Keys - Chapter Four
by TAFKAE
Disclaimer: I don't own disclaimers.
~*~*~
Goku was somewhat more relaxed now. Goten was breathing a little easier, and his pulse was just a bit faster, too. But he couldn't get over the feeling that something was going terribly wrong out where Krillin and Gohan were. He was getting really bad vibes from the north, like Krillin was in trouble… Plus, Gohan's power level had risen and dropped sharply in a matter of seconds. But his place, for now, was here at home, keeping an eye on his other son.
After all, he could never forgive himself if one of them were to die.
~*~*~
Krillin stared at the mangled forms of the two ogres, then at the wall. Gohan was still unconscious, and the stone vines were still wriggling enough to be disgusting. Then he looked at the base of the wall, where the hell-girl stood, seemingly oblivious to the fact that she now had four half-henchmen instead of two full ones. He got into the classic fighting stance, feet spread apart, fists clenched just a few inches off his waist, face bent into a grim, sardonic smile. "You ready? I'm taking you down next."
"Oh, are you," the hell-girl responded apathetically. "I couldn't care less, you know."
Krillin's smile quickly turned into a glare.
"Besides, if your friend was unable to defeat me, what makes you think you will?" She turned to him again and smirked. "Especially once I show my true power!"
There was a yell, and a bright flash of darkness. The wind from her ki aura quickly put out the blue flame, and her eyes turned a burning red. She leaned forward and grunted, flexing her small muscles, until two giant batlike wings sprung from her back, spraying just a hint of blood behind her. Her once waist-length black hair vanished, or perhaps simply retracted into her head, as she started to grow. Her clothing, formerly tight, form-fitting, and sexy, shot out in all directions as shreds. Where an almost attractive young woman had stood a moment ago, now was something more than eight times Krillin's height, blackish-grey, bony, and ugly as hell. One large horn protruded from each side of her head, and four more from her shoulders and elbow joints. Two clawed hands, talons for feet, saliva falling from her long fangs, and a face that now looked like something out of MIB and scared the bejesus out of Krillin.
"Now are you ready to fight?" Her voice had become gnarly, synthetic, unnatural. Krillin nodded, not noticing a dark green scrap of cloth landing gently on his head.
"You realize you're going to die," she warned.
"Just as much as you realize you're actually afraid of me," he replied with a confident smirk that betrayed exactly the opposite of what he was really feeling.
Almost before he knew it, she was on him like a fly to the slaughter. He barely managed to get his hands up in time to keep her jaws from closing on his neck. Straining, he tried to force them further open, ignoring the spittle dripping onto his shoulder. He didn't have time. A second later, a giant claw came in on his left, giving him barely enough time to see it coming, much less stop it. Another half-second, and he found himself sprawling across the room, hitting the opposite wall upside-down. The demon kept coming. Krillin opened his eyes just in time to see her clambering toward him. She came closer and closer, and he was too dazed to move. He closed his eyes again, ready for the end, and shouted as he felt a talon penetrate into his body…
~*~*~
The place was once known as Kami's Lookout, when Kami still worked there. The current tenant was Dende, though, and he knew something was going on far below, under the surface of the planet he protected, but he couldn't tell what. At any rate, it wasn't good. He stood there, on the edge of his Lookout, eyes narrow, shaking his head. "This is bad…"
Suddenly, he felt something else from the same direction. Something like… pure… maybe…
"Oh my God," he whispered. "That's not possible!"
~*~*~
Seconds passed, and with each one, Krillin started to realize that somehow, some way, he wasn't dead. It wasn't possible, but he was still there, the blood rushing to his head. He opened his eyes to see the demon staring at the wall of vines. Quickly, and hoping she wouldn't notice him, he jumped to his feet and ran behind her until he was about halfway across the room, then looked at the wall… and stopped short.
No one was attached to it anymore. Instead, the six girls who had been were walking, synchronized, toward the demon. Gohan was unconscious on the floor, blood trickling a little more than gently from the holes in his flesh.
"Demon," the girls said, simultaneously, in a voice too close to a baritone to belong to any of them, then they all smirked. It was a creepy sight. "The Keys are no use to you anymore."
Said demon's eyes narrowed even more. "Kylik. I might have known you'd come to spoil my fun. You always do."
Someone dressed in a light blue shirt and darker blue jeans dropped down from the ceiling. His beautiful wings were bright white, as was his hair. A small pair of spectacles adorned his face, and a golden halo the space above his head, and he landed so gracefully that he couldn't possibly have been anything less than an angel.
"You have a twisted idea of fun, demon," he replied, scowling. "Once you kill everyone on the planet, that would leave no one to play with… but you weren't planning on that anyway, were you?"
"I have no interest in this stupid planet," the demon snarled. "Lucifer has gotten too petty in his thinking. Hell needs new leadership for our glorious overthrow of your pathetic 'realms of glory'!"
"I know." Kylik smirked. "But when a candle is lit in a dark room, doesn't the darkness hide behind the chairs and under the table, quivering in fear?"
"Enough of your meaningless chatter!" the demon shrieked. "I will kill you!" She charged toward him, meaning to take his life. Krillin shouted a warning, but Kylik didn't need it. He looked at Krillin and smiled gently, then lifted one hand in front of him.
The demon halted abruptly. "What the -" she stammered before being thrown into the wall with an explosion of rock and dust. Kylik stepped forward, then his wings extended and took him easily to the site.
"There is no life or death in our roles!" he shouted angrily, but still calm. "There is no purpose, no meaning!" He charged what looked like an energy ball in one hand, but Krillin felt nothing coming from it but pure good. "ONLY GOD!!!"
There was a bright burst of light. The demon screamed for a second, then the light faded, taking the hellborn shrieks and screams with it. Out of the corner of his eye, Krillin could see the six girls collapse on the ground, and he ran toward them as fast as he could. The moment he got there, he clutched his daughter in his arms.
"Marron!" he whispered, then smiled as her eyes fluttered open and she wrapped her little arms around his neck.
"Daddy!"
They embraced for a few seconds, then Marron spoke up. "I knew you'd come to save me Daddy!"
Krillin blinked. "What? You don't remember anything?"
Marron looked up, thinking. "I remember the ogres did something to Mommy - omigosh, Mommy! Is she okay?" she cried.
"She will be, sweetheart." They held each other close, and a tear escaped down his face. "Everything's gonna be okay."
~*~*~
I know this chapter was a little on the short side, but climaxes usually are. I'm planning to put in an epilogue, so keep reading fans! *does a mock of Hercule* YEAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!
(o^.^o) The Artist Formerly Known As Ed
by TAFKAE
Disclaimer: I don't own disclaimers.
~*~*~
Goku was somewhat more relaxed now. Goten was breathing a little easier, and his pulse was just a bit faster, too. But he couldn't get over the feeling that something was going terribly wrong out where Krillin and Gohan were. He was getting really bad vibes from the north, like Krillin was in trouble… Plus, Gohan's power level had risen and dropped sharply in a matter of seconds. But his place, for now, was here at home, keeping an eye on his other son.
After all, he could never forgive himself if one of them were to die.
~*~*~
Krillin stared at the mangled forms of the two ogres, then at the wall. Gohan was still unconscious, and the stone vines were still wriggling enough to be disgusting. Then he looked at the base of the wall, where the hell-girl stood, seemingly oblivious to the fact that she now had four half-henchmen instead of two full ones. He got into the classic fighting stance, feet spread apart, fists clenched just a few inches off his waist, face bent into a grim, sardonic smile. "You ready? I'm taking you down next."
"Oh, are you," the hell-girl responded apathetically. "I couldn't care less, you know."
Krillin's smile quickly turned into a glare.
"Besides, if your friend was unable to defeat me, what makes you think you will?" She turned to him again and smirked. "Especially once I show my true power!"
There was a yell, and a bright flash of darkness. The wind from her ki aura quickly put out the blue flame, and her eyes turned a burning red. She leaned forward and grunted, flexing her small muscles, until two giant batlike wings sprung from her back, spraying just a hint of blood behind her. Her once waist-length black hair vanished, or perhaps simply retracted into her head, as she started to grow. Her clothing, formerly tight, form-fitting, and sexy, shot out in all directions as shreds. Where an almost attractive young woman had stood a moment ago, now was something more than eight times Krillin's height, blackish-grey, bony, and ugly as hell. One large horn protruded from each side of her head, and four more from her shoulders and elbow joints. Two clawed hands, talons for feet, saliva falling from her long fangs, and a face that now looked like something out of MIB and scared the bejesus out of Krillin.
"Now are you ready to fight?" Her voice had become gnarly, synthetic, unnatural. Krillin nodded, not noticing a dark green scrap of cloth landing gently on his head.
"You realize you're going to die," she warned.
"Just as much as you realize you're actually afraid of me," he replied with a confident smirk that betrayed exactly the opposite of what he was really feeling.
Almost before he knew it, she was on him like a fly to the slaughter. He barely managed to get his hands up in time to keep her jaws from closing on his neck. Straining, he tried to force them further open, ignoring the spittle dripping onto his shoulder. He didn't have time. A second later, a giant claw came in on his left, giving him barely enough time to see it coming, much less stop it. Another half-second, and he found himself sprawling across the room, hitting the opposite wall upside-down. The demon kept coming. Krillin opened his eyes just in time to see her clambering toward him. She came closer and closer, and he was too dazed to move. He closed his eyes again, ready for the end, and shouted as he felt a talon penetrate into his body…
~*~*~
The place was once known as Kami's Lookout, when Kami still worked there. The current tenant was Dende, though, and he knew something was going on far below, under the surface of the planet he protected, but he couldn't tell what. At any rate, it wasn't good. He stood there, on the edge of his Lookout, eyes narrow, shaking his head. "This is bad…"
Suddenly, he felt something else from the same direction. Something like… pure… maybe…
"Oh my God," he whispered. "That's not possible!"
~*~*~
Seconds passed, and with each one, Krillin started to realize that somehow, some way, he wasn't dead. It wasn't possible, but he was still there, the blood rushing to his head. He opened his eyes to see the demon staring at the wall of vines. Quickly, and hoping she wouldn't notice him, he jumped to his feet and ran behind her until he was about halfway across the room, then looked at the wall… and stopped short.
No one was attached to it anymore. Instead, the six girls who had been were walking, synchronized, toward the demon. Gohan was unconscious on the floor, blood trickling a little more than gently from the holes in his flesh.
"Demon," the girls said, simultaneously, in a voice too close to a baritone to belong to any of them, then they all smirked. It was a creepy sight. "The Keys are no use to you anymore."
Said demon's eyes narrowed even more. "Kylik. I might have known you'd come to spoil my fun. You always do."
Someone dressed in a light blue shirt and darker blue jeans dropped down from the ceiling. His beautiful wings were bright white, as was his hair. A small pair of spectacles adorned his face, and a golden halo the space above his head, and he landed so gracefully that he couldn't possibly have been anything less than an angel.
"You have a twisted idea of fun, demon," he replied, scowling. "Once you kill everyone on the planet, that would leave no one to play with… but you weren't planning on that anyway, were you?"
"I have no interest in this stupid planet," the demon snarled. "Lucifer has gotten too petty in his thinking. Hell needs new leadership for our glorious overthrow of your pathetic 'realms of glory'!"
"I know." Kylik smirked. "But when a candle is lit in a dark room, doesn't the darkness hide behind the chairs and under the table, quivering in fear?"
"Enough of your meaningless chatter!" the demon shrieked. "I will kill you!" She charged toward him, meaning to take his life. Krillin shouted a warning, but Kylik didn't need it. He looked at Krillin and smiled gently, then lifted one hand in front of him.
The demon halted abruptly. "What the -" she stammered before being thrown into the wall with an explosion of rock and dust. Kylik stepped forward, then his wings extended and took him easily to the site.
"There is no life or death in our roles!" he shouted angrily, but still calm. "There is no purpose, no meaning!" He charged what looked like an energy ball in one hand, but Krillin felt nothing coming from it but pure good. "ONLY GOD!!!"
There was a bright burst of light. The demon screamed for a second, then the light faded, taking the hellborn shrieks and screams with it. Out of the corner of his eye, Krillin could see the six girls collapse on the ground, and he ran toward them as fast as he could. The moment he got there, he clutched his daughter in his arms.
"Marron!" he whispered, then smiled as her eyes fluttered open and she wrapped her little arms around his neck.
"Daddy!"
They embraced for a few seconds, then Marron spoke up. "I knew you'd come to save me Daddy!"
Krillin blinked. "What? You don't remember anything?"
Marron looked up, thinking. "I remember the ogres did something to Mommy - omigosh, Mommy! Is she okay?" she cried.
"She will be, sweetheart." They held each other close, and a tear escaped down his face. "Everything's gonna be okay."
~*~*~
I know this chapter was a little on the short side, but climaxes usually are. I'm planning to put in an epilogue, so keep reading fans! *does a mock of Hercule* YEAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!
(o^.^o) The Artist Formerly Known As Ed