And We Shall Be Victorious
Ceryce
Chapter 13
~ Death (e) ~
She was dying.
It was as simple as that.
She was dying and the battle still raged on.
She was dying and her only family was away from her.
She was dying and nobody cared.
She was dying and she was scared.
Yes.
It was as simple as that.
She was dying.
@~~!~~@
The sun was high in the sky and the clouds had never looked so soft and fluffy. Overall, it was a beautiful sunny day. It would have been a true paradise if it were not for the silence. The scenery was bearing a striking resemblance to a post card: idyllic, heavenly, cold, and lifeless. From a faraway point of view that this, because when you got close enough, it looked exactly like it was supposed to look like: the battleground for the earth future; The landscape was ruined and the few mountains left from years of utilization as sparing ground and target practice had dwelled to only a few peaks scattered around.
The warriors, who were currently using this particular area for personal matter, couldn't care less about it however, been a tad to busy in saving they life and the fate of the planet. Goku, Goten, Gohan, Vegeta, Trunks, and Mirai-Trunks were the last warriors left and they were giving it they everything.
Each of them had a shot with the Medusa and each had fallen to his hands. Mirai sword lay on the ground broken and he had taken the brut of the attacks, the Medusa seeming to have a personal grudge against him. Right now, he was barely holding on to Super Saiyans 2. As for Trunks and Goten, they were doing fusion upon fusion, knowing perfectly well that there was just no way they could win in they Super Saiyans 2 form, but the battle was starting to take is toll on Gotenks. He had never hold the Super Saiyans 3 form for this long and very soon, Trunks and Goten wouldn't be able to maintain him for much longer. Gohan, Vegeta, and Goku were the only one who had enough strength left that could make a difference in the battle.
The only thing right now that could have helped them was Gogeta but for some reason Vegeta was even more vehement then ever about not fusing with Goku.
When it became apparent that the fusion was out of the question, they were left with almost nothing. Now Goku and Vegeta at Super Saiyans 5 and Gohan Mystic form was the only thing preventing the Medusa from destroying the earth.
Even if no one was saying it aloud, it was evident that they were counting on Gohan inner strength to tilt the battle in they favor. Of course, there was just no way he could, one and for all, defeats it, but at least he would be able to lend a blow and borrow some time that would let them find a way to win. Now it was Goku turn and he was giving is all and trying his hardest to force him to make an error to let Gohan recuperate enough and to analyze his move. Vegeta was right behind him, waiting only for Goku to be knock out so that he will be able to have a shot and who know kill it (in his humble opinion).
As for the Medusa, who had given up the illusion of Mirai-Trunks appearance for a little while now, was not giving up either and it became painfully obvious that the battle had lasted long enough for him to learn the other warriors attacks and techniques so that the Z Fighters were now force to face off against they own attacks. They were now obliged into finding, on the fly, new techniques that were getting more nasty and cruel as time went by.
In short, the sky was blue, the landscape was destroyed, the warriors were battered, the fight was getting more vicious as the seconds went by, and nobody was winning.
The positive side of this situation? Nobody was losing either. It was not much, but in the state they where in, nobody was complaining.
However, for all they injury no one was in worst condition then Pan. Lying on the ground, she looked like a broken doll. The skin had blister everywhere and looked as if she jumped head first into a bonfire. The beautiful girl was long gone and right now, the only thing left on the desert ground was a parody of the once strong Saiyan girl.
Laying on her back, unconscious of her surrounding, she was unaware of the fight and unfortunately, been completely wrapped in the battle, the warriors were also unaware of her presence so close to the battle field, they mind clouded by they own survival. Ki-blast was shot in every direction, ki-storm was generated by the Saiyans powering up, and still the young girl was out.
Nothing seemed to be able to wake her up until she started twitching. The pain did it. It's was the pain that woke her from her slumber, the pain and the knowledge that something was going on and even if the pain was almost unbearable, she was glad for that, because when she was finally able to focuses her eyes on the blurry form moving above her in the sky, she was totally blown away.
The battle that was going on above her was beautiful and lethal.
The fighters were out of control; they were no longer restrained, no longer held by any sense of moral code. They. Were. Wild.
Right now, Vegeta was the one who had the stage. He was feral and fierce. She had never seen him like that in her entire life, only heard it in bedtime story when it was dark, when her father was lost in the past. Such power…Such rage…Such anger…and yet in all his madness they were a reason.
She would have liked Bra to witness the way her father was fighting. It was because of her, it was because of her sacrifice, it was because of her death that he was fighting in this matter, and yet it was not enough. They were not winning.
Bra… Although a few years older then her, they were the best friend in the world. She was a true warrior and a princess at heart. The warrior princess. Mmmnnn… She was the truth daughter of her father: Self-centered, vain, but a true and dear friend. Thinking about Bra made her sad. She was gone and with Dende dead, the chances of reviving her were very slim.
Bra…she already missed her, missed her little comments, missed her presence. Bra… maybe with that other dragon Porunga?
Pan shook her head, and started screaming. The simple movement of her head bringing pain into her entire body. She could actually feel her very bone burning inside her. She tried to stay awake, to use her strength and her mind to will the pain away but it was too much for the young girl. After a few seconds, she fainted.
It was a good thing to, because it makes her unaware that the eating feeling was not just an impression or a trick of her confused mind and it was not just internal. Her bone, skin, organ were been slowly rotting, eating away inside of her. Her mind slowly degenerating, leaving inside her head damage that no sensu bean could repair, no dragon could wish away.
She was dying.
Why her body was slowly rotting away, she would never know, only knew when it all started, and who was behind it.
The Medusa.
It only needed one punch from the Medusa to make her body start to destroy itself. The punch didn't even hurt her. She didn't even fell it, only knew when she started falling down the mountains and the searing pain on her chest were he had touched her.
A simple touch and she was dying.
His poisonous touch.
Who could have warned her about it? Only one person was able to, but he didn't and even now seeing her unconscious body on the ground, helpless prey to the poison, he just turned his back on her and brought his attention on the battle.
Didn't he know he was signing her death warrant? Probably, considering the anguish that shone in his eye, but it didn't stop him from turning his back on her. So that when she finally regains conscious, she was still alone with as sole companion pain.
When she woke up, the first thing that came to her mind, the first name that went through her mouth was the one of her best friend.
Bra and she were inseparable and Bra the greatest of friend. She could be pig-headed at time, usually self-centered and always vain but she was always there for her. She was loyal to a fault, a trait that she shared with her brother.
Thinking of Trunks make her carefully turned her head toward him, mindful of her probable head injury. Even then, the pain was unbearable and almost knock her out but she hold on, she was not the daughter of her mother for nothing. And her efforts were not in vain, since now she has a perfect view on her secret crush.
Kami, how could she had been so silly! He had never been hers, never.
Trunks, her childhood crush, and still her secret crush even though she knew for some time now that it was doomed to fell. Only now knowing the reason why: he was in love with her uncle Goten.
That hurt. Who cold have guessed?
He was always so strong, so sure of himself, so handsome. Curse this family. They had the look, the brain, the power, the attitude and the money. They had anything. He had everything. She was just the little girl who was watching them from afar. Her prince had other thing to worries about then love. That what she though anyway. Until she heard Bulma talks. Her prince charming had left the sleeping princess in her eternal slumber for his knight. Fighting for all it was worth for the approbation of the king. They was probably in irony in this picture but she was to sick to see it.
Trunks, so different then is future self. They must have been an error. They were no way Trunks could have grown up into Mirai, whatever life he lived and whatever horror happened. Mirai must have been from another dimension. That must be it. Mirai was as different as her father and Goten!
Goten. Her uncle Goten.
Goten was her favorite uncle. So full of life, so innocent, so in love with Trunks, so mad at his father, and another victim of Vegeta 'evil' influence as grandma would say. She knew that if it weren't for the Medusa, he would have come see her. He never forgets about her. Never. Not like her father.
Frowning, she watched her father, in his fighting stance looking at the fight while keeping in eyes for Mirai. No, she was unjust with him. It was not his fault. How could it be? He had been perfectly fine until he came. They were a happy family. Her parent had nearly never had an argument. They were totally in love, always saying something nice to each other, always touching each other, always holding each other. And now,
Now…narrowing her eye she watched, as he got closer to Mirai.
They will come back together. That was not the end.
Giving a small smirk, she started to get up, and nearly fainted on the spot. How could she forget she was badly hurt! Her head was throbbing and it was impossible to think strait. Her throat was killing her, and her voice just toke the board.
It was all because of him. Why couldn't he just stay the hell alone from them and keep his entire freak show in his own time line!
The sole act of thinking his name makes her blood boils. She despises this name or more accurately the person behind that name. As far as she was concerned, he was a demon behind the face of an angel. He was a hypocrite, a traitor, a weakling who was barely holding on to his sanity. How could her father be so blind!
Was that the man she heard so much about? The selfless warrior who came into they world to save them all, the noble warrior who left his own world so that he could give a better future for people he never even saw before, the self-sacrificing warrior who was ready to die for them and thus condemning his own world? Something must have happened because there sure was no trace of this warrior inside this version of Trunks! Cringing, she turned her head to see the fighters in the sky. The first two warriors she easily recognize was the two Trunks so different and yet so the same. Two side of the coin or the same side of two different coins. Whatever, one thing remain, they were as much different as they where the same and that was only what mattered.
Sighting, she closed her eyes. Her entire body was hurting her, and trough her fevering minds she knew that she was in very bad condition. She just knew it she was not going to last very long, the fight better end soon, or else she would never be able to see the end.
Even with the suffering, she should have kept her eyes open. Not to save herself, that would be useless considering that she could barely move, but she could have brace herself against the major blast that although didn't lend on her was close enough for the after shock to send her scurrying right under a small rock formation, doing in the way severe damage to her already torn body.
The cry that was ripped from her throat makes it bleed the blood nearly choking her. When she was finally able to regain her wit and swallow all the blood, she was meet with an unusual sight: a hole, a very small hole.
That was the result of the blast that nearly send her to King Emma?! Two things, The Medusa was getting weak and the blast didn't do much damage or is power had been diminish after colliding with different obstacle consisting of various z fighters but whatever the cause the result was the same, a simple hole in the middle of the desert. She would have laugh if her body was not killing her.
Raising her head, she tried to see the fight but from her position, part of her sky was hidden by a small cave she was half inside and the sun was in her face. But with a little effort, she could see the fight.
Narrowing her eyes, she watched as Goku took his turn in the fight against the Medusa who had by that time totally drooped the illusion. From the beginning of the fight, he was evident that he was the one who had the better handle at him. At SSJ 5, Goku was exactly was the Medusa needed. Goku was giving is all, but she knew that the Medusa was not fighting in earnest. He had still much under his sleeves. She just knew it! At least, he was no longer smiling since he was too occupied to fight for his life. The punches were flying so fast she couldn't even keep up, but even now she knew it was not the full power of this beast. However, she was not worrying. Her grandpa was there and there was nothing he couldn't do. She didn't even finish the tough when the medusa send a blast to Goku sending him on the ground. To her horror, she saw her father coming to start fighting.
Growling, she tried to rise only to be reminding why she was on her back. From the spot where this monster had touched her, she had been burning to the bone, and now it was spreading. If the battle didn't finish very soon, she was not going to survive they victory. Like so many friends, she had lost, like Bra. She was not going to lost someone else! Not her dad! He was the only one she had left! Then he came.
Vegeta just jumped right in front of Gohan and started a new round of battle. Was it not just a few minute Vegeta was barely holding up? Now he was using all his technique, the more common one and the few not so common to attack the Medusa. Vegeta was able to use many new moves that not only were strong enough to hurt the Medusa but deafly enough to make some really damage. Blasts were flying everywhere and even the other had to move if they didn't want to be another victim of this battle.
Yet again, she tried to rise only to stop when it seemed that she left part of her hearth behind. Kami, the pain! And she had to move, she couldn't stay here much to long, she was laying at the feet of the mountains where the Medusa have pushed her of and his touch have burned her and even now she could feel the burn inside of her. Setting in flame her entire body, eating away her bone. Yet, it was not going to be important if she was killed by a dodged blast, Vegeta was not the most concerned about bystander when he was fighting for his life and his pride.
Then him to was push away, push been in understatements, since he was send with such force he had engrave into the ground at least 20 feet in.
Rising her head, she saw as Goku went toward Vegeta to get him out of the ground just to be push away by him.
Vegeta. The royal prince. She could see him right now, battling the Medusa with such rage, such desperation. She wished Bra could have seen that. She was always trying to find new way to attract them father attention to make him notice her Bra and her brother. She wished she could have that. She would have so please.
However, Bra would have been more surprise to see the way Mirai was fighting. Such anger. Why? Mirai didn't care about none of them except for Bulma and Vegeta. It was an obsession. No, he was angry about something else. It was obvious. They were no reason for him to fight this way not like trunks.
Now Gohan was checking on Mirai who had been blast away by the monster, he was checking the other because he was ready to fight.
Taking a big breath to brace herself against the pain, she notice that she couldn't breathe well was it because of the injury. She didn't know it but a big part was yes, her lungs were doing they last mile. She was slowly losing conscious from the lack of air when a kamehameha blast landed way to close to her. If she wanted to survive, she needed to do something and needed to do it now.
She was in danger and she needed to move, but how could she. No one was going to help her, they were too focuses on the battle to notice her. Would her father react this way if it were she, lying on the desert in a pill of dust? She hoped. However, she intuitively knew that it was a false hope. Considering that, she was still alive and her father was more worried about Mirai safety then hers. Since he came here, he monopolizes his entire attention.
Closing her eye, she let a few tear escape. How her life went so wrong? Her life was perfect are as perfect it could be with many monster trying to destroyed them. It seems that everything went down when this human decided that the human race needing a savior from the evil Saiyans and went to kill all Saiyans.
Opening her eye, she watched them fight. The human had absolutely so chance and defeating them whatsoever and so decided to take another approach.
Hostages.
The blood, there was so much blood. Then 17 came from nowhere, knowing before everyone that her sister was dead, he went running to her and was blown away by the nuclear bomb the monster had hidden.
Dead.
After that this were not just the same anymore…But at least they were holding one and now he had bring this monster… with rage in her eye she watched as The Medusa prepare another attack. This time he used Goku kamehameha to shake the earth. This attach didn't leave only a small indent on the earth. The sky was blazing with the blue light and then the earth was shaking, she fell the after shook all the way to her bone leaving her twitching on the ground her face squished with hurt, and pan, she was wanting and sobbing now, they were no use in pretending that she was strong, the pain was too much. She wanted the suffering to stop, and she was scared to death now, was no body going to help her. Now she could even yell, her voice was just a little squeak and she couldn't even her own yell in her hear, she wanted her father, she wanted him to be next to her, and she needed her.
Unbeknownst to her, she was already to far into death arm to be of any use, her body was just a large mass of purulent wound and burned and scorched flesh, the young girls was no more and instead they was only a lump of body moving gasping and crying, but still able of intelligence although severely impair.
The only thing that she could see was Trunks, was she destined to die with the only image in her head was the man that destroyed her family? Then something happened, she was moving. Confuse she looked around, she was not the only thing moving, the ground was moving along with her, where were they going? She was still gazing at the warrior above her when she notices something strange. In her normal state she would have taken less then five minute two figured it out of in her state of suffering, she took more then 10 minute of intense concentration to find out what was wrong.
She was moving
Leaning her head behind, she looked at they destination, from how she was looking, the ground was up in the sky and was been aspired into a hole.
Huh?
Crushing her teeth together she turned over so that the world was in the right direction and she was right, the ground was been aspired into the hole.
For a few minutes, she just watched as rock, grass and little animal went inside, but she couldn't grasp the meaning of it. Small formation of rock disappears and an entire family of dinosaurs along with it and yet she was not bugging, she was still watching as the entire ground was moving. Frowning she turned her head toward the fight, but they were no longer above her. She was alone. Hearing something, she turned around. She didn't see anything, what she hearing thing? Raising his eye up she looked at the sky, before her, a small eagle was flying away, or trying since he seemed to fly in place. She watched for a few second until he started to fly backward and downward. He was been entrained toward the hole. She looked as he fighting all his might but he was losing ground, then with a little cry he was gone into the hole. Hearing some yell she turned toward the fight scene. Vegeta was down on his knee barely holding on to consciousness and Goku was next to him, half his mind on Vegeta, and half on the Medusa who his was fighting. Vegeta seemed in no condition to fight any longer.
Pan trough it was weird since he didn't look that damage to her. Then before her very eye, she watched as Mirai jump in front of Gohan to stop a blast from the Medusa, sending him unconscious. Then they disappear from her view as Gotenks came before him and starting reciting his lasted punch line. Frowning she watched for her father until she saw him, over the Mirai body and she could she him powering up from all the way she was laying she could feel his anger and his rage.
Mirai was up again, was send crashing down when Gotenk was send flying into him, and separated on collision. Waiting no time, he went to see if they were all okay,
At this time, she was no longer able to evoke any clear trough, only feeling and emotion. What now she only knew one thing, her father was not there, next to her, to make thing better. She was alone, scared but he prefer to stay with this Trunks, didn't he cared for her at all. She was his little girl and he had promises her that he was always going to be next to her and yet there he was his back on her.
That when she heard the growl. Turning she saw bigger and bigger animal suck inside the hole and she was closer to it too.
She was been suck closer to the hole and she was defenseless.
That when she realizes what was going to happen: she was going to die.
She lost it.
The last vestige of her sanity went away at the sight of this void. Her mouth, open wide for a silence scream, in her black eye wide-open only madness, started clawing at the ground to put some distance but it was no use? The entire earth was moving along with her. But it didn't make any sense to her. She was above any rational though. Painfully she started moving away, not aware of the trail of blood and other thing she left behind. Vultures circle above her, waiting to take her before the void takes away they dinner.
Only a small part of her brain was working now, she was yelling, twitching, convulsing on the floor. She almost went into spasm two or three time. However, it went unnoticed they couldn't hear her: she didn't make a sound. They couldn't see her: the rock was hiding her. However, she had no problem hearing them, no problem seeing them.
Was she replaced?
Looking at Mirai, she saw him holding Goten up.
Did Mirai mean so much to him? What was her place in his heart? Looking behind her, she saw the hole only feet away from her.
Was that the end?
@~~!~~@
She had called out for her friend but her desperate cries had remains unanswered. The people she had trust the most, that she had put her confidence into, had let her face this terrible ordeal on her own.
She had fallen in the hole and unable to catch her breath in space she started suffocating.
She died.
No one notice her fall, no one notice her demise, no one except the only person on earth that she despises the most. The one who had destroyed everything she held dear to her. He had witnesses her trial but didn't lend a hand, abandoning her.
In the dark corner of deep space, she will eternally wander like the last vestige of a powerful race. Her black eye fixed on the everlasting void for all eternity.
Now, she will drift forever in space, meeting world that she only heard in stories but unable to touch them, to understand them, traveling, and visiting myriad of world only as a silence witness to a never-ending darkness.
She had lived a full live and had only one regret in life.
That she had died alone.
@~~!~~@
A single tear slowly rolled down his cheek.
I'm sorry, I am so very sorry.
Pan…
@~~!~~@~~!~~@