Child of the Storm
Chapter 2: Fallen in the Light
Arashiko scrubbed the white cloak, still stained with the young soldier's blood. She just couldn't get the stains out! Not out of her conscience, not out of her guilt. She couldn't clean the blood off of her hands!! They had arrived back at base over an hour ago and still she could not cleanse herself. A tiny voice inside of her scolded her, To think! A Saiyan with a case of conscience! You did what you had to do! The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few!! The Royal House lives on and that is your only purpose for living.
Yet still it stang and still she could not wash away the blood. With an agonized cry of frustration and fury Arashiko tore the bloodstained white cloak along with the shoulder guards of the Ginyu uniform from her body and threw them across the room, accursed mantle that it was. She slammed her fists into the walls and knocked aside the furniture, breaking most of it. She had never felt such bitter anger in her whole entire life. She could not do anything but struggle in the prison of her own anger until the mission was complete and Frieza was defeated, one way or another. She stood there for a few moments, fingers trembling with pure rage, chest heaving with labored breathes. Arashiko thanked goodness that Brana had not been there to see her violent outbursts; she might have begun to suspect something. She quickly picked up the mess she made and replaced the unbroken furniture, her anger spent for the moment. She couldn't walk outside of her quarters at the moment, seeing anyone wearing the Ginyu uniform would ignite her anger anew. All Arashiko could find the will to do was flop down onto the uncomfortable little bunk that had been provided for her to sleep in. Soon Arashiko heard Brana come in and lie down on the bunk across from her where she slept. Arashiko noticed that Brana was unusually quiet, a state that was nearly impossible for Brana. Arashiko turned around to look at her to see what was the matter.
Brana looked just as visibly shaken by the experience as Arashiko was internally shaken. Brana had her arms wrapped around her knees, her head buried in her elbows despairingly.
"What's wrong?" Arashiko asked softly.
Brana raised her head a little and shook it. Arashiko could see the tears blotting her face. Brana took a deep breath and looked over at Arashiko, "The past always comes back to haunt you when you're least expecting it."
Arashiko blinked, not knowing what she meant.
"I left our home world fifteen years ago. When I was there, I had a family, a mother, a father, a brother. We served the King with all our strength and blood. We served him, we gave him our lives!" Brana paused, her voice deepening with anger. "One day the Elite came for us. It was King Vegeta's decree that my brother and father be taken away and executed. He feared us; he feared the power we possessed, especially because we were Third Class trash. He despised the fact that a Third Class could possibly have more power than he did!! It was not enough that he take my brother and father but he ordered my mother and I taken as well!" Brana balled her fists angrily, the hate flowing through her words like electricity, "Vegeta feared that we carried the gene that made such power possible, he saw it fit to eliminate my whole entire family! I was small enough to escape the Elite Guard, those demons that hide behind the armor of honor! They took my life along with the lives of my family! All that was left to me was this path! The Ginyu..." Brana stopped, her voice cut off, too full of chaotic emotions to express them any further. She turned her glistening eyes towards Arashiko.
Arashiko turned away from her, unable to look Brana in the eyes. She tried to come up with some excuse, some way to defend the King's actions, but she couldn't. She couldn't justify them even to herself. She couldn't think of anything to say to her except for a few words,
"I. . .I'm sorry.", Arashiko put as much meaning into those words as she could, though it did little to rectify anything.
Brana smiled sweetly, her cheeks still glistening with tears, "S'Okay, Kakayun. You can't change the past, all things come to their just ends. The Elite will come to theirs, as will the King."
Arashiko shifted uncomfortably, not knowing how to reply, mind not knowing how to interpret her own feelings. After a while, they both drifted off into a soundless sleep.
The next day Arashiko noticed that Brana wore something around her neck that she had never noticed before. It was a simple necklace, bound by a brown leather chain. A single circular gold amulet with small designs scratched into the surface hung central from the strap. Brana saw her staring at it curiously and she smiled broadly.
"Hehe, me and my brother, Brolly, made this amulet when we were smaller. It's supposed to be our family crest, we made it up ourselves." Brana fingered the amulet in her hands and smiled somberly, reminiscing of the past.
To Arashiko, the amulet looked almost like a child's infantile version of the Seal of the Royal House, the blue embellished disk that King Vegeta wore proudly around his neck. Arashiko sighed; she didn't know whether to take the amulet as an insult to the Royal House or a token of love between a brother and sister. For the first time she found herself questioning the Royal House and it was not a good feeling. She had been born and raised to be loyal to them, to serve them with every ounce of blood and spirit in her body. She never expected to find morality in a Third Class, to find someone from the Third Class that was just like her, path predestined and preordained. The classes weren't as clear cut in her mind anymore, everything was changing. She dismissed it and pushed it to the back of her mind. She had a mission, she had a destiny and she had loyalty, to the once and future king, Vegeta and his son.
* * *
Time slipped past as days turned into months. Arashiko was able to rise in the ranks of the Ginyu along with Brana. She, Brana, and Kiaoden were the top officers in the entire force and yet Arashiko still had not obtained an opportunity to get close to Frieza. She had only brief meetings with him, always with Kiaoden and Ryuichi there as well as Frieza's lackeys surrounding him, preventing any would-be assailants. The clock was ticking and Arashiko knew that if she was going to make her move, it would have to be soon. She studied his habits very carefully. Frieza never had less than one person around him when he was alone. The fact was frustratingly real to Arashiko. She knew she did not have the power or strength to best Frieza along with one of his powerful cronies Kiaoden, Ryuichi, Zarbon or Dodoria. There was something about the cold eyes of Ryuichi that made Arashiko avoid him whenever she could, something dark and brooding in those eyes of his that turned her soul to ice. Ryuichi hardly ever talked. The Arquisian normally stood silently by Freiza's side. Though his exterior seemed calm, he was always vigilantly watching what happened around him. He was a tall figure, with a well-built form and the usual Arquisian pride. On his right arm the white symbol of the Emperor of Arquisia contrasted against his dark green skin. An imperious red crest on his forehead set off his deep scarlet pupils. His crest and physique definitely singled him out as a Royal of Arquisia. Frieza's other honor guard was Zarbon, an insanely loyal emerald-haired alien that was never too far from his side. Arashiko strongly disliked his over-inflated ego and disgusting loyalty for Frieza. Dodoria was another that Arashiko hated with a passion. He was a fat blob of an alien with salmon skin who always treated her as an inferior when she was around. Dodoria had a strong racism towards Saiyans of any kind. With a sigh of frustration, Arashiko returned to her quarters. If she didn't come up with something soon, her mission would be doomed to failure, a fact which she could not live with.
She sat and looked out the tiny window of her cramped compartment which she and Brana shared overlooking the bleak landscape of Moon 24. Largely stripped of organic life to support weaponry and supply buildings, the terrain had a desolate gray physique that matched Arashiko's frustrated mood. She looked over to Brana's side of the room when she noticed a pungent, rank smell floating about in the air. Brana never, ever cleaned up anything, food, clothes, anything. She was the biggest slob Arashiko had ever met. It was a habit that was prevalent among the Third Class Saiyans. Arashiko shook her head, trying to ignore it. She sniffed hard to try and get the smell out of her nostrils. It was no use trying to clean Brana's side of the quarters, one might lose a limb in that attempt. Finally, Arashiko could stand it no more and sought relief outside in the fresh air of the hallway. With no outlet for frustration, she paced up and down the halls, telling those who asked that she was just on guard duty.
"There's no question about it now, my lord." Arashiko heard Kiaoden's gruff voice long before she reached the entrance to Frieza's elaborate quarters.
Arashiko silently slipped up to the door and stood just outside of it, making sure to keep her form well-hidden. She sensed something important going on. Kiaoden continued on.
"The soldier we found on Cadvia was definitely working for King Vegeta. It is most certain he is conspiring against us."
Frieza sat back in his hovering chair which concealed most of his reptilian-like body and tail. His horned visage conveyed neither happiness nor sadness at the revelation of his so-called ally Vegeta allying against him. Frieza's face was frozen and emotionless as he listened intently to Kiaoden's words.
Kiaoden paused for a moment, surprised by Frieza's indifferent reaction. He sat sedately drinking a glass of dark wine. He took a sip every few moments and swished the glass slowly, thoughtfully, vigilantly, expression locked in stone.
"There are some situations which must be rectified. Our sensors have detected activity on the outer moons of Arquisia. Vegeta is trying to make a move," Kiaoden flexed her clawed hands as she spoke; "This is one thorn that must be pulled from our sides. My father, the Emperor, can dispatch assassins immediately. The king of the monkeys will be dead by sundown, hahaha!"
Kiaoden's cackling laugh echoed throughout the empty halls and resonated emphatically through Arashiko's ears.
They mean to kill the King!!? I should have seen this coming!! How blind I must have been! How blind we all must have been to ever trust that snake Frieza!!! Damn him!!
Kiaoden stopped laughing as the wine glass shattered, spilling the wine over Frieza's hand. The dark wine ran through his fingers like blood. Fury finally cracked the mask of his face, "Don't bother with assassins, let him make his stand!" Frieza's face was overcome by an evil smile, "Let him come! This will be an example to all who dare oppose Frieza!! The Saiyans have been useful to me, but it's time that our 'alliance' terminated." An overbearing silence fell over the room. Kiaoden stood in reticent, nervousness creeping into her features.
Arashiko did not need to hear anymore.
I must warn the King! If I contact him via the scouter, the signal might be detected and traced. I have to find some way to get a signal to Vegeta!!
Arashiko cautiously backed away from the door to Frieza's chambers and walked quickly and quietly towards the docking bay.
The bay was all but abandoned except for the presence of two patrolling guards and two control tower officers who monitored the coming and going of the ships. She entered the control room casually. The two officers noticed the white V on her chest and saluted stiffly. Arashiko wasted no words, with a quick high kick she sent one of the control tower officers flying backwards. The force of the kick made his head smack and break the thick glass of the window. His body slumped to the ground in a pile of shattered glass. The other guard managed to fire his hand laser which passed through her cloak harmlessly. Before he knew what hit him, Arashiko was behind him. She gripped his head tightly and twisted it forcefully till a dull crack signaled that the officer was dead.
Arashiko ran swiftly out to the docking area and peered out of the doorway. The patrolling officers had been too far away in the bay to notice the fight, but they might notice the broken glass. She strode briskly up to them. They too turned and saluted, but then cowered when she started running towards them. Arashiko let herself be lost in the flow of adrenaline from the last fight. It was what Saiyans lived for, to fight. She jumped into the air and flipped behind them, easily evading their lasers. Arashiko came forward with a punch aimed at one of the surprised guards' backs. Her fist penetrated his back and passed through his body. Arashiko drew back and threw the dead guard off of her arm, streams of blood dripping down her face and through her fingers. Horrified, the other guard ran for his life in a frantic effort to escape. Blazing white light erupted from Arashiko's fingertips. The beam caught him square in the back. The guard was no more. Arashiko quickly returned to the control room and tapped a sequence into the transmissions panel that was the frequency only the Elite of Vegeta used to contact the King.
It's only matter of minutes before the guards come to check on the missing patrol!! Work you damned machine!!!
She pounded the control panel with her fists when all she got was static. She yelled into the receiver, hoping that some of what she was saying might get through to the King.
"Mission 401, Elite First Class Arashiko!! It's a trap!! Frieza's expecting the attack!! Withdraw from Arquisia!! Break off from the attack plans!! He's going to murder the King!!!! DAMMIT!! WORK DAMNED MACHINE!!!" Still, there was no reply except for garbled static. Arashiko screamed in frustration and with one last desperate punch, screamed again, "DAAAMMITT!!!" She rested her forehead on the broken panel.
Think! Think ! Think! What can I do now?
She sighed with relief when she realized she could use one of the ships in the docking bay to get the message directly to King Vegeta. She ran towards one of the docked pods, its open door beckoning her and assuring her. Freedom was almost upon her.
Arashiko screamed as something hit her in the back hard, wrenching her guts and throwing her to the floor. She rolled over and supported herself with her arms, recovering sluggishly from the blow. She looked up and everything stopped as her mind and body went into shock.
Brana was standing just a few feet from her, arm upraised from shooting the energy beam that had struck her in the back. A look of pure anger and rage enveloped Brana's features in darkness. Arashiko slowly rose to her feet to face her.
Arashiko silently implored her, "Please, what are you doing Brana?"
"Traitor. . .," Brana began quietly, her voice breaking as if she was about to cry. The calm before the storm.
Arashiko's eyes searched for something to say, some excuse, but found only silence to pronounce. She lifted her empty hands up to Brana, trying to get her to understand that she was doing this to save their world.
"All the lies, all the memories, all this time!!!!", Brana's voice raised into an infuriated yell, "ALL THIS TIME YOU WERE ONE OF THOSE MONSTERS WHO TORE MY FAMILY APART!!!!" She rushed forward and kicked Arashiko in the ribs. Arashiko slid across the floor, her raised arms meekly trying to defend herself.
With nowhere else to go, Arashiko inadvertently blurted out, "It is you who are the traitor! You abandoned us!! You fight against your own King and race!! You would kill your own!! Just like a Third Class!!" her outburst was empty, trained. She had nothing to say except what had been forged into her mind. She was raised to be an entirely loyal follower of King Vegeta.
Hot tears of anger and emotion ran down Brana's face, "You dare call me a traitor!! You murderer!!!" she kicked Arashiko in the ribs again.
Arashiko took the blow and tried to convince Brana again, "Please!! Please!! Just let me go!!! I don't want to hurt you!!!" Arashiko knew she could defeat Brana, though she was strong, her own power level exceeded hers immensely. Arashiko avoided her next blows and got to her feet to try and defend herself.
"You killed my family!!! YOU KILLED MY FAMILY!!!!! YOU STOLE MY LIFE!!!" Brana screamed insanely at her, launching a series of chaotic blows which Arashiko tried to block. Some of Brana's kicks caught her in the stomach and face and she was sent sprawling backwards. Arashiko caught herself and landed on two feet. Brana rushed at her, this time primed to kill.
"PLEASE!!! PLEEEEEASSSE!!! DON'T MAKE ME DO THIS, BRANA!!!!" Arashiko begged and pleaded one last time. She knew this time that Brana was going to kill her. The strings were pulled taut, life and death, honor and dishonor, one choice or the other, constricting tightly. Brana's screaming, enraged form was almost upon her.
With an outcry of defeat and sorrow, Arashiko released all her anger and emotion outward into one focused beam. Brana was sent flying backward and she fell unmoving to the floor. Arashiko fell limply onto her back, breathing heavily. As she felt the cold floor she closed her eyes tightly, not wanting to see what she had done.
Brana gasped for a few more breaths then wispered " Prince........... Ve.... ge... ta......I.......I.....lov..." her gasping stopped her from finishing her sentence. Brana laid there and found the strength to say " Arashiko....... remember what I tell you now...... Remember this please it might help you some how.......Anxiety is love's greatest killer. It makes one feel as you might when a drowning person holds on to you. You want to help him but you know he will strangle you in his panic......all it means is that you want to help someone who is in need of your help but they are trapped in their emotions. It's impossible to save them. They will kill you.death is always going to knock on your door...But what keeps you alive is to know to never answer the door.....so promise you will never open the door for death....I let King Vegeta destroy me...... I told myself I wouldn't let him destroy me yet he did....Brolly. I..am coming soon...."
She could hear Brana choking for a few torturous moments, and then all was silent except for her own breathing.
Finally, she pulled herself up with all her might and forced herself to walk over to Brana's side. The blast Arashiko emitted had blown a hole straight through Brana's chest. Her unseeing eyes stared upward into the abyss. The abyss stared straight back into Arashiko's heart, holding it in an icy grip. She fell to her knees by Brana's body and cradled her head tenderly. With a gentle stroke of her hand, she closed Brana's eyes forever. Arashiko rocked her body back and forth, not knowing what else to do. Her mind was frozen, everything was gone except for what she had done. She had killed perhaps her only true friend. A glint of metal caught her eye and drew it to the gold medallion Brana had around her neck. Arashiko gripped it in her palm and held it to her heart. With a tug she pulled it off and rose to her feet, staring down at Brana's still body. She tied the tiny trinket around her neck and it fell to rest right over her heart. With one final glance back, she said goodbye to Brana and took to the ship.
As she sat in the pod speeding towards oblivion, she felt something warm and wet on her face. With a questioning hand, she wiped away the unwelcome wetness. She did something that she had never done before in her entire life. She cried.
* * *
"We've locked on to her ship's signal. I knew she was a traitor!!" Arashiko listened resolutely to Kiaoden's angered voice blare over the ship's transmissions monitor, "She's going to die if it's the last thing I do!!"
A much calmer and deeper voice broke in, "Don't worry, sister, we can reach her before she ever reaches Vegeta. Frieza will have nothing to worry about, neither will our father."
Arashiko breathed deeply, trying to calm herself so she could think straight. Everything was falling apart!! And she was riding the last chance to freedom.
Brana must have been able to get a signal off to the others! Frieza had sent both Kiaoden and her brother Ryuichi after her! Ryuichi, the Arquisian General of the entire Ginyu outfit, son of the Emperor of Arquisia!!
Hearing his cold voice was like hearing the deep-toned voice of Death as he rang her death toll.
Can't this damned ship go any faster!!! Arashiko blazed with trepidation. She checked the panels. The ship was already set to go as fast as possible without risking compression of the hull. Arashiko cursed again and pounded the back of her head on the seat in frustration. Two hours!!! All I need is two hours to reach Vegeta!!! All there was left to do was sit back and wait, all things would come to their just ends, just like Brana said.
* * *
Suddenly, the ship jolted, electrical red sparks jumped up from every panel, scalding Arashiko's face. She frantically pressed buttons around the panels, trying in vain to stabilize the ship and see what the hell was firing at her. The proximity alarm showed two ships hot on her tail.
Shit!! They caught up with me this fast?!?! One more hour!! Damn it!! Just one more hour till I reach Vegeta!!!
Arashiko quickly punched a sequence into the navigational controls, trying to evade any more blasts from Ryuichi and Kiaoden. She grimaced as yet another blast rocked the ship. All the controls flashed bright red simultaneously then went out, leaving Arashiko in total darkness except for the soft luminescence of the stars. She was flying blind. Short, ragged gasps escaped her lungs as she frantically pounded every button on the dead control panels.
Nothing works!! Nothing works!!!!!
More white and red sparks jumped at her face as her body was pressed back into the seat by G-force that even the aero dynamical technology of the pod could not dampen. She was falling fast!! The ship was going to crash!!! The wayward flailing of the ship had gotten it caught in the gravitational pull of a small, emerald planet swaddled in yellow clouds. Arashiko was hysterical, no controls, no sight, no sound, nothing but the feeling of falling and the knowledge that she was going to die right then and there. She clinched her teeth when the ship punched through the planet's atmosphere causing it to go into a rapid, gyrating spin. Through the circular view port on the front of the ship she could see the ground rushing up to meet her. Arashiko closed her eyes tightly. There was a terrible ripping feeling, a rush of pain and sound, then blackness.
* * *
Darkness faded in and out, strange shadows passed over her eyes. When she finally opened them, she could see her own feet dangling in front of her. Arashiko shook her head, disorientation making it hard for her to do anything. She was suspended upside-down, body bent over the strap at her waist that secured her to the ship's seat. Every so often sparks would erupt from the disfigured panels. Arashiko slowly unlatched the belt, cursing as she fell face down into a pile of metal shards and glass. Well, I'm not dead, death doesn't sting this much, she thought as she pulled a piece of glass out of the skin of her hand. She stumbled out of the rubble and took in her surroundings. Three burning suns blazed in the sky brightly, casting the landscape in a soft yellow hue. The terrain was somewhat barren and flat except for a few trees that were strangely stripped of foliage but for a plume of leaves that gave their tops a circular shape. Rich purples and greens spread across the colorful landscape to a sea of blue water.
Arashiko tapped the scouter computer attached to her ear in an attempt to retrieve a read out on her location. The analysis on the glass display over her right eye jumped erratically.
Planet: Namecksei Class: B
Resources: Minimal Power Levels: Indeterminate
Status:__ shfstsst__#_*_*_ _ _
The tiny screen went blank. Arashiko tapped it a little harder. No response. She tapped it one more time, getting only weak beeps in reply. Arashiko cursed again. Without a scouter, she was completely blind as to how to locate power sources and enemies.
Great!! No ship, no scouter, what can happen next!?!? She thought as she stomped the ground and slouched to a seated position next to the disemboweled ruin of her ship. Arashiko released a heavy sigh. A high- pitched noise in the air caught her attention immediately. She recognized it without even having to find the cause of it. Two circular ships streaked the sky a short distance away, the white V emblem showing distinctly on their outer hulls. Arashiko jumped to her feet, she couldn't breathe, couldn't think.
Kiaoden and Ryuichi's ships!! They're here to kill me!!! Shit!!!
Arashiko started off, not caring what direction she was going as long as she was away from her ship, the crash site would be the first place they would search. If she could hide, maybe they would give up on her.
But how can I mask my power level?? With their scouters they're sure to lock onto my signal!!!! There's no way I can beat both of them!!!
Arashiko quickly searched the landscape for a way out. She ran towards a series of caves that opened invitingly at the bottom of a large plateau. Deeper and deeper she penetrated the darkness of the tunnels until she reached a large inner chamber with a small opening to the sky above. Arashiko stopped and cleared her mind, calming herself. By now, Kiaoden and Ryuichi were most certainly scouring the wreckage of her ship. They would be upon her in a matter of minutes.
I will run no more!! They're going to find me, it's inevitable. But at least I can fight!!! I'm not going to die sitting down!! Better to die on my feet than live on my knees!!! I have to try and get out of this alive for the King, I'm his last hope!!! For the Glory and Honor of Vegeta!!!!
Her determination was set in iron. A ray of sunshine shone through the small opening in the ceiling, flashing in her eyes. That's it!! The Moon Beam!!! If I can shift to my Ozaroo form, I might have a chance!!! It's just big enough of an opening to let the moonlight show through!!
Arashiko took in a deep breath, knowing that it might be the last one she ever took. She closed her eyes and focused. In her mind, she converged energy into a sphere, letting everything else fall away. She slowly raised her right hand, palm held upward catching the sunbeams as they floated down from the light. Blinding white radiance tore through the darkness of the cave and illuminated Arashiko's features. A perfect sphere of ivory energy floated up from her uplifted palm. The ball danced and trembled in the air like foxfire. It followed every movement of her hand as Arashiko drew back and threw it upward through the opening and into the sky. With a shout, she closed her hand and the ball exploded, producing an intense flash that filled the amber sky.
"Let there be light!!"
* * *
Outside , Kiaoden and Ryuichi saw the blast of dazzling brilliance and stood staring, dumbfounded until Ryuichi finally broke the daze.
"It's the Moon Beam!!! The Saiyan's trying to transform into an Ozaroo! We must stop her before she shifts!!!" Ryuichi jumped into the air and flew towards the spreading light. Kiaoden hurriedly followed her brother's lead.
Arashiko stood staring at the light, eyes never averting from its beautiful glare. She could hear it, she could feel it. Her heartbeat quickened and she could hear it pounding in her ears.
It is beginning. . .
Arashiko doubled over. The transformation for her was never pleasant. It was painful and it was excruciating. With an outcry of suffering, she began to change. All of her canine teeth elongated to dangerous sharp fangs. The color of her skin deepened to a tan brown as her hands contorted awkwardly. She balled her fists, trying to ease the torment. It felt like every bone in both her hands were breaking simultaneously. They twisted and popped painfully, the tips of her fingers extending to claws. Her whole physique changed, becoming larger in stature by a few feet, her muscles becoming firmer and stronger, adding to her distorted countenance. Simultaneously, her ears augmented to points, giving her sense of hearing a boost. No longer did she see with the clear blue eyes she was born with, but with the unearthly crimson eyes of an Ozaroo. Arashiko stretched her body out, cracking the new bones and muscles into place. She stared at her clawed hands and cried out in triumph. She could feel the elevated power of an Ozaroo flowing through her like wildfire.
Thus is the power of the Saiyan race realized!
* * *
Ryuichi finally reached the origin of the light, Kaioden close in time. He yelled over to her that the scouter indicated the Saiyan was inside of the caves at the base of the plateau. He didn't have time to do anything else. A rush of energy exploded from the plateau, sending Kaioden and Ryuichi falling backwards. Bits of smoking land and debris fragmented in the air and assaulted them. Brilliant pale blue light blinded them on all sides. With a crash, they slammed into the ground. Kaioden lifted herself up, slanted red eyes searching for the source of the massive outburst of energy. She spun around as she heard a tumult of wild screaming. Arashiko landed only a few feet away from her, howling a battlecry that echoed throughout the broken land. Kiaoden quickly took a stance as the Saiyan slowly advanced. Kiaoden smiled broadly, exhibiting her sharp fangs. No matter that the Saiyan had become more powerful from shifting into an Ozaroo, that only meant there was going to be more fun in killing her.
"All this time I've been waiting for an excuse to kill you," Kiaoden spat with contemptuous ardor.
Arashiko stared silently at her for a few moments, head bowed ominously, her blood red eyes glowing, "So have I." Arashiko's eyes flashed and she charged at Kiaoden, preparing to fight or die.
Arashiko's claws came down with all the force she could muster. Kiaoden backed off and tried to block her attack, but once again, she underestimated Arashiko's heightened strength and speed. Arashiko slammed into Kiaoden with such force that the Arquisian was driven to her knees. Kiaoden screamed out as Arashiko clutched her head in a choke hold and embedded her claws into the side of her neck in an attempt to slit her throat. Kiaoden swept back with her foot and used Arashiko's own weight to flip her over her shoulder. Arashiko gently rolled out of the throw and licked the blood off of her claws.
"First blood is always the sweetest!" Arashiko quietly said as she grinned menacingly at Kiaoden, her bestial features distorting strangely. Kiaoden glared back at her, eyes blazing with hatred and contempt. Arashiko jerked her head towards Ryuichi when he appeared behind his sister. His cool eyes narrowed to slits as he slowly advanced towards Arashiko.
"Stop! This one's mine, Ryuichi!!" Kiaoden wiped the blood off her face with the back of her hand,"I can handle her by myself." Ryuichi nodded silently and held his ground. A sardonic laugh abruptly burst from Kiaoden. She laughed as if possessed, so much that she could have cried. Her psychotic cackling sent icy chills up Arashiko's spine.
Finally, Kiaoden's laughter ceased and her insane sneer melted away to the darkest of expressions. The points of her teeth glinted in the gathering darkness of their battlefield. Storm clouds converged over the planet, ripe with lightening and rain. The first plump drops of rain from the impending torrent pelted down upon the land. The wind sent the Arquisian's raven hair whipping out in front of her face.
"You're not the only one who can transform, monkey!"
Arashiko jumped back as Kaioden shot forward a few feet. The disgusting pop and crack of bones emanated from Kaioden, two extra arms forcing their way out of her shoulder blades. An unnatural howling shriek arose from Kaioden as her body twisted and warped into something else. Her jagged claws protracted outwards to an elongated length. Her needle-like fangs extended also, giving Kaioden a demonic form. Barbed spikes erupted from her elbows and knees. Savage spears of pointed protrusions burst forth from the vertebrae on her back. Lightening flashed and crackled behind her, cookinh the ground around them with raw energy. The immense powers raised in Kaioden's body called forth clouds and death. Arashiko stared at her in total awe.
I didn't know the Arquisians could form shift!!!!!?
The demonic Kaioden saw the question in her eyes and laughed heartily, "Hahaha!! You fool!!! Unlike the Saiyans, we kept our transformation ability a secret!! Why do you think the Empire of Arquisia has lasted so long? We have an edge over all who think we possess only that one weak, pathetic form! We were careful to conceal this from Frieza, but you Saiyans? You were stupid to reveal yourselves to Frieza!! And now you're nothing!! ARRGGGHH!!!" Kaioden charged forward at Arashiko faster than even her Saiyan eyes could catch.
With one punch she toppled Arashiko and at the same time used her three other arms to deliver simultaneous blows to her abdomen. The force of the blows sent Arashiko flying back into an outcropping of rock. The formation shattered when her body slammed into it. Arashiko shook her head, trying to clear her mind and regain her focus. She had to think of a way to defeat the monstrous Kaioden!! Or the King would die, she would die!!! Kaioden rushed at her again, but this time Arashiko was ready. With a graceful leap, she flipped over Kaioden and rammed her in the back with a roundhouse kick. She followed up with a flurry of punches and kicks aimed to injure internal organs. The blows had little effect on Kaioden. They just pissed her off even more, but that was the plan!! If she could get Kaioden to charge carelessly in anger, she could perhaps land a decisive lethal blow. Kaioden screamed in fury and charged her again, just as Arashiko wanted. Arashiko spun around her flailing form and nailed her with an energy blast right to the chest. Kaioden groaned in agony and fell to the ground. Arashiko smiled smugly, preparing to deliver the coup de gra. Rain pounded down incessantly. Lightening flashed everyone lightening flashed everywhere, illuminating Kaioden's fallen body. Arashiko called power to her hands, her killing blow set.
Without warning Kaioden shot up and grabbed Arashiko with both sets of arms. She squeezed Arashiko in an intense bear hug with all her strength, making her bend backwards in distress. Arashiko struggled in vain to escape her iron grip. She could feel the bones in her back cracking, any more and she would be paralyzed in a matter of seconds. She let her head fall back, seemingly giving in to her coming death. Arashiko screamed defiantly as she brought her body forward with all the strength left in her. Headbutting right between the eyes, almost knocking herself out in the process. With her left hand she shot an energy beam directly into Kaioden's face. Kaioden screamed out in pain and rage as Arashiko slipped from her deadly embrace. Kaioden fell to her knees clutching her burnt face and howling in agony. Arashiko pulled the wind underneath her and took to the air.
I have one chance to defeat her. Shi no Arashi!!! Arashiko called to mind the most powerful technique she possessed, the Shi no Arashi, Storm of Death!! It was a potent energy attack where she focused all of her strength and energy into her hands and release it in a single destructive beam of devastating power. This technique was her trade mark as well as her trump card. Once released, it would incinerate Kaioden to ashes.
But I need time to gather the energy for it!! That little prick I gave her should keep her occupied. . .
Arashiko penetrated through the thick storm clouds, the rain bombarding her face as she went. She judged her distance from Kaioden as at least a mile and figured that would be just long enough to charge the attack. She wasted no words. Arashiko stilled herself and began the process. Shards of blue light formed at her fingertips. Lightening ejected from the clouds and struck the aura of pale blue energy that began to swirl around her body. Energy crackled in the air and leaped along her arms, accumulating at her fingertips.
It's almost done!! Just a few more seconds!!! Already Kaioden was on her tail again.
Just a few feet away Kaioden appeared before her. Blue Arquisian blood ran from the gaping wound where her right eye had been and trickled over her wicked fangs. Kaioden did not look happy. Kaioden's arms weaved about in the air maliciously calling for blood, Arashiko's blood.
Yesss!! It's finished!!!
Arashiko let loose the Shi no Arashi. Kaioden flinched in surprise as the resplendent azure light engulfed everything. Blinding streaks of thunder crashed around Arashiko. The aura surrounding her floated outward and dissipated into the flashing violence of the storm. The tremendous beam Arashiko launched at Kaioden creeped forwards in slow motion. Time seemed to stop and stagnate as the Arquisian brought her hands up to enfold the rushing beam of energy. Dark and light met when Kaioden fired off her own beam of spinning red essence. It sliced through the pure blue effulgence that was Arashiko's last hope for defeating her. All at once time sped up again, a rush of motion and noise. Thunder and lightening and wind and rain sang in a cacophony of destruction.
There was no time for thought or action, no time for reflection or fear. The hellfire energy collided with Arashiko dead on. Hot white fire ran through every vein in her body. So overwhelming was the pain and shock to her nervous system that she just stopped feeling all together. Everything became quiet, though the deep roar of releasing energies still filled the air. Then there was the most serene sensation of flying, being carried on the wings of angels. Flying to the greatest heights past all pain and death. All was shattered as the ground caught Arashiko's falling body. She fell even deeper into the ground, her mind falling into darkness as unconsciousness gripped her.
Kaioden slowly descended down to the earth. The Saiyan lay on her back, her body embedded a few inches into the ground from her violent impact. The regal black armor of the Ginyu was scraped and scorched from the abdomen. Shreds of the once white cloak, now stained with dirt and blood, fluttered in the air. Kaioden spat in disgust. This weak Saiyan traitor had defiled both the honor of Arquisia and of the Ginyu Tokusentai! Kaioden kneeled beside Arashiko's body and tore the white emblem of the Ginyu from her chest, rending flesh and drawing blood in the process. Kaioden drew her foot back and kicked Arashiko in the side.
"Wake up, traitor!!" Kaioden yelled bitterly as she kicked Arashiko again, making her body roll over. Arashiko was jerked back to the world of the living. Everything burned and ached, the world loomed over her eyes like a dream vision. Kaioden entered the vision and turned the world into a living nightmare. Kaioden caught her in the face this time with another viscous kick. Arashiko tumbled over, still unable to get to her feet. Begrudgingly her senses faded back into clarity and she could tell what was going on.
I'm still alive!! I'm not going to let it end like this!!! I have to get up!! I have to fight!!! As long as there is still breath in me!!
Arashiko caught Kaioden's foot in the air as she kicked again. She twisted her ankle and tripped Kaioden with a sweep of her leg. Arashiko pushed all pain to the back of her mind, this was the decider!! Fight or die!! No time for pain!!! Arashiko fought with all she had left, nothing but her own willpower. Kaioden was caught completely off guard; she had believed that Arashiko was near death.
Her underestimation of the power of the Saiyan race will be her downfall!!
Arashiko landed a kick to Kaioden's abdomen and an elbow right into the scorched and hollow-eyed side of Kaioden's face. Kaioden gripped the aggravated wound like a newborn child. Arashiko twisted her upper body around and snapped her leg forward, hammering Kaioden on the wounded side of her cranium. Kaioden toppled over and fell to the ground. Arashiko started for her immediately, but something made her stop. She gasped in horror. Her Saiyan tail fell to the ground. In all the fighting, she had forgotten about Ryuichi!! The bastard had cut off her tail!!!!
Without her tail, Arashiko quickly reverted back to normal. The bones in her body shrank back to their usual size and her skin lost its brownish tint. Arashiko's sky blue eyes were returned to her. Her last, best hope for victory faded away into nothingness as power level fell dramatically back to normal. Arashiko spun around in panic, she didn't now what to do now!! Ryuichi materialized by his sister's side.
Kaioden screamed insanely at him, "Damn it!! I told you Ryuichi!! This one is mine!!! Let me handle this!!!!" She got to her feet and pushed him aside. Ryuichi raised his arms in consent and stood back, cold eyes narrowed at Arashiko, a mocking smile stretched across his face.
What do I do now!!?! WHAT THE HELL CAN I DO NOW?!?!!! Arashiko thought frantically as she backed away from the advancing enraged Kaioden. She searched around for absolutely anything that could help and found absolutely nothing. In the blink of an eye, Kaioden was upon her once again. Arashiko tried to find some way to defend herself, but she had used up all of her energy forming the Shi no Arashi. Without the elevated strength of the Ozaroo, she was no match for the transformed Kaioden. With no defense, Kaioden was able to seize Arashiko by the neck, her long claws wrapping around her neck effectively preventing any escape Arashiko tightly gripped Kaioden's forearm to no avail.
"It's been fun, but I'm afraid your time has come!!" Kaioden sneered hatefully into Arashiko's face. Arashiko's eyes widened with terror as Kaioden 's other clawed hand lurched forward. Bitter blood came up in her throat. Her eyes blinked in stunned confusion.
Kaioden had stabbed her long claws straight through her abdomen.
Arashiko's breathing became labored, blood traced paths forming at the corners of her mouth. Kaioden brought her face close to hers and locked her red eyes with Arashiko's widened blue pupils. Kaioden let her writhe for a few moments, sating her appetite for blood and suffering.
"Last blood is always the best." Kaioden said darkly as she withdrew her claws and threw Arashiko to the ground.
Arashiko choked agonizingly for a few moments, then her eyes finally closed and she lay silent. Kaioden walked beside her and lifted her head up by her hair. She snorted disgustingly, "She's still alive," she brought her claws up to Arashiko's throat, "but not for long."
Ryuichi's cold, commanding voice interrupted her gruesome fun, "We don't have time for this. Leave her, she's dead anyways. Frieza just contacted me, the King of the Saiyans is making his last stand. He wants us to return to base immediately."
Kaioden growled menacingly and slammed Arashiko's head back down into the dirt. She got up and walked away from her desolated body.
"That's one less disgusting Saiyan polluting our universe. By dawn their king will be dead, HAHAHAHAAA!!!"
Kaioden's cackling laugh echoed over the landscape and rebounded in Arashiko's ears.
She had failed her King, she had failed her brother Zorn, she had failed herself.
Now there was nothing left but sweet oblivion.
* * *
Chapter 2: Fallen in the Light
Arashiko scrubbed the white cloak, still stained with the young soldier's blood. She just couldn't get the stains out! Not out of her conscience, not out of her guilt. She couldn't clean the blood off of her hands!! They had arrived back at base over an hour ago and still she could not cleanse herself. A tiny voice inside of her scolded her, To think! A Saiyan with a case of conscience! You did what you had to do! The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few!! The Royal House lives on and that is your only purpose for living.
Yet still it stang and still she could not wash away the blood. With an agonized cry of frustration and fury Arashiko tore the bloodstained white cloak along with the shoulder guards of the Ginyu uniform from her body and threw them across the room, accursed mantle that it was. She slammed her fists into the walls and knocked aside the furniture, breaking most of it. She had never felt such bitter anger in her whole entire life. She could not do anything but struggle in the prison of her own anger until the mission was complete and Frieza was defeated, one way or another. She stood there for a few moments, fingers trembling with pure rage, chest heaving with labored breathes. Arashiko thanked goodness that Brana had not been there to see her violent outbursts; she might have begun to suspect something. She quickly picked up the mess she made and replaced the unbroken furniture, her anger spent for the moment. She couldn't walk outside of her quarters at the moment, seeing anyone wearing the Ginyu uniform would ignite her anger anew. All Arashiko could find the will to do was flop down onto the uncomfortable little bunk that had been provided for her to sleep in. Soon Arashiko heard Brana come in and lie down on the bunk across from her where she slept. Arashiko noticed that Brana was unusually quiet, a state that was nearly impossible for Brana. Arashiko turned around to look at her to see what was the matter.
Brana looked just as visibly shaken by the experience as Arashiko was internally shaken. Brana had her arms wrapped around her knees, her head buried in her elbows despairingly.
"What's wrong?" Arashiko asked softly.
Brana raised her head a little and shook it. Arashiko could see the tears blotting her face. Brana took a deep breath and looked over at Arashiko, "The past always comes back to haunt you when you're least expecting it."
Arashiko blinked, not knowing what she meant.
"I left our home world fifteen years ago. When I was there, I had a family, a mother, a father, a brother. We served the King with all our strength and blood. We served him, we gave him our lives!" Brana paused, her voice deepening with anger. "One day the Elite came for us. It was King Vegeta's decree that my brother and father be taken away and executed. He feared us; he feared the power we possessed, especially because we were Third Class trash. He despised the fact that a Third Class could possibly have more power than he did!! It was not enough that he take my brother and father but he ordered my mother and I taken as well!" Brana balled her fists angrily, the hate flowing through her words like electricity, "Vegeta feared that we carried the gene that made such power possible, he saw it fit to eliminate my whole entire family! I was small enough to escape the Elite Guard, those demons that hide behind the armor of honor! They took my life along with the lives of my family! All that was left to me was this path! The Ginyu..." Brana stopped, her voice cut off, too full of chaotic emotions to express them any further. She turned her glistening eyes towards Arashiko.
Arashiko turned away from her, unable to look Brana in the eyes. She tried to come up with some excuse, some way to defend the King's actions, but she couldn't. She couldn't justify them even to herself. She couldn't think of anything to say to her except for a few words,
"I. . .I'm sorry.", Arashiko put as much meaning into those words as she could, though it did little to rectify anything.
Brana smiled sweetly, her cheeks still glistening with tears, "S'Okay, Kakayun. You can't change the past, all things come to their just ends. The Elite will come to theirs, as will the King."
Arashiko shifted uncomfortably, not knowing how to reply, mind not knowing how to interpret her own feelings. After a while, they both drifted off into a soundless sleep.
The next day Arashiko noticed that Brana wore something around her neck that she had never noticed before. It was a simple necklace, bound by a brown leather chain. A single circular gold amulet with small designs scratched into the surface hung central from the strap. Brana saw her staring at it curiously and she smiled broadly.
"Hehe, me and my brother, Brolly, made this amulet when we were smaller. It's supposed to be our family crest, we made it up ourselves." Brana fingered the amulet in her hands and smiled somberly, reminiscing of the past.
To Arashiko, the amulet looked almost like a child's infantile version of the Seal of the Royal House, the blue embellished disk that King Vegeta wore proudly around his neck. Arashiko sighed; she didn't know whether to take the amulet as an insult to the Royal House or a token of love between a brother and sister. For the first time she found herself questioning the Royal House and it was not a good feeling. She had been born and raised to be loyal to them, to serve them with every ounce of blood and spirit in her body. She never expected to find morality in a Third Class, to find someone from the Third Class that was just like her, path predestined and preordained. The classes weren't as clear cut in her mind anymore, everything was changing. She dismissed it and pushed it to the back of her mind. She had a mission, she had a destiny and she had loyalty, to the once and future king, Vegeta and his son.
* * *
Time slipped past as days turned into months. Arashiko was able to rise in the ranks of the Ginyu along with Brana. She, Brana, and Kiaoden were the top officers in the entire force and yet Arashiko still had not obtained an opportunity to get close to Frieza. She had only brief meetings with him, always with Kiaoden and Ryuichi there as well as Frieza's lackeys surrounding him, preventing any would-be assailants. The clock was ticking and Arashiko knew that if she was going to make her move, it would have to be soon. She studied his habits very carefully. Frieza never had less than one person around him when he was alone. The fact was frustratingly real to Arashiko. She knew she did not have the power or strength to best Frieza along with one of his powerful cronies Kiaoden, Ryuichi, Zarbon or Dodoria. There was something about the cold eyes of Ryuichi that made Arashiko avoid him whenever she could, something dark and brooding in those eyes of his that turned her soul to ice. Ryuichi hardly ever talked. The Arquisian normally stood silently by Freiza's side. Though his exterior seemed calm, he was always vigilantly watching what happened around him. He was a tall figure, with a well-built form and the usual Arquisian pride. On his right arm the white symbol of the Emperor of Arquisia contrasted against his dark green skin. An imperious red crest on his forehead set off his deep scarlet pupils. His crest and physique definitely singled him out as a Royal of Arquisia. Frieza's other honor guard was Zarbon, an insanely loyal emerald-haired alien that was never too far from his side. Arashiko strongly disliked his over-inflated ego and disgusting loyalty for Frieza. Dodoria was another that Arashiko hated with a passion. He was a fat blob of an alien with salmon skin who always treated her as an inferior when she was around. Dodoria had a strong racism towards Saiyans of any kind. With a sigh of frustration, Arashiko returned to her quarters. If she didn't come up with something soon, her mission would be doomed to failure, a fact which she could not live with.
She sat and looked out the tiny window of her cramped compartment which she and Brana shared overlooking the bleak landscape of Moon 24. Largely stripped of organic life to support weaponry and supply buildings, the terrain had a desolate gray physique that matched Arashiko's frustrated mood. She looked over to Brana's side of the room when she noticed a pungent, rank smell floating about in the air. Brana never, ever cleaned up anything, food, clothes, anything. She was the biggest slob Arashiko had ever met. It was a habit that was prevalent among the Third Class Saiyans. Arashiko shook her head, trying to ignore it. She sniffed hard to try and get the smell out of her nostrils. It was no use trying to clean Brana's side of the quarters, one might lose a limb in that attempt. Finally, Arashiko could stand it no more and sought relief outside in the fresh air of the hallway. With no outlet for frustration, she paced up and down the halls, telling those who asked that she was just on guard duty.
"There's no question about it now, my lord." Arashiko heard Kiaoden's gruff voice long before she reached the entrance to Frieza's elaborate quarters.
Arashiko silently slipped up to the door and stood just outside of it, making sure to keep her form well-hidden. She sensed something important going on. Kiaoden continued on.
"The soldier we found on Cadvia was definitely working for King Vegeta. It is most certain he is conspiring against us."
Frieza sat back in his hovering chair which concealed most of his reptilian-like body and tail. His horned visage conveyed neither happiness nor sadness at the revelation of his so-called ally Vegeta allying against him. Frieza's face was frozen and emotionless as he listened intently to Kiaoden's words.
Kiaoden paused for a moment, surprised by Frieza's indifferent reaction. He sat sedately drinking a glass of dark wine. He took a sip every few moments and swished the glass slowly, thoughtfully, vigilantly, expression locked in stone.
"There are some situations which must be rectified. Our sensors have detected activity on the outer moons of Arquisia. Vegeta is trying to make a move," Kiaoden flexed her clawed hands as she spoke; "This is one thorn that must be pulled from our sides. My father, the Emperor, can dispatch assassins immediately. The king of the monkeys will be dead by sundown, hahaha!"
Kiaoden's cackling laugh echoed throughout the empty halls and resonated emphatically through Arashiko's ears.
They mean to kill the King!!? I should have seen this coming!! How blind I must have been! How blind we all must have been to ever trust that snake Frieza!!! Damn him!!
Kiaoden stopped laughing as the wine glass shattered, spilling the wine over Frieza's hand. The dark wine ran through his fingers like blood. Fury finally cracked the mask of his face, "Don't bother with assassins, let him make his stand!" Frieza's face was overcome by an evil smile, "Let him come! This will be an example to all who dare oppose Frieza!! The Saiyans have been useful to me, but it's time that our 'alliance' terminated." An overbearing silence fell over the room. Kiaoden stood in reticent, nervousness creeping into her features.
Arashiko did not need to hear anymore.
I must warn the King! If I contact him via the scouter, the signal might be detected and traced. I have to find some way to get a signal to Vegeta!!
Arashiko cautiously backed away from the door to Frieza's chambers and walked quickly and quietly towards the docking bay.
The bay was all but abandoned except for the presence of two patrolling guards and two control tower officers who monitored the coming and going of the ships. She entered the control room casually. The two officers noticed the white V on her chest and saluted stiffly. Arashiko wasted no words, with a quick high kick she sent one of the control tower officers flying backwards. The force of the kick made his head smack and break the thick glass of the window. His body slumped to the ground in a pile of shattered glass. The other guard managed to fire his hand laser which passed through her cloak harmlessly. Before he knew what hit him, Arashiko was behind him. She gripped his head tightly and twisted it forcefully till a dull crack signaled that the officer was dead.
Arashiko ran swiftly out to the docking area and peered out of the doorway. The patrolling officers had been too far away in the bay to notice the fight, but they might notice the broken glass. She strode briskly up to them. They too turned and saluted, but then cowered when she started running towards them. Arashiko let herself be lost in the flow of adrenaline from the last fight. It was what Saiyans lived for, to fight. She jumped into the air and flipped behind them, easily evading their lasers. Arashiko came forward with a punch aimed at one of the surprised guards' backs. Her fist penetrated his back and passed through his body. Arashiko drew back and threw the dead guard off of her arm, streams of blood dripping down her face and through her fingers. Horrified, the other guard ran for his life in a frantic effort to escape. Blazing white light erupted from Arashiko's fingertips. The beam caught him square in the back. The guard was no more. Arashiko quickly returned to the control room and tapped a sequence into the transmissions panel that was the frequency only the Elite of Vegeta used to contact the King.
It's only matter of minutes before the guards come to check on the missing patrol!! Work you damned machine!!!
She pounded the control panel with her fists when all she got was static. She yelled into the receiver, hoping that some of what she was saying might get through to the King.
"Mission 401, Elite First Class Arashiko!! It's a trap!! Frieza's expecting the attack!! Withdraw from Arquisia!! Break off from the attack plans!! He's going to murder the King!!!! DAMMIT!! WORK DAMNED MACHINE!!!" Still, there was no reply except for garbled static. Arashiko screamed in frustration and with one last desperate punch, screamed again, "DAAAMMITT!!!" She rested her forehead on the broken panel.
Think! Think ! Think! What can I do now?
She sighed with relief when she realized she could use one of the ships in the docking bay to get the message directly to King Vegeta. She ran towards one of the docked pods, its open door beckoning her and assuring her. Freedom was almost upon her.
Arashiko screamed as something hit her in the back hard, wrenching her guts and throwing her to the floor. She rolled over and supported herself with her arms, recovering sluggishly from the blow. She looked up and everything stopped as her mind and body went into shock.
Brana was standing just a few feet from her, arm upraised from shooting the energy beam that had struck her in the back. A look of pure anger and rage enveloped Brana's features in darkness. Arashiko slowly rose to her feet to face her.
Arashiko silently implored her, "Please, what are you doing Brana?"
"Traitor. . .," Brana began quietly, her voice breaking as if she was about to cry. The calm before the storm.
Arashiko's eyes searched for something to say, some excuse, but found only silence to pronounce. She lifted her empty hands up to Brana, trying to get her to understand that she was doing this to save their world.
"All the lies, all the memories, all this time!!!!", Brana's voice raised into an infuriated yell, "ALL THIS TIME YOU WERE ONE OF THOSE MONSTERS WHO TORE MY FAMILY APART!!!!" She rushed forward and kicked Arashiko in the ribs. Arashiko slid across the floor, her raised arms meekly trying to defend herself.
With nowhere else to go, Arashiko inadvertently blurted out, "It is you who are the traitor! You abandoned us!! You fight against your own King and race!! You would kill your own!! Just like a Third Class!!" her outburst was empty, trained. She had nothing to say except what had been forged into her mind. She was raised to be an entirely loyal follower of King Vegeta.
Hot tears of anger and emotion ran down Brana's face, "You dare call me a traitor!! You murderer!!!" she kicked Arashiko in the ribs again.
Arashiko took the blow and tried to convince Brana again, "Please!! Please!! Just let me go!!! I don't want to hurt you!!!" Arashiko knew she could defeat Brana, though she was strong, her own power level exceeded hers immensely. Arashiko avoided her next blows and got to her feet to try and defend herself.
"You killed my family!!! YOU KILLED MY FAMILY!!!!! YOU STOLE MY LIFE!!!" Brana screamed insanely at her, launching a series of chaotic blows which Arashiko tried to block. Some of Brana's kicks caught her in the stomach and face and she was sent sprawling backwards. Arashiko caught herself and landed on two feet. Brana rushed at her, this time primed to kill.
"PLEASE!!! PLEEEEEASSSE!!! DON'T MAKE ME DO THIS, BRANA!!!!" Arashiko begged and pleaded one last time. She knew this time that Brana was going to kill her. The strings were pulled taut, life and death, honor and dishonor, one choice or the other, constricting tightly. Brana's screaming, enraged form was almost upon her.
With an outcry of defeat and sorrow, Arashiko released all her anger and emotion outward into one focused beam. Brana was sent flying backward and she fell unmoving to the floor. Arashiko fell limply onto her back, breathing heavily. As she felt the cold floor she closed her eyes tightly, not wanting to see what she had done.
Brana gasped for a few more breaths then wispered " Prince........... Ve.... ge... ta......I.......I.....lov..." her gasping stopped her from finishing her sentence. Brana laid there and found the strength to say " Arashiko....... remember what I tell you now...... Remember this please it might help you some how.......Anxiety is love's greatest killer. It makes one feel as you might when a drowning person holds on to you. You want to help him but you know he will strangle you in his panic......all it means is that you want to help someone who is in need of your help but they are trapped in their emotions. It's impossible to save them. They will kill you.death is always going to knock on your door...But what keeps you alive is to know to never answer the door.....so promise you will never open the door for death....I let King Vegeta destroy me...... I told myself I wouldn't let him destroy me yet he did....Brolly. I..am coming soon...."
She could hear Brana choking for a few torturous moments, and then all was silent except for her own breathing.
Finally, she pulled herself up with all her might and forced herself to walk over to Brana's side. The blast Arashiko emitted had blown a hole straight through Brana's chest. Her unseeing eyes stared upward into the abyss. The abyss stared straight back into Arashiko's heart, holding it in an icy grip. She fell to her knees by Brana's body and cradled her head tenderly. With a gentle stroke of her hand, she closed Brana's eyes forever. Arashiko rocked her body back and forth, not knowing what else to do. Her mind was frozen, everything was gone except for what she had done. She had killed perhaps her only true friend. A glint of metal caught her eye and drew it to the gold medallion Brana had around her neck. Arashiko gripped it in her palm and held it to her heart. With a tug she pulled it off and rose to her feet, staring down at Brana's still body. She tied the tiny trinket around her neck and it fell to rest right over her heart. With one final glance back, she said goodbye to Brana and took to the ship.
As she sat in the pod speeding towards oblivion, she felt something warm and wet on her face. With a questioning hand, she wiped away the unwelcome wetness. She did something that she had never done before in her entire life. She cried.
* * *
"We've locked on to her ship's signal. I knew she was a traitor!!" Arashiko listened resolutely to Kiaoden's angered voice blare over the ship's transmissions monitor, "She's going to die if it's the last thing I do!!"
A much calmer and deeper voice broke in, "Don't worry, sister, we can reach her before she ever reaches Vegeta. Frieza will have nothing to worry about, neither will our father."
Arashiko breathed deeply, trying to calm herself so she could think straight. Everything was falling apart!! And she was riding the last chance to freedom.
Brana must have been able to get a signal off to the others! Frieza had sent both Kiaoden and her brother Ryuichi after her! Ryuichi, the Arquisian General of the entire Ginyu outfit, son of the Emperor of Arquisia!!
Hearing his cold voice was like hearing the deep-toned voice of Death as he rang her death toll.
Can't this damned ship go any faster!!! Arashiko blazed with trepidation. She checked the panels. The ship was already set to go as fast as possible without risking compression of the hull. Arashiko cursed again and pounded the back of her head on the seat in frustration. Two hours!!! All I need is two hours to reach Vegeta!!! All there was left to do was sit back and wait, all things would come to their just ends, just like Brana said.
* * *
Suddenly, the ship jolted, electrical red sparks jumped up from every panel, scalding Arashiko's face. She frantically pressed buttons around the panels, trying in vain to stabilize the ship and see what the hell was firing at her. The proximity alarm showed two ships hot on her tail.
Shit!! They caught up with me this fast?!?! One more hour!! Damn it!! Just one more hour till I reach Vegeta!!!
Arashiko quickly punched a sequence into the navigational controls, trying to evade any more blasts from Ryuichi and Kiaoden. She grimaced as yet another blast rocked the ship. All the controls flashed bright red simultaneously then went out, leaving Arashiko in total darkness except for the soft luminescence of the stars. She was flying blind. Short, ragged gasps escaped her lungs as she frantically pounded every button on the dead control panels.
Nothing works!! Nothing works!!!!!
More white and red sparks jumped at her face as her body was pressed back into the seat by G-force that even the aero dynamical technology of the pod could not dampen. She was falling fast!! The ship was going to crash!!! The wayward flailing of the ship had gotten it caught in the gravitational pull of a small, emerald planet swaddled in yellow clouds. Arashiko was hysterical, no controls, no sight, no sound, nothing but the feeling of falling and the knowledge that she was going to die right then and there. She clinched her teeth when the ship punched through the planet's atmosphere causing it to go into a rapid, gyrating spin. Through the circular view port on the front of the ship she could see the ground rushing up to meet her. Arashiko closed her eyes tightly. There was a terrible ripping feeling, a rush of pain and sound, then blackness.
* * *
Darkness faded in and out, strange shadows passed over her eyes. When she finally opened them, she could see her own feet dangling in front of her. Arashiko shook her head, disorientation making it hard for her to do anything. She was suspended upside-down, body bent over the strap at her waist that secured her to the ship's seat. Every so often sparks would erupt from the disfigured panels. Arashiko slowly unlatched the belt, cursing as she fell face down into a pile of metal shards and glass. Well, I'm not dead, death doesn't sting this much, she thought as she pulled a piece of glass out of the skin of her hand. She stumbled out of the rubble and took in her surroundings. Three burning suns blazed in the sky brightly, casting the landscape in a soft yellow hue. The terrain was somewhat barren and flat except for a few trees that were strangely stripped of foliage but for a plume of leaves that gave their tops a circular shape. Rich purples and greens spread across the colorful landscape to a sea of blue water.
Arashiko tapped the scouter computer attached to her ear in an attempt to retrieve a read out on her location. The analysis on the glass display over her right eye jumped erratically.
Planet: Namecksei Class: B
Resources: Minimal Power Levels: Indeterminate
Status:__ shfstsst__#_*_*_ _ _
The tiny screen went blank. Arashiko tapped it a little harder. No response. She tapped it one more time, getting only weak beeps in reply. Arashiko cursed again. Without a scouter, she was completely blind as to how to locate power sources and enemies.
Great!! No ship, no scouter, what can happen next!?!? She thought as she stomped the ground and slouched to a seated position next to the disemboweled ruin of her ship. Arashiko released a heavy sigh. A high- pitched noise in the air caught her attention immediately. She recognized it without even having to find the cause of it. Two circular ships streaked the sky a short distance away, the white V emblem showing distinctly on their outer hulls. Arashiko jumped to her feet, she couldn't breathe, couldn't think.
Kiaoden and Ryuichi's ships!! They're here to kill me!!! Shit!!!
Arashiko started off, not caring what direction she was going as long as she was away from her ship, the crash site would be the first place they would search. If she could hide, maybe they would give up on her.
But how can I mask my power level?? With their scouters they're sure to lock onto my signal!!!! There's no way I can beat both of them!!!
Arashiko quickly searched the landscape for a way out. She ran towards a series of caves that opened invitingly at the bottom of a large plateau. Deeper and deeper she penetrated the darkness of the tunnels until she reached a large inner chamber with a small opening to the sky above. Arashiko stopped and cleared her mind, calming herself. By now, Kiaoden and Ryuichi were most certainly scouring the wreckage of her ship. They would be upon her in a matter of minutes.
I will run no more!! They're going to find me, it's inevitable. But at least I can fight!!! I'm not going to die sitting down!! Better to die on my feet than live on my knees!!! I have to try and get out of this alive for the King, I'm his last hope!!! For the Glory and Honor of Vegeta!!!!
Her determination was set in iron. A ray of sunshine shone through the small opening in the ceiling, flashing in her eyes. That's it!! The Moon Beam!!! If I can shift to my Ozaroo form, I might have a chance!!! It's just big enough of an opening to let the moonlight show through!!
Arashiko took in a deep breath, knowing that it might be the last one she ever took. She closed her eyes and focused. In her mind, she converged energy into a sphere, letting everything else fall away. She slowly raised her right hand, palm held upward catching the sunbeams as they floated down from the light. Blinding white radiance tore through the darkness of the cave and illuminated Arashiko's features. A perfect sphere of ivory energy floated up from her uplifted palm. The ball danced and trembled in the air like foxfire. It followed every movement of her hand as Arashiko drew back and threw it upward through the opening and into the sky. With a shout, she closed her hand and the ball exploded, producing an intense flash that filled the amber sky.
"Let there be light!!"
* * *
Outside , Kiaoden and Ryuichi saw the blast of dazzling brilliance and stood staring, dumbfounded until Ryuichi finally broke the daze.
"It's the Moon Beam!!! The Saiyan's trying to transform into an Ozaroo! We must stop her before she shifts!!!" Ryuichi jumped into the air and flew towards the spreading light. Kiaoden hurriedly followed her brother's lead.
Arashiko stood staring at the light, eyes never averting from its beautiful glare. She could hear it, she could feel it. Her heartbeat quickened and she could hear it pounding in her ears.
It is beginning. . .
Arashiko doubled over. The transformation for her was never pleasant. It was painful and it was excruciating. With an outcry of suffering, she began to change. All of her canine teeth elongated to dangerous sharp fangs. The color of her skin deepened to a tan brown as her hands contorted awkwardly. She balled her fists, trying to ease the torment. It felt like every bone in both her hands were breaking simultaneously. They twisted and popped painfully, the tips of her fingers extending to claws. Her whole physique changed, becoming larger in stature by a few feet, her muscles becoming firmer and stronger, adding to her distorted countenance. Simultaneously, her ears augmented to points, giving her sense of hearing a boost. No longer did she see with the clear blue eyes she was born with, but with the unearthly crimson eyes of an Ozaroo. Arashiko stretched her body out, cracking the new bones and muscles into place. She stared at her clawed hands and cried out in triumph. She could feel the elevated power of an Ozaroo flowing through her like wildfire.
Thus is the power of the Saiyan race realized!
* * *
Ryuichi finally reached the origin of the light, Kaioden close in time. He yelled over to her that the scouter indicated the Saiyan was inside of the caves at the base of the plateau. He didn't have time to do anything else. A rush of energy exploded from the plateau, sending Kaioden and Ryuichi falling backwards. Bits of smoking land and debris fragmented in the air and assaulted them. Brilliant pale blue light blinded them on all sides. With a crash, they slammed into the ground. Kaioden lifted herself up, slanted red eyes searching for the source of the massive outburst of energy. She spun around as she heard a tumult of wild screaming. Arashiko landed only a few feet away from her, howling a battlecry that echoed throughout the broken land. Kiaoden quickly took a stance as the Saiyan slowly advanced. Kiaoden smiled broadly, exhibiting her sharp fangs. No matter that the Saiyan had become more powerful from shifting into an Ozaroo, that only meant there was going to be more fun in killing her.
"All this time I've been waiting for an excuse to kill you," Kiaoden spat with contemptuous ardor.
Arashiko stared silently at her for a few moments, head bowed ominously, her blood red eyes glowing, "So have I." Arashiko's eyes flashed and she charged at Kiaoden, preparing to fight or die.
Arashiko's claws came down with all the force she could muster. Kiaoden backed off and tried to block her attack, but once again, she underestimated Arashiko's heightened strength and speed. Arashiko slammed into Kiaoden with such force that the Arquisian was driven to her knees. Kiaoden screamed out as Arashiko clutched her head in a choke hold and embedded her claws into the side of her neck in an attempt to slit her throat. Kiaoden swept back with her foot and used Arashiko's own weight to flip her over her shoulder. Arashiko gently rolled out of the throw and licked the blood off of her claws.
"First blood is always the sweetest!" Arashiko quietly said as she grinned menacingly at Kiaoden, her bestial features distorting strangely. Kiaoden glared back at her, eyes blazing with hatred and contempt. Arashiko jerked her head towards Ryuichi when he appeared behind his sister. His cool eyes narrowed to slits as he slowly advanced towards Arashiko.
"Stop! This one's mine, Ryuichi!!" Kiaoden wiped the blood off her face with the back of her hand,"I can handle her by myself." Ryuichi nodded silently and held his ground. A sardonic laugh abruptly burst from Kiaoden. She laughed as if possessed, so much that she could have cried. Her psychotic cackling sent icy chills up Arashiko's spine.
Finally, Kiaoden's laughter ceased and her insane sneer melted away to the darkest of expressions. The points of her teeth glinted in the gathering darkness of their battlefield. Storm clouds converged over the planet, ripe with lightening and rain. The first plump drops of rain from the impending torrent pelted down upon the land. The wind sent the Arquisian's raven hair whipping out in front of her face.
"You're not the only one who can transform, monkey!"
Arashiko jumped back as Kaioden shot forward a few feet. The disgusting pop and crack of bones emanated from Kaioden, two extra arms forcing their way out of her shoulder blades. An unnatural howling shriek arose from Kaioden as her body twisted and warped into something else. Her jagged claws protracted outwards to an elongated length. Her needle-like fangs extended also, giving Kaioden a demonic form. Barbed spikes erupted from her elbows and knees. Savage spears of pointed protrusions burst forth from the vertebrae on her back. Lightening flashed and crackled behind her, cookinh the ground around them with raw energy. The immense powers raised in Kaioden's body called forth clouds and death. Arashiko stared at her in total awe.
I didn't know the Arquisians could form shift!!!!!?
The demonic Kaioden saw the question in her eyes and laughed heartily, "Hahaha!! You fool!!! Unlike the Saiyans, we kept our transformation ability a secret!! Why do you think the Empire of Arquisia has lasted so long? We have an edge over all who think we possess only that one weak, pathetic form! We were careful to conceal this from Frieza, but you Saiyans? You were stupid to reveal yourselves to Frieza!! And now you're nothing!! ARRGGGHH!!!" Kaioden charged forward at Arashiko faster than even her Saiyan eyes could catch.
With one punch she toppled Arashiko and at the same time used her three other arms to deliver simultaneous blows to her abdomen. The force of the blows sent Arashiko flying back into an outcropping of rock. The formation shattered when her body slammed into it. Arashiko shook her head, trying to clear her mind and regain her focus. She had to think of a way to defeat the monstrous Kaioden!! Or the King would die, she would die!!! Kaioden rushed at her again, but this time Arashiko was ready. With a graceful leap, she flipped over Kaioden and rammed her in the back with a roundhouse kick. She followed up with a flurry of punches and kicks aimed to injure internal organs. The blows had little effect on Kaioden. They just pissed her off even more, but that was the plan!! If she could get Kaioden to charge carelessly in anger, she could perhaps land a decisive lethal blow. Kaioden screamed in fury and charged her again, just as Arashiko wanted. Arashiko spun around her flailing form and nailed her with an energy blast right to the chest. Kaioden groaned in agony and fell to the ground. Arashiko smiled smugly, preparing to deliver the coup de gra. Rain pounded down incessantly. Lightening flashed everyone lightening flashed everywhere, illuminating Kaioden's fallen body. Arashiko called power to her hands, her killing blow set.
Without warning Kaioden shot up and grabbed Arashiko with both sets of arms. She squeezed Arashiko in an intense bear hug with all her strength, making her bend backwards in distress. Arashiko struggled in vain to escape her iron grip. She could feel the bones in her back cracking, any more and she would be paralyzed in a matter of seconds. She let her head fall back, seemingly giving in to her coming death. Arashiko screamed defiantly as she brought her body forward with all the strength left in her. Headbutting right between the eyes, almost knocking herself out in the process. With her left hand she shot an energy beam directly into Kaioden's face. Kaioden screamed out in pain and rage as Arashiko slipped from her deadly embrace. Kaioden fell to her knees clutching her burnt face and howling in agony. Arashiko pulled the wind underneath her and took to the air.
I have one chance to defeat her. Shi no Arashi!!! Arashiko called to mind the most powerful technique she possessed, the Shi no Arashi, Storm of Death!! It was a potent energy attack where she focused all of her strength and energy into her hands and release it in a single destructive beam of devastating power. This technique was her trade mark as well as her trump card. Once released, it would incinerate Kaioden to ashes.
But I need time to gather the energy for it!! That little prick I gave her should keep her occupied. . .
Arashiko penetrated through the thick storm clouds, the rain bombarding her face as she went. She judged her distance from Kaioden as at least a mile and figured that would be just long enough to charge the attack. She wasted no words. Arashiko stilled herself and began the process. Shards of blue light formed at her fingertips. Lightening ejected from the clouds and struck the aura of pale blue energy that began to swirl around her body. Energy crackled in the air and leaped along her arms, accumulating at her fingertips.
It's almost done!! Just a few more seconds!!! Already Kaioden was on her tail again.
Just a few feet away Kaioden appeared before her. Blue Arquisian blood ran from the gaping wound where her right eye had been and trickled over her wicked fangs. Kaioden did not look happy. Kaioden's arms weaved about in the air maliciously calling for blood, Arashiko's blood.
Yesss!! It's finished!!!
Arashiko let loose the Shi no Arashi. Kaioden flinched in surprise as the resplendent azure light engulfed everything. Blinding streaks of thunder crashed around Arashiko. The aura surrounding her floated outward and dissipated into the flashing violence of the storm. The tremendous beam Arashiko launched at Kaioden creeped forwards in slow motion. Time seemed to stop and stagnate as the Arquisian brought her hands up to enfold the rushing beam of energy. Dark and light met when Kaioden fired off her own beam of spinning red essence. It sliced through the pure blue effulgence that was Arashiko's last hope for defeating her. All at once time sped up again, a rush of motion and noise. Thunder and lightening and wind and rain sang in a cacophony of destruction.
There was no time for thought or action, no time for reflection or fear. The hellfire energy collided with Arashiko dead on. Hot white fire ran through every vein in her body. So overwhelming was the pain and shock to her nervous system that she just stopped feeling all together. Everything became quiet, though the deep roar of releasing energies still filled the air. Then there was the most serene sensation of flying, being carried on the wings of angels. Flying to the greatest heights past all pain and death. All was shattered as the ground caught Arashiko's falling body. She fell even deeper into the ground, her mind falling into darkness as unconsciousness gripped her.
Kaioden slowly descended down to the earth. The Saiyan lay on her back, her body embedded a few inches into the ground from her violent impact. The regal black armor of the Ginyu was scraped and scorched from the abdomen. Shreds of the once white cloak, now stained with dirt and blood, fluttered in the air. Kaioden spat in disgust. This weak Saiyan traitor had defiled both the honor of Arquisia and of the Ginyu Tokusentai! Kaioden kneeled beside Arashiko's body and tore the white emblem of the Ginyu from her chest, rending flesh and drawing blood in the process. Kaioden drew her foot back and kicked Arashiko in the side.
"Wake up, traitor!!" Kaioden yelled bitterly as she kicked Arashiko again, making her body roll over. Arashiko was jerked back to the world of the living. Everything burned and ached, the world loomed over her eyes like a dream vision. Kaioden entered the vision and turned the world into a living nightmare. Kaioden caught her in the face this time with another viscous kick. Arashiko tumbled over, still unable to get to her feet. Begrudgingly her senses faded back into clarity and she could tell what was going on.
I'm still alive!! I'm not going to let it end like this!!! I have to get up!! I have to fight!!! As long as there is still breath in me!!
Arashiko caught Kaioden's foot in the air as she kicked again. She twisted her ankle and tripped Kaioden with a sweep of her leg. Arashiko pushed all pain to the back of her mind, this was the decider!! Fight or die!! No time for pain!!! Arashiko fought with all she had left, nothing but her own willpower. Kaioden was caught completely off guard; she had believed that Arashiko was near death.
Her underestimation of the power of the Saiyan race will be her downfall!!
Arashiko landed a kick to Kaioden's abdomen and an elbow right into the scorched and hollow-eyed side of Kaioden's face. Kaioden gripped the aggravated wound like a newborn child. Arashiko twisted her upper body around and snapped her leg forward, hammering Kaioden on the wounded side of her cranium. Kaioden toppled over and fell to the ground. Arashiko started for her immediately, but something made her stop. She gasped in horror. Her Saiyan tail fell to the ground. In all the fighting, she had forgotten about Ryuichi!! The bastard had cut off her tail!!!!
Without her tail, Arashiko quickly reverted back to normal. The bones in her body shrank back to their usual size and her skin lost its brownish tint. Arashiko's sky blue eyes were returned to her. Her last, best hope for victory faded away into nothingness as power level fell dramatically back to normal. Arashiko spun around in panic, she didn't now what to do now!! Ryuichi materialized by his sister's side.
Kaioden screamed insanely at him, "Damn it!! I told you Ryuichi!! This one is mine!!! Let me handle this!!!!" She got to her feet and pushed him aside. Ryuichi raised his arms in consent and stood back, cold eyes narrowed at Arashiko, a mocking smile stretched across his face.
What do I do now!!?! WHAT THE HELL CAN I DO NOW?!?!!! Arashiko thought frantically as she backed away from the advancing enraged Kaioden. She searched around for absolutely anything that could help and found absolutely nothing. In the blink of an eye, Kaioden was upon her once again. Arashiko tried to find some way to defend herself, but she had used up all of her energy forming the Shi no Arashi. Without the elevated strength of the Ozaroo, she was no match for the transformed Kaioden. With no defense, Kaioden was able to seize Arashiko by the neck, her long claws wrapping around her neck effectively preventing any escape Arashiko tightly gripped Kaioden's forearm to no avail.
"It's been fun, but I'm afraid your time has come!!" Kaioden sneered hatefully into Arashiko's face. Arashiko's eyes widened with terror as Kaioden 's other clawed hand lurched forward. Bitter blood came up in her throat. Her eyes blinked in stunned confusion.
Kaioden had stabbed her long claws straight through her abdomen.
Arashiko's breathing became labored, blood traced paths forming at the corners of her mouth. Kaioden brought her face close to hers and locked her red eyes with Arashiko's widened blue pupils. Kaioden let her writhe for a few moments, sating her appetite for blood and suffering.
"Last blood is always the best." Kaioden said darkly as she withdrew her claws and threw Arashiko to the ground.
Arashiko choked agonizingly for a few moments, then her eyes finally closed and she lay silent. Kaioden walked beside her and lifted her head up by her hair. She snorted disgustingly, "She's still alive," she brought her claws up to Arashiko's throat, "but not for long."
Ryuichi's cold, commanding voice interrupted her gruesome fun, "We don't have time for this. Leave her, she's dead anyways. Frieza just contacted me, the King of the Saiyans is making his last stand. He wants us to return to base immediately."
Kaioden growled menacingly and slammed Arashiko's head back down into the dirt. She got up and walked away from her desolated body.
"That's one less disgusting Saiyan polluting our universe. By dawn their king will be dead, HAHAHAHAAA!!!"
Kaioden's cackling laugh echoed over the landscape and rebounded in Arashiko's ears.
She had failed her King, she had failed her brother Zorn, she had failed herself.
Now there was nothing left but sweet oblivion.
* * *
