X Chapter 10 X
Warning: Language, Sexual Content (Minors not involved),
Out in space, a large, round ship blasted through the stars…
"Commander, I've just detected a strange anomaly!" The purple lizard alien turned in his chair to face his commander. It was a blue humanoid with blonde hair, wearing strange battle armor that resembled the Freeza force's models. "Vell, vhat are vaiting for?! Tell me ze damn problem!" The purple alien turned back to his monitor and pointed. "I've got a power level reading maxing out the scanner! The signal is coming from a nearby system!" The blue man shoved the purple lizard out of the way for a better view. Sure enough, the screen displayed an alert for a power reading. Warning: Anomalous Battle Power - - - Power Level: 999,999 - - - Danger!
The blue man broke into a sweat, staring at the screen before turning and running out of the sensor array. As he ran through the steel halls, workers and attendants of various races stared at him, confused. The man's handsome face bore a very stern and worried expression as he went.
Finally, he reached the ship's bridge. He squeezed through the automatic doors as they opened and ran to the center of the room, standing at attention when he came to a stop. The entire bridge was empty except for one large figure sitting, levitating in the air. The man opened his mouth to speak, but was cut short by a red energy beam flying past his head, shaving a few strands of his blonde hair off. He stood there, quivering. "This had better be good, Salza. You know better than to disturb me during my meditation."
Salza gulped. "Y-yes my lord. Zhere has been a development! Ve have detected a power signal zhat maxed out ze scanner! Its source is from a nearby star system!" The figure slowly descended. Its large, three-toed feet touched the cold metal floor. It turned and faced Salza, revealing a large purple and white humanoid with a purple 'crystal' on its head. "Computer, abort course!" A robotic female's voice rang out through the room. "As you command, my lord."
The purple and white being never took its red, ice cold eyes off Salza. "Assemble a scouting party and take the attack pods. Find the source and report its exact location to me. Stay hidden and do not engage." Salza saluted the being. "Understood, Lord Cooler!"
Deep in the bowels of Cooler's ship, in a small living quarters, a woman and two men were discarding their armor for bed...
The woman climbed up to the very top bunk of a series of bunks; essentially slots in the wall with a mattress inside. Her long, black hair fell just short of her bare backside. She felt eyes ogling her, whipping around to catch one of her male partners quickly snapping his gaze away. Rolling her eyes, she voiced her disdain. "You're such a creep, Been. If you're that 'pent up', go find a girl in the dining hall."
Been curled his lip and looked frustratingly at the door. "Yeah, Imma just go screw one of those chicks with green skin. The fuck do I look like? I'm a saiyan! I can't breed with those inferiors!" He caught a pillow going the speed of sound with his face. "Then go take care of it in the latrine!" Been pressed on. "Oh come on! There's no women left after Planet Vegeta was destroyed! Shouldn't we be trying to revive our race?!" She sneered. "I don't give a damn about that! And even if I did, I wouldn't sleep with your fat, retarded ass!"
The pair went back and forth for a while, with Been trying to get her to sleep with him, and her telling him to eat shit. Finally, another serious, male voice rang out from the bottom bunk; a closed metal hatch muffled him. "Can you two just fuck or shut up?! Anything is better than listening to your arguing!" The saiyan woman scoffed. "Good luck getting that one to shut his mouth." The unknown saiyan male snapped. "If you don't shut the hell up and sleep, I'm locking you in here alone with him!"
She shuddered at the prospect. Waiting for her to climb into the top bunk, Been climbed into the middle one. "Goodnight you guys." Been's gesture of goodwill was met with hostility from the bunks above and below. "Shut up, Been!" With a goofy grin on his face, Been closed his eyes and fell fast asleep.
Pressing a button on the wall of the bunk, its sliding, metal door closed off the woman's bunk from the rest of the room. It became dark inside except for a dim fluorescent light at the foot of the bed. The woman, whose birth name was Komatsuna, lay, lost in thought. She understood where Been was coming from, even if she wasn't attracted to him in the slightest. It had been a while since any of them had any 'action'. Her mate had been on Planet Vegeta when it was destroyed. She missed him, as much as a saiyan working under Cooler could, though that wasn't much; she missed the sex more than anything.
Komatsuna's partner, the one that had just berated her, was a strong saiyan warrior and their de facto leader. He had led them through countless, dangerous assignments. His name was Tarro. Naturally, the saiyan woman was attracted by these traits and feats. Her very biology was hardwired to find a strong, suitable mate. Yet, he rejected her advances each time.
It wasn't unusual for saiyan males to be indifferent towards women, but Tarro was a very cold person, even for a saiyan. He prioritized his work and pledged undying loyalty to his lord, Cooler. Tarro was never caught taking a break or indulging in 'worldly' pleasures or vices. He had been working for the Cold Force since it had incorporated the saiyans, and through exemplary service, won the respect of even the most anti-saiyan racists in its ranks. When he was told of the 'meteor' and the destruction of his homeworld, all he said was: "Neat. Am I getting overtime to pick up the slack?"
This callous nature and lack of interest just created more desire within Komatsuna. Simply thinking of his broad shoulders and tall frame made her feel hot in the face. She wanted to touch his short, messy hair and feel his breath on her ear. Her hand slowly made its way between her legs. Quietly, Komatsuna massaged herself until she fell asleep.
Hours passed...
Komatsuna awoke to muffled shouting, whom she identified to be Commander Salza. She pressed the button to open the bunk door. "Up up up! Lord Cooler has a task for one of you!" Salza's face turned purple when her bunk opened to reveal a naked saiyan woman; he turned away and held out his hand. "Do you monkeys have to sleep naked?! Put some damn clothes on, woman!" Without paying him any mind, she hopped down and slipped on her battle uniform. Standing straight up, she faced Salza and stood ready to receive her orders.
Getting over his fluster, he turned back to her and sneered. "Oh, I should have been more clear. I need a competent soldier for zhis mission. Your battle power is, shall I say... lacking." Komatsuna smirked at him, knowing better than to challenge Salza, her superior in both rank and power.
Turning her head to the other bunks, which were still closed, she jeered. "Seeing how I'm the only soldier fit for duty among this band of 'monkeys', you'll have to settle for my services. Don't even bother trying to wake them. Once those two lumps fall asleep, there's no force in the universe that can move em." Salza stared at her, then at the bunks, then back to her. "Fine. Come vith me to ze launch bay." Turning around, he briskly walked out into the hall, beckoning for her to follow.
After a long walk through the ship, the pair arrived at a large hangar. It was empty aside from a single attack pod positioned over one of the hangar doors. Salza filled Komatsuna in on her mission. "...And furthermore, you will be going alone. Lord Cooler said he wanted a party assembled, but I zhink it's best to send just you, for ze sake of stealth." Fitting her yellow scouter to her face, the saiyan mocked him. "Are you sure it's best to disobey Lord Cooler? Pfft, what am I saying? You know what you're doing…"
Cooler's first lieutenant stood silent, watching her board the pod. The saiyan folded her arms and put her head down as the door shut and pressurized. A few seconds passed, and she was jettisoned through the hangar doors toward her target. A smile stretched across Salza's face. "With any luck, ze baboon will screw zhis up and zhere will be one less stinking ape on my roster!"
Outside Conch's home, the sun began to set, creating gilded trails of light through the red leaves...
It had been three years since he felt natural sunlight on his skin. He stood, basking in it with Conch. Conch smiled at his apprentice's gratification; he too missed the warmth of the sun. Putting on his shadowy hood, he spoke. "Pinach. From here on out, I would appreciate it if you kept my identity a secret from the others. Please don't tell them anything aside from my name. There are some things I told you that not even Iseber knows. He has never once seen my face." The change in mood stunned Pinach for a second, but he then smiled. "Of course." With a mutual nod, they took off for the others.
Near Arti's headstone, next to Quash's grave, Ginge sat on her knees with her hands in her lap...
The snow was caked around her; she had not gotten up in days. Any time someone came to her with food or water, Ginge refused to speak or take any. The only time she did anything was if Iseber approached. Each time he did, she would snarl and threaten to kill him. After a few attempts, he gave up trying to console her.
As the hours turned into days, hunger, dehydration, and sleep deprivation began to take their toll on the young saiyan woman. Her hair was dull and matted. Her face was ragged, as if she was aging unnaturally. Her tear ducts had all but dried up, leaving her eyes puffy. She soon found it hard to stay sitting up. But she didn't care anymore. Just take me... please...
Yet before she collapsed, she heard feet touch the ground behind her. Because they were heavy-sounding, Ginge thought it was Iseber, so she mustered every last ounce of strength she had and unleashed it in an intense blast behind her. Two figures stood behind her, one normal sized and the other, towering. With just a glare from the tall one, the blast was sent careening into the sky, where it exploded violently.
As her gaze shook, finally steadying on the pair, her eyes widened. It can't be. Pinach? She barely recognized him due to the change he went through. His face showed concern; she looked terrible. With a silly grin on her face, Ginge's eyes rolled back into her head and she collapsed in the snow.
Pinach rushed to her and scooped her up in his arms. She wasn't dead yet, but she would be if left out in the freezing wind. He carried her back to camp, where everyone had gathered, confused why an explosion occurred in the sky. Iseber was the first to spot Pinach and his old master. "Hey! You guys are back!" His face shifted from joy to somber when he saw Ginge in Pinach's arms. The younglings began to crowd around Pinach and Conch; they had been worried about both Ginge and Pinach. They marveled at Pinach's new appearance. He lorded over all of them, even Iseber, who was a giant among the others.
"Guys, let me put Ginge inside. She's in real bad shape." Swiftly, the children did as they were told and parted way for him. Pinach had to duck to avoid hitting his head on the doorframe of Ginge's house. Gently, he walked to the bedroom, taking heed of Conch's words and being mindful not to rile up his power too much. He lit the furnace with psychokinesis and set Ginge down on her bed.
"Conch, she needs warm water. Can you give me some?" With a flick of his wrist, a metal flask of water appeared in Conch's hand. When Pinach took and opened it, a puff of steam escaped from the vessel. He propped Ginge's head up and attempted to give it to her, but she was completely out and unresponsive. Conch shook his head. "I think I have a better idea. Stand aside." Pinach did so, and Conch stepped up, putting his shadowy hand on her forehead.
A faint purple glow emanated from under his palm, and the color slowly returned to her face. Her breathing softened, and a very faint smile appeared on her face. Conch too smiled under his dark hood; he could read her thoughts. He removed his hand. "Woah. Since when could you do that?" Conch turned to his former apprentice. "Since long before we met. I just never showed you." Pinach squinted at him. "You know... That trick would have been really helpful after all the beatings I took in that room."
"Don't be a whiner. The training wouldn't have been nearly as effective if I zapped you back to health each time you got a booboo."
Hours passed and the sun had long since fallen under the horizon... Conch, after telling Pinach that Ginge would be fine with a little rest, bid Pinach and Iseber farewell, and went back home...
A terrible noise woke Ginge up. It sounded like a great log being sawn in two. She whipped her head around the dark room, trying to identify the source. Again, it erupted throughout the room; she almost jumped out of her skin. The young woman looked over and saw a huge lump on the bed next to hers with two giant feet hanging out over the end. The bed buckled under the weight of the person.
Quiet as a mouse, she slipped out of her bed and tip-toed to the massive stranger. Their chest rose and fell, each cycle generating that horrific snoring. She created a dim, blue ki ball in her hand and held it near the person's face. The saiyan's tail drooped when she realized this mysterious giant was Pinach; her memories came flooding back. For several minutes she stood at the side of the bed, holding her arms and gazing away.
Finally, she sat on the bedside at his waist, resting her long hair and tail on him. After a moment spent staring at him, she turned her gaze to the floor. Ginge's grief over the death of her kid brother was temporarily overshadowed by her guilt. This reprieve, however, wasn't to last, and she began quietly sobbing into her hands.
For half a minute, she did this until she was spooked by the sensation of something wrapping around her waist. Her head snapped down to see a bushy tail coiled around her, but it wasn't hers. Following it with her eyes, she saw that it belonged to Pinach. Ginge looked at his face; his eyes were still closed, though he wasn't snoring anymore. Instead, his mouth formed a soft smile.
Her lip quivered and she had to struggle with the urge to bawl. Sniffling, she wiped her face on the back of her glove and smiled.
Morning came... The sun's light announced its arrival in the sky, though it hadn't quite peaked over the horizon...
Pinach awoke to something weighing down on him. Tiredly, he sat up to see. Ginge was face up, sprawled out across his thighs. Her chest gently rose and fell; a soft snore emanated from her lips. Slightly flexing his tail, he noticed that it was wrapped around her. What the fuck? Why is she… and was she playing with my tail?!
He considered flipping her off the bed, but decided against it. She looked peaceful. Gracefully, he began to unravel his tail from around her. But Pinach felt a sharp, excruciating pain that caused his eyes to water; his hands covered his mouth. Still asleep, Ginge had caught his tail in a doom grip. Stuff in the house, including the beds, started to rattle from his power riling up. This was the ultimate test of control over himself. Taking deep breaths, his ki settled down.
Pinach's eye twitched. He remembered the words of his master, and how important it was to not get angry. But damn it, if this girl wasn't driving him up the wall. He whispered to her. "Ginge." She didn't respond. "Ginge." Still nothing. Reaching with his hefty hand, he grabbed her shoulder and gently shook. "Ginge." The girl's hand released his tail. Rolling towards him, she latched onto his arm with both of hers, pulling it tight. A mellow groan came from her.
Ok, what the hell is her deal? With his free hand, he cupped it around her head and read her mind. Her thoughts and memories came pouring into his consciousness. He saw through her perspective when he transformed into the monster. Feelings of guilt washed over him as he experienced her fear.
'Time' hastened, and he saw the next day and Arti's death... Damn it! A tear rolled down his cheek. He had to fight the rage and grief. No matter how sad or mad he got, Pinach couldn't allow it to surface; the risk was too great.
Gathering himself, he probed deeper into her psyche, into her deepest thoughts and feelings. "Oh…"
He removed his hand from her. The sleeping Ginge nestled her cheek tightly into his arm. Pinach was stuck there. He tilted his head back and looked at the ceiling, trying to brainstorm ways to escape.
The feeling of her breath on his arm brought his attention back to her. She slept soundly and contently with his arm held tight. He couldn't help but feel a pinch of amusement at this very un-saiyanlike behavior from her. Tightening his tail around her and placing his arm under her legs, he hoisted the girl up.
He set Ginge down on her bed, unraveling and freeing his tail. Great. Now about my arm... That sucker wasn't going anywhere in its current state. The massive lad could easily have ripped his arm from her clutches, but he didn't want to wake and possibly hurt her. He stood for a minute, thinking. His thoughts went to the contents of her mind. The death of her brother had caused her much grief. Her heart was tearing in two. On one piece tugged grief, and on the other: guilt. When he looked into the deepest part of her mind, Pinach saw her true self, the true Ginge. For years, for the sake of the little ones, she had put on the facade of being tough like a saiyan ought to be. In reality, she was a scared fourteen year old girl, who all alone, inherited the burden of her new family's survival. She was so desperately tired of being alone.
Pinach sat down next to her and leaned in close. He whispered in her ear. "Hey. It's ok now. I'm here and I'm not going anywhere." His free hand lifted up her bangs and he kissed her on the temple. When his face retreated, the still slumbering Ginge released his arm, letting hers drop to her sides. A smile stretched across her face. Pinach smirked and tucked her under the fur blankets.
Stepping out of the house, he saw Iseber standing out front, waiting. They stared at one another for a bit. Finally, Iseber extended his hand. "It's good to see you, old friend." Pinach hesitated, but reached out and shook it. "Yeah." Iseber scratched the back of his head. "So uh, listen... I'm sor-" Pinach interrupted. "I know. We have the same master, right?" Iseber smirked. "Right."
The saiyan giant put his hand on Iseber's shoulder before flying off to the south.