X Chapter 19 X
Warning: Language,
A chilling rain of blood torrented around the saiyan females; one royal, one low-class… The sky was almost as crimson as the precipitation... Rivers of hemoglobin ran through the crags like strokes from a paintbrush...
"The being that saved you is a god." Ginge was muddled; her brows furrowed. She knew that it had to be someone powerful to save them all like he did, but never conceived of such a thing as divinity. Karrotta spoke on; her face was stern. "Yet he's not just a god. He's something else. Whatever he is, he is above even the kais."
Ginge blinked repeatedly, unsure of how to process all this. "What does-" The queen cut her off with a sharp bark. "Quiet, girl! I have much to say and little time to say it." Ginge felt belittled, as if she was a figurine. She dipped her head and heeded the strict ruler, closing her mouth.
Karotta adjusted her bangs with a thumb, moving them out of the way. Again, she carried on. "I don't know why he saved you all, but he did. That's all that matters, really... I couldn't begin to tell him how grateful I am. Our race has a second chance." She paused for a moment. Fleetingly, her mouth stretched into a genuine smile before again relaxing to its standard frown. "You're not going to die here, Ginge. You're going back." The girl strained her ears to make sure she heard that right. "How-"
The queen exploded in frustration, stamping her boot. "What did I just say, brat?! Shut your mouth and let me finish!" She took a very deep breath and adjusted her bangs once more before going on. "There's a secret you need to know... about your people. That Cooler force croney knows only so much." Ginge easily deduced who Karrotta was referring to. Her blood boiled at the thought of Komatsuna hurting her family while she was gone.
"Listen carefully. If you forget everything else I just told you, fine. But you cannot under any circumstance forget what I'm about to say, understand?" Ginge looked up from her staring contest with the ground and made eye contact with the saiyan queen. She nodded. Karrotta returned the nod. "Long ago, the saiyans lived on a planet named Sadala. No doubt you're wondering why I too am called 'Sadala'. It's a long standing tradition for the queen to take the name of our original homeworld, but nevermind that. What's important is the story I have to tell you."
The blood-rain softened to a drizzle as she kept on. "Back then, there were a group of saiyans who were different from the rest. Most saiyans then were as they are now; a race of warriors who strongly emphasized pride and the martial arts. That group and its leader, Yamoshi, were no different except that they hated evil. As it was in my era, the saiyans of old made their fortunes pillaging and extorting other races. Because of this, Yamoshi and his comrades rebelled against the others and began a civil war that ultimately left the planet in disarray."
Ginge listened intently, but wondered why this was so important for her to know. The queen wasn't done. "To even the playing field, Yamoshi devised a technique. It grew his power by many fold. Unfortunately, it wasn't enough to win the war, and he and his comrades perished. The technique came to be legendary and was dubbed 'super saiyan', and its secrets were lost to the ages..."
The fading teenager smirked a little. Boy, did she have a surprise in store for her. Even so, Ginge let Karrotta finish her story. "But there's hope. I found an ancient manuscript while roaming the palace library one night. It had within, a wealth of knowledge; the secret to becoming the legend! After reading it, it became obvious why none of us could become one; none of us possessed a kind nature! For centuries, we saiyans believed that the super saiyan was a killing machine whose bloodlust knew no limits... We were such fools! The opposite couldn't be more true!"
The temptation was too much for Ginge. She had to display her new power in spite of her uncle's warning. Sending the queen on the backfoot, Ginge squatted into a wide stance and released her ki with a mighty roar. Her wayward hair became a spiky 'cape' instead of its usual lopsided form and shone a fierce golden yellow. The shockwave kicked up dust, and forced Karrotta to protect her face with her arms. When she could put them down, the sight before her took her breath away.
"Y-you're a super saiyan!" she stammered, shakily pointing and staring into Ginge's ocean-teal eyes. Ginge beamed with pride, turning her chin up. The queen continued to shake. Having let it sink in for a few moments, Ginge dropped her ki and reverted to normal; her hair fell to the side... She didn't want to test the limit.
Karrotta couldn't believe it. Ginge was only a child and already a super saiyan! "W-where did you learn to transform?!" The memory of Bardock and the others came flooding back to the forefront and Ginge sullenly bowed her head. "I learned just recently, actually... A saiyan named Bardock showed me." The queen's face lightened with surprise; she had not expected to hear that name. "Bardock?! His squad had the highest number of conquests in recent history! Are you sure he turned into a super saiyan?!"
Ginge's brow rose. "Of course I'm sure. He's the one that taught me how in the first place." Karrotta bit into her thumb nervously. She thought it impossible for a saiyan like Bardock to become a super saiyan. Bardock was known to be battle hungry, even by saiyan standards, and always itching for a conquest. The man had successfully conquered so many planets and built such a reputation that the higher-ups had considered promoting him from his birth status as a low-class.
The royal saiyan dropped her fist to her side. "Honestly, I never thought my brother would be capable of it." If Ginge's face wasn't already bland from fading away, it certainly was after hearing those words. That was her brother?! Karrotta could sense the girl's surprise, grinning a little. "Though he was born sooner, he got the short-end of the gene pool and was designated a low-class. I was much luckier... My status as a mid-class guaranteed me a much easier life." She tapped on the symbol of Vegeta on her breastplate to demonstrate the point. Brother... You truly were robbed…
Ginge scratched the back of her head. She was unsure if she should tell the queen about her brother's fate. Karrotta could tell something was up based on the way the girl was shifting around. She bowed her head and smiled bittersweetly; she quickly gleaned his fate. Though they were never close because of social hierarchy and class expectations, it still stung a little.
The queen wiped her eyes with her pristine, white gloves, much to the surprise of Ginge. She took a deep breath and composed herself. "I think it's fate that had us meet, Ginge. I'm glad, really. In our final days, my brother and I... We had a chance to change everything... Our race. Your future." The young super saiyan couldn't understand how the queen could be so sure this wasn't the end for her. "But how?! How does this change anything?! I'm going to die any minute!"
Karrotta shook her head. This time it was her turn to sully her pride; a tear fell down her cheek. "No. No you're not. Any minute now, you'll return to them…" Ginge's eyelids lifted. "...and when you do, it will be up to you to lead them; to nurture them. The saiyan race lives on through your family." The queen's voice was like silk. It didn't take any other measure of convincing, Ginge believed her.
Like a spring hare, the girl began jumping for joy and shouting. Karrotta silently and contently watched, drying her tears and smiling. After awhile of celebrating, Ginge abruptly stopped and stared hard at the ground; something was wrong. The older saiyan came close to her and placed her petite hand on Ginge's yellow shoulder pad. "I know it's hard... But try not to think about your parents." Ginge placed her other hand on the queen's and gently took it into hers.
She looked deeply into the queen's black eyes and said "If I'm going back... Why couldn't you? Why can't everyone?" Karrotta blinked a few times. She looked down at her creamy hand, which was enclosed in Ginge's calloused ones. Her gaze returned to the girl's hopeful face. "...I don't know."
Gradually, a smile began to creep across Ginge's face. The queen's brow hiked. With a face of glee, Ginge said "If I'm going back, there's no reason why you and everyone else can't!" Karrotta was stunned by her words, she hadn't thought about it. Ginge released her hand and began hopping for joy once more; at last her people could be revived. The queen's face became troubled.
"No." she said. The girl stopped her dancing and looked worriedly at Karrotta. "No? Why not?!" Queen Sadala looked sternly at her. "Even if it were possible, it shouldn't happen." Ginge at first had no idea what to say. "I don't understand..." The youthful-looking queen snarled. "It's because of that demon, Freeza. You could revive us. But we would just be slaughtered again..."
Ginge stared back at her for a moment, wide eyed. She then shook her head. "There's no guarantee he would find out!" Karrotta's scowl loosened into a smirk. She chortled a bit. "Your concern for us is so... unsaiyan-like. And that's my point. You would revive us, but how many of us would revive you if given the chance?!" Her words froze Ginge solid. Being the 'oldest' in her family, and having lived the longest on Planet Vegeta, she knew all too well about their people's nature.
Karrotta drove the point home. "We saiyans have spent our entire existence fighting and waging war on others. We've caused untold suffering and destruction... I'm no different." She rolled up her sleeve to reveal a deep scar along her forearm; the product of a campaign on a distant world. "We lived for killing, and we were killed. Such is the way of things... Destiny is funny."
Ginge didn't rebut. Her head slumped as she thought about everything she had been told. It was all true. After a pause, the queen once more placed her hand on Ginge's shoulder pad. They met each other's gaze. "Don't let us keep you. We had our time... all the chances in the world." Karrotta gestured with her head to their crimson surroundings. "Look what we did with it... No, you shouldn't give a rat's ass about us. We're right where we need to be."
Silence followed. It lasted until a faint glow began to envelope Ginge. Karrotta's hand fell from the girl as her features filled in; she was becoming opaque. "What's happening?!" asked a worried Ginge. The glow steadily intensified. Karrotta smirked. "It's time for you to go. This place isn't your fate." Ginge rubbed her eyes with her fiercely glowing mitts. "I'll never forget you, Queen Sadala... Bardock too."
Grinning, Karrotta kidded her. "Hmph. You'd better not." The glow became brighter still. Ginge's form became almost completely concealed behind it. The queen's face displayed its trademark scowl once again. "Oh, and one more thing: My two sons still live. Stay clear of that little runt, Vegeta. He's a bastard just like his father!" This coaxed laughter from the girl, even while she felt her soul being pulled up and away. As the glow reached a peak, Karrotta shielded her eyes from its blinding rays.
From behind her arm, Karrotta could see the glow dying down; Ginge's laughter lowered in volume until it could be heard no more. The former queen cast her arms aside and looked to find an empty pair of footprints on the rocky ground. She fell deep into thought. Had she made the right choice telling Ginge not to revive their people? Her husband, the king, would have surely wrung her petite neck if he had heard their dialogue. What if Ginge and the others couldn't protect themselves? For all she knew, they were the only ones left aside from her sons.
Karrotta stewed on these questions for a time. She recalled her words to the young super saiyan. ...We did this to ourselves. We had all the time in the world to change. Hundreds of years... A breeze passed through her waist-length hair. Lightning periodically flashed overhead. ...She's a strange one, alright. What kind of saiyan gives that much of a damn about others? It makes me want to heave! ...But perhaps it's why I've been blind to the truth for so long.
"Your way is the right way, Ginge. It always was... You are the true queen of saiyans now."
The abdicated monarch turned and shuffled along the arid landscape of hell, back towards the camp where her husband and the rest of the saiyans resided. Hmph. I never caught the names of her parents... The echo of a landslide on a distant mountain caught her attention. ...Whoever they are, they have much to be proud of. With sonic speed, Karrotta dashed from boulder to boulder. Her long, prim hair swayed to and fro as she cut across the land towards the lonely, decrepit mountain.
Against the pitch black sky, the red light of the dragon, Gnost, contrasted... Its rays colored the saiyans' camp a dim orange...
Gnost let slip a rumbling growl as his yellow eyes ignited. It was clear to all that he wasn't happy about granting such a difficult wish. He bellowed in his guttural voice "Do you understand what you ask of me?!" Squas' hopeful eyes never wavered in the face of the dragon's displeasure. The growling continued for awhile until Gnost's amber orbs dimmed. "...It is done. Those saiyans who have died since your group's arrival will be revived shortly... However... the one known as 'Arti' is not able to be revived!"
Gasping and murmurs ran rampant through the crowd of saiyan children. Conch was standing to the side of Squas. He sighed and shook his head. "I was afraid of this." The rest turned to him, inquiringly. "...Gnost cannot revive someone who died from natural causes. Squas, your brother is a special case since it can be argued that your neglect killed him, not the elements. But from what I can tell, Arti died the other day without warning, correct?"
Squas somberly looked to Conch. "...Yeah. He seemed fine just hours before... Then, he wasn't. We found him dead in his house." Conch could see the pain on his face as he told him. Conch looked among the others, who also displayed looks of grief. Arti was beloved as a family member, even being the rascal that he was. All dipped their chins in solace.
A blast of blinding white light ended the silence. Everyone covered the faces, shielding their eyes from the 'sun' that had appeared next to them. Through cracked eyelids, Conch could make out a shadow in the shape of a person. Their form became more and more defined; a tail was soon visible, hanging apathetically from their body. The heavenly light intensified, forcing Conch's eyes shut.
After several moments, the light dimmed, and everyone peered through cracked eyes, dropping their arms. Glowing like an angel, a saiyan girl stood tall before them. Ginge's lopsided hair blew gently in the wind. Steam and smoke lifted and danced around her pale, otherworldly looking flesh. Color gradually began to fill her skin, a consequence of the beating of the heart. She drew in a deep breath. The sensation of her heartbeat and blood coursing through her veins exhilarated Ginge.
The young super saiyan scanned around, eying all of the familiar faces surrounding her. It took no time at all for the waterworks to start; the older children were the first to let tears fall. The younger children, especially those who had been podlings, blitzed her, tackling her to the ground while she shed her own tears of joy. Ginge took as many of them as she could and held them tight, bawling her eyes out.
Conch watched from afar, a smile on his face shrouded by his black hood. He turned away when he heard footsteps approaching. Squas had walked up to him with a worried look about him. "Ginge's back, but... Where is Quash?" The namekian blinked a few times. "...Where is the body?" he asked. Squas turned and pointed to the hill outside camp where two headstones rested. "This way."
Leaving the others behind to celebrate, Squas and Conch marched out of camp and up the hill. Conch knelt before the rugged stone with the name 'Quash' carved into it. With just a glare, he produced a tiny explosion which obliterated the topsoil, uncovering the shallow grave. Feeble whimpering could be heard as the dust settled. Squas joined the hooded namekian on the ground next to the grave. Soon, a small infant with short, but wild, black hair was visible, resting naked in the dirt.
Squas bent down and snatched the boy up, holding him tight. He hadn't yet shed tears, even with Ginge's return. Seeing his long lost brother changed that. Hot tears streamed down his olive toned cheeks.
The three sat like that for a time, with Squas embracing his baby brother and Conch watching closely. The old guardian looked the pair up and down. ...Honestly, I never thought I would ever see a saiyan form such a deep attachment with another. He glanced at the camp, where Ginge was having to 'fight off' a horde of saiyan fledglings who threatened to smother her with their affection. ...And it's not just him.
Conch's mood was spoiled when he remembered the wish that had just been made. Damn it! We need to find Iseber! The namekian ripped the sleeve from his cloak, revealing his green and pink arm. He handed the wad of black linen to the boy. "Wrap him in this and take him inside. He needs shelter from the wind." When the cloth was out of his grasp, he abruptly stood up and began hurriedly walking back into camp, to the confusion of Squas. "W-wait! What's going on?!"
Conch ignored him and picked up the pace. He waded through the crowd of children and towered over the dogpile in its center. "Ginge!" he called. "Ginge, there's trouble!" The dogpile seemed to stand up as he called. Saiyans left and right fell off the writhing mess like jenga blocks. Suddenly, Ginge burst through the remaining children, doing a flip midair and landing on her feet like a medal-winning gymnast.
She turned and gave Conch a grave look. "What is it?" Nothing was gonna take her family away again. For a very brief moment, the namekian couldn't help but marvel. He could tell that her power had grown immensely, too immensely to be a mere zenkai. Nevertheless, he shook that off and told her of the danger. "We have to help Iseber... Let's just say your revival has been a double-edged sword."
Ginge's brow lifted and she opened her mouth to ask, but Conch cut her off. "I'll tell you on the way. We need to move! Now!"