Six months later, Violet began her preliminary training to learn how to use her saiyan powers. Her parents were worried that it was too early to start, but they were soon relieved to find that Violet took the training well and improved quickly.
On a bright summer morning about ten years later, seventeen-year-old Violet was just finishing up her ten-mile run for the day when she heard something. Pausing for a moment, she held her breath in order to hear better, but no sound came out of the forest behind the palace. Shaking her head and blaming the sound on the wind, she resumed running and thinking about the celebration that would take place that day.
Upon returning to the palace, Violet jogged up the back stairs to her rooms, where she showered off the sweat and grime of her run and freshened up for the long day ahead. When she got downstairs to the small dining hall reserved for her family for "normal" meals-those meals that did not have anything to do with any special gathering-she saw her parents in a flurry of activity. They were finalizing the plans for the celebration for the 170th anniversary of the Island Alliance, which they were hosting that year.
"Hey, Cass," she greeted her brother, who was working on food arrangements. Though he was only eleven years old, he had a talent for organization-a very rare trait in a boy his age-and was looking over the arrangements for the food, making sure everything was in order. "Need help with anything?" Violet asked, just to be polite, because she knew what his answer would be.
"Nope-got everything pretty well covered on this end," he replied without looking up from the sheets of paper.
Shaking her head and smiling to herself, Violet moved on to where her mother sat, looking over the decorations and furniture arrangements with an assistant. "We'll have the tables with food and the seating tables over on the green, correct?"
"Yes. They're being set up as we speak," her assistant replied.
"Good. Make sure that there will be plenty of décor over there, since that is where we'll be most of the day, except for in the games area." Queen Ariana looked up for the first time, finally noticing her daughter standing there. "Violet, could you be so kind as to get the sheaf of papers for the games area and go over them? I need you to make sure everything is in order. If everything checks out, go oversee the set-up."
"Sure." Violet walked over to get the papers, passing her father on the way as he sat down at the table with even more papers, poring over the money side of the whole party. I don't even want to think about how much this is costing Yavinia to host. Oh, well, at least celebrations like this only happen once every five years, and even then we rotate hosting duties with the other three countries. Grabbing the papers, a cursory glance told her that everything was going smoothly, so she took the papers and went over to the games area.
There would be an arena for sparring for those skilled with either the blade or the lightsaber, though they would simply be using blunted steel so that no one would get hurt. There also were padded suits, so that it would take only a touch for the match to be over. Violet hoped to have a chance at doing that herself.
Then there were dart boards, coin-tossing booths, and many other fun little places were people could test their skills-kind of like at carnivals, though these were much more modern and one did not have to pay to play.
The last few hours flew by in a flurry of preparation. The party was slated to start at eleven o'clock, and they finished everything just in time to be changed and ready to receive the other royal families of the Alliance. Much of the populace would be coming as well, but greeters at the gates would welcome them long after the royalty arrived.
The first family to arrive was the Westland family of Alendre. King Kyte was about two years older than Violet's father, and Queen Carida was about four years older than her mother. Their two children, Prince Garion and Princess Tyria, were sixteen and ten, respectively. Violet had not seen them since the last celebration five years earlier. Though their parents often met to talk of state matters, they rarely brought their children along for the ride. The Wakefields stood as they entered, escorted by the two greeters.
"Oh, please, Ryo, you know we're good enough friends to not need formalities," King Kyte said cheerfully as they walked into the room. Ryo grinned and shook the offered hand strongly. "You do remember my kids, don't you?"
Violet and Cass nodded at the other two. They nodded in return. As their parents began speaking, Violet took a moment to appraise them. She noted that Garion had grown quite a bit, and was almost as tall as his six-foot father. Tyria, though she was only ten years old, was already beginning to look like her beautiful mother.
Garion eyed Violet as well. He saw that she was tall for a girl her age, and good-looking, though still a little too gangly to be called beautiful. Her shoulder-length blonde hair fell down across her shoulders quite well, however, and gave her an air that made her seem older than she really was. Cass was also tall for his age, and would probably surpass his father, who was only an inch shorter than Kyte.
Both Violet and Garion, noticing that their younger siblings were a bit shy around each other, began talking of how much fun they had the last time they had seen each other in hopes that they would take the hint and go play. Soon they left, Tyria being chased by Cass out the back door.
By this time both teens had sat down and had lost a subject to talk about. Then Violet said thoughtfully, "You know, there really aren't too many royal kids."
"Yeah, I know. Keiran Windward is only seven, and the Winslows don't have any."
Violet glanced over at him. "I wonder where April is, then. She's what, nine by now?"
"Yeah. I know, I keep thinking of her as if she were dead."
"And Gavin, had he lived, would be my brother's age, right?"
"I think so. He's eleven, right?"
She nodded. "Kind of the opposite of how it was five years ago, isn't it?"
"How so?"
"Well, this time it's the guy who's a year older than the girl," she said, winking at him.
"Well, if you're going to pull age on me, I'll just pull height."
"Hey! That's not fair-you're a guy, of course you're taller!"
"So, I guess we're both just victims of circumstance, then."
Violet burst out laughing. "I've never known you to be a man of big words, Garion."
"Five years of tutoring can do that to a person, can't it?"
"Yeah, it sure can. So, what do you do in your spare time?"
"Well, in the mornings I run, and…"
"You run too? How far?"
"About eight miles, but I'm working it up to beat your ten."
"How did you know?"
"Our parents don't only talk about state matters, you know."
She laughed. "Want to go into the forest? I can show you some great running trails. We could even have a race, if you want to," Violet said with a challenge in her voice.
"You set it, I'll take it."
She lifted an eyebrow. "Did you get that phrase from anyplace special?"
"How'd you guess?"
"I've read Corran Horn's autobiography too, you know. Didn't Mara Jade say that, before she married Luke?"
"I think so. Do you study our ancestry a lot?"
"Yeah. It's fascinating. Especially all the stuff about the New Republic and the Galactic Civil War."
"Yeah. But I don't like reading about the Yuuzhan Vong. They really screwed up the New Republic, didn't they?"
"They sure did. I'm just glad they were able to finally win in the end."
"Me, too."
The two were silent for a moment. Then Violet spoke up. "Let's go, then. Or do you want me to show you your room so you can change first?"
"Changing out of these clothes sounds good. I don't need another lecture about getting my nice clothes dirty."
"You mean like the one we got at the last celebration?"
"Exactly."
Violet led Garion up the stairs to the wing of the house where guests slept. The celebration for the populace lasted only the single day, but for the royalty it lasted three times that, with lots of feasting and talks about their ancestry and modern politics. Ten minutes later, with both of them changed into running gear, they set out at a slow pace so Garion could familiarize himself with the territory.
They had jogged about a mile when Violet heard the noise again. She stopped abruptly.
"What is it?" Garion asked, also stopping.
"Sh!"
She listened very carefully for a moment, and then whirled around at the sound of a voice.
"So, you were the power I spotted earlier?" a large, strongly built man said disbelievingly. A gadget on his right eye beeped. He punched a button on it. The device made a whirring noise, and then stopped. "It's not the boy, then-but a girl with this kind of power level?"
Garion looked at the man, then at Violet, then back to the man. "What is he talking about?" he whispered to her.
The man interrupted Violet's reply. "I am talking about her power level. What makes her able to fight, if she knows how to use it."
Grr…I am not as stupid as I may look to you, idiot! Violet took a moment to evaluate the man's own power level. Sheesh, his power level is almost as high as mine, maybe higher! I have got a problem over here…I sure hope the legend that a saiyan gets stronger after every fight holds true for me. Wait a sec! What is Garion going to do? This guy is going to see him as my weak point, for sure. This is so not good…
"What, has a cat got your tongue, saiyan? Yes, I can see your tail. It's very rare on a woman, but you're probably too weak to fight, anyway."
I'm glad I've been suppressing my power level, like the books my ancestor Rile left for me told me to do. I hope he hasn't spotted Cass' small power, too.
Suddenly she sensed something. The man had begun to power up. His large hands encased a small yellow ball. He said something in his native tongue, and then hurled it at her.
Garion stood there, stunned, having no clue as to what exactly was going on.
Violet stepped in front of him and replied to the attack with her own. "He-yah!" she grunted as she hurled her own violet ball at him-she used violet as a pun on her own name.
"Wha-where did your power come from?"
"It's a special talent, scumbag. Now get off my island and off this planet."
"Oh, your island? Well, your Majesty, I'm sorry that I scuffed it up," he said tauntingly.
"Good. I'm glad that you have a respect for those in higher places above you," she spat back at him.
"Oooh, I'm so scared."
He powered up again and started throwing small energy projectiles at her.
"Move it, Garion!" she cried out as she moved to defend herself and him.
He dove to the forest floor and moved behind some nearby trees. I knew Violet was a saiyan and had extraordinary powers, but I had no idea they were like this! I wonder if Jedi can cast energy?
The attacks hit her square on. Dust began to fly and plants' leaves were torn off their branches and limbs by the force of the attack. After a moment, the dust cleared and the leaves settled on the ground, revealing a windblown, dirtied up, but hardly worse for wear Violet. The man was stunned.
"How the heck did you manage that?"
"Gee, I don't know. It doesn't really matter, now, does it? The fact is that I did it. Scared now?"
"Me? Scared? Of you? Whatever," he said with more bluster than he felt.
Violet answered his boisterous comment with a disappearing act. His device-Violet remembered it being spoken of in Rile's writings as a scouter-began blinking, having lost its target. She reappeared behind him and gave him a strong right hook to the jaw as he turned around. The blow knocked him a few steps to the side. He responded with a flurry of punches, most of which Violet deflected, but a few landed on her face and sides. They continued sparring in this way for about fifteen minutes, neither gaining an advantage over the other, except those few times when Violet vanished, then reappeared a second later somewhere else.
Tiring, the man made a desperate move-he moved quicker than Violet had expected. The man ended up by the grove of trees where Garion was hiding. Picking him up by his neck, thereby rendering him defenseless, he held him up for Violet to see.
Do not use your Jedi powers! The words rang inside Garion's head.
What on--who are you? he asked the voice, confused.
That is not something you need to know right now, young one. Know this, though: that young woman over there has the mindset of a protector. Whatever you do, do not allow her to see how strong you are, ever, unless her life is in danger.
What are you talking about? Garion shouted at the voice, but it was no use. The voice was gone. Blinking, the young prince turned his attention back to the confrontation.
Violet had chased after her opponent as he had made his move, but was brought up short by his taking hostage of Garion.
He laughed evilly. "I see that here I hold your weak point, saiyan. Give up now, and he may live. If you try to stop me at any time in the future, you will know that I hold him captive, and any move you make directed at me, he will feel five times more than I ever will."
Rage built up inside of Violet, but she tried to suppress it. I may not be a Jedi, so I don't have to worry about the dark side, but I still need to be in control of my anger. The dark side may not be my consequence, but something else almost at bad probably will. Anything I do in haste here will have its impact on Garion. I don't believe this guy is bluffing-he's not the sort to offer torture as a bluff. Sounds like the saiyans Rile wrote about…
Well, here goes. Garion, please don't hold this against me! "Ha! You really think that he will stop me from attacking you? Think again!"
The stricken look on Garion's face almost stopped her, but she pressed on. "If there is anything that would stop me, it would be something that you don't know exists; therefore, there is nothing that you can hope to use to stop me."
The man's jaw dropped. So did Garion's. Violet winced inwardly, but bravely stood her ground. Then she saw the lines around the man's mouth tense. "Well, then, brave little saiyan, my doing this won't bother you." As he spoke, he began to squeeze Garion's neck, constricting his airflow. Then, he punched him in the stomach, still squeezing his neck with his other hand. Garion's eyes just about popped out of their sockets with the pain, but there was apparently nothing he could do. Stoically he accepted the pain with such a level of self-control that it stunned the princess.
The rage Violet had tried to suppress earlier broke out of its cage like a furious tiger. She screamed with anger. Her fists tightened to the point that her knuckles were white. Yellow flame-like energy began to surround her. Wind blew from the force of her strength; pebbles flew through the air as lightly as if they were feathers. Plants were ripped out of the ground. Her eyes became slits. Her muscles bunched, then, with an animal-like shriek, her rage exploded in a burst of uncontrolled energy, sweeping around her and hiding her from sight for a split second.
The figure that the energy revealed looked like Violet Wakefield, yet somehow it did not look like her. She seemed taller, stronger, more muscular, and more saiyan-like than ever before. Yellow flames of energy surrounded her, hissing with power. Her hair almost stood on end, much like her ancestor Rile's had, except that it was a complete yellow-blonde, and not dusty blonde like it had been before her transformation. Violet had become a super-saiyan.
The man dropped Garion onto the ground, stunned. "This…this can't be!" he cried out.
"Oh, it is," Violet said quietly and coldly. "Consider yourself the cause of my transformation. It was you who drove me over the edge to become a super-saiyan, and you know it."
She had moved forward slowly, each step a deliberate step toward him, anger evident in every line of her being. Her right fist clenched, and before the man could blink, her hand was around his throat, constricting his windpipe. She lifted him off the ground, even though he was a full six inches taller than she was, and with her left hand punched him as hard as she could in the solar plexus.
He managed to get himself out of her grasp in time to collapse on the ground. She moved her right arm to point directly down at him, and then opened her fist so that her palm was parallel to him, fingers splayed. Powering up for a moment, she channeled a large amount of energy into her open hand and blasted it onto his prone form. An explosion followed. When the dust cleared, there was no sign of the man-just a shallow body print of his in the path.
Violet relaxed visibly, her hair falling down around her shoulders again and returning to its original dusty blond color. She then raced over to where Garion lay still on his side, facing away from her toward the bushes. Gently she rolled him over onto his back and found that he was barely breathing. She looked into his glazed eyes and said, "Garion? Are you all right?"
He blinked, slowly coming out of his trance. Wow…I forgot how hard it was to concentrate on those Jedi trances, he thought to himself. I'd better work on that technique. I'll probably need it in the future. "Violet?" he replied, not knowing what else to say.
"Yes, it's me. Garion, I am so sorry," she apologized, a tear running out of each eye. "I didn't mean for my words to hurt you that much-emotionally and physically."
He searched her eyes for a moment. Then he lifted a hand to catch a third tear. "It's all right, really. I'll survive." He blinked again and allowed a weak grin to touch his lips. "Looks like I won't be able to beat you in a ten-mile race, then."
Violet sniffed, then smiled through her tears. "I should have expected that of you: you always seem to find something to make me laugh, even in the worst situation."
Garion began to try to move himself into a sitting position. "Here, let me help you up," Violet offered.
Once she had him up, with an arm of his around her shoulders and her arm around his waist, he asked her, "What was it that that man called you before you blew him away?"
"A super-saiyan."
"What?"
"Yeah. Your sacrifice gave me the emotion I needed to unlock my hidden powers and become a super saiyan. Without you I don't think I would ever be able to become one."
"Really?"
"Yeah. C'mon, let's get back to the palace and get you cleaned up."
Violet found that they did not move very fast on the ground, so she paused for a moment. "Garion, hold on tight. This will probably feel very weird to you."
"O…kay," he said, a bit nervous.
A moment later they were in the air, Violet flying them back to the palace. Garion's eyes opened wide for a second, but then returned to their normal size. Less than a minute later they were back, and Violet gently touched down. Garion unlocked his arms from around her shoulders and stood up. A second later his knees buckled and he sat down abruptly.
Violet moved to help him, but he waved his hand at her. "I'm all right. Just give me a minute to get my bearings back."
Violet nodded and sat down next to him. Then they heard footsteps coming toward them. It was Cass and Tyria. They stopped short when they saw the condition of the two teens' clothes and the bruises on their faces. Cass glanced back at his sister. "What happened? I sensed something…"
Violet glanced at Garion with a look that asked Should I tell them?
He nodded. Yeah.
The princess' eyes opened wide in shock. How…what the…how did you…
Garion's eyes were wide open as well. I…I don't know. This is…what the…how are we…
I feel the same way…do you think it's because…?
Because of our emotional link back there? Maybe…
Oh, yeah. I better get back to my brother's question, shouldn't I?
Yeah.
Violet took a deep breath and told them the whole story, first asking them to promise not to tell anyone. The two of them listened intently, their eyes getting wider as the story went on. When she finished, Cass asked, "You really became a super-saiyan?"
She nodded once in reply.
"So you are the one from the Codex," he said solemnly.
"I--what makes you so sure…" she began, then trailed off as she realized he was telling the truth. "Can this really be?" she said in a small voice as the historical impact of her transformation washed over her.
"What are you two talking about?" Tyria asked, hands on her hips, breaking the moment.
Cass looked over at her. "Have you ever read The Farlae Codex?
"Yeah. But what does that have to do with anything…?" The young princess' eyes widened as she realized what he meant.
The prince of Alendre glanced over at Violet. "You're the girl Rile talked about over a century ago, aren't you." It was a statement, not a question.
You said that aloud for those two, didn't you? Her thought came to him somewhat haltingly due to her inexperience at the technique.
Yes.
Violet shrugged wearily. "I guess so. I can't help but wonder…why me? I mean…"
Garion moved over to sit in front of her and put his hand on her shoulder. "I know. There is a reason for it. We may not know what it is, but there is one out there."
His calm logic reassured Violet's shocked mind, and she nodded.
It'll be all right, Violet. Don't worry about it.
She smiled gratefully at him. Shaking her head as if to clear it, she said, "C'mon you guys, let's get back and get cleaned up. There is still the celebration today, and you two will be staying for the next three days, so there's lots to do."
When they returned, the Winslows and Windwards had arrived, and all four families were shocked at the condition of the four. "What happened?" Garion's mother, Queen Carida, gasped when she saw the bruises and blood on her son's face, as well as the condition of Violet's face and clothing.
The princess stepped in. "It's a long story. Would it be all right if we cleaned ourselves up before we told it?"
Her father's eyebrow rose a little at her forward speech, but, before he opened his mouth to protest, decided against it. He saw that there was something different about his daughter. She hasn't changed in appearance, but she carries herself differently now. As if she were carrying some burden… Then King Ryo realized something. It's happened, hasn't it? She's the one from the Codex…she has fulfilled the legend…she is a super- saiyan. "All right, Violet. And do take your time."
She looked a bit surprised at his easy granting of her request, but nodded and led Garion out of the room. Cass and Tyria remained, both standing there looking at the ground, hands clasped behind their backs.
Queen Ariana glanced at her husband. "What was all that about, Ryo?"
"Let her tell you herself."
She raised an eyebrow but said nothing. The other kings and queens could only stand there looking at each other, each feeling clueless. Young Prince Keiran Windward had no idea what to do, so he simply stood next to his mother, Queen Ienne, holding her hand.
Clearing his throat, King Geran Winslow spoke first. "If you don't mind my asking, Ryo, what was that all about?"
He turned to face the king of Byrista. "I'm not exactly sure, but my instincts tell me that something big happened."
Geran could tell that the other king was holding something back, but refrained from dragging it out of him.
Slowly the small talk resumed, and Cass and Tyria managed to drag Keiran out away from his mother and took him off to play outside. Realizing that whatever had just taken place had happened outside, his father, King Dagan, was reluctant to let them go out, but Ryo reassured him that they would be all right.
A half hour later, Violet and Garion returned. Idly Queen Serena noted that they looked quite good together, but said nothing of it. She knew that they would be embarrassed if she mentioned it, and smiled inwardly, remembering when she had been that age.
Violet wore a well-fitting blue gown that matched the color of her eyes perfectly. Sleeveless, it was appropriate for the warm summer day and for their dignified company. Her freshly washed blonde hair was up in a bun, but curled strands hung down from it, making her look older than she really was. A few of the strands came down over her ears as well, giving her an elegant look. Delicate white gloves stretching to her elbow adorned her hands, outlining their slender form. She wore her trademark, a pair of amethyst earrings and an amethyst heart on a gold necklace chain. Though they were purple in color, they did not contrast at all to the deep blue of her gown. She also carried a datapad, which marred her delicate image somewhat.
Garion wore a bandage around his head, which made him look like he had just returned from a battle. His stylish gray business suit was freshly pressed and cleaned, and his attire also made him look older than he was.
They sat down in adjoining crimson armchairs. The others followed suit. "What happened, Violet?" her mother asked after a moment.
For the second time that day, Violet told their story. As her brother and Tyria had done, their eyes got wider as the story went on. Garion offered his perspective at times, and Violet paused whenever he wanted to add something, their newfound link allowing her to know when he wished to speak. The only exception was when she got to the part when she faced off with the other saiyan fighter. Then she rushed through as fast as she could without leaving anything important out so Garion could not interrupt. When she finished, she wordlessly passed the datapad to Garion, who passed it to his father, and it began to travel around the circle.
On it was the complete Farlae Codex, with the relevant passages highlighted. As each read it, their facial expressions changed from the blank expression one has when reading to one of stunned realization as each came to the same conclusion. When the datapad returned to Violet, her father stood.
"As you all must have realized, this legend speaks of a young woman being born a saiyan-an extremely rare occurrence as it is-and possessing extraordinary powers."
They all nodded.
"It goes on to say that this young woman would become a super saiyan, which hasn't happened for three millennia. I must say that that clock must reset itself, for one has appeared. Not only that, but a legend has been fulfilled today." He turned to face his daughter and held out his hand. She took it and stood. "Here she is."
Garion looked on at the formality of this event, and was hit again with the importance of it all. He watched Violet stand, and was suddenly filled with a pride and awe that he could not explain-he could explain the awe, but not the pride.
Violet, as she stood, felt an urge to power up, though she was in formal dress and inside a building-the castle at that. Aw, what the heck. I'll do it -- I'll just be careful. A moment later a yellow hue outlined her form, and she let go of her father's hand and took a step back. The hue had changed shape to flame-like, and the energy's force began moving the air in the room around. With her hair fanning gently in the wind she had created, Violet curtsied to the royalty in the room and relaxed. The flames dissipated immediately.
"She is the one," her mother murmured. The others voiced their assent.
*****
An hour later the celebration began. After a while, Violet retreated into the background with Garion. They both changed their clothes yet again and went out into the forest behind the palace, glad to get away from everything. They walked the five miles to the sea and played in the surf until it was time to return for the evening's feast.