Disclaimer: The Decision of Her Life is based on events written by Astiome
Debrator, but we traded fics so we could write in our characters point of
view, so Astiome is the brains behind that operation! Also, I don't own
DBZ and am in no way associated with FUNimation (sadly)
Author's Note: It might help you to understand some events if you read The Reunion by Astiome Debrator. It'll help explain more about Socha. You'll probably also want to read Astiome's version of The Decision of her Life, because it'll help clear some things up (like why Goku stays on Earth at the end, and why he was on Earth in the first place). Sadly, Decision of her Life has not yet been posted, but look for it! Keep looking.keep looking.almost there! You'll also want to read all her other stories, just because they're so much fun!
Meleina lost all sentient thought as her desire for revenge overwhelmed her. She transformed into an Oozaru swiftly, not hesitating but staring steadfastly at the moon. The second she was transformed completely, she felt the power swell in her and she turned to the city. They're there.the murderers are there! She let loose a loud roar that coupled as a blast of energy and watched with satisfaction as it hit a building. Several people jumped from the remainder of the building, but she ignored them. Forget the people, find the killers! Find them, kill them! Several people came running up as if to stop her, but she knocked them down with a swift stroke of her paw. She turned and bellowed loudly at the moon, then suddenly roared in pain as something incredibly huge plowed into her stomach. She cried out and clutched her stomach, and the beast flipped her onto her back. As she fell, she got a good glimpse of the beast: a huge, familiar- looking dragon. The dragon stood over her and spread its large wings, blocking all moonlight from Meleina. She felt herself begin to shrink and struggled to get free. The dragon held on tightly to her, not letting her move an inch until she was once again a Saiyan. She lay on the ground, unfocused, trying to regain her full senses. She had a brief sense of being moved, then suddenly everything went black.
When Meleina awoke, the first thing she noticed was that she was in a hotel room. Three people surrounded her. One of them was completely green and reminded her of her old friend Kami in many respects. He was almost completely bald except for the black Mohawk on his head. Two small horns stuck out on either side of the Mohawk, and black whiskers hung from his lips. What struck her the strangest, however, was how wise and calm he looked.
The other male was tall and muscular. He had black, spiky hair, and short pointed ears. His skin was a deep tan, and curious green eyes sparkled brilliantly at Meleina.
Meleina turned her gaze to the final person, who grabbed her shoulder. "Meleina? Meleina, is that you?" Socha asked with excited anticipation.
"Wha?" Meleina asked groggily, then suddenly recognized Socha. "You," she snarled, then punched Socha across the room. Socha hit the wall hard, and instantly the two men grabbed Meleina's arms while she struggled to get to Socha, her anger hard. Socha stood up, rubbing her head. "Let me go," Meleina demanded. Both men looked to Socha, who nodded. Meleina stared at Socha for several long seconds, then suddenly burst into tears as she watched her friend. The two men stepped out of the room, respecting the privacy of the women.
"You're alive," Meleina finally managed.
"Yes," Socha agreed. "I could say the same about you."
"You could."
"Why are you here, Meleina?" Socha asked curiously.
Meleina shook her head. "Long story. I'm not in the mood to talk about it."
Socha hesitated. "Why.why did you look at the moon tonight?"
Meleina froze, remembering her dead family. "None of your business," she said harshly.
Socha looked surprised, but didn't want to intrude on her friend's feelings. "Okay." She touched her friend's shoulder gently. "I hope in time you can tell me."
Meleina glared at her, desperate to change the subject. "Where have you been all these years?"
"Looking for my brother," Socha responded cautiously.
"Why didn't you come to Frieza's ship? You knew he'd be there."
"I tried. Frieza.welcomed me with a death sentence."
"So you left me alone with that little snob."
"I thought you were dead!" Socha exclaimed. The women eyed each other. "Did you see Vegeta get blown up?"
Meleina shook her head. "No, I was on Namek at the time." She frowned. "When I heard about the planet, I thought you were dead."
Socha looked away. "I ran."
"You what?"
"I ran," the princess choked. "When Frieza banished me to the planet, I knew something was going to happen, so I ran."
Meleina shrugged. "That's nothing to be ashamed of. We have to look out for ourselves, you know."
"You don't understand. I left my brother behind to be manipulated and used by Frieza!"
Meleina glared at her, offended. "I wouldn't say we were being manipulated. It was voluntary."
"I never could understand why you wanted to serve Frieza so badly. He was pure evil and used our race to further and promote his own power!"
"It wasn't a matter of serving," Meleina explained patiently. "It was a matter of proving myself to, and as, the best."
Socha smiled faintly. "To you, at least. I never thought of him as the best, though."
"So.what have you been up to all this time?" Meleina asked cheerfully, finding herself relaxing in her friend's presence and managing to shove her dead family in the back of her mind.
Socha laughed and told her, "I've been living on Earth with Vegeta and his family!"
"You mean to tell me that your brother has a family?"
"Yeah, and, amazingly enough, his wife is human. A person of Earth," she added in explanation.
Meleina laughed loudly. "Who would have thought?"
"Oh!" Socha said suddenly. "And get this! There's another Saiyan with a family of his own on Earth. You'll never guess who it is!"
"Who?" Meleina asked curiously.
"Kakarot!"
Meleina's chin dropped and she felt a stabbing pain in her heart. "You.you mean you've seen my baby brother, all grown up?"
Socha nodded, then explained about Goku's head accident and how sweet he was. "Wild, huh?" she said. "And he mentioned that he saw Radi-" She stopped, wondering just how far to take this conversation.
"Raditz? He met up with Raditz?" Meleina's tone became dark.
"Um.yes?" she offered tentatively. She knew that as much as Meleina hated Raditz, she also dearly loved her brother and would be saddened by his death.
"That son of a.ooh, I hate him!" Socha gave her friend a stunned look, and Meleina explained. "When I was finally able to join Shorty, Nappa, and Raditz, Raditz tried to kill me! He was upset that I was held in a higher regard (although the three of them all hated me), and he stabbed me in the back! He tried to kill me, Socha! Cutting my tail was one thing, but stabbing me in the back is another, and he's my own brother, too! I'm telling you, your brother was ruthless, too. He and Nappa killed everybody on that planet. The only saving grace about Shorty was that he saved my life. They left me alone in the woods, thinking I'd die, but I didn't. I was going to attack Shorty and Nappa in the woods, but I left to pursue my own mission. If I ever see Raditz again, you can consider him as good as dead!"
"I hate to tell you this, but he's already dead. He was killed off by Kakarot and a friend of his."
Meleina looked angry for a second, then suddenly smiled. "Kakarot must be very strong, then."
Socha nodded. "Incredibly strong!" she blurted, then said secretively, "He's the legendary super Saiyan, Meleina!" Meleina's jaw dropped. "He's way stronger than Vegeta, and Vegeta resents that fact every day of his life."
Meleina smiled broadly, glad that the family strength had carried through. "Well, he is my brother, after all. It's no wonder he's so strong."
A thought occurred to Socha. "Hey, Meleina? That personal mission you mentioned- was it before or after Frieza and the Ginyu force were killed?"
"Frieza was defeated? Even the Ginyu force?" Meleina raised a curious eyebrow at her friend.
"Yes, and again, it was done by Kakarot."
Meleina felt a swell of pride in the brother she didn't know. "I never thought any Saiyan could be so strong.I'm glad Frieza's gone. I didn't plan to return to him anyway, even after I found the Dragon Balls," she mused aloud.
"Fancy you should mention those."
"How so?"
"You just met the Eternal Dragon."
Meleina looked startled. "You?"
"No, heavens now! He was the green guy who just left."
"Him? He doesn't look anything like the description of Shenron."
"He's in a masked form."
Meleina put a hand to her head and sighed. "Why's he on this hole?"
Socha looked at her. "He's here to, um, destroy his evil brother, Tapla. He enlisted me and the other fellow, Adlteau, to help him. He turned me into a dragon permanently so I could help out, but until we need to fight Tapla, we're in biped forms."
"Can Shenron still grant wishes?" Meleina blurted, thinking about her lost loved ones.
"No, not until Tapla's defeated. Then he has to be reunited with the Dragon Balls and returned to the center of Earth."
Meleina bit her lip. As much as she wanted to be alone, she needed Shenron to return to granting wishes. "I'll help you, then."
Socha hesitated. "I don't know.I think it's too dangerous."
"Do you think I'm weak?" Meleina exploded.
Socha backed up a step, not wanting a full blast of Meleina's temper. "I didn't mean anything by it. I.I suppose you can come if you really want to."
"Fine, then I suppose I will." Meleina calmed down. "I need Shenron to return to granting wishes."
Socha gave her a curious look, but before she could say anything, Adlteau entered the room again. "Well, you two still have all of your body parts, so everything must be okay."
"Just fine," Socha replied with a smile.
"Well, Shenron and I are going to sleep on the couch tonight.more like, the high eternal dragon gets the couch, I get the floor. Oh well." He then left.
Meleina looked at Socha, then giggled. "You like him. Don't blame you though, he is awfully cute."
"You should see him as a dragon," Socha replied mischievously, and both laughed again.
The two stayed up late, telling each other more about their lives. Meleina wasn't the least bit surprised to hear about Vegeta's attitude on Earth, and she laughed at how domineering and headstrong Bulma was. She thought they were perfect for each other. Socha told her all about Kakarot and his family. Meleina thought that Chi-Chi was the perfect wife for a Saiyan, although her pushing Gohan to study so much annoyed her. She was pleased to hear that Kakarot had two sons. She couldn't wait to meet her nephews. Meleina shared with Socha her life on Namek, and told her all about Kami.
After a while, the two fell asleep. It was the first time in a long time that Socha was happy, and Meleina felt at peace after the death of her husband and children.
They awoke early in the morning to a terrible hunger. Shenron and Adlteau realized the Deadzone hath no fury like two very hungry Saiyans, and assured them that the hotel had a free breakfast buffet. Despite the dirty appearance of the hotel, they actually had good food (although Meleina wondered if the entire reason behind the excellent food was that she knew the cook, and he didn't want to get her angry). Meleina and Socha almost ate the place bankrupt and were told not to return (in very calm tones so as not to anger either Saiyan).
Meleina, Socha, Shenron, and Adlteau walked out of the building just as something crashed where the three dragon-beings had originally landed. "I sense a great power," Adlteau announced.
"Yeah," Socha and Meleina agreed softly.
They ran to where the ship landed and poked around it. Suddenly, an arm shot out and wrapped around Adlteau's neck. "No!" Socha screamed. "Shenron, release your magic from us!"
As quick as he could, Shenron did, and they transformed back into dragons. The change took Adlteau's captor by surprise, and he dropped the dragon. Socha ran to him, holding his head up as he coughed, gasping for breath.
"Shenron," the stranger's voice rumbled. The dust cleared and there stood a huge dragon. Tapla had arrived.
Socha left Adlteau lying on the floor and stepped in front of Tapla. "So you are the unspeakable evil I have trained to defeat," she spat. "You disgust me, and I'm going to take you out!" With that, Socha lifted off the ground, forcing dust to fly up and was gone faster than Tapla could follow.
Mighty roars of pain came from the sky and Meleina ran to Adlteau, who was still wheezing on his side. "He crushed his throat," she told Shenron. "But it will regain its shape in a while. He'll live." Meleina helped lift the massive dragon's head to make it easier for him to breathe.
Up in the air, Socha made vicious attacks at the other dragon. She hadn't any need for a blast yet, and used her jaws to tear at Tapla's red skin. "My quarrel is not with you, young dragon, it is wish Shenron," Tapla roared.
"Well, my quarrel is with you," she growled in reply, "and by the time I'm done with you, there won't be enough of you left to touch Shenron."
She charged at him, but in one swift move he turned and grabbed her by the neck. His mighty claws bore into her neck. The only thing protecting her from death was the hard plates that lined her neck. He made the mistake of exposing his belly to her and she immediately breathed an energy blast into it. Tapla released his grip from her neck and wailed in agony. Socha flew back, then shot another blast from her mouth. It hit him hard on the arm and he fell further back. She shot another, then another, until he had hit the ground. She waited. The planet created too much dust and it made it hard to see him.
Adlteau began to recapture his breath. He caught sight of Socha, bleeding intensely from the claw wounds. He leapt to the sky. Shenron stood aside, and Meleina looked at him in frustration. "Why aren't you helping?"
"It is not my place to interfere with their battle," he boomed. Meleina watched the sky, and in a frustrated fury flew up after Adlteau.
The dust cleared. Meleina looked tiny, floating next to the two massive dragons. Tapla began to move in the dust. Meleina removed the shoulder and leg guards of her armor for increased mobility. She threw them carelessly to the ground, then clenched her fists and flicked her tail before wrapping it back around her waist- a Saiyan threat of battle.
The three posed, ready to strike. Tapla stopped shifting. Despite his limp body, they didn't relax their guard. After at least ten minutes of Tapla lying there not moving, they began to wonder.
"That was too easy," Socha boomed. Meleina and Adlteau nodded in agreement.
They relaxed somewhat and remained there for at least another two hours, ready for a sudden ambush, when Shenron called them down.
"He is indeed dead, I no longer feel his life force," the mighty dragon announced.
"How could this be?" Adlteau asked. Socha slinked up to the body, cautious. The burns from her blasts had charred the red scales. His mouth was gaping and his claws were limp. She nudged the monster with her nose, and the entire body crumpled to ash and fell. Socha stepped back. A wind blew the black dust away.
"Maybe that's why this place is so dusty," Meleina tried to joke feebly, then frowned. "There's something not right about this."
"Indeed," Shenron agreed. "He is much too strong to be defeated with such ease."
"There's something else bothering me, but I can't place it." Meleina thought hard for a few seconds, then suddenly snapped her fingers and pointed to Tapla's ship. "Why does a dragon need a ship to fly through space?"
The crumpled ship began to rise. A colossal craft lifted out of the ground; Tapla's ship appeared to be only the tip of it.
The rumbling stopped and the dust cleared. They looked up at the mighty ship. A door opened from the side and lowered itself to the ground. From the top of the ramp, the four could make out odd shapes that headed towards them.
The creatures descended the slope and walked right up to them. They were nothing like anything Socha or Meleina had ever seen. Each stood, at highest, five feet tall. There were four of them; one looked like a standing crocodile, one like a komodo dragon, a basilisk, and a turtle. Meleina turned away to hide her laugh. The basilisk turned to Socha, whose wounds were now sealing.
"I'd like to thank you for finishing off Tapla for us, though we could have handled it ourselves. You are our kin, so we will spare your lives." He looked at Meleina. "But the mammal must die." His companions nodded behind him, eyeing Meleina.
Adlteau turned his gaze to Socha, who had a look of utter confusion on her face, and Meleina, who was having trouble not laughing.
The turtle lifted an eyebrow. "Ah, you underestimate our power, yes?" He looked at the crocodile and nodded. The scaly creature turned toward the small trading city, off in the distance now. He lifted his hand in its direction and released a blast that destroyed it in a single blow. Meleina felt a stabbing pain in her heart as she realized that more of her friends were now dead.
"How dare you take innocent lives like that," Adlteau snarled, stepping forward.
"I wouldn't do that, dragon," the basilisk hissed.
Adlteau growled deep in his throat and pawed viciously at the ground, threatening them. The komodo dragon looked at him curiously.
"Give us the mammal and we will leave you in peace," the basilisk ordered, pointing at Meleina.
Socha rushed forward. "Who are you to demand us your wishes? Where did you come from?"
The basilisk bowed. "I am Lord Silack, and these are my warriors. I come from my kingdom to rid the rest of the universe of warm-blooded creatures and anyone who dares defy me."
Meleina finally lost it and burst into laughter, angering Lord Silack.
"Silence, fool!" he screeched.
"But this is so stupid!" She stopped laughing to gather breath. "You've come across the galaxy to get rid of mammals? That has got to be the worst excuse for destruction I've ever heard, and I've heard some really bad ones!" She held her stomach and continued to roar with laughter, and Socha joined her.
"That's it!" Silack yelled angrily. "Boda!" he snapped to the turtle. "Show them what we do to those who resist us." Boda ran into the ship. Silack crossed his arms and smirked at the opposing group.
Boda returned pulling a resistant captive. He prodded him with an electric stick. The creature wailed in pain and followed. Their captive stood at least eight feet tall, but that wasn't what surprised Socha. He was an erect wolf with fur matted and sliced as if it had been whipped. He had spiky yellow hair and wore nothing but a tattered pair of shorts.
"On your knees!" Boda demanded. The creature curled his lips back, but an electrical prod made him obey.
"Tell them, Korishico, what we do to those who resist us," Silack hissed.
The wolf bared his teeth. He looked at Silack as if ready to kill, then looked at Boda holding the electric prod and let out an awful sigh.
"We are beaten into submission, oh great lord," he droned. "We are to know the mighty power of the universe before we die."
"Good, Korishico. You are closer to the release of your awful, useless, warm-blooded life." Content with his demonstration, Silack waved Boda to return the wolf to the ship.
Adlteau couldn't stand it anymore. He let out a mighty roar and charged at the four reptiles.
While Boda turned his attention to the sudden attack, Korishico took the opportunity to escape. He combined his fists and cracked them into the back of Boda's neck, knocking him out. He pulled the metal restraint around his neck off, then ran back to the ship.
Adlteau opened his jaws to grab Silack, but met the crocodile instead. It extended its hand and let off the same blast that had destroyed the city. Socha intercepted it and swallowed the energy. Adlteau acknowledged the attack, then rushed after Silack. Socha regurgitated the attack twice as powerful toward the crocodile. He lowered his head and crossed his arms. The attack pushed him back, but he deflected it.
"Get her, Dodile!" Silack yelled as he ran from Adlteau.
Meleina took a dive for the komodo dragon. They locked fists and intense energy formed around their hands. The komodo dragon's tongue slithered out of his mouth and hit Meleina in the eyes. She toppled back in surprise. The komodo dragon punched her in the stomach. She flew back, but caught herself. She rubbed her eyes and tried to focus on the figure. In frustration and the absolute desire not to lose any more loved ones, she let out a powerful blast. Without her sight, she missed and hit Socha square in the back. Socha let out a howl of pain and fell where she stood.
Boda began to regain consciousness.
"Help me, Fander!" Boda called to the komodo dragon.
Socha lay helpless on the ground. The wolf reappeared from the ship, brandishing a large sword.
"Curses!" Silack hissed, spotting the sword. "Retreat to the ship!"
Silack, Boda, Fander, and Dodile ran to the ramp. Adlteau continue to pursue the speedy and agile Silack. The ramp began to ascend and Adlteau hit the edge of it hard, forcing him to stop. The ship closed tight and electricity started to surround it.
"Run!" Korishico shouted. Meleina grabbed Socha by the tail and they all left as fast as they could. The electricity around the ship cracked as it formed a solid shield around the craft. A gust of wind was let out from the force and the five hit the ground.
Korishico stood up. He brushed the dust and debris from his fur and picked up the sword to shake it clean as well. Meleina stood and looked at the ship, now protected by a forcefield.
"What just happened?" Adlteau looked confused. Socha winced as she got up. Her back was black from the burn.
Shenron looked down at them and announced calmly, "I bid you farewell."
"What do you mean?" Socha asked.
"My agreement to my magic was to remain in the flesh until Tapla was gone. I have done so, and must return to Earth." With that, he took off.
Korishico turned. "What as that all about?"
The three turned toward him. Each one was speechless. None of them could process what just happened. There was silence, except for the humming of the ship and it's shield.
"Well, I'm getting the first transport out of here," Korishico growled.
"Who were those guys? And what happened to you?" Meleina demanded.
The wolf smirked. "Didn't they tell you?" Meleina sneered at him. Korishico chuckled. "You heard right. They are a demented race of mutated freaks that have something against mammals. They captured me when they invaded my home. Being my planet's strongest warrior and only resistor, they decided to torture me." He grabbed a sword sheath, then fastened the sword to his shoulders and chest.
"So exactly how many of them are there?" Adlteau questioned.
"Oh," Korishico said matter-of-factly, "Just the four.and their slaves."
"Like you?" Meleina sneered.
Korishico stood fully erect and gawked at them. "Look," he growled, "They are much stronger than they appear. That display out there was only handled so poorly because they were surprised. I've seen and felt their true power. Those pitiful five-foot creatures are only an outer mask to their proper form. Don't mess with them." He began to walk away, muttering to himself.
"So that's it," Meleina challenged. "You're just going to walk away after they humiliated you? That planet of yours must have had pretty weak warriors if you were it's strongest!" Korishico leapt at her throat in rage, sword in hand. Meleina flew up and slammed her fists into his back, and he hit the ground hard. Meleina put a foot on his back and aimed a ball of energy at his head.
"Stop!" Socha demanded. "Stop it this instant!" Meleina looked at her friend, then stepped away from Korishico and watched him try to stand. "Obviously," Socha continued, "Silack and his gang are stronger than we think. But unless they plan to terrorize Earth, they are not my concern." She turned to Adlteau. "Tapla's gone, and I believe that's all we came to do. I propose we make our way back to Earth." She switched her gaze to Meleina. "Do you want to come?"
Meleina looked up at the ship, itching for a battle. She thought back to everything she'd ever learned about Earth- her brother, Kami.the Dragon Balls. "Yeah. This dump can deal wit Silack in their own way."
"Korishico, do you want to come, too?" Socha asked. He looked at her.
"What good would it do me?" he replied.
"It's peaceful," she said softly. "And you'd have a new home."
The wolf met her gaze, then nodded. "I've got nothing to lose."
They watched the motionless ship for a second, then headed off to find another city.
~*~
In the ship, Silack cackled. "Earth, eh? Boda, where's this.Earth?"
"Near the center of the galaxy, sir."
"Set course for it. After we are done with this planet, I think I want to go to Earth." A dark look came over Silack's face. "Nobody humiliates me and gets away with it."
~*~
The four found another trading city. Meleina gave up (though hesitantly) some rare gems Kieran had given her on one of their anniversaries. Her three companions were curious as to where she had gotten them, but she refused to say, letting them believe she had stolen them. They bought a small ship for herself and Korishico to take.
Earth came up fast, taking only a day and a half to reach. Socha and Adlteau set the ship carefully down on the ground, complaining about the lousy piece of junk and being forced to help them after it broke down. Meleina and Korishico came cautiously out of the ship, neither knowing what to expect.
They were greeted by Goku, Piccolo, and Vegeta, who had sensed their energy long before they arrived.
"You're back!" Goku exclaimed. "It must have been a cinch for you."
"More so than you know," Socha agreed. Meleina stared at the tall warrior, inching over to Socha.
"Is that him?" she asked.
"Yes, that's Kakarot," Socha tried to whisper, but her voice was loud enough for them all to hear. Meleina felt her eyes swell with tears as she stared at her baby brother. After years of searching, I've finally found him!
"And who are you?" Goku asked. Meleina opened her mouth, but no sounds came out.
"I already told you about Meleina," Socha replied. "Don't you remember?"
"Oh, you must be my sister, then," Goku remarked cheerfully. Meleina stared at him, unable to believe her eyes. Kakarot was the exact opposite of Raditz. He looked every bit happy, and not like the powerful warrior Socha had described. She couldn't believe the uncanny resemblance to their father, and her eyes swelled with tears again.
"So you're alive," Vegeta sneered.
Glad for the momentary emotional break, she glared at him. "No thanks to you."
"I suppose you were stronger than we expected. Maybe we should have brought you with when we came to Earth."
Meleina stalked angrily up to Vegeta. She stood quite a bit taller than him and had to look down at him to meet his gaze. "You don't want to start with me, Shorty," she growled.
Vegeta snarled, angry that she had picked up on his old nickname so quickly. He clenched his fists and looked Meleina in the eyes, challenging her.
"Stop it!" Piccolo demanded. "There's enough fighting and bloodshed without you two going at it, so just calm down!" He looked at Meleina. "Have we met?"
She shrugged. "I don't think so. I've never seen you before."
Piccolo scratched his head. "It's just that you look very familiar."
"Maybe when you were young or something. I lived on Namek for a little while, and I loved it."
"So sentimental," Vegeta spat.
Meleina stuck her tongue out at him and moved behind Socha.
Goku turned his head to where Korishico and Adlteau stood, trying to change the subject. "Wow Socha, you're just bringing home all kinds of new people."
She blushed. "Sorry, I forgot to introduce you. This is my training partner Adlteau, and this is Korishico, a refugee."
A voice called out from the distance. "Auntie Socha!" Trunks hollered. He flew over to her, followed closely by Goten. "You'll never guess what happened! The big dragon Shenron came back and reactivated the Dragon Balls! Goten and I collected them so we can make you normal again!" Adlteau swiveled his head to look at Socha with sad eyes. She turned to the two boys.
"Later, okay?"
"Sure," Goten said cheerfully, dropping one of the balls, which Trunks picked up as if it were a precious gem.
"Well," Goku said happily, "Since my place is closest, how about we all stay there tonight?"
Vegeta pointed at Meleina. "Only if that freak leaves me alone!"
"What's the matter, Shorty? Afraid I'll beat you up?" she retorted.
"Stop it!" Socha yelled.
Chi-Chi greeted them warmly, but complained about cooking for seven more people, two of them being dragons and all but Korishico and Piccolo having Saiyan appetites. Socha assured her that she and Adlteau could handle dinner for themselves and they hurried into the forest. Meleina volunteered to help Chi-Chi cook dinner. The human was a bit apprehensive, knowing full well that Saiyans didn't cook very well, but Meleina assured her that she'd often cooked for her own family. She was surprised to find herself open up to Chi-Chi and mention her family, but Chi-Chi was good enough not to mention it, for which Meleina was grateful. She was a bit disappointed that she couldn't eat with Socha; she had missed her friend dearly and wanted to talk to her even more, but she was excited to meet her brother's family.
"Goku, dear, can you pass the bread?" Chi-Chi asked, and Meleina watched her brother hand over the bread.
"Milk please, Goku," Trunks chimed in, and again Kakarot passed over food.
Meleina frowned at him. "Why do they call you Goku?"
He swallowed a huge bite of pasta and grinned at her. "When I first came here, I was found by Grandpa Gohan in the woods, and he named me Goku."
Hungry for information about her brother's life, she begged him to tell her everything. He went into great detail, but received help from his family and friends as his story continued. Meleina was surprised by his easy- going attitude toward life and Earth, but by the sound of his friends, she could see why.
Finally dinner was over, and Socha and Adlteau returned to Goku's home. Socha asked Trunks to summon Shenron, and he agreed cheerfully. Meleina saw that Adlteau looked rather uncertain and nervous, but she paid it no mind.
Shenron's brilliance had once again returned, the eternal glow engulfing his body.
"I was wondering when I would see you again," he boomed. Socha stepped forward at once, and Meleina watched with jealousy as her friend made her wish.
"I wish that you would make Adlteau and I the way we were on Fhotherite with your magic." Meleina felt her heart shatter. She could see that Adlteau was apprehensive about living forever as a biped, and she was happy that he and Socha loved each other enough to want to live together, but she was also saddened by this.
"So be it," Shenron said, granting the wish and returning to the Earth. The Dragon Balls turned to stone and were once again dispersed.
"Look Adlteau! You have a tail like mine!" Socha and Adlteau watched the waving blue spiky tail. "I wonder if that means you change at the full moon as well." She smiled at him.
"Come on, it's getting late," Chi-Chi interrupted, her gaze on Goten. She rounded them all up and designated where they were sleeping. It was hard to keep Vegeta and Meleina from fighting during this, and Goku was too busy chatting with Piccolo to be of much help.
Finally, they were all comfortable, and everyone but Meleina was asleep. If only I could have gotten my wish! She thought sadly. What I wouldn't give to have Kieran back.Kieran and Vrail and Reine and Ronan. A tear slid down her cheek. She buried her head into her pillow and quietly cried herself to sleep.
1 One Month Later
It was the middle of the night at Goku's house when Meleina awoke from her spot on the floor. She sat up and waited for Goku or one of her nephews to come ask her if she'd felt the strange energy, but they didn't come. She sat still for another ten minutes, then finally grumbled and took off toward Socha's house. Certainly her old friend had felt the strange, familiar power.
She landed in the bushes with a slight thump and groaned softly. "Who's there?" Meleina stepped out of the bushes with her hands raised and eyed Socha. "Meleina! So it was you I sensed. Holy cow, you surprised me."
Meleina frowned. "It wasn't me you sensed, it was something else. I came here to see if you felt it, too."
"Who do you think it could be?"
Meleina shook her head. "No idea. It feels really familiar, though." They both looked around. "It seems to be gone. Think I could stay here the rest of the night?"
"Sure, as long as you don't mind the couch."
Meleina shrugged. "Beats the floor."
"Let's go in, I'm freezing out here," Socha said with a shiver. They headed in, Socha comforted that it had been Meleina lurking around the house, Meleina still wary and prepared for battle.
They awoke when it was still dark out. Adlteau seemed surprised to find Meleina in his house. "What's going on?"
"I felt a new power last night, and I came to find Socha.didn't you feel it as well?" Meleina asked. Adlteau shrugged, his mouth full of food.
Meleina froze suddenly as a new energy entered the area. "What was that?" she blurted.
"What was what?" Socha asked with a yawn.
"Hang on a minute," Meleina snarled, walking out the door. She scanned the area, and when something rustled in the bushes, she snapped her gaze in the direction of the sound. The sound of footsteps came from behind her, and she jumped, attacking the creature and pinning it to the ground.
"Get off, you wacko!" Korishico shrieked. Socha hurried outside, and Meleina let the wolf up.
"What's going on?" Socha asked worriedly.
"What are you doing here?" Meleina demanded, not bothering to mention that the wolf had badly frightened her.
"I felt something last night, so I came to find you three," he snapped back.
"I'm starting to feel left out," Adlteau complained, joining the informal reunion.
"Do you know what it was?" Socha asked the wolf.
"Yeah," he said. "My old buddies. Silack."
"Here?" Adlteau blurted.
"Obviously," Korishico snapped. Socha put a hand to her forehead and turned away.
"This can't be happening. My whole goal on Fhotherite was to make sure Earth had to suffer no more evil. We should have slaughtered them when we had the chance." Meleina turned a startled look to her normally peaceful friend.
"Don't beat yourself up over it," Korishico comforted. "You wouldn't have defeated them anyway."
Meleina curled her lip, but before she could respond, Socha looked at her. "Meleina, you'd better go tell Goku and Gohan what's going on. I'll go tell Vegeta and Trunks." The two women left, leaving Adlteau and Korishico alone.
"Are they really as strong as you let on?"
Korishico nodded. "Yes."
"But.they seemed like cowards. They were really easy to beat on Fhotherite."
"I assure you, Adlteau, Fhotherite doesn't exist anymore. What you saw was only a public mask. They didn't expect you to attack them. They're confident about their power and didn't think anybody would be stupid enough to take them on. They are hideously powerful in their true form."
Meleina raced back to her brother's house as fast as she could, determined to get him to help. She'd lost Vegeta, Namek, and Fhotherite; she wasn't about to lose Earth, too. She tried to open the door, but found it locked and quietly knocked.
"Hello?" Goku asked tiredly, opening the door. When he saw Meleina, he grinned. "We were wondering where you went."
"I went to Socha and Adlteau's house." She bit her lip. "Something bad's happening, Goku, something really bad. Korishico felt it, too, and he said he knows for sure that it's Silack."
Goku became very serious. "I guess we'd better figure things out when Gohan wakes up. You're welcome to watch TV until Chi-Chi wakes up. I'd make you breakfast, but."
"Thanks, I already ate," she laughed. "Besides, I'm not sure I trust your cooking too much."
He grinned and scratched his head. "I know what you mean."
Gohan awoke an hour later, and Meleina quickly explained to him what was going on. He agreed to go with, and the three headed to Capsule Corp. Vegeta was obviously not happy about the three guests, but in light of the upcoming fight didn't say anything. The group had to talk in the front yard; it seemed that Trunks had bad allergies to Korishico's fur.
After much debating, they decided to investigate the intentions of Silack and his gang. Gohan decided to stay behind with Adlteau and Trunks. Adlteau didn't feel that he would be much help in the fight, Trunks was too young, and Gohan didn't feel up to par after having not trained in seven years. Vegeta, Goku, Socha, and Meleina followed Korishico to Silack's ship. The wolf agreed to take them to the ship, but he wanted to leave as soon as possible. The group watched the ship open and unfamiliar figures step out. They were terrible creatures, large, bulky and mutated. The Saiyans could feel an incredible energy flowing off the reptiles.
"Where's Silack?" Socha asked, confused.
"That's them," Korishico replied. "I told you they were only masking their true forms on Fhotherite." At the mention of her old home, Meleina's blood boiled.
"I feel so much more power from them," she growled.
"Let me explain," Korishico said shortly. "They present themselves to leaders of planets in that weakling form you saw on Fhotherite. They normally try to get leaders of that planet by meeting them to open 'diplomatic ties.' Seeing that they aren't much of a threat, they are allowed to visit emperors, kings, senate, whatever other world leaders face- to-face. Once they are there, they transform into their ultimate forms and slaughter the rules of the planet. From there they annihilate the rest of the planet and finish it off by blowing it up. I'll tell you once again: you took them by surprise on Fhotherite that's why you're not dead. Seeing that they aren't masking themselves on this planet, they're probably here for revenge."
"They only have powerlevels comparable to Cell's. I could squash them like bugs!" Vegeta announced.
"But Vegeta," Goku said, trying to calm the prince down, "There are four of them with that power. There was only one of Cell!"
"So?" Vegeta snorted.
"In case you don't remember, it took all of Gohan's strength to defeat him." Goku stepped up to Vegeta. "And he nearly killed you. Trunks wasn't so lucky."
This took Vegeta over the edge and he threw a blast at Goku. Goku moved out of the way and the blast hit a cliff above Silack's ship. The four reptiles turned their gaze in the direction of the Saiyans.
"You idiot!" Meleina screeched. "Now they know we're here!"
"Get them!" the largest reptile roared.
Meleina gave Vegeta a dirty look, then took off to intercept one of the creatures, the one who had the slightest resemblance to Boda. Vegeta brushed past her to take on Dodile, and Goku went for Fander. Socha immediately leapt for Silack. Only Korishico remained on the ground. Remembering the pain these monsters had caused him, he lowered his ears, tucked his tail between his legs, and retreated back a few paces.
Boda caught Meleina in the back and she fell to the ground hard.
"You okay?" Goku yelled to his sister. Fander took advantage of Goku's sudden lapse in concentration and hit him to the ground. Goku regained himself and increased his power to Super Saiyan. Vegeta followed, and, not wanting to be left out, Socha also increased her power. Meleina stared at her friends from her spot on the ground, her eyes shining. She'd only heard stories about these legendary golden fighters, and she was incredibly proud that her brother was one of them. She didn't hesitate any longer and quickly leapt back into battle.
The eight combatants equally matched each other's power. For every attack, each opponent released a blast just as strong.
Seeing they were not winning the battle, Silack called his army back for a minute. The Saiyans used to opportunity to catch their breath and wipe away dirt and blood from their faces.
"They're going to try something bad," Goku whispered. He began to increase his power, and quickly the two royal Saiyans followed suit. Meleina watched in amazement as her friends' power shot up.
Socha looked over to Korishico. "What are they doing now?"
"I don't know. Whatever it is, I don't want to mess with it."
The Saiyans returned their gaze to the opposing creatures. Boda and Dodile began to vibrate and merge into each other.
"It's some kind of fusion!" Goku announced. "I can feel their power increasing."
Dodile and Boda finished and revealed and even more hideous creature. Silack laughed, feeling that he now had the upper hand in the fight.
"Attack!" he shrieked.
The monster shot toward them but met Vegeta on the way. The prince released a powerful blast right into the creature's stomach. It fell back, it's limp body headed for the ground, but it never made it there. The hole filled and the creature made its way toward Vegeta.
It was too quick to see, but before anyone knew what was happening, Vegeta was out cold on the distant ground. Meleina looked down at the limp body of her rival and friend, her anger increasing. Sparks mounted around her body.
Goku fought furiously with the fused reptile. He released a kamehameha wave, which tore through the creature's side. It regenerated and charged at him. Goku dodged and hit the creature's back. The monster hit the ground hard, and upon impact, the fusion broke. Without thinking, the Boda half charged Goku, who finished it off with another kamehameha wave.
"Impossible!" Silack roared. Boda's burnt carcass hit the ground and exploded into scattered ash. Goku stayed back, breathing heavily. Meleina wanted to let out a cheer of joy but held herself back, not wanting to break her brother's concentration.
Silack began to steam. His eyes turned red and he began to rapidly vibrate. He overtook the remaining Fander and injured Dodile, creating one large fusion. The result was a massive creature the size of an Oozaru. Its eyes were blood red, and its form was so altered it didn't have the slightest resemblance to the reptiles. It let out an angry cry, and Meleina thought, great, where's a full moon when you need one?
"Fools!" the monster boomed. "Now I will not only destroy you, but I will finish off your pathetic planet as well."
Meleina felt the red-hot rage sear through her spirit and she let out a might roar, her hair going pure white and her eyes deep blue for the first time in her life. She felt the power rage through her and smiled viscously at the monster.
Socha eyed the might beast, but Goku leapt straight at it.
The monster laughed and swatted him away. The impact of Goku's body shattered the nearby cliff, throwing rubble onto Silack's ship and Vegeta's unconscious body.
Goku emerged from the demolished mountainside and shot a powerful blast at the creature. It responded by shooting a laser beam its red eyes. It engulfed Goku's body and paralyzed him. A look of horror came across his face as he was flung to the ground. Barely clinging to life, he landed on the rubble from the destroyed cliff and lay on the ground, helpless, his hair and eyes returned to black. Meleina and Socha looked horrified, and both thought of the lives they had lost because of terrorists like Silack.
"Ha!" the monster laughed. "He was even more of a match for me than your puny husband and children proved to me!" Silack's slimy voice revealed to Meleina. She fell to her knees in shock. They're the ones who murdered my family! Her memory shot back to the unspeakable pain they had caused her, and in that instant, she remembered her slaughtered family, her dead Namekian friends, and her murdered father. An uncontrollable rage took hold of her spirit, ten times stronger than she had ever felt. Socha could sense her friend's agony and was overcome with the sickening feeling of hatred for Silack. Socha wasn't about to let this planet be destroyed. Her every goal in life was to prevent those she cared about from having to suffer through the losses she had felt in her life. She thought of the terrors she had seen in her life, the pain her closest friend was feeling, and her anger mounted even more.
Both women let out an Earth-shattering scream; Socha because of her desire to protect, Meleina because of her need for revenge. The Silack beast stepped back in surprise. The shrieking stopped, and a blinding light came from the two Saiyan women. Each one floated above the Earth with three times the normal hair length that flowed with golden brilliance. They took a hard look at what they had become, and then bolted for the monster that had pushed them to this ultimate form. Meleina felt the power surge through her, and she chuckled softly, her increased strength and speed pushing her closer to Silack with each second.
The beast realized it was outmatched and tried to run for its ship. It held its wounds and began to regenerate.
"No you don't!" Socha bellowed. Dragon wings of flame formed on her back, her tail unraveled from her waist, surrounded by electricity, and a massive ball of energy formed in her outstretched hands.
"DRAGON!" the energy in all three places intensified, "BREATH!" the fire, electricity, and energy began to focus into her hands, "BEAM!" The attack was released. The amazing power surrounded the Silack beast and with a final cry it was incinerated.
The attack complete, Socha let out a sigh. Her hair returned to its normal black length, her eyes closed, and she fell to the ground. Meleina released her anger, and with it her power, and flew to the ground where her fallen comrades lay. She took one good look at the damaged ship and finished it off with a blast. She managed to drag her fallen friends back to Capsule Corp. to allow them to heal. It was two days later when Socha finally awoke, her hands wrapped in gauze and an oxygen mask fastened to her face.
Meleina hurried into her friend's room. "Hey."
"Hey," Socha replied. "What happened?"
"That was a wicked attack you let out. Totally incinerated Silack, not even enough of him left for ash. Where'd you learn how to do such a thing?"
"I've been able to do it since I was a kid. I guess it comes with my tail." She chuckled, coughed, and then turned her head to watch Adlteau slip in.
"Are you okay?" he demanded worriedly.
"Fine," Socha replied, smiling warmly. "How's my brother?"
"Fine. You know Vegeta. Couldn't get rid of him if you wanted to. Trust me," she added, mischief filling her voice.
"How's Goku?" Socha asked, her energy still depleted.
"He's fine. Actually, he was back on his feet in a few hours."
"That's good." Socha smiled, then caught sight of Vegeta in the doorway. She gave a motherly smile.
"Perhaps you should all leave. An injured warrior doesn't need to be burdened by unnecessary pests," he said, glaring at Meleina.
She raised an eyebrow. "Well, then I guess you'd better be on your way, shouldn't you?" Socha rolled her eyes at the two.
Adlteau spoke to interrupt the upcoming conflict. "We really should let her get more rest."
"Hang on a minute, I really need to talk to Socha," Meleina said softly. She met Adlteau's gaze. "It's important." He hesitated, then nodded and dragged Vegeta from the room. "So. Should we tell them what we did?"
Socha grinned. "What, you mean hit level three Super Saiyan?"
Meleina looked at her friend. "I've never done that before, Socha. It was.incredible. Incredible, but terrifying."
Socha smiled. "You just need to practice controlling it, that's all. You should be fine. But I think you're right. If we told them, it'd just hurt Vegeta's pride. Besides, we don't want to make the others start training more just to prove that they're stronger than us, do we?"
Meleina smiled tentatively at her friend. "No, we really don't. Besides, we already know that I'm stronger than Vegeta."
The prince opened the door and snapped, "You are not!" Meleina and Socha looked at each other and burst into laughter.
~*~
The following two years were very peaceful. The only fighting during that time was Meleina and Vegeta "settling their differences." It ended with a new desert on the map and the two in comas for nearly a month. They finally decided it was an equal draw (though Vegeta still insists Meleina was the first one knocked out).
Socha gave birth to her first child. The boy, despite his mother's different tail, was born with a long Oozaru tail. Adlteau found work and Socha spends much of her time with Bulma, Vegeta, and Trunks while he worked the day away. Socha has finally found happiness and every day she looks out on the planet she saved- the planet that finally made her content.
Meleina lives with her brother and his family, but feels the tearing pain in her heart every day as she sees him playing with his children. Socha has noticed that Meleina often blocks emotions from her and is hiding a deep pain and sorrow. She can tell something had happened in Meleina's past that was heartbreaking, but has decided to wait until her friend feels it is time to share her experience.
Korishico returned to his friends about a month after the fight with Silack. After getting a through flogging by Meleina for not helping in the battle, he accepted his new friends. Meleina and Korishico became very good friends- so close that Meleina shared with him all her secrets but one- the same secret that she kept from Socha. He now resides in the forest between Meleina and Socha's mountain homes. He successfully founded his own wolf pack, but often visits Meleina for real conversation, saying that it's hard for a cultured wolf to live with animals that can only bark and howl.
There is tranquility and all is well on Earth, but even the peace-loving Socha is restless for adventure..
Author's Note: It might help you to understand some events if you read The Reunion by Astiome Debrator. It'll help explain more about Socha. You'll probably also want to read Astiome's version of The Decision of her Life, because it'll help clear some things up (like why Goku stays on Earth at the end, and why he was on Earth in the first place). Sadly, Decision of her Life has not yet been posted, but look for it! Keep looking.keep looking.almost there! You'll also want to read all her other stories, just because they're so much fun!
Meleina lost all sentient thought as her desire for revenge overwhelmed her. She transformed into an Oozaru swiftly, not hesitating but staring steadfastly at the moon. The second she was transformed completely, she felt the power swell in her and she turned to the city. They're there.the murderers are there! She let loose a loud roar that coupled as a blast of energy and watched with satisfaction as it hit a building. Several people jumped from the remainder of the building, but she ignored them. Forget the people, find the killers! Find them, kill them! Several people came running up as if to stop her, but she knocked them down with a swift stroke of her paw. She turned and bellowed loudly at the moon, then suddenly roared in pain as something incredibly huge plowed into her stomach. She cried out and clutched her stomach, and the beast flipped her onto her back. As she fell, she got a good glimpse of the beast: a huge, familiar- looking dragon. The dragon stood over her and spread its large wings, blocking all moonlight from Meleina. She felt herself begin to shrink and struggled to get free. The dragon held on tightly to her, not letting her move an inch until she was once again a Saiyan. She lay on the ground, unfocused, trying to regain her full senses. She had a brief sense of being moved, then suddenly everything went black.
When Meleina awoke, the first thing she noticed was that she was in a hotel room. Three people surrounded her. One of them was completely green and reminded her of her old friend Kami in many respects. He was almost completely bald except for the black Mohawk on his head. Two small horns stuck out on either side of the Mohawk, and black whiskers hung from his lips. What struck her the strangest, however, was how wise and calm he looked.
The other male was tall and muscular. He had black, spiky hair, and short pointed ears. His skin was a deep tan, and curious green eyes sparkled brilliantly at Meleina.
Meleina turned her gaze to the final person, who grabbed her shoulder. "Meleina? Meleina, is that you?" Socha asked with excited anticipation.
"Wha?" Meleina asked groggily, then suddenly recognized Socha. "You," she snarled, then punched Socha across the room. Socha hit the wall hard, and instantly the two men grabbed Meleina's arms while she struggled to get to Socha, her anger hard. Socha stood up, rubbing her head. "Let me go," Meleina demanded. Both men looked to Socha, who nodded. Meleina stared at Socha for several long seconds, then suddenly burst into tears as she watched her friend. The two men stepped out of the room, respecting the privacy of the women.
"You're alive," Meleina finally managed.
"Yes," Socha agreed. "I could say the same about you."
"You could."
"Why are you here, Meleina?" Socha asked curiously.
Meleina shook her head. "Long story. I'm not in the mood to talk about it."
Socha hesitated. "Why.why did you look at the moon tonight?"
Meleina froze, remembering her dead family. "None of your business," she said harshly.
Socha looked surprised, but didn't want to intrude on her friend's feelings. "Okay." She touched her friend's shoulder gently. "I hope in time you can tell me."
Meleina glared at her, desperate to change the subject. "Where have you been all these years?"
"Looking for my brother," Socha responded cautiously.
"Why didn't you come to Frieza's ship? You knew he'd be there."
"I tried. Frieza.welcomed me with a death sentence."
"So you left me alone with that little snob."
"I thought you were dead!" Socha exclaimed. The women eyed each other. "Did you see Vegeta get blown up?"
Meleina shook her head. "No, I was on Namek at the time." She frowned. "When I heard about the planet, I thought you were dead."
Socha looked away. "I ran."
"You what?"
"I ran," the princess choked. "When Frieza banished me to the planet, I knew something was going to happen, so I ran."
Meleina shrugged. "That's nothing to be ashamed of. We have to look out for ourselves, you know."
"You don't understand. I left my brother behind to be manipulated and used by Frieza!"
Meleina glared at her, offended. "I wouldn't say we were being manipulated. It was voluntary."
"I never could understand why you wanted to serve Frieza so badly. He was pure evil and used our race to further and promote his own power!"
"It wasn't a matter of serving," Meleina explained patiently. "It was a matter of proving myself to, and as, the best."
Socha smiled faintly. "To you, at least. I never thought of him as the best, though."
"So.what have you been up to all this time?" Meleina asked cheerfully, finding herself relaxing in her friend's presence and managing to shove her dead family in the back of her mind.
Socha laughed and told her, "I've been living on Earth with Vegeta and his family!"
"You mean to tell me that your brother has a family?"
"Yeah, and, amazingly enough, his wife is human. A person of Earth," she added in explanation.
Meleina laughed loudly. "Who would have thought?"
"Oh!" Socha said suddenly. "And get this! There's another Saiyan with a family of his own on Earth. You'll never guess who it is!"
"Who?" Meleina asked curiously.
"Kakarot!"
Meleina's chin dropped and she felt a stabbing pain in her heart. "You.you mean you've seen my baby brother, all grown up?"
Socha nodded, then explained about Goku's head accident and how sweet he was. "Wild, huh?" she said. "And he mentioned that he saw Radi-" She stopped, wondering just how far to take this conversation.
"Raditz? He met up with Raditz?" Meleina's tone became dark.
"Um.yes?" she offered tentatively. She knew that as much as Meleina hated Raditz, she also dearly loved her brother and would be saddened by his death.
"That son of a.ooh, I hate him!" Socha gave her friend a stunned look, and Meleina explained. "When I was finally able to join Shorty, Nappa, and Raditz, Raditz tried to kill me! He was upset that I was held in a higher regard (although the three of them all hated me), and he stabbed me in the back! He tried to kill me, Socha! Cutting my tail was one thing, but stabbing me in the back is another, and he's my own brother, too! I'm telling you, your brother was ruthless, too. He and Nappa killed everybody on that planet. The only saving grace about Shorty was that he saved my life. They left me alone in the woods, thinking I'd die, but I didn't. I was going to attack Shorty and Nappa in the woods, but I left to pursue my own mission. If I ever see Raditz again, you can consider him as good as dead!"
"I hate to tell you this, but he's already dead. He was killed off by Kakarot and a friend of his."
Meleina looked angry for a second, then suddenly smiled. "Kakarot must be very strong, then."
Socha nodded. "Incredibly strong!" she blurted, then said secretively, "He's the legendary super Saiyan, Meleina!" Meleina's jaw dropped. "He's way stronger than Vegeta, and Vegeta resents that fact every day of his life."
Meleina smiled broadly, glad that the family strength had carried through. "Well, he is my brother, after all. It's no wonder he's so strong."
A thought occurred to Socha. "Hey, Meleina? That personal mission you mentioned- was it before or after Frieza and the Ginyu force were killed?"
"Frieza was defeated? Even the Ginyu force?" Meleina raised a curious eyebrow at her friend.
"Yes, and again, it was done by Kakarot."
Meleina felt a swell of pride in the brother she didn't know. "I never thought any Saiyan could be so strong.I'm glad Frieza's gone. I didn't plan to return to him anyway, even after I found the Dragon Balls," she mused aloud.
"Fancy you should mention those."
"How so?"
"You just met the Eternal Dragon."
Meleina looked startled. "You?"
"No, heavens now! He was the green guy who just left."
"Him? He doesn't look anything like the description of Shenron."
"He's in a masked form."
Meleina put a hand to her head and sighed. "Why's he on this hole?"
Socha looked at her. "He's here to, um, destroy his evil brother, Tapla. He enlisted me and the other fellow, Adlteau, to help him. He turned me into a dragon permanently so I could help out, but until we need to fight Tapla, we're in biped forms."
"Can Shenron still grant wishes?" Meleina blurted, thinking about her lost loved ones.
"No, not until Tapla's defeated. Then he has to be reunited with the Dragon Balls and returned to the center of Earth."
Meleina bit her lip. As much as she wanted to be alone, she needed Shenron to return to granting wishes. "I'll help you, then."
Socha hesitated. "I don't know.I think it's too dangerous."
"Do you think I'm weak?" Meleina exploded.
Socha backed up a step, not wanting a full blast of Meleina's temper. "I didn't mean anything by it. I.I suppose you can come if you really want to."
"Fine, then I suppose I will." Meleina calmed down. "I need Shenron to return to granting wishes."
Socha gave her a curious look, but before she could say anything, Adlteau entered the room again. "Well, you two still have all of your body parts, so everything must be okay."
"Just fine," Socha replied with a smile.
"Well, Shenron and I are going to sleep on the couch tonight.more like, the high eternal dragon gets the couch, I get the floor. Oh well." He then left.
Meleina looked at Socha, then giggled. "You like him. Don't blame you though, he is awfully cute."
"You should see him as a dragon," Socha replied mischievously, and both laughed again.
The two stayed up late, telling each other more about their lives. Meleina wasn't the least bit surprised to hear about Vegeta's attitude on Earth, and she laughed at how domineering and headstrong Bulma was. She thought they were perfect for each other. Socha told her all about Kakarot and his family. Meleina thought that Chi-Chi was the perfect wife for a Saiyan, although her pushing Gohan to study so much annoyed her. She was pleased to hear that Kakarot had two sons. She couldn't wait to meet her nephews. Meleina shared with Socha her life on Namek, and told her all about Kami.
After a while, the two fell asleep. It was the first time in a long time that Socha was happy, and Meleina felt at peace after the death of her husband and children.
They awoke early in the morning to a terrible hunger. Shenron and Adlteau realized the Deadzone hath no fury like two very hungry Saiyans, and assured them that the hotel had a free breakfast buffet. Despite the dirty appearance of the hotel, they actually had good food (although Meleina wondered if the entire reason behind the excellent food was that she knew the cook, and he didn't want to get her angry). Meleina and Socha almost ate the place bankrupt and were told not to return (in very calm tones so as not to anger either Saiyan).
Meleina, Socha, Shenron, and Adlteau walked out of the building just as something crashed where the three dragon-beings had originally landed. "I sense a great power," Adlteau announced.
"Yeah," Socha and Meleina agreed softly.
They ran to where the ship landed and poked around it. Suddenly, an arm shot out and wrapped around Adlteau's neck. "No!" Socha screamed. "Shenron, release your magic from us!"
As quick as he could, Shenron did, and they transformed back into dragons. The change took Adlteau's captor by surprise, and he dropped the dragon. Socha ran to him, holding his head up as he coughed, gasping for breath.
"Shenron," the stranger's voice rumbled. The dust cleared and there stood a huge dragon. Tapla had arrived.
Socha left Adlteau lying on the floor and stepped in front of Tapla. "So you are the unspeakable evil I have trained to defeat," she spat. "You disgust me, and I'm going to take you out!" With that, Socha lifted off the ground, forcing dust to fly up and was gone faster than Tapla could follow.
Mighty roars of pain came from the sky and Meleina ran to Adlteau, who was still wheezing on his side. "He crushed his throat," she told Shenron. "But it will regain its shape in a while. He'll live." Meleina helped lift the massive dragon's head to make it easier for him to breathe.
Up in the air, Socha made vicious attacks at the other dragon. She hadn't any need for a blast yet, and used her jaws to tear at Tapla's red skin. "My quarrel is not with you, young dragon, it is wish Shenron," Tapla roared.
"Well, my quarrel is with you," she growled in reply, "and by the time I'm done with you, there won't be enough of you left to touch Shenron."
She charged at him, but in one swift move he turned and grabbed her by the neck. His mighty claws bore into her neck. The only thing protecting her from death was the hard plates that lined her neck. He made the mistake of exposing his belly to her and she immediately breathed an energy blast into it. Tapla released his grip from her neck and wailed in agony. Socha flew back, then shot another blast from her mouth. It hit him hard on the arm and he fell further back. She shot another, then another, until he had hit the ground. She waited. The planet created too much dust and it made it hard to see him.
Adlteau began to recapture his breath. He caught sight of Socha, bleeding intensely from the claw wounds. He leapt to the sky. Shenron stood aside, and Meleina looked at him in frustration. "Why aren't you helping?"
"It is not my place to interfere with their battle," he boomed. Meleina watched the sky, and in a frustrated fury flew up after Adlteau.
The dust cleared. Meleina looked tiny, floating next to the two massive dragons. Tapla began to move in the dust. Meleina removed the shoulder and leg guards of her armor for increased mobility. She threw them carelessly to the ground, then clenched her fists and flicked her tail before wrapping it back around her waist- a Saiyan threat of battle.
The three posed, ready to strike. Tapla stopped shifting. Despite his limp body, they didn't relax their guard. After at least ten minutes of Tapla lying there not moving, they began to wonder.
"That was too easy," Socha boomed. Meleina and Adlteau nodded in agreement.
They relaxed somewhat and remained there for at least another two hours, ready for a sudden ambush, when Shenron called them down.
"He is indeed dead, I no longer feel his life force," the mighty dragon announced.
"How could this be?" Adlteau asked. Socha slinked up to the body, cautious. The burns from her blasts had charred the red scales. His mouth was gaping and his claws were limp. She nudged the monster with her nose, and the entire body crumpled to ash and fell. Socha stepped back. A wind blew the black dust away.
"Maybe that's why this place is so dusty," Meleina tried to joke feebly, then frowned. "There's something not right about this."
"Indeed," Shenron agreed. "He is much too strong to be defeated with such ease."
"There's something else bothering me, but I can't place it." Meleina thought hard for a few seconds, then suddenly snapped her fingers and pointed to Tapla's ship. "Why does a dragon need a ship to fly through space?"
The crumpled ship began to rise. A colossal craft lifted out of the ground; Tapla's ship appeared to be only the tip of it.
The rumbling stopped and the dust cleared. They looked up at the mighty ship. A door opened from the side and lowered itself to the ground. From the top of the ramp, the four could make out odd shapes that headed towards them.
The creatures descended the slope and walked right up to them. They were nothing like anything Socha or Meleina had ever seen. Each stood, at highest, five feet tall. There were four of them; one looked like a standing crocodile, one like a komodo dragon, a basilisk, and a turtle. Meleina turned away to hide her laugh. The basilisk turned to Socha, whose wounds were now sealing.
"I'd like to thank you for finishing off Tapla for us, though we could have handled it ourselves. You are our kin, so we will spare your lives." He looked at Meleina. "But the mammal must die." His companions nodded behind him, eyeing Meleina.
Adlteau turned his gaze to Socha, who had a look of utter confusion on her face, and Meleina, who was having trouble not laughing.
The turtle lifted an eyebrow. "Ah, you underestimate our power, yes?" He looked at the crocodile and nodded. The scaly creature turned toward the small trading city, off in the distance now. He lifted his hand in its direction and released a blast that destroyed it in a single blow. Meleina felt a stabbing pain in her heart as she realized that more of her friends were now dead.
"How dare you take innocent lives like that," Adlteau snarled, stepping forward.
"I wouldn't do that, dragon," the basilisk hissed.
Adlteau growled deep in his throat and pawed viciously at the ground, threatening them. The komodo dragon looked at him curiously.
"Give us the mammal and we will leave you in peace," the basilisk ordered, pointing at Meleina.
Socha rushed forward. "Who are you to demand us your wishes? Where did you come from?"
The basilisk bowed. "I am Lord Silack, and these are my warriors. I come from my kingdom to rid the rest of the universe of warm-blooded creatures and anyone who dares defy me."
Meleina finally lost it and burst into laughter, angering Lord Silack.
"Silence, fool!" he screeched.
"But this is so stupid!" She stopped laughing to gather breath. "You've come across the galaxy to get rid of mammals? That has got to be the worst excuse for destruction I've ever heard, and I've heard some really bad ones!" She held her stomach and continued to roar with laughter, and Socha joined her.
"That's it!" Silack yelled angrily. "Boda!" he snapped to the turtle. "Show them what we do to those who resist us." Boda ran into the ship. Silack crossed his arms and smirked at the opposing group.
Boda returned pulling a resistant captive. He prodded him with an electric stick. The creature wailed in pain and followed. Their captive stood at least eight feet tall, but that wasn't what surprised Socha. He was an erect wolf with fur matted and sliced as if it had been whipped. He had spiky yellow hair and wore nothing but a tattered pair of shorts.
"On your knees!" Boda demanded. The creature curled his lips back, but an electrical prod made him obey.
"Tell them, Korishico, what we do to those who resist us," Silack hissed.
The wolf bared his teeth. He looked at Silack as if ready to kill, then looked at Boda holding the electric prod and let out an awful sigh.
"We are beaten into submission, oh great lord," he droned. "We are to know the mighty power of the universe before we die."
"Good, Korishico. You are closer to the release of your awful, useless, warm-blooded life." Content with his demonstration, Silack waved Boda to return the wolf to the ship.
Adlteau couldn't stand it anymore. He let out a mighty roar and charged at the four reptiles.
While Boda turned his attention to the sudden attack, Korishico took the opportunity to escape. He combined his fists and cracked them into the back of Boda's neck, knocking him out. He pulled the metal restraint around his neck off, then ran back to the ship.
Adlteau opened his jaws to grab Silack, but met the crocodile instead. It extended its hand and let off the same blast that had destroyed the city. Socha intercepted it and swallowed the energy. Adlteau acknowledged the attack, then rushed after Silack. Socha regurgitated the attack twice as powerful toward the crocodile. He lowered his head and crossed his arms. The attack pushed him back, but he deflected it.
"Get her, Dodile!" Silack yelled as he ran from Adlteau.
Meleina took a dive for the komodo dragon. They locked fists and intense energy formed around their hands. The komodo dragon's tongue slithered out of his mouth and hit Meleina in the eyes. She toppled back in surprise. The komodo dragon punched her in the stomach. She flew back, but caught herself. She rubbed her eyes and tried to focus on the figure. In frustration and the absolute desire not to lose any more loved ones, she let out a powerful blast. Without her sight, she missed and hit Socha square in the back. Socha let out a howl of pain and fell where she stood.
Boda began to regain consciousness.
"Help me, Fander!" Boda called to the komodo dragon.
Socha lay helpless on the ground. The wolf reappeared from the ship, brandishing a large sword.
"Curses!" Silack hissed, spotting the sword. "Retreat to the ship!"
Silack, Boda, Fander, and Dodile ran to the ramp. Adlteau continue to pursue the speedy and agile Silack. The ramp began to ascend and Adlteau hit the edge of it hard, forcing him to stop. The ship closed tight and electricity started to surround it.
"Run!" Korishico shouted. Meleina grabbed Socha by the tail and they all left as fast as they could. The electricity around the ship cracked as it formed a solid shield around the craft. A gust of wind was let out from the force and the five hit the ground.
Korishico stood up. He brushed the dust and debris from his fur and picked up the sword to shake it clean as well. Meleina stood and looked at the ship, now protected by a forcefield.
"What just happened?" Adlteau looked confused. Socha winced as she got up. Her back was black from the burn.
Shenron looked down at them and announced calmly, "I bid you farewell."
"What do you mean?" Socha asked.
"My agreement to my magic was to remain in the flesh until Tapla was gone. I have done so, and must return to Earth." With that, he took off.
Korishico turned. "What as that all about?"
The three turned toward him. Each one was speechless. None of them could process what just happened. There was silence, except for the humming of the ship and it's shield.
"Well, I'm getting the first transport out of here," Korishico growled.
"Who were those guys? And what happened to you?" Meleina demanded.
The wolf smirked. "Didn't they tell you?" Meleina sneered at him. Korishico chuckled. "You heard right. They are a demented race of mutated freaks that have something against mammals. They captured me when they invaded my home. Being my planet's strongest warrior and only resistor, they decided to torture me." He grabbed a sword sheath, then fastened the sword to his shoulders and chest.
"So exactly how many of them are there?" Adlteau questioned.
"Oh," Korishico said matter-of-factly, "Just the four.and their slaves."
"Like you?" Meleina sneered.
Korishico stood fully erect and gawked at them. "Look," he growled, "They are much stronger than they appear. That display out there was only handled so poorly because they were surprised. I've seen and felt their true power. Those pitiful five-foot creatures are only an outer mask to their proper form. Don't mess with them." He began to walk away, muttering to himself.
"So that's it," Meleina challenged. "You're just going to walk away after they humiliated you? That planet of yours must have had pretty weak warriors if you were it's strongest!" Korishico leapt at her throat in rage, sword in hand. Meleina flew up and slammed her fists into his back, and he hit the ground hard. Meleina put a foot on his back and aimed a ball of energy at his head.
"Stop!" Socha demanded. "Stop it this instant!" Meleina looked at her friend, then stepped away from Korishico and watched him try to stand. "Obviously," Socha continued, "Silack and his gang are stronger than we think. But unless they plan to terrorize Earth, they are not my concern." She turned to Adlteau. "Tapla's gone, and I believe that's all we came to do. I propose we make our way back to Earth." She switched her gaze to Meleina. "Do you want to come?"
Meleina looked up at the ship, itching for a battle. She thought back to everything she'd ever learned about Earth- her brother, Kami.the Dragon Balls. "Yeah. This dump can deal wit Silack in their own way."
"Korishico, do you want to come, too?" Socha asked. He looked at her.
"What good would it do me?" he replied.
"It's peaceful," she said softly. "And you'd have a new home."
The wolf met her gaze, then nodded. "I've got nothing to lose."
They watched the motionless ship for a second, then headed off to find another city.
~*~
In the ship, Silack cackled. "Earth, eh? Boda, where's this.Earth?"
"Near the center of the galaxy, sir."
"Set course for it. After we are done with this planet, I think I want to go to Earth." A dark look came over Silack's face. "Nobody humiliates me and gets away with it."
~*~
The four found another trading city. Meleina gave up (though hesitantly) some rare gems Kieran had given her on one of their anniversaries. Her three companions were curious as to where she had gotten them, but she refused to say, letting them believe she had stolen them. They bought a small ship for herself and Korishico to take.
Earth came up fast, taking only a day and a half to reach. Socha and Adlteau set the ship carefully down on the ground, complaining about the lousy piece of junk and being forced to help them after it broke down. Meleina and Korishico came cautiously out of the ship, neither knowing what to expect.
They were greeted by Goku, Piccolo, and Vegeta, who had sensed their energy long before they arrived.
"You're back!" Goku exclaimed. "It must have been a cinch for you."
"More so than you know," Socha agreed. Meleina stared at the tall warrior, inching over to Socha.
"Is that him?" she asked.
"Yes, that's Kakarot," Socha tried to whisper, but her voice was loud enough for them all to hear. Meleina felt her eyes swell with tears as she stared at her baby brother. After years of searching, I've finally found him!
"And who are you?" Goku asked. Meleina opened her mouth, but no sounds came out.
"I already told you about Meleina," Socha replied. "Don't you remember?"
"Oh, you must be my sister, then," Goku remarked cheerfully. Meleina stared at him, unable to believe her eyes. Kakarot was the exact opposite of Raditz. He looked every bit happy, and not like the powerful warrior Socha had described. She couldn't believe the uncanny resemblance to their father, and her eyes swelled with tears again.
"So you're alive," Vegeta sneered.
Glad for the momentary emotional break, she glared at him. "No thanks to you."
"I suppose you were stronger than we expected. Maybe we should have brought you with when we came to Earth."
Meleina stalked angrily up to Vegeta. She stood quite a bit taller than him and had to look down at him to meet his gaze. "You don't want to start with me, Shorty," she growled.
Vegeta snarled, angry that she had picked up on his old nickname so quickly. He clenched his fists and looked Meleina in the eyes, challenging her.
"Stop it!" Piccolo demanded. "There's enough fighting and bloodshed without you two going at it, so just calm down!" He looked at Meleina. "Have we met?"
She shrugged. "I don't think so. I've never seen you before."
Piccolo scratched his head. "It's just that you look very familiar."
"Maybe when you were young or something. I lived on Namek for a little while, and I loved it."
"So sentimental," Vegeta spat.
Meleina stuck her tongue out at him and moved behind Socha.
Goku turned his head to where Korishico and Adlteau stood, trying to change the subject. "Wow Socha, you're just bringing home all kinds of new people."
She blushed. "Sorry, I forgot to introduce you. This is my training partner Adlteau, and this is Korishico, a refugee."
A voice called out from the distance. "Auntie Socha!" Trunks hollered. He flew over to her, followed closely by Goten. "You'll never guess what happened! The big dragon Shenron came back and reactivated the Dragon Balls! Goten and I collected them so we can make you normal again!" Adlteau swiveled his head to look at Socha with sad eyes. She turned to the two boys.
"Later, okay?"
"Sure," Goten said cheerfully, dropping one of the balls, which Trunks picked up as if it were a precious gem.
"Well," Goku said happily, "Since my place is closest, how about we all stay there tonight?"
Vegeta pointed at Meleina. "Only if that freak leaves me alone!"
"What's the matter, Shorty? Afraid I'll beat you up?" she retorted.
"Stop it!" Socha yelled.
Chi-Chi greeted them warmly, but complained about cooking for seven more people, two of them being dragons and all but Korishico and Piccolo having Saiyan appetites. Socha assured her that she and Adlteau could handle dinner for themselves and they hurried into the forest. Meleina volunteered to help Chi-Chi cook dinner. The human was a bit apprehensive, knowing full well that Saiyans didn't cook very well, but Meleina assured her that she'd often cooked for her own family. She was surprised to find herself open up to Chi-Chi and mention her family, but Chi-Chi was good enough not to mention it, for which Meleina was grateful. She was a bit disappointed that she couldn't eat with Socha; she had missed her friend dearly and wanted to talk to her even more, but she was excited to meet her brother's family.
"Goku, dear, can you pass the bread?" Chi-Chi asked, and Meleina watched her brother hand over the bread.
"Milk please, Goku," Trunks chimed in, and again Kakarot passed over food.
Meleina frowned at him. "Why do they call you Goku?"
He swallowed a huge bite of pasta and grinned at her. "When I first came here, I was found by Grandpa Gohan in the woods, and he named me Goku."
Hungry for information about her brother's life, she begged him to tell her everything. He went into great detail, but received help from his family and friends as his story continued. Meleina was surprised by his easy- going attitude toward life and Earth, but by the sound of his friends, she could see why.
Finally dinner was over, and Socha and Adlteau returned to Goku's home. Socha asked Trunks to summon Shenron, and he agreed cheerfully. Meleina saw that Adlteau looked rather uncertain and nervous, but she paid it no mind.
Shenron's brilliance had once again returned, the eternal glow engulfing his body.
"I was wondering when I would see you again," he boomed. Socha stepped forward at once, and Meleina watched with jealousy as her friend made her wish.
"I wish that you would make Adlteau and I the way we were on Fhotherite with your magic." Meleina felt her heart shatter. She could see that Adlteau was apprehensive about living forever as a biped, and she was happy that he and Socha loved each other enough to want to live together, but she was also saddened by this.
"So be it," Shenron said, granting the wish and returning to the Earth. The Dragon Balls turned to stone and were once again dispersed.
"Look Adlteau! You have a tail like mine!" Socha and Adlteau watched the waving blue spiky tail. "I wonder if that means you change at the full moon as well." She smiled at him.
"Come on, it's getting late," Chi-Chi interrupted, her gaze on Goten. She rounded them all up and designated where they were sleeping. It was hard to keep Vegeta and Meleina from fighting during this, and Goku was too busy chatting with Piccolo to be of much help.
Finally, they were all comfortable, and everyone but Meleina was asleep. If only I could have gotten my wish! She thought sadly. What I wouldn't give to have Kieran back.Kieran and Vrail and Reine and Ronan. A tear slid down her cheek. She buried her head into her pillow and quietly cried herself to sleep.
1 One Month Later
It was the middle of the night at Goku's house when Meleina awoke from her spot on the floor. She sat up and waited for Goku or one of her nephews to come ask her if she'd felt the strange energy, but they didn't come. She sat still for another ten minutes, then finally grumbled and took off toward Socha's house. Certainly her old friend had felt the strange, familiar power.
She landed in the bushes with a slight thump and groaned softly. "Who's there?" Meleina stepped out of the bushes with her hands raised and eyed Socha. "Meleina! So it was you I sensed. Holy cow, you surprised me."
Meleina frowned. "It wasn't me you sensed, it was something else. I came here to see if you felt it, too."
"Who do you think it could be?"
Meleina shook her head. "No idea. It feels really familiar, though." They both looked around. "It seems to be gone. Think I could stay here the rest of the night?"
"Sure, as long as you don't mind the couch."
Meleina shrugged. "Beats the floor."
"Let's go in, I'm freezing out here," Socha said with a shiver. They headed in, Socha comforted that it had been Meleina lurking around the house, Meleina still wary and prepared for battle.
They awoke when it was still dark out. Adlteau seemed surprised to find Meleina in his house. "What's going on?"
"I felt a new power last night, and I came to find Socha.didn't you feel it as well?" Meleina asked. Adlteau shrugged, his mouth full of food.
Meleina froze suddenly as a new energy entered the area. "What was that?" she blurted.
"What was what?" Socha asked with a yawn.
"Hang on a minute," Meleina snarled, walking out the door. She scanned the area, and when something rustled in the bushes, she snapped her gaze in the direction of the sound. The sound of footsteps came from behind her, and she jumped, attacking the creature and pinning it to the ground.
"Get off, you wacko!" Korishico shrieked. Socha hurried outside, and Meleina let the wolf up.
"What's going on?" Socha asked worriedly.
"What are you doing here?" Meleina demanded, not bothering to mention that the wolf had badly frightened her.
"I felt something last night, so I came to find you three," he snapped back.
"I'm starting to feel left out," Adlteau complained, joining the informal reunion.
"Do you know what it was?" Socha asked the wolf.
"Yeah," he said. "My old buddies. Silack."
"Here?" Adlteau blurted.
"Obviously," Korishico snapped. Socha put a hand to her forehead and turned away.
"This can't be happening. My whole goal on Fhotherite was to make sure Earth had to suffer no more evil. We should have slaughtered them when we had the chance." Meleina turned a startled look to her normally peaceful friend.
"Don't beat yourself up over it," Korishico comforted. "You wouldn't have defeated them anyway."
Meleina curled her lip, but before she could respond, Socha looked at her. "Meleina, you'd better go tell Goku and Gohan what's going on. I'll go tell Vegeta and Trunks." The two women left, leaving Adlteau and Korishico alone.
"Are they really as strong as you let on?"
Korishico nodded. "Yes."
"But.they seemed like cowards. They were really easy to beat on Fhotherite."
"I assure you, Adlteau, Fhotherite doesn't exist anymore. What you saw was only a public mask. They didn't expect you to attack them. They're confident about their power and didn't think anybody would be stupid enough to take them on. They are hideously powerful in their true form."
Meleina raced back to her brother's house as fast as she could, determined to get him to help. She'd lost Vegeta, Namek, and Fhotherite; she wasn't about to lose Earth, too. She tried to open the door, but found it locked and quietly knocked.
"Hello?" Goku asked tiredly, opening the door. When he saw Meleina, he grinned. "We were wondering where you went."
"I went to Socha and Adlteau's house." She bit her lip. "Something bad's happening, Goku, something really bad. Korishico felt it, too, and he said he knows for sure that it's Silack."
Goku became very serious. "I guess we'd better figure things out when Gohan wakes up. You're welcome to watch TV until Chi-Chi wakes up. I'd make you breakfast, but."
"Thanks, I already ate," she laughed. "Besides, I'm not sure I trust your cooking too much."
He grinned and scratched his head. "I know what you mean."
Gohan awoke an hour later, and Meleina quickly explained to him what was going on. He agreed to go with, and the three headed to Capsule Corp. Vegeta was obviously not happy about the three guests, but in light of the upcoming fight didn't say anything. The group had to talk in the front yard; it seemed that Trunks had bad allergies to Korishico's fur.
After much debating, they decided to investigate the intentions of Silack and his gang. Gohan decided to stay behind with Adlteau and Trunks. Adlteau didn't feel that he would be much help in the fight, Trunks was too young, and Gohan didn't feel up to par after having not trained in seven years. Vegeta, Goku, Socha, and Meleina followed Korishico to Silack's ship. The wolf agreed to take them to the ship, but he wanted to leave as soon as possible. The group watched the ship open and unfamiliar figures step out. They were terrible creatures, large, bulky and mutated. The Saiyans could feel an incredible energy flowing off the reptiles.
"Where's Silack?" Socha asked, confused.
"That's them," Korishico replied. "I told you they were only masking their true forms on Fhotherite." At the mention of her old home, Meleina's blood boiled.
"I feel so much more power from them," she growled.
"Let me explain," Korishico said shortly. "They present themselves to leaders of planets in that weakling form you saw on Fhotherite. They normally try to get leaders of that planet by meeting them to open 'diplomatic ties.' Seeing that they aren't much of a threat, they are allowed to visit emperors, kings, senate, whatever other world leaders face- to-face. Once they are there, they transform into their ultimate forms and slaughter the rules of the planet. From there they annihilate the rest of the planet and finish it off by blowing it up. I'll tell you once again: you took them by surprise on Fhotherite that's why you're not dead. Seeing that they aren't masking themselves on this planet, they're probably here for revenge."
"They only have powerlevels comparable to Cell's. I could squash them like bugs!" Vegeta announced.
"But Vegeta," Goku said, trying to calm the prince down, "There are four of them with that power. There was only one of Cell!"
"So?" Vegeta snorted.
"In case you don't remember, it took all of Gohan's strength to defeat him." Goku stepped up to Vegeta. "And he nearly killed you. Trunks wasn't so lucky."
This took Vegeta over the edge and he threw a blast at Goku. Goku moved out of the way and the blast hit a cliff above Silack's ship. The four reptiles turned their gaze in the direction of the Saiyans.
"You idiot!" Meleina screeched. "Now they know we're here!"
"Get them!" the largest reptile roared.
Meleina gave Vegeta a dirty look, then took off to intercept one of the creatures, the one who had the slightest resemblance to Boda. Vegeta brushed past her to take on Dodile, and Goku went for Fander. Socha immediately leapt for Silack. Only Korishico remained on the ground. Remembering the pain these monsters had caused him, he lowered his ears, tucked his tail between his legs, and retreated back a few paces.
Boda caught Meleina in the back and she fell to the ground hard.
"You okay?" Goku yelled to his sister. Fander took advantage of Goku's sudden lapse in concentration and hit him to the ground. Goku regained himself and increased his power to Super Saiyan. Vegeta followed, and, not wanting to be left out, Socha also increased her power. Meleina stared at her friends from her spot on the ground, her eyes shining. She'd only heard stories about these legendary golden fighters, and she was incredibly proud that her brother was one of them. She didn't hesitate any longer and quickly leapt back into battle.
The eight combatants equally matched each other's power. For every attack, each opponent released a blast just as strong.
Seeing they were not winning the battle, Silack called his army back for a minute. The Saiyans used to opportunity to catch their breath and wipe away dirt and blood from their faces.
"They're going to try something bad," Goku whispered. He began to increase his power, and quickly the two royal Saiyans followed suit. Meleina watched in amazement as her friends' power shot up.
Socha looked over to Korishico. "What are they doing now?"
"I don't know. Whatever it is, I don't want to mess with it."
The Saiyans returned their gaze to the opposing creatures. Boda and Dodile began to vibrate and merge into each other.
"It's some kind of fusion!" Goku announced. "I can feel their power increasing."
Dodile and Boda finished and revealed and even more hideous creature. Silack laughed, feeling that he now had the upper hand in the fight.
"Attack!" he shrieked.
The monster shot toward them but met Vegeta on the way. The prince released a powerful blast right into the creature's stomach. It fell back, it's limp body headed for the ground, but it never made it there. The hole filled and the creature made its way toward Vegeta.
It was too quick to see, but before anyone knew what was happening, Vegeta was out cold on the distant ground. Meleina looked down at the limp body of her rival and friend, her anger increasing. Sparks mounted around her body.
Goku fought furiously with the fused reptile. He released a kamehameha wave, which tore through the creature's side. It regenerated and charged at him. Goku dodged and hit the creature's back. The monster hit the ground hard, and upon impact, the fusion broke. Without thinking, the Boda half charged Goku, who finished it off with another kamehameha wave.
"Impossible!" Silack roared. Boda's burnt carcass hit the ground and exploded into scattered ash. Goku stayed back, breathing heavily. Meleina wanted to let out a cheer of joy but held herself back, not wanting to break her brother's concentration.
Silack began to steam. His eyes turned red and he began to rapidly vibrate. He overtook the remaining Fander and injured Dodile, creating one large fusion. The result was a massive creature the size of an Oozaru. Its eyes were blood red, and its form was so altered it didn't have the slightest resemblance to the reptiles. It let out an angry cry, and Meleina thought, great, where's a full moon when you need one?
"Fools!" the monster boomed. "Now I will not only destroy you, but I will finish off your pathetic planet as well."
Meleina felt the red-hot rage sear through her spirit and she let out a might roar, her hair going pure white and her eyes deep blue for the first time in her life. She felt the power rage through her and smiled viscously at the monster.
Socha eyed the might beast, but Goku leapt straight at it.
The monster laughed and swatted him away. The impact of Goku's body shattered the nearby cliff, throwing rubble onto Silack's ship and Vegeta's unconscious body.
Goku emerged from the demolished mountainside and shot a powerful blast at the creature. It responded by shooting a laser beam its red eyes. It engulfed Goku's body and paralyzed him. A look of horror came across his face as he was flung to the ground. Barely clinging to life, he landed on the rubble from the destroyed cliff and lay on the ground, helpless, his hair and eyes returned to black. Meleina and Socha looked horrified, and both thought of the lives they had lost because of terrorists like Silack.
"Ha!" the monster laughed. "He was even more of a match for me than your puny husband and children proved to me!" Silack's slimy voice revealed to Meleina. She fell to her knees in shock. They're the ones who murdered my family! Her memory shot back to the unspeakable pain they had caused her, and in that instant, she remembered her slaughtered family, her dead Namekian friends, and her murdered father. An uncontrollable rage took hold of her spirit, ten times stronger than she had ever felt. Socha could sense her friend's agony and was overcome with the sickening feeling of hatred for Silack. Socha wasn't about to let this planet be destroyed. Her every goal in life was to prevent those she cared about from having to suffer through the losses she had felt in her life. She thought of the terrors she had seen in her life, the pain her closest friend was feeling, and her anger mounted even more.
Both women let out an Earth-shattering scream; Socha because of her desire to protect, Meleina because of her need for revenge. The Silack beast stepped back in surprise. The shrieking stopped, and a blinding light came from the two Saiyan women. Each one floated above the Earth with three times the normal hair length that flowed with golden brilliance. They took a hard look at what they had become, and then bolted for the monster that had pushed them to this ultimate form. Meleina felt the power surge through her, and she chuckled softly, her increased strength and speed pushing her closer to Silack with each second.
The beast realized it was outmatched and tried to run for its ship. It held its wounds and began to regenerate.
"No you don't!" Socha bellowed. Dragon wings of flame formed on her back, her tail unraveled from her waist, surrounded by electricity, and a massive ball of energy formed in her outstretched hands.
"DRAGON!" the energy in all three places intensified, "BREATH!" the fire, electricity, and energy began to focus into her hands, "BEAM!" The attack was released. The amazing power surrounded the Silack beast and with a final cry it was incinerated.
The attack complete, Socha let out a sigh. Her hair returned to its normal black length, her eyes closed, and she fell to the ground. Meleina released her anger, and with it her power, and flew to the ground where her fallen comrades lay. She took one good look at the damaged ship and finished it off with a blast. She managed to drag her fallen friends back to Capsule Corp. to allow them to heal. It was two days later when Socha finally awoke, her hands wrapped in gauze and an oxygen mask fastened to her face.
Meleina hurried into her friend's room. "Hey."
"Hey," Socha replied. "What happened?"
"That was a wicked attack you let out. Totally incinerated Silack, not even enough of him left for ash. Where'd you learn how to do such a thing?"
"I've been able to do it since I was a kid. I guess it comes with my tail." She chuckled, coughed, and then turned her head to watch Adlteau slip in.
"Are you okay?" he demanded worriedly.
"Fine," Socha replied, smiling warmly. "How's my brother?"
"Fine. You know Vegeta. Couldn't get rid of him if you wanted to. Trust me," she added, mischief filling her voice.
"How's Goku?" Socha asked, her energy still depleted.
"He's fine. Actually, he was back on his feet in a few hours."
"That's good." Socha smiled, then caught sight of Vegeta in the doorway. She gave a motherly smile.
"Perhaps you should all leave. An injured warrior doesn't need to be burdened by unnecessary pests," he said, glaring at Meleina.
She raised an eyebrow. "Well, then I guess you'd better be on your way, shouldn't you?" Socha rolled her eyes at the two.
Adlteau spoke to interrupt the upcoming conflict. "We really should let her get more rest."
"Hang on a minute, I really need to talk to Socha," Meleina said softly. She met Adlteau's gaze. "It's important." He hesitated, then nodded and dragged Vegeta from the room. "So. Should we tell them what we did?"
Socha grinned. "What, you mean hit level three Super Saiyan?"
Meleina looked at her friend. "I've never done that before, Socha. It was.incredible. Incredible, but terrifying."
Socha smiled. "You just need to practice controlling it, that's all. You should be fine. But I think you're right. If we told them, it'd just hurt Vegeta's pride. Besides, we don't want to make the others start training more just to prove that they're stronger than us, do we?"
Meleina smiled tentatively at her friend. "No, we really don't. Besides, we already know that I'm stronger than Vegeta."
The prince opened the door and snapped, "You are not!" Meleina and Socha looked at each other and burst into laughter.
~*~
The following two years were very peaceful. The only fighting during that time was Meleina and Vegeta "settling their differences." It ended with a new desert on the map and the two in comas for nearly a month. They finally decided it was an equal draw (though Vegeta still insists Meleina was the first one knocked out).
Socha gave birth to her first child. The boy, despite his mother's different tail, was born with a long Oozaru tail. Adlteau found work and Socha spends much of her time with Bulma, Vegeta, and Trunks while he worked the day away. Socha has finally found happiness and every day she looks out on the planet she saved- the planet that finally made her content.
Meleina lives with her brother and his family, but feels the tearing pain in her heart every day as she sees him playing with his children. Socha has noticed that Meleina often blocks emotions from her and is hiding a deep pain and sorrow. She can tell something had happened in Meleina's past that was heartbreaking, but has decided to wait until her friend feels it is time to share her experience.
Korishico returned to his friends about a month after the fight with Silack. After getting a through flogging by Meleina for not helping in the battle, he accepted his new friends. Meleina and Korishico became very good friends- so close that Meleina shared with him all her secrets but one- the same secret that she kept from Socha. He now resides in the forest between Meleina and Socha's mountain homes. He successfully founded his own wolf pack, but often visits Meleina for real conversation, saying that it's hard for a cultured wolf to live with animals that can only bark and howl.
There is tranquility and all is well on Earth, but even the peace-loving Socha is restless for adventure..