Hoshito's Odyssey
Part III
The Line Between Friend and Foe
By:
Arthur E. King
Disclaimer: Guess what!?!? I'm not the guy who invented Dragonball... WOW!!! What a Surprise! Now stop sending me all those big fat checks... hehehe.
Author's Note: If you've been paying attention at all, you will now know that this story is a an attempted cross-over between the DBZ Universe, and the DBZ World MUDiverse. So if stuff sounds wrong, that's why. This story is supposed to take place in the actual realm of Dragonball Z, seeing as this is the second in a trilogy. The first of which involved such characters as Krillin, 18, and Piccolo. This, the second story, so far, has only one character that was actually shown on the show... Morn, the New Namekian Elder. Pretty much all the major characters in this story are from the DBZ World MUD that I love so much. THIS is why your MUD characters seem so weird, and also is why you won't understand most of what's going on if you haven't played the MUD.
If you haven't been paying attention, then I don't really care... So on with the story.
"So... What's my brother been up to this time? Eh Xev... Surely you should know by now..." Although her body was mechanical, she moved with a feline grace that belied her true power. All immortals were such... Having such incredible power, they chose not to show it most of the time, unless they needed to. All save one...
"I'm not sure Rei... I think..." The long dark cloak that covered Xev and hid his scared visage could not hide him from her penetrating gaze. It took most Immortals several thousand years to learn the full extent of their abilities. It took Rei several thousand minutes. Her Android nature allowed that, more than anything else. But the one thing Immortality couldn't improve upon was her beauty.
For most of her unnatural life, she had been hailed as the "Sex Goddess" of uncounted cultures throughout the ages. She didn't try to inspire men, it just happened to her. Men wanted her, Women wanted to BE her. She was the ultimate expression of femininity, for that was why she was built. Age had only improved her like a fine wine.
Even Xev, who had managed to abstain from such base matters for most of the many years since his rebirth as an Immortal, was unquestionably attracted to this woman. It had taken the rest of his Immortal years to stop himself from even trying to carry that desire any further than a vague mental notion.
The reason why he abstained was because Rei hadn't only spawned the many "Sex Goddess" religions... But also many of the "Amazon Goddess" or worse yet, the "Avenging Goddess" myths. Beautiful she was, but a beauty that was sharper than the sharpest sword, a weapon more potent than any other. It would cut not only the hand that wielded it, but the hand that never had a chance to.
"You think too much. You think my brother has uncovered the location of the Ultimate Power, and now seeks to gain possession of it. You are hoping to get my advice on the matter, and perhaps even enlist my aid in stopping him. I tell you now, that such notions are foolish." Her voice too was a weapon. High, and deceptively soft, with breezy undertones that hinted of something more, her voice could cut straight through whatever armor any male might have erected against such intrusions. After all... They were only men.
"Even had my brother the brains to discerns it's location, or the brawn to retrieve it, he does not have the strength of spirit to make the attempt. He fears too much his own destruction. He will not try. He cannot. He shall not. So why should I kill my only brethren in suspect of idle rumors?"
"I can assure you madam, it is not idle speculation. I made certain to see the one mentioned in the Prophecy myself... Although he does not know that I know him. The light that shines within him is evidence enough. It cannot be extinguished. He is a dangerous man, an unknown element. Glad am I that I do not have him as an enemy."
"Bah! You give this one too much credit. He is special yes. But poses us no threat. He is just like the other flies. That he is more powerful than most is certain. But he remains but an insect. I will not jeopardize all I have for his sake, or any others. The threat is not real, and nothing will change my mind about this."
Frustrated, Xev nearly lashed out at the stubborn witch, but managed to contain himself. With a sly smile, he made one final attempt to coerce her aid in his endeavor. "Fine then. I know that you will not change your mind once it is set. I merely wished to inform you of the possibility. Should there be any new information on the subject I shall be at your disposal once again."
With those words, The immortal bowed his head low, giving the Woman far more honour than she deserved. He was her equal, yet he prostrated himself before her as if he were nothing. It was a dubious honour, and joking at that. Yet she concealed her contempt for the man, and paid his homage no mind. This done, he made his way from her presence, walked backwards, his face still lowered to the ground.
Only when the doors closed upon her chambers, blocking his view of her, did he rise, the smile still playing lightly upon his lips. With this one act of supplication, he had forced her hand. She could not readily ignore such a blatant request, but she could refuse it. Once he had risen, his image shimmered in the air, dissipating like it was never there.
"That's it!" I was trying to encourage Durine as he neared the transformation. A wavering golden aura had begun, but flickering in and out of existence. We two were locked in a struggle, both trying to overpower the other. Even though he tried as hard as he might, his legs had begun to buckle beneath him, and he was quickly losing ground.
My words, though well meaning, only brought to his mind to the fact of how close he had gotten, and of course, knowing it, he tried to force it, and failed. With a final burst of energy I forced his knees to touch the corse sand that covered the shore of this underground lake, ending the match.
He knelt in the sand, careless of his pain, careless of his pride, only caring of his bone-deep exhaustion. "That's enough for today Durine. You nearly had it. You did well. Maybe tomorrow." There was a note of sorrow in my voice, softened by hopeful anticipation.
Durine however would have none of it. "No! If my half-breed brother can do it than I will to!" With a strength of will I had only rarely been witness to, the younger brother of Shaikoten rose slowly on unsteady legs to take a wearied fighting stance. Doesn't this guy know when to quit? No? Well good... He'll need that.
"Remember. Just let the power come to you. Don't try to force it. It's a Need, not a desire." I left Goku's words on the air, nodded once more, and attacked. Always before I had pushed him physically, till he had reached this point of near exhaustion. This time I would do more... Finally, he's ready...
I rushed him, making him think he was to face the punishing physical blows I had been dolling out once more. Instead, as I rushed him I leapt into the air, which would have surprised him had I not used the trick before. It had been during one of our first matches, and it had caught him completely unaware. I thanked Krillin for teaching me his tactics.
However, this time, knowing the sneaky tactics I often employed, he was ready, knowing I would never go for a pure headlong rush. Instead, he bent sideways, contorting his torso into a compact and minimal target as he twisted backwards lashing out with his foot to catch me in the gut behind him.
Good... He's learning... Now it's time for the real fight to begin... I flew back, feigning injury, but having fully expected his attack, I had managed to take most of the force of his attack into my backwards flight. Catching myself in mid-air, and rebounding off the far wall, I rushed him again, this time however with a surprise.
Durine was too tired to move, having decided to take the second to rest his aching muscles instead of leading into an attack. Truth be told he wasn't the only one who was tired after this trying day, but having the powers of the Super-Saiyajinn at my command, I had been able to augment my natural abilities quite a bit.
As I shot at him arrow-straight, my lips twisted into a wrenching grin of determination, and I let Durine have it. Taking all the speed I had accumulated, I put even that force into the energy I now hurled at the man, stopping me in my tracks. Being too tired to dodge, Durine could only stand there and try to block the energy as it neared him.
I knew he couldn't possibly have enough time to put up a real defense, which was planned. If he had, the blast would have cascaded harmlessly over his barrier, and the fight would continue. Without the time for a proper defense though, he was limited to either blocking, or attacking. Not having enough energy for an attack, he had but one choice, and so he blocked.
His feet dug into the sandy soil, his arms crossed against his chest, and he bellowed his rage at his ineffectual defense. He knew it would not, could not be enough, and yet with a stern countenance he faced his potential destruction with firm determination. The blue waves struck his hastily erected defense, shattering it, and caught him full in the chest.
His shriek of pain erupted from his bruised and battered body and bounded off the walls of the chamber, echoing within this hidden sanctuary with increased fervor. Now his body was caught full in the blast, the excruciating pain only deepening his need. His eyes refused to close, and his screams reached a fever pitch.
He kept up his defense, trying only to survive this massive up-swelling of power that he could not even fathom. Then finally, something snapped inside him, the frustration, the rage, the incoherent demands of flesh upon the soul. There was a great flashing of golden light brighter than the sun, and the waves of energy that had surrounded Durine were as nothing in that moment, blinking out of existence as if they never were.
I ended my attack, exalting in my new friends transformation. He did it! By the Eternal Dragon the man did it! I couldn't quite believe it, but I felt an almost paternal pride at his success. Then I gave a jubilant cry of joyous relief and flew fast as lightening to hail the universe's newest Super-Saiyajinn.
As I neared him I could tell that Durine was having trouble controlling the energy, the look on his face was clear enough to support that. "Cool it Durine. Careful. You've done it... Now let the power go. Don't hold onto it. If you do there's a danger it could consume you." The words themselves were less important than the careful, calming tones I used. Slowly I could see Durine resurfacing from his trance-like state, and return to reality.
The golden radiance that lit up the cavern winked out, and the place seemed dark and oppressive by comparison. I lay my arm around Durine's shoulders, both in congratulations, and in support. "Come on buddy. You've had a long day, and gone far. Lets go get some rest and a bite to eat."
"I feel like I could spend a week in a rejuvenation chamber and still not be whole." It was the first real words Durine had said in some time, and they took far too much from him to even utter that. I lay one finger upon his lips to tell him without words to remain silent. Words were not necessary, for no words could describe it. The transformation was a great and private thing for every Saiyajinn, and would remain so until the end of time.
As we left the training chamber we met Vorack and Ramza who were on their way in to congratulate Durine. I held up my hand in lieu of praise. "Don't, he has suffered much. Right now, he needs food and rest, and plenty of both."
Vorack took Durine in hand, and led him out of the chamber as Ramza turned to me. I was about to say something, when I found myself staring at ceiling, the faint imprint of Ramza's knuckles on my face. I blinked once and glanced at the larger Saiyajinn, his face was a mixture of grief, and surprise, and rage. "You could have killed him!"
It took a moment for the words to register, and when they did I could feel the flush of shame in my cheeks. Ramza would have none of it. "If he hadn't have transformed, he would have died! Can't you understand that! Have you no compassion? No heart?" I could feel his rage as a furnace heat, blasting in the face of Durine's success. After the elated rush of that success, this blazing anger washed over me, chilling me to the bone.
I took a moment to get my feet beneath me, rising slowly, but deliberately from my previous position upon the stone. "Two things. The first of which is that without real danger to his life, the transformation would never have occurred. It was necessary. The second is that if ever you strike me a second time, you will not live to see the third."
The words were cold, colder than the stone beneath my feet, colder than the chilly waters that lapped even now at the shore. The words iced through the Ramza's heated wrath and froze the blood in his veins. His face sunk in disappointment and at once resumed it's stone-like temper.
"Believe me... Had I noticed even the slightest wavering of his power, I would have ended the attack then and there. Death was possible yes, but not highly likely. Whether or not the threat was idle or real, he needed to think it was real. Believe it with all of his being, and do something about it. If even the smallest part of him wavered in his determination he likely would have perished, if I was unable to end it in time."
"But those are merely possibilities. The truth of the matter is that it worked, he's alive, and has achieved what so very few of us have achieved, and you should be glad for that. And glad that he has such a great friend as you, to attack someone who you haven't a chance of defeating, merely on the threat of his demise. You are a true friend Ramza. Be glad of that."
Unable to make any real sense of what had just happened, Ramza turned from me and stormed away, into the myriad of tunnels where I could not follow, for in this labyrinth, I would be forever lost. Instead of even trying, I followed the path through which we had come here, the same way that Vorack had departed half-carrying an exhausted Durine.
The horizon was a mixture of orange, red, and purple hues, all somehow that exotic form of neon pastel that signifies the setting sun. The clouds that had settled there to take part in the spectacle were light and fluffy, saturated with colours, but there was a thin line of them against the northern horizon that had begun to edge ever-closer.
These darker clouds had begun to mass along the western ridge of the mountain range, and were now beginning their long southerly journey against the side of the range, depositing vast quantities of rain and snow all along their path. This precipitation was regularly whipped up by high winds into a torrent of storms that would make life here all but impossible.
But for the moment at least the sky was mostly clear, and bright, but darkening with the passing of day into night. The calm conditions, and perfect view of the spectacular sunset were a nice bonus, but they were not what this visitor had come here for. This was his place of quiet contemplation, where the troubles of this world could slip away, and he could return to his duties unperturbed.
On all other days but this, he could have immersed himself in the scenery and arisen fresh to the night's normal activities. On this one occasion though, he could not be calmed, no matter how colourful the sunset, or clear the sky, or light and crisp the air. His worries only redoubled themselves as his eyes kept turning from the passing sun, to the gathering darkness at the very edge of his keen vision.
There was only a tiny sliver of gold atop the far-off horizon when he felt rather than saw the presence of another come upon him. He did not move, merely sat there staring off into the distance, as the other person quietly sat beside him. The silence between them was unforced, neither needing nor wanting words at the moment.
The final glimpse of light disappeared, and the last dying rays of the great golden orb passed over them and into oblivion. The sunset seemed instantly less than it had been before, less beautiful, less special, almost as if in it's disappearance the sun had taken some great quality of beauty with it too. Still, it was not an unpleasant sight, and still very well suited to solitude, so the two remained.
In time though, as the sky faded from peacock, to navy, from navy to indigo, and from indigo to blackest night, the cool crisp mountain air turned slowly frigid. Without the warm sun to pour it's heat into them directly, the air could not stay pleasantly cool for long. As the air around them chilled, the winds began to pick up in intensity, and still they sat in comfortable silence.
Then the winds began to blow in earnest, the dark clouds of only a few hours ago having crept their way inexorably southward until they were nearly on top of them, blotting out the tiny specks of light in their impenetrable gloom. Even then, the two beings retained their silence, coveting it with avaricious glee.
It was only when the heavens opened up and poured forth their anger upon the world that the silence was broken. Even then the sentence was simple, to the point, and would brook no argument. "Come on kid. Get back inside before you catch your death of cold." The much smaller figure's response was a stony silence that would not be broken.
It was not until the icy winds blew the falling rain and sleet and snow up the mountain it picked up tiny pebbles and ice, hurling them with deadly force into the cliff-side that the other spoke. "Not before you old-timer."
With a grumbling sorrow as deep as the mountains roots, the larger of the two stood up, and grasped the small one in his large hands, carrying him bodily back into the shelter of the cave, and out of the infernal conditions. Only when they were safely inside and the doors barred against the elements, did he set the boy down, set his hands upon his hips, and do his best to look authoritative.
"So just why were you out there in the first place?" The soft voice was surprisingly deep for one so small.
The large man snorted, not quite acknowledging the question. "Why were YOU out there? Hunh?" The large man's gruff exterior belied the hidden frailty within.
The green boy just looked up at the man and smiled. "I asked you first Ramza."
Almost he made the childish "I asked you second," reply, but held his tongue. The young Namek's smile had begun to melt that external ice he held so dear, and so he smiled back. "Well I was TRYING to watch the sunset... Until someone interrupted me that is."
Vorack's eyes narrowed for a moment in intense concentration, as he made sense of the large man's words. Then his eyes regained the playful glint they usually had, and with a smile, it lit up his face with a glow of sincerity. "Same here. It certainly was a beautiful sunset wouldn't you agree?"
Ramza was stunned for a brief second, then let his guard down completely and gave himself over to the budding friendship he felt for the youngster. This is a boy I could grow to like... "It sure was..." Then, walking slowly, and with purpose now, his hand resting lightly on the boys shoulder, he turned to face the tunnel, and the rest of his life.
Marrec smiled a dark secret smile of hatred that had been quietly nursed over many decades. Occasionally he let his eyes drift over to the quiescent form of the Half-Breed Shaikoten he had recently acquired for his master. His master would be pleased with him for retrieving the man so quickly.
Marrec glanced down at the controls of the ship, quickly calculating the time until the ship would reach it's destination. Only two more days and he could present his gift to his master. He could wait two days. He hoped his master would reward him for this deed. It had been so very long since he had received a boon from his master, he had begun to wonder if it would ever happen.
Still. He was patient... He could wait. Waiting was the one thing he had learned to do with quiet excellence over the many years he had faithfully served his master. The last time the reward had been so very much worth the wait, that he could not have believed it. Not only had the new ability increased his power ten-fold, it had returned to him the power of youth, his old shriveled form having almost been worthless.
Yes... Very much worth the wait had it been... Still. There was so very much more power he could attain if he was only given the opportunity. So many things he craved, that his master might provide... Even though his power could match almost any in the universe, save the immortals themselves, he still could savor the wait for more.
Yes. A very great boon would likely be his reward, but he could wait. Even if his master deemed this deed worthy of any but the smallest of gifts, he might well have to wait many years for the newest of powers to manifest itself. Yet he knew in the tiny, blackened husk of a thing that was his heart, that any wait, no matter how long, would be so very worth it.
Having concluded the thought, he forced it from his mind, not wanting to cloud his thoughts with selfish wishes for power that his master might deem unfit for his servitors. No, his mind must be clear, a deadly crystal clarity that could pierce the very heart of his enemies. To further purge his mind of the unworthy thoughts, he retired to the sanctity of his chamber.
It was a dark place, devoid of light, a place where the only sounds were of his own breathing, and his unsteady heart beating within his breast. He could hear that pattering thud-thump loud in his ears, and sought to calm it's rhythmic pumping to a more normal level. Closing his eyes to shut out the distraction of blank nothingness, and concentrating his energies upon his malformed body, he began the process to rid himself of the pestering thoughts.
It was some time later that his eyes fluttered open in surprise. He had felt something, a faint twinge of power that while shadowed from the light, was completely foreign to him. He knew not from whence this power came, but made a guess, and quickly gained his feet. With his legs beneath him, pins and needles shooting up the length of them, he touched the wall where the opening pad lay, and the doors slid aside revealing the interior of his ship.
He rushed to the side of the stasis chamber, uncertain, making sure that everything was in order. He checked the measure of the prisoner's vital signs, and saw a tiny errant blip of activity. Alarmed that anyone could have even the faintest of signs of life within the chamber, he increased the machine's activity, to halt the Half-Breed's motions before he could wake to true consciousness.
He watched the man's vitals drop back down to even lower levels, his heart slowed to a crawl, his breathing shallow and intermittent. He was still alive, at least on the very borders of life, and would likely survive till the end of the trip, but Marrec could not risk the man's awakening at this critical junction.
He found that after that event, his mind was a mess with a new influx of doubts and fears. Not knowing what else to do, he returned to the chambers, to meditate. It would take many hours to return his mind to it's calm certainty. And even then... A tiny sliver of doubt would remain...
"Do you want this? Or do you just want to try your luck at me? Because if you really want this, there's no half-way. You either do it, or fail." I tried to sound as brutal as possible, if I didn't, he'd never believe me.
"Whatever. Lets just get this over with." Ramza was a man of few words. Those few words he did speak though, were often extremely well-thought-out before the exited his mouth. It gave the illusion that he was smarter than he actually was, but then again, he was extremely intelligent to begin with.
Even so, Durine was smarter by far. Where Ramza was thorough, and thought everything through to it's every possible end, Durine would instinctively come up with the right answer and in a fraction of the time. It was almost psychic how Durine knew exactly what people would do, before they did it. It was the talent that made him deadly in a fight.
Ramza however relied mostly on pure, brute strength. He was one of the most powerful beings I had ever encountered, who had yet to even reach the peak of his power. I knew that if he could tap into the hidden powers of his soul, and release the Super-Saiyajinn within, he would be a most formidable ally.
However, it was that simple strength of arm that was actually Ramza's greatest weakness. He relied upon it to too great an extent. When he would encounter someone more powerful than himself, he would be in direst trouble. He was one of those guys who couldn't just have power, he had to prove to everyone that he had it, and had the will to use it too. Thankfully he had managed to curb those tendencies to a fine point, allowing him to control his power, rather than the other way around.
I had come to these conclusions about Ramza within about half a second of meeting him, and I had yet to see anything to disprove them. Still, I hadn't fought the man yet, so I kept my mind open, just incase he had a few surprises to pull. Undoubtedly there would be several new techniques I could learn, but I would have an equal number to teach. It would be an interesting battle.
We were in the great cavern once more, the lights of the lanterns that had been placed around the place only barely able to penetrate the gloom of distance. The lanterns were so far away from us, I could only barely see them as tiny points of dim light, and many were all but invisible, lost in the shadows.
The steady drip-drip of water pooling into the vast underground lake that supplied the base with water unnerved me. It was a sound that had always gotten to me, but with so many drops plummeting into the lake from the innumerable multitudes of stalactites that dotted the ceiling high above, the sound faded into each other, the echoes of them almost like a light pattering of rain.
All this I took in with a single glance at my surroundings, familiarizing myself with every nook and cranny. That done, I faced off against my erstwhile opponent, and gave him the slightest of nods that signaled the fights beginning.
Taking the initiative, Ramza started off, closing the distance between us in one vast leaping jump. Leading with his left fist, the punch was sloppy, and slow, but with great strength behind it. I waited as long as I could to see just what he was up to before I moved to block, perhaps longer than I should have.
I took the blow against my forearm, which instantly begun to numb from the sensation of so powerful a blow. I was noticeably impressed with his power, but not his technique. I had expected more from Durine's Right-Hand-Man, his Bodyguard, his closest confidante. I countered with a punch of my own, but stayed mostly on the defensive, keeping him at arms-length, where his greater strength would make little difference.
I forced him very quickly to change tactics. Actually, it was more like forcing him to actually use tactics in the first place. He actually had to think of each move as it was being executed. It seemed that this was a style he was unfamiliar with, almost as if he had never faced an opponent who's power so greatly outmatched his own.
We traded blows for a few minutes, testing each other's limits, strengths, weaknesses, and tactics. It wasn't long before it was clear I had the advantage, one I readily pressed home with a few choice moves. A good knee to the gut, followed by a swift right-hand hook to the jaw sent him flying into the far wall.
It seemed as if that might be the end of the spar right then and there, but Ramza managed to pick himself up out of the rubble, and dust himself off as if he hadn't even been trying. It was only then that I got an inkling as to Ramza's true abilities. Even then though, I was still hesitant, and a little cocky, confident in my superiority.
He came at me again, this time far faster than before, but with the same sloppily executed left punch. Now expecting the thoughtless move, I blocked directly, which was precisely what he had been waiting for. Ramza's fist opened, and his fingers deftly grabbed hold of my defensively raised wrist. Simultaneously, he brought his right leg up and over, using my arm as a pivot point, and pulling me into the blow.
His foot met my side with crushing force, and in the sudden silence that was that moment, I could hear the faint crunching snap of my ribs cracking. The pain was exquisite, stabbing red-hot needles into my chest, my lungs on fire with every in-taken breath. It was a full second before I realized just how much I had underestimated my opponent.
Not one to pass up an opportunity, Ramza pressed the attack, hurling his right fist several times into my exposed and tender rib-cage. With a supreme effort of will, I managed to twist my hand around, grabbing Ramza's wrist as well, then caught the fist currently pummeling me with my other.
That done, I used his own technique against him, and pulled him into a head-butt of massive proportions. First I brought my forehead directly into his, then on the second blow, I angled it to strike the bridge of his nose, smashing it to pieces. Instantly I felt his hold on my arm slacken, and used the half-second to swing my knee into his jaw.
That done, I let his arms go, twirled about, and slammed my heel into his chest, watching as he flew back into the cave wall once more, the pile of rubble created far larger than the last. I fell aching to the ground, my breath catching in my throat. While the larger man was busy extricating himself from the rock, I hurriedly summoned a minuscule portion of energy to enclose my chest, protecting it from further injury.
That done, I then concentrated on the pain my breathing caused, and managed to set it outside of physical sensations. Now I could hardly feel a thing from my ribs, but that could be dangerous, because I wouldn't know if I sustained truly severe damage. Nevertheless, I was confident I had the situation under control, and made to spar Ramza once more as the rocks flew away from him in an explosion of freedom.
"Well. It seems I underestimated you somewhat. I won't make the same mistake twice." My words might have sounded like a hollow threat after the thrashing I had just received, but everyone watching knew that they were not. I readied myself for the new onslaught of blows, expecting, and receiving, a full-out assault.
Ramza's power seemed to be increasing with every attack, each blow harder and more accurate than the last. A kick that only a minute ago would have been easy for me to block now seemed to come from nowhere. My lungs weren't helping much either, even with the pain suppressed below the threshold of feeling, I could tell by the sound alone that I was laboring against a significant amount of stress.
Even with Ramza's continued improvement, I kept up with him blow for blow, exuding an air of effortless competence that only enraged the larger Saiyajinn more. Each parry was so finely executed that it left no opening for a sneak attack, while setting myself up for the perfect parry. I was using the borrowed skill of eight different people augmenting and complimenting my own, using their combined knowledge to predict with unerring accuracy just what my opponents next move would be.
It was now a matter of endurance. Ramza could not long last as he drew upon greater reserves of the power he had stored up over years in this one conflict. But then again, I couldn't maintain flawless form for long either. Eventually I would make a mistake, just as inevitably Ramza would reach a point where his power could go no further. The question was, who would fall first?
Almost I called upon my Super-Saiyajinn power, but reserved that for the moment at which I might truly need it. In this battle, such a decision would be counted almost as cheating, for that was an attack my opponent could not possibly counter, or hope to match in any way. And so I stayed my hand, waiting for the moment when one of us would fail, hoping only that it would not be me.
I could see the beads of sweat pouring down Ramza's face, the salty drops stinging his eyes, seeping into the many small cuts and abrasions with a fierce burning pain. His face was but a mirror of his own, two flip sides of the same coin. His side was filled with power, and fueled by rage. Mine with a calm certitude, and quiet concentration.
Then it happened. Something inside Ramza snapped, having bent too far, it broke under the strain, and he could no longer contain his long-hidden hatred of anyone who dared oppose him. His power skyrocketed, reaching a tall-standing peak, the ultimate summit of his utmost energies. With that release, I dared not hold back, and prepared myself for the final test.
With a keening cry of purest wrath, a white light flared around him, and with his hands aimed directly at my chest, he let fly a powerful wave of bluish light. I met his blast with indifference, letting his attack slide off my barrier harmlessly. However, the strain of keeping my defense up was beginning to wear me out, and I soon realized that he would likely not give up until one of us was dead.
My hands were senseless already, the most of my arms feeling like lead weights as they braced my body against the energies that assailed me. I began to weary, my energy flagging, my body in the very beginning stages of giving up. No! The silent cry of denial flowed outwards, and with it came the familiar golden energies that hailed the transformation into the Super-Saiyajinn.
Now with energy to spare, my battered and bruised body leapt to the attack with a wave of my own. Pure, silent white energy, with only the faintest hint of purple surged from my right palm, my left hand gripping the first to support the full extent of my power. I began only small, only barely keeping up to Ramza's attack, but slowly, inexorably, his beam receded, inching it's way closer and closer to his own pressured body.
Surprisingly the larger opponent redoubled his efforts, pouring even more of his energy into the blast, perhaps even his very life-force was being drained. Either way, he somehow managed to force my beam back for a moment before I matched his increase, and upped the bet. I could see that this final attack was beginning to drain Ramza of everything, leaving nothing for himself.
How can he keep this up? It's amazing... I can only imagine the stress this is putting on his body... I just hope he doesn't push himself too far beyond his limits. As I kept the energies focused on each other, their opposing forces cancelling each other out, I pushed forward, walking step by step closer to Ramza.
With the added force of my approach, his attack could no longer hold out, his body began to fail, and his energy waned with increasing regularity. It happened almost at once, but his resolve had begun to lag behind, and to make certain I didn't kill him, I lessened the intensity of my blast, keeping just enough power in it to still force the remnants of Ramza's attack back at him.
Finally, we were arm's length away, and I could see the tiny broken speck of defeat in Ramza's eyes. Defeat is useless... I smiled at Ramza, laughing at him, sparking that fervent denial of failure, that ceaseless unending need to survive, to succeed, no matter the consequences, no matter the odds. Go... Come on... Do it!
Finally, I saw the flashing phase of gold, the straightening hair, the emerald green eyes, and at last, the final exultant cry of need, and the great explosion of pure unanswerable power that signified the transformation. With that sudden surge of power, his blast overpowered me, and the beam caught me full in the chest, hurling me backwards into the mountainside.
At least, it would have. Fortunately, I managed to control even this blast, but only barely. To do it I reached deeper, increasing my power to it's utmost, and merely cancelling the remaining energy. It had taken everything I had, but finally it was done. My feet touched the ground at the same moment as Ramza's knees. He fell face-first into the dirty stone floor, nothing left.
I let my hair fall back into it's natural state, having seen Ramza's do likewise a moment ago. As before, my two companions ran into the chamber, both ecstatic and frightened. We all three centered on Ramza, walking over to him slowly, as he lay upon the cold stone. When we arrived, he was only barely alive, hanging on by a thread. The transformation had taken the last remnants of his reserves, and had pushed him beyond the physical limitations of his body.
Too far... I pushed him too far... And I'm to blame. Too late I remembered the small bag of sensu beans that lay back in my quarters far down the hallway. If I had it here now, I might be able to save him, but it was too far away, and too little, too late.
"I did it... I didn't think I could, but I did it. Aren't you proud of me Durine?" His words were cut short by the rapidly weakening wheeze of his breath. His skin had turned a pale shade of grey, and his red foam-flecked lips moved slowly, without purpose. He drew in one more shuddering breath, smiled, and prepared for death.
It was only at that exact moment, that I saw the silvery glow of Vorack's hands as they lay upon Ramza's chest. I was dumbfounded. What is he doing? I had my answer soon enough as I bore witness to the transformation Ramza underwent. The brownish blotches on his skin that were once dark contusions, now had begun to recede into unnoticeable healthy pink skin.
Amazingly the cuts stopped bleeding, the bruises faded, and Ramza's next breath did not have that great wracking quality to it that the other, the breath that very well might have been his last. Somehow, the Namek was restoring the body of this fallen warrior, healing him with this pale silver light that emanated from his extended hands. Wherever those hands passed his touch removed any sign of pain or damage, and when they left Ramza was whole, and hale.
"How did you do that?" Durine spoke the words we all three were thinking.
"I don't know. It just happens when it is needed." Vorack's answer mystified us all, but we were not about to look too closely into this gift we had been given.
Ramza was too weary to do anything other than smile, and fade into the black of unconsciousness. Together, me and Durine lifted him up and carried him, the Namek child following closely behind, to the recovery room. Vorack's healing had restored his body, but only time could restore his soul.