, and they give me a reason to keep running forward. The destroyer of worlds is here, and I'm losing time. With a war cry, I run full-blast, a speed I haven't been able to achieve again ever since Raditz saved me.
The building draws nearer, and my legs feel wobbly from the effort I put forth. I still can't rest, though; I have to make it inside, and into a pod. They tend to be guarded to prevent any spies from escaping, or anything with kidnappers at this one. With a final leap, I crash into the solid metal door before it could open. I watch it open and take notice of the dent in the right side of it. For no particular reason, I feel proud of myself.
I sprint down the various corridors, careful enough to sneak past the guards still on-duty, even with the alerts scrolling down nearly every scouter. Must be a royal thing, to have access to every scouter. Even mine. 'Attention, citizens of Planet Vegeta,' blah, blah, blah. I don't care, I have my own objective!
I slide to a stop as a hulking guard turns in my direction.
"You, stop!" he shouts out before I spin around and run again. "Hey! Come back here!"
Not risking it, I continue to run down the wrong corridors, and hide inside a small compartment. I hear him shuffle to a stop, cursing small kids. Footsteps slowly fade away, and I caution a quick glance outside- yikes!
"Hah! I knew you were in there! Now, state your business by order of King Vegeta!" he yells at me. He holds me by the back of my full chest piece.
What would my father say? I crease my eyebrows down and wear the meanest frown I could muster, and say, "That's on a need-to-know basis, and you don't need to know." I cross my arms to add to my false attitude. He blinks at me a couple times before guffawing at how much I acted like the Prince. "And if I were, you wouldn't be standing here, now let me go!"
"Not on my life, kid," he says before he takes me to the entrance again. "Now, go on home to your parents."
"No!" I shout at him, and I run past in what I can only describe as sub-sonic levels. I make each turn for every arrow pointing towards the bay, and I repeat the coordinates in my head as my own personal mantra that grants me freedom to live another day.
My legs slow down, and echoes bellowing out "hey kid" aren't helping. I want to sleep. I want to live. I want to escape.
"There you are!" a familiar voice says with a hopeful tone.
It stops me in my tracks. "Miss Rooto?" I ask. She comes out of the shadows, looking worn out and beat up.
"I see you feel the intensity as well?" she asks. I nod. "Come, take my hand. I shall lead you to the pods." I take her hand, but not without noticing the purple stains along her knuckles. Cuts line her once-fabulous garb. She begins leading me through the halls.
"What happened?" I ask.
"Too much, my dear Arugelle," she says reluctantly. "I was kept alive for questioning after my soul begged to move on, to be with my people. The fierce tyrant, whose blood runs colder than snow, believed me to be a spy."
I want to know more, but I can tell she's in pain. I don't want to trigger her further.
"It's alright, my dear. I'm not holding back for me, but for you. You may be a Saiyan child, but a child nonetheless. There are certain things you aren't ready to hear about, to witness, even as a warrior," she says with a forced smiled. "We're here, now, quickly!" With enough force, her arm nearly throws me into the pod and closes it. "I hope you know how to work it. I cannot help you now," I hear her voice muffled through the door.
"Miss Rooto!" I cry out. I'm going to lose her again. I don't want to. My hand rests on the window, and the hand she used to hold me, matches up with mine.
'I will never forget you, Arugelle,' I watch her mouth move before she turns away.
I sit down and input the coordinates from earlier. Two years travel, huh? Fine. Please let there be delicious food.
The force of the pod launch shocks me, and I try to relax. It's the second forceful impact I don't expect.
My lungs burn with the lack of oxygen. My eyes open and dart upwards. Rays of sunlight filter through the waves like a curtain. Where… am I still on Namek? I try moving my back slowly and wince at the pain as it travels down and across my shoulders. I remember now. Captain Ginyu. I shoot out from the water while gasping for air, and see no one around. I clear my mind, and focus on my targets. I feel Raditz, Gohan, Krillin, and Vegeta. Interesting, I don't feel Jeice. Poor sucker must have been done in by Vegeta. Goku and Ginyu feel off, like the same kind of off as when Ginyu and Raditz had switched bodies. Realization strikes me like a slap in the face.
Oh, Kami, no.
As an aside, I'd like to say thank you all who have chosen to follow and favorite this story (and have gone further to favorite and follow me as an author). Big props to one of my best friends as he is my beta-reader as well. I welcome reviews and PMs, ideas, questions, honest critique, mistakes, flubs, anything as long as it's not a flame.