Chapter 16: Awakening

"Damn, this guy is way too strong for just the two of us! Where is everyone else?" Trunks cursed under his breath, clutching his chest as he took another one of Gheno's punches.

"They'll be here, but we have to hold him off until then," Kari assented, grunting as a sidekick landed hard in her stomach. She flew backwards and hit a tree trunk, knocking her head against the rigid bark. Trunks was by her side in an instant helping her up. Kari was strong, but just the pair of them were nowhere near an equal match for Gheno and his powerful attacks. They were already suffering from some pretty serious injuries. Trunks had deep gouges in his torso and limbs and Kari was bleeding profusely from her head, but they had to endure it until the others arrived. If they didn't win, they, as well as the Earth, were done for.

"Oi, did someone need our help?"

The familiar voice rang throughout the clearing behind Capsule Corp., bringing sighs of relief and hope from the battered pair. The cavalry had arrived at last. Goku, Vegita, Goten, Gohan, as well as Piccolo, Krillin, Yamcha, Tien, and Chao-zu, all descended from the sky.

"Glad you guys could make it," Trunks grimaced, grabbing his arm and wincing in pain.

"Better late than never. I had to call everyone and get them over here. We came as fast as we could," Goten explained. "And from the looks of you two, I'd say we showed up at just the right time."

"This guy's a little bit of a challenge to put a dent on. He's a genetic experiment that's supposedly one hundred times faster and more powerful than you, Goku-san," Kari commented bitterly, holding her hand to her bleeding head.

The others joined the pair and stood in front of Gheno, slowly measuring up their adversary. The giant had been taken aback by this sudden invasion, but now he grinned wickedly as he looked them over in return.

"So, more weaklings come out to play? Fine by me, it just makes the job more fun," Gheno said, his smile gleaming evilly in the afternoon sun, daring them to challenge him.

"Nobody calls the Prince of Saiyans a weakling and lives! For that you will pay," Vegita raged as he charged at Gheno, fists prepared.

"Vegita, matte! I think you may need some help with this one," Goku said as he flew after him. The others followed shortly, and soon all the Z Senshi were battling it out nine against one. 

Kari and Trunks remained off to the side, not wanting their injuries to interfere with the others. She turned to examine Trunks and let out a small gasp at the sight of his bloodstained clothes. She began tearing strips of cloth from her jacket and wrapping them around his most prominent gashes in an attempt to stem any severe blood-loss. He smiled despite the grim circumstances. Here she was with a serious head injury and she was wrapping up his wounds instead of her own. He offered to help her with her own wound, but she refused, insisting that his were more immediately dangerous. A sudden cry from the battle cut off Trunks' argument.

Gheno had defeated all the Z Senshi excluding Vegita and Goku, but even they were struggling to stand their ground against the genetic beast. And both were SSJ3. Goku gave a cry as he launched a one-hundred times Kamehameha at the monster, who batted it away as if it were nothing but a beach ball. After disposing of Goku's attack, Gheno let loose an energy blast of his own, which rendered Goku unconscious. Vegita was the only remaining. The pair decided they better put their injuries aside and help him or else no one was going to be left to fight at all. They stood up, with much difficulty, and rushed as fast as they could to the battleground where Gheno was unmercifully assailing Vegita.

The two arrived just as Gheno delivered a powerful kick to the Saiyan prince's right shoulder. The sound of shattering bone could be heard ringing throughout the clearing. Vegita collapsed on the ground in pain, clutching his now useless right arm. "Otousan!" Trunks yelled out, turning SSJ2 and launching himself at Gheno with Kari in close pursuit. The two attacked with all they had remaining and landed a few good hits on Gheno's head and torso, but the fight seemed to grow more and more hopeless as both of them were knocked down by the same energy attack. Yamora stood a good distance away, laughing maliciously at the pair's ineffective attacks. And still they continue their useless fight, he thought.  

Just as Gheno was preparing a final attack, he stopped midway through the air as a maniacal smile spread across his face. Kari and Trunks looked warily at each other, both having expected to die just a few moments before. She turned her eyes questioningly to Gheno's looming face. Suddenly, she realized what he was about to do as she saw him gazing into the distance.

Vegita stared at the bloody battle scene before him. A wry smile graced his countenance: the unconscious bodies strewn about the battlefield reminded him of the days when he was one of Freiza's minions, running around the universe mercilessly destroying planets and lives. Only this time he would be one of the exterminated. He glanced at the scene in front of him:  Kari and Trunks were fervently attempting to stop Gheno, but it was looking hopeless. Suddenly, the fight ceased for a brief moment as the monster gazed at something beyond them, a vicious smile slowly spreading across his face.

Vegita froze. Gheno was staring straight at him.

He could sense the energy gathering at the monster's side and knew he could not withstand a blow of that magnitude, not even in SSJ3 form. He prepared himself for the coming onslaught. He saw Gheno release the attack and stared as it came flying in his direction. Light began to cloud his sight as the attack gathered around him. "Iie, impossible," Vegita whispered fiercely to himself, not willing to believe that the Prince of Saiyans could be slain by such a miserable fate. But he would face his death honorably.

The attack never hit him. Surprised, Vegita looked up as he saw the energy striking someone that had stepped in front of him at the last second. Kari.

She screamed as the energy of the attack seeped into her every vein, burning her skin, making her feel like she was going to explode from the inside. Gritting her teeth, she knew she couldn't take much more of this. Although it's not like she could have withstood it in the first place, and yet she had to persevere. She wouldn't let Vegita die, not if she could help it, not even if it meant sacrificing herself. The sound of Trunks shouting only reinforced her determination. She tightened her arms in front of her and continued to withstand the unrelenting, pounding force of energy.

This has gone too far. Now he's involving the lives of my friends in this. This has got to stop. Now. Kari thought angrily to herself. This fight was between Yamora and her, and he had dragged all of her friends into this deadly fray as well. They were innocent. She was the one he sought to destroy, not them. Now they were all going to die because of her, because she was too weak to defend the only living people that truly cared for her. She couldn't and wouldn't allow this to go any further. Her friends would not suffer the same gruesome fate as the rest of her planet had at the hands of a Tsunian. But…I need more power. I can't defend them with my current power level!

The attack seemed to increase in energy as she held her position, pushing her backwards towards Vegita. Her feet were making deep tracks in the ground as she tried desperately to keep the attack at bay. It wasn't working. Her body couldn't take much more of this, and the force wasn't abating in power. It looked like the end.

NO! I won't allow it to end this way. Yamora cannot prevail! My friends need me. Trunks needs me. I must win! I'm their last hope for survival. I will not be defeated!  With a renewed sense of spirit, Kari reached deep within her ki, pushing herself to the very brink of self-destruction. It won't end this way. I won't allow anyone to suffer the same fate as my family and my people!  

Her power began increasing rapidly as she continued to probe the very depths of her ki. Feeling her emotions and power culminate within her, she screamed out in anger, pain, and determination, and burst forth with a new energy. It flowed through her veins like the energy of the sun. She knew now she was strong enough to defend her friends and her soul mate. She had finally fulfilled her destiny: she had become the strongest warrior in the universe, as was predicted at her birth. She had finally reached the legendary Shiroi Level of her ancient race.

So, the Saiyans aren't the only ones with true legends of sleeping powers, Kari mused to herself. With her newfound power, she destroyed Gheno's attack with ease. She turned to face him and Yamora, speaking to them in an even, deadly voice. "Yamora, listen well. You can destroy my life, you can destroy my pride, and you can even destroy me. But, Yamora," she said, lowering her voice, "if you try to destroy my friends the way you did my people, make no mistake. I will kill you."

Her statement threw him off guard for a mere moment, and his shock provided all the time she needed. He knew all too well the story of the sleeping power of Arquinian royalty, his ancestors had been defeated by the same power long ago. It seemed that was his destiny as well. How ironic: destroyed by the same power as his ancestors, a power that manifested in the one he was supposed to eliminate with ease.

The princess threw her hands over her head. "And now, Tsunian, I will destroy you! For my redemption, for Arquinia, for my loved ones!" She radiated with a bright power, her ki glowing so intensely around her it was blinding even to the Saiyan eye. She crossed her arms in front of her and let out a final yell as she threw them open and released a magnitude of power. It fanned out from her like a wave of golden energy and flew towards Yamora and Gheno, instantly disintegrating them both. Their screams were silenced as the light faded away, leaving no trace of either in its wake.

Kari immediately collapsed on the ground, completely devoid of energy. All was quiet once again as the setting sun splashed brilliant shades of violet, crimson, magenta, and rust across the darkening sky, illuminating the still scene and enshrouding each still fighter with a golden aura.