Chapter eight is here. We're coming down to the final stretch here! The final battle should be next chapter! Yes, I only intended this to be about ten chapters long. I'll also try to cover enough ground here so that all or most of next chapter will be the final battle. Well, here is Rob's past, and the dark secret that he carries...
Disclaimer: I do NOT own D'ni or the Saiyans; those belong to Rand & Robyn Miller and Akira Toriyama, respectively.
Chapter Eight
Sakura's Dream / Rob's Flashback
Sakura was standing in a vast cavern that stretched as far as she could see. There was an eerie orange glow that came from the massive lake that filled her view to the right. It was a low light, but she could see fairly well by it. She gazed upon the great city before her. Everything was made from stone, but it was extremely colorful and gave almost a warm feeling. The rock seemed and felt warm, almost soft. She had no idea how they'd managed that. The city was in many layers, each layer apparent associated with a different social class of people. She was on the uppermost level, where the rock gleamed and had many beautiful colors. It was odd and unfamiliar, yet wonderfully lovely.
She then saw the people. They looked hum, but on closer inspection she found that they were different somehow. Their bone structure was finer, more delicate. Also, their skin was very pale, as were their eyes. Some had large pairs of goggles hanging loosely about their necks. No one seemed to notice her. In fact, she found that she couldn't touch anyone, for her hand passed through them.
"This is my home. The great City of D'ni," a voice behind her spoke, "These people have lived here for ten thousand years, completely isolated from the rest of the planet."
She turned and saw Rob standing there in his black robes. She noticed that he was on the verge of crying.
"I lived here for fifteen years of my life, but I was never accepted" he continued, pointing to a boy, himself, that everyone was avoiding. He looked quite sad. "All because I was different. You see, I wasn't fully D'ni, my father was an alien who crashed into one of the minor caves when his ship was damaged."
Sakura tried to take all of this in. She then realized that he wasn't human, not even half human. Though, he looked D'ni enough, why was he avoided?
"I had special abilities," the scene changed to him by himself on a southern island, "I had my father's ability to use and manipulate energy fields around me. I could fly and create the balls of energy that you've seen. This energy also gave me untold of strength, speed, and agility."
She saw him begin to practice his martial arts, an odd art that she'd never seen before. She assumed that he'd created the art himself.
"I was avoided and shunned by all because they were afraid of me. They knew that I had the power to destroy all of them, maybe even the planet if I became inclined. They were right to be frightened, I was more than capable of all of that."
Sakura began to feel profoundly sad for him. He had been alone all of his life, shunned by people who were afraid of him.
"Then she came," the scene changed to a happy Rob, giving a girl a piggyback ride. She seemed to be his girlfriend. Oddly, she looked a lot like Sakura, just a D'ni version. He continued, "She was not afraid of me. I didn't understand why at first, until she decided to fight me, and we tied. She was at least as strong as me and very loving." The scene changed to show then cuddling together on a couch, apparently sleeping in each other's arms. The Rob that was telling Sakura all of this smiled.
Her remorse was weakening, as she saw that perhaps he was truly happy. That thought left her as she saw a tear roll down her guide's cheek.
"I called her Taigahn, which is D'ni for love, because that's what she meant to me. Then, something awful happened." It suddenly grew dark, giving Sakura the impression of 'night'.
"What...?" Sakura didn't understand the feeling of sadness that was overcoming her. Then she saw it. Two people, a D'ni woman and a male that wasn't D'ni. "His parents..." it dawned on her a she felt auras like Rob's. She then felt them die.
She was taken back an hour to see the couple together, holding hands. They were just minding their own business, then a man came. He had what seemed to be a crude gun of some sort. Without warning, he rushed them and shot them in their backs. He used a sharp bit of his weapon to mutilate them both horribly disfiguring them. The worst part is that he was a bad shot, and the woman was alive and conscious throughout the whole gruesome procedure. She was sobbing and crying while this man did this to them. "That was Veovis, a man bitterly opposed to my father's entrance to the D'ni gene pool. He was a political figure that preached 'D'ni purity.' That fool killed my parents because of his prejudice and ignorance. But, that doesn't matter now." She then saw Rob run up to his slain parents. He was sobbing freely as he held his bloody parents as he felt their lives slip away. He finally felt them leave him, and he placed them carefully back on the ground. He then positioned them in eachother's arms to honor their eternal love. He finally arose, covered in his parent's blood.
"I was enraged by all of this. Taigahn tried to calm me and console me, but it was no use. I tossed her aside and tapped into the power that I'd been hiding for some time now."
Sakura saw an enraged Rob suddenly glow with golden light. His hair lengthened and reached down to his waist, but was wild instead of braided. The green eyes that seemed uncommon among D'ni became brighter, even his pupil became a dark green. (That would be SSJ level three for the DBZ fans out there.) They were glowing with pure power and hatred. Hatred for everything, she thought. Taigahn tried to stop him, but she was easily thrown aside by his great power. His power was beyond anything that Sakura had ever sensed, including him in his other form.
"I destroyed the city, and killed everyone. I did it all with my bare hands and I-I...." he couldn't get the rest out because he was sobbing freely now, "And I enjoyed it. I took the greatest pleasure in-in... Ripping that scum Veovis to pieces. I-I-I just couldn't stop. I ripped people limb from limb and burned their bodies. I took the whole of one gahr-tah-vo, about six hours, to kill all but Taigahn."
Sakura stared in horror as this evil thing destroyed every single person, well over a thousand. He took his time with each and made sure that they were all tortured to death. He did it without pity or hesitation to men, women, and children alike. Luckily, he only showed her ten minutes of it. Rob was now on his hands and knees, sobbing like Sakura had seen no one sob before. There was a small puddle on the ground before he regained enough of his composure to stand shakily and continue.
"She was the last one. I approached her, my anger still at its peak. She then transformed into a something that I hadn't expected. She was enveloped in a white and pink light. She emerged with a large set of pure, white wings. Her hair had become platinum blond and was in a braid that nearly reached her ankles. Her eyes were now a glowing, pale pink."
Sakura watched as the changes he was describing began. She was beautiful and angelic. She also noticed that she barely wore more than a white strip of cloth held on by a golden chain. That reminded her of the costume Tomoyo had forced her to wear earlier that day.
"Ken Yaa tso Tsahvehn!" this being called.
"'I am the Goddess of Life'" Rob translated from D'ni for Sakura.
"They fought briefly and the goddess gained the upper hand," Rob commented on the action going on, "She began to heal and revive all of the people that I had killed." Sakura saw her do this, but she also sensed Rob's aura ready to explode. "I was enraged that she was undoing my 'justice' and I changed again," the guide said as Rob grew a brown tail, his eyes turned golden, and his hair became the same color of his tail. (Again for the DBZ fans, that'd be level four, aka legendary.)
Sakura saw this change and Rob charged the Goddess. She was caught by surprise, but had no chance. Rob had dealt her a mortal blow and she him. They both lay on the ground near each other, dying.
"I'm sorry," both Robs stated in unison, "I'm truly sorry."
Sakura saw the goddess move toward Rob, and he moved toward her in response. She climbed on top of him and they embraced weakly. She whispered something to him in D'ni, but Sakura knew that she was forgiving him. They embraced as she suddenly took her godly form again. Except, this time she was glowing white and her eyes were silver. Rob was surprised, but not as surprised as he was when that golden aura left his girlfriend. The aura hovered above her briefly, looking like a winged specter. That aura then entered Rob through every orifice. His eyes, his ears, his mouth, all were filled by the golden light.
"She gave me a gift. She sacrificed her own immortality to save me, and make me a god." She died on top of him, he embraced her tightly not wanting to let her go. "I don't know how long I stayed there. I was now a god, so I didn't grow hungry or tired. I think I held her for years, using my energy to keep her 'alive.' I could still feel her aura, and I thought that she was still alive, but that was just residue from her giving me that power. I finally let her go and she withered away."
Sakura watched that poor, distressed boy holding his dead love, desperately not wanting to believe that she was dead. Her heart felt like it had been tied in a knot, and she cried with Rob. She cried until she saw him move. Rob spoke again.
"I was lost without any direction. I was so frustrated, not knowing what to do, that I flared my aura to greatly, sending off waves of death. This would only give a person an odd chill, but it was enough to kill the bacteria that made the water glow."
Sakura watched as the lake's glow slowly died, leaving them in the most complete darkness imaginable.
"I don't know exactly how long I mourned down there. It must have been at least 500 years..." Sakura gasped as she heard that number.
"Was he really down in this darkness for 500 years?" she thought to herself. Her sorrow intensified and she cried more. She dried for all the dead people, for Rob's dead girlfriend and goddess, and for Rob himself. He must have been so incredibly lonely.
"I slowly learned how to use my powers and became proficient at them," he chuckled before continuing, "I even rebuilt part of the city. Perhaps it was a way to ask forgiveness for my horrible acts. I eventually searched for the auras of other people and found a world above that was vastly populated. It was the surface of Earth."
She saw him, in very dim light, begin to make his way to the tunnels. The bacteria in the lake finally begun to grow again, giving some soft light. Her view changed again to see Rob emerging from the ground, exactly the same as he looked then, and now. She began to wonder exactly how old he was.
Everything faded away and Rob and Sakura were in a dark room together.
"I understand if you hate me now that you know who I am and what I've done" Rob said sadly.
Sakura wanted to tell him that she didn't hate him, but couldn't find the words. So, she ran up to him and hugged him tightly, crying.
He held her and stroked her hair softly, "What's wrong Sakura?"
"I don't blame you, what happened was horrible and it shouldn't have happened, but I don't blame you. You can't even think about it without crying, perhaps you've suffered enough" she tried to comfort him.
"No, I can't begin to suffer enough for what I did. I simply destroyed all of those people and the woman I loved because I was angry. There's no excuse. It's fine if you don't wan to know me anymore. As soon as the Akuma situation is over, I'll leave, never to be seen again."
"No, please don't leave!" Sakura was beginning to cry again.
"Why not?"
"Because I-I-I lo.." she was crying too much to finish.
"Because you what?"
"Because I love you!" she blurted out and hugged him more tightly.
He was a bit surprised. He thought that no one could ever love him again after what he had done. He was glad and hugged her back tightly after his initial shock. "I love you too, my Cherry Blossom."
They held each other in this dream world, both crying. Sakura crying for the horrible events of Rob's past, Rob crying in happiness that he knew love once again.
"You sure you want an older man?" he kidded.
"That depends on how old you are" Sakura said, wiping away her tears while chuckling.
"Oh, only about 800. I'm lost count after around 532" he giggled.
"Good, you're just young enough for me!" Sakura squealed and held him tighter.
They held each other in this way, enjoying each other's presence. They didn't speak, they didn't cry, they just held each other as they stood on the empty dreamscape. They felt content. Rob bent down to kiss Sakura, HIS Sakura as she faded away, waking from her slumber.
Kinomoto Household, Sakura's Room
Sakura stirred from her sleep to find that she could barely move. After her initial sense of panic, she realized that Rob had fallen asleep on top of her. His head was resting in the crook of her neck. She smiled inwardly as she wrapped her arms around him. He awoke a few minutes later.
"Rob?"
"Good Morning Sakura."
"Sleep well?"
"How could I have, reliving what I showed you?" his voice dropped in sadness. Sakura just held him tighter.
"It's alright. Doesn't it feel better to tell someone about it?"
"I guess it does. I can't forget it. You probably think that I'm some sort of monster" he said as he averted his eyes.
Sakura lightly turned his head to look at her. "I don't care about what happened 800 years ago. All I care about is that I love you now."
Rob felt a sense of warmness arise inside of him. He'd almost forgotten what it felt like. He hadn't felt it since Taigahn held him before she died.
"Sakura, I love you too. With all of my heart and every fiber of my being."
"Now, I have a problem" Sakura told him.
"Oh?"
"How do I tell Li about all of this?"
"Uh, gently?"
Sakura stared at him briefly before being sent into a fit of giggles. Rob couldn't help but laugh too as her form shook under him with laughter. He couldn't help but think that this was perfect. Everything about it was perfect, especially Sakura. He suddenly realized that she looked like a human version of his lost love, Taigahn. Perhaps she was her reincarnation? If she was, then Rob could use that to win the final battle. He quickly brushed such thoughts away for the time being.
"So, are you planning on getting off of me?" Sakura inquired playfully.
"Nope, I want to stay here with you, forever."
Sakura was surprised by his answer, but also touched. "Well, you're going to have to let me up, I need a shower."
He sniffed her and told her, "Yep, you sure do."
"You suck!" she called as she got out from under him and headed to her bathroom. (That line is dedicated to Shey-chan!)
He waited until she was finished then took his own shower. He was a perfect gentleman the whole time.
Li Apartment
"Xiaolang! Stop pacing this instant!" a female voice scolded in Chinese.
"I'm sorry Meilin, I can't help it!" he replied, also in Chinese. The two preferred to speak in Chinese when alone together.
"What's wrong?"
"I don't know, I just feel something has happened."
"Xiaolang, start making sense and start making it NOW."
"I don't know what's wrong! I sense that something has happened to Sakura. Her aura feels different."
"You can sense her at this distance?"
"Yes, barely. Her aura feels as if it suddenly became more distant."
"I wonder what it could be."
"I have no idea. We can go over to her house today and check up on her."
"Alright, let's leave in an hour?"
"Agreed."
The two went about getting ready to leave. They showered, dressed, and were out the door about an hour later. They climbed into the boy's car and he drove them to the Kinomoto Household.
Eriol's Mansion
Eriol and Tomoyo were spending a great deal of time together. She tended to sleep over at his house fairly often now, but Nakuru was always watching them to make sure they didn't get too friendly. Eriol walked up to Tomoyo with a rare, wide smile on his face.
"Tomoyo! I've good news."
"Oh, what about?"
"The God and Card Mistress, of course."
"Eriol, speak normally and spit it out."
"Alright, alright. Jeez, a guy can't have any fun around here."
"Eriol!" she was getting impatient.
"Sakura and Robbie are now together. In fact, they slept in the same bed last night.
"They slept together!" Tomoyo was horrified.
"Don't worry, nothing sexual happened, he was a perfect gentleman. The two are now a close couple. Isn't that great?"
"It's not great!"
"Huh?"
"It's KAWAII! Totemo KAWAII!" (Totemo is "very" or "really" in Japanese.) Tomoyo was jumping around squealing loudly. So loudly, in fact, that an old mirror in the room formed a large crack.
"Ohhhhh! I really liked that mirror!" Eriol whined quietly, not wanting to ruin Tomoyo's mood.
"Oh, but how are Li and Meiling going to take this?"
"Li will get angry, but I have no idea about Meiling."
"At least she knows better than to get violent with him."
He chuckled, "One would hope so."
Kinomoto Household
The Lis had just driven up and were walking to the door. They rang the bell and waited to be admitted inside. Inside, Sakura was in the middle of wrestling with a pair of jeans, so she yelled for Rob to get the door. He was in the kitchen, looking in the fridge, so he put down his toast and headed for the door.
"Hello, may I help you?" he asked absently while opening the door. He soon found a surprised Meiling and Syaoran outside.
"What are you doing here?" Syaoran asked.
"I brought Sakura home last night and I fell asleep telling her a story" he said truthfully, but leaving out important bits of info.
"You spent the night?" Meiling asked, looking slightly confused.
"Yes, would you two like to come in?" he invited.
"Yes, seems like someone has a lot to tell us" Li said as he shoved past Rob. Meiling did the same, but in a more flirtatious manner.
Sakura had just come down the stairs, her hair was still a little wet. Li noticed that Rob's hair was also wet and made the assumption that they'd showered together. He was a bit angry.
"Sakura, what's going on between you two?!" Li asked angrily.
"Li, sit down and calm yourself. You will not address a lady in such a manner!" Rob chided him.
"Oh, and what are you going to do if I don't?" he asked.
"I'm a god, pray that you NEVER find out what happens when you cross a god." Rob allowed his aura to flare to twice as strong as Li's.
Li calmed down slightly and Sakura decided to start explaining.
"Li," Sakura started and Li felt hurt that she hadn't used his first name, "Nothing happened. Rob brought me home after the battle last night and we accidentally fell asleep together."
"WHAT!" both Lis yelled in surprise.
"And, we have something else to tell you as well," Rob said, putting his arm around Sakura, who snuggled closer to him.
"Oh, no, you've GOT to be kidding me!" Syaoran said incredulously. He couldn't believe it. Sakura was dumping him for Rob! Unbelievable!
"We aren't, Syaoran. I'm sorry for being so sudden" Sakura said.
"Meiling, I'm surprised that you're not upset. You've been flirting with me ever since I got here."
"Well, uh, I kinda already have a boyfriend on Hong Kong" she explained sweatdropping.
Rob chuckled and mumbled to Sakura, "I was worried that I'd have to fight her again."
Li was still in shock but finally recovered.
"I'll be leaving for Hong Kong in a few days then. I no longer have any reason to remain" Li stated, then started for the door. Meiling followed a moment later.
"Syaoran, wait!" Rob called. Li turned, surprised to hear Rob call him by his first name.
"You do have a reason to stay here" Rob explained.
"Oh, and that would be?"
"Sakura, Tomoyo, Eriol, Chiharu, and Yamikaze when he gets back. You can't simply leave all of your friends here. So what if you can't be Sakura's boyfriend. You can still be her friend."
Li realized that he was right, but still started to leave on principle.
"Syaoran!" Sakura called this time.
Li turned to face her, ready to tell her that he was leaving no matter what, but was met with a tight hug instead.
"Please, don't go! I still love you and want you stay. I want you to be my best friend and be here for me when I need you" Sakura said, nearly in tears.
This surprised li, but he knew that he couldn't leave now. He did love his cherry blossom, and he wanted to be her friend if nothing else. He hugged her back tightly and he kissed her forehead.
"Hey, that my girlfriend you're kissing!" Rob kidded.
"Yeah, it is isn't it?" Li then kissed her passionately and held it for a few moments, enjoying possibly the last kiss he would give her. Sakura kissed back, but Li could sense a slight hesitation on her part. He released her and they turned to see Rob scribbling some notes. They both looked at him oddly.
"I've barely kissed in about 800 years, I could use some tips" he explained.
"No, you need practice!" Meiling called. She grabbed his lapels and kissed him roughly, but passionately. This surprised Rob, but he didn't struggle much. She was holding him quite tightly. Meiling dropped him and ran out the door giggling as Rob struggled to comprehend what had just happened. Li and Sakura were both giggling like idiots at the confused look the god had on his face as he sat on the floor.
"That was... interesting" he said, forcing more giggles from Sakura.
"I wonder what I'm going to tell Tomoyo" Sakura said while helping Rob up.
"Tomoyo already knows" said a female with dark hair and amethyst eyes behind Sakura.
Sakura dropped Rob back on the floor and hugged her best friend tightly. "How did you know, Tomoyo?" Sakura asked.
"Blame him" she said as she pointed at a blue-haired sorcerer still in the entryway.
They all gave their salutations and retired to the living room. They sat on the couches as Sakura and Rob recounted what had happened when Li and Meiling had gotten there. Syaoran finally told Rob that he could call him Syaoran if he wished. Syaoran finally accepted Rob as a friend. Then the conversation turned to the night before, after Rob had taken Sakura home. Rob was forced to leave the room as Sakura told them about Rob's past. The memory was too much for him to bear, so he decided to make them all a nice lunch.
"So, he killed all of those people?" Tomoyo asked, horrified.
"Hai, he feels really guilty about it, though" Sakura said.
"I remember that as Clow, I had heard about the advanced people who lived underground, but until now, I thought it was a rumor" Eriol explained.
"What did you hear about them?" Syaoran asked.
"Well, they were originally from another world, another planet. They came here about eleven thousand years ago. They were a peaceful people and they also had three hundred-year lifespan. They made many great things, or so the myth says" Eriol informed.
"That would coincide with what you told us" Meiling said to Sakura.
"Lunch is ready!" Rob said, bringing out a tray with club sandwiches on it.
"So Rob," Meiling said between munches, "you're not human?"
"Nope, not even the least bit human. My mother was D'ni and my father was an Elite Saiyan."
"What were the D'ni like?" Eriol asked.
"Let's see. They were a peaceful race. Lifespan of over 300 years. They came to the Age of Earth about 11,000 years ago. They have adapted weak eyes from being inside a cave for so many years, so any trip into the sunlight required the use of special goggles. They had a highly structured government. They also had a form of Magic, or at least that's what you would call it. They could write books with specially treated books and ink and a special form of their script to 'link' to other worlds. They came here from the great forest Age of Garternay. They could use this ability to go to any world that could possibly exist. From nearly lifeless 'prison ages' to the lush and green granary ages" he explained.
The gang was in a state of shock over what they'd just heard. That'd mean that D'ni must have been a vast empire of many planets.
"Can you..." Sakura began.
"Yes, I know the Garo Hevtee, the special words and script required, but I don't have the special books or ink" he explained for her.
"And the D'ni?" Li inquired.
"I don't know much about them, except that they are extremely powerful and strong. Father didn't talk much about his people, but he did tell me that there was only a handful left. I believe that I'm the last one."
"Wow, you're the last survivor of two races" Tomoyo said sadly.
They continued to talk and soon they all knew what they needed to know about him. The conversation wore on and they talked about a number of subjects, finally deciding to go home around five in the afternoon.
Narration
The group went to school and did math and a certain someone was late everyday, as usual. They only had two days of school as Wednesday was Christmas Eve. Rob and Sakura were going out to movies and dating, as were Tomoyo and Eriol. Tired of being left out, Syaoran and Meiling even went out on a date. Though, Tuesday night they all had a strange dream, except for Tomoyo.
Dream
A dark being stood above Rob, Sakura, Meiling, Eriol, and Li. They were all in their battle garb with weapons drawn.
"That's Akuma" Rob stated simply.
"Yes, I am the Lord of Evil, Akuma. I warn you all now that I will appear to you tomorrow at sunset. If you are not in Penguin park to stop me, I will destroy the world, beginning with Japan!"
They all shuddered slightly under his claim, except for Sakura and Rob. For some reason, they were completely confident that they could defeat him. Together, Rob and Sakura thought, no one could stand against them.
The dream ended and all five sat up suddenly in their beds. They would have to fight soon, very soon.
Narration
The gang got up early that day and Rob advised them all to rest and relax in preparation for the attack. It may be important to be ready physically, but it was more important to be as strong as possible energy-wise. He told them that they would have to fight first, with him keeping his energy high enough to go one-on-one with him after he was tired out. They would probably all die, but he would use all of his strength afterward to revive them. Tomoyo was purposely kept out of the loop for her protection. A defenseless mortal had no business there.
They continued their day, relaxing and conserving their energy. All too soon, it was time for them to go to Penguin Park. They were in the process of enlarging it, so there was a great 1000-foot by 1000-foot area that was completely flat except for a few trees. That was their battleground. As the last rays of the sun fell below the horizon, they felt a massive, evil aura descend upon them.
"It's time.." Rob said as he took his Angelic form. He'd explained to them earlier that he had a normal, or base form, an angelic form, which he was in now, and a godly form, which none had seen yet.
They all braced themselves as the aura took a humanoid shape...
Fin Chapter Eight
This is it, the final battle is upon us! Who knew that Christmas Eve would be so exciting? Well, I did, but that's beside the point. Anywho, I have a five-day weekend, so expect another update before Thursday.
Disclaimer: I do NOT own D'ni or the Saiyans; those belong to Rand & Robyn Miller and Akira Toriyama, respectively.
Chapter Eight
Sakura's Dream / Rob's Flashback
Sakura was standing in a vast cavern that stretched as far as she could see. There was an eerie orange glow that came from the massive lake that filled her view to the right. It was a low light, but she could see fairly well by it. She gazed upon the great city before her. Everything was made from stone, but it was extremely colorful and gave almost a warm feeling. The rock seemed and felt warm, almost soft. She had no idea how they'd managed that. The city was in many layers, each layer apparent associated with a different social class of people. She was on the uppermost level, where the rock gleamed and had many beautiful colors. It was odd and unfamiliar, yet wonderfully lovely.
She then saw the people. They looked hum, but on closer inspection she found that they were different somehow. Their bone structure was finer, more delicate. Also, their skin was very pale, as were their eyes. Some had large pairs of goggles hanging loosely about their necks. No one seemed to notice her. In fact, she found that she couldn't touch anyone, for her hand passed through them.
"This is my home. The great City of D'ni," a voice behind her spoke, "These people have lived here for ten thousand years, completely isolated from the rest of the planet."
She turned and saw Rob standing there in his black robes. She noticed that he was on the verge of crying.
"I lived here for fifteen years of my life, but I was never accepted" he continued, pointing to a boy, himself, that everyone was avoiding. He looked quite sad. "All because I was different. You see, I wasn't fully D'ni, my father was an alien who crashed into one of the minor caves when his ship was damaged."
Sakura tried to take all of this in. She then realized that he wasn't human, not even half human. Though, he looked D'ni enough, why was he avoided?
"I had special abilities," the scene changed to him by himself on a southern island, "I had my father's ability to use and manipulate energy fields around me. I could fly and create the balls of energy that you've seen. This energy also gave me untold of strength, speed, and agility."
She saw him begin to practice his martial arts, an odd art that she'd never seen before. She assumed that he'd created the art himself.
"I was avoided and shunned by all because they were afraid of me. They knew that I had the power to destroy all of them, maybe even the planet if I became inclined. They were right to be frightened, I was more than capable of all of that."
Sakura began to feel profoundly sad for him. He had been alone all of his life, shunned by people who were afraid of him.
"Then she came," the scene changed to a happy Rob, giving a girl a piggyback ride. She seemed to be his girlfriend. Oddly, she looked a lot like Sakura, just a D'ni version. He continued, "She was not afraid of me. I didn't understand why at first, until she decided to fight me, and we tied. She was at least as strong as me and very loving." The scene changed to show then cuddling together on a couch, apparently sleeping in each other's arms. The Rob that was telling Sakura all of this smiled.
Her remorse was weakening, as she saw that perhaps he was truly happy. That thought left her as she saw a tear roll down her guide's cheek.
"I called her Taigahn, which is D'ni for love, because that's what she meant to me. Then, something awful happened." It suddenly grew dark, giving Sakura the impression of 'night'.
"What...?" Sakura didn't understand the feeling of sadness that was overcoming her. Then she saw it. Two people, a D'ni woman and a male that wasn't D'ni. "His parents..." it dawned on her a she felt auras like Rob's. She then felt them die.
She was taken back an hour to see the couple together, holding hands. They were just minding their own business, then a man came. He had what seemed to be a crude gun of some sort. Without warning, he rushed them and shot them in their backs. He used a sharp bit of his weapon to mutilate them both horribly disfiguring them. The worst part is that he was a bad shot, and the woman was alive and conscious throughout the whole gruesome procedure. She was sobbing and crying while this man did this to them. "That was Veovis, a man bitterly opposed to my father's entrance to the D'ni gene pool. He was a political figure that preached 'D'ni purity.' That fool killed my parents because of his prejudice and ignorance. But, that doesn't matter now." She then saw Rob run up to his slain parents. He was sobbing freely as he held his bloody parents as he felt their lives slip away. He finally felt them leave him, and he placed them carefully back on the ground. He then positioned them in eachother's arms to honor their eternal love. He finally arose, covered in his parent's blood.
"I was enraged by all of this. Taigahn tried to calm me and console me, but it was no use. I tossed her aside and tapped into the power that I'd been hiding for some time now."
Sakura saw an enraged Rob suddenly glow with golden light. His hair lengthened and reached down to his waist, but was wild instead of braided. The green eyes that seemed uncommon among D'ni became brighter, even his pupil became a dark green. (That would be SSJ level three for the DBZ fans out there.) They were glowing with pure power and hatred. Hatred for everything, she thought. Taigahn tried to stop him, but she was easily thrown aside by his great power. His power was beyond anything that Sakura had ever sensed, including him in his other form.
"I destroyed the city, and killed everyone. I did it all with my bare hands and I-I...." he couldn't get the rest out because he was sobbing freely now, "And I enjoyed it. I took the greatest pleasure in-in... Ripping that scum Veovis to pieces. I-I-I just couldn't stop. I ripped people limb from limb and burned their bodies. I took the whole of one gahr-tah-vo, about six hours, to kill all but Taigahn."
Sakura stared in horror as this evil thing destroyed every single person, well over a thousand. He took his time with each and made sure that they were all tortured to death. He did it without pity or hesitation to men, women, and children alike. Luckily, he only showed her ten minutes of it. Rob was now on his hands and knees, sobbing like Sakura had seen no one sob before. There was a small puddle on the ground before he regained enough of his composure to stand shakily and continue.
"She was the last one. I approached her, my anger still at its peak. She then transformed into a something that I hadn't expected. She was enveloped in a white and pink light. She emerged with a large set of pure, white wings. Her hair had become platinum blond and was in a braid that nearly reached her ankles. Her eyes were now a glowing, pale pink."
Sakura watched as the changes he was describing began. She was beautiful and angelic. She also noticed that she barely wore more than a white strip of cloth held on by a golden chain. That reminded her of the costume Tomoyo had forced her to wear earlier that day.
"Ken Yaa tso Tsahvehn!" this being called.
"'I am the Goddess of Life'" Rob translated from D'ni for Sakura.
"They fought briefly and the goddess gained the upper hand," Rob commented on the action going on, "She began to heal and revive all of the people that I had killed." Sakura saw her do this, but she also sensed Rob's aura ready to explode. "I was enraged that she was undoing my 'justice' and I changed again," the guide said as Rob grew a brown tail, his eyes turned golden, and his hair became the same color of his tail. (Again for the DBZ fans, that'd be level four, aka legendary.)
Sakura saw this change and Rob charged the Goddess. She was caught by surprise, but had no chance. Rob had dealt her a mortal blow and she him. They both lay on the ground near each other, dying.
"I'm sorry," both Robs stated in unison, "I'm truly sorry."
Sakura saw the goddess move toward Rob, and he moved toward her in response. She climbed on top of him and they embraced weakly. She whispered something to him in D'ni, but Sakura knew that she was forgiving him. They embraced as she suddenly took her godly form again. Except, this time she was glowing white and her eyes were silver. Rob was surprised, but not as surprised as he was when that golden aura left his girlfriend. The aura hovered above her briefly, looking like a winged specter. That aura then entered Rob through every orifice. His eyes, his ears, his mouth, all were filled by the golden light.
"She gave me a gift. She sacrificed her own immortality to save me, and make me a god." She died on top of him, he embraced her tightly not wanting to let her go. "I don't know how long I stayed there. I was now a god, so I didn't grow hungry or tired. I think I held her for years, using my energy to keep her 'alive.' I could still feel her aura, and I thought that she was still alive, but that was just residue from her giving me that power. I finally let her go and she withered away."
Sakura watched that poor, distressed boy holding his dead love, desperately not wanting to believe that she was dead. Her heart felt like it had been tied in a knot, and she cried with Rob. She cried until she saw him move. Rob spoke again.
"I was lost without any direction. I was so frustrated, not knowing what to do, that I flared my aura to greatly, sending off waves of death. This would only give a person an odd chill, but it was enough to kill the bacteria that made the water glow."
Sakura watched as the lake's glow slowly died, leaving them in the most complete darkness imaginable.
"I don't know exactly how long I mourned down there. It must have been at least 500 years..." Sakura gasped as she heard that number.
"Was he really down in this darkness for 500 years?" she thought to herself. Her sorrow intensified and she cried more. She dried for all the dead people, for Rob's dead girlfriend and goddess, and for Rob himself. He must have been so incredibly lonely.
"I slowly learned how to use my powers and became proficient at them," he chuckled before continuing, "I even rebuilt part of the city. Perhaps it was a way to ask forgiveness for my horrible acts. I eventually searched for the auras of other people and found a world above that was vastly populated. It was the surface of Earth."
She saw him, in very dim light, begin to make his way to the tunnels. The bacteria in the lake finally begun to grow again, giving some soft light. Her view changed again to see Rob emerging from the ground, exactly the same as he looked then, and now. She began to wonder exactly how old he was.
Everything faded away and Rob and Sakura were in a dark room together.
"I understand if you hate me now that you know who I am and what I've done" Rob said sadly.
Sakura wanted to tell him that she didn't hate him, but couldn't find the words. So, she ran up to him and hugged him tightly, crying.
He held her and stroked her hair softly, "What's wrong Sakura?"
"I don't blame you, what happened was horrible and it shouldn't have happened, but I don't blame you. You can't even think about it without crying, perhaps you've suffered enough" she tried to comfort him.
"No, I can't begin to suffer enough for what I did. I simply destroyed all of those people and the woman I loved because I was angry. There's no excuse. It's fine if you don't wan to know me anymore. As soon as the Akuma situation is over, I'll leave, never to be seen again."
"No, please don't leave!" Sakura was beginning to cry again.
"Why not?"
"Because I-I-I lo.." she was crying too much to finish.
"Because you what?"
"Because I love you!" she blurted out and hugged him more tightly.
He was a bit surprised. He thought that no one could ever love him again after what he had done. He was glad and hugged her back tightly after his initial shock. "I love you too, my Cherry Blossom."
They held each other in this dream world, both crying. Sakura crying for the horrible events of Rob's past, Rob crying in happiness that he knew love once again.
"You sure you want an older man?" he kidded.
"That depends on how old you are" Sakura said, wiping away her tears while chuckling.
"Oh, only about 800. I'm lost count after around 532" he giggled.
"Good, you're just young enough for me!" Sakura squealed and held him tighter.
They held each other in this way, enjoying each other's presence. They didn't speak, they didn't cry, they just held each other as they stood on the empty dreamscape. They felt content. Rob bent down to kiss Sakura, HIS Sakura as she faded away, waking from her slumber.
Kinomoto Household, Sakura's Room
Sakura stirred from her sleep to find that she could barely move. After her initial sense of panic, she realized that Rob had fallen asleep on top of her. His head was resting in the crook of her neck. She smiled inwardly as she wrapped her arms around him. He awoke a few minutes later.
"Rob?"
"Good Morning Sakura."
"Sleep well?"
"How could I have, reliving what I showed you?" his voice dropped in sadness. Sakura just held him tighter.
"It's alright. Doesn't it feel better to tell someone about it?"
"I guess it does. I can't forget it. You probably think that I'm some sort of monster" he said as he averted his eyes.
Sakura lightly turned his head to look at her. "I don't care about what happened 800 years ago. All I care about is that I love you now."
Rob felt a sense of warmness arise inside of him. He'd almost forgotten what it felt like. He hadn't felt it since Taigahn held him before she died.
"Sakura, I love you too. With all of my heart and every fiber of my being."
"Now, I have a problem" Sakura told him.
"Oh?"
"How do I tell Li about all of this?"
"Uh, gently?"
Sakura stared at him briefly before being sent into a fit of giggles. Rob couldn't help but laugh too as her form shook under him with laughter. He couldn't help but think that this was perfect. Everything about it was perfect, especially Sakura. He suddenly realized that she looked like a human version of his lost love, Taigahn. Perhaps she was her reincarnation? If she was, then Rob could use that to win the final battle. He quickly brushed such thoughts away for the time being.
"So, are you planning on getting off of me?" Sakura inquired playfully.
"Nope, I want to stay here with you, forever."
Sakura was surprised by his answer, but also touched. "Well, you're going to have to let me up, I need a shower."
He sniffed her and told her, "Yep, you sure do."
"You suck!" she called as she got out from under him and headed to her bathroom. (That line is dedicated to Shey-chan!)
He waited until she was finished then took his own shower. He was a perfect gentleman the whole time.
Li Apartment
"Xiaolang! Stop pacing this instant!" a female voice scolded in Chinese.
"I'm sorry Meilin, I can't help it!" he replied, also in Chinese. The two preferred to speak in Chinese when alone together.
"What's wrong?"
"I don't know, I just feel something has happened."
"Xiaolang, start making sense and start making it NOW."
"I don't know what's wrong! I sense that something has happened to Sakura. Her aura feels different."
"You can sense her at this distance?"
"Yes, barely. Her aura feels as if it suddenly became more distant."
"I wonder what it could be."
"I have no idea. We can go over to her house today and check up on her."
"Alright, let's leave in an hour?"
"Agreed."
The two went about getting ready to leave. They showered, dressed, and were out the door about an hour later. They climbed into the boy's car and he drove them to the Kinomoto Household.
Eriol's Mansion
Eriol and Tomoyo were spending a great deal of time together. She tended to sleep over at his house fairly often now, but Nakuru was always watching them to make sure they didn't get too friendly. Eriol walked up to Tomoyo with a rare, wide smile on his face.
"Tomoyo! I've good news."
"Oh, what about?"
"The God and Card Mistress, of course."
"Eriol, speak normally and spit it out."
"Alright, alright. Jeez, a guy can't have any fun around here."
"Eriol!" she was getting impatient.
"Sakura and Robbie are now together. In fact, they slept in the same bed last night.
"They slept together!" Tomoyo was horrified.
"Don't worry, nothing sexual happened, he was a perfect gentleman. The two are now a close couple. Isn't that great?"
"It's not great!"
"Huh?"
"It's KAWAII! Totemo KAWAII!" (Totemo is "very" or "really" in Japanese.) Tomoyo was jumping around squealing loudly. So loudly, in fact, that an old mirror in the room formed a large crack.
"Ohhhhh! I really liked that mirror!" Eriol whined quietly, not wanting to ruin Tomoyo's mood.
"Oh, but how are Li and Meiling going to take this?"
"Li will get angry, but I have no idea about Meiling."
"At least she knows better than to get violent with him."
He chuckled, "One would hope so."
Kinomoto Household
The Lis had just driven up and were walking to the door. They rang the bell and waited to be admitted inside. Inside, Sakura was in the middle of wrestling with a pair of jeans, so she yelled for Rob to get the door. He was in the kitchen, looking in the fridge, so he put down his toast and headed for the door.
"Hello, may I help you?" he asked absently while opening the door. He soon found a surprised Meiling and Syaoran outside.
"What are you doing here?" Syaoran asked.
"I brought Sakura home last night and I fell asleep telling her a story" he said truthfully, but leaving out important bits of info.
"You spent the night?" Meiling asked, looking slightly confused.
"Yes, would you two like to come in?" he invited.
"Yes, seems like someone has a lot to tell us" Li said as he shoved past Rob. Meiling did the same, but in a more flirtatious manner.
Sakura had just come down the stairs, her hair was still a little wet. Li noticed that Rob's hair was also wet and made the assumption that they'd showered together. He was a bit angry.
"Sakura, what's going on between you two?!" Li asked angrily.
"Li, sit down and calm yourself. You will not address a lady in such a manner!" Rob chided him.
"Oh, and what are you going to do if I don't?" he asked.
"I'm a god, pray that you NEVER find out what happens when you cross a god." Rob allowed his aura to flare to twice as strong as Li's.
Li calmed down slightly and Sakura decided to start explaining.
"Li," Sakura started and Li felt hurt that she hadn't used his first name, "Nothing happened. Rob brought me home after the battle last night and we accidentally fell asleep together."
"WHAT!" both Lis yelled in surprise.
"And, we have something else to tell you as well," Rob said, putting his arm around Sakura, who snuggled closer to him.
"Oh, no, you've GOT to be kidding me!" Syaoran said incredulously. He couldn't believe it. Sakura was dumping him for Rob! Unbelievable!
"We aren't, Syaoran. I'm sorry for being so sudden" Sakura said.
"Meiling, I'm surprised that you're not upset. You've been flirting with me ever since I got here."
"Well, uh, I kinda already have a boyfriend on Hong Kong" she explained sweatdropping.
Rob chuckled and mumbled to Sakura, "I was worried that I'd have to fight her again."
Li was still in shock but finally recovered.
"I'll be leaving for Hong Kong in a few days then. I no longer have any reason to remain" Li stated, then started for the door. Meiling followed a moment later.
"Syaoran, wait!" Rob called. Li turned, surprised to hear Rob call him by his first name.
"You do have a reason to stay here" Rob explained.
"Oh, and that would be?"
"Sakura, Tomoyo, Eriol, Chiharu, and Yamikaze when he gets back. You can't simply leave all of your friends here. So what if you can't be Sakura's boyfriend. You can still be her friend."
Li realized that he was right, but still started to leave on principle.
"Syaoran!" Sakura called this time.
Li turned to face her, ready to tell her that he was leaving no matter what, but was met with a tight hug instead.
"Please, don't go! I still love you and want you stay. I want you to be my best friend and be here for me when I need you" Sakura said, nearly in tears.
This surprised li, but he knew that he couldn't leave now. He did love his cherry blossom, and he wanted to be her friend if nothing else. He hugged her back tightly and he kissed her forehead.
"Hey, that my girlfriend you're kissing!" Rob kidded.
"Yeah, it is isn't it?" Li then kissed her passionately and held it for a few moments, enjoying possibly the last kiss he would give her. Sakura kissed back, but Li could sense a slight hesitation on her part. He released her and they turned to see Rob scribbling some notes. They both looked at him oddly.
"I've barely kissed in about 800 years, I could use some tips" he explained.
"No, you need practice!" Meiling called. She grabbed his lapels and kissed him roughly, but passionately. This surprised Rob, but he didn't struggle much. She was holding him quite tightly. Meiling dropped him and ran out the door giggling as Rob struggled to comprehend what had just happened. Li and Sakura were both giggling like idiots at the confused look the god had on his face as he sat on the floor.
"That was... interesting" he said, forcing more giggles from Sakura.
"I wonder what I'm going to tell Tomoyo" Sakura said while helping Rob up.
"Tomoyo already knows" said a female with dark hair and amethyst eyes behind Sakura.
Sakura dropped Rob back on the floor and hugged her best friend tightly. "How did you know, Tomoyo?" Sakura asked.
"Blame him" she said as she pointed at a blue-haired sorcerer still in the entryway.
They all gave their salutations and retired to the living room. They sat on the couches as Sakura and Rob recounted what had happened when Li and Meiling had gotten there. Syaoran finally told Rob that he could call him Syaoran if he wished. Syaoran finally accepted Rob as a friend. Then the conversation turned to the night before, after Rob had taken Sakura home. Rob was forced to leave the room as Sakura told them about Rob's past. The memory was too much for him to bear, so he decided to make them all a nice lunch.
"So, he killed all of those people?" Tomoyo asked, horrified.
"Hai, he feels really guilty about it, though" Sakura said.
"I remember that as Clow, I had heard about the advanced people who lived underground, but until now, I thought it was a rumor" Eriol explained.
"What did you hear about them?" Syaoran asked.
"Well, they were originally from another world, another planet. They came here about eleven thousand years ago. They were a peaceful people and they also had three hundred-year lifespan. They made many great things, or so the myth says" Eriol informed.
"That would coincide with what you told us" Meiling said to Sakura.
"Lunch is ready!" Rob said, bringing out a tray with club sandwiches on it.
"So Rob," Meiling said between munches, "you're not human?"
"Nope, not even the least bit human. My mother was D'ni and my father was an Elite Saiyan."
"What were the D'ni like?" Eriol asked.
"Let's see. They were a peaceful race. Lifespan of over 300 years. They came to the Age of Earth about 11,000 years ago. They have adapted weak eyes from being inside a cave for so many years, so any trip into the sunlight required the use of special goggles. They had a highly structured government. They also had a form of Magic, or at least that's what you would call it. They could write books with specially treated books and ink and a special form of their script to 'link' to other worlds. They came here from the great forest Age of Garternay. They could use this ability to go to any world that could possibly exist. From nearly lifeless 'prison ages' to the lush and green granary ages" he explained.
The gang was in a state of shock over what they'd just heard. That'd mean that D'ni must have been a vast empire of many planets.
"Can you..." Sakura began.
"Yes, I know the Garo Hevtee, the special words and script required, but I don't have the special books or ink" he explained for her.
"And the D'ni?" Li inquired.
"I don't know much about them, except that they are extremely powerful and strong. Father didn't talk much about his people, but he did tell me that there was only a handful left. I believe that I'm the last one."
"Wow, you're the last survivor of two races" Tomoyo said sadly.
They continued to talk and soon they all knew what they needed to know about him. The conversation wore on and they talked about a number of subjects, finally deciding to go home around five in the afternoon.
Narration
The group went to school and did math and a certain someone was late everyday, as usual. They only had two days of school as Wednesday was Christmas Eve. Rob and Sakura were going out to movies and dating, as were Tomoyo and Eriol. Tired of being left out, Syaoran and Meiling even went out on a date. Though, Tuesday night they all had a strange dream, except for Tomoyo.
Dream
A dark being stood above Rob, Sakura, Meiling, Eriol, and Li. They were all in their battle garb with weapons drawn.
"That's Akuma" Rob stated simply.
"Yes, I am the Lord of Evil, Akuma. I warn you all now that I will appear to you tomorrow at sunset. If you are not in Penguin park to stop me, I will destroy the world, beginning with Japan!"
They all shuddered slightly under his claim, except for Sakura and Rob. For some reason, they were completely confident that they could defeat him. Together, Rob and Sakura thought, no one could stand against them.
The dream ended and all five sat up suddenly in their beds. They would have to fight soon, very soon.
Narration
The gang got up early that day and Rob advised them all to rest and relax in preparation for the attack. It may be important to be ready physically, but it was more important to be as strong as possible energy-wise. He told them that they would have to fight first, with him keeping his energy high enough to go one-on-one with him after he was tired out. They would probably all die, but he would use all of his strength afterward to revive them. Tomoyo was purposely kept out of the loop for her protection. A defenseless mortal had no business there.
They continued their day, relaxing and conserving their energy. All too soon, it was time for them to go to Penguin Park. They were in the process of enlarging it, so there was a great 1000-foot by 1000-foot area that was completely flat except for a few trees. That was their battleground. As the last rays of the sun fell below the horizon, they felt a massive, evil aura descend upon them.
"It's time.." Rob said as he took his Angelic form. He'd explained to them earlier that he had a normal, or base form, an angelic form, which he was in now, and a godly form, which none had seen yet.
They all braced themselves as the aura took a humanoid shape...
Fin Chapter Eight
This is it, the final battle is upon us! Who knew that Christmas Eve would be so exciting? Well, I did, but that's beside the point. Anywho, I have a five-day weekend, so expect another update before Thursday.