Instruments in Tune: Invasion

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Chapter 24: The pain of Failure.

"NOOOOO" Yelled out the guardian of earth the second he felt the life forces of Goku, Vegeta, Gohan, Krillin and Piccolo leave the earths atmosphere, now they were beyond his reach and he would be unable to track or even speak to Piccolo now, they had lost them.

"Kami it cant be true how is it Possible that they were taken so easily." Popo questioned urgently his eyes wide and his heart praying that there would be a way out of this.

Kami had fallen to his knees yet again, he had monitored the entire battle frequently screaming out at such moment like when Goku was down and of course when Piccolos received his brutal wounds, which the guardian himself received the full impact of the pain minus the physical injury and blood loss.

"Popo, bring me... to my throne..." Kami said breathlessly as he tried stand, but the he blamed himself and that it was his failure that they had been taken, taken away to where no one may ever se them again.

The genie didn't speak but swiftly brought on all his strength as he wrapped his arms around Kami lifting his into a crouched position, balancing the Kami's seven foot stature upon his thick shoulder, slowly he walked the guardian toward the throne room where he had requested to be taken.

After an endless stumble and drag into the lookout tower where Kami's stone throne was, Popo attentively sat the elderly guardian down being sure that he was comfortable.

Popo kneeled down besides the throne watching as the old Kami shut his eyes not even having the strength to keep them open.

"Where have they been taken, what does it all mean" Popo urged clasping his fingers together in a praying fashion shaking them profusely.

Kami opened his eyes just a crack and looked out toward the open doorway that they had entered through, sighing a jagged breath through his meagrely parted lips.

"It means Popo... that I do not know where they are and I have no way ... of finding them," Kami said bowing his head in defeat and pure helplessness.

Popo gasped in shock that they had lost the remainder of earths fighters, how will the planet earth be protected how will they survive if the evil ice-jinn guardian decides to return for the rest of them...

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In the star speckled and planet filled universe the grisly dark ship made its way toward its destination, the ice-jinn's world, but this world was far and it would take many months before they would be taken to the planet the ship had duties of its own besides capturing the Z fighters.

The ships crew had several planets to destroy and prepare for their clients to colonise, this time no Sayajins were aboard the ship besides Goku and Vegeta meaning in the past the dirty work would have been left up to them and the rest of their race. So perhaps destroying the Sayajins planet and wiping out the race was a mistake because now it only made heavier labours to the ice -jinn's.

In one of the many corridors of the 500-room vessel, the blue-fleshed guards were escorting Poetry Isabelle and Cyndel toward Tempos chamber; he wished to see them for no focused reason but rather out of curiosity for his new prison stock.

"Let us go...please" Cried and moaned Cyndel with tars streaming down her already soaked cheek and stinging her reddened eyelids, the creature escorting her had her 2 feet above the ground strung by her underarms that was extremely painful.

"Cyndel don't cry, don't let them see you cry honey!" Poetry called out behind her toward her young daughter, her escort was further ahead and along side them was Isabelle being carried in the same manner by the creature as Cyndel was being carried... painfully.

Poetry again tried to keep sight of her daughter afraid that they would be soon separated by the looks of the many rooms and chambers that they passed, holding cells were in abundance on this ship and she wondered why.

"Cyndel remember what I told you if we don't see one another. REMEMBER!" Poetry called out trying to reassure her young daughter who could not control her fearful agonising sobs, her body shaking and convulsing with every staggered breath.

"Where dad... whares my father!" The young half namekian threw her head back and screamed out in desperation.

"Silence half breed brat!" Bellowed the creature caring her, growling his voice down into her sensitive namekian ears making her instantly recoiled her head toward the ground to avoid his load imposing tone.

As the others panicked Isabelle was in a state of shock, all she could do was watch the walls rush past as she was carried off toward an unknown destination, she couldn't locate her voice, her mind was blank and unable to function to help herself.

Then all three of the captive women fell silent when the creatures carrying them stopped beside a large smooth shiny steel door, The creature carrying Poetry stepped forward first using one hand to hold Poetry still and used the other to punch a round flat button along side the large door. Instantly the two doors opened separating horizontally to reveal the decontrol room.

All three creatures stepped inside simultaneously carrying their cargo of prisoners with then for their master to view and decide their fate.

"Sire, we have brought you the female prisoners as you requested," Said the first creature carrying Poetry stepping forward he waited for his master to turn and face them.

Tempo sat lazily in his chair watching as the stars passed by them through the large viewing window, between his forefinger and thumb was a crystal clear glass filled with a rich red almost black liquid, and in the other hand the orb that encased the powers and souls of the earths fighters.

Finally, their patients payed off when the ice-jinn slowly sun around his chair still glancing at the orb in his hand and taking a slow sip of his wine.

"Your names?" Tempo asked without looking at the three women who were held against their will before him, not a one of them answered but Tempo could hear Cyndel's sobs which she tried to hinder unsuccessfully, this received a quick glare from the guardian.

"You realise if you all refuse to answer my requests, or do my bidding you will... die?" Tempo spoke finally glancing straight toward Poetry whom he sensed to have the most courage and the most resilience among the three.

Poetry took in a deep breath through her nostrils and eyed the guardian back with all the bravery she could bring to her face, but inside she was indeed terrified to the core of her soul.

"You have no right to take us from out home like this, we have all done nothing to you!" She said calmly to the guardian trying not to show the discomfort of being carried awkwardly and painfully upon her face.

Tempo glared back at her for a moment, he blinked without any reaction then looked back to his dark orb of stolen souls and smiled.

"You have a very limited knowledge of what your... associated have done to me and my people fare one" He uttered anger rising in his chest which he concealed with the greatest of ease.

Tempo stood up from his throne grasping his staff that leaned up against the thick armrest using it to walk forward, he paced slowly down the three steps leading up onto his throne and straight for Poetry.

Poetries breath staggered and her face paled noticeable when the guardian approached her. His dark purple lips revolting in every way, their shape colour and what came from them... his eyes were cold and lifeless like he was a demon from the afterlife.

Tempo stopped inched from Poetry, she tried to struggle away from his but the creature holding hie arms did not allow her to move a millimetre in any direction.

"I shale ask you again, and know that it will be the last time that I ask...What is you name?" Tempo repeated leaning loser to Poetries face, so close he was able to count all the colours that resided in her blue irises.

Poetry stubbornly refused, shaking her head at the guardian and maintaining her cool exterior the entire time, her fist were clenched together so tensely that she was loosing feeling in them.

Tempo waited a little longer but she refused to speak a word.... he slowly backed away a step with the dark orb still sitting in the centre of his palm. Poetry took a quick glance, curious at what this mesmerising object was and what it was used for she could distinctly see several different colours swirling around like waves of water.

"Fine" Tempo uttered before taking his next course of action.

The guardian turned sharply to his left bringing his spear up he swung it with great force hitting his target exactly where he wanted.

"NOOO, leave her alone, you bastard!" Poetry screamed as she watched her friend and sister Isabelle being struck hard and brutally in the gut not once, not twice but three times with head of Tempos staff, each impact more merciless than the last.

Isabelle's eyes widened she was winded and unable to breath, like her lungs did not even exist then she went limp and into semi shock, seconds later blood gushed up and out of the girls lips dripping to the ground and into her loosely hanging feet.

"How could you, HOW COULD YOU!"? Poetry screamed watching as the creature that held Isabelle dropped her to the ground without regard letting her cultivate and cough up more blood onto the control room floor.

Tempo turned calmly toward Poetry smiling as he had earlier.

"I told you I wouldn't 'ask' again, this time I belted it out of someone, but will I get it?" He said slapping the bottom of his staff against Isabelle's unmoving body teasing Poetry with all his malice.

"Poetry, is that what you want to hear? My name is Poetry damm you" Poetry called out toward him as she kept looking back to Isabelle, she could clearly hear Cyndel crying loudly behind her in fear, also calling out to her aunt who had been struck down in cold emotion.

"Why yes, that is exactly what I wanted to hear, and now I am afraid I have no need for your entertaining company... take them to their cells" Tempo said smugly looking Poetry icily into her eyes, the two restraining Poetry and Cyndel started leaving.

They both started to scream in protest now wanting to be separated from Isabelle, they desperately urged her to awaken but she did not move.

As they disappeared out of view and their voices grew thin, the guard carrying Isabelle leaned down sliding one hand under the injured girls shoulders and the other behind her knees unintentionally sliding it along her buttocks

He was also about to leave to follow the others when he felt a strange sensation against his hand, he pulled the hand that was beneath Isabelle's knees out and looked at it, his thick hide like skin was coated in a red substance... it was more blood.

The creature looked at it with an eyebrow raised then turned toward tempo without changing his expression.

Tempo had seen it all and nodded, then motioned the guard to do as he was ordered with a few extra instructions.

"Call up the ships surgeon, have him take care of 'that' after you put her in her cell" He added, the creature nodded emitting with a grunt then turned and left the room to join the others carrying Isabelle who was now unconscious.

After watching the last guard leave to do his duty, Tempo leisurely turned around with his sinister leer still plastered on his face and returned to his throne.

Around him sat all the pilots and admirals that were at his every command acting as though nothing had taken place just now, they continued with their works at the control panels and of standing guard.

It was quite until one pilot spoke up.

"My lord we are completely out of earths atmosphere and are approaching that of Mars, we should be there within 3 days," Announced the co-pilot without turning away from his station to face his lord.

Tempo listened then retrieved his wine glass glancing at its content contently before taking another sip, he would most enjoy the return home after completing this mission, revenge was in deed sweet when it was mixed in with a planet takeover...

"No rush, we have all we need right here with us, take the normal course and speed soldier" he commanded watching again as the stars passed by the large window screen filling his sights with the endlessness of the universe, and it would one day all belong to him if things all went his way.

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