Chap4

A story by Murasaki Iiro
......One of the Enemy........
Chapter Four:The Lesser of Two Evils


"....Who will follow me ?............Sasdan?...........Zautrai?..........."

Khaeri's parched lips moved in silent prayer. One word............ One word from each of them, and the whole plan could go up in flames.

Neither of them looked him straight in the eyes, concealing their verdicts until they allowed their words to slide from their tongues. The question was not one of who to love, but who to hate more, the Empress or the Seiyans. Who was the lesser of the two evils that had plagued his family for as long as he could remember?

The damage had already been done, and alone, their chances against the executioners were threateningly slim. The choice, the only choice that could save them now, was a betrayal of the values each and every great warrior held dear............values that he had so readily sacrificed at the request of his mother. It was his deepest hope that they would allow forgiveness to override the hatred and prejudice that surged through their veins and poisoned their hearts.

Sasdan was engulfed in thought, and avoided his older brother's inquiring glare as he muttered ancient mantras under his breath. Sasdan was a child of the old ways, constantly meditating, reaching towards levels of strength and purity Khaeri could only imagine.

Wisps of sandy, reddish hair fluttered across his Sasdan's brow as the desert winds blew a fine sprinkling of sand onto the hazy shadows blurred by the sun. He deliberated silently, frozen in a lotus position. He could not answer Khaeri's question too rashly, or he might find himself in an even more dire situation...........

When death stands outside your door,it is not wise to open it...............

Zautrai was also debating his response. At thirteen, he had experienced more horrific things than grown men five times his age. He had been forced to kill others in order buy time.......just enough to survive another day. He had seen his father's officials, his teachers and heroes, murdered one by one. Zarbon....Nappa........Radditz.............If that were not enough to appease the fates that had condemned him so, he lost both his uncle and grandfather to the Seiyans on the same day..................

However vile the Seiyans seemed then, the Empress was an even crueler menace now. By the time she struck, a large portion of the family had already been murdered. Zautrai lived in mortal fear of her, not only for her crimes directly against himself, but for her genocidal actions against his people.

In the same year that she had seized control of the throne, she had reduced the population of the planet from a teeming eighteen billion to a dwindling seven billion. In order for her to stay in control, eleven billion innocent, defenseless people had to die..........The first, his cousin Xan, the latest, his mother.........It was all the same to them..........

 It would be such a relief to put and end to all of this........run away from it all...........If only I had the courage to tell him so...........

 Seconds floated slowly by like hours. Khaeri twitched nervously, in awe of himself. What sort of heinous thing had he agreed to? One hunted man could never change the natural order of things. His mind wandered around in a maze of fear and suspicion. Was this just another excuse, the last ditch effort of a dying woman, to give her children an honorable death? Could his grandmother have been right about there truly being no future in store for him?

He banished such thoughts as quickly as he had given them substance.

No. My noble mother would never resort to such hypocrisy.........may I suffer a thousand deaths for ever doubting her last words............

 Sasdan's blank expression did not offer any solace. Khaeri could not read his thoughts or even detect the slightest hint of a smile. He was locked in his own world, far away from the searing heat of midday and the eerie silence that hung in the air.

The stillness that overcame the boiling landscape was numbing. The air was dry and hot, every breath a gritty mouthful of sand. Even Khaeri's unsinkable sisters could not find the will or energy to speak. What was racing through their minds then, Khaeri would never know. Death seemed to have them under its hypnotic spell too..............

Without warning, Sasdan cleared his throat, and everyone snapped to attention. With a quick nod towards his father, he announced his decision.

" When one meditates, he reaches a deeper understanding of his true self. When I shut my eyes, I could hear every aspect of my sanity crying out to me................. It tells me that you are a traitor, brother...... It tells me that my own mother deceives me with her dying breath.................."

Khaeri's heart sunk like a stone.

No. It can't be.............After our mother died to save us.............

"But my heart has a voice too. It tells me that I must go with you and father. We are brothers, and have always shared the same fate......... and will do so until the very end. Mother always told me to follow my heart..........and so I shall............above all else ............ "

For the first time in a long, long while, Khaeri's face cracked into a smile.

Emboldened by his older brother's verdict, Zautrai found the courage he so sorely needed.

" I think that we all need to change our values.............our society is built upon a foundation of revenge..........Its a dog -eat- dog world............We have only just seen the damage one madwoman can do........Its time to drop the grudges, and find sanctuary among those who have defeated us.........We may not be able to save our race from destroying itself, but we can survive........I know it......fate will always save those who save themselves.........I cannot say that I hold no contempt for Son Goku, but I will try to understand him, if that is what my mother has asked of me..........."

Zautrai felt a hand on his shoulder........Ayanxi.........

"Well said, little brother............I must say, I am behind you.....as are we all........"

She was answered by a chorus of approving nods.

So long, mother..........may your journey to heaven be swift....................

Millions of miles away, a chubby middle-aged man, namely, restaurant owner Kanbokuda Shoyu, was taking a tea break. That Fubuki kid had been running things so smoothly today that there was no apparent need for worry. Whatever miracle had brought that boy to his restaurant that past January, he was sincerely grateful for it now...........He could retire early, knowing that Shimura Street Sushi would be in good hands. Kiniro had such incredible talent.............It would be a shame to waste it.

Across the room, Kiniro was thinking likewise. He wanted to impress Kanbokuda-san .....It was an ample opportunity to prove himself, especially with the overflow of customers tonight.

Psssst.......the uncooked yakizana hissed as he placed it over the old fashioned hibachi. As the pink fish browned slowly, Kiniro thought about his future............. a master chef with his own restaurant.....maybe even overseas......someplace classy ......like Paris.......or New Orleans............

The delicious charcoal-infused aroma told him that the fish was ready. He took it off the grill and continued working. He sighed. Big dreams weren't for little people.......especially a self-dependent orphan like himself........He would probably never get out of this lousy city...........

Kiniro felt that his parents, wherever they were............whoever they were........would be highly disappointed in him. He was almost sure of it...........

Oh Xan........you've fought so hard, been alone for so long...............how could I ever be anything but proud? If only I knew what had become of you.............

Murasaki's Two Cents: So, Muri-Chan is not as predictable as you might think, Is she? I'll bet twenty bucks you didn't see that last sentence coming. So......wondering what happens to Riaquni back on earth? Is everyone(Goku Included) too drunk to even realize that she's there? How is the Ex-queen going to take this?Well.......Muri-chan isn't a fan fiction machine. She'll tell you when she's good and ready. In other words, give her a week or two. She likes to write QUALITY epics............so don't rush her........