Hoshito's Odyssey
Part V
Surprise, Surprise, Surprise
By:
Arthur E. King
Discla- Oh, forget it... If you haven't figured out that I don't own this stuff by now, then you shouldn't be reading this!
Author's Notes:
WOOHOO! It's time for the infamous Author's Notes! Or in this case... Arthur's Notes! First off, in response to Neko~Chan's comment last time, the whole Capitalized God and Immortal words... there's a reason for that... they are two "names" for a single "race" or Immortal God-like beings... Not really related to Shin. Actually they're most closely related to Garlic. Jr. because... Well I'll explain why right inside the story, so keep your eyes open...
Second things, second... CONGRATULATIONS! Those of you who thought so, have finally stopped complaining about why their characters don't seem so powerful! Good for you for finally getting that through your thick heads! (Well... most of you)
*Hands them all little plushie graduation hats for them to throw*
Oh yeah... Durine? It was SUPPOSED to be fast-paced! Why else do you think I was using short scenes? Why else do you think I was re-writing the same scene from other people's point of view? Hunh? Hunh? Maybe I went a little over-board... I'll have to figure that out a little later.
Now... Finally we get to start reading the actual story! I'm now forced to go WOOHOO! Again...
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"His name's Marrec incase you wanted to know..." Xev was trying to fill the empty silence after the battle, if it could be called that. Lucavex was gone, dead, we had won, but at what cost? "He was Lucavex's lackey, he'll be helpless now that his boss is gone."
Who cares? Ramza died because of this stupid prophecy. Even if we did manage to revive him... And Shaikoten... What's he doing here? Thoughts were running through my head at so rapid a pace I couldn't quite comprehend them.
Durine sedately walked over to the healing chamber, the broken Plasti-Glass crunching underfoot. Reaching inside the gaping hole, he released the inner latch, and with a nearly non-existent hiss, the doorway opened, and Shaikoten's limp frame fell forward into his brothers arms. A mild groan escaped his lips as Durine lay him gently upon the ground.
Ramza came up behind his leader and friend, laying a hand lightly upon Durine's shoulder as he knelt over his half-brother's body. "He'll be okay. Don't worry about him." Words, just words.
"But you might not have been... This has taken such a tole upon us..." Durine was moved to tears, the wetness sliding down his cheeks, unabashedly weeping at so much loss. "And if could have been so very much worse..."
None of us felt up to the challenge of meeting those words, so we left them there, sitting, awaiting a response. And they got one...
A flash of heat, a wave of pain, and then there was nothing. No sight, no sound, no pain, no death. A shadowy spirit now, he flew over the face of the great orb, a dark spot on the sun. He had no body, no physical essence, only the undying will of an Immortal. It might have been centuries, or only seconds, he couldn't tell, before he finally knew something, felt something.
Power! There was no other word to describe it. Pure, unfettered power! He could feel it, just at the very edge of existence. Being new to this form, he had no way to actually come closer to it, but merely the thought of it and it happened. One thought, and he was there, in the presence of this final, absolute energy.
Reaching out to it, resonating with it, he felt it for the briefest of moments before he was repulsed, but that one moment was more than enough to take from it what he needed. Power! With this single massive upsurge of energy, he drew forth from the particles around him, reconstituted them into a remembered body.
With a body, came pain, and death, but he was used to these. He opened his eyes, only just realizing he had eyes now, and saw for the first time the tiny, unassuming sphere that was the No-Star-Ball. He grasped at it, managing to snag it, though the pain it gave him was far worse than that of the ever-lasting burning death of the pure nuclear fire.
Only then did the thought occur to him, and with the thought, came the action. The laughter that issued forth from his restored lips pounded from this solar prison, escaping gravity, escaping time, escaping the boundaries of the very universe itself. That laughter was heard at once by every being within those confines, as if it came from everywhere, and nowhere, at once.
The next thought that came to him, was that of returning to his tower, that place fo far removed from the bright, shining thing he now was. He decided against it. He would have a new palace, one of light, a burning, searing light that obliterated everything that did not shine. Yes, a fitting place. He faded from the star, faded from existence, and began to plan, plotting the end of his foes, the end of everything.
"What was that!" My words seemed too little a thing in the echoes of that laugh. Everything seemed too small a thing... Nothing ever known to exist could ever hope to equal that great, and terrible sound.
Xev, now only on his knees as he picked himself up off the stone, tried to respond to that, give some sort of explanation. "That would be Lucavex." All head turned to him, orienting on the name as if they were the only hope in a beleaguered world. They very well just might have been. "He succeeded. He now has access to the greatest power imaginable, and the time of our existence has come to an end."
Fancy words for ceasing to exist. Not everyone could accept them. "What do you mean? You mean we're all going to die?" Vorack, tiny, childlike innocence... About to be lost for all time.
"No. We are not going to die. We will never have been. When Lucavex invokes the power of the No-Star-Ball, it is going to reshape the Universe. No one will ever have known you, because you were never born. In fact, none of us will ever have been born. There might be something to take our places... but we will be no more."
Plainer words, they began to sink in... The sheer magnitude of my failure weighed on me, threatened to break me under it's uncaring, solid mass. Even Sarah would never have been... Her death was preferable. At least I would remember her... Even if no one else would. She would still live on in me. But not anymore... Even that tiny speck of her I might salvage would be gone, as would everything else, and no one would even remember that things were ever any different.
"Wait a minute... If that were true... Wouldn't Lucavex have done something by now?" Ramza's mind worked on a different wavelength than most, having jumped to the logical conclusion before any of us had even started thinking. "It just strikes me as odd, that he has all this power now, but he's not using it."
"That's right!" Xev caught on the one point and held it. "There must be something stopping him! We must have time... But I can't imagine us having very much of it. We've got to strike while the iron is hot... We have no time to lose."
Before any of us could agree, or do anything other than stand around dumb-founded, darkness descended upon us, the shadows flew from their corners, surrounding us in unnatural shade. The darkness had teeth, tiny sharp daggers that sank into us with a freezing bite, sucking the life from us all.
Then it was over, the dark shadow-wraiths were gone as if the never were. It was over so fast none of us were quite sure it had even really happened... Although the swelling red welts on our skin told us otherwise. We all were in a state of shock, near-panic and none of us were paying any real attention to anything outside ourselves... Except Vorack...
"Look!" The word shook us again, though by now we all were getting so used to surprises that nothing seemed truly miraculous anymore. It was as if the defining principal of miracles, the fact that they are so incredibly rare, was suspended. This day all things were possible, and one more incredible thing to add to a very long list, was not much.
But even given out lack attitude to the miraculous, we turned our heads once more. The bodies of Marrec and Shaikoten were cloaked in an impenetrable sheet of darkness. "No!" The shadow-things ignored Durine's protest, but there was a reaction. Slowly, but with steadily increasing speed, the shadows were no longer black. Instead they began to glow.
Bright! Too bright! The light burned the eyes, even shaded, it seemed to ignore the closed lids, the hastily erected arm, even the eyes themselves, to burn away the brains of everyone there. When the brightness receded and we all opened our eyes, they were gone. It was too much for Durine, who having only just rescued his only family, to have lost him again so soon. He just fell to the ground while great racking sobs shuddered through him as he cried into his hands.
"Now, you're going to tell me just who this Lucavex person is, and why he wants Durine's brother. If you don't, you won't live long enough to see Lucavex destroy the Universe." Ramza's eyes blazed with a heated intensity.
Xev was nonplused, unfazed, and totally unconcerned with Ramza's threat. He reached up and shoed the Big Saiyajinn's finger away with his characteristic disdain. "Lucavex is in many ways a 'cousin' of mine. We two, and others like us, were born of flesh and blood just like you, but we have each of us lived so many years that you would have passed into dust ages before we blinked our eyes."
Only Vorack caught onto the implications of this. "You mean, you're Immortal? How?"
Xev only nodded in response. "Lucavex and I, along with a handful of others, have become Immortal. As to how, it was the Dragonballs. As you two know, the Dragonballs can grant any wish, even Immortality. We all have wished for it at one time or another."
Only Vorack had anything to say about that. "But, if that was true, my people would know about it. The Namek in control of the Dragonballs always knows what wish is granted each and every time. The Eldest Namek knows everything that each of the Guardian Nameks knows, and that knowledge is always passed down to the next Namek in line. So my people would know if any of the Dragonballs were ever used to do such a thing. But we know that it has not been done."
Xev smiled an indulgent little smile of his and only continued his story. "Do you think yours is the only Universe? No... There are many. And we Immortals can pass freely from one to another. Many name us Gods, and perhaps that is true too. But we are not omnipotent, though some of us would like to think so."
"Most of us don't bother the rest of the people of the Universes. Lucavex is the exception. When he wished for Immortality, something happened. In that instant that the wish was granted he died. Somehow it gave rise to an Undead being, who could neither live nor die. What little remained of his sanity was completely gone by then."
"I am not certain, but it is rumored among the other Immortals that What drove him to wish for Immortality in the first place was the need to defeat one person. His story is a long and tragic one. If we had decades perhaps it would be enough to give some small portion of it's depth but I shall give you the smallest portion of his beginnings."
"His sister was taken from him by a scientist, similar to your Doctor Gero Hoshito. The Doctor took his sisters essence and transported it into an android body, then took Lucavex himself and forced his body into more and more horrible mutations. It was unpleasant to say the least, and when the good Doctor was quite done, there was very little left of either of the two of them."
"Lucavex exacted his revenge upon the good doctor, but in doing so, he also destroyed the only person who had the knowledge to return him and his sister to who they were before. Still, they learned to live with this, but they then began collecting Dragonballs hoping the Eternal Dragon might be able to help."
"Unfortunately, when they finally collected them, someone stole them, and used them for himself, becoming Immortal. Immortal now, that person took Lucavex's sister and used her for his own pleasures. Not knowing what else to do, Lucavex did the only thing he could, which was to gather the Dragonballs again, and use the wish to make him Immortal in the hopes that it would be enough to allow him to defeat the other, and save his sister."
"Unfortunately, his sister had fallen in love with the man who had kidnaped her. So strange a thing love. Well Lucavex made his wish, but as I had said before, died in the process.. No one is quite sure how or why, but when it was over, Lucavex tried to save his sister who didn't need saving, there was a great battle, and in the thick of it, his sister was killed."
"They brought her back... But Lucavex never did forgive himself for killing his only family, just as Durine will never forgive himself if he cannot save Shaikoten. In the end, his sister, Rei, was also granted Immortality, so that she and her lover could be together forever. But the damage had been done."
"Some say that on that day when he killed his sister, he uttered the most unimaginable oath of total vengence that had been voiced in the long dark history of... well... history. He said that he was going to remove from existence everything that had borne witness to his shame. He would erase everything."
"And now, after so many millennia, he has finally gotten his hands upon the one thing that might well make his vision of oblivion a reality. So now you see why he is so great a foe. And why we cannot stay here anymore, we have waited too long already, we must move to strike, while there is still time!" Xev's impassioned plea was made, for better or worse. It did not fall on deaf ears.
A tiny piece of cloth lay on the floor. Slowly, almost tenderly, it rose from it's sedate position, while cradled in Durine's hand. The scrap of blue material was the only thing that reminded Durine of what he had lost, the only token memento of his only real family. With this one last shred of dignity clutched to his breast, Durine stood, his face a mask of grim determination.
"Yes. We must move out. Now. If the resources of my small band may help, use them. Shaikoten deserves the chance to make amends for the evil he has done. And I intend to make sure that he gets it." Those words said, Durine rolled the square up into a tight little rope, tying it around his arm to make sure it would not get in the way.
One by one the four of us all agreed to help Xev stop Lucavex. "Yes, there are a few things that you may be able to provide us with that might prove useful in the coming hours. I have a sneaking suspicion that we will need every little bit of help that we can get our hands on." We nodded, each of us now ready to do our utmost.
"Well then, lets get going."
The trip this time was less eventful... No words were said in that blank nothingness, none were needed. In moments we had returned to the hidden base of the Saiyajinn Resistance. Immediately Durine began running everywhere, shouting orders, and people who had just been pretending to be busy, now were.
It wasn't long before people were running around, making preparations for a full-scale assault. Some were disappointed that their easy days had come to an end, some were red-faced with that pre-battle flush of excitement, and others were beginning to feel that overwhelming terror that comes with the realization that they just might die. Most of them though, were relieved to actually be doing something for a change.
While Durine was giving orders, Ramza was running around, making sure those orders were followed. Not everyone was happy about the activity, but with the large warrior towering over them, they were not about to disobey. Xev and Vorack were waiting on the launchpad, not having anything to do.
I however, decided to pick up about the only thing that might make a difference, the bag of sensu beans that I had hidden in my spaceship. While I left the others to their own devices, I couldn't help but wonder just what the future might hold. How could we possibly stop an Immortal?
I tried not to think about it, tried not to think of anything. Just take it one thing at a time, don't think too hard about it, or else you're just going to go insane, and you're not going to be any good to anyone, least of all yourself. I kept repeating that to myself more to stop myself from thinking than anything else. The words "Don't Think" had become a mantra to me, my salvation in two small words.
It took precious few seconds in which to get the small canvas pouch, seconds we didn't have, but by the time I returned to the launchpad things had drastically changed, instead of uncertain people milling about, there was a more ordered confusion, as if there was a pattern to the whole thing but one that was so complex as to be incapable of being understood by mortals.
Taking deep breaths to try and calm myself, I closed my eyes for a moment as I waited for Ramza and Durine to return. With my eyes closed, all I could see was the textured darkness that lay behind my eyelids, but I wouldn't let the swirling rainbow distract me. A few more deep breaths, and my mind was at peace.
The time for thinking was over. Now there was time only to wait, to wait, and then, finally, to fight.
"What's going to happen to me? I'm not a fighter like the others... Although I've been practicing a lot. I know that there nothing that I can do to make a difference here." Vorack's questioning tone was deep with concern. He wanted to help, that much was certain, he only wished to know how.
"Don't' worry child. Before this day is done, there will be more than enough work to be done by all." Xev didn't even look down into the young Nameks eyes to comfort him. No, Xev was cold, calculating, manipulative, and all-too-caring. I was glad we had him on our side.
Vorack seemed to take comfort in the words at least, and stilled the quivering of his lower lip as it was wont to do. He was a brave one, that little Namek child, willing to go up against a foe he couldn't possibly win again, and not willing to let that fact stop him from trying. I would be hard pressed to find one child in all the Universes everywhere that could match this one for spirit.
But I also knew that spirit alone was not going to win this battle, although it could very well be the determining factor. There was too much more at stake here to leave everything down to one persons choice. No. I would not let things degenerate into a coin toss. If everything was going to be destroyed as if it had never existed, than I was going to make sure that I had at least done my best to stop it. Perhaps it would be enough.
"Look Ramza, you don't have to do this. It's my brother, it's my responsibility to get him back. You don't have to come with me. You'd only be putting yourself in danger. I know that I'm supposed to be the leader of this little rebellion of ours, but everyone here looks up to you, they follow you. They only listen to me because you make them."
"You know as well as I do, that if I die, you can carry on my work to try and help these people. But if you die, I don't know if I'd have the strength to go on, knowing that it was my fault that you weren't by my side. And even if I did have the strength, no one would listen to me. I'm just silly for even trying..." Durine would have gone on in his useless tirade, but Ramza cut him off.
"That's enough bullshit for now Durine. The Saiyajinn here aren't the same people they were thirty years ago. Back then, we were a ruthless bloodthirsty people. Now we've changed, and it's all because of you. Don't you even THINK of letting them down by sending me away." Ramza words were harsh, but they needed to be to get through Durine's thick head.
"Look. Even if you die, your work will have been worth it. Look at us... Not ONE of us here hasn't been changed. We're just as powerful as before, perhaps even more-so. But now that power has been tempered with passion, kindness, caring, compassion. You've changed us Durine, for the better."
Slowly, Ramza's speech made it's way into Durine's head, and the sullen expression on his face was replaced by a smile. It was the smile of a Saiyajinn who was about to do what he was born to do. Fight.
"Why!"
The force placed into that single syllable was incredible. Marrec was forced backwards by the breath of it. Lucavex's voice now that he had one was unbearably strong. It was as if all the energy he had saved not using it for thousands of years was placed into that one word. He had only just risen from unconsciousness and his master was already furious.
Marrec bided his time, awaiting the explanation he knew was coming. It was always his masters way to explain himself for no reason, as if he constantly needed reassurance that his methods could be understood. Marrec profited by this as much as anything else his master gave him, for information was always the most valuable commodity. He didn't have long to wait.
"Why can I not use this blasted thing! It responded to me once, why not now!" Lucavex's anger was a palpable thing, hot, dry, and without compromise. Marrec shied away from his masters rage, and tried to protect his eyes from the glare of his masters body.
The transformation his master had undergone was strange and unnerving. From dusk to dawn, dark to light, death to life, true, but the evil presence was the same. No matter the shape of body, it was the same man, the same presence of power that would have thrown him across the room as soon as look at him.
Even so, the greatest change was from bitterest cold, to blazing heat. Being near his master now was like being in a furnace, and heat was not something Marrec was either used to or liked. It was too much, too hot, too far from what he knew, that Marrec feared for himself. Not for his soul, because if he had one, he had given that to Lucavex long ago, but for what little remained of his life.
Not thinking about what he was doing Marrec instinctively reached out for whatever power he could find, trying to protect himself from his masters unbearable wrath. Then he found something. A tiny presence, far away, but strong. He reached for it, not caring what it was, or that his master would know, he only cared that he was in danger.
The power responded, came to him, filled him up, protecting him, cradling him in swathes of blessed coolness. Immediately he sighed in relief, a small sound, but enough to attract the attention of his master.
"What are you doing!?"
Distracted by his masters voice, Marrec halted his actions, standing there, stunned. He felt like a kid caught with his hand in the cookie jar, small, impotent, and guilty. He stammered, stuttering a reply, but could not make any intelligible sound pass the knot in his throat.
"The Power! It reacted to you!" Lucavex, though in a rage, contemplated this for a moment. His fingers lifted to stroke his chin, contacting for the first time, new stubble. An idea hit him, but uncertain of it's validity, he decided to try something. "Do it again. Whatever it is that you did, try it again."
Tentatively, Marrec reached for the power. Still not sure what was happening, or why, only knowing that he could not fail his master, Marrec found the power, and could feel the light tingling sensation as it filled him with it's energy.
"Enough!" With a decisive chop of his hand, he ended the connection of the two. The power would respond to Marrec, but not himself. Why? Then the answer hit him. Of course! How could I be so blind!
Mortality... Marrec was mortal... He had never received the gift of Immortality from the Eternal Dragon, never wished for it. The very essence of his power prevented him gaining any more. Denied access, Lucavex screamed once to the heavens, the earth shaking beneath him, and saw Marrec stumble.
His deepest darkest desire had been thwarted! How could he annihilate the Universes without the power? That answer too came to him slowly. He needed a mortal to do it for him. His eyes centered on the only Mortal who he could trust to do his bidding. Yes... He would have to do...
It had only been five minutes since our arrival at the base, but already the Saiyajinn Resistance had already readied themselves for battle. Suited up in their armor of varied colours, and lined up in rows, each one had the glint of anticipation in their eyes. Professional and extremely competent, each one was a model of military precision.
Had I not recently been witness to the power of their foe, I might have been impressed. As it was, I knew it would not be nearly enough. Still, they might buy us the precious few seconds that could easily make the difference between victory, and oblivion. There would be no in-between.
At the moment we were only waiting the arrival of Xev, who had left to discover the just where Lucavex had run to. While waiting, Ramza scoured their ranks, correcting any mistakes in poise or posture. In the meantime, Durine stood at the forefront, addressing his men, explaining to each of them only what they needed to know, no more. If they knew the stakes, they would each be as likely to turn tail and run as to fight. Better they be spared that humiliation.
"True... They don't need to know what they're fighting for. It's better this way." Xev's voice appeared behind me, but I was not faxed. By now, I was used to his obscure entrances and exits. Without turning my head, I only nodded, acknowledging his presence, and agreeing.
It was several seconds before anyone else realized Xev had returned, but when they did, the reaction was immediate. An hour ago, no one in the place would have even looked twice at the cloaked Immortal. Now, his presence had the palpable effect of quiet, as a silent anticipation slid over the people here, throwing them into an expectant hush.
No one said anything for what seemed like hours, but when the silence was broken it was shattered by Xev himself. "I'm here to transport you in this mission directly from here, to the liar of our enemy. You each know your tasks, and have been informed of the role you are to play in the current events, you don't need me to tell you that. The only thing I'm going to say now is a reminder of why you're here, and why you're doing this."
I wasn't certain what Xev had in mind, and though I had an inkling, I kept quiet. "Remember your families, those of you who have them. That is why Durine is fighting, for his brother who was taken. Remember your friends too, for as his best friend, Ramza will follow his friend into the jaws of hell itself."
"And most of all, remember yourself, your soul. For there are many in this battle who fight without them, and that will be your greatest ally in this battle. Without the spirits of each and every one of you, this battle would already be lost, but with them, perhaps we have a chance. I can't tell you if you'll survive, but I can tell you that if you fight with all your heart, and all your soul, then every one of you will be remembered."
"Today will be perhaps the greatest foe you will ever face, most certainly the greatest foe you have fought thus far. If you decide to quit here no one will think less of you for it. But think perhaps of your future, how you might live for a hundred years past this day, and how you would always regret that decision. I can guarantee you, that you all would trade every day from this day forward for one last chance to come back, and show this asshole what the Saiyajinn race is all about!"
The resounding cheer that was given up by those thousand throats strove to equal the heinous laughter of only a few minutes before, strove to beat back the thoughts of darkness that lay just beyond the thoughts of battle.
They did not fail to do so.
It was with a combination of abject terror and wanton ambition that Marrec reached for the No-Star-Ball. The Ultimate Power of the Universe. The power of total creation, and total annihilation. His master was entrusting him to use it. To use it to destroy everything.
But wait? What if I don't destroy everything? All I have to do is destroy Lucavex himself, and I will be free to take the No-Star-Ball and rule the Universe, recreate it in my own image! The thought was a tempting one... And one he had begun to give into.
Unfortunately, Lucavex was not to be so undone. "Do not think to deceive me. I have known of your thoughts of freedom since they first appeared. I have put up with them so far because you have always before placed your own desires beneath mine. Until now." There was a hollow finality to the sound.
Marrec could feel his master inside his mind, invading him, destroying anything that he was, replacing it only with whatever Lucavex wanted, whatever Lucavex needed. He tried to scream, tried to call forth the power of the No-Star-Ball, tried to go insane, tried to do anything, to no avail.
All was blazing brightest light, there was nothing of Marrec that his master had not taken away, his master would take everything... No! Not his master! Lucavex! With a supreme effort of will Marrec shouted that final denial with a force that even Lucavex could not deny. Having suppressed his true feelings for so many years, the pent-up rage at having his own will so sublimated exploded now.
You will NEVER be my master! NEVER! Do you hear me Lucavex! NEVER! Marrec had won his freedom for a moment, rebelling from his former master with a unending hatred that dimmed the bright light of Lucavex's will. It was only a second, but perhaps it would be enough, he reached for the power of the No-Star-Ball.
If he had had one second more, it might have been enough. But as it was, Marrec could not hope to call forth enough energy in so short a period of time to combat an Immortal. So with a move too quick to be seen, Lucavex grabbed his former servant, and threw his from the shining palace.
Marrec sailed through the air, pounding through the walls of the palace and into the cold night air far away. Without the powers of Lucavex or the No-Star-Ball he was defenseless, and could feel his strength slipping away. And then he could feel nothing.
"Without Marrec, who could destroy the Universe for me?" Lucavex was mumbling to himself when he felt the sudden appearance of dozens, if not hundreds of individual energies. On their own, only a handful were of any consequence, but together they could become a nuisance.
"Xev!" He knew without seeing him that it was Xev. It could be no other. "First I will deal with you and your pathetic fools, then I will destroy EVERYTHING!" The voice edged on the borders of madness.
With a minuscule twinge of his power, he brought forth all the minions he had gathered over the centuries to do his bidding. Some he brought back from the grave, others he merely teleported here. All of them were powerful, and every one of them were brought to the height of their energies through Lucavex's all-consuming hatred of everything.
There was a moment of silence as the two armies squared off, one light, one dark, both with nothing left to lose. Then the silence was broken, and the battle began.
We thought it was going to be easy. We were wrong.
The teleportation was simple, easy, just as before, but with a hint of magnitude to it. Almost like if you tried, you could sense the others with us, sense their powers, sense their thoughts, and feelings... They say sometimes that getting there is half the battle, but in this case it was patently false. Getting there was the easy part.
When we arrived, it seemed like Lucavex had decided upon an open-door policy... Inviting us inwards, daring us to attack. I thought I caught a small speck of something falling in the distance, but I couldn't be sure, so I left the thought alone. However, when I turned my attention back to the castle, the way was blocked now by hundreds, possibly thousands of warriors.
Well, we came here for a fight, and Lucavex seemed more than willing to accommodate us. Time stood still for the briefest of moments, it was as if time, knowing that it's very existence was threatened, took this one second to contemplate itself. But time was a fickle mistress, as was luck, something we were about to run out of.
Hoarse screams were punctuated by their sudden cessation. The wailing of the dead and dying filled my ears as the battle raged. The minions of Lucavex outnumbered us ten-to-one, and were heedless of their own destruction, killing our warriors by any means necessary, even if it meant killing themselves as well. Our warriors were not so mindless as that, but had power, training, and the endless Saiyajinn battle-lust on their side.
For a time it seemed as if we were evenly matched, but then numbers, and recklessness began to take their toll. For each on of their warriors we destroyed, two more took their place, and our warriors had already begun to tire. It seemed a lost cause, hopeless. Who were we to think we could fend off the forces of an Immortal?
It was Durine's rallying cry that awoke us from our torpor, rousing our hearts, and seeking a way to cut through their ranks. With a wordless cry, and a sudden splash of golden radiance he transformed, forcing the hordes of monsterous things back. With renewed vigor at seeing their leader thus empowered, they all leapt to the attack.
Now it was the minions of Lucavex who began to lose ground, having already lost hope. With a single stroke of power, Durine flashed a dozen of them into dust, and carried his warriors into the fray. Vorack, Xev, Ramza and I followed in his footsteps, blasting when threatened, but not showcasing our full powers. We would need them against Lucavex himself.
In no time at all, we had gained a foothold in Lucavex's palace itself. And left the others to take care of what remained of Lucavex's minions. We had bigger fish to fry...
"No! How can they have beaten my warriors so easily! Damn them!" Lucavex fumed in impotent rage. "I MUST find a way to use this power, and now!"
Out of the corner of his eye, Lucavex caught a motion. Swinging around, he fired a blast of pure Psionic energy, designed to waste any mind left unguarded. Unfortunately, the movement was the body of Shaikoten, returning from unconsciousness. The blast caught him full on, destroying all remnants of his mind utterly.
Lucavex bellowed his frustrations, unable to console himself. He retrieved the tiny orange sphere from the table where it rested, and flung it with all his might. He cared not where it landed, for if he could not have it's power, then no one would.
The little ball landed with an audible crack right into the forehead of Shaikoten. A tiny trickle of blood leaked from the wound. Miraculously, the ball didn't plunge straight through, but merely imbedded itself into the frontal lobe of Shaikoten's brain, sitting there like some obscene third eye.
"No!" Durine's voice was filled with shattered hope as he saw the damage Lucavex had done to his brother. "You animal! You'll pay!" And with those words he unleashed the fullest part of his fury at the insane God. To no effect.
"Save yourself Durine. This battle is mine and mine alone." Xev's words held the force of prophecy. "I have been preparing for this since before I gained my Immortality." Having just run up countless stairs, none of us were out of breath. We were all too wrapped up in the events taking place to do anything other than stare.
Xev walked forward, brushing the shaken Durine out of his way, his eyes locked onto Lucavex's shining body. "And now you will answer for your crimes Lucavex." Soft, oh so soft his voice, but with a strength that would not be denied.
"Never!"
"Lucavex attacked, launching a bright attack, while a wave of nausea washed over us. Had it been a real attack, we would have been prepared, but as it was, the room spun, our stomachs rebelled, and nearly all of us were doubled over, retching. The sole exception was Xev, who knew Lucavex's tactics better than any of us, and was ready for it.
However, when the blaze of light faded, Lucavex was nowhere to be seen. Xev too was gone mysteriously, probably to do battle with the demonic Immortal who had done these things. I myself seemed to be just along for the ride. It can't be over yet... Was the prophecy wrong? Am I to play no part in this?
I didn't know, and I didn't want to know. Instead I tried to console Durine over the loss of his brother yet again. They had not been close, but they were family, and Saiyajinn blood was ever thick. Durine had carefully extricated his brothers body from the shackles that had kept him attached to the wall, and laid him gently down upon the cold stone floor.
Ramza walked over to his friend and leader but did not touch him, instead leaning down to check the vitals of his half-brother. "He'll be okay... He's still alive... We don't know what Lucavex did to him, but perhaps there's still a chance..."
Still, I could not rid myself of the feeling that there was more to it than this. It was too simple, too clean an ending... Little did I know just how right I would turn out to be...
"Get back here you fiend! You can't run from me!" Xev flew after the retreating God. They were in the Immortal Realm, having transported themselves here at the moment of Lucavex's attack.
Lucavex turned around, firing a blast of golden energy at Xev, who only barely managed to dodge. Taking advantage of Xev's distraction, Lucavex rushed the younger God, landing a solid left hook that threw the other back.
Xev was in trouble, and he knew it. Lucavex was stronger, faster, and more experienced than him, and was not going to make any mistakes. He was in over his head, but that didn't matter. One way or the other, this was going to end now! With that thought, Xev turned around in mid-air, his hand jutting out and connecting with Lucavex's neck as the other had teleported behind him.
This was more a battle of wits than a battle of strength. Both warriors were so incredibly powerful that there was virtually no difference, although Lucavex had a slight advantage there. The deciding factors would most likely be mental, not physical. Knowing this, Xev taunted the elder God, pressing the attack.
They exchanged a few blows, none of the telling, and disengaged. The formless grey-on-grey background of the Immortal Realm reminded Xev of the Hyperbolic Time Chamber, with it's infinite expanses of nothingness. Perhaps there was a way to turn that to his advantage, but the method eluded him for the moment.
He needed time to think of a strategy, but Lucavex was not about to give him that time. He had been preparing to face an Undead Lucavex, one who's body was weak from disuse. He had thought to face an enemy who used mostly his mind. Instead, he faced an opponent who's body was extraordinarily well-conditioned, at the peak of it's power.
He wasn't prepared for this kind of intensively physical battle, but he would not stop it for anything. Prepared or not, this had been going on long enough. There would be an end to it. So he merely attacked, with all his body, all his heart, and all his soul. He poured forth the needful death of this evil thing. It would kill him, it must kill him, it had to...
It was not enough.
Lucavex met the attack blandly, tossing it away as if it were nothing, and unleashing one of his own. An attack based in the nuclear furnace that had caused his rebirth, it contained within it the living heart of a star. Xev tried to defend himself, but could not. It was too much.
Bleeding freely from dozens of minor wounds, and clutching his chest, Xev managed to survive the blast. Lucavex had expected this, and dove foot-first to the attack. The kick landed squarely on his chin, sending his back again.
That began a series of crushing physical blows, each one more powerful than the last, each one taking one more and more of Xev's precious life-force. Lucavex was showing off, pummeling him into the ground as easily as he might have pounded some fresh meat to soften it up. Xev struggled to stay conscious, but it was a losing battle.
"I told you that it was hopeless. How could you hope to stand against me? Ha! Laughable that you might think that!" Lucavex's voice grated on Xev's nerves. But what could he do about it?
There was still one thing that he might do. He had refrained from using it, because he would have nothing left, but as it was he had no choice. This was an all or nothing attack, if it failed... He didn't let himself contemplate it, but merely began the process of calling forth the power.
At first, there was nothing, merely the faint suggestion of a hum, too low to be heard, only just on the verge of being felt. The sound grew in Xev's throat like a thing alive. The very air around Xev seemed to shimmer as the deep bass sound passed through it. Even though his eyes were closed in concentration, Xev knew that Lucavex had no idea what was coming.
"One final attack dear friend? Ha! When will you learn that you can't defeat me!" A twisted contorted thing Lucavex's voice, too evil to be considered handsome. He was cocksure, oblivious to the possibility that he might be defeated. It would be his downfall.
The sound continued to grow, now waves of energy could be seen flowing from Xev's body as his muscles tensed, spasming with the effort to control this massive up-swelling of energy. After only a few moments it was ready, and Xev's eyes opened, their perfect blue hue shining in the reflected un-light of the Immortal Realm.
With absolute precision, Xev unleashed this final assault, tapping into the fullest depths of his Immortal power, consuming himself in an effort to eradicate from existence this blemish on the face of history. The blue energy shot forth from his entire body, blue like the sky on a bright summers day, blue like the deep tropical oceans.
Not caring what colour the energy might be, Lucavex stood there, challenging the attack, defending himself with a fully charged barrier erected from his borrowed power. Thanks to the energy of the No-Star-Ball that he had managed to steal in that instant, and the borrowed power from the stellar core, he knew that nothing the other Immortal could muster would ever hope to be enough.
Unfortunately for Lucavex, he had not counted on Xev delving so deeply into energies rooted in his Immortality. The blast caught him by surprise, the force of it crashing into him with disastrous effect. He knew not how Xev had managed an attack of this magnitude, especially in his weakened state.
His defenses down, the blast hit him full on, draining his energy, and forcing him backwards to fall deep into what would have been the ground had this been any other place save the Immortal Realm. With the ground to fortify his defenses, give him a focal point for his energy, Lucavex fought back, forcing the energy away from his battered body. And succeeded.
Xev had nothing left, his body was a shattered, withered husk of a thing now, and he too fell from the heights, a wasted body. He had nothing left. Lucavex was not much better, having taken the brunt of the brutal assault and was much the worse for wear. Xev lay dying on the ground, and Lucavex was gasping for breath.
"I don't know how you did that... But it won't matter in a moment, because you won't be around much longer." Lucavex stumbled over to Xev, taking one halting step after another. As he neared the other Immortal, he slowed his approach, till finally, only a meter or so away from the other, he stopped entirely.
Xev struggled to keep his eyes open, watching as his enemy halted in his footsteps for no apparent reason. It took a moment for Xev to realize what was happening, but finally, he could see the fear in Lucavex's eyes. A faint glow came unbidden to Lucavex's flesh, energy was welling up inside him, and faint cracks appeared in his skin, cracks through which a blinding white light shone.
The Star! His original body had been destroyed, and only the energy of the No-Star-Ball had allowed Lucavex to create this new one. Now that energy was gone, and the atoms that made up his body were beginning to lose cohesion and revert back to their stellar form. Xev struggled, and somehow found enough energy to close his eyes against the light.
Lucavex's face contorted into a startled mix of pain and surprise. He managed to contain himself for a moment longer, forcing the particles making up his body to stay together, but not for long. After a second, Lucavex burst into a trillion tiny pieces, each of them as bright as a newborn sun.
"It's okay Durine. He'll be okay..." Ramza still tried ineffectually to comfort his friend and comrade. The sounds of battle outside had dwindled to nothing. Who had won didn't matter anymore.
I began wondering who was winning in the battle between Xev and Lucavex. I hoped it was Xev. It was at that precise moment when Xev appeared, broken, battered, and bruised, lying on the floor like an old doll someone had thrown away. Me and Vorack rushed to his side, checking to see if he was okay.
There were great red welts rising on one side of his face, as if he had been exposed to incredible heat. His eyes were glazed over, unseeing. At first I wasn't sure he was still alive, until I saw his chest rise and I heard the great shuddering intake of air. "Quick, Vorack! Can you heal him?"
I needn't have asked, as the familiar silver light was already suffusing Xev's shattered form with new health. I could see the effort that this healing was taking from the young child, and I was amazed that he could continue. How it was even possible that Xev was still alive in this condition I knew not, but how this young child was forcing those dead and dying cells to live again, was unfathomable.
Somehow, the cuts healed, the burns receded, and the broken bones had begun to knit themselves together once more. Long before the healing was finished though, the young Namek fell forward, already asleep, onto Xev's chest, his last ounce of strength spent. Still, though Xev was no where near fully healed, he would live.
"But wait... Aren't you Immortal? How could you have these wounds? Wouldn't you just heal right after?" I wasn't sure that Xev could hear me, but when his eyes opened, and he smiled, I knew that he had.
With a great effort, Xev answered, "Normally yes. But in order to defeat Lucavex I gave up my Immortal life. I thought I had given up even my mortal life, but apparently not. My thanks to you and your friend here." He stopped then, coughing up great gouts of blood.
"Hush. Don't speak. You're still not fully healed yet. Conserve your strength." I reached into the tiny canvas pouch at my side, retrieving one of the precious sensu beans I carried. "Here, this should help." I said, placing the bean into his mouth, and letting him do the rest.
The effect was immediate, and pronounced, but although still not quite fully healed, Xev was at least able to stand unassisted. He picked the young Namek off of him first, laying him gently upon the floor, allowing him his well-deserved rest. "Thank you." Simple words, no more was needed.
"Well I guess the prophecy was wrong... The old Namek said that I was going to play some great pivotal role in the fate of the Universe... But here we are, alive, Lucavex defeated, and I basically did nothing." My words were filled with trepidation, but my voice was steady, questioning everything.
Then, out of the corner of my eye, I saw Shaikoten rise, the No-Star-Ball still imbedded deeply into his forehead, but the ball was different now. Instead of a twisted mockery of Tien's third eye, the orange orb had changed. It was a real eye now.
And that all-seeing, all-powerful eye, was open.