TITLE: Chapter Nine - Lost Lives
AUTHOR: Rachel Wong
AUTHOR'S EMAIL: Hidden_Angel_83@hotmail.com
RATING: PG-13
PAIRINGS: None
WARNINGS: Death
SUMMARY: Sword Saint fights with Han. A close friend dies.
NOTE: This is set in an alternate universe. Please do not read it if you do not like A/U's. This is about B/V and G/CC. Please read and review. I'd like to know what you guys think. If you guys have ever heard of or watched the Chinese movie Storm Rider, this is a bit similar. By the way, Goku and Vegeta are not Saiyan. There are no Saiyans. This is set strictly on Earth and everyone is human.
DISCLAIMER: I do not own Dragonball Z and am in no way connected to them. I only wish I was, than I'd have at least SOME $$$. I also do not own and am in no way related to the creators or producers or anything of Storm Rider. Seeing as how I am broke, sueing me would do you no good. =Þ
Last time on The Truth:
Buddopa closed his eyes again, knowing that the wheel of fate was now moving in full force. "Yes Goku. You and Vegeta must destroy the evil that has now corrupted this land. Only than can your son and Vegeta's son grow up in a world of peace."
*****
Chi Chi woke up feeling cold and alone. "Goku?" She called out his name several times. No response. Her blood began to turn to ice as she realized where he was. She scrambled out of bed, hoping that she wasn't too late, hoping he wasn't at Han city yet.
*****
Krillen found himself being curiously drawn to the prison. He couldn't tell why, he just had to be there. To his shock, he found Buddopa there, just as Goku had. And just like Goku, Buddopa told him the whole truth of how he had become and orphan.
*****
Bulma walked around, muttering to herself. Where was Vegeta. It was just like him to do this. He had promised her that he would work on a new roof for their house yet he was nowhere to be found. A frown crossed her face but was quickly replaced by a look of shock and horror. What day was it? No. He couldn't be there. He wouldn't...he WOULD! As quick as she could, she headed after her husband.
*****
The people all stood nervously waiting for Sword Saint to arrive. Yip was there as his eyes shone with the want for revenge. Many other warriors had come, some hated Han, others feared him. The one thing they all had in common was that none of them wanted to miss the fight that was sure to be the fight of a lifetime.
*****
Goku looked up from where he was sitting, sensing that Vegeta was coming. He stood up, ready to face the older man. Vegeta spotted Goku and landed beside him. They merely glared at each other. Goku finally broke the silence.
"So, you knew all along didn't you?"
Without having to ask, Vegeta knew what Goku was talking about. "Yeah."
"Why didn't you tell any of us?"
Vegeta turned violently towards Goku. His icy stare penetrating through to Goku's very soul. "Would you have believed me? Remember that you all thought I was the raving mad guy whose temper changed quicker than the clouds changed shapes in a day."
Goku realized Vegeta was right. No one would have believed him had he told them that Han had killed their parents. "Sorry Vegeta." No response. He just turned his head away in disgust. "Now we know. We can't let him get away with it."
Vegeta glared at Goku again. "You do what you have to do. I am here to retrieve my father's sword. Nothing more."
Goku snorted. "Yeah right. And I'm a monkey's uncle."
"Hmph. Think what you will."
The two warriors took to the air, each with their own mission, each with their own thoughts.
Vegeta flew distractedly beside Goku. He wasn't going to break his promise to Bulma. He had promised her that he wouldn't hurt Han if Han didn't try to hurt him. He wondered what Bulma would do if he was forced to hurt or even kill, Han.
*****
The Great Hall intensified as everyone felt Sword Saint just outside of the door. Slowly, a green blue light began to appear and a figure came through the door without opening it. Mouths dropped and heads swung. Slowly, the spirit like figure began to glide towards Han.
Han stood up, fear showing on his face. He could feel Sword Saint's power level which was higher than his. But he could sense something else, the old man seemed to be losing his hold on life. Deciding to risk it all, Han began to power up the one attack he had promised himself to never use. It was a dangerous attack, the attacker had to put all his heart and soul into it. Meaning if it was done wrong, the attacker would die. However, if it was done right, the defender would perish, no matter how strong.
Han began to pool all of his energy into the attack. He closed his eyes in concentration, sensing Sword Saint's advances. He smirked. He would show the whole world who the strongest warrior was. They would all bow to him. Buddopa was wrong. He would rule the entire world!
The spirit-like Sword Saint reached Buddopa and grabbed onto Han's heart, knowing that these were his dying moments. Win or lose, it was his time to die. He was an old man, ready to accept death, but wanting to do one last good deed first. He smiled, thinking that Han was as good as dead as he felt Han's energy begin do fade.
A sudden flash of light and energy erupted from Han as he released his Time Bomb. Sword Saint's eyes widdened in shock as he felt his essence being torn apart piece by piece. Dust balls erupted into the room, making it impossible to see.
Yip strained his eyes, trying to see the result of the powerful blast. When the dust finally died down, many bodies lay, lifeless around him. In fact, he was the only one to survive the blast. Enraged, he picked up the sword closest to him and rushed at Han. "Die you..."
Before he could finish his sentence, Han fired a ball of energy at him. Wun flew out of the air just in time to catch the falling Yip. He could feel the young warrior's life being pulled away by the force of the energy ball.
Yip looked up at Wun with pleading eyes. "Please sir, please gain revenge for my family." His words were quiet and filled with sadness. "I am a weakling and could not kill him. Please help..." He never finished his sentence. Wun looked at the dead warrior in his arms. His gaze shifted to Han's. He knew he wasn't powerful enough to beat Han and wasn't about to tempt fate.
At that moment, Krillen came storming into the Great Hall. "Ah, Krillen. Good. Announce to the world that Han's Clan is now the ultimate ruler of the world. No one can defeat me!"
One look around the room for Krillen confirmed every word that Buddopa had told him. "You...you evil monster!"
Han laughed mockingly. "What makes you say that my heir?"
Krillen shook with rage. "I will never be your heir. You are too evil!" With that, he turned around to leave.
Wun took this time to slowly remove Yip's body from the center of the room. Dispite his arrogance when they had first met, Yip had earned Wun's respect. The boy had determination and guts. He would give the kid a proper burial afterwards, if he himself lived through this day.
"And where do you think you're going Krillen?" Han's voice was cold, almost scary.
Krillen swallowed the lump in his throat. "I am leaving Han's Clan."
Han laughed some more, some of the pain that Sword Saint had caused subsiding. "Do you think it is that easy? Do you think you can come as you wish and go as you wish? Do you realize where you are?" The entire time he was talking, Han had been forming a small energy ball. "Anyone wishing to leave will leave in one way. Dead!" With that, he fired his energy ball.
Krillen turned around to counteract the attack. Han was too strong. Krillen was helpless against the small yet powerful ball of energy. The ball of energy seeped into his very soul and tour it apart. He could feel his body turning into ice.
So, he thought to himself, this is what it feels like to be hit with an Ice Punch. He regretted his life. Regretted everything about it. He had worked for the man who had killed his entire family, who had opressed most of the world. His life was nothing more than a mistake. He felt himself begin to tip over. Strong arms willed him to stand up, tried to will him to live. The last thing he saw in his life was the face of Goku and Vegeta, his best friend and a comrade he had barely known.
Goku caught his best friend just as he began to fall. He and Vegeta had just barged through the door, hearing the argument between Krillen and Han. Goku closed his eyes. He was too late. He hadn't been able to save his best friend.
"Ah, so you two aren't dead yet I see. Why would you come back? I never knew you wanted to die so badly."
Goku's anger began to turn into raw power as he gently placed his friend down. He would not let his friend and family die without a little revenge. He had come back to thank Han, yet now he was ready to kill him.
Vegeta was speechless True, he hadn't known Krillen very well, but the guy had seemed like a nice guy. They had grown up together, almost like a family. Seeing his lifeless body there was pushing Vegeta over the edge.
"Ten years ago, after you took me in, I asked you a question. I asked you if you weren't afraid that someday I would kill you. You never answered me. Now I want to know. Why?" Vegeta's question was filled with sorrow dispite his attempts to hide the emotion. His eyes never left the floor beside Krillen's body.
Han smirked. "Stupid boy! Do you think I would save anyone and help them if I didn't think I could kill them later? I knew then and I know now that I can beat you easily. The both of you are no match for me."
Goku and Vegeta glared at Han at the same moment. It almost sent shivers down Han's back as he saw the anger and need for blood in their eyes. Wordlessly, Goku flew at him with a kind of energy that he had never seen the boy possess before.
Han faught back urgently, knowing that he needed a few more minutes to recover from his Time Bomb. He knocked Goku away and fled to his Sword Chamber (the room where Goku and Chi Chi had their little bug moment).
Goku flew off after Han, too angry to do anything else. Vegeta lifted his head. One of his comrades had fallen, he wouldn't let another one die if he could help it. He began to leviate so he could follow Goku's lead and chase after Han.
"Vegeta." Vegeta turned around to see who was addressing him. It was the monk, Wun. He didn't say anything. "What goes around comes around. Do only what you feel is neccessary. Fate has everything planned out already."
A nod later, Vegeta was gone. After ten years, he was finally going to get his revenge, but not just for his family and friends, but for all the innocent people who had died during their battles for supremecy, for the kids in Taun City that he had had killed, for Krillen, for millions and millions of other people, for the future. He let the anger and pain of lose rise his his body, all promises forgotten.
NEXT TIME ON STORM RIDERS: Vegeta and Goku fight Han.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: I made another bonehead mistake. Sorry, it won't happen again (getting my stories mixed up). Thanx to mara jade for pointing it out to me.