Part 1 of the "Lost Prince of Deltar" Saga
By Jeremy Keil
Once upon a time, way back in the day...or way forward in the day, as the case may be...
Prologue - Escape
A lone telepathic warrior by the name of Angeron stood on the precipice of a cliff. He looked down upon the forests of his home world, Deltar VII. Deltar VII was a varied planet, as far as ecology went. It had forests, mountains, deserts, oceans, and even tundra. The varied climate made the Deltans who lived here strong, but that was also partially due to the 10G gravity well. It was the largest planet in the Deltar system. The only planet that came close was the 20G inferno planet, Deltar III. Deltar III was about 3/4 the size of Deltar VII, but its gravity was twice as strong. Angeron had lived on that planet for 5 years and had acclimated to both the heat and the gravity. He now found the 10G mountainous environment he was in cold and light. He spent more time in the desert these days, when he had free time. Between his schooling and warrior training, he had little time to himself. It saddened Angeron slightly, since he couldn't spend time with his friends, yet at the same time he was also glad. His parents, being even more strict than was the norm, were bound and determined to make Angeron like a girl they were planning on betrothing him to. But being a Psychic, Angeron could tell she was a real pain in the rear. He even told his parents in an outburst that would have been frowned upon by the Elders, "She is NOT my type! I refuse to allow you to bind us!" His parents, caring for their son despite their strictness, kept this outburst from the Elders. Still, it seemed that even though Angeron had now lived 21 solar cycles, a true adult by Deltan standards, they could not except that he was a Psychic. There had been no Psychics in the Deltar system since the time of the Kings of Deltar, which was millennia ago. The only remaining relic from that time was the Psychosaber, a sword that only the ancient Psychics could wield with any modicum of efficiency. For Angeron to be a Psychic would mean things were about to turn deadly wrong in the Deltar system, something no one would be able to accept. Angeron, however, thought it was a coincidence, even if he still used his powers with prudence. Yet somehow, every time he looked at the Psychosaber, which was mounted in a glass case in the Great Hall of Knowledge where Angeron trained his mind, he felt drawn to it. The legend that the last Psychic who used it put a curse on it before he died to prevent its use ever again could not dissuade him. Angeron longed to touch the sword. Somehow, he felt as if it were a part of him long separated, and he wanted to rejoin with it.
Angeron knew that if he stayed in the Deltar system, he'd fall prey to the customs of his world. As a Deltan, he knew their customs were a necessary evil in order to subdue the chaos that had risen up after the death of the last King of Deltar 1000 solar cycles ago. Still, something told him he had to get away. It wouldn't be difficult. He was a matured Deltan, and he had already secretly bought a ship. It was under an assumed name, since Angeron had been planning his run for solar cycles. The ship was top-of-the-line, and he had bought it with his own money. Escaping from the Space Authorities would be an easy task, thanks to some personal modifications. The ship was extremely agile, could carry five people comfortably, and could accelerate to maximum sublight in a mere 4 seconds. It also had a gravitron, since Angeron was intending to train during his trip. He had packed long ago and hid his belongings in the cargo hold just a short while ago. He had food and water enough for a year's journey, and replicators to prolong the journey to five years. It was loaded up with enough liquid fuel to keep the ship going at full burn for 6 months, and it used a magna-electric motor to produce enough energy to keep the sublight and translight engines going indefinitely. All that was left was one last item to obtain...
Using his Psychic powers, which he rarely used in an obvious fashion, Angeron masked his power level and Psychic aura. He was completely invisible and undetectable, but Angeron still sneaked around with caution. This was his one chance! He entered the hall where the glass case sat on a pedestal. Inside it shone the centuries-old sword. Angeron started at it for a second, but then reminded himself there was no time to waste. He powered up a small psychokinetic ball of energy and fired it. The glass shattered easily. Angeron picked up the sword, which became invisible as soon as it entered his hand. His adrenaline pumping, the tall Deltan raced for his life, though still undetectable, out the door he had entered. Ducking into a secluded clearing in the forest behind the Great Hall of Knowledge, he tucked the sword into his cloak, dropped his shields, and teleported to an equally secluded area in the hangar where his ship sat in waiting.
Wasting no time, Angeron opened the door and powered up his ship. Using telekinesis to remotely activate the controls, he caused the hangar ceilng to open. He checked to see if the umbilical was detatched, and it was. With little fear, Angeron quietly prayed to the High Eternal Being for forgiveness. He punched the accelerator controls, and the ship blasted off into the wild blue yonder. As soon as he exited the atmosphere, the radar detected a squadron of Space Authority pilots. Using his ship's full agility, he carefully evaded their laser blasts. As soon as he was out of range and had the coordinates set, Angeron pulled a single lever. The Space Authorities hung back in astonishment as with unparalleled acceleration, the medium-sized transport zoomed into translight...
Chapter 1 - Transformation
Angeron patted his cloak gently. A bump in it shifted and crawled up to his neck. A black kitten appeared on Angeron's shoulder. Angeron smiled and whispered to it, "We're safe now. You may transform." The kitten leapt to the floor and began to glow. It transformed into a beautiful woman, who said in a soft voice, "Is there any way I can help you, Angeron?" He replied, "If you would, please fix something to eat, my dear Saila. I plan to train soon, and you know I'm adverse to training on an empty stomach." Saila was a shapeshifter, as well as a good Psychic in her own right. Saila was of the Astor race, a race of shapeshifters indigenous to Deltar VII. Angeron had found her in the desert dying of thirst and had given her water, thus saving her life. According to both the Astor and Deltan cultures, this bound Saila to him for life, destined to follow him wherever he went. This woman, which form was her natural state, had stayed with Angeron, disguising herself as a cat. Saila only reverted to her true form when she and Angeron were alone. However, Angeron and Saila were bound together by something more than a life debt. Even though the beliefs of the Astor and Deltans frowned on such a cross-race romance despite their coexistance, Angeron and Saila were in love. They hadn't expressed it to each other yet, and their respective Psychic powers blocked each other from mind-reading, but they both knew it was there. Angeron knew that he and Saila were destined to be together from the moment they had met.
Angeron got up out of his seat and ate with Saila. He never took his eyes off of her for a moment. "Focus, Angeron," he reminded himself. "There'll be time for romance later. Right now, training and getting to wherever we're going are priority one." Angeron took the Psychosaber out of his cloak and carefully placed it over his shoulder. He drew the long sword and held it in a kind of salute. He moved to a far side of the ship, then used his Telekinesis to change the gravity to 30G. It was a little harder to move around in than 20G, but not by much. He swung the sword around a little and found that even in 30G, the balance on the ancient sword was perfect, as if it were made especially for him. Angeron could sense the energy flowing around inside it, and it was in harmony with the energy inside himself. The sword seemed to have adapted to its new owner.
Angeron practiced a sword form called Crane Wading in the Rapids. It was a form Angeron had created himself to work on balance and speed. Even in 30G, Angeron's balance was impeccible. The sword twirled around in his hands more easily than any other sword he had ever used. He then switched without pause into the most advanced form he knew, Dragon Rising from the Mountain Cave. Carefully, he went through the artistic motions of the sword form, being extra careful because he'd never done this form in 20G, let alone 30. He found the balance of the sword superb as it worked with him through the complicated movements. After completing the form, he returned the sword to the sheath on his back. He said to Saila, "Shall we spar?" Saila happily obliged, and the two entered fighting stances. Angeron leapt into the air, as did Saila, and the fight was on.
Angeron initiated the sparring battle with a rapid volley of punches and kicks. Saila blocked them as best she could, countering whenever she got a chance. Angeron also blocked, then flew back a little way and fired a Ki Blast. He forgot to adjust for additional gravity, and the blast dropped as soon as it left his hand. Saila flew toward Angeron and kicked hard. Angeron blocked and began to attack Saila rapidly. Saila blocked, then flew back and charged up a sphere of energy around her. She and Angeron had developed together a desperation move called Hyper Ki Explosion, which Saila was using now. It was very powerful, but it drained a lot of the user's Ki energy. Angeron tried to warn her not to fire it, since this was only a sparring match and he feared for their safety, but it was too late. The sphere of energy exploded forward toward Angeron at an incredible speed. Angeron couldn't dodge, nor did he have time to absorb. The giant explosion of Ki connected dead on with Angeron, knocking him out and sending him to the ground. Saila couldn't see him through the smoke, but she feared the worst.
Meanwhile, Angeron could see nothing. The last thing he'd sensed was the enormous blast coming in contact with him, then all went black. There was a phanom feeling of energy around him...or was it? It didn't seem residual... His eyes opened. He saw immediately the energy was not residual after all. It was his own! He was glowing gold all around. In the computer screen he saw his reflection. His hair was standing straight up and was a gold color; his eyes had turned jet black. Somehow, he had transformed into something more than a normal Deltan. He had become a Super Deltan.
The smoke cleared. Saila, who had landed on the ground before she blasted Angeron, stumbled back partially from surprise and partially from weakness. He had transformed into a golden haired, black eyed warrior. The tall Psychic warrior powered down, shaken by the blast and by his transformation. He walked to Saila and said, "Don't be afraid." Angeron helped her up, then by a strange impulse, kissed Saila gently on the lips. Saila blinked in surprise, but it was visible in her eyes that she was no longer afraid. In fact, love shined in both their eyes. Angeron wasn't worried about his transformation any more. He and Saila kissed again, then headed to the restoration chambers to rest.
Chapter 2 - Arrival
The ship decelerated to ¼ sublight. Angeron saw a shining blue and green planet before him. This was Earth, he knew. The planet only had one moon and 1G of gravity, yet it reminded him so much of Deltar VII. He knew he'd probably never be able to return to Deltar VII. This planet would have to be his home for a while. He turned to Saila and said, "Saila, my love, prepare for planetfall. Earth shall be our new home for a while." Saila blushed at Angeron's term of endearment, then sat in a seat and buckled up. Angeron programmed the ship's heat screens to activate as soon as they entered the atmosphere, then sat in the seat right next to Saila. Not longer after, Angeron took Saila's hand, and the ship entered the atmosphere of Earth.
The transport fell toward Earth at 9.8 m/s². Fire surrounded the screen, which did its work well. Inside, the two travellers felt no more than a slight increase in temperature. Just as the ship entered the stratosphere, the retro rockets fired, slowing the ship down. With perfect precision, the ship landed in a secluded clearing in a forest. Its passengers disembarked. Angeron and Saila looked around. Suddenly, the Deltan turned and pressed a button on the ship. It collapsed into a small capsule. Angeron stated, "We're here. Let's go see if we can find someplace to stay." Saila nodded enthusiastically, and the two headed off into the mountains nearby.
The Deltan, his sight enhanced by his Psychic powers, saw a house not too far off. Saila saw it as well, and they agreed that they the occupants if they had a room to spare. They hasten toward the house. Angeron knew some people were there, and two of them were very strong. Boulder-hopping down the small mountain, the two travellers soon stood at the door of the house. Angeron knocked gently, and a teenager opened it. "Who are you?" he asked. This one is very strong, Angeron thought. Then he spoke, "My name is Angeron, and my counterpart is Saila. We have travelled a long way, and we would like to know if you have a room to spare that we may stay in. I have some zeni, and I will reimburse you if necessary..." The teenager called back to his mom, "Mother! Two travellers want to know if we can spare a room!" A middle-aged woman answered back, "Hold on, Gohan!" The tall woman walked to the door. "Hi, my name is Chi Chi. We do have a room to spare, and don't worry about reimbursement. There's something about you two that reminds me of my dear Goku and I at your age..." At this, Chi Chi started crying, and the teenager, Gohan, comforted her. He piped up, "My dad's been dead for about 5 years, and Mom loves him very much, as do I...We know he's in the Other Dimension, keeping a close watch on us, but it still feels like he's miles away." Angeron saw the sincerity in the young man's eyes, then his eyes fell on the child. He was only 5 years old, yet he seemed very powerful. He was also confused, since he had obviously never known his father. Chi Chi stopped crying, then stated, "Well, come in! You might freeze out here!" Angeron and Saila gladly entered side by side. They had found a family away from home.
Chapter 3 - Discovery
It was early in the morning. Gohan and Goten stretched and got ready to train, but they also watched Angeron practice his swordsmanship. Saila had not yet risen, so the Deltan went through an advanced sword form called Sunset on the Valley. The two young demi-Saiyajins watched in awe as the shining blade sliced through the air with unparalleled precision. Angeron himself did not notice his admirers, so focused was he. His face was a mask of intensity as he traced his way through the atmosphere with the Psychosaber's polished edge. He concluded the form, then brought the sword up in salute and sheathed it.
Saila exited the house. In the rising early morning sun, her beauty was enhanced a thousandfold by the multicolored sunrise. Angeron walked over to her and gently kissed her. Saila smiled and stated, "Is not our first morning on Earth a beautiful one, Angeron?" "Without your radiance, my love, no morning would be beautiful," was the Deltan's reply. Goten grinned, taunting, "Saila and Angeron, sitting in a tree! K-I-S-S-I-N-G!" Gohan lowered and shook his head at his younger brother. Goten, though strong even for an adult half-Saiyajin, was still a child. After stepping away from each other, Angeron and Saila looked at the two young warriors. "Might I suggest we spar a little?" inquired Angeron.
Goten and Saila squared off in one part of the huge meadow; Gohan and Angeron did likewise in a different part. Angeron initiated an attack on Gohan by punching and kicking at him rapidly. Gohan blocked rapidly and countered similarly, causing Angeron to block and counter as well. The combatants flew up a little bit, still in close combat, then broke apart. Angeron flew back and fired a rapid succession of Ki Blasts. Gohan dodged the Renzuko Energy Dan, then fired a powerful Kamehameha Wave. Angeron was driven back a little way, but finally managed to deflect the powerful beam skyward. The warrior yelled, "You're very powerful, Gohan, very powerful indeed! Looks like we'll have to kick this up a notch!" With that, he crossed his arms and powered up. His aura exploded into a golden hue, and in a short time, Angeron transformed into a Super Deltan. Gohan looked a little shocked, but he soon did likewise. His hair stood straight up and turned golden; his eyes became as turquoise. Gohan transformed into a Super Saiyajin. Angeron raised an eyebrow and quipped, "It seems you, too, have a transformation. It is similar to my own except in eye color; mine are black, where as yours are blue-green. This shall be most interesting, indeed." He entered a mid-air fighting stance. In the corner of his mind where his Psychic senses were, Angeron could sense someone, a ghost of some sort, watching them. He shook off the strange feeling and concentrated on the oncoming battle.
Gohan initiated the attack this time, and Angeron blocked as fast as his arms and legs would go. Gohan was unbelievablely fast, and Angeron almost struggled to keep up. Angeron soon got used to battling at this speed, and cranked it up as far as he could. Gohan was starting to get hit a little now, and was sent to the ground with an axe kick. Gohan flew straight up and punched at Angeron, but all he got was an afterimage. Gohan was soon hit from behind by a machine-gun-like volley of Ki Blasts. Gohan face-planted on the ground and was knocked out of SSJ. Angeron landed and powered down, then helped Gohan up. Gohan dusted himself off and said, "Whoa, that was incredible! Even if I'd have gone Super Saiyajin 2, you could have at least kept up with me!" Angeron rose an eyebrow. "You have a form beyond the level at which you were fighting me?" he asked. Gohan replied, "Yep, I do. I haven't used it in a long time though, so I'm kinda out of practice..." Angeron chuckled a little and stated, "Let's see how your brother and Saila are doing, shall we?" They flew to the other side of the field, where Goten and Saila had fought to a draw. Together, they went back to the house to eat.
Chapter 4 - Secrets
The sun was high in the sky. Angeron welcomed its warmth, and it energized him. He was practicing Dragon Rising from the Mountain Cave for about the 70th time, and he felt no more tired now than when he had started. The Earth's star and the Psychosaber in his hands filled him with strength like nothing he had ever felt before. Suddenly, by a mere fluke, the blade hit a rock and snapped in the center. Angeron was mortified, even as a strange smoke floated into the air out of the seemingly impermeable steel. The smoke shifted into the form of a small man, then solidified before Angeron. Just as the man materialized, the sword pieces snapped back together and mended as if they had never been broken, indeed as if the blade was newly forged. The old man stepped forward and spoke, "Hello, Angeron. I am the Kaio-Deltar, or the Kai of Deltar."
Angeron blinked. "You are the ancient and ageless Advisor of the Kings of Deltar?" he asked, his eyes as wide as an open plain. The Kaio-Deltar nodded. "I advised the Kings, though I wish King Horrax VII would have listened to me about finding a wife...the way he died and never left a known heir? Tragic." Angeron blinked again at the mention of the last King of Deltar. "Oh, I forgot you're not as old as I am. I'm a few thousand years your senior..." The old man cleared his throat, then continued, "You're probably wondering how I knew your name. Well, I have to start at the beginning...many years ago, Psychics were more common in the Deltar system. They weren't as strong as you are, granted, but they were strong nevertheless. Anyway, after the death of King Horrax VII and the resulting conflict about his heir (of which ever surfaced), the Psychics decided that the Psychosaber, King Horrax VII's sword and his anscestors', should be protected from thieves at all costs, even if only Psychics could use it. I suggested there should be an eternal guard, and the Psychics agreed that I would be best. They used their powers to seal inside this sword until the Lost Prince of Deltar came and broke me out. After a thousand years, I'm free...because of you, Angeron! The second you land your hand on the sword, I knew it was you! I knew your name and that you were the Heir! After a millennium inside that cramped blade, I've found you!"
Angeron looked even more confused than before. "I'm a Prince?" he inquired. The Kaio-Deltar jumped for joy and exclaimed, "Exactly! And I will help you become the warrior you were destined to be! With my help, you and Saila will be King and Queen of the Deltar System!" Angeron blushed that the Kai of Deltar had known about Saila and his relationship with her. But it mattered little. The Deltan prince sheathed the sword and stated, "Then let us go and tell Saila and the others the news. This will alter my trip to Earth much..." Kaio-Deltar smiled. "Don't you worry! You're under my tutelage now!" The old man and the young warrior set off for the house. The adventure was only now just beginning, but Angeron looked forward to it. He and his friends, as well as his Astor lover, would face it together.
The End
Acknowledgements go to immortal_outlaw26 for the original inspiration that sparked the short story that precedes this saga. Without his help, I would have never begun to write about Angeron, the Deltan warrior with a intellect that rivals his power. Thanks a lot, my friend. And sorry about altering the character of Saila ever so slightly...but it seems romance is a trademark of most of my stories.
Look for Part 2 sometime in 2002.
